-49- Council Chamber (2)

After Gallen finished adding some details about the Queen's District, the conversation ended.

After Fori and Leyton left, Gallen, accompanied by his guards, returned to the Red Keep and entered the council chamber.

The council chamber, adjacent to the Tower of the Hand, was where the officials serving the realm handled the daily affairs of the kingdom in the absence of a Small Council meeting.

During the Targaryen dynasty, before the institution of the Small Council, officials would typically handle kingdom affairs in their respective offices within the council chamber.

During the reign of the Baratheons, King Robert, indulging in pleasure, relinquished much of his power to his Hand, Jon Arryn, and ceased to concern himself with governance, leading a life of debauchery.

Stannis Baratheon, the Master of Ships and Robert's younger brother, dissatisfied with the king, handled governance matters directly from Dragonstone.

Renly Baratheon, the Master of Laws and Robert's youngest brother, had no interest in kingdom affairs. Apart from occasionally attending Small Council meetings, he was rarely seen in the Red Keep.

Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, grew old over the years, and outside the Tower of the Hand, his presence was seldom seen.

Therefore, apart from the Small Council, the council chamber, which wielded central authority in the kingdom, regularly saw only three prominent officials: the Master of Coin, Petyr Baelish, the Master of Whisperers, Varys, and the Grand Maester, Pycelle.

Grand Maester Pycelle, a veteran of the Targaryen dynasty, retained his position after the War of the Usurper when King Robert took the throne.

Grand Maester Pycelle's primary responsibilities included advising the king, compiling various books, and organizing knowledge, as well as overseeing raven communications from the Red Keep. He also served as the chief healer of the palace.

As King Robert neglected governance, Grand Maester Pycelle became an advisor to Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King.

....

Guided by a servant, Gallen quickly arrived at the office of the Master of Coin, Petyr Baelish.

Petyr's office had the same golden-framed round windows as the Hand's study, with the floor covered in thick carpets and exquisite tapestries hanging on the walls.

Gallen glanced around the room's exquisite furnishings, seemingly smelling the scent of gold dragons.

Upon seeing Gallen, Petyr down his quill and leaned back in his chair, his face beaming. "Ah, if it isn't Lord Gallen! I've been waiting for you. Please, have a seat!"

Petyr instructed a servant to bring a chair to the opposite side of the table.

Gallen bowed slightly, "Good day, Lord Baelish."

After exchanging pleasantries, Gallen finally sat down.

Petyr maintained his smile and returned the greeting with a nod, then waved his hand to dismiss the servant from the room.

Once the servant left and closed the door, Petyr spoke, "I heard about what happened in the study this morning. Lord Arryn fell ill again."

Gallen shrugged, "Anyone would be upset by such a thing. Is Lord Arryn's condition serious?"

Petyr raised the corner of his lips, relaxing against the back of his chair. "Lord Arryn appreciates your concern. Grand Maester Pycelle has already treated him carefully. It's said he'll be bedridden for at least seven days this time."

Leaning forward slightly, Petyr lowered his voice, "This time, thanks to you, otherwise we might never have known that there was a third ear hidden in the Hand's study."

Petyr's tone completely conveyed a sense of camaraderie.

Gallen's tone was calm: "Has the lord made arrangements for the follow-up?"

Petyr's tone carried a hint of mockery: "It's said that after venturing deeper into the interlayer, Lord Arryn assigned the investigation to the Lord Janos, the Commander of the Gold Cloaks."

The City Watch, also known as the Gold Cloaks, derived their name from the golden woolen cloaks they wore over their armor.

The Gold Cloaks serve as the garrison and law enforcement in King's Landing, loyal only to the crown. They have two barracks in King's Landing, one to the east near the Dragon Gate, and the other to the west near Cobbler's Square.

Previously, the Gold Cloaks numbered 2,000, but after Lord Janos Slynt was appointed by King Robert as the Commander of the City Watch, he tripled their numbers to 6,000. However, many of these 6,000 were drunkards and refugees, with low combat effectiveness.

It is rumored that about half of the officers in the Gold Cloaks have to pay him from their salaries every month.

After discovering this, Duke Jon Arryn found two people willing to testify against him, but they were both found dead shortly afterward.

Although Duke Jon Arryn still hoped to have Janos Slynt removed, King Robert forcefully retained Janos Slynt as the Commander of the City Watch.

Gallen's tone was calm, "The old hand has keen insight into people."

Petyr shrugged his shoulders, withholding judgment.

After a pause, Gallen spoke, "The reason Lord Arryn wanted to see me this morning made me very uncomfortable. Without direct evidence, he insisted on accusing me based solely on a song sung in Crackclaw Point."

Gallen's brown eyes met Petyr's gray-green ones, sounding somewhat helpless, "It put me in a difficult position. If the Master of Ships had been present, I wouldn't have been so troubled. I've heard he's very fair."

Petyr's gray-green eyes flickered, "The Master of Ships, Lord Stannis?"

Gallen nodded, "Lord Stannis upholds the rule of law, and his reputation for meticulous adherence to the law has spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Now, I'm afraid everyone knows that there are no secrets in the Hand's study. I worry that the honorable Lord Stannis will question Jon Arryn's health regardless."

Petyr's smile deepened, nodding in agreement, "Your concern is justified. Lord Stannis has always been too upright. Even if Lord Jon Arryn is seriously ill, his will cannot be shaken. We can only hope that the secrets of the Tower of the Hand won't spread to Dragonstone."

As he spoke, Petyr inwardly reflected on why he, usually so observant, had overlooked the presence of Lord Stannis. It seemed not only Petyr himself but also the entire Red Keep had collectively ignored Lord Stannis's existence.

If Lord Gallen hadn't mentioned it today, he believed he would have continued to unintentionally disregard Lord Stannis.

Why did this situation occur? Is there some kind of unknown magic at play?