Chapter 161

Early in the morning, there were far more people leaving the city than entering it, but the streets inside the River Gate were just as packed. Most weren’t preparing to leave—they were there to witness the spectacle of “goldcloaks against goldcloaks,” a dog-eat-dog scene that promised entertainment.

When a large number of soldiers had arrived the previous night, the residents in the area had been thoroughly frightened. But as the night passed without any fighting, their courage grew with the dawn. People gathered in every conceivable place—upstairs, downstairs, indoors, outdoors, near and far—all focused on the military camp outside the River Gate, eager to see how this drama would conclude.

Life was hard, and opportunities like this were too good to miss; it might be the highlight of a lifetime.
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“Daybreak has arrived! The king’s schedule for opening the gates is of utmost importance. Brothers waiting outside, I’ll send men to open the gate first. Once the streets are cleared, we’ll deliver the prisoners our commander demanded to the Red Keep!” Bywater, refreshed from a brief nap in the sentry tower, reappeared atop the wall, announcing loudly to those outside. Without waiting for a response, he ordered the gates to open.

Outside the camp, the soldiers who had gathered under orders were no longer in the same sharp state they had been upon arrival the previous night. They stood, squatted, or leaned on their spears, watching the camp gates creak open. A group of over twenty soldiers jogged out before the gates were promptly closed again.

The long night without any conflict, combined with the growing audience at dawn, made fighting even less likely. Not even Janos Slynt considered using the brief opening to launch an attack, let alone suspected that Aegor might be among the departing soldiers, sneaking away unnoticed. Instead, they all stood numbly, watching the group jog to the towering River Gate, dividing duties with practiced efficiency to prepare the gate for opening. After a delay of roughly half an hour, the city’s heaviest and most critical gate finally began to open, creaking inward.

The queue to leave the city stirred into motion, but unlike usual, the flood of people rushing into the city didn’t immediately appear. Instead, the first to enter were dozens of black-cloaked men escorting a carriage. Behind them, the usual crowds and carts kept a wary distance, as if avoiding the plague, unwilling to come too close.

Slynt, catching sight of the group, abruptly shook off his sleepiness and stood, his spirits rising. After enduring the long night, was this the turning point? If the Night’s Watch were foolish enough to try and rescue Aegor, he wouldn’t even need to fabricate charges—he could justify their arrest on grounds of treason. In these sensitive times, such an incident would cement their guilt beyond dispute.
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“Damn, what a spectacle.”

The Night’s Watch who had only just arrived in King’s Landing had no idea what was going on. Domi stared in awe at the mass of goldcloaks blocking the way outside the River Gate camp. Their golden armor gleamed under the rising sun, and while a single soldier wasn’t impressive, the sight of so many gathered together was overwhelming. “Are all these just gate guards? The soldiers guarding this one gate alone outnumber all the brothers on the Wall! No wonder this is the capital of the Seven Kingdoms.”

Ser Alliser Thorne frowned, puzzled. As someone who had served in King’s Landing’s garrison during Robert’s Rebellion, he was familiar with its structure. While it was normal for the River Gate to have a large contingent, this many soldiers even during peacetime seemed absurd. Had the goldcloaks expanded significantly in his absence over the past decade?

Lacking an answer, he shook his head. “Forget it. Focus on delivering the wight to the Red Keep—that’s what matters.”

“Hey, they’re coming over. Could it be the king knew we were arriving and sent them to welcome us?”

But instead of a welcome, the goldcloaks blocked their path and raised their weapons. Dozens of spears pointed at the wight escort team. “Halt!”

The brothers of the Night’s Watch, all battle-hardened men, didn’t hesitate to draw their swords in response. The gate, barely open, was once again jammed as the two groups faced off. Ser Alliser raised his blade, scanning the opposing crowd until he spotted a familiar face. With a cold laugh, he spoke: “Well, well, Janos Slynt. Quite the display. What’s the meaning of this?”

“Ser Alliser?” Slynt stepped forward, his confusion evident. He had stopped the wrong people. Back during Robert’s Rebellion, he and Alliser had both been officers in the garrison. When Tywin Lannister had tricked his way into the city, Slynt had chosen to surrender while Alliser had resisted—an act that eventually led to Alliser joining the Night’s Watch while Slynt rose to Commander of the City Watch. Their shared history made Slynt uneasy. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re delivering a wight to the king,” Alliser replied curtly. “Why? Does this violate any laws of the Seven Kingdoms?”

“Of course not.” Slynt glanced at the cage holding the wight but then turned his attention to Tyrion Lannister, who was among the group. “But, Ser Alliser, what are you doing with Tyrion Lannister?”

“We ran into each other while waiting for the gate to open,” Tyrion said with a smirk. “Lord Slynt, you ordered the Night’s Watch outpost to relocate. I’m merely here to oversee it.”

“Why not use the King’s Gate? And why bring so many people?” Slynt’s gaze swept over the black-cloaked group, quickly distinguishing true brothers of the Night’s Watch from the others by their attire. “Seems more like you’re assembling a force to break the law, maybe even rescue a prisoner.”

Clever, aren’t you? Tyrion chuckled. “My lord, I fail to see your point. We’re all lawful citizens of the Seven Kingdoms. We entered through the main gate, unarmed. What mischief could we possibly cause?”

Slynt glanced at their empty hands and hesitated. Without evidence, he couldn’t act decisively. Reluctantly, he waved them through. “Ser Alliser, take your men and go. As for the impostors dressed as brothers of the Night’s Watch, they’re suspected of participating in a serious crime. I’ll be taking them into custody for investigation!”

The surrounding goldcloaks, emboldened by their numbers, moved to surround the unarmed group. Arresting civilians posed no risk compared to storming the River Gate camp.

The Night’s Watch lowered their weapons, distancing themselves from the “fake brothers” to avoid any misunderstandings. They watched in confusion as Slynt’s men apprehended the group without resistance.

Tyrion stood motionless, expression unchanged as he watched the farcical arrests unfold. His security team had been explicitly ordered to remain unarmed and to offer no resistance, knowing this possibility had been considered. Letting Slynt waste manpower on such a pointless display wasn’t a loss.

He wanted to curse, to mock, to threaten, but in the end, he settled on a polite phrase, his voice dripping with sarcasm: “Lord Slynt, good luck with your investigation.”
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This was the third day of Tyrion’s effort to bring down Slynt, but leaks in their plans had caused the situation to spiral out of control. Growing uneasy, Tyrion began to consider whether it was time to ask his brother in the Red Keep for help.

Slynt, however, wasn’t done. After glaring at Tyrion, he issued another order: “Seize Tyrion Lannister as well. I suspect he’s involved in last night’s brawl and murders.”

“What? Are you insane, Slynt?” For the first time, Tyrion’s composure broke. Even seeing the wight earlier hadn’t shocked him as much. He rarely invoked his family name, as being a Lannister was usually enough, but now he was furious. “Arrest me, and guess what my father will do when he hears?”

Slynt sneered. “I’m not insane, nor am I arresting you. But if you truly wish to aid in the investigation, Tyrion Lannister, I’ll need your cooperation, along with your accomplice Aegor West.”

Arresting a Lannister in broad daylight was a bold move, one the gathered crowd wouldn’t forget. As Slynt’s men seized Tyrion’s attendants and escorted him away, the goldcloaks blocking the gate made way for him to leave.

It just so happened, however, that this scene of Tyrion being arrested was witnessed by his brother, Jaime Lannister, who was preparing to leave the River Gate for Dragonstone under the king’s orders.