Game of Thrones: Knight’s Honor

"This is all the information we have gathered this time." Lynd stood inside the main tent on Lion's Hill outside King's Landing, addressing Garlan, who sat at the head of the table. He methodically detailed the various pieces of intelligence collected in King's Landing.

The tent was occupied by four men: Garlan, Vortimer, an elderly man dressed as a Maester, and a slightly stout, middle-aged knight. The latter two had been eyeing Lynd with curious expressions from the moment he entered, as though examining a rare specimen.

As Lynd presented his findings, his gaze discreetly flicked toward the two strangers, assessing them. Their identities were easy to discern. The old Maester wore a chain of eight links, each forged from a different material—a mark of academic distinction. There was only one man in the Tyrell household who fit this description: Maester Mollos, the chief advisor to the House Tyrell and its most learned scholar. He was once the mentor of Maester Seric, who now assisted Garlan.

The knight, on the other hand, was Roger Redwyne, commander of the Tyrell garrison and nephew to the Queen of Thorns. Orphaned at a young age and largely overlooked by House Redwyne, Roger had been raised by the Queen of Thorns herself and later served as her squire. After Mace Tyrell assumed the title of Lord of Highgarden, Roger was appointed as garrison commander.

Although his title paralleled that of Janos Slynt, Roger's authority far surpassed Slynt's, as did his status. However, Roger seldom exercised his power, preferring instead to delegate command responsibilities to various knights under his authority. He had adopted an idle lifestyle, indulging in food, drink, and leisure, aware that his talents were mediocre at best. Fully cognizant of his limitations, Roger refrained from overreaching—a stark contrast to Mace Tyrell. For instance, during Robert's Rebellion, Roger ceded command of the army to Randyll Tarly while limiting himself to logistical duties as the Commander of the City Watch. His self-awareness endeared him to the Tyrells and secured his long-standing position.

After the rebellion, both Roger and Mollos accompanied Mace Tyrell to King's Landing. However, their inability to court favor or excel politically left them ineffective in the capital. When Garlan assumed a larger role in the family's affairs, both men volunteered to assist him, sensing their skills would be better appreciated by the younger lord.

Their relationship with Garlan was informal—Mollos, his former teacher, and Roger, his uncle by marriage—making their conversations on the journey from King's Landing notably relaxed. Garlan had spoken extensively about his experiences, including mention of Lynd, the legendary Bear Hunter. Naturally, this piqued the interest of the two senior advisors.

Upon meeting Lynd, however, both men were underwhelmed. His towering frame and rugged appearance—he seemed almost bear-like, with his head nearly brushing the tent's ceiling—clashed with their expectations of a swordsman lauded for his grace and precision. Instead, they dismissed him as a brute, likely more reliant on raw strength than intellect.

That perception was quickly shattered as Lynd began his report. Each detail was presented with precision, clearly prioritized and meticulously organized. The effort required to arrange such intelligence bespoke a keen mind—one at odds with his rough exterior.

The stark contrast between Lynd's imposing physical presence and his sharp, methodical intellect left a lasting impression. The dissonance amplified the impact of his competence, catching both Mollos and Roger off guard. Even Garlan and Vortimer, who had known Lynd longer, betrayed a hint of surprise at his performance.

After Lynd finished reporting all the intelligence, Maester Mollos couldn't help but laugh. "I almost thought the one reporting the intelligence was Lord Varys, the Master of Whisperers of the Iron Throne."

"You felt that way too? I thought it was just me," said Roger Redwyne, looking equally surprised.

Maester Mollos turned to Garlan and remarked, "Garlan, it seems the greatest gain from your trip to King's Landing was this Bear Hunter."

Garlan couldn't help but smile with satisfaction at the praise. For House Tyrell, the more capable their subordinates proved to be, the more pleased they were. They fully understood that their House's continued prosperity couldn't rest solely on family members. It was crucial to continually attract skilled outsiders to sustain their influence and strength.

This was especially true for House Tyrell in the aftermath of the War of the Usurper and subsequent unrest in The Reach, which had drained much of their talent. Even Garlan, barely ten years old, had been forced to step up and shoulder responsibilities, highlighting the severity of the problem. House Tyrell needed new talent now more than ever, which explained why Garlan had so decisively transferred Lynd from House Crane to House Tyrell during his time in New Barrel.

Unlike most other noble houses in the Seven Kingdoms, House Tyrell valued external talent to an unusual degree. While even House Lannister showed some appreciation for foreign talent, they didn't match House Tyrell's level of tolerance and openness in this regard, as many other houses clung firmly to the ideology of bloodline supremacy.

"Since you've already compiled the intelligence, you must have analyzed it as well," Maester Mollos said, giving Lynd an approving look. "Share your opinions first, and let's see if they hold any value."

At this, Lynd glanced at Vortimer, who gave a subtle nod of approval. Taking that as his cue, Lynd began sharing his analysis and thoughts on the intelligence. He delved into his speculations about the relationship between King Robert and Lord Eddard of the North, the dynamics among the Baratheon brothers, and the current importance of Renly Baratheon to House Tyrell.

He shared another thought prompted by the intelligence: "I believe this could be an excellent opportunity to strengthen ties with House Stark of the North. According to our findings, there are rumors that Lord Benjen Stark might visit King's Landing—not only to attend the prince's birth celebration on behalf of Lord Eddard but also to carry out a mission to recruit for the Night's Watch."

