Aegor had no idea who the visitor was or what he wanted, nor did he intend to guess. But as the commander of a force preparing to conquer a kingdom, whether by convention, instinct, or caution, there was no way he could refuse to meet a mysterious traveler whose identity and patron were unknown.
After several thorough inspections that felt as if they had turned the man inside out, the visitor, confirmed to be unarmed, was brought into the Lord Commander's office. He was a tall, thin young man, around twenty years old, with a pale face that could have been caused by illness, the cold, or the stress of being detained by Crown Town guards for hours.
Led into the office by a soldier, the visitor turned to thank his escort as he stepped inside. Only after the door closed did he look into the room's depths. He advanced slowly and deliberately, stopping at a distance close enough to be heard clearly but far enough to avoid discomfort or suspicion. With both hands clasped in front of him, he bowed deeply and spoke with solemn respect.
"Esteemed Lord Commander, I am Corley Snow. I offer you my greetings. Thank you for saving us from the White Walkers and the dead. We of the North and the Seven Kingdoms will remember your contributions always."
Though his surname marked him as a bastard, his fluent speech, calm demeanor, and measured manners clearly showed he had been well educated. In a world where even a bit of refinement could make one a squire or retainers' companion, it was unlikely he had traveled all this way just to offer personal thanks.
Understanding his intent, Aegor nodded slightly. "Greetings, Corley Snow. Defending humanity from its natural enemies is the duty of the Night's Watch. There's no need for gratitude. But the war is not yet over, and we still have many matters to resolve. Please, Lord Corley, get to the point."
Glancing over and noticing that Humfrey made no move to leave, Corley wisely assumed this man was the Lord Commander's confidant. He did not request a private audience. Instead, he straightened and revealed another identity.
"Lord Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort sends his regards to you, Lord Commander. He instructed me to deliver an important message regarding the unified stance and countermeasures agreed upon by the Northern lords after discussing the Gift's pledge of loyalty to the Queen."
"Lord Bolton? May he enjoy good health and a long life," Aegor replied with a calm smile, showing no surprise. "And the message?"
In the minutes that followed, the young man relayed a concise report of the recent gathering of Northern lords at Winterfell.
Within the ancient walls of the castle, the even older Northern lords assembled beneath the Stark banner. They expressed alarm at the return of the Mad King's daughter, disdain for Aegor kneeling to Daenerys, and shared outrage over the Night's Watch occupying Last Hearth. After lengthy discussion, the lords reached a general agreement: they would pretend to seek peace and avoid open war. They would contact dissidents within the Gift and incite rebellion while Aegor led troops north of the Wall to hunt White Walkers, ensuring he would never return. At the same time, they would request technical support from Stannis Baratheon in the South to secretly build and assemble Dragon Hunting Ballistas. They swore to take advantage of the Queen's weakened state—one dragon dead, two wounded—to strike when Drogon and Rhaegal returned to the battlefield, eliminating her and her beasts once and for all.
"To lull you into a false sense of security, Robb Stark even had his bastard brother, Jon Snow of the Night's Watch, attend half the meeting. He instructed the lords to pretend there was internal disagreement, with the majority leaning toward not becoming your enemy. After the meeting, they deceived him, telling him the North had decided to remain neutral." The young man, having delivered the core contents of the meeting, continued speaking with a solemn expression and righteous tone. "You, Lord Commander, and Queen Daenerys made great sacrifices to protect the realm. Lord Bolton does not wish to see heroes repaid with betrayal and meet a tragic end. He sent me here secretly, far north, to warn you and the Queen, urging early preparations to avoid falling into the Stark family's trap."
Aegor looked at Humfrey, then back at the visitor. A flicker of anger, born of betrayal and deliberately suppressed but impossible to fully hide, passed across his face. He took a deep breath, feigning composure, then spoke slowly.
"Thank you, for relaying the truth of this meeting. But forgive my caution. Do you have any token or proof that you were sent by Lord Bolton?"
"Token?" Corley faltered. His performance had been flawless until that moment. He hesitated, visibly but briefly, before recovering. "No. Lord Bolton said no token could prove my identity to you, but he told me to deliver his exact words. He said, 'I look forward to making something happen together with you, Lord Commander, in Westeros.'"
Humfrey, standing nearby, looked confused. It made sense. That sentence was meaningless to most, but it had been spoken by Roose Bolton to Aegor during a casual conversation one night on the outer wall, when most of the Northern lords had gathered at Deepwood Motte to plan against the Ironborn.
Unless Bolton had been captured and tortured, that one line—empty of detail—was enough to prove the visitor's identity.
