The North's White Wolf

by RedKnight21

Before his death, Brandon Stark had a legitimate son, Nathan Stark, heir to the North. After being saved by Ned Stark, Nathan strives to make the North strong so no one would see the North as the weakest realm in Westeros. Watch as Nathan raises the North to a new power never before seen in Westeros. (Rated: M for Language/Lemon)

11. Chapter 11

The North's White Wolf

Chapter 11

---

Third Person P.O.V

Nathan Stark stood on the Blackwolf, dressed in light armor and Red Rain resting on his hip.

The Northern Fleet had left Seaguard a week prior, with 20,000 soldiers ready to war against Harlaw.

"Lord Stark," Nathan heard from behind, making Nathan turn to see Lord Glover, dressed in steel armor. "I have come to inform you we will reach the Ten Towers in a day."

"Which means Lord Umber and the other Lords would have reached land by now," Nathan said as he looked back to the sea, seeing the Island of Harlaw in the distance.

Before the North left Seaguard, they planned the Ten Towers attack. It was simple: The North would split its forces into two. The first group, led by Nathan, would surround the Ten Towers by sea, while the second group would surround the castle by land. With such overwhelming forces, Lord Harlaw would have to be a fool to take on so many with so few numbers. Granted, they could close their walls and try to wait out the Northern forces, yet given the harsh backpedaling of the Westeros defeating the Ironborn, Nathan guessed they didn't have much stocked in the way of food.

"Send word to the other ships. Have the men rest, but be ready to wake up at dawn," Nathan said as he made his way to his quarters.

"As you wish Lord Stark," Lord Glover said before he started to move.

When Nathan entered his quarters, he looked at the table in the center that showed the map of Harlaw.

At the moment, Nathan knew nothing of Harlaw's current state. If Lord Harlaw were smart, he would recall most of his men, send the bare minimum to Lord Greyjoy, and surrender. This would ensure Lord Harlaw and his people would survive without losing too much.

However, if Lord Harlaw were to do the opposite and fight back in the losing war, the North may suffer some loss but would gain much.

"If Lord Harlaw fights back, I'll plunder his castle and any Lord who resists until it's nothing but a fancy rock house. It is said that House Harlaw also has a Valyrian Steel Sword," Nathan thought before he heard a knock at the door. "Enter,"

The door reveals Henry, dressed in Northern leather armor with chainmail, something Nathan gifted the boy for helping save Nathan's life.

"Lord Stark, I came to see if you need anything," Henry said with a light bow.

"Nothing at the moment," Nathan said as he sat down. "Sit with me, Henry."

Henry looked surprised but did as he was told and sat across from Nathan. Reaching to his waist, Nathan pulled a leather skin and two cups.

"Have you ever heard of Northern Spirits?" Nathan asked as he poured two cups.

Henry gave a hasty nod as he took the cup. "Y-yes, in the camp, Ser Kodlak acquired a barrel of Northern Spirits, and I drank with the group," Henry said as he took a sip. "I am embarrassed to admit I could only drink two cups before I fell drunk," He said with a small blush on his cheeks.

Nathan laughed lightly as he took a sip of his cup. "Don't worry, Northern Spirits put even the strongest wines and beers to shame," Nathan said before sighing as he felt the drink burn. "So, how are you holding up?"

Henry was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "Nerves, I have no experience attacking a castle. Ser Rodrik tried to explain it to me, but I still don't know much."

"Well, I too have no experience attacking a castle," Nathan said with a shrug. "If Lord Harlaw chooses to resist, I will allow the more experienced Lords to take command." The young Stark then took a breath as he looked up. "The war is almost over, if we work fast, the war will end within a month, perhaps close to two."

"Thank the Old Gods," Henry sighed as he downed the cup, holding back a cough. "We may not have been gone long, but I miss Winterfell."

"Aye, I too miss my home," Nathan said as he thought about his cousins, his aunt, Yin, Tobin, and everyone else in his home. "But this will not take long, for the so-called King Balon has underestimated his enemy, and that enemy is all of Westeros."

"...Lord Stark, why is Balon Greyjoy going to war with Westeros?" Henry asked while furrowing his brows. "The soldiers at the camp said Balon has gone mad, others say Balon is simply foolish as he attacks without thinking."

Nathan understood Henry's questioning, as only the Nobles of Westeros had a good idea of what led up to the war, while the soldiers heard rumors.

"Balon is foolish, but it stems from arrogance and greed," Nathan said with a hard look, making Henry gulp at seeing his face. "The Ironborn once ruled the Western seas of Westeros, making every kingdom fear their flags as they plundered Westeros of their riches, resources, women, and anything they could grab." Nathan then spat on the floor with a look of disgust. "However, this was a long time ago, and the Ironborn are a shell of their former self. Belon believes the Crown and King Robert are weak, and thus the Ironborn can reclaim their lost power and glory, while Balon becomes King of the Iron Islands."

Henry pressed his lips as he started to think about Nathan's words. "So Balon started a war he has no chance of winning just to steal and rape while calling himself King," Henry said as a frustrated look crossed his face. "The soldiers were right, he is mad."

Nathan chuckled as he poured himself another cup of spirits. "We all have something we want in the world, the only question is what, and at what lengths we are willing to go to gain it," Nathan said as he looked down at the spirits in the cup. "Balon wants a crown and is willing to risk his people, his House, and his life to get it. That not only makes him foolish but also dangerous." Nathan then looked at Henry and smiled at the young boy. "Tell me, Henry, is there anything you want once the war ends?"

Henry looked thoughtful while pressing his lips. "I don't know, perhaps some better armor... I may want a horse once I grow." Henry said before a grin grew on his face. "I hope to one day learn how to ride a horse and shoot a bow at the same time."

"A difficult skill to learn, but very deadly," Nathan admitted while nodding. "I can't do such a thing myself, I was never good with bows."

"That's why you have me, my Lord," Henry said with a bow while Nathan chuckled.

The two continued to talk before there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," Nathan said as Henry quickly stood up.

Mya entered the room and flinched when she saw Henry.

"Ah, Lord Stark, there is something I need to tell you," Mya said nervously while trying not to look at Henry.

"Please leave us, Henry," Nathan said while Henry gave a bow.

"Lord Stark," Henry said before looking to Mya. "Lady Mya,"

With that, Henry exited the room, leaving Nathan and Mya.

"Sorry, I thought you might be alone," Mya said as she made her way over.

Just as Mya was going to sit on a chair next to Nathan, the young Stark grabbed her hips and placed her on his lap, getting a small laugh from the girl.

"So, any of the men give you trouble?" Nathan asked in a protective tone as he poured the last of his Spirits into his cup and gave it to Mya.

"Hardly," Mya snorted as she took the cup and sipped while leaning into Nathan's chest. "Everyone on the ship treats me well. They've heard of my feat of fighting along your side during the Battle of Windhelm, giving me much respect."

"Good," Nathan said as he wrapped his arms around Mya's waist while resting his head on her shoulder.

"It's getting late, perhaps we should go to bed," Mya said as she placed the cup down.

Smiling, Nathan stood up with Mya in his arms, the girl simply smiling as Nathan took her to bed with him. Gently placing her down, the two lay together as they felt the ship rock beneath them.

"Feeling nervous?" Mya asked as she lay together with Nathan while she looked into his eyes.

"Yes," The young Stark said while taking a breath. "I want things to go perfectly, where no one on my side has to die."

Mya gave Nathan a gentle smile as she wrapped her arms around his head and pushed him to her chest.

"Whatever happens tomorrow, I know you will do your best," Mya said gently while caressing Nathan's head.

Normally, Nathan would feel nothing but worry, yet feeling Mya's gentle touch and her beating heart gave Nathan a feeling of calm.

While the two continued to talk, Nathan slowly felt sleep take him before he closed his eyes in Mya's arms.

---

"Prepare the Scorpions!" Lord Blackpearl yelled while Nathan kept his eyes forward.

Nathan stood on the ship's bow decked out in wolf armor.

In the distance, Nathan saw the Ten Towers, the seat of House Harlaw. Looking through his Far Eye, Nathan saw 20 Ironborn ships docked at the castle and movement on the castle walls. The castle was well fortified and it would take a considerable force to take the Ten Towers. Nathan had to respect the craftsmanship, as the Ten Towers were imposing and well-fortified.

"Looks like they are preparing for battle," Lord Glover said while standing beside Nathan.

Nathan took a breath while lowering his Far Eye. "They are preparing to fight if we attack, send out a messenger and demand-"

"Lord Stark, a ship approaches, with a white flag," That made Nathan blink in shock as he looked to see a longship leave the castle docks and make their way straight for Nathan's ship.

A white flag was the symbol of surrender for those who wished to talk rather than fight.

"It seems they wish to parlay," Nathan said as he lowered his Far Eye once again and looked thoughtful. "Lord Blackpearl, throw anchor and order the fleet to halt," Nathan said as the young Lord nodded before he started to throw orders.

"Are you sure that is wise, my Lord," Lord Glover said while tightening his grip on his sword. "The Ironborn are known for their tricks, this could be one to delay the North to allow them time to prepare."

"If this was to give them time it would only give them a few moments at most," Nathan said as the ship slowly came closer. "Yet if it's real, the fight will be over before it starts."

Nathan, along with Lord Glover and Chief Wull, all stood on the main deck as the Ironborn ship slowly came to a stop. The soldiers on board the vessel stood ready for anything, though they kept their weapons sheathed for the moment. Ulfric throws a rope leader down to the ship as everyone waits patiently.

Soon, several men climb onto the Blackwolf, all dressed in Ironborn leather armor.

Nathan's eyes draw to the man who seems to be leading the group. He was an average-looking man with brown hair and eyes and a short, surprisingly neat grey beard.

The man stepped forward with a determined look on his face. "I am Lord Rodrik Harlaw and I have come to parlay, who is in charge of this fleet?"

Nathan stepped forward while his hand gently rested on Red Rain.

"I am Nathan Stark, Heir to House Stark and the North, I speak for the North," Nathan said as Lord Glover and Chief Wull stood behind Nathan.

This gained a surprised look from the men, and some even looked at Nathan with glares.

"Ah, The Clever Wolf, of course," Lord Rodrik said with a small sigh.

"Why have you come Lord Harlaw?" Nathan asked in a firm tone while looking the man in the eyes.

The man took a breath before he spoke. "I am here to offer my terms of surrender."

Hearing these words filled Nathan's heart with ease, yet the young Stark kept his face hard.

"If you are here to talk, let us move somewhere more private, my quarters should be enough." Nathan offered before everyone started to move.

The air was thick with tension as Nathan led the Ironborn through the ships, the Northern men giving the Ironborn hateful glares. Yet despite the tension, the Ironborn did not falter from the glares.

Just as everyone was to enter Nathan's quarters, Lord Rodrik looked back to his people.

"You stay out here, I wish to speak to Lord Stark privately." Lord Rodrik said, getting a surprised look from Nathan.

To talk to a potential enemy alone without support would put anyone at a disadvantage, yet Lord Rodrik didn't seem to blink. The Ironborn men nodded as they stepped back, allowing Rodrik to enter Nathan's chambers by himself.

Soon, everyone stood in Nathan's chambers on the Blackwolf, Nathan and his people on one side while Lord Rodrik stood by himself on the other.

"You say you are here to surrender, so what are your terms?" Nathan said while leaning against the table and gave a hard look at Lord Rodrik.

"My terms are simple, for my surrender, you will not harm me, my family, or my people, and you will not try to remove House Harlaw from power," Lord Rodrik said in a firm tone as he looked solely at Nathan. "For this House Harlaw will submit to your forces. I will also give orders for my vessels to surrender... though I imagine some will be reluctant."

Nathan couldn't help but look at Lord Rodirk with slight shock. Everything Nathan wanted the man was willing to give just for the safety of his people. Even Lord Glover and Wull were shocked by Rodrik's willingness to surrender.

Seeing the shocked looks, Lord Rodrik gave a small chuckle. "I see where the wind is blowing, Lord Stark, I knew this so-called war was doomed to fail the moment Balon Greyjoy called all the Lords to Pyke."

That made Nathan look at the Lord of Harlaw in a slightly new light. "What... what led up to this poor excuse of a war?" Nathan couldn't help but ask, wanting to make sense of all the madness Balon brought to Westeros.

Nathan knew Balon was greedy and foolish, but to what extent Nathan didn't know. Nathan hoped to gain some details that he could later in the war.

Lord Rodrik sighed, looking older than he already was. "Balon has always been ambitious, and his reverence of the Old Ways has gained him much support among the Ironborn. His brothers and vessels fanned his ambitions, but ultimately, Balon simply wanted to be king and saw an opportunity when House Baratheon took the Iron Throne, thinking King Robert's rule was weak over Westeros," Lord Rodrik said as he shook his head. "He gained much support when he overturned many of his own father's laws."

That made Nathan press his lips as he recalled the previous Lord of the Iron Islands, Quellon Greyjoy.

Quellon Greyjoy had gained some respect in Westeros as he fought slavers in the Summer Sea, commanded a fleet in the War of the Ninepenny Kings and even sided with Robert Baratheon during Robert's Rebellion after staying neutral for most of the war. Nathan had even heard rumors that Quellon Greyjoy was trying to change the Ironborn by freeing thralls, forbidding revving, and discouraging salt wives.

It was said that Quellon Greyjoy died during Robert's Rebellion, after a single fight with the Reach before the Ironborn fled back to the Iron Islands. Not long after raiding had returned to Westeros in full force, when Balon took the Lordship.

While Quellon wanted to limit the Ironborn's power, Balon wanted to expand it. Nathan could see why so many Ironborns sided with Balon, as they were given the power to do whatever they wanted by making Balon King.

Nathan had respect for Quellon, as the man was trying to change his people for the better. Had he started his change sooner and lived longer, perhaps the Ironborn would be something respectable.

"With Balon's supporters whispering in his ear, and the Baratheon Dynasty still new, Balon felt this was the perfect moment to claim independence for the Iron Islands." Lord Rodrik said while shaking his head. "I tried to sway Lord Balon and those who supported him, saying his plan would only fail. I was laughed out and called craven." The man said while closing his eyes.

Nathan looked at the man as he thought about his words. If what Lord Harlaw said was true, he was the only voice of reason among the Lords of the Iron Islands. However, Lord Harlaw could also be lying to save himself from the North... yet Nathan doubted that. No lying man would willingly enter an enemy's stronghold with so few men, risking his life for fake words that could be confirmed later.

"Even if what you say is true," Nathan said as he took a breath and his face turned hard once more. "You still sent support to Balon, I remember seeing Harlaw Ironborn attack Windhelm."

