Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 135 The Knight's Pact

The music from the ball echoed through the ancient hall of Twilight Hall.

Robert Baratheon was undoubtedly the most popular male dance partner. He was young and strong, and although he did not have the refined handsomeness of Jaime Lannister, he exuded a bold and unrestrained warrior spirit. His noble duke status made him the focus of the entire event.

Princess Elia Martell was naturally the jewel in everyone's eye, her elegance and status making her shine.

Besides her, noble girls from various parts of the Stormlands, such as Harvest Hall, Young Deer Village, Nest Castle, and Raven Nest Castle, also twirled and laughed in the dance floor like blooming flowers, their skirts fluttering.

However, amidst this jubilation, young Brienne Tass sat alone in the shadows of a corner. Her tall frame was slightly hunched with nervousness, her rough fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her dress. Surrounded by dazzling lights, she felt a deep sense of inferiority and alienation due to her appearance; not a single young man dared to approach and invite this countess, so different from the atmosphere around her, to dance.

Even though today, she should be the star of the banquet.

Euron Greyjoy made his way through the noisy crowd, stopped in front of her, and made an inviting gesture.

"I—I can't dance." Brienne's face flushed instantly, her heart pounding like a drum. This sudden attention, especially from Euron, who had just been praised by the Duke, made her feel a warmth of being valued like never before.

"It's alright," Euron said in a relaxed and sincere tone, blinking as he added, "Actually, I'm not very good at it either. How about we think of dancing as sword practice, and these dance steps as footwork for fighting an enemy?"

As the dance ended, although her steps weren't exactly graceful, Brienne's tense expression relaxed considerably. She bowed her head and quickly said in an almost inaudible voice, "Thank you."

The lingering notes of the dance music still hung in the air, but Brienne's barely audible "thank you" reached Euron's ears clearly. He stopped and looked down at the tall girl beside him with a hint of curiosity.

"Thank you?" Euron repeated, his tone genuinely puzzled. "Why do you need to say thank you?"

Brienne's cheeks flushed even more, and she instinctively tried to hide his calloused hands behind her back, her gaze darting away, her voice growing softer and softer: "Because—because no one ever asks me to dance. Everyone thinks I—I'm not pretty, I can't embroider, and I'm terrible at needlework—"

Her words were filled with long-accumulated inferiority complex.

Euron didn't immediately refute her, but instead carefully examined her for a moment, his gaze finally settling on her hands, which were unconsciously clenched. His tone became certain, even carrying a hint of appreciation as if he had discovered a treasure: "But what I see is different. What I see is someone whose swordsmanship must be quite excellent. Your hands are covered in thick calluses, which can't be created by fiddling with a needle; they are proof of gripping the sword hilt day after day. Although you are very tall, your dance just now showed that your lower body is very stable and your movements are very agile—this requires countless daily training in swinging, thrusting, slashing, and footwork. These," he emphasized, looking intently at her, "are not things that ordinary girls can do, and even many boys can't persevere with."

Brienne looked up abruptly, her large blue eyes filled with disbelief and a flicker of ignited hope. She asked timidly, "Really—really?"

"Of course!" Euron answered without hesitation. He laughed and gave her the most steadfast affirmation with an incredibly vivid metaphor: "Girls who can embroider, do needlework, and are beautiful are everywhere in the Seven Kingdoms. But girls who can master the sword and still have a knight's dream burning in their hearts? They are as rare and precious as dragons in Westeros."

Euron's praise made Brienne blush, but it also made her lower her guard. Unable to suppress her curiosity and excitement, she began to bombard Brienne with questions.

Brienne inquired about Euron's duel with Jaime Lannister, the legendary "Sword of the Morning" Arthur Dayne, Euron's encounters with the Kingsguard, and whether Prince Rhaegar was as perfect as rumored.

When she learned that Euron was engaged to Arthur's sister, her eyes lit up instantly. She pressed him for details about Arthur's swordsmanship, the appearance of his legendary greatsword "Dawn," and the brilliance of his chivalry.

Upon hearing that Euron had spent three months training on Dragonstone with the three White Knights and Prince Rhaegar himself, she was so excited she was almost incoherent. It was as if it was she, not Euron, who had gone to Dragonstone.

"Unfortunately—I'm not a boy." Brienne's voice suddenly lowered, and her huge hands clenched with a hint of disappointment.

Euron laughed at this: "What does it matter? The laws and spirit of chivalry are written in black and white. Which article or clause stipulates that only men can become knights?"

Brienne abruptly raised her head, her blue eyes filled with disbelief and a faint hope: "I—can I really do it? A woman can become a knight?"

"Of course!" Euron answered decisively. "You have a strong build, natural strength, and a tall, broad-shouldered stature—talents that even most men can't match. What's even more remarkable is your heart that yearns for the way of chivalry and is willing to persevere for it. I believe that as long as you are willing to put in the effort, you will definitely become an excellent knight in the future."

"Yes!" Brienne seemed to have found her direction in life, her tone becoming incredibly firm. "I will definitely become a respected knight, just like you!"

"Me?" Euron paused for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head. "No, I'm not a knight. And I probably never will be—no, I should say I never will be a knight!"

"Why?" Brienne asked, bewildered.

"I am of the Ironborn of the Iron Islands," Euron said, a hint of self-deprecation and composure in his voice. "We worship the Drowning God, and plunder salt..."

Iron and rock, our king calls us Iron People pirates. Have you ever heard of pirates of the Iron Islands becoming knights?

Brienne paused for a moment, then her innocent logic kicked in, and she retorted even more firmly, "You just said that women can become knights. Why can't Ironborn?"

Euron was amused by her pointed question. Looking at the unwavering conviction burning in her eyes, he finally laughed loudly, "Now that you mention it—it actually makes a lot of sense!"

In A Song of Ice and Fire, the game of thrones, Euron didn't truly admire many people, but Brienne was one of them because of her perseverance and unwavering heart.

She may not be the smartest, but she is right about one thing—the Iron Islands are one of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, so who says that Ironborn can't be knights?

Euron extended his hand and laughed loudly, "Alright, then let's make a knightly pact!"

"Yes." Brienne was still a little shy, but she nodded heavily and reached out to shake hands with Euron.