The king on the Great Wall

"Yeah, why are you asking this?" The topic became more and more strange, and the maid frowned.

Iger observed the maid's expression and made sure that the other party was not cheating or concealing anything. The thing she wanted to confirm was answered so easily, and the stone on her heart was suddenly removed, and she didn't know what to say next.He, a little butterfly, took the risk of flapping his wings, and finally had a worthy impact.Facts have proved that there is no "existence in the dark" making trouble, the plot has changed, and he doesn't have to worry about Tyrion being intercepted by Caitlin Tully on the road!

"Thank you, it's all right."

"You're welcome. Breakfast is ready. If you want to eat, you can go to the lobby." The maid didn't understand what was going on with the strange questions and the changing expressions of the man in black in front of her. She blinked her eyes and gave a kind reminder, then Holding the things in his hand, he left in a hurry.

The two major concerns have gone away, and now the only thing to consider is how to get a bunch of tasks done.After a few days of thinking, I couldn't find a way to complete it, but I already had a preliminary idea of ​​how to deal with it in a short period of time. Iger felt that walking was much lighter. After washing up, he went to the hall and had breakfast. He was on his way back to the room. Met a guard.

"Brothers of the Night's Watch!"

"What's wrong."

"The Lord of Winterfell is receiving guests in the lobby, please follow me."

-

Chapter 40 The New City Lord of Winterfell

In stark contrast to the last time I enjoyed the king's dinner in this room, after removing many long tables and benches, the crowded and narrow hall appeared so spacious that night.When Iger came here with the guards leading the way, there were already many people in the house.

A row of guards stood by the wall, Robb Stark sat on the high seat that had belonged to his father, Maester Luwin and his mother sat on both sides, and the Young Wolf Lord was caught in the middle, and the young and immature face had already shown the city lord. style.

A bunch of words that stopped the maid before breakfast were all a waste of saliva. Now Mrs. Stark is sitting in front. Compared with the last appearance, this mother seems to be 20 years older, and she is much haggard. The old look in the middle is a bit close, and it looks like he is not a few years younger than the old scholar next to him-but it is obvious that it is indeed him.

Caitlin didn't go to King's Landing, so she didn't see Littlefinger, and she wasn't deceived about the dagger... This means that Igger didn't have to think about how to help Tyrion avoid encountering her and going south. Conflicted.

And standing in the middle of the hall were other night watchmen who arrived earlier than Iger, as well as Tyrion and his guards.When Iger walked up to Yoren and the men in black and stood together, the young man in the host seat spoke.

"Welcome, I was busy with the sundries in the city last night, so I couldn't greet you in person. Please forgive me if the hospitality is not good enough."

Robb spoke in the tone of the master, and it was the first time he greeted the guests as the lord of the city. This set of lines was not very proficient and natural, and he obviously learned it temporarily.But what Iger cares more about is that he didn't put out his scabbard weapon, let alone greet Tyrion with a menacing tone... This change is not big, but it is inseparable from what Iger did-he is no longer Dissociated from the plot, it is also difficult to withdraw and withdraw.

"You're welcome." Tyrion sighed. "So, when will your brother arrive?"

……

The sound of heavy footsteps came in time, and a huge figure entered the hall from the door. It was Hodor holding Bran.

"Oh, the kid really survived." The dwarf turned and looked up at Bran, who was taller than himself in Hodor's arms. "I can't believe it, you Starks are so hard on life."

"Northern people have to die hard to survive." Robb said, although not very angry, but obviously lost the strong hostility in the original plot: "Hodor, bring my brother here."

"Hodor." The giant trotted forward, laughing, and placed Bran next to the high seat of the Stark lord.The rulers of the Stark family sat in these big chairs. The boy sat down clutching the armrests, his disabled legs dangling in the air. This big chair made him look so weak.

"Lord Tyrion, you want to see my brother, and he is here now."

"Bran, I hear you're good at climbing up and down," Tyrion said after staring at the boy for a while, "tell me, how did you fall that day?"

The hair on Iger's back stood up. Under the threat of James, he lied about the situation at the time of the incident. In case Bran said at this moment that I was frightened by James Lannister or That Igger who hates the night watchman and fell down, that's going to be a big problem.

He was relieved by Bran's answer: "I don't know, there's no way I'd fall."

"The boy has no memory of falling, or how he got up," said Maester Luwin softly.

"That's odd," said Tyrion Lannister.

"My lord, Bran's body is still very weak. He needs to rest." Madam Stark said weakly. She was exhausted physically and mentally, and it was difficult for her to maintain politeness: "If there is nothing important, let him go back."

