Chương 606: Chapter 606: Duel
"Your Majesty!"
"There's no need for you to fight personally! I am willing to fight on your behalf!"
The Kingsguard knight standing beside the king and queen, Mya with her Dragon-slaying sword, voiced her willingness.
Seated beside Viserys, Ylaine's face changed colors as she knew her husband, though sparing in his actions, was extremely skilled in combat. At sixteen, he easily defeated the infamous 'Mountain', Gregor Clegane, and later even captured the King of Giants.
"My love."
Ylaine, having grown up in the Water Palace, had never witnessed the battlefield nor seen Viserys in action. Worry tinged her words.
But Viserys only shook his head, gesturing dismissively with his hand.
"No matter."
To him, Robert was no threat. There was an enormous 'quality' gap between them, like an adult facing a child, a dragon facing a stag.
"Your Majesty."
Following that, Viserys descended from the judgment seat, and his attendant, the young man with auburn hair, fetched his sword.
Clack—
Viserys took the sheath, drew the blade Dusk a little to glance at it. The crimson blade exuded a cold, menacing aura, yet when held, it felt warm, enveloped in comfort. He sheathed the blade again.
"I'll help you don your armor."
Robb Stark offered, as the Unsullied soldiers brought Viserys' usual set of armor.
It was a set of Valyrian steel armor brought back from Valyria ruins, silvery-white and extremely thin, yet with astonishing defensive power. No regular blade could even leave a scratch on it, let alone breach it.
Viserys, having not been in wars for a long time, had kept this armor in storage, accumulating dust over time.
"No need."
Viserys shook his head slightly, handing Dusk back to Robb.
On the other side, with the help of Unsullied soldiers, Robert Baratheon was donning his armor.
Robert wore a Baratheon family armor, with a crowned stag emblem on the chest, and a stag-horned helmet.
Robert had worn this armor through many battles, killing Rhaegar on the battlefield. But later, due to his weight gain, he couldn't fit into it, leaving it at the Red Keep, from where it was seized.
Now, after over two years of torment, from the Wildling invasion to the war against the White Walkers, the civil war, and imprisonment, Robert lost much weight, regaining some semblance of his youthful figure, able to don this armor again.
"Your Majesty!"
"Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
Boom Boom Boom—
The surrounding war drums roared, fueling the fervent atmosphere. The common folk and nobles of the Seven Kingdoms eagerly watched, cheering on.
How many had ever witnessed a duel between kings?
Robert provoked Viserys, challenging him. As the victor, Viserys could have refused Robert's challenge and executed him directly.
However, Viserys accepted Robert's challenge, granting him an honorable death, pushing the atmosphere to its zenith.
With the help of Unsullied soldiers, King Robert donned his armor, while Blackworm stared coldly at him from a close distance. Facing the madness-like Robert Baratheon, Blackworm showed no fear, and Robert too stared back ferociously.
"You will die—"
Blackworm then coldly uttered these words to Robert in broken Common Tongue, nodding at his men before stepping back.
"Uh."
The Unsullied soldier handed Robert his customary war hammer, then stepped aside.
Boom—
At this moment, the bells in the trial arena resonated abruptly, signaling the imminent duel.
The clamor from the masses and the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms vanished instantly. All unrelated individuals retreated to the outskirts of the arena, every mouth sealed shut, eyes fixed on the two figures in the center.
"In the presence of the gods and honorable lords, we gather here—"
The pudgy High Septon on the judgment seat shakily stood, intending to utter some pre-duel prayers, but was cut off by a wave of Viserys' hand.
The horn echoed through the arena, choking the High Septon mid-sentence, who could only bow and sit back down.
The arena fell into complete silence, leaving only Viserys and Robert Baratheon.
Robert, donned in heavy black armor, a stag-horned helmet, and a crowned stag emblem on his chest, wielded his mighty storm war hammer.
On the other side, Viserys, without armor, wore a light battle robe, a gold-threaded, white velvet embroidered robe, tight leather trousers, and a jeweled belt.
Before the duel commenced, his attendant returned Dusk to him. Wearing black gloves, Viserys held Dusk in one hand.
His silver-gold hair freely flowed over his shoulders, his violet eyes calmly observing Robert Baratheon, appearing very relaxed, contrasting Robert's battle-ready stance.
"Will Viserys be alright?"
The young Queen of Dorne on the stage tightly gripped her dress, her face filled with concern.
"Robert seems much stronger."
Viserys' physique didn't seem very strong, but neither was it frail, similar to Oberyn's build. But when shirtless, one could see his well-defined muscles.
Robert, on the other hand, was much larger in comparison, akin to a tank.
"Combat isn't about who has stronger muscles; otherwise, it would lose its meaning."
"They could just strip and compare, right?"
On the other side, Ylaine's uncle, Oberyn, sat with his legs crossed, speaking calmly.
He was one of the calmest among the group on stage, and so was the lady knight Mya. Both had been battle-hardened mercenaries with extensive combat experience. High-level duels could be discerned simply by observing the combatants' stances.
"Just look at them standing together, the victor is apparent."
Viserys' composure was even more evident, while Robert seemed on edge, their contrasting attitudes reflecting their combat prowess, as facing a formidable opponent intensified one's emotions.
Both paced slowly in the arena, maintaining a distance.
"You must have wanted to kill me for a long time, Robert."
The silver-haired young man, holding his sheath, looked at Robert, then abruptly asked.
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực