[Chapter Size: 1300 Words.]
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"Did you send men to ambush Theon Greyjoy?" Tywin stormed into Cersei's chamber, his tone sharp and aggressive.
That morning, Tywin had unexpectedly received a letter from Theon. Once he understood its contents, he no longer bothered to summon Cersei formally and instead marched straight to her residence.
"The Seven Kingdoms have only just stabilized, and now you're provoking a war!" Tywin's voice seethed with anger.
Seeing him so furious, Cersei felt a flicker of fear and regret, yet she still answered stubbornly. "Killing Theon is the best option. He calls himself King of the Iron Islands—his next step will be declaring himself King of the Seven Kingdoms!"
"If you want Tyrion dead, then wait for the right opportunity instead of striking recklessly!"
The Riverlands were already in Theon's hands, with Moat Cailin and White Harbor also under his control. He had even used Ser Gregor's severed head to win Dorne's favor.
"Tommen has only just ascended the throne and his position is far from secure!" Tywin was right. Though no one openly opposed Tommen's claim, in truth the only regions firmly loyal to him were the Westerlands, the Reach, and the Stormlands.
Even then, Highgarden and House Lannister distrusted one another, both vying to control Tommen so their families could rule Westeros.
The Westerlands had just emerged from war with the North. What the realm needed was peace and recovery—not another conflict sparked by a foolish decision.
"This time, Theon demands a heavy indemnity. If you refuse, he will expose everything you've done. He knows more than you think."
"We have two hundred thousand men! We can crush the Riverlands without doubt!" Cersei retorted, unwilling to relent.
"We have only fifty thousand!" Tywin snapped. "Do you really think the Reach will help us? Olenna would rather see both the lion and the kraken destroyed!"
"Do you think the Riverlands will be easy to subdue? Even without allies, we still don't know the true strength of Theon's strange new armor!"
"From this day forward, you are forbidden to leave the Red Keep or make contact with the High Sparrow again. Behave as a proper Queen Mother—and bear a son for Loras as soon as possible."
After scolding her, Tywin turned and left. His disappointment in Cersei ran deep. To prevent her from disrupting his plans further, he stripped away her authority and placed her under house arrest within the Red Keep.
Watching Tywin's retreating back, she thought of Joffrey's tragic death and her hatred of Tyrion.
There was a glint of malice and hesitation in her eyes, though no one could tell what schemes filled her mind.
…
A year had passed since Tyrion's return.
Tyrion was named Hand of the King, ruling the Riverlands on Theon's behalf.
Once again, Tyrion was astonished by Theon's political philosophy. Every riverland city was governed by officials appointed directly from Pyke, rotated every five years.
This system left the local lords with no chance to consolidate power. Meanwhile, Theon's separation of military, political, and judicial authority pushed his control over the Riverlands to unprecedented heights.
Over the past year, Theon had established courts, funded jointly by each city, and set up law enforcement bureaus to oversee them.
Minor disputes among commoners were handled by the city's public security offices, while major cases were escalated to the courts for judgment.
In matters of justice, Theon built a relatively complete administrative system and regularly summoned scholars to refine the laws according to local conditions.
Before the law, nobles and peasants stood as equals. Naturally, this provoked fierce resistance at first—especially from the noble houses of Harlaw, Oakmont, and Blacktyde in the Iron Islands.
There were even instances of outright defiance, which Theon deliberately ignored, further emboldening the three lords.
They now awaited the chance to depose him—or at least exile him to the Riverlands.
But Theon, too, was waiting. He awaited Euron's return and inevitable rebellion.
Central Administrative Palace, Seagard.
"Tyrion, Hand of the King, here are the Riverlands' tax records. Please review them." A maester placed a thick stack of documents before him.
Tyrion nodded. "Very well. You may go."
Taking the detailed list in hand, he carefully reviewed the accounts before sending them on to Pyke.
As his eyes scanned the enormous revenues, Tyrion's heart grew calm.
After ensuring that the people of the Riverlands would not starve, Theon issued licenses for the production of beer and chemical fertilizers, allowing both nobles and commoners to open factories and sell their goods.
He then reformed corporate taxation. With the exception of street vendors, every merchant operating a physical shop whose turnover exceeded a certain amount was required to pay taxes monthly.
Although cases of tax evasion remained inevitable, overall revenue increased dramatically.
The soap factory, a state-owned enterprise, paid staggering monthly fees. If not for the limited supply of animal fat, sales would likely have doubled.
Theon also passed on to the Grand Secretary a method for castrating white boars. The procedure reduced the odor of pork significantly.
This led many farmers to raise pigs, which not only provided large quantities of lard but also ensured that families had fresh meat on their tables.
"Hand of the King, there is a woman outside who wishes to see you," a servant announced.
"There are always women wanting to see me. What's so special about her? If it isn't important, send her away."
The servant hesitated before replying, "My lord, she said her name is Melisandre, and that she is a servant of the Lord of Light."
"Who? Melisandre?" Tyrion was startled. "The witch who followed Stannis? Bring her in."
Soon after, Melisandre entered Tyrion's office.
"This place feels strange. How were these white walls made?" she asked, gazing around.
"This is the work of the Department of Industrial Equipment. Highly classified. Hardly an appropriate question. What do you want from me?"
Melisandre then recounted what had transpired after Stannis's defeat.
When Stannis fell, he fled north. Melisandre had believed with absolute certainty that Stannis was the incarnation of the Lord of Light—the reborn Azor Ahai—destined to end the Long Night with Lightbringer in his hand.
Yet somehow, she could no longer reach her god. Though she felt the magical energies in the air growing stronger each day, her prayers went unanswered.
Now she could cast many enchantments without even using the fire ruby at her throat. Desperate, she forcibly invoked the Lord of Light's authority to divine the outcome of the final battle.
To her surprise, despite wielding the god's power without permission, she suffered no punishment. This left her wondering if something had happened to the Lord of Light himself.
In her vision, she saw a figure clad in armor white as snow, mounted on a strange four-legged dragon.
As for this armored warrior, she recalled hearing Stannis mention him once: a man impervious to swords and spears, possessing infinite strength. After confirming the image with an artist, Melisandre abandoned Stannis entirely and set out for the Riverlands.
But the changes in Riverlands were overwhelming. Foreigners entering needed not only passes but also identification, along with endless questioning.
Thus she wandered for months before finally reaching Seagard.
"So, you mean His Grace will wear shining armor to fight the White Walker King who tricks children? Wonderful tale!" Tyrion quipped mockingly.
He tossed her a silver coin. "Thank you for the story, but I have Riverlands taxes to collect."
Then, as if recalling something, Tyrion added, "By the way, you should tell your tale to the theater writers. They'll certainly adapt it into a play. An original piece praising His Majesty is exactly what they're looking for."
The theater had also been Theon's idea. With literacy rates still abysmally low, newspapers were of little use. Instead, Theon founded a national theater system at minimal cost.
At the same time, numerous small traveling troupes spread Theon's ideas throughout the Riverlands by way of drama, ensuring his influence reached even the most remote villages.
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