Glass Wall I

It has been four days since her meeting with her father and Alfred. When the master blacksmith found out the glass in nearly indestructible he started to question his life. Ned on the other hand pulled her to the side and asked if she has magic or if any magic was applied in making her glass.

She found it hilarious but told him no magic was involved. Ned told her he will speak to her when he is made a decision. "So indecisive." She ridiculed in her heart.

"Olivia the lord is calling for you in the land behind the castle." Anna entered and told her. When she got there she found the place stripped bare of all the snow and weeds that used to grow there.

"My lord." She greeted.

"Winterfell will buy each glass at three times to market price since its value is something that has never been seen before. I also took liberty to deduct the cost of rent for the workshop where you produced your miracle glass the cost of labor."

Olivia is amused at this. In any case she is making easy money. "Yes you are very shrewd. What's the total?"

"For all 39 glass walls it comes to 7 thousand gold dragons."

"Not bad for the first pot of gold."

"This is before taxes."

Her expression finally changed. "If you touch another nickel of that money I will go to the Bolton with my next invention." She said gloomily giving him a warning stare. He looked at her in surprise.

"You wouldn't.."

"Why not? I have no status or any future prospects, why not build myself an empire of wealth regardless of whose bones I have to use to build it. Look into my eyes and tell me if I am joking." She walked towards his position and stood in front of him looking straight into his eyes.

"Fine. Seven thousand gold coins." He doesn't know if she is bluffing but knowing the pain she has gone through in Winterfell castle he is not betting on her joking.

Her young face broke into a radiant smile making him also smile in return. She is really the child of a well read prince. So thrift.

Olivia let them take the glass walls and build the glass houses in Winterfell. She left her money with Ned for the time being deciding to see if she still has her ability to communicate with plants.

This will help her in this place because she can even shape broken leaves and dead branches at will. She sat under a tree and meditated. After a while she found a connection thread with each thread representing a tree in her location.

If she sends her consciousness into these threads she will be able to see whatever is in the vicinity of the tree even the sky view. If she manages to grow her power there will come a day when she can see the area around a distant tree. It is not all the trees that can connect with ease, others without the world energies are harder to control. 

This weakness will dull as she grows stronger. 

After coming out of meditation she became happy with her ability. The ability to control dead leaves she can use leaves to spy on someone or use a small sharp branch to kill an opponent.

This ability is almost not necessary when the owner is already powerful with an abundance of spells to use in battle without wasting mental power which is required to use this skill.

But at low levels it is a valuable especially if you are looking for herbs. Feeling tired, she went to rest and recover her mental strength. This has been a very productive day she just needs to see if there are any medical herbs that can improve her mental power.

After waking up in the evening Olivia went to hunt for special herbs to improve both mental and physical strength. The most logical place to her seems to be the gods wood. Even before she received her memories it always felt like a place with a heavy pressure.

Entering the place ii is still as magical as ever. The flower and plants surrounding the place are all full of mysterious energy specific to this world. Touching a few of them she is shocked to find out even the most auspicious of the flowers are valuable plants that can be turned into magical potions.

"This is the first time I received such influx of formulas." She comments lightly. Having made a choice to improve her body's strength before even considering bending and shaping trees.

After collected all the herbs and rushed to her room. The daunting task of following the exact formula instructions followed for the entirety of the evening. She only managed to rest early morning.

She is still the first up to drink her medicine. It didn't taste any particular way but it took seconds after entering her body to work. She doubled over with horror on her small face. It's a good thing she is 10 now, the bone marrow pill in the old world can only be taken at 10 years old. Inwardly hoping for there to not be a big movement like last time.

She first felt her body buzz with an electric current as if she was hit by lightning. Then her bones felt like they are itchy but it only frustrates her because there is no way to scratch. This uncomfortable feeling lasted for at least 40 minutes. Then pain followed.

Her bones, muscles, blood and skin seemed to be accepting some sort of energy. They would feel like being massaged one moment, being boiled in hot soup the next. Then a chilling sensation would quickly envelop her.

It took a lot of courage for her to not pass out or scream at the top of her lungs. The girls wanted to come in but Olivia managed to utter a "Get lost" through clenched teeth.

After what felt like days, she used cold water to clean herself and fell asleep. She is surprised the body expelled black goo substance like the one that usually comes out when taking a bone marrow washing pill.

Waking up she stood on the floor feeling the she moved her neck and it make a satisfying cracking sound. She can feel the sturdiness of her body has improved. If the Tully men tried something, her movements this time will be swift. Her strength is enough to pierce a man's skull without dislocating her thumb bone this time.

After unlocking the door and the pitiful girls came in looking wronged. "Don't ask." She went back to sleep but Ned came in shortly after the girls cleaned up the place.

"I hear you refused your maids from entering in the morning." He didn't even greet. Olivia's gaze saw worry on his face.

"It's too late to bother your busy self with my matters mi Lord. I have survived worse." She sneered.

"Olivia!" He gritted out.

"Scaring me wont work anymore either. How is the glass houses construction? Working with tough glass is a boost isn't it?" She asked with interest. Ned saw that she doesn't want to speak about the reason for her behavior in the morning and let it pass.

"It is coming a long smoothly. Soon we will have enough food to pass through winter. Are you thinking of selling it to the other houses?" He sat down and continued on the topic.

"I would need a group of people to act as a traveling merchant group willing to share the product but they won't be staying for long." She explained. Ned caught on quickly.

"You don't intend of making it a permanent business?" He is surprised.

"Of course not. The masters across the narrow seas would become a nuisance if I do. Indestructible glass is a serious competition to their normal glass. I have other non aggressive ways to make money." She said calmly.

Ned can not believe this is the small girl who has scrambled for his attention not long ago. "You seem desperate to make money. Why?" He asked her. His face not giving any emotion.

