Chapter 9
Eddard sat up on the bed waiting for Ellaria to return the Maester of hellholt Warrick had come to see him and check over his injuries and bring food to him, Eddard had asked the Maester Warrick when the strength in this leg would return Maester Warrick told him by tomorrow but said that eddard was to remain in bed.
As Eddard went about eating there was a knock at the door ''enter'' hoping it would be his men but instead it was Lord Quentyn and Ser Arron ''lord Quentyn, Ser Arron'' he greeted them 'Lord Eddard it is good to see you are awake we feared the worst' Arron said ''We Starks are hard to kill'' Eddard replied 'Well I suppose that true' Quentyn said ''what are you going to do now'' Eddard asked.
'We are going to assets Lord Harmen Uller in rebuilding hellholt then return home' Arron replied ''what of the rest of dorne'' Eddard asked 'with you killing Aeron Greyjoy and their defeat at the Torrentine the ironborn have fled dorne for the reach, with them gone peace can return to dorne' Quentyn aid ''peace will never return to dorne not with the war steal ragging and the ironborn having control over the reach'' Eddard replied 'our war is over' a new voice said 'Lord Eddard Stark meet Lord Harmen Uller' Quentyn said 'as I was saying our war is over and we don't care for the out goings of our borders' Harmen said.
''As long as the ironborn are still in the reach you will never have peace, they may have left for now but they will return and they will not stop until they have killed you all or are beaten and the only way to beat them is to raise the iron island and the only way to get to the island is to go through the Redwyne Straits''
''And in order to go through the Straits is to retake the coastally settlements and towns long the reach'' Eddard said 'but I have no incentive to aid them' Harmen replied turning to leave the room. ''then how bout I give you an incentive to aid those who still suffer under the ironborn'' Eddard spoke. 'And what did you have in mind 'Harmen asked Turing around ''an alliance between house Stark of Winterfell and house Uller of Hellholt'' Eddard replied 'I will think on your offer until then good day lord Stark' Harmen said exiting the room followed by Ser Arron and Lord. Quentyn
Eddard laid back down on the bed and to catch his breath he could not believe that the dornish were so against helping the rest of the seven kingdoms against the ironborn, of courses he knew of the grudges that they held against the Reach, Westerlands and Robert for how the rebellion ended he himself argued with Robert against the murder of Elia Martell and her children after the Sack of Kingslanding.
As he laid down there was a knock at the door ''enter'' he called and in came Ellaria ''I do believe these are your men'' she said ''thank you Ellaria'' Ellaria turned and the left the northern lord to their business. ''What were our losses'' Eddard asked 'our casualties 100 killed in battle another 50 died of their wounds with 30 manageable injuries' Medgar said. 'And we were not much better 'Rickard called '75 men killed with a further 80 men dying of their wounds'.
Eddard listed as he learned that he had lost 300 men, Fathers, brothers, sons, nephews and uncles lost to war ''see that those who were injured are rewarded for their services and returned to Whiteharbour and the dead are honored and their families receive payment'' Eddard said.
'And how long will you be a bed lord Stark' asked Roose ''I will be a bed until tomorrow'' Eddard replied 'And what of the Dornish will they add us in the invasion of the Reach' Roose asked. '' I have a porched Lord Harmen about an alliance with us and hope to have an answer but weather not they join us we still have to prepare of the Reach Lord Wyman I want you to send out a scouting ship to find us a suitable place for us to land our Forces'' Eddard said 'It will be done Wyman replied ''is there anything else to discuss'' the Lords shock their head and exited the room leaving Eddard to rest.
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Having left the northermen Ellaria made her way to her father solar he had summoned her for something but what she did not know, arriving at the solar door she knocked 'enter' her father called Ellaria to find lords Quentyn and Daeron present as well ''you wished to see me father '' Ellaria said 'yes I did please sit Harmen replied, Ellaria sat opposite her father 'the reason I have summoned you here Ellaria is that with Hellholt free of the ironborn we must look to the future' Harmen said ''the future'' she asked 'yes the future you see the northerners indent to sail for the Reach Lord stark as asked for an alliance between us' Ellaria nodded that she understood and Harmen continued to speak 'He as offered himself to us and as I have spoken with Daeron and Quentyn and we believe that this alliance will be for the benefit to House Uller, Qorgyle and Vaith' Harmen said ''And how will this alliance be sealed'' Ellaria asked 'it will be sealed by marriage ' Harmen said ''whose marriage'' Ellaria asked 'yours' Harmen answered 'you will marry eddard stark byding House Stark and Uller together
''And how dose my marriage benefit anyone'' Ellaria asked 'when you are wed to him you will be the lady of Winterfell your children will heirs to the North and Hellholt and when a child is born we can removed lord stark and use the north to get revenge for the war they caused and take everything from them their wealth their power their families Harmen said
''And what of the Martells'' she asked 'Doran Martell is a weak man plagued by gout with no friends or allies thanks to his brother Oberyn, they will fall in time and when they do we will be there to take over the ruling of Dorne and rid ourselves of those Rhoyish bastards ' Daeron Vaith said
''You are talking about a coup'' Ellaria said 'No we are talking about justice When the dragons first came the Martells did nothing and our homes burned, When the dragons came again The Martells married into them giving up our freedom but now the dragons are dead and the Martells are weak' Quentyn Qorgyle said
''and if I refuse to take part in all of this'' Ellaria asked 'ships from Volantis are not uncommon in our ports and it would not hard to put you on one in chains' Harmen said
Ellaria looked that her father she found on solace in his words or in his eyes, he met every word he said, she was going to be sold, to the North as a bride or Volantis as a slave bowing her head ''I accept you offer father to wed Lord Stark for the good of House Uller'' Harmen nodded 'good I will host the northers in the great hall tomorrow and let lord stark know you are dismissed' Harmen said
Ellaria rose from her chair and exited the solar and made her way to the Godswood as Ellaria entered the garden she broke down and cried, as she cried Ellaria made a vow never to be weak and never let other people rule over her.
