Game of Thrones: The Legend of Jon Arctic - Chapter 204 - White Harbor.

[Chapter Size: 3600 Words.]

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Third Person POV

North, 297 AC.

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The Arctic ship continued toward the northern coast alone. Arya stood at its prow, gazing ahead, thinking about how she would soon return to her old home and how she would face her family after running away over seven years ago.

"Even so... I don't regret anything..." Arya murmured, the sea wind blowing her hair back.

"What is our princess thinking about, standing there all by herself?" A more mature female voice rang out as Arya glanced at the two royal guards accompanying her on this journey.

Nearby stood Grey Worm, motionless and poised, waiting for any command from Arya.

"Some things I haven't thought about in a long time, Jill," Arya replied to the royal guard.

Jill was a royal guard who was often assigned to Arya or the queens during her shifts. Beside her was a man of the same age as Jill. His name was Buri, and Arya suspected they were more than just colleagues working as royal guards since they were always together, even outside their duties.

"She’s homesick, Jill," Buri commented, while Jill smiled at Arya.

"I’ve always wanted to see Winterfell. I couldn’t go the first time the king visited, but now we’ll finally see where our princess was born," Jill said.

"I’m sure it won’t be so peaceful... you know..." Buri remarked with a somber tone, and Jill understood what he meant.

"I’ll handle my mother... don’t worry," Arya said, already aware of what he was referring to.

"I hope so, Princess... we won’t tolerate any disrespect toward King Jon," Jill stated firmly.

"Nor will I... I’ll deal with her. I’ll make our intentions clear when we arrive in White Harbor... and I’ll send a letter," Arya responded, and the royal guards nodded in agreement.

The ship continued its course, entering the region of the islands known as the Three Sisters, which belonged to the Vale of Arryn. However, the Arctic ship was much farther north, near the northern coast. Ships leaving and approaching the local ports, especially the largest port city in the North, White Harbor, noticed the Arctic flag sailing through those waters with surprise.

"What are they doing here?!"
"We should steer clear, even if it’s just one ship... they can destroy anyone."
"Yes, if the rumors are true, they have weapons that can destroy any ship and even giants aboard to do it."

Such comments were frequent as the other ships quickly distanced themselves in fear. No one wanted to get close to the Arctic ship, even if it was only one.

As the ship approached the city, a few other vessels sped ahead, reaching White Harbor and other destinations more quickly. The Arctic ship, however, didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry.

The first ships quickly docked at the city port, their crews disembarking in a rush to warn the city, trembling with fear at the possibility of an attack, given the reputation of the Arctic people.

"They’re coming! The Arctic people are here! The city might be under attack!"
"What? The Arctic people? Are you sure? Why would they be here...?"

The common folk began to worry, their eyes fixed on the sea.

"It’s just one of their ships, but that’s still bad news!" exclaimed the sailors from the earlier ships to the citizens at the port.

"Quickly, Lord Manderly must be informed!"

Without delay, men left the port, rushing into the city with warnings about the Arctic presence, leaving the population uneasy.

With the city in turmoil, word soon reached Lord Wyman Manderly, Lord of White Harbor and patriarch of House Manderly. Hearing the news with some concern, he quickly summoned his family and principal guards, though he struggled to move to the gathering place due to his massive size.

He remembered that his son, Wylis Manderly, had spoken with the Arctic people in Braavos about a year ago. Thus, he wasn’t as nervous about the single ship as others might have been.

Arriving at the hall, Wyman Manderly found his two sons, Wendel and Wylis, the latter being the father of his granddaughters Wynafryd and Wylla, who were also present along with the commanders of White Harbor’s soldiers. As Wyman settled into his chair with some difficulty, his gaze immediately fell on his eldest son.

"Listen, Wylis, do you think it could be Ned’s daughter?" Wyman guessed, and his eldest son nodded.

"Only one ship is coming, so I don’t think it could be anything else. Either it’s that, or it’s a messenger ship announcing Arya Stark’s arrival, just as I mentioned to them back in Braavos," Wylis explained to his father.

"Very well, take the men and go meet them at the port with your brother. Find out why they’re here. Meanwhile..." He turned from his son to address his guards. "Calm the city down; it’s just one ship, not an attack." He commanded, and the men dispersed to carry out his orders.

Wyman watched as Wendel and Wylis left the hall, exiting the castle and heading toward the port while House Manderly’s men worked to restore order in the city. It didn’t take long for them to reach the port, where they could finally see the single ship bearing the flag of the kingdom beyond the Wall. The ship moved steadily toward them, unhurried.

