Chapter 70: Giving back
302 AC
Arya
The cold grey walls of Winterfell always managed to calm her down. She walked through the halls and let her fingers run along the granite stones. They felt cold, hard and dry, but most of all they felt like home. She had just dropped off Edda with Alys and was making her way up to father's solar, no Robb's solar.
Nymeria needed to hunt and she had things to discuss with her older brother. There was one thing that remained unresolved and that couldn't be. It was time she saw her revenge. She had waited long enough. She hugged her direwolf goodbye and looked back at her for a second, as she ran off through the halls.
The only good thing to come from what had happened was that Nym could run around the halls freely now. All guards and servants were ordered to let them pass, even outside the gates. She had been a little afraid that Robb would reverse their mother's command, but he had agreed with it and even expanded it massively. Robb had signed a decree three days ago that forbade killing direwolves in his whole kingdom. If any wild direwolves were spotted, all his vassals were ordered to immediately sent word to Winterfell. When she had asked what punishment he had set for killing a direwolf, her brother had looked her right in the eye.
"Disobeying the order to send word means the Wall. Anyone proven guilty of killing a direwolf will be beheaded, preferably by me personally." The answer had come.
She had agreed with that. She seemed to agree a lot with Robb's policies lately. The war had changed her brother. His voice had dropped, and he had put on a lot of muscle. He had grown out a beard and she had to agree that he looked a lot like the painting that mother had of their late grandfather. Yet, when he opened his mouth it was as if their father had come back to them. He was no longer a boy. He had become the ruler of the North now and all could see and hear it. It suited him.
However, he was harder than father, sometimes colder too. She had talked about it with Lyanna and her family a few times and they had smiled at her. "Your father was a great man and a good lord. He led us in war against the Targaryens and ruled us all fairly. It was a privilege to call him my liege. Even so, he had a lot of Southern influences because he was tutored by Jon Arryn." Lady Maege had replied.
"Your brother was partially thought by a Karstark, especially during war. That and the reality of leading people during war time at such a young age made him into something no Stark has been since the coming of the dragons. Your brother has been crowned the King of Winter. Winters are harsh and cold. They force you to make difficult choices and to care well for your people, lest they all die of cold or starvation. His Grace knows this and has adapted to it. He may be hard from time to time, but his rule will soften life for many of us here in the North. That is what matters to him, and what matters to us."
She had thought about that a lot. Before a lot of them left, she had watched the families from the far North more closely and compared it to her brother's new behaviors. In the end, she found many similarities between Robb and many of his closest companions. Smalljon Umber, Domeric Bolton, Harrion and Torrhen Karstark, Owen Norrey and Dacey Mormont, all were cruder and harder than she had been used to growing up. However, they were also honest, loyal and a lot of fun.
Dacey had showed her fighting moves with an axe, Smalljon with a sword and Domeric with a dagger. The Karstark brothers had showed her the basics of wrestling and secretly slipped her ale anytime that her mother wasn't looking. Owen told her folk stories about the North that even Old Nan wouldn't tell her. She took to their company almost immediately. Even Sansa warmed up to them after a while.
The only one who didn't agree with this was their mother, but Robb refused to chastise his friends and vassals about it. By now many had left anyway. The Karstarks had joined Domeric in his quest to recapture the Dreadfort from his disloyal bastard brother. The Glovers and their vassals had left as well, she had watched how their column had disappeared in the Wolfswood.
The Mormonts would soon take the same route towards Bear Island. Robb had allowed Lyanna to go home for a while to stay with her family on the condition that her fostering would recommence in six months. Her friend was overjoyed and she was happy for her, although she would miss her greatly.
The Umbers also remained, but they would soon leave with Jon and a force of Manderlys and Flints that had recently arrived. Her brother would lead them to the Wall and disperse the Wildling army once and for all. She had tried to spend as much time with him as possible from the moment that she had heard he would leave. She had missed him and although he had changed a lot, she still loved spending time with him.
She walked up the stairs until she reached the solar. In front of it were two guards she knew well, and she greeted them with a smile. They announced her presence and she was quickly let in. "Arya, to what do I have the pleasure?" Robb asked, when she walked in.
"I want to talk to you about something Robb. I want you to do something for me."
He looked her sternly in the eye, before motioning to the seat in front of him for her to sit. "I'm listening."
"You have been here for three months now Robb. Everybody is happy to see you and a I know that you had a lot of important things to do at first, but now it is time to give me and my friends the revenge we deserve." She explained her reasoning for being here.
"The revenge you deserve?" He simply asked in reply.
"Yes Robb, the revenge we deserve!" She responded agitated. "It has been years and still those damned Greyjoys live. You have destroyed their homes and taken their lands and titles away from them forever. I will never forget it and I am thankful, but it is also the reason I have waited so long before barging in like this. Theon and Asha Greyjoy must die. They must die soon and it must be a Stark that swings the sword, as it is our family that condemns them to death. I have accepted the fact that it will be more proper if you do it, but if you don't then I will do it myself."
She looked at her older brother fiercely. He said nothing in return and simply looked into her eyes. After a while, he broke contact and sighed. "You're right, they should have been dealt with by now. The truth is that I didn't have the stomach to kill my former friend. Yet, it needs to be done."
She smiled at that, knowing her brother would come through for her. "However," he continued suddenly becoming a lot sterner, "we do not take revenge. Theon's head must roll, but not out of revenge. He will die because it would be unjust to let him live. You are a princess of the North now Arya. You can't go around demanding vengeance."
"Why? Simply because I am a girl? You and Jon avenged father and you avenged me as well when you were in Pyke. If I had a penis you would encourage me to enact my vengeance." She retorted emotionally.
"No, I would still ask you to control your emotions. It is true that I and Jon avenged father and you. Sometimes we let our emotions take over and we felt great doing so, but that was never the main reason we did it. We did it to protect you, Bran, Rickon, Mother, Alys and Eddara. We did it to protect our family, to protect House Stark." He scolded her.
