Chapter 64 Pre-War Meeting

"Has he been to Storm's End? How dare he speak so brazenly." Stannis handed the scroll to Melisandre, "I grew up there. Ten years ago, I led people to guard there for a whole year until Robert's 'brother' Ned Stark led troops to help."

The red-robed woman knew that her king had a deep grudge against his elder brother.

"I forgive him only because he was deceived by the world and thought that Joffrey, who sat on the Iron Throne, was the king. But a young boy really thought that he could despise all the castles in the world by fighting a beautiful battle with his cleverness."

Melisandre took the scroll and slowly unfolded it. A secondary scroll fell out. It was a blueprint. She bent down to pick it up. Her eyes, burning like copper fire, stayed on the blueprint for a moment. She said in a pleasant accent from across the narrow sea: "Maybe you should look at this blueprint, Your Majesty."

Stannis took the blueprint back and paused for a long time. People who are familiar with him should know that he was shocked by the content of the blueprint. This is an extremely detailed map of the inner city of Storm's End, in which the defenses of the equipment are marked one by one.

Even someone like Stannis who is familiar with Storm's End would find it difficult to draw such a blueprint.

Stannis unfolded the scroll and read the words again.

[Your Majesty Stannis, the noble ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm:

The following are some suggestions I have made for our army's strategic goals. According to rumors in the army, you seem to be interested in marching towards Storm's End, so I hope you can send troops to seize Storm's End as soon as possible and take control of Storm's End before the reinforcements of Lord Renly Baratheon arrive]

"His idea is very bold." Stannis said this after reading the letter from beginning to end. "If I had enough troops, I would never adopt such a ridiculous suggestion."

"You still have the Lord of Light, Your Majesty." Lady Selyse walked into the hall.

"The Lord of Light asked me to hand over my fate to a young boy." A trace of sadness flashed across his face. Stannis also wanted to lead the army to take back the throne himself, but his army was only 6,000 people, and Renly was ten times his.

"Davon, tell all the lords and knights that I will hold a station meeting at noon tomorrow." Stannis shouted to the servants outside the door.

Davon Seaworth is the son of the Onion Knight Davos, and was taken in as his attendant.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The eleven-year-old boy answered outside the door, and then heard his hurried footsteps.

Cole was writing and drawing something with a book. Camillo was an illiterate boy, so he could only sit aside bored.

"Lord Cole." A new soldier under José ran over in a hurry. "Acting Officer José was surrounded."

Camillo stood up in shock. Gangsters like him are generally more loyal. José and him are from the same village, and gamblers and second-rate people are mixed in the same way.

"Don't get excited, Camillo." Cole closed the book and stood up slowly. "Go get my armor first."

Camillo quickly moved the pile of chain mail, and there was also a gray-black cloak with a white bird surrounded by flames on it.

To outsiders, this is a family crest that flatters. Everyone in the military camp now knows that King Stannis believes in the Lord of Light, and the Lord of Light is the Lord of Flame and Shadow.

Hanging the two swords on his belt, Cole called the guards and walked towards the mercenary camp with great momentum.

Stannis recruited a lot of mercenaries from Essos, including several small mercenary groups.

José and his men were trapped in the tent of a small mercenary group. At this time, they were pressed to their knees on the ground, surrounded by people watching the excitement.

The guards pushed the crowd away, and Cole strode through the aisle. His figure was not revealed, but his voice was first heard by Asser.

"José, is your sword for kneeling?"

A handsome young man with silver hair, this was Asser's first impression of him. This hair color is rare in Essos, and even less in Westeros. He first looked at the emblem on the cloak, a white bird, which was a family he didn't know. It should be just a small and unknown family in Westeros.

"Your subordinates have dirty hands." Asel, the leader of the mercenary group sitting in the tent, pinched his beard and looked at him with contempt.

"In the Free Trade City, we will chop off those who have dirty hands and feet and feed them to wild dogs."

Cole ignored his eyes and walked to the side of Jose, "Stand up and tell me what happened?"

"Yes, Lord Cole." Jose raised his bruised head and staggered to his feet, "They lost the bet and didn't want to admit it, and they also falsely accused us of tampering with the dice."

Cole glanced at Asel, the leader of the mercenary group, "How do you want to solve it?"

"Leave the hands, or ransom." Asel leaned back and stood up, his hands spread on the chair, and there was a naked woman on the bed behind him.

Cole drew his sword, "Then let the sword speak."

