The wedding of Eddard Stark to Catelyn Tully was hardly as lavish an affair as it could have been. With a war raging there was little time for extravagance nor grandeur. Ned and Catelyn were wed quickly before the heart tree in the way of Ned's gods, but with a septon to honour the faith of House Tully, who worshipped the seven. In the audience who witnessed the wedding, Robert Baratheon clapped enthusiastically for his friend, and even whistled when Ned and Catelyn kissed to seal the union. Jon Arryn clapped politely, but there was a distinct look of both pride and sorrow in his eyes. Both he and Robert had known of Ned's love for the Dornish beauty Ashara Dayne, but in the world of the nobility, love was rarely factored into the forging of marriages.
The banquet halls of Riverrun were where the real festivities were held. For all that most of the men present were riding off to war, or perhaps because of it, there was a sense of merriment in the air as the assembled lords and soldiers ate, drank, and occasionally disappeared with their wives or the servants. Ned wished he could share in their good mood, but he was too busy nervously watching his new wife out of the corner of his eye. He knew little of the woman, outside of some of the things Bran had told him about the beautiful Tully maid. She was a dutiful woman, and Ned understood that she was likely no more comfortable with this arrangement than he was. As men and women came up to them to congratulate them on their marriage, Ned fought down a small flash of bitterness towards Lady Catelyn. He pushed it down however, reminding himself that none of what was happening was his new wife's fault.
Robert, it seemed was determined to make him enjoy his wedding, something he was grateful to his friend for. Frequently the lord of Storm's End would come up to their table, being increasingly in his cups over the course of the night and would force Ned to take Catelyn onto the dance floor, or to share a drink and a joke with him, even bringing his new wife into their jests. Catelyn seemed hesitant towards the stormlord's actions, but as she saw Ned smiling at his friend's antics, she too allowed a small smile to bloom on her face and even giggled out a laugh or two at several of Robert's more ridiculous stories of their time in the Vale. Of course, Robert made sure to exaggerate Ned in those tales, playing up his gallantry and the like, likely trying to impress his new bride. Ned could honestly say that he appreciated his friend's efforts, and though he and Catelyn were still barely talking, with Robert there was at least someone to unite them in laughing at his gaudy stories and increasing exuberance.
The night continued on, with toasts coming from all around celebrating their marriage, their good health, the rebel cause, and the continuation of House Stark and its alliance with House Tully. Ned spotted Lord Hoster seated next to his brother Brynden and saw that the old trout was glancing between Ned and Robert. His eyes landed on the young lord of the North, and Ned could see, even from that distance, that there was a look of pride and even victory in his eyes. When the man looked over at Robert though, that look changed, and Ned was sure that Hoster looked disappointed or vexed. Likely he had asked, more likely demanded, that Robert marry his other daughter Lysa, and had gotten nowhere with the demand. Ned wondered whether his friend might consider any woman for his wife. With his love of women in general, combined with Lyanna's betrayal, he wondered if the concept of marriage might have been soured entirely for the man.
Regardless of Robert's preferences, he knew that the night was drawing to a close, and that in time he and his new wife would have to retire. Ned secretly dreaded what would come next. There was the bedding ceremony, something that he had never been all too fond of, but more frightening was that he would have to consummate the marriage. Not only was the alliance too important to jeopardize by not doing so, but he was the Lord of Winterfell, and he needed an heir in case he were to die out on the field. Benjen was the Stark in Winterfell for the moment, but If as it was their family had been harmed enough in the last year. Turning to look at Robert, who was boasting to a serving girl and seemed about ready to drag her into a spare room, he managed to catch the gaze of the stormlord as he winked at the maid. Gesturing the man over without a word, for they had known each other long enough to communicate without talking, Robert offered the woman an apologetic smile and a few hushed words that made her face turn red before he marched back to the high table.
"Ned!" He exclaimed, drawing a few eyes from the tables around them as his slightly staggered steps. "This had better be good you dour bastard, there was a maid of particular beauty that I was very close to going to bed with."
Ned shook his head at Robert's exuberance, even when discussing such uncouthtopics.
"Robert, I was hoping I could get your help with a small problem."
Seeing the look of seriousness on his friend's face, Robert seemed to sober up a bit, leaning forwards to make sure that their talk would not be overheard by the room at large.
