Arrival in the capital and the first steps.
We stayed in Winterfell for some time. Unfortunately, our stay at the Starkov was overshadowed by a regrettable event, which for the most part I did not give a damn - one of the children of Stark, young Brandon, fell from the wall of the tower, which he loved to climb and broke the spine.
By some miracle, the child survived, but at the time of my departure he was in a coma and no one could say whether he would survive at all or not. But even if he remains alive, Bran is destined to remain cripple for the rest of his life.
What happened to him made me recall my some specific skills in the areas of potions and healership. To do this, I visited Master Winterfell's room with a friendly visit while he was busy with Stark's son, and checked his stocks of herbs and decoctions. It was pleasant to know that all his reserves had were familiar to me.
I found St. John's wort, although I am not sure what the locals call it. This plant was the main thing when cooking a potion called "Living Water". It had incredible therapeutic potential and literally could return the dead to life, subject to some conditions. I think living water could help Bran. And if I ever need to quickly and reliably gain the fidelity of the Starks - I will definitely try this potion at their son.
In the meantime, I have not seen worthy reasons to engage in potions and demonstrate to everyone my knowledge in areas, about which even their Masters do not know.Although what can these bone -hairs even know about healing? Here they completely survived and treat open wounds with boiling wine! I just don't know what should be in the head of the mortal, except for sadism, to water the bloody man with boiling wine. And this is almost a remedy for all diseases! Savages-s.
It's good at least Master Winterfell had the mind not to solder Bran with boiling wine, otherwise Stark would definitely lose his son.
As we approached the royal harbor, my foreboding of danger grew. It has long loomed somewhere on the border of my sensations, annoying inconsistent itching in Joffrey's brain. I felt exactly the same sensations when the damned blood of the titans in their descendants awakened. And as they move to me, itching intensified.
Now he was barely noticeable, but still distinct. This did not surprise, after all, the prince a priori should have enemies. But there would be no itching, they could not imagine them a danger. This caused a certain concern: who can threaten me in this era? Only crumbs remained here, my power is more than enough to keep this body from the poison and steel ... So what kind of danger I feel? And the closer I was to the capital, the stronger the itch was. Involuntarily, you will think that you should stay in the north and edit when the time comes from there.
Moreover, the capital itself was not impressive.
Yes, when I saw the royal harbor for the first time, she made a certain impression. A huge stone city, with a huge castle and other attributes of the capital: a stink, a crowd of hungry and the tightness of the streets.The people met the return of their king as some kind of holiday. Soldiers and guards had to restrain the enthusiastic impulses of the crowd. We never met the Dragomir, although we never needed the crowd's love - there was enough absolute power.
Surprisingly, people met with joyful cries and Prince Joffrey. It turns out that rumors about his lousy character did not go beyond noble families. Or people just do not give a damn about all the troubles of the noble and they are all their delight at the sight of the king and his family is only an ostentatious servility?
I still waved a crowd several times. In the past, the descendants of the Titans very clearly showed me how important it is to have the support of the people - none of those whom my army defended came to my aid.
***
Upon arrival in the Red Castle, I immediately escaped from Cersei, who was all tearing to express my discontent, sent a dog to rest, and went to the castle library, from which he intended to find out everything that he wanted almost a month and a half. So much time was wasted that it just infuriated me.
However, between me and the necessary information, it seems, there was some kind of curse. I did not have time to reach the library as someone's voice called to me.
"Prince Joffrey, how glad I am to see you again," he said was a bald and fat man and I easily found his image in the prince's memory.
It was Lord Varis, a master over the lusts. Eunuch, liar and the most informed person in the kingdom. My personal experience clearly said that the chief of spies should be changed at least every five years, or more often. Varis, on the other hand, served the second king and held his post for more than twenty years. Inadmissible mistake by King Robert.
How many threads did Lord Varis weaved over the years in power? How many connections and spies have tied exclusively on himself? How many incriminating evidence has gathered Vesteros for every person? It's hard to say. I am amazed that he still lives and lives. This shows his outstanding abilities and mind. And his danger is for me. The mortal should not trust, to know so much and have so many connections. Yes, even to whom I trust should not.
"Lord Varis, you still walk silently."How do you succeed?
- Years of practice, my prince, noble lords and royal persons do not like unnecessary noise and, because of my modest capabilities, I try to please them in this.
Varis's voice was as sweet as honey. He perfectly hid his true feelings behind the mask of devotion and servility. He did not give out a single word or a single movement what he really was thinking. And in appearance he was a kind of good fat man, but he had a strictly opposite reputation.
"You wanted something, Lord Varis?"
"Oh no, that you, I just walked on royal affairs, when I saw you and decided to greet you, since I had the opportunity," the eunuch looked simultaneously embarrassed and very sincere. But I did not believe that he decided to "just greet."
"Then I will go, I still have things to do," I tried to finish the conversation with Varis.
"I must notice, my prince, I first see that you voluntarily go to the library," Spider smiles amiably. - Are you looking for something? Perhaps I can help you.
