Chapter 3: Jon Stark
Jon Stark of House Stark was intrigued. The reason he was intrigued was because of the coming of the Belmonts.
He has just heard that a small army of Stormlanders camped outside of Moat Cailin and the Lord of House Belmont was coming to meet him, here in Winterfell.
The Red Kings were silent, no doubt more worried about the coming winter rather than the millennia-long feud. Casting his thoughts on the Red Kings aside, Jon waited in the courtyard, watching as the gate opened to reveal armored riders bearing the sigil—a black sword, with red as its background. He recognized it as the sigil of House Belmont of the Stormlands.
Despite their status as Southron house many of his vassals raised a cup of ale when they heard of the tales of them combating the Andal Invaders. Jon knew that House Belmont was the most feared and hated in the South.
According to the stories they heard, the Belmont committed many atrocities against the Andals. Such an example is the Great Sentence of High Heart. The Great Andal Massacre. Not to mention being responsible for coma of Ser Harold Arryn the younger cousin of Artys I Arryn, the first King of Mountain and Vale and the founder of House Arryn.
Jon also had heard a rumor that House Belmont had seemingly fallen out of favor with Ormund III Durrandon, the Storm King of House Durrandon. This does not make any sense. Wasn't the Belmonts the Storm's King's Dauntless Vanguard?
He had been taken aback when he realized that the noble was accompanied by the one Children of the Forest.
"Lord Robert Belmont?" he speaks.
The Lord removed his helmet, his armor was covered in dust and dirt, the telltale signs of long travel. It was at that moment that Jon knew that the rumor of Robert Belmont's death was most likely true. The noble in question looked fairly young, he had raven black hair, and his eyes were mismatched Amber and Crimson like the leaves on a weirwood and almost wolf-like. Robert Belmont was known for having amber-yellow Eyes and crimson eyes were also a known trait. Mismatched eyes were not a known trait... but beast-like eyes were among the more infamous characteristics of their house.
"My father is dead, your grace," he says. "I cannot call myself that anymore since King Ormund had stripped my house of its status.
Hearing this, Jon asked, "Then what is your name?"
"My name is Adrian Belmont," he introduces himself.
Silent for a moment, Jon asked "You're a long way from the Stormlands?"
"We were cast out of the Stormlands your grace," Adrian told him. "My House had been exiled from our homeland because we chose to stay true to our faith rather than convert to their worship of the Seven."
Exile the Belmonts? The Storm King's own cadet branch? Not to mention its most renowned warriors in the Stromlands? This doesn't make any sense.
"Perhaps we can discuss this further at feast," Jon says. "You and men look like they need refreshment."
"Thank you, your grace," Adrian replied with a smile. "You are very kind."
0o0o0
A great feast is held in Winterfell in honor of Adrian Belmont's royal arrival. It was foggy with smoke and cloudy with the smell of roasted meat and fresh-baked bread. Its grey stone walls were clothed with banners of House Stark and House Belmont.
A singer was playing the high harp and performing a song, but down at this end of the hall his voice could scarcely be heard above the roar of the fire, the clangor of pewter plates and cups, and the low murmur of a hundred drunken conversations.
Jon was seated with Adrian at the main table. Also seated with them were Adrian's close cousins, Jon's wife, two sons, and daughter…and younger sister, Brenna Stark.
"Your generosity is well welcomed your grace," Adrian says respectfully.
"Thank you, Lord Belmont," Jon replied.
"I'm not a Lord your grace," Adrian remained. "Just called me Adrian."
"Well, in that case, call me Jon in turn," Jon said.
"Very well then," Adrian says with a smile. "Jon.
Brenna Stark suddenly stood up and said "Please excuse me, brother. I feel very ill. I need some fresh air."
Jon watched his sister leave the room. While a little disappointed, she left in the middle of the feast, he could tell Brenna's patient that her condition had reached its limit.
"Your sister…looks so angry," Adrian confirmed as she watched her go. "I take I offended her?"
"No," Jon replied. "She's angry with me. Angry…about the dress."
Jon could tell his sister was extremely irritated and ill about wearing a dress in public. Not to mention her hair out on display. Brenna favored wearing men's clothing and liked to keep her hair hidden. Some would say it's unladylike, but that was her sister.
The feast was finally over, and everyone began to go to bed. Jon and Adrain were the last ones to stay up. It was when the two of them made their way to the Godswood of Winterfell.
"This place reminded me of the High Heart," Adrian says as he observes the whole woods. "Yet not that large or sophisticated."
"Is it true you single-handily executed evert Andal and ripped out their entrails barehanded and hung them on the branches of the Weirwood?" Jon questioned Adrian.
"Yes, it's true," Adrian replied. "Combined with the loss of my lands and titles in the Stormlands, adding to the loss of my father, I took my anger out on every Andal prisoner that was unlucky enough to fall in my hands. I want to die an agonizing death and hope that the Old Gods make them suffer for eternity."
