"Hail the gate!" I barked to the guards standing watch at the Hunter's Gate.
"Hail! Who approaches the Hunter's Gate?" A familiar voice called out. I couldn't help but grin as I recognized one of my trainees standing watch.
"Benjamin, of the House Stark!"
"Good morning, my Lord! Open the gate!" he yelled up to the gate house before turning back to us. "We were told you were out hunting! How did you fare?"
"A resounding success," I said with a grin across my face as I glanced back at the rest of the group behind me, "I've brought back seven wolves, a fat stag, and a full motley assortment!"
"A fine hunt indeed, my Lord! We had no idea Lord Rickard had joined you, though," the guard said as he looked at dad nervously. I just grinned crookedly as the gate opened.
"I did not," Lord Stark said as he walked through the now open gate to meet us. I thought the poor guard was going to faint as he whirled around back and forth to examine dad and Lord Rickard. "Benjamin! Good morning, my Lord! I was just on my way to the godswood but it appears my prayers have been answered already!"
"Good morning, Lord Stark! I would like to introduce you to my father – Lincoln," the Stark's eyes widened in surprise, "my mother – Alice, siblings Rebecca and Ryan, my Uncle, Aunt, and their daughter - Andrew, Jessica, and Jennifer respectively. As well as my teachers, Harry Potter with his godson and Filius Flitwick. And Lady Andromeda of the House Black."
"Seven Starks? My, you must have quite the tale to tell… My lady Black, I welcome you to Winterfell. Come, breakfast will be served within the hour, bread and salt will be awaiting you all there. I am sure you wish to be rid of the cold."
"Oh, heavens, yes," Dad grinned as he dismounted himself to meet Rickard. With the two side by side, it was clear to see that they would be identical if dad was about fifty pounds lighter - no wonder the guard thought it was Rickard riding through with me. "A spot of tea would be lovely."
"Then tea we will have. Benjamin, did you think over Lord Mormont's proposal?"
"Aye, I did. I accept," I said, and Rickard's eyes widened in surprise. "I understand I need a cloak for her with my sigil, yes?"
"Aye, that is the tradition."
"Will this do?" I unfurled the banner I had made for myself and passed it to the Stark Lord who examined the woolen cloak carefully.
"This will do well, indeed. This is your chosen sigil? I would not think it wise to use a dragon as your standard. The King will not be pleased to learn of a house raising a Black Dragon in any form, the Blackfyre pretenders saw to it that a black dragon will never be welcome in Westeros again. I myself fought in the War of the Ninepenny Kings against the last Blackfyre, Maelys the Monstrous, and his Golden Company on the battlefield." Rickard said as he nervously handed the cloak back to me. The banner was as simple as the Stark Banner but instead of a snarling, grey wolf on a white field, I chose to use a roaring, black dragon on the same field. It was unmistakably a Stark banner, as the Dragon had the same stylized scales as the Direwolf standard, but I felt it was a fitting banner for me to use.
"The Dragon Smith and Dragon Banner," Flitwick snorted. "How appropriate."
"Pardon, little Lord, but did you say Dragon Smith?" Rickard asked with an edge in his voice.
"Aye," Flitwick said cautiously. "He was rather famous among my kin for how dragons took to him."
"Dragons?" Rickard whispered in awe, ushering us toward the godswood with a backward glance at the stable boys taking our horses and the already bored guards back in their positions, oblivious to the conversation taking place. "You've seen dragons?"
"Well…" I started but Uncle Andrew cut me off before I could say anything else.
"Hah! I'd be surprised if he hadn't hatched a dragon by now," he said with a grin, turning to look at me with a joking grin only to be met with my grimace. "You didn't." It wasn't a question.
"I did," I said simply and Rickard nearly fell on his face at the admission.
"You hatched a dragon!?" He hissed at me as we found ourselves in front of the Heart Tree. "When did you hatch a bloody dragon!?" Rickard hissed, as scared as I had ever seen him.
"Peace, Lord Stark," I said carefully. "I hatched them a week ago. The Targs were kind of right when they said Fire and Blood."
"You need only Fire and Blood to hatch a dragon?" Rickard asked disbelievingly, I was about to reply but was cut off.
"Why are dragons such a big deal?" Harry asked flippantly. "There's plenty of 'em back home. Even dealt with a couple in the past, myself. Hell, they call Ben the Dragon Smith because of how good he supposedly is with them - heard he had a hundred scrapping before him at one point. Any truth to that, kid?"
"Some," was my clipped response.
"Ah, more then?"
"Every dragon of the Nation," Flitwick said gravely, much to Uncle Andrew's surprise.
"All of them?"
"All of them, Andrew. All three hundred he met were rolling like pups at his feet," Professor Flitwick said with a nod of his head. "And, knowing your nephew, he wouldn't stop at hatching a single dragon."
"Benjamin…" Rickard started slowly, "if there is any truth to this, how many dragons did you hatch?"
"Thirteen," was all I said as Rickard's eyes nearly rolled up in the back of his head. He managed to stay conscious, but he staggered and would have fallen into the pool in front of the Heart Tree if I hadn't caught him.
"Thirteen? Thirteen!?" He hissed at me, pushing a finger into my chest when he finally regained his feet. "When I said the bogs could hide a hundred dragons, I could not have imagined it would be put to the test! The Kingdoms were broken by the might of three dragons, their Riders, and little more than fifteen hundred men when the Conqueror set his sights on Westeros. The North bowed to those three dragons and a host of ten thousand when Aegon rallied the might of those six broken kingdoms behind him! What do you think you can do with Thirteen?! What hell would you unleash!?"
"I wouldn't," I said simply, getting a disbelieving look from the Stark Lord. "But if you want more Valyrian Steel then I'll need those Dragons."
"Are you threatening me, boy?" Rickard growled. I raised my eyebrow before realizing how that sounded. I lifted my hands in surrender and shook my head.
"No! Do you think I'd ever threaten you, Rickard?" The Lord hesitated and shook his head in the negative. "See! No, I meant that literally. I need the dragons to make more Valyrian Steel if my theory's right," the light bulb finally went off as Lord Stark's eyes widened.
"You could make Valyrian Steel? New Valyrian Steel?" he asked slowly before he grinned and pulled me into a bear hug. "A gift from the Old Gods! They smiled upon me and our House when you arrived here! I fear for our safety still but new Valyrian Steel is a boon too large to be turned away, how long will it take before you can begin making it?"
"It depends on how fast the dragons grow," I said as Lord Stark's eyes glittered.
"Balerion, the Black Dread, was the largest of the three Dragons Aegon the Conqueror brought with him when he and his sister-wives set their sights on the kingdoms. It is said that when Balerion was ten years old, his fire was hot enough to melt stone and he was large enough to swallow a pony in a single bite. When Aegon invaded the Kingdoms, Balerion had seen a hundred and ten years and could swallow a wagon. By the time he died, at two hundred, he could swallow a mammoth whole - such a size was he. Though, records indicate dragons breath their first flame at six months of age."
"Then you may be in luck, Lord Stark," I said with a grin. "But what did Balerion look like?" Rickard blinked but answered the question, ignoring the rest of the impatient party in his excitement.
"Excuse me," Mom cut in. I closed my eyes and bit the inside of my cheek. "Yes? Sorry to interrupt! But you said we were going to the great hall? As lovely as the trees here are, it is a bit chilly."
"My apologies, Madam, we will make our way there now," Rickard said solemnly as he bowed his head to mom, but I could tell he was flustered as he turned back to me. "Balerion was a dragon, I know not how else to describe him."
