Game of Thrones: King of Harrenhal, starting with a blue hand stat panel

Day two.

In the morning, at the Bitter Bridge.

Lord John Carsway sat with Sir Arthur Hoan and Sir Lucas Dayne on a wooden platform overlooking the river.

The flags of the Casway family, the River family, and the Dane family were hanging on the high platform.

In terms of their status, the three of them could easily sit on the high platform.

Baron John was the local lord.

Arthur is the heir to Harrenhal and the Earl of Whitewall, a rising star known as the "Dark Knight."

Sir Lucas was a cousin and coach of the Dawn Swords.

Baron John Carsway, seated in the middle, still appeared thin, wearing a white shirt and white breeches, with a yellow centaur badge pinned to his neck.

Arthur on the left is dressed in black glazed armor, with a magnificent and fierce bat-shaped helmet placed on a long table, and a longsword and a steel dagger tied to his sword belt.

The hulking Raleigh, standing below as the defendant, exuded an air of "I'm not convinced."

Laurent Carsway and his two servants sat on the other side.

A large crowd surrounded the trial court.

With something like this happening, there are bound to be a lot of people coming to watch the spectacle.

Baron John didn't want to lose face, but he had no choice.

"That's how it happened. If Laurent hadn't forcibly taken my things yesterday, humiliated me for not becoming a knight, and stolen the longsword that my father gave me as a birthday present, I wouldn't have attacked him." The big man, Raleigh, chuckled and stood below the courtyard, recounting the whole story.

"Is what Raleigh said true? Before the old and new gods, before the distinguished guests of the Bridge of Bitterness, Lord Arthur and Sir Lucas, you must answer. Laurent," asked Baron John Casway.

"I..." The thin Sir Laurent Carsway stammered as he stood up, unable to continue.

They were timid and hesitant, not at all like knights.

Perhaps this is why the knights of the Reach sometimes falter; they live a comfortable life, and many of them are just pretenders.

"Alright, get back to your seat, Laurent," Baron John Carsway said angrily.

"Raleigh!"

"Raleigh!"

The onlookers at Bitterbridge shouted Raleigh's name, after all, they were all neighbors.

He not only knew Raleigh, but also Lord Laurent.

The burly blacksmith father was terrified.

After all, although the son's attempt to injure someone with a heavy hammer failed, it was still a close call.

Baron John the Elder knew exactly what was going on with his son's behavior.

Old John had four daughters, but only Laurent was his heir.

It became a situation where one couldn't touch a tiger's backside and couldn't tolerate the slightest dissent.

To be honest, none of the other servants dared to touch a hair on his head.

Laurent was a tyrant until he met a tough guy like the big guy Raleigh.

"Sigh." Old John sighed; he was definitely trying to protect his own.

Raleigh's actions were a justified act of revenge, and also constituted intentional assault; it was a case of mixed fault.

If there were no outsiders present, he could naturally exercise his power in any way he pleased.

A lord is a local emperor in his own territory, and he has the right to judge and even execute.

However, if there are outsiders present, they are not so unrestrained in their actions.

Just like Roose Bolton.

Luce could exercise his right of first night within his own territory, raping the miller's wife and hanging the miller.

But this matter must not be revealed to outsiders, especially not to the Stark family.

"Young Master Arthur, Sir Lucas, what do you think?" Baron John asked sincerely.

"The defendant, Raleigh, is a member of your garrison and a subject of yours, while Laurent is your heir. These are matters for you to decide, Baron John," Arthur said with a smile.

Old John's expression relaxed; it seemed Arthur was going to protect them.

However, Arthur continued, "But I think that no matter how Lord John handles this, he must consider the dignity of chivalry, right? As Saint Beller, the 'Soul of Chivalry,' said, protecting the weak is what makes a true knight."

Saint Beller was not only the mad believer Beller, but also the "Spearbreaker" Beller.

"Chivalry..." Baron John Casway seemed to have a bone stuck in his throat.

The spirit of chivalry is both abstract and concrete.

The knight swore an oath to help the weak, protect women, fight for justice, and never bully the weak.

But only a few are true knights.

Most people are hypocritical knights, only interested in power and profit.

Even a scoundrel like The Mountain, who's utterly depraved, and a piece of trash like Little Cosway, are still Cavaliers.

But anyone who goes out into the world has to uphold the banner of chivalry, otherwise their reputation will be ruined.

Especially in the Reach, the birthplace of knights.

"Yes, chivalry. Baron John, you wouldn't want the Casway family to be known for lacking chivalry, would you?" Sir Lucas laughed heartily.

The other Dorne families said chivalry was a joke, but the Dane family had no problem with it.

The Dane family has always produced the most powerful knights in Dorne.

Occasionally, it is even the strongest of the seven kingdoms.

"A true knight!"

"A true knight!"

"just!"

"just!"

The people of Kuqiao shouted loudly, and a wave of sound followed.

Laurent's face turned pale; he felt he might really have to back down today.

The powerful Arthur did not protect him.

"Sir Laurent Carsway, your behavior is truly inappropriate. Bullying the weak is contrary to chivalry," said Baron John the Elder cautiously.

"Father, me?" Laurent asked, somewhat taken aback.

"Shut up," Baron John said impatiently.

"Rowley, although you were offended first, you struck afterward. If Lord Arthur hadn't been there, you would have seriously injured my son. Moreover, you even laid a hand on young Master Arthur Hogan." Baron John then looked at Rowley.

"Yes, sir." Raleigh lowered his head dejectedly; it was indeed such a thing.

Putting aside the issue of Cosway Jr., John Sr.'s mentorship of him to become a member of the defense team shows he's a pretty good guy.

It remains to be seen how Baron John will punish him.

The punishments in Westeros were quite cruel.

Stealing something is punishable by losing a finger; rape results in castration; stealing a deer is punishable by death.

Cutting open the nostrils is an appropriate punishment for maliciously harming innocent people.

If you offend royalty, they will cut off your hand or leg.

Offending a lord, while not as severe, would not be tolerated lightly.

"Besides the chivalrous spirit of protecting the weak, justice is the spirit of a lord. As a lord, I should be even more so," said Baron John the Elder.

Seeing the turmoil in the crowd, and the demands of He An and Dane.

Old John was also as fair as possible.

"Do you think this is acceptable?" Baron John asked Arthur in a low voice before making his decision.

"Okay," Arthur agreed with old John's decision.

Old John had no choice but to impose this punishment.

Arthur is a big shot in the Cassway family of Bitterbridge, and he is also Laurent's savior.

Out of chivalry, Arthur did not resent the request from the big man Raleigh to Old John to handle the matter, and Old John had no choice but to accept.

"In accordance with the King's law, we are holding a trial. Although there are extenuating circumstances, Raleigh's attempted offense against the Lord's heir is punishable by four lashes."

"As for you, Laurent, you should also receive four lashes. But you are my heir, so this punishment can be borne by your substitute child. Since you have no substitute child, your two servants will be punished together," Baron John the Elder said solemnly as he stood up.

Baron John the Elder still loved his son dearly, but he had done his best.

Arthur nodded; Baron John had already given him a great deal of face.

Hitting a big guy a few times is better than cutting off his nose or chopping off his hand.

Raleigh's eyes widened, and he breathed a sigh of relief, having saved his hand and his nose.

If Arthur hadn't been there, Baron John's punishment wouldn't have been so lenient.