Wylis didn't even give her a moment. "What do you think, Lord Arryn?"
"Delightful. Makes me not want to leave the North. Such icy cuisine is impossible in King's Landing."
Wylis smirked, but said nothing. It was best that the man craved it a bit more.
As they ate their ice cream, the bards resumed playing music, and soon men and women started dancing in the empty space.
"Try this," Wylis said, holding back a smile. "It's only lemon zest for now, but it should catch you off guard all the same."
Pop!
Wylis removed the cork of the chilled glass bottle with a very loud pop and poured the drink into Robert's clean, empty cup. Instantly, the sound of bubbles popping was audible, and the foam at the top.
"It will not make a drunk of you, though you should feel all the better for it."
He watched Robert grab the cup and take a big sip.
"..."
As expected, Robert gulped and recoiled back, staring between Wylis and the cup at times. Then the man took another sip, and then another.
"Felt as if… my throat was on fire, but gods it soothed me. Pops on the tongue. What fucking sorcery is this?"
Wylis chuckled and glanced at the others. Their faces told the tale. Lysa had nearly choked on her swallow. "I made it with an apparatus of my own devising. I call it soda. In time, I'll add more zest to it and sell it across the realm."
"..."
For a moment, the table was silent.
"It now makes sense why you sought that registry," Jon Arryn said.
"You made all this? How do you find the time, Wylis? Gods, the vices you've shown me. And you expect me not to get fat?" Robert barked, eyeing the bottle of soda. "Gods be damned, you're a boon to the realm."
Wylis just chuckled, still not done. But this time his surprise wasn't food. Though he felt sad at the moment as he couldn't be with the women.
At least they will be watching this.
"Your Grace…"
Suddenly, the woman who acted as Ophelia approached the table meekly and asked Robert for a dance. No chance Robert was going to refuse that.
Thankfully, Lysa wasn't insane enough to ignore her husband and seek him. She danced with Jon, while Wylis danced with Anna, Ashara, Genna, Wenda, and Ros. Only after that did he hold Lysa; even then, he had to ensure she didn't get to smush her bosom on him. She tried that many times.
As the night entered its final hour, and the dancing feet began getting wobbly from exhaustion or wine, Wylis waved at his man to give them the final spectacles.
"Your Grace, look there." Wylis stopped his friend from groping a woman who, with eager intentions, tried to be groped by the King. He couldn't stop that; it was her choice. "Hope you remember this feast, because the next time you'll be here, Ramsgate will be far, far different. And so I give you my belated congratulations on becoming King."
Shwoooooo!
From the docks, a flare went into the sky, bright and red, loud. But it was just the signal, as in a few moments, in the sea not far away, dozens of bigger, brighter, multi-colored lights shot towards the sky.
It was loud, popping multiple times. The bards slowly stopped playing and let the fireworks be the only noise.
The long columns of flares bloomed in the sky, like a flower, spreading out in flickering lights. It wasn't hard to make for Wylis with all his engineering masteries. Extremely crude fireworks already existed in the world, but they were just not built this well.
That said, even the fireworks he made weren't that powerful, not as good as those from his world. He kept them weak so nobody would be able to derive anything from them. The last thing he wanted was someone figuring out explosives.
I hope Lyanna is watching this.
####
She was, and so were Rhaella and Elia.
Wylis had made a secret passage for the women and children to reach the terrace of the castle. And as the feast happened outside, they moved.
Boom!
Far in the distance, they watched the sky be filled with colors and sounds. It was beautiful.
"Waaaaaah! It's so pretty!" Rhaenys chirped, jumping excitedly. "Pick me up! Pick me up!"
Lyanna chuckled and held the little girl up. Meanwhile, Rhaella was holding Daenerys and Alric. Elia held Alden and Aegon. Viserys was also there, but he was tied with a chain to Chett, who was guarding them.
The three women silently watched the fireworks. All lost in their own thoughts.
"This must vex Wylis even more," Lyanna muttered. "Not being able to watch it with us."
"I can imagine that," Rhaella added.
Elia was the most silent, however. Viserys was the same, annoyed at being chained but still watching the fireworks with a half-open maw.
