Aegor stayed in Winterfell for only one night before departing. After several more days of uninterrupted travel, he finally arrived at the abandoned Gift village he had chosen as his base.

Queenscrown sat beside a small lake, so insignificant it wasn’t even marked on most maps. Thanks to this natural water source, it had once been one of the largest settlements in the New Gift. Dense and thriving oak and apple trees surrounded the lake, shading the remnants of the old settlers who had once lived along its shores. At the center of the lake was a small island, no more than a few acres wide, with a tower-fortress rising from it. Its shadow reflected across the calm, blue waters. When the north wind blew, the surface shimmered with ripples.

…

Queen Alysanne Targaryen had once spent the night in this tower, and to honor her, the villagers had painted the upper battlements gold, placing a symbolic “crown” atop it. Thus, the place came to be known by its current name.

This spot in the New Gift was located near the Kingsroad, with convenient access, fertile lands, trees suitable for lumber along the shore, and a lake ideal for fishing. It had once been a highly livable settlement. But with the decline of the Night’s Watch and repeated raids from wildlings, it was eventually abandoned and left to ruin.

Now, however, the place had taken on a completely new appearance. Using local materials, the collapsed houses had been rebuilt, the missing roofs restored, and busy workers could be seen moving about from a distance.

The arrival of a group numbering in the hundreds quickly caught attention. Within moments, Yam, the leader of the advance team sent by Aegor to reclaim the land, came to meet him.

“My Lord, you’ve arrived!”

Aegor gave him a nod. “Yes. I should have come sooner. Judging by what I see here, you’ve done a fine job.”

It was sincere praise. Compared to the last time they had met, the young man from the Westerlands was noticeably darker and more weathered. He had first built a dragonglass mine for Aegor on Dragonstone, and several months ago, he had been chosen to come north and pave the way for the development of the base at Queenscrown. His contributions to the Night’s Watch industry were considerable. Clearly, Aegor had chosen the right man.

…

…

“Thank you for your praise, my Lord…” Yam, who now looked several years older, couldn’t conceal his joy at being recognized by his leader. “You’ve had a hard journey. Come, please rest in the town first!”

Yam—perhaps now best described as the “mayor”—led Aegor and his party into Queenscrown. After seeing to the settlement of most of the new arrivals, he took Aegor on a tour of the transformed village.

The changes here were far more extensive than what could be seen from afar. The stone causeway that led to the island in the lake had once been submerged, but now it had been reinforced with stone and timber, forming a stable bridge. The ruined buildings along this side of the lake had been partially restored, and a low wooden palisade had been built to enclose them.

—

“The building standing apart from the others has the thickest walls. It’s where the fire wizards mix wildfire. The roof was constructed per the specifications of the Wisdoms—if there’s a fire, it will collapse and smother the flames,” Yam explained as he guided Aegor through the lakeside stronghold, which was beginning to take shape. He pointed to another structure. “That’s a completed warehouse. And over there is a stable.”

“You’ve already started mixing wildfire? What about the Wisdoms?”

“We’ve begun, but we lack the manpower to buy raw materials in large quantities, so the work is intermittent. We’ve only made a few pots so far. But according to the pyromancers, mixing wildfire here is much safer and easier than in King’s Landing.”

“Really? That’s excellent.” Aegor thought to himself, It’s likely not that wildfire is easier to produce in the North, but rather that, with magic returning to the world, it’s easier to make it anywhere. “Why is the stable empty? What’s inside the warehouse?”

“We’ve hidden the few horses we have on the island. The warehouse is still empty. Every day I’m overseeing construction according to plan, but in truth, the logistics transfer station isn’t operational yet.”

“What do you mean?”

“We can overcome most difficulties, but there’s one issue I can’t resolve without help. My Lord, you’ve been in the South, so you don’t know how dire things are up here,” Yam said helplessly. “The wildling army has reached the base of the Wall. Though they haven’t breached Castle Black, they constantly send raiders south. Several small villages in the North near the Wall have already been plundered or massacred. As for our Queenscrown… you gave me ten guards, and I hired some laborers from among the farmers of the Gift and those under House Umber’s rule. Altogether, we have just over forty men. That’s nothing against large bands of wild raiders. During the day, we guard and work. At night, we retreat to the island and pull up the bridge planks. It’s just large enough for us to live on. Even if Lord Commander Mormont recognizes us as a logistics base, how can we store or transport supplies?”

So that was the situation. Aegor was taken aback. Living safely in King’s Landing, he had not imagined that the North and the Gift were in such disarray. He thought he had paid the advance team a high enough wage for their work here, but in hindsight, no amount of coin could truly compensate for labor under such peril.

“This place hasn’t been attacked?”

“It has. But the lakeside houses are empty—just repaired shells. All our people and supplies are on the island. When the wildlings came, we pulled up the bridge. They didn’t want to waste time.”

“You’ve worked hard.” Aegor was genuinely respectful. All he had done was send money and people to build a base, without properly accounting for how bad things could get. Had Yam and the others not been cautious, he wouldn’t be seeing any of them now. “Now that I’m here, this problem will be dealt with.”

Standing on the lakeshore, Aegor looked around and devised a plan. “Let’s start by building a wall. Have you been to Lannisport?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Then model it after Lannisport. Build a small castle along the lakeshore to control the bridge. That way, we’ll have the means to defend ourselves no matter who attacks. If the wall is overrun, we can retreat to the island. If the island is compromised, we fall back behind the wall. Funding won’t be a problem.”

“That’s a good idea, my Lord. But how large should the wall be?”

“Hm…” Aegor thought for a moment. “Not too large. Just enough to accommodate a thousand people.”

“A thousand?” Yam clicked his tongue. “But the Night’s Watch doesn’t even have a thousand men in total. Where are we going to find that many people to garrison it?”

“That’s not your concern. If my plan goes well, I’ll end up complaining it’s too small, not too big.” Aegor sighed and once more surveyed the lake and the rebuilt houses in the breeze. “Let’s take it one step at a time. For now, don’t cram everyone onto the island. I’ve brought over a hundred soldiers and workers from the Night’s Watch. Soon, the men borrowed from Winterfell will arrive. Castle Black isn’t short of people right now, and I’ll assign as many as I can here. You, the administrators, the pyromancers, and other skilled workers will live on the island. The rest of the fighters will be stationed in the fenced-off houses on this side of the bridge. Establish a system of sentries and patrols. Once the wall is complete, start purchasing supplies from the northern lords and delivering them to the Wall. A stronghold must be useful to be recognized. Do you understand?”

“I… I understand.” Yam didn’t truly grasp it all, but he could tell his leader had a grand plan. He quickly nodded. “So our next task is to get that wall built as soon as possible?”

“Yes. Make the foundation solid. We may need to expand later.” Aegor nodded. “I can tell you the full plan. My aim is to build a sturdy, militarized stronghold. With ‘safety’ and ‘stable supply’ as its banner, it will draw settlers from across the Gift. If we can eventually force the wildlings to surrender, even better. In time, Queenscrown will become the central city of the Gift, a new town belonging entirely to the Night’s Watch Logistics Department, with the castle as its core and this lake as its lifeblood.”

“Uh…” Yam opened his mouth and couldn’t help but ask, “But what are we going to do with this town?”

“That’s not your concern.” Aegor smiled and shook his head. “First, build the wall. Make sure wildfire production stabilizes. Then, buy food and supplies from the northern houses and transport them to the Wall. I’ve given you the long-term vision and the short-term tasks. If there’s nothing else… then the advance team’s salary will be doubled. Keep up the good work.”

(To be continued.)

***

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