Chapter 204: The Bard

"We're all going to die!"

Hank cried out as he saw a group of savages surrounding him. "It's all your fault, Faro! You had to go to Eagle Island to see some dragons! Now look, we're about to meet the Stranger!"

Hank's complaints annoyed Faro, so he turned around and shouted, "Hank, shut up! We have five people and five swords. What are you afraid of?"

"Four swords!" Hank retorted. "I'm a bard; I only have a harp! And there are more than a dozen wildlings on the other side! How can you expect me to fight?"

"You can fight if you shut up!" Faro snapped.

And with that, they launched an attack. The savages, dark-skinned and thin, wore ill-fitting leather armour they had snatched, their faces hidden in thick beards and hair, wielding various weapons.

Hank reluctantly held a sword given to him by his companion but backed away tremblingly. "I sing, I don't know how to fight,"

He wanted to howl, but he feared his companions' scolding.

The battlefield was chaotic, filled with screams and blood. Hank witnessed one of his companions wrestling with a wildling, only to be stabbed in the back, blood gushing out, prompting the bard to scream like a woman.

"Seven Gods! Who will save us?" Hank prayed, unsure if the gods would hear him.

Faintly, the sound of rushing horseshoes reached his ears, coming closer from a distance.

"Someone! Someone!" Hank immediately yelled. "There are people here! Help us!"

Faro, having just cut the throat of a wild man with his sword, looked up and saw five cavalrymen rushing toward them, carrying sky-blue banners adorned with a vaguely painted double-headed eagle—the Caesar family.

Relieved, Faro was about to call for help when he noticed the savages around them fleeing in panic, uttering words like "Baron of Death."

"Who are you?" one of the cavalrymen approached and asked.

"I'm a bard!" Hank hastily replied in a chanting tone. "Oh, we have heard of the heroic deeds of Lord Caesar, who killed the false king with his own hands and awakened the dragon! We have come to admire him.

Can you take us to Eagle Island?"

"No need to go to Eagle Island," the cavalryman replied. "Lord is not far behind."

...

Samwell's carriage slowly emerged from the distance. Clothes scattered inside, and it took him a while to find them all.

After that, Margaery smiled and stretched her slender arms, hooked the man's neck, and gave him a lingering kiss before dressing herself.

Her movements were gentle and considerate, akin to a newlywed wife serving her husband.

"Are we about to leave the Red Mountain Range?"

"Well, we should reach Upland City tonight,"

Samwell answered, stroking the girl's slightly curly soft brown hair with his large hand.

He trailed his touch down her white and slender neck, then to tightly grip willow waist and the plumpness that resembled a round peach.

"Okay!"

Margaery raised her head, smiling, and grabbed the man's mischievous hand.

"We must hurry."

Although she said so, she couldn't resist kissing him again. The two lovers, deeply passionate, couldn't help but show their affection.

The seemingly simple act of getting dressed took nearly an hour. The cavalrymen who had gone to scout the road brought Hank and the others back.

"Lord Caesar! Thank you and your soldiers for saving us!"

Hank loudly expressed his gratitude to a man dressed as a knight.

Todd Flower answered blankly, "You have misunderstood. I am Lord Caesar's vassal knight."

Unfazed, Hank immediately praised Todd's heroism.

Todd grew impatient and asked the soldiers to share some oatmeal with them before silencing the bard's mouth.

Hank squatted down by the extinguished bonfire with a smirk, drinking his porridge while curiously observing the oatmeal before him.

The group consisted of about a hundred well-trained soldiers, including a dozen cavalrymen.

The horses they rode were larger than ordinary ones, likely special war horses.

Nearby, a spacious carriage with the double-headed eagle emblem of the Caesar family was parked.

It was pulled by four strong horses.

"When can we see Lord Caesar?"

Hank stared at the carriage and asked the soldier. "I want to personally thank him for saving our lives."

The soldier glanced at him and replied, "You can see Lord Caesar whenever he wants. You just wait here."

"Okay, okay."

Hank finished his oatmeal and sat on a stone with his harp in his arms, contemplating whether to play a song to catch Lord Caesar's attention. At that moment, he noticed the carriage door opening.

First, a delicate green lady's boot stepped out, followed by a snow-white slender hand resting on the threshold. Finally, a slim figure came into view.

Hank's breath got stuck.

The stunning beauty he had imagined countless times fell short compared to the woman before him.

Her deer-like smart and gentle eyes, long brown hair elegantly coiled into a bun, and the touch of spring on her fair face that could drive any man crazy.