"Now, it is true Theon must die and Asha is too great a risk to let loose. She would be a danger if she ever got freed. I can't send her to the Wall because she is a woman and if I sent her to the Silent Sisters she would simply escape by force. So yes, she also needs to die." She had wanted to respond harshly, but those last words calmed her somewhat.
"May that be, you still need to face the facts. You are a girl Arya. Despite your escapades and mischief, you remain a girl and will soon be a woman. I am not like mother and I will never be. I let you wear a dagger. I let you train with multiple weapons with my vassals. I even allow you and your friends to get in way more trouble than I should." She sheepishly nodded. She had never known as much freedom as these past three months. Her education had gone on, but aside from that she could do almost all she had ever wanted.
"You remain a woman and you will have to behave like one on certain occasions. In the future, you will have to marry a nobleman. You will have to control a household and you will have to bear his children." She scoffed at that. "I will never marry some Southern knight that sees me as nothing more than a broodmare."
Robb's face softened somewhat. "Arya, I will always consider your opinions and your well-being. I will never marry you to anyone from below the Neck, as it would not be the right environment for you. I will also listen to your opinions about men. You will have a say in everything, just not the final one. Do you know that I have already refused half a dozen betrothals for you?"
Her mouth fell open. "People have asked for my hand?"
"Yes, and I harshly told them that you are only twelve and that it will be years before I even entertain the idea of betrothing you. Besides, those coming from the South would have been refused anyway."
She looked at him in shock but tried to process his words. He seemed serious about not sending her to the Riverlands, which was good. She also knew his consideration for her opinions was genuine. It was the fact he wouldn't entertain proposals for years that got her confused.
"Why wouldn't you consider any proposals now?"
"Because I know that you don't want to marry anytime soon, and I will not force you. You will have to marry in time, but I am not planning of sending you away from Winterfell so soon. Whether you marry at fifteen or eighteen does not make too much of a difference to the internal politics and I don't want you to be unhappy." He responded. His eyes told her he wasn't lying, neither of her siblings had ever been able to lie to her without her noticing.
She walked across the room and hugged him. "Thank you, Robb." She just whispered. He stood up and held her for a while, before slightly pushing her back. "You are no broodmare Arya and you will never be. I will respect your wishes, as long as you do your duty to House Stark whenever the time comes. Do we have a deal?"
She nodded weakly. "What if I fall in love before that like what happened with you and Alys?" She asked. However stupid the idea of boys and love seemed to her, it might be her only shot at being happy. If she had to marry anyway, it would be better if it were a boy that she herself liked.
Her brother smiled. "If you fall in love with a boy of a noble house, like I did with Alys, then I will give you my blessing as long as he is loyal and good to you in mine and mother's eyes. Why do you ask? Do you have anyone in mind?"
"What? Bah, no! I don't even want to marry in the first place. All boys are stupid, the only exceptions are you, Jon and Bran. Maybe Rickon too, if he isn't screaming, and that's because you are my family! All I'm asking is if I can do my duty and be happy at the same time." She screamed back.
The King of the North laughed loudly as he hung back in his chair. After a while, he leaned forward. "You can be happy either way Arya. Mother and Father were happy, and they didn't want to marry at first. Even so, I promise not to betroth or marry you to anyone you don't know or truly despise. He will also have to be of the North so you can feel at home amongst our people."
She looked at him in doubt. It was true that mother and father had been married out of necessity and mother had had Robb when they had barely known each other. At least her future husband would be Northern, that way she could at least see her family from time to time unlike mother, who hadn't been able to attend grandfather when he lay dying.
"Now come with me, I will not deny you your last words to these krakens." He said, as he stood up and brotherly put his arm around him.
(The next day)
She looked stoically at the block of wood in the middle of the snowy courtyard. Many of their vassals, guards and servants had gathered around in a wide circle. She sat in the position of honor at the front, together with Houses Umber, Mormont and Manderly. Lyanna and Wylla sat by her side, whilst the Greatjon and his sons stood right behind her in the rightful place of Alarra.
Yesterday, she had talked with the Greyjoys under Robb's supervision. It had been a lot less rewarding than she had anticipated, yet she had still enjoyed looking into their eyes as Robb proclaimed their death sentences. Theon was a shadow of his former self, while Asha was as determined and apologetic as ever before. It didn't matter. They would die and House Greyjoy would die with them.
Robb had allowed them some leniency. He had allowed brother and sister to spend their last night in the cells together and had told them of his promise to return their bodies to Harlaw so they could be buried under their own customs. Asha Greyjoy had thanked him for that, the light in her eyes never once dimming as she talked about her own death.
Brother and sister were brought forward and the morning sun shone upon their oil black hair. Theon looked at her and mouthed his excuses, whilst Robb took his head clean off with Ice. Asha's last words were more poetic. "What is dead may never die, but rises again harder and stronger!", she proclaimed loudly. Smalljon told her that it was an old Ironborn saying. In the end none of it mattered. All that mattered was that they were gone. No longer would she have to look upon her own scars or those of Nymeria and boil with range and revenge. No longer would she feel ashamed as she thought about Alarra. Justice was served and she could continue on now, as Robb had promised her.
Afterwards, Robb continued on to the pool in the Godswood. He would clean Ice and silently contemplate his actions, just like father had always done after he had to take a life. Many of those similarities existed, where Robb behaved exactly like father had in the past. It brought a certain continuation to his rule. It had brought a calm over all the inhabitants of Winterfell, as if the years of war had been nothing more than a bad dream that had been resolved by the return of their rightful ruler.
Jon had agreed with her assessment. "Robb is the rightful heir of over eight thousand years of Starks, Arya. Eight thousand years our family has ruled here. First only here in Winterfell and the surrounding regions, afterwards their lands grew until they encompassed the whole of the North. Robb was quite literally born and raised to do this, and everybody recognizes this in him."
