Aegor stepped out of the Red Keep and stood for a few seconds on the gentle slope of Aegon's High Hill. He had thought he had no power to interfere in this game of thrones and had no intention of getting involved. Yet, not only had he been dragged in, now it seemed he was walking willingly toward danger—choosing to go against the winning side. Truly...
"What are you standing there for? Take the horse. Quick, don't let Lady Arya fall into danger!" Ser Bywater patted him on the back, handed over the reins of a garrison officer's horse, and gave him a subtle wink. "Go quickly and come back quickly."
Knowing this was no time for hesitation, Aegor took the reins, mounted the saddle, nodded to Ser Ironhand, and galloped toward the west side of the city.
The City Watch of King's Landing was a defensive force, not intended for external combat, and had very few horses in its ranks. However, the Lannister family had many members in the capital and possessed vast wealth... It would take time to capture and confiscate all of them. Hopefully, they wouldn't think of Tyrion, who was outside the city, too quickly.
Unwilling to rely on the carelessness of others when it came to his friend's safety, Aegor pulled the reins tight, leaned forward over the saddle, and urged the horse to its limit. The sun was climbing high into the sky. It was nearly midday, the time of day when foot traffic was lowest. Without concern for conserving the horse's strength, Aegor galloped through the city for the first time like a reckless noble racing down crowded streets. He was riding a well-trained steed familiar with the roads of King's Landing. Even on such complex terrain, it ran swiftly. He narrowly avoided colliding with pedestrians and carts several times, but thanks to his reflexes, he dodged them all. In less than half an hour, he rode from the Red Keep to the King's Gate.
The King's Gate remained open, with traffic passing through as usual. As the largest city in the Seven Kingdoms, closing King's Landing without reason would severely disrupt daily life and economic activity. In Eddard Stark's plan, as long as Cersei and Jaime were confined in the Red Keep, the rest of the Lannisters in the capital could be dealt with later. Out of both confidence and secrecy, the gate guards hadn't been informed ahead of time. This not only caught Cersei completely off guard, but also gave Aegor the opportunity to slip out and warn Tyrion.
When he passed through the gate, the guards recognized him—there was no avoiding it. He was simply too memorable now. Last night, the City Watch had been mobilized to arrest him. But by dawn, not only was the warrant revoked, even the officer who issued the order had been thrown in jail. Now, the man at the center of it all rode freely through King's Landing. Who among the guards would dare stop someone with such clout?
Unchallenged, Aegor slowed his horse to a casual trot and passed through the gate as if nothing had happened. Moments later, he broke into a full gallop again, heading straight for his destination by the Blackwater River.
The guards at the entrance to the industrial park were flustered by his sudden arrival. Aegor ignored their offers to notify or escort anyone and made straight for Tyrion's office without delay.
...
...
As expected, Tyrion had not yet left. He sat at his desk, writing a letter. Jack and Maurice were busy rummaging through the place, gathering items.
"Aegor? What brings you here?" Tyrion set down his quill. "Well, never mind. I'll stop writing. It's better to speak in person—"
"Forget any plans. Just go. Now. Right now!" Aegor lowered his voice urgently. "Jack, Maurice, stop packing. Just take food and water for a day or two and leave immediately!"
"What happened?"
"Jaime attacked King Robert in the Red Keep. The City Watch is on its way here to arrest you." Aegor stepped aside, clearing the way to the door, and urged them nervously. "Head for the stables now. Each of you take two horses. Ride west at full speed. Avoid main roads and towns. Get back to Casterly Rock alive. We'll have plenty of time to talk about the Night's Watch industry later!"
...
It took Tyrion half a second to grasp the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, he jumped from his chair and shook Aegor's hand one last time. No words were needed. There were no farewells. No goodbyes. The two "titans" of the Night's Watch industry parted in haste. Aegor watched as Tyrion and the two guards ran for the stables. Then he composed himself and headed toward the security team's training ground.
