86 I will bath in their blood

Looking at Brendan all the young men and women got down from their saddles and kneeled behind his back just as he did.

They already knew that showing their anger would not give them any advantage in this situation, it would even be detrimental for them, so they bid their time.

With the relationship of Lord Stark and King Robert any signs of rebellion would be ruthlessly eradicated.

Lord of Winterfell was still in a daze, his gaze lingered at the handsome, about 170 cm tall boy with long, shoulder length, dark hair.

To him Brendan was like a exact copy of his brother when he was young, the aura that emanated from him gave the exact same wild and untamed feeling as his long lost brother's did.

Ned glanced at his back and surely just as he expected his Lady wife didn't see anything amis.

Eddard wasn't worried, only his brother Benjen would be able to connect the two of them.

Cat, on the other hand, never saw young Brandon and the only time they met was when his brother cut some other boy almost in two, to the young at that time girls ire.

Ned forgot himself again, in the last few days it happened a lot to him.

"Rise." his tone gentle and warm to Catelyn's surprise. "Vayon." he signaled to his steward and the man stepped forward with a tray of bread and salt. "I welcome you all as my guests, the hospitality of Winterfell is yours." Ned said to everyone, but the boy and the man never diverter their eyes from each other.

"You have our gratitude Lord Stark," Brendan looked to the side "Lady Stark, young Lord, young Ladies." he bowed his head slightly acknowledging the children of his liege Lord, not showing any discontent while at it.

"Meet my children," Ned moved the boy from the side to his front and protectively held his hands on the boy's shoulders. "The heir to Winterfell, my oldest son Robb." his gentle and proud smile looked at the people repeatedly hearing "my Lord." from them.

Taking step closer to Catelyn. "My Lady wife, Lady Catelyn Stark," he took Aria in his arms and Catelyn gently pushed Sansa to her front and took Bran from her Septa. "our second daughter Aria, and your betrothed Sansa." Ned was so proud right now.

"As I stated previously it's a pleasure to be finally able to meet you my Lady..." Brendan knelt and took out a small plushy bear made in Neverwinter from his bag and handed it to Sansa. He was willing to see if their relationship might work in the future.

The child's eyes sparkled seeing the toy, she wanted to grab it directly, but Catelyn intervene and gestured to her Septa to take it. Sansa was only 4, not three as he assumed before, but even now she didn't protest trying to behave like a real Lady should for her mother's actions.

Brendan, Eddard and everyone else scorned at the clear disrespect and sign of mistrust.

He was a future Lord of an old, honorable Northern family, yet here he was treated as no different than every other merchant or small folk was.

"Vayon, arrange a place for this fine Ser's." just when he finished saying it pointing at the guards, Lord Dustin's sworn shields stood behind the boy's back and took off their helmets.

A small shout was heard as Sansa placed her face in Catelyn's dress after seeing Sandor, but the rest did not react.

The men saw a lot worst during the war.

What did surprise Eddard were the women in his nephews guards, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

His eyes passed through the crowd and his brows furrowed. 'Martell?' he looked at the sun and spear coat of arms and really didn't know what to say this time around.

"Lord Stark." the three sisters knew he was looking at them and greeted him as the custom demands, but nothing more.

"I never thought that I would ever see a Martell in the North again..." the Warden of the North still felt bad for what happened during the sack of King's Landing, now he had a chance to do something about it.

"And you won't Lord Stark, we are Sands." Obara was showing her defiance as always.

Hearing the girl Eddard saddened a bit, but now was not the time to open old wounds.

"My Lord, if I may talk to you in private?" Brendan didn't want to spend in this place more than he needed to, so he decided to do what could be done as soon as possible.

"You can follow me to my solar Lord Dustin." the man moved and so did Brendan, his sworn shields and wolves.

Catelyn followed them after handling the children to Rodrik and Vayon. Septa Mordane on her trail like a loyal watch dog.

"Child." the nun said with authority after getting "the look" from her Lady.

Brendan couldn't believe what he heard, even Lord Stark furrowed his brows after hearing the way the Septa addressed one of his sworn Lords.

Brendan felt his control over his emotions slipping away, he was always very short tempered.

Eddard felt the nostalgic feeling what he almost forgot. 'Brendan gave the same feeling before releasing his anger, unknowingly he even wanted to watch the show.

Ned was already used to taking blame for his wife's mistakes and this looked a lot like one of those times.

Brendan looked at the woman, but his smile was already gone.

