The Rebirth of the Dragons - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Eddard Stark. 284AC

Ned signed another document and then massaged his hand, he never thought spending his days dealing with parchment, quill and the administration of the realm would be more exhausting than fighting in a war but he was quickly proved wrong. The last year had been difficult but rewarding in equal measures, from the problems that came with trying to improve the North, to the happiness that came with the birth of his son, a feeling he would relive in a few months since Ashara was pregnant again.

They named the little one Brandon, if it wasn’t for his brother he would never had gotten to know Ashara, he wouldn’t be betrothed to her by the time the war started and then he would have to marry Catelyn Tully. It felt right to name his first born after his brother, Brandon was supposed to rule Winterfell not him so a Brandon would rule after him.

And then there was Benjen, once he told his brother the truth of what happened in Dorne, not the lie he helped propagate throughout the realm that Lyanna had die but the full truth of what happened between her and Rhaegar, how Lya was still alive and with a little girl of her own, their niece Visenya, Ben immediately decided to travel to the free cities to be with their sister. Remembering Ned of what their father always used to say “The lone wolf dies but the pack survives Ned, you are building your pack with Ashara now. Lya is the lone wolf, away from her home, from her family. You are needed here, you are the Stark in Winterfell, I am needed there with our sister, she needs her pack”.

Those were the exact words Ben told him and Ned sent him with his blessings and a modest amount of gold the help him along the way, Ashara had an idea to help explain why Ben was going to the free cities and also help protect Lyanna since it was quite possible for assassins to be sent after her if she was ever discovered. So following Ashara’s idea Benjen went through the whole North gathering men for his new sellsword company, he managed to gather twelve hundred men, a good number considering the war they just had, and then they left from White harbor to Braavos, some of the men whose loyalty was assured, third or fourth sons of noble houses, some Snows also from the noble houses were told the truth, they would be tasked with protecting Lyanna. The rest of the men would be fighting dothraki or some pointless war over some insignificant piece of land like the free cities usually have, never knowing they could be called at a moment’s notice to protect Lyanna or her daughter, if that was ever needed. He didn’t envy Benjen, the job of explaining to men of the North they would have to fight for a Targaryen would be a difficult one.

And then there was the task that consumed most of his time this last year, improving the North, its economy and more importantly its defenses, he knew he would have to fight another war in a couple of decades at the latest so he needed to prepare his land for said war.

The most important was solving their overreliance on food from the Reach especially in the winter so he ordered the construction of glass gardens like the ones in Winterfell all over the North, this would greatly diminish their need to import food. But glass is expensive, only a few places all over the know world produce glass and the north is not one of those, so they needed more gold and while the mountains of the North were rich in iron, copper, precious stones and even some silver. Gold was hard to find north of the neck, so they had to make that gold trough trade.

In theory it wouldn’t be difficult the North had a lot to trade with the rest of the world, northern fur is an expensive product all over essos, they also produced good ale and mead, large amounts of charcoal which is always needed especially in the winter could also be traded, but more importantly was wood, they had truly massive amounts of wood, the wolfswood alone was almost as large as Dorne and that’s just one of their forests, with the lack of good wood in Essos it was more expensive than almost anything in the free cities.

The problem was that everything they could sell was on the west coast which made trade with Essos a long and expensive endeavor cutting almost all the profit that could be made.

Transporting the goods on land to White harbor was ineffective even with the new road he ordered built between Barrowton and White Harbor.

It would take two more years until the road was completed, once it was it would be a road the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the time of the valyrian freehold, big enough so eight oxen-pulled carts could travel side by side, large slabs of stone with mortar filling the gaps, drainage ditches in all of its extension an perfectly marked by milestones. Its cost was the same as the building of a medium sized castle but the return in increased trade would be tenfold.

Another large project was the expansion of farmland.

Another of Ashara’s ideas was to encourage small farm communities but in a uniform way, following a template that would be both easy to expand and tax, and already the smallfolk were using this new template, farm communities were being build all over the kingsroad between Winterfell and Cerwyn.

Providing the smallfolk with farming tools and work animals was another huge drain on the coffers but it would pay for itself in a few years.

The vaults of Winterfell were filled with gold when he returned from the war. The Starks hadn’t built a large project since the lordship of Cregan Stark. Now with all the infrastructure projects he ordered built they were almost empty.

