Howl of the Seawolf (OC/SI)

[kaizerfox]

Howl of the Seawolf

By Kaizerfox​

Chapter 1

Excerpt from Houses of the North by Maester Tommen, Oldtown, 234 A.C.

…have been three cadet branches in the history of House Stark, of which only two continue to exist to this day and both considered among the "Great Houses" of the North.

The older of the two is House Karstark of Karhold, descended from Karlon Stark, a younger son of Winterfell that was founded sometime before 700 B.C. The records of the founding are scarce but it is believed Karlon Stark put down a rebel lord near the Grey Cliffs and was granted the defeated lord's lands. He initially named his newly built castle Karl's Hold, but over the centuries it became Karhold. House Karstark in the current era is one and are known for providing the brides of many Lords of Winterfell.

The younger of the two cadet branches is House Seastark of Castle Warg, descended from Benjen Stark, younger son of Winterfell that was founded around 250 B.C. after defeating an Ironborn invasion at Sea Dragon Point. When building his castle, he decided to build it at the tip of the peninsula on what he claimed were the ruins of the personal holdfast of the Warg King millennia ago. Whether this is true or not is unknown but the name Castle Warg stuck. Over time, an unnamed fishing village nearby to Castle Warg grew into Wolfsport, the largest trade port on the west coast of The North. Wolfsport is also home to a small fleet built by House Seastark to defend against Ironborn and Wildling raids…

The Trident, 281 A.C.

Consciousness came to me slowly, the soreness of my body coming with it. Must've drank too much again... was the stray thought that graced me first. Eyes still closed, I groaned and opened them, squinting to adjust to what I think is the morning light.

The sight that met me when they fully opened was the interior of a small tent and not my bedroom. As I tried to get up, I felt a soreness all over my body like I had gotten into a fight or something. I looked down at my stomach and saw it bandaged What the hell happened last ni-

A sudden, splitting headache assaulted me as I shut my eyes and grit my teeth. My brain felt like it was going to burst out of my skull as a flood of foreign memories washed over me.

Memories of a large castle of stone and wood and a grand hall where he attended feasts hosted by his family.

Memories of a training yard, where he spent countless hours learning the blade under Captain Donnel.

Memories of his family back home, younger brother Edric, his younger sister Breyna and his cousins Wyman, Jonnel and Yara and his mother Brienne nee Glover.

Memories of his father Torrhen Seastark, the tall, proud man raising him to be the future Lord of Castle Warg. The same man the most recent memories shown being cut down by what I think was a Kingsguard at the Battle of the Trident.

I winced at the memory even as the pain in my skull began to lessen. Apparently after watching my father be killed in front of me caused me (or is it him?) to scream in rage and attack the maybe-Kingsguard.

Looking at it objectively, I was damn lucky whoever he was that he was injured and tired before he even fought my father. Even uninjured and fueled by pure, unadulterated rage the bastard still managed to almost run his sword through my gut before I managed to stick him in the neck. I was doubly lucky that he missed. My luck must have promptly ran out because I was unfortunate enough to immediately get hit in the head with a mace and blacked out.

Wait. These aren't my memories. I thought to myself as some of my "normal" memories returned.

Memories of a suburban home in Northern Virginia playing video games but the faces of his family are blurred.

Memories of going to college, graduating with a major in history and working at Colonial Williamsburg, the faces blurred again.

Memories of being drunk with blurred-faced friends, getting behind the wheel, blinding lights, the sound of screeching tires…

I gripped my head as the pain returned with a vengeance. After a long moment, the pain began to recede and I could begin to think clearly again.

Right. I thought to myself as I looked around the tent to see I was alone.

I looked down at myself again and noticed my body seemed different. My body seemed to be younger and fitter than I remember. Instead of the twenty-seven-year-old body with a beer gut that never went away after college, I stared dumbly at a somewhat muscular sixteen-year-old body.

I moved my hands across the six-pack abs wondering if any of this was real, then pinched myself and felt a small sting. Feels real.

I looked around my tent and saw a suit of armor with a dent in the breastplate on a stand with my house sigil on it. A running black direwolf on a field of two horizontal stripes, the top one white, the bottom one cobalt blue. Seeing the sigil made me freeze as a name enter my mind: Hugo Seastark.

The name made me realize two things: The first was that I was in Westeros, specifically after the Battle of the Trident in 281 A.C. according to the "native" memories. The second is that Hugo Seastark and House Seastark should not exist because they didn't exist in the books or show.

What made the realization even more surreal and unbelievable is that despite this non-canonicity, I did know House Seastark. Very well in fact.

House Seastark was a custom house I made as a sub mod for a Crusaders Kings 3: A Game of Thrones Mod. The sub mod basically added House Seastark to Sea Dragon Point as a cadet branch of House Stark sworn directly to them. Complete with a full family tree and history so they could be playable across multiple bookmarks, a restored Warg King ruins renamed to Castle Warg (with premade military buildings) and a nearby port town called Wolfsport (with premade economic buildings).

I was no longer in my world; I was currently playing- No. Playing isn't the right word. I AM Hugo Seastark! I thought.

Hugo Seastark was the first character I created for sub mod. He was created for the 284 A.C. start date after Robert's Rebellion with the backstory him being a new lord in the North after his father dies at Battle of the Trident.

But then why is it 281 A.C. according to my memories from here? Right after the Trident no less? That doesn't match up with the books or the mod.

Footsteps caught my ear as I look to the tent flap being pushed opened by a tall but lean young man with shoulder-length brown hair parted in the middle like mine, and as he entered the tent, I saw his blue-gray eyes zero in on me. He saw me awake and smiled as I recognized him as Wyman Seastark, my cousin and oldest son of Walton Seastark, my uncle and my father's right hand and castellan.

"Hugo"! he cried in a relieved voice and wrapped his arms around me and hugged me close, causing me to let out a hiss of pain as my head began to hurt again. He immediately let go.

"Thank the Gods you're still alive! I thought we lost you too!" He said as the image of my father getting cut down flashes before my eyes.

"Father…" I mumble but my cousin heard me.

"Aye but you got the whoreson who killed him." He paused for a moment. "Do you know who it was and how fortunate you are to be alive?" He continued excitedly.

"A whoreson in pretty white armor?" I reply sarcastically.

"Not just any whoreson in pretty white armor. You killed Ser Jonothor Darry of the Kingsguard!" he exclaimed with a wide smile on his face. That made my eyes widened. So, it was a Kingsguard after all!

"Wyman" I start to say as visions of the battle flash before my mind briefly. "How long was I out?

"In a coma for two days, then briefly went woke up only to get a nasty fever that left you delirious for four days. My father and I were afraid our house was going to lose you too." he replied as my eyes widen.

I process the information. It sounds like the coma and fever was when my soul slipped in and… merged for a lack of a better word with Hugo's soul.

"What happened after the battle?" I ask as I try to recall the aftermath of the Battle of the Trident from what I remember from the books and show.

"After you lost consciousness, I managed to get you out of there. The battle was over at that point after Prince Rhaegar was killed by Lord Robert Baratheon. Lord Stark ordered us to gather our dead so their bones may be taken back to the North, including your father's." He paused briefly. "He and my father gathered the remaining horsemen left of both our houses and rode out two days ago with the Baratheon vanguard to King's Landing. The Lions finally decided to join the war on our side and are also marching to King's Land but for some reason Lord Stark wants to get there first?"

"Probably because they don't want Tywin Lannister getting there first and sacking the city we're supposed to liberating from the Targaryens." I reply absentmindedly as my mind starts to race.

"Hmm. That makes sense I guess." He responds and I'm reminded through memories that despite Wyman being a year older, a great sailor and a talented fighter, was kind of a moron when it came to politics.

Probably why I made him my admiral in my campaign. That and he had the Content trait. I mused before thinking about the upcoming canon events. The Sack of King's Landing, Aerys being killed by Jaime Lannister, the murder of Elia Martell and her children, the death of Lyanna Stark. Fuck, that's a lot of important canon events in a short amount of time and I'm too injured and far away to affect any kind of changes but more importantly,"

"What happens now?" I say the last apart aloud for my cousin to hear.

"Our soon-to-be King Robert was also injured in the battle and has recovered enough to travel so we march for King's Landing in a few hours but I'm going to get a Maester to look you over to see if you're in marching shape." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" I say, stopping him. "While you're at yet, can you get someone to bring me food and water?"

"Aye. Will do." He gives me a lazy wave as he exits the tent.

A few minutes later two servants come in, one bringing a plate of eggs, sausage, bread with a pitcher of water. I thanked them both before proceeding to devour the food in front of me while ignoring the strange look they gave me as they left.

A few minutes after I was done inhaling my food and chugging a pitcher of water, a middle-aged, portly man with salt and pepper colored short hair walked in. I didn't bother to learn his name when he introduced it as I let him give me the Westerosi equivalent of checkup. He gave me a clean bill of health once he was satisfied that my fever had gone but insisted to keep strenuous activities on the march to a minimum due to the head injury. I bid him thanks as he left.

As I started to get dressed to get ready to march all I could think was: What the hell was I gonna do when I got to King's Landing?

A/N: Hey, long time lurker here finally deciding to get off his ass and try to write his own timeline. The only things I'll tell you guys is that this my first story and I'm aiming to not use any AI. I wanted to do an SI fic but wanted to add a twist to the premise and this was the result after playing a CK3:AGOT campaign as House Forrester. Tell me what you guys think of the chapter and premise. Be honest! I'm looking for constructive feedback and criticism to improve my writing. Thanks for reading!
A/N2: I have a few chapters already written on other sites that I'll upload here daily until caught up.

 

[Jeman]

Well I'm very much interested! Definitely watched, and I'm curious if you're going to to bring gunpowder into Westeros. If you do remember man portable rocket launchers( I.e. tubes with firework/bottle rockets) are much easier to produce then cannons!

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 2

On the Road to King's Landing, 281 A.C.

The march to King's Landing from the newly named Ruby Ford takes roughly 8 days. I now know this because we were starting the fifth day of our march outside of Antlers, seat of the recently surrendered House Buckwell, and halfway point between the Ruby Ford and King's Landing. Four days has given me a lot of time to think while riding on horseback at the pace of the marching levies.

One of my first thoughts in those four days was which version of Westeros was I in, books or show? Judging from the banner colors I guessed it to be a mix of both. The Stark banners (and by extension my house banners) have the running direwolf of the books while the Boltons have the red, white, and dark blue flayed man of the show and the year being 281 means it's following the show's timeline.

This was immediately followed up by Wait. If I'm from a house I made for a CK3 mod, do I have console commands? After testing this out by thinking and speaking out loud (alone) words like "menu" "status" "console command" and nothing happening, I concluded I didn't possess any cheat powers.

I wasn't going to let that stop me from making changes to canon. I was arriving to King's Landing the same time as Robert Baratheon, which means Tywin Lannister will have already sacked the city and killed Elia and her children by the time we get there.

Can't change that. But maybe there are other things I can do, starting with this. I thought to myself as I sat in my tent and fiddled with what looked to be a circular, wooden powder box in my hands. One perk of being a lord is being able to have people do stuff while you're busy, like gathering the materials needed for me to pull a MacGyver. My thoughts were interrupted by my cousin entering the tent nursing a hangover.

"You looked like you had fun last night." I noted, deliberately talking a little loud and laughing at his grimace.

"Yeah, well, you'd have that fun last night too if hadn't left early." He replied before his eyes settled on what I was holding. "What's that?"

"The reason I left early last night, your servant Dagwell finally brought me the last thing I needed to make this." I handed him the box, he removed the saw two small nails, one painted red facing the entrance, tied to a strangle looking metal in the middle.

"Move around the tent and tell if you notice anything about the red nail." He did as I ask and began to slowly walk around the tent. I chuckled when I noticed his pace quicken, eyes widened but fixed solely on the nail.

"It always faces the same direction!" He turned me and sputtered "What magic is this!"

I rolled my eyes "No magic, the secret is the sticky stone." Sticky stone is local name for lodestone, at least in the North. I don't know about the other kingdoms other than the sticky stone Dagwell bought was from a wood witch of all people. From Hugo's memories, sticky stone was vaguely known throughout the North as a metal that makes weak iron and thus isn't mined or looked for. In Sea Dragon Point, sticky stone was more widely known a metal used for toys and knick-knacks thanks to a natural deposit near the village of Flatmire south of Castle Warg.

"The sticky stone causes the red nail to always face North, so you always know which direction you're going!"

Wyman eyes widened even further than I thought possible as he grasped the implications. "Imagine if our sea captains had this! They could sail as please without having worrying about hugging the coast or not being able to see the sun or stars! It could give us an advantage over the Ironfuckers" His voice grew more excited as he talked.

"Aye, that's the plan. Give all the captains of the Sunset Fleet one of those and we'll finally be able to match the squids in open water!" The Sunset Fleet was a fleet of 25 war galleys owned by House Seastark and the biggest butterfly their existence has had on the North. In canon, the west coast of the North is poor, rugged, sparsely populated, and subject to frequent Ironborn raids with the occasional Wildling raid thrown in for flavor. The existence of House Seastark and the Sunset Fleet changes that…somewhat. The fleet is just large enough to protect Sea Dragon Point and the Stony Shore from the usual Ironborn raid and working with the Mormont fleet of 10 war galleys, can protect Bear Island, the lands of House Glover and the Northern Mountain Clans from Wildlings. This has led to these lands being slightly richer and slightly more populated with Sea Dragon Point especially having more people and wealth than canon. Except Cape Kraken, those poor bastards are too far away and the fleet too small for us to effectively protect and get hit with extra raids due to the Ironborn throwing a tantrum they can't reave the rest of the North so if anything, they're worse off than canon.

"We can show this to the King today!" Wyman cut me out of my thoughts.

"The what?" I say caught off guard.

He chuckles. "Oh right. You left before the King announced who was riding with him today." King Robert (he wasn't king yet but everyone has been calling him one since the battle) chooses two houses each from the North, the Riverlands, the Vale and the Stormlands to personally ride with him and Jon Arryn each day with the roster changing to prevent favoritism.

"Who else is with us?" I ask.

"House Bolton and us from the North, Houses Cobray and Grafton from the Vale, Houses Bracken and Blackwood from the Riverlands, and Houses Fell and Buckler from the Stormlands."

"Sounds like an interesting bunch." I say as I start get ready.

A few hours later…

It did turn out to be an interesting bunch. After the greetings and polite courtesies, or in the case of Lord Blackwood and Lord Bracken, starring daggers at one another and quickly muttering greetings, the group rode and chatted before eventually splitting into two groups centered around the future king and future hand. King Robert had the Corbrays, Brackens, Blackwoods and Bucklers along with Wyman roaring with laughter at some jest, while I was in the group with Jon Arryn, Edric "the Silveraxe" Fell, Royce Bolton with his son Roose, and Gwayne Grafton with his son Gerold. We were discussing the politics of the realm and what was happening in the capital now that word had reached the army that the Mad King had been deposed and killed with the city sacked when I finally spotted an opportunity.

"It's deplorable that the head of the Alchemist Guild, a smallfolk no less, was made Hand of the King. Just goes to show how far the Dragons have fallen." Lord Gwayne said in a tone I can only describe as snooty. I saw the other lords nod and murmur in agreement.

"Aye, you speak true Lord Gwayne." I say giving a nod. "Though I admit to being more worried about the wyldfire they've been making than the damage to the prestige of the Iron Throne." The looks and murmurs and confusion were my only answer.

"Think about it. We had a Mad King known for liking wyldfire far too much making the head of the Alchemist Guild, the only people in the realm that knows how to make the stuff, Hand of the King and giving them free reign. If that wasn't bad enough I heard whispers from merchants how the guild was buying up ingredients in bulk, ingredients known or suspected to be used in the production of wyldfire."

"If that's true, then why didn't the Mad King use it against us or Lord Tywin?" Asked Edric Silveraxe and I shrugged.

"Probably didn't get the time to use it. Lord Tywin was let in to the city in the mistaken belief that he was on the Mad King's side only for him to take over before they could use it."

"How do you know about what the merchants of King's Landing are whispering." I hear Jon Arryn ask in a polite, yet skeptical tone.

I keep a calm face while scrambling an excuse in my head. "It's no secret my house trades a lot with the Westerlands and we've built ties with some of their merchants, merchants that also have a presence in the capital. It is through those merchants that I heard those whispers and if I've heard them, then it is possible Lord Tywin has as well."

"You suspect Lord Tywin is attempting to acquire for himself this supposed stash of wyldfire?" Royce Bolton said in a voice barely above a whisper. I ignored his and his son's creepy stares and shrugged.

"I don't claim to know Lord Tywin's objectives but there is a possibility that he knows of the wyldfire and if he does, do you really think he'd pass up the opportunity to seize it for himself." I respond to Royce but glance over to Jon Arryn giving me a calculating look. He opens his mouth to speak-

"WHAT SORCERY IS THIS!" is heard followed by a cacophony of excited and confused yells originating from Robert's group. We look over to see Ser Lyn Cobray pointing at something being held by the king but a small crowd of men blocked us from seeing what. As our group began to make our way over to investigate, we see Robert laugh and wave us over.

"JON! YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!" he boomed. As we got closer I could the king was holding a familiar round, wooden box. My eyes widen as I frantically check my saddle bags only to find no DIY compass. My gaze shifts to Wyman as Jon Arryn positions his horse next to Robert's to get a closer look at my invention. Wyman's eyes finally meet mine and he smiled sheepishly when I gave him a hard look that promised a talk later.

"Ah cousin! I was showing them your wayfinder." Wayfinder? I wondered briefly before suppressing a groan and a facepalm. I wanted to call it a "compass" like from Earth but Wyman complained that it was a bad name and that "wayfinder" was better. Looks like he got his way after all.

Before I could berate him for stealing my "wayfinder" I heard Robert call out "Lord Hugo! Did you truly make this with your own hands?" All the lords around him, which I noticed included men from several houses that weren't invited to ride with the king, snapped their heads to me and I was bombarded with a tide of comments and inquires.

"Made with his hands like a commoner!?" "What magic did you use?" "No way a Northerner made this!" "How much gold do you want for it?" "Make me one and you can marry my daughter!"

"Alright, alright, calm down and give him some room to breathe!" Robert raised his voice and quieted the crowd. "Well?" he looked at me questioningly, "Did you?"

"Yes, your grace I did make it with what materials my servant could acquire on the march." I answered.

"How does it work?" He immediately asked. I told him what I know about magnets and how they work (which admittedly isn't that much) and told him the citadel probably knows more than me on the subject. I saw his eyes (and those of several lords) glaze over as some or all my scientific explanation went over their heads.

Jon Arryn cleared his throat when I was done and spoke: "These wayfinders would be most useful for the ship captains in the Royal Navy." "You're right Jon!" Robert exclaimed as life seem to return to eyes. "Lord Hugo, can you make more, not just for me but for the Royal Navy once we deal with those damn dragons?" he asked with intense stare

"Ah... Sure your grace, I'll need a workshop, some hands to train and gold to buy the materials but it can be done." I replied, slightly taken aback and the king beamed.

"Good, Jon will sort out the details with you once we get settled in the Red Keep." He smiled and handed me my wayfinder back and trotting away to leave me with stares of the gathered lords. I spent the rest of the day's march answering questions, working out purchase orders from interested lords, and politely turning down marriage offers. Wyman is definitely getting latrine duty. I thought darkly to myself.

By the time we reached King's Landing, I was pretty damn sure everyone in our army from noble to smallfolk was talking about my "magic box".

A/N: Our SI brings his first invention to Westeros, tries to warn Jon Arryn about the wyldfire and gives some exposition on the North. Not much to say on my end other than wanted House Seastark's existence to have noticeable butterflies in the North while not changing canon too much. The North is overall stronger with House Seastark's existence, but not that much stronger and that new strength is concentrated solely on the North's west coast with the exception of Cape Kraken.
Hope you guys enjoy!

 

[kaizerfox]

Well I'm very much interested! Definitely watched, and I'm curious if you're going to to bring gunpowder into Westeros. If you do remember man portable rocket launchers( I.e. tubes with firework/bottle rockets) are much easier to produce then cannons!

Click to shrink...

Thanks! I will spoiler one thing and say the SI won't bring gunpowder to Westeros and I personally don't like those fics. (Just a personal preference). Fireworks or bottle rockets could be a thing because I could see some version of that existing in Yi-Ti but not cannons.

 

[Jeman]

Thanks! I will spoiler one thing and say the SI won't bring gunpowder to Westeros and I personally don't like those fics. (Just a personal preference). Fireworks or bottle rockets could be a thing because I could see some version of that existing in Yi-Ti but not cannons.

Click to shrink...

Fair enough, they would probably steam roll everyone else once they have it. Following up on the compass there is the flag signaling…..can't remember what it's called but very useful also signal flares? Made from said bottle rockets. Then triangular sails for tacking against the wind, and copper hulls(expensive as hell but good for longevity) and other things like that. I'm trying to remember stuff about ships and my brain just keeps going to upgrades in AC: black sails

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 3

Storm's End, 281 A.C., Two weeks later…

Well, the past two weeks has been interesting. The last three days of the march was dealing with the fallout of my idiot cousin revealing my invention to basically the entire realm. That night I made sure to verbally rip him a new one in a long, unhinged rant that I'm pretty sure hammered words like "confidentiality" and "operational security" into his head. I then put him on latrine duty for the rest of the march, a very humiliating punishment for a noble. If how he's acted lately is any indication, then he seems to have learned his lesson.

Once we got to King's Landing, the army camped outside the city while Robert led all the lords to the Red Keep. I was in the throne room, off to one of the sides with Wyman and the other lords and it was surreal.

The unoccupied Iron Throne loomed over us as I watched a young Sean Bean furiously arguing with a young book-version of Robert over the death of Elia and her children while a young Charles Dance and book versions of Jon Arryn and Jaime looked on. I spotted my uncle, Walton Seastark, across the room when Ned Stark stormed out in anger leaving a red-faced, furious Baratheon behind. Jon Arryn awkwardly called court to an end but not before announcing the Alchemist Guild, for siding with the Targaryens, was to be disbanded with all living members declared outlaws to be brought to the crown for justice.

When the court dispersed, I walked with Wyman toward my uncle but was cut off by Jon Arryn telling me that we would meet to discuss the wayfinders after the siege at Storm's End was lifted. I told him that was fine and suggested looking in the sewers for any surviving pyromancers, he nodded but commented that he would be stretched thin for manpower once the army marches off to Storm's End. I volunteered Wyman and two dozen men to help Jon Arryn search the sewers, ignoring the former's look of dismay. When the lord of the Eyrie accepted Wyman into his temporary service, we parted ways to join up with my uncle.

My uncle Walton Seastark was tall and bulky man in his mid-thirties with the classic Seastark brown hair and blue-gray eyes who could hug with the strength of an Umber. Catching up with my uncle, he talked about his ride with Ned Stark to King's Landing, the sack, finding the Kingslayer on the Iron Throne over a dead Aerys before bragging that he was going to accompany Ned Stark in the search for his sister before asking about the rumors of a magical box and why his son smelled like shit. I laughed and told everything that happened after I woke up including volunteering Wyman for sewer duty and showed him the wayfinder. I felt vindicated when my uncle smacked Wyman upside the head and berated him for giving away a massive advantage for our family.

My and uncle and I marched out with Ned Stark the next, leaving Wyman and the volunteered men behind to search the sewers for pyromancers and wyldfire. The way I saw it, if Wyman fucked up and blew up the city, at least I wouldn't be there.

It took us ten days to march to Storm's End, which gave plenty of time to get to know Ned Stark. Hugo had met Ned only once when he was five about a year before the second-born Stark son left to foster in the Vale so this was the first time formally meeting him. We bonded over the losses of our fathers and how we both became lords due to this war. He asked about the wayfinder he heard murmurs of and I showed him. When I saw he was impressed by it, I told him to keep it, as a gesture of friendship between their houses and when he said he couldn't accept it, I told him at least use it to find his sister.

When we arrived at Storm' End, everything played out like canon, with Mace Tyrell and the Reach army breaking off the siege and bending the knee. I didn't see Ned before he and his group rode off for Dorne, but I did see my uncle before he joined him. I told him the night before; I had a greendream of a pregnant she-wolf being kept in a tower of joy by three Kingsguard in the Red Mountains. Even though I could tell my uncle didn't believe me, I did manage to convince him that picking up a healer or a midwife on the way wouldn't be a terrible idea.

Which brings me to the present, sitting at feast in Storm's End surrounded by Northern lords, wondering if I've done enough to help Ned save Lyanna or deal the wyldfire under King's Landing. The atmosphere of the feast is an odd mix of jubilant, yet subdued for the obvious reason that the castle and it's inhabitants just got done with a grueling months-long siege. As I was in conversation with Lord Slate and Lord Fisher of the Stony Coast about the Sunset Fleet, Stannis calls out to everyone.

"My lords, MY LORDS, we have received dire words from my regal brother and the Hand! Large caches of wyldfire have been found in the sewers beneath King's Landing and after interrogating the pyromancers they uncovered a plot by the Mad King to place barrels of wyldfire beneath the city to detonated when he lost the city…"

I couldn't hear the rest because the hall erupted into noise as I leaned back into my chair. Well, that's one problem taken care of.

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 4

Storm's End, 281 A.C., the next morning…

Well I'll be damned, Wyman managed to redeem himself. The details were sparse, but word from King's Landing was that Wyman led a patrol into the sewers and stumbled on a cache of wyldfire under the Sept of Baelor the day after Robert's coronation. There was no news on Jaime or Varys but considering they both knew of the plot, they were probably answering some very awkward questions.

Stannis led a march the next day to King's Landing with the Stormland Houses of Bolin, Fell, Cafferen, Grandison, and Estermont along with all the Northern houses. The Reach houses and Redwyne Fleet left for home after surrendering and bending the knee. I was riding with my two lordly uncles Lord Rogar Glover and Lord Osric Fisher with their sons, and my cousins, Galbert Glover and Owen Fisher.

The Glovers use to control Sea Dragon Point but when the land was gifted to my ancestor Benjen Seastark, the King of Winterfell raised the Glovers from a masterly house to a lordly house to smooth over ruffled feathers. This promotion, along with marriages like that between my father Torrhen Seastark and Rogar's sister Brienne, seemed to work as House Glover carries no grudge for the lost land and instead see us as a vital ally. House Fisher of the Stony Shore, not to be confused with a younger, unrelated House Fisher in the Riverlands, was one of two major lords of the Stony Shore with the other being House Slate of Blackpool. Both houses were once petty kings during the Age of Heroes until they were conquered and vassalized by House Stark. Much like the Glovers, it took a few centuries of marriages and the Sunfleet Fleet's protection from most Ironborn raids for them to warm up to House Seastark. Osric Fisher was married to my father's younger sister Ellena Seastark.

The topic of conversation was, what else, news of the wyldfire in the capital.

"Do you think the Kingslayer and the Master of Whispers, what's his name, Varyon, knew about the Mad King's plot?" Asked my cousin Owen Fisher.

"Varys." I absentmindedly correct him. "I have no doubt they at least knew something; the real question is what punishment are they going to get?" I continue.

"I bet you the King will execute them both!" Declared my other cousin Galbert Glover.

"No way Tywin's gonna let them execute his son. They'll kill the Essosi but send the Kingslayer to the Wall!" Owen countered.

"Wanna wager two silvers on it?" Galbert challenged. "You're on!" replied Owen before turning to me, "Hey Hugo, you wanna get in on this?"

"Sure, I'll put two silvers on the Kingslayer taking the black but Varys escaping to Essos." I reply.

Galbert laughed. "Ha! This will be the easiest bet ever!" Both my uncles merely shook their heads at the exchange.

"Lord Seastark!" I turn to find a young messenger in Baratheon colors. "Prince Stannis requests you're presence immediately!"

I nodded and followed the messenger on horseback until I reached the front of the army where I met Prince Stannis, Prince Renly, Davos Seaworth, and Ser Eldon Estermont. I greeted them, making sure to bow to Stannis and Renly, wondering what he wanted to discuss. Davos and Renly wore smiles, Ser Eldon gave me a calculating look, and Stannis looked like someone pissed in his soup… So basically how Stannis normally looks.

"Is it true that wayfinder always points North?" Renly asks excitedly before being quieted by Stannis.

