As Stannis's carriage drew near, everyone could almost clearly see the brilliant golden light reflecting off the King's crown under the sun. Rhaegar Frey and Stevron Frey incessantly adjusted their clothes, looking as if they wished they could smooth out the wrinkles on their faces.
At the same time, they were also nervous; after all, Frey Family had been among the families that previously supported Robert. Although they had now "reverted," they had heard that Littlefinger had his hand chopped off, leaving them feeling somewhat uneasy.
In their view, after Stannis ascended the throne, many lords were likely to face difficult times.
Therefore, for the sake of the Family, they absolutely needed another layer of insurance, and among all of them, the person with the most "unassailable reputation" was Jon.
Heading south to avenge his father—this was absolute justice.
Opposing Robb's claim to the throne was justice beyond measure.
Taking King's Landing and executing the false king was a great achievement that could be recorded in history and sung by poets and musicians for a thousand years.
Moreover, in King's Landing, he was constantly proclaiming his intention to return to the Wall and continue serving in the Nights Watch—though not many people truly believed this, and most remained skeptical, ultimately, being near anyone else did not make these two old brothers feel as secure as being near Jon.
It would be best if they could finalize the marriage between Roslin and Jon; that would be the best protective charm for the entire Frey Family.
It was only because they had arrived so hastily that they hadn't found the right opportunity to bring it up. Therefore, as soon as Varys departed, they eagerly pressed closer to Jon.
Originally, according to custom, the person with the highest noble title should stand at the very front and center to welcome the King.
But everyone unanimously decided that Jon should be the one standing in the center and at the very front; even the knowledgeable Grand Maester Pycelle agreed that this was the most appropriate arrangement.
Furthermore, Dondarrion, who was an Earl and had also achieved military merit, agreed that this was how it should be.
"Jon, youth is truly wonderful," Stevron, standing beside Jon, remarked with a hint of envy.
Jon, only fifteen years old, was not the tallest man there, but his posture was straight and vigorous, his eyes bright and resolute. His clothes had been personally selected by Sansa, who had even modified some parts herself, giving him an extremely favorable "presentation."
As the saying goes, youth is the most expensive luxury, and Jon's age drew even more attention than his position.
Jon smiled faintly, agreeing with the sentiment, as his greatest fortune, for him, was being young twice.
Soon, Stannis arrived, accompanied by his Queen and a host of vassals.
Selyse stepped down from the carriage and, supported by a maidservant, approached Stannis, yet the two still maintained a distance of at least half an arm's length between them.
Although Selyse was richly dressed, she was still overshadowed by Melisandre in her plain red robes, especially due to the mysterious and enchanting aura surrounding Melisandre.
Upon seeing Melisandre, Sansa even lamented how beautiful the other woman's hair was, considering that she had always been proud of her own long, auburn hair inherited from her mother.
Behind Stannis and Selyse were the vassals of House Florent, the Queen's Men. The Florents all had "protruding ears," and when a group of protruding ears stood together, the sense of the ridiculous was intensified.
Arya, in particular, upon seeing the Florents' rather "prominent" ears, reached for her "Needle."
It was just like an archer seeing a perfect target.
Jon also spotted the familiar Penny, but he did not see Davos or Littlefinger Petyr. Perhaps they had gone to the Tyrell side to discuss peace negotiations and marriage issues, a matter Varys had just mentioned to him.
Jon believed that even if he did eventually secure a marriage alliance with the House Tyrell, the likelihood of Margaery being the bride was not high.
House Tyrell would likely send a woman from a collateral branch to marry him.
After all, if he truly married Margaery, wouldn't Mace become his father-in-law? What kind of son-in-law curses his future father-in-law and brother-in-law before marrying the daughter?
If he actually married Margaery, Jon could not imagine how awkward the situation would be.
In Stannis's party, there were also two nobles of unusual status standing relatively far forward. One carried a banner displaying a "piercing arrow," and the other carried a banner with a red crab.
Jon recognized the one with the red crab banner; they belonged to House Celtigar, a Family that had fled from Valyria along with the Targaryen Family. They were already vassals of the Targaryen Family before Aegon the Conqueror launched the War of Conquest.
House Celtigar's lands were on Claw Isle, and relying on trade across the Narrow Sea, they were also a wealthy Family.
The reason he had not seen them before was that they had been captured by House Tyrell. Since peace talks were underway, they must have been "returned," which also spared them a fine.
Soon, Stannis and his party arrived about ten paces away from Jon. At this moment, Rhaegar Frey whispered in Jon's ear, "Jon, it is time for us to greet the King."
"Mm."
Thus, led by Jon, everyone knelt before Stannis to pay their respects.
Stannis looked at the crowd bowing before him. Although he remained expressionless, his puffed-out chest and the slightly trembling hand resting on his sword hilt betrayed his emotion.
He had waited for this moment for too long. In his view, the only discordant element present was the banner of House Stark; he felt it would have been more agreeable if Jon had used his own banner to welcome him.
Soon, his gaze fell upon Jon at the very front, examining the young man before him with his blue eyes.
After a moment, he spoke: "Sirs, rise. Jon, come with me."
Jon and Stannis walked side-by-side at the very front, a sight that naturally aroused envy among the King's Men, the Queen's Men, and the vassals who had previously been captured.
"Look at that Snow, he truly jumped to the heavens in one step," someone in the procession said sourly.
His voice was not loud, but it was loud enough for those around him to hear. Dondarrion frowned slightly upon hearing it but said nothing.
He knew that defending Jon at this moment would only harm Jon's future, not help it.
The Martin brothers were also displeased, but they understood the same principle, so they did not speak out.
But someone did dare to speak—Arya, for instance.
"What Snow! That is my brother Jon!" Because Arya was short, she couldn't pinpoint who had spoken the sour words, but she still retorted in the direction the voice had come from.
"Where did this brat come from? Is this your place to speak?"
This time Arya saw clearly: it was a solidly built fellow—Yassel.
"I am a girl!" Mistaken for a boy yet again, Arya stomped her foot in anger and was about to step forward to argue, but Sansa stopped her. Sansa quickly shielded Arya and immediately apologized to Yassel.
Yassel also chose not to escalate the situation at this time; he mounted his horse and followed the procession.
At this moment, a protruding-eared guard approached Sansa and Arya and said, "Two Young Misses, the Queen requests your presence in her carriage."
Upon hearing the word "Queen," Sansa instinctively shivered, but realizing that this Queen was not *that* Queen, she took Arya and Jenny and went.
Stannis seemed intent on distancing himself from the people behind him, so the two of them moved relatively quickly.
Although the commoners on both sides of the road were standing dutifully, they were still physically blocked by the guards.
At this moment, Jon also saw an acquaintance—Sandor "the Hound."
The day Jon told him he was returning to the Wall, Sandor had been very depressed. He genuinely wanted to repay Jon for the kindness of killing his older brother, but he was still unable to commit to going to the Wall with him.
Seeing Jon and Stannis walking together, he prayed inwardly that Jon might change his mind.
Soon, there was no one else around except the guards, and Stannis finally had the opportunity to ask: "Jon, why do you use the Stark banner? I have not received any news of Robb swearing fealty to me."
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