"His Grace Viserys agreed to exempt the North from taxes for two years. For five years, we won't have to answer any summons from the Iron Throne to send troops."
He concluded, "And Sansa and Arya are safe in King's Landing. Viserys promised to take good care of them while they stay there. They aren't hostages, either. Staying was their own choice."
Everyone in the tent fell silent for a moment, digesting the news Robb had brought back.
"Two years without taxes, five years without sending troops." Old Karstark was the first to speak. He repeated Viserys's terms, then said, "Those terms are reasonably acceptable."
Most northerners might have been rash, but that did not mean they were fools. They had supported Robb as King in the North only because the Lannisters had been putting pressure on the North at the time, and they had genuinely had a chance of winning their independence.
But now, judging by what had happened in King's Landing and to Stannis, they had utterly underestimated the power of dragons. They no longer dreamed of breaking away from the Seven Kingdoms.
Still, they hoped to secure at least some benefits for themselves. Ideally, those would make up for the losses they had suffered in this campaign.
The terms Viserys had offered were decent. They fell short of what they had ultimately hoped for, but as long as they could take home the gains they had made in the Westerlands, they would come out ahead.
"Then we withdraw?" Earl Herman Tallhart asked hesitantly. "We've been fighting for over a year. Too many northerners have died. It's time we went home."
Brynden the Blackfish nodded as well. "I agree that we should withdraw."
He had never wanted to go to war with Viserys. Although Viserys had killed one