Hello everyone! I'm sorry for taking quite a long time, but I was busy with some stuff! Also, this is quite a long chapter, so I do hope you'll enjoy it!

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The White Wolf of Winterfell (2 Chapters!)

Overlord: The Demon Empress!

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!This chapter is edited! 24/August/23!

Chapter 5

299

Times surely went by when one's mind was deep in thought, and the many schemes that could lead to a bright future were always changing. It was so that the princess of the seven kingdoms, and the one whose name-day celebration was taking place, was quite happy with the result of her latest plots. After the Loyalist Revolt, as they called it now, ended. The balance of power in Westeros changed. Two rebellions helped to improve Robert Baratheon's name and help destroy whatever Targaryen sympathy was left. Also, it eventually increased the Lannister's power at court by a great deal. Since Tywin Lannister had a lot of say on whom they should name lord this or lord that.

Galadriel whispered in Tywin's ear who should be the ones taking care of those lands. No one expected the fragile little princess, who seemed traumatized and broken, to be scheming behind a closed door. No, they all listened to her words of wisdom. It was incredibly easy to move pawns around without the need for magic.

So, in brief, they filled the Crownlands with lesser lords from the Westerlands who were incredibly loyal to the crown—especially the Lannister. Robert, the king, knew as much, but while he was wary of such a tactic, his care ended the same way as before.

By drinking it away. Robert didn't change his way, at least not too much. He drank and whore his days away. But at the very least, he was now taking care of always hearing whatever his small council had to say, especially the princess.

And that was the key everyone saw. The princess was the only person in the Seven Kingdoms whose words made it through Robert's ears. The sweet and beautiful princess, whose face was filled with melancholy and pain. The sweet princess whose popularity with the smallfolk was at an all-time high because of her working to improve their livelihood and more. The gentle princess who, although suffered unspeakable things at the hands of rebels, remains strong and determined to serve the people of Westeros. Yes, the White Lion of the Red Keep and the Pious lioness. The Dragon was born out of a Stag and Lioness. That's how they called her, and Galadriel loved it.

Everyone loved her, worshipped her, and everyone wanted her. Even if the tales of her maidenhood being ripped away were true, which weren't, Galadriel didn't want to ruin the fantasy. Many lords have proclaimed her the most beautiful woman in Westeros, and some would even consider her that, even in Essos, no one could even come close to her in terms of beauty. They all wanted her hand, but thankfully, none would have it. Galadriel would always play the role of a scared and fragile lady. So, her father and, more importantly, her mother would push away any pretender. Even Galadriel's grandfather, Lord Tywin, has made sure to let everyone know that no one was deserving of her hand.

It was sometimes annoying for Galadriel. Since keeping an act could be tiresome, but the enjoyment came as the prize of playing with her food, and that was too enticing to let go of.

Fools, all of them. Galadriel thought while smirking widely. She sure loves to act as a martyr of sorts. Yet, it has proven useful.

"With Westeros prospering like never before. More enemies are popping up."

One of the reasons for such a response was that Galadriel seeds have flourished. Her bank system was crushing the Essonians' banks. And that was a huge no-no for them, especially the Iron Bank, who had been trying to persuade many lords to save their gold with them. Galadriel had to laugh. Those fools still don't understand the true value of a bank. It was one of the reasons Galadriel's banks have prospered while the rest have been left behind. The Iron Bank, like many of his counterparts in Essos, was an institution used by the rich and powerful. If you had gold, power, or if your name was worth something, you could do business with them. But that was pretty much it. Nothing more. Yet, Galadriel, who lived in a world where capitalism devoured everything, understood that it was the common people who made the gold flow. Not the kings, lords, or rich warlords. But the consumers.

So, she focused on the development of the common folk. Those workshops where a peasant could learn a trait were a trampoline to success—allowing the common person to work and study. It was a door for the future of Westeros. Her bank was focused on the common folk. Not the lord themselves or even the king. But the people. They could open a savings account, they could invest, or ask for credit. And slowly but surely, the peasant who learned how to bake a piece of bread now had his own little bakery. That little business would like to expand, and by doing so, it would have to ask for investment from someone in the bank, so the ball keeps rolling.

Schools only helped her work, and so was the gold. The King's Landing bank was open for anyone who wished to grow. Kind of, since she was the true power behind the crown. Galadriel was slowly making sure to make the King's Landing bank into a central entity that would allow her to centralize the power of the crown. The more people invest there and use it to save their profits, the bigger the responsibility of the bank and the more power to the crown. It was all very simple.

"Soon, even people from Essos would come here and start creating more jobs and business with us. Slowly, we'll take the entire market for ourselves. Everything will be made in Westeros, and with my farms in the Crownlands generating more food than we can eat, we are selling it for pennies across Essos. Soon, it would blow up in their faces. They'll become more dependent on our supplies, and then we could play with the prices. Very nice."

Galadriel smirked widely. "It's almost sad how easy it is. Those fools of the Iron Bank thought that it was a war that generated their power. Idiots. They close themselves to only the aristocracy. Now, my bank has more clients than all the banks from Essos combined. All because I know how to play the game of capitalism. He!"

