A Merman's Dilemma
White Harbour-290 AC
Wyman Manderly sat on the balcony of his solar, overlooking his city and the ocean. He was enjoying the rising sun of the morning while eating a well put together breakfast.
It was one of his traditions to watch the sun rise over White Harbour every morning he could. Seeing his beautiful city light up in pink hues and soft golden colours like a painting always managed to take his breath away. It filled him with immense pride to see his people walk the streets on their way to their daily jobs. Watching the city come alive and seeing his people prosper always managed to make him smile. It also served him as a reminder. A reminder that he could make his city even more prosperous.
Today was one of the rare few days that Wyman didn't feel relaxed when looking out over his city in the mornings glow.
In truth, Wyman found himself conflicted the last few moons. Just six moons ago, things looked like they could not be going better for the North. The North had greater amounts of food being produced each moon. More coin was staying in the North, meaning the economy of the whole Kingdom was slowly but surely improving. A few more years on the same path and the North might be much more powerful than he ever dreamed.
Then things started to get more….complicated.
Turning away trade from Riverrun didn't faze Wyman. He could understand Hadrian taking advantage of the slights Riverrun gave to weaken the alliance between the two Kingdoms. A strong alliance between the Riverlands and the North has its advantages, such as getting cheaper food and an ally in times of war.
But they are being increasingly outweighed by its disadvantages in these changing times.
The North is growing more of their own food now and purchasing much less from the Riverlands. Making that part of their agreement less valuable as time went by. In a few more years the North might not have to purchase any more food from the Riverlands and the Reach, which will no doubt cause some of those Lords to be angered. Meaning they will be more likely to try plotting against the North. So he can see where distancing the North from these nobles might be a good idea, lest they be taken advantage of.
The Riverlands has also almost always been the centre of every war that Westeros has faced. No doubt a strong alliance between the North and Riverlands will mean that the North would be expected to fight in any conflict that takes place in the Riverlands.
This is a large liability for the North. The North has always been at its weakest when they try and fight outside their Kingdom. If they just protect their borders, they are almost impossible to conquer. Something Wyman is sure Hadrian understands. Hence why Wyman believes Hadrian doesn't care about fostering relations with outside Kingdoms like his grandfather did. Hadrian seems to want to go back to the old days, where the North is mostly isolated by the affairs of the rest of Westeros.
Something Wyman agrees might be a good thing. Although Eddard Starks relationship to the King might be an issue.
Wyman is much more concerned about other problems though. Things that are much more complicated and less straightforward than the Norths relationship with the Riverlands.
Wyman is much more concerned about the resurgence of the Faith Militant.
About three moons ago he started hearing whispers about Old God worshippers in the Riverlands and Vale being brutally murdered from some of his traders who did business in those areas. It filled him with concern but he had faith that Lord Arryn and Lord Tully would bring the situation under control in short order, so he didn't really think about it too much.
He was wrong.
Instead of cracking down and crushing those fanatics, Lord Arryn only asked the High Septon to condemn these men. To preach against them. Lord Tully half-heartedly sent out only a few groups of men to search for and capture the culprits, with no success.
Unfortunately these fanatics only seemed to take the lack of harsh punishment as encouragement, so little changed.
Then things started getting worse.
A moon later, a small village and Sept was burnt down to the ground by the Mountain Clans, according to the Vale Lords, leaving no survivors. It wasn't long after, that some Septons in the Vale started preaching against the Mountain Clans. Stating they were such savages because they followed the Old Gods and not The Seven. That they wanted to gather men of the Faith, to wipe out the savages and protect the people of the Vale.
Lord Arryn once again only tried to argue with them instead of taking action. It filled Wyman with concern that the man who is running The Seven Kingdoms showed such little backbone and that the King hadn't taken any action at all.
Soon, murders in the Riverlands also only increased in number and brutality. Lord Tully finally started taking the situation more seriously, but has still met little success.
A week ago one of the Septons in White Harbour even started preaching against the Old Gods. The man was originally from the Vale and Wyman made him disappear quietly and quickly, but the fact such a thing happened in White Harbour at all filled him with dread.
Despite living in the North for thousands of years now, the Manderlys are still not totally accepted by all the Lords in the North. They may have a large amount of power compared to many Northern Lords, they may have brought a large amount of prosperity to the Eastern coast, but they are still seen as outsiders. Never truly accepted by many.
This war between Faiths has the potential to truly worsen the problem. Wyman found himself in a bind with no good options.
