Jaime's mind raced with suspicions; he doubted everyone.
Again, he could not resist asking: "Do you know who it is?"
Gawen would never give Jaime an answer. To speak plainly would bring disaster.
The "love-struck knight" would simply choose to cut someone down, and the "instigator" Gawen would then be forced into a binding alliance with House Lannister for his own safety.
At this stage, Gawen chose Queen Cersei for one very practical reason—she could offer him both power and golden dragons.
Robert Baratheon's manner of tyranny could reduce a once high-spirited Lancel into a timid boy, but such methods had no effect on Cersei.
"You may curse me, beat me, insult me—but I, Cersei of House Lannister, will not fear you, nor respect you. Cross me, and I will repay you in kind."
That unyielding hardness of spirit—untouched by Robert's cruelty—was one of her few true virtues.
Yet so long as King Robert and Lord Jon Arryn remained in the Red Keep, Gawen Crabb—once a loyal retainer of House Targaryen—could never move freely.
Worse still, either man might, on a whim, turn his gaze on Gawen, whose strength was still too meager.
That weakness was both his disadvantage—and his advantage.
If Queen Cersei chose to shield him, then the Red Keep would not risk offending her over the likes of Gawen Crabb. In their eyes, he was not worth the trouble.
And Cersei's temperament was such that she might fight to the bitter end over even the smallest slight—making her protection invaluable.
Here lay the narrow crevice where Gawen could survive and grow.
Jaime, as Cersei's closest confidant and dearest brother, was someone whose favor could not be ignored.
At first, Gawen had hoped Jaime's opinion of him might be softened through Tyrion's indirect influence.
But judging by Jaime's attitude when they first met, that hope had already failed.
Henceforth, Gawen knew he must avoid growing too close to Tyrion—for Cersei despised her brother utterly.
Still, Gawen had patience enough to untangle each of these relationships one by one.
He was clear in his heart: he meant to borrow Queen Cersei's ship, not to board the vessel of House Lannister entire.
Gawen rubbed at his brow and said, "There is no proof. All we have are suspicions, Ser Jaime. And suspicions without evidence would only leave Her Grace surrounded by enemies on all sides."
Jaime exhaled in frustration, his strength without outlet. "You're right. I must appear untroubled, else I aid her enemies myself."
Gawen nodded in agreement. "Ser Jaime, you already know of the plot. Keep your eyes sharp, and in time the rats in the gutter will be caught. A conspiracy once discovered is no longer a threat—so long as vigilance is maintained."
Jaime relaxed visibly. "You seem very adept at unmasking conspiracies."
What kind of question was that? Gawen thought bitterly that he and Jaime truly were not of one mind.
Jaime, by nature, had little taste for schemes. Gawen mistook his concern for suspicion, thinking Jaime questioned his character.
But in truth Jaime's meaning was different. He admired Gawen's sharp perception, yet feared such a young man might be seduced by intrigue and darkness. As an "older knight," he felt duty-bound to keep one he respected from straying.
They were speaking across different channels, and indeed not well-matched.
Gawen, generous in spirit, chose to act as if he had not understood, and answered with a faint smile: "Perhaps it comes from the life I've lived. My sense for danger is sharp. My mother often said so. For the sake of our family's survival, she carried me from our ruined lands when I was but an infant. The road was perilous, but whenever danger approached, I would cry out before anyone else noticed. She used to say I was a better sentinel than any guard."
He shook his head with a rueful smile. "Had it not been for Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, who spoke for us more than a decade ago, House Crabb might already have perished."
Ever farsighted, Gawen deliberately let slip to Jaime the debt his house owed to Lord Stark.
When Jaime departed, Gawen straightened his back and returned to his labors.
The Queen's Quarter was connected to the city through five main passages. Of the Lannister guards Jaime had brought, Gawen divided fifty men into five companies of ten, raising barricades and stationing each company at one gate. That very day, under the pretext of preventing the spread of illness, he sealed the Queen's Quarter entirely.
The remaining Lannister guards and Crabb men-at-arms garrisoned Gawen's command post, ready for orders.
Once the gates were shut, Gawen, in the Queen's name, began isolating the sick for treatment.
To ensure compliance, food and medicine within the quarantine were made free of charge.
The sick numbered fewer than expected—barely over four hundred. But Gawen added a zero, proclaiming the number to be five thousand, deliberately spreading fear throughout the Queen's Quarter.
Most of the healers in the district were gathered into the quarantine as well.
A sack of golden dragons, coupled with the sharp steel of the guards' swords, made them highly cooperative.
Steward Leyton was placed in charge of propaganda, serving as master of Gawen's "atmosphere group" to spread dread among the populace.
Under this careful orchestration, the Queen's Quarter descended into panic, each man and woman fearing for their life.
By the following nightfall, Gawen had imposed curfew: once the sun set, none might walk the streets.
On the fifth day under Gawen's rule, he sat in his command post, brow furrowed in hesitation.
Two hundred guilty men had already been condemned. None of them undeserving of death.
Yet Gawen wondered whether executing so many at once might earn him grim titles—"the Baron of Skulls," or "the Executioner Baron."
He laughed at himself. To think he would worry over his reputation in such a matter!
His hesitation lasted but a moment.
Let the heads roll. King's Landing would one day be his domain. Better to grant the city's smallfolk an early boon by ridding them of these villains now. Their lives would improve all the sooner.
Through Gawen's direct management, a new constabulary was founded in the Queen's Quarter.
His captain, Foley, was named Chief Constable, while Steward Leyton was appointed Chief Clerk.
The fifty old guardsmen had already been placed under Gawen's control; not one among them was innocent.
At the same time, one hundred new constables were recruited and placed under Foley and Leyton, restoring order and patrols to the quarter.
If, in time, the Red Keep recognized this new office without altering Gawen's appointments, the Queen's Quarter would effectively be his domain. If not, nothing would be lost.
For now, Gawen ruled through fear of disease, an extraordinary measure yielding swift results. But it was not a lasting solution—time would bring unrest.
Lacking the talent and energy to cultivate the Queen's Quarter in earnest, Gawen treated its control as little more than a fortunate surprise.
Perhaps, in the end, it would serve only as one more piece upon his board.
.
.
.
🔥 The Throne's Last Flame — A Song Forged in Ice and Wrath 🔥
📯 Lords and Ladies of the Realm, heed the call! 📯
The saga burns ever brighter—30 chapters ahead now await, available only to those who swear their loyalty on Patreon. 🐉❄️🔥
Walk among dragons, defy the cold, and stake your claim in a world where crowns are won with fire and fury.
🔗 Claim your place: www.patreon.com/DrManhattanEN👤 Known on Patreon as: DrManhattanEN
Your loyalty feeds the flame. And fire remembers.