17 Chapter 17

Robert had described the position of Master of Order almost exactly as the Mountain had envisioned it to be.

Of course, he had to seem overwhelmed by the prospect of being handed so much power and responsibility.

Otherwise, Eddard and Robert would suspect that he had known about this offer in advance.

He took a deep breath, let it out slowly to suggest he was astounded, and uttered in mock awe "I would be honored by this appointment, Your Grace. Please… excuse me if I seem shocked. I… I just think this is a tremendous proposition to receive. Particularly at my age. I mean… it was not long ago that I witnessed my eighteenth name day."

"Don't let age discourage you," Robert advised him with a smirk, "Ned here just began his third decade in this world. Even before that, he became Lord Paramount and Warden of the largest of the Seven Kingdoms. I myself am in the midst of my twenty-first year. Never be the less, I am by no means the youngest man to ever sit the Iron Throne."

"You… you raise a very valid counterargument, Your Grace," Gregor admitted, "Still, maintaining stability and peace throughout Westeros… that is hardly a job for one lone man."

Robert snickered at the apparent misunderstanding and told the knight "I do not wish to give you the impression that you will take on this burden all by yourself. No one can be expected to keep the peace of this country singlehandedly. You'll have leave to form your own company to assist you in your duties. You may assemble this company however you wish."

'Once more, Varys proves his usefulness.'

Gregor had hoped for the freedom to create a private legion of soldiers that served under him.

Evidently, Varys had not neglected that part, either. Better yet, Robert had not given Gregor any restrictions on recruiting his soldiers.

"This is all very appealing," Gregor commented, "Is there anything more to the position?"

"Just one additional detail," Robert responded, "Call it a change of surroundings."

"I'm listening," Gregor avowed.

Robert had a map of Westeros in front of him. He smoothed it out and gazed down at it, saying "It occurred to me – actually, it occurred to Varys first, and then me – that Clegane's Keep is not found in a very strategic location in the Westerlands. Study this map, and you can see why. The Vale, the Stormlands, and the Crownlands are over a month's travel away. The North isn't too far, but it would still take a long time to reach the Neck. The Reach and Dorne are acceptably close, but the Riverlands and the Iron Islands are the only regions that are conveniently close."

Gregor had already been aware of Clegane's Keep's problematic location (relative to the rest of Westeros), but Varys had provided those reasons for why it was an unsuitable base of operations.

He would have to relocate, preferably outside the Westerlands. Right then, Gregor shrugged and mildly proposed "Perhaps I would be better able to carry out my duties if I was stationed elsewhere?"

"Precisely," Robert agreed. He looked back and forth between Gregor and Eddard, and added in "That's why I wished for an audience with both of you at once."

"Robert?" said Eddard, somewhat perplexed.

"I could have spoken with you about Storm's End and the Tower of Joy first and Ser Gregor about Princess Elia later," Robert pointed out to his friend, "Of course, at the time, I was unaware that both of you had a hand in recovering Lyanna. Be that as it may, you may be able to help us with finding a new stronghold for the Master of Order."

"Help in what manner?" the wolf lord enquired.

Robert Baratheon rose and gestured for Eddard Stark and Gregor Clegane to approach him. When all three men were standing and gathered around the desk, Robert drew their attention to the map.

He placed his right index finger on a certain marking in the Neck.

He professed "There is a fortress along the southern border of the North. It is currently abandoned; it serves mostly as a barricade now."

"Moat Cailin," Ned recognized the marking on the map. He frowned and remarked "The moat is a ruin, Robert."

"Ruins can be restored, Ned," the stag king argued dismissively, "Aside from that, Moat Cailin is quite formidable. It has never been captured."

"Not from the south, at least," Eddard pointed out, "It is still vulnerable from the north."

