"We might try and deny it, but the truth is unavoidable, sometimes relative but paradoxically absolute. In cases such as these, there's just one truth: some people just need killing."
Excerpt from " Wars in the Early Fifth Era"
Ned
Ned's eyes roamed over Winterfell's godswood; the red leaves on the snowy ground brought back memories Ned wished were longer or more in quantity. The stoic presence of his late father as he told Ned the weight and honor of the Stark name flashed in his mind, as did the times Ned himself shared the little wisdom he had with his sons, as did the times he and his siblings played under the gods eyes, as did the time he raged at them for taking his boy from him.
As the Lord of Winterfell slowly made his way towards the Heart Tree, his steps making the snow crunch under his feet, a gust of wind from the east hit his face, bringing with it the smell of pies and meat from the First Keep's kitchens, which brought a small smile to Ned's face.
The Warden of The North knelt in front of his gods, no longer as solemn as in the last eight years, no longer wanting as in the past, no longer with a wrathful heart as before. Ned knelt in front of his gods with gratitude for the first time since… since he had lost half of his family to the Targaryen's folly.
Eddard knelt in front of the Old Gods of his ancestors and thanked them for keeping his son alive and thanked them twice over for bringing him back home. The Northern warlord's peace was broken by the rattling of chains and the ragged breath of Maester Luwin.
"My Lord. A raven came from Castle Cerwyn." The Old Maester said, his voice gave away his advanced age and his eloquence gave away his learned ways "Jon's party left Castle Cerwyn before dawn. Lord Cerwyn also confirms the rumors of magics." The learned man spoke, struggling to control his excitement at the mention of magic.
Ned said nothing for a moment, his mind still on his prayers. The Lord of Stark slowly got up and allowed his eyes to settle on aged Maester, who patiently waited for the Lord of the castle's response.
"Was Lord Cerwyn able to disclose how many men ride with Jon?" Ned spoke; his voice was deep and flat; it betrayed no emotion and was as icy as the frozen rivers in the coldest parts of Eddard's domains.
"Yes, my Lord." Luwin quickly confirmed, his head slowly bobbing up and down, "Lord Cerwyn ascertained that there were more than 80 men directly under Jon's command. From soldiers to hunters and other mages as well. All mounted" The Maester finished; his eyes showed no trepidation, nor did they cast any doubt about Jon's intentions.
" Those are considerable numbers; I've seen great lords travel with fewer men." Ned commented as he looked at the Maester; the silent plea for the man's opinion hung in the air.
" Indeed. While we have yet to learn about Jon's position in this empire across the sunset sea, the fact he was sent as an ambassador indicates he is at least important enough to represent the interests of its royals." Luwin began; his right hand moved to his chin as he reasoned Jon's large group. " Jon's actions thus far imply he still harbors good feelings towards House Stark. He has acted cordially with all your bannermen and has not engaged in talks with houses less favored by you, my lord." Luwin finished, his opinion on the matter quite solid despite the uncertainties of everything involved. Ned turned from the maester and looked back at the Heart Tree; his mind worked against him as he remembered the day he taught Jon and Robb House Stark's words.
" Varyon will prepare rooms in the Guest House for Jon's more important personnel." Ned commented.
" And young Jon himself?" Luwin asked; he sounded leadingly to Ned's ears.
" He shall stay in the family wing, in his quarters. I had it refurbished after I got word of Jon's imminent return to Winterfell." Ned replied, his eyes still on the crying face carved in the Heart Tree.
Luwin hummed to himself, and for a few seconds, the silence returned to the godswood.
" May I be so bold as to disagree, my lord?" Luwin asked, to which Ned frowned deeply.
"Aye, you may." Ned replied simply; he made an effort to keep his tone neutral.
"My Lord, Jon is no longer simply your natural-born son; he now serves as a representative to a foreign empire." Luwin began, his voice careful, " Would it not be more prudent to allow Jon to stay in the Guest House?" Luwin finished his reasoning.
Ned's immediate reaction was to decline; Jon was family, and therefore he belonged in the family wing. However, Luwin's argument was sound, and it would show he respected Jon's accomplishments.
