Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

No wonder it seems that none of the Northern kings who marched south in history had a good ending.

"Ed".

Outside the Red Keep's cell, Lady Catelyn, dressed in simple clothes, still looked haggard. She then nodded to the Unsullied soldier beside her.

"grateful."

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Two Unsullied soldiers then stepped forward expressionlessly and opened the prison door.

Chapter 580 Prosecutor

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The heavy clanking of chains echoed, and although the throne room was crowded with people, it was completely silent. No one spoke; everyone held their breath and looked outside the throne room.

Eddard Stark, the Duke of Winterfell, was dressed in prison clothes, his hands and feet bound by heavy chains. His gray hair was disheveled, his beard was unkempt, and his eyes were somewhat lifeless.

He arrived at the throne room under the escort of the Unsullied soldiers, looking around at the nobles of the seven kingdoms with a slightly bewildered expression. Most of them were unfamiliar faces, with only a few still recognizable.

They greeted Eddard Stark excitedly.

"Lord Stark!"

"Lord Eddard Stark!"

One of the burly Northern nobles wore the emblem of 'Winter Sun' and his beard trembled slightly as he looked excited. This was the first time in over half a year that their Lord Stark had made a public appearance. He had been imprisoned in the Red Keep, his fate unknown, and no one outside except Lady Catelyn had the right to visit him.

"Lord Karstark."

As Ed dragged his heavy chains through the crowds on either side of the throne room, escorted by Unsullied soldiers, he heard the voices from both sides and saw familiar faces. The confusion on his face subsided slightly, and he responded in a hoarse voice.

These were all surviving Northern nobles who had surrendered to the Targaryen army after the Battle of Riverrun, and had even been incorporated into the regular army long before, joining the Second and Third Legions and following Oberyn on his westward expedition. Another group served in the Golden Company, following Viserys to defeat Stannis and crush the resistance of the Stormlands.

Many northern nobles even made outstanding contributions and were promoted or rewarded.

Climate and topography determined the harsh life of the people in the North. The bitter cold of winter made the people of the North very different from the people of the South south of the Neck. They knew from birth that winter was coming and they had to prepare for it in order to survive.

Therefore, in such an environment, northerners have no time to care about empty politeness, courtly ceremonies, fancy culture, or martial arts competitions. They speak very directly and do not know how to be flexible, and their intentions are also very simple.

House Stark has ruled the North for thousands of years and their power base is deeply entrenched. They hope that the future governor of the North will be a Northerner, not a governor who is parachuted in from somewhere. This is their only demand.

The stubborn and xenophobic nature of the Northerners is somewhat similar to that of the Dornish, making it very difficult for outsiders to rule the North.

"The North fought alongside us against a common enemy of all mankind, and after King Robert's defeat and capture, they decisively surrendered, rendering outstanding service..."

Later dynasties tend to offer less-than-objective and unjust evaluations of their predecessors, generally striving to denigrate them in order to gain a relatively legitimate reason for their own actions.

It's rare for Viserys to elevate the evaluation of the previous dynasty. While the Targaryen family once contemptuously referred to Robert Baratheon as a 'usurper,' refusing to acknowledge that he had held sovereignty over the kingdom for ten years, Viserys, determined to establish a new nation separate from the previous Targaryen dynasty, made an exception and recognized King Robert's existence, acknowledging that he had once seized the entire country. The Targaryen dynasty was destroyed by Viserys' father, the 'Mad King' Aerys II.

Political compromises are often about getting what each party wants, and the shift in public opinion can happen in an instant. For skilled politicians and nobles, it is common to say one thing in the morning and then contradict it in the evening.

Therefore, the 'usurper' became 'King Robert', but the nature of that war remained unchanged; it was still the 'War of the Usurper'. Robert usurped the Iron Throne from House Targaryen and became King of the Seven Kingdoms.

Eddard Stark, the Duke of Winterfell, walked to the front of the stage with heavy shackles on his hands and feet. His straightforward nature prevented him from understanding the subtle changes in his words, nor did he want to.

At the very front of the throne room, he saw several familiar faces: Varys the Spider, Oberyn Martell, Prince of Dorne, and his former rival Jon Clinton. But most of them were unfamiliar faces: Mithril Toyn, commander of the Golden Company; Kargo, the Dothraki Bloodfist; and Black Worm, commander-in-chief of the Unsullied. Their gazes were like knives, scraping fiercely at Eddard Stark.

"It's been a long time, Lord Eddard Stark."

