Chapter 77: Meeting the new litter

11 AF

Keep in mind that there is a five(+) year long time jump between this and last chapter. The family has grown significantly during that time. I have added a link to a family tree I made and will update down below but try to read the chapter first as I introduce every character. Otherwise, you will get massive spoilers.

Jon

Alys had gone into labor hours ago with Maester Luwin and the midwifes. Wylla, Bethany and Lady Catelyn had followed them soon after to help her during her time of need. Robb had been a nervous wreck for at least the last hour.

"I need to go in there, Jon." He voiced as he paced around the room. He sighed in response. When his brother was like this, there was nothing to be done with him. As the women were busy with the birth, the men of the family had gathered together as well. He looked at Bran and Rickon for help, but they wisely kept their distance as they focused on the children.

The women had wanted the maids to take care of their growing family, but he and Brandon had refused. The children needed their family and the direwolves in important moments, not maids. They took care of their children themselves. They had taken them all into the Godswood together and were only surrounded by the peaceful sounds of nature and the silent presence of the Kingsguard.

He sat on a tree trunk at the edge of the pond with his one-year-old son Edrick, whom everybody lovingly called Ned, sat upon his leg. He absently rocked his boy around whilst talking to his own brothers. The boy didn't seem to notice that they were distracted, as he let out occasional sounds of joy that interrupted their conversations.

Bran was doing the same to his boy Brynden Stark. Bryn was only six months old and was much better behaved than any of the other children had been at his age. Nevertheless, he seemed a fast learner. He had already learned how to crawl and, although he was quiet, he seemed very curious to discover the world.

Rickon was distracting Rickard together with Shaggydogg and Eddara was playing with her sisters Sarra and Berena and her cousins, his own daughters, Lyanna and Wenda. Sometimes he looked at Robb's eldest girl in shock at the fact that she was almost twelve years old by now. It was true that they had missed the first part of her life, but this seemed to go way to fast. Already lords had come to ask for her hand in name of their sons, but Robb had refused them all for now. He wanted her to remain a child for a little longer.

Nevertheless, the same could be said about all the children. They all grew way too quickly. Lyanna was already seven and his Wenda was four. Bran had long married Bethany Blackwood and was a father in his own right now. Even Rickon had recently reached adulthood.

Now, they were waiting for the birth of Robb's fifth child. He simply looked at his brother and king, as he kept pacing back and forth. "Robb, Alys will be fine. Sit down and play with your children to distract yourself. She has gone through birth four times already without any severe issues. Today won't be any different."

"I must agree with Jon here, Robb. Alys and the child will be fine, you know this." Ser Brynden Tully told their king.

However, Robb didn't seem to hear them at all. He just kept pacing around, Grey Wind was equally as agitated as his master was. At first, the other direwolves had tried to calm him, but they too had long given up and had chosen to keep the children company.

Shaggy played some form of tag with Rickard and Rickon, whilst Brandon had laid little Bryn on Summer. The little boy was using the flank of the direwolf as a very oversized pillow, but neither of them seemed to mind as the boy curled up into the warmth of Summer's pelt. Ghost was watching his and Robb's daughters, as Eddara was teaching them a new dance move that her dancing teacher had thought her. Robb was adored by his children, but even they knew better than to disturb him in this state.

After a while, he simply gave up trying to talk to Robb and picked up his son. He carried him towards the girls. He left Ned with Ghost, in a very similar manner as Bryn was laying with Summer. Eddara walked over towards him, after she gave the younger girls some move to exercise upon. The little girls were twisting, turning and laughing, but most were clearly too young for the move itself. Only Lyanna seemed to grasp what her elder cousin wanted to teach her.

Edda sat next to him on his newfound log and looked at Robb. "Father is always like this when he worries about mother." She sighed.

He put his right hand on her shoulder. "Your father cares for your mother deeply. He doesn't want her or the baby to be hurt. He also has a small issue with being powerless. My brother is very good at fixing problems and taking action. However, this is something which he can't help your mother with, and it makes him like this." He said, whilst nodding in Robb's direction. "He will quickly turn back to normal after the baby is born."

Eddara pulled closer to him and he pulled her against him in a small hug. "You know, you could use this to your advantage?" He grinned at her, getting only a questioned look from her in return.

"In a few days, after everything has gone well, you could tell him how you had to spend so much time with your sisters, brother and cousins whilst he was being worried. He'll probably feel guilty enough that you can convince him to go on a ride together, just the two of you." He pointed out.

His little niece smiled at the prospect. She had loved riding from the moment she was old enough to try it, and before that. Firstly, she had ridden Grey Wind as a small child and now she had her own horse which she took on adventures. She was very similar to Arya in that regard, although Robb had confided in him that he had thanked the gods that she had only turned out half as wild as their little sister.

The girl dutifully took her dancing and embroidery classes when needed, but in her free time she could also be seen running around with her friends. Arya had managed to make Alys agree to the idea that Edda should be able to defend herself and as such archery and knife lessons had been added to her curriculum, a habit his own Lya had quickly followed when she had become old enough. His daughters idolized the little girl next to him, he knew, as she served as their older sister in all but name when they were in Winterfell.

He still spent the majority of his time in his ancestral home, although he made it a point to spend at least two months a year at Dragon's Lair. The people needed to know him and his family, and he had to oversee his lands. The summer years had been kind on his people and his keep was coming along well. His village had grown to a small town and the population of the entire area had significantly grown. Life was good, the harvests bountiful and the people happy. Still, they needed to prepare for winter as summer was expected to come to an end at any point.

