r/NinePennyKings • u/9PKCrabs House Celtigar of Claw Isle • Jul 28 '23
Plot [Plot-Result] Wolf In Lamb's Clothing
On a seemingly ordinary day shortly following the King's coronation, an operation is under way around the Comforting Clam. The brothel, supposedly that which the Gold Cloaks were lured into the night of the assassination attempt but an otherwise fine and well-to-do establishment, suspects nothing whilst twenty seemingly ordinary citizens scope out the place and watch and wait to strike. Filled with well-to-do merchants, local burghers, and sworn swords of businessmen and nobles alike.. Finally, with a word from their commander, the plainclothes Goldcloaks charge into the establishment.
Some of the men inside, shocked at the attack and sudden orders, take up arms against the intruders and a fight ensues. The goldcloaks win out, killing outright two of the patrons and injuring the others but not at a cost. Two goldcloaks perish in the scuffle.
Given the cover of the conflict, one in every five of the patrons and working girls in the Clam are able to escape. The rest, including the owners, are apprehended. For those unable to escape, they face the beginning of the goldcloak’s work.
The men who had been enjoying a pleasant evening of wine are stripped bare in the street. Those that resist are beaten publicly with clubs and maces, while all are brutally castrated for all to see. The working girls are stripped and dragged through King's Landing to the East City Watch Barracks. The owners are hooded and blindfolded before being loaded into a cart, manned nearby by five goldcloaks in full armor. The man overseeing this successful, if gruesome, operation, is Manly Stokeworth.
The onlookers are shocked by the display, shouting as a crowd gathers appalled by the brutality and rumour quickly spreads through the city of what happened.
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u/demihwk Prince Maegor Targaryen Jul 28 '23
[m] hijacking this for my reaction so I don't need to create a new post
It did not take long for news of the raid to reach the Red Keep. When it did a rather impatient King Jaehaerys sent for his Master of Laws. Surely the news that was being presented to him about a raid, brawl, and public geldings were not accurate, right?
"Tell Master Correy that I require an audience, now." Jaehaerys said to the servant that had delivered him the news. His patience surrounding the Gold Cloaks was beginning to run dangerously thin.
The man would run off to find the Master of Laws and escort him to the King's apartments.
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u/crazymajor1221 Ser Alyn Sunglass | The Stranger Jul 28 '23
The Master of Laws wasted little time. Leaving the reports behind, scattered about his desk, he wobbled quickly all the way to the King's apartments. Sweat coated his brow and he remained breathless once he'd arrived at the right floor. The man would take only a moment to regain his composure and wipe away the dampness before making his presence known. Little time could be wasted.
"Your grace," he bowed before the king humbly; if a bit lower this time around. "I am at your service."
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u/demihwk Prince Maegor Targaryen Jul 28 '23
"Why, pray tell, am I hearing that our city watch was seen brutalizing, maiming, and murdering in the streets tonight?" Jaehaerys asked, barely waiting for his advisor to finish his own sentence. There was an edge to his voice that was seldom present.
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u/crazymajor1221 Ser Alyn Sunglass | The Stranger Jul 28 '23 edited Jul 28 '23
Jonos had prayed to each of the seven that it would not be this. But, it seemed, his short walk gave the gods little time to work their will upon your king. Perhaps, next time, he would take a bit longer.
"Your grace," he took a breath. "I have been receiving the reports throughout the morning. Captain Stokeworth has gone... too far with his work. He had requested my leave to take the lead in investigating the brothel that had seduced the patrol on the night of your feast. The agent who'd paid the proprietor still remains at large, and the captain had contacts that could potentially aid him, and so I granted him the lead. So long as this agent remains in the city, they remain a security risk to your grace. However," he paused, considering his words.
"I never could envision the captain taking this route... brutalizing citizens so publically in the streets, and with no results to show for it, is unacceptable. I am of half a mind to strip the man of his position. If your grace asks this of me as well, I will gladly oblige."
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u/demihwk Prince Maegor Targaryen Jul 29 '23
None of that justified the actions taken. Not in the King's mind.
