Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

The North had completely fallen, and Winterfell was still occupied by the dead. The reason the Stark family was able to survive was that they did not resist the Iron Throne's ultimatum.

After Eddard Stark was captured at the Battle of Riverrun, all the Northern armies abandoned their resistance and joined the Targaryen army, becoming part of it and contributing to the subsequent unification wars.

House Baratheon, the Baratheon family, is also depleted, Stormlands has fallen, and Storm's End is currently being managed by several other Stormlands nobles, which Jon Clinton has not yet taken over.

The three Baratheon brothers, Renly and Stannis, are already dead, and Robert's days are numbered. He will soon follow in his two brothers' footsteps and go to the Seven Circles of Hell.

As for the two families that fared relatively well, they were House Arryn of the Vale and House Tully of Riverrun.

Because Edmure Tully surrendered at lightning speed, and Horst Tully died in the civil war, the Tully family saved Riverrun and the entire family, but lost their title as lords and became just another ordinary person.

On the other hand, the Arryn family was also wronged, as Jon Arryn had already been assassinated before the Targaryen army set foot on Westeros.

His death indirectly led to the fall of King's Landing, the cut-off of the Allied forces' retreat by the Targaryen army, and their eventual near annihilation in the Battle of Wildfire.

Jon Arryn had died long ago, leaving behind only a nursing son. The subsequent resistance of the Vale army was no longer really related to House Arryn, but rather to other Vale nobles who held power and opposed the legitimacy of the Iron Throne in order to protect their own interests.

Therefore, the Arryn brat was able to preserve the Eyrie. Viserys believed that Robert Arryn was incredibly lucky to have a reliable stepfather guiding him.

Viserys's arrangements were all interconnected, with each link leading to the next.

Since Horst Tully and Jon Arryn were already dead, they were no longer relevant to the public trial, but their crimes still had to be made public. Horst Tully and Jon Arryn were leaders of the rebels at the time.

'Wheting the corpse' of the dead is of no real significance. Besides making the people laugh at the nobles, it also emphasizes the concept that royal power is sacred and inviolable, and that even after more than a decade, they will still come knocking on your door.

Almost all the criminals who participated in the War of the Usurpers, except for those who died or surrendered, have received a fair trial.

Then came a series of high-ranking nobles.

"Guardian of the North..."

"Edward Stark, Duke of Winterfell."

Eddard Stark's title is also quite long, and his hair is now as long as his title. He was recently proposed by Tyrion to participate in the Ordination Ceremony as the Lord of the North, and since then he has been freed from the Red Keep's prison and is able to move around freely.

The nobles of King's Landing speculated about what political deal the Stark family had made with the king to secure their release. However, considering Lady Catelyn's constant running around, cultivating relationships, and even visiting the Red Keep late at night, some guesses could be made.

The situation in the North is somewhat unique, much like in Dorne. Apart from their natives, it is very difficult for outsiders to rule this land because the people and the environment here are very stubborn.

His Majesty the King also wanted to use the Stark family to win over the Northern nobles, but the details of the specific deals were difficult for outsiders to ascertain.

Eddard Stark was still wearing prison clothes, his hands and feet chained. Although he had been released, he was still unable to remove his shackles or escape the eyes of the Unsullied soldiers.

He had already lost enough face in King's Landing during this time, and now he had been appointed as one of the lieutenants today, with his hands in chains, personally reading aloud the crimes of his father-in-law, Hoster Tully, and his adoptive father, Jon Arryn.

However, after the trials of the two deceased were completed, it was his turn next.

Eddard Stark, one of the vice judges, was removed from the bench, standing in the scorching sun with his hands in shackles and his hair disheveled.

At that moment, a commotion arose from behind. The gates of the Red Keep opened, and two squads of Unsullied soldiers, shields raised, escorted His Majesty the King and Queen down the steps of the Red Keep.

"His Majesty."

"His Majesty."

All the nobles from the seven kingdoms present stood up from their chairs, including the two remaining judges: today, it was the Minister of Intelligence, Varys, on duty, and the other was Oberon.

"He's Eddard Stark?"

"Your father?"

Arianne, holding up her long dress, sat down on the chair that had been prepared beforehand, and then turned to look at the maid behind her.

One of Arianne's handmaids was a red-haired girl named Sansa Stark. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were filled with tears as she looked at her father.

Sansa was somewhat incredulous at her father's disheveled appearance, but she was already grateful that he was still alive.

She and her brother Robb were the deal that allowed their father to live, a fact their mother had already explained to them, and that their wishes should be respected.

Even if their father is eventually forgiven and spares their lives, the two of them will be left in King's Landing as hostages, and may never be able to return to Winterfell again.

However, the brother and sister agreed without hesitation.

"Yes, Your Majesty, he is my father."

Sansa nodded, fighting back tears.

Meanwhile, Robb Stark, one of Viserys's squires, was also staring blankly at his father, holding a wine jug in one hand, until the boy next to him nudged him and brought him to his senses.

"Hey, Robb."

“Sorry, Gendry.”

The reddish-brown-haired boy looked apologetic; he had been a little distracted.

“You shouldn’t apologize to me, Robb.”

"His Majesty is calling you."

Gendry shook his head and then gestured forward with his lips.

It was only then that Robb realized that everyone's eyes were on him, including his father.

He had been freed from his shackles and dressed in black. Although his face was haggard and his hair was disheveled, his eyes were still bright, looking at him with encouragement.

“Kneel beside your father, Robb.”

