The Glory of the Seven Gods of Ice and Fire

Chapter 224 The Collapse of Balance

Kevan Lannister was very distressed, as the development of events was beyond his imagination.

The tragedy that happened in the Strait of Tyrosh has reached King's Landing. At first, the news was unbelievable. What sea monsters, what fishmen, what are these? But as more and more news came, and more and more people confirmed the news, people had to admit this fact.

Naturally, the truth of the tragic news that the Iron Throne fleet was almost wiped out is self-evident.

The entire King's Landing was shocked, especially those communities along the harbor, which were the main source of sailors for the Southern Fleet and the Royal Fleet. In an instant, almost every household lost husbands and sons, and one community after another fell into endless pain and sorrow.

This tragic defeat greatly shook the prestige of the Iron Throne. People began to doubt whether the alliance of the Lion and the Rose could really hold on to the Iron Throne. All kinds of outrageous rumors were spreading in King's Landing. One moment, the Seven Kingdoms in the East had joined Stannis, the next moment, Dorne had sent troops north to take revenge, and the next moment, Euron was leading a fleet to plunder the coast. In short, King's Landing was very unstable.

However, these are just minor problems, Kevan thought. Before Stannis counterattacks Westeros and reaches the walls of King's Landing, these things will not be considered problems. For the current Iron Throne court, the most fatal thing is that the conflict between the queen and the queen mother has become apparent.

Damn it, I should have married Cersei earlier. Kevan regretted his decision at that time, but it was a pity that regret was useless.

When the news came that the Iron Throne's army had suffered a disastrous defeat in the East, Queen Margaery fell into an unprecedented anxiety. This was not surprising, as her father and brothers were all in the army in the East, and anyone would have shown such an attitude.

Cersei was being sarcastic without any disguising her feelings. Her hypocritical attitude even disgusted Kevan, who even wanted to scold his niece.

As the one being mocked, Queen Margaery was no longer so gentle this time. Instead, she yelled at Cersei directly, denouncing her inexplicable hostility towards her. Her attitude shocked all the ministers. This was the first time they saw the little queen lose her composure like this. Joffrey was so frightened by the angry Margaery that he dared not speak. As for Cersei, she still had that smug look on her face, as if she had won a big battle.

In the end, in order to prevent herself from further losing her composure, Queen Margaery left the throne room on her own, leaving an awkward meeting place. Joffrey watched his wife leave, then looked at his mother, and finally chose to follow his wife - naturally, his niece was angry again.

As we all know, there are no secrets hidden in the Red Castle. This problem was originally solved a lot when Jon Arryn reshaped the power structure of the Iron Throne, but with Cersei's chaos during that time, the problem resurfaced.

As we all know, the capital is a place where all kinds of people gather, and the Red Keep cannot hide any secrets. Originally, this problem was solved a lot when Jon Arryn reshaped the power structure of the Iron Throne. However, with Cersei's chaos during that time, the bureaucratic system of the Iron Throne suffered a severe blow, and many people who escaped the disaster had to consider their own way out, and this problem resurfaced.

Almost overnight, the quarrel between the queen and the queen mother spread throughout King's Landing. People in the capital were rumored that the alliance between the Lannisters and the Tyrells was crumbling and was about to fall out. Even the armies of the two families stationed in King's Landing were affected, and relations became tense.

After all, Tyrell had just suffered a crushing defeat in the East, and even the Duke of Riverbank was trapped in the East. The atmosphere was already extremely tense. For Tyrell's enemies, this was a good opportunity to add insult to injury.

The best way to solve this problem is undoubtedly to let Cersei and Margaery appear in public together to show the unity of the two families. Margaery, who tried to recover her mood, agreed, but Cersei was unwilling to do so. She didn't think she had done anything wrong at all, and instead accused Kevan of not standing with her and putting further pressure on Tyrell.

Now when Kevan recalled these twisted ideas, he wanted to curse. Tywin was so rational and smart, why didn't his two sons take over the business, but instead left behind a daughter like this!
Although he was angry, the problem had to be solved. Since the person involved was unwilling, Kevan could only take a roundabout way. He found the Archbishop and asked him to come forward to calm people's hearts.

Since the expedition, the authority of the Church of the Seven has been growing. Whether the king and lords are willing to admit it or not, the fact is that the High Bishop is no longer a puppet manipulated by the powerful in Westeros. His status as a joke among the people has long since changed. The people may still look at those impious High Bishops with contempt, but the era when this position lacked prestige is over.

