Pentos, Essos
The room was warm, heavy with the scent of exotic incense. Rich furnishings filled the space—silks and velvets draped over chairs and tables, golden candelabras casting flickering light. Aryan had met Illyrio Mopatis before, and he was not the kind of man he would ever trust.
I have to make sure that whatever is spoken here never reaches his ears.
The Targaryens were in exile, living under constant threats of assassins, but at least they were living comfortably—honestly better than some lords in Westeros.
Opposite him sat the last remnants of House Targaryen.
Rhaella Targaryen, once a queen, now a weary woman with silver-gold hair streaked with grey. Survival had taken its toll. She had lived through madness, exile, and war. Aryan could see the wariness in her, the way her fingers tensed against her lap. She was cautious, perhaps even afraid of him.
Beside her sat Aegon. The boy who would be king. He didn't have any Dornish features, but Aryan could see traces of Princess Elia in him. He had seen her portrait in Sunspear. The boy's fingers twitched ever so slightly, a barely perceptible tremor. He was afraid of him.
Daenerys, still a child, sat close to her mother, watching him with curiosity. She did not yet know the world for what it was, but she would soon enough.
Standing behind them like a loyal dog was Jon Connington. Aryan had heard of his love for the "silver prince" and he knew the man would do anything to protect Aegon. There was little to say about Jon—he was a man who had lost everything and was trying desperately to hold on to whatever he had left.
They all feared him. Even here, across the Narrow Sea, his reputation had reached them. Perhaps it was because of what he had done. Perhaps it was because he had come here himself. Either way, they knew that he was not here for idle conversation.
Aryan leaned back in his chair, amusement flickering across his face. His violet eyes swept across them. I will send them the details of that Valyrian potion which counters every negative traits due to incest, if this meeting turns out to be a success.
"I assume you want to know why I am here."
Aegon was the first to speak, though there was uncertainty in his voice. "To judge us? To see if we are like my grandfather and father or not?"
Aryan let out a short breath. If this is how they will behave, they can forget the Iron Throne. Fear would not serve them in Westeros. And if Aegon thought himself ready, he was dead wrong.
Aryan's lips curled into a smile. "I prefer to call it an evaluation." He let them process it before continuing. "When Robert Baratheon dies, Westeros will be plunged into chaos. No one can stop that. In fact, many are nudging it towards that. You know this as well as I do. Varys is doing this too, if you don't already know. And I assume you plan to seize the throne in that chaos."
After a silence Rhaella met his gaze. "And what do you want, Lord Stark?"
"I want what is best for the North," Aryan said simply.
"And what would that be?" Rhaella asked.
"In an ideal world, an independent North. But we do not live in an ideal world." Aryan's voice was calm. "I make decisions for the long term benefit, not fleeting ambitions. The North will remain a vassal of the Iron Throne—but only in name. We will send a token tax to keep up appearances, but our laws will remain our own. The Iron Throne will have no authority in the North. No lord of yours will hold land there. The North will answer only to its own. In some situations we will act as one, but in majority situations we will act as separate."
"In return, we will not rise against you. We will not contest your claims. We will not side against your enemies. We will discuss all the details today, to ensure that nothing is left to chance." His gaze hardened. "No loopholes. No misunderstandings."
Jon Connington roared. "You expect us to let the North stand apart?" he said, he was in disbelief. "That is not how the Seven Kingdoms work."
Aryan turned his gaze to him, unimpressed. "The North has always been different. What I demand is not unreasonable. In fact, I am being very generous. You should be grateful for that."
Silence fell over the room. They were thinking, weighing their options. They had little choice, really. They knew that he also knew this.
It was Rhaella who spoke first. "And if we refuse?"
Aryan smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes "Then you will find out what it means to have me as an enemy instead of simply neutral." His message was clear. "I am not your foe, Queen Rhaella. But do not mistake me for your friend, either. My mother loved Princess Elia like a sister, but that does not mean I will bow to you. My betrothal to Arianne Martell does not mean I will fight for you. I will make my own choices."
Aegon exhaled slowly. "You believe I succeed in taking the Iron Throne back."
Aryan's expression did not change. "I believe you have a chance. And if you succeed, it would be better to have the North at peace rather than against you."
Jon Connington still looked like he wanted to argue, but Rhaella raised a hand to silence him. "And what of Dorne?" she asked. "Do they know your intentions? You are betrothed to Arianne Martell. That means your interests are aligned."
