Chapter 41 The lord and lady
The next day, Prince Baelon, along with Earl Kevin Stanton, interrogated the smugglers, thieves, and rapists in the dungeon.
These smugglers and thieves were exiled to Daemon's territory for forced labor, while the rapists were castrated and sent to King's Landing Red Keep to build the Sept.
Daemon boasted to eight-year-old Tom about the prosperity of King's Landing, Dragonpit, Red Keep, Kingsguard, and more, quickly captivating the boy Tom.
"Father, Mother, I want to go to King's Landing and serve as Prince Daemon's squire," Tom requested of the Earl and Countess of Dragonstone.
The lady was a little worried, "But you are only eight years old."
Earl Kevin Stanton said, "Eight years old is perfectly fine to start a squire's career. Spending a few years in the Red Keep, learning and training, and interacting more with the royal family, will always be beneficial. It's just, I wonder if Prince Daemon is willing to take Tom as his squire?"
The lord and lady turned to Daemon, who was stroking Tom's hair. "I like Tom very much. He can be my squire, and when he is ready, I will personally knight him in the future."
Tom possessed the ability of Green Dream, which could foretell the future. With Tom Staunton as his squire, Daemon gained a small prophet, and in the future, he could also draw House Staunton closer.
Dragon Vhagar and Caraxes once again took to the sky. Mia held Tom to her chest, and the two rode one horse together, departing Dragonstone with Mona, the Kingsguard knights, and the Dragon Guard.
The weirwood and the ravens on Dragonstone watched the dragons leave, whispering amongst themselves.
The next stop of the royal tour was Maidenpool.
House Mooton of Maidenpool is a vassal of House Tully of Riverrun, and this is also one of the largest towns in the Riverlands, as well as the trade center of Crab Claw.
House Mooton's castle is situated on a hill by the sea. Below the hill were crowded streets, and the town was surrounded by dark red walls, where crossbowmen patrolled. Fishermen rowed small boats, fishing by the sea.
River barges from the Three Rivers region, merchant ships from King's Landing, Oldtown, Gulltown, and White Harbor, Ibben whaling ships, swan ships from the Summer Isles, Pentos merchant ships, and Lysene ships crowded the harbor here.
However, most of the ships in the harbor belonged to House Velaryon; the seahorse banner was ubiquitous. It was no exaggeration to say that the Sea Snake monopolized maritime commerce.
There were also some hanged men in the harbor.
Women and children gathered clams by the sea, and farmers picked blackberries and plums in the orchards.
Maidenpool is named after the famous Spring. The legendary story of Florian the Fool took place at the Spring, and this hot spring is where Florian the Fool secretly watched her and her sisters bathe in the ballads.
Daemon, riding Dragon Caraxes, soared over Maidenpool. He saw the stone-stepped bathhouse surrounding Spring, the adjacent nunnery, and beautiful women bathing in the hot spring. It was said that the hot spring here had magical powers of purification, exorcism, and healing.
Traditionally, only women were allowed to bathe in Spring; men were forbidden. However, the wealthy and powerful could often bypass the rules.
Legend has it that infertile women who bathed in the hot spring could become fertile and prolific, women suffering from illness could be cured, and pregnant women who bathed in the hot spring could have their unborn children blessed and grow up strong.
House Mooton was originally a local First Men petty king, later submitting to the Storm King. Hundreds of years ago, House Mooton built a stone-stepped bathhouse around Spring, charging women who came to bathe, which attracted a large number of noblewomen. It was by relying on the hot spring bathhouse that many captains and sailors also came to visit.
However, House Targaryen did not have many fond memories in Maidenpool. When Queen Alysanne was pregnant for the second time and visited Maidenpool, she came to Spring to bathe but was ambushed and assassinated by nuns. If not for the fierce resistance of her accompanying nuns, Queen Alysanne might have been killed.
