Chapter 287: Seizing the Initiative
All eyes converged on Egger.
Sent south by Mormont as a logistics officer, his long absence from the Wall had made him naturally less grounded among the brothers in black. Consequently, when his supporter Commander Mormont met with disaster, Egger had immediately found himself in a predicament. However, what was lost was also gained. His actions and experiences during his time on official duty were far more complex than simply growing the Night's Watch industry into a money tree at King's Landing. He had used Robert Baratheon's call to suppress the rebellion as an opportunity to raise funds and forge ties with nobles across nearly all of Westeros. He had used public opinion and visibility to create a personal brand and improve the image of the Night's Watch. He had used his position and leisure time to understand the customs and political ecology of the Seven Kingdoms. The world's trends were firmly within his grasp.
All of this led to one result: though he was a man of the Night's Watch, his fame and recognition far surpassed those of any other high-ranking officers or fortress commanders who shared the Chief title.
If nothing else, nearly all the Northern nobles present recognized him. Their understanding of and connection to him went far deeper than just a face and a name.
Galbart Glover nodded with a smile toward Egger. "Lord Chief Logistics Officer, you took back Deepwood Motte and rescued my brother's family, then captured Asha Greyjoy and handed her to me as a hostage. I owe you more than one favor. By rights, I shouldn't make things difficult for you... but the Gift Settlement Plan is a grave matter. If the conditions I see during the inspection in two days are too outrageous, I will have to play the part of a man of iron impartiality."
"That is only natural." Egger nodded gratefully to the speaker. He had led troops to relieve the siege of Deepwood Motte and had now stepped forward to claim responsibility as Commander Mormont's successor specifically to hear words like these. Not too outrageous—interpreted from another angle, wasn't this a public declaration? As long as it wasn't total madness, House Glover would voice its support for the Gift Settlement Plan.
At this moment, Roose Bolton chimed in with a faint remark: "We have all witnessed the Chief Logistics Officer's talent and intellect. I feel that settling a few wildlings should pose no problem at all for him."
If Lord Glover's support was within Egger's expectations, the sudden praise from the "Old Leech" left him both flattered and bewildered. Was this a sincere sentiment, or was Bolton intentionally showing goodwill to get closer to him because he knew of his relationship with House Stark?
Only a few months ago, Egger had hanged Bolton's bastard—Ramsay Snow, who was posing as Reek—at Queenscrown. Recalling that there were now two men in this small Castle Black whose sons had died because of him (Yohn Royce already viewing him as a blood enemy), facing Roose Bolton now... it would be a lie to say he didn't feel a twinge of guilt while seeking favor. As things stood, he could only hope that Bolton still believed Ramsay had been killed by the Winterfell army led by Ser Rodrik, and that the one sent to the Wall was the real Reek.
Based on his memory of the plot and the accounts of events he'd heard, Roose Bolton truly seemed unaware of the specifics. Moreover, Bolton had now married a Frey woman who was pregnant with a legitimate child; he likely wouldn't bother tracing the whereabouts of a bastard executed by the Starks.
Before the inspection had even begun, two of the four houses were clearly leaning toward Egger. This seemed like a coincidence, but it was an inevitable outcome. The Conservatives watching this felt their expressions turn grim. They silently exchanged glances but said no more.
"Very well. Believe me, I know Egger's capabilities better than anyone here, but I must see the truth of the Gift Settlement Plan with my own eyes." Robb Stark waved a hand, interrupting the discussion. "Enough. Tonight's dinner is to welcome the four lords. Let's speak no more of official business. I'll start by proposing a toast to the senior lords here. May you all be healthy and safe, and may winter be short and summer long!"
In cold places, toasts have a distinct flavor. This was a blessing commonly used in the North and a sincere wish for most Northerners. Everyone followed the Warden of the North's lead and raised their cups: "May winter be short and summer long!"
Though Robb was young, he had already carved out his own prestige through two wars. When he said no more business, the rest of the banquet proceeded without further mention of it. The Northern lords were not privy to the internal power struggle between the Conservatives and Reformists within the Night's Watch—in fact, except for those with sharp eyes and a keen scent for conflict like Roose Bolton, most of them probably didn't even realize the Watch was divided into two factions.
The pleasure of returning alive from the south with massive loot and glory had not yet faded. Now, they were on the home turf of the Night's Watch, their most traditional allies. Surrounded by the warmth of the hearth and a profound sense of security, they ate great slabs of meat and drank deep from their bowls, quickly settling into the spirit of the evening.