"How did he make this?" Lyanna pondered.
Rhaella smiled, as if she thought of something. "The miracles he brings to us. He's a never-ending surprise."
"I love ice cream." Rhaenys chirped in the middle.
"Me! Me too!" Little Aegon repeated.
They all loved ice cream. Who didn't?
Moments later, they headed back down to their secret residence. They had been feasting there as well since Chett had brought them all that Wylis had prepared for the King.
But what they were actually waiting for was Wylis to visit them that night.
"I can walk on my own!" Viserys seethed.
Chett didn't care; he held the chain tied to Viserys' waist tightly. "As you should."
"I'm not so insane to run now and put Mother and Daenerys' lives in danger."
"I know," Chett replied.
####
Ting!
[Side Quest Completed - A Tyrant's Feast
Description - A Tyrant holds nothing back when it comes to hosting friends and feasts.
Goal - King Robert must leave Ramsgate with the memory of the feast etched in his mind. Remembered as the greatest feast of his life.
Reward - New Title & King Robert's Favor]
Ting!
[New Tyrant's Title - The Feastmaster
Description - At a Tyrant's feast, none go hungry, nor bored. You have exceeded the King's expectations well.
Effect - 50% Reduction in mental fortitude of guests at Tyrant's feasts.]
Mental fortitude?
Wylis was happy that the quest was over, but the reward was hard to make sense of immediately. Did it mean that he could convince people better at his feasts? Or did it mean that people would easily get drunk at the feast?
"What a great night, Wylis. Songs, food, wine, and then this. Gods know what this even was. A damn fine feast," Robert slurred, wiping his mouth. "Ned better have something waiting for me, because you've bloody spoiled me."
"Go easy on him, Robert. Ned's not cut from the same cloth as I am. Tourneys never put coin in his purse, not the way they did mine."
Robert rubbed his beard and nodded. "Aye, you're right. Now the king's got to piss and fall into bed, Gods be damned."
Wylis nodded, and it marked the end of the feast. Escorted by the guards, he led everyone back into the castle. Robert was taken to his bedchamber right away, while Wylis sat with Jon Arryn in his solar and discussed a few more matters.
Clearly, Jon was troubled by his own age the most. The matter of an heir was already dealt with; now what mattered was the Crown. Jon saw Robert's shortcomings and feared that after his death, vultures would surround the Iron Throne and chip it away piece by piece.
"The realm is starting to rot, Wylis. The Lannisters are closing in. The Queen means to place Lannister men inside the City Watch."
Why tell me all that?
Wylis just nodded, sipping some wine since he wasn't that drunk yet.
"I fear what comes after my death. With no one to guide him, Robert will give himself over to excess, and the realm will be ruled by those who seek their own profit above the good of the Seven Kingdoms. The debt is already piling higher."
Wylis kept nodding, humming in agreement. There was nothing he could do about this. His role ended with helping Robert take the throne. The rest was up to Robert himself. Still, he had a few suggestions that could help.
"I take it you can't turn down the Lannisters, not when their gold keeps the doors standing. The City Watch is already sick, but it is not beyond saving. Shuffle them. Every three days, change the teams and the streets they walk. If no man keeps the same post for years on end, corruption will find less ground to take root."
Jon Arryn surprisingly wrote it down on a piece of paper. "That is it, Wylis. That sharp wit of yours, I have always seen it. Son, I only hope you will answer the Crown's summons when the time comes for a new Hand."
What bullshit is this now?
Wylis had absolutely no interest in being the Hand of the King or living in King's Landing. If anything, the Tyrant's Squire won't allow him, as being the Hand was akin to being a direct subordinate to someone. That wasn't how a Tyrant was supposed to be.
"You have many years yet, Lord Arryn. Why speak as if the Stranger waits at your door?"
"King's Landing is a nest of vipers. If old age and weariness don't claim me, then poison surely will. I have plenty of enemies. My years weigh heavily on my mind. I'm slower now, less watchful than I once was, and my hearing fails me more with each passing day. This is the world the Seven have made, as it was meant to be. Old age is an enemy no man can defeat."
