Chapter 370: Twists and Turns (Part 1)
To be honest, with the plot shifting so drastically, the fact that Varys still appeared before Daenerys as immovable as ever had already stirred unease and suspicion in Egger's heart... It was just that, for the moment, he had to focus his energy on hooking the Queen and had no time to immediately ponder the mechanics behind it. Who would have thought—while Egger had no desire to provoke Varys, the spymaster would strike first, nearly knocking him off balance with a single blow.
Egger felt a surge of annoyance, but he knew the other party likely wasn't making things up; the matter of the dragon-hunting scorpions was probably true. Unfortunately, this wasn't the fault of himself, Nina, or any mid-to-high-level decision-maker in the Night's Watch Industry. The Industry still sent financial reports and operational details to the Gift unreservedly and on schedule, but he couldn't possibly abandon the primary task of organizing the defenses at the Gorge to find time for such insignificant documents—not to mention, the scorpions were likely just one item in the normal business of the Industry's military-industrial department. Even if he had read the report, he probably would have overlooked such a detail.
Viewed lightly, this was merely an inevitable byproduct of normal operations; viewed harshly, it could be escalated to aiding the enemy... It all depended on what Daenerys thought. Having lost the initiative, the right course of action was to find a way to remedy the situation quickly. The Lord Commander, suddenly interrogated, rapidly organized a suitable defense, but following the inquisitor, a second, unexpected voice beat him to the punch:
"Lord Commander Egger is stationed in the Gift; he likely cannot manage subordinates in the south. The pretender's power in King's Landing is great; I fear few could refuse his demands. A small accident is understandable."
The words were quite reasonable, but the identity of the speaker was so bizarre that everyone's eyes instantly focused on the source of the voice.
Anyone has the right to hold an opinion. Had this explanation come from Egger himself, Melisandre standing behind him, Moqorro, Petyr, Missandei, or anyone else in the room, it would simply be a matter of stance and perspective. Yet, it came from the one person who absolutely shouldn't have said it—Daenerys Targaryen, seated upon the throne.
As the current occupier of this place and the monarch Varys served, Daenerys was the Master. A courtier questions a visitor, at least on the surface, to ensure the Queen isn't blinded or deceived and to protect her interests... Even if she, as the master, didn't want to make things difficult for the guest, she should have at least gone through the motions: listen to Egger's defense and then use it as a graceful way to step down, showing acceptance and approval. How could she bypass the status hierarchy with such confused alignment, rushing to explain for an outsider and leaving her own man, Varys, in an embarrassing predicament?
Under the collective gaze, Daenerys suddenly realized she had misspeoken. It wasn't that her emotional intelligence was so low that she didn't understand basic social rules; rather, part of her mind was still lingering on the gift she had received, while another part was immersed in the joy of having such a prestigious figure come to her so soon after her return to Westeros. She didn't want anything to go wrong with this friendly meeting... and in her distracted state, her inner thoughts had slipped out.
Spoken words cannot be swallowed back. Since the milk was spilled, Dany decided to play the Queen's Prerogative—after all, no one in this room dared to openly criticize her. Feeling her face heat up, she suppressed her embarrassment with a cough, wiped the expression from her face, and pretended nothing had happened: "Ahem, quite right... Lord Commander, what is your explanation for this?"
Explanation? You've already pre-emptively understood me; what is there left for me to explain?
Egger had no idea the Queen already knew and expected much of him through Moqorro. He was stunned by this excessive display of favor, falling into a deeper state of confusion than when he was being troubled by Varys. He had sensed a strange atmosphere since entering the room: he was no King in the North, yet the Queen not only granted him a prompt and solemn personal audience, but her initial attitude seemed far too friendly—not at all how a mature ruler looks when meeting a stranger. And that inexplicable interjection just now had pushed this weirdness to the extreme...
If she had read his The Prince and viewed him as a soulmate, causing her favor to skyrocket, it would be understandable. But Egger had seen clearly: the Queen had only pulled back the silk to glance at the cover; she hadn't even turned the first page.
How could a fish take the hook before even eating the bait?
To say Daenerys was playing some trick to mess with him would be overestimating his own importance as Lord Commander... Was it that he possessed a prophetic aura, causing the Mother of Dragons to fall in love at first sight? Or was it a side effect of the Madness often associated with the Blood of the Dragon, showing its early signs?
Egger muttered to himself internally, but his face betrayed nothing. Since the Queen had already provided one reason, it would be improper to act like a repeater. He had to rethink and find a different angle to defend himself... Because Daenerys was so eye-catching, it was only now that he remembered to use the thinking time to observe the others beside the Queen. A row of identical Unsullied made it impossible to guess if Grey Worm was among them; the young girl who announced the titles and delivered the gift was obviously Missandei. He had seen Varys a few times from a distance at the Red Keep, and Petyr was someone he had also met once before... Only the dark-skinned man in red robes standing in the corner, seemingly merging with the shadows, was someone whose origins Egger couldn't place.
Perhaps a Red Priest assistant was standard equipment for a candidate for the Prince That Was Promised; the Red Temple likely used this casting a wide net method to ensure they didn't miss the right person. He wondered if this Red Priest had the same kind of relationship with Daenerys that he had with Melisandre?
Fearing too much wandering thought would ruin things, Egger quickly pulled his focus back. Steeling his nerves, he began his defense.
"Your Majesty, while the name of the Night's Watch Industry bears the words 'Night's Watch,' it is not a subordinate organization of the Night's Watch. Its operational staff and workers are recruited from the Crownlands and across the Seven Kingdoms, not drawn from the sworn brothers of the Wall." Though the Queen's strange behavior made him worry about her mental state, it at least made him confident in his defense—clearly, however he explained it, the Queen would accept it. "Rather than a part of the Wall's garrison, it is an institution I initiated, founded jointly with the funds and efforts of nobles and people of insight across the Seven Kingdoms... It uses a portion of its profits to support the construction of the Wall's defenses, thereby preventing the Black Brothers from weakening to the point of forced dissolution. Its mission is to assume the role of 'supporting the Wall' previously held by the now-sparse population of the Gift, avoiding financial pressure on the North or the Iron Throne. The Night's Watch benefits from its existence, but it is not controlled by the Watch itself. Although I am the Lord Commander, I do not directly command it. The weapon trade with King Stannis was an accident. I will certainly handle it as soon as possible, severing the parts of the Industry that collaborate or have military-industrial dealings with the King's Landing garrison, to maintain the neutrality the Night's Watch should possess."
Well said, but severing? Nearly all production and operation took place within the black walls of the Night's Watch Industrial Park; how was that to be severed? Moreover, the design and improvement of the heavy dragon-hunting scorpions were carried out almost entirely by the Industry's R&D department. Was that prior investment of technology and brainpower to be ignored?
If Varys wanted to continue troubling Egger, he had thousands of ways to do so with his mountain of data and inside information. But with Daenerys's friendly stance already so obvious, why ask for trouble? After all, he had only spoken up earlier to reinforce everyone's impression of his omniscience, not because he felt this Lord Commander posed any threat to his cause or layout.
Daenerys wasn't in a hurry to speak this time. Only after ensuring none of her ministers had anything to add did she breathe a sigh of relief: "Very well, Lord Commander. I believe that providing scorpions to King's Landing was not entirely of your own volition. But since you are not here to swear fealty to me, what is the purpose of this visit?"
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