Wheels rolled through the streets of King's Landing.
Corleone and James rode in a simple carriage without any noble coat of arms.
Leaning against the compartment wall, his eyes calmly scanned the passing street scene outside the window. The humid King's Land air poured into the compartment, the smell of baking bread, horses, the salty smell of the fish market in the distance, and the lingering stench of feces that always filled the air.
"At the Frey family's banquet, Robb Stark and his Queen were shot with several arrows, and Lady Catelyn had her throat cut...
"Demure Tully was captured in Bridal Chamber, and his uncle, Brynden the Blackfish, escaped."
"The news spread quickly and now the entire Red Fort is celebrating."
As James told it, Corleone nodded slightly.
The Blood Wedding finally happened, and there was almost no change from the plot in the original work.
"News of death travels fastest."
Corleone looked away from the window and fell on James' face. "Especially the news of the king's death."
He paused, as if observing James's reaction, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "James, you don't look... happy."
Speaking of which, it was Robb Stark who imprisoned him in Riverrun for more than a year, which led to a series of things that happened later, including his broken hand and almost death at the hands of Vargo Hurt.
Now the young the North King is dead. He died in an ugly way. It is said that his direwolf's head was sewn onto the body.
But now James looked sad.
Hearing this, James did not answer immediately.
His green eyes looked towards the roof of the carriage, as if he could see through the wooden boards and see the sky.
After a while, he said, his voice a little dry. "Guest rights...
"This has been a tradition in Westeros for thousands of years, much older than the history of the Iron Throne, and yet they were killed at the dinner table after enjoying the food provided by the master."
"So?"
"So this is ugly."
James turned his head and looked directly at Corleone: "I asked my father, I asked him if he knew about this matter in advance."
"He didn't deny it, he said, the Freys want compensation, House Bolton wants the North, and we need the war to end."
Jaime paused, seeming to recall Tywin's demeanor and tone at that time, as well as his cold green eyes.
"A less glorious victory is still a victory. History is written by the victors, and the blood will be washed away by the rain. The important thing is that Lannister's Lion is still standing on the top of the mountain piled with corpses."
"I guess that's how the Prime Minister answered you."
As soon as these words came out, James stared at Corleone with wide eyes. After a while, he shook his head and laughed helplessly, although there was no joy in the laughter.
"Sometimes I really feel that you are his son, Corleone. To be honest, neither me nor Cersei, not even Tyrion, are as similar to him as you are, but...
"Just what?"
"It's just that the tools of his rule are gold and armies, and you...
1
James looked at Corleone's calm face and said sincerely, "You are like a scalpel, precise and sharp, but you can always choose the most correct way."
This topic was a bit heavy. Corleone did not pick it up. He just leaned against the carriage. As if he suddenly remembered something, he pointed at his left hand and asked casually, "I heard that you have recently started practicing sword practice again?"
Unexpectedly, he changed the subject. James was stunned for a moment, then moved his left arm and said with a smile, "I have to find something to do."
"After all, as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, it's unreasonable that I can't even defeat a squire, so I have to practice my left hand as soon as possible."
"If it weren't for the fact that the Wall is too far away, I really want to go to the Night's Watch Legion to find the guy named Broken Hand"Colin and let him train me."
"But fortunately, Tyrion lent me someone."
"Bronn?"
Corleone raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said deliberately, "The guy who held Tyrion's trial by combat in the Eagle's Nest City?"
"That's him." James nodded. It seemed that this nervous guy still didn't know about the conflict between Corleone and his brother.
"That guy recognizes money but not people, which is a bit like you. He charged me ten Gold Dragon every day. He is really greedy."
He patted the money bag and joked, "But I have to admit, he is a good sparring partner."
"Ruthless, practical, never talk about chivalry, and specializes in my weaknesses. After these days, at least my left hand will no longer fling the sword out.
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"As long as it's practical."
Corleone nodded. "In this world, beautiful flower shelves are far inferior to practical skills that can save your life, especially for you."
Then, he pointed to James' right hand made of gold and joked in a relaxed tone, "Maybe one day, people will call you Golden Hand "General."
