The path of traitors

In case anyone is interested, I decided to write a story to distract me from the research I do for some chapters of this fanfic, it's called Industrial Baron in Caesar's Legion, it's more violent because there is no need to keep up appearances.

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-Pov of Eddard Stark eighth moon 288 AC

My decision to keep the North neutral while the kingdom bled in a religious war against the Prussians led Robert to send me letters, clearly disappointed that we wouldn't be shedding blood together on the battlefield again. Jon also sent letters, asking me what had happened and why I was neglecting my duty.

What I dreaded most, however, was my wife's fury regarding my refusal to help her father, as his lands were being set ablaze by the advancing Prussian forces. But I couldn't risk the North's stability in a war that wasn't ours, especially when one of the warring sides had significant control over our economy and was highly regarded by the common folk who worked for them. It was too big a risk, one I couldn't afford to take.

Fortunately, the situation seemed to resolve itself, as the Ironborn decided to rebel, proclaiming a new king on the Iron Islands and attacking all the southern lords who had been at each other's throats.

This forced the two factions at war to sign a peace treaty and unite against the common threat: the Ironborn, who were raiding all along the southern coasts, taking advantage of the fact that most men were away fighting. With their castles poorly defended, the Ironborn made quick gains.

Soon, the crown called upon the North, demanding we march south to deal with the Ironborn before they became an even bigger threat. Not many days passed before the orders arrived, urging us to act swiftly and support the southern lords, who had already lost dozens of castles to the Ironborn's surprise raids. Their strongholds were no match for the relentless seaborne attacks.

This time, there was no question about my duty or responsibility. I summoned all my lords and banners to Winterfell, preparing to march south and support the war effort. The Ironborn had been a thorn in the North's side for years with their constant raids on our coastal villages. No lord of the North would refuse this call.

The Prussian Company even sent nearly eight thousand men to join our forces. They were incredibly well-equipped, and in the meantime, they would secure the roads and protect the western coastal areas until we returned victorious from the war to punish the Ironborn.

"We've gathered a great host from the local villages, my lord, but I'm afraid there's not enough equipment. We can only arm most of them with spears and shields. The blacksmiths are overwhelmed with orders for spearheads and lack the capacity to forge axes or swords," Rodrik Cassel informed me about the state of our recruitment.

"What about the company forges? Can't we commission them to make our weapons?" I asked.

"The Prussians are preoccupied with their own production, outfitting their men for the march south. We can't rely on them until they finish producing armor for their soldiers," Rodrik responded.

"My lord, I don't think it's necessary to march south with such a large force. The war will mostly be fought at sea. By the time we arrive, the southern lords may have already driven the pirates from their castles, and all the fighting will likely be naval. We should try to get the Manderly fleet to join forces with the company's navy to support the crown," Martyn Cassel suggested.

"My brother speaks true, my lord. Many southern fleets were destroyed. The Lannister fleet burned when Balon Greyjoy rebelled, and the royal fleet suffered heavy losses when it fought the Prussians, who were equally damaged. It would be wiser to send a smaller but well-armed force with swords and armor to assist in the sieges," Rodrik added, nodding in agreement.

I sat in the great hall of Winterfell, watching the fire crackle in the hearth as I mulled over the Cassel brothers' advice. They were right about the naval aspect of the war, but I also knew the limitations of our fleet. The Manderlys were powerful, but their fleet was primarily suited for fighting the pirates of Tyrosh, and their numbers were far smaller compared to the Ironborn.

"It will be difficult to get the Manderlys to cooperate with the Prussians, but we must attempt to support them at sea. If we don't, we'll be dealing with constant naval attacks from the Ironborn now that they're openly rebelling and determined to revive their old ways. Send a letter to the Manderlys, asking them to prepare as many ships as they can to join the Prussian fleet," I instructed the Cassel brothers.

Martyn left the great hall to inform the maester and have the letter sent.

"What about the soldiers, my lord? What's the plan for them?" Rodrik asked.

"It would be prudent to take a smaller force south and continue securing our coasts. Eight thousand men from the local area, plus my lords, should give us around twenty-two thousand. With the company's forces, we'll have close to thirty thousand, a decent number to march south," I said.

"I'll notify the recruiters to reduce the number of men being brought to Winterfell," Rodrik replied as he exited the hall.

"Well, time to deal with those merchant complaints," I muttered to myself, now alone in the great hall.

Days passed, and Winterfell became a hive of activity, filled with soldiers and military supplies as we prepared to march south. Word had arrived that the Prussian fleet in the Reach remained intact and was ready to battle the Ironborn for control of the seas. Our decision to involve the Manderly fleet had already proven wise, as we had captured several smaller Ironborn raiding parties that strayed too far from the main fleet attacking my father-in-law's lands.

As we had planned, the North gathered nearly twenty-seven thousand men from all my lords and the local population. We were preparing for the journey south when letters began arriving, informing me of strange sightings at the Neck in recent days.

It seemed that Lord Hohenzollern had decided to exact mass punishment on those who betrayed him during his brief struggle against the crown. For the crimes of treason, murder, and rape, thousands of people who once lived in his northernmost lands were being marched to the Wall. Men, women, and children all sentenced to either serve the Night's Watch or inhabit the lands that were supposed to sustain it. The problem was the sheer number; the Night's Watch wouldn't be able to feed so many mouths overnight.

With a group of my men, we mounted horses and rode south to see the extent of the situation for ourselves. A letter couldn't fully convey what was happening at the Neck.

