The following day.
The Small Council Chamber.
Galon sat in the seat of the Hand of the King.
Opposite him sat Lady Olenna, the Queen of Thorns.
Since Gendry had not yet arrived in King's Landing, he could not appoint the new members of the Small Council.
Therefore, after confirming the situation in King's Landing and other important intelligence with Varys, Galon had Pycelle send ravens to the lords of the Seven Kingdoms, summoning them to King's Landing to swear fealty to the new king.
With that, the meeting of the Small Council came to an end.
Afterward, Galon summoned Lady Olenna.
Now came the most important matter after taking control of King's Landing: extracting concessions from the Reach.
"Lady Olenna, I believe we should discuss the Reach's support for the false king Joffrey."
Olenna's heart tightened.
"Lord Hand, are you going back on your word?
I distinctly remember that boy from Flea Bottom saying yesterday that only the chief offenders would be punished."
Galon nodded.
"That's right. I instructed Ser Hughley to say exactly that.
But there was another condition. You had to open the city gates and surrender.
My lady, the man who opened those gates for me yesterday was Lord Tywin Lannister."
Olenna's expression froze.
But soon, a smile appeared in her cloudy eyes.
"In that case, Hand of the King, I have a proposal.
King Gendry is presumably still unmarried. My granddaughter is sweet and gentle, as you have already seen.
Why not make her Queen? That way..."
Galon shook his head and interrupted her. "Lady Olenna, you should give up on the idea of a marriage alliance."
He paused before adding meaningfully,
"In the Riverlands, King Gendry has already been betrothed to Lady Arya of Winterfell. The Vale and the Riverlands can both testify to it."
The revelation shocked Lady Olenna.
"The king... is already betrothed?"
"Of course."
"The Vale and the Riverlands can both confirm it."
Galon spoke calmly.
When he had originally arranged the marriage between the North and Gendry, his purpose had not only been to unite the other factions.
He had also intended to exclude House Tyrell from the alliance.
Gendry's queen could be Arya.
She could even be a Martell princess.
But she absolutely could not be Margaery Tyrell.
The reason was simple.
Lady Olenna, the calculating Queen of Thorns, was the sort of woman who could turn the smallest opening into an opportunity.
If she were given even the slightest foothold, she would climb higher and higher until eventually Gendry slipped completely beyond Galon's control.
Now that the marriage alliance was impossible, Olenna's expression immediately turned cold.
"Then what exactly do you wish to discuss with me?
That my grandsons died because of you?
Or that thirty thousand soldiers from the Reach, along with countless nobles, also died at your hands?"
Galon idly played with the quill in his hand.
"Battlefields have no eyes. Life and death are matters of fate.
Once someone steps onto a battlefield, they must be prepared to pay with their life.
What? Are you blaming me for killing them?"
A sharp light flashed through Olenna's eyes.
"But they had families!
Lord Hand, think about it. Do you really believe the families of those men will simply let this go?
If House Tyrell did not exist..."
"Then let them come."
Galon raised his voice and interrupted her again.
"A bunch of ants... If I can crush them once, I can crush them a second time."
Olenna was furious.
She stared at Galon for a long moment. When she realized that intimidation would not work, she changed tactics.
"Ah, Lord Hand, you misunderstand me.
My two grandsons were simply unlucky. They foolishly followed that idiot Tywin onto the battlefield.
They have paid the price.
But you are the famous Kingmaker, renowned throughout the realm for your fairness and honor.
Surely you do not intend to completely destroy us, an old woman and her family?"
Galon shook his head.
He remained unmoved by either kindness or threats.
"Precisely because of that, we need to settle this matter quickly.
Otherwise, once King Gendry arrives, if he decides that the Reach is still in rebellion, things could become very unpleasant.
My lady, don't you agree?"
Looking at Galon's calm expression, Olenna finally understood how difficult this Hand, who was barely older than Margaery, would be to deal with.
She remained silent for a long time.
