Robb, Jon and Theon

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the world appearing in this story, they are creations and property of the fantastic George R. R. Martin. I'm not sure if I can claim my OCs as my own, so I'll play it safe and dedicate them to GRRM.

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[Year - 293 AC]

Ned stood outside the castle as he embraced his old friend. Life had been good for him since he returned from the rebellion, good enough that time had gone by in an instant.

He felt a rush of emotions flood him as he smelled the bogs and moat on him, emotions from long ago. It had been so very long since he'd seen him; nearly a decade had passed since he left Howland at Greywater Watch and returned to Winterfell.

His return to Winterfell hadn't magically turned everything to be perfect from the beginning. Catelyn had justifiably been upset with him bringing Jon to the castle, however, his stubbornness had won over her persistence. He still kept the matter of the boy's mother a closely guarded secret. Learning of the woman would only serve to increase Catelyn's ire, and it might push Jon to seek her out. Thus, he had let the woman be a nameless, faceless, ghost from his past. He knew he would have to tell Jon at some point – the boy deserved to know his mother's name. He only hoped that the day would come later rather than sooner.

His wife had given him three more children after Robb and they were hoping to have more in future. While he'd not had any strong thoughts of her at the beginning, he'd come to love her over the years. He'd been a little worried that she would feel cheated with their children not inheriting the seat at Winterfell. Initially, she'd been much more occupied being upset with Jon to think of Harry. However, the fact seemed to have dawned on her later, and she'd gotten agitated at their children's fate. She would deny it of course, whenever he asked her, but he could tell. However, she changed over the years and grew to care for Harry as well. The change hadn't been gradual however, it was quite sudden. He wondered if there was a reason behind her change.

His children were wonderful, more than he could have hoped for, more than he deserved. Sansa was just like her mother, not just in her looks but in her nature as well, and was on path to becoming a proper lady. It was always chucklesome to watch Harry tease Sansa for wanting to be Lady Stark after her mother. On the other hand, Arya was turning out to be more and more like Lyanna by the day. Ned had a soft spot for Arya, she was the only one of his children that took after him, with the others favouring their Tully side. Other than Jon of course, but he'd always kept the boy at arm's length. Bran was still a boy but he was showing all the signs of taking after Robb in his mischievousness.

He was over thirty now, but the past ten years – after he'd lost most of his family – had been good to him. There were more of them now than ever before. If only Benjen had married to do his duty to the family.

Even the future looked good for them with Harry as their lord.

Growing up, the boy never caused him any problems. In a sense, he had raised himself. However, as a result, the boy had turned out to be a little distant and independent for Ned's liking. Harry was always roaming the castle or the town by his lonesome, doing something or the other. However, Ned left him alone as long as the boy kept happy. He just took solace in the fact that the boy wasn't completely alone and was at least close to his cousins.

Harry was also very diligent in his studies. In fact, the boy loved to study. He loved it so much that one could always find him at the library if they were looking for him. Luwin absolutely adored the boy. The maester had asked him years ago if sending Harry to the Citadel would be possible. He had rejected the idea immediately. If it were up to him, his family wouldn't have anything to do with the South for a long time. However, the boy had brought up the trip to the Citadel, again, a year ago, on his own, and Ned was rebuffed at every turn in his attempt to put an end to it.

Harry had also grown to wield the sword with dizzying skill. Ned himself had seen the boy's talent, he was certainly one of a kind. However, he was a little confused as to how Harry could be so strong – the boy's raw strength was unnatural. Harry was tall for his age, yes, but the boy had nearly as much strength as a man grown. Ned had felt the shake in his sword in one of his spars against the boy. Even Robert hadn't been that strong in his youth, and he was one of the strongest warriors Ned knew. Harry also liked to wield all sorts of weapons other than the sword – from spears to morningstars, he wielded everything.

Observing the determination driving Harry's actions, Ned occasionally found himself pondering what exactly the boy was striving so diligently towards.

