Chapter 14: The New CEO of King's Landing: Audits, Edicts, and Anticipations
The dawn following the Red Keep's lockdown was not just the start of a new day for King's Landing, but the first page in a brutally rewritten ledger for the entire city. Robar Baratheon, now the self-styled Lord Protector and Steward of the Crown, moved with the decisive speed of a market predator that had just cornered its prey. His "office" remained Aerys's former solar in Maegor's Holdfast, rapidly transforming from a den of madness into a high-efficiency command center, the scent of fear and incense slowly being replaced by the crisp aroma of fresh parchment and the metallic tang of BCR's ambition.
His first order of business was the formal establishment of a provisional administration. He had no patience for the ponderous rituals of feudal councils. This was a board of directors, handpicked for utility. Stannis, his grim-faced brother, was appointed Chief Security Officer for King's Landing, tasked with overseeing the city garrison (a tense integration of Baratheon troops and now-compliant Gold Cloaks) and eradicating any lingering pockets of Targaryen resistance. Grand Maester Pycelle, his earlier terror now replaced by a fawning obsequiousness, was retained as Chief Information Officer, his primary role being the management of the rookery and the dissemination of BCR-approved narratives across the realm. Janos Slynt, the newly enriched Commander of the Gold Cloaks, became Director of Urban Pacification, his leash held tight by Stannis. Several of Robar's most astute Stormlander knights and BCR administrators were given oversight of key municipal functions – port authority, granaries, sanitation (a shockingly neglected sector with immense potential for "health an d productivity optimization," as Robar termed it). Ser Jaime Lannister, with a cynical amusement that Robar found perversely useful, was designated a "Special Consultant on Crown Affairs," his primary role being to provide insights into the previous regime's more opaque dealings and, more importantly, to prepare Robar for the impending arrival of his father.
The Great Audit of King's Landing began immediately, spearheaded by a legion of BCR auditors Robar had brought with his fleet, men who could sniff out a misallocated copper groat from a league away. The Royal Treasury, as Robar had suspected, was a disaster. Aerys's erratic spending, lavish gifts to sycophants, and the sheer corruption of his favorites had left it severely depleted. Robar, his face a mask of icy fury as the initial reports came in, ordered a full forensic accounting. "Every dragon stolen from the Crown is a dragon stolen from BCR's future profits," he declared. "Trace it. Recover it. With interest." This aggressive pursuit of "misappropriated funds" would conveniently allow him to target and neutralize many of Aerys's former cronies without overtly appearing tyrannical.
City finances and guild ledgers were subjected to the same ruthless scrutiny. Robar's auditors descended upon the headquarters of the Vintners, Spice Merchants, and Weavers, their demands for access backed by detachments of the Stormblade Cohort. Inefficiencies were identified, untaxed revenues "discovered," and "opportunities for enhanced collaboration with BCR" were presented as non-negotiable terms. Confiscations of assets from known Targaryen loyalists and corrupt officials began to swell BCR's coffers. Manses were seized, businesses "restructured" under BCR management, and hidden caches of wealth unearthed. King's Landing was learning the true meaning of "hostile takeover."
As Lord Protector, Robar began issuing his first edicts. Some were designed for public appeasement: the beard tax was formally abolished, along with several other nuisance taxes Aerys had levied in his paranoia. Standardized weights and measures, based on a new BCR-approved system, were proclaimed to facilitate "fair and efficient commerce." More critically, he issued edicts consolidating his power. A strict curfew was imposed for the first week. The open carrying of weapons by anyone not authorized by his administration was forbidden, punishable by confiscation and imprisonment. Severe penalties were announced for sedition, rumor-mongering against the new administration, or any act deemed disruptive to public order and economic activity. These were not the laws of a beloved king, but the regulations of a new CEO determined to enforce shareholder (his own) value.
Aerys Targaryen remained a closely guarded prisoner in the deepest, most secure cells of Maegor's Holdfast, his existence a useful tool for Robar's narrative of "protective stewardship." Robar allowed Grand Maester Pycelle and a few carefully selected, pliable courtiers to "visit" the former king, who was usually either raving incoherently or lost in a catatonic stupor. Their carefully coached reports of Aerys's tragic decline further cemented Robar's public justification for his actions. His ultimate fate remained an open question on Robar's internal agenda – a public trial for his crimes against the realm offered excellent PR potential, but a quiet "death from natural causes" was cleaner and less likely to inspire martyr cults.