"Hahaha...
Hearing him say this, James finally laughed happily.
He knew very well that the other party was reminding him that he had lost his right hand to use the sword, and he had to find a new way to gain a foothold.
There was no preaching or encouragement, but this relaxed way of speaking and any words of encouragement made James feel a real support and warmth.
As the topic changed, James obviously relaxed a little.
His tense expression began to soften and he talked about the recent developments in King's Landing.
For example, how Marga Lei Queen cleverly appeased Joffrey's capricious temper, and Queen Mother Cersei had several big quarrels with her daughter-in-law-to-be.
Tyrion still complains about poverty every day, but he seems to have solved the financial crisis in some way, and the salary of the golden robe has also been paid.
Their conversations are smooth and natural.
Jaime found that it was easy for him to talk about these things to Corleone, even including some things that he would not normally talk to outsiders, such as his worries about Cersei and his complicated feelings about his father's cruel methods.
Corleone rarely expresses his opinions directly, but more often listens, occasionally asks a question, or shares a seemingly unrelated story.
But the strange thing is that after every conversation, James feels that his thinking becomes clearer, and some tangled knots seem to be sorted out invisibly.
This feeling of being guided without knowing it made him increasingly trust and rely on Corleone.
In this place full of lies and betrayal, Corleone has become a rare person for James, and can even be said to be the only person with whom he can relax and talk.
The carriage slowed down slowly.
Through the car window, you can see the towering red city walls glowing dully in the sun.
The atmosphere in the carriage seemed to become more serious, and the relaxed conversation just now came to an abrupt end.
"Cersei..." Looking at Corleone walking out of the car, James hesitated to speak, and finally whispered:
She's been under a lot of pressure lately."
"Joffrey, her father, the Tyrell family, many things have stimulated her. No matter what she says, you...
"I'm sensible, James."
Knowing that this boy was caring about him, Corleone grinned. "When it comes to dealing with people in high positions, I am better than you."
Maegor's Tower is located in the center of the Red Keep, where all successive Targaryen royal family members Bedchamber are located.
Today, it is more prosperous than before.
Even in the daytime, most of the hundreds of candles on the thick gold-thread embroidered tapestry woven with the image of a lion and the huge crystal chandelier were lit, illuminating the entire hall with splendor.
It looks like a residence made of gold, and even the air exudes an expensive atmosphere.
Too exaggerated.
Looking at the surrounding layout, Corleone secretly felt that it was a pity.
If you replace these with Gold Dragon, it will cost hundreds of thousands at least!
It seems that Robert Baratheon can't be blamed entirely for the Iron Throne's heavy debts. Each of these two couples is burning more money than the other.
As we went deeper, three Kingsguards wearing White Armor stood on both sides of the oak door.
The helmet and visor are put down, leaving only eye holes, and the hand is always resting on the hilt of the sword.
As we all know, there are only seven members of the Kingsguard, and usually the king only has one or two attendants around him.
As Queen Mother, Cersei actually has three guards at all times. Perhaps the appearance of Marga Rei made her feel extremely insecure, or she was asserting her authority.
When Corleone walked in front of them, an iron guard on the outermost side raised his arm and blocked the way.
Seeing this, he just calmly opened his arms and allowed the other party to search him thoroughly and skillfully.
After confirming that except for the Gold Dragon that never left his hand, there was nothing on him that could be called a weapon, before the Iron Guard took a step back and silently moved out of the way.
After entering, the attendant who led the way was changed. He was a young man, about twenty years old, with blond hair and blue eyes. He was quite handsome and had a bit of James's style.
Is it Kevan's eldest son, Lancel Lannister?
No, probably not.
It is said that the boy was seriously injured in Battle of the Blackwater Rush, and was later named Darry City Earl by Tywin. He should not be in King's Landing now.
Corleone secretly thought, this is probably another distant relative of Lannister that Cersei found from somewhere, right?
It has to be said that she really has an almost paranoid "herbiphobia" about blood.
In order to ensure that all three children were James's father, she even calculated the days accurately and used drugs to eliminate any embryos that might belong to Robert.
He is a cruel person.