She knew that unless the Reach paid a price, it would be impossible to get through the current crisis.
Finally, she asked calmly, "What does the king require before he will forgive us?"
Galon smiled slightly and named an astronomical figure.
"To compensate for your support of the Lannisters and the crimes committed alongside them, the king demands five million gold dragons and all the grain stored in the Reach."
Bang!
Olenna slammed her hand against the table and rose to her feet.
"Impossible!
Five million gold dragons? And all our grain?
Lord Hand, you might as well take these old bones and use them as food. Let's see how many people they can feed."
Galon spoke leisurely.
"I know it is a great deal."
"But compared with what the Lannisters are paying, the Reach has gotten off lightly."
He looked directly at Olenna, his expression suddenly resembling that of a predator.
"The Lannisters of the Westerlands must not only repay their debts to the Iron Bank, but also pay another five million gold dragons to the Iron Throne.
Furthermore, they must surrender Golden Tooth to the Riverlands and Fair Isle to the Ironborn.
My lady, if you are willing to surrender territory, I can petition the king to reduce part of the gold or grain demanded from the Reach."
Olenna's eyes widened.
"Impossible. Tywin would never agree to such demands!"
Galon calmly replied, "Lord Tywin will soon be heading to the Wall."
"He has neither the time nor the authority to concern himself with these matters anymore.
I am certain that among the many Lannisters, there will be someone willing to pay the price to become the new Lord of Casterly Rock.
Don't you agree?"
Olenna was speechless.
If she were a lesser branch of House Lannister, she suspected she might also be willing to surrender such wealth in exchange for the title of Lord of Casterly Rock.
"Two million gold dragons and thirty thousand wagonloads of grain."
After calculating for a while, she offered her counterproposal.
"My lady, I advise you to think more carefully." Galon smiled, but his words carried an unmistakable edge.
"Lord Randyll Tarly was the first to swear fealty to the king.
I cannot guarantee that His Majesty will not consider making another choice... For example, choosing a new ruler for the Reach."
Olenna's expression changed instantly.
Galon's words had struck directly at her greatest weakness.
House Tyrell had always been regarded by many Reach nobles as upstarts.
Old and powerful houses such as the Tarlys and Florents had long watched Highgarden with ambition.
"You devil!"
She gripped the table tightly, grinding her teeth.
"Two million gold dragons and forty thousand wagonloads of grain. That is my final offer.
Otherwise, let Randyll Tarly try to take Highgarden."
"Two million gold dragons and fifty thousand wagonloads of grain."
Galon finally stated his own bottom line and settled the matter decisively.
"In exchange, I guarantee that House Tyrell will remain Wardens of the South, and King Gendry will pardon your support for the false king Joffrey."
Lady Olenna stared deeply at Galon.
In the end, she slowly nodded.
"Deal."
Fifty thousand wagonloads of grain was a huge amount, but for the Reach and Highgarden, it was not enough to cripple them.
After all, Westeros had enjoyed ten years of a long summer.
The Reach was the most fertile breadbasket in the realm, and over the years it had accumulated more grain than it could possibly consume.
Seeing Olenna agree, Galon finally smiled with satisfaction.
He changed his previously aggressive tone and offered the Tyrells another small reward.
"At present, almost all the positions on the Small Council are vacant.
Once the king arrives, I can recommend Lord Mace Tyrell as Master of Ships.
What do you think?"
Olenna was nearly speechless.
Her son had already been Master of Ships under Joffrey.
After paying such an enormous price, he was still only getting the same position.
"Very well. Let it be as the Hand wishes.
But fifty thousand wagonloads of grain is an enormous amount. Highgarden will need time."
Galon nodded.
He had anticipated this problem.
"Exactly. So the fifty thousand wagonloads do not need to be delivered all at once.
They will be sent in three shipments.
Each shipment will be loaded at Oldtown, sail around Dorne, and then be transported to White Harbor.
