XVI.

Thirtieth of the fifth moon of 297AC. Castle Black, The Wall, North Westeros.

"He was three-and-thirty when the Great Council chose him to sit on the Iron Throne. A man grown with sons of his own, yet in some ways still a boy. Egg had an innocence, a sweetness we all loved. Kill the boy within you, I told him the day I took ship for the Wall. It takes a man to rule. An Aegon, not an Egg. Kill the boy and let the man be born." The old man felt Jon's face. "You are half the age that Egg was, and your own burden is a crueler one, I fear. You will have little joy of your command, but I think you have the strength in you to do the things that must be done. Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy and let the man be born." ADWD, Jon II

It was already midmorning when all those Aegon had summoned hours before were finally in his solar of the King's Tower. Among some reasons and others, the meeting that by now he expected to have finished and overcome, it seemed that it would never begin.

At first, the slowness and parsimony from the black brothers until they reached the place where

Aegon was with the wight and the subsequent transport to Castle Black, prevented him from reaching the other side of the Wall earlier than he would have liked.

He thought that with all that lay ahead of him, standing for nearly an hour before the shattered wight was a real waste of time. At least it served to see how the being became accustomed to his presence when Aegon stood still for a long time. If he moved again, the creature seemed to react again and want to crawl up to him.

When he finally reached the other side from the Wall, instead of the image that he previously had in his mind of meeting his mother, Arya and his father waiting for him, he only found the sour face of Ser Alliser Thorne to inform him that his mother had fainted in the courtyard few minutes ago and now was in the rooms from his many times great uncle the maester.

Arya was deep asleep, accompanied by mother's wolf and her own in their rooms from the King's Tower. And his Bran had also gone to sleep accompanied by his wolf.

Not satisfied with the first alarming news, Ser Alliser began to follow him by his side, matching the rhythm of Aegon's step and that of Ghost, to give him a report that he had not yet requested on the situation of the Night's Watch during his absence.

With the exception from the arrival of Randyll Tarly's son and the occasional discordant voice against house Targaryen, quickly extinguished, although at no time did specify how, Ser Alliser did not communicate anything of great relevance to Aegon.

When he finally arrived at his great-uncle Aemon's rooms, Aegon found that his mother Lyanna was sedated, because apparently when she saw Balerion flying without him or his Bran on top, Aegon's mother feared the worst and suffered a nervous breakdown. Because of this, the venerable maester had supplied her with a few drops of dream-wine for her best rest. And Aegon's father had decided to stay to sleep with her.

Therefore Aegon could do nothing until everyone was either awake or able to attend the meeting, something that did not happen almost until the sun was already high in the sky.

While the various attendees of the meeting were arriving at his solar and taking position in the reduced space, Aegon did not stop observing both Jeor Mormont, as Bowen Marsh, as the newcomer Cotter Pyke. The latter responsible for the vital enclave for his plans of Eastwacht by the Sea. Those three men would be his dance partners in the negotiations.

Ser Alliser, Yarwick, or Noye weren't going to be a real problem. And Aegon's family, was his family, which included the maester from the Watch.

'Surely, if we convince those three men, or, failing that, impose our plan on them, the rest of the affairs from the North would be entirely under your uncle's jurisdiction. Lord Brynden may be cursed seven times, but we must admit that coming to the Wall, in the end is proving extremely productive.' the Conqueror pointed out from within. This one seemed reinvigorated after the events with the Free Folk.

'Without a doubt, we are two and one. When it happens to be melancholic and pessimistic, it is almost as much or more than me.' Aegon mused animatedly inwarfly after having seen during the days of waiting in the cave and after meeting the Others, the most pessimistic face from the Conqueror.

The similarities that they had always had and that were becoming more and more remarkable, served to accept more who he really was and what his destiny and fate was.

When uncle Maester Aemon finally arrived, he was given a seat at the left of the desk, after which Aegon and his father sat to his right. Behind them three, were the four Direwolves lying at the feet of Aegon's mother, little sister and brother. Whom were standing and firm, watching the other side, where only Jeor Mormont had sat at the front of desk, remaining the rest of the black brothers standing.

Ser Jaremy Rykker stood by the door. Unofficially the second of his King's guard since before the meeting. And so, Rykker already wore a white cloak on his back, made of thick wool.

'At least I took advantage of the wait. It didn't make sense for a man like Ser Jaremy to be in the Watch. Since the vows were practically the same and Rykker will have the military command over our half of the Wall in the absence of members of the royal family, was better commute the vows by those of the King's guard.'

Jeor Mormont present in the solar from a while later tan the hour of the Bat, barely objected and accepted willingly, having only the highest praise for Ser Jaremy, whom Mormont was sorry to lose, but understood that Rykker would in a certain way, continue to perform the role he had now. 'To be the shield of men.'

Despite the place and the situation, certain courtesy and protocol was kept. Both his family and the black brothers were wearing their best outfits. Because he had returned with only the black shirt, his tight black treated leather breeches, his high black leather riding boots and his cloak. And since Aegon did not intend to wear his surcoat all the time, nor his armor as a garment, nor the clothes he wore as Jon Snow, Sansa wove him a doublet in black wool and velvet, with red trims on the neck and the sigil of Aegon's house on the chest in red thread. Just like the one Sansa had made for his father Rhaegar, designed for these occasions until be able to get hold of ones similar to the those he had in the 'past?Future?Present? Meh, nevermind. I don't think I'll ever be able to understand what time really is.'

'It's curious that I had to die and come back to life to receive something from Sansa.' Aegon sometimes thought with certain cynicism. But he had to admit that both doublets were exquisite. As was the replica of his black shirt and cloak that his cousin Sansa had made for Rhaegar in emulation of those of Aegon's.

The Valyrian steel band that rested on his brow, was not only a symbol of his power and position. To Aegon it was more than a crown; it was part of him. As Ghost. As Balerion. As the Valyrian steel chainmail and armor with precious stones finishing off the sigil of his house and that Aegon felt like an armor that would protect him from all his troubles when he wore it.

Or as the wonderful black silk cloak that now was crossed over Aegon's chest to his hip in sash, which felt like Rhaenys's embrace. Or Blackfyre, still uncomfortable when he cinched it around the waist, but that didn't matter.

In a way, the loss and subsequent recovery of identity, supposed that Aegon sought to cling to those elements that he felt as an extension of himself, in order to process and assume his true identity and his function in the world. They were a permanent reminder of who he was and what was his duty to fate.

Focusing back on what was in front of him, Aegon let silence take over the room. He waited to see as the tension grew between the black brothers, who knew nothing of Aegon's plan, except the possibility that the Others had reawakened

'If only they knew the magnitude of the threat ...' thought internally, as he steeled his posture, clenched his jaw and began to pierce with his gaze at each of the leaders of the Brotherhood upon

the Wall.

Lord Commander Jeor Mormont looked impassive. But though discreetly, he kept moving his left foot up and down. Lord Steward Bowen Marsh was pale, sweaty, and looking to be heading for the scaffold. The first builder, Yarwick, had a look and a position that mixed respect and hatred in equal parts.

'Be careful with this one' warned The Dragon.

For their part, Cotter Pyke kept his gaze closed on him and his father, although from time to time he cast a look of disbelief at his mother. Ser Alliser had the grim grin and stiff body expression as always, while Donal Noye had a smile on his face every time looked towards Aegon's father and mother, something he did not understand at all, coming from the man who had forged the war hammer that killed Rhaegar. But that was a topic to inquire at another time.

Now it was his mission to scare the hierarchy from the Watch, minus Ser Denys, into shitting their pants.

'In that way we will start the negotiation with all power and showing ourselves as the only viable option to defeat the threat.' The Conqueror assured him, who was certainly a great manager from the times and the scene.

'Although you must admit that Rhaenys and Visenya knew how to create the stage for you to show off.' he japed to the Dragon with some humor, knowing that if his sisters were present, they would have upholstered the room in banners and would have one of the dragons perched on the King's Tower.

When Aegon decided had sown enough tension, he simply glanced at Ser Jaremy and nodded, after which the king's guard left the solar, closing the door behind him.

Adopting a straight position on his chair while gently resting his arms on the desk, he cleared his throat and began the meeting "Lord Commander, Lord Steward, Master at Arms, First Builder, Maester Aemon, Lord Pyke and Lord Noye, I appreciate your coming to this meeting. I know that our appearance and that of our THREE DRAGONS upon the Wall has involved and can cause many disruptions in your daily routine. But believe me, a cut on time is better than dying of gangrene." He said in a cold and imperative voice.

Judging from Pyke's reaction, it seems that no one had informed him that despite his appearance, he was not a teenager who peed green grass.

"I have had you gather here to communicate my plans. I know that the Night's Watch does not participate in the matters of the Seven Kingdoms... For this reason my plans regarding the brotherhood and what happens beyond the wall, have nothing to do with my plans to recover what is rightfully mine, and that it will be again by Fire and Blood."

When Aegon finished the sentence, he could see how Yarwick and Marsh gave a little flinch.