"I have a present for him," the dwarf nodded to the Mistress of Winterfell, then turned to Bran and said, "Boy, do you like riding horses?"

Master Luwin sighed: "My lord, this kid's legs are useless. He can't ride a horse."

"Hell," said Lannister, "a cripple can ride, as long as he has the right horse and saddle."

"I'm not disabled!"

"Then I'm not a dwarf either." The dwarf curled his lips, "I'm so happy to hear that."

Robb and Catelyn looked dissatisfied, and Theon Greyjoy laughed. Only Maester Luwin asked patiently, "What kind of horses and saddles are you talking about?"

"A smart horse, this kid can't use his legs to direct the mount, so you have to let the horse get used to him, teach him to understand the meaning of the rein command, and recognize the owner's voice. I suggest an untrained year-old This way, my pony, I don't have to scrap the previous exercises and start over." Tyrion pulled a rolled-up paper from his belt. "Give this to your saddler, and follow suit."

Maester Luwin took the slip of paper from the dwarf like a curious little gray squirrel and read it.

"I see. You drew very clearly, my lord. Yes...it should work, I should have thought of it."

***

Iger stood among a group of night watchmen, quietly watching the familiar but changed plot, hoping that everything would end as soon as possible.He had nothing to ask for, but he only hoped that nothing would happen to him before he set off to continue southward until he reached his destination.

"Can I really ride a horse?"

"No problem," the dwarf told him in a positive tone, "and I assure you, boy, that you're as tall as anyone else on a horse."

"Thank you for your help, my lord." Seeing Bran's smile, Caitlin also forced herself to squeeze out a smile: "If you don't mind, lunch and dinner, we..."

"You're welcome, Lady Stark." Tyrion bowed and saluted, "But I've had enough of the big fish and meat in the north a while ago, and I'd rather spend the winter outside the castle than staying in the castle." Experience the local customs and customs in the inn in the town." He turned to the night watchmen standing aside, "Iger, Yoren, go south at dawn tomorrow, you will definitely find me on the road."

Tyrion turned and walked out the door, followed by his men.

The twelve Night's Watch remained, and a whole dozen Night's Watch rangers accompanied the Lannisters. Tyrion's journey back to Winterfell did not happen at all.Thanks to so many night watchmen, the hall is still not too empty.Robb turned to them hesitantly. "Brothers in black, you are always welcome in Winterfell. If you need anything, just tell the servants, and we will do our best to accommodate it. Besides, I sincerely hope that I can have the honor to have dinner with you tonight."

His words were even more unnatural, but the night watchmen didn't take it seriously. After thanking him for his kindness, they also left the hall under the leadership of a ranger squad leader.

……

"Egger?" A guard stopped the traverser who was following Yoren and his party out of the gate, "The city lord has something to say to you, please follow me."

Have something to say to yourself!Iger's heart trembled, what did he say, was he found out that he lied about Bran's fall from the building, or did he make up about Joffrey's assassination of Bran?

Feeling guilty, Iger became nervous.He did these two things without any malice, but he couldn't reason with these nobles. If anything was discovered, the plan would be completely disrupted!

But right now he was in Winterfell, so he couldn't do anything.Feeling helpless again, Iger anxiously followed the guards back to a small room on the north side of the hall.There was only a table and two chairs in the room, and Robb Stark alone.

-

Chapter 41 Thanks from Stark

Under the signal of the new city lord of Winterfell, the guard turned and left and closed the door, leaving only two people in the house.Such a one-on-one situation made Iger's nervous mood slightly relaxed-it seemed that it was not against him.

Robb motioned Iger to sit down: "My friend, you were the one who discovered my brother fell from the building that day?"

This friend made Iger completely relieved. The Stark family is not good at and disdains to cover up their likes and dislikes towards others.He nodded: "I'm ashamed, I might have stopped Master Bran's dangerous move, but unfortunately I didn't succeed."

"As an older brother, I know Bran's temper better than you. No one can try to persuade him to come down from the wall. It's also our fault. We spoil him too much." Robb said with an adult look, old-fashioned Sighing, shaking his head.

……

I really dote on him too much. Iger learned from the chats with the guards that at first the adults of the Stark family thought of various ways to help Bran get rid of his hobby of climbing. Should the child crawl or crawl, Eddard Stark finally acquiesced in this situation.

