"Benard, do you know what your actions just now mean?" Duke Ellard questioned his nephew with a serious expression.
"Wolves that go south never have a good outcome. Our Stark Family never interferes with matters in the South. And we definitely won't get involved in the disputes within the Royal Family."
Benard immediately retorted, "Are you trying to oppose His Majesty the King's enfeoffment of Daenerys?"
Duke Ellard immediately stated, "Of course not! Princess Daniella ended the Long Night and Winter, she is our benefactor in the North, so I naturally will not oppose her."
"So!"
Benard continued with a look that implied his uncle was old and slow-witted, "Since we don't oppose, then we naturally have to show support. Fence-sitters usually don't end up well. It seems the fate of the Hightower Family still hasn't made some people smarter!"
"Hmph! A guy whose hair hasn't even grown out, acting like a big shot here? You talk so grandly, but at the end of the day, aren't you just lusting after her?"
Duke Ellard felt deeply hurt by his young nephew's gaze. So he no longer held back his words, saying with certainty, "I think you… have no hope!"
Benard, however, acted like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, saying, "If you're willing to give me Cailin Bay and the Lonely Mountain as a gift, I think I could still try hard!"
"Uncle! Winter is Coming, and a cruel power struggle is about to begin. The fate of sheep is already sealed; only true running wolves can thrive in harsh environments."
"In the game of power, if you don't become a winner, there's only a dead end, no middle ground."
←_←
Boros of the Stormlands angrily complained to his father, Duke Beaumont, "To actually enfeoff such a good territory as Oldtown to some stinky girl, I think this Jaehaerys is also senile…"
"Shut up, you idiot!"
Duke Beaumont quickly reprimanded his son, "Don't you see where this is? You still dare to be so unbridled! Don't you weigh yourself, whether your worth can compare to the sea dragon under that Weirwood."
"Even Princess Rhaenys has no objection, what are you babbling about! You idiot who only grows muscles and no brains, if you don't want to lose Storm's End, control your stinky mouth when you encounter Princess Daniella in the future!"
"The roaring of self-important stags will only bring about their own destruction. Only true dragons can set the world ablaze."
O_o
Previously, Daenerys had cleanly and decisively dealt with the Hightower Family. By the time everyone realized what had happened, the Hightower Family had already been exiled to the foot of The Wall.
From then on, those smart great nobles already knew that Princess Daniella was an absolute untouchable target.
Now Daenerys also had the reputation of ending the Long Night and Winter, and had already gained immense prestige among the common people and nobles. Anyone who dared to oppose her now would truly be acting foolishly.
Of course, some people are naturally arrogant; they won't feel it until it hurts them directly.
Duke Lannister of the Westerlands, who still considered himself hale and hearty, directly taunted his two greatly disappointed sons, "You two ran off to Dragonstone so early, spent no small amount of gold, but didn't gain any benefit. I heard that Mond Hightower, who stole the Dragon Eggs, even flew on a dragon with Princess Daniella once."
"You truly disgrace the Lion of the Westerlands!"
"If it weren't for the fact that you both look exactly like members of the Lannister Family, I'd truly doubt if you're my sons?!"
"It's a real shame for the good looks the Gods bestowed upon you, that you couldn't even win over a little princess who's just over ten years old. Now Princess Daniella is famous throughout the world, I'm afraid even if you wanted to marry into her family, she might not even deign to look at you."
"Oh, Lion of the Westerlands, are you truly going to become extinct?!"
╭(╯ε╰)╮
The eight-year-old Duke Jenny Arryn of the Vale softly said to Earl Royce beside her, "Cousin Daenerys is the first officially enfeoffed female noble with her own territory, right? This also counts as another time the history of Westeros has been refreshed."
"Yes, young lady! There have been many female characters who inherited titles in the history of Westeros, but Princess Daniella is indeed the first woman to be directly enfeoffed as a noble with her own territory."
"However, Princess Daniella is brave, wise, benevolent, and learned. So while it sets a precedent, it is indeed convincing. Moreover, several young Princesses are all descendants of our Vale bloodline, so the Vale should naturally give its full support."
The young but mature Jenny Arryn nodded in agreement upon hearing this, saying, "Yes, this is also the glory of our Vale."
"Whether it's the Eagles of the Vale or the Dragons of Dragonstone, only by truly soaring high can they look down from above upon the beauty of this land."
*^_^*
Lady Olenna looked at her fat son—Duke Tyrell of The Reach—who was now a little breathless from his vigorous shouting, and said venomously, "Either you stand up immediately, or you shout with a bit of character. Now, it's a fine mess; you spent so much effort, only to have your voice drowned out by the crowd."
"Huh?"
Duke Tyrell had always respected and feared his mother since childhood, but he had long been immune to her sharp tongue, so he said with an air of being taught, "I understand! Mother, next time I will definitely stand up to support Princess Daenerys immediately. And I am acting while keeping your old teachings in mind; following behind everyone else is definitely not easy to suffer losses. Right?"
"However, will Oldtown still be under the command of our House Tyrell in the future?! Princess Daniella now holds the title of Prince, which is one rank higher than my Duke title, isn't it?"
Lady Olenna was too lazy to bother with her foolish son further, only coldly stating, "You say that as if you successfully commanded the Hightower Family before. Remember, our House Tyrell's motto is Growing Strong. Sometimes, wisdom makes it easier to obtain what you want than force."
"And the more the rose can climb, the more vividly it can bloom. My Minister of Law was recommended by Princess Daniella, and Margaery is now attending to the Princess. You must know that our current position no longer allows us to play both sides."
Duke Tully of the Riverlands was already old, and almost none of his sons were particularly promising; only a few of his grandsons had decent aptitudes. So he was desperately trying to live longer, striving to cultivate all his grandsons into talented individuals before closing his eyes.
He saw that whether it was the Princess's personal maids or the family members of Daenerys's personal guards, almost all of them lived very comfortably. Therefore, he believed that Princess Daniella would be a benevolent and reliable person to depend on.
So he quickly led the nobles of the Riverlands to declare their stance. Although the Riverlands had a superior location, it was also the most likely battlefield for the wars of the Seven Kingdoms. Therefore, to maintain stability within their territory, all of House Tully's policies aimed to avoid conflict as much as possible.
But the old Duke was not foolish; Princess Daniella's power was now far superior. It was completely incomparable to other great families and dragon riders.
Therefore, not only would he not oppose Princess Daenerys, but he also intended to use his resources and prestige to maintain the best possible relationship with Princess Daniella.
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