Aegor sent soone to summon them.
Cotter Pyke knew there was no avoiding it, and he was not one to hesitate. With a toss of his head, he straightforwardly brought Yohn Royce before the new Lord Commander.
Aegor had words for them, and they no doubt had words for him as well.
But just as they approached within a few ters, they were stopped by Aegor's n.
...
"Hand over our weapons?" Cotter's eyes widened in disbelief. "I am of the Night's Watch, standing in Castle Black, why should I hand over my weapon?"
"Because it is the Lord Commander's order."
"Hah, what a fine order from the Lord Commander. Aegor, you have done too many shady things, and now you know fear?" Cotter laughed in anger, mocking him loudly from several ters away. "The dignified Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, eting sworn brothers in his own stronghold, yet still making them hand over their weapons first… Aren't you afraid you will be laughed at when word spreads?"
Aegor said nothing, simply staring coldly at the two of them.
He was indeed wary of death. Jeor Mormont's fate was still fresh in his mind, and he could not help but be cautious. No matter one's rank or power, mortals were still flesh and blood… a drop of poison, a dagger, or even a stone could end a life.
But today, his demand for Cotter Pyke and Yohn Royce to disarm before eting him was not purely for safety. It was more of a ceremony, a way to make them acknowledge the chain of command and reinforce that concept.
Put crudely, he wanted them to understand who was in charge now.
There was only one way to pass this test: obey the order, hand over their weapons, listen to all of Aegor's words from start to finish, and unconditionally accept all his arrangents.
Any other reaction, whether trying to force their way in with weapons or refusing and leaving in a huff, would see the dozen well-trained soldiers nearby seize them on the spot and hang them in Castle Black's courtyard under the charge of disobeying a superior officer's order.
Aegor had indeed promised Denys not to trouble these two, but in his mind that promise only applied to matters before he beca Lord Commander. As for what happened after, he did not acknowledge any restraint.
The two sides stood a few ters apart, the air frozen with tension.
Cotter had begun with laughter and mockery, but after several taunts t with complete silence from Aegor, he gradually began to feel like the rabid barking of a defeated dog. He sullenly shut his mouth.
"Hmph, utterly absurd."
Yohn Royce was not a coarse man like Cotter, able to curse without pause. He spat out this one sentence and turned to leave in a flash of anger.
But his companion's reaction was unexpected: Cotter grabbed him by the arm.
As the highest-ranking officer at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, Cotter Pyke never minded if people called him reckless. "I am just a brute, what can you do to ?"
But no one rose to the rank of Lord Commander without so asure of cunning.
Cotter saw the danger.
As the commander of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, he could glare at Aegor or mock him loudly without consequence, for to punish him for re "disrespect" would mark Aegor as petty and intolerant, a stain on his record forever.
But there was one red line that could not be crossed: disobeying an order.
No matter how small the matter, once elevated to that charge, it could cost a man his head.
Denys had said there was an agreent with the new Lord Commander, but a man like Aegor was not one to be bound by agreents. If they made the wrong move today, Cotter Pyke and the forr Lord of Runestone might not walk out of Castle Black alive.
Cold sweat seeped down Cotter's back. His jaw clenched, but in the end, he still held Yohn with one hand, drew his weapon with the other, and under the watchful eyes of the Lord Commander's soldiers, who all had hands on their sword hilts, he slamd his battleaxe onto the ground with a clatter.
If Yohn Royce still failed to understand after such a blunt warning, then his decades of life had been wasted. He froze mid-turn for several seconds, then reluctantly yielded to the threat, shaking off Cotter's grip and unfastening his sword belt. With a forceful motion, he threw it to the ground.
(Hmph, I thought you were not afraid of death.)
Aegor smiled in contempt, but deep inside, he felt a touch of relief. After all, if he had to turn on his own brothers in Castle Black on the day of his inauguration, no matter how righteous the cause, the blow to his reputation would be imnse.
The humiliation was not over. The guards searched them under their burning gazes, nodded, and finally allowed them through, bringing them before Aegor, who stood flanked by three soldiers.
Glancing at them calmly, Aegor turned his head to lean on the railing, looking down into the courtyard. Maester Aemon's ashes had been gathered, and the remnants of the pyre had been cleared, but more than a dozen black-clad brothers were still busy with tools where the cremation had taken place.
"Lord Cotter, Lord Yohn, guess what those n down there are doing?"
The two turned their heads stiffly, watching for a while. They each had a notion, but their lips stayed shut.
Aegor had not planned to wait for an answer anyway. "That's right, they are building a gallows, for traitors."
"You two may oppose my ideas, hold grudges against , or question my character… In short, there are many disagreents, but you are not traitors. At most, you are opponents." His voice was calm, hands clasped behind his back. "Regardless, the fact is I am the Lord Commander now. Whether you believe it or not, the only thing in my mind at this mont is how to make the Wall an impenetrable barrier so the White Walkers cannot cross. I have no ti for internal strife with you."
He looked at them coldly. They were roughly the sa height, but his youth and upright stance gave him a slightly condescending air. "You may keep your opinions and remain my opponents forever. But I will not allow anyone to stand in my way or ruin my plans. If anyone does, they are my enemy, a traitor to the Night's Watch. No matter their seniority, birth, or power, I will hang them from that gallows without hesitation."
After clarifying the stakes, Aegor turned to specifics.
