Chapter 68
- King's Solar - Few Days Later -
"Thank you for seeing me your Grace," said Lord Tarly while walking into the room and gave the King a respectful bow.
"It is always a pleasure to see one of the Lords of the Reach. Especially one worthy of my respect. I take it this is about the issue with the Wildlings and my decision to let them come over the Wall," surmised Aegon while Lord Tarly nodded though it was clear the man was afraid to speak.
"It is your Grace," replied Lord Tarly while Aegon motioned him to sit so they could talk before he went with Revanchist to the Wall.
"You can speak freely here Lord Tarly. Unlike my predecessor or my Grandfather before him, I prefer to hear the truth. If a King doesn't hear the truth or concerns of those he rules over, the man is not worthy of being called a King," said Aegon with Tarly giving a small nod and smile with a hint of relief in his eyes.
"Thank you, your Grace. My coming here today is to protest this decision to let the Wildlings come over the Wall, much less your decision to speak to the so-called King beyond the Wall. They are all savages. They will not kneel to you or anyone else. They would sooner slit your throat if it meant one less person South of the Wall to deal with," said Lord Tarly while Aegon smile slightly.
"Under normal circumstances, you would most likely be right my Lord. They would never kneel or speak with me. In fact, I don't expect them to kneel should I speak to Mance Rayder. And yes, I do expect them to slit my throat or run a blade through me, if given the chance. But these are not normal circumstances Lord Tarly. Far from it. The decision I made on this issue was not made lightly. In fact, everyone on the Small Council was against this decision. From my Uncle and Hand on down, they thought it was one of possible madness," said Aegon with Lord Tarly nodding since he knew the King had loyal men but were not afraid to hear their point of view.
"And yet you still wished to go along with letting them come over the Wall," commented Lord Tarly.
"I did. After explaining things to the Small Council, they finally saw things from my point of view. I didn't force them to change their minds simply by shouting at them and saying, 'I am the King!'. Only a power-hungry fool with no respect for his Council and advisors does that. The reason for doing this revolves around what is also behind the Wall. Behind the Wildlings. What it is they fear so much, which has made practically all of them run South, and prefer to fight the entirety of the Night's Watch in order to climb over the Wall," said Aegon with Tarly frowning.
"Surely you don't mean the White Walkers, your Grace?" asked Lord Tarly.
"I do Lord Tarly. I have seen the White Walkers with my powers. My Lord Hand and my Uncle Benjen, who is a member of the Night's Watch, saw a corpse come back to life shortly after being brought over the Wall to be inspected," said Aegon with Lord Tarly looking pensive.
"Some would say your Lord Hand and his brother were making this up to justify this decision. You are their blood after all," countered Lord Tarly with Aegon nodding.
"True. However, the corpse came back in front of several brothers of the Night's Watch. Even the Lord Commander, Jeor Mormont, saw it. While his House is pledged to my Uncle's, he is a man of honor and takes his duties seriously at the Wall," said Aegon while Lord Tarly couldn't really challenge that fact.
"Still, I do not like the idea of letting the Wildlings over the Wall your Grace. Even with the might of our armies there to ensure they understand it is in their best interest to obey," said Lord Tarly while Aegon not looking offended.
"I understand Lord Tarly. But this was done as a strategic decision over a political one. The darkness that is to come requires everyone who can wield a weapon against it be over the Wall. We will need them for the fight that is to come. It is the one thing we all have in common that can unite us. Either we unite and fight as one against this evil or we die, only to become meat for the Night King's army for him to keep on spreading his evil until there is nothing left," said Aegon with Lord Tarly looking uncomfortable with the notion of working with the Wildlings.
Even if it was for a greater cause to protect the Seven Kingdoms and the realms of men.
"While I do not like the decision you have made your Grace, I will accept it. All I ask, is that you ensure the Wildlings do not ravage the Seven Kingdoms before or after this issue with the true enemy has been resolved," said Lord Tarly with Aegon nodding.
"Naturally. Rest assured Lord Tarly, I will gladly be the first to lay down my life for the Seven Kingdoms and the realms if it ensures those we love are protected. I know how to ensure this and to ensure the Wildlings do not ravage what we are striving to save from the White Walkers. All I ask in return for your continued loyalty on this issue, is your trust in me. Have I ever given you reason to not trust me or any decision I have made?" said Aegon calmly.
