Aegon's POV

The spectacle in the throne room had done the trick. Everyone present within the royal court had been completely terrified, especially after Janos Slynt decided to shake hands with a wight. The fool had no idea the severed limb could break every bone in his hand regardless of whether it was still attached to a body. The whole scene filled Aegon with more satisfaction than the memory of taking Slynt's head in his previous life.

Aegon could still remember the feelings he struggled with back then when he only thought of himself as Lord Eddard Stark's bastard son. Getting to kill the one who had taken part in the betrayal of the man he once considered father had been most satisfying. Yet he could also remember Lord Stark's voice internally chastising his decision, how it should only have been for honorable reasons. Back when he was Jon Snow, he had reasoned that giving the man a chance to command a newly restored castle on the Wall was the proper thing to do as the new Lord Commander.

The truth was that he was glad for an excuse to kill that weasel of a man. Aegon had ordered Slynt to go to Greyguard in order to separate him from other dangerous brothers like Alliser. But deep down he was hoping Slynt might be stupid enough to give him the chance to execute him. Now in Aegon's new life he didn't care for Lord Stark's ways anymore. As Aegon he sought only to be true to himself. Seeing Slynt get his hand crushed due to his own foolishness was simply priceless because Aegon saw Slynt for what he was. A pathetic, weak coward, who didn't even deserve a place among the gold cloaks. Like so many that served the Lannisters, Slynt was only interested in licking their boots like a dog, in the hope that some of the gold they shit might fall on to him.

The Lannisters truly had a way of corrupting and disgracing everything Aegon's ancestors had made. The gold cloaks, the Kingsguard, the small counsel. They had filled them all with thugs and cowards just like Slynt. The men who served house Lannister were not truly loyal, just greedy.

Tywin seemed good at inspiring greed because when everyone thinks you have mountains of gold, why bother fostering true loyalty?

After the display in the throne room, Robert demanded an immediate council meeting. Everyone in the room was on edge, to say the least. Mormont had helped get Aegon admitted on the pretext of being the Lord Commander's scribe and aide, even though Cersei didn't want to admit a 'child' into such important matters. Robert waved her off and allowed it, where Mormont and Aegon met with both the king and queen, as well as the small counsel.

"Now Mormont, explain it all. Keep it as plain and clear as you can." Robert commanded, after downing a full glass of wine.

Jeor glanced at Aegon before he began the tale. Aegon had already gone over everything that Jeor was going to say, so at this point all Aegon had to do was sit and observe how Robert and the others would respond. Once Jeor finished their story, the room was filled with only silent, confused faces from everyone.

"Seven fucking hells!" Robert shouted, breaking the silence before emptying his current glass of wine and reaching to refill it.

"White. Fucking. Walkers. This is utter madness." Cersei frustratingly stated, while shaking her head, apparently still processing all she had just heard, and she wasn't the only one.

"I… I still can't believe this. There mu… must be some explanation to all of this. I am sure if those creatures were properly examined…" Grand Maester Pycelle stammered, but Mormont quickly cut him off.

"Yes, Grand Maester, that is why after we have concluded our business here, we will be taking those two wights to Oldtown where the maesters at the Citadel can do just that." Jeor answered.

"But I am the Grand Maester. The… There is none better than myself to …" Pycelle added.

"Again, Grand Maester, we will be taking them to Oldtown to be examined because if we have it done here, there is no telling what might happen as we just witnessed. That cage they are in now is secure but what if one of them got loose in the capital, or worse within the Red Keep itself?" Mormont explained, which got everyone's attention.

"I will not have those things back inside these walls ever again!" Cersei snapped and Pycelle just nodded looking down like a child.

"I wholeheartedly agree with Your Grace. Commander Mormont has the right of it." Lord Baelish quickly followed up. "Such procedures would be too dangerous to perform here within the capital. However, the Citadel has more than enough maesters and proper facilities to handle such things safely."

Baelish was just the same as ever. Aegon never liked the man before and nothing had changed in that regard. What Littlefinger was really referring to was how they just didn't want to have a wight in their midst even if it was locked in a steel cage. Aegon at least understood that much considering no one really slept well on the voyage with a couple of wights onboard. But as he'd learned from his previous life people in power can't be seen expressing their true feelings even when they are mutually shared.

"I don't know if taking them to the Citadel is best. In fact, just bringing them here into the middle of the Royal court was going too far." Lord Renly began before turning to question Mormont. "Did you not think we should have been warned before your arrival so as to not create panic within our streets?"

Aegon thought Renly's question was the most valid one yet, but unlike his previous life, Aegon wanted to make sure that this time, everyone throughout the realm knew about the threat beyond the Wall. This time everyone from the smallest common people to those among the great houses would know. Mass fear and panic were going to be inevitable now, unless those in power began acting like real leaders. The idea alone made Aegon smile internally because everyone in the room with him were shit leaders. The more trying the times, the more evident that fact would become for the realm to see. Aegon also knew when people are afraid, and their rulers are seen as incompetent, the people will start looking for other options.

