Chapter 70

Tyrion was supposed to be meeting that young man working on paper-making outside the city. How did he suddenly end up here, pulling strings for the first bond sale? And hadn’t they agreed to wait until the official seals were ready before starting this venture? Why were they jumping ahead of schedule?

Aegor’s mind buzzed with questions, but ultimately, securing investment was a kind of business deal, and for a businessman, having customers show up was never a bad thing.

Interrupting the story he’d been crafting for Arya, Aegor stood, left his “office,” and stepped into the outer room of the Night’s Watch headquarters.

Against the familiar short stature of Tyrion, another figure stood tall, commanding attention. It was a figure Aegor recognized all too well.

“Ser Jaime!”

“Tyrion!”

Aegor’s surprised exclamation was almost drowned out by Arya’s excited shout.
----


At this moment, the unfinished Night’s Watch office hosted an unthinkably prestigious gathering: two prominent members of House Lannister, Jaime and Tyrion, the youngest daughter of House Stark, Arya, and their accompanying guards dressed in the colors of the Starks and Lannisters. For a brief moment, Aegor wondered if he hadn’t traveled to Westeros at all but had instead stumbled onto the set of Game of Thrones.
----


As Arya darted out of the inner office to meet Tyrion, the latter looked just as surprised as Aegor to see her there. Though Tyrion disliked being called by his nickname, he wouldn’t take offense at a child, greeting her amicably.

“Good afternoon, Arya. What brings you here?”

“I’m learning swordsmanship with my teacher!” Arya announced proudly.

“You? Learning swordsmanship?” Tyrion glanced at her skeptically, though her earnestness amused him. Meanwhile, Jaime turned his attention to Aegor, beginning their own exchange.
----


“What exactly are you playing at?” Jaime’s frown betrayed his irritation. The memories of what had happened at Winterfell still gnawed at him. He and Cersei had been careful about their affair for years, keeping it hidden from Robert’s suspicions. But that day, for reasons he couldn’t comprehend, he’d thrown caution to the wind, even after being seen—and ended up scaring a Stark boy into a deadly fall.

(You, a nosy Night’s Watchman, not content to rot on the Wall, running off to King’s Landing to do what, exactly?)

Aegor caught the unspoken undertone and cursed Tyrion internally. He had suggested starting with “close allies,” but bringing Jaime was too close. Still, Aegor couldn’t afford to show weakness or let Jaime suspect any ulterior motives. Thinking quickly, he replied, “By order of the Lord Commander, I’m here in King’s Landing to secure supplies and funds for the Watch to fight the wildlings.”

(I’m not here to stir up trouble for you and your sister. I’m just doing my job.)

“Sure. Of all the Night’s Watchmen, they send you? That’s quite the coincidence.”

(Sounds like a lie. Who’s buying this?)

“Apparently, the Lord Commander trusts me to handle the Watch’s logistical needs for now.”

(I’m telling the truth. Believe it or don’t.)

“Fine, whatever. Since Tyrion says you’re his friend, I’ll buy one of these bonds you’re selling.”

(Consider it a bribe to keep your mouth shut.)

“Excellent! Please, Ser Jaime, step into the office, and I’ll explain the terms of the Night’s Watch bond in detail.”

(Sure, whatever it takes. I’m not turning down money.)
----


As Tyrion dealt with Arya’s barrage of questions, Jaime and Aegor sat down to discuss the bond. “You seemed bored earlier, Jaime,” Tyrion noted. “Why the sudden urgency now?”

“Nothing,” Jaime replied, crossing his arms. “Just that seeing someone in black makes me... annoyed.”

“I don’t recall you having that particular quirk,” Tyrion said dryly.

“I just picked it up.” Jaime glanced at Arya. “Shouldn’t you send your student off to play somewhere else?”

“Why?” Arya pouted. “Why so secretive?”

“It’s fine. She can stay,” Aegor interjected. Sending Arya away might spark her curiosity, or worse, lead her to tell Eddard Stark something out of context. That could create far bigger problems. “All right, let’s go over the details of the Night’s Watch bonds.”
----


The bond details had been meticulously refined over days of discussions and revisions. Aegor read through the terms clearly, explaining each section as Jaime and Arya listened. Arya’s initial interest waned quickly, and soon she was stifling yawns. Jaime, on the other hand, who had started with obvious disinterest, gradually became more attentive.

“If this is just a one-time need for funds, that’s one thing,” Jaime said finally, “but this sounds like a long-term borrowing plan. Why not have your Lord Commander send someone with the money? The ride from the Wall to King’s Landing would take, what, a month?”

Jaime’s insight caught Aegor off guard. He’d underestimated the Kingslayer, thinking him impulsive and reckless. Now he realized Jaime wasn’t as dull as he’d thought.

“Ser Jaime, I won’t lie to you. The Watch faces immense threats and urgently needs resources. With the Long Summer ending, even the North’s lords are stockpiling for winter and can’t fully support us. We have to get through this crisis however we can.”

“And since you can’t repay the debts anytime soon, you’re relying on the interest to buy time, paying back creditors gradually. But what guarantees do you offer? Lending to the crown has the royal treasury as collateral. What does the Night’s Watch have?”

Before Aegor could answer, Tyrion jumped in. “The Watch’s lands and assets are collateral, and we’re backing the bonds as well. Trust me, Jaime, we have a plan to make this work in King’s Landing.”

“You? Doing business?” Jaime smirked. “This, I have to see.”

“You’ll be impressed, I promise. So, are you in?”

“Fine, I’ll buy two hundred dragons’ worth. Consider it a donation to the Watch. Just don’t ask me for more later.”

Jaime’s glance at Aegor said it all: (This is your hush money. Don’t push your luck.)

Aegor shrugged slightly, avoiding further explanations that might make things worse.

“Great, let’s finalize the paperwork.”

“Wait, the stamps aren’t ready yet,” someone pointed out.

“Forget the stamps,” Tyrion said, pulling out blank bonds and an inkpot. “A handprint will do for now.”

And with that, Jaime Lannister became the first buyer of a Night’s Watch bond.