Chapter 35: Loyalty
With the Vale secured, Edric bid farewell to the new Lord of the Vale and the lords who supported him in taking the Eyrie from Lysa.
Meanwhile, in King's Landing, the wheel continued to spin. With Edric absent in the Vale for five moons, the power struggle between Renly and Stannis became more apparent. They disagreed on several matters, given their clashing natures. For instance, Stannis sought to ban all brothels in King's Landing, which Renly opposed given that such an act would only lead to the creation of underground brothels.
That was not all, of course.
...
King's Landing, some moons ago.
"What did you call me for, Lord Hand?" Renly entered the Hand's tower, where Stannis sat stern-faced as ever. "Do you want to ban all the brothels in the Realm now?"
"No." Stannis firmly replied, shaking his head. "It is related to your friends... the Tyrells."
"Oh." Renly acted surprised, smiling slightly. "What would be your issue with one of our richest, most powerful and loyal Great Houses?"
"Loyal..." Stannis scoffed. "To their own ambition, true. You bring many of their faces to court, granting them even greater influence day by day-"
"And you bring more Florents alongside your own men." Renly countered. "As I see it, a more formal alliance with the Tyrells would secure the Realm for a lifetime. Isn't that what we both seek?"
"A second House Lannister." Stannis frowned. "That is what you will create, Renly."
"And yet, Robert's reign was peaceful as could be..." Renly shrugged. "If only Cersei were a dutiful wife, it could have continued as such."
"Robert was free to marry." Stannis knew what he was hinting at. "Edric... is not."
"Is he not?" Renly questioned. "His arrangement with Arya Stark is not at all set in stone."
"You would disregard one Lord Eddard Stark's final wishes?" Stannis questioned with a disapproving tone. "Do you truly believe the North will not reply to such an act?"
"If their lady is happier for it, I see no issue. I am sure Lord Robb would understand." Reply raised an eyebrow. "Arya would not make a good Queen, you know that. She is too wild. I highly doubt she has any desire for it as well. Wouldn't it be better for everyone if the Realm had a dutiful, willing and learned Queen beside our young King?"
"Someone with a mighty family in the south behind her, near a hundred thousand swords to call upon and immense wealth. There is no finer choice for Edric in the Seven Kingdoms."
"It would make your Ser Loras and his family very pleased, no doubt." Stannis' expression did not change.
"Unbending as iron." Renly sighed, shaking his head. "What does the North have to offer in comparison?"
"Honour."
"Honour…" Renly scoffed. "Did honour protect Ned from Lannister arrows?"
"If Edric's words and promises hold no weight behind them, who will follow him?" Stannis countered. "I will hear no more of this plot to make Margaery Queen. Tell your Tyrells to return to Highgarden and stay there, leaving their ambitions behind."
"No, I don't think I will." Renly shook his head. "You forget who is Lord Regent, brother. I hold greater power than you do… and for good reason. Edric knew that you could never rule King's Landing."
"You helped raise Edric. Naturally, he would favour you."
"A poor excuse, brother. You simply lack the charisma and flexibility required to rule over King's Landing and the nobility."
"..." Stannis slowly stood up, facing Renly directly. "This arrangement was not just Eddard Stark's last... it was also our brother's. His final wish."
"Robert was not known for making the best of decisions." Renly shrugged. "The position of Queen is crucial, for both the Realm and the King... you would have it go to that willful girl, Eddard's second daughter? Edric deserves better."
"It is not a matter of what Edric 'deserves'. It is his duty."
"Marriage might only mean duty for you, brother... but Edric isn't you." Renly shook his head. "In the end, no man or woman in the Seven Kingdoms can dictate his decision regarding his Queen. If he woke up one day and chose Margaery, you wouldn't be able to do a thing about it... except grind your teeth in silence."
"Aye... that is true. If it were Edric's wish, my advice would fall on deaf ears." Stannis nodded, thinking of his older brother. "He is Robert's son, through and through."
"Then we are done here, are we not?" Renly poured some of Stannis' unused wine, having some for himself. "It's not a decision either of us can make."
"Yet we can influence that decision... which you and House Tyrell have been pushing for."
"It is all out of my hands now." Renly shrugged. "Even if Edric does not marry Margaery, House Tyrell would make a fine ally. Since you don't know a single thing about building connections and the like... why don't you leave it to me, hm?"
"I do not mind them serving the Realm," Stannis affirmed. "However, you would do well to keep their ambitions in check... or I will."
"Alright, alright, big brother..." Renly smiled, turning away. "I will."
"... I am not jesting, 'Lord Regent'."
"Neither am I, Lord Hand."
