Robert suddenly urged Roman to hold a banquet, writing no fewer than five letters. Lady Helaena of House Hoare could only helplessly agree.
Roman felt it was impossible that Robert simply remembered his past promise and wanted to hold a banquet at Harrenhal on a whim.
This place held great symbolic significance; anything the iron throne did here was no small matter. Robert surely wanted to gain something from this visit.
However, Roman could only make preparations and wait to see how things unfolded.
In the main tower of Harrenhal, Roman watched a Servant dress Fili in silk. The garment was made of fine imported silk, understated and elegant.
The girl had never worn such expensive clothes and was momentarily at a loss. Fili looked at Roman with uneasy eyes.
"Lord Roman, is it really alright for me to accompany you to the banquet? I should probably go help outside!"
"It's fine. You're going to be by my side anyway, so you might as well let others get to know you. You don't need to say much; I'll handle the interactions."
After arranging things for Fili, Roman turned his gaze to the banquet hall of Harrenhal.
After being scorched by Roman's White Flame, Harrenhal was now completely refreshed. The stone bricks were white and beautiful, and nobles from other regions even called it "Milk Castle."
Because Roman disliked banquets and spent more time traveling, this hall had gone unused for a long time. Now that it was decorated, it felt somewhat unfamiliar.
"Alright, let's see what Robert is up to."
When the day of the banquet arrived, the guests came as scheduled.
Robert's family from the iron throne, the Starks of the North, the liege lords House Tully, and the Tyrells from the south all gathered together. Harrenhal became more lively than ever before.
But seeing this grand occasion, Lady Helaena of House Hoare remembered the False Spring, and she couldn't help but tremble.
"My Lady," Roman stepped out from the side and took Lady Helaena of House Hoare's wrinkled hands.
"I'm here, don't worry."
Seeing Roman's calm and steady eyes, Lady Helaena of House Hoare gradually felt at ease. She then led Roman and Fili down to greet the guests.
As soon as Roman stepped out, he saw countless banners fluttering ahead, representing various nobles. At the very front were the sigils of the four houses: the wolf, the stag, the fish, and the flower.
After brief pleasantries, Lady Helaena of House Hoare led everyone to the banquet scene. The entire space was lit by several fireplaces burning with White Flame, warm but not stiflingly hot.
New windows had been cut into the walls, fitted with large flat glass panes expensive enough to drain the wealth of a minor noble.
The musicians took their places, and the drinks were poured. Dishes of a new style, personally guided by Roman and utilizing various spices and sauces, were brought out plate by plate, served on fine glazed bone china.
The entire banquet hall was not overly luxurious, but an expert could see its true value at a glance.
Roman and Lady Helaena of House Hoare sat with the Great Lords as hosts, while the younger generation gathered according to their families.
"Good lad, you really do have some tricks up your sleeve. You said you'd host a banquet for me, and you've truly pulled off a great surprise!"
"Come, come, drink! I've stayed away from wine for quite a while just for this day!"
Roman looked at Robert. The stag's face no longer had the wine-flush of two years ago. His voice was rough and steady, and the wheezing of the past was gone.
Eddard was somewhat surprised by Robert's changes. His old friend had complained more than once that the iron throne bound him, making him feel like a stag trapped in a cage with the lions watching all around.
Now that Robert had purged the smell of wine, he showed a hint of his former martial prowess.
House Tully took the opportunity of this reunion to catch up.
"It's a pity Lysa didn't come, otherwise our family could have been reunited."
Catelyn's words sent Hoster into a long silence. He knew how much damage he had caused by tricking Lysa into drinking moon tea; it was only natural that his daughter didn't want to see him.
Garlan chatted and laughed with other nobles but kept observing Roman.
He was watching to see what this heir of Harrenhal, whose appearance had changed significantly, would do next.
Loras was the same. Although he was interacting with young women and presenting flowers, his attention remained on Roman.
The Knight of Flowers wasn't interested in Roman's political style. He had heard that Roman had defeated Robert, Barristan, and his own brother, and had even knocked Jaime unconscious with a single punch.
This made his competitive spirit burn fiercely. Loras was evaluating the gap between himself and Roman and the possibility of winning.
"It is truly a blessing from the Seven for Westeros that Your Majesty could quit drinking. Under the leadership of a sober stag, the kingdom will only get better and better!"
"Enough! Stop with the tall tales, boy!" Robert waved his hand, interrupting Roman's praise. "You've even grown horns on your head this time; it's quite a surprise. Those old men at The Citadel even said you were some kind of reborn dragon. I think their heads are stuffed with books!"
"Your Majesty, if there were truly a dragon like me, how could the Targaryens have been defeated and fled? The maesters at Harrenhal also said this is a strange illness; they're even writing reports using my horns."
Roman's words made Robert laugh heartily. He drank with others while chatting with Roman about everything under the sun.