Harry was almost uncannily focused on his thirst for knowledge and strength. It wasn't as if the boy was studious by nature. He would swear on the Old Gods and New that Harry could be just as mischievous as Robb. Even the other day, Catelyn was telling him about a prank involving powder or flour. Nonetheless, Ned had also heard Robb express frustration on multiple occasions when Harry declined to accommodate him, owing to his duties. Children that age usually weren't very dedicated to their duties. Especially young lords and heirs. Only the gods knew of all that Brandon had been up to in his childhood.

Thus it made him very happy to see the camaraderie the children shared despite their differences. Robb and Jon looked up to Harry almost as if he were their big brother, which was somewhat comical because Harry was the youngest. Theon was sort of an odd one out, being older than the others, but Harry was friendly with him as well. Their friendship could go a long way if they made it work like he and Robert.

Since the year before, Harry had started to attend the court before his lessons with the maester. The odd thing, however, was that he'd begun pulling Robb along to the court with him. It made Ned wonder whether Harry already had plans to give Robb a keep in the future. He'd never brought the topic up with him, but seeing how Harry adored his cousins, it could very well be possible.

Sometimes his thoughts turned towards his brother and lady Ashara when he gazed upon the boy. He couldn't talk for the lady, but his brother would have been so proud to have Harry for a son. The boy was so unlike his parents but so similar in other ways. He was a perfect mix of them. His features were a cacophony of little things borrowed from each of them, but his eyes... His eyes were the perfect reminder of a world that no longer remained – a mirror that showed people of a world that had held Brandon and Ashara.

And with such a perfect heir came the current situation. There was simply not a lot he could do at Winterfell anymore, so he had wanted to study at the Citadel. Ned himself had squired at the Vale and come out the better for it, thus he had no reasons to give for wanting Harry to stay at Winterfell. Even If something were to happen; then Robb, Bran or even Jon could stay on as the Stark in Winterfell.

When the trip had passed through his attempts of putting an end to it, he'd thought of assigning Jory to guard Harry, but Rodrik had advised that the lad wasn't responsible enough. He truly lamented not having sworn shields at that moment. And Winterfell had no knights.

So he'd turned to his old friend.

Howland had been the only one to return with him from the tower of Joy and Ned trusted him with his life – after all, he'd already done so once before and lived to tell the tale. They'd kept in contact through ravens over the years that followed but Howland had never visited Winterfell in person. But Ned had asked his friend for a favour, and now he had arrived.

"It's every bit what I imagined," Howland said, lifting his head to gaze at the castle.

"Every bit good, I hope," Ned inquired with a soft smile.

"Every bit good," replied Howland, facing him with a pleasant smile of his own.

"Father!"

Looking towards the holler, he saw Robb leading Harry like he'd asked him to.

"I've brought Harry with me," Robb said excitedly.

He nodded at his son as he shifted his attention to Harry. However, Harry started before he could even begin making the introduction.

"Lord Reed," he said, "Welcome to Winterfell. When my uncle had brought it up, I hadn't expected him to ask you," Harry said courteously with a smile.

The boy would surprise even Southerners with his manners.

"You recognise me!?" Howland asked, taken aback, although Ned wasn't very surprised. Harry knew all about the various houses and their lords. In fact, he was oft surprised with the quality of information Harry processed and had asked him for the whereabouts of where he'd gathered it. Harry always cited it to the merchants, smallfolk and song, but Ned had his doubts.

"Yes, Lord Reed. Uncle Ned has shared with me stories of the fateful tourney and he's described you in them. But of course, even without, your coat of arms and the bow on your back alone would have sufficed for me to identify you," Harry supplied, smiling.

"You were right Ned, he really is something. Seems like he doesn't have a hint of Stark in him," Howland said with the slightest mock in his tone.

Robb looked scandalised as Ned shook his head fondly.

"Come, let's head inside," he said.

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Harry had a good idea of the people his uncle kept in contact with, so it wasn't a huge surprise to see Howland Reed at Winterfell. As far as he knew, the man had never gotten the chance to see Winterfell. Even during the war of the five kings, he'd sent his kids to Winterfell while he himself had helped Robb with the war efforts.

"Why the Citadel, my lord? Wouldn't it be better to foster?" Lord Reed asked.