~
"What do we have here?" Dorian questioned, roaming the streets of King's Landing with his already dusty Lord Commander armour.
"A rapist, Lord Commander." One gold cloak had dragged a rugged man from a tavern. One pointed to a woman to the side. "Says he stripped her bare and had his way for several minutes before he was discovered by a man of the city watch. Then he ran into the night..."
"Stinking gold cloak..." The man struggled but the gold cloak managed to keep hold of him. "I did no such thing!"
"Poor woman." Dorian looked at her, smiling slightly. However, the sight of his sharp teeth wasn't exactly reassuring. "Do not worry; he will never have a reason to touch a woman again. What is your name, gold cloak?"
"Jorge, my lord... argh!"
The man elbowed Jorge into the chest which made him stagger back. He used this moment to sprint away as fast as he could...
"Tsk." Dorian drew a dagger and threw it with hardly any effort. "If it is not true, why do you bother running?"
Whoosh.
A dagger struck his achilles heel, and the rugged man collapsed onto the ground - screaming his heart out.
"AHHHHHH, MY LEG... MY LEG!"
"Jorge... what do the men of the City Watch do to rapists?" Dorian questioned, slowly walking up to the screaming man.
"Arrest them?"
"No wonder I didn't recognise you... you're one of the new ones. Here, I'll show you."
He drew out his dagger and stabbed it right into the man's cock, slicing it right off.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Keeping them chained and fed is a waste of resources, Jorge." Dorian kicked away the little cock on the ground. "It's better to deal with the source directly... and give future men who have thoughts of raping women in this city something to think about."
"... I see, Lord Commander." Jorge nodded. "I will do better next time."
"Come." Dorian turned to the crowd of spectators who had witnessed his brutality. He walked past them as if nothing had happened.
"Directly with you, Lord Commander?"
"Why, yes."
They patrolled the streets of King's Landing, with Dorian catching criminals left and right. He could differentiate between lie and truth with only a look. Jorge was in sheer awe at his various abilities.
"How do you tell a lie from the truth so easily, Lord Commander?" Jorge questioned.
"It's all in the eyes." Dorian smiled, tilting his head slightly. "Or... eye, in the case of crippled men like me. As a gold cloak, knowing the truth is even more important than exacting justice for crimes. We cannot go around brutalising innocent men and women. If you are in doubt, always bring the suspect to an officer."
"Yes, Lord Commander." He nodded.
"You're a good man with a diligent nature." Dorian pat his shoulder. "Work hard, and you will go far. The City Watch is not as it was... merit is rewarded here, under me."
"I will do my best."
"For today, return to the barracks for further training. You should not be caught off-guard like that next time, or suspects will escape your grasp. Also... never patrol alone. Even if for a brief moment."
Jorge took his words to heart and returned to the closest barrack. Dorian joined not long after, hosting a hellish training session with a select hundred of the City Watch. Afterwards, he continued to observe his City Watch at work during the night.
Despite it being a group of two thousand men, Dorian had met and tutored many of them at one point or another. With the more organised schedule that mixed training and patrolling shifts, the City Watch had become far more disciplined and skilled than its previous iteration.
All the while, Dorian became a very prominent figure in the streets of King's Landing, earning himself the title 'King's Eye' due to his ability to sniff out all sorts of crime. Criminals feared him, and the innocent felt disturbed yet safe in his presence.
...
"You summoned me, my Lord?" Dorian smiled slightly, entering Renly's study room.
"I've heard much about you, Dorian Daggerhand." Renly gestured to the chair in front of him. "Please, do sit."
"I am beyond honoured to have the attention of the Lord Regent." Dorian sat down, looking directly at him. "Well, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Your methods of exacting the King's Justice... seem quite excessive."
"Yet it is effective." Dorian countered. "I would not be brutal without reason... it just so happens that men listen more to fear than anything else. Besides, Lord Randyll, the Master of Laws, approves of my methods."
"Hm..." Renly nodded. "That is true. However, you should ensure that your men do not act in that manner for any other reason than to exact justice."
"Do not fret, I am quite stern about such things." Dorian smiled. "Is that all, Lord Regent?"
"I have one simple question... where do your loyalties lay, Dorian?"
"The answer is quite simple, I think." Dorian grinned slightly, grabbing a goblet and filling it with Renly's wine. "Though, I am curious... what would you guess?"
"A sellsword only works for gold," Renly remarked. "Especially one such as yourself. That makes you... for lack of a better word, untrustworthy."
"Hahaha." Dorian laughed, drinking his cup of wine. Renly sat, watching him drink at his own pace. "Lord Regent, does that not make me the most reliable man of all?"