Galadriel had to admit it was funny how she could play around with those poor bastards. She recalled how they came to King's Landing to inspect the bank. They threw some nasty comments about how small it was compared to the glorious Iron Bank and whatever. But what they didn't know was that Galadriel was already opening more establishments across Westeros so that people could access their accounts no matter the place. It was still a work in progress, but she had a few ideas about how she could pull it off. She just needs to play it nice.

"Well, there are a lot of things I need…"

Galadriel's ramblings were stopped when someone knocked on her door.

"Your Highness, people are waiting for you."

"One minute."

Galadriel groaned but sighed. She looked at herself in the mirror and hummed. She has grown so much in the last few years. Galadriel sometimes forgets that time does go by incredibly fast. Now, she was a young lady of fourteen-year-olds—a woman by this world's standards. And well, her body surely shows more than just curves. Galadriel's body could be called lustful and picture-perfect. An hourglass figure, with quite the large and rather firm set breast that was shown in a succulent cleavage in her silver gown. Her childbearing hips, as many would call them, lead to a thin waist, which makes her figure even more surreal. And her legs were truly magnificent, long, and rather muscled. Overall, Galadriel was a woman who everyone would like to bed more than once, and she knows it. But deep inside, she felt a bit overwhelmed by it.

"Mm… I remember that at this age back in my old world. I had nothing going out for me. I had a flat chest and barely any butt. Now, I am a hot and sexy girl. Whoa, I would like to be my girlfriend."

Galadriel said with a hint of amusement. She looked at her silver gown one more time and smiled. Her mother wanted to make her look like the most gorgeous woman in the girl, and well, she was.

"Well, let's end this. I had a lot of things to do later in the night."

Galadriel whispered as she opened the door of her room and smiled at the sight of Gendry and Mya.

"I am ready," Galadriel said softly, putting on her mask of the princess of the Seven Kingdoms everyone loved.

"You look beautiful, your highness," Gendry replied, smiling.

"Really?" Galadriel asked, pretending to be embarrassed.

"Yeah, you look beautiful, your highness," Mya said, blushing, and Galadriel smiled at her two half-siblings.

Her two oath-bound guards. They were wearing silver armour embedded in gold. People could confuse them with kingsguard, but it wasn't the same. They were her sworn shields. Gendry and Mya had fought hard to be taken seriously, especially with the responsibility of protecting her. But they did so, especially Mya, who had to fight stronger men than her in order to show everyone that even though she was a woman. She could take care of herself and, more importantly, of her sister. And she did, just like Gendry, fought and won many battles in front of the king and queen, who, in the end, allowed them to wear the proud symbol of the royal family on their cloaks and act as the bodyguards of the princes. They earned it.

Mm, they have grown as well. Both of them. They are definitely stronger. But it's not strong enough.

Galadriel thought while looking at them. Gendry was incredibly tall. He towered over Galadriel easily enough. And it was not only that but ever since, Galadriel has been feeding him potions and scrolls to see if he could increase the level or something. Gendry has grown to be incredibly muscular. Like, incredibly so. She has seen that his ability to fight has expanded as well. She watches him while he trains. He could now go toe-to-toe with anyone and mostly win. All because of his unnatural strength. Even Galadriel's uncle Jaime has shown quite a surprise while they spar. Gendry could pick two Warhammer on each hand without a problem, but he doesn't. It looks rather silly, but he does carry one on his back at all times.

Mya was almost the same as Gendry. She was as tall as him and was incredibly fit. Highly muscular, something that Galadriel has seen quite a lot lately. It was a rather weird assumption for Galadriel, but she had to admit that she loves fit women. Muscles on their arm and legs and a set of strong abs on a woman with short hair was Galadriel's weakness. And Mya was one obvious example. She has seen Mya taking her shirt and only leaving a sort of cloak over her chest, covering her rather surprisingly enormous chest. Only to show her body while Mya trained.

Mya is hot. I like it. Galadriel thought, with little morality on her feelings. It was not proper to think of her sister like that, but she didn't care at this point in her life. Galadriel has embraced her lustful thoughts about her sister.

Besides, Mya seems to think the same as her sister Galadriel. So, it was fair game. Galadriel's unnatural aura was incredibly intoxicating. Especially since Galadriel could easily use it to ensnare anyone she wanted, and Galadriel, knowing that, would use it on Mya, little by little, making the half-sister think of her sister in many lustful positions. Poor Mya was longing for her sister, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

But putting those thoughts aside. Galadriel discovered that her siblings seemed to have reached their limits. Their human limits. They haven't improved much. Nothing at all. Gendry hasn't become stronger or more agile than before. He was still more powerful than a normal soldier, even a bit more. He could lift a boulder off the side of a wheel if he put his all on it. But that was it. Mya, while tougher than a regular man and incredibly agile with the bow and sword, wasn't anything that screams superhuman or something. So that made Galadriel realize that, perhaps, they have reached their limitations. Their mortal limitations.

What could I do in order to change it? Galadriel wondered.

"Your Highness, are you there?" Mya asked, with an amused smile on her face.

"Ah… I doze off, sorry," Galadriel said.

"You always do it. I wonder if you had anything inside your head sometimes," Gendry joked, and Galadriel responded by gently pushing her brother's arms and faking pain. Pretending his big muscles hurt her little and gentle hand. It was a rather amusing thing, since if Galadriel wanted. She could easily destroy her dear sibling's body with her fingers.

