The Winterfell army had assembled.
Along the battlements, inside and outside the walls, dozens, even hundreds of banners bearing various sigils fluttered in the cold wind. Soldiers moved to and fro, exchanging information and supplies with the residents of Winter Town outside the walls. The crowd was thick, the noise deafening.
Despite the heavy losses sustained in the final battle against the White Walkers, this was still the most complete gathering of Northern troops and Lords since the North's withdrawal from Storm's End.
Those Northern Lords who had followed Robb Stark from the beginning and survived the battle at Long Lake were, of course, present. But half of the families... ten days earlier, after receiving an alarm from the Wall and a general mobilization order from the Warden of the North, had hurriedly rallied their forces and rushed toward Winterfell. However, being located far from the Wall, they had only just trudged through snow and biting wind along the Kingsroad, reaching Wolfswood or Winterfell, when they received news that "the war has ended in victory."
Still, none had come in vain. Though the original reason for the gathering had changed, the young Warden of the North was about to convene a council of Lords to address the matter of "the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch swearing fealty to the Targaryens." Thus, the various armies—now numbering close to ten thousand after joining forces, and originally meant to gather at Last Hearth before heading north to repel the White Walkers at the Wall—stayed and camped in and around Winterfell, waiting for their Lords to discuss a final response.
...
"That damned Aegor West!"
Lord Rickard Karstark's bellow was clearly audible even through the thick walls of the castle. Just as Aegor had feared, he had feigned cooperation and returned to Karhold, but in truth, the moment he left Last Hearth, he changed course, crossed the White Knife, bypassed the Lonely Hills, passed by Dreadfort... He had taken a long detour to reach Winterfell, and was now furiously ranting in the council hall, which was nearly at full attendance.
"He's just the North's watchdog, yet he dared to lick the boots of the Mad King's daughter without a word, then turn around and bite his master!" Had Aegor acted properly, no Northerner with a sound mind would use such crude words in public to describe the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. But now, having been forced to yield a castle under the threat of a dragon, the elder Karstark was seething with fury, almost entirely unrestrained. "If we don't teach him a harsh lesson and make him know his place, the backyard fires of the North will never stop burning!"
"Cough, cough."
Robb, still nursing an injured arm from the Battle of Long Lake, coughed from his seat to mask his embarrassment and interrupt the old man. "Lord Rickard, as you said, Aegor used the reason of 'needing a place for the dragon to recover' when requisitioning Last Hearth. Though the threat was heavy-handed, at least there was a justification. He sent ravens and messengers just yesterday, saying that once the dragon's wounds heal, he will return the castle to the North."
This was an internal discussion among Northern Lords. There was no need for diplomacy or euphemisms. As the host, Robb should not have spoken on behalf of the main subject of criticism... but there was not only Northern Lords present in the hall. A man in black, a sworn brother of the Night's Watch, was also in attendance—his bastard brother, Jon Snow. If Robb remained silent and tacitly agreed with Karstark's words describing the Lord Commander as a mere "watchdog," then what would that make the rest of the Night's Watch under Aegor's command? Puppies?
After The Gift army had occupied Last Hearth, they had dispatched several Night's Watch teams to different areas of the North to receive the previously agreed upon shipments of saltpeter and dragonglass weapons. Whether intentional or not, Jon Snow had been assigned by Aegor to lead one of those teams to Winterfell and the nearby Seven City to carry out the task.
As a sworn brother with three to four years of service and Commander of Castle Black, Jon understood the current state of the Wall and The Gift better than anyone else in the room. Robb trusted his bastard brother completely. Jon was half a Stark and a true Northman. This complex web of loyalty and practicality was why Robb had summoned him, resulting in the rather ironic scene of "a Night's Watch member sitting in on a meeting to discuss the Night's Watch's stance."
However, aside from gathering intel, Robb had another reason for calling Jon here. Now that the threat of the White Walkers had nearly been eliminated, the North's main requirement for a Lord Commander of the Night's Watch had shifted from "capable" to "loyal." For the Warden of the North, having a family member in that position was clearly preferable. Bran was crippled and unable to take on such a role. If the final outcome of the meeting was to replace Aegor, then Jon was Robb's intended successor.
With that in mind, he couldn't let Karstark run his mouth unchecked.
"Jon, is the dragonglass and saltpeter collection underway?" Robb didn't delay after smoothing things over and began steering the meeting. "I've ordered the residents of Winterfell and Seven City to cooperate with the Night's Watch. Don't worry about the supplies not being prepared. Now, tell everyone what you know about... Aegor's relationship with Daenerys Targaryen."
"Yes." Jon nodded. "As for the matter itself, the Lord Commander has not made it public. Even most of the Night's Watch brothers were completely unaware until news spread that 'the Queen had arrived at Crown Town riding a dragon.' However, even if we didn't discover anything beforehand, we can piece together what happened based on the stories passed around afterward. The Lord Commander arrived from the Sunset Sea on the western coast of Westeros, while Essos is to the east. I believe they had never met before. The only likely place their relationship could have started was Dragonstone." Jon's tone was serious. "A few months ago, the Lord Commander went south to request aid from King Stannis, and he returned with some saltpeter from King's Landing. According to the crew of the Blackbird, the ship he sailed on toward Eastwatch-by-the-Sea was intercepted by a Targaryen warship flying the three-headed dragon when it entered Blackwater Bay, and was taken to Dragonstone. He entered the castle and met the Queen who held it..."
"So they got together on Dragonstone?" a Northern Lord interrupted.
