Chapter 7: The Feast
[Advanced chapters are available on P@treon. And the number of advanced chapter is slowly going to increase.]
After transferring all his gold into the Sky Poison Pearl, Lucas emerged from the basement of his house.
He went through his plans one final time, double-checking every detail, then gave the last set of orders. Under Will's leadership, the elite force set off to carry out their mission. The mission which was the first major thing Lucas would be attempting in this world.
Two hundred fifty of these elite men remained behind under strict instructions, in case of any unforeseen events. The remaining two thousand were more than enough to ensure the success of the operation.
With that handled, Lucas spent the next hours wandering around Metal Town under the guise of an inspection.
In truth, he was quietly using his power of tame on the workers, blacksmiths, and guards stationed throughout the area. To have as many as loyal men as possible was not a thing he would deny.
The results were not far from what he had expected. He was successful on about half of the people he tried to use his powers.
That did not mean the others were disloyal or traitors. It simply showed that their loyalty or acknowledgment of him was not absolute. And that was no surprise.
Many, especially the guards and blacksmiths, had joined his operations out of loyalty to House Lannister itself, not to Lucas personally.
And that was fine by him. He did not foresee separating from House Lannister, at least not unless Tywin ever tried to force something on him that went against his own will.
By the time Lucas returned to Casterly Rock, the feast was on the verge of beginning. Without delay, he made his way to one of the lesser-used wings of the castle.
There, in a massive hall, barrels upon barrels of wine were stacked neatly along the walls. This was the first batch Lucas had prepared three years ago. Much larger reserves were stored away in Metal Town.
And what was so special about this wine? Absolutely nothing. It was the most basic, common wine.
Its brewing process purchased from a modest shop in Lannisport. It could not hold a candle to even the regular wines of Highgarden or Dorne, let alone their finest vintages.
But Lucas had deliberately set up this entire brewing and aging drama, so that when the miraculous quality finally appeared, it would not seem too sudden or suspicious.
Standing before the barrels, Lucas raised his hands. His power of purification spread through the hall, enveloping each cask. In moments, every barrel of wine had been purified to its finest essence.
The Sky Poison Pearl's purification was not merely one-dimensional. If he had wished, he could have stripped out all alcohol content, reducing it to little more than fruit juice.
Instead, he cleansed away only the impurities and elements that dulled the flavour, leaving behind a wine of extraordinary quality.
With just a small effort, he had transformed common swill into some of the finest wine the world would ever taste.
A wide grin spread across Lucas's face. Emerging back into the main part of the castle, he ordered two servants to carefully carry a pair of these barrels into the great hall where the feast was about to be held.
Few would get to taste this wine today.
.
.
.
The feast was a lavish affair. Fine dishes and wines from all over Westeros had been prepared. There was hardly any effort spared for the feast. A proper Lannister feast without constraint of wealth.
Despite the lavishness of the feast, it was more of a familial gathering than a grand event, so very few guests from outside had been invited.
One among them was Gregor Clegane. Since the Clegane keep was not far from Lannisport, and Gregor mostly remained within the vicinity of Casterly Rock to serve Tywin Lannister whenever required, his presence was unsurprising.
Lucas did not like Gregor Clegane. It was not just because of what he knew of the man from how he had been portrayed in the canon. Though that certainly contributed but also because of Gregor's own obnoxious nature.
Gregor was insufferably arrogant about his strength and carried himself with a constant air of menace. The commoners in the vicinity fear that man and even Tywin ignore it as long a certain red line was not crossed.
The only man he seemed to respect or more accurately, fear was Tywin Lannister. That fact alone prickled Lucas. Not that the brute had ever dared to insult him outright.
If he had, Lucas would have had long since skewered him, even in the past.
And now? Previously, he might have lacked the personal strength to deal with the dog alone but now he was certain he could crush this so called monster with ease.
But there was one thing about Gregor. Despite his brutish nature, he was sharp. He knew who was the person whom he could cross and whom he could. From the time, since new rules and laws had been implemented in Lannisport, the man had not dared to create any disturbance in the city.
Lucas was given the seat of honour at the high table, on Tywin Lannister's left hand. His father, Kevan, sat on Tywin's right. His other uncle, Tygett Lannister, was away from Casterly Rock on business.
Across from the high table sat four of Lucas' younger siblings. Lancel Lannister, the twin boys Martyn and Willem, and his little sister Janei.
Their mother, Dorna Lannister (née Swyft), sat proudly among them, her face glowing with joy and pride. What her son had achieved was certainly a matter of pride.
His aunt, Darlessa Lannister (née Marbrand), wife to Tygett, was also present with their son, Tyrek. The great hall bustled with members of the extended Lannister family, filled with laughter and warmth. A true family gathering.
Lucas gave a small nod to one of the servants. The servant immediately understood and brought forward a wooden barrel, placing it carefully on the high table.
"So, we are finally going to taste it?" Kevan asked, an amused spark in his eyes.
"It better be worth it, boy," he added with a smirk. "You have burned through quite a lot of gold with all those barrels you have had prepared."
Lucas did not speak. He merely smiled. It would not be long before the everything would become clear.
*
*
*
[Add the book to your collection. Send some power stones and leave your opinion.]
[Access to Advanced chapters on P@treon. Replace @ with a.]
[email protected]/shadowauthor