Yagami Light in Game of Thrones

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***

Light sat at the desk in his office, reading papers. Janos Slynt, commander of the city guard, stood waiting for him to finish. Finally Light looked up.

- One hundred and twenty-two dragons and seventeen deer. That's just for the current month. One hundred and thirty dragons exactly last month, one hundred and fifteen dragons and three stags the month before that. This money was allocated to you to pay the salaries of your subordinates, but there are no receipts for these sums. Can you explain where the money went?

Janos Slynt's gone mad. Pissed off that he'd blundered over such a small thing, Light thought.

- There must be some mistake, Ser Lancel. Let me have a look at the papers.

- Of course,' said Light kindly. - Look.

Janos Slynt took the scroll and, moving his lips, began to read. Light waited, fingers crossed. Five minutes passed.

- I'm waiting for an answer,' Light reminded him.

Now he's going to start lying.

- Ser Lancel, I gave all the money to my men, as I should have done. And I gave the receipts to Lord Renly, who was master of the law before you. I don't know what that traitor did with them.

Blame it on a dead man? How predictable.

- Isn't it? - Light smiled. - That's not what your men say. They say that not only do they receive no wages, but they have to pay tribute to you to keep their positions. To do so, they have to tribute merchants and artisans, which has almost doubled the prices of some goods.

- Lies! Insolent lies! Who are these people who are slandering me? Give me their names, Ser Lancel, and I'll deal with them quickly!

- Just as you dealt with Tom Nott and Harry Murch? It seems they wanted to press charges against you, but shortly afterwards they both fell from the city wall. And crashed to their deaths.

Janos Slynt stomped his foot angrily.

- I will not listen to this nonsense! Who do you think you are? What right do I have to be commanded by a mongrel? Janos Slynt isn't just some punk. I have friends, powerful friends!

- More influential than the Queen? - Light smiled coldly. - Janos Slynt, I am removing you from command of the City Guard and placing you under arrest. Ser Jaselin!

The door opened, letting the knight in. Before digging into Slint, Light spoke to the officers of the City Watch and formed an opinion of each. The one-armed captain was an honest man; no wonder Slint and his mates couldn't stand him. Light had already decided that there was no better substitute for Slint.

- You will command the gold cloaks from now on. Take Janos Slynt to the dungeon and let the torture-master deal with him. Arrest these men as well,' Light handed Ser Jaselyn a sheet of paper. Allar Dim, Slint's right-hand man, was number one on it. - These are the alleged accomplices. I'm sure they'll have a lot of interesting things to say when questioned.

Stashes of gold, but most importantly, dirt on their patron. It's someone from the capital and, judging by Slint's threats, his status is no lower than mine... but lower than the Queen's. Varys or Baelish? More likely the latter. The eunuch doesn't look like a rich man, and it's unlikely he's passing the money to a third party: such convoluted schemes don't work effectively. So, Baelish. It's a good thing he's gone. It's about time we had a story on him. All the effort he's put into bringing the Lannisters and the Starks together! Perhaps there's something personal involved? Lord Eddard told me Baelish was in love with his wife and fought a duel with his brother, her first fiancé. If Baelish wants revenge and knows I helped Stark escape, he already considers me an enemy. And even if he doesn't, Slint's arrest will end our temporary alliance anyway. Now it's either him or me. There's no three ways about it.

Slint's gone. The next visitor was Yoren, a recruiter for the Night's Watch. When he addressed Light, he didn't hide his grin. Apparently, he too thought of Light as an inexperienced young man, who had been given a position only because of the surname 'Lannister'.

- Ser Lancel, I am told that you are in charge of the prisoners and the prisons. My old Hand, Lord Eddard, promised to open the dungeons for me.

- Good. Let's go and see your future recruits.

The dungeons of Castle Red are divided into four levels. The first, the highest, held common criminals. The cells on this level had narrow barred windows. Yoren took four of them from here. The second level was for the noble prisoners. There were no windows, but there was a small opening in the door, through which the light of torches from the corridor entered the cells. This level was now empty. The cells on the third level were blank stone sacks for the most dangerous criminals. Three of them were occupied. The fourth level was for torture: that was where Slint had been taken. Joren had nothing to do there, so he and Light did not go deeper than the third level.

