Chapter 291: The Dagger is Revealed (Part 2)
Faced with a deadly weapon pointed directly at him, Jaime showed no trace of nerves. Carrying a relaxed, shallow smile, he kept his gaze fixed on Cotter, reached for his waist... and with a steady hand, gripped the steel sword forged by Lannisport's finest blacksmith. As he drew it slowly, the friction of the blade against the metal throat of the scabbard produced a raspy sound—slight, yet enough to make the hair on the necks of the onlookers stand on end.
The Kingslayer's movements were deceptively slow but incredibly swift, smooth and rounded. Within a single breath, he had settled into a fighting stance. "If my lord insists on using force, then I... can only oblige."
The surrounding black-clad soldiers gasped and murmured in awe.
Patrols beyond the Wall had long ceased, the wildlings were no longer a threat, and the army of Others and the dead had yet to make another move against the Wall. The Night's Watch had been fully prepared for war, only to be met with months of day-after-day, mind-numbing boredom brought on by the election. It had been over a hundred days since the accidental death of Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, yet the garrison had still not chosen a new leader. The rank-and-file soldiers had long reached their limit with the status quo, waiting for something—anything big—to happen.
The return of the Chief Logistics Officer a few days prior had brought a spark of life to Castle Black, and his one-sided verbal lashing of his opponents was still the talk of the men. But while the mask of civility had been torn off, the struggle between the two factions remained a hidden game of arm-wrestling—thrilling beneath the surface, but difficult for most Watchmen to feel. Outwardly, Castle Black remained a stagnant pool. Until today, when an interesting change finally surfaced.
Sensing a show worth watching, the brothers of the Watch dropped their tasks and drew near, forming a circle. All they lacked were benches and sunflower seeds to comfortably enjoy the spectacle.
The two combatants faced off, circling each other and gauging movements. Their respective followers also set aside their chores, hands on their weapons as they moved behind their leaders. The atmosphere turned sharply hostile, like a bow drawn to its breaking point.
The prowess of the Kingslayer was known throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and Cotter Pyke was no exception to this knowledge. However, he also knew that for high-born scions like Jaime, evaluations of their strength were often exaggerated. How much of the legend was true skill remained to be seen. Today, he intended to weigh the mettle of this man who had slain two kings.
With his mind made up and his body primed for combat, Cotter Pyke felt a sudden shiver the moment they truly squared off. He instantly realized he was facing the most difficult opponent he had ever encountered in his life. Jaime just stood there with casual ease, holding his weapon in a simple, unadorned guard, yet it felt as if no matter which direction one attacked from, there were no openings or flaws to exploit.
This was an opponent entirely different from the Ironborn he had known in his youth, the wildlings he faced after joining the Watch, or even the southern lords who occasionally joined the black. This was the first opponent in Cotter Pyke's life that could not be solved by sheer ferocity alone.
"Stop!"
Just as the duel between the Commander of Eastwatch and the Kingslayer was about to ignite, a roar of fury interrupted them.
"You!! What do you think you are doing!?" Alerted by the commotion, several high-ranking officers of Castle Black finally emerged from their quarters. Ser Jaremy Rykker, the Chief Ranger, glared at them, his voice harsh with authority. "Jaime, care to explain what this is?"
"By order of Commander Mormont via a dream, I am transferring the King-Beyond-the-Wall's family to the safety of Queenscrown. This action has been approved by the Chief Logistics Officer, who promised that Queenscrown will have space ready to receive Mance Rayder's kin." Jaime remained as still as a statue, sword held high. "Strangely, Lord Cotter Pyke of Eastwatch suddenly jumped out to stop me."
"Jaime, if I recall correctly, you are a ranger," the Chief Ranger said coldly. "Regardless of whether your 'dream' story is nonsense, even if it were true, why did you not come to me—your direct superior—to discuss it first, rather than clearing it with the Logistics Department?"
"My apologies, my lord. It was a lapse in judgment. Please forgive me." Jaime was polite in speech, but he did not sheathe his steel, nor did he show the slightest hint of remorse.
"Since it's your first offense, I'll overlook it. Now, put away your weapon and let the wildling king's family return to Hardin's Tower. I will arrange for extra guards to ensure their safety."
Jaime didn't move. In fact, he didn't even look at the Chief Ranger. He stood silently like a pine tree before the carriage holding Mance Rayder's luggage, his sword raised against Cotter Pyke and his twin battle-axes. Though he said nothing, the look of contempt on his face clearly screamed: Who do you think you are to give orders to me—a Lannister?
"It seems our 'Kingslayer' is determined to disobey orders to protect his wildling whore!" A snort erupted unexpectedly. Yohn Royce had returned to the scene with a dozen fully armed men, taking his place behind Cotter Pyke.
Nearly everyone in Castle Black was present now, save for those on sentry duty atop the Wall. Except for the wildling family, everyone was clad in black. Though their clothing was similar, they were divided into four distinct groups: Jaime's gang of over forty Westermen; the thirty-odd men of the Eastwatch delegation and a few Castle Black defectors behind Cotter Pyke; the various high-ranking officers and their personal retainers; and finally, the largest group—the ordinary soldiers watching the show.
Val, whom the former Lord of Runestone had called a wildling whore, was currently standing behind Jaime, looking demure and relying entirely on his protection. It was indeed difficult not to suspect their relationship, which in a way seemed to corroborate Royce's claim.
Jaime glanced at the speaker but did not retort. He was the son of Tywin Lannister, the intended heir of the West, the world-renowned Kingslayer... but in this moment, facing drawn blades, he was simply a warrior. A lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit, and Cotter Pyke was no unarmed peasant. Facing a weapon-wielding, hardened veteran, Jaime instinctively focused all his attention on his opponent.
