When one side is determined and immune to persuasion, and the other lacks leverage to change their mind, negotiations become dull and unchallenging—often resulting in meaningless, one-sided agreements.

Aegor had experienced this before during negotiations over a technology transfer with Margaery Tyrell… Time passed, and now, on the Wall, thousands of miles away, he encountered a similar situation—only this time, with another influential woman.

But this time, he held the upper hand.

Melisandre mistook him for the prophesied figure and took the initiative to offer help. Aegor, however, was confident he could secure the position of Lord Commander using his own resources. It would be a bonus if the Red Priestess supported him, but if not, it would simply require more effort. While anyone appreciates help in times of need, trying to seize or share his influence in the Gift and on the Wall merely by adding icing on the cake was underestimating his political acumen.

Fortunately, it seemed Melisandre had sensed Aegor’s determination—or perhaps was willing to yield to the prophet she had chosen. After a brief round of back-and-forth, she ultimately abandoned her third request without withdrawing any of her support. It was, to a degree, an unconditional surrender.

…

The day after returning to Castle Black, the election resumed, and all of Aegor’s campaign arrangements were implemented simultaneously. Jarman Buckwell withdrew from the race, and his votes were transferred to Aegor, with only minimal loss. Meanwhile, some brothers from Castle Black, who had previously voted for Yohn Royce after wavering, changed their stance and cast their votes for Aegor.

In stark contrast to the reformist camp’s unity under a single leader, the conservative faction—though larger in number—was plagued with internal divisions. Yohn Royce, after a mere “one-day tour” of the Commander election, quickly withdrew, and the other two Commanders who had stepped aside for him reentered the race. Much to the disappointment of onlookers, the two old Night’s Watch officers still failed to reach an agreement and once again voted for themselves. Everything seemed to have returned to square one.

But unlike before, this time, the brothers of Castle Black weren’t buying it.

During the first round of voting following the Chief Logistics Officer’s return, Aegor surged to first place with more than four hundred votes, far ahead of Ser Denys Mallister’s three hundred and Cotter Pyke’s two hundred-plus. The numbers clearly reflected the sentiment at Castle Black. Compared to their peak, the Commanders of Shadow Tower and Eastwatch-by-the-Sea each lost over a hundred votes. The latter suffered the most—aside from the votes from his own stronghold, Cotter Pyke’s support from Castle Black dwindled to barely more than single digits overnight.

While the voting results were expected, the subsequent news—seemingly unrelated but in fact closely connected—shocked the uninformed:

Two or three dozen southern nobles who had followed Melisandre submitted collective applications to join the Night’s Watch. Aegor had previously refused criminals attempting to take the black in King’s Landing and Crown Town. But later, Commander Mormont had overruled this authority, meaning no Night’s Watch officer had the right to refuse anyone who wished to join. And the Queen’s Party members, being nobles trained in arms, had always been the most welcomed type of recruit.

Commander Mormont, in an effort to train Jon Snow as his successor, had previously sent Ser Alliser Thorne, the former drillmaster at Castle Black who clashed with him, to the South. Now, Ser Endrew Tarth, the current drillmaster, publicly announced in the afternoon that he would soon begin recruiting in the Gift. Healthy men under fifty could apply.

That same day, Ser Denys Mallister, Commander of Shadow Tower, departed westward after lunch with his packed entourage, leaving only one subordinate behind to vote on behalf of his garrison.

—

The results showed that even after being publicly criticized by Aegor for idleness and ineffectiveness, Ser Denys still received nearly a hundred votes from Castle Black—about a third of the votes. That, in itself, was a testament to his recognition. Yet, despite being Aegor’s number one opponent, the old man over seventy years old left without a word in such favorable circumstances.

Everything happens for a reason, but this time, Aegor truly couldn’t grasp Ser Denys’s intent. By leaving Castle Black, he gave up his base of supporters—tantamount to admitting defeat, almost equivalent to withdrawing from the election. But that contradicted his decision to reenter the race earlier that day.

This passive act of handing over nearly a hundred supporters without voting for another candidate might be interpreted as silent resistance: “If I can’t be elected, then no one else can.” But doing so during Robb Stark’s visit to the Wall…

It was akin to publicly slapping the Warden of the North, and forcing Robb’s hand—to adopt Aegor’s proposal of abolishing the stronghold Commanders’ representative voting rights. It was a major gift.

Could it be that the old man had foreseen Robb would make this change anyway, so he returned to his stronghold early to inform his men not to vote for him in the upcoming general election?

Puzzled, Aegor ultimately interpreted Ser Denys’s actions as a tacit admission that his loss was inevitable. Too embarrassed to vote for himself or another candidate, he chose to disappear.

…

Robb Stark, still young, lacked the patience to let such ambiguity drag on. As expected, the impact of Ser Denys Mallister’s strange actions surfaced faster than anyone anticipated. The day after Ser Denys left Castle Black—the third day of Aegor’s return to the Wall—the first round of voting concluded in the morning. Upon learning that the representative left behind by Ser Denys had still cast his vote for his absent superior, the young Warden of the North could no longer sit still and finally intervened.

Robb announced a decision that, technically, fell outside his authority, but was welcomed by many of the Night’s Watch: the suspension of the election, the return of all voting representatives except the candidates, and preparations for a one-person, one-vote system for every member of the Night’s Watch.