Rugen, the jailer of the Red Castle, unlocked three doors. For some reason, he seemed familiar to Light. Where had he seen that fat, unkempt man with the stubbled face?

The first prisoner, a slim and even handsome man with strange hair, red on the left and grey on the right, squinted against the torchlight and said:

- A man is being led to execution? The man would like to pray first.

- What is your name and why are you here?

- The man has the honour of being Jaqen Hgar of the free city of Lorath. The man was imprisoned for fighting with the Guards.

- No murders, I hope?

- It did,' Rugen said before Jaqen Hgar could answer. - Lannister's men picked on him for his looks, he beat them up and ended up here.

The order to give Jaqen to Yoren was about to fall from Light's lips, but one little thing made him wary. Rugen's intervention looked as if he and the prisoner were in league. As if the jailer was protecting the prisoner, trying to make him seem less dangerous than he really was. They don't put you in a stone bag for a simple brawl.

- Take him to the second level,' Light ordered. - And give him clean clothes.

We need to get him away from Rugen, who's working on level three, and ask him a few questions... later, when the urgent business is done. Gratitude for more bearable conditions might make him candid.

The second prisoner, a mean-looking man with a syphilitic nose, called himself Rorge. He refused to name the offence for which he had been brought here, but Ruge's records listed rape of minors, murder and robbery. The third prisoner, Kusaka, did not speak at all, only growled. Rügen called him an ogre. Looking at Kusaka's pointed teeth and long red tongue, it was believable.

- And you want to make these types into sentries? - Light didn't hide his sarcasm. Yoren shrugged his shoulders.

- Why not? When a man wears black, all his previous crimes are forgotten.

- It's a silly custom. All criminals must be punished,' Light turned to the guards. - These two are to be hanged.

***

A small band of gold cloaks, led by Ser Jaselyn Bywater, waited for Light at the gates of the Red Castle.

- Which gate shall we start at, Ser Lancel?

- The Dirty Gate.

Generally speaking, preparing the capital for defence was beyond the master's authority, but since there were no others willing to take on the thankless job, Cersei willingly gave Lyte complete freedom of action. All the better. Light had far-reaching plans for the City Watch. A professional army, not unlike a feudal militia. It was the best way to build up the future regular army.

At the morning meeting of the Small Council, Varys reported that Stannis had arrived at Storm's End and was gathering an army there. Baelish has travelled to Highgarden and begun negotiations, but how long they will last is unknown. It's possible that Stannis will reach the capital before the Tyrells' help arrives. There are 2,000 swords in the city guard. Of course, that number could be increased to three thousand, no more, for the recruits still need to be trained and equipped with weapons and armour. Even with wildfire, Light cannot defeat Stannis's ten times superior forces. But he can hold out until his uncle's army of twenty thousand arrives.

Lord Tywin has chosen Harrenhal as his stake. It's a five-day journey from there to the capital, but if you send scouts to the southern shore of the Blackwater and recruit smugglers fishing in the bay, you can learn of Stannis's approach in two or three days, halving the time you have to wait for help. It could be cut to zero if Tywin obeyed his daughter's orders and brought an army to the capital - but, as Light explained to his cousin, Stannis's defeat would be more complete if Lord Tywin stabbed him in the back when he stormed the city.

As for the Starks, Varys said their army stood at Cailin's Moat and waited for Lord Eddard to ride out of White Harbour with Manderly's troops. When the Northmen had passed the Isthmus, they would have two routes: along the Kingsroad to the capital and across the Twins to Riverrun. That is, if the Freys will let them through.

