CHAPTER 13

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CHARLES

Knock knock

"Come in," said Charles diverting his attention to the door of his solar. To be honest it was his father's solar but with his father shoving all the duties upon him a year ago, he was given the room for his use. The fact that his father transferred all of his power to him was almost unheard of in this era since the nobles tended to cling to power until they become invalid or pass away. In the House Stark, Rickard Stark had become nothing but a figurehead.

The door opened and the Charles' inner circle streamed inside. He noticed that both Percy and Zoe were missing as usual. Percy was breaking into the Citadel and Zoe was most likely in the Valley of Origin getting ready for her expedition north of the wall. They were not necessary for this discussion anyway. He and his siblings had discussed all short terms and long term plans for the moment. Unless something totally surprising comes along, they would stick to their agenda.

The first to enter was his father. Charles thought he had a large figure. But that didn't even come close to the size of some of the northerners like his father or Greatjon Umber. After handing down his power his father seemed to have less wrinkles on his face. He was more energetic going about in hunts with his closest friends and enjoying the baths. His father never let his skill with his blade rust though. His father was rarely seen without Frostbite and Zoe often joked about their father loving his new sword more than his wife or children. Rickard was one of the few individuals whose advice Charles took to heart going further as to scrap entire projects when his father prove their disadvantages. His father had traversed the sea of politics and conflict only to emerge stronger than ever.

The next was his lovely wife to be. He smiled warmly at her and she returned the gesture. She was his rock and the source of emotional support. Her work helped his people more than he could ever imagine. She wasn't called the Fairy of the North for nothing. The fame of the Three Wolves was matched by her. She was solely responsible for the abundance of food that they had been lacking and the people loved her for it. She also streamlined all trade and made more beneficial trade deals with the free cities.

Following Silena was Mark Ryswell. Mark was his father's protégé and had become Charles' right hand man. Following Mark was Ethan Glover, Lyra Mormont, Cregan Karstark, Theo Wull, Norval Segrius, Isla Ruais and Howland Reed. They were the current inner circle appointed to oversee the various aspects of North under the banner of the Starks.

Most of them were of or around Charles' age. They were all chosen from the group of young men and women his father gathered. Of this group only Howland was to inherit land and a title. Others were members of branch families or further down the line of ascension that they had almost no chance in inheriting the titles from their parents. Two of them were arrived with the immigrants who had been coming in search of opportunity.

The group sat themselves in their designated chairs around the stone table which had a detailed carving of the entire known world. There were even spaces left to further broaden its horizons when they explored these unknown areas. The lands west of Westeros were blank as no explorer had returned after undertaking the voyage. In the South there was a huge swath of land that hid many mysteries called Sothoyros. In the east, well… there was no concrete information on the lands east of the Red Wastes.

Each kingdom in Westeros was dyed a different hue in the map. The great North was colored in white, Riverlands in brown, the Vale in blue, the Reach in green, Westerlands in red, Dorne in orange, Stormlands in yellow and the Crownlands in grey. Their focus today was the portion colored white.

The areas beyond the wall were colored white as well since Percy had been adamant to include it to their land. On both sides of the wall dwelled the first men. The wildlings were the decedents of the people who couldn't reach south in time before the wall went up. Through the marching of time their lifestyle had changed to accommodate the harsh life they were forced to live. Charles agreed with his siblings that these people had to be given a chance to start again. They agreed that no matter what, cannibals would never be welcomed into their fold.

The lands beyond the wall were rich in resources. It was wasteful to ignore the benefits of utilizing them to their expansion. Who knew what they would find in these lands that time forgot? That was why Zoe was going to lead the first of many expeditions into that land later today. She had orders from both her father and brothers to not exceed going further than the Fist of the First Men. They had demanded her oath before granting her leave.

This room represented their round table. Charles had designed it to emulate the legend of King Arthur back on earth. These few individuals held the highest amount of power in the Wintertown and the surrounding areas. The other nobles knew that these individuals were key personnel in the Stark hierarchy and respected them despite the majority being unaware of their exact duties. Except with the most loyal of the Lords, there was no evidence for the existence of this council.

"Everyone is here, so let's get started," Charles' father said from the position as the head of the table. Though he dumped his duties on his children, he had yet to pass the authority officially. And since the blessing of the king was needed for that, it wasn't going to happen anytime soon either.

