Robert was gone.
He took three... oh no, it should be four Lannisters with him on the journey to Winterfell.
Why four?
Because his eldest son, Joffrey, although surnamed Baratheon, only had the name to connect him to the Baratheons.
The King's departure was naturally a grand affair, as a large group of people left King's Landing with the momentum of an army on the march.
However, the solitary stag banner was almost completely submerged in the procession by the crimson lion banners that blotted out the sun, making it entirely invisible.
Once Robert left, almost all the power in King's Landing fell into the hands of Arthas, the Commander of the Gold Cloaks.
But as luck would have it, just as he was preparing to flex his muscles, Kevan arrived at King's Landing with a host of Lannister knights, timing his arrival perfectly with Robert's departure.
"Dear Uncle Kevan, what wind blows you here?"
Arthas sat boldly in his chair, his golden pupils staring straight at his uncle, who had put on some weight in recent years, his eyes showing unmasked scrutiny and wariness.
Kevan, only three years younger than his brother Tywin, was no longer as burly and robust as he once was, but his talent, which was in no way inferior to Tywin's, meant his gaze remained sharp, as if he could see through any political scheme at any time.
"You know why, Al."
Maintaining the classic Lannister elegance and the dialogue style of intelligent men, Kevan didn't speak too bluntly, but he was still able to express his meaning very effectively:
"I have come at your father's command, bringing the most elite Lannister knights through the night."
"But you won't even let them through the city gates. Isn't that a bit too heartless?"
"Heh..."
Knowing full well Tywin's purpose in sending him, Arthas was not willing to easily hand over the power he had just grasped.
"I don't understand, Uncle Kevan."
He simply spread his hands, putting on a face that suggested he knew nothing.
Having lived two lives, playing dumb had become a skill etched into his Soul.
"When I set out from the Westerlands, I brought over twenty Lannister knights with me."
"If you were sent by Tywin's command to protect my safety, then I must say it is completely unnecessary."
"However..."
Casually picking up frostmourne from his side and gripping the hilt as he planted it before him, a trace of imperceptible killing intent flickered in Arthas's eyes.
"If you intend to take advantage of His Majesty's absence to seize King's Landing with a mere hundred knights..."
"Then as the commander of the city watch, I will have to place duty above family!"
Kevan was stunned by this righteous speech; he hadn't expected Arthas to be so ruthless, immediately slapping a label of intended rebellion on him.
"Don't take it that far, Arthas!"
With such a heavy accusation thrown at him, even with Kevan's steady personality developed over decades as Tywin's deputy, he couldn't hold it together for a moment. He quickly slapped the table, stood up, and shouted at Arthas:
"If I wanted to capture King's Landing, why would I only bring this many men?"
"Then, how many men do you think it would take to bring down the vast King's Landing?"
"Naturally it would—"
Before the words could leave his mouth, Kevan noticed the faint smile in Arthas's eyes. He immediately realized he had inadvertently fallen for the boy's trap.
"I have to say, Al."
Slowly letting out a breath, Kevan sat back down, deciding to face this young lion king, who was already showing his claws, with absolute focus.
"Your wisdom and methods are truly exactly like your father's."
Regaining his composure, Kevan's wise eyes turned toward Arthas, who sat there like a king, and he let out a sigh from the bottom of his heart.
However, within that tone of slight admiration and praise was a test for Arthas; after all, it wasn't just a day or two that his relationship with Tywin had been strained.
"Don't try to provoke me, Uncle Kevan."
Seeing that the other party wanted to use the same trick he had just used, a disdainful smile played at the corner of Arthas's mouth.
"If you think such a simple scheme could make me fall for it, then you underestimate me too much, don't you?"
The implication was that Kevan had fallen for it so easily, but Arthas wasn't as shallow as him.
"Very well, Al."
Sighing softly, Kevan knew that if he didn't give him a satisfactory answer today, it would be difficult to achieve his goal.
"I think we should stop beating around the bush. Just state your conditions."
"In any case, Jaime is determined to be a member of the Kingsguard; House Lannister will belong to you sooner or later."
Having made up his mind, Kevan's tone even revealed a hint of gratification. His sharp gaze gradually softened into kindness as if he were lost in memory:
"To be honest, when Tywin first brought you back, I tried my best to stop him."
"Lannister honor simply does not allow for such a shameful existence."
"I know your father wasn't that firm at the time either. His eyes showed hesitation; as proud as he was, he didn't know if his decision was right or wrong."
"But there was no choice. Casterly Rock needed a successor after all."
At this, Kevan chuckled and took a small sip of the wine on the table.
"Speaking of which, if I were Tywin, I would have handed Casterly Rock over to Tyrion without hesitation."
"I know that boy's wisdom is not inferior to anyone's."
"But now, I am incredibly grateful..."