"What can I do for you Lady...?" he said and looked at the woman.

Lord Dustin saw the way she was dressed, he knew as well who she was, but the game had to be played.

"I am Septa Mordane in the service of Lady Stark." she proudly said.

Brendan acknowledged her with a nod, but his expression didn't change.

Seeing the man still acting so overbearing in her Lady's company, she took another approach. "Please keep your barbaric beasts out of the castle child, the place is not for them. There are kennel's there." she pointed in the distance.

Now it was too much even for him.

"Who gave you the right to speak to a Lord like that woman?" his voice neither quiet or loud, but filled with unimaginable amounts of coldness and fury.

"Blasphemy! How did your mother..." Septa counted on her Lady to bail her out if there was a problem.

The believer of the Seven unfortunately miscalculated and forgot where she was from all the power she gain with Lady Stark backing.

"Say one more word woman and I will have you thrown into my men's camp for them to ravage you as they please, and when they are done with you, I will let them feed you to our dogs." Brendan said and slowly walked closer to her while she took small steps back with her shaking legs.

One look in the demon boy's eyes was enough for her to know he meant what he said.

"Lord Dustin." a quiet, venomous voice from the side went inside his one ear and came out the other after being ignored.

"Remember your place woman," after saying that he shifters his eyes to Lady Catelyn "The Seven don't reach so far North. The Old Gods rule here, so my wolves have more rights to be here than you do!" Brendan confronted Lady's Stark defiant, furious gaze.

Lord Dustin played it out like he was saying it to the Septa, but as his gaze shifted to Lady Catelyn, and he was just a bit shorter than her, everyone around knew what his intentions were.

"There goes the engagement." Nymeria whispered, no so quietly, happily jabbed the smiling Tyene on the side and Obara only shook her head with disbelief.

"Right Lady Stark?" like it never happened Brendan smiled at his liege Lady and asked.

Seeing his wife ready to plunge a dagger into his nephews eye, Lord Stark made his move.

"Lord Dustin..." that was enough.

Eddard wasn't going to intervene here, on one side his blood, on the other his wife. Who was at fault was evident to him and everyone else.

He just wondered why his usually manageable wife started to behave so irresponsibly.

Brendan smiled even brighter "My Lord!" he happily moved again with a skip in his step.

Childish? Yes... but felt so good!

When they were at the end of the hall outside of Lady Stark sight, a long whistle came from the interior and all three wolves sped up following in the same direction their companion did.

When the doors of the solar closed after him, under the curious and attentive eyes of the trio, Brendan's smile vanished.

Now being alone with his uncle he didn't have to pretend.

"Are the news about the Ironborn true?" Ned asked while sitting behind his desk, the change in his nephew didn't escape his sight.

"They are." came a simple reply, straight to the point.

"In this case we will have to inform the King, Robert needs to know." Ned trusted his blood so he didn't hesitate to act.

"My mother already did." Brendan said slowly.

"We didn't receive any raven from the King to call the banners." there was something wrong.

"And you won't, mother spoke to Lord Hand, but was ignored." it wasn't his problem anymore.

"Brendan..."

"Uncle." there was not much love now in his voice and that took Ned by surprise.

"Don't be angry at Cat Brendan. She only has the good of the House on her mind."

Ned misunderstood him.

"I'm not bothered by that uncle, more like I want to ask, where were you all the years?" he really wanted to know.

All these talk about one blood and family, and yet between the rebellion and the time he left for Essos there was not even a raven, not even talking about a visit, and that made him angry.

"There was no time, you know how things were after I came back... and Lady Dustin..." Eddard really felt apologetic and ashamed.

The truth was, that the situation with Catelyn and Jon Snow occupied most of his time.

"Alright, but I want the Bolton's heads." his demand was clear.

"You know I can't do that, Lord Bolton gather enough support, if you go after him there will be war in the North. I will not sanction that... officially..." Brendan understood what Ned meant, but he was still not happy with that.

"He murdered a child and my aunt!" even the guard outside heard it, but Dustin sword shield's cold eyes focused on them made them even more nervous than what they heard, or didn't hear.

"You don't have any proof for me to take action! What do you want me to do?!" Ned had some wolf's blood in him as well.

"Alright." what else could Brendan say, but the space between them grew. He will just have to kill them quietly, preferably with painful poison like they did to Bri.

"I will write to the King, you should rest now after your trip, we will prepare a feast for tonight to welcome you and to proceed with your oath." the Warden of the North knew he will be busy after hearing what he wanted to know, and besides, the situation was now very awkward and they both wanted to just stay alone to cool down.

