Since Aegor had preemptively convinced House Stark to submit to Daenerys, the Bolton forces—who had been sharpening their blades in anticipation of toppling their old overlords—found themselves without an enemy by the time they reached their destination. And with the Queen’s rule over the North still in flux, they also lost the chance to vent their frustrations on the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.
With Winterfell already hosting the Unsullied and two dragons, there was no room left...
What goes around, comes around. The heavens spare no one.
Aegor never thought there would come a day when he’d have to clean up the fallout from rumors he himself had once spread.
Back in King’s Landing, when he forged those so-called last words under the name of the late Ser Hugh, the method had been deception, but the content? At least eighty to ninety percent of it was true. Losing a bride’s virginity on her wedding night was hardly a scandal. Maintaining a mistress for...
Back in his office after parting ways with Petyr, Aegor immediately summoned his subordinates.
Most of the senior officers stationed at Winterfell had already been dispatched as envoys to various parts of the North, leaving only a handful behind. But fewer people also meant one advantage—the meeting started swiftly.
“I just received word that this has appeared among my Gifted Lands army.” Aegor slapped the paper Petyr had given him onto the table, his expression dark. “W...
Aegor felt the dampness of his undershirt clinging to his back—cold sweat, just a little, but enough to make him uneasy.
Even the so-called chosen of R'hllor was still human, and humans had instincts. And the instinct of a guilty man, no matter how powerful, was to feel a jolt of panic when confronted with his own crime resurfacing years later.
His reaction wasn’t just a small jolt. It was a damn hammer to the gut.
Even with all his experience, with all the discipline...
Petyr didn’t wait for Aegor to finish his thoughts. He revealed the answer himself.
“What concerns me is the marriage proposal.” His voice was as cold as the northern winds. “What connection does Braavos have with that little Aegon? Why are they willing to offer two million gold dragons and the recognition of the Free Cities just to pressure the Queen into this union?”
His eyes narrowed. “My first instinct was that the Iron Bank had already struck a deal with him. Th...
Aegor had maintained his composure throughout the Iron Bank emissary’s visit. Even though the timing was inconvenient, the conversation unpleasant, and no agreements were reached, he had shown restraint. The Bank had supported the Night’s Watch in the past, and he respected that.
But Taichu’s last sentence set the whole powder keg ablaze.
A heavy silence filled the room for three or four seconds before Aegor finally spoke.
“Lord Taichu, I will pretend you never sa...
“As a matter of principle, that’s how it should be. But the world... doesn’t operate on principles.” The ambassador gave a cryptic smile, as if offering some profound wisdom, before continuing.
“The Iron Bank’s risk management division has conducted a personality analysis and determined that the Queen will likely reject this proposal. However, they also noted that she has yet to appoint a full-time Master of Coin and is a ruler who values the counsel of those around her. Sh...
"I once loved your mother."
On any other day, such a "connection" would hardly be a good foundation for mutual understanding. But in this wretched age of war and treachery, with a notorious "traitor" like Aegor standing beside him, even Petyr Baelish's long-faded infatuation with Catelyn Stark seemed like a precious bond.
After a few days of recovery, Robb Stark, now in slightly better shape, received the Queen’s two chief advisors in the Great Hall of Winterfell. It only took...
Out of caution and respect for his ally, Aegor met with Littlefinger before seeing Robb Stark, briefing him on Myrcella’s proposal under the guise of presenting his own thoughts.
Unsurprisingly, the idea of releasing the wolf back into the wild startled the Hand of the Queen. However, Myrcella’s classification of the Northern lords into three groups—those easily swayed, those difficult to persuade, and those impossible to win over—earned Petyr’s approval.
That said, wh...
Aegor didn’t like when people played coy, but his patience depended on the person. The girl in front of him wasn’t his subordinate, and she was rather likable… so, after a slight nod, he maintained an air of composed interest.
“Go ahead. Whether I accept it or not, whether it succeeds or fails—that’s my concern.”
“My idea is actually quite simple,” Myrcella began cautiously. “You and the Queen are… um… not exactly welcome in the North. That means this pro...
Ha!