He can't give any support to the Faith. That's a given. Not only does he despise the goals of the Faith Militant and respect the Starks too much for that to happen, supporting the Faith would have the Starks and the rest of the North crashing down on House Manderly. He couldn't even blame them.
If his House survived such a thing, Hadrian Stark would make sure they only worshipped the Old Gods from then on, to prevent such a thing from happening again. The boy was always practical like that. He wouldn't allow the chance for a repeat performance from House Manderly. They would also always be looked at with suspicion for betraying the liege Lords they owed so much too.
So no, even if he wanted to, he can't support the Faith.
Unfortunately he can't really turn against the Faith either. Those are the Gods his House has followed for thousands of years.
Lord Manderly never really considered himself a religious person. He always preferred to put his faith in in facts over blind hope. He followed the tenets of the Faith all his life as that was what his father taught him, but he never really believed in The Seven. Not truly. He donates to the Sept in White Harbour as doing so helps his people while gaining their good will. Not because he believes in The Seven.
Unfortunately a lot of the smallfolk in his city are a different story.
There are many in White Harbour that worship The Seven and much less who worship the Old Gods. There are bound to be fanatics in his city just like there are fanatics in the South. The problem is, he can't just kill them all and hope for peace, lest they become martyrs and make the situation even worse. He can't leave them on their own either. As that will also cause everything to spiral out of control.
To be honest Wyman was a bit lost.
Hopefully meeting Hadrian Stark later this day would help give him some perspective. He should at least be more informed once he knows how Hadrian is managing the crisis.
It was around midday when he finally got notified by one of his guards that Hadrian Stark was nearing the city. In a few moments there was a scramble to get ready for his arrival. Messengers were sent to Benjen Stark and the rest of his family were collected.
Half an hour later his family was greeting Hadrian at the gates of the city.
The welcoming ceremony was short and to the point as Wyman knew from Benjen that Hadrian wasn't one for wasting time on things when he felt there were more important issues to deal with.
Judging by the heavy gaze in the Lord of the Norths eyes, they would be having a very serious discussion soon.
This didn't mean he should skip on being a good host though. So with smile he offered to throw a small feast to celebrate the Stark of Winterfells arrival.
To his relief, Hadrian accepted and showed a brief smile.
Luncheon was a simple affair and over far too quickly in Wymans opinion. It wasn't long before he found himself sitting on the same balcony as before with Hadrian Stark, Benjen Stark and his son Wyllis.
Wyman and the others were happy to keep their silence as Hadrian Stark looked over the balcony at the city, with most of his attention staying on the docks and the fleet of ships that were sitting there.
After a moment Hadrian took his attention away from the horizon and brought his gaze to meet Wymans. "You've done well." It was said with a small nod of the head and it immediately brought Wyman a surprising amount of relief.
'When was the last time I felt this nervous?' He thought to himself. He never felt this nervous when speaking to Rickard Stark. Then again, Rickard Stark is not Hadrian Stark. Seeing the intelligent gleam in the young boys' eyes, he knew that Hadrian was significantly more dangerous.
After a moment Wyman bowed his head and accepted the praise with a small quirk of his lips. "Thank you My Lord."
Hadrian slouched back into his seat and for a moment Wyman felt some of the tension in the room fade away.
"Tell me about this mess with the Faith." It was said as an order, Wyman knew. The tension was instantly back.
"My lor-"
Hadrian cut him off with a wave of a hand and spoke after a moment. "Let us be blunt in this meeting Lord Manderly. With the topics being as delicate as they are, we need to be clear to each other."
Wyman sighed slightly. "What do you want to know My Lord?"
Hadrian hummed to himself. "Everything you know. Everything you believe you know. I am aware you have many more contacts in the South than I do because of your merchants. I want to know as much as possible before making any decisions."
Wyman thought about where he should start for a moment, before deciding to just tell him everything from the beginning.
So he does. He tells Hadrian of the Septons in the Vale and what they are planning against the Mountain Clans. He tells him about some of their atrocities and about how there is another group growing in the Riverlands. He tells him about Jon Arryns passiveness and the Kings inaction. He even tells Hadrian about the Septon they found preaching in White Harbour and what they did with him.
Once the explanation is done, Hadrians face is nothing but a blank mask but Wyman can see the thoughts swirling behind his eyes.
Wyman doesn't know what he was expecting, but the brief expression that broke through the mask on Hadrians face sent chills down his spine.
Resignation and sadness.
It lasted only a moment, almost too quickly for Wyman to see it. But see it, he did.