He shook away the thought and looked back to his niece, still holding his arm around her. Suddenly Robb stormed off, muttering something about "needing to see Alys". The Blackfish shot him an apologetic glance, before quickly marching after him with Grey Wind. The Commander shouted back to the other Kingsguard members, Morgan Barclay and Ser Dickon Brune, to keep watch over the rest of the royal family.

"Is father going to see mother?" Edda asked.

"Aye, I think so. It seems your father's patience has run out. It reminds me of when we were children. He could have an impatient streak then as well." He laughed, which peeked his niece's curiosity.

"Could you tell me a story about when you and father and our uncles and aunts were little?" She sweetly asked. He knew that that was the voice she used when she wanted to convince people to do things, but in this he did not mind.

He told them the story about a snowball fight they had all had together when they were little and how Robb's impatience on executing a move had resulted in a snowball to his face from Sansa. Soon, all the girls had stopped dancing to sit at his side and listen to the stories. Bran and Rickon joined in not much letter, and they spend the next couple of hours exchanging stories about how life had been for them growing up in Winterfell.

Sarra, Robb's second daughter seemed very interested in stories about her grandfather and so he and his brothers told them all about Lord Eddard Stark. The stories that he and Bran told became so vivid, that it was almost like he was there with them for a moment. It only came to an end when Ser Dickon spoke up. "Do I have permission to speak, Lord Whitefyre?"

"Of course, Ser Dickon. what is it?" He responded.

"I think that it would be good for the children to eat something, My Lord. You have been out here for a long time." The knight of the Kingsguard told him and he laughed softly. "Not in a million years would I have thought that you would even defend the princesses' stomachs, Ser Dickon."

The knight from Cracklaw Point smiled a cheeky smile. "I defend the royal family from all threats. That also includes hunger, My Lord."

Rickon howled from laughter and Bran and him cracked a smile as well. "Very well, would you children like to eat something?" He asked. They all nodded, while Wenda dramatically grabbed her stomach. "I am hungry, fatha". He grabbed his little girl in his arms and tickled her slightly. "Then we will give you something to eat, My Lady."

He turned towards the others. "Come, let's go. I'll tell the cooks to make you whatever you want." All the children cheered, as Bran smiled at him. "Wylla probably won't like them eating sweets again."

He looked at his little brother. "Wylla is busy and if she has anything to say about it, she can take care of all the children when Alys' gives birth next."

Bran lifted his eyebrows. "When Alys' gives birth next?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "At this rate, who knows anymore. It's his fifth child already and judging by the sounds coming from their rooms sometimes I doubt it will be the last." He smiled cheekily. Both Brandon and Rickon laughed at that, remembering the incident half a year ago when the whole family had heard Alys. In private, Robb had told him that Alys was always hornier and louder when she was pregnant, but that he had felt ashamed to see them all looking at them at breakfast the next morning. He had simply laughed it off. He was king, he could do whatever he wanted and they, as his family, could laugh at whatever they wanted.

They had something to eat and the cooks told him that the King had previously asked for food for him to be brought up to the Queen's chambers, which meant they didn't need to expect him back soon. Afterwards, they all went into rooms normally designated for diplomats and visitors far away from the family rooms as not to disturb Alys.

There, he read stories about the Kings of Winter to Eddara, Rickard and Lyanna. Wenda, Sarra and Berena played a game with Rickon, whilst Bran was caring for his son Brynden and his own boy Edric.

This is how Robb found them sometime later. He looked tired and had fading lines of worry on his face, yet when he looked at them a smile the width of his face appeared. He stood up immediately. "How's Alys? And the baby?" He asked.

"Alys is tired, but healthy. She has gone to sleep." He looked towards his son and daughters, who had also gotten up and started bombarding him with questions. "Your mother is well, but she needs her rest right now. Soon, we will all go to her together, but first I need you to say hi to your new brother."

It was only then that he noticed the small bundle in his brother's arms. The children all ran to him and very carefully he showed them the little boy's face. "What is he called, father?" Eddara asked him immediately after looking upon her brother's sleeping form.

Robb looked away from his daughter into his eyes. "Jon, he is called Jon after your uncle."

His eyes grew wide as he looked upon his brother and nephew and a lump suddenly formed in his throat. Robb walked over to him and showed him the sleeping figure of his newest nephew. "Meet Jon Stark, brother."

Robb stretched out his arms as a signal for him to take the boy and he did so as a habit, as Wylla had often done the same with their children. He looked upon his nephew in his arms and looked back into the blue eyes of his brother. "Jon … Stark?"

"Aye, Jon Stark. A great name, don't you think?" He grinned. His response was a perplexed look he gave back, but after a while he just smiled emotionally. He gave his nephew back to his brother and whispered words of gratitude to him. Robb just laughed it off. "Alys and I had decided on the name years ago. If Sarra or Berena had been a boy, they would have been called Jon. This was not a spur of the moment thing, Jon. My son has been named after a great man and a true Northman. I couldn't think of a better role model for him."

The lump in his throat forbade him to say anything in response, so he just nodded meaningfully. He went to sit down as the rest of the family doted on the little boy. After a while, Robb left with promises for his children that he would be back to take them to their mother soon. Bran and Rickon soon took places next to him and patted him on his shoulders. "You deserve it, Jon. Without your help, Robb might have never made it back North. Everybody knows this. You are our brother and now we have a second Jon in the family."

He smiled at his little brothers, before walking out to catch his breath and leaving the children under their care. He strode over to the walls of Winterfell and climbed on top of a guard tower. The young guard greeted him, and he nodded back. They silently stood vigil next to each. Not for the first time, his gaze soon wandered west to where his lands were far beyond the horizon. He thought of how far he had come and what his mother and uncle would have had to say about it. He hoped they would be proud.

