Eddard VIII
"It happens, my Lord." Catelyn spoke softly, her voice easing Eddards mind slightly. "You have come through a lot. Death, pain, treason. We can wait." Ned understood, yet he dared not to speak with his wife about the true reason she did not know about.
'It is normal that people don't want others to watch them during screwing like bunnies. Don't worry Ned, you might see it as a failure but it's just a minor insignificant flop.' He understood, yet he could not feel that the Voice didn't mean well by the comment. Ned's worries were proven true as the voice full of mirth appeared in his mind once again. 'You get it? Cuz you flopped, haha!' Eddard hated the Voice.
Two months passed yet no cart came from Bolton lands, Ned hoped for faster delivery but the distances were too vast and the order itself a bit surprising. Thankfully he had other things to focus on. A raven came from William Dustin of Barrowton, he reported two ships in Lannister livery docking at the Fever River mouth after which a few dozen men with Lannister guards came ashore. 'Prospectors for the road.' The Voice added. Tywin acted fast, the war was officially not over yet according to the latest news from the south, Dragonstone was yet to be taken.
'That is another point of interest for us, with Dragonstone being a wasteland full of volcanic ash and rocks it will become one of the most important sites for concrete production and export towards King's Landing and perhaps the Free Cities. If Stannis were to take it he would become one of the most important Lords in the realm despite not knowing it.' Ned knew that as well, despite molten stone being "rediscovered" in the North itself it was the South that had better infrastructure, building capabilities and logistics that were needed in concrete based building. Eddard and the Voice have spoken about it for a long time, and then he himself has spoken with Maester Luwin to know more about the southern geography.
Stannis was a hard man. 'A favour, a friendship, it doesn't matter. The North has to gain something out of Dragonstone.' Trade, Eddard knew was the answer. Wood and cloth shipped south and food shipped north would be the most optimal. But it was not the time to act on it. 'When we travel south.' Eddard responded, after which he went back to reading the various letters sent by him from the masterly and greater houses of the North.
"I will do it." Benjen spoke as they sat together with Eddard in the Lord's solar. While happy with Benjen's cooperation Ned wasn't so happy for the reason for it. "Dozens of thousands died because of me, if that road will help the North, or at least stop some from starving then I will oversee it. Old Gods know that I have to redeem myself." Eddard wished to once again say that it was not his brother's fault, yet he knew it would fall deaf on his ears and so he stayed silent on the matter. His own brother has been avoiding him for the past months, it was a blow to Ned. He has failed yet another member of his ever shrinking family.
"You will take guards, masons, builders, and whoever else you will need to Moat Cailin. With letters granting you Lordship over the territory of the New City and the surrounding lands, once proper holdfast will be made you will rule those lands from the New City itself." Ned knew that it sounded rich, yet both he and Benjen knew that it was nothing more than a few hamlets and villages that span across a narrow territory from the tip of salt spear to the Moat Cailin, the latter being kept directly in his hands. 'And I know as well! It is actually weird that Fever River is part of the Moat Cailin fiefdom though and directly Stark land.' The Voice added, to which Ned decided to answer, feeling better, knowing something that the Voice itself didn't. 'The Starks defeated the Barrow Kings and claimed part of the territory in the ages past to build a fortress and secure the entrance to their new kingdom against the marsh kings, it is a common knowledge in the North.' The Voice kept silent after his education speech, Ned signed it as victory.
"And I will have to deal with whomever the Lannisters send to oversee their workers, as well as oversee the northern workers myself." Ned had heard from multiple men at the castle that his younger brother didn't take well to ledgers and was often seen in the yard, he could relate to his feelings.
A small smile spread through his face before he spoke. "Don't spare gold, Lannisters are paying after all." 'Is that even a joke?' The Voice asked in his mind yet Ned didn't pay attention as Benjen laughed at his brother's jape. 'Why is he laughing… nevermind.'
Weeks later Ned said his goodbyes with Benjen, as the man travelled south with a caravan of a few hundred people. Learned men, builders, guards and their families.
Riders came and went, letters were exchanged and finally to the castle itself arrived wagons of goods from Dreadfort, or rather some hamlet in its proximity. Maester Luwin was called as well as one literate person that Ned had a job for.
Limestone was collected in their own lands and as such in a few of the old no longer used rooms of the old keep a 'laboratory' was made with storage closeby. The limestone was 'cooked' for hours after which water was added for it to turn into dust once dried, volcanic ash was grinded and volcanic rocks smashed into smaller pieces.