Aryan smiled. "No. That betrothal happened for another reason. I also want to see Tywin Lannister's legacy crumble before his eyes, to watch his house burn and be torn down piece by piece before he gets the sweet release of death. And there are… other reasons as well. This betrothal was non-negotiable for House Martell. They wanted to make sure that I would remain their ally. I also had my own non-negotiable demands. But do not think that just because House Lannister falls, the Iron Throne will be handed to you. You will have enemies."
"I am not with you. I am simply settling my own scores," Aryan said.
Rhaella was silent for a long moment. Then she nodded. "You are right. We need to discuss this further. Every detail must be clear. We cannot leave anything to chance, otherwise it can turn out to be ugly."
Jon Connington still looked like he wanted to argue but was stopped.
And so the real conversation began.
It stretched late into the night, every clause and concession examined thoroughly. Aryan made sure there was no ambiguity. The North would remain apart, a principality for appearances, but a separate kingdom in spirit. Separate in majority of cases, together in some.
As the meeting drew to a close, Aryan rose to his feet.
"Before I leave, I will say this as a courtesy." His gaze flicked to Aegon and Daenerys. "Westeros is not kind to the weak. Gain experience. Learn. If you go into this war blind, you will be devoured before you ever reach King's Landing. I have a contact here who is loyal to me. Learn from her. Get experience in politics."
He turned to Jon Connington. "Find a way to get Prince Aegon real battle experience. Retaking the Iron Throne will not be a walk in the park. No one will hand it to you. You must take it by force."
A final glance at Rhaella. "I give this advice only because my mother loved Elia Martell. Do not waste it."
"The game is already in motion," he said as he started walking. "Best not to be caught unprepared."
With that, he strode to the door.
And then, he was gone.
Braavos, Essos
As he was flying around Braavos, they had seen the Marauder docked in the harbor. So, they had quickly descended. Aryan had dropped Melisandre and Kinvara near the Red Temple, giving them enough gold to get by for months without being frugal. He told Kinvara to come to the North within a few months, by the time he had returned to Winterfell from King's Landing. They both agreed. Melisandre will also soon start to work on her task.
After that, Aryan and Marwyn quickly started to walk through the streets of Braavos. Braavos comprised a hundred islands linked together by small stone bridges spanning the many canals throughout the city. The houses in the humbler regions were tightly packed together, even over the canals. It reminded Aryan of Venice. Soon they reached the docks and went aboard the Marauder. The guards quickly alerted Lord Wyman of their presence.
"Lord Stark, when I received your letter telling me that you would take one more month to come, I was very worried. We had been staying here since I got your letter. I was preparing to send several of our men in search of you. I hope everything is fine," Wyman asked.
"Yes, Wyman, everything is okay. We took a quick detour to Pentos and Qohor; otherwise, we would have reached earlier," Aryan told Wyman. He then showed him Frostbite, his Valyrian steel sword. Wyman was impressed.
"This is beautiful, Lord Stark," he said, admiring the weapon.
"You know, I was even able to get one blacksmith to come to the North and work for us," Aryan informed him.
"Impressive. A blacksmith who knows how to work on Valyrian steel in our lands, we are indeed fortunate," Wyman said. "When do we go to the Iron Bank?"
"Let me change my dress and get washed. We can leave immediately. I would prefer if we started our journey back today itself. I miss our home and the family," Aryan said.
"Don't we all," Wyman smiled. "By then, I will have the ship restocked."
Aryan remembered what Marwyn had told him about the Iron Bank as they concluded their business and Lord Wyman went out.
The Iron Bank was founded by sixteen men and seven women who hid valuables in an abandoned iron mine shortly after the foundation of Braavos. As the iron mine's chambers filled with treasures, a bank was formed to utilize the wealth. Each of the twenty-three founders had a key to these great subterranean vaults, and their descendants—now numbering at least one thousand—are known as 'keyholders' who proudly display ceremonial keys on formal occasions. Other powerful Braavosi own shares in the bank, sit on its secret councils, and have a voice in selecting the men who lead it.
Though all the Free Cities have their own banks, the Iron Bank is richer and more powerful than the others combined and has a fearsome reputation when collecting debts. When princes or kings default on their debts or are foolish enough not to honor their agreements with the Iron Bank, the Iron Bank supports new princes and kings to appear. These new princes and kings then honor the previous debt along with paying back the money the bank loaned them in claiming their new power, lest they suffer the same fate as their predecessors.
Now only Aryan and the bank representatives remained.
"I want to open an account here in the name of Stark of Winterfell," Aryan told them.
"Of course. How much money are we talking about?" the representatives asked.