Renly's concerns were still based on his own fears, but the man was at least considering the common people in his thoughts, whereas with most of the others, the common people had never entered their minds. Robert was beginning to growl and curse in between gulps of wine and the man was already on his third glass since they entered the room. Varys stayed silent but looked very serious given the man's expression. Cersei only appeared concerned about getting the wights out of the city as soon as possible while Stannis and Renly whispered among themselves.

Despite how he felt about Baelish, Aegon knew Littlefinger was very smart when it came to manipulating other people, but things like magic and monsters were out of his area of expertise so he was just agreeing with anything Cersei said. Aegon had never met Pycelle until now but what he had seen of the man made it clear that he was also following along with Cersei too. Aegon knew he had them right where he wanted them now. When confronted with a truly terrifying threat, a scared person will predictably just latch on to anything that might make such problems go away. Aegon then gave Jeor the nod to present their solution.


Jeor's POV

The Lord Commander had been itching to scream at anyone about his situation and have all those traitors imprisoned along with their little pretender of a king. But as much as he wanted to, Jeor could not deny that doing so would have made things worse for the Night's Watch and for the realm as well, now that the White Walkers had returned. Snow had mentioned on the boat that the best reason for him to go along with them wasn't because of the threat to House Mormont but the threat to the realm which the bastard claimed to have a solution to.

The boy reinforced that claim by stating that if he and his group of turncoats were discovered, the Night's Watch would appear compromised to the point that the threat beyond the Wall might become disregarded altogether.

Fuck, that accursed brat!

Those were the words that finally sunk Jeor into compliance with the bastard's little ruse. If people felt the Night's Watch could not be trusted, then how could they be relied upon to defend the realm. Even with the proof they brought along, no one is going to want to accept the threat they all now faced because the threat itself is so terrifying. So, if nothing else, Jeor felt his duty as Lord Commander compelled him to play along.

Jeor watched the reactions from the king, queen, and the members of the small council. Just as he had feared, none of them looked promising so when Snow gestured for him to present the boy's solution, he grabbed all their attention.

"Your Grace, we at the Night's Watch have been thinking long and hard about this threat we now face. Sadly, I must admit we are not prepared. The state of the Watch alone is a huge problem for the defense of the realm when considering the existence of White Walkers." Jeor paused to gauge the room before continuing.

"There was a time when the Night's Watch had manned 19 fully stocked castles with a force of 10,000 strong. And there were also several additional defenses built along the top of the Wall, but now." Jeor let those last two words hang in silence for a moment.

"Well, perhaps a new Lord Commander is needed if you can't fulfill your duty." Cersei spat at the old bear.

Jeor had to admit the remark stung somewhat considering his efforts in constantly requesting support from the South ever since he was elected to became Lord Commander. The Northern houses were the only ones giving any real support whilst the rest of the south offered mostly scraps if anything at all. But the remark was expected, since Snow had warned him beforehand during one of their sparring sessions someone might blame him. Again, Jeor was confronted with the fact that the boy was far too smart for his age, but that was a concern for another time.

"What is needed is a new kind of Night's Watch, Your Grace. I've come here today, not to frighten anyone but to offer hope to all the realm. After all I do bring some good news to report." Jeor stated, getting a couple sighs of relief from the chamber.

"What might that be Lord Commander?" Varys speaking up for the first time since they began. Though the rest all looked just as curious.

"Well, we only saw one actual White Walker beyond the Wall and the wights that we have are the only ones we've found so far. Now, I'm not saying that there aren't more out there but currently the two you just witnessed are the only wights we know of. At this time there could be anywhere from a few dozen to a few thousand, but any numbers I could give at this point would be conjecture. All that we have seen of those things and the creature that created them leads us to believe they are definitely wights, and wights are only told about in the histories of the Long Night and the White Walkers." Jeor explained.

Everyone looked to be considering his words more carefully now and less angry or panicked, then Lord Renly spoke up.

"So basically, Lord Commander, what I have gathered here is, those monsters represent a very real reason for concern, but as of now they may be the only ones out there?" Lord Renly questioned.

Jeor found that response ridiculous considering the situation. However, he remembered where he was and tried to be more tactful with his words.

"There are plenty of reasons to be concerned, my Lord, because this situation is very serious and potentially more dangerous than any we have ever known. This encounter could be the beginning of the next Long Night. Then again, it is possible that these creatures are nothing more than remnants of a darker time long since passed. The most troubling concern of all is the fact that we don't know which." Jeor elaborated.

The Old Bear turned his gaze going over everyone in the room and from what he could see everyone seemed genuinely worried, but they were all deep in thought about his words. The only one who wasn't was Jon Snow. When Jeor looked at him, the boy was going over the room observing everyone still writing some notes on his parchment, about what Jeor didn't know. However, Snow didn't look worried considering he was probably the most at risk in the room, being the so-called true heir to the Iron Throne. But Jeor recognized that now was not the time for dealing with the bastard.

