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285 AC
There was a long silence in the room as both of them tried to digest the new information they had learned and the magic I had performed before their eyes.
Benjen was the first to speak.
Benjen: "I'm going to join the night watch."
No, he won't. He definitely won't.
Artos: "Why would you want to do such a thing?"
Benjen replied, "I've always wanted to do this. Now it's even more important. I can do good things there. The watch will need help."
Artos said, "It's too late for the watch. They won't be able to regroup in time for the war." Benjen just glared at me angrily. "Don't look at me like that. The truth is, they have at most a thousand men, and it's hard to find men for the watch. We'll help them, but that's all."
Benjen said, "I still want to join. I want to protect the North."
Artos said, "If you want to protect the North, there are other ways. Our only enemy isn't coming from beyond the Wall. We have other enemies too."
Ned asked, "What do you mean?"
Artos said, "The Andals in the south with their faith, and the Ironborn in the west."
Ned asked, "Are you saying we'll have to fight the south and the west?"
Artos: "The One Who Is Seven sees magic and other gods as abominations. If not during Robert's reign, then afterward, we will have to fight for our faith. Remember, with the return of magic, the gods will also return. As for the west, the ironborn there will be a greater problem than ever before. In the past, the ironborn and the fishmen formed an alliance and spread fear throughout Westeros. They will undoubtedly want to do the same again."
Ned: "That's why you're repairing Moat Cailin. You're expecting a war with the south."
Artos: "Yes, and I also want to build a new fleet for our western coasts."
Ned: "It will be useful, but it will be very costly."
Artos: "Money won't matter if we can't survive the second coming of the Long Night. Benjen, this new fleet will be built at the Seadragon point and will be based at a port established there. I want you to be the lord of the newly built castle and establish a new house of mastery under House Stark. If you really want to protect the north, this is the best thing you can do."
The houses of mastery and the houses of lordship were different from each other. The houses of lordship owned their own lands, and as long as they did not commit a major crime such as treason, even I could not take their lands from them. The houses of mastery were different. In theory, they only managed our lands on behalf of House Stark, and we could take those lands from them whenever we wanted, but the houses of House Stark, Glover and Tallhart, were so old and so deeply involved in northern politics that this was no longer possible. Another example would be the Lannisters of Lannnis Harbor and the Lannisters of Casterly Rock.
Benjen hesitated, but eventually nodded in agreement. I then reached for one of the books I had brought with me and handed it to Benjen and Ned.
Artos said, "Take this book as an introduction to magic and see what you can and cannot do. If you succeed, that would be wonderful."
Benjen asked, "Do you really think we have magic?"
Artos said, "There's no harm in trying our luck, but remember that when it comes to magic, mindset is everything. If you think you don't have magic or that you will fail, then no matter how talented you are, you will fail."
Although both were hesitant, they accepted this.
Artos said, "Now it's time to talk politics. Benjen, you will go to Seadragon Point with Lord Mormont and Lord Glover. You will scout out suitable locations for the castle and the harbor."
Benjen nodded in agreement.
Artos continued, "You will also meet Dacey Mormont and decide whether or not to marry her."
Benjen asked, "Whattt? Marriage?"
Artos replied, "Calm down, it's not immediate, of course, and it's not set in stone. If you like Dacey, you can marry her. I'm not your father; I won't force you into a marriage you don't want."
Perhaps that was my father's greatest mistake. He was so focused on forming alliances for the Long Night that he never considered the happiness of Lyanna, Brandon, or my other siblings.
I stood up and approached the map of the North hanging on the wall. Pointing to Ryswell and Dustin, I began to speak.
Artos said, "Right now, a powerful alliance is forming in the north that we are not a part of. Rodrik Ryswell has married his daughters to both Rosee Bolton and William Dustin. Even if William is loyal to us, I can't say the same for Rodrick, Rosee, and Barbrey. We need to weaken this alliance's power on our western shores. The mountain clans are already loyal to us to the death. The Glovers, Tallharts, and Mormonts are loyal to us, and they already have a strong alliance thanks to the marriage between Lord Mormont and Lord Glover's daughter. Marrying you to Dacey will bring House Stark into this alliance as well."
