The Red Keep feast was supposed to be held after the tournament officially ended, but King Robert called it early. Some joked that King Robert had been beaten so badly yesterday that his brain was muddled, mistaking yesterday's team melee for the final joust of the tournament.
Although the nobles outwardly expressed extreme disdain for the ill-timed feast, they all attended in full regalia, afraid of being outdone by others in terms of demeanor.This banquet was more than just a feast; it was an opportunity for the court nobles of the Red Keep and the lords, great and small, of the Seven Kingdoms to interact and exchange information.
Therefore, this banquet was not as boisterous as the previous celebration of the prince's birth, nor did it feature circus-like performances to liven things up. Everyone who came to the banquet sought out the people they wanted to befriend, and then gathered in small groups to talk, which made the whole banquet very quiet.And King Robert, the host of this feast, was not present. Only Queen Cersei sat upon her throne, surrounded by a circle of noble ladies from various houses.
Several court jesters were also among them, chattering about who knows what, but the women's laughter could be heard, echoing through the hall and drawing glances from many.Lynd was finding it hard to adjust to this kind of banquet. In his previous life, he hadn't been one for parties or gatherings, and now his personality was even more withdrawn. Attending this kind of event made him feel inexplicably uncomfortable, especially with all the nobles, big and small, sizing him up with such strange looks, as if they were appraising a commodity. It gave him the urge to slaughter them all.So, to avoid being annoyed by these guys, after arriving at the Red Keep's hall with Duke Tyrell and others, he walked away on his own, picked up a wooden plate, loaded it with some food, and sat down in a corner where there weren't many people, quietly enjoying his meal.
However, even so, some nobles still took the initiative to come and talk to Lind.While this was a good opportunity to network with powerful figures, Lind was well aware that his current status meant he wouldn't be taken seriously by them. Even if some nobles came to talk to him, it was more out of curiosity, since he was the martial arts champion who almost achieved a hundred-man kill.
Often, these nobles would ask overly personal questions, showing no consideration for Lind's feelings. It was as if they believed that their mere act of speaking to him was the greatest favor they could bestow, and that Lind should be more humble and obediently answer their questions.However, Linde completely ignored these nobles, burying himself in the food as if they didn't exist, leaving them in an awkward and difficult position. After a few times, those nobles with a morbid curiosity no longer came to humiliate themselves.However, Linde still couldn't enjoy his meal in peace, because after dealing with those nobles driven by curiosity, another group of nobles approached him. But these nobles weren't looking to befriend Linde, nor were they driven by curiosity to ask about his personal life. They approached Linde for one reason only: hatred."I am Sir Philly of Riverstone, and my brother, Barmit Philly, died by your hand yesterday," a middle-aged man with distinctly Northern features approached Linde, his eyes filled with hatred as he looked at Linde, and said, "He died from your despicable sneak attack, he was fighting others, and you despicably from behind..."
"Sir Philly, what do you want to achieve by telling me this now? To prove that your brother died valiantly, or to prove that I am despicable?"Lynd put the roasted meat back on the wooden platter, wiped his hands, and looked up slightly at the hate-filled middle-aged nobleman, calmly saying, "Instead of just talking here, why don't you do something more practical, like loudly challenging me and then killing me in the challenge to avenge your brother."
Then, he looked at the other nobles who had gathered around for the same reason and said, "The same goes for you. You can challenge me directly here. I can duel all of you at once. With so many of you attacking me, I think your chances of avenging your relatives and friends should be very high."Lind's direct, almost impolite words left the northern noble before him at a loss for words. His face turned extremely gloomy, and his eyes held not only hatred, but also a hint of fear. The other knights and nobles around him who harbored the same thoughts also showed similar expressions.
Although the duel conditions offered by Lind were tempting, seemingly giving them every advantage, they were all well aware that, based on Lind's performance in the arena yesterday, even if they all ganged up on him, they would likely be the ones who ended up dead.For a moment, the atmosphere here became somewhat awkward. The nobles who had come to demand an explanation were left hanging by Linde's words, unable to advance or retreat.
The surrounding dignitaries had obviously noticed the commotion here, but none of them intended to intervene. Instead, they seemed to be watching a show, waiting for the subsequent reaction.
"What are you doing? This is the King's banquet, not some small-town banquet where you can run wild."Just then, a slightly languid voice came from not far away, and then they saw Jaime Lannister in a suit of ornate armor, one hand holding a wine skin and the other resting on the hilt of his sword, walking over.
Under normal circumstances, Jaime Lannister's words might have made them feel dissatisfied, but now they were more grateful, because Jaime Lannister's appearance had just eased the tense atmosphere around them, giving them a way to back down.And so, one by one, these nobles glared at Linde, then turned and left, each with an arrogant expression as if they had been the ones to challenge Linde, and Linde, out of cowardice, had refused to fight.
"A bunch of vermin!" James said, looking at the backs of these nobles with disdain, then turned to Linde and said frankly, "Bear Hunter Linde, you remind me of someone."
"Who?" Linde could sense that James in front of him had no malice, so his tone softened, and he asked.
"Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning," James replied.Lynder paused for a moment and asked, "Are you talking about Arthur Dayne, who died in the siege?"
Hearing this, a hint of displeasure appeared on Jaime's face, and he said in a deep voice, "You really are an unlikeable fellow!"Lynd calmly looked at Jaime and said, "Arthur Dayne was a hero, and I admire him, but his death was not worth it. Dying for someone like the Mad King is not worth it."
