GOT: Chapter 287/288

Chapter 287: Grand Gift and Inspection Team

When one side is determined and immune to persuasion, and the other lacks leverage to change their mind, negotiations become dull and unchallenging—often resulting in meaningless, one-sided agreements.

Aegor had experienced this before during negotiations over a technology transfer with Margaery Tyrell... Time passed, and now, on the Wall, thousands of miles away, he encountered a similar situation—only this time, with another influential woman.

But this time, he held the upper hand.

Melisandre mistook him for the prophesied figure and took the initiative to offer help. Aegor, however, was confident he could secure the position of Lord Commander using his own resources. It would be a bonus if the Red Priestess supported him, but if not, it would simply require more effort. While anyone appreciates help in times of need, trying to seize or share his influence in the Gift and on the Wall merely by adding icing on the cake was underestimating his political acumen.

Fortunately, it seemed Melisandre had sensed Aegor's determination—or perhaps was willing to yield to the prophet she had chosen. After a brief round of back-and-forth, she ultimately abandoned her third request without withdrawing any of her support. It was, to a degree, an unconditional surrender.

…

The day after returning to Castle Black, the election resumed, and all of Aegor's campaign arrangements were implemented simultaneously. Jarman Buckwell withdrew from the race, and his votes were transferred to Aegor, with only minimal loss. Meanwhile, some brothers from Castle Black, who had previously voted for Yohn Royce after wavering, changed their stance and cast their votes for Aegor.

In stark contrast to the reformist camp's unity under a single leader, the conservative faction—though larger in number—was plagued with internal divisions. Yohn Royce, after a mere "one-day tour" of the Commander election, quickly withdrew, and the other two Commanders who had stepped aside for him reentered the race. Much to the disappointment of onlookers, the two old Night's Watch officers still failed to reach an agreement and once again voted for themselves. Everything seemed to have returned to square one.

But unlike before, this time, the brothers of Castle Black weren't buying it.

During the first round of voting following the Chief Logistics Officer's return, Aegor surged to first place with more than four hundred votes, far ahead of Ser Denys Mallister's three hundred and Cotter Pyke's two hundred-plus. The numbers clearly reflected the sentiment at Castle Black. Compared to their peak, the Commanders of Shadow Tower and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea each lost over a hundred votes. The latter suffered the most—aside from the votes from his own stronghold, Cotter Pyke's support from Castle Black dwindled to barely more than single digits overnight.

While the voting results were expected, the subsequent news—seemingly unrelated but in fact closely connected—shocked the uninformed:

Two or three dozen southern nobles who had followed Melisandre submitted collective applications to join the Night's Watch. Aegor had previously refused criminals attempting to take the black in King's Landing and Crown Town. But later, Commander Mormont had overruled this authority, meaning no Night's Watch officer had the right to refuse anyone who wished to join. And the Queen's Party members, being nobles trained in arms, had always been the most welcomed type of recruit.

Commander Mormont, in an effort to train Jon Snow as his successor, had previously sent Ser Alliser Thorne, the former drillmaster at Castle Black who clashed with him, to the South. Now, Ser Endrew Tarth, the current drillmaster, publicly announced in the afternoon that he would soon begin recruiting in the Gift. Healthy men under fifty could apply.

That same day, Ser Denys Mallister, Commander of Shadow Tower, departed westward after lunch with his packed entourage, leaving only one subordinate behind to vote on behalf of his garrison.


---

The results showed that even after being publicly criticized by Aegor for idleness and ineffectiveness, Ser Denys still received nearly a hundred votes from Castle Black—about a third of the votes. That, in itself, was a testament to his recognition. Yet, despite being Aegor's number one opponent, the old man over seventy years old left without a word in such favorable circumstances.

Everything happens for a reason, but this time, Aegor truly couldn't grasp Ser Denys's intent. By leaving Castle Black, he gave up his base of supporters—tantamount to admitting defeat, almost equivalent to withdrawing from the election. But that contradicted his decision to reenter the race earlier that day.

This passive act of handing over nearly a hundred supporters without voting for another candidate might be interpreted as silent resistance: "If I can't be elected, then no one else can." But doing so during Robb Stark's visit to the Wall...

It was akin to publicly slapping the Warden of the North, and forcing Robb's hand—to adopt Aegor's proposal of abolishing the stronghold Commanders' representative voting rights. It was a major gift.

Could it be that the old man had foreseen Robb would make this change anyway, so he returned to his stronghold early to inform his men not to vote for him in the upcoming general election?

