chapter 121 part 1
Chapter 121: The Variable
At dusk, the sky gradually transitioned from azure blue to a soft golden yellow.
Glyn's tone was gentle. "Tyrion, being too calm can easily make one seem heartless."
The smile on Tyrion's face slowly faded. "Glyn, you saw through my intentions after all!"
With that, he gave a small shrug of his shoulders and continued, "Conversing with you feels far too simple."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Glyn raised his cup toward Tyrion in a gesture, took a sip of Dornish Red, and added, "Regardless of the method, we must vent Queen Cersei's anger somehow."
Tyrion raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile on his face. "Is it that simple?"
Glyn spread his hands. "The main reason is that she likes it. Don't forget what my duty is! As for the rest... you can ask Ser Jaime. You should know his character well enough."
Tyrion said helplessly, "Yes, my little head is always thinking too much. No wonder my old man dislikes kissing my little face."
As he spoke, Tyrion grinned. "I must find time to learn from you the art of serving Cersei."
Glyn chuckled and said, "I'll give you some good advice. I hear Queen Cersei has taken a liking to acrobatics recently."
Tyrion laughed heartily. "Forget it. Her hobbies are ever-changing, unlike me..."
Speaking of which, Tyrion suddenly lowered his voice, "How was the harvest from your trip to Pentos? I'm asking about the young Targaryen dragons."
Glyn raised an eyebrow. "How else could it be? The Red Keep has never given up the chase. They could only flee and wander."
Tyrion scratched his hair. "What a pity. Unless the gods themselves protect me, I suppose I'll never see a dragon with my own eyes in this lifetime! If House Targaryen had dragons, they wouldn't have run to the other side of the Narrow Sea! The last two dragons hatched on Dragonstone... two deformed creatures, with skulls no larger than a hound's. Those were the last two dragons recorded by House Targaryen, and perhaps the last two in this world. I should have given up long ago!"
Since childhood, Tyrion had held a pathological fascination with dragons. When he attended his sister's wedding to Robert Baratheon, he was determined to see the dragon skulls that hung in the Targaryen's Throne Room.
By that time, King Robert had already replaced the dragon skulls in the Throne Room with banners and tapestries, but Tyrion remained undeterred. He finally found them stored away in a damp, dark cellar.
Tyrion had thought the dragon skulls would be magnificent, even awe-inspiring, but he never imagined they would be such beautiful things... black as onyx, smooth and bright, seeming to glisten under the torchlight, so beautiful it left one breathless.
Tyrion spread his hands to illustrate their size. "When my sister married, I saw the dragon skulls in the cellars of the Red Keep. Their gaping maws were terrifying. I imagine they could swallow a whole bull in one bite, or perhaps the woolly mammoths rumored to roam the icy wastelands."
"Looking through the history books, the Lannister ancestor, King Loren of the Rock, faced Aegon the Conqueror's three dragons. King Loren very quickly chose to surrender and swear fealty to House Targaryen! After seeing those immense dragon bones, I have nothing but gratitude for his decision!"
Glyn nodded. "In the great battle nearly three hundred years ago, which the bards call the Field of Fire, the combined armies of the King of the Rock and the King of the Reach fought against Aegon the Conqueror. In a single day, nearly four thousand soldiers were burned to ash by the dragons, including King Mern of the Reach."
Tyrion took a sip of Dornish Red and continued, "All of Mern IX Gardener's sons were also burned alive by dragonflame. The ruling house of the Kingdom of the Reach... House Gardener was nearly annihilated."
"The King of the Reach's steward, Harlen Tyrell, surrendered Highgarden to Aegon the Conqueror. For this, Aegon granted Highgarden and the lands of the Reach to House Tyrell and named them the High Lords of the Reach."
Glyn placed his wine cup on the table. "Growing Strong, the Golden Rose."
Tyrion grinned. "Haha, the steward offered up his master's lands and became the master of those lands in return. The Golden Rose has to work hard!"
