RoWE - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The King's Banquet (Part 2)

The clamor in the hall quickly died down as everyone's eyes turned to the entrance, where the Lord of Winterfell escorted the Queen into the hall.

Before crossing over, Aeg had heard a saying: the Game of Thrones production had limited funds and couldn't afford actors who were excellent in looks, age, and acting, so they had to settle for prioritizing acting skills. This led to many characters in the TV series being uglier or older than they should be, while some supporting characters were surprisingly attractive. The Queen before him confirmed this statement. She was much younger and more beautiful than in the series, and not at all with the dark and venomous look of a villain. Her jewel-encrusted crown set off her golden hair, shimmering brightly, and the emeralds embedded in it matched her sparkling green eyes perfectly. She wore a pure and innocent smile, walking straight ahead without looking at the Warden of the North beside her. If one didn't know her character, who could imagine the malice hidden beneath that beautiful face?

Following closely behind was the king, who entered the banquet hall with Lady Stark, who was also much younger than her on-screen counterpart. He did indeed have a red face and long beard, but he was much taller than Aeg remembered, a brawny man with some extra weight.

Next came the children of House Stark and House Baratheon. They all looked slightly different from their original appearances, and Aeg didn't have the energy or intention to distinguish them one by one. Taking advantage of everyone's attention on the entrants, he finally had a chance to enjoy the fish on the table. For the obsidian dagger that had saved his life, he hadn't had a proper meal of meat outside the Night's Watch mess hall in a long time.

The Lannister brothers followed the children into the hall. Jaime Lannister was indeed tall and handsome, with an imposing demeanor. Dressed in a crimson silk tunic, black high boots, and a black satin cloak, he looked more kingly than anyone else. And the little man beside him. If there was anyone in this world that Aeg could recognize without any context or heraldry, it would be Tyrion Lannister. It wasn't because his appearance was particularly striking or memorable, but because he was a dwarf.

He was probably the most worthwhile person to befriend in the entire Game of Thrones story. If he could establish a connection with him, perhaps he could use. no, leverage his connections and influence to leave the Night's Watch in a way other than escaping?

Aeg's mind suddenly lit up with an idea, but how could a mere Night's Watch soldier approach a Lannister? Watching the Lannister brothers pass by and head towards the high table reserved for honored guests, he fell into deep thought.

The last of the high nobles to enter were Benjen Stark and Theon Greyjoy, the "adopted son" of the Lord of Winterfell. After these two also took their seats amidst everyone's gaze, everyone raised their glasses to toast and exchange greetings, and the banquet officially began.

Jon and the young squires wanted to hear more of Aeg's stories about encountering wildlings on patrol, but Aeg was no longer in the mood: "I've told you most of my stories. How about you? Tell me your stories. I haven't been south of the Neck since coming to Westeros. Who can tell me about life in the south?"

There was one good thing about being with these carefree youngsters, a few drinks and they became acquaintances. Under the influence of alcohol, a squire from House Lannister soon began to brag about his own adventures and those of the knight he served. Under the table, Jon's little direwolf happily gnawed on the bones thrown to it by the guests, while on the stage, Jon Snow listened with relish to the stories of war, hunting, and affairs from the other young men. Only Aeg, dressed in black, had his mind wandering elsewhere.

"Jon, how's your evening going?" A familiar voice sounded beside him. Benjen Stark had left his seat to find his neglected bastard nephew.

"Great." Jon replied cheerfully, "Uncle, I heard from Aeg that the Night's Watch is short on manpower now? Take me with you when you leave."

The squire who had been talking about his passionate affair with a widow outside King's Landing stopped and made room for the newcomer. Benjen Stark straddled the bench and took the cup from Jon's hand: "Summerwine," he said slowly after tasting it, "nothing is sweeter than this wine. Jon, how many glasses have you had tonight?"

"I'm not drunk."

"I didn't say you were drunk." Benjen put down the cup, looked in the direction of his brother, and then turned back to examine Jon carefully, "To be honest, the Wall really needs young men like you right now."

