Chapter 58: Ros Seeks Allegiance (2)
After speaking, Gendry tossed a gold dragon toward her. Ros caught it, rolling the coin thoughtfully between her fingers. A flicker of calculation crossed her eyes before she softened her expression and replied sweetly,
"Yes… my lord."
Gendry ignored the tone. He waited for her to finish dressing, then brought her to Saelen.
Outside the command tent, Gendry entered first and reported, "My lord, Ros is here to see you."
Saelen raised a brow in mild surprise. He hadn't expected her to make up her mind so quickly.
"Send her in."
Gendry hesitated, visibly uncomfortable. After a moment's struggle, he confessed everything that had just occurred—word for word.
Saelen listened quietly, then fell into thought.
So, she was demonstrating her usefulness?
Well… ambition was not a flaw. Lack of ability was.
He did not rebuke Gendry. Some lessons were better learned through experience. Still, he said calmly, "Take this as a lesson. Remember it."
Gendry nodded and stepped outside to bring Ros in.
When she entered the tent, Saelen rose and circled her slowly, studying her closely. Her complexion was still fair and luminous—but a closer look revealed faint bruising along her left cheek and beneath her right eye.
Understanding dawned.
So that was why she had come so quickly.
"You've had a difficult few days, haven't you?" Saelen asked evenly.
Ros lowered her head, exposed by his observation. After a brief silence, she gave a wry smile.
"My lord truly sees everything."
She lifted her gaze, steady despite the faint tremor in her voice.
"I remember what you offered me before. Does that offer still stand?"
Life had grown harsh. The cold was one thing—but the drunken soldiers were becoming rougher, more violent. Some even tried to withhold payment.
Desperate, Ros had invoked Saelen's name. She warned those who refused to pay that she would report them to him. The men knew well enough—Saelen did not forbid them from seeking comfort, but anyone caught cheating or abusing women under his protection would find his head mounted on a spear.
Grumbling and cursing, they had paid and left.
But Ros understood the truth.
Without protection, her position here would only grow more dangerous.
And so she had come—not merely for coin, but for something far more valuable: protection, purpose, and perhaps a different future.
Ros had only meant to test the waters. She hadn't expected invoking Saelen's name to work so effectively. That success planted a seed of ambition. She spent several days quietly gathering information before finally seeking out Gendry.
"Of course it still stands," Saelen replied.
Hearing his firm answer, Ros felt a measure of relief. "Then… how may I serve you, my lord?"
Saelen leaned closer, lowering his voice. The two spoke in hushed tones for a long while. By the time he finished outlining his thoughts, his throat had gone dry. He took a sip of wine and poured a cup for Ros as well.
Inside, however, Ros's thoughts were in turmoil.
The task itself was not difficult—gathering intelligence was, after all, her trade. Before coming, she had already guessed his intentions. When a man sought out a woman like her and showed no interest in her body, he usually wanted information. And women in her profession, if they chose to listen carefully, could uncover many secrets. Most simply kept silent to avoid trouble.
But this would require entering hostile territory. If her identity were exposed, she would almost certainly lose her life.
Saelen seemed to read the worry in her eyes.
"Don't worry. As long as you're not foolish enough to expose yourself, you'll be safe. Even if something goes wrong, you won't be alone. I have people in King's Landing. If you're ever in danger, take this and seek them out."
He handed her a silver stag.
Ros examined the coin carefully. It looked completely ordinary.
"No one will notice anything unusual," Saelen explained calmly. "Just give it to the steward at the right place. Someone will contact you."
He did not elaborate further.
Ros's expression shifted as she weighed the risks. After a long silence, she nodded decisively.
"Fine. I'll do it."
She raised her cup and drained it in one swallow.
With her decision made, her tension eased. She moved closer, resting lightly against Saelen's knee, looping her arms around his neck with a teasing smile.
"My lord, I'm risking my life for you. What do I get in return?"
"Reward?" Saelen arched a brow. "That depends on what you want—and on what you're able to uncover."
"I want you," Ros said softly, eyes closed, voice laced with deliberate allure.
Saelen did not react.
After a moment, realizing the performance had no effect, Ros gave a faint scoff, rose, and poured herself another cup of wine.
"Very well. When this is over, I want a brothel of my own."
"No problem," Saelen replied without hesitation. "Take your pick in King's Landing."
He almost smiled inwardly. Promises cost nothing.
Still, this mission carried real danger. Words alone were not enough. He reached into a chest and withdrew a heavy purse, placing it in her hands.
"Take this. I'll have more sent to you regularly."
Ros opened the pouch—and froze. Over a hundred gold dragons.
Even if she sold herself for a lifetime, she might never see such wealth.
"My lord, you're generous. Aren't you afraid I'll take the gold and disappear?"
Saelen shook his head. "You're a lone woman in the North. With this much coin, you wouldn't make it past the next holdfast. Someone would cut you down before you reached the Kingsroad."
The North was relatively orderly under Eddard's rule—but gold tempted even decent men.
"Keep it," he added. "You'll need funds where you're going."
Ros poured the coins into her hands again, letting them spill through her fingers, then slowly returned them to the purse. After a pause, she pushed it back toward him.
"Keep it for me."
Saelen looked at her in surprise. "Too little?"
She sighed faintly. "Think about it. If a woman like me arrives somewhere with this much gold, anyone with sense will question her motives. I wouldn't even make it through the door before suspicion fell on me."
She finished her wine.
"And anyone who can be bought can also be sold. If I were the sort to run for coin, I'd betray you just as easily as I'd serve you."
She set the cup down firmly.
"Keep your gold. I'll manage my own way."
Then she poured herself another drink and lifted it toward him.
"To our cooperation."
Saelen raised his cup in return.
"To our cooperation."
They drank.
Watching Ros finish yet another cup without hesitation, Saelen felt his earlier condescension fade.
A woman of her background—with this level of insight, restraint, and courage—
He had not merely recruited a tool.
He had found a talent.