The fire in the fireplace flickered, occasionally making crisp sounds.
Lady Olenna was thin and small, and her eyes were bright, as if she could see through people's hearts.
The old lady in front of him was very good at creating pressure.
Upon hearing Olenna's words, Green's expression remained unchanged; he simply picked up his wine glass and slowly swirled it.
"Respected Lady Olenna, are you reminding me to be careful?"
Taking a sip of the golden wine from Arbor, he continued, "Hmm… all the women in King's Landing already hate me. Ser Loras is deeply loved by women."
After speaking, Green glanced at Margaery Tyrell, who seemed to be glaring at him.
Why is Little Rose glaring at me? Though Green was puzzled, he pretended not to notice. He was a broad-minded person.
Why was Margaery glaring at Green? Green's outward behavior was polite and proper, but she sensed that his attitude towards her grandmother was somewhat perfunctory, lacking due respect.
Could it really be as he said last time, that Earl Green only had the Queen and those outside the Queen in his eyes?
If that were truly the case, how could either the Red Keep or King's Landing tolerate Earl Green?!
Margaery's smile became gentle; she was a very patient observer.
… … … …
Lady Olenna, her face full of wrinkles, said with a smile, "Green, you are a witty man. I, an old woman, haven't seen such an interesting young man as you in a long time."
After a pause, Green shook his head slightly, "Thank you for your high praise. I always feel that the Red Keep lacks a certain wit, and I am learning."
Olenna stated directly, "I understood one thing a long time ago: there are never any dealings in the Red Keep without a reason."
Lord Green was always frank: "Queen Cersei doesn't particularly like King Robert's youngest brother. I just arrived at Maegor's Holdfast today and happened to learn about this. I am the Queen's chief steward, so Queen Cersei has entrusted me with an important task."
Margaery's Rose-colored lips parted and closed; she thought for a moment but did not speak.
Olenna's tone carried a hint of sarcasm: "It's rare that the distinguished Queen, like this old woman, dislikes the flamboyant Duke. This is truly rare and unusual."
Green's eyes moved, and he casually said with a puzzled expression, "This is a good thing."
Margaery then spoke, "Grandmother, Duke Renly is both brave and gentle, and he is very well-liked."
Olenna scoffed, "He knows how to make himself look good, he knows what kind of smile will win him favor. Renly is always clumsily imitating his King brother."
Margaery said helplessly, "Grandmother…"
Green couldn't help but laugh, "Lady Olenna, your insight is sharp!"
Green's words, however, caused the atmosphere at the dinner table to freeze for a moment.
Margaery reacted quickly: "Earl Green, Duke Renly's status is noble, and we…"
She glanced at her indifferent grandmother and Green, then continued helplessly, "...must not offend him lightly."
Green shrugged, "Are there other ears here? Miss Margaery, we are among friends."
Margaery's eye twitched slightly; she said no more and turned her beautiful eyes to her grandmother, who sat at the head of the table.
Olenna's eyes were deep-set, and her voice slightly Rose: "Little Green, very good! We have many common understandings, which will make our conversation more and more pleasant."
Green's eyes crinkled with a smile as he nodded slightly towards Olenna.
After a pause, Olenna suddenly said, "I hear you greatly admire my foolish son?"
Green answered without hesitation, "Lady Olenna, I personally have always greatly respected Duke Mace. Although I am only a small lord, I know that governing a territory is fraught with difficulties, let alone the vast Riverlands. Last time, I had the good fortune to witness the prosperity of the Riverlands, and Duke Mace's achievements are truly admirable."
Margaery moved her lips, her gaze shifting to meet her grandmother's.
Margaery: Grandmother, look at him!
Olenna quietly withdrew her gaze, stared at Green for a moment, and then said, "You have a flexible tongue, and it's very sweet. No wonder our Duke of Highgarden likes you so much.
You certainly know some news better than I do. I am already a half-deaf old woman… The Master of Whisperers on the Small Council disclosed some information to us, and that fellow seemed to think that the Golden Rose should thank him for this bit of information.
Everyone has desires, whether known or unknown! To be frank, in my opinion, Varys has had the most useful part of a man cut off. Besides ambition for power, what else could bring him joy?"
"Your insight is keen."
