Everyone was stunned!
They looked at the boy King wearing a crown with a cruel smile on his face, their eyes filled with incomprehensible confusion.
Was he crazy?
Did the boar gore him too?
And gored him right in the head?
Earl Lynn, King beyond the Wall, Myrcella's husband, was the first dignitary to stand up and support Joffrey's succession in the Throne Room just now, in front of all key ministers.
This was equivalent to endorsing Joffrey's legitimacy with the dual identities of Ned as Warden of the North and Lynn as King beyond the Wall.
This was almost betting the entire reputation and power of the North to exchange for the seemingly stable transfer of power now.
But what about Joffrey?
The first thing he did after ascending the throne wasn't appeasing this strongest ally, nor commending his loyalty.
Instead, in front of everyone, without warning, using the most humiliating way, he dismissed Lynn's future father-in-law, Ned Stark!
Was this burning the bridge after crossing?
No, he started dismantling the bridge before even finishing crossing!
This was no longer stupidity; this was madness!
Cersei Lannister felt her blood freeze; darkness appeared before her eyes.
She wanted to scream, wanted to rush up and cover her foolish son's mouth.
But in this solemn sept, under the gaze of the Seven, she could do nothing.
She could only watch helplessly.
Watch Joffrey ruin a perfect hand of cards.
Finished.
Everything was finished!
What would Lynn think?
He would think this was House Lannister's humiliation and betrayal of him!
With that young man's disposition and methods, he would definitely make the entire House Lannister pay the most painful price!
Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to the other center of the event.
Ned Stark.
Contrary to everyone's expectations.
On the face of this Warden of the North, the expected anger or humiliation didn't appear.
He just stood there quietly; on that chiseled face, the expression was as calm as the frozen lake outside Winterfell.
Even... under that calmness, hid a trace of relief like a heavy burden lifted, even... a trace of unbelievable ecstasy.
Angry?
Why be angry?
He was almost dying of happiness.
Quit.
Finally could return to the North logically.
He was originally pondering how to tell Joffrey so he would let him go back; after all, he was the Hand of the King, handling state affairs was his priority.
But just as he wanted to sleep, Joffrey, this genius, handed him a pillow.
I finally don't have to be this damned Hand of the King anymore!
Finally don't have to fulfill that promise heavy enough to suffocate him anymore.
Robert, my brother.
Look.
It's not that I don't keep my promise.
But your good son personally drove me off this position.
I really have no choice.
I'm free.
Ned raised his head slowly, meeting Joffrey's provocative eyes.
He didn't argue, had no anger, just bowed slightly with the most standard etiquette.
"As you command, Your Grace."
He said these five words incredibly calmly.
Yet like a loud slap, slapped fiercely on Joffrey's face.
That calmness and composure made Joffrey's carefully prepared humiliation look like a childish and laughable monologue.
Just then, Lynn walked slowly out of the crowd.
Everyone's heart leaped to their throats.
What would he do?
Would he explode on the spot, draw his sword against them?
Would he immediately withdraw his support for Joffrey, turning this coronation ceremony into an out-and-out joke?
Cersei was so nervous she almost fainted.
She was afraid Lynn would tell the truth!
However, Lynn did nothing.
He just walked to Ned's side, also bowing slightly to Joffrey.
"The King's will is the law of the realm."
Lynn's voice echoed clearly throughout the sept.
"Since Your Grace has made a decision, we naturally obey."
With that, he turned around, looked at Ned Stark, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.
"It seems you can finally lay down your burden."
"The air in King's Landing is damp and smelly; I think you must have missed the dry, cold, crisp wind of the North long ago."
Ned looked at Lynn and smiled too.
That was a smile from the heart, shedding all disguises and burdens.
"Yes, I miss my hearth and my wife."
The two talked like no one else was around.
As if this wasn't the heavily guarded Great Sept of Baelor, but some tavern in Winterfell.
From beginning to end, Ned didn't even spare Joffrey another glance.
That disregard emanating from his bones was more damaging than any fierce words.
Like a needle, it pierced precisely into Joffrey's just-inflated kingly dignity.
How dare he!
Joffrey's face turned liver-colored instantly.
He wanted to roar, wanted to order the Kingsguard to drag this guy who dared ignore him out and behead him.
But this anger came fast and went fast.
He could only watch helplessly as Lynn and Ned turned around, surrounded by a group of Northern guards, and walked out of the sept calmly.
Leaving him only two resolute and dashing backs.
And the meaningful gazes of the hall full of nobles, each harboring ulterior motives.
...
Red Keep, King's Bedchamber.
Smash!
A crystal goblet was thrown heavily on the floor, shattering into pieces.
"Fool! You hopeless fool!"
Cersei finally exploded.
Like an enraged lioness, her beautiful face twisted with anger.
"Do you know what you just did?!"
"You pushed our only, and strongest ally, to our opposition with your own hands!"
Joffrey was startled by his mother's anger.
But immediately, the dignity of a King made him puff out his chest.
"You dare shout at me!"
"I am the King! I can dismiss whoever I want!"
Joffrey stiffened his neck, roaring with a fierce appearance but weak inside.
"Ned Stark is Lynn's father-in-law; humiliating him is slapping Lynn in the face!"
"How do you expect other dignitaries to view this?"
"Moreover, you actually let Ned go legitimately!"
"He will inevitably return to the North to prepare for war with Lysa!"
