Chapter 388: The Housing Dilemma
Shortage of rooms.
A trivial matter, something that truly shouldn't trouble a Lord Commander of the Night's Watch who is burdened with myriad official duties. In reality, however, this puzzle wasn't something Yam—a mere Mayor—could solve on his own.
The reason? The cause of this unexpected shortage was the guests; or more accurately, the guests who hadn't been accounted for.
Catelyn Tully had brought two young girls to visit the Gift. Although the main party was only three people, they had brought along over a dozen guards and servants. The North had a long tradition of respecting the Night's Watch; from the time Egger was a mere private, he had been granted a private guest room every time he visited Winterfell without exception—even during King Robert's visit. As the saying goes, one good turn deserves another. Now that he was Lord Commander, he accorded those from Winterfell the same high-standard reception. Lady Stark and her two girls were given a room each, naturally; even the soldiers and servants, though they couldn't all have private rooms, were placed two or three to a chamber. Everyone had a bed, and their treatment was no worse than that of the Queenscrown Guard.
Upon his return from King's Landing, Egger brought back a new subordinate and two groups of guests. Qyburn could be arranged to stay with the pyromancers, which was no trouble. Tobho Mott, as an invited master craftsman, would at least stay with his own apprentice if not in a private room—Egger couldn't bring himself to offer anything less. As for the Lord of Blackhaven and Thoros, although they had proactively come to help, they were still a high lord and a priest, plus three followers. At the very least, they required two small rooms or one large one.
The reality was this: while Egger's desire to treat his guests well came from a good place, the inner keep of Queenscrown was not as massive or room-rich as Winterfell. After all was said and done, the guest rooms in the inner keep were actually full.
And that was only the current situation. Once the White Walker alarm sounds and all production in the industrial zone stops, at least thirty or forty technical specialists and managers on the priority list would also need to move into the inner keep for the highest level of protection. Some were craftsmen hired by the Logistics Department from across the Seven Kingdoms; others were talents Egger had trained himself. They were neither trained for combat, nor did their contracts include fighting Others for the Night's Watch. Unless absolutely necessary, even if they were willing, Egger would not send them to the front lines.
If he didn't want these guests and subordinates—who were of vital value to him—sleeping in warehouses, the inner keep needed to vacate at least five or six rooms as a reserve. This was the only way to ensure they wouldn't be improvising in a panic at the most critical moment.
However, regarding the housing of these guests, Yam—though high-ranking within the Night's Watch industries and a key manager of Queenscrown—was ultimately just a steward rather than the master. He lacked the authority to make such changes on his own.
This was the true reason Yam reported the room shortage to Egger. Much like how visiting the Targaryen Queen to declare neutrality had to be done by Egger himself and couldn't be delegated to Nina, the nature of an action changes completely based on the identity of the person performing it. As the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, the Lord of the Gift, and a man of some renown throughout the Seven Kingdoms, if he personally explained the lack of space and coordinated the housing, it would only take a word. Whether it was Arya, Myrcella, the Winterfell soldiers, or Lord Beric and Thoros... vacating a few rooms would be simple. Conversely, if Yam stepped up without any formal standing and said, "Sorry, we're out of rooms, you'll have to squeeze together," it would be seen as a grave insult.
Leaving the conference room, Egger gave Arya an annoyed look. "You brat, did you let that slip in the meeting on purpose just to mess with me? Are you hoping your fiancé hears a rumor and comes running to challenge me to a duel?"
"I didn't! I saw you were short on rooms and offered to give one up. Instead of praising me for being sensible, you're scolding me!"
"Fine, fine, I'll assume I just don't recognize a good heart when I see one." Since she wouldn't admit it, Egger couldn't exactly pursue it. "See what I told you before? Now even sleeping space is getting tight. Where is your mother?"
"She went to the Nightfort. She's been gone for several days, and I don't know when she'll be back. I stayed behind to keep Bran company."
Egger suppressed the urge to rub his temples in frustration. He actually hoped Catelyn would take the Winterfell party and leave the Gift for the North as soon as possible. Their presence at the Wall didn't help him; instead, it forced the Watch to expend time and energy to settle and protect them. Unfortunately, saying that would be tantamount to an eviction notice.
"Where is Meave? Take me to her. Since you're so willing to give up your room, I'll have her move out to sleep with you. No objections, I trust?"
One room vacated by having the two girls stay together, another by squeezing a few Winterfell soldiers in... plus some coordination among the managers entitled to private rooms, and the problem would be solved. After a moment's thought, Egger had a rough plan.
Arya naturally had no objection. "Sure. Having such a big room all to myself was a bit of a waste anyway. Meave... she's definitely playing with Tommen and the cats right now. Honestly, those two were born the wrong genders. Tommen should have been a girl and Meave a boy; they'd make more sense as siblings that way. A boy who needs his sister to take care of everything, doesn't like riding or archery, and just wants to play with kittens, hmph—"
"Hmph what? I suppose it's only 'normal' if everyone loves dancing with swords like you do, right?" If the girl hadn't brought it up herself, Egger might have forgotten he wanted to lecture her. "Alright, no one else is here—why are you standing so far away? Come here. Explain yourself: what were you thinking, practicing with Asha Greyjoy?"
