What a terrible timing coincidence, the Night's Watch plus the North versus the White Walkers and the army of the dead. It was a perfectly good script, but the Iron Islands and the Dragon Queen just had to get involved. Thinking along the lines of conspiracy, these two sides are probably subconsciously controlled by the cold god and the Lord of Light respectively, which is why they just so happened to appear on the edge of the battlefield at this final moment.
Euron Greyjoy is undoubtedly an enemy, but can Daenerys Targaryen be considered an ally?
If we are discussing fighting the cold god, then the answer is clearly yes, and she is far more than just an ally, she is the core. If the proxy war theory that Greenseer Bran deduced is true, then Daenerys, who hatched the Three Dragons, is probably the top seed on R'hllor's list of chosen ones, while I and Jon Snow are likely just backup insurance options, whoever performs better ranks second.
But this world is not merely a stage for the conflict between the cold god and the Lord of Light. The relationships between factions are outrageously complex. Putting everything else aside, Daenerys returned to Westeros not to fight the White Walkers, but to take back what is hers.
The Dragon Queen's perfectly timed return put Aegor in a rather awkward position. Using a note to force Petyr Baelish away, risking helping Tyrion Lannister escape back to the Westerlands, safely bringing Arya Stark back to Winterfell. After a series of miscellaneous operations, although he had never left Westeros, his influence on the world as a transmigrator had already spread dramatically across the Narrow Sea like a giant rock thrown into a pool, involving Daenerys, who was once far away on the other side of the world.
It was precisely because predicting her actions based on the original plot became impossible that Aegor made all his arrangements for the Gift and the Wall under the premise of completely disregarding the Dragon Queen's existence.
If the Gift could resist the cold god's servants on its own without the help of her Three Dragons and Unsullied, then if she did end up coming, would it not be icing on the cake, making victory even more certain?
The production of wildfire and dragonglass weapons is progressing smoothly, with reserves large enough to kill a hundred thousand wights several times over. The recruitment and training of soldiers, while not yet perfect, is already close and usable. The special gift prepared for the White Walkers, the Dragonglass Bomb, has also developed relatively mature models and processes after several trials and improvements, only waiting for a stable supply of Powder for mass production. But the problem lies precisely in this item.
The Gift is freezing cold, with no conditions for large-scale experiments and production related to chemical reactions and requiring strict temperature control. Therefore, both searching for nitrate mines and attempting to produce nitrate are tasks assigned to the exploration department and researchers within the King's Landing Industrial Park. Once the war between Daenerys and Stannis breaks out, the Night's Watch Industry, headquartered in King's Landing, will inevitably be affected, and I might not receive the most crucial nitrate, having to fight the White Walkers without Dragonglass Bombs.
---
Myrcella, having received permission to enter, tiptoed in, brushing past Melisandre, who happened to look annoyed. Although she possessed beauty no less than the Red Priestess, the Little Princess was at a significant disadvantage in terms of height and presence. Fortunately, Melisandre would not bother a little girl for no reason. She casually glanced down, then turned and left the room.
The door closed, and Myrcella, feeling as though Melisandre had glared at her, timidly asked, "Lord Aegor, did I disturb you?"
"No, just a small disagreement." Aegor struggled to pull a thread from his chaotic thoughts and forced a kind smile. "How was it? Did you see your two brothers?"
I saw them. Joffrey was still the same, fidgety and complaining about this and that, showing no joy at all upon seeing his sister, while Tommen cried and sobbed, hugging his sister and shedding tears for a long time, not only stealing her tragic scene but also needing her, who was clearly a girl, to comfort him. Of course, there was no need to mention all these minor details and bother Aegor.
Although what her two brothers described was not entirely consistent, Myrcella was intelligent enough to pick out useful information from their jumbled accounts. She could see that the situation in the Gift was much better than the legends and her imagination suggested, and Joffrey and Tommen, though not living in comfort and ease, were clearly receiving thorough protection and care. Feeling relieved, and being as meticulous as she was, she naturally did not forget her manners and quickly came to thank Aegor for arranging all of this.
"I saw them." Myrcella suppressed the heartache of having just parted with her two distressed brothers, and walked toward Aegor's desk, pretending to be cheerful. "They are doing very well, thank you so much for your care, Lord Aegor."
"You are welcome. Have a seat, do not be a stranger, make yourself at home."
Although there was a pile of things to do, humans are visual creatures after all, and being with such a little darling would make anyone feel relaxed and happy. Aegor had not actually taken special care of those two boys. He had just entrusted them to the teachers at Crown Town Academy, giving a few instructions for them to pay close attention. However, when subordinates do a good job, the leader naturally deserves credit, so he accepted this thank you with a clear conscience.
Then, he quickly remembered something he wanted to ask. "You came at the right time, Miss Maeve. You were in Winterfell, did you hear any news from the south about Daenerys Targaryen returning to Westeros?"
Myrcella was a bit younger than Arya, and also similar in height. Standing on the other side of the desk only a head taller than the seated Aegor, it did not seem too abrupt. She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then nodded. "I think I heard the servants in the castle discussing something about the Mad King's daughter being back, but I am not very clear on the specific situation. Perhaps you could ask Arya or Catelyn, they might know more details."
That is true. Myrcella is a little girl living under someone else's roof, in the castle of her parents' enemy family. It would take most of her effort just to avoid being disliked, how could she have the time or energy to inquire about such things? Whether it is Stannis, Aegor, or Daenerys, none of them are on good terms with the Lannisters, and whoever wins has nothing to do with her, Myrcella Baratheon. Why bother with who is fighting whom?
Aegor unconsciously stroked his chin and began to seriously consider Melisandre's suggestion. The direct reason was not to enlist Daenerys as an ally, but to protect the Night's Watch Office and Industry in King's Landing.
Just like when Renly Baratheon led his army to besiege King's Landing, Aegor went to see him and requested that his army bypass the Industrial Park during the siege and not plunder it.
But this time is different from Renly's previous attack on King's Landing. This trip, even if he went to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and took a fast ship to travel at the fastest speed, assuming Daenerys was in the south and not just wandering around waiting for him, would still take at least ten days round trip. If the White Walkers attacked during this time, what would this be if not desertion?
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)