Policy settled, undercurrents stirring

"The Conciliator Jaehaerys" gently tapped his scepter, the crisp sound of the ruby tip striking the marble floor instantly silencing the whispers in the council chamber.

The morning light streamed through the high window, landing precisely on the golden dragon pattern on his black robe, seemingly adding even more weight to his imposing presence.

"I have summoned you all here today," the old king said, his voice low but clear, "To discuss three crucial matters. First, to determine the post-war arrangements with the Triarchy; second, to clarify the future governance of the Stepstones; and third, to respond to the Beyond the Wall from the the North and the Night's Watch. Please speak freely."

As soon as he finished speaking, Taimond Lannister was the first to stand up.

The hem of his robe, embroidered with a golden lion, swept across the ground. He clutched the documents of the Westerlands Merchant Guild in his hand, his tone revealing the Westerlands' straightforwardness regarding profit. "Your Majesty, the annual trade tax of the Three Cities Alliance needs a clear method of payment. Even before Aegon's conquest of Westeros, the mineral trade between the Westerlands and Tyresh has always been the most frequent between the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the Free Cities across the Narrow Sea. If they wish to use gold or silver as payment, Your Majesty can directly designate Lannisport as the delivery point, avoiding excessive losses in the intermediate stages."

Corlys House Velaryon lowered his binoculars, his silver-white seahorse-patterned cloak swaying gently. He rarely praised anyone's opinion, "Lord Taimond is right, but a dedicated tax office should be established on the Stepstones in the future. House Velaryon and the Lannister could each appoint one to jointly manage it. After all, the Stepstones have only recently been recaptured and stabilized; tax revenue should be prioritized for supplying the Joint Fleet. We can't expect the stationed soldiers to patrol on empty stomachs, can we?"

Taimond raised an eyebrow, about to retort, "We in the Westerlands don't lack these supplies," when he saw Baelon cast a glance at him on behalf of His Majesty the "the Conciliator" on the high throne. That glance implied "the greater good is more important," so he changed his mind and said, "Alright, but I believe the tax collector needs the approval of the Small Council. It can't be decided by the House Velaryon family alone."

Daemon sat at the end, his fingertips lightly tapping the scabbard of the Blackfyre.

Once the two had reached a preliminary consensus, he slowly began to speak, "There is one more matter. Before the peace negotiations, we reached an agreement with Uncle Baelon and Lord Corlys: merchant ships from Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh that hold 'safe passage permits' are exempt from taxation must register the crew's identities to prevent pirates from posing as pirates. I have already had Larys, based on information from Lord Corlys and intelligence provided by Racallio Reinden, compile a list of commonly used pirate disguises from previous years, which will later be distributed to the ports by the 'Raven Messenger'."

Larys immediately stepped forward and handed a parchment scroll to the king's henchman, the Alar, who examined it and then presented it to the king.

However, although Larys's lumpy leg moved slowly, it did not miss Otto Hightower's gaze. He simply lowered his head slightly, hiding the cunning in his eyes.

After reading it, Jaehaerys nodded and tapped his scepter lightly again. "Regarding the Stepstones, Corlys, you have the most extensive experience in ocean voyages and are temporarily serving as the governor of the Stepstones Provisional Governor's Office. Tell me your proposed governance plan for the Stepstones in the future."

Corlys rose, unfurled the nautical chart, and pointed to Bloodstone Island: "My plan is to establish a governor's office on Bloodstone Island Stepstones, the heart of the Stone Steps Archipelago, and station ten Royal Fleet there permanently. The remaining smaller islands will be patrolled by small teams based on population, staffed by local inhabitants who have submitted to the regime and fishermen from the nearby Stormlands and Crownlands coastal areas—they are familiar with the waters and can better defend against pirates than foreign soldiers. Furthermore, three maesters should be sent from the Citadel to teach the islanders how to cultivate salt-tolerant crops, so they will no longer rely on plunder for survival."

"I'll coordinate things with the Citadel," Vaegon suddenly spoke, the sleeve of his grey maester's robe sweeping across the star chart. "The aurora borealis in the the North has been unusual lately. The Citadel's astrologers predict there might be an extreme cold wave in the next few years. If the Stepstones can achieve food self-sufficiency, it should reduce the supply pressure on the Seven Kingdoms."