"Auch…! Shut up! Or I'll punch you again!" Galadriel said, and the two siblings chuckled.

"Be careful not to break your fingers," Mya teased, and Galadriel huffed.

"It's not my fault that I have two giants as siblings," Galadriel said, hissing in pain as she pretended to caress her fingers.

"Oh, thank you!" Gendry replied, and Mya laughed.

"Yeah, yeah… let's go to this annoying festivity," Galadriel said with a sigh.

"Also, Your Highness, did you hear about the guest tonight?" Mya said as they were walking towards the courtyard. Galadriel knew the names of some families, most of them. The rest were in her eyes, too small to even care to remember. Yet, she knew that her father and mother had spent a lot of gold to make this particular names-day a rather enormous affair. Call it vanity, or maybe something else. Galadriel didn't care, truly. But she was curious to meet some of those families.

"Mhm, the Martell are here, right?" Galadriel said.

"Yes, a rather surprising meeting," Mya said.

"The king was looking quite apprehensive about them being here," Gendry said.

"The queen was the same. She is quite paranoid," Mya said.

"The Starks didn't come... the king was a bit sad about it."

"Well, it's a long way for them."

"It doesn't matter, although I guess we'll meet them sooner or later."

Galadriel only nodded, already knowing the many reasons the Martell family were there. Yet, she was curious about them. It was going to be quite the night.

They covered the courtyard of the Red Keep with many types of flowers and shining stones. The entire place looked elegant enough to be mistaken for a royal wedding. Truly, one could only wonder about the amount of gold wasted in just one night. But then again, a Lannister had gold to spend, and it was the beloved princess's day; after all, they'd spend whatever was necessary to make it special. There the noble guests were all spending time talking and plotting many things with each other. Like normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Noble's houses were trying to get the upper hand against other noble houses as part of the game. And what better place to do it than a royal party?

It was all pretty common for those who wished to play the game. But while the lesser houses were trying to play against each other. The great noble houses were playing the actual game of thrones.

One of them was the Tyrell House. They were all waiting for the moment to get closer to the royal family in any form possible. They have been waiting for such a long time to be able to sneak into the royal court. Having Renly on their side helped, but not enough. Especially since the matriarch, the true head of the Tyrell family, was not so thrilled with her grandson's involvement with the youngest Baratheon brother. It was risky, stupid and quite insufficient.

Olenna was not interested in whatever they did with each other behind closed doors. She cared little about that. But more in the endgame they were thinking about. The large plan in the making, Renly becoming king. Olenna knows it was a plan with a lot of holes. A plan that only relies on the charisma of Renly. Olenna knew Renly was charming and well-dressed to captivate some of the noble families and common folk. He could do speeches and move the hearts of young maidens. But that was it. He was not fit to be a king.

"He is an oaf," Olenna scoffed, earning a few stares from her family.

"Grandmother, did you say something?" Loras asked, and Olenna huffed at him.

"Nothing, just thinking about your father," Olenna quickly said, earning a few chuckles from Margaery.

"Mother, please, we are around people," Mace, the lord of Highgarden, said with a bit of embarrassment in his voice.

"Like those lesser houses would dare to say anything to us. Don't be a fool, Mace."

Olenna said, earning an awkward chuckle from Mace and his wife, Alerie Tyrell.

"We should have brought Willas and Garlan," the lady of Highgarden said, earning an enthusiastic nod from her husband.

"We should have. Surely, the king would have seen the opportunity to unite our houses? The Tyrell is the second most powerful house in all of Westeros. Only behind the Lannister."

"Third," Olenna whispered.

"Mother…?"

"We are the third most powerful family in Westeros. The Lannisters are the second one. Currently, it is the Baratheon who holds the title of the most powerful house in the Seven Kingdoms."

"What do you mean, mother?" Mace asked, confused as Olenna rolled her eyes at the fact her son couldn't see the real power that was moving Westeros.

"The Baratheon family controls the bank and pretty much all the common folk's gold. Their investments are now higher than any other family, and their gold is clearly surpassing the Lannister… in paper, at least."

"They have their own bank behind them, and it is growing faster than before. No doubt, in a few more years, they will become the richest family in the world."

Olenna muttered while looking back at the years prior. She sees more than many, and what her eyes were being witnessed was a complete change in how the game was being played. All Olenna could only think of the princess, the White Lion of the Red Keep, as the one responsible for the power shift. Olenna respected the girl—a great deal, in fact. The princess has single-handedly become the most important figure in the Seven Kingdoms, putting aside Joffrey Baratheon, who was the heir to the throne. Of course, not many people seem to see it as such.

Olenna's spies have told her about how loved the princess was and how heavily favoured she was, too, by pretty much everyone in her life. Even the Old Lion of Casterly Rock favoured her. And that was a tremendous deal for Olenna. The princes, for all intents and purposes, had everyone dancing at the palm of her hand. She could even declare herself queen, and Olenna believed they would allow her. But that was, of course, if the princess had the gall to do so, which Olenna believed the girl didn't have in her to betray her older brother.

And that was one of the weaknesses of the princess. Olenna, from all the information she has collected from her spies and the many talks she had with that fool of Renly. Firmly believed that the princess, although a genius, was clear to thrusting and highly naïve, making her the perfect pawn to be controlled.