"Cotter Pyke. Both Maester Aemon and Ser Denys Mallister believe you should remain commander of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Out of respect for them, I will give you this chance, choosing to believe you can set aside personal prejudice, place the Watch and all humanity above yourself, and guard Eastwatch-by-the-Sea well. I promise not to summon you often, making you travel back and forth between Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and Castle Black, humiliating you by forcing you to disarm each ti. And you must promise to do the job I expect of you."
Though his face was tight with anger, Cotter's reply was surprisingly direct. "I will set aside personal prejudice, obey your orders, and guard Eastwatch-by-the-Sea well."
"Very good, I believe you. Earlier, while aiding the North against the Ironborn, I captured several dozen surrendered soldiers. They agreed to join the Watch to atone and are now imprisoned in Castle Black. You are of the Iron Islands as well. I trust you can manage them. Not one of them is to escape, or you may co and hand your resignation."
"Also, I have received reports that in Bay of Seals, where the Wall's easternmost end ets the sea, ice is beginning to form. To keep the dead from crossing the frozen water to bypass the Wall, I will send you two hundred more n, in addition to those surrendered soldiers. Use whatever thods you must to prevent that bay from freezing solid."
Bay of Seals was connected to the Shivering Sea, and freezing was rare due to currents and tides, but nothing was certain. The possibility of the White Walkers attacking over the ice had always been a concern for the Night's Watch, and Aegor ant to guard against it. The extra n's more important purpose, however, was to slowly infiltrate Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, monitor Cotter, and be ready to remove him if needed.
If Cotter fulfilled his duty faithfully, they would obey his orders. But if he plotted, acted carelessly, or allowed the White Walkers through out of spite, these hidden n would act at once, seize Cotter, and take control of the castle.
...
When Cotter's matter was settled, Aegor turned to Yohn Royce.
"Lord Yohn, whether your Alliance of the Righteous counts as rebellion against the Iron Throne is not for to say. But I will not repeat that Waymar Royce was not killed by . I admit his sacrifice allowed to escape. I did not like him, but he fought to the death, and that is beyond doubt. Out of respect for a fallen brother, I do not want to kill his father… unless you force ."
"If you continue to oppose , I promise you will be the one who loses. And let remind you, Waymar is not your only child. If you obstruct my plans in the Gift and endanger the defense of the Wall, I will be forced to execute you."
"You can imagine your remaining two sons and one daughter will likely try to avenge you." Aegor's eyes glead coldly, his teeth grinding. "Call arrogant, but I am confident that if I must beco the enemy of the entire Royce family, I will prevail."
"If your kin or followers co for revenge, I will kill one for every one that cos, a pair for every two. If need be, I will do as Robert Baratheon did to the Targaryens and wipe out every Royce. If you doubt , test ."
Yohn t his gaze without flinching, leaving Aegor uncertain whether his threats had struck ho.
"Do not worry, I will not give you another chance to court death," Aegor continued, his expression relaxing. "From today, you and the other disgraced lords and nobles from the Vale will serve in the Logistics Departnt, in charge of procuring, guarding, and transporting supplies for Castle Black from the Seven Kingdoms. I will assign one or two n to each of you, to help with your work and keep watch over you. You will have no free ti to dwell on darker thoughts."
It was exile in all but na, separating Yohn Royce and his faction from both the Wall and the Gift, binding them to dull, harmless duties under constant surveillance.
...
This was the final decision Aegor reached after much internal debate, abandoning the idea of ending things once and for all.
He knew from the start that reconciliation with these two, especially Yohn Royce, was impossible. Better to be a villain than be seen as weak.
Two outcos were possible. His threats might truly cow them, ending internal conflict. Or they might stoke their fighting spirit, forcing him to kill them in the end.
To prepare for the latter, he would send Cotter Pyke back to Eastwatch only after planting his own n there. At the first sign of trouble, he would act decisively and leave no loose ends.
He had given them a way out. Whether they took it was their choice.
"No, Yohn is not going anywhere. He stays in Castle Black." Just as Aegor was about to dismiss them, Cotter spoke coldly. "I swear by the Drowned God, I will never oppose you again, but I have one request: he stays here."
Aegor looked at him in surprise.
Everything he had said today had been carefully chosen, orders with no room for bargaining. Yet at the very end, he t unexpected resistance.
Staring at Cotter, he realized the man likely thought the transfer was a cover to kill Yohn in secret.
Heaven and earth bore witness, Aegor had never considered such a thing. If he wanted Yohn dead, he would do it openly.
Still, Cotter's stance told him sothing: the man was truly afraid, which ant his performance as a villain had worked. That Cotter would protect Yohn despite their enmity was baffling, but perhaps agreeing would not be a bad idea.
"Are you certain you insist on this?"
"I insist."
"Very well, but hear . If I find the slightest sign that Yohn is still unwilling to give up and continues making trouble, and unless you personally bind him and bring him to , I will assu you are conspiring with him. If one day I hang him from the gallows, you will stand beside him. Even so, do you still insist?"
"I will keep him in line. If he refuses to see reason, I will set aside our past ties."
"I hope you do," Aegor said with a snort. "Everything that needed saying has been said. Now stay in Castle Black for another two days. As for when you return to Eastwatch, we will speak after I give the word. One last suggestion, take it or leave it: give Yohn the task of clearing the ice from Bay of Seals. The more ti and effort he spends, the less he will have for scheming."
(To be continued.)
***
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