"Strategy, strategy, easy to say." Lady Dustin curled her lip in irritation. "Bolton, we all admit you are clever, but do not be like Howland, using strategy as an excuse only to give Lord Robb terrible ideas."
Roose Bolton smiled faintly, nodded, and went straight to the point. "After the Long Lake Battle, Aegor still kept all channels between The Gift and the North seemingly open and undefended. He specifically sent Night's Watch brothers to various castles to carry out procurement tasks. Collecting Dragonglass and saltpeter is likely only a façade. His real purpose is to spread favorable public opinion for himself throughout the North and the Seven Kingdoms through countless mouths."
"This move is quite clever. Imagine, if we had not learned from Jon the truth about the Dragon Queen flying north to aid the war, this room would probably still be passionately discussing how to deal with the Mad Queen's dragons. But through the mouths of many Night's Watch men like Jon, the North has already lost the emotional conditions to wage war against The Gift. Not everyone can repay kindness with enmity, especially by becoming enemies with the man who just protected the Seven Kingdoms and all humankind." Bolton narrowed his eyes, hiding their cold gleam. "In this matter, we have already lost the first move. While we sit here arguing and offering ideas, the message Aegor wishes to spread has already radiated outward like ripples. The Night's Watch did their utmost in this war and performed well. We cannot silence thousands of people and force them to slander him. Many of you were discussing the balance of military strength between The Gift and the North, but I say this: even if the North could defeat The Gift, such a war would be nearly impossible to organize now. The other side has already broken our internal unity."
Under the stare of dozens of pairs of eyes, Bolton paused for several seconds, then shifted the topic. "A clever trick. But the one who used it seems to have forgotten something. The openness of information and movement goes both ways. If Aegor can influence the North, then we can also influence The Gift and the Night's Watch in return."
"Well said. And how do we do that?" Karstark rolled his eyes. "Do we send people to The Gift to tell those wildlings that Aegor serving the Queen is shameful oath-breaking, then expect them to unite to stop him? Ha!"
"No. Lord Bolton means we secretly contact people in The Gift who have reason to oppose Aegor and use their strength to overthrow him from within, cheaply." While most Northern Lords were still confused, Howland Reed had already followed Bolton's line of thought. But before he even finished speaking, he frowned. "Wait. Lord Bolton, I heard you have always supported Aegor. Why are you suddenly suggesting ways to deal with him?"
"I have no personal relationship with Aegor. At that time, I supported him because only he was capable of leading the Night's Watch against the White Walkers and protecting the North. He proved that was true. Now I oppose him because he has ambitions he should not have and threatens the stability of the North, which harms my own interests as well. Whether supporting or opposing, it is for the North. It has nothing to do with personal feelings." The Flayer dismissed the question flatly. "The Night's Watch is now organizing an expedition Beyond the Wall to eliminate the remaining White Walkers. I can guess Aegor's purpose. He believes that once the White Walkers are completely eradicated and his duty as Lord Commander ends, we will have no reason to stop him from shedding the black to serve the Queen. A nice idea, but it gives us an opportunity. We can pretend to accept his terms, even support his expedition so he leaves successfully… then strike while he is away."
Bolton's mind was sharper than most. While others were still debating whether or not to go to war with The Gift, he had already deduced the best way to eliminate Aegor's influence. Even Lord Glover and others who preferred neutrality turned to listen with interest.
"'White Walker Slayer', 'the Prince That Was Promised', 'the first Lord Commander in thousands of years to face the cold god directly'… These titles are far too resounding. And unfortunately, his accomplishments match them. Aegor has strong prestige and control in The Gift. Outsiders trying to shake him would accomplish little. If he remained inside the Wall, infiltrating The Gift or instigating his followers would be twice the effort for half the result. And if he discovered it, his retaliation would be severe. But no one is all-knowing. Once he leads his forces north…"
"All right, all right. Once he leads his army north and leaves his power base, using your so-called strategy to weaken his authority and influence, finding insiders who can bring him down becomes easier. We are not fools, no need to spell it out." Lady Dustin cut him off impatiently. "But our concern has never been Aegor or The Gift. It is the Queen's dragons. How do you plan to deal with those?"
"Dragons?" Roose Bolton curled his lip. This time he answered with a question. "My Lady, what do you think the Queen and her dragons will do while the Night's Watch pursues the White Walkers into the far north?"
"Wasn't it confirmed the dragons are injured, and one cannot fly?"
"Correct. Many in The Gift say so. The news is reliable, though few have seen it personally. To be cautious, there are two possibilities." Roose nodded calmly. "Either they can fly, in which case they will certainly take part in the expedition and help eliminate the remaining White Walkers. Or they cannot fly and must remain at Last Hearth or The Gift to recover. Aegor is always able to win people to his side. First Jeor Mormont, then Lord Eddard, then even King Robert. I do not know what spell he cast on the Mad King's daughter to make her abandon King's Landing to help him burn the dead. But one thing is certain: she is very fond of Aegor. And if she wants his loyalty, she cannot disregard his wishes and act recklessly. Aegor does not want war with the North, so the Queen will not dare burn us with her dragons while he is away."
