Eagle of the Valley of Ice and Fire

Chapter 178 Storm’s End Castle

The curtain separated Renly from the outside world.

He could only tell through the vague figures and noisy noises that there was probably a large gathering of people in the camp. What were Stannis's troops doing? Where are they going?

The tent where Allister Florent imprisoned himself was empty. All the slightly sharp horns, such as chairs, pots and pans, etc. were all cleared away by Allister, leaving nothing behind.

Stannis must be torturing himself deliberately. He didn't see a glass of water that could be used to quench his thirst. He didn't see any food that could relieve his hunger. Damn Stannis.

He coughed weakly, hunger churning his stomach, and his lips were chapped until they bled.

A violent coughing sound spread through the curtain. Renly opened his eyes and looked around the empty space. The rope was tied too tightly, and burning pain filled his limbs. When the traitor of the Florent family tied him up, he was left with only The single clothes I wore when I was sick and bedridden could not reduce the squeezing and friction of the hemp rope at all.

Renly had never been in such a situation. He grew up surrounded by the maids and knights of Storm's End. When taking a bath, he had to add several kilograms of milk produced on the farm. There was also fragrant purple floating on the surface of the bath water. Petals, and occasionally Dorne's red mud, would be soaked in it, and when out of the bath, the blushing maid would use a shaving blade to shave off the red mud stuck to the skin one by one.

But since Ser Loras came to serve as his squire, the poor maid no longer needed to do this job.

The Knight of Flowers praised him as the king of incense. This was not unreasonable. Renly had hated the various knight trainings imposed on him by Ser Penros since he was a child. He still remembered refuting Ser Penros's words when he was younger, " A qualified lord does not need to master the sword," he said firmly to Sir Penros. Facing the other's suspicious face, he continued, "What is more important is to master the person who holds the sword."

After this word reached Robert, Renly was almost beaten to death by his brother, who had become the king.

"You can make someone with a sword use it for you, then I'll get a hammer!"

Renly could never forget the hateful way Robert mentioned the warhammer, and it was still a part of his inner haze.

"If you can't learn a long sword, then go learn horse riding and archery. I don't believe my brother will just hang out at banquets!"

Robert threw down his war hammer and smashed it on the ground. He said these words coldly, but turned around and threw himself into the banquet in the Red Keep. His words of lecture always lost their value under the repeated tossing, and he was not convinced at all. Don't move Renly.

Renly couldn't lift Robert's hammer with both hands. Perhaps it was due to frustration that he became increasingly repelled by hunting and knightly sparring.

Just as he was thinking about it, the curtain suddenly opened, and Davos Seaworth looked at him calmly, "Lord Renly, it's time for us to leave."

"Where?" Before he could say anything, the soldiers behind Davos quickly walked up to him and cut the rope with a dagger.

The squeeze of the rope disappeared, but the burning pain in his arms and chest became even worse. Renly endured the pain and said, "I need food and water."

Before he finished speaking, Davos handed over the dried meat and water, "I hope you can swallow the food for the soldiers." The tail end of Davos' tone was very soft. Renly swallowed the dried meat without any scruples. King" status.

"Where to go?"

Renly swallowed the last scrap of meat with difficulty, looked up at the Onion Knight, and repeated the question.

"Go to your castle," Davos said lightly. He walked towards the war horse that followed him, turned over and jumped on the horse's back, "Follow them, Lord Renly, we will not be embarrassed."

My castle? Renly's thinking was slightly stagnant. He didn't think about where Stannis's army was going.

As he circled the military camp, many familiar flags came into view.

The turtle banner of House Ismon, the blue and green swirl banner of House Wilder, and the black raven banner of House Morrigan.

Most of the banners of the Stormland nobles were here. A wave of dizziness first surged into his head, but his sharp political sense instantly calmed him down.

It is impossible for the nobles of the Stormlands to be convinced by Stannis's command. They probably know what impression they have in Stannis's mind. They are traitors and treason. Stannis must have thought so, but it was just not revealed during the war. Storm The local nobles must know this.

Renly felt a push behind him. Soldiers took control of his arm and tied it to his hand with a prisoner's chain.

There must be many Stormlanders knights loyal to him, Renly thought to himself.

His eyes suddenly went dark, and a black cloth was put on Renly's head, covering his eyes.

Damn it! Renly cursed silently.

The walls of Storm's End are the smoothest among the castles in the Seven Kingdoms, Cortanai Penros thought to himself, rubbing his fingers over the walls. The huge rocks that made up the walls were so tightly packed together that not even a breath of wind could blow in.

Ever since Lord Randyll Tarly led the eight thousand best-preserved cavalry in the Reach to surprise Fallenwood City and then returned to the Reach, he had been feeling uneasy.

The Battle of the Hills in the Stormlands once again proved Stannis's mastery of military command. However, Renly, who taught himself as an adult, was too proud, and tens of thousands of cavalry were defeated by Stannis, who only had a few thousand troops.

Don't blame him!

Cortanai Penros thought in annoyance that Renly had always followed Lord Randyll's arrangements. It was not so much the failure of King Renly as the failure of Randyll Tarly, who had once defeated him on the battlefield. King Robert's men finally fell in front of Robert's brother

However, if he sees through Stannis's suspicious troops outside Storm's End, if he can take the initiative to lead an attack, break Stannis's lies, and reveal his true tactics, then King Renly will not be defeated, he will not be defeated. !

He returned to his bedroom and studied the map again.

Where is the king? Cortanai sighed. He punched the table hard and the map trembled slightly.

