A week into preparations for marching to King's Landing, Robb summons him for 'an urgent matter'. Since everything is urgent when it comes to Robb—a lesson he learned the hard way in his years in Winterfell—he doesn't immediately drop what he's doing to run to the solar.

Robb made sure to let Theon know he was his friend before being a prince, so he has to live with the consequences now.

He doesn't let him wait long, though; he doesn't have the heart for it, and what if it truly is an urgent matter? The North is sort of warring against the Crown, so anything is possible.

"Finally!" Robb exclaims when Theon steps in the solar. Lady—Queen Catelyn rolls her eyes, indicating her son is being dramatic again.

It wasn't always like this. He remembers Robb being a practical kid when he came to Winterfell, even if full of japes and eager to play whenever he was allowed. He guesses he began to use drama to entertain himself after parting from his father, his sisters, his cousin—of course he knows the truth about Jon Frost—and his brother in a rather short span of time.

"Pardon for lacking the airbending necessary for flying straight here, Your Highness," he replies with a grin, which widens after Queen Catelyn's chuckle.

Ned Stark's wife, now Queen in the North, didn't like him at first. Not only is he the son of a rebel, brough to Winterfell as ward and hostage both, he is a bloodbender. Outside the Iron Islands, bloodbenders are frowned up at best and cursed at worst. Their powers are seen by many as inherently wrong, an abomination.

So, he and Lady Stark were really at odds during his first months in Winterfell. She distrusted him for his bending, and he labelled her as an arrogant waterbender who discarded anything that wasn't her way. It is thanks to Robb that their relationship improved.

Ignorance is the enemy, as they learned in time. When Theon showed Lady Catelyn the lessons he got from his mother, a reputed bloodhealer, she began to see him and his bending under a new light. They exchanged techniques and bonded over their inability to learn to fight with their elements—although House Harlaw, which his mother is from, has plenty of bloodbender fighters, he never quite enjoyed it. Not because he disliked fighting per se, but because he found bloodbending style rather dull. As a child, he envied his waterbender brothers; their fighting style was cool.

Then his father tried to rebel against King Robert, and his poor fighting skills ended up sparing his life. He cannot find in himself to complain about his fate, given what happened to Rodrick and Maron. Even if his father ends up disowning him in favor of Asha—which might happen anyway to honor their House's waterbending supremacy—he is still grateful for being granted a chance at living.

Theon does know how to fight, he only does it as a non bender, relying mostly on weapons. He knows a bloodbending trick or two, but they usually require time to stop and think of his movements, which a real fight lacks.

Robb's voice takes him out of his reverie. "I—We need you to go to your father."

He blinks. "Why?" He hasn't seen his father since he came to Winterfell. They've never even exchanged letters. "Your fight is for your father's release and Northern independence, right?"

"Yes, but we can't fight for any of these things when the Ironborn are raiding the west coast again," he replies dryly. He remembers the reports from the West and Bear Island about an increase in raids from his people. "Your task is to forge a peace agreement with your father."

"And what will he gain with it? You know I can't just barge in after ten years and demand him to stop the raids. It's our—their way of life."

"I'm aware. Your first attempt must be peace in exchange for peace. If the Ironborn don't raid the North, we won't attack them or stop them from rebelling again if they so desire."

Those terms sound weak in Theon's ears. "And the second attempt?"

"Support them to get their own independence, if they want. We can even arrange a marriage to solidify it."

"If Sansa agrees," Lady Catelyn adds, "it could be between you two."

He raises his eyebrows at that. Over the years, he often thought Ned Stark would wed him and Sansa for this very purpose, but to hear it out from someone else is a bit surreal. He has never desired Sansa herself, but she'd make a good wife in his opinion—a good companion and friend.

"Alright. I think I can work with that, but I make no promises."

"I only ask you to try, Theon. How much time do you need to get ready, and how many men do you want with you?"

"Five or seven days should be enough, and a small crew will suffice."

Between preparations, travel by land and journey by ship, it takes nearly a month for him to arrive in Pyke. As he sent a letter from Winterfell warning of his arrival (although not disclosing the purpose of his visit), there is a small gathering to greet him, led by a man he suspects to be his uncle Aeron.

"The prodigal son returns," the man announces, confirming Theon's suspicions. "Come over here, boy, and let yourself be blessed by the Drowned God."

He wordlessly follows his uncle. If Theon is being completely honest with himself, he's not sure in which gods he believes in. With the return of the Avatar and, more recently, those wight invasions from beyond the Wall, he often doubts who actually commands the realm from up above (or down below). Still, he goes along with his uncle.

He is brought to the edge of the ocean, and Aeron begins his bending moves. In the Iron Islands, master waterbenders are called 'oceanbenders', in a reference to the first oceanbender, the Drowned God himself. The appointment is made by general public acclaim, as the ironborn do not trust 'mainland' maesters to evaluate their skills properly. Of course, there is also the fact that bloodbenders, who compose nearly half of the ironborn benders, have no master trial or criteria to meet in the eyes of the Citadel.

More than once, Theon has thought of writing down the criteria his mother's House has used for centuries and send to Oldtown through Maester Luwin, only to give up when he struggles to remember details. I could get them now, he realizes as salt water falls over his head.

