Hello everyone, hope I'm not the only one worried for our Giants Milk drinking Wildling this Sunday.
Without further adieu, let me leave everyone with a quote, it hurts but it makes sense for the future of the plot.
"Your just a soldier, aren't you? You take your orders and carry on. I suppose it makes sense, your brother was trained to lead and you were trained to follow." - Cersei Lannister, Queen of Westeros.
Chapter 23: The Mother's Grace
Moat Cailin
Ashara/Arthur (slightly Edric)
The room was quiet as one would say when Ashara was brought into the keep's hall, Arthur and his sister, cousin, and closest advisors, Brynden, The Greatjon, Howland Reed, Dacey and Maege, Lord Cerwyn and Rickard and his son.
Soldiers both Stark, Tully, and Dayne were positioned around the room.
The new King of Winter was a storm of confused thoughts, shock, and surprise. Edric was more so, the stories were told that Lady Dayne had thrown herself out of the highest tower of Starfall in grief.
His mother was supposed to be dead, and here she was, standing tall and eyeing him with eyes of haunting violet. He shuffled in his seat nervously, unsure of what to say or how to start this sort of reunion between son and mother.
Ashara was both afraid and excited, here she stood, looking at her son whom she hasn't seen since he was born, since his sister had died a stillbirth.
He looks just like Ned when he was a young man, a strong jaw, long face although her high cheekbones and violet eyes. She looked below and was startled at the sight of four large wolves, all staring at her with interest.
She was surprised that there are still men who remember her face, not many have laid eyes on her besides the six guards her father put on her. She had also lived in King's Landing for a number of years serving Queen Rhaella and later on Princess Elia.
No, she thought, no tears right now, no thinking about days long since past.
"Aunt Ashara, it is good to finally meet you, at last, I am Edric Dayne. The son of- " She cut him off, she knows who he is and who his father was.
"Son of Maric Dayne and his wife, Alara Wade, the last of House Wade. You look just like Maric, nephew." He grinned, glad to share in his father's resemblance.
"Why are you here?" She was shocked at the tone in the room, that was until she looked to her son's right.
It was a girl, small but clearly growing as she seemed at least twelve, possibly thirteen. She had Stark hair and the same grey eyes like Ned so she must be one of Eddard's children from Catelyn Tully.
"Arya, don't be rude." Her son finally spoke, his voice was hard and she remembered that from Ned's voice. Before the Rebellion, at Harrenhal, Ned was so softspoken, after everything happened she noticed when he came to Starfall that his tone was hardened. War's changed him, or maybe he was always this way? She sighed and frowned. "How do we know you are who you say you are, violet eyes are a common trait for many Houses." She smirked and stepped toward the high table.
"... I think you know, in your heart, Arthur." She said with a motherly tone.
Arthur faltered, he knows it is but how? How in all the gods would a dead woman come back to life, or perhaps, she was never dead in the first place. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, this talk should be in private, not in front of everyone in attendance.
"Leave us. Even you two." He told Edric and Arya who reluctantly got up from their seats, his sister gave his mother one scolding look before closing the hall's door.
He got up, walked over to the hearth and poured him and Ashara two cups of ale. She took hers and sat down on one of the chairs he brought over for her, he gulped down his cup and waited another moment in silence before turning from the fire to his mother who he has never seen.
A lump got caught in his throat, how is he supposed to start this? What should he say? "... How was the journey here?" He cursed himself, the stupidest thing to say.
Ashara, his mother, she smiled and brought the cup to her mouth, "The Riverlands is quiet, many people must have moved East or into the Crownlands to avoid the King's armies or the Brotherhood Without Banners." That reminded him of the brigands and deserters that harried both his and the Lannister movements.
The group was supposedly founded by Beric Dondarrion but now led by Thoros of Myr, he remembered that along with harrying Lannister supply lines and fighting Gregor Clegane that he also tried to find the Brotherhood. He failed and anyone they'd asked had refused to offer assistance so he left it alone to take care of after the wedding.
But then the Freys and Bolton's betrayed his brother, and he outright forgot them altogether.
"I did pass by the Twins, a recent battle must have just taken place." A breath hitched in his throat as he forced down the memories, "Who did you lose?" She asked, some concern in her voice.
"You must know about my father, the war broke out when he was imprisoned but I saved him, he died." Ashara's eyes began to water, she nodded in understanding. "The war was going well, we defeated many of Tywin's kin and Lords such a Stafford and Gregor. When we heard of the Ironborn, the deaths of Bran and Rickon, Robb decided that it was time to return home and get rid of the rats. The only true way was through the Twins, Robb had sworn to marry one of Walder's daughters and had broken it by marrying Jeyne, she's since returned home. The other side of the pact was my sister, you've met her." He said and she chuckled.
