He sat there in the tower which was once broken. In the chair where he has spent more time in than his own bed. The chair was a simple wooden rocking chair which had once caused him pains but now it soothed them instead. The room had a stone desk which always looked like it had a fresh layer of snow laid on it. Maps of the realms where spread out, once that where never used other than for this desk and other maps which he had used long ago in the wars that he will never forget. "The Beast" as some people called him lay down on the snow bear fur besides the fireplace. He glanced at the book open on his desk "The War of the five Kings" written by archmaester William but what did he know of the war, he was at the Citadel when it all happened.
The wooden door opens a servant comes and fuels the fire and open the widow. She lock her eyes with him and shakes her head only to leave. The scent of the Blue Winter Roses coming from the glass gardens below storms in through the window and spreads though the whole room. He looks over to the wall where the painting hangs he has his crown on looking write towards you, his decease wife sitting a chair in front of him, her golden locks and green eyes looking down at their first grandchild, the father, his son, the prince, standing next to her looking down at his little child while having his two other sons standing on the other side of their mother laughing. In the painting the child is as calm as Long Lake on summer nights while in truth she was and still is the most energetic person alive. He turns and looks out of the window, over the hills there is the Long Lake and past it is the Wall. The Wall is manned by the men of the Nights Watch and past them is wilderness, icy wilderness where his granddaughter, his son, his brother, and his uncle are and all gone except for one, he had gotten word from The Lord Commander Jon Snow that Princess Lyanna Stark has returned to our side of the wall a couple weeks ago, after a year on the other side. The thought of having her back soon made him reach for his cane and get up. He went to the door only to look back to the baby in the painting the small princess of the North, the she-wolf, the child and who always had snow and Blue Winter Roses in her black hair no matter if she was practice her sword-play, playing come-into-my-castle, riding in the Wolfswood or just dancing with her old grandfather.
Grey Wind soon followed him out of the room, the tower had been expanded much thanks to his renovations but there was still the one spiral staircase to go up and down with. The stairs should have been ripped out, the stones had been use so much that over time that each stair wasn't straight anymore but had a unique U from the edge. Once they reach the courtyard the sun was just starting to rise above the walls and there three sounds in the entre castle at that point, him walking, the birds singing and one person practicing sword play on a dummy.
"Edrick Stark, how many time do I tell you?" he asks before truing the corner "Never train alone, it only embeds your errors."[1]
The young Stark stops in the middle of a strike and plants the wooden sword in the ground and turns around to look at him for a maximum of one second one to look at his feet "I know but listen. Do you hear anything but us? No you don't because no one is awake but you and I, you were up in the broken tower where no one is allowed to go in unless you ask them too."
"Well you are too smart for a two-and-ten year old…"
"Grandfather you know it is my name day in a month than I will be three-and-ten." Edrick interrupts without looking up.
"And you know to never interrupt someone when they are speaking," at this point he has waking all the way to the boy and only stops a two feet away, Grey Wind continues and turns around and sits next to boy. "But I am not here to tell you off, so there are two options you can either go back to bed or you can come with me into the crypts."
Edrick falls to one side of him and Grey Wind takes the other. They walk and talk about swords and other weaponry. When they make it to the entrance of the crypts Grey Wind runs off.
They walk down five floors. The first statue here is of a king who became a lord, his predecessor the King Who Knelt, Torrhen Stark. The first statue to be crownless. They slowly make their way to the last lord, Lord Eddard Stark. Robb walks in front of him looking at his face. He had forgotten how his father looked like in life, but he knew that the statue had something wrong.
The Winter King stood there for a looking upon the stone statue trying to understand what was wrong with it.
The young prince started moving around looking at other statues remembering his lessons with grandmaester Albar.
