The Twins.
The great hall of House Frey was as somber as a tomb.
The news brought back by the ravens was like a dull knife, slicing away at Walder Frey's patience one cut at a ti.
Emmon Frey had been killed in defeat at Riverrun. More than half of House Frey's soldiers had been killed or wounded, and the rest had all been taken prisoner. Not a single man had escaped.
And outside the city, King Luke Jaqenion had personally led a great army to the gates, offering the "proposal" that Walder Frey must commit suicide to atone, House Frey must abandon the Twins and its titles, and his children might be spared.
"Too arrogant! Too arrogant!" Walder Frey flew into a rage. His wrinkled face turned the color of pig's liver.
His beady, malicious eyes swept over everyone like a venomous snake backed into a corner.
"I would rather drag the entire House Frey down with than bow my head and admit defeat!"
Several of his children opened their mouths but said nothing.
Walder sneered. "Do you think that if I die, you can truly live as ordinary people? You will spend your entire lives in the shadow of the na 'Frey.' Everyone will know you are my blood. No one will trust you. No one will forget what your father did!"
He ordered all the doors and windows of the Twins sealed. He wanted to hide in the cellar… even if that bastard Luke could fly and control fire, he would be helpless against him.
BOOM!
A massive explosion rang out. The entire castle trembled.
Everyone stood up in panic. Wine cups overturned, chairs toppled, and screams filled the air.
A servant stumbled in, his face deathly pale. "Bad news! The enemy is attacking! It's sorcery… the gates have been blown open!"
Walder Frey stood frozen. For the first ti, true fear appeared in those old eyes.
"Quick, escape—"
He staggered backward, not knowing where to run. The world spun around him.
Schlick.
Walder Frey stared blankly at the dagger buried in his heart.
It was his twelfth son, Raymund Frey… the son who had commanded the ambush during the Red Wedding and personally stabbed a dagger into Catelyn Tully's belly.
Raymund Frey looked at the man who had ruled the family for sixty years and spoke softly, "We don't want to sink with you."
The Twins had fallen.
In the great hall, every Frey knelt to welco King Luke.
They had nowhere to run and could only wait quietly for judgnt. At the front was Walder Frey's severed head, his eyes still open, refusing to close even in death.
Luke looked at the head of the "Weasel" and raised an eyebrow.
"I will not kill you. But from today onward, the na Frey no longer exists in Westeros."
Raymund Frey lay prostrate on the ground, his voice trembling. "Thank you, Your Grace. Thank you for your rcy."
Several wretched figures were dragged before Luke. The soldiers forced them to their knees without a word.
These were the Riverlands nobles captured alive during the Red Wedding. They had been locked in Frey's dungeons for who knows how long. They were disheveled, emaciated, and skeletal.
Luke glanced at them. "Who is Edmure Tully?"
"I am Edmure Tully." A disheveled man raised his head and tried to straighten his back.
He was so thin he was nothing but bones, but his eyes still held the stubbornness characteristic of House Tully.
"My lord, do you understand the current situation?"
"Yes, Your Grace," Edmure's voice was hoarse but clear. "Riverrun is willing to submit to the Son of the Seven Gods and to Draco."
"Very good." Luke nodded slightly. "Let Lord Edmure wash and rest for a few days. Then we will send all the lords back to their lands."
The "King Who Lay Down to Win" truly knew when to submit. After Riverrun yielded, the entire Riverlands submitted.
A steady stream of people left Draco, carrying "Luke's New Policy" to settle in every noble's domain across the Riverlands.
Those young people wore neat suits embroidered with the Jaqenion family crest and carried The New Policy Implentation Manual personally compiled by King Luke in their pockets. They scattered across the war-scorched land like seeds.
In the early stages, so nobles paid lip service to submission while secretly using every ans to obstruct the implentation of the New Policy.
So refused to let the "special envoys" through their gates. So burned the land reform notices. So even assassinated the "special envoys."
Luke was furious. Bronn led troops to suppress them violently. Those nobles were dragged out of their family castles and their entire houses were exterminated — not a single person was spared!
Anyone who caused trouble would have their na erased from Westeros!
This thunderous thod shocked everyone.
The natives of Westeros finally learned there was a punishnt called "extermination of house and clan."
To promote the implentation of the New Policy, Luke assigned at least one company of soldiers to every special envoy.