"Your Grace, if I may present to you our plan to deal with this?" Jeor stated as he grabbed a roll of scrolls from Snow and handed them to Lord Arryn. The king just waved them away when his Hand attempted to show them to him.

"Oh, just out with it already Mormont. Jon and the others can go over your scribblings later, just tell me what this problem is gonna take?" Robert grumbled.

The king seemed to be taking the situation seriously, but Robert also looked annoyed by the whole thing as well. Jeor felt that the king should be more engaged than indifferent under such circumstances.

"In those scrolls you will find the details for our plans going forward but the important parts are as follows. Firstly, what we require most of all right now is information. The White Walkers haven't been seen in over a thousand years, and while every Northerner has heard stories from that time, what we need right now are facts, records, first-hand accounts if possible." Jeor explained.

"The Citadel. That's where you're headed next, isn't it Commander? You are delivering those things to be examined by the maesters, but you also believe they might have the information you are seeking in their great library." Varys realized.

"Yes, Lord Varys, after we leave here, we will be departing for the Citadel, not only for their assistance with the wights, but also for any records that may be able to give us insight about them." Jeor responded.

"Strange that in search of tales about ancient magical creatures from the North you should seek them in the south. Wouldn't the houses of the North be better suited for finding such answers?" Lord Baelish asked in a mocking tone.

"That would be true my lord if what we were seeking were "tales". But what we seek are truths, which will be difficult enough to find as it is." Jeor replied. "I have already tasked my brothers at the Wall to seek any information the Watch has. However, tales and songs of the Long Night are told throughout the North with each one being the same and different from one house to another. Books and records on this subject will be rare, but they will be more reliable than tales that can change with every new telling. The history of this nature will make it hard to discover what is fact and what is embellishment. However, if we can gather and examine accounts from both the North and South, along with when they were made, and from what sources, we may be able to learn how best to fight them."

"Well, the Grand Maester will be able to inform the Citadel of your plans and I'm sure the Conclave will be able to assist in any way you require." Lord Arryn offered.

"Forgive me, my Lord Hand, but I would request that you not do that. You see there are some parts of the Library of the Citadel that are restricted to those who are not part of the Conclave, therefore forbidden to access." Jeor countered.

"Well, of course, there are several rare, ancient, and sensitive volumes within the library and part of the duties of the Conclave is to ensure they are properly preserved and protected." Pycelle interjected.

"And our duty is to guard the realm!" Jeor, exclaimed.

Why is this so difficult for them to understand?

"Ho…How dare y-you…?" Pycelle complained before the king quickly silenced him.

"Oh, for fuck sakes! Pycelle, shut it already. I just had a walking dead man in my hall and if there is anymore of the damned things beyond the Wall then I want them all killed, where they won't come back!" Robert shouted, before giving the rest of the counsel harsh looks as he turned to Jeor. "Mormont I will hear the rest. The rest of you keep quiet until he finishes."

Glancing back to Snow he noticed the bastard smirking. As much as Jeor hated being on the brat's leash, he had to admit that his plan could benefit the Watch.

"With regard to the Citadel, the basis of our request is to form a royal inquiry, made up of both brothers of the Night's Watch, as well as maesters from the Citadel to comb through any records about the Long Night and the White Walkers. I will let you and your counsel review our request outlined in the scrolls we gave the Lord Hand, before any final decisions need be made Your Grace." Jeor offered to which Robert simply nodded.

"What do you hope to find, Lord Commander?" Lord Stannis asked. The man had been the most quiet of everyone.

"Well right now we don't even know how to kill those dead men outside, at least not so they stay dead. If this inquiry could give us that alone I would consider it well worth it." Jeor responded as Lord Stannis only nodded in understanding.

"As Master of Whispers, I know full well the value of information, Lord Commander. However, I believe that the ArchMaesters may hinder your efforts. They are men who do not like to let their secrets go easily regardless of the severity of this request." Varys said softly.

"It is th…the duty of Conclave to…" Pycelle began, but he was silenced again.

"Pycelle, if I have to tell you to shut it again, you will be outside this chamber for the rest of the meeting." Robert threatened.

"For… Forgive me Your Grace." Pycelle stuttered and bowed his head.

"On that note I would advise his Grace to include a royal edict, signed by not only yourself my king but also the benefactors of the Citadel. House Hightower and perhaps House Tyrell should also be included as signatories to show that the brothers of the Watch have our full support and should be granted every courtesy in their endeavors." Varys advised.

Pycelle looked like he was about to interrupt again but he stopped himself. This time it was the queen giving the Grand Maester a harsh stare. That detail had not been discussed between him and Snow previously but when he looked at him the boy had an approving look, so Jeor took that as a good sign. Plus, he thought it was a genuinely good idea, because such an edict would grant them full access without issue.