Aryan pointed them toward the twenty boxes he had brought. The bank representative raised his eyebrow at that and got up, opening the first box. His jaw dropped suddenly. The other bank employees present quickly came toward them and they shared the same surprise. They quickly opened the other boxes as well, revealing that all of them contained precious gems.
These precious gems were the ones he had gathered from Valyria. One good thing about the Iron Bank was its utmost secrecy. They never asked too many questions. He had kept gold and some gems to be taken back, but decided that he did not need most of them. So, he decided to sell them, and who better than the Iron Bank?
"Would you please give us some time, My Lord?" they asked him, to which he agreed. Immediately, they went out and brought jewelers who began to check the authenticity and value of the gems. After a lot of deliberation, they came to a fixed price.
"The Iron Bank is willing to buy all these stones for a sum of fifty million," they said. Aryan agreed, not keen on much bargaining. Due to such a large sum, he was also able to procure a share in the Iron Bank and a seat in its body.
"Now that this is all finished, I have another task for you. I want twenty galleys to be built as soon as possible," he told them, showing them the last crate full of gold ingots. Jaqen had told him that the work given through the Iron Bank had the highest priority and would get done faster.
The bank representatives discussed with him the requirements and finally agreed upon a price. "Deliver them to Vaelaro Morellis, the First Magister of Lys."
After the meeting, he went out. Lord Wyman was waiting for him there.
"Is everything all right, My Lord?" Wyman asked.
"Of course. I was just discussing with them about their workings. I wanted to open a bank for the North only," he told him as they walked toward the harbor to board the Marauder and return home.
Kingslanding, Crownsland
They were assembled at the docks with the Robert. Robert looked excited and restless. The ship was visible at a distance.
Ned always had that effect on him Jon mused. Robert had not touched any drink or any whore since today. He wanted to be completely sober when he met his friend. Cersei was noticeably absent. She never liked Eddard. Renly was absent as usual attending a tourney somewhere in Reach. Grandmaester Pycelle was also not present due to his frail health. The rest of them Stannis, Varys and Petyr were present.
Soon the Northern ship came and docked. Immediately Robert sped forward with Ser Barristan Selmy shadowing behind. A plank was lowered and out stepped Ned followed by the hulking Lord of the Last Hearth Greatjon Umber.
"Ned!" Robert exclaimed and hugged his friend. "You are back. So much time has passed. Where were you?"
"Guarding the North for my nephew Your Grace." He answered with a bow.
"I am pretty sure this was the same reply you gave when Robert asked the same question last time you met." Jon said interrupting them.
Ned shrugged. "It is the truth. And it is good to see you Jon." Ned hugged Jon.
Ned proceeded to greet the small council members present. Varys just bowed his head. Littlefinger had the same smirk on his face. Finally Ned went to Stannis.
"Prince Stannis. We meet again? How are you?" Ned asked politely.
"As good as I am Regent CailStark." Stannis replied grinding his teeth. "Welcome to Kingslanding."
Same old Stannis. He will break before he bends Jon shook his head. Seeing Robert open his mouth again to engage Ned he interrupted them, "Robert we have time. Let us go to the Red Keep. We can talk on the way."
Robert shook his head sheepishly then started to lead the way inside. Soon the whole party fell behind. Ser Barristan followed Robert like shadow. Greatjon did the same with Ned. As they were inside the city walls Jon asked Ned, "When do you think young Aryan will arrive?"
"I am sure they must reach within the week." Ned told them.
"My birds tell me Lord Aryan had taken a quick journey to Qohor My Lords before they started their return journey." Varys chirped.
"Now why did he go there?" Robert asked.
"He must have his reasons Robert. Perhaps we can ask him when he arrives. Then he will swear his loyalty to you and take his rightful place as the Warden of North." Ned said in a proud voice.
Soon they reached the Red Keep. They all went different ways with Robert ordering Ned to meet for dinner.
_____________________________________________________________________
With a moan Cersie climaxed and fell on Jaime's chest. Both of them started to catch their breath, after their pleasant lovemaking. Once she got her breath undercontrol, Cersie rolled down to the bed while Jaime put an arm across her. They stayed like that for some time.
"It seems I must be thankful to Eddard Cailstark. He has taken Robert's attention, and now I have got you all for myself after a long time," Jaime quipped.
"You are right in that. It is the reason I sent for you in the first place. With the 'Quiet Dog' here, Robert will be running behind him," Cersei said, standing up in all her glory and going towards the table to pour some wine.
Even after so many years, her beauty still amazes me Jaime thought. Cersei saw Jaime's gaze and winked at him. Shaking his head, he asked, "You are quite harsh on him, Cersei. I thought you started to like the them after they gifted you that glass bust of yours. You did not leave its side for quite a few days."
