Bab 469: Chapter 469: The Current Situation
After many years.
Once again, he had returned to King's Landing, and all eyes were fixed on the handsome young man with silver hair.
They thought Viserys would be overcome with nostalgia, lamenting the swift passage of time and the changes that had taken place.
After all, this was where Viserys had grown up.
Unlike Rhaenys, Viserys had left the Red Keep at the age of seven, well past the age of memory.
The Red Keep should have been the most cherished memory of his childhood, for he was once the pampered second prince of House Targaryen, not a fugitive with his mother, Queen Rhaella.
But reality was not as they had expected.
Viserys looked at the magnificent palace of the Seven Kingdoms atop Aegon's High Hill, but he felt no profound memories.
The Red Keep was strange to him, and he felt more like a tourist visiting a famous landmark.
The main reason was that the last time he had been to the Red Keep was when he had just come into this world.
At that time, the atmosphere within the Red Keep was tense. Prince Rhaegar had just died in battle, and there was a palpable sense of doom.
Time had not been on his side, and he had not been given much opportunity to familiarize himself with the palace. Viserys had barely had a chance to explore the Red Keep before he was whisked away in a carriage, fleeing King's Landing.
Now, Viserys was silent, saying nothing, walking and looking here, touching there.
To the many trembling nobles following him, it seemed as if the king was reminiscing about the past.
Later.
In the Prime Minister's Tower of the Red Keep.
"As for the current situation," someone began, "the Princess Regent has sent ravens to all the nobles, informing them that the Iron Throne has changed hands. But the results have been meager. The Vale and the Westerlands have not clearly indicated submission."
The current Duke of the Vale was Robert Arryn, the beloved child of Jon Arryn, the former usurper's Prime Minister.
But he was still a child, ignorant of the ways of the world. In theory, the actual control of the Vale should have been in the hands of his mother, Lysa Tully.
However, Lysa Tully was not a strong-willed person, even though her father had died in the Battle of Riverrun. Since she and her father, Hoster Tully, had never been close, she should not have held out for so long.
Now, some intelligence had been received that the power in the Vale had fallen into other hands. An alliance of many nobles had been formed, and they refused to kneel to Viserys.
As for the Westerlands, it went without saying. The Lannisters had grievously offended the Targaryens. To surrender would be no different from courting death.
According to Tyrion's judgment of his father, Tywin would rather die on the battlefield than willingly walk to the gallows.
"In the Stormlands, Lord Renly Baratheon was inclined to kneel and was probing our intentions regarding his treatment after surrender."
"Renly hopes to retain Storm's End and his position as Lord of the Stormlands."
"But according to intelligence, Stannis, who escaped from prison a while ago, has appeared in Storm's End. He has been hailed by a group of vassals loyal to the Baratheon family."
"Whether the Stormlands can be peacefully incorporated into the kingdom's territory is now in question."
"As for the South, the Dornish army's plundering and killing in the Riverlands have angered the Tyrell family. The Rose of Highgarden has summoned her vassals, vowing revenge."
The Tyrell family of the Riverlands had always been skilled in diplomacy. Although they could mobilize military power surpassing the Lannisters and had a navy rivaling the royal fleet, the Rose of Highgarden was not adept at leading troops.
However, in the current clear-cut situation, the Tyrells still had not knelt, showing just how powerful Viserys's reforms on the continent of Essos had been.
Except for the North, still covered in ice and snow, where Viserys's troops had taken without bloodshed, his next conquest of other regions would require every inch to be paved with blood.
These old nobles would not kneel willingly, giving up their power if they had any way to avoid it.
And if Viserys were to promise not to apply his new laws in Westeros, perhaps the majority of the wars in the Seven Kingdoms would cease the next day, and banners would be changed immediately.
But that would be another cycle of history, and he would lose the true meaning of reclaiming the Iron Throne.
In the reception hall of the Prime Minister's Tower in the Red Keep, several chairs were arranged.
Viserys sat in the central position, the seat opposite him, reserved for the Hand of the King, was empty.
On either side were the seats filled with important ministers of the royal council, except for a few vacant ones.
The new dynasty's Minister of Justice, Oberyn Martell, Admiral Joffrey Bracken, Master of Whisperers Varys, Princess Regent Rhaenys, and Tyrion, recommended by Rhaenys, were present. The position of the Captain of the Kingsguard was occupied by the red-haired female knight, Mya.
Besides the Hand of the King, the seats for the Grand Maester and the Minister of Finance were also empty.
The Minister of Finance, Illyrio, was still in Pentos, helping the Hand of the King stabilize the situation and had not accompanied the army to Westeros. The Grand Maester Pycelle had just been imprisoned.
The one speaking was Tyrion.
He was not originally qualified to attend the royal council, and there was indeed no place for him here.
The Imp was merely standing beside the table, speaking, and everyone had to sit up straight in their chairs to see him.
But Viserys had heard Rhaenys's recommendation and had given him an exceptional opportunity to present himself.
In fact, this was the first time he had seen this famous 'dwarf,' a 'giant' in the field of wisdom. Even without Rhaenys's recommendation, he wanted to meet this important character who had shone so brightly in the original trajectory.
And Tyrion, seeing that Viserys had not interrupted him, felt a slight thrill and continued to speak.
"Although we are at a stalemate now, the initiative is still in our hands."
"According to the situation, as long as we do not actively launch the Second Conquest, there will not be a large-scale conflict for now."
The Westerlands, the Vale, the Stormlands, and the Riverlands, four enemies, were surrounding the territories under Viserys's control, including the Crownlands and the Riverlands.
If one looked at the map, the situation did not seem very favorable. However, the Targaryen army was strong and well-equipped, with dragons as their top combat power, and Dorne as an ally.
This encirclement could easily turn into a blossoming center, and wherever the Targaryen army pointed, this net could easily be torn apart.
However, the enemy had gathered forces from four regions, occupying half of the Seven Kingdoms. Viserys would still need to fight steadily to win the upcoming war, or he could easily capsize.
Both sides needed precious time to recuperate, and a temporary ceasefire seemed to be a tacit agreement.
"However, Your Grace, there are more important matters to attend to besides war," Tyrion continued.
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