- Nothing specific. During a trip to Winterfell and vice versa, I just realized how little I know about the seven kingdoms. And I decided to eliminate this annoying mistake.
- A very commendable desire, especially for the crown prince. Let me wish you good luck in your search for wisdom and allow you to deviate, the kingdom's affairs are not waiting.
- Yes, go, Lord Varis.
The eunuch was not too lazy to bow low and calmly, but very furious, left along the corridors of the castle, hiding his hands in his wide sleeves.That's what he wanted? And what did I get from our conversation? In "just like that, I do not believe, do not make the main spies of the kingdom something" just like that. " Perhaps rumors about the change in Joffrey's behavior have reached him, and he himself decided to check everything? After all, I did not even say the way everyone expects from the prince. However, it doesn't matter. I have the whole memory of Joffrey, all his skills and even his body - no one can prove that I am not him. And if there are people who will try to jump over me in the throne ... Well, good luck to them.
***
The library was large, forced by hundreds of thick books in leather bindings. I have long lost the habit of such - in the forest country they mostly used scrolls, the books there were a huge rarity. I just did not have time to establish their seal.
And the books here were fat and some so ancient that I doubted the relevance of their content.
I began, as expected, with the foundations of any state - from the state structure. And it would be better if I did not. Looking ahead, I'll say it would be better if I knew nothing at all, like Joffrey, spending time on fun and entertainment.
The history of the seven kingdoms as a "single" state began with the conquest of Aigon Targaryen. This man, acting and described by his appearance, similar to Dragomir, with fire and steel, bowed all Westeros to his knees and founded the Targaryen dynasty, which the country ruled before the uprising of Robert Baratheon.
Eugon, in my opinion, made one fatal mistake - having the opportunity to cut out the entire old aristocracy of the past kingdoms and plant his own, he did not use it. Instead, he left Starkov, Lannisters, Arrenov and all the others in their places, deciding that this would help him rule the new kingdom. True, he nevertheless advanced some of his supporters forward like Tyrellov. He was partly right. That's just the momentary benefit turned into a disaster in the future.
The Lords and their vassals with the power of Aigon and his heirs were given incredible liberties. For example, each lord was entitled to make a trial of criminals without any control by the royal power. Also, the Lords themselves collected taxes from their lands and there was no authority that would control this. Moreover, each lord was entitled to own his own army, only being obliged to provide it with the word of his master.
Why have all these liberties led? To classical feudal fragmentation. Each feudal lord did on his own land that the king wanted and had practically no levers of influence on the situation. The feudal lords killed each other in batches, fought for any reason - and were in their right.
And what about the king? Well, the king could much. For example, to issue laws, only every lord, not being under supervision, could interpret these laws as he pleased. And the king himself could commit justice, only if it was a matter of a noble man, then the monarch had a whole course of obstacles to condemning him.In fact, each area was under the rule of the Grand Lord, whose vassals were lords and knights of a smaller caliber, and the king's power in any of the regions except the royal lands was minimal. The crown did not even have a regular army, except for the city guard of the capital. Seven autonomous entities connected exclusively by economic and blood ties.
In this regard, the Iron Islands went even further - they did not want to obey anyone at all, although they were formally part of the seven kingdoms, and lived according to their own law.
By the way about the law: it was essentially not at all. There were numerous pieces of paper accumulated over three hundred years since the time of Aigon of the Conqueror, written by his descendants and Robert - this was called the "Law of the Seven Kingdoms." And few worried that they sometimes contradicted each other or were written so long ago that no one remembers them. This, as it is not difficult to guess, did not add order to the judicial system and the Lords could almost officially create everything that they wanted, and all justice depended on the decency of each specific feudal lord.
Of course, there was no division in the law into at least criminal and civilian. Unfortunately, Westeros did not know a masterpiece called "Roman private law" so that there was an example of order and systematization in laws.
The complex word "codification" was also not heard here.
Like a cherry on the cake - each region was such a complex interweaving of dynastic marriages and vassal swore that it was a non -trivial task even for Grand Lords to understand them.Not a single laws, no regular army, nor the unity of the supreme power, nor a single political force, nor a single ideology, or even a single symbol - the seven kingdoms were not a state at all! All this booth could fall apart at any moment from the most elementary crisis! If tomorrow any Martella or Tyrell announces their independence-the king will not be able to do anything, only start a war, which is not a fact that someone will support!
This is not a country, this is some kind of shame!
And I have to manage this? Yes, it is much easier to burn all these "kingdoms" to the ground and start all over again!
The more I read, the greater the rage came. I wanted to break all these books, which indifferently reflected the bug reigning around, just to throw out his anger on someone.
When the time was far from filling, I left the library, escorted by the surprised and slightly frightened glances of my guard, with a single thought: if I want to rule this "country", then you can even forget about two hundred years about the rest.
And after all, the most lousy is not to even run away: the game is going on on the sales than here, with these cities-states, in which the class of the bourgeoisie rules, in some unknown way. Although there should be more order there, yes ...