The next morning.
Inside Sansa's bridal chamber.
The embers remaining in the hearth crackled softly, causing the sleeping Sansa to tremble her long eyelashes slightly.
A moment later, she slowly opened her eyes.
The scene that met her vision—
In the dimly lit room, she was clinging tightly to a man whose face she could not clearly make out.
"Ah!"
Sansa let out a soft cry of surprise, instinctively trying to sit up.
However, Galon, who had awoken first, pulled her back into his arms with a smooth motion and covered them both with the furs, smiling warmly.
"Awake?"
"Do not move, it is cold outside."
The familiar voice echoed beside her ears.
Only then did Sansa recall the events of yesterday, as well as the fact that she was now Galon's wife.
Feeling as though she were intoxicated, she obediently lay back down against Galon's chest.
"Sleep a little longer..."
Galon stroked Sansa, who was as shy as a kitten, and chuckled lightly. "You must be exhausted from last night. Rest a bit more, it is still early."
Sansa instantly recalled the wild passion of the previous night.
In an instant, her cheeks turned crimson, and her body flushed hot.
Galon pulled Sansa back against his chest, looking at her bashful face, and teased, "We have plenty of time ahead of us, Sansa. We will have endless opportunities..."
Sansa, having just blossomed into a woman, nodded with vague understanding.
She rested her cheek against Galon's chest, listening to his thundering heartbeat, but suddenly recalled the gossip Jeyne and Beth had pried into during the banquet last night.
Sansa suddenly felt displeased again.
"Hmph!"
She let out a cold huff, raised her head, and looked up at Galon.
"So, you are quite experienced then?
Was it with that kraken girl? Or that bastard daughter from the Vale? Or some other woman?"
At the thought that her husband already had other women outside, and perhaps even bastard children, Sansa's heart surged with a pang of sour jealousy.
With Jon Snow as a precedent, she finally understood how her mother had felt all those years ago.
Yet Galon was no Ned Stark.
He was momentarily taken aback, then pinched Sansa's slightly doleful cheek and asked in return, "My Lady, are you jealous?"
"I am not..." Sansa denied against her true feelings.
Galon let out a couple of hearty laughs, making Sansa feel even more aggrieved and crestfallen.
"Sansa, you know that I love only you."
Seeing that Sansa was on the verge of crying from sadness, he finally reassured her, "Asha and Mya were indeed my fault. I failed to control myself in the moment."
Galon offered no excuses and apologized sincerely.
"If you are saddened by this matter, I can swear to the Seven: I shall never touch another woman again.
If I break this vow, may I never meet a good..."
Before the word "death" could leave Galon's mouth, Sansa passionately kissed him on the lips.
Only after a long moment did the two part.
"Do not make reckless vows. What if the gods are listening?"
Seeing Galon so earnest, the anger in Sansa's heart dissipated by more than half.
Pillowed on Galon's right arm, she tilted her head, a trace of lingering fear flashing in her eyes.
"I heard Mother say that fighting in the South was very dangerous, and that you often charged into the enemy rank all by yourself.
So many people view you as a hero, and you carry so many of their expectations on your shoulders.
My Galon, you must be so tired...
So, I am not forbidding you from touching any other woman."
Sansa proactively made excuses for Galon, and then pleaded softly, "Can you just promise me one thing? Do not bring back a bastard like Father did!"
She raised her head to look at Galon and explained, "It is not that I hate Jon, I just feel that Mother..."
Understanding her meaning, Galon immediately kissed Sansa's forehead and smiled. "I promise you!"
"Furthermore..."
He looked at Sansa's face and spoke with deep affection, "Once the wildlings and the Others are defeated, I will be able to stay in Winterfell and accompany you forever."
"When that time comes, we shall hunt together, travel together, and raise our children together."
Sansa's eyes suddenly lit up.
The scenario painted by Galon flashed through her mind, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around him, letting out a blissful murmur of assent.
The two spent a long time whispering sweet nothings in bed.
It was not until the handmaidens arrived that Sansa reluctantly got out of bed alongside Galon.
Once they were dressed and washed, Galon accompanied Sansa to see Lady Catelyn, only to unexpectedly receive terrible news.
