"Excellent, excellent."
Aerys's body trembled with excitement, as though he could already foresee the nobles and subjects singing his praises.
Pycelle and Varys exchanged looks, both at a loss for words.
How could things go so smoothly? Given the King's current mental state, avoiding trouble was the most important thing.
Tywin gave the King time to revel in himself before saying, "Your Majesty, the prince mentioned in his letter that his residence is humble. How can a prince of the realm have a fief without a castle?"
Aerys froze, finding the other man's words reasonable.
How could his most beloved son live in some country farmhouse?
Tywin held his head high. "The Royal Family should fund the construction of a castle befitting the prince's status."
Aerys deeply agreed.
Unexpectedly, Tywin changed the subject. "Building a castle takes time and effort. It would be better to summon the prince back to court first. Once the treasury is full, we can put the proposal on the agenda."
From building a castle, it had shifted to summoning someone back to court.
"Hmm?"
Aerys frowned deeply.
His mental state was poor, but he was not stupid.
After his eldest son Rhaegar's wedding, he had always advocated making his more loyal second son the new heir, replacing that ungrateful wretch.
And while his second son had been in the Riverlands, he had explicitly refused to compete and revealed his intention to seek a fief.
He certainly did not agree with that.
Yet at the Small Council, the proposal had received unanimous approval from the ministers.
In his mind, the others might have wanted to avoid infighting within the Royal Family, but Tywin certainly did not.
That ambitious bastard must have some other scheme. He must have seen that Aerys intended to establish his more promising second son, which would obstruct that ungrateful wretch's succession and ruin the pair's collusion.
Under pressure, Aerys still agreed.
He then granted his second son lands on the southern bank of the Blackwater Rush, just a river away from King's Landing, so he could rush to King's Landing whenever Aerys was in danger.
Better yet, the territory should be so poor it could not make ends meet, forcing that kid back to King's Landing and keeping him before Aerys at all times.
Now Tywin had suddenly opposed building a domain for his second son and wanted to summon him back to King's Landing. Such abnormal behavior was surely another conspiracy.
"No!"
At that thought, Aerys instantly became fierce and loudly demanded, "Tywin, what exactly are you doing as Lord Hand? Has the treasury been gnawed empty by your House Lannister, leaving not even enough gold to build my son a castle?"
The undisguised humiliation was like a crisp slap across the face.
Even someone as deeply calculating as Tywin turned livid, barely suppressing the fury in his heart.
"Your Majesty, Prince Rhaegar has moved to Dragonstone. As the second-oldest male heir, shouldn't Prince Daeren remain in King's Landing?"
Tywin said in a low voice.
He truly had been enraged.
The proposal to recall Daeren had not been discussed beforehand between master and student. It had been his own decision.
When he accepted the other as his student, he had not demanded anything of him.
Asking for nothing was the greatest demand of all.
The Mad King had failed to appreciate his goodwill. He had rejected a marriage between Rhaegar and Tywin's daughter, mocking the Lannisters as his servants, unworthy of breeding with their master.
Rhaegar was outstanding. Rhaegar was virtuous. Rhaegar was beloved by the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms.
Rhaegar had chosen Elia Martell.
Since both the Mad King and his son looked down on House Lannister, Tywin would support a new King who would obey him.
Planning a fief for Daeren had been meant to build momentum and inform the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms that there was another prince they could choose.
If Daeren hid away in his fief, Tywin would gain no return.
Only by recalling him from his fief could Tywin make the most of him.
Aerys did not care about any of that. If Tywin said east, Aerys would go west. He absolutely would not let Tywin have his way.
He sneered, "Tywin, mind your station. It is not your place to point fingers at my son. Withdraw before your King."
Tywin's eyes were cold and venomous. He gave the man on the Iron Throne a long look, then turned and swept away.
His bearing seemed to say, "Aerys, one day you will regret this."
"Ridiculous!"
Aerys dismissed it with contempt.
I am the King!!
At sunset.
Daeren stood on the rocks by the shore, holding a bamboo Fishing Rod as he slowly and quickly alternated the reel.
Splash!
The line came back, its hook dangling a wet clump of tender green seaweed.
"Damn it!"
Daeren's face darkened at once. He hurled down the bamboo Fishing Rod and pointed at the sea. "You've got some nerve. Just don't let me catch even one fish."
After struggling for half the day, he had caught two clumps of seaweed and a piece of driftwood.
He was a Targaryen, true enough, but he had yet to hatch a Dragon Egg and soar through the skies on dragonback.
Did they really take him for an air force recruit?
After composing himself, Daeren picked up the bamboo Fishing Rod and headed back before the sky turned dark.
The Fishing Rod had been free. When he arrived on the East Coast, he had opened it from a blue box like a beginner's gift box.
He had been full of confidence, believing he could handle things as calmly as in a game.
Unexpectedly, reality taught him a lesson, and he hurried home that evening.
"King's Landing should be lively by now, shouldn't it?"
Halfway back, Daeren looked toward King's Landing.
With only the Blackwater Rush between them, he could easily see the red city sheltered by its towering walls.
"I'll know tomorrow anyway."
Daeren did not dwell on it. He did not care how much impact a letter could cause.
The bigger the commotion, the better. Let the stagnant waters be stirred up.
Only then could he, the prized prize in everyone's eyes, profit from the chaos.
That night, in the Tower of the Hand.
Tywin wore a nightgown, yet still maintained his imposing manner as he wrote a letter with a quill.
Soon, the letter was finished.
Knock, knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the door. Tywin said in a deep voice, "Come in."
Ser Jon, fully armed, pushed open the door with a puzzled expression.
Tywin rose and handed him the letter. "Tell that kid that I will apply to the treasury to build him a castle. King's Landing needs him, and I will arrange an important position for him."
Ser Jon frowned tightly.
He had delivered letters for the prince out of gratitude for the prince's help and equal respect, not because he had become a political tool.
"Take it. We are both doing this for his own good."
Tywin's attitude was firm. "You should know what kind of predicament that kid is in. Only I can provide him help."
Ser Jon lowered his head and tucked the letter into his breastplate.
"Go."
Tywin could not see the complex expression hidden beneath the other's helmet, nor did he care.
He was merely a Kingsguard, not Barristan or the White Bull. He was not worthy of Tywin's equal respect.
Ser Jon said nothing and left the Red Keep under cover of night.
The next day.
Third day of spring, Wednesday, rain all day, 7:30
Daeren rose early, finished the farm work he needed to do, then sat before the fireplace and enjoyed a fragrant baked Potato.
At two in the morning last night, payment for the Potatoes he had sold arrived.
Potato sale prices: Normal quality: 80 gold Silver Star quality: 100 gold Gold Star quality: 120 gold Iridium Star quality: 160 gold
His farming level was too low, making it difficult to grow Gold Star and Iridium Star crops. Still, seven normal-quality Potatoes had sold for the high price of 540 gold.
Adding the 10 Gold Dragons left over from last time, Daeren used all 550 gold of his wealth to buy 11 Potato seeds.
Including the Green Beans that could be harvested repeatedly after maturing, the farm now had 12 crops.
With fewer than 15 crops, the scarecrow unlocked at Farming Level 2 was temporarily useless.
Daeren planted the Potatoes, fed the chicks hay, petted them, and only then returned to eat breakfast.
A reminder: on rainy days, animals did not leave their coops to eat grass, so the Farmer needed to add hay manually.
Rumble!
A bolt of lightning struck, and the rain came down even harder.
Daeren checked the time and mused, "Ser Jon should have returned. I need to go pick him up."
No sooner said than done, he put on a straw raincoat and headed out into the rain.
Before you continue