Ice and Fire: Conquering the World Starting from the Wall

Chapter 70 The Gambler

"Your Majesty, just send it to me. I will explain the situation to Princess Shirin tomorrow and tell her to rest assured."

Davos quickly said.

He was extremely grateful that the savage, at Lynn's behest, did not harass the women.

You should know that the first thing he thought of when his fleet was attacked by savages was to burn the Valyrian and the women on board to the ground so that they would not suffer endless humiliation in the future.

Fortunately, the seven gods protected them. The savages were not as barbaric as the legends suggested. Their king was also very kind and enlightened, and seemed more refined and noble than many southern nobles.

"Alright, Your Excellency, I have complied with your request. Let's stop beating around the bush."

Lynn filled his glass to the brim and then looked down at him, saying:

"Your king has been defeated, and you can ask someone about the fate of your army later."

What I can tell you is that your King Stannis has once again abandoned his loyal soldiers, taking with him his red-haired bitch—excuse me, that's Ser Drake's exact words—and fled on the Night's Watch ships, supposedly to regroup his army in the North.

After Lynn finished speaking, he noticed that Davos had an indescribable expression on his face.

It was a mixture of relief, disappointment, and a sense of relief.

"Your Excellency?"

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Lynn gave him a prompt.

Davos bowed humbly and then said:

"There are no more earls, Your Majesty."

"My title depended on King Stannis's investiture, but now his kingdom is hopeless, and the so-called Earl of the Rainforest is just a bubble blown up by the tide, which will disappear in an instant."

Lynn was somewhat surprised by Davos's negativity.

"Oh? I heard that Stannis owns two territories, Storm's End and Dragonstone. If he can escape back, even if he can't become king, can't he at least surrender to his nephew, the king, and retain a dukedom?"

You are a prime minister he trusts; keeping your title shouldn't be too difficult.

Lynn had very limited understanding of the current situation in the Seven Kingdoms. In his eyes, Stannis was nothing more than an ambitious man who had failed in his struggle for the throne.

Since he was lucky enough to run into the Night's Watch's ship and wasn't cut off from supplies and forced to surrender, he should be sensible enough to go back home and plan for the future.

"If you knew a little more..."

Davos said bitterly:

"You'll understand that Stannis isn't someone who gives up easily."

Once he sets his mind on something, he will relentlessly pursue it to the end, even if he fails; he would choose to die as king.

"He believed that the king on the Iron Throne was the offspring of the queen and her brother through incest, and therefore opposed the Iron Throne at all costs."

"He believed that his brother Renly had disregarded primogeniture and usurped the throne, so he risked the infamy of patricide and killed him by any means necessary."

"He believed that saving the kingdoms first would win him the throne, rather than putting the cart before the horse. So he led his army, abandoning everything, to answer the Night's Watch's plea for help to save the Wall, hoping to win the hearts of the Seven Kingdoms with this act."

"Things should have continued this way, but unfortunately..."

"Unfortunately, his plan failed at the last minute."

Lynn added coldly:

"You have launched a shameful sneak attack on the free people, and wantonly slaughtered the old, young, women and children. This is not something the king's army should do."

"But......"

"But savages aren't considered human, is that what you're trying to say?"

Lynn interrupted Davos.

He suspected that if the other man had said those words, the cavalrymen present would have torn him to pieces instantly.

Even so, everyone couldn't help but slam their fists on the table and roar in anger.

Davos deeply regretted his slip of the tongue and worried that he might anger Lynn and cause the prisoners to stop receiving preferential treatment. His mind was in turmoil.

Lynn waved to stop the insults and chaos.

"Continue, Your Excellency."

You just mentioned that Stannis abandoned everything. What do you mean by that? Does that mean he only had this small army left?

Davos nodded reluctantly, thinking it was better to tell the truth.

He cleared his throat to calm himself down, and then said:

"Less than 500 troops remain to guard Storm's End and Dragonstone."

Following the Battle of Blackwater, many propertied knights and minor families, refusing to surrender and choosing to remain loyal to Stannis, were declared "outlaws" by the Iron Throne, and their lands were reclaimed by the royal family.

"As a staunch supporter of Stannis, House Florent's territory of Brightwater was confiscated by the Iron Throne."

In recognition of Highgarden's assistance, Brightwater Castle and the surrounding lands were granted to Ser Garland Tyrell, the second son of Lord Mace Tyrell.

Although Ser Colin Florent has taken over as acting Lord of Brightwater and continues to hold the fort, I don't think he can hold out for long.

(Brightwater is located in the heart of the South, and it's impossible for Tyrell to hold it if he sets his sights on it.)

"The noble families such as the Cullen and Marseille families shared the same fate as the Florent family; both Night Song City and Stone Dance City were confiscated."

Almost all the nobles and knights who followed Stannis north had lost their castles and fiefdoms; they had no choice but to continue supporting Stannis's ascension to the throne.

Lynn chewed over and digested this long passage, and then came to an absurd conclusion.

"So you mean Stannis took a desperate gamble to save the Wall, hoping that if he succeeded, he could use it to gain the support of the North and continue his fight for the throne, but if he failed, he would lose everything?"

Davos nodded.

Lynn sighed and put his hand to his forehead.

This kind of decision-making is not just walking a tightrope, it's practically walking a spider's web.

What makes Stannis think he can save the Great Wall at the right time?

Even if he succeeds, what makes you think he can win the support of the North?

Even if we take a step back and assume that Stannis's body trembled, heroes from all walks of life flocked to him.

However, the main force of the Northern army was wiped out in the Riverlands, and the heads of several great noble families were either dead or surrendered, while others were imprisoned in dungeons and became hostages of the Iron Throne.

How much power could such a devastated northern region provide for him?

One hundred thousand free men attacked the undefended Great Wall, and even a lion would use all its strength to hunt a rabbit; their plans were meticulous and flawless.

What makes Stannis so special?

It turns out that these thousand-plus men were all he had. No wonder the lower-ranking soldiers saw no hope and were easily persuaded to surrender with just a few words.

"So that means..." Lynn asked, frowning, "that the vast majority of these prisoners I've captured can't afford the ransom?"

Lynn picked up a piece of parchment that had been delivered earlier from the table and read the words on it:

"I noticed there was a Florentine among them, as well as Sir Nabot, Sir Bene Thorne, Sir Bruce, Sir Patrick, Sir Dalton, Sir Megron, Sir Lambert, and Sir Peckin..."

"My men went through so much trouble, hoping to exchange them for ransom, and you're telling me they've only captured a bunch of penniless bastards?"

Davos quickly explained that the people Lynn mentioned were the Queen's Oath Knights. They had converted to the Lord of Light and were the King and Queen's staunchest supporters, which is why they had all lost their territories.

Some nobles who still retained their territories, such as the Valerian of Tidehead Island, as well as some minor nobles and propertied knights of Dragonstone, fled with Stannis by ship.