Chapter 153: Treacherous Winds and Clouds
Janos Slynt's ascent to Commander of the City Watch was, in truth, an accidental byproduct of negotiation and compromise between various factions.
As the administrative force of the Seven Kingdoms' largest metropolis, the City Watch was a lucrative department. The powers of the Crownlands, especially those local to King's Landing, spent every waking moment trying to burrow their way in. How could they possibly allow a commoner born to a butcher to become Commander?
Throughout the three-hundred-year history of the Targaryen dynasty, the City Watch had maintained a structure of being half-conscripted by the King, half-stationed by the various Houses of the Crownlands, and the Commander was generally a man from a Crownlands family. These houses were the King's direct vassals; their interests were tied to his, and the men they planted were naturally loyal to the crown. While such a structure seemed to risk sidelining the King's personal authority, it never truly threatened the rule of the Iron Throne.
After the Rebellion ended, Robert replaced the Targaryen on the Iron Throne, and the Crownlands families all became his vassals. Ravaged by war, these houses had no desire for revenge or restoration for the Targaryens. To consolidate his rule and appease these nervous former loyalists—and to save himself coin and effort—Robert did not perform a draconic reform of the traditions left by the previous dynasty. Instead, he turned a blind eye to the status quo of the Watch.
The new King was open and straightforward, but the Crownlands houses, projecting their own insecurity onto him, decided to take the initiative. Rather than engaging in the same infighting over the Commander's seat that had marked the last two centuries—which might make Robert uneasy—they chose to sing a proactive anthem of loyalty. They sent representatives to Jon Arryn, declaring that the Crownlands lords would not interfere with the election of the next high officer. The candidate would not come from any of their houses; instead, they would choose a commoner born in King's Landing, ensuring he would answer only to the new King's direct command!
By custom, the Commander was chosen from the captains of the seven gates. Of the seven, only two were commoners. One had died when the Lannister army sacked the city. Thus, Janos Slynt, as the only surviving eligible captain, became the lucky winner. Once in power, he quickly gained the favor of his new master by doing the royal family's dirty work and cleaning up messes, embarking on a path to meteoric success.
Janos Slynt always claimed his success was due to having many friends at court, but Tyrion's crude yet accurate description perfectly unmasked him: he was merely Robert's dog. Without Robert, which noble would give a damn about a vulgar man born to a butcher? As he unknowingly offended an emerging interest group in this world, those friends who had collectively pushed him into power turned into his gravediggers overnight under Tyrion's lobbying. With the silent consent and cooperation of these magnates—who had accepted Tyrion's extra dividends—a storm began to brew in the dark of the city. The good days of the Commander who had run rampant in King's Landing for over a decade were finally coming to an end.
While the operation to topple the Commander was in full swing, another confrontation between the highest nobility was tensely unfolding within the high walls of the Red Keep. Both sides had quietly begun internal personnel shifts. Stark chefs, stewards, and soldiers began taking over the Red Keep's kitchens, storehouses, and main gates. Meanwhile, the Kingsguard, leading a small number of Red Keep guards, were ordered to cluster around the royal residence to provide personal protection for the King. Though Cersei was Queen, she was powerless as long as Robert lived. Breaking her usual habits, she refused to return to her own quarters, staying day and night with her children in hopes they would serve as her shields. At her request, the Lannister Red cloaks stood guard over where the Prince and Princess were housed...
Undercurrents swirled throughout King's Landing. Anyone with a sensitive nose could smell that the weather was about to change. As if by destiny, these two struggles—one at the top and one at the bottom—now coincided perfectly upon the person of the King's dog.
...
"Robert, just what kind of man is this Commander of yours!" Inside the Tower of the Hand, Eddard sighed and tossed a stack of papers in front of the King. "Look at what he's been up to."
"What, is someone trying to move against him?" These days, Robert was drinking less than at any point in the last decade. Rare was the sight of him without a flushed face; he actually looked quite majestic. "No need to look. It's certainly Cersei's doing. She's already moved those hundred-odd Lannister Red cloaks to her side. Why else would she do it if not out of guilt? In terms of soldiers inside the Keep, we don't have the advantage. Lannister soldiers are well-trained. If something goes wrong with the City Watch now, we'll have no cards left to play."
"Oh, so Your Majesty is certain the Queen orchestrated these reports? I'm inclined to disagree. I've looked over the contents; these are all formal, signed complaints. The whistleblowers range from commoners and merchants to Crownlands lords—and even the Night's Watch has a hand in it. If the Lannisters could remotely control all these people, I should pack my bags and head back to Winterfell right now," Eddard stated expressionlessly. "Furthermore, I can tell you responsibly that after a day of preliminary investigation, the contents of these letters are all backed by evidence. They don't look fabricated at all. One incident of kidnapping a common girl was even witnessed by Arya. Do you think my young daughter could be bribed to lie to me?"
"Kidnapping? You always did love an exaggeration... that blunt fool Slynt, at worst he might verbally harass a girl he passes on the road, take some gifts from subordinates, or collect a few kickbacks from businessmen. Fine, let me see..." Robert grabbed the stack of papers and began flipping through them.
