iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 256 Distinguished Guests

"Carry it down."

When Petyr's body was carried away, Lady Catelyn let out a low sob.

Green Kleb stood aside silently, and waited until Caitlin's body stopped shaking before he said, "Madam, do you want wine or hot tea? I will be happy to help you."

After listening, Caitlin couldn't help but slightly curve her lower lip corners. She wiped the tears on her face, exhaled slowly, and turned her body around.

Mrs. Caitlin moved her steps, kissed Green on the cheek, looked at the young man in front of her tenderly with a pair of wet eyes, and said: "Thank you for your help, Count Kleb."

Green bowed slightly: "At your service at any time, Mrs. Stark."

After a pause, he continued: "I heard that the iron species from the Iron Islands invaded the North. Please forgive me, when did you come to the Eagle's Nest City?"

Hearing that something happened at home, Catelyn's attention was suddenly drawn: "Greyjoy?"

Green nodded slightly and said: "Theon Greyjoy, the adopted son of Duke Ned, betrayed the North. Rumor has it...if your husband hadn't arrived in time (Chapter 210), Winterfell would have been occupied by the ironborn. ”

Mrs. Caitlin showed a slightly panicked look: "Gods, how could this happen...my children..."

"Madam, I think your husband will protect your children, please rest assured." Green comforted him while extending his hand and inviting Mrs. Caitlin to sit down.

After sitting down, Green ordered the waiter to pour wine for Mrs. Caitlin and said: "Madam, please try the sour wine from Crab Claw Peninsula. It is very sour, but according to the tradition of Whispering Castle, this is a must for entertaining distinguished guests. Drinks.”

Lady Catelyn tapped her chin, took a sip, and then the Tully lady couldn't help but frown.

The sour wine from the Crab Claw Peninsula was much more sour than she expected, and Lady Caitlin sighed inwardly at the winemaking skills of her ancestors.

Although it was very sour, Lady Catelyn couldn't help but take another sip. She had to admit...it was a little special.

"I went south before my eldest son. I was..." Perhaps because she was unprepared, or because of the affinity she felt from Green, Mrs. Caitlin opened up about her trip to the valley as if she were sitting together chatting. .

As she spoke, Mrs. Caitlin felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier, as if they were very heavy.

She tried to stay awake, but the scene in front of her became increasingly blurry, and then she fell into a deep sleep without realizing it.

Mrs. Caitlin's breathing became gentle, and Green, who was already standing next to her, reached out to support her as she "slumped" on the chair.

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The next day, the sky was slightly brighter, and the eastern sky gradually turned fish belly white, dyeing the surrounding mountains with a light golden color.

A carriage was driving slowly on the winding mountain road, its wheels rolling on the mud, making a "squeaking" sound. Behind it... the outline of the Blood Gate gradually blurred.

In front and behind the carriage, dozens of swamp marigold flags fluttered in the wind.

In the carriage, Mrs. Caitlin, nestled in a warm blanket, moved her eyelids and curled her lips. She seemed to be still in a sweet dream.

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There is a straight King's Road between Storm's End and King's Landing, and Stannis's army is almost all cavalry. He arrived at the south bank of the Blackwater River ahead of his fleet.

Although he led nearly 20000 soldiers and horses, the horses and more than twelve feet of spears were unable to deal with the vast deep water of the Blackwater River and the high stone walls of King's Landing.

Stannis camped on the south bank of the Blackwater River. He could only suppress the anger in his heart and wait helplessly for his fleet.

Stannis's teeth chattered: "Melisandre, I want to know where Ser Imry has taken my fleet."

Before the red-robed priestess could speak, Stannis's prime minister, Earl of Rainforest, Davos Seaworth said respectfully: "King Stannis, the current wind is from the south, and the recent bad sea breeze, the fleet is often The sails need to be replaced and oars used. I estimate that Ser Imry will arrive in two days if he is quick, or... three days at the latest."

Melisandre's low and hoarse voice sounded: "My king, I have foreseen the fleet under the Red Castle in the holy fire. It is the dawn three days later."

Stannis's jaw moved silently and he said: "My Prime Minister, please go down and have everyone prepare rafts that can cross the Blackwater River. The more rafts the better, don't let them idle."

"As you command, King Stannis." Lord Davos nodded first, then raised an eyebrow and glanced at the red-robed priestess.

Melisandre chuckled: "Count Davos, I can also help, if you need it."

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"King Stannis, if Lady Melisandre continues to be by your side, in the future people will call the victory of the war the victory of the Red Priestess, not yours."

As the Prime Minister, Davos had to bite the bullet and said: "Others will say that you relied on her magic to sit on the Iron Throne."

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Three days later, the waves in Blackwater Bay were rough. Ser Imry Florent, Lord Commander of Stannis' royal fleet (Chapter 233), looked at the Red Keep towering on Aegon's Hill. The black building was close to the lemon-colored The sky, beneath which lies the mouth of the Blackwater River.

