"Master Ser, please wait a moment!"
As he watched the three gold-cloaked men panting atop their horses approach from behind, the fate of Yoren in the original story, who risked his life to escort Arya north—flashed through Aegor's mind. His heart sank: wasn't what he was doing now exactly what the old crow had done? Was it possible he'd end up the same way?
Turning his head to look around, he felt slightly reassured. He was surrounded by a large number of members from the logistics department who obeyed his orders. Even discounting the coachmen and clerks, there were over fifty trained soldiers. There was no way three garrison soldiers could take Arya from him by force.
That truly was impossible, but the issue lay in the fact that the three approaching men were wearing gold cloaks, they represented the king. Resisting them would be tantamount to rebelling against Renly.
Should he flatly refuse their search, or kill and bury the three of them to silence them?
It's said the barefoot fear nothing, but now Aegor wasn't just wearing shoes—he was wearing high-end, name-brand shoes. With most of the Night's Watch logistics assets still in King's Landing, he couldn't break ties with the Iron Throne so easily. Without the Night's Watch industry, there were many things he simply couldn't accomplish… He wouldn't even be able to pay his men, let alone establish a base in the Crownlands.
Hand over Arya to protect the Night's Watch enterprise? Or return Arya north to gain favor with the Starks, knowing the Night's Watch industry would be confiscated and he'd have to start over from nothing? Which path should he choose?
Reason told Aegor that the Starks couldn't give him what he needed. But emotionally, he couldn't bring himself to hand Arya over in cold blood. His heart was in turmoil. He signaled Arya with his eyes to hide inside the wagon, then stopped his horse and rode forward to meet the approaching gold-cloaked soldiers.
"Brothers from the garrison, thank you for your service. What brings you here?" Aegor decided to play dumb. If the three insisted on searching, he'd let them search. If they didn't find anything, all the better. If they did… he'd see if a generous bribe could resolve things.
"An order from His Grace, King Renly." The gold cloak leader nodded politely to Aegor and handed over a sealed document.
…
…
…
No mention of Arya? Aegor opened the document with a polite smile but sighed with relief in his heart.
[In the name of Renly I of House Baratheon, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, I hereby strip Jaime of House Lannister, the 'Kingslayer,' of all titles and powers. I grant him leave to join the Night's Watch, to serve the realm and guard the borders, in atonement for his crimes.]
…
"His Grace asked me to inform you that he does not wish for you to exercise the power to 'reject enlistments,'" the gold cloak leader said. "In addition, Lord Tywin specifically requested that either Lord Commander Jeor Mormont of the Night's Watch or you, the Chief Logistics Officer, personally escort the man. If there's no issue, be sure to pass through the Golden Tooth Fortress before crossing the Neck and bring the Kingslayer to the Wall."
So that was it. Aegor's heart settled. As long as it wasn't about Arya, all was well. As for being asked to go personally, it was probably Tyrion's idea. The reasoning was simple enough. Without a Night's Watch officer of sufficient status and credibility to lead the escort, it would be nearly impossible for a man as hated as Jaime Lannister to safely reach the Wall.
"I understand, but if I may speak plainly... on the way to the Wall, we'll have to pass through the Riverlands and the North. Whether Jaime Lannister is allowed to join the Night's Watch depends on the attitudes of Houses Tully and Stark."
"That's your problem, ser. His Grace said that, with your ability, these issues can surely be resolved." The gold cloak officer smiled. "Let me give you a tip: Lord Tywin has written letters to everyone. The Westerlands will swear fealty to whichever king allows Jaime to join the Night's Watch."
---
Ah, so that was it. Aegor understood in an instant: regardless of whether Renly or Stannis ultimately claimed the throne, they would eventually need to settle accounts with the Lannisters for Robert's death. Tywin's countermeasure was to extract concessions and promises before either "stag" emerged victorious. In exchange for sending Jaime to the Wall, he forced both kings to make a prior commitment, not to pursue Cersei and the rest of House Lannister.
All Renly had to do was agree. He didn't care whether the Tullys or the Starks would object. In fact, he might have even hoped that they would stop Jaime from taking the black or kill him outright. If that happened, Tywin would surely side with Renly in the next phase of the war.
The timing of the move was perfectly calculated. The older, the wiser.
After sending off the three gold cloaks with some well-placed favors, the team picked up their pace and continued north along the Kingsroad. As a time traveler, Aegor could remember the major houses' allegiances, but it was impossible for him to keep track of the real stances and preferences of the minor nobles—especially the scattered Riverlords. So he specifically instructed Arya not to reveal her identity before reaching Winterfell or meeting her family.
Fortunately, it seemed the mission of "escorting Lady Stark home" might be completed ahead of schedule. On the sixth day after leaving King's Landing, and the third day after entering the Riverlands, Aegor received good news from local townsfolk: the armies of the North and the Vale were assembling at Harrenhal, not far to the north.
Barring any unexpected events, Robb Stark should be there. All Aegor had to do was hand over this hot potato—Arya—to her brother. What came after was no longer his concern.
…
As one of the most legendary castles in the Seven Kingdoms, Harrenhal remained easy to find despite its decline. Following the map, the men in black located the fabled, cursed fortress two days after leaving the Kingsroad.
Harrenhal was three times larger than Winterfell, and its walls were second only to the Wall itself in thickness. Any one of its five immense, fortress-like towers had the defensive capacity of Maegor's Holdfast, the heavily fortified inner keep of the Red Keep. Together, the five towers stood like a mountain range rising from the waters of the Gods Eye, visible from miles away… The only regret was that all five had been charred and twisted by dragonfire, leaving them deformed like the gnarled hands of a cripple. Their original names had died with their builders.
This was the ultimate defensive stronghold, built over forty years by the ruthless King Harren using all the resources of the Riverlands. It was the only castle in Westeros capable of housing over ten thousand people. Its original master had hoped to use it to rule both the Riverlands and the Iron Islands for millennia. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong opponent. In the end, it was less a castle than a heavily militarized town. If its master had not stubbornly chosen to fight a dragon, it likely never would have fallen.
However, precisely because it was so massive, the castle became a burden after Aegon's conquest. Imagine a fortress covering hundreds of acres—how many full-time guards would it need? How many servants to keep it clean? And how many family members would be required just to make it seem populated and not desolate?
Very few families in the Riverlands—or even the entire Seven Kingdoms—had the means to occupy and maintain it. Not to mention, the place was cursed. Every family that had ever held Harrenhal had met destruction.
…
As they drew closer, the party of over a hundred was soon spotted by scouts on patrol. After announcing their identities and explaining their purpose, the men in black were led through the towering, hill-like walls of Harrenhal. Due to the presence of the three northern kingdoms' armies, the fortress did not feel like a cursed ghost town at all. Inside and out, it bustled with soldiers and knights, proud of the plunder they had taken in the Westerlands. Merchants doing business with the army were making a fortune here. The atmosphere was festive, even if it lacked lights or decorations.
From the ramparts, Aegor could see the black bat of House Whent, Harrenhal's current holder; the silver trout of House Tully, its former lord; and the blue falcon flying above the standards of the Lords of the Vale… And above them all, the tall and most prominent of banners: the silver-gray direwolf of House Stark.
Robb Stark had moved swiftly, arriving at Harrenhal just days after withdrawing from the battlefield in the Westerlands!
(To be continued.)
***
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