Aemon's Wish

The wind was unusually still on the Wall, but the snow continued to fall, silently covering the Night's Watch's black robes like ghosts.

"If only Jon were still here, the Wall would never be like this. We should have kept these Wildlings out of the Wall," the Commander-in-Chief said with a hint of helplessness to the messenger beside him, pointing to the wounded soldiers being carried on stretchers.

"Commander-in-Chief, if the Duke is still at the Wall, the South is in complete chaos," the thin envoy with grey-green eyes said, as if offering some consolation. "We can't possibly protect a kingdom ruled by a bastard, can we?"

"Yes, I can't live without him."

The speaker was Jeor Mormont, now Night's Watch for the Northern Army, a former "shield of the kingdom."

All they could do was basically scout out the Beyond the Wall to find out how many Wildlings had crossed the Wall and send Robb to lead troops to stop them.

This made many of the Night's Watch feel a little embarrassed, after all, they didn't have to farm themselves and received a steady stream of supplies from the south, it really didn't sound good to outsiders.

Commander Mormont and his messenger soon arrived at the room of the old Maester Aemon. The one who opened the door was a somewhat stout Night's Watch soldier, who was more like a scholar than a soldier, and whose demeanor was very similar to that of a student in the Citadel.

"Commander-in-Chief."

"Sam."

Mormont nodded to the young man. He remembered when Sam first the Wall, he was round and plump like a sausage, and cowardly and weak like a loose apple pie.

Fortunately, he has already thought about it that way and has basically taken on the responsibilities of a scholar to serve the Wall. In the future, he may be sent to the Citadel for training.

However— Mormont quickly glanced at the envoy beside him. He claimed to be a royal envoy and possessed royal credentials, so his identity was not in question.

However, his mission was rather strange. He hoped to take away the old Maester Aemon, arguing that the old Maester Aemon had served the kingdom for over fifty years and deserved to be treated well in his final days.

Such an action would undoubtedly violate the Night's Watch Oath, but Aemon Targaryen, with such noble blood, had served at the Wall for so long that anyone with even a shred of compassion would not want this old man, whose kingdom had been destroyed and whose family ruined, to die in this frozen wasteland.

Mormont has agreed to let the royal messenger take him away; they have come to inform Aemon of this.

Led by Sam, they met the old Maester Aemon.

Old Aemon was still the same as before, with white and sparse hair, and his pink scalp was faintly visible.

His two lifeless eyes rolled upwards, making it impossible to tell whether he was awake or asleep.

However, they soon learned that Aemon was awake, his hearing was excellent, and a strange smile would appear on his face when Aemon heard someone trying to approach him.

"Maester Aemon, the Commander-in-Chief is here to see you."

"Oh, Lord Mormont."

As the oldest man on the Wall, he had the right to address anyone by their first name, but Aemon never did so, always adding a respectful title.

"Maester Aemon."

"Hmm, hmm? Did the Commander-in-Chief bring any guests with him?"

Although Maester Aemon was blind, his hearing was very sharp, and he could smell the scent coming from the south.

The man claiming to be a royal envoy was somewhat surprised, but still politely stepped forward and bowed in greeting. "Maester Aemon, I am Petyr Baelish, representing the Queen, wishing to receive you from the Wall. As a descendant of the Targaryen, you have served the Seven Kingdoms for over half a century. By His Majesty's grace, you are permitted to return to the South."

Upon hearing Petyr's words, Sam was immediately happy for Aemon, though he also felt a pang of reluctance. He had so much to learn and was reluctant to part with this kind and gentle old man.

At the same time, a look of wariness flashed across his face. The Targaryen and Baratheon were blood enemies; why would they want to take away the old Maester Aemon?

Mormont, too, observed Aemon. He believed it was unlikely Aemon would leave. When the Targaryen Dynasty was overthrown, Aemon was heartbroken and did not leave, so why would he leave now?

However, although Mormont could guess Aemon's decision, he still wanted to persuade Aemon.

"Your Majesty—" Aemon repeated the title in a low voice, his tone devoid of joy.

The room remained quiet for most of the day, the only sound the creaking of the floorboards beneath their feet. After a long while, Aemon finally spoke, "Ah, Petyr, please thank His Majesty for my sake. I think few in the history of the Night's Watch have stayed at the Wall longer than I have, and my life is drawing to a close. By the way, Sam, do you remember what Jon said? 'To shine, to give light.' I want to spend my last moments shining brightly at the Wall."

Aemon smiled and declined the royal offer of support.