She had responded that she would have still preferred it if father had lived and ruled them. Her brother had looked sadly upon her. "As does Robb, but it is not something he can change. Instead he does the next best thing by continuing on as much of his ways and spirit in his rule as he can."
This had made her look at her eldest brother in another light and his actions of the last two days proved Jon was right. She would allow him his peace in the Godswood. She walked over to Alys and asked if she would be allowed to pick up Edda from her nurses to play with Jon and her. Alys agreed and so she walked inside with Jon to pick up her little niece.
They found her playing with her stuffed direwolf in the nursery. The moment she saw her she picked up the doll and waggled over to them. Her loud laughter echoed from the walls and the maid watching her smiled at them. They thanked her profusely and told her they had permission from the Queen to take over.
"Play wi Nym and Gost?" Their niece asked hopefully after she had welcomed them both with a hug.
"Do you want to?" Jon asked her. She nodded profusely.
"Well, we'll take you to them then." He winked, after which he offered her his hand. She took it and gave her stuffed dragon to her. She put it back on her bed and took the other hand.
They walked out the nursery back towards the courtyard. "Where are we going, Jon?" She asked.
"To the kennels, Ghost and Nymeria will be waiting on us there." He responded.
"How do you always know?" She asked suspiciously.
"The same way that you know, but I am way more experienced in it than you are." He winked back at her.
She looked at him in shock and opened her mouth to reply. "Not here, we'll talk about it, but not here." He responded quickly, whilst glancing at Edda walking between them. She nodded quickly and they walked on towards their direwolves. All the while answering the barrage of questions coming from their family's little wolf pup.
Robb
He had spent the rest of the morning alone in the Godswood. He had cleaned Ice in the small pool of water under the Weirwood tree. He had done it the exact same way he had seen father do it over the years. Father had once told him that grandfather Rickard had confided in him that his father Edwyle and all previous Starks had done it this way. It was a way for the Stark of Winterfell to come to terms with the fact he had taken a life and to cleanse his spirit and conscience in the eyes of the Gods.
Afterwards, he had gone to his solar. Now that the Greyjoys were dealt with, he knew the Mormonts would soon leave. He had to have a talk with Lady Maege now or he would have to wait for months.
He had asked one of his guards, named Walton, to fetch her for him and it seemed they had finally arrived. "Thank you, Walton. You did well. I ask that you join me at my table at lunch tomorrow. I would like to know how you experience the new regime and if there is something that I could do for you." He smiled at the loyal man. He had served Winterfell for over eight years now but had only recently been promoted to his personal detail after Alys and Bran had informed him of his loyal service these years he was away.
The guard looked baffled, but soon got ahold of himself. "Thank you, Your Grace", he responded, as he bowed deeply. Walton left his solar and closed the day behind him.
"I think you just created a devote follower for the rest of your life." Lady Maege remarked with a smirk.
"From what I heard he was just that for my family when we were in the South. It is overly deserved and will make for some variation in conversation tomorrow." He replied. "Please, Lady Maege take a seat."
She did as he asked. "You wanted to talk to me about something, Your Grace?"
"Aye, I did. I ask you to please entertain my request, although it might sound weird in the beginning." He started.
She looked questioningly at him, so he continued. "I would like to ask you about your daughter Alysane."
"Tell you about Alysane? What do you want to know and why Your Grace? Has she done something to displease you? I know she can be quite gruff, but I assure you she is loyal to the bone."
"Calm down, Maege. She did nothing to displease me and isn't in any kind of trouble. I just want to know the vassal that has de facto ruled Bear Island for the last three years. What is she like? How has she been running Bear Island these past years in your absence. How did she react to the Ironborn in the Bay of Ice? How was she with the common people? What is the situation with her children? How is their father like? Those are the kind of questions I would like to see answered today."
The Lady of Mormont Keep looked at him with suspicion. "You swear that she is not in any kind of trouble?"
"I swear it on the Gods." He vowed solemnly, which calmed her considerably. He gestured at her to start.
"Well, Alysane is my second born. She will have past her twenty-eight birthday by now. She is the quietest of all my daughters. She only speaks when she needs to, but what she says is always worth listening to. She has long been one of my advisors in running Bear Island, since the beginning when I came to rule the island nine years ago. She has run the island and the keep smoothly in my absence, trusting in and delegating to the right people when it was called for."
He motioned for her to continue. "Concerning the Ironborn, well they never made serious landfall on the island. A few raids were done, mostly on remote fishing villages. She is a very capable warrior in her own right and managed to eliminate one of their raiding parties. She captured the longboat and put the raiders to the sword, after that not many tried raiding our lands anymore. She is well-liked by the common people, both for protecting them from Ironborn and Wildlings and for caring for them and helping to better their lives if possible."
"That surely is a daughter to be proud of." He replied.
"I am proud of all my daughters and Alysane has done everything I expected of her and more these past years that we have spent in the South."
"What about her children and their father? I know it is not something you wish to talk about, but I heard some rumors on the one side and stories from Dacey on the other side. I would like to ask for your opinion on the topic before I make up my mind." He asked her again.
Maege Mormont sighed. "She has two children. A daughter little Maege, which she named after me, and a boy named Donnor after my grandfather. Little Maege will be eleven by now, whilst Donnor will be four. Gods, that boy was only a babe when I left him. The father … is named Artos. He is a common guard in our service. A good man, but a commoner. She has refused to stop seeing him and there is not much I can do about it. The two of them clearly love each other."
"Tell me more about him. How is he like?"
"Excuse me, Your Grace, but why would you be interested in my daughter's paramour? I will always tell you all you need to know, but this does not feel important enough for me to compromise my daughter's reputation." Lady Maege responded seriously.
"Very well, you are right. I can't say much yet, but I am considering Lady Alysane as a possible candidate for lands that need a new owner. However, I don't personally know her, nor do I know this Artos. I would like to make an assessment before I talk to them about it and get their hopes up."
