Chapter 98

Aegor and Lord Buckwell came to an understanding, deciding not to dwell further on the subject of retrieving Jarman from the Night’s Watch. After traveling a little further, they arrived at the camp of the Buckwell forces. Amid dozens of blue-and-white striped tents adorned with antler sigils, Aegor and his young squire were given a tent next to Lord Buckwell’s own quarters—a mark of respect and a rare privilege, considering the circumstances of war.

…

The army set off at dawn the next day, and on this front, at least, Robert Baratheon proved himself a competent commander—punctual and unwilling to tolerate laziness. The once-unending mass of Crownlands soldiers, chaotic when gathered, transformed into a seemingly endless column as it marched northward. The head of the column was out of sight, and the tail disappeared into the distance behind them.

Among the polished armor and bright banners of Buckwell’s troops, Aegor’s black Night’s Watch attire stood out starkly, his understated garb drawing curious eyes. Soon, word spread through the camp about the “Night’s Watchman accompanying the army.”

“He’s probably here to buy up our prisoners on the cheap and haul them off to the Wall,” some soldiers joked, treating Aegor’s presence as a kind of novelty—like a lucky charm. In the thousands of years of Westerosi history, this was the first time a “Night’s Watchman on campaign” had been seen.

(To have even the neutral Night’s Watch "betting on their side" must mean this campaign is destined for success.) With that thought in mind, most soldiers embraced Aegor’s presence, setting aside old superstitions about the color black symbolizing bad omens.

…

During the march, Aegor spent much of his time beside Lord Buckwell, listening to stories from Robert’s Rebellion and quickly memorizing the names of families whose members had been forced to don black for siding with the Targaryens.

Initially, Aegor toyed with the idea of pretending to have connections to help these families retrieve their exiled kin. Perhaps, if the Night’s Watch enterprises in King’s Landing succeeded, he could use this as leverage to attract more investors and clients. However, he soon realized the plan was unrealistic. The Rebellion had ended over a decade ago, and most families had already moved on from the punishments they’d endured. The roles of the unfortunate individuals who had taken the black had likely been filled by their siblings or cousins. Only the Buckwell family, unable to produce another male heir, still entertained such thoughts of reclaiming their exiled son. It was a rare, isolated case—not something Aegor could turn into a profitable business.

Even so, Aegor’s broader plan remained unchanged. He would use this campaign to build connections with the nobles involved. For ten days, the Crownlands forces marched, passing through several villages and towns—including Sow’s Horn—before meeting their first Riverlands allies at a small riverside town.

…

Though the town bore the name of House Harroway, the family itself had long since been wiped out. Once granted the formidable Harrenhal as their seat, the Harroways had fallen victim to the same curse that seemed to doom every family to hold that castle. They had become yet another “House of Harrenhal” extinguished in Westeros’s bloody history.

The thousand Riverlands soldiers stationed here were tasked with guarding the ferry crossing, in case the Vale rebels attempted to disrupt the King’s march. In the end, their services weren’t needed. The Crownlands forces crossed the Trident without incident and continued eastward, arriving the next day at the infamous Crossroads Inn.

The three-story inn was steeped in legend. In the original timeline, Catelyn Stark and Rodrik Cassel had encountered Tyrion Lannister here on his way back from the Wall, leading to his capture. Later, Sandor Clegane had passed through with Arya Stark, killing some of Gregor’s men along the way. Brienne of Tarth had also made her mark here in later events.

While Aegor’s interventions had likely altered the course of many of these events, the inn’s reputation as “Westeros’s number one trouble magnet” endured. This was less due to any individual’s whim and more because of its unique geographic location: the inn sat at the junction of the north-south Kingsroad and the east-west River Road. Whether traveling between Winterfell and King’s Landing or from Riverrun to the Vale, one inevitably passed through the Crossroads Inn.

This time, the inn became the rendezvous point for the Crownlands and Riverlands armies.

The Riverlands contingent was nearly twenty thousand strong, led by Edmure Tully, heir to Riverrun and one of the original founders of the “Baratheon-Stark-Tully-Arryn alliance.” With Lady Lysa Tully, Edmure’s sister, besieged by the rebel “Alliance of Justice” at the Eyrie, he had every reason to throw his full weight behind this campaign.

Despite their apparent strength, the Riverlands and the Reach shared a unique weakness among the Seven Kingdoms. Though wealthy and fertile, neither region’s ruling house had been native royalty before Aegon’s Conquest. As such, their control over their vassals was tenuous at best. Their power was bolstered more by alliances and marriages than by raw political or military might. If not for Robert Baratheon’s living presence and the authority he commanded, it’s doubtful House Tully could have rallied such a force with ease.

Even House Frey, known for its infamous role in the Red Wedding and its usual defiance of Tully commands, had joined the Riverlands army this time. Their banners flew proudly among the ranks, a testament to the fear and respect Robert still commanded across the Seven Kingdoms.

When the two armies joined forces, the combined strength of over thirty thousand soldiers was staggering. Aegor, immersed in the campaign, knew this figure accounted for combat troops alone—not including logistics or camp followers. In a feudal society as technologically and politically fragmented as Westeros, this was nothing short of a super-army. And these were just the forces of the Crownlands and Riverlands—two of the Seven Kingdoms.

The joint army didn’t linger long. Continuing eastward, they soon crossed into the Vale’s borders. Two weeks after departing King’s Landing, the massive force finally stopped just short of the Vale’s narrow entrance. At Robert’s command, the army split into two groups, setting up camp on either side of the valley. The positioning effectively sealed the Vale off from the outside world, while siege equipment trailed close behind.

With over thirty thousand men and the tools to storm the Bloody Gate, the army had the capability to launch an assault immediately. But Robert wasn’t ready to attack just yet. This wasn’t just a military campaign; it was a performance. He wanted the full forces of the remaining kingdoms to arrive before making his move.

The Rebellion was long over, and Balon Greyjoy’s uprising had been crushed a decade ago. It seemed the Seven Kingdoms were beginning to lose their fear of the Iron Throne. Robert aimed to remind them that he wasn’t just a king—he was a warrior king.

Aegor could see through Robert’s posturing and found it laughable. The King had left Eddard Stark in King’s Landing to handle governance, bringing only four Kingsguard with him. Jaime Lannister and the other three had been left behind to "protect" Queen Cersei and the rest of the royal family. In this Vale campaign, it was the Lannister twins who stood to gain the most.

Here was the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, whose wife’s infidelities were no secret, sitting idly before the Bloody Gate, waiting to make a grand display—all while borrowing money to fund his extravagance. It reminded Aegor of a country in his previous life that, despite being broke, had insisted on hosting the Winter Olympics.

Time and time again, history had proven that posturing without strength to back it up led to disaster. Aegor could only hope this rebellion wouldn’t end in utter humiliation—for the King or himself.