It was the face of someone who knew they would probably have to do terrible things in the future, someone who desperately didn't want to do those things but was prepared to do them anyway. Because it was needed.
That expression on his Lords face sent Wyman into a state of fear he hadn't felt for a very long time. He knew Hadrian would do whatever was needed to keep his people safe. To keep his family safe. What would happen if White Harbour ever became part of the problem?
Wyman felt another shiver go down his spine.
He made a choice right then. He couldn't support the Faith. No matter what. If he needed to convert to the Old Gods in the future, to save his family, he would.
It doesn't mean it will be easy though. Wyman is not a man of Faith but there are plenty in his city who are. Who would not take it well if Wyman just changed his worship. He didn't really want to change his faith either, but he can't deny the benefits.
For one, the other Northern Lords would be much more accepting of his family. Perhaps it might even be enough to stop their family from being seen as outsiders? It will also show proper loyalty to Hadrian Stark, which means he would be much more likely to favour White Harbour in the future.
Wyman wants that favour. Hadrian Stark is genius. A genius born once a millennia. There is no other way about it. The boy excels in everything he puts any effort into. His mind is possibly greater than some Archmaesters. In a few years his mind will only improve. The boy has the potential to revolutionise the North, and he knows it. He has already started.
Wyman wants Hadrian to look favourable upon the Manderlys when he continues to do so. The balance of power in the North has already started shifting and will probably only shift more in the years to come. If White Harbour has Hadrians patronage, it will undoubtedly grow much greater.
He was brought out of his musings by Hadrian speaking. "Things will only continue to escalate in the next few years. You know this as well Wyman. Even if we could get rid of the people who started this mess, it would make them a martyr and will just worsen things if it's tracked back to The North. That might work to escalate things even more. While it is in the South, it is not my problem. I can't at this time, spend coin to take care of a problem that doesn't directly affect the North."
Hadrian paused to take a breath before continuing. "That said, I will not allow this problem to affect the North. There is to be more border control, to make sure no Septons or others who want to cause chaos are let into our borders. All Septons are to be sent back South if they come from there. The Septons working for the Sept in your city are to be left alone but are to be quietly watched, to make sure they aren't spreading dissent. They are allowed to recruit more Septons, but each one must be from the North and must be screened and watched for a while. No new Septs are allowed to be built until this mess is over, but you can repair and expand the current ones as you like though."
Wyman nodded along. It was pretty much what he expected. A bit harsh in some places, but understandable in wanting to keep things contained.
After a moment Hadrian continued while watching him carefully. "In a year or two, I will be planting Weirwoods in key locations of this city and some outside the city as well." Wyman tried hard not to tense. It was what he was expecting, Hadrian wanted to convert the city into worshippers of the Old Gods. He didn't want a problem at his back if this blows up into a full blown war of the Faiths.
Hadrian continued before Wyman could finish processing his thoughts. "No one will be forced to worship or pray to the Old Gods. They will be forced to live more closely among them though. Hopefully exposure will help prevent some of them from joining the Faiths side."
It was honestly a kinder method than Wyman was expecting. He assumed Hadrian would inevitably have something planned to change some of the smallfolks faith into that of the Old Gods. He will probably do as much as he can to subtly encourage Old God worship in the next few years. Some of the people from the Neck have already started calling him the Champion of the Old Gods, maybe he will try and encourage that by providing the smallfolk with something he invents. Making them thankful to him and more receptive to the Old Gods. Therefore replacing the Faith in White Harbour as peacefully as possible.
Wyman honestly didn't know if he should be thankful for Hadrians mercy or curse him for encouraging him to change his religion. No matter, he knows he has a lot of thinking to do and despite himself, he is still not able to blame Hadrian for his decisions. Not when even he can see how practical they are.
Wyman bowed his head, feeling a deep sense of resignation. "I understand My Lord."
Hadrians eyes softened. "I'm not making you change your religion my lord. You can still keep your faith. But I can't have The Seven followers grow disenfranchised with the Old God worshippers in the North. The easiest way to take the North is from within. I will not allow the North to fall to infighting my lord. "
Wyman glared slightly. "But it would still be easier for you if I did."
Hadrian didn't even flinch. "Yes, it would be. Not just for me either. But for you as well. If things continue to escalate in the south, which they will, then the tension for White Harbour will only increase. Between both you and the Northern Lords, and the Old God worshippers in the North and the Seven worshippers in White Harbour. I need to get on top of this situation as soon as possible. We might find ourselves at war with the Faith in a few years."
