Crab Claw Peninsula.
About 2 miles southeast of Whispering City is Lyanna Manor, which Green gave to her cousin, Leanna Clayburgh.
Lyanna Manor is situated amidst green fields, surrounded by rolling hills that form a natural barrier. Near the manor, there is also a forest, which serves as a natural hunting ground.
Under the direction of an architect from Riverlands, the main structure of the manor has already taken shape.
Amidst the lush green woods, Yulia couldn't help but exclaim, "Miss Lyanna, you're not pregnant, are you?"
Yulia was wearing a light blue off-shoulder long dress, with her dark brown hair naturally falling over her shoulders.
Her eyes were wide, her body somewhat stiff, as she stared blankly at Lyanna.
Lyanna nodded silently, a hint of undetectable bitterness hidden on her face.
Dick was sent to Essos by Green, Yulia stayed in Whispering Fort, and Lyanna's manor was still under construction, so the two young women, close in age, often kept each other company in the spacious castle.
The sun was just right today, and the two were strolling in the woods when Yulia just learned this somewhat astonishing news.
Yulia's first thought was to avoid the issue; her brother Dick was still "fighting" outside for her sake, and she truly dared not cause any trouble.
But the Lyanna Clayburgh before her, this seemingly simple girl in her eyes, was the cousin of the lord of this land.
Yulia closed her eyes in distress, and after a long while, she opened them again.
Yulia took a breath, her voice very gentle: "Miss Lyanna, how do you plan to handle this?"
She gritted her teeth and whispered again, "I can get you moon tea."
Upon hearing "moon tea," Lyanna's face showed panic, and she instinctively covered her abdomen with her hand.
Lyanna quickly shook her head: "No, absolutely not..."
Yulia reached out and grabbed one of Lyanna's hands, first comforting her: "Miss Lyanna, I just want to help you. No one here can force you to do something you don't want to do."
Seeing that Lyanna's emotions had stabilized somewhat, she added, "Except for Count Green!"
Hearing Green's name, Lyanna looked at Yulia, tears welling up in her beautiful eyes: "Yulia, what should I do?"
Lyanna's fingers trembled slightly from nervousness, and her pale face revealed an anxious and helpless expression.
...
...
King's Landing.
"Apples, good apples! Even if the price is doubled, you'll still think it's cheap!"
"Come buy blood melons, they're as sweet as honey!"
"Turnips, onions, potatoes, come, come, turnips, onions, potatoes, come, come!"
Green, surrounded by his guards, rode through the foul-smelling city. On the street, an actor on stilts strode through the crowd like a giant monstrous insect, followed by a large group of barefoot children screaming wildly. On the other side, two ragged little boys were mock-fighting with wooden sticks, when an old woman leaned out of an upstairs window and poured a bucket of foot-washing water over their heads, ending the brawl.
Turning into Steel Street, and riding along the winding path up the long Visenya's Hill, they passed by blacksmiths working at their forges, free riders bargaining over armor, and gray-haired ironmongers selling various old iron and worn-out knives from their carts. Most of King's Landing's blacksmiths were gathered here.
Green and his entourage rode directly to the top of the hill, and in front of a huge house made of wood and plaster, they pulled their reins and stopped their horses.
The two large doors of the house were made of ebony and weirwood, carved with a hunting scene, and a pair of stone knight statues guarded either side of the entrance, clad in fantastical red steel armor, giving them the appearance of griffin-headed lions and unicorns.
Green dismounted, handed the reins to Matier Baker, and led Mondon Wei Shui into the house.
The middle-aged man glanced at the emblem on Green's attire and quickly came forward, his face wreathed in smiles: "Honorable lord, Tobho Mott awaits your command."
Tobho Mott wore a black velvet coat with iron hammer patterns embroidered in silver thread on the sleeves, and a heavy silver chain around his neck, with a sapphire as large as a pigeon's egg.
Tobho Mott was very enthusiastic: "If you need new armor, then you've come to the right place."
"My lord, I admit my prices are high, but I can guarantee you won't find anyone in the Seven Kingdoms with skill comparable to mine. If you don't believe me, you can visit every forge in King's Landing and compare for yourself."
