The "esteemed" Lord Frey had several grand ambitions in his lifetime.
Among them, spreading the Frey bloodline across the Seven Kingdoms was largely fulfilled through a prolific series of marriage alliances. Enhancing the family's image as upstart nobles was also progressing, thanks to marriages with older, more established houses like House Stark and House Bolton. However, one final ambition remained unfulfilled until a host of black-clad soldiers suddenly appeared outside his gates like divine intervention.
That ambition was to break free from House Tully's long-standing dominance and elevate House Frey's political status to a new level.
The second condition Aegor offered struck directly at the old lord's soft spot. Walder Frey, who had initially intended to stay out of the conflict and merely supply provisions for peace, found himself wavering and, at last, made the impulsive decision to submit.
After standing in the Riverlands' cold, damp winds for over two hours, the gates of the Twins opened. Robb Stark, who had gone inside to negotiate, returned with good news: House Frey had switched banners, submitted, and agreed to join the cause.
The red dragon of House Targaryen was soon hoisted above the twin castles. The vanguard of the Gift Army, under black banners, quickly entered the fortress and took control of the river crossing. The Gift and Northern coalition marched across the stone bridge to the southern bank, making camp for half a day and one night.
True to their reputation as the wealthiest lords in the Riverlands, the Freys responded with impressive generosity. For a promise from Aegor whose outcome was yet uncertain, they not only supplied provisions equal to what House Bolton had offered, but also mobilized thousands of infantry to join Daenerys's cause.
This brought Aegor's total available forces to eight thousand. While the main army assembled and reorganized on the southern bank of the Green Fork, dozens of messenger ravens were dispatched from the Twins. Each carried copies of the "Twins Declaration" to the rest of the Six Kingdoms.
Taking advantage of the brief lull, Aegor finally implemented several long-overdue plans.
First: he publicly announced that the Gift Army's pay would be doubled.
For a long time, wages in the Gift had remained low. This was partly due to the Mountain Clans and Free Folk having little concept of money. But more importantly, the Gift's non-market, wartime economy matched incomes to controlled prices, allowing everyone to live comfortably. Now, however, circumstances had changed. As the soldiers merged with the Northern army and ventured into the South, they began to encounter the war-driven inflation of Westeros and learn more about the outside world. Maintaining the old pay scale while asking soldiers to fight, yet not pillage the populace, would soon lead to betrayal and unrest.
Even doubled, their pay was still on the lower side, but Aegor understood the value of gradual change. He had decided that further raises would come in stages as victory rewards. After each battle, pay would be adjusted slightly higher. This would not only ease financial pressure, but also tie tangible benefits directly to battlefield success, ensuring high morale and loyalty in the campaign to conquer Westeros for Daenerys.
The next step was military reform. He reorganized the army's structure and chain of command, establishing primary and secondary officers. Primary officers were tasked with receiving commands and leading troops. Secondary officers were responsible for managing soldier morale and welfare, functioning much like political commissars in his previous world or chaplains in Western armies. Back in Winterfell, Varys's agents had managed to infiltrate the Gift Army's kitchens without his notice, a wake-up call that had shaken him. Aegor realized he had placed too much faith in his personal charisma and failed to address the deeper psychological shifts within the ranks.
People were not machines. They constantly formed new thoughts and desires. Without official channels to express them, some would seek alternative means to fulfill their goals. His countermeasure was simple: it was better to guide than to suppress. Even if demands couldn't be immediately met, presenting a hopeful vision could at least delay unrest.
The final task was laying the foundation for an independent intelligence agency.
Inside and beyond the Wall, manpower was limited, and information gathering relied heavily on scouts. Since the war against the White Walkers had been fought against inhuman foes, there had never been a need for an organized intelligence system. Rangers and Crown Town patrols had handled everything. But conquering the Seven Kingdoms meant facing people, and that required a different approach.
For now, this "intelligence department" was little more than a shell. But every long journey began with a single step. It was better to start late than never at all.
...
With those arrangements complete, the army resumed its march south, heading for the next target in the Riverlands.
Seagard was no ordinary castle, but a war fortress built to resist Ironborn raids. Though not as wealthy as the Freys, House Mallister far surpassed them in valor and combat prowess. If one were to choose the strongest House among the scattered, feeble lords of the Riverlands, it would be this one.
