The Ice Dragon pt.2

Maekar made his way to his uncle's solar; he spent most of his time in the workshop these days, as his best friend and cousin had left with Uncle Ned when the castle at Starkport was completed. He missed Robb; they used to get up to all sorts of trouble.

Uncle Brandon had his own children, but Cregan and Saara were just kids, and Sansa and him did not have much in common.

He stepped into his uncle's solar, the door creaking softly behind him as the guard closed it. He was immediately greeted by the sight of Brandon Stark, his uncle, lounging comfortably in his chair with a relaxed smile, his eyes fixed on the elaborately carved wooden beams of the ceiling. At the sound of him entering, Brandon's head tilted downwards, his gaze shifting to his nephew.

"Maekar! Right on time," he bellowed.

"Uncle," he replied, giving a respectful nod as he took a seat in one of the plush chairs opposite Brandon.

Brandon stood, moving to pour himself a drink. The rich red liquid glinted in the light as it sloshed into the cup. "Care for one?" he asked, holding up the bottle as an offer.

He shook his head gently. "No, thank you," he replied, his mind already on the matters they needed to discuss.

Returning to his seat, Brandon took a sip of his wine before diving straight into business. "The Valyrian roads between Winterfell, Meakarton, and the King's Road are all nearly complete," he announced with a note of satisfaction in his voice.

Ah, the 'Valyrian roads' they were just Roman roads that he had rebranded and introduced to his uncle and Luwin.

"That's great. The merchants will be pleased," Maekar responded, thinking about how these roads would improve trade and travel, bolstering the economy and the daily lives of the North's inhabitants.

"Ah, fuck them. Always complaining," Brandon muttered, taking another sip of his wine. His tone, though gruff, carried a hint of humor. It was no secret that Brandon found the constant grievances of merchants a tiresome aspect of his duties, but he understood their importance to the North's prosperity.

Maekar smiled slightly, accustomed to his uncle's candid outbursts. "They might complain, Uncle, but their carts will roll smoother and their goods will move faster on these roads. It's a boon for all, even if they don't always acknowledge it."

Brandon chuckled, setting his cup down. "True enough. And what is this secret project I keep hearing about?" he asked.

"I plan to show it to you after supper," he replied.

"Oh, finished, have you? Well, let's see it then," Brandon said, standing up.

"After supper, Uncle," he said, stopping Brandon.

"Fine," the Lord of Winterfell replied.

"But that is not what I called you here today. It's about the roads, nephew. I don't like that it's called Valyrian roads; we should change it. It doesn't suit the North."

'Ha, I knew this was coming,' Maekar thought to himself, barely suppressing a laugh.

"Any ideas, Uncle?" he asked.

Brandon stayed silent for a while before announcing, "Stark Roads."

'Of course, he would want to name it that. Surprised he didn't name it Wolf Road or something,' he thought.

"So, what do you think? Great name, yes?" Brandon said.

"You are the Lord of Winterfell, Uncle. You can do as you please," Maekar responded, managing to keep his amusement in check.

"Yes, Stark Roads it is," Brandon confirmed, settling the matter with a decisive air.

"Can we go then?" Maekar asked.

"Yes, but one more thing," Brandon said, his demeanor quickly shifting to a more serious tone.

"The girl you've been with has to go. Cat has been complaining," he said sternly.

Maekar's mind raced. Was he talking about Ros?

"Ros, are you talking about Ros?" he clarified.

"Yes," Brandon confirmed bluntly.

"What? No," Maekar protested.

"She is a whore, nephew. If you like her so much, then bring her in the cover of night. She can't stay here," Brandon advised, his tone brooking no argument.

"Uncle, she's a valuable helper," Maekar tried to defend Ros.

"Yes, for your cock," Brandon retorted sharply, cutting through his defense.

He remained silent for a moment, then smiled. "Here's the thing, Uncle, you get to let me keep Ros around."

"Maekar, I told you..." Brandon began to say.

"I'm not done yet," he said, interrupting his uncle.

"I get to keep Ros around, and I won't tell Aunt Cat that you were with that Mary again," he bargained, revealing his knowledge of his uncle's own indiscretions.

Brandon was visibly shocked. "How do you know that?" he demanded, his expression a mix of surprise and irritation.

"I know, Uncle," Maekar replied simply, his smile saying more than words could.

Brandon cursed under his breath, clearly cornered by his nephew. "Fine, you can keep her here," he conceded reluctantly, knowing he was outplayed.

"Well, since that is out of the way, let's have supper and then go to the workshop," he said before walking out of the room.

Brandon watched his nephew leave with a smile, thinking of ways to get his wife to accept the girl's presence here.

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They made their way to the chamber the family used for private dinners. The family was already gathered there. Sansa's face lit up as she saw them, Cregan looked up with a respectful nod, and Catelyn, holding little Sara in her arms, offered a warm but somewhat reserved smile.

"Father, Maekar!" Sansa exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. Maekar grinned at her enthusiasm.

"Sansa, the silk you wanted will arrive tomorrow," he announced, knowing how much she was looking forward to the new materials for her sewing projects.

Sansa clapped her hands in delight. "Oh, thank you, Maekar! That is wonderful news!"

Turning to Cregan, he adopted a teasing tone. "And how did your training go today? Think you can beat me now?" he asked playfully.

Cregan, ever serious, nodded firmly. "Yes, I will be the best in the whole of the Seven Kingdoms," he declared with youthful confidence.

Catelyn, overhearing their conversation, interjected with a pointed look at Maekar. "And where were you this morning, Maekar?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of accusation.

Maekar met her gaze squarely, deciding honesty was the best approach. "I was up all night, so I slept in," he confessed openly.