"You would like to give Alysane lands?" She questioned in shock.
"Aye, or at least I'm thinking about it. House Mormont has been staunchly loyal throughout the whole war. You and Dacey have always offered me solid council, accomplished all your tasks with great skill and saved my life on many an occasion. Your daughter Lyanna did much the same for my sister when it was needed and they have become inseparable, giving Arya a much-needed friend in life. Something she sourly missed when she was younger." He told her and he saw her fill with pride at the praise.
"It is time you get rewarded for your loyal service and I am looking into certain possibilities to do so. One of those is to give Alysane lands. Many lands in the North need a new ruler and I'm looking for people who could be a good steward and ruler. Your daughter seems like a good candidate. I talked to Dacey a little and to me it seems clear that she will not want to move from Bear Island unless she has her 'paramour', as you call it, with her. Besides, it would create too much of a mess with her two children anyway."
"What are you proposing then?" The Lady of Bear Island asked in confusion.
"I am contemplating giving Alysane lands. She would create her own house. If this Artos is acceptable to me, I could ennoble him and have them marry. Afterwards, I could legitimize their children by noble decree. This would ensure that her line continues and that her family can stay together, without ostracizing her from other nobles due to her having multiple bastards."
"You would legitimize my grandchildren and allow her to marry a common born guard?" Maege Mormont asked in shock.
"No, I would actively promote it. However, to do so I would need to have a talk with both Lady Alysane and her 'paramour' myself. This conversation served to assess if that was worth it or not." He explained calmly.
Lady Maege just silently looked at him. "How would that even work? Little Maege has been a Snow all her life. Some already find my daughters' lineage to be a stretch, as no one expected them to inherit anything ten years ago. Nobody really cared that I married a minor noble or that they took my name because it didn't matter, but now it does and they start mumbling. Maege will never be accepted into noble society, let alone with all those Andals now part of the kingdom."
He laughed at her. "You forget, Lady Mormont, that I am king. I have certain tools to make that happen, if I so desire. If your granddaughter is anything like your youngest daughter, I would expect that Arya would like her as one of her companions. In a few years a good marriage can then be arranged by House Stark if you and your daughter allow it."
She looked at him again in shock, before a huge grin split her face. "Aye, you are king. I just have to tell you about Artos, do I?" He nodded in response.
"Very well. He is in his early thirties, the third son of one of my father's guards and a fisherman's daughter. He went into our guard with one of his five brothers. The others became fishermen except for one, who became a local trader. They all have families of their own and they live in the village below Mormont Keep. He often takes Little Maege there with him and she loves playing her numerous cousins." She started telling, as her gaze drifted off to imagine Bear Island.
"They are all good honest folk. Artos is a dutiful man. He never expected special treatment for his relationship with Alysane and has always done everything I, or before that Jorah, asked of him. He spends most of his free time caring for the children or helping his brothers with their trade or families."
"He's a good father?" He asked.
"Aye, he even helped Alysane and Dacey with Lyanna from time to time before she came to Winterfell. Lyanna and Little Maege were quite close before."
"How is he with the common folk of Bear Island?"
"Well, he is a simple man. Doesn't travel much outside of the keep or the village, except when doing his job or accompanying his trader brother, if Wildlings have been sighted close by. However, he is a well-respected part of the local community. His father holds some sway, as he was the second in command of our guard during my father and Jeor's rule. The man is retired now, after losing an arm during the Greyjoy Rebellion."
"Seems like a good loyal family." He remarked.
"Aye, they have been serving us for generations. They are good folk." She summarized what she had told him in so many words.
"Thank you, Maege. I will take all of this in consideration. However, I would like to ask one more thing of you." He responded.
"Aye?" She asked.
"Could you bring Alysane and Artos with you when you return to Winterfell? I would very much like to meet them." He winked at her. She laughed loudly at that. "Aye, I could do that. Thank you, Your Grace. Your trust and generosity will not be forgotten."
He smiled at her and they continued talking about certain affairs of the realm. He bounced certain ideas he had off of her and asked her insights in what to do with the Hornwoods and Boltons and how to best organize a new trade route along the Sunset Sea. After that, they left and went to the Great Hall to have lunch. There they split ways, as Lady Maege went to sit with her daughters and he sought out the company of the Cassels.
He found Rodrik and Jonelle sitting together with some people from Castle Cerwyn that had accompanied Jonelle back to Winterfell for the visit. He recognized a lady in the colors of House Condon, amongst others, talking with Beth Cassel. Amongst them sat the future of House Cassel. Martyn and Edrick were playing on the floor besides Rodrik and he wondered where the eldest Lyanne was.
He didn't have to wonder long, as suddenly Rickon and Shaggy ran outside the kitchens into the hall. Lyanne quick on his brother's tail. He smiled at the sight. His father and his siblings had been raised alongside Jory and his brothers, although sadly only Jory had survived past childhood. After that, Rodrik's daughter Beth had been raised alongside Sansa. Now they were witnesses of a new generation of Starks and Cassels bonding together.
He could think of few children with more loyal lineage than those three little children. Their father and paternal grandfather had died to protect his father, while their maternal grandfather had died in battle following his orders. Their grand-uncle and mother had dedicated their lives to tutor and train this generation of House Stark and their uncle, his friend Cley, had loyally obeyed his every command during the war.
It was time that Houses Cassel and Cerwyn would be rewarded and he would do just that this afternoon. He walked over to the table and everybody immediately got up to bow for him. He waved it away and told them all to remain seated. Little Martyn came up to him and bravely said. "Hello, Your Grace!"
He smiled at the boy and ruffled his hairs. "Hello there, Martyn. How are you my boy?"
"I am well, Your Grace. I wanted to ask you if you knew when it will stop snowing. The prince and I want to go play, but Lady Catelyn and mother have forbidden us to go outside in the winter snows." The boy pressed on now that he had his attention.
