13 A Man Who Married The North
When my father and brother died, a war broke out and I didn't have any chance to mourn them. Then, I found Lyanna at her death bed but, again, I didn't have any chance to mourn her.
But now I realize that a funeral is like a wedding. It is just a sad event instead of a happy one. At Benjen's wedding, everyone laughed and drank to their heart's content but at Catelyn's funeral, there were no laughs. There was only a man who was not with his wife while she died and his wife's family.
I did not invite anyone except her family but still, most of my vassals came. Although Hoster wanted to bury her in Riverlands, I had her buried in crypts. Though she had no statue like other Starks, she was the mother of 5 Starks.
Hoster came with Lysa and Edmure. Lysa also brought Petyr Baelish as one of her escorts but I didn't mind… I didn't have a mind to care. The funeral was over before I even realized it. One moment there wasn't anyone and I was sitting at the birthing room and the next Benjen was sitting beside me with his wife's bulging belly.
He was telling me about his success and how everything went perfect but I didn't listen much as other things were going on in my mind. The last to leave Winterfell was Hoster as he offered to foster Robb in Riverrun with his brother, Brynden before he was on his way.
I refused outright. He was my first child with Catelyn and I wasn't going to let him leave my sight. A peace was gained in Winterfell for the next few months but nights went sleepless as I was in Godswood most of the time. I used my green sight again and again and watched our happy moments. I watched the entirety of our marriage every night and only then did I realize the truth.
The fall of the tree and the death of mother direwolf. The vials I gave to my wife and the death of my wife…
I dreamed every possible future and in every one of them, she lived with our last baby. Only one of them where she drank those vials she died. I didn't want to believe it. He was a man who was going to help me to raise the North to greater heights. However, now I realized that he did not want the North to become stronger, he wanted the Old Gods and only those who worshipped them to become stronger.
He needed to die for justice to be served. However, it was still early for his death because there were many things to do and I needed him for them. I was going to dry all of his knowledge and only then he was going to die.
My mourning ended six months after her death. There were many things to do which I delayed all these times and I wasn't planning to marry soon. Besides, there weren't many eligible women for me in the North who would accept to be a mother to another woman's children. Besides, I couldn't marry whoever I wanted. I needed a strong woman who could look after my children and care for them. They were the only thing that was left to me from Catelyn and I needed to make the north stronger to protect them.
Luckily, all of the four rituals were completed and already, there was a sharp rise in the amount of food the North was producing. From the looks of it, the amount was going to be too much even for Northern people and we had to sell it somewhere or they were going to rot. While mourning for Catelyn, I realized my green sight improved and I was near to Bloodraven's mastery.
There were many things I saw during my visions like a man named Gerold trying to become a God. I even saw the canon Eddard getting executed. I think it was still a possibility despite everything I had done.
Benjen told me about their journey and raids when I began ruling again. The raids on Frozen Shore had been easy as none of the inhabitants had any steel or iron weapons. Mostly cannibals lived there and they were the most troubling folk for Bear Island so many were content with battling them.
However, the invasion of Lonely Light had to be swift so Benjen attacked all out and the keep fell shortly. The island was searched for all of its inhabitants and they were captured. It was a bloody matter as young women and men were sacrificed for the betterment of the North. However, it was a necessary sacrifice. Their death was going to bring life to my people.
The roads I had ordered to build were already completed and out of every 100 women 90 of them were pregnant. I was getting worried over how to pay them but thanks to the gold dragons Manderlys sent after minting, I was content to give them away.
Coins were not something I was worried about as I knew that with the new things I was doing for the North, House Stark was going to become the richest house in Westeros. Already, Benjen was on another journey again, he was travelling with Styr to Beyond The Wall. Their destination was beyond the Valley of Thenns and closer to the Lands of Always Winter.
Benjen's mission was to recruit giants for the North and that was why Styr was going with them. He was going to remind them of their oath and convince them to serve the chosen one.
Styr spoke with confidence and promised me to bring them to Winterfell. Their departure also marked many new things for the North. Manderlys were sending money every moon and I was using them to their full extent.
