Harrenhal, the banquet hall.
Helaena of House Hoare, Roman, and the various ministers were gathered together to discuss countermeasures.
"Child, you say the Wildlings are going to attack the Wall. Is this really going to happen? It has been a long time since there was a large-scale uprising of Wildlings Beyond the Wall."
Helaena of House Hoare was the first to express skepticism. Wildlings and White Walkers had become topics of conversation among the Northmen, but even the Northmen themselves no longer believed in the existence of White Walkers.
Roman read the letter from the Old Bear once again.
"My lady, everyone, Commander Mormont would not joke about such matters. The Night's Watch cannot possibly hold off the Wildlings Beyond the Wall on their own. We need to lend a hand; otherwise, once these people rush into the Seven Kingdoms, we will be affected as well."
The other ministers also looked troubled. They had been hand-picked by Roman and were responsible for various sectors such as construction, census, education, and healthcare.
They would not object to Roman's decision, but they couldn't help but feel it wasn't worth it.
Harrenhal had finally reached where it was today. Going to the North was no small matter; if any accidents occurred, the resulting losses would be unimaginable, especially with ambitious people everywhere.
"I understand everyone's concerns, so I want to ask for your advice on how to assist the Wall without affecting the normal operations of Harrenhal."
Seeing that Roman's attitude was firm, the ministers collectively looked toward Helaena of House Hoare, hoping she could persuade Roman.
"I support Roman. Everyone, in all this time, has Roman ever made a mistake on matters of great importance?"
"This... Helaena of House Hoare, we are not questioning Lord Roman, it is just that this matter involves too much, and we cannot help but be cautious."
"That is exactly why I have brought you all here to discuss countermeasures."
The ministers exchanged glances. It seemed their lord was determined to head north, so as subjects, they could only do their best.
In the following time, the entire Harrenhal territory entered a state of alert, and the Strongholds and towns began wartime patrols.
Officials at all levels worked overtime to calculate how to allocate supplies, needing to prepare military provisions for the north while also considering the stability of the people's livelihood.
One day, Fili brought a letter and said excitedly, "Lord Roman, this time we have reinforcements too! Can the territory be a little more relaxed now?"
"Alright, Fili, you're going to spill the tea. Tell me slowly whatever it is."
It turned out that while Harrenhal was actively preparing for war, House Stark had also sent a letter.
Eddard stated that he would also fulfill the obligations of House Stark, support the Wall, and defend the North.
"Lord Roman, Lord Eddard is also going to the Wall, so you can leave enough troops to defend Harrenhal!"
"What are you talking about? We are vassals of Lord Hoster; how could he possibly allow us to be attacked?"
Although that was said, Roman dared not gamble. Ever since he began to intervene in Robert's affairs, nobles everywhere had seen the power of Harrenhal, and he could not guarantee whether someone would be making trouble behind his back.
"Alright, pack up, we are leaving."
Roman stroked Fili's soft hair, then replied to Eddard, and at the same time went to the rookery to set up a special temporary raven communication line to facilitate efficient communication with House Stark.
The Harrenhal army set out on an expedition once again, this time carrying 500 heavy cavalry, along with auxiliary Light Cavalry and support troops.
The majority of the heavy infantry legions remained in Harrenhal, so if any situation arose, Harrenhal could handle it relying on the militia and heavy infantry.
This time they still traveled from Maidenpool to White Harbor. Passersby along the way all saluted Roman; the prosperity of Harrenhal had allowed them, the surrounding people, to eat their fill as well.
The Mooton Family was even more impressed by Roman, admiring him to the ground. With the goods from Harrenhal, Maidenpool was now competing with Gulltown for trade.
Tully? The Mooton Family expressed they were not familiar with them.
Arriving at White Harbor, because the North had also benefited from trade, the infrastructure here had greatly improved.
Not long after, Roman led his troops to Winterfell. By this time, Eddard had already arranged his family affairs, and the Northern army had finished assembling.