Or that was what Olenna believed, or well, that was what everyone believed since those agents of Olenna were telling the same to pretty much everyone else—lies and fake knowledge or what was supposed to be the truth about the princess.

"Understand, what does it mean? If we want to still have a say in the royal court if we want the Tyrell to be a great house still. We need to move fast but cautiously."

Olenna whispered, hiding her own cautions from anyone who could hear her. And thankfully, Tyrell only nodded until Margaery looked at the people sitting across from them, far away, in their own little world.

"Look, grandmother. The Martell," she whispered.

"So, they came," Olenna said, and Mace only scoffed at them.

"Dornish, what an unpleasant sight," he said with disdain as Olenna only stared at him sharply.

"Do be careful, Mace. Do not underestimate the Martell. They do have a lot of resentment for the Lannister."

There, on their table, there was the heiress of the Dorne throne. Princess Arianne Martell. She was a buxom and beautiful young girl with olive skin, large dark eyes, and long, thick black hair that fell in ringlets to the middle of her back. There was no doubt that the princess of Dorne truly was a beauty to behold. And her gown showed more skin than any of the other ladies at the party. Clearly, he wants to show a message. Yet, she had a face that showed no pleasure in being there. A rather annoyed and hateful face.

"She doesn't look like she wants to be here," Margaery pointed out.

"Do be careful with them, Margaery, especially with the Red Viper, who has been staring at you from across the room," Olenna said, noticing how the prince of Dorne stared at her granddaughter with lust. Margaery was, however, a smart young woman and knew exactly what she meant by that. So, she only smiled.

"Don't worry, grandmother. I know how men like him operate," Margaery said, and Olenna sighed.

"I know, but keep your arms up. And drink nothing he gives you."

Margaery nodded but wondered secretly what the Martell family wanted here. She would have to wait and see.

Arianne stared at the Tyrell girl and scoffed at the pretty flower. She had to admit that the girl was fairly attractive. Yet, her thoughts were on the golden lions around the party. Those soldiers had the Lannister cloak on them. She hissed furiously.

"Something bothering you?" Ellaria Sand, Oberyn's paramour, said as she was sitting on his lap, not bothered by how the surrounding people stared at her.

"Nothing," Arianna muttered, still holding onto her face in disgust.

"You should be careful with that face. Someone would think you're trying to kill someone," Oberyn said in a teasing tone.

"Uncle, why are we here?" Arianne asked angrily.

Oberyn just shrugged. "We are here for the names-day of the famous princes, of course."

"Don't play with me, uncle."

"Arianne is smarter than you, lover. Don't treat her like a fool," Ellaria whispered as Obery only chuckled.

"Uncle, my father already refuses to tell me anything. I find no pleasure to be left in the dark," Arianne said, and finally, Obery sighed.

"Trust your father, Arianne. It's not a lack of trust but worries. He is a cautious man. The last thing he desires is to involve you in something that could hurt you. Just wait for a bit longer, and he'll tell you all about his plans."

Oberyn said, and Arianne could only take a deep breath. Already tired of the secrecy. Yet, she noticed how Oberyn slowly leaned forward, trying not to let anyone hear his voice.

"What I can tell you is that we have never stopped thinking of our revenge against the Lannister. Also, you're going to pay a vital part."

"A vital part?" Arianne whispered, confused.

"You've heard about the princess captured during the Crownlands rebellion, right?" Oberyn said, and Arianne only nodded.

"Everyone has… almost half a year in the hands of the rebels. It says that she suffered a lot of things. They tortured her… and took her innocence away," Arianne whispered, feeling rather gloomy at those words.

"A child should never experience such things. Not even a Lannister," Ellaria whispered, and Oberyn shared the same belief. He hated the Lannister with passion, yet the child was innocent of the sins of the father and mother.

"Indeed, yet that's now what we are here for. The princess has spent most of her time in her room, guarded by soldiers all day. She only goes out when it is time to attend the small council or other things."

"That's not a life worth living. She is afraid of everyone?" Arianne asked.

"Perhaps… I believe whatever they did to her seems to have left a mark on her. Those types of traumas aren't easy to forget."

"I understand, but what does it mean to me?" Arianne then asked, and Oberyn smiled.

"We also have some interesting information from one of our spies, who serve as Robert's whore. It seems the princess is attracted to the same sex," Oberyn whispered, and Arianne gasped.

"Really…?" Arianne said with a hint of excitement.

"Yes, I don't know if it is part of her trauma that she is afraid of men, but the princess truly seems to be more comfortable around females. And they have caught her staring at many of our beautiful Dornish whores with a blush on her face."

"Poor girl, it seems she is still rather confused and doesn't know what to like. Maybe, if there was someone who could just… push her in the right direction," Ellaria whispered huskily in Oberyn's ear, and Arianne finally understood.

"You want me to seduce her?" Arianne said, with a rather amusement in her voice.

"You're a beautiful young woman, my dear niece. And you have the Dornish blood in you," Oberyn said, groaning at the way Ellaria was whispering in his ear.

"Um, don't mistake me, uncle. I could do it, but what is the endgame? I doubt it is just me trying to seduce the princess," Arianne said, and Oberyn then just pointed at the Tyrell family.

