Ruler 3

Glancing at Brienne's imposing back as she departed, Gryn reached out and picked up the letter from Dragonstone again.

It was Theon Greyjoy's personal letter. Its contents read: speaking in the voice of a squid, the direwolf repeatedly stressed... that killing prisoners was dishonorable, and requested that those people be handed over to him for disposal.

Gryn's eyelids lowered slightly. How had the wounded squid happened to be able to meddle in this matter? He smelled the fragrance of roses in it.

The fingers of the Left Hand tapped the edge of the desk one by one. Lord Gryn, a player of power, had a keen nose. He surmised... that the people of the Reach wanted to extend their hands into the Iron Islands.

Crow's Eye was dead. The leaderless Iron Islands would soon descend into chaos, and this was the time when outside powers could most easily intervene without resorting to war.

Clearly, others had seen this as well.

Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch. Gryn's quill glided across the blank parchment. Since both Greyjoy siblings were gravely injured, the Lord Regent had a responsibility to arrange the finest physicians for them.

The letter ordered Davos's second son, Ser Allard Seaworth, to escort Asha and Theon back to King's Landing and hand them over to Qyburn for treatment until they had fully recovered.

Gryn pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment.

Dipping the tip of his quill in ink, he wrote another order: during the Greyjoy siblings' treatment, Crabb Trading Company, which had taken over the gold mines of the Westerlands, was to head for the Iron Islands under the escort of Lannisport's fleet and sign long-term trade agreements with the lords of the Iron Islands for their specialty—iron ore.

With two thumps, Gryn affixed his Marsh Marigold seal and handed