" Very well. I shall do so." Ned said as he turned around to face the Maester, " I imagine his role will require Jon to stay in Winterfell for a long period of time, and as such, I shall talk to Jon about more permanent quarters for him and his." Ned finished. The maester nodded in agreement and then removed a small parchment from his robes and handed it to Ned.
" A raven came from King's Landing; it bore the King's sigil." The Maester said, and Ned nodded as he broke the seal and started reading it. The message was clearly written by Jon Arryn; his old foster father's words brought a nostalgic feeling to Ned's heart even when the contents inside the letter were somewhat worrisome.
"A princess to arrive in King's Landing on dragonback, try to pry information from your son Jon," and many other implied things.
" My lady wife will not like this at all. We are to receive a princess, and we have not yet started preparations for such." Ned commented as he started walking towards the Godswood exit. Luwin following behind him.
" A princess, my lord? Has the king expressed a wish to foster young Myrcella here at Winterfell?" Luwin asked, his voice showing his surprise at Ned's words.
" Nay. This new land's emperor is sending his daughter to King's Landing. Jon is to do something to bring her here; she is to arrive at Winterfell and then fly to King's Landing." Ned replied.
"Fly to King's Landing?" Luwin asked and Ned nodded
"Aye. Apparently the dragon on their banners is not only for show. A new Valyria indeed." Ned commented; he didn't hear any reply from Luwin, the old man seemed too stunned to reply
The grey walls of the Great Hall greeted Ned as they had done for years; the servants stopped and courtesied to Ned before going back to what they were doing. Ned looked at the long table near the back wall and saw his lady wife and children. Arya and Bran were not present; Sansa sat quietly by Cat's side like the obedient daughter she was. Ned's son and heir sat on the right of Ned's seat; his auburn hair was long and styled similarly to Ned's own. Robb was silent and contemplative; the boy was never the same after Jon's disappearance; he had become more quiet and withdrawn, almost as quiet as Ned himself; he smiled less than before and was harder to be taken to anger. He was also the first to notice Ned; a small smile graced his face as he tilted his head in acknowledgement. Cat noticed the small gesture as her eyes followed Robb's and landed on Ned. His lady wife smiled welcomingly at Ned, and her eyes invited him to sit near her. Ned walked the long way towards the long table and sat in his customary seat, his lady wife to his left and his son to his right.
" Father." Robb and Sansa greeted Ned at the same time; neither looked too distraught at the occurrence once they seemed to realize it had happened.
"Robb," Ned said as he offered a smile to his son and patted his back
"Sansa." He continued with a warm smile only his daughters could receive from him. "Where are your sister and Bran?" Ned inquired after not seeing two of his children. Ned had learned silence was never a good sign when Stark children were involved; only the gods knew the amount of mischief those with Stark blood could find themselves in.
" Arya and Bran have already broken their fast, Father." Sansa began, her adorable nose scrunching as her mind thought something unpleasant. " They are in the stables helping Wallys' cousins clean." Sansa said, and Ned chuckled. He then turned his face to his lady wife with a raised eyebrow in a silent question.
" A punishment well deserved." Cat huffed and refused to elaborate. Ned held in another chuckle and then looked at Robb
"Will I regret asking if I do so?" Ned asked; the amusement in his eyes was palpable, but he managed to keep his voice steady. Ned felt freer and less burdened since the news of Jon's survival.
"Aye. But you shall learn of it either way." Robb quipped. It was true as far as Ned could tell. Whatever the children had done, they would eventually tell him themselves; such was the family dynamic. Cat had only told him they had done something wrong and was completely incensed by whatever it was.
Ned's small conversation with his family was cut short by the cooks placing the food on the table. Ned immediately grabbed a large chunk of shepherd's pie and started eating it; as soon as he took a bite, it reminded him of simpler times when he would steal them from the kitchens.
"A raven came from King's Landing." Ned said after he was done with the pie. He anticipated his words would surprise them all, and like usual, he was right. Cat looked at him with apprehensive eyes, expecting black words. Robb and Sansa looked unsure of what to feel.