"It would seem that you would serve whoever brings you the most gold... making you, yourself, corrupt. Even if your officers are not-"
"You are more than a little gullible, Renly." Dorian chuckled. "If I truly sought gold, I would not be serving Edric. Though lucrative, his pay is... not up to my standard."
"Is that so?" Renly raised an eyebrow.
"Why, yes. I've fought over a hundred pitfights and never lost a single one, I've led one of the most famed sellsword companies in the known world, I've killed for the wealthiest of men, stolen priceless treasures from them and sailed over many seas to earn a fortune like no other."
"... If all of that were true why are you even here, cleaning the streets of King's Landing?" Renly was amused.
"I have found a cause worth fighting for." His dark blue eye did not waver, not even for a moment. "... Other than myself."
"You are suddenly a Baratheon loyalist?"
"A boy so brilliant that he shines brighter than the full moon on the darkest days", Dorian explained, his words carrying a sincere tone. "The kind that only comes to be once in ten thousand years... the kind that can rally vast armies to his side, the kind that conquers lands once thought unconquerable and the kind that inspires loyalty in all matter of men from across the world."
"I will stop at nothing to protect him and see that boy become the man he is meant to be. Yes... I suppose that would make me one."
"... That boy-"
"Is Edric Storm." Dorian affirmed, nodding. "Rest assured, Lord Regent; I love him with all my heart. He is the son I never had."
"You are a most convincing man, Dorian Daggerhand." Renly smiled, pouring himself some wine. "Let us share a toast in the name of our King."
"May the Warrior keep his reckless and stubborn self from dying too soon." Dorian smiled, nodding.
"Aye."
They shared a toast, drinking one goblet each.
"If you are so loyal and rich, why do you still have a contract with Edric?" Renly asked after.
"Professionals have standards, my lord, and a man enjoys luxury." Dorian chuckled, shaking his head. "I can be as bad with my money as I am good with it, in truth. It would be quite unsightly if the Lord Commander of the City Watch was caught stealing from the lords and ladies, wouldn't you say?"
"I see..." Renly chuckled.
~
With the arrival of the Martells, which included Oberyn and Arianne, the Red Keep became even more lively. While Oberyn took to the local brothels, Princess Arianne took an interest in the royal court. She approached the ladies Sansa and Margaery, who were sharing a meal in the gardens. Sansa had grown to consider her a friend.
Arianne fit in rather nicely as Margaery acted courteously despite the not-so-good relations between the Tyrells and Martells.
"So... tell me about our boy king." Arianne smiled, turning to Sansa "Is he as tall and mighty as they say?"
"Yes... he is taller than most men." Sansa nodded. "He's stronger than the Hound... and handsome with wild black hair and shimmering blue eyes. He also has a kind and noble heart-"
"Sounds like you'd wish to bed him," Arianne remarked, grabbing a grape and putting it in her mouth.
"What?- No..." Sansa shook her head in embarrassment. "He's betrothed... to my younger sister."
"That never stopped a loving lady." Arianne chuckled.
"What they say about the nature of the Dornish is true," Margaery remarked. "Hot-tempered men and wild women."
"We are more fun than Reach girls, that is for certain." Arianne smiled slightly. "All gentle, highly and polite..."
"As a lady should be-"
"-Yet little substance."
"..." Sansa blinked, observing the two clashing forces.
"Nevertheless, I can't help but feel a little pity." Arianne turned back to Sansa. "You are the firstborn daughter, yet it turns out that your betrothed prince was just a Lannister bastard born of incest while your little sister gets to marry a King... who is the one you truly want. It's rather unfair, no?"
"..."
Although Sansa didn't answer, she felt that way at heart. Why did Arya, who didn't even want to be a proper lady or Queen, get what she always wanted and prepared for? Despite being given the choice of breaking it, she kept the arrangement. Was it to get back at her?
"Oh, you sweet thing. I see it in your face." Arianne remarked, touching the side of her face. "Sometimes... fate is unpredictable, unkind and even vicious. If you do nothing, it will take you along its way like a rushing waterfall, and you will find yourself in a most unpleasant place."
"What are you suggesting?" Margaery raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing at all." Arianne smiled, removing her hand and standing up. "Us ladies seldom have the authority that lords tend to have. However, we can still take hold of our fate if the desire and will is there."
"How... would you do that?" Sansa questioned.
"I don't think it would be right to teach you." Arianne gave her a knowing smile, turning away. "Thank you for sharing your lemon cake... it was sweet."
With Arianne waiting for his return, Edric's love life wouldn't get any less dull...
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