'Good. Two who are absolutely scared.'

Mormont for his part was unmoved, while Noye and Pyke now had a certain worried face. It was time to intone the mea culpa.

"TheWatch has long been forgotten by my ancestors, who, like the brotherhood itself, had forgotten their true duty. A King must first and foremost care and take care of the safety of the Kingdoms and the Night's Watch is the first defense of them. But not against the Wildlings. No

more, that's over from today onwards. Your duty, which seems long forgotten, is to defend humanity from the final enemy of men; The Others and Death." Aegon said with firm voice.

Upon mentioning the legendary threat and a permanent cessation of hostilities with the Free Folk, Aegon received the expressions of disbelief, revulsion, and mistrust that he expected. It was the moment.

"And believe me, The Second Long Night is coming and the Night's Watch will not be able to defeat it alone. The Free Folk will not be able to defeat it. Robert and the other greedy and petty lords of The Seven Kingdoms will not be able to stop it. Only a joint effort of all the men and women of Westeros and Essos can prevent human beings from being part of the past, in a future where only Death reigns." Aegon concluded coldy and with total certainty, while he extended his arms forwards.

Seeing faces that he was making everything up, Aegon decided to play his first card. Breaking the sealing wax from his uncle Benjen's parchment and unrolling it on the desk, he passed it on to Jeor Mormont for him to read, while reporting what was giving.

"This is from my uncle Benjen, it also has the signature of Qhorin the half-hand, assuring that the Army of the Death and the Others are as real as w.."

Before even finishing the sentence, Yarwick was shaking his head while clicking his tongue and Marsh had a cloudy look.

"I have imagined such a reaction on your part." Aegon said calmly, but with a somewhat cutting voice, while with his left arm made a gesture pointing to the two black brothers present who seemed to be most opposed to belive in the return of mighty enemies from legends.

"That's why I personally took care along with my brother, His Excellency, Prince Brandon Stark, to capture one of the soldiers from the Army of Death. A wight. one in tens of thousands, in hundreds of thousands possibly from the Army of Death which we have also seen with our own eyes and against which we have fought. And against the which, though it pains me to say, we irretrievably lost. If it weren't for prince Brandon, I would be dead now. Just like him and the Others would have added two more soldiers to their army and possibly the largest dragon that has existed since the Doom fell on my ancestral land." Aegon said ominously, trying to highlight the power that the Others possess, while he could hear a gasp of surprise from Arya and a muttering under the breath of thank you from his mother to Bran.

"This boy is madder than his grandfather..." the first builder said with total disgust.

Aegon had braced himself for insults. But it is seemed that his father was not expecting something

like that so soon, as Rhaegar shifted uncomfortably on his chair.

"Indeed my grandfather, Aerys, was mad. But I am myself far from being it. Ser Jaremy!" Aegon intoned aloud, so that could be easily heard from the other side of the massive oak door.

As his King's guard opened the door, the Direwolves became practically uncontrollable, especially Nymeria and Winter.

'The wolves detect and dislike the smell from the magic of the Others.' thought while watched Ser Jaremy walk through the door, dragging a rusty iron chain behind. At the end of this, with a knot around his neck that would choke and kill any living being, was the deceased brother from the Watch, Jeffer Flowers.

'Or what's left of him.' observed the Conqueror, when the body practically pulverized by the weight and Balerion's impact began to drag itself painfully across the room.

Although at first when finding it in the grove, the reanimated body did not smell, the effect from Balerion's hit, caused the smell of its intestines to be present in the environment of the solar.

The reaction of the brothers of the Watch was fright and panic, not believing what they had in front of them.

Taking advantage of their bewilderment and fear, with a signal from his right hand, Aegon ordered Ser Jaremy to pierce the back of the revived being with his forged steel sword, pinning it to the ground on the spot.

The scream of horror and terror from his mother and Arya when the wight continued to stir, until the sword almost cut it at the middle, allowing some progress again, reminded Aegon why he had not wanted to talk to anyone about the development of the meeting.

No one else in Castle Black, apart from Aegon, Bran, Rykker or the two black brothers who helped him broughting back the wight, had seen one of the Others' puppets. Aegon especially wanted to know his family's reaction to the vision of what they would have to fight in the not too distant future, without first being influenced by Bran or by Aegon's narration and description.

Scanning with his gaze the room, Aegon saw that his father was paler than usual, but a new determination seemed to shine in his eyes, fixed on the revived brother. Arya and mother were embracing behind the wolves that were baring their fangs and were almost rabid at the mockery of man before them.

Bran seemed not even present, observing everything with his turquoise eye, but at the same time as if he were not looking at anything. On the contrary, his uncle Aemon, who could not see anything, seemed to be the one who was observing the most to everything that happened in the room. Barely moving a muscle in his face or body, attentive to everything, except to make a little grim face due to to the comment about Aerys and to the smell given off by the crushed, and now as well open to the middle, corpse.

"They can only be killed by fire or Valyrian steel, at least that we know of at the moment. It is possible that the dragonglass also affects them." Aegon paused for them to fall on who possessed three huge creatures that were fire made flesh.

When Aegon could see the realization on their faces, he continued "As my lords will see, I am not crazy, nor do I intend to use the Others as a pretext to claim what is mine by rights. This threat is real, it always has been. It has been biding its time. Waiting for them to be forgotten, the true enemy of men, to strike the final blow at that moment. The blow that according to the original oath, the Night's Watch should stop and repel. Tell me if you are prepared to fulfill the founding duty of saving humanity from one hundred thousand or more beings like this." Finished in a voice laden with emotion, trying to appeal to the honor and true purpose of the Watch.

The black brothers looked at each other, looked at the reanimated corpse, which was trying to reach them despite its state, held by Ser Jaremy's tight grip on the chain. The defeated faces on the men of the Watch were evident.

Like Aegon, they should know that their barely two thousand, three thousand men, most of them ill-prepared, would be incapable not only of stopping the Others, but only of fighting them for more than mere hours.

'Just as they would be unable to face our three dragons and the best ten thousand men of the Free Folk could muster, no matter how ill-fitted they are.' the Conqueror reminded him in passing.

Seeing that it was the moment, Aegon gestured to Ser Jaremy with his left hand, whom rolled up the chain a little and dragged the body away. Wight which to the repulsion of all those present was leaving a trail of intestines stuck to the cold floor of stone and granite.

Feeling how behind Aegon's back his mother and sister were completely decomposed, while Bran his father and the rest of the men from the Watch, except Jeor Mormont and Maester Aemon were pale as snow, he decided that it was time to adjourn the meeting.

"Due to the solar's condition, I'd say that be the best is a wait for clean the stays first and then meet again in half an hour, yes?" question that was rather an order and that was followed by a chorus of your grace, with the exception of the maester, who addressed Aegon's for first time that morning.

"Your Grace, as we make the interruption, would you be so kind as to allow your elderly great- great-uncle to remain during the interruption in your rooms? I fear for my fragile bones by going through the slippery stairs of this tower more times than necessary." Aemon told him with a warm voice, an ear smile and the lost gaze, which at times seemed to be more keen than that of some who had perfect vision.

"No problem uncle." he said with more joy and familiarity than the situation demanded, after which he got up from his chair and called off the meeting with a nod from his head.

Arya and mother hurried out, followed in tow by the wolves in the direction of their personal rooms. When the brothers left the solar, only he, Bran, Rhaegar and uncle Aemon remained behind.

"Thanks for your trick to stay with us, uncle Aemon. I could see no way to justify you staying with us instead of them... there is an issue that we, as family, needs to discuss immediately." said Aegon with some urgency, then extended his left arm to Uncle Aemon so that he would hold on to. They headed towards his rooms, followed by Bran and his father Rhaegar a few steps behind.

When they reached Aegon's stay that served as a personal room, he helped his Uncle Aemon to sit on a chair in front of the drawers under the window.

Meanwhile, Rhaegar was standing leaning against the wall near the now closed door that gave access to the meeting space. An etched a face of absolute determination, but with a smile and a look full of love and pride directed towards him.

'Mayhaps I have to give him a chance as a parent, or at least, an equal to me. Maybe I passed judgment too fast on him.' He thought with some strange emotion, which he did not know he now was capable of having.

Except for the slight difference in height, the long hair that his father had up to his shoulders, since due to the ritual Aegon's hair was still too short to his liking, and the fact that Aegon's face was a little longer compared to Rhaegar's, they could be confused as brothers between them, more than father and son.

One day during the conquest, The Dragon explained him that in most cases, people tends to saw what they wanted to see in front of them. And after seeing his father, he now completely understood this.

Now face to face with his father, it was impossible for him to understand that at any time anyone could have thought that Aegon and uncle Eddard Stark were identical when this one was of Aegon's age.

And it wasn't just for looks. Mannerisms and patterns in the way of being. Like between the Conqueror and himself, Rhaegar also had a tendency toward melancholy and closing in on himself. One of the things he had appreciated most about Rhaegar in the short time they had spent together, making plans for their future campaigns, was that like Aegon, Rhaegar appreciated long silences in meditation and contemplation.

