The future of the Iron Islands?
To be honest, the question was indeed worth exploring. The islands were clustered together offshore, surrounded by waters prone to storms and riddled with hidden reefs, forming a natural barrier more formidable than even Dragonstone or the islands of the Narrow Sea. Add to that the massive fleet Euron Greyjoy had built by draining the Iron Islands of all their resources, a fleet which, according to the data, ranked among the largest in all of Westeros, and even the known world.
It was easy to imagine that the Iron Islands would be one of the most difficult regions in Westeros to unify, and likely one of the last to fall under the Queen's rule as envisioned by Aegor.
However, their advantage was strictly tactical. The Iron Islands were hard to crack, but they were not a necessary obstacle. While it was difficult for Stannis, Robb, Tywin, or anyone else to attack the islands, it was even harder for Euron to land on the mainland.
If Lady Asha's question, "have you considered the future of the Iron Islands," was asking whether Aegor had thought about how to deal with her uncle's threat, then the answer was naturally yes. But if she meant to ask whether he had drawn up a detailed and unique strategy for the Iron Islands within the Queen's grand campaign to unify the Seven Kingdoms, then the answer was no.
Or rather, yes, but it was an extremely low priority.
Aegor's strategic plan for the South was very clear: pick the soft targets first. Why would he abandon the mainland regions of the Seven Kingdoms, especially the flat and connected territories of the Crownlands, to fight tooth and nail with a bunch of poor, stubborn pirates separated by sea, who offered little gain even if defeated? That would be madness. His policy toward the Iron Islands was simple. Remain vigilant, watch the Ironborn closely as if guarding against White Walkers, and never give them a chance to sabotage anything important. Leave them alone until the King's Landing plan was complete and the entire continent was unified. Then, just as Robert had crushed Balon Greyjoy's rebellion, bring down the hammer of the entire realm upon them. Overwhelming strength. No scheming. Simply crush them, and take the last piece of territory for good.
It was foreseeable that Euron, armed with magic trinkets and mysterious potions and repeatedly capable of turning the tables on his enemies, would never be satisfied with being excluded. But Aegor did not believe Euron would dare come ashore with his sailors to interfere with the steady conquest of the Seven Kingdoms. And he had even less faith that Euron's wooden ships and Valyrian steel armor could withstand cannons.
These thoughts flashed rapidly through Aegor's mind, but he had neither the time nor the obligation to explain them all to a woman who had been an enemy and whose usefulness now was limited. He leaned back in his chair, adjusted his posture, rested his right elbow on the armrest, propped his chin with his fist, and let his fingers support his cheek. He looked at Lady Asha with a relaxed and casual smile, like a spectator watching a play.
The expression was genuine, but not out of kindness toward Asha. In truth, he was secretly amused. After years of scheming, lying, and clawing his way up in this strange world, he had finally reached a point where people came to him with flattery and attempts to win him over.
"Haven't considered it," Aegor said calmly. He already had a good idea of what Lady Asha wanted to say, but after long hours of work, he was mentally drained and welcomed the change of pace. He was happy to sit back and see how she would perform. "But if Lady Asha has thoughts to share, I'm listening."
The Kraken's Daughter was clearly angered by his condescending tone and behavior. In the past, if anyone had dared speak to her like that, she would have slapped them and stormed out. But months of captivity had worn down her pride. She now lived under someone else's roof and had no choice but to lower her head. More importantly, only this man before her had both the power and reason to help her realize her goals.
He hadn't said he wasn't interested or dismissed her. He was at least willing to listen. That was enough for now.
"My father was Balon Greyjoy, Lord of Pyke, and he died as King of the Iron Islands. During his life, he loved to chant old clan sayings like 'We Do Not Sow' and talk about the glory of the Ironborn. He dreamed of one day shaking off the Iron Throne's rule and restoring the 'Old Way', so the Ironborn would be feared across the Seven Kingdoms once again." She grit her teeth, kept her anger in check, and forced herself to continue. Once the difficult start was behind her, the words flowed more smoothly. "I respect and love him, but that doesn't change the fact that he was a stubborn fool. He never understood, or perhaps refused to admit, that the so-called 'Old Way' was nothing more than piracy. And the so-called fear of the Seven Kingdoms was really just the continentals' desire for peace. They didn't fight back against raiders not because they were afraid, but because they wanted to avoid trouble."
Calling her own father a fool, Aegor mentally gave her an eighty-two out of a hundred, the remaining eighteen awarded in the form of sixes. He had to admit he was intrigued. He nodded slightly, giving her permission to continue.