Catelyn's expression tightened slightly as she muttered under her breath, "Probably with that whore."

As they began to eat, the tension at the table was palpable. 'Looks like Aunt Cat and Uncle have not made up,' he thought. No wonder she has been in a bad mood and targeted Ros; usually, she wasn't this strict and was always nice to him.

After a few moments, Catelyn turned to Brandon. "Did you have that talk you were supposed to?" she pressed, her eyes searching.

He exchanged a quick glance with his uncle, a silent reminder of the agreement they had just struck. Brandon cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully. "We can talk about that later, Cat," he said calmly.

Catelyn, not easily dissuaded, pressed on. "But—"

"Later, Cat," Brandon repeated, his voice firmer this time, signaling an end to the discussion.

"And where were you all afternoon, my lord?" she asked.

Brandon looked like he was searching for an answer.

"He was with me, Aunt Cat," he replied quickly, saving the poor man.

"Oh, was he?" she turned to him with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, yes he was," he answered.

He saw his uncle sending him a silent thank you. He was pretty sure there wouldn't be any complaints about Ros from now on.

As supper concluded and the family began to disperse, Brandon leaned in towards Maekar. "Let's head to the workshop now," he suggested quietly.

Maekar nodded, relieved to leave the chamber. He hoped that his uncle and aunt would make up quickly; it was getting awkward to be around them.

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They arrived at the workshop to see Luwin waiting. Maekar could also see Ros busily dusting off one of the machines. As she caught sight of them, she quickly excused herself and left the room.

"I can see why you keep her around," Brandon said, hitting his nephew in the stomach playfully.

He brushed off his uncle's juvenile comment and led him into the room.

"These are what we have been working on," Maekar began, gesturing towards the two prominent machines in the center of the room. Brandon approached, his interest evident as he examined each device with a critical eye.

"Uncle, remember how years ago you increased the wool production in the North to make more coin?" he asked. Brandon nodded, prompting Maekar to continue. "What if we could do more with the wool other than just sell it outright?"

Brandon's curiosity was piqued. "Go on," he urged.

He walked over to the first machine, a robust, intricate device with wheels and gears.

"This is the spinning mule," he introduced, patting the sturdy frame of the machine. "It's designed to transform wool into yarn much more efficiently than traditional spinning methods. It can draw out the wool fibers and twist them into yarn in one continuous process. This not only speeds up production but also produces stronger woolen yarn."

Brandon watched intently, visibly impressed by the demonstration.

He then led his uncle over to the second prominent machine in the workshop, its structure more complex and imposing than the first. "This," he said with a note of pride, "is the Power Loom."

"The Power Loom automates the weaving process, converting the woolen yarn we produce with the Spinning Mule into cloth. It's much faster than traditional hand weaving and requires fewer people to operate, which drastically cuts down on labor costs and time."

"As long as we have a steady supply of yarn, this machine can mass produce cloth. It's not just limited to wool; we can change some parts, and it can also make other types of cloth. For instance, if we start growing flax, we could use these looms to make linen. We can sell linen to the Free Cities, especially those with hot climates."

Brandon watched the Power Loom at work, its rhythmic, mechanical weaving almost hypnotic. He laughed, a sound of genuine delight and admiration, and then enveloped Maekar in a hearty hug. "You have done well, my boy," he exclaimed, his voice filled with warmth and pride.

Turning to Luwin, Brandon extended the same affectionate gesture. "And you, Maester, your guidance has been invaluable," he said.

Luwin, however, humbly redirected the praise back to Maekar. "It was all Maekar," he insisted, a gentle smile on his face. "I simply assisted him."

"Uncle, I would like to go to Maekarton so I can make sure the machines are properly installed and the workers are trained on how to use them effectively," Maekar continued.

"We also need to increase wool production more," Luwin chimed in.

Brandon was silent for a while; after a while, he broke his silence. "It seems there is a lot to then."

"Maekar, I cannot let you go to Maekarton yet; Luwin can go in your stead. I need your help with something else," he said.

"What is it, Uncle?" he asked.

Brandon raised his hands and turned to Luwin. "Maester, you will have all the resources to go to Maeakrton with these machines and train the people to use them. I will provide you with an adequate supply of wool. How long will it take?"

"As we already have workers who know how to use them, training others will take some months. If you can provide me with some experienced seamstresses, then that will make things easier," Luwin replied.

"You will have all you want," Brandon said and turned to Maekar.

"Maekar, I need you to go to Bear Island. Ned is tied up in Starkport, and Benjen is in the Free Cities handling our trade negotiations. I need someone with stark blood to go in my stead"

"What's happening on Bear Island?" he asked.

"There have been increasing reports of wildling attacks," Brandon explained, his voice carrying a hint of concern. "The Mormonts have been holding their own, but the attacks are becoming more frequent and more bold. I need you to go there and assess the situation so I can prepare an appropriate response."

Maekar nodded. "Yes, Uncle."

"Meet me in my solar tomorrow. We can discuss the details then," he said before walking out.

"Well, Luwin, it looks like I'm off to Bear Island," he said, watching his uncle leave.

"Be careful, my prince," Luwin responded.

"Luwin... when have I ever not been careful?" he said with a smile.

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He returned to his room, deep in thought about his impending journey to Bear Island. As he entered, he saw her standing in the center of the room with a mischievous smirk.

She shrugged off her clothes, revealing her naked form.

"You have a promise to fulfill," she said, walking closer to him.

He walked over to her. With a sudden move, he lifted her up effortlessly. Ros let out a surprised yelp as he carried her across the room and gently tossed her onto the bed.

'Looks like I won't be getting much sleep tonight as well,' he thought as their lips met.