"Even if I disagree with my League Lord, he is still my Lord, or King for the moment," Lord Rodrik said with a sad smile. "I was forced to send 500 men to Windhelm... along with my sons to show my loyalty to House Greyjoy... yet I lost my sons in the battle," Lord Rodrik said before his face turned hard. "If you wish to war, Lord Stark, know that House Harlaw will not make it easy. Our walls are strong, our men are willing to die for their home, and I have stocked up enough provisions to last us for months. We do not know when the next storm is to hit Harlaw, but when it does come it will cost you many lives. You may win in the end Lord Stark, but it will cost you, dearly." The man said with a strong tone, the first Nathan had heard. "Even if you were to take me hostage, my people will not yield."

Nathan had to hide his smirk after listening to Lord Harlaw's words. Despite being mocked with the title of The Reader, Lord Harlaw was showing much more conviction than Nathan anticipated, making Nathan respect the man.

"It seems fortune smiles on House Harlaw," Nathan said, getting a confused look from Lord Rodrik. "During the Battle of Windhelm, many Ironborn surrendered from nobles to soldiers. Among those, two claimed to be the sons of you, Lord Rodrik Harlaw, a Grenn, and Reben Harlaw."

This brought shock and slight hope in Lord Rodrik's eyes.

"My... my sons live?" Lord Rodrik asked as he tried to keep his composure, yet Nathan could tell the man was struggling.

"After defeating the Ironborn we allowed those who still live to surrender. This includes your sons, several Ironborns, and various nobles from Houses on the Iron Islands, around 300 in total." Nathan said as he gave a sharp smirk. "I am willing to return anyone you want if you are willing to pay the ransom," Nathan said, leaning back in his chair. "I am sure many Ironborn will be thankful to House Harlaw who rescued them, and be indebted to you for negotiating their release at your own expense," Nathan said in a sly tone.

Lord Rodrik couldn't help but gawk at Nathan's words before a thoughtful look crossed his face, as the man started to think. This made Nathan grin, which he tried to hide while he thought of a plan.

After talking with Lord Harlaw briefly, Nathan could tell he was different from the Ironborn the young Stark had met and heard about. The man was intelligent and could see past the Old Ways and the Ironborn's past, making him have the same mindset as Quellon Greyjoy. At the moment, Lord Rodrik and House Harlaw lacked political power, especially after Lord Rodrik spoke out against Balon's plans to claim independence and have the title of The Reader. However, after the war ended, House Harlaw would have the most resources and men, as most Iron Lords threw everything they had, thinking they would win. If Lord Harlaw managed to save many Ironborns and Iron Nobles, the man was sure to gain much support in the future. With such support, Lord Harlaw was sure to cause some discord on the Iron Islands, further taking any ire the North might gain.

"Not to mention this could help with another plan I have." Nathan thought as his mind started to race before he looked up. "I am willing to return your sons, the nobles, and the Ironborn held in the North into your custody for 10,000 gold. A fair price considering the number of men."

That made Lord Rodrik pause before he pressed his lips. "While I thank you Lord Stark for your mercy, I can not pay such a price, as Balon has demanded much of House Harlaw's gold as compensation for providing fewer men. At most, I can secure 4000 gold."

Nathan scoffed and shook his head. "Even in the worst times, a noble should always save gold for emergencies. 8000 gold."

Yet again Lord Harlaw shook his head. "That may be for most of the Lords of Westeros, but on the Iron Islands, it is different. With 8000 gold, one could rise to nobility on the Iron Islands, if they gained the gold in a raid. 6500."

"7500, and the North will escort everyone to Harlaw ourselves," Nathan said in a firm tone.

Lord Harlaw hesitated before he spoke again. "7000, and you have a deal. What I have left over from this war will be needed to feed my people and rebuild what I have lost."

"...That will do," Nathan said as he glanced back to Lord Glover. "Lord Glover, take the forces to the Ten Towers and confirm if Lord Rodrik's words are true," Nathan said as he looked at Lord Rodrik. "If everything you say is true, the North will not lay a finger on anyone who does not attack us, you have my word as heir to both House Stark and the North. However," Nathan's voice suddenly became hard, making Lord Harlaw tighten his fist slightly. "If this is a trap of some kind, I can promise you we will show no mercy to House Harlaw and the people of this Island. You have my word on that as well."

Lord Rodrik kept his face calm as he nodded his head. "I will stay behind while your people secure with those that have followed me."

Nathan nodded at this. "Once the Ten Towers are secure, you will send messages to your vessels, ordering them to surrender," The young Stark said before his eyes narrowed. "Are there any Lords you see ignoring your orders?"

Lord Rodrik was silent for a moment before he sighed. "My kin will listen to me, as they already agreed to follow me here on this ship." Lord Harlaw said, making Nathan realize the men who followed Lord Rodirk were some of the Lords of Harlaw. "Most of my vessels will listen, as they also see this as a losing war... yet I feel that House Myre will be the most resistant."

That made Nathan narrow his eyes. "Explain."

Lord Rodrik gave an annoyed sigh. "House Myre has always been a bitter rival to House Harlaw even though we rule them, and I have seen them making deals with both Balon Greyjoy and Euron Greyjoy. Most likely to try and bring me low as Lord of Harlaw and cause them to rise. I know Lord Myre had only sent a token force to Windhelm while lending most of his support to Euron Greyjoy. If anyone is to resist and ignore my surrender, it is House Myre, no doubt hoping you will kill me and those supporting me, allowing House Myre to rule." Lord Harlaw said while rubbing his chin. "I know some in House Myre will listen to my words and try to sway Lord Myre, but their voices will be drowned out."

Nathan tried to recall any details of House Myre. They were a relatively minor House, with no major achievements in Westeros's history.

"Send the terms of surrender to all Ironborn," Nathan said as he crossed his arms. "If they surrender, the North will not touch a single person under their rule or take any of their wealth. If they want a fight, the North will not show mercy and hold any who survive as hostages." Nathan said before his face turned cocky. "Also, please inform your vessels that the North has brought a force of 20,000 souls to the Island of Harlaw, while King Robert and the rest of Westeros attack the other Islands."

That made Lord Rodrik stiffen at the number of men before he managed to calm himself down as he turned to the door.

"I will be sure to inform everyone, Lord Stark," Lord Rodrik said before he exited the room.

"Chef Wull, keep an eye on them," Nathan said, not wanting to take any chances. "Lord Glover, take 2000 men and see if Lord Rodrik's words are true. However, I will inform the other Lords to be ready to attack should this be a trap."

"I don't think it will come to that, my Lord," Lord Glover said as he looked at the door. "This Lord Rodrik seems reasonable, much more than some of the other Lords I've met in the past."

"Damn shame, I was hoping to test my axe against some Ironborn skulls," Chef Wull said with a snort as he rolled his eyes.

"Remember, Harlaw is just a brief stop, the real goal is Pyke," Nathan said as he grew a grin. "If we finish securing Harlaw first, we can attack Pyke, and secure the Island to allow the King to bring his forces to land."

After briefly glancing at the map Lord Flint had of Pyke before giving it to King Robert, Nathan saw several ports on the island. Taking one of the ports would show the power of the North to Westeros, and give the Lords of the North some glory to gain. The only question was which port to hit.

"Let's move, and have someone send word to Lord Greatjon not to attack Harlaw," Nathan said as he exited the room with his Lords.

---

After Lord Rodrik Harlaw gave his terms of surrender, Lord Glover took 2000 men to the castle at the docks before entering the castle.

Nathan waited with anticipation and worry for his people, hoping Lord Rodrik wasn't planning a suicidal trap just to reduce the numbers of the North. Nathan sighed in relief as Lord Glover waved the flag of House Stark for everyone to see.

The Northern forces docked around the Ten Towers and swiftly secured the castle. Not long after Lord Greatjon arrived with the second half of the Northern army. Before the large Lord could attack, Nathan had the gates to the castle opened, halting the siege before it could start.

Once the Ten Towers were secured, Nathan called the Lords of the North to the largest tower of the castle.

"Have to say, I was hoping they would put up more of a fight," Greatjon said as he gulped down a tanker of ale.

"No, you don't," Lord Karstark said as he folded his arms. "This castle is strong; the walls are thick and could stand against our siege weapons. And I checked their provisions. They have enough to last for months, long enough to last until this war ends." The old Lord said, making many of the nobles start to talk. "It was the right call to make peace, my Lord, had we fought it would quickly become a battle of attrition."

"Then we should be thankful Lord Rodrik has less iron in his head than most Ironborn," Nathan said as he looked down at the table, which showed a detailed map of Harlaw. "Lord Rodrik has kept his word and sent messengers to all castles and keeps in Harlaw. It will be a matter of days before replies are given, then we can continue securing Harlaw."

"I would not hold your breath, Lord Stark," Lord Ryswell said in a bitter tone as he glared at the map before him. "The Ironborn are stubborn and pig-headed to a fault, some are bound to fight back."

"I doubt anyone is foolish enough to fight against a force of 20,000 men with only a few hundred, especially when there is no hope for reinforcements," Nathan said as he recalled Lord Rodrik telling Nathan that Harlaw had around 4000 Ironborn through the island, along with a couple hundred guards and those who could fight spread about. "Some may think their walls can protect them, but with our siege weapons we tear those walls down and leave them bare." Nathan then glanced at the map of Harlaw while a second map of Pyke was next to it. "It should only take the North a few days to secure Harlaw if most of the Lords surrender. We will finish and be the first to arrive on Pyke."

King Robert explained to the leaders attacking the Iron Islands that once they secured the Island, they were to head to the Island of Pyke and secure a port before waiting, as Robert wanted to overwhelm Balon's Castle with the forces of Westeros. There was no clear instruction on where to land, but Nathan saw through Robert's words.

First come, first serve. And the first one would gain the most spoils of war.

The first to reach the Island of Pyke could attack any port, and claim what is won for themselves. And Nathan wanted ships, as many as he could take, after all, half of them were made with wood from the North.

Looking at the map of Pyke, there were two large ports on the island, Lordsport, ruled by House Botley, and Iron Holt, ruled by House Wynch. Both ports showed promise to gain something, but for different reasons.

Lordsport was the largest Port of Pyke, meaning there would be several ships, both for trading and war. To hit Lordsport would cripple House Greyjoy financially as House Botley was the richest house directly under House Greyjoy.

However, while Iron Holt was smaller and did little to no trading, it was said to be more heavily fortified, and their port was filled with many longships. It was also said that House Wynch was much more battle-hardened and would possibly never surrender without a fight. To hit Iron Holt would cripple the forces of House Greyjoy, while the North could gain many longships to add to the Northern Fleet.

Both options had promise and would leave House Greyjoy crippled for years, yet the North could only attack one.

"Increasing the Northern Fleet could be used to protect the North from Ironborn raids, perhaps even regularly patrol the western shores to reduce the number of raids... however, attacking Lordsport may give us a good number of trading vessels, which can be put to good use for my plans." Nathan thought as he tried to make a choice.

The young Stark considered asking his Lords their opinion, yet Nathan could tell most of them would want to his Iron Holt, just to have a fierce battle and cripple the Iron Fleet.

Northern Lords cared little for wealth and more for fighting. Oh, they loved the spoils of war, but only after a hard fight.

After thinking long and hard, Nathan came to a decision.

Lordsport.

The Ironborn knew how to make strong longships, even if half of the Iron Fleet was destroyed, it would be rebuilt in a matter of years by the Thralls who would be worked like slaves. However, the Ironborn rarely used trading vessels, focusing more on warships as it was the Ironborn way.

What made trading vessels so valuable was that they could hold much cargo and protect it from the elements. Longships couldn't hold much cargo, as any space was needed to hold provisions for long voyages. War Galleys could hold some cargo, but not nearly enough compared to a trading vessel.

If Nathan took all the trading vessels in Pyke, House Greyjoy would have to spend years rebuilding the trading ships when they could build warships. Nathan could also use the ships for his plans to trade with the West of Westeros, such as Lannisport, Old Town, Sunspear, and other large settlements.

"We can continue to craft warships as we expand the port of Windhelm, but too many would force us to leave them anchored at sea, and they could be lost in a storm. Best to increase the Northern Fleet of the West as we increase Windhelm's port," Nathan said as he looked up. "That will be all for today, we will wait for the messengers to return in the next few days. Those who submit we will peacefully secure, those who ignore the message will be met with hostility, and those who want a fight will be taken down swiftly and without mercy."

This brought nods of approval from the Northern Lords.

"Lord Umber, Lord Karstark, I leave you two in charge of the men. Securing the camps and making sure no one starts any trouble, the last thing we need is for the smallfolk and Ironborn to riot," Nathan said in a serious tone as he looked around the table. "That goes for everyone else, I understand we all have a just reason to hate the Ironborn, but this is a direct order from the future Lord of the North. Do not cause trouble or provoke anyone, to do so will waste time and keep us from being the first to reach Pyke."

A good number of Lords nodded, while a good few frowned and glared at the table, yet did not speak up.

With that, Nathan and the Lords of the North exited the room.

"Lord Stark," Ser Wendel said as he stood with Henry and a few Winterfell guards. "Shall we return to the Blackwolf?"

Several Lords voiced their concern for Nathan's safety, thinking one of the Ironborn would be bold and try to assassinate Nathan to cripple the North. Nathan agreed and had Ser Wendel, some Winterfell guards, and Henry escort Nathan at all times.

"No," Nathan said as he had a grin on his face. "I hear Lord Harlaw has a massive collection of books, I would like to take a look at his collection."

Ser Wendel chuckled as he, Henry, and the guards followed Nathan through the castle. "I should have guessed, you practically read every book in my family's library in the two years you stayed at White Harbor."

Hearing of White Harbor made Nathan smile, as he remembered the good times he had while living with House Manderly. Nathan then thought of a particular blond girl with a playful personality.

"Speaking of White Harbor, how are Wylla and Wynafryd?" Nathan asked with a smile.

Ser Wendel gave a small laugh. "Well, last I saw the girls were well, though Wylla's mother nearly pulled her hair out after the girl dyed her hair green."

"So she finally went through with it!" Nathan said with a wide smile as he laughed, remembering how Wylla always told Nathan how she wanted to dye her hair a different color, either blue or green. "Personally, I think her hair would have looked better blue, but it's a hard color to gain for dye," Nathan said as he turned a corner. "How is Lord Manderly?"

"Very good, the expansion of the Port was completed some time ago, and we have already added several ships to the Eastern Fleet of the North, with trading vessels owned by House Stark of course." Ser Wendel said as he shrugged. "Father has been making Sweetfire non-stop ever since you left, and already has a few thousand barrels last I heard."

