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

In the early morning, the sun rises as usual, and people continue with their lives as usual.

Herenberg still stands majestically on the north bank of the Lake God's Eye.

Nine small black bats with outstretched wings flutter in the wind on a golden background on the city wall and five towers.

A somber atmosphere pervaded the Riverlands. Although the Trident War had ended, the pain it had inflicted on the people had not yet dissipated. The suffering stemmed from the deaths of loved ones and friends or the loss of power. An invisible iron curtain loomed over the middle of the Riverlands.

Beneath this Iron Curtain, a cold divide remained between the royalists led by Harrenhal, the lords of the western Riverlands, and the rebels led by Riverrun, the lords of the eastern Riverlands.

At the Trident River, royalists and rebels from the East and West Riverlands fought fiercely and selflessly for the Dragon Banner or the Trout Banner.

But now the outcome is clear. The rebel lords of the western Riverlands, who are close to Tully, can at least get some rewards to recover their losses, while the lords of the eastern Riverlands, whose knights are not only defeated but also have their gold coins taken away and are forced to kneel and pledge allegiance.

Arthur Hoan did not participate in the duel today. Instead, he changed into formal attire befitting a nobleman and greeted new guests at Green Hand Manor.

Arthur was wearing a black tuxedo with gold lines and obsidian bat buttons.

If gold and black are the colors of the family crest, then clothing can also be either gold or yellow.

Previously, the Rothschild family had a member named "Black Hat" Manfred, who loved black clothes and hoods, even though the Rothschild family crest is a black bat on a gold and silver background.

Just like the Targaryen family, some people also prefer black armor and red robes, such as Aemond the One-Eyed.

Arthur's guest was Raymond Darryl, the young Earl of Farmers' Castle in Darryl City.

"Good day, Earl Raymond."

"Good day, Master Arthur, Sir Lucas, Master Verri, and Master Lucas," said Earl Raymond.

Although Arthur is both the heir to Harrenhal and the Earl of the Whitewalls, people are more accustomed to calling him Arthur the Heir.

Raymond Darryl was only a few years older than Arthur Hogan. Arthur was born in 275, and Raymond was born in 271.

Derry is a half-day's ride from the south bank of the Trident River. It is close to the confluence of the King's Road and the Trident River in the town of Earl of Harlowe.

The town of Harroway, the city of Darryl, belong to other noble families within the sphere of influence of Harrenhal.

Although he was a few years older, Raymond was pale and thin, with a melancholic air about him, making him seem like the opposite extreme from the vibrant Arthur.

That's normal; Raymond really did have a terrible time.

The Darryl family suffered many deaths in the war, and with the additional burden of reparations and territorial concessions, they were utterly crushed by the Iron Throne.

"The royalist faction includes the Targaryen family of King's Landing, the Darryl and Riveran families of the Riverlands, the Martell and Dayne families of Dorne, the Leicester family of the Riverlands who are loyal to the king but also prone to betrayal, and the rebel faction including the Starks of the North, the Arryn family of the Vale, and the Clinton family of the Stormlands."

These families are listed together, and they can compete to be the most miserable king in the seven kingdoms.

The Erin family lost two heirs, and the Dane family lost "Sword of Dawn" and their eldest daughter, Ashara.

Every family suffered losses in the power struggles that followed the disastrous spring of the Tournament of Harrenhal, but the most tragic were undoubtedly the River Ann, Darryl, and Leicester families of the Riverlands, and the Clinton family of the Stormlands.

During the War of the Usurper, some of the Earl of Leicester's sons joined one side and some joined the other, but none of them escaped death.

After that, the Earl of Leicester never regained his mental health.

As long-time royalists, House Riveran declined primarily due to the cursed aura surrounding Harrenhal, while House Darryl's decline was entirely due to their close ties with the Targaryens.

Raymond's three older brothers all died fighting for the Targaryens at the Trident River; otherwise, the right of succession would not have fallen to the youngest son, Raymond.

Besides them, there was also Jon Darryl, a member of the Darryl family's collateral line of the Kingsguard, and William Darryl, the Red Keep coach who led the Targaryen orphans to Braavos.

