Life Goes On

Not long after Gryn returned to the house in Hook Harbor with Mutton, the Queen's attendant arrived under the escort of several Lannister guards, delivering 20 bags of Gold Dragons. Each bag contained 100 coins, totaling 2,000 Gold Dragons—very Lannister.

The attendant also relayed a message: the gist was that Her Grace Cersei would not inquire into how Gryn used the gold, but she demanded a spectacular result.

Wealthy, very Lannister.

Gryn decided to be conservative and set aside half of it first.

Gryn's first thought was of his own smallfolk; it felt like working away from home and receiving a paycheck from an employer, where the first instinct is to think of the family back home.

After stowing the Gold Dragons away, Gryn sat at the table and rubbed his chin.

Gryn first arranged for a rider to gallop to Crabb Manor outside the city, urgently summoning 20 clan soldiers to come into the city for duty.

Gryn felt a twinge of regret that he had brought so few men, but he understood that plans could never keep pace with changes.

The situation had unfolded more smoothly than Gryn had anticipated; having arrived in King's Landing without an official post in the Red Keep, bringing too many soldiers would have invited criticism, which was something to be avoided.

Now that he held an official position within the Red Keep and had been given a task, he could afford to summon more troops from the Whispers.

Gryn tapped his slender fingers against the tabletop for a moment.

There were roughly 300 of Cersei's Lannister guards within King's Landing... he could not be too hasty. It was better to take it one step at a time; he would start by summoning 50 more soldiers from his territory.

Gryn wrote the dispatch order and sealed it with wax.

Gryn did not have a raven at his disposal, nor did he know any other nobles in King's Landing who could send one on his behalf at a moment's notice.

Since this was official business, Gryn did not hesitate to have someone take the letter to the Red Keep and find Jaime to assist in sending the raven.

King's Landing, Queens Quarter.

Speed is the essence of war. That very afternoon, Gryn openly led his guards to conduct a general inspection of the Queens Quarter, while secretly bribing individuals to gather much-needed intelligence.

In the Queens Quarter, Gryn discovered many courtyards that had been abandoned for so long they were nearly in ruins.

Looking at these vacant lots, Gryn sighed, reflecting on the fact that the Queens Quarter had once been prosperous.

After the inspection, Gryn requisitioned several of the larger courtyards in the Queens Quarter, chose one to serve as his temporary command post, and arranged for men to clean it up overnight.

The next day, at dawn, just as the sky began to brighten.

Jaime and Lancel arrived at Gryn's temporary command post in the Queens Quarter with 100 Lannister guards.

In one corner of the courtyard, a large pot was set up, the scent of meat wafting through the air, while Mutton squatted nearby, swallowing his saliva from time to time.

Jaime and Gryn exchanged the Lannister guards in a simple and straightforward manner, then Jaime walked into the courtyard and sat down on a chair placed beside the large pot.

Seeing Mutton's expression, Jaime smiled: "The mutton smells good; it seems just about ready."

Mutton nodded foolishly: "Yes, my lord, just a little longer. I cut the meat myself; it's very fatty."

Gryn walked over from elsewhere and took his seat, smiling as he said: "Ser Jaime, are you accustomed to the scent of the Queens Quarter?"

Jaime's attitude toward Gryn had improved just a little—not a waste of Gryn's hard work.

Jaime spread his hands: "I've been in King's Landing for so long, the only thing I can't get used to is the indescribable stench of the city. Your place here is passable; it's not too bad."

Gryn stifled a yawn: "My men spent the whole night cleaning..."

"I heard that you arrested all the watchmen in the Queens Quarter last night?"

Gryn had inspected the Queens Quarter yesterday and seized control of the watchmen overnight. Jaime had his own channels of information and had learned of Gryn's actions quickly.

This was precisely why Jaime had brought the Lannister guards over first thing in the morning.

Gryn's voice was heavy: "Strictly speaking, it should be called 'taking control,' not 'arresting.' I need these people to provide intelligence and assistance. My original intention was merely to control them, or even give them a chance to redeem themselves, but after a deeper investigation, I found that the crimes committed by these watchmen were truly unspeakable."

"They are the de facto controllers of the Queens Quarter, and behind them stands the Commander of the City Watch, Janos Slynt."

Jaime was a master swordsman with the talent to lead troops, an excellent general, but Jaime had not inherited or learned his father Tywin's political acumen, or perhaps he simply lacked the talent for it.

Jaime furrowed his brows: "Could it be that the mastermind spreading rumors about Cersei is Janos?"

How could it be so simple!

Regarding Jaime's speculation, Gryn shook his head in denial on the surface, while inwardly despising Jaime's political instincts.

Someone was constantly fraying Cersei's nerves, exacerbating the conflict between King Robert and Her Grace Cersei, making Queen Cersei's hatred for King Robert grow deeper and deeper.

For some reason, Gryn's mind drifted to the Tyrell family, far away in Highgarden.

Growing Strong, ever-blooming.