That made Nathan nod as every turn of the moon merchants would gift House Stark with dozens of barrels to the point some cellars were overflowing with Sweetfire, telling Nathan that Lord Manderly was following Nathan's plan with stocking up on Sweetfire. Once Nathan gave the order to sell Sweetfire across Westeros and Essos, Lord Manderly would be making thousands in gold every turn of the moon.

Before long, Nathan and his guard found themselves in the Book Tower that was said to house Lord Harlaw's book collection. Climbing up the stairs of the fourth-largest tower, Nathan soon reached the top and opened the door.

Inside, the first thing Nathan noticed were the hundreds of books that were kept in esteemed condition on several shelves. Several well-kept chairs were in the room, chairs that fit more of the Southern Lord's taste than an Iron Noble. The last thing Nathan noticed was the large table in the center, but with someone sitting at said table.

"Lord Harlaw?" Nathan said with a surprised look, as he saw Rodrik Harlaw sitting at the table with a stack of books on the table.

The Lord looked up with a startled look from this book. "L-Lord Stark, this is a surprise," Lord Harlaw said as Ser Wendel quickly looked around the room, but found no one but the Iron Lord. "I wasn't expecting anyone here."

"Admittedly I thought the same," Nathan said as he entered the tower while looking around. "I figure that after I gave you free rain to roam your castle, you would be with your vessels."

Normally, hostages would be locked in the dungeon or various rooms after taking a castle, and Nathan did so for most of those in the castle, however, Nathan allowed Lord Rodrik to roam freely as he cooperated with the North and made sure no one on his side caused trouble. While normally, such a thing would be foolish, however, Nathan ordered everyone to keep an eye on Lord Harlaw to see if he did anything suspicious.

"I did earlier," Lord Rodrik said with a sigh. "They are feeling rage at being held in their castle, I have quelled their anger and needed some time to myself."

Nathan nodded in understanding, as nothing felt worse than your castle being held by your enemy while you were helpless. To quell such anger, spoke of Lord Rodrik's skill and the sway he had over his people. While Winterfell has never been taken by an enemy force, if such a thing were to happen, it would cause Nathan no end of rage.

"Well I had a similar idea," Nathan said as he walked through Rodrik's library, admiring the vast collection of books. "I have to say, this is an impressive collection."

That seemed to bring a smile out of Lord Rodrik. "Thank you, Lord Stark, it took me years but I am proud to say it is the largest collection of books on the Iron Island."

Nathan saw the pride in Lord Rodrik as he talked about books, something that was not usual for the dreary lord.

"If you don't mind, I was hoping to read a few books," Nathan asked the Lord for permission, trying to be polite.

Lord Harlaw looked surprised before nodding. "Of course, all I ask is that you be gentle, some of these books are old and fragile."

Nathan nodded and looked to Ser Wendel. "You can stay if you feel I still need a guard, but send the others away for now, the room is too cramped with so many people."

Ser Wendel looked hesitant before he nodded. "Very well Lord Stark, I will be right outside the door should you need anything." With that, Ser Wendel and the others left the room, leaving Nathan and Lord Rodrik.

Nathan glanced over the various books in the room before grabbing three and sitting across from Lord Rodrik, who looked at Nathan with wide eyes.

"I... am surprised you are allowing yourself to be alone with a potential enemy." Lord Rodrik said as he looked at Nathan strangely.

Nathan opened the first book he grabbed and smiled. "I have an idea of your character, Lord Rodrik, and I believe you are smart enough to know the consequences of trying to attack me," Nathan then looked up from the book and gave the Iron Lord a knowing smirk. "Also, I am confident I could take you in a fight," Nathan said as he gently patted his sword.

Lord Harlaw kept his composure but could feel the air thicken around Nathan Stark. While Lord Stark had been kind to Lord Harlaw and his people, Lord Harlaw had to remember that this was the young man who rebelled against the Ironborn that had attacked Windhelm.

Glancing at the sword at Lord Stark's hip, Rodrik recognized Red Rain, the Valyrian sword of House Drumm.

From what Rodrik was able to gather from the men that returned to Harlaw, Nathan Stark had faced Lord Dustan Drumm in single combat before the White Wolf took the Iron Lord's sword before taking his head.

While the young Stark might be docile at the moment, he could change in a second.

"Damn you Balon, for putting me in this position," Lord Harlaw thought as he started to read his book, hoping it would calm his nerves.

The two sat in silence as they continued to read their books, flipping through the various pages.

Nathan read the book before him and gained a thoughtful look on his face. "Huh, now this is a surprise," Nathan said, making Rodrik look up.

"Ah, 'The Old Ways Made True'," Lord Rodrik said as he smiled at the book. "An enlightening book, as it tells the deeper reason for many of the traditions of the Old Ways."

"I can see," Nathan said as he flipped a page and continued to read. The book explains the importance of most Old Ways traditions and how they were needed for the Iron Islands to survive.

Such as the need for a Salt Wife, as the mortality rate was high in the Iron Islands, especially with young children and pregnant women. Thus, there is a need for a Salt Wife to secure a Lord's Bloodline, if the Rock Wife's children died young.

As for Thralls, this played into the high death toll on the people of the Iron Islands, thus the Ironborn needed Thralls to replenish the population of the Island, not die out. For obvious reasons, Thralls were not to become Ironborn as they were taken from their home and forced to work on a different land, a slave in all but name. However, a child born on the Iron Islands would be considered an Ironborn as they were born on the Iron Islands and see it as their home.

Raiding was needed as the Ironborn were warriors and thus not skilled in the trade, thus they needed to raid for the sake of gaining wealth, food, and resources for the people of their Islands.

"This is surprisingly enlightening," Nathan said as he turned a page. "Yet I can tell this book is very old."

"It is just a copy," Rodrik said as he gave a small sigh. "The original book was said to have been written hundreds of years ago but was long destroyed. Copies have been made, but most are altered to fit the likes and pleasures of the current Ironborn."

Nathan nodded in understanding, as the book in the young Stark's hands told the responsibilities and need for the Old Ways and not to abuse them. Yet Nathan imagined that the popular books that explained the Old Ways filled the Ironborn with lies and pride, basically telling the Ironborn they were the greatest in the world and it was their right to do whatever they wanted.

"A shame this book wasn't widespread," Nathan said with a sigh as he closed the book and opened the next one. "Perhaps then the Ironborn wouldn't be foolishly starting a war that there is no hope of winning," Nathan said as he gained a thoughtful look on his face. "Tell me, Lord Rodrik, how was Quellon Greyjoy's rule of the Iron Islands."

That made Lord Harlaw sigh with a look of longing. "The man was beyond brilliant, he understood the Ironborn and knew best how to sway them. At first, they were resistant to Lord Quellon's changes, but as time passed, I could see Quellon's changes taking root in the Ironborn. Lord Quellon even discussed with me the potential of trading with the Iron Bank and perhaps protecting their ships for coin and trade."

That surprised Nathan a bit before understanding Quellon Greyjoy's thinking. The Eastern seas of Westeros were rife with slavers and pirates, making them just if not more dangerous than the Western Sea of Westeros. Thus, trade ships needed a constant escort of various warships and guards to protect the cargo and people from attacks. If the Ironborn made a deal with the Iron Bank, the Ironborn would gain gold and opportunity while filling their need for battle by attacking pirates and slavers. This would also help with their image in Westeros as nobody liked pirates or slavers.

"Then it is a true shame for Quellon Greyjoy's untimely death... unless it wasn't an accident," Nathan said as he looked to Lord Harlaw, as the room went quiet. "It is said that Quellon Greyjoy died as soon as he sided with King Robert, and not long after his sons quickly returned to the Iron Islands without any hesitation, despite the death of their Lord father."

Lord Harlaw was quiet for a moment before he sighed and closed his book as he gave Nathan his full attention. "What are you asking me, Lord Stark?"

"...Do you think Balon Greyjoy killed his father to become Lord of the Iron Islands?" Nathan asked bluntly, yet Rodrik's face did not change. "I remember my uncle once telling me that Quellon Greyjoy sent a letter to Robert Baratheon in the middle of the war and that three of his sons, Balon, Euron, and Victarion, had convinced him to side with Robert. Robert then ordered the Ironborn to attack the Reach, but Quellon Greyjoy soon died and the Ironborn returned to the Iron Islands without a word. Not long after his father's death, Balon Greyjoy overturned many of his father's laws to quickly gain the support of the Iron Lords without any issue, and Ironborn raids returned in full force to Westeros." Nathan said as he folded his hands. "It is not hard to see the logic in my words, and given the Ironborn's ruthless nature..." Nathan trailed off, letting his words hang in the air.

Lord Rodrik's face was blank, not showing any emotion at Nathan's words.

"...While the Ironborn aren't known for their honor and chivalry, we still hold some laws sacred, such as Kin Slaying," Lord Harlaw said slowly as he folded his hands. "While Balon is ruthless and ambushes... I can not see the man killing his father, Victarion also holds the Old Ways sacred and would never resort to Kin Slaying unless he did not have a choice... Euron Greyjoy however..." A look of disgust and slight fear crossed Rodrik's face, making Nathan blink in surprise.

"Tell me of Euron Greyjoy," Nathan said as he leaned forward.

Lord Rodirk went quiet for a moment before he slowly spoke. "Euron Greyjoy... I don't know where to start," Rodrik said as he shook his head. "The man is vile, to say the least, and takes great pleasure in causing pain and misery to anyone no matter who they are as long as he can get away with it. His ship, the Silence, is infamous in the Iron Islands for its crew of mutes and mongrels from various places in the world, and for Euron cutting out the tongues of everyone in the crew, thus the name." Lord Harlaw said as he took a breath to steady his heart. "There are other rumors surrounding the man, such as rape, magic, slavery, torture, and many more vile acts I believe to be true."

Nathan couldn't help but look at Lord Harlaw with shock and disgust as he described Euron Greyjoy. To Nathan, the man sounded like a monster who was touched in the head, reveling in the misery of others as if it were the greatest form of pleasure in the world. Nathan has read of such men, such as the Mad King, Aegon the Unworthy, Maegor the Cruel, and The Lords of House Bolton, all were men who had done cruel things and reveled in the misery of such acts, yet to Nathan, Euron Greyjoy had a special madness from how Lord Harlaw describe the man. A madness like King Aerys Targaryen, the Mad King, where he did not care for anyone but himself, even if his actions caused the death of thousands or hundreds of thousands.

"If anyone would kill their father, it is Euron Greyjoy, though the man is surprisingly cunning." Lord Rodrik said as he looked older than he already was. "I suspect Euron may have put his father in a position where he was killed without Euron having to lift a finger. If Balon did have a hand in his father's death, it was most likely to make sure no one saw anything, or to let Euron act on his impulses."

The more Nathan heard of Euron, the more the young Stark felt that Euron may become a threat in the future. To be both cunning and cruel made Euron a dangerous enemy to both Nathan and the North, after all, the man was said to be leading the Iron Fleet and sacked Lannisport before attacking the Reach. If Euron was the one to lead the attack against Windhelm, things may not have turned in the North's favor.

"Balon only has two sons left as his heir and a daughter. If something were to happen to Balon and his children, Euron would become Lord of the Iron Islands." Nathan thought with worry as he started to tap his foot.

If Euron Greyjoy became the Iron Lord, Nathan could only imagine the vile acts Euron would cause with the Ironborn behind him. Killing, torturing, and raping to his heart's content while protected by the King's Peace, raiding not only the North but most of Westeros until the man was caught in the act.

"Perhaps Euron should have an accident of his own, while Balon is sent to the Wall for his act of treason," Nathan said as he thought of how to get rid of Euron.

That made Lord Rodrik nod his head. "That would leave Vicarion as Regent until one of Balon's sons is old enough to gain Lordship of the Iron Islands. While Vicarion is dull, he can inspire men and possibly hold the Iron Islands for a time."

"...But what if House Greyjoy didn't have to rule the Iron Islands," Nathan said, making Rodirk look up with a raised brow. "What if another House took Lordship of Pyke and the Iron Islands?"

It took a second for Rodrik to process Nathan's word, yet when he did the Iron Lord's eyes widened in shock.

"Are you saying you want to place House Harlaw as the ruling House of the Iron Islands and me Lord Paramount?" Lord Harlaw asked with wide eyes.

"You have proven to be much more sound of mind than anyone else on the Iron Islands and would be open to changing the Ironborn for the better. You come from an Ancient and Noble House that has been around for centuries," Nathan said as he gave the man a grin. "Perhaps Westeros should reward you by making you Lord of the Iron Islands. I would talk to the King himself and present this idea."

Lord Harlaw was silent for a long moment while staring at Nathan, while the young Stark stared back.

Finally, Lord Rodrik spoke up. "While I am flattered by such an offer, I do not think that will work." The Iron Lord said, making Nathan frown. "I favor peace over violence, something most Ironborn look down on me for. If House Harlaw were to become the Paramount House of the Iron Islands, a civil war may soon follow." Rodrik said with a sigh. "The Ironborn will always favor the strong over everything else, and while the Iron Islands are technically under the Crown's rule, we are left to ourselves with very little care of the rest of Westeros."

Nathan paused as he nodded his head slowly in understanding. Like the North and Dorne, the Iron Islands mostly ruled themselves and had no say in Westeros' politics. If the Crown tries to place Harlaw as the ruling House of the Iron Islands, it would be like the Crown trying to place House Bolton over House Stark. The Iron Lords would ignore House Harlaw and do whatever they wanted, causing chaos not only on the Iron Islands but also in Westeros.

"I understand," Nathan said as he opened another book. "It is a shame, I believe the Iron Islands could prosper if they were under your rule."

"You are too kind, Lord Stark, though I am much more content to spend my final days reading, rather than seeking power," Lord Rodik said before returning to reading.

As Nathan read his book, he glanced up at Lord Harlaw and got a sharp grin across his face. While Lord Rodik might not be the ideal Lord Paramount, Nathan had another idea that may prove more useful for the North and the Iron Islands.

Going back to his book, Nathan continued to read silently, enjoying the peace for however long it lasted.

---

Several Days Later

"And that's the last House to surrender, Lord Stark." Lord Reed said as he placed a letter down on the table.

Nathan once again sat in a large room with the Lords of the North in one of the Ten Towers of the large castle. Over the last few days, Iron Lords have arrived at the Ten Towers to offer their surrender, some Lords even sent their sons to be hostages while their fathers stayed at their keeps and castles.

All were reluctant to surrender, most calling Lord Harlaw a coward and craven for surrendering to the North without giving a fight.

Nathan hushed all their complaints by saying that if any House wished to fight, he was more than ready to send his 20,000 soldiers to whatever keep that wished for a war.