But the payoff would be massive once they were completed. It would increase trade, taxation and encourage population growth, something the north desperately need because despite being the largest of the seven kingdoms the population of The North was only larger than the Iron Isles.

Then there were the improvements to the defense of his land.

Most of it would not be built until the other projects were already completed but the plans were already finished, priority would be given to defensive structures instead of a reform to the northern army and even then some projects were more important than others, chief among them was the reconstruction of Moat Cailin.

Right behind it in terms of importance was expanding the fleet of houses Manderly and Karstark and the construction of a western fleet.

With the moat rebuild the only way to attack the north would be by sea, so a strong presence on both the shivering sea and the sunset sea was needed.

The shivering fleet as it was being named was easy enough to improve; the shipbuilding infrastructure was already in place on both White Harbor and Karhold, the sunset fleet on the other hand would be much more difficult to build. There were no true shipyards on the western coast, Bear Island had a small one not big enough to support a true fleet like he wanted so they would need to build a new one and he already had a place in mind and someone to be in charge of it.

The burned bay on the Stony Shore, the same one were Brandon “the shipwright” build his fleet and his son Brandon “the burner” burned the remaining ships once his father disappeared, the event were the bay earned its current name.

The shipyards would be built there and a new castle would be build to look over it and the lands nearby, he was planning to give said castle to Wendel Manderly. The second son of Lord Manderly would establish a new house there. The Manderly knight conducted himself well in the war and being the son of a Manderly and fostered in The Arbor by Lord Runceford Redwyne he was perfect for the role, the problem would be his other vassals would complain about a new house in the north who were followers of the faith.

He felt something poke his head and looked to up to see his wife looking at him in concern from the other side of his desk.

“What has you so worried that you didn’t even see me enter the room love” Ashara said.

He took a moment to look at his wife, she looked beautiful in her blue dress, her violet eyes shining with a light of their own and her raven black hair done in a elaborated braid.

“Just thinking of a way to explain to my bannermen how i want to grant a noble title to a new house in the north that follows the seven.” Ned responded.

“You have another of your brilliant ideas to help me with this?” he asked.

Ashara gave a little awkward chuckle, “If i had a way to be respected by the northern lords as a follower of the faith i would have used it myself” she responded.

Ned was about to respond when she interrupted him.

“No Ned, i already told you i don’t want your help with it, this is something that will solve itself with time as they get to know me and realize that i’m not that different from a northern woman.” she said.

“It is actually quite funny how since coming to Winterfell i realized that despite having completely different climate and being as far away from each other as can be in Westeros the people from The North are not that different to Dorne.” Ashara said.

“How so?” Ned asked.

“Well in both lands the smallfolk actually like and trust their ruling houses, something that can’t be said about the rest of Westeros, another reason is the absolute respect that both Martells and Starks receive of their vassals, there is not much politics and potential traitors among your bannermen the same as in Dorne. The women of The North are fierce and most of them train with a sword or spear again the same as in Dorne. The only major difference i can see is that you northerners are all prudes when it comes to sex.” She said with a smirk, enjoying how red in the face her husband got with that last comment.

Ned tried to fight his blush, the Lord of Winterfell should not be blushing like a maiden.

“And the dornish are seen as degenerates by the rest of the seven kingdoms, i think that six of the seven being right and one being wrong is more likely.” He replied.

“No it is not, the six are wrong. As i told you before if you have a chance to make someone’s day more pleasurable you should always take it.” She said.

“That’s just something we will have to agree to disagree then, i still don’t understand how you want me to lay with that servant girl. Shouldn’t a wife want her husband to be faithful?” Ned asked.

“Ned you should have expected this of me, you married a dornish woman after all. I will respect you and our marriage and will never again lay with another men but don’t tell me you wouldn’t enjoy if i brought a woman to our bedchamber for us to share every once in awhile” Ashara said smiling at him, that beautiful smile that he fell in love at first sight.

“And what about bastards?” He asked trying really hard to escape this situation.

“As long as both the child and mother know they would never have a claim to our children inheritance then i don’t really care.” She said shrugging her shoulders.

“Is like my uncle Vorian once told Arthur and I. A man should always have a couple of bastards to his name. But enough about that, i can see you are not comfortable with it yet, tell me about this new house you said, maybe i can still help you with something.”

Ned gestured for her to sit by his side but she sat on his lap instead.

“Why would i sit somewhere else when there is a perfectly good one right here” She said moving her hips side to side on his lap and with a not-so-innocent smile.

