Chapter 20

Doran Martell POV, 291 AC Moon 06

Watching children play in the water garden was one of the few joys he had left these days. Their applause and joy gave him comfort. He remembered his childhood, everything was so simple. No burden or responsibility. But as they grew older, everything changed.

His ever-loyal guard who was brought here by his ex-wife came forward and said, "Everyone is assembled, My Lord." With a nod, Hotah started pushing him towards the hall.

When he entered the Hall he was greeted by his daughter Arianne followed by Oberyn's paramour Ellaria and their bastard daughters. Oberyn for his part raised his goblet towards him.

"You all have read the report of Robb Stark allegedly taking all 40,000 books back with him."

"It was deferred to exaggerated rumors, Brothers. Has something changed?" Ellaria interjected.

"Yes. It is now confirmed that indeed Robb Stark had made copies of all the books while at Citadel in little less than 3 years. Copies of books will be bought by Iron Bank for 5 million gold."

While he and Oberyn started at each other, the hall descended into pandemonium.

"There's more, Brother?" Oberyn's voice silenced everyone.

"Eddard Stark wrote to King Robert, requesting to rebuild Moat Cailin. And the second for the right to negotiate with Lord Commander of Night's Watch to gain back Queenscrown and Old Gift. Both requests were granted by Robert Baratheon even without consulting anyone."

He paused and took a breath to forget about the pain in his legs. "I will have your thoughts on the matter."

"Robb Stark is destroying the Citadel hold on books. Books can't be transcribed so fast, so he or some maester had developed a method to make books fast." Serella said after a few minutes of silence. As all the eyes turned toward her she shifted uncomfortably in her seat but powered through and continued.

"He is making his own Citadel but not only that he is enticing anyone with 5 million gold to spend to do so too. Iron Bank has set a price for knowledge."

Arianne interfered, "Lannister will jump on this opportunity and soon other cities in Essos will too." Serella nodded while their eyes shifted to Arianne.

'Steel sharpens Steel' He thought.

Arianne continued, "While not confirmed I think Robb Stark now has a new farming method that why the Gift, as it is the most fertile land in the North."

"And with Moat Cailin repaired and rebuilt they will be protected from the South. Fucking Starks always creating problems for others." Oberyn said.

Ned POV, 291AC Moon 06

Robb had left with his friend Howland Reed for a visit to Greywater Watch, from Howland he knew that Robb would be the first Stark to do so in well over 1000 years. At 11 namedays, Robb was a better Lord than he would ever hoped to be. He felt proud of his son.

To not affect his martial training he had taken Mullen with him. His son's martial training was also going well. The Lords of the North were not going to follow someone weak. When Robb insisted that Mullen become a Master-at-arms of Winterfell, he saw Mullen in the yard the next day. While everyone trains with their weapon of choice which in turn trains your body.

As he had learned and saw with Mullen that he was a Maester of Training your Bodies. He also learned that Robb had instructed Mullen to write a book that would have everything on training your body to a perfect condition.

The book, many calling it The Body Training Manual, would be written in two parts. Part One would focus on diets related to the needs of various people from a Gaunt person to a Stout person. Part Two would be on how to train and condition your body for maximum growth.

As Robb had asked Mullen to train his daughters as well, Mullen admitted to not having ever thought about how to train women. So he had just assigned a few drills to make them faster and agile. They had planned to talk to Maege Mormont about how to train women. Mullen was adamant about not printing his book until he could write one for the opposite gender as well. So now they would have The Men's & Women's Body Training Manuals.

He had seen the resulting difference in guards' training, Ser Rodrick was more than happy to train stronger guards for the protection of Winterfell. Mullen had been training Robb personally from his 8th nameday onwards, and his son at 11-namedays old was already surpassing the Crannogmen in height.

Robb was stronger, faster, more agile, and had more endurance than many guards. He was able to fight to a standstill with the guards losing to only veteran guards. He was capable of fighting equally with a longsword and a mace.