"No, your Grace. Every decision you have ever made since becoming King has been to ensure prosperity throughout the realms and the Seven Kingdoms. I just wish to ensure this continues and prevent poor ones being made," said Lord Tarly with Aegon smirking.
"That's why I prefer to hear what you and others have to say Lord Tarly. Unlike my predecessors, I hear everyone's viewpoint before making plans on matters of such grave importance. If I didn't, I would not be a particularly good King, would I?" asked Aegon with the man in front of him smiling slightly.
"I agree, you Grace. I apologize if I have wasted your time with my concerns," said Lord Tarly with Aegon raising his hand slightly.
"As I mentioned before Lord Tarly, I am the King of the Seven Kingdoms. And as King, it is my duty to hear all of the concerns people have about different things. Whether they are of high-born birth or the lowest of the low. To ignore any and all concerns puts me on the same level as King Robert and even my own Grandfather. Something we both know I wish to avoid," said Aegon with Lord Tarly nodding since he preferred a King who listens to others and considers their advice over not listening at all.
"I won't delay you any further your Grace," said Lord Tarly before he left the room.
"Now comes the hard part in all of this mess," commented Aegon while mentally calling on Revanchist to come to the dragon pit to take him North beyond the Wall.
- Hardhome - Sometime Later -
Mance Rayder sat by the fire among his fellow Free Folk. The camp was filled to the brim with his people and all eager to get over the Wall. Clans from all over, many who hated each other and had feuds dating back centuries were all united together under him. And all for one single goal he used to unite them in the first place.
To escape the White Walkers and get over the giant fucking Wall.
It was the one thing they all wanted. To escape the White Walkers. It didn't matter what Free Folk clan you were from or who was better at what by comparison. The White Walkers didn't care. They didn't care if you were Free Folk, Crow, man, woman, or child. All they saw was a future soldier in their army of the undead. One without a soul. One without freewill. One without a thought in your slowly decaying head with only one command given to it by the Night King.
To kill everything alive to turn it into something undead in the near future.
It had taken Mance long agonizing 20 years to unite them all. Every clan, every possible member of the Free Folk willing to follow him. And all he had to do was tell them the simple painful truth to do it.
They needed to get over the Wall or they were all dead and made undead slaves for the army of the Night King.
And it worked. Slowly, one by one, they agreed to follow him. His promise to ensure they survived and doing it proved to be the means to keep them all together when some of those feuding clans questioned him in general or becoming their King. But he endured. Proved his stuff. Proved his mind, his body, and his spirit were strong. Soon, nearly every member of the Free Folk was here or soon would be here and be ready to march on the Wall.
They just needed a little more time. Unfortunately, time was not something they really had despite what some of the people in the camp thought. They were running out of it. Scouts and Wargs told him of the undead army coming their way. While they had the numbers here to defend against the Night King to a point, Mance wasn't a fool. All it would take was the ice cunt to command the dead to rise and his ranks would be replenished once more.
Hence why the needed to get over the fucking Wall and around those fucking Crows manning it.
"Mance, you are not going to fucking believe it. One of our Wargs just saw a fucking dragon heading this way," said Tormund Giantsbane, who came running up to the man with worry and awe in his voice.
"Dragons are extinct Tormund. They have been for over a century," said Mance and wondering if one of his Wargs was being drunk on duty…again.
"I checked with some of the others. They saw it too. And it's coming here…from the South. Apparently, there is someone riding it. Wearing a Crown. A Southern King," said Tormund while spitting at the end when mentioning about the Southern King.
"Just the dragon and its rider?" asked Mance curiously while Tormund nodding.
"That's what the Wargs are saying. Some want to try possessing the beast and throw the cunt off so we can use it against the Crows," said Tormund shaking his head.
"Tell them not to try. I may not be a learned man like the former Crows I served, but I spent time with Maester Aemon on the Wall. He knew about dragons from the start. I asked him once if a Warg could possess a dragon. He looked at me and laughed at the idea before saying, 'A dragon is not a slave Mance Rayder and never will they be one. No matter the power a Warg possesses, the mind of a dragon does not bend to those who seek to enslave it'. I asked him how he knew, and the man just gave me this knowing look, as if he always knew something I did not," said Mance while Tormund nodding since it made sense.
