What the hell, do I have a grudge against you?
Aegor nearly blurted it out.
The speaker was from House Karstark, someone Aegor wasn't familiar with. Staring at him in confusion, Aegor couldn't tell if the man had spoken out of simple-mindedness or if he had deeper intentions by dragging trouble onto him.
He was annoyed, but outwardly smiled and shook his head. "Well—I have no opinion."
Robb smiled. "Don't hold back. Sharing your thoughts isn't interfering in the internal affairs of the Seven Kingdoms."
Didn't you just say we wouldn't talk business? A few drinks and you've already forgotten?
Though he complained silently, Aegor wasn't a child. There was no reason to be shy about giving his opinion. Unable to refuse, he spoke plainly and without hesitation, stating his views on the pros and cons of what to do with Asha.
"He is right. Keeping Balon's daughter in custody contains unpredictable elements and lets us take the initiative if something changes in the future." To Aegor's surprise, Roose Bolton once again supported his opinion. "The North isn't going to face famine just because of one more prisoner."
Robb was still young and clearly couldn't hold his liquor. After several drinks, his cheeks were flushed, and his thinking dulled. He pondered for a moment, then gave up. "Well, since most of you think Asha Greyjoy should be imprisoned, then let's do that."
...
There hadn't been a vote, so where did this "majority" come from? Fortunately, the disagreement over how to handle Asha wasn't a matter of principle, and the final decision didn't harm the interests of any family present. Since the Lord of Winterfell had spoken, no one objected further. Those who wanted to drink raised their cups, those who wanted meat picked up their knives and forks again, and conversation resumed. The brief interruption was about to pass—until Aegor looked up at Robb and happened to meet the eyes of the slightly tipsy new Lord Stark.
A sudden sense of foreboding washed over him.
As if confirming Aegor's premonition, Robb continued his half-finished thought. "This woman was captured by Aegor himself. I think you should be responsible for watching over her long term."
What?
Aegor immediately grew anxious. "My Lord... I didn't personally capture Asha Greyjoy. Besides... guarding her takes manpower, and manpower is the one thing we lack most on the Wall and in the Gift!"
"You need manpower to guard her, and I don't?" Robb replied with a chuckle. "Most of Winterfell's soldiers either marched south with my father or rode to war with me. With so few men left, the dungeons have already been cleared, and the jailers reassigned as guards. If I were to keep her, I'd have to reopen the dungeons, reestablish watch shifts and patrols... but in Crown Town, where you already have quite a few prisoners, one more won't matter." He smiled. "Besides, the Gift doesn't look like it's short of people right now."
If you'd just confirm that the Gift resettlement plan can continue, then of course there'd be no shortage of people... Aegor thought silently, but couldn't say that out loud. He looked to Robb with pleading eyes, hoping the other man would pick up on the subtext:
(Are you kidding me? Theon, Joffrey, Tommen, and a group of captured Ironborn are already locked up in Crown Town, and I haven't even decided what to do with them yet. And now you're tossing me another burden? You can't bully people like this!)
Robb raised the corner of his mouth and shook his head, his eyes also glinting:
(You lured me to the Gift to boost your election bid. Did you think I was so young I wouldn't notice? I've supported you—now it's time you do something for me and share the burden. It's just one more prisoner, what's the big deal?)
...
After a round of silent eye contact, Aegor finally gave in. "Alright, since Lord Stark says so, we'll escort the prisoner to Crown Town in a few days. I'll take charge of her supervision."
"Excellent. Put some thought into it and don't let her escape." Robb nodded in satisfaction. "It's a thousand miles from the Iron Islands to the Gift, and the wilderness between is vast and uninhabited. Even if she escapes, she won't get far."
That was true. The harsh conditions were precisely why the Wall had always been the Seven Kingdoms' top choice for banishing the unwanted.
A noble female prisoner might sound exciting, but in reality... it was just another headache.
With so many burdens already, one more wasn't going to matter. Compared to figuring out what to do with Joffrey and Tommen, Asha was a relatively minor issue. At least she didn't have a father like Jaime—highly skilled in arms, currently at Aegor's side, and an important supporter.
...
In fact, Aegor still hadn't found the right time to tell Jaime that his two sons had been handed over to him by Robb and were now being held in Crown Town.
