Making A Name

As a member of royalty, many subjects were imparted into his mind. There were those related to administration like accounting, managing, auditing, and more. They were followed by martial skills, such as swordsmanship, marksmanship, horse riding, and so on. Things such as etiquette and hunting might not appear as important at first, but they were crucial for the success of establishing relationships with important individuals.

Ned learned many of that during his years under the tutelage of Jon Arryn. He learned them as well in his capacity as the Crown Prince of Holfort. There was, however, one lesson in which he was completely inexperienced.

Air travel.

"So, could you repeat what I have just explained to you, Your Highness?" The midshipman spoke to him.

"Compass to determine the direction of the north and thus other cardinal directions, a sextant to measure the angular distance between two objects, astrolabe to determine the ship's latitude from the sun, a chronometer for the longitude, the level to ensure that we're as flat as possible instead of leaning upward or downward, and barometer to measure the air pressure." He listed it off.

"Very good, Your Highness." The man smiled. "There is still more to be learned about navigation, but that should cover the basics."

"I see." Ned nodded. "Thank you for your time, Midshipman."

"Always a pleasure to help the Crown."

Once he was done with the brief lesson, the prince moved towards another room or rather cabin which was the name for rooms located on board a ship. Upon arriving at the door, Ned knocked on it.

"Enter."

When he opened the door, the former Lord of Winterfell saw his fiancée currently preparing several gift baskets containing many types of food and drink alongside her followers; small wheels of cheese, salami, baguettes, fresh fruits, wine, bourbon, and more.

"Ah, Jul." Angelica greeted him. "I take it you have satisfied your curiosity?"

"I have." Ned nodded before looking at the baskets. "You're sure these are enough?"

"Trust me on this. I have visited the mansion of Count Escoffier with my father. For him, food and drink rank higher than 'mere' gold and silver." She assured him. "It's to the point that he's…well…"

"Basically, a Lord Too-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse?" He couldn't help but be reminded of one of his vassals.

"Don't say it like that!" The blonde showed a scandalized expression. "Sure, he would just laugh it off – that's where he got his nickname of the 'Fat Jolly' – but you represent the Crown, Your Highness. I will not have you besmirch the reputation with such a remark!"

"Alright, alright." He raised both of his hands while chuckling. "Anyway, they are better to be ready soon. The Wolfsbane is going to arrive in a quarter of an hour."

More than once, Ned had found it rather amusing that the ship carrying him and his entourage for the tour was called the Wolfsbane. A Stark flying in a ship with a name that could be summed as "anti-wolf," the banner of the house.

He could only hope that it was not a bad omen, like that dire wolf mother who was killed by the stag.

"Welcome, Your Highness, to my humble abode." Count Georges Fia Escoffier greeted him with a bow…well, something resembling a bow, that is.

He had met Wyman Manderly several times, thus the former Lord of the Winterfell believed that he would be ready for the meeting. Yet when he finally saw him with his own eyes…by the Old Gods and the New, Ned decided that he needed to invent a new word because simply calling the noble in front of him "fat" didn't do it any justice!

"The honor is ours, Lord Escoffier." The Prince greeted him back. "We bring with us some gifts that are - hopefully - to your enjoyment."

"Oho, I like them indeed, Your Highness. You have nothing to worry about." He didn't try to hide his joy.

After the exchange of greetings, the Count and his men escorted the royal entourage into the mansion. During this, the blue-haired boy couldn't help but feel perplexed at how Lord Escoffier had no problem with walking despite his massive body. Once inside, it didn't take long for the group to arrive at the dining room, something that almost made Ned laugh at the sheer obviousness.

"Please, my Prince, have a seat." The fat man gestured at the chairs. "The servants shall arrive with the welcoming food."

"Oh, um…" The former Lord of Winterfell felt quite awkward. "We already had lunch on our way here, so…"

"Ohoho, no need to worry, Your Highness. I take that into account." Lord Escoffier stated. "Since it's tradition for our house to serve food for honored guests, I decide to simply serve a course of dessert. One that I have recently created."

"That sounds appetizing, Milord," Angelica commented. "I have heard of House Escoffier's reputation when it comes to creating food."

"Your compliment warms my heart, Lady Redgrave."

When the servants arrived, those sitting at the dining table received a plate containing a chocolate cake covered in powdered sugar along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

"I call this chocolate lava cake…with ice cream." The Count chuckled. "Please, honored guests, enjoy it."