All Hank desired was to crawl at her feet, kiss her boots, and sing her the most beautiful poems.

Unfortunately, the beautiful girl didn't even spare a glance for the enamoured bard but turned around and reached out to hold the hand of a black-haired man stepping out of the carriage.

Though Hank had suspected this person to be the Lord Caesar he had longed to meet, and despite his admiration for the legendary baron, his jealousy now twisted his admiration into intense annoyance for the handsome baron.

Why wasn't it me in that carriage?

Thinking back to the elopement rumours he had heard, he deduced the true identity of the beautiful and noble lady, fueling the jealousy in his heart.

While Hank was lost in his wild thoughts, he suddenly heard a peculiar hiss. Looking up, he saw a white shadow soaring through the air, eventually landing on the baron's shoulder—a dragon!

It was a dragon!

Hank's breath caught in his throat, and his jealousy dissipated in the face of the magnificent creature.

Reason returned, and the bard once again put on a flattering and humble smile.

"Come here, Lord Caesar wishes to see you,"

Todd approached and informed them as Hank and the others hurriedly followed.

"This is the lost traveller you rescued this morning?" Samwell asked.

"Yes, my lord. They claim to be heading to Eagle Island," Todd answered.

"Lord Caesar,"

Hank exaggeratedly spoke, "We have heard of your great achievements and how you hatched a dragon. We were on our way to Eagle Island to see you."

Samwell glanced at Hank, intrigued by the harp in his arms. "Are you a bard?"

"Yes, my lord. I wonder if I have the honour to compose a hymn for you, your dragon, and the beautiful lady by your side."

"Yes,"

Samwell casually agreed. "Where do you come from?"

"Nightsong City," Hank added. "My grandfather has the blood of the Caron family and was the illegitimate son of Earl Ellot."

Nightsong City is a city located in the borderlands of Dorne, just north of the Prince's Pass. It is ruled by the Caron family. However, Samwell showed no recollection of who Earl Elliot Caron was, and he didn't find much interest in the lineage of Hank's grandfather.

"So, what other news have you heard?" Samwell asked. "Has the army retreated from Skyreach City?"

During his journey, Hank hadn't received the latest news as he had been on the road. However, he thought he could provide some information to the curious nobleman.

"The northern army has already retreated and passed by Nightsong City just last month,"

Hank quickly responded, eager to show off.

"Lord Eddard Stark publicly declared his support for Stannis Baratheon as the rightful heir to the throne, denouncing Joffrey as a false king. As for the royal lands and the armies at the Reach, they remain in the city. I've heard that Duke Mace initially planned to withdraw his troops, but Lord Tywin promised him that Tommen Baratheon would marry Lady Margaery Tyrell..."

"Father married me to Tommen?"

Margaery interjected angrily hearing the rumours that Hank had heard.

The daughter of the esteemed Duke of Highgarden had indeed eloped with a lesser baron.

"It appears the Duke Mace truly wants a Tyrell queen. "

"Then he'll have to find another daughter,"

Margaery firmly declared, clinging to Samwell's arm. "I won't marry Tommen, no matter what."

Hank, still in disbelief, observed Margaery closely, realizing the truth behind the rumours.

He silently exclaimed, shocked that the daughter of the Duke of Highgarden had chosen to elope with a mere baron.

Samwell smiled and said, "He'll have to find another way to accommodate that."

Margaery nodded in agreement, adding, "But Prince Doran likely won't agree to peace talks easily. After all, Dorne suffered significant losses in this war. He will surely seek compensation."

"This will surely give the old lion a headache,"

Samwell casually responded. He then turned his attention back to the bard and asked,

"What do you think of my act of killing Joffrey?"

Hank hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Samwell encouraged him to speak his mind freely.

"Everyone says... you are another 'Kingslayer'..." Hank finally admitted, voicing the rumours that had circulated.

Samwell turned towards Margaery, somewhat dejected. "You see, some people truly believe I'm a 'Kingslayer.'"

Margaery giggled and offered words of comfort.

"Don't worry, when I see my grandmother, I will request that she send someone to help restore your reputation. Highgarden has many bards.

They can compose a hymn for you, which can be sung across the Seven Kingdoms."

Hank promptly offered his services. "Lord Caesar, I can also assist in writing a hymn!"

"Very well," Samwell said, retrieving a silver deer and tossing it to Hank.

"Remember to emphasize that I deposed a false king, not committed regicide. I am a dethroner, not a kingslayer!"

"Yes, my lord!" Hank eagerly caught the silver deer, his smile broadening.

[END]