Riverlands, Harrenhal, the Hall of a Hundred Hearths
Marko's words caused the many captured nobles to look at Jaime Lannister. Jaime had recovered quite a bit by now, and he looked at Marko with some lingering fear.
After hearing Marko's words, Jaime looked back at the many allies and vassals behind him, then turned his head to look at Marko. He spoke with some trepidation:
"The Leicester Family will not submit. We will forever be loyal to the Iron Throne."
Jaime Lannister's words echoed in the hall, solidifying the attitudes of many of the Westerlands and Reach nobles. However, many of them looked at Marko with some fear, as they were afraid of the unknown consequences.
Marko glanced at the people below the throne, waved his hand, and summoned Ramsay. He was preparing to have Ramsay find someone to take them down. The prison in Harrenhal was still quite large, and it was just right for locking these guys up.
"Wait, Your Majesty the Emperor, the Leicester Family is willing to pledge allegiance to you..."
"Your Majesty..."
Amidst the clamor, the Leicester Family, the Guberk Family, the Grell Family, the Legg Family, and the Tarrek Family—five families relatively close to Harrenhal—mostly showed a willingness to pledge allegiance. However, Marko noticed that several prominent families seemed to have their heirs or hostages controlled by the Frey Family and the Lannister Family.
After the "War of the Five Kings," the Frey Family began to gradually encroach on the Riverlands. "Old Walder" Walder Frey sent countless Walders and Wadas from his family into the homes of many Riverlands nobles.
The reason why "Littlefinger" Petyr Baelish wanted to scheme in the Vale was partly to gain more power, but also because he was actually being pressured by the Frey Family.
The Frey Family was already disliked by the Riverlands nobles, especially for their trampling of the sacred Guest Right, an act deeply detested by both the followers of the Seven Gods and the old gods. However, "Old Walder" Walder Frey simply didn't care about these things and continued to do as he pleased.
After discerning the intentions of the Riverlands nobles, Marko separated them from the people of the Iron Throne and sent Brynden to negotiate with them, inquiring about their intentions.
The opinions of these Riverlands nobles were remarkably unified: they hoped that Marko could wipe out the Frey Family and retrieve Edmure Tully from Casterly Rock.
The Bracken Family and the Blackwood Family had surprisingly similar opinions. They both disapproved of the Frey Family's actions, especially Lord Jonos Bracken. His heir, his nephew, had died in the War of the Five Kings, leaving only five daughters.
The Frey Family was staring at Lord Jonos Bracken's five daughters, attempting to gradually control Stone Hedge through marriage. This also made Lord Jonos Bracken very dissatisfied with the Iron Throne, so this time, he merely made a perfunctory gesture before surrendering.
Lord Tytos Blackwood's son, Hosteen, was also singled out. His old father was currently stationed at Ravenswood. The Blackwood Family had only sent 200 old and weak cavalrymen this time, claiming that bandits were rampant on their lands, so they couldn't send more troops.
What Lord Jonos Bracken didn't know was that the person talking to him was a Blackwood, and the name Brynden Bloodraven would easily make people think of the famous "Duke Bloodraven."
Meanwhile, in the bathhouse of Harrenhal, Marko was happily playing games with his wives. This bathhouse was located in Kingspyre Tower, a remarkably well-preserved castle facility, and the whole place was filled with exotic charm.
Marko planned to turn Harrenhal into his Winter Palace in the future. As the largest castle on Westeros, it had been left abandoned, which was simply a waste of resources.
Marko wasn't afraid of curses at all. Because so far, he hadn't encountered any strange energy fluctuations. If there really were any, Marko actually wanted to try out the power of this curse.
"Marko, what should we do next? Our forces are too scattered. We must quickly take over the forces in the Vale. If we can restore the Riverlands to its original state, it will be a great help to us."
Maeve was lying on the edge of the bathtub, the hazy mist enveloping her flawless, snow-white skin, making her look incredibly alluring.
"I think we can pause for a while. We can leave King's Landing to Mu's little succubi. Let them turn King's Landing upside down, which will help us lay the foundation for future attacks."
Dany, also soaking in the misty hot water, chimed in, echoing the sentiment. Beside her was Nymph, who had already transformed into her mermaid form, enjoying herself immensely, even though the hot water couldn't compare to the sea.