This was one of the quarterly meetings of the heads of the various divisions they had established over the years. They got together to discuss the happenings of the southern kingdoms and report the progress of their own divisions. Everything that was being said here was recorded by a group of scribes for future reference. These men had been sworn to secrecy at the cost of their lives.

"Who wants to go first?" Rickard asked.

"I'll go," replied Charles. "First I must inform that Fort Aegis on the Sea Dragon Point is nearing completion." The group smiled at that. Aegis had been one of the first projects that they had commenced. It was a vital piece for their future plans as well.

"I expect the castle and the port to be completed within two weeks. We have been using the unfinished berths to tether a small fleet of ships to protect the western shores from raiders. But once the dry docks are finished and the berths at a hundred percent we can begin creating the larger ships in our arsenal."

"Yes, we had no less than a dozen Ironborn raids within the last year. We need to halt this disruption permanently," Lyra confirmed.

Iron Born raiders had been a headache for the Starks for far too long. Because there was no harbor to tether a fleet or facilities to create warships the Greyjoys used the Northern shores, especially the Stony Shore and the Bear Islands as their private properties. They lost more men to the invaders that to the cold or hunger. Aegis was their answer to halt all attacks. Because of the growing fleet of small warships from the port, they were able to reduce the damage cause by the reavers by about 60%. The Bear Island proved to be impenetrable for them this year. But that would change when the port was fully functional.

"My mother informed me that the new dry dock at the Bear Island has finally completed the first galleon. She said that it was a sight to see," added looking around for their reactions.

The Cregan and Theo cheered loudly at the news which was joined by the rest. Even Charles and his father had to crack a grin. This was the first of the many large scale vessels that would ensure the Stark dominance in the seas. Charles had to say that he was impressed. Percy's design incorporated every formula they could think of with the current standard of technology. It even had the necessary infrastructure to house cannons when they introduced them in the future. For now they were yet to find a stable source of sulfur.

This massive craft was little over sixty meters long, had three main masts and had seven different decks from the hold at the bottom of the ship to the poop deck in the rear from which the commander gave orders. It could do an average of nine knots in open waters. The three gunnery decks housed archers who shot arrows dipped in greek fire. In the future they would be swapped for cannons. The ram on the front could tear through any vessel with no resistance if the craft had enough momentum. Even if it did not a blow from that massive claw should cause structural damage and force the other ship to take in water.

They were all excited to see this behemoth sailing for the first time. Due to the expenses of building one, they could currently create one every two years. That would change when they had more open trade bringing more coins to the North. The dry dock at Bear Island was created exclusively for the purpose of building galleons.

Other than the galleons, they had two other ship classes in production. They were the brigs and the schooners. The schooner was a small vessel that could operate in shallow water. It was incredibly fast but not suitable for sustained battle. They were built for fast strikes and surprise attacks. Brigs on the other hand would be the backbone of the Stark navy. They were average sized, could carry a decent amount of men and durable enough to ram other ships and continuous battle.

"Going back to the matter of the raids, I think we should create a watchtower at Flint's finger to give us a warning when the raiders leave their nest," said Ethan pointing at the mountains of the Flints Finger.

"An excellent idea," Charles agreed. "The elevated position would enable us to see further. With the help of the telescopes we can constantly monitor the Iron Islands. We could even post a small attachment of ships there to take care of smaller raids. Father?" he turned to the man at the head of the table.

"I will send the necessary orders to the Flints," the man said without a delay.

"Howland, a group of your people will be deployed there. They will connect the nobles whose lands are in danger," Charles said to his best friend.

"I will see it done," the small crannogman confirmed.

"What about trade along the western seaboard?" Norval questioned.

Norval Segrius was a man who hailed from Pentos. He was born a high class merchant but his family lost its wealth due to some plot within the Pentosian leadership. He had escaped the port and landed in White Harbor requesting asylum carrying everything valuable his family owned. Norval was a learned man and was soon in direct contact with the Manderlys helping them in creating profitable trade deals with Braavos when the Braavosian families were attempting to dupe them. Due to this he had been recruited by Rickard Stark to be the man in charge if the Northern treasury, a duty which he took seriously.

