owlsbooks #276 - Chapter 10: The Marquis Enters the City
#276 - Chapter 10: The Marquis Enters the City
Melisandre bowed slightly and said softly, "Yes, my respected King." Then, with light steps, she walked to the roaring brazier and carefully took out the golden box that radiated a mysterious light. She closed her eyes, concentrated her mind, and began to chant an ancient and solemn incantation.
As the incantation echoed, the entire room seemed to be filled with an eerie atmosphere. Finally, Melisandre opened her eyes and looked at Stannis with a determined gaze, saying, "Your Majesty, it is your turn now. You need to do it yourself."
Stannis obeyed Melisandre's instructions without hesitation. He stood beside the brazier, clasped his hands tightly, and devoutly chanted a prayer praising the gods. Every word was filled with reverence, as if beseeching the deities for strength and protection.
Then, Stannis reached into the golden box with his bare hands and threw the leeches into the brazier one by one, while continuously repeating the two important names: "Joffrey Baratheon, Viserys Targaryen… Joffrey Baratheon, Viserys…" His voice echoed in the air, carrying an unspeakable majesty.
As soon as the leeches touched the burning flames, they instantly turned into a thick, blood-red mist. They rolled and swirled in the flames, forming a horrifying spectacle. The roaring flames reflected on the faces of Stannis and Melisandre, highlighting their solemn and dignified expressions.
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Duskendale, located on the continent of Westeros, is widely known. Back then, the Darklyn family imprisoned Aerys II here for a year, forcing an ambitious king into madness. Eventually, the Darklyn family suffered a catastrophic disaster, with the entire clan being executed. Since then, this land has been granted to the Rykker family. The current Lord of Duskendale is Lord Rykker, who also has another identity: the husband of Lyanna Celtigar.
Five years ago, then-Lord Adrian resigned from his position as Master of Coin. Subsequently, Lyanna met Rykker through matchmaking and married into the Rykker family, transforming into the lady of Duskendale and giving birth to a son and a daughter for Lord Rykker.
Over the years, thanks to the continuous support from Liu Yuan and the Celtigar family, Duskendale has gradually emerged from the shadow of war and once again exuded its former prosperity. Liu Yuan has stationed an army of over a thousand soldiers here. Because of this, even in a chaotic world, Duskendale can maintain a relatively stable and peaceful social order.
Lord Rykker has no complaints about all of this. After all, both Liu Yuan himself and his father-in-law's side are extremely powerful. Now, they control more than half of the Crownlands. It is not inappropriate for Rykker to act in a low-key manner, and he can even benefit greatly from it. Under their protection, the Rykker family is expected to continue its glory for at least two generations, completely shaking off the past embarrassment of being a third-rate family.
In addition, the construction of Duskendale's port has also achieved significant results. With Liu Yuan's strong financial support, its scale is no less than that of Gulltown and White Harbor, famous seaports. At this time, the fleet has docked. The White Tiger ships spread out to both sides, revealing the huge Black Tortoise ship in the middle. It slowly approached the dock, the mobile deck unfolded, and teams of mighty soldiers appeared with neat steps.
What surprised Lord Rykker the most were the dozens of mountain-like figures. They were the giant guard led by Mag and Wang Wang, the strongest giants selected from all giants who were over four meters tall. Liu Yuan prepared full-coverage armor for them, covering their entire bodies, leaving only their eyes exposed.
However, the giants' intelligence is a weakness. In order to train the giants to line up in such a ceremonial formation, it took a full three years. Teaching them the Common Tongue and the skills to use various weapons took another six years. Fortunately, the giants' lifespan is over 250 years, so this guard can be used for a long time.
Seeing her brother appear, Lyanna no longer cared about the etiquette of a noble lady. She grabbed her skirt and trotted all the way to Liu Yuan, throwing herself into her brother's arms.
Liu Yuan also supported her waist, spinning her around twice in the air. "Hahaha, Lyanna, long time no see. You're already a mother, and you're still like this." He is very tolerant of girls, and his relationship with this younger sister is also good.
Lyanna shook her dress and gave a ladylike salute: "Marquis Garron, on behalf of the Rykker family, welcome to your presence! Hahaha…" Then she waved to the back and said, "Come and see your two nephews. You probably haven't met them yet! Children, come and meet your dear Uncle Garron!"
Lord Rykker reluctantly led the two children forward and bowed: "Hello, Lord Garron, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Liu Yuan: "Rykker, we are all family, no need to be so polite. This must be little Nana and Tom, right? You are so cute, just like angels." After speaking, he picked up one in each arm.
However, the two little ones' eyes were always fixed on the giant guards behind him. Surprisingly, they were not afraid, but showed great interest. Seeing their thoughts, Liu Yuan turned around and said, "Mag, Wang Wang, come here. These are my nephews, hold them carefully."
The two giants carefully held the children in their hands, and the little ones giggled happily. Lord Rykker was very worried, fearing that the giants would drop the children. Lyanna didn't care, and dragged her husband away. While walking, she chatted with Liu Yuan, telling him about her life over the years.
While Liu Yuan was chatting with Lyanna, he naturally did not neglect his brother-in-law. He followed Lord Rykker to discuss the future development plan of Duskendale, and also put forward some constructive opinions.
Liu Yuan stayed in Duskendale for two days, and then, under the **** of a large cavalry force, he marched south along the Duskendale Road in a mighty manner. His sister Lyanna and her two children accompanied him. At this time, she was holding the children and riding on an elephant, shouting and screaming! Seeming even happier than the children.
Liu Yuan shook his head helplessly. This time, he came to show off his muscles. Not only did he have three thousand heavy cavalry, one hundred war elephants pulling heavy chariots, but also a guard of fifty giants, and even his trump card, the heavily armored dragon cavalry, were brought out.
Eight years ago, the Sun and Moon Legion's expedition team discovered a large lizard on the continent of Sothoryos. They can run upright on two feet, and they are also social predators.
After these giant lizards were transported back, Liu Yuan was surprised to find that they looked very much like the Indoraptor in «Jurassic World 2». So he directly named them "Raptors." These Raptors are very intelligent, smarter than dogs, and they are social creatures with a high degree of organization. They are strong and healthy, and can be tamed to become mounts.
Those who can ride these Raptors are naturally not ordinary warriors. They are all carefully selected from the army of 100,000, and each of them is comparable to a mid-level knight in combat power. Up to now, he has only trained 120 dragon cavalry, and he has brought them all this time.