"Lady Stark is safe at Nightfort, and Arya is safe in Crown Town. When I return to the Gift, I will urge them to return home on your behalf," Aegor replied without much hesitation. "Only your younger brother, Bran, is now a member of the Night's Watch. Though he followed the army south to this point, since the war is not yet over, I cannot allow him to return home. I ask for Lord Stark's understanding."
Swearing fealty to the Queen was simple, a matter of one sentence. But when it came to actually sending troops to fight for her claim, countless problems immediately arose.
One moment she was a "solid backer," the next she became the first "obstacle." As Aegor shifted his attention from the North and prepared to march south, the first barrier he had to face was the North itself, lying between the Gift and the southern Six Kingdoms.
Whether judged by self-interest, tradition, ethics, or the rules, the North had no reason to support or permit the Night's Watch abandoning the Wall to join the Queen's faction and engage in war. If House Stark chose to block Aegor from fulfilling his promise to the Queen, they could leverage their "elder brother" influence and long-standing ties to the Night's Watch to isolate or even depose him, obstruct his army's path south, or wait until he departed and then strike north to seize his base and stronghold.
Relying on the Gift's unique geographic position separating it from the South, and on the North's vast territory, the Starks had countless ways to destroy Aegor's plans and keep him from participating in the game of thrones.
On the surface, detaining Catelyn, Arya, and Bran—who were conveniently located in the Gift or part of the Night's Watch—as hostages to force House Stark to cooperate might seem like the most direct and advantageous method. But setting aside whether it would even work, Aegor would never choose such a plan.
Public opinion may be mere wind to some, but to others, it is the very foundation of their power. Unfortunately, as an outsider, Aegor belonged to the latter. The position of Lord Commander of the Night's Watch was not granted by the gods nor inherited by blood. It was elected by the sworn brothers.
Aegor did indeed hold considerable authority, but much of it was based on his image. For a long time, he had played the role of a virtuous leader, and it was this image that had cemented his hold over the army and the Gift, and allowed him to win outside support. Even though swearing allegiance to the Queen violated the rule of neutrality and branded him a rebel, he still had viable excuses like "a promise must be kept" and "action speaks louder than words." Even if he couldn't gain widespread support, he could at least earn understanding and tacit approval from most.
However, the moment he used tactics like hostage-taking—something unacceptable in any era or culture—he would immediately shift from "rebel leader" to "terrorist." The collapse of his reputation would be complete and irreversible. No matter how many good deeds or heroic efforts he had made, they would be forgotten. People would only say, "So this is what he truly is."
By then, not only would the mountain clans, who nominally answered to the North, and the Free Folk, who had no interest in Westerosi politics, turn against him, even the Queen who had once favored him might begin to doubt and distance herself.
With his credibility shattered and Crown Town no longer able to function and produce weapons with its unique advantage, how long could he keep bluffing under the Queen's banner, relying on bits of military and political knowledge that might not even suit the world of Westeros?
Since he had never planned to use the Stark family as leverage, it was only natural to return them freely and without hesitation.
Seeing Aegor's straightforward answer, Robb relaxed slightly, though he soon caught a detail in the latter half of the reply. "The war is not yet over? But as far as I can tell, there are no more White Walkers or wights moving on the battlefield."
"A moment ago, several small enemy groups, numbering in the single digits, took advantage of the night and, under cover of the larger wight horde, slipped into the Wolfswood. Though I have sent men after them, visibility is low and the forest terrain is complex. We may not catch them. Furthermore, it's suspected there are still remnants Beyond the Wall. Although I've made an agreement with the Queen, I am, first and foremost, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and only second, her supporter. Before sending troops to aid her claim to the Iron Throne, I will first organize a large-scale expedition north Beyond the Wall. Through that, I intend to purge all remaining enemies in the Haunted Forest and completely eliminate the threat of the White Walkers. Only then will I fulfill my agreement with the Queen."
(That sounds noble.)
Robb's face twitched. Aegor's show of righteous duty, placing the responsibilities of the Night's Watch above personal allegiance, left him at a loss for words.
"Before this expedition, I require the North to return all Dragonglass weapons, gather all the boiled saltpeter, and deliver them to the Night's Watch army." Aegor didn't wait for Robb's reaction. The main point was still to come. "After completing the final expedition and returning to the Gift, I hope the North can provide suitable financial and military aid, and allow the Night's Watch army to march south via the Kingsroad, passing through Caitlin Bay fortress, and proceed south to fulfill the reward promised to the Queen."
"Give up the road, provide supplies, and support the Night's Watch going south to rebel?" the new Lord of Seven City sneered. "Why don't you just ask the North to swear allegiance to the Queen and march with you to fight King Stannis?"
"If that were truly possible, of course it would be better. But unfortunately, I know you cannot accept such a condition, so I will not propose it," Aegor replied casually. "Lord Stark, you don't need to answer now. Before the Night's Watch finishes its expedition Beyond the Wall, you will have ample time to investigate from multiple sources whether the Night's Watch deliberately allowed the White Walkers to march south and harm the North. After clarifying the facts, take a moment to calmly consider this: the Queen gave up the opportunity to attack King's Landing and sacrificed one of her three dragons to protect the North. Is it really too much to ask the North to remain neutral in the upcoming war and provide a small amount of support in return for such goodwill and sacrifice?"