" I have withheld some news from you; I dared not raise your hopes and fears for, until now, I couldn't ascertain its truth." Ned began; his voice was the same as ever, "Your brother Jon is alive, and he is returning home."
The reactions were immediate; Robb sucked in some air, his eyes went wide, and words seemed to have escaped him. Sansa was more gracious in her surprise; her eyes went wide, and she took a hand to her mouth to hide a gasp. When Ned looked at Cat, her face appeared as if it was made of stone; no negative or positive emotions were visible on her beautiful face.
" Where was he?" Robb asked; he seemed to want to know several things, but he managed to wrestle his mind and ask the most important question.
"Jon was taken from Winterfell and found his way to a land west of Westeros. A land whose emperor recently sent a fleet to explore their east after the wrath of the seas calmed. Jon was among those in that fleet, and they found their way to the Crag." Ned replied; his voice was plain, and his deep timbre allowed him to speak lowly and yet be understood.
"You said the raven came from King's Landing, Ned." Cat said, her voice betraying some concern.
" The land where Jon is coming from is, as Jon Arryn puts it, a land of magic. Lord Tywin has ascertained certain rumors to be truthful." Ned began; the disbelief in his family's faces was amusing and sensible in Ned's opinion. " Lord Tywin has seen with his own eyes these foreign people practicing their magic openly, like one would carry a sword. There are also rumors of dragons, but those we shall ascertain ourselves." Ned finished; his words seemed to make Robb and Cat more confused than before.
" Ned, what do you mean by that?" Cat asked, and Robb nodded at her question.
" Well…"
The explaining took a good hour of Ned's day, and Cat was definitely irritated at having so little time to get Winterfell ready to welcome a princess of a foreign empire on such short notice; she was dutiful, however, and chose to start preparing the castle immediately. She also said nothing about Jon's return, which was odd in Ned's mind. The Lord of Winterfell tried his best to read any emotions on his lady wife's face whenever they talked about Jon, and the only one he saw was a well-hidden guilty frown.
In his heart and mind, Ned knew his lady wife had nothing to do with Jon's disappearance; everyone living in Winterfell is loyal to House Stark, and none would ever dare to plot or act against his blood in Winterfell.
Robb, on the other hand, seemed eager to see Jon again; his silent gestures were more warm than usual, and so was his voice. The idea of hosting a dragon-riding princess captivated Sansa and Arya even if for different reasons. Bran was somewhat neutral about everything, and little Rickon was too young to understand the happenings.
As the day progressed and the servants became overworked, Winterfell became ready to welcome a representative from a foreign land, and it did so by a hair's breadth, for as soon as Varyon deemed the castle ready, Jon's party appeared on the horizon.
"My Lady," Ned uttered as Catelyn approached him, her auburn hair cascading from her head to the end of her back, resembling the finest silk under the sun's rays. She wore a blue-grey dress, one Ned had gifted her; she looked as beautiful as the day Ned married her. Her face was no longer emotionless; her eyes glistened with unshed tears, but no hate marred her face. In her arms she held young Rickon; the wild boy for once sat quietly on his mother's arms, as if sensing her distress.
Robb, Sansa, Bran, and Arya stood by Catelyn's side in a line by the order of their birth. They all wore some of their best clothes, Robb and Sansa in particular. Robb had on a dark-grey surcoat over a white linen shirt and black breeches. Sansa had on the same kind of dress as her mother, only in different colours. Where Cat's dress was blue, Sansa's was dark grey with black embroidery.
Jon's retinue poured through Winterfell's gates under several one-headed black dragon banners, most wearing the same kind of steel armor, and like Cerwyn's report claimed, they were eighty strong. Jon rode ahead of them; slightly behind him rode a man wearing a distinctly more elaborate version of their kind of armor.
Jon dismounted first; his dark hair waved with his motion. He looked far happier than Ned had ever seen him. Jon maintained a straight back, exuded confidence, and appeared comfortable in a position of authority; he stood tall and proud amongst the foreigners.
