Bonus at 150 stones
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The City Watch Barracks.
At this moment, Commander Ser Luthor Largent's face turned ashen.
His gaze met Aemond's cold expression, then swept over the black dragon circling overhead.
Then, looking around at the silent but murderous personal guards... Luthor's chest heaved violently, and he glared at Aemond.
"Your Highness! What is the meaning of this?! The City Watch has always been loyal to the Royal Family! Are you trying to..."
"Ser Luthor," Aemond interrupted him.
"I represent the Royal Family, and the Queen Regent, to announce the latest orders, nothing more."
He paused slightly, his eyes fixed on the other man.
"Don't forget, the Queen is Regent now."
"You..."
Ser Luthor's Adam's apple bobbed, and all his arguments were choked back.
Although he reported directly to the King, the Queen was Regent now, and he had to obey.
Aemond stepped forward, standing at the very edge of the high platform, looking down at the thousands of people below, who were consumed by fear, anger, and bewilderment.
Above, Morghul cooperatively lowered his altitude, almost hovering directly over Aemond's head, his enormous shadow and invisible dragon's might pressing down heavily.
"Everyone," Aemond began, his voice clearly carrying across the parade ground, "kneel now, and do not look up."
"Then, obey my arrangements."
Commander Ser Luthor trembled with rage, looking at the countless arrows pointed at them and the scarlet dragon eyes in the sky, all words caught in his throat.
Luthor glanced around; the officers who usually treated him with respect now mostly hung their heads, avoiding his gaze.
Fear and unease had seized the hearts of most people.
"Kneel!" bellowed Hal, the captain of Aemond's personal guard, from the high platform.
"Kneel!" roared the Summerhall soldiers outside the encirclement in unison, their spears thudding against the ground with a dull, uniform sound.
First, behind Luthor on the high platform, the officers took the lead, kneeling.
Aemond glanced at them with satisfaction; only the wise adapt to circumstances.
Immediately afterward, on the parade ground, as if pushed down by an invisible tide.
Starting from the area near the high platform, the Gold Cloaks, one by one, knelt in fear or numbness.
Dozens, hundreds, thousands... Eventually, except for Ser Luthor and a few officers behind him on the high platform, who remained rigidly standing.
The entire parade ground and high platform, over four thousand people, were all prostrate on the ground, their foreheads pressed against the cold dirt.
Ser Luthor looked at the dense crowd of kneeling people, then turned with difficulty to Aemond, his voice dry.
"Your Highness... what exactly... do you intend to do?"
Aemond did not answer immediately.
He surveyed the subjugated crowd below, confirming that no one dared to defy him, then slowly spoke.
"Now, everyone, please rise. As I said, I am here to distribute pay."
The kneeling soldiers looked at each other, full of doubt, no one daring to move.
"Rise!" the Summerhall guards roared in unison once more.
The Gold Cloaks then timidly began to stand up, each face a mix of confusion and unease, their eyes nervously fixed on the Prince on the platform.
Aemond pointed to the wooden chests filled with Gold Dragons.
"These are rewards, and also a new beginning."
He paused deliberately, ensuring he had everyone's attention, before continuing.
"By order of Queen Regent Alicent, from today onward, the name 'City Watch' shall become history."
Buzz
An irrepressible gasp and whispering erupted from the crowd below. Abolish the City Watch? What would they be called then?
Aemond raised a hand, pressing down slightly. The clamor on the parade ground quickly subsided, leaving only the sound of tense breathing.
"You will no longer be merely the City Watch, guarding city gates and patrolling streets."
"The Crown will allocate funds to build new barracks outside King's Landing."
"You will become the first members of the Royal Army!"
"Your duties will no longer be confined to King's Landing alone, but to protect the entire Crownlands!"
Royal Army? This title made many veteran City Watchmen's eyes flicker with hesitation and speculation.
Did this mean higher status, or greater danger?
"Accordingly," Aemond changed his tone, throwing out the real bait, "your pay will also be significantly increased."
"All ordinary soldiers' monthly pay will be raised from the original sixty-five Silver Stags to one Gold Dragon!"
"One Gold Dragon?!"
The gasps could no longer be suppressed, sweeping through the crowd like a tide.
Monthly pay doubled!
The fear and unease from moments ago were instantly shattered by this immense practical benefit.
Countless eyes were fixed on the glittering money chests, and breathing grew heavy.
For most soldiers from poor backgrounds, nothing could win hearts more effectively than real gold and silver.