He laughed loudly at that. "I know better than to contract either your Lady mother or mine, young Martyn. If you have any questions about the weather, I propose you point them at Maester Luwin. He knows much and more about the topic, sadly I do not."
The boy nodded at that. The Cerwyn vassals looked shocked at the audacity of the young boy to talk to the king like that, whilst Ser Rodrik and Jonelle simply rolled their eyes at his antics. These were his little brother's friends, and Cassels besides, he would always have time to listen to them, be they five or fifty years old. Now even more so, as the boy would soon be a lord.
"Ser Rodrik, Jonelle, I have need of you in my solar this afternoon. Would it suit you after lunch?" He asked both of his family's advisors.
Ser Rodrik went through his beard. "I have sword lessons planned with young Brandon. I was hoping to get the boys to join in too. Some discipline and something to get their mind of things will do them well." He responded, as he nodded over to where Martyn and Rickon were playing with Shaggy.
"I'll ask Jon or Harmond Umber to take over today's lesson, if you would find that acceptable?" The elderly knight nodded, so he turned himself to Jonelle.
"I have archery lessons with Arya and her friends, but I could ask Dacey to fill in for me once. I see her and her family sitting over there by the wall."
"That works out perfectly." He responded. He nodded to each of their companions and looked around until he saw Jon, Arya, Sansa and Bran sitting with his daughter at a table nearby. "Rickon, are you coming? It seems we have a sibling lunch to attend to."
His little brother looked around and saw what he meant. At the same time, Shaggy looked up and saw his own siblings lazily laying under and around the table. Even Grey was there, as Edda was softly playing in his fur coat.
Rickon nodded and quickly said goodbye to the Cassel kids before grabbing his hand and walking over to their siblings. Shaggy quickly overtook them and started pestering Summer. He enjoyed their family lunch. Nobody talked about any of the important things in the kingdom, just sword and embroidery lessons, pranks and jokes. It seems Jon and Arya pranked Sansa and Rickon the other day and got one of their sister's gowns dirty. He laughed at the simplicity of it all, but it was soon time to once again get to work.
He let Ser Rodrik and Jonelle take a seat and quickly explained to them his plans for young Martyn. He would marry Lady Ermesande Hayford and their children would take her name to continue the Hayford line. In doing so, he would become the acting lord of all their lands. His younger brother Edrick would continue the Cassel line and inherit all Cassel estates.
Both looked at him in shock and he couldn't do anything but smile. It felt good to have the power to give back to people that had suffered so much to protect his family.
"You'd make Martyn a lord?" Ser Rickard asked.
"Aye, well I'd make him acting lord. Lady Ermesande will be ruler in name. In reality, Martyn will rule and help ensure my will in the lands around the Blackwater." He responded.
"And those Hayfords agree with this?" Jonelle asked.
"They don't have much of a choice. Lady Ermesande is the last of her line. Her regent is the old castellan of Hayford. He was an old friend of the former lord and simply wishes to see his friend's line survive and the local lands blossom again after the war. He has agreed to a marriage between the lady and someone of my choosing. It has also been agreed that she will come to Winterfell to foster once she reaches the age of ten, which is in six and a half years from now. You will be able to get to know and influence her and Martyn will get to know her long before they are ever married. They will move south together and take up rule when they are married after her fifteenth birthday."
Jonelle looked pleased with that and she voiced as much. Ser Rodrik was not entirely convinced. "What about the cultural differences with the local population and vassals, as well as the surrounding lords? I don't suppose they will welcome a Northern babe that has nothing alike with them and is barely off his mother's tits as their new savior." He interjected cynically.
"No, you are right. However, there are opportunities there. One of their foremost vassals, House Hoggs, has gone extinct during the war. Others have been reduced in size, with a few of them ruled by small children as well. House Hayford lost a third of its population to war, famine and disease." He replied, taking some time to let all he wanted to say resonate.
"The small area around House Hogg's former seat, Sow's Horn, has lost two thirds of its population. The seat has been awarded to Jon Slate, Lord Slate's nephew. He will settle some of the veterans that didn't want to go home over there, and his uncle is at the moment preparing a group of over eight hundred people that want to migrate south to join him. Jon will keep an eye on the castellan and Northern interests and will help to introduce our customs and traditions in some of Martyn's lands, as well as in the minor nobility."
Ser Rodrik listened attentively and nodded at what he said. "That will help, but it can't just shift the area overnight alone. He and his lands will be an island of mixed cultures in a sea of Andals."
"Now there you are wrong, Ser Rodrik." He laughed. "Hayford borders what was once King's Landing and those territories have been given to the Greatjon's younger brother. Another house that borders Hayford is Rosby. The heir's hand will be given to Alaric Karstark. Together these three will form a cluster that will be a safe haven for our veterans, as well as people who wish to flee the cold Northern winter and settle there. They will also be a strong enough presence to deter the Stormlands or Reach from expanding their influence north of Blackwater Bay."
"You would put Martyn's on par with the rewards you have given to Houses Karstark and Umber?" Jonelle asked surprised.
"Aye, at least for the most part. House Cassel deserves it after what his father and grandfather did for us, after what you two did for us. However, he's not only a scion of House Cassel, he's also part Cerwyn and you deserve it too. Your father Medger's dead secured the army's survival and my successes against the Lannisters at Riverrun. I sadly can't thank him for it, but I can show my gratitude to his grandchildren." He responded, thinking back at all those that were lost.
Jonelle was clearly touched by his words and silently worded "thank you". Ser Rodrik did speak up. "As nominal head of House Cassel, I thank you Your Grace. However, you spoke over grandchildren plural. Do you have anything else in mind for Lyanne and Edrick?"