"I will tell them not to try anything stupid. But you know how some of them get Mance. Especially when they see something worth taking from someone else," commented Tormund knowing even his King's command was sometimes not enough.
"Tell those greedy fuckers not to do anything and that if they don't listen, I'll kill them myself. Value as Wargs be damned," said Mance with a sigh knowing some of the Wargs saw themselves as too valuable to be threatened or killed.
With that done, Mance got up from his position and walked into the more open area of Hardhome to see if the dragon could be viewable from that angle. Word had already spread of the dragon coming here and being ridden by the Southern King and Mance could see many were either fleeing to hide or arming themselves should there be a fight.
Not that it mattered since Mance knew when it came to advantages, the dragon had them beat in just about every aspect. The damn thing didn't even have to land. Just bring down fire upon them from on high and watch everyone die or flee in terror.
By the time those who could fight and those who couldn't manage to organize themselves in some sort of fashion, the dragon was upon them. Roaring loudly. Proclaiming its arrival in all of its massive glory. On its back was the Southern King. Wearing his armor bearing his House's sigil, the royal crown on his head, and a sword at the hip showing he wasn't coming to see them without some measure to defend himself or to rely entirely on the dragon.
Mance watched the dragon circle the settlement a couple of times before it dove toward the center with everyone there running to avoid being run over by the massive creature. The King beyond the Wall almost smirked while Tormund had to hold back a laugh at seeing Lord Bones running and nearly shitting himself. Not that Mance wouldn't in his place if he were in the man's position but considering the two members of the Free Folk had issues at times with Lord Bones, it was understandable.
Once massive beast landed, the dragon rider on its back jumped off, a smile on the young lad's face, but not one of arrogance or superiority. His smile was one of welcome and peace. One that said he was not here to start something violent. But Mance also saw the eyes were sharp, strong, and it was to him that this Southern King was ready for a fight should the Free Folk start one.
"Are you the King beyond the Wall and leader of the Free Folk, Mance Rayder?" asked Aegon with the mentioned man walking forward with Tormund walking beside him at the ready to gut the Targaryen.
"I am. And what would your name be Southern King?" asked Mance politely with Aegon still looking completely calm about everything.
"I am Aegon Targaryen. King of the Seven Kingdoms. It is an honor to meet you," said Aegon with his hand extended and was pleased to see Mance hesitate only for a second before taking it.
"Last I checked, Robert Baratheon was the Southern King. The fact you call yourself one and not have his House name means he was overthrown," commented Mance with Aegon let out a small chuckle.
"Ironic if it were true, considering he rebelled against my House to become King in the first place. But I have long since exposed his treachery to the people and reclaimed my birthright. As to why I am here on this dragon, it is due to what is here, beyond the Wall of the North getting ready to march and hunt you down to become meat for its army," said Aegon with many looking nervous and a hint of anger.
"So, you know of the White Walkers. I didn't think anyone in the South took what happened here in the North seriously or thought much of us," commented Mance with Aegon becoming more serious.
"I was raised in the North. Maybe not this far North, but I was still part of it all the same growing up as a boy. Even now, this place reminds me of the cold brutal air that could freeze your lungs if you breathed too deeply. The newly fallen snow piling on the ground, it will bury you alive. The cold winds blowing so hard you could swear small pieces of your exposed flesh were ripped off. Still, it is refreshing at times no matter the harshness it brought for such things made you feel alive," said Aegon with Mance smirking and let out a chuckle.
"Spoken like a man of the North. Though many of the Free Folk here would say anything beyond the Wall is the true North and anything before that is the just South," said Mance while Aegon didn't look offended.
"The North is the North, and the South is the South. It all really depends on the direction you walk and keep walking that determines how far you go there," said Aegon with Mance letting out a small laugh.
"You truly are a man of the North. I accept you into the camp Southern King and give you Guest Rights while we talk in your reason for being here in more detail," said Mance with Aegon nodding.
"Thank you Mance. Though I should ask that you tell your Wargs in your encampment to stop trying to possess Revanchist. They are trying to take control of him either individually or grouping together to try overpowering his defenses. My child is moments away from hunting them down…violently," said Aegon in a warning tone.
