Lynd barely needed any more information to confirm that the pirate mentioned in the intelligence was Euron.
Lynd then checked the date of the intelligence report and found that it was seven days old. If the time it took for those merchants to arrive at Na Sa Star was included, then they had seen Euron in Qarth approximately a month ago.
"Why wasn't such important intelligence sent to Summerhall?" Lynd asked Nymeria after putting down the report.
Nymeria explained, "It was just a few merchants talking about a pirate, and it was so far from Qarth. I didn't think it was important at the time."
Lynd didn't blame her, because if it came down to it, it was his fault. When establishing the intelligence system for Lorn, Lynd had consciously separated the intelligence systems of Summerhall and Lorn, ensuring they did not interfere with each other or belong to each other.
The purpose of doing this was for mutual supervision, and the information collected from different perspectives often complemented each other.
However, its drawbacks were also very obvious: each had different priorities for intelligence gathering, and there were significant differences in their understanding of important intelligence. Just like now, this piece of intelligence was very important in Lynd's eyes, but very ordinary in Nymeria's eyes.
Although the drawbacks of the two independent intelligence systems had become apparent, Lynd did not intend to merge them. He decided to maintain the status quo and let them operate independently.
"Is Euron's sacrifice really that terrifying?" Nymeria asked with a hint of doubt.
"I don't know either, but I know Willas is definitely not one to exaggerate, and Willas's current position means he sees far more than we do," Lynd said to Nymeria very seriously. "The Long Night will surely come, and Eternal Winter will also arrive. We should prepare early!" He paused, then added, "If necessary, migrate south."
"Migrate south?" Nymeria was stunned and asked, "Are you referring to Sothoryos?"
"Yes," Lynd nodded.
"Does it really need to come to this?" Nymeria questioned.
Lynd sighed and said, "Better safe than sorry!"
Lynd did not explain in detail, because he couldn't clarify it in a short time. He vaguely felt that the Long Night and Eternal Winter were not just due to magic, but possibly related to planetary movement. Perhaps only scholars proficient in astronomy could find a hint of an answer.
If it really was related to planetary movement, no matter how strong the Wall was, it would be impossible to stop the cold of Eternal Winter from moving south. In that case, let alone Westeros, even Essos might not be spared. Migrating south to Sothoryos would then become inevitable.
Therefore, Lynd already had a plan in his mind to send people to explore Sothoryos, and he also advised Nymeria to collect all intelligence related to Sothoryos as much as possible, for future contingencies.
"If a great migration is truly necessary, then the rear must be stable, and all supplies must be controlled," Nymeria also said very seriously. "I think it's necessary to unite the entire Western Essos. You should go and meet the Mother of Dragons."
"Daenerys?" Lynd frowned and said, "Is it necessary?"
Nymeria said with admiration, "She is formidable now. Qarth has been occupied by her, and she has also recovered the city-states around Qarth and more than a dozen Dothraki khalasars. Even without her three dragons, she has over fifty thousand warriors under her command. I hear she has also sent people to Slaver's Bay to buy a large number of Unsullied and other slaves. All the Unsullied and slaves in Slaver's Bay have been sold out to her."
"Does she have that much money?" Lynd questioned.
Nymeria also said with a hint of envy, "She doesn't, but the Thirteen of Qarth and the Warlocks of the House of the Undying do. After she occupied Qarth, she executed all the Thirteen, burned down the House of the Undying and the Warlocks inside, and confiscated all their property. That was the immense wealth accumulated by Qarth over thousands of years."
Hearing this, Lynd was also very surprised, feeling that even with his own variable appearance, Daenerys was still this world's destined child. The wealth he had painstakingly managed for over a decade couldn't compare to Daenerys's gains in a single month.
It must be said that at this moment, Daenerys had the air of a nouveau riche, buying everything everywhere.
Lynd suddenly thought of something and said, "That batch of weapons you ordered some time ago, surely it wasn't to sell to Daenerys, was it?"
Nymeria nodded and said, "Kohor received Daenerys's weapon order, but with Kohor's current weapon and equipment production, it's difficult to complete this order within the specified time, which is why your side was asked to help complete a portion."
"Only a portion?" Lynd was also slightly surprised after hearing this, because he remembered that the quantity of that order was the largest in recent years. It was no exaggeration to say that it would be more than enough to re-equip all the armies currently fighting in the Westerlands, the Vale, the Riverlands, and the North.
Lynd suddenly thought of a possibility and said, "Is she preparing to move against Slaver's Bay?"
"You think so too," Nymeria also nodded and said, "When I received the order, I thought the same. It seems the Mother of Dragons has great ambition. Isn't this perfect? We also need such ambitious collaborators."
Lynd frowned and questioned, "Have you considered who will rule a unified Western Essos?"
"Who else but you, of course!" Nymeria pointed at Lynd with excitement.
"Me?" Lynd was stunned, momentarily unsure what to say. He felt that Nymeria was a little off. She seemed very enthusiastic about uniting Western Essos now, and it didn't seem like a temporary idea born from his mention of Eternal Winter and the Long Night, but rather a long-planned scheme.
Lynd did not immediately give Nymeria an answer, only stating that he was tired from flying from Summerhall and needed to freshen up, temporarily sidestepping the matter.
While freshening up, he asked the servant attending him if any new confidants had joined Nymeria. The servant quickly rattled off some names, and among them, Lynd heard two familiar names: Ellaria, the Red Viper's paramour, and Mrs. Melario of Norvos, Doran Martell's wife.
These two women were not ordinary. Their political wisdom surpassed that of most people in Westeros. Their choice to serve Nymeria in Na Sa Star was clearly Doran Martell's arrangement.
