Chapter 162: A Day of Chaos (Part 2)
The crowds inside and outside the River Gate had just finished watching two separate dramas across the wall—the Gold Cloak Mutiny and the Wight Inspection. They were currently suspended in a state of high excitement and lingering shock. No one expected that once the gates opened and the two groups of actors converged, they would co-star in an even greater performance: the Gold Cloaks arrested the men in black and the Lannister Imp in the middle of the street, only for a White Knight to charge in halfway and pin the leader of the Gold Cloaks to the ground.
Jaime Lannister spurred his horse to a gallop, riding half a street's length directly into the midst of the City Watch soldiers. He came to a sharp halt, leaped from his mount mid-motion, and drew his sword in the air. Before the surrounding soldiers could react, he had seized Janos Slynt by the collar, forced him to his knees, and pressed a gleaming blade with a gilded lion-head pommel against the man's throat.
...
As a member of the Kingsguard, Jaime wore white robes and white armor. As a Lannister, he kept his gear far more polished and pristine than any of his six sworn brothers—it might very well have been brand new. His pure white cloak, fastened with silver hooks, billowed behind him like fresh snow. His enameled Kingsguard armor, covered in intricate carvings, shone brilliantly in the sun, making the surrounding swarm of Gold Cloaks look as dingy and yellow as if they were covered in filth.
Everything happened so fast that by the time the crowd managed to shift their gaze to this new character, the Kingsguard knight—who seemed to carry his own spotlight—had already descended like a warrior god, taking the head of the enemy general from the midst of ten thousand men. His striking appearance, combined with the horsemanship, skill, and sheer audacity shown in that fluid sequence of movements, drew a collective gasp and a round of cheers from the onlookers.
A handsome, dashing White Knight versus a vicious, greasy middle-aged man under his blade; the contrast was so sharp that even without knowing the facts, everyone instinctively branded the latter as the villain.
...
Jaime leaned down, his face a mask of frost. "Lord Slynt, I am curious. What gave you the courage to lay hands on a Lannister? On my brother?"
Only when the cold steel touched his neck did Janos Slynt recognize his assailant. "Ser... Ser Jaime." The Commander of the Watch gripped the Kingsguard's sword arm with both hands, terrified that a single tremor would send his head rolling. He knelt there shivering as he spoke, barely managing to keep his bladder in check. "This... this is all a misunderstanding! I only wished to invite your brother back to assist us in a criminal investigation!"
"If a Lannister wishes to assist, he will. If he does not, is it your place to 'invite' him like this?"
"I... I was wrong! Release him... immediately!" The Lannisters are facing ruin, and you still dare be so arrogant? Just wait until you take that sword away, and see how I deal with you.
"Ser Jaime! Please, stay calm. Leave this to me." The Kingslayer's companions arrived a moment later—among them were both red-cloaked Lannister guards and grey-cloaked Stark men. Arriving a step late, they scrambled off their horses to offer counsel. "Hurry and release Lord Tyrion!"
The surrounding Gold Cloaks looked at one another in confusion. Why were the Stark guards speaking up for a Lannister? The Hand's men had no authority to command the City Watch, but with their own commander currently held at swordpoint by a Kingsguard, what else could they do?
"By order of the Hand, Janos Slynt, former Commander of the City Watch, is to be arrested and confined to the dungeons of the Red Keep. Jory Cassel shall take his post as acting commander." A grey-clad Stark soldier produced a document, unfurled it, and displayed it to the other City Watch officers. "I am Jory Cassel, Captain of Lord Eddard Stark's guards... well, former Captain. I am now the 'Acting Commander of the City Watch'."
Several officers examined the document, their expressions shifting to one of relief, as if this were long overdue. They had heard the rumors and harbored no doubts. They nodded, signaling their men to follow the new Commander's orders. "My lord, what of the blockade on the River Gate barracks and the orders to arrest the Chief Logistics Officer of the Night's Watch and his employees?"
"All cancelled."
"Yes, sir!"
The play of the Gold Cloak mutiny had finally ended.
Egger had been watching the developments from inside the River Gate barracks. He hadn't lost heart despite being surrounded and momentarily helpless. Before crossing over to this world, he had learned a lesson from gaming: sometimes, the winner isn't the one who is more skilled, but the one who remains steady. As long as you avoid fatal errors and hold out until the opponent slips up, you win.
Relying on this principle, he had numerous times held on through early-game disadvantages to win matches. Being hunted and cornered wasn't a game, but today, he had won by waiting out the clock—even if the reinforcements that brought the turning point were somewhat unexpected.
Jaime Lannister would never associate with Stark men, nor could he have predicted Tyrion would be in trouble. For him to show up exactly when the party arrived to arrest Slynt meant only one thing: Jaime and the Stark guards had departed the Red Keep at the same time after the gates opened. They were all heading out through the River Gate and had simply traveled together.
There was no need to overthink the coincidence. Now that Slynt was down, Egger could finally breathe after a night of high tension. "Let's go. We can go out now."
...
The grand stage of the River Gate truly had a plot of twists and turns. Tyrion regained a freedom he had lost for only a few minutes, while the lads of the Night's Watch security team were released on the spot before they could even be fully hauled away—some were left scratching their heads in confusion. Under Jory's persuasion, Jaime finally lowered his sword and released Slynt's collar.
"This is impossible! The Hand cannot arrest me!" Slynt stood up on trembling knees, shouting in desperate defiance. "I have secret orders from the King to carry out today! His Grace has a great use for my men! Arresting me is ruining King Robert's great plans!"
"Lord Slynt needn't worry about that. I shall be responsible for the City Watch from here on," Jory said coldly, issuing his second command to the men he had just taken over. "Seize him. Gag him, and take him back to the Red Keep!"
"Wait." Jaime Lannister knit his brows, raising a hand to stop them. "Janos Slynt, you said the King had a great use for your men. What use?"
"I... mmmgh—"
Jory gave Slynt no further chance to speak. With a slight nod, two brawny Stark guards stepped forward, stuffed a cloth into his mouth, and dragged the struggling prisoner away. "Nothing but the nonsense of a guilty man, Ser Jaime. You still have the King's mission to attend to. You should be on your way; you'll miss the ship to Dragonstone if you linger."
"Jaime! You timing is impeccable, brother." Tyrion, still shaken and not yet having analyzed Slynt's outburst, approached his brother with a smile. "I was just thinking of you when you dropped from the clouds. Truly, we are brothers of the same blood!"
"Tyrion, I'm sorry, we'll talk once I've finished my business." Jaime waved him off, the unease in his heart suddenly exploding. "I've just remembered—I left something behind in the White Sword Tower. I must go back and get it."
With that, Jaime walked grimly to his horse, grabbed the reins, and swung into the saddle. Followed by two red-cloaked guards, he galloped back toward the Red Keep without a moment's pause.
That fool Slynt. With one sentence, he's thrown the Hand's entire plan into chaos. Jory watched the Kingslayer's retreating back, feeling a surge of internal frustration. But he had no authority to arrest a member of the Kingsguard, and a single Jaime Lannister couldn't change the outcome of the day's actions in the Red Keep—the key was for Jory to stay here and control the overwhelmingly superior numbers of the City Watch.
Casting aside distractions, Jory quickly began issuing orders: "Assemble for a head count! The Iron Gate and Aegon's High Hill detachments stay here for further orders. All other units are to return to their stations in an orderly fashion under their officers. No loitering. The East Barracks soldiers are confined until further notice pending the Hand's investigation. Where is the Captain of the River Gate? What was it... Ser Jacelyn? Tell the Ironhand to gather his men and report for orders immediately!"
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