"This is what the Golden Rose is best at. What I'm more curious about is what they will offer this time, and what they hope to gain?"
Glyn's eyes shifted slightly as he looked at Tyrion. "It seems you've already found the answer?"
Tyrion countered, "For the selection of the new Hand of the King, won't Crackclaw Point be placing a bet?"
Glyn made no attempt to hide his disdain. "Your Lordship, I am Queen Cersei's chief steward. The tradition of Crackclaw Point is to be directly loyal to the Queen."
Tyrion said with a grin, "Now, do you understand my answer?"
Glyn's brow furrowed slightly. He fell silent for a moment before speaking, "His Majesty Robert is still very young. There are too many variables. The Golden Rose will not overlook this issue."
King Robert was only 36 this year (born 262 AC). Under normal circumstances, the reign of Robert Baratheon, the First of His Name, would continue for a long time.
The issue Tyrion and Glyn were discussing was from the perspective of Casterly Rock.
Jaime, who should have been the heir to Casterly Rock, had become a member of the Kingsguard. According to the laws of succession in Westeros, Tyrion Lannister was now the rightful heir to Casterly Rock, though he had not yet received his father's personal acknowledgment.
Tyrion leaned his small frame back against the chair. "As a good neighbor, I can't help but pay close attention. I've heard that the Queen of Thorns of Highgarden is a rather difficult old lady to serve. And then there are those fickle members of the Small Council—our good friend Petyr, the venerable Grand Maester, and that eunuch Varys. King's Landing is truly a lively place!"
Glyn said with a smile, "We speculate that Lord Eddard is very likely to be the next Hand of the King. He and King Robert share a deep bond; they trust each other implicitly."
Tyrion first nodded, then grinned. "Our King can once again seek his pleasures without a worry in the world. I truly envy him!"
Tyrion then added, "What about you? Although you are Cersei's steward, that doesn't stop you from currying favor with the future Hand of the King in advance."
Glyn said with some disgust, "My Lord Tyrion, are you serious? Are you certain the Starks of the North would fall for that sort of thing?"
Tyrion laughed heartily. "The Red Keep will no longer be filled with sweet nothings, but with the solemn affairs of the realm! One can imagine the scene then. I think it will be quite interesting!"
Glyn smiled and said, "Assuming there are no other variables, they will be unaccustomed to each other's way of doing things. It will take a considerable amount of time to build mutual trust."
Tyrion asked thoughtfully, "Variables?"
Glyn replied, "Don't forget the Golden Rose is also in King's Landing. They've come a long way, only to potentially return empty-handed. That would be very hard for them to accept, and quite embarrassing as well."
Tyrion's expression turned serious as he thought for a moment, then spoke, "Initially, it was Cersei who recommended the Lord of Highgarden as a candidate for Hand of the King at the Small Council meeting. What is my old man's attitude now?"
Glyn shrugged and said, "You wouldn't want to know!"
"Haha..."
Tyrion's tone was tinged with mockery. "Alright, now that's my dear sister. Fortunately, we share a kind and amiable father."
Glyn nodded to himself. Lord Tywin was indeed "approachable."
Tyrion clutched his bright blond and white hair in some distress. "The truth is often cruel. Only now do I realize that by staying here honestly, I can only complain to you. How ridiculous."
What kind of person was Lord Glyn? He was a man who embodied humility, honesty, compassion, wisdom, bravery, honor... and so on. Ahem!
He reached out and patted Tyrion. "Don't worry about Queen Cersei, and certainly don't worry about the Golden Rose. No matter how the situation develops, it won't affect the safety of Her Highness the Queen. My sword can guarantee it."
Tyrion's movements froze. He said awkwardly, "Glyn, why the sudden change in demeanor?"
Glyn's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Tyrion, your small movements have betrayed you. At least now, I truly believe the Lannisters are a loving family."
Tyrion grinned. "That's right. Father is kind, sister is gentle, brother is strict, and the younger brother is obedient. Haha!"