Without further ado, they ate the dessert. Upon cutting the cake with a spoon, as the name suggested, "lava" made from molten chocolate began to pour from the inside of it. Once the spoon was filled with cake and ice cream, the utensil was moved into the mouth. The hot, slightly bitter chocolate cake mixed very well with the cold, sweet vanilla ice cream.

From his seat, Ned watched as his entourage enjoyed the dish. From how Angelica and Jilk calmly eat the dessert to Lady Trent acting as if it was nothing special to Greg being on the verge of forgetting etiquette. The last part kind of reminded him of his youngest son Rickon.

"Gods, Rickon." He tried his best to hide his emotion. "How is my boy doing now? And not just him; Robb, Arya, Sansa, Bran…Jon…"

Once the meal was over, they moved to the living room. The important individuals sat on the chairs and sofas while their followers stood nearby. Between the seats was a table that had jars filled with various types of sweets. The Count offered his guests to take some, but they refused, stomachs still full with the cake and ice cream.

"So, Your Highness," The rotund noble spoke. "From the letter that I have received, you intend on touring the kingdom, especially the border regions?"

"That is correct, Lord Escoffier," Ned replied. "I have heard…unpleasant things occurring in the areas and thus decided to witness them with my own eyes."

"That is very dutiful, Your Highness. You have my gratitude for showing such care for your subjects." He chuckled. "Last time a royalty does something like this is…well, unfortunately, I don't remember His Majesty ever done a tour."

The former Lord of Winterfell didn't comment on it, but his expression was enough to figure out his opinion about the man who sat on the throne. It was nothing kind, to put it short.

"Anyway, as good as your intention is," The Count continued. "There's going to be some…barrier between your party and the nobles of the borders."

"Which is why you're the first lord that I visited." The Prince pointed out.

"And what a solid choice it was."

The nobles of Holfort could roughly be separated into two groups based on the location of their fief: the border nobles and the capital nobles. House Escoffier was quite unique in that it could fit both classifications, something that was possible only to a small percentage of the nobility. It had a connection to many people in the court with even one of the sons of the current lord serving as a civil servant. It also possessed many islands located in the borders; most of them ruled through the vassalage of minor houses.

"As you know," Georges Fia Escoffier spoke. "There's bad blood between the nobles of the border and of the capital. The former is considered nothing but peasants in all but name and the latter is viewed to be weak and decadent with the luxury that they enjoyed."

"That's nonsense!" Greg retorted. "I can assure you that our families still honor the adventuring traditions of our ancestors!"

"I do not disagree, Lord Seberg." He raised a hand. "But the reality is that that's how you're viewed by the people of the borders."

"Do you have any suggestion on how to break this barrier, Lord Escoffier?" Ned asked.

"But of course, Your Highness. I have the perfect solution for that." The Count smiled. "Pirates."

"Pirates?" The blue-haired boy raised an eyebrow.

"You see, Your Highness, pirates have been a menace for those living in the borders for Saint knows how long." He explained. "Such is their hatred for the enemy of all mankind that every ship and sailor passing through my territory have to ensure that they couldn't be mistaken for pirates less the border nobles would shoot first, ask question never."

"Do you mean 'shoot first, ask question later?'" Angelica spoke.

"That is not a mistake." It was the only answer that the fat man gave.

The former Lord of Winterfell – knowing just how nasty the Ironborn could be – had to admit that such a reaction was unsurprising.

"As of this moment, several ships under my banner are cornering a small band of them. They aren't too dangerous, possessing only small ships and no Armor whatsoever." The rotund noble continued. "Make a name for yourself, Your Highness, by participating in the upcoming battle and the border nobles would be more receptive to your presence."

"Hmm…" Ned turned his attention to the head of his guards. "What do you think, Lady Trent?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it." She said. "Most midshipmen are around your age and they have experience in anti-pirate operation, even if they don't participate directly in the fight."

The Prince nodded at the answer. Her words reminded him of his foster in the Vale. To prepare him and Robert for their duty, Jon Arryn brought them to a skirmish between the knights of the Vale and the mountain clans, intending on having both of his foster sons be used to the chaotic natures of war. During the whole fight, he did nothing but observe from afar due to his age and lack of experience.

