After finishing reading, Eddard then handed this will to Kal.
Kal reached out and received it, looking at words on it, and those shocking bloodstains.
"He appointed you guardian of entire realm. In letter you sent to me, you did not mention this matter—"
Hearing this, Eddard Stark was slightly stunned, recalling ink blot in one letter he had mailed to Kal.
"Since you returned to King's Landing, these titles naturally all belong to you. This was not necessary."
However, Kal keenly sensed meaning behind his words, making him narrow eyes. "Lord Eddard, you are preparing to return to North, and want to resign this work of Hand of King?"
Seeing Kal this sharp, Eddard also could not help shaking head, giving one explanation.
"I am not one qualified Hand, Your Grace. After I came to King's Landing, all work I did is not even as good as you. Maybe you need one younger Hand to help you."
He indeed wanted to return to North. This place was not suitable for him, so he did not hide meaning from Kal.
But hearing these words, Kal suddenly shifted topic.
"Your meaning is, you do not want to assist me, do not want to swear loyalty for me?"
Eddard abruptly stiffened, face startled. "Certainly not, Your Grace, you do not need to doubt loyalty of House Stark. I am just somewhat tired—"
Speaking thus, Eddard Stark was quite sensible. At once, in this council hall holding royal council, he faced Kal, bowed head, and kneeled on one knee.
"Lord of Winterfell, Warden of North, Eddard of House Stark swears loyalty toward King Kal the First of House Baratheon."
"Your honor is my honor, your will is my mission, where your longsword points is direction I advance."
Seeing Eddard Stark's actions, Kal finally had smile on face.
Then he extended hand, helping this Lord of Winterfell up.
But before Eddard Stark could open mouth to speak, Kal directly interrupted him.
"Since Lord Eddard Stark swears loyalty toward me, then I, in name of King, appoint you still as my Hand of King, and at same time—"
"During period I am not in King's Landing, act as regent in my stead, governing affairs of realm until I formally ascend Iron Throne!"
...
King's Landing, Silk Street.
Kal felt he was nearly forgetting when last time he came here was.
But he could be sure last time he came here absolutely was not with identity of King, nor with identity of Ser.
At that time he was still one lowborn bastard, one strong soldier making living in King's Landing like many sellswords, just somewhat more fortunate.
Girls here all loved him. All brothels were willing to give "Blackstone Mercenary Company" one reasonable discount, even paying him instead was not impossible.
But this time he came here again carrying one large group of soldiers, surrounding one brothel newly renamed 'Red Viper' so tightly it was completely sealed off.
Kingsguard commander Ser Barristan Selmy, bringing his sworn brothers, also came to scene.
Seven knights wearing milk-white enameled armor, draped in white cloaks, stood in attendance before Kal.
"Send several people, bring Red Viper and his paramour out."
According to Varys's intelligence, Oberyn Martell was at this time with his paramour Ellaria Sand in this brothel they bought and afterward renamed "Red Viper."
And together with some soldiers he brought.
Following Barristan's order, four of Kingsguard stepped out.
Ser Arys Oakheart, Ser Mandon Moore, Preston Greenfield, and one newly appointed Ser Balser Templeton surged into this brothel together.
In short time, sounds of fighting and screams came from inside brothel, and gradually quieted down.
However, Kal waiting outside slightly furrowed brows, then leaped off horse, casually drew one spear from hand of one Gold Cloak beside him, and walked inside.
Ser Barristan Selmy seemed not expecting his King would suddenly move. After being stunned for moment, he hurriedly brought people and also rushed to Kal's front.
Once they entered this brothel, in one mottled pool of blood after another lay Dornish soldiers—some already dead, some still barely breathing.
They wore no armor, and were even exposing bodies, with only long knives, short swords, and other weapons that looked like they had been taken at random.
As for original prostitutes of brothel, they were trembling, hiding in corners.
Their eyes were wide with fear as they covered mouths, as if they had not expected this disaster to come so suddenly.
Fortunately, they had not been harmed.
But men in this brothel had all been cleaned out completely.
Led by Kal, group of people silently walked through narrow corridor in brothel.
Along the way appeared one shattered door after another, with expensive silk scarves, curtains, fine glass artworks, and other things broken across floor, scattered everywhere.
Mixed with corpses that appeared on ground from time to time and blood flowing out, Barristan and others walked ahead with vigilance, while Kal behind them seemed as if he knew direction, walking toward place where sounds of fighting grew louder and louder.
