Chapter 289

After the election was halted for several days, the voting supervisors appointed by Robb Stark finally reached the various castles along the Wall. They began implementing the new one-man-one-vote electoral system.

This was nothing short of a decisive victory for the reformists. Shadow Tower had 236 eligible voters among the Night's Watch, while Eastwatch had 205. Even if not a single one of these votes went to Aegor, he wouldn’t lose anything. On the contrary, if even one voter abstained or turned away from their respective commander to back Aegor, his lead would grow, inching closer to the two-thirds majority needed for victory.

Voting in every castle was conducted in private booths, per Robb’s directives, with results kept anonymous and tallying handled by neutral third parties. This arrangement dramatically reduced the likelihood that anyone would feel compelled to vote for their commanding officer out of fear of retaliation.

It was inevitable that some votes would go to Aegor—no one doubted that. The only question was how many. But Aegor wasn’t one to place his hopes on unknown and unpredictable factors. His true winning move lay elsewhere: new votes.

The followers who had accompanied Melisandre officially took their oaths and joined the Night’s Watch, gaining the right to vote. Meanwhile, the recruitment drive bolstered by various incentives began attracting volunteers among the new settlers of the Gift, who trickled in to apply for membership. The courtyard at Castle Black grew increasingly lively as new recruits gathered for training.

With the First Steward persuaded by Melisandre to support the reformists, time was now firmly on Aegor’s side. As soon as these new recruits completed their training and took their vows, they would become eligible voters. That day would mark the end of the election.

The tide had turned. Once a luckless transmigrator trapped in the Night’s Watch, Aegor’s moment of triumph was finally within reach.
----


At the Wall’s easternmost stronghold, Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, the air was wild and frigid. The ice wall here stood lower than elsewhere, and it extended a few dozen feet into the sea before vanishing entirely. Without its protection from the howling winds, combined with the cold, damp air sweeping in from the Bay of Seals, Eastwatch was one of the most miserable places along the Wall.

But today, the castle was abuzz with activity. Men gathered noisily in the courtyard, listening to a soldier from Winterfell relay Robb Stark’s instructions. Murmurs and grumbles soon filled the air.

“Why the hell is voting happening here too? Who else are we supposed to vote for besides Cotter Pyke?”

“Voting’s fine, but making us vote in person and not allowing proxies? What a load of nonsense!”

“Exactly. It’s freezing out here, and the dead aren’t bothering us. It’s the damned nobles who won’t leave us alone! May the Others take them!”

“Instead of complaining, let’s just vote quickly and get back to the barracks.”

“Good point. But when is this bastard going to shut up already?”
----


Listening to the chatter, Will leaned toward his companion, Gared. “Aegor’s come a long way, huh? Imagine him competing with the two commanders for Lord Commander! We used to patrol beyond the Wall together, escaping the Others as brothers-in-arms. You’ll vote for him, right?”

Gared snorted. “Vote for Aegor? Come on, I know what that kid’s like. No way he’s fit to be Lord Commander.”

“You haven’t seen him in almost two years. A lot can happen in that time. Just look at the supplies he’s sent up from King’s Landing—he’s doing great as Chief Logistics Officer.”

“Yeah, and in all that time, he hasn’t come by Eastwatch once to visit this old man. Some gratitude for looking after him back then.”

“He’s got his duties, Gared. It’s not like he can just drop everything and make a special trip to see us.”

Gared grumbled, but Will could tell he was at least partially right. Still, gripping the dragonglass dagger Aegor had given him—a gift he now considered a talisman—Will decided he would cast his vote for his old comrade.
----


Months ago, as Mance Rayder’s wildling horde reached the Wall, small groups began crossing the Bay of Seals on rafts, threatening Eastwatch’s defenses. Short on manpower, the garrison had been in a dire state. Jeor Mormont had led most of the rangers to aid them, bringing along Aegor’s former companions and the newly recruited Vale lords.

Then disaster struck. The Lord Commander perished unexpectedly, and Cotter Pyke escorted the Vale lords to Castle Black to campaign for the position of Lord Commander. The remaining rangers stayed behind, becoming part of the 200 votes Pyke “represented.”

With Robb Stark’s intervention, these rangers regained their voting rights, along with every Night’s Watch member stationed at the other castles.

As over a hundred black brothers jostled to enter the voting booth, eager to finish and retreat from the cold, the Winterfell soldier raised his hand to calm the crowd. “Brothers, patience! Before we begin, a guest from King’s Landing—a follower of King Stannis—would like to say a few words!”

The crowd groaned, but under their officers’ glares, they grudgingly quieted. While the king’s authority was tenuous this far north, the Night’s Watch couldn’t openly disrespect it—not when southern support might still be needed against the Others.

A man with fine clothing and the fiery heart sigil stepped onto the stage and began speaking.

“Brave brothers of the Night’s Watch! In the darkness of the Long Night, a terrible evil gathers beyond the Wall, and only the chosen can lead us through this perilous time. Aegor West, the champion foretold in the flames...”
----


“What in the seven hells is he talking about?” Will muttered to Gared.

“Sounds like another damned Red Priest sermon,” Gared sneered.

“This is supposed to be about electing a Lord Commander, not preaching about some prophecy.”

Gared rolled his eyes. “Watch. This’ll lead to some nonsense about Aegor being the chosen one.”

Sure enough, moments later, the speaker declared, “Aegor West is Azor Ahai reborn! Only under his leadership can we triumph over the Great Other and end the Long Night!”

Will frowned, but Gared scoffed. “Aegor? The chosen one? What utter horseshit.”

But as the speaker droned on, Will’s mind wandered to memories of their past. The uncanny way Aegor had warned him of danger beyond the Wall, his courage in the face of the Others, and the dragonglass dagger that had saved Will’s life more than once. Perhaps there was something to these claims after all...

As the murmurs of the crowd grew louder, divided between belief and ridicule, Will clenched his fist around the dagger. “Maybe... maybe he really is special.”

...

Thus, the seeds of belief—alongside countless doubts and rivalries—continued to shape the fate of the Night’s Watch.