Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

He had already considered how, if he were to stab his kin, he would bear the name of a murderer and how he would establish himself in the Seven Kingdoms, perhaps even more infamous than Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer.

"Surrender, my brother."

Renly hesitated slightly, his attention momentarily diverted, but ultimately familial affection triumphed over hatred, and he reached out his hand to Stannis.

However, Stannis suddenly pulled a dagger from an inconspicuous spot at his waist and plunged it directly into Renly's chest.

puff--

Fresh blood spurted out immediately.

Chapter 489 The Death of Renly

puff--

The black-haired boy wearing a helmet with antlers on his head stared wide-eyed.

He watched in disbelief as his brother plunged a dagger into his chest.

Then, with Renly's rapid breathing, blood gushed out instantly, flowing from his nose, mouth, ears, and eyes.

"Brother, you..."

At this moment, Lanli felt as if his lungs had become a broken bellows, making it extremely difficult to breathe, but he still tried his best to breathe.

He stared intently at his brother, as if trying to say something, but the gushing blood filled his trachea, rendering him unable to utter a sound.

“I already told you, Renly.”

"You are no match for me."

Stannis, clutching his injured thigh with one hand and covered in blood, staggered and struggled to his feet.

He was slightly out of breath, then looked at his younger brother and spoke, his eyes filled with determination.

This is the real battlefield!

"It's not child's play, nor is it a contest of spears. Only those who persevere to the end will win. Never let your guard down until you've snapped the enemy's neck."

Stannis gasped for breath, his voice hoarse.

“Lanley, you’re too young. You don’t understand anything.”

Stannis turned the tide in a desperate situation, suddenly killing Renly, an act that shocked everyone present.

All the nobles and guards present were stunned, seemingly not expecting that the young Duke of Storm's End, Renly Baratheon, would die here.

When Maester Cresson, a long-serving retainer of Storm's End, rushed to the scene, he witnessed Stannis plunge a dagger into Renly's chest.

"stop!"

He had barely uttered the words when it was too late. Maester Cresson hadn't expected Stannis to actually kill his own brother. The old maester nearly fainted; he knew he had indeed made a grave mistake.

In the chaos of the battlefield, Stannis's sudden betrayal and killing of Renly brought the entire battlefield to an instant of silence. Then, an old count with gray hair shouted angrily at Stannis.

Stannis! What are you doing?!

"You killed your own brother?!"

Killing one's own parents will be a stain on one's honor for life, violating the doctrines of the Seven and being intolerable to the world. Stannis's actions were indeed shocking.

Stannis ignored him, and gently placed Renly's gradually cooling body on the ground.

Stannis gazed at his brother's face, then raised his hand to help Renly close his eyes. Only then did he look up at the old man who had just spoken, and said in a low voice.

“Lord Ismond, Renly wants to kill me, why can’t I kill him?”

"You're talking nonsense! Lan Li clearly showed you mercy!"

Count Ismond's white beard trembled as he continued his angry rebuke.

"Lord Ismond!"

Stannis suddenly raised his voice, interrupting the other person, staring intently at the Earl of Greenstone Castle, and then spoke loudly.

“Renly is secretly colluding with Viserys. He wants to kill me, as well as all the lords present here, and then surrender Stormlands.”

Stannis's gaze swept around, and all the guards and nobles whose eyes fell upon him involuntarily lowered their heads. Then Stannis's gaze returned to Earl Elton Ismond.

"I saw Ser Aemon on the battlefield of Riverrun."

Stannis's words completely deflated the old count, who was covered in white hair, leaving him feeling like a punctured balloon.

Aemon Ismon was Elton’s son and heir to Greenstone Castle, but he died on the battlefield during the Battle of Riverrun.

He wanted to be a hero, so he charged at Viserys alone, but was easily killed by Viserys.

Because of this hatred alone, Elton could not possibly surrender to Viserys. Renly's collusion with Viserys struck a nerve with the old Earl.

"Hmph, even so, I will not side with the murderer of my own family!"

Elton Ismon, clad in blood-stained armor and carrying a longsword, strode out. His guards, who had sided with Stannis, tried to stop him, but were scared off by a glare from Elton.

"What? You dare not let me leave, you 'kin killer'?"

Stannis watched Elton's departing figure, his face slightly ashen, but he dared not stop him and could only clench his fists tightly.

After all, there are still many nobles present, each with a considerable number of guards. If Stannis were to kill Elton, it would inevitably lead to a sense of shared fate and an irreparable outcome.

However, after Stannis killed Renly, he actively tried to win over the other nobles in Stormlands, but the results were not ideal. Many nobles who witnessed Stannis killing Renly could not accept it and even secretly called him the 'kinslayer'.

"Both the old and new gods will forever curse those who kill their own parents!"

Stannis assumed the title of Duke of Storm's End and Lord of Stormlands, but no one came to support him. That very night, most of the nobles of Storm's End left, taking their armies with them, leaving only a few knights who were devoted to Stannis.

Storm's End is not far from King's Landing, and a main road runs through the Kingswood and leads directly to King's Landing. News of what happened in Storm's End quickly reached King's Landing.

Viserys had just presided over a trial and sentenced a nobleman to death for abducting a young girl. He was beheaded in the morning, and in the afternoon the family tried to defect, but the Golden Robe caught them red-handed and threw them all into prison.

At this moment, in the evening, he was in his study in the Red Castle, reviewing the latest intelligence.

