Chapter 119: southward wolf

Chapter 119 The wolf going south

"Ed, I have always regarded you as a true brother!"

In the cold and deep cellar of Winterfell, King Robert spoke.

The rough voice echoed in the silent passage.

"Your Majesty..."

"Your Majesty, call me Robert!" Duke Ed was interrupted by the king as soon as he started.

"Robert." A warm feeling rose in Duke Ed's heart, and the strangeness and estrangement that hadn't been seen for more than ten years seemed to disappear at this moment.

The man in front of him was still the lawless Robert Baratheon back then.

Duke Ed is no longer restrained: "Back then we drank together, fought together, and received...Jon's teachings together."

Speaking of Jon Arryn's name, his tone was full of sadness: "I have never forgotten the friendship between us, so no matter what request you have, I will agree."

"Okay, then follow me to King's Landing, be my Hand of the King, and help me manage this damned country!"

Duke Ed just hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said:

"good."

"Ha ha ha..." Robert laughed loudly, his voice echoing in the darkness, "that's great! Believe me, you won't regret it! Compared with the bitter cold in the north, the south is much warmer! Especially now It's summer, and the field is full of flowers and green grass as far as the eye can see, the sweet fruit can burst in your mouth, and wine, oh yes, a new wine called brandy has been spread in the river bend recently! The taste , it’s really exciting! You must try it!”

Duke Ed smiled slightly, but didn't answer.

He is not a pleasure-seeking person, but the king next to him is just the opposite.

And Lord Eddard could not fail to notice the price Robert paid for his sensuality.

When they came to the depths of the tomb, the crowned stag, who once dominated the battlefield and was invincible, was already panting and sweating profusely.

"Robert, right here." Duke Eddard stood before the three sarcophagi lined up side by side.

The tightly closed sarcophagus was engraved with the face of the deceased, and the huge roaring direwolf statue was curled up at their feet, and a long steel sword was placed on top of the stone statue.

It is said that this is to ensure that the wraiths are sealed in the mausoleum so that they will not wreak havoc outside.

The sarcophagus in the middle is engraved with the face of Duke Eddard's father, the previous Duke of the North, Rickard Stark.

On his right hand, rests his eldest son, Brandon Stark.

The father and son both died at the hands of the "Mad King" Aerys Targaryen before the War of the Reavers.

At this time, Robert's eyes were fixed on the statue on the third sarcophagus.

"She is much more beautiful than this statue." After a moment of oppressive silence, the king spoke.

His eyes were full of nostalgia and pain, as if this could bring his former fiancée back to the world.

Back then, for Miss Lyanna Stark, Robert rebelled in anger. Although he has driven the Targaryen royal family off the Iron Throne and avenged his wife, if he could, he would rather use that The cold and twisted throne trades her awakening.

"She shouldn't sleep here," cried Robert. "She shouldn't be in the cold and dark! She should be buried in the beautiful hills, with the sun and the white clouds!"

"She is Stark, she belongs here." Duke Eddard retorted calmly.

"She was meant to marry me! She also belongs to Baratheon!"

"I was by her side when she died." Duke Eddard reminded, "She told me that she just wanted to go home, to Winterfell."

Robert said no more.

Duke Ed also fell into memory.

He will never forget the scene before his sister died in this life.

In that **** room, she begged bitterly, until Ed nodded, she smiled and closed her eyes.

For the promise to his sister back then, Duke Eddard brought her and Rhaegar Targaryen's child back to the northern border, declaring that it was his own illegitimate child.

Name, Jon Snow.

This is the child of his enemy, but also the child of his sister.

Thinking of the name of this illegitimate son, Duke Ed became more and more sad: "Jon...how did he die?"

"I don't know." Robert suddenly became irritable. "Ed, I really don't know. Damn it! I'm surrounded by liars and fools, only Jon Arryn, only he I can completely trust, but Now that he's dead, I wouldn't come to Winterfell to find you if I had other options. Help me, Ed, I need your help!"

"I will." Duke Eddard said solemnly, "I will definitely find out the truth about Jon's death."

"I have ordered the 'Red Viper' to come to King's Landing. He should be here when we return. At that time, you can interrogate him!"

"Okay." Duke Ed paused for a while, "Lysa, and that child, are they all okay?"

Robert shook his head bitterly. "Frankly, it didn't seem so good. Lysa was terrified by her husband's death, and she fled back to the Eyrie with her son. But Jon had no brothers, and only one son, How could I let them stay in the valley orphaned and widowed. And she also believed that the 'Red Viper' poisoned Jon to death, and wrote to ask me to avenge him."

"How did I hear that Jon said before his death that his death had nothing to do with the 'Red Viper'?"

"There is such a saying." Robert became irritable again, "But Ed, you also know the character of the old man. He has regarded glory above everything else in his life, and he may not really believe in the 'Red Viper' if he did this before he died. ' Didn't hurt him."

