Chapter 50

No matter how grand the banquet is, it always comes to an end.

  It was getting dark, and Sir Baylor sent the last guest off, and then dragged his exhausted body to Earl Layton's room.

  "Father."

  Earl Layton stood by the window, staring at the sea reflecting starlight and flames in a daze.

  At this time, the "Old Man from Old Town" completely lost the gentleness and friendliness he had when meeting outsiders, and looked preoccupied.

  However, Baylor was not surprised by this. He knew from a very young age that his father had a laughing mask, which he would only wear when meeting outsiders.

  Gradually, he also learned this skill.

  It's a pity that he didn't learn the essence. Compared with his father's appropriateness and naturalness, he seemed a little deliberate.

  The nickname of "Laughing Baylor" seems to be a mockery of him.

  "What's the matter?" Earl Layton returned to the table and sat down, asking casually.

  Baylor stepped forward to pour a glass of wine for his father, and then poured himself a glass, saying,

  "Jenny found me just now..."

  Before he could finish speaking, the old earl snorted softly, and said,

  "She wants to marry Renly ?"

  Baylor nodded, not surprised that his father could guess this matter.

  After all, his daughter actually snatched the first dance that was supposed to belong to Miss Margery at the banquet, and her affection for Duke Renly has long been seen by everyone.

  "No!" Earl Layton refused without hesitation.

  "Father, are you worried that Duke Renly is unwilling to marry Jenny? But the Hightower family is the number one noble in Westeros. You can test the Duke's attitude."

  Layton The count shook his head and said, "No matter what Renly's attitude is, I will not agree."

  Baylor was stunned, hesitated and said, "Father, are you worried about the rumors about Duke Renly and his attendants? "

  "No. Regardless of whether Renly likes men or women, I will not agree to Jenny marrying him "

  Now Baylor didn't understand: "Why?"

  Earl Layton took a sip of his wine and asked back: "What do you think Renly is doing in Old Town? Is it really to see the Hightower ?"

  Baylor rubbed his glass , fell into deep thought.

  Seeing this, Earl Layton reminded again: "And your sister, why did she suddenly think of coming back to see me at this moment?"

  Baylor frowned: "You mean, my sister and Duke Renly appeared in the Hightower at the same time, isn't it a coincidence?"

  Earl Layton added another glass of wine to himself, and said, "I never believe in coincidences."

  Baylor pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something, and said,

  "In the middle of the banquet before, Duke Renly suddenly asked Painting a portrait of Miss Margaery, why he is doing this? Is he planning to propose marriage to the Tyrell family?"

"Why did they come here to propose marriage? And not directly to Highgarden."

  Baylor heard, Immediately feeling suffocated.

  Earl Layton looked at his dull son, unable to hide his disappointment, but still said patiently:

  "No matter what they are planning, we don't want to get involved, let alone get too involved with Renly. You tell Jenny, I Will help her find an excellent husband, but Renly can't."

  Baylor was a little reconciled, took a sip of wine, and persuaded him again:

  "Father, are you being too suspicious? Maybe it's just a coincidence. I think Duke Renly is the most outstanding figure among the younger generation of the Seven Kingdoms, if Jenny can marry him, it will be good for our family..."

  "What is our motto?" Earl Layton interrupted suddenly.

  "Huh?" Baylor didn't expect his father to ask such a question at all.

  Earl Layton asked again patiently: "What is the motto of the Hightower family?"

  Baylor came back to his senses and blurted out: "We Light The Way." "

  " Yes , we light the way ." Earl Layton changed his tone, " not lead the way. "

  "Huh?" Baylor couldn't keep up with the old earl's train of thought.

  Earl Layton sighed again, and explained:

  "We light the way ahead so that others can lead the way, and we can just follow behind. The way ahead is difficult, and although the scenery is boundless in front, you may die anytime and miserable . But being a lamp bearer in the back is very safe.

