The Lannister Disguise
A young blond nobleman walked out of the tailor shop.
He was wearing a dark purple hunting coat made of fine brocade and velvet, with a shawl of silver thread and soft red gold hanging from his left shoulder. The two high-quality fabrics, lining and surface, displayed distinct layers.
Around his waist was a gold-plated belt adorned with floral patterns, and an exquisite Lannister heraldic sword hung from it.
It was said that this set of hunting clothes once belonged to a sworn knight of the Shella family, but now it was sold in this tailor shop that directly belonged to Lady Shella. Such was the unpredictable nature of fate.
Since House Shella had been granted Harrenhal in 281 AC, they had once been one of the most prominent families in the Riverlands and the most powerful vassal in the region.
In the year they acquired Harrenhal, Lord Walter Shella held a grand tourney here, where the crown prince Rhaegar Targaryen (the Mad King's eldest son) won the jousting championship.
But then, he galloped past his wife, Princess Elia of Dorne, and placed the crown of winter roses, symbolizing the 'Queen of Love and Beauty,' on the lap of Lyanna Stark, who was betrothed to Lord Robert Baratheon (now King on the Iron Throne). A huge scandal erupted.
Soon afterward, Lyanna was allegedly kidnapped by Prince Rhaegar. Lyanna's father and brother were executed by the 'Mad King' Aerys Targaryen II when they came to seek justice.
The following year, in 282 AC, "Robert's Rebellion" broke out, which changed the structure of Westeros. Lord Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie, raised the flag of rebellion and nominated Robert Baratheon as the leader of the uprising. Together with House Stark in the North, House Tully in the Riverlands, and House Baratheon in the Stormlands, it took two years to overthrow the Targaryen dynasty that had ruled Westeros for nearly 300 years.
House Shella of Harrenhal lost most of their power because they had mistakenly sided with the royalists.
To this day, the ruler of Harrenhal, Lady Shella, could only occupy a small part of the halls of Harrenhal, and her troops numbered only a few hundred men.
The many weapons, armors, clothing, and jewelry that once belonged to the knights and ladies of House Shella were now sold in these shops directly owned by Lady Shella to supplement the family's increasingly inadequate finances.
In order to buy this well-fitting hunting coat and belt, Ian spent 5 gold dragons and 180 silver stags, silently thanking the old blacksmith.
In short, to make his image look more like a real aristocrat, Ian had spent most of his money.
Therefore, he also needed to find a good horse and was feeling a little financially stretched.
After leading his horse to the stables of Harrenhal, Ian began to consider whether it was possible for him to borrow a good horse from Lady Shella's stable master by virtue of his status as a Lannister noble.
After all, the Lannister family, as the richest family in Westeros, always lived by the motto "A Lannister always pays his debts." As long as he offered a generous return, he might be able to borrow a decent horse.
After revealing his identity as a Lannister knight to the stable guards, Ian successfully obtained permission to enter the stables.
Walking into the nearly empty stables of Harrenhal, Ian suddenly felt a profound sense of loneliness.
It was an enormous building, and judging from its area and the number of horse troughs, it could have accommodated perhaps a thousand horses.
But now it seemed that less than one-tenth of it was still in use. About 30 horses were kept in a corner, the final proof that House Shella of Harrenhal still endured.
Ian had once visited the stables of an ancient castle in Europe. According to the tour guide, there used to be special rooms in the stables to store hunting coats, riding boots, wine, vinegar, olives, and medicinal ointments. There were also special rooms used to store horse armor, heraldic horse coverings, hunting bows, and other weapons.
In the area dedicated to war horses, there was not only high-quality wheat for food but also slots for placing oil lamps. Every winter, the stable steward would light oil lamps to heat the war horses.
Such a stable was more like a small military camp. The noble knights could equip themselves in the stable at any time and could also rest inside.
However, here, these functions had obviously been lost.
Ian's arrival attracted the attention of a groom who was pouring water into a manger. He quickly stopped what he was doing and trotted over to Ian.
"Hey, that's enough, sir," he began, but then recognized Ian's noble appearance from his clothes, so he quickly changed his words. "I'm sorry, sir, this is the private stable of Lady Shella. Outsiders are not permitted."
"Of course, I know where this is, but I still came in, didn't I?" Ian deliberately turned sideways, seeming to observe a brown palfrey next to him. In fact, he was displaying the Lannister sword hanging at his side to the groom, hoping he would notice it clearly.
"Oh, yes, Sir." The groom responded blankly, and then he remembered that there was a team of guards outside the stable, and the knight in front of him had still entered, which meant that he must have obtained permission.
"I am Ser Lucien Lannister, son of Ser Damion Lannister." Ian invented an identity for himself. When facing locals who were not players, he could act more freely.
"What brings you here, Sir?" The groom immediately asked respectfully upon hearing Ian's name.
Although he had never heard of Ser Lucien Lannister, this did not prevent him from bowing his head to the knight.
"I want to board my horse with you temporarily," Ian did not reveal his purpose directly. He pointed to the palfrey he was leading. "Of course, I will pay for it."
"Certainly, Sir, it would be my honor. I promise to take good care of your horse." The groom quickly agreed. It was one of their duties to care for the horses of passing noble knights, who usually paid handsome fees for horse maintenance.
"At the same time, I also need to borrow a horse from you," Ian added.
"Of course, no problem, Sir. Please take a look." The groom gestured, leading Ian further into the stable. He did not doubt that the knight was a fraud. After all, he was leaving his own horse behind, wasn't he?
"I'm going to Maidenpool for Lord William Mooton's hunt," Ian said, eyeing the horses in the stalls.
Most of the horses were just ordinary riding horses, with only a few truly large destriers.
Soon, he fell in love with one of the white horses.
Ian visually estimated that its height at the withers was over 1.65 meters. Compared to it, the palfrey he was leading, which stood less than 1.4 meters at the shoulders, could only be described as petite and cute.
"That one—how much?" Ian asked, pointing to the magnificent white destrier.