The training lasted for three days, and Lady Caitlin came over every day, as if she were watching to see when Arya would give up.
On the fourth day, Arya did not come to learn martial arts. It was not that she gave up learning, but that the king had arrived and the Shrek family had to go outside the city to greet him.
Hao Yun was too lazy to get involved in such matters, so he sat in the yard and teased the six wolf cubs.
After taking the pills for three consecutive days, the six wolf cubs became exceptionally strong, and Moonlight was the one that changed the most.
Nourished by the elixir, Moonlight grew larger and stronger, transforming from a wild beast into a spirit beast.
If the spiritual energy in this world weren't so scarce, the moonlight would have already condensed into a demon core.
Outside Winterfell, thousands of people gathered, all out of curiosity to see what the king looked like.
After waiting for more than an hour, the king's procession still hadn't arrived, and the people who had come out of the city to join the excitement began to get impatient.
At the front of the group, the Shrek family, except for Ed who remained expressionless, all harbored resentment. After all, no one wanted to stand foolishly in the snow waiting for someone.
"They're here!"
Someone shouted, and all the previously anxious people turned their attention to the appearing army.
A troop of soldiers carrying large flags quickly occupied the road, standing on both sides to protect the king's safety.
Robert appeared from behind in a carriage and on horseback. When he saw Eddard, he laughed heartily and came to greet him.
These two are very close friends, having grown up together. After not seeing each other for many years, they greeted each other with a bear hug.
"Hahaha, Ed, it's been a long time. You've been hiding in the North for so many years, and you haven't even come to see me."
Chapter 139 The Brat
After the bear hug, Robert and Ed looked each other up and down.
"It's been so many years, and your belly is already showing!"
Robert chuckled and patted Ed's stomach, then looked at Lady Caitlin standing to the side.
"haven't seen you for a long time."
The two greeted each other, and Robert looked at Robb and the others standing to the side.
"These are all your children?"
Ed smiled and introduced his son and daughter to him. After a conversation, Robert pulled Ed aside and said...
"Come on, take me to your family cemetery, you know what I mean."
The smiles on their faces vanished, and Ed sighed.
"After all these years, haven't you forgotten?"
"Forget? Of course I won't forget!"
Robert's tone rose, and he sounded very agitated.
From the carriage that came from behind, Cersei leaned out and smiled and nodded at Eddard.
"I think we should go into the city, not that cemetery."
Robert turned and glanced at Cersei, his expression full of impatience, but he didn't say anything because there were outsiders present.
"Go into the city first. I think you should have already made the arrangements."
Ed nodded, indicating that everything was arranged. After all this commotion, another hour had passed.
Led by Eddard, Robert, Cersei, and the others all entered the Shrek family castle.
"Let's go to the burial pit."
Once inside Shrek's castle, Robert couldn't resist and grabbed Ed, pulling him away.
As for Cersei, he didn't even glance at her, and Cersei was used to it as well.
Fortunately, Lady Catelyn was there and quickly changed the subject, leading Cersei into the prepared room.
Hao Yun, who was playing with the direwolf in the backyard, frowned as he saw people coming and going around him. He was considering whether or not to move away.
"master."
Arya changed out of her gorgeous dress and rushed over.
"I'm sorry, something came up and I had to miss the morning training session."
Hao placed his hand on Arya's head and rubbed it vigorously, a smile appearing on his face. He really liked Arya's attitude towards learning.
"It's okay. Since you've already wasted time, just make up for it and practice on your own."
Arya nodded, picked up the twin swords that were placed to the side, and began to chop at the wooden dummy.
With nothing to do, Hao Yun squinted and occasionally pointed out the mistakes in Arya's movements.
"Hey! What are you doing, dancing?"
In the corridor, a blond boy dressed in fine clothes stared at Arya with a mocking smile on his face as he laughed at her.
Arya stopped her attack, sheathed her sword, and looked at the person who had mocked her.
Upon seeing that it was Prince Joffrey, Arya didn't know what to say and simply ignored him.
"What are you holding, a fruit knife?"