Ned signaled with his hands, and a servant brought forth a tray with bread and salt.
Jon immediately tore a piece of the bread, dipped it in the salt, and ate it; his eyes then met Ned's, and in the next moment, Ned had his arms around his son in the tightest hug he had ever received.
" Be welcome back in Winterfell, my son." Ned said, his voice hoarse with emotion. He pulled back from the hug and looked into Jon's grey eyes. He only saw relief and happiness in Jon's eyes.
" I have missed you, Father." Jon said with a smile on his face. Ned gave him a nod, then shifted to let Jon see his siblings. Robb was upon Jon the moment Ned let go of him. The hug both boys shared was heartwarming to see. Ned saw Robb whisper something in Jon's ear, but he could not decipher what it was. Jon and Robb let go of one another. Jon looked at Sansa, who merely curtsied at Jon, like a proper southern lady ought to do. Arya hugged Jon, immediately bonding over their shared colors. Bran got his hair ruffled and rewarded Jon with a small smile. Jon then turned to see Cat and Rickon.
" Lady Stark," Jon said as he bowed his head. Jon didn't seem uncomfortable addressing Cat; he had risen above caring for other's scorn, it seemed. Catelyn looked at Jon and simply nodded her head in recognition of his greeting.
" Snow." Catelyn said, her voice was not cold nor was it warm. Ned felt her southern upbringing allowed her to guard her emotions far more effectively than Ned ever could. Jon seemed surprised by the lack of hostility in Catelyn's voice, but his surprise lasted only a second. He simply looked at Rickon and offered a smile, which his youngest son returned with uncertainty. Jon then faced Ned once more.
" Father, meet Centurion Janus of the twelfth legion of the Imperial Army." Jon said as he motioned towards the man that previously rode by his side. The man, Janus, had the Dornish coloring, but his features were uncontestedly foreign. Janus looked at Ned and did some form of salute, which Ned failed to recognize.
"Lord Stark, I was selected by Minister-Admiral Marus to oversee the protection of the empire's ambassador in the North, such is in accordance with the Empire-Relations law of 3E-356, which demands that at least half a centurion serve as protection to the ambassador to any non-allied states." Centurion Janus spoke; his no-nonsense and direct-to-the-point attitude appeased Ned's doubts towards these foreign soldiers in Winterfell.
" I see. While you and your man-at-arms are in the North, I expect my land's laws to be followed. In his letter, Jon explained the role he was to take. It is not something common in Westeros; only the Iron Bank has long-term resident representatives." Ned said, his voice was stoic as he spoke with the Centurion; before the man could reply, Jon interjected.
" Worry not, father. The imperial laws and policies in regard to embassies and representatives are quite clear. The sovereignty of any state is to be respected, and laws are to be followed. The legionaries are to serve as guards—highly trained and efficient, but just guards nonetheless." Jon explained, and when he seemed done, a woman and a man not wearing armor walked forward from the group towards Jon. In that moment, Ned realized how foreign these people were; the man's skin was gold, and he was taller than any man Ned had ever seen. His hair was silver, and his face was sharp and beautiful, somewhat like the Targaryens, with high cheekbones and simply inhuman, not as inhuman as the man's eyes, however; they were almond-shaped, and the irises were as yellow as the midday sun. The woman, however, looked like someone straight from the summer islands, with skin as dark as a spruce tree.
" These are Master Volanaro and Master Umana. Master Volanaro is a master mage from the College of Whispers, and Master Umana is a renowned alchemist with several researches published by the University of Gwylin." Jon began as the couple bowed their heads in a sign of respect. " They are the leaders of the mages and alchemists here; both report to me and are here to conduct several distinct researches." Jon finished.
" Indeed, Lord Stark. We were also tasked to share and trade knowledge with your Maester, as I, myself, have a mastery in history." The man spoke; he sounded exactly how Ned imagined a sorcerer to sound, even though Ned never even considered such things in his life.