Maybe the two of them would never be the soul of a feast, but surely his father was a person who was easy to work with and they had somewhat similar mindsets. Besides, they both had something that few people can have. The hindsight granted by having died by personal failures and then coming back to life.

Although perhaps Aegon's defeat had not been as resounding as Rhaegar's, both for him and for the Conqueror the state in which the Seven Kingdoms found themselves was seen directly as a consequence of their negligence in creating a game that exploited all the evils from the vassal fiefdom system.

His elderly uncle cleared his throat, pulling him out of his thoughts and addressed him. "Tell me Egg, is it true that you have seen the Others and the Army of Death?"

"Yes. Bran, like my uncle Benjen, the Half-hand and myself have seen them. It was just as my sister Rhae described it to me almost three hundred years ago when she had her dragon dream. And even if you haven't been able to see it previously in the solar, the Others, as same as the wights, have bright blue eyes, just as my father describes them as in his dreams..."Aegon paused, sighed, and looked up at his father. "This is between the four of us. If not for my valyrian steel armor, I am convinced that now I would be dead. Or worse. In a moment of inattention one of the Ice Spawns transformed his sword, translucent but made of ice, into a spear."

Aegon began to narrate in a tone that without intending it, it became more and more tenuous and contained a tremor that he could not completely contain.

After swallowing and taking a deep breath, Aegon continued the narration with barely a thread of voice, while looking Rhaegar in the eyes, so that he understood exactly what they were facing.

"Next with an out of this world force, standing about seventy, or eighty meters from me, the Other threw the ice-spear against my back. Bran warned me just in time to turn and for the spear to hit the lower end of the forged steel gorget that instantly turned to ice. The breastplate and the chain mail underneath, both made of the steel of our ancestors, are hardly branded. I flew about six or seven meters from the force of the impact and I'm still spitting up some bloody phlegm from the impact. Possibly even having a small crack in the ribs ..."

"What?!" Suddenly two female voices sounded somewhat angry as well as relieved, to Aegon's right.

Without him noticing, both his mother Lyanna and Arya had entered through the side door that connected the different rooms that they had. Now accompanied by Ser Jaremy, apparently they heard details about his encounter with the Others that at first, Aegon intended to leave out from the knowledge of both for the sake of their tranquility.

Quickly going to hug his mother and little sister, Aegon reassured them when saw the expression of panic and concern on both of their faces.

"I'm fine, nothing has happened by luck, I'm still alive." Said as Aegon used his soothing and most loving voice to calm them down.

'Or so I want to believe.' Aegon thought bitterly sometimes about his death and subsequent resurrection.

When the embrace with mother and Arya ended, Aegon stood upright again and went to sit at the chair on the other side from the maester's. Silence took hold of the room.

"How many reanimated soldiers do they have? How many of the Others are there? Do we know their motivations, where they come from or how to stop them?" Rhaegar broke the silence shooting the rapid succession of questions, while uncle Aemon nodded at Rhaegar's questions.

Aegon's mother and Arya sat on his bed, staring at him, concern still etched on their faces. Aegon looked at Bran who was sitting in the middle of the room floor stroking his wolf fur, whom returned a look and gestured that Aegon should be the one to begin the explanation.

"Their numbers are easily over a hundred thousand beings like the one we captured. That we could saw. Also we saw thirteen of the Others. In the army there were also reanimated animals and giants, but fortunately, no sign from the infamous spiders from the legends."

He answered to his father in a simple and resigned way, causing Rhaegar to seemed to choke. Aegon's mother's face of horror seemed to grow, while Arya clung to Nymeria as if that could protect her from anything. Uncle Aemon remained unfazed.

"As for your other questions Rhaegar, our Squire and new Master of Whisperers, Prince Branraven will inform you of this. Your Excellence, the room is yours." Aegon said with a certain mocking tone, but a trembling voice.

Directing a gesture from his arms towards Bran and before using the basin of cool water that was on top of the dresser, where Aegon had momentarily dropped his crown-band.

"Before anyone asks, I'm making a reference towards Lord Brynden Rivers or Bloodraven, as you prefer. And yes, he was alive, although not now and Bran is his replacement, having took

Blodraven's mantle. Whatever that means..."after said that, he shrugged, shot a furtive glance at his valonqar Bran and then looked at Rhaegar and then his mother and Arya with a resigned expression that he was telling everything Aegon could or knew, and that it was Bran who could explain more about the matter.

'So far Bran, despite being somewhat distant which could be attributed to our journey beyond the Wall, has not shown anything of his new self. It seems that he took my order seriously. Now i'll see the family reaction at seeing this new Bran.' Aegon thought with anticipation and uncertainty towards what he knew was going to happen now.

While Aegon refreshed his face and hands, Bran brushed his long hair back, revealing for the first time since they returned to the Wall, the absence of the left eye and the tear-shaped blood-colored stain Bran had above his left cheekbone.

"Regarding your questions Uncle Rhaegar, I think I can answer them better than Aegon. The Others are a weapon created by the singers of the earth , those we know as children of the forest, in response to the invasion from the first men." Bran said with his magical voice, which at times seemed to come from inside him and not from his seemingly closed mouth.

Rhaegar seemed to notice the changes in Bran beyond the obvious lack of an eye, and put a certain face of respect and curiosity about the way Bran now expressed himself and conducted himself. Arya for her part seemed totally amazed by her new brother, looking towards Bran totally agape with a mixture of wonder and fear. Aegon's mother, who was in charge of serving Maester Aemon some lemon water, let out a gasp, accompanied by a slight chill that made Lyanna spill water out from the horn in which she was serving.

'Without a doubt this new Bran has a sometimes unsettling presence.' the Conqueror told him from within, in a tone that Aegon could only describe as of certain respect and apprehension.

Bran totally unaltered by the looks of surprise, certain disgust and amazement from the family, proceeded to say his part with that voice that resembled that from Bloodraven's during Aegon's death in the crypts and that raised the hairs on his neck.

"The first Long Night was not defeated definitively. A kind of technical tie was reached. Thanks to the magic from its creators and the warlike capacity from the first men with some foreign help, the Others could be contained. In exchange for this contention, a pact was signed on the Island of Faces between singers and first men, by which the winning side, so to speak, had to sacrifice members of their own lineage to create a second generation of Others. Which would awaken when the balance from the song of the earth and the Music of the World was broken with the purpose of eradicating all life from existence."

Bran paused in his explanation, while his eye seemed to adopt for an instant the reddish glow that it now sometimes seemed to have. After that, the gesture of Aegon's valonqar relaxed and the eye glowed a vibrant turquoise blue again.

"Regarding how to defeat them definitively, it is something that still eludes me. For now our best option is to prepare to eliminate their entire army and then see how to deal with the magic from the Others." concluded Bran, in a tone that seemed to be more for Aegon's valonqar than for those present and that reflected incomprehension of how it was possible that Bran had no answer to the question asked.

"Although from all I know, everything indicates that Aegon is in charge of restoring the balance of the Songs and the Music. How he can do it, I don't know yet, but I trust that in Essos we will find more answers."

Bran finished his presentation, with a voice more typical of what he was, a child, than of what he had become and that Aegon was incapable of fully understand.

After the explanation, or the attempt to do so by Bran, uncle Aemon cleared his throat and placed his white eyes on Aegon, as did with his left hand on Aegon's left knee, which Aemon lightly squeezed in a gesture of affection.

"Dear nephew Aegon, I think I need you to update me on your future plans and in this way be of greater use than just knowing only the sketch your father has given me." said uncle Aemon softly.

"I agree, but before continuing, all those present should know that this impasse in the meeting with the Watch hierarchy was planned in advance by me. I know that I had agreed to share with everyone present here the actions to be carried out and how to execute them. But I wanted that when you first saw the real enemy, it would be at the same time as the men from the Watch. Let them see that there was nothing before hand, or trickery on our part." Aegon said addressing his family in a certainly exculpatory tone, but firm and dry. "In addition, this was a topic that I wanted to discuss only once, because after this pause, mechanisms and processes will be put into operation that will soon escape our control."

Aegon stated, after which he got up from his chair and began to walk towards the center of the room, almost next to Rhaegar, to end up facing his mother, his little sister, his uncle and his little brother. He steeled his position, tensing involuntarily, knowing that once he spoke and laid down his plans, there would be no going back. He watched attentive faces on his mother and Arya. Impassivity in Bran, who knew possibly better than Aegon himself what his words would imply. Rhaegar's at Aegon's side, reflected some anxiety and like Aegon, was tense. Uncle Aemon had a mixture of expectation and concern etched onto his features.

'Now or never.' he thought.

"Due to the events and developments of yesterday, from today we are at war. There are really two wars, but in truth it is one and the same. The only way to at least stop this threat from beyond the Wall is by unifying Westeros under our banner. But we can only do that at this moment if we can obtain the resources and men from outside the Seven Kingdoms." He announced to his family.