Ellaria was one thing; although she was the Red Viper's beloved woman, her personality was completely different from the Red Viper's, being a pacifist. She should not have incited Nymeria to cooperate with Daenerys to unite Western Essos. Therefore, Nymeria's ambition could only be due to Mrs. Melario.
Lynd remembered Nymeria mentioning that when her mother had just passed away, Mrs. Melario had taken care of her for a period and helped her deal with some people who coveted Tumbleton, which allowed her to gain control of Tumbleton later. Thus, she had a special affection for Mrs. Melario, and being influenced by Mrs. Melario was understandable.
Lynd disliked the feeling of being manipulated, even if the other party's actions were well-intentioned. So, he decided to meet Ellaria and Mrs. Melario before leaving.
Just as Lynd instructed the palace servants to summon Ellaria and Mrs. Melario for a meeting, in a garden villa on the East Bank of Na Sa Star, Ellaria hurried across a patch of grass and came to a tree. Looking at Mrs. Melario, who was sitting under the tree with her eyes closed, meditating, she anxiously said, "Linde Terra has come. Does he know about the suggestions you gave Nymeria? Does he want to…"
"Don't panic. If he really wanted to punish us, then we should have been arrested by now."
Like other women from Norvos, Mrs. Melario had shaved her head, but she didn't wear a wig. Instead, her bare scalp was adorned with exquisite patterns, giving her a unique charm.
Compared to Ellaria's panic, Mrs. Melario appeared very composed. She picked up the wine pot, poured a glass of wine, and handed it to Ellaria, saying, "And don't forget, all the suggestions we gave were beneficial to Nymeria, without any malice."
"It's not a question of malice or not," Ellaria took the wine glass, took a sip, and stabilized her emotions. She said, "Oberyn once said that Linde Terra, like Doran Martell, is someone who loves to make plans and follow his own plan step by step. Such people have a common view: they strongly dislike others disrupting their plans. Our actions may have already disrupted his original plan, and even if it's well-intentioned and beneficial to Nymeria, he won't appreciate it."
"Hmph, another Doran!" Mrs. Melario still seemed to harbor resentment towards Doran Martell, even hearing his name still made her feel uneasy.
Mrs. Melario raised her wine glass and drank it in one gulp, calmly saying, "Thinking so much now is useless. If Linde Terra really wants to punish us, we can't escape. Let's enjoy the wine while waiting for his summons, and then show him our good intentions!"
Seeing that her companion also had no good ideas, Ellaria could only sigh, inwardly blaming herself for being so inexplicably swayed by Mrs. Melario's words and staying with her in Na Sa Star. She should have just informed Mrs. Melario of Doran Martell's decision and then returned to Dorne.
As the two were drinking in silence, a servant hurried over, informing them that someone from the Queen's Palace had come to invite them to the palace to discuss matters.
Hearing this, the two looked at each other and sighed in unison. They each returned to their rooms to change clothes and then hurried towards the palace.
The two soon arrived at the palace and were then led by a servant to the study in the back garden, unlike in the past when they were taken to the Hall of Affairs. Noticing this small detail, the two couldn't help but exchange glances.
"Lady Ellaria, long time no see!" After arriving at the study, the two saw Lynd, who had changed into casual clothes. Lynd did not show any negative emotions. After greeting Ellaria, he turned to look at Mrs. Melario, who had a strong exotic charm, and said, "This must be the Princess Consort, I presume?"
"Lord Lynd, it's better to call me Mrs. Melario. Calling me Princess Consort here might cause unnecessary misunderstandings," Mrs. Melario bowed to Lynd, then made a slightly relaxed joke.
Lynd nodded, then asked the two, "May I ask if you two can tell me whether the idea of inciting Nymeria to unite Western Essos originated from Doran Martell, or was it your own idea?"
Mrs. Melario answered without hesitation, "It was us—no, more accurately, it was my idea. Ellaria just followed my arrangement."
Ellaria immediately grabbed Mrs. Melario's hand and corrected her, "No, it was our idea. Mrs. Melario alone could not have persuaded Her Majesty the Queen."
Seeing the intimate gesture displayed by the two, a strange look appeared in Lynd's eyes. He suddenly felt that Doran Martell might have been cuckolded.
"You may have misunderstood. I am indeed displeased that you incited Nymeria, but I have no intention of punishing you," Lynd said in a deep voice. "Your scheme happens to complement the shortcomings of my plan. As long as it doesn't affect the execution of my plan, I will not punish you. The main reason I called you here is to understand your specific plan and what connection it has with Dorne, so that I don't accidentally harm friendly forces."
Mrs. Melario and Ellaria looked at each other and both breathed a slight sigh of relief.
The power Lynd displayed had put immense pressure on them. Even though they each held high positions and their partners were among the most powerful nobles in Westeros, in front of Lynd, they still felt no different from ordinary people.
Ellaria was slightly better, as she had seen Lynd with the Red Viper more than once and had developed some resistance to the invisible aura of authority Lynd exuded.
But Mrs. Melario was different. She had never seen Lynd. All information about Lynd came from various rumors, and she had never directly faced Lynd. She had no resistance to the aura of authority Lynd had accumulated over the years, so she completely lost her eloquent tongue just now and could only answer honestly according to Lynd's questions.
The situation was the same now. When Lynd asked about their specific plan, Mrs. Melario was completely unable to conceal anything, and she revealed their conceived plan in full detail.
After listening, Lynd was also surprised, and after their voices faded, he said, "So, the entire reason you plotted this Western Essos unification plan was all for your daughter?"
Mrs. Melario slightly raised her head and said, "It started that way, but now I think, if men can play the game of thrones in the Seven Kingdoms, then why can't women achieve a feat of unification in Western Essos?"
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