Assel's expression paused. Are all the nobles in Westeros so direct? He grinned, "I like your personality."

He reached out to his subordinates to take the sword, and then a horse suddenly came from afar.

"Captain Asel, His Majesty the King has ordered you to come to the castle tomorrow at noon to discuss the war." The shield emblem hung on the side of the cavalry's horse was a crowned stag, the guard in the castle.

When the cavalry saw Cole, he saluted, "Sir Cole."

He followed the princess every day in the castle, so these guards naturally recognized him.

"His Majesty the King asked Davon to find you. I didn't expect you to be here."

Axel's eyes moved between Cole and the cavalry. He could feel the cavalry's respect for this silver-haired boy. Could he be someone of great importance?

In fact, the origin of this respect was just that this cavalryman happened to be a commoner. The bard exaggeratedly portrayed him as a grassroots knight like the tall Sir Duncan, which was naturally very popular among the common people.

Axel's eyes were fixed on Cole, from silver hair to purple eyes. He suddenly realized that this TND was the image of a Valyrian. He thought of Lord Velaryon who sat in the honorable seat below Stannis at the banquet.

Cole nodded to the cavalry. He seemed to have to pass on a message to others, and then rode his horse to other camps.

"May I know the name of this knight?" When Cole turned around, Axel had already put on a smiling face. He was just a small mercenary group in Essos, and the entire group had only about 200 people. At first, Cole was so arrogant because he was surrounded by unarmored peasants. He was not afraid of some small lords and knights, but it was another story for a giant like Velaryon.

"Cole."

Axel frowned when he didn't hear his last name for a long time.

"I don't want to kill anyone, but if you want to fight, I'll accompany you." Cole's eyes swept over like a sword. He knew the limit. He was indeed standing up for his men to establish prestige, but killing people in the camp now would definitely be a stupid thing, especially in Stannis's camp.

He laughed, "You have such a bad temper. I hope you can still be so arrogant on the battlefield."

When Cole led his men back to the camp, Jose followed behind him with a guilty look on his face, and his tone of voice was also a little angry, "Sir, I didn't expect them to be so unruly."

"Rules are always set with fists. You don't even dare to take a sword, and you still want to reason with others?"

"Sir, there are so many of them."

"I hoped you would stand with a sword, after all, gamblers are always brave, but you threw the sword aside. I will replace the acting officer, and you will transfer to my troops." This is a punishment for him. Cole had warned him in advance.

Cole would not force a person to change anything. For a gambling addict like Jose, if he wanted him to quit gambling, it would be more uncomfortable for him than having sex with his wife.

But some people let their wives and daughters do that kind of thing in order to get gambling money.

Jose lowered his head silently, his eyes looking at Cole's back. In fact, before this, his respect for Cole came more from his identity as a knight.

A boss who is willing to stand up for himself, isn't such a person worth following?

Camilo also thought so.

Cole knew that if he wanted people to work for him, he had to show his attitude. If they were willing to stand up for them at this time, then they would be willing to block the sword for him on the battlefield.

Of course, this is not absolute, but it is an effect.

There are too many accidents on the battlefield, and he still feels scared. In fact, he is not willing to rush forward with a sword without a full body of heavy armor. Anyway, he can wear it, but he has no money.

People in the rivers and lakes are helpless. His status is destined to prevent him from making plans, but he carries a sword and kills the crowd.

Who cares, as long as he is alive and gets the dragon, then the world will be big, and he will be free.

This time standing up for his subordinates is just a small episode in daily life. Usually, there are fights in his own camp, which will test his decision-making.

Fortunately, his majesty is high enough. Even if the king is here, his words may not be effective. Moreover, he was fair enough in dealing with things, never showing partiality, and if there was any objection, he would draw his sword.

Cole found that using a sword to reason here was more useful than anything else.

At noon the next day, the knight lords and the mercenary leaders came up to the castle one after another to have lunch with the king.

It was a depressing lunch, the soldiers bit the black bread in big mouthfuls, and there was not even any wine. No one dared to make a noise. On the right side of the king was a beautiful red-robed woman, and on the side of the red-robed woman sat a noble lady. If you didn't know, you would think that the red-robed woman was the king's queen.

When Cole came, the servant led him to his position. He was placed below Earl Valerian, and his status was the first person under the earls.

Asel, the leader of the Blood Scorpion Mercenaries, couldn't help but secretly relieved in his heart. It seemed that this silver-haired boy was really not simple. Fortunately, he didn't offend anyone.