"Well, I have ideas, but nothing will be done without your consent. Edrick, as the heir to House Cassel will be ensured high positions at court and monetary rewards when he comes of age. If he wishes it, he will have the same influence with me and my siblings that you, your brother and Jory had on me and my father." He said calmly, letting ample time pass to be interrupted if they disagreed with his views, yet neither of them did.
"Lyanne is more nuanced. It could be a great boon for Martyn to marry her to the heir of one of his neighbors. It would make her a lady and her children lords and high nobility. If she wants to stay in the North, she could have a very profitable marriage as well. She has royal favors and is the niece to Lord Cerwyn that will mean something." He continued and Jonelle nodded happily.
He then turned to Ser Rodrik. "Don't think I will forget Beth either. If you accept, I will search a very profitable match for her. The heir to a house sworn to either Winterfell directly or the Cerwyns, maybe even a Wolfswood clan. If she wants to go to the South, I will arrange a marriage for her and one of Martyn's major vassals. Don't worry about the dowry, I insist that I cover it."
"Thank you, Robb." Was all that his old master-at-arms managed to get out.
"My father and I have had so much to thank to the two of you, and to those who should be here with you but aren't anymore. This is my way of giving back to you. I owe House Cassel and you both a debt, I will see it paid. The Lannisters aren't the only ones who pay their debts." He responded seriously. Both thanked him again and left the solar right after. He would announce the news in a week, giving him the possibility to inform Cley of it beforehand.
He walked over to the window and looked at the snow-covered hills in the distance. He saw trails of small animals that had crossed it. Closer to him, he saw two guards walk across the outer wall tugged in heavy furs. They sped up, wanting to get inside of the next tower where a fire was burning to warm them. These were his lands, his people and he would do his best to make their lives better.
He sat back down again and looked at the stack of letters that hadn't moved since Luwin had put them there this morning. He sighed and grabbed one. He read through updates from all over his kingdom. There was one from Rodrik Umber, or Sumber as more and more people were calling him. It was an abbreviation of a joke the Greatjon had made about his younger brother, calling him a 'Southern Umber'. It detailed the situation along Blackwater Bay and the relations with the Baratheons, especially Lord Gendry Hammersmith.
Other letters had come from uncle Edmure, Olyvar and the Wall. In two days, Jon would depart with four thousand men to march north and finish the Wildling threat. Beside Stark forces, the assembled army consisted mostly of Umbers, Manderlys and Flints, but the Mountain Clans, Skagosi and Karstark batallions who were already present would also fall under his command once he arrived.
He would also help to empty out the dungeons. Hundreds of men, mostly Ironborn, were still stuck in Winterfell waiting to be escorted to the Wall. Jon would take care of that. He would also help all the different prisoners from over the years that have already sworn their vows integrate with the Night's Watch. It would be his last big task before they started working on his keep. He planned to officially name him Hand of the King and give him the power of being his representative the night before he left. That way, no trouble with command or decisions would ever occur.
Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door. Walton's voice could be heard through the thick oaken door. "Your Grace, Maester Luwin is here to see you."
"Let him in." He called back, not bothering to look up from his letters. Maester Luwin walked in and the man quickly greeted him with a small bow. He waved the gesture away, as he always did. It had become somewhat of a jest between them and he had grown quite fond of the playfulness of it all. Everybody knew by now that he had a total disregard for royal decorum, let alone that his old tutor would now have to seriously bow down to him. It was completely ridiculous.
"Your Grace, a letter has arrived for you." The older man said calmly, waiting for him to look up from the stack of papers in front of him.
"Just put it on top of the others, Maester. I'll take a look at it later." He waved it away. They had done this many many times by now.
"I don't think you understand, Your Grace. The letter bears the sigil of a yellow rose on a green field." The Maester insisted.
He looked up in shock and felt his eyes grow wide. He stuck out his hand and the Maester gave him the letter. He waved at him to come around and read along with him as he opened the letter.
To Robb Stark,
I write to you to discuss our ongoing conflict. All this strife has only led to pain and suffering on both our sides. Neither of us asked for this to happen. We have both lost our fathers and our people have endured much hardships because of it. As such, I propose we end all hostilities between our houses and our kingdoms I would ask we do so peacefully, as I do not wish to fight a protracted conflict like I did with the Ironborn.
I offer you the following terms for peace:
We will recognize the dissolution of the Iron Throne. The Seven Kingdoms will be no more.
We will recognize your kingdom of the North and the Riverlands. Your conquests around the Blackwater and in the Westerlands will be accepted. In turn, you will recognize me and mine as Kings of the Reach. The borders between our countries will be set at the pre-war borders between the Reach and the Riverlands.
Once you accept, I will gladly commence talks about the ransom of prisoners in exchange for gold.
Kind regards,
Willas Tyrell,
Lord of Highgarden, Warden of the Mander, Defender of the Marches, Protector of the Roseroad and King of the Reach.
He read it again in silence, before commenting on it. "Pretty titles", was the first scoff that came out of his mouth. This proposal couldn't be taken seriously. Nothing was mentioned about the castles and lands he had under his control, neither were his allies or the fact he beat all their incursions into his lands. He voiced as much to Maester Luwin.
"The Reach is almost as destroyed as the Riverlands were and the Tyrells are in no shape or form prepared for a protracted campaign. I don't care if they have Randyll Tarly on their side or not. They will not succeed in a war." He ruffled through stacks of papers at the bottom of his desk and quickly read through them.
"Due to their civil war the territories around Red Lake, Highgarden, Brightwater Keep have been largely destroyed, as well as much of the area around the Cockleswent and Blueburn rivers. This includes hundreds of villages, many dozens of towns and larger and smaller keeps." He pointed out, as he slammed the first paper down.
"The Ironborn destroyed even more. The Arbor is a wasteland. The region around Oldtown is completely wrecked and Oldtown's own harbor has been set ablaze. The Shield Islands are completely decimated, as is the coastal territory around the mouth of the Mander river. On top of that is the destruction of uncountable fishing villages around the Sunset Sea." He continued, slamming the second one down.