“We will come back to that yet you threw in there later.” Ned said.

“As for the problem i’m facing right now, i’m thinking of giving Wendel Manderly the title of lord of the stony shore to go along with the castle to be built near the new shipyards in the west. The title has been vacant since house Fisher went extinct some 600 years ago.” He said.

“Show me in a map the lands that go along with the title, i still don’t know enough of the north’s geography.” Ashara said.

Ned moved the papers around on his desk until he found the map he was using earlier in the day. It was a detailed map of the western coast it showed the lands from the Saltspear in the south to Bear Island in the north and went inland to a line drawn on the eastern shore of the twin lakes.

“Here it is, the lands of the lord of the Stony Shore go from this large bay here close to Sea Dragon Point” he pointed at the map. “It goes inland to the outskirts of the wolfswood then it goes south until the Hjort River start at the twin lakes, then it follows the river to the coast.” Ned explained.

“The area doesn’t have much in the way of farmland but there is plenty of fish in the coast and rivers, and the hills around the twin lakes and river have probably the largest amount of game anywhere in the north, it’s were the river gets its name after all, hjort means deer in the old tongue.” He continued.

“The shipyards and new castle will be built here” he pointed to a smaller bay on the map to the south of the larger bay that marked the border of the lands. “The burned bay is a natural harbor, only Bear Island is better in the western coast.” He finished his explanation and waited to see if his wife could help him.

There was a long silence as Ashara looked at the map trying to think of something that could help, Ned took this silence to again look at his wife’s belly as he normally did these days, she was starting to show a small bulge there which if he remembered his lessons with the maester at the Eyrie right it shouldn’t be happening this early in her pregnancy, it appeared their next child would be a big one. Or maybe we are having twins, he thought laughing a little with joy.

“And what has you in such a good mood now?” asked Ashara.

“Just thinking about this little one here” he said putting his hand on her belly.

“I should kill you for putting me trough that pain again” she said with a murderous look in her eyes, then her expression change into a saucy smirk. “But i do so enjoy the process of making them.”

“And i can see the problem you’re having here” she pointed at the map. “Even with the Manderlys being in the north for hundreds of years now and being as respected as they are, a piece of land and title this large will always be divisive.” She continued.

“The best thing i can think of is to grant Ser Wendel a masterly house with control of the bay and surrounding lands and give the lordship to another from a different house, maybe a Karstark or Umber.” She finished.

“Or keep a castellan in charge of the lordship for now and save it for this little one you’re so fond of.” She said putting her hand on his one still in her belly.

“Those are all good ideas. I think i will follow your advice again.” Ned said.

“If only the lords knew a dornish woman is the one truly making the decisions in Winterfell.” he said with a laugh.

Ashara laughed with him. “They know Ned, every married lord know their wives are the ones who truly rule their household.”

She lifted herself from his lap, extended her hand towards him and said.

“Now, why don’t you join me in our bedchamber? Bran is sleeping and Old Nan is looking after him, and we had so little time to ourselves since his birth.”

He took her hand raising himself from his chair, gave her a quick kiss and said “lead the way love.”

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The moment the door closed behind them their lips crashed on each other, their tongues dancing in lust, Ned lifted his wife by her waist his hand resting on her firm behind and carried her to bed. He laid her in bed their lips still connected in a deep kiss, they stayed that way for a few minutes while their hands explored each other’s body until Ned broke the kiss and started kissing her neck going lower with each kiss drawing a moan from her while their hands worked on relieving each other of their clothes.

Once they were naked Ned went back to his favorite task of kissing every part of his wife’s body slowly going lower from her neck, to her breasts, to her slightly bulging belly. When he finally reached her entrance he started rubbing her button, his tongue moving in circular motions just the way he knows she likes.

He looked up to see his wife’s beautiful face in a haze of lust, her eyes closed and her mouth open but no sound came from it except more moans. He turned his attention back to her entrance and added two fingers to his tongue rubbing then up and down while his tongue keep working her button. Once his fingers were wet he parted her lower lips with then, going knuckle deep then started doing hook motions another favorite of hers.

“Yes, yes Ned, just like that” he heard her say and felt her hands close behind his head and he let her guide him closer, now sucking on her button instead of just using his tongue and moving his fingers faster. He heard her cries of pleasure and felt the wetness grow around his fingers then her body started to twitch uncontrollably, Ned raised his head but keep his fingers going enjoying the sight of his wife’s body shaking with pleasure.

