Since the day the three Baratheon brothers held their secret meeting, Varys has been filled with unease.
The other members of the Small Council are, to some degree, related to the Baratheon family. Hand of the King's daughter was King Robert's queen, and as long as he doesn't commit a grave crime or resign voluntarily during his term, his position is secure. Moreover, he is currently embroiled in a fierce struggle with the noble families of the Reach and must navigate relations carefully to retain his post.
Lord Mace Tyrell is indifferent to who stays or goes, as his mother, Lady Redwyne, and son, Willas, manage things in Highgarden. Meanwhile, he enjoys food and drink in King's Landing, leveraging his relationships.
Now Varys understands. The day Stannis called his first Small Council meeting was the day he left the Red Keep. House Baratheon must have learned about his support for the Targaryen restoration, and must have been Daenerys who reported to Wright when she went to Tyrosh before her death. He had helped Robert seize the throne, but perhaps out of fear of alienating the nobles, they had sent him to Pentos.
The situation is beyond repair. Varys forced a smile. "I will prepare a list of those little birds later. Please, treat these unfortunate souls with kindness."
"You can give me the list," said Davos, who had taken over as the Master of Whisperers.
---
The three intelligence officers clashed at the Hand of the King's Tower, while others were not idle either.
Stannis sat on the Iron Throne for the first time in the Red Keep's great hall. Servants and attendants were moving tables and chairs in preparation for a banquet, while Hand of the King Rowan stood before the throne, continually offering advice on how to handle the Faith of the Seven.
Stannis rested his elbows on the armrests and propped his chin up, watching the busy scene without showing any expression. He didn't respond to Rowan's suggestions, as if openly defying the religious doctrines didn't concern him at all. He seemed completely indifferent.
"This chair is nothing like the one at my house," Stannis shifted his position.
Seeing Stannis snap back to attention, Rowan looked worried. "Your Majesty, the conflict between Maegor and the Faith almost led to the fall of the royal family. Please, think carefully!"
Stannis glanced at him sideways. "Lord Rowan, go do something else. The Faith of the Seven is not your concern."
"Ah~" Rowan sighed deeply.
---
At the Tyrell family mansion, a banquet was underway, as it hosted nobles from both Stormlands and Dorne. Lord Mace Tyrell had even borrowed two neighboring mansions.
After years of war during the Targaryen dynasty, it seemed unlikely that any new conflicts would arise in the next few decades. The focus now was on trade, and it was through the discussions between Wright, Nymeria, Renly, and Margaery that the banquet had come about.
The enmity between the Stormlands, Reach, and Dorne was not an unbreakable knot. All the casualties had occurred on the battlefield, and death in battle was considered honorable. Moreover, all five wars with Dorne were started by the Targaryen kings, so all blame could be placed on them.
Lord Mace Tyrell, ignoring Lyonel's displeasure, proudly stood next to the blue dragon, Okaaztuz, in the garden, showing off his grandson to the surrounding nobles.
Renly was energetically explaining the supply of materials from the Stormlands and Reach to the Dornish nobles. Once business was brought up, he became animated. Oberyn and Willas were discussing where to establish a new ranch to raise horses with some other nobles.
The battle-hardened Dornish Princess Nymeria was surrounded by noble young women, most of whom had little experience with fight. They eagerly asked her for tips on self-defense. Nymeria enthusiastically taught them, correcting their stances with gentle touches.
Where there's business, there's money. Tyrosh Bank manager Kana Rogare had also arrived with Nymeria.
"Kana, that white dress looks wonderful on you," Margaery smiled, her eyes crescent-shaped.
"Your dress is lovely as well," Kana skillfully avoided Margaery's extended hand.
Margaery is actually a womanizer! But Kana only had eyes for Wright, Nymeria, and Tyene. She wasn't a careless person—seeking out dancers in the liberal city of Tyrosh was merely a social pretense.
Margaery wasn't upset, instead pointing to a brooch on her dress. "Look, isn't this brooch lovely?"
"It's very well-designed," Kana replied absent-mindedly.
Suddenly, Margaery leaned in close to her ear. "I also have a Valyrian steel brooch, a gift from Wright. Would you like to see it?"
Kana was led into Margaery's bedroom. Margaery wasn't a careless person; she always had a purpose for everything she did.
After an intense struggle, Kana was helping Margaery fasten the buttons on the back of her dress.
"Why did you tell me all that?" Kana was stunned by what Margaery had said earlier.
Margaery had lived in Tyrosh for over half a year, and she and Kana had known each other beforehand. The castle at Wright was filled with silence and illusion magic formations, keeping secrets well-guarded. Both sides only knew of each other's public identities and were unaware of any private connections.
Margaery turned around and placed her hand on Kana's waist. "Every member of a family must be tightly united. You are one of the family members."
After saying this, Margaery's hand moved from Kana's waist to her abdomen, gently stroking through the white dress.
"Now you know who the true father of the child is. I hope you will help him more in the future."
"Mm." Kana's thoughts were somewhat confused.
Ever since Renly's arrival in King's Landing, his actions had been strange. Based on what he had done these past few days, Margaery had some vague guesses.
To stabilize her position, and for the sake of her child's future, she needed to make some preparations ahead of time. After testing Kana, she learned that she wasn't aware of the truth. If this had come from Wright, the result would have been different from hearing it directly from Margaery herself. Margaery knew she needed to take control.
---
Meanwhile, Wright was in his newly purchased mansion, working with Tyroshi and northern nobles to finalize the details of the population relocation plan.
Wright and Ned had decided on the general direction—whether to relocate or not, how many people to move, transportation, where they would go, and how they would be received. All these specific details would need to be carried out by the northern nobles and those from the Stepstones.
According to northern customs, during a famine, the elderly would willingly move south to save food for their families. Now, however, the elderly were unwilling to leave.
Wright and Ned were discussing the possibility of relocating some northern people to Myr, with Missandei and Robb eavesdropping.
A sour fruit smell wafted into Robb's nose. He quickly swallowed a few times, turned to look at the nearby table, and helplessly turned back.
It was Ashara and his wife, Seran. Every time they peeled a fruit, they would hand it to the four small children next to them.
All of them were Wright's children. The oldest, a four-year-old boy, was Wright's adopted son, Geralt Sand. Wright hadn't disclosed his exact origins, but there had been no wild speculation because Geralt had been adopted after the Dorne civil war, a time with many war orphans.
Little Geralt had slightly curled black hair and was eating fruit while watching Robb. Robb found it strange that this boy, who bore the Sand surname but looked nothing like a Dornish child, kept staring at him. Robb raised his hand to touch his cheek, unsure if something was on his face.
Seran Farman was very fond of little Geralt, finding his tiny stature endearing. When she wanted to hold him, he would avoid her. She also thought it was funny how he tried to sound serious when speaking. Seran kept teasing him, unable to stop.
---
While high-ranking nobles gathered in King's Landing, busy with socializing, some nobles from Volantis and Lys quietly faded out of the public eye.
The new king continued the previous policies, not repealing any laws, which reassured the noble class. Except for one controversial new policy regarding the legalization of gambling in King's Landing.
The number of Faith of the Seven followers walking to King's Landing from the Reach continued to grow, and the nobles began having heated private discussions, waiting to see how Stannis would handle it. As they began to pack up and prepare to return to their lands, they were informed by the gold-robed guards that they were to stay in King's Landing. The king had something important to announce.
Time passed quickly, and on the seventh day after Stannis became king, the nobles were once again summoned to the plaza of Dragonpit Hill. They all understood that something significant was about to happen today.