The north will remember II

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-Pov of Eddard Stark seventh moon 286 AC

The scream caught everyone's attention. My bannermen and I already recognized that scream, and it could only mean one thing a Finnish ambush. For a few seconds, we looked around, thinking that we were the ones being ambushed, but since we didn't have an arrow in our throats, it meant we weren't the victims... fortunately. Before I could even ask our Prussian guide what was happening, Lord Erich and his knights had drawn their swords and were galloping towards the source of the noise, followed by their entire escort.

"Eddard, what's...?" Lord Hoster tried to ask, but the battle cries and the sound of metal clashing against metal immediately answered Lord Tully's question.

"Come on, we need to help them," I said, drawing my ancestral greatsword.

I don't have the habit of Prussian soldiers to wear armor almost all the time. Like my bannermen, we would have to help the Prussians with barely anything to protect us from their enemies.

When we reached a position where we could see what was happening, there was a bloody melee. The Prussian forces were attacking the camp from three flanks, and Lord Erich's forces had finally surrounded the defenders. From our elevated position, it was clear that the Prussian forces greatly outnumbered their enemies, both in numbers and tactics, as they had them completely surrounded.

It didn't take us long to coordinate our men to charge into the camp, and we quickly rode to their aid with about a hundred riders for the fight. Although we tried to ride as fast as possible, it seemed our help was never needed, as by the time we were about to reach the camp under attack, the looting had already begun, with Prussian soldiers counting their prisoners and tallying all the loot.

I looked at my bannermen and guards, a little puzzled by everything that had happened, and one of the Finns, who was wearing several items that marked him as of high rank, approached us.

"Stark?... We were expecting you through Tumbleton. What are you, Lord of the North, doing in this area?" said the Finn, with eyes full of curiosity and distrust.

"We changed course and joined my father-in-law's host, Lord Hoster Tully," I replied to the Finn.

He began to say words in his language, and within seconds, the Finn accompanying Lord Erich arrived with his head bowed. Although I didn't understand their language, I could tell that he was scolding his subordinate for something, and the other was trying to speak but was always interrupted.

"My apologies, Lord Stark, for my lack of courtesy... but it seems someone gave me bad information about your route. It seems that the preparations I had at our home will be wasted, as I won't be able to have you under my roof," said the Finn, this time with a cordial tone.

"Well, uh... I'm sorry for that. The change of plans was at the last moment," I said, somewhat distracted as I saw a Finn beating one of his victims to death.

"That... don't worry about them, Lord Stark, they won't be a problem again... it seems the Tully reinforcements are coming... late..." said the Finn.

The knights of the Riverlands had arrived, and Lord Hoster quickly came out to speak with me.

"Eddard, what happened here?" asked Lord Hoster.

"That's what I'm trying to find out," I replied, turning to observe the Finn, who had taken advantage of my moment of distraction to continue giving orders.

"What happened here?" I asked the Finn, who seemed to be in charge.

"This information isn't confidential; the more witnesses, the better. What happened here is what occurs when someone is marked as an enemy of my king... this scum had been attacking trade caravans, taking advantage of the fact that many of the law enforcement forces are busy patrolling other areas... it got to the point where it was so bothersome that the king in Prussia personally tasked me with hunting them down like the plague they are, or were... especially with them," said the Finn, observing all the lords present before pointing to a couple of septons and Silent Sisters who were being led out of a tent, bound.

Not even a second passed before the lords of the Riverlands began shouting at the Finns, which caught the attention of our guide, who returned to us.

"I suppose the members of the Faith who committed crimes will be sent to the capital for trial," said Lord Hoster amid the insults of his bannermen.

"Tsh... why bother? When we did that, their trial was either letting them go or having them undergo a few days of penance... besides, what happened here has already been deemed sabotage by the king in Prussia, so no trial is necessary... just a tree and ropes... a big tree, as this plague surrendered almost immediately when faced with men who know how to fight, unlike attacking defenseless merchants or poorly defended caravans," said the Finn, making a gesture with his hand to indicate to the Tully nobles to leave.

There were shouts, insults, and even threats, but that didn't stop these men from preparing the execution of the bandits.

"Lord Erich, isn't there anything you can do? this could escalate into a fight" I asked the burly Prussian, who was silently observing everything that had happened.

"Lord Stark... there's nothing I can do... that man is the governor of Tumbleton, he outranks me and answers directly to the king in Prussia and only him, and if the king entrusted him with this 'hunt,' he will carry out his orders to the letter... try to calm Lord Hoster, because if they try anything, this will turn into a bloodbath," said Lord Erich, quite worried.

To everyone's dismay, the executions continued, and most were hanged from the nearest trees, while those who couldn't be hanged were killed in rather simple ways, either by being beaten to death or with a dagger to the abdomen, gutting the less fortunate ones.

When it was over, the Finns disappeared, and we continued our journey with as much normalcy as possible after witnessing such a display upon our arrival. Most were in a foul mood as between the faces full of hatred while they watched the Prussians and the Finns who continued guiding us, the tension was palpable.

Fortunately, the road was peaceful. Our arrival at our destination only took a couple of days, during which we observed the multiple cities along the Mander River and the fortress where the lord of the Prussians ruled The Reach with an iron fist.

A high-ranking Prussian noble indicated our quarters in Highgarden, and before we could settle in, a messenger brought a message from Lord Hohenzollern, who wanted to see me as soon as possible. Although there was no rush, I immediately decided to ride to the Prussian fortress, where the Teutonic knights let me pass over the bridge, which was crowded for some reason.

