chapter 118 part 2
Seeing Renly discomfited had put Jaime in a good mood.
This was an unseen contest between the great houses of Westeros, and the victor was Jaime Lannister.
Jaime bid Greene Kleb farewell.
Greene Kleb guessed that Jaime was in a hurry to return to the Red Keep to report his success to Queen Cersei. As for the reward... that went without saying.
Greene Kleb set off toward the interior of the Sept of Baelor.
...
...
Greene Kleb walked through the Hall of Lamps, a long corridor one must pass through to enter the Sept from the main doors, where many colorful stained-glass spheres hung from the ceiling.
Before he had gone far, Greene Kleb's ears caught the sound of cheerful laughter from not far ahead.
Greene Kleb frowned slightly and looked closely... Mace Tyrell, his body imposing but slightly plump; Petyr Baelish, with his slender frame; and the portly Varys, among other Small Council members of the Red Keep.
Lord Mace, who was surrounded by the crowd, was the happiest of them all.
A slight smile touched the corners of Greene Kleb's lips. The scene reminded him of an inflated fish being eyed by two foxes.
Greene Kleb slowed his pace and walked toward Lord Mace and the others.
Greene Kleb hadn't forgotten that he had just beaten up Lord Mace's son outside.
But everyone was gathered here for the benefit of their own House. There was no need to deliberately bring up such a matter.
Unless Loras was the head of the House, or its heir, he alone could not represent all of House Tyrell.
For instance, Loras's allegiance to Renly did not mean that House Tyrell had also sworn fealty to Renly.
At present, Renly was still Lord Mace's rival for the position of Hand of the King.
...
"Oh, isn't this Greene Kleb?"
Lord Mace's voice was loud, and he was clearly in high spirits.
Greene Kleb had been preparing to greet them once he was closer, but Lord Mace had spotted him first.
Greene Kleb said with cheerful respect, "Lord of the Roses, it is my greatest honor to see you again!"
Lord Mace laughed heartily, stroking his beard. "Good, good! I heard King Robert entrusted you with an important task and sent you across the Narrow Sea. I didn't expect to see you back so soon."
Perhaps because he was in a cheerful mood, Lord Mace was very enthusiastic toward Greene Kleb, as if he were one of his own nephews.
Greene Kleb replied respectfully, "The matter has come to a temporary close, so I returned to King's Landing."
Lord Mace stroked his beard and said, "Greene Kleb, it's a good thing to temper yourself more when you're young. I have faith in your abilities."
After speaking, Lord Mace gave Greene Kleb an encouraging pat.
Greene Kleb said gratefully, "Thank you for your guidance, my lord. I will surely take it to heart!"
*What a modest and respectful child.* Lord Mace nodded with gratification.
Greene Kleb then greeted the others.
Formal greetings were not necessary at this time; a simple inquiry would suffice, proceeding in order of rank, from the highest to the lowest.
Everyone present could see Lord Mace's fondness for Greene Kleb, and coupled with the fact that he was the Queen's chief steward, they all wore friendly smiles and waited patiently for the greetings to conclude.
Greene Kleb turned to a haggard-looking Petyr with concern. "Lord Petyr, you seem very tired. It looks like you need a good rest."
Petyr shook his head slightly. "The old Lord passed so suddenly, and with so many complicated affairs, I can only do my best to cope."
Varys nodded. "It is indeed exhausting. The Realm needs money every day, and the government cannot function without Lord Petyr at the helm!"
After a pause, Varys added with pity, "The bond between Lord Petyr and the old Lord was deep. I must say, of all those present, he is the most grief-stricken."
Petyr's eye twitched.
Greene Kleb said with a smile, "Lord Petyr, now that Lord Mace is here, you can relax a little.
I hope you recover soon. Just as Lord Varys said, the Realm's finances cannot do without your hard work."
Lord Mace stroked his beard. *Well said, that's exactly what I meant.*
Varys clasped his hands together. "Lord Greene Kleb is absolutely right. It should be so."
Greene Kleb's and Varys's gazes met discreetly, and the two gave an imperceptible nod to each other.
Illyrio had been killed by Daenerys. The two of them still needed to meet in private about this matter.
Now that one person was gone, would Varys and Illyrio's joint conspiracy continue?
Greene Kleb thought it impossible for a plan meticulously prepared for over a decade to be abandoned halfway.
From Varys's perspective, in a way, Daenerys might have done Varys a favor.
Varys would surely be busy for a while absorbing the various assets Illyrio had left behind.
...
Petyr said with a slight smile, "Lord Greene Kleb, thank you for your kindness. I will do my best to recover soon..."
As he spoke, Petyr gave a slight nod to Lord Mace, then continued, "When I saw Lord Mace, I found that I had already, imperceptibly, regained my confidence."
Varys also nodded. "On this point, we have already reached a consensus."
Greene Kleb placed his right palm over his heart and said, "My lords, my thoughts are the same. I have always felt that Lord Mace is the pillar of the Realm."
This young man had such a sweet tongue... a moment of silence fell over the group, followed by a chorus of agreement, praising Lord Mace as truly being the pillar of the Realm.
Lord Mace smiled and stroked his beard for a while before speaking. "A single stone cannot build a high wall. What the Realm needs is the united effort of all you lords!"
Well said! For a time, the crowd was once again filled with praise.
Greene Kleb blended into the crowd, appreciating the master-class performance of the lords.
Although Lord Mace was a bit plump, he was still handsome, and his words and actions, from an outsider's perspective, were worthy of the supreme leader of The Reach.
As for what was on the inside... that wasn't important! The superficial Greene Kleb only cared about Lord Mace's exterior.
...
The perceptive Greene Kleb suddenly felt a chill.
Greene Kleb turned his head and saw Lord Stannis approaching from a distance.
Greene Kleb subtly extricated himself from the crowd of flatterers.
Greene Kleb Lannister Tyrell Targaryen suddenly felt, for no reason, that he was in the middle of a political battlefield.
Greene Kleb thought back.
He didn't remember pledging allegiance to the Baratheons of Dragonstone... Could it be that Lord Stannis already considered him one of his men?
Greene Kleb discreetly shot a look at Lord Mace, but unfortunately, Lord Mace was currently submerged in a sea of flattery and had no time for anything else.
Greene Kleb distanced himself a little more, thought for a moment, and then shot a look at Petyr.
The astute Petyr noticed it quickly and looked over at Greene Kleb.
Greene Kleb pointed a finger in a certain direction.
Petyr, the Master of Coin, glanced over naturally. Although there was still some distance, he immediately recognized the figure of Stannis.
In the game of thrones, the biggest taboo is to place your bets too early... Petyr decisively and quietly slipped out of the flattering crowd.
Petyr discreetly observed the scene. Greene Kleb's position was the best, so he came to stand beside him.
The two exchanged a look and a smile; everything was understood without words.
As for Varys, his hands were intimately gripping one of Lord Mace's, and Greene Kleb even noticed the traces of powder he had left on Lord Mace's collar.
Greene Kleb didn't have the heart to interrupt them.
(end of chapter)