The Next Day.
Early in the morning, two four-wheeled carriages stood in the front courtyard of Runestone Castle.
Janie sat in one of the carriages, waving goodbye to Rhea. "Forgive me for not staying until the end of the wedding banquet, Rhea."
"A mere wedding banquet is nothing compared to the importance of the Eyrie," Rhea replied solemnly.
"I'm leaving now. Your guests are waiting for you to entertain them," Janie said, drawing the curtain down.
Rhea summoned a guard detail of fifty men and ordered them to escort Janie safely.
In the other carriage, Rhaenyra sat, her gaze fixed on Rhaegar, who rode a white horse outside.
The horse stomped its front hooves as Rhaegar nudged it forward, frowning. "We should be riding dragons—this is ridiculous!"
"You should have told Janie that. She refused to ride one," Rhaenyra said with a mischievous smile. "Don't worry, the Eyrie is only a few days' journey away. It'll pass quickly."
"If Gluttonous flew at full speed, it would take just an hour from Runestone to the Eyrie," Rhaegar grumbled, utterly unwilling.
He hated wasting time on the road.
"Just accommodate Janie a little. She's a duchess—she can't just collapse on a dragon's back," Rhaenyra said casually.
When she was younger, she had loved riding dragons too, but her father never allowed her to roam freely on one.
Every time she traveled with him, she had to ride in a carriage.
Rhaegar had no choice but to pull on the reins, urging his horse forward.
He should have insisted Janie leave earlier, with ample guards and a carriage.
That way, he wouldn't have to personally escort her back to the Eyrie.
Just then, Gerold approached and bid farewell. "Prince, the roads through the Moon Mountains are treacherous—be careful on your journey."
"Don't worry," Rhaegar nodded. "You just got married yesterday—spend more time with Lady Rhea."
"I will," Gerold replied, slightly embarrassed at the mention of his new wife.
He had spent a wonderful night.
After a brief farewell, the two carriages, flanked by guards, departed Runestone.
Rhea, Gerold, and the gathered Vale nobles stood outside to see them off.
Before long, the carriages disappeared from sight.
"Let's head back," Gerold suggested.
Rhea, unceremoniously, warned, "Drink less. You reeked of alcohol last night—be careful, or you'll drink yourself to death."
"Dying from drinking is a true man's way to go," Gerold shamelessly excused himself.
Rhea snorted coldly and turned away.
With the hosts and guests outside bidding farewell, only the servants remained inside the castle.
### The Castle Cellar
The wooden doors of the cellar were tightly shut, yet faint rustling sounds came from within.
A passing servant, who had come to fetch wine, froze for a moment, assuming a rat had snuck into the cellar. Curious, he stepped forward.
…
### Noon
The convoy making its way back to the Eyrie advanced slowly.
The roads in the Vale were rugged, with only a single mountain pass or a narrow valley path available for travel.
There were two possible routes from Runestone to the Eyrie.
One followed the coastline, passing through Ironoaks and Old Anchor before entering the inner Vale via the Arryn lands.
However, this route was close to Longbow Hall and had been immediately ruled out.
The other route led to Gulltown, where they could board a ship and sail across the Bay of Crabs to the Crossroads Inn. From there, they would take the valley road and enter the Vale through the Bloody Gate.
This path was remote and largely untraveled, but the roads were smoother.
The convoy had chosen this route.
"Rhaegar, should we rest for a while?"
After traveling for a long time, Rhaenyra felt uncomfortable from the bumpy ride and wanted to take a break along the way.
Rhaegar lifted his head. The sun hung high in the sky, and the temperature was steadily rising.
"Wait a little longer. There's a canyon ahead. We'll rest once we get through it."
Among the group, there were scouts familiar with the terrain who knew every obstacle along the route.
This area was close to the Brightmoon Mountains, where highland clans and shadow lynxes roamed. It was best to find a safe spot to rest.
**Twenty miles away.**
*Rustle, rustle…*
A group of highland clansmen, clad in animal pelts and wielding stone axes and bronze spears, moved swiftly through the dense forest.
"The valley whore is just up ahead—move faster!"
A large, burly man with a hideous face led the group, urging them forward at a brisk pace.
He walked at the front, with his subordinates following closely behind.
Looking around, the forest was filled with figures, a dark mass of people moving together.
---
**Old Anchor Point.**
Hundreds of cavalrymen galloped across the land, kicking up clouds of dust.
The riders, dressed in light armor and leather gear, looked battered and worn.
They were knights of the Vale, summoned by Yobert Royce.
Just days ago, the highland clans besieging Longbow Hall had been defeated.
On their way back, a traitor revealed their route, leading to an ambush by the surviving highland clans. The losses were devastating.
According to scouting reports, the highland clans had regrouped and were now marching toward Runestone.
A grand wedding at Runestone was imminent.
More than half of the Vale's noble families were in attendance, including the Lady of the Eyrie, Jeyne Arryn.
Gravely wounded, Yobert ordered his men to rush back to Runestone at full speed.
---
**Runestone.**
*Whoosh!*
An arrow shot through the air, striking the bullseye.
At the training grounds, Rhea loosed her bowstring, while other nobles competed in archery alongside her.
"Hah! I'm thirsty—no more shooting for me."
One nobleman missed his target, tossed his longbow aside, and called a few friends to head back to the castle.
Seeing this, Rhea lowered her bow and said, "We've been at this for a while—lunch should be ready by now!"
The wedding festivities were set to last three days, and this was only the second day.
Beyond feasting and drinking, there were also archery contests, hunting, and other events.
At the host's suggestion, the nobles complied and made their way back to the castle.
Inside the great hall, servants had already prepared the dishes and were setting them on the banquet tables.
The men sat in the main hall on the first floor, while the women gathered in a side chamber upstairs.
Rhea sat at the head of the main table, discussing hunting plans with Gerold.
Plates of simple yet hearty food were served, and the servants opened barrels of ale, pouring drinks into pitchers and filling the nobles' cups.
"Hah! You know I'm about to play drinking games—good thinking, filling my cup first!"
A burly man laughed heartily, raising his cup and downing the ale in one gulp.
A short-statured servant approached Rhea, keeping his head down as he refilled her cup.
"Thank you," Rhea said, offering a brief nod before waving him away.
She patted the table, stood up, and raised her cup.
Her gesture caught the attention of the hall, and the room fell silent as everyone waited for her to speak.
Taking a deep breath, Rhea declared cheerfully, "Lords and ladies, I thank you all for attending my wedding—let us toast!"
"Hah! Drink! Drink!"
The nobles banged on the tables, laughing loudly as they raised their cups and drank heartily.
The life of a noble was often dull—only feasts and tournaments could stir their excitement.
*Gulp, gulp…*
One cup after another was emptied, and soon, the revelry reached its peak.
Some who weren't fond of drinking picked at their food and started playing dice games instead.
*Bang!*
Suddenly, the castle doors slammed shut with a heavy thud.
A few glanced over but, seeing nothing amiss, continued drinking and celebrating.
Some, however, were naturally wary and sensed that something was off.
Among them was the elderly Earl of Gulltown, Glynn Grafton.
Lord Glynn furrowed his brow slightly and called his grandson over, whispering, "I'm not feeling well. Help me upstairs—bring your sister, too."
At over sixty years old, he was a cautious man who never cared for raucous gatherings.
Joffrey set down his cup and obediently helped his grandfather to his feet.
Also leaving the hall was Lester Waynwood, who had once competed against Rhaegar in a contest of skill.
He had his eye on a lady from the Vale and wanted to steal a private moment with her upstairs.
**(End of Chapter)**