Aegor didn’t need much time to judge. Myrcella’s proposed plan was indeed both “reasonable” and “legitimate.” The Northerners might grumble, but until the Queen’s reign fell apart, they wouldn’t have the justification or excuse to openly oppose it. It was a flawless open scheme.
He raised his eyes, casting a surprised look at Myrcella.
The idea was undoubtedly good—perhaps even excellent—but on a grand scale, it was merely an upper-mid-tier politic...
Myrcella had not had an easy time these past few days. But to Aegor’s relief, this had nothing to do with him forgetting about her—quite the opposite, in fact. His neglect had actually made things a little easier for her.
After all, he was the primary source of trouble for most of the people in this castle.
With a faith and courage that seemed almost possessed in hindsight, the little princess had chosen to trust Aegor and aid him in attacking what was now her new home, Wint...
The conversation paused, leaving only the sound of the wind to dominate the world once more.
After a few seconds of silence, Aegor finally shook off his shock.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand the implications of what Littlefinger had just said. Rather, his prolonged time in the North had left him disconnected from the real-time political landscape of the South. Most of his energy and intellect had been consumed by dealing with the North and formulating his strategy to ...
As the meeting concluded and the council dispersed, Aegor left the chamber with a deep frown, his mood undeniably sour.
He now understood why independence had always been a persistent ideology throughout history, across all lands and cultures. Better to be a rooster’s head than an ox’s tail—from a personal standpoint, the phrase held undeniable truth.
When he had ruled the Gifted Lands, he had been his own master. His goals were clear, his plans unchallenged. He decided wh...
Making room for a few hundred Unsullied was simple enough. Accommodating two fully grown dragons, however, was a much greater challenge.
Fortunately, every guard and servant in Winterfell now served under Aegor’s command, and since it wasn’t their own castle, they had no reservations about clearing space. Walls were knocked down, furniture relocated—whatever needed to be done was done without complaint or argument. When all was said and done, not only had the dragons and their ac...
The dragon circled above, its dark wings casting long shadows over the snow-covered battlements. Below, Unsullied soldiers, clad in black armor and flowing black cloaks, marched in perfect unison through the gates of Winterfell.
At long last, the stalemate had ended.
For the past week, tension had gripped Winterfell and its surroundings.
The Starks, taken prisoner overnight by overwhelming force, were the first to suffer. But they were not alone in their misfortune—Robb...
Tyrion Lannister watched as Asha Greyjoy silently wept before him. The sight was jarring. His instinct was to scratch at his itching scalp, but he resisted, instead offering a small shrug. "It seems I’ve asked a foolish question. Still, whether it sounds insincere or not, I will say this—those who died to save you did not do so without reason. The least you can do is live to ensure their sacrifice wasn’t in vain."
Asha didn’t need comfort. She was no fragile lady prone to swoon...
Winter had settled over all of Westeros, and the Westerlands were no exception. Though the region lay in the south, with mountains shielding it from the worst of the cold and bordering the Riverlands and the Reach, its climate was far milder than the North’s. Its plentiful resources meant that its people had no need for the “winter towns” tradition, where communities huddled together for warmth and survival. Nevertheless, many landowners who lacked castles of their own chose to spend th...
2025-01-29 17:20:17 +0000 UTC View PostIt must be admitted, the speed and decisiveness with which the girl drew her sword truly startled Aegor. He nearly followed through with his initial plan after surveying the room—to leap back toward the table, using the furniture as cover to evade Arya's attack. Fortunately, the most intense scenario did not unfold. Arya did not charge at him with Needle in hand. Instead, she stood by the bed, holding the small sword level with its tip pointed at him, tears welling up in her eyes as she gri...
2025-01-29 17:19:56 +0000 UTC View PostMyrcella is a damn sorceress.
Arya silently marveled at her friend’s foresight, her palm growing slick with sweat around the hilt of her sword. Her heartbeat quickened—just as Myrcella had warned, Aegor had walked right into her grasp.
Every sense sharpened, every hair on her body stood on end. She imagined herself as a predator, steadying her breath like a wolf stalking its prey. Keeping her left hand hidden under the blanket to conceal the sword, she remained utterly still...