Unless you earned it through siring babes.
"It's either Ned or you. That's all Robert has."
That much was true, sadly.
Creak!
Jon got up from the chair after that, finishing his cup of wine.
"On the morrow, I return to King's Landing, and Robert goes north to Winterfell. The registry will be made; it can't be otherwise, not after witnessing your ingenuity. My time in Ramsgate has opened my eyes to certain things I hadn't foreseen. I thank you for the welcome you have given."
Wylis rose as well and shook hands with Jon, leading him out. He was somewhat impressed by the level of humility Jon showed. To be able to act as if nothing was wrong with his life.
"It was an honor to have you here, Lord Arryn."
Wylis led the old man to his room and then walked around the entire castle to ensure it was safe. He checked on the King as well, and then the guards outside. Finally, late at night, he entered the secret rooms.
After the incident with Ros, he made all the women sleep there. Even Anna would sleep there so she could be with her two sons. That also worked for Wylis because he'd have time to entertain Lysa.
He didn't do it that night, however. He entered the underground compound and reached Lyanna's bedchamber right away. He removed his tunic and trousers and joined her in bed. She was awake, stirred, and attacked him with a wave of kisses.
Moments later, it was a song of moans and heat.
He didn't go to other rooms that night and only stayed with Lyanna. Holding her in his arms tightly, like she was a precious treasure. She was indeed hidden away from the royal thief upstairs.
"Can't wait to return to normal life."
He nodded at her whisper. "Aye, the same for me. Still, I have a small surprise for you all tomorrow night. The King may depart, but I won't end it without one final feast among you all."
"Now I'm excited."
####
The next morning, the castle and the town were a scene full of activity as the King's entourage prepared to head further North. They had arrived on ships, but now they were to use the road. Wylis had gifted one of his stagecoaches to Robert for a comfortable journey ahead.
Finally, Jon had left for King's Landing on the same ships.
Wylis stood before the stagecoach as Robert prepared to climb into it. They shared a brotherly hug, whispering words to each other as if they were the realm's secrets.
"It was wise of me to come, Wylis. I needed it to knock the dust out of my skull, wake me up from… eh! Doesn't matter now. I've made up my mind now. The feast, the talk we had. Damn good use of the road. I owe you for this, old friend. If you ever need the crown standing behind you, don't hesitate to loose a raven."
Wylis nodded. "You as well, Robert. Remember the promise. Don't fatten up, I'll be testing you."
"Bah, you wait. I'll carve this bloody frame of mine better than yours. Be well now, Wylis."
"You too, Your Grace."
At last, Robert climbed into the stagecoach.
Lysa joined in next. Wylis shared just a simple greeting with her, having given her the rough fucking of a lifetime early that morning already.
Moments later, he waved at the moving entourage, the knights and soldiers all marching in close formation on their horses.
Yet Wylis kept waving, even after the entourage was out of sight. His eyes were frozen on empty space, or rather, an invisible blue screen. In his mind echoed the words he'd missed before. The little hints and meanings behind Robert's hesitations.
He was blind to it, believing Robert to be the man he knew from his memory, never realising this man was different. He made him different. And all of a sudden. It made sense.
Ting!
[Hidden Quest Completed - The King Revived
Description - Broken, pride lost, confused, and melancholy. Considering himself unfit for the throne, King Robert Baratheon sought his life's one final journey to meet those he cherished.
Goal - Stop King Robert from ending his life through excess.
Reward - King's Unbreakable Friendship]
What?! W-What? Why would… No, Robert's not that sort of man.
Pat!
"Wylis?"
Wylis jolted, almost jumped at Ros' hand on his shoulder. His blue eyes flickered, a gulp next, and he looked at Chett.
"Bring me Caliburn! Quick!"
______________________
Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 12 long chapters of this story on P@treon. That's equal to 45-50 Webnovel chapters.
Check out Wylis X Lyanna Stark NSFW Art & Wylis with Kids SFW ART, and advance chapters at [email protected]/MrPlotThickens Or Subscribestar.adult/mrplotthickens
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