Are you convinced?
What if I'm not convinced?
Am I supposed to smash my head against that ice sword, wider than a door?
Ser Gladdy Gravson trembled as he picked up the greatsword from the ground.
He no longer looked at Lynn, but instead turned his gaze to Bronze Yohn.
In the Vale, the Royce Family's prestige sometimes even surpassed that of House Arryn.
Bronze Yohn's attitude would directly determine the future of the entire Vale.
Yohn Royce slowly stood up.
He didn't look at the knights lying on the ground, nor did he pay attention to the expectant gazes from the surrounding nobles.
He just stared intently at Lynn, his sharp eyes swirling with extremely complex emotions.
There was humiliation, anger, and unwillingness.
But more than that, there was a sense of relief, as if he had finally understood something.
He suddenly remembered that Northern boy from over twenty years ago, who also stood in The Eyrie, earnestly asking him for sword fighting lessons.
Ned Stark.
The man who valued honor more than life itself.
Yohn Royce had never understood how someone like Ned could support a 'king-beyond-the-wall' like Lynn, full of unknowns and variables.
Now, he seemed to understand a little.
He turned around, facing all the Vale nobles, his voice like a great bell.
"Did you all hear that?"
"Lord Jon Arryn was poisoned by that madwoman and her despicable paramour working together!"
"Lysa Arryn, she is unworthy to be the Defender of the Vale!"
"She betrayed the honor of House Arryn, betrayed the entire Vale, and made fools of us all!"
His words were forceful and resonated in everyone's hearts.
Some nobles who still harbored illusions completely lowered their heads.
Indeed, if even Bronze Yohn said so, what more was there for them to struggle against?
"Runestone, the Royce Family,"
Bronze Yohn tried to unbuckle the sword at his waist.
He then awkwardly realized his sword had been crushed, so he could only kneel on one knee before Lynn.
"I, Lord Lynn, pledge my fealty to you."
"From this day forth, I await your command!"
His kneel was like the first domino falling.
"Gulltown, House Grafton, pledges loyalty to you!"
"Redfort, House Redfort, pledges loyalty to you!"
"Ironoaks, House Waynwood, pledges loyalty to you!"
...One after another, influential nobles in the Vale knelt on one knee, offering their swords and their loyalty.
Ser Marq Arryn sighed deeply and knelt down as well.
The tide had turned.
No.
It should be said that this was the best outcome for the Vale.
Rather than following a madwoman to destruction, it was better to follow a powerful individual with god-like strength and a close relationship with Ned Stark.
They could question Lynn, but they would never question Ned's judgment.
Lynn looked at the kneeling scene before him, his face showing no surprise.
The reason he chose to work under Ned in the first place was for Ned's reputation, which resonated throughout Westeros.
Now, the results were beginning to show.
Everything was under control.
He didn't help Bronze Yohn up, but merely asked.
"Ser Nestor Royce should have arrived at The Bloody Gate ruins by now."
"I need you, Lord Yohn, to go there personally."
"Tell him that the war between the Vale and the North is completely over."
"Have him and Mance Rayder jointly discuss subsequent defenses and the plan to clear out The Riverlands."
"Understood!"
Bronze Yohn nodded heavily.
He knew this was Lynn's first task for him, and also a test of his loyalty.
He had to do it perfectly... Bloody Gate ruins.
The atmosphere was tense.
Ser Nestor Royce's three thousand Vale knights were already in a standoff with Mance Rayder's wildling army.
But what was strange was that.
The Bloody Gate guards and the wildlings, who should have been enemies, were now mingling together.
Some were exchanging dried meat and daggers, others were chatting with their arms around each other's shoulders.
This made Ser Nestor Royce's eyelids twitch.
What's going on?
He'd only been gone a few days, and his soldiers were already buddy-buddy with the enemy?
This was just ridiculous!
"Ronald!"
Nestor's roar made The Bloody Gate commander flinch.
"Ser!"
Ronald scrambled over.
"What in the Seven Hells is going on?!"
Nestor pointed at the soldiers who were calling the wildlings brothers, his beard trembling with rage.
Ronald opened his mouth, at a loss for words.
Should he say that their worldview was shattered by one punch, and then they were enlightened by the opponent's king with benevolence and righteousness?
He wouldn't even believe it if he said it himself.
Just then, Mance Rayder walked out from the wildling ranks, alone.
"Ser Nestor Royce, I've heard much about you."
Mance was composed, showing no tension facing three thousand elite knights.
"My name is Mance Rayder."
"I am the former leader of these... folk Beyond the Wall."
Nestor's gaze was like a knife, fixed firmly on him.
"Was it you who ordered the destruction of The Bloody Gate?"
"No."
Mance shook his head, a helpless, bitter smile on his face.
"That was just an accident."
"A... small accident."
He pointed to the ruins, then to his wildlings who were still trading with the Vale soldiers.
"Of course, you don't have to believe it."