Benjen seemed hesitant, but he agreed.
Artos said, "Then tomorrow, before we leave the castle, I will meet with Lord Glover and Lord Mormont. You will go with them. You will spend time with Lady Dacey and get to know the lands you will rule in the future."
I then signaled that the meeting was officially over.
.........…..
I watched impassively as the three bodies were placed in their resting places in the crypts and the lids of the sarcophagi were closed. Alyana squeezed my hand as if to offer support. Ned, Catelyn, and Benjen were on the other side of me. None of us spoke. We waited for the servants to finish their work and leave the crypts. It still felt surreal. The deaths of the three of them seemed utterly senseless. It was all because of a mad king and his even madder son. We had to go upstairs; the ceremony was over. The lords were waiting for us upstairs. Still, my feet felt rooted to the spot. I spoke with difficulty. "We have to go upstairs."
No one moved. "Enough. Brandon and Lyanna wouldn't want us to grieve. My father would say that grief is an insufficient excuse to delay our work."
There were a few nervous chuckles.
Then, with slow steps, I was the first to turn around. Alyana followed me. Ned and Catelyn came behind us, and Benjen was the last to leave. Ned, Catelyn, and I had prepared ourselves for this on the way. Benjen, however, had not prepared himself as much.
..............
Sitting in the lord's solar. Taking care of some paperwork that had piled up in my absence. I turned at the sound of the door. The guard at the door spoke as he entered.
"My lord, Lord Glover, Lord Mormont, and Lady Maege have arrived."
"Let them come in."
As the lords and lady entered, I stood up and gestured for them to take their seats at the table. "Please sit down. I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here."
Galbart Glover said, "I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious, my lord."
Jorah and Maege remained silent. After waiting for them to sit down, I spread a map of the north on the table.
I pointed to the seadragon point with my finger and began to speak.
Artos "I have decided to use some of the treasure we gained from the south to build a northern fleet to protect our shores from the ironborn."
Galbart Glover: "I assume you want this fleet to be stationed at the seadragon point."
Artos: "That's the most logical option. It's far enough away from the ironborn to prevent a sudden attack, yet close enough to intervene quickly anywhere."
Jorah Mormont: "That will require a new harbor and castle, and a new lord."
Artos: "My brother Benjen will be lord of the castle and harbor, but the title of commander-in-chief of the fleet will not be hereditary. It will be chosen by House Stark."
Maege Mormont: "What if future lords cause trouble? They may not want to keep a fleet that is not loyal to them in their harbor."
Artos: "This will be one of the conditions I present when declaring Benjen lord, and it will be recorded as such. To refuse would mean the title of lord being taken from them. I summoned you here to discuss various logistical matters and the engagement between Lady Dacey Mormont and Benjen."
As I spoke my final words, I turned to Lady Maege and waited for her response. Lord Glover and Lord Mormont remained silent. Lady Maege paused for a moment, then spoke.
Lady Maege said, "My lord, I do not wish to offend you, but Dacey is very stubborn. If she is betrothed without her consent, I fear she may do something to shame both houses."
I leaned forward slightly and rested my elbow on the table as I began to speak.
Artos said, "I understand. The same applies to Benjen, and I don't want either of them to be unhappy in marriage. That's why I want Benjen to come with you. He will examine the Seadragon point, choose the new location for the harbor and the castle, get to know the lands he will rule, and spend time with Lady Dacey. If they approve, an engagement and marriage could follow."
Maege agreed without objection.
We discussed the terms of any potential engagement and marriage, including the amount of compensation to be paid to the carpenters and various workers who would build the shipyard, port, and vessels at the Seadragon site using timber from Lord Glover's lands.
By the time the meeting ended, at least two hours had passed. As Lord Mormont was leaving the room, I called out to him.
Artos: "Lord Mormont, I will invite you again soon. This time, the mountain clans will also be here."
Jorah Mormont: "I wonder what this meeting will be about."
I simply gave him a mysterious smile.