"I understand. I will find out." After a while of silence, Duke Ed said again, "Let's go up, the queen is still waiting."

"Let her wait!" cried Robert angrily. "She hasn't been kind to me all this time! Damned woman, she's been thinking all day about having the old Lion of Casterly Rock as the Hand of the King. But how is that possible? I have a Lannister in my bed, a Lannister in the Kingsguard, a Lannister in the squire... Damn, I wake up every day and see the golden hair of the Lannisters! Want me to find another Lannister to run the country? Damn it! Just let me just give them the Iron Throne Lannister!"

"Your Majesty..."

"I've said it all, don't call me Your Majesty again!" Robert called out, but seeing the long serious face of his old friend beside him, he finally shook his head helplessly, "You Starks are as rigid as the ice in the North No fun. Come on, old man, let's go up."

…

"Quiet!"

Bran Stark on the tree bowed his head to the little wolf below.

It was a small gift brought back by his father, Duke Ed, when he went hunting a month ago.

A total of six newborn wolves, just happened to be one for each of the Duke's six children, and even the illegitimate son Jon Snow got one.

The direwolf is the coat of arms of the Stark family, so the children were very excited. They named the little wolves, the eldest son Robb's was called "Grey Wind", Sansa's was "Lady", Nymeria, Rickon's Shaggydog, Jon's White Spirit, and Bran, he hasn't figured out what to call his pup yet.

Hearing the master's scolding, the little wolf lay down on the ground aggrieved, not daring to bark again.

Bran continued to climb, jumped from the tree to the roof of the armory, jumped to the roof of the guard room, and finally climbed the outer wall of the ruined tower.

The young second son of the duke was agile, climbing the steep walls like an ape.

Bran can't remember when he started, but he likes to climb. His mother always said that he could climb before he learned to walk, and then the high walls of the old castle became his playground.

They always try to stop Bran from this dangerous hobby.

Unfortunately, as long as they didn't pay attention, the little guy had disappeared between the high walls of the ancient castle.

Hanging in the air, Bran took a break.

If he was a little taller, he would be able to see the group of crows, and he also brought corn kernels specially to feed those gluttons.

Just when Bran regained some strength and was about to continue, he suddenly heard a faint gasp.

The voice seemed to be mixed with pain and joy.

The young Bran didn't know what the sound represented, but he crawled over driven by curiosity.

How could there be someone in the ruined tower?

he wondered.

Bran sat astride the gargoyle statue, his legs clamped, and he turned his head upside down, and then he saw the scene in the room—

A man and a woman are writhing together, and are naked.

It's Queen Cersei Lannister and her brother Jaime Lannister!

Bran panicked, his brain was dizzy for a while, he quickly hooked the gargoyle statue hard, but he still fell down.

"ah-"

He let out a scream, but fortunately he caught the window lattice dangerously on the way down.

There was also a scream in the room, followed by Queen Cersei's voice:

"Someone is there!"

Bran grabbed the window lattice with one hand, shaking in mid-air, almost out of breath.

Then, he saw the faces of two people leaning out of the window.

"He has seen us!" screamed Queen Cersei.

"He saw us." James nodded, seeing the little boy's fingers start to loosen, he leaned out, stretched his hand down, and said, "Boy, grab my hand."

Bran hurriedly grabbed the man's hand with all his strength, and the man pulled him to the window sill.

"What do you want?" Cersei demanded, "He saw us!"

James grabbed Bran by the collar and asked, "Boy, how old are you?"

"Seven years old." Bran trembled a little.

"He saw us!" Cersei screamed again.

James turned to look at his sister, and said in a helpless and flat tone:

"Think about it, what have I done for love."

As soon as the voice fell, he pushed hard.

Bran flew out the window screaming as the ground hit him at a frantic pace.

boom-

There was a sad wolf howling in the distance.

…

"Has he not woken up yet?"

Duke Ed looked at Bran lying on the bed and asked sadly.

Katelyn by the bed did not respond to her husband. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes seemed to have not been washed for several days, her eyes were red and swollen, but she looked at her comatose son without blinking.

"I have to go, Caitlin." Duke Eddie whispered, but unfortunately he still didn't get a response from his wife.

"The gods will bless Bran." He leaned over and kissed his wife lightly on the head, then turned and walked out of the room.

The long line drove out of Winterfell, and then divided into two groups, the larger one went south, and the smaller one went north.

"Black matches you well." Duke Ed looked at his illegitimate son, "I'm proud of you."

Jon Snow stared into his father's eyes, and finally couldn't help asking the question hidden in his heart:

"Father, I'm going to the Great Wall of Immortality to become a night watchman. Can you tell me who my mother is?"

Duke Ed fell into silence. In a trance, he seemed to hear the whisper of his sister Lyanna before she died—

Promise me, Ed, Promise me...

"I'll tell you when we meet next time." Duke Ed promised.

"Okay. Take care Father."

"Take care of yourself."

The two waved goodbye, one to the north and one to the south.

(end of this chapter)