"Those greedy fuckers! I told them to leave the dragon alone like you asked Mance. I should have gutted one of them for good measure," said Tormund angrily since he had an idea of who to kill.
"Remind them. And gut the most defiant one," ordered Mance with Tormund nodding and went to do just that.
"Thank you for being so understand. In case you are wondering how I knew of your Wargs trying to take what is not theirs, my dragon and I share a strong bond. He told me of their multiple attempts to breach his mental defenses. I find such thing to be nothing short such acts to be raping of the mind. And if you are like me, you despise rapists too," said Aegon with Mance nodding since he felt such things were not the way of the Free Folk.
The sound of screaming in one of the huts and shouting from Tormund indicated the man was following Mance's orders to the letter. Maybe even more, given how there was another scream with the sound of someone being violently gutted.
The two Kings soon found themselves in Mance's tent with several other members Free Folk around them watching the Targaryen King sit across from their own. The dragon could be seen from the opening in the tent and was currently resting but keeping an eye out for any more treachery on the Free Folk's part.
"So, you wish to talk about the White Walkers. In what way?" asked Mance while the two were given food to eat as they talked.
"In a way that helps you. In a way that helps me. Our people. The Seven Kingdoms. The realms of men as a whole," said Aegon with Mance looking at him with curiosity.
"And why would you help us?" asked Mance curiously since he didn't feel anyone from the South, much less South of the Wall would lift a fingers.
"Would you prefer I didn't? That I leave you to fend for yourselves against this evil? To one day become the meat for the Night King's army when he marches on the Wall?" asked Aegon with Mance and the others around him looking uneasy.
"You assume we wouldn't make it over the Wall," commented Tormund with the blood of the Wargs he killed still on his clothes.
"You assume you would and could make it over the Wall. Even being manned by the most minimum of numbers ever in years, the Wall can still repel the numbers I have seen here. All you will do is send those who make the attempt to their deaths, forcing you to retreat, and make certain several clans question Mance's right to be called King of the Free Folk," said Aegon with Mance grimacing since certain clans despised failure, no matter the circumstances.
"Are you saying our attempt would fail?" asked Mance with Aegon nodding.
"Yes. Even if the Night's Watch doesn't stop you, the Lords of the North with their armies will since you will be on their lands. Many of them hate the Free Folk with a passion and will not hesitate to kill all of you simply on that issue alone. I am here to ensure your people get over the Wall, but at the same time, make sure the Free Folk don't pillage anything South of the Wall," said Aegon with many in the room now frowning.
"You mean become fucking kneelers," said Tormund angrily.
"The Free Folk don't kneel to anyone. Not a Southern Lord. Not a Southern King. They don't even kneel to me. We all pull our weight," said Mance so Aegon could understand the severity of it.
"Did I say I was asking you to kneel to anyone? To kneel to me? No. I'm asking you to live South of the Wall somewhere in a place that is still part of the North where you can all live in peace there. Will you have to follow some of the customs to live there? Yes. Does that involve kneeling? No. I imagine the clans among the Free Folk have their own customs and laws you follow to ensure order is kept, correct?" asked Aegon with Mance nodding.
"Of course. It is how we keep from killing each other…most of the time," answered Mance while Aegon smirked and the other around him let out a chuckle.
"You would still follow those customs in the territory provided in the North. A place called the Gift. It has fertile farmland perfect for farming. It has been left alone because the population in the North is not as large when compared to areas the further South you go. Growing food is difficult due to the intense cold and has to be carefully managed properly or else people starve no matter their position or status. But your numbers here can change that easily with the proper management and guidance to do it. My Uncle always told me that the North should only be populated by those who can pull their weight or be useful in its territory. I believe in that and I think you do too. I have no doubt the Free Folk will pull their weight and more when settled in the Gift," said Aegon with Mance looking surprised while still suspicious of this generous offer.
"And what is the price for this generous consideration on your part? You said we don't have to kneel to you or the other Southerners. So, what exactly do you want from us?" asked Tormund since he knew what Mance was thinking in terms of what was being offered.
"That you help in defeating the Night King when he makes his move on the Wall. We both know it will happen soon in the years to come. The undead army will march on the Wall and seek to march South until all are consumed in the darkness. If he gets to the Free Folk here, his army will practically be ready to march sooner over later. I can sense him, even now. He is not happy with me being here talking to you," said Aegon with Mance looking surprised.
