-53- Control your emotions

Stannis fell silent for a moment and said, "Send someone to investigate and let me know what he has been doing in King's Landing."

Davos nodded in acknowledgment.

Stannis added, "Is it possible for him to serve me?"

Davos hesitated for a moment, then quickly resumed his composure. "My lord, the young lord may not fully understand you."

Stannis glanced sharply at Davos. "Not understand?"

Davos nodded slightly. "If he understood your noble qualities, Lord Crabb would surely have aligned himself with you instead of the queen, who comes from the Lannister lineage. The wealth of House Lannister can easily blind a young man's eyes. I must say, my lord, you missed an opportunity."

Stannis snorted. "Gold cannot buy loyalty."

Davos agreed, "My Lord, Lord Crabb's governance and military capabilities are outstanding. He is worth your patience."

---

King's Landing, Gallen's Study.

Gallen plan went as expected. Shortly after, he smoothly took his leave from Princess Myrcella and returned to his house in King's Landing.

Gallen was staring at a large map spread out on the table.

It was a map showing the route from King's Landing to the Kingswood, with detailed markings indicating the locations of inns where the royal hunting party would stay overnight.

The Royal Hunting Party is an event held for the noble ladies of the realm. They all travel by carriage and their endurance must be taken into account, so the speed of the party cannot be as fast as that of a military march. The total duration of the Royal Hunting journey is five days and four nights.

Crabb roughly calculated the distance on the map, and the four inns were conveniently spaced according to the distance traveled over four nights.

The royal hunting party was an activity initiated during the Targaryen dynasty and held every two years.

Gallen speculated that this route had formed a stable market, and the four inns where the royal hunting party would stay were a product of this market.

Gallen rubbed his chin. There were customs and experienced officials for trivial details. His main job was to ensure the safety of the royal hunting party. It seemed that his work was not as exhausting as he had imagined.

Gallen's slender fingers pointed to the location of the Kingswood on the map.

After reaching the destination of the royal hunting party, the entire party would set up camp until the seven-day royal hunting event ended.

Crabb seemed to have found the direction to use the gold dragons.

---

In the late afternoon, after arranging miscellaneous matters, Gallen had just sighed in relief when the slightly swollen-faced Lancel Lannister suddenly approached him.

"Lancel, what happened to your face?"

Lancel was about to smile but gasped for breath. "It's Prince Joffrey. As soon as the luncheon ended, I left the Red Keep. He sent someone to call me back, saying he wanted me to teach him swordsmanship."

Gallen leaned back slightly in his chair, sounding puzzled. "Is it my imagination, or do you look fine to me?"

Lancel saw Gallen's attendant pour a glass of wine, took a big sip before saying, "When Prince Joffrey summons, I cannot refuse. I cannot find Lord Tyrion in a short time, so I have to go. The result..."

He paused for a moment, with a bitter face, and continued, "After meeting Prince Joffrey... let's not talk about these. I want to forget about it."

Gallen nodded slightly. "What happened afterward is the main point, right?"

Lancel's tone became excited. "Fortunately, Queen Cersei appeared in time and happened to meet us."

Gallen remained silent, only gesturing for Lancel to continue speaking.

"Her majesty noticed the injury on my face and compensated me," Lancel said.

Gallen timely expressed a puzzled expression, "Oh?"

"Wait until King Robert returns, and I will serve as a royal attendant. You know, the royal hunt is organized by the queen, and the king does not participate, so I will miss this royal hunt. Her majesty saw me injured by Prince Joffrey and has promised to help me participate in the royal hunt before the king returns."

Perhaps due to his personality, Gallen could never empathize with such enthusiasm for noble activities shared by Lancel.

Before Gallen could react, Lancel, excitedly said, "What a rare opportunity! Only during the royal hunt can you see all the noble ladies of the realm at once! The golden armor I brought from the Westerlands can finally be put to use. I've imagined countless times wearing my dazzling armor, meeting a beautiful and elegant lady in the lush royal woods."

Gallen smiled, looking up, "I wish your dreams come true."

Because of the injury on his face, Lancel didn't dare to laugh loudly, only giggling sheepishly, which made his laughter sound quite lascivious.

---

Gallen asked, "Did you deliberately come to share your good news with me?"

Lancel leaned forward slightly, "Do you need more guards here?"

Gallen's thoughts shifted, understanding Lancel's intention, "Lancel, isn't your encounter a bit too soon?"

Lancel smiled apologetically, "Ah, you caught me!"

Gallen shrugged, "It's not difficult."

Gallen's tone carried a hint of seriousness as he continued, "Lancel, regarding your marriage, I believe your father must have made arrangements. As your friend, I advise you to be cautious and protect yourself. Your surname can easily be exploited by those with ill intentions."

Lancel gaze remained stunned for a moment before she spoke, "Lord Gallen, what if I..."

Before Lancel could finish, Gallen interrupted bluntly, "I guarantee it will be very miserable for you."

Lancel, still at the age of fantasizing about romantic love, persisted, "How miserable?"

"You wouldn't want to know."

With a sigh, Gallen got up from his chair, approached Lancel, and patted his somewhat dejected shoulder, "Lancel, it's also for the sake of your family. You must control your emotions."

Although Gallen was comforting Lancel, it seemed as if he was also speaking to himself.

Lancel looked up at Gallen with his big, innocent eyes.

Lancel occasional actions always made Gallen secretly shudder. Gallen discreetly distanced himself, "Lancel, don't be disheartened. Think of something pleasant. Perhaps the Seven have already arranged everything for you."

Gallen's usage of "the Seven" in many of his words, is of course, influenced by Tyrion.