43 Back home 2

Next chapter back in Essos! Let the party begin!

"Lady Dustin,

no gratitude offered from our side can describe how grateful the Dornish people are to House Dustin for their aid and support to my Nymeros Martell family in this hard times.

We all know the consequences of wars and I hope that just like me you would want to avoid them keeping our people safe.

I heard a lot about how much your son, Lord Brendan and by extension your House risked and done for my sister and niece.

The tax exceptions for the next years that my brother, Prince Oberyn proposed are minuscule in comparison to what we owe you.

Please rest assured that Dorne with all its might will stand next to House Dustin till the end of times, and to confirm that for now we would like to present your family with the ownership of my personal vineyard villa of Dornish Red with all its neighboring lands as your Dornish retreat for the strong Northern winters or whenever you choose so.

If you can, we would be honored to host you and Lord Brendan as our honored guests whenever you want to visit your new property.

For now I will send my trusted men to talk about possibilities of tightening the cooperation between our houses.

Forever grateful,

Prince Doran Nymeros Martell.

Lord of Sunspear and Prince of Dorne"

Lady Dustin placed the letter back preparing for the meeting that will take place in few hours thinking about all the possibilities the alliance would bring to House Dustin except the obvious trade, she liked a glass of the Dornish Red before sleep, but because of its price she couldn't afford it until their income had increased.

She never imagined that now her family has whole vineyard for themselves.

She already picked her trusted people and household guards that will manage their new estate in their name and the group would be leaving with the delegation when they go back to Dorne.

On the other hand, she didn't imagine they will have a Post offices for communication for the peasants as well. Her son was brilliant! They were opened just after Schools and Clinics were, and made their House even more popular with their people.

For now, it worked only on alliance lands as thanks to the unending patrols on the new roads they were the safest in the Kingdom with no bandits around brave enough to try and do something after the first hangings.

The small City Watch and the 8000 Vigiles how her son called them were keeping the peace and firefighting if needed inside Neverwinter.

The crimes that usually hounted every city were already so low that the peasants, merchants and anyone else with their families went out even at night on the well lit streets for dinners to the new inns and restaurants or just for walks admiring the growing Weirwood trees.

Even the normally anywhere else poor and mistreated small folk could afford to eat the delicacy's that her son placed on the food market inside their establishments.

There was no second city like that anywhere and that the Lady was sure of.

This group of young men in dark blue clothes armed with daggers and wooden staff patrolled the Neverwinter streets every day and night on regular basis and changed the time to not be predictable.

If needed the peasants could always come to the Vigile station and asked for help.

Since they didn't have any real power over nobles and knights they weren't a military force so there was no need for approval from Eddard, and if they catch anyone with position above them, the Yellow cloaks of the City Watch take over based on their information.

There were situations when the corruption spread, but few Whisperers, Wargs and dismembered hands and banishment later it all stopped.

Lady Dustin was a smart woman and already recognized how big of a difference clean, safe and healthy city makes, and to think it all started with the rule of boiling water before drinking.

From other important things, the Whisperers report informed her about King Robert's new bastard son and the unnatural request of Queen Cersei.

Barbrey detested the couple.

The man for the lack of self control when it came to whoring and drinking and the woman for her narcissistic tendencies and overgrown ambition with tendencies for manipulation.

She was convinced that her son would make a better one if only he would want to be the King.

'Maybe I should try and convince him to aim for it' the thought crossed her mind, but she shook her head a second later remembering what they talked about few years back.

Still she already figured out the the situation from the report of her agents in the Red Keep.

'This will need to be addressed and Brendan should know about it.' her thoughts made her pick up the quill and note it on her "to do" list.

She wasn't worried her sons actions in Slavers Bay will be discovered as even Varys didn't have his birds there.

Besides, she trusted her son and the people close to him.

She picked up another parchment from the table and grimaced at the Stark wax seal with a wolf head on it before she started reading again.

"Lady Dustin,

Barbrey... I know that I'm probably the last person that you would like to hear from, but looking back at the past you had with my brother I implore you to give House Starks another chance.

There are nights when I think about my nephew and our first meeting, you should know best how much wolf blood flowed through my brothers veins and after hearing about Brendan's deeds on Bear Island his son is just as wild and talented as him.

My heart is filled with happiness seeing the boy being just like his father was during youth.

You know me Lady Dustin, I was never that close to Brandon, being the second son and fostered in the Vale while he was with your family, but I loved my brother just as I love my nephew.