"Officers will receive even greater increases, according to rank," Aemond added.
"The Royal Army needs loyal and brave warriors, and the Royal Family is never stingy in rewarding the loyal."
Ser Luthor's heart, however, sank into an icy abyss.
Raising military pay, reforming and renaming them, bestowing the title of Royal Army...
This was to assimilate, disband, and reorganize the City Watch, these Gold Cloaks, into an armed force controlled by Aemond!
Luthor asked unwillingly, "Your Highness! Then... who will be responsible for King's Landing's original defenses?"
Aemond looked at him, his tone cold.
"In the future, the daily order and security of King's Landing will be taken over by my personal guard."
"Also, the Queen Regent has decided that soon, reliable personnel will be selected from the loyal noble vassals' children of the Seven Kingdoms to form a 'Royal Guard'."
"Afterward, the Royal Guard will be solely responsible for guarding King's Landing's defenses, numbering about three thousand."
Then, his gaze fell on Ser Luthor and the officers who refused to kneel.
"Ser, and you all, have served King's Landing for many years with great effort and merit. I will report your contributions to the Queen Regent. Afterward, the Royal Family will reward you with a generous pension, enough for you to return to your lands and enjoy your old age."
Retirement? Stripped of military command?
Ser Luthor felt a rush of blood to his head. He had fought bloody battles alongside Prince Daemon in the Stepstones, bearing countless scars, and was personally recommended by Daemon to become the Commander of the City Watch.
Now, because of a single sentence from this Prince, he was to be kicked out like a dog?
"I..."
He wanted to argue.
Aemond, however, had already taken a rolled parchment from his tunic and handed it over.
Luthor took it, his fingertips cold.
It was a personal decree from Viserys I, sealed at the end with the Targaryen three-headed dragon's wax.
He quickly scanned the contents, his face growing even paler; the King had indeed fully entrusted all military and political affairs of King's Landing to Queen Alicent.
His last shred of hope was completely crushed. Overwhelming powerlessness and anger almost drowned him.
Finally, he could only force himself to lower his head, squeezing out words through gritted teeth.
"I... am willing to obey the Royal Family's arrangements."
Behind him, the few officers could only express that they had no choice.
"We, too, are willing to obey the Royal Family's arrangements."
"Very good, you may withdraw." Aemond no longer looked at them.
Ser Luthor and his men walked dejectedly down the high platform, passing through the crowd on the parade ground.
Wherever he went, his former subordinates avoided his gaze or lowered their heads.
He knew his time here was over.
At this moment, he only wanted to leave and convey everything that had happened to Prince Daemon; Aemond had already taken control of King's Landing's army.
And it wasn't that Aemond didn't want a complete purge. He knew how the gold cloaks would turn on his family.
It was just that the Greens currently only firmly controlled the Red Keep and King's Landing's political situation, and this newly acquired City Watch still had undercurrents.
There were indeed many who sided with Daemon.
But unless he was completely mad and had no suitable reason, he absolutely could not execute thousands of these people along with their families.
Especially since many of these officers came from families in the Crownlands.
The best approach was to reorganize them, integrate them into a new system, and let them naturally deplete through reasonable conscription and battles in the future.
After all, he still needed to summon the Crownlands nobles, demanding they fulfill their feudal obligations and provide more troops for the Targaryens.
His planned Royal Army would number over ten thousand.
The Kingdom had been at peace for many years, and the treasury was full. Instead of letting this money gather dust in the vaults, it was better to use it to forge a sword loyal to the Greens.
Letting Luthor go was also to lure out more fish.
For example, Lady Mysaria, hidden in Flea Bottom, is Prince Daemon's former lover and now the Master of Whisperers for the Blacks in King's Landing.
He had secretly investigated for several months but could never find a trace of this woman.
According to intelligence, since the King confirmed the Queen Regent, this lady had disappeared into the labyrinthine Flea Bottom.
He said no more, turning to look below the platform.
Jasper had already begun organizing the first batch of soldiers to come up and receive their Gold Dragons.
The clinking gold coins were handed to the Gold Cloaks.
The weighty feel of the gold coins and their glittering shine brought nearly ecstatic smiles to many faces.
They held up their gold coins and cheered, seemingly having completely forgotten their fear and humiliation from moments ago, and that their former commander had just been swept out.
"Long live the Royal Family!"
"Thanks to the Queen Regent!"
"Thanks to Prince Aemond!"
The cheers gradually merged into a single roar, echoing over the camp.
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