[Chapter Size: 1300 Words.]
---------------------------------------
That day, Theon met someone unexpected while shopping with Selena.
It was Oberyn Martell, Prince of Dorne.
Theon was deeply impressed by the Dornish prince, who had once died in a lost duel. What unsettled him most was Oberyn's well-known attraction to both men and women, which made Theon instinctively want to keep his distance.
Yet Oberyn seemed to recognize him and approached directly.
"You are Theon Greyjoy?"
Realizing he couldn't simply walk away, Theon nodded.
"Yes, I am Theon. And you must be Prince Oberyn, correct?"
"I have heard of you," Oberyn replied with a smile. "They say the Riverlands quickly stabilized under your rule."
Theon burst into laughter.
"Hah! Lies, lies! I won't rest until I've slaughtered every disobedient noble."
Oberyn froze at the words. Staring at Theon's sharp-toothed grin, he instinctively stepped back.
"I hope you can bring true stability to the Riverlands soon. Farewell."
Selena could not contain her laughter at the scene.
"Do you really think it's acceptable to frighten people like that?"
Theon wrapped an arm around her waist and answered calmly,
"It doesn't matter."
Yet a cold glint flickered in his eyes. He had been gathering intelligence on nobles who held secret meetings. Once he identified them, he planned to wipe them out in one decisive move.
Looking at Selena again, his expression softened, filled with tenderness and ambiguity. He drew her close, and together they continued their shopping.
At that time, Amice led a thousand men to suppress bandits across the region. After the war, many had turned to banditry and mercenary work.
Now, these roaming soldiers had grown accustomed to looting and plundering, posing a major threat to public safety.
Theon ordered Amice to eradicate banditry in the Riverlands at all costs. The fertile plains surrounding the Riverlands were ideal for farming, how could they be left at the mercy of raiders?
…
King's Landing
A month had passed since Theon's arrival in King's Landing. There was still a month and a half until Joffrey's wedding.
One evening, Theon lay on his bed, enjoying Myrcella's gentle foot massage.
Knock, knock.
"Enter."
A guard stepped in and handed him a letter from the Iron Islands.
The moment Theon read the first line, his expression changed dramatically. Without hesitation, he burned the letter in the flame of a nearby candle until nothing remained but ash.
If not for this letter, he might have forgotten about the Red Wheat in the Iron Islands. Today, Marius's son's dog had eaten some of it.
A massive black Rottweiler had devoured a large portion. Theon had even hugged that dog before. Now, after consuming the red wheat, the beast stood nearly one and a half meters tall at the shoulder!
By the Drowned God, a Rottweiler that size?
"Seven hells! That was at least two hundred kilos of grain. How could it eat so much? Did it eat while it was shitting?"
At last, Theon understood the true effect of the Red Wheat. It greatly enhanced the potential of living creatures, but whether there were side effects, he could not yet know.
Unfortunately, it had been eaten by a dog.
The beast was already on its way and would arrive in King's Landing within a month.
Once the guards left, Myrcella continued massaging Theon's back while Selina peeled fruit for him.
…
A Month Later
Half a month remained before Joffrey's wedding.
During this time, the Riverlands had enjoyed a bountiful harvest. Thanks to Theon's policies of suppressing banditry and rebuilding, the region had quickly recovered from the devastation of war.
The grain tax was collected once a year, every December, based on each household's land holdings. It was followed by commercial and population taxes.
To build his administration, Theon recruited a large number of junior maesters to serve as the foundation of governance. When the time was right, and when his coffers were full, he planned to establish a proper system of education.
But for now, the most urgent task was to expand his military strength. After Joffrey's wedding, with the Riverlands' increased tax revenue, Theon would finally have the means to enlarge his army.
Thinking of it, Theon rubbed his hands together in delight.
Was there anything more satisfying than expanding an army?
The three greatest joys in life, he thought, were earning wealth, building infrastructure, and enlarging one's forces.
A surge of merchants had begun to appear in both the Riverlands and the Iron Islands. Even minor knights and lesser nobles had started trading directly with the common folk of their villages.
Theon did not favor agriculture at the expense of trade. His commercial taxes were not light, but as long as merchants paid honestly, he would never "kill the goose that laid the golden eggs."
Besides, he himself owned vast fertile lands and a great stock of disaster-resistant wheat. The seeds, once planted, could retain their superior qualities without degradation.
With such wheat and the Riverlands' abundant farmland, alongside stretches of once-ruined but now cultivable fields, Theon had secured food self-sufficiency.
"Your Majesty, the men from the Iron Islands have arrived."
Theon slapped the guard's helmet and scolded him.
"Did I not tell you to stop calling me 'Your Majesty'? Save it for after I've expanded my army."
The guards quickly bowed and stepped aside.
Soon after, Theon saw the Ironborn escort. They surrounded a large cage draped in black cloth.
"Your Majesty!" they greeted, bowing over their baggage.
Theon waved them down, stepped forward, and pulled the cloth away.
Inside lay a massive beast, its fur glossy black with golden-red streaks along its paws. It slept soundly within the cage.
Theon's eye twitched. He struck the bars twice with his hand.
The metallic clang woke the Rottweiler instantly. Its enormous head lifted, and in its eyes flashed a disturbingly human fury.
At first glance, it fixed directly on Theon. Something about the man seemed strangely familiar to it. But then anger surged, and the beast bared its teeth in what almost looked like a mocking smile.
Theon only grinned and ordered the cage to be moved into the courtyard.
Moments later, the sound of furious barking echoed through the yard, lasting nearly half an hour.
At last, Theon emerged holding a chain in his left hand. The dog, bloodied and bruised, followed at his side.
The Ironborn guards stared in disbelief. The creature had grown unbearably arrogant since its mutation, and it had taken all their effort just to lure it into the cage.
And yet, now it trailed after Theon with its face swollen from a beating, subdued like a whipped cur.
Theon ordered his servants to reward each man with a gold coin, then led the beast, whom he named Max, back to his chambers.
Tugging its ears, Theon spoke in a low voice:
"I know you understand me. You'll stand guard at the door, and you will not bite anyone. Do you hear?"
Max immediately licked Theon's hand in obedience.
When Theon returned to his chambers, he found Myrcella playing at the cyvasse board.
"Don't you tire of playing every single day?" he asked.
"What else is there to do?" Myrcella replied, kicking her short legs that barely reached the floor.
Selena only smiled faintly, saying nothing. To her, this life was far better than the one she had endured at the Twins.
Theon stepped forward, lifted Selena into his lap, and sat down to play in Myrcella's place.
—————————
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