Here, Aegor no longer had the authority and deterrent power of King’s Landing, but his reputation as Chief Logistics Officer and the natural goodwill toward black brothers among the northern soldiers still held weight. Without much effort, he brought his guards and Arya to the tower where Robb and the lords were meeting. After being announced, he was granted entry alone.

Inside, the lords of the three northern factions were already gathered. Aegor looked around and greeted them, “Good afternoon, everyone.”

“Hey, one good thing about the Night’s Watch is that they run fast. We haven’t even begun discussing anything, and you’re already here,” said a Northern noble who looked familiar to Aegor, glancing at him and speaking gruffly. “Now we have to hurry up and decide how to handle the ‘Kingslayer.’ Otherwise, it would be impolite to keep the Chief Logistics Officer waiting for our meeting in Harrenhal.”

“What is there to discuss? Let him lure the Kingslayer here and kill him on the way.”

“That would ruin the Night’s Watch’s reputation. Why don’t we ask the Chief Logistics Officer whether he agrees?”

Naturally, Aegor ignored such reckless suggestions from these nobles. He looked directly at the man in charge—Robb Stark, with whom he shared a bit of camaraderie.

The Young Wolf tapped the table, signaling silence, then briefly summarized the situation. “After our army and the Dornish withdrew from the Westerlands, Tywin Lannister quickly led his forces to retake most of the territory. He is now garrisoned with ten thousand men at the Golden Tooth and has sent word that he will support whichever king allows his son, the Kingslayer, to take the black. Aegor, I assume this is the reason you’ve come. What are your thoughts?”

To be asked for his opinion in such a meeting left Aegor momentarily flattered. Was it a sign of his growing influence, or did Robb personally trust in his intellect and judgment?

…

“The wildlings have reached the Wall. When I received word, I was already leading the new recruits back up the Kingsroad to join the defense beyond the Wall.” Aegor first explained his early arrival, then stated his stance. “As Chief Logistics Officer of the Night’s Watch, I have no personal ties with Jaime Lannister. But I want to emphasize that the proposal just mentioned, using me to lure the Kingslayer and then murdering him—I absolutely cannot agree to. Rules and boundaries must not be broken, not under any circumstance.”

“What rules or boundaries can you speak of with a Kingslayer who has no honor at all?”

“This isn’t about honor. It’s about the spirit of agreements and the unspoken rules of our conventions. Allowing him to join the Night’s Watch is a signal of reconciliation. But if we use that as bait to kill him, once this precedent is set, others will follow. The neutrality of the Night’s Watch will be lost completely.” Aegor had benefited greatly from the privileges and protections afforded by the Night’s Watch and would not allow others to tarnish the brand. He didn’t want to waste time in a fruitless debate with a group of stubborn Northerners. Shaking his head, he turned to the only opinion that truly mattered. “Lord Stark, since Lord Tywin said he would ‘support the king who allows his son to take the black,’ then let me ask—do you support King Stannis?”

The room fell silent.

In truth, for most of the nobles of the North, Riverlands, and Vale, neither Renly nor Stannis meant much. Even the concept of a king was just a distant symbol. They had never met either of Robert’s younger brothers. Compared to the two stags locked in battle, Eddard Stark had far more influence. If the nobles present were to vote freely, more than half would likely choose to take the gold they had seized from the Westerlands and go home to spend or hide it. To hell with who sat the throne. Let whoever wanted it take it.

Men are pragmatic. Having already reaped the spoils of war, who would have the will to push deeper into the Crownlands and fight yet another brutal campaign in the capital?

They kept their thoughts to themselves, of course. With Eddard Stark imprisoned in the Red Keep by Renly, any lord who dared flee with their spoils would be torn apart by the rest before the enemy even had the chance.

“Renly is not the king,” Robb finally said after a long silence. “If the two sons left behind by King Robert are indeed the product of incest, then the throne belongs to Stannis. On that point, I share my father’s view.”

“If there were no question of succession, it wouldn’t matter to us who sat the throne,” Roose Bolton said coldly, speaking as though no one else were in the room. “But with the two Baratheon brothers at war, we’ve already been marked as Stannis’s allies. If we stay idle now, and Renly wins in the end, he’ll only remember the Tyrells’ loyalty, no matter what rewards are available.”

“What reward? Just be grateful we don’t have to keep fighting,” someone muttered. “Who cares what benefits Renly offers? The Iron Throne is drowning in debt. Everyone south of the Neck knows it!”

“Benefits are more than just gold. They include influence and power,” Roose said, shaking his head. “Why have all the kings since Aegon kept the Tyrells outside the core of power, leaving the Reach ‘strong in the branches but weak in the trunk’? Because the Reach’s potential is too great… Now Margaery Tyrell is queen. If House Tyrell uses this chance to shed its status as a weak lord and centralize the Reach’s power, then with the Westerlands damaged, even the combined strength of the remaining five kingdoms may not be enough to stop them.”