Though he spoke of disbelief, as he read the letters Eddard had surrendered one by one, the contemptuous look on Robert's fat face faded, replaced by a grim expression. After five or six reports, his surprise and displeasure turned into cold fury. He didn't read further; the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms slammed the letters onto the table with a loud smack. "This is outrageous! Is this King's Landing mine or his? I think Slynt's time as Commander has reached its end!"
"Didn't Your Majesty just swear that 'I know what kind of man he is better than you do'?" Eddard crossed his arms and looked at Robert, not at all surprised by his reaction. "It seems Your Majesty's understanding of those around you isn't quite as comprehensive as you thought. Perhaps Janos Slynt was a simple fool sixteen years ago, but people change over time—especially in a position of power like Commander of the City Watch."
"Fine, I admit it. The issues with Slynt are more serious than I imagined. I was fooled by the honest act he puts on in front of me." The rage on Robert's face slowly ebbed, replaced by suspicion. "But don't you think this is too convenient? Just when I need the City Watch most, all these reports suddenly appear at once?"
"Is that my fault? Shouldn't this have been the job of your brother, the Master of Laws? If he had done his duty sooner, why would people have to wait for a new Hand to arrive and bypass him to find me?" Eddard followed up with three questions and sighed. "However, I can guess why so many reports landed on my desk at once—the Night's Watch industries. You should know; you granted tax-exempt status to its founder recently."
"Mm... I remember. I'd had a few drinks and agreed to it on a whim," Robert explained with some irritation. "But once the word is out, there's no taking it back. We don't miss his pittance of tax anyway."
"You are always thus, though this time I think the decision was right. The defenders of the Wall are facing unprecedented hardship; it's admirable they've decided to be self-reliant. The Iron Throne looks bad enough for not providing direct support; exempting some taxes isn't too much. But your Commander of the Watch decided to get greedy for a cut of an industry that even you don't tax. That's a bold move... The Night's Watch isn't under my jurisdiction, but when something happens, they always think to find me first. It's against regulation, but the North is the primary beneficiary of their existence. I know many brothers of the Watch, including that lad Egger West. He only had to tell people that Eddard Stark is a man who meddles in such business, and all the reports that previously had no home naturally found their way to me."
Robert muttered with a dark face, "That bastard Janos... I'll have to give him a good talking-to when I get back."
"A good talking-to?" Eddard was truly astonished now, his voice rising. "Did you not read the letters I just gave you? You still want to keep a man who has made King's Landing such a mess?"
Robert, knowing he was in the wrong, didn't dare say yes. "Even if we move against him, shouldn't we wait until we've dealt with Cersei and her brother?"
"What gives you the confidence that 'he is a bad man, but he must be loyal to me'?" Eddard insisted unyieldingly. "A man without a bottom line has no bottom line in anything; he can never be trusted. I believe that only by placing the City Watch in the hands of a loyal and reliable man can our next plan be implemented safely!"
"You and your constant fussing! Do you believe that if I ordered the Watch into the Red Keep right now to arrest Cersei and Jaime, it would all be over? At that point, you could make whoever you want Commander—I'd let your daughter Arya do it if it pleased you! Why must you always cross me!"
"Arrest Cersei now? On what grounds? Because rumors say they are committing incest?" Eddard truly couldn't stand the King reneging on a plan they had already agreed upon. "And it would all be over? When Lord Tywin leads the mercenaries and armies of the West—with the brightest armor, sharpest weapons, and most cruel hearts—to demand an explanation, will you call that 'nothing'?"
"If he dares raise a host, I'll see House Lannister extinguished just like House Targaryen!"
"Robert, you are not a child! Don't talk such nonsense!" Eddard finally grew angry. "You just exercised your liege authority once in the Vale; your vassals have no obligation to fight for you for a full year! If you fight Lord Tywin immediately after, how will you pay the soldiers? Or are you simply that eager to set Cersei aside so you can marry that Tyrell girl who's been fluttering around us in the Keep these past few days?"
"Watch how you speak! You are addressing the King!" Robert roared out of habit. "I told Margaery Tyrell to stop bothering me and go find Robb. It was your son who lost his head and asked me to grant a marriage to the Freys!"
"Yes, yes, I haven't disciplined my son well enough; let's not speak of that. You are the King; you have the right to make the final decision. But I must remind Your Majesty: rumors are currently just rumors. Until we have solid evidence, they will remain rumors forever!" The hair color of the Prince and Princess was indeed a suspicion, but Eddard was always cautious—if he had discovered the gold-versus-black hair issue through his own hard work, he would believe it was the truth. But now, this "evidence" had been shoved into his ear by Littlefinger via rumors. Out of a sense of contrarianism, Eddard remained wary. "If Your Majesty insists on acting recklessly according to your whims, I have no objection. But please allow me to resign my office first, and then you can start your 'decisive and swift' resolution!"
"Fine, fine!" Robert slammed the table in frustration. He simply had no way to deal with a man who wasn't afraid of his temper. "Investigate this damned Slynt then. But remember, the next Commander must be one of our people... gods, you insufferable Northerner! You truly don't know—every time I think of the words being whispered out there, I feel sick to death. How am I supposed to stay 'up' to try for another child with Cersei? If I die before you finally uncover the truth, it will be your fault. I'll come find you even if you descend to the seven hells, mark my words!"
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