After quite a while, Roman finally managed to get away.
He had just managed to escape Robert, leaving him to drink and chat with Eddard and Hoster, when the noble ladies of various houses approached.
Sansa was the first. Ignoring the changes in Roman's body, she immediately invited him to dance with her later.
"Ser Roman, I have waited a long time since we last met. You must not miss the dance this time!"
Roman suddenly felt it was troublesome. Loras and Garlan were right there; why didn't she go to them? But Roman still politely agreed.
When he finally saw Sansa off, the Little Rose Margaery approached him.
"Ser Roman, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Margaery Tyrell. I believe you must have heard my name from my brother. Thank you for hosting this banquet and bringing everyone together from far and wide."
Roman looked at the two noble ladies from House Stark and the Tyrells, while also glancing at the group of eager women behind them. His head began to ache.
Just then, a floral scent suppressed the complex atmosphere of the hall and drifted into people's nostrils.
Roman knew that Fili had arrived.
Under everyone's gaze, Fili walked out wearing silk clothing—elegant without being flashy, noble without being ostentatious.
Not only was her attire outstanding, but after two years of growth, Fili had blossomed into a stunningly beautiful young woman.
Compared to Cersei's flamboyant charm and Margaery's steady grace, Fili possessed both qualities. As soon as she appeared, she outshone all the women competing for attention in the hall.
Robert and Eddard had seen Fili before, but she had been wearing ordinary clothes then, and they only thought she was decent. They hadn't expected her to be so radiant.
"Hahaha! The maesters always say clothes make the man, and now I finally understand. Roman, you lucky brat, to be able to pick up such a beauty in King's Landing!"
Roman couldn't help but complain in his heart: "That's only because King's Landing is a cesspool. Fili only got picked up by me because she couldn't survive there; otherwise, I wouldn't have had a chance!"
Fili stepped forward to draw Sansa and Margaery away. "Lord Roman still needs to speak with His Majesty the King. Let us not disturb them. If you ladies have any questions, you may ask me."
At this point, the other guests were watching the two young ladies with expressions of anticipation, even forgetting to eat the food in their hands.
Next came the usual drinking and dancing. Roman was exhausted by the process; he was never good at this kind of socializing and relied entirely on the women to lead him during the dances.
But his awkwardness actually attracted more noble ladies. Some even got into conflicts over the order of who would dance next, which even surprised Loras.
After finishing this social routine, Roman was drenched in sweat and hurried out during a break to get some fresh air.
In the attic of the Burning King Tower, Roman encountered Robert, who had been waiting for a long time.
"Your Majesty? You were waiting for me here?"
Robert nodded. He walked over, patted Roman on the shoulder, and began to praise the grandeur and prosperity of Harrenhal.
The more Roman listened, the more something felt off. Since when did Robert speak such nonsense?
He quickly interrupted the other man. "Your Majesty, you're waiting for me here specifically, surely not just to say this? If you have something to discuss with me, just say it."
"Straightforward! I like that about you!" Seeing there was no need to pretend, Robert immediately broke into a smile.
"The iron throne has run out of money recently. I want to borrow some from you."
Roman:...
"How much does Your Majesty wish to borrow?"
"400,000 gold dragons."
"400,000!!... Your Majesty, you really think too highly of Harrenhal. Where am I supposed to get that much money for you?"
Robert grew anxious upon hearing this. "The gold dragons coming in daily from the iron tools, porcelain, and glass in your hands must exceed ten thousand. How could you not have it?"
Roman did not back down. "I still have to pay for the costs. The various expenses of Harrenhal are also a large drain. How can I save any money?"
"No, no, Your Majesty. You can't just borrow so much money from me without saying anything. Don't forget that the iron throne's debt is continuously rising. I wouldn't dare lend you money just like that!"
Despite the persuasion, Roman didn't budge an inch. Finally, Robert had no choice but to use his trump card:
"How about this: you sell me glass and porcelain at a low price, and in the future, I will allow you to freely expand your city. Furthermore, the iron throne's fleet will also be open to you at a low cost."
At the mention of this, Roman became interested. Robert no longer wanted a fixed sum of cash but instead to buy his goods at a low price, while Roman could also obtain the iron throne's certification and the right to use the royal fleet.
It wasn't a bad deal at all.
Roman looked at Robert and said, "We'll discuss the details later."
Robert was delighted to hear this. This way, he wouldn't be so short on cash. With Harrenhal's glass and porcelain, he could resell them—wouldn't that be more satisfying than borrowing money directly?
Besides, he was only giving up some charters.
The two shook hands firmly, both very satisfied with the deal.
"Alright, Your Majesty, we should head back. If the host and the guest of honor are both absent, others will start gossiping."
"Let them dare! They're lucky just to be eating with me. We're just out for some air; would they really have an issue with that?"