The Golden Wolf [Jaime Lannister]

Chapter XIV. King's Landing

King's Landing is the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, located in the crownlands on the east coast of Westeros.

It is situated along the Kings Road at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush and overlooks Blackwater Bay. King's Landing is the site of the Iron Throne and the Red Keep, which is the seat of the king, Viserys I from House Targaryen of King's Landing.

The main city is surrounded by a wall, manned by the City Watch of King's Landing, also known as the Gold Cloaks. King's Landing is the most populous city in Westeros, but unsightly and dirty compared to other cities.

Poorer smallfolk built shanty settlements outside the city. The stench of the city's waste can be smelled far beyond its walls.

King's Landing, the principal harbor of the Seven Kingdoms, is rivaled only by Oldtown, which is larger in area but less populous. Nearby towns include Rosby and Duskendale to the northeast and Tumbleton to the southwest, while Kingswood is found south of the capital across the Blackwater.

Driftmark and Dragonstone in the Gullet protect the bay from the narrow sea.

Seven is a sacred number for the Faith, thus the reason Aegon I Targaryen had seven huge gates built as the entrances into the capital of King's Landing.

Each is protected by a portcullis, heavy doors, and armed guards.

Dragon Gate leads north to the King's Road.
Iron Gate, leads to the Rosby road.
Old Gate.
Gate of the Gods.
River Gate, known as the Mud Gate by the population of the city, leads south to Kings Road and the roseroad.
Lion Gate leads west to the Gold Road.
King's Gate, outside of which are tourney grounds.

The Red Keep, is the royal castle located on top of Aegon's High Hill. Within the castle are Maegor's Holdfast and the Tower of the Hand. The Great Sept of Baelor, where the Most Devout convenes with the High Septon. It is the holiest sept of the Faith of the Seven. It is located on Visenya's Hill.

The runied Dragonpit, a huge place holds the Targaryen dragons. Its bronze doors have not been opened for more than a century. It is found on the Hill of Rhaenys. The Street of Sisters runs between it and the Great Sept of Baelor.

The Guildhall of the Alchemists beneath the Hill of Rhaenys, stretching right to the foot of Visenya's Hill, along the Street of Sisters. Beneath it is where the Alchemists create and store the wildfire.

Flea Bottom, a slum area of King's Landing, a downtrodden area of town. It has pot shops along the alleys where one can get a bowl of brown. It has a stench of pigsties and stables, tanner's sheds mixed in the smell of wine sinks and whorehouses.

A manse near the Iron Gate with its own stable, well, and garden. The Red Keep is made of pale red stone and overlooks the mouth of the Blackwater Rush. The Red Keep has seven massive drum-towers crowned with iron ramparts.

The castle is smaller than Winterfell and is patrolled by gold cloaks. Much of the Red Keep is connected underground. Massive curtain walls surround the castle, with nests and crenelations for archers.

Thick stone parapets, some four feet high, protect the outer edge of the wall ramparts, where the heads of traitors are traditionally placed on iron spikes between the crenels at the gatehouse.

The walls have great bronze gates and portcullises, with narrow postern doors nearby. The castle also has great cornerforts.

The immense barbican has a cobbled square in front of it. Behind the walls are small inner yards, vaulted halls, covered bridges, barracks of the City Watch of King's Landing, dungeons, granaries, kennels, and stables.

The Red Keep has serpentine steps which can be strenuous to climb. Maegor's Holdfast, the small council chambers, the Tower of the Hand, the lower bailey, a small sunken courtyard, and the black cells are located below the steps.