"Why don't you speak?"

Feng Weiwei looked at the landline and asked gently, "Weak-hearted, still not satisfied?" ”

Louis still didn't speak, and the sound of smoking vigorously came from the landline.

"Tell me, what are you calling me for?"

Raising his hand to wipe his forehead, and rubbing the blood on his clothes, Feng Weiwei asked again: "If it's just to scold me for being a little slut - congratulations, I've accepted this title." What more do you want? ”

Answering her question, Louis didn't have any difficulty, and said sullenly: "I called you just to ask you why you always send people to my company to make trouble." I didn't provoke you, I just wanted to do something practical, and you made it difficult in all kinds of ways, is it interesting? ”

"When am I going to make trouble again?"

"Just before I called you, a group of little bastards were just beaten away by my company's security guards, and they were the subordinates of the old toad in Nancheng."

Mentioning this, Louis was somewhat confident: "Hmph, if it's you, can you not be angry?" ”

Feng Weiwei was not angry, and asked in a calm tone: "Do you think that I instructed me?" ”

"If it's not you, who else could it be? Old Toad's subordinates all said that they were instructed by the Kaihuang group. You are the CEO of Kaihuang Group, who will have enough to eat except you? ”

"Well, since you've deduced it, then I'll tell you the truth, I sent someone to make trouble!"

Feng Weiwei's attitude began to stiffen again.

Not to be outdone, Louie said: "Why do you want to be unhappy with me?" ”

"First, I don't think you're pleasing to the eye. Second, I was going to buy Sigore, but you preempted it, and I was angry. Third, the two of us are peers, and peers are enemies, you should have heard of the phrase, right? ”

Feng Weiwei sniffed lightly and continued: "These three reasons, if they still don't satisfy you, then I can tell you one more." From now on, I'm going to do my best to suppress your little broken factory until I bring you to a beating. You'd better be fully prepared to work under pressure. ”

"Feng Weiwei, are you crazy?"

Louis scolded angrily.

"I'm just crazy. Or rather, I haven't been normal since I met you. ”

Feng Weiwei began to grit his teeth again, and said with a grim smile: "Louie, you firmly remember to me that I am a little slut who will not marry you in this life." Unless you kill me. Really, if you don't have the guts, then be ready to cuckold! I swear, I'll find at least two hundred men to sleep with. Congratulations, Your Excellency the Cuckold King. ”

After saying this, without waiting for Louis to say anything, Feng Weiwei snapped down the microphone.

A woman is such a strange animal, when her head is hot, there is nothing she dare not say, nothing she dare not do.

She obviously didn't instruct anyone to cause trouble in the Southern Group, but since Louis had decided on her and insulted her as a little slut in front of Min Rou, then it would be better if she instructed her.

Didn't she be in a coma with a high fever and say that she actually cared about Louie?

Since you care, then go and cuckold him, at least two hundred.

Only by doing so can she be worthy of the name given to her by men.

Little slut, if you don't go to make a mistake, then what kind of little slut is it?

"I'm a little slut, I'm proud, hehe."

After Feng Weiwei smirked a few times, he felt extremely relaxed, but he had a terrible headache and was sticky and uncomfortable, so he went to take a hot bath again.

"It turns out that being a little slut is far more relaxed and enjoyable than being a hero. Drunk and gold-obsessed, do whatever you want, and live chic for the purpose, this is the true meaning of life. Alas, it's a pity, Xiaorou, you don't want to reach my realm in this life. ”

After smiling sweetly at Min Rou, who was stunned and looking at her for a long time, Feng Weiwei turned around and walked to the suite, and when she walked to the door, she turned around and said, "Xiaorou, if you still want to treat me as a sister, don't call my fiancé again in the future, otherwise, I will be jealous." ”

Mr. Yue has a problem with his brain, it can't be that I smashed it with a paperweight, right?

No, I have to go, I'm quitting, I don't want to stay with her anymore!

Min Rou stared at the open door of the suite, and after hearing the sound of running water coming from inside, she felt that she had better leave quickly, otherwise she would cause a big incident sooner or later, and maybe she would be strangled to death inexplicably.

Min Rou was afraid that Feng Weiwei would pounce out, like a zombie - when she crept to the door, her eyes were fixed on the door, ready to rush out at any moment.

Jingle bells!

The landline suddenly sounded again, which scared her, stretched out her hand to open the door, and was about to run out, but she stopped again, and was at a loss, I really left like this?

"Xiaorou, phone, help answer it."

Feng Weiwei's crisp voice came out of the suite, very relaxed and normal.

Okay, I'll answer the phone for her again, and one last time, what's really going on?

Min Rou thought so in her heart, hesitated, and walked back quickly.

She didn't dare to close the door, so that if she found out that something was wrong, she could escape in time.

Glancing at the suite, Min Rou took a deep breath, and after letting her emotions normalize, she pressed the speakerphone button: "Hello, this is the office of the president of Kaihuang Group, I am Min Rou, who are you?"

"I'm Helan Xiaoxin."

Helan Xiaoxin's somewhat tired voice came from the microphone: "Is Mr. Yue here?" Ask her to answer the phone. ”

"Oh, it turned out to be Vice President Helan."

Hu Jia shook his head: "Mr. Yue is busy with a little thing, and she will be back soon - she didn't have a mobile phone, if you have anything important, you can tell me first, and I will convey it to you." ”

"I'll tell you, it's fine."

Helan Xiaoxin pondered for a moment over there and said, "I'm at the Western Province Airport now, and I'm about to rush back." ”

Two days ago, Helan Xiaoxin went to Linshi to inspect the project, which is the subsidiary of Chunhai Group in Eastern Province, and it is also the company that Hu Jia and Mr. Yue were discussing the annexation before Louis called.

Helan Xiaoxin personally went out to get this subsidiary, and he was absolutely sure, but during the negotiation between the two parties, the base camp of the Western Province, to which the subsidiary belonged, suddenly broke the news of reorganization.

Helan Xiaoxin's reaction speed was quite fast, and he immediately handed over the negotiation of Linshi to Dong Jun, and he led people to the Western Province as quickly as possible - Feng Weiwei did not have the courage to swallow elephants, Helan Xiaoxin did.

Chunhai Group, as a well-known hosiery industry in China, collapsed this time not because of problems in quality and management, but because Lin Chunhai died by himself, causing the company's stock to plummet, and there was almost no chance to resurrect his soul, and he hiccuped directly.

Therefore, as long as we inject new vitality into the group, the machines and sales channels that were already in normal production will be running again.

Kaihuang Group, just has the vitality that Chunhai Group urgently needs, taking advantage of the aura of heroes, still shining in the universe, just change the product label to the Xianmei brand, then immediately come back to life.

