Chapter 314

Aegor had summoned them.

Cotter Pyke knew there was no avoiding this, so with a grim resolve, he brought Yohn Royce to face the new Lord Commander. He had words to say, just as he assumed Aegor did. But as the two approached within a few paces, they were stopped by Aegor’s men.
----


“Surrender our weapons?” Cotter’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I’m a brother of the Night’s Watch, standing in Castle Black, and you’re asking me to hand over my weapon? On what grounds?”

“On the grounds of the Lord Commander’s orders.”

“Ha! The Lord Commander’s orders?” Cotter’s incredulous laughter echoed in the courtyard, his voice loud and mocking as he turned toward Aegor. “What’s the matter, Aegor? Are your sins so great that you fear even meeting your sworn brothers without disarming them? The Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, afraid in his own keep—how laughable!”

Aegor said nothing, his cold gaze locking onto the two men.

Of course, he feared death. Jeor Mormont’s fate was still a fresh memory, a stark reminder of how easily even a leader could be struck down. No matter how high one’s position, they were still flesh and blood—vulnerable to poison, a knife, or even a well-thrown stone.

But today’s demand for Cotter Pyke and Yohn Royce to disarm was not solely about safety. It was a deliberate act, a symbolic ritual meant to assert dominance and establish hierarchy.

In simpler terms: Aegor wanted them to understand who was in charge now.

There was only one acceptable response to this test—obedience. They would either relinquish their weapons, listen to Aegor’s words from start to finish, and accept his decisions without question, or they would resist. Any attempt to push through armed or storm off in protest would result in immediate consequences. The dozen armed guards surrounding them would not hesitate to subdue them and hang them in the courtyard for “defying the Lord Commander’s orders.”

While Aegor had promised Denys Mallister not to pursue past grievances with these two, he considered that promise limited to events before his election. Anything that happened now was fair game.

The tension between the two sides was palpable, the air heavy with unspoken threats.

Cotter continued to hurl insults, but when his words elicited no reaction from Aegor, he gradually realized his tirade was becoming the desperate barking of a beaten dog. His voice faltered, and he finally fell silent, muttering under his breath, “This is absurd.”

Yohn Royce, less coarse and more prideful, simply scoffed. “Outrageous,” he said coldly, turning on his heel as if to leave.

But Cotter grabbed his arm.

......

Cotter Pyke had never cared if people called him reckless.

He was a blunt weapon, a brute, and he was damn proud of it.

But a man does not become the commander of Eastwatch by being a fool.

And Cotter had just recognized the game Aegor was playing.

Aegor could not execute them for insults—that would be petty, weak, unworthy of a leader.

But disobeying a direct order?

That was another matter entirely.

A man could die for that.

Denys Mallister had warned them that he had come to terms with Aegor.

But Aegor Wester was not the kind of man to be tied down by a simple promise.

One wrong move, one step too far, and neither he nor Yohn Royce would be walking out of Castle Black alive.

Cold sweat began to seep down Cotter’s back.

He ground his teeth, frustration radiating off him like heat.

But in the end, he let go of Yohn’s arm.

Then, without a word, he pulled his axe from his belt.

The surrounding guards tensed, their hands on their sword hilts.

Cotter’s face twisted in anger, but he only gritted his teeth harder—and slammed the axe to the ground.

The message was clear.

Yohn Royce, still mid-turn, stood frozen for several seconds.

Then, realizing what was happening, he too let out a sharp breath, unclipped his sword belt, and threw his weapon to the ground with a violent flick of his wrist.

Heh. And here I thought you weren’t afraid to die.

Aegor’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

But inwardly, he allowed himself to exhale in relief.

As satisfying as it would have been to break them completely, the truth was—executing them right now, in public, on his first day as Lord Commander, would be more trouble than it was worth.

The humiliation wasn’t over yet.

Under the murderous glares of the two men, Aegor’s guards frisked them for hidden weapons, ensuring they were truly disarmed.

Only then did they step aside, allowing them to approach the Lord Commander—who still stood, arms crossed, flanked by three guards.