A fleet was being built both in the east and in the west. A castle was being built in the Sea Dragon Point and the Moat Cailin was slowly gaining its old glory. The constructions were completed on Winterfell while I was mourning.
The Broken Tower was repaired and a stone-ground was paved to the yard. The wooden houses were demolished and new stone houses were built. Another wall was added to the outer perimeter of Wintertown. However, it was covering more than houses.
Outer walls were covering three kilometres of empty ground. I was planning to have many fields and farms on empty grounds. Winterfell was going to be foolproof of siege as there was going to be many civilians living inside the walls.
Theon or Ramsay wouldn't have been able to hold Winterfell if there had been at least ten thousand or twenty thousand people living in it. They could only hold it because Winterfell was literally deserted during the war. However, I was planning to make this place the centre of the North, a trade hub and a stronghold.
However, the biggest preparation I have done for the coming wars was forming the wolfsguard. But don't be mistaken because this wolfsguard was formed from more than a thousand men. Of course, I couldn't do this publicly because that would be against the laws of the Crown. Therefore, they were recruited as normal guards but only those who passed a harsh test were accepted into wolfsguard and they were sent to the mountains to train.
They were going to be the elite forces of the North and I intended for them to be the best of the best. I was planning to present them as my household guard during the Greyjoy's Rebellion. However, there were still two things the North was lacking and they were a spy network and an independent strong economy.
Most would have told me to use poor people or children as spies but I had other things in my mind. I sent men all over the North in search of wargs. I was going to build an army of spies but there was a small problem. I wasn't sure if there were enough wargs to spy on all of the kingdoms. However, that was something I was planning to ratify by using my powers every day. With green sight, I could spy even Water Gardens but that required me spending time with it. It was one of the reasons I encouraged the population increase in the North. More men and women meant more possibility for wargs.
On the other hand, the economy of the North was growing but I didn't want this economy to be dependent on food. The North was as big as three other kingdoms and we had great mountain ranges. I was surprised at why the previous rulers did not look at the mountains for raw ores because I watched every one of their lives and none of them had done something about mining for precious materials like gold, diamond and other things.
The green sight was really useful because time was passing more slowly for me while I dreamed about the past, present and future. It was like I was seeing thousands of times at different times and this slowdown was increasing as my mastery rose.
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Marriage Options: (After the Greyjoy's Rebellion)
[Mylenda Celtigar, daughter of Lord Ardrian 'the Red Crab'. She is seven and ten, a kind soul who wouldn't resort to violence. She is also just and wouldn't stand to injustice. However, she is stubborn and wouldn't stop at anything to get whatever she wants but her poor skills at diplomacy make her an incompetent person.]
[Elaena Glenmore, daughter of Lord Wendell. Her house is a vassal of House Ryswell. She is five and ten. Her young beauty is known through the North and many seek her hand. She is a temperate person and won't like a luxury. She values family above all and isn't a woman for intrigue. Her kindness knows no boundaries as she is even kind to her enemies.]
[Lynesse Hightower, daughter of Lord Leyton 'the Old'. She is seven and ten. She is one of the known beauties of the time. However, beneath that beauty lies an ambitious, greedy, ruthless and ambitious woman. She would do everything to gain power and she loves luxury. She leads a life of debauchery and sin.]
[Berena Umber, daughter of Mors 'Crowfood'. She is four and twenty. The blood of the first man flows in her veins and it is very strong. She is a woman of high stature and has the strength of three men. Once she does something, she works to the very end and tries to complete it. She loves books but there is something else she yearns for, a cock. Her lust is only to the man she loves. She is not the best at governing but she is skilful enough to rule without a big problem.]
[Jonelle Cerywn, daughter of Lord Medger. She is one and twenty. There is one thing this woman loves and that is food. Her greed and gluttonous nature made her fat enough to fill two beds. However, she is an honourable person and will stick to the end if she does something. Her diplomacy skill is one of the best in the North and she is someone who can make the impossible possible.]
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