"I will personally command the siege from the front lines the day after tomorrow." Back at the Westerlands camp, Tywin said firmly, looking at the black banner with the white direwolf not far away.
Kevan, who was changing his armor with Tywin's squires, subconsciously wanted to nod upon hearing Tywin's decision.
Because Tywin's tone was one of finality.
Kevan had always admired Tywin; whatever Tywin decided, he executed.
And every time, it was correct.
From childhood to adulthood, it had always been so.
But this time, he didn't give Tywin an affirmative answer as usual.
"Brother." Kevan waved away the squire removing his armor. "Let me lead the next siege."
"Hmm?" Seeing his brother actually contradicting him, Tywin turned to look at him, a questioning growl in his throat.
Kevan dug his nails into his palms, forcing himself to calm down. Since he was old enough to understand, he had liked following Tywin.
Tywin was not just an elder brother but also a father figure.
Of course, a father in the sense of life guidance.
Kevan, like Tywin, looked down on their weak father.
He had never opposed Tywin; obedience to Tywin was etched into his marrow.
Now over fifty, having listened to Tywin all his life, suddenly raising an objection made Kevan feel his whole body rebelling against his own decision.
"Big brother." Kevan used the address from their youth, showing he wasn't opposing him. "You are more important than me. The Westerlands cannot do without you. Let me go."
Tywin, who had only turned his head, now turned his entire body toward Kevan. Kevan felt the pressure intensify.
"Do you know the situation? Do you know what House Lannister faces? If we fail to take King's Landing, what will happen to the Westerlands? To Casterly Rock? To House Lannister? Have you thought about it?!"
A series of pressing questions almost collapsed Kevan's psychological defense, but he gritted his teeth and shouted:
"I know! Of course I know! I know very well! That's why nothing can happen to you, that's why I must take your place!" Kevan's reaction surprised and shocked Tywin.
"Didn't you choose to abandon reinforcing the Westerlands and rush to aid King's Landing because only saving King's Landing could save the Westerlands and Casterly Rock?
"But now King's Landing is occupied. Our ally, the Tyrells—have they ever truly won a single victory?
"We Lannisters won Casterly Rock through cunning; Highgarden was a gift from the Dragon Kings!"
Kevan's tone was agitated, his chest heaving.
"I know, the next siege, we can only win, not lose. You would go to the most dangerous place too. But what if? What if we lose? Brother, only you are the last reliance of the Westerlands! Ultimately, we do this for the Westerlands. Let me go." Kevan took a few steps toward Tywin. "I beg you."
Kevan dared not look into Tywin's eyes; tears blurred his vision.
Tywin looked at this brother, who was like his own arm, for a long time.
They had been brothers since the womb, brothers for a full fifty years!
Finally, Tywin patted Kevan's shoulder and said:
"I will gather all the knights to protect you. You must be careful. You must survive. We will return to the Westerlands together!"
Seeing Tywin agree, Kevan felt like he was back fifty years ago.
He had fallen, and Tywin pulled him up, turning his tears into laughter.
"Mm!"
---
"My Lord, you want to personally attack the Red Keep? This... how can this be!" Martyn objected urgently.
"Jon, we know you want to avenge Lord Eddard and save Sansa, but you are very important now. You are the commander of us all. You cannot easily trust that Varys!" Beric also disagreed with Jon's decision.
"Leave this to me!" Harrion said. "I will definitely save Lady Sansa and chop off Joffrey's head!"
Sora didn't speak but also didn't want Jon to take the risk.
Although she had only seen the Red Keep from afar, she disliked it. She didn't think it was beautiful; instead, it looked like a terrifying cave.
Jon agreed with this; after all, the number of people who died in caves was far less than those who died in the Red Keep.
"Although I will personally attack the Red Keep, I will disguise myself. Martyn, you will wear my armor and defend the city in my place."
The Red Keep was simply too important; he had to go himself.
This wasn't an ordinary castle where capturing it was the end.
Capturing it was only the first step. Jon's goal was to make Cersei confess!
Only by bringing her into the city, putting her on trial, and thoroughly establishing the identity of Joffrey and the other two children as bastards born of incest could he dismantle the Lion-Rose Alliance.
This required capturing Cersei alive.
Although killing her and Joffrey directly was an option, if conditions allowed, it was better to make this case ironclad.
Most importantly, if he could take the Red Keep, apart from Joffrey, Jon didn't want Cersei and her remaining two children to die by his hand.
Ideally, he would dump this trouble onto Stannis and let him figure it out.
Seeing Jon insist, everyone could only pray for everything to go smoothly.
Then, Jon ordered again: "Lord Beric, Ser Thoros, I have intelligence that the Tyrell army's siege equipment and arrows seem to be gathering toward Tywin's army. Tywin's attack direction is very likely the Lion Gate. Set up wildfire traps on the inner side of the wall near the Lion Gate. Let them in then. If we can burn that old guy to death, great. Even if not, we can quickly fill the wall breach from both sides and trap them like dogs!"
Beric and Thoros looked at each other, then nodded.
In Jon's view, from Varys's perspective, he should be defending against Tywin, not attacking the Red Keep. This further increased the deception.
Finally, Jon stood up and said to everyone: "Gentlemen, the coming battle will decide the fate of us all. Not just us, but the fate of the Seven Kingdoms.
"My father's death plunged the Seven Kingdoms into turmoil. Ambitious men who shouldn't be kings declared themselves kings. This is a betrayal of my father and King Robert! With the swords in our hands, we must bring this chaotic kingdom back on track!"
Clang— Jon drew his sword and pointed it at the map of the Red Keep before him.
"Bring the chaotic kingdom back on track!" Jon's declaration suited the tastes of Beric, Thoros, and Martyn perfectly.
Deeply influenced by the culture of the Seven, this sentence hit their strike zone directly.
Thinking of the great cause they were about to undertake, everyone felt their blood boiling.
"Bring the chaotic kingdom back on track!"
Saying this, the others drew their swords one by one, touching tips with Jon's sword.
After the initial Battle of the Blackwater with Stannis, followed by Jon seizing King's Landing, and then the attack of the Lion-Rose Alliance—in less than five days, this capital had experienced three major battles.
The number of people who died in these few days exceeded the total of the past decade.
And now, a moment of tranquility was finally obtained, but it was the calm before the final storm.
Not only did the enemies and allies inside and outside the walls understand this, but the commoners of King's Landing understood it too.