Moonshadow and Mu were on the white stone bricks beside the bath, "sandwiching" Marko. Moonshadow was shyly hiding in Marko's arms, even though this wasn't the first time, she still felt a little embarrassed to face her sisters.
Mu was gently massaging Marko's shoulders, occasionally pressing her snowy mounds against his back, sending a tingling sensation down his spine.
After hearing Maeve's suggestions, Marko nodded in agreement, adding:
"That's what I was thinking too. Let them continue playing their game of thrones for a while. We'll watch from the sidelines. The Vale has many untapped resources that the Arryn family never discovered.
The Riverlands has such good land, it shouldn't be left to waste. This is the perfect time to build the Grand Canal. Those Westerlands people can pay for their mistakes in the Riverlands."
Maeve and Dany nodded in agreement, simultaneously considering their upcoming tasks. Due to their vast memories of humanity, they naturally became Marko's strategists.
Sometimes, when Marko wasn't present, they would issue orders. Mu's talent was also strong, but she was still studying the history of this world, hoping to help Marko.
Mu's thinking was too heavily influenced by Ed and the Holy Light Dragon. In some ways, she wasn't even as good as the succubi under her command. You could say she was a succubus who hadn't yet experienced the "trials" of the human world.
Just then, Mu suddenly spoke to Marko:
"Darling, why don't you do what Aegon I did and just subdue those great houses and their vassals?"
Marko gently stroked Moonshadow's snow-white skin and turned to Mu, saying:
"Although Aegon I's method could quickly conquer Westeros, it's meaningless to us. What I want to build is a Valyrian Empire, not the Seven United Kingdoms of Valyria.
After Aegon I conquered Westeros, he still relied on the dragons' intimidation to make people submit. In the end, he was worked to death. He also left behind a kingdom full of hidden dangers. If it weren't for his capable descendants, the seven kingdoms would probably have fallen into internal strife long ago.
At first, the nobles of the seven kingdoms thought the Targaryen Family were like gods. But when they discovered that these 'gods' were also human, they began using various methods to make the Targaryen Family compromise. Finally, they were knocked down from their pedestal, until the last Targaryen died."
Marko had always known how the Targaryen Family died. Therefore, he always knew how to avoid this situation. Since he had the ability to change the world, he naturally wanted to transform it into the way he wanted it to be.
After discussing these "trivial matters," Marko held Moonshadow and continued with their "serious business." Marko had been truly exhausted during this period and desperately needed a good rest.
Two months later, Riverlands, The Twins.
Westeros had entered winter by this time, but this year's winter didn't last long. In the Riverlands, where it was spring-like all year round, the cold weather only lasted about ten days.
"You... you, what exactly do you want me to do? I... I will never become a Kinslayer. Although my father and brothers are despicable, I... I will not..."
Ser Perwyn Frey, the fifteenth son of "Old Walder" Walder Frey, was shouting at the person in front of him, looking somewhat flustered.
However, there was a trace of trembling in Perwyn Frey's words, a mix of fear and excitement, along with a hint of secret joy that he himself couldn't even detect.
"My master believes you are an upright knight. The fact that you and your brother Olyvar Frey didn't participate in the 'Red Wedding' already proves your character. Our master needs you to lead the Frey Family after the war."
An old female voice explained to Perwyn Frey. The speaker was the forest witch Aijiu from beyond the Wall. She had brought her apprentices with the army on this campaign, and after Marko assigned this task, she volunteered.
During this time, Marko's advanced system soldiers and Druids formed elite guerrilla units, constantly ambushing the castles controlled by the Frey Family in the Riverlands.
This caused the Frey Family's power to shrink significantly. Now, they could only hold onto Maidenpool and a small part of the upper reaches of the Trident. The Kingsroad had all fallen under Marko's control.
The main reason Marko hadn't finished off the Frey Family was that he was clearing out the outlaws and stragglers roaming the Riverlands, giving the war-torn people of the Riverlands a chance to breathe.
At the same time, Marko was also gathering refugees near Harrenhal to reclaim the land. The land around Harrenhal had always been the best in the entire Riverlands; otherwise, it wouldn't have allowed successive Harrenhal lords to accumulate vast wealth so quickly.
Looking at Ser Perwyn Frey, who was still hesitating, the forest witch Aijiu found it amusing. This guy was indeed as upright and kind as the rumors said.
