Chapter 406

Heh.

Aegor found himself amused by the little queen’s boldness. He had only uttered a polite "You will surely rule the Seven Kingdoms one day," and yet here she was, already exercising royal authority in advance.

A royal pardon? For what?

For stealing a few potatoes? For lingering a moment too long in front of someone’s chicken coop? Did he need a queen’s pardon for that?

And immediately shedding the black to serve her? That was even funnier. Serve her how, exactly? Without his title as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, how would he hold command over the Gift and its thousands of people? Even the industries he had built were, in name, still under the Watch’s jurisdiction.

Of course, Aegor wasn’t actually rejecting her outright. He was just playing hard to get.

After all, if things moved too quickly, wouldn’t it look something like this?

[Queen:] "You there, come help me conquer Westeros."
[Him:] "On my way, beautiful!"

That would be embarrassing.

No one values something that comes too easily.

Aegor knew well that the harder something was to obtain, the more it would be cherished. But even so, there was a limit to playing coy. Liu Bei had gotten away with three visits to the thatched cottage because he had the talent and connections to warrant it. But Daenerys Targaryen was no desperate noble seeking allies—she had other paths she could take. If Aegor played too hard to get, she might just turn to Young Aegon and forge alliances with the Reach and Dorne.

That would be a problem.

So, since he wasn’t planning to make her beg for a third time, it was time to accept the second offer.

But not too eagerly.
----


"Your Grace," Aegor said solemnly, "I would be honored to join your cause and work for the good of the realm. However, I am the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. The Wall is my responsibility, and the White Walkers are a looming threat. I cannot abandon my post."

He then added, "However… if Your Grace were to agree to certain conditions, and first prove that you place the people’s welfare above all else, then not only would I swear my loyalty, but I would bring the entire Gift to fight for you."

A grandiose promise.

But, of course, it was a meaningless one.

If Aegor was going to commit to a cause, he would throw everything into it—no hesitation, no half-measures. He was a man alone in this world, no family, no legacy to protect. There was no need to hold back.

Of course, Daenerys didn’t know that.

Which was why he was using "loyalty," something that should have been a given, as leverage to increase his bargaining price.

"Speak."
----


Once the foundation was laid, everything else followed naturally.

Over the course of their discussion, Aegor smoothly convinced Daenerys to abandon any retribution against the supporters of Robert’s Rebellion, to pardon Jaime Lannister for killing the Mad King, and to agree to a series of other pragmatic policies.

And finally, he stated his last condition.

"In the war between the Night’s Watch and the White Walkers, Your Grace must fight on the side of humanity—with your three dragons."
----


None of the things Aegor had just persuaded her to do had been for his own personal gain.

They were simply problems that needed to be solved before he could even consider joining her cause.

But this last request?

This one was for himself.

First, Aegor needed a justifiable reason to leave the Gift. He couldn’t just say "I’m off to help the queen conquer Westeros." That would make a mockery of the Night’s Watch’s neutrality and earn him the scorn of the entire realm.

However, "Her Grace fought alongside us against the White Walkers, and now we are returning the favor," was a much more palatable excuse.

Second, this condition subtly bought him more time.

He couldn’t outright say, "Wait for me to finish dealing with the White Walkers before I help you." That would sound like he was stalling.

But, "Let’s rid the world of our true enemy first, and then we can take the throne," sounded noble and logical.

And lastly—perhaps most importantly—if Daenerys and her dragons were seen fighting against the White Walkers, it would drastically reduce the hostility she faced from the people of Westeros—especially the North.

Daenerys was still the Mad King’s daughter.

No matter how well Aegor spoke on her behalf, he could never convince the North to march for her.

But if she helped save the North?

Then perhaps the North wouldn’t fight against her.
----


"That," Daenerys said after a long pause, "is a reasonable condition."

Of all the terms Aegor had listed, this was the one she agreed to most readily. The others—pardoning her father’s enemies, abandoning vengeance—she understood were in her best interests, but they still stung.

But fighting for humanity?

That aligned with her own ideals.

And, besides, prophecy had already foretold that she would be involved in that war.

So if it was destiny anyway, and in return she gained a powerful new follower and an entire army for free…

Why not?