Although this explanation is somewhat simple, but the actual situation is like this, the world's best-selling Dell computers, aren't they made by dozens of different companies of meta parts, combined together for OEM delivery?

Helan Xiaoxin did not estimate Feng Weiwei's 'brand effect', but underestimated the allure of profits.

Since all the domestic knitting enterprises, almost all flock to it, including the pearl of Longda knitting.

In the face of those large enterprises worth tens of billions at every turn, Feng Weiwei's brand effect is not enough, even if the eldest lady of the Helan family comes forward in person, after all, the Long family and other major forces are not vegetarians.

Not only that, Helan Xiaoxin also met Longcheng City in the Western Province.

Longcheng City, which is a number of business geniuses in Huaxia shopping malls, can throw Feng Weiwei, a self-styled business genius, out of ten streets, and marry the Yue family within a few years, creating a huge profit.

People were the first to get the news, and with the fastest speed, they got through all the links that should be opened, and they were the first to submit a detailed plan - according to Helan Xiaoxin's judgment, the probability that Mingzhu Longjia can merge Chunhai Group is more than 60%.

When it comes to the enterprise at the level of Longda knitting, the 60% probability of winning basically means that it is certain.

Helan Xiaoxin gave up the competition very smartly, and was about to go home, but there was bad news from Linshi, which helped the Long family to carefully plan the merger of Longcheng City of Chunhai Group, and set his sights on Linshi, to intervene sideways and acquire this subsidiary.

This time, Dragon City represented the Yue family and used all the connections in the Yue family's shopping mall.

"Alas, a few days ago, I heard that Longcheng City was tired of playing in the mall and was about to enter the military field, but I didn't expect her to come to the mountain collection again."

Helan Xiaoxin sighed lightly and said with some distress: "Originally, we acquired the subsidiary of Chunhai Group in Linshi, which was ironclad. But Dragon City's sideways intervention completely ruined my plan. ”

If Helan Xiaoxin did not use the brand of Kaihuang Group, but as the eldest lady of the Helan family, to acquire that subsidiary, Longcheng City, which was already a big winner in the Western Province, would not dare to interfere with this matter due to some relationships.

But who let Feng Wei only want to buy it?

Longcheng City, which represents the Jinghua Yue family, is it necessary to be polite to an outsider who has been expelled from the family?

Not only is you welcome, but you have to go all out, only in this way can you calm the fire of shame and anger in Yue Lincheng.

With the full support of the Yue family, no matter how big Helan Xiaoxin's ability is, what else can he do except obediently spit out the fat that reaches his mouth?

This hit the new sister very hard, and she didn't have the face to come back to see Feng Weiwei.

"That Dragon City City is too bullying, isn't it?"

Unconsciously, Hu Jia had already entered the state of work, and asked angrily: "Yue family, why do you want to fully support her and go against Mr. Yue?" ”

"Silly girl, Longcheng City is the eldest daughter-in-law of the mother-in-law's family. If Mr. Yue hadn't been expelled from Yue's house, according to his seniority, he would have to call his sister-in-law obediently after seeing her. ”

Helan Xiaoxin smiled bitterly and said, "Okay, let's do this first, and when I go back, I will have an interview with Mr. Yue." ”

"Longcheng City, is it Mr. Yue's sister-in-law?"

Hu Jia muttered to himself and raised his head, only to see that Feng Weiwei didn't know when, he was already standing in front of the table, his face calm.

"Ah, Mr. Yue, Mr. Yue!"

After seeing Feng Weiwei, Hu Jia suddenly remembered the scenery of the Ghost Gate, his body shuddered, and he stepped back.

"Xiaorou, are you going to resign?"

Without waiting for Hu Jia to answer, Feng Weiwei, who was wrapped in a bath towel on his head, sat on the chair, picked up a document, and whispered: "If you are willing to give me, I will not stop you." ”

When a person wants to slap himself in the mouth, it proves that he really owes a beating.

Louie felt that he was underpumped now, and it was better to pump hard with the soles of his shoes, so that he would not talk nonsense in the future.

Looking at the shoes under his feet, he changed his mind again, he was already very uncomfortable in his heart, and if he smoked himself again, wouldn't he be unable to live?

He still has to do a big career, to solve the employment problem for more Lao Wang's hard work, he is really going to die, what should Lao Wang and the others do?

This man can't live only for himself.

Louis, who had managed to convince himself, decided to change the way he punished himself, such as not eating meat for three days - wait, why punish himself?

He didn't seem to say anything too much to Min Rou, but it just deeply stimulated Feng Weiwei, made her crazy, and almost hurt poor Xiao Rou'er.

The responsibility lies with Feng Weiwei, why punish Mr. Li?

Thinking about it like this, Louis felt more comfortable, at most he regretted it, and he shouldn't have stimulated Feng Weiwei.

Calling her to be a little slut, sneering at her and insulting her doesn't seem to be a man's style.

If it's a man, he should go to the door, and without saying a word, give her thirty-two slaps first, and then talk about who came to the Southern Group to make trouble, why do you want to play tricks on women?

Playing with mouths, it seems to be a woman's patent, when did Louie become a?

This is a shortcoming, and it has to be changed.

However, there is one thing that must be paid attention to, that is, the people who came to make trouble in two groups may not have been instigated by Feng Weiwei, and there is someone else behind the scenes, who is to sow discord among them, let the two sluts bite the dog, and hide in the dark to watch the excitement.

Louis can think like this because Feng Weiwei bluntly said that she hired someone to make trouble.

If she denied it in every possible way, swore an oath, Louis would have assumed that she had done it.

But she admitted it with her mouth, and gave several reasons for doing so, this matter is 0%, and it has nothing to do with her, it's like she thinks she is a little slut, and she wants to pestering him like a dog skin plaster in the future, if he doesn't marry, she has to sleep with at least two hundred men again, and let him become the cuckold king, it's all nonsense under anger, don't care.

Smart people always know how to use reverse thinking.

Louie, who is very smart, began to wonder who the real culprit behind the discord is.

In a short period of time, it is difficult to find that person, and besides, things are not very big, and Louis does not want to waste all his energy on this, and he has to focus on the development of the company at present.

The black silk technology has been successfully developed and will soon be ready for mass production.

At present, the production of new products, the supply of raw materials and other issues, are not a matter, the key is sales.

Only by selling the product and exchanging it for money can it be regarded as a real success, he doesn't want to learn from Feng Weiwei, after investing heavily in the research and development of new products, he put it in the warehouse for more than half a year, if there is no trip to Mexico, it should be the fate of cheap disposal.

I don't have to worry about new products, and I am even more worried about how to sell them after I have them.

Business operations, counting on Mr. Li, who is full of brains, to think about these things, even if he is tired to death, he can't come up with a fart idea, which is to listen to the opinions of many employees.