"Then fortify its northern defenses," Robert proposed, a little annoyed, "Think on this, Ned. Next to Harrenhal and the Twins, Moat Cailin has better overall location than any other holdfast in the country. The North and the Riverlands are within spitting distance. It is equally far from the Westerlands and the Vale, as well as equally far from the Reach and the Stormlands. Only Dorne is more than a fortnight away. One would have fast access to the entire realm from the moat."

'There are a lot more advantages to setting up base in Moat Cailin. But I'll keep those to myself. Distance is the only one that you should be concerned with for now.'

Eddard studied the map intently, and ultimately, he released a deep sigh and murmured "I would be a fool to dispute any of that. Very well. If you command it, Your Grace, I am willing to give Ser Gregor charge of Moat Cailin and the adjoining lands."

"Good," Robert stated approvingly. He looked up and asked "What say you, Ser Gregor?"

"I must agree with Your Grace," the Mountain replied straightforwardly, "Moat Cailin would be the most ideal place for your new Master of Order."

"Then you will accept the office?" Robert presumed.

"I cannot think of a single reason not to," Gregor contended slyly. A sudden thought intruded on his mind. He inquired "Would I be named the lord of Moat Cailin?"

"Certainly," Robert affirmed, "You will even be given the title of Lord."

Gregor grinned and observed "You present a fine bargain, Your Grace. Am I to understand that I'll have two holdfasts to my name; one in the North, one in the Westerlands?"

At that, Robert's gleeful expression faltered. He said in an uneasy tone of voice "Well…"

"Is something amiss, Your Grace?" Gregor queried. This time, he was genuinely concerned.

Robert stared at the wall and slowly sat down in his chair. Then he proclaimed "Before I grant you the position, there is one minor issue that must be addressed, Ser Gregor. Then again, it is almost certainly not minor on your part. You may wish to sit back down for this."

Gregor and Eddard returned to their chairs. Once they were settled, Robert illuminated the situation: "When Varys suggested moving you outside the Westerlands, Lord Tywin Lannister was none too pleased. From what he's told me, he sees you as one of his most valuable assets. Unsurprisingly, he is reluctant to part with any of his assets. But he is even more reluctant to share them. He argues that by relocating you to Moat Cailin, your loyalties may be split between him and Lord Eddard."

"Sounds like a typical Lannister worry," Eddard commented sardonically.

"Lord Tywin's qualms are not entirely unwarranted," Gregor debated, "He knows I am always obligated to do the honorable thing. Honor means much more in the North than it does in the Westerlands. For that reason, if blows were ever exchanged between the North and the Westerlands, I may be more inclined to side with the Northmen."

"He made such the same argument," Robert disclosed, "So he told me to give you an ultimatum."

"An ultimatum?" Gregor did not like where this was headed.

Robert gravely nodded and stated "Lord Tywin will allow you to receive lordship over Moat Cailin and to move to the moat without objection. But only on the sole condition that you renounce your claim to Clegane's Keep."

For the first time since that meeting began, Gregor was dumbfounded.

He had suspected that Tywin would not be willing to part with him easily, but he never would have thought that the lion lord would result to this.

He was all but cutting him off from the Westerlands.

Judging by his countenance, Eddard was shocked, too. He spat angrily "That is outrageous. Clegane's Keep is Ser Gregor's birthright. How could he expect him to give up his birthright?"

Gregor had already conjured up a few ideas for Tywin's motives.

He thought aloud "This must be his way of chastising me for the incident with Ser Amory Lorch. Clearly, he doesn't trust me as he used to. Now he's testing me to see if I really would choose the North over the Westerlands."

"But in this matter, if you did pick the North, it would only be to serve the crown," Eddard pointed out.

"I know that, Lord Eddard," Gregor uttered plainly, "Lord Tywin must know that, too. He knows I cannot refuse the appointment King Robert just offered me. That's why he's forcing this decision upon me. He expects me to voluntarily give up my domain in the Westerlands."

"You honestly believe he's that eager to be rid of you?" Eddard assumed.

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