...In the Red Keep gardens, Robert, uncharacteristically, was not out hunting or visiting prostitutes. Instead, he sat chatting with his Queen.
Three blonde, blue-eyed children frolicked on the lawn, creating a harmonious scene of family bliss.
At this moment, Eddard Stark, with a serious expression, walked directly towards him. A hand-shaped silver clasp, pinning his cloak, was affixed to the chest of his black robe, indicating he had officially assumed his post.
"Oh, look who it is, isn't this my new hand of the king?"
Upon Eddard's arrival, Robert, who had already grown a bit impatient, quickly stood up with a smiling face to greet him.
That sharp-tongued woman would immediately retort no matter what he said, and for every word he spoke, Cersei could counter with ten.
Sitting with Cersei felt like an eternity.
And for some reason, looking at his three golden-haired children, Robert always felt an indescribable emotion in his heart.
"Good morning, Your Majesties, the King and Queen."
Eddard, who greatly valued decorum, first respectfully saluted the two, then handed the rolled-up archive in his hand to Robert.
"I think we made a mistake, Robert."
Eddard got straight to the point, not shying away from Cersei's presence, and directly stated his purpose:
"Dismissing Arthas from his position as commander of the city watch immediately upon our return was a bit too hasty."
"From last night to this morning, King's Landing has seen hundreds of violent incidents and at least fifteen large-scale public demonstrations in the streets."
"Now, outside the Red Keep, it's a complete mess, and the public order in King's Landing has almost entirely collapsed."
"Even the homes of many nobles have been attacked by angry commoners, but fortunately, no reports of nobles dying have been received yet."
As Eddard reported, Robert's brows gradually furrowed as tightly as his.
Cersei, meanwhile, casually swirled the wine in her glass, her emerald eyes revealing an undisguised smile.
She utterly detested both Robert and Arthas, these two who disregarded her beauty.
Now that her two most hated people were clashing, not bursting into laughter by the side was already giving Robert a lot of Face.
Robert ignored Cersei's mocking smile, looking at his good brother, who had fought alongside him for many years, now sporting heavy dark circles under his eyes, clearly having not slept a wink last night.
He hadn't failed to consider the consequences of dismissing Arthas; after all, according to Varys's intelligence, the latter's prestige in King's Landing was soaring. But he hadn't expected it to be this serious.
Taking a small sip of wine, he suppressed his slightly irritable mood. This once incredibly valiant king finally regained some of his former demeanor:
"Where are the Gold Cloaks?"
"So many riots happening overnight, are those guys all sleeping?"
"After you dismissed Arthas, you didn't appoint a formal commander of the city watch, and I, as hand of the king, cannot overstep my authority to command them directly."
Eddard replied righteously, his regard for rules and honor almost pedantic:
"I could only instruct the commander's deputy, Arthas Lannister's cousin, Lancel Lannister, to dispatch the guards to suppress the riots."
"Although he agreed readily and acted swiftly, in my opinion, the Gold Cloaks merely stood on both sides of the street, watching from a distance, not even carrying weapons."
Shaking his head helplessly, Eddard, who had been awake all night, felt his head throbbing. Arthas had truly given him a great challenge.
He hadn't expected to encounter such immense trouble so soon after arriving in King's Landing, before even settling into his role as hand of the king.
"Fuck!"
Robert angrily stood up, throwing his wine glass to the ground. The loud noise instantly drew the attention of the three playing children.
Cersei, who doted on her children, glared at him, then quickly stood up and motioned for them to leave, leaving only Robert and Eddard.
"These damned fellows, taking the King's salary, yet so devotedly working for the Lannisters!"
After Cersei left with the children, Robert suppressed his anger, slumped back into his chair, and grumbled:
"Now is not the time for Life Qi, Robert."
Compared to the furious Robert, Eddard appeared much calmer. Although exhausted, he dutifully reminded the King:
"The immediate priority is to appoint a commander for the City Watch who can maintain order."
"I understand."
Taking a few deep breaths, calming his restless mind, Robert closed his eyes, pondering a solution:
"Go to the dungeon, bring Janos out."
After a long while, unable to find a better solution, he had no choice but to try a desperate measure:
"That guy has been Commander of the Gold Cloaks for so many years, and he's never made a mistake. He should still have a few trustworthy people under him."
