The Small Council Chamber 2

After adding a few details about the Queens Quarter, Gryn brought the conversation to a close.

After Foley and Leyton left, Gryn and his guards returned to the Red Keep and entered the Small Council Chamber.

The Small Council Chamber, next to the Tower of the Hand, was where the officials serving the Small Council's senior members handled the kingdom's day-to-day affairs.

During the Targaryen Dynasty, before the Small Council existed, the senior members usually handled the kingdom's affairs in their own offices in the Small Council Chamber.

After the Baratheon Dynasty came to power, King Robert, hungry for pleasure, handed his authority to Lord Jon, the Hand of the King. He had long since stopped concerning himself with state affairs, spending his days drunk and lost in indulgence.

The Master of Ships, Stannis Baratheon, King Robert's second brother, handled state affairs at Dragonstone Castle on Dragonstone to show his displeasure with the king.

The Master of Laws, Renly Baratheon, King Robert's third brother, had no interest in the kingdom's affairs. Aside from occasionally attending the Small Council, he was nowhere to be seen in the Red Keep.

As Lord Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, grew older with each passing year, he was rarely seen outside the Tower of the Hand.

Thus, in the Small Council Chamber, the kingdom's central seat of power second only to the Small Council, the only senior members regularly seen were Petyr Baelish, the Master of Coin; Varys, the Master of Whisperers; and Grand Maester Pycelle.

Grand Maester Pycelle was a holdover from the Targaryen Dynasty. After the Usurper's War, King Robert kept him in his position.

Grand Maester Pycelle's main duty was to serve as the king's adviser. He usually oversaw the compilation of books and the organization of knowledge, managed the raven communications at the Red Keep, and served as the royal court's chief physician.

Since King Robert took no interest in state affairs, Grand Maester Pycelle became an adviser to Lord Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King.

With a Small Council Chamber attendant leading the way, Gryn soon arrived at Petyr's office.

Petyr's office had the same gold-framed round windows as the Hand's Study. A Myrish Carpet covered the floor, and fine tapestries hung on the walls.

Gryn glanced at the room's exquisite furnishings and seemed to catch the scent of Gold Dragons.

When Petyr saw Gryn, he set down his quill and leaned back in his chair with a broad smile. "Oh, isn't this Lord Gryn? I've been waiting for you. Please, have a seat!"

Petyr had an attendant bring a chair and place it across the desk.

Gryn placed a hand over his chest and bowed. "Good day, Lord Petyr."

Only after bowing did Gryn sit down.

Petyr returned the greeting with a smile, then waved for the attendant to leave the room.

Once the attendant had left and closed the door, Petyr said, "I heard what happened in the Hand's Study today. Lord Jon has fallen ill again."

Gryn spread his hands. "Anyone would be furious after something like that. Is Lord Jon's condition serious?"

Petyr's lips curved elegantly as he leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed. "On Lord Jon's behalf, I thank you for your concern. Grand Maester Pycelle has already treated him carefully. Apparently, he'll have to stay in bed for at least seven days this time."

Petyr leaned forward, his back leaving the chair, and lowered his voice. "We owe you a great deal this time. Otherwise, we might never have discovered that there was a third ear hidden in the Hand's Study."

Petyr spoke as if they were on the same side.

Gryn's voice was calm. "Has Lord Jon made arrangements for what comes next?"

There was a hint of mockery in Petyr's voice. "I heard they found a passageway after breaking into the space between the walls. Lord Jon handed the rest of the investigation to Lord Janos, the Commander of the Gold Cloaks."

The City Watch were also known as the Gold Cloaks, a name derived from the golden woolen cloaks they wore over their armor.

The Gold Cloaks were King's Landing's garrison and law enforcers, loyal only to the royal family. The City Watch had two barracks in King's Landing: the eastern one near Dragon Gate and the western one near Cobbler's Square.

The Gold Cloaks had always numbered two thousand. After Earl Janos Slynt was appointed commander of the City Watch by King Robert, he tripled their numbers to six thousand. But many of the six thousand were drunkards and vagrants, and their fighting ability was poor.

Rumor had it that nearly half of the City Watch's officers had to pay him from their wages every month.

After discovering this, Lord Jon Arryn found two people willing to testify against him. But not long afterward, both were found murdered.

Although Lord Jon Arryn still wanted to dismiss Janos Slynt, King Robert intervened and forcefully kept him in his post as Commander of the City Watch.

Gryn smiled. "The old lord has a keen eye for people."

Petyr gave an elegant shrug and made no comment.

After a pause, Gryn said, "Lord Jon's reason for summoning me this morning put me in a very difficult position. Without direct evidence, he insisted I take the blame based solely on a song sung around Crackclaw Point."

Gryn met Petyr's gray-green eyes with his brown ones, his tone seemingly helpless. "That put me in a very difficult position. If the Master of Ships had been there, I wouldn't have been left in such a bind. I've heard he's very impartial."

Petyr's gray-green eyes shifted slightly. "The Master of Ships, Lord Stannis?"

Gryn nodded. "Lord Stannis values the rule of law. His reputation for strict adherence to it is known throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Now, everyone probably knows that the Hand's Study has no secrets. I'm worried that if the upright Lord Stannis hears about this injustice, he'll question Lord Jon without regard for his health."

Petyr's smile deepened, and he nodded in agreement. "You're right to be concerned. Lord Stannis has always been too upright. Even Lord Jon, gravely ill, couldn't sway his resolve. We can only hope that the secrets of the Hand's Study don't reach Dragonstone."

As he spoke, Petyr privately wondered why, despite his usual attentiveness, he had overlooked the existence of Lord Stannis.

It seemed it wasn't just Petyr himself. Since he was involved, he knew for certain that no one had deliberately planned this. Yet the entire Red Keep seemed to have ignored Lord Stannis's existence.

If Lord Gryn hadn't mentioned him today, Petyr believed he would have continued to overlook Lord Stannis without realizing it.

Why had this happened? An invisible man? Some unknown magic?