However, such measures are only a temporary solution and not a fundamental solution. The people in King's Landing may say that the misunderstanding has been sorted out, but they will probably spread those rumors and jokes again. Kevan thought darkly that he still had to let Cersei come out to cooperate and calm people's hearts.

In addition, a fleet must be prepared to bring back Lord Mace and the army. This is also a troublesome matter. Requisitioning civilian ships and reorganizing the fleet both require a lot of time and money. Fortunately, River Bay has plenty of money. In order to get her son back, the Queen of Thorns has expressed her willingness to bear the cost of reorganizing the fleet.

The defeat of the king's army also made the defeated ones a little restless, but fortunately they were defeated thoroughly. South of the Neck, there are Frey in the Three Rivers, Tyrell in the Riverbend, and Baelish in the Vale... The power of these allies or vassals is enough to suppress those who have been eliminated. For example, there are only some minor disturbances in the Riverlands now, and Frey is enough to deal with these troubles.

As for the North, Tyrosh is so far away that this incident has no impact on the icy and snowy North. Stark and Bolton are still recruiting troops and preparing for the upcoming war.

However, recently there was news coming from the East that Eddard Stark was alive. Kevan and the Small Council were extremely surprised by this news. Everyone thought that Eddard Stark was already dead, but now he had walked out of the mines in Braavos alive.

If this news is true, the Lannister policy towards the North will have to change. Kevan thought that the return of Eddard Stark would undoubtedly greatly improve the Stark family, which is now headed by a young lord. Although Roose Bolton has accumulated considerable prestige in the Eastern Expedition over the years, Eddard is the orthodox lord of the North after all, and his prestige has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in the North. The civil war is likely to end with Stark's victory.

If the Lannisters and Freys did not go north, the situation would likely develop in a direction they did not want.

However, this is not what the Lannisters should focus on now. They must first solve the problem at hand.

Ah, and there's that guy Euron. As for this madman, Kevan really couldn't figure out why he went to Tyrosh to do all this. Although he had heard rumors about sacrifices, these contents seemed too ridiculous to Kevan and didn't seem like the real situation.

This guy Euron, he had discussed this guy in depth with Tywin before. Although this guy's behaviors were indeed crazy, he was also full of wisdom inside. Just like he chose to submit to Robert and never had a conflict with the Iron Throne for more than ten years, Euron never did anything that was truly unreasonable. Behind those crazy behaviors, there was usually a deep meaning.

Of course, this madman can be put aside for now. After all, that guy disappeared after the massacre in the strait, and no one knows where he went. In comparison, Kevan is more worried about Hugo now. He is worried that this defeat will make this Eastern warlord have some different thoughts.

Although Hugo accepted Princess Myrcella, if he was determined, a hostage and empty promises would not stop him. If the East joined the civil war and joined Stannis or some other challenger, the kingdom would have to face another difficult war.

Seven Gods, this is really...

Kevan was groaning in his heart, but at this moment, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He lowered his head and saw that a crossbow arrow had pierced his abdomen at some point.

Kevan subconsciously covered the wound with his hand, but the blood still gushed out. He shouted loudly, but no one responded - no, someone appeared, but he was not here to save him.

"Lord Kevan, stop making trouble and go away peacefully. No one will come. There are only you and me around here now."

A figure walked out of the shadows. It was a figure he was very familiar with, Varys, the eunuch. Damn it, I should have expected that this bastard from the former dynasty was definitely not an honest person. I should have been wary of him as I was of Cersei.

Kevan's emotions surged. He wanted to speak, but only blood came to his mouth. His throat made a dying sound. He tried to stretch his hands to do something, but his body no longer had the strength to do so.

"Lord Kevan, are you confused and angry? Just go and see the Seven Gods with peace of mind. I will let you go with a clear mind." The eunuch said as he quietly strung the crossbow.

"As you can see, I am indeed not a loyal subject of the kingdom. I also have my own side and have chosen the person I want to join. But don't worry, this person is definitely not your niece. I will not hand over the kingdom to a stupid, cruel bastard who only cares about personal gain, even if she or he is from the most noble bloodline." "Once upon a time, I made an agreement with a close friend to assist a true king to ascend the throne, rather than letting a madman, a prodigal or a drunkard sit on the Iron Throne; however, things are unpredictable. The kingdom that originally settled in Westeros has expanded its influence to the end of the world, and the drunkard has transformed himself into an unprecedented conquering king. At this point, my friend and I have basically given up our previous plans. He took the blood of the true king to establish a foundation in the East, and I, a eunuch with no worries, stayed in King's Landing with peace of mind, serving the king wholeheartedly for my own glory and wealth."