Suddenly, Lyanna stood next to him. She had said nothing, and he hadn't heard her arrive. She simply pulled her arms around him, and he and his eldest daughter looked across the horizon to the glowing hills and forests that made up the lands around Winterfell.

(Three months later)

Bran

The harvest feast had finally arrived. It would be the first time that Little Jon would be presented to the realm and the whole family was excited for it. All Northern families had sent word that a representative would be sent to Winterfell, whilst many Riverlander families did the same. After almost six years of summer, most expected it to end soon so for many in the South it would be the last time to be able to easily come north.

Bethany was excited, as three of her brothers would be coming to the Harvest Feast. Lord Brynden Blackwood would make the trip north with his family, his bookish brother Hoster would govern Blackwood Vale until his return. Their brother Lord Lucas Goodwood, formerly Blackwood, had left his family at home and made one of his friends the castellan until his return.

Brynden would bring his younger brother Edmund with him. Ser Edmund was two years older than him and had always been adventurous. He had made the trip north before and had even travelled further to the Wall a few years back. Both Alyn and Bethany were looking forward to their reunion.

It would be the first time that the Blackwood brothers saw their new nephew and he looked forward to it. House Blackwood was a prestigious house and a good ally to have. He hoped that his children would foster good relations with both branches of their mother's house, as it could do wonders for their future.

Whilst most guests had already arrived, the Blackwoods had been delayed by small problems at home and would only arrive this afternoon. He walked across the yard and saw the sigil of all the different houses. Ser Benedict Blackwood, his wife's cousin and his trusted personal shield for years, walked next to him. Robb had ordered all the members of the Kingsguard to be very alert the coming weeks, as it would be the prime opportunity for enemies to slip spies and assassins among their lords' retainers.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the howl of a direwolf coming from the fields in the distance. Its sound was unmistakably one of theirs, as was shown by the fact that four direwolves howled back in response from all over the castle. He pressed down into the back of his mind for a split second and saw through Summer's eyes. He was watching over Bethany and Bryn. His boy was babbling away in his crib, whilst Bethany was doing embroidery with Sansa. He pulled out of Summer's mind again, knowing that everything was well.

He changed his course towards the gate and Ser Benedict followed without him having to say a word. The guards were already standing in a sort of honor guard by the time he arrived. Moments later, his younger brother lazily rode through the gate. He was accompanied by a group of nobles that he recognized as Roger Ryswell, House Ryswell's heir, and William and Denys Dustin, Roderick Dustin's two sons and some noble companions of theirs. Both families had brought retainers with them as well.

Next to Rickon, Shaggydog trotted. Shaggy had become massive, only Grey Wind was larger than him now, as he now matched even Ghost. The direwolf sniffed at him and looked around for Summer. He petted his brother's wild wolf and whispered in his ear. "Summer is with the pack, you will see him soon." Shaggy's intelligent eyes looked deeply into his own and he exhaled loudly through his nose once in response that he understood.

Rickon elegantly jumped from the saddle. He walked over to him and hugged him. Rickon was now sixteen years old and still as wild as he had been as a child. Robb and mother often struggled to reign him in. In return to agreeing to some of their requests, they allowed him to go on adventures from time to time. The past five weeks his brother had been exploring the Barrowlands and the Rills.

It had been sold to the family as a compromise, but it had been more of a necessity. Rickon had snuck out thrice before the age of fourteen, once travelling alone as far as the Dreadfort. Robb had had search parties send to look for him, but it had been in vain that time. They had been worried sick, although the bond the direwolves shared told them that Rickon and Shaggy had been healthy and were somewhere to the east. The other times that he snuck out, to Castle Cerwyn and the Wolfswood, he had been tracked down quickly by Jon, but that last time they had not been able to find him until they had received a raven from Sansa and Domeric weeks later that he had arrived at their home. After that, he was allowed to go on adventures but never again alone.

From over Rickon's shoulder, he saw Morgan Barclay. The trusted Kingsguard always accompanied Rickon on his new exploits and his clothes looked just as worn down as his brother's. Over the past eighteen months alone, his little brother had travelled to Clan Barclay and to Torrhen's Square. He had accompanied Jon to Sea Dragon Point and he himself had accompanied him to White Harbor and Moat Cailin. Now he came back from the Barrowlands.

He greeted the Ryswells and Dustins, as they politely bowed in front of him. He quickly organized for their men to be taken to the barracks and their noble friends to rooms prepared for lower nobles. Then he walked them to the keep to show them to their prepared chambers. Just as they were about to enter, Jon walked out in a hurry. "Ah, Lords Ryswell and Dustin, it is good to see you! Excuse me for not greeting you at the gate. We hadn't expected you until hours later."

Roger Ryswell waved Jon's apologies away. "No offense taken, Lord Jon. The young prince wanted to make haste in returning home. We flew across the lands the last two days and made good speed. You couldn't have known."

Jon raised his eyebrow at Rickon, who simply laughed and hugged him in greeting. "Nonetheless, I will quickly rectify my mistake and take care of your men."

Now it was William Dustin's turn to wave away Jon's concern. "Prince Brandon has been so kind to see to that already, Lord Hand. We are all in order. If you could just take us to our rooms, all else has already been taken care off."

Jon looked at him and nodded in thanks, he just smiled in response. "Of course, Lord Dustin, I will take the three of you to your rooms immediately. That will give you the opportunity to wash of your travels."

"I will do the same, Jon. I would kill for a bath and a mug of ale." Rickon joked.