"Did he have a mace on his tail?"
"No. No Dragon in recorded memory had a mace," I just nodded slowly and wondered just how big Ancaleon was going to get if he, Inferna, and Oramir were different dragons than this mammoth swallower named Balerion. But anyway, we were off from the godswood and bound for the great keep.
While the rest of my small party were seated at one of the front trestle tables, with servants rushing in with hot drinks and bread, Rickard and I were off to find Lord Mormont. Luckily for us, we managed to catch the Old Bear just before he was about to leave his rooms.
"Lords Stark," he said with a grin on his bearded face. "Are the tidings fair or poor this morning?"
"Poor," I said, making the man's face fall slightly, "for me, I'm afraid. I'm about to be made an honest man," I grinned as the Lord's face darkened with confusion before a grin stretched across his face.
"Excellent! Excellent indeed!" Jeor said as he invited us into the medium-sized, comfortable room. "Dacey was rather cross to learn she was being married off but her temper was not nearly as high as I feared it would be. It seems she's quite taken by the idea of you, lad. Marriage to a Stark who's a Lord in his own right? Don't tell her I told you this, but it's been the girl's dream for as long as her mother can remember! That and smashing Ironborn skulls, aye, but still a dream the girl's long had."
"A dream I'm sure many share, Lord Mormont. Many will becry this decision but will not fault you for seizing the opportunity," Rickard said sagely before grimacing. "I fear I shall have to assemble the Lords one time more in order to celebrate this marriage and the return of more Starks, my poor larders are besieged!"
"Bah! Dacey won't care if there's a feast or not, Rickard. Let the lass and lad have their night in peace!"
"Jon Umber has yet to leave the castle."
"Ah, we would feast whether we would want to or not. He's quite taken with you, lad," Jeor shook his head. "But what's this about more Starks?"
"My parents: Lincoln and Alice, siblings: Ryan and Rebecca, Uncle Andrew, Aunt Jessica, and their daughter Jennifer stumbled across me while I was hunting the Wolfswood. I find solace there that is seldom found in the godswood and made my decision there. I had thought to return with more meat for the wedding when I decided to go ahead with it but instead bagged seven wolves and a Stag."
"You found a Baratheon as well?"
"No, I found an old teacher of mine traveling with them. He fancies himself a stag but he's far from it."
"Ah, a Baratheon bastard then?"
"No," I said with a raised eyebrow. "His name is Harry Potter."
"I do not know of a House Potter, I would like to meet this man," Jeor said with a small grin.
"He's a good man, my Lord. But a bit impulsive."
"An impulsive scholar? Will wonders never cease?" Jeor said with a sparkle in his eye, excusing himself to break his fast and inform his niece and sister that the wedding was to happen.
Quickly, Rickard tutored me on what was to happen - other than the bride cloak that he had already mentioned in passing some weeks ago. On our way back to the great hall, he stopped a servant and instructed him to gather twenty men to lay torches along the path through the godswood and around the area the wedding would be held. I was to be there when the Sun went down, if not before, with no arms or armor - though either could be given as a wedding gift from the bride to groom or vice versa. That gave me an idea of what to make for Dacey, of course, it was going to be a little while before I could get to that… The wedding itself would take place at twilight or night itself in the sight of the old gods. It was a shockingly simple ceremony, just a few words, a prayer before the Heart Tree, and I would remove her cloak and put mine on her shoulders instead. No vows. No kiss in front of the guest. Just a simple ceremony… My mother would be disappointed. Though if any of us married 'In the Light of the Seven,' she would get the pomp and circumstance she loved. While she was a kind woman, she was used to things being a certain way: hers. When your husband's a Commodore in her majesty's navy, you do get used to a certain level of comfort - none of which could be found anywhere in this world.
With that in mind, both Lord Starks in the castle walked into the great hall to see it bustling with servants and lords alike all wondering who the newest folks at the front table were. Of course, Jon Umber had no intention of waiting around as he was towering over dad even while he was sitting down.
"You're Ben's pa!? Ah, that's a good lad you've raised. But how are you here? And how in the seven hells is he Lord of the Moat if you're here?"
"To answer your first question," I called to the Umber Lord's back. He looked over his shoulder with a grin as I moved to walk around the table, leaving Rickard a place by the Greatjon. "I stumbled across them in the Wolfswood, our ships were separated in the Sunset Sea by the mother of all storms. I ended up on Cape Kraken and they found themselves somewhere on the Stony Shore or Sea Dragon Point. They managed to make their way down here by chance alone it would appear," I grinned and met dad's eyes. They were wide but he nodded slowly.
"You have your ship still?" Greatjon asked with a clap to dad's shoulder.
"I'm afraid it was beached and later broken on the rocks, my Lord. We had managed to get a few of our possessions ashore the day before. Though the crew was lost, they thought it was a simple sandbar and would pass soon enough to allow them to put to sea again. Before that could happen another storm blew through. We managed to find shelter in a cave but the ship was broken." I felt myself blink at the story but nodded slowly. Mom looked confused but thankfully no one said anything.
"Damn… I know the damn storm yer talkin' about, that was a nasty one," he said while stroking his beard thoughtfully, I had to clamp down on my surprise and so did dad. Neither of us had any idea there was an actual storm in the area. "I would have liked to see what kind of ship could make it across the sunset sea!" Jon grumbled before his eyes lit up. "Say, Ben, ya think the Glovers or Manderlys'll let him do it?"
"Do what exactly?" Dad asked slowly.
"Build ships," I said, thinking furiously as Rickard looked at me with a lifted eyebrow while dad looked stunned. "Dad?"
"I've commanded ships before," he said slowly, getting the Northern Lord's attention better than if he had just accepted. "But never designed them."
"But you know ships?" Rickard asked quietly.
"And naval warfare," dad said absently.
"Commodore Lincoln Stark, at your service," I said with a grin as dad shot me a glare.
"Commodore? I am unfamiliar with this rank," Rickard said slowly as dad shook his head.
"Just below an admiral position in the Navy," he said but had no idea that these people had no idea what that really meant.
"What madness lies beyond the sunset sea, I'll never know, but if you're good at sinking boats and building them, I'm all for ya' Stark," Umber said with a grin, standing up and lumbering across the hall.
"Benjamin," Mom started slowly, "just who was that and why does he want your father to rejoin the navy?"
"That would be Jon Umber, one of those fourteen high lords I was telling you about."
"As for the second question, I believe I can be of more use," Rickard said. "The North has no naval forces other than a few trading vessels employed by House Manderly (though Lord Wyman has not the resources or true deepwater ports to build the ships he wants) my ancestor Bran the Burner saw to that. It seems your son is seeing fit to resolve that oversight, though we will need a fair bit of coin to maintain a fleet that large. In the coming months, we will have that coin and lumber to begin preparations for that fleet, but we have no men or competent, loyal officers who have a head for the sea."
Dad just stared at the man for a second before nodding. "I'll need a few days to think it over."
"Take your time," Rickard said with a small smile across his face. "I am sure you wish to spend a few minutes with your son before he has to attend to business?"
"Yes, we would," mom said quietly.
"Then we shall speak later, I fear I will be in discussion just as long as Ben."
"Which won't be long at all," I said with a grin, pulling a few sheaths of parchment from out of thin air. Rickard raised his eyebrow but I just grinned. "A magician never reveals his trick, Rickard."
"You fancy yourself a mummer then?"
