Myrcella's bridal chambers.
What Cersei said about making Robert pay was not a moment of impulsive madness from Myrcella.
It was her vow.
In a world without Lynn, what did it matter if the Seven Kingdoms were turned upside down?
Whoever wanted her Lynn to die, she would make them die first!
Robert Baratheon... her nominal father, was no different!
Myrcella suddenly stood up.
She knew that hatred alone was useless.
Revenge required strength, money, and a meticulous plan.
She recalled her mother Cersei's words.
"War is not just about lives, but about gold dragons."
Gold dragons... In all the Seven Kingdoms, who had the most gold dragons?
Her grandfather, Tywin Lannister, was rich, but he was not in King's Landing now; a distant solution wouldn't help an immediate problem.
Besides him, there was only that woman.
Sansa Stark.
The master of coin of the Seven Kingdoms!
Myrcella's nails almost dug deep into her palms.
She knew that seeking out that woman was tantamount to humiliation.
She would see Sansa's triumphant smirk, and hear the most cutting sarcasm.
But what did it matter?
For Lynn, let alone mere humiliation, even if she had to kneel and lick Sansa's shoetips, she would do it willingly!
Myrcella pulled open the door, her beautiful face showing no trace of hesitation... Tower of the Hand, the master of coin's office.
Although Sansa lived here, there was no feminine touch, only piles of parchment scrolls and the scent of ink and old paper permeating the air.
Sansa Stark sat behind the huge oak desk.
She was intently reviewing a tax report from the Riverlands.
She wore a plain grey gown, her red hair simply coiled at the back of her head.
In her beautiful blue eyes, there was no longer the dreaminess of a maiden, only the calm and sharpness of one in power.
When the maid announced Lady Lyan's visit, Sansa didn't even lift her head.
She made Myrcella stand at the door and wait for a full quarter of an hour.
Only after she had finished checking the last number on the report and signed her name with a quill did she slowly look up, her gaze falling upon the figure in the moon-white gown at the doorway.
"Lady Lyan."
Sansa's voice was as cold as the winter snow of Winterfell.
"Newlyweds, why aren't you staying in your bridal chambers, but running to my place full of the stench of money?"
"Have you come to boast about how brave your husband was last night?"
"Or perhaps, you wish to tell me how much Lynn loves you in bed?"
Myrcella's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
She ignored Sansa's taunts and walked directly to the desk.
"I need money."
Myrcella said bluntly, her voice chillingly calm.
"A lot of money."
Sansa seemed to have heard the biggest joke.
She leaned back in her chair and let out a soft laugh.
The laugh was full of undisguised mockery and sarcasm.
"Money?"
"Your esteemed Princess, oh no, Lady Lyan."
"Now you need to ask me, a country girl from the North, for money?"
Sansa stood up.
She walked around the desk and slowly approached Myrcella.
She was a little taller than Myrcella, looking down at her.
"How much do you want?"
"Ten gold dragons? Or a hundred?"
"It's alright, for Lynn's sake, I can give you some pocket money."
Sansa reached out a finger and gently lifted Myrcella's chin, forcing her to look at her.
"Or perhaps, your noble mother never taught you what posture one should take when begging?"
Myrcella's cheeks flushed crimson.
She clenched her teeth, barely preventing herself from exploding on the spot.
"I want you to use the money from the royal treasury."
Myrcella said each word distinctly.
"To buy weapons, armor, food, everything he needs for Lynn!"
The smile on Sansa's face vanished instantly.
She released her hand, her blue eyes radiating coldness.
"Why?"
"Why should I help you?"
"Because you are his wife?"
"Because of that shameless kiss in the Sept?"
Sansa leaned close to Myrcella's ear, her voice barely a whisper.
"Don't be naive, my Princess."
"Do you think a kiss can bind him to you forever?"
"What a man needs is more than just tricks in bed."
"He needs power to secure his realm, and gold dragons to fill his military coffers!"
"And these..."
Sansa straightened up.
"You cannot give."
"I can."
Myrcella's body trembled violently.
Every word from Sansa pierced her in her most painful spot.
Yes, she couldn't give Lynn anything.
Aside from a princess's title, and this somewhat pretty body, she had nothing.
And Sansa, she controlled the kingdom's purse strings; she could provide Lynn with the most practical help.
Looking at Myrcella's instantly pale face, Sansa felt no satisfaction of revenge.
She only felt more annoyed.
She expected Myrcella to scream, cry, get angry, or even slap her to vent her frustration.
But she didn't.
She did nothing.
She just stood there, quietly enduring all her malice.
"As long as it helps Lynn."
Myrcella finally spoke again.
"Whatever you ask me to do, I will."
"Even if it means kneeling before you."
Sansa was stunned.
She looked at Myrcella before her.