"Lord Seastark, my brother has made me his new Master of Ships and tasked me with rebuilding the Royal Fleet. He also tasked me to work with you in implementing these so-called wayfinders into the fleet." He said, putting noticeable skepticism into his tone when he mentioned my invention, while giving me a hard look. "Well. Where is this miracle device?"

"Apologies, my prince, I don't have it. I gave it to Lord Stark before he left for Dorne." I replied, trying to keep it short and concise since I know Stannis hates flowery words. Ser Ealon's face didn't change, Renly and Davos looked disappointed, and Stannis grinded his teeth. "How convenient… Does Robert take me for a fool?"

"With all due respect, my prince, I gave it to Lord Stark to aid him in finding his sister, your brother's betrothed." I say, emphasizing the last word. "But if you wish to see a wayfinder, I have enough materials to make one tonight and enough sticky-stone to make…" I pause to calculate based on size and weight of the bag Dagwell gave me while ignoring Stannis quieting Renly's excitement, "Ten more in King's Landing."

"Do so." Stannis curtly replies before continuing "This 'sticky-stone', where does one find it?"

"I don't know about the South but there is a large natural deposit with enough to supply the crown for decades if not generations in Sea Dragon Point…" I began to say .

Stannis narrowed his eyes and cut me off, "And you want to set up a contract with the crown to be the sole supplier?"

"Well, Lord Arryn did put me in charge of making wayfinders for the Crown, and that includes sourcing out the necessary materials, wherever they may be found." I counter.

Stannis considers this for a brief moment, "Make me a wayfinder tonight and I'll decide if they're worth the investment of my brother's coin." He gestures to Ser Ealon. "My uncle, Ser Ealon Estermont has been named the new Master of Whispers and wants to know how you knew about the wyldfire."

"Oh, they executed Varys?" I asked but Stannis grinds his teeth again.

"No, the eunuch disappeared and has been declared an outlaw for his part in the plot."

I nod and absorb the news. Interesting, he's probably headed for Pentos. That's half a bet won. No idea how good a spymaster Estermont is but at least he wont' be plotting against his nephews.

"Erm, I can take over from here nephew." Ser Ealon, a stocky, grey-haired man in his early fifties buts in before I can ask about the Kingslayer. "Come. Ride with me." He gestures away from the group and I follow him.

As we ride, he flashes a disarming grin, "So, you heard that the Alchemist Guild was buying ingredients in bulk from a merchant from the Westerlands, correct?" he asks, studying my face.

"Yes, that's correct. Any word on the Kingslayer's fate since we know what happened to Varys?" I say, noticing the subtle interrogation he's giving.

"No, that has yet to be announced. Do you remember the merchant's name?" He probs.

"No, my father knew him but he was slain at the Trident. How likely do you think the Kingslayer takes the black?" I deflect.

"Not as likely as you'd think. When did you or your father get word from this merchant?" the grin doesn't change.

"Not sure when it came, it was already there when I recovered from the battle." I noticed we were heading towards the Northern banners.

"Before I let you go, just answer me this:" his grin vanishes and he whispers, "Why do you think Lady Lyanna is pregnant?"

"W-what?" I whisper back caught off guard and he pounced.

"You told your uncle to find a midwife, you wouldn't do that unless you thought it a high probability."

I close my eyes and exhale through my nostrils, wondering how anyone heard us when we were alone, before looking Ser Ealon in the eyes. "Yes I do think it's possible she's pregnant and if that's the case, how will the king react?" I whisper.

He contemplates for a moment and whispers. "Knowing my eldest nephew, he'll rage, scream obscenities, and destroy furniture for a day before calming down enough to listen to reason. Whether or not he'd want to continue the betrothal is another question." He turns his horse around to leave as we reach the Northern banners. "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance Lord Seastark." He says in his normal voice with a nod and rides off.

Later that night…

I smile as I watch Renly hold the second DIY compass I've made in this world, bouncing excitedly as he shows it to Ser Davos, who looks at it in astonishment.

I smile when Stannis begrudgingly admits that it isn't a mummer's farce and agrees to support my proposal to be the sole supplier of sticky-stone to the crown.

I smile when my eyes met Ser Ealon's and he flashed a knowing grin, and kept that smile when I wondered: Did I fuck over Jon Snow before he's even born?

 

[Jeman]

Tftc was wondering about jaimes fate. Looking forward to seeing if Lyanna lives and the changes that might cause. If she does and Bobby b doesn't want to still marry her……well MC might find a wife and stepson to raise. Also Targaryen children and sir Darry will have harder time escaping if stannis's fleet have the wayfinder. Keep up the good work fox!

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 5

King's Landing, 281 A.C., 9 days later…

The rest of the march went by without much happening. I met with Stannis and Ser Ealon a few times to finalize our proposal to the Small Council. The proposal was the creation of the Wayfinders Guild, a new guild controlled directly by the crown tasked with creating wayfinders for the new Royal Fleet. The guild would sell to everyone as a way for the Iron Throne to make money but the Royal Fleet would get priority over everyone else. The exception was the North, where House Seastark would get a monopoly on wayfinder sales on top of being the sole supplier of sticky-stone to the Iron Throne. The first grandmaster of the guild would be chosen by Robert (or more accurately, Jon Arryn) but I would choose his second-in-command, so I chose Dagwell.

Coincidently, Dagwell arrived yesterday after I sent him out to see if he could scrounge up any more sticky-stone. After five days of searching, he brought back enough for an additional six wayfinders, purchasing them from another woods witch. What are woods witches using magnets for? I have no clue and I'm pretty sure I don't want to know.

As we were leaving the Stormlands, I found out where some of the wyldfire was going when we encountered a small caravan guarded by House Buckler transporting several barrels of the stuff. We gave them a wide berth when we marched past them.

I learned later that night from Estermont that Robert was taking sole control of the wyldfire with the priority was getting the stuff out of King's Landing. Some of it was being sent to Storm's End and Summerhall to put pressure on Dorne. Normally ships would be the safest and fastest route but with the Targaryen loyalists still controlling the Narrow Sea islands and blockading the Crownlands with what remains of their navy, that's a no-go for the foreseeable future. When I suggested the Night's Watch would be a great place to send some, he thought about it for moment before agreeing to bring it up with his nephew.

When we arrived, King's Landing was a hive of activity as barrels were moved one at time either towards to docks to be ferried across the Blackwater or out one of the gates. The army was camped outside the city but the highborn rode to the Red Keep because, not surprisingly, it was the first place cleared of wyldfire. Prince Stannis and his uncle left for the Small Council chambers while I roamed the Red Keep until I found Wyman in the courtyard.

"Wyman! Thank the Old Gods you're alright!" I exclaim as I hug him. "I see you've been busy." I break the hug. "What happened after you found the wyldfire?" I ask.

"We marked the location and reported to Lord Arryn immediately, it was chaos after that. A city-wide search was ordered and the next day some Vale knights found a pyromancer named Beris who confessed to the plot and gave the details he knew." He said as we walked around the Red Keep. "The Kingslayer was imprisoned but the eunuch escaped. Tywin, of course, raised hell over it. I obviously wasn't there, I was moving wyldfire, but long-story short: The Kingslayer's on his way back to Casterly Rock!"

"What?! How?" I looked at my cousin in disbelief. He shrugged.

"They didn't want to put him on trial because he'd probably beat anyone in a trial by combat and Tywin saw his chance to get his son out of the Kingsguard, so a deal was made. The Mountain and Amory Lorch in the black cells and a big fat 'loan' to the crown for the Kingslayer, or should I say 'Ser Silence'." He replied.

I chuckle at the Jaime's new nickname. "That can't have been a popular decision."

"Oh, it's definitely not. There's already a lot of whispers that the Lannisters are getting off easy, this is only adding to that. But guess what?" Wyman stops and looks around. My eyes scan the surroundings to find we're alone. Satisfied that we won't be overheard, leans close and whispers with a smile. "I'm being rewarded for finding the wyldfire, the King's giving me a boon! It hasn't been announced yet but I asked for something our family has been seeking for centuries…"

My eyes widened as I whisper back "Wait. You asked for a…"

"City charter for Wolfsport!" he finished with a giddy look on his face and I hug him again.

"Ok. You're forgiven for the wayfinder fuck-up." I laugh as I break the hug. A city charter was a big deal. It meant that Wolfsport would become the sixth and newest city in Westeros and that the owners, House Seastark, would pay half taxes to both liege and crown and have the authority to set their own custom duties and mint their own currency among other benefits. When I told Wyman about the contract I set up with Stannis to be the sole supplier of sticky-stone to the capital, he somehow got even more giddy. We calmed down and continued our walk confident that House Seastark was going to get a massive boost to its income.

The Red Keep, a week later…

I stood proud next to Wyman after he had just received the city charter for Wolfsport to the astonishment of the courtiers in the throne room. I ignored the looks and whispers of confusion, wonder and envy as Dagwell stood with a wooden box containing the first three official wayfinders made by the Wayfinders guild.

With the crown throwing a good amount of coin and artisans my way, setting up the guild was pretty straightforward. I sent a raven to my mother, Brienne Seastark, updating her about the situation in the capital and the new contract with the crown. I ordered that the small quarry of sticky-stone that existed near the castle of Flatmire be expanded as soon as possible and to prepare ships from the Sunset Fleet for escort duty to Seaguard. I then commandeered a workshop and trained only Dagwell and the new Guildmaster, a merchant from Gulltown whose no doubt Jon Arryn's catspaw, on how to make the wayfinder and they'll train future workers.

"Your Grace, as Lord of Castle Warg and Wolfsport, I am most honored by your generosity and I would like to honor you with a gift. The first three wayfinders made by the new Wayfinders Guild for you and your brothers." I smile and gesture to Dagwell to give the box to the King. The King opened the box and took out the wayfinders and before long all three Baratheon brothers were looking at their new wayfinders impressed or in Renly's case, ecstatic.

The wayfinders in question were about the about the size of a fist, painted in the black and yellow Baratheon colors with the house sigil on top, though Robert's stag had a crown. They were made of wood with hinges in the back to flip open, where the holder would see a red needle that pointed North.

"Thank You Lord Seastark!" Renly beamed at me. Stannis gave me a firm nod and I could have sworn the corners of his mouth curled slightly upwards. Robert looked at his and laughed "Ha! Good to see that new guild is already producing results!" Thank you, Lord Seastark for the wayfinders and thank you Lord Wyman for finding the wyldfire and alerting the realm of this dastardly plot by the Dragons!"

Wyman and I went to the sides of the room to spectate the rest of court. Not much happened until a messenger ran into the throne room.

"A raven from Sunspear, your grace, the Martells send word that Lords Eddard Stark, Howland Reed, and William Dustin were captured near the border making their way to Nightsong with a pregnant Lady Lyanna Stark. They were taken to Castle Wyl where she gave birth two days later to a boy. They are being transported to Sunspear as their 'guests'." The throne room exploded into chaos as lords and ladies whispered amongst themselves about the scandal of the most recent developments.

"TELL THE MARTELLS, IF THEY HURT A SINGLE HAIR ON NED OR LYANNA, I'LL USE ALL THE WYLDFIRE THE MAD KING MADE TO BURN SUNSPEAR TO ASHES!" Robert, red-faced, bellowed at the messenger before storming off screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs, mostly aimed at Rhaegar. Jon Arryn signed and awkwardly dismissed court for the day.

As I left the throne room with Wyman, I felt a sense of accomplishment in preventing the death of Lyanna Stark. That feeling evaporated when I looked at my cousin's confused and fearful face and I stiffened in realization. They didn't mention uncle's name!

A/N: Not gonna lie, deciding on Jaime's fate was hard and I'm not sure how realistic this is. Wanna hear your thoughts.

 

[Jeman]

Hmmmm from what I remember from canon Tywin had Robert and Jon over a barrel due to his fresh and whole army at the capital and all of there army was depleted and fatigued from battle while also spread out with some rushing to relieve the siege at storms end and others recovering at the trident still. On top of that the reach was still pretty fresh with the single largest army in the war while also still loyal to the Targaryen dyanasty(as far as they knew). And the Dornish supposedly had their 50k spear men minus the 10k they sent to Rhaeghar. Also coincidentally pissed off at Robert and his retinue(aka sneaky fucking Tywin) for murdering their princess. So yeah I think the only reason Jaime didn't get forced in canon to relieve his white cloak and go home to the rock was because Tywin wanted his daughter to be queen more and Robert and Jon where a little petty after Tywin forced them to submit so much in the first place.

 

[kaizerfox]

Hmmmm from what I remember from canon Tywin had Robert and Jon over a barrel due to his fresh and whole army at the capital and all of there army was depleted and fatigued from battle while also spread out with some rushing to relieve the siege at storms end and others recovering at the trident still. On top of that the reach was still pretty fresh with the single largest army in the war while also still loyal to the Targaryen dyanasty(as far as they knew). And the Dornish supposedly had their 50k spear men minus the 10k they sent to Rhaeghar. Also coincidentally pissed off at Robert and his retinue(aka sneaky fucking Tywin) for murdering their princess. So yeah I think the only reason Jaime didn't get forced in canon to relieve his white cloak and go home to the rock was because Tywin wanted his daughter to be queen more and Robert and Jon where a little petty after Tywin forced them to submit so much in the first place.

Click to shrink...

I think most of that still applies here but news that Lyanna was still alive gave Robert and Jon enough leverage to betroth Cersei to Stannis instead of Robert.
Dorne claims they can raise 50k in total but a lot of fans theorize that the number is probably closer to 30k to due desert conditions and Martell bluffing. I'm going with this interpretation.
Another thing is Jaime (Ser Silence) not speaking up about the wyldfire pretty much destroyed any desire for Robert or Jon to keep in him in the Kingsguard.

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 6

King's Landing, 281 A.C., Two weeks later…

I had to hand it to Estermont, he was spot on with his nephew's reaction. Robert had spent the rest of the day raging across the Red Keep while Jon Arryn left the capital with The Mountain and Lorch that evening. Due to the Narrow Sea still being blockaded, the Hand would have to make the nine-to-ten-day journey to Storm's End on horseback to then sail another four or five days to Sunspear. The next day, a calmer, though still agitated, Robert would announce to the court that his betrothal to Lyanna Stark remained unchanged but that the bastard's fate was to be determined when the Hand returns with Ned's party.

Speaking of them, Wyman was understandably upset when his father's name was not among the survivors captured. When he asked me if his father was still alive, I was honest with him, that it was possible but unlikely and that they wouldn't know for sure until Ned returns. He took that as well as you could, with him asking to be alone that night before returning to a slightly more subdued form of normal the next day.

I didn't pay much attention in the moment but I remember William Dustin's name being among Ned's confirmed survivors. His survival would probably prevent his wife Barbara's resentment towards the Starks, the same resentment that cause Houses Dustin and Ryswell to side with the Boltons in canon.

After that, not much happened with Wayfinders Guild still waiting for the first shipment of sticky stone from Sea Dragon Point. The most recent raven a few days ago reported that the cog full of sticky stone had safely made it to Seaguard and was being unloaded to be taken overland to the Blue Fork, where it would sail downriver until it reached the crossroads near Castle Darry and from there, the King's Road down to the capital. When the Targaryen blockade is eventually lifted, the sticky stone will instead go to Maidenpool and sail to King's Landing from there.

So, Wyman and I did two things to pass the time. The first was to recruit skilled workers and artisans from King's Landing to bring to Wolfsport. The results were mixed because as it turned out, while many people were badly affected by the Sack and even willing to leave the capital, they were less interested in moving far away to the cold North. That's not to say we didn't have success, we managed to recruit three blacksmith brothers and their families whose forge burned down when the Lannisters took the city, a silversmith that recently completed his apprenticeship, four separate carpenters and best of all, a middle-aged exiled Braavosi shipwright. The last one I had to hide from Stannis because all shipwrights were being conscripted to rebuild the Royal Fleet but Horesso, the shipwright, lost his whole family in the Sack and just wanted out of the city.

The second thing I did was make a new "invention". I mentally debated myself for days on whether or not I wanted to give away another invention to the crown, even if it was for financial gain. What ultimately decided it was two things, the first was that I had a lot of inventions I was going to make in Wolfsport and Castle Warg, safely away from prying eyes so I was fine with letting go of a minor invention. The second reason was I wanted to make money off commission with the Wayfinders Guild to fund future inventions and that required impressing Stannis and Davos.

So, what did I make? It took the better part of a week, but with the help of Dagwell and one of the local carpenters I recruited, Westeros had its first backstaff. Based specifically on the Davis Quadrant from my old world, it was a navigational tool where the user would stand with their back to the sun or moon (hence the name) and look through a slidable sight vane to observe the shadow cast by the upper vane on a horizon vane and navigate by calculating the angle of the shadow. It wasn't perfect by any means but it was more accurate than the astrolabes sailors were currently using.

Which brings me to today, on a ship captained by Davos with Stannis and Wyman, sailing into King's Landing after a two-day journey to Duskendale and back. While the Targaryens still blockaded the Narrow Sea with a bigger fleet, Stannis had built up the Royal Fleet enough to defend the Crownland coast from Wendwater to Duskendale from any Dragon incursion.

I stood with my cousin and Stannis as we observed Davos using the backstaff, back to the sun, eye looking through the sight vane and observing the shadow and muttering numbers. Davos maybe illiterate, but he still knew his numbers and was an experience sailor, so the backstaff was a bit awkward for him to use at start of the journey but he was using it with ease on the way back. Wyman hadn't been informed of the invention until the day before and simply kept his mouth shut and let me show it off to Stannis and Davos.

"What are your thoughts on this 'backstaff' Ser Davos?" asked Stannis in a neutral tone. I had Davos, Stannis, and Wyman use the backstaff for themselves after I showed them how though Stannis has refused to give his thoughts instead wanting Davos to give his first.

Davos smiled and lowered the backstaff, "A bit unwieldy at first, but once you get use to it, it's much more accurate than our astrolabes or the Essosi cross-staffs. I wish I had this and the wayfinder back in my smuggling days." He chuckled.

"I thought the same Ser Davos." Stannis responds to Davos before turning to me, "Well, I take it you want a deal similar to the wayfinders?"

"Yes, but with one difference, instead of a supply contract I'm looking for ten percent commission on all sales with the crown setting the price." I pitch with all the (minimal) salesman experience from my world.

Stannis grinds his teeth, "Ten percent! Do you take me for a fool? No, you will have three percent."

"We both know you are no fool my prince but three percent is too low since these don't need to wait on sticky stone shipments and can be produced immediately and in greater numbers. How about seven percent, a nice holy number." I counter.

Stannis looks me in the eye for moment before grinding out "Five percent and no more."

"Great! The Wayfinders Guild will began making them immediately while waiting on the shipment of sticky stone, which should take another three or so weeks to arrive." I say as I smile.

As I watch the docks of King's Landing get closer, I hear my cousin congratulating Stannis on his betrothal to Cersei Lannister that was announced yesterday and quietly snorted to myself when I heard Stannis grinding his teeth.

I wonder how much of a shitshow that marriage will be. I thought to myself.

The last of the wyldfire was successfully moved out of the capital a week ago with only a dozen lives lost when two barrels exploded on the south side of the Blackwater, fortunately the winds were blowing towards the water, limiting the spread of the wyldfire until it was extinguished. With the threat gone, many highborn and more importantly, their daughters, sisters, nieces and granddaughters started to make their way to King's Landing and the Red Keep both to attend the upcoming royal weddings and to make marriages and alliances.

The ship docked and after walking down the gangway Wyman and I bid Stannis and Davos goodbye and left for the Wayfinders Guild with the backstaff, content with knowing I created another revenue stream for House Seastark. Five percent commission may not sound like much, but considering once captains see and realize its usefulness, they'll be selling like hotcakes and this combined with a monopoly on backstaff sales in the North will make House Seastark a pretty penny. The rest of the day was spent with Dagwell and Wyman preparing the guild for the production of the backstaff by hiring more carpenters and securing the additional wood needed for production.

King's Landing, four days later…

It was announced at court that Jon Arryn had successfully made it to Sunspear with his prisoners and negotiated with the Martells to release their "guests" and bend the knee. To celebrate this, Robert called for a feast to be held tonight and it helped that there were now enough highborn ladies in the Red Keep so it didn't feel like a sausage fest.

I was slightly buzzed and had just gotten done with a conversation with a fat, middle-aged Wyman Manderly and his son Wylis Manderly. I could see my cousin chatting with Lord Slate, Probably trying to set up a betrothal between himself and Lord Slate's daughter, not that I have any issue with that. I thought to myself when I crossed paths with a fifteen-year-old Cersei Lannister in a red dress and two other blonde hair ladies of similar age, one with brown eyes in a blue dress and one with green eyes that matched Cersei's in a white dress. She had arrived recently to the Red Keep with her father, who had left to bring Jaime back to Casterly Rock.

"So, you're that Northerner that made these wayfinders everyone is droning on about." Cersei wastes no time being a bitch. I ignore her words and tone and place a fake smile on my face.

"Why yes, I am 'that Northener', Lord Hugo Seastark. It is an honor to meet you Lady Cersei and I must congratulate you on your betrothal to Prince Stannis!" I took pleasure in seeing her eye briefly twitch before cutting her off, "And who are these wonderful ladies accompanying you?" I turn to acknowledge her friends.

The brown-eyed blonde responded first with a smile, "My name is Jeyne Farman, Lord Seastark, it's an honor to meet you." "Lady Jeyne, I am honored to meet you." I return her smile before turning to the other one. "O-oh, my name is Myrra Lannister, Lord Seastark and it's a pleasur- I mean, honor to meet you!" She stuttered and blushed.

"Oh? A Lannister? Which one of Lord Tywin's siblings is your father?" I ask, not remembering her name from canon. Before Myrra could respond, Cersei answered for her.

"As if she'd come from the main branch, no she's merely a Lannister of Lannisport." She said in a dismissive tone and I saw Myrra flinch.

"A cadet branch of a Lord Paramount's house is nothing to scoff at, I should know better than anyone." I counter while still looking at Myrra, who seemed surprised I was defending her. "And it's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Myrra." I finished with a smile that threatened to turn into a smirk when I saw her stiffen when I subtly referenced her word change.

"Is it true you made the wayfinder point north through a magic spell? Cersei and I made a wager on whether or not you used magic, Myrra and I said no." Jeyne asked excitedly.

"And I said yes. So, what heathen spell did you use in front of your pagan trees?" Cersei mocked.

My smile vanished and I looked her dead in the eye. "None. No magic needed when sticky stone is a naturally occurring magn-" I'm cut off when a tall, lanky brown-haired man calling out while joining the group.

"Lady Jeyne, there you are! Oh, greetings Lady Cersei, Lady Myrra, and…" he greets everyone but trails off and I take my queue to introduce myself. His eyes widen as he clears his throat. "I am Ser Gareth Clifton of Fair Isle and Lady Jeyne Farman's betrothed. I have heard much about you Lord Seastark and your wayfinders."

"Oh yes I was explaining to Lady Cersei that the sticky stone used in the wayfinders is not magic but magnets at work." I respond politely.

"Magnets!? How do they work?" Cersei cuts in and for a brief second, the image of two white guys in black and white clown makeup rapping badly flashes across my mind and I suppress a shiver. Westeros may survive a Second Long Night but I'm not sure it could survive the Juggalos.

"You can ask a maester as I'm sure they know more about the subject then I do. So, that means you win the wager Lady Myrra and Lady Jeyne!" I deflect, not wanting to go into details of magnetism and magnetic poles.

"Oh yes! That means you owe Myrra and I five gold each Cersei!" Jeyne exclaimed happily, oblivious to Cersei's eye twitch of annoyance. Ser Gareth was not oblivious to Cersei's deteriorating mood and offered his hand to Jeyne. "Lady Jeyne, would you like to dance?" He asked smoothly. She giggled and took his hand to be led to the dancefloor while Cersei walked off with a huff. I awkwardly turn to Myrra and offer my hand. "So, would you like to dance?"

"I'd love to." She shyly agrees and I take her hand as we take our place amongst the other dancers.

"So, one cadet branch to another, what's it like being a Lannister in Lannisport and dealing with the main branch close by? I like the Starks but I couldn't imagine living right next to them!" I ask smoothly as we danced.

She giggled. "It's a pretty good life. The Lannister name carries a lot of weight even for the cadet branches and while we're not Casterly Rock rich, we're still a wealthy house. As for the Lannisters…they're good family and neighbors though a bit prideful at times." She says the last part with a pretty smirk before asking. "And you? What's it like being a Seastark living so far away from your liege lord?"

"Cold winters with a lot of sailing to keep the Ironborn and Wildlings at bay. As for living away from the Starks? I think it's a good thing, instead of crowding around Winterfell, we managed to resettle a part of the North that was barely inhabited even by our standards and created wealth and trade in a region that sorely needed it." I say as I match her smirk.

"The Westerlands does not have all the land the North has to give to new vassals." She responds.

"True. The Westerlands is smaller and more densely populated than the North so giving your family Lannisport was probably the best House Lannister could do. Your family has certainly made the most of the opportunity to grow Lannisport into one the largest trade hubs in the Sunset Sea." My smirk turns into a smile.

The rest of the night blurs together with dancing and ale but Myrra was the most memorable part. I dance with several more women but dance with Myrra a second time…

"Aren't younger brothers so annoying at times?" I ask, slightly drunk.

Myrra laughs, "I know right! My younger brother Burton can be a real menace, one time he…"

I talk to a few lords about politics and potential trade deals but end up talking to Myrra again…

"The Greens were in the right!" She boldly declares and I roll my eyes.

"You're only saying that cause your house fought for the Greens but the Blacks were in the right because Rhaenyra was the legitimate heir to the Iron Throne." I respond.

"I could say the same to you, you're only saying that cause the North sided with the Blacks!" She counters.

"That's not true. I support the Blacks for a different reason." I say as she studies me for a moment. "It's cause The Sea Snake supported the Blacks isn't it" and laughs when I mumble "Lucky guess." …

As I shoulder a drunken Wyman out of the Great Hall, I feel eyes on the back of my head and turn to see Tywin giving me a strange look. It didn't seem angry or upset, at least to my drunken mind, more calculating. I turn and continue with Wyman to our rooms to get some sleep. I'm sure it's nothing.

 

[Jeman]

Ha….hahahahaha yesssss Cersei and Stannis deserve each other, hard to find someone I love to hate more the "kid burner" and the "royal bitch". Interesting choice on the Lannister girl, sadly Tywin comes along with her.

 

[kaizerfox]

Ha….hahahahaha yesssss Cersei and Stannis deserve each other, hard to find someone I love to hate more the "kid burner" and the "royal bitch". Interesting choice on the Lannister girl, sadly Tywin comes along with her.

Click to shrink...

To be fair, neither Stannis or Cersei are the terrible people they would become by canon's start but some the traits are there (Stannis' stubbornness, Cersei's pettiness). Whether or not they become those terrible people is another question.
The SI will find that tying himself to Tywin has pros and cons.

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 7

King's Landing, 281 A.C., The morning after…

I woke up with a mild headache and a dry mouth at the hour of the robin, or what my old world would call 8am. After tea and breakfast, I made my way to the Wayfinders Guild, its guildhall located where the dockyards meet Flea Bottom. The scars of the sack still visible even weeks later with the burnt-out buildings being repaired, or in the worse cases, torn down to be rebuilt entirely and beggars on the street. I couldn't decide if a fire breaking out in Flea Bottom during the sack without setting off the hundreds of barrels of wyldfire placed underneath the city was a divine act of the gods of this world or George's writing… probably the latter.

I left the guildhall at the hour of the bull (2pm) after inspecting the first backstaff produced by the guild with Dagwell and the guild master Vardis of Gulltown returned to the Red Keep. As I returned to my quarters, I noticed a few passersby glance at me and whisper to one another. I thought it strange but put it out of my mind as I sat at the small desk in my room reading and responding to letters. I ate a small, late lunch as I read raven scroll from my mother that reported everything was running smoothly back home with the Sunset Fleet patrolling as normal and the sticky stone quarry near Flatmire was being expanded to meet the new demand. She also reported that the five galleys that started construction in the opening days of the war were nearing completion, too late to help. This was good news as it will bring the Sunset Fleet's numbers to thirty galleys. I was writing a response when I heard a knock at the door. When I asked who it was, Wyman burst through the doors with an excited look.

"Ah, there you are cousin, I've looking all over for you. Where were you?" he asked.

