Chapter 187 Only death can exchange life
"The ancient gods."
The brilliance of the setting sun shines on the snow-capped mountains and forests.
"Hear my oath and be my witness."
Samwell looked around and found himself standing among nine weirwoods.
The nine faces on the trunk stare at the center of the circle, and the dried sap in the eyes is like rubies.
"The long night is coming, I will watch from now on until I die..."
Samwell’s mouth didn’t move, but he kept making sounds, reciting the oath—
The Oath of the Night's Watch.
"I will not take a wife, hold no land, and have children. I will not wear a crown, and will not compete for honor..."
There were six other people who recited the oath with him.
But their faces were shrouded in smoke, and Samwell could only see their bronze armor.
"I will do my duty faithfully, and live and die here..."
Am I the earliest owner of the [Time] armor?
Samwell remembered the story Sir Robert Royce had told him.
"I am the sword in the dark, the watcher on the Wall, the flames against the cold, the light at dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the kingdom. To the Night's Watch I give my life and honor, tonight, night All night."
After the oath was finished, the forest was silent.
Seven people got up one after another and walked out side by side.
Not far away is the world's largest architectural wonder - the Great Wall of Despair.
It is 700 feet high, stretching across the northernmost point of the northern border, extending thousands of miles to the east and west without interruption, as if proclaiming—
Here is the end of the world.
Samwell looked at the blue and white cliff that cut across the sky, and couldn't help being in awe.
When he looked up at the Great Wall, the majestic and thick ice seemed to press down on him and bury him.
While feeling dizzy, Samwell staggered and found that he had tripped over something hard under his feet.
The seven people stopped and started digging in the snow.
There was a coffin buried in the snow.
The coffin is gray and white, made of weirwood, with two crossed long axes and a **** human face engraved on it.
Samwell was wondering which family's coat of arms it was, why he had never seen it before, and found that "he" had opened the coffin lid.
Inside lies a woman quietly—
A woman who looks like a snow sculpture.
Pale skin, pale lips, only the garland of winter snow roses on the head is as red as blood.
is her!
Just then, she opened her eyes.
Pale eyes, only ice and snow, cold and death.
Samwell seemed to be in a frozen wasteland, full of jagged blue and white ice needles, they shot at him like flying spears, trying to hug him.
That is the smell of death and despair!
But at this moment, a heat wave swept over, instantly enveloping Samwell.
He seemed to be immersed in hot spring water.
Everything comes alive.
Full of vitality.
"He's awake!"
"Sam!"
"Lord Caesar!"
…
Familiar voices came from my ears, but only blurred light and shadow could be seen in front of my eyes.
Samwell felt a surge of tiredness and fell asleep again.
When I woke up again, everything in my vision became clear.
Samwell looked around and found himself in a tent, lying on a simple camp bed.
The attendant, Katu, was lying on the bedside, seemingly asleep.
"Katu? Katu?"
Katu woke up in a daze, and when he saw Samwell, he exclaimed in surprise:
"My lord! Are you better?"
"Well, it should be fine." Samwell supported his body and tried to sit up.
Katu hurried forward to help, and asked, "My lord, are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat."
"good."
Katu ran out and brought breakfast after a while.
A bowl of oatmeal, two hard-boiled eggs, a few slices of barbecue, creamy berries, and a glass of wine.
Samwell was really hungry, so he emptied the food.
"My lord, do you want more?"
"No need." Samwell felt that he should not eat too much at once, handed the tray to Kathu, and asked, "Who treated my injury?"
"A red-robed witch from Asshai, named Melisandre."
Sure enough, it was her.
During the fire in the temple in the sky and the city, Samwell had actually seen the vision of the red-robed witch.
It seems that my previous efforts to rely on the prophecy were not in vain. Melisandre did not choose Stannis Baratheon as in the original book this time, but found herself.
Moreover, R'hllor, the Lord of Light, seemed to have noticed himself.
Samwell withdrew his thoughts and asked again: "Did all six of you escape unharmed?"
Katu's eyes suddenly dimmed:
"We only made it back four alive..."
Samwell's heart suddenly rose: "Which two failed..."
"Sir Ferrer Royce failed to break out of the encirclement, and your brother Ser Dickon... he, he got an arrow in the back..."
Samwell's cheeks twitched, and he didn't speak for a while.
There was an unbearable silence in the tent.
Finally, Katu broke the silence and said:
"My lord, do you know why we saw that Tianji City was breached, but after entering the city, the Dornishmen re-occupied the city?"
"It's all because of King Joffrey!" Katu gritted his teeth and growled, "He actually believed the Red Viper's promise of surrender, and ordered the withdrawal of the troops after clearly breaking through the city gate, so that the Dornishmen would come out and surrender themselves."
Samwell was dumbfounded and didn't recover for a while.
Of course he knew that Joffrey was a fool and a lunatic, but he didn't expect to be so stupid.
"Is no one stopping the king? Where is Ed Stark? He is the commander of this army."
"Lord Ed led the army to attack the city and was injured that day. He was dealing with the injuries at the rear, and the others didn't have time to stop the king." Katu's face twisted, "So many people died because of his order! Then Many people!"
Samwell lowered his head expressionlessly, his tone was like ice:
"No nobleman protested?"
Katu nodded:
"Of course, almost all the nobles expressed their dissatisfaction with the king. Earl Matus Rowan was so angry that he almost took his sword to chop off the king's head. As for the nobles in the north, they have clearly expressed their dissatisfaction." He will obey the orders of the Iron Throne again. Lord Eddard has even resigned from the position of Hand of the King, but fortunately, Ser Barristan Selmy pledged his reputation that he would not let the king's orders be passed on, which prevented this army The army fell apart."
