More than ten days had passed since Nameria left Miracle Port by boat. Except for the first few days when Augustus cried for his mother, Augustus seemed to have forgotten her afterwards, happily playing with the two Shadow Lynx cubs that Glory brought back every day.
Lynd, on the other hand, stayed in his study or the Hall of Affairs in Redemption Town every day, handling various documents submitted by the Privy Council, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Military Affairs.
Unlike Nameria, who personally handled every single detail, Lynd clearly had no intention of wasting his time on these trivial matters. He carefully categorized all affairs according to their urgency, only dealing with those that the Cabinet could not handle at all and required his personal attention, such as matters involving the territory's security, or receiving visitors of special status.
"Lord Velas, why have you come to my territory?" Lynd felt surprised when his subordinates informed him of Velas's arrival.
This was because Velas and Highgarden Godswood were almost bound together and could not leave freely.
However, upon seeing Velas himself, Lynd already knew why Velas could leave Highgarden, because in his eyes, Garth the Gardener had completely merged with Velas, similar to the state of Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven merging in that series from his previous life.
This also made him compare the two, finding striking similarities: both were heirs to a Duke of a kingdom, both were paralyzed on one side of their body, both had merged with an ancient existence, and both were committed to destroying the Others.
Velas looked at Lynd calmly and said, "I am going to the Wall, so I wanted to come and see you, Lord Linde."
Lynd frowned and said, "Are you just going to the Wall for a look, or..."
"I should not be leaving the Wall anymore," Velas replied seriously.
Lynd was stunned and asked again, "Duke, does he allow you to do this?"
Velas smiled and said, "If he didn't, I wouldn't be meeting you."
Lynd advised, "Forgive my bluntness, Lord Velas, your decision is a bit too hasty. To be frank, in your current state, what use can you be at the Wall? Staying in Highgarden and continuously sending qualified warriors to the Wall, isn't that more useful than you donning the black cloak?"
Velas's smile faded, his expression became serious, and after a moment of silence, he said, "That fellow Beyond the Wall has had an accident; he has fallen into a deep sleep and I don't know if he will wake up. Once this long summer passes and he hasn't woken up, then the Wall will become the front line, and I must be stationed at the Wall to ensure it doesn't fall."
"The Three-Eyed Raven had an accident?" Lynd was stunned when he heard Velas's words.
Although the Three-Eyed Raven was Beyond the Wall, at the forefront of contact with the Others, he was not without a place to protect himself. Not to mention the power of his domain, which even the Others could not approach, the Forest Children who lived with him alone were enough to protect him.
It should be known that the true Forest Children were not as weak as they appeared in the series from his previous life. Although not every one of them possessed god-like magic like Spark, their long lifespan was enough to help them elevate their combat skills to an inhuman level, coupled with the magic and other powers they possessed, they could easily repel the Others' invasion by utilizing familiar terrain.
With such powerful Forest Children protecting him, Lynd found it hard to imagine anyone could harm the Three-Eyed Raven.
"Who hurt the Three-Eyed Raven? The Others?" Lynd asked, puzzled.
Velas shook his head and said, "I don't know either. I only sensed that the Three-Eyed Raven's aura had become very weak, and..." He paused, then continued, "He was asking me for help."
Upon hearing this, Lynd also felt the urgency of the situation. It should be known that the relationship between Velas and the Three-Eyed Raven, if not outright hostile, should at least be considered mutually antagonistic. After all, Velas's current paralyzed state was largely due to the Three-Eyed Raven. Now, for an enemy to actively seek his help, it was enough to show that the Three-Eyed Raven's situation was already very bad.
After understanding the situation, Lynd asked in a deep voice, "What do you need me to do? Accompany you to the North?"
"No, no need!" Velas shook his head and said, "It's not time yet. I can feel that his accident has nothing to do with the Others. Now that it's long summer, the Others won't move south."
Lynd asked again, "Then what do you need me to do?"
Velas was silent for a moment, then said, "Help me take care of Arianne. If something happens to her in the future, I hope you can help her in time and protect her from harm."