It was something that both Bran, like Rhaegar and his mother Lyanna in part, already knew. But neither Arya nor Uncle Aemon had little more than outlines of the plan based on comments they had heard in passing, or what they needed to know up to that point.

Seeing that he had all the attention of those present, including Rhaegar who affirmed each of his sentences at his side, he decided to continue reeling off the plan.

"When we are in Essos, we will subdue the Old Daughters from Valyria based on the blood claims house Targaryen has over them. In that way, we'll create a sustainable model capable of producing, supplying and sustaining not only our dependent population, but especially, a professional army that we will create totally dependent to our house. Only when we reach that point, we'll turn our eyes to what lies between the Neck and Dorne. For that reason, today I plan to buy half of the Wall from the Night's Watch, as well as to claim Brandon's Gift from them and give it to the Free Folk, whom you know as wildlings, to inhabit it, manning the Wall in their half, but without crossing to the south of Brandon's Gift except for emergency from the Army of the Others." He concluded to the surprise of Rhaegar and his mother, who were clearly not expecting this sudden change in plans regarding the Wall.

"And how do you plan to make that purchase, Aegon? If your father has not misinformed me, until you take control of the Iron Bank , we do not possess gold or wealth." the venerable master asked

Aegon with some doubt in the voice, but warmly.

It made Aegon's heart glad that the master himself counted himself as part of the family. While he planned to convince him to take up his role as a member of house Targaryen in the new capital of the Wall, Aegon expected to meet resistance from his elderly uncle.

Smiling and with determined but vibrant voice, ignoring the question of the Master, but half answering it, he went on to relate what expected to do about the Watch and the Wall

"My aim in the North, especially with the Night's Watch based on their oath, is to try to separate as much as possible the two causes that we are fighting simultaneously. Related to each other, but different in essence; one is the reestablishment of our dynasty and control over practically of two continents. A selfish and greedy cause, you might say. The second is to assume command and the role of leaders in the Great War, to save humanity. A selfless, generous and for the common good cause." He explained, after which waited for some kind of reaction.

He could see his uncle Aemon nod his head, but he thought that no one really understood the meaning behind his words and except for his little brother, everyone was looking at him with expectant faces. "That is why Bran and I have incorporated the members from the Free Folk, or Wildlings from Beyond the Wall as citizens from the first province of the Freehold of Valyria and Westeros; Tar-nu Fuin, The Forest Beneath The Shadow[1]" Aegon stated next.

The surprised and admiring faces on his mother and sister were a source of pride for Aegon.

Aegon's mother, Lyanna, knowledgeable of the plan to establish a citizenship that would tie subjects directly to house Targaryen rather than through lords or nobility, radiated pride in his accomplishments, grinning from ear to ear and her bright gray eyes seeming to be watering.

'So this is how Robb felt when Cuntlyn congratulated him for defeating me in the courtyard?' he thought briefly with pride and joy at the reaction of his mother.

Looking towards Arya, his little sister was looking at him with certain reverence that made him uncomfortable. 'I don't want her to look at me like some of the Wildlings. I am not any kind of God. I'm his big brother.'

Meanwhile Rhaegar was looking at him as if Aegon had grown a second head. "Sorry? How have you achieved that? Weren't the free-city of Braavos and the surrounding territories supposed to be the first province of the Freehold?" asked Rhaegar in an incredulous voice, but with a questioning point.

After all, the vast majority of the ideas regarding the management of subjects and nobility in the new Freehold of Valyria had come from Rhaegar. Plans for which they had established a series of steps, where it was essential that the foundational stone of the new Entity that they planned to create and that was going to cover two continents, was Braavos.

Its geographical location, its position as a commercial and exchange hub between Essos and Westeros, its proximity to the North and the presence of the Faceless Men and the Iron Bank, made it the ideal point from which to begin the eastern penetration of their campaign.

However, when he and Rhaegar made the plans in uncle Eddard's solar in Winterfell, it had never occurred to them, that after more than a fortnight of having returned to life, almost one hundred thousand people, the vast majority of the Wildlings from Beyond the Wall, Giants included, would have voluntarily joined their cause in Westeros.

So Aegon proceeded to explain why the situation had accelerated and the plan had to be adapted by the situations that arose.

"When we returned to the Wall from Bloodraven's cave and after meeting the Others, we came across the settlement of the former King-Beyond–the-Wall ..." Aegon told his father with a smile from ear to ear, plunging Rhaegar into even greater confusion, but certain understanding of what was behind Aegon's words seemed to shine in Rhaegar's indigo eyes. "What former King-Beyond- the-Wall?" his mother interrupted abruptly with a face of not understanding Aegon's words "Perhaps there was one and nobody knew it? What happened to him?"

Beside Lyanna, Arya nodded as if she had the same questions and finished off Aegon's mother's skepticism; "There hasn't been a King-beyond-the-Wall since Raymun Redbeard and that was hundreds of years ago Jon! You have to be wrong!." spoke Arya in a tone that took for granted that she was right and Aegon did not know what was saying, much to the amusement of uncle Aemon, who let out a giggle at his little sister's antics.

'The Fourteen Flames assist whoever crosses the path of my mother or my little sister.' Aegon thought with certain humor, seeing the overwhelming personality from both.

"If you both let me continue, you will soon understand. Taking advantage of the occasion, Bran convinced me to descend and try diplomatic luck." Aegon said, pausing, to continue with his account in an explanatory tone and relaxed voice.

"When we found ourselves in front of all their leaders, in command of all of them, we found a former brother of the Watch named Mance Rayder. Being aware of the true threat, decided to defect one day and rally the clans and peoples from Beyond the Wall in pursuit of saving them from the Others. His objective was to gather the largest army that had ever assaulted the Wall, and once taken, use it as a shield against the Army of Death. It is seen that the man was successful, because they ended up naming him King-Beyond-the-Wall." concluded shrugging his shoulders and extending his hands and arms forward, showing that he did not have more answers on that topic.

"The thing is, after an involuntary display of power from my part..." Aegon lowered his head, ran his right hand through his fledgling hair and sighed, knowing that if he hadn't been so excited about the descent on Balerion, he probably wouldn't have had to cut a man in the middle. His father looked at him questioningly, but he waved his hand at him, downplaying the importance of what had happened.

"We negotiated an agreement with them; the triangle formed by the Wall and Brandon's Gift from Eastwatch in the east to Oakenshield in the west and the coast adjacent to the Bay of Seals to Hardhome in the north, are the lands of the new province Tar-nu Fuin, whose capital will be the city port of Forlond, The North Port [2], in what is now Eastwatch By the Sea ." Aegon concluded with some pomposity.

'Without a doubt I am better than The Conqueror at naming.' he thought with certain sarcasm and pride within himself for usingprimitive Valyrian to name the new cities, provinces and protectorates from the Freehold.

"I have in turn created a kind of nobility and state ranks, bestowing the title of new lord of Forlond and lord protector of Tar-nu Fuin on Mance Rayder. Bran has the complete list of the clan chiefs, magnars and skin-changers that we have considered suitable for the task of political leaders, or that unfortunately, have a lot of ascendancy in their people and you have to accept them as they come."

Looking towards the silent, but constant presence who lurked in the passage between the rooms from the royal rooms in the King's Tower, Aegon directed a cordial glance and in a warm but

authoritative tone addressed his only King's guard in Westeros "Ser Jaremy, please. come closer." The man in question seemed surprised being referred by Aegon, but soon Rykker acceded to the

room where Aegon and his family were, to stood in front of him.

"I'm glad you're here, because the plans affect you too. You will be our military leadership at the Wall and in the North. Your authority can only be put in discussion by the maester Aemon, who if he accepts, will become the civil administrator from the province. Under your responsibility will be the armies and security contingents of the Freehold of Valyria and Westeros in the North and the Wall."

"Your Grace, you honor me with this assignment. But what will my functions be?" asked between doubtful and curious Rykker.

Looking at him with confidence that was the right man to carry out the task, Aegon nodded and went on to explain what expected from him.

"Your main function will be to shape, train, arm and command the new salaried and hierarchical army that will be created here in the North and the Wall. Along with this, you will have to mount defense plans in depth for beyond the Wall and south of this one till to the New Gift." Aegon paused, shrugged and continued.

"In turn, Ser Jaremy, among the children of over eleven days of their name from the various clan chiefs, you will have to choose a pair of squires for yourself. One of which will be no matter what, Sigorn Thenn. In the same way, you will have to choose more than three hundred from the most prominent clans, for act as a page or squire for each one of the Watch's commands and for go to Winterfell to do the same." Aegon concluded dryly.

He decided to ignore the questioning gaze from his mother and little sister for taking hostages so blatantly. Aegon was not so naive to think that only goodwill would change thousands of years of traditions. Many of which were based on intolerable violence south of the wall and much less, in the new world he wanted to build.

"Finally, Ser Jaremy, you will be in charge of overseeing how the current Beyond the Wall army will be disbanded, and only those who enlist our new army or who have positions in the administration will have the right to be armed. You and a contingent from the Watch under the command of my Uncle Benjen when he returns, will be in charge of their recruitment, equipping and training personally, although currently we are desperately short of specialized personnel. Which brings me to the next thing already related to our plans in Essos." Aegon explained this last

subject already to the whole family.