Bran's fall is inseparable from James' fright and his own interference, but are the parents completely irresponsible?From the point of view of a modern person, isn't this just that you have neither education nor guardianship? To put it bluntly, if you don't fall in your life, you deserve it. If you fall, you deserve it. , when the truth is really unclear, it should be called!

Iger also came from childhood and was beaten by his parents. Some were beaten for going to the river to fish alone, some were beaten for stealing family money to buy snacks, and some were beaten for skipping class to go to the game room... When I think about it when I grow up, not only do I not have any resentment towards my parents, but I am somewhat grateful.As long as you control the speed and make sense while hitting, the stick is not an unacceptable scourge.

A person with a quick mind will think of a lot of things when he is in a trance... Of course, Egger, a night watchman, is not qualified to preach these words to the eldest son of Duke Stark, and he quietly waits for Robb's next words.

"Don't mention these things that have passed, but the letter you reported, let him escape again."

"The letter I reported?" Iger's expression became serious: "The assassin... made a move!?"

"One night not long after you left last time, the library tower suddenly caught fire. Most people in Winterfell were fighting the fire. Only the guards my father arranged inside and outside Bran's room did not leave their posts without authorization..."

"The man did it with guards?"

"No, he just ducked his head and left when he saw someone at the door." Robb explained: "The guards were afraid they might be tricked and didn't chase after him, but Winterfell is such a big city after all, and everyone knows each other... After mobilizing everyone to search, we found him."

The assassin was caught.Iger really didn't know what to put on a good expression. During the two weeks of temporary residence in Winterfell, he tried his best to change the plot. As a result, he was slapped in the face by both adults and children, and the plan became a joke. A few whispers to Benjen Stark, and in one fell swoop he accomplished his goal, clearing Tyrion and himself of any threat on his way south.

A lot of busy work is not as effective as a lie. Is this a satire on him, or is reality just so absurd?

……

"Is there an interrogation?"

"He refused to submit obediently, and was killed while resisting arrest." Robb shook his head: "Actually, I ordered him not to be kept alive—since we know who sent him, he can only die."

"That's right." Iger nodded, but he was a little rejoiced in his heart. If the assassin was caught and confessed but it wasn't Joffrey, then it would be a big mistake.

"Uncle Bunyan said that you are a smart man, so you must understand that this assassin must disappear, and this matter must not be publicized." Robb said solemnly: "Most people in Winterfell don't know what happened, But because you provided the information, I decided not to conceal it from you out of respect, but I hope you can keep it secret for us."

"understand……"

Iger nodded. In this world, there is no concept of "a prince who breaks the law and the common people are equally guilty". Even if the assassin was really sent by Joffrey, it would be difficult for the Stark family to pursue it.Unless the two houses were at war, even if there was trouble, it would end with Robert giving his son a lesson.

If it was in a peaceful age, it would be okay to make a fuss. With the relationship between Ed and Robert, the Stark family will definitely not suffer.However, at this juncture when Ed had just received news that the Lannister family had murdered Jon Arryn, and the Patriarch set off for King's Landing, Stark did not want to and could not fall out with his most important ally, the Baratheon family.

The Stark family can only swallow this matter.

"Here, take it." Robb took out a leather pouch from behind the table and handed it to him.

Iger took the bag, it was heavy, and there was a crisp sound of metal collisions. It was easy to guess what was inside, and he made a disturbed expression: "This?"

"What we found in the assassin's hiding place should have been paid by his small employer." Robb showed an angry expression. "My brother is only worth such a small amount."

"This may be just a deposit... There will be a final payment after the event is completed, but give it to me?"

"You have to go to King's Landing to do business for the Night Watch Corps, and the expenses must be quite high. I added a golden dragon to the commission for assassinating my brother. I hope you can use it."

Holding this not-so-light bag of coins, Iger was almost as resolute as he was when he received the red envelope before crossing, but soon realized that the customs and habits of this world are completely different from those of the modern dynasty—this is a gift from a great nobleman , and I really need money.

Iger’s departure from the Great Wall was not sent by the Night’s Watch on its own initiative. Of course, Commander Mormont couldn’t allocate funds for a ranger who was supposed to be fighting on the front line to go south to avoid danger. The day to pay was really hard.

"Thank you sir."

"Receive it." Robb nodded: "Thank you again for your help to my brother, remember what I told you just now, there is nothing else, see you at dinner."

***

"The North respects the Night's Watch."

Iger heard this sentence from the brothers in black countless times, but it was not until he visited Winterfell again after Robert left that he realized that it was not just a saying as he thought before.

The new young city lord of Winterfell actually had dinner at the same table with the twelve night watchmen who visited this time.

