28 Leon
The Red Keep, King's Landing, The Crownlands
Jon Arryn was sitting in the Tower of the Hand and was thinking about the recent few days since the chaos that Aryan Stark left behind him in the Throme Room and he was sure that the relations between the Vale and the North have been broken beyond repair. It wasn't a good thing as these two kingdoms were two of the four kingdoms who fought together for the rebellion and were part of the block who supported the Baratheon dynasty.
He was thinking of ideas to minimize the fallout but seeing the expressions between the Valemen and Northeners when they met he knew that it was wishful thinking. Unfortunately Ned isn't the Lord of Winterfell and the current Head of House Stark is too much like the Starks of old.
He was sure as of now that the Royal Children were not Robert's children but they have no idea still who the real father is and with Stannis, they started to look for proof. He and Stannis also agreed with his wife's idea of bringing their Houses together in marriage. It is rare for his wife to have good idea but he is man enough to admit when it happens. He was interrupted from his thoughts with a knock on his door, giving permission to the person to enter, he saw Varys arriving with a triumphant smile.
"What is it, Varys?"
"Oh my Lord Hand, my little birds are singing song in the North." Varys said with a smile.
"I thought you couldn't place your people above the Neck." Jon Arryn responded with a frown.
"After great investment, I could place half a dozen of them around the North. And I think you should call for an emergency council meeting." Varys said with pride.
"Why?" Jon Arryn asked with anxiety.
"Gabriella Stark has called the banners for war." Varys said.
Jon Arryn was quiet for a few minutes before gritting his teeth and said, "Fucking Starks."
Jon Arryn then called for an emergency council meeting. A few hours later, everyone was present except the King who was out hunting and wouldn't return for another three days.
"Grandmaester Pycelle, send raven to Yohn Royce, Hoster Tully and Cortnay Penrose and explain to them to have their men ready for a possible attack from the North." Jon Arryn said and everyone in the room was shocked.
"Why do you think that the Northeners will attack?" Stannis asked.
"Gabriella Stark had called the banners for war." Varys said and everyone was grim.
"My whore at White Harbor also told me that she put the eastern navy on notice. She certainly did the same to the western navy too." Baelish said with a smirk.
"Yes, the western navy has also started to gear up." Varys responded.
"This is catastrophic, do we know who they wish to attack? And shouldn't we send ravens to Mace Tyrell, Tywin Lannister, Doran Martell and Balon Greyjoy too?" Renly wondered.
"It isn't necessary, my Lord. My little birds told me that the spied from Doran, Tywin and Olenna already send the information and that Balon Greyjoy has put his fleet in notice from an attack from the North." Varys said.
"What can we do?" Littlefinger asked with a smirk.
"Nothing but prepare ourselves, they still didn't do anything." Stannis said while gritting his teeth. "Grandmaester, send a raven to Ser Davos in Dragonstone and have the Lords of the Narrow Seat and the fleet on notice too."
They continued to talk a few hours about the realm before each going there separate way. No one was happier than Littlefinger, 'Finally, the Starks will be brought low.' he wanted the Starks to war the South from years and now it will finally happen.
~
The Water Gardens, Dorne
Aryan arrived at Sunspear a few days ago and was received by Ser Manfrey Martell, the castellan, and was informed that all the Martell family was in the Water Gardens so he decided to go there immediately. After a couple of days of ride, he and half his retinue arrived in his destination. He was so eager to finally meet his son. He arrived at the garden and saw her, Arianne, as beautiful as ever with a two namesday child in her arm.
He got down from his horse and directly went to her and hugged her fiercely. She grabbed his collar and started to kiss him, which he responded, they only stopped when they heard a little giggle. He turned and saw his son, Leon, with his light olive-skin, dark hair and purple eyes. He was perfect and immediately Aryan loved him and sense the magic in his son.
"My love, let me present you, the heir to Sunspear, your son, Leon Martell." Arianne said with a huge smile and turn to the little bundle of joy and told him, "My little sun, this is your father, Aryan Stark, you always wanted to meet him." He smiled and opened his arm to go in his father's arms, Aryan immediately complied and took him in his arms and started to play and kiss him.