Sitting in the spacious and bright conference room, which also exudes a faint smell of methanol, the high-spirited Mr. Li sat in the center, with Lao Wang, Chen Dali and others on the left, and Director Zhou Gongfan and others on the right.

"Mr. Li, is the meeting to discuss how to retaliate against the Kaihuang Group? If you want me to say, it's not a trivial matter. You will leave it to me to handle it, and you will be satisfied! ”

However, Chen Dali's words made Louie, who looked forward to being self-proud, feel completely lost, and a sense of frustration arose, grass, this is the humerus that Lao Tzu relied on as an important minister, and he knows how to fight and kill all day long, how to have a virtue with Lao Tzu?

Count on the reckless hero Chen Dali, the old Wang who was born as a security guard, or count on the nerd Zhou Gong, who knows Director Fan who repairs the machine?

Talents, I want to be proficient in enterprise management, do market research of external talents!

After screaming in despair in his heart, Louis glared at Chen Dali: "Chen Dali, you are no longer a mixed society, but the security director of the Southern Group, please keep in mind this glorious position, and don't shout and kill at every turn in the future." ”

"Can shouting and killing solve the production problem? Can it solve the sales problem? ”

After reprimanding Chen Dali, Louis said straight to the point: "I invite you to a meeting today to discuss with you how to sell our products." ”

Everyone looked at each other, no one spoke, and soon looked at Louie, containing sincere trust, these things will be handed over to you!

When the cow is always there, Zhou Gong and others are only responsible for R&D and production, as for how to replace the product with real money, there is the encyclopedia of the old cow, who will bother to think about it?

Now that Mr. Niu has been replaced by Mr. Li, the big guy doesn't look at him, who does he look at?

Hold a grass, if I can understand this, I still want you to dry the birds?

Louis really wanted to raise his hand and overturn the table, shouting that Lao Tzu is not playing, the tree is falling and the sun is scattered!

No, this is the first time in Mr. Li's life to do serious things, if because of this little difficulty, he doesn't know what to say, wouldn't it make the little slut laugh big teeth?

There is a way that the Buddha fights for a stick of incense, and people fight for a breath, isn't it just to sell things, it's not a thing!

Louis lit a cigarette and brewed the demeanor of a big boss a little before he slowly spoke: "The ancients, good wine is not afraid of the age of deep alleys, already."

In the past, now it's about branding.

Card effect? ”

Chen Dali raised his hand first and replied enthusiastically: "It's like mentioning the Golden Emperor Club, everyone knows what it is!" ”

Your sister, it's not good to use a big metaphor, but use the Golden Emperor Club!

Li Nannan scolded in his heart, but nodded approvingly on the surface: "What Director Chen said is very good, the so-called brand effect is a well-known meaning." The stockings we produce not only need a catchy name, but also a platform for the world to promote, that is, advertising. ”

When Mr. Niu was there, the registered trademark of the product was Zingor.

However, Li Nannan thinks that this name is very vulgar, it is better to call it stupid bird stockings, stupid bird stockings, stupid to sour - this name must be changed, Tron is catchy, it is best to have the traditional color of China, and less nonsense names like Yagona and Flaume to disgust people.

According to the IQ of everyone here, it should be difficult to give a product a very good name, but maybe a blind cat can meet a dead mouse?

Immediately, everyone started their brains, the sages and the brains, what a bright, Qingda, Mengniu - Chen Dali is a stupid man, and even said that he wants Sanlu.

, I think you look like Sanlu!

Li Nannan's brain was dizzy when he heard this, he raised his hand and waved, signaling everyone to close the bird's beak temporarily, he better think about it himself, it's really not good, ask that little slut?

Suddenly, Li Nannan thought of Yue Zitong.

I quarreled, scolded, and even almost killed someone just now, but what's the matter, it's lively to fight and make trouble, anyway, she also said that she won't marry, please think of a better name for her, isn't it shameless?

After making up his mind, Li Nannan stood up and walked to the door: "Wait a minute, I'll make a call first." ”

Since he had already made a phone call, Li Nannan no longer hid his head and tail, and directly used his mobile phone to call Yue Zitong's mobile phone, landline to landline, mobile phone to mobile phone, man to woman, convex to concave, so that it is reasonable.

Min Rou was reluctant to leave Yue Zitong, it had nothing to do with how much salary she was given, the key was that her sisterhood was deep.

Xiao Rou'er has long felt that something is wrong with Helan Xiaoxin, and she wants to make a small hill in the company, she once reminded Mr. Yue, but she was not taken seriously, if she left, who else would stare at Jinghua guests?

Yue Zitong, who played the emotional card, once again successfully retained Min Rou, and repeatedly promised that in the future, he would rather abandon his martial arts than touch her again.

When the two sisters, who were as reconciled as ever, were distressed by the news sent back by Helan Xiaoxin, Mr. Yue's mobile phone rang ding-dong, and the name of Li Scumbag jumped happily on it.

Min Rou's eyebrows were raised crampedly, it turned out that he had applied for a new card.

"He called me."

Mr. Yue said calmly.

Min Rou nodded, signaling that she had seen it.

Mr. Yue asked again: "Will I take it, or will I not answer?" ”

Min Rou nodded and motioned for you to take care of it yourself.

"Nodding, just agree with me to take it."

Mr. Yue's onion-like index finger swiped and pulled on the screen, clicked on the hands-free by the way, and asked with a smile: "Dear drop, what's the matter with finding a little slut?" ”

Min Rou lowered her head and sighed in her heart.

"Yue Zitong, I have something serious to ask you to help me with."

When Li Nannan scolded her for being a little slut, he felt very comfortable, but after hearing her call herself like this, he felt very awkward: "Can we still talk well?" ”

Yue Zitong smiled on his face, and said coldly: "If you have something to say, let it go if you have a fart." ”

This is the President Yue I am familiar with, Min Rou and Li Nannan, and this emotion rose in my heart at the same time.

Li Nannan said a few words, explaining the purpose of the call.

Yue Zitong smiled: "Yo, dignified boss Li, if you want to give me a name for the product, you also come to ask me, I'm really flattered." ”

"If you want to be frightened, there will be opportunities in the future."

Li Nannan said with a big grin: "If you want to help, you can help, and if you can't help, you will pull it down." ”

"I'm afraid, it's not good to get up, you know, I'm very stupid."

"Whatever you want, as long as you get it, I'll adopt it."

"Yo, I'm really flattered again, Boss Li is simply in love."

Yue Zitong drew circles on the table with his fingers, and said with a smile: "Then I will be ugly." I think, let's call it South, Southern Stockings, it's catchy to call, and it fits your company name. ”

"Knowing why you name the stockings after me is nothing more than disgusting to me, so that when I see a woman wearing black silk, I can think of my name, and put it on the woman's lap - okay, it's called Southern stockings!"

