Chapter 453

“Years ago, King Robert fought alongside the North and was generous during his reign. Loyalty to him made perfect sense. But think about it, my lord—what has Stannis ever done for the North? No marriages, no meaningful aid, nothing of worth to your people. He’s dragged you from one battlefield to the next, leaving the North vulnerable even to the Ironborn. When the Wall faced the threat of the Others, he couldn’t spare a drop of aid. Why stake your lands, your family, and your lives for a king who offers neither protection nor profit in return?”

Aegor’s words, though biting, had their flaws. Stannis had indeed supported the Night’s Watch, but in this moment, with their goals opposed, moral arguments were a luxury he couldn’t afford.

“The queen has no intention, nor the time, to conquer the vast North,” Aegor continued, his tone now measured and calm. “All she asks is for neutrality. Once I’ve completed the northern campaign and destroyed the threat of the Others, she simply requests you to stand aside and allow the Night’s Watch passage southward as repayment for her sacrifice. She brought her dragons into the fight against the dead, at great cost.”

Aegor took a step forward, his voice resolute. “Now you have two choices. The first: give in to anger, imprison me, and doom everyone in this castle. You’ll spill Karstark blood, spark a war between the queen and the North, and drown your lands in fire and blood. She will have no choice but to abandon her campaign in the South and turn her dragons against you.”

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle before offering a second path. “Or, you can play the fool, my lord. Extend a hand to the queen, grant her this favor, and quietly withdraw your forces from Last Hearth. The queen is no blind tyrant—she remembers her friends. In the short term, she can use her influence over House Stark, earned through her sacrifices, to ensure you benefit in the division of the Umbers’ lands. And in the long term, when she sits the Iron Throne, she can reward you richly. Consider this: the queen could grant the Karstarks the southern coastline of the Bay of Seals, doubling Karhold’s territory overnight.”

“Utter nonsense!” Harrion Karstark spat, furious that his father seemed to be considering the offer. “Father, Northern land belongs to the North. How could we, Karstarks, take the word of an outsider? Even if we gain land, how would we coexist with the other houses? And what if he’s lying? What if the moment we withdraw, the dragon attacks us in the open field and burns us all alive?”

Rickard’s face twitched in irritation at his son’s outburst. His fool of a boy thought him blind to Aegor’s scheming. Rickard didn’t care about the promises of land. He cared about his sons’ survival.

If Daenerys herself had come to his castle, Rickard might have risked everything to kill her, ending the Targaryen line once and for all, even at the cost of his life and his army. Such a sacrifice, though devastating, could bring peace to the North and the realm. But for Aegor—a nobody who had risen to Lord Commander on a mix of luck and cunning? Risking his sons and two thousand Karstark men for this man? That was a fool’s bargain.

Rickard had brought his army north to face the dead, not dragons. They were ill-prepared for this fight. Still, he needed to maintain appearances, find a way to retreat with his sons alive, and regroup with the Northern lords.

But Harrion’s concerns weren’t entirely unfounded. What if Aegor’s promises were nothing but lies? After a moment of thought, Rickard finally spoke, his tone sharp. “Hah! You offer a mere fifth of the Umbers’ lands for a castle. If your queen seeks to rule the Seven Kingdoms, what’s stopping her from granting the Karstarks all of the Umbers’ land? Why settle for crumbs?”

The old lord thought himself clever, but Aegor immediately saw through the ploy.

Rickard’s gambit was transparent. He wanted to test Aegor’s sincerity, but the terms had to remain believable. Aegor’s promises had been calculated—generous enough to tempt Rickard but not so grand as to be dismissed as obvious lies.

Feigning a smile, Aegor replied, “Such ambition, my lord. But let’s be honest—does surrendering a castle you cannot hold truly warrant such a reward? By your measure, even the Valyrian Freehold at its height wouldn’t have enough land to offer. Still, if you desire greater rewards, there’s an easy solution: swear loyalty to the queen. Join her cause, fight alongside her, and as the first Northern house to pledge fealty, she will reward you handsomely. Not just Last Hearth, but perhaps even the title of Warden of the North.”

Rickard’s eyes narrowed, his expression fierce, though his resolve wavered. He was beginning to believe Aegor’s words, though his pride demanded caution.

Before he could respond, Harrion cut in, shouting, “Wait! If this queen is so trustworthy, why did this man say nothing about her earlier? He only spoke of her after the dragon appeared, after we cornered him. Clearly, he’s hiding something!”

Shrugging, Aegor replied, “When I entered your castle, I sought only to gather information and report back to the queen before deciding on a course of action. It seems, however, that time is no longer on my side. Perhaps the queen acted impulsively, or perhaps she grew impatient. Either way, the situation has escalated. Delay any longer, and she will act.”

Rickard had already decided to avoid a fight with Daenerys, but he wasn’t ready to release his only leverage so easily.

“Send someone back to your queen,” Rickard demanded, “to tell her you are safe and to keep her in check. Show me this injured dragon of hers, and I will believe she fought in the battle. Then I’ll withdraw my forces.”

Aegor exhaled quietly, relieved. He called over his most trusted guard. “Meryn, ride out and inform the queen of the situation. Have the army prepare for defense and bring the sled carrying the black dragon into view—but not too close.”

As Meryn departed, Rickard pulled Harrion aside, lowering his voice. “Silence yourself and gather our best men. Find your brother and leave through the east gate. Take separate routes to Karhold and move quickly.”

“Father, no! I won’t leave you alone to face the dragon.”

“What do you think I’m going to do, fight a dragon with my bare hands?” Rickard smacked his son’s head and growled. “Take as many men as you can and send a rider back every mile to report. Once I’m certain the road to Karhold is clear and the queen’s dragon is truly injured, I’ll withdraw. If not… well, I’ll die here, but I’ll make her pay for it.”

“And if that man is lying? What if the dragon burns us after we retreat?”

“That’s why you and Torrhen will split up!” Rickard snapped. “If all goes well, we’ll meet at Karhold. If not… if the dragon turns on us, don’t come back. Head south, warn Winterfell and the other lords. Prepare them for war.”