Moments ago, the King's Men and Queen's Men had been mocking Petyr Baelish. Now, they all looked constipated, as if struggling to digest his crazy proposal.
Some wanted to object immediately because the idea was unthinkable, but their mouths opened and closed without a sound.
Because logically, it made perfect sense.
Davos was shocked by Petyr's suggestion as well. He wanted Jon to become Stannis's right-hand man, but he worried if this reward was too... exaggerated.
Earning a dukedom for turning the tide of the war wasn't impossible; Jon certainly deserved it.
But the Westerlands? That was the place the Lannisters had ruled for thousands of years. The Lannisters were the West, just as the Starks were the North.
Their ancestor, Lann the Clever, had founded House Lannister there in the Age of Heroes.
Through the Andal invasion and the Targaryen conquest, House Lannister had remained standing.
Making Jon the Lord of Casterly Rock?
Davos believed that if Robb could march into the Westerlands, Jon could too. But what about Casterly Rock itself?
The Wall, at seven hundred feet, was intimidating enough. But Casterly Rock was a fortress carved out of a colossal stone hill three times that height! It was one with the mountain.
Steep and impregnable.
No matter how hard he tried, Davos couldn't imagine how Jon could take it.
The title of Duke sounded grand, but the risk was enormous. Jon could easily die trying to claim it.
Davos looked at Stannis nervously, hoping he wouldn't accept Petyr's advice.
Meanwhile, Petyr nursed his severed wrist, hissing in pain while carefully observing everyone's reaction.
Stannis remained stone-faced and unreadable. Selyse looked intrigued. Alester Florent, the temporary Hand, seemed to be seriously considering the proposal.
Petyr's gaze lingered on Melisandre for a moment longer than necessary. Her grey-green eyes were set in a face of breathtaking beauty.
But Petyr was in the flesh trade; he had decent self-control. He looked away quickly.
Seizing the moment while everyone was deep in thought, he spoke again. "Your Grace, remember the Field of Fire. Aegon the Conqueror defeated the combined armies of the King of the Rock and the King of the Reach. King Mern of the Reach died on the battlefield. Aegon then granted Highgarden, the seat of House Gardener, to House Tyrell.
"From then on, the Tyrells became the rulers of the Reach. But the Tyrells were merely stewards to the Gardeners. Other houses with stronger blood claims to the Gardeners resented them. Because of this, the Tyrells had no choice but to be fiercely loyal to the Dragon Kings. Even during Robert's Rebellion, they remained staunch royalists.
"Isn't Jon's situation similar to the Tyrells'? He has no roots in the Westerlands. His legitimacy and power would come entirely from you. If Jon conquers the West, you will gain a powerful, wealthy, and absolutely loyal vassal." Petyr cited history, trying to push Stannis to a decision.
At this point, Alester Florent finally spoke up.
Having been thrown in the dungeon only days ago, hearing that King's Landing had been liberated felt like a dream to him.
Alester regretted his earlier actions. If he had just waited two days before writing to the Lannisters, he wouldn't be in this mess, dragging his family down with him.
So, like Petyr, he needed to improve his image in Stannis's eyes.
And ironically, as a Florent, his family was one of those houses Petyr mentioned with a better claim to Highgarden than the Tyrells.
"Your Grace," Alester stepped forward. "I believe Lord Petyr's proposal is sound. Granting the Westerlands and Casterly Rock to Jon accomplishes two things. First, it is a reward worthy of his immense achievement. Second, whether Jon succeeds or fails in taking the West, it benefits us."
Alester argued that if Jon succeeded, the West would be pacified. Jon could check the Riverlands to the east and the Reach to the south, giving the Iron Throne a powerful enforcer. If he failed, his military talent would still weaken the Westerlands significantly. It was a win-win.
"As for Jon cooperating with the North," Alester added, "he publicly opposed Robb's crown. Cooperation is impossible. If Jon shows even a hint of leaning that way, you can revoke his legitimacy instantly, and his enemies in the Westerlands will rise up against him."
But this proposal angered Davos. "Lord Hand, Jon has just performed a miraculous service for His Grace. Can we not give him a reward that matches his loyalty, rather than sending him into a death trap? He is just a boy who has barely come of age!"