I was immediately guided to the Prussian lord's chambers, where he was gazing out of one of his windows, guarded by sentries.

"Lord Stark... without an escort?" said the Prussian lord.

"I prefer to avoid any potential issues," I said to the Prussian lord while remaining standing.

"Please, take a seat, Lord Stark... I formally present you with bread and salt so that you may enjoy the right of guest," said Lord Hohenzollern, gesturing to the chair, and after snapping his fingers, one of his knights handed me a tray with bread and salt.

I immediately ate some bread with salt and took a seat.

"I hope your journey wasn't too problematic, especially considering what happened a couple of days ago. The prosperity of The Reach greatly depends on the merchants' trust in the safety of the roads, rivers, and seas. Any threat to that security must be eliminated as quickly and brutally as possible," said Lord Hohenzollern, taking his seat.

"The rest of the journey was quiet; I was just a bit surprised by… the savagery of your men," I replied, pausing to think of a more diplomatic way to describe what I had witnessed.

"Gasp! Our enemy, the Faith of the Seven, is becoming increasingly problematic and bold. These displays of strength are necessary to keep them at bay," said Lord Hohenzollern, after sighing.

"Our enemy? I'm not seeking a fight with the Faith of the Seven," I responded, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not seeking a fight either, Lord Stark… but you should stop being so naive. The same distrust you show towards me should be extended to everyone. The Faith has been radicalizing recently; they want to wipe out the pagans. In the hypothetical event that they manage to kill or expel me, the northerners will be next, because they are also pagans to them… That's why they are our enemy. In the future, they will be yours as well. It's better that you consider them as such as soon as possible," said Lord Hohenzollern, staring at me intently.

"Well, I've seen that tensions are running a bit high due to recent conflicts," I said, nodding, as there was indeed animosity between the two sides.

When I gave my response, I saw the Prussian man smile slightly.

"It's good to know you're not blind to the situation… But if something were to happen between you and the Faith of the Seven, remember that we will honor our oath and defend the North… Well, setting aside enemies in the shadows, I've invited you here to offer you a deal," said Lord Hohenzollern, completely changing his serious demeanor to a more friendly one.

"What kind of deal? Given certain reasons, I know I can't refuse," I replied, looking at the Prussian's guards.

"They know who your bastard son is, Lord Stark, and they will take the secret to their graves as long as you uphold what we've agreed upon. But I don't want you to consider that… Only if your son is mistreated will I speak. In no other case will I say anything to Robert," said the Prussian lord, quite calmly.

"That's good to know…" I said, absorbing the surprise that more people knew the truth.

"I know we started on bad terms, especially when my personal desires came to light and, well… the threat. But certainly, the interests of the Prussian state are in the North, Lord Stark. And because of that, we should continue strengthening commercial ties, as much as I would like to establish a blood alliance, neither of us can do it. None of my cousins are here, and your son and daughter are too young. Therefore, I offer you a state alliance with Prussia," said Lord Hohenzollern with a broad smile.

"How do I know I can trust you, especially without a bond? You have a reputation for always coming out ahead," I said, looking intently at the Prussian lord.

"I suppose Arryn talks a lot. I ask you to not trust me but the Prussian state, which has an impeccable reputation. It has always honored all its deals, alliances, debts, and commercial agreements. Don't judge me, but judge the actions of my government, which are very different," said Lord Hohenzollern, becoming serious almost immediately.

"I'll think about it…" I replied, with some doubt.

"Great… And speaking of joint collaboration, I'd like to offer a joint investment in the Summer Isles," said Lord Hohenzollern, resting his chin on one of his hands.

"I'm not sure… Winter could come at any moment, and I'd prefer to have enough to fill the granaries," I said seriously.

"If this goes well, you'll have your coffers filled to buy grain. My request is simple that you speak with your bannermen and have them invest part of their new wealth and men in supporting our commercial voyage south, where we will buy spices and jewels that will then be sold throughout Westeros and Essos… Additionally, you have the word of the Prussian state that we will continue supplying grain even in winter, maintaining the quality as always," said the Prussian lord in a serious and cold tone.

"And what do you gain from this? Jon says you never do anything without gaining something," I said, looking intently at the Prussian lord.

"Ah, that Arryn sure saves me time. What I gain is simple in addition to having more gold to make better bulk deals, if the North provides men in the future, I'll save the need to send sailors when my company has to protect the seas. In this case, both of us win you fill your coffers and have trained sailors, and I gain gold and save having to send thousands of sailors to the North. What do you say? It's a very good deal," said Lord Hohenzollern, smiling again.

"Well… I'll talk to my bannermen and see how many men I can add to your trip south," I said to the Prussian lord, who seemed a bit disappointed.

"I thought you'd ask how we'll make the journey. I think I had these models made for nothing," said Lord Hohenzollern, pointing to a blanket covering something.

"Well, there will be thirty galleons and fifty galleys making the trip, around fifteen thousand men. If the North can provide a third of them, that would be great. The journey will take place at the beginning of the year, Lord Stark," said Lord Hohenzollern in a tone of disappointment, then shifting back to seriousness.

"I'll see what I can do," I replied, observing the Prussian lord's reaction.

"Well, with this, we're done. You may use all the facilities you deem necessary while you're here… Consider that you have almost the same authority as I do, but refrain from giving orders to my men," said Lord Hohenzollern, giving me a ring with the seal of an eagle.

"Thank you," I replied to Lord Hohenzollern's gesture.

"Enjoy your stay in The Reach, business partner," said Lord Hohenzollern with a broad smile.

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

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