He lowered the tent flap, shutting out both the chill outside and every prying gaze.
Suleiman returned to the table, the dim candlelight outlining his young, hard profile.
He placed a finger on the map between them.
Lymond Lychester leaned forward, his aged eyes falling upon the map.
It was a detailed map of the Riverlands—rivers, castles, woodlands, every detail clearly marked.
Suleiman's voice was calm, yet carried an indisputable force. "Lord Lymond, we must become the ones who make the rules."
"Not the ones who follow them."
"But for now, we cannot yet become rule-makers."
"Then we must learn to use the rules to create benefits for ourselves."
Suleiman looked at Lymond Lychester with a sharp gaze.
"There is one thing you were right about."
"Legitimacy is on our side."
He lowered his voice and began placing tokens representing the lords upon the map.
Each piece was carved from hardwood, representing an ancient house.
"The king has authorized us to conduct population censuses, survey lands, verify taxes, and continuously send wealth to King's Landing."
"This is supreme authority—a sword hanging over the heads of every noble in the Riverlands."
"It will leave them suffering in silence, utterly unable to oppose us openly."
Suleiman picked up a token representing a lord of the East Riverlands and placed it upon land in the western Riverlands.
"We will have the lords of the East Riverlands investigate the lords of the western Riverlands, in the name of the Warden of the Trident."
"One lord from the East Riverlands against one lord from the western Riverlands."
His words pierced Lymond Lychester's ears like needles.
"The eastern lords will carry the authority you granted them and march arrogantly into the lands of the western lords with their men."
"They will demand a count of every