Chapter 7: Lords of the North

You know bad thing about being one year old in a feast, you don't really get to enjoy it. My lack of teeth coupled with the fact my mother would never allow me to drink something makes this a boring affair.

I already observed all Lords nothing out of ordinary. Well except Lady Dustin as she didn't come using excuse of bring too sick to travel.

Like i expected she hates our guts. Which would've been fine,she has legit reasons, but i can't have an unruly vassal i have plans for Barrowlands.

But enough of Lady Dustin, my main concern is that almost all Lords expecting me to pick a Northern Bride.

My grandfather Rickard married a Stark cousin, my father married a dornish so it is only natural they expect me to marry inside the North. Especially a vassal daughter.

Problem is only logical candidate is Wynafryd Manderly at the moment but if i support a port in Weeping Water and with my stance against the Seven. Manderlys will be less then pleased with me.

They will try to influence me using their daughter or even force me to protect their monopoly on east coast which gives them a powerful control on Northern Trade.

Advantage would be i can control House Manderly when Wyman and his 2 sons have inevitable heart attack thanks to their obese nature.

House Manderly is even have influence over House Locke, Flints of Widow's Watch and House Woolfield.

My first idea was concerning of my mental health because idea was marrying Wynafryd then killing of his grandfather, father and uncle. This would look really bad if Lady Dustin also bites the dust and suddenly House Stark controls entire south of the North.

The other Northerns might just ally each other against me. Despite the fact i can exploit a civil war i also might lose a war if i am not careful. That would be catastrophic.

Even with my power i can control 1 dude every year. 1 dude that can during war fall of a horse, catch an arrow in an unpleasant way, poisoned and countless other things that can kill in a medieval world.

So killing them at least at once is dangerous. I can maybe get away with killing Wendel to secure Wylis line would inherit. Wyman might just drop dead even without my interference.

But question remains does dealing with House Manderly influencing me and possibly derail my plans on Weeping Water is worth their lands, wealth and influence.

Answer is clear. Yes it definetly is. Marriage alliances goes both ways. If they can influence me i can influence them back. I can attain almost absolute power in the North with a marriage like that.

Then again why should i be the one to marry when i can use my dear cousin. If i have Robb marry Manderly girl he can control Manderlys for me. If they accept that is.

There is a good chance they might turn down or simply see it as insulting. After all Robb is a son of second son who will inherit nothing but it is fine even if they reject it i won't lose anything. If they see it insulting and turn against me that might be even better.

I can wipe them out in the future civil war. It might be very risky but fortune favors the bold. I already decided i might need that civil war before annexing Iron Islands. I don't want to hear complains of my lords when i try to assimilate islands.

My mind made up i turned to Ned and started speaking in a child voice.

"Uncle can we go see the white tree?"

He immediately understood that i wanted to talk in private.

"Of course nephew, let's go." He holded my hand and we started walking out of feast but before we could leave we are stopped by GreatJon Umber and Rickard Karstark.

"Where are you going Ned and taking our young lord? Haha." Karstark Lord spoke with a laugh, clearly drunk.

"He likes to pray with me in Godswood for his father regularly." Ned answered with a clever answer. It is always good to earn pity and piety points. It would make success look more shiny. It suprising how diplomatic and politically smart Ned can be when he wants to. Jon Arryn really fucked up his mind with honor in canon.

"Is that so? Good, true Northern man he is already." Umber Lord says with a booming voice that hurts my toddler ears.

"Tell me lad. What do you think of Umbers. We have plenty of girls you can marry." Umber Lord asks turning his eyes on to me. Which is heard in the entire Hall and causes a silence. After all everyone here want me to marry a girl from their house. Umbers just being blunt about it.

Now i can't say no because it might cause Umbers to feel slighted, if i say yes Umbers would have political ammunition to force my regent, uncle Ned, for a betrothal to me. 1 year old or not i am still technically Lord Paramount and feudal lords aren't exactly dudes who would care about age.

I don't think Umber Lord even aware of how he cornered me. It wasn't his intention dude is just really drunk. There is only one thing i can do to get out of this situation.

I looked up to Umber Lord with a curious eyes of a toddler and asked a question.

"Are you a giant?" I asked innocently.

When entire hall filled with roars of laughter i knew i dodged that bullet. Even Lord Karstark and Lord Umber was laughing with tears in their eyes.

"Hahaha. Of course i am lad." He answered and left to tell others about how he has been declared as a giant by young Lord Stark.

We didn't waste time and slipped away before anyone else could stop us. In few minutes we reached Godswood.First i used minimap to make sure we are alone.

"Ned i want you to purpose a betrothal to Wyman Manderly between his granddaughter Wynafryd and your son Robb." I told him.

"They will reject it and possibly see it as an insult. They might think that i am planning on marrying my future daughter to you. Even if that wasn't the case they will reject it. I don't stand to inherit anything neither Robb." Ned questions.