Well, and also preventing Robert from rushing in and joining the fight. Anyway, what he was about to do wouldn't be that much different.

"Then," The Crown Prince of the Kingdom stood up from his seat. "Let us meet them and put an end to the terror sowed by the pirates."

Compared to most of the ships in the fleet, the Wolfsbane was twice their size. She was also more heavily armed – possessing 64 guns – and armored as well. Furthermore, the addition of two turrets – one each on the bow and stern – enhanced its firepower and flexibility. It was for those reasons that the ship – despite carrying one of the most important individuals in the entire kingdom – was placed at the front of the fleet.

It helped that the individual in question had no problem with this arrangement.

On the bridge of the ship, Ned and his companions were provided with binoculars – a pair of Myrish eyes put together into one contraption – so that they could have a better look at the upcoming battle. Things were already in motion with a pair of small ships flying the banner of House Escoffier approaching the besieged pirates.

Currently, the menace of the sea…sky was trapped on an island that was surrounded by ships hostile to them. From what he had gathered, the last raid performed by the pirates ended up rather disastrously, forcing them to dock their ships on an island where they could gather materials to fix them. Unfortunately, their location was discovered and it didn't take long for the local navy to fall upon them; the island was surrounded in a short amount of time.

"Man, it's a shame that Brad and Chris are not here," Greg said as he watched the about-to-begin aerial battle. "They're going to miss the spectacle."

If Ned remembered it correctly, the former returned to his home since his family had found a match for him while the latter wanted to hone his skills so that he would not embarrass the family name.

"Gah!" Without any warning, a hand slapped the back of the heir of House Seberg's head.

"This is not a show in an opera house, lad. This is a real battle." Lady Trent chastised him. "Real ships will explode and real people will die. Who knows, maybe a bit of their brain would fall into our ship? You'll be surprised at how far debris could fly."

While others appeared a bit sick by the notion, the Prince could only nod in agreement. He himself once underestimated just how bad a war can be. Then the Rebellion happened and…

PSIIIIIIUUUUUU

Their attention returned to the two small ships acting as the vanguard. Unlike the rest of the fleet, they were equipped with rocket launchers. The ammo – rockets, as the name suggested – could fly further than cannon shells albeit with decreased accuracy. But when the targets were a bunch of ships clustered together, the latter wasn't that much important.

Most of the projectiles fell into the ocean far below, but two of them managed to hit a ship, causing it to catch fire. More rockets were fired and while the accuracy remained problematic, two more ships were hit. Seeing that they could not remain in their position, many pirates decided to try their luck and break the blockade.

Unfortunately for them, the kinds of ships used by pirates were intended to attack merchant ships only and to run away in the face of combat-dedicated ships. Thus, the only thing meeting them when they tried to run away was death.

As he watched the battle, Ned admitted that he was feeling a bit disappointed by the prowess of these pirates…or rather the lack of it. As much as he abhorred their culture, the former Lord of Winterfell accepted that the Ironborn were expert seamen. It was through superior numbers and resources that the Iron Throne managed to put down their rebellion.

"This is not a battle, this is a massacre," Jilk commented. "This is basically shooting a fish in the barrel."

Naturally, that was when something went wrong.

"Hmm?" While observing the "fight," Angelica noticed something unusual. "Hey, something's not right with those ships."

"Which ships?" The mistress-at-arms of the royal palace spoke.

"Those…" She was about to answer when her face slowly became pale. "Ships…"

Using their massacred fellow as a distraction, several pirate ships went to a higher altitude by flying directly upward. They then made a downward turn and were now heading directly toward Wolfsbane at high speed.

"T-T-Those bastards are mad!" The captain of the ship said before speaking at the intercom. "Evasive maneuver! Firing everything that we have!"

"Sir, those ships at approaching from upward!" One of the crew pointed out. "Only the turrets that could hit them!"

"Then tell them to fire as if their very lives depend on it!"

Seeing the approaching enemies, several ships of the Escoffier fleet broke up from the blockade and increased their altitude to meet them in a fight. However, the pirates simply bypassed them even as they were being fired upon. It was soon clear that all of them had their eyes on one prize: the Wolfsbane.

Using the turrets and covering fire provided by allied ships, many of the pirates were blown up before they could reach the royal ship. Unfortunately, "many" was not synonymous with "all"; three ships managed to survive the onslaught and managed to get close enough to the Wolfsbane to drop their crews. And since they were too close to the ship, the Escoffier ships were unable to provide fire support for fear of friendly fire.