Catu curled his lips, and his tone turned into disdain, "Master Inflatable Fish is still flattering the king. I heard that he even wants to marry Miss Margery to the king."
Samwell frowned: "Sansa Stark's engagement with the king has been dissolved?"
"Yes, Lord Ed announced the dissolution of the engagement the day he resigned."
Samwell nodded and fell silent again.
Katu got up and said goodbye: "My lord, you should have a good rest first."
"good."
After Kathu left, Samwell stayed alone for a while before getting off the bed.
The injury on the arm was actually not serious, and it was only because he was poisoned that he fell into a coma before.
Thinking of the absurd things that Joffrey did, thinking of his brother who died in battle, and the more than 300 cavalrymen who died tragically in the temple, Samwell could only feel a surge of anger rolling in his chest, almost gushing out , burn everything!
Just then, a clear and pleasant voice came from outside the door:
"Sam, are you awake?"
Samwell recognized that it was Margaery Tyrell's voice: "Come in, Miss Margaery."
The door curtain was lifted, and Margaery walked in, wearing a dark green silk dress and a gold garland on her head, but the smile on her face seemed not as sweet as before.
"Thanks to the Seven Gods, you are really fine!" Margaery drew a seven-pointed star on her chest.
You should thank the Red God.
"Yes, Miss Margery, thank you for your concern."
Margaret came to the man and said softly:
"I regret what happened to you, your brother, and the more than 300 warriors in the temple..."
Samwell fell silent upon hearing this.
Margaery felt the man's sadness, and couldn't help feeling a little sad.
"Your feats will be remembered. Especially you, Sam!" Margaery said excitedly, trying to make the atmosphere less stagnant, "You actually killed the 'Red Viper' in desperation! Most of this victory should be attributed to Your persistence. From this day on, the bards of Westeros will sing your name!"
Samwell forced a smile: "I'm afraid bards can only sing about the achievements of the king. Oh yes, I heard that you are going to be engaged to Joffrey. Congratulations, your queen dream is finally coming true."
"Yes." Margaery was not very happy when she heard that, a bitter smile appeared on her face, "People always say 'be careful what you wish', I didn't understand it before, but now I understand , when the wish is really realized, I am afraid it may not be what I want."
"You have the right to refuse." Sam Will said.
"Do I really have it..." Margaret looked sad, "My father wanted me to be the queen since I was a child, and he has been looking forward to this day for too long..."
"What about Mrs. Olenna?" Samwell asked, "What is her opinion on this marriage?"
"Before leaving, grandma said let me see what kind of person Joffrey is..."
"Then what? Reject if inappropriate?"
"Grandma didn't say anything. I can't figure out grandma's attitude."
Samwell was a little speechless.
"Queen of Thorns" What does this mean? If it's not suitable, you have to marry hard? Then force Joffrey to go offline like in the original book?
But didn’t Margaery also become a widow?
Perhaps in the eyes of these strategists, the happiness of the granddaughter has never been a consideration.
"What kind of person Joffrey is, through this war, I think you should also understand. As for whether to agree to this marriage contract... After all, you have to make your own choice." Samwell can only say this.
Margaret was silent for a moment, with a hint of expectation that even she couldn't explain clearly, she asked:
"Sam, what do you think I should choose?"
"Your grandmother was originally engaged to Prince Daeron Targaryen, but she climbed into the bed of Duke Rose Tyrell herself, and this is how the 'Queen of Thorns' in Highgarden is today." Samwell borrowed I mentioned the example of Mrs. Olenna, but the meaning I want to express is already obvious.
Margaret stood there for a long while after hearing the words, and then spoke again, with a tone as light as smoke:
"Thanks for the suggestion, Sam, I'll give it some thought..."
As she spoke, she stood on tiptoe and printed a gentle kiss on Samwell's cheek:
"Good night, my knight."
"Good night, Miss Margery."
Samwell watched the girl's figure disappear outside the tent, speechless in a daze.
There is still an elegant fragrance of roses in the air, and the hickey marks on the face are still moist and warm.
At this moment, he suddenly thought of "Littlefinger" Petyr Baelish, the little nobleman who also fell in love with the Duke's daughter, and became the biggest careerist in the Seven Kingdoms because of what he wanted, and finally died in his hands. inside.
And what about himself?
What will be the future fate of a little baron who wants to sit on the Iron Throne?
On the boat in Black Water Bay, the thin man with gray-green eyes seemed to be looking at him with a sarcastic smile—
Caesar, you shouldn't have killed me.
Samwell chuckled, erasing Petyr's voice from his mind.
A dead person, how could he stop himself?
As for Margaery, she has to make her own choice after all.
With or without her, Samwell will continue on his own path.
So, he calmed down, turned around and came to the corner of the tent, where luggage and items were piled up.
Opening the innermost package, Samwell saw the dragon egg lying quietly in it.
He stretched out his hand and touched it, and this stubborn stone-like dragon egg exuded a faint heat, as if a fire was conceived in it.
This reminded him of the prophecy picture he saw in the sea of flames in the temple—
The stars cry blood.
The King's Naming Day Banquet, there will be a red comet descending.
There will also be a magic dragon awakening!
Samwell recalled everything he experienced in the temple, the soldiers who died in vain, and his younger brother...finally made up his mind.
The next second, he picked up the heavy book that he took out from the study of Grand Maester Pycelle—
"The Genealogy and History of the Main Nobles of the Seven Kingdoms"
Caressing the yellowed cover, Samwell's eyes were filled with flames of vengeance, and he spoke out the revelation that the Witch and Witch gave Daenerys Targaryen:
"Only death can buy life."
(end of this chapter)