With this underground natural hot spring, the spring water flows through channels in the thick walls of the castle, warming its rooms. It's certainly comfortable to live in.
Completely self-heated.
As Jason Liu followed his servants through a deserted courtyard, looking at the weathered and mottled tower opposite, he couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"
The servant glanced at the tower and replied casually, "This is the ruined tower, the tallest tower in Winterfell, but it's been in disrepair for a long time. Many parts have collapsed. For safety's sake, my lord, we'd best not go up. Usually, no one goes inside."
Remnant tower?
Jason Liu suddenly remembered that in the original book, Bran had been pushed from it by Jaime.
That is to say, if there's no change to the timeline, when the king takes people out hunting, Jaime and Cersei will sneak here to have their affair, and Bran, the mischievous child, will witness their scandal. He likely won't escape the fate of being thrown from the tower.
Should I save that little guy Bran?
Uncertain about whether to intervene, Jason Liu lost interest in continuing the tour. He dismissed the servant and stood alone in the deserted courtyard, staring in amazement at the tall, broken tower.
If he wanted to prevent the war that Bran's fall would trigger, then he should save Bran—at least to delay the conflict between the Wolf and Lion families.
That way, the war might be postponed, giving him more time to handle his business.
As for preventing the war entirely? That was simply impossible.
Not with Littlefinger —one of Westeros' biggest troublemakers—in the mix. Sooner or later, Westeros would descend into chaos.
He couldn't stop it.
He could only do something to delay the outbreak a little.
Thinking of Bran—the cute little guy—Jason had to admit that although he wasn't fond of the boy's reckless tendencies, he still couldn't bear the thought of him being crippled.
After all, such a cute and handsome little boy, right?
But what could he do to stop Bran's tragedy?
Before he could figure it out, Kent spoke up to remind him the banquet was about to begin, and they needed to head to the hall.
"Well, let's go. Time for the banquet."
Jason Liu nodded, temporarily setting aside the thoughts crowding his mind, and returned to the hall with his four guards.
By now, the hall was filled with long tables, and the knights of House Stark—as well as noble knights who had followed the king north—had already taken their seats.
The servants of Winterfell moved quickly through the bustle of the crowd, serving steaming bread, plates of food, and pots of thick soup to the tables.
Valets brought in large barrels of inferior ale, the favorite drink of knights and soldiers. At their station, they couldn't afford the wine from the Arbor.
Jason Liu arranged for Dicken, Kent, Rubin, and Chris to sit with several knights of Winterfell, and then followed the guidance of a servant to sit among the nobles from small castles around Winterfell.
Seated across from them were royal dignitaries who had come with the king.
Thanks to the stab-proof clothing, swords, carriages, and solar energy-saving lamps he'd shown earlier, the realm's nobles were very interested in the young Earl of Spark City, expressing their willingness to purchase.
Naturally, Jason Liu was happy to sell.
Except for the stab-proof suits and swords, everything else was negotiable.
Soon, the royal family began to enter.
King Robert walked in first, Lady Catelyn on his arm. Behind them were Duke Eddard and Queen Cersei.
Next came the tall and handsome Prince Joffrey, and the plump little Prince Tommen.
Robb Stark entered with his younger siblings. Sansa wore a white dress gifted to her by Jason Liu that day, making the 14-year-old girl look even more beautiful.
Arya was rarely dressed like a girl, but even in her long blue dress, she still wore a boyish expression.
Bran and little Rickon also wore fine clothes, and on this important occasion, both boys tried hard to present the good manners of House Stark.
At the back was a middle-aged man with a long face dressed in black, resembling Eddard Stark. Jason Liu guessed this must be Benjen Stark, the First Ranger of the Night's Watch and Ned's younger brother.
He had likely come to Winterfell seeking aid. The Night's Watch was short on supplies, and with the White Walkers stirring beyond the Wall and wildlings pressing southward, tensions with the Watch were increasing.
The Night's Watch desperately needed weapons, supplies, and men.
As the younger brother of the Warden of the North, Benjen had been sent to Winterfell for help.
Following him was the tall and handsome Ser Jaime, clad in golden armor and a white cloak.
Behind him was a small dwarf—the famous "little devil" Tyrion Lannister.
Tyrion was short, with curly blond hair, mismatched black and green eyes, and slightly twisted legs, awkwardly trailing behind his brother Jaime.
The contrast between the two brothers was so stark it was hard to believe they were even related.
No wonder Lord Tywin always doubted that Tyrion was truly his child. No matter how one looked at it, Tyrion's stunted, ugly appearance just didn't match the Lannisters' famed beauty.
Jason Liu's gaze lingered on Tyrion—one of the smartest men in Westeros. Despite his twisted body, Tyrion had a kind heart and a clever mind.
In short, a very interesting person.
Maybe Jason Liu's stare was too direct, because Tyrion noticed and turned to look at him.
Their eyes met—Jason looking at the mismatched pair on Tyrion's face, one black and one green. Quickly, Jason softened his expression into a gentle smile and nodded politely.
Tyrion, observing Jason's unfamiliar yet calm face—so unlike the typical Westerosi—raised an eyebrow.
He quickly guessed this was the young man people in Market Town's women's quarters had been discussing all day: Lord Jason East.
Seeing no trace of contempt or fear in Jason's expression—only polite curiosity—Tyrion felt a flicker of amusement.
Still, the banquet was about to begin, so Tyrion said nothing. He turned and took his seat at the front long table.
There sat the king's family and the Stark family.
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