The Wall was meant to be humanity's sturdy shield, the frontline against extinction, yet somehow, everyone had unconsciously begun treating it like a trash heap, tossing one problem after another onto the Night's Watch. Robb bore no ill will toward the Night's Watch, but thinking it over now, he had to admit—it was the truth.
Suddenly realizing this, even with the aura of leadership he had fought so hard to cultivate, the young Warden of the North felt a trace of shame. "This problem does exist. But I promise, the North will always be the Night's Watch's solid backing."
Robb's words were certainly sincere. But the world is never short of sincerity. What it lacks is action. And with the Night's Watch primarily tasked with protecting the North, Aegor could hardly feel overly grateful. After expressing his thanks on behalf of the Night's Watch in a formal tone, he continued staring silently at the other man.
...
After a few seconds of their second silent exchange, perhaps sensing why Aegor didn't take his leave again, Robb smiled first. "There really is nothing else this time. Do you have any other questions?"
This meeting should've ended long ago. Aegor was about to rise and leave for the third time, but upon subconsciously considering Robb's question, he realized there was, in fact, one thing he wanted to ask.
Something he wasn't truly qualified to ask, yet it was closely tied to the fate of the Night's Watch: would the Northern army once again assemble and march south, away from the Wall, to take part in Stannis Baratheon's war to defend his crown?
This was undoubtedly a military secret, but Aegor asked anyway. After all, given the bond between the Night's Watch and the North—and his own relationship with Robb—the worst that could happen was a refusal to answer.
As expected, Robb's expression changed slightly. He gave Aegor a strange look.
After hesitating for several seconds, he decided to answer truthfully. "I'll tell you the truth. Can you keep it to yourself?"
"Of course. Who would I even leak it to?"
The North was the Night's Watch's most reliable ally in the coming war of ice and fire. Aegor had no reason to betray the Starks.
"Before I returned from the South, I received a secret letter from the southern tip of the continent. The sender was Prince Doran Martell, the effective ruler of Dorne... He offered me a proposal: if the North withdrew from the battlefield, Dorne would also withdraw its army," Robb said. "At that time, I was struggling to block the Riverlands host, while the North was under the Ironborn's control. After much deliberation, I chose to return home first to deal with the invasion and informed King Stannis of the decision in advance. What I must admire is that once His Grace heard the news, he immediately abandoned the siege of Storm's End and turned to attack Randyll Tarly, who was opposing me... Everything that happened afterward is already known throughout Westeros."
"But what all of Westeros knows is only that you returned home to deal with the Ironborn—and that you won. They don't know about the secret letter from Prince Doran, let alone that you no longer intend to take part in the war." Aegor pondered the matter, only now realizing that things weren't as simple as they seemed. It appeared he wasn't the only one planning a grand strategy. "But this doesn't make sense. The North is the home of the Northmen—a place that had to be saved. Even without Prince Doran's agreement, your army would eventually have been forced to return north. If Dorne was determined to support the rebels, this moment would be the best time to attack King's Landing. Why would they truly withdraw from the battlefield as agreed? And if their goal wasn't to fight, why enter the war in the first place, stirring up chaos and offending the lawful king of the Seven Kingdoms for no reason? Rebellion is all or nothing. You can't keep one foot in each boat."
"For the real reason, you'd have to ask Prince Doran himself," Robb sighed. "But I need to correct you on one point. I returned north to save my home, yes—but I haven't yet agreed to the proposal. When I disbanded the army, my orders were to let the officers and soldiers return home to rest. I didn't set a date for reassembly. What I intended was to use this time to search for Bran and also consider my next move carefully."
---
Aegor could roughly grasp the dilemma Robb now faced. From the standpoint of public sentiment alone, the North had already marched twice in two years—for Robert and for his brother. That was a long time, and the casualties were significant. The soldiers' willingness to continue fighting, and the people's willingness to support the war effort, were both waning. From a short-term perspective, the North had already gained considerable tangible benefits through victories over the Westerlands and Riverlands. Now was the time to rest, to enjoy the spoils of war.
But when a ruler determines the fate of a nation, he can't think only in terms of immediate gains or bow to popular will. A ceasefire or truce on the North's part would be a minor matter. The key was the Riverlands and the Vale—their in-laws and long-term allies—who were still locked in the war. These three regions had always advanced and retreated together. If the North pulled out, the others would likely follow. Stannis would be left to stand alone, and defeat would only be a matter of time.
The result would be equivalent to Robb Stark handing over the Crownlands—the richest and most prosperous territory in Westeros, including King's Landing—straight to the enemy supported by the Riverlands.
The Riverlands had no natural defenses. Once the banner of the true dragon flew again over the Riverlands, the northern alliance would lose its granary. Even if House Stark relied on Caitlyn Bay and House Arryn held the Bloody Gate, they could defend themselves at best. They wouldn't have the strength to turn the tide. The Vale might still manage with its fertile lands, but the North? Once Aegon unified the Seven Kingdoms, even if the North managed to grow its population above one million and avoided major die-offs during harsh winters... it certainly wouldn't be from farming on frozen soil.
A truly difficult choice.
---
"If I pull out of the war, will the people of Westeros think I'm weak? That I even gave up avenging my father's murder?" Robb frowned deeply. This was a major matter. He dared not decide on his own, yet it was also difficult to openly discuss with the Northern lords. Now that he had confided the truth, if he didn't also ask Aegor's opinion, wouldn't he have leaked the secret for nothing? "I've told you everything, Your Grace, the cleverest man in the Night's Watch... What advice do you have? What should I do?"
"I wouldn't presume to give you advice on such a matter... but I do have a suggestion." Aegor met his gaze. "As the Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, when deciding whether to lead your entire force into a war that concerns the realm's future, are you truly basing it on whether others will think you're weak?"
"As the highest lord in the North, isn't personal image important?"
"Personal image is very important. Especially in an era of personal rule, with kings and vassals," Aegor said. "But even the truth, if applied without proper scope and conditions, becomes a falsehood. Whether you're weak or not—don't the Northern, Riverlands, and Vale lords and soldiers who've followed you through battle in both the South and the North for many months already know the answer? Doesn't King Stannis?"
"These are the people who matter most to you—the power-holders of each house. As for the North's smallfolk, who have neither titles nor serve in the army, even if they misunderstand you, what does it matter? And as for how the other four kingdoms see you... to be blunt, it has little to no effect on you. In fact, if your enemies underestimate you because of it, it might become an advantage at a crucial moment."
"That sounds reasonable. So, I should decisively choose not to fight?"
"I didn't say that," Aegor immediately denied. "What I'm saying is, when considering this matter, you should set aside all thoughts of personal honor, disgrace, or gain and loss. What we need now is to thoroughly and carefully evaluate all factors, analyze everything, and determine which course of action brings the greatest benefit to the North."
(To be continued.)
***
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