On this day, Joffrey raised thirty new Kingsguard to knighthood beneath the vaulted ceiling of the throne room.
Among their number were men of ancient bloodlines and proud houses:
Ser Robar Royce, second son of Bronze Yohn of Runestone, whose family stood as the second power in the Vale after the Arryns themselves;
Ser Alan Mooton, whose father commanded Maidenpool, the principal port on Crackclaw Bay and the Riverlands' gateway to the sea;
Ser Rosso Blount, scion of the Blounts of Crackclaw Point, who claimed descent from legendary heroes of that rugged peninsula in the northeastern Crownlands;
Ser Justin Massey of Massey's Hook, whose family controlled the strategic southeastern approach to Blackwater Bay;
And a score more besides—all second or third sons of lords who held key territories or commanded significant power throughout the realm.
Each of these newly anointed Kingsguard had received divine grace two or three weeks prior, training as Holy Warriors under the guidance of the light screen that had become their constant companion.
The results of divine grace had exceeded all expectations.
Though Joffrey could not peer into their hearts to discern their true thoughts, the outcome was plain enough—each man had offered his loyalty and future to the Iron Throne, swearing solemn and inviolable oaths before gods and men. From this day forward, they would serve as Kingsguard, bearing both the glory and the burden that such service entailed.
The infamous example of the Kingslayer, Ser Jaime Lannister, would stand as perpetual reminder that oathbreakers could expect only eternal infamy and the abyss of dishonor.
Moreover, each knight lived now beneath the unfailing gaze of the divine grace light screen, which watched and judged without ceasing.
Joffrey felt absolute confidence that the shackles upon these men—both physical and spiritual—were heavy enough to hold them fast, and would only grow tighter with time. Such bonds would surely extinguish any rebellious thoughts, transforming these knights into guards of purest steel, loyal unto death.
Of course, their primary value lay not in their capacity as mere guards. Had that been his sole aim, why would he bestow knighthood upon them specifically, when he commanded so many Holy Warriors already?
What Joffrey prized above all was their lineage.
In the immediate term, these Kingsguard would incline their families toward the throne's interests, helping to stabilize the nobility at large and preventing chaos from engulfing the realm entirely.
Later, when the time proved ripe, their blood ties would play a crucial role in the centralization of power beneath the Iron Throne.
Order amidst chaos, conflict without collapse—this alignment served Joffrey's interests most perfectly.
The reforms he envisioned for the Seven Kingdoms must proceed with swiftness and force, yet they could not inflict excessive damage. This was, after all, his kingdom.
Tens of millions of square kilometers of territory, tens of millions of souls—these constituted the foundation upon which he would build his dominion over the world, the original accumulation necessary for constructing a magical golden age. If he could command them properly, he would prefer to avoid any loss whatsoever.
This desire to minimize bloodshed had driven his decision to expand the Kingsguard so dramatically.
War might prove necessary to establish his authority, but it could not degenerate into total opposition, endlessly deepening hatreds that would plunge the Seven Kingdoms into perpetual strife.
The lords and the throne must achieve a new equilibrium.
Joffrey had made all necessary preparations. For those who persisted in rebellion and stubbornness, the steel sword in his right hand burned with consuming fire. For subjects who acknowledged the throne's supremacy, the scepter in his left offered both power and light.
Fierce fire or holy illumination?
He was confident people would choose wisely.
This new balance had been heralded during his coronation ceremony, and now the knighting of the Kingsguard advanced it further.
Though the Kingsguard would eventually number seventy-seven, Joffrey had deliberately left half these positions unfilled—reserved for lords from the southern kingdoms.
The Stormlands, the Reach, and Dorne together comprised nearly half the realm's territory and population. This represented a formidable power that must be returned to the fold of the Iron Throne as completely as possible.
Joffrey's response to Renly's rebellion was clear: crush the lords' defiance with overwhelming force, then take them to heel like hounds returning to their master's whistle.
To achieve this end, the throne's own strength must grow rapidly, rather than relying solely upon the Westerlands and other loyal houses.