Otto Hightower finally found an opportunity, adjusting the badge on his chest. "Your Majesty, the officials of the provisional governorship of the Stepstones should also be selected from among the lords of the Seven Kingdoms. They certainly cannot all be appointed by House Valerian and Lord Corliss alone—after all, the combined fleet was jointly established by the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, and the governance should be shared among them to ensure the fairness of the Iron Throne."

This statement, while seemingly fair, actually implies that Corlys might seize absolute power.

Before Corlys could retort, Viserys, who had been silent for a long time, spoke first, revealing his sharp edge. "Lord Otto is right, but the officials must follow the distribution agreed upon at the previous Small Council, based on the proportions of the troops and large warships provided by the various lords for post-war governance and patrol work— House Velaryon contributed ten silver ships, the Crownlands contributed ten, the Westerlands contributed six, the Stormlands contributed eight, the the North contributed five, and the Reach, the Riverlands, and the Vale each contributed seven. This is fair and will reassure the lords as they relinquish their governance rights."

This proposal struck a chord with everyone involved— Taimond was pleased that the Westerlands would have a place, Borros slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "That's how it should be!" Even Leonno Strong nodded slightly, feeling that it balanced the interests of the royal family and the feudal lords.

Jaehaerys glanced at Baelon, and seeing the approval in his son's eyes as he looked at his eldest grandson who was showing rare brilliance, he nodded and said, "Granted. Corlys, you take the lead in drafting the list of subordinate officials. We'll discuss it again in three days."

Next, regarding the Night's Watch's supplies, at the King's signal, the Alar maester unfolded Cregan Karstark's letter, his voice tinged with seriousness. "The Night's Watch says that the number of Free Folk migrating south from the Beyond the Wall is thirty percent higher than in previous years, and the arrows and food on the the Wall are only enough to last until winter. They hope that the Seven Kingdoms can each contribute some supplies, especially furs from the the North, ironware from the Westerlands, and grain from the Reach."

Viserys spoke first, his tone gentle yet firm. "King's Landing can provide three thousand bushels of wheat, and the royal treasury also has two hundred animal hides seized from the Triarchy some time ago. The surplus game from the Kingswood's hunting expeditions can also be sent along."

Borros immediately chimed in, "Five hundred battleaxes have dropped from Stormlands! All newly forged by the Smith at Storm's End, enough for the Night's Watch to slaughter Wildlings!" He spoke with great enthusiasm, even standing up and slamming his hand on the table, causing the Grey Ghost beside him to raise its head from Daemon's feet and give him a wary "snort," which made everyone in the hall unable to help but curl their lips into a smile.

However, he was immediately silenced by four people from the Stormlands behind him. Jasper Will and Michael Metaling went on to state the conditions Duke Boremund had previously stipulated. "Borros is reckless. Duke Boremund instructed that the Stormlands still have a surplus from this year's hunt and from the grain and provisions of the Harvest Hall and other places, but the Stormlands have been constantly clashing with Dorne on the Dornish Marches this year, so they are willing but unable to do so—"

Daemon, watching the Grey Ghost curl up again, slowly said, "I'll have the Dark Blade Guard divert five thousand gold dragons from the Narrow Sea trade, exchange them for salt and iron ingots, and have them transported by fleets from House Velaryon or Manderly, White Harbor, to the Eastwatch-by-the-Sea- Sea—Commander-in-Chief Cregan mentioned in his private letter that the docks at the Eastwatch-by-the-Sea need reinforcement, and this money can be used for repairs as well."

Vaegon added at the opportune moment, "Before Bernard and I leave King's Landing, we will send a message to the Citadel to have another maester, skilled in astrology, take two astrologers to the the Wall to help them observe the changes in the aurora. If there are any anomalies, they can send a message in advance."

Jaehaerys nodded in satisfaction, about to finalize the matter, when Otto interrupted again, "Your Majesty, the transfer of supplies needs someone to coordinate it. I believe that Lord Leonno, the Master of Ships, is the most suitable—he is familiar with fleet operations, his impartiality is deeply trusted by the lords, and he will surely ensure that the supplies arrive on time."