The Commander election had reached a critical stage, and the Wall couldn't withstand even a minor disturbance right now. Aegor had planned to wait until he secured the position before informing this walking powder keg, and then properly address the issues surrounding the Crown Town prisoners.
---
Speak of the devil. Not long after the banquet ended, as Aegor returned to his room, the Kingslayer himself appeared—Jaime Lannister came knocking alone.
"Jaime." Aegor suppressed his unease and greeted him. "Come in. What's going on?"
Did he find out that his two sons were in Crown Town? But everyone there was loyal. The chance of information leaking was very low... Besides, this heartless Kingslayer didn't strike Aegor as the type to actively dig up intelligence.
Luckily, Jaime didn't look angry or dangerous. Without waiting for Aegor to finish speaking, he sat down casually in a chair. "Today, Val came to see me."
"Val? The 'Wildling Princess'?" In truth, Val was Mance Rayder's sister-in-law, but since everyone referred to her as the Wildling Princess, Aegor had followed suit. He nodded in confusion, quickly catching the oddity in Jaime's statement. "But she's not allowed to leave Hardin's Tower. How did she get to you?"
Jaime's expression froze. He cleared his throat and explained, "Well... she sent word through the guards. The brothers came to get me, and I went to the tower."
"Oh?" Aegor looked at him with interest. "And?"
He was no longer the slacker of his past life, muddling through in a state-run job. Now, as Chief Logistics Officer and the top candidate for Commander, he'd sharpened his instincts. He could see the layers of meaning beneath a seemingly simple situation: a "Wildling Princess" under house arrest at Castle Black was able to get the guards to fetch Jaime Lannister—infamous Kingslayer, slayer of two kings—who then eagerly went to see her. That was... interesting.
Clearly, Jaime hadn't been idle during his time at the Wall. And Val was something of an anomaly among the Wildlings. Despite growing up Beyond the Wall, she was tall, healthy, and beautiful, with refined manners. Though not quite as stunning as Cersei, she was blonde as well... and for a certain blonde enthusiast, it wasn't hard to imagine what might happen.
Of course, Jaime's own appeal was substantial. "Kingslaying" might even be considered a badge of honor to some Wildlings. Between his reputation and good looks, maybe Val was the one pursuing him.
"I have nothing going on with her!" Jaime growled, annoyed at Aegor's teasing expression. "Val's just bored. She chats with the guards now and then. I've only talked to her a few times!"
"Alright, alright, I get it. Just friends." Aegor waved it off, cutting off Jaime's defensive rant. "Not like I care. I'm not your superior—yet. Even if I become Commander, I won't meddle in your personal life. But you didn't come here just to tell me you made a friend, did you?"
"Of course not. She told me that in the past couple days, strangers have been lurking outside Hardin's Tower, watching her family."
(Sounds like she's bored and looking for an excuse to call you over to chat.) Aegor thought, but shrugged and smiled. "What's strange about that? I can't stop the brothers from wanting to sneak a look at the King-Beyond-the-Wall's sister-in-law... If it bothers her, maybe she should take a page from her brother-in-law and stay inside."
"It's not that simple. Val said those people weren't just idle onlookers. They didn't leave even when she stayed out of sight. And when the guards changed shifts, they tried to chat them up and trick them."
Aegor immediately grew serious, dropping his playful tone. "Are you sure she's not exaggerating?"
"No!" Jaime thumped the table. "Do I look like a fool to you?"
Aegor propped his head against his fist, deep in thought. There had always been dissent among the Night's Watch regarding Commander Mormont's decision to imprison Mance Rayder and his family. Demands for execution had never truly vanished... Could it be that someone was planning to take matters into their own hands at this critical moment?
A few seconds later, clarity struck him. He understood now why Denys Mallister had abruptly left Castle Black—and why it might've been a calculated move.
"Did Val identify who was watching the tower? No... it doesn't matter. Even if she's mistaken, I can't ignore this." Aegor paused, thinking it through. His victory in the election was all but certain, which meant he needed to be even more cautious. Even if no one had plans yet, he had to eliminate any risk of a crisis involving the King-Beyond-the-Wall that could spark chaos in the Gift. "We can't let the conservatives use this as a pretext. Here's what we'll do... for safety's sake, we'll move Mance Rayder's family to Crown Town where they'll be under our direct protection."
