Lord Mace gestured, and a dozen servants and maids withdrew, leaving only him and Lord Greene in the garden.
"Hmm... Ser Kevan hopes House Tyrell's army will help Tommen Baratheon retake Storms End."
Lord Greene said with some surprise, "Prince Tommen?"
After a pause, he asked again, "Lord Mace, Storms End is one of the strongest castles in the Seven Kingdoms, and the cost of breaking it is inestimable. I imagine Lannister also knows that among the Seven Kingdoms, only you are most confident in breaking it, so... what is their reward to you?"
Lord Mace's expression was rich; first, he looked proud and gratified, then immediately turned angry: "Heh, less than 8 years. Before Tommen comes of age, the Lord of Storms End can be appointed by someone recommended by House Tyrell. This is Lannister's reward."
After a pause, he couldn't help but add, fuming, "What a laughable reward!"
Lord Greene smiled faintly and said, "Perhaps Lannister's goal isn't Storms End. Lord Mace, your daughter will soon become the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. I think their true aim is to control the power of the Red Keep."
Lord Greene's reminder made Lord Mace pause in his beard-stroking. He seemed to have thought of something, but upon closer inspection, he... couldn't figure it out.
After a moment, Lord Mace's eyes shifted slightly, and he continued stroking his beard, saying, "Lord Greene, what have you thought of? Let me hear it. Perhaps you and I have arrived at the same answer."
Regarding Lord Mace's "test"... Lord Greene merely nodded slightly before speaking: "What I first thought of was Hand of the King Tywin. King Joffrey is not yet of age, and the Queen Regent is his daughter. Although he is Hand of the King, he is effectively the Regent, holding the power of the King of the Seven Kingdoms."
"King Joffrey will soon marry Lady Margaery, and the Seven Kingdoms will welcome a Queen. A sixteen-year-old Queen, plus behind her... House Tyrell, the only house in the Seven Kingdoms unafraid of Lannister, the power of the 'Regent' will certainly be greatly affected. This is not a situation Lannister wishes to see."
Lord Mace frowned, nodding his chin, and said, "A good analysis, quite similar to my own thoughts."
After pondering for a moment, he added, "What do you think Lannister wants to do? Storms End... they want to lure me away?"
Lord Greene spread his hands: "Clearly, the Duke of Highgarden has made Hand of the King Tywin feel threatened. Therefore, his true purpose is to move you away from King's Landing, leaving Lady Margaery isolated and without help here. Only in this way... can Hand of the King Tywin continue to hold the King's power."
Lord Greene sincerely analyzed Lannister's hidden intentions for Lord Mace. He merely overlooked one hidden variable in the power struggle between Tyrell and Lannister—Joffrey. Well, he couldn't guess what kind of "surprise" Joffrey would suddenly deliver. As things stood, Lord Greene's task was to wait quietly.
After hearing Lord Greene's words, Lord Mace felt as if a mist covering his eyes had suddenly cleared. He declared, "Cunning Lannister, they truly are cunning."
He had anger on his face, but inwardly he was hesitating. Yes, he understood Lannister's goal: they wanted to use Storms End to exchange for the Lord of House Tyrell leaving the Red Keep. What he was hesitating about was... whether to continue staying in the Red Keep, or to seize this good opportunity to take Storms End, which he had always yearned for, into his own hands.
Which one should he choose? Lord Mace rose from his chair and paced back and forth.
After a while, Lord Mace suddenly stopped. He had an idea; he could ask—Lady Olenna.
With a decision made, Lord Mace immediately swept away the hesitation on his face. After sitting down, he said, "Lord Greene, I invited you here for the Small Council meeting three days from now."
Lord Greene asked doubtfully, "Small Council meeting?"
Seeing Lord Greene's reaction, Lord Mace paused slightly and murmured, "Cunning Lannister..."
Then he explained, "The Small Council meeting three days from now was specially convened by Hand of the King Tywin. Besides the already appointed Master of Coin, he also invited you and me to attend. It seems that cunning Lannister didn't inform you of this news. I wonder what tricks they are playing now."
Lord Greene frowned and said, "Could it be... that the main topic of this Small Council meeting is a marriage alliance?"
As he finished speaking, Lord Mace blurted out, "Cersei Lannister?"
Lord Greene nodded gravely: "The Red Keep has no secrets. Sometimes, arrangements that seem ordinary are precisely what make people lower their guard. According to the laws of the realm, Queen Cersei can only accept the decision of the Small Council."
Lord Mace furrowed his brow and said, "They are father and daughter, after all, a family. Why..."
He paused, then said with some disbelief, "Does Cersei Lannister not want to marry?"
Seeing Lord Greene hesitate, Lord Mace leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, "Lord Greene, I guessed correctly, didn't I?"
Lord Greene's silence was tantamount to acknowledging Lord Mace's guess.
After a pause, Lord Mace murmured again and again, "Cunning Lannister..."
The nobles of the Seven Kingdoms, especially those with long-standing lineages, their words and actions in front of outsiders... if one is not involved, on the surface, all nobles appear to be a loving family, let alone Lannister.
The intimacy and trust among blood relatives concern the honor of a house, and Lord Mace was considered a model among the ducal ranks. Therefore, he sighed at Hand of the King Tywin's actions; as a father, a patriarch... he would actually use the Small Council to "ambush" his own daughter. Besides sighing, Lord Mace suddenly thought of many things, such as... the task Lady Olenna had given him (Chapter 269).
He had a feeling that the marriage between Willas and Cersei seemed... unlikely.
If he were to cooperate with Hand of the King Tywin to force Cersei... Lord Mace deeply felt... no King could tolerate others "insulting" his mother.
Joffrey would be able to rule in a few years. If he knew about this, would his hatred transfer to Margaery, who would be by his side?
Without the King's support, would a Queen still be a Queen?
At this thought, Lord Mace's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Could this also be Lannister's conspiracy?!
They want to use Joffrey's hatred to sideline Margaery? Lord Mace felt he had seen through Lannister's dark scheme!
They harmed his son, and they still dare to harm his daughter? My poor Margaery!
Lord Mace slowly inhaled, his large hands trembling slightly. At this moment, if Hand of the King Tywin appeared before him, he would definitely choose to duel the Old Lion!
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"