Jon proudly lifted his chin: "I wield a sword better than anyone else in my training group, and Hullen says my riding skills are among the best in the city."

"Impressive."

"So you agree?" Jon suddenly became excited, "As long as you go and talk to my father, he will definitely agree, I know he will."

Benjen turned to look at Aeg, who shrugged. It wasn't him who had instigated the boy. The Chief Ranger then turned back to examine his nephew's face: "Jon, the Wall is a very tough place for a boy."

"I'm almost an adult," Jon argued, "I'll be fifteen on my next nameday, and Maester Luwin says bastards grow up faster than other children."

"That's true." Benjen's lips curled into a slight smile as he picked up his cup and refilled it with wine from a nearby jug, taking a deep breath.

"Daeron Targaryen conquered Dorne when he was only fourteen."

"That war lasted an entire summer," Benjen shook his head, "The young king you speak of sacrificed ten thousand men to take Dorne, and another fifty thousand to hold it. Someone should have told him that war is no child's play." He took another sip of wine and wiped his mouth, "And Daeron Targaryen died young at eighteen. You haven't forgotten that part, have you?"

"I haven't forgotten," Jon's face flushed, whether from alcohol or blood, he puffed out his chest to make himself look taller, "Uncle, I've made up my mind. I want to serve in the Night's Watch."

The table fell silent. Indeed, many young people were fascinated by Aeg's stories of patrolling beyond the Wall and battling wildlings, but the one who decided on the spot to join the Night's Watch was the only one. The squires may not have been of high birth, but most were legitimate heirs and successors of their respective families, unlike someone who, as he grew older, increasingly felt out of place with his brothers and had nowhere to go.

Benjen smiled: "Jon, you probably don't know. The Night's Watch is a group that faces death without fear. We have no family ties, we will never have children, we take duty as our wife and honor as our mistress."

"Bastards have honor too," Jon said, "I'm ready to swear my oath and join."

"You're just a fourteen-year-old boy," Benjen remained unmoved, "Before you've been with a woman, you probably can't imagine the cost."

"I don't care about women!" Anyone could see that Jon's temper was rising. He felt insulted.

"You might if you knew." Benjen still looked like a kindly elder, "Child, if you knew the consequences of taking that oath, you wouldn't be in such a hurry to join."

"I'm not your child!"

"I wish you were my child." The Chief Ranger stood up and patted Jon on the shoulder, "After you've fathered two or three bastards out there, come find me, and see what you think then."

"I will never father any bastards!" Benjen Stark might have been mature enough, but having grown up in a family where the father was kind and the brothers were friendly, he had never experienced what it was like to be a bastard. The young man's eyes were ablaze, and he spoke each word with the force of a vow: "Never!"

Not only this table, but even the people at the neighboring tables fell silent, everyone staring at Jon. The bastard boy felt tears filling his eyes, and finally, he stood up.

"Excuse me," the young man said with his last shred of dignity, and then, before the tears could fall, he ran off like a whirlwind. On his way out, he collided with a serving girl, knocking over a bottle of wine. Laughter erupted from the guests, and Jon shook off the hand of a well-meaning squire in a yellow robe, not looking back as he dashed out. Ghost followed closely behind, disappearing into the low-hanging night.

Aeg almost wanted to sigh and cover his face. He had racked his brains to escape from the Night's Watch, yet some teenager was trying to squeeze his way in. Benjen's well-intentioned warning was clear enough. The Chief Ranger wanted to tell Jon that by joining the Night's Watch, he would have nothing but honor. But the young man not only didn't understand but thought his uncle was questioning and insulting him.

Calling you Jon Snow, knowing nothing. really isn't wrong at all, Aeg thought somewhat amusedly. But suddenly, he remembered something and stood up: "I'll go check on him."

"Leave him be, let him cool off," Benjen Stark waved his hand, but quickly changed his mind: "Forget it. Go ahead, go check on him. Make sure the drunk kid doesn't hurt himself."