iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 672 An Unpleasant Deal
Paisell's old face turned somewhat fanatical: "The gods have not abandoned the helpless people. Queen Daenerys and King Grin have rebuilt the Seven Kingdoms and embraced the entire kingdom with boundless mercy!"

After a pause, his cloudy gaze fell on the Earl of Dreadfort: "It is an honor for you, envoys from the North, to contribute to the great cause of the Queen and the King, and it is also a true expression of your sincerity."

Earl Luce: "..."

Clearly, the Grand Scholar's constant "attacks" were aimed at getting the North to make contributions and atone for its past "mistakes".

Lord Roosevelt thought silently... He should take one of the Stark children with him on his mission, so that he could leave this problem between the royal family and Winterfell.

On the Iron Throne, those violet eyes were utterly calm.

Earl Luce lowered his eyes and patted his chest, saying, "Your Majesty, it is a great honor to serve you and the King. The Dreadfort petitions to offer seven thousand furs from its warehouses as a sign of the Bolton family's respect for you and the King."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

Viscount Velas withdrew his gaze expressionlessly, while Grand Maester Paisell showed a dissatisfaction: "Earl Bolton, the Red Keep has seen the Dreadfort's sincerity, but... what about Winterfell's sincerity?"

After a pause, Viscount Velas's voice came first: "Grand Maester, the Duke of Stark may have already expressed his sincerity to His Majesty the King. Please be patient. We should believe in the North's desire to return to the Seven Kingdoms."

Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flashed in Paisell's eyes. This was the second time. Why was this Highgarden heir always so eager to help the Earl of Dreadfort out of trouble?

Is it...

The Northern envoys secretly bribed Tyrell?!

Besides this, Pycelle couldn't guess any other reason, otherwise... why would Tyrell defend a mere Earl of the North in front of the Queen?
Immediately afterwards...

After a few breaths, Paisell got angry.

He was a high-ranking minister of the King's Council, the Targaryen's most loyal Grand Maester, and the chief advisor to the great King Grin!
Eddard Stark ignored him, but now even a lowly Ramsay Bolton dares to look down on him?!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, but the old scholar managed to suppress his emotions.

He had countless ways to rebuke the Northern envoy, but—the peaceful return of the North was King Green's will, and that was something he could not touch.

call……

However, it seems that this High Court heir is underestimating him.
The Tyrells' rise to prominence in the Targaryen Clyber dynasty was widely praised, and the Duke of Highgarden was known for his foresight. However, he knew very well that the true "shield" of the Roses was Mace Tyrell's harmlessness.

His wise and great King Green needs a leader like this for the Reach.

Perhaps, we should also add that young lady's little bit of self-sacrifice... Paisell quickly stopped thinking about this. He didn't know, he really didn't know anything!
……

"Grand Secretary, is there still any objection?"

Velas looked at Paisell, who was standing there with his expression constantly changing, and a smile appeared in his brown eyes.

He seemed to be lost in thought...

Paisell slightly lifted his eyelids, glanced in the direction from which the voice came, and then looked shakily at the Iron Throne: "Queen Daenerys, I was blind and I should not have doubted the North's determination and sincerity in returning to the Kingdom. Please forgive my ignorance."

After a pause, Daenerys gently stroked her slightly protruding belly, and her voice drifted down from above: "No need to blame yourself, Paisell, your queen is willing to listen to different voices."

Upon hearing this, Paisell choked up again: "My Queen... Waaah... I have no way to repay you... Waaah..."

"..." Earl Luce pursed his lips. Today's meeting should have been filled with laughter and congratulations to the Targaryen-Claybers for rebuilding the Seven Kingdoms, but this old man had disrupted it into this awkward situation.

Daenerys raised a hand to soothe Paisell's sobs, then her voice continued, "Lord Roose Bolton, I have witnessed the loyalty of Dreadfort, but I will have Viscount Velas pay a fair price in gold." Lord Roose paused slightly, then nodded, "Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty. May the gods, old and new, bless you."

The play cannot continue today, and Lord Roosevelt need not insist any further. Now that the North has escaped the crisis of potential purges by the new dynasty, his duties this time have come to an end, and matters concerning the future... are naturally "handed over" to the Duke of Stark.

As his voice faded, Paisell, having wiped away his tears, stepped forward: "Earl Bolton, you've come a long way, please let us treat you well. Ah, finally everyone can pay homage to the peace of the Seven Kingdoms."

Paisell's expression resembled that of a kind and amiable old neighbor. Earl Luce stared at him for a few seconds before replying, "Next time. I was merely fulfilling my duty as a vassal. I will return to the North by night ship."

His refusal stemmed not only from his wariness of the clearly ill-intentioned old maester, but more importantly, from the fact that the war in the North was over and the Starks were to reward their service, which he could not miss.

More importantly, the king's current location in the north makes him very uneasy, as he feels that something unexpected is about to happen.

He must at least ensure the safety of the Terror Fortress, or at least not miss the valuable...opportunities that often accompany crises.

……

Paisell smiled and nodded: "Oh, that's such a shame..."

Viscount Velas's handsome face curved into a smile: "Earl Bolton, it seems we need to hurry and discuss matters concerning the fur trade."

Count Luce's light-colored eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded lightly at Velas.

"Your Majesty, please allow us to take our leave."

Viscount Velas and Earl Luce bowed, then turned and left together.

Paisell's gaze swept hatefully over the two figures that had disappeared, and then he nimbly chased after the Queen, who was being escorted away by her guards.

He bent low, weaved through the crowd, and approached Daenerys, whispering, "My Queen, Tyrell cannot be trusted..."

……

...

Prime Minister's Tower Gardens.

The blooming roses have long since faded, withered brown vines entwine the stone railing, and the low trees are reduced to bare branches, their tendrils clinging desperately to the cold stones.

Winter is approaching, and although the sky is clear, the place feels somewhat desolate.

Count Roosevelt appeared, dressed in a brown leather robe. Beneath his pale face, the red coat of arms of a skinner on his left breast stood out against the pink background.

the other side.

The attendant behind him leaned down and whispered something. Viscount Velas, in his wheelchair, looked in one direction and then gestured for the others to leave.

"Welcome, Earl of Dreadfort."

When Count Roose approached, only the two of them remained. He said coldly, "This is not a good place to discuss secrets. I've heard that the stones of the Red Keep have ears."

Velas glanced at the short and weak Earl of Dreadfort, smiled, and said, "What secrets could we possibly have?"

Earl Luce's face flashed a cold smile: "Is the delicate rose hiding behind a woman about to step forward?"

(End of this chapter)