"Since he is the King's subject, he should be ready to offer his loyalty at any time. Besides, he is a bastard. It is His Grace who is granting him the name Stark!" Alester retorted shamelessly.
Davos almost laughed in anger. You have the nerve to talk about loyalty?
But the mention of "barely come of age" made Davos's voice tremble. His sons, Maric and Matthos, hadn't been much older than Jon. Stannis looked moved as well.
The death of Davos's four sons weighed on Stannis too. He blamed himself for trusting the fool Imry Florent.
Besides, Davos had a point. Sending Jon to conquer the West felt... inhumane.
Finally, the King spoke. "Lord Petyr's suggestion is very thorough, but Ser Davos's concerns are also valid. This matter is grave. I will speak with Jon personally when we reach King's Landing."
Stannis had made his decision, so there was no need for further argument.
He looked at Littlefinger, who had his head bowed. If this man's brain is truly this sharp, and if he can be as loyal as Davos one day, my rule would be much easier.
But Stannis knew that was impossible.
He had zero affection for a man who flip-flopped so easily.
Stannis had once proposed closing all brothels in King's Landing. Petyr ran the second largest one. They were fundamentally incompatible.
Stannis planned to expand Petyr's lands slightly, then exile him from the center of political power.
He had someone else in mind for Master of Coin.
At the end of the meeting, Stannis once again appointed Davos as his diplomat.
He ordered Davos and Petyr to meet with Mace Tyrell, whose army was still camped near Bitterbridge, to accept their peace terms.
And most importantly, to propose the marriage for Jon.
Whether or not Jon would be named Lord of Casterly Rock was undecided, but marrying Margaery Tyrell was definitely the best option.
---
"Brynden! You bastard!"
Rickard Karstark roared at the sky as he watched the remnants of Tywin's army disappear in a cloud of dust past Stony Sept. His white beard bristled with rage.
The plan had been for Rickard to pursue Tywin from the rear while Brynden "The Blackfish" intercepted him at Stony Sept. Instead, Brynden had only ordered his archers to fire a few half-hearted volleys.
For heavy cavalry charging at full speed, that kind of damage was negligible. Tywin broke through the encirclement easily.
Furious, Rickard abandoned his troops and rode straight up to Brynden's formation. "Brynden! Why did you let Tywin go?!" he bellowed in his rough voice.
Brynden turned to look at the red-eyed Karstark lord and answered calmly, "For Robb's crown. For the independence of the Riverlands and the North."
Though Brynden's reasoning was pragmatic, Rickard couldn't accept it morally. His two sons had died by Jaime Lannister's hand.
He had wanted to mourn his sons with Tywin's blood, but Brynden had let the prize slip away.
Panting heavily, Rickard strode up to Brynden and grabbed him by the breastplate, shaking him. "Independence, independence, independence! That's all that's in your head! Family, Duty, Honor—aren't those the Tully words? Honor! Where is the honor?! How can you face Jon Snow like this?!"
Brynden stared calmly at the screaming old lord. Spittle flew from Rickard's mouth, landing on Brynden's face.
The Riverlands soldiers stepped forward to pull them apart, but Brynden waved them off.
"Family, Duty, Honor. Lord Rickard, for me, Family comes first!" Brynden looked into Rickard's bloodshot eyes, remembering his late brother, Hoster Tully.
Years ago, Brynden had refused to marry a Frey, earning a severe scolding from Hoster. He had left his family to become the Knight of the Bloody Gate in the Vale, calling himself the Blackfish to symbolize his estrangement.
But Hoster's death had taught him something. In Westeros, without family, an individual is nothing. He hadn't become the Knight of the Bloody Gate solely because of his skill, but because he was a Tully.
Because of the name Tully, he had earned Jon Arryn's trust.
Now, he had to put Tully interests first.
Although Brynden knew his actions were shameful, he had decided to let Tywin go.
As long as Tywin lived, the Westerlands—though broken—could unite. That way, Stannis would have to deal with them, preventing him from turning his full attention north.
Seeing absolutely no remorse in Brynden's eyes, Rickard felt his rage turn hollow.
He shoved Brynden away and shook off the Riverlands soldiers trying to restrain him.
The alliance between the North and the Riverlands, so recently forged, was already showing cracks.
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