chapter 135 part 1
Chapter 135: Hand of the King
Margaery Tyrell kept her hands clasped before her lower abdomen, her deer-like eyes looking toward King Robert as she began to speak. "That silent Knight suddenly stepped up close to me. His actions were easily misunderstood, so Lord Glyn had to step forward to maintain order..."
As she spoke, she glanced lightly at Glyn, then continued, "Because it was handled in a timely manner, the misunderstanding has been resolved, Your Grace."
After her explanation, Margaery slightly lowered her head.
Her face showed no unusual expression, but her heart was in turmoil. Margaery had already sensed that King Robert's feelings for her were merely simple appreciation, the kind of reaction a normal person has upon seeing something beautiful.
Beyond that, Robert showed no other emotions upon seeing her face, such as the joy or excitement she and her family had anticipated.
Lord Renly's intelligence was wrong... Thinking of the great responsibility her House had placed upon her, Margaery's heart suddenly filled with dread. If she couldn't become Queen, then her value... would the others in her family continue to value her?
What should I do... Margaery was suddenly struck by a profound sense of powerlessness.
"Your Grace, Lady Margaery has a kind heart and doesn't wish to bring you trouble, which is why her account is so reserved! In my view, his conduct was quite presumptuous. This concerns the reputation of a lady of House Tyrell."
Margaery heard Lord Glyn's voice.
At some point, Glyn had come to stand beside her. As he spoke, one of his hands discreetly steadied her arm.
Margaery came back to her senses, only then realizing that her body was trembling.
Margaery then heard Glyn continue, "Surely we cannot let him do as he pleases simply because he is a high-ranking official of the court, can we?!"
Why did I suddenly lose my composure? Margaery took a soft breath and calmed her emotions.
Glyn sensed that Margaery was no longer trembling and released his hand, raising an eyebrow at her.
Margaery's eyes happened to meet his, and their gazes collided for a moment.
Glyn: *Keep your spirits up, little lady.*
*Thank you for your concern!* Margaery couldn't help but shoot a furtive glance at Glyn.
Margaery held the authority over the transport of 500,000 gold dragons' worth of supplies to Crackclaw Point. Glyn didn't want any accidents to affect the strategic reserves of House Cleber.
Due to the erroneous intelligence provided by Lord Renly, House Tyrell's long-plotted dream of having a Queen was now temporarily shattered. There was no need for any of the well-planned follow-up actions.
Ascending to a royal house was their dream, and House Tyrell would certainly not give up so easily. Glyn imagined they would soon initiate other schemes.
...
"Damn it, I'm not going to listen to the gossip of my vassals. Let's just leave this matter at that!"
King Robert first swore, then concluded the matter according to Margaery's account.
Glyn shrugged. How to handle it was, of course, the King's decision.
Lord Eddard looked at Glyn.
Lord Eddard had already learned from King Robert that Glyn was now an officer serving Queen Cersei. But Eddard could tell Glyn was no mere Lannister sycophant; he had a heart full of honor.
Dark hair and brown eyes... this appearance, characteristic of the First Men, combined with the fact that he was a child he had arguably saved, made Eddard feel a natural affinity for him.
Lord Eddard again sized up the impeccably disciplined Cleber soldiers. He nodded to himself in approval. This child had grown up well.
The fine wine and delicacies Glyn had prepared in advance at Fanly's Inn soon lured King Robert away.
Listening to the loud laughter coming from within the tavern, Lord Eddard helplessly shrugged his shoulders.
"Jory, go to the carriage and bring the children here."
Jory Cassel was Lord Eddard's Captain of the Guard. It was rumored that during Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully's wedding, he was the first to tear Catelyn's dress during the bedding ceremony.
Before long, Glyn saw Sansa and Arya.
Sansa Stark had a head of thick, auburn hair and a pair of blue eyes. At thirteen, she was already a young beauty.
Arya Stark's appearance had the characteristic features of House Stark, with dark brown hair and gray eyes. At nine, she was still very slender and small.
Glyn's eyes were sharp. When they were exchanging greetings with Margaery, he noticed that Arya was left-handed.
Glyn turned sideways and extended a hand toward the tavern's entrance.
"Beautiful ladies, inside, please. The fine food will ease your fatigue."
Margaery proactively took Sansa's arm, and they entered the tavern together, talking and laughing. As Arya walked past Glyn, she stopped and looked up at him.
Glyn looked down at her with a blank expression, earning a grimace from Arya in return.
Glyn chuckled and said, "Go on in, Lady Stark."
Lord Eddard shook his head helplessly, walked over, and patted Glyn on the shoulder. Looking at Arya as she scurried off, he said, "My little daughter likes to cause trouble. She's a bit mischievous."
Glyn noticed that when Lord Eddard spoke of Arya, a slight smile appeared on his stern face.
"Lord Eddard, that's a good thing. Brave girls know how to take care of themselves."
"Let's hope so."
Before entering the tavern, Glyn glanced back at a figure tending to the horses in the distance and said, "Montun, send a bottle of fine wine over to that man."
Montun followed Glyn's line of sight. His somewhat dull eyes blinked as he said, "Yes, Lord Glyn. I'll take it over immediately."
...
Inside the tavern.
King Robert tilted his chin up and drained a goblet, then slammed it down on the table with a clatter.
"Glyn, you've prepared well."
He looked at Glyn and continued, "Did you know in advance that Eddard would arrive here today? Is that how you were able to make these preparations?"
As King Robert spoke, he grabbed a roasted leg of lamb with his large hand and took a huge bite, as if the question was merely an afterthought.
As the host of this small banquet, Glyn had the honor of being seated very close to the King.
After King Robert's words fell, Glyn noticed many gazes converging on him.
"Your Grace, my men are not skilled at gathering information, so I had to seek out Lord Varys."
He explained further, "It took some persuasion. I described to Lord Varys the old history between Lord Eddard and House Cleber, and only then did he tell me their general direction. I was just trying my luck today. Fortunately, my luck was pretty good."
King Robert seemed indifferent to what Glyn said, loudly calling for a servant to refill his wine. The atmosphere of the feast quickly became boisterous again.
Glyn looked at Arya, who had stealthily snuck to his side, and asked, "Lady Stark, is there something I can help you with?"
Arya put her small hands behind her back and said, "Lord Glyn, my name is Arya Stark. You can call me Arya."
They had already introduced themselves, but Arya, perhaps worried Glyn had forgotten her name, repeated it once more.
Glyn smiled and said, "Very well, Lady Arya."
Arya asked curiously, "Is it fun inside the Red Keep?"
Glyn thought for a moment and said, "There are many fun places inside the Red Keep, and you'll meet many new friends. But..."
He glanced left and right, lowered his voice, and continued, "But there are quite a few bad people, so you must be careful."