-83- The moving current

As Gallen's words fell, the hall suddenly fell silent.

Mace Tyrell, digesting Gallen's words, slowly puffed out his cheeks.

Lord Puff Fish... Gallen thought to himself, indeed, the nickname was not misplaced.

Margaery Tyrell, though also surprised by what she heard, maintained her serene smile.

As Margaery knew her father well, she understood he wouldn't regain his composure quickly, so she took the initiative to speak.

"Lord Gallen, this is no small matter. On behalf of House Tyrell, I thank you for your honesty, but..."

Margaery's beautiful eyes fixed on Gallen as she continued, "I enjoy hearing your insights. Could you explain your reasoning to us first?"

Gallen first placed a hand on his chest in gratitude, then spoke, "Lady Margaery, no need to be so formal. I will be honest with you."

Margaery smiled and nodded slightly.

Gallen opened his mouth, paused, then lowered his voice, "Lord Arryn's condition is quite severe. It has already affected the governance of the kingdom, more seriously than anyone has realized."

Margaery covered her mouth with her fair hand, her eyes widening.

Gallen couldn't help but admire her performance. Little Rose was brilliant in many ways.

...

Mace Tyrell muttered to himself: If I became the Hand of the King, the status of House Tyrell in the Seven Kingdoms would be extraordinarily prestigious.

Finally regaining his composure, Mace Tyrell cleared his throat, "Gallen, tell me your thoughts."

Gallen nodded and said, "My Lord, although Lord Arryn's health no longer permits him to work hard, he still worries about the kingdom, even handling affairs from his sickbed during severe times."

Gallen painted a picture of a dedicated hand tirelessly working for the kingdom despite his condition.

Mace Tyrell and Margaery exchanged a subtle glance.

Mace Tyrell thought Lord Arryn's situation was quite unfortunate.

Margaery sensed a hidden meaning in Gallen's words. While they seemed to praise, they also hinted at another layer.

Lord Arryn's condition had already stirred dissatisfaction and ambition among some.

...

Looking at Mace Tyrell, Gallen respectfully said, "Lord Arryn has worked tirelessly for over a decade. For the sake of his health, the Red Keep has had to consider a new candidate for Hand of the King."

Mace Tyrell barely contained his smile, asking in a gentle tone, "Has a decision been made?"

Margaery sighed inwardly at her father's impatience and added, "Lord Gallen, is there some difficulty?"

Gallen's eyes flickered as he glanced at Margaery and nodded, "After all, this is a matter of the realm. Everyone is very serious about it, either recommending others or nominating themselves as the next Hand to assist King Robert in governing the realm."

Mace Tyrell's face showed a hint of barely concealed tension, and he couldn't help but ask, "Who are they?"

Gallen hesitated, appearing conflicted.

Margaery's gaze lingered on her father for a moment before she earnestly said to Gallen, "Lord Gallen, I believe my father has roughly guessed your thoughts. Now what we need is mutual trust and honesty. House Tyrell will not forget anyone who helps us."

Gallen shook his head, his tone equally sincere, "Lord Tyrell, Lady Margaery, I naturally intend to be honest. Because of the Queen's trust, as her chief officer, her grace indeed consulted me on this matter. I recommended you, Lord Tyrell."

Mace Tyrell stroked his beard, his face showing a hint of satisfaction.

Margaery's brown eyes flickered, "Lord Gallen, did you persuade her majesty the queen? Or rather... may I ask how you persuaded her?"

"Of course."

After a pause, Gallen spoke, "As far as I know, the top contenders for the new Hand of the King are Lord Stannis Baratheon, the Master of Ships, and Lord Renly Baratheon, the Master of Laws."

Margaery's face showed a flash of confusion, "Lord Renly and Lord Stannis?"

Mace Tyrell frowned.

Gallen placed one hand on his chest and said respectfully, "This is my analysis. Lord Renly, as Master of Laws, is rarely seen at the Red Keep, lacking the responsibility and administrative ability compared to Lord Tyrell.

