Chapter 205 Hightower's Invitation
The setting sun falls to the horizon, and darkness covers the earth.
Since the arrival of the red comet, the temperature has dropped day by day, and after nightfall, you can clearly feel the coolness.
Samwell and his party camped on the side of the road.
As the bonfire is lit, the aroma of food begins to fill the air.
The bard plucked the strings, singing the hymn he had just composed for the baron and his dragon.
"It seems that summer is really over." Margaret said with emotion as she was making scented tea.
"Yes." Samwell looked serious, "When this short autumn passes, Westeros will usher in a long winter. A terrible long winter."
Margaery looked at the man beside her with burning eyes: "Sam, do you also believe in the prophecy that Melisandre said?"
Samwell touched Margaery's soft long hair, and asked a little narrowly:
"You seem to have a lot of hostility towards Melisandre."
"She's a pagan." Margaery pursed her lips and smiled, "As a believer of the Seven Gods, it's normal to feel disgusted."
"I see." Samwell deliberately put on a disappointed expression, "I thought you were jealous."
Margaery smiled brighter: "I'm not so boring. If Melisandre is really helpful to your career, it doesn't matter if you let her be your lover. But I always feel that this woman will bring you More trouble. If she hadn't saved your life, I would have persuaded you to drive her away."
Samwell laughed for a while, then his face became serious:
"Although Melisandre's prophecy cannot be fully believed, it is not a lie that the long night is coming."
Margaret was stunned for a moment, and was about to ask in detail, when she heard a crisp sound of horseshoes on the road.
Todd Buddha Flower also walked over quickly, Huihui reported:
"My lord, Viscount Martin Mullendall is here."
Samwell was slightly surprised.
When they passed Highland City this time, because they didn't want to waste time, they didn't visit the Mullendall family.
Unexpectedly, Viscount Martin actually chased him out.
"I'll go to meet you." Samwell said to Margaery.
"Okay." Margaery smiled sweetly at the man, and then continued to focus on burning scented tea.
After a while, the singing seemed to be louder.
As soon as Margaery looked up, she saw that the bard she met halfway was looking at her with fiery eyes.
…
"Lord Caesar!" Viscount Martin's bold laughter was heard from afar, "Why are you still avoiding your old friend!"
Samwell said with a smile: "Master Martin, I am also worried about disturbing you."
While speaking, Viscount Martin had already dismounted, and after handing over the horse to the attendant, he walked over quickly and said:
"With the relationship between the Mullendall family and the Caesar family, why bother! I have long been looking forward to having a few more drinks with you."
Samwell pouted secretly. He passed Highland City when he went to Highgarden last time, but he didn't see Viscount Martin come out to greet him.
At that time, this guy probably wanted to sell Samwell for eight pieces and pay back the money.
The two walked into the camp together, and while chatting and laughing, they heard crisp and clear yelling.
Samwell was slightly startled, and walked over quickly.
Viscount Martin stopped tactfully and stood in the distance waiting.
"What's wrong?"
Margaery looked back at Samwell, pointed at the bard and said:
"I don't like this guy, let him go."
Hank hurriedly said: "Miss Margery, what did I do wrong? Make you hate me so much?"
"Do you need a reason to hate you?" Samwell ordered Todd, "Get him out!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Todd came forward with two soldiers, grabbed Hank roughly by the collar, and pulled him out.
Hank still wanted to explain, but was punched in the face, and after losing three teeth, he could only howl.
Samwell took Margaery's little hand and asked softly:
"He didn't touch you, did he?"
"No. It's just..." Margaery's face was gloomy. "He may think that a woman who will run away with others is easy to seduce..."
Samwell immediately felt the self-pity hidden in Margaery's words.
Although it was completely voluntary to elope with Samwell back then, this kind of thing would have a negative impact on a woman's reputation after all, and a noble lady like Margaery was especially sensitive.
He squeezed the girl's hand and promised: "Don't worry, I won't let you suffer this kind of criticism."
"I believe in you." Margaery smiled again.
Samwell turned his head and went to look for Viscount Martin. When passing by the attendant Kathu, he gave him a hidden look.
The bard was roughly dragged out of the camp, and was trying to beg for mercy, when Katu stepped forward, grabbed his hair with one hand, and pulled out a dagger with the other.
"Rao..."
As soon as the words came out, the bard's throat was cut cleanly by Katu, and the rest of the words were also drowned in blood.
Todd frowned: "Master Caesar didn't say he was going to kill him, did he?"
Katu dropped the body and responded coldly: "This kind of thing needs to be explained clearly by an adult? Are you leaving this guy to chew his tongue around?"
On the other side, Samwell had brought Viscount Martin back to the campfire and introduced Margaery to him.
"Master Martin." Margaret couldn't see the slightest abnormality on her face, "I just heard that you want to drink a few glasses? There are also good wines here, which can satisfy your wishes."