"A what?" I asked in confusion, but Rickard just waved me off.
"Do not trouble yourself, good morning," the Lord Stark said as he got up and walked through the Great Hall personally meeting the rest of his guests. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry draw his wand just enough for the tip to show and heard him mutter muffliato.
"What do we know about what we've gotten into?" Harry asked, he wasn't looking toward me but I knew where his question was aimed.
"First of all, what and who did you bring?" I asked quietly as Harry nodded.
"A hundred Goblins, as mentioned, including all but five of the fifty hobgoblins and members of all the guilds save Blacksmiths. But we were given a fair amount of pure mithril for you and Grashnog to work," Filius said and I nearly felt my eyes pop out of my head. "Leading them is King Aluneas' seventh son, Garstal. In the event this trip was… Permanent, as we now assume it is, the group is divided equally into male and female factions. The Goblin nation will rebuild here in Westeros with Garstal at it's head." and now I had to make sure they were still in my head properly.
"That Garstal!? Prince Garstal!? Damn it! If I had known it was him I would have greeted him properly. And now he's going to be a king in his own right…" I groaned with my head in my hands.
"Right, you can moan about that later," Harry grunted. "What are we facing? And what do we have?"
"The North has an army of thirty-thousand men, all of which Rickard can call on but it would take at least three weeks to rally them all," I muttered darkly as Harry and dad both nodded grimly. "It's a feudal system where the Lord Paramount - Rickard, in this case - calls the 'banners,' (the lesser Lords of the North) who then raise their own men and march them here to Winterfell or Moat Cailin. Apparently, it's all very formal with marching orders, a vanguard, rear guard, things that have been out of military strategy for centuries. Problem is, the North has the third smallest army in the Seven Kingdoms. The Iron Islands currently have the smallest army with the largest Navy, though considering they're reavers, rapists, and discount Vikings of the worst sort, they're horrible ground forces but their strength at sea is undeniable. The Crownlands - the current seat of the Seven Kingdoms and is where the King resides - are the second smallest but the King, a man by the name of Aerys II Targaryen (who belongs to a family of former dragon lords if you can believe it), can rouse all the Lords Paramount to raise their men, I think the total is one hundred and fifty thousand odd men right now. Individually, the Reach and Westerlands are currently the strongest regions."
"How many men do they hold? Each?"
"House Tyrell, the Lords of the Reach which is basically the American Midwest of Westeros by means of grain production alone, can rally eighty thousand men - maybe more. House Lannister, the House that shits gold," I snarked, getting a Benjamin! From mom, "hold the Westerlands. There are three major, known gold mines in the Westerlands: Castamere, the Golden Tooth, and, the largest, Casterly Rock. Currently, Castamere is underwater and there are several smaller mines sprinkled throughout the West. Most of those put together can't match the wealth of the Rock, which doubles as a goldmine and one of the three unassailable castles of Westeros."
"What are the other two and why?" Filius asked quietly.
"The Eyrie," Harry and Flitwick's eyes shot up. "It's like the name says: deep in the mountains and a home for birds. House Arryn's sigil is a white falcon on blue but that doesn't matter right now. The castle is defended by a gate holding a chokepoint, three way castles, and another bloody castle all not only scaling the side of the mountain, but the path is a goat trail. Anything larger than a pony would have difficulty climbing it. But if you manage to march your army through all of that, then you're faced with a rather weak castle in and of itself. The castle itself is made up of seven, slim towers and can only hold up to thirty-five hundred men, two zeroes. It's best defenses lie in terrain and the strongholds lying before it.
"The third is Dragonstone. It's an island between the Narrow sea and the Blackwater rush, I know that means nothing to you but it's important because it's less than a hundred miles from the mainland. The only way to siege it is to set not only a blockade, but to find purchase on the desolate, volcanic island so you can take it by land. All the castles of the Lord Paramounts are formidable but those three are the strongest by far."
Harry just whistled while dad looked a bit green as I turned to look directly at the former Commodore and carried on. "Though taking Storm's End by sea is a fool's errand - it's far from unassailable. The reason you can't take it from sea is because it sits on a cove called, and I shit you not, Shipbreaker bay. There are rocks scattered throughout those waters like you wouldn't believe, not to mention the storms kicked up in the area. You'd also have to be an idiot to try and siege Winterfell or Moat Cailin. Moat Cailin is protected by nature - by a swamp rather than a mountain - while Winterfell has its own greenhouse and freshwater supply. Oh, it also sits on a hot spring, meaning while the people besieging the castle freeze, the residents will be warm."
"And the armies?" Dad asks cautiously.
"Men-at-arms and knights, there's some heavy cavalry tactics but battles are mostly fought with infantry. Dragons back home would be close air support at best but here they're army breakers and castle killers. Oh, they can also grow four times larger than an Ironbelly based on the skeletons I've seen," Filius and Harry turned milk white at the description.
"No wonder Lord Stark was so freaked out," Ryan said. "It's basically his worst nightmare come to life."
"Especially considering the first known dragon in Westeros melted the biggest castle I've ever heard of like it was made of wax. Aegon the first, the man who united the Seven Kingdoms, made a castle into an oven and killed off an entire family line."
"Weapons technology? Has gunpowder been invented yet?" Dad asked quietly after a few moments of awkward silence.
"No gunpowder, mercifully," I said quietly. "We're looking at lower end siege equipment being the furthest they've made it technologically. We're seriously in a medieval period, though it seems Braavos is moving toward a Renaissance of its own."
"Damn," dad groaned. "I'd have at least liked to have cannons for those ships."
"Those are too dangerous for this world, dad," I said shaking my head slowly. "The Lords would be squabbling over them like children and I especially don't trust the damned Maesters not to take the design out from under my nose."
"Maesters?" Uncle Andrew asked. I just tilted my head to where Walys had staggered to his feet from one of the lower tables and was making his way out of the hall.
"Maesters. Learned men who report to their masters in the Citadel – the headquarters of their order. As far as I can tell, while they're relatively harmless they horde information like no one's business. Individual Maesters are given to castles and act as teacher, messengers, and doctors. But because they're so dead useful, and - more vitally - sworn to utter secrecy (supposedly), no one is willing to get rid of the parasites. Most importantly, though? They know how to train Ravens to carry messages – very few people in the world still know how to do that outside of the maesters."
"Like owls?" Rebecca asked and I just grinned.
"Exactly like owls. Anyone here know the spells to train them?"
"I do," Harry said with a grin. "A hawk took a liking to me when I went for a fly one day and refused to leave me be – I trained him up with those spells."
"That's where you got Red?" Teddy asked with a grin. Harry smiled sheepishly and nodded.
"Yeah, that's where I got Red. The little willful bastard flew off on me when we popped into Moat Cailin but I'm sure he'll come around at some point. I couldn't fly after him as we obviously had other places to be."
"Shit," I muttered under my breath. "I forgot you were a shapechanger."
"Animagus, Ben. And is that a problem?"
"Well, I'm not sure, but there's a woman here, they call her Old Nan, that likes to tell folk stories. I've heard her tell a few tales around the hearth at dinner and some of her stories are just insane: like their Great Wall being seven hundred feet high and made purely from ice – though that's easy to check, I just haven't had a reason to be that far North yet – and Ice Zombies being a thing here." I shook my head but all the same wondered if those stories could be real. "But anyway, one of the more interesting stories was about a man named Gaven Greywolf, a Warg. A skinchanger."
"They have animagi here? Really?" Harry was stunned but I could only shrug.
