He wanted to stand, but his pride was too great.
To continue sitting was clearly something he had no right to do.
"Get down from there, Tywin Lannister!"
Aerys would not tolerate it, saying crudely, "When the King is away, the Hand may sit; when the King is present, the Hand only wipes his arse."
Tywin's expression shifted instantly, his clenched fists creaking.
Shua! Shua!
Ser Barristan and Ser Gerold were the first to react, drawing their swords halfway and eyeing the Lannister soldiers beneath the iron throne.
It looked as though both sides were about to resort to violence.
At the critical moment, Varys quietly stepped out from the crowd and bowed with hands clasped: "Lord Tywin, His Majesty has arrived; let us not delay the Trial by Combat."
"Fine!"
Tywin suppressed the fury in his heart, choosing to accept the graceful exit.
This kind of blatant public humiliation was not the first time.
But he who cannot endure small slights will ruin great plans.
Sooner or later, he would seize the opportunity to exact a ruthless revenge.
"Who will tell me what has happened?"
Aerys ascended the iron throne, his eyes fixed intently on the fully armed Kevan.
Kevan's heart sank, sensing that things were about to take a turn for the worse.
Tywin and Daeron shared the same premonition.
"Ser Jon, you truly meant well but caused trouble."
Daeron remained calm on the surface, his mind working on how to settle this matter.
Before beating Jilian, he had planned to escape through a Trial by Combat, even using the opportunity to showcase his strength and spread his name throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
To go with the flow and leverage the situation for gain.
The moment the Trial by Combat was officially proposed, a terrifying plan surged through his mind.
To use the Trial by Combat to pin down the Lannisters and completely break ties with his teacher.
Ideally, he could drag Rhaegar, who was far away on Dragonstone, into the fray, inciting a war between the royal family and the Lannisters to avoid the future Harrenhal Tourney, the False Spring, the War of the Usurper... Since war was inevitable, it was better to target the Lannisters alone than to face Four Great Houses.
A desperate and foolish plan.
Daeron quickly discarded it.
The Targaryens fell in the War of the Usurper, but the critical point was the False Spring—the Harrenhal Tourney to be held next year.
Many historical trajectories could be changed; there was no need to choose one brutal war in exchange for another.
Besides, the risk of things spiraling out of control was too high.
Daeron was very young and had found a dragon egg.
Steady development was the true path.
"Your Majesty, it is like this."
Varys played his role as Master of Whisperers, recounting the sequence of events in meticulous detail.
"Hahaha."
Aerys chuckled neurotically, looking at his former friend: "Lord Tywin, is that so?"
Tywin replied stiffly: "Both sides have accepted the judgment. What is Your Majesty's wise opinion?"
"No, I have no objection."
Aerys was still smiling, but then his face suddenly darkened, and he said: "But letting Kevan face my eleven-year-old son is hardly fair. Why don't I choose a well-matched opponent for him?"
"Barristan, step forward!"
With one choice, he picked one of the strongest men in the world.
"Your Majesty." Barristan stepped out and knelt on one knee.
Aerys pointed at Kevan and growled: "You shall conduct the Trial by Combat on behalf of my son. Take his head."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present turned pale.
Kevan broke into a cold sweat and looked to his elder brother Tywin for help.
Barristan Selmy!
He had slain Maelys the Monstrous, the last of the Blackfyres, in single combat and rescued the King alone.
If the heroes in storybooks who take an enemy general's life amidst ten thousand soldiers truly existed, their name would surely be Barristan Selmy.
"You..."
Tywin was both shocked and furious.
Aerys laughed triumphantly: "What, does a Lannister who always pays his debts fear a mere member of the Kingsguard?"
Tywin's expression shifted drastically, left speechless by the retort.
The rules of a Trial by Combat allowed one to find a champion to fight in their stead, and even the Hand could not deny it.
"Brother, I..."
Seeing his brother at a loss, Kevan took a deep breath and decided to fight to defend the family's honor.
If he retreated now, both he and his family would become laughingstocks.
"Father, I have a small suggestion."
While the brothers were having their dramatic parting, Daeron walked past them toward the iron throne.
Aerys looked at his Second Son and said deeply: "What do you want to say?"
He was backing the boy up; he'd better not drop the ball at the critical moment.
Daeron was certainly not that foolish, using a more pleasing phrasing: "A mere Kevan Lannister is not worthy of Ser Barristan's intervention. Why not leave him to me?"
"And let the world know that Targaryen will always stand above Lannister."
He spoke very softly, ensuring only his father could hear.
Aerys hesitated, feigning anger on the surface: "Boy, are you trying to spare Kevan's life?"
"Is it not better to let Kevan live and serve as a stepping stone for my fame throughout the Seven Kingdoms?"
Daeron did not deny it.
"Killing him would make you just as famous."
"Infamy and glory are two different things."
Daeron placed his hand on his father's, transferring warmth and softening his tone: "If I defeat Kevan, everyone who sees him in the future will naturally remember my strength."
He knew his old father's weaknesses well; if you stroke his fur the right way, he won't hiss.
Sure enough, Aerys hesitated: "Are you certain?"
He was close in age to Kevan and had once been friends, so he knew the other's skills well.
"I have mastered Life Force," Daeron affirmed.
With things at this point, Aerys had no reason to refuse and shamelessly changed his mind: "Barristan, step back."
"Kevan, thank my son for pleading on your behalf and sparing your dog's life."
Kevan: ???
What's going on? Is the fight off?
Aerys immediately announced that the Trial by Combat would still feature Daeron himself against Kevan.
"He pleaded for me?"
Kevan looked at Daeron, who was walking toward the iron throne, unable to believe it.
On the other side, Barristan rose and withdrew, sighing helplessly.
A Kingsguard fighting would indeed escalate the conflict between the King and the Hand.
But he was no fool and had his own judgment.
With his skill, he could have easily forced Kevan to surrender without harming him.
The Trial by Combat continued.
Kevan gripped his sword with both hands, staring intently at the young man opposite him, and said deeply: "Since you pleaded for me, I will show some mercy, but the debt for Jilian will be repaid in full."
"You really can talk big."
Daeron was amused by him.
He borrowed swords from Barristan and Ser Jon, holding one in each hand—the right heavier and the left lighter—and slowly rotated them to get used to the weight.
He was a dual-wielding swordsman.
As luck would have it, while watching the show, he thought Arthur Dayne, the "sword of the morning," was incredibly strong because he dual-wielded. At eight years old, he began practicing dual-wielding on his own.
When he actually met Arthur Dayne, he suddenly realized that while the man used a two-handed sword, it was a greatsword.
The heirloom of House Dayne of Starfall.
A greatsword named "Dawn," forged from a fallen star, pale as milk glass, 1.8 meters long and as wide as a palm.
Daeron had the privilege of seeing Arthur Dayne's prowess in battle, wielding the door-sized greatsword "Dawn" with effortless grace, leaving no opponent standing within five meters.
He had been fooled!
The foundation for dual-wielding had already been laid; switching to a two-handed greatsword would be time-consuming and exhausting.
Under the reasonable persuasion of the Red Keep's master-at-arms, Daeron persisted with his dual-wielding practice.
"You aren't wearing armor?"
As the Trial by Combat began, Kevan applied pressure tentatively, using words to distract his opponent.
Daeron's steps were steady as he twirled his swords in both hands, saying: "Against you, this is enough."