“You are not the first person who wants to overthrow Slynt.” After a moment of silence, the captain of the Mud Gate garrison spoke. “But do you know who’s behind him?”

“King Robert. I also know His Grace favors him because he follows orders without question, never talks back, and doesn’t brag about it afterward. Isn’t that right?”

“It seems you’ve done your research. But since you know that, what gives you the confidence to go after Slynt?” Ser Bywater shook his head. “You might as well just hire someone to kill him. That would be cleaner and more efficient, without leaving any loose ends.”

The assassination of the commander of the City Watch of King’s Landing was a serious matter. If Robert became enraged and decided to investigate, he could turn King’s Landing upside down. That would be a last resort, but Aegor hadn’t been pushed that far yet. He didn’t continue that line of conversation, instead answering the earlier question: “My confidence lies in the fact that we’re not trying to frame Slynt. He’s already hopelessly corrupt.” Just like Robert himself, perhaps because when the upper beam is crooked, the lower ones are bound to follow. The Night’s Watch brother paused and added, “At the same time, we have a fair and strict Hand of the King—and I happen to be the swordsman sworn to his daughter, Arya Stark.”

“Don’t get cocky just because of that connection. The former Hand, Jon Arryn, was also fair and strict. He tried to dismiss Slynt a year ago and found two City Watch officers willing to testify against him but both of them died in ‘accidents’ not long after. Not long after that, Jon Arryn himself died.” Bywater scoffed. “Though everyone believes Lysa poisoned him, who really knows the truth? Slynt might not be that capable, but when it comes to ruthlessness, none of us come close.”

“The situation is different this time. When Jon Arryn tried to remove Slynt, he was acting in the open, while Slynt remained in the shadows. That plan failed once word got out. But this time, we’re in the shadows, and Slynt is the one in the open.” Aegor smiled with confidence and began to spin his lie. “My partner, Tyrion Lannister, is already speaking with the major powers in King’s Landing—Lord Gyles Rosby, Lord Buckwell of Antlers, the son of Lord Lake who’s stationed in the capital… the noble houses of the Crownlands, along with merchants and shopkeepers they support, will soon throw in their lot with us. When that happens, do you think Slynt will be able to kill them all?”

“Oh? If what you said is true, then I do believe you’ve prepared well. But how do I know you’re not just bluffing, trying to trick me into taking the risk for you?”

“Of course it’s a bluff. I’m not here to deceive you, Ser Bywater. I’m here to ask you to be the first to step forward. We’re going to build momentum and expose the truth. All you need to do is testify, either yourself or have one of your soldiers do it—when Hand of the King Eddard starts his investigation. If you feel things aren’t going well, you can pretend this meeting never happened. How does that sound?”

“Since Lord Aegor is being so direct, I’ll give you a direct answer. I can help—but my condition is simple. For the sake of my own safety and that of my men, I won’t act until I see real signs that those lords you mentioned are taking action. But once I see that your allies are moving, I’ll cooperate without hesitation. How’s that?”

…

…

“Alright.” Aegor smiled. With this result, he could now go to the next officer and boldly claim that Ser Bywater had agreed to join the cause. “Now, let’s talk about what kind of evidence your brothers in the Watch can provide for our fight.”

…

Time passed. The conversation continued until the moon rose and stood beside the bloody red comet. Aegor realized he had gained far more than expected. Slynt’s corruption was even deeper than he had imagined. His means of making money were so brazen, it was astonishing.

Tyrion had said that half of the City Watch in King’s Landing had been appointed by the Crown and the major noble houses in the capital. This was confirmed by Ser Bywater. Aside from those officers who had powerful patrons, and a few like Bywater who had been promoted by Robert himself for their military merits, every other officer—from the gate captains down to the corporals—had bought their positions from Janos Slynt!

“If it was just a matter of selling posts in the Watch, that’d be one thing. But the disgusting part is, the brothers who bought their positions not only had to pay a bribe upfront, they also had to hand over half of their officer’s salary to Slynt every month.” Bywater spoke through clenched teeth. “As a result, officers don’t make much more than common guards. Many promising young men have quit because of it. After a few years, the City Watch doesn’t look like a military force anymore—it looks like Slynt’s private pig farm. Aside from the ones with connections or who were promoted by the king himself, the rest are pigs fattened up for slaughter, handing over their pay to him every month!”