"Miss Margery." Viscount Martin bowed and saluted, "It's an honor to meet you. May you always be as beautiful as you are today."
"May you always be as healthy as you are today." Margaery returned a salute, invited Viscount Martin to sit down by the campfire, and went to get the brandy herself.
Viscount Martin looked at Margaery's back, quietly gave Samwell a thumbs up, and said softly:
"When I heard the rumor, I thought it was a bard's nonsense, but I didn't expect it to be true. However, Sam, as an old friend, I have to remind you."
Samwell looked at the "old friend" beside him with a smile, and said:
"Please speak."
"This rose is beautiful, but it's not easy to pick. Lord Mace has always been snobby, and Lady Olenna is good at calculating..." Viscount Martin shook his head, "I'm really worried that you won't be able to handle it."
"Thank you for your advice." Samwell smiled.
Viscount Martin didn't persuade anymore, he looked around the camp and asked:
"I heard you hatched a dragon, is that true?"
"Of course it is true." At this moment Margaery came back, poured two glasses of brandy and handed them to the two people who were talking, "It's just unfortunate that I just went hunting in the woods."
"That's a pity." Viscount Martin did not hide his regret, "I have dreamed since I was a child that one day I can see a real dragon with my own eyes."
"That's probably the dream of every teenager in Westeros." Samwell said with a smile, "If you wait patiently for a while, Cleopatra will return, and it's usually not too late."
"I'm really looking forward to it!" Viscount Martin drank the brandy in his glass and said with emotion.
After a pause, he continued: "A few days ago, Earl Layton wrote to me to ask about the situation of the dragon. If I see you, I must ask you to go to Old Town. He has important information about the dragon. I have to tell you personally."
Old Town... Samwell secretly guessed, did Earl Layton send the invitation on behalf of the Hightower family, or on behalf of the Academy City?
School City has an extremely repulsive attitude towards giant dragons. They try to build a world without magic, while the attitude of the Hightower family is more ambiguous.
But in any case, Samwell didn't intend to take Cleopatra to Oldtown, at least not until he gained enough strength.
The towering tower and the school city hide too many secrets and dangers, and he doesn't want to touch them hastily.
"Thank you Lord Layton for the invitation, I will definitely go if I have the opportunity."
I don’t know if he saw Samwell’s perfunctory meaning, Viscount Martin said again:
"Sam, apart from the descendants of the Targaryen family who have been expelled to the other side of the Narrow Sea, the Hightower family knows best about the method of domesticating giant dragons. I advise you to go there."
"sure."
Samwell agreed on the surface, but he didn't care about it in his heart.
He felt that even the Targaryen family might not have discovered the secret that the stewed bones of the dragon could be fed to the young dragons.
Actually, this is not surprising. After all, not everyone who sees a keel will think about whether it can be eaten like Samwell.
Viscount Martin also knew that it was too much to persuade, so he changed the subject and started chatting.
Not long after, Cleopatra came back, and thoughtfully brought back a hare to the owner.
Viscount Martin admired the white dragon with curiosity and awe, and then left with satisfaction.
The next day at dawn, Samwell and his party continued to travel north, crossed the tributary of the Mead River, and walked onto the Rose Avenue.
The speed of the team has accelerated a lot, and it is estimated that they will be able to reach High Court in about a week.
But Samwell ordered the team to leave Rose Avenue halfway and turn east.
Destination — Horn Hill.
Before going to meet the woman's parents, Samwell felt that it was time to take Margaery to meet her relatives.
Besides, during this campaign against Dorne, his younger brother Dickon died on the battlefield, so Samwell had to go and explain to Earl Randall in person.
As for whether Lord Randyll will ask him to change his surname back to Tarly...
Anyway, Samwell is determined not to change his mind.
After leaving Rose Avenue, they walked along the winding path for two days, and the group saw the castle of the Tully family.
It is said that the earliest castle in Horn Hill was built by the twin brothers Haron the Hunter and Halledon the Horn, the sons of Garth the Greenhand. They married a beautiful forest witch. People will interbreed to prolong life and reproduce.
"It's a beautiful castle!" Margaret lifted the curtain, looked at the castle standing among the hills ahead, and praised.
In fact, compared to Highgarden or other castles in the Reach, Horn Hill really has nothing to praise.
The entire castle is built of solid limestone, with a simple and atmospheric shape, without redundant decorations, only the mottled green moss on the brick walls has witnessed the ancient history of the castle.
There is still a gap between the Tully family and those big families that are truly powerful and have a long heritage. In the fertile River Bend, they can only be regarded as second-tier families.
But because the clan favors martial arts, and the lord of this generation, Earl Landau, is a well-known military general, no one dares to underestimate this family.
"Yes, a very beautiful castle." Samwell looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar castle in front of him with complicated eyes.
(end of this chapter)