"'My little sun', what a nice name." Aryan said. His son repeated excitedly "Little sun!" Aryan laughed and kissed his son in the forehead.
Their interaction had everyone smiling, especially Mellario who watched with scrutiny her daughter's lover. She then heard him say to her grandson, "No matter what people will call you in the future my little sun, whether it is Snow, Sand or even Martell, never forget that you are a Stark of Winterfell, you carry the legacy of the Kings of Winter, the oldest and grandest bloodline in the known world. You, my little sun, are the blood of the First Men." she couldn't help the smile and on his face and her laugh when her grandson screamed, "Shtark!" and pointed to himself "Wintur! Firsh Men!" and grabbed his father's face with his little hand.
Aryan with his son finally presented himself in front of Mellario and together they had a nice conversation about Arianne and Leon. In the next days, Aryan spent all his time with his son, he slept with Arianne and Leon in the same bed. He was glad to know that Doran had to rush back to Sunspear before he came, he didn't wish to meet him. The northern retinue also started to get around the little's sun finger. Every time that Leon will take a nap, Aryan was passing his time fucking Arianne. It was after one of their longest sessions that he asked her something that surprised her, "Can you come in the North with Leon?"
"I don't know, I am the heir to Dorne, I have to be here." Arianne said.
"You told me the last time the ruler of Dorne didn't to be their." Aryane insisted.
"Yes, the ruler. But I am not the ruler of Dorne yet, I am the heir and I have to prove myself. I can't just pack up and leave." Arianne said, starting to get upset.
Aryan couldn't help but admit that she was right. "I'm sorry, my love." he said before hugging her.
Arianne returned the hug and kissed his neck, "I also want all of us to be together all the time."
Aryan suddenly got an idea, "How about, you and Leon spend a few moons each year in the North with me? You can return here most of the time and Leon can meet the rest of his family and learn about the North, the Stark name and the Old Gods."
"This is possible. I need to discuss this with my mother but Leon and I may go North next moon." She said excitedly before dressing up and going to discuss with her mother. Aryan contacted Jaqen and told him to sent two of his best faceless men and send them to Dorne to constantly monitor Arianne and Leon and protect them.
~
Casterly Rock, The Westerlands
From his solar, Tywin was reading the report that he recently got from the North and decided to summon Kevan and Genna. He also started to think about Lannisport and the dwarf who brought the city back to his former glory in a few years. Lannisport was trading with everyone on the western coast and the coins were flowing. He was interrupted in his thoughts with the arrival of his siblings. He greeted them before explaining the reasons for the summon. He was met with frown and silence.
"What do you think we should do? Do you think the North will go to war? And who will they attack?" Genna asked
"I have no idea but I don't want us to be taken by surprise like we were by the Greyjoys. I will send ravens to the banners to have them prepare for war."
They nodded and summoned the maester to send the ravens. The maester send the ravens, just like the maester of every Lord Paramount of each and every kingdom. The soldiers were getting armed and ready for a possible war.
~
Winterfell, The Northern Realms
Gabriella Rogare was seating in the seat of her husband with Maester Marwyn and Jaqen at her side. In front of her the Lords of the North, the chiefs of the mountain clans and the Chieftains of the Free-Folk all answered the call. She couldn't help but feel pride at their loyalty to her husband.
"Thank you all for coming here my lords." Gabriella said.
"This is normal my lady, we will burn the South to the ground for our liege." Greatjon said and everyone responded "Hear! Hear!"
"He is right my lady but may I ask why did you ask us to come with specific numbers of soldiers? There is only twenty thousand soldiers here and thirty thousand in Moat Cailin? If we go to war, shouldn't we bring our full might?" Galbart Glover asked.
Gabriella smiled and said, "Because all of this, the summon, our army and navy preparing is juste a mummer's play."
She was met with fury of the lords who wanted to march for their liege, she waited and smiled before asking, "Are you done?"