Catelyn watched as Robert Baratheon patted Eddard on the back and descended from the dais, once again milling around with the other guests of the celebration and grabbing a drinking horn from one of the servants. She caught her now husband's eye as he turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow in question. Perhaps it was that they did not yet know each other well enough, or just ignorance on his part of her more subtle attempts to communicate with him, but Eddard did not seem to notice her unsaid question, just turning back to the food on his place and taking another bite of what was expected to be the final course of the meal.
As the meal ended, there was a final round of revelry amongst the guests as they ate, drank and danced long into the night. Catelyn knew that eventually it would have to end though, and that meant the beginning of her first night as a married woman. Catelyn had been prepared for this night for years, though she had expected to marry Brandon Stark, rather than his quiet younger brother. She was glad at least that there was nothing terrible to be said about Eddard Stark, and that he did not seem cruel. The stories she had heard from Lord Robert had painted a rather dashing picture, though she would have thought to take them with a fair amount of scepticism given that not only were men prone to exaggerating their exploits, but the stories were told by her new husband's closest friend. Eddard Stark however, seemed to have little taste for braggadocio, and was quick to knock down his friend's stories and offer fer more likely tales.
The Tully maid had managed to share a few light laughs with her new husband as he tore the boastfulness away from Lord Robert's stories. It was a good sign, she thought, that she could laugh with her husband, and while her heart still reminded her that she should not find herself too comfortable with the brother of the man she had once loved, she tried to assure herself that there was no stopping this marriage. It was her duty to her family, and an act to maintain the honour of both their houses, that had brought the two together, and there was no shame in trying to build a rapport with the man she would have to build a life with.
The two newlyweds sat together at the high table, raised so that they could be seen by the entire hall.
Suddenly there was a loud noise from down in the crowd and Robert Baratheon stood up from the seat he had taken as he had drunk with a number of knights and squires.
"Alright y'all. It's been a fine night, eh?"
There was a roar that rose from amongst the assembled guests, and Catelyn was again surprised as Robert was praised and cheered to by men who before tonight he had probably never met.
"We've ate and drunk well on Lord Tully's coin; I'll say that the Riverlands makes good beer."
Another cheer, one that seemed to be equally praising her house's generosity and the quality of their drink.
"Now though. I think it's time we finish up this night and send out newly wedded friends on their way. What say you?"
The crowd roared in excitement, and Catelyn felt her skin prickle slightly. The bedding ceremony was one that all married women had to endure with only a few exceptions. She disliked the idea of drunk bawdy men undressing her, but she knew that it was all in good fun for most of them, and she had heard more than one bride laugh about the jokes that she heard as she was carried off. Already there were men and women swarming towards the high table, and she saw her husband, looking as uncomfortable as she felt, being dragged away by some of the serving girls who had been stationed near their table.
Robert Baratheon reached her first, and she felt like she might have misjudged the lord of the Stormlands if he wished to be the first man to disrobe his best friend's new wife. But Robert did not stop, he rushed her and slung her over his shoulder, rushing through the doors that lead to her marriage bed and slamming them behind him with a grandiose laugh. The doors slammed shut, leaving a horde of angry, drunk men who cursed the stormlord for locking them out of the game. Catelyn watched in confusion as Robert put her down and offered her his arm with a wink.
"Well, my lady, it seems it's my job to see you to your marriage bed, let's not keep old Ned waiting, shall we?"
Catelyn stared at the man, who, despite his reputation as a lecher, seemed rather disinterested in undressing and carrying her. As she tentatively took the man's arm and was then walked along the hallway to her new chambers, she remembered back to the short conversation that Eddard had whispered to his friend.
"Did... did Lord Stark as you to do this?" She asked.
"Ned? Aye, he did. The man's always been a bit of a prude when it comes to this sort of thing. You should have seen him the first time I dragged him to a brothel. Ha, what a sight."
Catelyn forced down the small tug in her stomach when she heard Robert's talk of brothels. It was common for men, especially unmarried men, to visit such establishments in order to slake their lust. Still though, if her husband was a frequenter of such places, she wondered how their marriage might progress. Could she learn to love Eddard Stark if he proved to be an unfaithful spouse. She would have to ask.
"And did he- did you, frequent such establishments often?"
If Robert noticed her hesitance or concern, he didn't let on.
"Me? aye, though with all that's been going on my chances to partake haven't exactly been many." He laughed again. "Ned though? Gods no. He damn near fainted when the first whore offered herself. He all but ran out. Never stepped foot in them again unless it was to drag my drunken ass back to the Eyrie."