"But," she asked, narrowing her eyes, "when, exactly, will this great war begin?"
----


"Uh—"

Aegor hesitated.

Everyone said the war was imminent.

But how imminent?

What was he supposed to do? Send a message to the Night King saying, "Everything's ready here, feel free to march over and die"…?

"It won’t be long," he said finally. "Your Grace can rest assured and remain here for now. This tower shall be your personal residence, and the Night’s Watch will see to your safety and comfort."
----


With their agreement settled, both sides felt they had profited.

Daenerys, now viewing Aegor as a like-minded ally, softened considerably.

She glanced at him playfully. "You speak of safety and comfort, Lord Commander, but those are not my concerns. I must warn you—I may be willing to meet your terms, but I am not just your queen."

"The South is at war. My Unsullied and Free Folk march undefeated, but Stannis Baratheon is a tenacious foe. My dragons keep him trapped inside King’s Landing. My dragons keep the Reach and the Stormlands from rallying to him.

"But if he learns that I am in the Gift…"
----


Aegor was well aware of the war’s progress.

Varys had provided her with detailed maps of the Crownlands’ defenses. Daenerys’s forces had landed on the Crackclaw Peninsula and swept through the region in barely a month, now poised to encircle King’s Landing.

Even knowing this, Aegor was not about to refuse three dragons.

Three flying wildfire cannons would kill thousands of wights, reducing his own casualties by hundreds, if not thousands.

So, while he couldn't dismiss her concerns, neither could he fabricate an excuse to make her stay indefinitely.

He simply chose not to answer.

"Your Grace is free to come and go as you please," he said instead. "Should you wish to tour Crown's Rest or the surrounding areas, simply summon the guards. I will personally accompany you.

You must be exhausted from your journey. Now that we’ve come to an agreement, I will not disturb you further.

It is getting late—maids will come shortly to clean and prepare your room. The Gift is a harsh land, and our resources cannot compare to the South, but I promise Crown's Rest is doing its best to accommodate you."

"Alright."

Daenerys didn’t dwell on the issue any further and nodded in agreement.

"Tomorrow morning, have sheep prepared for my dragons—bring them to the square where I landed.

Drogon will need at least three. Viserion and Rhaegal have smaller appetites, two each should suffice."

Tsk.

Had the wildlings not brought in a massive herd of livestock when they surrendered, feeding three dragons in the desolate wasteland of the Gift would have been a nightmare.

"I will see to it," Aegor replied. "Then, Your Grace, I shall take my leave."

"Mm."

Daenerys was tired, but Aegor’s vision for the future had left her far too stimulated to rest.

She didn’t want to sleep.

She wanted to keep talking to him.

It didn’t matter whether it was about the detailed execution of the Greater Crownlands plan, or simply a deeper conversation to understand him better.

But he had already taken his leave. And as the guest, it would be improper for her to insist that he stay.

So, she simply nodded and watched him leave.

....

Outside the Tower, Aegor let out a long breath.

Though Daenerys’ visit had been unexpected, the situation had ultimately unfolded according to his plans.

With the Mother of Dragons staying the night, he gave his final security orders to the guards stationed outside her door.

After warning them once again not to embarrass the Gift in front of their esteemed guest, he finally felt at ease enough to return to his office.

There, through Yarm’s reports, he quickly assessed the state of Crown's Rest.

To his relief, no panic or unrest had occurred.

With the official town authorities swiftly controlling the narrative, most residents had already accepted that the Mother of Dragons was here at the Lord Commander’s invitation.

The dragons had not caused mass hysteria.

If anything, their presence had only boosted morale, strengthening the town’s confidence in victory—an unexpected gift from Daenerys.

....

But now, Aegor faced another issue.

It was nearly dinnertime.

Under normal circumstances, he would eat with the rest of the guests in the hall.

But now, there was a Targaryen Queen in the castle.

And she would absolutely not fit in with most of the other guests.

If he dined with the common guests, he would be neglecting the Queen.

If he dined with the Queen, he would be neglecting the others.

The issue was small, but the political optics made it incredibly tricky to handle.

After thinking for a moment, Aegor opted for the simplest, most brutal solution:

He locked himself in his office and pretended to be too busy with official duties to leave.

Even his meal was sent to him.

If he couldn’t balance the scales, then he would simply not pick a side at all.