Walking through the increasingly luxurious corridor, the attendant stopped in front of an inner door inlaid with ivory and Emerald, knocked lightly, and then pushed it open.
Corleone stepped in, and a huge bed first came into view.
Cersei herself was leaning on a soft couch covered with animal skins, looking a little lazy.
She did not wear formal and heavy clothes, but a light golden silk robe that flowed along the curves of her body.
The neckline is cut extremely low, revealing a large area of fair and dazzling skin and collarbones.
Her long golden hair hangs loosely on her shoulders, with a few strands hanging down on her chest. Her figure is still slim, and the birth of three children has left almost no trace on her body.
A beautiful face paired with green eyes is enough to make all men feel love and affection. If they didn't know her nature, it would be difficult for anyone to be hostile to Cersei because of her appearance.
She was once hailed as the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms, and she truly deserves her reputation.
At this time, she was playing with a crystal cup filled with golden wine. Her eyes were firmly locked on Corleone from the moment he stepped into the room.
Very sharp, even more unscrupulous than her father, as if he wanted to separate people layer by layer and examine them.
"Your Majesty."
Corleone stopped a few steps away from the soft couch, bowed slightly, and only glanced at that graceful body, not staying too long on that graceful body.
As Corleone himself said, that's the only thing between men and women. There are a lot of people who want women, not to mention that the other party is a lunatic like Cersei Lannister.
Making money is the first priority.
Such a reaction surprised Cersei.
Since her development, she has had a very clear understanding of her appearance and is very good at using it.
Over the years, apart from a few boring guys like Barristan and Eddard Stark, there were very few people who didn't covet their eyebrows.
"Vito·Corleone."
Finally, Cersei spoke slowly, with a hint of maturity in her voice.
She curiously looked up and down at this man, who was wearing dark gray clothes and had an ordinary appearance.
But the strange thing is that just by standing there, the other party faintly exudes a strong and confident aura, which is impossible to ignore.
Especially those dark eyes that penetrated the surface and reached to the core, almost reminding her of her father, Lord Tywin Lannister.
Interesting.
After just a few glances, Cersei, who didn't have much hope at first, raised the corners of her lips slightly.
"James recommended you to me."
"Although you saved his life, I have never seen James hold a person in such high esteem, except for his idol Sword of Dawn."
As she spoke, she leaned forward slightly. This action caused the already wide neckline to drop further, exposing a piece of snow-white skin.
"He said you could solve problems, any problems."
Cersei's tone was like a lover's coquettishness. Any man who heard this could not help but hold her in his arms and cherish her.
But Corleone is very clear that this kind of posture should be the other party's consistent negotiation skills, and has even been integrated into every move in daily life.
What a pity...
"James Ser is overrated, Your Majesty."
Corleone still lowered his eyes and replied humbly, "I'm just an ordinary person trying to establish a little order in chaos."
This answer seemed to surprise Cersei.
"So... James was wrong?"
She raised her eyebrows slightly and her tone suddenly turned cold. "You can't solve any problem."
Hearing this, Corleone shook his head secretly.
Sure enough... this woman has some brains but not much, and her temper is unpredictable. She is quite unpredictable. You can't guess what she will do or say next.
Joffrey's character that escapes arrogance is very similar to hers.
"Your Majesty."
To this kind of person, it is better to speak more clearly, otherwise her brain may not be able to understand.
Corleone took a small step forward, lowered his voice, and looked at Cersei sincerely. "I have indeed solved some specific problems for many people, but the prerequisite is that I must know what the specific content of the trouble is."
"After all, I am not a so-called god and cannot solve unknown things. What I am good at is finding gaps in seemingly solid walls."
"So, you might as well talk about your worries, maybe I can help you."
"Of course... I hope James Ser has made it clear to you that this is not free.
Hearing Corleone say this, Cersei's face softened again.
The slender fingers gently tapped the soft cushion, as if weighing the weight of Corleone's words.
After a while, perhaps out of trust in James, she seemed to make a decision and slowly said, "Then...Vito·Corleone."
"Is there any way you can disrupt my engagement with Loras Tyrell Ser?"