King's Landing, the Red Keep, the council chamber. The first great Small Council after the coronation of King Gendry I was now in session.
The royal court stood atop Aegon's High Hill. The Red Keep was not especially vast, and its layout was rather compact. In total size, it could not compare to Winterfell. It was still a masterpiece of architecture, only overshadowed by the truly astonishing wonders scattered across Westeros.
Golden quartered banners flew above the towers, their bright radiance carrying a force of its own.
Gendry and the Hand of the King, Great Lord Stannis Baratheon, entered the council chamber flanked by the two Kingsguard, Ser Barristan Selmy and Ser Balon Swann.
The two white knights wore long milk-white cloaks, gleaming white shields strapped to their left arms, fully armed from head to toe.
Gendry wore garments of gold with black patterns, and his golden cloak bore the quartered sigil. On his sword belt hung the longsword Orphan-Maker and a dagger on either side. Stannis dressed far more plainly, with only the glittering golden chain of the Hand standing out.
"Welcome His Grace Gendry I of House Breaker, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, King of Myr, Tyrosh, the Disputed Lands, and the Stepstones, Commander of the Wolf Pack, the Storm, and his Hand of the King, Great Lord Stannis Baratheon," Ser Balon called out in a deep, powerful voice.
As the King and the Hand stepped into the council chamber, the other high ministers and advisers rose to pay their respects.
Mace Tyrell, Master of Coin; Yohn Royce, Master of Laws; Selwyn Tarth, Master of Whisperers; and the young Grand Maester Cressen, who had come from Dragonstone.
Gendry had once investigated the young maester in detail. The Citadel had never believed Stannis could accomplish anything, so they had paid him little attention. As a marginal maester sent off to Dragonstone, the young man happened to be clean and had few ties with the Citadel, making him safe to use.
Not every maester was entangled with the Citadel. Some maesters, after spending too long in a lord's castle, became more like unofficial kin to that lord.
The kingdom's high officials had already gathered in the council chamber. The Small Council was packed full, as though it had brought every color with it.
House Tyrell's green, House Stark's gray and white, House Royce's bronze-orange, House Redwyne's blue and purple, House Rowan's white and gold, and even new players from across the Narrow Sea: Handsome Man, Little Silvertongue, Fletcher, and Brown Ben.
What they lacked most now were white knights. Only one old man and one young man remained. Gendry was considering raising reliable and outstanding men during the tourney.
"It cannot be called entirely uniform, but at least loyalty is assured," Gendry thought as he looked over those faces. The reshuffling of power in King's Landing was now mostly complete.
King Robert's Small Council had been thoroughly scrapped. Jon had been poisoned, Eddard was set on leaving King's Landing, Renly had been exiled to the North, the Spider and Littlefinger had been killed, and Grand Maester Pycelle was shut away writing his book.
The gathered men discussed the next several major matters: the urgent wars on Westeros's northern and western fronts, the tourney in King's Landing, and the envoys from Lys and Slaver's Bay who had come to seek peace.
"We will deal with the war first," Great Lord Stannis said. "Great Lord Eddard is most familiar with the Wall on the northern front."
"According to the news from the Wall in the North," Great Lord Eddard Stark began, "just as the southern war began, the Night's Watch also planned an operation. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont has personally led two hundred Night's Watchmen out from Castle Black, joined by another hundred brothers from the Shadow Tower, and gone beyond the Wall on a ranging expedition."
"Those three hundred rangers are as good as lost," Gendry thought as he listened to Great Lord Eddard's account. This military gamble was deeply regrettable, but the Night's Watch seemed to have had no better choice.
The Wall in the North was simply too far away. By the time messages came and went, the Old Bear had already gone all in with the Night's Watch.
Several hardships were pressing down on the Old Bear, forcing him to choose. The situation beyond the Wall was chaotic, while the Night's Watch declined day by day.
Some wildlings who had settled near the Wall had fled their original villages. The Night's Watch knew little about Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall. As far as the Night's Watch knew, First Ranger Benjen Stark, the new recruit Waymar Royce, and the other rangers who had vanished on earlier patrols were still missing, their fates unknown. And then there was the matter of how Jafer Flowers and Othor had become wights.
"They say the Night's Watch now has fewer than a thousand men," Stannis said thoughtfully. "Once the old, weak, sick, and crippled are set aside, Lord Commander Jeor has taken away more than half their main strength."