Lynd was surprised by Velas's request. He had originally thought Velas wanted him to take care of House Tyrell, but he hadn't expected it to be Arianne Martell.
It was clear that Velas had truly fallen for Princess Arianne back then. If there hadn't been an accident, Princess Arianne might have truly married Velas. Unfortunately, there are no if-onlys.
Lynd did not refuse this request. In fact, even if Velas hadn't asked, if something happened to Princess Arianne, he would have extended a helping hand anyway, because Arianne was an important partner for Lynd.
Compared to the deep-minded and cunning Doran Martell, Arianne Martell's straightforward personality was much easier to get along with.
Princess Arianne had participated in the trade between Summerhall and Dorne over the years, and she was also a senior member of the Miracle Merchant Guild, possessing a portion of the Seven Mystery Medicine's sales rights in Dorne, thereby acquiring a considerable amount of wealth.
Also, because she controlled a large amount of funds, Princess Arianne had gathered a large number of supporters around her and gained considerable influence. She was also using her influence to affect some of Doran Martell's decisions.
Velas clearly saw Princess Arianne's schemes and could foresee what would happen in the future. In his opinion, Princess Arianne could not possibly win against Doran Martell, which is why he prepared a fallback for Princess Arianne in advance.
Velas arrived very suddenly and left in a hurry. After receiving Lynd's promise to take care of Princess Arianne, he immediately departed, giving Lynd no opportunity to ask any other questions.
A few days after Velas left, Garlan also arrived at Summerhall to visit Lynd.
Many years had passed, and Garlan had matured considerably. Years of various knightly training had made him resolute and robust, and he no longer looked like the chubby boy he once was. The large beard on his face added a touch of solemnity.
Although Garlan was now the heir to Highgarden, there was no smile on his face. Clearly, Velas's voluntary decision to don the black cloak and go to the Wall had dealt him a considerable blow.
"When Velas came to see you, did he say anything to you?" Garlan and Lynd's relationship didn't require any formalities; they spoke like ordinary friends.
"He asked me to take care of Princess Arianne," Lynd said truthfully.
Garlan was stunned and asked, "He didn't mention us?"
Lynd explained for Velas, "I think he probably felt Highgarden didn't need my care, so he didn't say anything."
However, this explanation did not satisfy Garlan. He complained rather resentfully, "What a heartless fellow! He just gave up everything, gave up his family, and ran off to that godforsaken place, the Wall. Is family not as important as the Others? Besides, what good would he do there? When the Others come, will he fight them from a wheelchair or being carried..."
Garlan, who had no one to vent to in Highgarden, now spoke his mind without any reservations. Lynd said nothing, just quietly listened.
Although Garlan complained about Velas from beginning to end, one could still feel his admiration for his elder brother through his words. For him, gaining the Duke's inheritance in this manner was very painful. If it weren't for Loras Tyrell being truly unsuitable, perhaps he too would have voluntarily given up the Duke's inheritance like Velas.
After listening for a while, Garlan seemed to feel he had talked too much, so he stopped, picked up the cup and water bottle on the table, and poured himself a glass of water.
Lynd waited for Garlan to take a sip of water, then asked, "Did you come here just to complain about Lord Velas?"
"No," Garlan shook his head and said, "I came to invite you to my wedding."
Lynd was stunned and said, "With Miss Leonie of House Fossoway?"
"Mhm," Garlan nodded and added, "Also, Joel Flower is also getting married, and he hopes you can attend his wedding."
"Lord Joel is also getting married?" Lynd was somewhat surprised to hear this. In his memory, Joel had always been a playboy, with taverns and brothels as his home. For such a person to actually get married, it made him curious and he asked, "To whom?"
"Lady Milis of Myr," Garlan replied.
Lynd was stunned by this title and asked, "Is she the wife of some dignitary in Myr...?"
"None of them," Garlan shook his head.
Lynd immediately thought of a possibility and guessed, "A prostitute?"
Garlan nodded and said, "To be precise, she's a madam. She owns a brothel, an inn, and a tavern in the town outside Highgarden City, and three manors and farms in the suburbs. She's very rich, extremely rich, and very beautiful, extremely beautiful." He paused, then added, "Lord Joel is a bit unworthy of her."
