In the Riverlands, on the Kingsroad east of the Twins. The Three Rivers region is crisscrossed by rivers, with flat land and few natural defenses; most towns here, like Riverrun, rely on rivers for protection. The Twins, also known as the Crossing, is House Frey's stronghold at the river crossing. It comprises two castles on opposite banks of the Green Fork and a stone arch bridge connecting them. The arch bridge is wide enough for two four-wheeled carriages to pass side-by-side and is guarded by a tower in the middle of the bridge called the Water Tower.
Snow was falling from the sky, and dragons circled overhead. When the last black dragon brick was laid on the Kingsroad, Rhaegar, Roberta, Old Walder, Hoster, Barristan, Old Lord of the Riverlands, Mace, Rennal, and five others together laid this large brick. Prince Lewyn is currently stationed at the Harrenhal camp.
"The Prince is truly wise and mighty, his beauty not of this world. Miss Roberta is also as beautiful as a flower, worthy of being called the Seven Kingdoms' most beautiful woman." Old Walder began his over-the-top flattery, praising a young man fifty years his junior with effortless flexibility. This man was the oldest in the crowd, and also the ugliest; his appearance indeed resembled a weasel, and his nickname suggested he could sire an army. Old Walder was conceited, sensitive, ambitious, and untrustworthy, famous for his many wives and numerous children. However, Lord Walder controlled the tolls, making him a top-tier lord in the Riverlands, where the ruler was always weaker than the vassals. Coupled with his reluctant loyalty to House Targaryen, Rhaegar bothered him no more than necessary.
"You don't look old at all, Lord Frey, still strong in your old age." Rhaegar looked at Old Weasel Walder and smiled. Old Walder looked flattered, feeling as if he were floating. He hadn't expected Prince Rhaegar to be so approachable. Thinking of this, his hatred for Old Fish Hoster grew a bit more; 'Is your House Tully really that powerful, always putting on such a grim face?' Many old noble houses looked at Walder with disdain, thinking, 'What class are you, just a parvenu.' Especially Jaime, who was outside the crowd, he naturally knew that an aunt of his had married into House Frey. Tywin had once slapped his grandfather, the Laughing Lion, over this matter.
The renovation of the Kingsroad from Harrenhal to the Twins is complete. The beautiful black road stretches open like a straight arrow, a core craft of Old Valyria. With this road, commerce and travel in the Riverlands will be greatly facilitated, which is good for everyone.
"Long live House Targaryen!" "Long live King's Landing!" The surrounding warriors, artisans, and farmers cheered. There were vassals from Riverlands families like Tully and Frey, farmers and artisans who came voluntarily from the Three Rivers, and Rhaegar's own allied forces. Rhaegar and Roberta waved to them. The Three Rivers region had loyal subjects, and the farmers and artisans there had a very good impression of the Prince and his companion. Because Rhaegar also considered the labor consumption during the project, the black dragon bricks were made from Dracarys and earth, so the loss was not great. The subsequent paving and the consumption by warriors and workers were also acceptable; it was a semi-finished installation project.
"Prince, I have one more humble request: are these black bricks of yours available for purchase now?" Old Lord Walder asked Rhaegar.
As soon as these words left his mouth, Lord Hoster's expression became somewhat subtle. House Frey was already very wealthy; what more did they want to do now, strengthen their city defenses? Against whom? The Crossing's location was strategic; it was the only crossing point on the Green Fork for hundreds of miles, situated directly on the main road from Winterfell to Riverrun. House Frey could summon three to four thousand troops, making them a powerful vassal.
"Please don't misunderstand, everyone, I want to build a small road directly connecting my twin castles to this Kingsroad!" Old Walder revealed his idea to everyone. Extending the road from the city to connect to the Kingsroad would make House Frey even wealthier.
"Discuss these matters with my quartermaster, Joffrey Arryn. It's snowing in the North, and we need to establish contact with the North before paving other towns." Rhaegar explained to Walder. Walder then gladly accepted the task, knowing there was still an opportunity. The Kingsroad was a foundational project, and Rhaegar required the cost to be split fifty-fifty between the lords and the Royal Family. As for lords building their own roads, they would have to pay. Lords like Mace and Tywin had already placed orders; Rhaegar's manufacturing was now unique.
After the discussion, it was time for the celebration. Under Roberta's gentle gaze, Rhaegar took the black steed from an attendant and began to address everyone! Rhaegar wore Orion's golden crown, carried the True Dragon sword, and was clad in a black brocade robe embroidered with seven pairs of silver dragons, with a cloak embroidered for him by Roberta. Rhaegar's silver hair shimmered, handsome as a god, his electric eyes darting, his demeanor unmatched.
"Everyone, if not for you, we would not have created such a great accomplishment. We have made roads passable and changed the nation. It is snowing in the North, and next, I will lead you north to confront those terrifying dead things. All my honor belongs to you!" Rhaegar, mounted on his steed, expressed his gratitude. He spoke to the nobles, warriors, workers, and farmers present, numbering around several thousand.
"Long live House Targaryen!" "Long live House Tully!" "Long live House Frey!" "Long live House Arryn!" "Long live King's Landing, long live Prince Rhaegar!" The cheers of the crowd were like thunder, shaking the wilderness. Under the command of their omnipotent leader, they saw the shadow of Aegon the Conqueror. Silver-haired, violet-eyed, a great warrior strong as a dragon.
"Exterminate the Others, save humanity!" "Exterminate the Others, save humanity!" Rhaegar encouraged morale in front of the crowd. Further north, the road would soon lead to the wilderness. The North was bitterly cold, and the construction period and insulation costs would certainly be more difficult than now. However, the Northerners lacked clothing and food, so paying them with labor was good governance.
