"We'll talk about the wildlings later; right now, let's discuss the Others."
Another excuse to delay returning to Tyrosh—there were too many women at home, and Wit was worried he'd lose control. He'd already become involved with three women, all of which had happened due to customs and public pressure. Adding more would be meaningless; one day of joy, followed by endless troubles.
"Wright, can you tell us in detail about your battle with the Night King?"
Wright had only mentioned the Children of the Forest to them before, leading everyone to think his northern journey was to search for them.
"It all started with a three-eyed raven," Wright began, detailing his journey north, the two women's struggle with the climate, the Castle Black's Maester Aemon, his encounters with the Others, the Children of the Forest, and the Three Eyed Raven.
"Don't think of the Others as actual ghosts and gods! Imagine them as powerful necromancers, that's all. From now on, tell your soldiers the same; it will help alleviate their fears. In terms of strength, even with special weapons, a skilled knight couldn't take one down, but if commanded properly, a hundred knights charging, ignoring the attacks and sacrifices of wights, could likely defeat one Other."
Now that magic users, the Children of the Forest, and dragons had all appeared in King's Landing, the people will easily accepted Wright's description of the Others—an advanced, non-human race, not undefeatable gods.
After hearing this, the crowd was astonished! If anyone else had said this, they'd have been laughed off, but with Wright's current status and power, it was taken seriously.
Robert was thinking about the issue of southerners not adapting well to the northern climate and losing combat effectiveness.
Pycelle was more focused on Aemon's arrival; he wasn't worried that Aemon would take his position. The hundred-year-old scholar lacked the energy to engage in politics, and Pycelle planned to seriously suggest to the Citadel that Aemon return to King's Landing to teach and record his life's knowledge.
Renly said, "After hearing all this, dealing with two or three Others shouldn't be a problem. When can you train me?"
Wright replied, "I have time. The Others are best fought by elite knights and mages together. The real issue is the enormous number of wight armies."
Robert remarked, "A wight's battle power is like a militia soldier's. But from what you're saying, it won't be enough to just chop them up and burn them, plus they keep increasing. If we lose a battle and all the dead soldiers turn into wights, it's a real problem."
Stannis added, "So, fighting the Others has to be led by the most experienced nobles. Those eager to gain merit should be sent home."
They continued discussing, ultimately deciding on a viable plan—reduce the number of wights, starting with the wildlings.
The wildlings weren't an entirely non-human race but rather humans and giants living north of the Wall. They didn't swear fealty to any of the Seven Kingdoms, had no unified language, and were less developed. Thus, people from the Seven Kingdoms called them wildlings, while they referred to themselves as free folk and the people south of the Wall as "kneelers".
There was no clear data on the wildlings' population, but it was said there were hundreds of thousands beyond the Wall. They lived in hundreds of different cultures, tribes, clans, villages, and raiding parties. Conflicts often arose over food and iron weapons.
Robert frowned. "You want to deal with the wildlings too? These people don't obey. I've heard that Eddard tried to accept them in the north, but it ended in tragedy."
Not just Robert, but everyone at the meeting was surprised—how desperate must the Stepstones be to even consider dealing with the ungovernable wildlings?
Wright had initially been forced into this plan but eventually devised a larger strategy.
"Look at this. We can't let the wildlings onto the Stepstones, so I plan to settle them here."
Wright pulled out several parchments from his small pack, all with the same content—Contested Lands—Land Boundary Agreement. The others gave him smirking looks.
Robert raised an eyebrow. "You're looking to start a war again?"
Wright raised a finger. "You know, people from Tyrosh come from all over, including many criminals. So, by creating a common enemy, it's good for internal unity."
Robert looked at the map on the agreement. "Do the other two regions agree?"
"Their diplomatic envoys unanimously agree! Volantis had no real interest in the contested lands. They used to be worried about military expansion from the other three cities, but now that we're allies, that's no longer an issue. Volantis' focus is on the Rhoyne River basin."
Wright pointed to Lys: "Lys received a section of the Darkwash River. That should be enough for their development for the next hundred years. As for my Tyrosh, we've taken on all the pressure from the two regions, so we deserve the best land."
