Cregan Stark - 136

The north was expanding like never before with the survey completed he now had a good idea of the natural resources in the north. The Neck had incredible herbs and wildlife, that weren't seen anywhere else in the known world the Reeds and Starks of Moat Cailin made large profits by selling those herbs and live examples of those wildlife to the Citadel in Oldtown who used it to make and improve medicines and cures.

The Saltspear, was home to various species of fish that were thought to only exist in the seas surrounding the Summer Isles making them a rare and extremely sought after delicacy by the southrons and Essosi, the floodplains that bordered the Bite, the Saltspear and the Fever were extremely fertile and could be used for more rigorous farming and agriculture than in comparison to the rest of the North.

The Cape of Krakens although not actually having any krakens, were home to various kinds of squids and octopi. Again animals that hadn't been noted in Westeros ever. The Flints made a monopoly from selling them off.

The barrowland weren't much for resources as the men didn't want to be digging up the graves of old Dustin Kings, there was Barrowton by the River Dustin which House Dustin ruled the Barrowlands from. The Rills were arguably the most influential region in the north due to it being the most fertile, its fertility being caused by the plentiful river that add nutrients and warmth to the land.

It was ruled by Ser Robyn Ryswell and his house, Cregan had actually sent Robyn to the Reach to discuss on different agricultural methods and variations on seeds that could potentially survive better in the North than the current ones. Stark was also loath to create mines and quarries as they it would drastically decrease the food in the north.

The White Knife had plentiful farms and port-towns, all over the river and its tributaries that went as far as the Lonely Hills, and Long Lake. House Manderly had Lordship of most of the towns and villages to the point of the where the river Cerwyn met the White Knife, and shared ownership of the Sheepstead Hills with the Hornwoods and Boltons.

In fact Lord Torrhen Manderly had sent him a surplus of ravens stating his annoyance at the new ports popping up on the east coast and his wish to have Stark support in closing down 'illegal' ports as he said it. Cregan truly didn't care for the closing of ports as that meant to him more people and a stronger north.

The Manderly part of the land was the only place where there were only silver mines, but recently the Boltons and Hornwoods began to develop the land and began exporting their own silver. The Hornwoods held most of the Sheepstead Hills and a result made the most silver which they imported from the White Harbour.

The Lockes of Oldcastle and Woolsfields of Ramsgate began to building more farms south west of the Broken Branch which already had a surplus of port-towns and coastal farms. The Flints of the Widow's Watch began building more farms inland to feed more people and ports and towns on the coast to supplement trade, they hoped to become a agricultural haven as the Rills were.

The Boltons had the held the Weeping Water and the Mouth of the Last River. They had settled a quick growing port town on the Last River calling it the Weeper's Last. It was from there where they traded their own silver from Bolton-controlled Sheepstead Hills, they also held most of the Lonely Hills which from there they mined gems, such as diamonds, rubies and opals which made them very rich actually richer the Manderlys and Mormonts.

They chose to trade from their own port rather than White Harbour, to escape the taxes that the Manderlys would place upon them. Cregan thought that the Boltons were growing too strong, far too quickly for his like. He needed a way to weaken them without seeming too harsh.

Karstarks were also strengthening, they traded lumber and furs from their forests with the Free Cities and places as far as Asshai and Qarth. Gold quite literally flooded the Karhold. They had built a port town on the River Karlon, which grew around the Karhold.

The Skagosi increased a hundredfold in power and wealth, before the 'Great Charter' as the lords were calling it; the Skagosi were thought as little more than barely organised wildlings, now they dominated as a trade power, arguably stronger than the White Harbour.

They traded seal fat, iron, bronze, copper and tin from their mountains all over the known world especially to the north of Essos and their merchant captains had boasted that they had gone as far as Ibben and the Thousand Islands in the far east. They had very strong navy that very nearly reached a hundred warships.

Of course that fleet only existed when all the houses of Skagos united together for singular purpose under one house, a feat which currently proved impossible as the dozens minor lords and three highlords all had some kind of blood feud or slight against one another. They misused their new fleets through wars, skirmishes and battles against one another. House Magnar was technically the Lord of Skagos and had the power and authority to command all the fleets of the Skagosi Isles, whether or not the lords of Skagos obeyed him was a different matter completely.

The Umbers had increased in somewhat size as well they owned the northernmost of the Lonely Hills, the Long Lake and northern wolfswood. They traded timber and gems out of both the Karport and Weeper's Last, they had a number of new ports and coastal farms on the Bay of Seals, they also had a new surplus of towns and farms on the Last River. They didn't have such an increase of strength such as the Boltons, Skagosi and Mormonts had but it was better than nothing.

The mountain clans had become the industrial centre of the North, they had found gold, bronze,iron,tin and nickel in their mountains, they traded gold for all it was worth. While keeping the more practical materials for supplying the north. They wanted to build some sort of capital for the all mountain clans. The Eerie but on a far larger scale, if they could do it it would take at least twenty years but it would be the greatest northern keep ever constructed. They built an arsenal in each of the mountains and with their wealth had hired Qohorik blacksmiths to teach them in the art of smithing.