"Look at that table. The fat man of Highgarden. They have their own little game."

Arianne stared and saw how deep in conversation they were, and she frowned, wondering what they were thinking about.

"The truth is that the princess is by far the most important person in the seven kingdoms."

"More than the heir prince?" Arianne asked as she stared at the blonde boy who was sitting at the royal table, staring and scoffing at everyone. She also noticed that behind him was a certain man with a half-burned face.

"Yes, for now, that is," Oberyn whispered, keeping his eyes on the Hound with ill intent.

"She created the King's Landing bank and is the one controlling all the finances of Westeros. She, for lack of a better word, is the true force of change in Westeros. The true ruler, some say. She is also the only person whom the king listens to and the only person whom Tywin Lannister seems to care about truly. You know what it means, don't you?" Oberyn's face seems to change into something evil-like at the mere mention of Tywin Lannister.

"Aye, I do," Arianne whispered.

"If something happened to the heir… many would push her forward to take the crown. No one would oppose such an idea," Oberyn said.

"And what does the princess don't do it now? All clearly favoured her," Arianne asked.

"She seems too kind and good-hearted to betray her older brother. Making it easier for someone to convince her otherwise. It is a rare thing in King's Landing, no doubt, to have a fragile and beautiful flower with only goodness in her heart. But more predictable and easier to control, sadly."

Arianne heard those words and felt sad that the princess was in the middle of everything. Yet, the world was a cruel place, and sometimes, being a good person won't do you any good.

"We'll see how things develop, but first, we must make sure to be first."

"I'll do it..."

Arianne, just like everyone, turned around at the feeling of something coming. It was a strange sensation of a cloud looming over them. Then, everyone stopped talking, from the low-born servants, who were serving the food and other mundane things, to the noble houses, great or small. All the nobles stared at the princess's arrival, and they could only gawk at her.

"By the gods," Oberyn whispered, stunned.

And Arianne could agree with such an exclamation, while her eyes could only see the most beautiful woman Arianne had ever seen. Now, the whole seduction plan was not that bad at all.

"Uncle, I had to admit… I will do my utmost best," Arianne only said as Oberyn and Ellaria chuckled.

"Well, my dear niece. You better do it fast, or maybe I'll try my luck with her."

Arianne responds by throwing a piece of meat at his uncle's face.

"We'll see." She muttered, already thinking of a strategy. Well, she was for a rude awakening. Since, like many, Arianne didn't know that she was already trapped in the princess game.

Galadriel arrived in the courtyard and felt all the people watching her.

Uwah! They are looking at me! Galadriel thought with a sense of embarrassment as she quickly sat down next to her mother, the queen.

"My dear, don't look down. Keep your head high. Don't let them intimidate you," Cersei said, as she kept on looking everyone down, just like she would normally do. Galadriel rolled her eyes but kept on with the act.

"Yes, mother, of course."

Cersei smiled arrogantly, and Galadriel knew it was the game of her mother. The lioness queen wanted to let everyone know that she was the one controlling her child and not the other way around. A rather stupid thing to do, in Galadriel's opinion, because if she has learned anything, was that her mother was not as smart as she thought she was.

"Gali! How do I look?!" Myrcella, the cute young girl, asked her older sister, who smiled gently at her.

"You look wonderful, Myrcella," Galadriel said while tickling her younger sister, who every day looked more like their mother. Yet, the small girl of barely nine seems to have inherited none of their mother's cruelty.

"Me?! Me?!" Tommen, the cute, gentle boy, asked as he was sitting next to a very grumpy Joffrey.

"Oh?! Is this handsome knight coming to take me away and ride into the sunset?" Galadriel said dramatically as little Tommen giggled.

"Isn't he a very handsome boy, mother?" Galadriel asked, and Cersei gave one of those rare genuine smiles. The only times the queen's mother allowed herself to behave in such a manner was when she was with her children and no one else. Not even with Jaime. It was a side that few people knew of.

"Yes, he is a very handsome prince," Cersei said, kissing his son's cheek.

Joffrey, of course, scoffed at the affection. "You're making us look weak, mother."

Joffrey's voice made Myrcella and Tommen grow silent, and Galadriel only stared at her stupid brother with annoyance.

"What do you say that, Joffrey?" Galadriel asked, candidly hiding her disdain.

Joffrey only looked at her with pure jealousy and hatred. It was clear that the heir to the crown had nothing but loathing for his sister. Since, in his eyes, she was everything he was not. Well, Galadriel likes to annoy him.

"We are in front of people, and Mother keeps treating us like children. We are not. I am not a child anymore. One day, I will be king. I can't be seen acting in such a manner."

Joffrey said with a scoff, and Cersei, being the enabler she was, only nodded at him.

"Of course, Joffrey. Remember that they are all below us."

Galadriel wondered where their IQ went. She often wondered if that lack of self-awareness came from their arrogance or if they were truly just incredibly stupid. Galadriel didn't know. Cersei could be smart, sometimes, in some cases. And Joffrey could have some common sense from time to time. But their arrogance blinded them to what was before them.

Mm, like mother like son, I guess? Galadriel thought as she looked at the party before her. Galadriel stared at the Tyrell and Martell families and smiled internally. Let's see what they have to offer, shall we? Galadriel had a lot of plans for those two houses. And she knew they were already thinking of trying to sneak into the court. They had to if they wished to survive for the upcoming years.