"Therefore, the question before us is not 'how to deal with dragons now', but 'how to gain the power to deal with dragons during Aegor's expedition'. Think carefully. Is this not the logic?"
His words faded, but the ideas he presented opened new paths in the minds of the listeners.
"That makes sense. Although we cannot quietly transport King Stannis's Dragon Hunting Ballista from King's Landing, smuggling the design is simpler. We can contact the South as soon as possible and get the blueprints, then put all effort into crafting them." Lord Manderly slapped his thigh. "When Aegor returns from Beyond the Wall, he will find we have weakened his control over The Gift and the Wall, and also built weapons against dragons. With such tools, forcing the Queen to withdraw or using schemes to eliminate her and the dragons becomes entirely possible."
It was still a vile conspiracy. If Bolton had proposed it at the start, it would have met fierce opposition. But compared to Howland Reed's universally detested tactic, this plan seemed almost acceptable.
Nobles whispered among themselves, discussing feasibility. Robb sat at the head of the long table, his expression stern and conflicted.
It was not maturity. It was a war inside him.
The Lord of Winterfell understood that to protect the North and his family, he must stop Daenerys and Aegor from marching south with The Gift's strength. But the young man who had been saved by her dragonfire, who had just learned from Jon that the Night's Watch had not held back, felt unbearable guilt at using underhanded methods against a benefactor and a former friend.
For the first time in his life, Robb faced a problem his battlefield brilliance could not solve.
If the leader did not approve, no matter how heatedly the others discussed, it was meaningless. Bolton noticed Robb's turmoil and grew anxious. The Young Wolf was far too sentimental. Someone had to push him.
His eyes narrowed. He spoke.
"My Lord, I understand your reluctance to repay kindness with enmity. But you must understand this. Only with the ability to destroy does one gain the power to show mercy. My plan does not necessarily mean killing them. If we can restrain Aegor and gain a way to deal with dragons, then on a small scale, we can force Aegor to resign as Lord Commander, removing his authority to lead the Night's Watch into the war and preserving the North's strength. On a larger scale, we can demand that the Dragon Queen take only those willing to follow her and sail from Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, instead of marching through the North. Without her army passing through your lands, King Stannis will not be provoked, and the North can maintain maximum neutrality."
"And if your chosen candidate replaces Aegor, then the forces of The Gift become the forces of the North. With weapons against dragons, whether Daenerys or Stannis wins, both will fear a strong North and will not dare strip our interests to reward their followers. For the sake of your family and your children, you must have the strength to protect your own, not be swayed by sentiment."
Those who supported Bolton echoed him. Those who opposed had no arguments ready. After a long moment, the words family and children finally tipped Robb's heart.
He had a new son.
Robb clenched his jaw and decided.
"All the good timber from the North was sent to Ice Canyon Port, used by Bear Island and White Harbor craftsmen to build ships. If we get the blueprint, can we gather materials and complete them before the expedition ends? Also… Jon is my brother, and he will not betray Aegor. Who else in the Night's Watch can replace him?"
"Materials will not be a problem." Lord Manderly straightened. "White Harbor has warehouses full of resources. We could build whole fleets. Why fear a few ballistas? The supplies are under my custody for the good of the North. Who will stop me from using them to protect us? As for a candidate…"
"Candidate?" Roose Bolton revealed a rare genuine smile. "Do not forget that the core of The Gift's population is the mountain clans, sworn to House Stark. They must obey the Starks and fight for Northern interests. For the next Commander, if Denys Mallister had lived, he would be the natural choice. Since he is gone, the only one with sufficient rank is Cotter Pyke of Eastwatch. Let us now discuss who among us is most familiar with him, reliable, and capable of secretly negotiating."
Most of the neutral faction had decent relations with Aegor and did not want open conflict. The war faction hated his actions. The silent majority was simply exhausted after years of war and would accept anything that promised peace. This plan satisfied all parties and, with Robb's approval, quickly gained support and became the final decision.
As the Lords discussed the details passionately, Roose Bolton lowered his gaze, lifted his cup, and drank the cold water inside.
There was nothing wrong with the plan. No matter how carefully the cleverest person in the world examined it, they would find no flaw, because he had built it entirely from the perspective of the North.
To turn this perfect Northern strategy into the greatest opportunity for House Bolton in a thousand years required only one final step. Take the decisions made today, remove the part about sparing the Dragon Queen, polish it slightly, then find a way to leak it to Daenerys Targaryen.
Tell her it was Robb Stark's idea.
Bolton smiled inwardly.
He was very much looking forward to watching a True Dragon's wrath again, especially when it was aimed at someone other than himself.
(To be continued.)