38 Stark

I'm on holidays for two weeks at the end of the week so the updates will be irregular. My first POV so enjoy.

~ Starks

"My Lord!" Maester Luwin came up to Lord Stark and handed him a piece of paper.

Ned looked up at him from his desk and met his eyes.

"It's from Neverwinter my lord." Maester informed.

Ned slowly opened the parchment and read careful. He really wanted to take his nephew and bring him to Winterfell but there were too many roadblocks for him to do that and the first and foremost Lady Dustin.

Ned spent innumerable nights trying to figure out a way how to solve this issue, but even so he couldn't find a rational reason to do so without risking a feud with a number of Northern houses.

He finished reading the message and smiled.

"Good news my love?" The doors opened and Lady Catelyn enter with a small smile on her face and an infant in her arms.

"Yes! The Dustins stopped an Ironborn raid on Bear Island. They asked for permission to be the guardians of Western shores." Eddard smiled and looked at his lovely wife that was carrying their daughter in her arms.

"Is it wise my love?" the lady came closer to her husband.

"Why wouldn't it be? They're and old and loyal house. Only their taxes are few times more then other Northern lords combined and it's all earned honestly. You know how their house looked like before right? They were one of the poorest but look at them now." Eddard had a hint of pride in his voice.

"My Lord... What Lady Catelyn means is if it is wise for them to wield all that power?" Maester Luwin took his Lady's side.

"You know who led the reinforcements to the Bear Island?" Ned asked and the people in front of him shook their heads.

"Lord Brendan Dustin." He slowly articulated making their eyes as big as they could. He didn't tell anyone about the child being his nephew, he wanted to share the secret with his new wife, alas doing so would probably reveal Jon's true birth as well. Lady Dustin wasn't a forgiving person.

"B-but isn't he only 7 name days?" Catelyn couldn't believe it. How is it possible that a boy only a few name days older than their son was fighting against grown men? 'He was probably there for decoration', but that still was irresponsible she thought.

"It's true, house Mormont sent us a raven as well few days back." Lord Stark stood up and smiled while stretching his back.

"House Dustin, Ryswell, Mormont, started to cooperate to guard the shores. Lyra Mormont will marry Roose Ryswell." Ned was happy that the Northern houses were united and cooperating with each other.

The Lord looked at his daughter and a thought came to his mind what if... He shook his head soon after thinking about the headache he would have trying to convince his wife and Lady Dustin, but the idea in itself wasn't bad.

"The Dustins... They are dangerous. Look at their lands, planting the weirwood trees all around, gaining all that gold from the trade. My love they should be reeled in..." Lady Catelyn said with spite.

Even she didn't know if it was jealousy or just hate for the woman being able to show her talents while managing a House alone without anyone reprimanding her.

Lady Catelyn thought that a woman's responsibility was to aid her husband and be a good wife and not looking after the household alone without a man.

"The Old gods are our ways and alweys were my Lady. I can't blame the Northern House for that!" Ned got a bit angry. "You know what the rest of the lords would do to us if I would? And what's so bad about them improving the North? The oldest houses prosper because of the increased trades, for the first time in years we don't have to rely on food directly from the Reach as the Dustins supply it to the whole North from their trade." He walked up to his wife and looked at his daughter in her arms.

"You know Lady Dustin is sending food and supplies to The Wall and Umbers every few months? They are guarding the Umber's lands alongside Greatjon from Wideling raids. Even ranging beyond the wall. The North was never calmer." He brushed his child's cheek making little Sansa giggle.

"I know, but too much power might lead to rebellion." Catelyn played her last card.

"The lady is right my lord. You are the Warden of the North, if King Robert..." Maester Luwin joined her.

"Robert is and will always be on our side. Rebellion? You must be jesting. How many houses did what they are doing from their own initiative? Should I punish them for building roads, taking in orphans or opening... what do they call them... ah! schools! Maybe I should punish them for asking to increase the fleet that the North never had for millennia to guard their own shores? Tell me my wife, maester. For what should I punish them?" he was dissatisfied with his advisors. 'If only they knew' he thought.

"Then don't punish them, but rather control them my love. Propose an engagement between Brendan and Sansa. If we combine our families by blood we will be able to control them and use their influence. They are already the third richest family in Westeros, we just can't leave things as they are now." Catelyn had a spark in her eyes when she said that.

"Lady Catelyn is right my lord. We can't leave them as they are, and the power they wield would be relevant for young Lord Robb's future rule." Maester started hitting on Eddard's weak point. He could read the simple man like a book and his children, because of his own experience were just that.

Ned thought about it for a moment and finally nodded, this was exactly what he wanted to do as well, it wasn't the first time that cousins married each other in the Stark House.

"Maester send a raven to Neverwinter. Propose an engagement between Lord Brendan Dustin and Lady Sansa Stark after they come to adulthood." all three of them smiled imagining how good of an idea it was.

They could get the blood relation and backing from one of the most powerful families in Westeros with only one marriage.

Lady Catelyn looked at her infant daughter and smiled. "You will have everything you want in the future my sweet girl..." she looked at the giggling girl.

Deep in her heart she still felt resentment and jealousy, she thought that her daughter deserved more than just being a Northern lady, she deserved to be a queen.