GOT/ASOIAF: Ruler Beyond The Ice

To avoid drawing the attention of the gold cloaks, Aegor and Yoren deliberately conducted their "transaction" outside the city walls. When Aegor asked his question, silence fell over the group. In a world where literacy rates were abysmally low, anyone who could read and write was considered a rare and valuable resource. Add basic arithmetic to that skill set, and they were regarded as "talented." For the Night's Watch, such individuals were either volunteers like Benjen Stark and Jon Snow or disgraced nobles like Alliser Thorne who had been forced to don the black. In times of peace, it was almost impossible to imagine such a person ending up among the ragtag recruits bound for the Wall.

Among the dozen or so recruits gathered here, none could read, except for Jaqen H'ghar.

As expected, after a few seconds of silence, a calm and gentle male voice broke through.

"Someone happens to know some Westerosi writing."

Someone? Someone? Can't you just say 'I' like a normal person?

Aegor couldn't help but roll his eyes internally at Jaqen's odd phrasing, though he knew the reason behind it. Jaqen wasn't trying to show off; he was deliberately concealing his Braavosi origins. Disguised as a Lorath noble, he adhered to Lorath cultural norms, where using "I" was considered vulgar. Instead, the upper class referred to themselves as "someone."

While Aegor found it irritating, he had no choice but to play along. After all, he was also pretending to be a foreigner—a "Tsena" noble. Since Jaqen had spoken, it meant his mission did not require him to travel to the Wall, and he had no intention of heading to the far north just yet.

"Can you read?" Aegor asked, stepping closer to the cage and holding out a piece of paper. "What does this say?"

"Office… Night's Watch," Jaqen said after squinting briefly. "Night's Watch Office."

"Good," Aegor said, putting the paper away. He turned to Yoren. "What crime did this one commit?"

Yoren gave Aegor a look that practically screamed, Are you serious? But, having taken a gold dragon from him, the old recruiter begrudgingly played along. "He read the king's book."

"Read the king's book?" Aegor raised an eyebrow and looked back at Jaqen. "What book?"

"A book about dragons," Jaqen answered smoothly. "Someone has always been curious about these powerful magical creatures since childhood. Valyria has been destroyed, and only Westeros still holds knowledge of dragons."

It was an ambiguous answer, neither fully convincing nor entirely suspicious.

"And for that, you're being sent to the Wall?" Aegor pressed.

Yoren shrugged, clearly not interested in the details. "Who knows? That's not for me to decide."

"Well, since he's not a murderer, he'll do," Aegor said, feigning satisfaction. In truth, Jaqen had probably killed more people than everyone else here combined, but as long as he wasn't a threat to Aegor personally, it didn't matter. Everyone deserved a chance, after all. "But before I let you out, I'll need you to make some promises. Books are meant to be read, and what you did isn't a serious crime. If, one day, you decide to leave and go home, that's fine. But until I can recruit someone else, you must work diligently for the office. And before you leave, you'll need to notify me and pay a fair ransom. Do you agree?"

"Someone agrees," Jaqen replied without hesitation.

"Very well. Swear an oath."

"Someone swears by the old and new gods—"

"Stop. I'm not from Westeros, and I don't believe in the old or new gods," Aegor interrupted, a sudden idea forming in his mind. "There is only one true god: Death. Swear to the God of Death in your name. And add this, you will never harm the interests of the Night's Watch."

Under Aegor's steady gaze, Jaqen hesitated briefly before speaking again. "I, Jaqen H'ghar, swear to the God of Death that I will never harm the interests of the Night's Watch. Before I have to leave, I will serve the Night's Watch with all my heart and soul. I also promise to notify the Night's Watch and pay the ransom before I leave."

---

Pay a ransom? What a cunning bastard! Yoren realized belatedly what was happening. Compared to the ransom he'll likely charge, that single gold dragon is nothing. While annoyed, Yoren reminded himself that the ransom wouldn't benefit him personally, so he kept his grumbling to himself.

Aegor, meanwhile, noticed how Jaqen had carefully phrased his oath. "Before I have to leave"? It was as if Jaqen was already anticipating an unavoidable departure. For all Aegor knew, the Faceless Man could announce his departure that very evening, leave a small payment behind, and vanish without a trace.

Still, Jaqen's willingness to play along indicated that he had no intention of outright breaking the oath. Aegor wasn't expecting much from him anyway. Forcing someone like Jaqen to swear eternal loyalty to the Night's Watch was pointless. After all, hadn't Aegor himself sworn the same oath only to plot his own departure? An obviously unreasonable oath would only give someone an excuse to break it.

For a skilled spy like Jaqen, changing his name and claiming Jaqen H'ghar was dead would be enough to render any promise void.

---

"Alright, let him out," Aegor said.

Yoren shot him another irritated look. Do I look like your subordinate? With a sigh, the old recruiter handed over the key. "Do it yourself. I need to keep an eye on these two." Drawing his sword, he added, "And I'll kill anyone who tries to run. Swords don't have eyes!"

Aegor took the key and stepped up to the cage. Before his time at the Wall, the sight of the other two prisoners, one with a noseless face and the other a feral, pustule-covered brute might have intimidated him. But after a year as a Ranger, facing White Walkers and the horrors of the Haunted Forest, such sights no longer fazed him.

He unlocked the door, opened it, and watched as Jaqen crawled out and stood. The other two prisoners roared and lunged toward the opening but were swiftly forced back by Yoren's sword. Calmly, Aegor locked the cage again, removed the shackles from Jaqen's wrists and ankles, and tossed the key back to Yoren.

---

"Put on black," Aegor said, tossing Jaqen a package. "From now until you leave, you're a member of the Night's Watch. You're lucky—you don't have to guard the Wall or fight monsters in the north. But you'll need a new name. Let's call you… Akun."

"Someone has no objections," Jaqen said with a slight bow.

"Good. Yoren, safe travels to you and your recruits." Aegor glanced at the remaining dozen men, gave a nod of farewell, mounted his horse, and gestured to Jaqen. "Let's go, Akun."

Since Aegor hadn't prepared a horse for Jaqen, the two rode back to the city on the same mount. Despite trusting Jaqen enough to release him, Aegor couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that the man might stab him in the back at any moment. By the time they reached the Night's Watch office, Aegor was surprised to find his legs trembling slightly as he dismounted.

When they stepped inside, Aegor was startled to find that quite a few people were waiting for him.

***

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