That shut almost everyone up, as they knew they did not have the men and there was no hope of support from the other islands. That didn't stop a few of the younger Lords from challenging Nathan, calling him a coward for hiding behind his large army. Nathan quickly put them in their place by facing them in one-on-one combat, showing everyone that while Nathan was young, he was leading the North for a reason.

After the final messenger had arrived, Nathan called the Lords of the North to decide what to do next.

"It seems the only House to give us trouble is House Myre," Lord Karstark said, making Nathan sigh and rub his head.

True to Lord Harlaw's words, House Myre has declared their support for King Balon and that Rodrik Harlaw was a craven Lord and would be brought low. However, House Myre knew they could not stay and face the might of the North, so House Myre grabbed all their ships, men, and family members before making their way to Pyke to support Balon in their last stand. When Nathan sent scouts to Myre's lands, it was reported that the keep was practically abandoned and looters seemed to already be going through the castle.

"House Myre was said to have about 100 Ironborn left after sending most of their forces to Euron Greyjoy," Nathan said as he waved his hand. "They have abandoned their home in favor of a king that has no hope of winning."

To abandon one's home was seen as ruthless at best or craven at worst. A castle was a noble's proof of their power and their home, and to throw it away even in wartime for no hope of victory made all the nobles of the North shake their head.

"Lord Rodrik truly came through," Nathan said as he drummed his fingers against the table. "What should have taken weeks with hundreds of lives lost has taken only days for the North. We have Harlaw, now all that's left is to secure the island to prevent reinforcements from reaching Pyke, and then the North with King Robert's forces will end this pointless war," Nathan said as he looked around the room. "The question is, who will stay behind and ensure the island of Harlaw stays secure?"

This made the nobles in the room start to fidget, some even avoiding Nathan's eyes, making the young Stark sigh.

Since the beginning, Nathan knew an experienced Lord had to stay behind and secure Harlaw, to prevent the island from sending reinforcements and attacking the royal army from behind. It was a necessary task, however, it was not a task anyone wanted to do as it would prevent them from fighting on Pyke and gaining honor and glory. Nathan could easily order anyone to do the task, any Lord of the North would follow Nathan's words, however, this would leave them unhappy. Nathan would rather a Lord volunteered to stay behind and handle Harlaw.

After several moments and no one volunteered, Nathan sighed. "Very well, I will have-"

"Lord Stark, if I may offer an alternative," Lord Ryswell said as he stood up. "I would offer my two younger sons, Rickard and Roose, and I to stay behind and secure Harlaw," The older man said as he placed a hand behind a young man who stood behind him. "All I ask is that you allow my eldest son, Roger, to fight by your side to avenge House Ryswell for all the damage the Ironborn have done to our lands."

Roger Ryswell was a young man with short brown hair, stubble on his face, and deep brown eyes. He wore well-made steel armor with a sword on his hip and a shield on his back with the Ryswell Sigil.

Nathan had to hide a grin as he easily saw past Lord Ryswell's cunningness. It seemed that Lord Ryswell knew there wouldn't be much glory to gain at Pyke, as dozens of Lords of Westeros were set to attack Pyke together with an overwhelming force. Lord Ryswell allowed his House to play both sides, for his son and heir to fight by Nathan's side to gain glory and possible connection for House Ryswell, while he and his other sons showed Nathan their willingness to 'sacrifice' the chance of glory to follow Nathan's command. Nathan also knew that Lord Ryswell would subtly ask for a reward for holding Harlaw, and Nathan would be honor-bound to give the Lord something.

"Very well Lord Ryswell, I will allow Roger Ryswell to accompany me personally to Pyke while you, your sons, and 8000 soldiers stay behind to hold Harlaw," Nathan said as he pointed to the map of Harlaw. "With House Myre all but gone, I recommend using Castle Myre as a temporary fort. You may be lucky and find some useful treasures from the fleeing house, or perhaps ships that have been left behind."

This made Lord Ryswell grin as he bowed to Nathan. "Thank you, Lord Stark," The old Lord said before he sat down.

"With that out of the way, we will start making our way to Pyke," Nathan said, getting cheers from everyone. "Our first target will be Lordsport, ruled by House Botley. It is a large port with many ships and is said to be quite a wealthy port by the Iron Islands standards." Nathan said before he narrowed his eyes. "I will be honest, I want all the ships in Lordsport to be added to the Northern Fleet. After all, most Ironborn ships were to have been made with the wood of the North so it is only right they are taken back to the North." Nathan said with a sharp grin, getting more cheers from the Northern Lords.

"Lords Umber, Karstark, and Glover, I want you to land first and attack Lordsport by land, rush them, and give them no chances to build a defense," Nathan said, getting firm nods from the three. "Lord Tallhart, Blackpearl, Ulfric Waterman, and Ser Wylis Manderly, we will be attacking the port by sea. We will prevent any ships from escaping before adding them to the Northern fleet and rain arrows down from afar."

"Hmm, with such an overwhelming force, House Botley may retreat to Pyke under Lord Greyjoy's care," Lord Karstark said as he rubbed his chin.

"If they retreat, let them," Nathan said with a wave of his hand. "Our goal is to gain a foothold on Pyke and then to wait for King Robert and the rest of the forces of Westeros. Also, the less fighting there is, the more ships we gain and the more rested we will be for the final battle." Nathan said before a serious look crossed his face. "However, let me stress that while I want ships for the Northern Fleet in the East, no one should die over a ship. If you feel a particular ship is causing too much trouble, sink it and move on." Nathan said before he stood up. "We leave for Lordsport in three days and should arrive in less than two. Everyone be prepared."

With that, everyone slowly started to exit, leaving Nathan by himself.

Once alone, Nathan sighed with a content smile on his face. Everything had been going perfectly for the North as they were able to secure Harlaw without losing a single life. Now all that was left was for the North to take Lordsport and wait for King Robert and his uncle.

"The question is what to do after the war ends," Nathan said as he started to think.

Nathan was confident King Robert would celebrate once the war was over, as it was well-known that King Robert loved lavish parties and tourneys. With such a grand celebration after the war, nobles, Lords, and merchants from all over Westeros would attend, and Nathan saw an opportunity. An opportunity to introduce all the products Nathan has created over the years, such as Sweetfire, Spirits, and the jewelry made by the Blacksmiths and Jewelers under House Stark.

With so many nobles and Lords at one event, Nathan had a grand chance to spread the word of his items to all of Westeros in one swoop instead of waiting for months or even years for Nathan's items to gain fame.

"Yet will Robert celebrate in King's Landing or somewhere closer, such as Lannisport?" Nathan thought to himself as he started to contemplate.

Robert's Queen was the daughter of the Lord of House Lannister, while Lannisport was attacked by the Ironborn, Nathan had heard that the docks and ships had suffered the most damage before the Ironborn left to attack the shores of the Westerlands. This left the city itself mostly intact.

"It is said that Tywin Lannister is a very prideful man, perhaps he would want to show everyone that despite the Ironborn attack, House Lannister did not suffer much," Nathan thought as he started to think of where King Robert would hold his celebration, King's Landing or Lannisport.

After thinking about it for a long while, Nathan was convinced that King Robert would celebrate in Lannisport, as Nathan was confident Tywin Lannister would flaunt the Lannister wealth and show that despite everything, House Lannister was still strong. Yet even if Robert decided to celebrate in King's Landing, Nathan would just have his ship follow the Royal Fleet back to King's Landing.

"If necessary, I may have to bring up Red Rain to set things in motion." Nathan thought with a grin.

Grabbing a piece of paper and quill, Nathan started to draft a letter for Yin, instructing both her, Tobin, several skilled merchants, and many guards to gather all the Sweetfire, Northern Spirits, and jewelry and head for Windhelm, where they will wait for ships before sailing to Lannisport with everything.

"Ser Wendel," Nathan called out, and the door opened to reveal the large knight. "Bring me Ulfric Waterman and Lord Blackpearl."

"Yes Lord Stark," Wendel said as he left while Nathan continued to draft his letter.

After Nathan finished his letter, both Ulfric and Larence entered and gave a quick bow.

"You wanted to see us, Lord Stark," Lord Blackpearl asked as Nathan folded the letter and poured wax on it.

"Yes, have a seat," Nathan said as he took his necklace and pressed it into the wax, sealing the letter. "I needed to ask how many trading vessels we currently have?"

Both Larence and Ulfric looked thoughtful before Larence spoke up. "20 trading cogs and 4 heavy transport ships."

Nathan nodded his head as he looked at Lord Blackpearl. "If I wanted to send a few trading ships back to Windhelm, how many do you think I could send back without causing us any trouble?"

That made the two blink before Ulfric spoke up. "For the most, I say about... 8 trading cogs and perhaps 1 heavy transport ship," Ulfric said as he looked Nathan in the eyes. "We use the transport ships mostly for provisions and transporting men, so we can lose a few if we move some things around. Perhaps even leave some provisions behind for Lord Ryswell and the men here."

9 ships in total, which should be more than enough.

"I need 5 trading ships and 2 heavy transport ships to be sent back to Windhelm, along with 5 longships," Nathan said while looking at the two. "Once there, I need this letter sent to Winterfell by raven and for those ships to wait until a Yin Song arrives," Nathan said before looking at Ulfric. "How long do you think it will take for the ships to reach Windhelm?"

"A few weeks at most," Ulfric said in a confident tone. "Large fleets always take a long time to move, but 11 ships should only take a few weeks to reach from here to Windhelm. It all comes down to how the seas fare."

"Good," Nathan said as he handed the letter to Lord Blackpearl. "I want you to gather strong men you trust and send them to Windhelm. They are to wait for Yin Song and once she arrives they are to head straight for Lannisport."

"Yes Lord Stark," Lord Blackpearl said before he gained a hesitant look. "Lord Stark, might I ask why you are sending ships back to the North before the war ends?"

Nathan nodded with a smile, allowing Larence to breathe. "I predict there will be a grand tourney or celebration in Lannisport after the war ends. With such a grand celebration, many lords and merchants from all over Westeros will gather. As you know, I have created both Northern Spirits and Sweetfire and while they are well known in the North, they are not in the South. This aims to change that."

"I see," Lord Larence said as he held the letter close. "I will send 100 of my best men back to Windhelm to escort this Lady Song. With the Ironborn occupied with the war, the seas should be relatively safe."

This made Nathan smile, as pirates in the Eastern seas were rare in Westeros, with the occasional slaver ship that wanted to test their luck. This meant that all the trading ships should have relative ease for quite some time.

With that, both Larence and Ulfric exited the room, allowing Nathan to sigh as he glanced at the map of the Iron Islands.

It would take a little over a day to reach Pyke. Nathan considered attacking Lordsport in the day or at night but decided in the day as it would have been easier to maneuver and the North would not fall for any obvious traps easily.

Standing up from the war table, Nathan left to prepare the North to depart.

---

Several Days Later

"So that's Lordsport," Nathan said as he looked through his Far Eye while standing on the edge of the Blackwolf. "It looks like a shithole," Nathan said, getting a snort out of Smalljon.

Lordsport looked to be a somewhat large port, only slightly bigger than Windhelm but more populated. Yet what Nate focused on were the ships, at least three to four dozen ships anchored around the port. From what Nathan counted, there were at least 20 warships and 30 trading ships spread through. Some of the ships were forced to be anchored side by side as the port was too small to house so many ships.

After leaving Harlaw, the North made their way straight to Pyke, wanting to be the first to arrive on the island. Thanks to the calm waters and strong wind, the Northern Fleet was able to reach Pyke at the crack of dawn in just over a day.

"Ah, the little squids have noticed us," Smalljon said as he squinted his eyes and saw men at the port start to move and heard the faint sound of a horn going off.

"Too late, they don't have enough time to take the ships out to sea," Nathan said as he lowered his Far Eye. "They put too many ships in their Port, most likely from the fleet that Stannis sacked. By the time they manage to pull them out into the bay, we would have already rained arrows down on the port."

That made Smalljon throw his head back with a laugh. "So much for being masters of the seas," Smalljon said in a mocking tone as several ships started to make headway to Lordsport. "That castle looks like it might be a problem though, it's small but strong. May take us all day to sack the castle while they rain arrows down on us."

Castle Botley was a modest castle that stood on a hill overlooking Lordsport, just in arrow distance from the port. Attacking the castle would be a pain, given that anyone getting close would be subjected to arrows, and setting up siege weapons would be hard in the small town of Lordsport. This meant that the North could only use the battering ram to take the castle.

"Let's have the Blackwolf and the War Gallys use their scorpion bolts to attack from the port," Nathan suggested as the Ironborn tried to get their ships out into the water, but they were crashing into one another. "The bolts might not be able to damage the castle walls all that much, but they should give us enough time to set up battering rams."

Looking back out to sea, Nathan saw the first wave of Northerns reach the port. Arrows started to fly from both the docks and ships, fortunately, this didn't slow down the Northern men as they rushed into the port, stopping the Ironborn from firing at their people.

Nathan gave the order to have the scorpion bolts fire at Castle Botley. As the young Stark predicted, the bolts shattered on the impact of the castle walls, with a few getting lucky and hitting over the castle walls, killing a few Ironborn and scaring more.

"Lord Stark, ships approach!" Ulfric called out, making Nathan look to the docks to see several ships that finally managed to escape the port.

"About time," Smalljon said as he grabbed his sword with a grip. "I thought the Ironborn lost their fight after losing to the North so many times."

"...I think they did," Nathan said as he pointed to the sea. "They seem to be running."

True to Nathan's words, the few Ironborn ships that managed to escape the port didn't head for the Northern fleet but seemed to be sailing out to sea. Using his Far Eye, Nathan horses riding off into the distance.

"Now this is just sad," Smalljon said with a sigh as he rested his sword on his shoulder while the Northern ships quickly caught the boat. "I expected a much harder fight than this pathetic display."

"The Ironborn are not known for their tactics," Nathan said as the Northern fleet surrounded the port, preventing all ships from escaping. "If Balon was smart, he should have heavily fortified Lordsport as it's a large Port close to Castle Pyke. Fortifying Lordsport would have slowed the enemy down and dwindled their numbers, allowing Balon more time to prepare. Instead, Balon practically abandoned Lordsport, allowing us to take the port and secure a foothold on Pyke."

"Remember Nathan, these squids have more iron in their heads than brains. I doubt any of these fuckers are as clever as you," Smalljon said before he sighed. "Damn, I was looking forward to a fight in this war, but this feels more like cleaning up."

"Don't worry, Balon is sure to resist and make a last stand at Pyke. There is sure to be a good fight, even if it is swift." Nathan said to his friend as the Northern forces landed at the Port, causing many Ironborns to run away. "Let's just end this battle swiftly and take the Port."

