The city gates were opened. Daenerys walked into Castle Black through the main gate. Behind her followed dozens of wildlings. These were the tribal leaders Daenerys had chosen for them. Under Mansray's leadership, they were willing to accept Daenerys's mediation.
On the other side, Instructor Thorne stared blankly at the Seren men kneeling on the ground, too afraid to move. It wasn't until Lu Xuan reminded him to tie them up that he realized what was happening. He hurriedly ordered his men to find ropes and bind up the hundreds of Seren men who had stormed into the South Gate Castle.
As dawn broke, the Night's Watch, the Wildling representative, Daenerys, and Lu Xuan had already gathered at Castle Black. Of course, Drogon and Viserys were circling overhead, making the entire castle eerily quiet. Most people didn't dare breathe, fearing they might disturb the two dragons and be swallowed whole.
Thus, in the courtyard of Castle Black, a rare scene of 'peaceful coexistence' between the Night's Watch and the Wildlings unfolded. Instructor Thorne, regaining his composure, finally realized who the main characters of the day were. He cleverly arranged for a few of his men to bring over two chairs and place them before Lu Xuan and Daenerys.
The two men didn't stand on ceremony and sat down immediately. The rest of the people stood upright in front of them, like employees waiting for their boss to give them a speech.
“I am Daenerys Targaryen, daughter of Aerys II Targaryen, sister of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, and rightful heir to the Targaryen dynasty. But today, I am not here as Warden of the Seven Kingdoms. I have only one purpose. Of all those present, who can testify to the existence of the White Walkers?”
A moment of silence fell over the scene. Daenerys's question was truly unexpected. Didn't they see tens of thousands of people fighting to the death here? The fates of wildlings and Night's Watchmen rested in the hands of the other. But it seemed that this heir of the Targaryen family was not interested in this. He was more interested in the ancient legends of the Land of Everwinter.
"Your Majesty, the White Ghost is just a legend; it doesn't exist at all," Ser Thorne said, his tone quite suggestive. He had finally understood. The most powerful figure in Castle Black right now was this Targaryen girl. She had dragons, a mysterious sorcerer, and Ser Barristan. This lineup meant she now held absolute power. If not now, when?
But as soon as he opened his mouth, a fat man stepped forward from the crowd.
"Your Majesty, the White Ghost is real. I saw it with my own eyes, and I even killed one with my own hands." This fat man was incredibly recognizable. Sam Tally, known as the author's stand-in. The true 'protagonist' of the entire story.
"You've killed someone? Then show me the evidence."
"..." Jon wanted to say something in support of his friend, but unfortunately, he couldn't produce any evidence. Although he was certain that the White Walker was definitely real.
At this moment, Mansred spoke up.
"On behalf of the free people, I would like to ask you a question."
"explain."
"If we can prove the existence of the White Ghost, what will we gain? Look at these crows around us. Your dragon makes them afraid to even breathe. But I'm sure that as long as your dragon leaves, we free people..."
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Chapter 289 A Piece of Cake? A Pyramid Scheme? (First Update)
Stannis was a bit bewildered; he had just been basking in the glory of his brilliant thinking. Leading elite cavalry to break the wildling siege, then subjugating the wildlings to fight for him. He could even win over Jon Snow, thus gaining the support of some of the people of Winterfell.
But as he approached the Great Wall, the first thing he saw was two giant dragons flying in the sky.
"A dragon!!" The warhorses were the first to be startled. Intimidated by the dragon's aura, they hesitated to advance even before getting close.
Stannis waved to halt the cavalry, his gaze complex as he looked at the girl with long, golden and silver hair standing atop the Black Castle wall. He turned to the woman in red beside him and asked...
"What did the Lord of Light say about this?"
“Everything is preordained, Your Majesty. She will be your greatest asset.” Stannis nodded, then spurred his horse forward.
"I am Stannis..."
"I know who you are. State your purpose." Daenerys interrupted Stannis expressionlessly. This caused the proud and aloof Stannis's expression to change.
"I am Stannis Baratheon, the rightful heir to the Seven Kingdoms. I am your king!"
"Is that so? Then why am I standing on the city wall while you are below?" Perhaps Daenerys was too disappointed by what she had seen and heard along the way. She was now speaking more and more harshly to the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms. These words almost caused Stannis to lose his composure.