Li Nannan's IQ really didn't say anything, and he broke Yue Zitong's sinister intentions in one sentence, but he didn't care, his name was worn on the lap by thousands of women, always accompanying those pairs of pink thighs, and it was also romantic to think about, isn't it?

Is that really the name?

When Yue Zitong was stunned, Li Nannan spoke again: "Ha, I thank you so much, not only gave me a name for my product, but also gave me an idea and an advertising word." ”

"What advertising words?"

Yue Zitong subconsciously asked.

"Southern stockings, black and homesick."

People don't know anything about the Vikings, and that's the most frightening point. Century later, the homeland of the Vikings was still on the outskirts of the known world. The climate was cold and uninhabitable, and the hand of civilization of the Roman Empire never reached there. Scandinavia, where Norway, Sweden and Denmark are located, is a snow-capped polar region that stretches 1,234 miles from Jutland in the south to Cape Knifsheloden in the Arctic Circle, spanning half of Europe. Norway, the most mountainous country on the European continent, and Denmark, the flattest country on the entire continent, have the highest point in Denmark just 170 meters above sea level.

All three of these states were not established at the beginning of the Viking Age. Denmark, which is home to the entire Jutland Peninsula and more than 500 surrounding islands, has the most favorable climatic conditions. Thanks to the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Current, Denmark is dominated by sand beaches, lush grasses and lush forests. Thanks to its connection to the west coast of Germany, the west is a natural gateway for young people to explore. Vikings from Denmark traveled south along the Low Countries and France, eventually crossing the English Channel to England. Beginning with England, they launched a series of raids as far away as Spain and even Italy. Although the first raiders of England were the Vikings from present-day Norway, as a large number of Danes frequented England's sea lanes, Anglo-Saxon sources have always been accustomed to treating all Vikings as "Danes", regardless of where they actually came from.

Scandinavia, where Norway and Sweden are located, does not have such pleasant climatic conditions compared to Denmark. Of the two regions, Sweden has relatively fertile farmland. The eastern part of Sweden was separated from Russia by sea, and most of Sweden's Vikings chose to move eastward, though mostly to trade rather than plunder. Their explorations were little known, but when they established the first Rus' state in Kiev, they left some indelible marks on history.

Norway is the most rugged of the Viking region, with nearly a third of its territory within the Arctic Circle. The numerous islands and fjords in the west both block the intrusion of the cold air currents of the Atlantic Ocean and form a natural "passage to the north", where there is a sea route to the Arctic Circle. This is where Norway's name comes from. Therefore, when the Vikings in the Norwegian region went on an expedition to the North Sea, they chose to push westward, sometimes by direct raids, sometimes by colonization. The group established a settlement in Greenland and arrived in the New World around 1000.

During the Viking Age, both Sweden and Norway were sparsely populated, making it difficult to maintain a large population. Norway's available arable land is fragmented by numerous fjords, and the interior is mostly mountainous; The south and west of Sweden are blocked off by vast forests, swamps and lakes, making it impossible to cross. In summer, there is plenty of prey here, including reindeer, elk, wolves, bears, badgers, foxes, etc.; The winter is long and there is nothing. Therefore, if you don't stock up on enough food in the summer, you can only starve in the winter. Perhaps because of this seasonal food shortage, hospitality is seen as a very important quality here. Poor hospitality can even lead to a blood feud that lasts for generations.

To kill time, they invented many sports, such as the hockey-like "kanatrek", which was popular but also prone to injury. Of course, there are some milder board games, but the Vikings prefer sports that strengthen the body. For example, wrestling and fencing are competitions for strength, rock climbing, skiing, skating, swimming and other sports that test endurance, and there are also agility sports such as throwing spears with both hands at the same time and waving oars across the boat.

The winner is never shy about showing people their glory. A Norwegian king named Ostein proudly boasted to his co-rulers: "My skiing skills are unparalleled, and you are not even as good as a cow." ”

In addition to competing with each other, the Vikings would occasionally have animals fight each other. One of the most popular of these bloody fights was the contest between the stallions. Two stallions fight each other for a mare until the weaker one dies. The thirst for killing is repugnant, but mercy does not make a strong warrior. A man in Iceland was ridiculed as a "pedophile" for not wanting to throw a snatched baby into the air and then pierce it with a spear.

These activities seem so cruel to us, but the Vikings are very civilized in some ways. Unlike the vulgarity of traditional barbarians, the Vikings paid special attention to personal appearance and hygiene. They will groom themselves carefully, take a bath at least once a day, and wash their hair with strong alkaline soap, which can not only kill bacteria, but also get rid of lice. Viking archaeology has unearthed many precious tweezers, razors, combs, and even ear pickers.

At that time, Europeans did not have sweets in their daily diets, so tooth decay rarely occurred. Although half of the children died before the age of 10, most of those who survived lived to be in their 50s, which was a long life expectancy at the time. At that time, the average height of men was about 177 meters, and that of women was about 152 meters, which is not how tall it was, but it was certainly taller than the southerners they came into contact with.

Although they are still not on an equal footing with men, women in the Viking world have more rights than women in Western Christendom. Although many girls are married by the age of 12, after the death of their husbands, the wives are in charge of the family and have the right to make important decisions. If the marriage lasts for more than 20 years, both men and women have the right to terminate the marriage if they wish, and the woman receives half of her husband's property in accordance with the law. Unlike in other parts of Europe, women have the right to inherit property, can file for divorce and demand their dowry back after the divorce. The Vikings also had runi stone carvings that sang the praises of women, as was the Danish King Gorm the Elder, who once praised his wife as "the jewel of Denmark"; Down to an anonymous stone tablet with the inscription "Hasmia is the best wife in the world".

Children learn to help their parents with household chores from an early age, and girls learn the craft of making wine and making dairy products; Boys learn how to hunt in a sleigh and how to work with wood or metal tools. Children participate in sports designed to prepare them for the roles they will take on as adults. The boys' favorite events are weighted jumping and swimming. An adult Viking man must be able to swim several miles in a row to be considered qualified.

The morning was cold, with a hint of loneliness, faintly suggesting that summer was coming to an end. The group of twenty men set off at dawn, and Blanzema was in the middle of it, anxious and excited. This time he was old enough to go to the execution ground with his father and brother to watch the king's law be carried out. It was the ninth year of the summer, and Bran was seven years old.

The condemned prisoner has been taken to the manor on the hill, and Robb believes that he is a wild man who swears allegiance to the "King of the Outside World" Mance Red. Bran remembered the story the old nurse had told by the fire, and goosebumps got all over his body. She said that the wild people were cruel and brutal, and that they were all slave traders, murderers and thieves. They were in cahoots with giants and ghouls, abducting virgins in the dark of night and sipping blood with polished horns. Their women are said to have befriended the demons in the ancient "Long Night" to reproduce the terrifying offspring of half-human, half-ghost.