Robb Stark then heard Viserys's voice.

Chapter 592 Conferring Titles on Robb

At the public trial, Eddard Stark, the former Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell, confessed to all his crimes, drawing boos from the crowd.

Lord Eddard Stark was renowned for his high moral character and impartiality throughout the Seven Kingdoms, but this was known only within the circles of nobles. He did not publicize it, and the common people of King's Landing had no right to know who the high and mighty Duke Eddard really was.

In their eyes, he was just an arrogant and aloof Northerner. In recent years, there have been many Northerners in King's Landing, most of whom have flooded into the city due to the war, squeezing out the living space of many of the original King's Landing residents, which naturally caused dissatisfaction and regional conflicts.

The people of King's Landing disliked northerners, and in their eyes, Eddard Stark was no different from those disliked northerners—rough-mannered, serious-looking, and unsmiling.

Now that Eddard Stark has confessed to all his crimes, there is naturally a chorus of boos, but the former Warden of the North, standing in the center in chains, remains deaf to it, as his wife Catelyn had repeatedly instructed him to do so beforehand.

His wife paid a heavy price, so the northerner naturally wouldn't let them down at the last minute.

Eddard Stark then knelt down and begged the new king for forgiveness, offering to remove his crown, don black clothes, and join the Night's Watch to defend the kingdom in the north.

Viserys also forgave Eddard Stark's crimes, allowing him to don the black robes and become a soldier in the Night's Watch, starting over from scratch.

Although this was a pre-arranged script after a political compromise was reached, it still had to be performed to both punish the crime and demonstrate the king's benevolence.

"Lord Stark."

Eddard Stark was freed from his chains, and Yoren, the Night's Watch soldier known as the Raven, draped a black robe over him.

This officially announced that the former Duke of Winterfell had joined the Night's Watch, becoming an ordinary soldier under Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, and would next accompany the army on its expedition to the North to reclaim his homeland.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"The King of Seven Kingdoms!"

Viserys's act of mercy immediately drew cheers from the Northern nobles. This honorable and upright lord won the respect and love of many Northern families.

Although the final outcome wasn't great, at least he survived, didn't he?

After dealing with Eddard Stark's matter, another important question arose: who should be appointed as the Governor of the North?

The Northerners have a strong desire to be governed by the Northerners, and the position of governor, in the new dynasty's definition, is to be in charge of politics, economy and law, but not military power, with the army being commanded by legion commanders.

However, in the war to reclaim the North, Viserys did not intend to use his own forces again. They had been fighting for years and had just conquered the Seven Kingdoms for him, so they naturally deserved a period of rest and recuperation.

Therefore, the war to reclaim the North still needs to be fought by the people of the North and the Night's Watch themselves, just like the Iron Islands. Euron Greyjoy and the Ironborn have been busy burning wights and clearing Pyke Island bit by bit.

But in reality, there was not much resistance there. The main force of the undead army had retreated to the north of the Wall. The scene that Viserys saw on his two trips north was that there were only some remnants of wights left, and there was not even a trace of the White Walkers. There was no need to mobilize the entire nation to fight.

However, Viserys already had a plan for the next Lord of the North. So, while all the Northern nobles were looking at each other with uncertain eyes, he had his squire Robb Stark stand in front and kneel beside his father.

"His Majesty."

After regaining his senses, the reddish-brown-haired boy immediately understood what had happened.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Gendley."

He quickly handed the wine jug to his friend Gendry.

Gendry was Viserys's first servant. Like many bastards, his mother was a waitress in a tavern in King's Landing, but he did not know who his father was.

Then, along with his master, he was kidnapped and taken to the other side of the Narrow Sea. Later, because of his simple and sensible nature, he became Viserys's squire.

Gendry took Robb's flask, and then Robb ran off the platform to his father's side.

"Father!"

The reddish-brown-haired boy looked somewhat excited and uneasy, but he received an encouraging hug from Eddard Stark.

Robb.

"From now on, your mother, younger brother, and younger sister will all be in your care."

Eddard hugged his eldest son tightly, feeling a mix of emotions. After he was sent to the Night's Watch, Robb naturally became the Lord of Winterfell. He then patted his son on the shoulder.

"Go."

Eddard made Robb kneel before Viserys.

Viserys then bestowed upon Robb Stark the title of Earl of Winterfell, but stripped him of his titles of Warden of the North and Duke. He would now serve as the King's squire and would be allowed to return to the North once he came of age.

However, just then, before Robb could get up from his kneeling thank-you to His Majesty, the silver-haired youth sitting in the center of the platform suddenly spoke up again.

He believed that the Stark family's rule over the North for thousands of years was deeply entrenched and that they enjoyed the support of the people of the North, so he appointed Robb Stark as Lord Warden of the North.

"this…"

His words greatly disappointed many Northern nobles who secretly aspired to become governor. Some of them had been eyeing the position of governor of the North, but they did not expect that they too had been pre-selected.

But the next second, Viserys' words reignited the flame in their hearts.

Lord Lord of the North Robb Stark is too young and lacks sufficient experience to govern the North. He needs to study in King's Landing and will not be able to return to Winterfell until he is sixteen years old.

Therefore, during this period, a steward is needed to replace Robb Stark in governing the entire North.

This person would be chosen by Robb Stark himself.

Upon hearing Viserys's words, all the Northern nobles present, including Eddard Stark dressed in black and Lady Catelyn, exchanged bewildered glances.

Who to choose?