iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 534 King and King 10
Princess Arianne tilted her head slightly. Behind the garrison adjutant were three Kingsguards who had not been seen for a long time—Meryn Trant, Mandon Moore, and Balon Swann.

When Mace Tyrell heard what Ser Per said, his face was full of surprise, and he couldn't help but blurt out: "Tournament?"

Prime Minister Mace raised his thick eyebrows, his eyes full of doubts.

In addition to the family crest, Sir Pell's silver breastplate also has a marigold emblem representing his status as a knight of the Crabbe family.

He held his helmet with one hand, glanced at the ministers, and nodded, "Yes, the young warriors from Crab Claw Peninsula, Valley, Riverland and King's Territory performed extremely well in the patrol mission."

After a pause, he continued, "His Royal Highness the Regent was deeply pleased with their bravery and dedication, and decided to hold a tournament for them at Sow Corner as a reward."

Prime Minister Mace nodded slightly with dignity, then subconsciously touched his beard. He had always been keen on various martial arts competitions, and at this moment his enthusiasm had been ignited.

But just as he was about to stand up, Count Matus frowned and suddenly spoke with a questioning voice: "Sir Pili, do you mean to set off now?"

Sir Pell's eyes slowly moved, and his gaze stayed on Earl Matus for a while, and he replied calmly: "Yes, Earl Rowan, His Royal Highness the Regent hopes to see you at the tournament grounds at Sow Corner tomorrow morning."

After a brief pause, he adjusted his stance and turned his gaze back to the Duke of Metz: "I'm sorry, His Highness doesn't want your whereabouts to disturb others."

Per's voice fell silent. At this time, Grand Maester Pycelle stood up tremblingly, his wrinkled face full of fatigue. "Please help me arrange a more comfortable carriage, ser."

Princess Arianne glanced with interest at Count Matus, whose face was tense with dissatisfaction, and then looked at Prime Minister Mace, who seemed a little restless due to anticipation and anxiety. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and then she stood up lightly.

Seeing this, Count Giles also left his chair. Prime Minister Metz ignored Count Matus and waved his hand: "Everyone, let's set off as soon as possible. We can't keep His Royal Highness the Regent waiting for too long."

"As you command, Prime Minister."

Prime Minister Mace and others followed Ser Pell and left. Matus Rowan, who was still sitting there, glanced at the Kingsguards who were staring at him. He sighed secretly in his heart, and finally stood up slowly and embarked on this sudden journey.

…………

The swamp marigold flag fluttered in the wind, the wheels rolled, and the sound of horse hooves beat out a dull rhythm on the stone road.

When hundreds of cavalrymen, like a black torrent, neatly and solemnly escorted several richly decorated carriages through the city and slowly walked out of the old city gate, the night had already fallen and the sky had completely darkened, as if covered by a huge piece of black silk.

In one of the spacious and exquisite carriages, the candlelight flickered, and the warm yellow halo swayed gently, casting mottled light and shadows in the carriage.

The Inflatable Fish Duke was sitting comfortably on the soft seat, enjoying the exquisite food in front of him and drinking big gulps of golden wine from Qingting Island.

Opposite him, Count Matus had his eyes closed, as if he was dozing.

Gulp, gulp. Prime Minister Mace, who had just put down his glass, paused, frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "Is Green's invitation too sudden?"

“………” Count Matus slowly opened his eyes, then nodded silently, indicating that he agreed with Prime Minister Metz’s question.

Prime Minister Mace frowned even more tightly, and there was a hint of panic in his voice: "Did he have an accident?"

Prime Minister Mace stared at his vassal, as if expecting an answer from him. Count Matus could no longer close his eyes: "...In the Seven Kingdoms today, I can't think of anyone else who can cause trouble to the Regent."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Mace breathed a sigh of relief. The tension on his face instantly dissipated. He laughed out loud, "Yes, I saw him beat Renly and Jaime in the tourney field to win the championship. He is also a well-known general in the Seven Kingdoms."

Prime Minister Mace moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but paused, then reached out and picked up the empty glass and wine jug on the table.

Clap, clap—he filled the glass himself and pushed it to Count Matus.

Then, he leaned forward and lowered his voice unconsciously, as if afraid of being overheard: "Do you think... I... um, do we have a chance to send troops to Winterfell?"

There was a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes as he stared closely at Count Matus's reaction.

"…" Count Matus paused for a moment before speaking slowly, "Lord Mace, everyone knows that the Regent has been maintaining the stability of the kingdom."