Currently there was no trade done with the western shores of Westeros. The northern trade was concentrated along the eastern shore with the White Harbor acting as the main point of interaction. They all knew that there was a large wealth to be reaped should they start trading with the western shores. With the mad king trying to destroy their work, they had no guarantee that their merchants would be safe should they head beneath the neck. Even the eastern trade with the Vale, Crownlands and the Stormlands had come to a halt. They instead concentrated on the trade with Essos.

"We have to wait and see. The mad king wants Aegis under his control. He threatened father the last time he was in the court demanding us the authority of the Aegis. And who knows what that mangy lion would do? He already sees us as a threat to the prosperity of his house. I can bet that he will try to rob our convoys if we open the port to the western houses. North has much to offer and these southerners knows it. They will directly bypass Lannisport and open trade with us since we will be more profitable for them. Tywin will lose his income and head when this comes to pass," Charles mused.

"Yes, for now we will concentrate on the military buildup. When time comes we can start trading with the Riverlands, Reach and the Dorne. Lord Mallister would welcome us with open arms," Cregan said with a smirk. Nobody missed that he had excluded the Westerlands from his list. The all knew that Tywin would never give them good trade deals since the two families were in conflict for years. He would go as far to ban all northern traders from his shores. The sheep that were the other nobles of Westerlands would follow his orders to the letter.

"What about Moat Cailin?" Theo asked.

"Will be finished within two moons from what I've been informed. I'm visiting the castle next week," Charles replied.

"That's two strategic locations we have under our command. With a fully garrisoned Moat, no army can enter the North. Aegis and the Moat will protect us from all invasions in the future."

There was a murmur of agreement. With these two locations their glaring weakness had been overcome.

"We should do something against the Three Sisters as well. I mean it belonged to us before those Sunderlands went to the Arryns on their knees. They might not be aggressive as the Iron Born but they do raid our ships from time to time," Mark added.

"They haven't taken any major action against us. Let us forget about them for now. But we'll show them that we are capable and willing to rape the Three Sister again," Cregan replied.

A murmur of consent rose. Until they were given a reason, the North will not spill blood unnecessarily. But they will show them what it meant by the phrase 'The North Remembers' by bringing the winter on their heads.

"Charles, continue," his father commanded.

"As you have seen the walls around Wintertown is also nearing completion. I suggest another wall beyond this one so that we can have some arable lands in the enclosure as well. This will also give us the opportunity to expand the town in the future. I'm thinking, expanded fruit orchards."

"Our construction crews are running ragged. We have no man power to spare. And frankly we also have little coin to spare in a massive undertaking like that," Isla argued.

"Yes… but this will be a long term project. Unlike all the current construction projects I want this to be taken slowly. This project is to be spanned for a decade and a half. Our people can work in this in their extra time to earn a few extra coins. Also this is not a project with short term benefits. We are talking of benefits ten, twenty years in the future."

"But the raw materials? We are running short of places we can quarry in the vicinity."

"I have a plan for that as well. You will see it in the near future," Charles winked at the Mark with the remark. A smile blossomed in the man's face as he knew exactly what Charles was thinking.

"I'll hold you to that," Isla concluded. "But that doesn't solve the issue of the lack of funding."

"I'll look into was to divert some funds for the initial capital. As the construction goes on I'm sure we'll have enough money to spare especially since we are gaining profit from our trade with Braavos," Norval injected halting the argument.

Charles nodded at the man. The Starks were sitting on a large fortune. They need only mine the lower levels for jade and amethyst to obtain a huge return. But he was reluctant to desecrate their home for coin. There were also the family heirlooms that he didn't even want to entertain the idea of selling.

"The new metal foundries will be operational within the moon. I have instructed the smiths on how to work them and the college has been successful in teaching the newer methods of forging. Other than that, the restoration and renovation of the various keeps is going ahead as planned. Silena?" he passed the baton to his wife to be.

"The new granaries are being filled with the grain from our bountiful harvest. With another harvest like this we can cease importing grain to our land. All the lands within the vicinity of settlements have been reclaimed. I estimate 40% increase in our harvest the next year."

