Chapter 04 Finally Home
On the way to the Red Keep, Narrow Sea, 282 AC, Harry POV
On route to see the king I talked with my uncle and the people with him while we were sailing. My topics started from the land, their keep, its security, their house history, their way of living, economical standing of each of their houses. Many of them didn't know half of the answers to any of these questions. They started to get scared of me a little but I told them I just wanted to know of the place more so I can do more for my people. A small child like me with an ambition like that and me even asking them of even the plants seen nearby their lands or literally anything that can give us edge gave them high hope for their future. My uncle was a little embarrassed of his lack of knowledge about his own land or its proper history to a high level. Then I told him that we can learn it together with a pat on his back. For which we all laughed and he hugged me.
Then I changed topic told him to tell me about his fostering, his best friend, and his childhood memories, his foster father, their days in the Vale and Eyrie. This went on for a few days. Along the story I identified a few signs. They may not have converted him to the faith, but all the rest of it has happened. He has become a Arryn in all but name. That too a useless one. Yes he waged war and won, he fights much, much better than an average knight, but lord wise he is zero. If he goes like this to north and rule it the land might not go lower in their achievements but its not higher either.
This Jon Arryn piece of work seems to be a great piece of work. He is a master manipulator, not highly clever or something but he knows how to manipulate innocent children and emotionally control them. Then I asked him who's idea was the fostering. Seems like that was the idea from the maester of Winterfell. Well we have a big discussion coming, between mister Walys from Reach and me.. then we started talking about the engagements, my dads and the Tully one and the infamous Stark - Baratheon. Seems like my grandfather was very superbly duped by this maester. Why? He encouraged all these moves in my family. Why indeed.
Then we came to the actual war. And it literally started with a weasel group according to the rest of the lords known as House Frey. They were at least 2 weeks late because of these idiots. Maybe my aunt will have been alive if not for them. Then they all started to complain about the bridge. Hours went on to say complaints about just one house. So if I want to do something good in this land I need them curbed or else it will get really difficult. So either the Freys gotta go or I need a way to by pass them. But if what the lords told me about them are correct these guys are the bandits of their own lands. This group of freaks will not let another bridge come here peacefully neither does north have the military strength or financial pull to get it done. Maybe if c…
Suddenly it sparked for me. An idea to manipulate the king himself if the story is right, he will be sympathetic to both my uncle and aunt. All I have to do is make sure my uncle do the thing just like I am going to teach him. (evil laugh insert here) He he… lots of work to do.
The Red Keep, King's Landing, 283 AC, Harry POV
The herald announced my uncle's arrival and we walked right in. Just my uncle. Only him and me went to the keep the rest went outside the city where the settlement for the Northern army was. As I walked into the throne room there, the several people there, but an old guy and the king sitting in the chair caught my undivided attention. Mostly my attention was at the very ugly chair. Saying it was ugly will be a compliment, no I change my mind. Its an insult to all things ugly. So before anyone could say anything I blurted out without thinking we are in the throne room in front of a king. "Isn't that throne very ugly and uncomfortable." my uncle didn't cover my mouth fast enough. This may be the first outburst he had seen coming from me. Well in my defense this guy is the first king with actually any power that I am seeing and it has to be said that I skipped most of my etiquette lessons.
"Sorry your grace he's a child I apologize on his behalf." my uncle apologizing brought me to my senses.
The king didn't take it in any wrong way thankfully though. He barked out laughing. Coming from a person his stature it was like a giant laughing. Seriously its like his arm muscles are bigger than my head, given I am a child but still. "Good to see you back my friend. Did you find Lyanna. And who is this firecracker that you have with you?"
"Your grace, Lord Arryn, I did find her but I only got to spend a few moments with her before she left us all, a fever took her. I was too late to do anything." my uncle replied sorrowfully. The king's countenance changed to that of a furious one. He stood up from his chair threw the wine glass at the wall and was very angry at all of us and commanded people other than me, my uncle and Lord Arryn to go out. His mind was a little unstable right now, for me to invade and plant suggestions. While he was ranting about dragonspawns I did my job.