"Boarding action!" The captain yelled at the intercom. "Prepare for hand-to-hand combat!"

"Get to the cabins!" Lady Trent shouted to the children. "All of you!"

"We could fight!" Greg immediately retorted.

"No, you're not! You have only…!" She was about to tell them off when she realized something. "Where's the Prince?"

It was at that moment that everyone on the bridge realized that the royalty had disappeared.

While others were distracted by the unorthodox movement of the pirate ships, Ned immediately went into action, heading towards the deck with a sword in his hands.

Upon arriving at his destination, he saw several sailors trying to put up a valiant fight, but were unfortunately outnumbered. His first target was right in front of him, not noticing his arrival due to looking in the other direction. He didn't waste time and stabbed him in the back.

"GAAH!"

The death scream of the man alerted his fellow pirates who immediately went toward him. One left himself open, allowing the Prince to cut his throat. Another – a woman – tried to slash him, but Ned blocked it before kicking her in the stomach. It gave him the opening to split her head into two.

His next opponent was a man wielding a sword in each of his hands, causing the memory to surface from the deep part of his mind. However, when he made a…move, the person in his mind would sooner fall to his own blade than be associated with the pirate in front of him.

When the former Lord of Winterfell sliced off one of his feet before beheading him, he did it not just for being his opponent, but also for the sake of a deceased worthy opponent.

"I swear to the Saint," Lady Trent was barely holding back her fury. "If I get my hands on His Royal Highness then I…will…"

When she realized that the Crown Prince was heading toward the deck, the mistress-at-arms cursed out loud as she ran as fast as she could. Angelica, Jilk, and Greg decided to follow her as well, worried about the safety of the boy with the official name of Julius Rapha Holfort.

Upon arriving at the deck, they thought that they would find him currently fighting the pirates. While they weren't exactly wrong, they didn't include the existence of bodies scattering around the blue-haired boy; they arrived just in time to witness him stabbing a man through his throat.

One pirate tried to use the opportunity by stabbing the Prince in the back. However, in just one move, the sword moved from the throat to the stomach. Ned pulled his blade in time to parry an attack and countered it with a beheading.

Seeing many of their comrades being killed, the pirates turned their tail and tried to escape; three of them were cut down by the boy with the rest gunned down by the arriving reinforcement. Allied ships were finally able to get close to the Wolfsbane and started to board the pirates' very own ships, diverting their attention.

The fight was still ongoing, but the result was not in question.

With no threat in sight, Ned went towards one of the bodies and used its clothes to clean the blood from his sword before sheathing it back to its scabbard. He looked around for a while before noticing a wounded pirate sitting against the railing, coughing up blood. The boy walked towards him who noticed his approach and raised his hands, signaling that he was surrendering.

"P...Pl…" The pirate coughed up blood once more. "H…He…"

Ned crouched down so that the eyes of both men were of the same height. The wounded one stared at the one younger than him, wondering why he had not called for his injury to be healed…before becoming stiff as a dagger was thrust into his heart, ending his life in an instant.

"J…Jul…" Seeing the event, a certain blonde girl couldn't hide her shock. "Why…did you…?"

"His lungs are collapsing into themselves." The veteran of two rebellions explained. "Any help offered would simply prolong his suffering."

"Out of curiosity," Lady Trent stared at him. "How do you know that?"

"…I have the best teacher in the world." That was the answer he decided to give. "Anyway, we should find a place to store the bodies until we reach the land where they could be buried."

"Why bother?" A sailor spoke. "We could just dump them overboard."

"Whatever sin that they have, they already paid it with their lives," Ned stated. "Furthermore, we will give them a proper burial because it's a decent thing to do. Just find some unused land to dig a grave."

As the conversation occurred, Jilk and Greg looked around the deck and couldn't help but feel sick. The smell of blood was starting to enter their noses, causing them to cover the lower half of their faces. There were also other smells created by the corpses unleashing their wastes.

It was not the only feeling that they had though; there was also a bit of shame at how they were unable to handle the aftermath of a battle, especially once they looked at the Crown Prince and saw how he pretty much ignored the smells.

Unknown to them, Ned wanted to be anywhere but his current spot. The sight reminded him too much of the time when he, Robert, and Jon Arryn raised a rebellion against the Mad King.