As the wine flowed and the atmosphere grew warm, Lord Glover suddenly remembered something. He set down his cup and turned to Robb. "Lord Robb, there is one more thing I must report... no, no, it has nothing to do with the Wall. It's regarding the Iron Islands. I took Asha Greyjoy, whom Lord Egger captured at Deepwood Motte, back to the castle, intending to use her to exchange for Robett's two children. But before we could send the letter demanding the exchange, those pirates sent Gawen and Erena—back ahead of time."
"Hmm?" Robb also set down his cup, his curiosity piqued. "That shouldn't be possible. The voyage from the Iron Islands to Deepwood Motte takes several days... The two children... I mean, are they alright?"
"Aside from being a bit shaken, they aren't missing any hands or feet—in fact, they haven't lost a single hair." The father of the two children, Robett Glover, replied with a shrug. From his relaxed expression, one could tell the children were indeed fine. "The Ironborn who brought them back also delivered a message from Asha Greyjoy's uncle—telling us to simply release the girl and not bother sending her back to the Iron Islands."
The hall remained boisterous, but the table seated with the key figures fell silent. The Night's Watch officers who had been at the Wall for long periods had no idea what the Northern nobles were discussing, while the remaining Northerners... including Egger, were completely left scratching their heads.
Ever since Aegon conquered the continent on dragonback, the frequency and intensity of conflicts between the Seven Kingdoms had dropped drastically compared to the pre-unification era. However, the feudal essence of Westeros remained unchanged. Among the noble lords, certain established customs remained as sacred and inviolable as the modern concept of "all men are created equal"—among these, the manner of treating and disposing of captives was a crucial part.
In war, no one can guarantee eternal victory; anyone can be captured alive. A noble hopes to be fed, clothed, and given basic respect when captured, and eventually return home safely. Putting themselves in others' shoes, nobles usually ensured certain standards of treatment for the captives they took. This was called chivalry for the sake of appearances, but in essence, it was 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'
Specifically regarding the exchange of prisoners, the nobility had a complete set of unwritten rules:
What level of prisoner corresponded to what price. Commoners, knights, lords... ranging from a few silver coins to thousands of golden dragons. The more prominent the status and the wealthier the family, the higher the ransom. While not listed on a formal price sheet, the amount was always kept within a reasonable range, never so extortionate as to bankrupt a family.
Besides ransom, there was another form of exchange: man for man.
Prisoners of the same rank could be swapped—Lord for Lord, heir for heir, ordinary member for ordinary member. If there was a clear disparity, one could swap one for several, or add some gold dragons as a sweetener to the one-for-one swap to ensure fairness.
For example, in the original timeline, Jaime Lannister was captured at the Battle of the Whispering Wood. If the Starks had swapped him for Eddard Stark, the head of their house, that would have been a bargain. Cersei and Pycelle refused a direct swap precisely because they didn't want to lose out, instead demanding that Eddard take the black and retire from politics as a sweetener for the unequal trade.
The reality, however, was that the plan went awry at the final step. Eddard was beheaded by that fool Joffrey, making an exchange impossible.
The negotiations collapsed and both sides continued to fight desperately. In that situation, Catelyn Tully hoped to use the Kingslayer to swap for her two daughters. Unfortunately, that was a completely unacceptable exchange: Jaime was Tywin's only son, the perceived heir to the Westerlands, a famous swordsman in the Seven Kingdoms, and one of the enemy's primary commanders. The political and military significance of holding him was in no way equal to the two Stark daughters... this had nothing to do with emotion; it was an acknowledged fact.
Robb understood this perfectly, which was why he suppressed his worry for his sisters and continued to detain Jaime.
But in this world, is swapping Asha Greyjoy for Robett Glover's pair of children a fair trade?
The Greyjoys were the overlord house of the Iron Islands, and Asha was viewed by Balon as his heir. Her rank was Heir to a Great House, putting her on the same level as Jaime.
Looking at the Northern side: Robett was not the lord of Deepwood Motte, but rather the brother of Lord Glover and the latter's heir. His children were important members of the house, but they were not the core members... they hadn't even reached the rank of Heir; they were merely the children of the Heir.
On the surface, this was a completely unequal swap; even a one-for-two exchange would be a massive loss for the North.
Fortunately, Asha's situation was special. She was not a standard Heir prisoner. In this patriarchal world, her status as a woman automatically lowered her value by a grade. Furthermore, internal strife had broken out in the Iron Islands, and her uncle had seized power. A woman who could no longer inherit the Iron Islands dropped in value to the level of important but not core.
