Following in the Dragon King's Footsteps

The King's faction Queen's faction who had been mocking Petyr not long ago now all looked constipated, as if they couldn't quite digest this crazy idea.

Some people, not even daring to think about it, instinctively want to refute it, but once they open their mouths, they can't say anything.

Logically speaking, it does make sense.

Davos was also taken aback by Petyr's suggestion. He was indeed happy to see Jon become Stannis's right-hand man, but now he worried that such a reward "might be a bit too much."

It's not impossible for someone to be duke for turning the tide of a battle, and he certainly believes Jon deserves such a reward.

The problem is, what kind of place is the Westerlands? It's a place that the Lannister have ruled for thousands of years. The Lannister are to the Westerlands what the Stark are to the North.

The Lannister ' ancestor, Lann, founded the House Lannister there during the Age of Heroes.

After that, whether it was the Andal Invasion or the Dragon King's conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, the Lannister remained steadfast.

Should Jon become the Lord of Casterly Rock?

Davos believed Robb could conquer the Westerlands, and so could Jon, but what about Casterly Rock?

The Wall, which is eighty feet high, already deters countless people, but Casterly Rock is a fortress carved into a two-hundred-foot-high rocky mountain! It blends seamlessly with the entire rocky mountain.

Steep and rugged, yet indestructible.

No matter how much he used his imagination, he couldn't fathom how Jon would conquer Casterly Rock.

The title of Duke is prestigious, but the risk of acquiring it is far too great; Jon might very well lose his life in the Westerlands.

Davos looked at Stannis nervously, not wanting him to accept Petyr's suggestion.

Meanwhile, Petyr, clutching his severed wrist, gasped for breath as he cautiously observed everyone's reactions.

Stannis remained expressionless and unmoved, while Selyse beside him seemed restless. It was said that Alester, who had been imprisoned earlier, was also pondering Petyr's proposal.

Then Petyr saw Melisandre, his grey-green eyes lingering for a couple of seconds on her painting-like beautiful face.

The woman was indeed beautiful and possessed a very special charm, but Petyr, being a prostitute, had enough self-control to quickly look away.

Taking advantage of the contemplation, he spoke again, "Your Majesty, in the Battle of the Battle of the Field of Fire, Aegon the Conqueror defeated the combined forces of the Gardener King and the Rock King. The Gardener King died in battle, and Aegon the Conqueror bestowed Highgarden, the House Gardener's castle, upon the House Tyrell. From then on, the House Tyrell became the rulers of the Reach. However, the House Tyrell are merely the stewards of the House Gardener. Other families more closely related to the House Gardener were unwilling to submit, so the House Tyrell had to pledge their loyalty to the Dragon King. Even during King Robert's rebellion, they were staunch King's faction." Now, how similar is Jon's situation to that of the House Tyrell! He too has no foothold in the Westerlands. All his legitimacy and power come from you. If Jon conquers the Westerlands, you will gain a powerful and wealthy vassal."Petyr quoted extensively, attempting to persuade Stannis to make a decision.

At this moment, Alester, who hadn't said much until now, was also ready to speak.

He had just been thrown into prison that day when he heard that King's Landing had been liberated, and for a moment he felt like he was dreaming.

At the same time, Alester regretted his actions. If he had written to Lannister two days later, he wouldn't have ended up like this, and even dragged his family down with him.

So now, like Petyr, he needs to improve his image in Stannis's eyes.

He was born into the House Florent, which was the family Petyr mentioned that was closer in blood to the House Gardener.

"Your Majesty," Alester said to Stannis, "I believe Petyr's proposal is sound. Granting Jon Westerlands and Casterly Rock is entirely befitting of his achievements, and regardless of whether Jon ultimately succeeds in conquering the Westerlands, it will benefit us."

Alester stated that if Jon succeeded, the West would be at peace, and Jon could suppress the Riverlands to the east and restrain the Reach to the south, effectively giving the Iron Throne a powerful vassal. If he failed, Jon's military talent would still allow him to weaken the Westerlands as much as possible, which would be a win-win situation.

As for Jon's potential cooperation with the North, he has already publicly opposed Robb Stark becoming king, so there is no possibility of cooperation whatsoever. If Jon were to show even the slightest inclination in this direction, Stannis could immediately revoke his legitimacy, and the Westerlands would swarm in with opposition.

However, his suggestion was met with dissatisfaction from Davos: "Your Lord Hand, Jon has just rendered such a service to His Majesty, shouldn't he be given a reward commensurate with his loyalty? He is still just a young boy who has come of age."

