Chapter 283

In the dim crypt, time seemed to stand still, but in truth, it was growing late, and the window for voting at Castle Black was closing rapidly.

Over two hundred votes remained uncast. Should the decision not be made before supper, these votes would be marked as abstentions—and if that happened, Yohn Royce might surpass the "two-thirds majority" threshold with over 500 votes, securing the position of Lord Commander in a way that left no room for contest.

Aegor had no intention of rushing back to Castle Black, launching scathing attacks on the conservative leaders, and risking a defeat simply because time ran out. That would render all his efforts meaningless.

Breaking off his argument with Ser Denys Mallister, Aegor approached Robb Stark. Under the pretense of offering a tour of Castle Black and arranging accommodations, he led the Northerners out of the hall, leaving the remaining brothers to continue the vote.

It was time to stop pushing and let things settle.

Everything Aegor needed to say had already been said. Any further action couldn’t be taken before sunset. Now, he would leave the matter in the hands of Jon, Sam, and those who remained at Castle Black. Once Aegor left the hall, any rebuttals or accusations from his opponents would become meaningless—reduced to the impotent barking of losers. They could never overshadow the impact of the fiery impression he had just left.

----

Robb Stark’s first destination was the top of the Wall.

The North already accepted the existence of wights as fact. But the shock of observing a lone wight locked in a wooden cage on Commander Mormont’s cart paled in comparison to standing atop the icy Wall and gazing down at the battlefield where wights had attacked the Wall for the first time in thousands of years.

The mobile wights had been summoned back into the Haunted Forest by the Others and were now likely hunting the last remaining humans there. Though the land beyond the Wall was unbearably cold, it was far drier than the South, and the light snowfalls hadn’t managed to fully cover the aftermath of the battle. Scorched and twisted corpses marked the snow below, where wildfire and oil had blackened the dead. The remnants of wooden fences, built by the Night’s Watch to house the wildlings temporarily, were little more than charred ruins. The scars of the battle stood out even against the snow and mud, like a giant ink blot marking the gateway beneath the Wall—a grim reminder of where the enemy had tried to breach.

----

This was Robb’s first time seeing the Wall in person.

The awe of witnessing humanity’s greatest construction combined with the somber weight of a battlefield still littered with death. The effect was far greater than the sum of its parts.

No Stark in a thousand years had faced a crisis of this magnitude. The oft-repeated phrase "an unprecedented threat" suddenly transformed from a hollow platitude into a stark, undeniable truth. And the Stark family words, "Winter is Coming," no longer felt like a simple admonition. In this moment, they became a statement of the cold, unyielding reality.

“Winter is coming,” Robb murmured, his gaze hardening. For the first time, he realized that Aegor’s reports had not been exaggerated or fearmongering. If anything, the situation might be even worse than he had imagined.

“No, my lord,” Aegor corrected, shaking his head. “Winter is already here. Long before we captured a wight and presented it to the Seven Kingdoms as proof, the Free Folk had been fighting these monsters for over a year. They’ve seen the dead grow from scattered attacks to an army in the thousands. They know how to handle the dead—when they gather and organize, even the Others only dare to strike under cover of night. But on the day the wights attacked the Wall en masse, it was also the final day wildlings were surrendering and entering the Wall. Our enemy is cunning; they understand that as long as humans have a path to retreat, they lose the will to fight and only think of escape. Their perfectly timed assault nearly drove the fleeing Free Folk through the Black Gate. It was only Commander Mormont’s quick decision to seal the gate at the last moment that prevented a disaster.”

"I heard about that," Robb said, frowning. "The clan that attacked Mormont—wasn’t that the one that had people trapped outside the gates?"

Aegor nodded. “I regret their loss, but it doesn’t excuse their later violations of the Gift’s laws or the trouble they caused us. I’ve ordered increased vigilance and tighter control over the remaining tribes who also lost members that day. We must ensure they don’t threaten the Gift’s stability again.”

Robb nodded in approval, then gently pulled Arya away from the edge of the Wall, where she had been leaning precariously over the railing, looking as though the wind might sweep her away.

The young girl looked up at her brother, her expression troubled. “Are there still people beyond the Wall?”

“In theory, yes,” Aegor answered. “Somewhere between a few thousand and ten thousand wildlings refused to believe in the King-Beyond-the-Wall or trust the Night’s Watch. They’ve gone their own way, trying to survive.”

“They’re doomed, then,” Arya said quietly.

“Perhaps,” Aegor replied. “But people must live with their choices.”

----

The fate of thousands was summarized in one cold sentence. Arya, shielded from much of the world’s cruelty, fell silent for a long moment before whispering, “Can’t we at least send someone to gather their bodies?”

“We could,” Aegor admitted. “But the Others command magic that can freeze steel until it shatters. Even the gates aren’t guaranteed to hold. After the last living person crossed the Wall, we sealed the tunnel. I’m a pragmatist, my lady. I care more about the living people inside the Wall—Night’s Watch brothers, the Gift’s settlers, and the North’s safety—than the corpses beyond it. In this cold, the bodies won’t decay or spread disease. Compared to endangering the Wall’s security, leaving them is the lesser evil.”

He paused before adding, “Commander Mormont agreed with this approach. That’s why we developed the Gift’s resettlement plan, secured loans from Braavos, and reorganized the Wall’s defenses.”

If someone else became Lord Commander, these long-term plans to protect the North might be undone. Aegor didn’t voice this thought—it was better if Robb came to the conclusion himself.

“This is good,” Robb finally said. “Tell me more about the other defenses you’ve arranged along the Wall.”

----

For the Night’s Watch, the Warden of the North was the true king. Despite their suspicions about Aegor’s relationship with House Stark, the senior officers at Castle Black had prepared a warm welcome for Robb and his retinue. After showing Robb around Castle Black and ensuring his people were settled with the help of Bowen Marsh and Othell Yarwyck, Aegor finally turned his attention back to the election results.

The first-place candidate was Yohn Royce, with 584 votes. Warner Buckwell took second place with 210 votes, while Aegor West came in third with 163. Several dozen votes went uncast and were marked as abstentions.

Warner’s votes came entirely from reformists—either true believers or those aligned with Aegor’s interests. Aegor’s own 163 votes were from neutral observers swayed by his speech. As for Yohn Royce’s nearly 600 votes, most had been secured before Aegor’s arrival. Royce had gained over 450 votes by morning and continued to gather support steadily throughout the day. All signs pointed to his inevitable victory—until Aegor’s unexpected appearance and public denunciation disrupted the momentum.

Royce had missed his best chance to win. With Aegor now officially in the running, it was clear that Royce’s support would dwindle. By tomorrow, even if the two conservative commanders united behind him, Royce’s chances of victory would be gone. Aegor, however, was poised to gain far more votes in the next round.

----

After ensuring Robb and his people were fully settled, Aegor returned to his tower and convened a meeting with his key allies and advisors to discuss their next steps. The meeting stretched into the night before a detailed plan was finalized.

Sam was the last to leave. As the stout scholar shuffled out of the room, he offered a few final suggestions about the details of their strategy. Once Sam’s wide frame disappeared into the shadows, Aegor exhaled deeply and turned his gaze to the cold night sky over Castle Black.

As he stepped back inside, a voice broke the silence.

“Chief Logistics Officer, your meeting finally ended.”

Aegor turned, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “Melisandre? Uh... good evening.”

The Red Priestess offered a faint smile, inclining her head. “Shall we speak here?”

“Of course,” Aegor replied, stepping aside to let her in. Whatever the late hour and whatever her purpose, he could only hope her arrival would prove useful.