Hadrian took a breath. "To be honest, I have no faith in either Jon Arryn or Robert Baratheon to get this situation under control before then. So I have to take steps that I really don't like taking to protect the North."
Wyman almost wanted to feel scandalised at such a comment being thrown casually but he didn't have the energy. After a few moments Wymans shoulders sagged. "I am not very religious my lord. But it feels wrong to just give up my Religion. "
Hadrian smiled. "I won't force you to change your Religion my lord. If the people of White Harbour learn to live in peace with the Weirwoods I will be planting, then I don't care what religion they are. I won't lie and say I wouldn't prefer for you to follow the Old Gods. But you are a loyal Lord. I won't force you to make a choice like that. I just want you to keep the people under control, no matter their religion. Make sure the people here are accepting of Old God worshippers even if they follow the Seven and the other way round. Just keep the problem out of White Harbour. "
Harry then continued with a smile. "If people choose to follow the Old Gods, that's their choice. I won't force anyone to follow them, but I will try to convince them to. If you choose to continue following The Seven then I won't punish you or let other lords do so, but I will try and convince you to follow the Old Gods for the rest of either of our lives."
Wyman let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. It was reassuring to realise he wasn't going to be forced but rather coerced. It helped him greatly to know he wasn't going to be persecuted by the other lords. It gives him time to see what is happening so he can make more evaluated decisions.
Hadrian let out a light laugh. "I will just have to try and convince you the Old Gods exist so you can choose to follow them on your own."
Wyman almost laughed at such a claim. He didn't believe in The Seven, never mind the Old Gods.
After a few seconds of quiet Hadrian relaxed and offered a small and dare Wyman say it, genuine, smile. "It's good to get all that unpleasant stuff out of the way, now we can talk about something more exciting and less depressing."
He took two items out of his pocket. They were small metal things shaped in a circle tied to a thick piece of string. When Hadrian turned it, Wyman noticed one side was covered in glass.
He felt incredibly confused about why Hadrian would show him an item like this. Then Hadrian handed him one.
When he saw it, he noticed the quality workmanship on the steel and the clearness of the glass. There was a bit of a green tint but not much. The only thing of interest was a small piece of metal in the middle that pointed toward him.
Honestly for a moment he wondered how about how much gold Hadrian threw away to get this thing built. Then he remembered Hadrian was generally pretty practical. So he looked deeper into what the only thing of interest was. The needle was pointing towards him which was also toward the wall. To the North.
But…no..that couldn't be it.
Wyman turned the device around always keeping an eye on the direction the needle faces. Every time, it continued to point North.
Wyman swallowed. This could revolutionize the Northern fleet. It would give their fleet a leg up on every other. They might be able to go into open sea and explore without getting hopelessly lost. It would revolutionise naval battles. It was a very useful tool.
Hadrian spoke. "I call it a compass. Incredibly useful, but dangerous in the wrong hands."
Wyman had a moment to shiver about the thought of the Ironborn getting hold of such a tool.
Even though he already believes it, he just had to ask. "Does it always point North?"
Next to him, his son Wylis gave a small gasp when he heard those words and Benjen Stark focused his gaze much more firmly on the objects.
The Stark of Winterfell smirked. "Yes."
While everyone else in the solar was trying to take in the repercussions of those words. Hadrian just continued, as if he had not revolutionised navigation. "Those are two out of three I have made. One is on me at all times. One will be given to my uncle Benjen and another to Wylis Manderly to help with a successful voyage to Yi-Ti and back. These are not to be reproduced. These are not to be seen. The North isn't ready for what would happen should other parties get their hands on them. If something were to happen to either of you, either throw it in the sea or try to destroy it. They are to be protected." He looked gravely at the two who nodded and agreed as quickly as they could.
Hadrian then took a few breaths. "Good, that should make your journey easier. The rest of my men should arrive tomorrow. After a week of rest I want the ships loaded and them to be prepared to sail. There are only a few minor things that are left to discuss with you Lord Manderly."
Wyman dragged his gaze off of the marvellous device in his hands. A device that would see the fleet return alive. That would see untold riches come into the North. He couldn't help but wonder.
If this is what Hadrian Stark is capable of now, what would he do in the future?
He answered quickly and brought himself back to the conversation. "Yes My Lord?"
Hadrian spoke. "I have a list of things I want my uncle to get for me from this trip. I want you to go over the list with me and tell me what you think. I would like us to get different items so we don't over saturate the market. Some of the items are also ….."
To read ahead: Pat_ (slash) TheLifeandTimes19.