The crown on Robb Stark's head was heavy.
It was an ancient thing made of bronze and iron forged by the local smiths of Riverrun to resemble the crown of the old Kings of Winter. It looked strong. It looked regal.
But Andar knew the truth. A crown was just a piece of metal. The real power lay in what supported it.
The morning after the coronation the mood in Riverrun had shifted from jubilation to a hungover seriousness. The war was far from over. Tywin Lannister was still at Harrenhal with twenty thousand men. Renly had a massive army in the Reach. Stannis was a wild card.
Andar stood in the dungeon of Riverrun.
It was damp and smelled of mold. In the cell in front of him sat the Kingslayer.
Jaime Lannister was chained to the wall. His golden armor was gone replaced by dirty rags. His face was bruised. But his arrogance remained.
"So," Jaime drawled looking up at Andar. "The Black Sorcerer comes to visit. Did you come to turn me into a frog?"
"I came to inspect the merchandise," Andar said coolly.
He motioned to the guard to open the cell. Andar walked in. He did not have a sword. He held a clipboard with paper.
"You killed ten of my men," Jaime said his eyes narrowing. "With your cowardly thunder."
"I killed three thousand of your men Ser Jaime," Andar corrected him checking a box on his paper. "And I did it without losing a single soldier. That is not cowardice. That is efficiency."
Jaime rattled his chains. "If you unchain me I will show you efficiency."
"I am sure you would," Andar said. "But that is not how the world works anymore. You are a relic Ser Jaime. You are a lion in a cage and I am the zookeeper."
Andar turned to leave.
"Wait," Jaime called out losing his cool for a second. "What are you going to do with me? Trade me for the Stark girls?"
"Eventually," Andar said. "But right now you serve a better purpose. As long as you breathe Tywin Lannister will hesitate. You are my insurance policy."
Andar left the dungeon and climbed the stairs to the Solar where the new King was holding his first true council.
Robb sat at the head of the table. Catelyn sat beside him. The Greatjon Edmure and the Blackfish were arguing about troop movements.
"We must strike Harrenhal!" The Greatjon was shouting. "Burn the rats out!"
"Harrenhal is a ruin," the Blackfish countered. "But its walls are massive. If we attack it we will bleed. Tywin wants us to attack him there."
They stopped when Andar entered.
"Lord Andar," Robb said. "We were discussing the next move. What does the Artificer say?"
Andar walked to the table. He did not look at the map of battles. He looked at the supply lines.
"I say we stop," Andar said.
"Stop?" The Greatjon frowned. "We just started winning!"
"We have twelve thousand men," Andar explained. "Plus the Riverlands levies. That is nearly twenty thousand mouths to feed. Winter is coming. The harvest in the Riverlands has been burned by the Mountain. If we march on Harrenhal we will starve before we reach the walls."
He placed his hand on the map covering the North.
"An army marches on its stomach. And it fights with lead. I have only enough powder for two more major battles. After that my muskets are just clubs."
Robb looked worried. "So we are stuck?"
"No," Andar said. "We consolidate."
He looked at Robb.
"Your Grace you offered to make me your Hand."
"The offer stands," Robb said quickly. "You are the architect of our victory."
"I cannot be your Hand," Andar said. "A Hand must play politics. A Hand must sit in court and listen to Lords complain about borders. I have no patience for that."
Andar straightened his uniform.
"I ask for a new title. Create a new ministry for me."
"Name it," Robb said.
"The Ministry of Industry," Andar said. "Give me total authority over the mines the forests and the roads of the North. Let me reorganize the economy. Let me build the supply lines."
"And the army?" The Blackfish asked. "Who leads the Black Army?"
"I will leave Major Jory here with the First Battalion," Andar said. "They will serve as your elite guard and shock troops. But I must return to the North."
"Go back?" Catelyn asked surprised. "Now? When the war is heating up?"
"I go back to build the weapon that will win the war permanently," Andar said.
He looked at the map again specifically at the long distance between Winterfell and the South.
"It takes weeks to move supplies by wagon. The roads are mud. If we want to beat the South we need to move faster than horses."
"Faster than horses?" Edmure laughed. "Do you plan to build wings?"
"I plan to build a dragon," Andar said. "An iron dragon that eats coal and breathes steam."
The room was silent. They did not understand. Steam? Coal?
But Robb understood one thing. Andar had promised thunder and he delivered thunder. If he promised an iron dragon he would deliver that too.
"Do it," Robb commanded. "I name you Minister of Industry. You have the authority of the King in all matters of production."
The next morning Andar prepared to leave.
He stripped the First Battalion of their artillery leaving the ten 6 pounders with Robb. He kept only his personal guard and the heavy wagons containing the specialized tools he had bought in White Harbor.
Jory stood by Andar's horse. The Major looked nervous to be left alone in the South.
"My Lord," Jory said. "If Tywin attacks..."
"Use the terrain," Andar instructed. "Never fight in the open field against superior numbers. Dig trenches. Use the guns to force them into choke points. And Jory?"
"Yes My Lord?"
"Do not trust the Boltons," Andar whispered so only Jory could hear. "Roose is too quiet. Keep the powder magazine under heavy guard. If a Bolton man gets too close shoot him."
Jory nodded grimly. "Understood."
Andar mounted his horse.
The journey back North would be long. But his mind was already racing with schematics.
The High Pressure Steam Engine.
The Bessemer Process for mass steel production.
The Railway.
He looked back at Riverrun one last time. The banner of the Direwolf flew proudly over the castle.
"Enjoy your crown Robb," Andar thought. "I will go build you a kingdom worthy of it."
He turned his horse North.
[Volume 1 Complete]
[System Analysis]
[Volume 1 Summary: Survival and Setup]
[Status: Excellent]
[Capital Secured: High]
[Technology Level: Late Medieval -> Early Renaissance]
[Volume 2 Begins: The Iron Dragon]
[New Objective: Industrial Revolution]
[Main Threat: The Ironborn Invasion]
[Hidden Threat: The Red Woman]
Andar kicked his horse into a gallop. The snow began to fall harder covering the world in white.
The real work was just beginning.
....
Author Note
Hi guys! Thank you for reading my fanfiction.
I wanted to let you know that I'm releasing bonus chapters for Power Stones. Here are the goals:
25 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
50 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
75 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
100 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
Thanks for the support!