"I heard that this meeting was called by Lady Olenna."
Tywin Lannister sat at the head of the long table, with his back to the Iron Throne, and his eyes slowly swept over everyone present, like Lion on the grassland counting the sheep he was about to hunt.
His voice was calm, but the content of his words declared his strength.
As if to tell everyone that even if the Royal Council was forcibly moved from the Hand's Tower to Throne Room, Tywin Lannister was still the Prime Minister. Before his arrival, the Royal Council could not be held normally even if everyone was present.
Hearing this, Wallis pursed his lips and smiled, and Shi Shiran sat down.
However, a kind smile broke out on Olenna's wrinkled face, and she took the initiative to say, "Oh, Prime Minister, you know that at our age, we should have been basking in the sun in the garden of Highgarden."
"But that child of Mace shoulders the heavy responsibility of the Iron Throne, and I have to attend the Royal Council on his behalf. But how can I, a dim-sighted woman, have the right to convene the Royal Council?"
"You are not here, we are just sitting here, just a few idlers drinking tea and chatting."
Her tone was light and casual, as if she was explaining that she was thinking about Tywin.
But soon, the Queen of Thorns in Highgarden changed the topic and spoke directly in front of everyone, "I heard that Stokeworth burned all night, and it is said that it was still smoking at dawn."
Her tone was understated, as if she was saying that the fish in the market today was not too fresh, but Tywin knew clearly what the old woman was referring to. After all, he had already made mental preparations on the way to Throne Room.
"I have received a report about the Castle of Stokeworth. Because of the discovery of his wife's affair, Balman·Byrch Ser personally killed Falyse·Stokeworth and set the castle on fire."
"Oh?"
Hearing that Tywin was so evasive, Olenna leaned forward slightly, staring at the Prime Minister with her wrinkled but still sharp eyes. "But why did I hear that our Queen Mother Your Majesty was also there last night?"
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere on the long table suddenly solidified.
The expressions of several people became very serious. Only Corleone looked out the window with a lack of interest, as if he had no interest in all this.
Tywin was silent for a moment, and something twitched slightly in his green eyes.
This difficult old woman.
"The Tyrell family's sources of information are really fast. Even I, the Prime Minister, only found out about this matter this morning."
Glancing at Olenna, Tywin said angrily.
"You're rewarded."
Hearing this, Olenna's smile did not diminish, "After all, after living for such a long time, there must be something useful."
She straightened up as she spoke, and her voice suddenly rose half a point, sounding a little aggressive. "But, Lord Tywin, don't you think this matter is really ridiculous?"
"The dignified Seven Kingdoms Queen Mother went to a castle dozens of miles away in the middle of the night to have an affair with someone, and even notified the soldiers of the capital garrison to watch...
"If this kind of thing were done in the era of King Aerys, I'm afraid the entire royal council would have to be replaced."
As soon as these words came out, Tywin's eyes narrowed slightly.
This damn old woman is simply not willing to mention any pot. She even brought out the Mad King Aerys. She clearly knew that she and Aerys were not dealing with each other and deliberately came to disgust him.
"Queen Mother is a widow."
Tilting his head slightly, Tywin explained calmly, "The laws of Westeros do not prohibit widows from remarrying, nor do they prohibit widows from having their own lives."
"Widow?"
But it was obvious that Olenna did not intend to let it go. She laughed sarcastically without concealing it and said, "Lord Tywin, you are right, Queen Mother is indeed a widow."
"But don't forget, first of all, she is Queen Mother, the mother of the current king, and the face of the seven the Seven Kingdomss. Of course a widow can have her own life," but a Queen Mother cannot."
"In those days, the cruel King Maegor married six wives. Some said he was cruel, some said he was crazy, but at least no one said his queens were shameless."
"And your daughter, Lord Tywin, is now the laughing stock of the whole King's Landing. When I was drinking tea in the garden this morning, even the gardener was asking, Queen Mother Your Majesty Did he go to Stoke Worth last night?"
2
Under these aggressive remarks, even Tywin, who had been fighting on the battlefield for many years, couldn't help but be speechless for a while.
After all, although Olenna is suspected of relying on her old age, what she said is the genuine truth, even if it is really unpleasant...
However, as Tywin Deputy, Kevan could not sit still at this time, and reminded him sternly, "Please pay attention to your words, Ms. Olenna, what we are discussing now is Queen Mother, the mother of King Tommen of the Seven Kingdoms!"
"Oh, Kevan Ser!"
Olenna turned her head and looked at him, her tone filled with the tolerance and helplessness unique to elders towards younger ones.
Even though Kevan is over fifty years old...
"I'm talking about facts, not words."
"The truth is the truth, no matter how unpleasant it sounds. I know you are an honest man, so you should know better than anyone that covering up the truth is more dangerous than admitting it."
Hearing this, Kevan's lips moved, but he did not say anything to refute.
He knew Olenna was right, but he also knew what it would mean to publicly humiliate the Lannister family in such a council meeting.
