The journey to the North

298 AL

Lyonel POV

Westeros is a very beautiful continent, the scenery is very impressive. Riverlands truly deserve their name there are many rivers, small and bigger than I could imagine. It only took father three days to decide that we are going to the north, of course not everyone was happy about it. It felt like an only father will enjoy this trip while we will be in misery, but mother was wrong about that, finally out of the shit-stained city, I never knew that air could smell so nice.

This trip is truly enjoyable, at least to me, I like riding the horse, my brown mare Noblelight is enjoying her freedom too. Riding is probably the only thing that I liked to learn, is like riding a motorcycle, it gives freedom to mobility, and my Noblelight is very well trained on of the best horses that gold could buy.

The biggest reason I enjoy this trip is that it will be the last time I can relax, Varys already knows I have become one of the players of the game of is only a matter of time before Littlefinger knows too. Once I come back to the capital, I have to move from the shadows. When Varys called me a clever stag, he revealed that I manage to fool him for a time and he only finds about me not long ago. My daydreaming was interrupted when my little brother Joffrey started to complain again.

"Why do I ride this dammed horse?" My daydreaming was interrupted when my little brother Joffrey started to complain again.

"As I said before, little brother, you have to be in the open we are royalty, we should show ourselves to the smallfolk and the lesser lords, how else they would start loving the ruling family if they cannot even see them," I explain to him again no matter how shitty his personality is his still my brother.

"Who cares about them, they love us no matter what they want" Again Joffrey's flawless argument.

"Let me guess it because we are royalty, so they should do what we tell them," I reply him with as much sarcasm as I could muster.

"That right, finally you understand how to act like a crown prince." His statement again leaves me speechless.

But his behavior does raise some questions, who taught him this, could be mother, even she should not be this stupid, right?

"Tell me, little brother, was it one of the lords in the capital that told you that?" The easiest way to find out it's to ask him directly.

"That right it was lord Baelish, he said that I am the prince of the realm, so that means I one of the most importing people in the seven kingdoms, so people must listen to me, they wants doesn't matter" As expected, he admitted who his little friend is.

So Littlefinger befriended Joffrey is one of the smartest moves he did or the most foolish one. The only reason to befriend him would be to create discord between us.

"But why would he do this, what is his goal at the end of this?" Tyrion asks when I tell what I find out.

"Is simply really, uncle, what men want the most, power, gold, and woman," I answer him Littlefinger is one of the simplest men, but at the same time one of the complicated ones.

"So is the power that he wants, he already has enough gold that he possibly could use in his lifetime. Then the question is how can Joffrey give him this power?" A good question indeed.

"The only answer is if Joffrey became the king," I answer him, sometimes I want to tell Tyrion the truth about my siblings, but if he does not know it already is better to keep it to myself for now.

"What? The only way that would be possible is if you died." Thank you captain obvious.

"Do not worry, uncle, but it seems once we are back to the capital we should start by destroying his power." Is indeed time we make our move, in this game.

"But we still do not have concrete evidence of his treachery." It is true what uncle says.

"We going after his empire, even if we don't find his record books in one of these safe houses, it would not matter much now." It seems my answer satisfied him.

"Of course, Jon Arryn is dead and lady Lysa left the capital, his biggest support is gone." It seems we are one of the minds.

"Then we replace city watch with our men and he won't have any more power in the capital. Good thing I already ask uncle Stannis to patrol the Blackwater bay to check every ship that leaves the city." My answer brings a smile to his face.

"Once he is dealt with it would seem that your rule will be safe." He had to jinx it, did he not?

"If only it would so simply, if only." I leave him to ponder about my last words.

…

At the start of the journey to the North, I thought It will be relaxing, but it seems there no rest for the wicked. I know what father plans my marriage to Sansa, of course, I could not let this to happen, I need be careful how to tell father, he is a fool, but he is a stubborn one if the thinks of something it is hard to persuade him other whys his thinking is wrong.

So after thinking, it took me a couple of weeks to find a way to tell father that this plan is a folly, I will attack him with what he loves most, the Stark family. So there I am finally found a day where he is not drunk or hangover. He looked surprised at me when I entered his tent, seeing him with a whore is as surprising as it should be.