"That is the plan. If they accept it, however might seem unlikely, we will have control over House Manderly. Their rejection is less important than them seeing this offer as an insult. House Manderly have a very powerful position, over economy of the North, and i want to break that monopoly. If they accept we will simply takeover them in future. If not this insult will encourage them to ally with faction against us. They will be wiped out once and for all in the civil war i am planning in the future. " I explain to him.

"What if instead of getting angry he inquires about your hand?" Ned asked.

"Then you will tell him about 'your plan' to betroth your daughter to me. In order to make Tully-Arryn-Stark alliance stronger." I said making him nod. Even if they wouldn't be insulted with offer. Ned directly saying this will at least displeased them greatly.

"Anything else my lord?" Ned asked.

"No you can take me to my room. I haven't completed steel production plans." I said.

He returned to me my room then he himself went back to Great Hall to play good host.

I started planning steel production.

I might not have enough funds for it right now but i will if i get a tax break, coin that i can use waiting in treasury for a raven from capital to decide it's fate. If i get my way i will have enough steel to arm thousands of men. They will become my tools to crush unruly vassals in civil war.

Currently a single best quality 1 kg steel ingot priced at least 20 gold dragons. That high because steel of this continent is barely qualify being called steel. So usually if you are not knight or noble you only get iron weapon and armor.

You might realize i used kilogram as a unit? How you might ask. It is simple actually i already said my compass can be limited intentionally to work in a certain radius. i simply used my compass, a bit of string and a needle to determine 10 cm. After which i marked a piece of wood and used that to carve a 10x10x10 cube that shaped like box. Which i then filled with water that i boiled few times to make sure it was pure as possible. Resulting 1000 cubic centimeter of bowl when you consider density of water would weigh about 1 kg.

Thanks to this now i have basic units of measurement close to the real world as possible. It is definetly off a bit, if i were to guess, but not enough to be a problem.

Now all i have to do is wait until Robert gives us our tax break. When that happens i will use additional coin to start building mines and steel production factory. I am calling it a factory but it is more like a warehouse filled with bunch of things to create and shape highest quality steel, excluding valyrian steel, this world has ever seen.

I then will sell that steel in Essos. I won't sell it in Westeros, not even in the North, because they will use it against me in the future most likely.

Besides free cities are crazy rich. Like even one of them has economy comparable to an entire westerosi kingdom, thanks to riches gathered during Valyrian Freehold, slave workforce and immense trade they have with far east.

I can trade with them when i have excess in steel production in future. Now i will sleep so in the morning i can learn answer of Manderlys and Ned expects reply to his request of tax break tomorrow morning.

Next morning was chaotic say the least. Apparently Manderlys rejected Ned purposal and as expected inquired about my future bride. They weren't happy with Ned's answer and they left Winterfell after spewing a bullshit excuse.

This wasn't chaotic part, the real chaos was that Caitlyn learned about this and was furious that Ned didn't inform him when he made a such move for Robb's future. Her screeching was heard in my room. Which is impressive when you consider Great Keep of Winterfell has very thick walls.

Thankfully other lords is in the Guest House of the Winterfell so they didn't hear the fight.

Catelyn was also furious because she wanted at least a Great House bride or even a princess for his son thanks to Ned's friendship with the King. Trouts are truly overreach their position.

This however didn't diminish my happiness because of the great knews we got from capital.

Robert Baratheon is in his infinite wisdom didn't just accept our request for a tax break. He thought 5 year was too short for our contribution in the war and gave us a 10 year tax break.

According to the letter he sent Ned he even tried to send few hundred thousand golden dragons but Jon Arryn stopped him saying it was unfair.

Suffice to say even though Jon Arryn intervened before he could give us more i am not complaining. I can start getting rich without worrying about losing a fifth to whoremonger.

When this tax break ends i will use another reason to have it extended. Robert and Jon will be under my control anyway so they won't object my request.

My first move was order Ned to start building mines to 5 gold mines he had marked. It will cost around 15.000 golden dragons to build all of it and and annual 1.000 gold to operate it but according to survey Ned ordered it will be more than enough to cover it's cost and make us richer. Not Lannister rich but still gold is gold.

My second move is to start building my first Steelworks factory, yes i am calling it a factory even if it is rather a large warehouse filled with weird tools, which will cost another 10.000 gold because i can't have nice things for cheap.

Still this year is already was very productive and i am just starting. When next year comes with new funds, without tax to pay, i will take first steps of my future army.

I also thought about start building new farms so that i can start sustaining entire North instead of just us but first i want to be sure how much my Blessed by the Old Gods perk works.

I also need to test my weirwood tree creation ability but i can't exactly do it in Winterfell, not yet powerful enough to fight off demon child accusations.

After Ned takes my drawing of tools and plans, for gold mine and steel factory, from me to implement i return to my books about warfare and organization. It will come in handy after all.

-----------End of Chapter------------

- I don't own ASOIAF/GOT or. anything related to it.