Just then, Rhaegar suddenly felt his black steed beginning to act strangely. The steed became frenzied, as if insane, and tried to throw Rhaegar off. This steed, given by Lord Ormund years ago, had been his companion for a long time and was usually very docile. He never expected it to go mad today.
The steed swayed back and forth, trying to throw Rhaegar to the ground. A knight falling from a horse can result in very serious injuries, even death. So, being a knight was quite dangerous, but this time the steed's madness was completely unexpected, without any warning.
The sudden change startled everyone. In plain sight, under the gaze of hundreds of eyes. "Rhaegar!" Roberta's face turned pale with fright. Robert picked up his warhammer, a beautiful spiked warhammer, ready for a 1v1 headshot with the warhorse.
"Don't move! The horse is out of control!" Rhaegar said calmly. What was bound to happen had come. Seeing that the Warlocks of Qarth were useless, the Faceless Men decided to act themselves. Dying from a fall was also a method of the Faceless Men, just like choking on a cake or a yacht accident. After King Corwyn of House Harren's eldest son died of greyscale, Harren became his heir. But it was said that Harren died in a riding accident while Corwyn was on his deathbed. Some believed Harren's brother, Harwyn, plotted Harren's death, while others thought the Faceless Men assassinated him. Six days after King Corwyn's death, Harwyn succeeded him as King of the Iron Islands.
With the power of the galloping black steed, like thunder, Rhaegar began to control the direction of its force. Using the resistance of its strength, he leaped, landing steadily on the ground. Only the wildly galloping steed remained, which was then brought under control by the swarming guards.
"Prince, are you alright!" Everyone wanted to gather around—the great lords, the elite guards, even the artisans. But at this moment, only the noble lords and their escorts had the right. Perhaps those who came to help at this time were the Faceless Men. On second thought, this was the perfect time to draw the snake out of its hole.
"No one step forward! Anyone who comes to assist is an assassin, Ser Barristan, detain them!" Rhaegar stood up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, surveying the surroundings. 'I don't provoke you, yet you come to provoke me?' Rhaegar shouted loudly, his voice like steel. "Anyone who approaches within ten paces of me will be killed without mercy."
"No one step forward!" Roberta was the first to react, shouting loudly, watching Rhaegar anxiously. Hearing Rhaegar say this, everyone understood that the horse's loss of control was not an accident, but a carefully planned conspiracy. The assassin just hadn't expected Rhaegar's excellent skills, as he showed no hesitation. Rhaegar glanced at his beloved; the young girl still had unique insight, but there was no time now. The situation was so bad that he couldn't control everyone, and he didn't know how many Faceless Men had come.
Rhaegar felt a chill, and where the chill enveloped, people's speed and five senses seemed to pause. Rhaegar activated his flames to dispel this chill, but the other guards could not stop it. The whole world slowed down; even if their minds were clear, their bodies couldn't keep up with the change. It was like being trapped in a ghostly maze; in a clash of experts, these few moments, these few breaths, could change everything.
"Valar morghulis, all men must die!" An Arryn family guard, dressed in a blue coat, rushed forward, already reaching Rhaegar. His speed surpassed everyone else's, unmatched. Golden hair and blue eyes, an emotionless face, and that aquiline nose—he must have been from a lower, illegitimate branch of House Arryn. Of course, this Arryn might already be dead. His speed was so swift, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Even Ser Barristan and Miss Roberta couldn't match his speed; with careful planning against an unsuspecting target, this assassin had waited a long time for this moment.
The blue-robed guard showed no hesitation, a black dagger appearing in his hand. It had blue gems and a greenish glow of poison, aimed directly at Rhaegar's heart.
"So it's you!" Rhaegar smiled at him. He was all too familiar with the chill emanating from the dagger, like the god of cold, a dead thing from ancient times.
"No!" "No!" Everyone saw this scene; the assassin was too fast and too fierce to be stopped. Tears streamed from Roberta's eyes.
Rhaegar drew his True Dragon, the greatsword in his hands flashing with cold light. The supreme treasure of the Baelarys family, the ancient Dragon King's sword.
Rhaegar spun and danced, and in the first instant, the sword light severed the blue-robed guard's arm. The dagger clattered to the ground, blood flowing everywhere. The sword cut through flesh and bone so smoothly, without the slightest pause.
The blue-robed assassin looked at his arm, which was almost completely severed. "True Dragon!" The blue-robed assassin was incredulous; this was magic, this was power. The Dragon King before him had not been slowed by the chill from the dagger, and his speed, his strength, were so outstanding.
The blue-robed assassin's other left hand extended, and tiny crossbow bolts shot out, their tips glowing with a greenish light. There were five arrows in quick succession, utterly unavoidable. But Rhaegar put away his sword, merely smiling as he watched the arrows.
Rhaegar walked towards the arrows, towards the assassin. When the arrows were still a palm's distance from his body, they were directly dissolved by the blue flames emanating from Rhaegar's body. The blue flames condensed into the shape of a shield, with ancient runes flowing across its surface.
The blue-robed assassin was completely dumbfounded. Was this even human? The strange sorcery of Old Valyria seemed to have been revived today.
"You, you have awakened the sleeping dragon's wrath!" Rhaegar strode forward quickly, arriving before the assassin could make his next move. Rhaegar grabbed the assassin's arm and violently tore at it. The assassin's left hand was savagely ripped off, completely severed, leaving only blood and pulsating tendons, the bones entirely dislocated. The assassin's two arms were now completely ruined.
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