"You could totally tie him down with state affairs, then grant him mercy and the King's magnanimous forgiveness later, letting the anxious Ned return to the North."
"Ned is a man who values honor; at that time you would reap a huge favor from Ned!"
"And you, not only missed this opportunity but also let him leave full of anger!"
Cersei trembled with anger; she didn't even tremble this much when Lynn tormented her.
She pointed at Joffrey's nose; every word seemed squeezed through her teeth.
"Why do you think he supported you?"
"Because he loves you?"
"Because he thinks you are a born King?"
"No! He did it for profit!!"
"And you, you idiot, you used the stupidest way to tell him you are not the suitable candidate!"
"He will kill us! Joffrey!"
"He will crush us like crushing a bug!"
"Then he will support Stannis, or Renly, or even sit on this chair himself!"
Cersei's voice was full of fear.
She knew Lynn's terror better than anyone.
That man's wisdom and methods simply shouldn't belong to this world.
Every time she confronted Lynn, it ended badly for her, always ending in failure, tormented from midnight till dawn.
Cersei couldn't imagine what new tricks Lynn would come up with to torture her now that he was angry!
Joffrey turned pale, scared by the terrifying prospect described by Cersei.
He was indeed a fool, but not an idiot.
He recalled the scene in the sept just now.
Lynn... he wasn't angry.
He even smiled.
Why?
If he really was angry because of the humiliation as Mother said, why didn't he explode on the spot?
A thought flashed through Joffrey's mind like lightning.
He suddenly understood!
"No, Mother, you're wrong."
Joffrey's voice suddenly became unusually calm; a wise light of "seeing through everything" even shone in his eyes.
"You don't understand Lord Lynn at all."
"You think he's a villain who only cares about profit, but he's not!"
"He is a truly loyal subject!"
Cersei was stunned.
She looked at her son like looking at a monster.
"You... what did you say?"
A fanatic trust appeared on Joffrey's face.
"Lord Lynn believes I am the true stag of House Baratheon!"
"A tough King not manipulated by anyone!"
"I dismissed Ned Stark precisely to let him prove this point!"
"As a result, he proved it."
"He wasn't angry because I dismissed his friend!"
"Instead, he smiled! He was appreciating me! He was happy for my decisiveness and toughness!"
"And I can be sure, Lord Lynn is completely loyal to the royal family!"
The more Joffrey spoke, the more excited he became; he felt he had figured it all out.
His walnut-sized brain perfectly interpreted Lynn's disregard and contempt as appreciation and recognition.
"Mother, what you see is only the surface, but I saw Lord Lynn's heart!"
Cersei stared blankly at Joffrey, opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.
By the Seven, what kind of thing did I give birth to?
She suddenly felt she might be the real fool.
She could never understand how her son's brain circuit grew; it was bizarre.
"Things having reached this point, Ned Stark rolling away is rolling away."
"As for the position of Hand, let Lynn take it after he finishes dealing with Lysa; consider it my mercy as a King to a subject."
Joffrey waved his hand impatiently.
He completely threw this matter to the back of his mind.
"Anyway, that group of poor wildlings in the North can't stir up any waves."
"If they dare rebel, I'll let Ned see the King's methods!"
That ruthlessness belonging to a King resurfaced on Joffrey's face.
"My real enemy is Renly!"
"That traitor who poisoned my father and tried to steal my throne!"
"Mother, pass my order, let Tywin assemble the Westerlands army immediately!"
"I want that damned homosexual Renly to know the consequence of betraying me, betraying House Baratheon!"
Looking at her son's face written with madness and paranoia, Cersei's heart sank into a bottomless abyss.
She knew a runaway carriage had already carried the entire House Lannister rushing towards the cliff.
She used to hate Tyrion lecturing her son.
But now, how she wished Tyrion could appear here.
So Tyrion could slap Joffrey hard for her.
But who knows where her damned dwarf brother ran off to!
...
Outside King's Landing, Kingsroad.
Lynn rode side by side with Ned, followed by Myrcella, Jaime, Jaqen, and hundreds of elite Northern guards.
They didn't stay for a moment.
As soon as the coronation ceremony ended, they left immediately.
"Leaving just like this, is it really okay?"
Ned looked at King's Landing getting further and further behind, still feeling somewhat uneasy.
"What's wrong?"
Lynn smiled.
"Didn't His Grace the King already grant you permission to retire and return home?"
Ned sighed, a trace of bitterness on his face.
"I just feel... somewhat sorry for Robert."
"You didn't wrong him, Ned."
Lynn's tone was calm.
"You promised him to protect his bloodline, protect this kingdom."
"But Joffrey is not his bloodline."
"Supporting him is the greatest betrayal to this kingdom."
"You leaving now is the best way to keep your promise."
Ned fell silent.
Lynn's words unlocked the last shackle in his heart.
Yes.
He didn't betray anyone.
Protecting the bloodline, he could go protect Robert's bastards; protecting the kingdom, he could support Lynn's rise; this was the best repayment to the precarious kingdom.
He just chose a harder, but more correct path; the two didn't conflict.
"How do we go north?" Ned asked.
Lynn reined in his horse, looking back at the city shrouded in the afterglow of the setting sun.
"Let's go to the Dragonpit first, ride Winter back to Winterfell ahead; let these guards take ships north directly, also to avoid encountering Lysa's army."