"Aye… aye, it's…" Brennard's voice cracked, tears streaming. "Up in the central tower… just before the door. To the right, low down. The stones… they pull free."
"Is that all?" Wylis brought the cloth closer to Brennard's face.
"No, wait, there's more! The men you cut down, they kept hidden coin too. Jewelry, bits o' silver. In the guardhouse, under the armor chest. Stones pull free, that's where it lies."
Wylis glared for a moment and slowly placed the cloth back on Brennard's face.
"Wait! Wait, wait! I know, I know there's more! Down by the docks, in the dockmaster's hall, the big one where they stack all the crates. There's some hid away rich spice, fine silk, and glass trinkets. I swear, M'lord. That's all I know."
Spice? Wylis mused over it.
He did find the food rather bland, and spice was fucking expensive. If he could acquire some for free, it'd make food far better.
"Very well. I'll look over each of them and judge your fate in due time." Wylis rose with the cloth in hand. "Now, the other two will face their turn."
Soon, more screams echoed from the dungeon. Wylis repeated the process. He was interested in them because they were marked as enemies on the map. Meanwhile, Brennard and the other soldiers weren't.
He wanted to know why.
And once some time passed, he knew why. They weren't ordinary blokes. They survived two hours of waterboarding and didn't break. Wylis had to send Kyle to get some tools from the blacksmith. After that, he pulled their nails one by one while also waterboarding them.
Soon enough, they broke.
"We… we came by Lord Bolton's word. Said we were to test ye. See if ye'd stand friend or foe. If chance was given… we were to slip you poison. Didn't matter whose side you were on."
Roose Bolton? Wylis frowned, remembering the stoic-looking man from the Battle of the Trident. He and Roose had fought side by side there multiple times. While he knew the man was untrustworthy, he didn't expect such early planning.
Maybe it changed because I took Ramsgate? Must have come as a surprise when I could have asked for any other large and flourishing place.
Robert's offer was clear. Wylis could have picked any region of Westeros other than Dorne to settle down. Heck, Robert didn't even have to do anything. All the Lord Paramounts wanted him in their lands. From Tyrells to Lannisters to Tully. Fuck, he'd bred Jon Arryn's wife, and that said something about his fame and name.
Still, Wylis didn't like the fact that the bastard wanted to kill him outright for nothing but fucking timber. Were a few dozen gold dragons worth more than his life? Moreover, what made Roose so confident? Enough to make an enemy out of him?
I hate fucking politics.
If he wanted, he could go to Dreadfort at night and butcher every single man, woman, or child with Bolton in their name. But that was the way of assassins, not knights. There was nothing to gain for that. But if he were to have justified reasons for taking care of Boltons, he'd have Robert's decree to plunder the ancient house to ruins.
But the truth was, he didn't want to deal with all that headache yet. He needed to set up his trade and castle first, work on the town, and get a proper hold on his lands.
"Alright. Now, if you want to live, make me happy. Gold, precious materials, whatever you can give. If you don't, you die."
"What makes ye think I fear dyin'?"
Wylis just shrugged and stood up. "Your choice."
By the nape, Wylis dragged the man to the adjacent cell. Then, in front of the second man, he beheaded him entirely, letting the head tumble around and blood spoil the stone floor.
"What about you?"
Torture and a severed head were enough to scare anyone. Let alone some no-name wannabe James Bond. The second man spilled even more secrets about the way the entire operation was run. How the timber was stolen and shipped off, how the money changed hands, and of course, some more secret stashes.
Satisfied with that, Wylis let the man live, locked in the cell, with his friend's severed head.
Following that, he had Kyle and Jonos clean the castle, get rid of the dead bodies he'd left in the corridor outside the bedchamber. Maids were called to wipe the blood off. They were young girls, the same he'd seen before.
Finally, he met with Elia again and explained to her the entire situation. Her face went from confusion to a frown, and then a hint of anger. She was, after all, a veteran in politics, even if she never held too much power in the Red Keep. With her and later Rhaella combined, he was hoping to never need to buy political mastery, and rather use those years on something else. But still, the option was on the table.
"You are right, my Lord. To take root here first will strengthen you far more than chasing quarrels with the Boltons. If I may… I would offer a… thought."
"Speak, I'm listening," he said with a steady smile, while Rhaenys clambered onto his back as if he were a tree. They sat close by the table in the large bedchamber.
"The Boltons are not known for kindness, nor for honor. Even the Starks tread with care when dealing with them. In times such as these, you cannot stand alone. You told me Lord Wyman Manderly owes you his life. Write to him. Tell him all. Let his strength guard your back while yours is still growing."
"I had planned as much already. I could slay Brennard without delay. But I won't sow strife and misunderstandings with the Manderlys. After all, Brennard is still Wyman's chosen man."
"I meant more than that, my Lord. Tell them of the Boltons, of the snare they laid for you. You'll need steel, shields, veterans who can train your newly recruited men-at-arms—"
"I can manage it all," Wylis interrupted her, sitting straight, and saving Rhaenys from falling from his back. "Swords I can make to outshine the rest, men I can train till none could match them, and ships I can raise from timber and nail. I'll see to the work at once."
Elia, after a moment of pause, smiled. Not in mockery, but in a strange amusement. "My Lord, I don't question your strength or your will. Yet you're no longer a knight with only your sword to answer for. You are a lord, with land and lives bound to you. No man can carry all burdens alone. A wise ruler gathers good men, sets their course, and trusts them to see it done. You need not swing the hammer or drill the ranks. You are the spine, and this land is the body that leans upon you."
Fuck! She's… right.
Wylis scratched his head for a moment.
He never really believed he was dumb, but he knew he wasn't one of those super geniuses either. In his past life, his luck was that he inherited a pretty well-oiled machine that was his company. He never had to do much.
How the fuck did I forget all the time I spent setting up that massive larping park? He remembered the days he spent wanting to feel like a medieval lord and knight. Back then, he wasn't the one who made castles, ships, swords, and armor. What he did was gather the best people who could do it for him.
However, there was a big difference. He was the only one with the sort of knowledge he had. He was the only one with absolute mastery in sword, fist, horses, bows, civil engineering, shipbuilding, medicine, blacksmithing, chemistry, economics, and whatnot.
Hmm… What I need is intelligent assistants like Qyburn who are eager to learn and work for me.
"That did wake me up a little," Wylis muttered. "I was indeed planning on doing it all by myself. I suppose it's better to take students under my wing whom I can teach what I know, and then have them supervise all my plans. I'll go and write to Lord Wyman."
"I'm glad I could be of help, my Lord."
"That… You needn't call me lord while we're inside the castle. Just call me Wylis. Leia has for some time now." He finally grabbed the eager little Rhaenys and locked her on his lap before attacking with tickles.
"Ahaha…"
Rhaenys giggled, and Elia smiled.
Wylis liked that. That was the point, after all. Saving her was just the first step. Making sure she felt relaxed in this new life was what mattered most. And honestly, she looked stunning when she smiled.
"The maids will prepare the baths. You're free to explore the castle after that. I'll find a few strong boys from the town to stand guard tonight."
Elia just nodded and focused on caring for the bald Aegon, now Jon.
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