"Lord Commander... Lord Commander! Something terrible has happened. Arya tried to assassinate the Queen and was captured by the Unsullied!"
"Pfft, what?" Aegor was eating breakfast when he heard the report, and was so startled that he spat out half-chewed food back onto his plate. "When did this happen? Where is she now?"
Robb was currently leading the armies of four Northern lords toward Winterfell, intending to have them swear fealty to Daenerys. They would arrive by the day after tomorrow at the latest. What would he think if he returned to find his little sister imprisoned as an assassin?
This couldn't be a coincidence. Varys had seen the opportunity and orchestrated the entire affair.
"Just now! You instructed us to report anything unusual, so someone came to me immediately. It seems she's been brought before Her Grace in the guest hall."
"That damned eunuch." His fury flared instantly. Aegor stood up abruptly, fist slamming the table with a loud bang, sending cutlery and dishes clattering, startling the soldiers around him still having breakfast. "Take me there!"
He strode to the door without even bothering to put on his cloak, pushing it open and stepping directly into the cold wind. This furious and urgent momentum to find someone to fight infected the rest of the dining hall. Even those off duty or not guards at all put down their breakfast, grabbed their weapons, and followed him.
...
To show obedience to the Queen and avoid drawing suspicion from two of the most troublesome figures in the realm, Aegor had deliberately restrained himself after taking Winterfell and receiving Daenerys and her retinue, carefully suppressing the pride he had grown used to as a leader. Whether before the Queen, Petyr, or Varys, he kept a low profile, cautious not to appear arrogant, reckless, or threatening to these key figures in the emerging regime.
But this time, Varys had crossed the line.
No matter how humble and agreeable he acted, the Gift Army, centered on the Night's Watch, was currently the strongest armed force in the Seven Kingdoms. He was the de facto ruler north of the Neck. The black-cloaked soldiers had complete control over Winterfell inside and out, and yet that eunuch dared provoke him on his own turf, using the life of someone he cared about.
How could he tolerate what could not be tolerated?
Aegor had good self-restraint and a calm disposition, making it difficult to truly anger him. But this time, Varys had managed to do just that.
He could use Arya to gather intel about her father's latest movements. He could let her lead Robb around in circles. He could even pull down her pants and spank her bare bottom. But no one else was allowed to harm a single hair on her head.
There was no reason. It simply wasn't allowed.
To ensure the upcoming ceremony where the Northern lords would swear fealty to Daenerys proceeded smoothly, he had worked late into the night for two days, then gotten up at dawn. While eating breakfast earlier, he had been so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. But now, rage burned through his veins, and killing intent surged. He stormed toward the Queen's quarters in the heart of the castle, no longer concerned with staying calm or hiding his strength. He kept imagining hacking Varys into pieces. It wasn't until an Unsullied spear was thrust in front of his face that he realized how the situation looked.
Leading forty or fifty armed men, storming toward the Queen's residence... Anyone seeing this would think it was a mutiny or a coup. No wonder the Queen's Guard at the gate were tense, weapons raised.
"What are you doing?" Aegor forced himself to regain a sliver of reason. He frowned, turned around, and waved a hand. "Those not on duty today, disperse. No loitering. Those on duty, wait for me outside!"
After dispersing the soldiers who had blindly followed him out of excitement, and instructing the guards on duty to wait outside, the Unsullied at the gate lowered their spears and allowed Aegor to enter the guest building alone.
The great hall of Winterfell, capable of holding five hundred people, had already been repurposed as the Gift Army's barracks. The largest room on the first floor of the guest hall now served as the Queen's temporary audience chamber. When Aegor entered, there were about twenty to thirty people present, most of them Unsullied soldiers and Daenerys's attendants or courtiers. The space already felt cramped and stifling.
Daenerys sat calmly on the high seat at the front. Missandei and Varys stood to her left and right. Arya stood in the center of the small open area surrounded by the crowd—right where those who were whipped the day before due to Petyr's scheme had stood, enduring the stares of everyone like some exhibit. Fortunately, Petyr had arrived earlier and was now standing beside the girl, holding her arm, most likely to stop her from speaking rashly to the Queen.
Aegor pushed through the crowd, suppressing his fury, and walked to the center, standing beside Arya and opposite Petyr, sandwiching her between them. He bowed to the Queen. "Good morning, Your Grace. May I ask what happened here?"
"You don't need to pretend to be the good guy!" the little she-wolf blurted out, clearly still bitter over Aegor's betrayal of the North.
"Enough nonsense." Aegor turned his head and gave her a low, muffled growl.
He had actually scolded her. She felt even more wronged and angry. But strangely, the unquestionable tone and the accompanying aura made her heart tremble. Her little heart pounded, and not only did she feel compelled to obey, but even the nearly healed bruises on her bottom and between her legs began to ache faintly again.
She wasn't stupid or suicidal. Knowing she was in danger and that Aegor intended to protect her, she snorted twice angrily and fell silent.
All eyes shifted to the newly arrived Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Everyone already knew of the Queen's "new favorite", but until now, Aegor had left only the impression of being good at business and combat. This was the first time they saw his fierce side. Standing protectively beside Arya, he was like a beast guarding its cub, baring his fangs and exuding an aura that dared anyone to come closer.
After a brief silence, Missandei, seeing the Queen's silent nod, stepped forward. "Lord Aegor, Lady Stark was seen wandering the castle with this sword. The guards brought her here for questioning."