Maester Aemon had noted many times how difficult the Conclave could be with granting anyone access to certain sections of their library outside of the ArchMaesters themselves. Even though the Citadel might like to claim the crown has no hold over them, Jeor understood that without the support from the seven kingdoms, their order would not exist. A royal decree held weight over the great houses who supported such orders.

"I appreciate your counsel, Lord Varys. We had not thought to make such a request, but having such a decree would make things much easier." Jeor thanked Varys who smiled proudly.

The king and queen did not seem interested, while both the king's brothers nodded their approval, Littlefinger only sat stroking his beard, and Pycelle quietly grumbled in his chair. Jon Arryn made a note in one of the scrolls and gestured for him to continue.

"The other parts of our proposal are regarding both funds and men. The Watch barely has enough resources to keep what men we have now clothed and fed, and our numbers are just over a thousand. Plus, those numbers grow fewer every year now. Should the worst happen, the forces we have may not be enough to hold the Wall." Jeor explained.

He knew the Watch had been making this argument for centuries now and yet the number of brothers has only gotten smaller and less worthy. Snow's plan for funds was simple but bold, but Jeor did feel the situation more than warranted such actions. Now they would find out if the King's counsel felt the same.

"Now this is a song as old as the Wall itself. Because for as long as I've been Master of Coin, the brothers of the Night's Watch have been like beggars at our gates. And from what I've read it wasn't much different for my predecessors. Perhaps if the black brothers had made proper use of what they were given, the Wall might be in better shape." Lord Baelish remarked.

This arrogant little southern cunt has the gall to say the Watch is to blame for this!?

Jeor felt his fist tighten as he tried to keep his emotions in check, despite how much Jeor wanted to crush Baelish's smirking skull in his bare hands. The Commander took a deep breath to calm himself before responding.

"My Lord." Jeor began before he suddenly heard another voice interrupt him.

"What truly amazes me is that none of your predecessors ever took the hint." Everyone turned their attention to Jon Snow. Jeor froze, uncertain of what to say next. "The song is not as old as the Wall though Lord Baelish. Considering it was the Targaryens who truly caused the decline of the Night's Watch, which started only three hundred years ago, and the Wall has stood for over eight thousand."

"Oh really?" Baelish asked mockingly. "And what would a Stark bastard child know of such matters?"

Jeor may be the one stuck in Jon Snow's clutches, but he still didn't want to show it in front of the King. He figured he better interject before the boy goes too far.

"Snow, that's enough. Remember you are here as a scribe and nothing more." Jeor reminded him, hoping he would take his meaning.

"Forgive me Lord Commander, I was only seeking to correct the Master of Coin so he would not embarrass himself by repeating such falsities in public again." Jon responded respectfully, yet his words practically made Lord Baelish out to be a fool.

"Ha!" bellowed Robert slapping his hand on the table. "I swear you must be Brandon's. If not, you certainly got that sharp tongue from him. Ned would never be able to speak in such a manner. Well, at least not to this sorry lot." Robert shouted in amusement while the queen whispered for the boy to be removed but the king ignored her. "Actually, I want to hear more about what you said earlier, about the Targaryens."

Littlefinger's face was red with anger, but he didn't respond after the king spoke. Jon Snow then looked at Jeor as if asking for permission to speak. Jeor almost felt like the boy was mocking him, but he figured Snow was probably just keeping up appearances, so he nodded to him in acknowledgment.

"Well, Your Grace, all northerners know that the Night's Watch has seen its greatest decline in terms of men and strength while under the rule of the Targaryens. Before the Conquest, the Watch manned all nineteen castles with numbers in the thousands. Whereas now we only have the numbers to hold three." Jon Snow stated.

Jeor found the comment strange considering Snow claimed to be a Targaryen and yet he was putting them in such a negative way. But the more Jeor thought about it the more he realized he wasn't wrong. The past three centuries had been when the Watch began to degrade so heavily. He couldn't remember another period when their order had been weaker. The king was smiling though which seemed a good sign for them.

"So, you're saying those damned dragon spawns are to blame for this mess we are in now, eh?" Robert asked. Jon Snow tilted his head in thought before answering.

"Not entirely. In truth we are all to blame for the state the Wall is in now. The brothers of the watch, the northerners, the southern kingdoms, even yourself and this counsel bear some of the blame. But in terms of the Targaryens, I would say they are most to blame considering these problems have been happening for the past three centuries and they did little if anything to solve them." Jon responded.

"Well, you may have been a little hellraiser for your father, but I have to say I'm starting to like you lad." Robert remarked.

"Thank you. Your praise means more to me than you know. But I am sure in time you will see me as a hellraiser for yourself as well. But I will restrain myself for now." Jon replied.

Robert burst into laughter again while Snow only smiled broadly at Jeor. Taking that as his cue the Commander continued with the proposal.

