The hall rang with noisy cheers, and cries of "Gendry! Gendry!" rose like arrows piercing the clouds.
Gendry sat high above them all, looking over the crowd below. Each time the High Septon moved his head, rainbow light shifted with him, for the crystal crown upon his head was far too conspicuous. A rotten, useless creature of the Seven, but uselessness happened to be exactly what Gendry needed.
Then there were the former courtiers, who now shouted louder than anyone. Yesterday, they had still been singing Joffrey's praises. Today, they were already loyal servants of the new king, cursing Joffrey as a usurper. Such was the fickleness of power. The lords all turned with the wind.
"Long live the Storm!" Jalabhar Xho, the exiled prince of the Summer Isles, wore a magnificent feathered robe, his strange and extravagant clothing making him look like some giant bird eager to take flight. Moon Boy wore a brand-new jester's motley, clean as a spring morning. Even Lady Tanda and her daughter had changed into gowns of blue-green silk and fur that suited each other beautifully, while Lord Gyles's coughing handkerchief had been replaced with a bright red silk kerchief edged in gold.
There are Varys's spies among these people. Moon Boy has probably been doing this for years, Gendry thought.
Besides his little birds, Varys also paid a high price for information, though informants bought with coin were hardly reliable. Varys was probably afraid by now, but with things loose on the outside and tight within, would he really not try to take the bait?
"By the mercy of the gods above, the late King left this will, with Great Lord Eddard and Ser Barristan as witnesses. Since the lords, knights, and High Septon have also repeatedly made this request, I shall grant your wish," Gendry said loudly, and the cheers rose in wave after wave.
Gendry descended from the throne and greeted each meritorious hero in turn, bestowing gifts upon them. This was a special honor, given to the ministers and advisors of the Small Council, Gendry's own attendants, and the lords and knights who had won merit, such as the Tyrell brothers, Robar, and the others.
Gendry gave each of them a golden stag chain, crafted by his own hand, with pendants made from gold ornaments. Those pendants were spoils taken from the old nobles of Volantis and elsewhere, seized for nothing and slightly reworked into rewards. The smell of blood could be washed away. There was no sense in wasting them.
"Prince." Ser Garlan Tyrell suddenly spoke as Gendry drew near.
Ser Garlan Tyrell was five years older than Ser Loras, and the two brothers looked very much alike. Compared with his more famous younger brother, Garlan was taller, bearded, broader in the chest, and wider in the shoulders. Though he was handsome as well, he did not possess Ser Loras's breathtaking beauty.
Garlan made his request. "I have an unmarried sister, Margaery, who is truly the jewel of our house. Your Grace, you are wise and discerning. My sister is a generous, gentle, and pure maiden. Having heard of the Prince's many great deeds and Princess Daenerys's beauty, she has been deeply moved by the wisdom, courage, and noble spirit of the stag and the true dragon. Even from afar, she is willing to serve Princess Daenerys. I humbly ask Your Grace to bring her to the capital at once, to serve as a companion by Princess Daenerys's side, so that our two great houses may join hands and build a glory that lasts for generations."
The many lords and knights heard every word. House Tyrell was truly greedy, and sharp-eyed besides. Not only had they gained a seat on the Small Council, they also wanted to send their lady to serve as a companion and attendant beside the future queen. Their calculations were loud enough for everyone to hear. Surely this was not as simple as serving the true dragon.
Gendry looked at Garlan and feigned surprise. Garlan had mentioned this to him before, and it was not too excessive. "Ser Garlan, your sister's grace is famed throughout the Seven Kingdoms, but I must inform my betrothed, Princess Daenerys."
This was simply how the age worked. Plenty of people were willing to send squires and companions. Though there were few spare places around Gendry himself, Daenerys still had openings. The Tyrells had merely thought of it first.
"Your servant is deeply grateful."
Gendry pulled Garlan up, and cheers sounded around them. This was both a favor and, in a sense, a hostage. Great and lesser nobles alike raised one another up through cupbearers, squires, and marriage alliances, while serving as a prince or princess's squire or cupbearer in the Red Keep was the highest honor, because it brought one close to the center of power and the heir.
The most famous case was the grand alliance that Aegon V, the Unlikely King, had once tried to forge. Although the political marriages he arranged for his children all failed, his eldest son Duncan married the eldest daughter of the Laughing Storm, his second son Jaehaerys married a daughter of House Tully, his eldest daughter Shaera was to marry into House Tyrell, and his third son Daeron was betrothed to Olenna Redwyne. Only his youngest daughter, Rhaelle, was married to Ormund, eldest son of Great Lord Lyonel, to appease House Baratheon. Even so, the basic alliance between House Targaryen, House Lannister, House Baratheon, and House Martell had been preserved.
The Laughing Storm had been friends with the Unlikely King and Dunk the Tall. Tywin's grandfather, Gerold the Golden Lion, had argued eloquently at the Great Council for Aegon V's kingship and bribed many lords as well, while the Martell princess had been Aegon V's grandmother.
When Daenerys's mother Rhaella was still a princess, Joanna Lannister, Tywin's wife and the mother of the Kingslayer, Cersei, and Tyrion, and the Princess of Dorne, mother of Doran Martell, the Red Viper, and Princess Elia, had once served as her companions. The young Aerys, meanwhile, became friends with Tywin Lannister and Steffon Baratheon, who served as squires. The three fought side by side in the War of the Ninepenny Kings. When Aerys came of age, it was Tywin who knighted him.