Puzzled, Aegor ultimately interpreted Ser Denys's actions as a tacit admission that his loss was inevitable. Too embarrassed to vote for himself or another candidate, he chose to disappear.

…

Robb Stark, still young, lacked the patience to let such ambiguity drag on. As expected, the impact of Ser Denys Mallister's strange actions surfaced faster than anyone anticipated. The day after Ser Denys left Castle Black—the third day of Aegor's return to the Wall—the first round of voting concluded in the morning. Upon learning that the representative left behind by Ser Denys had still cast his vote for his absent superior, the young Warden of the North could no longer sit still and finally intervened.

Robb announced a decision that, technically, fell outside his authority, but was welcomed by many of the Night's Watch: the suspension of the election, the return of all voting representatives except the candidates, and preparations for a one-person, one-vote system for every member of the Night's Watch.


---

To ensure fairness, Robb would dispatch personnel to supervise elections at every Night's Watch stronghold along the Wall. His group from Winterfell was large enough to manage the task, but they were unfamiliar with the terrain and preparations would take time. Still, the world didn't revolve solely around the Wall or the Night's Watch election. Just a few days after the vote was suspended at Castle Black, two other major developments occurred in the Gift.

First, grain purchased from the North began arriving at Crown Town. Though many northern families were reluctant to hear the food was for Wildlings, the sale went relatively smoothly. After all, the Night's Watch had helped repel the Ironborn and were willing to pay for the grain rather than seize it. The quantity wasn't huge, but together with the remaining stockpile, it would be enough to last until the grain shipment from Braavos arrived.

Second, envoys from the four major houses bordering the Gift—summoned by Robb Stark—also arrived at Castle Black.

…

As Warden of the North, Robb Stark's visit to the Wall prompted the four great vassals—Houses Glover, Umber, Karstark, and Bolton—to send their Lords in person, each with several dozen retainers and family members. They gathered at Crown Town before heading north together, arriving at Castle Black in a group nearly three hundred strong. The Night's Watch headquarters, already scaled down in size, was overwhelmed. Even long-abandoned rooms were reopened for lodging. The Chief Logistics Officer and craftsmen of the Night's Watch, now acting as hosts, were so busy accommodating their noble guests that they had little time to consider how to handle Aegor. For now, the arrival of these powerful delegations brought a rare period of peace and liveliness to Castle Black.

Robb hosted a banquet on the day the four families arrived to welcome his vassals.

"My Lords, the reason I summoned you is as stated in my letter. The late Lord Commander Jeor Mormont initiated the Gift resettlement plan, taking in surrendered Wildlings and converting them into grey-area citizens to support the Wall's operation and address the shortage of manpower. On the other hand, the Wildlings have always been the greatest threat to the North. To ensure the region's safety, I've brought you here to inspect the Gift and help decide whether we should intervene."

The Lords nodded in understanding. Galbart Glover was the first to speak. "We heard in Crown Town that the Night's Watch is holding an election for a new Commander. Has it been settled yet?"

"Not yet," Robb replied. "The candidates have been deadlocked for too long. I had no choice but to step in and cancel the representative voting system. We'll now implement a one-person, one-vote system under my supervision." He cast a solemn glance at the Night's Watch officers seated at the table. Though he was displeased, it wasn't his place to criticize them openly. He simply added, "The costs of tonight's feast will be covered by Winterfell. You've all traveled far—please enjoy. In two days, we'll depart to inspect the Wall and the Gift, and determine our final stance on the resettlement plan."

"The Warden has spoken, and we shall follow," Roose Bolton said coldly, glancing at the Black Brothers with pale eyes. "However, the Night's Watch has yet to elect a new Commander. That means the brothers themselves may not have decided their stance on the Gift resettlement plan. In that case, even if we form opinions, who exactly should we present our concerns to? And what weight would our opinions carry?"

It was a valid concern, and Robb had not considered it. He paused briefly, then responded, "The election has dragged on for over two months. Even with my intervention, it's hard to say when it will conclude. But the matter of the Wildlings involves the safety of the North. We can't delay a decision indefinitely. I've decided to observe first. If the Wildlings show signs of endangering the realm, we'll halt the plan—regardless of the election outcome. If not, we'll return to the North and let the Night's Watch resolve the issue on their own."

Roose Bolton frowned and nodded. "That's not entirely wrong... but it seems like an unnecessary complication. In chaotic times, one shouldn't be overly bound by procedure. Just appoint someone as Commander. Then we inspect the Gift and report our findings to that person. Wouldn't that save time and effort?"