"Forgive me Your Grace but we do not intend to bankrupt the treasury. All taxes are paid in the defense of the realm after all, so we are hoping that a portion of the taxes collected from the whole of the realm could be transferred to the Wall so we might be able to see it properly stocked with weapons and supplies should an army of wights come knocking." Jeor said, although he could tell most of the counsel were not pleased by the suggestion.

Convincing a southerner to part with their coin is like trying to amputate a limb. It may be done to save a life, but all the person will do is scream and cry.

"Alright, alright Mormont. I get it. The situation is bad enough that the Watch needs more support now than it has ever had before, and it needs it from all the seven kingdoms. Am I correct?" Robert asked. The man was clearly still somewhat irritated. The only time the king smiled or stopped drinking was strangely for Jon Snow's rude antics.

"You are quite correct, Your Grace." Jeor answered. Robert stood up sighing.

"Very well. Jon go over these scrolls and finalize the details. Draw up whatever royal decrees and anything else that the Lord Commander requires. If he is satisfied, then we will move forward. As for the rest, there will be no problems from you lot here." The king stated, while pointing toward his counselors.

"Pycelle you will make sure the Citadel gives the brothers whatever they need. And if those old fossils want to cause problems remind them I will have'em strung up by their own chains if needs be. Baelish you have never had problems finding coin for me before, so find some now for the Wall or I'll find someone else who can. Varys be sure your little birds keep an eye on things.

If I hear one whisper of anyone causing issues for the Watch, I promise there'll be problems in the capital. Stannis, you helped me win against the Greyjoys so why don't you make yourself useful and do the same for Mormont. Jon, I'll leave the rest to you. Renly, prepare a party for a hunt will'ya, and have us ready to depart for the Kingswood once we are finished with all this. I suddenly feel the need to kill something." Robert commanded as he began walking away from the meeting without dismissing anyone. Everyone except for the queen stood as the king left. As Jeor focused on the kings retreating form, he watched the king shout 'fucking white walkers!' as he left the chamber.

The rest of the small council dispersed after the king's departure. The queen made another comment about how she wanted the wights removed from the city immediately and the Red Keep's guard doubled until then. Littlefinger only glared at Jon Snow as he left the room, while Varys gave Mormont his reassurances of the council's support. The whole thing reminded him of how complicated the south was compared to the North. Jeor would have preferred to just have a meeting with Lord Stark and let him deal with the Royals if need be.

After everyone had left, Jeor looked back at Snow who was still sitting and writing notes. "Well, did you get what you hoped out of that meeting?" Jon Snow just wrote something on a fresh page and turned the parchment towards Jeor. The note read, 'Not here!' The boy then placed his finger over his mouth as if someone might be listening to them at that moment. The boy was an enigma to Jeor in so many ways. He showed signs of being cautious and reckless in equal portions, but his face was almost always unreadable. When he could read his expressions, Jeor only saw confidence and determination, as if Snow had no doubts or fear. The most confusing, and sometimes frightening thing about him is when he spoke it was with an intelligence far beyond his age. Jon Snow knew things that he definitely should not know for a child.

As they departed, they were informed their party would be given quarters in the city, but Snow had made it clear they would remain on the ship while anchored in the bay. By the time they made their way to the docks there was already a detachment of gold cloaks waiting to lock down that part of the docks since a crowd had started to form. They had placed the cage containing the wights outside the walls at the end of one of the docks that was now restricted by the City Watchmen. Jeor witnessed Snow chat quietly with the Targaryen children for a moment before they made their way back to the ship. Once they were back aboard, Snow pulled Jeor aside to speak privately.

"Well, Lord Jeor, firstly you handled yourself exceedingly well. Our proposal has been approved and even though it will likely take years, the Wall will be properly manned, supplied, and ready by the time winter comes." Jon Snow stated while looking over his notes from the meeting.

Jeor had heard about what happened to Rhaegar's children when the Sack occurred, and he feared exposing Snow would mean a death sentence for Rhaegar's siblings as well. Something Jeor definitely didn't want on his conscience. The boy Viserys seemed as irritated by his situation as Jeor was, but the girl just looked shy and scared, which was understandable. If anyone loyal to the King knew they were here, the city would erupt like the fourteen flames. But Jeor couldn't deny that the last place anyone would suspect the Targaryens of trying to hide in would be Kings Landing. Jeor only hoped they didn't all lose their heads for this.


Barristan's POV

Night had fallen over Kings Landing after a most memorable day. The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard was standing watch outside the king's chambers thinking about all he had witnessed. He had heard stories of White Walkers like everyone. But he had never believed the tales any more than the stories about grumpkins and snarks north of the Wall. Even the tales told by sailors about krakens and sea dragons were just nonsense to an old knight like him.

But after what Barristan had witnessed in the throne room, he had been wondering the whole day if all the tales might actually be true. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by sounds coming from within the King's chambers. Barristan moved to listen up against the door as he called out to the king. He knew the king had no visitors this evening unlike most days when the King's chambers would be filled with multiple whores, courtesy of Littlefinger.

Rhaegar would never have done such things.