Perhaps because she had fulfilled the final wish of her heart, the single breath that had been sustaining Catelyn finally broke.
That morning, when the handmaidens went to wake her, they found her running a constant high fever, trapped in a painful coma.
Maester Luwin rushed over, but he too was powerless.
"Sansa, Her Ladyship... sigh..."
In the room, the maester let out a heavy sigh and said sorrowfully, "We can only leave her to the will of the gods."
"Mother!"
Sansa's expression turned to panic as she and Arya fell to their knees before Catelyn's bed.
She held Catelyn's cold hand, her eyes rimmed with red.
The joy of her marriage vanished in an instant.
Galon was equally grief-stricken.
While comforting Sansa and Arya, he asked Maester Luwin if there was any way to ease Catelyn's suffering.
Maester Luwin nodded and prepared a cup of milk of the poppy for Catelyn.
Once she was fed the draft, the pain on Catelyn's face eased considerably, and she drifted into a deep sleep.
"Sansa, Arya."
"Let Her Ladyship rest properly."
Galon attempted to persuade the two girls to get up, but both shook their heads in unison.
"No, I want to stay with Mother."
"Me too."
Seeing them like this, Galon had no choice but to stay in the room to keep them company.
Before long, the lords in Winterfell learned of the news and came one by one to offer their respects.
Left with no alternative, Galon allowed them to view Catelyn before inviting them to the Great Hall of Winterfell to conduct business.
"My Lords!"
"Lady Catelyn is gravely ill, and Lady Sansa must remain by her side. For now, the affairs of Winterfell have been entrusted to me."
Standing beneath the high seat of the hall, he came straight to the point.
"Presently, the wildlings occupy the Wall, and the Others are still advancing beyond it.
Yet the forces we brought south have suffered heavy losses.
In order to resist the impending invasion of the Others from beyond the Wall, I have decided—
After conferring rewards for merit today, all lords shall return to their respective lands to rest, recover, and train their soldiers.
You will await the summons of Winterfell once more!"
Ser Manderly of White Harbor stood up and asked, "My Lord, if we all return, what about the wildlings?"
"If they suddenly march south and Winterfell lacks sufficient troops, would that not be extremely dangerous?"
The others immediately voiced their agreement.
"Indeed, My Lord! Let us march with you again to fight the wildlings!"
"With you leading us, we will surely win!"
"Exactly! We even defeated the Southerners, so why should we fear wildlings?!"
The crowd painted vivid pictures of the southern war in their words, filling Jon, who sat at the very end of the hall, with deep yearning.
He had not expected that Galon, simply by making a single trip to the South, had thoroughly subdued all the lords before him, including the fiercely unruly House Umber.
'A true hero is nothing more than this,' Jon thought.
Recalling the words Galon had said to him yesterday, a surge of burning ambition swept through his heart.
Galon smiled faintly.
He clapped his hands gently to quiet the commotion, then continued.
"You speak truly. The wildlings are nothing more than a rabble.
Even if there are a hundred thousand of them, most are women, children, and the elderly, with very few capable fighters.
They know nothing of tactics, and their weapons and armor are crude beyond measure. They are not to be feared."
Galon surveyed the crowd, speaking with absolute confidence.
"There are over a thousand men of the Night's Watch and three thousand Vale knights.
I will also summon several thousand more troops from elsewhere.
These forces will be more than enough to deal with the wildlings."
Maester Luwin, standing to Galon's right, spoke up to ask, "Lord Glover, do you intend to summon the mountain clan soldiers along the way?"
"Also, should the news of the Others be reported to the King?"
Galon nodded, then explained, "Indeed. The mountain clans are equally loyal to the Starks."
"If the wildlings march south, they will surely invade clan lands, so getting them to dispatch troops will not be difficult."
"As for the Others..."
He pondered for a moment before deciding, "Once we rout the wildlings and gather sufficient proof—preferably capturing a living Other—only then can I report to the King and convince King's Landing to call upon the entire realm for aid."
The others considered this and agreed that it was the proper course.
Currently, there were only eyewitness accounts of the Others. If told to the Southerners now, few would believe it.
