Chapter 270: A Difficult Choice
The Wall was meant to be the shield guarding the realms of men, the front line against extinction. Yet, at some unknown point, everyone had subconsciously begun to treat it as a waste bin, stuffing one headache after another into the Night's Watch. Robb held no ill will toward the men in black, but reflecting on it now, he had to admit that was exactly the case.
Suddenly struck by this realization, the young Warden of the North—despite his hard-earned leadership presence—felt a flicker of shame. "The problem does exist, but I promise you, the North will forever be the steadfast support of the Night's Watch."
Robb spoke with genuine sincerity, but the world has never lacked for sincere words; it lacks for practical action. Given that the Night's Watch primarily protected the North, Egger could hardly bring himself to be overcome with gratitude. He offered a formal thanks on behalf of the Watch and continued to watch the young lord.
After a few more seconds of silence, likely understanding why Egger had not yet taken his leave, Robb chuckled. "Truly, there is nothing else. Do you have any questions for me?"
The meeting should have ended long ago. Egger prepared to stand for the third time, but as he pondered Robb's question, he realized he did indeed have one.
It was a matter he technically had no right to ask, but one that concerned the Night's Watch deeply: Would the Northern host assemble to march south again, far from the Wall, to fight Stannis Baratheon's war to keep his throne?
This was strictly a military secret, but Egger asked it anyway. Between the Watch and the North—and his personal rapport with Robb—the worst outcome would simply be a refusal to answer.
Robb's expression shifted several times as he looked at Egger with a peculiar gaze.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he decided to answer truthfully. "If I tell you the truth, can you hold your tongue?"
"Of course. Who would I even leak it to?"
The North was the Watch's pillar and his most reliable ally in the coming war of ice and fire; Egger had no reason to betray House Stark.
"Before returning from the south, I received a secret letter from the southern end of the continent. The sender was Prince Doran Martell, the actual ruler of Dorne... He offered me a proposal: if the North withdraws from the theater of war, Dorne will also withdraw its armies," Robb replied. "At the time, I was leading my forces in a grueling effort to block the Reach's army while the North was in the clutches of the Ironborn. After much deliberation, I decided to return home first to deal with the invaders, and I notified King Stannis of this decision in advance. I must admit I admire the King; upon hearing this, he decisively abandoned the siege of Storm's End and circled around to strike Randyll Tarly, who was confronting me... The rest, the whole of Westeros knows."
"But what all of Westeros knows is that you came home to deal with the Ironborn and have already won. They don't know about Prince Doran's secret letter, and they certainly don't know you intend to stop fighting." As Egger processed this, he realized things weren't as simple as they appeared. It seemed he wasn't the only one playing a grand game. "But this makes no sense. The North is the home of the Northmen; it had to be saved. Even if Prince Doran hadn't made a deal with you, your army would have been forced to return eventually... If Dorne was determined to support the rebels, seizing this chance to march on King's Landing would be the perfect timing. How could they actually withdraw as agreed? And if they intended to stay out of it, why get involved in the first place and offend the legitimate King? Rebellion is a matter of winning or losing—you can't keep a foot in both camps."
"For the real reason, go ask Prince Doran," Robb sighed. "But I must correct you on one point: I only returned to save my home; I have not yet accepted the proposer's deal. When I disbanded the army, my orders were for the men to visit their families and rest. I set no date for reassembly. I intended to use this time to find Bran while thinking deeply about our next move."
Egger could roughly understand the dilemma Robb faced. From the perspective of the people's will, the North had called its banners twice in two years for Robert and his brother. It had been too long, and casualties had reached a certain threshold; the soldiers' desire to fight and the commoners' willingness to support the logistics were no longer high. And if considering short-term interests—the Northmen had already gained substantial tangible benefits from their victories over the West and the Reach. Now was the time to sheathe their swords and keep their lives to enjoy the spoils.
But a ruler deciding the fate of a nation cannot look only at immediate gains or follow the whims of the masses. The North declaring a ceasefire was one thing; their kin and long-term allies in the Riverlands and the Vale, who were still embroiled in the war, were the key. The three regions had always stood together; if the North retreated and the other two followed suit, Stannis would be left isolated. His defeat would be a mere matter of time.
Should that happen, the situation was equivalent to Robb Stark handing over the most prosperous Crownlands and King's Landing to the rival forces backed by the Reach. Once the new master of the Iron Throne, Aegon Targaryen, stabilized his position, how could he sit by with such a massive advantage and allow the three Northern regions to remain an independent kingdom?
The Trident has no natural defenses to hold. Once the dragon banners fly over the Riverlands again, the Northern alliance loses its granary. Even if House Stark has Moat Cailin and House Arryn has the Bloody Gate, they would only be able to protect themselves, lacking the power to turn the tide. The Vale might manage to be self-sufficient within its fertile valley, but the North's ability to grow its population to over a million while avoiding drastic winter die-offs... that isn't achieved by growing grain on frozen soil.
It was a truly difficult choice.
"If I avoid the war, will the people of Westeros think me weak and easy to bully, unable even to avenge my father's death? But if I continue the war, Dorne will counter... the scales remain balanced, the end of the war stays out of reach—and worse yet: winter is here." Robb's brow was furrowed tight. The matter was too grave for him to decide alone, yet he could not discuss it openly with the Northern lords. Since he had already told Egger the truth, he might as well ask for the man's thoughts, lest he risk a leak for nothing. "I have told you the truth, 'Smartest of the Night's Watch'... what is your suggestion? What should I do?"
"I wouldn't dare give directions on such a matter... but I do have a suggestion ready," Egger said. "As the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, when deciding whether to lead your entire realm into a war that concerns its future, do you actually have to consider whether 'others will think me weak'?"
"As the High Lord of the North, is personal image not important?"
"Personal image is very important," especially in this era of feudal lords and personal rule. "But even truth becomes a fallacy if applied without scope or conditions. Whether you are weak or not—do you think the lords and soldiers of the North, the Riverlands, and the Vale who followed you south for months, or King Stannis himself, are unaware? To you, the opinions of those in power from the various houses are what matter most. As for the Northern commoners who hold no noble status and did not join the army, even if they misunderstand you, how much does it matter? And as for how people in the other four kingdoms see you... to put it bluntly, it has almost zero impact on you. In fact, if your enemies underestimate you because of it, that might even be an advantage at a critical moment!"
"That sounds reasonable. So, should I decisively resolve to stop fighting?"
"I didn't say that," Egger immediately countered. "My view is that when considering this matter, you should set aside personal honor or loss entirely. What we must do now is comprehensively and minutely consider every scenario, analyzing which choice is ultimately most beneficial for the North."
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