"I was at the guild, had to make sure they got the backstaff right." I respond casually as I take a bit of my lunch, a ham and cheese sandwich, or at least the closest thing in Westeros to one. The servant and kitchen staff did the best they could with my directions and the result, a slightly charcoaled breadroll sliced in half with mustard spread on both sides with thick-sliced smoked ham and some weird Feta-type cheese. It was surprisingly good.

"Cousin, you don't to look over their shoulders everyday like some sort of nanny." He rolled his eyes before they landed on my meal. "What's that?"

"Something I had the kitchen whip up. Wanna bite?" I tear the reminder of my sandwich in two and hand one piece to Wyman. He pops it into his mouth, chews it slowly before his eyes widen slightly as he swallows. "That was good! What is it?"

"A ham and cheese…" I almost said "sandwich" but that name wouldn't make sense in Westeros because there is no Earl or town of Sandwich in this world. "…toasty?" I improvise.

"Toasty?" he parrots back, saying it slowly as if tasting the word, before mumbling "I'll have to get the servants to make me one."

"So, what have you been up to today?" I ask.

He shrugged. "Woke up late, broke my fast, then searched the Red Keep for you because I have something to ask you. I was talking with Lord Slate last night about a potential betrothal to his daughter Elsa-"

"And you want my blessing as your lord and head of family." I finish and he nods. "No worries, cousin, you have my blessing. She will make a good wife, that and I know you've been sweet on her for years." I say the last part with a grin as he blushes. "So, when will we announce the betrothal?"

"Not until the Starks return at the earliest. But what about you? When are you gonna announce your betrothal?" He smirks.

"What betrothal?" I ask, confused.

"With the lioness!" He responds eagerly and I just continue looking at him confused.

"What are you talking about? Lady Cersei's betrothed to Prince Stannis." I say but he shakes his head and laughs.

"No, the other lioness, Myrra. I heard half the Red Keep gossiping about you two when I was searching for you!"

"Wait what!?" I say panicked. "What are they saying?"

"They speak of the Black Wolf dancing with the fair Lioness of Lannisport and sweeping her off feet, flustered and swooning." He says dramatically.

"We just danced and talked, I wouldn't say she was swooning." I respond matter-of-factly.

"Hugo. You danced with her twice for a dozen songs. In front of everyone." He said, emphasizing the words "twice" and "dozen". It took a second for Hugo's memories of dance etiquette to surface and suddenly it clicked. In Westerosi highborn society, the general rule of thumb was that you only danced with a lady once per feast/festival/etc. (unless they were your betrothed, wife, or family) for up to five songs. The fact I danced with her twice for twelve songs and then went off to the side to continue our conversation could be considered a major scandal.

But I was just trying to get away from that annoying Frey girl. Fuck! That explains why she blushed heavily when I asked her to dance the second time. I thought to myself.

"Pft! No! It wasn't a dozen songs, it was five…six songs?" I said unsure.

"No, it was a dozen. You probably don't remember cause you were too busy staring into her eyes and talking about the Ghiscari for some reason." He answered with a deadpan voice.

"Oh That? We were debating whether the Valyrians could have defeated the Ghiscari without dragons." I remembered fondly and Wyman gives me a weird look. "What?"

He laughs "You two really are made for each other."

"How bad is the gossip?" I ask with a sigh.

"Not too bad. Most of the gossip is about how you two looked like a couple straight out of a song. I heard the King even made a jape about you two looking like lovebirds during court." I groan and put my face in my hands while my cousin continues. "A few Westermen were grumbling about you 'hogging her' and I was asked by three Crownland lords when and where the wedding was taking place."

"What does Lord Tywin think of all this?" I inquire, dreading the answer.

"Nothing as far as I've heard, the Westermen I was talking about were from minor houses. So, are you gonna seek a betrothal?" My cousin asks eagerly.

"I…do like her…" I start slowly before Wyman interrupts.

"What? Don't have a thing for blondes?" He says with a chuckle.

"Oh no! She's witty, intelligent and smoking hot." I respond quickly.

It helps that she's got Cersei's looks with none of her insanity or arrogance. I thought to myself as I ignored Wyman's raised eyebrow at the phrase "smoking hot" and continue.

"She would get us a profitable alliance with Lannisport and potentially Casterly Rock, it's just…" I trail off. Do I want to ally myself with Tywin?

"Just what cousin?" Wyman inquires.

"Lord Tywin could be a problem." I state flatly.

"You don't think he'd approve? I think you're selling yourself short cousin, you-" I cut him off.

"What? No! I'm reasonably sure I can convince him to let me marry Myrra. It's the alliance with him that could be the issue."

He looks confused. "How!? It would increase trade with Lannisport from the small amount we already do and we can use their fleet to help with the Ironborn!"

I sigh "Oh I know, and it's for those reasons and the fact I like Myrra that I'm leaning towards a betrothal. The one thing holding me back is that Tywin is..." I struggle to find the words to explain how we would be at war with them in the future only to remember all butterflies I had directly or (mostly) indirectly caused. Now that I think about it. The War of the Five Kings probably won't happen or if it does, it'll be completely different from canon so I may not have to fight Tywin. The Ironborn are definitely going to rebel, so I will have to fight them.

I'm brought back by Wyman finishing my sentence with a grimace. "Ruthless… Aye, I don't like that he ordered the deaths of the princess and her children."

"And neither does Lord Stark, he might be displeased if we build closer ties to Lannisters. Not to mention the Martells." I say grimly while weighing the pros and cons of a marriage to Myrra.

"But Ser Clegane and Ser Lorch were handed over to the Martells!" Wyman comments, slightly confused.

"Aye. But they know who gave them orders. Their bloodlust may be sated, but they'll still hold a grudge against House Lannister." I answer absentmindedly, still considering my options before a memory of last night flashed before my eyes. Myrra covering her mouth with her hand as she quietly giggled at a quip I made about Lady Bracken's dress making her look like a banana. Her eyes shining in the torchlight like emeralds…

"Is it worth potentially displeasing Lord Stark?" My cousin finally asked after a moment.

"At worse it'll only be temporary…" I pause before finally coming to a decision. "Besides, Lord Stark doesn't have the authority to dictate who I can or can't marry." I say the last part with a grin.

"So, you'll seek a betrothal with Lady Myrra?" Wyman asks eagerly.

"Aye. I'll ask her father Lord Harrold for her hand tomorrow." Feeling a metaphorical weight lift off my shoulders with my decision finally made, I change the subject. "Anything else interesting happen last night? I… didn't see much."

Wyman snorts. "Distracted with your lioness no doubt. But not much, Prince Stannis and Lady Cersei danced for a few songs but looked rigid and awkward, something everyone seemed to noticed when they were dancing next to you two lost in your own little world."

I laugh, remembering when I briefly saw them dancing, both stiff as boards and looking like they wanted to be anywhere else.

"People are also whispering about you dancing with Lady Cersei and how she looked more at ease with you than her betrothed." My cousin says giving me a curious look while I look at him like he grew a second head.

"What!? What are you talking about? I danced with her for two songs and we basically spent the whole time subtly insulting one another!" I exclaim, remembering how I tried to break off from her after the first song but she dug her fingernails into me and kept me for another song just so she could get the last word.

She was pissed when I asked about Jaime's reaction to her betrothal. I thought with a silent chuckle.

"Apparently you and Prince Stannis were the only ones she danced with for more than one song the entire feast." Wyman says with a shrug to my surprise before snaping his fingers. "Oh right! I almost forgot! The Frey lady you were dancing with was caught with some Rosby knight fucking in the gardens later that night, but other than that, not much happened."

Our conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Wyman went to open it to find a man in red and gold outfit holding a scroll who cleared his throat. "Greetings, are you Lord Seastark?" The blonde-haired man asked Wyman.

"Oh no! I'm his cousin Wyman Seastark. He's right there." My cousin responds before stepping out of the mans way and gesturing to me sitting at my desk. The man nods and walks up to my desk and I noticed a golden lion on his upper right chest area on his tunic. Must be a messenger. I thought to myself.

"Greetings Lord Seastark. I come bearing a message from my Lord Tywin Lannister, formally inviting you to dine with him and House Lannister of Lannisport in his quarters tonight." The man speaks in a stiff, formal tone as he hands me the scroll. I quickly skim through the flowery words of invitation and analyze details like the time and dress code.

I look up and smile at the messenger. "Tell Lord Tywin I would be happy to attend." The man simply nods, bids me and my cousin a good day and exits the room, leaving me with the scroll.

"Well cousin, slight change of plans. Looks like I'm getting that betrothal tonight." I say with a grin and Wyman laughs.

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 8

The Red Keep, 281 A.C., Later that night…

I strolled through the Red Keep in my nicest clothes, a mostly blue tunic and pants with black and white highlights in the Seastark colors. I ignored the looks and whispers of lords and ladies as I made my way to the Lannister quarters. There I found an intricately carved set of mahogany doors guarded by two Lannister guards in their house colors.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The Lannister guard to the right held out his arm and stopped me.

"Lord Hugo Seastark. I'm expected for dinner tonight." I explain as I hand him the invitation. The knight scrutinizes the scroll, particularly the Lannister seal before nodding his head in satisfaction and opening the door. I was about to walk in when both Lannister guards stood at full attention.

"Prince Stannis! Lady Cersei!" The guard on the left said as they both quickly bowed. Surprised, I turned to see Stannis standing behind me with Cersei holding his arm before giving a quick bow of my own to him.

"Lord Seastark. I was not expecting to see here, though I suppose that explains why the Lannisters of Lannisport were invited." Stannis commented in his usual dry tone while Cersei merely glanced at me as if she was expecting me to be there.

I smile and greet them. "Prince Stannis. Lady Cersei. I'm surprised to see you here too my prince. My invitation didn't say who was attending."

"It will be a small gathering. My father, uncle Tygett, us and the Lannisters of Lannisport." Cersei cuts in with almost bored sounding voice as we made our way through the door into small but ornate dinning room with an eight-seat table fully set. A herald off to the side of the entrance we were walking through announced our presence, drawing the attention of the occupants of the room. My eyes first zero in on Myrra, who when her eyes met mine, gave a small smile that I return briefly. Standing next to her was a young, blonde-haired boy of around two or three-and-ten who I assumed was her younger brother Burton giving me the stink-eye.

Then there were the three Lannister men. Tywin was stone-faced, yet when his hard, green eyes met mine I could understand why people feared and respected him. To his left was a younger version of Tywin with small cuts on his face that looked at me with battle-hardened eyes, seeming to size me up as a warrior. Then there was Myrra's father Harrold Lannister and if this Tywin looked like Charles Dance in his late thirties, then Harrold looked like a Charles Dance as a balding, beer-bellied divorced dad who was giving me a curious look.

Everyone exchanged greetings and we went to sit at the table. I wasn't quite sure of the seat arrangement so I followed slowly as I watched them take their seats before grabbing the lone open seat. Tywin and Stannis sat across from each other at the ends of the table with Tygett to Tywin's right and Harrold to Tywin's left. Cersei and Burton were seated to Stannis's right and left respectively, leaving Myrra and I in the middle with myself between Cersei and Harrold and Myrra between Tygett and her brother.

Tywin silently waved his right hand and as if on cue, several servants began setting the table with porcelain plates imported from Yi-Ti, gold-tinted silverware, red silk napkins, and jewel-encrusted goblets. As this was happening, Lord Tywin addressed Stannis from across the table in a dry voice, "Prince Stannis, I hope your day was well. I heard you spent time with my daughter today."

Stannis replied in an equally dry voice. "Indeed, I did after this morning's council meeting, I escorted Lady Cersei through the castle gardens." Cersei for her part, gave a forced smile and cut in. "Yes, Prince Stannis was telling me about his hobby of falconry and invited me to attend the next time he partakes." Stannis simply gritted his teeth and hesitantly nodded.

If Tywin noticed the couple's awkwardness, he didn't show it. "That is good to hear. Speaking of the small council, did they discuss my petition?" Tywin asked in a curious voice as the servants began placing the appetizer plates on the table and filling the guests' goblets with wine. A fruit platter with various grapes, melons, and citrus and I immediately eyed the blood oranges. A charcuterie board of various breads, cheeses and meats was placed nearby and everyone was given a porcelain bowl of a steamy hot brown soup with what looked to be melted cheese covering bread. Is this French onion soup!? I looked at my own bowl in mild confusion before being pulled away by Stannis's response. "Indeed, they did, and decided there is to be no expansion of the Wayfinders Guild until after the remaining Targaryens loyalists are dealt with."

Does Tywin want a Wayfinder Guild? I thought curiously to myself.

"That is unfortunate to hear." Tywin said after a moment before reaching out and grabbing a piece of bread, giving the silent signal to everyone to dine in. I began grabbing a few pieces of bread, cured salami and a cheese that's looks reminded me of Brie before switching to the fruit and nabbing a few pieces blood orange, cantaloupe and some green grapes. I was idly wondering how Tywin managed to import blood oranges from Dorne with a Targaryen blockade and a hostile House Martell when Stannis looked to me and spoke.

"Speaking of the guild, Lord Seastark, Ser Davos reported the first batch of backstaffs arrived and has begun instructing the captains on how to use them."

"Aye. I inspected them myself before they were sent out. How did the captains find them?" I asked out of curiosity.

"From what Ser Davos reported, unwieldy but once accustomed they swear by it's accuracy." Stannis responded.

"Backstaffs?" Tywin inquired, eyes shifting to me and I gave a brief explanation on what they were and how they work. His eyes shifted back to Stannis, who answered his unasked question.

"I myself have used one and can attest to their worth. They are better than astrolabes and cross-staffs and when used with a wayfinder…We now have an advantage over the Free Cities in navigation." Stannis stated with a confident tone to the surprise of everyone before turning back to me. "Lord Seastark has been instrumental to the establishment of the Wayfinders Guild in such a timely manner." He finished with a respectful nod.

"You honor me, my prince. Setting up the guild was a straightforward affair and they are now in a position where they require little oversight from me." I say with a sheepish smile as I look to see Tywin giving me an impressed look.

Is Stannis trying to wingman me? I thought to myself as a dip my spoon into my soup, making sure to get some cheese with my spoonful as I put it in my mouth and my eyes widen. Huh. This is French onion soup!

I hear a faint chuckle to my right. "Never tried West onion soup?" I turn to Myrra's father Lord Harrold. "No. I did not think such a delicious soup existed." I say while thinking At least not in Westeros.

"It's a Westerland delicacy and my little Myrra's favorite soup. Do try the wine." Harrold smiles and gestures with his hand towards my goblet before taking a bite of bread and cheese. I do so and am immediately hit with the sweet taste of honey mixed with spices. Harrold finished chewing and said "Lannisport spiced honey wine. This vintage is from my personal vineyard. Have you tried it before? Your father buys…er, bought a few barrels from us each year."

"Aye. I've had it before. My father always called it the 'the good stuff' and saved it for feasts or namedays." I say with a sad smile.

Harrold smiles and looks thoughtful. "I remember when your father first came to Lannisport about a decade ago to propose a trade deal, he met with myself and Ser Keven as Lord Tywin was in King's Landing as Hand of the King…" He goes on to a story about when he invited my father to dine with his family, little five-year-old Myrra, who had never met a Northman or Old Gods worshipper, unleashed a tidal wave of questions on my poor old man. I chuckle at the mental image of my father being cornered by a little girl, forced to answer her unending questions as I glance over at Myrra, who was talking with her brother. As if sensing my gaze, she looks at me with a smile and a mischievous glint in her eye and when her brother noticed this, he turned to me with a glare. Harrold's eyes scan the three of us and softly chuckles "Don't mind my son, Burton, he's just overprotective of his sister…"

We continue our conversation shifting to expanding the current trade deal between our houses as we ate our appetizers. The trade deal my father made was a small expansion of the existing one of Northern timber, furs (particularly otter and shadowcat) and amber for Lannister grain shipped during winter alongside a few barrels of honeywine and a tiny amount of spices.

Amber was the one luxury resource House Seastark had and the amber trade was the sole reason Wolfsport is as big as it is. House Seastark was one of the largest exporters of amber in all of Westeros due to stumbling upon a large mine of amber in the hilly, forested interior of Sea Dragon Point, thought to be either ancient First Man burial mound or stockpile during the time of the Warg Kings of old. There were two types of amber that House Seastark cultivated, the first was "yellow amber" that was mined seemed mostly based on the Baltic amber from my Earth memories and despite the name were also commonly orange and brown with red being rare. The second, rarer, and more sought after was the "blue amber" found in the hundreds of sea coves small and large dotted across the peninsula that washed up from the ocean and oddly resembled blue amber from the Dominican Republic back on Earth and in particular, used as jewelry throughout the North.

I was saving timber for my own shipbuilding expansion but I was willing to increase furs and amber exports in exchange for increase in grain and luxury goods and it probably helped that I mentioned the soon-to-be Queen Lyanna wore a necklace of blue amber and a bracelet of yellow amber made by amber jewelers in Wolfsport. After haggling over the details as we savored our soups, we came to a trade agreement that effectively more than doubled the current trade between Wolfsport and Lannisport. The only tense part was, as a newly chartered city with the right to regulate custom duties, I pushed for a lowering of custom duties of the standard thirty percent to twenty. Harrold froze as Tywin cut in from his own intense whispering session with Tygett with a stern voice that they would go no lower than five-and-twenty percent with eyes that dared me to argue. Deciding not to die on that hill, I gave an acquiescent nod.

Soon enough the appetizers were finished and the plates clear and made way for the main courses, a large seafood platter of shrimp, scallions, octopus, clams and squid with the centerpiece being the fried oysters with herbs and bits and bacon alongside smaller plates of honeyed chicken and roasted lambchops. Once again, we waited for our host Tywin to grab food first before doing so ourselves. As I was grabbing my food, I saw Harrold and Tywin exchange a look between one another that ended with Tywin giving a nod. After everyone had finished filling their plates and getting their goblets refilled, Harrold turned to me.

"Lord Seastark, we have come to a profitable trade agreement, mayhaps we deepen the growing bond between our houses with a betrothal between yourself and my daughter Myrra?" he asked with a knowing smile as his voice drew the full attention of the gathering.

I met his smile with one of my own. "Indeed Lord Harrold, I think that is a wonderful idea. I would be honored to wed your daughter Lady Myrra and forge a tighter bond between our houses." I turn to a beaming Myrra. "Lady Myrra, in the brief time we have spent I have found you to be beautiful, witty and intelligent. It would be my honor to have you as my wife and Lady of Castle Warg."

"Lord Hugo, you flatter me with words. It would be my honor to be your lady-wife. Besides…" She says as her smile slides into a smirk and her tone become mischievous. "…I could do worse than a tall, charming, well-read, Northern inventor-lord such as yourself."

A laugh escapes my lips. "Please, call me Hugo." Myrra eyes light up in surprise but the smirk holds. "Only if you call me Myrra."

Harrold clears his throat, pushes his chair back and stands up with goblet in hand. "I propose a toast to the betrothal between House Seastark and House Lannister of Lannisport. May your marriage and our trade be bountiful!" he says with ecstatic energy and a wide smile. We all raised our goblets and cheered. Prince Stannis actually gave a small smile as he gave us his congratulations with Cersei's at least attempting to sound polite and friendly. The one Myrra's little brother, Burton, gave us was more subdued, with the tone and body language of someone who didn't like what was happening but accepted it. Tygett gave me a stiff congratulations before turning to Tywin with a displeased look, who for his part, ignored him as he gave his with corners of mouth curled slightly upwards.

After the betrothal and toast the atmosphere changed, as if waiting for this to happen, and became lighter as we dug into our food. I discussed the details with Myrra's father, we would marry in a sept at day and then in front of a Weirwood tree at night, Myrra would keep her faith but our children would worship the Old Gods, she would bring two handmaidens, a bastard knight sworn to the Lannisport Lannisters and a septa. I was a bit hesitant on the last one considering what happened to the Starks in canon with Septa Mordane, but agreed on the condition the septa chosen be competent, well-read, and fully aware their job is to attend to the spiritual needs of my future wife and not converting the locals, especially our children. The dowry was bigger than I expected at ten thousand golden coins to be given after the wedding.

I was enjoying the succulent lambchops when the topic of the wedding date came up, Tywin made his presence known. "If I could make a suggestion?"

Tygett muttered something about him making it anyway but was cut off by a glare from Tywin. I was curious though Harrold looked nervous and we heard him out.

"It hasn't been announced yet, but my brother has been betrothed to Darlessa Marbrand of House Marbrand with the wedding date set to a year from now when she turns five-and-ten. Dual weddings seemed to have become a common occurrence as of late with your lord liege and the Hand, the King and his brother, and the Freys announced one this morning after the debacle in the gardens. If you're willing to wait, I propose a dual wedding my brother and his betrothed and you and Lady Myrra. The wedding ceremony in the Golden Sept of Lannisport with the wedding feast in Casterly Rock." Tywin proposed while Tygett looked like he swallowed a lemon.

Everyone but Tygett was stunned. I looked between Myrra and Harrold, who both seemed eager but were looking for my reaction with pleading eyes. Thankfully for them, I had no qualms with waiting as I wanted to get back home before the wedding anyway. "I admit I'm surprised by the generous proposal Lord Tywin; I would be honored to part of a dual wedding with Ser Tygett." I answer Tywin before giving a respectful nod to Tygett, whose sour expression lessens as he nods back.

"The honor is mine Lord Seastark, Lady Myrra." He forces out in a neutral tone before the sour expression returns when he looks back at Tywin. I get the impression he isn't happy with the dual wedding but thankfully seems to be taking his displeasure out on Tywin rather than Myrra or I. Tywin ignores Tygett as he stands up and gives a toast to the upcoming dual wedding and we toast.

"Ha!" Stannis barks out a short laugh. "It seems dual weddings are the newest trend after all!" he comments and we politely chuckle.

We continue to enjoy our dinner as the wine and conversation flow. I discussed with Stannis and Tywin a future expansion of the Wayfinders Guild as I tried the honey chicken and all but devoured the fried oysters when we discussed the politics of the Iron Islands with the death of Quellon Greyjoy at the Battle of the Mander and the ascension of his son Balon Greyjoy. I suggested that with a new Lord Greyjoy that prefers the old Iron Price to his father's Gold Price would be potential trouble, especially if they sensed any division or weakness in the Seven Kingdoms. Many at the table seemed skeptical of the Ironborn being dumb enough to try to take on the rest of the realm by themselves but I simply replied that I think Balon is arrogant and foolish enough to try if he sees a chance.

When we finished the main course, the servants cleared the table for one final dessert as they placed small porcelain plates of raisin bread pudding with a drizzle of vanilla glaze to my astonishment. As we dug in, Myrra began asking me questions about Castle Warg in rapid-fire secession about its size and history and I answered them one after another barely keeping up without giving away any secrets that would compromise my home. When I caught Harrold's wistful look of nostalgia, I gained an inkling of what my father endured in Lannisport a decade ago.

The bread pudding was gone but the wine and conversation still flowed. I found out Burton was two-and-ten and was Tygett's squire and that Tywin's suggestion for Master of Coin being his brother Keven was passed over for Lord Ambrose Mallister, father of Jason Mallister to Tywin's displeasure. Tygett asked about experiences at The Battle of the Bells and The Battle of the Trident and when I answered truthfully, he challenged me to a friendly spar. I even sneak a question to Myrra about woods witches and hedge wizards around Lannisport and enjoyed seeing Cersei subtly tense up for second out of the corner of my eye but was surprised when Myrra's smile lessened for a moment before her eyes flitted to Cersei and back before answering that they know better than to show up around Lannisport.

Soon the dinner was over, with myself and the other guests bidding their Lannister hosts thanks and goodnight. As I walked out with the Lannisport Lannisters, I gave Harrold a hearty goodbye, exchanged a nod of mutual respect with Burton, who seemed to soften up to me when he heard about my deeds in battle. I grabbed Myrra's hand and kissed her fingers and wished her a goodnight and was rewarded with a cute blush and a stuttered goodnight in response.

I strolled back to my quarters in a slightly drunk but euphoric haze.

The Red Keep, the next morning…

I stood in court with a hungover Wyman to my right and an excited Myrra to my left with her father and brother as Tywin announced the dual wedding being held in Lannisport and Casterly Rock in one year's time. Myrra and I standing next to one another when court began already drew glances and whispers but Tywin's announcement sent the courtiers into an absolute frenzy of whispers, with serious discussions about the new alliance and its implications intermixed with comments about how cute we looked together or how a she shouldn't marry a heathen.

The Westerland lords responded positively to their liege lord's proclamation with heartfelt cheers while the Stormland, Riverland, Vale and North houses being divided between positive and negative.

I paid particular attention to the reactions of my fellow Northern lords, noting that the houses of the west coast with the exception of the Flint's of Flint's Finger, the Manderlys, the Dustins and half the Northern hill clans led by the Wulls gave genuine cheers while the Umbers, Karstarks, Boltons, all three Flint houses with the First Flints leading the other half of the hill clans gave looks and mutters of disapproval. The rest of the Northern lords seemed to be on the fence about it.

Robert boomed with laughter and praised the match and stated that House Baratheon would attend, which at least turned some of the negative looks from the Southron nobles into positive ones, especially amongst the Stormlords.

I looked throughout the court to see the Small Council's reaction. Only Stannis as Master of Ships and Grand Maester Pycelle showed a positive reaction while Lord Estermont as Master of Whispers, Lord Yohn Royce as Master of Laws, Lord Ambrose Mallister as Master of Coin were stoned faced with calculating looks being sent between me and Tywin. Ser Barristan, who was pardoned and kept his position as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard had a neutral look.

As the court of the Red Keep grappled with reality of an alliance between House Seastark and House Lannister, I simply grinned and held Myrra's hand.

A/N: Writing the food was kinda hard and I hope I captured a little bit of G.R.R.M's magic when it comes to writing food. Also we all need a wingman like the Mannis!

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 9

Red Keep, 281 A.C., Eight days later…

The days since the announcement of the "Dual Wedding of Lannisport", as the upcoming event has been named, have been an exhausting whirlwind of activity. I had expected a big reaction in the form of a few days of gossiping before the court would inevitably get distracted by something else. What I hadn't expected was for it to strike court like a political earthquake as it seemed to become the topic of conversation on everyone's lips for a week as my new alliance and trade deal with the Lannisters caught even experienced players of the game of thrones off guard. The idea of the Lannisters, even through the cadet branch, marrying into any Northern house short of the Starks was unthinkable until my betrothal and the reality of it caused many to reevaluate not just House Seastark but the North as players of the game. In the eyes of the Southron lords, I went from being a minor Northern lord with a nice pedigree and strange invention to a notable player in the game, with the newest city of Wolfsport being the newest piece.

My days were spent either meeting with various lords for trade deals or going on what I mentally referred to as "dates" with Myrra and "double dates" that involved either Stannis and Cersei or Tygett and Darlessa.

The Westerosi version of a date generally involved a recently betrothed couple spending time together to get to known each other under direct supervision. My dates with Myrra involved strolling through the royal gardens while talking about various topics, meeting under the godswood where I instructed her on how Northern weddings work since she was going to do the same ceremony at Castle Warg, and probably most baffling to courtiers, spending time at the royal library sitting next to one another reading.

She was reading The Loves of Queen Nymeria by Maester Lucifer while I was skimming through a copy of The Nine Voyages by Maester Mathis and contemplating the confusing nature of this world's seasons. Spring and Autumn were fairly straightforward as they lasted only a year but summer and winter varied in length from one to multiple years. If this wasn't confusing enough, I remembered the "False Spring of 281" in the middle of a three-year long winter from the books only for Hugo's memories to contradict it with memories of the "False Spring of 279" with Spring coming in the first moons of this year instead of 283. I was pulled out of my ponderings when I felt a nudge on my left arm.

"I believe you're to meet with Lord Crakehall, Ser Swyft, and Lord Serrett soon." I hear a whisper as I turned my head to see a smirking Myrra. I looked around me and judged from the position and length of the shadows that it was near midday. I thanked her for the reminder and got up to put my book back but not before giving a quick kiss on the cheek that left her blushing, to the excited whispers and giggles of some watching courtiers and the narrow-eyed disapproval of our Septa chaperone. I ignored them as I placed my book back into the correct space and left. Public displays of affection were heavily frowned upon in Westeros and had Myrra and I not been betrothed, even a quick peck would have been a scandalous affair instead of merely juicy gossip for the rumor mill.

