The Throne Room.
Tywin sat atop the iron throne, having summoned over a hundred noble lords of the court.
Things had become serious.
A Lannister soldier knelt in the center of the hall, next to Jilian lying on a stretcher; both were covered in blood and gore.
On both sides, the noble lords were full of worry, each holding their own views on the attack against the Lord Hand's younger brother.
At this point, they could only hope the King wouldn't have a fit of madness during his confrontation with the Lord Hand.
Varys frowned slightly and sought an opportunity to ask from within the crowd, "Lord Hand, when will His Majesty arrive?"
Just then, a middle-aged maester trotted into the hall and whispered something into Tywin's ear.
Tywin nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "His Majesty is taking an afternoon nap. I shall be given full authority over this case."
Varys lowered his head and withdrew.
With the King absent, the Hand of the King acting as regent for state affairs was a move no one could find fault with.
"It's over, it's all over."
Count Owen, also in the crowd, paced anxiously. He was already imagining the unfair treatment the Prince would suffer in the King's absence.
He was quite loyal, believing that Daeron was not in the wrong.
Time passed minute by minute.
Tywin looked around and said loudly, "Where are the Kingsguard? Someone just announced Prince Daeron's arrival."
Naturally, no one answered.
Of The Seven Kingsguard, one was on his deathbed, three were far away on Dragonstone, and three were attending to the King.
"They're here..."
"Prince Daeron is bringing the 'White Bull' and Barristan..."
Suddenly, the silent hall buzzed with life as the crowd automatically parted to form a path.
In front of the open hall doors.
Daeron's figure slowly appeared. He stepped onto the black stone stairs outside and entered the hall step by step.
His expression was as calm as ever and his posture remained upright, as if he were completely unaffected by the accusations.
Three meters behind him, Ser Gerold and Ser Barristan followed on his left and right, their presence like an insurmountable wall and an unstoppable spear.
The noble lords stared intently at the young face of the leader. The murmurs gradually shifted from the accusations and the two Kingsguard to Daeron himself, the person at the center of it all.
Before today, many only knew that the King favored his Second Son, but they had never seen what was so special about him.
Daeron walked at a leisurely pace, ignoring the two people lying in the center of the hall, and walked straight to the foot of the iron throne.
"That's enough, Your Highness."
Tywin's gaze narrowed as he barked a command to stop.
He had no Kingsguard protecting him. There was only a squad of Lannister soldiers before the iron throne, who would be as fragile as paper before two top-tier knights who had mastered Life Force.
Daeron stopped before the forest of swords that was the iron throne and tilted his head slightly. "I wonder why the Lord Hand has summoned me?"
"You have been accused of the crime of malicious assault."
Tywin's face was solemn, like a majestic lion.
Daeron looked around and locked onto the two in the center of the hall. "You mean them?"
"Exactly!"
Tywin was confident as he recounted the events in detail, saying deeply, "You ordered Ser Jon Darry to kill three and maim five innocent Lannister soldiers, and seriously injured Jilian Lannister. There are witnesses who can confirm the truth of these statements."
Daeron treated it as wind past his ears and said calmly, "Lord Hand, did you not ask for the reason behind the incident?"
This teacher of his certainly knew how to pin a label on someone.
If the charges were made to stick, even he wouldn't be able to escape easily.
Don't be surprised; there were precedents for similar incidents.
The last time could be traced back to the Ashford Meadow Tourney in 209 AC and that Trial of Seven that was renowned throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
His great-grandfather Aegon V's second older brother, Elion 'Brightflame', had bullied commoners and was stopped by Ser Duncan the Tall, then a hedge knight, who knocked out several of his teeth.
Soldiers seized Ser Duncan, but Egg, who had been hiding his identity, revealed who he was and temporarily saved Ser Duncan.
What followed was Elion's frantic retaliation against Ser Duncan afterward.
Elion framed the man, and fearing Duncan's size and strength, demanded a Trial of Seven.
A cruel tourney began, triggered by a conflict between a prince and a hedge knight.
To prove innocence and so-called honor, a Targaryen died in that battle—Baelor 'Breakspear', the heir to the iron throne who was hailed as the most likely to restore the family's fortunes.
When facing the innocence of a mere hedge knight, such a price was paid upon investigation.
An accusation from a Lannister would undoubtedly be even harder to resolve peacefully.
Looking at his composed student, Tywin turned his spearhead. "Soldier, why did the conflict arise?"
"My Lord, following your instructions, we went to the warehouse to collect materials for repairing the harbor. Lord Jilian had only exchanged a single sentence with Prince Daeron when the other party launched an attack against us."
The Lannister soldier tremblingly raised his hand and pointed at the gallant young prince.
Whoosh!
The noble lords were in an uproar, whispering amongst themselves as they looked at the figure before the iron throne.
Resorting to violence over a mere disagreement... could it be that Prince Daeron had inherited the King's mad blood?
Tywin nodded inwardly and asked, "Your Highness, what defense do you have?"
Daeron acted as if he couldn't hear the murmurs behind him and said calmly, "My Lord, my father approved the construction of a palace for me. Do you not know this?"
Tywin spoke, "I know, but the two matters are unrelated."
A very decisive denial.
Daeron questioned for a second, thinking the man had gone senile.
At the same time, the faces of several members of the Small Council in the crowd turned dark.
"The situation is very unfavorable."
Varys frowned deeply, pondering the causes and consequences.
Building a palace for Daeron: the King ordered it, the Hand approved it, and Count Owen executed it.
But between the order and the execution lay the planning by the Small Council.
Under the Small Council's arrangements, the Prince chose to take materials stored in the national treasury.
The Hand did not participate in the discussion and, at the same time, approved Jilian to take materials for harbor repairs.
The two matters were cleverly turned into the fuse for a conflict.
As long as the Hand insisted he didn't know about the Small Council's planning, he could distance himself and, under the premise of a misunderstanding, charge the Prince with manslaughter and assault.
It wasn't a capital offense, but it would at least lead to the stripping of lands and exile.
"He doesn't want to have a complete falling out with me; he's waiting for me to yield?"
Daeron's thoughts whirled, thinking of a deeper conspiracy.
The other party had deliberately sent Jilian to get beaten, lured him into the trap, and clipped his wings, all so he would eventually beg for mercy.
"Heh."
Daeron laughed abruptly.
Tywin frowned and questioned, "The victim is lying right here. What is there to laugh about?"
This laugh was filled with disdain and contempt, making him feel that his authority was being challenged.
"My Lord, do you really think you can judge me?"
Daeron's expression turned cold, then he turned to the hundred-plus noble lords in the hall to first declare his innocence. "The basis of law is not right or wrong, but the individual will at the moment the law is enacted. Now, someone is using sinister intentions to distort the essence of the situation, setting a trap for me that I was bound to step into."
"You do not accept the judgment?"
Sensing that the situation was slipping out of control, Tywin spoke up to defend the verdict.
"No! The result of the judgment is clear for all to see."
Daeron turned back sharply, pointing a finger at the teacher who had carefully instructed him, refusing to back down. "But I am Daeron Targaryen. I do not accept judgment from anyone, unless it is notarized by The Seven Gods in the heavens."
Tywin stood up abruptly and said angrily, "Daeron Targaryen, do you know what you are saying?"
"I demand Trial by Combat!"
Daeron spoke with the arrogance belonging to the blood of the true dragon, enunciating every word, "If you want me to confess and submit to the law, then send someone here to die."