This statement, seemingly a recommendation, appears to be intended to distract Leonor from the matter of supplies and indirectly weaken the Minister of the Navy's influence within the Combined Fleet. However, it's better than nothing. Leonor's position as Minister of the Navy is already a temporary measure, and it's clear to everyone that he will be replaced sooner or later by the "Sea Serpent" that returns with the tide. At this moment, giving him a seemingly sinecure to weaken his power is actually a way for the two of them, both friends of Viserys, to compete for benefits.

Before Leonno could say "I'm willing to go," Baelon spoke first, "Sir Leonno needs to remain in King's Landing for the time being to oversee the daily training of the Joint Fleet. The transfer of supplies can be left to Vaemond House Velaryon —he has sailed with Corlys for seven years and knows the Narrow Sea route better than anyone. With Lancel Lannister's assistance, and him taking charge of the inventory of the ironware in the Westerlands, Lord Taimond can rest assured."

Taimond immediately chimed in, "It's perfect that Lancel is going. That kid's really got a knack for scheming lately, saves me the trouble of sending someone else."

Seeing that his allies in the Westerlands had given their approval, Otto said no more, but quietly tightened his grip on the edge of the scroll.

Finally, the most difficult issue of the meeting—command of the Joint Fleet —was brought to the forefront.

"The Joint Fleet currently has 120 warships, 40 of which belong to the Royal Fleet, with the remainder coming from the Seven Kingdoms," Scholar Alar said, unfolding the fleet roster at the king's signal. "Now that the war is over, it is necessary to clarify who will have the authority to command in peacetime and who will serve as the wartime commander."

Otto rose almost immediately. "I believe that the Navy should be placed under the command of the Master of Ships. Lord Leonno is impartial and selfless, and familiar with the customs of the Seven Kingdoms. His command will prevent the kingdoms from becoming suspicious. Furthermore, the Royal Fleet and the Joint Fleet need unified command to deal with any emergencies in the Narrow Sea."

The room fell silent instantly upon hearing this. Everyone knew that although Leonno was on good terms with Viserys, he was not a direct descendant of the Targaryen. If the fleet were to fall under his control, Otto could use the "favor of recommendation" to win over more people and indirectly weaken the influence of Daemon, Daemon Targaryen, and even Corlys within the Joint Fleet.

Corlys lowered his binoculars, his tone carrying the pragmatism of a navigator. "Lord Otto's words are inappropriate. The Royal Fleet is the foundation of the monarchy and should be directly under the Crown Prince's command; the Joint Fleet, funded by the Seven Kingdoms, should have Lords' Council," with monthly discussions and deployments between representatives of the princes and the Master of Ships, and in times of war, the King appointing the commander-in-chief.

This way, the authority of the royal family is preserved, and the merits of the feudal lords are not diminished.

"I agree with Lord Corlys!" Borros jumped to his feet, his broadsword scabbard clanging against the table leg. "We 'Stormlands out six ships; why should we entrust them all to one person? We need our people in the council!"

Daemon Targaryen, unusually serious, stopped playing with the dragon scale emblem. "Last year at the Battle of Tyrosh, if it weren't for Little Daemon. leading the Glutton to break the chain formation, the Joint Fleet might not have won. The commander in a battle must understand dragon warfare; we can't let someone who's never seen Dragonfire command us, can we?"

This statement, seemingly defending Daemon, actually points out the key issue: the Targaryen control dragons, and if the commander during wartime is not a member of the royal family, the dragons and the fleet will find it difficult to coordinate effectively.

Viserys then spoke up at the opportune moment, "The Crown Prince directly commands the Royal Fleet, and a council is established for the Joint Fleet. This approach is feasible. It balances the interests of all parties and prevents excessive concentration of power."

Jaehaerys looked at everyone, his gaze finally settling on Daemon, who seemed hesitant to speak, "Do you have anything to add?"

Daemon rose, the scabbard of his Blackfyre lightly touching the ground, his tone steady. "Dragonknight representative can be appointed to the council," a representative chosen by one capable of riding a dragon. Currently, Vhagar, Glutton, Caraxes, and even Meleys are all capable of fighting. During wartime, the Dragonknight and fleet commanders must discuss strategy together to avoid friendly fire from Dragonfire. Furthermore, 30% of the tax revenue from the Stepstones should be allocated to the fleet maintenance treasury for warship repairs and crew salaries, to prevent resentment from the feudal lords due to excessive expenditure."