"Lord Eddard, thank you for your help. I thought I would have to fight alone this time."
"Ser Roman, guarding the Wall is the duty of the Northmen. I trust Commander Mormont's judgment, and I also thank you for being willing to fight for the North."
Just as the two were exchanging information, the Stark family also came to the city gate to see them off. Among them, Sansa was exceptionally excited to see Roman, while Robb and Jon looked at the troops with envy; they also wanted to don armor and join the battle.
Eddard looked at his children, then at Roman, and couldn't help but sigh: "Sigh! If only my children could be like you, Ser Roman. They all seem as if they will never grow up."
"You cannot say that, Lord Eddard. They just haven't had the opportunity to display their talents. After some training in the future, they will easily surpass me."
Eddard looked at the endless silver ocean behind Roman and thought to himself, "If they had half your ability, they would even have the guts to claim the throne!"
With the guidance of the Northern locals, Roman's march was much faster. Along the way, other Stark vassals joined the army.
For a time, the entire column became lively and bustling.
However, at this moment, the gap between the armies became apparent. The North was divided into fiefs; soldiers from each family wore different clothing, and even their armor had its own style. Command and dispatch were also a mess.
But the Harrenhal army had a uniform standard, unified dispatch, strict discipline, and obeyed orders without hesitation.
It truly opened the eyes of the North, letting them see the differences between each other.
After passing Queenscrown, the temperature began to drop gradually. The soldiers put on their padded armor in an orderly fashion. By this time, the main force had scattered, and everyone formed queues according to their respective families, while Roman's army still marched in the same formation, completely unaffected by others.
Commander Jeor Mormont was looking out at Beyond the Wall from the Wall. As soon as he turned around, he saw a dark mass and thought it was black snow falling.
When the Old Bear arrived on the other side, Eddard and Roman also walked side by side to the gate.
"By the Seven! Thank you for your assistance! Lord Eddard, Ser Roman."
Eddard and Roman greeted him in turn. Roman got straight to the point: "Commander Jeor, let's arrange for the warriors to rest first. Everyone has been blowing in the cold wind all the way here. Let's discuss matters later."
The Old Bear nodded and immediately began to arrange personnel, while Roman called for Fili.
"Fili, release the ravens. Focus on inspecting whether there are any breaches at the base of the Wall. At the same time, pay close attention to Eastwatch and the western part of the Wall to see if there are any Wildling attacks there."
The girl accepted the order solemnly and immediately began making arrangements.
After explaining the situation to Eddard, Roman headed straight to Maester Aemon's room; he wanted to hear what insights this old maester had.
After he walked into the room according to the directions, Maester Aemon's stooped body trembled.
He looked incredulously in Roman's direction. His blind eyes were gray and cloudy, but his gaze seemed as if it wanted to pierce through Roman.
A strange feeling came over him; Maester Aemon discovered that the person behind the door felt both familiar and strange.
Suddenly, Maester Aemon, who had been blind for a long time, saw a white figure in the chaos. It was a dragon, but it was different from what he had seen in books back then.
"A dragon? Why do I feel the aura of a dragon? Who is there?"
"Maester Aemon, I am Roman Rivers. This time I have brought troops to support the Wall together with Lord Eddard. You should know about this."
After hearing this, the confusion on Maester Aemon's face increased rather than decreased. He fumbled, wanting to walk up to the other person.
Roman settled him into a chair nearby, but Maester Aemon still had an expression of disbelief.
"Child, may I touch you? I want to confirm some things."
Roman naturally didn't mind; he told Maester Aemon to do as he pleased.
The old man tremblingly touched Roman's body: the human shell, the dragon's tail, and the two horns on his head.
His expression became increasingly grave. The feeling of blood connection could not be wrong. Maester Aemon's subconscious as a Targaryen told him that this was a dragon.
"But why? How did you turn into a human?"