They walk out of the crypts together some time later, the sun behind clouds that had started snow, summer snow. This time the courtyard is making allot more noise. Boys and young men training in the martial arts, Lord Commander Author Mallister, the Lord Commander of his Kingsgaurd, shouting and taunting telling them all. The young girls looking at the sparring duel in between the two princes, Bors Martell and Theodan Lannister, one wields a spear another wields a sword but both suitors to the Northern Princess. They have been here for three moons and never during this time have they seen the beauty of the North, never have they lost in sparring duels against the she-wolf.
The young prince leaves his side with a quick good bye and runs off to continue practicing.
It takes some time until he starts to leave for the daily small council meeting. Benjen, his son, starts to walk with him but they don't talk much to each other because of their disagreement about what to do in the situation that has arisen the south. The real reason why the lion and viper is here in the wolf's den. The Lord Stewards of the Reach have been expanding into the divide Stormlands, one by one the minor lords have fallen or sworn fealty to the ever growing rose while the rest are too busy fighting each other to notice. The lions and vipers have notice though started a war to war to restore order in the Stormlands or more likely to expel the rose from the Stormlands. The war over the Storm some people are calling it and both sides want the wolf to attack the other. They want the might wolf to come down from it lair to crush that stood against them as they did last time when they went south.
As they stood in front of the door Benjen stops and wish him the normal good luck. He was 10 minutes early, to pass time he sat down in his chair and waited by looking down at the map. The map was over the Reach and the surrounding lands. There are small wooden statues of lions, suns with spears and roses spread over the map. He stared at them until the rest of the small council came in the, Lord Hoster Tully the Hand of the King, (son and heir of the current Lord Edmure Tully), Grand Maester Albar, Lord Willem Manderly the master-of-coin (current lord of White Harbor), Lord Ned Piper master-of-laws (second son of Lord Marq Piper), Lord Alesander Darry master-of-ships (son and heir to Lord Lyman Darry), Lord Commander Author Mallister (The Lord Commander of the Kingsgaurd), Lord Harmond Umber master-of-arms (the current lord of last Hearth), Lord Lotho the master-of-whispers (a Braavosi which offered its serves early in King Robbs reign).
Lord Hoster took his seat to the right of him and the other took their seats to the left of him. Across from him is an empty chair on that is only to be occupied by the crown prince or crown princess. The meeting starting out as normal, talking about the trade relationships in between the North and the free cities. The tax reforms that Lord Willem Manderly is planning. The training of the new recruits in the Winterfell guard, as well as who should be in his ninth and final Kingsgaurd member. Everything was going smoothly until Lord Lotho stated that they Lord Steward Willas Tyrell lost a major battle outside in the fields outside Lannisport, Lord Lotho also claimed that Lord Steward Willas had escape the battle with most of his cavalry against the young King Loren VII Lannister leaving his infantry getting slaughtered. This was the first victory for the Lannister in the war, in their last battle the Young King of the Rock had not participate but his late father, King Gerion, did.
This meant the invasion of the Westerlands had been repelled and that the Tyrells would send up a suiter to crown princess. Lord Harmond Umber took the wooden rose piece and throw it away while moving the lion piece south to the original border. The news spark a new argument about joining the war. It was the same old same Lord Harmond, Lord Willem Manderly and Grand Maester Albar against joining the war stating that it is a southern crown and none of our business. That it would cost almost all of the war loot that they gained in the last war, and that we don't have a cause belli (reason of war in Valyrian). On the other side, Lord Hoster Tully, Lord Ned Piper, Lord Alesander Darry and Lord Commander Author Mallister for joining the war. Stating it would so that the North and the Trident are still a big danger to anybody looking to harm her and it would put the new Northern fleet to test. They also said that a war could bring a lot of loot. At this point the door opens and a servant peaks her head and locks eyes with the King and nods only the leave again. He reaches for his cane to help him out of his chair.