"There are nineteen castles along the Wall, but the Night's Watch has too few men now," Great Lord Eddard said. "Only three castles are garrisoned. Castle Black is one, and the other two are the Shadow Tower and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea."
Eddard sighed. When old men became stubborn, they were no less reckless than young men. This expedition north of the Wall sounded extremely dangerous.
Had Eddard still been at Winterfell, he could have discussed it with Lord Commander Jeor. But while the northerners were sharpening their blades and marching south, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch had the authority to act on his own.
"Can so few men stand against the wildlings beyond the Wall?" Great Lord Mace muttered. "And they are all criminals and ruffians besides."
"I fear not," Lord Randyll said calmly, shaking his head. "The wildlings are poorly equipped, but they know the land and have the advantage in numbers. If they truly encounter those more terrible ancient horrors, then..."
Jack Crabb also nodded. "Even Crackclaw Point has tales of the Others and the Long Night. They chill the blood. If those things truly appear, the Night's Watch will not be their match."
"I originally planned to call my bannermen and march north to fight a decisive battle against the King-Beyond-the-Wall," Eddard said. His plan to attack had fallen apart when Robert came north to visit.
"The most frightening part is that they have sent back no word even now. If that force disappears north of the Wall, the Night's Watch will have only five or six hundred men left..." Bronze Yohn said. His youngest son was most likely already dead. For an old man, such a death was sorrowful, but it was also an honor of the First Men.
Only in places where the faith of the First Men still burned strongly, the Vale and the North, did people hold the Night's Watch in respect. In other regions, people only saw it as a place for scum and criminals. Houses like Stark and Royce would send younger sons of the family to the Wall.
House Lannister and House Tyrell, numerous though they were, rarely did such a thing. Tywin had three brothers, and Mace had several uncles. Great Lords did not lack grain to feed idle men. Their customs were simply different.
"Whether we are dealing with the Lannisters or the ironborn, I intend to make a trip to the Wall and see the situation for myself. The Night's Watch alone does not have the strength to face so many enemies," Eddard said. "If it is only a wildling invasion, the North still has the strength to resist. But if it is those terrible wights, then we will need to support one another together."
Nearly all the lords were pessimistic about the strength of the Night's Watch. Support was inevitable.
"Whether Lord Jeor's detachment of the Night's Watch returns or not, the North is now a new battlefield we must face," Lord Yohn said. "If the legends in my ancestors' songs are true."
"If there are any difficulties in the North, you may bring your requests to us, Lord Eddard," Gendry said.
"Thank you, Your Grace," Great Lord Eddard said thoughtfully.
The other lords had no real objections. For a long time, the North had been a place where southern gold was spent, and now they were not even being asked to send troops.
Judging from the climate and the Night's Watch's reports, the situation was simply much worse this time. Only northerners could barely endure the North's weather. The other lords were more willing to provide supplies, but sending troops would be far more difficult.
"Has there been any movement from the Kraken or the Lannister army?" Mathis Rowan was as blunt and stiff as ever.
"It is said the Kraken are gradually leaving the North. They have begun abandoning the small spoils they once occupied," Lord Roose Bolton said.
Because the North had kept its forces in place this time, the ironborn had failed to seize much at all. Instead, they had bitten down on a mouthful of stone. They could not take any great castles, nor had they plundered much treasure.
"Could that old thief Balon truly be dead?" Lord Paxter Redwyne cried. "Gods be good."
"It seems the ironborn will stir up another storm of blood. Balon has only one son and one daughter. His son, the chameleon Theon, is too young. But Balon also has several younger brothers, all older than him," Great Lord Stannis said.
"But Balon's fleet is still lurking in the Sunset Sea. They may attack Lannisport, Highgarden, or Fair Isle," Lord Selwyn said. "At the very least, we must knock out their teeth."
"The Reach must strengthen its defenses as well, from the Shield Islands to Oldtown," Gendry reminded them. "The ironborn have only drawn back their fist. Next time, they will strike again."
"The Reach should still have troops available," Stannis said. Besides the forces left behind in the Reach, House Hightower, with its deep reserves, still had many soldiers who had yet to be mobilized.
"If those bastards dare come, I will make sure not a bone of them remains," Lord Paxter shouted.
Gendry could not help glancing at the proud Paxter. The man felt like another puffed-up fish. Paxter had sloping shoulders and a thin frame, with only a few tufts of orange-yellow hair left on his bald head.