Joffrey, the brat, continued to mock her, which made Arya want to teach him a lesson. However, when she thought of him as a prince, Arya held back. If she hit him, it would only cause trouble for her father.
Seeing that Arya was ignoring him, Joffrey turned to look at Hao Yun, or more accurately, at Moonlight lying next to him.
"What a huge wolf!"
Joffrey hadn't seen the direwolf lying on the ground earlier because of the angle, but now that he was getting closer, he was so frightened that he took several steps back.
The guards who were with him, the Hounds, quickly stepped in front of Joffrey.
With his guards by his side, Joffrey's fear subsided. When he saw Arya's disdainful look, he was filled with rage. It was all that wolf's fault for making him look so foolish.
"Go! Kill that wolf! I want to make a fur coat from his pelt!"
Hao Yun, leaning back in his rocking chair, snorted softly. This brat is really annoying.
"moonlight!"
With a whoosh, Moonlight stood up, her icy gaze sweeping over Joffrey.
Glug!
Joffrey swallowed hard, feeling that the guards in front of him probably couldn't protect him.
"What are you trying to do? I'm a prince!"
Joffrey, who was clearly putting on a brave face, was actually putting on a brave face; even his tone of voice had changed.
"You don't want the fur coat anymore?"
Hao Yun turned his head and stared at Joffrey with great interest, while Moonlight also revealed a sinister smile at this moment.
Joffrey's pupils contracted instantly, clearly terrified. As for the Hound, he had already drawn his longsword, looking ready for battle.
The atmosphere inside the room became heavy, and Hao Yun, lying in the rocking chair, put tremendous pressure on his opponent.
"master."
Arya walked to Hao Yun's side and gently tugged at his sleeve.
"Get out of here for Arya's sake!"
Hao Yun ignored Joffrey, and Moonlight returned to Hao Yun's side.
As for Joffrey, he retreated with a gloomy expression, and as he left the courtyard, he kicked the hound in anger.
"Why didn't you go up earlier? Didn't I tell you to kill that wolf!"
The hound remained unmoved, as if Joffrey hadn't kicked him at all.
Joffrey kicked the hound again and stormed off, furious and needing to vent his anger.
Just as he left the castle, he saw his uncle, Tyrion Lannister, the Imp, walk into a brothel.
Standing on the street corner, Joffrey chuckled sinisterly; he had found a target to vent his anger on.
"Keep an eye on him, and when he comes out, throw him into the pigsty."
In the Shrek family crypt, Eddard and Robert stand before a grave—the grave of Eddard's sister Lyanna.
"She is much prettier than this statue."
Robert gazed at the statue on the tombstone, and the two fell silent for a moment.
“Ed, do we really have to bury her here? She doesn’t belong in this dark place; she loved flowers.”
Robert was very unhappy with the crypt. His fiancée should be buried in a sunny, idyllic place, not in this dark and damp underground.
Ed didn't speak. It was a family tradition that all members of the Shrek family were buried in the crypt after death.
"Damn it! Is there really no way? Even if I were the king, it wouldn't work!"
Robert tried to put up a fight, but Ed was clearly unmoved.
With a sigh, Robert said nothing more, but reached out and gently stroked Lyanna's statue a few times.
With another sigh, Robert gritted his teeth and walked outside.
The two left the crypt, and Robert began to talk incessantly about what had happened over the years.
"I've come to you this time to make you my Hand of the King. I really can't do it alone. Those people in the council are all idiots!"
The previous Hand of the King had died not long ago, and his death was very suspicious; even Eddard knew about it.
Last night, Lady Catherine received a secret letter from her sister, who was the wife of the deceased King's Hand.
The letter contained some chilling information: the previous king's hand had been poisoned.
"Ed, don't you really want to help me?"
Robert was somewhat disappointed. This time, he had personally come to the North to invite his friend to serve as Hand of the King.
Ed was actually conflicted. If he agreed, his wife would be unhappy; if he disagreed, he would feel guilty towards his former friend. So he could only remain silent.