Chapter 06

Robb's POV (Age 06), 286 AC

The next day, he woke up late and had a late lunch. Just as he finished up Jory woke in and informed him that he should be prepared they would be leaving soon. Honestly, he hadn't thought about the man who would be executed soon, and now he just doesn't want to think too much about it. He believed in his father that he wouldn't execute a man unjustly.

After preparing for the short ride and putting on his cloak he went towards the stables to prepare a pony for the ride. After him, his father & Ser Rodrick, and ten guards assembled at the gate they all rode out. The ride to execution hill was a few miles from Winterfell and it was spent quietly. When they reached there, they saw Jory along with four guards and two bound men.

Jory approached and explained. "Lord Stark, we caught a deserter from Night's Watch."

His father nodded and got off his horse's unsheathed ice. Jory came to stand beside his pony. "My lord, don't look away. Your father will know" Jory explained softly. He remained silent and just watched Father.

"In the name of King Robert of House Baratheon, first of his name, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and First Men. Protector of the Realms. For the crime of rape and murder, I, Eddard of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, sentence you to die. Do you have any last words?"

"No, milord" croaked the ragged man.

Father raised Ice, the Valyrian steel greatsword and in a single swipe the man was beheaded.

As the body was removed, the deserter of the Watch was put on the stump. Father repeated words and the man started cursing and crying. When Father beheaded him too he gave to sword to Jory who cleaned and sheathed it. After ordering men to ride out Father walked over and asked "Are you okay, Robb?"

"I'm fine, father" he replied in a quiet voice.

"Do you understand why I had to execute them?"

"Yes. One was a criminal and the other was Oathbreaker"

"Right. But do you understand why I had to do it myself"

"We are the blood of the First Man, Father. Our way is the old way. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. If cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die."

"Yes, you are right. Now you must understand this, one day to see justice done would fall to you. When that day comes, you must take no pleasure in the task, but neither must you look away. A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is."

When we returned to Winterfell it was afternoon I asked to rest for the day and my request was granted. After having an early lunch, I went straight for the crypts. When I sat on the throne I was immediately knocked out. As I opened my eyes I was sitting on a small boulder and was again in the realms of the old gods, surrounded by groves of weirwood trees, and in front of him was an old man from last time.

"Greetings, child of winter." Came the sound from the surroundings.

"I am honored to be in your presence again."

"Let's start with how you can be prepared then we move to the North. Due to the paste (weirwood sap + Robb's blood), you applied and with us blessing it, over the next moon, your appearance will start to change. Stark blood will become stronger in you & your siblings by extension. Your father never awakened his blessings." the old man started explaining without wasting time.

"Thus, You and your siblings are weak in wolfsblood. However, now you have ascended the winter throne. Yours and your sibling's wolfsblood will awaken. Remember, the Winter Crown is different from the King in the North Crown. You are Winter King, descended from the first Winter King."

Robb was gobsmacked after hearing that he was technically a King.

"When Torrhen knelt to dragons, he wisely only surrendered the crown of King in the North. If House Stark surrenders Winter Crown, the blessing enjoyed by members of House Stark goes away. Winter Throne will dissolve." warned old gods.

"Now you have trained your mind well. Your body will have to wait till you are eight namedays old before you start martial training. Magic in the world has become so weak that whatever remains goes toward maintaining the Wall and repairing the damage Valyrians did to the world.

Knowledge is power and currently, Andal has it. Your first task is to bring that knowledge to North and spread it, not horde it like the Grey Rats. Gather outcasts and outsiders to gather and spread it throughout the North. Start with Archmaester Marwyn.

Drowned God is enticing Ironborn for war. You have almost four years to gather and move back to the North. Your second task is that while your father is away leading troops it will give you time to enact changes required in North and search Winterfell for its secrets.

The third task, you have is to save the Children, Giants, and Free Folks beyond the wall and bring them under the protection of Winter Kings. The fourth task is to learn and transcribe the true history of Gods, First Men, the North & House Stark, and other houses with the help of Three-Eyed Raven.

In our previous conversation, we mentioned Mance Ryder and Three-Eyed Raven. Mance will help you in saving Free Folks. For this, he will be forgiven as Oathbreaker, as it was the Order of Night's Watch that has failed its duty. Regarding the rest, beyond the wall head towards the southeast of Fist of the First Men. Sadly, in hiding from others they are hiding from us too. We will tell the Giants to gather and find them. However, it could also be despite that you have to find them yourself.

Your fifth and last task is to plant weirwood trees all over North and perform a ritual to claim the land for your family. Weirwoods will increase the quality and quantity of mana and the ritual will make a bubble so that the mana generated remains concentrated and doesn't spread out. It will also provide a type of magical shield for the North, for when mana increases miscreants will turn their eyes towards North." Old Gods became silent after giving him the assigned tasks and waiting for his questions.