Cadmus naturally noticed the arrival of dozens of people all at once; his emerald green eyes analyzed the newcomers.
They wore thick winter clothes with furs and other things, clothing not commonly used, especially in the south of Westeros. Every man and woman had noble house sigils on their clothes; the most important was naturally the man surrounded in the middle.
Gray eyes, medium-length brown hair, and an above-average, yet quite majestic, appearance. The wolf sigil on his robes was like a shout announcing the man's identity, especially next to his wife, sons, and daughters.
House Stark of Winterfell.
Cadmus really didn't expect to find such important people as soon as he stopped being a hermit in the forest. His green eyes quickly fell upon the silent young man with black hair and gray eyes. He looked more like a Stark than any of Eddard's other sons or daughters.
Jon Snow.
Looking at the young man, Cadmus was disappointed not to feel any Fiery aura around him, showing that Jon Snow was indeed a bastard of Eddard Stark. However, he found this normal.
Rhaegar and Lyanna were alive; if Jon were truly Rhaegar's son, the king and the second queen of the Seven Kingdoms would never allow the boy to go to the North and be raised as a bastard. This could only happen if Lyanna had died in childbirth and Eddard had the determination to steal the boy from his father.
There were many thoughts in Cadmus's mind, but he didn't look at the Stark entourage from the North anymore. He was focused on devouring the chicken on his plate, which was unexpectedly delicious, despite lacking some seasoning.
Tasting the beer, Cadmus discreetly spat the liquid back into the wooden cup and looked at Geralt in disbelief. "How can you drink this?"
"You get used to it." Geralt replied with an indifferent tone. The drink was bad, but cheap, and it could warm the body on cold nights, and it was better than drinking water, which could be contaminated with something.
This time it was Cadmus who rolled his eyes. He wouldn't get used to it and would never drink this beer, which could be called horse piss, again!
Reaching into his pouch, Cadmus pulled out a delicate bottle of wine and served himself. It was a slightly sweet wine, but as it went down, it left his throat comfortable. He had some truly magical drinks, but he didn't take them out of the pouch; they were rare drinks even for him.
Smelling the delicious aroma of the wine, Geralt looked at the beer in his hand and the delicious wine in Cadmus's cup. Seeing the green eyes full of provocation and amusement, he knew the boy wanted him to ask for some wine.
Would Geralt ask for some wine? The answer was no; he would rather drink horse piss than humiliate himself for a drink.
Seeing Geralt drinking beer with an indifferent expression, Cadmus was disappointed; he would have liked to see the witcher's expression when he was asking.
"Boy, people are looking at us." Geralt drank a little and spoke in a deep tone; he could feel everyone's eyes focused on their table.
"Well, they must have smelled the wine." Cadmus said with an indifferent expression. Besides the wonderful taste, his wine exuded a tempting smell. Just as a bee is attracted to a flower, the same happened with humans.
The wine, which had a purple and red appearance, looked very beautiful, exuding a slightly sweet, delicate, and smooth aroma.
"Fortunately, I have a scary witcher right next to me, or certain people would have caused trouble." Cadmus commented with a smile, looking at the people around. However, Cadmus underestimated something, especially the arrogance of a certain Heir of the Iron Islands.
Theon approached with a smile. He was a thin, dark-haired, handsome young man with black hair and a lean, dark face. He seemed to find everything amusing and wore a smug smile.
"How much does this wine cost?" He asked with a smile. He didn't greet them; he didn't think it was necessary and definitely felt there was no point in greeting such people.
"Do I look like a merchant to you, little squid abandoned by your father?" Looking at Theon, Cadmus spoke with a smile; his voice was not low, so everyone heard very clearly.
The Northerners watched with excitement what was about to happen, especially Jon Umber, known as Greatjon Umber.
Theon's jaw twitched. He looked at the figure covered in a cloak and hood with a cold and humiliated look. Since there was no sigil on the cloak, the man was not a noble. Putting his hand on the hilt of his sword, he practically growled his words. "How dare you speak to me like that, the Heir to the Seastone Chair!"
The loud and furious voice made a silence hang in the air; everyone's eyes were focused on the corner table at that moment.
"Little Squid, if you draw your sword, I will deliver your head to your rapist father in Pyke, to bury you next to your dead brothers." Calmly taking a sip of wine, Cadmus spoke in an amused tone, but tinged with a touch of danger. He hated being threatened, especially by someone he deeply despised.
The Northerners showed excited expressions and banged their fists on the table, creating a tense and lively atmosphere. If there was anyone who hated the Greyjoys, it was the North. Over thousands of years, the North had been attacked and plundered by the Iron Islands Fleets.
In the Greyjoy Rebellion against House Targaryen, Balon Greyjoy knelt before Rhaegar after a crushing defeat. Theon became heir to the Iron Islands in that battle, where his two brothers, Rodrik and Maron, were killed during the Battle of Seagard.
Feeling a chill run down his body, Theon unconsciously backed away. A trace of hesitation passed through his eyes before they became confident again. When he was about to draw his sword, a red-haired young man held his shoulder and looked at him with a deep gaze.
"I apologize for my friend's behavior; he drank too much on the way here." Robb spoke in a calm, yet quite sincere tone.
"It's alright, Heir of Winterfell, but I would be careful in the future." Cadmus said with a smile, looking at Robb and Theon. "Some people only change their nature when they suffer a lot."
Robb frowned; he didn't quite understand the mysterious man's words, but he nodded and pulled Theon away.
"Is he Balon Greyjoy's only son?" Geralt looked at Theon with a touch of curiosity. He had heard of the old lord of Pyke, the lord who had rebelled against House Targaryen because he thought King Rhaegar I Targaryen was weak.
In the end, the rebellion lasted about two years before being crushed by the forces of House Targaryen. Balon lost his Seastone Chair, two sons, and almost lost his head. He only didn't die because the King didn't want the Iron Islands to fall into chaos, and no one wanted to take Pyke's place.
"He's lucky the king placed him under Lord Eddard's protection; otherwise, with the Greyjoy House's reputation, it's very likely that Theon would die of some disease or simply a mysterious accident." Cadmus said with a sarcastic smile. No one liked Dorne, but they despised the Iron Islands even more. Those rapists were truly hated by everyone.
Geralt nodded, agreeing with his words. Eddard Stark of Winterfell's reputation was truly impeccable with nothing but a bastard born out of wedlock. But, in his eyes, this was not really a serious matter, especially for him, who was a witcher and had an extremely high libido.
"However, the king is quite benevolent; any other king would have cut off everyone's heads." Geralt commented in a calm tone.
"After all, the Baratheon Rebellion ended only thirteen years ago; any chaos can lead the kingdom to even greater chaos. Especially with House Lannister becoming increasingly powerful." Cadmus commented in a calm tone.
Honestly, without Robert spending countless golden dragons every year, House Lannister's gold mines could still provide gold, even if for a short time.
"The kingdom seems united, but it is not. House Lannister, House Tully, House Arryn formed an alliance after the rebellion. House Targaryen, House Martell, and now House Tyrell formed a delicate balance." Cadmus continued speaking. "The king destroyed House Greyjoy's forces, leaving them powerless and unable to start another rebellion anytime soon. House Stark is still neutral, but who knows if Queen Lyanna can convince her brother to join the king."
Geralt looked at the boy with a surprised look. He thought Cadmus would not be familiar with politics because he was isolated, but it seemed the boy had been preparing for a long time to enter the Targaryen Court.
"This tournament at Harrenhal will be interesting." Cadmus said with a smile.
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Read my other books:
Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos (500,000 words written).
Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.
Game Of Thrones: The King's Court Mage