......


Aegor regarded them briefly, his expression impassive, before turning to look out over the courtyard. The ashes of Maester Aemon had been collected, and the remnants of the pyre had been cleared. Yet several black-clad brothers remained at the site, laboring with tools.

“Lord Cotter, Lord Yohn,” Aegor said, his tone calm but firm. “Can you guess what those men are building?”

The two glanced at the workers, their expressions stiff. They already had an idea but chose to remain silent.

“They’re constructing a gallows,” Aegor said, his voice steady. “A gallows for traitors.”

He turned back to them, hands clasped behind his back. “You may dislike me, oppose my methods, or question my character. You may hold grudges or harbor doubts. But none of that matters now. The reality is that I am the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. And whether you believe me or not, my only goal is to fortify the Wall and ensure the Others do not breach it. I have no time for internal conflicts.”

His gaze grew colder as he stepped forward. Though they were of similar height, Aegor’s youth and upright posture gave him a subtle advantage, making it feel as though he were looking down on them. “You are free to hold your opinions, to remain my critics. But I will not tolerate anyone obstructing my work or jeopardizing my plans. Those who do will be my enemies—traitors to the Night’s Watch. And traitors will hang, no matter their rank, birth, or alliances.”
----


Having made his position clear, Aegor shifted his focus to Cotter Pyke.

“Cotter, both Maester Aemon and Ser Denys believe you should remain as commander of Eastwatch. Out of respect for their judgment, I am giving you that chance. Prove to me that you can set aside personal grievances and prioritize the Watch and humanity as a whole.”

Cotter’s anger was palpable, but his response was surprisingly straightforward. “I will set aside my grudges, follow your orders, and defend Eastwatch.”

“Good. I believe you. I’ve captured several ironborn deserters during the recent campaign against the raiders in the North. They’ve agreed to join the Watch to atone for their crimes and are currently being held at Queenscrown. Since you are ironborn, I trust you’ll know how to handle them. Not one escapes—otherwise, you resign.”

“And one more thing: I’ve received reports of ice forming near the easternmost end of the Wall, extending into the Bay of Seals. If the bay freezes, the Others could bypass the Wall entirely. To prevent this, I will send 200 additional men to Eastwatch.”

Aegor met Cotter’s glare head-on.

“Your orders are simple—find a way to stop that ice from forming. By any means necessary.”

......

The threat was real.

The Bay of Seals connected to the Shivering Sea, where currents and tides usually prevented it from freezing.

But nothing was absolute.

The idea of the White Walkers crossing the sea on ice had long been a concern within the Watch.

And Aegor was not about to ignore the risk.

But, of course—these 200 extra men had a secondary purpose.

If Cotter stayed loyal, they would serve him as any other soldiers would.

But if he plotted against Aegor… if he showed even a hint of disobedience… if he ever thought about sabotaging the Watch out of spite…

Then those men would turn on him instantly and seize Eastwatch in his name.

Cotter Pyke may have loyalty from his men, but Aegor did not believe that anyone’s loyalty ran so deep that they would follow him into treason or death—

Especially now that he had begun paying them.

......


Aegor then turned to Yohn Royce. “Lord Yohn, whether or not your so-called League of Justice constitutes treason against the Iron Throne is not for me to decide. But I will say this one final time: I did not kill Waymar Royce. He died fighting, and for that, I honor him. But I will not tolerate you obstructing my efforts here. If you continue to defy me, you will lose.”

The Lord Commander’s tone turned lethal. “And if you push me, I will not only see you executed, but I will also ensure your children, your house, and your name suffer the consequences. If any Royce seeks revenge, I will destroy them all—just as Robert Baratheon did to the Targaryens.”

Yohn met Aegor’s gaze, unflinching, but said nothing.

“To ensure you don’t have the chance to oppose me further,” Aegor continued, “you and the rest of the Vale lords exiled here will be reassigned to the logistics corps at Queenscrown. There, you will oversee procurement and transport for the Watch. You’ll be closely supervised. You’ll have no time or opportunity to scheme.”
----

This was the path Aegor had settled on after much internal deliberation—giving up the "once and for all" approach in favor of a more controlled solution.

