"Three years ago, upon hearing that Robert was leading his family to visit Winterfell, I took my lute (classical guitar) and a pouch of silver stags, climbed over the ice wall near Long Carriage Tower, crossed the New Gift, and traveled south for more than ten kilometers before finding a relay station to buy a horse.
I didn't go directly into Winterfell—House Stark's guards know every villager nearby—so I rode about 600 kilometers further south and found Robert's grand encampment.
Free riders and hedge knights often gather around royalty, hoping to be taken into service.
I was better than them all: I could play the lute, sing, and was well-versed in all the bawdy songs and tunes from both sides of the Wall. Minstrels are always more easily welcomed.
Thus, I successfully joined the royal entourage and had plenty of opportunities to learn about the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Ah, if drinking and womanizing were the standards for judging a king's ability, Robert was fully qualified to call himself 'Emperor for the Ages.'"
"You were imitating the bard Bael," Dany said, her expression odd.
Thinking of Bael's deeds, she felt a twinge of regret.
Shadowbinders were mysterious, but they lacked the flair of a bard. Back in Valantis, at the Black Tower banquet, she should have disguised herself as a bard and performed for the guests. She couldn't have sung The Rains of Castamere, but she could have played Ambush on All Sides or even Victory.
Playing while her dragons ravaged the hall—that feeling, that grandeur...
What a pity!
Over a thousand years ago, Bael the Bard was renowned across and beyond the Wall for his bravery and poetic talent. Even Brandon Stark, King in the North, had heard of him.
But Brandon held him in contempt, calling him 'Bael the Coward.'
In retaliation—and to prove his worth to the world—Bael climbed over the Wall alone, traveled south along the King's Road to Winterfell, and was received by the Starks in the guise of a singer.
Brandon, deeply impressed by Bael's skills, asked what reward he desired. Bael requested a flower—the most beautiful bloom from Winterfell's gardens.
Brandon agreed, letting him pick a winter rose.
Yet, the next morning, Bael and the duke's only daughter had vanished, leaving behind only a single winter rose, stained with a small patch of blood, on the girl's bed.
The Targaryens have their "mad blood," and the Stark daughters carry the "blood of the wild wolf"—Lyanna wasn't the only Stark to elope with a wild man.
"I wouldn't dare steal the precious daughter of a Stark," Mance Rayder said with a bitter smile, explaining, "At that time, I had already guessed the enemies the Free Folk would face when marching south: Benjen Stark, First Ranger of the Night's Watch; Eddard Stark, Duke of the North; and Robert Baratheon, King of the Seven Kingdoms.
At that feast, I observed these three future foes.
Benjen and Eddard lived up to their reputations, and they made me wary. But Robert was just a fat drunkard, and I relaxed greatly, thinking I could take on ten of him at once.
Who knew the politics of the Seven Kingdoms would change so drastically—Benjen was taken by the Others, Eddard was beheaded, and Robert was killed by a boar...
In the end, it wasn't any of them that foiled my plans—it was Jon Snow, whom I had always overlooked, and the Targaryen, whom I had never even considered."
"Mance, and all the Magnars," Dany stood up for the first time, stepping away from her seat to the center of the circular hall. The nearest wildlings were less than five meters from her.
"In these negotiations, both sides can present their terms. Now, I shall present mine."
She paused, then said, "My 'Tripartite Leasing Terms.'"
Directly calling it a 'surrender treaty' would have enraged the wildlings, so it was better to frame it more delicately.
"First, let's clarify who the three parties are."
"Undoubtedly, the Free Folk and the Night's Watch each count as one party. The third party includes me, includes House Targaryen—but not only House Targaryen.
Let's speak plainly: the one sitting on the Iron Throne now is not me.
Winter is coming. The Others wreak havoc beyond the Wall. I will not add human calamity atop this natural disaster. Before the next summer arrives, I swear not to challenge the current ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.
This necessarily makes the third party's composition, apart from the Free Folk and the Night's Watch, extremely complicated.
Today, the third party is only me. Tomorrow, there may be a Baratheon; the day after, perhaps a Bolton; and the day after that, even a Lannister.
To this, I solemnly promise: House Targaryen will not interfere in the dealings between the Free Folk, the Night's Watch, and the other lords of the Seven Kingdoms.
At this tripartite negotiation, the third party only represents House Targaryen, and House Targaryen will strictly fulfill its obligations."
At last, Dany swept her gaze across the hall and asked, "Do you all understand?"
"Understood," Jon, Ser Melis, and Ser Glendon nodded in reply.
"Got it," Tormund followed with a nod.
"Mhm."
"I get it."
One by one, the wildling leaders also responded.
Mance Rayder frowned and asked, "I don't know the full contents of your 'Tripartite Leasing Terms,' but what if other lords interfere with the agreement between us?"
"In that case, the other party—the Night's Watch—must step in," Dany pointed to the three Night's Watch representatives. "Not by force, but by adjudication—whether the lords' interference is justified.
For example, one clause in the Tripartite Terms leases the New Gift lands to the Free Folk for cultivation.
At my request, the Night's Watch reluctantly agreed. But after the lords of the Seven Kingdoms arrive, they may raise objections.
If the Night's Watch, under pressure, sides with the Seven Kingdoms' lords, then the Targaryens and Free Folk can only accept it.