"Barristan! Get in here!" Robert yelled, sounding alright but stressed. Barristan thought the king likely drank too much again. He took the chance to open the door and saw Robert alive but, on the floor, next to a spilled wine glass.

"Do you require assistance, Your Grace?" Barristan asked. Robert just laughed while turning his head back and forth.

"No assistance needed. But I wouldn't say no to your company Ser. Come on in. You can guard me just as easily in here as out there." Robert answered. Barristan couldn't argue but he was practically rolling his eyes at the king as he entered the room. To his eyes Robert was not a terrible man but he was a terrible king. Yet the old knight was now sworn to protect him until the end of his days. An honor Barristan truly wished he'd gotten to uphold for Rhaegar rather than the man who killed his former prince.

At least my prince had the honor of dying in battle and being burned in the tradition of his house.

Although he guessed that was more to do with Robert listening to Ned Stark. But at least Robert wasn't a monster like Aerys turned into. Barristan still remembered how his most glorious triumph was single handedly rescuing Aerys from his captivity at Duskendale. Only to later find out that the man he'd saved that day wasn't the same man who was captured.

Robert had just clumsily gotten up. Barristan thought the man might fall over again. "Well, tell me Ser, what did you think of today?" asked Robert.

Barristan thought for a moment before replying. "I am still coming to grips with it myself to be honest."

Robert paused in place, looking out the window for a moment. "Yea, I know what you mean. Shit there was a time I would have been giddy as a girl to hear that news. I would have grabbed my hammer, told Ned to get his sword and we would have been off to hunt actual monsters beyond the Wall like the heroes of old." Robert exclaimed with a red face smile that slowly fell as he turned his gaze to Barristan. The Lord Commander remained silent believing the king didn't need to hear his words right now.

"Now, when I saw those things today all I felt was …" Robert stopped to pick up his glass from the floor.

"Fear, Your Grace?" Barristan asked, finishing Robert's sentence.

Robert just leaned up looking at him with a defeated expression as he nodded his head. "Been a long time since I felt like that. Like a green boy at his first battle ready to shit myself and run for the hills."

Robert refilled his wine and sat back down at his desk. He looked tired to Barristan, but he figured the king had far too much on his mind to find sleep tonight no matter how tired he might be.

"Hah! One thing still gets me though. Could you believe the balls on that brat, out there today?" Robert asked, laughing. Barristan needed no explanation as to whom the king was referring to. Varys had told them about the trouble that Jon Snow had caused in Winterfell long before the raven from Mormont arrived. Robert had laughed back then too.

"I must say no one else has ever been so bold or so foolish to speak in such a manner." Barristan remarked.

"Of all that I saw today, the one that got to me the most was a bastard boy who was too bold, for even Barristan the Bold himself, eh!" Robert commented which made both men smile until a knock at the chamber door caught both of their attention.

"Oh, what now?" Robert grumbled as Barristan moved closer to check who was outside. After hearing the voice of Lord Arryn, Robert waved to let him in.

"Well, what do you have for me Jon? I assume this is about the Watch?" Robert asked, setting down his wine glass and turning to the scrolls Lord Arryn was unrolling on the king's desk.

"After going over everything I find it to be quite impressive to say the least. Some of these measures will require the authority of the crown to be successful, which is probably why they came straight here. Some will also stretch the oaths of the Night's Watch enough that people will protest them a bit." Jon Arryn began to explain even though Barristan observed that Robert wanted Arryn to move along rather than explain each detail, but the king was allowing his hand to do so anyway. Barristan figured Robert must be attempting to take the matter seriously which boded well for the Wall.

"I have drawn up a decree regarding the treasury where one fifth of all taxes will be transferred to the Watch on a regular basis for the time being. Baelish didn't seem pleased, but he heard you in council and he's sent word to his collectors and counters. I will personally oversee them to make sure the proper amounts of coin make it to the Wall. As for the Citadel I already sent ravens to both the Conclave addressing the situation, as well as the Tyrells and Hightowers as Varys suggested. They should be well prepared for the wights arrival."

The Hand proceeded to pull out a few pieces of filled out parchment. "These only require your signature and seal, Your Grace." The king signed and placed his seal upon each.

After placing the signed documents aside, Lord Arryn turned to Robert with a couple more scrolls.

"Now these are about the portions we have yet to finalize. So, in preparation for further negotiations with Commander Mormont, Stannis took the liberty of arranging a ship to transport the wights under the protection of our own men along with some of the brothers from the watch, should we require their assistance. I have also arranged riders to set out at first light for Highgarden with a copy of your decree in tow and then on to Oldtown." Jon Arryn explained.

The King seemed like he'd rather be anywhere else than dealing with matters of the realm. But that was often the man's state of mind when it came to ruling the kingdoms. Robert almost always preferred to leave the dealings of the realm to others. Most of the work was done by his hand Lord Arryn or the small council which always gave Barristan mixed feelings towards the king.

