Chapter 403

“Of course, I would ally with Dorne and the Reach to oppose the remaining five kingdoms. Is there any other option?”

Daenerys began to speak but immediately realized the flaw in her reasoning. Aegor’s deliberate emphasis on the Reach’s overwhelming strength wasn’t without purpose.

The implication was clear: the Reach, the most powerful faction, couldn’t merely be negotiated with or brought into her fold through compromise. It had to be defeated and brought under her direct control.

That made no sense—it was completely counterintuitive.

“But apart from Dorne and the Reach, the other five kingdoms all stood against House Targaryen during Robert’s Rebellion. They’re drenched in the blood of my family—my father’s and brothers’. Even if I were willing to ally with them, they would never stand on my side. I don’t even have a choice—how can there be anything to ‘choose’?”

“Forget the damned family feuds for now. Simplify the problem and take it step by step.” Aegor shook his head, standing up to fetch paper and charcoal from a nearby cabinet. Fortunately, the room, once a laboratory for the pyromancers, was well-stocked with materials for calculations and experiments. Returning to the table, he sketched a rough map of Westeros south of the Wall in a few swift strokes. “Let’s number the Seven Kingdoms from one to seven. For now, don’t consider alliances, grudges, cultures, or faiths. Just think about geography. If you were already victorious, how would you govern the realm to ensure such absolute control that no one could resist your reforms?”

A Night’s Watchman casually drawing a map of Westeros? Daenerys glanced at him in surprise before leaning forward, her hips lifting slightly from her chair, to peer over the crude map like a student awaiting their teacher’s guidance. Aegor had marked the Reach as 1, the Westerlands as 2, the Riverlands as 3, the Stormlands as 4, the Vale as 5, the North as 6, and Dorne as 7. After a brief pause, he added the Crownlands as 8, the Iron Islands as 9, and the Wall as 10.

“My apologies for being unclear earlier,” Aegor continued. “The Seven Kingdoms aren’t just seven factions—there are actually ten, even if we ignore Dragonstone and the Narrow Sea islands. Now, Your Grace, look again. How would you govern this continent?”

Daenerys tilted her head, scrutinizing the simplified map for what felt like an eternity. She couldn’t figure out the logic behind the numbering. It wasn’t based on geography, strength, or resources. And as for governing the continent? She wasn’t just clueless—she was utterly lost.

What did “just consider geography” even mean? She understood the words individually but couldn’t follow the train of thought. She hadn’t even won the war yet, so why think about governance now? It felt like putting the cart before the horse.

...

From a “proud queen,” Daenerys had transformed into a “humble queen.” Now, she seemed like a “helpless girl,” lifting her eyes to Aegor with a look of confusion tinged with vulnerability, as if silently pleading, Please teach me, sir.

Aegor met her gaze briefly before noticing her face was far closer than he expected, her scent faint but strangely captivating. For a moment, he was struck by how, beneath her exterior of strength and pride, this young queen was merely a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl—she was even younger than Nina. Without her title, she was just someone in desperate need of guidance and support.

Stop it! Aegor snapped himself out of the thought, a chill running down his spine. This strange allure was almost irresistible, and though he believed he could resist through sheer willpower, he realized he might already be falling for it in a subtler, more insidious way.

This wasn’t the time for distractions. The “re-education” was halfway done, and he couldn’t afford mistakes now.

“Here’s a hint: Which regions border the Crownlands, and which are farther away?” He handed her the charcoal. “Mark the distant regions with an X.”

Daenerys hesitated before taking the charcoal. After staring at the map for a while, she hesitantly marked the North, the Iron Islands, and Dorne with Xs.

“Mostly correct.” Aegor took back the charcoal, resisting the urge to brush her fingers. He thickened the Xs she had drawn and added two more—on the Westerlands and the Vale. “These two regions might seem close to the Crownlands, but the mountains separating them from the plains make them difficult to access. Now, do you understand what these five regions have in common?”

“You can’t reach them without crossing mountains?”

“Exactly. Politically speaking, this inaccessibility means that even if you conquer these five regions, ruling them from King’s Landing would be extremely difficult.” Aegor nodded. “In my homeland, there’s a saying: ‘Distant allies, close enemies.’ It means that if you can’t effectively control a place, it’s better to avoid wasting effort on it. These five regions are too far removed from the central plains of Westeros, and the difficulties in governance would outweigh any benefits. Whether you appoint new lords or impose a bureaucratic system, the result would be rebellion or corruption. Both would undermine your goal of improving the people’s lives. My suggestion? Don’t make enemies of these five regions.”

“And as for the remaining territories...” Without giving Daenerys a chance to speak, Aegor swiftly marked the locations of Oldtown, King’s Landing, and Gulltown on the map. Connecting them with rough lines, he drew an irregular shape that encompassed the Crownlands, most of the Reach, half the Riverlands, and parts of the Westerlands and Stormlands. The area was vast—about half of southern Westeros, comparable in size to the North.

Setting down the charcoal, Aegor tapped the map with mock surprise. “Amazing! I can’t help but suspect that your ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, chose the Crownlands and King’s Landing with this exact plan in mind. This central plain—spanning the Reach, the Riverlands, and the Stormlands—holds 70% of Westeros’s population and produces 80% of its grain. Expanding the Crownlands to include this region would place the realm’s lifeblood under direct royal control. With it, you could govern as you please, immune to rebellion. As long as you don’t overreach, you’d be unstoppable.”

Daenerys stared at the outlined territory with wide eyes, her lips slightly parted. By the gods, she had only come here to read the complete 'Sovereign'. Yet, with a single piece of paper and a few charcoal lines, her world had been shaken.

“But... but...”

“No buts. Name it something grand—‘Greater Crownlands,’ perhaps. A region like this, with its wealth and resources, has never been unified in all of Westeros’s history. Why? Simple: insufficient productivity and poor infrastructure. But your ancestors prepared the groundwork over three centuries—roads built under King Jaehaerys the Wise now link this entire region. With minimal repairs and a few additional routes, the Greater Crownlands could function as a unified, directly governed state. If you still hesitate after hearing all this, then forgive my bluntness, but please stop preaching about breaking the wheel. You’ll only make a fool of yourself.”