The Darryl family had deep roots in the court and were once very prominent, being a royalist prince trusted by the Mad King.

Five members of the Darryl family sacrificed their lives for the Targaryens.

The Daryl family used the most leverage, so their investment failures resulted in the most severe losses.

However, the tragic fate of the Darryl family was not over yet. According to the original story, not only was Raymond to be killed by "The Mountain", but his only son was also to be killed by "The Mountain", and the Darryl family line would be extinguished.

Arthur looked at Raymond with some pity; his luck was indeed extremely bad.

Arthur led Earl Raymond on a stroll through the manor, where the beautiful scenery helped alleviate some of his gloom.

Arthur and Raymond eventually went straight to Arthur's log cabin, Arthur's "Carefree Little Cabin".

Arthur treated Raymond to fresh grilled fish from their estate, along with lemonade with honey.

"This place is so cozy, I don't really want to go back to Farmer's Castle," Raymond said, taking a sip of lemonade.

The lush green fields, the hills and the flowing streams make it a place you'll never want to leave.

Lemonade is not expensive in modern society, but in the Middle Ages, the Darryl family had just suffered a major financial loss and could hardly afford it.

"The manor is tranquil, and I always welcome your arrival." Arthur sat down in a chair, gesturing for Earl Raymond to also feel at ease.

Earl Raymond really needs to get out and about; otherwise, he's still unmarried and returning to Farmer's Castle all alone would be truly tragic.

"Young man, you are too young, but the responsibilities you bear are those of an adult," Lucas Dane said with pity.

All three families were royalists in the War of the Usurper, and all suffered heavy losses and casualties.

But the Dane family was far away in Dorne, far from the emperor's reach, and remained unscathed. The Earl of Dane, the eldest son of the Dane family, was still alive.

The Darryl family has been dealt a heavy blow by the Iron Throne and is now in a state of near collapse.

Although the He'an family, which was in the middle, was also severely punished, they managed to retain their fiefdom. Moreover, the He'an family was wealthier and recovered much faster than Dai Rui.

"Thank you for your comfort, Master Arthur, Sir Lucas." Raymond sighed. "The new day is sad, but we can only bear it ourselves. My father entrusted Darryl City to me, and I have no choice but to grit my teeth and bear it. The Seven Gods gave us the opportunity to live in this world, yet they also made us endure all kinds of suffering."

Raymond, like Eddard Stark and William Mouton, was a backup heir, to take his place when the eldest son died.

The only difference is that the Starks are a large and powerful family, and Eddard Stark was exceptionally talented and won the war, while these losers have a much harder time recovering.

"The same goes for Farmer's Castle and Harrenhal," Arthur said with a wry smile, downing his lemonade in one gulp.

Arthur didn't deliberately try to win over Raymond; there was no need to.

Most of those who followed Robert's path to power and wealth in the usurper camp became incredibly rich, except for Eddard Stark, who seemed to have simply contributed his efforts and didn't even reap the same rewards as the Lannisters.

Those defeated royalist princes were filled with jealousy and hatred.

In this situation, it would be more appropriate to comfort the injured young man.

Raymond is the most tragic opposition party member, and he harbors a deep-seated hatred for wolves, fish, deer, eagles, and lions, a hatred akin to annihilating entire families.

With Daryl joining, the Herenberg clique gained another member.

"I want to avenge them, but I can't. Tully betrayed the Dragon King's kindness, but Darryl didn't. But I'm too incompetent; I can barely make ends meet now, and I'm still paying off the debts from the Iron Throne fines," Raymond Darryl said, suppressing his emotions after drinking some wine.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Raymond regretted them.

How many have you drunk? How dare you make such a boast?

"I know how you feel, Earl Raymond. But be patient," Arthur said slowly, looking at Raymond. "Listen to me, we are both families who lost in a lost war. Therefore, we must be even more patient."

Raymond opened his eyes wide and looked at Arthur Hoan.

Beneath this beautiful landscape of lakes, mountains, and pastoral scenery lies a heart that refuses to accept defeat.

The logic of power is to restrain oneself before acting.