Garlan's words made Lynd somewhat curious about this Lady Milis, so he asked Garlan about the dates of his and Joel's weddings, and stated that he would personally attend their weddings.
Afterwards, Lynd and Garlan discussed the trade between Summerhall and Highgarden. Garlan, as the Duke's heir, represented Highgarden and signed several trade agreements with Lynd before leaving the castle.
In the following days, Lynd was preparing for his trip to Highgarden. Unlike before, this time Lynd planned to bring Augustus with him to introduce him to the dignitaries of the Seven Kingdoms.
If it were merely the wedding of the Warden of the South and the second son of the Duke of Highgarden, it wouldn't attract the attention of the Seven Kingdoms' dignitaries. But now, Garlan's identity was different; he was the future Duke of Highgarden, so his wedding naturally couldn't be treated simply. At that time, it was believed that the great nobles of the Seven Kingdoms would all be present, and even if they couldn't attend, they would send someone of sufficiently noble status.
Precisely for this reason, such an occasion would be perfect for introducing Augustus to the dignitaries of the Seven Kingdoms.
Lynd going to Highgarden alone and taking the little one to Highgarden were naturally incomparable. Lynd had to take the little one's safety seriously, but the number of people assigned to protect the little one couldn't be too many. After all, he was going to a wedding, not to war; one hundred people was already the limit.
Although according to Lynd's own idea, all the people protecting Augustus should be Redemption Sisters, Silent Monks, and Chosen of God, because those who passed the trial had no problems with loyalty, Nameria had already taken all the people from Redemption Sanctuary when she left, so the only ones Lynd could use were the ten Redemption Sisters and Silent Monks in the castle.
Moreover, Garlan's wedding was a noble wedding, and it wouldn't be appropriate for all the people he brought to be from the church. So, in addition to the nuns and monks specifically protecting Augustus, Lynd also dispatched dozens of official knights from Redemption Town and Miracle Port to join the wedding party.
Although there were still more than ten days until the wedding, Lynd couldn't arrive just in time, so he decided to set off early, taking the Bone Road through Ridge City, which he had newly built in the Dorne March, and heading directly to Highgarden.
However, as he was preparing to depart, the commotion in the castle's incubation chamber disrupted his plans, delaying his trip to Highgarden by several days.
Lynd had built a special incubation chamber for Dragon Egg in the castle. Previously, only one Dragon Egg was placed there. Later, after the Longwing Dragon eggs were transported from Pentos, those Longwing Dragon eggs were also placed in the incubation chamber and cared for by special personnel.
After Lynd returned, he would spend some time in the incubation chamber every day, nurturing these Longwing Dragon eggs with the magic of the Lost Country Knight and the power of Dragon Rune.
Originally, Lynd estimated that it would take at least one or two more months for these eggs to hatch, but now it seemed his estimate was wrong, or perhaps the method of nurturing Dragon Egg with the power of Dragon Rune was too effective.
When Lynd received the news and arrived at the incubation chamber, a Longwing Dragon had already hatched from its egg. It did not eat its own eggshell as he had thought, but instead directly tore and bit the meat and bones prepared by the people in the incubation chamber, behaving very ferociously. Anyone who approached it would immediately make an attacking move.
However, when Lynd arrived at the incubation chamber, the Longwing Dragon, which had just been acting very ferociously, stopped eating and scrambled to Lynd's front, raising its head and letting out cries towards Lynd. Everyone around could clearly feel the Longwing Dragon's affection for Lynd.
Lynd knew very well that when he nurtured the Longwing Dragon eggs with the power of Dragon Rune, he had already established a connection with the Longwing Dragon. This connection was not a bloodline connection, but a deeper mental connection, somewhat similar to his mental connection with Glory and Glutton.
Lynd picked up the Longwing Dragon and held it in front of his eyes. Because it had just been born, the Longwing Dragon still looked very ugly, like a plucked chick.
Just then, the other Longwing Dragons also broke out of their shells one after another, and for a moment, piercing cries echoed throughout the incubation room.
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