Nathan understood that most Northerners loved battles, as Nathan himself loved a good fight, especially his fight against Lord Drumm. However, Nathan finds the Ironborn Rebellion annoying and wants the pointless war to end.

"Soon, Nathan, soon you can return home and leave these shitty islands before returning to the North," Nathan thought as more Northerners started to take Lordsport. "Then you can make Balon pay for attacking the North." The young Stark thought with a large glare as the Blackwolf fired a scorpion bolt, killing three Ironborns on the top of Castle Botley.

---

"Lord Stark, Lordsport is yours," Roger Ryswell said with a bow.

Nathan walked down Lordsport docks while glancing around with a hard face. The sacking of Lordsport went smoothly for the North, as they were easily able to overwhelm the Ironborn with their numbers. From what Nathan saw at sea, House Botley abandoned their castle once the Northern forces reached the walls. Not long after, many Ironborn on horses ran south towards Castle Pyke, some even ran away on foot. Lord Umber and Smalljon wanted to give chase to the fleeing Ironborn, but Nathan ordered everyone to stand down and secure Lordsport given the port was in chaos.

"Henry," Nathan said to the young archer, getting the young boy to stand at attention. "Inform the Lords and nobles of the North to gather at Castle Botley. We have much to discuss over the recent victory of the North."

"Yes Lord Stark," Henry said with a deep bow before rushing into the city.

Nathan started to make his way to Lordsport with Ser Wendel, Chef Wull, and Roger Ryswell at his sides.

Nathan glanced around Lordsport with a hard look on his face. The Northern forces were marching around, searching homes and buildings for any Ironborn in hiding. Nathan ordered any Ironborn found who surrendered to be held captive; those who resisted were to be cut down, as Nathan didn't want to waste time or lives on the foolish.

Reaching Castle Botley, Nathan saw that the castle had seen better days. The front gates were broken down, the courtyard was littered with bodies and the ground was slick with blood. Some Northern men were already piling the bodies into carts, most likely planning to dump the bodies into the sea rather than burn them. Nathan almost wanted to order the men to burn the corpses as an insult to the Ironborn, yet the young Stark didn't want the stink of burning flesh to fill the air.

Entering the castle, Nathan saw it was surprisingly well-kept, at least by Ironborn standards. There were no dead bodies, which Nathan found a good thing as he didn't want to smell any corpses.

"Lord Stark, it will take some time to gather the Northern forces," Ser Wendel said from Nathan's right.

"Then I will prepare for a lengthy meeting," Nathan said as he continued to walk forward. "I will need papers, ink, quills... and some good ale," Nathan said, getting a chuckle from the Northern men. "Let's go."

After briefly searching the castle, Nathan found a large room with a lengthy table. Nathan waited as various lords entered the room, the last to show being Lord Glover just as the sun started to set.

"Lords of the North, I would like to be the first to thank you all for your service. Lordsport was taken swiftly and without mercy."

"Ha, those Iron Cunts went running the moment things got hard," A knight from House Dustan said with a scoff. "So much for never fearing death."

This brought some chuckles from the Northern Lords, Nathan himself couldn't hide his smirk.

"First, how goes securing Lordsport?" Nathan asked while glancing around the room.

Lords Karstark, Umber, and Glover all stood up together.

"Taking the port was relatively easy, we outnumbered the Ironborn here 10 to 1 in the first wave alone," Lord Karstark said while folding his arms. "I say we killed a good 200 men before the rest ran away. We lost somewhere around 100 men with a few dozen with somewhat serious injuries, mostly due to arrows."

Nathan sighed at that, while it may be an acceptable loss on paper, Nathan wouldn't take the loss lightly.

"We managed to capture a few dozen Ironborn and guards, most of whom fled south, most likely to Castle Pyke," Lord Umber said as he gulped down a tankard before giving a loud burp. "The Smallfolk are scared, but most aren't giving us any trouble. Probably don't want to give us an excuse to raid their homes and take their valuables."

"They probably think we're like the Ironborn," Nathan said with a frown. "I know I don't have to say it, but I will anyway. Make sure no Northener lays no hands on any of the Smallfolk. I don't want to give the South any reason to undermine the North."

"Ba, those fuckers always bitch with their words, yet hide behind their laws when someone wants to bash their face in," Smalljon said while downing a tanker of ale, making many Northeners nod. "We'll play their games, but if I hear any Southern cunt bitching, I'm throwing them out to sea."

Nathan laughed along with the rest of the Northern Lords. Once the laughter died down, Nathan's face became serious.

"We hold Lordsport, but I doubt Balon will simply sit in his castle and let us hold such a spot so close to home," Nathan said as he sipped his wine and looked around the room. "He may send raiding parties to wear our men out or to retake Lordsport. I want our soldiers to camp outside Lordsport and protect the perimeter, the last thing we need is Balon setting fires in our camps."

"We're already setting up camps as we speak, Lord Stark," Roger Ryswell said in a confident tone. "I have even ordered the men to start digging small pits, this will prevent the Ironborn from using horses to rush into camp before running away."

"Good, then I charge you Roger Ryswell to protect the outer camps from any potential Ironborn raid. I wouldn't put it past Balon from burning Lordsport just to prevent us from using it, even if he has to burn his people." Nathan said with a hard look while Roger nodded before Nathan looked around the room. "The next order of business is the ships. How many ships were lost during the attack of Lordsport?"

"Not a single ship of the Northern Fleet was lost, Lord Stark," Lord Blackpearl said as he stood up. "However, 10 Ironborn Warships were lost, yet the rest were left unharmed."

This made Nathan give a wide grin. "So the North is adding another 40 ships to our fleet, giving the North around 130 ships in the West," Nathan said as he stood up and grinned like a madman. "After so many years, I am proud to say the North now officially has a Fleet in the West! This will make the Ironborn think twice before attacking the North!"

Hearing this made the Northern Lords cheer while several raised their tankers, Nathan took a tanker and gulped it down in one go.

Once everyone managed to quiet down, the young Stark cleared his throat. "However, having too many ships will be a problem," Nathan said, grabbing everyone's attention. "Soon several fleets will land in Lordsport, such as the Royal Fleet and the Reach Fleet. Too many ships will only cause trouble, so I am considering sending some ships back to Windhelm, at least 30. We will also send our dead back to the North, to honor their sacrifice."

"To lead 30 ships will take a few hundred men," Ser Wylis said, rubbing his chin. "And it will take an experienced leader."

"A few of my captains should be more than enough, Lord Stark," Ulfric Waterman said confidently. "I bet on my life and the honor of House Waterman that they can safely escort the ships back to Windhelm."

"Good," Nathan said with a nod before he looked around the room. "The coming days will be hectic, rest, drink, be ready for anything. You are all dismissed."

With that, the Lords of the North exited, leaving Nathan to his thoughts. With the sudden addition of 40 ships to the Northern Fleet, Windhelm would not be large enough to handle so many ships. Nathan would have to send several ships to Bear Islands, or another port in the North. House Ryswell also had a few strong ports, they could be used as well.

"We were the first to reach the Iron Islands," Nathan muttered as he drummed his fingers. "The Royal Fleet and Reach Fleet should have reached their targets at least a week ago. Given the skilled commanders such as Robert and Stannis, they should be finishing soon. As for the Reach and Westerlands, they have the superior numbers and ships to attack the islands on all sides. If everyone is swift, the two fleets should reach Pyke in a week or two, hopefully less."

While the time seemed short, it left a bad taste in Nathan's mouth, as the North would have to hold Lordsport until King Robert arrived. This meant that the North would be subjected to raids by Balon if he was smart, most likely night raids on horseback, the riders with torches and arrows to try and weaken the North. It would be impossible for Balon to push the North out of Lordsport unless Balon gathered what forces he had to attack the North. While such a plan would be the smartest and most beneficial to Balon in the long run, Nathan doubted the Iron Lord would do such a thing.

Nathan suspected that Balon thought that with the fortification of Castle Pyke, and his overconfidence in the Ironborn, Balon may have believed that if he killed King Robert and other High Lords of Westeros in a single battle, it would gain the Ironborn victory and push the forces of Westeros back.

"If that's true, Balon has to be the most foolish Lord in the history of Westeros," Nathan said with a snort as he downed a mug of ale.

There had to be at least 100 Lords and nobles following King Robert, not to mention the thousands of soldiers that followed said nobles. If Balon managed to kill Robert, nothing would stop the wrath of Westeros from ending House Greyjoy and any who had a hand in Robert's death. If the worst happens, the Iron Islands may be destroyed and left in ruins.

Nathan sighed as he stood up and walked the halls with his guards.

"The North will hold Lordsport, then once King Robert arrives we will end the Ironborn Rebellion."

---

Two Weeks Later

"Damn!" A deep voice shouted as his room shook. "That was the last of the wine!"

Ned Stark sighed yet gave his long-time friend Robert a ruthless smile as the King looked at the spilled wine with disappointment.

The two were traveling by sea after they campaigned against Blacktyde. There was some resistance from the various Houses, yet thanks to Robert's command and Ned's swift actions, the two along with their forces were able to secure the Island in a matter of days. Ned was reluctant to admit it, but Lord Bolton played a crucial role in securing Blacktyde, and young Domeric had shown skill and talent that impressed Ned greatly.

Just as Robert and his forces finished securing Blacktyde, a ship was sent that claimed that the Lannisters and Tyrells had secured the other Islands. With that, the two fleets merged before all made their way to Pykes. Ned suspected that while the Lannisters secured their island, the Tyrells rushed things using their numbers to try and speed things up, most likely wanting to curry favor with the king.

After Blacktyde was secured, Robert wasted no time making his way to Pyke, specifically a port called Lordsport. Robert claimed it was a strategic location that allowed a straight shot to Castle Pyke and would be a good spot to hold. However, Ned could tell Robert was most likely going to raid a few taverns to replenish the wine and drink that had been spent over the campaign against Blacktyde.

"So, how do you think Nathan is doing?" Robert asked as he took out a wineskin from his emergency reserves.

Ned sighed as he looked at his cup of water. The older Stark tried to keep his thoughts from worrying about his nephew, yet that didn't stop Ned from thinking about his nephew. After all, Harlaw was one of the largest Iron Islands and was said to be the most populated.

Letting out a breath, Ned spoke. "Worried, but I believe he is well."

"Ah, you have nothing to worry about, his Northern Blood is strong, not to mention how talented he is. You've got a good nephew, Ned," Robert said before he sighed. "Honestly, I'm a little envious, if only my brat was half the heir Nathan is."

This made Ned press his lips and didn't say anything. The older Stark knew that Robert currently had two children, Joffrey Baratheon and Myrcella Baratheon, both around the same age as Ned's children. Ned had heard both children had inherited their mother's, Cersei Lannister's, looks with golden hair and green eyes. If that wasn't bad enough, Robert seemed to hate his marriage with his queen, calling his wife a vindictive bitch while he drank with any woman that the King could grab.

While Ned loved Robert like a brother, he hated how he acted, yet Ned kept his mouth shut for the moment as they were at war, but later Ned would express his displeasure.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, grabbing the two's attention.

"Enter," Robert said as he sat up a bit.

A moment later a soldier entered the room. The soldier fell to one knee while looking at the ground.

"My King, we see Lordsport, we should reach the port by the time the sun reaches its peak."

This made Robert grin as he stood up. "About fucking time, send someone to help get our armor ready."

"At once my King," The soldier said before he quickly exited.

"Finally, I was afraid we'd be on the waters for another day," Robert said as he walked to the side and picked up his Warhammer from his bed. "Time to have some fun, Ned,"

Ned sighed as he also got this armor ready. While he didn't have Robert's love for battle, he couldn't help but give a small grin at Robert's excitement.

It wasn't long before the two were in armor and both stood at the head of the ship, seeing Pyke in the far distance.

"Once we land and take Lordsport, we'll wait for your nephew and my brother before taking Pyke," Robert said as he rested his Warhammer on his shoulder.

"How long should we wait for Nathan and the rest of the Northern forces?" Ned asked while also looking at Pyke.

"Hmm, I say about a week, maybe two," Robert said while rubbing his chin. "That's the worst case, most likely they will arrive in a few days... wait," Robert cut himself off as he stepped to the very edge of his ship and squinted his eyes. "Lordsport looks off,"

Ned looked confused and squinted at the island of Pyke as best he could, a part of him wishing he had a Far Eye like Nathan. Yet Ned's eyes were able to pick up what Robert himself had seen.

There were dozens of ships docked at Lordsport, yet what grabbed the two's eyes were the flags, flags of the North, with the Stark flag flying over the main castle of Lordsport.

"Hahaha!" Robert laughed with a look of glee. "Looks like your nephew beat us to Pyke!" Robert said with a look of glee, not even upset that he couldn't sack Lordsport himself.

Ned couldn't help but sigh in relief and look forward with pride, pride in the North and his nephew. From the look of Lordsport, the port was mostly intact, with a good number of Ironborn ships now flying Northern flags.

"Alright, let's make our way to Lordsport!" Robert yelled as he glanced back. "Call for the leading ships to land first while the rest hang back!"

The soldiers nodded and started to call for the leading ships that held the Lords from the Westerlands and the Reach. It took some time until Robert's ship reached the Port. At first, Ned saw movement and heard a horn go off, yet Ned could tell that once they saw the flags of the South on the ships, the commotion died down.

As Robert's ship entered the Port, a large crowd had formed, most being Northerners with a few curious smallfolk. Standing at the largest dock was Nathan Stark himself, dressed in light leather armor.

Robert marched forward with a wide smile as Nathan and the Northern Lords behind him knelt.

"King Robert, Lordsport is yours," Nathan said before he stood up.

"Hahaha, damn Nathan, didn't even give me a chance to take this place!" Robert said, not even upset that he missed the battle.

Ned stepped forward and gave Nathan a brief hug before he looked Nathan over, relieved to see the young man in perfect health.

Nathan looked at his uncle and king, relieved to see they were also well.

"The Castle is secured, I imagine we will have a gathering with all the lords," Nathan said as he saw that while most of the ships were staying out at sea, a few were making their way to the docks.

"Yes, please escort us to Lordsport's Castle, Lord Stark," Robert said as he handed his Warhammer to a soldier, seeing he didn't need it at the moment.

"Right away my king," Nathan said as he led King Robert and his Uncle to Botley's Castle.

---

When Nathan saw the Royal fleet and the Reach Fleet, the young Stark sighed in relief. For the past two weeks, Balon had been attacking Lordsport nonstop, sending raiding parties every day, sometimes multiple times a day. The North was always able to repel the attacks and killed a good number of Ironborn, and surprisingly, Roger Ryswell has been very useful in protecting Lordsport from various attacks.