...........
A few hours later, or so it seemed to me, I was buried under a pile of damn paperwork. In Thomas's memoirs, they called it bureaucracy. A nightmare in every world and every age.
The guard at the door knocked and entered, giving me a chance to escape.
"My lord, the lords of the mountain clans have arrived."
Artos said, "Let them in."
One by one, the seven lords of the mountain clans entered. In order, they were Wull, Norrey, Harclay, Burley, Flint, Knott, and Liddle.
Lord Wull was the first to speak. When I heard him speak, I hesitated for a moment. It wasn't because he said something wrong. It was just that he spoke in the old language, and I replied in the same way.
Wull: "Magnar Stark, have you summoned us?"
Artos: "Yes, Lord Wull, there are some important matters I need to discuss with you."
Speaking in the old language caused small smiles to appear on the faces of the mountain clan lords. The next to speak was Lord Norrey.
Norrey: "Does this have anything to do with the return of the gift?"
Artos: "As you mentioned earlier at Moat Cailin, Lord Norrey, you and all the houses that have land in the gift will send us the maps in your possession, and these maps will be compared with those of House Stark and the Night's Watch, and an appropriate distribution will be made. There is no need to worry about being treated unfairly. The mountain clans have proven their loyalty to the Starks of Winterfell time and again with blood and steel."
It was clear that my final words were well-received by the lords of the mountain clans. So I continued.
Artos: "Of course, this depends on Lord Commander Qorgyle agreeing to return the gift to the north."
Norrey: "Qorgyle is an honorable man; he will agree."
Artos: "I hope so, Lord Norrey. I want the gift returned just as much as you do."
Just then, Lord Mormont entered the room.
Though he was momentarily startled to see all the mountain clan lords gathered here, he quickly composed himself and sat where I had indicated.
Artos: "My lords, with your permission, I would now like to discuss why I summoned you here."
They all paid close attention.
Artos said, "Trade, or rather, ice trade."
Now they looked curious. Ice trade had never been heard of in Westeros before. I continued without giving them a chance to ask questions.
Artos said, "In Yiti, the nobles pay very high prices for ice that comes down from the mountain peaks during the hot summer months. This ice is generally used to cool their wine."
Lord Wull was the first to speak.
Wull said, "Lord Stark, don't take this the wrong way, but why would southerners pay money for something like ice?"
Artos said, "Lord Wull, you think like a northerner. Ice is not really that valuable in the north, but it's different in the south. The nobles of Yiti are willing to pay a lot of money for cold wine on hot summer days."
Although the lords seemed hesitant, they were loyal enough to House Stark not to question me openly.
Jorah Mormont said, "My lord, even if we obtain the ice, neither House Mormont nor, as far as I know, the mountain clans have any merchant ships. At most, we have fishing boats. How will we obtain ships? There are also tax issues."
Artos replied, "The ships will be provided by House Stark. Twenty of the ships that passed from House Rosestark to House Stark will operate on this route. Approximately ten or twelve of these will be filled with ice, while the rest will be filled to the brim with warriors to protect them from the Ironborn. The only taxes you will pay to House Stark are ship usage fees and normal trade taxes. I don't want anything more than that."
Harclay: "House Rosestark?"
Artos: "My wife's family, founded in Essoz by Brandon Snow, the bastard brother of the kneeling king Torrhen. It can be considered a branch family. My lady wife is the last heir and member of this family, so all their assets will now pass to House Stark and our heirs. Most of them are movable property, like ships, especially considering that they have no land in the north."
Liddle: "Well, other northern houses will want to join if the ice trade is profitable enough."
Artos: "They can join when winter comes or during a particularly harsh summer snowfall. House Stark will not prevent anyone from trading, but when summer comes, the only ones with a stable source of ice are the mountain clans, thanks to the peaks of their high mountains, and House Mormont, thanks to their access to the frozen shore. The other houses do not have a stable source of ice for use in the summer. That is the only reason you are here."
Jorah Mormont: "The frozen shore, beyond the Wall, the wildlings will be a problem."
