Clegane Keep, Great Hall.
Lord Auren said, "Ser Gregor, I must apologize to you first."
"What is it?" Gregor sat across the table, the weight of authority pressing down like an adult facing a child.
"I've banned the sale of your Clegane noodles at the taverns in Lannisport."
Gregor Clegane said nothing, glaring at the lord, waiting for an explanation. Several knights behind Gregor were already showing open hostility, their expressions unhidden.
Polliver licked his lips slowly, nervously eyeing the Lord Auren's throat, as if contemplating the gruesome pleasure of cutting it out and turning it into a macabre trophy.
The four soldiers by his side all changed their expressions. They all knew better than to joke around here. Gregor's men weren't ordinary soldiers, just a glance at their faces told you they weren't to be trifled with.
Lord Auren chuckled lightly, glancing at Jeyne and Gawen. He was a bit surprised Gawen was still in Clegane rather than back in Kaiyan preparing for the wedding. That seemed odd, surely something important was happening here.
Clegane was not a large domain, but it was no longer small either. Along the way, they passed over fifty newly built houses in Clegane's Keep, with more under construction. That didn't quite add up. The entire Clegane territory barely had thirty households scattered across it. If they planned to gather everyone into the keep, thirty homes would have sufficed.
Soldiers and knights lived in their barracks, just like priests lived in the temple, so these extra houses weren't for the military.
Passing by the stables, Lord Auren noticed they could house at least three hundred horses. That also didn't make sense, Clegane's cavalry numbered less than a hundred. Even if each cavalryman kept two mounts, such a large stable was unnecessary.
These small details all pointed to one thing: Clegane was still recruiting soldiers, and subjects.
According to the feudal laws, subjects couldn't change their lord unless the lord was killed in a major event or stripped of his title and land by a Lord. In times of peace, neither would happen.
Of course, the laws weren't always strictly enforced. Sometimes a stronger neighboring lord would use disputes at the border as a pretext to swallow up another's land and subjects. If one lord tolerated it silently, such things happened.
"Ser Gregor, it seems your domain is gaining some new subjects." Lord Auren said with a smile.
"No subjects, no troops. Ser Gregor is a proud knight; it's not unreasonable to build a cavalry guard of a hundred men." Lady Jeyne said with a sweet voice like a bird's song in spring. Her charming smile was captivating. "My lord, Clegane has not violated any laws by developing its population. I merely suggest building more houses, so homeless wanderers and the poor who've lost their lands might have a place to live. That's hardly illegal, right?"
"Of course!" Lord Auren laughed. "Lady Jeyne, you haven't even married into the Clegane family yet, and you're already worrying about them. Ha ha ha! Ser Gregor, congratulations on your good fortune."
"Nope!" Gregor said curtly, cutting off Lord Auren idle chatter with a single word. The word hung in the air like a low rumble of thunder, ready to burst at any moment.
Lord Auren laughed again. "Ser, I bought the largest tavern in Lannisport, the 'Bitcher Tavern.' I'm renovating it into the 'Clegane Noodle House.' The other nine noodle shops have been ordered to stop selling noodles. I'll raise the price from two copper stars to one silver stag, and only sell to nobles, knights, merchants, ship captains, mercenary leaders, and overseas island princes, people of power and wealth."
Gregor glared at Lord Auren and said in a deep voice, "I do not agree."
Lord Auren's smile froze into an awkward grimace.
Suddenly, he questioned his own confidence, he was facing a demon lord!
Even if Lord Auren's noodle shop in Lannisport made noodles ten times worse than others, nobles, merchants, knights, and mercenary leaders from all over the world wouldn't dare snub his business. And these noodles were said to be delicious. Besides, a silver stag was expensive for ordinary people, but Lord Auren didn't intend to sell it to the common folk at all.
"Ser, why not?"
"No reason. I simply do not agree." Ser Gregor raised his voice, his echo booming through the hall: "Disagree… agree… agree…"
His eyes blazed like a galloping stallion. The fools behind him, blindly loyal, were itching to attack. Even if they beat Lord Auren here, he'd just swallow his pride and keep it to himself. He wouldn't dare report to Lord Tywin, fearing disgrace and a harsh scolding.
No serious conflict would threaten Lord Auren's life, but a few of his guards might get killed without issue.
"…Ser…" Lord Auren smiled awkwardly, "actually, I also have…"
"Mrs. Ellen." Gregor interrupted, turning away and not giving Lord Auren a chance to finish.
"Yes, my lord!" Mrs. Ellen stepped forward from the ranks of retainers, dignified and poised, bowing respectfully first to Ser Gregor, then to Lord Auren.
"Lord Auren is here. Bring good wine, dishes, and meats to the table."
"Yes, my lord."
"Lord Auren, let's go to the dining hall. Since you're here, we won't leave until we're drunk." Gregor stood up.
Lord Auren's face paled slightly, sweat beading on his nose.
He had planned to visit the noodle machine workshop and the fine flour mill. With one command, the mill would secure a steady supply of top-quality wheat. Lannisport was the largest trade port in the West, with smooth trade routes to the continent of Essos.
"Ser Gregor." Jeyne smiled charmingly, "Lord Auren is the lord of Lannisport. He wants to cooperate with you to open a noodle house. I've thought about the pros and cons, and I don't see any harm for Clegane. Why won't you cooperate with him? Lord Auren is a Lannister, and I'm a small daughter of the Lannister family. Ser, Clegane and Lannister are already family! Why can't we work together?"
Jeyne's words struck at the heart of the matter: first the benefit of shared wealth, then the bond of family and political ties via Lord Tywin.
"Lord Auren is too stingy and insincere." Gregor said, lowering his voice as if a giant courting a delicate fairy. Then he turned to Auren, voice returning to normal: "My lord, promise me one small thing, and I'll agree to cooperate with you. It's a small matter for you but a great help for Clegane."
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