Chapter 31
KEVAN LANNISTER'
Kevan Lannister had served the Crown for a decade, acting as the Master of Coin. He had seen firsthand the fate of the Targaryen regime, and the Royal line transform infront of his eyes. The treasury had gone from being nearly emptied after the Rebellion, with the Crown nearly going bankrupt, to flush with Gold from all the reparations in a few moons.
Yet all that gold would be spent just as quickly by their King, who would go on to start several highly costly projects at the end of the war, the greatest of which was rebuilding the city and training a Royal Army.
Many a lord had spoken against the second decision, calling it an extravagance, when the Crown had leal lords at its beck and call. However, the real reason was something else. With the redrawing of the maps, everyone knew that their new King sought to expand Royal influence, and a Royal Army would be a major step in furthering the Crown's writ across the continent.
And yet the King had persisted and even though there were many times when it felt as if the Crown might go bankrupt, the King always found the money for the aforementioned two projects were but two amongst hundreds of smaller ones.
The Crown had worked closely with the Alchemist's Guild, though this time their efforts were directed towards tamer pursuits rather than the violent desires of the Mad King, and through their effort, the Crown had managed to transform many industries, including farming where better farming techniques and fertilizers had been discovered. Newer tools to increase the productivity of the workers were made as well.
Even now, the Crown sponsored research into several fields, and the Guild, which had only expanded since the Rebellion now had its own headquarters in Kingslanding, and the order was beginning to outshine the Citadel, which had remained stagnant and devoid of Crown's support over the years.
"It truly is a shame to see you go, my lord," the King said as he sat in his solar. The King's face was once more adorned by the steel mask with which he had first graced these halls. There was a time when the King's wounds had receded, but over the years, they would continue regrowing, forcing him to wear the steel contraption again.
"I have served you for a decade, your grace, but I believe I must spend the time I have left with my children and wife," he replied softly, giving the reason Tywin had told him to give.
The amethyst eyes glinted as they narrowed at his form. And even now, a decade later, he felt that gaze unsettle him a lot. The King's sharp gaze made a child out of many, seeing through lies and subterfuge as if he were a god.
It was a rumor that the King would often walk to the Black Cells himself to interrogate the prisoners, with many claiming that it was impossible to lie in his presence. That the King was blessed by the Gods.
"You have a manse here. And the city no longer has the stench that made people run away from it," the King added with a small chuckle, and he shrugged.
"I am afraid my lady wife and children wish to be close to home. I would be honoured if your grace grants the request of this humble servant," he finished, and the King sighed.
"So be it. Your resignation is accepted, Lord Lannister. I hope you have made ample arrangements for your replacement?" the King asked, and he nodded.
"I have. Though, if I may ask, who do you have in mind as my replacement?" he asked, knowing full well that Tywin would appreciate any information he could bring him.
He did not know why or how. But it was clear to him that at a rather early point in King Daemon's regime, the relationship between the Lannisters and the Crown had turned sour. On paper, everything was fine. The King had rewarded their House by giving Tywin back Ser Jamie and had even arranged a rather favorable match for Lady Cersei, but something had gone amiss. And though he did not know what Tywin was planning against the Crown, something which could prove very fatal for them if the King got even a whisper about it.
The King seemed to think about it for a second before he spoke up.
"I was given many names for the position. But in the end, I have decided to name Lord Wyman Manderly of White Harbor for the position. A letter was dispatched to him a week ago, and he has accepted the nomination from the Crown," and that was an unorthodox decision.
The North had always been rather estranged from the rest of the kingdoms because of its geography and religious aspects, yet during the twilight of the Mad King's reign North had tried to integrate itself within the South through marriages and fostering, but the Rebellion had decimated all that.
When the true nature and story of the rebellion had come out, many lords in the South had turned bitter and sour blaming it all on the North, a misgiving for it had been there Houses which had chosen to go against the Crown in the first place.
And so, for nearly a decade, the political climate had returned to what it had been nearly two decades ago. The North remained a part of the Seven Kingdoms, yet in some ways, it was only in name. Though unexpectedly, the relationship between the Crown and the North was rather intriguing, with the Northern Kingdom acting as the Crown's biggest trading partner.
"A wise choice, your grace. The Manderly's have ruled over White Harbor for years and have seen it progress well. Lord Wyman is said to have an astute mind for numbers," he commented, and indeed, the man was rumored to be rather fat, but none could deny the fortunes of his house.
Fortunes that had only grown since the match between Eddard Stark and Alyssa Manderly, the youngest sister of Wyman Manderly. The Manderly were kin to the Starks by marriage, and hence, having them at court would be like having a Stark at court.
And yet, in that little revelation was a warning. Of course, it was well known that he wished to reign, but for the King to have his replacement spoke that the King had already made his move.
'Did he know?' he thought as he shuddered but soon refused the notion, for even he did not know what Tywin was planning, only that he was planning something.
"Indeed, he is rather deft with money. And I believe it is time that a Northern lord takes part in the Council and represents the Kingdom."