The weather, indifferent to the turmoil below, continued to sprinkle fine snow over Winterfell from the beginning of the siege to its end. Even after Aegor took the castle, the snowfall showed signs of thickening into a heavier flurry, covering the chaotic aftermath in a fresh coat of white.
After ensuring Robb and Catelyn were safely escorted back to the keep, Aegor made a round through the castle, inspecting the progress of his troops taking over positions from the local residents an...
A few of the Starks showed a flicker of doubt at Aegor’s decision to separate them, but Catelyn quickly calmed her family with a few soothing words and followed the Night’s Watch commander without hesitation. Passing through a doorway, she entered a small adjacent room.
This was originally the resting quarters for the armory guards, furnished with a few single beds. On one of them lay the unconscious Robb Stark, the North’s young lord, being tended to by a healer and a soldier. C...
A stationary target, forty meters away, with no enemy interference…
Under such ideal conditions, it was no surprise that the cannon’s first shot hit its mark. A mere 0.2 seconds after the projectile left the barrel, the sound of impact echoed back into the armory. As the smoke cleared, Aegor examined the hit and was slightly surprised: even with a reduced powder charge, the shell effortlessly pierced the wooden gate, punching through with a long crack splintering along the grain. W...
The creaking of axles broke the stillness as a caravan of horse-drawn carts rolled through Winterfell's shattered gates. Large and small, the carts left pale tracks in the frosted ground, their cargo hidden beneath thick, snow-resistant tarps. The items were guarded with the reverence one might show a sacred relic, their escorts vigilant as they surrounded the vehicles. Even the Gift army soldiers, who had stormed and taken Winterfell the night before, instinctively stepped aside, offering sa...
2025-01-29 17:18:11 +0000 UTC View PostAcross countless miles of space, the fusion-born light of this system's central star stubbornly pierced through the thick northern clouds, heralding a new day for the North.
Under the dim and somber morning light, Winterfell’s ancient walls now bore the black banners of the Gift army alongside the red three-headed dragon of House Targaryen.
After spending the night clearing out the remaining defenders and securing every corner of the castle—even searching the Stark family cr...
Night Raids.
Most people instinctively associate the term with brilliance and power—as if it were a secret weapon or an unbeatable strategy that could guarantee victory. Yet, in truth, this perception is largely shaped by survivor bias.
The idea is simple: we only hear the stories of those who succeeded, the ones who survived to tell the tale.
The results we see have already been filtered.
In fiction, authors often write about "night raids" to highlight the tacti...
"Arya!" Myrcella didn’t waste a second questioning who "he" was. Instead, she bolted forward. "Don’t do anything stupid!"
She wasn’t as strong as Arya, and she didn’t feel ashamed to admit it. But the two of them were roughly the same height and weight, so as long as she could grab Arya around the waist and hold on tight, she could stop this furious little assassin.
That was the plan, at least. What Myrcella hadn’t anticipated was Arya’s decisiveness. This time, the ...
Myrcella ran back to her room, trembling and overwhelmed by fear and anxiety.
She had never been so close to wildfire before, let alone used it herself. Despite Aegor’s warning and her mental preparation—treating the little vial as a dangerous substance—she was completely unprepared for the reality. When she unscrewed the cap, poured the viscous, green liquid onto one of the frozen wooden support beams of the stables, and struck a match, the result was far more terrifying than sh...
To avoid arousing suspicion and alerting the sentries, the bulk of the Gift's army had remained in Winter Town, motionless throughout the night. This cautious approach ensured that the infiltration and approach of the demolition teams went unnoticed. However, it also created another problem—if the main assault force only set out after the demolition teams had completed their task, they would struggle to reach the breached gates in time, losing the crucial window to storm the castle.
...
This absurd world…
To save House Stark, he had to take their castle.
The very thought was so laughable that even Aegor himself found it ridiculous. Yet, absurd as it was, it was also undeniably real and urgent. If Roose Bolton and Daenerys arrived while Robb, out of pride and stubbornness, refused to surrender, it would doom not only the castle but also put Aegor in an impossible position. But at the same time, he knew full well that trying to explain this to Robb would accomp...