Chapter 2, I really wish I got a system or something

272 AC

Trying to remember all that I can use to make it out alive in this world was fucking hard. And the parts I did remember required some testing. Once again, I had a lot of time on my hands to get said testing done. I have acquired some of the plant seeds from various traders and merchants, now I just need to make sure they can grow in the north.

Most of Robert and mine's education has been completed as of now. We have finally moved on to physical training. And let me tell you, this shit is so fucking repetitive. All they had Robert and I do was swing at a training dummy. I understand that this built muscle memory, but here it felt like a fucking boring exercise. I of course did additional exercises at the end of training alone. Just a few of them that will help me with endurance and stamina. Nothing too strenuous until this body is in its teenage years.

A year and a few months after being in the Vale, I paid for my first spy, this is my first long-term investment in people. I had found a poor farm boy and over the past year I have befriended him, he of course does not know he is friends with the son of a lord. However, that will play well into my plans. Once I was convinced that he was sufficiently loyal to me, I gave him 5 gold coins, the remaining of my allowance for the next month, and told him to move to the Westlands. The gold should help him settle well and if he plays his cards right, he will fit right in with the people of Lannisport.

I instructed him to write a letter to Spark, which was my cover name. None of this should be placed back on Ned Stark for a long long time.

XXX

My father saw fit to send me a name day present, it of course was a sword. I had no use for it at this point in my life. However, it was a good bargaining chip in case I needed more money for more of my plans/experiments. My main goal is to recreate a method to make sea salt. Salt is not widely known or not to make it in vast amounts, if I can recreate that then the north would have one more money-making method. From what I remember from Earth, it involves evaporating a large amount of seawater to leave salt behind. Easier said than done, welp back to the fucking drawing board.

My other problem right now involves finding a way to make more allies other than Robert. Right now, I'm only the spare, not many of the current heirs will be willing to befriend me, and that will change during the war. I will have to think about this. Most of the future lords will be fighting during the rebellion, and a lot of houses will change heirs and lords. The bad part is I don't remember any of the minor houses at all. I guess I will have to be nice to all of them, fuck me.

XXX

A few months later a solution for my second problem presented itself, Lord Arryn was hosting a tournament for his name day and his first wife was also inviting some of the ladies of the kingdom as well. That was another thing that I had forgotten about, Jon Arryn's first wife…. I don't remember when she died. Or how she died. I still must decide if I want to save her or not. I don't know how much her being alive during and after the rebellion will change the outcome. On the other hand, there are a few people whom I must kill now. I have made headway on the salt idea, but I can't have fucking peasant who can be bought to know how to do the entire process or how to make the pan itself.

Sad to say, but this must be done. I take no pleasure in this, but it's the only way I can ensure that I and my future family survive this fucked up world.

XXX

It was the week of the tournament and I had to socialize. As this was still before everything went to more shit and most of the 7 kingdoms were still relatively cordial towards each other. This meant that a lot of people came for the tourney.

The few I could recognize and remember from the show and books were the oaf Mace Tyrell, Renly Baratheon, Kevan Lannister, Stannis Baratheon, Jon Cunnington, and whom I can assume is Gerion Lannister. Those were all whom I could recognize from gossip and general appearance. Among them were other brothers and sons of lords.

The one whom I did not expect to see here was a young Rhaegar Targaryen, but I suppose it makes sense that he would be here, considering one of the great houses was throwing a tournament. The crown must be represented.

And just like that the atmosphere around the place changed.

Let me tell you, Westeros before the war was a different place than what was portrayed in the books and show. Everything and everyone were livelier and happier, of course, there were a few side eyes and gossip. However, it was nothing like the place I watched and read about. Holy fuck did Little finger fuck up a lot of things. Several times I had thought about screwing the timeline and just killing him now, but my plans and survival take precedence over these…. these characters. Even after being here almost 12 years, I still can't see these beings as people…real people. To my mind, this was a game, and these were the pieces I needed to win.

XXX

The tournament was dare I say spectacular; I now see why the common folk and even the lords and ladies find this entertaining. The archery competition was one for the ages, however, the winner was a soon-to-be Kingsguard if I'm not mistaken, Prince Lewyn Martell.

The joust was a different beast, I did not think I would find this event entertaining at all. However, it was amazing, the back and forth, the upsets, and the clashes were truly a sight to behold. I was laughing and enjoying myself, I truly did not want this week to end. The winner of the joust was a knight I had never heard of before.

And then came the melee, just a bunch of knights piled into an arena and every man for themselves, and man did they go at it. It finally came down to a nameless knight and Gerion Lannister. Of course, Gerion won, but the fight was well done.

As everyone was heading back to the party a chance of a lifetime appeared beside me and was talking very loudly that his uncle had won the archery and could have won the melee as well if he wanted to. The smile on my face could have made some dark lord very envious. For one Prince Oberyn Martell was walking beside me and it was time to secure his friendship one way or another.

Talking to a young Oberyn, was very interesting I could see shadows of his future self as he slowly figured out whom he wants to be. Not the womanizer as of yet. We struck up a conversation on the tournament, of course, it was very easy to endear myself to him. I was able to leave a good impression and we agreed to keep in touch.

This year ended with the beginnings of what would be the Defiance of Duskendale, already there were faint gossip and whispers of Lord Darklyn. I knew that an opportunity to add more spies would come soon. I think the next target would have to be Riverrun. I already had someone in the Westerlands, at the end of Robert's rebellion, I would place a lot of spies in the Reach. Storm's End would be easy at the end of the rebellion as well. However, until then, I needed to get people in Riverrun, Dorne, and Kings Landing.

With all eyes soon to be on Duskendale in the next few years, placing spies hopefully will be easy. Even though none of them would be of any use until many years down the line.

XXX

The next three years flew by as I slowly worked on my plans and goals. As merchants and exotic sellers came through Jon Arryn's keep, I was able to gain more seeds, and plants and even learn about a few animals that would eventually help me turn the north into a powerhouse. However, as the year began so did the defiance of Duskendale, and with it the first big red flag that I was not in the canon verse. For you see to my knowledge and the books and the fucking TV show, the mad king had 3 kids or would have 3 children. Rhaegar, Viserys and then Daenerys.

Well somehow, I fucking missed one, or fucking George wrote this in the first draft or some shit because there was another child of the mad king.

Somehow, whether by luck, the gods, or whoever, whatever placed me here… there was another child of the mad king.

Rhaegar Targaryen had a younger sister…..

One who was born and should have died but did not.

This changed everything.

My chances of playing and winning the game had gone up in flames because the game had an unknown piece.

The name of that piece is Rhaenyra Targaryen, and she had just decided to visit the vale during what would be the Defiance of Duskendale….

Fuck.

XXX

This chapter had 5 different endings. I just couldn't write it, flipped a coin, and rewrote it. Went back and even changed how the story would progress. It just wouldn't fit and then I thought to myself I don't want to write a boring MC wins all, or MC does something and then ripples happen. I kept mulling and mulling in my head. Then my friend told me to watch House of Dragons, I did not want to watch it, I kinda already knew the story and did not want to watch more of a good book series go to shit. Somehow, I got talked into watching it and then this chapter rewrote itself, and I flipped a coin several times during writing this. Thus, Rhaenyra came into the story.

The next chapter is already out on the p=tron. If yall want to send me some money lol.

Anyways Please read and review.

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S95N out!