Another one of Wright's land-grabbing exploits. Robert skipped over the council and directly signed the document. "Wright, you need to be careful. Don't make too many enemies. If something goes wrong, it'll take at least a month for us to send aid to Tyrosh."
Wright tucked the agreement away. "Don't worry, I have ways of handling it. Even if something goes wrong, it'll be the wildlings' fault. What does it have to do with Tyrosh? Ha-ha."
After further discussion, several matters were settled in the meeting:
First, to avoid causing panic, the news about the Others would be kept confidential for now and only communicated to Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, so that he could prepare accordingly.
Second, the royal family would take responsibility for extracting dragonglass from Dragonstone and transporting it to the underground storage beneath the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing. The wildfire previously stored there had been removed by Wright and sold to the royal fleet, and the wildfire production line in Tyrosh needed to be set up as soon as possible.
Third, due to the treasury's inability to fund the creation of dragonglass weapons, after the appearance of the Others was confirmed, the stored dragonglass would be distributed to local lords for them to craft weapons on their own. Dragonglass was only effective against the Others and wights; it was too brittle for everyday use compared to iron and could only serve as decoration. There was no need to worry about anyone using large quantities of dragonglass weapons to incite rebellion.
Fourth, once the rulers of several other city-states signed the land division agreement, the Seven Kingdoms would once again expand their territories. This would not be officially announced yet, as the agreement needed to be signed first.
Fifth, orders would be sent to the Castle Black to dispatch cavalry beyond the Wall to search for the wildlings and report back to King's Landing and Tyrosh, promoting Tyrosh's immigration policy to them. If large settlements were found, Wright would personally ride north on his dragon to persuade the wildlings.
---
After the meeting, Robert privately called Renly and Wright to the Red Keep for a conversation.
They met in the reception room outside Robert's chambers, and this time, they didn't drink. Robert had something serious to discuss.
"Renly, it's okay if I house the five handmaids from House Bracken at Storm's End, right?"
Renly smiled. "I don't mind. Is something going on with the queen?"
Robert sighed in frustration. "Ah, five handmaids, and three of them are pregnant."
Renly and Wright exchanged a glance—typical Robert.
Wright raised an eyebrow. "So, why did you call me here?"
Robert explained, "Lord Jonos Bracken came to me. His nephew and heir, Hendry Bracken, died, and he asked me to legitimize his illegitimate son, Harry Rivers. I agreed."
He then recounted the events at the melee in Bitterbridge, where two rival families had suffered losses—one losing two members and the other losing an heir.
"That's the king's power. So, what happens next?" Wright asked.
Robert looked at Wright's face. "Lord Bracken wants me to give Harry Bracken a chance to earn merit. There's no such opportunity in King's Landing or Storm's End, but there's still room in your Tyrosh."
Wright replied, "Let him come. Tyrosh welcomes all, even thieves and bandits. We'll certainly accept a noble. I'll send him to the Contested Lands."
This was a small matter, but Robert didn't even drink. Wright noticed Robert's expression—there was more to it. "If you don't tell me, I'll leave."
Robert stared at Wright. "Varys, the Master of Whisperers, reported something to me. Prince Doran Martell's son has appeared on the eastern continent and is suspected to be seeking Daenerys Targaryen."
Wright's hand tapped the armrest. "If it's true, then Prince Doran is trying to restore the Targaryen dynasty. But Doran never swore fealty to you, Robert. You only signed a truce agreement. Legally, he can't be guilty of treason."
Robert frowned. "That's the problem. Doran's actions are secret. Unless his son and Daenerys officially announce their engagement, we can't find any proof. Even if we did, there's no way to punish Doran. Wright, you're Oberyn Martell's son-in-law—what's his take on this?"
Wright thought for a moment, considering Oberyn's changing attitudes, then looked at Robert and Renly. "The only solution is for Doran to die, and Oberyn to inherit Dorne."
Robert laughed—this was exactly what he was thinking, but Wright knew Robert didn't have the brains to come up with this on his own. Someone was advising him from behind the scenes.
"Is this the Hand of the King's idea?"
Robert nodded.