Silena was given the duty of managing the food stock since it was she who imported the grain necessary for cultivation in the first place. She was successful in establishing a prosperous farming industry around her birth home which inspired the other farming ventures all around the North. Her knowledge in crop rotation, selecting the appropriate crops for the land, intercropping, fertilizers and natural pesticides earned her the love of all the smallfolk. She even gathered a group of followers who experimented with various techniques that would increase the yield. They were now a part of the college here in Winterfell.

"Well done," Rickard congratulated with a smile. Charles knew that the stoic man was ecstatic in seeing his dream come true.

"What about the irrigation projects?"

"Most of them are nearing completion. It was a good thing that we didn't have to create artificial tanks to store water since we have water in abundance. The Last River, Broken Branch provides us with ample water for the farms in the eastern side. We only had to reopen a few of the gorges that had been closed over time to act as natural canals. On the western side it was even less of a problem since the farms are situated on the banks. Farmers are preparing the land for planting crops for the next cycle. I also have to add that we are pacing a population explosion."

"Population explosion?" Mark inquired.

"As a result of the bathhouses, men and women interact more intimately with each other. More women are getting pregnant each day from their dalliances at the baths. The hospitals are reporting that there is a 36% increase in the births than the years before the baths. Also we have a lot of immigrants seeking asylum in our land. Most of them originate from the Riverlands, Brravos and Tyrosh"

"We need to revisit the issue on the bastards," Charles concluded. With more and more infants popping up without the knowledge of their fathers, they had to change laws on inheritance and social stigma. Charles and his friends never like the current laws on isolating the bastards. It created a lot of bad blood within families. This law was not one of theirs. It came with the Andal invasions and it was time to repeal it. What Charles wanted was an equal society like they had on earth. It would lead to more productive citizens when they had a sense of belonging and validation.

"Any news on the hospitals?" Mark asked.

Getting medical treatments were hard in the early days after the expulsion of the maesters from the North. The Order had the sole authority in this field. They had chased away all of the local healers quoting their practice as 'witchcraft' inciting fear in the uneducated. The Order didn't take any threat to their supremacy lightly. As such they had to rebuild the medical field from ground up. First they had to bring experienced healers from the neighboring continent. Then they had to get people interested in learning the craft. Luckily they had enough texts to rely on. With the gradual improvement and success of the college they managed to get just enough healers distributed through the North.

On the plus side, medicine was available for everybody, not just the nobles and the wealthy merchants like it had been in the era of maesters. A public hospital was made mandatory in all the settlements. The rules of treatment were based off the rules they were familiar with on earth. Thus the Guild of Healers rose into prominence. They were respected by everybody from the nobles to the poorest peasant due to their service. The Guild was a neutral faction with its only duty being to the people.

The Starks could have made it a branch under their control, but that would have resulted in problems down the line as ascension through the ranks in the Guild would have been made political. Charles and his family learnt this lesson from the Order of Maesters and the Order of Alchemists in the south. At times of conflict, the guilds themselves were thrown in the meat grinder as the members rallied behind different leaders.

Silena acted as the Guild's correspondent since she was a member of it and took time off to help the sick whenever she could.

"Nothing to report," Selena said. "Potioneers of the Guild have reported that we have all the necessary poultices and syrups in storage in adequate amounts. The Guild is planning to use the donations to create multiple apothecaries attached to the hospitals throughout the North. Healers are doing their jobs as usual and the hospitals are properly managed. The senior healers have already started taking direct disciples to bring up their numbers by giving them hands on experience rather than waiting for the apprentices to finish their college education."

"Herbs?"

"We have enough in storage. If not there are adequate amount of supplies growing in the greenhouses. We need more greenhouses by the way. The number we have is not remotely capable of keeping up with the demand. "

"We'll get to that. Give us an update on the Tower," Charles said to Isla.

Isla Ruais, another immigrant from Essos but one with Northern roots had been placed in charge of the Tower. The Tower or Tumbledown Tower as it was known previously was where Rickard had established the College of Winterfell. It was also the headquarters of the Guild of Healers, Association of Smiths and League of Alchemists, etc. In short it was where all intellectuals gathered for private study and experiments. The location had no keep. But sturdy walls were built all around for protection. The buildings were designed keeping their tasks in mind. Some like the College of Winterfell and The Great Library were sights to see. They were amongst the most beautiful structures in the known world. They were designed taking inspiration from the gothic architecture from earth.