Jon simply shook his head. "Maybe you shouldn't ride as a crazed animal then or force the Northern nobility to follow you in doing so. I bet fifty golden wolves that you slaved your horse to near exhaustion again." He said it disapprovingly, but it was clear that there was no real menace in the comment.

Rickon smiled innocently and quipped back. "I assure you that Pony is in very good shape. By now, she will enjoying a very well-deserved bale of hay." He rolled his eyes at the name his brother had given to his large black destrier. The horse had been a gift from Robb for his sixteenth birthday. Throughout the years, his little brother had been teased about the name Shaggydog. So, he thought it funny to double down and call his majestic new mount Pony.

Jon seemed to roll his eyes as well. "You do that, brother. Take two baths to be sure, I wouldn't want you to stink of horse at the feast." He responded with a wink. Denys Dustin, a good friend of Rickon's snickered at the comment and Rickon threw an annoyed look back. Knowing full well how easy his younger brother was to anger, he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Jon, if you show our guests to their rooms then I will take care of our little wolf pup here. I'll make sure that he gets to the feast on time and he won't smell of horse, I promise." He winked at his older brother, who laughed.

He pinched his Rickon's shoulder and pushed him towards the entrance of the keep before he could reply. Barclay and Shaggy quickly followed them. He looked back at the direwolf. "Summer is with Lady in Sansa's rooms. You can go to them if you want to." Shaggy looked over to Rickon for permission, which his younger brother granted with a nod. The direwolf stalked off, his tail happily waggling at the idea of seeing his brother and sister again.

Over the years, it had become clear to everyone that their bond with the direwolves was unnatural. Rickon had been too young to hide it and he and Arya had made mistakes too. All of the Kingsguard were aware of it, whether they knew it to be warging or something else, and many of their friends and nobles too. Robb told him that he explained everything to their great-uncle, after he had seen Shaggy do things for Rickon without a single word. The Blackfish had been shaken for a few days but had accepted it in the end.

He had had to tell Bethany and Alyn too, as they had noticed unnatural things about him and Summer too. The only one in the family who was still mildly oblivious was their mother, but it was more because she didn't want to notice. She was still zealously loyal to her Seven and couldn't comprehend the power the Old Gods had granted them.

He walked through the halls and put his arm around his younger brother. Rickon told him his stories about the Barrowlands. How he had captured a small group of three thieves in some village along a river and met up with a few of the noble youths from the area.

His brother seemed to be very skilled in garnering companions wherever he went. He always found the most brazen and mischievous boys and convinced them to follow him. Second and third sons with a sense of adventure and not enough to lose when they got into trouble with Rickon. Of course, there wasn't much that Rickon couldn't solve with his title of Prince, his direwolf and the word of his Kingsguard. The only two people in the world that still scared his little brother were Robb and mother, in that order.

They entered Rickon's rooms, and his brother threw off his riding clothes until only his undergarments were left. He didn't care, they had seen each other naked hundreds of times throughout the years.

He called the servants to pour his brother a bath, as they kept talking. Rickon had wanted to visit the family first, but he had managed to convince him to bath first. In the end Rickon had relented, as he had had to acknowledge that he hadn't bathed since leaving Winterfell except for once swimming in a cold river. Mother would strangle him for the way he smelled now that the castle was chockful of nobles.

After an hour, Rickon followed him to Sansa's chambers. There, they found their sister with her three children Bethany, Barbrey and Belthasar. Seven-year-old Bethany, whom they all called Beth to prevent confusion, ran over to him. "Uncle Bran", she shouted as she tackled his left leg. Her three-year-old sister Barbrey mimicked her and tackled his other leg.

"Well hello there, little nieces of mine. How goes your embroidery?" He responded and they both started blabbering about what they had made. During the conversation he shared a smile with his own Bethany, his wife.

Sansa only had eyes for their little brother, as she hugged him. "You have gotten big Rickon! You tower over me by now. We expected you sooner, as Shaggy has been here for over an hour. Where were you?"

"Bran and Jon forced me to take a bath first, apparently I stunk." He responded with a shrug. Little Beth and Barbrey laughed. "Uncle Rickon stinky!" Barbrey Bolton screamed. Sansa gave their brother a disapproving look, as she picked up her daughter and told her kindly to be quiet.

Shaggy had come up behind Rickon, with Summer coming up behind him and hugging his shoulder. He scratched his direwolf behind his ears lovingly and thanked him for keeping his family safe. He walked over to his wife and kissed her softly, before taking their son out of her arms. He placed the boy on his chest, and Little Bryn babbled happily at the sight of his father. He was still too small to say words, but that didn't stop him from trying.

They spent the next two hours like that, until they were joined by Arya and her young son Medgar. Medgar was almost three years old and Cley's pride. Arya herself was very happy to have a son and she let him do everything she hadn't been allowed to do as a girl and more. The boy was by now a professional direwolf rider and loved to go on adventures with his mother and Nymeria.

They saw each other often, as Arya visited Winterfell at least a few days every month, usually taking little Medgar with her. Cley they saw less often, but still a lot more than Sansa or Domeric. He himself had travelled to Castle Cerwyn too and he loved the home Arya had built for herself there.

Medgar screamed "more wolves!", as he entered the room and sprinted over to first hug Summer, then Lady and then Shaggy. They all allowed him to do so and soon the spirited boy found other prey. "Cousins!" He continued screaming and he ran over to hug Beth, Barbrey and little Belthasar in Sansa's arms. After giving his "auntie Sasa" a kiss on her cheek. He greeted him and Bethany and gave Bryn a cute little kiss on his forehead.