"Well, what does Mormont have in mind for replenishing their ranks? Does he plan to just use the realms gold to buy sellswords?" Robert asked the Hand.

Barristan was curious about that as well. Jon Arryn looked concerned, but Barristan couldn't decide whether it was still from the revelation that the White walkers are real or if it was what they were going to do about them now. Neither would have been a surprise.

"The Commander had several potential methods that we discussed, but the main one was to create a new order within the Night's Watch. Or rather, to add an additional sect of men who are sworn to the watch but not sworn brothers." Jon Arryn replied, but the statement did sound concerning.

Robert nodded for his Hand to continue. "The basic idea is to create a separate group, or rather two groups that serve under the Night's Watch. The Lord Commander has even thought of names for both as well. The Night's Auxiliary and Inquiry."

"Well, this should be good." Robert grunted. "Well go on then, let's have it." Robert waved at Lord Arryn to continue as he sat back down at his desk. But again, Barristan witnessed the kings showing more indifference to the situation. What was being discussed could be one of the most important conversations of Robert Baratheon's reign. Yet Barristan witnessed that the longer the meeting went on the further disinterested the king seemed to become.

At this point Lord Arryn wasn't even bothering with the scrolls that Lord Commander Mormont had gifted them, which Barristan could see that they outlined the structure and duties of these new orders that were being added to the Night's Watch. Barristan knew it wasn't his place to pry too deeply into the king's business despite his own curiosity. Yet from what he was able to gleam from the scrolls before him, he found them to be detailed and impressively well thought out given how quickly Mormont brought the situation to their attention.

Barristan did not know Jeor Mormont personally but what he observed of the man filled him with confidence that someone like him would be leading the charge in this war. He believed that war was the only outcome to the threat of the White Walkers returning, but Barristan wasn't sure when the war would take place. He knew that he may not even be alive when the war started. Perhaps he might only live long enough to die in it. Barristan pushed such thoughts away and returned his attention to the king and hand's discussion.

"Well, the Auxiliary will serve in the same capacity as the brothers of the watch but the main difference between the two will be their privileges and time in service to the realm. Whereas the vows of the Night's Watch are for life, the members of the Auxiliary will take temporary vows for a specified number of years." Lord Arryn explained. The idea was intriguing but also disturbing to him as a knight.

"Forgive me Your Grace, but vows are taken for life for a reason. If these Auxiliary members are to have limited positions, then shouldn't they come with contracts of employment rather than vows of honor?" Barristan inquired. The king looked to be considering his words before Lord Arryn spoke up.

"They did mention their reasoning for that Ser. An oath is far more binding than a simple contract with more severe punishments should they be broken. The Watch reasoned that the easiest means of gaining men would be conscripting them from the kingdoms' bannermen. But we both believe that would be under the worst conditions, like a report of a horde of wights marching on the Wall. However currently only one White Walker has been sighted." the Hand replied.

"Yea, no lord wants to give up any of his bannerman, even if some of those kingdoms have enough to man the Wall five times over." Robert added.

Lord Arryn nodded in agreement with the king. "Also, the brothers wish to strengthen the Wall and their order more gradually. Which if done right, I agree that it will have better results going forward."

"I understand my Lord. Please forgive the interruption." Barristan conceded and Lord Arryn nodded in respect before continuing. "One of the main reasons that the Watch's numbers have lessened so much is because vows of the brother are harsh and the life on the Wall is even harsher. The very criminals we send to the Wall are clear proof. Rapists, for example, are given the choice of either castration or the Wall, and most actually choose the knife. That says a lot, that a man would rather live without his cock than be a part of the Night's Watch."

The king chuckled, commenting. "Well, I suppose they don't have much use for them either way."

Lord Arryn didn't look amused. "They proposed that there would be different amounts of time depending on the circumstance of the individuals. For those who volunteer for the Auxiliary willingly, they would have to stand watch for a minimum of three years, and then they would be free to leave or stay longer if they so wished. However, for those condemned to serve, they will be required to remain longer based upon what crimes they committed rather than for life. A thief for instance, will serve less than a pirate, but those guilty of murder or treason will have no place in the Auxiliary. Their vows will still be for life, or they will be sentenced to lose their heads."

"The whole thing sounds like a headache. But does this mean no more heads on spikes or maiming to punish criminals? Just send them all to the Wall then?" Robert asked.

"No, we won't be sending everyone regardless of the crime, this measure will just increase the Watch's numbers. Like a squire who serves a knight the member of the Auxiliary will be bound to serve the Night's Watch but not swear their vows. Taking away the choice to join altogether could lead to an endless streak of deserters the North would be ill prepared to handle. I wouldn't want to do that to Ned. But to accomplish this plan, we will have to formalize a system to determine how long of a duration in the Auxiliary will be equivalent to the crime committed. However, the ..." Lord Arryn was cut off.