The small coil that had been forming in her gut unfurled as she listened to Robert recount more and more stories of her new husband's valiant resistance of the fairer sex. Robert framed them all rather well, and never seemed to disparage his friend for not partaking in the allure of prostitutes. Robert seemed almost envious, but still exasperated, at Eddard's resilience.
"... He'll be good to you, my lady." He said suddenly, drawing Catelyn's attention.
"My lord?" She asked.
"Ned, I mean. He's a good man, one of the best I've ever known."
Catelyn tried to think of something to say, but there was no time as they finally came to the chamber that was to be hers and Eddard's for the night, their bedding chamber.
"This is where I leave you, my lady. It was a wonderful wedding." Robert winked at her, and opened the door, revealing her husband, clad in a loose white shirt and breeches but missing the formal clothes that he had worn for the ceremony and the feast.
"Oi, Ned. Your lady wife is here."
Ned turned from where he had been staring at the fire in the hearth, his hand rubbing what looked like a small piece of purple cloth before he sprung from the chair as Robert opened to door and yelled at his friend.
Unlike him, Catelyn had not changed at all since she had last seen him, with perhaps the exception that her hair was slightly mussed due to being rather ungracefully carried by Robert when he had rushed her from the hall.
"Lady Tully." Eddard said, bowing his head.
"Lord Stark." She returned with a curtsey.
"Alright you two." Robert said, moving to close the door behind him. "We'll see you on the morrow."
"Robert." Ned interrupted before the stormlord could make his leave. "Thank you."
"Of course, Ned." Robert nodded one last time before he closed the door leaving the two alone.
Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully stared at each other from across the room, before Ned stepped towards her, offering her a hand,
"My lady, as of tonight, we are man and wife. I hope that we can be cordial with each other at least. I know that you loved my brother. I will make no attempt to replace him in your heart. I just ask for your understanding, that we must do this, for reasons that go beyond ourselves."
His speech was so formal Catelyn did not know how to respond. Of course, Lord Eddard Stark would be so formal, so considerate. She tried to offer the man a reassuring smile, one that showed how much she appreciated his actions.
"My thanks my lord. I promise, I will do all that I can to make our marriage one that both of us can be content with."
Eddard offered her a smile, and it dawned on her that it was one of the first she had ever seen, at least when directed at her. She returned it shyly stepping forwards and loosening the strings of her dress, allowing it to become loose around her form.
Ned watched as his new wife disrobed and tried to fight the surge of bitterness he felt. Bitterness directed at his new wife, at Lyanna, at Rhaegar and Aerys, but mostly, it was a bitterness against himself, and a sorrow that standing before him, readying herself to take to his marriage bed, was a woman other than Ashara Dayne.
Kurt looked over the readout he possessed regarding the actions and discoveries of his spartan teams throughout Westeros. In Riverrun amongst the rebels, Echo squad had reported that Eddard Stark had gone through with an arranged with Catelyn Tully and had augmented the forces of their rebellion with those of the Riverlands. As it was now, without direct aid from the massive force that was surrounding Robert Baratheon's home in the Stormlands, the loyalist forces under the command of Rhaegar were less and less likely to win, though the odds were still close enough to be a tossup.
Well, they would have been without Echo squad aiding the Rebels.
Meanwhile, in King's Landing there were quite a few developments that required his attention. King Aerys had kept his hand Lord Qarlton Chelsted for less than a month before burning the man alive with wildfire. Further reconnaissance had indicated that the man had initiated a campaign of mutual destruction that was perhaps the most insane action the king could have taken. While Kurt was not fully privy to the exact methods for creating the fuel for the green fire that the Westerosi considered magical, he was more than aware of its effectiveness given Wolfpack's frequent reports on the various 'demonstrations' that the king enjoyed showcasing.
However, the most relevant aspect of information that had been gathered was the acceptance of the arranged marriage between Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister. Of course, Kurt had spoken at length with Tywin about the level of participation in the war, but it seemed that Tywin was far less interested in direct participation without knowing which side would bring the largest benefits to his house and kingdom. Kurt had been a part of ONI long enough to understand Tywin's reasoning and while not entirely happy about it, was willing to not rock the boat and simply hang back with his forces rather than using them to bring a decisive end to the war. Additionally, it was best that the UNSC, or House Terra as they were known to the locals, stayed as neutral as possible in order to engage in business with as much of Westeros as possible.
