"Huh..." K Lys took a deep breath and tried to calm his heartbeat.
He knew that he might not be Redd's opponent, but as the captain of Kingsguard, he must stand in front of the king, even if it means hitting an egg against a stone.
Redd seemed unaware of all this. He leaned back on the chair casually, even stretched out, and his eyes casually swept across the meeting hall, and finally landed in the direction of the door.
Everyone followed his gaze - there was no sign of Otto·Hai Tarth.
Sure enough, His Majesty the King deliberately refused to let him come.
Lyonel was relieved in his heart, but then he frowned again.
Otto's absence can certainly avoid direct conflict, but it also leaves this meeting without a key player.
Redd's attack will probably become even more unscrupulous.
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "It would be great if Rhaenyra was a boy..."
This is not the first time this idea has occurred.
If Rhaenyra was a prince, then Viserys would not have wavered, and House Hightower would not have found an excuse to support Aegon II. This inheritance dispute would never have existed from the beginning.
But unfortunately, she is a princess, and a married princess.
Rhaenyra's husband is Redd, a man of unknown origin, ruthless means, and superior force.
This in itself is enough to make many conservative nobles feel uneasy - they cannot accept a "foreign surname" getting involved in Iron Throne through marriage.
If Rhaenyra married into an ancient noble family, such as Tyrell or Tully, the resistance might be much smaller, at least those nobles would be able to see the benefits of the marriage.
But Redd has nothing - except for his strength and Rhaenyra's trust.
This made the nobles who were accustomed to the exchange of interests at a loss what to do, and also made Viserys's attitude become more and more swaying.
"Ahem..." Viserys cleared his throat and broke the silence in the chamber.
His voice was hoarse and morbidly weak, "Let's get started. If you have anything to do, just tell me."
Lyonel stood up and bowed slightly. "Your Majesty, first of all, it's about the autumn harvest.
This year Riverlands and Westerlands have a good harvest, but the North has suffered a drought and needs to allocate grain from the south..."
He began to report on the daily affairs of the kingdom, his voice steady, trying to get the meeting back on track.
Master of Coin Lyman added a few words from time to time, discussing the allocation of grain and the adjustment of taxation.
Master of Laws Jasper reported on the results of several cases, all of which were trivial matters.
Rhaenyra lowered his head and twisted his skirt with his fingers, obviously not in the mood to listen to this.
Her mind was filled with what Redd said last night and her current situation.
She could feel the sympathetic, mocking, or wary glances around her, each one pricking her like a needle.
Redd, on the other hand, has always maintained that lazy attitude, as if he has no interest in Lyonel's report.
Occasionally, his fingers would gently rub the hilt of "Dark Sister", making a slight friction sound, which was particularly harsh in this serious meeting hall.
Ke Lys's nerves were tense all the time, and he stared at Redd's hand without blinking.
If there was any sign of that hand being raised, he would act immediately.
After Lyonel reported on the autumn harvest, he also talked about the situation on the other side of the Narrow Sea - the development trend between Free Cities, which may affect the kingdom's maritime trade.
Master of Ships Tyland·Lannister took over the conversation and briefly introduced the deployment of the fleet to ensure the safety of merchant ships.
Everything seemed so normal, so normal that it was a bit weird.
Redd still didn't speak.
Viserys's expression became worse and worse. He coughed a few times and signaled Lyonel to continue.
Lyonel hesitated and took out the last file. "Your Majesty, there is one more thing. Regarding Dragonstone's defense... Princess Rhaenyra previously proposed to send additional defenders and strengthen the castle..."
Finally, Rhaenyra was mentioned.
All eyes are focused on Rhaenyra, including Redd.
Rhaenyra suddenly raised his head, his eyes a little panicked, and subconsciously looked at Redd.
Redd raised the corner of his mouth with an imperceptible arc, and lightly tapped his knee.
That's a signal.
Rhaenyra took a deep breath and stood up.
Her voice was trembling, but she still tried to maintain her composure. "Your Majesty, father.
Dragonstone is the birthplace of House Targaryen and the first line of defense against threats from the east.
In recent years, pirates in the Narrow Sea have become more and more rampant, and fleets often cruise nearby.
I request an additional five hundred soldiers and funds to repair the castle's fortifications."
Her words are reasonable and reasonable. As the lord of Dragonstone, it is normal to make such a request.
But Jasper Wilder immediately stood up and retorted, "Your Royal Highness, the kingdom's finances are not strong, the North needs food, Westerlands needs to repair roads, where is the extra money and manpower to reinforce Dragonstone?
Besides, Dragonstone has Dragon stationed there, are we still afraid of those pirates?"
There was obvious sarcasm in his words, implying that Rhaenyra was making a fuss out of a molehill and wasting resources.
Rhaenyra's face turned red instantly. He was about to retort, but his hand was held down by Redd.
Redd stood up.
Almost at the same time, Ke Lys ton's hand also grasped the hilt of the sword, and his body leaned forward slightly, making a defensive posture.
The air in the meeting hall solidified again.
Everyone's eyes were focused on Redd, and even Viserys held his breath.
Redd didn't look at anyone, but slowly took out "Dark Sister" from his waist.
"Shua--"
The sword flashed a dark cold light under the candlelight, and hummed slightly as if it was alive.
Ke Lys's heartbeat instantly rose to his throat, and all the muscles in his body were tense. As long as Redd's sword was pointed at the king, he would rush forward without hesitation.
Viserys's face became paler and he shrank back subconsciously.
Lyonel, Lyman, Tyland and others also stood up and looked at Redd warily.
Redd just brushed the blade of the sword lightly with his fingers, as if he was admiring a work of art.
After a moment, he spoke slowly, his voice was not loud, but it spread clearly throughout the entire meeting hall:
"Dragonstone's defense requires no argument."
His gaze swept over Jasper Wilder, his eyes cold. "Five hundred soldiers are too few, I want one thousand. Appropriation? Lord Bisbury," he looked at Lyman, "Appropriate money from the royal treasury. If it is not enough, get it from the homes of nobles who have defaulted on taxes."
If anyone dares to have an opinion, let him tell me what 'wasting resources' means."
Jasper's face instantly turned pale and he opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.
He had no doubt that as long as he dared to refute, the sword in Redd's hand would immediately pierce his throat.
Lyman was also stunned. The fat on his face trembled. He wanted to say something, but when he met Redd's eyes, he swallowed it back.
To allocate funds from the royal treasury? To collect taxes? This would undoubtedly offend a large number of nobles, but he did not dare to offend the madman in front of him who was holding Valyrian steel sword.
Lyonel frowned and wanted to say something to lighten the atmosphere, but was interrupted by Redd.
Redd inserted "Dark Sister" back into the scabbard, making a soft "click" sound. His eyes turned to Viserys, his tone was calm, but with undoubted power:
"Your Majesty, I am not here today for the defense of Dragonstone."
Viserys's heart sank suddenly, and he had an ominous premonition.
Redd paused, his eyes swept over everyone present, and finally landed on Rhaenyra. He stayed for a moment and then said slowly:
"I'm here to propose that my son, Xiaojie, be canonized as Prince Dragonstone."
One stone stirs up a thousand waves!
The meeting hall instantly exploded!
Prince Dragonstone, that is the exclusive title for the heir of Iron Throne!
What is Redd doing? Is he going to let his son take Rhaenyra's place?
Rhaenyra raised her head suddenly. Although she didn't want to see it, this moment still came.