Galadriel looked that among the party members, a certain master of the coin was already moving his pawns. Littlefinger has taken a slower approach to his plans. It seems that the last rebellion really made him paranoid. Baelish did nothing for a while, only kept his head down and slowly moved his influence elsewhere. Now he was back at it again. And Galadriel had an idea of what he was trying to do.

War, eh? Again, chaos? Mm, I guess so far; he is just trying to put A and B together. He is waiting for the right moment to cause problems. What a man he is, truly. Galadriel thought with amusement.

Then everyone looked at the king arriving and sitting in his chair.

"This is daughter's name day. I want nothing but the best gifts!" Robert yelled with his usual boisterous laugh.

"And for the lords… keep your hands away from her!"

Galadriel put her hands on her face and groaned deeply. How could she, a level 100 Demonic Empress, feel so ashamed of being alive? Well, the answer was simple. He has a drunk father who wants to make sure to keep his princess content.

"Was it really necessary, father?" Galadriel asked with a sigh, and Robert only stared at her with the biggest grin on his face.

"Absolutely."

Robert's relationship with his daughter was a rather peculiar thing, true to be told. Robert was not necessarily different from before. Not really. Yet, he was still trying to become closer to his children. And that was the keyword, trying. In comparison to before, Robert was now a bit kinder towards his children. The Stag King was still the same as before. Galadriel believed that Robert's problem was alcohol and his inability to move forward from the past. Galadriel has never met a person who was still locked in the past glories and, more importantly, memories. Well, besides her, that was.

Robert was, after so many years, still infatuated with that woman, Lyanna Stark, and as long as he was still in love with that woman or the idea of that woman. Robert would never truly move on.

A part of Galadriel understood him. It was hard just to forget. Yet, it was necessary.

"This is your day… I want you to enjoy it," Robert muttered, and Galadriel nodded, still conflicted about what to say. Robert was a hard man to understand.

"I will… thank you, father," Galadriel said, and Robert smiled at her.

"My beloved niece!"

Galadriel then grinned at the sight of her uncle waddling around with a proud smirk on his face.

"Uncle Tyrion, you came!" Galadriel exclaimed.

"My dear niece, of course, I came here! How could I miss my dear niece's names-day? No, no, that couldn't happen!" Tyrion said, smirking at Cersei and Jaime.

"Besides, it was an excellent opportunity to see family again! I missed my sister's beautiful face!" Tyrion said, and Cersei only scoffed at him.

"Sure, you are… visiting brothels and more," Cersei hissed.

"What can I say? I wanted to taste the fine wine of King's Landing," Tyrion replied in his usual joking manner.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your visit," Galadriel said awkwardly.

"I will, but for now… enjoy yourself today. Also, grandfather brings you this… a beautiful necklace for our beautiful princess."

Tyrion then put on a beautiful gold necklace with a red ruby. It was fairly simple yet quite elegant. However, it was not just another piece of jewellery. No, it was more than that.

"It belongs to our mother," Tyrion said, and Cersei and Jaime could only stare at such a gift. They all knew what that meant. Tywin kept all of his beloved wife's jewellery locked away. No one was allowed to touch them or to have them. Not even Cersei. So, for their father to give away such a thing meant that Galadriel was special.

"It's gorgeous, uncle… but… should I wear it?" Galadriel asked, faking anxiousness.

"It's father's gift. He wouldn't have given it to you if he didn't want you to wear it. And I believe that Mother would have been glad," Tyrion said with an unusual tone. Almost melancholy.

"Yes, wear it, my dear," Cersei replied softly.

"Thank you," Galadriel said while her mother was helping her with such an item. Galadriel smiled, not because of the necklace. For her, it was just another piece of gold and nothing more. But what it meant was that Tywin, the Lion of the Rock, was now completely under her control, and that was without even using an ability.

"You look wonderful, and no one would ever be as beautiful as you, my dear niece. Now, I would like to visit the food table," Tyrion said with a smile, and Galadriel only laughed at her uncle's shenanigans.

However, the queen didn't seem so relaxed.

"My dear, be careful, the Martell are here," Cersei whispered.

"I see, mother," Galadriel replied.

Galadriel then saw Oberyn Martell approaching the royal table with his niece and paramour. Robert and the rest of the kingsguard stood still, as they knew how much Martell hated the king and Lannister. Yet, Galadriel could see a mist of sadness in Ser Barristan and Jaime's eyes. Intriguing.

"Your grace… I thank you for the invitation," Oberyn said with his usual smirk. Yet, his dark eyes let them know there was no love for the king.

"I didn't think you'd come, Martell," Robert said.

"And miss the names-day of the most beautiful woman in the Westeros?" Oberyn replied, smiling seductively at Galadriel, who had to pretend to act embarrassed. Of course, she was not.

"I thank you for your visit, Prince Oberyn, and your kind words," Galadriel replied with her best soft and well-mannered voice. She was such an amazing actress.