He was too cautious and unwilling to take the risk of sending troops out of the city to search for traces. He only wanted to hold on to one third of an acre of Storm's End Castle. But the changes in the movements of Stannis's army attracted his attention. The Dragonstone fleet no longer blocked the sea of ​​Storm's End and disappeared. On land, the smuggler Davos also led his army away. Stannis Ness seems to have turned its attention entirely to the siege of King Renly and no longer besieged Storm's End.

Could Stannis have exposed the army's backside so easily? Cortanai quickly overturned this idea. It was Storm's End Castle that was really being attacked from both sides. Moreover, the most dangerous thing about Storm's End Castle was not external forces. No matter how cautious Cortanai was, he would not trust the city defense of Storm's End Castle. Can be attacked from the front.

The real concern is the hearts and minds within.

Cortanai was lost in thought, but did not notice the door being quietly opened.

The little boy stood at the door of the room, his iconic big ears pinned to both sides. He looked at Sir Cortanai Penros frowning and staring at the map on the table. He took a deep breath and said: "Sir Penros "

Cortanai was awakened by the cry. He turned to look at the door, and the solemnity on his face suddenly turned into a smile.

"Edric, you're here." Cortanai said to the boy with a smile.

He looks so much like his father. Cortanai couldn't help but think about him every time he saw Edric.

With coal-black hair and dark blue eyes, he was a perfect replica of Robert.

"Lord Mae Dou asked me to send a message," Edric Storm said. "He will take advantage of the departure of Stannis's army to lead his troops to hunt in the deep woods to replenish the food of Storm's End."

Cortanai frowned slightly, "I believe that Count Meitu has not forgotten the fire that Davos set when he left. I am afraid that any prey that can run in the forest has gone to nowhere. Maybe the smuggler is waiting for us to go out, so that We fell into his trap!" His tone was rather harsh, and Edric took a half step back.

Cortanay's tone suddenly became gentle, "Edric." He felt a little guilty in his heart, "I'm not saying these words to you. You are still young and don't understand many things."

Edric nodded ignorantly, stammering a little, "But Earl Mei Dou has left."

"Going out of the city against the orders of the acting city lord?" Cortanai said in disbelief, "How many people did he take away?"

"Less than ten people, probably"

"Ewood is really out of his mind! This Earl in his early twenties is really self-righteous!" He suddenly stood up from the table, paced, scratched his ears and head, and his hair, which was already as stiff as wood, was scratched and messed up.

Edric took a deep breath. He knew that he shouldn't disturb him at this time. He just closed the door quietly, leaned his back against the door, and waited quietly.

"Edric," Cortanai looked at him, "you and Sir Robert at the top of the city should inform him and ask him to guard the city gate strictly and not allow anyone to enter or exit, even if Earl Ewood Meadow himself comes. Also wait for me at the city gate!"

Edric nodded, paused for a few seconds, and after confirming that there were no other instructions, opened the door and ran towards the city.

Renly's hood was taken off, but there was a pile of dead wood in front of him, and the smell of burnt wood filled the air, which was very choking.

"I didn't see the castle." He coughed violently again, this time lasting longer, and it took a soldier to help him beat his back.

Davos looked at him quietly, waiting for him to gradually calm down before he said, "Do you think Sir Cortanai Penros will open the city gate when he sees you?"

"Absolutely not," the corner of Renly's mouth raised slightly. He guessed what Stannis wanted to do, use him to trick him into opening the gate of Storm's End? It was absolutely impossible. He knew Cortanai Penros. As the acting Lord of Storm's End that he personally appointed, his prudence and experience were obvious to all. "Sir Cortanai will only shoot arrows when he sees you threatening me."

"We have to try," Davos said, pointing to the huge tower in the distance. "Storm's End is not so much a castle as it is the largest tower in the Seven Kingdoms. It is close to the sea on one side, and the land route can be blocked on both sides. , I’m afraid it’s the castle that the Seven Kingdoms are most afraid of besieging.”

"The grain in the barn at Storm's End is enough to last for more than a year. There is no way you can capture him." Renly said to Davos with a smile. He carefully looked at the knights escorting him from the corner of his eyes, trying to get the emblems from their family crests. Opportunities are revealed.

But unfortunately, these knights are all from Dragonstone.

Renly felt a little depressed inside, like pebbles sinking to the bottom of a river, unable to think of any chance.

"Look what we found," a knight said frivolously in the deep forest burned by fire, looking at Renly who was chained with a smile. Young knight, "The family emblem is a green shield with flowers of various colors, Earl Mei Dou of Green Valley City, haha!"

"Your Majesty?" The young Earl Plum Dou looked at Renly in surprise, "You" He looked around, loneliness and frustration written in his eyes, "You were captured by Stannis."

Davos quickly caught the emotion in Lord Mae Dou's eyes and said before Renly could speak, "King Stannis is ready to chop off Renly's head with his own hands. You have failed. Lord Mae Dou, ask the Iron Throne for his true love." Only when a king bows his knees and shows allegiance can he know how to return from the lost path.”

Lord Plumb's eyes widened. No one knew better than him that the morale of the Storm's End army was sluggish. King Renly's previous failure had disappointed most of the knights at Storm's End and it was difficult to raise their fighting spirit.

Renly was once again covered with black cloth, and something was stuffed in his mouth, which blocked his throat and could only make a humming sound.

Ewood Medou lowered his eyes and pursed his lips tightly, seeming to be making a difficult decision.

(End of this chapter)