"Maybe? Apparently, Gaven could slip into the mind of his wolf but there are all sorts of other wild rumors floating around. I'm particularly fond of the one that says the ladies of my fiancé's House can all change into bears like Beorn in the Hobbit… Though that really makes you wonder if Tolkien knew about Animagi?" I said more to myself than anyone else.
"Bro, I would kill to be able to turn into something like a cheetah," Ryan said with a grin.
"Lions are better than cheetahs, duh!" Becca snarked, rolling her eyes as only teenage girls can do. Ah, the family Gryffindor.
"Those would both be great," Harry said stroking the short beard he had grown there, "but you don't always get what you want. I thought for sure I was going to be a Stag, but that didn't happen."
"Then what's your form?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Harry just flushed and looked at his thumbs as he muttered something I couldn't make out. "Sorry?"
"I'm a bloody Raven, alright," he growled, and I couldn't help but grin.
"So, the Gryffindor ended up with Raven claws, eh?" he glared at me before the smirk fell off my lips. "But that could end up working for us. Walys isn't looking for his Ravens to spy on him."
"Oh no! I'm not a bloody spy!" Harry snapped while shaking his head. I just rolled my eyes at his antics.
"Potter," Uncle Andrew growled, getting everyone to look at him. "Ben said it himself, the Maesters are already spies. Just keep tabs on him, alright? You don't need to do it twenty-four seven. Also, start exploring and mapping this place out. Rickard may be an ally, hell, he could even be a friend, but I want to know if there are any ways in or out if we need to breach the castle quietly."
"Damn," Harry sighed, "but you owe me, Andrew."
"As long as it doesn't take too – cancel the spell," I snapped. Harry didn't hesitate as Benjen, Lyanna, and Brandon all came trotting up with Rickard in tow.
"Ben! Morning! Father said these were Starks too!" Lyanna bellowed as she tried to squeeze between me and Ryan. "So, these are your brother and sister! Oh, it's so nice to meet you!" Lyanna, always the excitable little thing, was off to the races until she was brought to a stop by Rickard.
"Lya, calm yourself, you need to eat and then we can speak with the rest of the family," Rickard said with a sparkle in his eye.
"But father!" She whined, "I don't have anyone to play with besides Ben and they're my age! And girls!" indicating Jenni and Becca. Rickard looked at Andrew and dad, who both nodded, and relented.
"Fine, fine," he sighed, "show them the yard and the godswood, but be careful, young lady. Return when you've finished showing them Winterfell and her secrets," he cautioned as Lyanna squealed and tackled him in a hug.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried as Rickard leaned down and kissed the crown of her head before she grabbed Jenni and Becca, making for the door chattering all the way.
"Oh, that's going to end well," I heard Ryan mutter and couldn't agree more. While Lya and Becca may get on just fine, it was Jenni that was going to throw a wrench in their plans. If Jenni had been in Hogwarts, she would have been the most Ravenclaw-like Ravenclaw there ever was. She loved books and quiet places almost as much as Becca liked getting into trouble. If I was a betting man, Becca would be Harry's favorite student before long - if she hadn't usurped my place already.
"Looks like I was wrong about you and Mormont," Brandon snarked with a gleam in his eyes before he looked down the table with a lifted eyebrow, "but I thought you said your family was still to the West, Ben?"
"Thought they were, but now they're here and that's all that matters to me."
"Aye, all family should be together," Rickard said with a slightly pained look.
"Eddard?"
"Aye."
"We could go get him for you, my Lord," I said quietly. "We could bring him home."
"As much as I wish it were so, I fear that cannot happen," Rickard said heavily as he looked down at the table. "He is a lynchpin and friend of a future Lord Para-" Rickard trailed off as Walys came running toward the Lord with a Raven on his arm.
"M-my Lord! An urgent m-message from the- the Eyrie," he panted out as he passed the small slip of parchment to Rickard. I glared at the Maester who stood firm, refusing to move. Eventually, I stopped paying attention to the older man and looked back at Rickard who was now pale and sweating profusely.
"I fear Robert Baratheon is no longer a future Lord Paramount as he became one a sennight past," he said as he passed me the message. I felt my eyebrows shoot up as I read the first line.
Father,
I am writing to inform you of the great tragedy that has befallen the realm. On the fifth day of the Kraken, this two hundredth, eight and seventieth year after Aegon's Conquest, it has befallen me to tell you of the deaths of Steffon and Cassana Baratheon, Lord Paramount and Lady of the Storm Lands. I ride to Storm's End to accompany Robert (along with Jon Arryn and a small host of two-score Knights of the Vale) with all haste. Robert is insistent on not missing their funeral. With your permission, I would stay at Storm's End until you have decided for me a bride or a stronghold to rule in your name. Robert has become a brother in all but blood, but he is indeed much like Brandon. One wonders if the wolf's blood flows within him too… Little Mya Stone gives credence to the speculation - she is to be brought up in the Gates of the Moon with Lord Nestor Royce as Robert's acknowledged bastard. Should I not hear back from you, or this raven be lost, I will return to the Eyrie. Farewell, father. Give my regards to Bran, Lya, and little Ben.
Your Son, now and always, Eddard of the House Stark.
"Oh," I said quietly as I read the message four different times before handing it back to Rickard. "This changes things."
"This changes nothing," Rickard said simply. "We will proceed as planned. Lyanna will not be betrothed until she comes of age, after her moon's blood is long since passed. You will hold Moat Cailin, Brandon will hold Winterfell after me-"
"When I'm grey and wiser, father," Brandon said seriously. "I do not want Winterfell, not at the cost of you."
"It heartens me to know that, son," Rickard said, shockingly warmly for the Lord of Winterfell, "Benjen will be given a stronghold as well, I do not know where but that can be decided later. He's only a boy of one and ten."
"I was going to suggest the West castle, my Lord," I said quietly, glancing at Walys who was suspiciously interested in his Raven. "Maybe we can talk about it in your solar? I think you have a raven to send to Storm's End, anyway. Yeah?"
"Aye, I do indeed… Come, let us not tarry here any longer. I will have food and drink brought to us there." And so, off we went.
XXX
"Benjen would have the West castle? Who would command the East?" Lord Rickard asked me as we were walking toward his solar with the rest of the Stark men, Harry, Filius, Mom, and Aunt Jessica trailing behind.
"We hadn't decided yet, but I ha-"
"Benjamin Stark!" A female voice, a decidedly angry female voice rang through the hall. I whirled around to see who the hell had yelled at me and saw my fiance storming toward me with the wrath of the gods' blazing in her now storming green eyes. She had already shoved her way past Benjen and Brandon, who tried to get a hold of her arm but was shoved off with contempt. "If you think our first time speaking will be at our wedding, I'll have your bullocks!" She growled as Aunt Jessy and Mom took the Mormont by an arm each and locked her down.
"Come now, dear," Aunt Jessy said in a tone I'd only heard when she was talking to Jenni and Becca. "I'm sure you two will have plenty of time to speak before the wedding. Ben has a few things to deal with before then."
"Yes he does, my little boy's all grown up!" Mom said quietly as they began leading the girl away with small talk - bless Dacey, she looked so confused as to what was going on.
"Yes, he is! Why, I remember whe…" Aunt Jessy said as they led Dacey around a corner.
There was utter silence as the eight of us stared at each other in shock - right up until Harry broke the silence.