"Kind words? No, my dear princess. It's true, for I have travelled across the sea and beyond. And I can assure you that never in my life. I have witnessed such elegance and beauty. Truly, I would love to be the man to take you away," Oberyn said huskily, and Galadriel had to control her laughter and not give herself away. It was quite funny, the whole interaction, if she was honest. The man was not ugly, and his flirty could have seduced any other woman. But she was just not another woman, and Galadriel wasn't interested in any men. But that olive-skinned girl next to him, well, that was another history. Yet, Galadriel, of course, reacted a bit flabbergasted.

"I, uh… I, I-!" Galadriel replied, stuttering, while she was internally having the time of her life, watching the reactions of Cersei, and Robert, pretty much everyone.

"I would like to have a dance with you and feel the skin of your hand on mine, with your father, the king, permission, of course," Oberyn whispered.

"Prince Oberyn, I will appreciate it if you stop trying to seduce my daughter. You're making her uncomfortable," Cersei replied with a hissing tone, like a lioness protecting her cub. Well, her cub was a rascal, having fun.

"I apologize, your grace. It was never my intention," Oberyn replied, smirking. Yet, his smile vanished as he was now staring at the entire Lannister table.

"But leaving that dance aside. My visit here is for a reason. Dorne has been long desiring for justice… for my sister and her children."

The table grew quiet, incredible so that only the sound of the guests and the music were in the background. Thankfully, Jon Arryn arrived to ease the tension.

"This is not the place for such a request, my prince," the old Hand of the King said.

"You think so… what about you, Ser Jaime Lannister? You were there that night. The night that the mountain killed Elia's children and raped her with the blood still in his hand. Tell me, why does the famous Kingslayer wasn't there to protect her?" Oberyn asked, and while the tone of his voice may sound soft and jokingly. Everyone knew he was not. Jaime did not reply. He couldn't say much. Oberyn chuckled.

"And you, Ser Barristan? My uncle always told me great things about you… He died at the Trident, following his duty. But his path took him away from Elia. What would have you done in his place?" Oberyn asked as the old knight sighed.

"A kingsguard duty is sacred. We followed Prince Rhaegar because it was our duty… but no day goes by that I do not regret the things that happened. Elia and his children being one of them," Ser Barristan said with melancholy in his voice.

"Well, the Mad king's death gives us a sense of relief. Since it was because of his doing, things ended up as they were," Obery stated, not bothering about his tone of voice; Robert only glared at him.

"It was war… war against the Targaryens—as simple as that, Prince Oberyn. And you and your sister were on the other side of the table," Robert said, with not such a gentle tone. And Oberyn and the Dornish princess only glared at him.

"A war that ended the day Tywin Lannister sacked King's Landing," Oberyn replied back.

"Prince Oberyn, Dorne swore an oath. The war is over," Jon Arryn said, trying to appease the Red Viper, and, well, few knew what was going on in his head as he only smiled.

"Of course… of course," Oberyn said. "I apologize… for such an unwanted hostility. Especially during the princess' festivities."

"All is forgiving, Prince Oberyn," Jon Arryn said with a sigh. The table seemed rather relaxed.

"However, we in Dorne desire to try to amend things… that's why I brought a letter from my brother, Prince Doran," Oberyn said as he gave the letter to Jon Arryn.

"Where is Prince Doran? Why did he send the second son instead of the coming himself to us as a sign of good faith?" Cersei asked in a rather arrogant tone. And Oberyn replied with a smile.

"My good brother's health is not the best. I am afraid such travel could hinder his well-being."

"What does the letter say?" Robert asked, trying to get on with the night.

"Prince Doran has requested for his daughter, Prince Arianne, to be a lady-in-waiting."

Galadriel, who was watching the whole interaction, was thrilled. She already knew what Martell wanted, but she could allow herself to be surprised by having a gorgeous woman as her lady-in-waiting, especially since Arianne would try to seduce her in the near future.

Well, what a hard life I am going to have! Poor, poor me! Galadriel thought.

"I'll have no Dornish whor…!" Cersei hissed before Robert stopped her.

"I agree," Robert said, getting more frustrated. He wanted to drink himself already to sleep.

"Robert…! The Martell hate us!" Cersei practically whispered with pure fury, not caring at the way Oberyn glared at her.

Nice decision, father, really one of your best. Galadriel nodded in approval.

"We'll talk about this later. Would that be all, Prince Oberyn?"

Robert said, leaving no room for discussion.

"Not at all, your grace. I'll be here… for a while, and so will my niece. It would be good if the princes spent time with her to know her."

Oberyn said, and Arianne, using her Dornish seduction, winked at the princes.

"I'd love to hear and learn about Your Highness," Arianne said with a seductive tone.

Galadriel only nodded, pretending to be nervous and blushing. Both Dornish left the table, leaving behind a very concerned group.

"We can't trust the Martell. Are you out of your mind?!" Cersei said, and Robert only gulped a big sip of wine.

"What do you want me to do, woman?! The Dornish have been isolating themselves for more than a decade! If we can't do something about it now, it will cause problems in the future! Besides, this is because of your bloody father and his mad dog!"

"I didn't hear you getting angry at the body of Elia and his children," Cersei replied with a sneer.

"Enough woman, I'll not have this discussion with you. It is done!"

Galadriel rolled her eyes at the drama unfolding before her.

"Besides, she needs lady-in-waiting. And the princess of Dorne will not be the only one. Renly has already told me about the daughter of Tyrell. She'll become one too. We need the support of the Tyrell family. They have the largest army."

