Chapter 113: Taking the Stage
"Wait!" In the face of Egger's proactive offer of a plan, Lord Buckwell's reaction gave the Watchman pause—the old man actually raised a hand to stop him from continuing. "Egger, your mind is indeed sharp; I've witnessed it myself, no doubt there. Now, I ask you: this idea of yours, does it guarantee we take the Bloody Gate?"
"No, not taking the Bloody Gate, but taking the Vale of Arryn itself," Egger replied without concealment. "The inspiration comes from where I hail from an old war. Given my limited military knowledge and my complete lack of specific intel on the Vale's current situation, I cannot give a guarantee."
"Since you cannot guarantee it, then I dare not convey your idea to His Majesty." The old man shook his head, meeting Egger's eyes. "Do not forget, we lords of the Crownlands are currently seeking redemption through service. We do not seek glory, only to avoid error. If your plan works, the King will think it only natural that I, his vassal, provided it—he won't necessarily be grateful. But if it fails and wastes even a moment of his time, he might very well lay the blame on my head. I do not engage in business where the risk and reward are so poorly balanced."
(Makes sense.) Egger rubbed the stubble on his chin and frowned. "That's true. What should we do then?"
"If you ask me, it's better if you present the plan to Robert yourself. You are the attaché specifically chosen by His Majesty. If the plan fails, the King can hardly blame a man he picked himself—and even if he does, he has no authority to punish an officer of the Night's Watch, a Shield of the Realm who doesn't report to him."
The old man's reasoning was sound, but Egger had long ago resolved not to be the bird that sticks its head out. Offering a plan to the King to deal with the Vale rebels? Setting aside whether such an act was appropriate for a brother of the Night's Watch, if the plan worked, all was well; but if it failed and Robert was eventually forced into a compromise with Yohn Royce and the other lords, those Vale Houses would hold a grudge against him. That would be real trouble down the road.
...
That said, he didn't refuse immediately. The decision to keep a low profile had been made months ago at Winterfell, and in the time since, his circumstances and status had changed significantly. He had proven through practice that the plot could be altered, and he no longer needed to live in constant trepidation, watching others' every move. At this stage, would a small bit of prominence bring more benefit or harm?
"Go on, what are you afraid of? Is Robert going to take your head just because a plan didn't work?" Yoren prodded from the side. "You're already famous anyway. If you get even bigger, eventually even Mormont won't be able to touch you."
Egger ignored the rough man beside him. As the Chief Logistics Officer and the founder of the Night's Watch industries... the problems he had to consider went far beyond whether he would be beheaded. Emptying his mind, he sat in silent contemplation for half a minute, straightening out his thoughts.
Littlefinger and the Master of Whispers—one of those two major bosses had already fallen. As for Varys... on the matter of the Vale rebellion, their interests didn't actually conflict. Even assuming the Spider truly supported the Targaryens, he would want Westeros to remain at peace for now until the Dragon's house was capable of a counter-invasion. As for the rest of the Seven Kingdoms... except for Dorne and the Iron Islands, who might not care or even hope the other six continue to tear at each other, almost everyone wanted this farce to end quickly.
One could say his plan neither infringed upon the interests of the puppet masters behind the scenes nor provoked the general nobility of the Seven Kingdoms. The only ones who might be harmed were the handful of noble Houses in the Bronze Alliance... and while those Earls were powerful, their influence was limited to the Vale. As long as he didn't deliver himself to their doorstep, they couldn't threaten a man who was now the Chief Logistics Officer of the Night's Watch—a man with a name, a status, and a title!
If the plan failed, he would only lose a bit of face and gain two enemies he didn't need to fear. But if it succeeded, he would not only protect the assets of his potential clients, but Robert might even grant him something in his gratitude. In the old Earl's words, the risk-to-reward ratio was poor for him, but for Egger, the reward far outweighed the risk!
...
"Fine. Since you think it's feasible, my lord, then so be it!"
Egger had worked it all out, and in the moment he agreed, he made an even bolder decision: his entrepreneurship required cooperation with many people whose status and power far exceeded his own. To work with these nobles and titans, playing the coward and keeping a low profile would only make him look unreliable and easy to bully. Since he couldn't show hard power yet, he would package his soft power.
Becoming a celebrity was the first step. Next, he had to let the world know that the Chief Logistics Officer of the Night's Watch was a man of infinite stratagems and well-informed news. Cooperating with him meant profit; opposing him meant risk!
Egger had confidence in the strategies that the ancient military geniuses of his original world had successfully practiced. There was a greater than 50% chance his plan was viable. Since he was going to make a move, he might as well go big. "When is the King's next war council?"