"Well, Ben," he started slowly, "seems to me your bullocks are hers one way or another." He grinned and I couldn't help the laugh that exploded from me with Ryan and Uncle Andrew howling with laughter but Brandon's was the loudest out of all of us. Dad, Rickard, and Filius just smirked as the Lord Stark pushed the door to the Solar open and led us in, most of us still cackling.
"Yes, yes, Master Potter," Rickard said as we were all situated at the round table Rickard had installed for large meetings for if he had to play host to another gathering of Lords around one table. The table had twenty seats around it but fit comfortably in the office area. "You've had your jape, and a fine one 'twas. But I am afraid we must be getting to business now."
"Ah… Bullocks," Harry said with a wink at me. I just shook my head and looked at Rickard.
"When can we expect Lord Forrester to join us?" I asked, Rickard glanced down at a paper and nodded to himself before answering.
"Within the hour, that does give us time to discuss who would man the newest castles. Though there are other things that must be spoken of as well. First of all, Eddard," he said cooly as Brandon perked up, obviously interested now. "He rides to the Stormlands as we speak. A letter to him will be dispatched within the hour, how do we wish to proceed?"
"As normal," Uncle Andrew said. "Why's he even going to these Stormlands? We all saw the letter but only Ben read it."
"He is a ward of Jon Arryn, the Warden of the East and Lord of the Vale of Arryn. Lord Arryn's second ward is Robert, son of Steffon Baratheon - an old friend of mine I fought alongside in the war of the Ninepenny Kings. I did not wish to foster my son in the Vale but Steffon convinced me and Lord Arryn placed the correct pressure," Rickard said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "It seems that Ned and Robert have become closer than I could have dreamed they would have become. Steffon Baratheon has died. It's well known that Aerys - the King - sent him on a merry chase around Essos to find his boy a Valyrian bride. None will know whether he succeeded or failed now. I am unsure if he was claimed in Essos or if Shipbreaker Bay lived up to its name yet again."
"Damn," dad muttered as he too pinched the bridge of his nose before looking up. "So what happens with Robert being the Lord of these Stormlands now? What does that mean for Ned?"
"Ned is to accompany Robert back to Storm's End, he intends to stay there until I wish for him to hold a castle or take a woman to wife. I am unsure what he would have done had the raven not been received."
"What does this mean for his fostering?" I asked quietly.
"If I allow him to stay then it is well and truly over, that Jon Arryn will have no more say in how my boy is raised…" Rickard said quietly. "But iIf the rumors of Robert Baratheon are true, and I am now inclined to believe they are, he is a whoremonger and drunk - a man who will sleep his way through the Stormlands and beyond if he is able. Already, he has one daughter - a Mya Stone - that Ned has spoken of. Brandon," Rickard growled at his eldest who was now ramrod straight. "I trust there aren't any of your seed uncared for?"
"No, father," Brandon said quietly, "none I know of."
"Good," Rickard said calmly. "Your betrothed would not tolerate any bastards in your house but I am inclined to look after any babes who are born to mine - be they Stark or Snow. Should you sire a child, bring them here. Do you understand?"
"I do, father."
"Do not take this as my blessing to do as you please, my son. You are a Stark of Winterfell, not a Southerner who has no control of himself. Love who you will, but do no dishonour. Your sons will be Starks - in name or truth. We are Starks. We are not Tullys, not Arryns, not Baratheons. Be a Stark. When the snows fall, and white winds blow…"
"The lone wolf dies but the pack survives. Yes, father," Brandon said weakly as he nodded. Rickard nodded to me next.
"You had plans on where to place Eddard?"
"Right now let him stay in the Stormlands, he's your second son - let him be with his friend. If he's nailing down a better relationship with one of the most fertile kingdoms then all the better for us."
"And you would have me a prisoner in my own castle?" Brandon asked morosely.
"You're the Heir to Winterfell, you're needed here," I said quietly. "Just as I am Lord of Moat Cailin, just as your father is Lord of Winterfell, and just as Benjen is now the promised heir to the Western coast at age ten. We have responsibilities, Brandon. Ned's is cultivating a relationship with a Lord Paramount. Honestly, Lyanna would be the best way to make sure that alliance is sealed but…"
"But I will not sell my daughter, your sister, Brandon, to a man such as Robert Baratheon - he would be dead in a year," Rickard said gravely and I couldn't help but wince in agreement. Even for as young as she was, Lyanna was wild. The Wolfsblood was hot in Brandon but in Lyanna it ran free. She would hate being a trophy wife to a man like Robert Baratheon.
"Okay, fair point," I said as I looked toward Dad. "We're looking at a Navy, right? I'll leave that idea to you." I said to dad who just nodded.
"We're going to need lumber, a command stru…" I slowly tuned him out and knew that this was going to be a long conversation…
XXX
With Dacey…
When had life become so… strange? Was it when I looked into Benjamin's eyes that first time? Or when Uncle Jeor had come to mother and my rooms as bold as brass and claimed I was to be betrothed? Mother had almost gutted the Old Bear then and there until he said who I was promised to: the same man who had stood over Winterfell's Grand Hall and given three families Valyrian swords and made promises larger than life. Promises that he was intent on keeping.
The emotions I felt when Uncle claimed I was to be betrothed were a maelstrom but the feelings he roused when he came to mother and I this morning to confirm I was to be wed tonight?
I was furious.
Not only had I only seen my betrothed once, we had never spoken face to face and he was to be in meetings with the Lords of the North for the rest of the day according to my Uncle. Mercifully, I had caught him with Lord Rickard and several unfamiliar faces outside of Lord Rickard's solar. Thinking back on it, mayhaps it was unwise to threaten his bullocks in front of the women I now knew to be his mother and aunt. The past is written and cannot be changed - though I never said how his bullocks would be mine. I felt a smirk ghost onto my face but it quickly disappeared as Benjamin's aunt, who introduced herself as Jessica, passed me a cup of tea.
"And you were raised by your mother on this… Bear Island, correct?" Jessica asked.
"Aye, that's right," I said quietly, sipping at the tea.
"Do you have siblings?" madam Alice asked primly from her place by the fire.
"Aye, two as of now. Alysane who's seen five years and Jorelle who has barely two."
"May I ask why they are not here?"
"The seas and road are not merciful, my lady. Especially on horseback with no wheelhouse to make the journey kinder."
"Oh my," Jessica said, covering her mouth slightly, "is your father keeping them?"
"My father? Hah!" I snarked, "I dunno who the old bastard even was, mother never told me and never said who Alysane's pa was either. We all know who Jorelle's pa is but I shall not speak his name." I said with a small grin. Truth really was that no one but mother knew who fathered her daughters - and us Mormonts were fine by that. We didn't take to Southron bastardry like the rest of the houses. A Mormont was a Mormont, that's all there was to it.
"How interesting," Alice said with a glint in her eye that I wasn't sure I liked. "Do you have a wedding gown? I'll have to find my daughter but I'm quite sure we can work out something if you do not."
"No, madam, I have but the one gown I was to wear for the feast. 'Twasn't expecting to wed a Stark, after all," I said sheepishly. Alice nodded and pulled something from under her collar. I raised my eyebrow as she tapped a part of it with her finger and nodded to herself.
"Then we'll have you set in a jiffy, dear!" Jessica said with a smile.
"Madam," I said slowly, "none in the Seven Kingdoms can create a full gown fit for Winter in an afternoon…"
"Mom can!" A new voice said from the door. I whirled around and saw a trio of girls grinning in the doorway. "Hi! I'm Rebecca but everyone calls me Beccy - except Ben and dad, they call me Becca," the only blonde said with an almost devious grin stretching across her face.