"Daenerys, the Targaryen dynasty is gone. You are now an outsider to the Seven Kingdoms. You cannot sit on the Iron Throne unless you are reinstated by them."
"Pfft..." When Stannis said this, Lu Xuan immediately sensed a hidden meaning in the old man's words. Centuries of political experience had given him the ability to glean dozens of meanings from a single sentence. Dani glanced at Lu Xuan with a questioning look. She only saw Lu Xuan mouth the words softly.
He wants to marry you!
With a loud bang, a massive burst of flames exploded between the city walls and the ground. It was Daenerys's fire, colliding with Melisandre's fire magic in mid-air. The enormous fireball exploded in mid-air, causing the cavalry behind Stannis and the Night's Watchmen on the walls to retreat in unison.
Despite witnessing even stronger flames the previous night, those were, after all, unleashed by a dragon. Now, two women were locked in a magical duel before thousands. This scene was far beyond the comprehension of these Night's Watchmen and wildlings.
Not far away, Mansred was muttering to himself.
"Free people don't kneel, but we can bow to the Dragon God."
Daenerys's face was icy cold. Clearly, Lu Xuan's words had provoked her. Even if Stannis were at his peak as the Duke of Dragonstone, let alone in his current state of utter destitution with only a few thousand defeated soldiers, Daenerys wouldn't consider him a threat.
“Daenerys, you must understand. The Iron Throne is currently occupied by a group of traitors. If we join forces…”
"Shut up, I have no interest in the Iron Throne. The only reason I'm here is because of the White Walker's reappearance. If you really care about the people of the Seven Kingdoms, come and join our reminiscence. If you want the Iron Throne, turn back and head south. Nobody here is interested in the Iron Throne."
"..." Lu Xuan noticed that Melisandre's lips moved slightly, as if she were saying something to Stannis. However, even with his hearing, he couldn't hear it. Clearly, she was using some kind of concealment. Then Stannis spoke.
"As the rightful heir to the seven kingdoms, I am naturally responsible to my people. It is my duty to fight against the demons."
"Very good, open the door and let them in."
Stannis's face darkened again. The entire situation was clearly under Daenerys's control. It seemed as if Daenerys was the hostess and he was the guest. But he was the rightful heir to the throne!
Lu Xuan didn't actually pay much attention to Stannis; he was more interested in Melisandre. Although in the TV series, this woman, aside from her daily mystical prophecies and the slightest disturbance during the final battle, was basically just a plot device.
However, in the original work, this woman is definitely a high-level mage. She wields various fire spells with ease, making her a true magic user. Crucially, she is also a follower of the Lord of Light, capable of communicating with that evil god. Lu Xuan also has a somewhat ambiguous grudge against the Lord of Light. Therefore, he naturally values this woman even more.
Stannis and his entourage joined the meeting. Because there were so many people, they had to hold an impromptu meeting in the courtyard.
Lu Xuan stood to the side, secretly complaining. Would future generations record this meeting and eventually glorify it as the starting point of the Human Alliance, the "Dawn Conference that Broke Through the Darkness"—a ridiculously melodramatic title?
Stannis sat down to Dani's left with a disgruntled expression. He always held a two-handed longsword in his hand. Lu Xuan could even feel the immense, undisguised magical power emanating from the blade. If he wasn't mistaken, that sword should be the legendary Lightbringer. The weapon used by Azor Ahai, the hero who ended the long night in the previous era. A truly magical weapon.
Behind Stannis stood a band of indignant, heavily armored knights. They wore armor emblazoned with some kind of fiery red heart pattern. Their gazes towards Stannis were filled with fanaticism. These were fanatical followers brainwashed by Melisandre. They believed Stannis was the reincarnation of Azor Ahai and worshipped him madly. Even after Stannis's several defeats, these people remained loyal, truly a group of fanatics.
A group of Night's Watchmen hurriedly brought out several chairs for Stannis to sit down. Stannis did have some reputation, after all; he was, at least, a legitimate Duke of the Seven Kingdoms. Many of the Night's Watchmen clearly favored him, especially Slynt, a former King's Landing Guard, who shamelessly tried to strike up a conversation. However, Stannis, a man of principle, disliked Slynt, a useless figure who held a position without merit. Furthermore, given that Slynt was originally a Lannister, Stannis was even less inclined to acknowledge him.