Chapter 392: Guanyse

Samwell Caesar awoke to the sound of angry shouts rising like a storm outside.

He pushed open the window, letting in the golden morning light and the clamor that filled the air:

"Revenge! Revenge!"

"Vengeance for Yronwood!"

"Take up arms! Kill every Martell!"

From his room at the top of Yronwood Castle, Samwell could see an angry mob gathering around the stronghold. Their cries of rage echoed through the courtyard, a boiling mass of fury demanding justice.

The events of the bloody banquet last night had clearly spread like wildfire, and the speed with which this crowd had assembled was suspicious. It was hard to believe this wasn't the work of someone stirring the pot.

By the look of it, this protest wasn't spontaneous. Samwell suspected someone had orchestrated it.

He dressed quickly and stepped out of his chambers. Outside, a group of armored knights awaited him, their swords gleaming in the morning light.

At the front stood a young man of about twenty, his golden hair gleaming under his helm, and his blue eyes blazing with fury. The knight dropped to one knee the moment he saw Samwell.

"Your Majesty," he declared loudly, "Arianne Martell has violated the sacred guest right, poisoning our family at a feast meant for peace! The gods themselves abhor such an act!

The Yronwood family will not let this injustice stand!

Blood must repay blood!

Your Majesty, grant us leave to march on Sunspear. Let us avenge the innocent dead by taking the blood of every Martell!"

"Blood for blood!" the knights behind him roared, their voices echoing off the castle walls as they, too, knelt before Samwell.

Samwell gazed calmly at the young knight who had spoken first.

"And you are?"

"He is Orifor Sand," a voice interjected from behind the knights, steady and deliberate.

Samwell turned to see Yronwood Castle's maester, Yoren, approaching. He was leading a small, slender girl by the hand.

Orifor glanced back, his expression briefly shifting at the sight of the maester and the girl before he returned to his defiant pose.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Orifor said, "I am Orifor Sand, the natural-born son of Anders Yronwood. Though I may be a bastard, I carry Yronwood blood in my veins. Now that Lord Cletus and the other family heads are dead, it falls upon me to lead Yronwood's vengeance."

"That's not your place," Maester Yoren said firmly, guiding the girl forward. "Your Grace, this is Lady Guanyse Yronwood, the youngest daughter of the late Anders Yronwood and the rightful heir to Yronwood Castle."

"Your Grace." The young girl curtsied timidly.

She was no older than ten or twelve, her dark eyes wide with fear and her brown hair falling loosely over her shoulders. She looked so small, so fragile, standing amidst the towering knights and their heavy armor.

"Lady Guanyse," Samwell greeted her with a gentle smile. "I deeply regret the loss of your family. As the last of your bloodline, what do you think we should do now?"

The girl hesitated, lowering her head as her small hands gripped her skirts. "I…I don't know, Your Grace. What do you think we should do? I will follow your lead."

Samwell turned toward the window, gesturing toward the furious mob outside the castle walls.

"I think you should listen to your people."

Guanyse flinched at the mention of the crowd. Their cries were loud and clear even within the castle walls—an unrelenting demand for vengeance.

"I understand, Your Grace," she whispered, her voice trembling but resolute. "The Martells must pay for their crimes. Blood for blood."

She straightened and turned to Orifor Sand, her expression hardening as she spoke:

"Ser Orifor, as the rightful heir of Yronwood, I command you to lead our forces to Sunspear. Capture the Martells who have brought shame upon the gods and justice upon themselves. Bring them back to face His Grace's judgment."

Yoren opened his mouth to object, but before he could speak, Orifor cast a glance at Samwell. Seeing no disapproval from the Storm King, he placed a hand over his heart and bowed.

"As you command, Lady Guanyse," he said, rising to his feet and turning to leave. The knights followed, their armor clanking as they marched away, leaving the hall echoing with their departure.

"Your Grace," Guanyse said hesitantly, "do you have any other commands for me?"

Samwell studied her for a long moment before replying.

"Lady Nathalie Dayne is on her way here. I will remain at Yronwood Castle until she arrives. In the meantime, I leave the castle's affairs in your capable hands."

Guanyse quickly curtsied again. "It is an honor to serve you, Your Grace. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."

Samwell gave a faint nod before turning away, leaving Guanyse and Maester Yoren to themselves.

Once the hall was clear, Yoren leaned down to whisper to the young girl.

"My lady, you shouldn't have sent Ser Orifor to Sunspear. And certainly not to lead troops."

Guanyse gave him a knowing smile, her eyes far sharper than her childish demeanor suggested.

"I know, Maester. But I didn't really have a choice. It's not about what I want—it's about what King Caesar wants. And right now, he wants us to shed Martell blood."

Yoren hesitated, his brow furrowing. "But by spilling their blood, we'll lose any claim to rule Dorne ourselves. Don't you understand? This isn't vengeance—it's a trap."

"I understand perfectly." Guanyse's voice was low but steady. "We're already in Caesar's trap. The only way to survive is to follow his lead. My brother didn't understand that, and look where it got him."

When Maester Yoren heard this, he was suddenly shocked.

He was present at the banquet last night and saw with his own eyes that Lord Cletus drank the poisoned wine, but Caesar did not.

At that time he thought Caesar was just being cautious and didn't drink because he saw other people were not in good condition after drinking. But now thinking about it carefully, Caesar might have known that there was something wrong with the wine.

If that was true, then he deliberately kept silent, could it be that he really wanted to use Princess Arianne to kill Lord Yronwood?

The more Maester Yoren thought about it, the more frightened he became.

Yoren looked at the girl in astonishment. Slowly, he nodded.

"You're smarter than your brother. Perhaps smarter than me."

Guanyse's stern expression softened into a cheerful smile as she wrapped her arms around the old maester's arm. She suddenly seemed every bit the young, innocent girl she appeared to be.

"Oh, Maester," she said playfully. "I'm not clever at all! I'm just trying to do what's best for my family. And right now, that means staying on King Caesar's good side."

Master Yorn nodded and smiled with satisfaction:

"It seems you don't need me to worry about you anymore. However, you still need to be cautious about thats bastard."

"What do I need to be cautious about?" Guanyse scoffed, "Didn't I just say that too much ambition is not a good thing? Do you think His Majesty Caesar would feel more at ease letting an ambitious bastard manage the Yronwood family, or a well-behaved and sensible little girl?"

Master Yoren looked at Guanyse, who was showing an innocent and adorable smile, and laughed heartily:

"Of course, a well-behaved and sensible little girl."

Yoren chuckled, though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Then perhaps I've worried too much."

The girl giggled, but her eyes sparkled with cold calculation.

"Don't worry, Maester. Everything will be fine."

(End of Chapter)