Whoosh~ The list in Lord Green's hand was turned to the next chapter, and after reading for a while with his eyes lowered, he frowned slightly.
Closing his eyes, he tapped his knee lightly with his fingers, paused, and Lord Green said, "Go invite Baron Gryven."
After giving instructions to the attendant, Lord Green left his chair and went downstairs, followed closely by the tall Brienne.
Lord Green walked and said, "Brienne, Stannis has been defeated. Although he has retreated to Dragonstone, he has lost most of his troops."
Lord Green received a letter from a raven in King's Landing. The content… in summary, was that the great Tywin Lannister had utterly defeated the evil Stannis. There was no mention at all of Tyrion's contribution in the defense of King's Landing.
As Tyrion's reliable ally, Lord Green naturally felt a little sad for him.
Why would the esteemed Duke Tywin do such a thing? There could be various reasons, but the main one was for his heir—Jaime Lannister.
At the time Jaime was captured by Robb Stark, Duke Tywin, like most lords of the Seven Kingdoms, would never allow his second son's reputation to spread widely, letting his prestige surpass that of his heir, especially since Tyrion was also his despised Dwarf son.
For Duke Tywin, the noble Lannister blood flowing in a Dwarf was itself a kind of disgrace.
...
Coming to the marble wall where the map of the Seven Kingdoms hung, Lord Green stared at the location of Dragonstone and said, "After the Battle of Blackwater River, Stannis's heavily damaged fleet can no longer protect Dragonstone, where he is located. Lannister will certainly not give him a chance to breathe."
He pointed his finger at the location of King's Landing and added, "Stannis has no allies. It can be said… he has already lost the qualifications to contend for the Iron Throne."
Brienne looked at Lord Green and said, "My Lord, do you think Stannis will defend Dragonstone to the death?"
Lord Green shook his head slightly and said, "Stannis is as hard as iron. He will not choose to sit and wait for death. He will leave Dragonstone before Lannister besieges him there."
"My Lord, where else can Stannis go?"
Where can he go? If it were him, he would immediately seek an alliance with Robb Stark, who claims to be king; they have a common enemy.
But… in Stannis's eyes, Robb Stark is also an unforgivable traitor.
Given Stannis's character, even death would not make him join forces with a traitor.
This is Stannis Baratheon.
...
Lord Green's eyes lifted slightly, and his gaze shifted to the location of The Wall in the North.
After a moment of silence, he said, "Perhaps, we will meet in the ice and snow."
Lord Green looked at "Beauty" and said, "Brienne, would you like to serve as my Blood Gate Knight?"
As soon as his voice fell, Brienne immediately shook her head, seemingly flustered: "My Lord, my duty is to protect you. I… I will not fear sacrifice, please believe me."
Lord Green reached out and patted Brienne's strong arm, saying, "I will choose a new candidate for Blood Gate Knight."
After a pause, he added, "This is a promotion. I am not dissatisfied with your performance, Brienne."
Hearing this, Brienne showed a childlike innocent smile: "I will work harder, I promise."
Lord Green smiled, then paused, and suddenly said, "I heard you only picked one set of barding?"
Brienne nodded and said, "My armor was specially made for me by my father (Chapter 91). I like it, My Lord."
Lord Green smiled and said, "As my guard, you can always get your equipment replenished from the guard's quartermaster. Arming yourself well is also your duty, Brienne."
"Yes, My Lord."
Lord Green's warehouse was filled with countless armors, bardings, and various weapons. The Cleber Soldiers of the Vale were re-equipping according to their actual needs, and his guards and Clan Soldiers were the first batch.
Lord Green walked casually around the spacious hall, observing and saying, "Brienne, what is your impression of Eyrie?"
Brienne's clear blue eyes surveyed the surroundings and said, "My Lord, it's very luxurious here."
She withdrew her gaze: "And… the wind is very strong and cold. Also, it's very difficult to attack."
"Very well summarized." Lord Green couldn't help but smile.
He added, "Brienne, do you think this place is suitable for raising dragons?"
"Dragons?" Brienne blinked.