Once the ceremony is finished, he is given a towel and follows Uncle to the castle. After small pleasantries are exchanged, they don't talk much. Theon doesn't remember interacting with Uncle Aeron much when he lived here; in fact, his bloodbending meant he interacted more with his mother's family than his father's. He wouldn't have minded too much if House Harlaw lived in Pyke, but, as their residence is located on another island, he ended up spending more time with his mother as she taught him what she knew.

No family member is there to greet him at the main hall, which is… disappointing—although he is slightly relieved not to have to speak to his father while soaking wet. He follows a maid to his old chambers, where he dries himself and changes clothes. Then, he goes to where his mother's room used to be, hoping she is still there.

She is.

"Theon," she calls him as she stands up from her chair. "It's so good to see you after so long!"

He closes the door behind him and goes to meet his mother in a hug. Affection is not well regarded by the Ironborn, but, in closed doors, the two of them never hesitated in hugging each other. The memory kept him warm in his first year in Winterfell.

"What are you doing here?" she asks. "I've not been warned of your visit."

He frowns. "I wrote to Father about my trip, and I know he got it because Uncle Aeron was waiting for me at the docks."

She sighs. "Things changed after you left. Come, sit here." He follows her and sits on the bed, while she returns to her chair. "After your father's poor attempt at a rebellion, I was… Well, I'm sure you can at least imagine how it felt to lose two sons to death and another to Winterfell." He nods. "To add salt to the injury, Asha was too keen on learning to bend to pay attention to me."

He lowers his gaze. He remembers Asha's eagerness to become an oceanbender, which was akin to their brothers' ambitions. He did not imagine she'd reach the point of ignoring their mother, though.

"I was mourning all four of you," his mother goes on, "and your father did not understand it. So, before things got worse, I went back to Harlaw to spend some time there, away from his petty complaints about not getting the crown he wanted. I spent five years there, which did me wonders, although I did not see Asha once that whole time.

"Of course, when I came back, your sister and I were fairly distant. We still are; she resents me for leaving, despite not caring for me before my departure. Your father hasn't changed much, and I spend most of my time in the healing cot near the shore. You remember it, don't you?"

"I do," he replies, smiling wistfully. His fondest memories of Pyke are the ones in which he successfully used his bending to heal an otherwise fatal injury. There are few of those, as he had barely grasped the concept when Ned Stark took him under his wing, but they remain in his mind. "I'm sorry I haven't written to you sooner, Mother. I couldn't at first, then, after so many years, I didn't know what to say."

She nods and smiles sadly. "I understand, Theon, truly. But tell me, why are you here?"

As there is no one else he trusts more than his mother, he tells her everything: Jon's real identity as both a Targaryen and the Avatar, the wight attacks at the Wall, Ned Stark's false charges and imprisonment, Robb's independence campaign and his peace treaty proposal.

Her soft smile falls at the last part. "You ought to be careful, Theon," she says. "Your father never forgot the rebellion, and, if he hears any insinuation of support, he will jump at the chance. And I very much doubt he will honor his end of whatever deal you make."

He gulps. "Do you know anything, mother? If he has any plans already in motion?"

She shakes her head. "If he does, I'm not privy to them. I haven't been privy to anything he plans to do since I left. I'm sorry I can't help you more, son. But tell me, how has your training been these years?"

He tells her about his struggles and the progress he made under Lady Catelyn's tutelage, which surprises her. "It's not everyday one manages to convert waterbending techniques to bloodbending."

"It was all I had," he explains. "Lord Stark wasn't willing to send me to the Boltons."

She grimaces. "With good reason," she comments. "You are a bloodhealer, Theon, you and I know it well. The Boltons… well, surely you've heard about them even more than I did."

"Yes, I have." It is said House Bolton has a centuries old tradition of using bloodbending to take someone's skin off, akin to the Faceless Men. It is also said they invented new forms of torture by blood over history—not that anyone has ever described them in detail, which might mean anything.

"You've seen how a blood warrior operates," she says firmly. "Their ways are what make bloodbending so repulsed by the rest of the realm. Blood is what gives us life. Our job should be to bring it back to those who need it, not take it from innocents. Not torture. Bear this in mind, Theon, and never forget who you are."

That perks his curiosity. "And who am I, mother?" Does she still know her son?

"Not a perfect soldier," she says with a subtle grin, which morphs into a tender smile as she adds, "but a good man."

He has a jape on the tip of his tongue, but decides to hug her instead.

His meeting with his father happens in the early morning. A black-haired woman presents herself as Esgred guides him to the meeting chambers, flirting with him all the way. She is oddly familiar, so he keeps trying to guess her identity until the doors open and he hears a strong voice calling for Asha.

"Really," he says dryly. "Do you take me as a Lannister?"

She laughs and goes to join their father's side. He kneels before Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands, and says, "It is good to see you again, Father."

"Damn it, boy, this ain't the mainland," he replies. "Stand on your feet before your father and lord. Have you turned Northern?"

Apparently, manners are reserved for the mainland, he thinks as he does as told. "Father, I come here on House Stark's behalf."

