Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 333 The Summer Islands—I've Got My Eye

Dinner.

The lengthy ceremony of offerings and bestowing titles had ended, shedding the solemn and tense political veneer of the afternoon and revealing its true nature of unrestrained pleasure. At this moment, there were no more serious topics about power and law in the hall; only the most primal desires were steaming in the clamor as people drank from large bowls and ate large chunks of meat.

The nobles, having abandoned their afternoon reserve and calculations, gathered in small groups, arms around each other, boasting with spittle flying as they spoke of their bravery or anecdotes, and entangled themselves in tales of blood ties and friendships, some genuine, some fabricated. The air was thick with the aroma of roasting meat, the strong stench of spilled liquor, and the heat radiating from the crowd.

At the heart of this celebration was undoubtedly the new King Robert.

He had already opened the collar of his suit jacket, and the huge gold wine glass was filled and emptied again and again.

Amber-colored wine cascaded from his lips like a waterfall, splashing freely onto the front of his magnificent tuxedo, staining the exquisite embroidery a deep, dark hue, and clinging wetly to his chest. He seemed oblivious, instead becoming even more excited. His loud laughter and savage roars drowned out the musicians' playing, as if he wanted to burn away all the repression of the past and all the worries of the future in this exhilarating drinking session.

In the bustling banquet hall, people moved about, and laughter and the clinking of glasses filled the air.

Euron's gaze, however, was like that of a falcon, passing over all the noisy figures and precisely locking onto one person: Prince Jalaba Sol from Red Flower Valley in the Summer Islands.

The prince wore a luxurious cloak woven from countless bright feathers, the red and green colors intertwined to create a dazzling effect reminiscent of a tropical jungle, which contrasted sharply with his dark, smooth skin, making him stand out in the crowd.

Euron clearly remembered encountering the exiled prince on the route he took on his escort of Elia back to Dorne on the Stepstone Isles. He had casually taken Jalabar aboard and eventually brought him to Sunspear, Dorne.

However, at that time he was deeply troubled by Elia and his relationship with Dorne, and after sending Jalabar to Sunspear, he almost forgot about the down-on-his-luck prince.

Unexpectedly, fate has taken such a strange turn.

This prince from the distant Summer Isles eventually made his way to King's Landing in his own way, even appearing at the most central banquet in the Red Keep.

In the midst of the bustling banquet, Euron, holding a wine glass, slowly walked up to the prince dressed in a brightly colored feathered cloak.

"Prince Jalabar," he asked with a slight smile, "do you remember me?"

Upon hearing this, Jalabar Sol immediately turned around, his face displaying just the right amount of surprise and respect. He bowed slightly and said, "Your Excellency's words have truly startled me. How could I forget! That was a life-saving grace, one that Jalabar will never forget." A warm smile bloomed on his dark face, and his words were fluent and flattering. "Moreover, Your Excellency is already renowned throughout the world. People everywhere sing of your titles: Son of the Drowned God, Lord of the Sea Monsters, Blade of Justice, Crown of the Sea Bones, King of the Stone Steps Islands. If I couldn't even recognize your majesty, my lord, then my head would have been wasted."

Euron smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with his flattery, and cut to the chase: "I remember back at sea, you said you hoped to request military assistance to help you reclaim the throne of the Summer Islands. How is that going?"

Jalabar's smile turned bitter, and he lowered his voice, saying, "King Robert himself is very ambitious and eager to help. But—His Majesty has just ascended the throne, the affairs of the Seven Kingdoms are numerous, and the royal treasury is already empty. Lord Chancellor Jon Arryn has clearly stated that we must wait until the situation is stable and the finances are more abundant in a few years before we can discuss this further." His tone was filled with obvious disappointment.

Euron sighed at the opportune moment, but his words went straight to the point: "The King is the ruler of seven kingdoms, with a territory spanning thousands of miles. How could he possibly cross the ocean so easily and personally lead his troops to the distant Summer Islands? Moreover, as far as I know, the royal fleet doesn't even have a single decent warship. Even if His Majesty had such ambition, who knows when that would be?"

Jalabar, being an astute man, immediately grasped the underlying meaning. A flicker of hope rekindled in his eyes, and he asked urgently yet cautiously, "Then—Your Grace, what about you? If you are willing to lend a hand, with the strength of the Iron Islands fleet and your ability to control sea monsters, a voyage to the Summer Islands is certainly feasible!"

Youlun thought to himself: Of course I'm willing, otherwise why waste so much breath arguing with you, you "black-hearted guy"? But on his face, he remained calm and, after a moment of contemplation, said steadily: "This matter—is not something that cannot be considered."

He then changed the subject, offering a reasonable delay: "However, it will still require some preparation time. I have just been granted the title of Duke of Harrenhal, and it is only right and proper that I first go north to my castle to inspect it in person and handle some matters related to the initial establishment of my fiefdom."

Jalapa was overjoyed upon hearing this. As long as he could find powerful allies, waiting was not unacceptable. He quickly agreed, "Of course, of course! I am willing to wait for you to finish your important business!"

Euron nodded in satisfaction and made a more practical arrangement: "In that case, come with me. I will introduce you to my father, King Coron, and my brother, Balon. After the banquet in a few days, you can return to the Iron Islands with them to settle down. Once I have dealt with the affairs of the Riverlands, I will return to the islands, and then we can discuss the matter of sending troops in detail."

Jalabar, like a lapdog that has found its master, followed closely behind the tall Euron, his magnificent feather cloak standing out both conspicuously and humbly in the crowd.

Euron led him directly to King Coron, who was drinking heartily with several old captains. After a brief introduction, King Coron merely responded gruffly, showing little interest in the dark-skinned foreign prince, clearly unaware of Euron's intentions.

It wasn't until Baron, with his keen eye, pulled Jalabra aside and loudly inquired about the customs, ports, and products of the Summer Islands that Euron, taking the opportunity to pour his father a drink, leaned close to his ear and whispered four words in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Summer Islands."

King Coron paused slightly in his cup, his eyes, sharpened by the sea breeze, snapped open and gave Euron a deep look. In that brief moment of eye contact, the old king, who had ruled the Iron Islands for many years, immediately understood his second son's unfinished words and hidden ambition.

Needless to say, Euron had his eye on that rich and warm island thousands of miles away.