From Yoren’s mouth, Iger learned that Robb’s move was not to set a precedent or to give special treatment to Bran because he “saved” Bran, but to follow the rules set by his father Ed Stark: not going to King’s Landing Before taking office as prime minister, every time a night watchman arrived at Winterfell, Ed would greet him personally without exception—the ones who came were deserters and oath-breakers, and the ones who came were those who came with a sword and the guillotine; The night watchman soldiers not only provided good wine and good food, but also dined at the same table and asked about the current situation of the Great Wall face to face.

……

Strictly speaking, the last time Iger and Benjen Stark arrived in Winterfell was because of the king's visit - he was rarely "neglected".

But this kind of treatment can only stay in the north after all. The ten-man ranger escort stayed for a day and then went north to return to the Great Wall. Southbound road.

-

Chapter 42 A New Beginning

With Ed Stark leading by example for more than ten years, the respect and friendship for the Blackshirts in the North has become a trend, but with the comparison of the former, the second half of the journey may be a bit bleak. up.

The further south you go, the warmer the climate becomes, but the colder the attitudes of the people you meet.When approaching the Neck through Cailin Bay, the faces of the residents and small lords in the passing villages showed indifference and perfunctory; when they left Greywater and entered the riverland, no one paid any attention to the clothes on Iger and Yoren. Black clothes; further south, it even began to develop in the direction of contempt and contempt, which is completely different from the respect and enthusiasm of the people in the north.

But this did not have much impact on the mood of the two night watchmen - they are both mature adults, Yoren has long been accustomed to the attitude of people from all over the world when he travels around all the year round, while Iger has already Preparation: If you can be respected and treated preferentially by the nobles and commoners of the Seven Kingdoms by wearing a layer of black clothes, how can the northern border still need to recruit strong men to replenish the Great Wall?One of his long-term goals is to find a way to take off the black clothes. If there are no people around him to remind him of the essence of his identity as a night watchman with practical attitudes and actions, what motivation would he have to carry on with this plan?

The only thing that troubled him was that the task of "improving the image of the night watchman" might be more difficult than expected.

***

No matter how long the road is, there is an end. After traveling with Lannister for nearly a month, the destination is finally in sight, and Iger’s inner worries have completely faded: even though he saw Kate with his own eyes Lin Tully had already decided before leaving Winterfell, but it wasn't until the result came out that everything about the Winterfell incident really came to an end—although he experienced some twists and turns, he successfully changed the plot.

No accident happened, and there was no "existence in the dark" who fabricated a substitute for Caitlin Tully to block everyone's journey, and Tyrion returned to King's Landing smoothly.

This incident itself can only be regarded as a plot change, but for Iger it has more significance-he confirmed one thing: in this world where the ice and fire story takes place, the major events in the original plot can be passed through Human interference changes, as long as you dare to do it, everything is possible!

King's Landing, located on the east coast of the mainland, overlooks Blackwater Bay, the landing place of Aegon the Conqueror, the seat of the Red Castle and the Iron Throne, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, the largest city and political, economic and cultural center of Westeros .Now, a traveler who is about to turn the future upside down is coming!

***

The anxiety of the whole journey was swept away, and Iger was as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood. If he hadn't been suppressed by reason and restraint, he would have galloped on the King's Avenue immediately.

……

A few miles away from the city wall, human settlements such as shacks and tents began to appear on both sides of the road, followed by a faint smell.

"Ha, the smell of King's Landing is so nostalgic." Tyrion said leisurely on the horse, "I'm not used to it after breathing in the fresh air for a few months."

Iger had heard about the smell of this city before crossing over, but he never expected to be able to smell it from such a distance. Even if it is outside the city wall, God knows what it will be like to enter?Although the Great Wall is cold and dangerous, the air is very fresh... In such a cold place, even if there is any smell, it will be directly frozen on the ground.

"Why is the majestic capital of the Seven Kingdoms so stinky? Is it the sewers that have not been cleared, or the garbage that has not been cleaned?"

"There are all of them, but the manpower is far from enough. First of all, we must ensure that the aristocratic residential area is clean and tidy, and then the wealthy area. As for the civilian area, we can only make do. Tsk, there are 50 people living inside the city wall. Every day How much excrement and garbage is produced?" Tyrion curled his lips: "Why, Mr. Adventurer, what's your opinion?"

"No idea, if there are not enough people, just recruit more. I see that so many poor people live outside the city walls and can't even eat enough. Give them a good meal and give them a few copper coins, and they will be happy to do some cleaning work. Bar."