How did this become "got together"? Jon disliked the crude tone but didn't want to argue with a fellow Northerner in this setting, so he simply ignored the remark. "The Queen arrived in The Gift with her dragons a few days before the White Walkers launched their assault. The invasions of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and Great Canyon happened the same night she left Crown Town with her dragons. Quite the coincidence. But when the dead launched their lightning raids along the Wall, then suddenly turned south and struck Crown Town, the Queen returned with her dragons the morning The Gift's forces assembled for pursuit and joined the entire march and engagement. Time-wise, she barely made it back from King's Landing before supporting the Night's Watch. Many of the Lords here fought in the Long Lake battle, so I don't need to say more. I will only share my conclusion: the Lord Commander failed to gain Stannis's aid, but informed Daenerys of the Wall's crisis. After flying north to verify the situation herself, the Queen decided it was as he said, and agreed to aid us with her dragons. She kept that promise when the White Walkers attacked."
...
Many in the room had assumed Robb had invited his bastard brother, wearing the black cloak, to act as an "insider" and pave the way for overthrowing Aegor. But after listening to a few minutes...
Jon had done nothing but defend Aegor and Daenerys Targaryen.
The Lords of the North exchanged glances in silence, then began whispering among themselves.
"Oh, right." Jon seemed to recall something and added, "I swear on my honor and character, on the day of the Battle of Long Lake, we marched at full speed from morning to night. Aside from meals, we didn't stop for a moment and joined the fight as soon as we arrived. We had no intention of 'taking advantage after both the North and the White Walkers were exhausted.'"
"A bastard has no honor or character!" Rickard Karstark roared, enraged. "So, according to you, Aegor West is a good Commander who only wanted to fight the White Walkers, and the Mad King's daughter is a noble Queen who cares for the North and the Seven Kingdoms? Are we gathered here to discuss how to reward them with medals and songs?"
(They're already heroes. Do you need to declare it?) Jon thought angrily, but managed to hold back, keeping a straight face and saying nothing.
"Rickard, that's going too far," Lord Glover said with displeasure. Disliking bastards was one thing, but anyone with eyes could see Robb's closeness and trust toward Jon. How could the old Karstark speak so recklessly? "Last Hearth is what the Night's Watch and the Queen are occupying, not Karhold. Why do you look like you swallowed wildfire?"
Rickard realized his words had been too much, but as the head of one of the North's great houses and an elder, he couldn't bring himself to apologize to a bastard. Instead, he stubbornly changed the subject. "I'm just telling the truth. Yes, it was good that Aegor and the Mad King's daughter defeated the White Walkers with her dragons. But first, fighting the White Walkers is the duty of the Night's Watch. Second... we didn't invite that damned Queen to help. Does she think that doing a good deed gives her the right to occupy the North's land? Without her dragons, we could've dealt with those ghost things ourselves!"
It was the kind of boast that would normally go unchallenged. But Rickard forgot a few things. First, the Karstarks hadn't arrived in time for the Battle of Long Lake. Second, the Northern army had suffered heavy losses in that battle. Third, the Lords present, unlike Aegor, were nobles who had been taught from childhood by fathers and Maesters to seize and defend every inch of land and every drop of profit. They understood Rickard's fury at being forced to abandon Last Hearth under threat of dragonfire, but most would simply sneer or gloat rather than share his outrage.
After all, most Northern Lords stood to gain nothing from House Umber's fall.
"You make it sound easy," said the new Lord of Seven City, who had lost his father and several kin in that night's bloody battle. His tone dripped with sarcasm. "Then by all means, send the Karstark forces north and wipe out the last of the White Walkers yourself!"
Clay Cerwyn had indeed shouted at Aegor after the Long Lake battle, accusing the Night's Watch of holding back. But with no information barrier between the North and The Gift, the truth had become known in the days since. Everyone now understood that the Night's Watch had sustained even heavier casualties than the North in fighting the White Walkers. More than eight-tenths of the resentment had dissipated. While they weren't exactly siding with Aegor, they could at least remain objectively neutral.
"You!" Rickard's face turned red with fury. Relying on his seniority, he tried to snap back but couldn't find a sharp retort. After spitting out several "you"s, he finally shouted in frustration, "Then fine! Send the troops! As long as Lord Robb commands an expedition to the North to suppress the Night's Watch rebellion, House Karstark will be the vanguard and charge ahead without hesitation!"
"Rebellion by the Night's Watch?" Wyman Manderly chuckled, stroking his large belly. "That has yet to be confirmed, has it? I heard that Lady Catelyn Stark and the Lord's younger sister are guests at the Wall. I wonder if they are safe and sound, and whether they'll return smoothly to Winterfell?"
"The Lord Commander has already sent word to Arya and Lady Stark to return to Winterfell as soon as possible," Jon answered without hesitation. He didn't believe for a moment that Aegor would hold his sister hostage. If he did, Jon wouldn't need the Northern Lords—he'd deal with Aegor himself. "They'll be home soon."
...
Robb scratched his cheek with his uninjured hand, feeling a bit uneasy.
(No wonder Aegor dared to send Jon to Winterfell to collect dragonglass and saltpeter.)
He had summoned Jon thinking to gather information about the Night's Watch's inner workings, to know his enemy and perhaps designate him as Aegor's successor. But Jon had instead appeared loyal to Aegor. Could it be that the loyalty Aegor inspired within the Night's Watch was that strong, and his act of kneeling to the Queen was widely accepted? Was Robb being unfair?
"Alright, Jon. I believe everything you've said. It seems there's little to criticize the Night's Watch for in this war against the White Walkers." Robb frowned, hesitated, then changed the line of questioning. "But the Night's Watch swears to remain neutral and uninvolved in the affairs of the Seven Kingdoms. Aegor has now broken that oath by swearing fealty to the Mad King's daughter. What are your thoughts on this?"
(To be continued.)
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