"As we get gold from the Iron Bank, we will ship from Essos stonemasons, builders, carpenters, armourers, blacksmiths, scribes and healers to teach those who show more promise to perform these tasks among citizens of Tar-nu Fuin." He went on, specially for both Rykker and uncle Aemon, the plans that he and Bran had established on the fly in the face of the sudden events that had taken place.

"Thanks to the fact that we have the support from the Free Folk, we have skin-changers, giants and mammoths. When Bran took up the mantle of Bloodraven he somewhat was able to see Brandon the Builder build the wall with their help." Aegon paused to let the information sink in, showing that apart from being possible levies for the new army, among the wildlings from beyond the Wall they had found a tremendous construction workforce that would speed up times.

"Adding to it the help of personnel and materials from Essos, I think it will not take more than nine or twelve moons to erect a new fortress-city where Eastwatch now stands on the Wall. In addition, this unexpected help could serve us on the other side from the Narrow Sea in the construction projects that we will start there. No matter how much we may hurry, it is likely that the works on the Wall will be advanced before we even begin the construction from our future capital of the Freehold." Bran added to Aegon's explanation, with his voice from beyond the grave, but strengthening the idea they were putting forward.

Rhaegar seemed convinced by the decisions he had made, while Uncle Aemon continued to pay attention.

"The Enchanted Forest will serve as a source of raw material for the construction of our new north fleet, trade with Braavos where wood is scarce and as a source of fuel for our forges. In Forlond's shipyards will be installed and there will be a naval uninterrupted exchange of goods and personnel between Braavos and the new province." Aegon adressed his family, in a tone of hope that everything he had planned along with Bran would soon come true.

"At the same time I am also claiming Brandon's Gift from the Watch to use it as farmland owned by the Freehold for the Night's Watch and the new province. Attended by citizens in exchange for salary, being this one in coin or kind. The Wall and Tar-nu Fuin cannot depend only on imported grain anymore. At the same time, it will be necessary to create and import large quantities of glass to build glass gardens, although that with our dragons will not be a big problem with the type of sand that exists on Essos' beaches." concluded firmly, knowing that there would be no major problems regarding this, as he had seen through the eyes of the Conqueror, what Balerion's fire did in the Dragonstone arena. In the white sands of southern Pentos or Lys, they could get huge amounts of glass and crystal for the North.

"At the boundary between Brandon's Gift and New Gift, a palisade with dirt support will be built from Oakenshield to the east, using the wood on this side of the wall, in order to enlarge the arable area. When we leave for Eastwacht and then Essos, we will use Balerion and Vhagar to make a huge trench, where with the help of thewargs,the giants and the mammoths will go the aforementioned palisade." Aegon said, although addressing especially to Rykker and his uncle.

Although he had ordered all of this to Mance Rayder, leaving him a large number of scrolls with concise instructions on what to expect of him as political leader from the province, it did not hurt that people in which he had much more confidence, especially uncle Aemon, knew what they were expected to do in the new Province.

'I hope Uncle Benjen is alive and comes back before we leave. I'd like someone from the Watch to know our plans too. If he will not, I will have to resort to Thorne.' he thought with certain fear for

his uncle's fate and certain bitterness at the thought of having to delegate power in Thorne.

He sighed and looked Rhaegar in the eyes, because he would need his help in building the palisade.

"It is a defensive measure, both towards the south and towards the north. Before we leave, the dragons will take care of loosening the land. I don't think Meraxes will follow us, but Vhagar and Balerion produce flames powerful enough to create a ditch on any surface." he confidently told Rhaegar, certain that he would have already created a bond with Vhagar strong enough to carry out what Aegon proposed.

"A bit like the moat on the Moat, huh?" Rhaegar asked.

To which he nodded. "On a smaller scale, but yes." Of Moat Cailin, uncle Ned and cousin Robb will had to take care. 'My flying dragons will not have a hand there, although the golden ones will.' He sighed, while thinking about the tremendous investment he was going to make in having his uncle Eddard Stark fulfill his original role as Warden from the North.

'All this northern reform project should have been executed a long time ago by your uncle, or your maternal grandfather and you know it. In the end, it is house Targaryen that ends up paying for generations of Stark laziness and accommodation. When we went to Winterfell after the conquest, it impressed as much or more than Dragonstone. Now it looks like a gloomy fortress, decrepit and falling t...' and so, the Dragon Reborn severed for the first time in several days his mental connection with The Conqueror.

Aegon had enough with the current situation, to keep a cool head and in the plans that he has so hard conceived with Bran, his father and the Conqueror himself. For the latter to now come to expel all his resentment and bile towards house Stark, especially against Aegon's maternal uncle and against grandfather.

Having been on the other side of the situation, he knew the horrible feeling that came when the carrier of oneself soul closed off from his.

'That feeling of absolutely nothing...' the hairs on his neck stood on end at the memory. But now was not the time to feel sorry for Aegon the Dragon, but to do his duty as Aegon the Dragon Reborn. He took a deep breath and continued to present the plan to his audience.

"Each person who lives on the Wall and whom does not belong to the Watch, will be census and registered. Having citizenship from the Freehold of Valyria and Westeros, abiding by its justice and laws. Thus, for example, among the Free Folk there will be no more thefts of women, no looting, no murders, or rapes. Justice will cease to be arbitrary and an internal security body will be created, attached to the army. In case crimes are committed, the leaders appointed by me must exercise justice, resorting only to that security body to exercise it. In case they do not do so, or with means other than those established by the new laws that they have in writing from my own hand and that will be those that reign throughout the Freehold, Rykker will do it with them and with the guilty."

Aegon began to explain the cornerstone on which their reclaims and new possessions would be based, so with a look and a nod from the head, he encouraged his father to continue explaining what awaited them for being able to defeat The Second Long Night and restore the old glory from Valyria.

"If we want to beat the Others, we have to change the world for the better. We need to create a new system. One where the intermediate figure between the ruler and the people he rules is eliminated. One in where the oaths, the army, the taxes, the industries, the commercial and military navy, the

commerce itself, the laws and the justice are in subordination to our own house Targaryen, towards and from the subjects to this one."

Explained with passion Rhaegar, with his iron, but melodious and harmonic voice, like no other Aegon have ever heard.

"And the only way to do it would be to make all subjects equal before the law and justice, regardless of birth, gender, religious belief, wealth or social status. A system where social advancement depended on being Citizens of the Freehold and their own personal abilities, not on the name or blood they carry." Aegon finished off simply.

By Gods fortune, Rhaegar was an inexhaustible source of political and historical knowledge and seemed to have thought all his life about how to change the current political model.

Using as a sketch from the proposals of Uncle Aemon's brother, Aegon V The Unlikely, mixed with the form of government among the Forty Valyrian families before the Doom and the maintenance of certain structures based on vassalage and oaths, Rhaegar had given with the way to create a double state. In this new state, house Targaryen would perpetually hold administrative, military and executive power, forming the backbone from the Freehold. Its beginning and its end, since every citizen was contractually bound for life, like their children and the children of their children, with the Freehold, as well with house Targaryen. The which, in the Freehold, would be a State in itself within the Freehold of Valyria and Westeros.

They only really give part of their power to make laws, which in last stance had to be approved by them for their application, and in regional politics. In this way they created the illusion of autonomy and self-government among the political leaderships from the provinces, the lords, nobility and powerful, when they really had the power that house Targaryen wanted to grant them. Besides that way they could complete the destiny of the Conqueror and his own with the same plan.

"To achieve that equality, that Isonomia, everyone should be the same. And that's being Citizens from the Freehold of Valyria, everyone without exception, having the same rights, freedoms and obligations. Homogenization in this way is total. Regretfully is obvious that due to wealth, historical situation or family position, we are talking about a model that will not be perfect, nor can it be implemented in all the territories under our sphere of influence or direct power, in the same way." Rhaegar said with some helplessness and sadness in his voice.

"Citizen of the Freehold of Valyria will be any man or woman endowed with speech, owner of land, with the capacity for dialogue, decision and debate, capable of reaching a consensus with their peers and who has previously signed the contract and established the oath of eternal loyalty and fidelity to house Targaryen and to the Freehold. These will have the right to political participation in regional assemblies and depending on its census capacity, in the provincial or protectorate/province councils. In the same way, they may participate in the different administrative bodies according to their census level."

Aegon added to what Rhaegar explained trying to separate to this one from what he knew Rhaegar regretted they wouldn't fully achieve.

'Rhaegar sometimes seems to not understand the difference between rebellion, conquest and revolution. I applaud him and even admire his vision for a better world. But I need to have all the power firmly grasped in my hand if we want to win over Death.' Aegon mused to himself. Whether they wanted to or not, taxation over the citizenship and their ability to collect large amounts of gold were their best asset in gaining the support of the Iron Bank and to finance the many expensive ventures ahead.