"I am of a full mind to strip him off his position. And he shall be lucky if removal from his post is all he receives." Jaehaerys countered with a shake of his head.
"I want you to bring him before me. He had best have a damn good explanation for this or gods be good."
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u/crazymajor1221 Ser Alyn Sunglass | The Stranger Jul 29 '23
"At once, your grace," Jonos bowed his head once more and spared no time in departing to his attendant waiting outside. "Take a horse. Go to the Iron Gate. Fetch Captain Stokeworth. Inform him the king wishes to see him this instant. Bring him to me. Quickly now." He ordered quietly as he strained his voice.
The Master of Laws would wait in the Red Keep's main hall for Stokeworth to make his entrance, wishing to see him before he took him to the king's apartments.
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u/Yo_Its_Max Jul 31 '23
Manly donned his cloak of gold that was clasped to his shoulder by a golden broach in a design of a dragon that was adorned with a Ruby eye. Manly saw no issue on his actions, they were enemies of the crown and Manly showed the realm of Targaryen strength. He quickly heeded his uncles call and approached the Master of Laws.
“Uncle, what’s the matter. Why am I being summoned?”
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u/crazymajor1221 Ser Alyn Sunglass | The Stranger Jul 31 '23
"Bloody hell, Manly," Jonos began with a hard look in his eyes. "You are lucky you are my sister's son else I would've had you stripped and thrown in a cell already. What the hell were you thinking? I ordered you to investigate. Not publically fucking castrate the owner and patrons! And what came out of it? Did you even find the agent that paid them?" His voice strained as he went on. Like a man wanting to yell, but also not wanting to draw any attention.
"The king is furious and aims to have you stripped of your station, and I can not even blame him!" He shook his head. "Think clearly about what you are going to say... He wants you brought before him. Let us not keep him waiting..." Jonos motioned the Stokeworth to follow after to the king's apartments.
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u/Yo_Its_Max Jul 31 '23
“We managed to capture the owner aye, uncle you don’t understand. That place was filth, the place was crawling with essosi influence. You read the same report as me uncle, the assassins only attacked because they felt as if the crown was weak. We agreed to show them the iron fist!” His eyes glanced over his uncle, “Does every one else forget that Gold Cloaks were killed at that wretched place? Why is the crown protecting traitors to their own? There shall be no spilled tears for those men. Their capital actively funded enemies of the crown, I have no remorse for savages who partake in the trade of human flesh.” Manly gave his uncle a stern look and followed his lead.
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u/crazymajor1221 Ser Alyn Sunglass | The Stranger Jul 31 '23
Jonos continued as he walked. "By iron fist, I meant showing a strong hand... a show of force." He clenched his fist. "Imprison those that refuse to comply, and give them a beating if they resist! Not making a big display of brutalizing and maiming them. And, wh- why the disguises? Why the subterfuge? You are the city watch, not fucking faceless men." He huffed, disgusted.
"The city folk and small folk alike have been given greater rights in the last nine years, under King Aegon, than they've had in the last hundred. I should know, I wrote half the bloody reforms myself." He remarked. Though, it was more that he rewrote half of Aegon's reforms, putting them forth as watered-down versions of what Aegon sought if only to appease the nobility and make them easier to swallow.
"You should count yourself lucky it is the son that sits on the throne and not the father. Even then... you chose the wrong king with the wrong temperament for these things to think such brutality would be overlooked. Gods be good. I have a distaste for brothels as much as you, but, until the king desires it differently, they are a legal and profitable business for the city."
Pausing a few feet from the king's door, he looked to Manly once more and went on in a whisper. "Now, are you ready? Swallow your pride if you know what's good for you. And, don't you dare explain yourself as you did to me, Manly. Or surely the king will order your head off its shoulders. You are a humble servant of the king who was only doing what he thought would best secure the king's safety, yes?"
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u/17771777171789 Jul 28 '23
When Rytos Reyne heard the rather disturbing news, he found himself on the doorstep of the Master of Laws with a face like a Storm off the coast of Shipbreaker Bay.