Appoint? That word struck Aegor. He had believed the North was the most traditional region of the Seven Kingdoms, yet Roose Bolton voiced such a radical idea. As expected, while ordinary men used a thousand mundane tactics, ruthless men all shared one trait—they ignored convention.

Aegor silently heightened his guard against the man.

…

"Lord Bolton, the Wall has stood for thousands of years, but never has a Commander been appointed by the Warden of the North!" Cotter Pyke objected sharply. Already frustrated by Ser Denys's sudden departure and Robb's cancellation of representative voting, he was further provoked by the Flayer's audacity. "Lord Stark made a reasonable change to the voting system, which everyone accepts. But if someone is simply appointed, who's to say the brothers will accept that decision?"

Lord Glover agreed. "I also think it's unwise. A Commander elected by the Night's Watch carries the support of most of the men. That ensures orders are followed. Forcing someone into the role who can't win the men's trust might resolve one issue, but it risks destabilizing the Wall's defenses in the long run."

If Robb Stark were to appoint a Commander, that person would most likely be Aegor. Robb knew him better than anyone in the Watch. Yet to take power this way, under such favorable conditions, would feel like a tainted victory and stir endless controversy. Even Aegor himself was not fond of the idea.

Thankfully, Robb didn't seem to support it either.

"My Lords, you needn't worry about whom to report to," he said quickly, seizing the moment. "I supported the late Commander and can be considered the successor to his great vision. The Gift resettlement plan currently runs under my coordination. In the next two days, I'll personally lead the inspection. If you have opinions or suggestions, bring them directly to me."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 288: Taking Advantage

Everyone turned their eyes to Aegor.

As Chief Logistics Officer, he had been sent south by Jeor Mormont and had been away from the Wall for a long time. Naturally, this made his ties with his black-cloaked brothers less grounded. As a result, Commander Mormont, who had supported him, fell into a difficult situation the moment something unexpected happened... but every loss brings gain. What Aegor did and experienced during his official duties was far more than just "planting the money tree of the Night's Watch Industry in King's Landing." When Robert summoned the Seven Kingdoms to quell the rebellion, Aegor seized the opportunity to raise funds and, in doing so, naturally built relationships with nobles from across Westeros. He used public appearances and opinion to build personal fame and improve the image of the Night's Watch. He used his position and free time to learn the customs and political landscape of the Seven Kingdoms, staying informed of the broader situation...

All of this led to one result: as a sworn brother of the Night's Watch, his reputation and recognition far surpassed that of other high-ranking officers or even fortress commanders who also held the title of "Chief."

Putting other things aside, nearly all the Northerners present recognized him, and their understanding and impression of him went far beyond a mere name and face.

Galbart Glover smiled and nodded at Aegor. "Chief Logistics Officer, you reclaimed Deepwood Motte and rescued my brother's family. You also captured Asha Greyjoy and handed her over to me as a hostage. I owe you more than one favor. By rights, I shouldn't make things difficult for you… but the Gift resettlement plan is no small matter. If what I see during the inspection turns out to be too outrageous, I will remain impartial."

"Naturally," Aegor replied, nodding gratefully at him. He had led troops to relieve Deepwood Motte, and now, as the one bearing the mantle of Commander Mormont's successor, he stepped forward to voluntarily take responsibility. Wasn't it exactly for this moment? "Too outrageous"—from another perspective, didn't that amount to Galbart openly stating: as long as it's not too outrageous, House Glover would support the Gift resettlement plan?

At that moment, Roose Bolton also added lightly, "We have all seen the Chief Logistics Officer's capabilities and mind. I believe he's more than capable of managing some Wildlings."

...

If Lord Glover's support was within Aegor's expectations, the Old Flayer's sudden praise took him slightly by surprise. Was it genuine? Or was he deliberately extending goodwill, knowing of Aegor's close ties with the Stark family?

Not long ago, Aegor had hanged a bastard in Crown Town—Ramsay Snow, who had been impersonating Reek. In this small Castle Black, there were now two men whose sons had died because of him. Yohn Royce already regarded him as a sworn enemy. As for Roose Bolton… facing him now, Aegor would be lying if he said he felt no guilt. All he could do was hope that Bolton still believed Ramsay had been killed by the Stark forces under Ser Rodrik, and that the man sent to the Wall was truly Reek.

According to the original events and the way things unfolded, Roose Bolton indeed seemed unaware. Moreover, he had now married a Frey woman who was carrying his trueborn child... He likely wouldn't bother to dig into the fate of a bastard son who had been executed by the Starks.

