Under the Curtain

What kind of person is Theon?

Joffrey and he were not close when they were in Winterfell.

In my memory, he always had a cynical smile on his face and always acted nonchalant towards everyone.

Apart from Robb, the other Stark children didn't like him.

"Theon told me when he was at Neck that there were too many navy ships at Dragonstone, and King's Landing didn't have enough," Robb said.

"He volunteered, saying he wanted to go back and persuade his father to send the Iron Fleet to support him, so I let him go."

"How did he manage to get the news out of the Iron Islands?" Joffrey asked. "His father certainly wouldn't have let him go before the attack."

Robb scratched his head.

"When Theon arrived at the Iron Islands, he found that his father was assembling longships, and later discovered that this was a plan to attack the North."

"So he feigned compliance, deceived his father, and thus obtained a small fleet."

"Because only Theon had a horse, he fled as soon as he landed and rushed to a castle on the Rocky Coast under the cover of night, where he borrowed a raven to inform Winterfell."

"Sir Luwin then forwarded the letter to King's Landing."

King's Landing?

How come I didn't know?

Robb's face flushed slightly: "My father told me... He even asked me to apologize on his behalf."

"The news arrived a few days ago, but he felt the war was too intense and kept it a secret. I only just found out myself."

That's not surprising.

After listening, Joffrey had already figured out the whole story.

Nearly ten years is enough time for a squid to be dressed in wolf's clothing.

The Ironborn have a bad reputation, just like the Freys. Theon thought he was returning home in glory, but he'd probably only get a bunch of disdainful looks in return.

He also felt that he had some cleverness.

His father is also very stubborn.

Robert had been unifying the land for several years, and the Iron Throne was a place of peace and prosperity.

He even dared to rebel.

Now that the Iron Throne is embroiled in a civil war, isn't this an opportunity not to be missed?

On one side is his estranged, cowardly, and foolish father, destined to fail.

On the other side is her adoptive father, who has raised her for nearly ten years, providing her with food and clothing.

The king's father-in-law, the prime minister who is second only to the king.

What Theon chooses, what Theon thinks.

It's clear at a glance.

So I've always been a Stark.

However, after the analysis, Joffrey was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions.

The first thing I felt was anger.

Is Pycelle suffering from dementia? The letter from Winterfell—didn't you intercept it and show it to him first?

Then came the feeling of being moved.

Lord Ed is truly capable of handling things; his hometown was attacked, yet he didn't show a single mark on his face.

Finally, there is suspicion.

Something's not right.

This father-in-law has been in King's Landing for more than half a year. Could it be that he has been corrupted by those sly fellows?

These recent measures don't seem to value honor as much as rumored.

honor.

The honor that Ed always talks about.

But this is the motto of the Erin family: "As high as honor."

House Starks's motto is "Winter is Coming".

Moreover, even earlier than Theon, Eddard was sent to the Eyrie as an adopted son when he was eight years old.

Jon Arryn spent far more time educating him than his biological father, Rickard.

Thinking about this, Joffrey suddenly realized that Ed might actually have a few eagle feathers hanging from his body.

He felt a little sorry for Robb.

"Let's go, don't linger here." He turned the young general's shoulder.

"Go see whoever you want to see quickly. Your trip south won't last long; you'll have to head north and go home soon."

Robb looked puzzled.

"You're about to break a record," Joffrey said seriously.

"There aren't many Northerners who lead an army back and forth on the King's Road twice in a year."

"Lord Eddard, you are the only one who must stay in King's Landing and fight back against the Ironborn."

Robb's face fell instantly.

Then, he suddenly revealed a sinister expression.

"Brother. Since you've made me uncomfortable, I'll make you uncomfortable too."

……

The throne room was filled with silk, satin and velvet.

A group of fools took turns stepping forward, saying the same thing: "Your Majesty, congratulations on your victory." "Your Majesty, you…" "Your Majesty…"

Joffrey smiled and chatted with every guest, clinking glasses with every nobleman.

Stannis retreated to Dragonstone, and the Stormlands lords retreated into the Kingsguard.

Meanwhile, Tywin was getting hammered and bleeding in the Reach.

But these people only saw that a few thousand enemy soldiers had been killed outside King's Landing, and they already thought it was a great victory.

Well, it's fine if that's how they think.

The Imperial Council also believed that a celebration was needed to ease the city's mood.

So the entire Red Keep and King's Landing were immersed in joy.

If someone were to launch a surprise attack from the opposite direction, the soldiers on the wall wouldn't even be able to stand still.

However, Joffrey glanced at the stars and saw that the people of Stormlands were not making any moves.

He used the Heavenly Will Points to upgrade this skill to intermediate level.

However, the only effect is the addition of a replay function; the cooldown time remains seven days.

What's worse is that you can only level up once; after that, you need to draw duplicate skills to upgrade them.

Where did this lousy system learn such garbage?

[Character to be played in this episode]

A strategist whose wisdom borders on the supernatural.

The food and drinks for this victory banquet were all generously donated by several neighboring earls.

They weren't taken by Stannis, so they all went into the kitchen of the Red Keep.

In addition to receiving a large sum of money, the soldiers who participated in the war also received a very respectable reward.

This week, all expenses for taverns and technical schools in King's Landing were covered by the royal family.

How can we bear this responsibility?

The tavern has to pay taxes after taking money, so they can just use future taxes to offset it.

Some people might criticize it, but the little devil will take the blame.

Then, one dish after another was served.

The appetizers were beets with chopped nuts, plum salad, and various fruits.

The main courses are still the same old variety.

Salted pork soaked in almond milk and sprinkled with pepper; capon stuffed with onions, mushrooms and chestnuts, served with fried bread and crispy hot bread.

Various kinds of soup.

Venison soup, oxtail soup, cream soup.

There are also roasted herons, roasted swans, and roasted peacocks with their feathers burned along with them.

For dessert, there was baked apple with a cinnamon aroma and someone's favorite lemon cake.

Thankfully, there wasn't any pigeon pie, which Joffrey absolutely hated.

Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, he whispered a few words to the person next to him.

A tall, thin man dressed in black was called out.

A moment later, he returned to the hall carrying a plate covered with a black cloth.

"Your Majesty, are we really going to do this?" Elisa Thorne asked, somewhat uneasy.

Joffrey nodded, his expression solemn.

"This was discussed at the Imperial Council meeting."

"It was a prudent decision."

Robb seemed to realize something when he saw this.

He looked at Ed, who nodded to him.

He opened his mouth in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Arya asked.

Robb did not answer.

"What's wrong with him?" Arya turned to Ed beside her.

"You'll find out soon enough... Sigh."

Joffrey clapped his hands.

Everyone in the hall looked over.

"Gentlemen, just a few days ago, we won a bloody battle and gained a respite."

"But the war is not over yet."

"Because some threats are more terrifying than rebels. Some wars are more brutal than the struggle for the throne."

"And at this turbulent and challenging juncture, our brothers in black brought us news and a gift."

"A quirky and clever person."

The watchman lifted the black cloth from the plate.