The Old Scholar of Moon Gate Castle lifted his chin and paused.
He was about to speak when Lord Green impatiently waved his hand and said, "Someone, take him to meet the stranger."
Two Blue Cloaks roughly seized the Old Scholar.
He sighed softly and said, "Find a sharp axe, don't let him suffer too much."
Lord Green's final act of mercy seemed to have brought the Old Scholar back from the sudden change and touched his heart.
The Old Scholar, being forcibly dragged away by the Blue Cloaks, shouted, "Wait, wait, Lord Kleber, I am willing to pledge my loyalty to you, I swear by the gods above!"
Lord Green only gestured when the two Blue Cloaks were about to drag the Moon Gate Castle Scholar to the door, saying, "Bring him back."
The emotional fluctuations were too great in a short period, coupled with his desperate struggles, the Old Scholar collapsed on the ground, panting.
"I still don't know your name." The Old Scholar, who was almost prostrate on the ground, heard Lord Green's voice.
He tremblingly got up and replied, "Erlin, I am Scholar Elrin of Moon Gate Castle."
Lord Green nodded slightly, then instructed a nearby attendant to help Scholar Elrin to a chair in front of his table.
Clink, clink, Lord Green picked up a silver jug and poured two cups of wine.
After Elrin was seated, one of the cups was pushed in front of the Old Scholar.
He waved away the other people in the room and said, "Scholar Elrin, the Kleber Family has come for the rule of the Vale."
Thump, Scholar Elrin almost slipped from his chair in fright… What did he say? No, it doesn't matter, he didn't hear it, he didn't hear anything!
The benevolent Lord Green continued, "The gods above bear witness, it's a good thing I have you, loyal Scholar Elrin."
Scholar Elrin trembled violently, the wine cup in his hand swayed, like a small boat about to capsize, rocking precariously in the surging waves.
"Am I right?"
Lord Green's voice sounded as gentle as summer sunshine, but Scholar Elrin felt the cold wind of winter; his breathing was rapid and frantic, like a rabbit pursued by a hunter, with nowhere to escape.
Scholar Elrin, over sixty years old with a grizzled goatee, had served the Arryn Family for nearly forty years as the Moon Gate Castle Scholar.
Lord Green, with a smile in his eyes, was very patient; he gave Scholar Elrin ample time to "recover."
...
Scholars, like the Nights Watch of The Wall, are considered servants of Westeros.
After completing their studies, Scholars are sent to castles or other residences, serving as a mentor, healer, and advisor loyal to the lord there.
According to the tradition of Scholars, any Scholar is theoretically politically neutral; if control of their place of residence changes, the Scholar should pledge allegiance to the new lord.
For this, those who earn a Scholar's chain are stripped of their surname and, from then on, are referred to only by their given name and title.
However… some Scholars still retain or adhere to their original allegiances.
...
Scholar Elrin was unsure how much time had passed.
When he finally regained normal breathing, Lord Green's voice rang out, "Have you thought it through? Loyal Scholar Elrin."
Swallowing the little saliva in his mouth, Scholar Elrin's lips trembled as he said, "Earl, according to the true history (which records the history of Westeros), the Arryn Family has ruled the Vale of Arryn for thousands of years, and the Arryn Family's rule is deeply ingrained in the perception of the Valley people."
"The Valley people…"
Lord Green's finger tapped the armrest of his chair, then he paused and said, "Are the Valley people you refer to the Valley Knight, or the common folk of the Valley?"
Scholar Elrin was startled, thought for a moment, and licked his dry lips, saying, "My Lord, no one cares about the voices of the Valley folk; they only know how to serve their respective lords, and the Arryn Family's vassals, great and small, are their true masters."
Lord Green chuckled and said, "Unfortunately, the person they call the Blood Earl has caused the Arryn Family to lose most of its loyal vassals."
After speaking, Lord Green raised his cup in a gesture, and Scholar Elrin quickly nodded in thanks.
Then, gulp, gulp… he drank all the wine in his cup in one go, and his pale face regained some color.
Stroking his beard, he slowly said, "Forgive my offense, the name Blood Earl echoes throughout the Vale; the remaining Arryn Family vassals and their heirs… they will close their gates and hold their ancestral castles located on the steep cliffs of the river valley until you are forced to withdraw from the Vale of Arryn."
Lord Green sipped his summer red and said, "I like your advice, it's very pertinent, Elrin."
His brown eyes flickered: "When Kleber arrived at Moon Gate Castle, you sent out several raven requests for aid."
Scholar Elrin opened his mouth and frankly said, "I only had time to send out three requests for aid; the ravens were not safe, they all flew to House Clebber's Heart's Home.
I didn't expect Lady Lysa's sworn knights to open the gates of Moon Gate Castle so quickly… I had to stop my quill."
Lord Green said, "If there were only a few soldiers here, would they leave the castle and raise an army to save the Duke of Eyrie?"
"This…"
"Scholar Elrin, you know them better than I do.
I need your wisdom; this is your duty.
Also, do not test my patience."
Elrin's body trembled, he swallowed, and said, "During the last great war, the proud Valley Knight lost their sense of honor; they would prioritize the continuation of their own families… I think they would find suitable excuses to hold their ancestral castles."
Lord Green held up two fingers and said, "What if we add the marriage of Lysa Tully? For example, the Lady of Eyrie would marry the first vassal to arrive at Moon Gate Castle."
He added another finger: "For example, choose one person from the Arryn Family vassals who support Eyrie to become Robert Arryn's foster father.
Before the Duke of Eyrie comes of age, that person would perform the duties of the Guardian of the Gorge and Governor of the Vale."
His five fingers spread out: "And, the Duke of Eyrie's marriage.
And, land, titles, and gold dragons."
His hand clenched into a fist: "Are these things… enough to reawaken the sense of honor in the Valley Knight, Scholar Elrin?"
Scholar Elrin nodded blankly.
Lord Green's voice seemed to carry an irresistible temptation: "I hear you have served the Vale for nearly forty years.
So, may I assume… you know the character of those people very well? Or rather… you know exactly what those families desire most, right?"
Scholar Elrin's Scholar's chain jingled softly.
He first nodded slowly, then tremblingly said, "Those people… what will be their end? Lord… Lord Green, they… they are the last of the Valley Knight."
Lord Green glanced at the Scholar's chain on Scholar Elrin, one of which was a red copper link, representing knowledge in the field of history.
"Three hundred years ago, Aegon the Conqueror changed the millennia-old traditions and heritage of the Seven Kingdoms.
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