Chapter 472

Aegor had no idea who this visitor was or their purpose for coming, nor did he have any interest in guessing. But as the leader of a faction preparing to conquer new lands, whether by convention, instinct, or caution, he couldn’t simply ignore a mysterious visitor who had traveled far and might be acting under someone else’s orders.

After a thorough search that left no possibility of concealed weapons, the visitor was finally allowed to enter the Commander’s office. The man was tall and thin, appearing to be in his early twenties. His pale complexion—whether due to illness, the cold weather, or the long hours detained by New Crown Town’s guards—was striking.

Led by a soldier into the office, the visitor turned to thank his escort before stepping inside. Once the door closed, he walked respectfully toward the room’s center, maintaining a deliberate pace and stopping at a distance neither too close to provoke unease nor too far to strain conversation. Folding his hands in front of him, he bowed deeply and spoke with evident reverence.

“Honored Lord Commander, I am Corly Snow, here to pay my respects. Thank you for delivering us from the threat of the White Walkers and the dead. Your monumental contributions to the North and the Seven Kingdoms are unforgettable and will be forever cherished.”

Though his surname marked him as a bastard, his eloquent speech, composed demeanor, and well-mannered gestures revealed a man of good education. In a world where even minor ability could earn a man the favor of lords as attendants or protégés, such a figure wouldn’t travel all this way merely to express personal gratitude.

Understanding this, Aegor gave a slight nod. “Welcome, Corly Snow. Defending humanity from its enemies is the duty of the Night's Watch. There’s no need for such formality. However, the war is far from over, and we have many pressing matters to address. So please, get to the point.”

Aegor’s gaze flicked briefly to Humphrey, who stood nearby, clearly in no hurry to leave. The visitor, perceptive enough to recognize him as a trusted confidant, didn’t request a private conversation. Instead, he straightened and revealed his true purpose.

“Lord Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort sends his regards, my lord. He has entrusted me with an important message regarding the North’s collective stance on the Gift’s allegiance to the Queen. The northern lords, after much deliberation, have reached a unified position.”

“Lord Bolton? May he live long and prosper,” Aegor replied with a faint, unsurprised smile. “What is the message? Speak.”

Over the next few minutes, the young man succinctly relayed the details of a recent gathering of northern lords.

Within the ancient halls of Winterfell, the North’s oldest noble houses, under the Stark banner, convened. They voiced unease over the return of the Mad King’s daughter, scorned Aegor’s bending of the knee to Daenerys, and expressed unanimous anger and hostility over the Night's Watch occupying Last Hearth. After heated discussions, the North settled on a strategy: feign peace and avoid open conflict, exploit dissent within the Gift, and incite rebellion while Aegor and his forces were Beyond the Wall. Simultaneously, they would secretly request aid from Stannis Baratheon to produce dragon-hunting scorpions. Their aim was to seize an opportunity to cripple Daenerys’s dragons—one dead, two injured—and ambush both the dragons and their queen where they rested, putting an end to her and her beasts once and for all.

“Furthermore,” Corly continued, his expression grave, “to lull you into complacency, Robb Stark deliberately had his bastard brother, Jon Snow of the Night's Watch, attend part of the meeting. In Jon’s presence, they staged a performance of internal discord, pretending that many opposed hostility toward you. Afterward, they deceived him into believing the North had chosen neutrality.”

With righteous indignation, the young man pressed on. “Lord Commander, you and Queen Daenerys have made tremendous sacrifices to protect the kingdoms of men. Lord Bolton could not bear to see such heroism repaid with betrayal. Thus, he sent me north in secret to warn you and the Queen, so you might prepare and avoid falling into the Starks’ trap.”

Aegor’s expression darkened as he glanced at Humphrey, then returned his gaze to Corly. A flicker of controlled, suppressed anger appeared on his face, as though the revelation of such betrayal had struck a nerve he could barely contain. Taking a deep breath, he pretended to steady himself before replying slowly.