For a couple of days, we traveled south without much trouble, and soon we encountered the massive column of people crossing the causeway into the North.

"Ned, thank the old gods you're here. We've got a terrible situation on our hands," said Howland as he came to meet me on horseback, clearly agitated.

"What's going on? I have a general idea, but I wanted to see it for myself before making a decision," I replied, noticing how he kept glancing nervously at the bridge.

"Ned... the Prussians have lost their minds. It's one thing to send someone to the Wall, where the Night's Watch can retrieve them and give them what they need to survive, but here we've got entire families in torn rags, with bloody feet and scraps of what once were shoes. The Prussians didn't send them to serve at the Wall; they sent them here to die in the North. They won't survive the first snowfall," Howland said anxiously.

"Have you managed to speak with any Prussians? They're not usually known for mistreating their prisoners. We've both seen how the prisoners in the hands of the Company live; they're treated better than most common folk because of the care they receive," I said, surprised.

"Yes, but they don't seem to care here. Even when a father cries because his child stops breathing, they keep beating them to march on, not allowing them to rest. From what I've seen, they're given only rock-hard bread and a bit of water. The Prussians don't want them to reach the Wall alive," Howland replied grimly.

My stomach twisted. I knew traitors needed to be punished severely to prevent further acts of betrayal, but the Prussians were going too far with their cruelty.

Howland and I made our way to the head of the group, where we saw the familiar face of Lord Erich, who was also watching the scene unfold from his horse.

"Lord Stark, Lord Reed,I'm sorry you have to witness this... I'll make sure the traitors march faster so their stay in the North is as short as possible."he greeted us with disdain in his voice, observing the long line of prisoners approaching.

"Lord Erich, may I ask why these people, meant for the Night's Watch, are being treated so horribly?" I asked the Prussian lord.

"We're offering them more than the Night's Watch could ever provide. The Lord Commander sent only about a hundred... maybe two hundred coats for thousands of people, and barely sent any food. We're ensuring that... Verräter," he spat the word as he turned to one of the prisoners, spitting in his face.

The hatred on Lord Erich's face was undeniable.

The scene before me was a mix of horror and despair. The prisoners, malnourished and exhausted, were being relentlessly driven north, their clothes in tatters and their bare feet bloodied. Howland Reed and I approached the group of prisoners.

"Lord Erich," I said, refocusing on the Prussian lord. "I understand the need for severity due to matters of state, but this is inhumane. This isn't just about punishment. These people are being sent to certain death in the North," I said, my tone more severe.

Lord Erich frowned, his face hardened with indifference. "These prisoners were traitors, Lord Stark. They have no right to mercy. They betrayed the kindness of my king, killed their neighbors, burned our churches—THAT SCUM DOESN'T DESERVE PITY. THEY MUST BE TREATED LIKE THE ANIMALS THEY ARE, WITHOUT ANY RIGHTS," Lord Erich spat in fury.

I was momentarily speechless, stunned by his reaction.

"Lord Erich, surely you won't mind if we take over from here. We can speed things up to ensure they reach the Wall sooner," I said, my face stern.

"I have orders to ensure that these... things... reach the Wall, dead or alive. But if you, Lord Stark, want to take responsibility for these... things, be my guest. I don't want to waste more time on this scum," Lord Erich replied with obvious disdain.

"Very well, Lord Erich. House Stark will take control of the prisoners meant for the Night's Watch," I responded.

"Ned, what are you doing? There are too many of them. We'll burn through our war resources trying to help them reach the North. And we'll need to leave thousands of men to guard them, making sure they don't desert when we reach Castle Black," Howland said, clearly distressed.

"We'll do what we can to help them reach the Wall alive... because the Prussians certainly don't want them to survive. We have the resources to assist them... The Wall's defense is vital, and the North will support the Night's Watch to defend us from whatever lies beyond," I said, feeling the weight of responsibility as I looked at the massive group of chained people.

"Very well. I'll gather my men to see what we can do," Howland replied, riding south.

The Prussians handed over control of nearly a hundred thousand prisoners expelled from the Reach. They had nothing—no clothes, no shoes, no food or water. The Prussians provided only the bare minimum to keep them walking, for they had committed the greatest taboo in Prussian society: treason. They had no sympathy from any Prussian, only their hatred.

Finding food and clothing for the people was a challenge. Many were already in the cold North without proper attire, with frostbitten limbs. Others collapsed from exhaustion or died along the way, while some had infected feet, some entirely gangrenous.

Even the Prussian priests offered no help. In their society, treason guaranteed the worst place in Prussian hell, and not even their priests wanted to aid them. Every time we passed through a village where Prussians lived, the same scene occurred: they would come out to spit on the prisoners or throw stones at them for being traitors.

Hundreds died each day—whether from exhaustion, freezing to death, or from untreated wounds. My men fought hard to prevent more deaths, but it was a losing battle.

As the days passed, word of the prisoners' terrible conditions spread, and many northern lords began sending support, which helped save many lives. After two weeks of traveling, we managed to get the prisoners to the Wall by cart, where the Night's Watch could finally receive them.

The Night's Watch hadn't done much to help because all of its members were busy repairing the abandoned castles due to the lack of manpower. They were expecting a flood of recruits and had focused on preparing accommodations, unaware that nearly all of them would have died on the journey under Prussian supervision.

Or at least, their bodies would have arrived,because the Prussians always fulfill their orders.

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Give me your power stones

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Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.

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I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.

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