King and King 9

"They harbored deep hostility toward those south of the Wall." Tyrion clasped his small hands behind his back and continued, "The Wildlings beyond the Wall were divided into hundreds of different tribes, each with its own distinct customs. Yet the language most commonly shared among them remained the ancient tongue of the First Men. If we wished to rule them, the situation we would face would be entirely different from governing the Seven Kingdoms. One could even say... we knew almost nothing about their 'world.'"

Tyrion took a slight step forward, his eyes fixed tightly on Stannis. He continued, "Swords could certainly kill enemies. Wise as you are, Your Grace, you surely understood that force alone could not buy stable, lasting rule."

Stannis fell silent, his brow creasing slightly. After a long while, he said, "Go on."

As though greatly encouraged, Tyrion nodded, his voice rising slightly. "The threat of force must naturally be maintained, but my suggestion is that we also send envoys to negotiate with the leaders of every Wildling tribe beyond the Wall."

At that, the corners of his mouth lifted into a meaningful smile. "As I understand it, though those Wildlings appeared savage and crude, they placed great value on keeping their word. If we could make them acknowledge you as their king before they passed through the Wall, then once they settled on the lands you granted them, they would surely behave themselves..."

After saying this, Tyrion unconsciously licked his lips and thought to himself, Actually... if the negotiations truly succeeded, the greater trouble would come afterward.

Yet the thought only flashed through his mind before he chose to remain silent, because he knew there was only one solution to that potential problem—raiding the North.

The red priestess glanced lightly at Stannis, then said to