The residence Lyonel Strong had purchased in King's Landing stood on a quiet lane between Flea Bottom and the Red Keep. It had neither the gilded splendor of the Lannisters' residence nor the elegant layout of the Hightowers'. There were only a few plain stone buildings surrounding a small courtyard filled with greenery.
Ivy covered the stones of the courtyard walls, casting dappled shadows in the midday sun. The place had a stillness utterly at odds with the bustle of King's Landing.
Lyonel's carriage stopped outside the courtyard gate, and the driver hurried forward to open the door. Lyonel ducked out of the carriage, brushed the dust from his cloak, and looked up at his gate, a rare softness flickering in his eyes.
His dear friend Viserys had been in excellent spirits that day. Lyonel had spent the entire morning listening to him talk about Prince Aegon's progress with his studies and Princess Rhaenyra's letter from the Vale, followed by a lengthy discussion of the arrangements for the fifth anniversary of his marriage to Queen Alicent...
With a generous wave of his hand, the cheerful Viserys had actually granted Lyonel several days off. He would no longer have to remain on call at the Red Keep day and night and could go home to spend time with his children.
For Lyonel, this was a rare luxury.
Ever since becoming Hand of the King, he had practically made the Red Keep his home.
Every day, he attended the king before dawn, faced a seemingly endless pile of affairs and meetings, and often dragged his exhausted body home only late at night. When urgent matters arose, he sometimes slept in the Red Keep's council chamber for several days in a row.
He was even busier now than he had been as Master