Chapter 30: Where Life Endures

Green had barely returned to his townhouse in the Hook with Mandon when a royal attendant arrived, flanked by a handful of Lannister guards. He came bearing twenty leather pouches—each filled with a hundred golden dragons. Two thousand coins in all. So very Lannister.

The attendant also brought a message: Her Grace would not meddle in how Ser Green used the coin—but she expected results worthy of a queen.

Lavish. And again, so very Lannister.

Green chose caution. He quietly kept half aside.

His first thoughts went to his own people—like a laborer who returns home with pay in hand, thinking first of his family.

After securing the gold, Green sat at his table and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

He dispatched a swift rider to Crabb Manor, outside the city, ordering twenty house guards to come into the city and await orders.

He did regret not bringing more men with him, but he knew well—plans rarely kept pace with reality.

Things had unfolded more smoothly than expected. When he'd arrived in King's Landing without a formal post, bringing too many men would only have invited scrutiny. That had been avoided.

Now, however, with a post in the Red Keep and a royal task at hand, he could afford to draw more forces from Whispering Town.

His long fingers drummed softly on the table.

There were about three hundred Lannister men in King's Landing under the Queen's banner. No need to rush. He would proceed step by step. For now, fifty more men from the Crabb lands would suffice.

He drafted and sealed the orders.

Lacking a raven of his own and knowing no nobles nearby with ready access to one, Green ordered a man to take the letter straight to Jaime in the Red Keep to be sent by raven on his behalf.

King's Landing – The Queen's District

Speed was crucial. That very afternoon, Green publicly rode through the Queen's District with a small escort, inspecting its state. Privately, he paid informants to gather urgent intelligence.

He found many manors long abandoned, nearly crumbling into ruin.

Looking over the vacant estates, Green reflected—this district must once have flourished.

After the inspection, he claimed several of the larger compounds for Crown use, selecting one as a temporary command post and ordering it cleaned through the night.

—

By dawn, Ser Jaime arrived with Lancel and a hundred Lannister guards at the command post.

In the courtyard, a large pot simmered over an open fire. The rich scent of mutton drifted through the air. Mandon crouched nearby, hungrily eyeing the bubbling stew.

Jaime handed over the men quickly, then walked into the courtyard and took a seat near the fire.

He chuckled at the sight of Mandon. "Smells good. Lamb?"

Mandon nodded eagerly. "Yes, ser. Just a little longer. I butchered it myself—it's nice and fat."

Green arrived from another side of the yard and took his place beside Jaime. "How are you finding the smell of the Queen's District, Ser Jaime?"

Jaime's manner had softened slightly—proof that Green's efforts had not been in vain.

He shrugged. "I've been in this city long enough to know King's Landing has its own bouquet. This place isn't the worst of it."

Green stifled a laugh. "My men scrubbed through the night."

Jaime leaned in. "I heard you had a few of the Queen's District watchmen arrested?"

Green's voice turned grave. "Strictly speaking—restrained, not arrested. I needed their assistance. I meant to give them a chance at redemption. But after looking into their records… the filth I found was inexcusable."

"They effectively controlled the Queen's District. And behind them stood Janos Slynt, Commander of the City Watch."

Jaime frowned. Though a capable commander and a swordsman of renown, his talents had never strayed far from the battlefield. He lacked his father's instincts for politics.

"You think Slynt's behind the rumors about Cersei?"

If only it were so simple.

Green shook his head, though inwardly he scoffed at Jaime's political naivety.

Someone had been pushing Cersei to the brink—stoking her temper, worsening the rift between her and King Robert, fanning her hatred with every breath.

And strangely enough, Green's thoughts drifted toward distant Highgarden.

The Golden Rose. Ever growing.

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🔥 The Throne's Last Flame — A Song Forged in Ice and Wrath 🔥

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