Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Green Pavilion Island, home to the Redwyn family's castle, sits nestled between sun-drenched vineyards and the azure sea, where the air is perpetually filled with the sweet aroma of wine and the scent of the sea breeze. Yet, at this moment, a somber atmosphere, utterly incongruous with this idyllic setting, hangs over the castle's council chamber.

The letter brought by the raven—a rough and threatening declaration from the Iron Islands—lay coldly on the ornate table. Opposite it was another copy of the command from King's Landing, bearing the royal coat of arms.

Lady Olenna Redwin, the Thorn Queen of Highgarden, though aged, remained as sharp as her nickname. She had not come by invitation, but rather hastily returned from Highgarden to her birthplace with obvious anxiety. Her worldly-wise eyes were now scrutinizing her brother, Earl Adrian Redwin, without any politeness.

"The King's orders?" Lady Olenna scoffed, her voice dry as autumn wind rustling through withered branches. "Where on the document is there any mention of informing you to 'forcibly intercept' and 'transport' any Iron Islands grain ships passing by? My dear brother, did you accidentally soak your brain in a barrel of your own wine last night? Or have you truly become senile, believing such blatant nonsense?"

She didn't give Adrian a chance to interrupt, her words fast and sharp: "What's in King Aerys's head now besides wildfire and hallucinations? He's a madman! A smart person would just listen to what he says and throw it into the furnace! And you, not only did you believe it, you actually sent your precious fleet? Why didn't he order Tywin Lannister to do this dirty work? Why didn't he use his own royal fleet? Why did he specifically name your Greenwood Isle? Because of your 'loyalty'? Or because you're 'easy to manipulate'?"

Count Adrian's face flushed red at his sister's bluntness, and he tried to maintain his dignity as head of the family: "Oleena! Watch your words! We of Green Pavilion Island are the King's most loyal vassals. Now that the King's order has been issued, we naturally..."

"Loyalty?" Olenna abruptly interrupted him, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Stop calling me 'King'! Look at the letter from the Iron Islands! Did they ever mention 'this is the King's order'? They only care about one thing—you, Adrian Redwyn, hijacked the Greyjoy ship!"

"This is slander! It's a frame-up!" Count Adrian slammed his fist on the table in anger. "They dare not face King's Landing, so they try to vent their anger on us!"

"Even if it's a frame-up, so what?" Lady Olenna's voice turned cold. "The point is, they're telling the truth! You did hijack the ship; you did take the grain! On this matter, they're in the right! Now, almost all the nobles of Westeros are laughing at you, watching how my 'loyal and reliable' brother has run headfirst into this mess! I don't want to hear you mention the king even once; it will only make you look more foolish!"

Adrian took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: "I will immediately write to King's Landing and request the royal family to clarify the facts and prove that we were acting under orders!"

"Tsk tsk tsk..." Lady Olenna shook her head, her face full of pitying mockery. "Naive! So naive it breaks my heart. Are you planning to offend those vengeful squid from the Iron Islands to death, and then go and tell the whole world: 'Your Majesty the Mad King, the dirty work you made me do last time is in trouble now. Please come forward and tell everyone that you ordered me to do it'? Do you think the Redwynn family is too useful in King's Landing's eyes, or that the Tyrell marriage alliance is too secure? Are you trying to offend both sides?"

"Then what exactly are you here for, Olena?!" Adrian finally lost his patience and growled, "Just to come all the way from Highgarden to enjoy your brother's embarrassment and mock me?!"

"What am I here for?" Lady Olenna straightened her already short frame, her gaze piercing. "Because I was born with the name Redwyn! Because you are my brother! Because my daughter Mina is to marry your son Paxter! I'm here to stop you, because I fear your mind, filled with 'loyalty,' will cause both our families—Redwyn and Tyrell—to pay a heavy price for your foolish 'loyalty' this time!"

"The price?" Adrian seemed to have found an outlet, his tone becoming firm and confident. "Don't worry, my dear sister! What are those iron stones? Our Qingting Island possesses the most powerful navy in the seven nations! The finest warships! The most well-trained warriors! The sharpest swords..."

“Yes, yes,” Olena interrupted again without hesitation, even gesturing with her finger towards the direction of the soldiers possibly training outside the window. “The armor is magnificent, gleaming in the sun. The swords are brand new and gleaming, clearly expensive. Dear brother, I just want to ask you a simple question:” She took a step closer, her voice lower yet more penetrating: “How long has it been since our handsome young warriors of Qingting Island truly experienced a life-or-death naval battle? When was the last time their swords were stained with blood? Was it when they wiped out a few low-level pirates? Or… just hacking at wooden stakes in a drill?”

"You don't understand war!" Adrian waved his hand, trying to ignore the question he didn't want to think about.

“I am indeed not a man,” Olena admitted, her tone sharper, “so I won’t go to the battlefield with a sword to kill or be killed. But I still have my brains! Those Ironborn of the Iron Islands, they’ve been living on the Narrow Sea for so many years, every single day they’re dancing on the edge of a knife, farting over the heads of Strangers (representing death in the Seven Gods)! They’re born to fight storms, reefs, and everyone else who wants to take them! Are you really prepared to send your precious warriors, raised in vineyards and fine wines, to fight a life-or-death battle with a bunch of desperados at sea? For the orders of a madman? For your pathetic ‘face’?”

"What else?!" Adrian was utterly enraged, growling, "The intercepted grain has already reached King's Landing! Do you expect me to bow down to those Ironborn now? Pay tenfold? And issue a public apology? Humph! Does the Redwyn family still have any standing in Westeros?!"

"Negotiation!" Olena said decisively. "Put aside your ridiculous pride and find a way to negotiate! Contact them, offer compensation, even if it's a little more in private, find a way for both sides to back down! It's better than letting your fleet and those handsome young men feed the fish!"

"There's nothing to talk about!" Lord Adrian abruptly turned around, his back to his sister, his tone extremely firm. "Go back to your Highgarden and be Lady Tyrell! We, the Redwyns, know what we're doing!"

Lady Olena watched her brother's stubborn retreating figure, the last glimmer of hope in her eyes extinguished, replaced by a profound helplessness and a chilling sense of impending doom. She said nothing more, only shook her head slightly, and turned to leave the council chamber. The sweet aroma of wine still lingered in the air of Qingting Island, but she seemed to already smell the metallic stench of blood and fire gathering on the distant sea.