Petyr Baelish, cloaked in black, also stood at the front of the court, giving Eddard a slight nod with a forced smile.

Meanwhile, Tyrion Lannister, the king's advisor standing on the steps in front of the Iron Throne, coughed lightly, looked up at the silver-haired youth wearing the Valyrian steel crown on the Iron Throne, and continued speaking.

"Your Majesty, the people of the North have readily submitted and have not resisted national unification, while the sins of the War of the Usurpers have not yet been atoned for, and the North has not been reclaimed. Therefore, Lord Eddard Stark is still entitled to retain his title as Duke of Winterfell..."

Tyrion's voice echoed in the silent throne room. It was not his own opinion, but rather a pre-arranged script.

The haggard-looking, unshaven Lord Eddard Stark pondered his wife's parting words, paused for a moment, took a deep breath, bowed to the Iron Throne, and greeted her in a hoarse voice.

"His Majesty."

Duke Eddard yielded, bowing his head and addressing the Duke as His Majesty. All the Northern nobles present breathed a sigh of relief, except for one person.

Ramsay Snow's father and brothers are all dead, but Ramsay is no longer as eager to have his own surname as he once was. He is not in a hurry to have the Bolton surname now because he has other plans.

He saw that Eddard hadn't displayed the tough spirit of a Northerner, stubbornly refusing to bow to Viserys but instead immediately yielding, and a slight shadow appeared in his eyes.

He had great ambitions, aiming for the North, but then he shook his head and gave a bright smile.

Viserys remained silent on the Iron Throne, merely nodding slightly. Eddard Stark, the Duke of Winterfell, stepped aside, dragging his heavy shackles, and stood beside Oberyn.

"Lord Eddard Stark."

Oberyn, escorting Tywin Lannister, had returned to King's Landing. The Dornish man had dark skin and a smile somewhat similar to Ramsay's. He then greeted Eddard Stark.

"I've heard of Lord Stark's reputation for fairness and integrity for a long time."

"Prince Oberon".

Ed had just been released from prison, and he was already feeling stifled after being imprisoned for so long. However, he didn't really have anything to say to Oberyn, so he simply nodded and responded in a hoarse voice.

At that moment, a voice came from in front of the Iron Throne, immediately drawing the attention of both of them.

"Earl Jeffrey Brecken".

Chapter 581 The Grand Ceremony of Granting Titles

First Hand Jon Clinton, wearing the King's Hand badge, stepped in place of Tyrion onto the steps before the Iron Throne. He looked down at the vast, dark mass of nobles from across the Seven Kingdoms, not even minor nobles were allowed into the throne room, and then began to speak, starting with the first on the list.

"Earl Jeffrey Brecken".

At the head of the Iron Throne court was an elderly naval admiral with gray hair, fully armored and still looking vigorous. His son, Hendry Brecken, stood behind him. They then stepped out of the crowd and onto the main avenue in the throne room, where he knelt on one knee.

"His Majesty."

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He first curtsied to the young king on the Iron Throne, the sound of his armor scraping against each other, then stood up and nodded slightly to the king's hand on the steps in greeting.

"Lord Jon Clinton."

"No need for such formalities, sir."

When Lord Jeffrey Brecken greeted him, Jon Clinton, as Viserys' third Hand of the King, was well aware of the Earl's seniority and status within the new dynasty's system.

Earl Jeffrey Brecken was the first King's Hand, the second was Prince Oberon, and he was the third, so the grey-red-haired man nodded slightly in return.

Jon Clinton then glanced at the note in his hand and began to recite the deeds of Lord Jeffrey Brecken.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Dragonstone Fleet, he sheltered the Queen and Prince who fled to Dragonstone during the most perilous moment of the War of the Usurper. He then followed Viserys to Essos to explore the continent. Ultimately, the Dragonstone Fleet served as one of the main forces in the counterattack against Westeros and successfully reclaimed the Iron Throne.

Jeffrey Brecken's achievements are beyond question, and he rightfully ranks first among the ministers, being the first to step forward and receive the investiture.

"Lord Jeffrey of the Brecken family of the Twins."

"You pledge your eternal allegiance to the Iron Throne, to your King, to House Targaryen...to protect the Three Rivers, to safeguard the people, to faithfully fulfill your duties, and to impartially adjudicate disputes..."

Jon Clinton recited the oath of investiture as governor, and the gray-haired old general knelt on one knee once more and solemnly spoke.

“I swear, Your Majesty.”

