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Game of Thrones: The Sword King
Game of Thrones: From Deserter to Power
Game of Thrones: King of Harrenhal— Garth Greenhand Stat Panel
The Kingsroad, the Crownlands, heading north.
The gold banners emblazoned with black bats snapped in the wind as the knights galloped forward.
Wherever the standard-bearer went, travelers scrambled out of the way.
Arthur led Ser Lucas Dayne, his squires Lucas Roote and Wylis Wode, and the entire retinue back toward Harrenhal.
The Seven Kingdoms were currently in an era of peace and prosperity; the roads were free of cripples and bandits, and the journey was smooth.
The harmonious scene was pleasing to the eye.
However, this wasn't true peace; it was merely the charging phase for the next war.
Robert's Rebellion hadn't truly finished the game. Next would come the Greyjoy Rebellion, followed by the budding War of the Five Kings.
This long summer and this peace were merely the price paid in advance for the bloodiest, cruelest war to come, all to welcome the arrival of winter.
"It feels good to be heading home!" Arthur wore a sharp sword at his waist.
The pommel was shaped like a bat's head, and the crossguard formed two spread wings.
It was the gift from Ser Barristan Selmy.
Arthur could leverage influence and lay plans in King's Landing, but Harrenhal and Whitewalls would always be his foundation.
Unless they held office in King's Landing, most lords resided in their own fiefs.
The lords of the Crownlands, the eastern Riverlands, and the Stormlands were somewhat unique cases.
King's Landing exerted the strongest gravitational pull on them, and many of these lords maintained private manses or businesses within the capital.
---
Arthur's wagons carried goods bound for Harrenhal.
There were also over a dozen beautiful Yew longbows, and the single Goldenheart longbow gifted by the Kingslayer.
This trip to King's Landing had been highly profitable for Arthur.
King's Landing was the great hub for lordly networking, facilitating communication between people like nowhere else.
Power, simply put, was about increasing friends and decreasing enemies.
The Freys and Mootons of the eastern Riverlands, the Rykkers and Thornes of the Crownlands—these were all potential allies.
Even in the western Riverlands, the Brackens and Mallisters were open to negotiation.
As for connections within King's Landing itself, he had secured Ser Barristan and the Commander of the Gold Cloaks, Janos Slynt.
And then there was the man watching from the shadows: Varys, the "Spider."
Although Varys hadn't shown his face, he knew everything.
The Spider would watch, and he would wait.
Relying solely on children who hadn't yet grown, he couldn't yet realize his dream of stealing the sky and changing the sun.
"This trip was well worth it," Ser Lucas said in a deep voice. "Not only did we see a grand ceremony, but we gained much."
"It's a pity we obtained so few Yew longbows and didn't find a good bowyer," Arthur said with some regret.
Being a longbowman was a skilled trade, and a craftsman capable of making longbows was even rarer.
"We do what we can. Getting this many is already good enough."
"Enter King's Landing and see the Seven Kingdoms. King's Landing is King's Landing, after all; it dazzles the eyes." Arthur spurred his horse forward.
As the horses galloped, Arthur sighed internally.
---
Harrenhal, the Kingspyre Tower.
Upon returning from his journey, Arthur went straight to Earl Walter Whent's solar.
Pushing open the heavy oak doors carved with bat motifs, the room was still ridiculously large.
Arthur stood beside the Earl's desk, and the two began to talk.
Inside Earl Walter's room hung an exquisite map of the Seven Kingdoms, with the Riverlands depicted in meticulous detail.
Men were like that; they always loved their own territory the most.
"Renly is still just a child, yet he was promoted directly. I don't know if Robert is generous or just muddled. Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, Lord of Storm's End, taxes and vassals, and no regent," Earl Walter said, clearly shocked. "If King Robert had kept Storm's End as a direct royal holding, the treasury's income would have increased significantly."
Robert was simply too casual.
He spent money fast on one hand, and gave away land and taxes with the other; it felt like his left brain was fighting his right.
Earl Walter was looking at it from a taxation perspective.
Raising taxes in the Seven Kingdoms was incredibly difficult; everything followed ancient precedent.
Territorial taxes were all fixed by percentages.
The King and the High Lords each took a cut, which was the very source of wealth that allowed the High Lords to challenge the King.
Just like in the Riverlands: House Whent paid House Tully, and they also paid the Crown.