"Of course, of course. It'd be too much to expect you to just run back home. Say your piece."

He suppresses a frustrated sigh. This is already going downhill. "As you may already know, Father, the North declared independence and crowned Ned Stark King in the North. However, he is imprisoned in the Red Keep on false charges of murder. His son Robb is on his way to rescue him, and I come here to propose an alliance."

"An alliance?" he asks incredulously.

"An alliance," he repeats. "A peace agreement. Prince Robb is concerned about the recent raids on the west coast, and would like to offer peace in exchange for peace. Leave the North alone, and the North won't bother with the islands." He briefly thinks of mentioning an eventual support of an independence cause, but decides to skip it, at least for now. "He and Queen Catelyn even offered Princess Sansa in marriage to me to solidify this alliance."

Silence falls in the room as Father stares at him with an unreadable expression. Then, he burst out laughing. "You know, this proposal is almost good," he comments, voice heavy with jest, "if I hadn't already gotten one better." He grins wickedly. "Now, listen here, boy. Do you want to sit your ass in this chair?"

Theon blinks. "It is mine by right," he replies matter-of-factly. "Of course I do."

"Then do your job, otherwise I'll throw whatever rights you think you have over the sea and name Asha my heir." He briefly wonders if Asha wouldn't be a better choice anyway, but keeps his tongue in check. "You'll go straight to the Dreadfort when you leave tomorrow." He was unaware he is due to leave Pyke so soon, but fine. He already dislikes his father's mention of the Dreadfort. "You'll find either Lord Bolton himself or his bastard son Ramsay. You'll go with a ship filled with Ironborn, not those mainlanders you are so fond of. Then, with yours and the Bolton's forces, you'll wait for the wannabe prince to leave Winterfell and take it in my name. Roose Bolton will get Winterfell for himself as my Warden of the North… for a time. Then, you'll kill him and his family and become Prince of Winterfell and heir to my crown."

He gulps. It is exactly as his mother warned: Father never gave up on his dream of being King of the Iron Islands. This is bad. "May I ask one question?"

"Go on."

"Why get the North? I thought you despised it."

He snorts. "But they have fertile lands to produce food, which we need. Owning the North means we can take their grain at any time we want." He shifts on his seat. "One more thing: it is said the bastard of Winterfell is the Avatar reborn. What do you know of it?"

He tries to hide his tension. "I've rarely seen Jon Frost while I was in Winterfell," he says. "The rumours he grew up with the Night's Watch are true, and he didn't visit his family often."

Silence falls as his father appraises him, trying to see if he's telling the truth. "No matter," he declares. "I know it cannot be the Kingslayer, as some simpletons say. No, it must be this Frost boy. But tell me, what do you know of his whereabouts, even if you are not sure whether he's the Avatar or not? Your sister will sail to him to sway him to our cause."

He wants to say Jon will never align himself with his father's cause or any other political one, as he can't get involved in this kind of issue, but he holds his tongue; it is not something he'd normally be taught, so revealing such knowledge would out him. "As far as I know, father," he begins, making up a lie as he talks, "he… Well, our last news of him was that he and the Kingslayer left the Wall as wandering crows—recruiters. But they were supposed to be back in a month's time, I think. Asha should begin her search at the Wall itself. If she doesn't want to raise suspicion, she can say she's bringing men to make temporary vows to the Night's Watch."

His father blinks. "So it is true that they are recruiting men in temporary ways? Is it true what people say about dead people coming to life?"

He nods, feeling hope rise within his chest. Perhaps the tale of the Others will sway him to matters of real importance. "Robb and I visited the Wall shortly after we received a letter from his uncle Benjen. Jon Frost and the Kingslayer were sent for recruiting tasks because they were the ones who fought the first wight who invaded the Wall. Nowadays they keep one in their ice cells to show to all those who visit."

He knows this information is true, although he did not go to the Wall with Robb, Bran and the Reed siblings. They've heard enough to know this information, anyway.

Father turns to Asha. "We'll need to leave a few men in the Wall, then. Use this to earn the crows' trust and get information on the Avatar. If anyone knows about him, it's the Night's Watch." He turns back to Theon. "Now get out of my sight, and come back only when you've earned your right to the throne."

He waits for supper time to go talk to his mother, as it is supposed to be the time she is back from the healing cots. He meets her in her room and reports Father's plans.

She grimaces. "You know Asha will try to kill the Avatar if he refuses to pledge his support, right?" He nods, grimacing along. "What are her chances?"

"I wish I knew," he confesses. "We haven't heard real news of Jon since he left."

She sighs. "And are you going to do as your father says?"

"I don't want to," he replies, "but I don't see another way."

She glances at the window, seemingly deep in thought. When their silence begins to grow awkward, she turns back to him. "Take whatever Starks you catch as prisoners," she advises. "Get a moment alone to tell them you plan to give Winterfell back as soon as you take it from the Boltons—and do it. You'll have to play their game if you want to win."

It is really good advice, one he would not have thought of on his own. "Thank you, mother," he says sincerely.

She smiles. "Always remember who you are, Theon, and stick to the goodness of your heart."