After the king calmed down. He sat down again his face still had anger but no grief on his face. The old man Arryn relieved maybe. These bastards waged a war in a woman's name but this is all there is to it for them. It was never about my aunt. It was always the throne that they were after. My poor uncle is not smart enough to see this or the old man's expression change to that of fake grief as he offers his condolences. "Ned, to repeat Robert's question who is this young lad with you?"
That got the king's attention too.
"He's my brother Brandon's and Ashara Dayne's trueborn. Harrold Stark. Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount and Warden of the North. I plan to be his Lord Regent until he is of age. Then I'll move to a keep, a new one probably." this shocked both Robert and Jon Arryn.
"Hoster will not like this. He wanted his blood to be the ones ruling Vale and North."
"Hoster wanted everything north of Harrenhall to be ruled by his blood. He is greedy. You do what you want Ned if the trout has a problem with it he can face my hammer." he is partially idiot, but his word is the law. I like this guy.
"Robert we don't even know if this boy is…"
"Lord Arryn I wouldn't complete that sentence if I were you. You will be insulting the north and the Starfall. The new regime have insulted the Dorne more than enough. He is a Stark I have written proof and you know I have no interest in being Lord of Winterfell. This just gave me a chance to get out of that responsibility faster. And if we were not made to wait at the Twins in Riverlands for 2 weeks my sister would be alive right now. So Hoster can be mad as much as he wants, I don't care. He doesn't make decisions for North. On that note Robert, sorry your grace I would like to ask a boon of you."
"None of that grace nonsense, Ned ask away. If its within my power it will be done."
Jon is sweating there a bit on what my uncle is going to ask. What fun to watch.
"The twins are the only bridge there to cross the trident. They are making it a crime with their tolls. You should build a new bridge there and…" Jon didn't let my uncle complete.
"Not possible Ned a new bridge will cause many problems and blood shed. We already had one lets not have more."
Robert was ready to yell when Jon's not happening look stopped him. After a bit of silence.
"Then put a control on their toll. No matter who is giving toll they are to let them pass. For a price and the price should be in coins, or something that amount to the value of the coin. No person or living being can be taken as a price. This is to include the weasel from giving out his brood in marriage proposals and taking the horses of the people who want to cross. That too very minimum amount of coin. For every man and woman and animal 1 silver stag. For every carriage 1 gold dragon no matter what the goods. A set number of coins for man and woman alike. King, Lord, Knight, smallfolk alike. None for children below 12. They are to not harass merchants or messengers going to North or any other place. Break any of the rules on payment and harassment and its proved then they will be forced to pay a fine of 25,000 gold dragons as fine. If the fine delayed for more than 3 moons, double it for every other moons. When its 100,000, the Freys will be removed from their seat.
Armies for the king should be let pass for free or their whole house will be removed from their seat. This is so the next time His Grace wants my support or I want his this weasel will not make a problem. More than 4 hours of delay in giving passage to the army of anything similar or higher rank than that of a Lord Paramount's for any reason and that lord is given permission to use force to remove the Frey's from their seat.
Lord Tully can place anyone without a the Frey bloodline on that seat at that time but not a Frey, or anyone related to a Frey. Corruption in the people checking whether the Freys are following this rules is death or black, nothing less. So that it will spread fear and they will not take the bribe from the Freys. That's all. This is something the dragons should have implemented when they came into power. But since they are incapable, you should do it as your first official decree. And send word to every major and minor Lords. Trust me every single ones including your enemies will be happy with this. They will be eager to report to you if the Freys have stepped out of line."
"And I thought I was vindictive. Ha ha ha.." the king laughed his ass off.
"This is a small revenge Robert help me with it. After I have crossed the border to North I will send you a raven. Then issue the order."
"Isn't this a bit too much Ned. After all they are our goodfather's bannermen"
"Who conveniently came late for a war to support him. No this is far less than what they deserve."
