"It is done, my Lord." Said fearfully one of the many maesters responsible for the ravens. With the letter sent Eddard walked out of maester tower and left to speak with the only survivor of his brother's party.
'If you did not lay with Ashara it must have been Brandon while he was in the black cells, Ethan could know.' Eddard didn't respond but was thinking of what to do with Ashara, he loved her, but it was Brandon that took her to his tent at Harrenhal.
'You took all that belonged to him, wife, castle, and more importantly the North itself.' Eddard couldn't stay silent after what the Voice said and responded within his mind. 'I didn't take it. I never wanted it. It's a curse bestowed upon me just as you are.' Eddard sighed as he thought of how much easier it was when the Voice wasn't with him.
'Nor did I want to live in your mind, nor see that all you can see and hear what you think all the time.' The Voice answered calmly. 'Arthur will need to live if Ashara's child is to have a chance to survive, perhaps it was Asharas grief that caused the girl's death.' Eddard would rather not think about another member of his family dead, but it was his duty to do so to try to prevent it, bastard or not. And there was also Lyanna's son.
'She has a higher chance of survival, a trusted maester and a squad of Crossbowmen to save Lyanna, Ser Barristan and Oberyn himself to save Ashara's daughter. It all comes to the Tower of Joy.' The Voice spoke and Eddard knew it well, it was part of the reason why Eddard asked for Oberyn to come with Doran. He saved Ellia, it was time for them to return the favour.
'You learn how to be a lord, good.' Eddard heard the Voice again, thought he didn't like the complement. 'Everyone wants something, it is best to understand what they want. Oberyn wants for Ellia and Doran to be safe above all else, while Doran has ambitions greater than your father had. Oberyn will listen to you.' Eddard hoped so as well.
"Ethan." Eddard spoke as he wondered if young Glover was sleeping, he was covered in minor wounds, malnutrition made his body skinny and his skin was looking sickly pale. Eddard could see it all despite standing in the door entrance to the Ethan's room.
"Lord Eddard." Ethan responded weakly, Eddard entered the room as Ethan sat on the bed. "I am sorry, my Lord. I failed to protect Brandon, and Lord Rickard died because of it, if only…"
"If only giants were still in the North." Ned interrupted Ethan's speech. "There is no point to think what if, you are alive and that in itself is more than we hoped for. Your cousins Robett and Galbart worried about you, even if they didn't voice it in front of me. "You are alive, and still can be of help to me."
Ethan looked up, hope filled his face as he looked at his lord's face. "They might not have fed me well, but I am still strong, I will ride by your side, my Lord."
Eddard was quick to answer. "You will not ride south, you will stay in King's Landing and wait for the northern host to return here before marching back home." Hope crushed in Ethan's eyes.
Ned continued. "There are rumors that I heard that I am curious about. I heard that Lady Ashara Dayne visited Brandon while he was in the cells." Ethan's eyes immediately went down to stare at the floor. He said nothing, to which Eddard sighed.
'So it's Brandon's child.' The Voice stated the obvious, Eddard stood up and left the room, leaving Ethan to rest.
He could see the sails from the Red Keep's walls, a gold spear piercing red sun. Four ships of house Martell docked in King's Landing, according to one of his men they did so twenty minutes ago.
'It is best to greet them, best not to let Tywin do so alone, or at all.' Ned agreed and descended the stairs to the main courtyard.
Tywin was absent, Eddard noticed. He expected that the Great Lion didn't know of Martells coming and was probably informed recently. 'It will be easier to speak with them without Lannisters.'
Martells entered the courtyard a few minutes later, twenty men on horses clothed in golden colors above their armors. They stopped a few meters before Ned and dismounted.
"Prince Doran, Prince Oberyn." Eddard spoke as they approached. "Lord Stark." Prince Doran greeted Eddard, who noticed some stiffness in Doran's movements. 'Gout.' The Voice said quickly.
"Lord Stark." Oberyn said second. "I would wish to speak with you, but I have to ask you to grant me access to my sister first." The younger prince said, though still older than Eddard.
"I will lead you to the Princess myself." Eddard spoke and turned not waiting for an acknowledgement, he could see that Oberyn barely restrained himself not to rush after him.
"Is King Robert in King's Landing?" Doran asked. The title that the prince used didn't go deaf on Ned.
"He is not, we expect him to arrive in three days with the host." He answered truthfully. 'Will they try to smuggle Ellia and Rhaenys out of King's Landing?' The Voice mused in his mind. 'It would be foolish to try it with so many men patrolling the Red Keep and the city itself.' We will know once we speak to them, they might see me as an ally if Ellia speaks of me well, thought Eddard.