The girl approached him reluctantly, looking like a child who had done something wrong and feared a beating. "What... it was just normal sparring. What's there to make a fuss about?"
"Normal sparring, you say? If I write a letter to Lady Catelyn right now telling her that her daughter is sparring in Queenscrown with the daughter of the Greyjoys, what do you think she'll do?"
She would definitely be furious, take her back to Winterfell immediately, and never let her come back. Arya became anxious instantly. "Don't, Master! It was her... she approached me! I was practicing just fine with the Night's Watchmen, but Asha—she just stood there watching, saying my form was wrong here and my technique was off there..."
"And then you got angry and told her to stop talking and get in the ring?"
"How did you kn—I did not!" When she chose to use her brain, Arya wasn't stupid at all. She pivoted and shifted the blame. "Asha provoked me. She said she could beat me senseless even while wearing leg irons. I wouldn't stand for it... and then, then it turned into what you saw today."
"How long has this been going on?"
"Not long... today was only the second or third time. You just happened to come back at the perfect moment!"
She can't even lie well, Egger rolled his eyes. Calling her Asha so affectionately meant they had likely sparred countless times since Catelyn left; they might have even become friends. Arya was willing to befriend anyone, which was a virtue at times but a danger at others.
But thinking back, Egger knew he might be overreacting. From their brief interactions, the Daughter of the Kraken was not an impulsive or mindless person; she was unlikely to do something as stupid as harming Arya just for a moment's spite. More likely, she was bored while imprisoned and hoped to create more opportunities for escape through the Stark girl.
Much like how he had once tried everything to befriend Tyrion.
Still, understanding was one thing; acceptance was another. Any risk that could be avoided, no matter how small, was one Egger would not overlook. "Someone provokes you and you immediately want to fight? What if she had ill intent? What would you do then?"
"She doesn't have ill intent! We were just having a pure—a pure exchange and training of skills!"
Pfft—a pure exchange and training of skills... who taught her that phrasing? It was the first time Egger had heard a brat describe a death-wish so pompously. He was amused by her deadpan, eight-grader syndrome tone. He shook his head. "Fine, say what you will. I am officially notifying you: such 'exchanges and training' are not to happen again. Understand?"
"Master~"
"Non-negotiable! If I catch you once, your new friend loses her right to leave her cell for air permanently. If I catch you twice, I notify your mother." Egger's stance was firm. "Also, the outer town is crowded and full of wandering eyes lately. You are not to leave the inner keep without my permission."
"Ugh—" Arya clutched her chest as if she'd been stabbed, putting on a face of extreme agony. "I just wanted someone of similar skill and patience to practice with me. You won't do it, and now that I've found someone, you won't allow it... Now I can't even leave the castle. Am I your apprentice or your prisoner? You might as well throw me in the dungeon too! Put me in with Asha, we'll practice in the cell!"
"Alright, stop yelling. I only want to watch you closely because I care. Look... I apologize for having to leave recently. I'll make sure to find time over the next few days to take you around and show you some interesting things, alright?"
"Hmph, that's more like it." He cares about me, so he wants to watch me closely? Arya had been unhappy about the sparring ban, but hearing those words made her feel a strange, secret joy. She stepped up and quietly linked her arm with Egger's. "Hey, Master, did you see the Mad King's daughter when you went to King's Landing? Does she really have three dragons? And is she really as beautiful as the rumors say?"
"The dragons? I didn't see them; my timing was off," Egger replied with a smile. "As for the lady..."
As for the lady, she was more than just beautiful. The magical aura Daenerys possessed had left an indelible impression on Egger. Peerless beauty combined with that inescapable, intense attraction and an inexplicable majesty that made one's knees weak—every frown, every smile, every word... even though he'd only met her once, it was as if she were branded into his mind. Just thinking about it, Egger could recall the shivering sensation of his hair standing on end the first moment he saw her, his heart pounding and blood racing.
If he didn't know for a fact he had crossed over into the world of Ice and Fire, he would have been certain he was being enthralled by a succubus. Egger had to use immense self-control to keep himself from thinking about her every waking moment. Now that Arya had asked, Daenerys's silhouette and smile flashed before him once more.
"She is indeed very beautiful, but 'most beautiful woman in the world' is an exaggeration." Egger controlled his emotions, making sure the rise and fall of his chest wasn't so violent that the girl would notice. "If nothing else, my Arya certainly doesn't pale in comparison..."
"Psh, you're just teasing me again." Arya noticed nothing amiss, punching him playfully and giggling.
"You know I'm teasing and yet you're smiling so happily? You really have no rivals on the path of narcissism." Egger laughed as well, ruffling her hair and forcibly pushing the Queen's face out of his mind. "Come on, take me to see the guards your mother left behind. I need to discuss the housing arrangements with them."
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