After a short while, they followed staircase upward all the way and arrived inside a room in a tower at rear courtyard.
Unlike outside, bodies of Dornish gradually decreased here, replaced instead by some city garrison guards wearing armor, but likewise killed.
Seeing this scene, weapons in hands of Barristan Selmy and others tightened more and more, guarding against unknown enemy.
But at this moment, Kal suddenly spoke.
"Stop."
Barristan and others reflexively halted footsteps and turned to look at Kal who had issued command.
Kal was now crouching beside corpse of a Gold Cloak. He lifted helmet on its head, looking at wound where weapon had been thrust through eye and pierced out back of skull.
"Your Grace?" Barristan was somewhat confused.
Kal, however, waved hand. "Wait!"
Saying this, Kal walked to one Gold Cloak whose chest had been pierced by one thrust stabbed in from slanted armpit.
He had not died yet, but was only one breath away from dying.
Kal carefully observed him and noticed this soldier was showing extreme pain. His fingers were scratching his own breastplate, even though nails of both hands had been torn up and fingertip bones were exposed and bleeding.
Then in next second, this soldier died with eyes widened in pain.
"It is poison—" Noticing Kal's movement, Barristan also looked over. "Should be work of Red Viper."
Hearing his words, Kal slowly nodded, moving gaze away from face of this soldier whose death state was miserable, with every blood vessel turned black-purple.
"Let us go. Go see this Dornish Prince who is resisting in desperation."
As soon as Kal finished speaking, he once again walked at front.
His footsteps were heavy, making muffled sounds on carpeted floor.
After short while, group arrived inside one room that appeared even more spacious.
Looking inside, one man with bare upper body, black long hair, standing in front of one woman to shield her, was swinging spear in his hand, easily piercing through neck of one Kingsguard.
Bright red hot blood sprayed out along with Red Viper's motion of pulling spear out, dyeing milk-white cloak and armor.
Inside room, lying on ground besides seven or eight Gold Cloaks of city garrison, were also remaining two Kingsguards.
Of four Kingsguards who had entered, only one was barely still standing.
Kal looked over and saw the one still alive was that Ser Arys Oakheart.
As for remaining three, they had already fallen into pool of blood.
"Stand down, Ser Arys Oakheart. You are not his match."
While everyone was shocked by Red Viper's combat power, Kal just gave one faint instruction and tossed him one bottle of antidote potion.
Yes, reason Arys Oakheart had not died was simply that he was already injured, now leaning against one wall with painful expression, clenching teeth to hold on without collapsing.
After having these people who were surrounding Red Viper all step back, Kal stepped over bodies on ground, holding spear in reverse grip, and came before Red Viper Oberyn Martell Prince.
"Your Grace, you—" Barristan wanted to step forward, but Kal raised hand to stop him.
"Kal El? King? Heh— I thought we were friends?"
Facing Kal, Red Viper no longer had earlier contempt or casualness. He gripped spear in his hand tightly, those black eyes like venomous snake staring fixedly at Kal
He quietly shifted his steps, shielding his woman behind him more firmly.
Then he said, "I did not expect person wanting to kill me would actually be you. Can you tell me why you sent people to kill me?"
"Are you not worried that if I die here, Dorne will react?"
But facing his questions, Kal's gaze was on three or four men and women lying naked and dead on ground, then he looked at Kingsguards and soldiers killed by Red Viper.
Kal did not move immediately, instead speaking one sentence in calm tone.
"Do you know? King Robert died yesterday."
Hearing this, Oberyn Martell's expression stiffened slightly, and his eyes revealed trace of confusion.
But his reaction was quick. Right after, corner of his mouth lifted, and he sneered: "Oh? Is that so? That is good news for me. I should immediately tell Doran."
"And this is reason Barristan Selmy called you Your Grace?"
Earlier, when hearing Barristan call Kal Your Grace, Oberyn had not paid much attention, only thinking person who had ordered his death was Robert Baratheon.
But with Kal's sentence just now, he understood why.
So cold smile on his face grew stronger.
"I remember you had already left King's Landing for more than one week. Why are you now appearing here, and even have become King?"
"A bastard, hehe. I thought your kings would only be chosen from those supposedly noble bloodlines, such as that annoying Stannis Baratheon."
"Red Viper, take back your words!" Barristan Selmy, hearing Oberyn's words at side, immediately prepared to act.
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