After welcoming Lord Reed's party, they'd moved inside the castle to a room more suitable for entertaining.

"I've read nearly all the books Winterfell has to offer, Lord Reed, and I thirst for more," Harry said wryly. "Winterfell is awfully limited in books written outside of Westeros. And what better place to visit than the Citadel for books? I also wanted to see if I could earn a few links. However, that's not all I want – I want to visit other keeps and castles and learn from them as well."

"Please, my lord, call me Howland. You'll be my liege one day," Lord Reed said.

"If you say so, Howland," Harry said with a smile.

Howland nodded in confirmation. "I do. Are there any places in particular that you'd want to visit? We'll have to plan for food, supplies and such accordingly," he asked.

"Yes, I wanted to start with Moat Cailin then move on to Greywater Watch, The Twins, Riverrun," Harry said, shifting into a thoughtful position and continuing. "Also if possible I wanted to visit Casterly Rock and Lannisport before moving on to Highgarden and then finally Oldtown."

"Casterly Rock would be a bit out of the way – however, it would be safer to move into Lannister land from Riverrun, rather than moving through the crownlands. It should increase the journey by about twenty days," said Howland.

"We can sacrifice some time if it results in safety… If it's alright with you then let's proceed with this, Howland," Harry said.

"It's quite alright, my lord. I've prepared the castle for at least a year of my absence. I should be back home in nine months if all proceeds properly," Howland answered.

"Good," Harry said. He pushed back his chair gracefully, vacating it and then moved to the door. "Let's leave in four to five days. I should've taken care of my affairs and finished reading any leftover books by then. I hope that's enough time for taking care of the supplies."

"I'll take care of it," Uncle Ned interjected.

"If that's all, then I'll leave you to reminisce," said Harry, closing the door.

He hadn't taken three steps away when he was assaulted by a mass of red-brown hair thrust into his face.

"What did you talk about?" asked Robb in open curiosity.

Harry, unspeaking, started towards his room as the others followed. It was somewhat of a tradition for their motley group to assemble in Harry's room as they discussed the various topics that plagued their minds.

"We made some plans for the journey," Harry revealed, not being able to deny Robb's curious energy assaulting him from behind. "What supplies to take, which places to visit, how long will the journey be and such."

"When are you leaving?" Theon asked bluntly.

"In four to five days from today. Uncle Ned will need some time to prepare the supplies," Harry replied.

"I wish I could join as well…" Robb said longingly. "I haven't even been to Riverrun yet… you'll pass through, won't you?"

"Yes, that and many others," he replied. Turning to Robb, his face took on a mocking smirk. "You only have to read all the books at the library to convince Uncle Ned. What do you say, will you join me next year?"

"Rodrik told me to work on my strike. I'll be too busy to finish reading the books, I suppose," Robb said as they reached the room.

"Jon promised me that he'd study more often and join me at the Citadel," Harry said blankly, moving through his usual motion of covering the bed with a fur blanket before taking seat.

Robb turned to Jon, shocked beyond measure, while Theon had already caught on.

"No, I did not!" Jon protested. "He's lying!"

Harry laughed as Robb plopped down on the bed with a scowl.

"This bed is so much more comfortable than the ones small folk use," Jon said, taking a seat. "I don't understand why you hate it."

"I'll get a better bed one day. You'll see what you're missing then," Harry replied in a snotty tone.

"Who cares about a bed? What'll you do if you face bandits?" Theon asked eagerly, interrupting the conversation.

Harry pursed his lips as he thought it over. He already knew what he wanted to do, it was only a matter of whether he'd be allowed.

"Fight, of course, I'll have to do it someday," he replied. "That's one of my aims for the trip. To gain more experience."

"Is it necessary? Surely the guards would take care of any bandits," Jon said, worried that it could be dangerous.

"They would, but I'm going to ask Lord Reed to let me fight. You know how good I am, even Uncle Ned said I'd defeat him in a year or two. I have to test my mettle," he replied with some confidence.

"Harry is strong, he'll be fine," Robb said quickly, getting bored with the conversation.

"Yes, I'll be fine," he said, nodding. "Nevertheless, it is fortunate that we have all gathered here. I have some instructions for the three of you during my absence."