Brendan walked around Winterfell after leaving his uncle's solar to kill time before the feast, he visited the Godswoods and his businesses as well.

He thought about a lot of things, his uncle explanation was reasonable, it was a difficult time.

Since he could make a decision he would do what every other less intelligent person would do. Forget about the issue altogether and see what will happen starting now, and in the future.

Just as he got back into the castle it was time to prepare.

Brendan missed the toilets in Neverwinter, that was the first thing that struck him after seeing the pot in the corner of the room.

He took a bath under the enamored and passionate gazes of the servant girls that were holding jars filled with hot water, he was never ashamed of his body especially since he had good proportions everywhere.

Dressing in his brown leathers with golden add-ons he went directly to the great hall with his sworn shields and Stark guide.

When he entered, the first thing he noticed was the bustle and the smell of cheap mead.

Moving to the center, just below the stairs on top of which were two tables he stopped.

On the higher table sat Lord Stark and Lady Stark, on the lower, his old friend Septa, who by the way avoided his gaze and the children with other servants taking care of them.

Seeing Lord Stark stand up the hall quieted down.

"We are gathered here for a happy occasion, it's always a good thing when new blood takes over as old and noble house like the Dustin's."

Hearing his uncle, Lord Dustin dropped on one knee.

Finally it was time...

"Lord Eddard Stark, I offer you my loyalty. I will shield your back and keep your counsel I will be your sword if the need arises and give my life for yours if need be. I swear it by the old Gods." he didn't want to swear by the new Gods as he didn't believe.

"And I vow… that you shall always have a place by my heart and meat and mead at my table. And I pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you dishonor. I swear it by the old gods and the new. Arise. Lord Dustin." the smile on Lord Stark was honest and bright.

The Lord of the North stepped down from the stairs and did something that no one expected him to.

He placed his arms around the boy in a hug and whispered to his ear.

"You will always have a home here..." Brendan herd that, and knew it was straight from his uncle's heart, but he already saw that Jon Snow was nowhere to be seen, so in case Lady Stark finds out he is a bastard Snow and not Stark or Dustin his treatment would probably be worst than the Targaryen offspring.

The hall broke down in applauses and the best part of it all started.

Everyone was marry making as they wonted to.

Brendan of course did not sit at the high table with the Warden of the North and his Lady wife.

After the oath, he directly went to his friends.

The party went on for hours into late night, some were even already sleeping on the tables or fucking somewhere in the castle.

Brendan was happy, but the happiest person now was probably his pleasure house manager.

Brendan was so intoxicated after the drinking contests between the boys that he didn't even care about Nymeria's hands brushing up and down his body.

Lord Stark was happy as well, he finally could catch a breath and enjoy a bit.

Eddard flirted with his wife when maester Luwin entered the hall with a parchment and a guard following him with another parchment.

Lord Stark took the paper from his maester and read carefully, in the corner of his eyes he saw Brendan do the same.

Ned separated from Catelyn for a moment and read carefully, with every word his face changed and no sign of intoxication was visible on it.

"My Lords!" he stood up. "We are at war!" his words like a sword pierced Catelyn and every Lady present at the feast. "The Ironborn burned Lannisport yesterday night with all it's fleet at the anchor there. We should soon receive a word from the King to call the banners... We are going to war..." After he sat down he watched his men lose the festive mood.

It was at that moment that he glanced at his nephew, immediately he was worried watching the new Lord sworn to him read the letter he received at the same time.

"Mother... no... mother!" It was the first time even for Brendan's sworn shields watching his usually more or less composed self loosing it.

"Arrrggghhhhhhhh! I'M GOING TO KILL EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM!!! I WILL BATH IN THEIR BLOOD!" the people present didn't know what to say seeing Lord Dustin loosing it like that and roaring like a beast at the sky. "ARRRGGHH" Brendan lost his control, not knowing what to do his body just needed to release his hatred somewhere.

His hands tightened and crumbled the paper when he grabbed the table, next a clinging sound of dishes hitting the ground filled the silent hall when he flipped the heavy table over.

"Bryce! Sandor! Wake up our men and prepare the horses! Were going back!" his roar was filled with so many emotions.

"My Lord!" each Dustin man moved swiftly, even those that were drinking all night didn't show any signs of intoxication, they felt the fury of their Lord and truthfully... they were afraid like never before...