Chapter 30 Growing Strong
Not long after Glyn returned with Montun to their residence at Hook Harbor, the Queen's squire, escorted by several Lannister guards, delivered twenty bags of Gold Dragons. Each bag held 100 Gold Dragons, totaling 2,000. So very Lannister.
The Queen's squire also conveyed a message: Her Highness Cersei did not care how Glyn would use the Gold Dragons, but she demanded a splendid outcome.
Extravagant. So very Lannister.
Glyn decided to be conservative and set aside half for now.
His first thought was of his own people. It was as if he had gone out to work, received his pay from his boss, and his first thought was of home.
***
After stowing away the Gold Dragons, Glyn sat before his desk, stroking his chin.
Glyn first dispatched a messenger to ride swiftly to the Clegane Keep outside the city, urgently ordering twenty household guards to enter King's Landing.
Glyn regretted bringing so few soldiers this time, but he also understood the saying that plans often fail in the face of change.
The situation had developed more smoothly than Glyn had imagined. When he first arrived in King's Landing, he held no official position in the Red Keep, and bringing too many soldiers would have easily made him a target, something he had to avoid.
Now, with an official position in the Red Keep and a task at hand, he could once again summon troops from Light Whisper City.
Glyn's long, slender fingers tapped on the tabletop for a moment.
Queen Cersei had about three hundred Lannister guards in King's Landing... He couldn't be too reckless. It was best to proceed step by step. For now, he would summon another fifty soldiers from his territory.
Glyn finished writing the dispatch order, sealing it with wax.
Currently, Glyn had no messenger ravens, nor did he know any nobles in King's Landing who could send one at a moment's notice.
Since it was official business, Glyn unceremoniously arranged for a man to take the letter to the Red Keep, find Jaime, and ask for his help in dispatching a raven.
***
King's Landing, the Queen's Quarter.
Time was of the essence. That afternoon, Glyn, openly accompanied by his guards, conducted a patrol of the Queen's Quarter, while covertly, his men gathered urgent intelligence by buying information.
Glyn found many courtyards in the Queen's Quarter that had been uninhabited for so long they were falling into ruin.
Looking at these vacant courtyards, Glyn sighed, realizing the Queen's Quarter must have been prosperous once.
After the patrol, Glyn directly requisitioned several of the larger courtyards in the Queen's Quarter, choosing one as his temporary command post and arranging for men to clean it through the night.
The next day, at first light, the sky was faintly brightening.
Jaime and Lancel, accompanied by one hundred Lannister guards, arrived at Glyn's temporary command post in the Queen's Quarter.
In a corner of the courtyard, a large pot sat over a fire, the aroma of meat wafting through the air. Montun squatted nearby, swallowing his saliva from time to time.
Jaime and Glyn simply completed the handover of the Lannister guards. Then, Jaime walked over to a stool placed by the large pot and sat down.
Jaime saw Montun and smiled. "The mutton is good, it smells almost ready."
Montun nodded sheepishly. "Yes, my lord. Just a little longer and it will be perfect. I cut the mutton myself; it's very fatty."
Glyn walked over from elsewhere and also took a seat, saying with a smile, "Ser Jaime, are you getting used to the smells of the Queen's Quarter?"
Jaime's attitude toward Glyn had improved a little, so Glyn's hard work had not been in vain.
Jaime shrugged. "I've been in King's Landing for so long, the one thing I can never get used to is the indescribable stench of the city. Your place here is acceptable, not too bad."
Glyn secretly chuckled. "My men spent all night cleaning the area..."
"I heard that last night you arrested all the constables in the Queen's Quarter?"
Glyn had indeed taken control of the Queen's Quarter's constables the night before, after his patrol. Jaime had his own sources of information and had quickly learned of Glyn's actions.
This was precisely why Jaime had brought the Lannister guards over so early in the morning.
Glyn's voice was grave. "Strictly speaking, I 'controlled' them, I did not 'arrest' them. My original intention was merely to control them, perhaps even offer them a chance to earn merit, as I needed them to provide intelligence and assistance. However, after a deeper investigation, I discovered that the crimes these constables had committed were truly indescribable."
"They are the de facto controllers of the Queen's Quarter. Their patron is Janos Slynt, the Commander of the City Watch."
Jaime's swordsmanship was superb, and he was a capable military commander, but he had not inherited or learned his father Tywin's political talents, or perhaps he simply lacked the aptitude.
Jaime frowned. "Are you suggesting Janos is the mastermind spreading rumors about Queen Cersei?"
How could it be that simple?
Outwardly, Glyn shook his head, denying Jaime's conjecture, but inwardly, he scorned Jaime's lack of political acumen.
Someone was constantly prodding at Queen Cersei's nerves, escalating the conflict between King Robert and Her Highness, causing Queen Cersei's hatred for the King to grow ever deeper.
For some reason, the image that came to Glyn's mind was of House Tyrell, far away in Highgarden.
A Golden Rose, Growing Strong.
(end of chapter)