Chapter 111
-3rd Person POV-
The king smiled upon seeing the crowd cheer as was fitting for one of the heroes of this war. Then, after a few moments, he raised his arms to calm the crowd and shouted so that all could hear:
"NOW I ASK YOU ALL TO GIVE A THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE FOR PRINCE VISERYS WHO BRAVELY FOUGHT BOTH AGAINST THE WIELDER OF RED RAIN, DONNEL DRUMM, AND THE COLOSSAL ANDRIK THE UNFROWNING, REPELLING THE IRONBORN ASSAULT WHICH HAD MORE THAN FIVE TIMES OUR NUMBERS."
"PRINCE VISERYS"
"PRINCE VISERYS"
"PRINCE VISERYS"
"As you all know, my wife is expecting a child who will succeed me when the time comes. So, it is now the chosen moment to announce today the creation of the junior branch of House Targaryen, House Targaryen of Riverrun, led by Prince Viserys Targaryen, Protector of the Trident," said the King, raising Prince Viserys's hand.
Prince Viserys, whose mood was mixed, kneeled before the king and said, "I thank you for the generosity you have shown me."
The king smiled at his uncle and helped him to stand, saying, "It's the least I could do. We are a family above all else, and as long as you remain loyal to me, nothing will change between us."
The Prince smiled uneasily but gently bowed his head before stepping back. The king then moved on to the next special rewards and said, "The next to step forward has served the kingdom with rare fidelity and with unwavering loyalty, the perfect example of the loyalty I expect from all my vassals. He rallied his fleet in record time to join me in less than two weeks at Seagard and was decisive in the war effort aimed at exterminating the ironborn and protecting our kingdom from conspirators... COUNT REDWYNE, WHERE ARE YOU HIDING?"
A man in his early fifties, thin with a hunched back and tufts of orange hair, stepped forward, and the king said, "For the services rendered to the capital, I make you the Guardian of the Sunset Sea as well as the Grand Admiral of the second royal fleet, which will now be stationed at Pyke. I hope you will perform your duty with as much zeal as during the Battle of Lordsport."
"I will serve you faithfully, please never doubt my affection and loyalty towards you, your majesty," he said.
The king smiled and embraced the man, then raised his hand high so that all could acclaim him.
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-POV Olenna Tyrell-
"You seem upset, grandmother," said my grandson Willas, applauding Paxter.
"Aren't you upset?"
Willas smiled and then said, "It's not that serious."
"It is serious. Look at them; he just changed the rules of the game for everyone, and these fools are applauding," I said, annoyed.
Willas observed our surroundings, and then I said, "Don't bother; it changes nothing whether they hear us or not. He doesn't care anymore. The nobles have lost their power and they don't even realize it."
"He simply gave an order to your vassal; it's his prerogative as a king," said Willas.
I frowned and then said, "You are so naive. The chain of vassalage exists for a reason. The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal. As the Guardian of the Reach, we are the suzerains of House Redwyne, and the king should have consulted us or at least informed us of the decision he had taken. It was the least he could do."
"And you would have tried to get something in exchange," said Willas.
"Of course, I would have tried to get something in exchange. During the last war, he bled us dry by taking advantage of Renly's death and our inaction to plunder us over a decade," I said, feeling the noose he had put around us tightening much too firmly and much too quickly for my liking.
Willas placed a hand over his mouth before saying, "We couldn't do anything. It's not even a question of whether we could win a war against him but who among our vassals would follow us. Titus Peake is married to Margot Lannister, Mathis Rowan to Paxter's sister, Bethany Redwyne, Randyll Tarly would never risk clashing with the king especially since his son and heir is a friend of the king. It's not even a war we risk; it's a civil war in the Reach."
"I know perfectly well, and that's what worries me," I said, disheartened.
'How could a kid barely 17 days named have manipulated us to the point that today our vassals have become threats to us?' I thought, sighing.
"We have lost our rights along with House Tully; now we must adapt to our new environment and make the most of it," said Willas, applauding again the king who had just praised the leader of his 8th Legion.