Hearing his euphemistic reminder, Prime Minister Mace straightened up, frowned again, and could not hide his displeasure on his face: "But Winterfell's attitude is ambiguous. It is obvious that they do not welcome the return of the Targaryen princess." He stroked his beard: "As the Prime Minister of the kingdom, I should maintain the majesty of the Iron Throne."

Lord Matus shook his glass, took a sip of wine, was silent for a moment, and said, "Yes, from what I know about Regent Green, he will never allow anyone to challenge the Targaryen Iron Throne."

Prime Minister Mace then revealed a slightly satisfied look, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out: "When we get to Sow Corner, I plan to have a good talk with Green about this matter..."

As he spoke, he sighed, a trace of worry appearing on his face again: "Although Eddard Stark has not yet been declared a usurper, he is Robert's greatest accomplice. The Red Castle must be vigilant."

Count Matus brought the glass to his lips and used the action of drinking to hide the slightly out-of-control expression on his face. He really wanted to remind his feudal lord that the Riverlands had not yet resolved the invasion of the Iron Race.

The Redwyne fleet, which had just suffered severe damage, could only barely defend the isolated Blue Pavilion Island overseas. The lords on the coast of the River Reach might face the looting of the iron race at any time.

He secretly guessed that there was some invisible "poison" hidden in the Regent's tongue. Ever since the Duke of Highgarden was appointed Prime Minister, his lord no longer cared about "small matters" and only focused on things that could make him famous.

The Duke of Highgarden, who once only cared about the Riverlands, seemed to have gradually disappeared in the vortex of power, and was content with it.

Count Matus took another sip of wine. Perhaps... the Rose Duke, who was now blinded by false fame, was the real him.

After a moment of silence, based on his loyalty and obligation as a vassal of the Reach, Matus Rowan could not help but remind him, "Lord Mace, the Regent cannot invite you in this way again. You only have a dozen guards, which is very... dangerous."

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Metz's expression did not change, but he pretended to glance at the carriage window casually and whispered, "Did you find anything, Matus?"

There was a hint of caution in the Duke of Metz's voice. Count Matus shook his head: "My lord, I believe in the honor of Regent Green. I mean situations like this. Your safety is related to the safety of the entire Reach."

Prime Minister Mace's cheeks puffed up. Thinking of the shock he had just experienced, he spoke with anger: "Martus, your groundless speculation will affect the friendship between Tyrell and Marigold. Don't forget that when Green left King's Landing, he handed over the entire kingdom to me. This was an incredible trust."

Earl Matus opened his mouth, wanting to defend himself, but he didn't know where to start. Yes, in addition to the 10,000 swords of King's Landing, since his liege entered the King's City, Regent Green has entrusted almost all the kingdom's affairs to the Duke of Highgarden. Everyone in the Seven Kingdoms knows it... The two who were once like father and son are still close now.

Seeing that the head of the Rowan family, who was always very calm in front of him, was speechless, Prime Minister Mace could not help but feel happy. He stroked his beard with a little pride and sighed with emotion: "Martus, trust is a very wonderful thing."

Count Matus really wanted to rub his head to relieve his inner fatigue and helplessness.

Green Crabbe first buried tens of thousands of knights in the Vale, then quietly took over the Riverlands, and then pushed the Baratheon dynasty directly to its end... Each of these things should be enough to arouse the hostility of the entire Seven Kingdoms. However, strangely, no one questioned his honor, as if everything was natural.

Although he himself could not help but admire him and could not see the reason clearly, Matus had to admit that... Regent Green might be the most skilled power player in the history of the Seven Kingdoms - he made every step on the chessboard of power just right.

Matus raised his eyes to glance at the Duke of Highgarden who was enjoying the wine. Although he was not an outstanding ruler, he was undoubtedly a qualified lord. It was a pity that... his "opponent" was Green Crabbe, an unpredictable existence.

He himself could only regretfully continue to observe and be vigilant in secret.

"Martus, what are you thinking about? Come, let's have a drink tonight, for the kingdom!"

…………

…………

The night was like thick ink, weighing heavily on the Kleber Camp north of Sow Corner. The surroundings were silent and quiet, with only the chirping of insects in the distance seeming particularly abrupt in the silent night.

In the camp, tents were scattered in an orderly manner, and in the most spacious and magnificent Duke's tent, candlelight flickered gently.

Daenerys lay on the bed, not wanting to move a finger, like a flower that wilts slightly after blooming.

Her violet eyes were covered with a thin layer of mist, revealing confusion and fatigue. She slightly opened her lips and murmured in a hoarse and soft voice: "Green... I want to sleep..."

Here you go again? !
Green sat on the edge of the bed, reached out for the black nightgown beside him and put it on, then slowly stood up, his legs feeling... a little weak.

(End of this chapter)