Chapter 35: Discussions and Preparations
Author's note: It seems 2k+ is the new normal, lol. I'll see if I can maintain the pace of five chapters a week, but I'll let you know if anything changes.
Also, the next chapter will feature different POVs, showing what has been happening during this time and all that jazz.
Another thing, kids gloves are off, there no need to hide with the start of canon, a couple of chapters to the war to start and we get our fill with violence.
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Winterfell
It had been more than a week since I became the new Lord Paramount of the North. Thanks to the confidence my father had in me, it was even more formalized than in the canon timeline. Having forged my reputation through years of hard work, I commanded the respect of the various clans in the North.
For that reason, all the lords from the North followed my orders without much fuss. The Reeds of Greywater Watch, a vassal house and one of the most loyal in the North, were particularly trustworthy. Even though I hadn't met them in this timeline, I knew I could rely on them with my life.
What was suspicious was the message we received in response to our order to close the border. Howland Reed, the lord of the house, was sending his heir and son, Jojen, along with his daughter, Meera, to Winterfell with urgent news. Thanks to the series, I knew Jojen was a Greenseer with visions of the future. However, I knew little about Howland—he might be a Greenseer even more powerful than his son, or perhaps he simply trusted Jojen as much as my father trusted me.
Regardless, both of them would be valuable assets. Given how far the canon timeline had diverged, I couldn't be sure of much more than that. With Bran safe and retaining his mobility, I was unsure how this would affect the Three-Eyed Raven's plans.
I was certain he already knew who was responsible for the changes, but I wasn't sure how he would react. Depictions of him in various fanfics varied widely, from a benevolent old man making poor decisions to a ruthless figure willing to do anything to win his game. If he resembled the former, I wouldn't mind having another ally since his power was extremely useful. However, if he was like the latter, he would need to hide from me to avoid my wrath for interfering with my family and my plans.
Taking a moment to review my plans, I noticed that the people I had invited to my new solar were approaching. I had summoned the key figures in the castle to begin planning for what lay ahead.
Mother and Sansa were present, as Sansa was being taught about politics and other complex matters. Since she had taken a liking to it and was becoming quite adept, I discussed with Mother the importance of helping her reach her full potential. The Maester and Ser Rodrik were invited for their expertise in politics and warfare, and Jon, who was tasked with overseeing the Wall in the future, was also present.
I had spoken with Jon, and while he wasn't thrilled about the idea, he understood that I needed him more here than with me, at least for a while. If I needed to move incognito for a few months, I couldn't take him with me, and I was capable of defending myself if necessary. I could fight with no holds barred if I was alone and without worrying about my companions.
Reflecting on this, I remembered the advantage I had gained from the royal visit. From the series, I recalled that the Red Priestess Melisandre mentioned the usefulness of royal blood in many ways. I used my insect-creation power to make several bedbugs with increased potency in their anesthetic and larger sizes to store more blood. After three weeks of my bedbugs working while the royals slept, I collected royal blood, excluding Myrcella and Tommen, whom I rather liked, from four flasks filled with blood from King Robert, two from the Queen, and six from Crown Prince Joffrey, whose blood was harvested more intensely after he shouted at Sansa when she rejected him.
I also asked Jon for a flask of his blood, which he gave me willingly, showing his trust in me. I tried ingesting the blood from each royal to see if they provided any special benefits. To my surprise, the blood did grant some advantages, though not all were effective.
When my insects absorbed King Robert's blood, I didn't feel any immediate change until a burning sensation in my head caused me to fall unconscious. Fortunately, I had prepared for this in my chambers before going to sleep. Upon waking, I found that all insects I had and would create in the future were sturdier and had increased overall physical strength. The Queen's blood was also useful, increasing my range by at least 30%. Joffrey's blood granted me the ability to issue simple commands to my insects that they would follow for some time even if I wasn't present. However, the blood from Jon was inert, which was puzzling since he was the main protagonist, at least for me. I wasn't sure why it didn't work, but I hoped to find out.
Maybe I needed more dragon blood to unlock benefits, or maybe Jon's blood was way too strong and my power couldn't digest it as fast as the other ones, I had no idea but I hoped that was the case. Since it was stronger, the benefits should be the same.
I stopped contemplating this as my visitors arrived. Once they were seated, I began the meeting.
"Why did you call us, dear?" Mother asked.
"To review all the information I gathered during the royal visit, Mother, and to brief the Maester and Ser Rodrik. It's time I stop hiding, at least from those in this room," I said seriously.
I had considered this for a long time, and with the onset of the canon events, it seemed the best moment to be transparent with my advisors. It would be foolish to hide my powers during the coming conflict. Thus, I began with my "inner circle."
"Are you finally going to tell us about your magic, Lord Stark?" asked the Maester knowingly.
Catelyn gasped, astonished at how he had deduced something we had tried to keep hidden for so long.