The overly upright Lord Stannis, compared to Lord Tyrell, lacks flexibility and compassion. The Hand of the King needs to help King Robert unite the hearts of the people.

Right now, only you, my Lord, can fill the gap left by Lord Arryn and swiftly stabilize the kingdom."

Brilliant analysis...

Mace Tyrell smiled as he stroked his beard.

...

Margaery's fingers twitched slightly.

Margaery found that interacting with Gallen, she would unconsciously lower her guard, yet his revelations would also raise her vigilance, repeating this cycle.

Margaery always remembered her grandmother's teachings and, combined with her father's actions, she didn't dare relax her mind.

Staying focused all the time made Margaery feel a bit fatigued.

Life in Highgarden was so tranquil that Margaery hadn't felt this kind of mental exhaustion in a long time, making her find it oddly familiar.

Margaery's brown eyes met a glint of light. This silent contest made Margaery's heart inexplicably excited.

...

Gallen said, "Although Queen Cersei has no interest in the kingdom's affairs, she needs to consider Prince Joffrey, who needs more support."

"House Baratheon already holds two important seats on the Small Council. Any further advancement would be detrimental to the kingdom's stability. At this moment, Lord Tyrell, your abilities and strength make you a natural ally for Queen Cersei. Because of you, I was able to persuade her to support you as the Hand of the King."

Gallen added, "Everything is for the realm; this is my impartiality."

Mace was all smiles. "Gallen, you are a rare talent. I won't forget your merit."

Mace couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He had not expected the person who understood him best in the Seven Kingdoms to be this young man.

...

Margaery suddenly asked, "Lord Gallen, do you already have a plan?"

Gallen first glanced at the amiable-looking Mace Tyrell before answering, "I have an immature plan, but I need Lord Tyrell's consent first."

...

...

In King's Landing, on Silent Sisters Street, the sky was a clear blue.

Gallen's little steward, Leyton, stood in a dark corner of the street, staring at a few Gold Cloaks in the distance.

Among the Gold Cloaks, Leyton was particularly focused on the leader.

This man had a sharp, thin face. Despite wearing the Gold Cloak uniform, his skinny frame made one worry a gust of wind might blow him away.

Leyton frowned deeply.

This Gold Cloak using the Crabb surname did not look like a member of House Crabb at all.

A lost bloodline? Since he used the Crabb surname, it indicated he was legitimate.

Leyton felt this matter required his attention. As one of the few scribes in Whispers, he did not rush to act.

After all, this person was a Gold Cloak. Handling this poorly could blow up, causing more harm than good.

Moreover, such matters required the lord's orders; his rank wasn't enough to decide on his own.

Fortunately, some men from Whispers were also in King's Landing. Leyton decided to have them keep an eye on this person and collect relevant information.

...

...

In Maegor's Holdfast at the Red Keep.

Jaime Lannister's dark circles had deepened due to lack of rest recently.

Cersei Lannister glanced sideways at Jaime, who was yawning, and said, "Jaime, you've been very spirited lately."

Jaime looked puzzled at Cersei and asked, "What do you mean by spirited?"

He only heard Cersei's cold snort.

Suddenly, Jaime's sleepiness disappeared. After thinking for a moment, he tentatively asked, "Are you talking about me going out at night?"

Cersei took a sip of summer red wine and said, "There are a hundred brothels in King's Landing, enough to satisfy your remaining time. I suggest you don't be so impatient."

She snorted again and continued, "Don't be like your dear dwarf brother who treats those places like his bedroom. You are a Lannister."

Jaime chuckled and said helplessly, "Cersei, it's not what you think. You should know I don't like those places. I only have you."

As he spoke, Jaime walked behind Cersei and placed his hands on her shoulders.

Cersei slightly raised her chin and smiled, "I don't like you hiding things from me."

Jaime's hands on Cersei's shoulders stiffened for a moment.