"What a pity, fate is so cruel." Varys walked closer and closer, and in Kevan's eyes, the figure of the stranger was getting closer and closer. "The great conquering king collapsed halfway, and his successor was a paranoid female lunatic and a violent little Maegor; no, Maegor suppressed the turmoil caused by his brother, and Joffrey would only continue to destroy the kingdom... So, I finally chose to take action. I may not care whether the achievements of King Robert and Prime Minister Arryn can continue, but I can never tolerate a mad king and an even crazier queen mother. Instead of waiting for them to give the order to kill me, I would rather take the initiative to attack this cracked castle again and watch it collapse - what's more, there are people who are more suitable to sit on the throne watching all this?"

"Hugo..." Kevan thought of this name again. On the one hand, he allied with the Lannisters, and on the other hand, he secretly undermined the Lannisters' efforts, watching the Iron Throne further fall into ruin. "Why is he doing this? Is he so sure that he can ignore the remaining power of Baratheon and the opinions of the kingdom's lords, and openly rebel against the kingdom like everyone else, and sit firmly on the throne in the devastated Westeros?"

"But, surrendering is hard to convince the other party without a letter of surrender." After a moment of distraction, Kevan saw Varys walk up to him and raise the crossbow at a safe distance. Judging from its shape, it was a good product used by the Stag Guards. No wonder the arrow was so deadly, and no wonder he was so leisurely. It seemed he had been planning this for a long time.

"So, I have to give that person a small gift, and you are a very good 'gift'. As long as you die, no one in the Lannister family will be able to stop your niece's crazy behavior; she thinks she is a real man who has chosen the wrong person, huh, she is just a foolish woman who is destined to be infamous for thousands of years. From now on, the Iron Throne will undoubtedly become more and more chaotic, which will provide more opportunities for the one I support. Although I don't know what he is waiting for, he must be happy to see your death. As for me? I have no descendants, so why should I care about my reputation after death? I believe that person will also know what I need."

Varys shot another arrow at Kevan, and the severely wounded Lannister thought of his wife and children. He was about to die, and they were the first thing he thought of. He prayed that they could survive the next turmoil, the larger and more ruthless factions and wars.

"Well, sir, let me take you away."

Varys came before Kevan with a toughness and determination that was completely inconsistent with the impression of everyone in the Red Castle, and then without hesitation, he thrust the dagger into Kevan's chest. The action was very familiar and almost gentle, but it also brought Kevan his destined death.

After finishing all this, Varys drew out his dagger, put away his crossbow, and then looked around for a moment, as if he wanted to remember something in front of him. Then, without hesitation, he entered the secret passage he came from and left without looking back.

.

When Cersei learned that Kevan was dead, she suddenly realized that the first thing that came to her mind was irrepressible ecstasy.

The reason for her ecstasy was very simple. With Kevan's death, Cersei became the eldest of Tytos' bloodline in Westeros. Even though she was a girl, no one could stop her from inheriting Casterly Rock, and no one could stop her from sitting on the throne that she should have inherited long ago.

This was something she had been looking forward to for a long time. Neither her father nor her uncle trusted her, nor did they think she was a qualified ruler. But they were wrong, so wrong. There was no doubt that she was a real Lannister. If it had not been for the obstruction of her father and uncle, the traitors and tyrants would have surrendered long ago, and Westeros would have been stable and peaceful in her hands.

Thinking of this, Cersei felt a surge of anger in her heart. She already knew about the defeat in the East. In her opinion, it was caused by the inflatable fish and Uncle Gillian. If only her Jaime was still here.

Ah, Jaime, thinking of her dead twin brother, Cersei couldn't help but feel resentful. He died at such a bad time. If he were here, she would basically not have to show up and could grasp the power. With her own political strategy and Jaime's bravery, how could the kingdom be so passive?