Aegor looked closely and saw it was the slender sword he hadn't confiscated before as a favor—Needle.
Could this reckless girl really have considered assassinating Daenerys again?
As if sensing his thoughts, Arya snapped in frustration, "What do you mean 'wandering'? I was in a bad mood and went to the top of the library tower to get some air!"
Varys, still smiling pleasantly beside the Queen, said, "Lady Stark, forgive me for speaking plainly. At such a sensitive time, wandering the castle with a sharp weapon is unwise..."
"Please be quiet, Lord Varys." From just this exchange, Aegor had already figured out the truth. Now that he understood, his rage intensified. Given Arya's straightforward nature, if she had truly intended to assassinate the Queen, she wouldn't deny it. Swallowing his killing intent, he no longer bothered to play the courteous subordinate. "Your Grace, may I ask if the guards who 'invited' Lady Arya are present? I have a few questions for them."
Aside from Robert Baratheon, no one had ever cut Varys off mid-sentence. Aegor's sudden aggressiveness after days of restraint stunned the eunuch and made Daenerys sit up straighter, intrigued. "They are. Black Shell, answer the Lord Commander's questions."
"Black Shell" was a junior officer of the Unsullied who had chosen the name when freed. He stepped out and nodded at Aegor, standing at attention.
"Hello, Black Shell. When you 'invited' Arya today, was she atop the library tower?"
"Yes."
"The library tower is nearly two hundred feet from the guest hall where the Queen resides, and the two aren't connected. Why did you believe she posed a threat?"
"The guest hall is visible from the tower, and the lady was carrying a sword."
Aegor let out a sarcastic laugh, then looked up at Varys, who had regained his composure, and asked his final question. "Ser Black Shell, as a Queen's Guard, your post is on the ground outside the guest hall. How did you spot someone on top of a much taller, distant tower and notice she had a small sword?"
"I didn't. Miezidan told me. He saw Lady Stark heading toward the tower with a sword."
"This is my home! I can go wherever I please, it's none of your busi—"
"Do I have to make you shut up too?" Aegor turned and glared again, forcing Arya to swallow the rest of her words.
As he expected, the Unsullied had only acted because someone reported suspicious activity. They weren't dirtying their hands for Varys. This was the same as when Petyr had used them the day before.
Aegor didn't know who Miezidan was, but even if he had him summoned and questioned, the man would likely just say he happened to pass by, saw a girl with a sword, and thought it was best to report it. No one would admit they'd been instructed.
The Unsullied, bound by their duty to the Queen, had to act on any report, even if they suspected it was a trap. That was how they worked. And Varys, a master manipulator, had done everything cleanly, with no visible flaws.
Aegor had hoped Varys would argue back so he could confront him, but the eunuch said nothing. It seemed a direct clash would not happen today. That was fine. The priority was protecting Arya. The rest could come later.
"Then, Your Grace, I believe the matter is clear." Aegor looked away from Varys, relaxing his fierce expression slightly as he turned to Daenerys. "I am Arya's swordmaster. This little sword has been with her since childhood and rarely leaves her side. She carries it out of habit, not malice. The library tower and this guest hall are separated by a training yard. There's no stealthy way to cross it. If she was scouting from above for an assassination, the main keep she lives in is already tall enough. Why go farther when closer would suffice?"
"Lord Commander, you misunderstand." Missandei, sensing the Queen's mood, stepped in to mediate. "Her Grace did not suspect Lady Stark of assassination, nor did she intend to make things difficult. It was simply a cautious inquiry."
Aegor wasn't buying it. After the girl spoke, he continued at the same pace and tone. "Additionally, I would like to point out: Winterfell is the ancestral seat of House Stark. Though Her Grace is the sovereign they now serve, she is also a guest. For the host to vacate the entire guest hall for Her Grace's use is already an extraordinary courtesy. Within and around the building, any level of security by the Unsullied is acceptable. But outside of it, as a Stark, Arya has every right to carry a sword, walk to the tower, the armory, or the yard. She owes no one any explanation. For a guest to summon the host for questioning like a prisoner is an offense. I request that Your Grace release Arya immediately and have Black Shell apologize to Lady Stark for this misunderstanding."
Gasps filled the room before silence returned. Littlefinger tried to discreetly signal Aegor to back down, but he ignored it.
Was he blinded by anger? Perhaps a little. But not to the point of losing control or failing to recognize how overbearing this demand sounded. It would certainly displease Daenerys.
But he had made his choice.
Taking Winterfell with the Gift Army had been a great military achievement, but politically, it ruined all the favor and reputation he had built with the North and the Starks. Now that Robb had submitted to Daenerys and begun convincing the Northern lords, his plan to make House Stark the cornerstone of Northern autonomy remained unchanged. The Starks were honest folk, easier to deal with than replacing them with unknowns.
Since he intended to keep them in place, he had to seize every chance to rebuild trust and favor.
But it wasn't just political. If protecting Arya publicly was only about restoring reputation, the cost would be too high. The bigger reason was simple.
He didn't want Arya to suffer injustice.
In this world, where he had no family, she was one of the few he genuinely cared about. Bombarding the keep and breaking her heart had been a calculated betrayal. But now, getting caught in the power struggle between Petyr and Varys was not something she deserved. Within half a minute of entering the hall, Aegor had realized Daenerys had no real intention of punishing her. If he only wanted to save her life, he could have stayed silent.
But Arya was his apprentice.
Today, he wouldn't just protect her life.
He would stand up for her. He would demand justice.
(To be continued.)