Night at Stokeworth Castle was far less lively than the Red Keep. In fact, the air here was thick with a faint scent of decay and oppression.
Ever since the lord of the castle, the former Commander of the City Watch, Ser Manly Stokeworth, had died in the war over a decade ago, this family—once prominent in King's Landing—had been gradually marginalized, fading from the center of power.
In a reasonably tidy bedroom, Shae was fulfilling her duties as a handmaiden.
Holding a comb, she "patiently" groomed the tangled hair of Lady Lollys. The simple-minded noblewoman sat in a high-backed chair, babbling meaningless syllables.
"Oh, there's a knot here, my Lady!"
Shae spoke in a voice that was sickeningly sweet, but her movements were far from gentle. She yanked the comb hard, the teeth scraping violently against the scalp, pulling out several strands of hair.
"Ah!"
Lollys cried out in pain, shrinking her neck in confusion. She didn't know how to resist; she simply turned her head with a dull, puzzled look, only to see her handmaiden's face full of "concern."
Next, Shae picked up a soaking wet cloth and roughly wiped Lollys's face, using enough force to almost scrub off a layer of skin.
"We must get you clean, my Lady."
She whispered, her voice laced with resentment. "Otherwise, you'll get worms."
Perhaps her rough movements frightened Lollys, or perhaps due to the pregnancy and her mental state, the woman lost control of her bowels.
A foul odor gradually permeated the room.
"Damn it! You shit yourself again, you idiot!"
Seeing the dark yellow stain seeping through Lollys's dress, Shae's stomach churned, and she couldn't help but curse aloud.
Yet, suppressing her nausea, she was forced to clean up the mess with extreme reluctance.
"Look at you."
While mechanically serving her, Shae vented the anger in her heart in a low whisper, right into Lollys's ear. "A fool ruined by a mob. A waste of space who can't even control her own shit and piss."
"Why must I serve you like a queen? Why must I wipe your ass, comb your hair, and endure your disgusting presence?"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She tossed the cloth aside and roughly tore open Lollys's dress, exposing the woman's bloated body.
"Truly fucking ugly!"
Seeing Lollys still giggling foolishly, completely unaware that she was being bullied, a strong wave of resentment surged in Shae's heart.
She was unwilling!
She was Shae. She had moved through countless army camps, navigating with ease among wolves and tigers. Even when handling multiple men at once, she had been adept.
She knew how to read people, how to please men, and she had trained her manners to be more elegant than highborn ladies. She believed herself to be a thousand times better than this retard who held nothing but a noble title!
It was that dwarf who had brought her out of the camp followers, giving her hope, only to push her into another abyss with his own hands.
He promised warmth and protection, but the result?
At first, he merely kept her like a golden canary that could never see the light. Now, he had banished her to this gloomy, dilapidated castle to act as a nanny for a fool!
She hated it!
What she wanted was simple. Very simple!
She just wanted to stand proudly beside Tyrion, even if he was a dwarf!
She wanted to wear beautiful silk gowns, don sparkling jewelry, and let everyone know that she was the woman of a Lannister!
But even such a simple dream remained out of reach.
Even after arriving in King's Landing—the place she yearned for most—she had merely moved from one disgusting place to another!
She felt like an object, transferred and used at will, never respected as a true human being.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just as Shae was cursing in her heart with the most vicious language while roughly dressing Lollys in a clean shift, the door was knocked upon.
Shae jumped in fright. She frantically straightened Lollys's clothes, kicked the torn hair under the bed, and shoved the chamber pot into the corner, ensuring everything looked normal.
Then, she skillfully retracted all the resentment on her face, replacing it with a submissive expression.
She gently opened the door.
"You are too slow."
A mean, pinched face came into view. It was Lollys's elder sister, the eldest daughter of House Stokeworth—Falyse Stokeworth.
This woman terrified Shae. Her narrow eyes always seemed to flicker with dissatisfaction toward the entire world, as if everyone owed her millions of Gold Dragons.
Falyse stepped inside. She didn't look at her sister once, but instead looked Shae up and down with unscrupulous scrutiny.
"Take off your clothes."
Just as Shae was getting creeped out by the staring, Falyse ordered coldly.
Shae froze.
"My Lady... what are you..."
But the answer was only Falyse's increasingly harsh tone. "Take off your clothes, servant!"
Hearing this, Shae gritted her teeth and had to obey, undoing the laces of her dress.
The soft fabric slid from her shoulders, exposing her slender, curvaceous body to the air.
Falyse circled her, her gaze scraping over Shae's bare skin like she was inspecting livestock. The look brought a strong sense of humiliation to Shae.
Although she used to make a living selling her body, ever since she followed Tyrion, she had drawn a line between herself and her past. She tried hard to imitate the style of noble ladies, hoping to become a true lady one day.
But Falyse's eyes seemed to easily beat her back into her original form.
Time passed in silence. Only when Shae began to shiver from the cold did Falyse finally speak, sneering, "Indeed a beauty. No wonder men can't forget you."
Hearing this, Shae was stunned for a moment.
Men?
Tyrion?
No, their relationship was extremely secretive. Even his brother, Ser Jaime, knew nothing of it. Within the Red Keep, only that mysterious Master of Whisperers knew, and he was always helpful in arranging their trysts.
Suddenly, a bold guess surged in her heart.
