Late that night, after the flames above the waters of Blackwater Bay had finally died out and the capital had settled down, an official summons arrived at the king's chambers.
The Small Council was to meet.
Louis did not need much time to guess who had called for it. Tywin Lannister only moved when he believed the moment was right to take control. With Tommen dead and the battle over, there was no reason to delay any longer.
When Louis entered the council chamber, the scene was almost exactly what he expected. Tywin Lannister sat at the head of the table, his back straight, his sharp eyes calmly scanning the room. To his left sat Varys, bald and quiet, wearing his usual mysterious smile that revealed nothing. To his right was Tyrion Lannister, leaning slightly back in his chair, watching the young king with cautious eyes. Near them sat an old man, one of the senior council members, whose name slipped from Louis's memory without concern.
Louis gave a short greeting and took his seat without ceremony.
Tywin wasted no time. He spoke in a dry voice:
"I thought you would use grief as an excuse to miss this meeting and stay with your mother. Are you not saddened by your brother's death? Or at least interested in knowing who is responsible?"
Louis raised his eyes calmly and answered without hesitation:
"Of course I am sad… but not to the point of crying. As for finding the culprit, didn't the guards say it was suicide?"
A brief silence followed before Louis continued in a practical tone:
"And if someone was responsible, I have already given my uncle Tyrion full authority to investigate the matter."
He then turned to Tyrion and asked in a question that sounded foolish on the surface but was carefully calculated:
"You won't betray my trust, will you?"
Tyrion stared at him for a moment, then replied seriously:
"Of course not."
Louis looked back at Tywin and said:
"See? As for my mother, I left Uncle Jaime to comfort her. He is better at that than I am… as you know."
He emphasized the last part on purpose. Silence filled the room for several seconds, heavy with unspoken meaning.
Finally, Tywin spoke, as if the death of his grandson meant no more to him than a political number:
"Very well… it seems you are not as foolish as you appear."
Then he added firmly:
"From now on, I will handle matters here myself. Whether it was suicide or murder, I will find the truth."
His gaze was fixed on Louis, clearly testing him.
Louis replied with fake indifference:
"I have no problem with that. As long as you do not disturb my comfort or threaten my position, do whatever you wish."
He seemed ready to end the conversation, but then he suddenly stopped. He placed his arms on the table and leaned slightly forward, locking eyes with Tywin.
"But there is one condition. Do whatever you want with the power of the realm, make your plans as you like… but do not oppose my orders in front of others."
He paused, then continued:
"You have your plans, and I have mine. Let us not interfere with each other."
A cold smile appeared on Tywin's face.
"Are you saying you would oppose me if I ruined your plans? Do you have the courage to do that?"
Louis spread his arms calmly.
"And if I do? What can you do? Arrest me? Replace me?"
Then he added in a quiet, deadly tone:
"Oh… I forgot. There is no one to replace me with, is there?"
The air grew tense. Tyrion stared at Louis for a long moment, as if a dangerous thought was forming in his mind. He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped.
"Well… it seems I underestimated you."
Tywin smoothly changed the subject:
"So, what is your plan regarding House Stark?"
Louis answered without hesitation:
"It is simple. I will release Ned Stark."
Tywin raised an eyebrow, but Louis continued before he could interrupt:
"We will keep his daughters as hostages. That will ensure his loyalty."
Tywin thought for a moment.
"Not a bad idea… but your mother will not accept that easily."
Louis smiled faintly with sarcasm.
"And who said her opinion matters? All she cares about is protecting her little secret, even though everyone probably already knows it."
Tywin asked casually:
"Has one of Stark's daughters caught your interest?"
For the first time, Louis looked genuinely confused.
"Huh?"
"Isn't that why you want to keep them?"
Louis shook his head.
"I might use them as servants, or as leverage… but that is all. I am not a fool."
Then he added analytically:
"House Tyrell did not help you stop Stannis for free. You must have promised them something."
Tywin smiled with slight approval.
"You mean your engagement to Margaery Tyrell?"
Louis fell silent for a moment, then said:
"So it has already been decided."
"Yes. And since you understand the reason, I assume you do not object."
Louis replied coldly:
"Why would I object when you have already agreed? But let this be the last time a decision concerning me is made without my knowledge. It will not happen again."
He stood up," I will leave the task of making the deal with Ned Stark to you. There is no need for me to trouble myself with it, right?"
"Oh yes, this palace used to belong to the Targaryen family, right? So, does that mean dragon eggs can be found inside the palace or in any of the secret rooms?"
"The palace has already been searched, and several eggs were found, but how to hatch them is unknown. And even if you succeed, as long as you don't carry Targaryen blood, the dragon will not submit to you anyway," Tywin said. "If you're interested, I can send some to your room later."
"That would be good." Louis smiled. He didn't want to try hatching them; he just wanted to see if they could be considered special items to take with him into the real world and hatch there with the system's help.
He turned around, and left the chamber without waiting for a response.
After he was gone, Tyrion exhaled slowly and said:
"That was… a strange conversation. Is this the same Joffrey I know, or have I lost my mind?"
No one answered. Everyone remained silent, their eyes turning toward the head of the table.
There sat Tywin Lannister, his expression… impossible to read.
*** ***
As expected, Tywin Lannister acted quickly and decisively. After harsh negotiations, he managed to make a deal with Ned Stark. Ned would be released in exchange for declaring loyalty and submission to the Iron Throne. To guarantee the agreement, both Sansa and Arya Stark would remain in King's Landing as hostages, with an official promise that they would not be mistreated.
The decision was not easy for Ned. A long inner struggle took place between his pride and his fear for his family's name, and the clear threat that House Stark would be forever labeled as traitors. In the end, under this heavy pressure, Ned bent and accepted Tywin's terms.
Later, Tywin suggested that Sansa and Arya be placed in the king's service, close to the court and under direct royal supervision. Louis showed no objection. For him, keeping the sisters close was another way to strengthen his authority, satisfy his ego, and test how far House Stark was willing to submit to his will.
For several days, Louis enjoyed himself with both sisters in preparation for his wedding.
A few days after the death of his brother Tommen, an event was announced in the capital that overshadowed everything else:
the wedding of Joffrey Baratheon, King of the Seven Kingdoms, to Margaery Tyrell, daughter of House Tyrell.
King's Landing celebrated, while behind the walls, the threads of politics were being tightened more and more.