Turmoil Across the Seven Kingdoms

No one could have imagined that the bastard son who appeared as a moral stain on Eddard Stark would not only distinguish himself in a series of subsequent wars, but now even just having a child would cause such a stir.

From the farthest borders of the Seven Kingdoms to the most central towns, everyone is watching this matter closely.

This also includes some ambitious individuals who have temporarily gone into hiding.

For example, Petyr, who stayed in the the Eyrie after returning to the Vale.

Although Petyr looked somewhat disheveled with his arms and legs broken, emotions often need no reason.

Despite the man who took her virginity and the man who instigated her to murder her husband, Lady Lysa Tully of the Vale remained completely obedient to him.

Because of Petyr's physical limitations, Lysa even felt that she was better able to control him and even more worthy of him.

"My love, whose side should we support now?"

In the courtyard of the the Eyrie stands a statue known as "Alyssa's Tears".

Rumor has it that Alyssa didn't shed a single Tears when she lost her son and husband.

The gods then punished her by making her weep incessantly, until her Tears formed a river.

About a year ago, when Eddard Stark was still alive and Robert was still alive, Catelyn captured Tywin's dwarf son Tyrion and demanded that he be put on trial.

As a result, Tyrion demanded Trial by Combat in order to prove his innocence.

I thought no one would fight for this dwarf, but then Bronn, that mercenary, stepped forward.

Bronn, acting as a proxy knight, proved Tyrion's innocence.

During the battle, Bronn even pushed over the statue of Alyssa's Tears, using it to kill his opponent.

However, Lysa later ordered the statue to be restored.

Lysa and Petyr were sitting in the courtyard, on the steps next to the statue.

Lysa nestled in Petyr's arms, the warm sunlight making her feel as if she were being gently stroked by her mother's hand, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

As for Petyr, he ran his fingers through Lysa's hair, and the same red hair as Catelyn's made him lose himself in fantasy.

No, he doesn't want Catelyn as much anymore; Sansa, Sansa is the better target.

"That Stannis deserved it! Let him take my son away from me. Or we should declare our allegiance to Jon too, that way we can avenge you!"

However, since he wasn't particularly attracted to the woman in front of him, he easily kept his mind clear.

Petyr certainly wanted revenge for his hands and feet, but not through such brutal means.

"No, now the Bronze Yohn is the Warden of the Vale and has command of the Vale army. We cannot rashly declare our allegiance to Jon, especially since even if he has a Targaryen baby, his own origins are still unknown." Petyr's hands roamed over Lysa's body like snakes.

In his mind, the Lannister should have been the victors, so he could have earned a higher title by contributing to the "Lion-Flower Alliance," and perhaps later marry Lysa to gain the title of Warden of the Vale.

However, the turning point for all of this was Jon's sudden arrival in King's King's Landing from Riverlands. Even now, he feels that Jon's timing was just too perfect.

"And the Harrenhal Mutiny" perfectly embodies the word "decisiveness".

Petyr now believes that his bad situation, especially the loss of a hand, is inextricably linked to Jon.

His decision to remain loyal to Stannis instead of Jon was actually driven by another consideration: Varys and the forces behind him. Petyr's suspicions told him that there must be a formidable power behind Varys.

This force's ambitions must be significant, and most importantly, Varys and the forces behind him would absolutely not like Stannis.

Otherwise, he would never have made such a big deal out of Aemon's affair. Petyr believed he could hitch a ride on Varys's coattails to achieve his revenge and seize more power at the same time.

"We should answer Stannis's call now, but the the Eyrie occupies the most land and can provide at least seven or eight thousand troops. Perhaps I can seek a quartermaster position."

"Alright." Lysa grasped Petyr's Littlefinger firmly. She didn't care what she said to him; she only knew that she now completely possessed him. "Everything will be done as you say."

"When can we be together openly?" Lysa opened her blue eyes and looked up at Petyr, gently scratching his mustache. "I want to have a child with you. We almost had one."

When Petyr was still an adopted son in Riverrun, he got Lysa pregnant, but Hoster Tully covered it up, causing Lysa to miscarry.

Petyr looked down at Lysa, smiled, and said nothing. Without the Arryn, without the Vale Guardians, without Robin Arryn, Lysa's value was no longer very high.

Petyr needs a stronger, more influential ally, and only Queen Selyse can meet that need.