As I walked the halls of the Red Keep to my destination, I thought about the other activity taking up my time: meeting with lords, mainly River and Westerlords with a few Vale, Crown, and Stormlords sprinkled in. I didn't think much of it when word of the trade agreement I made with the Lannisters got out but apparently trade deals that mutually lower customs duties were a rare thing in Westeros and also drew a big reaction from court. This led to what felt like an avalanche of lords seeking trade deals, especially after the new Master of Coin Lord Ambrose Mallister of Seagard and I negotiated a simple trade deal of furs and amber for iron mined near Oldstones and lowering the Wolfsport customs duty for Mallister ships to five-and-twenty percent in exchange for grain shipments in winter.

My mind wandered to my upcoming meeting. What did Myrra say about them again? Ah! Right! Lord Roland Crakehall, new lord cause his father just passed, youngest sister Shiera recently betrothed to Jaime, loves hunting, lots of iron, copper and tin…

Lord Willem Serrett, oldest of the three, married his eldest daughter to Roland and youngest daughter to Lord Swyft's son and heir, arrogant and cocky, lots of silver…

Ser Harys Swyft, older than Roland but younger than Willem, chinless, Swyfts used to be a lordly house but got demoted after the Dance of Dragons, sensitive, one of the few agricultural regions of the Westerlands, lots of grain and cider…

I pass by the Great Hall as I mentally dredge up the information Myrra gave me on the two Westerlords and knight I was about to meet. Who they were, their likes, dislikes, achievements, goals, resources, marriage alliances, practically all the information that makes trade negotiations go smoother. Myrra giving information on all the Westerlords was the first way she's assisted me in getting favorable trade deals. The second way was subtler, the only clue being a rather large spike in the number of lords and ladies asking about blue amber two days after the announcement. When I brought this up with her, the only response was an impish grin while explaining how she might have been boasting to the ladies of the court how she'll have a blue amber necklace bigger than the soon-to-be queen's. When she trailed off with a knowing look, I took the obvious hint and promised her a big fat blue amber necklace because frankly she deserved it.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts when I arrived at Lord Crakehall's quarters and entered, finding a small table with the three Westerlords. After exchanging greetings, I sat one of the ends as the special guest of this luncheon across from the host, Lord Roland Crakehall, Lord of Crakehall, a brown-bearded, big-bodied man in his twenties. Seated to the host's right was Lord Willem Serrett, Lord of Silverhill, a tall wiry blonde-hair man in his late thirties, to his right and Ser Harys Swyft, Knight of Cornfield, a chinless man in his early thirties with brown hair that was already showing signs of balding.

"Lord Crakehall, I heard about the passing of your father Lord Sumner Crakehall, you have my condolences." I begin in a serious voice as servants poured our drinks in silver goblets, which I noticed was a type of cider instead of wine. Lord Crakehall thanked me solemnly with a stone face that shifted to a sad smile before continuing.

"But it hasn't all been only dark words from Crakehall, I'm sure you heard about my youngest sister's betrothal to Ser Jaime."

"Indeed, I have heard of the betrothal. You have my congratulations as well. If I remember correctly, didn't Ser Jaime foster with your father?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Oh yes! Ser Jaime did foster with my father, who taught him all he knew of strategy and war…"

Lord Crakehall responded with a nostalgic smile as he started to tell stories of Ser Silence's time at Crakehall, with myself and the other two occupants only pretending to listen. I was idlily sipping my cider, a nice dry flavor that was my preference back on Earth when I noticed that Lord Crakehall had finished his story.

"I must say, this is some delicious cider! It has a crisp, dryer taste than the Sarsfield cider my betrothed had me try!" I change the topic and suppress a smirk when I see Ser Harys perk up.

"Oh! It's actually my house's famous cider, brewed in Cornfield the same way for centuries and…" Ser Harys responds with a passionate rant about cider that I only half pay attention to.

"It's only worthwhile thing his house makes." I hear Lord Serrett whisper to Lord Crakehall while Ser Swyft continues obliviously. To be fair to the man, I actually did find it delicious.

"Fascinating! I had no idea so much went into cider production. And I love these silver goblets, especially the intricate carvings! Are these from Silverhill?" I ask Lord Serrett as he puffs up with pride at my question.

"Well of course they are! We Serretts of Silverhill have the best silversmiths in the Westerlands and…"

I smile as I tune out Lord Serrett's obnoxious bragging, content with knowing I've successfully buttered them up before getting to the meat of the trade deal.

An hour later…

I left Lord Crakehall's quarters with a satisfied grin, having secured another profitable trade deal. Though not as profitable then it could've been had I met them one-on-one. Despite their bickering, the lords manage to keep a united front against me. I thought to myself as I pondered about the most recent trend happening in my trade negotiations, that lords were teaming up and I was being forced to negotiate against two or three lords instead of one, lowering my bargaining power. I wasn't sure why it was happening but I noticed it started two days ago with the Vances of both Atranta and Wayfarer's Rest negotiating together followed by the Freys and Rosbys, the Baneforts and Paynes, and now the Crakehalls, Serretts and Swyfts.

I was passing by the Great Hall again when I'm yanked from my thoughts by a familiar voice calling my name and turn to find my cousin catching up to me.

"Cousin! I see you finished early with the trade deal! How did it go?" He asked as we walked back toward the Seastark quarters.

"It went well. Got more iron and copper from the Crakehalls, silver from the Serretts, and grain and cider from the Swyfts for a good bargain. The Swyfts have a nice dry cider I like." I give a quick summary as we walk.

"Huh. I don't remember you liking cider other than our spiced mulled cider up North." He comments in a slightly befuddled tone.

I shrug. "Just a taste I've recently developed." "Like your taste in blondes?" He laughs as I roll my eyes. "You jape, but I've gotten grain deals with two-thirds of the Westerlords for autumn and winter." His eyes bug out when he hears this and it's my turn to laugh.

We continue to talk before deciding to go sparring when we arrived at our quarters. After armoring up, we made our way to the massive training courtyard where dozens of lords of various ranks were spread out mingling and sparring. Surrounding the courtyard was a two-storied peristyle where many ladies, servants, and other observers would watch the intense spars. As Wyman and I grab blunted swords from the weapons rack and enter the courtyard, I spy Myrra with Ladies Jeyne Farman, Darlessa Marbrand, and Cersei looking down from above to our left. When they saw me, they were just close enough for me to make out Myrra's wide smile, next two Jeyne and Darlessa's polite smiles and Cersei's haughty gaze.

Wyman and I find an open spot near the other Northern lords and as we begin to trade blows, I was giving silent thanks to the Old Gods, George, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or whoever merged our souls together that I not only received Hugo's memories but also his skills with a blade.

I wasn't sure if I had his skills or not until a few days ago when I decided to have a private sparring session with Wyman to find out. At first it seemed like my fears of only having my non-existent skills from Earth had come true as for the first two spars, Wyman easily beat my sluggish, uncoordinated ass. However, when started our third spar I suddenly felt everything "click" as my movements became faster and more coordinated and my skills sharper as I went from being easily thrashed to going toe-to-toe with him, winning three of our eventual seven spars.

Speaking of going toe-to-toe, I was currently doing that with Wyman as our attacks and movements sped up as he went on the attack. I was being pushed back barely being fast enough to parry only to duck under a wide horizontal swing that he put a little too much power into that I took advantage of to sneak into his guard and place my blunted blade next to his neck. "Yield?" I say with a grin. "Aye, I yield." He mutters with a smile as notice an audience surrounding us, mostly Northern lords as I see my cousins Owen Fisher and Galbert Glover with a few lords from the other kingdoms mixed in.

As Wyman and I walked off to the side and let Owen and Galbert take over for a spar I hear a shout "Lord Seastark!" as turn to see Ser Tygett Lannister with a few Westerland knights a short distance away. "I believe you still owe me a spar!" he shouts in a challenging tone. I bark out a short laugh and respond "I believe I do Ser Tygett". I begin to walk over with Wyman to where Ser Tygett was as I hear the lords and ladies look at us and whisper and my eyes dart to where Myrra and her with Darlessa and Jeyne with excited expressions with even Cersei looking intrigued.

Wyman stood off to the side with the other Westerlords while I continued to the center where Ser Tygett was, who simply smiled when I reached him. "Good. I want to see the warrior that slayed a Kingsguard!" he says to the surprised mutterings of some of the lords as we get into our battle stances, swords and shields at the ready.

Soon enough, we're clashing, slowly at first as we gauge each other's skill before settling into a face-paced dance of attacks, blocks, parries, and feints. Something I realized very quickly was that while Wyman and I were skilled for our age group, fighting older, more experienced fighters like Ser Tygett who had roughly twice the experience I had was a completely different ball game. He didn't fall for my simple feints, expertly parried my attacks and was currently attacking aggressively to keep me on the back foot. I managed to parry a swing from my right with my sword and bash my shield against him, knocking him back two steps and giving me a brief moment to breathe. I then took control of the momentum of the spar and begin to pressing the attack against him, making it his turn to be on the backfoot. I kept pressing as he expertly block and parried my blows before I spotted an opening on his left that I immediately attempted to exploit only to realize too late that it was a feint when he swifted his blade and hit me with a riposte that left me open to a powerful shield bash that knocked me to the ground. I looked up to find a blunted blade pointed at my throat held by a smirking, Ser Tygett. "Yield"

"Aye, I yield." I say as he offers me a hand up that I grab. "Well fought, Lord Seastark. I see the battles you have fought in gave you some experience though you're still young. It's good that you're aggressive but a more experienced opponent can take advantage of that." He casually offers some advice while wiping the sweat off his brow and I thank him before having a spar with while Ser Addam Marbrand while Wyman had a spar Ser Quenten Serrett, son of Lord Willem Serrett who I met earlier today. I barely beat Ser Addam while Wyman easily beat Ser Quenten before going back to join the other Northern lords while I continued to spar with the Westerlords.

After a few more spars, I defeated a young Lord Gawen Westerling and was pulling him off the ground when we heard shouting coming from the area of the courtyard where the Northern lords had gathered. I went over to investigate and found a group of Northerners with a few lords and knights from the other kingdoms surrounding a group that was the source of screaming obscenities. As I reached the group, I ask a twenty nameday-old Lord Halys Hornwood what was going on. He seems surprised to see me and immediately gets out of the way and calling other lords to do the same. I nod in thanks and continue to the middle of the gathering when I start to hear what was being shouted.

"-WHORING YOURSELVES OUT TO THE LANNISTERS!" I bristle at the insult no doubt directed at my house. I heard a mix of mocking laughs and angry jeers.

"HA! YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT DISLOYAL? HOW ABOUT WHEN YOUR HOUSE SIDED WITH THE BOLTONS DURING THEIR LAST REVOLT?" I hear Wyman's voice shout back in indignant rage with multiple angry yells and jeers coming from one corner of the group. I finally get to the middle to see and furious, bruised and bloodied-nosed Wyman being held back by my other cousins, Owen Fisher and Galbert Glover facing off with an equally furious and battered Arthor Karstark being held back by his older brother Cregan and Roose Bolton.

"OI! What's going on here!" I cut in, straight to the point. "I would like to know the same thing, Lord Seastark." I hear a new voice emerge from the crowd say my name and title mockingly and my gaze shifts Lord Rickard Karstark, a large man twice my age with brown-hair, a large beard and the same blue-gray eyes I had staring at me with disdain. "Lord Karstark." I narrow my eyes and respond neutrally, shifting my gaze back to the scene with Wyman and Arthor. "Well." I say impatiently.

"I witnessed what happened Lord Seastark." I see a slightly fat Ser Wylis Manderly, heir to White Harbor step out from the crowd. "I swear on both the Old Gods and the Seven, Lord Wyman and Lord Arthor had a close spar that ended with Lord Arthor knocked to the ground and forced to yield. When Lord Wyman accepted his yield and offered his hand and pulled him up, Lord Arthor spat on him. Lord Wyman then struck him with his gauntlet and they brawled before being pulled apart." He stated confidently to a mix of gasps and murmurs of confirmation from the crowd. My eyes briefly shift to Lord Karstark, who seemed to be digesting the information before shifting back to Wyman. "Is this true Wyman?" I ask him.

Wyman grimaces for a moment before sighing. "Aye, it's true. He spat on me, I punched him, we fought, and now we're here." Arthor slowly nods, confirming both Wyman and Ser Wylis.

I frown at the tricky situation in front of me. Wyman was in the wrong for punching Arthor but Arthor spitting on him was a provocation. Back on Earth, spitting on someone was an extremely disrespectful act that would probably lead to a fight. In Westeros, spitting on someone was an extremely disrespectful act that will definitely lead to a fight because spitting on a highborn meant spitting on their house and that kind of disrespect can't go unanswered.

"Your cousin assaulted my kin." Rickard Karstark finally growled out in an accusatory tone.

"After your cousin spat on my kin." I remind him with a hard voice.

"My Lords!" Ser Wylis cut in. "Both houses are aggrieved. Mayhaps an apology from each of the involved will appease both houses' honors?" I hear mostly murmurs of agreement from the crowd with the exception of the Karstarks and few members from houses like the Umbers and Boltons who voiced their disagreement.

I contemplated his words. It seemed like the kind of comprise that left no one happy but allowed both parties to claim some kind of win before moving on and forgetting it ever happened. Which was good enough for me.

"I think that is a reasonable compromise." I nod to Ser Wylis and my eyes scan the crowd to see most of the Northerners and non-Northern lords nodding and muttering in agreement, seeming to believe this was a fair way to end it. I ignored the same group that voiced their disagreement to Ser Wylis when they began jeering at me.

"No." Lord Karstark steps forward and says stone-faced and silences everyone as I stare in disbelief. "Why should my cousin have to apologize to your young, brash cousin who can't control his anger." He sneers. This motherfucker… I think to myself.

"Really? Because your what? Thirty namedays-old cousin lost a spar, threw a temper tantrum and spat on my cousin. Sounds to me like your cousin is the one who can't control his anger." I say flippantly, causing him to snarl as his eyes light up in anger as the crowd laughs or jeers at my comment.

"My Lords! There is no reason for things to get out of hand!" Ser Wylis pleads desperately as Lord Karstark angrily responds "Why should we have to apologize to a young, cooper-counting house like yours that's more Southron than Northern? Haven't you heard what they're calling you, Seastark? The newest house of the Westerlands! All because you got yourself a lioness whore!" He steps closer and a thunderous mix of boos, jeers, laughs, and angry yells meets Lord Karstarks inflammatory words.

I feel rage bubbling up inside me and I take a step towards him. "We're more Northern than your house will ever be. Unlike you our house we contribute to the North. We repopulated a barren land, built a fleet from scratch that protects most of the western coast from Wildlings and Ironborn, and now in the past moon alone, my cousin and I have saved King's Landing and gained a city charter. SO I ASK YOU KARSTARK, WHAT THE FUCK HAS YOUR HOUSE EVEN ACCOMPLISHED?" I yell the last part as Lord Karstark's face contorts in rage. He steps closer to me again as the crowd seems to get louder and louder.

"HOW DARE YOU, YOU ARROGANT LITTLE SHIT!" Lord Karstark screams as he steps closer again before being pulled back by the Greatjon Umber, Lord of Last Hearth.

I go to yell something when I feel a hand on my shoulder and look to see my other uncle, Lord Osric Fisher with a serious expression. "Enough, nephew." I could still feel the rage inside from Karstark's words but I forced myself to nod my head and look around.

Where did all these lords and ladies come from? I thought to myself as I suddenly hear cries from a section of the crowd behind me.

"It's the King!" "It's his grace!" I hear as turn to see the crowd part ways to reveal King Robert walking towards us with Prince Stannis and his uncle Ser Ealon Estremont, the Master of Whispers.

"OI! What's going on here?" The King says in a loud voice and I feel a weird sense of deja-vu as everyone kneels. "Up!" King Robert shouts and everyone stands.

"Your grace! Apologies for the disturbance! It's just a spar that got a bit out of control but we were about to finish with both the belligerents apologizing to one another to sate each other's honor." I say to the king with my voice becoming more forceful with the second part as I look at Lord Karstark, his cousin and Wyman. Lord Karstark grinds his teeth and stare balefully at me but turns his head and nods to his cousin and I do the same to mine.

Arthor and Wyman look each other dead in the eye. "I apologize for spitting on you." "I apologize for punching you." They both growl out at the same time and it's obvious to everyone that neither means it. Ser Wylis looks relieved but the King looks at us skeptically and says "I see the issue has been resolved. Make sure it stays resolved." With the last two words carrying an unspoken but potent threat of royal displeasure and even punishment before turning to leave. Prince Stannis glances at me with a somewhat sympathetic look while his uncle gives me a look I can't read before they turn to follow the King. The crowd begins to disperse as I go to Wyman.

"You alright?" I ask him as he stands next to Galbert and Owen. He has a large bruise on his left cheek and a possible broken nose that he was currently using a cloth to stem the bleeding.

"I'll be fine, just need to get my nose fixed." He takes off the rag and shows me his crooked nose that looks bad but fixable.

"Come on, let's get you to a master." I say and all four of us begin to leave but not before turning to my uncle Osric and quietly thanking him for interfering and preventing me from saying I might regret. He only responded that I probably already did and walked away. As my cousins and I left silently my eyes scan the dispersing crowd, I find the Karstarks glaring balefully at me, the Umbers, Boltons, and Flints giving disapproving looks, the Manderlys, Mormonts and Slates among others were giving me sympathetic looks. My eyes shift to where Myrra and her group was to find it empty and when my eyes searched, I didn't find them. As we left the courtyard towards to find a maester, I was already hearing the lords and ladies gossiping in loud and soft whispers about the new feud between the Seastarks and the Karstarks and what this could mean for not only the North, but for the realm as a whole.

A/N: Biggest chapter yet and we now see a feud forming between the Seastarks and Karstarks, who before this had a complicated relationship of "distant kin that occasionally squabble but stood together when it mattered". Yet another thing for Ned to deal with he and his party return...

 

[kaizerfox]

Interlude – Ned 1

Shipbreaker Bay, 281 A.C., Six days earlier…

Ned stood at the bow of the ship looking out at the setting sun thinking back on the events of the past few weeks. He and his seven companions Howland Reed, Willam Dustin, Ethan Glover, Martyn Cassel, Theo Wull, Ser Mark Ryswell and Walton Seastark rode out from Storm's End but not before Walton grabbed a midwife named Prycilla. He remembered how he initially resisted the idea of bringing a midwife, thinking that it would slow them down but Howland, William, and Walton convinced him of the potential necessity.

Thank the Old Gods they convinced me. If they hadn't... I thought to myself with a grimace.

It had taken them days of traveling through the Red Mountains and they only reason it didn't take them weeks was the wayfinder Lord Hugo Seastark gave him. When they arrived at the Tower of Joy, it was guarded by Ser Gerold Hightower, Ser Oswell Whent, and Ser Arthur Dayne.

He remembered the fierce battle that day, how he slew Ser Arthur with the help of Howland Reed. How Ser Oswell slew Martyn Cassel and was about to kill Willam Dustin before Walton Seastark sacrificed himself, taking the blow instead and allowing Willam to quickly decapitate a surprised Ser Oswell. How Ser Gerold lived up to his name "The White Bull" and slew Ser Mark Rhyswell and Ethan Glover before Theo Wull managed to land a mortal blow and he remembers Theo's stunned look when Ser Gerold made one last swipe and slashed his neck.

He remembers running up those steps, calling his sister's name and feeling relief when he heard her voice before that relief vanishing when he finally gazed on her heavily pregnant belly. The midwife looking her over and stating she's going to give birth any day now so they need to leave immediately. It still irks him that they could only dig five graves at the tower and couldn't bring back the bones.

They rode for Nightsong, over the border into the friendly territory of the Stormlands. He had wanted to travel to Starfall to return Dawn to the Daynes but Lyanna's condition meant that getting her to safety was the bigger priority. The night after the first day of riding, they sat around the campfire with Willam, Howland, and himself telling his sister about their experiences in the initial chaos of her disappearance, the war, the sack of King's Landing. She had a horrified reaction to hearing what happened to Elia Martell and her children and when the midwife Prycilla went to her tent to sleep, she whispered with a guilt-ridden face to that she left willing with the prince to our immense shock. She confessed to being the Knight of the Laughing Tree at the Tourney of Harrenhall to all but Howland's surprise and how after she disappeared as the knight…

"…the prince found me taking off the armor and instead of arresting me, we talked. About how I was unsure of Robert with him siring a bastard in the Vale, the prince talked about how his family life was strain and I found him charming. We met in secret again and he promised a way to get out of my betrothal if I met up with him alone next year. I foolishly believed him." She says the last part with a humorless laugh, eyes glistening with tears.

"We headed south to Storm's End to 'negotiate with the Baratheons to end my betrothal' he said. It was all horseshit but I believed him like the dimwitted damsels I use to sneer at. I don't know the South that well but we were close to the Dornish Marches when I realized we were past Storm's End. I asked him, he made excuses but later that night I heard them discussing what the Mad King did to father and Brandon. I tried to flee the next night but was captured brought to that damn tower tied up."

Her breathing speeds up as the tears begin to fall. "I tried to escape again… the first night there… but was caught again…and they held me down… while the prince…" She's pulled into a hug as she sobs into her brother's shoulder, mumbling that it was "her fault they're dead" as Ned firmly denies this and comforts her. After he takes her to her tent, he makes Howland and Willam swear of vow of secrecy…

After three days of riding, they were about to reach the border when they were ambushed and captured by men from House Wyl with Willam's red stallion being shot from under him. He flew off and managed to only break his arm but his horse was slain. The midwife, Prycilla took a bolt throwing herself in front of his sister, saving her life at the cost of her own.

They were brought to Castle Wyl under the "care" of Lord Edgar Wyl. He had heard of House Wyl's infamous reputation and history of vile deeds. It was a tense two days, made worse by a raven from King's Landing baring news of massive caches of wyldfire discovered under the city but gave no details, before his sister gave birth with a local midwife and the castle maester helping. It was a surprisingly chilly night and with salt-scent wind blowing from the sea forcing them to light a small, smoky fire as she screamed from the labor and after a few hours, Brandon Snow was born.

Three days later, Prince Oberyn arrived to escort them by ship and three days after that, they were "guests" of the Martells at the Water Gardens, a private retreat located on a coastal road three leagues to the west of Sunspear. Despite being prisoners and hostages, we were treated well as we dined with Prince Doran, his wife Princess Mellario of Norvos and their children, Prince Oberyn, his bastard daughters, and his current paramour and newest mother of Sand Snakes Captain Nakaya Sho of the swan ship The Feathered Kiss our first night there. The dinner began with Doran raising a golden goblet of Dornish red wine and toasted Eddard Stark himself for "being the only one in the cesspit of the Stag's court to protest Elia and her children's death", notably calling Robert neither king nor usurper. Oberyn gave him an appreciative nod before discussions broke between the Martell brothers and the three Northern lords over the events of the realm including the moving of wyldfire to Summerhall near Dorne and Wolfsport gaining a city charter to the surprise of the Northerners.

Lyanna bonded with Princess Mellario and Captain Nakaya over becoming recent mothers, the princess having her son and second child Quentyn a few moons ago, the same time the dark-skinned Summer Island captain had her bastard daughter Sarella Sand, who was a lighter brown skin than her mother. The three enthusiastically exchanged stories of their homelands, each drawing reactions of awe and disbelief from the other two.

Their eldest child of Doran and Mellario, a girl of five namedays, Princess Arianne marveled at the wayfinder Lord Hugo Seastark lent him with her three bastard cousins Obara, Nymeria and Tyrene Sand. The adults smiled as they watched the girls pass around the wayfinder between with excitement and childlike glee

Prince Doran asked him about the wayfinder while his brother asked about Lord Seastark before revealing Lord Hugo's cousin Wyman was the once who discovered the caches of wyldfire. We were stunned, and as I recalled Jon Arryn telling me of Lord Hugo's strange insistence of wyldfire being under the city I could only wonder how he knew. Captain Nakaya took a keen interest in the wayfinder stating her people would pay an arm and a leg for such a navigation tool before looking to Oberyn and telling him she might stay longer in Westeros just to acquire one.

A few days later a raven arrived with word that Jon Arryn was traveling to Sunspear with Ser Clegane and Ser Lorch to "negotiate peace with House Martell" and we moved to Sunspear two days before Jon arrived. The prisoners, a shivering terrified Lorch and a tied-up Mountain with a vacant gaze caused by some kind of potion were quickly escorted by an enthusiastic Prince Oberyn to the dungeons where even three floors deep, high pitch shrieks and bellowing roars of pain could be faintly heard for the next five days.

Jon Arryn brought Prince Lewyn's bones, Ser Clegane and Ser Lorch as "tokens of apologies and good faith from King Robert." Doran responded curtly that while House Martell was thankful for the tokens, they would be more thankful for an apology from "the Stag King" for laughing at their sister's and her children's corpses. The exchanged created an awkward air but the negotiations after that were simple, the Martells would keep their titles with no punishments for siding with the Targaryens in exchange for handing over their "guests" bending the knee to Robert. Doran then surprised them saying that he will send his brother to bend the knee in his stead and attend the royal dual wedding.

After that Lyanna and I met with Jon Arryn, who mentioned Robert still wished to marry Lyanna to her surprise. She agreed to marry Robert before turning the topic to the fate of her son, with Jon responding that they would decide when they arrived in the capital but admitted he and Robert were leaning on him renouncing his claims when he reaches maturity and joining the Night's Watch to nullify his claim to the throne. This incensed Lyanna who argued her son would be both a Stark and no threat to Robert to Jon Arryn's insistence that would give the Starks too much power while I argued a compromise of raising him as a new cadet branch of House Stark in Moat Cailin. When Jon still argued that he would be a threat, albeit a reduced one as a cadet branch instead of main branch Stark, he offered marrying Brandon to Mya Stone, Robert's bastard in the Vale to tie him to House Baratheon and the crown. Lyanna showed discomfort at the mention of Robert's bastard but accepted the compromise while Jon looked skeptical but didn't dismiss it outright, simply stating they would bring it up with Robert when they get back to the capital.

We finally set sail from Sunspear when Oberyn was finished killing his prisoners accompanied by Captain Nakaya as both his paramour and to potentially negotiate trade deal for the Sho Clan of the island of Koj with either the crown or House Seastark. Ned didn't oppose this as growing comradery between his sister and the fifth daughter of the second son of the Sho Clan head created an interest the North in the latter, a place only a scant few Summer Islanders have been to and only White Harbor. He had agreed to introduce her to Lord Wyman Manderly and Lord Hugo Seastark to form trade deals to the captain's surprise and joy.

Lyana slowly became like the she-wolf she was before Harrenhall, but she wasn't there yet as she had nightmares about the Tower of Joy, along with new nightmares after hearing what happened to Princess Elia. They involved her being held down by the Kingsguard, forced to watch a lion devour baby Brandon. He and Howland assured her that Tywin had no way to reach Brandon in the North and that he would never allow something like that to happen.

Storm's End, the next day…

Ned, his sister and fellow Northern lords, the Hand, Prince Oberyn and Captain Nakaya sat as they heard the news from King's Landing during a private dinner with the castellan Ser Raymont Bolling and Maester Cressen. The announcement of the dual wedding of Lannisport involving the betrothal of Lord Hugo Seastark to Lady Myrra Lannister of Lannisport and the new Seastark-Lannister trade deal shocked everyone. He and Willam reacted with stunned silence, Howland looked like he saw a ghost and whispering about a "black direwolf and swimming lioness". Lyanna looked disturbed, having to calm her rapid breathing as her fearful eyes turn to him for assurance that he gave with a smile and nod that he didn't feel himself. Jon Arryn looked conflicted at the Lord Seastark betrothal, that looked morphed into astonishment when he heard about the part of the trade deal that involved Wolfsport and Lannisport mutually lowering their customs duties. He commented out loud that the Lannisters never lower customs duties and that even the Mad King tried and failed to get Tywin to lower his before muttering that he needed to tell Lord Seaguard to get a trade deal and tell the other lords to double team him in negotiations. Captain Nakaya looked conflicted, asking her lover if it was alright to meet with a Northern lord that is marrying into the family that murdered his sister. The prince assured her with that it was alright and that it wouldn't offend him or House Martell because he also really wanted to meet Lord Seastark as he looked at Ned with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

A/N: Part 1 of 2, with the second part being from Storm's End to King's Landing and we'll hear Ned's reaction to the brewing Seastark-Karstark feud.
Also Lyanna is a complicated character that can be polarizing to the fanbase at times and I hope I wrote a Lyanna (a fifteen year old girl) that made a terrible decision to go with Rhaegar and tried to bail the moment she realized he was lying to her resulting in Brandon. She also feels immense guilt for essentially causing the war, especially the deaths of her father, brother (why she named her son after him), and Elia and her kids. Hope this characterization seems plausible, and no she's not going to be weak and broken, she many be traumatized and a little paranoid about the safety of her son but she's still a she-wolf...
The part with Oberyn's Summer Islander lover being there was a happy accident of me researching the Sand Snakes and realizing Sarella Sand was born or 280 or 281 so I slotted her in instead of Ellaria Sand and made her a minor noble/merchant of the island of Koj since the only info we have on her is that she's the captain of a swan ship called The Feathered Kiss. That's it, not even a name.