“Renly only wants to use the Reach’s soldiers and grain to win the throne from his brother,” another noble muttered darkly. “But even he may not realize that once the Tyrells gain the queen’s title and unify the Reach’s power, they’ll become the true uncrowned rulers of Westeros.”

The wealth of the Reach was known to all, and no one disputed the point. Edmure Tully followed that line of thought to an even graver conclusion. “If that happens, the man sitting the Iron Throne may bear the Baratheon name, but it will be the Tyrells truly ruling the realm. And when that day comes, the rest of the great houses will have no place left. We’ll be pushed to the margins. Our descendants will serve and be ruled by the Tyrells for generations to come.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” the Greatjon scoffed. “The Tyrells don’t have dragons. Let them try. We’ll cross the Neck and declare the North independent again. We won’t pay tribute or bow. What can they do?”

“The North has the Neck. The Vale has the Bloody Gate. But what about the Riverlands?” Roose Bolton retorted. “Since Aegon’s conquest, the North has relied on southern grain, especially from the Riverlands, to survive winter. For three centuries we haven’t suffered a famine like those that halved our population in older times. That’s how we reached nearly two million souls. But if you block the Neck, how many will survive the next winter?”

“Enough, enough. You’re the only skinner in the North who still has a clear head. I won’t argue with you anymore. I support Stannis. Long live King Stannis. Are you satisfied?”

Robb raised a hand to stop the bickering. “My lords, we’ll discuss whether to support Stannis for the throne later. Right now, my father is imprisoned in the Red Keep. I must lead the army to rescue him, no matter the cost. Stannis has written to me, offering the choice of whether to allow Jaime Lannister to take the black. The Chief Logistics Officer is here as well… Regardless, we must decide quickly.”

“There’s no question that if we say no, the old lion will launch attacks into the Riverlands while we march south, all under the banner of ‘supporting Renly,'” said Edmure Tully. “If we split our forces and fight on two fronts, we don’t stand a chance. This is the only way to make peace with Tywin.”

“Peace is cowardice. Cowardice is still cowardice!”

“Damn Tywin! I will not stand for the Kingslayer heading north to live out his life on our land!”

…

What followed was a lengthy quarrel. Every noble had the right to speak. Robb Stark relied on his father’s legacy and his own victories to keep them united, but he lacked the authority to silence them. Each man insisted on his own stance, spitting and shouting, arguing furiously…

“My lords, please hear me out!” Aegor was growing dizzy from the noise. He shook his head and raised his voice to shout over them. “The situation isn’t complicated. I’ll ask one question. If we refuse Jaime Lannister’s application to join the Night’s Watch, which lord here will personally lead the army to stop Tywin Lannister from advancing from the Golden Tooth? And if you do so, how certain are you that you can stop him without letting a single Riverlander be harmed?”

“Why fight a war if you’re afraid of sacrifice?” said Lord Karstark.

“If that’s how you see things, then there’s no point in continuing this discussion,” Aegor replied sharply. “Why did we march west? To punish those who defied the king, to stop the Lannisters from burning and pillaging the Riverlands, to uphold the dignity of the Iron Throne and defend our allies’ lands—not to prove how brave Northerners are. I respect your courage, my lords, but we mustn’t confuse our goals!”

Karstark was left speechless by the logic. After a few seconds of silence, he sneered, “Chief Logistics Officer, you seem quite eager to see the Kingslayer take the black. If I recall, you’re rather friendly with that Lannister imp…”

“This has nothing to do with the little imp or any other devils!” Aegor snapped. “I want you to make peace with the Lannisters to avoid needless bloodshed. I want more northern soldiers to return home alive, so they can help us fight the wildlings and White Walkers beyond the Wall! Renly holds the Night’s Watch’s fate in his hands. I’m forced to play his game. And who do you think you are, looking for a fight with me?”

He knew he couldn’t show fear or guilt. A sudden idea struck him, and he acted furious. “Before I left King’s Landing with the logistics troops, I personally declined Renly Baratheon’s invitation to ‘remove my black cloak and join his royal council’! I gave up a comfortable life in King’s Landing and returned to the icy hell of the Wall, determined to uphold the sacred oath of the Night’s Watch, to be the shield that guards the realms of men, to protect the lives of the Seven Kingdoms—especially the North! And yet some northern lords think their soldiers’ lives, their people’s lives, their allies’ lives are worthless? If that’s what you want, just say it. I’ll go back to King’s Landing and become Master of Coin or Laws, and let the White Walkers have the rest of you!”

(To be continued.)

***

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