Red Keep, Throne Room. 🐝ൠ 😝🌷
Tyrion Lannister leaned against the long table, swirling his wine glass, and said, "Ha, perhaps I should prepare armor and a sword for myself... Hmm, I dreamt last night that I dueled Stannis, and he twisted his back while swinging his sword at me."
After he finished speaking, a low chuckle rippled through the crowd.
He grinned and said, "I also need to prepare a... very tall horse; I don't want to win in a dishonorable way."
Ser Jacelyn Bywater, Commander of the Gold Cloaks, placed his hand on his chest and said, " Tyrion Hand of the King, I will fight for you."
Master of Coin, Earl Gyles Rosby, coughed a few times and began, " Your Lord Hand, please forgive my bluntness, but your duty is to stabilize the hearts and minds of King's Landing, not to charge into battle. Ahem... No one can guarantee their own safety on the battlefield, and this could easily destabilize the entire King's Landing."
"Ah, Earl Kells, thank you for your tactful advice."
Tyrion first glanced at the sleepy-eyed Pycelle Grand Maester, then his gaze swept over the others, and said, "May Stannis be defeated at the King's Landing."
His words had barely faded when the oak doors of the Throne Room were flung open, and a servant announced, "All stand at attention and pay homage to Her Majesty Cersei, the Protector of the Realm and the House Lannister!"
Then, Queen Regent Cersei appeared, dressed in a white gown with long, trailing sleeves that revealed a gold silk lining. Thick, golden curls cascaded over her bare shoulders, and a deep green gemstone necklace adorned her slender neck.
Tyrion blinked. Cersei's white dress gave her a peculiar innocence, like a summer the Maiden... Her appearance could bewitch most men, except him.
Everyone rose to greet her, Queen Regent Cersei, surrounded by the Kingsguard, walked through them and sat down at the head of the long table.
After the other ministers were seated, Cersei's blue eyes flickered slightly. She looked at Tyrion with a gentle smile and said, " Hand of the King Tyrion, hasn't my son arrived yet?"
Tyrion paused, his hand still about to take a sip of wine. To be honest... he was so startled he almost dropped the glass.
He smiled slightly and said, " Your Queen Regent, I heard that King Joffrey has just acquired an interesting toy; he should be at the shooting range at the moment."
What's wrong with the Lannister Lioness?! Where is that kind, familiar gaze that once held such fervor, it now looks like it wanted to bite his neck off?
Tyrion's eyes flickered slightly; he realized that his threat (Chapter 240) had finally made the Lioness feel wary.
As long as Tyrion behaves herself, Cersei is happy to play along.
As for the Lannister - Tyrell marriage, he felt... the kind father would surely marry his good daughter to Highgarden, but he didn't want to tell Cersei his speculations, fearing the Lioness would go mad.
Tyrion took a sip of his wine... He had personally sent away his disgusting, alcoholic husband, only to be greeted by a crippled new husband. Suddenly, he felt a little sorry for Cersei.
But then he thought... he hoped that the crippled Willas Tyrell (the eldest son of the Lord Mace ) could perform in a way that would please Cersei, otherwise the consequences would be unpredictable.
"Oh? There aren't many things that can interest him."
Tyrion snapped out of his reverie and replied, " Your Queen Regent, your Steward has sent over his spoils, which he says is a gleaming bronze suit of armor."
Queen Regent Cersei's beautiful eyes trembled slightly as she said, " Gryn? Bronze armor?"
Tyrion nodded slightly, put down his wine glass, and grinned, "The magical armor of House Royce of the Vale. Legend has it that wearing it makes one impervious to the swords and spears of enemies. Coincidentally, Joffrey has also heard of this, and he can't wait to verify the legend's truth."
After he finished speaking, he gestured to Pycelle Grand Maester.
The maester's necklace jingled softly as Grand Maester Pycelle tremblingly picked up a piece of parchment from the table and handed it to Queen Regent Cersei.
Queen Regent Cersei took the parchment with suspicion and began to read it. After a while, her long, slender fingers holding the parchment trembled slightly, and her legs, which were pressed together, moved slightly beneath her snow-white dress.
Queen Regent Cersei calmly placed the parchment on the table and said, " Tyrion, did you suddenly call this Small Council today to publicize Lord Gryn's victories in the Vale?"
Her hand clenched slightly, and she added, "Furthermore, why do I only get to see Lord Gryn's letters during Small Council?!"