 

[kaizerfox]

Interlude – Ned 2

Wendwater Bridge, a week later…

Their party was less than a league away from Wendwater Bridge, a small keep in the Kingswood held by a cadet branch of House Wendwater as Ned looks down at his wayfinder and reflects on what happened since the dinner at Storm's End.

After reminding Prince Oberyn that that Lord Seastark was a bannerman of the North, who simply grinned and said he only wished to "meet and talk" with Lord Seastark while the same dangerous glint continued to shine in his eyes, the table broke off into smaller conversations.

The prince getting into a discussion with Maester Cressen about the wayfinders and how some mocked Archmaester's theory on magnetic poles was being proven correct. Ser Raymont Bolling and Jon Arryn were discussing the trade deal and how Lord Seastark seems determined to turn Wolfsport into a much bigger center of trade despite its isolated location. The Summer Islander captain asked his sister a similar question to the one she asked the prince with Lyanna quickly assuring Captain Nakaya that it was no insult to her or House Stark. That left him with Willam Dustin and himself asking Howland Reed in whispers what he meant by "black direwolf and swimming lioness", who responded that he would tell them later tonight.

The dinner had continued but the news of the dual wedding dominated the table conversation and even when it wasn't the topic, it loomed over them like a gathering storm.

When Ned met with his sister, Howland and Willam later that night, the Crannogman revealed that he had a green dream on the night of Brandon's birth.

A black direwolf fated to die at the Trident rises and dances with the swimming lioness.

It snarls at the burning white sun while buckets clash with broken stones.

When the gray direwolf returns with a white, winged direwolf pup, the black direwolf flanked by a golden lion and stubborn stag will quarrel with the white sun flanked by an old, blue falcon and red viper as the winged direwolf grows and spreads its wings.

The kraken will lash out and a one-eyed crow will rise.

When the winged direwolf comes of age with a doe of the storm, a cold wind will blow from the north.

Some of it made sense to Ned, the black direwolf and white sun were the Stark cadet branches, the swimming lioness was the future Lady of Castle Warg and Wolfsport, the lion, stage, falcon and viper were Lord Tywin, Prince Stannis, Jon Arryn, and Prince Oberyn. The kraken was the Greyjoys and he suspected the winged direwolf was Brandon. The buckets, broken stones, and one-eyed crows left him puzzled.

When he asked the group about them, they all shared confusion over the one-eyed crow but were surprised he didn't know the buckets and broken stone's part. Lyanna comments that the buckets and broken stones were the Wulls of Ice Harbor, house sigil is three wooden buckets, brown on blue, with a border of grey and white checks and the First Flints of Breakstone Hill, house sigil is a gray flintstone arrowhead, broken equally from tip to base on red.

Howland proceeds to explain the history of the Northern hill clans, how the hill clans lived and raided one another until conquered by the Flint Kings of Breakstone Hill, who were in turn conquered by the Winter Kings who freed the hill clans, and broke Flint King's grip over them and their flintstone crown to reduced them to another hill clan. The Flints would eventually recover and with the help of the Umbers, allowing the Flints to begin marrying outside the hill clans with Northern lords and over time, establishing cadet branches in both House Flint of Widow's Watch and Flint's Finger with the Flints of Breakstone Hill becoming the First Flints to distinguish themselves from their younger, more civilized cadet branches. This alliance with the Umbers and outside marriages allowed the First Flints to become strongest and wealthiest hill clan that dominated the Allthing, or massive days long gathering of all forty clans large and small that included political meetings between chiefs, feasts and games, with each clan trying to outdo the others in adding to the feasts and games as a way to show off generosity and wealth.

Willam picks up were Howland left off: Until the rise of the Wulls of Ice Harbor, who located on the shore of the Bay of Ice, were almost always the second strongest and wealthiest clan to the First Flints and their rise starts with the birth of House Seastark. The Wulls started trading with the new Stark cadet branch and trading more with the Glovers and Mormonts and with the Sunset and Mormont Fleets protecting the Bay of Ice from the wildlings and Ironborn, they overtook the First Flints as the wealthiest clan. This has created a rivalry between the two constantly trying to outdo each other in particular at the Allthings and even raiding one another every once and a while. This has caused an even divide in the hill clans, with the eastern twenty hill clans of the hilly and mountainous interior, dominated by the Burleys, Knotts and Liddles side with the First Flints and their Umber and Karstark allies while the western twenty hill clans of the shore of the Bay of Ice, the hills and the Wolfswood dominated by the Harclays and Norreys side with the Wulls and their Glover, Mormont, and Seastark allies.

Ned was stunned hearing this as he had no idea of the history or politics of the Northern hill clans, only that they were similar to the Vale mountain clans but peaceful but as the trip to Wendwater Bridge continued he would realize that he had large gaps of knowledge when it came to the North due to fostering in the Vale. Something the others picked up on and begin educating him on the history and politics of various Northern houses to Ned's immense gratitude.

A glimpse of the old Lyanna returned when she got into a friendly argument with Prince Oberyn about horse breeds and which horse breeds were faster. Lyanna challenged the prince to a race and before any one could argue, his sister gave him Brandon and raced off with Oberyn close behind. The prince would end up winning the race but praising his sister's horse-riding skills.

It was the latest glimpse of the she-wolf since back in Sunspear when a furious Lyanna argued that the sword Dawn, wielded by Ser Arthur Dayne and one the Kingsguard that helped abduct and held her down to be raped, should be given to House Stark. This caused an equally fierce Oberyn to argue against this, stating that horrible crime or not, Dawn belongs to House Dayne and that Martells would never allow them to take it. Prince Doran, Ned and Jon Arryn would argue the same thing though in more diplomatic language, causing she-wolf to begrudging back down from her demands for the sword and the Martells collected the sword to be sent back to Starfall. It was after that, that he received word of Ashara Dayne throwing herself to her death after the stillbirth of her bastard daughter…their bastard daughter.

Ned was dragged out of his thoughts as they reached eyesight of Wendwater Bridge, a small keep overlooking a bridge across the Wendwater, a river that flows through the Kingswood and were welcomed at the gates by a greybeard knight, a beautiful brunette woman in her twenties and a young boy of brown hair.

The knight stepped forward. "Greetings! I am Ser Adrian Wendwater, Knight of Wendwater Bridge. I welcome you to my humble keep!" He greets and the woman steps forward "It is an honor to meet you, I am Lady Gwenys Wendwater of the Crownlands and this is my son Triston Wendwater."

A few hours later…

They sat in the small dining chamber with an old, oak table that was barely large enough to accommodate the ten people that ate a simple meal of smoked venison, cooked vegetables and some bread and cheeses washed down with wine as they discussed news from the capital. Triston was alternating between chewing on venison and playing with Ned's borrowed wayfinder. Lady Gwenys was discussing something with his sister and the Summer-Islander captain in low voices. The men were, as always, talking about poltics.

"My grandson is squiring for Lord Buckler and was at the training courtyard of the Red Keep and witnessed Ser Tygett Lannister sparring with Lord Seastark." Ser Adrian said and the took a sip of wine, the names spoken catching mine and the attention of the other guests. "He said Lord Seastark was skilled but that Ser Tygett's age and experience prevailed. Ser Addam Marbrand then challenged Lord Seastark and lost by a hair but that was before he saw a fight break out between the Karstarks and Seastarks." He takes another sip.

Ned stiffens and sees his fellow Northern lords and sister do the same. He sees the prince and the captain look intrigued while Jon wore a troubled look.

"Apparently a Seastark cousin and a Karstark cousin sparred with the Seastark victorious, the Karstark spat on him and they brawled. They were pulled apart with the Karstark calling the Seastarks traitors for whoring themselves to the Lannisters while the Seastark yelled back something about them allying with the Boltons. Then Lord Seastark and Lord Karstark showed up demanding to know what happened. A Manderly knight told them. Lord Seastark and the Manderly knight thought an apology on both sides would suffice but Lord Karstark refused and loudly insulted Lord Seastark, calling them the newest house of the Westerlands and called his betrothed a lioness whore." The greybeard took another sip.

"And how did Lord Seastark respond?" Ned asked in a cautious voice, knowing that Lord Karstark had made several grave insults that would be difficult not to respond with fists.

"The lord listed his house's accomplishments of building from nothing and finding the wyldfire, gaining a city charter among others in the last moon alone and asked him what his house even accomplished. Made Lord Karstark red in the face and charge him only to pulled back by some large Northern lord." Ser Adrian tilted the goblet as he sipped until it was empty.

Ned snorted, Howland smiled, Willam laughed, the Lady Wendwater and the captain giggled, Oberyn looked intrigued while his sister and Jon were stoned-faced.

"The King and Prince showed up, the Seastarks and Karstarks apologized and moved on. The whole court's talking about this new feud that started two days ago." Ser Adrian stuffed some cheese and bread into his mouth as a servant poured more wine into his goblet.

Ned shared a concern look with his fellow Northerners. "Any word from your kin on my cadet branches happening recently?" He asked taking his own sip, needing to know any scrap of information he could find.

The greybeard finishes chewing. "Aye, my grandson was with Lord Buckler among other Stormlords and was privileged to go hawking with Prince Stannis and his betrothed Lady Cersei and Lord Seastark and his betrothed Lady Myrra as special guests!"

The table sat there with rapt attention and Ned anxiously waits as Ser Adrian continues. "He overheard Prince Stannis congratulating Lord Seastark on his houses betrothals to Houses Mormont, Slate and Tallhart, his trade deal for horses and betrothal with House Ryswell and wished him good luck on his negotiations with House Cerwyn. He heard Lord Seastark say something about the Karstarks getting an alliance with House Lake and House Lighfoot and the Boltons furious about his betrothal and trade deal with House Rhyswell. That's all he heard as he says he mostly heard Stormlords and knights muttering both lightheartedly and mockingly calling Lord Seastark the Eddard of Prince Stannis with some resenting how they fought and bled for Prince Stannis' trust and approval only for some Northerner to sweep in and become his friend with ease!" Ser Adrian finished with a resentful tone before pausing and suddenly realizing who his guests were.

"Er… My apologi-" He starts before Ned cuts him off "No. I asked for word and you gave it. You have my thanks."

Ned surveys the table's reaction. He spots Willam and Howland whispering back and forth rapidly about the new alliances with uncertain expressions. He sees Captain Nakaya whispering into Oberyn's ear while the prince wore the same smirk and mischievous glint in his eye that appeared whenever the Lord of Castle Warg was mentioned. Lady Wendwater was whispering with his sister, who he noticed was stiff ever since the negotiations with the Cerwyns was brought up. Her eyes flickered to his and he saw a storm of fear and uncertainty even as her face betrayed nothing.

He himself was deep in thought about the new alliances and trade deal. He noticed the Seastarks were expanding their alliances on the western coast and bringing House Tallhart of Torrhen's Square, a strong square-shaped castle with a large village located deep inland on the shores of a large lake with a river large connecting to Blazewater Bay wide and deep enough for ships to traverse. They have been raided by Ironborn longships sailing upriver in the past but have been shield in the last few centuries by the Sunset Fleet.

It was no surprise the Seastarks would also ally with the Ryswells, Lords of the Rills, the land between the Stony Shore and the Barrowlands of House Dustin to get their famed horses. Willam will have to tell his wife Barbrey that her favorite stallion was dead but he wondered why Lord Seastark was meeting with Lord Cerwyn?

As they eventually split off for bed Ned continues to feel conflicted on the bannerman who has done much to aid him in saving his sister yet has tied himself to the ruthless, honorless Warden of the West that potentially threatens his sister and her child. His mind flashes to Elia and her children's corpses and he grimaced.

That night his sister had a horrific nightmare that she described to him with bags under her eyes from lack of sleep.

"I'm held down by the Kingsguard as Rhaegar rapes me. The White Bull grabs my face and twists it to watch a white winged direwolf pup being pinned down by a black direwolf and golden lion. The black direwolf snarls as it sinks in its jaws and tears the wings off as the pup shrieks in agony before a golden lion sinks teeth into the whimpering pup's throat and kills it."

Byrchkeep, five days later…

They were half a day away from the gates of the capital as they rode from Byrchkeep, the seat of House Byrch at the northern edge of the Kingswood, with urgency early that morning from the news they heard the night before.

Three days ago drunken brawl erupted between the Liddles and the Harclays in the Northern camp outside the city that left one dead on both sides, young Duncan Liddle, son and heir to Lord Torren Liddle or "The Liddle", and young Ronnel Harclay, son and heir to the Lord Gerrick Harclay or "The Harclay".

If that wasn't bad enough the next day, the Liddles as an eastern hill clan, called for the First Flints and the Harclays, a western hill clan called for the Wulls, which turned the situation into chaos and a second brawl that involved Big Bucket Hugo Wull, father of Theo Wull with Torghen First Flint broke out before being quickly contained by Lord Wyman Manderly who was put in charge of the Northern camp full of hill clans and house men-at-arms and levies outside the walls of the capital.

Then to make things worse yesterday, the First Flints called for their cadet branchs of Widow's Watch and Flint's Finger and the Umbers, who in turn brought in the Karstarks, Boltons and new allies the Lakes and Lightfoots while the Wulls called on their alliance with the Mormonts, which brought in the Glovers, Seastarks, Slates, Fishers and Tallharts with the Manderlys, Ryswells, Cerwyns, Lockes, and Hornwoods declaring neutrality and working with keep the peace. The two opposing sides eventually met with the Manderlys being the neutral party and an agreement that amounted to "wait for Lord Stark" was made. The only solace is that for all their anger and insults, neither cadet branch wants to start a civil war without himself there.

He was thinking of fostering a Seastark and Karstark as a way to foster peace and closer ties, since that worked for him and Robert in the Vale but he's starting to think that's not going to be enough as they reach the Blackwater Rush and prepare to cross by ferry, he sees sister's anxious look, both from the crisis in the North and from her impending meeting with Robert.

 

[Alucard925]

The White Bull grabs my face and twists it to watch a white winged direwolf pup being pinned down by a black direwolf and golden lion. The black direwolf snarls as it sinks in its jaws and tears the wings off as the pup shrieks in agony before a golden lion sinks teeth into the whimpering pup's throat and kills it."

Click to shrink...

Methinks ol' Three Eyes is trying to get his win condition back, despite the fact that any canon timeline is already gone.

 

[Jeman]

So had an idea….. so canal connecting western coast of neck to eastern. Doesn't seem to be possible….at first. So I googled some shit Panama Canal 82 km(51mi) took ten years 1904 to 1914 by USA after French failed first. Now on the maps I could find it's around 120 mi from where the fever river ends to the eastern coast of the neck. That would mean 20 or more years for it to get done and that's around when the long night happens…..not good enough….. so I kept looking the Suez Canal took ten years was mostly dug up by unskilled and forced labor with pickaxes and shovels in 1859 to 1869 and coincidently 120 miles long and THAT was with malaria outbreaks cause ig delays.

Differences in elevation slowed Panama down and I think the neck is relatively flat because it's swampy like the Everglades in Florida also very flat. So ten years is doable now it took 1.2 million workers well that's taken care of by flea bottom mostly I think they once said that was how many people lived there. And with them gone they could do something about the sewage system sucking so god damn much.

For funding the treasury is supposed to be pretty full before Baelish fucking steals it all(please kill him….please) iron bank could be convinced to help fund it because it would increase trade to bravoss and the manderlys too as well at the lannisters every one loves trade…….except the iron born……well they love stealing peoples shit so maybe them too.

Now with these last two chapters u could convince Ned with maybe a city charter for moat cailin and Brandon…..kinda hard after those visions to think of a way this won't end with sea starks again main starks tho. Could be a way to bring the visions about to ig.

Also if you don't wanna do it it could be something the mc tries to do but fails so he doesn't be come a Mary sue who never fails.

Ok last thing…….if it does happen, lots of magical nitroglycerin could be used to demo a canal VERY quickly…..not exactly safely but think of the explosion!

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 10

The Red Keep, 281 A.C., Later that day (one week since the Seastark-Karstark fight)…

A fucking game of dice.

We nearly tore the North apart because of game of dice gone wrong that ended up with two heirs dead. I hadn't even heard of the Liddle-Harclay brawl since I was busy meeting with Northern lords to make betrothals for Wyman and I's younger siblings.

The fight and argument with Lord Karstark in front half the court was a rude awakening. I had been so focused on securing trade deals with Southron lords and spending time with Myrra that I hadn't paid close attention to the reaction of my fellow Northerners beyond the initial reactions to the betrothal. I saw the looks and mutters of disapproval of a few lords like Karstark and Umber and foolishly thought that would be the extent of it before reality smacked me upside the head. I looked into Karstark's claims about what "they" have been saying about me, "they" being our fellow Northern lords. It turns out that for roughly a quarter to a third of them, "the newest house of the Westerlands" wasn't just an insult but a very real sentiment and one of the nicer things said about me. Houses like the Umbers, Karstarks and Boltons had always turned their nose up at House Seastark for being a young house known for copper-counting. Then my inventions and Wyman's acquisition of a city charter along with our newfound royal favor bred resentment before my alliance with Lannisters caused them to truly view me as an over-grasping vassal that needed to be knocked down a peg or two.

But the usual suspects like the Karstarks and Umbers talking shit didn't disturb me so much as finding out that some of the "neutral" houses like the Manderlys or Hornwoods shared similar sentiments that my ties to the Lannisters could be a destabilizing force in the North. The only solace I have is that not only do they feel this to a lesser extant then the houses tied to the Karstarks but they see Lord Karstark's loud insults as equally destabilizing.

This lit a fire under my ass to try to build up alliances and ties to my fellow Northern lords since my position in the North wasn't as strong as I had assumed. I had already met with the Slates to secure Wyman's betrothal to Lord Artos Slate's eldest daughter Elsa Slate when I started by meeting with Lord Jorah Mormont over the betrothal of Wyman's younger, ten nameday old brother Jonnel with an eight nameday old Alysanne Mormont. This was an easy betrothal to make due to House Mormonts historically good relationship with House Seastark and my uncle fostering on Bear Island with a younger Lord Slate. The betrothals with the Slates and Mormonts were announced to little surprise or reaction from both Northern and Southron lords as both houses were already viewed as part of the "Seastark alliance" as the Southron lords dubbed it with the betrothals merely formalizing it.

The same could not be said for my negotiations with the Tallharts and Ryswells and the reactions to it. House Tallhart were the Masters of Torrhen's Square, a strong, square-shaped castle on the shores of Torrhen's Lake deep in land. They were a decently big trading house due the lake flowing into the Torrhen River, a river navigable by small merchant ships (and Ironborn longships) that made them the "Gateway to the Interior", having access to larges amounts of timber, furs and metals for trade. I met with Master Helman Tallhart and his younger brother Leobald Tallhart for a betrothal and a trade deal. Master Tallhart was a fairly young but tough haggler but I managed to secure a trade deal of iron and metals that Sea Dragon Point sorely lacks for some of the Westerland winter grain shipments being sent to Torrhen's Square and a betrothal between Wyman's three-and-ten-nameday old sister with Master Helman's seven-and-ten nameday brother and castellan, Leobald.

The Ryswells were another tough nut to crack as like the Tallharts, the Lords of the Rills have never been traditionally part of the "Seastark alliance" and were an ancient and proud house known for their horse breeding with their current head, Lord Rodrik Ryswell, being a similarly shrewd negotiator. My main goals were a trade deal for the Ryswells famous Northern horses, hoping to import around fifty warhorse and fifty workhorses a year for five years but the Ryswells insisted that would taken too many horses, some of which were promised or already purchased by other houses. Thus, a deal for twenty warhorses and thirty workhorses in exchange for a portion of the winter grain shipments and some amber and a betrothal was made for my six nameday old sister Breyna with Lord Ryswell's eight nameday old son and heir Roger in exchange for lowering the Wolfsport custom duties by five percent.

The reaction to these trade deals and betrothals had a much bigger reaction from the Northern lords as the Hornwoods were unhappy with me because it turned out that they were trying to negotiate a betrothal between Leobald Tallhart and Lord Hornwood's sister Berena Hornwood, the Boltons were unhappy about my betrothal to the Ryswells due to their own marriage between Roose Bolton and Lord Ryswell's eldest daughter Bethany. The Karstarks and Umbers were unhappy since my betrothal effectively forced the Ryswells from a pro-Karstark stance to a fully neutral stance.

The Umbers and Karstarks were reportedly caught off guard and responded by forging betrothals with Houses Lake and Lightfoot respectively. House Lake was located on the northern end of the Long Lake where it meets the Kingsroad and had historically good ties with the Umbers with Lord Lake betrothing his young daughter to Lord "Greatjon" Umber's young son the "Smalljon". House Lightfoot was located on the southern end of the Long Lake sandwiched between the Starks, Lakes and Boltons and Lord Lightfoot betrothed his daughter of near maturity to Lord Karstark's thirty-some namedays old cousin Creegan Karstark with both betrothals giving the Karstark-Umber-Bolton axis greater control of the Kingsroad in the North and creating a larger border between them and the hills clans to the west and the Wolfswood clans sworn to House Glover to the southwest.

This, along with whispers that the Umbers and Karstarks were meeting with Lord Medger Cerwyn for potential betrothals for his two-and-ten nameday daughter Lady Jonelle Cerwyn, caused me to seek my own negotiations for my same aged younger brother Edric Seastark. Unforunately, while Lord Cerwyn was amendable to a simple trade deal he was completely opposed to a betrothal, having had the Umbers and Karstarks harass him and now me for his daughter's hand, he made it very clear to me that he wasn't taking any sides in the "childish spat between your houses".

When our negotiations ended at midday, we both left the room to find an anxious Wyman who informed us of the Wull-First Flint brawl the previous night and how both lords were calling on their allies to the Northern military camp outside the city. I asked Wyman what caused the brawl and that was when I learned of the Harclay-Liddle brawl the night before that and how they appealed to the Wulls and First Flints to help settle their dispute only for that to fall apart. Since the negotiations called for lords only, Wyman was left behind and Lord Cerwyn and I went together. As we left the Red Keep, I noticed Southron lords picking up on something happening with the Northerners as they saw them leaving the castle but not knowing what was happening since it was taking place outside the city.

When we finally arrived the "meeting" if it could even be called that since Lord "Greatjon" Umber and Lord Rickard Karstark were loudly arguing with my uncles, Lord Rogar Glover and Lord Osric Fisher while Lord Jorah Mormont and Lord Artos Slate were arguing with Lord Royce Bolton and Lords Calon and Lonnel Flint of Widow's Watch and Flint's Finger respectively. The hill clans were arguing amongst themselves while the neutral houses like the Manderlys, Hornwoods, and Ryswells trying in vain to save the negotiations. Lord Umber and Karstark saw me enter with Lord Cerwyn and became incensed, accusing us of forming an alliance to Lord Cerwyn's angry denial and my confirmation of the rejected betrothal.

Lord Cerwyn joined the neutral houses as we attempted to find some form of fair justice for both the Harclays and Liddles but the problem was too many cooks in the kitchen spoiling the broth. The insistence that every lord, regardless of what side they were on, had to have their voice heard created a chaotic atmosphere and the presence of this many lords, instead of putting pressure on the hill clans to come to a compromise, did the complete opposite by convincing the Wulls and First Flints to dig in their heels because they felt embolden by their backup. This caused talks to break down with insults and obscenities being thrown by both sides with the Manderly-led neutral houses trying to keep the peace as he remembered the shitshow that happened yesterday.

…"My Lords, please!" Lord Wyman Manderly cries out.

"WHORESON!"

"OI, THAT'S MY SISTER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

"LANNISTER PUPPET!"

"YOUR WOMEN ARE UGLY!"

"YOUR BLACK BEER TASTES LIKE PISS!"

I heard a roar of angry yells and laughs at the insult to one's regional "black beer" or what this world calls lager. The different regions of the North each had their own regional black beer that they claim tastes the best, though if I'm going to be honest, I think the Manderlys had the best one since theirs tasted suspiciously like Guinness.

"MY LORDS, PLEASE!" Lord Manderly cries out again but I ignore him as I'm arguing with the Greatjon and Rickard Karstark.

"-SOLD YOURSELF TO TYWIN FOR SOME LANNISTER CUNT!" Greatjon bellows at me as I bristle with rage but Karstark immediately cuts in.

"NO TRUE NORTHERN HOUSE WOULD WHORE THEMSELVES TO THE LANNISTERS! YOU'RE MUMMERS PRETENDING TO BE NORTHERNERS! THEY SHOULD CALL YOU HOUSE FALSESTARK!" He finishes and I hear the lords on Karstark's side of the room cheer, laugh and jeer at me while the lords on my side yell angrily.

"OH, SHUT THE FUCK UP 'GREAT' JON, WHAT ARE YOU EVEN GREAT AT BESIDES YELLING AND GETTING DRUNK! AND KARSTARK? THEY SHOULD CALL YOU HOUSE CAN'TSTARK, CAUSE YOU CAN'T FIGHT THE WILDLINGS, CAN'T FIGHT THE SKAGOSI, AND CAN'T FIGHT THE BOLTONS WITHOUT GETTING BAILED OUT BY THE STARKS!" I scream as I hold my fist with the palm facing me and lifting a finger with each enemy the Karstarks "can't" fight and being sure to give them both the two-finger salute while I'm counting to three. I see his face turn red and he lunges only to be held back by Lord Lightfoot and Lord Bolton while "Great" Jon bellowed in rage and had to be held back by Lord Lake and the Flint lords of Widow's Watch and Flint's Finger. A cacophony of furious insults and obscenities from the Karstark side and boisterous laughter and taunting jeers from my side.

"MY LORDS, PLEASE!" Lord Manderly bellows at a volume I didn't think was possible for a human.

All mouths shut and all eyes turned to him and I could spot from the corner of my eye, Lord Umber looking at the fat man with newfound respect. The Mermaid Lord pants, red faced, forehead sweating before smoothing his ruffled blonde hair and takes a breath before speaking at normal volume.

"Lord Stark and his party are due to arrive tomorrow. Since we are unable to come to a judgement, then mayhaps we wait for his return?" he suggests.

I glance around and see lords muttering and nodding before my eyes turn back to Lord Manderly.

"I wouldn't be opposed to waiting, seeing as we're two punches away from a civil war." I quip with a tired smile and look at Karstark, effectively putting the ball in his court.

The reaction was a mix of chuckles from Lords Umber and Slate, angry mutters from Lords Glover, Fisher and the Flints and sobered looks from Lords Bolton and Mormont. The neutral houses didn't seem to find my quip humorous as Lords Manderly and Hornwood look between Karstark and I with displeasure, Lords Cerwyn and Locke glare at us, and Lord Ryswell's eyes shift nervously between Lord Bolton and I. Karstark glares at me but slowly nods his head.

"Aye. I can do that." He begrudgingly agrees as his face takes a more sobered look, one that I match as we begin to slowly file out of the largest tent in the camp. All fight gone in both sides as they head back to the Red Keep to await Lord Stark's judgement.

Lord Stark and his party, along with Prince Oberyn and a Summer-Isander captain to my surprise, arrived just past the hour of the bull and word shot through the Red Keep like a lightning bolt. Lord Stark, the Hand, and his sister headed straight for Maegar's Holdfast to meet with the King while Lord Willam Dustin and Lord Howland Reed met with the Northern lords to inform to meet in the Great Hall for an announcement to the court and then head to the military camp outside the city for a private meeting with Lord Stark.