"You can sense him?" asked Mance with Aegon smirking slightly.
"Let's just say magic knows magic my friend. Though in the Night King's position, it falls under being unnatural given his ability to raise the dead to fight for him," said Aegon before making a few things around him float in the air and set them down with the slightest gesture.
"A King and sorcerer all in one," commented Mance with Aegon shrugging.
"It gives me the edge in many places where I would either be a target or possibly unwelcome. And with the Night King, his power is exceedingly dark. In fact, it will get darker with more lives consumed by his army and those who rise as undead to serve it. With enough bodies, his strength will reach a level where he can challenge the Night's Watch and the magic that keeps the Wall standing. He needs the Free Folk to make it happen. Whether he or a member of his army kills them is irrelevant. He doesn't even need to make the attempt given how the Night's Watch and Free Folk have been killing each other all this time. Its why he's been patient these last 1,000 years in gathering his army. It also is why you have been burning the bodies of your people when they die to ensure they don't rise on his command. The Night King's undead army consist of Free Folk, the Night's Watch, and anyone from the days of old who fell on this side of the Wall," explained Aeon with Mance frowning further.
"Which is why you wish to prevent him from gathering further strength. We would be meat for his army, and you seek to deny him the meat," said Mance with Aegon nodding.
"Yes. But make no mistake Mance, my decision today is not without resistance from my own people for various reasons. Mostly because many don't believe the White Walkers are real or that the Free Folk are going to cause a lot of problems once over the Wall. Those close to me know otherwise because I was able to show them to some degree what we will be facing in the near future is in fact real. Many would prefer the Free Folk be annihilated and either burn the bodies afterwards or let the White Walkers have you for the army of the undead. I am neither heartless nor stupid when it comes to making important decisions regarding the lives of others. I seek an option that benefits all sides without the need for the use of violence or senseless death," said Aegon with Mance smirking.
"Where is the fun in that?" asked one of the Free Folk near him with some agreeing.
"Considering what awaits you here in the North beyond the Wall should you stay, and South should you get over it, I think the idea of fighting your way out is not in your best interest," said Aegon with many in the tent looking at each other.
"You have an army waiting to challenge us should we get over the Wall," surmised Mance with Aegon nodding.
"Ready to reinforce the Night's Watch. Even if you do get over the Wall, there is a massive army that surpasses yours waiting for a fight. Even more so if I don't return to them in a few days following this meeting. They will assume the worst and be out for your blood. The people of the Seven Kingdoms will put you all to the sword, down to the last child, if it means avenging me," said Aegon with a serious tone in his voice at the end.
"So, what is your plan to ensure we live beyond today or the next?" asked Mance with Aegon smiling a friendly smile once more.
"First, I walk you through the Wall. Peacefully. Meaning no weapons must be on you," said Aegon with many around him, if not all of them, shouting in protest.
"They would kill us all!" exclaimed Tormund angrily.
"You would have us butchered in a trap and unable to fight back against the Crows or any of the other fucking kneelers," spat Lord Bones with anger in his eyes.
"Coming through the Wall unarmed surrounded by those who are the opposite smells more like a trap over a peaceful welcome lad," said Mance after raising his hands to silence the others.
"I know. If I were in your position, I would be far from pleased or trusting with what I am proposing to you from the start. But coming through the Wall armed will just cause tension and a possible skirmish, which could and would expand into an all-out fight. Without the weapons, the Night's Watch and the army backing them will not have an excuse to raise their weapons against you. Plus, I will be there with Revanchist to ensure no one does anything without my express permission or orders," said Aegon with Mance nodding since he could see the young King meant it.
"Okay. Say it works. We get over the Wall peacefully. What next?" asked Mance curiously.
"As I mentioned before, there is a place in the North that is fertile and ready for settlement. It's called the Gift. No one has settled there yet because the North has to effectively manage its overall population given the harsh weather the Winters bring and food storage to feed people during that time. However, I am seeing a window of opportunity where the Gift can be managed properly in a short amount of time with the right number of people before the next harsh Winter. Your people," said Aegon with the others around him frowning.
"Slave labor. Slaves to kneelers," said one of the Free Folk next to Tormund.