Cersei laughed harshly. "Make no mistake, Jaime, just because those wolves gave us some wonderful gifts, as they should as loyal subjects, does not mean that I like them. We are lions, and we stay above the others."
"And what about what father asked you?" Jaime asked.
"What do you mean?" Cersei asked innocently.
"Don't play games with me. You know what I mean. To make Robert establish a royal alliance with the Starks, and that means Myrcella to Aryan Stark," Jaime pressed on.
Suddenly, Cersei's face flushed, and her eyes gained a fury. "No children of mine will go to those barren lands ruled by savages. I already have to deal with Robert trying to have sweet Joffrey or Tommen being fostered by the Starks. Now father too. I will not have it."
Jaime asked, confused, "Why, Cersei? What is wrong with that? Getting an alliance with the now powerful Northern Realms through marriage or fostering will be beneficial for us. Fostering has produced great men. Look at Father, or Robert, or even Eddard Cailstark for that matter. Even Aryan Stark can be said to be fostered in some way by his uncle. Joffrey and Tommen would be benefited from it. Especially considering some of the things I am hearing about Joffrey these days."
"Lies and lies, all of them. My sweet Joffrey is going to be a great king. Whatever the sheep say will not stop him from his destiny. And you will stand by his side, protecting him, my sweet brother," she said while giving him a kiss, and then climbed on to his lap pushing his cock into her love tunnel.
And just like that, Jaime decided to forgo the matter, more interested in pleasing his sister. Cersei's tried-and-tested method to make Jaime do her bidding never failed.
"One more thing, my sweet brother," Cersei asked suddenly, stopping herself.
Panting with lust, Jaime gasped. "Anything for you."
"Certain events may happen in the coming days. Whatever it may be, you will stay close to me, dear brother, and will not interfere," she ordered.
The things I do for love he thought and said, "I will always remain by your side."
Cersei smiled, and in that moment, she looked very beautiful. "I know I can always count on you, Jaime." And they resumed their activities.
_________________________________________________________________
At the same time in the King's chambers, two friends along with their mentor were gathered, enjoying themselves. While Ned and Jon Arryn were simply sipping their wine, Robert had already gobbled several glasses of it and now was quite drunk.
"I crave for moments like these to happen," Robert mumbled.
"It seems like that life after war has not been kind to you, Robert," Ned said.
Thumping his glass onto the table, Robert roared, "You are right, Ned. I hate my fucking life. I am a warrior. But I am wasting myself sitting on a damned Iron chair as a King. I never wanted to be a King."
"The realm needed a strong King after the defeat of the Targaryens. You are that person. You have brought peace and prosperity to the realm, Robert, so be proud of yourself," Jon added from his place.
"Fuck that. Fuck prosperity. Fuck the realm. Even if someone else had been King, the realm could have found peace. Now I am here in this damned city which stinks of shit from millions. I am surrounded by lickspittles and traitors. I envy you, Ned. Look at you. You have a more happy life in the North, surrounded by a loving family," Robert said, looking forlorn.
"Everyone loves their family. I am sure your family also loves you very much," Ned said, trying to placate him.
Robert gave out a bitter laugh. "You don't know anything, Ned. There is no love between my family. And I accept I have a small part in that. Look at Cersei. I can proudly say that she is one of the most beautiful woman in the realm, but she hates me. She guards her cunt so closely that sometimes I wonder how she gave me three children. And she keeps them away from me. And about my brothers Stannis and Renly, the less said the better. I know about Stannis. He hates me, but he is honest. He will never go against me. And Renly, my favourite little brother. But sometimes I can see the disgust in his eyes towards me."
Ned suddenly felt bad about Robert and looked towards Jon. His mentor had aged much trying to manage the realm for Robert. He then turned to Robert and said, "There is still time. You could talk to them and redeem yourself in their eyes. They will forgive you."
"You are really naive, Ned. That time has passed. Now I have to manage with what I have left. I used to feel alive in a battle. But we do not have battles or fights. Along with a shitty life here, I have resorted to wine and whores. They keep me sane and alive to an extent or I would have gone mad long ago. Did you know Cersei had hinted to me several times to abdicate the throne and give it to Joffrey? So that the Old Lion, Tywin, can have his clutches on the realm as the Hand of the new King. I will not allow him that satisfaction. I will remain the King at least to spite Tywin."
"Now let us leave my sorry state. What about you and your brood?" Robert asked.