As for Riverrun, he directly stationed an entire regint there.
After these armies arrived locally, they continued recruiting and training new soldiers.
With Tywin killed, the main Westerlands force submitted, and the Riverlands completely conquered, all Westerlands territories except Casterly Rock and a few castles submitted.
These news spread across the Seven Kingdoms and to Essos at incredible speed.
The realm was in an uproar.
The claim that Luke Jaqenion was the "Son of God" grew louder and louder.
In the seventh month, King's Landing.
Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell held a grand wedding.
The bells of the Red Keep rang all day long. The Great Sept of Baelor was packed with nobles and septons. Flower petals were scattered across the streets.
The smallfolk of King's Landing stood by the roadside, watching the newlyweds walk from the Great Sept to the Red Keep. They gossiped about the beauty of the new queen, the fine wines and delicacies brought from the Reach, and the "Son of God" far away in the Riverlands.
On the sa day, the Iron Throne announced the new "Small Council":
The Hand of the King: Lord Mace Tyrell, Warden of the South.
Master of Ships: Lord Paxter Redwyne of the Arbor.
Master of Laws: Lord Robert Arryn, Warden of the East.
Master of Coin: Lord Petyr Baelish, Duke of Harrenhal.
Master of Whisperers: Varys.
Grand Maester: Pycelle.
High Septon: the High Sparrow.
The Small Council was expanded to seven seats because the High Septon of the Great Sept of Baelor had also joined.
In the gardens of the Red Keep, an afternoon tea was being held.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the grape trellis, casting dappled light and shadow on the white tablecloth.
Silver tea sets sparkled in the sunlight. Delicate pastries filled the three-tiered porcelain plates.
The attendees were Queen Margaery Tyrell, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister, and Lady Olenna Redwyne of Highgarden.
Cersei stared into Olenna's eyes.
The old woman sat in her chair, dressed entirely in black. She was as thin as a crow that might fly away at any mont, but her eyes were frighteningly sharp.
"Now the South holds two seats on the Small Council. Lady Olenna, can the Reach army support Casterly Rock?" Although Cersei disliked this old woman, the situation was stronger than the person… the Westerlands had fallen. Now she and Joffrey could only rely on the Reach.
"Of course, Your Grace," Lady Olenna said lightly, elegantly lifting her teacup for a sip. "The Redwyne fleet has already set sail. They should reach Lannisport in a few days."
"Don't worry too much, Mother," Margaery also gently comforted Cersei. "King Joffrey now holds the Crownlands, the Reach, the Vale, and the Stormlands. Lord Ramsay Bolton of the North has also submitted to the Iron Throne."
Cersei looked at the young and beautiful queen before her, her gaze distant.
She rembered her childhood, when she and her friend lara Hetherspoon visited a forest witch in Lannisport known as the "Toad."
She had threatened the witch with violence and demanded she prophesy her future.
"I will beco queen, right?"
The witch had said, "You will be queen… until another woman cos, younger and more beautiful. She will overthrow you and take everything you hold dear."
Now her father Tywin Lannister was gone. Her pillar of support had collapsed. Her voice was growing weaker and weaker.
Ever since that old woman Olenna had arrived, she felt her control over everything slipping away rapidly.
The smallfolk of King's Landing only knew the Little Rose Queen and no longer knew her, Cersei. Even her son Joffrey had been seduced by the Little Rose and was growing colder toward her, his mother!
After Cersei left, Margaery looked at her grandmother with so concern.
"Grandmother, can we really defeat that Son of the Seven Gods? He truly possesses divine power… did we choose wrong? Now all of King's Landing is talking about that god-son's deeds."
Lady Olenna put down her teacup and gently stroked her granddaughter's cheek.
"Silly child, that god-son will not allow any great houses to exist. He brings magical goods, divine power, and dragons, but he also wants to bring change."
"He stands against everyone, so he is bound to fail."
"The Targaryen family had adult dragons and still could not unify Westeros. In the end, they perished. This Son of God is flying too high. He will fall very hard!"
She paused. A sharp light flashed in those old eyes.
"This is an opportunity for House Tyrell to rise further. This is a once-in-a-thousand-years chance!"
Afterward, King's Landing launched a massive "cultural campaign."
The Iron Throne declared Luke Jaqenion an evil god and listed dozens of charges against him, using the exact sa thods as the forr defender of Harrenhal, Ser Adam!