However, the old man in front of him was thin and withered, not much taller than Robb, and his hands and feet were tightly tied behind him, waiting for the king's will to be done. He lost both ears and a finger to chilblains in the bitter cold. His clothes were pitch-black, not unlike those of the Night's Watch brethren, but ragged and full of abscesses.

The scent of men and horses mingled in the cold morning air into a steaming snow-white fog, and my father ordered the prisoners by the wall to be loosened and dragged to the front of the line. Robb and Jon straightened their backs and straddled their saddles; Bran rode his pony to a halt between the two, trying to show the maturity of a seven-year-old child, as if everything had become commonplace. A gentle breeze blew through the gates, and the banner of House Stark of Winterfell fluttered overhead, with a painting of a gray ice field running wolf on a white background.

My father sat on his horse with a solemn expression, his long brown hair fluttering in the wind. A few strands of white sprang out of his neatly trimmed beard, and he looked older than his actual age at thirty-five. On this day, his gray eyes were stern and merciless, and he didn't look like the man who would sit in front of the stove on a snowy night, telling the story of the ancient heroic era and the children of the forest. He'd taken off his fatherly face and put on the mask of Duke Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Bran thought to himself.

In the early morning chill, Bran heard questions and answers to them, but he couldn't remember what had been said afterwards. At last my father gave the order, and the two guards dragged the ragged man to the iron stake in the middle of the clearing, and pressed his head against the dark hardwood. Eddard Stark unsaddled and dismounted, and his adopted son, Theon Greyjoy, immediately handed over the sword. The name of the sword is "Cold Ice", and the body is wider than the palm, and it stands taller than Robb. Forged from Valyrian steel, the blade has been blessed with spells and is as dark as black smoke. There is nothing sharper than Valyrian steel.

Father took off his gloves and handed them to Jory Kesso, the captain of the guard, and then raised his sword in both hands and said in a loud voice: "In the name of Robert I of House Baratheon, King of the Andals, Royna, and 'Ancestors', Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and Guardian of the Realm, I, Duke of Winterfell and Guardian of the North, Eddard of House Stark, hereby sentence you to death. With that, he raised his greatsword above his head.

Bran's half-brother, Jon Snow, leaned in. "Hold on to the reins and don't let the horses move. Also, don't turn your head, or your father will find out. ”

Bran gripped the reins and didn't let the pony move or turn his head away.

With a swing of his father's giant sword, he neatly cut off the head of the death row inmate. Blood splattered on the snow, as red as a summer red in a grape wine. One of the horses in the team neighed and jumped, and they almost ran wildly. Bran stared intently at the bloodstains, only to see the snow beside the trunk of the tree slurping thirstily and thirstily, quickly dying a dark red under his gaze.

The head rolled over the roots of the tree and rolled to Greyjoy's feet. Theon was a lean, dark-skinned nineteen-year-old man with an appetite for anything. He grinned and kicked the man away.

"Bastard thing." Jon cursed in a low voice, deliberately keeping his voice low so that Greyjoy could hear him. He reached out and put his hand around Bran's shoulder, and Bran turned to look at his bastard brother. "You're doing a great job." Jon told him with a solemn expression. Jon was fourteen years old, and watching executions was commonplace for him.

The cold wind had stopped, and the sun was shining, but the long journey back to Winterfell seemed to be getting colder. Bran rode alongside his brother, far ahead of the group, and he stepped off his pony panting to keep up with the swiftness of his brother's mount.

"This deserter died bravely." Robb said. Tall and strong, he grew up every day, inheriting his mother's fair complexion, reddish-brown hair, and the eyes of the Tully family. "Anyway, he's got a bit of courage."

"No," Jon said quietly, "that's not courage. Stark, this guy died of fear, you can tell by the look in his eyes. Jon's grey eyes were almost jet black, but few things in the world escaped his observation. He was the same age as Robb, but the two were very different in appearance: Robb was muscular, fair-skinned, strong and fast-moving; Jon, on the other hand, was lean, dark-skinned, and graceful and agile in his demeanor.

Robb disagreed. "Let the stranger gouge out his eyes," he cursed, "and he died a great death." How's it going, who gets to the bridge first? ”

"It's a deal." Jon finished his words and grabbed the horse's belly and rode forward. Robb cursed a few words and chased after him, and the two of them hurried forward along the path. Robb screamed and laughed, and Jon focused. The horse's hooves splashed a rain of snow behind them.

Bran didn't follow, his pony wasn't that capable. He had just seen the eyes of the condemned prisoner, and now he was lost in thought. It wasn't long before Robb's laughter faded away, and the forest fell silent.

He was so focused that he didn't notice that the follow-up team had caught up with him, until his father rode to his side and asked with concern, "Bran, are you alright?" ”

"Father, I'm fine." Bran replied, and he looked up at his father, who was dressed in a fur coat and leather armor, and mounted on a majestic horse that enveloped him like a giant. Robb said that the man died bravely, but Jon said that he was scared when he died.

"What do you think of yourself?" His father asked.

Bran pondered for a moment and then asked, "Can a man be brave when he is afraid?" ”

"A man can only be brave when he is afraid." His father told him, "Do you know why I killed him? ”

"Because he is a wild man," replied Bran without thinking, "they kidnap women and sell them to strangers." ”

The father smiled and said, "The old lady is telling you a story again." The man was actually a deserter who had broken the oath of the Night's Watch. There is no more dangerous person in the world than this, because they know that once they are arrested, there is only one way to die, so evil will be born on the side of the guts, and no matter how harmful they are, they can do it. But you'll be mistaken, I'm not asking you why he died, but why I carried out the execution myself."

Bran couldn't think of an answer. "All I know is that King Robert had an executioner," he said with some certainty.

"It is true that he was the executioner of the royal family to carry out the king's laws," the father admitted, "and so did the Targaryen dynasty before him." But we follow the old tradition that the Stark family still has the blood of the 'ancestors' in their veins, and we believe that those who sentence the death penalty must do it themselves. If you are going to take someone's life, you should at least look him in the eye and listen to his last words. If he fails to do so, then perhaps he will not be dead. ”

"Bran, one day you will become Robb's vassal, ruling your own realm for your brother and the king, and you will have to rule the law as well. When that day comes, you must not kill for pleasure or shirk responsibility. If the ruler hides behind the scenes and pays the executioner to carry it out, he will soon forget what death is. ”

Jon appeared at the top of the slope in front of them, waved down and shouted, "Father, Bran, come and see what Robb has found!" Then he disappeared behind the hills.

Jory rushed forward, "My lord, is something wrong?" ”

"Well," replied the father, "come, let us go and see what has happened to my mischievous son." He galloped on his horse, and Jory, Bran, and the others followed.

