The Small Council Chamber

After Lord Gryn added a few more details regarding the Queens Quarter, he brought the conversation to a close.

Once Foley and Leyton had departed, Lord Gryn took his guards back to the Red Keep and entered the Small Council Chamber.

Adjacent to the Tower of the Hand, the Small Council Chamber was where the subordinates of the high lords serving on the Small Council handled the daily administrative affairs of the kingdom.

During the Targaryen Dynasty, when the Small Council was not in session, the high lords would typically handle the kingdom's business from their respective offices within the chamber.

Following the rise of the Baratheon Dynasty, King Robert, obsessed with indulgence, had delegated all authority to the Hand of the King, Lord Jon Arryn, and had long since ceased to concern himself with state affairs, spending his days lost in drink and debauchery.

The Master of Ships, King Robert's second brother, Stannis Baratheon, had moved his administrative operations to Dragonstone Castle on Dragonstone to signal his dissatisfaction with the King.

The Master of Laws, King Robert's third brother, Renly Baratheon, had no interest in the kingdom's administration; aside from occasionally attending Small Council meetings, he was never to be seen within the Red Keep.

As for the Hand of the King, Lord Jon Arryn, he had grown increasingly frail with age and was rarely seen outside the Tower of the Hand.

Consequently, in the Small Council Chamber—the kingdom's central hub of power second only to the Small Council itself—the only high officials one could regularly find were the Master of Coin, Petyr Baelish; the Master of Whisperers, Varys; and the Grand Maester, Pycelle.

Grand Maester Pycelle was a relic of the Targaryen Dynasty, and after the Usurper's War, King Robert had allowed him to retain his position.

Grand Maester Pycelle's primary duties were to serve as an advisor to the King, oversee the compilation of books and the organization of knowledge, manage the Red Keep's raven communications, and serve as the palace's chief physician.

Because King Robert took no interest in governance, Grand Maester Pycelle had become an advisor to the Hand of the King, Lord Jon Arryn.

Guided by an attendant of the Small Council Chamber, Lord Gryn soon arrived at the office of the Master of Coin, Petyr.

Petyr's office featured the same gold-framed circular windows as the Hand's Study, with the floor covered in a Myrish carpet and the walls adorned with exquisite tapestries.

Lord Gryn swept his gaze over the room's refined furnishings and felt as though he could smell the scent of Gold Dragons.

Upon seeing Lord Gryn, Petyr set down his quill, leaned back in his chair, and smiled broadly. "Oh, if it isn't Lord Gryn? I have been waiting for you. Please, sit!"

Petyr gestured for the attendant to place a chair on the opposite side of the desk.

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

Only after completing the gesture did Lord Gryn take his seat.

Petyr returned the greeting with a lingering smile, then waved his hand to signal the attendant to leave the room.

Once the attendant had exited and closed the door, Petyr spoke. "I heard about what happened in the study today. Lord Jon has fallen ill again."

Lord Gryn spread his hands. "Anyone would find their temper flared after encountering such a thing. Is the Lord Hand's condition serious?"

Petyr curled his lips elegantly, leaning back in his chair with a relaxed posture. "I thank you for your concern on Lord Jon's behalf. Grand Maester Pycelle has treated him with great care, though it is said he will be bedridden for at least seven days."

Petyr shifted his weight, leaning his upper body slightly forward as he lowered his voice. "We owe you a debt of gratitude for this; otherwise, we might never have known that a third ear was hidden within the Hand's Study."

Petyr spoke with the tone of someone addressing a confidant.

Lord Gryn's tone remained calm. "Has the Lord Hand arranged for the follow-up?"

A hint of mockery entered Petyr's voice. "I hear that after investigating the crawlspace and discovering the tunnel, Lord Jon handed the follow-up investigation to the Commander of the Gold Cloaks, Lord Janos."

The City Watch, also known as the Gold Cloaks, derived their name from the gold wool cloaks they wore over their armor.

The Gold Cloaks served as the garrison and law enforcement of King's Landing, loyal only to the crown. The City Watch maintained two barracks in King's Landing: the eastern barracks near the Dragon Gate and the western barracks near Cobbler's Square.

The Gold Cloaks had previously numbered exactly 2,000 men, but after Lord Janos Slynt was appointed Commander of the City Watch by King Robert, he tripled their size to 6,000. However, many of these 6,000 were drunkards and vagrants with little combat effectiveness.

It was rumored that nearly half of the City Watch's officers were forced to pay a portion of their monthly wages to him.

After Lord Jon Arryn discovered this, he found two men willing to testify against him, but both were found murdered shortly thereafter.

Although Lord Jon Arryn still hoped to have Janos Slynt dismissed, King Robert intervened forcefully to protect Lord Janos Slynt's position as Commander of the City Watch.

Lord Gryn smiled. "The old Lord's eyes are sharp when it comes to judging men."

Petyr gave an elegant, slight shrug, offering no comment.

After a moment of silence, Lord Gryn spoke. "The reason the Lord Hand summoned me this morning put me in a very difficult position. Without any direct evidence, he insisted I take the blame based solely on a song sung in Crackclaw Point."

Lord Gryn's brown eyes met Petyr's grey-green ones, his tone sounding quite helpless. "This put me in a very difficult spot. If the Master of Ships had been present, I would not have been so troubled; I hear he is very just."

Petyr's grey-green eyes flickered. "The Master of Ships, Lord Stannis?"

Lord Gryn nodded. "Lord Stannis champions the rule of law, and his reputation for being meticulous regarding justice is known throughout the Seven Kingdoms. I fear that now that everyone knows the Hand's Study has no secrets, I worry that if the upright Lord Stannis hears of such injustice, he might disregard Lord Jon's health to demand answers."

The smile on Petyr's face deepened as he nodded in agreement. "Your concerns are well-founded. Lord Stannis has always been too upright; even a bedridden Lord Jon could not sway his will. We can only hope the secrets of the Hand's Study do not reach Dragonstone."

As he spoke, Petyr inwardly reflected on why he, usually so meticulous, had overlooked the existence of Lord Stannis.

It seemed that it wasn't just Petyr; because he was a party to the events, he could confirm that no one was deliberately plotting this, yet the entire Red Keep seemed to have collectively ignored Lord Stannis's existence.

If Lord Gryn hadn't brought him up today, he believed he would have continued to inadvertently ignore Lord Stannis.

Why would such a situation arise? An invisible man? Unknown magic?