Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 438 Lisa Garfield

The Iron Islands fleet cut through the waves, heading towards the legendary city of Asshal.

Although Euron claimed that his trip was only to "experience exotic customs," he would never do a losing business.

Deep within the hold of each longship lay carefully prepared cargo—clear fresh water, plump and juicy fruit, storable grains, and spirits strong enough to ignite the throat.

These supplies, which are commonplace in Westeros, are priceless treasures in distant Assassin.

The land of Assassin is cursedly barren; apart from the eerie "ghost grass" that sways in the wind and is said to whisper secrets, almost no crops can be grown. The entire city's survival depends heavily on wheat and barley imported from outside.

Even more deadly is the water. Even under the blazing midday sun, the rivers of Asshal flow with inky black water, their surfaces rippling with ominous black waves. The fish that thrive in this poisonous water have degenerated eyes and twisted, grotesque forms; only the most desperate fools and those who live in the shadows dare to touch them.

But this land shrouded in shadow is rich in gold and gems that drive the world crazy.

This creates a highly ironic scene: in Assya, a bucket of clear fresh water, a basket of fresh fruit...

A bag of solid grain, or even a barrel of coarse wine, could be exchanged for gold or dazzling gems.

"Wheat for gold! Fresh water for jewels!" The seasoned Ironborn captains licked their chapped lips, their eyes gleaming with greedy shrewdness. "Ship this stuff back to Westeros, and we'll be rich a thousandfold!"

This seemingly simple but actually incredibly profitable deal had already been meticulously planned by the conquerors of the Iron Islands.

Setting sail from the lush yet perilous coast of the Scorpion Islands, the massive Iron Islands fleet plunged into the final and longest leg of its voyage to Asshal. The azure sea was constantly cleaved beneath the bows of the ships, only to quickly heal again, day after day, seemingly without end.

The voyage will take a full two weeks, during which time all you can see is the sky and the sea.

Life at sea was monotonous. Apart from the occasional warnings from the watchmen, there was only the sound of the sails billowing, the rhythm of the waves lapping against the hull, and the rough songs that the ironmen sang to pass the time.

During this tedious journey, a quiet change occurred on the Zhiyuan.

Queen Alicia, the female leader renowned for her bravery, has recently been standing at the bow of her ship, her hand unconsciously stroking her lower abdomen. Her once sharp, hawk-like eyes now reveal a gentleness that seems out of place in this cruel ocean.

Alicia is pregnant.

The news quietly spread among the higher-ups. Considering the danger to Assassin, Baron suggested that she fly back to Women's Island on Halsien. But Alicia's attitude was unusually firm. She rejected all suggestions to return, standing tall on the deck, as if the burden of the new life in her womb could not shake her will to fight the wind and waves.

"I will stay," she said with unwavering determination, the sea breeze ruffling her hair. "When the fleet returns, I will go back to Women's Island with Euron."

She not only wanted to witness the legendary city firsthand, but also to present the memories of this great voyage as the first gift to her unborn child.

When Lisa Garfield arrived in Qarth with her two companions, Gwendolyn and Evelyn, in a strange ship escorted by three enormous sea serpents, the port city, renowned for its wealth and miracles, took notice.

Their arrival remained the focus of gossip in Qarse for the next few months.

After all, not everyone is fortunate enough to witness such a sight: three deep-sea behemoths, comparable in size to warships, clad in dark blue scales, gently circling a white sailboat inlaid with pearls and coral. Of the three women standing at the bow, Lisa Garfield was the most striking, her beauty like that of a sea goddess from ancient legends, her allure even eclipsing the famous wizards and spice princes of Qarth.

What draws people in isn't just their stunning mounts and looks. It's also the name Lisa Garfield represents—her uncle, Sisyphus Garfield, one of the Thirteen Tycoons who controls the economic lifeline of Qarth, and currently wielding immense power and influence.

Lisa, as his sole designated heir, arrived like a living treasure trove, her weight enough to cast a heavy weight on Qarth's treacherous power scales.

What followed was an investigation into Lisa's identity and her past.

Within the power network of the Iron Islands, the invisible bond between Lisa Garfield and Euron Greyjoy has always been shrouded in a carefully woven fog, remaining largely unknown.

Lisa herself is like the ever-changing morning mist at sea, rarely revealing her true face to outsiders. She has long lived in seclusion behind the scenes, overseeing Euron's most secretive network—the web of information and intelligence. Her existence is more like a tacitly known legend among the upper echelons.

Normally, only the core figures of the Iron Islands, those island lords who held considerable military power, were allowed to enter her territory for necessary military and political affairs, and had only a few brief encounters with her. In their minds, Lisa was an invisible yet deadly key in Euron's hands, capable of unlocking doors to countless secrets.

Among the vast majority of Ironborn, the situation was even more ambiguous. Many had only heard from drunken gossip that their Lord of the Sea Beasts had a salt concubine named Lisa. But very few had actually been fortunate enough to see her face or have had direct contact with her. In the minds of most Ironborn, her image remained a distant and mysterious shadow, existing only as a name.

When those three enormous serpents, resembling the ceremonial procession of an ancient sea god, appeared in Qarth, and when news of the Iron Islands' eastward expedition to the ends of the earth spread like a plague along the trade routes between the Summer Sea and the Jade Sea, it was hard for the astute nobles and wise men of Qarth not to connect these two earth-shattering events.

Many people with ulterior motives began to approach Lisa Garfield under various pretexts, cautiously probing whether she was truly connected to the legendary "Lord of the Sea Monsters."

Lisa's reaction to these overt and covert inquiries was unexpected.

Without the slightest evasion, concealment, or deliberate attempt to mislead, at a public banquet, when a spice prince again probed indirectly, she elegantly swirled the glass in her hand and, in a clear and calm voice, dropped a thunderbolt into the entire high society of Qarth: "Yes, Euron Greyjoy," she said with a slight smile, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact, "is my husband."

This groundbreaking and candid admission did not bring immediate adulation or explicit hostility; instead, it plunged the Qarthians into an extremely strange stalemate in their attitude towards her.

Fear took root in their hearts.

Becoming close to her? No one could guarantee that the lord of the sea monsters, who was far away yet could command dragons and conquer Thunder Isle, would be displeased with any rule of Qarth or any family. Any close association could be seen as taking sides, thus bringing about annihilation.

But what if he deliberately ignored her? If this beautiful lady felt slighted and whispered a word of dissatisfaction in the ear of her fearsome husband, the consequences would be equally unimaginable.

The nobles of Qarth found themselves in an unprecedented predicament: they dared not befriend her, yet dared not neglect her. Every meeting with Lisa became a delicate tightrope walk, requiring carefully chosen words and impeccable manners.

She is like a moving, beautiful, and dangerous flame, and everyone must maintain a just-right distance from her—a delicate balance that shows respect without getting burned.