Cersei looked ready to burst into a rant, like most times. Galadriel didn't want to have a screaming queen. It would be too embarrassing to have drama before everyone.

"Mother is fine… everything will be fine."

Galadriel said while gently patting Cersei's hand. The queen muttered some words but said no more. Well, for now. Galadriel was sure the king and queen would have a heated discussion on a closed door. Then, the Tyrell approached, and Galadriel groaned at the sight of the lord of the flowers.

"Your grace, my queen! I thank you for such an invitation. As lord of Highgarden, there is no gift. That would be enough then the best and most delicious Arbor wine for our beloved princess, as well as the most refined jewellery."

Mace Tyrell said with that arrogant voice of his.

"I thank you for such a gift, my lord. But… I," Galadriel pretended to be nervous while waiting for her mother's words.

"My daughter does not drink wine, or any type of alcohol, my lord," Cersei said with a hint of amusement. The lord of Highgarden looks aghast and rather embarrassed about the prospect of bringing wine for the princess when she doesn't even drink.

What an idiot… everyone knows I don't drink wine. Galadriel thought, almost laughing hysterically.

"Uh… I didn't know," Lord Mace stuttered.

Olenna scoffed next to him.

"Everyone knows, the princess doesn't like wine, you fool. We told you before coming, and you still didn't listen," Olenna Tyrell said.

"But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that today marks an important day in the life of Your Highness. A woman already. Tell me, Your Highness, is there any candidate out there for your hand?" Olenna asked, and Galadriel had to admit that the old lady had quite the gall to ask things like that, especially in front of her family.

But of course, Galadriel knew why the old lady was so upfront. They all believed, from the information, Galadriel's spies had sent them. That the princess was easy to coerce. So, Olenna was taking the simpler approach to try to get a marriage between her and one of her grandsons. Olenna knew it wouldn't work, but it would put a seed. A seed that Galadriel would crush when the time came. Besides, Galadriel knew the plot of both the Tyrell and Martell families. They were quite obvious.

The Martell wanted to use her in order to obtain their revenge. Doran Martell was a cautious man who played the long game. He had many plans and backup plans. He was trying to get a marriage between Arianne and Viserys Targaryen while, at the same time, trying to get Galadriel on his side so they could use her connections to get the support necessary for the other exiled dragons across the Narrow Sea. Definitely trying to use her Targaryen ancestry to join them when the invasion comes. Yet, Galadriel also knew that Doran was a man with many plots. If Viserys Targaryen dies, or something along those lines, Doran would try to use Arianne's connection with her in order to get close to the Lannisters. Whatever it was, the Martell wanted revenge.

The Tyrell was more obvious. They just wanted to have someone in the Royal family. They truly want Margaery to become queen, whatever the cost. Yet, from her reports, they truly wanted to have Galadriel under control. The farmlands of the Crownlands have become quite a problem for the Reach since, now, they couldn't really pull out the card of, "You need our food to survive." And adding the fact that it was Galadriel, the one controlling the Bank behind a closed door, that they truly wanted to get inside her inner circle in order to use her. Pretty simple-minded, in Galadriel's opinion.

I wonder how much they want to play with? How much they would like to give? Galadriel wondered.

"No candidate out there for me, lady Olenna," Galadriel replied.

"Why not? Such a beautiful girl like yourself, with no prospect for a marriage, is a shame. Truly. My oldest grandson, Willas. He is a gentleman, a kind man who will treat you with the utmost respect and love. You should come and visit Highgarden. You'll love it."

"I appreciate your kind words, but my daughter will not travel for the time being," Cersei said, glaring at Olenna, who only smiled.

"I understand, your grace. But being confined to her room all day could harm her. What do you say, my dear? Wouldn't you like to come with us to Highgarden?"

Galadriel had to applaud the old lady for completely ignoring Cersei's words. The old lady didn't seem to respect the queen one bit. And from the way Robert looked at the old woman, he seemed to be quite entertained.

"I thank you, my lady. But currently, I have no intentions of travelling."

"A pity, but remember, we'll be honoured to have you with us. As well as my dear granddaughter, Margaery. She loved to be one of your ladies-in-waiting."

Galadriel looked at Cersei, who seemed ready to have a seizure of sorts.

"I'll think about it," Galadriel said, just to add more to her mother's anger. It was quite funny.

"Your Highness, I'll be honoured to be at your side until the day of your wedding."

Margaery said with the most seductive tone Galadriel had heard. At the same level as Arianne, definitely.

Well, I have two beautiful girls as a gift. This is surely a wonderful birthday present.

Galadriel thought, as she then looked next to her and noticed the face of Jon Arryn as he stared at the royal family.

So, he knows now… I could wait for him to die at the hands of Baelish, or maybe I should just kill him now. Before, he did something stupid.

Galadriel, for the rest of the night, continues as planned. She even had to dance with some lords here and there. They were all incredibly annoying. Some tried to flirt with her, and some tried to go right down to sleep with her. Well, they would have a terrible accident coming back home, like falling out of their horses and breaking their necks.

It didn't matter. What Galadriel was currently thinking was how long it would have the peace would last since she knew that Jon Arryn would die soon, either at her hand or at the hand of the other. But what would come next would be surely interesting for her.

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