The lords quickly gathering in the Great Hall with our Northern houses standing as one, as a show of unity for both Lord Stark and the Southron lords, who were whispering fervently amongst themselves about the arrival of Lord Stark, the Hand and the future queen and the "civil war" that nearly erupted in the North. Out of all the things the Southron lords could've heard about our "meeting" in the military camp, the only things they pick up are "Falsestark", "Can'tstark", and my "two punches away from a civil war" quip. Many were quick to point out House Manderly and the neutral houses standing between the Seastark-aligned houses and the Karstark-aligned houses.

I was standing with my cousin to my right and my uncle Lord Rogar Glover to my left. Myrra was with her house and the other Westerlords across from us and when her worried gaze met mine, I gave a reassuring smile that didn't reach my eyes. I hadn't talked to Myrra since before discussions with Lord Cerwyn and when my eyes met Tywin's, he arched an eyebrow up as if to ask what happened. I nodded that I had things under control…probably, and he seemed to accept this before briefly glaring at Karstark and meeting Prince Oberyn's glare with an indifferent look. Oberyn and his paramour were talking with various Vale, River, and Crownlords with the Summer-Islander woman sending me intrigued looks after I saw someone whisper in her ear and point to me and the prince sending me a look that I couldn't tell if he wanted to fight or fuck me.

After roughly a half-hour of waiting, the king, his brother, the hand, and Lord Stark and his party arrive looking exhausted. Lord Stark stood in the center with Lords Dustin and Reed while Prince Stannis, Lady Lyanna, and Jon Arryn were at the base of the Iron Throne where King Robert sat. Ned's sister told her story to the court about how Prince Rhaegar abducted her and took her to the Tower of Joy, how she tried to escaped and was held down by three Kingsguard and raped by the prince. The last part drew a visceral response of the court in the form of horrified looks and whispers from Southron lords, loud anger and condemnation aimed at Rhaegar from the Stormlands and the North with myself joining in. Ser Barrister Selmy looked like he had been stabbed in the gut at what his fellow Kingsguard had down and looked down in shame while the King, despite looking like he had already heard this before coming here, still got red in the face before taking a deep breath to calm himself.

Lady Lyanna looked up at Robert. "My betrothed, no matter how great the rage and hatred you feel for the silver prince, just know it is nothing compared to my hatred for him!" She said with a vicious smile to the thunderous cheers of us Northerners and a chuckle out of Robert.

"Aye. You might be the only one in the Seven Kingdoms who could claim to be angrier than me!" He boomed to the cheers of his Stormlords and mutters from the other Southron houses.

The King finally announced the fate of Jon Snow or in this butterflied Westeros, Brandon Snow. Due to the abduction and dishonoring of Lady Lyanna and the grievous murders of Lord Rickard Stark and Brandon Stark the Targaryen owed a blood debt to the Starks to be paid by "giving back the land they were forced to donate in the shadow of dragons over two hundred years ago."

This was met by an immediate roar of approval from me and every Northerner, not even having to fake unity as I looked at Karstark and smiled, he simply gave a small smile and nod in return. The theft of the New Gift had been a sore point for the North since it was "donated" in 58 A.C. when King Jaehaerys I and his sister-wife, Queen Alysanne Targaryen, visited the North and decided to strengthen the Night's Watch by doubling the size of the Gift, forced to watch fertile land and strong keeps go fallow and abandoned in neglect from a waning Watch. All the Northern lords looked at Lord Stark and his sister with respect for getting the New Gift back.

The King calmed us down as the Southron lords were beginning to realize the New Gift was being returned to the North. Brandon Snow would be taken to Winterfell before founding a new Stark cadet branch and becoming Lord of the New Gift in Queenscrown at maturity, sworn to House Stark but will give half of all food and taxes to the Night's Watch to compensate them. This met with approval with me and my fellow Northern lords but a mix of positive and negative whispers and comments from the Southron lords.

King Robert continued by stating to deal with his potential claim to the Iron Throne, Brandon Snow will be betrothed to his bastard daughter Mya Stone of the Vale to tie his claim to the Baratheons. This was met with more mixed reactions from the Southron lords with the negative comments being centered around "the North getting too much power". When Prince Stannis commented that Queenscrown was a half-ruined tower on an island in a lake with an abandoned village and that wouldn't be fit even for a Baratheon bastard, Lord Stark smiled and announced "Lord Karstark has eagerly volunteered stone, lumber and labor to restore the tower and village and Lord Seastark graciously offered to pay for the rebuilding and repairs." He gave Karstark and I a hard look that dared us to contradict him in front of the King and the entire court. My rival and I exchange nervous glances before nodding to Lord Stark and proclaiming our support.

Court was dismissed but not before announcing that the King and Prince Stannis will have a private dinner with the Starks and some Northern lords tonight. This raised my curiosity as to which ones before being answered with Lords Dustin, Reed, Manderly, Cerwyn, Hornwood, Locke, and Ryswell, all the neutral houses of the North and I feel the hard looks from both Lord Stark and the King directed at myself and Karstark. I could hear my uncles and Lord Jorah Mormont mutter disappointedly while I heard similar mutterings from the Umbers and Flints. The Southron lords, seeing this, whispered amongst themselves about the "new Manderly alliance" and how Lord Stark now has three powerful alliances of bannerman to contend with.

As I made my way out of the Great Hall, I thought about the cost of the repairs I had been voluntold to pay. From what I remembered from the books, with details getting hazier each day and Hugo's limited knowledge, it was a six storied tower that wasn't too damaged on the outside, but the insides would probably need a lot of work due to being abandoned since the Dance of Dragons. The rebuilding of the village across from the lake would be more expensive but nothing backbreaking to his treasury but I had a sinking feeling that this was only part of his sworn lord's punishment for him and that more would be given at the impending meeting.

A/N: Ned Stark makes his return and immediately gains a lot of goodwill from the Northern lords for regaining the New Gift while promoting the Manderly led neutral faction. No, this is not all the punishment, this is merely the public part plus he has to also punish the Harclays, Liddles, Hulls and First Flints.
A lot of you guys commented that Moat Cailin was too much to give to Brandon and I agreed, plus making him Lord of Queenscrown brings the New Gift back into the North, strengthening overall as the once abandoned land (slowly) becomes repopulated and productive. The SI might have the idea of building port town (nothing huge) on the western coast of the New Gift to facilitate trade.

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 11

Northern military camp outside King's Landing, 281 A.C., the next morning…

"I'd much rather this meeting happened last night then this morning" I hear my lord-uncle Rogar Glover mutter softly as I stand with him and my other lord-uncle, Osric Fisher.

"Aye, but Lord Stark and the King wanted to host a dinner with the Manderlys and other unaligned houses." My uncle Osric mutters in response.

"Probably to get an untainted opinion from Lord Manderly and Lord Cerwyn before meeting with us." I softly put in my two cents and my uncles nod in agreement.

Speaking of the devils, I hear the tent flap open to see the fat Lord Manderly lead the slightly hungover neutral lords in with Lord Cerwyn being the most hungover. The large, ginger haired and bearded Lord of Castle Cerwyn had a grimaced expression from his hangover that morphed into a smug grin when his eyes met mine and Lord Karstark's. His back straightens and he struts like a peacock to the middle area where the neutral lords stood between Karstark and I's alliances. Greetings and pleasantries are exchanged with the neutral houses giving a cordial but cool tone to both sides.

Then the tent flaps open again and Lord Stark, Lord Dustin, and Lord Reed walk in with purpose. Lord Stark heads to a small, wooden platform while Lords Dustin and Reed stood with the neutral lords. Ned stood on the platform that put him about two feet above our heads as he gazed at us with his trademark Stark iciness aimed at his cadet branches before easing as he speaks.

"My Lords. When I called the banners of the North, the silver prince had abducted my sister, and the mad king had murdered my father and brother in a twisted mockery of a trial before calling for my execution. You answered and after nearly a year of war, we stand here triumphantly with the Targaryens overthrown, my father and brother avenged, my sister safe, and the New Gift returned!" We nod and cheer a bit before he continues. "When I journeyed to rescue my sister, I was aided by seven great Northern warriors: Howland Reed, Lord Willam Dustin, Ethan Glover, Martyn Cassel, Theo Wull, Ser Mark Ryswell, and Walton Seastark against three Kingsguard!" He said as Lord Dustin and the Lord of each of the warriors including my uncle Rogar and myself gave cheers.

"Ethan Glover, Martyn Cassel, Theo Wull, Ser Mar Ryswell and Walton Seastark died heroically in battle but with great regret we could not bring their bones back, we buried them with dignity in marked graves before having to ride with all haste toward Nightsong due to my sister's condition." A storm of mutters filled the tent as I silently looked at the reaction as I expected this though knew Wyman wasn't going to be happy. I hear my uncle Robar mutter unhappily and see the lords' faces and see a mix of understanding and anger.

"Aye. My fellow lords, I was there and Lord Stark speaks the truth. But they have not been forgotten have they Lord Stark…" Lord Dustin suddenly stands out from the neutral faction to address the tent and looks to Ned as his sentence trails off.

"Indeed, they have not Lord Dustin. My sister and I have spoken with Prince Doran and Prince Oberyn and they have agreed to collect the bones of the slain and send them on a ship to White Harbor before being taken to Winterfell where they will wait for us to arrive." The Warden of the North announced to more positive muttering as the promise of the bones of their kin seemed to mollify them.

"Which is why it disappoints me to see the once united, triumphant Northern lords, now torn apart by a petty feud that put it, what were the words? Two punches away from a civil war!" His voice becomes cold and gives Karstark an icy look before throwing it at me when quotes me from the meeting. I suppress a facepalm as it seems everyone has heard that little quip and I feel the eyes of everyone in the room as I realize Lord Stark was waiting for an answer from me.

"It… was just a small jape, things were that bad-" I say nervously before being cut off. "Your small jape was heard by everyone in the Red Keep and had his grace sending me a raven in Byrchkeep, urging me to return with all haste to, in his words, deal with the unfolding civil war on his doorstep!" Ned snarls at me practically growling at the last part as I hear the Northern lords whisper amongst themselves. "This current disaster many have been started by the Harclays and Liddles, and the Wulls and First Flints may have failed to solve it when they should have, but don't think I didn't notice that the reason things spiraled out of control was because my cadet branches were having a childish feud and pressuring houses to pick a side!" He says icily as his eyes shift to the mentioned hill clans before landing on Karstark. He turns his head to address the tent again.

"Will House Liddle and House Harclay step forward!" Lord Stark commanded as Lord Torren Liddle and Lord Gerrick Harclay stepped forth each with a single man from their clan what were the only men in the room besides the wandering crow that weren't Northern lords and Ned looks at the Liddle man.

"Ondrew Liddle, nephew of Lord Torren Liddle, you stand accused of the murder of Ronnel Harclay, heir of Lord Gerrick Harclay. How do you plead?" Lord Stark asked the Liddle man, who looked defeated. "I…killed him, Lord Stark." He said and hung his head in shame.

"Then I offer you two choices, take the black and swear the oaths of the Night's Watch or execution." Ned responded in a grim voice. The man hesitates but agrees to join the Night's Watch. "Mallador Harclay, you stand accused of cheating at a game of dice, and beginning a brawl that left two heirs dead. How do you plead?" Turning his head and addressing the Harclay man, who protested immediately. "I did not cheat, Lord Stark!"

"The dice in your possession used in the game has been found by Lord Liddle, Lord Harclay, Lord Wull, Lord First Flint, Lord Manderly and myself to be loaded die and even if you didn't cheat, multiple witnesses say you threw the first punch! So, I offer you the same choice, take the black or execution." The Warden of the North counters fiercely as the Harclay man's confidence seemed to whither with each lord named that investigated his loaded die, before lowering his head and taking the black with a defeated sigh.

With that done, Lord Stark called for Lord Wull and Lord First Flint and I see Lord Hugo Big Bucket Wull and my namesake, due to being good friends with my father when they fostered together in Deepwood Motte and Lord Torghen First Flint step forth with nervous looks on their faces. Big Bucket Wull and Torghen First Flint ironically looked very similar, same brown colored eyes, hair and beard, same hieight but the difference was Lord Wull's Big Bucket nickname came from his large gut that rivaled Lord Manderly's.

"Lord Wull and Lord First Flint, you are not the sworn lords of House Harclay and House Liddle as all hill clans are sworn to House Stark, but your two houses have the most influence and prestige amongst the clans. They turned to you to aid them in settling their dispute and you failed them by fighting amongst yourselves. Had it ended there with you waiting for me to settle the dispute, you both would have received no punishment. But it didn't end there." Ned's voice started at an even tone and I saw both hill clan lords flinch when his voiced turned cold with his next words.

"Make no mistake, you had a right to call for aid from other houses as the Harclays and Liddles called to you for aid, but you needlessly escalated the dispute by calling in too many houses. One or two more houses each would have suffice, not an entire alliance each. Therefore, you will not be punished for failing to solving the dispute or for brawling but you will face punishment for the escalation. House Wull and House First Flint will pay two hundred gold stags to be used in the restoration of Queenscrown." Lord Stark proclaimed and the tent was a storm of whispers as some lords thought it was too harsh while others thought it wasn't harsh enough.

I thought about how much of a punishment two hundred gold was for the two houses. For me, it'd be like getting a shot from the doctor, a sharp prick and then done. For the average hill clan, the loss of two hundred gold would range from harsh to downright crippling but these weren't the average hill clan. House Wull and House First Flint were the two wealthiest clans and their fortunes put together nearly matched the rest of the clans combined, two hundred gold would sting and they'd probably have to tighten their belts for a year or two but it certainly wasn't crippling. The lords in question both looked like they sucked a lemon but seeing how their bodies subtly relaxed when hearing the punishment told me they were expecting a harsher one.

Then it was our turn but to my surprise, Lord Umber was called alongside Karstark and I. Lord Stark gave us a hard look before speaking. "Lord Karstark, Lord Seastark, I have already announced part of your punishment yesterday in regards to the restoration of the Queenscrown tower and village but the second part concerns the settlers." I was thinking What settlers? when my question was answered.

"The lords that attended dinner with myself have volunteered between themselves one thousand smallfolk and House Stark will match that number. Which brings me to your punishments. Lord Karstark, for your cousin starting this feud and your part in perpetuating it, your house shall also provide one thousand settlers to the New Gift, smallfolk farmers and laborer only, no skilled artisans will be among them." This was met by loud, fierce protests from Karstark while the lords whispered about this new development. It was one thing for houses to volunteer smallfolk settlers and for Lord Stark to provide settlers from his own lands, it was another for Lord Stark to force settlers even as punishment and it made me nervous about the second part of my punishment.

"Lord Umber!" Lord Stark called out as he ignored Karstark and the muttering lords. "Due to your part in escalating the feud, House Umber will also provide one thousand smallfolk settlers. HOWEVER…" Lord Stark's voice got louder and he held up his arm as Lord Umber looked like he was about to unleash a bellow of rage. "…House Umber historically had lands in the eastern third of the New Gift, bordering the extinct House Towers and House Amber lands that were taken by House Targaryen. Therefore, for your house's thousands of years of loyalty, I will see those lands returned to house Umber." The lords muttered fiercely between themselves where this was fair or not with mostly Karstark and Umber aligned lords thinking it was unfair while neutral or Seastark aligned houses tended to lean towards it being fair. Lord Umber, for his part, didn't bellow in rage or protest but continued giving Lord Stark a hard look before begrudgingly nodding his head with gritted teeth, barely content with the sugar going down with his bitter medicine.

"Lord Seastark, for your part in the feud, you will provide no settlers…" I relaxed hearing I wasn't going to have to give up a portion of my labor force or levies. "…but you will pay for the settling of the four thousand settlers in and around Queenscrown for the first five years." Only to immediately wince from the added cost of paying for food and housing. Four thousand wasn't a huge number to pay for by any means, but the costs on top of the restoration was going to hit my treasury.

The only solace I had was the recent city charter for Wolfsport meant I paid half taxes on the city to both the Crown and Winterfell, though that was only for Wolfsport and I still paid full taxes for the rest of Sea Dragon Point. The fact that Wolfsport was by far the largest and richest settlement and my house's biggest moneymaker meant that despite paying half taxes for only Wolfsport, I'll be paying around one-third less taxes overall. Granted, that money being saved from paying less taxes in the future was now going to fund the settlement of the New Gift but at least that meant it wasn't going to hit my bottom line too hard and I wasn't being forced to give up part of my manpower.

"Lord Karstark and Lord Umber will also apologize to Lord Seastark for their insults to his house and his betrothed and Lord Seastark will apologize for his insults." Lord Stark broke me out of my internal thoughts with his final proclamation to Karstark and Umber's loud protests of Lannister meddling that made me roll my eyes and Lord Stark to my surprise, brought up his Tully wife as a counter argument to me having a Southron betrothed. I personally didn't want to apologize to those arrogant asshats, especially since the Karstarks are the ones who started this whole damn thing. But if it meant ending this stupid farce, I'd grit my teeth and give a half-assed apology. However, I noticed there was a certain someone who wasn't getting an apology from those two and decided to correct that.

"On one condition." I stated and felt all eyes on me. "Lord Karstark and Lord Umber both owe my betrothed an apology for the grievous insults they flung at her for a feud she had nothing to do with." I start facing Lord Stark but shift to speaking to Lords Karstark and Umber.

"Like it or not, Lady Myrra is to be my wife and future Lady of Castle Warg and while you don't have to like her, you will show her the proper fucking respect a lady of the North is entitled to." I say to murmurs of support from my allied houses, nods of agreement from the neutral houses, and protests from the Karstark and Umber aligned houses.

"Agreed. Lord Umber and Lord Karstark will apologize to Lady Myrra by the time of the Royal Dual Wedding in two weeks' time or face further penalties but you will apologize to each other now in front of your fellow Northern lords." Lord Starks ends the protest with his words.

I nod at Lord Stark before turning to see Karstark and Umber's sour expressions, we looked at each other in mild contempt for a moment before our faces shifted to more neutral expressions. We gave our apologies but I'm pretty sure they didn't believe my apology because I certainly didn't believe theirs. I'm not sure Lord Stark believed either side but he deemed it enough.

"Good. Don't make me deal with this again." Our sworn lord growled at both of us before turning to the crowd.

"Two more announcement on the New Gift. First, the lands in the western third that once belonged to the northern hill clans such as House Norrey, House Knott, and others clans on the border, will be restored to their houses following the historical borders with the extinct House Towers and House Frost." He said to enthusiastic cheers from the Norreys, the Knotts, and five other clan lords.

"Second, as acting Regent of Queenscrown I hereby appoint Ser Wylis to castellan of Queenscrown to oversee the settlers, Lord Karstark's raw materials and Lord Seastark's payments until the end of the regency." Lords whispered again while Lord Manderly gave a big smile. "Lord Stark, you honor me and my son." Lord Stark nodded and began finishing up.

"One final announcement, my brother Benjen Stark has been betrothed to Lady Jonelle Cerwyn and they will marry in two years, where he will be given the lordship of Moat Cailin, not to found any new cadet branches, but to create an extension of House Stark." This created storm of whispers of a new Stark of Moat Cailin as Lord Cerwyn puffed up his chest and beamed with pride. Suddenly his swagger walking in made sense as he threw gloating looks at Karstark and I.

"I hereby declare this meeting adjourned." Lord Stark declared and we slowly made our way out of the massive tent. I made eye contact with Karstark and Umber at two different points but we simply settled for icy looks and ignored each other as we left. I chatted with my uncles for bit as we walked to our horses and they mentioned their sons were with my cousin today. I heard a voice call my name and I turn to Lord Willam Dustin on a brown Northern stallion.

"Lord Seastark, I was hoping to talk to you personally." I nod and bid my uncles farewell as they walked off. I mount my horse and follow Lord Dustin to the Gate of the Gods…

The Red Keep, An hour later…

I hear muffled talking behind the thick doors leading to the Seastark quarters and I open the door to find Wyman and my other cousins Galbert Glover and Owen Fisher as expected but two new additions surprised me. My betrothed, Myrra and blonde haired and bearded knight in his thirties that looked similar to Myrra. I knew him because she introduced him to me before as Ser Maynard Hill, bastard cousin to Lord Harrold Lannister of Lannisport and her Uncle Maynard. He was her sworn knight accompanying her to the North when we married so I wasn't surprised to see him with Myrra, but I was surprised to see them here.

"Hugo!" "Cousin!" "Lord Seastark!" I hear Myrra, my cousins and Ser Maynard greet me as I walk in and I greet them back.

"Myrra, Ser Maynard, didn't expect to see you two drinking black beer. How's the Wolfsport brew?" I ask out of curiosity since black beer was a Northern beverage that we had to bring down south.

"I've never liked ale, especially since it's a smallfolk drink, but this is surprisingly good. I still prefer wine though." Myrra said with a smile.

"I thought it… strange that Northern lords drank this black beer instead of wine but now that I've tasted it, I see why! It's better than any ale in Lannisport!" Ser Maynard took a sip and raised his tankard in praise.

"It's not that we don't drink wine, Wolfsport certainly has plenty, it's that the North can't grow grapes for winemaking so all wine is imported. Black beer came about thousands of years ago as a cheaper alternative for the hill clans and petty lords who couldn't afford to import wine but its spread over the centuries to the point that the Starks openly drink it." I explain to their nods of understanding.

"Cousin, I saved you a plate!" I sat at the head of the table, Wyman to my right with my cousins to his right and Myrra to my left next to her bastard uncle with a plate of eggs, sausage and bacon, though closer to the British/Canadian bacon from my world than the American kind and a small tankard of Wolfsport black beer. They seem to be almost half-way done with their plates as I dig in after a sip from my tankard and look to see the whole table looking at me in anticipation.

"So…what happened at the meeting?" My cousin Owen asks curiously.

"Can we even discuss it in front of your betrothed due to the silence embargo? Er, no offense Lady Myrra!" My other cousin Galbert responds nervously while glancing at Myrra, who frowns.

"This damn silence embargo of yours is driving me insane. Hugo, I will be Lady of Castle Warg, I think I'm entitled to knowing the details of my betrothed getting involved in any civil wars. Not knowing what's been going on with you Northerners has had me worried and my father concerned not to mention court. Half of court thought a war between your houses was about to start and were taking bets!" Myrra complained, letting me know exactly how she felt about being kept in the dark.

"Yes, you will. But not yet. You aren't Lady of Castle Warg until we're married." I chide softly as I cut a piece of sausage and eat it.

"Besides, as far as Lord Stark is concerned, the feud is over." I say when I done chewing and this got everyone's attention.

"And as far as we're concerned? What about Karstark?" Wyman asks evenly, remembering his brawl with Arthor Karstark.

"As far as House Seastark is concerned, the feud is also over. As for Karstark, if he wants to restart it, I'll happily knock him down a peg or two." I say, impressing onto Wyman not to continue the feud.

"Did you or Karstark get any more punishments?" Galbert asked to the whole table's curiosity.

I take a sip of black beer and give them a brief summary our punishments.

"…And Karstark and Umber will have to personally apologize to Myrra." I finish as I take a bite of bacon, making a note to myself to introduce real bacon to Westeros.

"Oh yes, I heard some of the things they've said…" Myrra smiled but her eyes and voice had a cold fury to them. "…lioness whore, Lannister cunt, harlot of the Westerlands, and blonde broodmare amongst others."

"And they'll apologize for all of them." I said with steel in my voice.

"Anything else happened?" Owen asks and I explained Ser Wylis' appointment and Benjen Stark being betrothed to Lord Cerwyn's daughter and his lordship of Moat Cailin.

"Didn't he reject betrothals from you and Karstark?" Galbert inquired and I saw Myrra perk up at that question and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Aye. He rejected both of us and is strutting around like a peacock now he's got a Stark betrothal." I said with mild disappointment, I wasn't too broken up about not getting the betrothal for my younger brother Edric but I still needed to find a match for him, preferably from the North.

As I finished my tankard, I thought about my plans for the day and decided to make a small change. "Wyman, we're meeting with Lord Slate this afternoon to finalize the details of your betrothal to Lady Elsa Slate. Myrra, you're coming with us." I say to Myrra's shock and I smile. "You may not be Lady of Castle Warg yet, but that doesn't mean you can't start meeting all the Northern lords you're going to help me deal with. You've already met my lord uncles of House Glover and House Fisher but today you can meet Lord Slate of Blackpool and we can go from there."

Myrra smiled. "I'd like that."

 

[kayakayanaya777]

. I told him what I know about magnets and how they work

Click to shrink...

Honestly, I disliked the MC giving his advantage away for nothing like this. I would prefer him to make his own Navy stronger and let them figure it out by themselves

 

[winternights]

Honestly, I disliked the MC giving his advantage away for nothing like this. I would prefer him to make his own Navy stronger and let them figure it out by themselves

Click to shrink...

It's not like it will bring much to him he has 30 ships lol.

Also they used for defence.

He makes some good money and prestige so it's win win.

And it's highly likely to leak or be copied it's not that hard.

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 12

The Red Keep, late 281 A.C., five days later…

I stood in my finest blue and white tunic with Myrra in a beautiful red dress with gold trimmings that matched her hair and eyes perfectly. We were standing in a large dining room we were using to host our event as the Seastark quarters would have been too small. Wyman was off to one side talking with one of the servants and Myrra's ser-uncle Maynard was standing nearby in a red tunic as he was a guest of the dinner I was hosting with Northern lords to introduce Myrra and to a lesser extent, introduce Ser Maynard as her (and my future) sworn knight. I had my hands behind my back with my right-hand clutching something I got for Myrra.

"Alright. I know I've been busy these last two days at the Wayfinders Guild with the sticky-stone shipment getting in, so I haven't been able to help you and Wyman much in setting up this dinner, but I want to make it up to you." I remove my hands from behind my back and with my left hand I guide her open palms to where my right-hand places something. Myrra looks down to find a golden necklace with a large piece of polished blue amber, roughly the size of a golden stag and her eyes bug out as she gasps.

"Hugo! This is beautiful!" she said excitedly. "You told me about the blue amber but I had no idea they looked this stunning, and the size of it, it's huge!" she gushed and I laughed.

"Well, let's just say sticky-stone wasn't the only thing in that shipment. My mother also sent some amber for trade deals including our prized blue amber and I found a good goldsmith in the city to make the necklace. Besides, I told you I'd get you one bigger than Lady Lyanna's!" I say as she puts on the necklace and clasps it together behind her neck.

"Uncle Maynard, look at this!" She excitedly shows off her new necklace to who I've mentally referred to as her sworn uncle, whose eyes widened when he saw her necklace.

"By the seven, that's as large as a coin! And it truly is blue! It almost looks like a sapphire!" The knight in his late thirties proclaimed, visibly impressed by the blue amber.

"I'm happy you both are impressed with the blue amber but the guests are set to arrive soon and I would like to quickly go over the guest list with Myrra." I say and Myrra makes he way back to me.

"Alright, you've already met Lords Glover, Fisher and Slate along with their sons and heirs and from what I hear from them and Wyman, my uncles and cousins seem to like you and you made a good impression on Lord Slate and his son Jonos." I start and Myrra nods.

"Your cousins have been quite welcoming to me and your lord-uncles have been accepting of me. Lord Slate and his son were polite to me in our meeting with them and all of them have condemned the insults." Myrra says with a small smile and it's my turn to nod.

"Good. Now let's go over the lords you haven't met yet. Mormont." I begin the quiz her.

"Lord Jorah Mormont, Lord of Bear Island, commands the Mormont Fleet that works with your fleet, betrothed his cousin Alysanne to Wyman's younger brother Jonnel, poorest of the Northern Great Houses." Myrra started listing the things I've taught her about the house.

"Correct. Though definitely don't mention that last part out loud and certainly not in front of him." I caution as I see Ser Maynard a body-length away pretending not to listen.

"Ser Maynard, I'm introducing you as the first knight of House Seastark, so you might as well know the lords you and your sworn lady will be around." I say with a sign and wave him over and the older knight seemed uncomfortable.

"Lord Seastark, is it truly alright for me, a bastard, to dine with these lords? Such a thing usually doesn't happen in the Westerlands." He says nervously but Myrra and I dismiss his concerns.