Cregan expected great things from them; they were already the major supplier of weaponry in the north and gladly provided the armour and weaponry of the Winter Wolves at such a low price they would never want for materials. They used every port in the north to export their goods. No-one complained.

The Mormonts not only held Bear Island, but wildlings clans on the Frozen Shore and Skirling Pass swore fealty to them due to fact that it was fish caught by the Mormonts that fed them through the cold winter, their fleet was stronger than the fleet of the Greystarks. They were also richer than the Greystarks but would more than likely change soon.

They made large gains in strength selling weapons and armour to the wildlings for fealty. They also sold whale fat to both north and south. Cregan was only a little worried by this as not only meant an increase in wildling culture, but also a tenfold increase in strength for a once weak house.

House Glover made large profits in selling timber cut from the wolfswood, they used the profits and timber to build profitable fishing villages on the coast surrounding the bay of ice. The villages were small but were very new and could only grow in populace. They mostly traded through the new eastern port at the Stony Shore.

The new eastern port were growing faster than he had ever thought. The Greystarks of the Stony Shore had built their own keep called the Strong Stone, and had built a booming city on the east which had grown around it. They had even even changed their sigil to match; a golden direwolf running on a field of black.

Their Lord Elric had married one of Lord Greyjoy's daughter and made a deal that tried to ensure that his merchant fleet wouldn't need to fear any Ironborn raiders in the Sunset Sea. The Greystarks had even taken to the religion of the Drowned God to increase ties, the religion scared a lot of the houses sworn to him that there would be some kind of forced indoctrination into their religion. Cregan really didn't want to get involved and hoped there wasn't.

The strength of the Greystarks came from the sea as they collected pearls, crabs and quite literal tonnes of fish and earned their money through trading their fishing goods and feeding nearly the entirety of the north with their fish, Cregan believed that they made good contender for Wardens of the Sunset Sea against the Mormonts and Ryswells.

He had annexed House Cerwyns, and made them into a masterly house sworn to him. There was some complaints that were quickly forgotten when he promised the hand of his daughter to the hero's eldest son of the Cerwyns. Not only to unfold their lands into his, but he needed a close port to Winterfell for without it the Wintercity would have fallen before it had risen.

The Wintercity had become the crown jewel of the north, its capital and heart. The underground sewers built in ensured that it wouldn't smell like King's Landing; of shit and the ruin. Originally he wanted it to revolve around Winterfell, but they couldn't do that without going into the wolfswood. He wanted to have three castles to serve the corners of the Wintercity and build a fourth in the castle in west to serve as the fourth cornerstone.

It would have Winterfell to the east, Cerwyns to the south, the Queen's Hold to the north and the Snowfort the west. It took five years but It was finally done, the fourth would be named the Snowfort and be the the personal castle to any bastard. Not many lords could say that even their bastards had their own castles. The city would be so large that it took half a day's ride from Winterfell to Cerwyns and a full day from the Queen's Hold to Cerwyns.

The Wintercity was built in a grid style, with the White Palace at its centre. A shining gleaming construction of steel and silver. It would be the pinnacle of Northern greatness and grandeur. It was massive, half as large as Winterfell itself. The White Palace had eight large roads; four connected to the corner stone castles and the other four to the four integral gates of the city. The four gates were squarely in the middle of the each castle on the city walls. Each of the gates were made of thick and strong ironwood, once locked and sealed heavy iron iron pillars would slide from the left and lock into the right. Any attack by the gates was impossible.

The one between Winterfell and Cerwyns was the called King's Gate as it were the Kingsroad connected with the city between Cerwyns and the Snowfort was called the White Gate as it had a road that connected directly to White Harbour, the one between the Snowfort and the Queen's Hold was called the Dread Gate as it connected directly to the Dreadfort, the one between the Queen's Hold to Winterfell was called Wolf's Gate as it went into the Wolfswood and branched off connecting to the Strong Stone and the

The city was the largest in Westeros, with its spacious design there was lots of room for any expansion. He had created a merchant house which with the permission from all the northern lords would direct and control trade across his kingdom, he had built its headquarters in the north and gave control of it to his aging uncle; a kindly and wise old man who was good with number and sums.

Bennard also owed more than simple allegiance to him as it was Cregan that made his sons highlords of importance in the north Agnes as a result the old man had not only ensured that House Stark was the dominant power in the north he also tripled the profits that they were receiving and made it so that Winterfell got all of it. Cregan didn't know how the old man did such things but he didn't complain as long as he had enough coin to do as he wished.

He used the coin to make the Wintercity invincible; he knocked down the outer walls of the cornerstone castles and built a uniform wall of black granite that rose as high and half as those of Winterfell and twice as thick. The walls had massive rapid firing ballistas and great catapults that could knock dragons from the sky. The wall was so thick that a ten men could march shoulder to shoulder from

There were no places of interest yet but he intended to invite guilds from all across the world to the city; the Alchemists Guild of King's Landing, the Red Priests of R'hllor from Volantis, a Septons from Oldtown, even some Green Men from the Isles of Faces. When the different groups would come it would really be glorious. The parks and open plazas grew winter roses and weirwoods. They had great statues of Stark Kings and legendary heroes of the North.