"I need wealth to leave here and find my own way in the world. Sooner or later I will have to have a career and stable income to feed myself." She said nonchalantly.

"You don't have to work so hard. As your father, I will look after you and when you are old enough I will find you a good marriage." He said softly but when he looked at his daughter's eyes, he saw ridicule in them.

"I appreciate the sentiment but I will only marry the person I choose. I am not a Stark so there is no need to use me for a political alliance. I am free to do with my future as I see fit. Being scorned and called a bastard all my life has to come with something positive don't you think?" She said and he didn't have a response.

"I was going to do it for your benefit." He finally said.

"Use that type of kindness for your actual children will you? I have my own future covered." She said declining his kind offer.

"Will you ever forgive Lady Caitlyn and me for the pain you went through?" He finally asked the question that has been gnawing at him. The changes in the child are too great to ignore. The look in her eyes is devoid of any dependence or familial affection. 

"No. But I don't hate lady Caitlyn she is unstable. You on the other hand, I hold responsible for everything. She did all that because you gave her permission." She shot him a sharp look.

"I never.."

"Silence means consent. You encouraged her actions. I dare say you enjoyed my suffering. Don't think I don't know how you feel about me." She sneered when he showed a hurt expression.

"That gaze you always give me whenever we meet. Especially when I am not being 'ladylike' you always look at me like you are seeing a ghost. Just admit that you hate me."

"Are you sure you are ten name days?" The tone she uses doesn't waver even at his displeasure.

"What I am, is fed up with everything. After what happened I am completely without faith in this family." She said with her eyes becoming teary. Hating herself for being weak to cry now in front of the enemy.

"I am sorry for what happened to you Olivia and the fact that you had to kill someone at 10 name days must be difficult for you." He comforted.

"Those things were not humans. I butchered two animals and if I come across things like them again in the future, my stone knife will open skulls even if it is the king of the world. Take that as a promise Lord Stark." She said frowning in displeasure.

"You are right and I have sent a letter demanding an explanation from the lord of Riverland." He said in anger. 

"You do realize the whole thing was probably his idea?" Olivia tilted her head.

"How do you figure?" Ned frowned.

"My apologies but your wife has a weak mind. It is very easy to brainwash people like her." She saw his frown and hurried to explain.

"Think about it. When she was young her mother was dead and her father was busy only paying attention to the heir. The people around her at the time were her sister, that Baelish fellow, the Septa. The Septa whispering words of the seven to her the entirety of her childhood."

"She turned into a fanatic follower of the seven because of it. The teachings are imbued deep in her mind like poison. All it takes is a light push and she would do anything as long at it aligned with her beliefs or someone she trusted gave her an idea." She explained to him.

Seeing his silence she didn't say anything else.

"Look for her correspondents with any of her 'trusted' advisors and you will make your own judgment about whether I am wrong or right. In any case me and her can never coexist because of her beliefs." She covered herself with a blanket and turned around. A clear dismissal.

Ned left her room deeply moved. He didn't want to believe that his wife has been brainwashed but her actions are excessive to say the least. He launched an investigation and found a stack of letters in their bedroom and before she can stop him, he went out.

When he got to his office he read all the letters and became shocked. The one who gave her this idea was her sister Lysa Tully and for some reason Petyr Baelish agreed. They sent her several compelling letters instructing her what to do and when to do it.

"I'll be dammed. Olivia was right. His wife is brainwashed and can be made to do anything by the people she trusts." He felt the strength in his legs weaken. 

The man named Baelish even told her to send the girl to him so she can become one of his whores just like her mother probably was.

"This all too much, was Caitlyn really willing to do this to an innocent child?" He finally understood that his wife is a ticking time bomb. She must not interact with this man. Her letters to her sister must all go through him first from now on.

"Ned." Caitlyn couldn't stand up but tried to sit up when she saw her husband coming in with the stack of letters in his hand. Ned watched the fire in the room for a long time without saying anything.

"Were you going to do it? Send an innocent child, with my blood, the blood of the old Winter kings to become a whore in Kings landing?" He pinned her with a hard stare.

His anger became apparent when she couldn't muster an answer, she felt choked up. "Why are you protecting her so much? She is just a sinful child who will bring harm to your legitimate children. Ned, I was only thinking about our family.." Then she saw it, actual tears from her husband.

"My blood, the blood of your husband whom you swore to love and obey was to be used and abused by men at their leisure Cat? You are actually this evil? I have been with such an evil woman all this time?" Ned felt like he is going to throw up.

Lady Caitlyn heard her husband's words and felt like she was struck by lightning. "Did...did you just call me evil?" She didn't get and answer but saw Ned vomit all over the floor.

"From now on, you will not teach the children your hateful faith. You are the lady of Winterfell but you will no longer be my wife from this day forward until I see change in you." Ned spoke each word as if a heavenly judge making Caitlyn Tully feel suffocated with each word out of his mouth.

"You will do this for a bastard Ned? Strip me of my title just for this? Hehe..you mist have loved that woman." She said in obvious outrage but Ned shoved the mirror stand on his side with one powerful push making the wooden stand and the mirror fall to the ground. The mirror breaking into several pieces. Caitlyn shut her mouth.

"If you receive one letter from anyone without it first passing through me. I will pack your bags and push you into the carriage myself headed for the Riverland. Do you hear me?" He walked towards her menacingly.

Caitlyn swallowed a painful lump on her throat and agreed quickly. It didn't make Ned feel any better, instead he seemed to get angrier. "Speak!"

"I understand."

"I will hire a Northerner to teach the children their customs and that Septa should pack her bags. Immediately. As soon as you recover, you will sleep in another room. I will not come near you until I see improvement." He slammed the door on his way out.

.....