They find Robb on the banks of the river north of the bridge, and Jon is still on horseback. This month, the snow was heavy in late summer, and Robb stood knee-deep in the snow, his cloak wide back, the sun shining in his hairline. He was holding something in his arms, and he and Jon were whispering excitedly.

The team rode carefully through the river's many floats, looking for the rugged ground hidden beneath the snow. Jory Kesso and Theon Greyjoy were the first to arrive at the boy. Greyjoy was talking and laughing, but Bran gasped. "God forbid!" He screamed and reached for his sword, struggling to hold his mount.

Jory's saber was unsheathed, "Robb, stay away from that!" As soon as he cried out, his mount was raised in the air.

Robb was holding a mass of things in his arms, and he looked up with a grin, "She can't hurt you," he said, "Jory, she's dead." ”

Curious and restless, Bran wanted to teach the pony to run faster, but his father told him to dismount by the bridge and go on foot. He jumped off his horse impatiently, and ran over in three steps and two steps.

By the time he arrived, Jon, Jory, and Theon Greyjoy had dismounted. "Seven Layers of Hell, what the hell is this?" Greyjoy muttered.

"Wolves." Robb told him.

"Nonsense," retorted Greyjoy, "how can a wolf be so big?" ”

Bran's heart pounded, and he pushed away a waist-high pile of floats and ran to his brother's side.

A large, dark figure half-hidden in a blood-stained snowdrift, soft and lifeless. The fluffy gray fluff had frozen, and the smell of decay clinged to it, like the smell of perfume on a woman's body, and Bran could catch a faint glimpse of its godless eye sockets crawling with maggots, and its grin was full of yellow teeth. But what really scared him was the size of the wolf, which was bigger than his pony and twice the size of his father's largest hound.

"I didn't lie to you," Jon said, "this is indeed the Icewolf, they are bigger than the other wolves. ”

Theon Greyjoy said, "But for two hundred years, no one south of the Great Wall of Desperation has seen half an ice wolf. ”

"Isn't it just the one in front of you?" Jon replied.

Bran struggled to look away from the monster in front of him, only to notice what Robb was holding in his arms. He cried out in delight and leaned in. The wolf cub was just a ball of gray fur, and its eyes were still not open. It rubbed blindly against Robb's chest, searching for ** in his leather armor, and let out a mournful moan. Bran reached out with some hesitation, "It's okay," Robb told him, "you can touch it." ”

Bran was so nervous that he quickly touched the wolf cub and turned his head when he heard Jon's voice. "Look, it's just for you." His illegitimate brother put the second wolf cub in his arms. "There are five of them." Bran sat down in the snow and pressed the wolf's soft fur to his cheek.

After all these years, the Icewolf has suddenly reappeared," muttered Hu Lun, the head of the stable, "I don't like this kind of thing. ”

"That's a bad sign." Jory said.

Father frowned. "Jory, he's just a dead wolf." He said, but his face was clouded. He circled around the wolf corpse, the snow shattering under his feet. "Do you know what it was killed by?"

"There's something in my throat." Robb replied triumphantly, secretly proud that he could find an answer to his father's questions before they even asked. "Right under the chin."

His father crouched down, reached under the wolf's head, twisted it vigorously, and lifted an object for everyone to see. It turned out to be a broken antler, split and broken, stained with blood.

A sudden silence enveloped the procession, and everyone stared at the antlers in confusion, but no one spoke. Bran couldn't understand why the others were frightened, but he could feel their fear.

The father threw away the antlers and cleaned his hands in the snow. "I didn't expect it to have the strength to give birth to a child." His voice broke the silence.

"Maybe it didn't last that long," Jory said, "I've heard legends like that...... Perhaps the she-wolf was dead when the baby wolf was born. ”

"Born with death," the other said, "is a worse sign." ”

"It's all right," said Hu Lun, "and these little ones won't live long anyway." ”

Bran let out a silent sigh of disappointment.

"I think the sooner they die, the better," Theon Greyjoy agreed, drawing his sword. "Bran, throw that thing over."

The little thing in Bran's arms seemed to understand human speech, and squirmed around him. "Don't!" He exclaimed firmly, "It's mine." ”

"Greyjoy, take the sword away." Robb said that in that moment, he sounded as majestic and powerful as his father, just as he would one day become a lord. "We're going to raise these little wolves."

"Boy, this won't work." Hulun's son, Harwin.

"It's mercy to kill them." Hulun interface.

Bran looked at his father, hoping to find a rescuer, but he saw only deep brows. "Good son, Hu Lun is right. Rather than starve them and freeze, it's better to finish them early. ”

"Don't!" He could already feel the tears rolling in his eyes, so he looked away, he didn't want to cry in front of his father.

Robb stubbornly continued to resist. "Sir Rodric's red just gave birth last week," he said, "and quite a few of the litters died, but only two puppies survived, and there should be enough milk for them to drink." ”

"If they try to get close to the milk, they'll be torn to shreds by it."

"Master Stark," Jon said. It was strange to hear him call his father so officially. Bran looked at him with the last shred of hope. "There were five wolf cubs," he told his father, "three males and two females." ”

"Jon, does that make any sense?"

"You have five children," Jon replied, "three sons and two daughters. Icewolves are your family crest again, and your children are destined to have these little wolves, my lord. ”

Bran saw his father's face change and the others exchanged glances, and at that moment, he loved Jon with all his heart. Even though he was only seven years old, Bran was well aware of what his illegitimate brother meant by doing so: he had excluded himself from his father's heirs. He counted the two girls, and even the infant little Rickon had a point, but he didn't count himself with the bastard surname Snow. The surname Snow is reserved for those who were born in the North but unfortunately have no father.

My father understood that, too. "Jon, don't you want a wolf cub yourself?" He asked softly.

"The Icewolf is the coat of arms of House Stark," Jon points out, "I'm not part of House Stark, father. ”

Father glanced thoughtfully at Jon, and Robb eagerly broke the silence, "Father, I'll feed the wolf cub myself." "I'll feed it a wet towel soaked in warm milk." ”

"Me too!" Bran hurriedly followed.

The Duke looked at his son meaningfully, "It's easy to say, but it's not easy to do. I will not let you take up your servant's time. If you really want to raise these little wolves, you're going to have to do it all yourself, you know? ”

Bran nodded eagerly, and the little wolf curled up in his arms, sticking out his warm tongue to lick his cheek.

"You'll have to train them yourself," said the father, "and I promise that the master will have nothing to do with these monsters." If you train them to be cruel, or if something goes wrong, then pray to the gods of heaven to bless you. These are not well-behaved dogs, nor are they characters that can be dismissed with a casual kick. Tearing off an arm is as easy as a dog killing a mouse, are you sure you want to keep it? ”

"Yes, Father." Bran replied.

