Renly was, of course, surprised by his brother's order, but once I explained everything to him, he took it quite favorably and at once wrote and handed me a charter appointing me as Commander of the City Watch.Why did I even need it? Simply because the City Watch was the only military — well, semi-military — force that reported directly to the king and to no one else. All the others, even my personal guard, were Lannister men. And I couldn't trust them — they were paid by Tywin! Even if he was my grandfather.
No, one of the essential steps toward establishing real power was to have my own retinue — my own army. And not made up of those wretched lords, bound by oaths and blood ties, which might keep them from serving me fully. No — in my retinue there would be common folk, clothed and shod at my expense, fed and given shelter. Their families would be provided with jobs — by me. My soldiers would owe me everything, and that debt would be the foundation of their loyalty to their Lord.
I would rearm them according to my standards, retrain them if needed, organize them, and from the rabble that now called itself the City Watch, I would forge the backbone of my future army.
Wasting no time, I took the Hound and three Lannister soldiers as escort and made my way to the Watch barracks — one of which was located inside the Red Keep. That was where the de facto headquarters of the City Watch and the commander's quarters were situated.
The current Commander of the City Watch was Janos Slynt. And his reputation couldn't have been worse — even Joffrey himself knew plenty about his misdeeds.Had it been merely a matter of bribery, I wouldn't have said a word. But this scoundrel had dared to sell officer positions within the Watch for coin, and was involved in other dubious dealings. The previous Hand, Jon Arryn, had gathered proof of Slynt's guilt — but for some reason, the king had pardoned him. Such a man had no place in such an important position. Not even as a deputy, no matter how many people he knew.
With my appointment as Commander, a new era was beginning for the City Watch. And that had to be made clear from the outset — I would not tolerate bribery, I would not tolerate negligence, and I would not tolerate incompetence. The Watch would either be reorganized — or destroyed — and from its ruins, I would build something new.
Janos was in his chambers when I found him — half-dressed. It seemed he wasn't the least bit concerned that the sun was already high and he should have been at his duties.
"Who dares—?" Slynt began to bark as we burst into his chambers — but then he recognized me and instantly shriveled."Your Grace! To what do I owe this honor…?"
"Seize him," I ordered two of the Lannister soldiers.
To their credit, they obeyed without question. I might not trust them — but they were excellent executors.
"Throw him in the dungeon. No one is to be allowed in. And gag him — I don't want him screaming. One more thing — find Ilyn Payne and tell him I'll need him in Slynt's cell in half an hour."
The soldiers dragged Janos away, still resisting, mumbling through the gag.
"You," I turned to the third Lannister guard, "make a full circuit of the King's Landing barracks. Inform the gate captains that the new Commander of the City Watch orders them to report to the Red Keep by evening. We'll be getting acquainted."
"Yes, Commander!"
Now only the Hound remained with me. I inspected Janos's chambers carefully, but found no documents — nothing of real interest. Only luxury, the sort a Watch commander could never afford on his salary. News of Slynt's arrest would spread quickly through the capital and the Red Keep. And if there was any incriminating evidence here, there would surely be those who'd try to steal it.
Several startled gold cloaks had already gathered at the door to Janos's chambers. Their black mail, by the way, I rather liked — in the Lord's army, the soldiers wore something very similar. And I was fond of the color scheme.
"You and you," I pointed at the nearest guards, "guard the door to the arrested Janos Slynt's quarters — even at the cost of your lives. Let no one in. Not even my father. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Grace!"
"'Commander' would be more accurate. If you fail, or I find out someone entered the room without my knowledge — you'll lose your heads."
"It will be done, Commander!"
Just in case, I marked the floor in front of Janos's chambers with a magical sigil — invisible to the naked eye. If someone entered without my consent, I would know.
"Hound, tear this place apart. If you find any documents or papers, bring them to my quarters. You can bring other guards to help — but not a single thing is to go missing. Got it?"
The tall warrior gave a grim nod, clearly not thrilled with the task. But his enthusiasm wasn't something I needed.
Janos Slynt was already waiting for me in the dungeon.
Ser Ilyn Payne was a man of considerable talent.They said he could torture a man for months without letting him die. Years ago, this charming knight had the poor judgment to make a bold joke — for which the king at the time ordered his tongue torn out. He hadn't smiled or spoken since.
But he was loyal — like a dog — to House Lannister, and under the king, he served as executioner, warden, and master of torture.
As I had commanded, he was already waiting for me in Janos's cell, his array of tools prepared. A perceptive man — and a competent one — he immediately understood why I had summoned him.A man like that might be of use to me.
"Your Grace, this is a terrible mistake!" Slynt shouted the moment he saw me. "I swear, I am loyal to the Crown, and all these slanders—"
His plea was cut short by a precise punch to the jaw from Ser Ilyn.
"You will keep silent and listen," I said, looming over Janos, who was chained to the wall. "And you will speak only when I say so. By order of my father, King Robert Baratheon, as of today I am the Commander of the City Watch. And it just so happens that certain rumors have reached me — about your excessive greed, Janos Slynt..."
"By the Seven, Your Grace, it's all just—"
Another blow cut him off.
"Ser Ilyn, if the prisoner speaks again without my permission, cut off the fingers of his left hand," I commanded.
The executioner shifted his grip on the knife, more comfortably now. The grim smile that played across his face made Janos shrink even further into himself, seeming to grow half his size on the floor.
"I'm not interested in your excuses. As Commander of the Watch, I've already judged you and sentenced you to death. But it's within your power to soften that sentence."
"I'll do anything, anything you want!..."
This time, his words ended in a scream — Ser Ilyn had followed my instructions to the letter. Though in truth, I doubted it was necessary. Janos Slynt was a coward — it didn't take torture to make him talk. For men like him, merely seeing the intent to torture was enough.
By the way, with that gesture, Ser Ilyn had passed a kind of test. I'd decided that if a noble or commoner executed my first order — regardless of the reason — I would try to earn their loyalty in the future. If they failed to follow it, I wouldn't give them another chance — and, likely sooner than later, I would see them removed. Painlessly or otherwise.Payne had proven himself… a man worthy of my time.
"I want names," I told Janos, looking him in the eye. "Who gave you bribes, to whom did you pass them, which officers bought their ranks. You'll tell me everything."
"I will, I will!" Janos howled, cradling his mutilated hand.
There are, after all, certain advantages to holding the title of prince — at least within the Red Keep. I could do almost anything, and few could stop me. Especially when dealing with a criminal. Simple times — simple rules. As Commander of the Watch, I had the authority to judge and sentence caught criminals to various punishments — much like any other lord in his own lands. And that gave me even more freedom under current conditions.
"Ser Ilyn Payne, have your assistants write down everything this man says. Oversee it personally, and if the prisoner grows silent — do whatever you deem necessary. I'll resume the questioning tomorrow."
Payne gave a simple nod, his eyes glinting as he glanced at the whimpering Janos Slynt.