-31- An honorable man

Gallen hesitated.

For the sake of his own strength and interests, Gallen, who understood the plot, chose to temporarily join Queen Cersei's faction.

Sure enough, in King's Landing, there was never anything without reason, big or small.

Behind the scenes of disrupting the relationship between the king and queen, there lay hidden a mover with considerable ambition. Even before the plot officially unfolded, the players had already been stirring.

Those who could profit from such events proved their strength and were true players in this game of thrones, or perhaps part of player groups formed for their own ambitions.

Gallen speculated on the most likely houses.

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Gallen intentionally showed an evasive expression and instructed Mordin to serve him a plate of stewed meat.

Gallen tactfully avoided Jaime's scrutinizing gaze.

Mordin placed chunks of meat on the plate and offered it to Gallen as if presenting a treasure.

Gallen chewed on the lamb, closing his eyes slightly to savor the tender meat. The exhaustion of working tirelessly for over ten hours seemed to vanish in an instant.

Jaime could sense that Gallen had detected something but wanted to continue questioning. However, Gallen was clearly avoiding it.

Seeing Gallen enjoying the food, Jaime became a bit annoyed. "Little lord, are you not going to offer some to your guest? Are you not going to be hospitable?"

Gallen seemed surprised and swallowed his food before replying, "Do Lannisters also eat stewed lamb?"

Jaime chuckled. "What do you think we eat? Gold?"

Gallen smiled and instructed Mordin to serve Ser Jaime.

Taking the food, Jaime, contrary to his usual demeanor, took a big bite of the stewed meat and chewed thoughtfully.

Jaime was somewhat surprised that the seemingly ordinary stew was tastier than he had imagined.

After eating for a while, Jaime spoke up. "Lord Gallen, it's obvious I'm not sharp enough. If you've noticed something, I hope you'll be frank with me. I can even keep it secret from Cersei. Consider it a favor owed to you; the Lannisters always pay their debts."

Gallen's ears twitched as if he heard the crisp sound of gold dragons clinking.

After a moment's hesitation, Gallen's expression became complex, and he sighed softly. "Mordin, take the meat and guard the surroundings. Don't let anything come close."

Anything?

Clever Mordin immediately understood Gallen's command, swiftly gathered up a pile of meat, stood up, and left. He signaled to the guards in the distance and arranged a perimeter.

Gallen lifted his chair closer to Jaime's position and sat down again. "Ser Jaime, I sense a dark web looming over our Queen. Like hidden in the dark night, imperceptible but effective."

Jaime's pupils contracted. Gallen pierced through the fog Jaime had not noticed before.

Gallen's words were filled with descriptions, without specific indications, but Jaime associated them with many things, including the increasingly intense quarrels between Robert and Cersei.

Jaime stared at Gallen and asked, "Do you guess who it is? What's their purpose?"

Gallen did not avoid Jaime's gaze. "Let's not talk about who it is for now. The purpose is actually quite easy to guess."

Gallen paused and continued, "To replace the Queen."

Jaime's body tensed, and he stood up, veins bulging on the back of his hand as he gripped the sword hilt.

In Jaime's anger, there was inner conflict. If Cersei were no longer the queen, could I leave King's Landing with her and return to Casterly Rock?

Gallen saw the anger and turmoil on Jaime's face, secretly despising the knight's naivety.

Gallen couldn't directly remind Jaime and pretended not to notice Jaime's change in demeanor. He spoke up, "Ser Jaime, only physical demise or a significant stain on reputation can legally bring forth a new queen."

Jaime's anger dissipated instantly, and his heart trembled.

Jaime reluctantly sat back in his chair, relieved to see Gallen's serious expression and unaware of his own inner turmoil. He let out a sigh of relief.

Jaime needed to speak to alleviate the brief madness of his heart just now: "Lord Gallen, your speculation is likely correct. Especially this year, I've felt many things becoming inexplicably awkward. Your analysis has helped me understand a lot."

As he spoke, Jaime, due to Gallen's keen insight, even felt a hint of dread, which amused him.

With a purpose unclear even to himself, Jaime suddenly said, "I've been negligent. Cersei is in danger, and I... I've let her down..."

Gallen's heart stirred, but his expression remained unchanged. Instead, he comforted, "Although her grace is the queen, she is first and foremost your family."

"Because of your love for your family, you've always been inside the house, making it difficult to notice subtle changes outside. In contrast, people like me who are outside the house are more likely to detect anomalies."

"Ser Jaime, Queen Cersei's most trusted person has always been you. Things haven't reached a point of no return yet. You wield a sharp blade that can cut through the darkness."

Gallen's voice was calm and reassuring, with a hint of youthful innocence but enough stability, exuding a comforting strength.

From Gallen's gaze, Jaime felt not only concern and trust but also a hint of admiration.

As a Kingsguard representing the strongest knights of Westeros, Jaime was not surprised that Gallen held him in such esteem. Instead, he felt a greater fondness for Gallen.

Jaime had prejudices against Gallen even before they met. Later, he ignored Tyrion's high regards for Gallen and deepened his biases.

Jaime remembered Tyrion's words of praise for Gallen.

As a Kingsguard, Jaime felt ashamed of his previous prejudices against Gallen.

He is an honorable man.