"She's certainly a Tully, she has the fire." He laughed a little, that was true. "I can guess the wedding didn't go as planned, I hear they call it the Red Wedding." He nodded to that, closing one hand into a fist.
"Walder and Roose, they made a deal with Tywin to kill us while we were unarmored and partying. It was a massacre, Lady Stark died, my brother, he was stabbed in the heart and Mya, my wife, she... " She stopped him before he could bawl, "She was carrying my child, it was a boy, would have been my son." She wanted to cry.
She was a mother in law, she was a grandmother and her son lost his boy. She cursed herself that she couldn't do anything to have stopped it, "And your wife, Arthur, what happened to Mya?" She wanted to know who Mya was but thought it would have been inappropriate.
"She is at the Twins, she's not conscious and will likely die soon, I grieved through the days until I receive the raven." She noticed he was forcing strength to not feel, it made her wish she'd known, she would have visited the girl who has her son's heart. "No more talk of that, why haven't we met?" There it was, the question she dreaded to hear him ask but knew it was inevitable.
"Arthur, I- " He huffed and got up, "You have to understand, I had lost your uncle, I lost... " It was hard to speak about her daughter that she lost.
"What I understand is that you didn't want me, didn't want Jon." Wait, what? Her brows furrowed in confusion, she set her cup down and followed her son.
"Who is Jon?" She asked, he gave her a cold look, eyes darkened a little and it frightened her.
"How could you say that? Jon is my brother, you gave us to father because you didn't want us but clearly wanted us to know who you were." She tried to think up a reason why Ned would lie about this, Arthur and his sister were the only children she brought into the world.
Jon is from Dorne, so who is the boy's true mother. It had to be from the fight with my brother and his Kingsguard friends, what was in Dorne that Ned wanted? She thought and couldn't put it together. She took a deep breath and put her hands on Arthur's arms to steady him towards her, she looked him in the eyes to get his attention.
"Listen to me, Arthur. Jon isn't your brother, I had you and a daughter, your sister died a stillborn. I never had another son." His eyes widened and he shook his head.
Jon... Isn't his brother? He closed his eyes to think, he couldn't figure out why his father would lie about Jon.
"If Jon isn't my blood, then who is he?" He questioned and she shook her head.
The door to the hall creaked open, Ashara and Arthur looked to see who it was and a frowning Howland Reed stepped inside. "I could answer that, Arthur."
Thirteen Days Later
Edric oversaw the last piece of protection being placed on Moat Cailin.
Arthur had said the Moat was in a sorry state and asked him and the others to forage, thankfully, the Ironborn ships left untouched by fires and some from their own fleet served as good wood to rebuild Moat Cailin to a much better condition, stones will have to come after the North has been unified.
He looked up and saw his aunt and cousin walking about the walls, Howland Reed was at their side as well.
Though, he must admit that his aunt was an encouraging presence, especially when she uncovered the lost sword of his House. Dawn was returned and his aunt offered it to Arthur.
It would be a lie if he said that he wasn't jealous, he always pictured being given Dawn as it isn't the usual ancestral blade. Dawn is held only by the most worthy of House Dayne, be that the Lord, Knight, even a Bastard turned King. He congratulated Arthur and insisted that he take it, Arthur refused.
He remembers it like it was only days ago, mainly because it was.
Arthur looked at his mother and shook his head, "It would be a mistake to carry two greatswords into battle, I am not Robert Baratheon." Arthur joked and turned to him, "Cousin, you should take it." Ashara was surprised by the selflessness.
"But, cousin, I am not so worthy- " Arthur cut him off, waving his words away.
"By your own will, you declared to help me, you saved my House from extermination at the Twins. You slew more than five Ironborn within this fortress. I say, you are more worthy than I or anyone with Dayne blood." He began to tear up, more so when Arthur held Dawn out to him.
When he took that sword, he took up the responsibilities of being the new Sword of the Morning.
He smiled and reached to his back, feeling the handle of Dawn and took a deep breath.
"My brother's acting weird." He was taken out of his thoughts when he heard Arya speak, he shook his head and turned to her.
"What do you mean?" He asked, both of them looking back to Arthur speaking to Ashara and Howland. "He is spending time with his mother, she hasn't seen him since he was born. I don't see anything wrong with that." He told her and she huffed, her cheeks reddening a little.
"He is keeping secrets, he knows something I don't and that isn't him. He was never the person to keep secrets, and, every time I ask him about it he tells me not to worry and that only makes me worry even more." He feels sorry for her, she cares about her brother so much that she feels abandoned if he keeps things from her.
He can understand that emotion, over the last three days he's been asking his aunt about why she faked her own death, why Allyria and the others kept it from him. In fact, he is probably angrier than Arya over all of this secrecy but he won't be rude, his aunt will tell him when he is ready to know.