The inspection hadn't even begun, and yet the stances of two of the four houses were already leaning in Aegor's favor. What appeared to be coincidence was, in fact, the inevitable outcome of prior moves. The conservatives who witnessed all of this instantly became grim-faced. They exchanged glances silently and said no more.

"Alright, trust me, I know Aegor's abilities better than anyone here, but I still want to see the Gift resettlement plan with my own eyes," Robb Stark said, raising his hand to end the discussion. "Tonight's dinner is to welcome our four Lords. Let's not talk business for now. I'll make the first toast, to you elder Lords. May you remain in good health, and may Winter be short and Summer long!"

In the cold North, even toasts had their own customs. This was a common blessing in the North and also the heartfelt wish of most Northerners. Everyone present raised their cups following the Warden of the North. "May Winter be short and Summer long!"

...

Though Robb was young, he had already earned his own authority through two campaigns. Since he said not to speak of official matters for now, no one brought them up again during the remainder of the banquet. The Northern Lords were not yet aware of the open and hidden struggle between the conservatives and reformists within the Night's Watch. In fact, aside from the sharp-eyed and keen-nosed like Roose Bolton, most probably didn't even know there were two factions.

The joy of returning from the South with bountiful spoils and countless honors had not yet faded. Now, in the territory of the Night's Watch—the North's oldest and closest allies—surrounded by fire-warmed halls and a sense of security, they ate large chunks of meat and drank large bowls of wine, quickly slipping into comfort.

As the wine warmed spirits, Galbart Glover suddenly remembered something. He set down his cup and turned to Robb. "Lord Robb, there's something else I must report... No, no, it's not about the Wall. It's about the Iron Islands. I brought back Asha Greyjoy, whom Lord Aegor captured at Deepwood Motte, to the castle. I was preparing to exchange her for Robett's two children. But before we even sent the letter requesting an exchange, those pirates sent Gaven and Erena back first."

"Hm?" Robb set down his cup, intrigued. "That can't be. It's several days' sail from the Iron Islands to Deepwood Motte... The two children—are they alright?"

"Other than some hardship, they didn't lose a hand or foot. Not even a hair," said Robett Glover with a shrug. Judging from his relaxed tone, the children were truly unharmed. "The Ironborn who returned them also brought a message from Asha Greyjoy's uncle—telling us to release the female pirate directly and not send her back to the Iron Islands."
---

The hall remained lively, but the table of high seats fell silent. The Night's Watch officers, long stationed at the Wall, had no idea what the Northerners were discussing, and the rest of the Northern Lords... including Aegor, were completely baffled.

Since Aegon the Conqueror rode his dragon and united the realm, the frequency and scale of internal wars among the Seven Kingdoms had decreased drastically. But the feudal nature of Westeros hadn't changed. Among the nobility, there were traditions held as sacred and inviolable as "all men are created equal" in the modern world—chief among them was the treatment and exchange of captives.

In war, no one could guarantee constant victory, and everyone could be taken alive. Nobles hoped that if they were ever captured, they'd be treated with dignity, fed well, and eventually returned home safely. In turn, they extended that same standard to others. A nice way to put it was "chivalry," but it boiled down to "don't do unto others what you wouldn't want done to yourself."

When it came to exchanging captives, the nobility had developed a full set of unwritten rules:

Each rank of captive fetched a different price. Commoners, knights, Lords… anywhere from a few silver stags to thousands of gold dragons. The higher the status, the richer the family, the greater the ransom. Though there was no fixed price, the exchange was always kept within a reasonable range. No one demanded a ransom so high as to ruin the other party.

Besides ransom, there was also the "person for person" exchange.

Captives of equal standing could be traded—lord for lord, heir for heir, member for member. If the ranks were unequal, one might trade multiple captives or add a sum of gold to even things out.

For example, in the original tale, Jaime Lannister was captured at the Battle of the Whispering Wood. If House Stark had exchanged him for Eddard Stark, it would've been an equal trade—family head for family head. But Cersei and Grand Maester Pycelle were unwilling to accept that imbalance, so they added terms: Eddard must take the black and withdraw from politics, a "bonus" to offset the uneven exchange.

In the end, the deal collapsed. Joffrey, the fool, had Eddard beheaded. With the exchange failed, war resumed. Catelyn Tully later hoped to trade the Kingslayer for her daughters, but such a deal was unacceptable: Jaime was Tywin Lannister's only son, heir to Casterly Rock, a famed warrior and key commander. Trading him for two girls, even noble ones, simply wasn't equal… and that was fact, not sentiment.

It was precisely because Robb understood this that he continued to detain Jaime despite his worry for his sisters.

