Chapter 58 Questions

"Ser Cole" Stannis sat at his desk and waved the guards back. "Two swordsmen, dwarf redeemer, barbarian king. It seems those stupid singers really like to sing your stories."

"Tywin Lannister set aside a fief for you in Riverrun to allow you to build a castle." Stannis continued, "So now there are no less than a hundred Coles in the Seven Kingdoms, but as my maester said, , Sir Cole should be dead."

His tone was judgmental.

Cole faced a big question mark and felt confused by his words.

"You have committed the crime of fraud, and you also deceived the king." Stannis directly pronounced the sentence.

"Your Majesty is doubting my identity?" Cole asked.

It was obvious from the look in Stannis's eyes. When his men brought the announcement of the Lannister family, he was angry about it. He didn't expect that those group of troublemakers dared to seal the land of the Riverlands to others.

"You want to tell me, did the mermaid save you? Or did the gods bring you back to life." Stannis tapped his finger on the table. "I can give you the opportunity to choose to join the Night Watch. Of course, you can also choose to keep your tongue."

"Anyone who has seen me can prove my identity for me. I know that everyone in the world thinks I am dead, and even I think so myself. Maybe floating all the way from the Trident to Dragonstone is really absurd. But I did not lie, Your Majesty."

"I can let you delay, and then you have to spend time in jail until I find witnesses."

"No, Your Majesty. I can prove myself. You mentioned that the troubadours call me the 'Double Swordsman'. There should not be many people in the Seven Kingdoms who use two swords. Please allow me to testify for myself."

Stannis nodded, "I will send my knights as your opponents, I will not let him hold back, and as a matter of fairness, I allow you to use the equipment in the Dragonstone arsenal."

"Thank you, Your Majesty the King." Cole suddenly stepped forward and handed out a stone. "This is the dragon crystal I am looking for for Your Highness the Princess. Please wait for me to hand it over to her."

Stannis was stunned for a moment, then took it, and then asked the soldiers to take him down. At this time, a red-robed figure slowly walked out from behind the study.

Without turning his head, Stannis asked behind him, "Is he the person you saw in the flames?"

Melisandre replied in a slow tone: "Yes, great king, this person was guided by R'hllor to the true son of the prophecy. He must be your greatest help."

Not only did she see the prophecy in the flames, but she also felt the aura of blood magic that had not dissipated from Cole's body.

Stannis stared at the dragonglass in his hand in trance. He no longer believed in the gods after his parents died in a shipwreck. If the gods exist to destroy good people, then why believe in them?

Stannis summons a guard and tells him to take the dragonglass to Shireen. He stood up and said, "Tomorrow I will personally test him. I want to see if this two-sword knight who is said to have amazing skills is really worthy of his name. He once fought for the rebels, which I don't know." Forget, but while he is young and ignorant, I will tell him that his king is here."

Cole thought he would be taken to a cell, but was only sent back to his room, but the door was guarded by soldiers.

The next day he was taken to the weapons depot to choose equipment. Cole saw that Dragonstone was fully prepared for war, with spears, guns, swords and clubs all available. It seemed that Stannis was fully prepared for war, at least with all his own equipment. It is not a problem to lead soldiers with armor and equipment.

Cole chose two knight's swords, a set of chain mail, a chain helmet, knee pads, and gauntlets. A sheepskin glove with a leather cover on the outside. This is the equipment he is most familiar with.

The place of duel was in Aegon's Garden, but when Cole was brought there, no one was seen. He was led through the thorn bushes, and then came to a clearing. A figure turned around, without a helmet. Nor Stannis in armor.

He held a long sword in his hand. When he saw Cole, he nodded politely and asked, "Are you satisfied with the opponent I chose for you?"

Cole was stunned and didn't know what to say. He had thought that Stannis would send a powerful man to kill him, but he never thought that he would do it himself. Is our King of Dragonstone so confident in his own force? Or maybe he himself was described by the troubadour as a person who only knows how to play tricks.

"Your Majesty, swords have no eyes. You can send knights to fight for you. I think with your status, there are a lot of people willing to fight for you."

"Take your sword, ser."

Cole drew his swords.

Stannis also came up with his sword and swung it fiercely, "Do you know who is the true master of the kingdom?"

Cole swung his sword to block Stannis's sword, "I have heard some rumors. If the rumors are true, then you are the legitimate heir to the Iron Throne, your majesty."

"Really?" Stannis's sword became softer. "Then why is it that everyone knows this truth but is unwilling to admit it? Even my brother Renly dares to call himself king?"

Cole continued to block, but he could feel that Stannis was not using any force. "Just ask the beggars on the roads of the Seven Kingdoms and you will know the answer, Your Majesty. Few people in the world will refuse to be king, but not everyone can." Be a good king."

Stannis suddenly laughed, "Who do you think is the good king among the Seven Kingdoms?"

"The one who takes the throne as his own responsibility, takes the people's livelihood as his important responsibility, and strictly enforces the law is the king." Cole said.

Stannis was quite pleased with the flattery and slowly put away his sword, "Remember what you said, Ser Cole. You must understand where your king is and who you should serve."

Cole knelt down on one knee, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will remember it."

"Okay, you can keep the sword and armor, go change your clothes, and then come to me in the study."

Cole knocked on the door of the study. Stannis was reading a letter with a letter in his hand. He said, "Sit down at the table."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"In the minstrel's story, Ser Cole has the same wisdom as the clever Lanny, and he took Riverrun without a single blow." Stannis handed him the letter.

Cole looked at it and saw that it was a letter written with poetry.

"My maester can only help me gather this information. I don't even know where the Lannister army has gone."

As a man with extremely strong military capabilities, Stannis naturally knows who he needs to face if he wants to take the Iron Throne. If he wants to lead an army to attack King's Landing, then Tywin Lannister will definitely lead an army to help.

"Your Majesty, if you want to prevent the Lannister army, why don't you send some people to support the Starks and let them help you contain the Lannister." He said nothing about the Lannister military defense and scale. Just a suggestion.

Stannis stared at him firmly, and then said, "From now on, you will be responsible for protecting Shireen."

"As you command, Your Majesty."