"I don’t want any trouble at the port. Let’s talk to them first and understand their reasons for being here," Wylis instructed, while some of his men spread out to maintain order in the area.

"Do you think it’s really the girl?" Wendel asked his brother.

"There’s no other reason. But I didn’t expect it would take them a year... It means they were in the South. I wonder what they were doing there," Wylis replied.

They waited as the ship approached, watching the crew work to dock it. Eventually, the vessel stopped at one of the piers, and the city, now calmer, remained captivated, with all eyes on the ship.

The Manderlys waited as the Arctic crew lowered the gangplank. Then, a figure emerged, accompanied by a group of soldiers.

It was none other than Ned’s daughter herself, clad in an Eldenmetal armor adorned with the Arctic flag’s insignia. She descended the gangplank, her sword Darksister at her waist. Two guards in similar armor followed her, along with another wearing leather armor and carrying a spear.

"Lady Arya... if you’re here..." Wylis Manderly began, his gaze shifting behind Arya, searching for the Arctic king.

"I’m here to go to Winterfell, and I’m alone," Arya said, noticing his glance.

"I see... Surely your father will be pleased to know you’ve returned to the North," Wylis replied.

"Good. I’d like to borrow one of your ravens," Arya said with an authoritative yet not arrogant tone.

"Let’s head to our castle... We can arrange that immediately. I’m sure my father will be impressed to see how Ned’s daughter has grown," Wylis offered, while Wendel seemed visibly awestruck by the Stark woman.

"Great. These are my principal guards; they’ll remain with me, along with Nymeria, my direwolf," Arya said as the nearly two-meter-tall wolf appeared, as large as a horse.

Both Manderlys swallowed hard. "Of course, Lady Arya... Please, follow us," Wylis said, and Arya nodded, beginning to follow him. The men from her ship disembarked, accompanying her.

"That..." Wendel murmured, watching the soldiers clad in leather armor, armed with spears and shields, marching in perfect coordination.

"Unsullied," Arya clarified, mounting her direwolf as the Manderlys stepped back slightly, cautious.

"You have them?!" Wylis exclaimed, clearly stunned. After all, the Unsullied were slaves, and slavery was forbidden in Westeros.

"They’re no longer slaves. Jon conquered Slaver’s Bay, and I was with him. After breaking the devices that controlled them, they simply chose to follow me," Arya explained.

"Our freedom was ensured, and we chose to serve Arya Stark with loyalty," one of the Unsullied, standing among her royal guards, clarified. He spoke in the Common Tongue, making his words easily understood.

Both brothers exchanged surprised glances but left their questions unspoken for a more appropriate moment at the castle.

They walked through the streets of White Harbor as the entire population gazed at them, their eyes a mixture of shock and admiration. The group was led by Lord Manderly’s sons, followed by the Unsullied and other Arctic guards marching behind Arya.

The castle was only a few minutes away. Waiting for them were two young girls—Wylis’s daughters—whom Arya remembered from more than seven years ago in Winterfell. The girls stared at Arya with wide eyes, clearly awestruck. She appeared imposing atop her giant wolf, clad in Eldenmetal armor reminiscent of Ghost’s.

Arya dismounted her wolf, and her men followed suit. Nymeria stayed with the other Unsullied in the castle courtyard, waiting for further orders.

Arya joined her three primary guards and proceeded to where Wendel and Wylis awaited her, accompanied by Wynafryd, Wylla, and a woman, presumably Wylis’s wife.

"Lady Arya, it’s a pleasure to have you here. You’ve certainly grown, and I doubt there’s anyone more beautiful in the North—or perhaps even in the Seven Kingdoms!" the young girls and their mother greeted her, clearly astonished by Arya’s transformation. She was no longer the hyperactive girl they had met seven years ago during their last visit to Winterfell before her escape.

"Thank you for your kind words, ladies. And I must admit, you’ve all become very beautiful as well... I don’t see Wyman Manderly here," Arya remarked, turning to Wylis.

"My father isn’t here due to his condition, Lady Arya. We apologize for any offense..." Wylis replied.

"No offense was taken, Lord Wylis," Arya assured him.

"Let’s head inside. My father is waiting for us, and we’ll make sure you’re received as best we can," Wylis said, guiding her into the castle. Arya followed, accompanied only by her three principal guards.

