[Chapter Size: 1200 Words.]
---------------------------------------
Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
Even before Stannis attacked, King's Landing was already in chaos.
Aside from Joffrey, who cared nothing for politics, and Theon, who was obsessed with Myrcella, Tyrion and Cersei were already at each other's throats.
Tyrion controlled the garrison of King's Landing, while Cersei gave her support to the High Sparrow.
With Cersei's backing, the High Sparrow's power and influence expanded rapidly.
Cersei had believed the High Sparrow would be grateful, yet she soon realized he was slipping out of her control.
Now stronger than ever, the High Sparrow commanded three thousand armed men.
Although their combat ability was limited, they were more than enough to enforce order within the city.
Tyrion also discovered that legitimizing the Faith Militant, something he had personally endorsed, had not yielded the positive results he had expected.
The followers of the Cult of the Sun had not grown much beyond their 3,300 adherents, focusing instead on spreading their beliefs and comforting refugees.
The Sparrows, however, continued to expand their strength and even began sending envoys to contact Joffrey.
Tyrion had once discussed with Theon the idea of rooting out the Sparrows entirely, but Theon refused, claiming it would only bring chaos.
What a joke! When Theon returned, he intended to bring the core members of the Cult of the Sun to establish themselves in the Riverlands.
At that point, as long as the Cult of the Sun's right to bear arms was revoked and they were transformed into a normal tax-paying sect, they could become a powerful tool of governance.
As for the ambitious High Sparrow, let him linger in King's Landing and play his slow game with the Iron Throne.
…
"Theon, what delicious food have you made today?" she asked, approaching Theon.
Theon had little fondness for Westerosi cuisine and ate nothing but bread, milk, and roasted meat.
So Theon often prepared dishes he remembered from elsewhere.
At first, Myrcella found the foreign flavors strange, but Theon soon cultivated her taste for them.
Theon himself had little to occupy his time. He usually entertained Joffrey or spent time with Myrcella.
The army trained under their own officers. A group of newly recruited soldiers drilled for an hour each day, and at last, they were no longer completely disorganized.
If there was one achievement from their training, it was this: the soldiers finally learned to tell left from right.
This was a great improvement for ancient armies, since the ability to distinguish left from right greatly enhanced formation discipline and overall coordination.
Meanwhile, Schiller was selecting elite soldiers, while three thousand men of the Infantry and three hundred Knights of the Blazing Sun were integrated into Theon's forces.
The only problem was that the two groups clashed. After all, one followed the Drowned God and the other the Sun God.
Theon had no choice but to station them separately.
Theon placed the congee with shredded meat and fried eggs on a plate. "Nothing special, as always."
Myrcella leaned in and inhaled deeply. "It smells so good. I wish I could eat this every day." Then she returned to the table and began setting the cutlery.
As Theon put away his things, a guard entered and whispered in his ear:
"Your Grace, rumors are spreading through King's Landing. They say Cersei's three children are not Robert's trueborn heirs."
Hearing this, Theon nodded calmly, his expression unchanged. He already knew. In the original drama, Stannis had spread the rumor, killing two birds with one stone: disrupting King's Landing while affirming his own rightful claim.
Theon glanced at Myrcella as she ate her porridge. Myrcella was the perfect reflection of Cersei, she possessed the beauty of both Cersei and Jaime, along with the courage and kindness expected of a princess.
Unfortunately, this matter would inevitably reach Myrcella's ears, though Theon hoped she could remain ignorant of it for as long as possible.
After motioning for the guards to leave, Theon approached her and asked, "Is it delicious?"
Myrcella swallowed, wiped her mouth, and smiled. "It's wonderful!" She handed Theon another bowl. "Eat quickly, too. It won't taste as good once it's cold!"
"Myrcella, King's Landing is in great danger," Theon said gravely. "Stannis's army has begun its march. There are countless refugees here, people of many different origins. You must not leave the Red Keep. Do you understand?"
Myrcella nodded firmly. "I understand. I won't cause trouble for you. I am your wife… your bride-to-be!"
Patting her head affectionately, Theon sat down to enjoy his breakfast. Good food should never go to waste.
…
Tyrion listened to Bronn's report, breathing heavily as he sighed again and again. Only two days earlier, he had learned that Stannis's 30,000 soldiers were marching on King's Landing, and now the rumors concerning his brother and sister were spreading like wildfire.
"Damn!" The impact on King's Landing was enormous. Though Tyrion had immediately dispatched men to investigate, the rumors had already taken root.
This was an explosive piece of gossip, and human nature thrived on scandal.
Since becoming Hand of the King, Tyrion had begun to taste the allure of power, though it came with endless burdens and political troubles.
Still, the current state of King's Landing was better than he had expected. With Theon's support, the city now had more than 8,000 defenders.
As for the High Sparrow, Tyrion knew him well enough to judge his character. The zealot would never send his men to help defend the city. So long as Tyrion did not confront him directly, Stannis would not bother with the Sparrow even after seizing the capital.
When the city weathered this crisis, Tyrion fully intended to eliminate the High Sparrow and then drive out Theon's Cult of the Sun.
Yet even without Tyrion's intervention, Theon himself had no desire to keep the Cult in King's Landing. Its doctrine and mythology spoke of a creator-dragon, Apollo, an invention of Theon's own design.
Stannis's army had already set sail from Dragonstone and would arrive by river in less than two days. A defensive plan had to be made at once.
"Bronn, find Theon and bring him to the council chamber."
Theon, who had been telling a story to Myrcella, soon joined Tyrion in the council chamber. Tyrion was surrounded by the war manuals he had gathered in King's Landing.
"Where do you think Stannis will attack?" Tyrion asked without looking up.
"The Mud Gate," Theon answered immediately. "Once he lands, that's the weakest point in King's Landing. Everyone knows it."
Tyrion studied the map. "Stannis is a seasoned commander. He will surely strike at night, either tonight or tomorrow. We received the news far too late."
Theon pointed toward the waterfront on the map. "You're planning to burn his dung-ship with wildfire, aren't you?"
Tyrion shook his head in frustration. Stannis had 30,000 men, while they had barely over 10,000 to defend the Mud Gate, most of them untested and green.
The two of them then discussed specific tactics and finally agreed: they would use wildfire to devastate Stannis's fleet and then rely on 10,000 men to hold King's Landing. Without adequate supplies, Stannis could not maintain a long siege.
If they could only hold out until Tywin's reinforcements arrived, they might face Stannis in open battle, and win.
—————————
Author's Note:
If you're enjoying the story and wish to support me, you can visit my P-@-t-r-3-0-n, where you can read 50+ extra chapters ahead!
Thank you so much for your support. It means the world! 💙😊
P-@-T -r-3-0-n [.] com / DylanBriak