The nobles of the Seven Kingdoms would never admit they wanted to be king, but every one of them at least harbored a dream of becoming the Hand of the King. Whenever they thought about sitting on the Iron Throne in place of the king, giving orders to the realm, they would quickly drift into a daydream.
The Iron Throne was made from the swords of those who had surrendered, melted by the flames of the Black Dread and reforged into a formidable shape. Whoever sat on it always looked imposing!
Wright found a rug embroidered with a crown and stag and carried it to the throne. He tossed the rug onto the Iron Throne and sat down without hesitation.
Wright didn't care about the throne's grandeur—his backside hurt from the uncomfortable seat, and the blades on the armrests could easily cut his hands. Many lives had been lost to that very throne.
Robert was not just the king of the Seven Kingdoms, but also the lord of the Crownlands and the ruler of King's Landing. He had to oversee the affairs of all the other Lords, manage the Crownlands, and, of course, govern King's Landing.
Normally, minor matters were handled by the Chancellor of Justice, and only the serious issues were reported to the king. But Lary, newly married, had been given a long holiday by Robert. They were enjoying themselves at the tournament, leaving all the responsibilities to Wright.
Two merchants were arguing loudly.
"Lord Hand, this man stole eight chickens from my home!"
"Lord Hand! I was just walking by his house when he had me arrested for no reason. This is all a mistake!"
Next came a middle-aged widow and a skinny man.
"He clearly loves me, but he has gone and betrothed another woman! Please, Lord Hand, annul their engagement!"
"I only slept with you once—how does that make me in love with you?"
"You left a shoe in my room, so it's obvious you want to marry me!" The woman threw the shoe at the man.
Seeing the style and pattern of the shoe, Wright shifted his feet.
Leaning sideways on the Iron Throne, with his elbow resting on the armrest and his hand propping up his head, Wright tilted his head and looked down at the noisy crowd below. There was a long line of people waiting behind.
The nobles were all at the tournament, and the people here were mostly from King's Landing—petty squabbles, nonsense, and trivial matters.
Some people might enjoy having the power to control others' lives and deaths, but Wright had no interest in it. This is not a job for anyone; I need to get out of this as soon as possible!
Finally, dinner time arrived, offering a temporary escape. After hastily finishing a meal, Wright made his way to the Gold cloaks' military camp near the Shoemaker's Square.
Since becoming the Hand of the King, Wright had used his temporarily granted powers to achieve something. He had managed to relocate the Alchemist Guild of King's Landing to Tyrosh.
Back during Robert's rebellion, when he had assisted in the creation of wildfire for the Mad King, the most knowledgeable members of the Alchemist Guild had been killed by Jaime Lannister. The rest were merely young apprentices.
Over the years, some talented individuals had emerged, especially after magic reappeared, but their knowledge was not systematic. Through exchanges with the Magic Academy, they had received some assistance. The most skilled alchemist, Tyene, however, lived in Tyrosh.
When Wright proposed this at the Small Council, it was quickly approved by unanimous vote. The Alchemist Guild was a semi-official organization, and aside from wildfire, they produced nothing of value, receiving only minimal funding. Now that a real mage like Wright had taken charge, everyone was happy to see the group moved out.
These so-called alchemists had no magical power. At least they could read and were proficient in potion-making, so after relocating to Tyrosh, they would all fall under Tyene's management.
The wildfire that had already been produced was dealt with, and the alchemists' underground storage and the wildfire barrels beneath the Great Sept of Baelor were now under the control of the Royal Fleet. The Royal Fleet would purchase finished wildfire from Tyrosh every six months, with the first batch consisting of 100 barrels.
Wright went to the Gold cloaks' military camp to handle his second matter.
After the death of the previous Hand, Wright found a large stack of documents left behind in the Hand's office. Among them was the file of Janos Slynt, the current commander of the city guard. His bribery and trading of titles were known to Jon Arryn, and an arrest was imminent, but two key witnesses had died before they could be interrogated, causing the case to be dropped and filed away in the Hand's office.
Tyrosh needed a large influx of population, as the kingdom of Westeros was based on a feudal system where every person on the land belonged to a local lord, paying taxes through farming or business. During peacetime, King Robert couldn't command people from other regions to relocate; his support could only extend to King's Landing.
Wright planned to combine both matters into one. As Hand of the King, he would use the Gold cloaks' forces to arrest Commander Janos Slynt, then use the Gold cloaks in King's Landing to round up thieves and bandits, sending them to Tyrosh to be reformed in the military camps.
The Gold cloaks had two camps: one on the eastern side near the Dragon Gate, and another in the western part near the Cobbler's Square. Lary had gone to the eastern camp, as he was the Chancellor of Justice and oversaw the city guard, while Wright controlled the other.
Wright had already donned the stag-horned helmet that Robert could no longer fit into, and had given it to Wright.
A man arrived at the military camp entrance, and upon seeing Wright's imposing stature and the black sword gleaming red behind him, the guards immediately opened the gates.
Inside the camp, the Gold cloaks had gathered in the training grounds. They wore standard helmets, with regular soldiers in chainmail and officers and captains in plate armor. Each wore a golden shoulder cloak on the left shoulder.
This mission was led by Ser Jacelyn Bywater, captain of the city guard's Mud Gate division, known as Iron Hand, and his deputy, the Phantom, Ser Jon Snow.
Ser Jacelyn Bywater, from a fallen house, had risen to prominence during the Iron Islands Rebellion and was knighted by Robert, making him a direct supporter of Robert's bloodline. He was the appointed next commander.
Jacelyn Bywater had lost one hand in battle, which was replaced with a false iron hand, giving him his nickname.
Jon Snow, after graduating from the Magic School, was recommended by Wright to join the city guard instead of returning to the North, much to Eddard Stark's initial reluctance. Eddard agreed after consideration, proud of his sister's son making a name for himself. However, Jon's identity had to remain secret.
As he looked at the neatly arranged Gold cloaks, Wright took out the royal decree signed by King Robert, unrolled it, and raised it high to read aloud:
"It has been confirmed that Janos Slynt, commander of the city guard, is guilty of bribery, corruption, and selling office titles. His position as commander is hereby revoked. The Hand of the King, Wright Baratheon, and the Master of Law, Renly Baratheon, are ordered to lead the city guard to immediately arrest Janos Slynt and his accomplices!"
Wright held the decree high: "Ser Jacelyn Bywater, step forward to receive the royal decree."
Jacelyn took the decree, read it carefully, then shouted to the Gold cloaks behind him:
"With the king's signature and seal, the decree is confirmed. City guard, move out!"
Before they left, Wright stopped Jon Snow: "Take him alive! This former commander is guilty, not of rebellion, but of crime. He must face trial in the Red Keep."
Wright would accompany them, but he didn't know what the man looked like, so he had to rely on the Gold cloaks to identify him. His long tenure as commander meant many loyalists might recognize him.
He was worried the man might resist or that someone might try to silence him. With Jon Snow around, he hoped the man's life would be spared. He had embezzled too much money to die without giving it back. Robert was waiting for that money.
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