As for Renly Baratheon, I saw endless ambition in his eyes the first time I saw him. This is a man who wants to rush to be the guy in the front row, so we must stay away from him, so as not to be splashed with his blood in the future."

  Baylor didn't speak for a long time after hearing this.

  It seemed that it was the first time he knew that his family's motto could be understood in this way.

  However, when he recalled the "brilliant deeds" in the history of the Hightower family, he had to admit sadly that perhaps this was the true meaning of the clan motto.

  Seeing this, Earl Layton didn't try to comfort him, but just drank wine on his own, waiting patiently for his son to digest the political wisdom of the Hightower family.

  This is the true mystery of how this ancient family can last forever.

  It took a long time for Baylor to come back to his senses, the expression on his face was extraordinarily complicated, he took a big sip of wine and asked:

  "Is it because of this you didn't let me marry Princess Elia of Dorne back then? Such a consideration?"

  "That's right." Earl Layton nodded, "Looking back at what happened to Elia , are you not very grateful for the decision i made as a father?"

  Baylor argued unconvinced: "But if If Elia married me, she won't die tragically in King's Landing!"

  Layton shook his head, his tone full of vicissitudes: "You still don't understand. Some things have long been engraved on the slate of fate by the gods, and they are destined and cannot be escaped. The only thing we mortals can do is to try our best to avoid those poor people on the Fate Slate , from the faint whispers in my ears, and then stay away from them.

  Of course, the wisdom of mortals is limited after all, we cannot guarantee that we can guess correctly every time, so we can only stay away from them who may become the leaders. We can light the way for them, but we must remember to hide ourselves in the dark."

  Baelor sighed, and seemed to have figured out many things before:

  "when Duke Tywin proposed marriage to Alerie for tyrion , that's the reason why you bluntly refused?"

  "That's right."

  "What about my sister Alerie ? Didn't you marry her to the Duke mace ?"

  Earl Layton's face showed no sign of embarrassment when he heard that. With sarcasm: "Do you think the 'fat pig ' also looks like a leader ?"

  Baylor coughed a few times in embarrassment, but still refused to accept:

  "But Tyrion, the second son of Duke Tywin, is just a dwarf, how can he be better than Duke mace ?"

  Earl Layton chuckled and said:

  "What about the dwarf? The founder of the Citadel , Perrymore Hightower, was also a cripple with a twisted body? But didn't he changed the world . It not only depends on a strong body, but also a smart mind. And the dwarf in Casterly Rock City, he is the only one among Tywin's three children who has truly inherited the spirit of the lion. Son, you have to remember that some people are more powerful than others even if they don't look much taller."

  Baylor didn't want to argue with his father anymore, put down his glass, and was about to leave.

  As soon as he got up, he heard his father say again:

  "There is also that Samwell Caesar, we can carry out normal trade with him, but don't get too close to him."

  Baylor was stunned for a moment, and then asked in disbelief Said:

  "You think that Samwell Caesar may also become the leader?"

  Earl Layton asked back:

  "Give you two hundred soldiers, within half a year, can you gain a firm foothold in the Red Mountains and subjugate tens of thousands of savages?"

  Baylor was speechless for a moment, sighed after a while, and turned to leave the room .

  Just walking to the door, he turned his head again, showing unwillingness:

  "But father, if you have been hiding in the dark, aren't you worried that we will be forgotten?"

  Earl Layton snorted softly, and said:

  "Remember you Uncle Gero? He was a Hightower who didn't want to be forgotten, so he went to King's Landing. You know what happened later, Captain of the Kingsguard, the most solid shield in front of the king, one of the best knight in the history of the Seven Kingdoms , Ser Gerold Hightower the "white bull "

  Hehe, what a reputation!

  I never thought that such a famous knight of the Seven Kingdoms could appear in Hightower's blood.

  But what happened?

  Didn't he die in the Tower of Joy?"

  Earl Layton leaned back on the back of his chair, hiding his face in the darkness, and said in a tired and deep tone :

  "Being forgotten is better than being destroyed."

[END]