Old Lord Walder Frey, nicknamed 'the belated,' did not come to his suzerain's aid at the battle of Riverrun when Ser Jaime defeated Edmar Tully's army and took him prisoner. The remnants of Tully's loyal forces took refuge behind the castle walls. The siege has begun. Would Lord Eddard rather negotiate with the Freys and save his wife's kin, or go straight to the capital to help Stannis? The former isn't too dangerous, and in the latter case Lord Tywin will need to quickly defeat the Northmen at the Trident in time to come to Light's aid. But if Tywin falters and Stark and Stannis coordinate well, King's Landing will fall. Light, Cersei and her children will be taken prisoner. Light will be safe (Cersei's testimony may be the only proof of his guilt, but she is the last person Lord Eddard will believe), but Cersei and her children may well be executed by Stannis.

Light would thank Stannis for getting rid of Joffrey: the foolish and cruel king Light has to support is more capable of damaging his plans than the most cunning enemy. Better to make a martyr of him. A beautiful young king murdered by his evil uncle - what an image for propaganda! Cersei's death won't interfere too much with his plans either. But the queen's youngest children must be saved. Myrcella and Tommen must be taken out of the capital and hidden in a safe place.

After inspecting the gates and ordering the rotten sashes to be replaced, Light rode to the Blackwater shore and looked at the city walls from the river. Fishermen's shacks, squalid inns, and obscure barns clung to the top of the walls. In the event of an attack, they would be a great asset to Stannis-not even siege ladders.

- All this,' Light waved his hand along the walls, 'burn it. Now let's look at the other gates.

The other gates were in better condition. The God's Gate was worth repairing, the Lion's Gate and the Dragon's Gate didn't need fixing. Stannis is unlikely to attack from the west or the north, though. The mud gate was the most likely route of attack.

Lastly, Light decided to visit Flea Bottom. It was not directly related to the war effort, but the criminal element undermines the morale of the defenders, and there are always traitors among thieves. Not to mention that fighting crime is Light's direct responsibility as a master over the law.

The sweet smell of rotting rubbish mixed with the stench of unwashed bodies made Light wrinkle his nose. The first thing to do would be to build sewers, then schools. Teachers could be recruited from the septons. With an education and a chance to settle down in life, the former urban poor would become a loyal pillar of the crown and, in the long run, reduce the central government's dependence on over-powerful feudal lords.

- Ser Jaselin, what is the punishment for stealing?

- The offender's finger is chopped off.

- Does that stop him from stealing?

- No. It's rare, so most people consider losing a finger an acceptable risk.

- From now on, thieves who are caught will have their whole hand chopped off, not their finger. Increase the number of guards to 3,000. Refugees from the Riverlands are starting to arrive, and soon there will be more and less order. That's why we'll charge two stags per man and ten stags per carriage to enter the city. That will reduce the number of mouths to feed and give us money for a while, until Slint and his cronies come clean and tell us where they've hidden their loot.

Ser Jaselin nodded.

- At last we have a master of the law who knows what he's doing,' he said with brusque candour. - Your predecessor, Lord Renly, was only interested in outfits.

- I'm counting on you, Ser Jacelyn. I hope that together we can make this city a little better.

A smile spread across the knight's stern face.

As he passed a tavern, in front of which suspicious-looking meat was boiling in huge vats, Light thought that the city guard alone was not enough for his plans. An army is good, but the secret service is just as important. Varys has spies, Baelish has spies. Where would Light get his own?

L used the rogue Iber and the burglar Wadie to infiltrate Yotsuba's secrets. Should we follow his lead? The fate of the criminals is entirely up to Light, which would guarantee their loyalty. Yes, that's an option.

- Ser Jaselin, if your men catch any serious criminals, professional killers or burglars, report them to me immediately. You don't have to chop off a hand. I'll decide how to punish them myself.

- As you command, Ser Lancel.

When I have men for my secret work, the first operation I'll assign to them will be the elimination of Robert's bastards. I'll start with Gendry and Barra, they're the closest. Cersei tells me Robert has a daughter in the Vale. We should kill her, too. Edric Storm can't be reached, he's too well guarded, but the others... All this living proof of the queen's treason was useful at the stage of starting the war, but now that the war is underway, they should be disposed of. The legitimacy of Cersei's children needs to be strengthened. Theon's confessions have already cast a shadow over Stannis' argument, and if the bastards are killed, all he'll have left is the book and Edric Storm. The former can easily be declared a forgery and the latter a coincidence.