The captured pyromancers, under Maester Vaellyn's relentless interrogation, continued to yield vital information. The neutralization of wildfire caches throughout the city was an ongoing, perilous operation. Vaellyn's teams, working in secret shifts, often at night, moved through the city's underbelly, defusing Aerys's deadly legacy one hidden cache at a time. There was one close call when a minor cache in a forgotten cellar beneath a Flea Bottom brothel began to leak, its volatile fumes nearly igniting. Only the swift action of Vaellyn's team, using the neutralizing agents Robar had commissioned, prevented a localized disaster. Robar used the incident (carefully omitting the true scale of the city-wide threat) to publicly praise the "brave city workers" (his own teams, of course) for averting a "tragic accident," further bolstering his image as a savior.
To further cultivate this image, and more practically, to ensure a stable and productive workforce, Robar initiated a series of highly visible public works projects under the "BCR Cares" banner. Flea Bottom, long a festering sore of poverty and disease, saw the arrival of BCR sanitation crews (conscripted labor, mostly) tasked with clearing refuse and digging proper latrines. Robar understood that a healthier population was a more productive one. He also established several BCR-run soup kitchens, distributing basic rations to the city's poorest. This was not charity; it was a calculated investment in social stability, ensuring that hunger did not breed unrest that could disrupt commerce. The cost was easily offset by the new taxes and confiscated assets pouring into BCR's coffers.
News from the wider realm continued to filter in. Ned Stark was successfully consolidating the Riverlands, his new Tully alliance holding firm. Jon Arryn's Vale knights were slowly mobilizing, and the BCR envoys were reportedly making significant headway in negotiating a comprehensive economic partnership that would secure the Vale's full military commitment. The Ironborn, under Balon Greyjoy, were proving to be enthusiastic, if brutal, partners, their raids along the western coast and in the Reach sowing chaos among Targaryen loyalists and, more importantly, tying down Mace Tyrell's forces. The Lord of Highgarden, Robar knew, would be hesitant to march on King's Landing while his own lands were ablaze.
The most anticipated piece of news, however, was the arrival of Tywin Lannister. Robar knew this would be a critical negotiation. Tywin was one of the few men in Westeros whose intellect and ruthlessness approached his own (though Robar privately considered the old lion's obsession with legacy a significant emotional vulnerability). He spent hours with Jaime Lannister, ostensibly discussing "Crown affairs," but in reality, conducting a detailed character assessment of his future father-in-law. Jaime, with his cynical wit and surprisingly keen insights, provided a wealth of information on Tywin's negotiating tactics, his pride, his ambitions, and his few known weaknesses.
"My father respects strength, Lord Protector," Jaime had advised, a glint of amusement in his green eyes. "And profit. He despises weakness, sentimentality, and anyone who doesn't pay their debts. Show him that you are strong, that an alliance with you is profitable, and that you are not Aerys's fool, and he will listen. Try to play him for a fool, however, and you will find Casterly Rock's vaults have very long memories."
Robar absorbed this information, filing it away in his mental dossier on Tywin. He ordered preparations made for the Lannister delegation's arrival. King's Landing was to present an image of absolute order, burgeoning prosperity (under BCR's wise stewardship, of course), and unshakeable military strength. The streets were cleaned (at least the main thoroughfares Tywin would see), the Gold Cloaks drilled to a new standard of discipline, and BCR banners flew prominently alongside Baratheon stags, subtly emphasizing the new economic power underpinning his rule.
His internal monologue was a continuous stream of strategic planning. King's Landing was the jewel, but it was only the first major acquisition. The Tyrells still needed to be brought to heel – either through military defeat or a BCR-brokered merger. Dorne, with its traditional Targaryen loyalties and prickly independence, presented another challenge. And then there was the North, the Vale, the Riverlands – allies for now, but future targets for economic integration into his grand vision for a Westeros run with the ruthless efficiency of a planet-spanning corporation. The Iron Throne itself was merely the CEO's chair, the ultimate vantage point from which to oversee his global enterprise.
A week after he had seized control, as the city settled into a nervous but functional routine under his iron fist, a sentry atop the King's Gate sounded a horn. A messenger arrived breathlessly at the Red Keep.
"My Lord Protector! A vast host approaches from the west! Banners of the Golden Lion of Lannister! Lord Tywin himself is said to be at their head!"
Robar stood from his makeshift desk, the ledgers detailing King's Landing's burgeoning (and now properly accounted for) revenues momentarily forgotten. He walked to the window, gazing out over the city he now controlled. The sun was high, glinting off the newly polished helmets of his guards.
"Excellent," he murmured, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "The first major shareholder meeting is about to commence. Let us see if Lord Tywin is prepared to discuss a merger, or if he requires a more… aggressive form of negotiation."
The new CEO of King's Landing was ready for his first big test.
Word Count: Approx. 3100 words