"Then you have the small damages done by the three recorded raids the Dornish pulled and the damage we did ourselves to the borderlands with the Stormlands and the lands around the Goldroad. He can't be serious to think I will accept this?" He scoffed loudly, as he arched back on his chair.
"His kingdom is in tatters. The Reach's population is estimated to have dropped by at least one and a half million people and famines and diseases are widespread because of all the destruction, meaning that it will drop even further." He angrily said, as he slammed his hand down on his desk. "How dares he to underestimate and insult me like this? Has he learned nothing about what that behavior brings from the fate of his father and younger brother?"
Maester Luwin looked at him. "Your Grace, every report mentions Willas Tyrell's sharp mind. Moreover, he has the Queen of Thorns and Randyll Tarly to aid him. This is not Mace Tyrell we are dealing with. He is not underestimating you. He is testing you."
The Maester continued. "Aye, you cannot accept this, but it is a great start. From all we have gathered, it is clear that Willas Tyrell has finally taken back control in the whole of his father's lands. All the Ironborn are dealt with and even a few minor Dornish raids have been forcefully pushed back. He is dealing with the onslaught that the Greyjoys have caused and is actively garrisoning both the Shield Islands and the Arbor. He is testing how you will react to all of that."
"After all of that? You must be joking? Before the war, the Reach was a powerhouse that could raise one hundred thousand men, many of them knights or heavy cavalry. They had three imposing fleets at the Arbor, Oldtown and the Shield Islands … Now everything has changed. With great effort they could maybe raise fifteen to twenty-five thousand men. Only parts of the Redwyne fleet remain and it would be foolish for them to attack us with it, as it would leave their homeland open once more."
"Most of their knights and heavy cavalry are dead or in our dungeons. We have captives of all noble houses of the Reach in our custody and they will start pressuring Willas to make peace sooner or later. I could just ignore these demands and wait until a suitable offer comes around." He scoffed again.
"That would be a mistake, Your Grace. The Tyrells finally realize it is futile to continue this war. They try to come at it from a position of strength, for example by mentioning the Ironborn they dealt with, but in reality they are simply begging you for peace. You have this Willas where you have always wanted him, Your Grace. This is a very good sign. Ignoring it could provoke desperate attacks that would be detrimental for both parties. Your allies' lands are still in disarray, it is unsure in what capacity they would help you were Randyll Tarly to march into the Riverlands." The reply from his trusted councilor came.
He mulled over those words, as he stroked his beard with his right hand. "You are right, of course. What do you propose I do in response, Maester?"
"You send him your own reply back. You present your demands and ask too much. In a second round you loosen the extra demands and try to come to an agreement for what you wanted in the first place."
He thought that over and after a while. "I will write a reply, as you say Maester. However, this is not a negotiation. They can either accept my turns or I will march down to Highgarden or even Oldtown myself and burn it to the ground. The time of Southern games and court politics is over. They have the right to contest my demands with their swords, if they wish to do so. I have no need for any more words."
He searched in his desk for the papers he had put aside for this occasion. He had long made a list of what he wanted to achieve from the Reach. He had consulted many of his vassals and advisors for it and he knew what he wanted.
"Could you stay and help me write the reply Maester?" He asked his old tutor, who silently sat down on the seat in front of him, ready to help him.
They worked at it for an hour, but they did manage to write a sufficient reply.
To Willas Tyrell,
I am pleased to hear your wishes for peace. Having reunited with my family, I would not want to have to march south again, but I will if I have to both now and in the future.
However, your demands are unacceptable. You seem to forget who is winning this war at this very moment. If so, I would kindly ask you to speak to your many bannermen. Ask them how their lands or captured kin are faring.
I offer you these improved terms:
You will recognize the dissolution of the Iron Throne. The Seven Kingdoms will be no more. As one of the nine regions of the former kingdom, you will take on 1/9th of its former debts with the Iron Bank.
You will recognize my kingdom of the North and the Riverlands, as well as the Storm-, Westerlands and Vale Kingdoms. You will also recognize our temporary dominion over the Iron Islands. In turn, I will commit myself to ensure that they are never able to do to your lands what they have done during this war.
You will recognize the new southern border of the Kingdom of the Riverlands in its entirety. It runs from the mouth of the Blackwater, along the river. It then follows the Goldroad until it reaches the mountains of the Westerlands. All territory north of the Goldroad that was formerly administered by House Tyrell will be officially ceded to us. We and our allies will cede any claims to lands south of the Blackwater that once belonged to House Gardner. You are free to administer your authority there in, if you so wish it.
The Kingdom of the Reach will pay war reparations for its campaigns in the Riverlands. You will annually deliver the amount of food that you usually transported to King's Landing during the reign of Robert Baratheon at your own cost for two year. Deliveries will be made on the first of the new year. Failure to meet the aforementioned date will result in a declaration of war.
Oldtown and the Starry Sept will once again become the heart of the religion of the Seven. The Sept of Baelor will not be rebuild. All its remaining artefacts will be handed over to representatives of the Starry Sept under your supervision. In return any debts the Iron Throne owed to the Seven will be declared null and void. I propose that you use your, and your mother's house's, considerable influence over the Most Devout to achieve this. Any member of the Most Devout still in our captivity will be released without recompense.
In turn, I will recognize you and yours as Kings of the Reach and the legitimate successors to House Gardener.
Once you accept, I will gladly commence talks about the ransom of prisoners to be paid either in gold or food transports. You can send one of your trusted advisors to Winterfell to conclude these talks and to hold discussions about a future trade deal to ensure future peace. I would also like to discuss future infrastructure plans to help facilitate trade and lessen the importance of the routes through the old capital.
Failure to comply with these demands will be regarded as an official declaration of the continuation of hostilities to us and all our allies. If so, we will react accordingly.