The unpredictable wind rattled the sails, and Sir Imry issued an order on the Fury: "Reef the sails! Lower the mast! Get the oarsmen in position!"

Ahhhhhhh. The rumble of the war horn crossed the sea, its whistle was hoarse and deep, and the orders of the fleet commander were passed from ship to ship.

"Oar down!"

"In a row!"

After receiving the order from the Fury, the oarsmen of the fleet beat the drums one after another. The roaring drums were like a huge and gentle heartbeat. Each beat made the oars move one minute in a uniform manner.

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Sir Imry showed a look of contempt. The Imp King's hastily built fleet only had less than 50 broken ships. His captains laughed and called them children's toys.

The total number of their ships was four times that of Lannister. He directly organized the fleet into ten battle lines, each consisting of twenty battleships.

Ser Imry's tactics are: the first two columns are responsible for clearing the river and destroying the Lannister fleet. The ships that follow them first land a large number of archers and spearmen on the ships at the foot of King's Landing, and then join the black water. Battle on the river. The smallest and slowest ships were placed behind, transporting Stannis's cavalry from the south to the north shore. The fleet at the end of the team stayed at Blackwater Bay to prevent the Lannisters from hiding their warships on the shore and waiting for an opportunity to sneak attack the rear of the fleet.

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The sea was filled with roars and shouts, the trilling of trumpets and drums, and the sound of thousands of wooden oars rising and falling against the water.

The current where the Blackwater River enters the sea is strong and rapid. Through the turbulent white foam and regular lapping, the signal for the general attack was sent from the front deck of the Fury.

Ahhhhhhhh, ahhhhhhhh.

"Speed ​​up!" the captains roared.

The drum beat sped up at the oar officer's command, and the speed of the oars caught up immediately, with the oar tips flying across the water.

Hey yo - Phew.

Hey yo - Phew.

Hey yo - Phew.

On the deck of the ship, the infantrymen struck their shields with swords, while the archers quickly strung their bows and drew arrows from the quivers on their waists.

The war drums beat wildly, the oars rose and fell, and the ships of the first battle line broke through the waves and entered the Blackwater River.

The Red Keep has steel-reinforced fortifications, huge castle towers and thick red walls. The cliffs under the castle are rocky and steep, dotted with moss and thorns... It seems to be squatting on a high hill, watching Stannis' fleet enter. The ferocious beast of the Blackwater River.

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When Stannis's fleet entered the Blackwater, the Lannister fleet began to retreat upstream on Tyrion's orders.

Stannis' huge fleet seemed to stretch to the horizon. As more and more ships entered the Blackwater River, the distance between the ships became closer and closer, and the formation became denser.

Suddenly, dozens of flaming pitch canisters trailed long tails of fire from the Red Fort and shot down the river in a parabola.

The river water swallowed up most of the asphalt fire jars, and only part of them hit the deck of the ship, exploding and scattering sparks.

A second wave of attacks mixed with flying arrows followed, and the soldiers on the ship were in chaos.

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Flying high on the battlements of the Red Keep are the gold-crown stag banner of House Baratheon and the roaring lion banner of House Lannister on red background.

Asphalt fire pots fell like rain, and the Blackwater River was filled with fireworks, filled with screams and screams.

On the south bank of the Blackwater River, under the banner of the flaming red heart, the army was in formation, and the soldiers were dragging crude rafts into the water.

In the smoke screen on the other side, Stannis's ship near the river bank released a gangplank. The archers who got off the ship raised their bows high and waded into the shallows in a chaotic manner to keep the bow strings dry. When they rushed into the narrow beach, rocks fell like rain on the city, mixed with bows, arrows and spears. The soldiers near the city wall fell to the ground one after another.

At this time, the cavalry in golden robes suddenly appeared. They rushed down the river bank, and the iron hooves of the horses stepped across the shallows, splashing water. The knights rushed into the hands of the archers, charging like wolves into the flock of sheep, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

The infantry hurriedly arrived, using spears and battle axes to resist the cavalry charge, buying time for the archers to regroup.

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On the top of the Visenya Hills, the sun shines brightly on the seven crystal towers of the Great Sept of Baelor.

Behind the city wall, giant trebuchets showed their heads, and one...two...three...were raised one after another.

Hundreds of stones the size of human heads climbed high into the sky, and then quickly fell down. They either splashed huge waves, or penetrated the decks of ships, beating people alive into broken bones and flesh.

The river water quickly poured into the big hole made in the ship, and groups of soldiers fell into the river. The living struggled to survive, the dead floated silently, and the soldiers wearing plate armor or chain armor immediately sank to the bottom of the river, dead or alive, and stopped moving.

Suddenly, a flash of green light flashed across Sir Imry's eyes, flew forward, and landed on the port side. In an instant, he seemed to see a nest of emerald poisonous snakes hissing, rising, writhing, and burning.

"Wildfire!" Cries filled with despair and fear suddenly came and went.

(End of this chapter)