"Yes, dragons, three dragons."
...
The attendant came to report: "Lord Green, Baron Gryven has arrived."
...
In the study, the roaring fire in the fireplace brought warmth and light to the room.
Baron Gryven's voice carried a hint of fatigue: "The tax exemption for three years in the Arryn… the direct territories of Eyrie (mainly referring to the southern Vale region occupied by Kleber)… will be conveyed to every one of your new subjects within the next month."
Lord Green stared at the flickering flames in the fireplace, nodding slightly.
Baron Gryven glanced at his liege and continued, "At the same time, the news of the Moon Gate Castle tournament to be held a year later will also be announced."
Seeing Gryven hesitate to speak, Lord Green first motioned for the attendant to pour wine, and once the wine was poured, he slowly began, "Gryven, the tournament is not the key."
He took a sip of summer red and continued, "As far as I know, almost everyone in the Vale has a dream of becoming a knight, and becoming a knight can be said to be a tradition of the Vale.
But… if one wants to become a knight, having only a knight's combat skills and horsemanship is not enough. You also need a full set of knight's equipment, which actually blocks the knightly dreams of most people."
He took another sip of wine and said, "I heard that many knightly squires in the Vale, although already qualified to be knighted, have to refuse to become knights because they lack the gold dragons needed for knighting."
He looked at Baron Gryven: "As the new ruler of the Vale, I am merely using the name of hosting a tournament to help those who have ability but are hindered by gold dragons, and they will be the new knights of the Vale in the future."
Lord Green raised his hand, signaling the stunned Baron Gryven to drink, and said, "They can be the children of farmers and artisans, or the children of merchants, or even wanderers. I only value their ability and their willingness to fight for me."
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly: "I most welcome descendants of Vale Nobles like Lyen (Gryven's eldest son)."
After a pause, Lord Green continued, "Whether it's a village or a town, those who pass the assessment and qualify to participate in the tournament will receive armor, weapons, horses, etc.… I will provide them all free of charge and grant them the title of Novice Knight."
Baron Gryven opened his mouth and said, "Novice Knight?"
Lord Green nodded slightly and explained, "You can consider them as high-level Sellswords hired only by Kleber. They need to swear allegiance to me and will only fight for me. In the future, the new knights of 'Green Valley' will also be born among them."
Baron Gryven suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart, speaking as calmly as possible: "Lord Green, please allow me to praise you. You are a benevolent and generous liege. May the Gods bless you."
Changing his tone, he cautiously expressed his concerns: "However, I still want to suggest that you postpone your benevolence and generosity. The people of the Vale, who yearn for the Arryn Family, could easily misunderstand your good intentions. I even worry that they might refuse to participate in the tournament assessment."
Lord Green spoke up, "Are you worried that someone with ill intentions will sabotage my plan?"
Baron Gryven nodded with a heavy expression.
A moment of silence, then Lord Green's low voice sounded: "Gryven."
Hearing his liege call him, Baron Gryven looked over, and upon meeting Lord Green's sharp gaze, his heart skipped a beat.
Lord Green's calm voice seemed to carry the cold wind of winter: "You need to learn to be a good vassal of House Clebber early."
"My… My Lord…"
"Yearn for the Arryn Family? Sabotage my decrees?"
After murmuring to himself, Lord Green regained his gentle expression, his brown eyes fixed on Baron Gryven, and said, "If I were to open the gates of Blood Gate and allow the Mountain Clans to enter the Vale… at that time, would the people of the Vale miss Kleber? Would they regret sabotaging my decrees?"
The Mountain Clans are wild tribes living at the foot of the Mountains of the Moon in the Vale. The formation of these clans originated during the Andal invasion of the Vale, when the First Men who refused to submit to the Andals fled into the Mountains of the Moon, multiplying in the mountains and forests, forming various tribes. Therefore, they retain many traditions of the First Men, with customs similar to the wildlings beyond The Wall—raiding and being unruly.
They primarily survive by hunting and plundering Vale villages. It is rumored… that they would even attack the Duke of Eyrie himself if he had no guards.
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