"Land ownership can only be achieved in two ways: by granting of house Targaryen in exchange for citizenship and what that implies, or by purchasing it in exchange for an oath of eternal loyalty to house Targaryen as Lords of the Freehold of Valyria and the Seven Kingdoms, along with financial compensation in the taxes."

Rhaegar explained in a slow and explanatory way, gesturing from time to time with his head in the direction of Aegon's mother and towards Arya. At times, it felt like Rhaegar was really explaining for the two of them, more than to Rykker, uncle Aemon, or Bran.

Aegon was infinitely glad to see that his mother and Arya, along with Rhaegar, had hit it off so well. Otherwise he was not able to understand Arya paying attention for so long to explanations about politics and territorial management.

'It certainly seems that the two of them are serious about being raised as a crown prince and that my father has taken it personally that they receive such knowledge'. Aegon thought about mother and Arya, causing a brief smile to spread across his face. While Rhaegar continued to explain looking towards Arya and Aegon's mother "Only those who have land ownership may participate in the assemblies, whose function will be to transfer the problems of their regions to the administrative magistrate and the political leader who acts on our behalf in the province or protectorate."

"Each regional assembly will be held every eight or twelve moons and will elect a representative to defend the interests of their region in the provincial or protectorate council. For this council, up to ten elected members may be elected from among the citizens of each province or protectorate, three always from the lowest census stratum and two must always be the political leader and the magistrate of our administration." Rhaegar explained in his melodious and warm voice, using manners and gestures that reminded him of those of Maester Luwin explaining to him and Robb all the great houses of Westeros, except that in this instance was the political model that, for example, from that time on, reign among the Free Folk.

'Only in this case, instead of regions, they would be clans.' thought Aegon ashe carefully followed Rhaegar's explanation.

"In turn, these ten members of the provincial or the protectorate council, will represent this one in the Council of the Freehold of Valyria and Westeros. In the lands owned by the old nobility where we can find a political commitment, such as the North, we have created federated territories associated to the Freehold. We will not intervene directly in their politics, nor will be there assemblies, since citizenship does not really come into force in these territories." Rhaegar addressed the reason for the impotence regarding why his ideal model could not be implanted equally.

"However, we will have control over everything else. These territories will also contribute ten representatives to the Council of the Freehold of Valyria and The Seven Kingdoms, of which three must not be part of the nobility and must have been chosen from among the other servants of the nobility." he intervened with a vehement voice, trying to show his father the positive side in the changes to introduce.

"Where we do not reach agreements with the ruling lords, or directly, where we appropriate land through military action, we will create our true system" promised, almost asserting, Aegon with a cold and hard voice.

Although he would have liked to remove the entire middle step between his house and citizenship, he knew that in some kingdoms and provinces he would have to make concessions. The solution was that these provinces or kingdoms were associated with the Freehold as provinces or kingdoms

federated to it, allowing to maintain in a certain way, the status quo in them, but at the same time allowed the implementation of the administrative and military apparatus of the Freehold in those territories. 'In a word: Control'

"The Council of the Freehold of Valyria and Westeros will be held every eight and ten or twenty and four moons, and will be our link with the different provinces, protectorates and federated territories. Through the Great Council they will expose us the desires, aspirations and needs of each of our domains. Of these provincial, federated or protectorate representatives, a third should be part of the lowest census stratum." Aegon continued with father's explanation, pausing to drink a little from his horn where he had water with lemon.

"Every citizen will be able to access politics, although their weight in it will really be conditioned by their economic capacity and their dependence on our house. We will create an illusion. The illusion that there is an elective method as there is among the Ironborn or right here at the Wall with the election for Lord Commander, but really the whole system is tied to our family. Without us, the system would collapse and not because of the absence or presence of dragons. We will become the beginning and end of the system." He promised his family, and in a way to himself.

Inside him, when Aegon made plans, he had always had a dichotomy. On the one hand, he wanted to make a better world and give better lives to the almost sixty million people who would be affected by his plan. On the other hand, Aegon knew that he would need to be firmly in control of everything in order to face The Others. At exposing the plan, he remembered the lessons that the Conqueror gave him during their years together in the past, seeing that now he was in the same situation; balancing on the thin line that separated tyrannical power from a more benevolent and open one. And unfortunately, as Bran had warned him several times already, sometimes Aegon would have to cross that line.

Honor and conciliation should be set aside if the occasion calls for it. However, with the plan basically devised between him and his father, with small contributions from his uncle Eddard and Bran, Aegon believed that a certain balance could be reached, which would ultimately prevent the appearance in the future of a new Unworthy or Mad King.

'Or maybe I'm delusional, since really the system that we will create will not have counterweights to the power from house Targaryen.' He mused with certain bitterness to himself. Aegon decided to continue with the exposition of the plans, instead of continuing to ruminate on a future that, if he did not defeat the Others, would not take place.

"To finish the issue of citizenship of the Freehold, every citizen will have the right to free marriage and this will be defended by the Freehold itself. Situations like that of mother and Robert, or that of so many women throughout history are over. Only with the approval from both parties, can a valid marriage be contracted." Aegon said with more anger than he intended, practically spitting out the Usurper's name.

Almost without breathing, he continued. "The family name may be expressly created or associated with their lineages if they descend from one of them, but it will not result in benefits of social status within the citizenship of the Freehold. If you are a citizen, it doesn't matter if you are a bastard, because the laws and rights are the same for everyone. If the mother is a citizen, the son will automatically be a citizen."

Having lived as a bastard for five and ten days of the name, he did not want to create a system that would allow the suffering of children due to the conditions of their birth.

After discussing these two topics, Rhaegar noticed how these last points had agitated him and decided to ease a little the tension that had suddenly fallen on the room, continuing with details of

their plan.

"What is there in common between all the daughters of Valyria and Old Ghis?" Asked Rhaegar in Arya's direction.

"Slaves!!" Arya quickly exclaimed with a face of pride and satisfaction with herself.

"Thus, it is. Millions of slaves. But not only common slaves, in many cases, these are specialized labor and workers." Rhaegar expanded the correct assertion of Aegon's little sister.

"Why not give them freedom and make them part of our state in exchange of a salary, political voice and property, all provided by house Targaryen?" Aegon rhetorically asked his mother, sister, and uncle. "Why not instead of being Conquerors, we are Liberators and Builders of a better world than the shit that exists today?"

He concluded fully convinced that he could do better than almost three hundred years ago. He had to do it if he was to defeat the Others and that his children and his children's children, as well as all his family and offspring, could live forever without fear, and in their rightful position as the only bearers from the old blood of the forty that they were.

"That is how father and myself came up with the idea of recreating the old Freehold, but without slavery or serfdom. Thus was born the idea of the sort of Freehold of Valyria and Westeros, which from today begins to be a reality." Aegon intoned melodically and with emotion.

Observing at those present, Aegon saw that uncle Aemon had a smile from ear to ear and a face of pride and satisfaction towards Rhaegar and him.

Aegon's mother, Lyanna, seemed to be processing everything she already knew in advance, with the new information she had just received. For her part, Arya seemed not to understand everything, but she still had a big smile on her face and a look of pride and infinite love towards him.

'I think I will have to explain the details to her, but I hope she will soon understand what we intend to create. My intention is for her to held power. If she doesn't understand our goal, it will be difficult for her to do so.'

"In this way we will be able to build the infrastructures, goods, weapons, fleets, among others things. We will monopolize the trade in manufactures and craft as well as all productive resources, over which we will also have ownership and control." Said Rhaegar in warm voice looking directly in Arya's direction, having also noticed her confusion. "We will extract or produce materials, we will transform them, and we will sell or supply them, depending on the case." Rhaegar finished with a smile and a gesture of the head as if to say that the explanation he had just given should serve Arya to finish putting all the pieces together.

"TheFreehold, which really will be house Targaryen, will buy or acquire all the means of production and commercialization, exchanging serfdom and slavery for the salary of labor, the existence of private property linked to house Targaryen, the political voice and internal promotion. " Aegon tried to contribute to his father explanations towards Arya.

"With the entire Freehold oriented and focused in the same direction, as citizens of it, the more prosperous the Freehold is, the greater they will become, gaining even greater devotion to House Targaryen." Uncle Aemon suddenly asserted, whom seemed to have perfectly understood what was behind all the administrative, bureaucratic and fiscal structure that they had planned to create and instrumentalize.

Although Aemon didn't see it, Aegon's father smiled and nodded. "That's right Uncle. On the other hand, salary will also affect the sinecures, intermediate positions, bureaucratic positions, the productive mass, crafts, manufacturing, merchants and the army."

"It is because of all this that the Free Folk didn't bend the knee nor bow to me. I gave them the choice between continuing to live beyond the wall, fighting for safety; or becoming part from the Freehold of Valyria, explaining what that meant. They have freely choosen to take the citizenship from the Freehold and all that entails, including the double oath of allegiance and eternal fidelity to house Targaryen represented in me." Aegon informed the family about the conditions under which joined the Free Folk to the Freehold.