It took them a few minutes to get to Ellia's room. Eddard said to the guards to inform princess Ellia of the arrival of her brothers, they did so quickly and Ellia allowed them in.
"I will take my leave for now, ask guards in Stark livery to seek me if you have need of me." Eddard said and left the room. 'That went easy, I expected something more from them, Oberyn is known for using poisons.' Eddard thought of informing Tywin of such but decided not to, the man is more informed than he himself is.
'We need to send a rider to Jon Arryn to inform him of Doran's arrival, he will know what to say to Robert.' Voice spoke and Eddard went to his solar to write the letter.
It was a few hours later that Oberyn asked Eddard to meet him. They stood opposite each other in the gardens of the Red Keep, many guards looked at them, yet far away not to overhear them.
"Ellia says that your men saved her, from Tywin's dogs." Ned expected Oberyn to get straight to the point.
"They did, though Aegon was dead when they entered the chambers, but I guess Princess told you so," Ned said stoically and waited for Oberyn's reply. "She did, she was still alive cuz the monster wanted to have some fun with her, thankfully a plate armor is hard to undress from." Eddard said nothing to that.
"I wished to thank you and ask you for a favor." Ned sighed internally wishing that Oberyn hadn't said that.
"I would advise not to try smuggling her out." He said, his face stoic. Oberyn was quick to respond. "No, it is not what I meant. Though I appreciate the idea, Lord Stark."
Oberyn winked, Eddard wished he didn't, knowing prince Oberyn tastes. 'Perhaps he wishes to bed you in return for Ellia's rescue.' The Voice quipped, it's mirth evident in the voice. "I wish to ask you to include some of our men in Ellia's guard, and to help us convince Robert of allowing them to go back to Dorne." Oberyn said.
"I already sent a letter to Jon Arryn stating that, though I plan to call in the favor earlier than you think." Eddard stated and continued as he noticed that Oberyn waited for him to explain. "My sister is held in Dorne by Gerold Hightower, Oswell Whent and Arthur Dayne. I would like you to come with me, not to fight them but for you to convince Arthur to lay down his sword, or even to flee to Dragonstone where Viserys resides, I would have not my sister endangered by fighting."
Oberyn looked at Ned thoughtfully for a second before responding. "When Ellia and Rhaenys are free to go home, I will accompany you. Arthur and I are old friends, perhaps he will listen to me, though I wouldn't expect much, Lord Stark."
"I don't, I intend to bring a few dozen trusted crossbowmen with me. Surely it will help you try to convince them to surrender, Prince Oberyn." He said calmly, not excepting for Oberyn to burst out laughing.
"It will, Stark, it will." Oberyn said and claimed that he needs to return to his sister's side. They parted and went their separate ways.
'Doran will probably bend the knee, bring Ellia and Rhaenys to Dorne and wait for the opportunity to claim the throne in Rhaenys name.' The Voice claimed, though now it was just pure speculation. 'It is within Doran's character. Perhaps you might speak to Oberyn about how to heal the gout that Doran has, it might bring Oberyn closer to you. It might be useful.' Eddard stopped walking and asked in his mind. 'Gout can be healed?'
The Voice was quick to respond. 'Gout is caused by a bad diet, a lot of wine and red meat mostly. Tell Oberyn to make Doran eat less meat, more vegetables and a lot of citruses for a few months, Doran will notice the difference.' Eddard thought that Oberyn might not believe him of such claims. 'Would you not try if it was Benjen that had gout?' Eddard knew what he would do, he would push citruses through Benjen's mouth with force if he would need to, and given Oberyn's personality and mastery of poisons Doran might even not know what would be in his meal.
'I think that Oberyn likes you, be wary of him when you sleep on the road to Storm's End and Tower of Joy. It will be interesting to watch, he will travel with us for more than two months.' Eddard swore that the Voice existed just to annoy him, surely the prince would do nothing to him in his sleep.
"Your grace." Eddard spoke as he kneeled with hundreds of lords and knights doing the same. Tywin and Doran spoke second to him, Robert wasn't surprised seeing Doran in King's Landing. Many more spoke their greetings to Robert, though Ellia was still in her room.
"Ned, I heard that many interesting things happened here." Robert spoke as he walked up to Eddard and hoisted him up to stand on his legs. "I heard that Aerys wanted to burn the city." Robert said seriously, expecting an answer.
