"Seven Hells, do those damn Free Cities nobles have nothing better to do? Why does anyone even bother with that beggar king?"
After seeing Illyrio off, Varys, the Master of Whisperers, was quickly summoned to the tea room where the king was resting.
Today was truly unfortunate. Varys knew that the king had gone hunting and returned empty-handed, making it a bad day to deliver news. However, the king had given an order before leaving, and Varys had to provide an explanation upon his return, so he had no choice but to deliver the intelligence.
The only people in the tea room with the king were Robert Baratheon, who was drinking; Barristan Selmy, the captain of the Kingsguard, known as "Barristan the Bold," standing beside him; and Varys, the Master of Whisperers.
The king sat on an oak chair by the tea table. He had originally been very tall and burly, but now, due to his overindulgence in food and drink, he had become obese. His thick body resembled a small mountain. His unkempt black hair and thick, dark beard, along with the sunken dark circles under his eyes and his pale, fat face, made it difficult to recognize the valiant hero of the past. His deep blue eyes were filled with impatient anger.
Barristan was a tall knight, standing straight beside the king, looking strong and elegant. Like the other members of the Kingsguard, his armor, cloak, and shield were all white, with white silver threads and clasps on the scale armor. But the wrinkles on his face and the white hair visible from under his helmet showed that he was no longer young. He was silent.
Varys stood on the other side. He had returned to his usual appearance, with a round, plump, bald head. He had applied powder to his face and was wearing comfortable clothing made of fine silk, with bright colors and a sweet, cloying scent of powder. He was slightly hunched over, with his head lowered, as if he were the one enduring the king's wrath.
But the king was just venting his frustration.
"Find out who's behind this, these damn merchant lords, as soon as possible." The King took a large gulp of wine, exhaling a strong smell of alcohol. "Didn't they run further and further away? Isn't Pentos quite close?"
Over the years, the remaining Targaryens had moved from Braavos to Myr, from Myr to Tyrosh, getting further and further away from Westeros. Later, they even went to Qohor. The King had hoped they would go to the far east, to Asshai, or even further, but they were only wandering around the Free Cities. Then they went to Volantis and Lys, and this time they had circled back to Pentos.
As the King moved, alcohol flowed down his thick, dark, and dense beard. He couldn't help but reach out to cover it. The alcohol flowed down his hand and onto his protruding belly, soaking his gorgeous, rich robes. Soon, the King touched his own large, bulging belly and suddenly threw the wine cup aside in anger: "Damn it, seven hells!" He didn't know who he was cursing.
Before Varys and Barristan could react, the King covered his face with a sorrowful expression and waved them away: "Get out!"
Varys and Barristan were used to it.
The King was drunk.
"Yes, Your Grace." Varys nodded in agreement, then nodded to the captain of the Kingsguard beside him, and humbly walked towards the door.
Barristan's sharp gaze fixed on Varys's slow departure until he was gone. Only then did he clear his throat and say, "Your Grace..."
As the Captain of the Kingsguard and the King's personal guard, he inevitably heard many of the King's secret plots. His sense of duty as a knight compelled him to offer counsel to the King. The Captain of the Kingsguard had some reservations about the King secretly tasking Varys to use a dishonored knight as a spy, keeping it hidden from the Hand of the King, and planning to deal with the beggar king and his sister across the Narrow Sea when the opportunity arose. He considered it dishonorable. However, he also knew that the King had kept it from the Hand because the King knew the Hand would offer similar objections.
But before Barristan could speak his mind, the King raised a hand, palm hovering in the air. "Let me be, Barristan." The King seemed lost in a melancholic mood, cutting Barristan off. The King's tone was firm. Barristan had no choice but to remain silent.
Barristan stood guard at the King's side for a while, until the King's snoring began to echo from the tea table. Only then did he walk towards the door, beckoning to his fellow guard outside. "Fetch Jaime."
Soon, Jaime Lannister, tall, handsome, with flowing golden hair, arrived outside the door in his white cloak. "You summoned me, Ser?"
Barristan nodded. "Yes. Go and ask the Queen to bring His Majesty back to his chambers."
"Is the King drunk again?" Jaime was clearly no stranger to such occurrences. "I can't guarantee the Queen will come."
Barristan replied, "Just go. I'll wait here for your report."
Jaime bowed slightly in acknowledgement, then straightened his posture and, with a stride, headed towards the Queen's chambers.
When Jaime arrived, the Queen was sitting listlessly by the window in her chambers. Perhaps she had just finished receiving the noblewomen of the Red Keep. She was in full regalia, and her beautiful appearance made Jaime's eyes light up.
The Name Day of the Crown Prince's tournament was about to begin, and many nobles had already arrived in King's Landing. The King was busy with state affairs and had to go out to personally deal with the problem of the overabundance of wild animals. Naturally, the task of receiving the nobles on behalf of the royal family fell to the Queen.
The current Queen of The Seven Kingdoms was Cersei Lannister, Jaime's twin sister. She had the Lannister family's typical golden curly hair and emerald green eyes, fair skin, a slender figure, and a well-defined physique. Although the experience of giving birth to three children had left its mark on her, she could still be considered one of the most beautiful women in The Seven Kingdoms.
Jaime Lannister was the Queen's twin brother and could face her almost without any obstruction.
The Queen picked up her wine glass. The handmaiden serving her naturally refilled it. The Queen raised her glass and looked at her twin brother, her red lips slightly parted, "You're just in time, come, have a drink with me."
Jaime's thoughts couldn't help but fluctuate slightly, but he didn't forget the current occasion. He stopped and stood still, his posture quite serious, "Ser Barristan asked me to ask you to bring the King back to his chambers."
"Heh." Queen Cersei sneered, "The King won't come himself, and I have to go get him?"
Jaime replied, "The King is drunk."
The Queen answered arrogantly, "Let him come himself." Saying this, she snorted coldly, "If I have to say it, the King would rather pretend to be drunk and lie on the ground than climb into my bed."
The Queen's words hung in the air, and the handmaidens attending the bedchamber all lowered their heads. Fortunately, the considerate Ser Jaime came to their rescue, clearing his throat, "You may all leave. Disregard what the Queen just said."
The handmaidens, as if granted a pardon, quickly departed the bedchamber.
The Queen rose with a smile, her slender, white fingers delicately holding her wine cup. She leaned in close to her twin brother, bringing the cup and her hand to his mouth.
"Drink," the Queen commanded.
Jaime had always obeyed his Queen sister.
After finishing the wine from her cup, he said, "The King is waiting for my report."
"Of course." The Queen's fingers brushed his cheek, her delicate fingertips wiping away the wine stain from his lips. "The Queen is also waiting for your report."
Jaime's breathing quickened. It took him several breaths to calm the turbulent emotions that had been stirred within him. He then quickly exited the Queen's bedchamber.
He was in a hurry to report back.
....
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