Alternatively, I can offer a substitute plan, or I can compensate with gold dragons, or we part ways and void the treaty.
But if the interference is deemed unreasonable—such as another clause where the Free Folk accept employment by the Night's Watch, and I compensate with food and gold—if the lords attempt to seize your food and gold, and the Night's Watch rules their behavior unjustified, then you don't even have to lift a finger.
I will handle it. I will use my force to ensure the treaty is upheld."
"The power of discourse lies in the hands of the Night's Watch. What if they deliberately take sides?" Tormund frowned.
Daenerys declared firmly, "I believe in the wisdom and honor of the Night's Watch."
Jon (with a resolute expression): "Your Grace, for the sake of your words, I am willing to serve the Night's Watch for a lifetime, without regret or complaint!"
Melisandre (quietly wiping the shimmer from the corner of her eye): "Only the wise can perceive the wisdom of others, and only those who value honor can appreciate the honor in others. Your Grace possesses great wisdom and a noble heart!"
Grenn (clenching his fist): "Even clad in black, I must say—I'm willing to lay down my life for Your Grace!"
"But we don't trust them!" the wildlings shouted.
"You must trust them. Trust is the foundation of cooperation. Not only must you trust the Night's Watch, but the Night's Watch must also trust you. Understand this: we have a common enemy—winter and the White Walkers. Without unity and cooperation, neither side will survive this ordeal alone."
Mance Rayder pondered for a moment, then said, "Explain the 'Tripartite Lease Agreement' first."
"Alright, let's first reach a consensus. The Free Folk are short on food, correct?"
"With our current supplies, we won't even last until winter fully arrives," said Mance.
"The North doesn't have enough food for itself either, correct?"
"Even with late-summer stores, the North would struggle to endure more than two years of harsh winter," Melisandre said, shaking her head worriedly. "This winter might last over five years. Without aid, as much as seventy percent of the population could starve."
"The Night's Watch also lacks sufficient food, right?"
"If our numbers don't increase, our stores can last for about two years."
Daenerys concluded, "Thus, the North cannot feed itself, nor can it support the Night's Watch, and providing for hundreds of thousands of Free Folk is out of the question. We must find another solution, right?"
The wildlings and the Night's Watch members all nodded.
"What solution?" the Hardfoot chief asked urgently.
"When people move, they live; when trees move, they die. Since the North cannot sustain you, we must seek out a richer, warmer land, right?"
"That makes sense!" The wildlings all nodded in agreement. "The North is too barren. If we could just invade..."
Daenerys twitched at the corner of her mouth, clapping her hands to interrupt them and said, "Alright, since everyone agrees, we now have the foundation for signing the 'Tripartite Lease Agreement.'"
Saying this, she tilted her head at a forty-five-degree angle towards the sky, wearing an expression of sorrowful compassion, and softly sighed: "The Free Folk are human too, with parents, wives, and children. I can't bear to see you suffer the destruction of your families under the threat of winter and White Walkers."
"Thus, the first article of the treaty is this: House Targaryen will lease several ships to the Free Folk, along with provisions, seeds, and farmland.
I will arrange for one hundred thousand Free Folk to be relocated to the vast, warm, and fertile plains of Essos—where there are no Night's Watch, no terrifying armored knights.
With the grain, seeds, livestock, and expansive farmland I provide, you can farm, graze, and survive the winter peacefully.
During this period, I will guarantee your freedom of belief, personal safety, and the inviolability of private property.
However, you must also abide by my 'Code of Law,' since you're settling in a foreign land and must integrate into the new environment.
Of course, after the winter ends, I will arrange for ships to bring back those who wish to return to the lands beyond the Wall. You may bring back whatever food, wealth, and children you have accumulated during the winter and return to living freely as Free Folk.
At that time, you may completely abandon the 'Code of Law' and restore all your former customs."
"Is it really that good?" Tormund asked warily.
"A Targaryen's word is as solid as stone," Daenerys said calmly.
Magnar of Thenn frowned suspiciously: "It's not that we don't trust your words, but you are offering too much and asking nothing in return. Such a treaty makes us uneasy."
"Sigh. I truly just wanted to do a good deed, but..." Daenerys shook her head in frustration and said, somewhat reluctantly, "Alright. I do have some enemies on the continent of Essos. They're slavers who prey on free people—the very nemesis of the Free Folk around the world.
You could lease me a force of brave, battle-hardened Free Folk warriors to help promote the spirit of 'freedom' and fight for justice. What do you think?"
Magnar of Thenn let out a long sigh and smacked his lips, saying, "Still feels a bit uneasy..."
Daenerys gritted her teeth, seeming very reluctant, and said, "You can also give me a share of the grain you produce—just twenty percent—as a token of gratitude from the Free Folk. How about it?"
"That makes it a bit more reassuring," Magnar of Thenn nodded hesitantly.
"She needs our grain—maybe we can trust her," the Hardfoot chief whispered to the Coast Tribe leader.
"Right. Morality and virtue can be faked, but self-interest is eternal," Tormund said wisely.
After the 'battle of words,' Mance had already decided to surrender to the Dragon Queen. Even though he could see through her little schemes, he said nothing, his face wooden, but deep down, he felt relieved: he no longer had to waste his energy trying to convince them.
Ser Barristan and the others looked pained, holding their breath as they watched the queen perform.
"And now, the second article."
(End of Chapter)
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