"Yes, it is a very wise decision. Now, I must make preparations," he took his leave and rose from his seat.
0000
ARTHUR DAYNE
Arthur walked into the King's solar, reminiscing about the change the Kingdom had seen in the last decade. Many believed that the reign of the conciliator was the height of Targaryen's power, and the decade of Daemon's rule had inspired some to call him the second coming of the conciliator.
House Targaryen, a house that had been on the brink of extinction, its power and alliances dwindling, had, in a short decade, become a premiere power in the world, making rapid advances in many scientific fields while increasing its military and naval might.
The Royal Fleet had been expanded substantially over the years, with the King dividing it into two separate fleets, one for naval warfare and the other for trading through which the Crown filled its coffers. Wood had been obtained from the vast North, and slowly, over the decade, the capital had improved upon its shipyard to match the efficiency of the famous Bravosi shipwrights, and while they were still not able to match them in speed.
The ships of the Royal fleet were both bigger and better designed and lasted longer at sea due to their copper gull coating. And yet that was not even the entirety of the Crown's powers, the greatest of which remained hidden to this day in the caves of Dragonstone.
He entered the King's solar and saw Daemon's mask resting on the table. It irked him that Daemon still had to wear it. Daemon's face was turned towards the wall as he read a message.
"Lord Kevan tendered his resignation today. He is set to leave for the Westerlands in a few days," Daemon informed him, and he was not surprised by the news. Word of the man's resignation had spread already, and he knew that Daemon had already arranged a replacement for the position. After all, they knew that such a day would be coming.
"That was expected," he replied. He saw Daemon reach for his mask before he put it on and turned to face him. His amethyst eyes now glowing ominously, he motioned for him to sit and put forward the missive he had been reading.
"Sources from across the Narrow Sea speak of a massive army departing towards the Stepstones laden on five hundred ships, carrying the banner of a Black Three-headed Dragon.
Blackfyre, he cursed that accursed line. They had thought the line had ended, only for it to spring up once again, and this time, they were more powerful than before. But they were prepared for this.
"So, the time has come," he asked, and the King nodded.
"Indeed. Euron Greyjoy is set to arrive at Lannisport sometime in the next moon. That is when we strike," the King announced, and he nodded.
"I will have the army ready," he replied.
"We take Euron and Tywin after they are done with their meeting. Then we have them squeak out the names of every lord, lady and knight supporting them in this cause. I suspect a few already, but this way we will be able to secure our hold on the kingdom and then turn our full focus on the Stepstones," and it was a sound plan.
Despite the prosperity brought by their King, it was well-known that many were against the King and his policies. Through his actions, the King had stripped much of the power of the Great Houses, concentrating much of it in his own hands.
And now, with the rumors surrounding the rise of the House Blackfyre and the shadowy beast rumored to take to the skies of Yunkai at night, all those people would be showing their true colors.
"Have a unit infiltrate Lannisport while having the rest prepare to put down all this rebellion nonsense in Riverlands. It is time to bring them all to heel," Daemon ordered, and he nodded as if a dutiful lord commander would.
"And have the naval forces prepare as well. Tell them to shore up the defenses and make preparations for a quick offensive strike at the Iron Islands," and with that, they would have the Seven Kingdoms secured in one fell swoop.
Of all the kingdoms the Iron Islands and the Riverlands were the greatest cause of concern for the Crown. Daemon's distaste for the slaving culture of the islands made him a natural enemy of the Iron Islands, who, despite his repeated commands, had done little to clamp down on their culture of thieving and slaving.
The Riverlands were a mess of his own creation. Daemon had significantly weakened the Tullys as the Lord Paramounts, and now the Lord of the Trident basically had no control over his lords, which were always rather quarrelsome.
The Tully could have solved it all by asking the Crown for aid, but the young Lord Edmure of Riverlands thought it beneath him to ask the Crown for its aid and believed it better to ally himself with an invading force. Well, they will all learn their lesson soon enough.
"If that is all, I shall take my leave," and with that, he rose from his seat and was about to leave the solar when suddenly Daemon called for him.
"Arthur..." and he stopped and turned back towards the King, whose eyes narrowed for a second before he waved him to go.
"I will deal with that pest myself."
0000
And so, deep into the night, a hunched figure made its way to the rookery in the master's tower. His gait was hunched but fast, and a muffled sound of metals clacking against one another erupted with every step as the Grandmaester made its way to the rookery.
"That damned King, giving all his support to those accursed heathens," he cursed in a whisper as he came to the rookery and approached a bird, and began petting it, showing years of practice.
"Yet he will learn soon enough. He will learn," and with that, he began tying a missive to the bird's leg, and had he bothered to look to his side, he must have seen a shadowy figure step out of the shadows, his hand moving to reveal a gleaming red ruby, as two amethyst orbs focused on the old master, approaching him from behind.
The masked man leaned down, putting his face near the ear of the old man as he whispered slowly.
"What will I learn, old man."
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