There, he pretended to be panicked, breathlessly asking if Arya had arrived. Naturally, the answer was that she hadn't. After putting on a show of relief, he exhaled, pretending nothing had happened. He gave a vague explanation for his worry, chatted briefly with the inspector and the security captain he'd appointed, and waited for the City Watch to arrive.
The guards were already accustomed to Slynt's harassment in recent days, so when a squad of ten gold cloaks rode into the industrial park, they weren't alarmed. After failing to find Tyrion in his office or room, the search team naturally sought out the person in charge and quickly climbed the stairs to stand before Aegor.
Getting Tyrion out wasn't enough. With his short stature, he needed a special saddle to ride and couldn't move quickly. Only by buying more time for him could the warning truly matter. "Tyrion left not long ago. He said he was heading to the port to take a ship and sail around Dorne to Lannisport."
Sailing around Westeros to Casterly Rock? It was a strange choice. The gold-cloaked officer frowned. "Really?"
"I don't know if it's true, but that's what he said."
The gold cloak's expression twisted in frustration. But in the Night's Watch territory, standing before the infamous "White Walker Slayer" Aegor West, the Night's Watch's chief logistics officer—rumored to have the Hand of the King as a patron and capable of toppling his own commander—who among them dared press harder? After exchanging a few words with his comrades, the officer led the squad out of the industrial park, riding east toward Blackwater Bay—completely the wrong direction.
---
Tyrion, thanks to Aegor's warning, had escaped. But chaos now gripped King's Landing. It was midday, and many of the capital's residents were still discussing the clash at Rivergate the night before and the wights the Night's Watch had paraded through the city that morning. Then came the sounds of chaos in the streets. Curious citizens opened their windows and quickly realized the show was far from over.
For the first time since the end of Robert's Rebellion, the City Watch was fully mobilized. A vast number of gold cloaks surged out of their barracks and into the streets. For a moment, it seemed the whole city gleamed with golden armor. All seven gates of King's Landing were shut following the order, as House Lannister faced its greatest crisis since the days of Aegon the Conqueror.
Because their daughter was Queen, many Lannisters had long regarded King's Landing as a second Lannisport. They had settled, sought careers, bought homes, and raised families here. But now, with Cersei and Jaime's scandal exposed, not just the main branch of the family but even distant cousins were arrested en masse. Anyone even remotely connected to the Westerlands was seized by gold cloaks and thrown into the dungeons. All their wealth and properties were confiscated.
The once-glorious relatives of the Queen were now locked away in droves, and the cells of King's Landing overflowed. But anyone hoping this meant the end of House Lannister would be disappointed. Though Eddard, with over 300 garrison soldiers, had crushed the remaining Lannister forces in the Red Keep, a thorough search found no trace of the two key targets. Then came grim news: "The captain of the Lion Gate garrison has defected, fleeing King's Landing with his loyal men, mounts, and... Jaime and Cersei Lannister."
...
"Send a pursuit party immediately!" After all his meticulous planning, the Lannister twins had escaped under his nose. Eddard was furious, consumed with rage like Robert himself. "Tell Grand Maester Pycelle to send ravens to the Reach. Order every noble along the Gold Road to intercept and capture the Kingslayer and the Queen!"
The City Watch had endured internal strife the night before, undergone a command change that morning, and was now busy purging Lannister loyalists in the capital. The force was in complete disarray, with communication broken between ranks and orders difficult to enforce. With only a limited number of horses, they barely managed to organize a pursuit team. In chaos, they rode out of the Lion Gate, charging down the Gold Road toward Casterly Rock.
Later that afternoon, in the raven tower at the southeastern corner of the Red Keep, black birds bearing scrolls took flight, soaring westward on the wind. The letters contained Eddard Stark's official orders. Even under scrutiny from the Hand's aides, there was nothing questionable in their contents. But only the maester who had dispatched them knew the truth: two of those ravens, meant for Stonehelm, had instead been sent to Casterly Rock.
(To be continued.)
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