Thus, using her to swap for a boy and a girl from House Glover became a fair trade.
A fair trade usually satisfies both sides, and a trade that satisfies both sides generally encounters no problems. This meant that as long as the Iron Islands agreed to the exchange and returned the two children, Deepwood Motte would absolutely follow the agreement and hand Asha over safely to whoever came for her, without ever entertaining the thought of killing the hostage or breaking the contract.
But the strange thing now was: before negotiations had even begun, the Iron Islands had proactively returned the two children, throwing away all their leverage.
Where in the world could such a pie falling from the sky good deed come from?
Even the habitually expressionless Roose Bolton showed a look of confusion: "This makes no sense. Why would House Greyjoy do that?"
"After some questioning and investigation, I've gained a bit of insight. This wasn't the wish of House Greyjoy, but rather the personal decision of Rodrik Harlaw, Asha's maternal uncle—her mother's brother, the Master of Harlaw Island and Ten Towers, and the head of House Harlaw." In the Common Tongue of Westeros, there is no distinction between maternal and paternal uncles, hence Robett's explanation. "We all know that if Asha returned to the Iron Islands as a prisoner exchange, she would ten to one be placed under house arrest or even killed by her uncle—that madman Euron Greyjoy. Rodrik likely didn't want his niece to meet such an end, so he took it upon himself to send the leverage back before we could reach an agreement with Euron."
"I see. A truly touching display of family affection." Robb had heard stories of "The Reader" Rodrik, and he nodded after listening. "Since the children are safe, you may release her as agreed. There is no need to report to me."
"No, my lord, this is what I was thinking. If I release Asha and she has no home to go to, she might well gather some stragglers and take up the life of a roaming pirate along the western coast of the North. This would be detrimental to our lands. Therefore, I ordered her sent to Winterfell to await your judgment."
Robb frowned in displeasure. "Since they sent the children back, how can we break our word based on some vague worries and carry the stain of being oathbreakers? Release her. If she chooses to become a pirate and raid the Northern coastline, then the next time we meet, we simply won't spare her life!"
Roose Bolton hadn't drunk much. He shook his head calmly. "My lord, did you not hear Glover clearly? House Harlaw sent the children back before Deepwood Motte even issued the demand for a prisoner exchange. No negotiations had begun between the two sides, and no agreement was made. Naturally, there is no question of breaking one's word. There is absolutely no problem with us keeping her."
"The negotiations hadn't started?" Robb felt relieved. After a moment of musing, he spoke again: "Very well. My lords, what do you think I should do with her?"
"Kill her and be done with it. Keeping her fed just costs one more person's grain."
"Keep her. The Iron Islands are warring everywhere under that madman Euron; who knows if they might turn their sights on us in the future. If someone from another house is captured, we can swap her back for a few more people!"
"Crow's Eye would love nothing more than for us to lock up his niece for life. He won't swap a damn thing!"
"If nothing else, she can certainly be swapped for two prisoners from House Harlaw."
"Haha, Asha's bookworm uncle took it upon himself to return the Glover children. The 'King of the Isles' must be furious enough to die. He'd better think about how to save his own life before he thinks about coming to the North to steal our gold and grain!"
The Northern lords chattered and debated, while Egger silently toyed with the food on his plate with a fork, saying nothing.
Before the exchange had even begun, the Glover children were released. This matter seemed bizarre, but once explained, it was just another case of the intricate internal factional struggles of the Iron Islands.
Asha's significance to the Iron Islands was much like Joffrey's significance to Westeros, specifically the Lannister family: once the time was ripe, she could be crowned and used as a major political play. Those in the Iron Islands who still secretly opposed Euron "Crow's Eye" did not want such an important chess piece to be disposed of by Euron in some murky fashion.
Based on his understanding of Robb, killing a prisoner was something he definitely couldn't do... but if Asha were truly released, this woman would ten to one find a way to join the Mother of Dragons. If the North's enemies were to return to Westeros under the banner of the True Dragon, leading the three dragons of House Targaryen, it would inevitably be a massive headache for the North and himself.
Egger saw the situation clearly, but this matter really had little to do with him, so he peacefully sat back to watch the show, observing the other Night's Watchmen at the table while he was at it.
But suddenly, the matter became very much his business.
"Wait, wasn't Asha Greyjoy captured by our Chief Logistics Officer—Lord Egger? We've been discussing this for so long, why hasn't anyone thought to ask for his opinion?"
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