Chapter 27 Crossroads Inn

  "It was not until late at night that Ian and the others arrived at their destination.

  The Crossroads Inn is situated at the intersection of King's Avenue (from north to south) and River Avenue and Valley Avenue (from east to west). It is a three story building with a white stone chimney.

  On the north side of the inn, you'll find a thatched cowshed and a bell tower. The entire building is surrounded by weathered white stone walls.

  The south wing of the inn was constructed on pilings in an area that was once part of the Green Fork River. At that time, half of the inn was surrounded by water, but as the river's course changed, it transformed into its present state.

  The Crossroads Inn holds a rich historical legacy. It has been built during the reign of Jaehaerys I, the inn was initially named the "Double Crown Inn." as tribute to the king and the queen during their reign

  In later years, it was renamed the "The three towers Inn" when a new bell tower was added.

  Subsequently, Sir Jon Hyde took ownership and personally designed a new sign for the inn a black iron dragon with three heads, which would jingle in the wind. This change brought the inn to renewed prominence, and it was renamed 'Dragon road Inn.'

  The name 'Dragon road Inn' was used until the time of the Blackfyre Rebellion, during which the sign was removed.

  The Blackfyre Rebellion, occurring in 195 AC, was another civil war within the Targaryen family's quest for the Iron Throne after the "Dance of the Dragons."

  At that time, King Aegon IV, the 11th Targaryen Dynasty monarch, legitimized all his illegitimate children before his death, granting them inheritance rights. Furthermore, Aegon IV harbored suspicions about his wife and brother having an affair, as the queen had once kidnapped his brother. In his earlier years, he even declared his eldest bastard son Daemon Blackfyre as the heir, which was an insult, his wife's and brother's illegitimate son.

  This led to Aegon IV's death and fueled noble dissatisfaction with Daeron II's legitimacy as his successor. They supported Daemon Blackfyre, Aegon IV's eldest illegitimate son, in his bid for the throne.

  Daemon Blackfyre was indeed a formidable figure, renowned for his good looks and exceptional combat skills. Those who witnessed his prowess in battle referred to him as a 'warrior descended to earth.'

  When Daemon was just 12 years old, he defeated all his opponents in a melee. Aegon IV immediately recognized him as his son and knighted him, making him the youngest knight in the history of the Seven Kingdoms. He also bestowed upon Daemon the Valyrian steel sword that Aegon I the Conqueror had used, henceforth, taking the 'Blackfire' surname.

  During Daemon Blackfyre's rebellion, he adopted a red dragon on a black background as his family emblem, reversing the Targaryen flag.

  Hence, the black dragon sign of the inn quickly aroused the ire of the local lord, Earl Darry, a loyal supporter of Daeron II. Earl Darry took it upon himself to remove the black dragon sign in the inn, chopping it into pieces and discarding it into the river.

  Daemon Blackfyre met his demise during the Battle of the Redgrass Field, and his first Blackfyre Rebellion failed.

  Following this event, the Hyde family's descendants kept the same sign, and the inn faded into relative obscurity.

  In later years, people referred to it as the 'Riverside Inn' or 'Crossroads Inn,' based on its location.

  In the original Ice and Fire books, the Crossroads Inn serves as a pivotal and iconic setting for many stories. Therefore, Ian initially speculated that this inn could potentially become the agreed-upon meeting point for the players.

  As the inn came into view, Ian's heart began to race. Despite his knowledge that his current disguise was impeccable and his abilities were more than enough to outmatch inexperienced players, he felt nervous.

  Given the late hour, the innkeeper and waitstaff might have already retired for the night. Thus, when Ian and his companions reached the inn's entrance, there was no one there to open the door or tend to their horses.

  Ian and the others resorted to knocking on the door and waiting for a response from inside. After about five minutes and a third knock, a woman's drowsy voice emanated from within the inn, revealing her displeasure at having late night guests.

  The voice gradually grew louder, and Ian overheard muffled complaints from other patrons. Notably, these were not harsh insults but rather simple gossip and grumblings.

  The woman who answered the door turned out to be a plump, middle aged lady. Based on her disheveled appearance, Ian deduced that she was Martha Hyde, the inn's proprietress.

  Upon seeing Ian and his party, Martha's complaints ceased abruptly. She had never expected that three knights would show up so late.

  Though the Hyde family had once produced knights – Jon Hyde, the first owner of the inn, was a knight – the family's last knight perished during the 'Second Blackfyre Rebellion.' As a result, apart from their surname, they were no different from common folk.

  "I apologize, sirs," Martha stammered, visibly frightened by her earlier comments. Not knowing how to explain, she was saved from her predicament when Ian spoke up.

  "Prepare a large, empty room for us, along with the finest wine and food available in this establishment," Ian commanded, ignoring Martha's prior grievances.

"Of course, sirs. Please wait a moment," Martha replied with relief, swiftly agreeing to the request. She signaled to a maid who had belatedly appeared to escort Ian and his companions to their room.

  While Martha was perplexed as to why these knights requested a communal room with multiple straw mats, typically provided for commoners, she understood that she shouldn't ask further. After relaying instructions to the maid, she hurried to the kitchen to prepare a meal.

  Under the maid's guidance, Ian and his comrades reached their assigned room. At this point, the inn was nearly deserted, and the hall was empty. Ian realized that he would have to wait until the following day to determine whether other players had arrived at the inn.

  Ian purchased two oil lamps from the maid. After hanging them in the room, the space was adequately illuminated.

  Despite being called the Great Room, it was not particularly spacious. Twelve straw mats, neatly arranged in two rows, occupied over 90% of the room, leaving a narrow passage down the middle for single person to move."