He continued: "Actually, any country blacksmith can make a piece of armor. But what I make are works of art. You must have seen the armor of the Knight of Flowers and Lord Renly; their entire sets of armor were purchased from me."
Green nodded slightly, pointed at Mondon, and said, "How is his armor coming along? Take me to see it."
Tobho made a gesture of invitation: "His armor will be finished in about a month. The major parts are almost complete, though it still needs detailed polishing."
Tobho led Green through a narrow courtyard to the room where armor was being forged.
The temperature inside the room was very high, with a blazing forge in every corner, and the air was filled with the stench of smoke and sulfur.
Seeing Tobho bring in strangers, the blacksmiths merely glanced at them, wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and continued to wield their hammers and tongs, while shirtless apprentices diligently worked the bellows.
Tobho called over a tall young man with solid muscles in his arms and chest.
"This is Gendry. Don't let his youth fool you; his craftsmanship is excellent, and he's quite diligent." Saying this, he turned to the young man and added, "Lad, show the honorable lord the armor you've forged."
Gendry's somber blue eyes glanced at the gentle-faced Green, he pushed back his sweat-soaked hair, and spoke to Tobho: "Only the helmet is polished."
After he finished speaking, without waiting for a reply, he walked to the back, and soon returned with a bucket-shaped silver helmet.
Green took it, first weighing it in his hand, then examining it.
Compared to ordinary helmets, its thickness was at least half again as much, and although its design was simple, it felt exquisitely crafted the moment he held it.
Green handed the helmet to Mondon, who was eagerly looking on.
Green patted Gendry's arm and praised him: "Gendry, your craftsmanship is excellent."
Gendry's hair was coarse and thick, a messy tangle, as black as ink.
A faint black stubble had just appeared on his chin, and his expression was somewhat shy, his lips trembling a few times.
Tobho spoke: "My lord, please forgive him, this lad is very slow-tongued, he only knows how to forge iron!"
Green smiled and shook his head, patted Gendry Whispering Fort again, and then left the hot room.
Outside, Green commissioned a set of armor from Tobho.
Green's ancestral armor was too plain in design; he wanted to prepare a magnificent set of armor in advance for the upcoming tourney.
After noting down the requirements, Tobho smiled as he accepted a bag of gold dragons, patting his chest to guarantee that the armor he forged would surely satisfy Green.
...
That night, the old blacksmith called Gendry into the house.
The ruddy-faced Tobho had already drunk a lot of wine. He picked up a glass and filled it: "Son, a blacksmith can't do without wine."
Saying this, he pushed the wine glass on the table towards Gendry.
Gendry picked up the glass and drank it in one gulp, and Tobho laughed heartily.
After stopping his laughter, his tone became serious: "Do you remember that young noble in the Blue Cloaks who came today?"
Gendry wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and nodded.
Tobho said solemnly: "Try to avoid him from now on."
Gendry looked at the serious-faced Tobho with some confusion.
Although Gendry didn't show it, he had a good impression of Green. He could feel that Green was not as pretentious as other noble lords.
Gendry was not good with words, but he was very sensitive inside. At least among the noble lords he had met, only Green was different.
"Son, this is an old blacksmith's intuition. That young noble gives me a dangerous feeling, standing next to him is like being next to a sharpened sword... If possible, don't meet him."
Gendry trusted the old blacksmith very much and nodded.
After a moment of silence, he said with a grim face: "I am just a lowly bastard."
Tobho was stunned for a moment, he didn't comfort Gendry's words, instead, he laughed loudly: "Son, but you are a good blacksmith!"
Gendry's face was sharply defined. He looked up at his blacksmith master, a slight curve on his lips.
...
Around the same time, Green had a servant bring Mondon into his study.
Mondon's belly would ripple with every movement, and Green looked at him, unable to suppress a smile.
Mondon noticed Green's gaze, looked down at himself, and chuckled.
"Mondon, I have something for you to do."
Mondon nodded foolishly, his somewhat dull eyes looking at Green.
"His name is Gendry, the young blacksmith we met today."
"Lord Green, I remember him."