However, it seemed that the boy had intentionally kept the best for last. He ran to the other side of the room and put his back to the wall. He breathed in heavily and sprinted across the room shouting. "Uncle Rickon!" Rickon picked him up and threw him three feet in the air before catching him effortlessly. The boy giggled loudly, and he looked upon the spectacle fondly. You could say a lot about Rickon's ways, but not that he didn't love his family.

Arya laughed proudly at the scene her son made, whilst Sansa tried to berate her that he should behave himself. Although it had to be said, even Sansa didn't seem to mean it. Arya laughed it off. "I will raise my own son, 'aunt Sasa'." He laughed loudly at the joke and soon they started swapping stories whilst Medgar played with his cousins and the direwolves.

Time seemed to fly by when they were together. It seemed like only minutes had passed before they parted ways to ready themselves and their children for the feast.

He took pride in dressing his baby boy in Stark grey clothes lined with white. Bethany had sewn the clothes herself and she had done a terrific job. His wife was dressed in a beautiful black and grey dress with red lining. The dress combined the Stark grey which, he and his siblings themselves often combined with black, together with the black and red of House Blackwood. She looked magnificent and he told her so. For just a moment, her cheeks turned the color of her father's house. She said nothing but gave him a passionate kiss in response.

He himself put on a grey and white tunic that matched his son's and combined it with dark grey and black pants that matched his wife's dress. He picked up his boy on his right arm and put his left arm through Bethany's. They walked towards the hall. His squire, a grandson of Lady Lyessa Flint, announced his arrival, whilst Summer trailed behind them scanning the room for possible threats.

They took their seats at the High Table, which had become very crowded now that their families had been expanded so much. It had even forced Robb to seat the Karstarks and his advisors at their own tables and his mother had gone as far as to propose to seat Jon at a lower table close to them, but Robb had vetoed it. "Jon is my Hand of the King, and he is family besides. Whether he is seen as my brother or cousin, it matters not. He is part of the pack and his place is with us, the same goes for his family." He had heard him tell their mother. He agreed with his brother wholeheartedly on the subject.

Robb was seated in the middle, with Jon sat at his right and seven-year-old Ricky on his left. Alys sat on the other side of their heir with little Jon in her arms. Their daughters sat together with Jon and Sansa's daughters at the edge of the table with mother, Wylla and a few maids looking after them. Bethany and Bryn were seated there too. He took his place next to Jon with Rickon beside him. Sansa, Domeric, Arya and Cley with their infant sons completed that side of the table.

Their great-uncle stood before the table with three other Kingsguard, with two others at every side. The two remaining Kingsguard stood at the entrance, one of them being the newest member Ser Edmyn Grey. The knight hailed from the Riverlands from the small noble family of House Grey. He was one of the younger grandsons of its ailing lord and had dutifully served in the Kingsguard for the last three years. He was the only member that hadn't fought in Robb's wars, as he had still been too young.

The feast went well. The nobles seemed to be enjoying themselves and certain groups of Riverlanders, mainly centered around Houses Blackwood, Paege and Rykker, were mingling easily with the Northern nobility. After a while, people started moving around and he got up as well to walk down to a Riverlanders table were his friends Lord Myles Mooton, Lord Lyman Darry were sitting together with his in-laws. On the way there, he greeted his uncle Lord Edmure Tully on a closer table that he passed by.

Bethany and Bryn joined him too and they were all having fun together, he even showed his brothers-in-law how to do interact with Summer. This all changed when Grey Wind suddenly howled loudly. All people stopped talking and looked over to the high table expectantly. Robb stood up from his seat and walked around to the front of the table until he stood at the edge of the dais. He looked imposing, with two Kingsguard at either side in front of him and Grey Wind next to him.

He looked at Summer, as he saw his companion move towards Robb. He tugged him in his mind to stay here, as he didn't want to make a scene, but the direwolf fought back and told him to come with him. "My brother calls us." Summer told him in the back of his mind, which made no sense. He looked perplexed as his direwolf stalked further forward.

"PRINCE BRANDON STARK, COME FORWARD." Robb suddenly bellowed from his position. He looked at his brother and then at Bethany, who urged him to go to the front. He gave Bryn to his uncle Alyn and stood up. He slowly walked forward until he stood before the four Kingsguard members.

Robb looked sternly with his hands behind his back, as he paused. "Prince Brandon, my brother, you have proven yourself to be loyal and capable in many ways. You have successfully completed missions in my name and the name of our house to the Riverlands, White Harbor and Moat Cailin. You have tied House Stark together with the Riverlands once more with your marriage to the lovely Bethany. This has already resulted in a son named Brynden, scarcely anyone here could have thought of a better name for the product of such a union." He saw how the Blackfish flashed a little smirk at that, although he kept standing still.

"I would ask you to kneel, brother. You have long been deserving of a reward and today you shall get it." He looked perplexed at Robb, but he simply motioned for him to kneel down.

He did so and Robb stepped down to the floor until he was in front of him. "My brother Brandon has shown himself as a capable bridge between the two peoples that have assembled here today. As a Stark, he is firmly rooted in the North. Nevertheless, he has a Riverlander mother, a Riverlander wife, has been raised in Riverrun for years and has forged bonds with the young generation of nobles there that many of us can only envy. It is partly this, but most of all it is his loyalty and intelligence, that has driven me to award him today." Robb declared pompously, as he desperately tried to figure out what this meant.

"There is a fortress here in the North that is often described as the gateway to the North. However, I consider it more to be the land bridge between the North and the Riverlands." Robb went on and his own eyes grew wide, as he realized where Robb was going with this.