This proposal both preserved the royal family's control over the dragons and reassured the feudal lords that their salaries would be guaranteed. Even Otto couldn't find a reason to object—he couldn't very well say that "Dragonknight shouldn't participate in the council," after all, the royal family's dragons were the core fighting force of the Joint Fleet.

It's all because of that good-natured friend of mine. His grandparents, father, brother, and even mother were all Dragonknight in their lifetimes, and he himself had once ridden the infamous founding dragon "Black Dread" Balerion.

However, since the fall of Balerion, he has not chosen to ride dragons again in the past five years. There are plenty of young dragons of suitable age that are easy to tame in King's Landing's Dragonpit and Dragonstone.

High Priestess Jaehaerys nodded slowly, striking his scepter heavily. "So be it. The trade tax settlement points for the Triarchy will be Lannisport and Tidehead Island. Officials for the Stepstones will be selected according to the proportion of troops contributed. Night's Watch supplies will be managed by Vaemond House Velaryon, Lancel Lannister, and other future candidates. A council will be established for the Joint Fleet Royal Fleet Prince, and representatives of the Dragonknight will participate in wartime deliberations."

The atmosphere in the council chamber finally eased. Taimond began to plan how the Westerlands silver mines could profit from the trade tax, while Corlys and Leonno discussed in hushed tones the selection of the captain of the Stepstones patrol team.

Only Otto stood still, his gaze sweeping over Daemon and Daemon Targaryen, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes. He had failed to help Viserys gain command of the fleet today, but it also made him realize that the alliances between the other Targaryen dragonborn and the lords were far more solid than he had imagined.

Daemon looked down and patted Grey Ghost's head. Little Dragon was rubbing his hand with a seashell in its mouth, seemingly also sensing the relief of the meeting ending.

He looked up at the high window; the morning light was gradually turning towards noon. He was thinking about the Night's Watch's warning about the aurora borealis in the the North that Vaegon had mentioned, which was no small matter. After the meeting, he would have to have Larys investigate some old cases about the the Wall, perhaps finding some clues to deal with the White Walkers.

"Little Daemon!" Daemon Targaryen leaned closer, pulling out his flask again. "The meeting's over. How about a drink at the tavern outside the Red Keep? Taimond said there's plenty of new wine in the Westerlands today!"

Daemon was about to refuse when he saw Jaehaerys, Baelon, and Viserys giving him "relaxed" looks, so he smiled and nodded, "Okay, but you're not allowed to compete with Borros to see who can drink faster. Last time you passed out on Silk Street, I had to carry you back."

The Grey Ghost seemed to understand the word "go out," and immediately stood up from the ground, the seashell in its mouth falling to the ground, but it didn't notice, and just kept circling around Daemon's ankle.

The soft clanging of the Kingsguard armor came from outside the hall. Ser Lyan Redwyne was waiting to escort the King back to his bedchamber, while Clymont Crabb nodded slightly to Daemon —clearly, the guards were ready.

The people in the council chamber gradually dispersed, leaving only Otto standing by the long table, his fingertips repeatedly tracing the words "Joint Fleet Council" on the scroll.

Mund Hightower walked over and asked in a low voice, "Uncle, are we just going to leave it at that?"

Otto slowly shook his head, a cold glint in his eyes. "What's the rush? The Seven Kingdoms have different agendas. Given enough time, some will inevitably become dissatisfied. We just need to wait; an opportunity will eventually arise."

The morning light bathed the council chamber completely. The parchment scrolls on the long table were still open, and the ink, still wet, held within them the new order of Westeros, as well as the undercurrents that had not yet been extinguished.

Daemon led Grey Ghost out of the hall. The roar of the Glutton came from the distant hills, deep yet powerful—the power of the Targaryen, the very foundation of his confidence in protecting this peace.

He knew that today's resolution was just the beginning; the shadow of the the Wall, Otto's schemes, and the aftermath of the Triarchy were still waiting ahead.

But as long as he has dragons and trustworthy people by his side, he can weather any storm.