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The morning light slowly brightened the horizon, cutting through the sea fog. A small amount of sleep left Cole feeling energized. He preferred sitting to lying in bed with his eyes closed. Perhaps he'd been sitting long enough, as Cole stood up and stretched his muscles.
Outside his tent, heavily armored axe guards stood watch, patrolling in shifts to ensure the prince's safety. "Your Highness," a guard greeted him. Every member of the guard was a veteran who had served Cole for a long time. While they hadn't fought in hundreds of battles, they had certainly followed Cole through many skirmishes and larger conflicts.
Loyalty was the primary requirement for his guards. Cole had entrusted the training of these heavy axe soldiers to Jose. As a knight personally trained by Cole, Jose's loyalty was unquestionable.
The hundred-strong guard unit had all been granted land and tax exemptions. In this era, there was no better reward than land. Unlike serfs, these soldiers enjoyed all the benefits of their land, and as long as they served under Cole, they were exempt from all land taxes.
Cole called a few guards to train with him. Wielding two swords, he began one-on-one sparring. Cole admitted his sword skills weren't extraordinary, and neither were his opponents'.
They were all battle-hardened, so there was little room for elaborate techniques. Swords were primarily for slashing and stabbing. Strength was one of Cole's advantages; his skill often relied on brute force.
Fights were usually decided in a few moves, lacking any elegance. To get better training, Cole often focused on defense during these spars, without using his "Eye of Time."
Facing a wooden sword that pressed him steadily, Cole deftly blocked with his two swords. Looking at the raised sword, he secretly anticipated its path, thinking, "Left chop." He raised his two swords to form a cross block over his left arm. He handled his opponent with ease, and when he found an opening, Cole placed his sword at the guard's neck.
The training continued, moving to one-on-two, then one-on-three. When he finished, the soldiers' morning exercises began. They formed a circle, and each time someone managed to strike Cole, cheers erupted. Cole put down his swords, removed his training armor, and exhaled a misty breath as he returned to the main tent, feeling warm from the exertion.
Val and the Wildlings
"You can beat them," a woman's voice reached Cole's ears on his way back to the tent. It was Val, the golden-haired Free Folk woman. She held Mance Rayder's child in her arms. To care for the infant, Cole had arranged for a pregnant ewe to be purchased from the Night's Watch.
This woman possessed extraordinary beauty. Back at Castle Black, the Night's Watch brothers had often gazed at her for long moments. After she followed Cole into the barracks, the soldiers were equally captivated.
Free Folk admire strong men. According to customs beyond the Wall, if a man wants a woman, he must "steal" her – he must go to another family or clan and abduct their daughter. A true Free Folk man would raid distant lands for women to strengthen his clan. The woman before him was slender yet shapely, with golden, curly hair. Cole was curious why she hadn't been stolen.
Cole nodded, as if agreeing with her. There were many brave and skilled female fighters among the Free Folk, known as "spearwives." The only one Cole knew by name was Ygritte. "Perhaps. The battlefield changes rapidly, and no one truly knows if they'll win," he said.
"They say you can defeat the giant." Two Free Folk women helped Val care for the wild prince, and one of them had personally witnessed Cole kill the giant.
"Yes," Cole confirmed. He had stabbed the giant with a lance, then dismounted his horse to behead it. The giant was merely a larger version of the Mountain, unarmored and slow-moving.
"Tormund has also killed giants. We call him 'Tormund Giantsbane'," Val told him.
"Tormund." The name was familiar. It seemed this was the man gathering Free Folk beyond the Wall. After the Free Folk army was defeated, many desperate Free Folk chose to surrender at the Wall.
Some followed Cole to Eastwatch, some stayed at Castle Black, and many more Free Folk warriors followed Tormund. The Free Folk army regrouping beyond the Wall was not good news for the Night's Watch. No one knew if they would attack the Wall again.
"Excuse me, lady. I have to leave," Cole said to her. He continued towards his tent. Guards in fine armor constantly patrolled around the prince's tent. Val couldn't get close, and the guards wouldn't allow a Free Folk woman to approach their lord. Of course, if Cole wished to see her, it would be a different matter.
Messages from Westeros
"Your Highness, the letter from Storm's End has been delivered," the captain of the patrolling guards informed him. Cole already knew, as Caesar had delivered the letter. The white dragon had placed the letter in a secret spot, and then the patrolmen retrieved it.
Inside the tent, a stone lay on the table, with several rolls of parchment hanging from it. Cole took one down. The financial report from acting city lord Gilbert Farring indicated that Storm's End's income was still insufficient to cover expenses.
Although the war had brought them some temporary wealth, it would eventually run out in the long term. The letter also described the recent situation at Storm's End.
The lords seemed quite dissatisfied with Cole leading the army north, and the formation of the warband was encountering many problems.
After reading all the letters, Cole had anticipated what was happening at Storm's End. With Caesar, it would take him less than half a day to return. The warband's affairs could be put on hold for now. This plan was originally just an experiment, hoping to find a few officers with management talent to relieve his own burdens.
Putting the Storm's End matter aside for the moment, Cole opened another letter. Its emblem was a spear pierced by a sun—a letter from Sunspear. He hoped his two uncles would bring him some good news. The letter's content was concise.
After many greetings, Prince Doran stated that his daughter, Princess Arianne Martell, intended to visit Storm's End. At least it wasn't bad news. Cole set the letter aside.
The third letter was from Maester Pylos, containing news gathered by his spies. Cole had to judge the veracity of this information and then use it to analyze the current situation in Westeros. The maester had arranged the information by what he perceived as its importance. At the top of the parchment was a piece of news that shocked Cole:
TYWIN LANNISTER ASSASSINATED
Rain washed over the high walls of the Red Keep, and the bright red marks seemed like tears of blood. The streets of King's Landing were sparsely populated, but the taverns were much livelier. Drinkers loudly discussed the city's recent events: the King and the boar, the royal wedding, the King's dwarf uncle and the prostitute's copper coins, the King's grandfather, and so on.