The queen mother couldn't help but look at the iron guard armor of Jaime. When she realized that Jaime would never come back, Cersei asked the courtiers who were in charge of the funeral to take down his armor and sword and put them in a corner of the room. She had loved many people and hated many people, but who could replace Jaime? They had come to the world together, as if they were two strands of souls, but now one of them has dissipated first... Even Rhaegar could not fill her current sadness.

Similarly, how sad she was about the death of one brother, how angry she was about the other brother still alive. The prophecy is coming true step by step, first with laughter, then with tears, this is no coincidence, in fact, Cersei is very suspicious of Tyrion's role in Jaime's death, the little beast of Tyroshi who only exists in oral narration and no collateral evidence is likely to be a character fabricated by the bastard dwarf, who not only killed his father, but also killed his brother before!
"...This kind of rubbish doesn't deserve anyone's kindness..." the queen mother thought, "Jaime, wait for me. When I lead the kingdom to victory, I will definitely pull out the ungrateful beast who killed you from northern Essos, as well as Hugo Tollett who sheltered him. I will escort them to King's Landing and Casterly Rock and humiliate them. Finally, I will use the sword you used to punish the Mad King to send them to the seven levels of hell in agony!"

Then, after seeing Kevan's body and confirming that he was dead, Cersei immediately issued a wanted order for Varys who had disappeared for unknown reasons. In this matter, the eunuch was undoubtedly the most suspicious, and his disappearance further confirmed this point. For this traitor, the Queen Mother demanded to see him alive or dead.

Then, she immediately summoned the Lannister generals and clansmen from the Red Keep and King's Landing, and accepted their allegiance one by one. During that period of time, the biggest lesson Cersei learned was that if she could not control the military power, she would be on the chopping board and be slaughtered.

Faced with Cersei's request, these Lannister clansmen and generals showed a hint of hesitation. Cersei saw all of this, but now she needed these people, so the queen mother used her charm, said nice words to these people, and even made some hints - this made her sick, but after so many years, she had already used these methods very well.

Although there were some twists and turns, fortunately everything went smoothly. The clansmen and generals all expressed their loyalty and assembled the Lannister army according to her request.

The reason why she called the army together was simple: it was time to resolve the conflict between her and Margaery.

Cersei has never forgotten the prophecy from her childhood. She always remembers that a young woman will come to challenge her position. In her opinion, that person is undoubtedly Margaery.

With the death of Jaime, her obsession with the prophecy deepened. If she cannot stop Margaery, her future will inevitably be strangled by her "brother".

Right now, Margaery's father and brother are trapped in the east, and Cersei is still planning to postpone the plan of taking over the inflatable fish army. Now is the time to deal with Margaery - yes, Cersei plans to arrest Margaery directly and completely cut off the possibility of the prophecy coming true.

However, before Cersei could act, her servants brought her news from Margaery, which immediately made her good mood about having power disappear and turn into something worse.

Because Margaery actually let Tyrell's people in King's Landing enter the Red Keep to replace the guards of the Red Keep in King's Landing, and also controlled his son Joffrey.

More importantly, she also ordered the guards and bureaucrats of the Red Keep to obey her orders in Joffrey's name, and announced that she was now Joffrey's regent.

Since their marriage, Margaery has had Joffrey completely under her control, and she is undoubtedly the dominant one in their relationship, so this is not surprising.

Not only that, Margaret somehow obtained the protection of the church and had some priests of the church stationed in the Red Castle, serving as an armed force and as witnesses.

Margaery had always been very aware of the Queen Mother's ill will towards her, so when she heard the news of Kevan's death, she realized that something bad was going to happen. The little queen with a keen sense of smell contacted her own troops in the Red Keep and transferred them to the Red Keep. On the other hand, she coaxed Joffrey and took power from him. Finally, she contacted the church and obtained its protection.

After this series of moves, Cersei's plan to seize power naturally came to an end. Even she, with Margaery's many layers of protection, did not dare to directly fight with the queen.

Cersei complained about her son's uselessness and her subordinates' incompetence, but all she could do was complain, and at most she took her anger out on the servants and jesters.

However, although Cersei was forced to stop her plan, the divided situation in the Red Keep became a foregone conclusion. As the Queen Mother and the Queen concentrated their forces, everyone could see the current state of the Red Keep, and both sides even drew cordons against each other.

At this point, as the conflict between the two women in the Red Castle became public, the conflict and confrontation between the Lannisters and the Tyrells also became completely public, and the Iron Throne, which was originally as stable as a rock, once again seemed shaky.

(End of this chapter)