But the woman called a "wildling whore" was not about to take it lying down. Val flipped back her hood, staring at Yohn Royce with a stern expression.
"Lord Royce, is it me you are referring to as that woman?"
"You know well enough if it is you."
"Heh... Given that aside from my sister and myself, Melisandre is the only other lady in Castle Black, I shall assume you are talking to me." Val's blonde hair shimmered even in the weak winter sunlight. Combined with an arrogant look identical to Jaime's, one could easily believe she was a high-born lady of the Seven Kingdoms, or perhaps even one of Jaime's sisters. "I must take the liberty of pointing out the flaws in your words—'wildling whore'? As far as I know, your late Lord Commander designated the surrendered Free Folk as the New Gift settlers and forbade the use of the word 'wildling.' With your first breath, you've violated a command of your former superior. Is it because he is dead that you have become so brazen?"
Using Mormont's orders to pressure people again? Even the wildlings had learned this trick from Egger!
Ignoring the gnashing teeth of Cotter and Yohn, Val continued: "As for calling me a 'whore'... apologies, I truly do not know where to start. For the past twenty years, I lived in a Free Folk village far from the Wall, having nothing to do with your garrison. And since moving inside the Wall, I have stayed strictly within the tower and never ventured out. Since I haven't slept with a single man south of the Wall, why do you hurl such crude insults? Shall I tell you what I'm thinking? Compared to me—you look more like the savage."
That sharp-tongued wildling woman!
If not for the completely different voice and appearance, Yohn would have suspected Val was simply Egger in disguise. He stared gloomily at the beautiful woman who looked almost a match for Jaime, weighing his rebuttal... but the other officers of Castle Black clearly had no intention of letting this farce continue.
"Enough!" the Chief Ranger roared in annoyance. "Jaime Lannister, have your men move Mance Rayder's belongings back to Hardin's Tower immediately. Lord Cotter... please take your men away from the courtyard. Let this nonsense end now!"
"I haven't finished!" Val shouted, her sharp female voice cutting through the air with more piercing power than Ser Jaremy Rykker's deep bass. "I know the Watch is electing a Lord Commander, but I neither know nor care to understand your grievances or differing ideologies—but I do understand one principle: if anything happens to my brother-in-law, the Night's Watch will never be able to pacify the surrendered Free Folk, and the Gift will descend into chaos! Clearly, someone intends to profit from that!"
She swept her arm in an arc, her slender finger pointing unceremoniously at the Eastwatch men. "Lately, unidentified individuals have been lurking outside our windows, spying on my family. And now, I know who intends us harm—whoever stops us from moving is the one who has made up their mind to be a murderer!"
The watching brothers erupted into an uproar, whispering and debating loudly.
Ser Jaremy Rykker frowned, turning to look at Bowen Marsh, the Lord Steward. "You command the most men in Castle Black. Have you heard any rumors of this?"
Bowen's expression was sour. Of course he had heard—he had heard it directly from the mouths of the two plotters, Cotter and Yohn, who had tried to convince him to join them just a few days ago.
It was a deviant and despicable plan. He had almost rejected it outright upon hearing it—but ultimately, his hatred for the wildlings outweighed his disgust for the evil plot. He had decided to neither participate nor interfere.
If it failed, it would prove Cotter's incompetence. If it succeeded... Egger would be ruined, and Cotter would be too busy trying to wash the blood from his hands. Bowen himself would then lead the Watch to suppress the wildling rebellion, and using that merit, re-enter the election to set the Night's Watch back on the right path and leave his own mark on history.
Everyone had their own schemes, but now that Val had exposed it so publicly, Bowen could not admit it, no matter how clearly he had calculated it.
He shook his head without changing his expression. "I've heard no such thing, but it's not impossible that Cotter and Yohn truly had such thoughts... We should increase the guard at Hardin's Tower to prevent any brothers from acting impulsively."
The Lord Steward was known for his loyalty and integrity, and Jaremy did not doubt his word for a second. He nodded and turned back. "Lady Val, your concerns are not without merit. We will assign reliable brothers to protect you and your family... Now, do me a favor. Convince your friend Jaime to lower his weapon and return to Hardin's Tower!"
"You are a good man, and I respect you, Ser Jaremy!" Val remained unmoved. "But those with ill intent won't abandon their plot just because I've exposed it. I won't gamble with my life. Who's to say that the person who eventually storms Hardin's Tower to ravish me or drive a knife into my heart won't be one of the very 'guards' the Watch sent to protect me!"
These words were a bridge too far. Many brothers felt insulted, muttering in dissatisfaction or even hurling lewd taunts and insults back at the "wildling princess."
Amidst the clamor, the primary actor, Jaime, stated his stance once more: "Today, the King-Beyond-the-Wall's family must move to Queenscrown. There is no room for negotiation. Anyone who wants to stop them will have to step over my corpse!"
"Bold words!" Cotter Pyke, who had been ready to stand down when the officers intervened, felt a surge of heat hit his brain. Jaime's categorical declaration was too arrogant, too dismissive. He could no longer suppress his fury. "Then let me see for myself just how much skill the 'Kingslayer' truly has!"
The situation shifted faster than anyone could anticipate. Amidst the cheers of the bored Watchmen, the desperate shouts of the Chief Ranger and Chief Builder, and Val's sharp cry of surprise, the Commander of Eastwatch swung his battle-axe and charged at Jaime Lannister.
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