The throne hall of Conqueror's Holdfast had a lofty dome inlaid with stained glass from Myr, which filtered the sunlight into cascades of color that flowed across the obsidian floor.
Liu Qian sat upright on the Iron Throne.
Mezzo stood respectfully to the left below the steps.
To the right stood Maester Qyburn, a kindly smile on his face.
In the center of the hall stood several undercover pyromancers who had returned from King's Landing, their hands at their sides.
Liu Qian had just learned of the destruction of King's Landing from them.
One pyromancer said respectfully, "Your Majesty, we placed candles beneath the Red Keep, but as we were leaving by sea, we saw that the first explosion wasn't at the Red Keep. It was around Flea Bottom. That madwoman Cersei arranged for someone to light candles there. She acted even faster than we did."
The pyromancer glanced apprehensively at Liu Qian, afraid he would punish him for failing to carry out his instructions properly.
Liu Qian did not react as the pyromancer had feared. He merely nodded.
He felt a slight pang of regret. King's Landing embodied three hundred years of Targaryen effort, and now that it had been destroyed, it would have to be rebuilt in the future.
But there was nothing to be done about that.
Who could have imagined that the Mad King had placed wildfire beneath the whole of King's Landing, or that the madwoman Cersei would be so deranged?
Liu Qian had only intended to carry out his strategy of "sending off" the nobles, but Cersei had brought disaster upon all the commoners as well.
It seemed Cersei hated Renly and the people of King's Landing even more than he had imagined.
Liu Qian's voice was calm and level. "You may leave."
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