Chapter 534

Aegor didn’t like when people played coy, but his patience depended on the person. The girl in front of him wasn’t his subordinate, and she was rather likable… so, after a slight nod, he maintained an air of composed interest.

“Go ahead. Whether I accept it or not, whether it succeeds or fails—that’s my concern.”

“My idea is actually quite simple,” Myrcella began cautiously. “You and the Queen are… um… not exactly welcome in the North. That means this problem can’t be solved through you, through the Queen, or through any of her subordinates. The strategic objective lies in the South, so wasting time and resources in the North isn’t an option. That leaves only one way forward: we need the Stark family’s help.”

Even after being given permission to speak, Myrcella still seemed uneasy. But her words were clear and firm.

“The idea of using the Stark name to command the North is a good one, but locking them up in the castle and sending ravens or messengers with their orders won’t work. The Northern lords will assume the Starks are prisoners, forced at sword-point to obey. Under those circumstances, it wouldn’t matter whose handwriting is on the letter, what seals are stamped upon it, or what words are written—no one will answer the call. But if Robb Stark himself were to appear… well, that would be different.

“As long as he remains visibly ‘free,’ his title as Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell will hold true. Only then can he command his bannermen, declare his stance, and issue orders. Only then will the Northern nobles be willing to swear loyalty to the Queen and fight for her.”

Aegor’s brow furrowed. “You’re saying… I should release Robb Stark and let him handle the Queen’s demand to rally the Northern forces?”

“Yes,” Myrcella nodded. “And not just that—you’d have to let him take his household guards and retainers. If you send your men with him, not only would their safety be in question, but the Northern lords would see it as coercion, stripping Robb’s words of any weight.”

So that was why she had hesitated earlier, why she had warned that this plan required great courage, trust, and preparation for the worst possible outcome…

In his own world, there was a phrase for this: releasing a tiger back into the mountains.

Robb wasn’t just the lord of Winterfell—he was the seed of House Stark. A young, healthy man with proven fertility, he alone could rebuild the entire Stark lineage. Bloodline and legitimacy would never be in question.

When Aegor had seized Winterfell, his greatest victory wasn’t the castle itself—it was trapping the entire Stark family inside. He had captured every piece on the board, leaving them no bargaining power, forcing them to comply.

To let Robb go free? That would be throwing away his biggest leverage. At best, Robb would return to his bannermen, turn to the Queen, and negotiate better terms for the North—making Aegor look weak. At worst, he could rally his forces and turn his swords against Aegor and the Queen. And if that happened… what would he do with the remaining Stark family members?

Let them live? Daenerys would see it as betrayal.

Kill them? That would cement his reputation as a traitor and the Mad Queen’s hound. He would become the North’s eternal enemy. Even if he had no personal hesitation about executing them, it would make him infamous, despised across the Seven Kingdoms.

And Robb? He would grieve, yes—but he would marry again, have children again, rebuild his house. If the Starks fell at Winterfell, he would raise them in exile. The North would become a second Dorne, resisting the Queen for years, maybe even decades.

Yes, Robb was an honorable man. He loved his family. If forced to choose between justice and his kin, he would likely pick the latter—just as his father had, in another time, another world.

But this wasn’t just about Robb.

This was feudalism, not imperial bureaucracy. A king could command, but a lord’s strength depended on the will of his vassals. A liege lord who lost battles, who lost his castle, who surrendered to an enemy… was no longer a liege lord in the eyes of his bannermen. If Robb returned to his men, there was a chance—a real chance—that his strongest lords might refuse to let him submit.

They might keep him, force him to fight on, drag him into war against his will.
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“My lord, I understand your concerns.” Myrcella spoke again, her tone still careful but more assured. “But I’ve lived under the same roof as the Starks. I know them.

“Robb is not the type to break an oath, abandon his wife and child, or go back on his word. If you speak with him—explain the stakes rationally—he will not turn against you.

“And if you rearm Winterfell’s guards from your stockpiles and allow him to take two or three hundred of his own men—true Stark bannermen—the other Northern lords won’t dare try to imprison or control him. Solve those two problems, and the rest will be mere details.”

Heh.

The little lady hadn’t just thought of a plan—she had already accounted for his counterarguments.

She wanted him to release the wolf—and return his pack?

The sheer audacity of it nearly made Aegor hesitate. If it weren’t for the fact that this same girl had set fire to Winterfell’s stables just days ago, he might have suspected her of being Robb’s spy, sent to deceive him.

“Hmm… I’ll have to think about it.”

That wasn’t an excuse—he genuinely did need to think it over. It sounded good, but plenty of things sounded good in theory. Reality followed its own rules, not human imagination. He had made that mistake before, and he had no desire to make it again.

Besides, even if he did decide to release Robb, that wasn’t his decision alone.

Daenerys was here, in Winterfell. Any plan of this scale required her approval.

He was about to delve deeper into thought when he realized—now wasn’t the best time for that.

They had walked from the great hall while speaking, and by now, they were nearing his chambers. If this conversation continued much longer, he’d have no choice but to invite Myrcella inside—and in a castle occupied by his forces, that would not look good.

The girl was already in an awkward position. If rumors spread that she had spent the night in his rooms? She might not be able to remain in Winterfell at all.

Aegor coughed lightly, smiling as he moved to end the conversation.

“In any case, thank you for your insight, Lady Myrcella. It’s getting late, and there are too many eyes and ears in the castle—perhaps you should—”

“Wait.”

Myrcella’s voice turned hurried, as if she knew she was being dismissed. “One last thing. You were Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch for years—you must know someone in the North.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“The North is vast, and not all lords are the same,” Myrcella continued quickly. “I’ve roughly divided them into three types.

“The first: flexible, pragmatic, and already on good terms with you—people you don’t need help convincing.

“The second: stubborn, unyielding, impossible to reason with—people who will never support the Queen.

“The third: the largest group—the ones in between. Hard to persuade, but not impossible. And most of them? They’re gathered at Sevenstreams right now, preparing for battle.

“If you dangle Robb as bait… you might be able to win all of them.”

Aegor paused, standing at his chamber door, frowning deeply.

He hated this plan.

Not because it was flawed—but because it required handing control to someone else.

Yet… he couldn’t deny it.

It might just work.
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“I must have overlooked something,” Myrcella murmured. “It’s just a thought—I hope it helps.”

She blushed faintly as the cold wind cut through them. “You have a lot to think about, Lord Aegor. I won’t keep you.”

Aegor nodded absently, watching her go.

Then, after a long pause, he turned from his door.

“Fetch Lord Baelish and Lord Stark,” he ordered. “Tell them I’d like to share a meal.

“There is something we need to discuss.”