The Winter Wolves had their own keeps within each of the cornerstone castles. And he had been forced to double their number to simply manage the north and new cities, which put quite a strain on money and gold. His wife and their children simply adored the city. Alys loved having a castle all to herself, which she could change to whatever she wanted. His twins; Sarra and Alys were loved and adored by the populace of the Wintercity, he had already betrothed Sarra to a Cerwyn much to his wife's disdain.

Rickon was six would leave for the Dreadfort when he was ten and five, the Boltons waited hungrily for such a time he knew. He met the Bolton bride that would be his good-daughter; Myrielle Bolton, she was pretty and smart. Knew how to manage a household well and was two years older Rickon. Although her pale eyes made her seem a little cold at times. She and Rickon, had exchanged many ravens and seemed to care for each other. Royce had asked for the hand of his other daughter; Alys for Rodgar who was his son and heir. He didn't want to give in to the grasping lord but he knew that if the north was to grow he'd need the Boltons. So he asked for time to think on the offer.

"My lord, King Aegon has nearly arrived to the Wintercity, he is reported to be only a day's ride from Cerwyns." Cregan snapped out of his daydream and focussed on the man in front of him; one of the lower ranking captains for the light horsemen, he looked highborn probably some second son from a minor house somewhere. Cregan smiled warmly to the lad "Sorry, there I was a little distracted could you be so kind as to repeat what you said?". The man spoke nervously, but clear,"Aye my lord, King Aegon and his party are expected to be at the Wintercity within the end of the week. Their progress is slow due to their large size but some our light horse have seem him only a short distance away from Cerwyns."

Cregan digested that information that for a moment, considering the implications of the words. "Do we have knowledge of who is within his party? Surely to be making such a slow progress, we should have an idea of the people coming." The man looked down to the report in front of his for half minute then looked back up, we believe that within the King's party are; the Queen and her handmaidens, the Lord Paramounts with their families each with a large contingent of guards, then an array of free riders and hedge knights who would be attached themselves to the party.

Never before had there been any kind of movement as this before that all the Royal Family, the Lord Paramounts with their families all in one place. Although he was certain that the the Wintercity could hold this grand party, he wasn't sure that whatever Aegon had in mind would benefit anybody apart from Aegon. Still be would accept this and do his best to mitigate the damage. He only hoped that it wouldn't be too bad.

AN

Thanks for all who liked and following my story thanks for reading. Big thanks to all who reviewed. Massive thanks to Lady-Silvanas to putting me into her Community. If any body want to be my beta reader, I'd be glad to put them into consideration. Does the north a little bit too strong or resource rich? It's all realistic, as I researched where different wildlife and minerals grown and are found. I'm not sure if its a bit too much or not.

To H0110wl0rde15; Cregan is very anti-south and tries his best To distance the north from the Targaryens, Aegon and Viserys are aware of this amino the next chapter we'll see how their going to tie the northern the restorative kingdoms. The thing with the Manderlys being Wardens simply came from canon as the Manderlys have a veritable ton of titles honestly it's insane. The Manderlys will be a driving power in the north and will get involved with the south a lot.

To the guy who asked about how a lord keeps their heir with them and about Alys Blackwood; During the Great Charter, Alys was pregnant and stayed in the half built Queen's Hold for the entirety of the event, sorry that I didn't mention it. Cregan isn't a family man is fine with selling off his own children to further his goals. In canon; Rickard Stark gives the eldest two (Brandon and Eddard) of his three sons to faster with different houses and it's said that Tywin Lannister fostered Jamie with the Marbrands for a while, so it's not uncommon that Cregan would do this.

To tfranco9; I always thought that the North was underused and kinda weak compared to the other kingdoms. I mean the North is a third of the size of Westeros, and yet is dirt poor? I never got that.

To RandomDude; I agree so much with you, and I never understood why so many people loved Rhaegar and Lyanna? They were massive idiots; Rhaegar could have avoided the entire war by simply not crowning Lyanna and going ahead with his plan of quietly staging a coup and going the crown from Aerys. I don't even blame Robert, he was well within his rights to fight, not claimants crown but fight. Hell, he could have taken Lyanna as a second wife, it's not the most dignified of positions but it would have been far better than the alternative. Any other course of action would have better.

As for the flaws and everything; Cregan has a ton. He's a manipulative and selfish, he doesn't think through and just hopes that there's nothing that's big a enough problem he can't deal with. He incredibly lazy; he tells everyone what to do while he actually does nothing. He gives empty titles to have people do what he wants to them to do; Warden of the Shivering Sea to the Manderlys, when knows that they would practically already have the power and clout to command tall the ship on the eastern shore without the title. I could very easily turn him into a villain.

To Jack Grey Logan; I'm honestly thinking about an independent north, when you're right they would need allies. Alys Blackwood going to be the catalyst for all of that.

I'm adding a little game; If anyone can guess my favourite character in the entire history of Westeros, I'll implement a story arc, or character or legendary weapon or whatever. Just something that they want. It'd be a little unfair without clues so; they are a male character, with the blood of the Dragon who played a crucial part in winning a civil war. None as cursed.