I simply laughed, appreciating the Maester's intelligence in piecing together the anomalies of the past years. Ser Rodrik remained silent but showed no surprise, clearly aware that something wasn't right, even if he didn't know the full extent.
"You both are too damn clever for your own good," I sighed good-naturedly, then with a smile, I summoned some of my insects to demonstrate.
After explaining my powers and answering questions from the two older men and a few from Sansa, who was genuinely disturbed by them, I moved to the main topic.
"As you can see, my insects have significant advantages due to my ability to manipulate them, making them useful for espionage and assassination. During the royal family's stay in Winterfell, I used them to gather information about events in the Seven Kingdoms," I explained seriously.
"And what did you learn, Lord Stark?" asked Ser Rodrik.
"Some things I wish I hadn't," I replied dramatically.
"Don't keep us waiting, dear. We must make use of everything you've learned," Mother urged, with Sansa nodding eagerly at the pile of parchment on the table.
"There is a war approaching from the South," I began, carefully outlining what I knew of the original timeline as if it were recent information. I discussed the Queen's infidelity, the perpetrators, and most of what I remembered about the South.
Father was already planning to investigate the Lannisters based on Lysa Arryn's letter. I made sure to inform everyone that she was behind Jon Arryn's death and that Petyr Baelish was the mastermind. Mother initially refused to believe it, but with each piece of information I provided, I managed to convince her, reminding her of how Lysa had been infatuated with Littlefinger while he was fostering in the Riverlands and all the ensuing drama.
After I finished, everyone was silent. I stood up to serve six cups of wine, hoping it would help them process the information and help my parched throat.
Mother stood up quickly, exclaiming, "Ned is in danger in the capital! Why did you let him go knowing this?" Her eyes were filled with concern.
"You know what Father would have done, Mother. Trust me, he will be fine and back in Winterfell in a few months," I reassured her, laughing. "I already had this conversation with Uncle Benjen."
"What will we do, Lord Stark?" asked Ser Rodrik.
"As you know, I ordered every lord with open territories to close their borders and begin training for conflict. Most of them don't know who the enemy is, but I have enough respect that they are complying without asking many questions," I explained.
"And what about Father?" asked Jon calmly, trusting that I wouldn't endanger him without a good reason.
"That's where all of you come into play," I smiled. "Mother and Sansa will manage Winterfell for the foreseeable future." I began explaining, but Sansa immediately raised her hand. I shook my head. "Listen first, little sister."
She blushed, then nodded and lowered her hand.
"Jon will head to the Wall for the task I've already explained. While on the way, I want you to take some time to check the progress of Froststorm, the town in the ex-Bolton territory, and give a letter to the person in charge to increase equipment production. We no longer need to hide. News travels slowly, and by the time the South hears of this, we'll already be in open war," I smiled at Jon, who returned it with a firm nod.
"After completing his tasks in Froststorm, Jon will visit the Umbers and the Karstarks and instruct them to begin the plan we discussed years ago," I continued. "They are already on my side and trust me implicitly, so we can be sure that part of the North will be ready for the call to arms."
"Jon knows the rest of his tasks, and I can't disclose some details for important reasons," I added seriously.
"Will he be in danger?" Sansa asked, trying to sound mature but failing.
Jon stood up, hugged her, and kissed her brow. "I'll be fine, Sansa. Trust in your brother," he smiled.
I smiled at them, pleased that their relationship was so positive due to her change in instructors. Mother watched the scene with a complicated expression, but it softened into a smile after a moment. She had difficult feelings about Jon, but she was working hard to improve her attitude.
"What about us?" Mother asked.
"You four," I pointed at the Maester, Ser Rodrik, and the two women in the room, "will stay in Winterfell and govern it in my stead. You have permission to act as you see fit. I've already prepared a list of dos and don'ts, and as long as you follow my instructions, I trust you to handle it."
"I know it will be challenging, but I believe you four are more than capable," I concluded with a smile.
"What about you, Robb?" asked Sansa, tilting her head cutely.
She treated Jon and me as dependable big brothers. Outside, she maintained an impassive demeanor, but with us, she acted and sought to be pampered.
Rubbing her hair playfully until she squawked in outrage, I revealed my plans. "I'll be going South. We need allies, and some obstacles need to be removed. Beyond that, I need to protect Father from the shadows. We all know his honor will endanger him sooner or later, and he is already investigating the Lannisters."
"He is in their seat of power, and they control more than Robert would admit," I continued. "I give it a few months for him to get into trouble, but by then, I'll already be there to extract him and our men from the capital."
Gradually, everyone began offering suggestions and ideas, leading to some adjustments in my plans. This made me realize that telling them the truth was the right choice. They knew Westeros better than I did—the movers and shakers responsible for keeping the kingdom running.
At the end of the meeting, I went with the Maester to explain some of my inventions that he would oversee in the future. There were many things I had been reluctant to reveal before, but with the looming threat of war, we needed every advantage we could get.
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