"Rebecca," Alice sighed, "please, calm yourself. This is Dacey, your brother's fiance."
"Oh! Do you need help with the dress?" the girl asked and pulled… 'is that a stick?' I thought to myself as I looked at the strangely mixed red and white woods wrapped around each other that she had pulled from her sleeve.
"Not quite, dear, but yes. Your help will be appreciated," Alice said with a small smile, "it will save us having to cut and stitch the fabric too much if you would change one of your winter cloaks into a full gown for Dacey, and be sure to make it thick! The chill is nearly unbearable."
"Mormonts are hardy folks, but not even we like freezing," I said with a shudder. Never had I been fond of gowns but they were necessary to impress the mainland Lords. I vastly preferred my mail and sheepskins - though I did plan to wear my bearskin over my gown tonight. It was bloody freezing and I did not yet trust Benjamin to bring a thick, warm cloak.
"No one does, dear," Jessica said as Alice beckoned Lady Lyanna, Rebecca, and a third girl that had yet to be named inside. "Now Lyanna, Dacey," Jessica said as she looked at me and the Lady Stark. "What is to be performed in this room is not to be shared, is that understood?"
"Are you about to do magic!?" Lyanna squealed and I felt my spine stiffen involuntarily. 'Surely not…'
"Yes, dear, but how did you know?" Jessica asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Ben lit his hand on fire when I met him! It was amazing!" Now the lady was bouncing back and forth on her feet but Alice had just pinched the bridge of her nose.
"That boy… Does Statute of Secrecy mean nothing to your son, Ali?" Jessica asked her good sister exasperatedly.
"No, Jess, it doesn't. You remember that he warded our home so thoroughly that not even the ICW," 'the who?' "Could sense any magic being performed in the house - the poor Ministry never stood a chance."
"And he taught me transfiguration in the summers!" Rebecca chirped happily. "And we never, ever got caught for it!"
"No, you didn't, and that's what scares me," Jessica said heavily. "You had three years of transfiguration under him?"
"Yes! He taught me so much better than old McGonagall did!"
"Professor McGonagall, dear," Alice said with exasperated fondness. "Now, Dacey, if you would please stand?" I was confused but I acquiesced to the request all the same. "Jennifer?" the thin, dark-haired girl looked to her mother pleadingly. "Would you and Lyanna please go see about finding Ben? I'm sure that he can be away from his business for a moment or two to speak with Dacey while we work her dress, it should take no time to get her measurements." Jennifer looked pained but nodded.
"Yes ma'am. C'mon Lya," Jennifer said softly as she turned to the door, already asking directions with Lyanna dragging her to the Lord's Solar. I just shook my head and looked at the blonde woman who had stood up with me.
"You are a tailor, madam Stark?"
"Yes, I am. For years I worked as a Seamstress for a rather exclusive tailor on Savile Row," she said as she moved to her trunk. I simply wondered what a savile row was as she pulled strands of white materials, needles, and other objects from the chest - and then she pulled a podium from it that was much too large to have fit in the small chest. "During that time, I watched and I learned and eventually, yes, I became a tailoress in my own right. Granted, I was (and still am) not exclusive enough to land a place on Savile Row but, but, I had enough of a rapport to make a good living for my family while my husband was at sea. Now, if you would please step onto the podium? Alice? Could I get you to conjure a dressing mirror?"
"Of course, darling," she said and pulled another stick from her sleeve while I stepped onto the podium. With a small flick of her stick, I felt my eyes nearly pop out of my head. Where before, there was nothing in front of me, now there was a mirror so ornate that the King would be jealous of it.
"By the gods," I muttered as I looked at myself in the perfectly made mirror. "This would cost ten thousand dragons and you made it with naught but a flick of your hand."
"Ten thousand dragons?" Alice asked, slightly confused as she began wrapping a white length of material around my bosom.
"I believe it is similar to a galleon," Jessica said as I watched her reflection walk over to her own trunk and pull something from it - tossing the retrieved object toward me. I snatched it out of the air before I could even turn around but brought the heavy, gold coin to where I could examine it.
"This is not a dragon," I said resolutely, "it is near double the size, for one, and, as the name says, there is a Dragon on both faces - Balerion and the King it was minted by."
"Ah, so two dragons to one galleon, I'll keep that in mind," Jessica said as the coin shot out of my hand and into hers. "Oh, don't look so cross, dear, Ben has more of these than I could ever hope to see in my life - I'm not as fortunate." I felt my eyes bulge slightly as Madam Stark shifted her tape from my chest to my waist.
"Truly?"
"Well, I've never had the opportunity to see his vault but he always kept a good portion on him and Andrew had the authority to empty it so he could bring it with us - I think the last count was valued at three hundred thousand galleons?"
"Two hundred and eighty-nine thousand, Lincoln's a stickler for money," I nearly fainted at the way she casually said the enormous figure. Those Galleons were easily worth double that of a Dragon. Benjamin, by himself, was the wealthiest Lord in the North now - likely richer than even Lord Stark… "Dacey? Are you alright dear?" Alice asked as I met her blue eyes.
"I… I just feel a bit faint, my lady," I said quietly. "The figure is truly immense. It gives me hope that your son's projects can become reality."
"I do try to keep my promises, Lady Mormont," I whirled around as Alice took a step back.
"Perfect timing, Ben, I just finished her measurements," she grinned as Rebecca nearly took him off his feet with her tackle.
"That's great," he wheezed. "Becca? Ya' mind letting me breathe?" He gasped but hugged his sister back. She harrumphed and let him go as we met each other's eyes again. "Dacey, it's a pleasure to actually meet you." He said with a grin. I stepped from the podium and stepped up to him.
"My threat get to ya?" I grinned and put my hand on his thigh, a little too close to his most valuable jewels for his comfort as he gulped and flushed red.
"Certainly helped convince me…" he mumbled before mastering himself slightly, "I managed to convince Lord Umber to talk to the Lords and let them know they would be signing contracts with Rickard. Now I have the day free."
"Wonderful! Ladies? If you'll excuse us, my promised and I have much to speak of before we're to be wed."
"Go, go! We'll have your dress ready in no time, Dacey," Rebecca said with a grin. I smirked and took Ben's wrist, dragging him from the room. It didn't take long for him to break my grip on his wrist gently and rearrange our hands so our fingers were intertwined. I glanced back at the tall, messy-haired blonde man and grinned, leading him out of the keep and onto the grounds.
"You're a strange man, Lord Stark," I said, looping my arm through his as we strode out onto the yard.
"And you're unlike any woman I've ever met. I can't ever say I've had someone threaten my bullocks to get me to talk to them," he said with a grin that I couldn't help but return.
"Still on about that, are you?"
"They're my bullocks!" He yelped helplessly and I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of my chest as I placed a hand on his.
"We may disagree about that tonight," I could have sworn his eyes widened for a beat and he did flush slightly but the grin that stole over his face told me everything I needed to know.
"Aye, but we have a few hours yet," he said, grinning as we walked in the general direction of the glass garden or stables.
"Sun's still low, my lord. Fancy a ride?" I grinned at his surprised yet sheepish look.
"I'm afraid I'm no good on a horse, my lady," he said as he glanced around. "But I do have something better."
"Oh?" I raised my eyebrow as he smirked.
"Have you ever wanted to fly?" I couldn't believe my eyes when an actual broom materialized in his hand from seemingly nowhere - that was when his word's finally registered. My gaze sharpened on him as his smirk transformed to a full-blown grin.