Wright wasn't too familiar with Mathis Rowen, but he knew enough about his character and family. "Robert, starting a civil war in Dorne isn't easy. As long as Doran is alive, Oberyn won't have any ambition to seize the throne. He would never kill his own kin."
Robert countered, "Dorne has never truly belonged to the Iron Throne. This is the perfect opportunity. Once Oberyn inherits Dorne, your wife will be his only legitimate daughter, the sole heir of Dorne! The child in her womb, whether a boy or a girl, will be the next Prince of Dorne!"
Bribery? Robert didn't directly order it, but privately approached Wright as a brother to discuss Dorne. The Hand of the King had something up his sleeve, but Wright wasn't pleased!
"I'll talk to the Hand of the King another day," Wright didn't immediately agree, planning to see whether he truly had the kingdom's best interests at heart or if he was driven by personal motives.
Robert, sensing Wright's hesitation, was slightly uncomfortable. Renly also noticed the tense atmosphere and intervened, saying, "This concerns Wright's wife and child, it requires careful consideration."
Robert walked over and patted Wright on the shoulder. "For three hundred years, countless kings and heroes have failed to unify Dorne. This is the best opportunity we've had."
Wright, still seated on the couch, looked up at Robert. "Have you thought about what happens if Oberyn refuses? Should I kill Doran's entire family, then kill Oberyn? Will my wife leave me because of this? If she doesn't swear fealty to the Iron Throne, should I kill Nymeria too? Then my child will see me as the murderer of their mother and continue the war?"
Robert sighed. "I might not be explaining myself clearly. I'll arrange for Mathis Rowen to meet with you tomorrow. He can explain it better."
Wright and Renly returned home. Seeing Wright's frustrated expression, Renly, who hadn't encountered this situation before, decided to have Margaery help cheer him up.
The next day, Wright went to Street of Steel and reserved a private room on the second floor of Stannis's casino, setting up a silencing spell while waiting for the Hand of the King, Mathis Rowen.
Their conversation remained secret, and no one knew what was said.
As the conversation progressed, Stannis noticed the tables and chairs in the casino starting to shake. He immediately evacuated the guests and informed Renly and the Gold Cloaks.
On Dragonstone Hill, Odahviing, who had been resting, grew restless. It took flight, circling above King's Landing, even breathing dragon fire into the sky.
The air in the casino grew hot, with tiny sparks of electricity jumping from metal decorations and wine glasses.
Renly and Jon Snow, the captain of the Gold Cloaks, arrived and, seeing the situation, immediately evacuated the nearby noble houses.
As the overflowing magic returned to Wright's body, Renly and Jon Snow prepared to enter to deal with the Hand of the King's body. However, Mathis Rowen emerged, pale and looking unwell, but otherwise unharmed.
Then Wright came out, spoke briefly with the others at the door, and returned to Renly's house alone.
That night, Wright's cousin, Andrew Estermont, dressed in a black robe with a hood, snuck into Wright's room under the cover of night and threw a pile of torn paper at him.
"Is the information accurate?"
Andrew replied, "Half-true, half-false. Some of the people involved have either died or disappeared from King's Landing."
Wright glanced at the contents of the paper. "This information wasn't easy to get, was it?"
Andrew nodded. "I stirred up Varys's spies during my investigation. He later approached me and gave me some important leads."
Wright said, "Good. But don't trust Varys too much. He's a fat venomous snake that can bite and kill."
Andrew replied, "I'm fully aware of that. I won't cooperate with that scheming snake."
In the following days, Andrew visited more frequently. The Hand of the King, Mathis Rowen, wore a constant frown wherever he went, and Wright hadn't set foot in the Red Keep.
One morning, Wright donned his dragonbone armor and flew south with Odahviing.
At the windowsill of the Red Keep's Maegor's Holdfast, Robert watched the giant dragon fly away, feeling as though something inside him had broken, but he couldn't figure out how to resolve it.
Renly, speaking to Margaery and Loras beside him, said, "Let's return to Storm's End. You two go together. Something big is about to happen."
Margaery, the little rose, asked, "Is it related to the Golden Company? Wright seemed to mention it."
Renly replied, "It's not just the Golden Company that's in trouble. A lot of people are going to die this time."