Chapter 265

The so-called "let the clans decide how to handle the prisoners" was, of course, Robb Stark’s way of saying, "I’m leaving this to Aegor." While many of Aegor’s goals remained unachieved, he had at least secured this concession and upheld his promise regarding Asha. It wasn’t a complete failure—though, even if he broke his word, a single captive like her wouldn’t be able to do much to him.

As Aegor watched the Young Wolf walk away, he suddenly realized: the boy now carried himself with the poise of a true lord.

Identity, status, and experience could quickly transform a person’s thinking and the way they conducted themselves. It had happened to Aegor, and it had happened to Robb Stark.

…

By the time the garrison at the Dreadfort surrendered, it was nearly nightfall. The Northern army, camped dozens of miles south of the fortress, could not immediately cross the long causeway and return home. The next morning, over ten thousand Northern soldiers broke camp at dawn, spending most of the morning traversing the final stretch of the Neck. After a hearty lunch, the celebrations began.

Winter was closing in, but at the Neck—the boundary between north and south—the temperatures were still above freezing. Just a few miles north of the Dreadfort, the Northern army’s camp was alive with activity. Over ten thousand men gathered there, a familiar and safe place where the weary soldiers could finally let their guard down, enjoying food, drinking wine, and boasting to anyone who would listen about their exploits during the campaign.

These were veterans of battles at Golden Tooth, Sarsfield, Oxcross, the Crag, and Harrenhal, men who had routed the Reach army in open field engagements at the Battle of the Camps, King’s Landing, and the Blackwater. They had plundered the mines of the Westerlands, basked in the glory of defeating legendary generals like Randyll Tarly, and even looted Reach villages on their return march from Storm’s End.

The Northmen were returning home laden with gold, supplies, and honor. Though their numbers were fewer than when they’d set out—thousands had perished—those who survived were the lucky ones.

Even Aegor’s Gift army benefited from their involvement in this war. Although technically a scandal for the Night’s Watch to interfere in the affairs of the Seven Kingdoms, Robb Stark’s careful framing of the mountain clans as "volunteers" from the North—and his deliberate omission of the fact that half the force consisted of Free Folk—helped smooth things over. The Northerners viewed their allies from the Gift with genuine goodwill. After weeks of fruitless assaults on the Dreadfort, no rational soldier or commander wanted to continue battering themselves against such a hard, unyielding target. The Watch’s arrival, Asha’s role in negotiating the surrender, and the eventual resolution brought collective relief to everyone.

…

The revelry lasted from midday well into the night. Aegor roamed the Northern camp, drinking and celebrating with countless soldiers and lords, all while quietly gathering information. From their boasts and stories, he gleaned a great deal of news—some new to him, some differing from what he already knew.

Lord Hoster Tully had passed away. The elderly lord, bedridden for years, had finally succumbed to age. This was no surprise. His death meant that Robb’s uncle, Edmure Tully, was now the Lord of Riverrun and ruler of the Riverlands.

Across the Narrow Sea, the so-called "Last Targaryen," Daenerys Targaryen, was thriving in Slaver’s Bay. Unlike in the original timeline where she had faced countless struggles in Meereen, Daenerys had managed to maintain control of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen, turning them into a confederation of city-states. Reports suggested she was now engaged in a mix of battles and negotiations with external forces attempting to reclaim these cities for the Great Masters.

With her three dragons growing stronger by the day, the situation in Slaver’s Bay seemed increasingly one-sided.

Meanwhile, in the Westerlands, Tyrion Lannister had not relaxed the gold controls established during the war. Instead, he capitalized on the post-war reconstruction to expand his banking endeavors. Barristan Selmy, loyal as ever, was serving Stannis Baratheon as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Ironically, without Selmy or Tyrion at her side, Daenerys appeared to be doing even better. Could it be that this Targaryen girl had more political talent than the two of them combined?

Deeper conversations with soldiers returning from the south revealed the most shocking news of all: Petyr Baelish, the man Aegor had forced to flee across the Narrow Sea with a single letter, had somehow become Daenerys Targaryen’s Hand of the Queen.

There was no doubt that, when it came to aiding a deposed princess in reclaiming her throne, Littlefinger outshone Tyrion and Barristan combined. But how had this come to pass?

The world had gone mad. Aegor felt a wave of dizziness, unsure whether it was the alcohol or the unexpected news. He had little time to dwell on it. As the night deepened and the Northmen’s celebrations grew wilder, some—unable to handle their drink—began succumbing to less noble urges.

After narrowly escaping the overly affectionate advances of several drunken Northern soldiers and dealing with a few knights who had tried sneaking into his camp to "visit" the Kraken’s daughter, Aegor finally ended the chaotic day.

…

The next morning, the Northern army resumed their march northward. Like a rocket shedding boosters after liftoff, the army continually fragmented as lords and their bannermen peeled off to return to their respective territories. The Manderlys, Karstarks, Lockes, Dustins—all departed with their men. By the time the army passed the Barrowlands and neared Sevenstreams, the once-mighty host had dwindled. Even with the Gift army and prisoners included, fewer than ten thousand remained.

To Aegor, this shrinking army was far more significant than the new Lord of Riverrun, Tyrion’s banking ventures, or Daenerys’s success in Slaver’s Bay.

To the south, the war between Stannis Baratheon and the so-called Aegon Targaryen raged on. Yet Robb Stark, in this critical moment, was disbanding his army. This meant that, after reclaiming their homeland, the North would not turn south to rejoin the fight for the Iron Throne.

Aegor suspected that Varys was behind Eddard Stark’s poisoning, but officially, it had been attributed to the Tyrells. Robb’s father had been murdered—could he really abandon his vengeance? Would the other Northerners accept this?

In this era, especially in the sparsely populated North, assembling an army was no small feat. By dispersing his forces now, Robb was effectively ensuring that, even if he wished to rally them again, it would take at least a month to do so.

Without the North’s involvement, and with the Westerlands licking their wounds and remaining neutral, even with the Riverlands and Vale supporting Stannis, the loyalist faction lacked the strength to crush the Reach and eliminate the rebels.

As winter approached, the war couldn’t drag on indefinitely. Without running complex simulations, Aegor’s instincts told him that Westeros was hurtling toward an inevitable outcome: division into two separate factions.

Would this development help or hinder his plans? Aegor couldn’t say for sure. What he did know was that if Robb Stark had married a Tyrell instead of impulsively proposing to a Frey, this war might never have happened. Then again, considering the wine, food, and servants provided by House Frey for the feast celebrating the defeat of the Ironborn, Aegor realized he wasn’t in much of a position to criticize their choice of allies.

…

With heavy thoughts weighing on his mind, Aegor led his Gift forces as they followed Robb Stark’s army, arriving once more beneath the walls of Winterfell.