From the very start, he had known he would never reconcile with these two—especially not with Yohn Royce.

There was no "making peace" here.

If he acted lenient, they would see him as weak.

So instead, he chose to be the villain.

There were only two possible outcomes—either:

1.    They would be intimidated into submission, and the Night’s Watch would finally be free of internal power struggles.

2.   They would be provoked into open defiance, escalating tensions further—until he was ultimately forced to kill them anyway.

Aegor couldn’t predict which way it would go.

But if it did come to the second scenario, he had already laid the groundwork to minimize the damage.

Cotter Pyke would return to Eastwatch—but only after Aegor had placed enough men and eyes within the garrison.

The moment Cotter showed even the slightest sign of rebellion, Aegor would not hesitate to fully embrace the role of the villain.

He would eliminate the problem at the root—swift, merciless, and absolute.

He had given them a way out.

Whether they took it or not was up to them.

......

But then—just as Aegor finished speaking, just as he was about to dismiss them—

Cotter Pyke spoke up.

"No," he said coldly. "Yohn stays at Castle Black."

Aegor’s eyes flicked to him, surprised.

"I swear by the Drowned God," Cotter continued. "I will never stand against you again. Not in any way. But I ask for one thing only—leave him here."

Aegor studied Cotter closely.

He had not expected this pushback—he had not expected any room for negotiation.

Everything he had said today had been carefully planned, a one-sided decree with no room for argument.

And yet, now that he saw the look on Cotter’s face, he understood.

Cotter genuinely believed that Aegor’s real goal was to get Yohn away from Castle Black so he could silently dispose of him.

He thought Aegor was trying to make Royce disappear, eliminating him quietly rather than in plain sight.

It was almost funny.

People always said that if you rise high enough, one day, you'll find yourself cast as the villain in someone else's story.

And now?

Now he was that villain.

Truthfully, the thought of assassinating Yohn Royce in secret had never even crossed Aegor’s mind.

It was too obvious.

As one of his most public enemies, Yohn’s death—no matter where, when, or how it happened—would always be blamed on him.

Whether it happened today, tomorrow, or ten years from now, the Gift, the Seven Kingdoms, and especially House Stark and House Royce would all assume he was responsible.

So if he ever wanted to kill Yohn Royce…

He would do it openly.

And yet, Cotter’s fear confirmed something important—

Aegor’s threats had worked.

Cotter was afraid.

And that meant the act had been convincing.

......

Cotter Pyke—stubborn, reckless, and always ready for a fight—was now standing firm for someone who had dragged him into this mess in the first place.

Loyalty?

Or just a refusal to be played for a fool?

Aegor wasn’t sure.

But he considered it for a moment and realized—maybe agreeing to this demand wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

"You’re sure about this?" Aegor asked.

"I am," Cotter said firmly.

"Fine." Aegor nodded. "But let me make this clear—if I find even the slightest sign that Yohn is still plotting against me, if there is even the tiniest hint of subversion or sabotage, I won’t care whether you were involved or not.

"If you don’t personally tie him up and drag him to me yourself, I will assume you two are conspiring together."

Aegor’s voice lowered, his tone dark.

"And when I hang him, I will hang you next to him. If you insist on sharing his fate, then so be it."

Cotter’s jaw clenched.

"I will keep him in line," he said through gritted teeth. "If he refuses to see sense, I will not stand in your way."

"Good." Aegor exhaled, then smirked. "Let's see if you actually pull it off."

"You’ll be staying here at Castle Black for two more days. You’ll leave for Eastwatch when I say so.

"And since you’re so eager to keep Yohn by your side, I’ll offer you some free advice—

"Put him in charge of clearing the ice in the Bay of Seals."

Aegor’s smirk widened.

"With enough work to keep him occupied, he’ll have less time to plot nonsense."

......