Cersei's green eyes flickered, "It seems you choose to continue hiding it."

After speaking, Cersei shrugged off Jaime's hands, turned around, and stared at him.

Jaime suddenly thought of Gallen.

...

Jaime explained, "It's about Gallen. He suspects that the incident in the Queen's District might have another hidden hand. We've been investigating secretly."

Knowing Cersei, Jaime sensed her growing anger and quickly added, "I didn't mean to hide it from you. We were just speculating, so we didn't tell you. It's only a precaution. You know me; I want to ensure your absolute safety and uncover the truth as soon as possible."

"Jamie, I'm not that delicate."

Cersei walked closer to Jaime.

She looked up at him, placed her pale hand on his chest, and smiled, "Jaime, when you enter my body, I feel complete. Since I demand you not to hide anything from me, I won't hide anything from you either."

Jaime held Cersei's hand and looked into her eyes, slowly smiling, "Me too."

Jaime was captivated by Cersei's tenderness, but her next words sent cold sweat down his spine.

"Jaime, I've already started taking action."

"???"

"I've had enough of Robert! Jaime, it's already begun. You are too late to stop it. You can only choose to help me."

...

...

Dragonstone, under dark clouds.

Dragonstone is an island formed by a volcanic eruption, located at the mouth of Blackwater Bay, with its castle carved into the shape of dragons.

During the Targaryen dynasty, Dragonstone was traditionally bestowed upon the king's heir, who was also known as the Prince of Dragonstone.

After the War of the Usurper, King Robert Baratheon granted Dragonstone to Stannis Baratheon, but it no longer held the significance of being the heir to the throne.

Inside Dragonstone Castle.

Lord Stannis Baratheon sat at the long table, meticulously handling state affairs.

Ser Davos Seaworth stood quietly by his side, waiting.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Stannis wielded his quill, signing orders, and thumped down his seal.

Stannis looked at Davos, "Davos, are the arrangements made?"

Davos nodded respectfully, "Lord Stannis, I have other matters to report, concerning Gallen Crabb."

Stannis put down his quill, "What happened?"

"Our men discovered that Lord Arryn intends to send Gallen across the Narrow Sea to deal with the Targaryen's surviving dragons."

Stannis frowned, "Wasn't Varys handling this matter?"

Stannis suddenly erupted in anger, "Again with this. They only know how to indulge in underhanded tactics. Jon Arryn, the position of Hand of the King has completely stripped him of his honor."

He closed his eyes.

Davos glanced up, worry etched on his face, but he did not voice his concerns.

Stannis did not need anyone's comfort.

Before long, Stannis opened his eyes, his gaze sharp.

"Davos, do you think I should continue supporting Jon Arryn?"

Davos looked at Stannis with reverence, "Lord Stannis, forgive my directness, but you need to change your strategy."

Stannis barely nodded, "I cannot let him stain my honor."

Stannis looked at Davos and asked, "What do you suggest?"

Davos stepped forward, bowed, and spoke respectfully, "While investigating Gallen Crabb, we inadvertently gathered intelligence on Lord Arryn. The Red Keep indeed holds no secrets."

Stannis scoffed.

Davos continued, "According to our intelligence, Lord Arryn's health no longer permits him to fulfill his duties. The kingdom needs a new Hand of the King to restore order. I suggest you compete for the position. Only someone as great as you can stabilize the kingdom under King Robert's rule."

Robert... Stannis shook his head slightly, "

I am willing to sacrifice everything for the kingdom. But Robert will never agree."

Davos knelt on one knee, "Lord Stannis, I understand your concern, but King Robert has indulged in wine and women for years. He is no longer the man he once was. His authority in the Red Keep is not what it used to be."

Stannis' sharp gaze lingered on Davos for a moment, then he asked, "What do you propose?"

Davos lifted his face, "Allow me to travel and seek allies who support you. If you become the Hand of the King, they will also be your future strength."