GOT: Chapter 269/270

Chapter 269: Study Room Talk (Part 2)

The other party's clear attitude made Aegor refocus. Fortunately, although it seemed and sounded aggressive, Young Stark's words actually revealed a key piece of information: Robb wasn't completely opposed to the Gift resettlement plan—there was still hope.

"First, I apologize for Commander Mormont and my unauthorized actions. It was indeed inconsiderate to allow the people Beyond the Wall through the Wall without consulting the Northern lords, especially the ruling House. But the fact is, at the time, the army of the dead was close behind the living as they fled south. There was no time to notify the Northern lords and consult them." When the Free Folk attacked the Wall, the Ironborn were also invading the North in great numbers. Under such circumstances, even if Jeor Mormont had made it public and sought their input, Aegor doubted the lords would have had the mind to care: "If we had delayed even a step, countless people Beyond the Wall would have been slaughtered and turned into wights, increasing the number of non-human enemies the Night's Watch and the North would face by tens of thousands in the foreseeable future." Aegor finally raised this point. "I remember Commander Mormont once put a wight in a carriage and toured the North with it. You must have seen that thing. It's not a fabrication."

"No one said it was fiction. That's a somewhat convincing reason. The Night's Watch is indeed facing threats beyond the imagination of ordinary people, which has already pushed the North's tolerance for you to its limit." Robb curled his lip. "But I don't believe that thing has the intelligence or ability to cross the Wall... As for the White Walkers with thought and magic that you mentioned in your report, no one has seen them. So they don't count."

"I've seen one. And I killed one. While I was in King's Landing on official business, the rangers killed another. If you don't believe me, you can summon your half-brother Jon Snow to ask. He's a loyal and trustworthy young man. You've known him longer than anyone and should understand what kind of person he is."

"I do understand him. In fact, I don't need Jon. I personally am very willing to believe you." Robb shrugged at Aegor. "But even if White Walkers really exist, so what? The Seven Kingdoms have tens of millions of people in total. You want me to believe that without these tens of thousands of Wildlings, we'd lose the war against the dead?"

"The Seven Kingdoms do have tens of millions of people. But what are they doing? Engaging in one internal struggle after another, throwing energy and resources into wars sparked by court politics and succession crises. When the Long Night is approaching, what we need is to gather our strength and prepare to face our true enemy." Aegor's tone sharpened slightly. "Ten thousand Grey Zone people prepared for battle are far more effective than ten million distracted citizens of the Seven Kingdoms. And I have faith that, under my leadership, the new residents of the Gift will become the former."

"Personal conviction means nothing. Allow me to speak plainly—you are just a foreigner from some unknown land. And Jon is my father's bastard son. On such a significant matter—allowing the Free Folk, who have been our enemies for thousands of years, to live in the Gift—your confidence and guarantees carry no weight with the Northern lords. What I mean is... they're meaningless."

It was a long sentence, but simply put: In this feudal system, neither Aegor nor anyone in the Night's Watch had the authority to give guarantees the Northern lords would accept. And Robb, having only recently taken his position, lacked the prestige to override opposition.

Though it was unpleasant to hear, it was the truth. Aegor frowned and suddenly realized where the real problem lay.

"Wait a minute. I think we need to reorganize our thinking. Otherwise, continuing this conversation is like talking to a chicken—completely missing the point."

Robb made a gesture of agreement, then leaned back in his chair, quietly waiting for Aegor to speak again.


---

The Night's Watch man calmed down and quickly forced himself into a focused, logical state of thinking.

From the moment he left the Wall and headed south, resolved the Ironborn invasion, and returned north, he had already considered how to persuade Robb Stark not to oppose the Gift resettlement plan outright, and to get him to return north to carry out the next steps of the plan together. But just now, after being entangled by Arya, then unexpectedly running into Catelyn upon entering the study, and then suddenly hearing Robb say he would personally lead people north—without any preparation...