"Son, are you sure that someone who doesn't bend the knee can be trusted?" mother asked with some concern in her tone. Before he could reply, his Valonqar intervened

"Although they have not bended the knee, the oath from the blood of the first men is sacred even beyond the wall." Added Bran with his magical voice and eerie presence, without whom possibly negotiations with the wildlings beyond the Wall would have been much more arduous or would not have taken place.

"The importance of the Iron Bank in the whole plan is that it will not only be our source of credit, but it will also become the Bank of the Freehold." continued Aegon, finishing exposing the plans since they should soon meet again with the blacks brothers and part of what remained to be exposed, would be mentioned in the conversations.

"That's why we're going to need someone to help Maester Aemon carry out the Census. We will soon send someone from the Bank to Forlond to carry out the tax task and repair payments to the Night's Watch and the North. Something akin of a return in material riches, for the blood that they had cost the people of the north and the Watch for so many years."

"What better than the ones whom has been negotiating with gold all their lifes so they begins to be the one to mint it, collect it and put it into circulation in our name and in our territory?" said Rhaegar at exposing what had possibly been the most brilliant idea Rhaegar's had had regarding the control and finances from the Freehold.

"However, it is steel, not gold, who will grant us our position from where to defeat The Others." Aegon added with a firm and determined voice, knowing full well that without soldiers, none of his plans would be viable.

In this case, it was him, rather than from Rhaegar, whom most of the ideas came from. As when the Dragon carried out the conquest, Aegon was aware that fifteen hundred well-trained men fully dedicated to the cause were worth more than twenty and five thousands peasants, nobles, knights and lords gathered ad-hoc on the fly.

'In the Field of Fire there were more than forty and five thousand men and it was of absolutely no use for them.' Aegon reflected, knowing firsthand that an army well prepared in that battle would have been a tougher nut to crack.

"That is why we will create a permanent army. But it will be an army that will combine the best from the legions of Old Ghis, the power and strength of a Westeros' knight and the adaptability and preparation of a mercenary. An army trained for all kinds of conditions, capable of crossing great distances in a relatively short time. An army that is capable of fighting both in individual armies, as grouped in formations that include several, without any loss in performance. In short: an army tailored to us." Aegon explained clearly and calmly. He paused to take another drink from the horn, and continued.

"Anyone who enlists in our army will do so for fifteen years, in exchange of a salary per year of service and an allotment of land at the end of the enlistment. They will also have the option of promotion according to their capacity, performance and military value. Each promotion will be accompanied by a salary increase." said, after which he passed his hand over his head, took a deep breath and continued.

"We urgently need blacksmiths, armourers and military instructors. Rykker, by recruiting from the Tar-nu Fuin Protectorate between 7,000 and 14,000 men and women in their physical prime, committed and well-trained, we would have the base for two armies of 5,000 soldiers and almost a third." said Aegon, mostly addressing his King's guard. "As long as it is an army only, this will be your command, Ser Jaremy. When there is personnel for two, or if by necessity, my uncle Lord Stark's army joins, you will delegate control from our armies to enlisted members of the Freehold army or citizens with positions in the administration or political leadership. When this happens, you will be in charge of coordinating the two or three armies. If they are ours, Uncle Aemon will be the only one able to challenge your decisions. If it is with my uncle Eddard's, then you will have to come to terms with him. Although in that case, remember that our army cannot be sacrificed by anyone. Neither he, nor anyone other than Maester Aemon or a member of the Targaryen family, will be able to compel you to take actions that are to our detriment."

At the conclusion of the orders to Rykker, Aegon saw how his sister tensed and gave a look of some sadness, because although not specifically, he had made it clear that his army was not at the service of the Stark family unless direct order of the Targaryen family. 'She still forgets that she is part of the dynasty and that if she wants to, when the time comes she can give Ser Jaremy direct orders.'

Bran for his part did not flinch, because according to Aegon's brother, all of this was really a waste of time. His once sweet Valonqar, had told him shortly after fleeing the Others, that he should fly with the three dragons over each palace, castle or fortress from Westeros and Essos high nobility, and reduce them to ashes. Give a choice between oaths of allegiance to them or death, the massive conscription of serfs, slaves, servants and free people, to crowd them all upon the Wall in a battle of attrition against the army of the Others.

'Once you solved the problem of the beyond the Wall, you might think in political whims.' the once tender, dreamy and lively Bran had told him.

Fortunately, once his suggestion was discarded, his little brother proved to be the biggest supporter of Aegon's plans.

'Without him, I would possibly be dead. Without him, I would never have come to terms with the Free Folk. Without him, I would never have heard from Rhaenys, my grandmother, my uncles and aunts. I hate what Bloodraven's cave has done to him, but by the Gods that is it proving to be helpful. '

He had clear that it would be a pleasure for him to knight his little brother in four years. He would be the youngest knight in history, and based on his merits, he should already be.

"Our armies must never have more than 10,000 men, nor less than 4,500. Although the ideal would be 7,500. They will be under the command of a member of the family or a King's guard. Outside of those two cases, a legate in the function for us, with the rank of Lord Commander of Army and a corresponding salary. If he is not a top class of the census, lord or has another source of regular income. Or if they have a position within the Freehold institutions or administration, they will not receive salary for their service." Rhaegar added while Aegon was lost in his thoughts, addressing uncle Aemon and Rykker in particular, although giving his mother a furtive glance.

'Maybe mother dreams of commanding an army...I don't know...We don't really even know each other yet. After achieving the goals that I have set for myself in Braavos, I will have to really talk to her.' Aegon thought with some regret, realizing that except for the conversation on the first night leaving the crater that had formerly been the First Keep and a couple of loose talks before going to sleep or during the brief breaks in the endless planning sessions at his uncle's solar in Winterfell, they had hardly discussed anything other than Senya's ritual, the reinstatement of the dynasty, the Rebellion, or the threat from Beyond the Wall.

The melodious and steely voice of his father took him again out of his thoughts. "The intention is that they be mixed armies; heavy infantry, light infantry, archers, spearmen and if possible in some cases, add detachments of between 500 and 1000 heavy knights and a screen force of about 300 light cavalry horsemen. Army groups will always be commanded by a member of the royal family or a member of the King's guard, no one else."

"For now we have five commanders and no soldiers to command." Aegon muttered under his breath with certain laconism. Making a reference that no one except Bran, understood from the faces that his relatives made at hearing him. This was mainly because, counting him, there were really only three military commanders in the room; Rykker; Rhaegar and him.

Aegon knew that his little brother Bran and his uncle in Essos were serious candidates for military glory in command of armies. And after the exchange between Rhaegar and mother, Aegon did not rule out that when the day came, mother or one of his sisters, and even his grandmother, would decide and show themselves apt to take command of one.

Without giving the option for anyone to give much thought to his involuntary comment, Aegon continued where Rhaegar had left, "We intend to have a minimum of 60,000 and a maximum of about 85,000 infantrymen in total, that is, between eight and twelve armies, supplemented by between 10,000 and 25,000 knights. The both together, would form 40 mixed detachments of 2,500 men and horses, or 58 mixed detachments of 1,750. Every detachment will be a third of an army. Three detachments would be an army."

"In the same way, each army will be accompanied by detachments of military builders and supporting infantry, which would mean between 10,000 and 20,000 additional men. In total, our maximum forces will be of 130,000 enlisted men and women, minimum of 100,000. At the time of the Great War, at most 70% of our armies will be fighting in it." Rhaegar concluded with some concern, for Aegon's mother and little sister surprise.

Rhaegar had told Aegon that there would come a time when the problem would not be to have a large standing army, but to keep it supplied. Therefore they had to make estimates of how much is the maximum that could be moved in the logistics trains.

"Taking into account the logistics and the existing means at our disposal, an army group of more than 70,000 men is unfeasible from a provisioning point of view. With a estimate consummate of forty tons of campaign supplies per week, that means twenty and five tons of grain, ten of meat, plus another five of weapons and equipment, we don't have how to supply more." Rhaegar said the why, apart for to maintain a skeleton security force in the domains, in their final campaign they would not use all his men available, in case they had them.

Like his father, when fighting with The Others Aegon would like to have as many valid men as possible, but he knew there was no point in doing so if they lacked supplies.

"For that very reason we need a powerful combat fleet and a huge shipping and trade navy. Hence the importance of Braavos, and not only because of the Iron Bank. We need a shipyard and a fleet of our own ownership right away. In the same way, we will have to contact houses Velaryon and

Celtigar when we are established in Essos, to whom my name can still mean something." Rhaegar concluded the explanation and presentation of all the plans.

"Only through conscription in our army for fifteen years, it will be possible to be armed. Since they are common among the free folk, and by having the sisters and mother that I have, I would be hypocritical, the recruitment will not take into account between genders, allowing both women and men to enlist." Aegon added as he winked at his mother and sister.

A knock on the door that connected to the King's solar was the signal that the black brothers had already returned and the stays had been cleaned by the stewards.

So Aegon decided that it was best not to keep them waiting.