"Grandmother…"
Olenna said nonchalantly, "I knew when I was younger than you two that every stone in King's Landing has ears. In the flower gardens of Highgarden, there are also many spiders. As long as they follow the rules, I will let them go, but if they dare to cause trouble, I will crush them immediately."
Green remained motionless, closing his eyes for a moment.
After he opened his eyes, he looked at Margaery and said, "Miss Margaery, do not worry. At least this dining room has no hidden ears."
Margaery smiled gracefully and thanked him politely, "Earl Green, you are very thoughtful and considerate."
How could there be unauthorized ears in the Golden Rose's mansion?
Margaery's small fist beneath the table clenched slightly.
Green continued, "When I was at the Sept, I discussed the issue of the new King's Hand with several well-acquainted members of the Small Council. Everyone felt that the Duke of Winterfell would be appointed King's Hand by King Robert. Lord Varys was also present at that time."
Olenna snorted softly, her deep gaze fixed on Green: "The Red Keep, filled with deceit and trickery… This old woman is very curious to know what you plan to do next?"
Green raised an eyebrow: "Madam, you seem to be implying something?"
Olenna's tone carried a hint of anger: "Is that Lannister Queen planning to go back on her word?"
Green spread his hands: "Lannister never goes back on its word. Queen Cersei personally nominated Duke Mace as a candidate for King's Hand in the Small Council, and also established in the Small Council that Duke Mace would temporarily serve as an advisor to the former King's Hand in his capacity as a candidate, assisting the former King's Hand in handling kingdom affairs."
Sighing, Green continued, "I imagine you already know these things. Originally, everything was going smoothly, it's just…"
Green shook his head, a hint of sadness appearing on his face.
Margaery subtly glanced at her grandmother, who was intently watching Green, and said, "Earl Green, although an unexpected event occurred, we hope to see things through."
Green nodded with a serious expression: "Miss Margaery, I strongly agree with your point of view. A matter naturally needs to be seen through to the end. But…"
Upon hearing this, Margaery recalled Green's remark at the Highgarden banquet that had made her father laugh heartily. He had said… "But the words before that are meaningless."
Margaery was nearby at the time, and she heard it clearly and remembered it well.
Green continued, "After the Old Duke passed away, Queen Cersei has lost some of her interest."
Margaery pressed, "Some? Please be frank, Earl Green."
"Miss Margaery, when the Duke of Winterfell's name appeared on the list of candidates for King's Hand, everyone actually had the answer in their hearts. We still vividly remember what happened under the Iron Throne more than ten years ago. In some ways, the relationship between the Direwolf and the Stag is unbreakable, and we must admit this."
Margaery was speechless for a moment after hearing Green's reply.
Lady Olenna, her face full of wrinkles, suddenly said, "Little one, I hear you are very fond of the grain from the Riverlands?"
Green's eyes flickered; he first glanced at Margaery before speaking, "Yes, Madam! My territory is still at war, and my thirty thousand soldiers consume a large amount of food every day."
Lord Green was always frank; Klaeb Territory currently had over thirty thousand subjects, and to him, every subject was a soldier of Kleber.
Upon hearing "thirty thousand soldiers," Olenna's pupils imperceptibly contracted.
Olenna seemed to be mocking: "This old woman's ears aren't good, but the Golden Rose's ears aren't deaf. You have already recovered your family's Old Territory, and the war could have stopped. Are you trying to swallow the entire Crab Claw Peninsula?"
Green corrected her: "Lady Olenna, I must explain that the Kleber ancestors once ruled the Crab Claw Peninsula. I am merely restoring House Clebber's lost dominion over the Crab Claw Peninsula."
One of Margaery's eyebrows arched.
To understand Green, Margaery had taken the time to consult many books on the history of the Crab Claw Peninsula.
The civilization of the Crab Claw Peninsula had always been backward, and it received little attention in Westeros, so records were extremely scarce.
Legend spoke of Clarence Kleber, who had brought a brief peace to the chaotic Crab Claw Peninsula… He could pull up a pine tree with one hand and throw it half a mile… Margaery had been skeptical of the veracity of these accounts when she read them.
Now, this "story" was being brazenly used by Green as justification for House Clebber's claim to rule the Crab Claw Peninsula.