House Mallister had once produced Ser Denys Mallister. Their long heritage had instilled a strong sense of honor and pride. With solid defenses, rich battle experience, and the confidence brought by winter's chill, they believed they could withstand anything. After Ser Denys had perished with the Shadow Tower during the battle against the White Walkers, Aegor had sent the sword Lightbringer to his family as a gesture of honor and recognition. He had hoped this bond would ease negotiations and persuade House Mallister to switch sides.
Instead, his efforts were met with cold rejection. The tenuous connection through a Night's Watch uncle and a fallen comrade meant little. The Mad King's legacy was too great a stain. The current head of the family, Lord Jason Mallister, not only refused to meet with envoys, he stood atop the walls and loudly denounced Daenerys as the Mad King's daughter and Aegor as a traitor and rebel. In his eyes, only Stannis Baratheon was the true king.
Aegor responded without a word. He immediately ordered the cannons into position and began bombarding the gates.
The artillerymen, eager to test their strength, finally got their chance. As thunderous cannon fire roared, the soldiers of both the Northern and Frey armies looked on in awe. The Mallisters' confidence crumbled. After several salvos, the main gate and its adjoining walls were riddled with holes and nearly collapsed. Aegor ordered the allied forces into formation and issued one final ultimatum.
Gunpowder was stronger than pride. These nobles, for all their talk of honor, had no real concept of dying for it. When they saw that their castle, once thought impregnable, was being torn apart by this so-called "sorcery," the proud "most resolute House of the Riverlands" surrendered under the crushing weight of cannon fire. They raised the white flag and yielded to the allied army.
Aegor had no desire to punish the family of a man who had died fighting the White Walkers. Still, someone had to pay for the insults and wasted cannon shells. After some discussion, the decision was made. Lord Jason Mallister would abdicate in favor of his son and take the black, escorted to the Wall by Stark soldiers. He would atone by helping develop the lands beyond. Seagard would pay a hefty amount of food and supplies as reparations, and the castle would be temporarily held by Northern soldiers until the war ended, after which it would be returned to Patrek Mallister.
With the richest House, the Freys, secured, and the strongest, the Mallisters, subdued, the advance through the Riverlands became effortless. Raventree Hall and Stone Hedge surrendered at first sight. Fairmarket had already "dropped its pants and bent over," in Harvey's words, by raising the red dragon banner before the army even arrived. Word also came from the southern route: the Bolton-led army had captured Lord Harroway's Town, intimidated and persuaded the knights of Saltpans to surrender, and taken the nearly undefended Harrenhal. The Mootons of Maidenpool, the only Riverlands House to side with the Mad King during Robert's Rebellion, had swiftly pledged allegiance to Daenerys upon her return.
On average, each location took less than a day to subdue. By the time the army crossed the Red Fork and followed the River Road west toward Riverrun, half the Riverlands were already under the red dragon banner. The ruling House Tully, caught off guard by an invasion from the North, had barely reacted before their power was hollowed out. With persuasion from Robb Stark, their nephew, and the same promise Aegor had made to House Frey—that they would retain the title of Wardens of the Riverlands after the war—House Tully, after twenty years, once again bent the knee to House Targaryen.
Conquering this fragile region didn't give Aegor any sense of accomplishment. Capturing one of the Seven Kingdoms in a single week owed more to Robb than to himself. Because the Tullys were weak, most Riverlands lords still viewed the Starks as their true leaders. Seeing the direwolf banner among the besieging forces shattered their will to resist.
With all enemies to the rear defeated and supply lines secured, the first strategic phase was nearly complete. According to plan, Aegor should now have turned east along the River Road to rendezvous with Daenerys's Unsullied and surround King's Landing.
To the surprise of every noble, however, Aegor instead rested at Riverrun for a night, then ordered the army to continue west the next morning. Their new destination was the Golden Tooth, the fortress guarding the Riverlands from the Westerlands.
"My lord, this completely contradicts your previous plan," Robb finally spoke, breaking his long silence. "Our army numbers just ten thousand. Even with the power of gunpowder, an assault on the Westerlands would be incredibly difficult."
"Don't worry," Aegor replied with a calm smile. "This trip to the Golden Tooth isn't to start a battle. It's for you to accompany me to a meeting I've arranged… with an old friend."
(To be continued.)
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