The first shipment will consist of fifteen thousand wagonloads. Send word to Highgarden immediately."
Olenna listened as Galon carefully explained every detail of his plan for transporting grain to the North.
How could she not understand?
She had already become a piece of meat in his eyes.
'Very good.'
'What a Glover.'
She clenched her teeth and struggled to maintain her composure.
'I'll swallow this loss. But there is plenty of time ahead. I'll see how long you can keep smiling.'
Galon noticed her expression but did not care.
Once the grain arrived, the North would have enough food to support a much larger population throughout the long winter, including the wildlings and the people of Skagos.
With population came strength.
With strength, Galon would have the resources needed to bring the Seven Kingdoms under control.
In the end, this world still came down to whose fist was stronger.
After Galon finished explaining the arrangement, Olenna returned to her residence with a dark expression.
Margaery saw the anger on her grandmother's face and assumed that Galon had rejected her hopes of becoming queen.
"Grandmother, why did Glover reject us?"
"Reject us?" Olenna said irritably, "That savage from the North has an astonishing appetite."
"He intends to strip us bare and swallow us whole."
Margaery was completely confused.
She blinked playfully and walked behind her grandmother, massaging her shoulders.
"Grandmother, what happened?"
Olenna shook her head and told her everything that had happened.
"That Glover from the North has more cunning than a direwolf, more strength than a lion, more endurance than an eagle, and is better at winning allies than a trout."
"Just watch."
She gently touched her granddaughter's hand.
"With him as Hand of the King, our good days are coming to an end."
Margaery, however, smiled.
"Grandmother, I don't think that is necessarily true.
Don't forget, no matter how powerful Glover becomes, he is still only the Hand.
The ruler of this kingdom is still a Baratheon. If Glover angers the stag, can he really remain in King's Landing?"
She gently tapped Olenna's shoulder.
"Besides, he is betrothed to a Stark girl. Sooner or later, he will have to return to Winterfell."
Olenna froze.
Then she understood.
"That's right.
House Stark has only two girls left. Glover must remain in the North and defend it against the wildlings.
Once he leaves..."
She sneered.
"That young Stark girl is only ten years old. She still has three or four years before she can marry.
As long as we find a way, we can always lure the king away from the North."
Olenna was quite confident about this.
After all, that was how her own marriage had been arranged.
Olenna patted Margaery's hand and smiled.
"When the king returns, my granddaughter, everything will depend on you."
Margaery smiled sweetly and agreed.
Yet the tall figure of Galon suddenly appeared in her mind.
"Glover...?"
She murmured the name to herself before pushing the strange feeling deep into her heart.
Time passed.
Five days later.
Gendry Baratheon arrived in King's Landing under the protection of Riverlands soldiers.
Inside the great hall of the Red Keep, the atmosphere was lively, yet there was a subtle tension beneath it.
Gendry sat upon the towering Iron Throne, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
He watched as the Hand he had appointed read through a series of postwar arrangements and appointments.
These included the punishments imposed upon the Reach and the Westerlands.
Gendry did not understand much of it.
He also did not understand why the North needed so much grain.
However, when he heard that he would receive millions of gold dragons from the Westerlands and the Reach, his expression became noticeably more pleased.
Soon, however, his attention was captured by a brown-haired girl standing in the hall.
A rose was embroidered upon her clothing.
Could she be Margaery Tyrell, the former betrothed of the false king Joffrey?
The thought crossed Gendry's mind.
He became distracted and accidentally met Margaery's eyes.
Gendry awkwardly tried to look away.
But Margaery had already lowered her head shyly.
A moment later, she secretly looked up at him again.
When she noticed that Gendry was still looking at her, her cheeks reddened and she quickly lowered her head again.
The sight made Gendry smile involuntarily.
"Heh..."
"Hm?"
Galon turned around in confusion.
"Your Majesty, do you have any objections to the arrangements for the Westerlands?"
Gendry immediately returned to reality and shook his head.
"No, no. Do as you say."
