It wasn't just Aegor and Melisandre who were troubled by the election of the Lord Commander. Inside Lance Tower, where the Shadow Tower delegation was temporarily residing, Ser Denys Mallister—who had just dismissed a few subordinates and was enjoying a moment of quiet reflection—received two very unwelcome guests.
"Cotter Pyke. Lord Royce." The old knight watched his long-time rival and Yohn Royce push open the door and step inside. With a forced smile, he said, "I sincerely hope you two aren't here again to persuade me to vote for one of you. If we truly wish to prevent the Wildlings from permanently settling in the Gift, the only way forward is to put aside all past grudges and cast all your votes for me."
Cotter's eyes widened. "You always claim to be the clear-headed one. So why aren't you voting for me?"
"Because I would make a more qualified Commander than you!"
Denys blurted it out, but the moment the words left his mouth, all three of them were reminded of Aegor's criticism of the word qualified at the voting site earlier that day. A silence fell, heavy and awkward.
"More qualified? Hmph." Cotter sneered, though he didn't press the point. "The vote count doesn't say so. Eastwatch-by-the-Sea has fewer men than the Shadow Tower, so I had fewer votes than you. Remove that factor, and I'd say the brothers at Castle Black respect me just as much."
"You still think that?" Ser Denys raised his eyebrows in disbelief. Then, laughing aloud, he said, "To be Commander, swinging a sword well isn't enough. You're too thick-headed. Haven't you realized? After all three of us withdrew from the race today, most of the brothers at Castle Black who had previously supported you turned and voted for Jarman Buckwell!"
"Voting is anonymous. How could you be so sure?"
"Voting may be anonymous, but how could such a thing go unnoticed? If you take the time to observe and ask the right questions, there's always a way to find out," Denys replied with scorn. "I've always wondered why your votes trailed mine. Now, I think it was probably the doing of our clever Chief Logistics Officer. A neat little trick to keep us deadlocked and paint us as incompetent for failing to elect a Lord Commander. It's truly brilliant. Robb Stark is clearly disappointed with us. He believes that, with the North under threat, we wasted two months fighting over the position, showing we lack any understanding of the bigger picture. And the worst part? He's right. I've lost this match. An old man like me must now concede a few steps to a young upstart like Aegor. And you? You haven't even realized you've been played. All these years and you still can't see through a trick... You've learned nothing. When it comes to being a good Commander, you still have much to learn."
Such scheming was never Cotter Pyke's strength, and he didn't pretend otherwise. The Commander of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea wrinkled his nose and said disdainfully, "Hmph... I don't care how clever his tricks are. Can he use those against the White Walkers when the time comes?"
"Perhaps not. But he's the only one among us who has actually killed a White Walker. When it comes to facing that enemy, we're not even qualified to comment." Denys cast a glance at Yohn Royce standing behind Cotter, his tone meaningful. "You may choose not to use tactics, but at the very least, you should be able to see through them. All the signs tell us that our enemies are intelligent, magical beings. I will never vote for someone who lacks the awareness to even recognize that. All you know is how to charge forward and challenge your enemies head-on."
...
Nothing stings more than having your flaws laid bare. In truth, if his men hadn't stopped him—and if Arya Stark and her brother, the young Warden of the North, hadn't arrived in time—Cotter had truly been ready to draw his sword and challenge Aegor to a duel at the election site. Having his thoughts exposed only deepened his shame and anger. His face flushed with fury.
These two old bastards, both older than him, yet neither of them could see the bigger picture. If they had simply made peace earlier, how could that clown Aegor have jumped into the race?
Yohn Royce cursed silently to himself, beginning to regret having persuaded Cotter to accompany him to speak with Mallister about how to counter Aegor. These two lifelong rivals couldn't remain civil even for a minute.
...
"My lords, please, calm yourselves. What matters now is not our rivalry but our common enemy—how to stop Aegor West from twisting truth and lies, and gaining an advantage in the election by deceiving the brothers of Castle Black!"
