Cersei Lannister leaned back in her chair, her hands resting on the armrests, and said coolly, "Varys, what answer do you want from me?"
Cersei's counter-question made Varys pause for a moment.
Glancing at Jon Arryn, Varys said no more.
Queen Cersei scoffed Whispering Fort, lifting her smooth chin.
Renly Baratheon looked amusedly at the discomfited Varys and said, "Princess Cersei, it seems you have a better idea? We are willing to learn from you with an open mind."
Cersei glanced at Renly, secretly rolled her eyes, and said coldly, "Let Duke Mace temporarily serve as the Prime Minister's advisor. He can also share some of the Prime Minister's duties in advance. You can discuss and decide on the rest yourselves."
By this point, Renly also sensed something was off. Today's Cersei was very different from the image he had of her.
Renly's eyes moved, looking at Prime Minister Jon.
Seeing that Renly had finally noticed the problem, Prime Minister Jon was inwardly relieved and subtly nodded.
Lannister had allied with House Tyrell; they were planning a coup!
Renly reined in some of his smile and said to Cersei, "Queen Cersei, this is not a good idea. Duke Jon is still the Prime Minister of the Kingdom."
Cersei looked at Renly with disdain: "Duke Renly, if the Prime Minister could fulfill his duties normally, would your Queen need to appear at the Small Council?"
Renly opened his mouth, paused, and then replied, "Duke Jon's health is gradually improving."
Cersei responded coldly, "You yourself admitted it, Duke Arryn's health is worrying!"
Renly spread his hands, forcing a smile.
No wonder My King Robert doesn't like Cersei. With this overbearing attitude, I wouldn't like her either.
Today, Cersei was not only being unreasonable but also had valid points, making it difficult for them to refute her.
Renly, like Prime Minister Jon, felt that Tywin Lannister was behind today's events, and that the Old Lion had orchestrated everything in secret.
Seeing that Prime Minister Jon's health was problematic, the Lion was ready to pounce.
Renly secretly warned himself that Lannister had never given up their ambition to control the Red Keep, and he must not let his guard down.
Petyr Baelish, seeing Renly silent, curled his lips and said hoarsely, "Your Grace, the Queen..."
Cersei directly interrupted Petyr, who had just opened his mouth: "Enough! You're all speaking one after another. Are you planning to team up against your Queen?"
Why didn't Cersei like Petyr?
It wasn't because Petyr's birth was not noble enough. In Cersei's eyes, the current Petyr was Jon's lackey, so she couldn't be bothered to listen to his nonsense!
Petyr's mouth twitched. He shrugged helplessly and closed his mouth with a bitter expression.
Everyone was about to rise and apologize out of helplessness when Prime Minister Jon raised his hand to stop them.
Prime Minister Jon gazed at Queen Cersei, who was still fuming, and said, "Queen Cersei, the Small Council is meant for open discussion and expressing different opinions. The Master of Coin would never intentionally offend the Queen of the Kingdom."
Cersei's expression softened slightly: "Hmph, that's for the best!"
As Cersei's words fell, Prime Minister Jon's eye twitched.
Pycelle glanced at Prime Minister Jon's slightly darkened face and said, "Your Grace, please rest assured, Duke Jon will certainly take your suggestions seriously."
Prime Minister Jon, seeing Queen Cersei staring at him, stiffly nodded.
"My Lords, that's enough for today. I hope you can act quickly and not affect the King's carousing."
With that, Cersei rose from her seat, and everyone else rose as well, bowing to Queen Cersei.
Queen Cersei slightly raised her chin, her beautiful eyes sweeping over everyone, then nodded and turned to leave the Throne Room.
After Cersei left, everyone sat back down in their chairs.
Petyr spread his hands and curled his lips: "My Lords, I dare not face the Lioness's roar again!"
Everyone chuckled softly, and the tense atmosphere in the Throne Room immediately eased due to Petyr's half-joking remarks.
Petyr was subtly sending a signal on behalf of Prime Minister Jon.
Even without Petyr's hint, everyone knew it was a political understanding: future Small Council meetings would refuse Lannister's intervention.
Cersei's sudden appearance had only caught them off guard, temporarily putting Prime Minister Jon and his faction in a passive position, but the key in the game of thrones is not about temporary victory or defeat.
In the game of thrones, one must have enough patience, and the Master of Coin and other Small Council members are certainly not lacking in patience.