He is a Stark if not by name then by blood and we always keep ourselves together for when winter comes a single wolf will die, but a pack survives.

I can ask King Rober to legitimize him or..." Barbrey trembled at the thought of putting this stigma on her son. "...we can keep the secret between us and he can marry my daughter Sansa Stark when they are of age making us bound by blood.

Please think about it and give me your reply in a fortnight.

Eddard Stark

Lord of Winterfell and Worden of the North."

The Lady was not worried about the letter, she was more than sure that Ned didn't mean it as a blackmail when she too knew few of his dark secrets, but actually asked for her advice.

Even now she remembered her only love when he rode with her through the fields like he was born on a horseback.

This was one of the times when she decided to make the decision based on her sentiment and her heart.

'You deserve to at least be close with your fathers family my boy...' she whispered and wrote her reply to the Lord Stark inquiry.

Just as she finished there was a knock on the door.

"Enter!" her hand placed the wax seal back down when she looked up at the new visitor.

"My Lady..." The Knight from her personal guards lowered his head as a sign of respect. "... the troops are ready to be sent off."

"Good!" She stood up and left accompanied by her sons wolves and guards leaving two behind to guard her Solar.

"Ser Hadrian." her voice reached the Master-at-arms while they walked.

"Yes My Lady?" the older, but still fit Knight came over.

"Place two guards at all times at my Solar, be sure to replace them irregularly." She never stopped for even a second.

"Yes My Lady." like this she won't have to feel sorry anymore for her's son two pets being alone and would enjoy their company when she reminiscences her child.

The group exited the Keep into the winters cold, fresh air, moving to the Keep's square surrounded by the newly planted weirwood saplings while stepping on fresh snow she could see Ser Davos and the leading Knights from each expedition with thousands of their new soldiers from infantry and cavalry branches behind them.

Lady Dustin remembered her first contact with Children of the forest when they came from nowhere after she did what her boy asked her to. It was so... magical she alone couldn't believe it.

She never was afraid of blood so that's probably why she didn't even blink when 300 Ironborn throats were cut in sacrifice creating three heart trees in their new, still under construction surrounded by walls Neverwinter Castle woods.

She made sure that the weirwood forest will grow there before long, and the rest of the seeds they had left was spread around their city.

That was a monumental change as even in the North the number of this special wood could be counted on one hand.

"Attention!" The loud command of one of the officers gathered made the infantry, and cavalry stand straight like a pole and broke her from her thoughts.

The majestic sight of soldiers in the same type of uniforms was magnificent, neat rows after rows of warriors waited for her command.

"Commander Jeor your task?" She looked at the first Knight and asked after coming closer with her cold voice.

"As per young Lord orders we will escort the supply of food, clothes and weapons to House Umber and Castle Black." The soldier didn't even hesitate before he repeated his orders. "At the Umber lands the 1000 Cavalry troops will stay there to guard and patrol the New Gift and villages there with House Umber, while the 1000 Infantry will proceed further to Castle Black and then return with the wagons." he saluted with his right fist on his heart and stepped back.

"Good. Ser Mycah?" the Lady looked to the center soldier.

"My lady we will sail with Ser Davos and his fleet till Bear Island escorting the goods there and then split my 20 ships to the Milkwater river to start our "Ranging" beyond the wall." there was more to his mission, but it couldn't be said here.

This group will take the merchant vessels to trade with the Free folk tribes. Food for orphans and offer to any Warg to relocate to Dustin lands for them and their family.

2000 fully equipped and trained infantry soldiers, with their winter protection clothing should be enough for guarding the force.

"Great. Ser Davos?" Lady Barbrey looked at the last man.

She was very impressed with his knowledge and unlike when she first heard that he was a smuggler she couldn't imagine a better man at their Master of Ships position.

"I will meet the House Ryswell and House Glenmore fleet and after take my fleet and transport ships with 2000 men combined force escorting the other group and the cargo to Bear Island where additional Mormont infantry will join us with Lady Maege. Then we will move to The Frozen Shores to raid or negotiate with the tribes there. Depending on the outcome we will proceed accordingly." Davos was happy as it would be a good training for his men and the fleet as a whole.

"Yes Sers. Show our enemies the wrath of House Dustin and it's men!" Lady Dustin shouted for the rest to hear.

"Haa-oh!""Haa-oh!""Haa-oh!"

If Brendan would be there he would probably have another one of his fanboy climaxes as it sounded like the Spartans war cry from the movie, just on a bigger scale as thousands of throats chanting at the same time which in return made the Keep walls shake scaring everyone, even the pups.