Chapter 200: The Council of War
In this place, Egger lacked the recognition and deterrent power of a King's Landing Godfather, but the reputation of the Chief Logistics Officer and the natural affinity the black cloak commanded among Northern soldiers still held weight. Without much effort, he brought his guards and Arya to the tower where Robb and the allied lords were convening. After an announcement, he was permitted to enter alone.
Inside the room, the lords of the three Northern factions sat in a circle. Egger scanned the room and offered a greeting: "Good afternoon, my Lords."
"Heh—the Night's Watch has one thing going for them: they move fast. We haven't even finished discussing things here, and you've already arrived." A Northern noble who looked vaguely familiar to Egger glanced at him and spoke gruffly. "Well, this is fine. We'd better hurry up and reach a conclusion on what to do with the 'Kingslayer,' or it would be quite impolite to keep the Chief Logistics Officer waiting at Harrenhal while we deliberate."
"What's there to discuss? Have him trick the Kingslayer into coming out, then gut him halfway there and be done with it."
"Doing that would destroy the reputation of the Watch. Why don't you ask the Chief Logistics Officer if he agrees to that?"
Egger naturally ignored these half-baked schemes from the nobles. He looked directly at the man in charge, Robb Stark, with whom he shared some past acquaintance.
The young Young Wolf tapped the table for silence and briefly summarized the situation: "After our army and the Dornish withdrew from the West, Tywin Lannister moved with lightning speed to reclaim most of his territory. He is currently stationed with ten thousand men at the Golden Tooth and has sent word claiming he will support whichever of the two Kings 'allows his son, the Kingslayer, to take the black.' Egger, I assume your arrival is related to this matter. What is your take?"
Seeking his opinion? For a moment, Egger felt a flicker of being flattered. Was this a sign that he was beginning to possess actual influence, or did Robb personally trust his intellect and judgment?
...
"The Wildlings have reached the foot of the Wall. When I received the news, I was already leading recruits north along the Kingsroad to join the defense of the realm." Egger first explained the reason for his swift arrival, then stated his position: "As the Chief Logistics Officer, I have no personal ties to Jaime Lannister. However, I must emphasize one thing—the plan mentioned by the Lord just now, to use me as bait to lure out and murder the Kingslayer, is something I will never agree to. Rules and bottom lines must never be broken."
"Why talk of rules and lines with a man as void of honor as the Kingslayer!"
"This has nothing to do with honor; it is about the spirit of contract and established convention. Agreeing to let him join the Watch is a signal of a willingness to reconcile. To use that as bait to lure him out only to kill him sets a precedent that others will follow, and the neutrality of the Night's Watch will vanish!" Egger profited immensely from the privileges of the Watch; there was no way he would let someone wreck his own brand. He didn't want to engage in any more illogical debates with a bunch of old Northern curmudgeons. Shaking his head, he reminded himself that Robb's attitude was the key: "Lord Stark, since Lord Tywin said he would 'support the King who agrees to let his son take the black,' I must ask: are you all supporting King Stannis?"
The room fell silent.
In truth, to most of the Northern, Riverlands, and Vale lords, forget Renly or Stannis—even the 'King' was just a distant symbol. They weren't familiar with either of Robert's younger brothers. Compared to the two stags currently locked in a struggle, the influence of the old wolf, Eddard Stark, was actually far greater. If the lords present were to hold a democratic vote, more than half would likely choose to take the gold they had just plundered from the West and head home immediately to spend or hide it—whoever wanted to be King could have the damn seat.
People were realistic. They had gathered enough loot; who had the stomach to rush off to the Crownlands and fight a war that wasn't a guaranteed victory in the largest city of the Seven Kingdoms?
The lords harbored their own thoughts, but those thoughts could only stay internal. Currently, Eddard Stark was being held by Renly in a dungeon in the Red Keep. If anyone dared to tuck tail and run home with their spoils now, the Northern lords would tear them apart before the enemy ever could.
...
"Renly is not the King." After ten seconds, Robb broke the silence. "If the two sons left by the late King Robert are indeed products of incest, then the throne rightfully belongs to Stannis. On this point, my position is the same as my father's."
"If there were no war for the throne, it wouldn't matter to us who sits on it," Roose Bolton analyzed with an air of detached indifference. "But since the two stags are fighting and we have been labeled as Stannis's faction, if we do nothing and Renly secures the throne, any favors or benefits in the future will only go to House Tyrell."
"What favors? I'd thank the Seven just for someone to stop making us fight. Who craves favors from Renly? The Iron Throne is buried in debt; everyone south of the Neck knows it!"
"Benefits aren't just gold; they are status and influence." Roose Bolton shook his head. "Why did every King since Aegon deliberately keep House Tyrell away from the core of power, keeping the Reach 'strong in branch but weak in trunk'? Because the potential of the Reach is too vast... Now that Margaery Tyrell is Queen, if the Rose family uses this connection to the Baratheons to shed their 'weak lord' status and make the Reach 'strong in both branch and trunk,' then with the West heavily crippled, the remaining five kingdoms combined likely couldn't stand against them."