Today's study conversation had not started the way Aegor expected, and one of the core objectives had already been fulfilled before he could act. The string of unexpected variables made the situation chaotic—like a bug in a game script. Having not truly used his skills since returning from King's Landing to the Wall, he was a bit rusty, and nearly forgot how to talk circles around those who held more power and status than himself.

But it didn't matter. Like riding a horse or wielding a sword, the ability to analyze pros and cons and choose the right strategy never truly fades once mastered. And with the relatively positive private relationship between Robb Stark and Aegor, the situation could still be salvaged. What he needed now was to recall his original plan, identify where it had gone wrong, and adjust it according to the current situation.


---

After a short pause, Aegor collected his thoughts.

"What is the duty of the Night's Watch?" he asked again. "Let me summarize it in my own words. It is—to serve as a buffer between the land Beyond the Wall and the South, to protect the Seven Kingdoms, especially the North."

Robb frowned and thought for a moment but found no issue. "That's right. That's how it is."

"But there's no written law or decree stating how the Night's Watch must fulfill this duty, just like there's no document proving the Wall was built to keep out the Wildlings..."

"Hold on. If what you mean is: 'As long as nothing happens in the North, it doesn't matter what the Night's Watch does,' then we're back to square one. I—or rather the Northmen—doubt whether the Wildlings can obey our laws and fear for our safety. And more importantly, we have both the ability and the will to intervene."

"I understand your point. And as you just said, you must be responsible to everyone. Let me restate your meaning in my own words: the responsibility you speak of is to safeguard the security of all people in the North. The Warden of the North's obligation and the Night's Watch's duty converge on one goal—ensuring the safety of the North." Aegor's mind grew clearer. "In other words, our previous discussion about 'whether allowing the people Beyond the Wall through the border was right' or 'whether it should be done' is entirely unnecessary and puts the cart before the horse. What we should be doing now is not debating right or wrong, but judging whether the people Beyond the Wall who were let in pose a threat to the North—and if so, figuring out how to solve it."

"That's right. That's exactly what I mean." Robb raised his brows. "This is what I meant when I said... you give me an explanation, and I give the Northmen a guarantee. Well summarized. So, how do you plan to give me that explanation?"

"I can't."

"What?"

"I can't just sit here and convince the Warden of the North with words that the tens of thousands of strangers the Night's Watch let through the Wall pose no threat to the North. That's impossible." Aegor shrugged. "And even if I could, I think it would be an extremely irresponsible act. We shouldn't be making decisions that affect the fate of tens of thousands of people based on talk alone."

"So?" This time it was Robb's turn to look a bit confused.

"I've always believed that seeing is believing. To determine whether the people Beyond the Wall pose a threat to the North, is there any better way than to walk among them... meet them face to face, understand their lives and mindsets?"

...

"I now, in my capacity as the Night's Watch Chief Logistics Officer, officially extend an invitation to the Warden of the North, hoping that Lord Stark will do us the honor of visiting the Gift to personally inspect the status and progress of the resettlement plan."

When Aegor set out from Crown Town heading south, his goal was very clear: to find a way to bring Robb Stark back north, and to trick him into inspecting the Gift, so that his presence would create the illusion of the Warden of the North supporting the Gift resettlement plan. After the other party proactively said he would head north and go to the Wall, the plan briefly became muddled—and the reason was Aegor himself. He had unconsciously shifted his goal, trying instead to persuade Robb here in Winterfell that allowing the Wildlings through the Wall was the right thing to do.

Shifting blame and trying to prove oneself right is human instinct, just as pushing for more is a natural urge. But this time, not only was the new goal hard to achieve, if a miracle happened and Robb truly believed the Wildlings posed no threat and thus canceled his northern journey, it would ruin all the steps that were supposed to follow.

One must seize the moment when the time is right, and retreat when necessary for the bigger picture.

...