"Of course, uncle! I am to be Lady of Sea Dragon Point and bastard you may be; you and your children are still my kin and will have a place at Castle Warg. Right Hugo?" Myrra says and looks to me.

"Of course they're welcome to live in Castle Warg! His son will be a future knight and more importantly, his wife and elder daughter are cooks that know how to make west onion soup!" I jape but get a light slap on my shoulder from Myrra, who grinned and gestured me to continue where I left off.

"Tallhart." I state the next house. "Master Helman Tallhart and his younger brother Leobald Tallhart, Master of Torrhen's Square, "Gateway to the Interior" due to lake and river trade, Wyman's younger sister Yara is betrothed to Leobald, lots of raw materials for trade." She says and I nod.

"Wull." "Lord Hugo Wull, the Wull of Ice Harbor and his second son and newest heir Mikken Wull, your namesake, heir is betrothed to a Norrey, one of the two largest and wealthiest hill clans, trade a few precious gems and a bit of silver found in the Northern mountains." I nod and praise her for using the correct hill clan address of the Wull of Ice Harbor.

"Forrester." "Lord Gregor Forrester, Lord of Ironwrath, sworn to House Glover, married to Elissa of House Branfield: a now extinct house in the Crownlands, harvesters of the famous Ironwood trees."

"Wells." "Lord Barthogan Wells, Lord of Wells Keep, with his son Benjicot Wells, Lord of the Bracelands located on the Saltspear between Cape Kraken and The Neck, been historically hit by Ironborn reavers, looking to get protection from the Sunset Fleet, betrothed his daughter Lorra to your younger brother Edric, small rivalry with House Flint of Flint's Finger since the Bracelands historically were under Flint rule before House Wells rose in prominence and strength and broke away before the Conquest." I smile at her answers.

"Ryswell." "Lord Rodrik Ryswell, Lord of the Rills, betrothed your younger sister Breyna to his heir Roger Ryswell, has daughters married to House Dustin and House Bolton, famed for their northern breed of horses, were sworn to House Ryder when the Ryder Kings were conquered by the Starks, then gained lordship over the Rills after King Theon the Hungry Wolf Stark crushed a rebellion and extinguished House Ryder." I smile.

"Good, you've been paying attention my little history lessons on the North. Last houses, Dustin and Stout." "Lord Willam Dustin, Lord of Barrow Hall in Barrowton, ancient Barrow Kings, one of the strongest Northern Great Houses, lots of raw material resources, married to Barbrey of House Ryswell, made an oath with you to betrothal our children in the future without my opinion." She softly growls the last part as she narrows her eyes at me but continues with the last house.

"Lord Harwood Stout, Lord of Goldgrass, sworn to House Dustin, keep is just outside of Barrowton, lost his arm at the Battle of the Trident, brews the Barrowlands' local black beer."

"You're ready. You picked up everything I taught you! I'm happy to see you taking this seriously." I praise with sincerity.

"Well, it helps that I had a good instructor." She says with a shy smile before it turns into a worried frown. "I also don't want to mess this up. I was surprised by insults made by those two lords and what concerned me was hearing that some Northern lords agreed with them. I don't want the lords I'm meeting tonight to say the same things they did, I want them to accept me as a Northern lady." She says nervously with worry in her eyes.

"They won't sprout the same lies as Umber and Karstark, you know why? Because you'll win them over with your wit and charm. Besides, my uncles and Lord Slate already like you, so that's three houses that you've already got in your corner. Yes, we will have to meet with less…friendly lords, but that's apart of our duties as Lord and Lady." I say comfortingly.

Speaking of my uncles, they and my cousins are the first to arrive, greeting Wyman, Myrra and myself warmly. My cousins Galbert and Owen, already having met Ser Maynard, greeted him and he introduced himself to my uncles. As he was telling them about his familial connection to my betrothed, Lord Jorah Mormont arrived with Lord Artos Slate and his son Jonos Slate with servants carrying a barrel of Bear Island black beer. The Slates greeted Myrra while I warmly greeted Lord Jorah before he turned to Myrra.

"Lady Myrra, it is an honor to meet you." He said with a polite bow to which Myrra flashed a bright smile. "Lord Mormont, the honor is mine." She says with a practiced curtsy and makes polite small talk with the Lord of Bear Island while the Slates meet Ser Maynard and Wyman chats with my uncles and cousins. Just as I was about to join Myrra and Lord Jorah's conversation, I hear a booming voice call my name and instantly knew it was Big Bucket Hugo Wull and his second son and now heir Mikken Wull, who unlike his father, was slim and muscular instead of fat and muscular and were next to servants carrying a barrel of Ice Harbor black beer. I warmly greet my namesake and the cycle continued as a conga line of Northern lords came in and were greeted by Myrra and I before dispersing to meet Ser Maynard or talk to Wyman or each other. The Tallharts, then the Wells, Lord Ryswell, Lord Forrester, finally Lord Willam Dustin and Lord Harwood Stout with a barrel of the Goldgrass black beer.

"Lord Seastark, it's good to see you again!" Lord Willam greets me warmly and quietly asks me if Myrra knows about our oath and I greet him, quietly confirming she did, before meeting Lord Stout for the first time as The Lord of Barrow Hall walks up to Myrra.

"Lady Myrra, it is an honor to finally meet you. Lord Seastark has told me much about you." Lord Willam greeted Myrra with a polite bow that's met with my betrothed's curtsy. "Lord Dustin, it is honor to meet you." With all the guests arrived we made our way to the long table where everyone was seated with myself at the head of one end as host with Myrra seated to my right and Lord Ryswell to my left. Lord Dustin was seated across from me at the other end of the table with my lord-uncle Robar Glover to his right and Lord Stout to his left and my cousins, the Wells, the Tallharts, Ser Maynard, Lord Forrester, the Wulls, and Lord Mormont all mixed in the middle. I stand up to speak to the table as servants place two large charcuterie boards of various breads meats and cheeses placed on opposite sides of the table.

"My fellow lords of the western shore, I invited you here tonight to formally introduce my betrothed and future Lady of Castle Warg and Sea Dragon Point, Lady Myrra Lannister of Lannisport and her sworn knight and bastard first cousin once removed, Ser Maynard Hill, future first knight of House Seastark!" I say to polite applause from most of the lords and more enthusiastic applause from my uncles, Lord Slate and Lord Mormont.

"Of course, I didn't just want to introduce my betrothed and her sworn knight to just the lords of the North but also, it's various black beers. They've both enjoyed my Wolfsport brew but tonight they'll be introduced to the Bear Island, Ice Harbor and Goldgrass brews, starting with Lord Mormont's black beer." I say as the servants fill up everyone's tankards.

"Ser Maynard is a veteran knight who fought in the War of the Ninepenny Kings and his wife and daughters are talented cooks who helped made tonight's appetizer from the Westerlands, west onion soup!" I finished as servants began placing bowls of steaming hot soup with melted cheese and bread on top.

"Cheese in soup!?" "What kind of madness is this?" "And they think Haggis is disgusting!" "Pft! Typical Southron decadence."

I hear mutters as the sight of the cheese greatly confused the Northern lords because it seemed ludicrous to them to put cheese in soup. I grab a piece of bread from the charcuterie board in front of me, giving the silent signal to my guests to begin eating. As we begin eating, Myrra and I watch with amusement as the lords try the soup one-by-one and see their expressions shift from disgusted or unsure to stunned at the delicious taste.

"This is delicious!" "How is it possible!" "The cheese is making it better!?" I silently chuckle at their comments.

I sip a spoonful of soup before taking a sip of the Bear Island black beer. It tasted strangely like an IPA with distinct piney flavor. I see Myrra talking with Lord Mormont next to her about his local brew so I turned to talk to Lord Rodrik Ryswell.

"Lord Ryswell, I must congratulate you on the birth of your third son! Have you chosen a name?" I ask to make conversation.

"Thank you, Lord Seastark. I was surprised by the raven that I knocked up my wife when we were leaving the North but we had already decided Roose for any boy." He said and I nodded.

"Aye, didn't Roose Bolton also get a raven that your daughter was pregnant again?" Master Helman Tallhart, seated to Lord Ryswell's left chimed in.

"He did. She sent a letter to my wife recently, claiming she had a good feeling about this one and the names will be Darla if a girl and Domeric if a boy." I hear Lord Ryswell answer and my eyes slightly widen as I take a bite of the soaked bread in the soup. Hearing the impending birth of Domeric Bolton reminded me of the future menace that was Ramsay Snow. From what I remembered, Ramsay hasn't been born yet because he was a year or two younger than Domeric and wasn't sired by Roose until after his wife died. I was contemplating ways to quietly deal with Ramsay to ensure the survival of Domeric as I continued eating my soup before being pulled out of my thoughts by Master Helman.

"Lord Seastark, I heard you were busy making wayfinders at your guild. When are we Northmen going to get any wayfinders?" Master Helman asks.

"It's not my guild Master Helman, it's the crown's and not until I get back to Wolfsport to set up a Wayfinders Guild there." I answered Master Helman and Lord Ryswells speaks.

"I heard you received a monopoly on wayfinder and backstaff sales in the North from the crown." He asks curiously and I nod.

"Indeed, I do have a monopoly in the North." I say, drawing the attention of Lord Wells and his son, Lord Forrester, Lord Mormont and the Helmans as the only Northern lords close enough to hear me. "Of course, I wouldn't dream of overcharging my fellow Northmen, the prices shall be the same as King's Landing." I see their reactions of relief. Could I have abused my monopoly to wring every gold coin I could from my fellow Northern lords? Absolutely. But doing so would erode a lot of the respect and goodwill my house has built up over the centuries.

Something I explained to Myrra was that while House Seastark was the strongest house on the western coast and its unspoken leaders, its leadership style was first amongst equals. House Seastark was a little over five hundred years old surrounded by houses that were thousands of years old, and that age gap meant we had to be mindful how we interacted with the older houses. The age of one's house isn't everything as younger houses like mine can surpass older houses, but it matters in prestige. The Freys get shit from practically everyone both inside and outside the Riverlands, and they're over a century older than my house. Granted, it helps that my house is a cadet branch of the Starks, but the Freys got greedy and started raising the toll to exploit their river crossing and the older houses haven't forgotten. I had no intention of needlessly antagonizing my fellow Northern lords for a few extra gold coins to become the Freys of the North.

I looked around as I finished my soup to find the guests were finished with theirs and I waved the servants to start collecting empty bowls and refill the tankards with a new black beer. The servants poured Lord Stout's black beer into our tankards and brought out the main courses, smoked venison, lamprey pies, roasted duck and quail, mutton chops, salted cod and black sausages. I grab a mutton chop and everyone begins grabbing food after me. I take a sip of Lord Stout's brew and wasn't surprised to find that it tasted like a pretty standard stout beer, nothing special but not bad either.

"Lord Ryswell, Lord Mormont and I were discussing the extinct houses of the North such as House Woodfoot of Bear Island, House Greenwood of Sea Dragon Point, and I heard there was a House Rhyder of the Rills?" Myrra asked, making conversation with Lord Ryswell while Lord Mormont talked with Lord Wells and his son and Lord Forrester was chatting with the Helmans. I take a bite of the lamprey pie and thought it was alright. Lamprey pie is a popular dish in the North, especially on the coasts but less so in the southern kingdoms. Of course, Wolfsport had the best lamprey pie in the North no matter what the Manderlys said.

I join Myrra and Lord Ryswell's conversation for a bit as I ate the lamprey pie and some mutton chops before looking across the table to Lord Dustin, whose eyes met mine. He adopted a subtle look as if he was asking for permission and I had an inkling that he wanted to announce our agreement so I gave a small smile and nodded. He returned both before standing up with a tankard in his hand.

"Lords, knight, and lady. I must thank Lord Seastark for hosting this wonderful dinner to introduce his betrothed, Lady Myrra and her sworn knight. I also have an announcement." Lord Dustin said, raising his volume so that the whole table could hear him without shouting with everyone giving him their full attention.

"Lord Seastark, your uncle, Walton Seastark, fought by side at the Tower of Joy. He was mortally wounded after Ser Oswell slew Martyn Cassel but threw himself in front of his blade, saving my life and giving me the opening needed to prevail. I owe him and your house, a life debt." He ignored the surprised murmurs of the lords and continued.

"Lord Seastark and I have discussed this life debt and have decided on a betrothal between our houses as the way to settle it. As I have no sisters or female cousins, I could not make a betrothal for his younger brother Edric. However, Lord Seastark and I will swear an oath in front of a Heart Tree that a Dustin and a Seastark will marry. Whose son marrying whose daughter matters not, only that a Dustin marries a Seastark." He stated and shocked whispers could be heard around the table as I stood up with my tankard in my right hand and Myrra did the same.

"Lord Dustin, Lady Myrra and I are honored by this betrothal and happy to deepen the bonds between our houses." I say as we smile at him though Myrra's is a bit thinner as she wasn't particularly happy about me deciding a betrothal for one of our unborn children before we're even married.

"Lord Seastark, Lady Myrra, the honor is mine. I propose a toast to Walton Seastark for saving my life and to the future Lady Myrra Seastark, mother of my future goodson or gooddaughter!" He toasted and the whole table met his toast with eagerness. I looked at Myrra and smiled at how she beamed at the toast and how she got the endorsement of one the oldest, strongest and prestigious houses in the North. Conversation flowed as we finished the main courses with the smoked venison and roasted duck being particularly delicious. The servants again took away our empty dishes and poured the Wulls of Ice Harbor's special brew into our tankards and brought out small bowls of a dessert that the North lords recognized immediately while Myrra and Ser Maynard looked in confusion. Without standing, I addressed the table.

"My lords, for the first course, we had west onion soup as my betrothed wished to share a favorite dish from her home with us Northern lords, so I found it appropriate that for dessert, my betrothed and Ser Maynard can try Cranachan, one of the oldest and most common desserts in the North." I say as I grab a spoon and dig in that I've never tried but except in Hugo's memories. Cranachan was a dessert of a soft cheese called crowdie cheese, mixed with lightly toasted oatmeal, honey and raspberries, tasting like a slightly sweet yoghurt and was considered as old if not older than the Starks. I take a sip of House Wull black beer, second oldest black beer in the North, and find that I liked it, tasted like a stout or a porter but with a hint of some slightly sweet and tart flavor I couldn't place. Myrra, however, seemed to ask the question for me after she took a sip and her eyes widened.

"This dessert is very good, but I love this black beer, it's got a faint taste of…" Myrra asks Lord Wull while smacking her lips. "…Is it blackberry!?" Lord Wull laughs.

"Haha! Why yes Lady Myrra, it is brewed with blackberries to put the black in black beer. I see you have keen tastes!" Lord Wull compliments Myrra and they begin talking about his black beer. I chatted with Lord Ryswell on the horse deal we made and other topics, but my mind was preoccupied by the betrothal made with Lord Willam.

House Dustin was an ancient house that was a good five to six thousand years older than House Seastark and was one of the strongest houses in the North. They didn't have a navy and weren't as wealthy as my house, but they had more lands, levies and most importantly prestige. They weren't poor either as Barrowton, while not being a city due to a city charter, was the third largest settlement in the North behind White Harbor and Wolfsport with around twenty thousand people and its placement at the confluence of two rivers made it a decent inland trade center like Torrhen's Square. The number of levies they could raise rivaled the Manderlys and Boltons, was slightly more than the Umbers and Karstarks could field and was roughly double the House Seastarks levies. House Dustin was a pure land power compared to House Seastark's trade and naval power.

But what their house truly powerful was Lord Willam and his connections. Best friends with Ned and Howland Reed, on great terms with the King and Lyanna for rescuing her and their house has a great reputation amongst the North as they have no real enemies or rivals. The Tallharts, Rhyswells, and Wells may have just agreed to betrothals with my house and want to increase trade, but they have a much older and deeper bond with House Dustin and if it came down to them listening to me or Lord Willam, they'd no doubt listen to the latter.

As I was finishing my cranachan I realized the future betrothal between our houses wasn't just an alliance between two houses, but a merging of two alliance blocs in the North, stitched together with marriages. House Seastark would no longer run its alliance with nearby houses as a first amongst equals but jointly running a larger alliance with House Dustin as co-leaders, though it begged the question of who would be the senior and junior partner.

I pondered these thoughts as we finished our desserts but continued drinking and conversation. I was discussing the Ironborn threat with nearby lords.

"If Bear Island and Deepwood Motte both construct an additional galley then I can transfer two ships from the Bay of Ice to Blazewater Bay in additional to the five galleys recently constructed in the last two years. With seven additional galleys, the Sunset Fleet can effectively protect Blazewater Bay, shielding the Saltspear and your houses from their reavings. Unforunately, I won't be able to construct any new warships for at least the next five years due to Lord Stark's punishment." I say to the lords before looking at Lord Mormont.

"House Mormont can construct another galley though it would stretch our treasury. I can talk with Lord Glover and convince him to build one as well." Lord Mormont said with determination. I and the other lords thanked him for his contribution.

"While that protects my northern coast on the Saltspear, it doesn't protect my southern coast on Ironman's Bay." Lord Wells comments on the geography of the Bracelands, the eastern third or so of Cape Kraken that was mostly forested and between the Flints of Flint's Finger and the Neck, stretching north to south across the width of the peninsula and having two coastlines to defend with the population density decreasing the further south you go.

"Unfortunately, Lord Wells, I cannot spare ships south of Blazewater Bay without compromising the fleet somewhere else and its stretched thin enough as is." I say with a sign and he grumbles but accepts that his northern and more populated coast is protected.

More rounds of beer were poured and drank as the night went on topic shifted yet again, this time by Lord Dustin.

"Lord Seastark, I heard you are meeting with the Summer-Islander captain Nakaya Sho tomorrow." He commented from across the table and once again the lords hushed their conversations and looked between us.

"Aye. You traveled with her when escorting Lady Lyanna back to the capital. Any advice or insights on negotiating with her?" I ask, curious what he thought of the Summer-Islander woman.

"She's as sharp a negotiator as she is a captain and she's already made a deal with Lord Manderly with Sho Clan sending a single swan ship to White Harbor each year and I suspect she will want a similar deal for stick-stone." Lord Dustin replied.

"Well, I certainly won't oppose any Summer-Islander ships coming to Wolfsport, though it is quite the distance, roughly two to three moons with their faster swan ships to our three to four moons depending on wind. I would rather trade directly for their gems and spices then through Lannisport or Oldtown." I say with a shrug.

"Well, the only alternative is sending a ship all the way to the Summer Islands and that would be horrendously risky and expensive!" Lord Dustin commented, and the lords muttered in agreement that the risks outweighed the rewards.

"Oh absolutely! Even for House Seastark and all our wealth, it would too much by ourselves! They only way it could be done is if we all pooled in our trade goods and made a trade fleet. My amber and sticky-stone and y'all could provide iron, copper and tin that they always trade for. Mayhaps throw in some shadowcat furs and black beer, and we can trade it for gemstones and spices." I comment off-handedly before polishing off my seventh tankard, ignoring a few looks of confusion from my Americanism slipping through. This set off a loud debate across the table as some lords seem to think that a joint trade fleet could work while others thought it was still a bad idea.

"I would be willing to invest in a trade fleet!" To my and the tables surprise, Lord Dustin proclaimed loudly, and all eyes were on him. "House Dustin is willing to contribute a small amount to a trade fleet to the Summer Islands, I trust Lord Seastark." This convinced many of the more skeptical lords since House Dustin was an old and well-respected house.

The next and last rounds of black beer was spent half-drunkenly hashing out the details of which houses were contributing, what were the contributing, and how much. To my surprise, all the lords at the table were willing to contribute even a small amount to the effort. It was around the hour of the eel when we decided enough details of our trade fleet have been hashed out and that we'll meet again to sort them out.

The Wull of Ice Harbor and his son Mikken were giving an enthusiastic goodbye to us. "Lord Hugo, Lady Myrra, thank you for such a wonderful dinner! The onion soup was heavenly!"

"Lord Hull, thank you for sharing your house's personal black beer brew! It's my favorite black beer I've tried so far, and my betrothed will definitely be purchasing a few barrels from you for Castle Warg, right?" Myrra said with a smile and the last part aimed at me.

"Of course. I don't mind buying a few barrels from my namesake!" I say with a smile, not minding paying a small amount for a few barrels.

"Lady Myrra, you honor us and the Wulls! Know you will always have our acceptance as a lady of the North!" The Big Bucket said solemnly.

"The Wull of Ice Harbor's words flatter me, and your acceptance humbles me." Myrra said with a curtsy. Lord Wull grasps my arm with his.

"I knew you, the one your father named after me, would go on to do great things!" You picked a fine lady who will make a great wife. Your father would be proud." He said sincerely and I thanked him.

The last guest to leave was Lord Dustin, who suggested they meet again about the trade fleet before the wedding, and I agreed. He also mentioned he'll see if Lord Stark wants to invest to my surprise.

Soon it was just Wyman, Myrra, Ser Maynard and I. Myrra and I took a moment to celebrate how well the dinner went and how she has many lords supporting her now including old, respected houses like Dustin and Ryswell before she and Ser Maynard left because it was getting late.

I simply retired to my quarters for the night.

A/N: These chapters seem to sometimes blow up on me, like I just end up adding more and more.

 

[Bob Uchiha]

I also don't like overpowered MC's, but this MC... he's so weak in every aspect. The entire story so far has just been the MC giving away every advantage for free and then wh*ring out himself and his family just to keep his head above water. Then the latest chapters, the MC getting robbed by the Starks without any thought of resistance... If I wanted to read about a pushover getting taken advantage of by his bosses I'd just read my own autobiography; this fantasy story is too realistic for my taste.

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 13

The Red Keep, Late 281 A.C., five days later (four days the wedding)…

"The exterior structure of the Queenscrown tower is still sound. There are a few missing stones on the merlons that need to be replaced, the tower needs new coating of mortar and the merlons need a new coating of gold paint." Yorren, wandering crow of the Night's Watch, explained to table with Lord Stark, Ser Wylis Manderly, Lord Karstark, Lord Umber, myself and to my surprise, Lady Lyanna with baby Brandon. Yorren was attending this meeting on the rebuilding of Queenscrown due to having been to the tower twice as it was a common stop for wandering crows and new recruits on their way to and from the Wall.

I noted that cost wise, the exterior wasn't going to be bad, but I had to know about the interior.

"And the interior?" I asked and Yorren looked at me and responded.

"The interior needs a lot of work. After being abandoned for nearly a century, much of the wood has rotted on furniture and parts of the floors. Practically all the iron for the grates, door locks, and whatnot have rusted and need to be replaced…" Yorren responded with a laundry list of things the interior would need renovated or replaced. It was definitely more expensive than the exterior, but I was fine with that because working with stone is much more expensive than wood. The table listened patiently to the wandering crow, absorbing every detail and when he finished, Lady Lyanna spoke.

"Yorren, how large is the island the tower stands on?" she asks and my eyes are drawn to baby Brandon. Small flashes of his book and show forms flicker across my mind and I briefly contemplate his change destiny from a brother of the Night's Watch to a minor lord.

"The holdfast and stone steps take up most of the island, with the rest taken up by rocks and oak trees. Not much room for an expansion if any." Yorren answered the lady's question. She opened her mouth to ask another question before Lord Stark threw her a look and cut in.

"Thank you Yorren for your insights on the tower and village. You are dismissed." He said with a nod and the wandering crow left the room. Lord Stark turned to Ser Wylis to his right.

"Ser Wylis, your thoughts?" He said and the knight's brow furrowed as he briefly contemplated before speaking. "From what Yorren of the Night's Watch says, the rebuilding of the tower is a simple affair with most of the costs laying with the interior. I estimate that costs should be around five hundred to a thousand gold dragons, though of course, I would have to visit the tower myself to get a more accurate assessment of the damages and costs. I will also assess if any expansion is feasible." Ser Wylis answered as Lord Stark and I nodded, both agreeing with the rough assessment of the costs without any expansion. This was a relief for me because I was afraid the costs were going to be around two thousand gold, but the lack of significant repairs needed for the stone tower and only the interior needing renovation brings down potential costs. However, if an expansion was deemed feasible and accepted, it would raise the costs to be closer to the two thousand gold price tag I was dreading.

Ser Wylis spoke again. "Getting the materials to the island will be a pain but luckily, we don't have to move much stone unless there's an expansion. Moving on to the village, it is mostly dilapidated cottages and houses, an inn and a smithery. When it was settled, it had some two hundred orchard farmers but from what I hear you intend to build a larger village Lord Stark."

"Aye. I intend to settle the two hundred smallfolk each from your house and House Dustin in the village proper and lands around the lake and a wooden palisade will be constructed around the village. The thousand smallfolk from Stark lands will settle in the lands between the tower and Kingsroad. The settlers from the other houses will settle where they please though I suspect they will go to Queenscrown or around the Kingsroad. Lord Umber, Lord Karstark, have you decided where your settlers will go?" Lord Stark asked the two lords sitting across from me.

"Aye. Our settlers will build a village next to the Kingsroad, just north of our border with the new house." Lord Umber answered gruffly.

"The Karstark settlers will construct a village on the Kingsroad due east of the tower." Lord Karstark answered plainly and Lord Stark nodded.

"Sensible locations. One more announcement on the Queenscrown lordship. My sister and I have quietly discussed with his grace to lower to portion of the harvest from half to one-tenth, half of the income from taxes will still go to the Night's Watch." He stated, answering an unasked question in the back of my mind of how viable the lordship would be if they had to fork over half of their food each year.

"Lord Umber and Lord Karstark, I heard you apologized to Lady Myrra yesterday by the training courtyard. Consider that part of your punishment fulfilled." Lord Stark informed them and I fought to keep a smug grin off my face as I heard them grumble. Myrra and I had gotten tired of waiting for an apology so we ambushed them by the training courtyard when I was near them in front of a good three dozen Northern and Southron lords.

"My betrothed just happened to show up to wish me luck on my spars. She noticed the two Northern lords but didn't know who they were so I introduced her to them. They introduced themselves and apologized for their public insults." I said failing to keep the smug grin off my face as the lords in question stared daggers at me for my bullshit. I did technically introduce Myrra to them, but the venomous look she gave them when she first laid eyes on them meant she knew exactly who they were.

"Lot of good that luck she gave you. You lost spars to Lord Edric "Silveraxe" Fell, Tyrek Lannister again, Lord Jorah Mormont, Farlen Umber, my cousin Cregan, and lost a best two out of three bout with the Red Viper!" Karstark sneered and my grin disappeared and I threw him an irritated look.

"You're forgetting the part where I defeat Ser Adam Marbrand again, both my uncles and all three of my cousins, Ser Andar Royce, your other cousin Arthor, and I won one spar against the Red Viper even if I lost the bout." I immediately shot back.

"Lord Seastark." Lady Lyanna cut in this time and interrupted us. "His grace and I heard about your trade deal with Captain Sho and the trade fleet you and Lord Dustin are creating was brought up in a small council meeting." She said, those piercing grey eyes giving me the guarded look she seemed to strangely reserve for Tywin and I.

"Oh? And what did his grace and the small council think of the trade fleet?" I asked, genuinely surprised the king and small council were talking about it.

"I wasn't at the meeting but his grace told me about it. They were intrigued by the idea of sending a trade fleet to the Summer Islands and comparisons to the Sea Snake were brought up. Lord Arryn and Prince Stannis argued for the creation of a royal trade fleet with goods from the Stormlands, Crownlands, and the Vale to be sent to the Summer Islands once the loyalist were dealt with and Lord Royce and Ser Estermont arguing for caution. His grace was swayed by his brother and the Hand and I suggested House Manderly and other Northern houses on the eastern shore could potentially join such a venture if they wish." She said before looking at Lord Umber, Lord Karstark and Ser Wylis, who were surprised at both the King accepting the idea of a trade fleet and that they were being offered to be apart of said trade fleet. The two lords looked at each other before coming to an unspoken agreement.

"Lady Lyanna, we would be honored to contribute to his grace's trade fleet." Lord Umber said with a smile while Karstark nodded and I resisted rolling my eyes. Two days ago, I heard them bemoaning an ancient and proud house like the Dustins being reduced to trade and copper counting due to their alliance with me and now they're trying to get in on a trade fleet.

"I will inform my father about this but I have no doubt he will wish to be apart of his grace's trade fleet." Ser Wylis thanked Lady Lyanna genuinely.