On the other hand, Corleone on the side couldn't help but laugh a little, and couldn't help but sigh that Olenna Redwin, an old woman, was really determined to embarrass Cersei.
To be honest, the Tyrell family has no grudge against the Lannisters, and they are still in-laws, so they would not get into trouble like this over a trivial matter.
But who made Cersei have no idea what to do and insisted on digging a hole to grab her daughter-in-law's pigtails. In the end, she jumped into the hole she dug, and Olenna, an old woman with a vicious tongue, started to protect the calf.
After a moment of silence, Tywin finally spoke.
"Queen Mother is a widow."
His tone was stronger this time, as if he was emphasizing something. "A widow is free to spend the night with any young knight she wants. The laws of Westeros do not prohibit it, nor do the teachings of the Seven Gods prohibit it."
As he spoke, Tywin paused and his eyes fell on Olenna's face.
"Unless Lady Olenna considers it a sin for a widow to remarry?"
"Then you have to talk to the Archbishop first. After all, it was him who presided over Marga li Queen's wedding."
... twice."
As soon as these words came out, Pycelle, who was pretending to be asleep, couldn't help but let out a vague laugh, but it soon turned into a cough and continued to snore.
Hearing this, Olenna's smile suddenly froze.
Of course she heard the thorn in Tywin's words. After all, after the death of Renly Baratheon, her granddaughter became a real widow, and then married two kings in succession...
A flash of anger flashed in the old woman's eyes, but it was quickly suppressed.
She has lived for more than seventy years and has been struggling in Game of Thrones for most of her life. She knows when to attack and when to retreat.
Obviously, offense is the best defense at this time.
"You are right, Lord Tywin."
She sighed again and said thoughtfully, "Of course it is not a sin for a widow to remarry, but every marriage Marga Li's child has experienced has been blessed by the Seven Gods, and Queen Mother...
"With all due respect, having sex with a knight in the wild is not a glorious thing, and don't forget, Cersei's engagement with Loras has not been officially canceled yet!"
When Olenna finished speaking, Tywin suddenly opened his eyes angrily.
She actually dared to make an issue with Loras!
Okay, okay... since you are unkind, don't blame me for being unjust!
Gritting his teeth, Tywin looked directly at Olenna and said word by word, "You are right, we cannot deny this."
"But have you ever thought about who would be hurt the most if word of this got out, huh?"
"Queen Mother's bad conduct will affect the king's reputation. The king's reputation will be damaged. What about Queen's reputation?"
"Queen is your granddaughter, Ms. Olenna. If the news of Queen Mother's affair spreads throughout the seven countries, what will people say?"
"Queen Mother is a slut, but what about the king who is her son? Where is Queen?"
"I want to remind everyone that in this incident, no one here is the winner!"
As Tywin finished speaking, it was so quiet in Throne Room that you could hear the glass windows vibrating slightly in the wind.
Olenna's hands tightly grasped the armrests of the chair, and she pursed her lips for the first time, not knowing how to answer.
Of course she knew what Tywin said was right.
Queen Mother When news of an affair spread among the people, Cersei would be the first to be unlucky, but those young and beautiful aristocratic women who were also in high positions could not escape the influence.
After all, the untouchables at the bottom don't need to pay attention to the truth of the matter. People will only use the most vicious imagination to speculate on every member of the royal family, and Queen... will always bear the brunt of it.
This is Westeros.
In the end, women always pay for all scandals.
Olenna took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, but she didn't intend to end it just like that.
Because Cersei's behavior has truly made her feel threatened. Her crazy and desperate impulsiveness even reminded her of Joffrey back then.
If this matter cannot get a satisfactory answer, then Olenna does not mind doing it again...Purple Wedding!
The silence lasted for a long time.
Just when Olenna was about to force Tywin to deal with Cersei again, a voice sounded from the far end of the long table.
"I have a proposal."
Hearing this, everyone turned their heads at the same time.
I saw Corleone still sitting on the chair farthest from the Iron Throne, but at this moment no one thought that his position was the "last seat".
"What proposal?" There was no emotion in Tywin's voice.
Corleone looked at him, his dark eyes as calm as water.
"Queen Mother needs to confess."
"Confess?" Olenna repeated, with a hint of playfulness in her tone.
"Yes, repent." Corleone nodded. "Queen Mother is a devout believer in the Seven Gods. She donates a large amount of money to Sept every year. The Archbishop can testify to this."
"Isn't it normal for a devout believer to choose to repent to the Seven Gods after making a mistake?"
He spoke very slowly, as if he was explaining a simple truth.
"I know a Farmer from the Riverlands, his name is Tommy. Last fall, his son stole a neighbor's sheep. Instead of sending his son to the lord, Tommy took him to Sept and made him kneel in front of the statue of the Seven Gods to pray for a whole day, and the matter was settled."
"He was right. No one mentioned that incident again, and his son later became the best shepherd in the village Goat."
After Corleone finished speaking, the long table was silent for a few seconds.
Kevan nodded thoughtfully.