"Since he is His Majesty's subject, he should always be loyal to His Majesty, especially since he is just a bastard son, and it was His Majesty who bestowed upon him the name Stark!" Alester said shamelessly.

Davos almost laughed in anger. How dare you say such a thing?

Davos's voice trembled slightly at the mention of just coming of age. His four sons, Marcus and Mathos, were not much older than Jon Snow, and Stannis, standing beside him, was also somewhat moved.

Davos also bore some responsibility for the deaths of his four sons; he shouldn't have trusted that fool Imry so much.

Moreover, Davos has a point; doing so is indeed somewhat inhumane.

Finally, His Majesty the King spoke, "Petyr Petyr's advice is very thoughtful, and Davos's concerns are also very reasonable. This matter is of great importance, and I will speak with Jon personally King's Landing we arrive in King's Landing."

Stannis has made his decision, so there's no need for anyone else to argue.

He glanced at Littlefinger, who was bowing his head and remaining silent, and thought that if this guy was indeed smart and could be as loyal as Davos in the future, he could have an easier time.

But Stannis knew it was impossible.

He had no liking for this kind of guy who kept changing his mind.

He had once suggested closing all the brothels in King's Landing, while Petyr ran the second largest brothel in King's Landing; the two of them were simply not on the same page.

He planned to expand Petyr's fiefdom slightly and then remove him from the center of politics.

He himself had someone else chosen for the position of Master of Coin.

At the end of the meeting, Stannis once again sent Davos to act as his diplomat.

He sent Davos and Petyr together to meet with Mace, who still had his army stationed near the Bitterbridge, to express his agreement with their terms of peace.

And most importantly, it was to arrange a marriage Jon and his wife.

Putting aside the question of whether or not to bestow upon Jon the title of Lord of Casterly Rock, marrying Jon to Margaery is certainly the best option.

"Brynden! You bastard!"

Rickard watched as Tywin's remaining troops rode away from Stony Sept, roaring to the sky, his white beard bristling and displaying his fury.

His original plan was for Rickard to pursue Tywin from behind, while Brynden would intercept him in front of Stony Sept. However, Brynden only ordered his soldiers to fire arrows sparsely.

For the galloping cavalry, this damage was nothing; they easily broke through the encirclement.

Enraged, Rickard abandoned his troops, charged on horseback towards Brynden's lines, and roared in a gruff voice, "Brynden! Why did you let Tywin go!"

Brynden turned to look at Rickard, whose eyes were bloodshot, and calmly said, "For Robb's crown, for the independence of the Riverlands and the North!"

Despite Brynden's practical reasoning, Rickard simply couldn't accept it morally, especially considering that his two sons had died at Jaime's hands.

He even wanted to use Tywin's blood to pay tribute to his son, but Brynden let him go.

Rickard, panting heavily, strode towards Brynden, grabbing his breastplate and shouting, "Independence! Independence! Independence! Family! Honor! Duty! Is that all you have in your head? Isn't that the motto of your House Tully? Honor! Where is your honor?! How can you face Jon like this?!"

Brynden remained calm as he watched Rickard roar at him, seeing the old lord's saliva stretch into strands and then spray onto his face with the force of the airflow from his throat.

The Riverlands soldiers that Brynden brought stepped forward and tried to pull the two apart, but he shouted them away.

"Family, honor, responsibility, Lord Rickard, family comes first to me!" Brynden looked into Rickard's bloodshot eyes, as if he were thinking of his own brother, Duke Hoster Tully.

He refused to marry into the House Frey and was reprimanded by Wolf Wolf. He even left the family to become Knight of the Bloody Gate in the Vale, and called himself Blackfish to show his ambition.

However, Hoster's death made him realize something: in a place like Westeros, there is no individual without a family. He was able to become Knight of the Bloody Gate of the Vale not because of his martial prowess or strategy, but because he was a Tully.

He gained Jon Arryn's trust because of his Tully surname.

Now I need to prioritize some Tully.

Despite knowing that his actions were despicable, Brynden decided to let Tywin go.

As long as Tywin lives, the Westerlands, though broken, can remain united, and Stannis will not attack them.

Seeing that Brynden showed absolutely no remorse, Rickard felt his angry roars were utterly meaningless.

With a powerful swing of his arm, he shook off the Riverlands soldiers who were pulling at him.

The North and the Riverlands, which had only recently united, were now showing cracks.