Jon Arryn, who had just recovered from a serious illness, had not spoken a word since the beginning. He merely observed everyone from the side. After everyone fell silent, he finally said, "Na Melilia Fudeli establishing a kingdom in Na Sa Star and proclaiming herself Queen is an act that has violated the kingdom's laws and cannot be condoned. Her territory must be stripped."
After Jon Arryn's words were spoken, everyone was stunned. They all, without prior agreement, wondered if the Kings Hand had been asleep just now. After so much discussion, everyone had concluded that they could not act against Summerhall, yet now he spoke and they were back to square one.
Just as Robert was about to remind Jon Arryn, Jon Arryn continued, "Countess Nameria has already married Prince Linde, and her territory, Tengshi Town, has naturally been incorporated into Summerhall. What we are stripping is merely Countess Nameria's ownership of the territory, but it does not involve Prince Linde's ownership of Tengshi Town."
Upon hearing this, everyone finally understood Jon Arryn's meaning and felt that Jon Arryn was indeed worthy of being the Kings Hand, having devised such a solution that could both punish those who violated the kingdom's laws and avoid offending others.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Jon Arryn then proposed, "Your Majesty, since Prince Linde's son has already been betrothed to Princess Myrcella, we could send the princess to live in Summerhall for a period of time, so that she can adapt to life in Summerhall in advance."
Archmaester Pycelle also nodded, saying, "I also think this is a good way to strengthen the relationship between the Baratheon and Terra families."
Varys and Littlefinger remained silent, merely looking at Robert, while Stannis and Renly's expressions were somewhat grim.
However, Robert rejected the proposal without hesitation, saying, "No, Myrcella is too young to travel far. We'll talk about it when she's older."
Seeing Robert reject the proposal, Jon Arryn did not say anything more.
As the punishment decision from the Small Council was announced, the lords of the Seven Kingdoms instinctively breathed a sigh of relief, because they were all very worried that the Iron Throne would lose its mind and attack Summerhall, which would lead to great trouble. Now, this punishment decision was the most appropriate; it punished Nameria for presuming to declare herself queen, yet did not touch Summerhall's interests at all, and it also allowed the Iron Throne to save face and uphold the laws of the Seven Kingdoms.
Inside the Queen's Palace in Na Sa Star, Lynd received a letter from Summerhall and learned what had happened there.
"Jon Arryn is indeed worthy of being the Kings Hand. A simple punishment decision perfectly resolved this issue. It seems the deed of cession I prepared won't be needed," Nameria said with a smile, now dressed in Loisne attire, as she looked at the letter Lynd handed her.
"Aren't you upset that you lost Tengshi Town?" Lynd asked, gazing at Nameria.
Nameria smiled and said, "Tengshi Town is still in your hands, isn't it? What's the difference between you and me?"
Lynd gazed at Nameria for a long time, then walked to the balcony, overlooking the entire Na Sa Star.
Present-day Na Sa Star was completely different from the Na Sa Star Lynd had seen in the past. All the original ruined buildings had been restored, the moss and vines covering the city had been cleared away, the broken ground had been replaced with stone slabs cut from the nearby quarry, the fountains had been cleared, the aqueducts re-erected, bridges had been built, the docks were fully repaired, the river channels cleaned, hundreds of large and small boats sailed on the river, and the influx of a large population had brought this city, silent for thousands of years, back to life.
"I know what you're thinking right now," Nameria walked to Lynd's side, wrapped her arm around his, and said, "It's undeniable that I've been influenced by ancestral memories, and my personality and thoughts have changed somewhat, but I am still Na Melilia Fudeli, your wife, and that will not change."
Lynd did not speak, merely looked at Nameria. This time, he looked with his special vision, and in his eyes, Nameria was radiating a strong magical aura, somewhat similar to Velas. The only difference was that the magical aura on Nameria had not formed an incarnation of a Loisne Queen.
It was clear that after Nameria arrived in Na Sa Star, the hidden power from the statue transferred to Nameria. Under normal circumstances, Nameria might have become a second Velas, an incarnation of her ancestor, but during the power transfer, some error occurred. The Dragon Rune necklace on Nameria had some effect, changing the power transmission, and thereby completely integrating the hidden power from the statue with Nameria.
Nameria, having merged with the hidden power, also gained some miraculous abilities. For instance, anyone with Loisne blood, no matter how diluted, would feel an immediate fondness and strong kinship towards Nameria upon seeing her, as if meeting a family member. This feeling intensified with prolonged contact, which is why Nameria was able to so easily subdue the one hundred thousand Loisne survivors.
In addition, some other powers also became stronger. For example, she could control the waters of the Lorn River, just like the water magic of the ancient Loisne, and even easily unleash a flood. For instance, in Dagger Lake, she used this power to submerge some caves on the island, drowning all the river pirates hiding within.
Although Nameria did not become an incarnation of some being and gained some powerful abilities from it, this hidden power still subtly changed Nameria. The biggest change was Nameria's feelings for her homeland.
In the past, Nameria only had one homeland, Tengshi Town; it was what her mother left her, a place she was willing to protect with her life. But now, her homeland in her heart is Na Sa Star, which is why her reaction was so minimal when she learned that her territory had been stripped and the Fudeli Family's territorial inheritance had ended there.
Lynd was currently not very clear about Nameria's situation. He didn't know if the influence of that hidden power on Nameria had ended, or if it was still subtly continuing.
"In a few days, I will return to Summerhall. Augustus will stay with you," Lynd suddenly said.
"Are you going back already?" Nameria's face showed a hint of displeasure.
Lynd explained, "Asha has become the Lord of the Iron Islands, and large-scale reforms are needed there. Otherwise, it will be difficult for those Ironborn to change their pirate habits. I must remain in Summerhall to constantly monitor the situation there. Additionally, the Disputed Lands also need a series of political reforms to firmly grasp that land in our hands. I don't want to lose it again after only a few days, like those people in the past."
"I'm pregnant," Nameria said softly, stroking her belly. "It's twins."
The biggest benefit of Nameria merging with the hidden power was that she no longer needed any physical adjustments to quickly conceive Lynd's children.
Lynd looked at Nameria's belly, his eyes softening considerably, and said, "I will be by your side for the months you are giving birth."
Seeing Lynd say this, Nameria did not say anything more, merely embraced Lynd's arm and accompanied him in watching the night view of Na Sa Star.
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