A large crowd had gathered at the largest square of Flea Bottom in King's Landing. In the center of the square, two men dressed in what had been the uniform of the City Watch were kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs. A couple of soldiers were standing behind them who had forced them on to their knees.
Their entire bodies were masked with bruises and injuries. Their faces were swollen, and shallow cuts were present all over their arms. The uniform of City Watch had completely worn out and was in a tattered condition.
More than two dozen soldiers were stationed in the vicinity to manage the crowd and maintain the law and order situation. These were the men who had been recruited from the small folks and were completely loyal to Lucas Lannister. The power of tame had been used on them and Lucas for them was greater than the fat king. For Lucas Lannister, they were very willing to go against the king. And considering how much changes Lucas had brought into the lives of the common folks it was not really surprising.
There was a murmur of confusion among the onlookers. It had been a normal morning when out of nowhere, a few soldiers suddenly appeared in the square dragging these two men. Their ankles had been tied to a rope, a man holding it from a horseback and they had been dragged through the streets. An hour had passed since then. And given how he had been dragged through the streets and then this hour of waiting a massive crowd had gathered in the street. And it was precisely what had been wanted. For the crowd to gather.
They were wondering and trying to figure out what exactly was happening when about a dozen horses strode toward the center, parting the crowd. Sitting on the lead horse was the newly emerged hero of King's Landing. Lord Lucas Lannister.
The faces of the crowd instinctively brightened at the sight of Lord Lannister. A happy mood spread among them and their joy surged. Because of this man, their lives were undergoing a transformation that they had never dared to imagine. They did not have to worry about food anymore. If one was willing, there was no lack of employment in the city. Even those with no skills could work as laborers and earn enough to feed themselves.
And they knew this was only the beginning. They soon would have proper houses and a clean city. Thanks to the canals and pipelines that Lucas had built and the new tools he had provided, the land which previously had been deemed unfit for cultivation was brimming with crops. King's Landing was going to see an unprecedented harvest, and food prices were expected to drop further. Lucas Lannister had already cemented his place in the hearts of the smallfolk.
Tearing through the crowd, Lucas finally reached the center. He stepped down from his horse, and a soldier took the reins from him to guide the animal away. Lucas approached the two kneeling soldiers, who were groaning trying to reach for him as if pleading for mercy, but a single kick from Lucas sent them tumbling as they grunted in pain. They were left sprawled on the ground and did not have strength left to get up by themselves.
"It has almost been a couple of months since I took charge of the City Watch and became the Lord Commander," Lucas' authoritative voice boomed in the square. "It was on that same day that I announced that no form of corruption or illegal activity or support of crime in the City Watch would be tolerated by me. I had made it very clear on that day itself."
"And I thought that we had been doing really well for these couple months," he continued. "True, there were reported cases of corruption, bribery, or extortion, but those had been minor offenses. Punishments in the form of fines, suspensions, dismissals, or even imprisonment were meted out to them."
"Even so, it was a satisfactory performance. I know that rooting out corruption completely is a very difficult and time consuming process, especially when the force has been rotten for so long. But it looked like we were setting a system in place. It looked as if people were finally starting to trust the City Watch and the fear they had from the institute that should have been protecting them was diminishing. "
"I thought that we were making good progress, but then this happened," he boomed, his finger pointing toward the two sprawling soldiers.
"Three men forcefully abducted two young women, twin sisters, to force them into prostitution. Why? To fulfill some twisted fantasy of a rich merchant," Lucas said, his voice heavy.
"The parents learned about it and they approached these two soldiers. But instead of helping them, they threatened the parents themselves. They made a deal with the abductors and took a huge amount of money in bribes. They thought or probably hoped that their suppression of the parents would settle the issue. That they would be frightened into submission."
"Thankfully, the parents were brave, and they reported it to one of my men. The girls have been rescued, the abductors have been sent to prison, and these two are here."
"To be honest, I am a bit surprised to find that there are still people who think they can commit a crime as brutal as the abduction of women and stay safe," he boomed. "But I am more shocked that there are soldiers who think they can be complicit in such a crime, make money, and still be safe."
"And therefore, an example will be made of them!" he roared. "The day when I said that I will not tolerate the City Watch indulging in crime, I meant every word of it."
He looked toward one of the soldiers and gave a nod. Two soldiers moved forward, forcing the two men back onto their knees. Another soldier arrived carrying a wooden execution block in his arms. The block was placed, and the heads of both men were forced onto it.
"Such a crime deserves only one thing," Lucas roared. "Death!"
The two men struggled to free themselves, but the soldiers held them in a tight grip, making their struggle futile.
Lucas unsheathed his sword and faced the two men. Without any hesitation, he swung it, and a head rolled. Without stopping, he swung one more time, and the second head rolled. Blood from both bodies began to form a dark puddle on the street.
"I want everyone to burn this scene into your very minds!" Lucas snapped, his eyes blazing. Even the crowd flinched in fear.
He did not speak another word. He walked toward his horse, mounted it, and strode away.
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