Capítulo 660: Chapter 660: The Count of Harrenhal
"Ramsay Snow, through years of diligent service, is hereby granted the name Bolton and the dominion of Harrenhal as his fief."
"Ramsay Bolton is ennobled as the Count of Harrenhal."
After stabilizing his reign upon the Iron Throne, Viserys conferred titles upon a great many heroes and meritorious officials who had followed him in his conquest. However, one man had yet to be honored in such a way.
That man was Ramsay, the leader of the Internal Affairs Department.
One reason was the unique circumstances of Ramsay's birth. He was a bastard from the North, and in this era, illegitimate children were regarded with disdain, often overlooked and despised.
Another reason was Ramsay's notorious reputation. He was the dark aspect beneath Viserys' luminous reign, handling unsavory tasks for the royal family and generally operating behind the scenes.
Moreover, he kept a watchful eye over all the significant ministers and nobles under the Iron Throne. Rumors circulated within King's Landing; when a certain noble secretly liaised with his mistress, the lady cried out a few times that night. Though the nobleman himself was unaware of this detail, Ramsay knew it all too well.
No one wanted to befriend such a man, yet Ramsay seemed to revel in this.
He understood his position in Viserys' heart. No matter how many despised him, as long as Viserys did not, he would never lose his power.
As long as he remained useful, Viserys would not forsake him. Thus, he did not need to make friends deliberately; doing so would only place his head beneath the greatsword of the royal executioner.
Consequently, Ramsay's reputation amongst the noble circles was notably poor. Restoring Ramsay's surname and ennobling him faced significant opposition.
Ramsay also had a brother named Domeric Bolton, the current Count of Dreadfort, but the relationship between the two was not particularly amicable.
Domeric simply found his brother's personality too erratic, and his gaze somewhat unsettling.
The young Count of Dreadfort could not have imagined that Ramsay once sought to kill him.
Years ago, Ramsay had covertly dispatched assassins to murder their father, the previous Count of Dreadfort, Roose Bolton, on the chaotic battlefield.
The killer, sent by Ramsay, whispered in Roose Bolton's ear, "Domeric Bolton will soon join you."
However, Ramsay did not keep his word.
The plot to assassinate his father leaked and was brought to Viserys' attention. Viserys once made him choose between a dagger and poison.
Ramsay, weeping and sniffling, begged Viserys for his life, all illusions of power and lofty feelings dissipating.
At that time, Ramsay thought he possessed real power, believing he could surveil anyone he wished. Ramsay, by nature, was like a wild dog that could never be fully tamed; thus, once fed, he gradually grew arrogant.
However, Viserys' timely chastisement, like a bucket of cold water, extinguished all of Ramsay's delusions.
He realized that while he surveilled everyone, he too was being watched. He was a dog from beginning to end, never holding true power.
After that punishment, Ramsay was spared, but he faced a brutal penalty. For half a year, he did not appear publicly, vanishing from everyone's sight.
And since then, Ramsay never again harbored intentions against his brother Domeric.
Hence, the good-natured Count of Dreadfort, disappointed in his brother and hoping to persuade him to turn away from evil, never imagined that Ramsay was the murderer of their father, and that he himself had once been on the brink of death.
Harrenhal was a somewhat suitable destination for Ramsay. Although he had made mistakes, Viserys did not forget the numerous merits he had also accumulated, even ranking him among the top five contributors to recapturing the Iron Throne.
Harrenhal, located in the Riverlands on the northern shore of the Gods Eye, briefly served as the capital of the Riverlands. The castle certainly possessed the qualifications, being the largest in all of Westeros.
However, due to historical reasons, numerous tragedies have occurred in Harrenhal, giving it an ominous reputation.
But while others feared these tales, Ramsay did not. In the eyes of many criminals he had interrogated, he was the most terrifying demon in the human world.
He himself was a demon; why should he fear ghosts?
Therefore, Ramsay, who rarely appeared in public, knelt on the stone steps before the Iron Throne in the throne room. His black cloak draped on the ground, and a look of joy appeared on his pale cheeks. Then, he heavily kowtowed several times.
"Thank Your Majesty!"
Most people kneel on one knee before the king, including the Kingsguard, senior ministers, and even ordinary nobles.
However, Ramsay was different. When facing Viserys, he always knelt on both knees, wagging his tail, displaying devout loyalty.
"Count of Harrenhal!"
The many nobles in the throne room, including senior members of the Small Council, all fell silent.
"Count of Harrenhal."
"Lord Ramsay Bolton."
Afterward, someone took the lead, and sparse applause sounded in the hall, providing begrudging respect.
From this, it was clear how few 'friends' Ramsay, despite his high position, had in the court. However, Ramsay didn't mind and subsequently withdrew.
After the Seven Kingdoms were pacified, the new rule of the Iron Throne was to hold the Small Council once a week, and if there were special important matters, the senior officials of the Small Council would be gathered temporarily. The Small Council mainly discussed the specific affairs of the state.
And the court meeting in the throne room was held once every half month, gathering prominent nobles, merchants, and representatives of various industries in King's Landing.
The court meeting in the throne room was mainly to go through standardized procedures; actually, the content to be discussed in the court had been discussed in the Small Council in advance.
Including the ennoblement of Ramsay as the Count of Harrenhal today, it was discussed in advance. Choosing from the idle castles all over the Seven Kingdoms, only Harrenhal was in line with Ramsay's merits and status, so it was ennobled to him.
After ennobling Ramsay Bolton, next were other matters. Now that the Hand of the King, Jon Connington, is leading an expedition to Dorne, the most influential person in the Small Council of King's Landing is that Prince of Dorne.
This matter was not concealed and had been rumored a few days ago, so many informed people cast their eyes on Oberyn, the Minister of Justice.
"Your Majesty."
Then, the Prince of Dorne did not disappoint everyone's expectations. He wore a sandy-yellow robe, with a golden sun emblem on both shoulders, and stepped out of the sequence of ministers and spoke.
"The North has been recovered, and the country has reached an unprecedented prosperity. We should establish a new name for the country."
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