"However, Ser, I think I need to remind you."
"Do you think, if we truly wanted to start a war."
"Would there still be a living soul here now?"
Nestor fell silent.
Indeed.
The opponent possessed the power to destroy The Bloody Gate with a single punch.
And that terrifying line of fully armored giants, giant knights, giant archers... if they truly wanted to slaughter, his three thousand knights probably wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps in those giants' teeth.
Just the giant archers alone could fell a large number with a single arrow.
But they didn't.
They just dismantled the gate and then retreated.
They even started doing business with his soldiers?
What kind of enemies were these?
"What... what exactly do you want?"
Nestor asked the exact same question as Ronald.
"We don't want anything."
Mance spread his hands.
"It is our King, Lord Lynn, who does not wish to be an enemy of the Vale."
"His true enemies are Beyond the Wall."
"All he did was to make you understand that Lysa Arryn is not worth dying for."
Just as Nestor was in an internal struggle, hesitating.
From the distant mountain path, a rider came galloping like dust.
The knight on horseback held high a banner emblazoned with bronze runes.
It was the Royce Family banner!
The person who came was Bronze Yohn!
His cousin, the Lord of Runestone, the head of the Royce Family!
Yohn Royce dismounted and strode over with quick steps.
He didn't even look at the wildlings, walking directly to Nestor.
"Nestor."
Nestor bowed, his heart filled with confusion.
"How could you..."
"I came on Lord Lynn's orders."
Bronze Yohn's words struck Nestor like lightning.
Lord Lynn?
Could it be that The Eyrie was also gone?
How did Lynn do it?
"The Eyrie has sworn fealty to Lord Lynn."
"The war in the Vale is over."
Bronze Yohn's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a heavy hammer, striking Nestor's heart.
As expected.
The Eyrie was gone.
It's over?
How could it be over just like that?
He'd only been away for a few days, and his home was gone?
It was too sudden.
Before he could react, Bronze Yohn had already turned to Mance Rayder.
"Chieftain Mance Rayder, Lord Lynn asked me to convey his regards."
"He said Tormund did well, and there will be enough wine this month."
"However, if he dares to act on his own again, he will turn Tormund into an Unsullied and send him directly to Slavers Bay."
Mance: "..."
He glanced at the red-bearded wildling nearby, who was nervously looking around, and couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Lord Lynn... truly is... unconventional.
"Lord Lynn commands that you and I shall jointly be responsible for the eastern defenses of the Vale."
"All Vale armies are to be reorganized on the spot and, in conjunction with the Northern army, defend against threats from the south."
Bronze Yohn took out a parchment order sealed with Lynn's personal seal and handed it to Nestor.
Nestor Royce numbly took the letter.
He looked at his cousin, at the refined wildling chieftain, and then at the soldiers who were almost becoming one faction.
He finally understood.
From the moment Lynn's army stepped into The Neck, the outcome of this war was already sealed.
He had to accept it, whether he wanted to or not.
The die was cast.
To forcibly go against the tide would only lead to bloodshed... Riverrun.
Lysa Arryn paced back and forth in the High Hall, her face anxious and venomous.
It had been three days.
No news had come from The Bloody Gate.
What was that old fool Nestor doing?
Could he not even hold The Bloody Gate?
And that old immortal Walder Frey.
He said he would devour Robb Stark, so why was he also silent as if dead?
"Useless! All of them are useless!"
She violently smashed a crystal cup to the ground, fragments scattering.
Just then, Maester Colwyn stumbled in, his face devoid of color.
"Lady! This is bad!"
"The Eyrie... The Eyrie sent a letter!"
"The Eyrie?"
A flicker of confusion crossed Lysa's eyes, quickly turning into wild joy.
"Is it that wildling Lynn, blocked by the natural defenses of The Bloody Gate, returned without success?"
"No... not..."
The Maester's voice trembled uncontrollably as he handed over a letter with shaking hands.
"It's... it's a letter written personally by... Lord Lynn..."
"Lynn?"
Lysa snatched the letter, tearing it open roughly.
The content of the letter was simple.
Only one sentence.
"Your son misses you, come back and see him."
Lysa froze.
Her mind was blank.
What did that mean?
Lynn... was in The Eyrie?
How could he be in The Eyrie?!
Shouldn't he be getting his head smashed below The Bloody Gate?!
A thought that made her shudder grew wildly.
"My Robert... my sweet son..."
Lysa's body trembled violently.
Her face, twisted by paranoia, was instantly consumed by extreme fear.
Lynn had actually captured her son!
He was in The Eyrie, waiting for her to return!
Return?
Returning would be walking straight into a trap!
She would die!
No!
She would never go back!
"Saddle the horses! Quickly, saddle the horses for me!"
Lysa let out a sharp shriek, like a mad cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"To where, Lady?" the guard asked, confused.
"To Walder!"
A frantic glint shone in Lysa's eyes.
Now, only The Riverlands could save her!
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