The current Earl of Maidenpool, Jon Mooton, further angered the royal family. Jon Mooton served as a squire in the King's Landing Red Keep court and was one of Princess Saera's male consorts. He constantly vied for her favor with Red Royce Connington and Braxton Beesbury.
Jon Mooton, Princess Saera, and the Princess's handmaidens, Falyse Mooton and Alys Tarbeck, used to frequent brothels together.
After the princess's scandalous fall from grace was exposed, Princess Saera was sent to Oldtown to become a Silent Sister. She escaped from there to Lys and began a life as a prostitute.
Princess Saera's other companions were either personally executed by the King or exiled across the Narrow Sea, dying in foreign lands. Only Jon Mooton was fortunate; King Jaehaerys ordered him to marry the defiled Falyse Mooton and return to his hometown of Maidenpool to settle down. He soon had a son, though Jon highly doubted the child's paternity.
When Jon Mooton's father died, he became the lord of Maidenpool, and Falyse Mooton was promoted to lady. They now have seven children.
The Dragon Guard selected a hill outside Maidenpool to house Dragon Vhagar and Caraxes. Prince Baelon and Daemon mounted their horses and rode towards Maidenpool.
Prince Baelon said, "Jon Mooton is despicable, and Falyse Mooton is a harlot. They are the ones who caused Saera's downfall."
"We'll just go through the motions at his castle and head straight to Harrenhal tomorrow."
Jon Mooton and lady Falyse, along with their children, the castle maester, steward, soldiers, and sworn knights, a retinue of over a hundred people, welcomed Prince Baelon and Daemon at the city gates.
Perhaps Lord Jon was handsome in his youth, but now he was completely bald and as corpulent as a ball, panting as he walked. He wore a dark red silk coat, while his wife Falyse had a graceful figure in a crimson gown, still possessing charm.
Jon excitedly said, "Prince Baelon, we haven't seen each other in many years. Back in King's Landing, we often went hunting in the Kingswood together."
Falyse stared at Daemon, "Even in Maidenpool, singers spread tales of Prince Daemon's beauty and bravery. When I was a handmaiden in the Red Keep, Prince Daemon was still a child, but now he has become a handsome man."
Daemon thought Lord Jon and his wife were utterly foolish. The scandal they committed in the Red Keep years ago damaged the royal family's reputation, yet they actually brought up their past in King's Landing.
Prince Baelon said coldly, "At that time, you were Princess Saera's... friends. Do you still remember Princess Saera?"
Jon Mooton and Lady Falyse exchanged an awkward glance. Jon chuckled, "Of course, we remember. Princess Saera was our close friend. When we were young, we made some mistakes together."
Falyse looked very sad. She said, "What happened back then was all sin committed by a weak flesh. Therefore, I bathe in Spring almost every day to cleanse my soul, and I also go to the convent to confess and atone."
"Actually, we miss Princess Saera very much. Sometimes, ships from Volantis arrive at Maidenpool's harbor, and the sailors and captains bring news of Princess Saera. She is running her own... business in Volantis."
Saera was now a madam in a Volantis brothel. Daemon, of course, knew how Volantis sailors described Princess Saera; they would most likely boast of sleeping with the Dragon Princess.
Amidst the throng of lord Jon and his wife, Maidenpool soldiers, servants, and Kingsguard knights, the procession surged into Maidenpool and walked towards the castle. Passing by the harbor, Daemon and Baelon's gazes were drawn to the dead men on the gallows.
Crows were feasting on the corpses. One crow swallowed a dead man's eyeball, and others tore chunks of flesh from the dead men's faces.
Daemon asked, "What kind of criminals are these?"
Lord Jon Mooton said cheerfully, "These are Sistermen Pirates. The Sea Snake's fleet drove them back to the Five Fingers Peninsula and the Three Sisters, but some stragglers crossed Crab Claw and escaped into my territory, burning, killing, and looting. I immediately sent knights to capture and hang them."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 30+ advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at [email protected]/Translatingfanfics