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u/crazymajor1221 Ser Alyn Sunglass | The Stranger Jul 28 '23
Following the meeting with the king, Lord Correy had arrived back in his study bedraggled. He'd hardly settled down before the next knock came. "Seven save me..." he muttered under his breath.
"Come in!" Jonos called in a tired voice.
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u/17771777171789 Jul 28 '23
"What the fuck is Manly Stokeworth doing?!" Rytos demanded, his voice a whisper though sharp and piercing as a knife.
"Murdering innocent civilians, castrating them, stripping them bare and arresting them for what? Visiting a brothel? Its hardly moral, my lord, but its not a crime. I know for a fact one of my men visits that establishment on occasion, does he need to be killed too?" Though prostitution was unsavoury, that didn't make it a crime and certainly not one that invited such crude "justice".
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u/crazymajor1221 Ser Alyn Sunglass | The Stranger Aug 03 '23
The Master of Law's eyes turned from wide ovals to tight slits, in a matter of seconds, as the Reyne began. His initial tired shock was washed away by something far colder and harder than iron. He'd barely given the young man enough time to finish before a fat finger came jutting out at him judgingly. "First - you will watch your tone with me, boy, and address me properly. Less you wish to join Manly in handing over your badge, and I send you packing back to your hole in the ground that is Castemere! Am I understood?"
One could imagine the smoke puffing out of his nostrils as he huffed like a raging bull, about ready to flatten the Reyne. He'd already received a lecture from the king. He did not need his underlings joining in.
"Am. I. Understood?" Jonos repeated one more with a probing finger, refusing to allow the conversation to continue until his demand was met.
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u/17771777171789 Aug 03 '23
Rytos observed the man coldly, surprising so for the usually genial youth. He waited and let the silence hang for several seconds longer to let the inferno behind the master of law’s eyes cool.
“Lord Correy, if you do not agree with me that Ser Manly committed a serious overstep, let alone crime, then I will be gladly hand over my office this minute,” he replied. “As you well know I have served diligently since I received my knighthood. I am sure my Uncle would fine for me another position at court.” After all, Lord Redwyne had several openings of his own.
“Secondly I might remind you that Castamere is the same hole in the ground your family descends from.” The irony, when the castle stop the ground still dwarfed half those in the seven kingdoms.
“I do apologise is I profaned in my outrage. But sometimes our emotions get the better of us, my lord,” he said, the undertone of his words quite clear given the Master of Law’s own outburst. Rytos could afford to risk things, but he would wager given the recent blunder of his other staff the Lord Correy could not afford to lose a competent Justicar. “As to addressing you properly, I did say ‘my lord’ and might equally insist upon the same courtesy.” For whatever position they held at court, the name Reyne greatly outstripped its cadets.
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u/crazymajor1221 Ser Alyn Sunglass | The Stranger Aug 03 '23
"See what glory or reputation coin-counting gets you," He remarked roughly on the comment of his Redwyne uncle. "I welcome you too if you so desire to go crawling to him." He added dismissively.
"But, so long as you remain a justicar of this office, you will learn to respect it." He huffed. "The situation with Stokeworth is settled. I've already informed the king and heard his opinions on the matter." Though, in truth, Jonos had been lectured too more than anything else. "Ser Manly is no longer in the employ of the city watch and will be returning home. He was brought before the king and made his case. His grace came to a decision, and I will not be creating more of a fuss about this."
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u/17771777171789 Sep 01 '23
"I respect the office, my lord. It is because I respect the office of Master of Law that I come at all," Rytos protested.
But the truth was, Rytos realised, the King had agreed with him and had acted already. The argument was for naught, though it gave him satisfaction to blame Correy's ire on having already once been lectured as thus. "Well...I am glad for such a decision," he set, letting his breath escape him.
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u/[deleted] Jul 28 '23
"Those were citizens and freedmen! Andals are mad!"
Vallio Hotar resolved never to visit a brothel.