With each attack, the Northerners became restless. Some voiced that they should attack Pyke themselves rather than allow Balon to continue attacking the Northerners. Nathan gave the order to hold Lordsport, for it was King Robert's order, even though Nathan wanted nothing more than to attack Pyke and end the rebellion.

Fortunately, the King and Westeros forces finally arrived, putting Nathan's heart at ease.

It took some time, but soon all the Lords following King Robert docked at the port before entering Castle Botley.

Nathan soon found himself in the dining hall of Castle Botley with the rest of the Lords of Westeros, as it was the only room big enough to hold so many people at once.

King Robert sat at the head of the room with Jon Arryn on Robert's right and Ned Stark on his left, with Nathan sitting beside his uncle. The other Lords sat at the various tables, all grouping together with what realm they were from such as the Westerlands, Reach, Stormlands, and so on.

As Nathan looked around the room, a few people caught Nathan's attention.

The first was an older man sitting at the head of the Westerland Lords. It was an old man around the same age as Jon Arryn, tall, and slender, with surprisingly broad shoulders for a man his age. The man's head was shaved with a faint crown of blond hair turning grey, with a thin grey beard to match. His eyes, while an aged pale green, were by far the sharpest Nathan had ever seen. Yet what grabbed Nathan's attention was the armor, red and gold steel plate, with what looked like real gold lining the armor, an obvious show of wealth.

This was Tywin Lannister, the Old Lion Lord of House Lannister and ruler of the Westerlands.

Standing next to the Old Lion was a handsome man in golden armor. He had long golden hair, sharp green eyes, and an arrogant smile on his lips.

Nathan recognized the man as Jamie Lannister, the son of Tywin Lannister and known to Westeros as the Kingslayer, for killing the Mad King while a member of the Kingsguard. Jamie Lannister had a notorious reputation, being known as a dishonorable knight and arrogant, a warrior with no honor according to Ned's words.

Nathan looked at Tywin, holding back a smile and gently gripping Red Rain. Nathan didn't doubt that Tywin had heard of House Stark gaining Red Rain, and Nathan expected the Old Lion to make an offer for the Valyrian Steel sword.

"By the Old Gods, let this stupid Rebellion end so I can get a fortune!" Nathan thought with some youthful impatience.

Abruptly, Tywin looked up and locked eyes with Nathan, catching the young Stark slightly off guard, yet the Clever Wolf didn't look away.

The two stared each other down, Tywin with a calm, almost curious look while Nathan gave the Old Lion a grin. Neither hesitated nor looked away, as to look away would be a sign of weakness, however small it might be.

Without warning, a loud laughter caught the two's attention, making both turn to the source at the same time.

Nathan saw some laughter with the Reach Lords, the loudest coming from a rather fat man at the head of the table.

The man was easily one of the fattest lords in the room, with curly brown hair and a cut beard with white and grey specks. He wore green armor that was more ornamental than for actual combat.

Nathan could tell easily that the man laughing was Mace Tyrell, Lord of House Tyrell and the Reach. Ned had told a bit of Lord Tyrell to Nathan, and from what Nathan heard about the man from whispers and rumors, the young Stark had an idea of the Fat Flower's character.

It was said that Mace Tyrell was a boisterous man, often praising his past accomplishments as if they happened days ago, even if some of his accomplishments weren't his own. Nathan had heard a rumor of Mace Tyrell bragging that he was the soul lord in Westeros to ever hold a victory over King Robert during Robert's Rebellion in the Battle of Ashford. However, the truth was that Mace Tyrell had no hand in the Battle of Ashford and the victory over Robert rested solely on Randyll Tarly, a bannerman under Mace Tyrell.

This told Nathan that Lord Tyrell wasn't a brilliant Lord, as to openly take credit from a bannerman that most Lords knew the truth was foolish, to say the least.

"Alright, it seems everyone is here," King Robert said, grabbing everyone's attention as the noise slowly died down. "First, I like to thank Nathan Stark and the North for securing Lordsport, giving us a base to hold on Pyke."

Nathan stood while giving a modest bow, while the Northerns cheered loudly, the Stormlords and Vale Lords also cheered, while the Lords from the other realms reluctantly clapped.

"Thank you, my King, though I must admit securing Harlaw was hardly challenging," Nathan said in a smooth tone as he looked to the king. "Lord Harlaw was surprisingly reasonable and easily surrendered after we agreed to not attack anyone at Harlaw unless provoked. After securing Harlaw and leaving a portion of the Northern forces with Lord Ryswell, we came straight to Lordsport." Nathan said as he took a sip of wine, noticing several Lords paying close attention to Nathan's words. "Despite the current war, we somehow caught Lordsport off guard and managed to drive House Botley out and flee to Pyke."

Nathan then sighed. "Unfortunately, Balon has been sending raiding parties daily for the past two weeks. Earlier today we were forced to stop a raiding party of 25 horses, all with torches. Fortunately, Roger Ryswell has proven invaluable in protecting Lordsport from such raids, keeping the damage to a minimum."

The Northerners all cheered for Roger Ryswell, making the young man look around with pride.

"Hmm, seems Balon still thinks he can win," Robert said as he sipped at his tankard of ale. "So, how was the campaign against Saltcliffe and Orkmont?"

Tywin stood up, causing everyone in the room to grow quiet. "House Lannister and the Westerlands have secured Saltcliffe, all lords have submitted and any who resisted were cut down swiftly." The Old Lion said before he sat back down.

As soon as Tywin sat down, Mace Tyrell practically jumped to his feet.

"I am proud to say that House Tyrell has easily secured Orkmont in a matter of days," Mace Tyrell said in a boisterous tone. "Luckily, thanks to my skills in warfare I was able to lead my people to victory before we joined you, Your Grace." Mace Tyrell said as he took a bow. Lords from the Reach cheered for Mace, and the large Lord soaked up the praise.

Nathan noticed not all Lords of the Reach cheered for Mace Tyrell, some looked at the Lord Paramount contemptuously. The most noticeable Lord looked at Mace Tyrell with contempt and rage, not even trying to hide his expression. The man looking at Lord Tyrell with such contempt was lean and bald, with a short beard that was turning grey. Nathan had to assume this was Lord Randyll Tarly and given the man's angry expression, the young Stark assumed that Mace Tyrell was once again taking credit that wasn't his.

Glancing at the King, Nathan noticed that King Robert looked at Mace Tyrell with an unimpressed look, most likely knowing of the Fat Flower's empty boasting.

Once Mace Tyrell sat down, Jon Arryn cleared his throat. "With most Iron Islands secured, all that is left is Great Wyk and Old Wyk," Jon said as he glanced at a map before him. "With the death of Lord Drumm, the leadership of the two islands is most likely in chaos, meaning Stannis is just cleaning up any resistance which will take time."

"Damn it all," King Robert groaned as he slammed his mug down, spilling ale while looking annoyed. "Do we need Stannis, our numbers easily outnumber Balon's forces already."

This sparked some debate among the Lords, some Lords voiced that they should wait for Stannis Baratheon since it was known he was an experienced commander, while others voiced that they should attack Pyke to end the war sooner. Jon Arryn was on the side to wait for Stannis, voicing that with Stannis and his forces, there would be a swift victory. Ned Stark had a similar mindset as Jon Arryn, valuing Stannis Baratheon's experience and forces. Robert himself wanted to attack Pyke today, but with both the Hand of the King and his best friend voicing their disagreements, Robert felt uncertain.

However, Nathan was of a different mindset.

"We need to attack Castle Pyke now!" Nathan suddenly shouted, bringing all eyes to the young Stark.

King Robert raised his hand and looked at Nathan with a grin. "Speak up Lord Nathan."

Nathan smiled and opened his mouth to speak, yet was cut off by a loud cough. Nathan turned to see Mace Tyrell stand, a confident look on his face as he stood before all the Lords of Westeros.

"My King, perhaps we shouldn't ask a child such a weighted question."

Instantly, silence fell upon the room at Mace Tyrell's words. The Northerners looked insulted at Lord Tyrell's words, before looking to want to strangle the Fat Flower. Jon Arryn sighed while rubbing his forehead, seeing Lord Tyrell's blunder a mile away. Ned Stark himself showed a surprising amount of anger as he slammed his fist hard into his table, which brought a grin to King Robert's face before he glared at Mace Tyrell.

"Lord Mace Tyrell, you-" Before Robert could finish, Nathan gave a carefree laugh as he raised his hand.

"My King, if you would allow me to speak up," Nathan said in a carefree tone, making Robert pause before he nodded, leaning back in his chair. Nathen then looked to Mace Tyrell, who simply gave Nathan a cocky smile. "Lord Tyrell, while I am the youngest noble in this room, my actions in recent years are a testament to my skill and maturity. Thus, my words would hold weight and reason in such discussions."

"That may be true, Nathan Stark," Mace Tyrell said, his tone arrogant. "Yet I doubt you did such things all on your own, you relied on the help of more experienced Lords to aid you in your victory."

"Of course I did," Nathan said with a raised brow, making Lord Tyrell stagger at the blunt response. "It may sound arrogant, but I am talented, however, I am not so arrogant to think I know everything. Older Lords and Nobles with years of experience have given their opinions on such matters, and I would have to be the biggest fool in Westeros to not listen." Nathan said with a scoff, before he glared down at Lord Tyrell, making the Fat Flower flinch at the sudden hard face. "Yet in the end, it was I who decided what plan to use, how to act, and how to prepare. While the Lords of the North were a vital part in all of our victories, I played no small part myself, since it was I who chose what plan to follow and how to act."

Hearing Nathan's words, Mace Tyrell couldn't help but look at Nathan in shock. To hear such confidence in a boy around the same age as his children was shocking, to say the least. Looking to the Lords of the North, Mace expected to see some reaction from them, Lords of the North on Nathan's words, contempt, anger, and amusement at the very least.

Mace Tyrell saw none of this.

What the Lord of the Reach saw was complete devotion to Nathan's words, every Lord of all ages agreeing with a young noble who was barely a man, which seemed to baffle Mace's mind to no end.

Seeing Lord Tyrell's flustered state made Robert grin before he waved his hand. "Sit down, Lord Mace, Lord Nathan has proven himself to speak."

Hearing the King's words, Mace sat down, his eyes not meeting Nathan's or Robert's as he sipped a goblet of wine.

With that, King Robert looked to Nathan. "Now, Lord Nathan, please continue," He said as he sipped his wine.

Nathan nodded before looking ahead. "As I said, we need to attack Castle Pyke as soon as possible, " Nathan said in a confident tone, not flinching at the judgmental looks he was receiving. "Balon has had weeks to prepare to resist a large attack. Once he learns of the main army landing, he will only prepare more, perhaps even sending a large raiding party to burn Lordsport with use."

"No Lord worth their salt would needlessly kill their people," A Lord shouted, getting a few agreements.

"The Ironborn aren't like the Lords of Westeros," Nathan said in an ominous tone while glaring at the Lord. "Most of Lordsport is currently filled with Thralls, which the Ironborn see little more than cattle. And like cattle, they will slaughter what they see as theirs if it can gain them victory, however small it might be." Nathan said in a dark tone before he looked at King Robert. "My King, we have more than enough people to siege Castle Pyke, as with the losses at the Battle of Windhelm, and your brother, Balon Greyjoy should have no more than 10,000, and at the very least a few thousand."

This caused all the lords to start talking and whispering, and a few started to come to Nathan's side, as their current numbers were well over 50,000.

"With our numbers, we can end the war in a day, not to mention we have several seasoned lords who can take command if necessary," Nathan said before he sat back down. "Why wait and give our enemy time to prepare or attack? We have more than enough men to end this war today."

Robert gave a wide grin and slammed his hand into the table. "Well I'm convinced, we will attack Castle Pyke tomorrow!"

This brought cheers throughout the room, and Nathan smirked, glad his words got through to the king.

"We march for Castle Pyke at dawn tomorrow. Everyone rest, drink, and be ready to win this war." With that, the King and the nobles of Westeros started to celebrate. Nathan noticed a few Lords leave as soon as the King gave permission.

Turning to his uncle, Nathan smiled as he was poured some wine. "Uncle, let us catch up and tell of our campaigns against the Ironborn," Nathan said as he had a servant bring Ned some wine.

Ned gave a small sigh before he smiled and took the wine. "Well, we fortunately didn't suffer much loss..." Ned started to explain while Nathan paid close attention.

As Ned started to talk, Nathan's eyes caught a glimpse of Lord Tywin exiting the room. The Old Lion glanced back before leaving the room with his people.

Nathan didn't hold back his smile as he sipped his wine. Nathan knew Tywin saw Red Rain on his hip, and Nathan knew the Old Lion wanted the sword. Tywin seeing the sword, if at only a glimpse, would spark the soon bargaining with the North gaining a mountain of gold.

"Your move, Tywin Lannister," Nathan thought before resting his hand on Red Rain.

---

"So that was Nathan Stark," Jamie Lannister said while rubbing his chin. "Have to say, I thought he would be taller." The young man said with some amusement.

Tywin sighed at his son's cocky attitude. "You underestimate others too much, Jamie, as always," Tywin said as he sat down in a luxury chair aboard his ship, one he purchased from the Reach to replace the ship he lost. "Especially that boy."

The Old Lion of House Lannister has been keeping an ear open ever since the Ironborn attacked Lannisport, and what he heard most of was about the North, more specifically, Nathan Stark.

First, Tywin heard of the Battle of Windhelm, where the North repelled the Ironborn from a surprise attack, gaining a collection of ships. The young Stark showed a surprising amount of cunning and wisdom when he used both his lands and his Lords, and even Tywin himself was impressed, given the boy's age.

Tywin also heard that the young Stark boy had a sharp tongue, able to sway the King and other nobles to his ideas, and from what Tywin just saw it wasn't a one-time act.

"How so?" Jamie asked with a raised brow. "The boy looked like he could barely swing a sword, hell, he barely reaches my shoulders."

Tywin sighed at his son's bravado, while Jamie was one of the greatest swordsmen in Westeros, thanks to his talent and skill, that was his only great skill, as he was lacking in many areas, despite years of Tywin's teachings, unfortunately.

"You should keep your ears open, Jamie," Keven Lannister, Tywin's younger brother, said as he poured Tywin and himself some water. "While most nobles are known for their empty boasting, all of Nathan Stark's claims seem to be true, especially with not a single Northern Lord voicing their disagreements."

Tywin nodded in agreement. Not a single Lord of the North disagreed with Nathan Stark's claims, not for a second, they all seemed to support all claims. This said a lot, as the Northern Lords weren't known for hiding their emotions very well. This meant that Nathan Stark's claims were true or at the very least the Northern Lords believed it to be true.