[House Stark's Ancestral Weapon -- Mace: Dusk]

While Robb has left Winterfell again he still has his projects going on. He had instructed Marwyn to create something called 'Standard of Measurements', which could be used throughout the North. There were other projects as well like analyzing the North and making it more defensible, the Black Oil seeps found in Umber and Karstark lands, and finding a way to travel in the snow among others.

He sighed thinking about the work Robb had saddled him with. He sighed a lot now. He just wanted to read his ancestor's journals while sitting in front of the hearth, was it too much to ask?

Howland POV, 291AC Moon 06

He had kept faith with the Starks. His family had kept faith with the Starks from before the Long Night. That kind of loyalty can only be found in 2 other families, the Mormonts and the Umbers.

During the Tourney of Harrenhall, a few squires attacked him from behind and started beating him up. Unable to defend himself it was Lady Lyanna Stark who saved him. Was outraged for him. She became The Knight of the Laughing Tree to punish those who attacked him.

But the year following the tourney, The Silver Prince kidnapped Lady Lyanna and The Mad King burned Lord Rickard and Lord Brandon, the North was prepared to rally behind the 12-namedays Benjen Stark as everyone believed that Eddard Stark would also be killed due to treachery in the South.

But Eddard arrived in Winterfell called the banners, and was the first Stark in over 100 years to lead an army down South. The Southron named it Robert's Rebellion but every Northmen knew it was a Stark torching the South like the Winter Kings of the old.

Eddard Stark was fostered in the Vale and had become a falcon in all but blood. They still followed him though. Ned hadn't awakened his Wolfblood, but War was still in his blood and the realm knew it. Everyone hoped that the North would become independent again but Ned wasn't an ambitious man, so the North had to remain in the Seven Kingdom.

Seeing Ned lose his family was heartbreaking. A second son fostered at Vale, he had become Lord of Winterfell but he and William Dustin knew that Ned would give it all back to have his family alive. Even after losing a father, brother, sister, nephew, lover (Ashara), and daughter, Lord Eddard Stark continued living because he had a duty to the North and as a father a duty to his newborn son.

At Riverrun, Lord Stark cried at night while holding his son Robb and everyone listened. When morning came Lord Stark was back to do his duty again, finalizing the trade agreement with the Tullys, and gathering the necessary provisions for the journey.

Thus eleven years passed by, six moons after the twin Stark girls were born Lord Benjen Stark went to the Wall but still the Stark family grew. Robb during the rebellion, three years after that the twins, Sansa and Arya, and three years after that Brandon, and now during Greyjoy's Folly Rickon Stark was born.

The nobles of the North knew that Robert Stark went to the Citadel to study. They were prepared to offer a fostering for him to teach him about the North as surely Eddard hadn't. When they returned after the war to Winterfell for the harvest feast, they weren't prepared. Prepared for Robert Stark.

The inventions of Winter's Knowledge Hall would change North for the better. And they didn't have to offer fostering, as Robb Stark had already thought of that and House Stark offered various houses to foster its children.

And for Robb Stark, he would tour the North, visit every Castle. The Northmen were pleased with the proposal. He would start his journey from the south of the North and would make his way to Wall.

A week after the harvest feast, they were ready to depart. Every other lord had already left save for the Reeds, the Umbers, and the Mormonts. They would leave a week late as they gave their inputs for a more defensible North.

He, Jorah, and Greatjon were talking when they saw Robb Stark come out of the Godswood, before that, he was in the Crypts. As Robb said his farewell to his family, he approached Ned and talked something about the seventh boon, Ned looked stonefaced for a few moments and gave Ice to Robb.

Robb fasted the sword on his back and moved toward his horse. When they saw him, taking out a mace from his belt and hanging it to his saddle. "This mace looked similar to the record I had seen. The ancient weapons of Starks, it was named Dusk or something. But it couldn't be that, right?" Jorah spoke.

"Robb, you are Ice with you, so you should also give a name to the mace you are carrying." Arya Stark spoke while standing beside her mother with a bow in her hand.

"It already has a name, dear sister. Its name is Dusk." Robb smiled and replied, then looked his way. "Lord Reed, I am ready. We should depart now."

As he came out of his stupor, he quickly said to his companion "Read your records. I will try to confirm if it is the real Dusk."

And so they left quickly.