"Truly? Your magic can do this?"
"Not without aid, I'm afraid. I've tried to find a way to be free of a broom in the sky but I haven't quite worked it out yet," he said disappointedly.
"You can fly as the birds yet you worry by the method it is managed," I was stunned. He had the power to fly at his fingertips and yet he couldn't see the wonder of it. "My Lord, I have dreamed of this since I was but a girl. Please, let us fly," I begged. His smile wasn't vicious or arrogant, it was genuine.
"Of course, hope you don't mind sitting too close to me. There's not exactly a ton of room on the broom," he said sheepishly as he tossed the broom into the air. I felt my jaw drop as it simply hung there until he pulled it down to waist height. "You'll have to take the front."
I looked at the broom hesitantly but when he nodded to me to go ahead, I mounted the broom and waited for him to join. Soon enough, I felt his chest pressing into my back.
"Hold on," was all he said but I could hear the smile in his voice. I gripped down on the wood as his arms came around my waist and tightened around me as we lifted off the ground and shot away from Winterfell like an arrow. I heard a scream but didn't realize it was torn from my own throat as the ground was left behind us. Suddenly, the screaming turned to whooping laughter as we tore over the wolfswood faster than any falcon could dare follow. I felt the wind tearing at my face and my feet brushing the tops of the trees as I watched the sky turn under my feet as we rolled over and shot upward. I felt my innards fly to my throat and jerk to the bottom of my belly as Ben turned flips and rolled the broom over. Soon though, we leveled off and I couldn't believe my eyes.
"There's a lake!? In the Wolfswood?" I asked in utter shock. I felt his chuckle rumble against my back.
"My lady," he said into my ear, "there are so many things you can see from the air. The Dragon riders could have seen all of Westeros, all of the world, and the Targaryens settled for using the Dragons to take a throne."
"My Lord, surely you must know you speak treason," I grinned broadly and turned to look at him over my shoulder. He just rolled his eyes. "The Targaryen is king."
"For now," he murmured and I felt my eyes lift in shock.
"Take us down," I growled, "if you're plotting a rebellion, I need to know before we're wed." He nodded sharply and took us down by the lake I had just seen. We dismounted and nearly immediately I pushed a finger into his chest. "The North is not strong enough for a Rebellion, Stark! Not even a simple secession!"
"I know that," he said calmly, a small smirk on his lips.
"The swords?" I asked as his smirk changed to a grin.
"Aye, the swords. And the one I'm sure your uncle told you about."
"Brightroar… Aye, he told me," I said as I furiously worked through the information. "Two castles and a canal to connect East and West, roads, and you're assembling craftsmen in force…"
"I also plan to bring smallfolk North." I lifted an eyebrow.
"For more workers?"
"Aye, but the army is in a dismal state. Twenty, maybe thirty thousand men? No, we're going to do something about that too, I'm just not sure what."
"And when would this secession happen? Moat Cailin is still a rui-" I stopped myself when I saw the stupidly pleased look on his face. "No, not even with your magic could the Moat already be repaired."
"Completely? No. But we're making good headway on it. There'll be a temporary cabin for the two of us - one that may become permanent if you wish it - waiting when we return."
"How long would it take to get to the Moat on one of these marvelous brooms of yours?"
"Near about two hours," he said thoughtfully and I nearly fell into the lake. "But I can get there even faster," his eyes were glinting and I was almost scared of what was to come.
"How so?"
"Funny you should ask!" He said as he twisted on his heel and disappeared with a small pop. I whirled around the clearing looking for him only for him to be nowhere in sight. I was just about to shout when another pop sounded half a minute later. "It's this little thing called apparition," I whirled around to find my betrothed sitting on a tree limb with an… was that an apple in his hand?
"Where did you get that apple?" I asked not caring that he had vanished on me like a ghost.
"A big, and I mean big, castle in the South that I saw last week scouting the area. You'd think the southrons are trying to compensate for something," he grinned and I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of me, "then I apparated to the Moat, grabbed a portkey to Lannisport before making the last jump, grabbed the apples, port-keyed back to Winterfell, and here I am," he said with a grin as he tossed another apple through the air toward me. I caught it, but just barely. I looked down at the fruit in my hand and back up at the living impossibility that was my betrothed.
"You… you went to the Moat in the blink of an eye, went to Lannisport and Highgarden, I assume, just as quickly and made it back here all before I had time to even shout!?" He jumped out of the tree and bit into his apple with an amused look in his eye but I was fuming.
"Yeah," he said after he swallowed, "that about sums it up."
"You're giving my mother and uncle one of those… what was it you called it?"
"A portkey, it can be anything and acts like apparition. For example," he twisted on his heel and appeared across the small lake. "That was apparition! This," he picked up a stick and said something making it glow blue. "Is a-" he disappeared and reappeared beside me, "portkey."
"My mother and Uncle will have one directly to Winterfell and the Moat from Bear Island, if you can manage it," I said quietly and he nodded.
"Of course! I heard you have sisters as well, do you want one for them?"
"For Alysane, yes, but Jorelle is not even weaned properly yet, she will not need one."
"I'll keep that in mind," Ben said quietly. "So," he said with a glint in his eye, "where do you want to go now?"
"Right here, magic boy," I grinned at his confused look. "I want to see just what this magic of yours can do." And with that, hours disappeared as Ben shattered every law of nature I had thought absolute.
XXX
With Andrew…
'Damn that boy… I love him but did he have to leave me and Rickard to deal with the mess he calls his business?'
"Thank you, Lord Manderly. Your concerns are duly noted and shall be passed onto my Nephew when I next see him," I automatically said to the Walrus of a man in front of me at the table. 'God almighty… What did you eat in a medieval period to look like… well, that? Most people here are starving and this man is morbid by the "would you like fries with that," scale.'
"Thank you, Lord Stark, Master Stark," the fat man blubbered. "Where is your nephew? Lord Umber said he was unavailable but not how."
"He's spending time getting to know his betrothed," Rickard said. 'God - or gods, I suppose - bless this man.'
"BETROTHED? To whom?" Lord Manderly reared back in surprise. For a second, I thought all would be fine - and then the chair collapsed under his weight. I had to dive into my Occlumency just to keep a completely straight face as I rose with Rickard to help the floundering man who now reminded me more of a beached whale than a walrus. "Pa-pardon, my lords… I suppose the chair was due replaced…" As soon as we managed to haul him upright (with more than a generous portion of my magic poured into a simple featherweight charm to help) and onto his feet, the man reached into a hidden pocket in his jerkin and tossed Rickard a golden dragon. "For the chair, my Lord, terribly sorry… But the Lord Lesser is engaged?! When did this happen!?"
"Last night, my lord. Jeor Mormont offered his eldest niece's hand and Benjamin accepted. And if you wish to leave Winterfell with that blade, I suggest you refrain from calling my blood the Lord Lesser? Are we understood?" 'God bless this man.' Lord Manderly shivered but nodded in acceptance all the same.
"I do, my Lord. My apologies… I was going to offer my niece's hand to him, you see. My blessed Sister, Mother rest her, Maiden watch over her, left behind one single daughter. I had planned a match between her and Whitehills, nasty lot they may be, since they offered enough Ironwood for a single ship in my fleet in our negotiations."
"Indeed… Lord Wyman," Rickard said quietly and I felt my own hackles rise. "You are aware that any ships you build from this point forward now belong to Benjamin - meaning the share you would take from the standard tax is now his?" The man's watery blue-eyes watered in shock. "This will be the case until the Canal is finished. Any warships you build will be under the command of the newly appointed Lord-Admiral, Lincoln Stark - who was himself a former Captain. Do you have any issue with this arrangement?" 'Once again, God bless this man!'