There was silence in the air before Jon asked, "You say your King exiled you from your homelands because you refused to change faith?" Jon questioned Adrain.
"Yes, it's true," Adrian replied. "What about it?"
"I heard House Belmont was respected and admired as the Storm's King's Dauntless Vanguard," Jon expresses his words while looking at the Heart Tree for a while before facing Adrian. "That their loyalty to the Winter King is uncorrupted. That you earn the eternal trust and favor of the Storm Kings since the beginning. Yet Ormund threw you out because you refuse to change your faith?"
"I'm afraid so," Adrian says. "Ormund and his queen abandoned the old gods and converted to the Faith of the Seven. Many Houses in the stormlanders followed their example—saved for our House."
"For many generations, my house fought for House Durrandon," Adrian begin to explain. "It was the founder of my house that saved the Durrandon line, my ancestors fighting and dying at their command. When the Andals invaded we fought them for centuries because our king commanded us to do so."
"And until now our King and wife decided to switch their worship from the Old Gods to the New," he'd continued. "Many Stromlander Houses followed in their footsteps and saved my House. It was when the tide began to turn against us."
"My House earns a lot of enemies in the Stormlands," Adrian carries on. "Enemies that are envious of the favor we earn from the Storm Kings. Soon many of them, who switch their allegiance to the new faith begin whispering poisons in Ormund's ears, slowly turning him against my House. Even Ormund's wife, who was the daughter of a rival Lord to my House, had begun to demand to have House Belmont be stripped of our lands and titles. We have no choice but to leave, otherwise, we would be wiped out."
"My ancestors bled for Ormund's house! and this is how he thanks us?!" Adrian angrily stated. "The reason why I came to the North is because of the Greenseer who foreseen that the North will be among the few places that their so-called faith' will not practice. He also told me it will be a matter of time before the Andals turn their full attention to the North."
King Jon was silent, he was weighing the benefits and drawbacks of taking them in. For one thing, there would be more mouths to feed during the winter, which was an inevitable drawback of accepting their fealty. Secondly, they were Southron, outsiders. It was one of the few reasons that the rest of his vassals would object to accepting, though the fact that they were followers of the Old gods would keep his vassals silent to some extent.
The benefits of taking them in would be worth it. Jon knew that House Durrandon's could attribute much of their military success to their cadet branch. House Belmont was feared by the other kingdoms as the fiercest and most formidable warriors of the Storm King, crushing any foe and attaining victory in the name of the Durrandons.
The loyalty they displayed was infamous to some extent as they were known for being incorruptible, no number of bribes or 'gifts' could sway them into changing their allegiance. He heard that King Garth VII Gardener the Goldenhand married one of his daughters into their House, yet it did not dissuade them from attacking the Reach when the Storm king ordered them to do so decades after the Gardner King's death.
Ormund was a fool to rid a worthy military asset. Their loss, his gain. House Belmont had been betrayed by their previous king, Jon would do everything in his power to ensure that his descendants would not do the same.
"Very well," Jon said. "I can restore you of your title of Lordship. And grant you lands of your own. Not to mention a Keep I have in my mind you oversee— Moat Cailin."
"You mean the Old ruins on the northern edge of the great swamp of the Neck, in the south of the north?" Adrian recalls.
"Yes," said Jon. "If the Andals are coming then there is a likely chance they would pass through the lands. Despite his status, Moat Cailin was one of the north's most important strongholds. It commands the causeway, the safe route for armies to travel through the swamps of the Neck."
"Yes," Adrian says, figuring out what Jon was trying to tell him. "Moat Cailin is an effective natural choke point that has protected the north from southern invasion for thousands of years. Plus, I heard that the crannogmen of the Neck know unmapped routes through the swamps, such as narrow trails between the bogs and wet roads through the reeds that only boats can follow."
"Protecting the North from Andals will not be enough," Jon confirmed. "What we need the whole North. There are Northern Kings and Lords across the lands that opposed my rule as King In the North."
"You mean like House Bolton of Dreadfort?" Adrian questioned him on the subject.
"What do you know of the Boltons?" Jon asked Adrian.
"From what I heard," Adrian begins. "The Boltons were known for their historical practice of flaying their enemies, and they are said to hang the skins of their enemies in a room of the Dreadfort. The family has a reputation for being dishonorable, cruel, and cunning."
"Yes, you're correct," Jon replied. "My House had been bitter enemies with Bolton for several hundred years. Several members of my family in the past had been captured and skinned alive in their hands. When the time come, we can finally deal with the Boltons. However, I want to ensure that this alliance between our Houses works."
"How?" Adrian asked him.
Jon stared at him, quiet for a moment until he replied, "You married my sister."
"The angry one?" Adrian recalls. "How would she feel when she found out you are marrying her to a stranger?"
"I'll take care of that myself."
Yet for Jon, that is going to be his hardest task in life.