"A common enemy?" Denys Mallister raised an eyebrow. "Aegor West is a sworn brother, and the Chief Logistics Officer of the Night's Watch. Since when did he become our enemy? I've always seen him as a promising newcomer. I don't agree with all of his methods, but he is a worthy and formidable opponent."
He paused, then added seriously, "Yohn—if I may call you that—aside from the fact that Aegor went on a ranging beyond the Wall with Waymar and did not return with him, there is no evidence proving he killed your son. I trust the judgment of Commander Mormont and Benjen Stark. As for his suggestion to King Robert that led to the fall of the Bloody Gate, that matter was approved by the crowned King of the Seven Kingdoms, and carried out by the Warden of the North. If I were you, I'd never bring it up again. Instead of thinking about how to deal with Aegor, I've spent tonight considering how to respond to the accusations he made against me earlier today. And to be honest, even after cooling down and giving it thought, I still haven't found a better strategy."
"Lord Denys, your remarks are thoughtful, and I will try to let go of my biases and personal grievances. But I must also say—your focus is misplaced. That boy flipped the entire table over and threw it in your face, yet you're still down there on the ground, gathering cards, trying to figure out how you lost the last hand?" Yohn Royce said bluntly. "He used unorthodox tactics to build momentum. To counter him, we must also use unorthodox tactics. He threw the table, and we're worried about cards and dice? No. The proper response is—punch him in the face."
...
Denys considered Yohn Royce's words and realized he was right. He had fallen into a blind spot, treating Aegor like a rule-abiding opponent, when in reality, Aegor wasn't playing by the rules at all. If Denys tried to respond with conventional words and reasoning, he'd never win.
The old knight gave a slight nod. "Lord Royce has a point. I only hope—when you talk about fists, it's a metaphor. I've taken the black and sworn my vows. I will never actively participate in, nor endorse, any plan that harms my brothers."
"Of course it's a metaphor." Yohn Royce nodded. "I've carefully reviewed everything that happened at the vote today. Why did Aegor's accusations resonate so strongly with the brothers? I believe the key lies in one word: forgetting. After Commander Mormont was killed, Aegor swiftly handled the culprit, then quietly left Castle Black to avoid the political fallout. Two months is just enough time for the brothers to forget that the previous Commander died at the hands of the Free Folk, and for them to grow weary of endless voting. We can no longer use that incident against him. Meanwhile, the brothers are still wearing clothes provided by the Logistics Department and sleeping beneath quilts he arranged. The shifting tides of goodwill—that's the real reason he turned the tide and gained the upper hand."
As the former Lord of Runestone, Royce saw far more than Cotter Pyke ever could. Denys nodded. "Your analysis holds water. So what's your plan?"
"To bring him down, there's only one way—remind the brothers that the Free Folk are our enemies."
"If Aegor were here, he'd tell you that you're violating Commander Mormont's rule on terminology. The people from beyond the Wall have surrendered to the Night's Watch and are now classified as 'Grey Area Citizens.' They are subjects of the realm, not enemies," Denys replied, shrugging. "Besides, from what I've seen, they've behaved well lately."
"They've behaved because they were shaken by the bloodshed. But Wildlings don't change so easily. One little push, and their savage nature will reveal itself again."
"Hmm…" Ser Denys Mallister narrowed his eyes. "So tell me, how exactly do you plan to give this little push?"
"Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, and his family are being held in the tower right next to ours. If anything happens to him, the Free Folk in the Gift will believe the Night's Watch is preparing to break its promises and make an example of them." Yohn lowered his voice. "As long as one tribe—or even just one Wildling—acts out in protest, say, by causing a scene at a fortress or attacking a brother, we can use it as justification to knock Aegor off his pedestal and trample him underfoot!"
After finishing his pitch, Yohn silently watched the Shadow Tower Commander, waiting for a response. But Denys's reaction caught him off guard.
His face changed instantly. Eyes wide in disbelief, he snapped, "Are you insane?"
