"The clans of the North must unite to face this threat," Jason announced, his voice echoing through the tense hall. "To support the Night's Watch, I have decided to lead a Northern coalition to the Wall in person. I expect every lord here to send all the troops they can muster to march with me."
He let his gaze sweep across the faces of the Northern lords, his tone shifting to a half-reminder, half-warning. "If, through any lord's negligence, the wildling army breaks through into the North, your lands will be the first to be looted and burned. To be frank, I am not worried for my own territory. My soldiers are more than capable of protecting what is mine."
He paused, letting the implication sink in. "But your lands... I cannot help you if you will not help yourselves. The best, and only, way to survive this is to gather our full strength and defeat these invaders before they ever set foot south of the Wall!"
After Jason finished speaking, the Northern lords present nodded in grim agreement. They knew he spoke the truth. If they failed to unite, they would be slaughtered piecemeal when the wildlings came south. Lord Jason's army was strong enough to defend his own fiefdom, but he was under no obligation to protect anyone else.
One by one, the houses of the North pledged their support, agreeing to send their soldiers and place them under Lord Jason's command for the march to the Wall. Even Lord Edmure and the nobles of the Riverlands offered to contribute, promising to send shipments of food and supplies to aid the Northern army in their fight.
In truth, Jason wasn't concerned about the wildlings. An army of tens of thousands, comprised of old men, women, and children alongside its warriors, was a manageable threat. His real fear was what came after them—the army of wights massing in the frozen wastes beyond the Wall. That was the true enemy.
However, he knew that without seeing the undead monsters for themselves, the nobles would never believe him. So, he used the imminent wildling invasion as the perfect reason to gather the full military strength of the North and march them to the Wall.
Acting quickly, Bran, in his capacity as the Warden of the North, formally appointed Jason as the supreme commander of the Northern coalition, granting him full authority over all their armies for the coming war.
Lord Edmure and the Riverlands nobles departed for their own territories to begin organizing the promised grain shipments. Compared to the barren North, the fertile Riverlands had vast stores of food, and even after the large sale to Jason, their granaries remained full. Parting with some supplies was a small price to pay to avoid sending their own soldiers into battle.
The lords all agreed to rendezvous at the Dreadfort. With the plan settled, they returned to their respective castles to gather their men and prepare for war.
Before heading to the Dreadfort, Jason made a quick trip to a logging camp outside Winterfell. He transported the accumulated timber back to his modern-world warehouse and then hurried back to the North. His recent marriage to Sansa left him feeling deeply guilty, and he didn't dare meet his girlfriend, Lin Xiaohan, in person. Instead, he made a brief phone call, offering a few vague words about his business
Lin Xiaohan found nothing strange about it. Over the past year, Jason often traveled for work with Fusion Trading, disappearing for periods at a time. He had told her he wanted to work hard while he was young to make the company a top domestic trader, and she was moved by his ambition, readily accepting that they couldn't be together every day for now. She had no idea that her boyfriend was commanding thousands of soldiers and had taken a wife in another world. If she ever found out, her anger would be explosive.
Jason, however, pushed the thought aside. He believed his secret was safe. As long as he never spoke of the time-space gate, Lin Xiaohan would never know. He could continue to enjoy the best of both worlds. He had to admit, commanding armies and wielding immense power was addictive, far more thrilling than being a company boss in the modern world. More and more, he found himself preferring his life in Westeros. Power, once tasted, was an irresistible poison.
The separation of newlyweds is always difficult. That night, Sansa snuggled close to her husband, her voice hopeful. "Jason, can I go with you? I don't want to leave you."
Jason kissed her smooth forehead and comforted her gently. "Don't worry, Sansa. I need you to wait for me here at Winterfell. The war is too uncertain, and I can't risk taking you with me. But I promise you, I will come back safe to get you."
He felt it was better to leave Sansa in Winterfell. The familiar castle would be a greater comfort to her than the unfamiliar Starfire City. Though disappointed, Sansa sensibly agreed, promising to pray to the old gods and the new for her husband's safe return. The once innocent and naive girl had become a woman, and now a wife, burdened with a wife's worries.
A few days later, Jason led the First and Second Northern Corps out of their camp and began the march north. They would travel to the Dreadfort first to establish a base and await the arrival of the armies from the other Northern houses. To bolster the Night's Watch in the meantime, Jason sent Jon ahead with a contingent of cavalry, ordering them to ride with all speed to the Wall.
Ser Alliser Thorne did not ride with them. He continued south with a few of his men, still clinging to the vain hope of receiving aid from King's Landing. Jason knew the Crown would do nothing for the Night's Watch, but he didn't stop him.
After five days of marching, Jason's army finally arrived at the Dreadfort, the former seat of House Bolton. McCann and his soldiers were there to greet them. He had been stationed at the castle for several days, and most of his men from the Southern First Army had been dispatched to sweep the territory of bandits and announce the rule of their new lord. Faced with the might of Jason's army, the petty lords who were once loyal to the Boltons quickly bent the knee. They came from their own castles to the Dreadfort to swear their oaths of fealty to their new monarch, Lord Jason East.
"Has the territory been stabilized?" Jason asked, riding his warhorse, surrounded by his personal guard.
McCann, riding beside him, gave his report. "The bandits who tried to take advantage of the chaos have been killed or driven off. The territory is secure now, my lord."
"Well done," Jason nodded. "But our work is just beginning. Start recruiting men from these lands immediately. We will form the Third Northern Army. We're going to need more troops to face the threat that's coming."
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