Was it excessive? Of course not.
But Robb was the Warden of the North, the supreme ruler of everything north of the Neck, Lord of Winterfell, and one of the Great Lords ruling nearly a third of Westeros. He was not a wandering knight chasing justice and glory. He had to weigh consequences, benefits, and long-term impact. Moreover, the Queen had never reached out to him to negotiate. Robb bore no moral obligation in this matter.
His thoughts raced as he fell into deep contemplation.
Robb had been born of a typical political marriage, designed to strengthen the anti-Targaryen "Stag-Wolf-Fish-Eagle" alliance. Growing up in Winterfell during Robert Baratheon's reign, it was impossible for him not to instinctively view the Targaryens as enemies. But he was also a flexible and pragmatic young man. It was an undeniable fact that the Queen had lost a dragon to protect Northern soldiers. If his mother and sister were safely returned, and the investigation proved the Night's Watch had not deliberately allowed the White Walkers through, then should he really prevent Aegor from aiding the Queen?
His instincts clashed with emotional reality. Coupled with the pain of his injuries clouding his focus, Robb, already known to be indecisive, could not make a decision.
Fortunately, Aegor had already said there was no need to reply right away.
Dragonglass and this "saltpeter" were only effective against White Walkers and wights, and could not be used to help the Queen conquer Westeros. If the Night's Watch was truly heading Beyond the Wall, handing over those materials was entirely reasonable. And during this time, while Aegor focused on the expedition north, Robb could quietly conduct his investigation into the true course of the war and convene a council of Northern Lords to determine the North's role in the power struggle to come.
"Dragonglass and saltpeter. I will order them collected and sent to Crown Town as soon as possible." After careful thought, Robb looked at Aegor and made his decision. "But whether to break tradition and allow the Night's Watch to interfere in the political affairs of the Seven Kingdoms is a matter concerning all the North. I cannot decide that alone. It must be determined jointly by all Northern Lords."
Aegor showed a faint look of disappointment, but inside, he was thrilled. These seemingly bold demands were a smokescreen, designed to bury the request for saltpeter among them and make it appear harmless.
He had succeeded. Robb had not noticed anything unusual. All the secrecy and groundwork had finally paid off.
---
Of the three main components of Powder, sulfur and charcoal could be found anywhere. But saltpeter was always the most demanding and troublesome to obtain.
Maester Qyburn had reminded Aegor in King's Landing over a month ago that aside from searching for saltpeter mines and improving refining techniques, they could also quickly produce small batches through large-scale boiling. Enlightened by this advice and bringing Qyburn back to the Gift, Aegor had him teach simple saltpeter boiling methods to the inhabitants of castles and winter towns throughout the North, so even ordinary people could contribute in their own way to the Night's Watch during the idle winter months.
The saltpeter produced by the Northmen was purchased by the Night's Watch at a set price. Through this mutually beneficial arrangement, Aegor had managed to turn most of the North into his saltpeter production ground, avoiding the political complications and transport difficulties of relying solely on King's Landing.
However, there was a fatal flaw. The Gift, being barren, could not be self-sufficient in resources. For years, it had imported sulfur from Dragonstone and saltpeter from southern territories. Once the White Walkers were defeated and preparations began to support the Queen, on what grounds could the Night's Watch continue requesting such sensitive war materials from the North?
Aegor's answer was: maintain secrecy from the start and lay the groundwork for future strategic deception so that when the time came, he wouldn't need to waste time or words.
To protect the secret of Powder, he not only placed the testing site in a remote area, but also instructed his technical team to publicly claim that "saltpeter" was an additive for forging Dragonglass weapons, enhancing melting speed and killing power against White Walkers. Meanwhile, the explosive substance in the bombs was said to be made from charcoal, sulfur, and "wildfire that had been specially treated, dried, and ground into powder."
A mixture of truth and lies. It would not deceive professional spies, but it was more than enough to fool a straightforward feudal Lord like Robb Stark.
If Robb changed his mind and voluntarily agreed to his conditions, supporting the Night's Watch's journey south to aid the Queen, that would be ideal. But if he refused, he would soon learn that with enough Powder in hand, the decision was no longer his to make.
---
"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Stark." Aegor had regained his polite tone. The saltpeter was secured—at least verbally. Once it was truly in his hands, he would be in a position to overturn the board. "Then, I wish you a swift recovery. I have other matters to attend to and will take my leave."
No matter how much influence the North had over the Gift and the Wall, the legal fact remained unchanged: the Gift was an independent administrative district equal in status to the North, and the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch was never subordinate to the Warden of the North. From this day forward, he would maintain only the minimum politeness and no longer pretend to be subservient.
Without waiting for Robb's reply, Aegor waved and left the camp with his guards. As he turned, he caught sight of Roose Bolton standing silently just behind Robb. It was only a brief glance, but he saw it clearly—the Lord of the Dreadfort was watching him with a meaningful gaze, the torchlight reflecting faintly in his eyes.
(To be continued.)
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