"I think, my Lady, that Arthur will tell us when he's ready." He wanted to slap himself, the worst thing he could say to quell her troubles, and Arya smirked and shook her head unconvinced about it all.
"That's the stupidest answer I've ever heard." He laughed a little, that is exactly what he was thinking about what he'd just said.
"Quite observant, Lady Stark." She smiled widely but later frowned.
"Don't call me Lady, I'm not a Lady." She said to him and walked away, he was confused as to what he said to offend her, he thought they were having some fun.
He pushed it aside for a later question and continued his duties, the Moat has been rebuilt to a defendable position, a thousand men helped built a few new towers and repaired walls that their allies crawled through to take it from the Ironborn.
Arthur found him a couple of hours later in the war room, his aunt was at his side and Arya found them and approached. Other Lords and Ladies joined them, a meeting was called and that meant his cousin has his plan.
He is glad his cousin found his mother, it almost made him wish his own mother and father were still alive, he could use the advice of a Lord Dayne on the future of the next few months of war and cold.
Then again, High Hermitage's Lord Dayne was as accommodating as he expected, but, the man was an amiable person. Lord Alaric Dayne was more interested in standing by while the Lannister influence covered North, South, East, and West. He couldn't, he asked for men and the Lord offered what he could and he marched North with what ships he had.
"What's the plan, cousin?" He asked Arthur who stopped, Arya and Ashara waited for him to speak.
"We will begin at Barrowton, then to Torrhen's Square before going to Winterfell. From there the army will spread, throughout the traitor territories and releasing Ironborn control which from a raven from Ironrath is at Deepwood Motte. Galbart Glover will head that." He nodded, then he thought of House Bolton's last male heir.
"What of Ramsay Snow, Roose Bolton's son?" Arthur explained the entire situation on that front.
Ramsay Snow was a tyrant the moment the Coup failed at the Crossing. The Bastard of Bolton had seized his father's land and paid off men to help him, the traitor has four hundred men at his command and the Dreadfort.
House Hornwood, their Lady and Lord Halys wife Donella had been forcefully taken to wife by Ramsay. Larence Snow, Halys son by an unnamed woman had sworn to avenge his House by leading the Hornwood men to the Dreadfort, House Cerwyn's men led by Jonella Cerwyn will lead them.
Once the Rills, Barrowlands and Torrhen's Square are retaken, Galbart Glover will go with House Forrester, House Slate, House Flint, and if House Ryswell and Dustin surrender, they too will join Galbart in cleansing the Wolfswood and retaking Deepwood Motte.
"After taking the Motte, the Ironborn will see this as a lost cause," Arthur told them.
"And what about us, Arthur, will be rebuilding Winterfell while the others fight?" Rickard Karstark asked and Arthur nodded and spoke.
"Winterfell is the heart of the North, it will be rebuilt... But we will not remain there." He and a few others were curious as to what Arthur meant, "After Winterfell is restored, I will take the rest of our forces North, to Castle Black."
Hours later, the army began moving. 300 of House Reed will remain at Moat Cailin, with a boost of another 200 from his own Dornishmen. Arthur had taken the company of Lord Reed which made him a bit confused as to why.
"Come on, Edric, let's race!" Arya rode passed, Dacey and three Mormont men followed right behind. He smiled and kicked his mare to ride.
Game on, then, Arya Stark.
AN: The meeting of mother and son had come and gone with a large revelation.
This isn't like the show where Jon was named King by the North. Arthur was made heir by Robb and named King the moment Robb died. Just for a point of debate for later chapters.
I do hope everyone enjoyed, also sorry that Dawn didn't come into Arthur's possession but Edric's, after all the boy did, he deserved the honor.
CEW, He was truly upset until he mentioned Jon who Ashara never knew about, Ned's going to be seen as a deceiver for this for some time. The laws of gods and men are clear, Rhaegar married Lyanna Stark and conceived Jon, the last male heir to House Targaryen.
Zero, Indeed he was, but Arthur is his own man, also an honorable one as well.
Silver Crow, Him, and Edric will befriend one another. He is on the tongues of many throughout the Seven Kingdoms and many either hate or envy him. As for Asha, and Theon/Reek when he sees him... We won't know till you all read it. I have a plan and Arthur is Eddard's son, it's all I'll say on Jon's true identity and future.
Dzerx, Mya is going to wake up and take on several plots that originally belonged to other characters. All I will say is that Arthur won't bend the knee to Dany, it's all I will say. You know, Moat Cailin might have not been needed but it should have been repaired at least to better condition. For the suggestion such as Wildlings being trained, we must first fight them and then the encounter with Stannis.
Good day!