The elegant, calm face with the deep eyes from earlier that day instantly floated before her eyes.
Could it be him?
Inexplicably, Shae actually felt a little expectant.
However, before she could sort out her thoughts, Falyse had already turned and walked out.
"Put on your clothes and follow me."
"Of course, if you don't wish to dress, that is fine too. Tomorrow I will sell you to the Street of Silk."
Hearing this, Shae didn't dare delay. She hurriedly picked up the dress from the floor, threw it on haphazardly, and followed Falyse's footsteps.
---
The Great Hall of Stokeworth Castle.
Herb Rykker sat sprawled in a chair, full of pomp and circumstance.
He had changed into a clean silk doublet, and his hair was meticulously combed. Beside him stood fully five Gold Cloaks acting as guards. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was the Commander of the City Watch.
Who could imagine that this guy was locked in a cell just this afternoon?
"Making such a big scene for a handmaiden... he really is willing to spend the capital."
Tapping the table in boredom, Herb couldn't help but complain to the Dothraki warrior behind him, "This is even more exaggerated than when my brother got engaged to that Miss Staunton."
"Is that woman's cunny made of gold?"
Hearing this, the usually silent Yigo actually chimed in. "I do not like that woman."
"She is too thin, and too short. She probably cannot even mount a horse."
"In the Dothraki Sea, a woman who cannot ride cannot bear strong children. They are usually thrown away to live or die on their own."
These words made Herb glance at him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
Chatting with this guy was really boring; he always dragged the topic onto tracks Herb couldn't understand at all.
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long.
Following Falyse into the hall, Shae's gaze swept the room quickly. Seeing a somewhat flashy young noble sitting there instead of the expected Corleone, a trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
However, when she saw Yigo, her heart lifted again, and she unconsciously gripped her skirt.
"I brought the person to you, Rykker."
Standing still, Falyse's gaze swept over the Gold Cloaks, somewhat jealous. "You must accomplish what you promised me!"
Since the death of her father, Ser Manly, Stokeworth Castle hadn't seen a Gold Cloak in years.
It was all because her husband was useless. Even with the influence of Stokeworth, he failed to get a position in the City Watch, causing the family's decline.
But Herb Rykker, although only a second son, was deeply loved by his father.
One had to know, the taxes in Duskendale were the lowest in the Crownlands, and the wealth House Rykker had accumulated over a decade of management was immeasurable.
It was a pity her sister...
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
While Falyse was lost in thought, Herb Rykker stood up and walked slowly to Shae, circling her half a turn.
"Face is alright. Body is passable."
His tone was exactly the same as Falyse's earlier, perhaps even more unscrupulous, as if sizing up a broodmare about to be sold.
Shae stood there stiffly, letting two nobles decide her fate while she had absolutely no voice in the matter.
She secretly made up her mind: if this Herb Rykker insisted on taking her by force, she would scream immediately to alert the guards Tyrion had hidden in the shadows, sending them rushing to the Red Keep to report.
However, Herb's critique continued. "Pity... tits are too small."
"I really don't know why Lord Corleone values you so much."
Corleone!
Hearing this name, Shae's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Herb in disbelief.
Seeing her reaction, Herb finally nodded politely. "I am Herb Rykker. Entrusted by Lord Corleone, I am here to invite you to join him for dinner."
As soon as these words came out, Shae almost jumped for joy. The disappointment, humiliation, and fear from earlier faded instantly, replaced by indescribable elation.
So that elegant and mysterious man hadn't forgotten that brief glance during the day!
No, not only did he remember, but he also sent a true noble and Gold Cloaks to invite her away from this disgusting place!
House Rykker—Shae was quite familiar with this surname. They were a major family in the Crownlands. Corleone could command such a noble, and bring men from the City Watch!
His power was truly unimaginably vast!
Shae tried hard to maintain a facade of calm, but her slightly trembling fingertips betrayed her inner excitement.
Tyrion stuffed her here like hidden trash. But Corleone? He openly invited her to dinner and gave her exaggerated respect!
"It seems you agree."
Herb saw this reaction and clapped his hands. A gorgeous litter was immediately carried in by servants.
Then, he turned his head and grinned at Falyse. "Thank you for your generosity, my Lady. Lord Corleone asked me to convey that the matter of your husband, Ser Balman, serving in the City Watch will certainly be arranged properly."
"Give my regards to Lord Corleone."
Hearing this, a smile finally appeared on Falyse's face.
Although she didn't know who this "Lord Corleone" was, Rykker had indeed shown her a letter hand-written by Hand of the King, Tywin Lannister.
It clearly stated: Appointing Vito Corleone as Grand Royal Commissioner of Special Affairs.
Falyse had never heard of this strange and unfamiliar position, but it certainly sounded intimidating.
"So..."
Herb turned back to Shae, spreading his hands. "Please, Lady Shae. Do not let Lord Corleone wait too long."
Facing such grandeur, Shae could no longer suppress her excitement and desire to cling to power.
Throwing Tyrion's warnings completely to the back of her mind, she smiled charmingly, lifted her skirt, and stepped into the litter.
Stroking the soft, gold-embroidered cushions, at this moment, Shae felt as if she had truly become one of those highborn noble ladies!
The procession slowly left Stokeworth Castle, heading toward King's Landing.
Only when the Gold Cloaks vanished through the castle gates did a servant sweeping the floor drop his dustpan and quietly follow them.