LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 81: Chapter 81
Before the time travel, Aegor often wondered: How did a family like the Starks, full of so-called "idiots" according to the plot, manage to hold the North for thousands of years and even triumph over several families vying for the title of "King in the North"?
Now, as an outsider in this world, he has to examine the issue more deeply and fundamentally. Over time, he gradually realized that Eddard Stark's seemingly pedantic, stiff, and naïve behavior in Game of Thrones wasn't the fault of the Stark family, nor was it solely due to Eddard's "immaturity" or "stupidity." It had been preordained from the beginning, Eddard wasn't raised as someone who would "play the Game of Thrones."
He wasn't groomed to be an heir but rather as a "second son" raised in the Vale.
In this era, many prominent families, in order to avoid internal conflicts, would raise their heirs and younger sons differently. The eldest son, destined to inherit the family, would not only be taught how to govern and command but also when to act noble and honorable, and when to set morality aside to protect the family's interests. Meanwhile, second sons were only required to be brave, upright, and loyal, as their role was to assist their elder brothers, not to act independently.
To put it simply, the eldest son needed to be cunning, while the rest of the siblings were intentionally kept simpler. A sibling too competent could endanger the family hierarchy.
Eddard received the latter type of training.
At the age of eight, he was sent to the Eyrie as Jon Arryn's ward to strengthen the alliance between the North and the Vale. Lord Arryn, upright and noble as he was, helped train Eddard into a "qualified second son"—much like Benjen Stark, the responsible Chief Ranger of the Night's Watch, whom Aegor was already familiar with.
In and of itself, there was nothing wrong with this. The real problem arose when Eddard's older brother, Brandon Stark, was killed by the Mad King.
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In a backward and tumultuous era, the death of an heir wasn't uncommon. Typically, the family would quickly pick another child and begin grooming them to take on the role of heir. However, Eddard's situation was far more complicated—his father, Rickard Stark, was also executed by the Mad King on the same day his eldest son was killed.
Thus, a "second son" who had been groomed as a loyal subordinate suddenly found himself thrust into the role of Lord of Winterfell and head of the Stark family without any prior training. Such a situation was rare enough, but what made matters worse was that the rebellion against the Mad King—the Usurper's War—was ignited by this very tragedy. Eddard not only lacked his father's guidance, but he also had no time to be mentored by other elders.
Eddard lacked the experience and wisdom necessary to lead a family. Fortunately, he wasn't alone in fighting the Targaryens. During the hastily initiated rebellion, he was supported and guided by two seasoned leaders: Hoster Tully, his father-in-law and Lord of Riverrun, and Jon Arryn, his former guardian and the Lord of the Vale. Together with Robert Baratheon, they managed to topple the Targaryen dynasty despite many setbacks.
By the time the rebellion ended, Eddard had become a celebrated warrior with immense prestige throughout the realm. As the oldest surviving member of the Stark family, he held unrivaled power as the Warden of the North. There was no one left qualified to teach him how to govern or transform him into a more fitting ruler.
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Thus, Eddard retained the honor and integrity he had learned as a second son and began ruling the North. Fortunately, the North, poor and remote as it was lacked the kind of intricate conspiracies and power struggles seen in the South. In this context, his "second son" qualities didn't lead to significant missteps. As a result, Eddard not only adhered to his own virtuous principles but also raised all of his children to be "qualified second sons."
And the results of this upbringing became evident when Robb Stark, without the education and training of an eldest son, made one blunder after another after becoming King in the North. He insulted the powerful House Frey without realizing the consequences, executed Rickard Karstark, a key ally during wartime, and walked blindly into the Red Wedding without any precautions. If Brandon Stark had lived, would the children he raised have made such politically ignorant decisions?
So, those who still mock Eddard as foolish, naïve, or idealistic should reconsider. Eddard was a product of Westerosi society, a "qualified" second son miscast by fate, and by a king who lacked the foresight to see his limitations.
Everything stems from the "second son" education.
Aegor's current mission was to protect this man who had been misplaced by destiny, a pedantic and stubborn individual. The reasoning was simple: having such an honorable man, who respected the Night's Watch and could be easily manipulated, as Hand of the King was in Aegor's best interest for the time being.
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"It's a deal then—no cheating tomorrow!"
"The Night's Watch does not tell lies!"
After seeing off Arya, who had left beaming with excitement over their agreement, Aegor let out a long sigh. Supporting someone hopeless was undoubtedly exhausting. Thankfully, he'd been lucky with his first move, unraveling his opponent's plan with a single rumor. For now, he had some breathing room before the next crisis.
"Well… I'll write a letter to the Wall when I get back to the inn. But first, I need to figure out how to persuade Commander Mormont to cancel—or at least delay—the Ranger Expedition. I'll also need to catch two wights and send them south to prove to these skeptics that the threat is real."
Stretching his body, Aegor walked into the outer room with Tyrion, only to find the second member of the Night's Watch he'd recruited, Akun, sitting upright at a desk in the office lobby, dutifully minding his post.
Aegor rubbed his temples. He wasn't sure how to handle this pretender. If he dismissed him now, the problem might seem easy to solve, but there was always the chance Akun would sneak into the Red Keep to cause trouble. If that happened, things could turn disastrous.
"It's closing time. Let's go," Aegor said to Jaqen, deciding to let the man act out his charade for now. When it came to assassination, Aegor couldn't match Jaqen, but in the realm of deception and persuasion, he had his own methods.
Turning to Tyrion, Aegor added, "Don't go to bed too early tonight, I might need your help writing a letter."
"You really should learn to write yourself," Tyrion grumbled, though he didn't refuse. "Acting as your scribe all day is exhausting."
"Thanks for your hard work. Those who are capable should do more," Aegor replied with a grin.
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Jeor Mormont, the former Lord of Bear Island, had become Commander of the Night's Watch after donning the black. For Aegor, he was a leader and a formidable figure, someone to respect, but also someone who required careful handling. Convincing a man like him to change his mind wasn't going to be easy.
After all, Commander Mormont had never seen the White Walkers or their overwhelming power. His decision to send a Ranger Expedition north was perfectly logical. Since there was no fault in his reasoning, Aegor knew he couldn't argue with him through logic alone.
"Tsk… How should I approach this?"
Back at the Albatross Inn with Jaqen and Tyrion, Aegor thought hard and finally came up with a strategy. If reason wouldn't work, he'd take the opposite approach, start with an unreasonable accusation, grab Mormont's attention, and then use a mix of persuasion and pressure to achieve his goal.
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