"What did the Master of Coin, Lord Mallister, think of the trade fleets." I asked, noting the one member of the small council not mentioned besides Ser Barristan or Pycelle.

"He was supportive of the Iron Throne building a trade fleet and met with my brother and two Riverlords." She said and looked at her brother, who picked up where she left off.

"Aye. Lord Dustin and I met with Lord Mallister, Lord Blackwood, and Lord Frey and all three wished to invest a trade cog of roughly one thousand gold dragons of goods." To my and the table's shock except Lady Lyanna.

"That is certainly a boon. I take it Lord Dustin told you about my future goodfather wanting to invest a trade cog and a similar amount of gold coins into the trade fleet?" I asked to the surprise of everyone but Lord Stark.

"Indeed, he did. It is just the Lannisport Lannisters, correct?" Lord Stark asked and I knew what he meant.

"Aye. Lord Harrold mentioned Lord Tywin was intrigued by the trade fleet and is willing to let Westerlords invest but is not investing himself. No other lords in the Westerlands have approached me, though if the king announces his own trade fleet that could cause them to start investing." I say the last part absentmindedly and I notice Lady Lyanna subtly tense up in the corner of my eye as I face Lord Stark.

"I will not stop other houses from investing in yours and Lord Dustin's trade fleet but how much is the North investing?" Lord Stark inquired.

"I am investing roughly two cogs and five-and-ten-hundred gold dragons worth of mostly amber and sticky-stone while Lord Dustin is putting in one cog and one thousand gold dragons worth of trade goods like iron, copper, and tin between himself and his bannerman Lord Stout and Lord Brownburrow. The other Northern lords of the western shore, including the Flints of Flint's Finger have matched me with a combined two cogs and five-and-ten-hundred gold coins worth of trade goods." I reported while ignoring the slightly alarmed looks that Lord Umber and Karstark had when I mention one of their allies investing.

"I see the North is investing a good deal into this and so will House Stark. I will invest one thousand gold dragons worth of iron, copper, tin and other goods, and as part of my wedding gift to you Lyanna, half of the profits for House Stark in this venture will be held for Brandon when he reaches maturity." Lord Stark announced to his sister's joy as I look at Brandon and wonder if he's Westeros' first trust fund baby.

"Lord Stark, I'm honored you're investing in Lord Dustin and I's trade fleet. The addition of your investment means I'll have to add another cog for a total of six cogs carrying roughly five thousand gold dragons worth of trade goods." He nodded and I continued.

"The plan for the trade fleet I've made with Lord Dustin is that the trade fleet led by my cousin Wyman will assemble and sail from Wolfsport when I leave for my wedding in Lannisport with the Northern lords who've agreed to attend a year from now. Though now that you mentioned Lord Mallister and the Riverlords' investments, it means we'll stop by Seaguard and pick them up on the way to Lannisport. We get to Lannisport, I get married, and when I leave with my new wife with the Northern guests, the combined trade fleet sets sail for the Summer Islands, stopping for trade and provisions at Oldtown and Sunspear. They will sail to the Stepstones before sailing directly south to the Summer Islands, hopefully reaching Stone Head Island before sailing to the northernmost main island of Walano, stopping at the settlement of Last Lament before sailing to Lotus Port, the main goal, the island of Koj where the Sho clan and their sworn lords, the Princely house of Xaq. From there, the Isle of Birds, the northern coast of Omboru, the middle main island, then north back to Walano to visit Tall Trees Town, the closest settlement to a capital in the Summer Islands as it is a religious center with the Priestesses of the Talking Trees and where the Council of Princes convenes to elect a King of the Summer Islands in the brief times the islands have been united. Then back to Stone Head, the Stepstones, then stopping in Sunspear, Oldtown, Lannisport, and Seaguard for provisions and to sell our new goods for coin before returning home to Wolfsport." I reported long-windedly before taking a breath.

"I see you and Lord Dustin have truly put thought into this and took advice from Captain Sho. That gives me confidence in your venture." Lord Stark said with a nod. "By the way, I believe this is yours." He says and hands over my first wayfinder back but I wave him off.

"Worry not Lord Stark, I made a new, better one for myself. You can keep it or even give it to the future lord." I say with a laugh while tilting my head to baby Brandon, not particularly caring what happens to my first DIY compass if they don't needlessly disrespect it.

"Very well." Lord Stark says hesitantly before turning to the rest of the table. "One more announcement, his grace is looking to rebuild the Goldcloaks under Ser Manly Stoakworth and my sister recommended Lord Umber's younger brother Farlen Umber and Lord Karstark's cousin Cregan Karstark for positions as captains and his grace accepted." He said to Lord Umber and Lord Karstark's astonishment, who looked at each other before thanking Lord Stark and his sister as he dismissed us. I thought about this development as I left. I wasn't worried because while captains in the Goldcloaks did give both houses some prestige, a tiny bit of influence in the capital, and maybe a tiny bit of gold from corruption but nothing that affected or threaten me. I was out the door when I was pulled from my thoughts by a voice.

"Lord Seastark, I heard you found yourself a Southern knight in your service." Ser Wylis walked up next to me and matched my pace.

"Aye. Ser Maynard Hill, bastard cousin of my future goodfather…" I began explaining House Seastark's first sworn knight. We talked as we traversed the halls of the Red Keep and I invited him to meet the knight and my betrothed. He agreed and along the way we bumped into Ser Wylis' younger brother Ser Wendel, who decided to tag along.

Ser Wylis was Lord Stark's age of eight-and-ten while Ser Wendel was my age of six-and-ten. Soon enough, we reached the doors to the Seastark guest quarters. I open the doors and was greeted by my cousin, Myrra, Ser Maynard, and a brown-haired man in his late teens in a simple gray tunic and pants standing next to two paintings, who gave a deep bow with paintbrush in hand.

I greeted them and introduced the Manderly knights to everyone but Wyman, who already met them before.

"Wyman, did you take the silver and gold necklaces to the jeweler?" I inquired and Wyman didn't say anything but reached into a bag to pull out two necklaces, one silver and one gold. I looked closer to see large polished blue amber on both, with the silver having a carving of a direwolf on the back, while the gold had a lion. I nodded in satisfaction.

"No problems with the jeweler in fitting the blue amber in despite never working with amber before." Wyman responded with a smile. "They will make great gifts for the royal brides!"

"Indeed, they will. Especially since it will replace the one Lady Lyanna lost in her…abduction." I say the last part delicately. To say it was a delicate topic in the Red Keep was an understatement. While there are no laws or proclamations against discussing what happened to Lady Lyanna, one didn't want to face the wrath of the King and the North if one talked too negatively about her… loss of maidenhood too loudly. A minor Crownlord named Hubard Rambton got a bit too deep into his cups and talked about her being spoiled goods among other vulgar words, and was kicked out of the Red Keep and uninvited to the wedding before the Northern lords could get to him.

"Ser Wylis, Ser Wendel, this is my betrothed Lady Myrra Lannister of Lannisport, Ser Maynard Hill, and a painter I found in King's Landing, Lucos. He's painting House Seastark's wedding gift to the king and prince." I say, showing off the two paintings he finished.

The first was for the King, showing a red, three-headed dragon being killed by a blue falcon and white trout attacking its tail, a golden lion biting the left head and a gray direwolf biting the right head. The center head was impaled by a crowned stag while a distant King's Landing is shown to have barrels of wyldfire underneath. Half artistic expression, half feudal propaganda is what I'm hoping is the King's taste in art. It certainly wasn't any renaissance painting or of that quality, but it was a noticeable step-up realistic colors, lighting, shadows, and depth from the plain, flat style of painting that's prevalent in Westeros. The best Earth comparison I can think is comparing thirteenth century Florentine painter Giotto di Bondone to European medieval paintings a century or two earlier.

The Second was for Prince Stannis, depicting a strong but haggard stag with several Stormlords like the turtle of House Estermont and the owl of House Mertyn protecting Storm's End with a young fawn against an onslaught of human Reachmen smallfolk levies attacking while a fat golden rose sits at a table with other Reachlords feasting. Meanwhile the Onion Knight's ship is docking at Storm's End avoiding the distant Redwyne ships.

The two Manderly knights examined the recently finished paintings and commented on the high quality and I let a nervous Lucos introduce himself in his rough Fleabottom accent that he was an apprentice to a painter that died to the Mad King's flames for not painting him to his liking and eventually found work in the Wayfinders Guild painting house sigils. I discovered his artistic talent when I was building the guild and while the canvasses, paintbrushes and paint was expensive, he was good enough to be one of the best painters in the realm.

The knights complimented Lucos on his work and asked him if he was working for me and I confirmed that I was his patron and that he would be coming to Castle Warg. The knights turned their attention to my betrothed and Ser Maynard and as I watched them smile and converse, I hear Lucos shift around nervously.

"Milord, do you really think my paintings are good enough for the King and Prince?" Lucos asks me in a rough Fleabottom accent like Lord Davos' accent.

"Aye. I reckon they those two paintings are among the best paintings in the Seven Kingdoms." I answer truthfully but only cause the bar was Bayeux tapestry level. I was trying to wrap up my business in the capital before the wedding as Lord Stark, Brandon Snow, and the Northerners will be leaving a week after the wedding. We head straight up the Kingsroad to Winterfell, where we divide up the war loot and go back to our castles and holdfasts while Lord Stark's wife Catelyn Tully was pregnant in Riverrun and expected to give birth to Robb in a few moons.

I watched Myrra talk to the Manderly knights before they left and mentally checked off another important Northern house she needed to make a good impression on.

 

[Geraldrold]

Just binged everything. I am in need of MOAR!

 

[kaizerfox]

Chapter 14

Great Sept of Baelor, Late 281 A.C., Four days later…

I breath in, smelling the incense as I stand in my finest blue and white tunic next to my cousins and uncles amidst the Northern lords crowded into one of the seven aisles of the Great Sept of Baelor. Myrra wasn't with me but instead with her father and brother somewhere in the sea of Westerlords and ladies in another aisle across the sept. After songs, prayers, and a ten-minute-long sermon that the Old Golds worshiping Northerners, apart from the Manderlys, was respectfully silent through, the ceremony finally began.

At the altar stood the High Septon, a thin, old man with a long grey beard wearing brown robes and a crown made up of large crystals stood, behind him were two large statues, one of the Father and the other, the Mother. In front of him were the two couples with their father and "father". Prince Stannis stood facing Lady Cersei with her father next to her and King Robert stood facing Lady Lyanna with her brother next to her, standing in for the role of "father". Unlike Old Gods weddings, where the groom removes the maiden cloak himself to put on the bride's cloak, in Seven weddings, the bride's father removes the maiden cloak for the groom to place the bride cloak.

"You may now cloak the brides, and bring them under your protection!" The High Septon proclaims after the brides and grooms recited the marriage vows of the Seven. Lord Stark and Lord Tywin remove the Stark and Lannister maiden cloaks off Lady Lyanna and Lady Cersei respectively and stepped off to opposite sides. The royal brothers then placed their Baratheon bride cloaks across their shoulders.

"With this kiss I pledge my love." All four said as one before the two couple briefly locked lips and stood holding hands as the High Septon spoke again.

"In the light of the Seven-Who-Are-One, these two couples are each one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever!" He proclaimed to cheers and applause with the Northern, Western and Stormlords being the loudest. The newly weds walked down the aisle towards the exit with the king and new queen in front with the prince and new princess closely behind. A massive bell could be heard through the walls of the building from the belltower in the plaza outside the sept as I heard my cousin Wyman speak.

"About bloody time! The ceremony wasn't too bad but all the prayers and singing beforehand. Not to mention the sermon that felt like it went on forever!" He quietly complained to me but I heard my other cousins Owen Fisher and Galbart Glover murmur their agreement as I gaze upwards at the interior of the dome. It was a beautiful white marble dome with hanging crystals that reflected light from high windows, creating a kaleidoscope of colors across the interior.

"Stunning architecture aside, heart trees are faster and much less fuss." I jape to the chuckles of my cousins as my gaze shifts to see Lord Stark talking with the High Septon. "Uncles, are we presenting our gifts to the newlyweds together?" I ask.

"I'm afraid not nephew." My uncle Rogar Glover said. "I'm presenting my gifts with my bannermen, the Wolfswood clans, House Forrester, and House Whitehill." The Wolfswood clans were similar to the northern hill clans in that they were run by chiefs that used a similar title system such as the Bole or the Woods. Living in the middle of the Wolfswood in small wooden holdfasts, they were among the poorest Northern houses with little agriculture and mostly dependent on hunting, timber and what little mining they can, with their main exports being pelts and timber.

"Who's going to give their gifts first, the Forresters or Whitehills?" Wyman quips and my uncle just signs. "They aren't, the Whitehills is presenting their gifts with the Boltons." He mutters to our shock. House Forrester and House Whitehill used to be Wolfswood clans but grew rich and powerful enough from the ironwood trade to become proper lords under House Glover. Both houses grew ironwood until some five hundred years ago when the Whitehills' ironwood died out and they accused the Forresters of sabotaging their ironwood groves to gain a monopoly while the Forresters maintain the Whitehills overharvested their ironwood to exhaustion. The rivalry between the two houses has always been a source of headaches for House Glover but grew worse with the depletion of the Whitehill ironwood groves and in recent years due to Lord Ludd Whitehill's marriage to Lord Royce Bolton's cousin.

"I understand Uncle Rogar, we will need to keep an eye on the Whitehills." I say with a grim nod. The Whitehill-Bolton alliance has been a headache for my uncle because it has emboldened the Whitehills in their feud with the Forresters. What had me concerned was their location. The Whitehills were the easternmost house in the Wolfswood, right on the border of new Karstark ally House Lightfoot, who also borders House Bolton. This meant that if the feud exploded into bloodshed, the Boltons could march through ally lands and reinforce the Whitehills. Not to mention the potential spying Lord Whitehill could be doing for the Boltons, and consequently, the Karstarks and Umbers.

"Uncle Osric?" I turn and ask my other uncle, who smiled and nodded. "Aye nephew, our houses will present our gifts together!"

"What are you lords gifting them if you don't mind me asking?" I ask my uncles.

"Castle-steel swords with the handle and pommel carved from the tusk of a narwhal for the king and prince and golden bracelets of red amber for the queen and princess." My Uncle Osric answers before my other uncle cuts in. "Two war hammers with the handles made out of ironwood and otter-furred winter cloaks." He answers before asking. "And you, nephew?"

"A sliver and gold blue amber necklace for the queen and princess, and I commissioned two paintings for his grace and Prince Stannis." I state simply and they turned their heads and looked at me with raised eyebrows as we walked through the Hall of Lamps, named for colored, lead glass lamps that hung in from the ceilings of the entrance hall.

"Where did you find a painter? Is your betrothed a painter?" Uncle Robar asked incredulously.

"While my betrothed is a painter, she did not paint the gifts. That was Lucos, a painter I found in Flea Bottom!" My uncles and cousins minus Wyman look even more incredulous as we hear the roar of the crowd outside.

"A lord finding a painter in Flea Bottom? That sounds like the setup to a jape!" I hear an accented voice quip and turn to see Prince Oberyn Martell and his paramour Captain Nakaya Sho. "I hope you didn't cause too much damage in Flea Bottom searching for a painter." He says with a grin.

I chuckle. "Oh please. You make it sound like I kicked down doors interrogating smallfolk on their artistic talents!" We both laughed before I continued. "I found him working at the Wayfinders Guild painting on the wayfinders and saw his talent." I explain as we reached the entrance and stepped outside into the late morning sun.

*BONG*

The large belltower in the center of the plaza continued to ring, each sound echoing throughout King's Landing. I saw the king and queen mount pure white horses with the prince and princess mounting their own white stallions before they began to casually trot down the Street of the Sisters towards the Cobbler's Square. The still rebuilding Goldcloaks lined the sides of the street, keeping the crowds at bay with the assistance of Northern, Western and Stormland men-at-arms and levies as the royal couples smiled and waved.

*BONG*

The bell continued to toll as the crowd of smallfolk shouted praises and well wishes to the royal couples. "HAIL THE STAG KING AND WOLF QUEEN!" "LONG LIVE THE BARATHEONS!" "MAY YOU BE BLESSED WITH MANY CHILDREN!" "DOWN WITH THE DRAGONS!"

*BONG*

"You know, when I agreed to send a single swan ship to Wolfsport, I did not expect two trade fleets in return!" I hear an accent that back on Earth, I would have described as vaguely West African and turn to Captain Nakaya.

I snort. "The original plan was for just the western shore houses of the North and Lannisport Lannisters. I didn't expect more houses to join in and I certainly didn't expect the king to take a stab at trading." I say, referencing the announcement of the creation of the Royal Trade Fleet yesterday. The only thing that directly affected me in the announcement was that the king gave his royal blessing to the Sunset Trade Fleet created by Lord Dustin and I.

*BONG*

"The arrival of two trade fleets from the Sunset Lands will create quite a stir back home. The Summer Islands are divided between many princes and the last unifier was chosen by the Council of Elders over a century ago. The princes may see one or both trade fleets as an opportunity to gain an advantage over their rivals, so I suspect they will be very willing to trade but not use to foreign ships coming in such numbers." She said as we descend the white marble steps.

"Would some of these princes, such as House Xaq of Koj, be interested in the Sunset Trade Fleet setting up trading posts in their ports?" I ask.

*BONG*

The people around me looked gave questioning looks. "You wish to establish more permanent trade with the islands?" She asked and I nodded. "Some princes like Prince Dalazhar Zoko of Lotus Port or Prince Makathar Xaq of Koj might be amenable to a trading post, though of course not for free. Some may demand a good price for goods, some will want to establish a trading post in Wolfsport, and some will even request a marriage alliance!" The captain answered.

"I would like to establish a more permanent if small trade between Wolfsport and the Summer Islands depending on the outcome of the trade fleet. As for a trading post in Wolfsport or a marriage alliance?" I shrug. "Mayhaps a small one and all of House Seastark is betrothed."

*BONG*

"Captain Nakaya, why are the Summer Islands divided and why is it so rare for them to be united?" I hear my cousin Wyman ask the Summer Islander.

"Ah, that is because when one prince amasses too much power or influence, the other princes will usually unite against them. It is difficult for a prince to amass enough power whether through trade, marriages, and ritualized warfare to even call for an assembly of the Council of Elders in Tall Trees Town. Then they must get the council to vote in favor of crowning them as King of the Summer Islands. The first prince to become king was Prince Malthar Xaq, Prince of Koj and founder of Port Malthar, the main trade port of Koj…" The captain began answering as the bell tolled again

*BONG*

"I heard you and Lord Dustin are sitting at the king's table for the feast after the gift giving." The prince turned me and asked and I was reminded of my unexpected conversation two days ago.

I was surprised when Lord Stark approached me in private to thank me for House Seastark's contributions in both the war and getting his sister back. I thanked him but when I commented on the timing he grimaced, quietly admitting that while he was busy with the wedding preparations, he should have met with me earlier and apologized, calling it a failure on his part and his bluntness surprised me. This apology didn't seem like much since back on Earth I had seen hundreds of half-assed apologies (and made more than a few myself) but in Westeros, lords, especially lord paramounts or kings, rarely ever apologized to their bannermen even when it's clear they're in the wrong. Even getting a half-assed apology from a lord was like pulling teeth so to get an unprompted, genuine one from Lord Stark caught me flatfooted. To make up for it, he did two things. The first, he invited me to be one the three Northern lords at the king's table along with himself and Lord Dustin and I immediately accepted the honor of dining with the king in front of the whole court.

The second was that he offered to foster one of his children at Castle Warg and I was caught off guard because he said children not sons. Why does this matter? Because while uncommon, it isn't unheard of in Westeros to foster daughters and when they do, it is usually as a ward to secure a future marriage alliance. I saw it as an opportunity to land me something House Seastark has chased for centuries, another marriage with House Stark. I inquired if daughter might be fostered to secure a marriage, and Lord Stark's response was a "mayhaps" and a clarification that it won't be his heir. I accepted because even if it wasn't a daughter leading to a marriage alliance or fostering the heir, fostering a child of your Lord Paramount was a huge honor and sign of trust.

"Indeed, we are seated at the king's table. I take it you are " I continued my conversation with Prince Oberyn while the captain spoke with my uncles and cousins as we walked with the other highborn towards the Red Keep.

*BONG*

Three hours later…

I stood with Lucos, my cousins Wyman and Owen Fisher and Lord Fisher in the Great Hall next in line to present our gifts. King Robert sat on the Iron Throne with the king's table in front where the Queen, Lord Hand, Lord Stark, Prince Renly, Prince Stannis, and Princess Cersei sat facing the hall. The middle was left open for the gift giving ceremony and for dancing later while the sides had dozens of tables serving hundreds of Lords. My uncle Lord Glover had just finished presenting his gifts with his bannermen and the herald to our left formally announced us.

"Lord Fisher of the Stony Shore and his son Owen Fisher, Lord Hugo Seastark of Sea Dragon Point and his cousin Wyman Seastark!" We stepped forward with our gifts. Wyman and I each holding a necklace with servants holding the paintings covered in cloth and I spy a servant to the left writing on quill and parchment, recording every gift given to the royal couples. The king bid us to present our gifts and I gesture toward my uncle, allowing him to give first. He smiles and gives a quick nod before announcing his gifts to the court, his gifts not drawing much of a reaction except the mention of the sword handles being made of narwhal tusk eliciting several whispers and murmurs throughout the court since narwhals mainly lived in the Shivering Sea and the northern waters of the Sunset Sea. Soon it was House Seastark's turn as Wyman, Lucos, and I stepped forward with the servants carrying the covered paintings, drawing much of the court's attention and a flurry of comments and debates on what it could be under the cloths when I spoke.

"Your grace, my Queen, Prince Stannis, and Princess Cersei. House Seastark gives a gold and silver necklace of blue amber to Princess Cersei and Queen Lyanna!" I announce as Wyman and I lift our right hands holding the necklaces, gold in Wyman's hand and silver in mine as my eyes met the queen's. She didn't give me any strange looks and instead matched my gaze with a regal look that gave away nothing. The blue amber draws some intrigued murmurs from the crowd, mostly the ladies, as it was rare outside the North.

"Thank you for the gift, Lord Seastark." Princess Cersei gave her thanks with a practiced smile.

"You have my thanks for the blue amber necklace, Lord Seastark." The Queen said with a small smile as the servants came to take the necklaces away to wherever they were storing the hundreds of wedding gifts already received when she stopped the servant and requested the silver necklace to my surprise. The servant, confused, but obeyed the queen as took the necklace and clasped it around her neck to the gasps and whispers of the court. The blue amber necklace hung a bit lower than her diamond necklace as she made a bold fashion statement by wearing my gift. I smile and thanked the queen as I faintly hear a Southron lady comment to her husband how the blue amber would be a great gift for their daughter for their nameday. My eyes flicker to Lord Stark, whose slight grin and knowing look told me everything with the slight nod.

My eyes flickered to the king as I announce the second part of the gifts. "As for your grace and Prince Stannis… I present to you, two paintings I commissioned for House Baratheon!" I exclaim as the servants holding the large painting carefully removed the cloths to show both paintings with golden frames and the court exploded in comments about the paintings as they were brought closer to the king's table. The paintings were scrutinized by the new royal family, Lord Stark and the Lord Hand, who all looked visibly impressed and commented on the quality. The king, even on the Iron Throne, was just close enough to analyze the paintings.

"The first painting is for his grace, and depicts the Baratheon-led grand alliance slaying the three-headed dragon! The second is for my friend, Prince Stannis…" I ignore the flurry of whispers and mutters from the court when the prince doesn't deny or correct me. "…In recognition of his and the Stormlands' heroism at the Siege of Storm's End! Let no man say he didn't do his duty and defend home and hearth!" I say as Stormlords cheered and Prince Stannis gives a slight smile and nods his head. I suppress the urge to roll my eyes when I faintly hear some courtier in the crowd call me the Eddard to Prince Stannis. "Both done by the artist Lucos of Flea Bottom!" I finished announcing the gifts and gesture to Lucos, who bows anxiously and looks starstruck, being a Flea Bottomer surrounded by all these lords and ladies in the Great Hall, let along having his paintings given to royalty.

"Lucos of Flea Bottom?" The King raises an eyebrow while the table give incredulous looks while the court explodes as lords and ladies comment on Lucos being from Flea Bottom.

"Aye your grace, I took a page out of Prince Stannis' book and found my own talented Flea Bottomer. He found a smuggler and I found a painter!" I pat Lucos' shoulder as I jape as the king and prince both bark out short laughs, followed almost immediately by the court's laughter while the artist looked like he was going to faint from nerves.

The King smiles at his painting, seeming to enjoy the image of the Targaryen downfall being depicted through house sigils, which was the common art style of Westeros, though with a Giotto-esque twist courtesy of Lucos. Prince Stannis, meanwhile, securitizes every inch of his painting with a stone face before his eyes land on the Stag at Storm's End slaying Reachmen levies while protecting a fawn and gives a small smile. Prince Renly just looked happy to be in a painting.

"These are well done paintings Lord Seastark, Lucos of Flea Bottom." The king addresses us. "I will have this painting hung in Maegor's Holdfast but for tonight it will hang in the Great Hall! What about you, Brother?" The king proclaims before asking his brother as the courtiers commented on the painting being hung in the part of the Red Keep that housed the royal apartments.

"This painting depicts the history of Storm's End and so one day shall hang in its halls, but until that day, it shall be shown in the Great Hall!" The prince responds as the scribe furiously scribbles on his parchment and servants of the Red Keep come to take the paintings away from my servants and brought them to opposite sides of the Great Hall. Prince Stannis' painting hung on the eastern wall while the king's painting was hung on the western wall. Almost immediately after they were hung up, lords and ladies waiting at the sides crowded around the painting commenting in awe and disbelief that someone form Flea Bottom could paint such artwork.

"You have our thanks for the gifts. House Fisher. House Seastark." The king proclaimed, effectively dismissing us so the next houses could present their gifts. We walked back towards the entrance as Lord Royce Bolton and his son with Lord Ludd Whitehill walked forward to present their gifts, the same herald announcing their houses to the court. My eyes met Lord Royce's briefly but his face gave nothing away. My gaze shifted to Lord Whitehill, whose subtle look of defiance was met with my eyes narrowing at him.

We continued walking until go near the entrance and turned and joined the crowd in the eastern half of the room. Wyman and I were mobbed by some Crownlanders that were interested in purchasing or trading for blue amber while I spied my Uncle Osric and his son talking with Lord Grover Blackwood and his son Tytos. Lucos was hounded by lords over his paintings with some offering gold to work for them that had to be met with polite and awkward rejections. After about twenty minutes of purchases of the limited amount of blue amber sent to King's Landing by my mother, Lucos and I finally broke free to join my uncles and cousins by Stannis' painting with Wyman slipping away earlier join them. Lord Grover Blackwood was with them as we approached.

"Ah, nephew, we were just talking about you and your painter." Uncle Rogar waved us over.

"It is a well-done painting, I've never seen one with such detail. You've found yourself a talented painter." Lord Blackwoods comments with a smile towards me and a nod towards Lucos, who thanks him for the compliment.

"Well, he will be coming to Castle Warg to be a painter in my court." I say to my uncles' surprise.

"I was talking with Lord Fisher, it can be difficult to find a bride that worships the Old Gods in the Riverlands and we decided to betrothed his daughter Mariah Fisher to my son and heir Tytos." Lord Blackwood says and my eyebrows shoot up in surprise before a huge grin threatens to split my face. "Lord Blackwood, I am happy to hear of the betrothal between your son and my cousin!"

I talked with my uncles and Lord Blackwood while my cousins talked amongst themselves and the courtiers. Poor Lucos had to withstand a gauntlet of nobles approaching him to talk about his paintings. After another hour past, the gift-giving was finally over and the king thanked the courtiers for their gifts and made an announcement.

"I have decided to make my brother Stannis Prince of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands and my brother Renly Prince of Dragonstone. Despite the title, Stannis remains my heir until one is born." The king announces as the courtiers begin discussing this new development as they start to sit down and get ready for the feast. I head over to the king's table and as King Robert begins to descend form the Iron Throne to the table, I wonder what the rest of the night will bring.

A/N: Next time on Dragonball Z Howl of the Seawolf, feasting with royalty and important lords, dancing, and maybe, just maybe... finally getting out of King's Landing.