The game of thrones has only just begun.
Red Keep, Maegor's Holdfast.
Cersei, having changed into a sheer, slit robe, sipped her summer red with a pleased expression.
Her overwhelming victory in the Small Council filled her with satisfaction. She loved this feeling, a sensation that now surpassed the pleasures of the bedchamber.
In the days before Green left King's Landing, he had, as if telling stories, recounted various situations Cersei might encounter during Small Council meetings.
Green's tongue remained sweet, and Cersei had listened with great interest during those days.
Green's brilliance lay in his linguistic skill, making Cersei feel as though she had grasped things on her own, rather than being taught by him.
I, Cersei, the dignified Lannister Lioness, never need anyone to tell her how to do things!
From today's outcome, Cersei had already won a victory in the Small Council.
According to the rules of the game of thrones, today was not the end; Cersei had only achieved a temporary victory.
But would Cersei worry about what came next? The answer was no.
From Cersei's perspective, there are only winners and losers in power struggles. Since she had already won, the Master of Coin and others on the Small Council had to comply.
If the losers dared to play tricks, that would be a declaration of war against her.
The Lioness's roar would make them personally experience how severe the consequences of daring to offend her were!
Cersei's beautiful eyes gazed out the window, and she took another sip of summer red, curling her lips.
That time, it was just a whim of hers, and she hadn't expected to gain such a useful steward.
Cersei held her cup, swirling it a few times... Was Green's loyalty reliable?
The more value Green demonstrated, the more Cersei would doubt his loyalty to her.
Cersei's desire for control was very strong. Although Green's performance had always satisfied her, she always felt something was missing.
It was this little bit that only Cersei herself could... confirm and supplement.
Draining the remaining wine in her cup, Cersei's face showed unconcealed triumph, and she sighed inwardly... The Old Lion's greatest regret was not having a true heir. I could have been the ideal heir, but unfortunately, I was born without * *.
After a moment of emotion, Cersei's eyes flickered.
She had played the dutiful daughter, the blushing and shy bride, and the obedient and submissive wife.
She endured Robert's drunken fumbling and Jaime's volcanic jealousy.
Cersei believed that he who laughs last laughs best. She had always promised herself that she would claim the entire Seven Kingdoms as her compensation.
Now, the awaited day was near, and the person she most loathed would soon turn to ashes.
Narrow Sea, with surging waves.
Two pirate ships approached Green's vessel from the left and right sides.
Both sides' sailors had orders for boarding combat. As they drew closer, they desperately flung thick ropes with iron hooks at each other, and for a moment, ropes flew everywhere.
Green stood steadily on the high ground, awaiting the start of the boarding battle.
Reik Snow roared, "Prepare for battle!"
"Yes! Prepare for battle!"
"Battle! Battle! Battle!"
Everyone responded, faithfully executing the captain's orders.
The wind and waves were still very strong; one could easily be thrown overboard if not careful. No one tried to use the ropes to jump across; they were all silently waiting for the ships to collide.
Bang!!!
The surging wind and waves intensified the force of the ships colliding, causing the people on board to instantly sway and lurch back and forth.
Many were directly thrown into the churning waves, beyond rescue.
Bang!!!
Soon after, the vessel collided with another pirate ship.
Everyone tightly gripped the ropes that could stabilize them.
Reik roared, "Draw swords!!"
Reik held a small round shield in one hand and a short sword in the other, pushing through the crowd to stand at the very front.
The pirates were not faring much better; many were secretly cursing their captains, wondering if they had gone mad.
They couldn't understand the pirate captains' rage at being provoked by their "prey."
Green was also somewhat surprised by the pirates' madness. He had just thought that the vessel beneath his feet was about to break apart.
Green reflected that the precise maneuvering of the ship should still be handed over to the captain.
At least today was not a suitable day for a boarding battle.
The pirates shrieked, raising their weapons and attacking from both sides. Immediately, both parties were plunged into a bloody, chaotic melee.
Although the narrow space on the ship made it difficult to leverage numerical superiority, the pirates' attacks from both sides put them at a disadvantage from the start.
Green drew his bow and nocked an arrow, beginning to lock onto targets.
Whoosh!
Every time Green shot an arrow, Matier Baker, standing nearby, could hear a chilling whoosh.
Whichever pirate was shouting the loudest, that one was Green's target.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Green reaped one life after another. Every arrow he shot precisely took down a pirate.