Robb was a little stunned by the sudden change in direction. But since he had already decided to go north to see his brother, the answer wasn't hard.

"Hm... alright, I accept the invitation."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 270: Hot Potato...
"The Gift awaits your arrival, my lord." Aegor let out a quiet breath of relief. Though the itinerary was now set, he couldn't simply send Robb straight to the Gift. There were still preparations to be made. Before crossing over, Aegor had often criticized the superficial formalities of preparing for leadership inspections. Who would've thought he'd one day become the very kind of person he used to despise?

"But there are still some matters to settle. I came south because of a lack of supplies, yet I've been traveling and fighting all the way and haven't managed to obtain a single grain of food… Please allow my men to briefly encamp outside the city. I'll assign tasks to my subordinates and send them out to various locations to purchase food and materials before we set off for the North. You've just returned from the South as well, and you must need to remain in Winterfell for a while to manage domestic and political matters."

"Two days," Robb said curtly. "There is indeed much that needs to be addressed, but my brother's whereabouts are unknown and his life uncertain. Finding him is the top priority. We depart for the North in two days."

"No problem." Robb's tone left no room for negotiation.

"In addition to myself, I'll also invite Glover, Umber, Karstark, and Bolton—the four houses closest to the Gift—to join in jointly deciding this major matter concerning the North, particularly their security."

"This..." Aegor was momentarily stunned. Of these four houses, only Glover and Umber could be said to have even minimal acquaintance with him. He had expected to deal with Robb alone. Who would've thought the number had grown to five? With the addition of the other four, the number of variables in his plan would increase greatly. He had to send a message to Crown Town immediately. "As a liege lord, your concern for your bannermen is admirable. If that is the case, then I shall take my leave for now..."

"All right, even you are flattering me now. Sit back down. We're done talking about the Wildlings. Next, I have a few things—or rather, a few people—to hand over to you. Or rather, to the Night's Watch." Robb raised a hand, stopping Aegor, who had already stood up. "Joffrey, Tommen, and their sister Myrcella are now in Winterfell. Although their parentage is no longer in doubt, King Robert's final will asked that they be allowed to live. Therefore, my father planned their futures: the two boys must 'voluntarily' join the Night's Watch, and the girl will change her name, be adopted by Winterfell, and grow up alongside Sansa and Arya."

"I'm to take the two boys back to the Wall?" Aegor had heard about this several months ago and was unsurprised. "The Night's Watch has no authority to refuse. I'm only concerned that… having the Kingslayer and his two sons reunite at the Wall like this—he might take it as a deliberate humiliation and act impulsively."

"If the Kingslayer has even a shred of sense, he should understand that this is to protect those two children!" Robb replied firmly. "Even if this were a deliberate humiliation—so what? The Targaryens relied on dragons to terrorize Westeros and force the people to accept their incestuous legacy. Who is Jaime Lannister? The moment he lay with his sister, he should've been ready to face the shame of the realm."

Robb paused, realizing that the person sitting across from him wasn't Jaime Lannister, and his tone softened slightly. "Even if the Kingslayer does feel wronged and wishes to act, how to handle him will be the Night's Watch's responsibility. I believe… you won't disappoint me."

...

No one likes to take on a hot potato, but handling those who "can't be killed and are difficult to deal with" was part of the Night's Watch's role—especially when they were asking others for favors. Aegor shrugged. "My lord places such trust in me. I will do my best to see this matter handled."

"Keep a close watch on them. It doesn't matter whether the Night's Watch treats them as idle members or trains them to become proper brothers. What's crucial is this—do not, under any circumstances, let them fall into the hands of those with ill intent and bring further disaster to the Seven Kingdoms."

Aegor nodded. He knew all too well what Robb meant by "greater disaster." Leaving aside everything else, if Joffrey were to fall into Tywin Lannister's hands, once the Westerlands recovered from the ravages of war… after Stannis, Aegor, and Euron Crow's Eye, Westeros would almost certainly find itself with yet another claimant to the throne.