"If I might ask my Lord." Measter Luwin started looking at what Eddard did, next came the question which both Ned and the Voice expected. "How do you know how to recreate the molten stone of Valyria?"
Eyes focused at Ned, who in turn responded. "I don't, but that is what they used. There are many volcanoes in Valyria." The limestone was a common building material, used often to whitewash walls. 'Imagine Winterfell with smooth walls of white, it would truly be a jewel of the North.' Ned didn't know that the Voice could bring itself to such semantics, yet he decided that it would look better than a rough grey stone. 'Prestige is also power.'
The limestone, volcanic ash and water were worked together into a paste and soon the rock itself was added creating a mixture similar to that of dough, mealable in one's hands but not fluid. With wooden form, almost perfect looking brick was made and left for two days to dry and harden.
"It cracked." Luwin observed as they once again looked upon the brick once it dried, despite becoming hard there were cracks all over it. "And it is brittle." He added as he touched it and his fingers alone managed to scratch the surface of the cube. "But somehow it holds, almost like a stone, if a very brittle one." Ned wasn't sure if Luwin was disappointed or impressed.
"The ratio of ingredients was wrong." Eddard spoke after which he turned to the man he brought over once again. A son of a builder who spent a lot of money to make his son capable of reading and writing. "Jonah, you will work the ingredients into those bricks again and again until you get the ratio right by chance. Write down everything and test every single one for its strengths and weaknesses. Good luck." It was the only thing he could do, it might take weeks, months and hopefully not years but it had to be done. 'The ingredients are right, that I am sure of.' Voice added, Ned sometimes thought of how the world that Voice came from looked like. 'If I could show you I would, there were many great things, but there were also just as many bad things that were created.' It was not the first time that the Voice mentioned 'bad things', yet it never spoke more about it.
Two weeks were left until the annual harvest feast where many of the northern Lords would come and celebrate, at least officially. The yearly meetings were meant mostly to discuss and make deals between the ruling class and as Lord Paramount of the North, Winterfell was the seat that held the feast every year. This time though there would be much more to speak about, Ned thought.
There were many things about which Eddard and the Voice discussed, yet most fell out of grace given the necessity of Robert's approval or even possible rebellion in the North itself. Many changes would destabilise the nearly autonomous kingdom and some other changes could threaten the Lords too much.
Small changes were needed first, but as some Lords started arriving at the castle it was something else that attracted the attention of everyone.
"Stannis Baratheon has taken Dragonstone, the war is over!" It was Luwin that spoke, citing a letter from King's Landing sent by the Hand, Jon Arryn. There were cheers and loud outbursts of drunken men claiming victory over Targaryens in the hall. 'No words about capturing the Targaryens, it seems what I said before still stands.' Voice added and Ned couldn't help but agree. Targaryens escaped across the Narrow Sea and the storm took care of the loyalist fleet. Ned didn't like it, the death of people never sat well with him.
"You don't seem happy." Howland Reed spoke, the man sat to his right but not as a man of honour but as a friend. The feast was small and consisted only of the Lords that came from further afar starting their journey much earlier in case of unforeseen circumstances slowing them down.
Ned didn't look at him as he spoke. "Because I am not. I know Robert, there will be a feast at the Capital to celebrate it with many Lords from all over the Seven Kingdoms." He took a mug of ale and took a sip before continuing. "A celebration that I will have to attend, deep in the den of vipers."
Howland smiled though it didn't reach his eyes. "Speaking of vipers, news from the Neck." Ned looked at his friends face, worried about Lannisters doing something they were not supposed to. "Some men cut down two villages in Riverlands, in Mallister lands to be exact. Not far from the neck." 'Freys.' The Voice spoke inside his mind, the sound almost that of a viper itself, full of venom. Yet another problem that would need to be taken care of. 'In time.' The Voice added as if thinking about it.
"They don't want the road from Seagard to the mouth of the Fever River through the eastern part of the neck." Eddard sighed, tired of all the politics, even here in the North. "Watch the border, as always." Howland nodded, though both of them knew that it wouldn't do much. House Mallister lands were much more open to Frey interference. 'It will be up to Hoster to take care of that. I wouldn't mind killing off every Frey and giving the castle to someone closer to your new family.' Ned didn't like thinking like that but Freys have proven themselves untrustworthy by not taking part in the rebellion. These actions, if it truly were them that cut down those villages would put them as traitors, or at least Walder Frey himself would hang for this.
Days after days more and more Lords showed up with Catelyn preparing small welcome feasts every other day. Finally everyone arrived marking the start of a long and happy feast and as long but not so happy talks between the Lords.