Putting down the wine glass, Kevan slowly stood up, showing his unreserved approval for the powerful and wise youth before him.
"I am incredibly grateful that Tywin made that decision back then, Arthas."
"If it is you, you will surely lead House Lannister to an even more glorious peak."
"What, seeing that provocation didn't work, you're starting to play the emotional card?"
Although he knew Kevan's words were mostly sincere, Arthas still didn't let him off easy verbally. He simply set frostmourne aside, and his tone softened considerably.
"My conditions cannot be compromised at all, Uncle Kevan."
"Of course, Al."
Kevan bowed slightly, putting on a posture of letting Arthas have the final say.
"As the Lannister heir, as long as the conditions aren't too excessive, I can agree to them."
"Good then."
Seeing Kevan being so straightforward, Arthas stopped circling and spoke directly.
"There are over six thousand Gold Cloaks in King's Landing. The twenty knights I brought can't possibly manage them all."
"I know Tywin sent you because he wants to bring the Gold Cloaks completely under Lannister control. I personally agree with this point and can fully cooperate with you to install them as squad captains."
"However..."
At this point, Arthas finally began to reveal his ambition to Kevan.
The corners of his mouth turned up, revealing snow-white teeth, and his eyes made no attempt to hide his desire for power.
"I want them all to swear an oath that from now on, they will only be loyal to me alone!"
"Hahaha~"
"You certainly have quite an appetite, Al."
Arthas's domineering words drew a burst of laughter from Kevan, but at the same time, he couldn't help but admire this youth who seemed to have already grasped absolute power.
At least when he was that age, he didn't even fully understand the meaning of power.
"What I brought this time are the elite of the Lannister elites. It's impossible for them to all pledge loyalty to you based on a single sentence."
Kevan shook his head, rejecting this unrealistic demand.
"Then I suppose we have nothing left to talk about, dear Uncle Kevan."
Seeing that they couldn't reach an agreement, Arthas also stood up and unceremoniously issued a guest-expulsion order.
"Regrettably, the gates of King's Landing will not open for you. Please return."
"No, no, Al."
Looking at the merciless Arthas, the smile in Kevan's eyes grew a bit deeper.
A Lannister leader who can put interests first is a truly good leader.
"My meaning was that I personally do not have the ability to make them swear loyalty to you, but that doesn't mean they cannot be loyal to you."
Seeing Arthas's questioning look, Kevan explained again.
"As I said, I brought the most elite Lannister knights. They are a group of wild and untamed young men."
"I cannot force them to be loyal to you, but you can find a way yourself to subdue them with your personal charm."
As he spoke, Kevan leaned forward slightly, a hint of aggression appearing in his originally elegant demeanor. He looked at Arthas with burning eyes and asked:
"I believe you can do it, right?"
"first knight of the seven kingdoms!"
Looking at Kevan's slightly provocative tone, Arthas understood that this was a necessary test for the Lannister heir.
"Deal!"
He agreed with a smile, his aggressive Aura completely vanishing as if he had turned back into that warm and gentle youth.
The atmosphere in the room instantly relaxed, and Kevan also laughed heartily like a kind elder.
"By the way, where is Tyrion? Why haven't I seen him?"
After a long time, once the smiles of the two foxes had faded, Kevan asked casually.
Although The Imp was always disliked by Tywin, Kevan was very good to him as an uncle and did not discriminate against him because he was a dwarf.
In Kevan's view, as long as someone belonged to House Lannister, they were family and should be looked after.
"That fellow Tyrion said he wanted to follow Robert to see the scenery of The North."
At the mention of the Imp, a warm smile unconsciously appeared on Arthas's face.
"But I think he just simply wants to avoid the debt collectors from the Faith."
"After all, having just become the Master of Coin, there are many threads he hasn't untangled yet."
Kevan nodded; he had heard rumors about Tyrion becoming the Master of Coin during his journey.
Robert, that spendthrift, had even borrowed three million Gold Dragons from the Lannisters, so it wouldn't be surprising if there were other debts.
"Speaking of the Faith."
While Kevan was still thinking about how the Imp would solve the royal debt problem, Arthas changed the subject and looked at the blond youth beside him who hadn't spoken from beginning to end.
"Cousin Lancel, please pass on my command. Have the Gold Cloaks open the city gates to welcome our Lannister brothers in."
"As the Lannister heir, I will take you to a good place."
"Consider it a welcoming feast for the glorious knights of House Lion."
The blond youth glanced at his father, and after receiving a nod from Kevan, he turned and left without hesitation.
After he left, Arthas slowly stood up and looked toward the Baylor Great Sept in the distance. A cruel smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he murmured in an almost inaudible voice:
"I'll see if you are truly the legendary True Gods, or just bedbugs who only know how to bewitch people's hearts!"
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