"It is time to expose all pertinent plans for the North and the Wall to the Night's Watch and to pray to all the gods that they are not too stubborn and obstinate with the old traditions and customs." Aegon said with a warm voice, and more optimism than he really felt.

When Aegon's mother, Arya, and Rhaegar had already left his quarters, Bran stayed a moment longer, looking towards the maester as if he was waiting for something. It was in that moment that uncle Aemon asked his little brother something, which Aegon certainly did not expect, but which Bran seemed to know before hand by his expression.

"Is it then time for me to give him the chest?" in sing-song voice, hopeful and eager, said uncle Aemon.

'Curious. We talk about the possible end of the world and my uncle is excited to give me a chest ... of course the Second Long Night is coming.' Aegon thought amused.

"Yes maester. You must give Aegon the chest that you have been guarding since Lord Brynden went to meet his fate." Bran answered with an ear-to-ear smile to Maester Aemon and with certainly childlysh voice. After that Bran went in the direction of the stays where the postponed meeting would be resumed.

When only Aegon and his uncle Aemon remained in Aegon's dorm rooms, Uncle Aemon seemed

to want to talk to him some more, before putting the plans in motion in front of the black brothers. As Aegon walked towards him to help him up, his uncle made a gesture with his hand stopping him.

"Aegon before we leave these rooms, look under your bed. Possibly, the solution to our possible problems regarding the purchase of half of the Wall would be in there. It must be a rectangular wood chest approximately half a meter long by two spans high."

He walked over to the bed where his sister and mother had been sitting until a minute ago. When he reached it, crouched down, resting his left hand on the bed and his right arm on the floor.

To Aegon's surprise it seemed that the floor was impeccable, and as his uncle the maester had just told him, there was an oak chest, elongated but not too high, which had undoubtedly been placed during his absence from the Wall. Picking up the black handle in the center of its side, he could barely move it.

'By seven hells!! What's in here that I can hardly even drag it away?'

Hearing his hard breathing of effort as he dragged the chest off the bed, Maester Aemon chuckled.

"Will we have to call your little sister to help you?" uncle japed.

" Ugh ... Ugh ... Ugh ... No need ... it's already out." Aegon said breathlessly. The weight of the chest was undoubtedly excessive. And he was very tired after barely getting a couple of naps in the last five days.

"Open it." uncle Aemon told him with emotion and expectation, as handed Aegon a key that was on a necklace around the maester's neck.

The chest was simple. It had no decoration. But it was solid, firm and it had a lock that didn't look like it would be easily breached.

By turning the key in the lock and opening the lid, he understood why.

Horizontally, four solid gold bars that would be worth more than two million gold dragons covered the entire floor of the chest. On them was beautifully folded, a battle banner from his house, on which rested six seals of House Targaryen and their respective gold pendants collars; three for men, three for women.

Next to the seals, were ten identification gold rings with the sigil of House Targaryen engraved in rubies.

'Damn Bloodraven knew a hundred years ago what was going to happen. And also the exact number of seals and rings I'll need. This is mad.' he thought between indignant and astonished at the discovery. Taking the largest ring, he placed it on the middle finger of his right hand and put the seal around his neck.

When Aegon recovered from his surprise, closed the chest again, previously grabbing one of the remaining nine rings, and went over to uncle Aemon to help him up from the chair.

"Did you knew the content of what was in here?" he asked with some wariness to the old maester.

"I had no idea. I only know that the day Lord Brynden left and entrusted it to me, he told me that when the day came, its contents would aid the plans to restore our lost glory. From your reaction first of surprise and then of secrecy, I would say that it is so. I don't need to know anything else

about your chest. It is yours for do what you want with it and its contents." said his old uncle with a dry and cold voice, with some resentment towards Bloodraven.

'Maybe if Lord Brynden had deigned to explain the things a little better, this whole situation would not have come to pass.' The Dragon commented suddenly, to whom Aegon had inadvertently allowed to enter his consciousness and soul again.

"Here uncle, this is for you." He said, ignoring the comment from the Conqueror, after which he proceeded to set the ring on the middle bony finger of his uncle's right hand.

Uncle Aemon felt the ring with his left hand, and as he did so, a a toothless smile came out of his mouth, while his expressions were totally relaxed.

In a high-pitched voice and certainly moved, the maester said to Aegon. "When my brother Egg lived his adventures with Ser Duncan the Tall, he had one very similar to this one hidden in his boot. Thanks so much nephew for give to this old man a new opportunity in his life to do the duty to our house."

As Aemon clung to Aegon's left arm, where the old maester rested part of his weight, Aemon's face suddenly changed to a more serious and tense one, addressing Aegon in a reflective voice that resonated with the wisdom Aemon had accumulated with more than hundred names of the day.

"You have a debt with the world, Aegon. You could have ended injustices, but you chose to create a system that favored the opposite of that... How many lives has been lost and ruined because you believed that you had the right to rule this continent since the dream that had your sister? Was it for love? Was it for duty? Was because you believe yourself some kind of savior? Or was merely because you had the option to gain more power with the moral right in your side because of the dream? Don't answer me. Answer this to yourself. This time, your burden will be heavier and little joy will find in it, I think. But is an occasion for doing right from the olds wrongs" Uncle Aemon said as his cloudy, milk-white eyes, moved to Aegon's gaze.

"If a possible Second Long Night had not affected your life, what would you have done?...I may be your descendant, but I am also your eldest and I have lived more than a hundred days of the name...Listen to me, you that started this Game of Thrones that crushes the weak and rewards the powerful. You have to save them from themselves, in order to save them from the Long Night. That is truly your duty." uncle Aemon sentenced, but made a gesture with his hand to indicate that he had not finished with what intended to say.

"I do not think that for a shepherd there can be nothing more dangerous and humiliating than giving his dogs guardians of the livestock, a breeding and education in which indiscipline, hunger or any bad vice can induce them to attack the herds themselves, and look like rather than dogs, they're rabid wolfs." Aemon commented, as stopped on the way to the stays where his family and the Watch already were waiting.

"It would be terrible." Aegon agreed. "How could it not be?" He answered uncle's question with another question.

Seeing that Aegon's strategy was to nod without really want to answer, uncle grabbed him with a force that surprised Aegon in a man that age, turning his body until they were both face to face.

Despite the difference in height, Aegon suddenly felt like a small child. Aemon was watching him with clenched jaw, white eyes fixed on his. For a moment, Aegon could have sworn he saw flashes of two black wells of ink in them. Like his father's or his own.

"Won't you then have to be vigilant so that those of the administration do not do the same to us with the citizens and, abusing their power, resemble savage tyrants more than friendly allies?" his uncle questioned him with severity and harshness in his voice.

"Yes, we will have to watch" Aegon replied, realizing the implications of his uncle Aemon's reflections.

"And wouldn't we have the best guarantee in this regard if we knew the citizenship were really educated?" this time Aemon's tone was softer and sweeter. It seemed like he wanted to take the conversation to some point, so Aegon didn't beat around the bush.

"Sure, but how do you propose to do it?" Aegon said dryly, though without the seriousness and coldness he intended.

"Making knowledge, like property or political voice, accessible to all citizens of the Freehold. Let me create a new Citadel. But one that teaches and illustrates everyone equally, not one that imposes its version of what it thinks it knows. Swear the boy Samwell Tarly as magistrate of House Targaryen and the Freehold. Dispossess him from all titles attached to Tarly and make him a new person. Make him a citizen of the new world." The pleading in his elderly uncle's tone was something Aegon hadn't expected.

And much less that he spoke of dispossessing a person of all his noble titles in exchange for making him a citizen of the Freehold, as if it were a reward to this Samwell Tarly.

At Aegon's silence, his uncle Aemon tightened his bony hand on his left arm "Young Tarly has all the inclinations and virtues that one could ask for in a Grand Master, without any of the vices or prejudices acquired by them. With the books in the library of this castle, plus what your Uncle Eddard would be able to contribute, we could possibly have enough material to start the project. On the ships coming from Essos with materials, provisions and people, it would not cost anything to put a couple of chests full of books and scrolls. Freed scribes who are not essential for bureaucratic or institutional functions could find a future in the new citadel and could be the beacon for generations to come." Aemon concluded with a voice of hope.

Aegon felt as if the old maester was looking for a way to redeem himself with his house and with the world. As if for the first time in his life, he was proposing something he wanted to do and not something he should do.

He felt compelled to grant his old uncle's wish. Even if the project did not go beyond that, nothing would lose and could gain a lot. Not to mention that he would gladden the heart of his centenarian Uncle Aemon.

"It's all right Uncle. Once we finish the meeting with the Night's Watch brothers you will introduce me to Tarly and I will decide what to do with him. Although as you have put it, your project without Tarly would be impossible, right?" Aegon said with some authority on the first and some resignation and humor on the second.

"That's right Aegon. So is, so is." answered his uncle Aemon with a voice that was warm and happy as if he had gotten away with it, but that filled Aegon's chest with warmth and love for his uncle.

'At least I am able to make him happy at the end of his days. Now to buy the wall and start the designed plans.'