Galon nodded and continued.
"As for the appointment of the new Lord of Casterly Rock, we will make the decision after the remaining Lannisters arrive in King's Landing.
As part of the surrender terms, Tywin Lannister and Jaime Lannister will take the black and join the Night's Watch.
As for Cersei Lannister and her children..."
At that moment, Gendry suddenly stood up and interrupted him.
"Cersei...
That woman killed my... she killed King Robert.
She also killed Arya's father.
I want that whore and those bastards put on trial before the Great Sept of Baelor!"
Galon's brow furrowed slightly.
He shook his head.
"Your Majesty, no."
"Why?"
Gendry looked bewildered.
"I promised Arya that I would avenge her father."
"Don't you want to avenge Lord Stark?"
Galon explained, "Because she was King Robert's queen."
"Although her actions violated the law and angered the gods, she was still your father's wife and queen in name.
If Your Majesty puts her on public trial, all her crimes and scandals will be exposed to the realm.
Your father's honor and the honor of House Baratheon would be dragged through the mud.
You may execute her.
But you cannot put her on public trial."
The words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Gendry's head.
Honor?
His father's reputation?
What honor did Robert Baratheon still possess?
Everyone already knew that he had been publicly humiliated by his wife's infidelity.
Gendry clenched his fists and instinctively looked around, hoping someone would support him.
But everywhere he looked, he saw people loyal to Galon.
The only Kingsguard commander who truly served him, Ser Barristan, also shook his head.
Gendry understood.
Barristan was warning him not to oppose Galon.
A deep sense of frustration and helplessness filled Gendry's heart.
"Honor... always honor..." Gendry collapsed back onto the Iron Throne, his voice bitter.
"Fine."
"I'll listen to you, lord Hand. For the sake of... House Baratheon's honor."
Galon nodded as though he had not noticed the resentment in Gendry's eyes.
Olenna witnessed the entire exchange.
A smile immediately appeared in her heart. 'The opportunity has arrived even sooner than I expected.'
After the meeting ended, Galon continued fulfilling his duties as Hand of the King.
Besides honoring his promises to his allies, he also gradually loosened his restrictions on King's Landing.
At this crucial moment, Varys helped Tyrion leave King's Landing and travel to Meereen.
Tyrion's disappearance caused no major disturbance.
Or rather, no one particularly cared whether a dwarf lived or died.
Even if that dwarf had once been a Lannister.
As the days passed, the lords of the Westerlands, the Reach, and the Stormlands gradually arrived in King's Landing.
One after another, they knelt before Gendry Baratheon and swore their allegiance.
On the surface, King's Landing was slowly recovering from the wounds of war.
But deep within the Red Keep, the cracks were quietly growing wider.
To Gendry, Galon was simply too dominant.
Every decree, every appointment, every military movement came from the Tower of the Hand rather than the Iron Throne.
Although Gendry was technically the king, he increasingly felt like little more than a puppet whose role was to stamp documents.
His resentment continued to grow.
Then, during a feast, Margaery used the opportunity while raising a toast to whisper into his ear,
"That Northerner looks more like the master of this castle than Your Majesty."
The resentment Gendry had accumulated finally erupted.
He began deliberately rejecting some of Galon's minor proposals, trying to reclaim a little of his dignity as king.
The newly appointed Lord of Casterly Rock, Davon Lannister, also sensed an opportunity.
Every few days, he complained to Gendry.
He wanted the king to revoke the orders surrendering Golden Tooth and Fair Isle.
Davon was even willing to offer Gendry several million additional gold dragons.
But Gendry did not dare agree.
The matter involved the Riverlands and the Iron Islands. Without Galon, it was far beyond his ability to handle.
Galon saw every little move being made by the Westerlands and the Reach.
Yet he did nothing to stop them.
To some extent, he was even quietly encouraging them.
Galon was waiting for an opportunity. An opportunity to withdraw from King's Landing.
The Others were drawing closer to the North.