"A toast for our victory!" Count Georges Fia Escoffier. "Cheers!"

""Cheers!""

Once all of them drank the wine, the people attending the feast immediately set their eyes on the many dishes available; some were made using the best local ingredients while others were made using items more exotic for the tongues of the Holfortians. Nevertheless, they enjoyed the festivities in the ways that they knew; drank some wine, indulged in the food, and shared stories with friends.

Despite his actions during the battle, Ned managed to find himself a secluded place in spite of the ongoing celebration; it suited him well enough. Jilk was not far from him, observing the room for any potential threat. Greg was spending his time with several people, asking for tales of fighting pirates. Angelica…where was she…?

"There you are." He immediately received the answer. "You never really like being the center of attention."

"If my duty requires me to, I shall do it." He explained. "However, these people simply want to enjoy still being among the living, so there's no need for me to do anything."

"I suppose the name 'Quiet Prince' really does fit you," Angelica said, sipping on the wine. "Be truthful to me, are you…alright? After all of that?"

"To say that I am alright is going to make me a liar," Ned replied before seeing his fiancée's expression. "Don't be afraid, I will…manage. Just…don't be surprised to hear me waking up screaming."

It was – unfortunately – something that he did when his dreams made him remember the past; the battles of the Rebellion, the bodies of Elia Martell and her children, and the last words of his sister. The only silver linings were that it rarely happened and Catelyn was there to comfort him, understanding the pain that he had.

When he was reborn in this world, not once had he had such a dream. Perhaps the blessing would now come to an end.

"If…If you need…someone on your side," Angelica said. "I am always available."

"I appreciate it." Ned smiled. "Besides, it should be me who asks about your well-being."

"I am not made of glass, Jul." She assured him. "At least I am not facing the threats of death directly like you."

"Congratulations, Your Highness."

Both of them were taken by surprise. Someone as big as him should not be able to move that quietly.

"Not only you took part in the eradication of the menace, but you also personally slew some of them with your own hands." The Count stated. "Some of my men have returned home and – trust men on this – they could be worse gossipers than their wives. It wouldn't take long for the words to spread."

"You have my thanks, Lord Escoffier." The former Lord of Winterfell stated.

"Thanks? For what?" Despite that, he kept a smile on his face. "I have no hands in whatever my men said. It is none of my business, after all."

"No. No, it is not." He agreed with the statement.

"On another topic, Your Highness, I believe I have found a perfect gift in return for the ones that you gave me." His smile became a bit wider. "It's a bit…unorthodox, but I am sure you will appreciate it."

When the party was over, it was decided that the time had come for the royal entourage to depart and continued their tour. Before leaving, the Lord of House Escoffier didn't forget to give them the departure gift, one that was also given in exchange for the food and drink that he received.

"Letters of grievance," Angelica commented with disbelief in her voice. "Count Escoffier gifted us…letters of grievance."

"He's right that these are a bit unorthodox," Ned said as he inspected one letter after another. "However, these would be quite helpful in our task, right?"

"I believe so. Communication tends to be an issue between the capital and the borders. Our arrival is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the nobles living in the borders to deliver a message to the Crown." The blonde gave her opinion. "Message that is guaranteed to reach the ears of the King and Queen."

"Then that should be our goal." He stated. "Gather as many as…"

BOOM

The voice that sounded like a cannon being fired was followed by the ship having turbulence. It was only for a moment, but it was enough to make them worried.

"What was that?" The duke's daughter asked.

"I'll check with the captain." The Prince said before heading towards the bridge.

"A storm, Your Highness." The man explained, cutting right into the heart of the matter. "One that is slowly yet surely heading towards us."

"Can we move away from it?" He asked.

"I don't think so. If the statements given by the lookouts are correct, then even if we sail at full speed, we will still end up in it." The captain shook his head. "We need to find a safe harbor."

"Captain," A midshipman – a brunette - approached him. "We have inspected the map and found the nearest island that possesses the infrastructure necessary to keep Wolfsbane safely docked."

"Good job then." He smiled.

"If you don't mind," Ned spoke to her. "Could you tell me who owns the island in question?"

"According to the data that we have, it is owned by a new noble house." She answered. "One that goes by the name of Bartfort."

And done!

If you have a question or suggestion, feel free to tell me.

Review, please!