"I understand Jon, hells for all I care you really could just send them all to the Watch for life. Less for us to worry about, and it might keep Ned on his toes. Put Renly to work dealing with the criminals bit. After all, he is supposed to be my Master of Laws." Robert laughed as he emptied his next cup gulping deep. "He's done fuck all with his title so far, but maybe this he can handle."

Barristan thought the king's remark of his brother was not quite deserved. It's true Renly hadn't done much with his title considering he had made no new changes to the laws of the realm, nor did he take any actions regarding the gold cloaks. But Renly had shown himself at least to be popular among the court, respectful to visiting nobles, and the man's opinions in the small council were always fair. Barristan felt confident that the man would be up for the task. The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard felt proud to see the king taking a firmer role to better the kingdoms. That is until the man decided to speak again.

"This whole thing should keep my council so busy they can all shut up and keep out of my sight for a good long while. All their bowing and smiling gets so old. It was fun to see the look on Baelish and Pycelle's faces though. And to think, I'm now cleaning up another Targaryen mess those silver haired sister fuckers left ten years after I crushed their damned reign!" Robert ended in a shout as Barristan heard his voice echo through the chamber so loud servants probably heard him down the hall.

The old knight suddenly felt his disappointment of Robert returning as swiftly as he started feeling a small sense of pride for the king. Robert certainly wasn't as cruel as Aerys had become toward the end of his reign, but the man was little more than a child in a man's body. Barristan believed most days that Robert only took the throne because the Targaryen's took his lady love Lyanna, which Barristan still knew in his bones to be false. But with Prince Rhaegar dead, the old knight didn't see how it mattered now.

Yet having had the throne for ten years now and successfully put down the Greyjoy rebellion, here Robert was actively doing his duty to help the realm for childish reasons again. Barristan felt that King Robert probably only wanted to take part in this project not to defend the realm but because he viewed it as another way to get back at the Targaryens. It seems all anyone needs to say to convince Robert of anything is to speak ill of House Targaryen.

Commander Barristan suddenly thought back to the Council meeting when Jon Snow mentioned how the Nights Watch's decline had been the fault of the Tararyens. He'd noticed how during the meeting, the king seemed only interested in the tale of the wights but not so much on Commander Mormont's plans to deal with them. That is until Jon Snow made his comment to Lord Baelish, which got the king's full attention. Robert probably agreed to go along with Lord Mormont's proposal, simply because of what that boy said.

Barristan then started to wonder if Jon Snow said that remark on purpose to influence the king's decision. But Snow was only a child and too young to think such things. Barristan thought he'd just been privy to the schemes of the capital for so long he was now suspicious of everyone. The knight turned his attention from such thoughts, and back to the king. Robert was signing the last of the scrolls before applying his seal.

If only Rhaegar had won the Trident, how different things would be. Thinking about Rhaegar strangely turned Barristan's mind towards another boy he'd noticed in the throne room.

"So, some gold from the treasury for materials and supplies, this auxiliary for getting their numbers back up, and the inquiry will be basically a bunch of maesters in black trying to figure out how to fight magical monsters." Robert stated. "Think this will work Jon?"

Lord Arryn looked over the last of the scrolls sighing. "It's a start Robert, but I believe we should have one of the wights stay here in the capitol."

Robert looked ready to refute before Jon spoke again. "Lord Jeor is going in the right direction, but we need to make our own preparation besides manning up the Wall. I believe we should start with the people's awareness. No letter is going to accomplish what we experienced today. Seeing is believing Your Grace. So as your hand I advise sending ravens to all the Lords Paramount to not only inform them of these things but command them to come here to see it with their own eyes."

Robert was rubbing his head as he seemed to consider Jon Arryn's counsel. Barristan wanted to get the creatures out of the city as much as the king did, but the Lord Hand was not wrong.

"Cersei is never going to stop giving me grief for this." Robert voiced his thoughts aloud. "How are we going to keep it contained?" Robert asked Jon.

"The Dragon Pit. Its large and empty but it can be easily fortified. We will have the wight bound with every chain in the city if that's what it takes but it will not get loose. I swear to you that if it does, I will lay down my position as your hand Your Grace." Jon answered.

"Very well Jon. See to it." Robert agreed.

Barristan had been paid less attention as his thoughts were drawn back to the throne room and his expression caught the Lord Hand's attention.

"Are you well Lord Commander? You look out of sorts somehow." Lord Arryn questioned as he observed Barristan.

"Forgive me Lord Hand, I was just thinking about a boy from earlier today in the throne room." the Lord Commander answered.

"What? You mean Snow?" The king interjected.

"No, Your Grace. It was the other boy with his party. I couldn't help feeling like I had seen him somewhere before today." Barristan explained.

"Those children along with their mothers were just Wildlings from beyond the Wall. More witnesses the black brothers managed to rescue. I doubt they have ever been south of the Wall before now, Ser." Jon Arryn added.

"Yes, yes of course." Barristan responded. Yet the old knight's mind couldn't shake the thought.

The way that wildling boy looked at me. It was like he knew me.