Chapter 154

The City Watch of King’s Landing continued to harass and obstruct the operations of the Night’s Watch’s enterprise on the first day of Tyrion’s proclaimed “three days,” retreating only when Tyrion himself showed up with a contingent of men, feigning respect. However, Janos Slynt was not entirely without sources of information. By the second day, sensing the strange change in the wind, he ordered the gold cloaks to halt their interference.

In the eastern barracks of the Watch, Commander Slynt sat in his office, discussing a recent visit from a mysterious messenger with his most trusted lieutenant.
----


“That person was from the queen?” Aral Dimm, Slynt’s right-hand man, asked in shock. “What does the queen want with you?”

“She delivered a generous gift,” Slynt said stiffly. “That messenger told me that the queen’s dwarf brother, Tyrion, has joined forces with that Night’s Watch officer, Aegor. They’ve persuaded many Crownlands nobles to file formal accusations against me with the Hand of the King, piling on enough charges to strip me of my position as Commander of the City Watch.” His expression twisted as he continued, “No wonder, when I visited a few shops yesterday, the merchants treated me with less respect than usual. Their masters must’ve instructed them to join the accusations!”

“What?” Aral struggled to process. “Why would the queen involve herself in such matters? And she’s Tyrion’s own sister—why would she betray him to help us?”

“Her Grace has her own eyes and ears in the palace. Knowing some insider information is hardly surprising,” Slynt said, his tone dark. “As for why she’s helping me... ha, she wants to recruit me to her cause. She’s plotting rebellion—to kill the king, oust the Hand, and place her bastard son on the throne. In exchange, she promised to suppress all these accusations and grant me a noble title once the deed is done.”

“Rebellion?” Aral was horrified. “So the rumors about her and her brother are true? Now that the king has returned, she can’t hide her adultery and plans to gamble it all?”

“Seems that way,” Slynt replied. “Aral, if you were the commander of the Watch, would you agree to her plan?”

“Well, sir...” Aral stammered, “I doubt it would work. The lads in the Watch all know King Robert personally. If he stood before them and shouted, they’d tie us up and drag us to him without a second thought.”

Aral wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t just familiarity with the king that doomed the idea; in theory, with enough charisma and rewards, even a powerful king could be overthrown. But the current situation was stark: on one side was a legendary warrior-king who paid the Watch’s salaries; on the other, a commander notorious for skimming those same salaries and earning his men’s resentment. Slynt might thrive under Robert’s protection, but to rebel against him? Who would follow a rabid dog biting the hand that fed it?

Slynt knew this well and nodded. “I agree. When the king summoned me two days ago, I could tell he was already considering action against the Lannisters. His distrust of the queen is clear. Without royal orders, the men wouldn’t even get past the Red Keep’s gates, let alone stage a coup. We have no siege equipment—what rebellion could we possibly muster? That foolish woman is trying to drag me down with her. If one of those bastards was mine, I might’ve considered it. But since she’s never shared my bed, why should I risk my life for her?”

Aral sighed in relief. “So you refused?”

“I agreed.”

“What?!”

Slynt shot his lieutenant a glare. “Fool! Agreeing doesn’t mean I’ll act. Now I can report her plot to the king and earn some credit!”

“Oh!” Aral exhaled again. “In that case, how do you plan to deal with the Night’s Watch and the dwarf’s schemes to topple you?”

“Simple.” Slynt sneered. “So the rumors are true—Tyrion and his sister don’t get along. At a critical moment like this, even the Lannisters are playing their own games. How pathetic.” His expression darkened. “If the Night’s Watch enterprise is targeting me, I’ll just tell the king that its real owner is Tyrion Lannister. And if I add that the queen tried to bribe me into harming him, what do you think His Grace will conclude?”

Aral thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“You never think, do you?” Slynt growled. “The king will assume the queen failed to buy me off and is now using her brother to take me down!”

“That makes sense!”

“As long as the king still trusts me, I can buy myself time,” Slynt muttered, his mind racing. For years, he’d never felt this close to disaster. That damned Night’s Watch officer and the dwarf had caught him off guard. “They dare move against me for some girl? Fine. I’ll kill them both. Once they’re dead, their little coalition of merchants and nobles will collapse into infighting over the Night’s Watch enterprise. With no one left to challenge me, I’ll even take that girl for myself and have her earn back the money they spent on this mess!”

“Brilliant idea, sir!” Aral said, though his tone hesitated. “But these two aren’t like those fools Jon Arryn convinced to testify against you last year. And the timing isn’t ideal—the king just ordered us to prepare for immediate deployment. If we openly move against them and kill two prominent figures, the king might punish us harshly. And we can’t just kill the Hand of the King if he keeps investigating!”

“Who said anything about using the gold cloaks? Use your street rats instead!” Slynt snapped. “As for the Hand, I’ll warn the king that the Lannisters are preparing to rebel and could strike at any moment. His Grace will act preemptively, and once chaos erupts in the Red Keep, the lions, wolves, and stags will tear each other apart. Do you think the Hand will have time to bother with me then?” He smirked. “And when we help King Robert crush the Lannisters and secure King’s Landing, even if the Hand continues his investigation, any wrongdoing will be overshadowed by my contributions.”

“Brilliant plan, sir!” Aral exclaimed, marveling at Slynt’s cunning. “Truly flawless!”

“It’s not brilliance,” Slynt grumbled. “It’s that you idiots leave me no choice but to think of everything myself. Now, get to it! I want those two dead today! Every second they live is another step closer to my head rolling!”

“Yes, sir!” Aral saluted, but as he turned to leave, Slynt called him back.

“Wait! Don’t touch Tyrion. He’s still a Lannister, and we should wait for the king’s orders before dealing with him. If Tywin Lannister negotiates to retrieve his children and grandchildren, he might investigate his son’s death later. We can’t risk Stark exposing us.”

Even in King’s Landing, far from Casterly Rock, Slynt feared Tywin Lannister’s wrath.

“Yes, sir!” Aral hurried out, taking Slynt’s written authorization to the armory for crossbows and bolts.

Left alone, Slynt paced to the window, gazing across the street at the bustling Night’s Watch office.
----


If not for Cersei’s timely intelligence, he might have stumbled in this mess. He owed her for the tip but scoffed at her request for rebellion. Let the nobles play their deadly games of thrones—he was a commoner with no name or title. Clinging to one powerful patron was enough. Risking his life for a madwoman who bedded her brother? Ridiculous.

This was divine favor, he thought with a cold smile. Soon, his harem would expand by one more, and a hard-won conquest always tasted sweeter. As long as the girl didn’t harbor any foolish notions of revenge, he’d treat her well.