The steward quickly found the Lannister brothers within the hall.
By the time Tywin and Kevan were escorted to the training grounds, the area was already overflowing with people.
Most of the original brothers of the Night's Watch were long gone. The men gathered here now were largely former soldiers of the Westerlands—men who had once served under Tywin Lannister himself.
Now, all of them stared silently at the former Lord of Casterly Rock.
At the man who had brought them to this frozen wasteland.
Their expressions were complicated.
Some looked resentful.
Some looked fearful.
Others looked hopeful.
After all, Tywin Lannister—the once-powerful Warden of the West—was about to become one of them, a brother of the Night's Watch dressed in black.
Standing atop the raised platform were the senior officers of the Night's Watch.
Benjen Stark, the First Ranger and commander of the Nightfort.
Qhorin Halfhand, the legendary ranger of the Shadow Tower.
Bowen Marsh, the Lord Steward.
Ser Alliser Thorne, Master-at-Arms of Castle Black.
Othell Yarwyck, the First Builder.
And finally, Maester Aemon, one of the last surviving members of House Targaryen.
All of the Night's Watch leadership had gathered for this oath-taking ceremony.
It was obvious that Lord Commander Jeor Mormont considered this event extremely important.
Snow drifted down endlessly from the grey skies above.
Tywin Lannister and his younger brother Kevan walked through the silent crowd under the escort of the steward.
The moment Tywin stepped into the center of the training grounds, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont looked down at him from the platform.
Tywin raised his head and met the old bear's gaze directly.
For several long moments, neither man spoke.
The cold wind howled through the yard, making the silence feel even heavier.
Finally, Jeor Mormont broke the silence.
"Tywin Lannister."
"In a short while, we will escort you beyond the Wall into the Haunted Forest."
"There stands an ancient grove of weirwood trees left behind by the Children of the Forest."
"You will swear your vows before the heart tree there and officially become a brother of the Night's Watch."
Tywin listened quietly.
His face remained expressionless.
Then he gave a slow nod.
Nothing more.
Standing nearby, Alliser Thorne sneered openly at the Lannister brothers.
His eyes were filled with ridicule and satisfaction.
Years ago, Alliser had fought for the Targaryens during Robert's Rebellion.
After King's Landing fell, it had been Tywin Lannister who forced him to choose between death and taking the black.
In the end, Alliser chose the Wall.
And now, years later, the mighty lion of the Westerlands stood beneath him, forced to make the exact same choice.
How could Alliser not feel pleased?
Seeing Tywin remain silent, Jeor Mormont did not continue speaking.
Instead, he turned toward Benjen Stark and nodded slightly.
At once, the officers descended from the platform and began walking toward the great gate beneath the Wall.
Benjen Stark and Qhorin Halfhand took the lead.
Alliser Thorne followed behind them with a mocking smile still lingering on his lips.
Only Bowen Marsh, Othell Yarwyck, and a few others remained near Jeor Mormont.
Then, unexpectedly, Jeor stepped down from the platform and walked directly toward Tywin.
The old bear studied him carefully.
Once upon a time, this man had ruled the Westerlands with absolute authority.
Now he stood dressed in black among criminals and exiles.
Jeor sighed inwardly.
"After you take your vows," he said quietly, "I intend to appoint you as my personal steward."
"I do not mean this as humiliation."
"You will oversee the administrative affairs of the Night's Watch."
"I believe you understand my meaning, Tywin Lannister."
Jeor was offering him influence.
Respect.
Perhaps even a chance at redemption.
But to his surprise, Tywin slowly shook his head.
"No."
"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Commander."
"But I do not require it."
Jeor frowned slightly.
Confusion appeared in his eyes.
Before he could ask why—
Tywin suddenly moved.
From beneath his black cloak, he drew a long dagger that gleamed with icy light.
SHNK!
The blade plunged directly into Jeor Mormont's chest.
Everything happened too quickly.
The Lord Commander's eyes widened in disbelief.
His lips trembled as though he wanted to speak, but blood surged into his throat before any words could emerge.
Warm blood spilled from his mouth onto the snow.
Jeor staggered weakly.
Tywin caught him before he fell.
The old bear's strength rapidly faded as the dagger pierced straight through his heart.
Holding Jeor upright, Tywin leaned closer and spoke softly into his ear.
"I am sorry, Lord Commander."
"This is not your fault."
Then he released him.
THUD.
Jeor Mormont collapsed into the snow with his eyes still open.
His blood spread rapidly across the white ground, staining it crimson.
For a few seconds, the entire yard froze.
Nobody could comprehend what had just happened.
Tywin calmly pulled the dagger free from Jeor's chest.
Blood splattered across the snow.
Without emotion, Tywin wiped the blade clean against his sleeve.
It looked as though he had merely completed some minor task.
Then chaos erupted.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
Swords were drawn from every direction.
Dozens of blades pointed toward Tywin and Kevan.
"What have you done?!" Othell Yarwyck roared furiously.
The First Builder charged forward with his sword raised high.
But before his strike could land, Kevan Lannister stepped forward.
CLANG!