"Those bastards only remember the food and forget the beating," Mace shouted. "Once I bring my soldiers back to Highgarden, they will never dare come."
"Fight when you can. When you cannot, draw back your fist. That is the essence of war," Gendry emphasized. But this sort of thing could not be taught. The art of war lay in the mind, not in studying old books.
Great Lord Mace of Highgarden claimed twenty years of military experience, but the victories he had won had all been earned by clinging to Lord Randyll.
Overall, the lords of the Reach likely had the same problem. They were summer soldiers. Gendry had reminded them many times, but how well they would carry it out remained uncertain.
"We must also deal with Tywin and the others," Stannis continued. "Tywin is suspected of treason, and his crimes cannot be pardoned. There are also his eldest son Jaime and his daughter Cersei. It is said Tywin is gathering his strength again. The Kingslayer is training the broken soldiers who fled back, while his nephew Daven assists his father in recruiting new troops at Lannisport."
"The Kingslayer is only a cripple," Mace said. "If we could advance from two sides."
"Casterly Rock and the Golden Tooth are two nails," Lord Yohn Royce said. "Countless men have broken themselves before Casterly Rock."
The Golden Tooth guarded the great road that led from the Riverlands through the mountains into the Westerlands. Under ordinary circumstances, anyone who wanted to attack the Westerlands had to take the Golden Tooth first. As for Casterly Rock, that tall and magnificent stone fortress was nothing more than a turtle shell made of rock.
"If we take the Westerlands, Casterly Rock will be only an empty castle."
Gendry stroked the Firekeeper ring on his finger. "Casterly Rock may be difficult, but I think there is still some chance of destroying the Golden Tooth."
"That is true. We still have Dragons, and they are full of wildness," Great Lord Mace said.
"Dragons need time. Before that, the blockade on the western front and control of the sea must be tightened," Lord Randyll said.
"My lords, late autumn is approaching, and the men and women of the world have long grown weary of war. But we have no choice. We must first win a complete victory on one front," Lord Mathis declared.
Even those who loved peace understood that blood and fire could not be avoided in the battles on the western and northern fronts.
"Let us discuss something more cheerful," Great Lord Mace said. "Besides giving the people some grain to eat, we should give them some joy."
Great Lord Stannis did not object, though he had won little honor in tourneys himself.
But tourneys held a sacred place in Westeros. Countless knights longed to make their names, and many commoners also hoped to enjoy the spectacle. Knights were the mainstream in most regions, though their influence was somewhat weaker in the North and Dorne.
The knights of the Vale were renowned throughout the Seven Kingdoms. The Vale was where the Andals first landed. The Reach, meanwhile, was the birthplace of chivalry, where the people were martial and valued honor. Outstanding knights enjoyed supreme respect and glory there.
"The new tourney will still be held beside the Blackwater Rush." Gendry settled the location.
Gendry had originally considered the Dragonpit, but it stood atop the hills, with roads rising and falling. If too many people gathered there for too long, it could lead to congestion or trampling.
After thinking it over, the high ministers also agreed that the riverside would be safer and more convenient, just like the tourney once held to celebrate Eddard becoming Hand of the King.
"I believe this tourney will be the liveliest one yet," Lord Randyll declared. "Countless people will wish to bask in the King's glory."
"The tourney prizes must be reduced. Last time, they were far too high. After late autumn comes winter, and we need more gold dragons and grain," Great Lord Eddard immediately suggested.
The last tourney Robert held had included the joust, the team melee, and archery. The winner of the joust received forty thousand gold dragons, and the runner-up twenty thousand. The winner of the team melee received twenty thousand, and the winner of the archery contest received ten thousand. To Eddard, those sums were far too extravagant.
"We cannot match the late King in monetary rewards, but I have considered taking rare weapons and armor from the armory to add to the prizes," Gendry said. "Along with the prize money, we can present a valuable weapon."
"That is a good idea," Great Lord Stannis said with a nod. Most of those present had already received gifts from the King's armory.
"The knights should like such gifts as well," Lord Randyll said.
"Ser Boggs, we will trouble you this time," Gendry said, looking at the commander of the City Watch. The Gold Cloaks would be the busiest of all.
Once the tourney began, the surrounding roads, inns, and the entire city of King's Landing would become crowded and busy.
"It is my honor, Your Grace," Ser Boggs promised. "I will maintain order."
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