Dawn was just beginning to break.
Four or five hundred pairs of living eyes remained in the barracks, all trembling as they stared at the terrifying lava warrior.
The monster wore invincible armor glowing red-hot. The flames he unleashed had left charred corpses strewn across the ground. The stench was so thick that almost no one could keep from vomiting, and not one of them dared resist.
The Hound wiped filthy blood from his face.
"Listen up! The former Master of Coin, Petyr Baelish, and the former Master of Whisperers, Varys, have plotted rebellion. By His Majesty the King's command, the King's Landing City Watch is to arrest the traitors immediately and seal the city gates. If they resist, kill them on sight!"
"I'm in command. Any objections?"
The Hound swept his gaze over them with a savage grin, as though he hoped to tear a few more people apart and taste their flesh.
No one spoke.
"Good. If you'd obeyed from the start, would it have come to this? What a pack of fools. You didn't even stop to think who gave you those gold cloaks."
The Hound began relaying Prince Joffrey's orders.
"Reorganize into fifty squads, eight men to a squad. You'll choose the squad leaders. Any problem with that, Grey Rat?"
The man beside the Hound nodded silently, then stepped into the crowd to pick out familiar faces.
The Hound paced. "Send five squads to guard each of the seven city gates. No one enters, and no one leaves.
"You don't move from your posts, either.
"I don't care if you see a duke, an earl, a minister, or a rich merchant. Even if you spot your wife getting passed around by beggars in some corner, that'll have to fucking wait until tomorrow!"
The Gold Cloaks exchanged