This girl, whom she once considered a love rival, a spoiled idiot.
At this moment, she suddenly felt that they were so alike.
For that man, they could both abandon everything.
Dignity, pride, even life.
"Do you think I don't want to help him?"
Sansa's voice carried an uncontrollable tremor.
"Do you think I enjoy sitting here, day and night, poring over these tedious ledgers?"
"Do you think I can remain indifferent watching him being driven to a dead end by that fool Robert?"
Sansa abruptly turned around, her back to Myrcella.
She didn't want her to see the vulnerability in her eyes at that moment.
"Everything I do is for him!"
"I control the finances, I count the treasury every day, trying to find loopholes in embezzled gold dragons, just to save every penny for him!"
"It's not that I won't help you."
"As long as it's for Lynn, I can."
"I just... I just can't stand it!"
"I resent how easily you got him!"
"I resent that you could become his wife, witnessed by everyone!"
"And I, I could only stand there like an outsider, calculating the expenses for your wedding!"
"Why is that!"
"I was the one who liked Lynn first!"
A long silence fell over the room.
Only the equally hurried breathing of the two women.
After an unknown period of time.
Myrcella slowly walked behind Sansa.
"I apologize for my previous words and actions."
Sansa's body stiffened abruptly.
"But now, saying these things is meaningless."
Myrcella's voice regained its calm.
"Robert must die."
Myrcella's calm tone uttered words that could shake all of Westeros.
Sansa slowly turned around.
She looked in shock at Myrcella's green eyes, burning with fire, wanting to see if Myrcella was truly serious.
Myrcella's eyes were full of hatred.
It didn't seem feigned.
Then, Sansa nodded heavily.
"He deserves to die."
The two women, who once regarded each other as enemies, at this moment, for the same man, formed the most dangerous and solid alliance.
"If Robert dies, who will succeed him?"
Sansa began to think about the problem from the most practical perspective.
"Joffrey."
Myrcella answered without hesitation.
"He is the legitimate and lawful heir to the Seven Kingdoms."
Sansa, however, showed a mysterious smile on her face.
"Joffrey?"
"Very good."
"He's currently obsessed with a girl named Liana, but that girl... belongs to Lord Lynn."
"Joffrey will definitely be much easier to control than others."
"His succession is most beneficial to Lynn."
A hint of surprise flashed in Myrcella's eyes.
She hadn't expected Lynn to have already laid such a chess piece.
"Then the real threats are Stannis and Renly."
"Of course, a fool cannot sit firmly on this position."
"Although Lord Renly is popular, he only has the wavering House Tyrell behind him, and his foundation is unstable."
Sansa analyzed calmly.
"The truly difficult one to deal with is Stannis Baratheon."
"Robert's second brother, the Lord of Dragonstone."
"He is a man as cold and hard as iron."
"He is rigid, stubborn, adheres to the law, values responsibility, but never knows how to adapt."
"He firmly believes that the iron throne is inherently his."
"I think we can use this point."
Myrcella was a little worried.
"He has a red priestess under him named Melisandre, who worships some Lord of Light, and it is said she can foresee things others cannot."
"Will our plan be discovered by her?"
Sansa smiled.
"You wouldn't know this, would you?"
"When we were in the North, Lord Lynn could also prophesy; I personally witnessed him perform miracles."
"Since Lord Lynn hasn't found us after we decided to kill Robert, it means this matter won't pose a danger."
"If there were danger, he would definitely come to stop us."
"You and I just need to be bold and do it!"
Myrcella wasn't entirely clear about Lynn's abilities.
But at a critical moment of life and death, seeing Sansa's unusual certainty, she thought she probably wouldn't lie to herself; Sansa would never joke about Lynn.
"To deal with someone as rigid as Stannis, we must strike a fatal blow."
A hint of Lannister ruthlessness flashed in Myrcella's eyes.
"We cannot let him have a chance to ascend the throne."
"You mean..."
Sansa looked at her.
"Frame him."
Myrcella's smile was exactly like her mother Cersei's.
"Since Robert must die, why not make his death more valuable?"
"We must make everyone believe that Stannis did it to seize the throne!"
This plan seemed feasible.
If successful, Robert dies, and they achieve their direct goal.
If it fails, it's still acceptable, as it would incite infighting within the Baratheon Family.
There's no loss either way.
Sansa's heart pounded uncontrollably.
She looked at Myrcella before her.
For the first time, she felt that this Baratheon girl might not be as harmless as she appeared on the surface.
After all, half a lion's blood flowed in her veins.
Sansa had to admire Myrcella.
In her eyes, Myrcella was a Baratheon, and also Robert's biological daughter.
She was truly ruthless.
This was enough for Sansa to trust Myrcella.
"How do we do it?"
Sansa lowered her voice.
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