"However, it seems that His Grace, King Robert, is displeased with Lord Eddard's absence and is taking it out on Lord Benjen, making things difficult by refusing all his requests."

Lynd paused briefly, scanning the tent for reactions, then continued. "We could take this chance to reach out to Lord Benjen Stark and offer to send the prisoners in Highgarden's dungeons to the Wall. I suspect Lord Benjen Stark would appreciate the gesture. At the same time, we could express our desire to improve relations with House Stark and ask Lord Benjen to mediate. Considering the brotherly bond between Lord Eddard and Lord Benjen, it's unlikely they would reject our overtures. Strengthening ties with House Stark would indirectly bolster our relations with King Robert, given the close alliance between the Warden of the North and His Grace. What do you think, my lords?"

Lynd's words were met with silence. For a long moment after he finished, no one in the tent spoke, their gazes fixed on him with varying degrees of astonishment. Vortimer and Garlan, in particular, looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.

Finally, Roger Redwyne broke the silence, his expression serious. "If I recall correctly, you were just a hunter. How do you possess such a sharp ability for information analysis? This isn't a skill most common folk would have."

Prepared for such questions after his earlier experience with Joel, Lynd calmly repeated the same explanation he had provided months ago to Joel.

The people in the tent accepted his reasoning without suspicion. In their minds, only the Maesters of the Citadel could have trained someone like Lynd. After all, while many Maesters left Oldtown each year to serve across the Seven Kingdoms, not all found noble patrons to offer them stability and salaries. Many lived modestly, and some—those stripped of their chains—became outcasts. It wasn't uncommon for ordinary people to hire such Maesters to teach them.

The Maester who had taught Lynd so well was thought to be extraordinary, prompting discussions about recruiting him. However, when they inquired further, Lynd admitted he neither knew the Maester's name nor had any distinguishing details about his appearance, making it nearly impossible to locate him. As they lamented the loss of such talent, Maester Mollos suddenly proposed, "When we return to Highgarden, let him work under me! I'm in need of capable people there."

Maester Mollos oversaw intelligence in Highgarden, but advancing age had left him struggling to handle the massive influx of information and manage House Tyrell's extensive spy networks across Westeros.

Years ago, he delegated these duties to his students, who excelled at research but lacked finesse in intelligence work. The inability of Tyrell agents in King's Landing to respond effectively after Jon Arryn and Varys dismantled their positions was proof of this shortcoming.

Having observed Lynd's exceptional talent for organizing and analyzing intelligence, Maester Mollos believed Lynd to be far more capable than his current students.

He saw great potential in Lynd and wanted to train him as a specialist, with the hope that Lynd might eventually succeed him as the head of intelligence for House Tyrell—a position where lineage mattered the least among significant roles.

"No." The voice of opposition came swiftly, not from Lynd himself, but from both Garlan and Vortimer.

The two exchanged surprised glances, each seemingly curious about the other's reasons for dissent. Garlan's rationale was straightforward: Lynd was a recent addition to House Tyrell, and his loyalty remained unproven. Granting him access to the family's core power structure was unwise at this stage.

Vortimer's objection was even simpler: he understood Lynd's ambitions all too well. Placing him under Maester Mollos would quash those aspirations, as no Lord would ever knight someone privy to the most sensitive intelligence of their house.

Both Maester Mollos and Ser Roger were taken aback by the simultaneous opposition but refrained from probing further. They trusted that Garlan and Vortimer had their reasons.

The discussion soon shifted back to the main agenda, and Lynd was not dismissed but included in the deliberations. His suggestions were largely adopted, with only minor adjustments to operational details.

Later, when they returned to their tent, Vortimer accepted a warm towel from a servant and turned to Lynd, who had followed him inside. "I didn't expect you to be so capable," he said. "I hope you don't hold it against me for opposing your transfer to Maester Mollos. Giving you access to Highgarden's inner workings would have been unwise."

Lynd shook his head. "No, even if you hadn't objected, I still wouldn't have agreed. Being Master of Whisperers is not my goal."

"I'm glad to hear that," Vortimer replied, dismissing the servant with a wave. He continued earnestly, "You've made a strong impression on Maester Mollos with your intelligence work. Although I rejected his proposal on your behalf, he won't give up easily. Compared to Maester Seric and the others, your skills shine. He'll likely seek your help with intelligence matters in the future. When that happens, refuse his requests and avoid getting too involved. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord," Lynd replied, then hesitated. "But with my current standing, if Maester Morlos insists, I might not be able to refuse."

Vortimer was silent for a moment before giving a decisive answer. "Go to the camp and select ten men to form a cavalry patrol. They'll handle daily patrols and make a show of themselves in the castle when possible. Ensure they're well-dressed and noticeable so that House Tyrell's presence is recognized in King's Landing. This will also keep you occupied outside the camp."

Lynd understood this was a veiled promotion and readily agreed. Yet, he needed to confirm one final matter. "My lord, would this count as meritorious service?"

Vortimer regarded him thoughtfully, then unsheathed the longsword at his waist and tossed it to him. "My sword hasn't been properly maintained. Tonight, polish and oil it, and ensure my armor is in good condition for the tournament in a few days."

Lynd took the sword, smiling at the implicit acknowledgment. "Yes, my lord."