Artos: "It doesn't matter whether you kill the wildlings or trade with them. Just get the ice, and those ships will return from the Reach filled to the brim with food to feed the north in winter."
Norrey rose to his feet like an angry bull. "Trade with the wildlings? You'd better explain that, Magnar Stark."
I merely looked at him with an expressionless face and icy eyes. Norrey seemed hesitant at first. Then he sat down obediently.
Artos: "Is that all?"
Norrey: "I apologize, Magnar Stark. It's just that my people are the clan most affected by wildling raids, and we are constantly at war with them."
Artos: "Allow me to explain, my lords. If everything goes according to plan, the north will grow stronger, and a strong north means a weak south."
Lord Mormont: "What do you mean, my lord? What is the connection between the north growing stronger and the south growing weaker?"
Artos: "The main source of wealth for the lords of the south is the food trade. Their biggest customers are the north and Dorne, but thanks to fish farms and rice, we won't be buying as much food as we used to."
Wull: "Those southern scum are fleecing us every winter."
Lord Wull's words resonated among the remaining lords in the room. Even Lord Norrey, who had been angry moments ago, joined in.
Artos: "This means that a lot of food will remain in their hands, and there won't be as much work as before. The unemployed and impoverished common folk could easily turn to banditry. The lords of the south will want to redirect the common folk's anger to avoid this, and that anger can easily be directed northward. When that happens, we may once again face the Faith and Andal armies at Moat Cailin."
This caused some whispering among the eight lords in the room.
Artos said, "And though the wildlings are savage barbarians, they still have the blood of the First Men and worship the old gods."
Flint said, "I suppose you're not wrong."
Artos said, "Now, at least, I think peace will be maintained during King Robert's reign."
This had calmed them somewhat. Knowing that war was not immediately at the doorstep had done them good.
Artos said, "I also want to use this opportunity to conquer the lands north of the Wall."
Norrey said, "Conquer the lands north of the Wall?"
Artos said, "Yes, conquer, but as you know, it's impossible to sustain an army in those lands."
He wasn't wrong. Logistics, snow, cold, and raiders who knew those lands better than we did made it impossible.
Norrey said, "Yes, I can see that."
Artos said, "That's why I've come up with a different plan. We'll build two small ports on both the western and eastern coasts of the northern side of the wall and start trading. Of course, we won't sell them weapons, or even steel or iron."
I paused for a moment, and while they were digesting what I'd said, I took a sip of water to wet my throat.
Artos said, "This will have several benefits. First, the wildlings, especially the weaker tribes, will seek refuge with us for safety. Once they see the benefits of kneeling, their numbers will grow, and they will kneel."
Norrey said, "I apologize for interrupting you, Lord Stark, but I don't think they will kneel. They all look down on kneeling and are too proud to do so."
Artos said, "Because pride is all they have. The conditions north of the Wall are worse than in the north, and they are doing what they must to survive, nothing more. Over time, our influence will expand, and once the number of rebellious holdouts who refuse to kneel is sufficiently reduced, it will be easy to eliminate and conquer those who refuse to kneel. The second benefit is that it will reduce the number of wildling raids. The reason most of them cross the Wall and raid your lands is because they are desperate in the winter. Remember, the winter there is even harsher than here. Once they find an easier and less dangerous way to obtain food, most of them will not take that risk. The third benefit is that it will be easier for our kidnapped people to return north. Once they arrive at these safe havens, it will be easy to send them north to their families."
Norrey sighed reluctantly and spoke. "I suppose I can live with that."
Artos said, "Don't be so upset, Lord Norrey. At least at first, many wildlings will attack the harbors with the intent to loot. That means many wildlings will be killed. I'm sure Lord Mormont won't have any trouble getting help from the mountain clans."
These words brought a big smile to Lord Norrey's face.
Then we spent a few hours discussing the details of the ice trade. We also discussed the details of a possible settlement north of the Wall. The conclusion was that the settlement would be jointly administered by a council consisting of one representative from each of the Seven Mountain clans, one representative from House Mormont, and one representative from House Stark.