The world changed like flowing water. The Targaryen foundation had collapsed into pieces in the end, and whether the hatred between them had ever truly ended was hard to say.
Once the shouting slowly died down, Great Lord Stannis, Great Lord Mace of Highgarden, Bronze Yohn, and Selwyn Tarth took their seats beside the council table. The advisors to the Small Council sat below them, like peacocks spreading their tails.
Their sons stood with the other knights and lords beneath the high windows. Lord Paxter was in a fine mood. Fortunately, that madwoman Cersei had not blown up another of his sons. Ser Horror had only suffered a leg wound in the battle, and now limped while looking half ill.
Next came the men of brilliant battle merit, most of humble birth, and most of them beloved officers of the Storm.
In the Battle of the Blackwater Rush, Anguy, the archer from the marches, commanded the bowmen and inflicted heavy losses on the Volantene coalition army. Lothor Brune, once a freerider, served as Gendry's "shadow warrior," charging the Volantene spear formation, killing several Volantene nobles, and drawing the attention of the Volantene main force, buying Gendry time to seize the Unsullied. Ser Guyard Morrigen, who had served as a scout, and the newly subdued wildling One-Eyed Timett had also performed well in battle, keeping track of the movements on the flanks. Jon Snow followed Gendry in charging the Unsullied main formation, fought bravely, and even killed a Volantene commander in single combat. Ser Mortimer Boggs of Crackclaw Point, who led the main follow-up charge, along with Ser Robert of the Vale, Ser Harrold, the youngest son of Lord Leyton, and the young knights of Crackclaw Point, were also rewarded.
Beyond them were more brave warriors of even lower birth. There were soldiers from The Reach who had killed Westerlands lords in one-on-one duels; Stormlands soldiers who had captured lords and commanders alive within the battle lines; Dragonstone soldiers who had been the first to climb the walls of King's Landing; squires who fought desperately to protect their masters and beat back enemy attacks; and young squires, not yet of age, who seemed born for war and had killed two knights in their first battle. Some were badly wounded and had to be carried in.
After the masters of ceremonies finished reporting the deeds of each hero, Lord Selwyn Tarth rose.
"At this hour of national crisis, all of you have served with loyalty and fought without regard for your own lives. The Prince is deeply moved and has resolved to reward you generously. Therefore, by the Prince's will, Ser Mortimer Boggs is appointed the new commander of the King's Landing City Watch, with overall command of the capital's security, and Lothor Brune shall serve as his deputy.
"Anguy and Lothor Brune have been raised to knighthood, and from this day forth shall be enfeoffed as lords. They may receive lands and castles in the Stormlands, the Crownlands, or the Trident, with all lands, rights, and taxes transferred to their possession.
"Ser Guyard Morrigen, Jon Snow, Harrold Hatton, Ser Robert Royce, Ser Mychel Redfort, and Timett are appointed attendants to Prince Gendry. Harrold is raised to knighthood. The remaining capable and loyal soldiers shall each receive a silver-handled spear, a new suit of chainmail, and a full helm with visor, and may choose a warhorse from the royal stables. Those not yet of age shall be knighted immediately upon reaching adulthood. Finally, the sons of the brave knights who unfortunately fell in battle shall serve House Baratheon. The older boys as squires, the younger as cupbearers. If they prove loyal and capable, they too will have the chance to be raised to knighthood. The Prince has given this order, and the Hand and senior ministers have all expressed their approval."
After that, all the warriors were promoted.
Anguy's face turned redder than his hair, and he immediately gave his thanks.
"Ser Lothor, Ser Anguy, have you chosen your house names and the locations of your castles?" Selwyn Tarth asked.
"We choose the south bank of the Blackwater Rush, near the Prince," Lothor Brune said. In truth, he could have returned to Crackclaw Point in glory. But after all he had been through, that feeling had faded. Besides, Crackclaw Point had been among the earliest to join them. There was no need to make things awkward.
"The same for me," Anguy said hurriedly. "As for my house name, I will call it Archer. The house words will be, The arrow follows the heart. As for the rest... I haven't decided yet."
Gendry nodded. Both the Blackwater Rush and the Trident regions could help guard the great city.
The knights cheered for the two heroes. In such a chaotic age, rising to glory could be that simple. From ordinary warriors, the two had leapt straight to lordship, gaining lands and castles.
Next, the captains of the warships received their rewards. They had advanced and withdrawn with discipline during the war, and had performed well. As for the royal warships, the royal fleet of King's Landing had almost been wiped out.
On this day, another eight or nine hundred men would become knights. The list was already prepared, and afterward they would be knighted by Ser Barristan. These knights would need to keep vigil all night in the Great Sept of Baelor, then walk barefoot through the city to the Red Keep in the morning as a show of humility. After that, wearing undyed woolen tunics, they would come forward one by one to receive knighthood from the Kingsguard. The ceremony would last a long time.
There were not many white knights left. Mandon Moore was dead, Arys was in Braavos protecting the little girl, the Kingslayer was in the Westerlands, Meryn and Osmund had died with Joffrey, Boros was missing, and Balon was still in a daze.
The ceremony for rewarding battle merits moved very quickly, since the knighting itself would have to wait until later, but everyone was already very satisfied.
The largest pieces of meat were perhaps not yet ready to be carved. The Lannisters', and Harrenhal's.
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