Even after the chaos he'd wrought, Jaime Lannister found no punishment waiting for him upon his escape to Casterly Rock. Instead, Lord Tywin had him placed under heavy guard—protected behind the lion's walls rather than chastised.
Back in King's Landing, Lord Eddard Stark found his thoughts drifting constantly to Winterfell. However, kept in a haze by milk of the poppy to manage his pain, there wasn't much he could actually do.
Consequently, the true authority of the Hand of the King fell to the Small Council. And within that circle, it was Jon—acting as the Hand's secretary—who became the voice of Ned Stark's will, constantly shuttling between the bedridden Lord and the council chamber.
The routine had become streamlined: Jon drafted the opinions and decrees, read them aloud to Ned, and once the Hand affixed his seal, the orders were passed to the Small Council for execution. Through this process, the day-to-day administration of the realm effectively shifted to Jon, earning him a new whisper in the corridors of power: the Shadow Hand.
Surprisingly, the ministers raised no objection to this blatant nepotism. In their eyes, appointing one's most trusted bannerman to enforce one's will was simply how the world worked.
To them, the philosophy of Varys—or the rigid, populist legalism of Stannis—that power comes from the people or that kingship requires the love of the masses, was a romantic fallacy.
Jon, living his second life, wasn't a master of intrigue by nature, but he had absorbed enough history and theory to understand the truth. He knew that while power originates from the masses at the very beginning of a civilization, that dynamic flips once a hierarchy is established. It becomes a closed loop, managed from the top down.
Only when the burden at the top becomes too heavy and the inverted pyramid collapses does the cycle reset. Perhaps then, the ideals of Stannis or Varys might hold water, but that day was not today.
---
Putting philosophy aside, the Shadow Hand had a practical problem: Ser Jaime Lannister.
At Jon's suggestion, King Robert had signed a royal decree demanding reparations be sent to Casterly Rock. But how the Lannisters would respond was something even the Usurper couldn't dictate.
To make matters worse, reports were coming in from the Riverlands. The Mountain, Gregor Clegane, humiliated and enraged, was ravaging the countryside.
When Jon received the news, he knew immediately that this had the Old Lion's tacit approval. It was a classic move: kick the dog to spite the master. Tywin was signaling to the Starks—who now held the reins in the capital—that the Lion had not submitted.
Tywin was in a bind. As long as he wasn't ready to openly declare war, he had to technically obey the King. But absolute loyalty was binary; you were either loyal, or you weren't.
Facing a massive fine, Tywin had two bad choices:
1. Pay up: Swallow his pride, lose the Lannister reputation for invincibility, and become a laughingstock subservient to the Direwolf.
2. Rebel: Fight for his dignity, even if it cost him everything.
Neither option was smart. Even if Tywin dreamed of a thousand-year dynasty, he needed stability and a guarantee of victory before striking. The safer play would be to quietly assassinate Robert, replace him with Joffrey, and eventually put a Lannister explicitly on the Iron Throne.
Rashly starting a war now was stupid. Tywin knew it, and Jon knew he knew it. Paying the gold was also off the table; as Tywin often said, a Lannister's power came from respect and fear. Lose that, and the house of cards falls.
So, Tywin chose a third path: Chaos. Stall for time. Disturb the peace until the enemy backs down.
The Riverlands—Catelyn Stark's homeland—was the perfect target. It was wealthy, largely undefended, and right on the West's doorstep. Even though the Mountain had stripped his armor of house crests and banners, his monstrous size was a dead giveaway. He didn't need to be a convincing bandit; he just needed to be a wrecking ball, proving that the King's peace was a lie.
---
Sitting behind his desk, Jon weighed his options carefully.
Unlike the honorable Ned Stark of the past, Jon wouldn't take the bait. He wouldn't declare war on the West or demand Tywin come to court to answer for his mad dog—actions that would inevitably trigger the War of the Five Kings prematurely.
After a long silence, Jon decided to play dirty. He picked up Tywin's metaphorical answer sheet and decided to copy the strategy: If they want to play bandit, let's treat them like bandits.
Soon, a royal bounty was issued by the Small Council, sent to every corner of the Seven Kingdoms. It caused a frenzy among mercenaries, hedge knights, and sellswords. The reward was so rich that even the Mountain might be tempted to chop off his own head to claim it.
> By Order of the Protector of the Realm and the Lawful Ruler of Westeros:
> To any man who successfully defeats this band of brigands, or brings the head of their leader:
> Reward: 20,000 Gold Dragons.
> Furthermore, if the leader is proven to be a rogue noble, the slayer shall be granted all titles, lands, and honors held by said criminal!
It was a brilliant maneuver, but as the ink dried, Jon wondered who could actually pull it off. As someone who had survived a clash with Gregor Clegane, Jon remembered the sheer, unstoppable force of the man. Unless it was a young Robert Baratheon wielding his warhammer, almost anyone facing the Mountain head-on was a dead man walking.
---
Jon's thoughts turned inward. I need to get stronger, he thought. If only that damn System would give me a boost.
The mysterious interface that had accompanied his arrival in this world had been quiet lately. It had stopped taking over his actions ("auto-piloting") and seemed dormant. Jon realized he hadn't checked his status in a long time.
With a mental command, a shimmering, translucent display floated into his vision.
[ CHARACTER STATUS ]
Name: Jon Snow
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Strength: 1.7 (Affects damage output and carry weight)
Constitution: 1.7 (Governs stamina and agility)
Spirit: 2.5 (Perception and world-insight)
[ TITLES ]
Bastard of Winterfell (False)
The Persuader
King's Squire
Secretary to the Hand
Tourney Champion
[ ABILITIES ]
Blood of the Dragon: (Passive Trait)
[ QUEST LOG ]
Main Quest: Winter is Coming. Rewrite the history of ice and fire. Change everything.
Side Quest I: The Tycoon of Westeros. Embrace greed. Build an impregnable territory, hoard resources, and slowly devour the Seven Kingdoms. Restore the glory of House Targaryen.
Side Quest II: A Noble's Vice. The path of indulgence. Bring the beautiful "Fiery Vixen" under your management and enjoy a life of silky comfort.
[ AVAILABLE REWARDS ]
The Queen's New Clothes: (Limited Time Experience)
The King's Grace
Bond of the Crown Prince: (Limited Time Experience)