Before Jamie could open his mouth, Tywin raised his hand, cutting his son off.

"If you had been paying attention, you would realize that the North is winning this foolish war," Tywin said with a glare, making his son tense up.

After a few long moments, Jamie finally spoke up. "H-How is the North winning?" The Knight asked with some hesitation. "Isn't all of Westeros winning against the Ironborn?"

Tywin sighed and rubbed his forehead at his son, who, as always, missed the details and only saw the big picture.

"Jamie, I always told you that war is pointless in the grand scheme," Tywin said as he folded his hands. "War wastes time, gold, and useful people when all three can be used for anything more productive." The Old Lion said with a sharp glare in his eyes. "I will not hesitate to end a war by any means, but I see war as nothing but throwing gold away and gaining very little in return."

Most Nobles will simply go to war for the so-called glory and honor, or perhaps to build connections, yet besides that, almost every war in Westeros had gained little for either side with a few exceptions.

"From what I saw, the North has gained many ships from the Ironborn, giving them a fleet. They have also lost little to no men in this conflict while every other Lord has lost dozens if not hundreds of men." Tywin said while sipping his water. "Yet that pales compared to what the North gained during the Battle of Windhelm, the Valyrian Steel sword of House Drumm."

Tywin heard of House Stark gaining a Valyrian sword, as it was on the lips of many. Tywin saw this as a chance to gain that sword for House Lannister, to replace the lost sword Brightroar that was lost almost 300 years ago.

"House Stark already has a Valyrian sword, they do not need another," Tywin said, his voice serious as his brother and son both looked at him. "Most likely the young Stark will sell the sword, and House Lannister will be the one to buy."

Keven pressed his lips before he spoke up, with some hesitation. "Brother, no doubt the young Stark knows this and will demand a great deal of gold, gold we will need to rebuild the Lannister fleet-"

"We are far from poor Keven," Tywin said in a firm tone, causing Keven to clamp his mouth shut. "Even with the destruction of our fleet, we can easily rebuild in a matter of years. As for gold, we'll just need to increase the production of the mines to compensate."

Yet despite his words, Tywin knew Keven's words held weight. If House Lannisters ended up spending more gold than they could mine, it could potentially make the Lannisters look weak, and that was the last thing Tywin needed.

"Whatever is to come, House Lannister will gain that sword, even if we have to enter an agreement with House Stark to pay the cost over a set of time." Tywin thought as he drummed his finger. "I will invite Lord Nathan to Casterly Rock for the Grand Tourney."

Tywin had decided to host a tourney once the Ironborn had been defeated. This would show that despite the damage from the surprise attack, House Lannister was still strong and would rebuild. It would also showcase the wealth and prosperity of both House Lannister and Lannisport compared to the rest of Westeros.

While Tywin did think the Ironborn Rebellion was pointless and a waste of time, the war brought an opportunity for House Lannister to rise higher and finally gain a Valyrian Sword.

"This can also be a chance to judge the young Stark and see his talent. To know if he will one day become a worthy ally... or a dangerous enemy." Tywin thought as he slowly sipped his water, his thoughts running in his head as his brother and son stood silently.

---

Nathan sighed as he walked back to his room, trying to shake the drunkenness off as his head buzzed a little. Nathan had drunk his fill and caught up with his uncle, the King, and Domeric before the young Stark left. He wanted to be well-rested for the final battle tomorrow.

"The final battle," Nathan thought as his mind drifted, remembering the past year since he returned to White Harbor.

So much happened over the past year, battles fought, victories won, new friends, and riches gained. Despite Nathan's hate of the war, he saw the gains and opportunities, such as the fleet gained for the North, and the bounty of gold and treasures gained from House Botley in their castle. After counting everything worth something from jewels and gold, to armor and tools, Nathan estimated the total wealth of House Botley to be somewhere around 20,000 gold, which was nothing to scoff at.

"What was the one saying Domeric told me, 'There is always something to gain even in the worst of times, '" Nathan thought as he opened the door to his room and what he saw made him pause.

Mya Stone panted softly as she swung her sword with both hands. She wore simple small clothes as sweat dripped down her body, something that Nathan took notice of.

"Now this is something I can get used to," Nathan said as he walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

Mya smiled as she lowered her sword, used to Nathan popping in without a sound by now, as she looked at the young Stark. "Me covered in sweat gets you excited?"

"And why shouldn't it," Nathan said as he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Mya, her hands grabbing her ass in a firm grip, causing her to gasp and moan. "Your scent would drive any man wild." He whispered into her ear before kissing her neck.

Mya moaned at Nathan's action, her body heating up to an uncomfortable level given she was just training. Mya suddenly felt Nathan suck on a spot that made her moan loudly, as her body shook.

"W-wait, Nathan, I'm all sweaty!" Mya said as she realized how sweaty her body was and didn't want Nathan to find her disgusting. Yet despite her words, Mya ran her fingers through Nathan's hair, loving the feeling of the young Stark's hair in her hands as he never pulled back.

"That just makes me want you more." Nathan breathed into her ear before giving it a lick.

Mya shuddered before she acted. Grabbing Nathan's hair in a rough grip, Mya pulled Stark's head back before smashing her lips to Nathan's kissing him deeply. Nathan returned the kiss without hesitation as his hands started to caress Mya's body, the two moaning with need.

Suddenly, before Nathan could react, Mya pushed Nathan to the bed, getting a startled cry from the Stark.

Looking up, Nathan was surprised to see a sharp smile on Mya's face as she slowly started to take her clothes off until the Vale girl was naked, and Nathan noticed something different. Before, Mya would blush like a maiden and try to cover herself with her hands. Now, the young woman stood proudly before Nathan, yet the young Stark could still see the faint redness of her cheeks.

Mya then climbed onto Nathan before straddling his hips. The young Stark looked up at Mya with pure amazement as he gently rested his hands on her legs.

"Tomorrow is the final battle," Mya said seriously, something Nathan noticed as he looked up. "I've heard we march tomorrow and end the Ironborn Rebellion. I don't know much of war... but I know anything could happen to either of us." She said with a shaky sigh, making Nathan give a somber look.

Nathan more than understood what Mya meant.

Anything could happen in a battle. Nathan knew that perfectly well since the Battle of Windhelm, where he nearly lost his life multiple times. History is riddled with Lords, nobles, and knights who lost their lives to stray arrows, falling from their horses, being trampled on, or some random footsoldier who managed to get a lucky hit.

Such things could happen to either of them, and that was a reality they both accepted.

"Which is why..." Mya said as she grabbed Nathan's right hand and placed it on her breast while looking down at Nathan with a sultry look on her face. "If something were to happen tomorrow, I wish to have no regrets."

Nathan couldn't help but gulp loudly at Mya's words. The young Stark would be lying if he said Mya's words didn't excite him, yet the young Stark couldn't stop his noble mouth.

"Mya, if you are not ready yet-"

Mya pressed a finger to Nathan's lips while looking at him amusedly. "Nathan, I love that noble spirit of yours, but sometimes you need to stop thinking with your head and think with your cock."

To emphasize her point, Mya rocked her hips hard, grinning as she felt Nathan's member grow hard, and for good reason. To see Mya grow so bold took Nathan's breath away, who was Nathan to deny a woman her wants when he wanted the same thing?

Lemon-Start

Pulling his shirt off, Mya leaned down and smashed her lips to Nathan as the two kissed each other.

It was a hungry, primal kiss as the two moaned and groaned together, Mya running her hands through Nathan's hair and chest, her nails digging into his skin as she slowly dragged them down. This made Nathan groan loudly as he felt a mix of slight pain and pleasure. Suddenly, Mya grabbed the hem of Nathan's pants and started to pull them down.

Pulling back, Mya looked down at Nate with a grin. "I can feel how much you want me, Nathan."

Mya yanked Nathan's pants down, his cock springing free and smacking against her belly. Nathan groaned at the feeling of Mya's skin on his cock as he grabbed her ass hard while jerking his hips up, Mya gasping as she felt Nathan rub against her.

"Mya," Nathan said with a low growl as he suddenly stood up, making Mya yelp as she wrapped her legs around Nathan's waist as he held her by her ass. "I've wanted you the moment I saw you."

Nathan then gently threw Mya onto the edge of the bed before he loomed over her with a playful grin. The young woman blushed yet continued to smile as she ran her hands over Nathan's chest.

"I thought you were the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on... and my only wish was to see you naked," Mya said with her eyes fluttering.

Nathan smirked at Mya's playful words as he kicked off his pants, the two lovers both naked as the day they were born. Nathan then leaned forward and ran his hands up Mya's sides before cupping her breasts. He slowly ran his thumbs over her nipples, marveling at how hard they were. Nathan also enjoyed the small gasps and moans coming from Mya as she tried not to squirm.

Licking his lips, Nathan suddenly brought his mouth to Mya's left breast and took the pink nub in his mouth.

This made Mya gasp loudly as her back arched, making Nathan smile.

"I once read women will like this," Nathan thought as he pulled off Mya's tit with a wet pop before giving the nub a playful bite, not too hard to hurt, but hard enough to feel.

Nathan then slowly ran his hand down Mya's stomach before he reached his target, and what he felt made him grin.

"You're wet," Nathan said as he fact as he felt a dampness on Mya's cunt while also marveling at the heat he felt. "Are you wet for me, Mya?" Nathan asked in a playful tone as he dragged his fingers over Mya's cunt slowly.

"You know I fucking am," Mya said with a hiss as she squeezed her eyes shut, making Nathan grin grow. "I've... I've never felt anything like this!"

Mya had little to no experience in making love, her previous lover kissed her and played with her breasts with lust but little affection. Nathan was the only man who had ever seen her naked, who made her feel as if she was on fire, who made her want to rip his clothes off and have him mount her and make her his woman. What Nathan was doing to her was sending her mind into a pleasant haze, and Mya felt as if something was coiling in her stomach.

Nathan continued to move his hand while sucking her breasts, feeling the dampness grow with every second. Nathan never wanted to admit it to anyone, but he was doing such a thing to Mya because he read about it in a book.

The book was from Dorne and it went into great detail on lovemaking and sex, on how to please a woman and how they could please a man. One thing the book stressed was that for a woman's first time, the man must be gentle at first and the woman must be wet with arousal.

Looking up at Mya's flushed face as she writhed in pleasure made Nathan grin, loving the look on Mya's face as she struggled to control her hips.

Then, without warning, Nathan drew his hand away.

"Huh," Mya blinked as she looked at Nathan with confusion and slight disappointment. "Why... why did you stop?" Mya asked while panting heavily.

"I believe you are wet enough," Nathan said as he held up his hand, which was covered in Mya's nectar. "Also, I don't think I can hold back much longer," Nathan said as he glanced down, making Mya do the same.

Mya blushed and bit her lower lip as she saw Nathan's cock. It was an intimidating size before, but now, it looked as hard as a stone and was twitching every second.

"By the Gods," Mya said as her jaw dropped slightly. "That's... that's going inside me?" Mya asked with some disbelief.

"It is if you want to feel better," Nathan said as he stroked his cock with the hand that was covered in Mya's nectar. "We can do this however you want, Mya."

Mya smiled at Nathan's caring tone, knowing that most men would simply throw their women over a barrel and fuck them from behind. But not Nathan, never Nathan as he truly cared for Mya, and she cared for him.

"Well, it's my first time," Mya said as she tried to think of a position that would bring her the most pleasure, but was drawing a blank.

"It's my first time too," Nathan said, getting a surprised look from Mya. "I have read a book from Dorne that explained a position that would be suitable for girls for their first time."

Mya couldn't help but snicker softly, knowing Nathan had a love for books surprisingly enough, given how skillful the young man was at swords and warfare.

"Then I will leave it to you," Mya said as Nathan smiled and kissed her, making the young woman moan.

Soon the two were full only of the bed, with Nathan above Mya. The two young lovers gazed at each other, with Mya gently running her hands over Nathan's chest.

Secretly, Mya loved looking at Nathan's chest and arms, always marveling at his muscles and physique. Some of her favorite moments were seeing Nathan train, or the way he carried her in his arms.

"They say a man with a strong physique makes for a strong lover," Mya thought as she licked her lips.

Nathan moved between Mya's legs and rested the tip of his cock against Mya's cunt, the two shuttering with anticipation. Nathan looked into Mya's eyes as the young woman gave a shaky nod, as the young woman spread her legs wider.

Without a word, Nathan pushed himself forward.

Nathan and Mya didn't hold back their moans as Nathan slowly entered the Vale girl. Both felt intense heat and pleasure as Nathan made sure to move slowly.

Suddenly, Nathan felt something, a barrier, and stopped.

Nathan and Mya looked at one another, knowing what it was that Nathan felt.

Her Maidenhood.

Leaning up and kissing Nathan on the lips, Mya pulled back with a smile.

"Take me Nathan."

That was all that needed to be said before Nathan pushed deeper, slowly turning Mya into a woman.

"Ah!" Mya winced in pain as she clawed at Nathan's back. "F-fuck that hurts!"

Nathan shuddered as he struggled not to move. While Nathan felt bad at causing Mya pain, he marveled at the amazing feeling of the two being joined.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear before he started to kiss her neck, hoping to ease the pain away.

Mya took a deep breath and nodded. "It's okay, just... go slow."

Nathan kissed her forehead gently and pushed in further, feeling her tighten around him. He held still for a moment, giving her time to adjust to the new sensation. Her walls clamped down around him, and he felt a slight warmth as he broke through her maidenhead. She gasped again, but this time, the pain was quickly replaced by a deeper, more primal feeling.

Her eyes searched his, looking for reassurance. "Keep going," she whispered, her voice filled with urgency.

Nathan took a deep breath and began to move, his hips rolling into hers with a gentle rhythm. Mya's initial gasp of pain soon turned into one of pleasure as her body began to acclimate to his size. He felt her muscles relax around him, allowing him to glide in and out more easily.

Her moans grew louder, her nails digging into his back as she matched his pace, her hips rising to meet each of his thrusts. The feeling of her warm, wet embrace was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and he knew he would want more of the amazing women beneath him even after they were finished.

Nathan leaned down, kissing her softly as he picked up the pace, his strokes growing stronger and more confident. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her heels digging into his backside as she urged him to go deeper, to fill her completely.

Their bodies moved in perfect harmony, their moans and gasps melding into one symphony of passion. The candles flickered on the nightstand, casting shadows across the room as the lovers lost themselves in each other's embrace.

"F-fucking hell," Mya moaned as she looked up at Nathan, a grin growing on her face. "We... we should have done this weeks ago."