—

To ensure fairness, Robb would dispatch personnel to supervise elections at every Night’s Watch stronghold along the Wall. His group from Winterfell was large enough to manage the task, but they were unfamiliar with the terrain and preparations would take time. Still, the world didn’t revolve solely around the Wall or the Night’s Watch election. Just a few days after the vote was suspended at Castle Black, two other major developments occurred in the Gift.

First, grain purchased from the North began arriving at Crown Town. Though many northern families were reluctant to hear the food was for Wildlings, the sale went relatively smoothly. After all, the Night’s Watch had helped repel the Ironborn and were willing to pay for the grain rather than seize it. The quantity wasn’t huge, but together with the remaining stockpile, it would be enough to last until the grain shipment from Braavos arrived.

Second, envoys from the four major houses bordering the Gift—summoned by Robb Stark—also arrived at Castle Black.

…

As Warden of the North, Robb Stark’s visit to the Wall prompted the four great vassals—Houses Glover, Umber, Karstark, and Bolton—to send their Lords in person, each with several dozen retainers and family members. They gathered at Crown Town before heading north together, arriving at Castle Black in a group nearly three hundred strong. The Night’s Watch headquarters, already scaled down in size, was overwhelmed. Even long-abandoned rooms were reopened for lodging. The Chief Logistics Officer and craftsmen of the Night’s Watch, now acting as hosts, were so busy accommodating their noble guests that they had little time to consider how to handle Aegor. For now, the arrival of these powerful delegations brought a rare period of peace and liveliness to Castle Black.

Robb hosted a banquet on the day the four families arrived to welcome his vassals.

“My Lords, the reason I summoned you is as stated in my letter. The late Lord Commander Jeor Mormont initiated the Gift resettlement plan, taking in surrendered Wildlings and converting them into grey-area citizens to support the Wall’s operation and address the shortage of manpower. On the other hand, the Wildlings have always been the greatest threat to the North. To ensure the region’s safety, I’ve brought you here to inspect the Gift and help decide whether we should intervene.”

The Lords nodded in understanding. Galbart Glover was the first to speak. “We heard in Crown Town that the Night’s Watch is holding an election for a new Commander. Has it been settled yet?”

“Not yet,” Robb replied. “The candidates have been deadlocked for too long. I had no choice but to step in and cancel the representative voting system. We’ll now implement a one-person, one-vote system under my supervision.” He cast a solemn glance at the Night’s Watch officers seated at the table. Though he was displeased, it wasn’t his place to criticize them openly. He simply added, “The costs of tonight’s feast will be covered by Winterfell. You’ve all traveled far—please enjoy. In two days, we’ll depart to inspect the Wall and the Gift, and determine our final stance on the resettlement plan.”

“The Warden has spoken, and we shall follow,” Roose Bolton said coldly, glancing at the Black Brothers with pale eyes. “However, the Night’s Watch has yet to elect a new Commander. That means the brothers themselves may not have decided their stance on the Gift resettlement plan. In that case, even if we form opinions, who exactly should we present our concerns to? And what weight would our opinions carry?”

It was a valid concern, and Robb had not considered it. He paused briefly, then responded, “The election has dragged on for over two months. Even with my intervention, it’s hard to say when it will conclude. But the matter of the Wildlings involves the safety of the North. We can’t delay a decision indefinitely. I’ve decided to observe first. If the Wildlings show signs of endangering the realm, we’ll halt the plan—regardless of the election outcome. If not, we’ll return to the North and let the Night’s Watch resolve the issue on their own.”

Roose Bolton frowned and nodded. “That’s not entirely wrong… but it seems like an unnecessary complication. In chaotic times, one shouldn’t be overly bound by procedure. Just appoint someone as Commander. Then we inspect the Gift and report our findings to that person. Wouldn’t that save time and effort?”

Appoint? That word struck Aegor. He had believed the North was the most traditional region of the Seven Kingdoms, yet Roose Bolton voiced such a radical idea. As expected, while ordinary men used a thousand mundane tactics, ruthless men all shared one trait—they ignored convention.

Aegor silently heightened his guard against the man.

…

“Lord Bolton, the Wall has stood for thousands of years, but never has a Commander been appointed by the Warden of the North!” Cotter Pyke objected sharply. Already frustrated by Ser Denys’s sudden departure and Robb’s cancellation of representative voting, he was further provoked by the Flayer’s audacity. “Lord Stark made a reasonable change to the voting system, which everyone accepts. But if someone is simply appointed, who’s to say the brothers will accept that decision?”

Lord Glover agreed. “I also think it’s unwise. A Commander elected by the Night’s Watch carries the support of most of the men. That ensures orders are followed. Forcing someone into the role who can’t win the men’s trust might resolve one issue, but it risks destabilizing the Wall’s defenses in the long run.”

If Robb Stark were to appoint a Commander, that person would most likely be Aegor. Robb knew him better than anyone in the Watch. Yet to take power this way, under such favorable conditions, would feel like a tainted victory and stir endless controversy. Even Aegor himself was not fond of the idea.

Thankfully, Robb didn’t seem to support it either.

“My Lords, you needn’t worry about whom to report to,” he said quickly, seizing the moment. “I supported the late Commander and can be considered the successor to his great vision. The Gift resettlement plan currently runs under my coordination. In the next two days, I’ll personally lead the inspection. If you have opinions or suggestions, bring them directly to me.”

(To be continued.)

***

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