"You wouldn't be slaves. Your people have the numbers to properly set up a settlement, manage the crops you would harvest, and successfully defend said settlement against all possible intruders to the territory. It would be yours to manage as you see fit. All that would be required is the occasional tax setup in the North to be given to the Warden for him to use in running it as a whole. I'm sure there are quite a few among the Free Folk who are qualified to help Mance with running things once it has been established," said Aegon with Mance nodding since he knew some Free Folk were more educated over others.
Some of the Free Folk clans believed having strong minds was equally important as a strong body. After all, stupid people usually died first when it came to surviving harsh environments.
"We would still be kneeling," commented Lord Bones bitterly.
"No. You don't have to kneel to swear fealty and keep the peace. The Gift would be yours to manage like any other Lord does with their own lands. It would be yours to control as you see fit. I know the Free Folk have their own laws and customs with punishments for those who break them. So long as you don't break the laws of the land around you there is no need to fear any form of retaliation. It would be the same for anyone who came to the Gift after you settled there and obeying your laws and customs," explained Aegon with Mance nodding since he understood what the King in front of him was saying.
He would still rule over the Free Folk. The territory they would reside in was his to manage. The laws and customs of the clans were their own to keep. All they really had to do was respect the other Lords in the North and whoever came to the settlement for whatever reason. Provided no one broke any laws in or outside of the settlement, there would be peace on all sides.
A peace that Mance so desperately wanted. 20 years of uniting all the different clans together and ending all of the feuds from ruining everything had taken its toll on him. They needed peace. They needed to settle down somewhere safe and secure. Away from the White Walkers. Away from things that move in the night and claiming all things alive and innocent.
"And we wouldn't kneel?" asked Mance one more time so he was sure they all heard this King correctly.
"Correct. I trust the Free Folk when giving and keeping their word. If the Free Folk swear to not harm the lives of innocent people or violate the laws set throughout the Seven Kingdoms, as King I would accept your word. As such, so would the other Lords from the North all the way South. The current Warden of the North, Robb Stark, is my cousin and trusts my judgment. My Uncle, his Father, is Hand of the King, which means he is ranked just below me or my future heir when I am not around. They are family and I trust my family to trust me and to follow my commands," said Aegon with Mance nodding.
"You have my word and the word of the Free Folk. A man's word is his bond. If he breaks it, the man is a cunt and should not be trusted until proven otherwise," said Mance knowing the Free Folk trusted him due to keep his word on things time and time again.
"I agree. Still, many will question if I made the wrong decision here when this action when it is made known to everyone in the Seven Kingdoms. What you do once over the Wall will determine if my actions were right or those who wished to see you all dead and bodies burned or enslaved to the White Walkers was the better choice. I would rather it be the former," said Aegon with Mance nodding since his actions and the actions of the Free Folk as a whole would set the standard in terms of any future events like this one.
"What do you say on this Mance? Whatever it is, I'll stick by you," said Tormund with Mance looking at him and the other Free Folk before settling back on Aegon.
"I say we accept. This King rules the South, but he has the blood of the North in his veins. He has lived in the North. His eyes are of the North. If we can't trust a man from the North, who can we trust? I say we do this because it is the best choice open to us," answered Mance with some being reluctant to agree, but also knew their King wasn't a fool either.
Given their choices, he was taking the best option available that would allow them to live to see the next day and the day after that for many moons, if not years to come. It was why they followed him.
With his part said on this, the two Kings shook hands and Aegon left the tent to fly on his dragon back South while Mance sat there deep in thought.
"It could be a trap Mance. Northman or not. He not from our North," remarked Tormund with Mance nodding since that was true.
"Aye, but there is something in his eyes. Something that tells me this lad can be trusted. He isn't some pampered boy from the South. That was a lad who was not given everything he wanted. No. That King earned his Crown. He cares about others and fights for the living. The kind of King the South needs and should have when ruling," said Mance with the others thinking things over in their heads.
"You wouldn't be able to call yourself King anymore if this happens. You would have become like one of those other Lords living South of the Wall," commented Lord Bones with Mance smirking.
"A small price to pay to get us all over the Wall when you think about it Lord Bones. We don't have to kneel to those Southern cunts and that is enough for me. Besides, does it really matter what title I hold so long as I can keep us from killing each other?" asked Mance with Tormund smirking since the man had a point.