"What is it?" Robb asked disinterestedly.

"Not as your brother but as your future lord."

That sobered the lot of them. At their young age, they still didn't have the sense of individuality that came with age. As a result, values such as honour and duty – from the stories of knights and kings they'd heard growing up – formed the core of their mindsets. Robb's gaze turned serious immediately following his declaration, while Jon looked alarmed. Theon had an indescribable expression.

"Whatever we discuss within the confines of this room is for our ears only. No one, including Uncle Ned, should be made aware of our conversation. Is that perfectly clear?" Harry inquired, his voice stern.

"What is it?" Robb asked again, however, his tone was much more to Harry's liking this time around.

"No, I want all three of you to explicitly state your understanding. The subjects we are about to discuss are capable of changing the course of the entirety of the North," Harry emphasised, attempting to convey the gravity of the situation.

"Yes," "I understand," "Understood," each of them responded in turn, affirming their acceptance.

"I'll begin with Theon," Harry stated. "Theon, you are well aware that I regard you as my brother in all but blood."

Theon nodded at the younger boy in confusion, wondering what this was about.

"So, you understand that I have your best interests at heart. It's important for you to realise that I don't want you to remain trapped here as a hostage for the rest of your life," Harry expressed gently, causing Theon to grimace in response.

"No, Theon," Harry said a little forcefully. "Whatever happened in the rebellion wasn't your fault – It was your father's for putting you, a child, in that position."

Theon nodded uncomfortably.

"I have some bad news for you. Your father has been raising your sister to be his heir for some time now," Harry informed grimly. "You might not get a warm welcome if you ever go back to the Iron Islands. Your sister would try everything, and I stress upon everything, to try and get rid of you to maintain her position."

Theon's reaction, filled with profound sadness, caught Harry off guard. At four and ten, Theon wasn't the cocky and self-assured youth he would become, but he still didn't have one of the calmest of heads. Harry had anticipated anger, but instead, all he got was despair.

"However," Harry started, trying to reassure the boy. "You needn't worry too much. You will always have my backing – and the North's – when the time comes."

"Y– you would do that for me?" Theon stammered, his voice filled with surprise and uncertainty.

"Of course," Harry replied. "However, until that time comes, I need you to remain loyal to the North. Do not attempt to go to the Iron Islands without my explicit permission. Even if I am unable to secure you the seat at Pyke, I assure you that you will have a keep in the North. You will not be treated as a servant."

"T– thank you, Harry," Theon said.

"I need you to repeat it. What did I ask of you?" Harry asked sternly.

"Never go to the I– iron Islands and stay loyal to the S– Starks," Theon affirmed, shaken by the firmness in Harry's tone.

"Good," Harry replied, smiling, as he placed his hand softly on Theon's back.

"Now Jon," Harry said, turning towards the boy watching him with wide eyes. He chuckled as he gazed at the expression on Jon's face.

"I have absolute certainty that you'll always be loyal to me and the family," Harry said firmly, Jon looked relieved and just a little bit proud at the faith. "You are my blood, Jon, and I am determined to ensure that you won't remain a bastard forever,"

"N– no!" Jon exclaimed in fear and disbelief more than anything. It was all he'd ever wanted, to be rid of the title that came with being a bastard, however, he'd always known it would only ever be a fever dream. And he'd never voiced it in fear of being overheard.

"Yes, Jon," Harry continued over his protests. "Although I'm afraid I will never be able to legitimise you as a Stark, that would cause a rift too big in the family."

"Then how?" Jon asked, deflating a little.

"As a cadet – just like the Greystarks and Karstarks," Harry announced.

Jon's eyes welled up with tears. "But I haven't done anything! Karlon Stark put down a rebel lord for the honour,"

"You haven't done anything yet," Harry said, lightly slapping the boy on his head. "I have plans, Jon, plans that I'll need your help with in the future. Won't you help me with them?"

"I will, I will do anything," He said fiercely.

"That's not all... During my time in the South, I will also try to find your mother," Harry revealed, his words delivered slowly and deliberately.