At that moment, a knight of Hornwood suddenly stood up, speaking in a sorrowful voice.
"Lord Protector, the men of Hornwood who went south—from Lord Hornwood down to the common soldiers—have been virtually wiped out.
After fleeing Winterfell, that damned Ramsay Snow even used treachery to brutally murder the Lady Hornwood.
Now, the direct line of Lord Hornwood is entirely dead, and the seat of the lord stands empty. What are we to do?"
The moment those words were spoken, commotion erupted in the Great Hall.
Through several great battles, the northern lords had long come to understand Galon's style of rewarding every merit.
If one could secure the task of eradicating Ramsay Snow, then once it was done, their own family might claim a share of the vast lands of the Dreadfort and Hornwood.
Thus, they competed fiercely to voice their readiness.
"Lord Protector, House Bolton has forsaken their ancient oaths! They are truly forsaken by the gods!"
"My House Karstark is willing to eradicate them for you and the Starks!"
"My White Harbor is also willing to send troops to destroy the Boltons!"
Jon listened to these indignant lords squabbling for the chance to campaign against the Boltons, feeling inexplicably tense.
The conversation he had shared with Galon yesterday echoed in his mind once more.
In a surge of hot-blooded impulse, Jon actually stood up and volunteered himself.
"Lord Protector!"
"My Lords have only just returned from the South and are utterly exhausted. Why not let me serve My Lords in this matter?!"
The other lords were stunned.
Someone recognized Jon's identity and was just about to object when Galon suddenly spoke up.
"Jon speaks the truth. We have only just returned, and the soldiers are already exhausted."
"It is indeed better to entrust this task to someone else."
He paused briefly, raised a finger to point at Jon, and introduced him.
"Jon Snow is the bastard son of Lord Eddard.
In former days, Lord Eddard entrusted him to my care. Later, when I marched south to war, the defense of Winterfell was left to him.
Not long ago, he successfully repelled Ramsay Snow's attack, routing him and sending him fleeing in defeat.
I believe sending him to lead troops in scouring out Ramsay Snow should pose no issue."
As those words landed, the others instantly understood Galon's intention.
This was to grant the Stark bastard an opportunity to earn military merit.
The crowd felt a touch of disappointment.
However, given Galon's prestige, no one raised an objection.
Jon felt a wave of relief in his heart and offered Galon a grateful smile.
Galon nodded slightly, gesturing for him to sit down first, then shifted his gaze back onto the knight of Hornwood.
"The North remembers!"
"Hornwood bled dry for the North, so the North shall not allow his bloodline to end!"
Meeting the knight's gaze, he spoke solemnly, "Lord Hornwood had a bastard son during his lifetime who was taken in by my father as a ward."
"Now, he is the sole remaining bloodline of Hornwood. I intend to let him inherit Hornwood."
The other lords present leaned in to discuss the matter, agreeing that this was indeed a sound solution.
However, the knight of Hornwood was somewhat stunned.
"Lord Protector, do you mean Larence Snow?"
Galon nodded and added, "Of course!"
"If Hornwood believes a bastard cannot inherit, I can write a letter to King Gendry requesting that he legitimize Larence's status."
"What do you think?"
The knight of Hornwood's expression shifted repeatedly.
He had originally assumed the Lord Protector would choose someone else with military merit to become the Lord of Hornwood, which would have given him a chance to contend for it himself.
He had never expected that a Glover would actually plan to let a bastard inherit Hornwood.
Stared down by Galon's stern gaze, the knight's lips twitched, and he ultimately spoke in a low voice.
"I shall obey the command of the Lord Protector!"
Galon nodded calmly.
"Shortly, I will send someone to bear word to Deepwood Motte, instructing Larence to hurry to Winterfell as soon as possible.
When he arrives, he and you will take the spoils of war back to Hornwood so he may assume the position of Lord."
The knight of Hornwood dared not refuse and immediately bowed respectfully. "Yes, My Lord!"
In just a few words, Galon used his prestige to settle the disputes regarding Hornwood and the Dreadfort.
He waited a moment, and seeing that no one else spoke up, he turned to Maester Luwin and ordered, "Maester, please write a letter to Barrowton to inform Lady Barbrey."