Kevan blocked the attack effortlessly.
Then he drove his boot into Othell's chest, knocking the older man heavily onto the ground.
Nearby, Benjen Stark and the others had just reached the gate beneath the Wall when they heard the commotion behind them.
The moment Benjen turned around and saw Jeor Mormont lying dead in the snow, his face twisted in shock and fury.
"TYWIN!"
Benjen immediately drew his sword.
Qhorin Halfhand moved alongside him.
But before they could attack—
Kevan Lannister suddenly raised his blade high and shouted toward the crowd.
"What are you waiting for?!"
"Do you truly intend to rot in this frozen hell for the rest of your lives?!"
The words struck the former Westerlands soldiers like thunder.
For a moment, many froze.
Then realization dawned upon them.
Tywin had rebelled.
And he expected them to follow.
Years of resentment exploded instantly.
These men had once served the lion of the Westerlands proudly.
Now they had been abandoned to freeze and die at the Wall.
The moment hope appeared before them, they seized it without hesitation.
The former Lannister soldiers surged forward like a tidal wave.
Some attacked the original brothers of the Night's Watch barehanded.
Others wrestled weapons away from stunned guards.
The smarter ones immediately sprinted toward the armory.
Benjen Stark and Qhorin Halfhand attempted to fight back.
Several men fell beneath their blades.
But there were simply too many attackers.
Within moments, the two were overwhelmed and dragged to the ground beneath a swarm of bodies.
Punches rained down mercilessly.
The situation spiraled out of control almost instantly.
From Tywin assassinating Jeor Mormont to the complete collapse of order, only a few minutes had passed.
Once the armory was opened, the rebellion became irreversible.
Weapons were distributed rapidly among the former Lannister soldiers.
At that moment, everyone understood the truth.
Castle Black had fallen.
Not to wildlings.
Not to White Walkers.
But to betrayal from within.
"Keep them alive," Tywin ordered coldly.
"Do not kill unnecessarily."
Despite the chaos, Tywin's authority remained overwhelming.
Gradually, the fighting subsided.
Even so, dozens had already died during the riot.
And many of them had not even possessed weapons.
In a place like Castle Black, however, anything could become deadly.
A stone.
An icicle.
A boot heel.
The snow-covered yard slowly quieted.
A wide empty space formed around the Lannister brothers.
Tywin calmly handed the bloody dagger to Kevan.
Then his attention shifted toward Jeor Mormont's corpse.
More specifically—
Toward the sword resting at the dead Lord Commander's waist.
Tywin bent down slowly and removed the weapon.
The pommel bore the shape of a bear's head.
With a solemn expression, Tywin drew the blade.
SHING.
Valyrian steel shimmered beneath the snowfall.
Dark rippling patterns flowed across the blade like moving water.
The sword was beautiful.
Deadly.
Ancient.
Kevan looked at it thoughtfully.
"That sword is Longclaw," he said quietly.
"It belonged to House Mormont for nearly five hundred years."
"When Jorah Mormont fled across the Narrow Sea, he left it behind on Bear Island."
"It was later returned to Jeor."
Tywin examined the blade carefully.
Ever since Brightroar—the ancestral Valyrian steel sword of House Lannister—had vanished during King Tommen II's doomed expedition to Valyria, the Lannisters had possessed no Valyrian steel weapon.
But unlike Longclaw, Brightroar had been a greatsword.
Tywin stared at the bear-shaped pommel for several seconds before finally sliding the sword back into its scabbard.
"I'll have a smith replace the hilt," he said calmly.
Kevan raised an eyebrow.
"And what will you call it?"
Tywin turned his gaze toward the bound prisoners nearby.
Benjen Stark.
Qhorin Halfhand.
Alliser Thorne.
Bowen Marsh.
All bruised and bloodied.
"Black Lion," Tywin answered casually.
Benjen Stark glared at him with bloodshot eyes.
"Tywin Lannister…"
"Do you even understand what you've done?!"
His voice trembled with rage and grief.
"You murdered the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch!"
"You betrayed your vows before even taking them!"
"You stained your hands with the blood of your own brothers!"
Tywin's expression did not change.
His voice became colder than the wind blowing from beyond the Wall.
"You do not need to remind me, Benjen Stark."
Snow continued falling heavily around them.
Slowly, it began covering the bloodstains surrounding Jeor Mormont's body.
Tywin stepped closer to Benjen.
"Although you are a Stark, you are still a sworn brother of the Night's Watch."
"I will not kill you."
"I intend to remain here for a time and rebuild my army."
"After I depart, you may elect another Lord Commander."
"Do your duty."
"The Night's Watch should not interfere in the affairs of the Seven Kingdoms."
Then Tywin turned away.
Clearly, he had no interest in continuing the conversation.
But Benjen shouted after him through gritted teeth.
"You murdered a Lord Commander because of your ambition!"
"You trampled upon the honor of the Night's Watch!"
"You betrayed everything this order stands for!"
Tywin paused briefly.
Snow swirled heavily around him.
Then, without turning back, he answered calmly.
"But I am not a brother of the Night's Watch."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)