After a pause, Green said, "Try to interact with him more when you have the chance. I hope you can become familiar with him."
Mondon scratched his head in confusion, but didn't ask further, just nodded his big head foolishly.
I'm actually very good at making friends... This shouldn't be difficult.
After Mondon left, Green tapped the desk a few times with his fingers, then looked at the map on the wall, his gaze resting on the Stormlands.
...
...
The next day, Maegor's Holdfast.
Watching Mace Tyrell's retreating back, Green's eyes trembled slightly.
Green accompanied Queen Cersei throughout her audience with Duke Mace.
Queen Cersei's impatient expression was not deliberately hidden, but Duke Mace seemed completely oblivious to it, and his attitude became even more respectful.
Green secretly lamented, a dignified Duke of Highgarden, why don't you dare to fight Queen Cersei!
Green then sighed at Duke Mace's adaptability, which was a political skill requiring talent.
Green glanced at Queen Cersei, who looked arrogant, at least Duke Mace had made Queen Cersei very happy.
Cersei, who had just asserted her authority in front of the Duke of Highgarden, was in a very pleasant mood.
Cersei rested her cheek on her hand, first looking at Jaime, then at Green.
Everyone could see she was in a good mood: "Count Green, accompany me for a walk in the garden."
...
Walking in the garden, various floral scents filled the air.
Cersei stopped in front of a flowerbed filled with various colored Roses.
At this moment, Queen Cersei's pleasant expression had long since vanished without a trace.
Her voice was cold: "Count Green, I don't like the Golden Rose, and I hate Margaery Tyrell staying in King's Landing even more."
As her words fell, Cersei reached out and mercilessly snapped a branch of Golden Roses.
Little Rose?
Did Queen Cersei see House Tyrell's ambition for the Queen's position?
Green turned his head to look at Cersei.
Her hair, meticulously styled by her handmaidens and adorned with exquisite gemstone hairpins, perfectly complemented her regal dignity as Queen.
"Your Majesty, are you worried about Prince Joffrey?"
After hearing Green's words, Cersei showed a satisfied expression.
Green was Cersei's chief official, and she didn't bother to find a pleasant reason, stating directly: "I absolutely will not allow Margaery to become Joffrey's bride."
After a pause, Green said, "Are you worried that... King Robert will bypass you to arrange a marriage with the Golden Rose?"
Cersei snorted Whispering Fort and said coldly, "That drunkard, he's capable of any foolishness!"
Green speculated that Cersei's rejection of Margaery was related to a prophecy from her youth.
Green's eyes flickered, and he said, "Your Majesty, I think given the current situation, King Robert won't be thinking of marrying the Golden Rose."
He continued, "Duke Eddard will arrive in King's Landing soon, and their bond is deep. King Robert is more likely to arrange a marriage with the Stark."
My son marrying a daughter of a Northern bumpkin?
After hearing Green's speculation, Queen Cersei unconsciously furrowed her brows slightly.
Cersei said disdainfully, "Why would you think that? A Direwolf's daughter is not worthy of a Lioness's son."
Green shrugged, explaining, "I think King Robert is trying to solidify the North, the Riverlands, and the Vale."
Cersei's beautiful eyes moved, and after a moment of thought, she understood Robert's intention.
Cersei's voice was filled with anger: "That drunkard is wary of Lannister! Hah, he has completely lost a warrior's courage, a pathetic and cowardly drunkard."
Green agreed: "Yes, Your Majesty! You alone are enough to protect Prince Joffrey! King Robert is being redundant. When Prince Joffrey inherits the Iron Throne in the future..."
After a pause, Green continued: "The North, the Riverlands, the Vale, will instead become a constraint for Prince Joffrey."
Cersei's expression grew cold: "Green, this is just your speculation!"
Green nodded slightly: "Your Majesty, perhaps you can look at Duke Eddard's list of accompanying personnel. I believe Grand Maester Pycelle will soon receive ravens from the North."
Cersei asked in confusion: "List of accompanying personnel?"
"Your Majesty, if the name of a Stark lady appears on the accompanying list, King Robert's purpose can be said to be self-evident."