Grand Maester Pycelle prescribed some medicine for Margaery and left.
Lancelot and Myrcella stayed behind and had dinner at Margaery's home.
After Margaery put on the Buddhist amulet (pendant) Lancelot gave her and took the calming medicine, she fell asleep.
Lancelot took the statue of the Seven back to the Red Keep.
However, Lancelot failed to notice that the statue of the Seven had changed. The original seven humanoid figures had transformed into seven non-human entities.
They mostly resembled octopuses, with many tentacles, large heads, protruding eyes, and scale-like textures on their skin. In short, they looked nothing like the statues of the Seven found in normal septs.
When the Greatjon Umber of House Umber, along with First Ranger Benjen Stark and Master-at-Arms Alliser Thorne of the Night's Watch, arrived in King's Landing, the Great Council officially began.
At the council, different lords held varying opinions. Some advocated for a proactive offensive beyond the Wall, such as Earl Yohn Royce, who wanted to lead the Vale cavalry north to kill White Walkers and avenge his son.
Yohn Royce received the support of the Night's Watch and the Northern lords, as they also did not want the White Walkers and wildlings to cross south of the Wall.
Others were defeatists, like Mace Tyrell. In recent days, he had grown increasingly terrified of the unknown enemy.
He even voiced preparations to take his entire family and flee to Essos for refuge.
Mace Tyrell's plan drew dissatisfaction from many vassals of the Reach.
Earl Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill petitioned King Robert to fight. He hoped to lead the army north along the Kingsroad to attack the wildlings and White Walkers beyond the Wall.
"Your Grace, King Robert, and my lords, we have received intelligence regarding the White Walkers!"
Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands stood up and spoke.
"Balon, what intelligence have you obtained?" Eddard Stark asked.
"White Walkers cannot swim. Perhaps we can exploit this."
That White Walkers couldn't swim was something Balon and his men had learned during their slave trade with the wildlings.
Although White Walkers brought cold when they appeared, they did not possess the ability to freeze rivers instantly.
Unless they waited for the weather itself to turn cold enough to freeze all rivers and seas, White Walkers could not attack islands or cities situated in the middle of rivers, such as Riverrun or the Isle of Faces.
"Is it true that White Walkers cannot swim?" asked Lord Redwyne. His territory was the Arbor, located off the southwest corner of Westeros, famous for its wine.
"Correct. White Walkers cannot swim. We confirmed this with our wildling friends," Balon said.
"Then how do we use this?" Renly asked.
"Only a minority live on islands. Most of us live on the mainland. We can't just abandon all the land and turtle up on islands waiting to die!" Lord Renly argued.
"If we could learn from the ancient Children of the Forest who shattered the Arm of Dorne and shatter the Neck, separating the entire North from the South, we would be safe," Littlefinger stood up and suggested.
"With all due respect, Lord Baelish, your suggestion is chaotic speech advocating for the partition of the Seven Kingdoms," Benjen Stark countered.
"The North is part of the Seven Kingdoms. Without the North, is there any need for the Seven Kingdoms to exist?" Benjen Stark asked.
These debates occurred daily and wouldn't yield results quickly.
During the Great Council discussions, Lancelot forged two more Valyrian steel swords. He sold one to Renly and one to the Red Viper.
In the North Sea Kindergarten, Lancelot and Gendry were forging another Valyrian steel sword, this one for Ser Loras, who had already paid Lancelot a deposit.
"Flame Enchantment, Evil Disperse!"
"Cold Blade, Blazing Heart!"
"Creatures of Evil, Touch Not!"
"Touch and Die, Bones to Dust!"
Lancelot chanted spells while the Ember Fire Dragon Steed breathed intense flames, and Gendry swung the iron hammer.
After quenching, a thick cloud of steam rose, and a Valyrian steel sword was completed.
Waiting outside the smithy were Ser Loras and his sister, Margaery.
Since her first visit to the North Sea Kindergarten, Margaery came often. She seemed to enjoy telling stories to the children.
Every time she came, she brought plenty of food, drink, clothes, and toys.
Her image was now deeply ingrained in the hearts of these children.
"She is a beautiful, kind big sister." That was what most of them thought.
Although Lancelot knew she was putting on a show, he didn't call her out.
"Ser Loras, this sword is yours!" Lancelot handed the not-yet-fully-cooled Valyrian steel sword to the Knight of Flowers.
Loras took it excitedly and swung it a few times in the air.
"It really is very light! Excellent balance! Very sharp!" Loras tested the edge.
"This is a masterpiece created by ancient techniques combined with skilled craftsmanship," Lancelot said.
Lancelot glanced at Margaery beside him. Her expression had returned to normal, as charming as ever. She seemed to have recovered from her deep-sea phobia.
"Lancelot, I have something to tell you!" Margaery said with a solemn face.
"What is it?" Lancelot asked.
"It's like this, Lancelot. One of our family's singers died," Loras interjected.
"What does that have to do with me? Don't tell me you're inviting me to the funeral feast?" Lancelot curled his lip.
"It's not what you think!" Loras and Margaery both looked exasperated.
"His death was strange!" Margaery said.
"For some time before he died, he often spoke of a statue."
"It seems to be the same statue I saw under the deep sea during my illness," Margaery explained.
"A statue?" Lancelot asked.
"Yes. The head of the statue resembled a giant octopus, covered in writhing dark green tentacles, with glowing suckers and spiral serrations at the ends;
"The torso was like a reptilian giant, covered in bronze scales carved with twisted patterns, secreting a thick slime; on its back grew wrinkled membranous wings, edges flickering with phosphorescence; its limbs were thick and bore obsidian claws, and a bone spur on its tail coiled upwards," Margaery described.
Recalling the indescribable, terrifying deep-sea monster from her dreams, her face turned pale, and she swayed forward.
Lancelot caught her just in time.
"Are you alright, Margaery?" Lancelot asked.
She shook her head. "Every time I recall it, I fall into fear. That is definitely not a god, but a demon-like existence! Its power rivals a god's, capable of dominating the world."
"You're thinking too much. Go back, take a few more calming pills, and get plenty of sleep! Stop thinking about that thing," Lancelot advised.
"But it's not just Margaery and the dead singer. Many musicians, maesters, and septons in King's Landing seem to have seen that mysterious existence in their dreams. Some have even spoken with It," Loras added.
He had learned from Renly that one of Renly's maesters had also fallen into madness, obsessively worshipping that octopus-headed monster.