The chair fell to the floor as Jon stood up in shock. "H– how?"

"I have ideas of where she could be. My guess at the moment is Starfall, I'll start my search from there,"

"Thank you, Harry. I'll pledge my life for that," Jon said with conviction.

"I don't want your life, Jon. I just want you to be happy," Harry smiled at him.

Jon wiped his tears, sputtering something incomprehensible.

"Finally," Harry said, turning to Robb, who sat straighter at his attention. "We've reached Robb."

Robb looked both excited and afraid at what he could be told to do.

"So… Lord Robb Stark, are you curious as to what I have in store for you?" Harry asked with a chuckle. Robb nodded almost comically.

"I've to repeat – I've clearly told you, none of this is to get out of the confines of this room," Harry reiterated to drive in the seriousness. "But what I'm about to tell you could start a war if it gets out."

"A w– war?" Robb asked, clearly not having expected such high stakes. Harry himself was exaggerating a little, but the possibility of backstabbing really couldn't be discounted with this particular information.

"I've found gold ore north of the abandoned Holdfast, a little below where the White Knife branches out," Harry revealed, "The veins of ore might be as enriched as the mines at Casterly Rock – when they were first discovered."

"By the gods! That's truly fortunate, Harry. Why are you worried?" Robb said with obvious excitement.

"Yes, it's fortunate – for us that is. How will the lords in the South feel when the poor North suddenly finds riches beyond measure," Harry said sarcastically.

"They will not be happy," Theon interjected, surprisingly beating Robb.

"Yes. Do you understand how serious this is?" Harry asked. Although he himself was more worried about the backstabbers within North rather than outside.

"I do," Robb said in a serious tone, nodding along.

"There are two things that we'll have to do," Harry said, "Strengthen North and keep the mines a secret for as long as possible."

He continued in a weighty tone. "I'll be informing Uncle Ned of the gold before I leave – with two instructions to follow. First is to start recruiting Knights and shore up the number of soldiers. And then the second is to weed out spies," he said, "and I already know who the spies are."

"You do?" Jon asked, flabbergasted.

"You know how Harry is when it comes to information," Robb remarked in a matter-of-fact tone, displaying no surprise whatsoever. "He always seems to be in the know about everything."

"Yes. It's the orphans on the streets and the whores in the brothels," Harry said. He continued with a smirk noticing the expression on Theon's face. "Don't worry, it's not all of them. I have a list and I'll be giving it to Uncle Ned. You three will have to help in paying them off."

"You don't want to put them down?" Robb inquired.

"No, the masters only need know of the spy's demise to realise of their unmasking – we do not want that. It's better to keep them sated by feeding them trivial knowledge," he said chidingly. "It'll only be for a while. Once our defences are shored and our ranks increased, we won't have to hide behind anything."

"I'll do what is needed. I'll put my life on the line," Robb said solemnly with a look not suited for his young visage.

"I will as well," Jon voiced out.

"Today, I pledged my loyalty to House Stark, and I will continue to do so," Theon affirmed with utmost seriousness.

"I know you will, and it brings me great joy," Harry responded happily. He had delved into their thoughts and seen that the boys were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for the North.

"I have one last thing for you Robb," he said, vacating the bed to make his way to the library. There were still books to read after all. "I'm going to rebuild Moat Cailin and make you its lord."

Robb looked ecstatic at the revelation of getting a castle but not so much with it being the moat.

"Don't look so disappointed," Harry said with a grin. "Ask the maester or your father about it, the castle is the best defensible in all of North."

The news about the castle's defensive capabilities didn't seem to appeal too much to Robb. Harry had higher plans for Robb in truth, but the boy was still too young to make them known to him.

"I expect to see you three at court from tomorrow," Harry said walking to the door. "I've promised to make you landed lords, and I expect you to conduct yourselves as such."

"I won't let you down, Harry," Robb said with certainty. "I'll make sure to assist Father with what is to come."

"I expect all three of you to do so."

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Author's Note: A somewhat packed chapter compared to the rest. What are your thoughts on the happenings? If you've read the previous version of this chapter, let me know your thoughts on the changes. Cheers.

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