Game of Thrones: Catastrophe

The Iron Bank's position is very important. Before determining whether they will join the opposition, we cannot rashly push them into the hostile camp. Davos's suggestion is crucial. Therefore, Leonno has entrusted him with the task of connecting with the Iron Bank, with the Minister of Finance, Arkai, assisting him.

"All of you should learn from Donal and Davos and put the interests of the country first. Steve, add the matter of connecting with the Iron Bank to the agenda of the next Small Council meeting. Davos, don't panic; you have no time limit. Feel free to connect with the envoys of the Iron Bank, just report back regularly. Now, let's move on to the next item on the agenda and discuss the issue of the North."

At Leonno's request, the meeting moved on to the next item.

"Your Majesty, for a long time, Robb Stark of the North has failed to fulfill his obligations as a vassal of the kingdom by not coming to King's Landing to pay homage to you. This time, he met with Prince Stannis without prior notice, which clearly shows signs of disloyalty," said Grand Master Gradan, the Minister of War, stepping forward.

"Are there any objections?" Leonno nodded slightly and asked the other ministers. The ministers attending the meeting, including Prime Minister Tanai, looked at each other in silence.

"It seems that everyone agrees. Since we all know the North's disloyalty, let's discuss how we should respond to this situation!" Leonno continued, nodding.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to speak. The North and the Riverlands have always been allies. If they successfully contact Prince Stannis this time, then among the Seven Kingdoms, the attitudes of the Vale of Arryn in the East, some lords in the Westerlands, and the lords of Dorne will definitely waver," Barristan stepped forward to remind Leonno that war with the North was no small matter.

"Not only the lords in various regions, but also Braavos across the Narrow Sea is very likely to stand against us," Gradan added, noting that the Iron Bank was still being persuaded and could not be counted as an ally.

"Indeed, you are right. So, my lords, do you have any solutions for me to resolve these problems?" Leonno nodded in agreement. He had stalled Daenerys with superior strategy, but his current diplomatic situation was not advantageous either.

"Your Majesty, I have a different opinion. Compared to the cold and impoverished North, you, as the ruler of the Iron Throne, possess greater prestige and wealth. The lords may waver, but I believe they will lean more towards us," Donal stood up, opposing Gradan's words.

"Then how do you think we should make the lords lean towards us?" Leonno did not object. Lords everywhere were like grass in the wind, but to truly win them over, benefits had to be offered. He was only able to sit firmly on the throne now because he was strong enough and had the support of the Tyrells.

"This..." Donal raised his head slightly, glanced at Leonno, who showed no intention, and was unsure how to answer.

"Return to your seat first, and let everyone think about it," Leonno waved his hand, signaling Donal to return to his seat, and called on the ministers to discuss together, as two heads are better than one.

"Your Majesty, I have a suggestion," Minister of Law Agassi stepped forward.

"Speak," Leonno looked at the elderly monk.

"I suggest using marriage to appease Dorne," Agassi suggested, and before Leonno could express his opinion, he said, "Among the Seven Kingdoms, we can ignore the attitude of the Riverlands; they are already deeply allied with the North. We can also ignore the Vale of Arryn. Before the new Lord of the Eyrie, Little Robert, comes of age, Royce will definitely not lightly lead the Vale into danger. Only Dorne in the south is an exception."

"Hmm! Continue," Leonno nodded, letting the old monk continue.

"The Dornish have different customs from us and have often threatened our borders in the past. Once they attack us while we are dealing with the North, we will be in a state of being夹击 (attacked from both sides), so stabilizing Dorne is of utmost importance," Agassi spoke eloquently.

"The best way to solidify an alliance is through marriage, but who should I send to Dorne for a marriage alliance?" Leonno sighed slightly.

"I heard that Prince Doran's son, Prince Quentyn, is very handsome. Although he is old, he would be suitable to marry your eldest daughter, Princess Vivian," Agassi proposed marrying Vivian to Doran's son, Quentyn Martell.

Hearing Agassi's words, Prime Minister Mace immediately jumped out:

"No, Your Majesty, this is not a good idea. The Dornish are snakes, and they never remember favors. Marrying our most beloved Vivian to that little snake is not a good idea."

"Vivian is indeed too young. Rather than marrying her to Sunspear, I would rather have a child of my family marry a woman from House Martell," Leonno was also somewhat resistant to the idea of ​​marriage, especially using his underage daughter as a bargaining chip.

"Prince Doran does have a daughter, Arianne Martell. She is a beautiful young woman with no betrothal, but Your Majesty, you have no suitable male relatives to marry her," Agassi sighed somewhat.

"What about my brother Robert's son, Podrick? He inherits the blood of the king and House Florent and is noble enough," Leonno mentioned Podrick.

"But he is a bastard," Agassi frowned slightly.

"I can legitimize him and list him as one of my heirs," Leonno felt that he should also throw some bait to Dorne.

"How can this be allowed? How can a dirty and lowly bastard inherit the throne?" Mace immediately shouted. House Tyrell had been betting on this for so long and would never allow the Martell family of Dorne to share this power.

"Your Majesty, this is not good. If you are willing, rather than having Podrick marry Arianne, it would be better to legitimize Baylor Waters," Agassi also felt it was inappropriate to legitimize his brother's bastard as an heir. In terms of male heirs, the king was not without his own children.

"Hmm!" Leonno dragged out his voice.

"No, absolutely not, I absolutely will not allow this," Mace glared at Agassi, almost wanting to strangle the old monk. His suggestions were more outrageous than the last.

"Lord Mace, I understand your meaning, but do you have any way to stabilize Dorne?" Agassi was not afraid of Mace and directly asked him if he had any better solutions to propose.

"I don't have a better way to stabilize Dorne, but I absolutely disagree with the Dornish snakes disturbing the kingdom," Mace directly tore his face; he absolutely disagreed with doing so.

"Let's put this issue aside for now and discuss it next time!" Leonno saw that Mace was really angry and instructed Steve, the recorder next to him, not to discuss it any further. He did not expect that they were originally discussing how to deal with the North, but ultimately it came down to the issue of the kingdom's heir.

Although it was a coincidence, this matter was a seed that made Leonno a little tempted. He also wanted to legitimize Baylor Waters. As a father, he did not want his son to be an illegitimate existence.