Ever since Dona and her companions mastered the ability to easily control cats and small birds, there were almost no secrets left for them within the Red Keep. The most inconspicuous cats and birds became their most reliable informants.
Except for Urax, whom they dared not approach due to his terrifying dragon's intuition, they had thoroughly investigated even the secret passages within the Red Keep, knowing them inside and out.
According to the information they provided, Harold had led the Dragon Guard in a complete sweep of the Red Keep's secret passages, even producing precise maps. Furthermore, all the passages that had been damaged or blocked due to disrepair over the years were fully restored.
However, some tunnels were too small for adults to enter, and it was thanks to the help of the children from the Orphanage that the work was successfully completed.
To fully utilize these passages, Dean Ogian, the new Master of Whispers and head of the Orphanage, specifically adopted and purchased a large number of dwarves under the guise of recruiting jesters for the court.
In this world, the status of dwarves was actually no different from that of pets or livestock, and often even lower.
Even Tyrion, the small yet cunning dwarf, who came from the Duke's family of the Westerlands in later generations, despite being a noble, was despised by the entire Lannister Family and the nobility of the Seven Kingdoms.
In fact, there were many dwarves like the Imp in noble castles across the Seven Kingdoms; they appeared to be nobles, but their actual status was quite the opposite.
It can be seen from paintings in various castles that records of keeping dwarves existed since the castles of the Andals were built.
Initially, this was merely a peculiar hobby of certain nobles, simply for fun, to amuse themselves with dwarves. Later, keeping dwarves became a fashion, and dwarves gradually became 'pets' for princes and nobles to show off, trade, and give as gifts.
After the Targaryen Dynasty was established, common dwarves considered it an honor to enter the court. This was the best way for them to make a living. In the Red Keep, they could enjoy abundant material life, come into contact with true high society, and even support an entire family.
Many people, driven by personal desires, even came up with the perverse idea of "artificial dwarves," using deformed methods to send dwarves into the palace for trade.
With the development of dwarf culture, dwarves appeared more and more frequently at important occasions. During Maegor's reign, dwarf culture reached its peak in the Seven Kingdoms.
The beloved dwarf, Black sausage, often appeared in portraits of King Maegor and his queen. He was always dressed in luxurious clothes, like a small noble, appearing in various scenes.
In the eyes of the public at the time, these short-statured dwarves seemed to have become nobles in some sense. But in the eyes of true nobles, they were completely treated as mere pets.
Almost every prince and noble had such a portrait. Dwarves became regular features in these portraits.
Of course, in the paintings, these dwarves weren't just posing or showing their faces; a certain "technique" was required.
First, the placement of the dwarf was very particular. They usually appeared in three positions: in the corner of the painting, on the same horizontal line as the main character; behind the main character, with only a part of their body showing; or at the very front of the painting, standing below the main character.
Secondly, the dwarf's expression had to be on point. Their gaze must convey gratitude, reverence, and flattery, indicating a master-servant relationship. Therefore, generally, the dwarf would look at the main character to highlight the main character's noble status.
Finally, the dwarf's clothing also needed attention. The more distinguished the person, the more lavishly dressed their dwarf would be. The attire of an ordinary noble's dwarf would be completely different from that of a queen's dwarf.
In many paintings, for example, a painting hanging in the Throne Room titled "Maegor I and His Queens Going to the Hunting Grounds." In the lower left corner of the painting, there is a small dwarf pulling two hounds. Dogs have always been a symbol of loyalty, and here, connecting the dog and the dwarf means that the dwarf, like a dog, loyally accompanies his master.
Therefore, these dwarves outwardly enjoyed a dignified life like nobles, but in reality, they were like animals, only able to survive by relying on their master's favor. Once they lost their master's favor, their fate was the same as animals: forgotten and abandoned.
This trend somewhat abated during the reign of King Jaehaerys, largely because the kind Queen Alysanne was not fond of taking pleasure in such a distorted aesthetic.
However, Storm's End in the Stormlands and Casterly Rock in the Westerlands became the new leaders of dwarf culture.
It is said that Boros kept over a hundred dwarves and equipped them with specialized armor and weapons, amusing himself daily by having them practice military formations. Whenever he drank to his heart's content, he would even personally enter the fray, slaughtering these dwarves, turning them upside down, to display his bravery.
Duke Lannister played even more elaborately, even having dwarves mate with his hounds, foolishly attempting to breed a new species. What's more infuriating is that, instigated and inspired by who knows whom, he even had several dwarf children raised in golden vases from a young age, proudly naming them "Golden Dwarf Flowers"!
The dwarves recruited by Dean Ogian were all housed in a dedicated attic in the Red Keep, and their living conditions were quite good. Daenerys sponsored them with one hundred thousand gold dragons monthly for the operation of the dwarf team.
Ostensibly, their main purpose was to rehearse various court performances. So, there were special teachers to teach them reading, writing, and various noble histories and etiquette.
In reality, their true work was to monitor the court officials in the Red Keep through the Red Keep's secret passages. Or, at various banquets, to gather information about the major families through the nobles' servants and playthings.
And with Daenerys's financial support, the dwarf team also gathered many bards, down-and-out actors, mercenary knights, and other idle people, forming a dwarf theater troupe in King's Landing that toured the Seven Kingdoms. This way, their information network gradually expanded even further.
Sometimes, the more inconspicuous the corner, the more truth can be unearthed. Never underestimate any inconspicuous small person; in a noble's castle, even flowers and stones can sometimes speak.
Dona, using her little birds, discovered the secret that Count Reyes and Count Tucker were going to join forces against the Frey Family.
However, the dwarf intelligence system knew why Count Tucker agreed to Count Reyes's invitation. It turned out that the Stark had invested most of their family's funds in long-distance ocean trade six months prior.
Although they endured countless hardships, they finally brought back a considerable fortune from the continent of Essos in the east. Unfortunately, they coincidentally ran into the war in the Stepstones, and most of their ships were plundered by pirates.
The few lucky three-masted ships that escaped were plundered again while resting in Oldtown. Although Daenerys managed to save the ships, the remaining wealth was all lost. Coupled with three months of starting a business and the Winter, the Stark was almost on the verge of bankruptcy.
That's why they couldn't resist Count Reyes's temptation of gold dragons and agreed to his request for an alliance. In fact, besides the Stark, Count Reyes also contacted many other minor nobles in similar dire straits.
Many people chose to bend their knees in the face of reality, but the influence of those families was truly insignificant, merely serving as filler in Count Reyes's eyes.
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