His powerful physical condition allowed Green to empty a quiver in a short amount of time.
Green extended his hand, and Martial, whose body was covered in quivers, immediately handed him a new one.
Reik, relying on years of naval combat experience, steadily wielded the short sword in his hand on the constantly rocking deck.
Reik had just killed his third pirate when he attracted the attention of the pirates, who rushed towards him.
Reik gripped his small round shield, thinking to himself... This was a battle that could have been completely avoided.
This was a battle he couldn't afford to lose, because his lord was on board.
The madness of these pirates exceeded Reik's expectations. His biggest regret now was not having advised Earl Green.
He, who was usually so steady, didn't know what had gotten into him today, suddenly feeling a rush of adrenaline.
Now... even if he regretted it, it was no use!
Since it had come to this, there was only one option: fight for honor, never surrender!
Reik was brimming with fighting spirit and was about to charge forward when he suddenly stopped.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Before the pirates could get close to Reik, they fell one by one onto the deck, some even pinned to the mast by arrows.
Reik's pupils contracted slightly, and he looked back in disbelief at the direction from which the arrows had come.
At this moment, Green took another quiver handed to him by Martial.
Drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, with a whoosh, a sound of rushing air, Green's reaping began once more.
Reik couldn't help but roar, "Long live the Lord!"
"Long live the the mermaid!"
"For Kleber!"
"Long live Whispering Fort!"
With Green's "sweeping" support, the sailors' morale soared.
Pentos, Governor Illyrio's mansion.
Though Governor Illyrio was corpulent and obese, his steps were surprisingly light and graceful.
With each step, Illyrio's abundant flesh swayed continuously beneath his loose, fiery red silk robes.
Viserys Targaryen, leaning against a long couch, glanced at Illyrio and said, "My future Master of Coin, Governor Illyrio, do you have good news?"
Viserys already knew that Illyrio was contacting the Dothraki Khalasar in the Narrow Sea.
But the speed of progress made him very dissatisfied. Viserys wished he could lead an army back to Westeros tomorrow to reclaim his Iron Throne.
Illyrio seemed not to notice the dissatisfaction on Viserys's face, and said respectfully, "Greetings, My King. May you receive the blessing of the Lord of Light."
Viserys pursed his lips and said, "Illyrio, I don't need blessings. I need an army large enough to reclaim the Iron Throne."
"My King, you will soon receive good news. The wedding gift will include ten thousand horsemen."
"Oh?" Viserys sat up straight and eagerly asked, "How much longer?"
Illyrio respectfully said, "My King, the Dothraki have their own customs. You need a little patience. For the Iron Throne, it is worth it."
Viserys was already smiling broadly: "Of course, I will naturally have patience."
Illyrio nodded in praise: "You are a born king."
Viserys's excitement didn't last long, and he then anxiously instructed, "Illyrio, but don't make me wait too long!"
Illyrio's smile froze for a moment. The arrogant Viserys, naturally, did not notice.
"My King, please trust my loyalty. I am also very anxious. You only have one princess, and I must negotiate well with the Dothraki to be at ease."
Viserys suddenly blurted out, "Daenerys is really too thin. Are you sure they like such small women?"
"Princess Daenerys possesses the ancient Valyria bloodline, and she comes from a distinguished background, being both the old king's daughter and the new king's sister. Now, with your careful adornment, she truly has a royal demeanor."
Illyrio revealed a mouthful of yellow teeth and continued, "You can certainly exchange her for ten thousand Dothraki screaming warriors."
Viserys temporarily put aside his many doubts at Illyrio's words.
Illyrio then said, "Then what do you want from me? I am only concerned with my army now."
"I just received intelligence from King's Landing. The usurper Robert has appointed another person to be responsible for hunting down the Targaryen."
Viserys sprang to his feet, his eyes wide with panic, his voice trembling slightly: "These usurpers, I will personally execute them sooner or later!"
Illyrio bowed his head slightly: "My King, it is absolutely safe here. They are deluding themselves."
Viserys seemed to realize his Gaffe, smoothed his hair, and said gloomily, "Illyrio, I trust you. I don't want the pursuers to appear before me. I want you to throw them all into the sea."
Illyrio maintained his smile and said, "My King, if you knew who this person in charge is, perhaps the usurper's foolishness would make you feel joyful."
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