"Every day. Why, have you decided to present your plan in public?"
"Yes. Please tell His Majesty at tomorrow's council that I have a strategy. If he is willing to listen, I shall present it before them all!"
The era of shrinking back was over. Now, it was time to take the stage.
...
Walking out of the Earl of Antlers' great tent, Egger saw Casey from a distance, already waiting at the entrance of their own tent with two horses.
"My lord, everything is ready. Do we leave now?"
"We're not leaving. Unpack the things and take the beasts back to the stables," Yoren chuckled gruffly. "Tomorrow, your master is going to make some waves!"
Antlers could not and would not set up another tent for Yoren, so the two Watchmen naturally shared a tent. Yoren was truly too filthy; Egger had to have Casey accompany him to get his hair cut, his beard shaved, a bath taken, and a change of clothes before he could barely tolerate the man's scent. The night passed, and Egger rose early the next morning, waiting at the entrance of Lord Buckwell's tent. Once the old Earl was dressed, they shared breakfast and proceeded together to Robert's royal pavilion.
Lord Buckwell entered the tent while Egger remained outside, watching as the lords of the six kingdoms filed in one by one, beginning his patient wait.
The voices of men drifted from inside. Robert had a naturally booming voice, and being King, his voice completely drowned out everyone else even when he wasn't roaring. After about ten minutes, a shout of "Let him in!" rang out. Egger knew it was his cue.
A tall, valiant, white-haired Kingsguard stepped out. He scanned the area and easily found the black-clad Egger. "You are Egger West? Enter!"
Based on his age, this had to be Barristan Selmy—the super-human capable of catching the Faceless Man Jaqen and defeating The Red Viper Oberyn in a tourney. Egger had experienced the Prince of Dorne's terrifying martial skill just yesterday. Thinking back to that feeling of being utterly dominated, and realizing this old man could beat him—Egger couldn't help but look at him a few more times before nodding and ducking through the flap held open by the old knight.
As a venue for a war council, the interior of the pavilion was quite minimalist. In the center was an oversized square table holding a sand table representing the terrain around the Bloody Gate, the entrance to the Vale. Banners representing the opposing forces were scattered across it. The situation was clear: the loyalist armies of the seven kingdoms outnumbered the rebels dozens of times over and had already spread out to control various points in the Vale. The Bronze Alliance was huddled deep within the Vale, still surrounding the Eyrie where the young Lord Arryn resided.
The banners were densest near the Bloody Gate—over a dozen representing the loyalists on the fields and hills outside the pass, while only one representing the rebels stood atop the gate itself. Anyone looking at this layout would be reminded of a single phrase: One man at the pass stops ten thousand!
Standing around the great table were representatives from the six kingdoms (excluding the Vale). Dozens of lords and generals stood in distinct groups according to their affiliations: Lord Buckwell stood by Robert, with the other Crownlands lords beside him; next to them were the Stormlands nobles led by Renly; Robb Stark and several representatives stood for the North; a group in uniform crimson and gold were clearly the King's in-laws; the Knight of Flowers and Randyll Tarly stood at the head of the Reach lords; and Edmure Tully led the Riverlands contingent with a face full of worry. The smallest group was, naturally, the Dornish—led by the Red Viper, who once again gave Egger an ambiguous smile.
The Vale lords loyal to Robert were all on assignment, so none were present. Stannis and the reportedly charming Little Princess of the Iron Islands were also absent; as naval commanders, they were elsewhere directing their respective fleets.
...
"Well then, so this is the famous Other-Slayer?" Robert's booming voice rang out. "You have a way to break into the Vale? Let's hear it!"
Egger pulled his gaze back and looked at the master of the tent. The King was the only one seated; his clothes were disheveled, his face flushed, and a wine cup sat on the table before him. It was impossible to tell if he was nursing a hangover or had started drinking with breakfast. This wasn't the first time Egger had seen the King, but it was the first time they spoke face-to-face.
A drunkard and a scoundrel is the key figure maintaining the peace and stability of the Seven Kingdoms. Ridiculous. Even more ridiculous was that in the original story, that fool Cersei killed this central figure of peace, plunging the world into chaos, while smugly believing she had won the Game of Thrones. If her father Tywin hadn't been such a brilliant commander and politician, that old girl wouldn't have even known how she'd end up as someone's plaything.
"Your Majesty, please allow me to ask one question." Caution was a habit. Before beginning his proposal, he needed a certain assurance. "If I offer a plan for you, would it be considered a violation of the Night's Watch oath to take no part in the internal conflicts of the Seven Kingdoms?"
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