Aegor remained silent for a few seconds, then the young man quickly added, a bit anxious, "Lord Bolton also said that if you, Lord Commander, have any countermeasures or plans, just say the word. He would be glad to cooperate from within, ensuring the Night's Watch gains the status and honor it deserves, and that the Gift's army and people receive the rewards they're owed, rewards no one else would ever give them."
Aegor hid the flurry of calculations running through his mind. After looking at Corley Snow with steady eyes for a moment, he smiled and nodded politely.
"Understood. Please return and inform your lord that I've received his warning. I will begin formulating ways to deal with the Stark family's plot. But I will not act openly for now. The Gift must maintain balance with the North and use this brief period of calm under the guise of a Beyond the Wall expedition to prepare for the true threat, which now comes from within. At present, it would be unwise to show hostility, and there is no clear plan yet. But if I ever require cooperation or support, I will send someone to contact Lord Bolton to discuss a joint plan."
Send someone? I'm already here. Wouldn't it be easier to have me bring the message back to the Dreadfort?
Corley Snow muttered to himself, but he knew he had no right to press the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and Lord of the Gift for answers. He could only nod obediently and added, "The caravan I arrived with brought several cages of messenger ravens for the Dreadfort. I'll be staying at the merchant inn in the outer town. If the Lord Commander needs anything, just send for me."
Seeing that Aegor had no further response, he realized the meeting was over. Remaining any longer would only become awkward. He bowed again and said, "Then I shall not take more of your time, Lord Commander. I'll return to the outer town and await your instructions."
---
The entire meeting had taken less than half an hour. After the young man left with the same polished manners he had arrived with, Humfrey finally exhaled a long breath.
"So much for illusions. The North ended up choosing the worst and most difficult path you anticipated. But the fact there's internal division among them is excellent news for us. How do you plan to use it?"
Aegor dropped the mask of anger. His expression relaxed.
"Excellent news? Remember this, Humfrey. The difference between 'someone told us something happened' and 'that thing actually happened' is subtle, but never ignore it. If you do, you'll become a tool in someone else's hand, dragged wherever they please."
Humfrey was just a bastard born in Westeros. After being captured by Robert's men and sent to the Wall, he'd loyally served Aegor. He hadn't experienced the deceitful games of court politics or the twisted power of rumors in the internet age. So his first instinct was still to believe what others said. But he quickly caught on.
"You mean… the report that man gave us might not be true?"
"Even if it isn't false, it's definitely exaggerated." Aegor let out a cold chuckle, then shook his head. "But whether it's true or false isn't the key. The real question is this: even if it's all true, do you believe Roose Bolton sent someone to warn us out of kindness?"
"Of course not," Humfrey answered immediately. "He sent that message so you'd owe him a favor. And once we beat the Starks with his help, he'll be in a position to demand the title of Lord of the North." He hesitated briefly before adding, "But that's not too much to ask… He's taking a huge risk, going against his liege lord and the entire North. If he doesn't get equal or greater compensation, what's the point?"
"True," Aegor nodded. "But did you notice that young man? He started off strong and confident, but by the end, he lost his rhythm. He didn't know what else to say. Even that key phrase proving his identity, he only brought it up after I asked."
Humfrey shrugged. "He's just a kid. It's natural to get nervous in front of someone like you, Lord Commander."
"Would Bolton send a child to deliver something so important?" Aegor shook his head and smiled. "If he were only nervous, that would be normal. But the problem isn't nerves. He wasn't flustered. He was unprepared. He gave his message, then had nothing more to add. When he saw we didn't have much to say, he didn't linger. He left quickly to avoid the awkwardness."
"What does that tell you?"
"It tells me he wasn't supposed to meet with me. This meeting was a fallback plan. You wouldn't understand this, Humfrey, because you've never had to manipulate powerful people while being a nobody. But I have. If someone is sent as an envoy to propose a political alliance between Crown Town and the Dreadfort, how could he come without a proper speech prepared, without detailing the pros and cons, without offering concrete plans for us to choose from? Why would he only say a few sentences and then leave?"
A cold gleam returned to Aegor's eyes.
"I suspect Roose Bolton's original plan was to send that boy to Last Hearth to deliver the message to the Queen, letting an enraged Daenerys pressure me or even fly off to burn Winterfell. But because I gave strict orders to Buckwell not to allow any outsider to contact the Queen, that failed. So they fell back on this backup plan, sending him further north to see me. But his master didn't tell him what to say to me. And I would never agree to whatever terms or suggestions Bolton meant for Daenerys. With no clear orders and afraid to take the initiative, he came to me unprepared. He delivered the secret and had no idea what came next."
(To be continued.)