Technically, Aegor didn't have the authority to override the previous Lord Commander's orders. But neither he nor Jaime were the type to fuss over procedure. Jaime nodded without hesitation. "That's smart. When should we move them?"
"Not right away. The Northern Lords are still at Castle Black. If we make a big show of transferring the King-Beyond-the-Wall's family now, I'll have to explain it. Besides, with so many Northmen in the castle, our enemies probably won't dare make a move." He thought it through and made a decision. "Start by assigning a few of your most reliable Westerland men to guard Hardin's Tower alongside the regular patrol. I'll send for reinforcements from Crown Town. When I leave to escort the Northern Lords to Nightfort, you'll transfer Mance Rayder's family then."
"Understood." Jaime was satisfied with the plan, nodded, and stood to leave.
"Wait a moment." Aegor stopped him.
Although the Night's Watch had gained new recruits, its overall strength hadn't improved significantly. The elite troops from the Westerlands that Jaime and his father had sent were likely stronger in combat than the few hundred old, sick, and injured at Castle Black. If any resistance arose during the transfer, it would fall to them. Jaime was the ideal choice to oversee the move. But if he were the one to take Mance's family to Crown Town and found his own children there—children Aegor had concealed from him—it could be a problem.
He had to warn him ahead of time.
"There's something I need to tell you." Aegor said slowly, once Jaime sat back down. "Before he died, Eddard Stark arranged for Stannis to take the throne. Joffrey and Tommen were to take the black. Robb Stark has handed them over to me, and I'm currently keeping them in Crown Town... I want your opinion, as their uncle. Should I bring your two nephews to Castle Black for you to raise yourself, or should I continue watching over them in Crown Town?"
Jaime's body stiffened immediately.
Uncle. Aegor had used the polite term, but both men knew the truth. The so-called "nephews" were actually Jaime and Cersei's children, born of incest.
According to the law, once a man joins the Night's Watch, all previous crimes are forgiven. And while reality wasn't always so tidy, Jaime had heard no insults or mockery since arriving at the Wall. The higher officers weren't crude, and the rank-and-file brothers feared his swordsmanship—and the Westerland men backing him. Many of the men here had done far worse than kingslaying. Jaime's only distinction was killing a king, and up here in the frozen North, who truly loved King Robert enough to care?
He had thought he could leave his past behind. But it clung to him like a shadow.
His face changed several times before he gritted his teeth and asked, "If I said I didn't care, what would you do with them?"
Aegor hadn't settled on a final plan yet, but the basic idea was forming. "I'm planning to establish a school in Crown Town to manage hostages and educate the children of Wildling chieftains. Keeping Joffrey and Tommen there, among other children their age, might be good for them."
"Among their peers? You want my... nephews living with Wildling children?"
"Then what's your idea? Bring them to Castle Black to stay with you, their 'uncle,' surrounded by murderers and criminals?" Aegor snapped. "How many dirty looks and rumors will they have to endure? You think you can protect them now? Face reality!"
Jaime took a deep breath, fists clenched. After a long pause, he spoke. "Maybe I can't protect them right now. But if anyone hurts them, I'll make sure they pay. Whether it's Robb Stark or anyone else—you'd best remember that."
With that, he turned, pushed the door open, and left without looking back.
Aegor sat with arms folded, watching the Kingslayer's retreating back. A dark cloud hovered over him. He was both frustrated and amused.
That thickheaded Jaime... He didn't even ask where Myrcella was. He says he wants to protect his children, but turns around and threatens an ally. What was he thinking?
Aegor was already well aware of Jaime's shortcomings and didn't plan to argue with him. Placing Joffrey and Tommen in Crown Town wasn't just about physical protection. Unlike the South, the people beyond the Wall had long understood that inbreeding weakened offspring. But unlike the Seven Kingdoms, Wildlings didn't have strict taboos. They preferred to raid from distant tribes when forming new families. Their aversion to incest wasn't moral, but practical.
They'd likely mock Jaime for lacking the ambition to "steal" from faraway clans, not for fathering bastards. And as long as Aegor instructed his staff in Crown Town to keep court gossip to a minimum, the New Gift's children wouldn't hold the boys' parentage against them.
That was the protection the two truly needed.
(To be continued.)
I just finished a fic I was working on and I'm thinking of starting another soon, so if you have any recs, drop them. Also, it's a new week, don't forget to drop more stones for bonuses xD
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves
(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)