Robert could have kept all the tax revenue from the Stormlands for himself.
"The King is magnanimous; he loves his brother," Arthur said calmly. "There is a royal decree, witnessed by the lords of the Seven Kingdoms. The matter is settled."
"Well, no need to dwell on it for now. Renly is still small. Even if Cersei and Stannis are unhappy, they wouldn't dare complain to the King. Besides, even Jon Arryn and Tywin Lannister can't sway the King's mind," Earl Walter mused.
"Did Ser Barristan and the Kingslayer both see you, Arthur?" Earl Walter asked.
"Yes," Arthur nodded. "Both were extremely warm toward me. Ser Barristan gave me a longsword, and Ser Jaime gave me a longbow."
"Jaime, the Kingslayer. I still remember it was right here at Harrenhal that King Aerys named him to the Kingsguard. Your great-uncle helped him to his feet. It's a good thing Tywin wasn't here, or he would have screamed at the King and flipped the table right then and there. Even after slaying the King in the capital, he didn't resign from the White Swords," Earl Walter said slowly. "Let it be. That man has always been like that; even someone as strong as Tywin can't control him. Even considering the past, it's best to keep some distance."
Tywin was such a proud, even petty man.
The Mad King provoked him repeatedly; no wonder Tywin eventually did something drastic.
"I understand," Arthur nodded.
"There is also the matter of the family business," Arthur continued. "Harrenhal's business in King's Landing is booming. To ensure the business thrives, we must make friends. I have pulled the Commander of the Gold Cloaks, Janos Slynt, to our side."
"But is Janos reliable? If he leaves, we'll have to buy a new man," Earl Walter added doubtfully.
"He is a friend of profit; for now, he is reliable. And within the term of the King's reign, I don't see him falling easily," Arthur said simply.
"Hard to fall, is it? Alright," Earl Walter laughed. "That fits the King's style."
Earl Walter understood the logic.
King Robert liked laughter, money, sycophants, warriors, and strong men—people who made him comfortable.
Robert was fickle with women.
But in politics, for the most part, he excelled at inaction and maintaining the status quo.
This set of ministers was this set of ministers; even when they grew old and died, it would still be these people.
Compared to the fickle Mad King, they were practically opposites.
"Good, you handle these matters. Sweet corn, carrots. The money earned from these is the new cornerstone of the family. The last time Robert and Arryn struck, we bled heavily," Earl Walter said with satisfaction. "Part of those gold dragons will be saved, and a small portion will be used to train house soldiers and repair the castle. Peace is not eternal."
"I brought back some Yew longbows..." Arthur added finally. "When the Seven Kingdoms go to war, the Riverlands will bleed."
"Robert styles himself a hero, but being a hero doesn't mean knowing how to rule," Earl Walter mused.
The instability of the Seven Kingdoms was a sign many could see.
The Lion and the Rose—neither were easy characters to deal with, and yet they were the strongest.
But when it would start, and how long the chaos would last, everyone could only guess.
After all, with Robert and Jon Arryn holding things together, it still looked harmonious on the surface.
Earl Walter looked at Arthur, the fire of the past still burning in his heart.
"Every Earl of Harrenhal has had a dream: to surpass House Tully and become the true King of the Trident. They tried, but always ended in failure. back then, I grew close to Rhaegar for that very reason, never expecting Rhaegar would be defeated so thoroughly. Now the hope of the family rests on your shoulders, Arthur."
"You truly have confidence in me. But if I cannot make House Whent prosper, then House Whent shall perish," Arthur said dramatically, though it was the truth.
"Power is a gamble. If we hadn't attacked House Lothston at the end and thrown our lot in with King Maekar, we would still be petty knights," Earl Walter said through gritted teeth, looking at Arthur. "Since you love power, then throw yourself into it."
Arthur looked at his grandfather and nodded.
Situated in the crossroads of war, they were destined to be unable to avoid it; either way, it would be a bloody battle.
Even if they surrendered without a fight, the beastly soldiers led by Tywin would burn their cities and fields regardless.
Harrenhal wasn't the Twins or Seagard; they couldn't hide far away.
"Chaos hides behind peace. And I am determined to prepare on two fronts," Arthur thought, his strategy already formed.
Guide events as they come: develop with one hand, strengthen the army with the other.
As for what the future holds for the realm, the answer was simple.
When the Stag King dies, the Seven Kingdoms divide.