Now though, with the marriage accepted and Tywin to find out about it any day, there were several scenarios that Kurt would have to contemplate. On the one hand, the rise of House Lannister to the status of royalty in this society would be a great boon for the UNSC's plans to spread more modern aspects of society to the Westerosi in general, as their good terms with one of the most powerful houses made even greater would grant new avenues of spreading their various advancements. On the other hand, he knew Tywin well enough to understand the man's brutal efficiency when working towards a goal. The Targaryen family had been in power for three centuries and had never faced a serious threat of usurpation from outside. Added to that, the current generation was one of the more open ones, with the direct loyalty of the Reach and familial connections to Dorne.
Any remaining members of that family, if it was not completely destroyed or otherwise disposed of, could become a reconquering force that could further destabilise the continent and even beyond, which left few palatable options for them to work with. Ideally, the defeated royals would surrender after the Westerlands joined in on the rebel's side and would live out their lives in some manner of comfort and the new dynasty would rule well and justly for many years. Kurt wasn't stupid enough to expect that however. Monarchs, especially ones with the Targaryen's history, were not typically happy with being dethroned. With the loyalty of the two southern-most kingdoms, they could become a significant threat in later years, or if they were not quickly and entirely detained or eliminated, just peel off from the seven kingdoms and form their own, waiting to reconquer the throne that way.
Either option spelled disaster down the road, and Kurt knew that Tywin knew it too. As such, he was sure that the man would suggest, more like order, his spartans to eliminate the Targaryen family and rescue his son. Kurt himself was somewhat reluctant over the idea, but so far Tywin had not ordered it, only suggested it.
Kurt tapped in his data pad, running through the fourteen differing scenarios that his spartans in King's Landing had sent to him. Alpha-scenario was the most likely, with the destruction of if not the entire family, at the very least any direct male descendants of the throne in order to clear a slightly less bloody path to kingship for the then crowned King Robert. Beta was even more violent with several alternatives on killing the entirety of House Targaryen. Gamma and Sigma continued on in the same vein, all the way down to Xi-scenario.
As he scrolled through the propositions made by Fireteam Hotel, there was a small change in the scenarios, however. Under scenario Xi, another file had popped up, Scenario Omicron.
Kurt's brow furrowed as he opened the file, looking over it as text poured in. It was being updated, with alternating routes and contingencies being added in even as Kurt worked through it. Looking through the identifiers for access and usage, eager to know just who had added in this strange change in the plan.
'Spartan Jane, A-203.'
So, Jane was the one proposing this new alternative. It made sense, since she had been the one to become the closest to the locals and especially the royal family. The plan had merit, Kurt knew that, but it would be dangerous. Not physically, in truth there was no real risk of loss of UNSC life by implementing it. There was no such risk in any of the plans. The danger would come in terms of political and societal upheaval, both at home and amongst the locals. Jane's plan, while interesting, offered too many unstable variables that could backfire, not in the execution of the plan, but in its aftermath. He would have to speak with her.
Seconds later, he saw two further signatures underscoring Jane's scenario and adding in their support of the plan.
'Spartan Shane, A-112. Spartan Robert, A-057. Recommendation to enact Scenario-Omicron.'
Kurt smirked slightly, it seemed that Jane was not alone in her actions, perhaps a talk with the whole of Wolf Pack would be necessary. For the moment though, he needed to prepare for his latest meeting, which would be specifically about the fourteen -fifteen now- plans that they had access to and about what would be best for the UNSC in general.
So, this is really cool. We had what was I think our first real argument in the reviews. My thanks to everyone who discussed their opinions and collectively gave me a good sense of how I was portraying the characters and plot. I really appreciate everyone who gives me these kinds of reviews as it's nice to get some feedback and even argumentation. I hope we can continue this and that you guys can enjoy my work, or if not at least understand why I do things a certain way.
So. Ned and Catelyn are married, Robert is now engaged to Cersei, and Jane has a new plan for the Royal family that Kurt now has to present to the UNSC command staff. I will repeat what I said in an earlier chapter, in that I think that Robert would be an amazing wingman, and honestly, I think the bedding thing was funny. It also serves as an introduction into the relationship between Ned and Cat and while I know a lot of people don't like her character, I will repeat that I didn't dislike her, and actually felt that while somewhat unfair, her opinions in the series are at least understandable and often exacerbated by the purposeful lack of information that Ned kept from her. Like seriously, why forbid Ashara's very name from being spoken in the castle, especially if Jon isn't even her son, as the show had dictated. It doesn't really make sense. I also feel that Ned would not just stop loving Ashara because of his new marriage, and him having some regrets at the time I feel is perfectly reasonable. How did you all like it? was it too over the top? Too underplayed? Let me know.