So many troublesome things. Aegor frowned. But looking at it another way, since Robb was tossing trouble to the Night's Watch, he would surely offer compensation or leniency elsewhere... The Stark family was known for its integrity. By taking advantage of this need to compensate, there might be ways to secure more benefits.

"Wait... sit down. There's more!" Robb raised his hand again, stopping Aegor, who was eager to leave and begin preparing for the visit to the Gift. "You captured Asha Greyjoy in Deepwood Motte not long ago. Did you not think of anything?"

"Think of something?"

Aegor didn't understand Robb's meaning at first. Think of what? Asha was indeed a woman full of wild beauty, but not only was his mind preoccupied with the resettlement plan, even if it weren't... there was no way he would lay hands on the Kraken's Daughter. His upbringing, sense of order, and respect for gender norms aside, he was certain of one thing: any man who dared to rape a woman like Asha would either fail outright or end up stabbed in bed with a pair of scissors.

Seeing Aegor didn't understand the hint, Robb stopped beating around the bush and gave him a prompt. "Your beautiful captive has a brother."

"Oh... right." Aegor's mouth opened slightly, his brows lifted, and he realized more trouble was headed his way.

"During the previous campaign in the Westerlands, Theon had suggested sending him back to the Iron Islands to persuade his father, Balon Greyjoy, to send troops… but since the war was progressing well, I ultimately didn't agree," Robb continued. "That is to say, when the Lord of the Iron Islands sent his brother and daughter to attack the North, his son was still in my hands."

Theon Greyjoy was a hostage. Even calling him an "adopted son" didn't change the fact. And the point of a hostage was to make the enemy hesitate in critical moments. But if the other party ignored the hostage altogether...

Then the hostage was worthless.

Aegor could guess what came next. Given Robb Stark's character, it was unlikely he would order the execution of an adopted brother he had grown up with, especially when the fault didn't lie with Theon.

"Everyone says I should do the deed myself and end him," Robb said, offering an explanation without waiting for Aegor's input. "But when I think about it… by Westerosi law, Theon is the first in line for the Seastone Chair. Whether it's his sister or one of his uncles, if they want to secure their position, they'll need to eliminate Theon first. Why not keep him alive, and use him to threaten the next ruler of the Iron Islands in the future?"

"But once he takes the black, that leverage disappears." Aegor shrugged. He nearly said aloud, "Just admit you don't want to kill your foster brother," but in the end held back.

Robb didn't respond to that, likely having learned from Aegor how to keep a straight face while lying. "Keep him alive. Don't let that mad uncle of his send someone to kill him in secret. Other than that, just treat him like an ordinary brother of the Night's Watch."

Aegor sighed. Keep him alive? Beyond the Wall were the cold god and his minions. In the South, humans fought each other. Across the sea were the mad Ironborn. What "ordinary Night's Watch brother" could claim to be completely safe?

"I'll do my best, but I can't make any guarantees."

Theon wasn't Bran, and Robb couldn't ask for more on his behalf… But this time, Aegor wasn't in a hurry to leave. Having already stood up and sat back down twice, he patiently remained seated, watching Robb in case he stopped him again.

It seemed there truly was nothing more. The two looked at each other for several seconds. Just as Aegor was about to speak and take his leave once again, Robb Stark finally said something.

"Aegor, both Commander Mormont and I have always trusted your judgment. Do you think… I was wrong in this matter?"

He meant not killing Theon? Aegor's expression was calm.

"Killing him is duty. Not killing him is sentiment. Based on Theon's upbringing, his connections, and the resources he can mobilize—and given that we've already repelled the Ironborn—his life poses virtually no threat to the North. It's not a matter of right or wrong. I'll just say this from the Night's Watch's perspective—with the army of the dead advancing, the Wall needs usable manpower and war supplies, not one troublemaker after another dumped in for various reasons."

(To be continued.)