Lancelot and Ygritte had ended up being intimate due to unforeseen circumstances, but neither of them overthought it.
Ygritte was a wildling and didn't care much for formalities. Although she was married to Jon Snow, their relationship was built more on a sense of duty.
And Jon Snow wasn't someone who chased women; he was more like Eddard Stark than Rhaegar.
So, although Ygritte was Jon Snow's wife, they didn't share a bed every night.
After resting in the hollow tree, Lancelot and Ygritte put aside what had just happened and walked out, only to find a massive black bear approaching.
This was his territory, and today, two intruders had arrived—perfect for a snack.
The black bear lunged at Ygritte, deciding the redhead looked easier to deal with.
Lancelot shoved her aside with force. The bear pinned Lancelot down, its claws swiping frantically.
Fortunately, Lancelot had grabbed his shield beforehand. The Valyrian steel shield was indestructible, but the bear's immense strength transferred through the shield onto Lancelot's body.
The powerful blows hammered against Lancelot's chest, each one landing heavy like a mallet.
"If I'd known, I would have brought Hrakkar!" Lancelot thought.
When he joined the competition, Robert had insisted that for fairness, Lancelot couldn't bring Hrakkar, the Red Charcoal Fire Dragon Steed, or the Snow-Treading Wuzhui. So Lancelot had left them in King's Landing.
Just as Lancelot was struggling, a sharp arrow struck the black bear in the back. Roaring in pain, the bear got off Lancelot and charged towards the archer.
Lancelot saw Ygritte holding a longbow, charging at the black bear like a valkyrie.
But this black bear was enormous, seeming to surpass the level of a normal beast and reaching that of a "Strange Beast."
Ygritte shot it with six arrows, but it didn't die and kept charging at her.
Lancelot quickly grabbed the Rose Sword and rushed forward. Just as the giant bear knocked Ygritte down and was about to crush her skull with its paw, Lancelot severed its head with a single stroke.
The massive bear head fell to the ground, spraying Ygritte with blood.
Her lips twitched slightly as she swallowed some of the blood. In the wild, they ate raw meat, so she didn't find the taste repulsive.
That evening, Lancelot dragged the black bear's carcass back to the camp. Others came over to greet him upon his return.
"Lancelot, you killed a black bear! This size rivals the great white bears beyond the Wall," remarked Benjen Stark from Castle Black.
Benjen Stark had been accompanying Eddard Stark during the day, briefing Robert and Eddard on the latest situation.
The Night's Watch had found more corpses of brothers and wildlings, which they had burned directly to ash, giving them no chance to resurrect.
"Bear meat is delicious! We're having a feast tonight!" Lancelot declared.
"Ser Lancelot! The Night's Watch seeks your aid. I know you've been forging Valyrian steel swords for many nobles lately. We don't need Valyrian steel swords, but could you provide us with some Valyrian steel arrowheads?" Benjen Stark asked.
"Arrowheads, huh!" Lancelot rubbed the stubble on his chin.
"That's a good way to save materials!" he said.
If White Walkers could be killed by Valyrian steel swords, then Valyrian steel arrowheads should work too.
"This is easy. You don't even need me; you can do it yourselves," Lancelot said.
"What do you mean?" Benjen Stark asked, puzzled.
"The Citadel surely hoards a large amount of Valyrian steel. Otherwise, how would so many maesters have Valyrian steel links in their chains?"
"The steel from one link is enough to be recast into an arrowhead," Lancelot explained.
"What you say makes sense, but we have no authority over the Citadel," Benjen Stark smiled bitterly.
The two most powerful factions in Westeros were the Faith and the Citadel.
They sent maesters and septons to every lord. Arguably, a lord without a maester and a septon wasn't a "proper" lord.
Furthermore, the selection and appointment exams of the Citadel and the Faith were entirely internal; lords and even the Crown couldn't interfere.
"Looks like we need to show them who's boss. I'll go find King Robert and Lord Hand Eddard. Come with me!"
Lancelot and Benjen Stark went to the table where Robert and Eddard were drinking.
"Lancelot! You're here. heard you killed a black bear. Good work! Joff killed a wild boar too! I hope to eat bear paws later!" King Robert said drunkenly.
"Your Grace, the bear paws won't be ready until tomorrow; they need to stew for eight hours!"
"But I have something else to report to you now," Lancelot said.
"What is it? Speak, Lancelot!"
Lancelot relayed Benjen Stark's request for Valyrian steel arrowheads and his own proposal to make the Citadel hand over their Valyrian steel links.
"You can't touch the Citadel! Lancelot! You're still too young! You don't know the Citadel's standing in Westeros!" King Robert, though drunk, hadn't lost his senses.
"Does even Your Grace fear the Citadel?" Lancelot asked.
"Lancelot, it's not fear. The Citadel's power isn't obvious now, but it shows at critical moments. The Crown's authority is nothing before the Citadel and the Faith," Eddard Stark added warily.
Even in the North, surrounded by followers of the Old Gods, he had maesters and septons around him, and he had even built a small sept for his wife Catelyn.
"If you want to understand the foundations of the Faith and the Citadel, go ask House Hightower. I recall they came for the hunt too," King Robert suggested finally.
Lancelot promised Benjen Stark that if they couldn't get a large amount of Valyrian steel from the Citadel, he would forge the arrowheads himself.
Lancelot was then invited by Joffrey for a drink.
"Hey, brother! Heard you killed a black bear. That's amazing!" Joffrey said, handing Lancelot a cup of wine.
Lancelot took the cup and downed it in one go.
"It's nothing, Joffrey! This hunt lasts seven days. Let's see who gets the most game by the end!" Lancelot said.
"I shot a wild boar today. Look, these are its tusks. I took them and made two ornaments. Here's one for you."
Joffrey took out two necklaces, each strung with a boar tusk over a foot long.
"When did you get so primal? Liking primitive things like this? Only wildlings like wearing bones and such," Lancelot teased.
"Hehe, I just feel lately that men should be a bit more primal to show strength! Even if it seems a bit barbaric," Joffrey replied.