"I-" The fat Lord started before he looked at the sword lying on the table and seemed to lose any fight he may have had in him. "I do not, my Lord. The terms, while favorable to your house, are fair for a blade such as this."
"Excellent, you may take the blade with you. Do you have a name for it?" Rickard asked as the man took the sword and unsheathed it - studying the blue-grey ripples intently with those watery eyes that hid a frightening amount of cunning and guile.
"Mandwrath," he said and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. Of course, he would name it after his house name.
"A good name, my Lord. Will you attend the wedding? I do not believe there is long at all until I need to be joining young Benjamin before the Weirwood."
"I do not believe I will be able to, my Lord," Wyman said, obviously nervous. "The old gods hold no love for House Manderly."
"Have you knelt before a heart tree, my Lord?" Rickard asked and Wyman immediately shook his head in the negative.
"No, I have not. The Manderly's keep to the New Gods, my Lord," he said as his grip tightened on the newly dubbed Mandwrath. "If that will be all, I fear I must make preparations to return to White Harbor on the morn. Good eve, my Lord, Master Stark," the whale-man nodded curtly before waddling out of the room as fast as he possibly could.
"Well, that could have gone better," I muttered, rubbing my forehead. "How did we get stuck with Ben's business again?"
"He's to be married soon, Master Stark," Rickard said. "Would you truly trouble your nephew with a man such as Wyman Manderly? Or perhaps Royce Bolton?" I shuddered slightly as I thought of the singularly unpleasant man that came in, signed the papers, and left without so much as a 'by your leave.'
"No, I wouldn't," I grudgingly agreed. "How long until we need to be there?"
"Too soon, I'm afraid. Come, let us go." Rickard said as he stood from his chair with me not far behind. We made our way through the Great Keep at a fairly good pace, making it out onto the grounds. As soon as we stepped out, I nearly smacked my forehead as I remembered I was supposed to let Potter know when the ceremony was going to begin. Thankfully, Rickard had given Lincoln, myself, Ryan, Harry, and Filius thick bearskins that would not only cover our relatively strange clothing but would protect us from the cold.
"Expecto Patronum, Invenerit Hominem - Harry James Potter," immediately, my Patronus appeared from the end of my wand - much to Rickard's shock at seeing a fully grown, phantasmic wolf appear from seemingly nowhere. "Potter, get your carcass to the godswood," was all I said as the Wolf bowed its head and sprinted in the direction of the crumbling tower.
"What in the name of the gods…" Rickard muttered as he looked at me with wide eyes. "I have yet to see your nephew perform more than seemingly small bits of magic but this is by far the most impressive. Will it really find Master Potter?"
"Oh it did," a peevish voice said from behind Rickard who jumped slightly as Harry apparated directly behind him. "I was just finding some cool stuff too!"
"Always a child, Mr. Potter," I said with a grin that the emerald-eyed man countered with an eye roll. "Though the soundless apparition is quite impressive. How'd you manage it?"
"I dunno," he shrugged his shoulders as we started to make our way through the godswood. "I just didn't want to hear that damned pop before and after apparating ever again and it just stopped."
"Because of course, it did."
"Hey, what can I say? Magic is magic," he grinned as Rickard shook his head and led us out of the castle and through the grotto of trees, between the rows of freshly lit torches until we were face to face with the enormous white tree for the second time today. And we weren't alone.
"Rickard!" the man called the Greatjon roared as he caught sight of us from the corner of his eye. "Won't be long now until we get this lad wedded and bedded, will it!?" he boomed with a laugh, slapping Ben on the shoulder so hard I thought he would fall over - but he didn't even flinch. I could have rolled my eyes, leave it to my nephew to wear that Vibranium of his to his own wedding - though it seemed he had good reason if that bear of a man kept doing that to him.
"Not long at all, my Lord Umber," Rickard said with a smile in his voice. "In fact, the rest of our guests should be joining us shortly."
We weren't waiting five minutes when the rest of our party joined us with Lyanna and Brandon in tow. Rebecca and Lyanna were both bouncing around while my little girl was just shaking her head exasperatedly. Jessica's eyes were twinkling as she looked at our eldest nephew who was introducing the Greatjon to Ryan.
"Oh how far he's come," she said to me and I couldn't help the grin.
"All too true, but when I pictured him getting married it was always in a church with a woman he'd known for years - not under a giant tree, freezing our asses off, to a woman he's known less than a day."
"Me too, dear," she said as she glanced up at the sky. "It's getting dark, shouldn't be too long before Dacey gets here."
"No, it shouldn't," I frowned as a man with greying hair stepped through the trees. "Isn't that Jeor Mormont?" I asked quietly. I'd seen him once at the breakfast table but other than that I only had Ben's description to go off of."
"I think so…" Jess muttered with a frown. "How odd. I thought he would be walking her down the aisle, so to speak."
"So did I, but if he's not then who is?" We looked at each other and shrugged, we would find out soon enough. And sure enough, we did. It wasn't five minutes after that short conversation that the rest of the guests who wanted to see the wedding joined us - including Lords: Forrester, Glover, Hornwood, and Tallhart with their ladies - when Dacey (a fine woman indeed. Tall - if a bit on the lanky side, dark haired, and graceful was she) walked between the torches with a woman who had to be her mother. Ben looked at Dacey in shock and I couldn't help but smirk as he moved to stand at her left.
"Who comes before the Old Gods this night?" Rickard asked.
"Dacey, of the House Mormont, comes to be wed. A woman grown, trueborn and noble. She comes to beg the blessings of the gods." The woman claimed in a gravelly voice.
"Who comes to claim her?"
"Benjamin, of the House Stark. Lord of Moat Cailin," Ben said confidently.
"Who gives her?"
"Maege of the House Mormont, who is her mother."
"Lady Dacey, do you take this man?"
"I take this man," Dacey said immediately, turning to look at Ben with a small grin that he returned easily.
"Lord Stark, do you take this woman?"
"I take this woman," Ben said.
"You may cloak your bride," Rickard said as Ben unclasped the Dragon banner around his shoulders and fastened it around Dacey's shoulders. "Kneel, and ask the blessings of the gods."
Ben took Dacey's hand and nodded to her. Together they stepped up to the weirwood and placed their free hands on the tree, bowing their hands and whispering something I couldn't quite hear but I certainly felt the pulse of magic that flowed over the newlywed couple.
XXX
AN: Hey guys! Just wanted to take this time to thank you all for the overwhelming support this story has gotten! While I will not address specific reviews from this fic, I will address some points brought up in them - which I will do now.
LyannaXBen - First of all, she's 12, he's 21, and that's just a no. Also, that is well and truly dead with the end of this chapter - DaceyXBen had been one of the main themes of this story dating all the way back to when I wrote the first chapter to this in Chem last year.
Immortality - Valar Morghulis.
Characters - I have a plan for most of the OC's I currently have and, to put this to rest here and now, no one else from HP will be joining these characters. In fact, there's only a handful more OC's I plan to bring into this and most of them will be butterflied in while others are butterflied out. Each of these characters has a role to play in the wars to come. After all, Valar Dohaeris.
Goblins - explained in chapter 6.
Well, that's all I've got! Thanks for reading and I'll see you all on April 14th with Chapter 6 - Negotiations. Thanks again!