Lord Geoffrey Brecken received the Twins as his fiefdom and became the governor of the Riverlands, wielding great power.

The second person to be honored was Misty Toyn, commander of the Golden Company, the Third Army of the Kingdom. Viserys originally intended to place Jon Clinton second, in charge of overall command from the rear, mobilizing food and supplies to support the front-line battles, which would also be a great achievement. However, he was opposed by Jon Clinton, who believed that others could be placed first to keep the troops focused.

"Lord Mistoin."

Mithril led his army in a blitzkrieg on Dragonstone, surrendering King's Landing without bloodshed. He then defeated Stannis and seized Stormlands, achieving equally remarkable feats and becoming one of the most meritorious figures in the establishment of the new dynasty.

However, due to Jon Clinton and other reasons, the Council of Kings considered the issue of control when deliberating on the investiture of powerful lords in various regions.

The Imperial Council unanimously agreed that generals who conquered the local area should not be granted titles here, but should be granted titles in other places to make it easier for the country to maintain control and prevent them from becoming too powerful to control in the future.

Therefore, despite his outstanding achievements, Mithril Toyn was granted Casterly Rock, the former Lannister city, and was appointed the first Lord of the Westerlands. All the Golden Company soldiers who had rendered meritorious service under him were also granted fiefdoms in various places.

After all, the seven kingdoms were utterly shattered in several wars, and countless long-established families perished in just a few years, leaving many castles and fiefdoms vacant.

The soldiers of the Golden Legion only accounted for a small portion of the total number of conferred titles, but they were scattered throughout the country.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged general, clad in golden armor and with a stubble beard, knelt down and swore eternal allegiance to House Targaryen.

The third person to be knighted was Jon Clinton, the Hand of the King.

He was extremely loyal to the Targaryen family. He had served as the Hand of the King to Viserys' father, Aerys II, but was exiled after the defeat in battle. However, he had no resentment towards the Targaryen family.

He then joined the new king, helping Viserys conquer and build Pentos, becoming the engine for the future counterattack against Westeros, supplying large amounts of food and supplies, and overseeing operations from the rear.

Therefore, although Jon Clinton did not personally go to the front lines to participate in the battle, he was still considered to have returned home in glory. He was a Stormlands native and the former Earl of Eagle's Nest, and now he was granted the title of Governor of Stormlands and Stormlands.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Jon Clinton, looking weathered, knelt on one knee before the Iron Throne. After ten years of being in the hands of the king and living in exile, he was now making a comeback. He felt a mix of emotions, but he composed himself, stood up, and continued with the investiture ceremony.

Basically, each governor's investiture was met with thunderous applause from the nobles of the seven kingdoms present.

The fourth was Euron Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, who was granted Pyke and appointed Governor of the Iron Islands.

Euron served before Viserys' counterattack on Westeros and distinguished himself in the war against the White Walkers.

He risked his life to shatter the ice, steer his boat, laden with wildfire, downstream down the Green Fork River and crashed into the army of the dead who were crossing the river, successfully breaking the ice and annihilating a large number of ghouls.

He then helped Oberyn Martell launch a surprise attack and capture Lannister Port when Oberyn led his army to attack the Westerlands, ultimately defeating Tywin Lannister and reclaiming the Westerlands.

Therefore, no one could question his appointment as governor of the Iron Islands. However, Asha, the "daughter of the sea monster," who was present, had a rather unpleasant expression on her face as she held her brother Theon. However, she was not stupid and dared not jump out to object at this moment.

Euron the Evil Eye knelt on one knee and solemnly swore eternal allegiance. He then stood up, opened his arms, and basked in the applause of the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms. He then gave Asha a provocative look.

“My dear niece, you should return to the Iron Islands, for this is your homeland.”

Euron suddenly spoke softly as he passed by Asha.

"Uncle will take good care of you."

Euron's expression was gloomy and sinister, but it earned him an angry glare from Asha. Euron then laughed heartily, pinched Theon's cheek, and retreated back into the ranks of the courtiers in the throne room.

The throne room was quite far from the audience, so Jon Clinton naturally didn't know what Euron and his niece were talking about, but he still coughed lightly and continued speaking.

The last non-royal governor was Petyr Baelish, who entered the Vale alone and eventually quelled the rebellion and recaptured the Vale. He was appointed governor of the Vale, but was not granted a castle. He entered the city of the Eyrie as a foster father.

"what happened?"

"No Prince Dorne?"