Chapter 20 - Hounds

(Mc pov)

The sun's shine had long passed, and the dark of the night started to consume what little light remained, my body relaxed as I pulled the strap tight on my hand guards, my head looking at the short girl who helped me with the straps. Her hands trying to figure it out as she refused the maids to help her.

"My prince, are you sure there is a need for the armor?" Alicent's words stopped me, her face looking down as she fixed the cloth around my waist. Her words having a tone I had not heard in a long time.

"My flower, do you worry for me so much already, or am I mistaken about how your words sound." I brought my lips to the top of her head, kissing it lightly as I spoke words of teasing.

"I only thought you would patrol the city, along with Prince Daemon, is there a need for such armor." Alicent's eyes looked to my armors chest, her hands tracing the black armor, trying to hide her words of worry, with mock confusion.

"It may just be that, but knowing my brother, I'm sure he will inact something extreme, seeing as every day, lords, ladies, knights, and men looking for glory flock to this city for the tournament." I could understand her worry, but I wished to speak with my brother, and hopefully connect as we had been before.

"Prince Daemon has always done his job, turning the watch into a force worthy of the crown, but even I know his lengths may be excessive at times." Alicent said while nodding her head, as if she knew what I meant, her face turning to me, while her large beautiful eyes looked into my own, patting the cloth with my houaes colors a few times.

"There is no need for great worry, my flower, I will return before first light, maybe into your arms once more." I tilted my head, lowering it as I kissed her cheek. my playful words broke her worry slightly from the blush that crept onto her face.

"I will heed your words, my prince.." Her worries were of a young maiden in love, but still, she knew when to push and when to withdraw.

"The maids will take care of your needs, for now, I am off.." I said, walking out of the room, my hand leaving the door only to stop, looking out to the shadows. "Make sure she is not harmed, if anything untoward should befall her, cut it down.." I spoke out to nothing, the wind of the night kicking, tunneling through the keep, my words carried by it as I stepped forward into the dark.

"Your will, my hands, my lord.." Words so silent as if a whisper licked my ears, my head nodding as I moved deeper within the keep.

The City for all its beauty, smelled of heavy drink, piss and shit. My nose growing used to such smells, did not mean it was pleasant. My steps dripped with how I felt as I moved calmly down the streets of muddy stone, pleasure houses filled as always, drunks stumbling in their own filth, and whores unfit for even the brothels, fuck and suck outside of homes.

'What matter of shit is this, well I can't expect them to show concern for their lives..' My mind went through its cycles as I looked around, my steps stopping only when I heard the beating of metal.

My ears took me to the noise, looking at torches burn along the sides of walls, my head swaying as I walked up a row of stairs. Below I found what I was looking for, a group of well-enough armed men, young and old alike, beating their chest as if a call to arms. Their black armor cast a great contrast to the gold cloaks that hung from one shoulder, they kept the rhythm of the call to arms steady as I watched Daemon walk out of the gate that led here.

Daemon looked around, his eyes scanning every man, then as if he knew, his eyes looked up to me, smirking lightly as I nodded to him.

"Commander on the floor!" A watchman standing behind Daemon yelled, his words bringing a stop to the banging of iron.

"When I took command of the Watch, you were stray mongrels, starving and undisciplined." Daemon's words were picked carefully, breaking down the barrier placed in the minds of men, that a sword has always been a sword. "Now, you're a pack of hounds. You're sated and honed for the hunt." then giving them praise, showing a sword can be recast into anew.

*howling

The men howled as I looked at Daemon's face, full of self-righteous authority and addictive pleasure to him second not even to sex. 'It seems the little flowers made a mistake. The crown no longer has a say over the movements of the watch, it would seems, now Daemon has his own small army.' I couldn't help but laugh lightly, no matter how I looked at it, Daemon had his own force under our brother's nose.

"My brother's city has fallen into squalor. Crime of every breed has been allowed to thrive. No longer. Beginning tonight, King's Landing will learn to fear the color gold." Daemon finished, causing more yells to echo, my steps ringing only as it died coming down the steps.

"Hold?" two confused gold cloaks spoke to me, holding their hand up as I looked down at the smaller of the two.

"Let him pass, or could you not see we have a remarkable resemblance.." Daemon called out to them, waving his hand as if moving them out of the way. "This is my brother, Prince Maliketh, many of you do not know him, but his words hold the same weight as mine." Daemon continued, telling them who I was as alot of the men slightly nodded their heads.

"It seems the rumors are quite warranted, I can see you've molded shit into men.." I said, not caring of the eyes around me as I laughed, "Every man starts somewhere, carrying a sword did not make you soldiers before, but now you are recast into men, worth of the watch. Like my brother said, a pack hounds." with a smirk I continued, breaking the barrier then lifting them up, causing the men to howl once more.

"I see you still have a way with words brother, recast into men you say, but I think men still fall short, of your army of monsters.." Leaning in Daemon whispered, even if he meant it playfully, I could hear the envy in his voice.

"Maybe.. who knows Daemon." I spoke in equal parts a whisper, as I walked next to him, trying not to undermine his efforts. "So, what do you plan to do Daemon, now that you set your hounds free?" I asked watching the men rush into the city.

"The city with be dyed red brother, like in your time.." Daemon said, his words full of wanten blood as he placed his hand on dark sisters hilt.

"Then let me see, what these hounds can do.."