Chapter 380

Due to the looming threat posed by Daenerys’s forces on land, sea, and air, only two of King’s Landing’s seven gates—the Lion Gate to the west and the King’s Gate to the southwest—were currently being opened, and only for a few hours on clear afternoons. By the time Aegor sailed back from Dragonstone, it was already late. After inspecting the saltpeter production he had been most concerned about, he spent the night resting at Blackwall Keep.

The Night’s Watch industrial operations in King’s Landing, once briefly under full ownership of the Night’s Watch following the fall of the city’s original loyalist nobility under Renly Baratheon, had since ceded some control. As the new loyalists of King Stannis solidified their positions, they began demanding their share of the profits. Nina, acting on behalf of the Night’s Watch, strategically surrendered some revenue streams to ensure the industrial operations could continue functioning without interference.

Fortunately, the new noble factions in King’s Landing were divided into two groups: the "Crownland Faction" of local lords and the "Essos Faction," consisting of Stannis’s followers brought from Dragonstone. Even within these groups, alliances were far from solid. By carefully distributing the metaphorical pie among the nobles to foster competition and leveraging Aegor’s growing reputation and influence as Lord Commander, the Night’s Watch avoided any attempt by a single group to take full control.

Though splitting the profits reduced the Night’s Watch’s earnings from the operation, the arrangement prevented costly and potentially destructive conflicts with the new regime. After ousting Janos Slynt, the Watch further consolidated its influence through Yaral Dim, who maintained control over the city’s criminal underworld while securing the cooperation of the nobility through generous dividends. By this point, the industrial operation had become so integral to the city’s stability that it could almost be considered the second most powerful entity in King’s Landing after the king himself.

The next morning, Aegor, unhurried, departed Blackwall Keep and headed for the King’s Gate. Thanks to Nina’s prior arrangements, he bypassed the long line of merchants and travelers waiting for entry and was among the first to enter as the gates opened.
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Once inside the city, Aegor’s party made their way directly to the Red Keep, where a pre-arranged meeting with the king’s court awaited. However, unlike the grand reception he had received at Dragonstone, Aegor found himself granted only a brief audience with Davos Seaworth, the Hand of the King. The meeting was to take place in Davos’s private office, a far cry from the formalities of the throne room, and was scheduled to last no more than half an hour.

The stark contrast in treatment was not surprising. Daenerys, in her campaign to reclaim the Iron Throne, sought alliances with any potential supporters, including the Night’s Watch. Stannis, however, already seated on the throne, had no need to curry favor with exiled factions or to call upon the distant Night’s Watch for aid. For a king struggling with his own domestic and military challenges, Aegor’s request for support was little more than a formality.

Aegor’s purpose in meeting Stannis was not truly to seek reinforcements. He knew his request was doomed to fail. However, the visit served another, more strategic purpose. His ship, the Blackbird, had passed through the Blackwater Bay, controlled by Daenerys’s fleet, and its safe arrival in King’s Landing would inevitably raise questions. To counter any potential accusations of collusion with the Targaryens, Aegor needed to create the appearance of neutrality. By formally requesting aid from the Iron Throne—even if denied—he could deflect any accusations and avoid entangling the Night’s Watch’s operations in political scandals.
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Davos, ever courteous, nonetheless made it clear that Stannis’s resources were stretched to the breaking point. After a few minutes of fruitless negotiation, the Onion Knight offered only one option: Aegor could recruit prisoners from the city’s dungeons to bolster the Night’s Watch. Predictably, Aegor declined. Accepting criminals would do more harm than good.

The meeting ended as Aegor had expected—unproductive and brief. He left the Red Keep with a somber expression, reuniting with his party outside the gates. Only once they were some distance away did he relax. “The performance is done. Now for the final task. If all goes well, we’ll leave King’s Landing before the gates close and reach open waters by nightfall. With the moonlight, we can sail through the night.”
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Their last stop was Tobho Mott’s forge, located atop Steel Street on Visenya’s Hill. Known as the finest weaponsmith in King’s Landing, Mott had a rare mastery of techniques learned in Qohor, including the ability to reforge Valyrian steel. In the original timeline, it was Mott who reforged House Stark’s ancestral greatsword, Ice, into two blades for Tywin Lannister’s heirs. This reliability was why Aegor sought him out.

Qyburn, who had been shadowing Aegor all day, finally voiced a question he had been holding back. “My lord, is it true that you came across Dark Sister beyond the Wall?”

“It’s true,” Aegor replied without hesitation. “Why?”

“Do you realize the historical significance of that sword? It was the weapon of Visenya Targaryen, Aegon the Conqueror’s sister.”

“I’m well aware, Qyburn. What’s your point?” Aegor asked, already anticipating where the conversation was headed. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Melisandre watching him, her expression one of faint hope—likely expecting Qyburn to dissuade him from melting down the blade.

“A sword like Dark Sister isn’t just a weapon; it’s a symbol of immense historical and cultural value. To possess it is to wield a piece of history. Why would you consider destroying it?”

Aegor sighed. “Qyburn, you’re an educated man. Tell me: who was the last known owner of Dark Sister?”

“Prince Aemon the Dragonknight passed it to Brynden Rivers, the Bloodraven. He was the last recorded wielder.”

“Correct. And where did Bloodraven die?”

“Beyond the Wall, as a member of the Night’s Watch.”

“Precisely. He died beyond the Wall, and Dark Sister was lost with him. When I found the blade, it wasn’t given to me by its previous owner, nor did I win it in combat. I simply found it. By Westerosi law, does that make me its rightful owner?”

Qyburn hesitated, unsure how to answer.

“And what happens if Daenerys Targaryen shows up, demanding her family’s heirloom back? Should I hand it over or risk her wrath? Even if I hide the blade’s identity, anyone with knowledge of Valyrian steel swords would recognize it. A blade like that, left unclaimed and unused, is a liability—not an asset.”

Qyburn tried to argue, but Aegor cut him off. “Even if no Targaryen comes to reclaim it, what is the value of Dark Sister? Did it slay some great enemy in a legendary battle? No. Its fame comes solely from its association with the Targaryens, and even among their Valyrian steel swords, it was the lesser sibling to Blackfyre. And what great deeds were accomplished with Blackfyre? None worth remembering. If I melted the sword down into fifty arrowheads, each capable of killing a White Walker, that would be far more valuable than keeping it intact as a relic.”

His tone turned firm, signaling the end of the debate. “Weapons gain meaning from those who wield them. If history remembers me, it won’t be for carrying a relic of the past. It will be for forging new legends with the tools at my disposal. One day, when the Night King falls, the world will know it was Lightbringer—not Dark Sister—that delivered the killing blow.”
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The clatter of hooves echoed along the smooth streets of King’s Landing as Aegor quickened his pace. His entourage, shaken but silenced by his arguments, followed without further protest. Whether Dark Sister was reforged or not mattered little to Aegor personally, but he had made his point clear: his focus was on the future, not the past.