Otherwise, even should the rebellion be quelled, history would merely repeat itself—another cycle of the great lords jockeying for position and favor. The people would never truly revere the inherent might of the Iron Throne itself.
The most fundamental power of the crown—King's Landing and the Crownlands—must become the protagonists in this war, claiming the most glorious victory for themselves.
This had once seemed a slender hope indeed.
For centuries, the Crownlands had maintained such a meager presence that they barely registered in the affairs of the realm, their reputation inferior to that of any of the Seven Kingdoms.
Their military strength matched this dim renown. Even with the treasury and magic at his disposal, Joffrey had managed to arm only twenty or thirty thousand soldiers—and even this modest force strained the royal coffers nearly to breaking.
Such a Crownlands could hardly showcase the throne's true authority.
In bygone days, kings had relied upon dragons to flaunt their might. After the dragons perished, monarchs had been forced to woo the great lords, ruling through marriages and laws rather than raw power.
Consequently, the lords had come to despise the throne itself all the more. Whether a king received genuine reverence depended entirely upon how many lords supported his rule, how many dukes called themselves his friends, and how widely his benevolence extended.
Joffrey understood this dynamic all too well.
This explained why, even as Renly gathered his forces, Joffrey had chosen to focus on the cleansing of King's Landing—a bold stroke calculated to overturn the lords' contempt for both the capital and the Crownlands.
He would defeat an army of one hundred thousand with King's Landing's own twenty thousand troops, thereby tolling the death knell of the old era!
Magic had given him the confidence to pursue this audacious goal.
Already, King's Landing boasted more than a thousand Holy Warriors—mages bearing runic imprints within their flesh—who could collectively generate more than a thousand units of runic energy each day.
Joffrey labored without rest, gathering the runic energy accumulated by his Holy Warriors every Sunday for use in the week to follow.
A portion of this energy he devoted to bestowing runic imprints upon new candidates, steadily increasing the ranks of his Holy Warriors.
Another portion went toward the creation of various magical items: Wishing Stones, Advanced Grace Cores, Databases, All-Seeing Eyes, and Books of the Chosen.
The Wishing Stones bore information rune imprints that drew in source energy, converting it to information magic energy required by the Grace Cores, thus maintaining the operation of the magic network—the divine grace light screen that now governed so much of daily life.
The Databases represented another application of information runes. After editing specific instruction programs, they could store and retrieve information, thereby facilitating updates and upgrades to the magic network, while advancing magical research and operation.
The Advanced Grace Cores incorporated additional runic imprints, rendering them more stable and powerful, eliminating the need for frequent visits to the Wishing Stones.
The All-Seeing Eyes served as the literal eyes of the Security Bureau. Some were enhanced with runes for reconnaissance, positioning, and backtracking, enabling them not only to monitor those blessed with divine grace, but also to gather intelligence that was more extensive, secret, and distant by means of various media.
The Book of the Chosen, another form of database, specialized in storing and retrieving personnel information, making the soldiers' inspections more rigorous and efficient, thus ensuring better control over King's Landing.
Similar artifacts proliferated, born of Joffrey's own imagination and the inspirations of the Research Department.
This endless stream of innovations filled Joffrey with both excitement and uncertainty.
Though the accumulated runic energy had grown substantial, it remained insufficient to manufacture every type of artifact in the quantities he desired.
How best to allocate this limited resource?
Should he devote himself fully to expanding the ranks of Holy Warriors?
Or manufacture more Wishing Stones to extend the reach of the magic network?
Or dedicate his energy to creating diverse magical items, experimenting with novel ideas, and studying varied applications of magic?
Each path offered unique advantages. The sheer power of the Holy Warriors, the expanded influence of the magic network, and the research and application of magic—all presented themselves as options too valuable to abandon.
In the end, Joffrey could only exercise his own judgment, doubling the number of Holy Warriors each week, manufacturing one hundred Wishing Stones, and allocating the remaining runic energy to other artifacts or storing it against future need.
King's Landing grew more powerful with each passing day, and magic reshaped the world with every sunrise.
This, at least, brought him satisfaction.
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