There were several reasons to isolate this scholarly abode. The peaceful and isolated environment helped the scholars to focus was one such reason. Another was to implant a subtle message of the importance of these learned men and women. The most important was of course the matters regarding security. Since there was only one road to and from the Tower and that it started from Winterfell they managed to monitor the travelers between the two paces. The absence of smallfolk prevented insertion of certain 'little birds'. It also helped that these unlearned men and women didn't obstruct certain experiments.

Isla was a young woman who was about ten years older than Charles. She descended from a Dustin who had left the North when Torrhen Stark bowed down to Aegon Targaryen. She had heard about the new improvements of her native land through rumors and had decided to clarify them herself. She was a healer in service under a magister in Lys. It hadn't been easy for her to escape as she had been sold to the magister as a slave. But she managed it with the help of some smugglers. When the Starks openly invite healers she was amongst the first to sign up. The blond haired woman had risen up to prominence quickly with her wit and charm. After befriending Silena she was given the position of Tower Master after she proved capable of handling its duties.

"As Lady Silena said, everything is under control. There is nothing new other than that the alchemists have finally managed to crack down the formula for clear glass. They promised me that they will be able to mass produce it within four moons. But we need experienced jewel crafters to design the intricate glassware that is in demand. The alchemists may be able to produce the glass but they have no idea how to work it into designs and shapes."

"I think we need to 'invite' a few glassmakers from Myr," said Norval with a smirk.

"I'm on it," Cregan said with an equally devious smile.

Charles knew the basics in creating glass. Heck he knew a much better formula that the one these glassmakers of Myr used. He had given the detailed instruction to the Alchemists Association. But blowing glass into shape and molding… it was beyond his skill. Then there was the art of carving on those glasses. They had the better formula but Myr had the talented workers. The answer was clear. They had to get few of those glassmakers to come to work for them.

The glassworkers were all properties of the Myrish magisters. All they had to do was kidnap a few and offer better conditions. Many of them would flock to them… or so he thought. Anyway the details were left for Cregan. He had the rights to make the calls in this operation. Cregan didn't obtain his position of being Percy's right hand man for nothing. It showed the teens capability in handling tough calls and making on the fly decisions.

Charles glanced at his silent father. During these meetings he rarely spoke only opening his mouth to tell them of things they missed or overlooked. Charles could see the small smirk of satisfaction hidden within his bushy beard. He knew that his old man was just enjoying listening to what they achieved day by day and what he and his companions cooked for the future. Ever since he was humiliated by Aerys Targaryen there was nothing else but a lust for revenge in his mind. But he wasn't the kind of man who would assemble an army and rush forward for a glorious slaughter. No… Rickard Stark was a man who was like a viper. He waited patiently until his target was down on his knees before moving in for the kill. Right now, they were slowly murdering the Targaryen dynasty. Every plan they made that undermined the Iron Thrones power brought joy to him. That was why he always came to these meetings despite the irrelevance.

Charles too got a special tingle when the Targaryens were thwarted left and right. This was the family that sent assassins to end his and his sibling's lives. He wanted to strike blow after blow to their power and dignity. In a way he wasn't as good as waiting for the chance as his father or brother. Percy much like their father waited for the opportune moment to finish them with one blow while smiling at them. He had to praise his father for his patience. For crying out loud, the man went down to King's Landing after the king summoned him when he was aware of the fact that the king sent killers after his family. He had nothing but raw respect towards his father for this.

"Now we can expand our glasshouses," Mark said triumphantly. "We must plant more fruit bearing plants. This is the only thing we are lacking right now."

"We can even set up distilleries if we have enough fruit to make wine," agreed Ethan.

Charles smirked. He knew ways of making alcohol that did not depend on fruits. For now he and his siblings had agreed to keep it quiet until they had enough coin in their coffers. Piling everything up wouldn't help them as they would all come to a halt should a misstep happen.

There was no return for their investments for now. But by the next year Charles knew that they would be obtaining an income that they would have problems keeping track of. Men under Norval were always looking into ways to make the maximum profit for their liege lord. Especially Norval since he was utterly grateful to the Starks for giving him and his family an opportunity like no other.

"Anything else?" he asked Isla.

"No, nothing that requires your attention right now."

"Cregan?"