***

Light didn't return to his office until evening. After tidying up his papers, Light sank into a chair and closed his eyes for a few minutes, crossing off the day's work from his mental list. Slint... Dirty Gate... toll... three prisoners... by the way, I must remember to make time to talk to Jaqen Hgar. Since it's not too urgent, we can postpone it until next week. Now he'll rest for five minutes and go to the queen: after a day's work, a good sex wouldn't hurt. A naked Cersei, wiggling her ass seductively, appeared before his mind's eye. How delighted she would be at his plan to kill the bastards! As long as she didn't try to kill them herself. Cersei will make it all axe and obvious, so it will be clear to everyone who is behind it. Killing a baby doesn't help the loyalty of her subjects - and they're not very loyal as it is.

- Ser Lancel,' a molasses voice came into his ears, 'I'm glad I caught you in time.

Light opened his eyes. Seeing the powdered face of a eunuch instead of Cersei's charms was almost painful.

- Lord Varys, to what do I owe this visit?

The eunuch sat uninvited in his chair, rubbing his chubby palms together in excitement. With an effort of will, Light banished thoughts of Cersei.

- I wish to reassure you, Ser Lancel. There's been a trial at the Eagle's Nest. Your cousin has been acquitted and released.

- How did he do it?

- A trial by combat. A mercenary fighting for Lord Tyrion defeated Ser Vardis fighting for Lady Lysa.

That's good news. Tyrion was one of the few people in this world for whom Light had genuine sympathy.

- Of course, crossing the Moon Mountains protected by a single sword is almost impossible,' Varys sighed. - Those terrible savages... but somehow I think your cousin will make it. Don't you, Ser Lancel?

- I agree with you. What's the mood in the capital, Lord Varys? What are people talking about?

- The execution of Theon Greyjoy, of all things. Lord Stark is seen as deceitful and manipulative. Stannis's letters of denunciation are seen by the townsfolk as lies and subterfuge.

- I'm glad to hear it. And how are our dear guests, Ser Horace and Hobber?

The twin sons of Lord Paxter Redwyne, a vassal and kinsman of Lord Mace Tyrell, were competing in the Hand's tournament and didn't leave the capital in time. Cersei promptly turned them into hostages. The Redwyne fleet is a significant force, and until the alliance with the Tyrells is complete, the queen will not let them go.

- They're homesick,' the eunuch smiled, 'and they're spending the money they won at the tournament in Cathay's brothel. Speaking of the brothel. Ser Lancel, you know one of the women who works there, don't you? The one who bore King Robert a daughter and named her Barra?

- I do.

- I've hidden the mother and child in a safe place. If the Queen finds out about them, the poor women will be devastated.

You son of a bitch!

- You did the right thing, Lord Varys. Did you hide Gendry too?

The eunuch chuckled.

- 'How knowledgeable you are, Ser Lancel. Yes, young Gendry is already out of the Queen's reach. He has joined Yoren's troop and they left the capital today.

Well, that's theoretically still within reach. Especially if he doesn't make it to the Wall. It's a dangerous journey through the Riverlands, the war. So there's a chance. But what a bastard!

- Are you upset, Ser Lancel? Do you really think unrecognised bastards can threaten our rightful monarch in any way?

- No, Lord Varys. You have my full support. Hiding the bastards from the queen's wrath was a merciful and noble act.

Varys smiled broadly.

- You intrigue me, Ser Lancel. Would you mind if I asked you a riddle?

- Go ahead.

- There are three important people in the room: a king, a priest and a rich man. The fourth man is a mercenary. Each of the three orders the mercenary to kill the other two. Which of the three will survive?

- The rich man. For the mercenary, money comes first.

- But if power is about money, why did Robert become king and not your Uncle Tywin?

- Power lies where people believe it lies. A mercenary believes in money, but if a knight who believed in oaths had been in his place, the king would have survived. And if a man who believed in the gods had the sword, the priest would survive.

- A very interesting answer, Ser Lancel. Now you've intrigued me even more.

Light was reminded of the words of another man, long dead: now the probability that you are Kira has risen to five per cent.