Everyone stops talking when the King gets up and leaving the small council chambers. Before he opens the door he turns around, "I will be leaving to greet Crown Princess Lyanna if you all don't have anything new to say, I will take the silence as a no but please finish having this conversation but I tired of hearing it every week for 2 moons now. I intend to spend so time with Princess Lyanna so we will not be attending these meeting for a week forward so I leave to all responsibility of the realm to the Lord Hand also Sir Author tell Prince Theodan to meet me in my study after lunch." With that he left the chamber and made it out towards the courtyard.
When he finally had it out, he took his place with a Blue Winter Rose crown in his hands and waited until the princess arrived. The crown was made of three fully grown roses one in the center and two on each side. Each of the flowers facing the straight forward. Just the way she like them.
After half an hour later, the people of Winterfell gathered in place to greet the crown princess. Everyone looking at the Northern gate entrance inching to see the Princess who has been gone for a year. First came Grey Wind and sat next to him pushing Benjen to the side.
She came in though the Northern Gate in full gallop and stop the in the middle of the half circle that had been formed of people. Everyone expect for him bent the knee as she got off her horse. Lyanna half walking, walking skipping toward him. She was halfway there when she started to giggle and looked at the crown of Blue Winter Roses that was in his hands. She bent the knee in front of him while she bent the knee he place the flower crown in her hair. As she stood up in front of him, he could see that she had changed allot her blue icy eyes made sure of that. Her long face and her short dark hair had become hard but still had become ever more beautiful. Everyone had risen as she greeted her uncle and cousins. The rest of her party came now, the party was in total of eight men and two women including her.
The part was made out of Robb Umber, Brandon Karstark, Jon Forrester, Torrhen Tallhart, Rodrick Ryswell, Harrion Glover, William Blackwood, Jonnel Mudd and Princess Lyanna sworn shield Kyra Mormont. The oldest is Krya Mormont who swore her Kingsgaurd vows at the age of eight-and-ten, the year Princess Lyanna was born. The rest where sent here to survive the King and improve the relations in between the royal house and there house. Each had grown up with her and sworn their swords to her.
After the formalities where over Robb held out his arm which Lyanna took and they made their way to his study with Grey Wind following at their heels.
"I can't believe you still have that painting, we should order another," Grey Wind took his normal place in front fire. Lyanna did not let go of her grandfather until he was sitting in his rocking chair. She took her seat on the other side on desk.
"I am shock you would even say that, Eddard left to go north of wall half a year later and Myrcella died 5 years later. Also you look so calm and not in boiled leather," while pointing at her outfit.
"I though you like me as a warrior princess bowing to nobody but my old royal Grandfather. But I do understand the hunger of having a proper lady other than aunt Sansa."
"I would have you no other way," she looked over her shoulder to look at the bored direwolf. "As you said I am old and I won't be getting younger so you need to take actions to source you as the future queen, to prove yourself worthy of the throne. A throne which hasn't had a transition of monarchs yet. You must command every ones admiration and respect. You have done that to the northern lords when you return from your trip north of the Wall, but the river lords are as every other southern lords they have forgotten what the Wall means and how much it takes to go north of it. You need to show that you are no maiden too marry and rule though."
"And how should I do that Young Wolf?"
"There is a war in the south it started some while ago but still while you were on the other side of wall. The two sides are the King of the Rock and Princess of Dorne against The Lord Steward of the Reach. We will go over which side to join now so you can present a valid case to the small council by the end of the week to join the war." Silence, just silence was meet with his command. She moved the book that was in front of them away.
"And I will lead this army because I will become the queen after you, but what if I think we shouldn't go to war what if the best choose is to stay at peace."
"You will lead know the men and women who follow you and let them know you, don't ask your men to die for a stranger [2]. And if you think peace is the best course of action which it isn't you will give the small council a case all the same. I will start informing you about the whole picture after lunch over this board game the dronish prince brought with him, it is called Cyvasse I think."
[1]- Visemer, Witcher 3 Wild Hunt
[2]- eddard Stark, A Game of thrones