He is a devout man and goes to Sept to pray every Seven Gods Day.
In his opinion, confession is indeed the best way to solve this kind of problem, which can not only allow the wrongdoer to be punished, but also prevent the matter from getting out of hand.
But Tywin's expression didn't change at all.
"You mean..." His voice was still cold. "Let Queen Mother go to Baylor Great Sept to confess?"
"It's not just repentance." Corleone shook his head slightly. "Queen Mother needs time to reflect on her mistakes and stay away from those... people and things that will make her make mistakes."
"The silent sisters of Baelor Great Sept are the people in the Seven Kingdoms who best know how to make people calm down and reflect."
"They pray, work, and remain silent every day, devoting all their time to the Seven Gods. If Queen Mother can live under their supervision for a period of time, I think that when she comes out, she will be more... sober than now."
Saying that, Corleone paused and added, "I think six months should be enough."
As his words fell, the long table fell into silence again.
But this time it was Kevan who was the first to speak up and break the silence.
"I think this proposal... can be considered."
"Queen Mother really needs time to reflect. Confessing under the supervision of the Silent Sisters will not embarrass her too much, but it can also give an explanation to the nobles."
After he finished speaking, he glanced at Tywin.
He felt that he was helping his brother find a place that could not only save the Lannister family's face, but also calm the turmoil.
Grand Maester Pycelle finally seemed to wake up from his sleep and suddenly said, "Repentance is the grace given to us by Seven God's Gift."
"When Aegon V Targaryen was young, he also repented for seven days and seven nights in Sept. After that, he became a better king."
The Aegon V he was referring to was the monarch whom the tall Duncan Ser served, the "king who should not be king" in the Targaryen family.
The old bachelor was euphemistically saying that there was precedent for repentance in the royal family and it was not a shameful thing.
Only Varys remained silent and did not speak.
Tywin was not in a hurry to express his position, but was thinking about the possible impact of this matter in his mind.
Of course he knew the intention of Corleone's proposal.
On the surface it was to bring down the Lannister family, but in reality it was to completely remove Cersei from the center of power.
Six months is enough time to change a lot of things.
But he also had to admit that this proposal was indeed the best choice, and Tywin was also very dissatisfied with Cersei's behavior during this period, and had long had the idea of putting her under house arrest.
Moreover, Olenna has made it clear that she will pursue this matter at the imperial meeting. If he does not give in, the Tyrell family will seize on this matter.
But Tywin knew in his heart that this matter would not end there.
Why does Olenna pursue Cersei at this time?
Is it really just for Marga li's reputation?
And Corleone..
Tywin's eyes fell on the young man wearing a gray coat at the far end of the long table.
He has obviously reached some kind of alliance with the Tyrell family, and the purpose is of course to weaken his power as the prime minister. When the Corleone and Tyrell families unite, the influence produced cannot be underestimated.
One or two things can be seen from this affair incident.
We must find a way to firmly control the power in our own hands again...
Taking a deep breath, Tywin slowly closed his eyes and opened them again.
Since Aerys's death, he had hardly felt the power drain away from his fingers.
"Six months is too long."
After looking around, Tywin spoke slowly, "Queen Mother is the king's mother. Tommen is still young and needs his mother's company. If Queen Mother leaves the Red Castle for six months, it will be detrimental to the king's growth."
"Three months."
"Queen Mother confessed in Sept for three months, reflecting on her mistakes under the supervision of the Silent Sisters. Three months later, she returned to the Red Keep, and the matter ended here."
Hearing this, Olenna's lips moved and she wanted to refute, but Tywin didn't give her a chance.
"This is the bottom line I will accept, Ms. Olenna."
His voice suddenly cooled down and he expressed his final decision. "If you feel that three months is not enough, then we don't need to talk anymore."
Seeing this, Olenna, although she didn't agree with it, knew that she couldn't push Tywin too hard.
If this matter really gets big, no matter what the final result is, Marga li's reputation will be implicated.
When a Queen is involved in a scandal, no matter whether she is involved or not, it will eventually become a story among the people of "two women fighting for a man".
She took a deep breath and then spoke slowly, "I have a condition. Queen Mother must complete the confession under the supervision of the Silent Sisters without any exceptions."
"She can't bring servants or maids, and she can't have any privileges. Cersei must spend three months in Sept as an ordinary believer!"
Hearing this, Tywin did not refuse, and nodded directly. "Okay.
After receiving a positive reply from the Prime Minister, Olenna leaned back in her chair and said no more.
Three months is neither long nor short, but under the supervision of the Silent Sisters, that crazy woman Cersei should be able to learn a lesson and restrain herself in the future.
If she wasn't so stupid...
With Throne Room it became quiet again.
The sunlight moved away from the stained glass window and shone on the back of the Iron Throne's chair. Those twisted sword blades glowed darkly in the light.
The teacup on the long table had gone cold, and Pycelle's snoring sounded again.
However, just when Tywin was about to announce the end of the meeting, a sharp voice came from the direction of the door of Throne Room.
"I don't need to confess!"