"The fortress and the surrounding lands need a lot of work, and I would ask my brother to make it his lifework to rebuild it. In return, I Would like to call him the Master of Moat Cailin for his lifetime. All the incomes the area and its surrounding lands brings in will be his from now until his death. Additionally, he will rewarded with a large dotation as well, to help him organize his household and repopulate the lands sworn to the fortress. Upon his death, the fortress will revert back to the Crown, but I personally swear an oath that little Prince Brynden and all his future brothers and sisters will be taken care of by Winterfell as befitting of their royal status." Robb spoke to the hall.

He hadn't known anything about this and almost panicked on what to do. Yet, his older brother and king addressed him then. "Brother, will you accept this honor?"

He looked up towards Robb and they shared a look of understanding. He took a deep breath. "I will, Your Grace." He responded loudly.

Robb smiled at him and pulled a parchment from behind his back. He ceremoniously awarded it to him. Before he could read it, his brother bellowed loudly again. "NOW RISE PRINCE BRANDON STARK, MASTER OF MOAT CAILIN AND KEEPER OF THE BRIDGE BETWEEN OUR PEOPLES."

He stood up in a daze and his brother hugged him. "We will talk more on the details tomorrow, I expect that you and your wife will be very happy. I have been more than generous." He spoke, and he added a wink at the end as he pulled back from him.

He saw the encouraging smiles of his family before he walked back towards his wife at the Blackwood table. They all congratulated him, but before he could read the document together with his wife Robb called out loudly again. "SER ALYN BLACKWOOD, STEP FORWARD." He looked at his best friend and brother-in-law. Alyn looked back at him and looked just as shocked as he was. His face seemed to scream at him to help him what to do so he just gave him a little shove in the right direction.

Alyn slowly walked forward until he was in front of Robb. "Ser Alyn Blackwood, kneel." Their king told him, and he went to one knee.

"For your loyal service to my brother and House Stark I have decided to award you with lands. You will receive an area of two hundred and fifty square miles of land to the east of Moat Cailin. You are given permission to develop settlements, as well as farming and forestry opportunities on the lands as you see fit. You will receive a one-time sum of three thousand gold wolves to aid you in this purpose. Once you agree, you and your descendants will in perpetuity be sworn to Winterfell and the Masters of Moat Cailin. Do you accept this honor on the single condition that you choose a new noble name for your line to distinguish yours from your brother's?"

Alyn looked perplexed, but soon a gigantic grin spread over his face. He could immediately see that his three brothers looked equally as happy for him. Alyn was a fourth son and had never been expected to hold any lands, neither big nor minor. For a Northerner noble, two hundred and fifty square miles was not that much, and it entirely depended on how fertile and populated the area was. However, the Riverlands were much smaller and more densely populated, so for them the territory seemed a much greater gift. Nevertheless, Alyn had become a landed noble in the blink of an eye, a thing which he had never imagined. He suddenly had lands that could be passed through to his descendants.

Alyn bowed even deeper. "I accept, Your Grace. I thank you for the honor that you bestow upon me, and I swear to you that me and mine will forever be loyal to Winterfell."

Robb smiled. "I in turn swear that you and yours will forever have a place at my heart. Now rise, Master Alyn and let it be known that you are now part of the landed gentry of the North." Whilst Alyn stood up many started to cheer, the loudest screamers were those at his table, consisting of Alyn's family and friends, but many other Riverlanders and Northerners also cheered. Many of the latter had come to known Alyn through his service in the household at Winterfell and knew him to be steadfast and loyal.

Robb looked back at the hall and clapped in his hands. "Now let the feast continue." He took his seat again and the hall erupted once more in song and chatter, as dozens of men came to congratulate him.

Over the course of the night, he had lengthy conversations with his brothers-in-law, as well as Roderick Dustin and Lord Wyman Manderly. His lands would border theirs and as such they were more than interested in his plans for the area. They gave him many suggestions and he had promised to visit them soon to discuss all things in more detail once he had made up his mind on what he would do. He celebrated long into the night, all of his friends drinking more than they should have.

The next morning, he only got up late. He shared his breakfast with Rickon, who's head seemingly hurt even more than his. Afterwards, he went to look for Robb.

He found his brother in his solar in talks with Jon, Roderick Dustin, Roger Ryswell and Lady Alysane Shield. Robb invited him in. "Now that you will have to take care of lands of your own you can learn something from this, as we are talking about infrastructure."

They talked about the roads in the west of the kingdom, running in part through Dragon's Lair, Barrowton, Ryder's Spring and Sunset Harbor, and how improvements were fairing. It seemed that the works between Ryder's Spring and Barrowton had finished, whilst the Dustins had also successfully improved their connectivity to Moat Cailin and the Kingsroad. The road between Torrhen's Square and Barrowton was almost done and the road between Ryder's Spring and the Sunset Harbor, the new seat of House Shield, was around halfway finished.

After half an hour, the lords departed, and he was left alone with Robb and Jon. Jon picked up a few maps from inside Robb's desk. He laid them out on the table.

"The area sworn to Moat Cailin is relatively small for northern high nobility." Robb started off. "It encompasses this area." His brother told him, as he encircled the borders with his finger. "The surface is around eleven thousand five hundred square miles, of which around ten thousand is fertile or wooded. The other parts are mostly outliers of the swamps or some rivers and small lakes."

He nodded at his brother, to show that he was listening and understood. He had passed through these lands half a dozen times already on his way to the Riverlands and Robb had sent him on mission there last year, which had him inspect and document the lay of the land for him.