Sensing the tension, Ned Stark intervene "Why don't you explain, my Lady?"
"We created this mummer's play with my husband for three reasons. Firstly, we allowed a few of the spies in some important places to report that our army is only sixty thousand strong, they will gather the information before being hunted down but they will be allowed to escape, we want Varys, Tywin, Olenna, Littlefinger and Doran to think that our army is just sixty thousand strong. Secondly, we wanted all the kingdoms to be wary of a potential attack on their lands so they will summon their men, our spies are everywhere and will accurately tell us the number of soldiers, excluding additional levies, each kingdoms possessed." she said with a grin watching the northeners laughing at their plan. But a frown appeared on her face.
"And thirdly, because Bloodraven sent us a message a few days before Aryan marched South and this is the real reason of all your presence here. He told us that the Night King halted his march south and started to roam the Lands of Always Winter. He said that he will not attack before a decade."
"Isn't this a good thing, my Lady?" Rickard Karstark asked.
"No, my Lord, it isn't. It would have been better if he attacked today. He will roam the lands north of the wall and will start making wights all over the place. How many person do you think died north of the Wall in these eight thousand years? Even if the Free Folk burned the bodies of their dead they couldn't burn every body. Imagine if juste fifteen hundred people bodies weren't burn each year for eight thousand years. We will have before us a ten million men army including many giants. And it is without taking account of all the creatures that died there too. What about shadowcats, direwolves, bears, ice spiders, mammoths? What if there is bodies of dragons, basilisks, manticores? We must prepare and this is the reason of the summon."
The only sound that were heard in the room were the sounds of loud breathing. Everyone was dumbstruck until the Magnar of the Thenn stood up, "It doesn't matter how many they are or who they are, we are the blood of the First Men and we will fight till the last drop of our blood." It was met with a deafening cheer and brought a smile in Gabriella's face.
"Command us, my lady." said Helman Tallhart.
"We will chase all of the spies in a moon. In two moons, we will close our borders and I want you to start training every single man and woman form six to sixty years old for two hours a day." Gabriella said.
"You expect me to put a sword in my daughter's hand?" asked Robett Glover
"Did you not hear what was said, Glover? If you want to act like an Andal, you can go hide south of the Neck but this is the North, we are all the descendants of the shieldmaidens and the spearwives. Me and my daughters will fight to protect the North." Maege Mormont said.
Everyone cheered and the meeting continued. They talked about the situations in the South and their food stores before leaving the meeting.
~
Norvos
The Golden Company under the leadership of Aegon defeated the Dothraki horde that tried to pillage the Free City of Norvos. It was the first feel of Aegon leading men in battle and Jon Connington couldn't be more proud. He told him his true identity not long ago and Aegon was angry of having been lied to for so many years but he started to understand that the lie was for his safety. He is more driven than ever to take back what rightfully belong to him. In a few years, he will go back to Westeros and sit in his throne.
Harry Strickland arrived and told Jon, "We have a little problem."
"What type of problem?" Jon asked.
"Viserys decided to marry his sister to Khal Drogo in exchange for his army." Harry said.
Jon jumped from his seat and screamed, "What?! Is he a fool?"
Aegon arrived at the moment and asked Jon, "What is going on, Jon?"
Jon replied grimly "Nothing, Aegon."
Aegon wasn't convinced but didn't push it, he decided to go sparring with a few men from the Golden Company.
"So, what are we gonna do?" Harry asked.
"Nothing, we can't do anything. If we intervene, we would enter the Usurper's eyes and we can't even convince Viserys, that boy is as mad as his father was and unfortunately Rhaella, not knowing Aegon survived, crowned him King before she died so he thinks the Seven Kingdoms belong to him. He will not warm up to someone above him in the line of succession and might even become a kinslayer." Jon said before sighing, "We can't do anything for them, maybe they will bring the dothraki to Westeros and bleed some of their force of the Usurper before Aegon arrives."
Harry Strickland nodded and left him alone. Jon drank a glass of wine and thought 'Whatever happens, I will not fail your son my silver prince.'