If Aijiu had asked Black Walder, Ser Perwyn Frey's great-nephew, the guy would probably have jumped up in excitement and asked Aijiu when they were going to attack.
Currently, the Frey Family controlled Riverrun, Fairmarket, Pinkmaiden, Stone Mill, and Acorn Hall. These families had been hollowed out by the Frey Family after the Tully Family's defeat. The people in power had basically become puppets, and the heirs with Frey blood had mostly been sent to The Twins as hostages.
"Old Walder" Walder Frey had already planned to "educate" these family heirs to make them recognize the Frey Family's legitimate position, so that he could become a rightful Frey duke before he died. Unfortunately, all of this had been disrupted by Marko.
"You have plenty of time to consider this, child. My master will continue to clear out those thugs and deserters in the Riverlands. If you decide to join our Valyrian Empire, you can send out that white raven. I will naturally have someone tell you what to do then."
After saying this, the forest witch, Aijiu, transformed into a raven and flew towards the window. She soared higher and higher, disappearing into the moonlight.
Ser Perwyn Frey slowly walked to the window and closed the window of his bedroom. Then, as if he had thought of something, he hastily put on a piece of clothing and hurried towards a certain room in the castle.
After passing through the dim corridor, Ser Perwyn Frey arrived at a special bedroom. After hearing the child's crying inside, Ser Perwyn Frey gently knocked on the door.
"Come in!"
After being invited, Ser Perwyn Frey walked into the room at the maid's invitation. This was an extremely luxuriously decorated bedroom, with carpets from Myr, velvet beds from King's Landing, and scented candles from the Vale, illuminating the entire bedroom.
The master of this bedroom was none other than Roslin Frey, the fifth daughter of "Old Walder Frey." After Marko announced that he would exchange Jaime Lannister for Edmure Tully, Roslin Frey, who had just given birth, was "specially protected" by the Frey Family.
Now, everyone in the Frey family was a little scared. As Marko gradually gained a foothold in the Riverlands, they were trying everything they could to remedy the situation. However, Marko ignored the Frey Family's envoys, which was what truly frightened the Frey family.
"What are your plans for the future? My sister, if you make a request now, I'm sure our father will agree to it, except for letting you leave. Even if you want dragon eggs, he'll probably go to great lengths to find them for you."
After dismissing the many maids, Ser Perwyn Frey said to his sister, Roslin Frey, and a rare smile appeared on Roslin's face.
"Right now, I just want to take good care of my Aser, may the Seven Gods bless him. When he was born, I thought I would lose him forever. But I didn't expect my husband to be favored by that Emperor."
Roslin said to Perwyn with some excitement, the excitement on her face was hard to suppress. She thought her life would always be bleak, but she didn't expect such a miraculous thing to happen.
Afterward, Perwyn opened the bedroom door and looked around. After making sure there were no problems, he quietly came to Roslin and spoke to her in a low voice.
After listening to her brother's words, Roslin's excited emotions calmed down slightly. After pondering for a moment, she whispered to Perwyn:
"We are all members of the Frey Family. These things should be left to the Emperor's judges. He only wants you to lead the Frey Family. We cannot bear the curse of kinslaying. The Frey Family has already done too many wrong things and cannot continue to make mistakes."
"Thank you, sister Roslin, thank you for helping me keep my heart. I know what I should do."
Ser Perwyn Frey said to Roslin Frey excitedly. The reason he had come to find Roslin was because he was in a state of great internal conflict.
As the last heir of the Frey Family, Ser Perwyn Frey had never imagined that he would one day have the opportunity to rule the entire Frey Family. This was truly tempting to him.
However, his knightly faith made Ser Perwyn Frey still uphold the last bit of honor in his heart. The main reason he had befriended Edmure Tully and Robb Stark was that Ser Perwyn Frey saw noble qualities in the two of them.
Edmure Tully was kind and loving, Robb Stark was brave and valued honor. These were all qualities that Ser Perwyn Frey could not learn from his Frey relatives.
After embracing his nephew and sister, Ser Perwyn Frey left the bedroom excitedly. He would always maintain his original intention. Only after understanding what the Valyrian Empire needed him to do would he give an answer.
Compared to Ser Perwyn Frey's excitement, "Old Walder Frey" Walder Frey was really having a hard time. These days, he had been having nightmares, even his beautiful.