"Hmm." Robb agreed.

"Even if you try hard, there is still a possibility that the little wolf will die."

"No," Robb said, "we're not going to let them die." ”

"Then keep them. Jory, Desmond, bring the other wolves, and it's time for us to go back to Winterfell. ”

It wasn't until they rode home that Bran allowed himself to enjoy the joy of victory. His little wolf was now safely hidden in his leather armor, and he couldn't help but wonder what to call it.

Walking to the middle of the bridge, Jon suddenly grabbed the reins of his horse.

"Jon, what's wrong?" The duke's father asked.

"Didn't you hear?"

Bran heard nothing but the wind and the clattering of horses' hooves in the woods, and the wolf cub waiting to be fed in his arms, but Jon was listening to something else.

"There." Jon said, turning his horse's head and galloping across the bridge, and everyone watched as he dismounted beside the she-wolf's carcass, knelt on his knees, and returned a moment later with a smile on his face.

"This one must have crawled away first." Jon said.

"Or kicked out." Their father looked at the sixth wolf cub and said. Its coat was white, while the other wolf cubs were mostly gray and black, and its eyes were as red as the blood of a death row prisoner in the morning. Bran was curious, and for some reason the other wolf cubs hadn't even opened their eyes, but it was the only one who had a sparkling eye.

"White," said Theon Greyjoy, with a kind of amused sarcasm, "I'm afraid that this will only die the fastest." ”

Jon Snow gave his father's adopted son a meaningful, cold stare, "Greyjoy, I don't think so. He replied, "Because this is my wolf." ”

Caitlin had never liked the Sacred Woods.

She was born into the Tully family in the south and grew up in Riverrun on the banks of the Red Fork River. The Red Fork River, a tributary of the Trident River, is a bright and clear garden with tall mahogany trees spilling into the stream, birds singing in their nests in the woods, and the scent of flowers in the air.

Winterfell believes in a different way. This is a dark and primitive place, the ancient castle stands majestically and independently, and the 10,000-year-old ancient trees are lying around, exuding a damp and ** smell. There are no mahogany trees growing here, and the woods are made up of sentinel trees covered with gray-green pine needles, strong oak trees, and iron trees as old as the kingdom. Here, the thick black trunks of the trees squeeze against each other, the twisted branches weave a dense towering tree overhead, and the deformed intertwined roots wrestle with each other underground. It was a place of deep silence and suffocating shadows, and the gods who dwelt in it did not even have a name.

But she knew she could find her husband here tonight. Whenever he took someone's life, he would always come here to seek the tranquility of the sacred forest.

Caitlin was blessed with seven oils, and the naming ceremony took place in the Waterflowing Sanctuary bathed in rainbow light. Like her ancestors, she believed in the Seven Gods. The gods she believed in had names and surnames, and her faces were as familiar as those of her own parents. She prayed in the chapel where the censer was burning, the smell of incense permeating the air, and the monks of the guide hung the seven-sided crystals of the symbiosis and whispered in a whisper. Although the Tully family had their own sacred grove like the other nobles, it was just a place to walk and read or rest in the warm sun, and worshipping the gods had always been a matter of the church.

Ned built her a small sanctuary so that she could have a place to chant to the God of the Seven Faces. However, the Stark family still has the blood of the "ancestors" in his veins, and he believes in the ancient gods who have neither names nor faces, those who belong to the verdant woods, and the ancestors and the children of the vanished forest believe in each other.

In the middle of the forest is an old fishbeam tree, shrouded in a pool of black cold pool water, which Ned calls the "Heart Tree". The bark of the fish beam wood is as white as bones, and the leaves are dark red, like the palms of thousands of blood-stained hands. A human face was carved into the trunk of the tree, and the face was deep and melancholy, full of deep-seated sunken eyes of dried red tree sap, which was strange and alarming. It was a pair of ancient eyes, older than Winterfell itself, that had seen Brandon the "City Builder" lay the first cornerstone and, if the legend was true, that the castle's marble walls had been built around it. Legend has it that these faces were carved by the sons of the forest during the Age of Dawn, before the "ancestors" crossed the Narrow Sea.

The fish beams and trees in the south were cut down and burned down thousands of years ago, and only the "green men" were quietly guarded on Qianmian Island. However, everything is very different in the north, where each castle has its own sacred forest, and each sacred forest has a heart tree, and each heart tree has a human face.

Caitlin found her husband under the fishbeam, who sat quietly on the moss-covered rock. The sword "Ice" lay on his knees, and he was washing the blood from his sword with the water of the pool of eternal night. The humus accumulated for thousands of years was thickly covered on the land of the Divine Wood Forest, absorbing the sound of her footsteps, but Yuliangmu's red eyes seemed to be reluctant to follow. "Ned 1." She called softly.

He looked up at her. "Caitlin," his tone was solemn and distant. "What about the kids?"

He would always ask this first. "It's all in the kitchen, and they're arguing over what to name for the little wolves." She spread her cloak on the woodland and sat down on the edge of the pool, her back to the fishbeam. She could feel the eyes staring at her, but she did everything she could to ignore them. "Arya is already madly in love, Sansa is too, and Rickon is not so sure."

"Is he afraid?" Ned asked.

"One thing," she admitted, "is that he's only three years old, after all." ”。

Ned frowned, "He has to learn to face his fears, he can't be three years old forever, not to mention that winter is coming." ”

"yes," Caitlyn agreed, and the last sentence made her shudder, as always. This is the motto of the Stark family, and every noble family has its own motto: whether it is a motto passed down from generation to generation, or a measure of how to deal with people, or a prayer for a difficult situation; Some boast of honor, some emphasize loyalty, and some take oaths of faith and courage, with the exception of the Starks. Winter is coming, so says the Stark family's inscription. More than once, she had wondered in her heart what kind of weirdos these northerners were.

"The man died a crisp death today, I admit that." Ned said, holding a piece of oiled leather in his hand, and as he spoke, he wiped the blade of his sword lightly, the metal grinding into a dull sheen. "I'm very happy for Bran, and if you're here, you'll be proud of him."

"I've always been very proud of him." Caitlyn replied as she watched him wipe his sword, and she could see the ripples in the depths of the steel, the marks of the forging process. Caitlyn has no crush on swords, but she can't deny that "Ice" has its own unique beauty. Forged in Valyria before the apocalypse struck the ancient fortress of freedom, blacksmiths not only used chisels to smelt iron, but also used spells to shape metal. The sword is four hundred years old, but it is still as sharp as it was when it was first forged. Its name is even more time-honored in that it is derived from the ancient Age of Heroes, when the Starks were kings of the North.