Nathan chuckled as he kissed her nose. "Better late than never," he murmured before kissing her again, this time more passionately as he continued to move in and out of her.

Her legs tightened around him, pulling him closer as she started to rock her hips in sync with his movements. The pain was gone, replaced with a delicious ache that grew stronger with each stroke. Mya felt as though she was being claimed, owned by the young man she came to care for, and she reveled in the sensation.

Nathan watched her intently, his eyes never leaving hers as he pushed deeper. He felt the beginnings of his climax building, a tightness in his balls that grew with every thrust. He wanted to make sure she was ready, to ensure that her first time was as pleasurable as it could be. Leaning down, Nathan took her left breast into his mouth, biting and pulling on her hard nipple softly before moving to the right.

Mya's eyes glazed over, and she moaned louder, her breath hitching as she felt something new, something building deep within her. Her legs quivered as she felt the beginnings of her release.

Nathan noticed the change in her and knew she was close. Pulling off her nipple with a wet-pop, he picked up his pace, driving into her with more force. He could feel her walls tightening around him, and he knew she was about to come apart.

"Nathan... I... I think I'm going to..." she panted out, unable to form coherent sentences.

"Come for me, Mya," he encouraged, his voice strained with his need. "Let go."

Her eyes widened, and she did just that, her body arching as she screamed. "N-Nathan!"

Mya's inner muscles clamped down on him, and the sensation was too much for him to hold back. With a final roar, he emptied himself into her, feeling a mind-numbing pleasure as his balls tightened before filling Mya with his seed.

The two of them lay there, panting and sweaty, their bodies tangled together. Mya's legs slowly fell away from his waist, and she pulled him closer, nestling into his chest.

"That was..." she began, but her voice trailed off as she searched for the right words. "Something we definitely should have done weeks ago." She said with a small laugh.

Nathan chuckled, his heart swelling with affection for her. "Aye, but it was worth the wait," he said, stroking her hair gently.

Nathan then pulled out of Mya before he laid next to her. The afterglow of what they just did together was still showing as Nathan grabbed Mya's hand.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," Nathan said, a bit of regret in his voice as he remembered the pain Mya was in earlier.

Mya gave a light chuckle and kissed Nathan's cheek. "Nathan, from what I've heard, every woman's first time is painful. Honestly, I'm probably one of the lucky ones," She said as she gave her lover a sultry look. "My lover knew what he was doing and made me feel amazing."

Nathan couldn't help but blush at her words, feeling a sense of pride that he had managed to give her pleasure even through the pain. "I'm glad I wasn't the only one who felt good," Nathan said as his eyes trailed Mya's naked body, loving how it was both flushed and covered in a shine of sweat from the sex.

Mya blinked as she saw Nathan's cock quickly harden back to life right before her eyes. "Again, so soon?" Mya couldn't help but ask with some shock. From what she heard from other women, it would have taken a lot longer before a man was hard again.

"I have quite the appetite tonight," Nathan said with a grin before he leaned in and kissed her again.

Mya couldn't resist returning the kiss, her desires flaring up once more as she felt the heat from his body. The taste of him was still on her tongue, and she realized that she didn't want this night to end.

With a grin, Mya rolled on top of Nathan and straddled his waist while putting her hands on his chest.

"If you want to go again, I be more than happy to... help," Mya said with a lustful giggle as she grabbed Nathan's cock in her hands and gently squeezed it.

Nathan groaned as Mya started to stroke him, her hands feeling like paradise against his sensitive member. He watched as her breasts swayed with every stroke she gave him, her eyes filled with desire as she watched his reaction.

Mya would be lying if she said she didn't love Nathan's reaction. To get such a reaction from Nathan filled Mya with a sense of power she never felt before.

"You're going to wear me out, woman," Nathan said with a chuckle, his breaths still heavy from their previous love making. Placing his hands on her shapely hips, Nathan stubbed his cock against her wet folds. "But don't act like you don't want me too," Nathan said in a challenging tone.

Mya's eyes lit up at his words as she leaned down and whispered into his ear, "You know I do." She said before her hips rose before bringing herself down slowly on Nathan's cock.

The two young lovers moaned in pleasure, neither feeling any pain or discomfort as they started another round of sex.

Mya felt a bit sore from the first time, but the pain was gone now, replaced with a delicious feeling of fullness as she sat on top of Nathan. The young Stark looked up at her, his eyes filled with affection and desire as he watched her move above him.

"F-Fuck..." Mya moaned as she bit her lip. "How-How are you deeper than before?" Mya breathed as she slowly started to move her hips up and down, her tits jiggling with every move.

Nathan watched her with pure fascination, feeling his cock twitch as he watched her body move. "I guess I was holding back a bit earlier," he said with a grin, his eyes never leaving her.

Mya's cheeks grew hot with both arousal and embarrassment at her boldness, but she didn't stop. She felt in control, powerful, and it was a feeling she never knew she could experience.

Nathan's hands slid from her hips to her ass, gripping her firmly as he pushed up to meet her. His thrusts grew stronger, filling her completely. Mya threw her head back with a moan, her hair cascading over her shoulders, and her eyes closed as she rode him.

The sound of flesh slapping against flesh filled the room as the two lovers moaned. They both felt pleasure building up as their bodies started to heat up. Their movements became more energetic with every second, showing their growing arousal.

"Yes, like that," Mya panted as she leaned down and kissed him, her breasts bouncing as she rode him. "You fuck me so good Nathan."

Those words shocked Nathan, yet they also aroused him greatly. Thrusting up extra hard, Nathan loved the look of shock on Mya's face as she squealed in the sudden spike of pleasure.

"Do you know how long I've wanted to fuck you, Mya?" Nathan asked with an almost animalistic growl as he threw his hips up again, making Mya moan as she pushed her hands on his chest for support. "Since the Battle of Windhelm when you jumped in to save me. You were amazing, beautiful, you took my breath away. It took everything I had not to take you that very night."

Hearing the blatant desire of Nathan filled Mya with a sense of power and purpose. To think that she, a bastard girl from the Vale, would have this effect on the heir of House Stark and the North was both shocking and flattering to say the least.

With a fierce look on her face, she leaned down and whispered into his ear. "Then why don't you fuck me like you've wanted to all this time?" Mya said with a smirk, her voice filled with both passion and challenge.

Nathan took her words to heart and acted. Slapping his hands down on Mya's ass, Nathan gave an animalistic growl before he thrust his hips up and didn't stop. Mya screamed at Nathan's actions, but didn't back down as she met Nathan's thrusts by slamming her hips down.

Their movements grew erratic, their moans and gasps mixing as they lost themselves in the moment. The bed beneath them groaned and squeaked in protest as they pushed it to its limits while the sounds of flesh clapping filled the room.

The candlelight danced across their skin, highlighting the sweat that glistened as they moved together. Mya leaned back, placing her hands on Nathan's legs for leverage, allowing her to grind down harder on Nathan's cock. She watched his face, the way his eyes squeezed shut and his jaw clenched with every thrust. Her face was flushed red as sweat dripped down her body, her body giving her a pleasant ache with every movement.

Her breathing grew ragged as the sensations grew more intense. "Harder," she whispered, her voice a mix of need and demand.

Nathan responded by gripping her hips tightly and pounding into her with all the pent-up desire he had held back since they first met. Each thrust sent waves of pleasure crashing through her body, making her walls quiver around him. She threw her head back, feeling her eyes start to roll into the back of her head.

"Harder!" She demanded again, this time louder than before, not caring if anyone heard her.

Nathan didn't need any more encouragement as he started to fuck her with more vigor, his hips moving like an animal in heat. Nathan's balls slapped against her legs and ass with every thrust, reminding Mya they were filled with Nathan's seed. The bed was creaking with every thrust, but the lovers paid no mind to the noise. All that mattered was the pleasure they were giving each other.

Mya's moans grew louder, filling the room as she felt herself getting closer and closer to the edge. "Yes, yes, yes," she chanted, her breaths coming in short gasps as she felt an orgasm building inside her.

Nathan's eyes were glued to her bouncing breasts as he watched her ride him, the sight of her in ecstasy was more than he could handle. He knew he was close as well, his body tensing as he felt his climax approaching.

"I'm... I'm going to cum," he warned through gritted teeth, his voice strained with passion.

"Cum inside me, Natha-" Mya's words were cut off as she was overwhelmed by a powerful orgasm that made her entire body spasm around him. "OH F-FUCK!"

Her cunt squeezed down on his cock, and he could feel her juices flooding around him as she came. It was the most erotic sight he had ever seen, and it was all he could take. With a roar, he buried himself deep inside her, releasing his hot seed into her womb.

Mya's eyes shot open as she felt the warmth of his cum fill her up, and she moaned in satisfaction. She had never felt so alive, so connected to another person. The two were locked in place before she collapsed onto him, her body limp and exhausted from the intense orgasm.

Nathan's arms wrapped around her, holding her tight as they both rode out the aftershocks of their passion. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he could feel hers against his ribs. He kissed her forehead, feeling her breath against his neck as she tried to catch her breath.

"That was... incredible," Mya murmured, her voice still shaky from the intensity of their love-making.

Nathan's chuckle was low and warm against her skin. "Indeed it was," he agreed, stroking her back as they both lay there, catching their breath.

Their bodies remained joined for several moments, neither one of them willing to break the intimate connection. The candles had burned low, casting a soft glow across the rumpled sheets and their sweat-drenched forms and fluids.

Finally, with a gentle groan, Nathan pulled out of her, and they both lay back, panting and exhausted. Mya felt a sense of contentment wash over her that was unlike anything she had ever experienced. The pain from earlier was now a distant memory, replaced by the warmth of pleasure that still lingered in her body.

They lay in silence for a few moments, their hearts racing and their chests heaving. Then, with a soft sigh, Mya looked over at him, her eyes filled with affection and a hint of mischief. "So, you read a Dornish book, did you?"

Nathan couldn't help but blush. "Aye, it had some... useful information," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I did not want to seem... to inexperienced for my first time."

Mya giggled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "You? Inexperienced?" She leaned over and kissed him gently. "You were perfect, Nathan. Far better than I could have ever imagined."

Nathan's face grew even redder at her praise, but he felt a surge of pride knowing he had pleasured her. "I'm glad it was... good for you," he said, his voice low and gruff.

Mya rolled onto her side and propped herself up on an elbow, looking at him with affection and curiosity. "What else did you learn from that book?" she asked playfully.

Nathan grinned, feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time. "Well," he began, "It spoke of various ways to pleasure a woman, different positions, and... how to use one's tongue."

Mya's cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink at the latter's mention. "Tell me more," she urged, her voice filled with curiosity.

Nathan leaned in closer, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "It said that a man's tongue can be as mighty as a sword in the right hands," he whispered, tracing the curve of her ear with the tip of his nose. "The book also said a woman could bring a man to his knees with her mouth alone, if she knew how to use it."

Mya's eyes went wide with intrigue, her breath catching in her throat. "Is that so?" she replied, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Well, the Dronish are known for their... ways of flesh."

Nathan nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "They certainly know a thing or two," he said, his hand trailing down her spine to the curve of her ass. "But I think we have plenty to learn from each other, as well."

Mya blinked as she felt Nathan's cock re-harden and she looked down with a shocked expression. "Again? But you just came!"

Nathan chuckled and leaned in to kiss her neck. "It seems I can't get enough of you, Mya."

Mya couldn't help but be thrilled at his words, feeling a surge of desire once more. "Well, I suppose we should make the most of the night," she said, her voice a mix of breathlessness and excitement. "But fuck me, I am going to be sore tomorrow."

Nathan chuckled and kissed her. "We'll go slow, I promise," he murmured, gently caressing her cheek. "But if you're up for it, I'd love to explore some of those other things the book mentioned," Nathan said, his smile wide with mischief.

Mya's eyes sparkled with excitement as she leaned in closer, her breath hot against his skin. "Show me," she whispered, her hand sliding down his chest and grasping his erection again.

Nathan growled in arousal at Mya's forwardness. Gone was the shy girl who blushed at the smallest touch, now here was a woman who knew what she wanted.

"You better prepare Mya Stone; I'm going to release everything I saved up since the Battle of Windhelm," Nathan growled in a playful and challenging tone.

Mya's heart raced at his words, a thrill of excitement shooting through her as she felt his cock twitch against her leg. "Bring it on, Nathan Stark."

Lemon-Ended

Nathan panted slowly but heavily. His body was covered in sweat and other fluids, a pleasant ache pulsing through his body. Looking down, Nathan saw a sleeping Mya as she used his chest as a pillow, bringing a smile to his face. They had spent a good portion of the night in passion, and once Mya was done she drank some Moon Tea before she fell asleep.

"To think this war would bring you into my life," Nathan said softly as he kissed Mya's head.

Nathan knew he had a duty to House Stark, he would have to fulfill, but for now, he simply wanted to enjoy his time with Mya. However short it may be.

"Looks like Smalljon was right..." Nathan said before he snorted. "There's something I don't see myself saying often."

Looking out a window, Nathan saw the moon high in the sky. Nathan knew he needed rest for the final battle tomorrow, yet his mind started to race.

Over the last few months so much has happened. With lives lost, glory and riches gained, relationships made, and so much more.

"The end of a long road is near," Nathan said as he closed his eyes and will his body to sleep.

---

21N: I! LIVE! AGAIN!

What's up, everyone? Sorry for the long wait. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and the others I have planned.

Alright, time to go down the list and explain why I did certain things in the story.

1) Lord Harlaw surrendering: It's stated in the books that Lord Harlaw was the only Ironborn who was against the Rebellion and tried to get Balon to give up. Lord Harlaw is unlike all Ironborn as he listens to reason, and would see that there is no chance to beat the North. Also, given that Nathan has Lord Harlaw's sons, Lord Harlaw has a good reason to call for surrender. With Lord Harlaw surrendering, the other houses would be forced to surrender or face 20,000 soldiers with far fewer numbers. While the Ironborn are reckless and don't fear death much, they won't die pointlessly.

I know that everyone was hoping to read an epic battle between the North and the Ironborn, but that will happen in the next chapter.

2) Rewards: Nathan and the North have gained many rewards and prizes through the war, and I know some are having a hard time keeping track, so let me go down the list so far.

Rewards

Valyrian Steel Sword: Red Rain

Gold Total: 27,000. 7,000 from House Harlaw, and 20,000 taken from House Botley.

Ships Total: 134 ships, 80 warships and 54 trading ships.

3) Lemon: I hope everyone liked the lemon scene. I tried to make it something that would happen between two lovers who made love for the first time.

Well, that's all I have to say, please leave a comment and I hope to answer and questions.