Kind regards,
King Robb Stark
Luwin looked at him, doubt clear upon his face. He sighed. "The time of wordy negations and courtly positioning died with King's Landing, Maester. I am done being forced to play and win in their games. Let them play my games now. If I have to, I will rally some of my trusted companions and march south. Together with the forces I left in the South, the troops of the Riverlands and the men from the Stormlands and the Westerlands the Tyrells have no chance. Besides, with their lands in tatters I doubt whether they could actually establish viable supply lines far into our territory. If this Willas Tyrell is so smart, he will realize this. If he doesn't, Highgarden will burn."
The Maester looked taken aback by this. "I thought you wanted peace, Your Grace? What about Eddara?"
"I do want peace, Maester. That's why I'd rather fight any necessary war now than force my children and grandchildren to do it because I wanted to stay home. I'm doing this for her and all her future siblings."
This is it for this chapter!
A LOT happens here. You see a lot of bonding time between the Stark siblings together with Eddara. The Cassel family also comes clearly into the picture and you see how it is interconnected with House Stark.
Robb finally executes Theon and Asha, thereby ending the (main) Greyjoy line. He also practically arranges the future of his kingdom by talking about future lordships of Martyn Cassel and Alysane Mormont. I wrote the talk with Maege and the Cassels to show you how Robb has been working for months, constantly meeting with his bannermen and advisors.
Finally, Willas Tyrell asks for peace. Robb is infuriated and offended at de facto 'white peace' proposal. Luwin explains how they are most likely playing games, but he is sick of pivoting around in courtly politics and decides to blow the whole thing up. It's either war on his terms (a sequel? :P) or peace on his terms.
Jon also prepares to march north with 4k troops to put an end to the Wildling threat. I want to note again that this chapter has the first small time jump: 3 months since he has arrived in Winterfell. From now on the jumps will keep on happening.
Thank you so much for all your support!
Fannic
Reviews:
- George Christian810: I think that that is far outside of Robb's capabilities here now. He has a lot on his plate and a limited resources and time to achieve it. Even though it makes sense, doing all that in his lifetime seems a bit overkill. Besides, how would the Riverlanders etc. react to this? This all needs to be taken into account. Also, the fact that it would take centuries of knowledge gathering to amass the amount of information and expertise now gathered in the Citadel makes a counterpart difficult.
Why would he import craftsmen from Essos? Only for very specific crafts (e.g. glass and reworking Valyrian Steel, maybe shipbuilding) are they better than their Westerosi counterparts. I think he would gain more from building up good relations with rich merchant families in Braavos, Pentos, Volantis and the former Triarchy.
A counterpart to knights will never happen. 75% of Northerners don't care about those fancy titles which say nothing of martial prowess, whilst the other 25% and the Riverlanders would rebel against the idea.
- Force Smuggler: Thank you!
- Cliff West: No, he will not change his name. The Bolton name brings eight thousand years of history, legitimacy (!) and power with it. Changing that name would be completely foolish. They are feared and looked down upon by some, but no one doubts the commands of a Bolton. They will doubt one that turns his back on his ancestors, however cruel and disloyal they may have been.
You do realize that Planetos has no ships that make ocean wide travel viable economically? Even if they reach the other side (which 90% won't), they will never make it back again without sinking with a full cargo and the journey will take months/years in the first place. Developments in this field would take centuries.
The Ironborn and Lady Alys Westhill have scouted much of the immediate lands hundreds of miles west of Westeros. Most islands are simply uninhabited or inconsequential. Robb, Jon, … would know this and it simply wouldn't be worth the trouble. The reason America was discovered in RL is because they sought new safer trade routes to India because of continuous conflict disrupting the known trade lanes. Trade now is open all the way to Slaver's Bay … there is no economically viable reason to go west except for a thrill for adventure which will never get funded by lords (expeditions like that cost fortunes).
- Rebfan90: Thank you!
- Supremus85: We actually don't know. She was the last of her line, has no (known) husband (left) and has only daughters. If Dacey had been a son, he could have been made ruler. Dacey was already an adult by that time, so she might have never (officially) been in power. I don't even know if Maege would have minded if it was her child, but she would have never let a husband rule over her that much is true. She is an exceptional case and looked upon weirdly by for example Lady Catelyn, although most Northern lords don't mind (anymore). Thank you so much for your continuous support and your intellectually challenging questions and remarks.
- GoMagikarp: You will definitely see a lot of them in action!
- Robbler: Okay, those might be some of the best name suggestions I ever had. Especially the detailing and house words. I might or might not steal parts of that because they are far better than my own! :P
- Scifiromance: Thank you for all your reviews! It was a pleasure following how fast you read through the story.
- Wolflord456: Thank you!
- Freakdogsflare: Rice is not local to Lys. I triple checked this. Normal rice is not mentioned in Asoiaf ever, especially not in Westeros or the best-known free cities.
- Farroljgk: It is coming closer and you so much for the kind words and your continued support.
Some of the Ironborn will of course want revenge. However, for the next decades they are not in a position to do anything, unless great turmoil has already hit the kingdom which they can take advantage off.
This chapter and the next one will follow on dealing with the last issues (The Greyjoys, Ramsey, Arnolf & the Reach), as well as their domestic issues. The Southern regions won't be forgotten, for example the Blackfish being made Lord Commander. They also got/get a lot of coin, food and manpower to rebuild their lands which will do a lot to get into their good graces for the short to mid-term.
In this chapter you see Arya's bond with Robb, Jon and Eddara. There will be more Stark bonding to come.
- Johnny Jim Doe: Thank you so much! He promised Robb to not take the Targaryen name, as to limit future claims and problems with his progeny. He also has no legal right to the Stark name, unless Robb writes a royal decree. This would be controversial with the vassals, hated by Catelyn and maybe even looked upon with suspicions by Alys and the Karstarks. For these reasons, he will create a new house with his own name.
