"What are you doing?" Eddard Stark's voice rang out from the doorway.
Holding a burning red candle, Joffrey dripped wax onto the Hound's burned left cheek, then looked up at Lord Eddard with excited eyes: "Lord Eddard, the Hound is afraid of fire." He was filled with the joy of discovering the Hound's secret and hoped to gain Eddard Stark's approval for his 'cleverness'.
"Turn off the fire!" Duke Ed shouted sternly.
Joffrey's hand trembled in fright, and the candle fell from his grasp, landing on the Hound's face and igniting his long hair. The Hound's hair on the right side was deliberately grown long so it could be combed over to cover the scar on his left side; once lit, it immediately burst into flames.
The hound was terrified; its whole body convulsed and it trembled violently, as if it were about to die. A terrifying hoarse sound came from its throat, sending chills down one's spine.
Joffrey and Maester Lucius were both terrified!
Joffrey was caught off guard; his tough exterior masked his inner weakness, which would be laid bare in a real fight. Maester Lucius, fearing the Hound would perish, knew the Mountain would show him what the 'dance of death' truly meant.
Both the prince and the scholar were terrified by the hound's overreaction!
Eddard Stark strode over, his grey-white cloak with pure white piping unfurling on his back, and with a whoosh, he covered the Hound's head, instantly extinguishing the flames on his burning hair.
The hound convulsed violently, and the whole bed shuddered as his body shook.
Eddard lifted his cloak and saw the Hound's face contorted with terror, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. He was startled: "Maester, calm him down quickly."
Scholar Lucius was terrified and at a loss for words: "...Your Grace...I...I...can only feed him poppy milk..."
"How could he possibly drink it in this state?" Ed shouted.
The hound's neck veins bulged, its face turned bluish-purple, and its eyes bulged out of their sockets, looking as if it would die of shock at any moment.
Ed acted swiftly, punching the hound in the temple. The hound's horrible gurgling sound turned into a sharp "Ooh," and he passed out.
Seeing the hound's body gradually calm down from its violent trembling, Ed breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Joffrey laughed loudly, "Haha, Lord Ed, that punch you just threw was amazing. Tsk tsk, the Hound fought the Mountain and turned into such a useless piece of trash. What a pity for my good dog!"
Scholar Lucius kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead!
Eddard Stark desperately wanted to punch Joffrey in the face, but he remained motionless, his face as cold as ice: "Your Highness, this is the maester's treatment room. Let's go out!"
"Go out? Hmm, let's go. The hound's passed out, there's nothing fun about it!" Joffrey said listlessly. "I'm going back to tell Mom that this dog is really useless, and without a doubt, we'll have to find another one!"
"Maester Lucius, take good care of Ser Sandor Clegane. He is afraid of fire, please keep that in mind!"
"Yes, Your Excellency!" Lu Xiu immediately replied respectfully. His undershirt was already soaked with sweat.
This game can't go on like this. If Joffrey comes back with a barrel of oil and burns the hounds he considers useless, his life will be over.
The Mountain demanded he hand over a healthy, strong hunting dog so the Mountain could hunt it down again and end the hunt completely. He dared not disobey! Otherwise, he could not bear the consequences!
Since there's a paralyzing venom, there must also be an antidote. Out of resentment towards the hunting dog, Lu Xiu had originally planned to take good care of it for half a month. Now, it seems that to avoid any unforeseen circumstances, he must immediately detoxify the dog!
*
Outside the door, Prince Joffrey's surprised voice rang out: "Lord Eddard, are you going to King's Landing ahead of me?"
"Yes, Your Highness. We, the people of the North, must go first," Eddard Stark said in a deep voice.
King Robert had gone to the brothels in this small town and tried to persuade Ed to go with him, but Ed flatly refused. Ed had already bid farewell to His Majesty the King and Queen, and the group from the North decided to go ahead.
Along the way, Ed had had enough of Robert's debauchery. Wherever the king went, he would stay for a long time without giving a specific time to leave, unless urged by his courtiers and Ed.
In the vast Seven Kingdoms, after the acting King, Duke Renly, came out to greet His Majesty the King, there wasn't a single person in charge of handling the daily affairs of state in the throne room. Yet, His Majesty the King and Duke Renly showed no sign of urgency. Eddard realized that Robert had completely abandoned any responsibility for the affairs of state. As for the handsome and young Duke Renly, Eddard was speechless.
Eddard Stark couldn't be as carefree as King Robert. As the Hand of the Kingdom, he had to hurry to King's Landing to "go to work," which was the bare minimum for a prime minister, instead of indulging in food, fun, and drinks on the way without a care in the world.
Behind Eddard Stark, fifty elite Northern guards escorted three wagons, followed by a long line of oxcarts carrying provisions, meat, and other necessities. The butcher's son and apprentice, Mikael, was hiding in one of the oxcarts loaded with pork; he had concealed himself as soon as he spotted Joffrey.
In the first carriage, Sansa had already lifted the curtain, looking shyly at the handsome prince. She had specifically chosen to ride in the first carriage to see Prince Joffrey. Joffrey saw her too and waved to her: "Lady Sansa, I will come to see you as soon as I arrive in King's Landing. Have a safe journey! If any sergeant or lady in the Red Keep bullies you, don't be afraid. When I return, I will take care of them for you."
Joffrey stood on the steps, a smirk playing on his lips, looking radiant.
Sansa nodded gracefully and politely, her heart pounding, her face burning, and her beautiful eyes filled with the shimmering light of a lake.
Arya, dressed in leather, looked every bit like a little knight. With the 'Needle' sword, specially forged for her by Jon Snow, at her waist, she sat astride her horse, hand on the hilt, glaring angrily at Joffrey!
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The king and his courtiers, along with the Kingsguard, the Lord Attorney General, and others who had come to greet him, remained in the town of Harroway to 'rest'. Meanwhile, the Hand of the King, Eddard Stark, sullen and alone with his guards, two daughters, family stewards, and servants, left His Majesty's 'main force' and headed towards King's Landing!
*
Not long after the prince and Prime Minister Eddard left, Maester Lucius's door was knocked on again. When the maester opened the door, there was a line of cavalrymen, led by none other than the Mountain, who had troubled him.
The Mountain and his men were fully armed and looked menacing; Scholar Lucius could hardly see a single 'kind' face. Judging from their attire, they were undoubtedly preparing to leave, which secretly relieved Scholar Lucius.
"Scholar, is the hound dead?" the Mountain demanded.
The sudden, fierce questioning voice of the Demon Mountain made Scholar Lucius's heart skip a beat.
"Sir Gregor, Sir Sandor has just fallen asleep, and he is perfectly fine."
"Hmph! Let's go!" Demon Mountain shouted.
"My lord, shall we not go and bid farewell to His Majesty the King and His Majesty the Queen?" Bernie, who had been promoted from bartender to Mountain's steward, reminded the Mountain.
Bernie paid the price for 'betraying' the prince and queen on that night, but now he's getting a reward: a promotion.
"No need!" said Demon Mountain.
With the clatter of hooves, the cavalrymen galloped away.
Before leaving, the Demon Mountain turned back and gave the scholar a deep look. The threat in his eyes was undisguised and naked, making Scholar Lu Xiu feel a lump in his throat, as if an invisible hand was pressing down on his throat and suffocating him!
The Mountain and his men roared away and disappeared from sight, but the Mountain's gaze lingered in the air, staring at Lu Xiu and sending chills down his spine!