The latest intelligence provided by Minister of Intelligence Varys was presented to Viserys by the eunuch known as the 'Eight-Clawed Spider,' who stood respectfully before him.

Viserys had been somewhat wary of this man before, but now he could trust him completely.

Because he had altered Varys's memories, although he could no longer see what had happened, Viserys added loyalty to Varys's memories, so at least for a while, the spider would not be able to betray him.

"The Dornish army has broken through Nightsong and surrounded Highgarden. House Tyrell has appealed to House Hightower for help, and the army of the Lighthouse of the South is on its way to Highgarden."

"Oberyn's army has advanced to Red Lake and encountered the Lannister army, resulting in a small-scale conflict. The outcome and details of the battle are unknown."

"The Baratheon brothers of Storm's End were locked in a power struggle. Stannis killed Renly with his own hands and proclaimed himself Duke of Storm's End, but he was not recognized by the nobles of Stormlands."

At that moment, Viserys saw the next piece of information and a strange expression appeared on his face.

"Is this news from the valley?"

Chapter 490 Valley Storm

This is intelligence provided by Varys, which records some of the events that have occurred in the valley.

The League of Justice is the name the nobles who control the Eyrie have given themselves.

They seized control of the valley and commanded the other nobles to join them. Those who refused to join were either executed or, in severe cases, their families were destroyed and their fiefs were stripped after the city was captured.

One noble family had publicly accused the League of Justice of treason for occupying the Eyrie, claiming that they had seized control of the city and were using the young emperor to command the other nobles. However, the League of Justice's army breached the city walls not long after, and the entire family was killed.

When order begins to crumble and people's hearts change, the sword of slaughter naturally begins to be raised high. The other nobles of the valley, having seen the lessons of the past, naturally dare not openly oppose the League of the Righteous, and are thus forced to join in.

The more nobles the League of Justice included, the faster its power expanded, and the more uncontrollable it became.

The expansion of power brought unparalleled authority, and the taste of power was irresistible. They imagined themselves as the de facto rulers of the Eyrie. Once a person unleashes their greed, they can never rein it in, unless they encounter a formidable obstacle.

The first group of Vale nobles to seize power were led by Earl Jon Royce of Runestone.

Similarly, the Weywood family, the Hunter family, and others, however, quickly became corrupt and decadent after they moved into the Eyrie and took control of the Vale's owners, the Arryn family.

Jon Royce was alright. Although he had some selfish motives and forced his daughter into marriage, he always upheld the overall situation, which was to unite all the nobles against the young dragon lord. Meanwhile, the other nobles in the Alliance of Justice were engaged in a series of power struggles and infighting.

In particular, the main focus is on the jealousy, intrigue, and power struggles surrounding the beautiful widow who married into the Erin family and her children.

Everyone wanted to possess Lysa and custody of the young Duke Robert Arryn, including Earl Jon Royce, who always upheld justice.

Lysa Tully has quite a few suitors in the Vale.

In her youth, Lysa was a beautiful, slender, and busty girl, delicate and shy. However, after marrying Jon Arryn, a grumpy old man from the Vale, she experienced several miscarriages and gradually gained weight, becoming much more haggard.

Moreover, Lysa Tully's family is also very powerful. The Tully family has overcome the difficulties, successfully moved ashore, and stood on Viserys' side.

Although Riverrun was stripped of its fiefdom and dukedom, Riverrun remained in the hands of the Tully family, and the Tully family would not decline anytime soon.

Furthermore, if the League of Justice were to be defeated one day, they might be able to kneel before the Young Dragon Lord thanks to their connection with the Tully family, which could be considered a hedge against both sides.

Therefore, Lysa Tully is extremely popular now, even more so than when she was young and beautiful, and has more suitors.

According to information gathered by Varys's little birds, Lysa Tully's room is not locked at night.

Several noblemen from the valley were witnessed entering and leaving the pretty widow's room late at night, staying for a long time each time, and strange noises were heard coming from them...

"This...is interesting."

Viserys couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head when he saw the intelligence report, while Octopus Spider remained with his hands crossed in his sleeves, bowing respectfully in an extremely humble posture.

According to intelligence reports, those who entered and exited the Duchess of the Eyrie's bedroom late at night included: Jorn Royce, Earl of Runestone; Petyr Baelish, Littlefinger; Ian Hunter, Earl older than Jon Arryn, along with his sons, Jerwood Hunter and his son; Nestor Royce, Grand Steward of the Eyrie; and others...

A gentle breeze blew in through the window, and sunlight streamed through the white curtains into the bright study in the Red Castle's Meg building.

The silver-haired young man, dressed in a black velvet outfit, leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed. He looked at the intelligence in his hand with a mysterious smile and a thoughtful expression.

Although Petyr Baelish was just one of the people who entered Lysa Tully's room late at night, based on Viserys's understanding of Littlefinger, the mastermind behind this affair must have been involved.

Perhaps the chaos within the League of Justice today is the work of Petyr Baelish.

"Hmph, Littlefinger..."

Viserys put down the intelligence in his hand, gave a soft snort, touched the platinum ring on his finger, and closed his eyes slightly.

"Chaos is not an abyss, but a ladder. Kingdoms, gods, love... are all illusions. Only the ladder is real, and striving to climb it is everything."

However, when Viserys opened his eyes again, he saw Varys staring blankly, as if he had heard something incredible from Viserys.

“It’s nothing, don’t be surprised, Varys.”

Viserys, of course, didn't need to consider what Varys was thinking at that moment; he simply uttered a famous quote from Littlefinger.