Chapter 45: Glyn Begins to Take Initiative
Initially, Glyn's involvement was merely a formality, made out of duty to Queen Cersei.
But now, Glyn's heart couldn't help but stir with hidden ambition.
Glyn had to admit he had underestimated the allure of Queen Cersei, who possessed the peak beauty of the Seven Kingdoms.
Although the experience of raising three sons had left traces of time on her, Cersei, with her golden hair and emerald green eyes, was still slender, and her skin fair and smooth.
Glyn relied on his strong self-control to suppress the agitation in his heart and continued his work.
Glyn's eyes flickered, avoiding Queen Cersei's direct gaze.
Inside, Glyn's thoughts were racing. On the surface, Glyn's throat moved, and he swallowed. "Your Grace, do you have anyone in mind to replace the Hand of the King?"
Glyn's reply surprised Cersei; or rather, it delighted her.
"Glyn truly understands me!"
Queen Cersei's most favored candidate for Hand of the King was, of course, her father, Tywin Lannister. But she knew King Robert would never agree.
Queen Cersei retracted her hand with satisfaction: "You always manage to pleasantly surprise me, but you should also be clear that as long as Robert is alive, Jon Arryn, that old man's position, cannot be shaken."
Cersei noticed that when Glyn spoke, he had subtly created some distance between them.
Seeing Glyn pretend to be unconcerned while calming his breathing, Cersei curled her lips.
Glyn opened his mouth and said, "Today I discovered that Lord Jon Arryn's physical condition is not very good. Even out of consideration for his health, as Queen, you have every reason to recommend a new Hand of the King. This way, we can establish an opponent for Lord Jon Arryn, and even if we can't remove him from the position of Hand of the King, at least we can damage his reputation and create a powerful new political enemy for him."
As he spoke, Glyn's tone changed, and he lowered his voice. "The enemy of your enemy could be your friend. You can entirely sit back and watch the play unfold, and at that time, you will hold the initiative."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Your position will be even more secure. Whoever gains your support will have the advantage."
Cersei's eyes gleamed, as if she could already foresee old Jon Arryn, that decrepit old man, begging her to protect his position.
Queen Cersei's breathing became heavy. "What do you intend to do, Glyn?"
Glyn had regained his usual calm demeanor: "After the Kingswood hunt, please allow me to go to the fertile lands of The Reach on your behalf to meet Lord Mace Tyrell."
"Pufferfish?"
"Indeed, a heavyweight!"
Although Cersei's tone was light, Glyn still detected Cersei's well-hidden unease.
"Pufferfish" was the nickname others used for Lord Mace Tyrell, head of House Tyrell.
The prominent House Tyrell ruled the fertile lands of The Reach. Their family sigil was a golden rose blooming on a verdant green field. Their wealth was second only to House Lannister. They possessed not only formidable land military power but also a naval force not inferior to the Royal Fleet.
Glyn opened his mouth and said, "For a fish, King's Landing is its fishpond, and you will ultimately control King's Landing, this fishpond."
Glyn's clever reply greatly pleased Queen Cersei, who had always been confident.
Cersei slightly raised her beautiful chin: "Go do it. Display your talents, Lord Glyn."
After speaking, Queen Cersei leaned closer to Glyn again.
Glyn noticed Queen Cersei's gaze shifting downwards toward his body.
Queen Cersei parted her lips slightly: "Do a good job, please me. Your Queen will not be stingy with her appreciation for you."
"Appreciation?" Cersei's use of this word made Glyn ponder.
Her mood even more pleased, Queen Cersei gazed at Glyn with a smiling beauty, then turned and said, "Let's go, my little lord. It's almost time for the midday meal."
Red Keep, Maegor's Holdfast dining hall.
Queen Cersei sat in the main seat of the long table.
On Cersei's right sat Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen. On her left were Jaime, Glyn, Lancel, and Tyrion.
Observing the seating arrangement, while it appeared to be ordered by status and rank, it was actually ordered by Queen Cersei's favor.
Merely by virtue of the Lannister surname, Tyrion and Lancel could sit ahead of Glyn, a mere "country bumpkin" noble.
Queen Cersei possessed the temperament of a ruthless dictator.
The handmaidens orderly served dish after dish in golden platters.
First, a rich soup of mushrooms and buttered snails, followed by pine nut and egg pastries, and oatmeal bread baked with apples and oranges. After the sweets were served, next came the meat main courses: wild boar ribs, large chunks of lamb chops stewed with raisins and onions, and baked fish cakes with wood ear mushrooms. Finally, the serving maids placed a portion of buttered lentils in front of each person.
After all the dishes were served, the handmaidens began to pour the wine. The wine was Tyrion's favorite Summerwine.
Glyn wondered if Queen Cersei's intelligence had any blind spots. If she knew that Tyrion loved drinking Summerwine, given her personality, she would certainly switch it to another type of grape wine, or perhaps even specifically change the wine served to Tyrion alone.
During the meal, Joffrey, seated diagonally opposite, suddenly raised his cup and gestured to Glyn.
Glyn actually didn't want to have any deep contact with this little brat.
But he was Queen Cersei's most beloved son!
Regardless of what he thought, Glyn appeared very proper and also raised his cup in return to Joffrey, that "Grand Marshal."
This situation made Lancel, who was watching from the side, very envious.
Joffrey's gaze towards Lancel was clearly ill-intended. Prince Joffrey had a unique dislike for him!
Lancel yearned for His Highness Robert, who had gone hunting, to return soon, so that he could quickly distance himself from Joffrey.
During the meal, Queen Cersei announced that Glyn would take over and be responsible for this Kingswood hunt.
A maid informed Glyn that the Queen's officials had already prepared the roster according to long-standing custom. Before departing, he should meet with Petyr Baelish, the Master of Coin, to collect the gold dragons needed for the Kingswood hunt.
Lord Glyn was also promoted to the Queen's Chief Official.
With the promotion of Glyn's official rank, his salary would also increase. Although time was still tight, Glyn felt he could continue to persevere.
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(end of chapter)