They searched the realm for and burned copies of The Seven Gods Bible and executed anyone who spread positive stories about the false king Luke.
The High Sparrow ordered the Faith to vigorously promote The Baelor Bible. All septons and septas were to preach in the streets.
The Iron Throne demanded that singers and storytellers must say Luke was an evil god and were forbidden from spreading his positive, glorious image… or their tongues would be pulled out.
After conquering the Twins, Luke returned to Harrenhal, where he received all the nobles of the Riverlands.
They stepped forward one by one, knelt on one knee, and swore fealty. King Luke accepted their submission.
News ca from the North: Roose Bolton had retaken Winterfell and driven out the ironborn ravaging the region.
But not long after Roose Bolton returned to the Dreadfort, he died. His bastard son "Ramsay Bolton" inherited his title as Duke of the North and refused to swear fealty to the "false king Luke."
Ramsay declared his loyalty to King Joffrey of the Iron Throne… because House Bolton's title of "Warden of the North" had been granted by Tywin Lannister in Joffrey's na.
News also ca from Essos.
"Mother of Dragons" Daenerys Targaryen had risen. She had hatched three dragons!
The Targaryen dynasty had been restored in Essos.
Stannis Baratheon had led all the forces of Dragonstone by sea to support the Wall, abandoning his claim to the throne.
On top of the Tower of the Burning King in Harrenhal, Luke stood at the highest point.
The three baby dragons fluttered around him. They ate with open stomachs, and Luke frequently fed them with his own magic power. As a result, they were growing rapidly. Their wingspans had already exceeded three ters.
They were no longer "puppies" but young flying dragons. However, they didn't know their own size and still tried to land on their master.
Luke tirelessly reminded them, "No, no, no. You've grown up. My shoulders can't hold you anymore!"
He estimated that in another half a year he would be able to ride dragons, although he didn't need them since he could already fly…
In the distance, the God's Eye shimred golden in the setting sun. Several ships were slowly sailing toward the north or south shore.
Those were the construction or passenger ships of the "North Shore Port Project," the first cooperation project between Draco and Harrenhal.
Every day, tens of thousands of people traveled back and forth between Draco and Harrenhal by ship!
He held several secret letters in his hand.
The North, Essos, King's Landing… all directions held enemies.
To the south, the nobles of King's Landing were still dreaming their own beautiful dreams.
To the north, Roose Bolton was dead, and a little psychopath who couldn't read the situation had taken his place.
Further north, Stannis had gone to the Wall.
The Mother of Dragons Daenerys had three dragons and was rising. The news that the Targaryen dynasty had been restored across the Narrow Sea had also reached Westeros.
Whenever he saw news about Daenerys, Luke couldn't help but smile.
The Dragon Mother was leading her three dragons and her handful of followers in a grand march toward Slaver's Bay.
She thought she was going to liberate slaves and build great achievents, but she had no idea what was waiting for her there.
The last batch of Unsullied in Astapor — a full three thousand — had already been bought out by him.
Three thousand of the most loyal warriors were now sailing across the sea. Luke's trusted agents would lead them to land at Crab Bay on the Crab Claw Peninsula and march straight into Harrenhal.
Even if Daenerys reached Astapor, she would not be able to buy a single Unsullied.
Luke had been closely monitoring Daenerys's movents and had long planted insiders around the girl.
Her handmaids or attendants included agents from the Web.
They reported every move Daenerys made back to Draco… what she ate, what she said, what dreams she had, who she t.
In fact, it was these insiders who were guiding her toward Slaver's Bay, guiding her to liberate slaves and abolish slavery.
The last woman who wanted to abolish slavery was called "Leaf Eyebrow"… and then she died.
Luke wanted Daenerys to be trapped in Slaver's Bay.
Web assassins had made multiple attempts to assassinate or poison Daenerys, but they all failed. So they could only plant spies around her.
He put the letters down. The smile on his lips grew deeper.
As for King's Landing, they had actually given him a pleasant surprise.
Forming alliances, waging public opinion campaigns, exchanging benefits… these thods were not sothing the foolish mother-son pair Cersei and Joffrey could co up with.
There was a mastermind behind it — the old rose, Olenna Redwyne.
That old woman had quite the ambition. She intended to swallow all of Westeros!
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