“Thank you for delivering this warning. However, forgive my caution… do you have any token or proof to confirm that you were truly sent by Lord Bolton?”

“A token?” Corly, despite his earlier composure, faltered momentarily at the question. He recovered quickly, but the brief hesitation was telling. “I have none, my lord. Lord Bolton said no token could truly prove my identity, but he did instruct me to deliver this exact message: ‘I look forward to making some noise in Westeros together with the Lord Commander.’”

Humphrey’s puzzled glance toward Aegor made it clear he didn’t understand the significance. But Aegor recognized it immediately. This phrase, spoken during a seemingly mundane late-night conversation on the walls of Deepwood Motte, was something Roose Bolton had said to him directly. Unless Bolton had been tortured into revealing it, no one else could have known.

After a moment of silence, Corly quickly added, “Lord Bolton also said that if you have any plans or strategies, he would be glad to provide assistance and support, ensuring that the Night's Watch receives the recognition and rewards it deserves, which it would otherwise never get.”

Aegor masked the flurry of calculations racing through his mind. Fixing Corly with a calm gaze, he nodded and offered a friendly smile. “Understood. Please return to your lord and tell him I have received his warning. I will immediately begin preparing to counter the Starks’ schemes. For now, however, I will maintain the appearance of neutrality. The Gift needs to maintain its balance with the North and use the expedition Beyond the Wall as a cover to prepare for the internal war to come. Rest assured, when the time comes for cooperation or action, I will send word to Lord Bolton.”

Though confused by the idea of sending someone else when he could just return the message himself, Corly knew better than to question the Lord Commander’s decisions. Bowing respectfully, he added, “The caravan I arrived with has brought cages of ravens bound for the Dreadfort. I will be staying in the outer town’s trading post. If you need anything, simply send for me.”

With that, understanding the meeting had concluded, Corly Snow excused himself, leaving as politely as he had entered.

…

Humphrey waited until the door had closed before letting out a long sigh. “So it’s as you feared. The North has chosen the worst and most troublesome course of action. Still, it seems even they aren’t entirely unified. How do you plan to use that to our advantage?”

Aegor’s feigned anger dissipated, his expression easing into one of wry amusement. “Advantage? Humphrey, remember: there’s a subtle but critical difference between ‘someone told us something happened’ and ‘it actually happened.’ Ignore that distinction, and you become a tool in someone else’s hands.”

Humphrey blinked, caught off guard by the reminder. “You mean… the information might not be true?”

“Even if it’s true, it’s undoubtedly exaggerated,” Aegor said with a cold smile, then shook his head. “But the truth doesn’t matter here. What does matter is this: do you honestly believe Roose Bolton sent that warning out of some noble sense of justice?”

“Of course not,” Humphrey replied without hesitation. “He wants to be owed a favor. If we foil the Starks’ plan with his help, he’ll demand to be rewarded—likely with the North itself.”

“And that’s fair,” Aegor agreed. “But did you notice how that young man handled himself? He started strong, yet stumbled halfway through, as though unsure of what to say next. Even the key phrase proving his identity only came out after I prompted him.”

Humphrey shrugged. “He’s just a kid. Anyone would be nervous meeting someone like you.”

“Do you think Roose Bolton would send a mere child to deliver such an important message?” Aegor replied, shaking his head. “No. He wasn’t nervous. He was unprepared. His task wasn’t originally to meet me. This meeting was likely a backup plan—one they resorted to when their primary one failed. My orders forbidding anyone from approaching the Queen meant he couldn’t deliver his message to her, so he came here instead. But his master didn’t brief him on how to handle me. Whatever he intended to propose to Daenerys, he knew I would never agree to it. With no clear instructions and afraid to act on his own, he fell back on the basics—warn me and leave.”

Aegor’s eyes gleamed with cold calculation as he added, “Bolton wanted the Queen’s wrath. He hoped to push her into burning Winterfell in a fit of rage. But now… he’s playing a different game.”