"Within half a month, gather four thousand Barrowton soldiers and bring them to Winterfell!"
Maester Luwin was taken aback and said hesitantly, "Lady Barbrey will likely not agree."
"No, she will!"
A sharp gleam flashed in Galon's eyes as he spoke with iron certainty. "Lady Barbrey is a clever woman. She should understand that the present North will no longer tolerate her indulgence!"
Previously, because Ned had failed to bring her husband's bones back from the Tower of Joy, she had harbored hatred against the Starks for over a decade.
Even when Robb marched south, she had merely sent a token force to gloss over her obligations.
Because of this, the military strength of Barrowton had remained exceptionally well-preserved.
Now, Galon had the final say over the entire North.
He would no longer permit a core northern vassal like Barrowton to remain outside his control.
Either submit, or be beaten into submission!
There was no third path.
Maester Luwin nodded. "Very well, I shall attend to it shortly."
Next, under Galon's chairmanship, the process of conferring rewards for the southern war commenced.
After much deliberation, Galon finally presented a distribution plan that satisfied essentially everyone.
Based on factors such as the distance of their fiefs and their battle losses, Galon allocated proportions of the spoils of war to each house.
Those whose fiefs were far from Winterfell could take a portion back from Winterfell first, before the heavy snow blocked the roads entirely.
Those whose fiefs were closer would have to wait for the next shipment to arrive in the North.
Once the spoils of war were fully distributed, the various lords began embarking on their return journeys home one after another.
Within a few days, Winterfell, which had previously been packed to capacity, returned to normal once more.
Two days later, after Galon had prepared four thousand troops and supplies for Jon, Jon Snow officially set out on his campaign to eradicate Ramsay Snow.
After he departed, Winterfell grew markedly quieter.
And amidst this quiet atmosphere, Lady Catelyn's life finally reached its end.
In accordance with her final wishes, Galon buried her in the crypts beside Ned Stark.
Sharers of the same bed in life, sharers of the same grave in death.
After the funeral, Galon spent several more days accompanying the grief-stricken Sansa.
While comforting Sansa and Arya, he continuously gathered intelligence on the Wall and reorganized his troops.
Based on Samwell's reports, Galon judged that the provisions at the Wall were meager to begin with and completely insufficient to feed a hundred thousand wildlings.
Therefore, he immediately sent raven messages to Tywin and the others, instructing them to implement a scorched-earth policy everywhere beyond the New Gift.
Not a single grain of food was to be left for the wildlings.
Another day passed.
Larence arrived from Deepwood Motte pulling a large wagon of luggage.
Considering that Galon would be living in Winterfell in the future, he had brought all of Galon's past personal belongings along in one go, leaving Galon caught between tears and laughter.
However, it provided Sansa, who had just lost her mother, an opportunity to redirect her attention.
While arranging Galon's belongings, Sansa poured all her heart and energy into decorating the future residence for herself and Galon.
She wanted to gradually weave Galon's items and preferences into her own life.
Galon was more than happy to cooperate.
Gradually, under Galon's meticulous care, Sansa finally emerged from the grief of losing her family.
Two days later, after listening carefully to Galon's thorough instructions, Larence set out on his journey to Hornwood.
The following day, the army of Barrowton arrived.
Facing the illustrious military achievements and renowned fame of Glover, the clever Lady Barbrey understood very well what her choice had to be.
She personally led her army to Winterfell and knelt in fealty before the Lord Protector and Sansa.
With this, the internal threats of the North were eliminated, and the time for Galon's campaign to the Wall finally arrived.
The bells of Winterfell rang out once more.
Clad in black armor and mounted on his warhorse, Galon led the Barrowton soldiers and the Vale knights into the boundless wind and snow beneath Sansa's lingering, reluctant gaze.
This time, he would thoroughly conquer the hundred thousand wildlings.
On the fifth day after Galon departed Winterfell, guards returning from Pyke arrived at Winterfell bearing a massive horn.
Soon, an escort party carrying the horn set off toward the Wall.
By this time, Galon, having already joined forces with Tywin and the other Night's Watchmen, officially began the reclamation of the Wall
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