She's changed suddenly... The Lioness is back... The Lannister siblings' honeymoon was over before they could even enjoy it... Tyrion shrugged helplessly.
Queen Regent Cersei's gaze slowly swept over the crowd, finally settling on the hunched-over Grand Maester Pycelle, and she said, " Pycelle, tell me the answer."
Pycelle Grand Maester back, trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, this... this is... the Lord Hand's order."
Seeing Queen Regent Cersei's gaze shift to him, Tyrion grinned and said, "Queen Cersei, I thought we had already reached a friendly agreement. I thought you needed your obedient brother's help. It seems I need to persuade Father to strengthen the alliance between the Lannister and the Tyrell as soon as possible."
As soon as he finished speaking, Queen Regent Cersei's face stiffened. "You dare threaten me?" she said.
Tyrion grinned. "My dear Cersei, you should get used to it sooner rather than later."
"You!" Queen Regent Cersei clenched her fist.
Tyrion smiled at his sister, the Queen Mother, then took a sip of his wine and said seriously, "Gentlemen, today's agenda for the Small Council is to discuss the war in the Vale..."
Queen Regent Cersei suddenly raised her wine glass to the side and commanded Ser Lancel, who was standing behind her, "Pour the wine."
Tyrion ignored the Lioness's childish antics and continued, "Everyone has already seen the letters sent by the Eyrie ravens. Yes, they are protesting; I saw blood and tears in their words..."
"Cowardly Vale people." Queen Regent Cersei sipped her wine with graceful movements.
Tyrion looked at his sister, whose lips were curved in a smile, and said, "Your Excellency, the Queen Mother, your current demeanor reminds me of that the Maiden lady from Casterly Rock. It is truly delightful."
Queen Regent Cersei scoffed and said, "Did you summon me here to hear the wails of the losers?"
Tyrion shrugged. "No, the Vale people are pitiful losers, but they're lucky because they can still cry to the Red Keep. We're different. If we were the losers, we'd only beg Stannis."
"Pleading..."
After a moment's hesitation, Queen Regent Cersei raised her chin and said coldly, " Stannis may be able to storm the Red Keep and seize my son's Iron Throne, but I will never let him capture me!"
Queen Regent Cersei knew that although she could be worth a large ransom if the city fell, after the fierce fighting, the soldiers were often more interested in flesh and blood than money.
If it were anyone else, she might have tried to appease him before the city fell, but the enemy was Stannis Baratheon, so she might as well appease his horse.
Therefore, if she were to lose the battle, her only option would be to end her own life immediately.
Tyrion smiled and raised his glass in a gesture of agreement, saying, "It's rare that we two think alike, my dear sister."
Cersei glanced at Tyrion with disdain and said, "What a pity, I won't get to see you begging Stannis."
" The Gods themselves bear witness."
Tyrion shrugged and continued his previous topic, "The cries of the Vale people have reached not only King's Landing, but also Harrenhal. The ravens that arrived this morning, our eternal Hand of the King, Tywin, demanded that the King and the Small Council immediately order Crabb's army to withdraw from the Vale."
Queen Regent Cersei paused in her drinking, set down her glass, and said calmly, " Tyrion, does Father want us to bring Lord Gryn's army to King's Landing?"
Tyrion looked at his sister, the Queen Mother, paused, and grinned, "No, dear sister, our wise father ordered the Small Council to command the Lord Gryn to attack Dragonstone, and promised him the title of Duke of Dragonstone."
Queen Regent Cersei reached out her slender fingers and picked up her wine glass again, taking a small sip of Summer Wine. She said, " Pycelle, Gyles, Tyrion, and Lord Tywin's suggestions are unacceptable. If Stannis breaches King's Landing and the Red Keep, what's the point of Lord Gryn occupying Dragonstone, the Dragonstone of stones? Can it bring Joffrey and us back to life?"
After a moment of silence, Gyles Rosby coughed a few times and said, "Mother Lannister, what I'm worried about is that even if the Small Council issues the order, Lord Gryn, who is in the Vale, won't be able to bring his troops back in time."
Queen Regent Cersei nodded slightly, her expression serious, and said, "This is a sincere concern; troop movements certainly take time. But we know that Stannis's fleet has only just arrived at Dragonstone, and he needs some rest. Perhaps we can order Lord Gryn to return to King's Landing first, while his troops only request to proceed as quickly as possible."