"We cleared the Red Keep first, we are evacuating parts of King's Landing and clearing it district by district. Lord Tywin himself is leading the operation." Eddard spoke calmly while noting that all the other lords still knelt, he frowned at the sight. Robert noticed and yelled with his strong lungs.
"Up, all of you!" 'Such grace, and thoughtfulness.' The Voice mocked. 'It is time to negotiate the cost of Northern interference.' Eddard didn't like the sound of it, but the Voice was right. If Robert was to beggar the crown it would be best to claim some of Aerys treasury for the North.
'A road from New City through the Seagard to Riverrun, Hoster should be in favor of it since it would decrease Freys influence.' Ned agreed with the Voice, it would be best if Freys didn't control the only passage between Riverlands proper and the whole North.
Thankfully he already spoke to Howland about building a road between the Saltspear tip and the southern border with Riverlands. It would decrease the defensiveness of the North but the ages of Andals invasions are long gone. Not to mention he wanted to terraform the entire Neck into rice fields, the Voice told him of such possibility. It warned him that it will take dozens of years and a lot of gold, but a good road cutting through the swampy hill will make it easier, Eddard thought as Robert entered the throne room with everyone else present. 'It's time for some good drama, I wish I had some popcorn.' The Voice japed once again. At least it stopped singing, Eddard thought.
Robert spent almost the whole day speaking with various minor lords that long since made their home at King's Landing. Oaths were spoken and claims of loyalty shouted at Robert, thought nothing of import happened.
At the end of the court Eddard was asked to come into a small council chamber for a meeting between lords paramounts, that was to start in half an hour. 'It is best that you eat something, the meeting will be taxing, I heard that they have a nice tasting cheese here.' The Voice advised. Eddard was indeed hungry.
Author's quite long note: (It's mostly a rant about other SI's fanfics)
Just so you, readers know. I read quite a bit of 'One-SI-uplift-stories' where a modern person shows up in a world like ASOIAF, and I found almost none of it to be realistic.
- Making a simple printing press? That's quite easy, but in most fanfics it acts like a modern laser printer with a scanner capable of copying books in a matter of hours. In one fanfic SI used the printing press to copy every book in Citadel once... ONCE! What the hell?! It would be easier and faster to use a quill to do that. Of course the SI was hailed as a genius for doing so... In some fanfics printing press was used properly.
- Introducing a better heavy plow? New harvester/seeder? Planting techniques? Sure, it's not hard and almost anyone can recreate it in time, but again, in fanfics it takes few days to spread the information and equipment while realistically it would take few years to even notice a difference in the food output (other than SI's immediate surrounding), not to mention the costs of production of almost a million of such machines for every farmer in the North alone. When there is a lot of food, it becomes cheaper. In the end you make barely any money out of it - who will buy it when everyone has it in abudance? It would serve only to increase the total population and to increase urbanization rate.
- Introducing a new logistics system? Again, in fanfics it's like SI says "Oh you know, do that and that, cuz what you do now is stupid and prone to corruption" and then everyone knows what to do, while in real life it takes years to teach such things, not to mention that introducing new systems like that destroys stability of the realm for a time until the widespread adaptation of a new system.
- Introducing a new type of ships from the Age of Sail? I, like 99,9% of people on earth have no idea how to make a simple boat other to make a hole in the trunk of a tree. Dozens of different new tools (better ropes, sawmills for better quality cut wood, large swatches of cloth with consistent quality and much, much more) needs to be made in order to even try to recreate such ships. In fanfics all the SI does is give a paper with poorly made schematic of the ship to a shipmaker (note that most of them couldn't read) and in a year or two he has an entire flotilla with multi-million gold dragons worth company that dominates entire trade on the narrow sea with every major trading city hiring pirates to try and capture one of those ships to try and recreate it, but failing, cuz ofc the ship is too stronk...
Everything above needs learned men to implement, and the only person that can teach someone about doing so is SI. It creates a massive bottleneck, which can only be slightly expanded using books to transfer knowledge, but it still needs to be explained to make sure that the person reading it understands it properly - how much time does SI have while also running realm the size of almost half of the Seven Kingdoms?
- Digging a canal with shovels in a realm (the North) where the urbanization is close to 1%? In fanfics they do so in one year and make the money back 100 times over in few more years - that's 400 fucking miles with hills in the way! (Panama Canal is 50 miles long and it took USA 10 years to build it with early excavators)
Is it a rant? Yes!
I wanted to create a fanfic that is not a wank meant to show the greatness of SI, but to show his constant struggle. Economic, diplomatic, wartime and personal struggle. Lastly, there won't be TV Show's Others where you need to stab one guy to kill an entire species...