Ned's mood brightened at that. He was proud of his family. He leaned back in his chair and then started to talk. "I have to say I am content with my life. Cat has given me five wonderful children. Robb, your namesake, has been sent to Barrowtown for fostering. He also went to battle. He is a good lad. Sansa is growing to be a pretty lady under the guidance of Cat. Arya is a very wild child who despises the ways of a lady, completely opposite to that of Sansa and always gives Catelyn trouble. Bran is keen on becoming a Knight. And baby Rickon is still clutching the skirts of his mother. And before you ask, Benjen and his wife Dacey are doing fine in Wolfbay."
"I envy your life. I am wasting my life here while you are content. But I am still happy for you, my friend," Robert said.
Jon said "I must also say you have aged well. You do not look like a person burdened by his duties. I had thought that you would be very busy as the Regent of the North"
"Aryan has proven quite capable of managing the North. So I have left him to do as he wants. Not once has he given me a reason to regret that decision. So that leaves me quite a lot of time. Even with managing Moat Cailin and Starkhaven in these days of peace, I am quite content with my life," Ned said.
Jon Arryn leaned forward and asked, "Are you sure it was wise to give your nephew full freedom to do as he wished? He is quite young. Even older and experienced men need guidance to rule. Look at Robert."
Robert exclaimed at that while Ned smiled. "I know what you mean. But Aryan has proved himself efficient and capable. Even you know that. All the Northern Lords are behind him. He has changed the North from a barren wasteland to a powerful and prosperous Kingdom. He has also shown his prowess in battles that men are ready to follow him. What more?"
Jon was about to say something, but Robert bellowed, "Come on, Jon. Don't be so pessimistic. The lad has quite proven himself very capable. With his gifts, he has also managed to charm Cersei. At least she does not call you Northerners dogs, which is an accomplishment."
"Of course, Robert, I will leave the matter," Jon said, and then turning to Ned, he asked, "Tell me again why Aryan went to Essos?"
"The boy has the Wolfblood like his father Brandon. He likes traveling. Since he would be busy after taking his title as the Warden of the North, he decided to see the world before that. I allowed him. He has taken Lord Wyman with him to establish some trade with the Free Cities," Ned said.
"Very wise of him. But I thought that the North is getting enough already through trade. What more does he want?" Jon asked skeptically.
"Aryan wants to bring more trade to the North to use the untapped resources of the North. But most importantly, he wants to bring food for the long winters. While we have enough, it is the Winters that are the problem. If we have long Winters, the stored food will deplete." Ned said. While he respected Jon Arryn, Ned was not foolish enough to divulge everything about his nephew's plans. He was sure Aryan had many plans which Ned was not privy to. But he trusted his nephew.
"The Reach was clamoring, saying that you were not buying their food. They had sent repeated letters asking for the Iron Throne's interference in this matter. Even now few lords are saying that the North is purchasing food in dirt cheap rates," Jon told him.
"For several centuries we were dependent on them for our food. They bled us dry knowing we were dependent on them. They flourished while we suffered. Now that we are sustaining ourselves, how dare they accuse us?" Ned asked incredulously.
"It is politics, Ned. To maintain peace in the realm, concessions have to be made. Consider what I have said," Jon told him amicably.
Ned suddenly felt anger at that. "I didn't see any concessions from the Iron Throne which would have helped the North to survive the Winter. Why should we consider now?"
"Enough, Jon. Ned is right. Those fucking Reach Lords do not like the fact that they are suddenly losing their wealth. Next time any of the Reach Lords come here, send him to me. I will deal with them," Robert told Jon. Jon nodded at that resignedly.
Suddenly, Ned asked, "That reminds me. We have sent repeated letters about the pirate attacks from the Three Sisters. Why have you not responded yet?"
Jon Arryn shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable with the subject. "Well, Ned, truthfully saying the Three Sisters are not in our complete control. We have tried for many past years to bring them to heel but failed."
"That is very irresponsible of you, Jon. How can you say that?" Ned asked, aghast.
"I agree with Ned. Say the word and I will bring them to heel. Let them face my fury," Robert asked excitedly.
"The Lords of the Eastern coast have been asking Aryan to do something about it. Aryan had temporarily assigned our Naval fleet to guard the sea while asking me to speak to you. But still, the attacks continue sometimes. If you do not do something soon, then we will have to deal with the problem ourselves. The results of which you will not like," Ned warned.
"Give me some time, Ned. I will see to it," Jon said tiredly.
"Don't take it personally, Jon. But sometimes the affairs of Kingdoms take precedence," Ned told him, to which Jon smiled.
They continued to talk for a few more hours.