Entry Thirty-Two

Date: March 22, 300 After Landing, Winter, Long Winter

Location: Winterfell

My belief that Theon could be reasonable has been shattered. After I sat down and discussed the situation with him, he flew off the handle and ranted about his "birthright." It doesn't matter that his sister had been ruling for months, led a war campaign that would have been successful without my intervention, or that he has absolutely zero influence on an island that he hasn't seen in more than ten years. He is the "rightful king" or the Isles. I pointed out to him that the North fought a war against the last people to make that claim, and with an attitude like his it was likely we would have to fight a third, which made him shut up and stomp off to his room in the castle.

The Queen thinks we should just let him go, but I think that would just cause the peace and respect we finally earned from the Islands to be squandered. Asha on the other hand, after I explained what was happening here, thinks we should continue to hold Theon as a "hostage" to keep the peace. Additionally, she is mentioning how she would like to formalize the North-Islands alliance with an arranged marriage. Though I think (hope) her quip about making me a "salt-husband" was only a joke. Theon seems the likely marriage candidate, but I'm not sure to whom he should wed.

Things at the Wall sound like they are going well. The first group of Wildings has volunteered to join the New Nights Watch, the new Watcher's on the Wall who will do ranging and other combat duties. King Eddard writes that in another month everything should be well handled and he can return to Winterfell, leaving Great Jon Umber and a few thousand men at the Wall to watch Mance and help defend it should the rumored "Others" appear. And with little else to do here, I may soon journey there to help.

Actually, with Winter just now starting and with the weather on the coast likely to be more mild than here in the heart of the continent, I may take a trip to Sea Dragon Point. And take a few hundred workers with me. As I understand it, the town is named for a ship that ran aground here several thousand years ago, and its crew found some ruins of the First Men there. At least one of the original walls should still be standing. Perhaps I can get a jumpstart on building my home and watching after the people entrusted to me.

I have to admit, I'm a little scared. I've always been a leader of soldiers, I'm not sure how well I will do at leading a state.