"This is the fourth deserter of the year," said Ned, with a calm face, "and the poor fellow is half mad, and something has scared him so much that even my words will not work." He sighed, "Ban wrote that the Night's Watch had less than a thousand men left, and that not only because of the deserters, but also because of the patrols they sent out. ”

"Is it a relationship with the savages?" She asked.

"Who else will there be?" Ned held up the "ice" and looked down at the cold steel in his hand. "I'm afraid the situation will only get worse, and maybe I really have no choice but to gather my vassals and lead my army north to fight the king beyond the Great Wall."

"Beyond the Great Wall?" Caitlyn shuddered at the thought of it.

Ned sensed the fear on her face. "We don't need to be afraid of Mance Red."

"There's something even more terrifying beyond the Wall." She turned her head and looked at the hearttree's pale bark and ochre-red eyes, staring, listening, and considering deep and distant thoughts.

His smile was so gentle. "You've heard too much of the old granny's story. The Wraith, like the Children of the Forest, has been gone for more than a thousand years. Master Ruwen will tell you that they never existed, that no living person had ever seen them. ”

"Hasn't anyone seen an ice wolf before this morning?" Caitlin reminded him.

"I can't say anything about the people of the Tully family," a regretful smile appeared on his lips, and he retracted the "cold ice" into his scabbard. "I guess you didn't come here to talk to me about bedtime stories, and I know you don't like this place at all. What is it, my good lady? ”

Caitlin took her husband's hand. "We've received sad news today, my lord, and I don't want to bother you until you clean your sword." Since there was no way to mitigate the damage, she decided to tell the truth. "Honey, I'm sad that Jon Arryn has passed away."

They looked at each other, and she could clearly see how hard he had been hit, just as she had expected. Ned had been an adopted son in Eagle's Nest as a young man, and the childless Duke of Arryn treated him and his other adopted son, Robert Baratheon, as if they were his own father. When the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen demanded that he hand over the heads of the two men, the Duke of Eagle's Nest unfurled his Crescent Falcon, preferring to rebel rather than betray the man he had sworn to protect.

And on that day fifteen years ago, the reincarnated father became Ned's brother-in-law again. The two of them stood side by side in the Sanctuary of Riverrun, married two sisters, the two daughters of Duke Horst Tully.

"Jon ......," he said, "is that true?" ”

The letter bears the king's seal and is written by Robert himself. He said that the Duke of Arryn had left in such a hurry that even the Dispatcher was helpless. However, the national teacher gave him poppy milk, so Jon didn't suffer too much. ”

"I guess that's the last bit of mercy." He said she saw the sadness on his face, but the first thing he thought of was her. "Your sister," he asked, "and Jon's son, is there any news of them?" ”。

"The letter only said that they were safe and sound, and that they had returned to Eagle's Nest City." Caitlyn said, "I wish they were back in Riverrun." The Eagle's Nest was a towering and lonely city that had always been her husband's territory, not her home. Lord Jon's memories are sure to haunt every brick and stone in the Eagle's Nest. I know my sister very well and she needs the support and companionship of her family and friends. ”

"Isn't your uncle waiting for her in the Valley of Arryn? I've heard that Jon has appointed him as a Knight of the Bloodgate. ”

Caitlyn nodded, "Of course Brinnden will do what he can to take care of her and her son, but ......"

"Then go and accompany her," Ned urged, "take the children with you, and fill her dwelling with laughter and noise." That child needs the company of other companions, and your sister should not mourn alone. ”

"If only I could go." Caitlyn said, "The letter says something else, the king is on his way to Winterfell, and he wants to consult you about state affairs. ”

It took Ned a moment to understand what she meant, but when it dawned on him, the gloom in his eyes was cleared. "Robert is coming?" She nodded, and a smile broke across his face.

Catelyn wished she could share in his joy at the moment, but she heard rumors in the courtyard that an ice wolf had died in the snow with a broken antler in its throat. Fear curled up in her heart like a poisonous snake, but she forced herself to force a smile in front of the man she loved so much, a man who did not believe in any omen. "I knew you would be glad to hear it," she said, "and we should inform your brother at the Wall." ”

"Yes, yes, of course," he agreed, "Ben must want to come." I asked Master Ruwen to send his fastest bird to deliver the letter. Ned straightened up and pulled her up. Damn, how many years have we not seen each other? He didn't even inform me. Is there any indication in the letter about how many people will come? ”

"I think there are at least a hundred knights, plus their retinue, and half the number of free riders. Cersei and her children are here too. ”

"So for their sake, Robert won't go too fast." "It's okay, so we have more time to prepare," he said. ”

"The queen's brother is also in the ranks." She told him.

Ned's face immediately sank when he heard this. Catelyn was well aware that he had no affection for the Queen's family, and that the Lannisters of Castle Rock were the last nobles to join Robert's power, and did not express their position until the victory or defeat became clear, and Ned never forgave them. "Well, if the price of Robert's visit is these Lannister nuisances, then admit it. It's just that it sounds like Robert has brought half of his court with him. ”

"Wherever the king goes, the kingdom follows." She replied.

"It's not bad to look at those kids. The last time I saw the Lannister woman, Robert's youngest son was still drinking her milk. How many years have it been in the blink of an eye? He should have ...... by now How much...... Five years old, right? ”

"Prince Tomman is seven years old," she told him, "the same year as Bran." Be careful with your wording, Ned, for the Lannister woman is our queen anyway, and she is said to be more and more arrogant every year. ”

Ned squeezed her hand, "We've got to have a dinner party, and of course we've got musicians and singers, well, Robert is going to go hunting." I'll send Jory south to King's Road with an honorary escort to meet them, and escort them back. The gods are above, how are we going to feed these people? You say he's already on his way? This guy is damned, he is a king. ”

The elder brother held up his robe to show her. "It's so beautiful, you touch it, it's okay, you look at this material."

Dani touched it, the fabric was soft as water, flowing through her fingers, she had never worn such soft clothes before. She suddenly became frightened and quickly withdrew her hand. "Is this really for me?"

"It's a gift from Governor Illyrio," Viserys smiled. My brother was in a good mood tonight. "The color of the robe is just the right match for your violet eyes. You're also going to have to wear gold jewelry, and all sorts of jewels, and you'll have to look like a princess tonight. ”

There was a princess, Dani thought. She had long since forgotten what it was like, maybe she didn't even know it. "Why is he so good to us?" "What does he want from us?" she asked. "For nearly half a year they have relied on the governor for food and lodging, and they have been pampered by his servants. At the age of thirteen, Dani already understands that such generous treatment doesn't come out of nowhere, especially in a free-trade city-state like Pantos.

"Illyrio is not stupid," replied Viserys, a thin young man with restless hands and a look of fanaticism in his pale lilac eyes. "He knows that one day when I return to the throne, I will not forget my friends who once gave charcoal in the snow."