…

So, was it a fair trade to exchange Asha Greyjoy for Robett Glover's two children?

The Greyjoys ruled the Iron Islands. Asha, in Balon's eyes, was his chosen heir—equal in status to Jaime.

On the North's side, Robett wasn't Lord of Deepwood Motte. He was the brother of the Lord, Galbart, and the heir. His children, while important, weren't central figures. They didn't even qualify as "heir to an Earl," but rather as "children of the heir."

By that standard, the exchange was completely uneven. Even two for one would still be a loss for the North.

Fortunately, Asha's case was special. In this patriarchal world, being a woman already knocked her down a rank. Add to that the turmoil in the Iron Islands—her uncle had seized power, making her no longer the heir. That demotion reduced her to "important, but not central."

That made trading her for the Glover children—one boy and one girl—a balanced deal.


---

Balanced trades satisfy both sides. Deals that satisfy both sides rarely go wrong—which meant, if the Ironborn agreed to an exchange and sent the children back, Deepwood Motte would honor the agreement and hand over Asha safely. They'd never consider killing the hostage or breaking the deal.

But the strange part was this: negotiations hadn't even begun, and the Ironborn had already returned the children—giving up their only leverage.

Since when did pies fall from the sky?

Even Roose Bolton, usually unreadable, showed a flicker of confusion. "This makes no sense. Why would House Greyjoy do that?"

"After some digging, I found a clue. It wasn't the Greyjoys. It was the personal decision of Rodrik Harlaw, Asha's uncle—her mother's brother, Lord of Harlaw Island and Ten Towers, head of House Harlaw," Robett explained. In the Common Tongue, "uncle" doesn't distinguish maternal or paternal, so he clarified: "We all know that if Asha returned to the Iron Islands as a captive to be exchanged, she'd likely be imprisoned or even killed by her uncle, that madman Euron. Rodrik didn't want that fate for his niece, so he sent the children back before we ever reached an agreement with Euron."

"So that's it. Truly moving, that kind of family loyalty." Robb had heard of Rodrik the Reader. After listening, he nodded. "If the children are safe, release her as agreed. There's no need to report to me."

"No, my Lord. That's just it. If I release Asha now, she has nowhere to go. She'll likely gather stragglers and turn pirate along the North's western coast—and that's bad news for us. So, I've sent her to Winterfell to await your decision."

…

Robb frowned, clearly displeased. "They sent the children back, and we'd ruin our word by keeping the hostage over baseless fears? Release her. If she becomes a pirate and dares raid our coast, then next time, we won't spare her."

Roose Bolton had barely touched his wine. He shook his head and said calmly, "My Lord, didn't you hear? House Harlaw sent the children back before Deepwood Motte even sent a request. No negotiation ever began. There was no agreement. So how can we be breaking our word? There's nothing wrong with keeping her."

"No negotiations started?" Robb's expression eased slightly. After a pause, he asked again, "Very well. What do you Lords think I should do with her?"

"Kill her and be done with it. Why feed another mouth?"

"Keep her. Euron Greyjoy's Ironborn are raiding across the seas. Who knows, they might come for us next. If someone in our families gets captured, we can trade her then."

"Crow's Eye would love it if we kept his niece locked up forever. We wouldn't get a thing in return!"

"Regardless, a Harlaw hostage is worth at least two."

"Hah, Rodrik the Reader took it upon himself to send back those kids. I bet the King of the Iron Islands is fuming! He should worry about his own hide before thinking of robbing grain from us Northerners!"

...

The Northern Lords debated animatedly. Aegor silently poked at the food on his plate, saying nothing.

The captive exchange hadn't even begun, and the Glover children were already back. It seemed strange, but once explained, it was straightforward. Just more internal politics among the Ironborn.

Asha's value to the Iron Islands was like Joffrey's to the Seven Kingdoms, especially to the Lannisters. If the timing was right, she could be crowned and used for a grander purpose. Those still resisting Euron didn't want her killed so easily.

Based on Aegor's understanding of Robb, the man would never kill a captive. But if Asha were truly released, she would almost certainly try to join the Mother of Dragons. If the North's enemies returned to Westeros flying the dragon banner and leading the three dragons of House Targaryen, it would bring disaster to the North—and to Aegor.

He understood all this, but the matter didn't concern him directly. He quietly ate his meat and watched the show, while keeping an eye on the Night's Watch officers seated nearby.

But the situation suddenly did concern him.

"Wait. Wasn't Asha Greyjoy captured by our Chief Logistics Officer—Lord Aegor? How is it that after all this talk, no one thought to ask his opinion?"

(To be continued.)