The Baratheon dynasty had only been established for a little over a decade, yet the capital’s armed forces had already become this corrupt. Robert even said that whoever came next might be even worse. Aegor was finally seeing how absurd a ruler could be in governing a kingdom. “He’s so reckless… have none of the Watch brothers ever considered resisting?”

“Who would lead them?” Bywater gave a bitter smile. “Slynt’s not stupid. He doesn’t touch the half of the officers who have good backing. As for the others—most got their positions through deals with him. If he’s brought down, won’t those who bribed their way in be implicated too? And he’s raised a group of loyal cronies—he never docks pay or mistreats the soldiers stationed in the East Camp. Those hundred or so men are grateful just to be paid properly and are fiercely loyal to Slynt. It’s pathetic. On top of that, word is he regularly sends gifts to Lord Renly, the Master of Laws. That’s how he’s managed to get away with everything for so long.”

So Renly and Slynt were in league as well… As Robert’s brother and Lord of Storm’s End, Aegor didn’t believe Renly had accepted Slynt’s bribes to act as his protector. But Renly Baratheon was a schemer like Margaery Tyrell. His guiding principle was to make more friends and fewer enemies. He was always thinking about how to appear kind and charming to the world. He was suited for diplomacy—but appointing him as Master of Laws was a joke. Expecting Renly, a man uninterested in women, to deal fairly with his brother’s men was wishful thinking. Aegor and Tyrion had never considered going through the Master of Laws—they went straight to the Hand of the King. That now seemed like a wise decision.

The capital’s military and legal systems were in complete disarray. How could the Baratheon dynasty survive like this? The Night’s Watch brother sighed and asked, “Anything else?”

“Yes. You must’ve heard that Slynt doesn’t care for his first wife. Her family has no power or influence, and they can’t control him now that he’s Commander of the City Watch.” Ser Bywater gave a sly smile. “After giving him four children, he grew tired of her, called her a yellow-faced hag, and bought several houses in King’s Landing. He’s keeping three young, beautiful girls—two of them have already borne him bastards.”

…

If the rebellion in the Vale hadn’t been quelled in time, and if he hadn’t rushed back to King’s Landing, Nina might have become the fourth. Aegor felt a chill. Without protection, how helpless must a common girl feel in the face of a powerful commander’s threats and promises? He could picture it clearly. “How do you know such private matters in such detail? Have you already investigated him?”

“Private? It’s only private if Slynt keeps it quiet! That bastard has the king as his backer and the Master of Laws turns a blind eye, so he acts without restraint!” Bywater’s face twisted with anger. “His methods of acquiring those girls were dishonorable, but once he succeeded, he didn’t abandon them. He treats them as concubines—gives them living expenses and pocket money, regularly sends City Watch soldiers to deliver daily supplies, move furniture, clean their homes. Sometimes they even go outside the city to help the girls’ families with farm work! Since I don’t get along with him, my men at the Mud Gate end up doing most of this dirty work. It’s his way of showing off to me!”

“Such arrogance… this is perfect. We’ll have no trouble finding evidence to bring him down. Heh… Ser Bywater, can you gather the names and addresses of Slynt’s lovers and bastards and give them to me?”

“Not yet. I haven’t collected that information myself. Only my brothers know those details. If I start digging, they’ll immediately realize I’m turning against Slynt. Many men in the Watch owe their ranks to him—mine included. Once word gets out, there’ll be trouble. Slynt is the kind of man who can operate in both the criminal underworld and the courts.” Bywater shook his head. “But I can promise you—if the Hand of the King really launches an investigation, I’ll be able to hand over all the evidence quickly.”

Aegor had been cautious enough, but he hadn’t expected to meet someone even more cautious. He almost laughed, but he understood. So he nodded. “That’s fine. Then let’s consider this an agreement?”

“I always keep my word.” Bywater tapped the table with the iron hand on his right arm. “But you and your friends—be careful in the next couple of days. When Slynt gets angry, he stops caring about consequences.”

Aegor and Tyrion were reporting directly to the Hand of the King. He didn’t believe Eddard Stark would leak their identities. Still, to be safe, he’d brought Jaqen with him. “Thank you for the warning. Well then, goodbye. The operation will begin in a day or two—please remember that, Ser.”

“Ever since I lost this arm, my memory’s been excellent. I won’t be forgetting.”

(To be continued.)

***

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