"Whether they're scared or genuinely trying to change, the Free Folk have been peaceful lately. That's all that matters. What logic is there in forcing them to rebel? The Wall has barely a thousand sworn brothers and seven thousand mountain clansfolk—many of them old or young. If they start fighting thirty thousand Wildlings, how are we supposed to defend against threats from beyond the Wall? Not to mention, Robb Stark is here, visiting. If this explodes while he's watching, yes, Aegor may not recover—but do you really think we will walk away unscathed? I will not let you do this!"
"We have fortresses. If we prepare ahead of time—"
"Don't say another word! Pyke, is this your brilliant plan after half a day of discussion? I'd vote for Aegor myself before I'd support this kind of madness!"
Royce hadn't expected such a strong reaction. He tried again to persuade him. "That boy showed his true colors today. Why should we play nice?"
"Two different matters! Aegor may have crossed a line with his words today, but they broke no laws and didn't cross any moral boundaries. What you're planning is pure lunacy. Even if I had a blood feud with him, even if he stole my wife, I'd never use innocent lives to drag him down!" Ser Denys Mallister, with surprising agility for a man of his age, leapt up from his chair. "Now, get out of my chambers. I'll pretend this conversation never happened. But if either of you dares act on this madness, I will show no mercy!"
...
"No mercy? Old man, this isn't the Shadow Tower. Watch your tone," Cotter Pyke growled. "I've had enough of your ugly mug. Just tell me—if you won't support Royce's plan, what are you going to do? Just sit there and let that brat humiliate you?"
"That boy will pay for his insolence. No matter what happens, I will never vote for him. If he has the skill to win without my support, so be it. As for my plans, I'll only say this—I'd never stoop to your level. As for anything else, I have no comment."
"Remember you said that." With nothing more to add, Cotter Pyke turned on his heel and strode toward the door. "Yohn, they've thrown us out. You coming or not?"
---
So this is Yohn Royce, the same man who came up with that absurd "Alliance of the Righteous." Arrogant in the Vale, and now dragging his madness to the Wall.
After seeing off the two unwelcome guests, Ser Denys Mallister returned to his chair. His gaze flickered thoughtfully. After a moment, he turned to his steward and summoned his most trusted subordinate.
"My lord, what are your orders?"
"I plan to return to the Shadow Tower tomorrow. Before I go, I'll transfer Shadow Tower's representative voting rights to you. You'll stay here at Castle Black and continue participating in the election."
"Huh?" the subordinate said in surprise. "Then… who should I vote for?"
"Me."
"But… if you're not here, it'll be hard to sway the brothers at Castle Black. And… if… if you leave now…"
Denys finished the thought for him. "People will say I tucked my tail between my legs and ran back to my nest after being chewed out by the Chief Logistics Officer. I know. But I've thought it through. Don't ask too many questions… Just remember, no matter what happens, don't interfere, don't get involved. Just cast Shadow Tower's vote for me, and keep doing it until the election ends."
The man had followed Ser Denys for ten years. He knew his lord was always careful and forward-thinking. After a moment of consideration, he nodded. "Understood."
"Good. Then go make preparations. Move into this room tomorrow."
...
If Cotter Pyke and Yohn Royce hadn't come by earlier, Denys would still be racking his brain for a way to turn the tide. But now, he was scared.
He had two reckless teammates.
Yohn Royce's hatred for Aegor Westerling had clouded his judgment. As for Cotter Pyke, being cursed out publicly was as serious to him as a murder in the family. If Denys stayed at Castle Black, he'd be dragged into their schemes, covered in filth, and disgrace himself in his final years.
Instinct told him Aegor would eventually win and become Lord Commander. Reason told him the smartest move was to cast his vote for the likely winner—but he'd already said in public he would never vote for Aegor. A man must have some principles. Besides, a young man who publicly shamed his elder should still pay a price for it.
A foreigner from an unknown background, not even of noble blood, might soon become his superior. That made Denys, born into the noble house of Seagard, deeply uncomfortable. But if this Aegor truly had the ability to win the election despite Cotter Pyke stirring up trouble and himself refusing to support him, then Denys would accept it. He would serve the Night's Watch's first foreign-born Commander with diligence from the Shadow Tower until his dying day. How bad could that be?
(To be continued.)
***
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