She sighed softly and said, "It's not that we need him, but that the King and King's Landing need him. Gryn's ability to defeat tens of thousands with a few thousand proves that his combat skills are no less than those of the renowned general Randyll."
Queen Regent Cersei said gently to Tyrion, "My dear brother, everyone can see your determination to fight Stannis, but you need more help..."
Her eyes were slightly red. "I can sense your fatigue. With Gryn's help, I believe things will be much easier for you."
After listening to Queen Regent Cersei's words, the silent Commander of the Gold Cloaks nodded in agreement.
"Cough cough cough..." Gyles Rosby used coughing to keep silent.
Grand Maester Pycelle glanced at Tyrion and said, " Your Queen Regent, the Eyrie is protesting Lord Gryn's atrocities in the Vale..."
Just as Queen Regent Cersei was about to rebuke the increasingly senile Pycelle Grand Maester, Tyrion interrupted him by raising his hand.
"Speaking of atrocities, Westeros has a few truly inaccurate nicknames: Half-Wildling nobleman... Bloody Earl... the Vale with its rolling heads. Lord Gryn left such a deep impression on the Vale people that I think they will never forget him, generation after generation."
Tyrion shook his head slightly. "I think if Lord Gryn were standing on the walls of King's Landing, the attacking soldiers would probably wet themselves in fear. What a pity..."
He winked at his sister, the Queen Mother: "Everyone knows that Gryn only loves you, not the Lannister. Not only me, but even my kind father wouldn't feel comfortable leaving his obedient children with the Bloody Earl."
Queen Regent Cersei clenched her fists beneath the table, forcing a smile, and said, "My Tyrion, your sister will keep an eye on Lord Gryn."
Tyrion smiled and said, "My dear sister, I remember we reached an agreement on this during a pleasant dinner. Perhaps you could try persuading Lord Tywin."
He grinned. "He likes smart kids the most."
Queen Regent Cersei stared intently at Tyrion for a moment, then downed her glass of wine in one gulp and said, "Then I'll have to listen carefully to your wise words. Come, pour some wine!"
Tyrion leaned back in his chair, took a satisfying sip, and said, " Queen Regent Cersei, I invited you here today to hear your decision. Without your consent, I don't think Lord Gryn will obediently comply."
Queen Regent Cersei, a hint of smugness in her eyes, and said, "You're not entirely stupid, Tyrion."
Tyrion had grown somewhat accustomed to his good sister's foolishness, and he patiently reminded her, "Sister Mother, I mean Father's orders. How should we handle this?"
Queen Regent Cersei frowned, at which point Pycelle Grand Maester spoke up, " Your Queen Regent, Lord Tywin may have his own reasons..."
Queen Regent Cersei frowned and said, "A deeper meaning? What deeper meaning could he possibly have?"
Pycelle Grand Maester said tremulously, "I haven't figured it out yet..."
Tyrion's soft sigh reached Queen Regent Cersei's ears just in time. Her eyes flickered, and she saw Tyrion, who seemed hesitant to speak.
The siblings' eyes met, Tyrion hesitated for a moment before reluctantly mouthing: Myrcella.
Queen Regent Cersei, gritting her teeth as she said, "What a ridiculous 'meaning'!"
Seeing this, Tyrion, under the guise of drinking, curled the corners of his lips into a smile; he was a reliable ally.
Queen Regent Cersei declared, " The Vale people have been decimated by Gryn; they are no longer worth our attention."
Pycelle Grand Maester opened his mouth and said, " Your Queen Regent, we cannot ignore this barbaric tyranny..."
Queen Regent Cersei's pent-up anger seemed to have found an outlet. "Shut up! The defeated deserve no sympathy, neither do we, you old fool!"
"But... but... this concerns..."
"No buts! Tell the people of the Vale to crawl over here and kiss my son's boots, or they'll all end up in the Stranger's arms. And you too..."
The Lannister Lioness's gaze toward Grand Maester Pycelle was dangerous, and the experienced Tyrion immediately guessed her next move: her glittering goblet would soon fly toward Pycelle's head, followed by the flask.
Tyrion hastily climbed off the chair, trotted over to Queen Regent Cersei, and said ingratiatingly, "Charming sister, I must say Gryn is a truly lucky fellow; no wonder he only loves you..."
His advice had no effect, and Cersei hurled the wine glass in her hand toward Grand Maester Pycelle.
Tyrion quickly turned his head to look... Where was Pycelle? How did he suddenly disappear?!
He tilted his head. When did he hide under the table?