"What do you want boy, don't you see I am busy there!" Oh, he indeed is busy, is a good thing that he has not started to have fun, otherwise, I would him scared him to the death, now that I think about it would not be a bad idea.

"Leave us." I throw a gold dragon at her and order her to leave. The whore was probably happy to go with gold.

"So now that you ruined my fun, you must have something to talk about with me." Well yes, why else I would waste my gold on the whore.

"Yes father, you are right, we must talk. Tell are you going to suggest lord Stark marry her daughter to me?" I ask, maybe he is smarter than I think and I am mistaken.

"How did you find out? I have not told to anyone yet." It seems I am always right.

"Why else would you take your whole family to the north, just to make Eddard Stark the Hand," I say as I take a comfortable seat, this might be a long talk after all.

"Hmph, you think yourself quite clever to deduce this, eh?" What kind of questions is that.

"It does not matter what I think of myself, what matters is that your plan is wrong, we cannot marry Starks in this generation at least." I go to the point there no need to prolong this.

"What would you know, you should be happy, I heard that little Sansa is quite the beauty." He can only think to this level.

"She still little, there no place in the court for little girls, anyways it does not matter I will not marry her," I say in a firm voice that even Robert was surprised.

"If you don't marry her it will be Joffrey." He even relented after hearing me, it seems he has some respect for me.

The question is should I let Joffrey marry Sansa, he still an arrogant fool, but at least he's not a cruel as he was in the books. No, If Littlefinger is working with Joffrey, he will use this to get close to Starks, and if any of Starks dies in the capital it won't be hard to frame it to the Lannister's and their war would start. I do not need this, is time for the big guns.

"I never knew you hated the Starks so much, father," I say as dramatically as I can.

"What are you talking about, why would I ever hate my brother's family." So he thinks of Eddard as a brother, interesting.

"You did not think of this fully, as we are not stable in the south, the Starks to do not have stability in the north. Think, father, think the lord of the North is satisfied with Starks." My words bring him to silence.

"What do you mean? Be clear with me boy!" It seems this got his attention.

"Is simply, father, Northman are old people, with old beliefs, they already married to south, if they do to it again so soon, people start to think that Stark does not care about the North, but are more interested in the south, they will ask questions. In short, Stark has to marry to the North, this would bring them closer and satisfied them for the generations to come." My words go through him like an arrow to the hard. "Let's not talk about this now, we are close to Winterfell, once there you can ask lord Stark for his opinion."

I leave his tent to let him think, I do not need to push him anymore, once in Winterfell I have to talk to Quiet wolf himself about the future of the realm.

…

The rest of the journey was quite peaceful, it would have been better if I would not listen to my mother's and Joffrey's complaints about how the North is dull, and remarks about how it is a wasteland full of savages. At least training in the different environments becomes more interesting, I think as I dodge from the slice when Hound tried to hit me.

"You getting better at dodging, my prince." He compliments me while readying for another strike.

"Of course, even I got tired of being hit by you, Sandor," I reply as I kick him in the gut, to make space.

"Your kick is still too weak to make a difference." He just shrugs it off as nothing.

"For a man like yourself, it is indeed a bit weak, but for an average man, it would have at least push them back," I answer him with a strike of my sword.

"You not as strong as your father, so you should be at least faster, my prince." He easily blocks my strike and pushes me to the ground.

"It was a good fight nephew, but it ends here, the wheelhouse is ready to move," Tyrion says as he got closer to us.

"Fine, it seems, we can call it to draw, eh Sandor?" I ask him with a smile.

"If you can call you being one the ground as a draw, then sure." He answers with a monotone voice, as always not caring about the technicalities of fighting.

"Whatever, go tell mother that I will be hereafter I clean up myself," I order Sandor, and he's gone. "How long till we reach Winterfell, nuncle?"

"It only a few days left, nephew." He states as he was turning around.

"Wait. I was talking with father about my marriage." I stop him from leaving.

"Is that so, I don't see where I come here." He says with a confused voice.

"I was thinking, you already four and twenty, once we deal with Littlefinger, you will become next master of coin, and after that hand of the king," I say to him and from his smile, I can tell he happy of the news.

"So? I still do not see what are you getting to." His question makes me smirk.

"Well you be one of the most powerful men in the Seven kingdoms, I believe it is time for you to find a bride." With my second part of the sentence his smile drops.