Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

However, these discussions were not as intense as the appointment of Renis as Duke of Summerhall and Daenerys as Duke of Dragonstone. People still thought that His Majesty the King relied more on His Highness the Princess.

However, Princess Diana is still just an infant, and a girl at that. If His Majesty had a prince, the dispute over the succession might be settled.

Therefore, neither the Dornish nor the other nobles of the Seven Kingdoms paid much attention to it; it was merely a topic of conversation.

However, the decision that followed in the throne room was a bombshell.

The forgotten Riverlands will be incorporated into the royal domain, while Highgarden will serve as the royal family's private garden.

Chapter 584 Special Prisoners

For a long time afterward, the most discussed topic was the disappearance of the Reach administrative divisions, and the former Reach nobles suddenly became the 'King's Guard' and the royal nobles.

Some people went to see Velas hoping to see anger, fear, or hysteria on the face of the former High Court heir, preferably that he would stand up and cause a scene before being beheaded.

To their disappointment, Velas Tyrell remained silent throughout the ceremony, simply bowing his head and leaning on his cane. He did not react excessively after the investiture ceremony at the Red Keep concluded.

He simply focused on doing his job well...

A tax official under the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Despite his physical limitations, Velas Tyrell continued to travel daily in his carriage, investigating tax evasion by local merchants and traveling caravans. He would stay up late by candlelight, reviewing account books and recovering a considerable amount of tax revenue for the national treasury.

The knowledge he had acquired proved invaluable; Velas Tyrell was not merely a theorist, though this disgraceful title might haunt him for life, even after his death.

When future generations mention this name, they may first think of the case of him commanding an army while flipping through books, which ultimately led to the annihilation of the entire army, serving as a warning to others.

But Velas didn't care about the ridicule of others; he seemed to have been awakened by the war that stained his life.

He used to have few opportunities, but now he can keep himself busy, patiently starting from the smallest things, working steadily and diligently step by step.

Velas's low-key and patient approach greatly disappointed many people who thrive on chaos.

However, although the hype is short-lived, it will soon be overshadowed by bigger events.

The highly anticipated public trial is finally about to begin, and a huge temporary courtroom is being set up in an orderly manner in the square below the Red Fort.

"Hurry! Move faster!"

"Lift this log up!"

Under a clear sky and scorching sun, officials in charge of the construction supervised the work while sweat-drenched workers busily worked on the roof and the final finishing touches.

The temporary courtroom is almost ready. It is located next to the sea, where you can hear the sound of the tides crashing against the rocks and feel the salty sea breeze. Chairs will be placed in the venue, which can accommodate up to several thousand people at the same time.

Of course, if you choose to climb a tree or stand far away on the roof, this capacity can be increased; it's a number that ensures safety.

The Unsullied Legion will surround the venue throughout the event to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos. After all, the nation has just emerged from turmoil, and there are still many who are hostile to the Iron Throne. Things are not yet stable.

As for the trial process, there are countless cases, large and small, involved in the War of the Usurper. This public trial is a thorough reckoning of the War of the Usurper, and it will last for about half a month.

This has become the biggest topic of conversation among the people of King's Landing during this period.

However, before this public trial and reckoning, there is one more case that needs to be resolved.

This case might not have attracted much attention under normal circumstances, but at this time it has become the focus of attention for countless people.

King Viserys is not currently in King's Landing. Many of the nobles of King's Landing have not yet left after the investiture ceremony, as they need to wait for the subsequent public trial. Viserys himself has taken a break from his busy schedule to go on vacation to Highgarden with his wife and children.

He was too lazy to bother with the countless cases beforehand, so he left them all to the Minister of Justice for trial. Only in the last few days, when it came to the trials of important figures, would he personally preside over the proceedings.

Meanwhile, the platform for the public trial outside the Red Keep is under construction, and as you ascend the steps into the throne room of the Red Keep, a preliminary trial is underway.

The throne room was silent except for the crackling of the bonfire. The many nobles from the seven kingdoms who were observing the trial looked solemn and dared not make a sound. In the central corridor of the throne room, a burly prisoner was bound hand and foot.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Oberon sat on the Iron Throne, legs crossed, his hand gently stroking the cold armrests, seemingly lost in thought, perhaps pondering something.

At that moment, the doors to the throne room were pushed open with a heavy thud.

Rumbling--

Six Unsullied soldiers, clad in black dragon scale armor and wearing spiked helmets, escorted a prisoner into the throne room, each carrying a spear.

"coming."

All the nobles from the seven kingdoms present, including the prisoners kneeling on the ground and the chief judge sitting on the Iron Throne, all showed a slight tremor in their expressions.

Oberon even felt a sharp pain in his fingers. It turned out that in the brief moment he was distracted, his fingers had touched the sharp edge of the iron chair, and a cut had been made, causing blood to ooze out immediately.

The man with jet-black hair and a solemn face narrowed his eyes slightly, gently squeezed his fingers, and a bead of scarlet blood appeared in his palm.

Only then did Oberyn wipe the blood from his fingers and raise his head again.

The atmosphere became tense the moment the Unsullied soldiers escorted the prisoner into the throne room. Nobles from the seven kingdoms couldn't help but whisper among themselves. The reason was simple: the prisoner's identity was far too special.

He was a prisoner who, in theory, should be tried by Viserys himself; no one else was even qualified to judge him.

Unfortunately, His Majesty the King is not currently in the capital, having entrusted all legal matters to the Minister of Justice of the Royal Council, as this is his duty.

Strictly speaking, the main subject of this trial was not the other party, but the prisoner who strongly requested, and Viserys had promised to do so, which is why he was taken out of the prison.

The prisoner, with his disheveled hair and beard, was escorted to the front of the throne room by six Unsullied soldiers.