"The newest batch is ready to undergo the rite. I think all of them will be able to find partners tonight. All of them show promise. With this batch the number of Wraiths will go up to thirty. If we leave ten of them to teach the newer generation, we have about eight to spare."

Cregan Karstark was Percy's right hand man. He was the first person his brother befriended outside the family. He was among the first to be given the honor of joining the Wraiths. Not just because his friendship with the young Stark, but because he was a brilliant shot. The first batch had only four candidates. They were the Cregan Karstark, Theo Wull, Mark Ryswell and Ethan Glover. All were members of the inner circle.

The Wraiths were what they called the aerial warriors who had undergone the Rite and partnered with a kirai. The Rite enabled them to form a familiar bond with their partners. After that they participated in a grueling series of exercises to make them deadly warriors of the sky. The main requirement to be chosen was the accuracy with a longbow. Kirai flew at breakneck speeds. The Wraiths had to be able to shoot accurately at full speed from their partner's back. The initial simulations had shown that a pack of Wraiths which meant ten of these aerial warriors were able to cause untold amount of damage on a gathered army.

Wraiths were to be guardians and defenders policing their land in the future. Their Order would also be philosophers and learned men who helped the Stark family to rule the land. All Wraiths candidates had to undergo rigorous training both physical and mental to earn a chance to enter its ranks.

"I have the candidates assembled at the Great Hall. We'll just head to the ceremonial grounds for the Rite after this meeting," added Ethan.

"Isn't Zoe supposed to take five Wraiths with her in her journey?" Mark asked.

"Yes… I have chosen four others to accompany us. They are all trained and ready for any surprises. The new harnesses enable us to carry more than five hundred arrows with us. Don't worry… the ones I have chosen are quite adept in direct fights as well," Theo replied.

Charles had to swallow an involuntary snort. Theo… well he was one of the many suitors chasing after Zoe. He wasn't bad looking either. He was learned in all the basic subjects and was a skilled warrior as well hailing from the Wull clan. But the problem was that Zoe saw him as one of her friends. Charles had broached this subject with him once and Percy had confronted him thrice. But Theo's answer was the same. He loved Zoe and didn't want to stop his pursuit until she said yes. Charles had to give points for his resilience. The man was adamant in accompanying his sister to 'keep her safe.' Should Zoe hear those words he would be the person in danger. In a way he pitied Theo for he had chosen a woman who valued her strength more than anything else.

"And finally… Howland," he said opening the stage for his best friend.

"There are several things I must inform. The first is the tensions within Dreadfort. The Boltons are getting antsy. They have seen various other houses approached by the Starks and these houses have started showing signs of prosperity. Their homes are renovated, their settlements are redesigned. New facilities are introduced bringing these lords universal approval of the smallfolk. But at Dreadfort, people have already started to leave. Their population is down by a half. From my sources the Bolton brothers are getting frustrated as to why they weren't being approached yet."

'Ah… the Boltons,' Charles sighed. Of all the noble houses it was the Boltons who had given the Starks the most trouble. They were the last of the northern kings to bow down and they were also the most rebellious. There had been no less than five rebellions led by them. Each time they had gotten close to the ruling family and use their position of power to their advantage. Even today they haven't given up their idea of a Bolton overlord in the North. Boltons were also the only family that insulted the Starks for bending the knee to the Targaryens in the open.

The current Lord of Dreadfort was Roose Bolton. He was a man a little younger than his father. He and his brother climbed to the position after the death of the previous Lord the same time Charles' grandfather died. Zoe had been vocal in denying them any opportunity to increase their power since there were rumors on illicit practices that was still happening at the Bolton base of power. These practices like the first night and flaying were banned in Westeros. The Reeds were instrumental in bringing the news of these occurrences to the Starks.

Derrik Bolton, the younger brother of Roose was said to have a fantasy about Zoe that was bigger than the one the Lord of Dreadfort had. The two men who were more than fifteen years older than Zoe often uttered inappropriate comments about both of Charles' sisters and also his mother. Rickard had prohibited Charles and Percy from taking action against the Bolton brothers for now. He also managed to hide this from Zoe knowing what her reaction would be. Since then Charles and Percy were biding their time waiting for the Bolton brothers to slip up to end the legacy of the Red Kings.

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AN:

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