"The Iron Islands have poor soil and a harsh climate, not suited for farming. Raiding the richer lands of the Greenlands to survive was once a necessity. Long ago, Westeros was fractured, with small kingdoms and isolated castles. When we raided them, most couldn't fight back. So, the Old Way flourished," Asha continued seriously. "But over time, the various powers of Westeros grew stronger through union and conquest. Great houses rose, and coalitions formed. Entities like the 'Seven Kingdoms' emerged that could resist raids, and even strike back. The profits from raiding dwindled, while the risks rose. By the time Aegon the Conqueror unified Westeros under one rule, the Old Way had become obsolete. In this age, when raiding brings too much risk, and the Ironborn have access to peaceful alternatives, it is absurd to keep dreaming of living like our ancestors who pillaged and burned across the realm. These fools only remember how glorious it felt to seize wealth and women, but they ignore the widows left behind when the reavers fell, the children without fathers. They remember the thrill of plunder, but forget the agony of seeing our homes razed in retaliation, our wives and daughters violated by mainland soldiers. I will never follow the path of my father or his fathers."
Aegor had a general idea of her approach. She wanted to convince him that she was different from the typical Ironborn, that she had rejected their traditions. That would lay a foundation for the proposal she was building toward. It was a clever angle, but not entirely convincing.
"Very noble of you, Lady Asha." He considered saying nothing, but that felt too dismissive. After a pause, he responded with deliberate dryness. "But if I recall correctly, you answered your father's call to invade the North. And you were later captured by me at Deepwood Motte. Is that your version of not walking the old path?"
"They say you're very clever, Lord Commander," Asha met his eyes without flinching. Her voice sharpened. "Then you tell me, when a foolish and stubborn decision comes from your unquestionable lord and father, what should a daughter do? Publicly oppose him, lose his trust, and be forced into marriage? Or go along with it for a time, earn his confidence, build her own base of support, and then use that to change the world?"
"I was born a daughter, not the heir to the Iron Islands. Because I'm not a man, I had to use every ounce of strength and twice the effort to prove myself to my father, to be recognized as his successor, rather than be married off to some Lord on some island to birth a bunch of children to secure the Greyjoy name." She raised her voice and crossed her legs the other way. "When Robb led his main host south and my father ordered the invasion while the North was left undefended, what do you think his goal was? To make the North bow to him. King Balon. To blockade Caitlin Bay, cut off the Northern army's retreat, and then conquer the North step by step, becoming 'King of the Iron Islands and the North.' That would surpass our ancestors, House Hoare, the so-called Kings of the Iron Islands and the Riverlands. He wanted to revive the Old Way and make the Ironborn legendary again."
She didn't give Aegor a chance to sneer. She rushed on. "But the plan was doomed to fail. The Northmen are fierce and proud, nothing like the soft Riverlanders. Even though Robb's forces were away, the remaining Northern lords would have eventually broken through Caitlin Bay and retaken the land. That much would have happened even without your intervention. The defenders of White Harbor alone could have made things difficult for us. That's why I never believed in my father's Old Way, and never intended to follow his plan. Even if he hadn't been murdered by my uncle Euron, he would have soon discovered that his most trusted daughter had betrayed him."
"Oh?" Aegor's interest was piqued. He was aware that she might be making all this up, but he played along, raising an eyebrow. "If Euron hadn't returned to kill your father, and I hadn't led an army south from The Gift, what would you have done?"
With the conversation no longer a monologue, Asha's tone softened. "Balon planned to split his attack. Victarion led the Iron Fleet up the Hotah River to seize Caitlin Bay, blocking Robb's way home. I landed near Sea Dragon Point and took Deepwood Motte. From there, we were to hold two strongpoints in the North and South. The remaining Northern forces would be tied down, unsure how to respond. My father would send reinforcements to both fronts. Half would stay to maintain the southern blockade. The other half would move north and strike Barrowton and Hornwood. My men would move east and south from Deepwood Motte to take Torrhen's Square and Seven City. Eventually, we'd control everything west of the Kingsroad, surround Winterfell, and force the Stark loyalists to surrender."
Aegor weighed the plan. It was well thought out and seemed plausible. If she wasn't lying, Balon Greyjoy had been an ambitious man. But ambition alone wasn't enough. The plan overestimated the Ironborn's strength on land and completely ignored other variables, like the Night's Watch and the Vale sending forces by sea. Even if they had managed to control the western half of the North, it wouldn't have guaranteed victory.
Over seventy percent of the North's population lived east of the Kingsroad. The west coast was sparsely populated. Aside from the Glovers and the Dustins, it lacked true strength. Trying to force surrender by occupying the west was laughable.
The real strength of the North lay to the east. The Umbers at Last Hearth. The Karstarks at Karhold. The Boltons at Dreadfort. The Manderlys at White Harbor. Setting aside the Starks, these were the four most powerful houses in the region. Each of them had more people and men-at-arms than all of the Iron Islands combined. Any one of them could give the Ironborn trouble. To think they would all surrender just because the Greyjoys took the western coast and surrounded Winterfell? Pure fantasy. If the Northern army received such a letter, they would probably die of laughter before even drawing their swords.
"I know it sounds ridiculous." Asha saw the smirk forming on his face and quickly cut him off. "That's why my real plan was this. While my father's loyal forces were invading the North, and Pyke was left undefended, I would launch a coup, overthrow him, and take his place. Then I would lead the Ironborn into a new era."
(To be continued.)