He had no time to remain in King's Landing playing childish political games with these people.
'The wildlings need to be dealt with as well. And there is the dragon on Skagos.'
'I need Asha to return to the Iron Islands and send the dragon horn to Deepwood Motte.'
'Though, judging by how she's been feeling sick these past few days, she is probably pregnant.'
During this period, Asha had spent much of her time staying at the Tower of the Hand.
Fortunately, Galon had the favor of the Old Gods, otherwise even he might not have been able to withstand Asha's relentless demands.
Just then, however, a messenger sent by Brynden from Riverrun finally arrived in King's Landing.
Inside the council chamber, he presented Galon with a letter from Winterfell.
"What?"
"The Wall has fallen to the wildlings?!"
Galon held the letter in his hand and shouted in shock.
The other Northern lords immediately panicked.
"My lord, when did this happen?"
"Forget when it happened. We must return to the North as quickly as possible!"
"Yes, my lord. The war is over. We should go home!"
The Northern lords argued noisily inside the council chamber. The other nobles who heard the news all revealed looks of anticipation.
Sure enough.
Galon slowly removed the badge of the Hand of the King from his clothing.
"Your Majesty, the North has come under attack by the wildlings. I must return and defend the North for you.
Therefore, I ask permission to resign as Hand of the King."
Gendry immediately became somewhat flustered.
Although he had grown dissatisfied with Galon during this period, he also knew that he could not manage the kingdom without him.
"Lord Hand, the North is under the protection of House Stark. They should be responsible for its defense.
Your duty is to govern the Seven Kingdoms for me. You can remain in King's Landing and coordinate everything."
Galon shook his head and put on an expression of gratitude.
"Your Majesty, the North has fought so many battles in succession that our forces are already stretched to their limits.
I must return personally and take command.
However, before I leave, I need Your Majesty's support and authorization.
As for the grain from the Reach..."
Mace Tyrell, the newly appointed Master of Ships, could not have been happier to see Glover leave.
He immediately spoke.
"Your Majesty, Hand of the King.
The first shipment of fifteen thousand wagonloads of grain has already departed.
By the time the Hand reaches the Neck, I believe the grain should have arrived at White Harbor."
Galon nodded.
"In that case, Your Majesty, you should appoint a new Hand as soon as possible."
Gendry saw that Galon had already made up his mind to leave.
He could only ask, "Lord Glover, do you have anyone suitable in mind?"
"Your Majesty, lord Edmure Tully is one of your most loyal supporters. He is honorable and just."
He is the obvious choice for Hand of the King."
Galon named Edmure without hesitation.
The Riverlands nobles were immediately delighted.
The Westerlands and Reach tried to make their own arguments, but Gendry quickly made the decision.
"Very well."
"Lord Edmure Tully will serve as the new Hand."
Compared with the nobles who had only recently surrendered, Gendry was more willing to trust the people who had accompanied him from the beginning.
Galon watched calmly as Edmure knelt and thanked him.
Five days later.
After everything had been prepared, the allied forces of the North, the Vale, the Riverlands, and the Iron Islands were formally disbanded.
Asha's uncle, Lord Harlaw, led the Iron Fleet home to the Iron Islands, loaded with treasure.
After confirming that Asha was pregnant, she and a portion of the Ironborn returned to the Iron Islands through the Ironman's Bay in the Riverlands.
Galon sent several of his own guards with them and instructed them to retrieve the dragon horn.
Lord Royce led most of the Vale soldiers back to the Vale.
In gratitude for the consideration Galon had shown him when dividing the spoils, he sent his son, Andar Royce, with three thousand cavalry to the North to help fight the wildlings.
Half a month later.
The enormous army reached the Trident crossing and divided in different directions.
Once, Robb had led more than twenty thousand Northern soldiers south to war.
A month later, Galon returned north with only a little more than five thousand Northern soldiers.
Another month passed.
Galon finally arrived at his loyal Winterfell.
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