"Don't worry Ned consider it done. And shut up Jon, he is right everyone breathing hates them. This will do us all some good. Damn Freys. I am the bloody king and I've decided. By the way Ned, I want you near by, if I give you the chance you will go build your keep on the wall or something. The royal treasury is full so take 4 million god dragons for assisting the Robert Baratheon in winning the crown and rebuild the moat. As I said I need you near by. Don't bother Jon I already said it. I will not be the king to take back his first orders."
Plan success. I knew building a new bridge is not a practical solution, but now even if the Freys so much as sneeze we can harass them in return. The king and my uncle talked for sometime about the travel and me, then we left. Lord Arryn was not happy that things didn't go as he thought by the looks of it. Well too bad I am not here to make you happy.
We left three days after that meeting. The king even came out and sent us off. I rode the on a horse with my uncle.
Journey To The North, 283 AC, Harry POV
After a very long journey, by my opinion, we reached the Riverlands and went straight to the twins to cross. My uncle didn't let me go in but I have marked the place. I will come back if needed. We were given pass, but by the looks of my uncle the pay was not low. Well let him enjoy for now. From one of the bannermen who went in I heard its not he prize that angered him, but the weasel asked me for a match to one of his daughters of my choice. When denied he insulted, my mother, my aunt Lyanna and my new aunt Catelyn subtly so it wont be an open insult enough for us to take his head. I saw it when I went inside ones head to view it. Yeah I think he is old enough to die, he has lived enough.
So that night when everyone thought I was asleep I apparated near the Twins, repeated the process until I was in the hall were he was still insulting my aunt and mother. Yes his fate is decided sentence confirmed. After giving his dick a silent send of to the realm of death I got back. By the time we are in Winterfell we will here that someone took Walden Freys dick. Well atleast he wont rape or force any women on his own. My trick will look natural but it will still do the trick.
All the way through our travel I had long chats with all my bannermen. The big Lord Umber was a very interesting guy. And I got a sense from Roose Bolton that this is a guy who needs to be dealt with soon. He is extremely dangerous. If not today then another day he will cause damage. And it might not be me but my family that gets hurt. Other than that almost all the other people seemed to be really loyal to the Starks. I really need to complete my history of this place to get a more read on all of them.
Before leaving Lord Howland Reed and I talked the most. I could sense magic in him so I wanted to know everything I can about him. He was very forthcoming, more than any I talked. He told me about wargs and greenseers. He actually told me how its done. And with trial and error with Fawkes it was very easy, since I am very good with my own magic and everything. Some horses was the first test drive other than Fawkes and it was a grand success. I asked him how many people in his keeps are wargs. He told me around 150, but able men, young ones, only 35 and women 32. That's it I got my spy network. So we talked in detail about a possibility of us using them as a spy network. Its feasible, but we need to train them highly and I have no idea how to train a spy. I can just use magic and go anywhere. Its an entire thing to make another do it without magic. So that idea need to be benched right. What saddens me more is that because the climate is that bad the crops in my land cannot survive for long. So in Winterfell we have glass houses. The state of those things needs to seen to know if they can be considered as glass houses. As it stands a place called Myr in Essos has all the autonomy in glass and that too is costly.
I heard about Moat Cailin and have read about it too. But seeing it was disappointing. Its a tragedy. What was once the only thing that stopped the Andal invasion is now looking like an earthquake sit. Like hell I am going to make Ned Stark, my uncle live in this dump. Renovated or not.
"Uncle Ned?" a I went and found him when we were camping near Moat.
"Yes Harry?"
"Rebuilt or not you are not living in this dump if I have anything to say about it. And thats final."
"Don't worry after we rebuilt it, it will look entirely different."
"Look around. Say you made the best and biggest castle in the world here. What are you going to do just sit there and freeze yourself. You cant do anything here without getting in more danger. No if we cannot do something about the livability of this place then no we will find you another place. Or you'll just stay in Winterfell."
"We'll talk about this later nephew. Now go rest we are almost home."
Few more weeks one by one many bannermen left us to go to their own keeps. And we finally reached Winterfell.