Highgarden was the first to respond to and accept the fact that Jon was a Targaryen, and he accepted it readily and quickly.

--

Not only did they help Jon announce his identity through the Citadel and put the entire nation on alert, but they also sent troops to eliminate Florent, a potential threat from the rear.

In reality, Florent can't cause much of a stir right now. Most of their family's military force has been sent to King's Landing, leaving them with nothing but an empty city.

There is no doubt that the Tyrell of Highgarden are firmly on Jon's side; they originally intended for Margaery to marry Renly to fulfill the House Tyrell's dream of becoming queen.

Renly died, but Joffrey wasn't a bad match either; the three or four-year age difference wasn't a big problem. However, the earth-shattering Battle for King's Landing completely changed the landscape of Westeros, and propelled that previously unknown bastard to become a powerful warlord.

In order to maintain their status, the House Tyrell had no choice but to marry Jon, giving their daughter, whom they had groomed to be queen, to his bastard son, which almost made them a laughingstock.

Fortunately, Jon proved his worth, persuading Robb to surrender, conquering Casterly Rock, and annexing the Iron Islands. Those who had secretly mocked the Tyrell soon realized what a powerful ally the House Tyrell had found for them.

To their utter surprise, Jon brought them another huge surprise.

"Your father always complained that we planted roses next to the doghouse, but little did he know that the doghouse was home to a dragon's offspring," Olenna said casually.

"Even if Jon isn't a dragon, he's still quite ferocious as a wolf." Willas always felt a sense of unreality when he thought about the details of how Jon saved his mother that day.

However, he wouldn't simply agree with Olenna, but instead raised a very practical question—when Robert rebelled, Storm's End blocked the Reach army, preventing them from heading north to support Rhaegar in time, which ultimately led to the disastrous defeat at the Trident River and the change of dynasties.

The first battle between Jon and Stannis, perhaps even the decisive one, is very likely to take place in the Riverlands.

The southern army faces the same strategic objective: to march north and provide support.

They also face the same, or even greater, strategic dilemmas. It's not just Storm's End that's holding them back, but also Dorne!

"Back then, the Dornishmen supported the Targaryen because Elia was Rhaegar's wife, the Mad King used Elia as a hostage, and most importantly, Young Griff has House Martell blood in his veins. Now, our Young Griff has no connection to Dorne whatsoever, so they can't possibly help us. In that case, Jon will have to fight Stannis with inferior forces." Willas frowned as he expressed his concerns, glancing at his grandmother Olenna.

Unfortunately, while Olenna might be adept at politics, managing her family, and understanding people's hearts, she is utterly clueless when it comes to military affairs.

"Perhaps Stannis won't be guarding Storm's End this time, and we can take Storm's End? Besides, your father is in Casterly Rock, so let's not let him command the army this time; let Randyll Tarly do it." Olenna spoke slowly as she thought, but unfortunately, she still missed the variable of Dorne.

Although Dorne and the Reach had a good relationship, the friendship that Willas gained in exchange for his leg was worthless in the face of true family interests.

Stannis might even reach an even more favorable deal with Dorne, such as promising the House Martell a marriage alliance, or even two—that would be more than enough.

However, they definitely need to rescue Jon, but if they go, the safety of Highgarden cannot be guaranteed. It's a dilemma.

Just as the grandfather and grandson were frowning in worry, Loga, the scholar from Highgarden, hurried over, carrying a letter with him.

"Madam, Sir, a letter from Casterly Rock."

Upon hearing that the letter came from Casterly Rock, Willas immediately sat up straight.

"Jon must have come up with a plan," Olenna said, looking at the note in Willas's hand.

The grandmother and granddaughter had a tacit understanding; she knew that Willas would read the letter to her after receiving it. However, this time, Willas read the letter twice without saying a word.

He didn't speak, Olenna didn't urge him either; she simply held the teacup in mid-air.

After a long pause, Willas finally spoke, "Grandmother, Jon told us not to worry about Dorne, but simply to send the army north as soon as possible."

The grandfather and grandson looked at each other, knowing that while they wanted to help Jon, the safety of Highgarden was also important.

Jon, however, told them in his letter not to worry about Dorne's army, asking what would happen if Dorne's army came.

However, Olenna hesitated for a moment before saying, "Trust him, trust Jon!"