Seeing that Aemon was indeed as he had expected, Mormont stepped forward to persuade him, saying that no one would consider him dishonorable for leaving the Wall, and that his half-century of service to the Wall would be a respectable period in the history of the Night's Watch. But Aemon's determination was very firm; he said he would not go and that was it.

But Petyr was determined to take Aemon away today; it was the perfect opportunity for him to make a Aemon! This power-hungry and ambitious man would never let this chance slip by.

He thought for a moment, then leaned closer to Mormont and whispered a few words. Mormont nodded and gestured for Sam to leave with him.

After the two left for a while, Petyr sat down opposite Aemon.

"Sir Petyr, my old bones might fall apart halfway there. Are you sure you want to take me back?" Aemon said with a touch of humor.

Petyr smiled slightly and said, "Maester Aemon, the royal family doesn't actually intend to take you back to care for you in your old age."

"Oh?" Petyr's sudden frankness really surprised Aemon.

Do you know Daenerys, the Dragon Queen?

"Daenerys, Rhaegar's sister," Aemon began. He had voluntarily abdicated the throne to Aegon V for the sake of his family, not because he didn't love them.

On the contrary, he would privately celebrate the birth of each new Targaryen, and he was very familiar with the descendants of Aegon V and the lineage of the Mad King Aerys.

Rhaegar, in particular, had always hoped that Rhaegar could become the next Jaehaerys I.

"Yes, Rhaegar's sister, Maester Aemon, dragons have returned to the land. Daenerys has hatched the dragon from the stone egg, and she now rules Slaver's Bay, raising the Targaryen banner once more. Your family is about to rise again."

"What!" The unnatural smile on Aemon's face vanished, replaced by shock. "The dragon has been resurrected?!"

"I've only heard rumors, but if the dragon is fake, Dany is only sixteen or seventeen. How could a little girl like her attract followers? Countless merchants from the East claim to have seen the dragon with their own eyes. The smoke from the East has drifted to the West, indicating that the East is already engulfed in flames. You should know the Lord of Casterly Rock; if it weren't for him, our King Stannis wouldn't even be able to hold onto Dragonstone. Although he now possesses the Iron Throne, he has acquired a mess. His authority cannot compare to that of the old King, let alone the Targaryen, who have held power for three hundred years! He sent me to take you away simply to hold you hostage."

"Hostages?" Aemon murmured, as if he were gradually coming to understand everything.

"Maester, I am but a vulgar man who craves power and status. I wish to bring you back to receive the royal rewards. I also believe you should return to King's King's Landing. As you have said, your days are numbered, but if the Dragon Queen can reclaim Westeros, you will be able to witness the Targaryen' restoration before you close your eyes. Even if you do not live to see it, you will at least receive news of the Dragon Queen sooner and more promptly, won't you?"

"I—" A wavering arose within Aemon.

"The day I see the Targaryen return to Westeros," Aemon thought to himself, though he knew he would never see it, but if he could hear the roar of the dragons, hear the decrees of the Dragon Queen, he would die content.

Aemon slowly turned his head, his face precisely aligned with Petyr's. He spoke slowly, "Sir Petyr, you are an honest man."

The Maester Aemon's impending departure from the Wall was so significant that it naturally did not escape Alliser's notice. He always remembered the task Jon had given him.

Although Mormont, in an effort to stabilize morale, claimed that Aemon was experiencing health problems and that, to show the Night's Watch respect for the old man who had served on the Wall for half a century, he should be sent away to see a the Wall.

Although the other Night's Watch soldiers knew that the old Maester might not return after learning of this, they did not object, especially some of the older Night's Watch had served on the Wall for more than ten or twenty years.

Keep in mind that many people in Westeros don't even live to be over fifty.

Alliser, meanwhile, used the Raven Jon had given her to tell Jon about the matter.

Jon learned of this quickly and knew without a doubt that someone was trying to exploit the Targaryen blood in old Aemon.

After all, in the original timeline, Jon sent Aemon away to prevent Aemon from being sacrificed by Melisandre, and the royal family's sudden interest in Aemon must have been because he had warned them that Euron would use Sacrificial Magic to create storms.

Just as Jon was considering whether he should send a message to the House Manderly in White Harbor to intercept Aemon's ships heading south, the Citadel suddenly sent its request to the lords of the Seven Kingdoms.

The Citadel hopes that the Iron Throne will respect Aemon, the old maester who has served the kingdom for half a century, and not take his life without cause!

This is also a sign of respect for the Citadel!

Stannis is facing his first public relations crisis since taking office.

If not handled properly, the Iron Throne will isolate itself from the Seven Kingdoms.