“You’re getting really good at that love” Ashara said her voice trembling as her body came down from her orgasm.

“Now come here and kiss me while i guide you to where you belong, i need you inside me” Ashara said while getting on her side.

Ned moved and once he laid behind her he felt her hand grab his shaft guiding him inside, he kissed her as he felt himself sink in her velvet folds. They continued that way for a few minutes, Ned grabbing his wife’s leg and holding it up as he thrusted in her, their tongues battling in their mouths. Suddenly Ashara broke the kiss and moaned loudly she looked at him her eyes filled with desire, and said.

“Get on your back and let me do the work love”

Ned laid on his back and Ashara got on top of him once again guiding him inside her. He could only moan and look at her beautiful breasts as she rode him grinding her hips faster and faster until he felt himself get closer to his on release. He grabbed her behind and started thrusting in time with her movements.

“I’m close love” Ned said.

“In me Ned. I want to feel your seed inside me” Ashara said.

With a grunt and a low moan Ned released inside his wife drawing a moan from her as well, they stayed connected for a few minutes, enjoying the aftermath of their lovemaking until Ashara got up from him releasing his member from inside her and moved down towards it, putting it in her mouth and cleaning him of their shared fluids all while looking him in the eyes.

Gods he loved when she did that.

“Well that was fun” Said Ashara.

“Now imagine what it would be like if you let me invite another woman in our bed” she said with a lust filled smile.

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Ned was walking through the training grounds of Winterfell, inspecting the training of his household guard when the messenger found him.

“My lord, My lord” The boy said with his hands on his knees and difficulty to breath.

“Take a breath Walder then say your message” Ned said and watched as even short of breath the boy’s face light up at his lord knowing him by name. It was something Ned prided himself on, knowing every person who lived in Winterfell by name.

“My Lord, lady Stark request your presence in the main keep. A messenger from the night’s watch arrived asking for you” young Walder said.

Ned made a signal indicating he would be leaving to his master-at-arms Rodrik Cassel who nodded back, Ned then turned to the boy.

“Walk with me Walder. How is your mother is she enjoying her new job?”

“She loves it here milord, says it’s much better than the tavern she used to work in.”

“Well when you see her later thank her for her hard work for me, and tell her the pie from this morning was one of the best i ever tasted” Ned said.

“Thank you milord, i’m sure she will be happy to hear it.” The boy responded.

“What about you Walder, what are you doing with your days?” He asked the boy.

“I help where i can milord, sometimes i help my mother cut vegetables in the kitchens, other times I deliver messages or help carrying iron and coal to the blacksmith, sometimes when he has the time Ser Rodrik trains us servant’s kids, he says i could be better with a sword but that i’m a great bowman for my age.” The boy said with a look of pride on his face.

“That is high praise indeed Walder, Ser Rodrik is just like his father and doesn’t give praise easily. I remember when the day before i was to leave for my fostering on The Vale old Marwyn Cassel saying i handled a sword like a five year old girl.” He laughed and the boy gave a little nervous laugh with him.

They continued that way for a couple of minutes until Ned reached the main keep and entered the main hall to see his wife sat there chatting with Qhorin Halfhand, he approached Ashara from behind and gave her a kiss on the neck then sat by her side.

“Qhorin it’s been a long time since we last seen each other. How are you? How was your travel here?” Ned asked the black brother.

“I’m well enough lord Stark. The travel here was quite pleasant, i must congratulate you on your maintenance efforts, the kingsroad is in the best condition I have ever seen it.”

“I thank you for your kind words. What is the reason for your visit? Is there something I can help the night’s watch with?” He asked.

“We are always in need of more men lord Stark but that is not the reason for my visit.” The black brother said.

“About a moon ago a delegation arrived at Castle Black, it was composed of Styr Magnar of Thenn, Tormund Giantsbane, Gorne Leader of Whitetree and a few other clan leaders. When the lord commander tried to talk with then they refused saying they will only talk to the Stark of Winterfell”

Ned looked at his wife by his side, she looked at him and just nodded in understanding. Ned then turned his attention back to the black brother and said.

“I was already planning to visit the wall in the near future, i guess that is as good a reason as any to visit now instead of latter. You have our hospitality in Winterfell Qhorin i will be preparing my household guard and we will be leaving for the wall in a few days.”