chapter 136 part 2
"You're tattling again! You're a traitor!"
"I'm not a traitor! You're the one who did something wrong!"
"I hate you!"
"Hmph, I never said I liked you!"
...
"Enough!"
Lord Eddard's face was filled with anger. "I am sick to death of your endless bickering. No matter what, you are sisters. I expect you to love each other like sisters, do you understand?"
Sansa bit her lip and nodded. Arya lowered her head, stubbornly staring at the plate before her. The only sound was the scraping of forks and knives against plates.
Lord Eddard looked at his two daughters and sighed inwardly. "I will arrange seats for you both at the tourney grounds."
With that, he rose wearily. "My apologies, I have no appetite tonight. You all eat more."
This foolishness was clearly Robert's own idea, yet not only did he have to help organize it, he also had to pretend to be overwhelmed by the honor. Lord Eddard greatly disliked this feeling.
After their father left, Arya noticed Sansa immediately begin to whisper excitedly with the person next to her. The others were also talking and laughing, and the atmosphere in the dining hall quickly became lively.
Back in Winterfell, they had often dined in the Great Hall of the castle. Father always said that as a lord, one must frequently dine with one's men to retain their loyalty. He also said that a lord must not only know his men, but his men must also know their lord, for no one would die for a stranger.
In Winterfell, Father would always leave a seat at his own table, inviting a different person each night to listen to their stories or suggestions. In those days, Arya loved sitting by his side and listening to them speak.
Arya glanced at her "phony" sister, and when no one else was paying attention, she quietly slipped out of the bustling dining hall.
...
Maegor's Holdfast.
Glyn was having dinner with Cersei and Jaime. The main course tonight was pumpkin sweet soup and roasted ribs.
Glyn was a busy man; in the afternoon he had dined with the Baratheons and Starks, and at night he had to dine with the Lannisters.
Glyn picked up his wine cup and took a sip. "Ser Jaime, are you satisfied with my gift?"
Glyn truly couldn't think of a good gift, so he stuck to his original idea and gave Jaime a cloak embroidered with the words "Warden of the East" as a congratulatory gift.
Jaime cleared his throat, glanced at Cersei beside him, and directly changed the subject. "Have you prepared your armor?"
Cersei had seen the gift Glyn sent. She seemed quite satisfied with it. Jaime was afraid Cersei would demand he wear the ostentatious cloak, so he didn't want to discuss it for a second longer.
Glyn smiled. "It's already been arranged. I don't think there will be any problem with the timing."
After a while, Queen Cersei put down her knife and fork, then signaled for the servants to leave the dining hall.
Cersei gently swirled her wine cup. "Lord Glyn, what was your impression of that girl?"
Glyn was not one to be careless and leave himself vulnerable. He had gone to welcome the Starks with Cersei's permission.
Ever since speculating that Sansa Stark might become Joffrey's future betrothed, Queen Cersei had been very concerned about the matter.
Glyn put down his wine cup and said seriously, "Lady Sansa Stark has the Tully red hair and blue eyes. She is a little beauty. Her family has protected her well. She is unversed in the ways of the world and has a very pure character."
Cersei's lips curled into a smile. "Very interesting, isn't it?"
Jaime smiled faintly. "Queen Cersei, you seem rather pleased?"
Cersei smiled and glanced at Jaime, taking a sip of Arbor Red. "Joffrey is suited for an obedient girl."
Glyn slowly blinked. Why did he suddenly have a sense of déjà vu, like this was a villains' meeting? It must be his imagination!
"Your Majesty."
Glyn briefly and directly recounted his encounter with Margaery Tyrell. "The Golden Rose is constantly making small moves. I always feel they are plotting something in the shadows."
Jaime frowned. "Could Highgarden be seeking an alliance with Winterfell? I recall that the heir of Winterfell, Robb Stark, is of a similar age to Margaery Tyrell."
Cersei shot Jaime a sideways glance and said coldly, "Jaime, how could the self-important people of The Reach possibly take a liking to a country bumpkin from The North?"
Is the Golden Rose setting its sights on that drunkard Robert? Cersei was always very sharp when it came to such schemes.
Cersei thought of Maggy's prophecy. She snorted coldly and added, "No matter how they scheme, the Golden Rose is doomed to fail!"
Glyn's pupils trembled slightly. "Your Majesty, we cannot know what move the Golden Rose will make. I hear they have quite a few people in King's Landing. I am very worried for your safety. To be safe..."
Glyn lowered his voice and continued, "Do you need me to transfer some soldiers from The Whispers?"
After a pause, he added, "Ser Jaime is now the Warden of the East. We can move troops to King's Landing with a legitimate reason."
Cersei was silent. She seemed very tempted by Glyn's proposal.
Jaime's voice broke Cersei's train of thought. "Cersei... Your Majesty, everyone is rushing to King's Landing, and all eyes are on this place. Now is not a good time to move troops. It could easily cause a misunderstanding..."
Glyn nodded in agreement. "Ser Jaime's concerns are valid. Ill-intentioned people might even slander us, claiming we intend to seize King's Landing."
After speaking, he shrugged, a helpless expression on his face.
Cersei's emerald eyes flickered. She slowly stroked the cup, and without much hesitation, she opened her mouth. "Lord Glyn, how many men can The Whispers mobilize?"
Glyn answered immediately, "Your Majesty, if time is pressing, about two to three thousand soldiers. If we have two or three months, I can mobilize at least ten thousand men and horses for you."
The newly appointed Warden of the East, Jaime, looked at Glyn, his gaze somewhat complicated.
Jaime believed Glyn was not misrepresenting his military strength, nor was there a need to. House Clegane's army had imperceptibly become a force that could not be ignored in the Crownlands.
He recalled his past interactions with Glyn. Thinking back carefully, Glyn had already hinted many times, or rather, shown off the military might of House Clegane.
The things they were plotting in the shadows were fraught with peril. Casterly Rock was too far away... Now that Cersei's safety had an extra layer of protection, Jaime actually felt a great sense of relief. Moreover, he felt the most important thing to be wary of was letting Cersei and Glyn act recklessly.
...
Cersei gave a slight nod. "Lord Glyn, your loyalty pleases me. Await my command."
Cersei's beautiful eyes fixed on Glyn for a moment, and Glyn nodded slightly.
Jaime secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least Cersei understood that they couldn't make any big moves.
A faint smile appeared on Jaime's face. "Glyn, this should be your first time participating in a tourney, right? As long as you prepare well, you might just win a certain young lady's heart."
(end of chapter)