The Spider, Varys, stood respectfully before Lord Renly, his voice as always soft and velvety.
"My lord Renly, the sellsword murdered on the streets of Flea Bottom was named Yigo. He hailed from the vast grasslands beyond the Narrow Sea, a Dothraki. His death has something to do with our esteemed Lord Petyr Baelish."
"Oh?" Renly's interest was piqued. His eyes roved across Petyr Baelish with amusement. "Lord Petyr Baelish, care to explain?"
Petyr Baelish stood up gracefully and offered a shallow bow. "My lord Renly, I know nothing of this matter. Perhaps Lord Varys would be better suited to explain."
Varys responded with his trademark gentle whisper, "Let Ser Janos Slynt speak instead."
From among the few courtiers present, a squat, muscular man stepped forward, Commander of the City Watch, Janos Slynt. He was broad but short, bald, with a bullfrog's face and a menacing glint in his eyes. Born to a butcher in King's Landing, Janos had clawed his way up from humble beginnings. The City Watch he commanded were known as the Gold Cloaks, named for their wool cloaks dyed a vivid golden hue.
Legally, the Watch answered to the Master of Laws, Lord Renly Baratheon, but Renly, like his royal brother, had little interest in governance. He preferred wine and merriment, which had allowed the Watch to operate with near-complete autonomy under Slynt.
Janos marched to the base of the Iron Throne's seven-tiered dais, the seven steps a symbol of reverence for the Seven Gods.
"My lord." Janos began, "the perpetrator fled King's Landing by carriage. I've issued orders to circulate a sketch and capture him. Based on eyewitness accounts, the killer is tall, bald, with a manic grin. He claimed to be a knight from the Shield Islands under House Tyrell of the Reach, but his accent suggested he was from the Westerlands."
"The Westerlands? A knight under House Lannister?" Renly raised an eyebrow.
"We can't be sure yet, my lord. Many people can mimic regional accents."
That remark drew subtle glances from both Varys and Littlefinger. Had Janos aligned himself with the Queen? In King's Landing, that was as good as declaring loyalty to the Lannisters.
"Very well. So what started the fight between the knight and the sellsword?"
"The victim, Yigo, was a hired thug, paid by a group of brown stew vendors. Their goal was to chop off the hand of an elderly competitor and drive him and his granddaughter out of Flea Bottom for good."
"Savage." Renly chuckled. He looked innocent and naïve, a flower raised in a hothouse. And indeed, that was not far from the truth.
"Yes, my lord. Yigo was slain during the attack by a knight who happened to be eating the old man's stew. The old man's name is Buzz, formerly a mint worker. Lord Petyr had arranged for him to earn a living selling stew in Flea Bottom. His success angered the other vendors and brought retaliation."
"Ah, that makes sense now." Renly nodded. "I don't think we need to dig deeper. Let the knight go. Those sellswords are hardly saints anyway. What do the rest of you do?"
Varys responded with his usual empty smile, all lips, no warmth.
Littlefinger spoke with a teasing smirk. "I agree."
Grand Maester Pycelle trembled forward. "My lord… murder must be repaid with justice. We must not let this crime be so casually dismissed. At least, "
"All right, Grand Maester." Renly interrupted with a mocking grin, waving him off. "As you say." He quickly pivoted. "Lord Janos, what about the killings in the Flea Bottom fighting pits? I hear there were over thirty casualties?"
"A gambling dispute, my lord." Janos replied. "They were betting on a dog fight. The losing side accused the others of cheating."
"Dog fights? That does sound entertaining." Renly said, clearly tempted to go see for himself. But the stern expressions of his courtiers sobered him. He quickly adjusted his tone. "Were the pit owners arrested?"
"Yes, my lord. The owner is a man named Rorge. His assistant is called Biter. Rorge has long controlled the underground fighting pits in Flea Bottom. That day, his prize dog, known as the Dog King, was killed by a newcomer, a bull terrier. Most of the gamblers had bet everything on the Dog King."
"The only ones who won money were fewer than ten. Among them was a stranger from the Free City of Lorath across the Narrow Sea. He spoke perfect Westerosi Common and gave his name as Jaqen H'ghar."
"That's an unusual name." Renly mused, intrigued.
"Indeed. What drew even more attention was his hair, one half white, the other red. After their losses, some gamblers accused him of drugging the Dog King. Biter was the first to act. He believed Jaqen had cheated and tried to stab him in the mouth with a dagger. Jaqen threw him into a wall before anyone saw how he moved. Biter was the first to be knocked out."
Renly leaned forward, fascinated. "So Jaqen fought back?"
"He didn't just fight back, my lord. When the Watch arrived and sealed off the exits, the fighting pit was already full of bodies. Rorge and Biter were both unconscious, struck down by Jaqen. In total, three men died by his hand. Eleven were wounded, all slashed at the wrist, rendering them unable to ever hold a weapon again. Many others were knocked unconscious. The rest were collateral in the chaos."
"One man… with just a short sword?" Renly was stunned.
"Yes, my lord. And the fighting pit is no playground. Most of those gamblers were hardened sellswords. Rorge and Biter are notorious thugs in King's Landing."
Renly blinked, suspicion creeping in. "Could he be using dark magic?"
He had heard rumors, strange skills and sorcery from across the Narrow Sea.
"Where is he now?" Renly asked.
"We've imprisoned him in the Red Keep's black cells," said Janos. "I've had his limbs chained in heavy iron, the cell reinforced, the locks replaced. He's extremely dangerous. We'll wait until King Robert returns from the North, then put him on trial. He should be hanged."
Renly sighed, clearly disappointed. "And what of Rorge and Biter?"
"Also imprisoned, in the same cell as Jaqen."
⚔────────
Visit my Patreon for more: patreon.com/vynthor
Extra Content Already Available:
The Mountain of Ice and Fire (GOT) – 56 advanced chapters!
Naruto: I Am Nara Shikamaru – 30 advanced chapters!
One Piece: Summoner of the 3D Zone – 38 advanced chapters!
That's a total of 124 chapters ahead of public updates!
With your support, I release 10 chapters per fanfics every week, keeping the stories alive and growing.
Thank you so much for being part of this journey!