" Also, your Maester will be provided with a copy of anything we research in your lands, and all experiments and tests shall follow the land's law." The woman said, her tone was similar to that of Centurion Janus, no-nonsensical and concise.
" There are many things to be discussed, father…" Jon began but Ned quickly stopped him
" But we shall not do so today." Ned said, " Today, we shall celebrate your return, and some of your men might rest." Ned said, and Jon nodded reluctantly.
Robb
Robb followed his father as the older man made his way towards the Godswood; Jon walked silently by his side, and Maester Luwin followed behind them. Two of Jon's foreign guards and four of Winterfell's own watched over them.
Robb looked at Jon; his brother seemed to be lost in his own mind. Robb imagined that returning to a place one hadn't seen in years had a profound impact on people. Jon seemed to drink Winterfell as a drunkard would wine. In the corner of his eyes, Robb could see Jon's gaze lingering on the walls and towers; it all stopped suddenly when they arrived at the Godswood. Jon looked inside and took a deep breath; he turned around and looked at his guards. Father looked at Jon, and so did Luwin, but neither said anything.
" Old Gods watch those who walk inside; you shall not enter while on duty." Jon said, and both of his guards stopped as if frozen solid. Robb looked at his father and saw confusion on his face.
" Yes, Master Snow." One of Jon's guards began, " May I ask your permission to summon my familiar to watch over you while you are inside?" The man finished, and Jon seemed to think for a moment; he then shook his head in denial.
" While I appreciate your dedication, there is no need for such protectivness. I can take care of myself after all. Can I not?" Jon said, the tone of his voice was that of amusement. The guards seemed to agree with Jon.
" I do not doubt your prowess, Master Snow." The man replied; his voice was like Jon's, as if both were sharing a joke; he seemed genuine enough in Robb's ears. " As useless as they are at times, I still must follow the formalities." The man spoke, and Jon hummed, seemingly in contemplation.
" A compromise then…" Jon said as he raised his hands and a light blue light appeared in his hand, he pushed it forward, and some form of light spiral appeared in the air, and from it a ghostly direwolf appeared. " My own familiar will follow us inside; it shall serve as enough protection, I imagine." Robb heard Jon say, but his mind was not on Jon anymore but on the direwolf ghost; it was massive, as big as a warhorse, and it looked as passive as a loyal hound.
There it was, proof that magic was back in the world; it had come with no fanfare, no symbolic ritual; it was as simple as drawing a dagger and throwing it on the ground.
" By Old Gods and the new. It is true then. Magic." Luwin said it aloud, and Jon looked at him; he gave Luwin a small smile but said nothing.
"Aye. Let us go inside." Father spoke, interrupting Robb's reverie. Jon nodded and followed behind father as he walked inside the Godswood.
"Have you kept to our Gods?" Father asked; his voice held no hostility or judgment, only curiosity. Jon looked at Father's back and chuckled; he pulled an amulet from within his clothes and held it in his hands. The amulet had a bird of prey with a blue gem in the center.
" Like my siblings, I've chosen to worship two different pantheons. I pray to the nine… particularly Kyne. Goddess of storms, wind, streams, and sea, and I also pray to the Old Gods of the forest." Jon began; he sounded happy to be having this conversation " It was impossible not to pray to the Gods of Tamriel; they are more active than any from Westeros. They bless their followers and curse those who dishonor them. Those whose faith is beyond imagination often find their prayers answered, sometimes directly by their patrons." Jon finished, and Luwin looked at him with clear fascination in his eyes. The old Maester clearly wanted to question Jon on that, but the sight of the Heart Tree stopped him. Father walked around the small pond and sat in front of the Weirwood tree; both Robb and Jon did the same. The ghostly direwolf and Maester Luwin stood behind; the sight of the massive beast by Luwin's side would be comical if it wasn't so impressive.
" Do you remember what I told you years ago in this place?" Father asked; his voice was calm, and he sounded nostalgic.
" That one can't lie in front of a Heart Tree; the gods themselves won't allow it." Robb and Jon said at the same time; they looked at one another and chuckled.