Hearing this, the displeasure on Jaime's face faded, and his gaze towards Lynd became a bit warmer. Clearly, Lynd's disdain for the Mad King resonated with him.
"Want a swig?" Jaime asked, offering his flask to Lynd.
Lynd shook his head and said, "I don't drink."
"Then you're missing out on a lot of fun!" Jaime said, pursing his lips."I also advise you to drink less," Linde said bluntly. "Drinking too much will cause your hands to tremble uncontrollably. If a swordsman can't even control the hand that holds his sword, then he's not far from death."
Hearing Linde's words, James couldn't help but be stunned for a moment, then he sized up Linde and said, "Someone else has said these words to me before."
Linde thought for a moment and asked, "Arthur Dayne?"
"Yes."Jaime nodded, then gave a self-deprecating laugh and said, "It's a pity that Arthur Dayne, who didn't drink much, died, while Jaime Lannister, who likes to drink, survived. It's ironic."
"Choices determine destiny," Lynder said with a touch of emotion. "He chose his own death."
"No, he was killed by a sneak attack, a shameless sneak attack!" Jaime picked up the wine jug, took a large gulp directly from it, then turned to look at the Northerners in the hall, and said through gritted teeth.Lynd didn't refute Jaime's words, but he didn't agree with Jaime's views either, because in his opinion, there was no such thing as honor or dishonor in a life-or-death battle; surviving and achieving final victory was the most important thing.
Moreover, through these words, he could also see that Jaime Lannister still possessed some chivalry at this moment, but this chivalry would probably gradually fade and be hidden in the next ten years or so, otherwise, he wouldn't have done something like throwing Bran from the tower. At least the current him wouldn't be able to do it so decisively, and would definitely hesitate.
"Bearhunter, you are a very special person."After drinking more than half of the wine in the jug, Jaime impolitely burped and then said something nonsensical.
Linde was taken aback, looking at Jaime Lannister with a hint of confusion, and said, "Should I take that as a compliment, Lord Jaime?"
Jaime said with a serious expression, "No, you can take it as a prophecy, because every special person is bound to encounter various twists and turns in life, and yours have only just begun."
Linde sensed that Jaime's words had a deeper meaning, sounding like he was hinting at something.However, James didn't continue, taking the wine jug and turning away.
Lynd didn't follow to press him for answers. He didn't think James would answer him anyway, and he himself couldn't imagine what kind of twists and turns James was referring to. But he felt that this might not be a bad thing for him. After all, people of different status have different perspectives. What someone of James's status sees as a twist and turn might be different when applied to him.James's arrival and brief conversation with him did nothing to change his situation at the banquet; on the contrary, the nonchalant attitude he displayed while talking to James made people wonder if he was familiar with James, the Kingslayer.
A Kingslayer and a King of War, a perfect match, coupled with Linde's sneaky actions in the arena, made some nobles who were already somewhat disgusted with Linde even more contemptuous.
The strange gazes around him did not affect Linde in any way, and the Tyrells seemed to have noticed that Linde was being ostracized at the banquet, but there was little they could do.However, Galen, Fortemo, and Maester Moras found an excuse to talk to Linde, wanting to ease the awkward atmosphere a bit.
However, they soon realized that Linde didn't seem to be affected by the surrounding environment at all; his mind was completely focused on the exquisite food at the banquet, so they were relieved and went to other groups of nobles to complete their respective tasks of befriending the new favorites of the Baratheon dynasty.
Just as Linde finished the last piece of roast meat on his plate and was about to get some more food, a plate full of food was brought over and placed in front of him.Lynde looked up at the person before him, seeing a bald, fat man with a perpetual smile on his face, wearing a silk robe and soft leather boots that allowed him to move silently. His hands were always tucked into his sleeves, obscuring whatever he might be holding.
In the Red Keep, only Varys, the Master of Whisperers, fit this description and attire, and he was one of the people Lynde least wanted to see.If Littlefinger is the most cunning schemer in the Seven Kingdoms, then Varys is the master of intrigue. The master of whisperers holds all sorts of information about the Seven Kingdoms. No one knows what he's thinking, nor what he's capable of with so much information. The only certainty is that he will never have any descendants.Although Varys was also on Lind's list of dangerous individuals, compared to Littlefinger, who was impossible to cooperate with, Lind felt that Varys was the kind of person he could talk to and cooperate with, provided that their goals did not conflict.
However, Varys taking the initiative to contact him at this moment was completely unexpected and caught Lind off guard.Though inwardly surprised, Linde didn't show it on his face. He picked up the wooden plate Varys had placed before him, took some food from it, and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Lord Varys."
Varys wasn't surprised that Linde recognized him; after all, his appearance in the Red Keep was so unique that it would be difficult to mistake him for someone else.He walked over to Linde, disregarding the somewhat dirty ground, and sat cross-legged on the ground as crudely as Linde. He took a piece of food from the plate and said as he ate, "Lord Linde, you are a kind man, out of place in this hall. This is not where you should be."
"Kind?" Linde put down the food in his hand, looked at Varys, and laughed, "Lord Varys, are you mistaken? Nearly a hundred people died at my hands yesterday."
"I am not mistaken."Varys shook his head and said, "The kindness I'm referring to is the poor little girl you saved outside the Lion Gate."
...
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(End Chapter)