War of the Usurper II

(Eddard Stark POV)

I look at the young man and can't help but be surprised. Despite being 4 years my junior, he looks much more mature and distinguished compared to me. Looking at him now, he has a similar look to what my father or Jon usually has. There is cunning in them, but also intelligence. He looks like he has been training for a long time and given his age, he will surely grow taller still. He is not wearing a sword though, so he must trust his guards.

"Lord Stark, welcome. How may I help you?", he asks me. 

His voice is deep and calm, unlike what I expected.

"Greetings Lord Baelish. I am uncertain how familiar you are with the current situation of the realm...", I stop talking and hope that he will say something about it to get a hint of his position. 

"Yes?"

"Well, I was wondering whether it would be possible to get a boat that brings me to the North.", I tell him. 

"Certainly. As long as you pay the fee, that is a very simple request.", he says surprising me. 

"Huh?", I forget myself for a moment after he surprises me like that. 

"What is the matter?"

"No, I was just ... I thought..."

"You thought that I would use this moment of weakness on your part and take my chance with the Crown, presenting your head on a silver platter?", he asks in an amused tone. 

"...Yes."

"Haha, you are too honest for your own good. I shall be honest as well and tell you that I never thought about it. Honestly, I do not love the Targaryen family and believe that King Aerys must be replaced. Whether that is his son, or someone else, I am sure it will be an improvement. The reason you have to pay for the journey is that I am not looking for favours. I am not one for flowery words and prefer to say things how they are."

That is truly surprising. I can tell that he is honest about not holding any love for the King. He does not need to lie. And the fact that he is telling me this and still asks for a fee proves it. I can't help but take a liking to this young man. In a matter of moons, he managed to raise his house from nothing to this. What is to tell that he will make more miracles?

"You seem surprised bout my words, Lord Stark."

"Eddard. Call me Eddard."

"My pleasure, Lord Eddard.", he smiles.

"Aye, I'm surprised. I didn't know that a young man of 15 name days could be so poise. I am glad to have met you, Lord Baelish."

"Petyr. Please call me Petyr, Lord Eddard."

"Heh, as you wish, Lord Petyr. When may I take the ship? I don't mean to be rude, but time is of the essence.", I try to move the discussion forward.

"The ship is ready, you may take your leave whenever you wish.", he says surprising me again. 

"You knew why I was here? Did you plan this?"

"Plan? No, I knew that you were coming for a reason, judging from the state of the realm. But I wasn't sure what it was. Since I am still unknown, you were bound to come for a ship of some kind. I also prepared food and a tent for you to rest. So no matter what you chose, it would have been ready."

"I see. I am thankful for your hospitality and apologise that I can't enjoy the food. I will make up for it, that I promise."

"If that is the case, then I would be happy if you would accept a future business venture with House Baelish. As a small house, I am trying to get a footing in the merchant business and shipment of all kinds. I have the capability of shipping anything anywhere and I would be thankful if you could have a look at it, as the future Lord of House Stark and Lord Paramount of the North.", he tells me. 

"Aye, that is a small request and from what I see, you understand your craft perfectly. If this war turns out well, then I give you my word, that I will take a look at it.", I tell him in earnest. 

"That is very generous of you. Now, Dalran will lead you to the ship we have prepared. I wish you luck in the war to come.", he says and I nod my head. 

"I thank you for your help, Lord Petyr. I will not forget this."

"I'm sure you won't."

I turn around and see Dalran waiting for me. He nods his head at Lord Petyr and I follow him out of the tent. We make our way across the many constructions and move back towards the port. 

I can see the amount of work that is going on at the same time and can't fully grasp it all. My eyes can't take all of it in at the same time. 

"It is impressive is it not?", Dalran says.

"Aye, it is indeed impressive. The port is one of the biggest I have seen and it doesn't even seem to be completed yet."

"Not even slightly."

"Pardon?"

"Lord Petyr has shown me the plans he has for the port and what you see here is barely half of what it will be in the future."

"HALF?!! Are you certain?"

"Indeed. Not Old Town, Lannisport or even King's Landing will be much to look at after Baelishport is finished. The sizes of ships will be much larger as well and there will be a lot of space for smaller vessels too. So we still have a long way to go.", Dalran explains to me. 

"Incredible. And it looks like you aren't working with wood primarily. Are those stones? How did you get them to be so smooth?"

"It is not normal stone. It is one of Lord Petyr's creations. He calls it concrete."

