Chapter 97: Janos's Mistress
"Of course, we wouldn't wrongly accuse a loyal officer who has served His Grace so faithfully based on such flimsy evidence alone. However, the person who brought this letter said something very important at the time," Varys said.
"What did they say?" Janos asked, confused.
"The truth about the Battle of the Stranger's Temple two nights ago."
"I don't quite understand."
"You and your smuggling partners had a falling out. You wanted to double-cross them and pocket a significant portion of the proceeds, so you had your trusted lieutenant lead an attack at the meeting point," Varys said. He added, "If my intelligence is correct, the gold-cloaked officer in Flea Bottom is your mistress's brother, yes?"
Janos's face suddenly darkened. Varys's claim that he had sent men to attack smugglers at the Stranger's Temple was pure fabrication—he had never given such an order.
However, his collaboration with smugglers in King's Landing was real. They had been working together for years, and only his most trusted confidants knew about it, so their "business" had never suffered any incidents.
Now someone was suddenly blaming him for what happened at the Stranger's Temple, which could only mean that something had gone wrong with the people around him.
"This is pure slander! I demand to confront that person face to face!" Janos said stubbornly.
"That person was just a drunken whore. She later admitted that a hooded man gave her the letter and told her what to say." Varys shook his head slightly.
"A crude trick! Don't let me catch him!"
"It would seem so, which is why after receiving this information, we immediately interrogated the surviving gold cloaks stationed in Flea Bottom. As a result, we uncovered some evidence that is very damning for you."
Janos did not answer, but waited for Varys's next words.
"Every gold cloak who participated in the operation that night received a substantial reward, and according to their testimony, while their enemies escaped with most of the treasure, they still seized hundreds of gold dragons from the defeated foes."
"Fuck!" Janos cursed instinctively. "How dare that little bastard get rich behind my back? Ah, ah, no, I mean..." Janos finished his curse, then suddenly realized his words were incriminating.
"Believe me, I didn't get a copper this time. Uh, no, I didn't participate in their operation at all!" Janos was flustered, stumbling over his words.
"Summon him here! I want to confront this bastard face to face!" Janos then shouted angrily.
"If nothing went awry, he probably died in the tunnel leading to the Dragonpit, along with most of his men, when the wildfire cached there ignited."
In an instant, Janos, who had been furious moments before, felt a chill run down his spine.
Rebecca's brother was dead? His entire company was dead?
The mastermind had not only exposed his corruption and smuggling operations, but had also murdered his mistress's brother and eliminated his closest allies!
They were coming for his life!
Flee! This was Janos's first instinct.
Lord Arryn had already brought charges against him to King Robert not long ago, but fortunately, he'd acted quickly and eliminated the two witnesses Lord Arryn had found, thus escaping punishment.
But King Robert must have known what kind of man he was. Furthermore, the King was currently traveling north to Winterfell to ask Lord Stark to return as Hand of the King. All of Westeros knew that the old wolf—except for that one time he'd lost control of his breeches during Jon Snow's birth—always valued honor above life itself.
If Stark arrived in King's Landing and ordered a thorough investigation, Janos would likely face either the headsman's axe or the Wall.
"I'll get to the bottom of this, I will," Janos stammered, turning to leave the Red Keep.
"You'll remain here until the matter is fully investigated," Petyr shook his head. "Ser Jacelyn Bywater will temporarily assume your duties."
Ser Jacelyn was certainly not Littlefinger's ideal choice. He had intended to use this incident to leverage Janos into becoming his creature, but the eunuch and Lord Renly had both received the news simultaneously.
Consequently, the Small Council had no choice but to deal strictly with Janos, and they unanimously elected the upright Ser Jacelyn as the new Commander of the City Watch—a figure everyone could accept.
After all, with Janos's fall, many of his officers would undoubtedly be implicated, giving everyone the opportunity to place their own men in positions of authority.
"You don't have that authority! I'm the Commander of the City Watch!" Janos roared angrily.
"Of course we do. This is the unanimous decision of the Small Council." Littlefinger held up the order signed by Master of Laws Lord Renly and waved for the Red Keep guards to apprehend Janos.
"The Commander has been arrested?" The gold-cloaked captain of the River Gate swallowed hard as he looked at his former commander's voluptuous mistress.
"Janos had a bad feeling before he was summoned. He told me to come to you if anything happened to him," Rebecca said anxiously.
"How do you know for certain he's in trouble?"
"The Baratheon household guards and the gold cloaks under Jacelyn Bywater raided Janos's house. I heard from the maid who was thrown out that Jacelyn has become the new Commander of the City Watch! They're searching for all the coin Janos has obtained through corruption and abuse of power over the years!"
The gold-cloaked captain of the River Gate was suddenly gripped by panic. This mess was mainly his fault!
"Alright, I understand. You go back and wait for word." The gold cloak calmed himself and prepared to send the woman away.
"You're planning to flee, aren't you?" Rebecca asked in a low voice.
"You?" The gold cloak instinctively placed his hand on his sword hilt. He had already decided to silence her.
But what Rebecca said next made his heart leap.
"I know where Janos has hidden all his coin over the years... I can help you get it, but you have to promise to take me with you!" Rebecca said as she embraced the gold cloak's arm and pressed her half-exposed, ample bosom against him. "Janos is finished. I need a new protector."
With beauty in his arms, the gold cloak's blood ran hot. How could any man refuse such an offer of both wealth and pleasure?
What he didn't know was that from an angle he couldn't see, Rebecca's eyes flashed with contempt and cunning.
(End of Chapter)
[+500 Power Stones = +2 Extra Chapter]
[+10 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Review!
P*atreon/Soulforger (20+ advanced chapters)
Buy me coffee - ko-fi*com/soulforger01