The feast at Winterfell officially began.
One by one, the royal family members and the Duke's children walked through the crowd to take their seats.
Lancelot had intended to walk alone, but after Robb Stark whispered something into Sansa's ear, she blushed and approached Lancelot, asking to walk down the red carpet with him.
Thinking she was offering a kiss in exchange for this favor, Lancelot agreed.
Sansa linked her arm through Lancelot's as they walked down the Lysene red carpet. She stole glances at him as they went.
Earlier, Robb Stark told her he had lost a bet with Lancelot, and as the penalty, both his sisters had to kiss Lancelot once.
Arya had already done it. Now it was Sansa's turn.
That was why Sansa decided to get closer to Lancelot.
While doing needlework with the Queen and Myrcella that afternoon, she had heard many stories about him.
After taking his seat, Lancelot apologized to Sansa, saying he had to step away for a moment.
"Ser Lancelot, where are you going? Am I not pretty enough to warrant your company?" Sansa Stark asked.
"No, no, no, my lady. You are incredibly beautiful. I merely need to check on my white lion, Hrakkar. I hope he doesn't wander into the feast; it's his feeding time."
Just as the words left Lancelot's mouth, a massive white lion prowled through the crowd. Amidst looks of fear and awe, he arrived at Lancelot's side and nuzzled him.
"See? Here he is! Must be hungry!"
Lancelot tossed a whole roast chicken from the table to him. Hrakkar devoured it in two or three bites. Lancelot then gave him an entire roast suckling pig.
It wasn't just Lancelot's white lion—Joffrey and the others' lion cubs, and Jon and the Stark children's direwolves were all under the tables gnawing on bones, pork, or chicken!
"Ser Lancelot, Myrcella told me you once told her the story of Bambi when she was little. Could you tell it to me?" Sansa Stark looked at Lancelot expectantly.
"Bambi? This time, let me tell you a new story. It's called: The Lion King."
As Lancelot narrated, not only Sansa but also Arya, Robb, Jon, Joffrey, and even Jaime, Tyrion, and Cersei were drawn into that mysterious world.
"In the end, Simba defeated the tiger, Shere Khan, and became the King of the Pride Lands." Lancelot finished and quickly took a sip of water. (Note: He seems to be mixing The Lion King and The Jungle Book here.)
"So lions, wolves, deer, bears, and panthers can live together in peace? That's wonderful," Sansa said, clasping her hands together, visibly moved.
In Lancelot's version of the story, Simba had a good friend who was the protagonist of Bambi, though he changed the name.
"I wish I had magic too! Can the weirwoods of the North grant me the power of the Great Bear constellation?"
Joffrey asked.
"Hahaha, Joff! Do you want me to take you to see the Heart Tree of Winterfell? You'll definitely be surprised! Hahaha!" Robb Stark couldn't help but laugh. Getting to know Joffrey recently, he found the prince to be quite dramatic.
"Let's go then! It's just a tree, isn't it? Why would I be scared?"
So Robb Stark took Joffrey to see the Heart Tree.
Arya, still wanting to hear stories, squeezed Sansa away from Lancelot, took her seat, and grabbed his hand.
"Brother Lancelot, tell me another story! Your stories are much better than Old Nan's. Tell another one!"
"Yes, yes! Lancelot, tell another one!" Bran ran over from somewhere and grabbed Lancelot's other hand.
"Alright! Since we are in the lands of House Stark, you'd probably like to hear a story about wolves. I'll tell you the story of Wolf Totem (or The Wolf King's Dream)."
Lancelot began another tale.
The mother wolf, Zilan, endured great pain and sacrificed her maternal love to train her cubs. Unfortunately, the cubs died one after another in the cruel competition of the wolf pack.
In the end, to continue the dream of the Wolf King and protect her newborn grand-pups, a desperate Zilan died alone in a battle with an old eagle.
"Every wolf has the right to become the Wolf King. Isn't that right, Jon?" Lancelot finished and looked at Jon Snow, who was sitting near the door.
Jon snapped out of his trance.
"Yes. A wolf travels a thousand miles to eat meat. Every wolf is qualified to be the Wolf King."
After saying it, Jon regretted it, because Catelyn Tully shot him a look so venomous it seemed she wanted to kill him.
She cast an equally vicious look at Lancelot.
Catelyn Tully seriously suspected Lancelot was making insinuations about House Stark, House Lannister, House Baratheon, and House Arryn.
Because the sigils of these houses were the wolf, the lion, the stag, and the falcon.
"Lancelot, it's a pity you aren't a bard. To think House Lannister produced a talent like you!" Cersei looked at him with some delight. Seeing Catelyn annoyed made her happy.
"Aunt, you flatter me! I am your nephew, after all!" Lancelot said.
"He who wears the crown must bear its weight. Whether it's the Lion King, the Stag King, or the Wolf King, one must pass layer upon layer of tests to become a true king. Especially now that Winter is Coming!" he continued.
Eddard Stark set down his wine goblet.
"You say 'Winter is Coming.' Does that mean you believe the White Walkers have returned, Lancelot?" he asked.
"I have admired two orders all my life: the White Knights and the Black Knights."
"The White Knights ensure the King's safety; the Black Knights protect the safety of the Realm. Neither can be dispensed with."
"Something terrifying enough to make a noble Black Knight abandon his honor and desert isn't just wildlings and snow. Some unknown horror is spreading beyond the Wall," Lancelot stated.
Suddenly, the atmosphere of the entire feast turned eerie. The joy vanished.
The White Walkers became a topic that lingered heavily in everyone's hearts. The wine tasted sour, and the meat lost its flavor.
BANG!
King Robert slammed his wooden goblet onto the table.
"A perfectly good feast, and you've ruined it! What are you trying to do, Lancelot? Spoiling my mood!" Robert stared at Lancelot with tiger-like eyes.
Lancelot laughed heartily.
"Your Grace, I wonder if you can still lift your warhammer? The one you used to smash Rhaegar?"
"Why do you ask that?" Robert asked, puzzled.
"I have a proposal, Your Grace! And Lord Eddard! Why don't we conquer the lands Beyond the Wall? Let all the wildlings become subjects of the Realm! History books would surely record such a feat in bold ink!" Lancelot declared.
"Good idea! Doing so would allow us to uncover the true situation beyond the Wall!" Benjen Stark chimed in. Speaking from the perspective of the Night's Watch, he believed Lancelot's idea could help eliminate the threats beyond the Wall.
"If the King truly wishes for war, I am willing to wield my sword for you. It just so happens I want to test the power of my Valyrian steel sword, Lion's Roar!" Jaime Lannister said.
Following him, more knights and hedge knights felt their fighting spirit rise. They wanted glory and merit.
At this moment, Eddard Stark also felt that if the problem beyond the Wall could be solved first, he wouldn't have to go to King's Landing immediately. As Warden of the North, he had to oversee the campaign!
And so, Eddard Stark agreed to march beyond the Wall for a decisive battle with the wildlings—and to investigate thoroughly whether the White Walkers had truly returned.