Perhaps this was one of the "special characteristics" of the Crab Claw Peninsula that Green spoke of?
But Margaery saw more of a certain strong-arm tactic at play in the game of power.
… … … …
"With strength as a prerequisite, a plausible excuse is sufficient. That is what dominion is. It's been hundreds of years, and some stubborn and annoying fellows still feel that the Golden Rose's claim to rule the Riverlands is somewhat shaky, but so what? The Riverlands is thriving under the ever-flourishing rule of the Golden Rose!"
After speaking, a benevolent smile appeared on Olenna's face: "Child, having desires is a good thing. It's much better than doing nothing like our idle Wild Boar Duke. Come, let's set the fickle Lannister woman aside for now. I'd rather hear your advice. This old woman loves spirited young people the most."
The barb of "fickle" pierced the Queen of Thorns, and Green secretly favored Olenna's assessment of Cersei.
After a moment of silence, Green spoke, "I am very worried about Duke Eddard's safety now. I heard that the Neck is their only path, and that region is a dense thicket steeped in rotten swamps. It will take at least ten days to get out of there."
Margaery immediately felt the atmosphere grow heavy. Her expression remained unchanged, but she was alarmed by the hidden meaning in Green's words.
Before Margaery could compose herself, she heard Green say, "But if something were to truly happen, it would easily lead people to associate it with Duke Mace. King Robert is a man who dislikes taking advice, because his invincible warhammer is his truth. We can only pray to the gods that Duke Eddard arrives safely in King's Landing."
It was another "but," and Margaery's fist beneath the table clenched again.
Olenna gazed at Green, slowly nodding: "You posed the problem, then negated it. I know you are stating the truth that most people don't like to hear. This old woman can handle it, so continue."
Green nodded and continued, "Northerners are not good at handling complex situations. There is no place more complex in the Seven Kingdoms than King's Landing. Before long, the overwhelmed Duke Eddard will quickly realize he needs a reliable ally."
"An ally?"
Green spread his hands: "Madam, it's easy! You only need to send the Light of Highgarden to Winterfell, and the alliance between the Direwolf and the Golden Rose will be unbreakable!
The heir of Winterfell is a combination of the North and the Riverlands. It is rumored that Robb Stark inherited the red hair and blue eyes of the Tully Family, and his bloodline is noble enough.
Once the marriage alliance is formed, King Robert will also trust Duke Mace, and he will confidently entrust the kingdom to the two Dukes for governance! From then on, the Rose of King's Landing will never wither!"
As Green's words fell, the hall suddenly became silent.
Margaery's beautiful eyes widened. Although she tried to hide it, the incredulous expression on her face was impossible to conceal.
The scene Green painted was too beautiful, the image of Roses blooming throughout King's Landing seemed so close. Margaery couldn't help but turn her small face towards her grandmother.
Olenna remained silent. Margaery simply watched her and did not interrupt.
After a while, Olenna's gaze sharpened, and she slowly said, "Earl Green, why not marry the Stark girl to warm Highgarden?"
Green shrugged, "The answer is obvious, Lady Olenna."
Olenna turned to Margaery: "Margaery, you are the smartest. Tell your half-deaf grandmother."
Margaery blinked, then pondered and said, "Miss Sansa Stark… Prince Joffrey… Will Stark marry into the royal family?"
"My granddaughter, give your hand to grandmother."
Olenna's wrinkled hands grasped Margaery's outstretched hand: "House House Tyrell finally has someone smart."
After speaking, Olenna patted Margaery's hand with satisfaction.
Seeing flexible-minded young people from other families always made her worry about the future of House House Tyrell. Only the clever Margaery, who had been smart since childhood, could console the Queen of Thorns' heart.
Green wore a slight smile and also praised, "Miss Margaery, I only learned some things through acquaintances in the Red Keep, but you were able to quickly deduce the answer from just a few words. You are truly worthy of being the Light of the Riverlands."
Margaery looked at the sincere-faced Green, and suddenly felt her small fist itch.
Olenna's face was loving, and she patted Margaery's hand again.
Olenna released her granddaughter's hand and said to Green, "Tell me, what exactly do you want to do? This old woman is truly curious now, Earl of the Crab Claw Peninsula!"