"But Janos's corruption and abuse of power are facts; he has already been sentenced to take the black and go to the North!"
Facing his brother and friend, who was grasping at straws, Eddard did not back down.
His strict adherence to rules and honor would not allow him to release a man already convicted, let alone reinstate him to his former position.
"The trial process was illegal, Eddard!"
Helplessly glancing at this hand of the king, who was as rigid as his foster father, Jon Arryn, Robert had no choice but to use a loophole in the rules to persuade him:
"Since the trial process was illegal, the judgment is invalid."
"That means Janos is still innocent."
"Even if he is to be tried for violating the laws of the kingdom, it must wait until the riots in King's Landing are suppressed!"
Hearing Robert's shameless words, a hint of disappointment flashed in Eddard's eyes.
Although he knew that this fellow had changed completely over the years, his actions constantly challenged the lower limits of Eddard's moral compass.
His lips twitched a few times, but the words of rebuttal ultimately remained unspoken.
After all, the situation in King's Landing was urgent, and there were indeed irregularities in Janos's trial process.
"Just this once."
Sighing softly, Eddard's heart softened under Robert's firm gaze, mixed with pleading.
Turning towards the dungeon, this man of the North still held firm to his principles:
"After this matter is resolved, no matter what, I will try Janos's crimes again before the Seven Gods."
"There is no room for negotiation."
..."You don't seem flustered at all, Lord Arthas."
At Arthas's residence, Margaery Tyrell, clad in a long green gauze dress, held a wine glass, watching the blonde youth eating breakfast with a smile in her eyes.
Her soft brown curls were meticulously styled, and her long eyelashes fluttered open and closed, paired with her equally brown eyes, making her appear very playful.
These past few days, Arthas had been busy with the King's Landing purge and had no time to entertain her.
Yesterday, upon hearing the news that he had been dismissed by the King, this thorny rose came over early in the morning, drawn by the scent of breakfast.
"Drinking so early in the morning isn't good for your stomach."
Eating his breakfast unhurriedly, Arthas didn't even lift his head, merely offering a slight reminder to Margaery, who hadn't touched the food in front of her.
This intensely curious girl, instead of backing off after he scared her last time, had become even more like sticky candy, clinging to him relentlessly.
If Arthas hadn't used the excuse of being busy with work and had Lancel constantly turn her away, he would have been annoyed to death by now.
"What an unromantic fellow."
She rolled her eyes at him, then deliberately twisted her body, pulling down the neckline of her long dress to reveal a large expanse of fair skin.
The constant setbacks these past few days had pushed her curiosity about Arthas to a frantic tipping point.
Even after witnessing what seemed like extraordinary power from Arthas that day, it couldn't stop her moth-to-a-flame behavior.
"It's a complete mess outside, my dear commander."
Twisting her slender waist, she slowly walked up to Arthas. Her rounded, upturned buttocks unreservedly sat directly on the table beside his arm.
Leaning forward, she whispered into Arthas's ear, her impressive figure perfectly displayed by her neckline. Their posture was incredibly ambiguous:
"Facing such a 'tense' situation, is your heart truly as calm as it appears on the surface, without a single ripple?"
Facing Margaery's renewed teasing, Arthas put down his cutlery, then smoothly picked her up and placed her in his arms, leaving only a tiny gap between their noses.
"Of course, Young Miss Margaery."
Margaery, who had thought he was finally giving in, had a flash of triumph in her eyes, but upon closer inspection, Arthas's golden eyes were still as pure as ever, devoid of any special emotion:
"Since coming to this world, I have never done anything without absolute certainty."
He held Margaery by the waist as if she were a small cat, then placed her in his own seat, seemingly without the slightest lingering attachment to the beautiful body of this radiant girl.
He then took a steak from the table, elegantly cut it into small pieces, and then forked a piece to her lips, his tone filled with undeniable resolve:
"This steak is in my hand now. Whether I want to eat it or not, it's not for others to covet."
"But when I want someone to eat it, that person must eat it!"
The incredibly domineering words made Margaery tremble all over, as if something was slowly flowing down her skirt.
The girl looked at the handsome and domineering youth before her with eyes full of spring, and obediently opened her red lips slightly, taking the cut steak into her mouth.
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