" Indeed. I shall not lie to you, son. Robert wants me to get information from you. Anything you can say about this Empire of Tamriel." Father said, but Jon looked reluctant.
" He is not my king, Father." Jon uttered these words, to which Father responded with a sharp look. They held their gazes for a few seconds, then father nodded.
" But he is mine… I wish not to pray into secrets of your emperor; just tell me about the land. Robert will not ask this favor from Tywin, and he does not wish to be blindsided." Father said, and Jon nodded. " So tell about Tamriel." Father asked.
"Tamriel's mainland is roughly five times bigger than Westeros." Jon began, and Maester Luwin, who had pulled a small journal out of his robes, started taking notes. Jon looked at the old man, who was struggling to write down things with no support, and chuckled.
" Need some help?" Jon asked, and Luwin looked at him questioningly but nodded nonetheless. Robb was sure the old Maester thought the same thing Robb was thinking at that moment: Jon was going to do magic. And sure enough, Jon did not disappoint; he waved his left hand, and a lectern made entirely of ice grew from the ground; it had a direwolf carved on the part that faced them. Luwin looked at Jon and then at the lectern with eyes similar to that of Rickon when Old Nan told the tales of the beautiful Children of the Forest.
" Is magic that simple for the people of that land, that mundane?" Luwin asked and Jon nodded
" Aye… very mundane. Everyone is born with the ability to use magic. Some are more powerful than others, naturally, but everyone has magicka." Jon replied, and Luwin, now using the ice lectern, wrote it down in his journal. Father cleared his throat in a clear sign for Jon to continue on the previous topic.
" I have a map of Cyrodiil and Morrowind, two of the nine provinces of Tamriel. I will have someone make a copy of it and gift it to you." Jon said as he looked at Luwin. " All of the nine provinces of Tamriel are part of the empire." Jon concluded.
" Is this empire similar to the Iron Throne?" Luwin asked and Jon seemed to need to muse the question for a moment
"Well, the Fourth Empire is only the second empire to ever rule all of Tamriel; the first was the Third Empire, and even its weakest emperors had more power than the strongest king on the Iron Throne ever had." Jon began, and Robb looked at him with wide eyes, disbelief clear in face.
" How?" Robb asked simply.
" Two main reasons, I think." Jon replied, " The first was that The Imperial Legion is by far the most successful army in the history of Tamriel; even in the empire's most deplorable state, it was never corrupted or neglected. The amount of trained Battlemages in The Legion was staggering, so much so that even Archmages had fallen against the might of the legion. The second was that after a province was conquered, they were forbidden to form their own armies; any who broke that particular law was bound to face the might of three legions…"
" Are those laws still in practice? You speak as if the Third Empire and the Fourth are the same." Father asked, and Jon nodded.
" In a certain way they are. The Fourth Empire of Tamriel's "constitutio of law" is almost the same as that of the Third. There are some differences, of course; the Fourth Empire is far more respectful of each province's culture." Jon replied, " But, yes, that law is still in practice. In Tamriel there's only one army… the emperor's." Jon concluded, and Robb looked at his father; one army under one ruler—that was dangerous.
"Absolute power." Father said, and Jon nodded absent mindedly. " And the dragons, is it true, your emperor commands dragons?" Father asked and Robb looked at Jon again.
" Aye." Jon replied simply.
" How many?" Luwin asked hastily " Are they all bonded? Are they like the Valyrian dragons?"
" Several, I've personally met three and twenty. Tiberius once said he was the overlord of fifty and one hundred, which is fifty more than the dragons that fought in the Battle for the Summerset Isles." Jon began, and Robb felt himself gasp at the number. "In the past, some six thousand years ago, a few of them bonded to humans, but I don't think that happens nowadays. The dragons of Tamriel are nothing like the Valyrian dragons; they are sentient and proud… very proud." Jon concluded, and silence reigned in the Godswood.
"I assume Tiberius is the name of the Emperor." Luwin asked, to which Jon nodded, " Are you familiar with the man?"
" Aye… He is my master in magic." Jon replied, " He taught me everything I know."