Lady Roslyn's voice was filled with irritation and regret: "I sent him to deal with the wildlings, and he did well."
"I told him to handle it as he saw fit, and this is how he handled the disputed land?"
She pointed at the petition, her finger almost poking through the paper.
"He's going straight to war!"
"Does he think he can win?!"
Old Scholar Walder opened his eyes, his gaze as calm as water: "My Lady, legally speaking, Arthur's document is flawless."
"In fact, it's so good it could become a model for the Seven Kingdoms."
"It will be sung about."
His voice was slow and clear, as if explaining a difficult problem to a restless student.
"He places himself in the position of a victim, accusing the Legge Family of their crimes, and clearly states that he is only targeting the Legge Family.
This makes it very difficult for anyone to legally blame him."
"It also makes it difficult for others to interfere."
"Legally?" Lady Roslyn raised her voice, almost enraged by the word. "Scholar Walder, the issue now is war! He is my vassal! Others will think we instructed him!"
She walked to the Scholar, hands on the table, leaning forward, glaring at him.
"He is a vassal of our Daedings Family! He is going to war with another great noble! And he didn't even ask for our permission first! He just directly announced it to the Riverlands!"
Her voice trembled with excitement.
"It's like my hound, not listening to its master's command, running out to bite people on its own!"
"How will the Tully Protector of Riverrun view us? How will the other nobles of the Riverlands view our Daedings Family?"
Scholar Walder was silent for a moment, then quietly spoke: "My Lady…
"We were the ones who told him to handle it as he saw fit…."
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured on Lady Roslyn's anger.
She froze, straightened up, her face showing a complex expression mixed with annoyance and helplessness.
Yes, it seemed she had indeed said those words herself….
She was angry at Arthur's presumptuousness; such direct action, bypassing her, was an affront to her husband's authority.
She had told him to handle it as he saw fit, but not to start a war. A small vassal should act like a small vassal, asking for instructions in everything and awaiting orders.
But this Arthur was like an untamed wild horse, completely ignoring the existence of the reins.
Yet, for some reason, deep down, there was a hidden sense of satisfaction and amusement.
She had long disliked the Legge Family of Willow Wood City; those people were greedy and arrogant, disrespectful to her husband, occupying Daedings Family's land, yet always managing to humiliate and evade with various excuses.
Now, Arthur, with such a petition, had almost nailed Roger Legge to the pillar of shame for the entire Riverlands and even the Seven Kingdoms.
This gave her a schadenfreude-like pleasure.
Moreover, the achievements of this young man, the toughness and cunning he displayed, also proved that he was indeed a capable person.
A vassal who could give the Legge Family a headache was always better than a timid, useless one.
"What did our previous reply to him say?" Roslyn's voice calmed down; she needed confirmation,
a way out.
Scholar Walder seemed prepared; he accurately pulled out a copy of that letter from a pile of documents beside him and spread it on the table.
He pointed to a line of text with his finger and read softly: "Vicon Gorge has been granted to you by me as your family's hereditary fief, to enjoy hearth and sustenance. Regarding the disputed matters, you may decide for yourself and handle them appropriately."
"Decide for yourself." Lady Roslyn chewed on these four words, letting out a long sigh.
She felt her tense shoulders relax. If only my husband were still by my side, she thought, then immediately dismissed the thought. Now, she was managing the territory on behalf of her husband at the front lines.
She turned to Scholar Walder, her tone revealing the relief of finding an excuse: "See?"
"He decided for himself. We gave him the authority. Now that something has happened, he should bear the responsibility himself."
She finally made up her mind.
"We do nothing."
Scholar Walder looked up at her.
Roslyn continued, her thoughts becoming clearer.
"We cannot help him. If we send troops, it would be an admission that we support this war."
"My husband has always been a model family loyal to the Tully."
"If he were here, he would never allow a war to be waged under Protector Hoster's peaceful rule."
"I cannot tarnish his reputation."
She walked to the window, watching the soldiers wielding spears on the training ground outside.
"But what should we do?"
Old Walder coughed softly and slowly began: "Then we watch."
"The Legge Family certainly deserves some punishment."
"Let that little lion bite on its own. If he wins, like with the wildlings, he solves the Legge problem for us and intimidates other ill-intentioned neighbors. If he loses…."
The old man's voice paused, then turned cold.
"Actually, I don't think he can win without the help of Daedings Family. It's hopeless."
"If he loses, it's just a disobedient vassal being taught a lesson. At that time, we can step in as his liege lord to mediate, clean up the mess, force the Legge Family to peace, and show our strength."
Lady Roslyn turned around, somewhat hesitant, but still nodded, a hint of approval on her face: "This might be the most beneficial choice for us."
"Then, reply to Arthur." Lady Roslyn turned around. "The wording needs to be careful, so he knows our dissatisfaction, but without making him feel like we're stabbing him in the back."
Scholar Walder stood up and bowed slightly: "I understand, My Lady."
A small troop of riders left Daiding City, galloping eastward towards the Brightmoon Mountains.
They carried a reply letter that was extremely official and ambiguous in its wording.
When the messenger arrived at Lion's Den, Arthur and Evelyn were standing in front of a pile of cut wood outside Lion's Den, pointing and discussing.
Arthur took the letter, unfolded it, and read. Evelyn stood beside him, her gaze also falling on the parchment.
In the letter, Lady Roslyn first sternly reprimanded Arthur for his recklessness, expressing "heartache over the potential bloodshed within the Riverlands."
Seeing this, Arthur's mouth twitched. Generally speaking, saying this meant no interference.
Then, the letter's tone shifted, stating, "Since this matter has been announced to all the lords of the Riverlands, and the cause lies in the treachery of the Legge Family."
"Daiding City will maintain neutrality in this matter based on principles of fairness and will closely monitor the developments."
At the end of the letter, Lady Roslyn also "reminded" Arthur to "remember his identity and honor as a vassal of Daedings Family."
Arthur and Evelyn exchanged glances, smiling. In fact, with the petition, this was the result he wanted. Everyone, for various reasons, would not intervene. Some didn't want to participate, some thought they weren't a match for the Legge Family and didn't need to participate, but in reality, everyone had this petition before them, making their cause just, and not wanting to bear a bad reputation.
At this time in Westeros, not so many shocking things had happened yet. Nobles could use schemes and tricks behind the scenes, but they could not be caught red-handed.
Arthur folded the letter and handed it to Lucien, saying in front of the Daiding City messenger: "Burn it."
Lucien took the letter and unhesitatingly threw it into a nearby brazier. The parchment curled in the flames, quickly turning into black ashes.
Lady Roslyn's messenger bowed gratefully and respectfully.
Arthur's gaze passed over the brazier, looking back at the sturdy trees in front of him, a strange smile on his face.
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