"The lands are unique in another way that there are scarcely any lower nobility present. Many have died out over the centuries or abandoned the lands and our ancestors never saw fit to name new ones. The result of it is twofold. One, the area is scarcely populated and those people that do live there are fiercely independent. Two, this gives a lot of opportunities to reward people and mold the hierarchic structure to our liking like I started when granting lands to Alyn."

"Thank you again for that. It means a lot to him." He responded. Robb waived it off. "The lands that I awarded to Alyn are over here." He continued, pointing to some lands to the east of the Moat. It's around two hundred and fifty miles, of which almost ninety percent is fertile enough."

"Now, including Alyn, fifteen hundred square miles are ruled by lower nobles. Over the next decades, I would propose that we improve that to five thousand square miles, or almost half of the lands, with the other part ruled by the Master of Moat Cailin directly. This will ensure continuity once a new Master takes power, while not encroaching on his power that much."

He nodded in agreement. "Do you have people in mind?" Robb nodded. "Aye, but we'll get to that."

"The other lower nobility are composed of six families, four of them are situated in the east next to the Manderly lands and they have strong ties with noble families there, for the other two it is the Dustin lands. It will be your first job to promote intermingling between those six families and new nobles we award lands to. Promote marriages and fosterings between them and create a court and household where they can meet each other. This will help you to rule more effectively and will in time lessen the Manderlys and Dustins influence where it shouldn't be. Those areas are Stark lands and no one elses."

Robb looked up to him if he agreed and he nodded again. "The other lands where I would establish lower families are the Northern edges, a small part in the northwest and these lands in the east around Alyn's lands. I awarded Alyn the lands closest to the Moat that I thought we would give out, so that he is close to you at all times."

He smiled. "I appreciate that, and he will too. I will still count on him to help me rule the lands and the future keep. The closer his lands are the easier this will be."

Now it was Robb's turn to nod. "However, this has one annoying side-effect. The lands furthest away from the moat are the most populated ones. In total, there are some twinty-five thousand people living in the area. Forty percent of those are living in the lands of those six families and if we raise nobles on all the designated areas, they will account for just under fifty percent of the lands, but over ninety percent of the people."

He snapped his eyes to his brother. "That would leave me without a population to directly rule over? I would be hard pressed to find maids, servants and guardsmen let alone produce enough food to sustain them or my family." He blurted out.

"Aye, that is why Winterfell will subsidize you with twelve thousand golden wolves a year and will organize a continued stream of migration towards the area. The immediate four hundred and fifty square mile area around Moat Cailin has only five small hamlets, one of which was built on father's orders and by Robb's measures when father was in King's Landing. Yet, we are in the process of forming a sixth one at the base of the moat with all the necessities to grow in a thriving village." Jon responded.

His eyes went wide. "That is a fortune you would be spending on the ruler of a non-existent keep."

"Aye, it is. However, I expect you to use the coin to better the lands, not to live an easy life in luxury. You are expected to clear lands, settle immigrants coming from other parts of the North and make the keep livable. The majority of the coin should go that way."

"I understand Robb, and it is a very considerable sum, but it is not enough to rebuild the fortress … not by a long shot." He retorted.

Robb smiled. "I know that, Bran. Funds for that will be freed too, but they will not be included in your personal coin. Those twelve thousand are to do with what you see best. You will be living on the lands and will soon know best what needs to happen to establish your authority, settle a solid base of smallfolk and create a functional household. The other funds outside of those twelve thousand will go to what I decree, although I will always value your opinion greatly on the topic."

He thought that over. It sounded interesting. "Where would my household establish itself for now then?"

"In the three remaining towers. We used them on our royal progression south five years ago and when marching to war a decade ago. The Gatehouse tower is strong and sturdy and was fixed by our father years ago. Some of the walls around it still stand strong and a small temporary keep could be established there. The two other towers could temporarily be used to house guards and servants, they too were restored by father." Robb responded.

"Father had also allowed for an inn and a stable to be constructed just north of the keep, close enough to serve travelers coming through, whilst far enough away to not hinder any possible future reconstruction. The Ironborn burned all of it down, but it has since been rebuild and expanded with a few houses including a blacksmith and a tanner. They should form the core of a future village or preferably even a town to be established to the north of the fortress. This could in time give you manpower, income and trade power, but it will take years to reach that point." Jon continued.

"That's why I want you on the ground there. Neither I nor Jon can do it and I would only trust a Stark with Moat Cailin. You have proven yourself capable and I trust you completely little brother. You also deserve a place of your own. In a decade, maybe two, we aim that the area will start to produce real coin. That coin, minus taxes of course, will be yours and yours alone. The position will allow you to earn coin that you can set aside for your children to use. It will also give you addition prestige which will give you the possibility to create a better future for Bryn and other children that might follow without being solely reliant on me." Robb finished.

"So, I would hold Moat Cailin 'till my death, no matter the circumstances or the riches it makes?" He asked his elder brother and king.

"Aye, as long as you don't forsake your oaths to Winterfell, nobody can or will take it from you. Not even my heirs, if I were to die." He replied.

"If the fortress has been rebuilt, this would place me in a very strong position in a situation should something happen to you. I would hold the keys to the North, and I would be Ricky's uncle and a Stark." He countered matter-of-factly.

"Aye, you would. I have the uttermost thrust in you and wouldn't want anyone else there. Do not think I have not considered this. You have deserved this, and you will do well Bran."

He smiled at both his brothers, because he could see they both truly meant what they said. However, he still had to protect his family. "What would happen after I were to die? What happens to my children? What if I die young without being able to amass any coin?"