"Your Majesty!"

The Unsullied soldier spoke in rough Common, trying to force him to kneel, but he stubbornly refused. The expressionless Unsullied soldier's eyes suddenly turned cold.

His hand gripped the dagger at his waist, ready to sever his hamstrings.

They are killing machines, never needing to consider the consequences of carrying out orders; all they need to do is hear the order and complete it.

At that moment, Oberyn, the chief judge sitting on the Iron Throne, quickly raised his hand to stop them.

"stop!"

"Wait a moment."

Oberyn then nodded to the few Unsullied soldiers and let out a soft sigh.

"You've worked hard, you can step down now."

Chapter 585 Trial by Combat

Oberyn knew that these Unsullied soldiers were truly ruthless killers.

If they say they want to kill someone or cut off someone's hands or feet, you'd better believe they're not joking, as long as they say it or do it.

Because Oberyn had never seen an Unsullied soldier joke.

Oberyn spoke up to stop them, and the Unsullied soldiers looked up at the Black Bug. The Black Bug, standing on the steps, stared coldly at the prisoners below before nodding.

wow——

The six Unsullied soldiers then released the prisoner and stepped aside.

"Robert, King of House Baratheon."

The Unsullied soldiers escorted the prisoner to the Iron Throne. The atmosphere was tense. Then, Oberyn, the presiding judge, put down his crossed legs, coughed lightly, and spoke.

The visitor was none other than Robert Baratheon, the former king who was imprisoned in jail.

He had been imprisoned in the Red Keep for over a year, and this was the first time he had appeared before the world. Before this, like Eddard Stark, the Duke of Winterfell, people had spread rumors that the two had died in the Red Keep, tortured to death.

However, it now appears that Eddard is not dead, and there are no signs of torture on his body, so Viserys would not resort to vigilante justice against them.

King Robert was also unharmed, though his face was somewhat pale, likely due to his lack of exposure to sunlight.

His beard was stubble-covered; the once-steel beard under his chin had now turned into a steel wool ball; and his hair was a mess, long and curly like a chicken coop.

Upon hearing the voice coming from the Iron Throne above, the prisoner standing in the center of the throne room below slowly raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot, making him look somewhat chilling.

However, Oberyn was not intimidated by Robert's gaze. Although Robert was known as brave and strong among the kings, the Prince of Dorne was no less so.

"King Robert."

"The man beside you is Ser Baron Swin of Stonehelm, the assassin who killed your second brother Stannis Baratheon."

Oberyn sat on the Iron Throne and spoke loudly, his voice echoing in the silent throne room.

"He committed murder, murdering a nobleman of high status outside of a just war."

Oberyn didn't even blink when he said these words. If Baron Sven's assassination of Stannis was considered murder, then Oberyn was already an unforgivable villain, deserving of death ten times over.

However, ordering the massacre of a city and the extermination of its inhabitants are two different things from secretly assassinating a nobleman of high status.

The former means that the nobles would not dare to voice their protests if they did not band together. It is like killing one person only makes one an assassin, while killing a thousand or ten thousand people makes one a king. The two meanings are roughly the same.

Therefore, Oberyn, who killed many people, was still renowned throughout the Seven Kingdoms, while people like Baron Sven or Gregor Clegane, the "Mountain," were merely ruthless henchmen or assassins who stabbed people in the back, and were regarded as a disgrace to knights, only slightly better than kingslayers.

"However, the gods have given us a chance to redeem ourselves. Between joining the Night's Watch and going to the Wall and the trial by combat, Ser Balon Swan chose the trial by combat, believing that it would give him a just judgment."

The throne room was silent, except for Oberyn's voice. Baron Sven's father, Earl Gulian Sven of Stonehelm, clenched his fists nervously, and then Oberyn shrugged and continued.

"But unfortunately, no one is willing to fight for your second brother, the already deceased 'Parricide' Lord Stannis Baratheon."

"That's why we disturbed your rest in the Red Keep's prison, King Robert—"

"Are you willing to replace Stannis in the fight?"

As Oberyn finished speaking, the nobles of the seven kingdoms standing in the throne room looked at each other and then couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

Now, there is only one chair in the throne room, the Iron Throne. All the other chairs have been removed. When the king sits on the Iron Throne, the nobles of the seven kingdoms, including members of the royal family, can only stand or kneel.

Moreover, from now on, the Iron Throne will only be for the King's exclusive use, and no one else may touch it. In addition to the three colleges under construction in King's Landing, a courthouse is also under construction. In the future, it will become the exclusive office of the Minister of Justice. Before the courthouse is completed, Oberyn will need to use the throne room to work.

The nobles of the seven kingdoms below the stage were buzzing with discussion, but Robert Baratheon, who stood in the center with his hands and feet bound in chains, remained silent. He simply turned his head to look at Baron Swan, who was also slowly rising beside him. Like a silent lion, he made the equally burly Ser Swan's heart pound slightly.

Although he was very confident in himself, and King Robert had been imprisoned for over a year... he himself agreed to the trial.

But for some reason, Baron Swin felt uneasy when he looked into Robert's eyes.

"No one is willing to fight for Stannis?"

"Hmph, that's just the kind of person he is."

Whispers filled the throne room, and then King Robert, standing in the center, finally spoke. His voice was low and hoarse, like rolling thunder, followed by a cold snort from beneath his disheveled hair.

"bring it on!"

"I am his elder brother, and I will fight for him!"

He then raised his hands, and the heavy chains rattled as two Unsullied soldiers stepped forward to untie the ropes binding Robert Baratheon, the former king.

Robert didn't take the opportunity to lash out; he simply moved his limbs slightly, and then Unsullied soldiers brought over his armor and his usual Stormhammer.