If it weren't for the exorbitant cost, the Riverlords would have wanted to equip their own elite soldiers with stab-resistant vests and riot helmets. Of course, Jason had deliberately set the price high. He had no intention of letting his technological advantage become as common as dirt in Westeros. His foundation here was still shallow, and he had to rely on superior military strength to deter his rivals.
Despite the cost, the victory was worth celebrating. The great hall was filled with the sounds of triumph. Jason couldn't remember how many cups of wine he'd had. The boisterous lords, built like barrels themselves, were relentless in their toasts. The cacophony of loud laughter, shouting, and singing made his head spin.
Robb waited for his uncle, Edmure, to finish toasting Jason before approaching with his own cup of wine.
Jason's face was flushed and his breath smelled of alcohol. Though his head was fuzzy, his mind was clear. He watched Robb approach and raised his own cup to meet it.
Robb looked at the young lord who had become a close ally to his family. Jason had volunteered to lead his men into battle and had been instrumental in their first major victory. Robb's heart was full of gratitude.
"Thank you, Lord Jason," Robb began, his voice earnest. "If your thousand cavalry hadn't shattered the Lannister flank today, we never would have won such a glorious victory. This is my first time commanding an army, my first battle. I... I can't even begin to tell you what this means to me."
The weight on Robb's shoulders had been immense. He had just inherited his father's titles, and as a young man, he struggled to command the respect of the proud and unruly northern vassals. He desperately needed a victory to solidify his authority as the new Lord of Winterfell. This decisive win was more than he could have hoped for. Robb was convinced that without Jason's well-equipped cavalry, the day would have been lost.
Jason saw his opportunity and decided to make his request. "Lord Robb," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I hope that you and Edmure will permit my men to recruit from among the refugees in the Riverlands. The ones whose homes and fields were burned by the Lannisters."
Now that Robb was the Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell, Jason knew he had to address him with the proper respect.
"Construction in my lands requires a great deal of manpower," he continued, making sure the other lords could hear. "To show my sincerity, I'll forgo any claim to the spoils of the battle. All I ask is for permission to recruit some of those displaced people to help build a new life around the barren lands of my lake."
The Northern lords who overheard Jason's request immediately brightened. One less person to share the loot with was always good news.
"He's only recruiting from the Riverlands, not our territories!" one of them boomed, raising his cup. "I support it!"
"Aye!" another agreed loudly. "Lord Jason is right. His lands are empty. It's a perfect fit to settle them with some Riverland refugees."
"It solves a problem for the Riverlands, too," a third added. "Saves them from feeding all those mouths. It's a good thing for everyone! How generous and kind of Lord Jason!"
The Northern lords were all in agreement, eager to grant a favor that cost them nothing. Robb, naturally biased towards his own people, saw the logic in it as well. Recruiting people from the Riverlands to settle in Jason's northern territory would, in effect, enrich the North's population and strengthen his own position as Warden.
He was moved by the proposal, but he had to maintain a diplomatic front for his uncle's sake. He turned to Edmure, his expression one of polite inquiry, but his tone was firm.
"Uncle, what do you think? Tens of thousands have lost their homes. If we do nothing, many will die this winter. Lord Jason is offering them a chance at a new life. It would also solve the refugee problem for you and your lords."
Hearing the Northern lords so cheerfully bargain away their people, the lords of the Riverlands looked grim. Though they didn't particularly care whether the smallfolk lived or died, the refugees were still their subjects. To have them recruited away felt like a loss, a slight to their authority.
Edmure glanced at his sullen vassals. He didn't want to agree, but the situation was plain for all to see. The Riverlands had been battered by the Lannister army. Their military was in shambles, and Tywin Lannister's forces at Harrenhal could sweep through their lands again at any moment. In their weakened state, they couldn't afford to refuse the Northmen.
Seeing his lords were upset but unwilling to speak, Edmure finally nodded his assent. What did it matter, in the end? Peasants were like livestock. As long as the lords held their fiefs, the smallfolk would eventually breed and repopulate the land. The Riverlands were famously fertile, and its population was dense. Losing a few thousand was no great catastrophe. In a few years, they would be replaced.
With the approval of the Riverlords secured, Jason sent word the next day to his men, who were already prepared at a camp outside Winterfell. They were to begin recruiting refugees immediately. Previously, Jason's recruiters had faced obstruction from the Riverlords, which had slowed their progress. Now, the war had created a tragic opportunity, turning hundreds of thousands of people into homeless wanderers.
To smooth things over and prevent the resentful Riverlords from secretly sabotaging his efforts, Jason made a generous offer. He paid a large sum of gold dragons to purchase grain from their granaries, which would be used to feed the refugees during their journey north.
It wasn't that the Riverlords lacked food. After a summer that had lasted more than ten years, their harvests had been plentiful, and their storehouses were overflowing. But they would never give that grain away. They would rather let it rot than use it to feed the starving smallfolk under their rule. In the eyes of the nobility, the refugees were no different from animals. They simply weren't human. Jason's gold, however, was an argument they could understand.
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