Robb simply raised his eyebrow. "All you leave behind would be divided under your sons, whilst some coin would be taken out to ensure great dowries for your daughters. If the sum would prove insufficient, their remaining dowries would be paid by Winterfell. Your daughters will be princesses of the blood Bran. Every lord would jump at the possibility to marry a niece of mine or Ricky's cousin in combination with a good dowry. Your sons will be offered positions in Winterfell going from the household to the council, depending on their capabilities. They will be given coin as members of the royal families and will be trusted with diplomatic missions like you and Rickon now. In the end, they could buy lands or businesses and settle anywhere they desire in the kingdom. However, they will not inherit Moat Cailin."

He nodded at that, as he was happy with the answer. "Then who will?"

His elder brother shrugged. "I don't know yet. Maybe little baby Jon will. Maybe one of Ricky's or Little Jon's sons. That is a decision that we won't need to make the next twenty or thirty years. I expect you to take control of the area for at least that time, preferably much longer." Robb winked at him, and Jon rolled his eyes at their brother.

"Do you have any more questions?" Jon asked him.

"Aye, where do I start? Do you give me the maps of the area and possible lords to negotiate with to allow some of their farmers to move to the lands? Can Maester Luwin help?" He fired off in quick succession.

Robb laughed. "Well, you should start with this." He handed him a bunch of documents. "These are father and Maester Luwin's plans for Moat Cailin. Their assessments on what to do with the roads, the lands, the population and the fortress. I have included another document proposing the plan that Jon, Luwin, Uncle Brynden, Roderick and I made for repopulating the area. I want the documents back in time, but for the next few weeks you can study them and look it over. You could ask Maester Luwin to copy them as well."

"Robb and I will take care of the first wave of migrants to the area. We will send mostly people from Stark and Cerwyn lands to make sure they are loyal. We have also made a list of people from the Winterfell area we might consider for some of the lands that we are planning to give out. Robb has included it, as well. Look it over and let us know what you think about them. They will be your main vassals, so consider them well." Jon added.

He accepted the papers and thanked his brothers. "I think I have a lot of work cut out for me. The next couple of days you will be able to find me at my desk in my rooms." He laughed. He stood up and walked out. Whilst walking through the hallways, he browsed through the papers and recognized his father's handwriting on some of them. He decided he would look these over for the rest of the day and discuss them tomorrow with Bethany and Alyn. Maybe his other good brothers could give him some advice as well, two were successful lords after all. He would go back to Robb and Jon with a plan and show them that he was worth all of this.

This is it for this chapter.

I tried a long-absent POV (Bran), as I wanted more variety of writing Robb's POV's. You see that the Stark family has grown a lot in 5.5 years' time. This is only normal, as the Stark children are now all between 16 and 28 years old. They are all at that age where children are to be expected and Ned and Catelyn now have 10 grandchildren, with Jon having an additional three running around.

Bran becomes Master of Moat Cailin for life. The territory around it is "small" and most parts of it are very sparsely populated. (For reference the "small territory" Bran just received is the size of Albania with a total population of only 25k.) Robb doesn't have the coin or people to rebuild it in strength yet or organize large migrations to the area, especially with other areas (Sea Dragon Point, New Gift, Blackwater Bay, Stony Shore, …) already demanding the internal movement of tens of thousands of people and winter expected to be approaching. A few hundred people will be sent at a time to the area around the Moat first and we will see how it involves from there.

Bran is given a hefty yearly allowance to build out the territory and make it more attractive, whilst Robb will free the colossal funds necessary to rebuild the fortress piecemeal when he can.

I have made a family tree for you readers to help visualize and understand the expanded family better. You can find it in my bio on my account. THIS FAMILY TREE WILL BE UPDATED RIGHT BEFORE I UPLOAD ANY NEW CHAPTERS. DO NOT CLICK ON IT IF CHAPTER 78 OR OTHERS ARE ALREADY PUBLISHED. IT WILL CONTAIN MASSIVE SPOILERS.

If you have any comments about it, don't be afraid to comment or PM me.

Thank you so much for your support!

Fannic

Reviews:

- Scifiromance: Thank you! It was clear once the "common enemy" was done that problems would arise, especially with some controversial choices that Robb has made. We will see how the situation evolves in the next years.

- Angeluszuko-z: The tensions will continue to be monitored throughout the years. Edmure is wildly different from the books in the last chapter. He has evolved a lot. By that point, he has been the ruler of the Riverlands for 6 years, whilst effectively ruling for 7 with Hoster bedridden for a year. He has lost AND won battles. He has been thought lessons by the Blackfish, Robb, Tytos Blackwood, Jason Mallister, Jonos Bracken and many, many others. He has stopped his boyish ways and has settled down with a family and by chapter 76 is a father of two. Edmure is not incompetent but is becoming the veteran ruler of the Riverlands Robb needs.

- Wolfstark: I PM'ed you.

- Rebfan90: Thank you so much!

- Force Smuggler: Thanks!

- Freakdogsflare: Great idea! Maybe mix it up a little more and sprinkle heirs of both peoples in together. I'll look into it.

- Brandon279: Sad to say that you feel that way. How would you have fixed it?

- Shoshka: Glad to hear you appreciate it.

- Poly19hum: Thank you! That is a good point. For one, Robb and Alys want their son to be Northern. However, adding a few Riverlander heirs would better the situation of both little Hoster and Rickard. We will see how it plays out in the next chapter.

- Guest: Thank you. It could be fun, but I would need to introduce a lot more POV's, a lot more worldbuilding to know the new characters etc in something maybe a little less believable. However, I thank you for the constructive ideas you give to the story. `