"Renly only thinks of using the Reach's military and material wealth to seize his brother's throne. He likely doesn't realize that once he gives House Tyrell the status of the Queen and the chance to consolidate the Reach's resources, they will leap forward to become the true uncrowned kings of Westeros." The wealth of the Reach was obvious to all, and no one disputed this. However, Edmure Tully followed this line of thought to a more serious concern: "By then, the man on the Iron Throne will be named Baratheon, but the ones truly controlling the Seven Kingdoms will be the Tyrells... The center of power will quickly have no room for any of the other five houses... We will be marginalized. Once this pattern forms, our descendants will be subservient to House Tyrell for a thousand generations, subjected to their oppression and rule."
"You're exaggerating," Greatjon Umber snorted. "The Tyrells don't have dragons. Once we cross the Neck and re-establish ourselves as Kings in the North, neither kneeling nor paying tribute, what could they do to me?"
"The North has the Neck, and the Vale has the Bloody Gate, but what about the Riverlands?" Roose Bolton snorted back. "Since Aegon unified the Seven Kingdoms, every winter the North has been able to buy grain from the South, especially the Riverlands. The tragedy of 'the winter population being halved' hasn't happened for three hundred years, which is why the population has reached nearly two million today. If you blockade the Neck, how many people do you think will survive the North by the end of this winter?"
"Fine, fine! In the whole North, only you flayers have a clear head! I won't waste words with you. I'll support Stannis, alright? Long live King Stannis! Satisfied?"
Robb raised a hand to stop the argument between his vassals. "My Lords, the matter of whether or not to support Stannis for the Iron Throne can be discussed later. Currently, my father is in the Red Keep dungeons. No matter what, I must lead the army to rescue him. Stannis has already written to me, leaving the choice of whether to allow Jaime Lannister to join the Watch in my hands. The Chief Logistics Officer has just arrived... regardless, we must make a decision quickly."
"There's no suspense. If we say 'no,' the Old Lion will send his troops to continue harassing the Riverlands while our main army is away at King's Landing, in 'support' of Renly." Edmure Tully said, "And if we divide our forces to fight on two fronts, we have no chance of winning. We must use this method to make peace with Tywin."
"Making peace is caving, and caving is for cowards," Greatjon roared. "To hell with Tywin! Say what you will, but I won't tolerate the Kingslayer running off to the Wall to live out his days in our Northern backyard!"
...
What followed was a continuous shouting match. Every noble had the right to speak. Robb Stark commanded the lords' willingness to follow through his father's prestige and his own military success, but he lacked the raw intimidation to make them all shut up. Everyone held their own ground, spitting and shouting their opinions with full force...
"Everyone, listen to me!" Egger, dizzy from the cacophony, shook his head and roared his last sentence with increased volume to grab their attention. "The situation before you is not complicated. I have only one question: if you refuse Jaime Lannister's application to join the Watch, which of you lords is willing to lead an army to stop Lord Tywin from marching out of the Golden Tooth to attack the Riverlands? If you do, how certain are you that you can block him—that you can ensure he never sets foot in the Riverlands or harms a single resident?"
"If we're afraid of sacrifice, why are we even at war?" Lord Karstark said.
"If that is the logic you wish to follow, there is no need to continue this discussion," Egger replied irritably. "Why did you lords march into the West? To punish the criminals who attacked the King, to stop the Lannister army from pillaging the Riverlands, to uphold the dignity of the Iron Throne, and to protect the lands of your allies—not to showcase the 'bravery' of Northerners who aren't afraid to die! I admire the courage of the elder Northern lords, but you must not put the cart before the horse!"
Lord Karstark was left speechless by this reasoned rebuff. After a few seconds of silence, he sneered, "Lord Chief Logistics Officer, you seem awfully eager to help the Kingslayer take the black. Now I remember... you seemed to be on quite good terms with that Imp of House Lannister..."
"This has nothing to do with the Imp or the Big Devil! I want you to make peace with House Lannister to avoid unnecessary casualties so that more Northern soldiers can return home alive—and then assist the Wall in fighting Wildlings and White Walkers!" Renly held the survival of the Night's Watch industries in his hands, so Egger had to mind his temper with him... but who did these guys from the North think they were to start a petty argument? Egger knew he couldn't show a hint of cowardice or guilt. A flash of inspiration struck, and he feigned a towering rage: "Before I set out with the Logistics soldiers, I personally declined Renly Baratheon's invitation to 'take off the black and join his Small Council'! I gave up a comfortable life in King's Landing to rush back to the frozen hell of the Wall to fulfill the sacred vows of the Night's Watch, to be the shield of the realm and protect the lives of the Seven Kingdoms—especially the Northerners! And yet, here is a Northern lord who thinks the lives of his soldiers, his people, and his allies aren't worth a damn? If that's the case, just say the word! I'll head back to King's Landing right now to be the Master of Coin or Laws and let the White Walkers take every last one of you!"
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