Chapter 127 - The Battle of Haigh Castle (I)
🕑 Added 2025-02-22 09:38:14 +0000 UTC“I like ambushes, you never know who will be ambushed until the end.” Aenar, on a hill, looking at the army of House Frey.
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The war march set off from Moat Cailin and marched down the King's Road like a tidal wave of men. Even from miles away, you could hear the sound of the army marching.
“Lord Reed, you look like you want to say something.” Aenar asked, looking at the Green Seer, or at least part of one. The man wasn't that talented to be considered a true Green Seer.
“I'm looking for any signs that Your Grace is Lady Lyanna's son, but no matter how much I look, there aren't any.” Howland, Lord of Greywater Watch, commented in a low, calm tone, his face obscured by the green cloak that covered his body.
“Have you fallen in love with my mother, Lord Reed?” Aenar asked with a smile, watching the shorter-than-normal man with interest. With his mother's beauty and charm, he wouldn't have been surprised if such a thing had happened.
Howland Reed lifted his gaze and looked directly into Aenar's eyes before replying in a calm tone. “No, but I've always admired your mother. She was a strange woman, even by Northern standards, a true nature spirit.”
Aenar didn't sense any lies coming from the man, so he believed Howland's words.
“It seems that my mother really did leave a mark on you.” He spoke in an amused tone, despite the increasingly tense atmosphere because of the war.
Howland nodded. “Memories that I will take to my grave with great esteem. Lady Lyanna was someone I would give my life for, if necessary.”
“Or act cowardly, like shooting Ser Arthur Dayne in the back.” Aenar added in a calm tone, but whether it was Leda, Willam or Barristan, all three looked at Howland with sharp glances.
Leda, in particular, looked at Howland with a slightly colder gaze. She finally understood how Eddard Stark, even though he was so young, had won against her uncle. It had been a cowardly and unfair duel from the start of the fight.
Despite this, Howland seemed indifferent and replied in a calm tone: “He killed six people in the blink of an eye. When I was about to kill Lord Stark, I did just what any loyal vassal would do to save his liege. I went for Ser Arthur's throat from behind.”
Leda didn't know how she didn't draw Dawn from her scabbard and cut Howland's head off at that instant, but all the training, pain and devotion to Aenar spoke louder than anything else.
Barristan looked at Howland and spoke coldly. “You should have died with honor rather than kill Arthur like a coward.”
Howland didn't retort to the old Kingsguard's words. He knew it was a cowardly act, but in the circumstances at the time, there was no way Lord Stark could win. So he did what he did without any hesitation.
“I do not regret my actions, Ser Barristan.” Howland said in a calm tone. “I would do the same thing if it meant saving Lord Stark from death.”
Barristan snorted coldly. He regretted Arthur's death. The boy deserved a more dignified and honorable death than being stabbed in the back.
Perhaps noticing Leda's gaze, Howland took on a complex expression. “I saw when Lord Stark took over Ser Arthur's murder. I saw the pain on his mother's face. At that moment, I have never felt such shame in my life. I didn't even dare to take responsibility and I didn't have the courage to tell Lady Ashara that the real murderer of her brother was me.”
Leda gripped Dawn's handle so tightly that the veins in her hand stood out, twitching, showing the effort she was making not to kill the Lord of Greywater Watch right then.
Howland realized this, but showed no sign of resistance. He knew that actions had consequences, more than anyone else. He knew this and accepted his possible death with open arms, with a calm that made Aenar look at him with a certain degree of admiration.
In the end, Howland just looked at Leda, and Leda looked at him. They both looked at each other with completely different expressions. One had a calm, serene countenance, the other a cold, slightly murderous look.
The memory of her mother's pained expression and crying flashed through Leda's mind. But in the end, she didn't draw her sword, not when Aenar hadn't ordered Howland's death.
“When this war is over, join the Night's Watch. Pass on your titles and fiefdom to your firstborn. For now, help us fight House Frey in Greywater Watch.” Aenar decreed, deciding Howland's fate in an instant.
Leda let out an emotion-laden sigh and relaxed her grip, although her gaze remained fixed on Howland, now filled with a coldness that sent shivers down the spine of the Lord of Greywater Watch.
“Thank you, Your Grace. I will carry out your orders without any hesitation.” Ignoring the danger signals his body was giving him, Howland looked in surprise at Aenar and bowed in gratitude. Although he accepted death with open arms, who wouldn't want to live?
“But don't worry, Your Grace. House Frey has tried to conquer Greywater Watch countless times, but has failed every time, without exception.” Howland said with a slightly colder tone. If there was anyone who hated the Freys, it was House Reed, who had faced them countless times.
Aenar nodded, pleased with Howland's words.
Not far from Aenar, Visenya looked at her husband for a moment and then turned her gaze to Rhaenys, Arianne, the Sand Snakes and her mother. They were all riding together, including Leaf, who seemed to be getting used to riding a horse.
“The Dowager Queen looks like the queen who visited the Wall.” Leaf commented, gaining the attention of all the women.
“Which queen are you talking about?” Rhaella asked with a touch of curiosity. As far as she could remember, only one or two queens had ever visited the Wall.
“I don't know her name, but she rode a very beautiful, silver-colored dragon.” Leaf replied, not noticing that his words had caused a hush around them.
Rhaella widened her eyes, completely shocked. From Leaf's description, the queen she had seen could only be Alyssane I Targaryen, the rider of Silverwing!
“Queen Alyssane!” Rhaella exclaimed, still incredulous.
The other women were equally surprised by Leaf's words.
“How old are you, Leaf?” Visenya asked, curious.
“In human terms, a thousand and forty years. In my people's terms, seven hundred winters.” Leaf answered casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the world to be thousands of years old.
Once again, his words cast a strange silence around them. All the women looked at Leaf's silky, shiny, childlike skin with deep envy. What woman wouldn't want to remain eternally young?
Perhaps noticing their shocked looks, Leaf sighed with a tone of helplessness. “I'm considered a teenager by human standards, I haven't yet reached the maturity to get a partner.”
Leaf's words left them all speechless at the absurd life expectancy of the Children of the forest. She was thousands of years old and still considered a teenager. They couldn't tell if living so long was a blessing or a curse.
Still, knowing that Leaf had been alive during Old Valyria, had witnessed the fall of the most powerful empire in the world and had lived so long to see the rise and fall of House Targaryen aroused admiration in all the women present.
Visenya felt she needed to ask for some tips on how to adjust her mindset. After all, like Leaf, she too would have a long time to live. She needed to adapt to this new reality and there was no one better to help her than a being who had lived for so long.
“Incredible. I don't know if I could live for so long, watching everyone I love die.” Arianne commented, letting out a sigh full of admiration for Leaf. Just the thought of living that long sent a shiver through her body.
“Well, my people live long, so we don't have that problem.” Leaf replied, finally getting the hang of riding a horse. Surprisingly, she liked the feeling. Although she found the saddle and other things unnecessary. The horse could be freer without those things in her eyes.
Arianne nodded. As Leaf had said, the Children of the forest lived for a long time, so they didn't have the same worries as the Desert Princess.
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Next chapter we'll start the action.
Comments
Vrati
The author is not a native English speaker. I think he wrote it in in his original language and then translate it.
Car Crash
Is this a translation? Leaf is a queen, and refers itself herself, but then there are several instances or referring to her as his. Also, leaf is said to to be a thousand years old, but then is said to be thousands of years old.
Vrati
What would Arianne say if she knows that Aenar will make her live that long.