"Concrete. Amazing."

"Aye, that it is. Here we are, one of the almost finished areas of the harbour.", Dalran says and points me at a very large ship. 

[Picture]

"As you see, we still had to use wood for this part. But in the future, this will change."

My jaw has hit the floor as I look at the ship. I have never seen such a design. It looks very imposing and ready for battle against pirates or the tides and storms. 

"I wish you a safe journey, Lord Stark.", Dalran says after I board the large vessel. 

"Thank you, Ser Dalran."

After looking at the harbour one final time, I move underdeck towards my cabin. I can't help my curiosity and walk faster to reach the cabin. This will be an enjoyable ride.

.

.

(Dalran POV)

I watch as the ship leaves the harbour and sails towards the North. This was an interesting meeting and I wonder what my Lord thought about it. I move through the docks and towards Lord Petyr's tent. In front of it, I see his personal guard having taken positions again after Lord Stark left. They are imposing men and I can tell that they would scare lesser men. But I am not a lesser man and was chosen by my Lord for my skills, so while they do put me on edge, they don't scare me. 

[Picture]

As I approach, the guards move to the side and let me enter. I am the only one they do this for. 

"My Lord, I have returned.", I say.

"Good, Dalran. How did it go?"

"It went perfectly on my part. But how did your discussion go? Were you able to acquire anything you hoped for?"

"Well, we talked about ..."

Lord Petyr tells me how the talk went and I have to say I am disappointed nothing more resulted from the talk. After he is finished, I remain silent and just wait for him to say anything. 

"You don't look happy. What's wrong?"

"I would never-"

"I know, Dalran. But loyalty doesn't mean you have to lie to me. I want to hear your honest thoughts."

"My Lord, I am a bit disappointed that Lord Stark didn't accept to make a deal with you right away and only accepted all our gifts without giving anything back.", I say truthfully. 

"I see. Well, I understand where you're coming from. But the talk couldn't have gone any better from our position. If you want someone to trust you, don't give him anything but ask him for something. That way he has invested in you, subconsciously and naturally trusts you more than before."

"But weren't you the only one who gave something?"

"No. I asked him for a favour and for him to look upon our House favourably in the future. That is a big favour in his eyes and even if we don't need it, he doesn't know that."

"I understand. But why didn't you ask him more directly, my Lord."

"That is the illusion of control. If I had asked him, then he would have thought I help him because I want something from him."

"But ... don't we?"

"Of course we do, but it had to appear like we don't. And if he is the one to decide to help us, he will be much happier and agree than if it was our idea. You can't trust anyone, but yourself. That is why he had to decide on his own."

"I am impressed, my Lord. You thought about this far more than I could have imagined."

"Eh, it's nothing. Eddard Stark was taught by Jon Arryn, a man who values honour above everything. Now that Eddard will become the Lord of House Stark, the North will change in the future and this honour that he was taught will not help him. Honour makes a man predictable and that is something we can take advantage of. Which is what I just did, by not asking for anything for my help. 

Now, tell me about the current progress of Baelish Keep and the harbour. The village is currently being taken care of and improved, making the lives of everyone easier. Food will never be a problem anyway, but we still have to keep up appearances. So the fields have to be used."

"Yes, my Lord. Here are the current plans you gave me.", I say and place the three pictures on the table. 

[Castle #1]

[Castle #2]

[Castle #3]

"Which one is the one we are going for?"

"I am unsure at the moment. but the groundwork is the same for all three. That's what they are working on at the moment, right?"

"Indeed. You told the workers to start with the cellar and the basement. No matter what happens, the castle will stand against the tides and attacks. The details you have provided have helped speed up the process enormously. Not long and they are ready to continue building the keep itself. 

The port is going smoothly and your plans are being built as you hoped."

[How the harbour will look]

"The workers are doing flawlessly and since they don't need pay, we are saving a lot of money, not that it would matter. The villagers are happy, like you said and they are positively surprised about the changes you have brought and will bring in the future. 

Their loyalty is all but guaranteed. We are working on defences against all sides. Like you said, your wealth will bring jealousy with it. And with that spies and other enemies of all kinds. Should we have to enter this war or defend ourselves, we will be ready in a few moons. The mountain clans won't stand a chance with the soldiers we have at hand.", I report. 

"Good good. Thank you for your work. You worked hard. My plans are coming to fruition. It is only a matter of time until our house becomes the most powerful in the realm. You can believe that."

"I do. I do indeed my Lord."