Game Of Thrones : Merchant of Two Worlds

Cersei suddenly frowned, lifting her smooth chin slightly as her face twisted with disdain. "Robert can think of so much with that pig brain of his, always full of wine and women?"

"It turns out that our king is smarter than you think," James replied with a hint of amusement.

He added, intrigued, "From the way he has kept his stance unclear and no one knows who he'll pick for the new prime minister, it seems like he's doing a great job!"

Cersei was silent for a moment, listening as James continued, "I'm sure he's already chosen who he wants, but he's deliberately keeping it a secret, letting everyone guess. It makes them circle around him, constantly trying to gain his favor. It's like a donkey with a carrot tied to its head; they'll pull and work hard for that piece of carrot, so everything keeps running smoothly."

James smiled. "You think our king isn't clever?"

Cersei's eyes narrowed, and she sneered, her face filled with contempt. "Screw his damn cleverness. I think he's probably just embarrassed about who to pick as the prime minister."

She then turned to James, her blue eyes full of surprise. "James, is this what you think too?"

James paused for a moment, then chuckled. "I'd love to say yes, but…"

He raised a hand as if to brush off the statement, a playful smile on his face. "Actually, I heard all of this from Tyrion when I was drinking with him yesterday. I'm just showing off a little in front of you. Pretty clever, right?"

"Tyrion?" Cersei's face darkened at the mention of the dwarf who had come to King's Landing from the West less than a month ago. Her voice dripped with contempt. "That dwarf is always trying to show off his cleverness. Why couldn't he just stay at Casterly Rock? Every time I see him, it makes me sick."

"He's our little brother!" James reminded her gently.

"No, he's not!" Cersei sat up sharply, tossing the white velvet quilt off her as her face twisted in anger. She cried out, her voice sharp with emotion, "Since my mother killed him, I swore I would never admit him as my brother. Never in this life!"

James sighed deeply, seeing the hatred and madness in his sister's eyes. He tried to calm her down. "Okay, okay, dear sister. Let's drop the topic."

Cersei shot him a stern look, pulling the quilt back up and turning her back on him. She refused to acknowledge him further.

James gave a wry smile, understanding that mentioning Tyrion in front of Cersei was a mistake. One sibling was his beloved sister, the other his brother. It was a situation he found deeply uncomfortable.

Although James had shared the same hatred for Tyrion when they were children, as they grew older, he began to see his younger brother in a different light. Tyrion might be short and ugly, but he was kind-hearted and intelligent—far from the disgusting creature James had once believed him to be. Tyrion's humor and wisdom slowly broke down the walls of animosity between them.

James started to appreciate his younger brother's cleverness, and in time, the two became close. Despite his lack of physical skill, Tyrion's sharp mind complemented James's own strengths, and their bond grew stronger.

It was as if Tyrion's intelligence had crushed the physical superiority of James in a way that made their relationship more solid.

Looking back at Cersei, who was still sulking and ignoring him, James realized that sleep would be impossible tonight.

But it wasn't just James who would be losing sleep tonight. Far to the north, Eddard Stark was also awake with a heavy heart.

He had received a raven from King's Landing, informing him of the death of his respected adoptive father and brother-in-law, Jon Arryn.

The news struck Ed hard.

As the second son without the right to inherit, Ed had been sent to serve under Jon Arryn, who had become both a guardian and father figure to him. To Ed, Jon Arryn had been a more significant influence than his own biological father, Lord Rickard Stark. In fact, Jon's death was more painful for Ed than the loss of his own father to the Mad King.

Grief-stricken and unable to sleep, even under his wife Catelyn's attempts to comfort him, Ed took up the family sword—his great Valyrian sword, Frost.

He took a torch, bid his wife farewell, and made his way alone into the Godswood. There, by the pool under the heart tree, he sat quietly, wiping the sword in his hands, trying to find solace in his unique way of coping with sorrow and stress.

Catelyn watched with concern as her husband disappeared into the dark forest. The gloom of the place always troubled her, a reminder of the cold and strange lands of the north she had come from.

Back in their warm bedroom, Catelyn could not find rest. She had been thinking about the recent news she had heard about Lord Jason East from Starfire City. He had accepted the allegiance of his illegitimate son and made him a knight of the East family. For a brief moment, Catelyn had felt relieved.

Jon Snow, the boy she had always found unsettling, was now a knight with the East family. This meant he would have no claim on Winterfell's power and property, and he would be moving out of Winterfell to live in a small castle built by Jason's family in the Winterfell Market Town.

Catelyn's relief was genuine. She no longer had to worry about the presence of Jon Snow in Winterfell. Even though she had avoided him as much as possible before, living under the same roof meant they couldn't avoid each other forever. It had always tormented her, and now, she hoped that with Jon moving away, she would never have to see him again.

She even secretly wished that Jason would move far away from Winterfell and the Market Town so Jon Snow would be out of her life completely.

Ed had no idea that his wife was trying to push Jon Snow away, while he himself was grieving the death of another Jon.

Ironically, Jon Snow had been named after Jon Arryn, just as Robert Arryn had been named after King Robert. In Westeros, naming a son after someone was a sign of respect, love, and remembrance.

Catelyn, however, could not see it that way.

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