(One extra chapter for the first helmsman of this book, 'Eluburg', and another chapter after dinner)
*
The city of Cliff Rock is located north of Casterly Rock, about 300 miles away, and is also a seaside city.
The Westerling family coat of arms consists of six white seashells on yellow sand. The six seashells are arranged in a triangle, with one seashell in the front row, two seashells in the second row, and three seashells in the third row.
The sandy seashells indicate that Cliff City is located on the shore of the Sunset Sea.
The Westerling family motto is 'No honor without ceremony'.
The Westerlings were a prestigious and ancient family in the Westerlands, descendants of the First Men, with a noble and ancient bloodline. However, with each generation of Westerlings, the gold and silver mines within their territory were exhausted, and their fiefdoms were constantly shrunk by the pressure from surrounding powerful nobles. By the time of Gavin Westerling, apart from the family's ancient bloodline still bringing some empty glory, the family's power had completely declined.
For generations, their livelihood has relied primarily on seafood, rather than gold and silver mines.
Beyond the territory of Cliffrock lies a vast expanse rich in gold mines, yet it has no connection to the Westerling family. To this day, that treasure trove of gold lies desolate, bearing two names that strike fear into the hearts of the Western nobles: Castamere and Tabek Hall.
The Reyes family, the most powerful vassal in the Westerlands, held the fief of Castamere, while the great noble family of Tabeck Hall resided there. Both the Reyes and Tabeck families grew increasingly powerful due to the abundance of gold mines within their territories, eventually rivaling the strength of the Lannister lords. Because Tywin Lannister's father was weak-willed, the Reyes and Tabeck families saw an opportunity and began to disregard the Lannisters.
The two arrogant families, unaware of their own limitations, seriously offended the Lannister family. Thus, in Aegon 261, Tywin Nystel, only nineteen years old, led thousands of his family's warriors to completely wipe out the two families.
The two families were completely wiped out, men, women, and children, leaving no one alive. To deter other nobles in the Westerlands, Castamere and Tabernacle remain deserted to this day, and Tywin has not yet granted either Castamere or Tabernacle to any of his nobles.
The famous song "The Rainy Season of Castamere," which was sung in seven countries, originated from this battle.
When Tywin Lannister was unable to conquer the underground city of Castermeh, he dug a canal and flooded the city, killing everyone in Castermeh. The song "The Rainy Season" refers to the flooding of Castermeh.
The Westerling family lived right next to Castamere and Taber Hall, a land overflowing with gold, but the family dared not take it, watching helplessly as the gold spread across the land and the family declined year by year.
*
A year ago, Gregor saw Jenny Westerling, the eldest daughter of House Westerling, in Casterly Rock.
At that time, her beauty and charm astonished the city of Casterly Rock.
Gregor, who had traveled through time, knew that Jenny Westerling was far more beautiful than the actresses in the TV series.
Jenny arrived in Casterly Rock with her father, Lord Gavin Westerling, who, with his carefully trained eldest daughter, confidently came to propose marriage to the Lannister family.
Tywin Lannister has a younger brother named Kevan Lannister, who has always been Tywin's assistant and admirer. Kevan Lannister has a son named Lancel Lannister, who was born in the same year as Jenny Westerling, both in Aegon's year 283.
Lancel was handsome and worked at the palace as King Robert Baratheon's personal sommelier. Gregor knew that Lancel was the dashing young man who always stood beside Robert with a flask in the TV series.
Jenny was naturally beautiful and graceful. After being carefully trained by the Westerling family, she became even more elegant and talented. The Earl Gavin's family spent a lot of effort raising their eldest daughter with the hope that the family could use her to climb into the ranks of the nobility and thus revive the family's prosperity through her wealth.
However, Kevan Lannister is a worldly nobleman who only cares about money and not talent, much like Tywin Lannister. Jenny's beauty and talent are impeccable, but the Westerling family is too poor and too declining. It's easy to agree to this marriage, but the Earl of Gavin will inevitably keep making demands on the Lannister family for 'assistance' because of this marriage.
Kevan Lannister, who became increasingly stingy with the money he had, rejected the marriage proposal.
This caused Lord Gavin to lose face and dignity. Faced with the powerful Lannister family, Lord Gavin had no choice but to slink back to his Rock with his eldest daughter, Jenny.
As news of Lord Gavin's failed marriage to the Lannisters spread, Jenny Westerling's beauty and elegance also became known in the Westerlands. Nobles from the Westerlands came to propose marriage, but none of them caught Lord Gavin's eye, and he rejected them all.
Jenny Westerling was sixteen years old (by Chinese reckoning) and neither married nor engaged, which would make her a relatively old woman in this world.
The reason why Jenny is still unmarried at an "advanced age" is simple: the Westerling family is an ancient and noble noble family. Ordinary nobles like Earl Gavin Westerling look down on her, but truly powerful and wealthy nobles look down on Jenny Westerling's family because it is too poor.
*
Ser Gregor Clegane, the most villainous man in the Westerlands and the most notorious rogue in the Seven Kingdoms, wanted to marry Jenny Westerling, which was nothing but a fool's dream.
That's absolutely impossible!
Given Earl Gavin's lofty ambitions and fragile fate, he would probably have fainted from anger upon hearing about this marriage proposal.
Although the centurions, knights, and sergeants in the parade ground found Gregor's proposal to marry Westerling utterly ridiculous, none of them dared to laugh out loud.
Lord Tywin said, "Sir Gregor, now that you have begun to raise your own family soldiers, I grant you permission to openly sell snow salt in the Westerlands, but you must not evade taxes. As for marriage, I will keep an eye out for suitable women from other noble families for you."
In the seven kingdoms, only the Grand Dukes and the Kings were qualified to operate salt businesses.
For ordinary families in this world, salt is almost as precious as gold.
On this continent, salt was monopolized by the Grand Dukes and the King. Although King Robert's laws were lenient and he did not punish the smuggling of salt severely, turning a blind eye to it and allowing the smuggling business to flourish, it was truly unbelievable that such a business right as salt was publicly granted to a Baron, who could openly and legally sell it.
The centurions, knights, lords, soldiers, and servants in the parade ground all thought they had misheard.
Scholar Porter was completely stunned by the sight.
"No, Your Grace, I have no interest in any other reward except for marrying Jenny Westerling," Grey said decisively.
He was always impolite and a rude man, something Lord Tywin was used to. But only Gregor dared to speak so loudly in front of Lord Tywin.