In the main audience hall of the Manderly castle, they found Wyman Manderly seated in a chair barely large enough to accommodate him due to his size. He looked a bit weary, but his gaze immediately focused on Arya as she approached, trailing behind his family. Wylis offered a brief introduction.

"Lady Arya, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m sure praising you would only be repeating what many have already said," Wyman said, his admiration for the young Stark evident. Despite following the Faith of the Seven and seeing her in armor with a sword, he couldn’t help but respect the impressive figure Arya had become. His gaze lingered on the sword she carried, clearly struck by its legendary status.

"I must admit, I never imagined I’d see Dark Sister in person. Impressive," he remarked with satisfaction.

Arya nodded with a faint smile. "Thank you, Lord Wyman. Before anything else, I’d like to use a raven to send a message to Winterfell." She was direct.

Arya preferred to use a Manderly raven rather than one from the Arctic ship to maintain a formal and respectful tone with her father.

"Oh, of course! We’ll provide a raven for you. But please, accept our hospitality tonight. Ned’s daughter will always be welcome here, and we’d like to receive you properly," Wyman replied from his seat.

"We’d also love to hear your stories. It seems you’ve had quite the adventures over the past year, traveling south. Did you really make it as far as Yi Ti, as they say?" Wylis asked, intrigued.

Arya nodded. "Yes, we did," she replied before turning back to the Lord of White Harbor. "Very well, I’ll accept your hospitality." Though eager to continue to Winterfell, Arya agreed to the offer. Refusing would have been disrespectful, even if she had the authority to do so.

"Excellent! Please, bring bread and salt so she may feel at home," Wyman ordered, and the servants quickly complied.

In the end, Arya arranged for her men to remain on the ship that night while she and her principal guards stayed in the castle of White Harbor. Confident in the loyalty of her father’s Northern bannermen, Arya felt secure within their walls.

"Excellent. Wynafryd and Wylla, I’m sure Lady Arya will be more pleased to have female company to show her around the castle," Wyman said as Lady Arya was escorted through the castle by the sisters, with her guards accompanying her, while the rest of the Manderly family stayed behind to talk.

Over the next few hours, Arya was shown to her room and introduced to the castle in greater detail. Her first stop was the maester, who, already aware of her request, had prepared a quill and parchment for her to write a letter to her father. She wrote the letter quickly and sent it off with a raven. Later, she spent some time with Wylis’s daughters, who eagerly asked her questions about her adventures.

The girls chatted endlessly, gossiping mostly about Jon, the Arctic kingdom, and Arya’s travels. At times, Arya found the chatter slightly tedious, but she answered their questions politely, especially those from the younger daughter, who was particularly curious about maritime journeys. After all, Arya had practically explored the entire known world by sea.

Later, after changing out of her armor and into a dress, Arya joined her guards at a banquet hosted by the Lord of White Harbor. The entire family was gathered around a lavish table as Arya took her seat as the guest of honor.

"So, my daughters mentioned you spoke about traveling to Yi Ti, but you didn’t share all the details," Wylis said at the table as servants attended to them.

"Well, after Braavos, we visited Pentos, Myr, Tyrosh, and then went straight to Volantis," Arya explained.

"I see... We’ve heard about the incident in Dorne," Wendel commented, casting a shadow over the conversation. After all, Jon was accused of abducting Doran Martell’s illegitimate daughter, a topic Arya already anticipated, having gathered information from Wynafryd and Wylla.

"Don’t think Jon abducted anyone. In truth, Doran tried to hide Nyra Sand, who was pregnant with Jon’s child. He simply took what was his and married her, making her his queen," Arya said with a dry tone. The Manderlys exchanged glances, eyebrows raised at this revelation, but chose not to press the matter further.

"He invaded Dorne to claim a lover? That sounds like something out of a book!" Wynafryd remarked with admiration. She wasn’t like Sansa but clearly had a taste for such stories.

"Anyway, tell us more about your travels. You avoided our questions this afternoon. We’d like to hear about Yi Ti. How was the journey?" Wylla, the younger daughter, cut in, steering the conversation away from her sister’s remark. Wyman, Wendel, Wylis, and his wife all looked at Arya attentively.

"The journey to Yi Ti was quite long, but Jon managed everything efficiently, ensuring we didn’t waste time," Arya said.

"Really? Reaching Yi Ti is incredibly rare and challenging. Even the Sea Snake had difficulty, as the history books tell us. He was one of the few men to reach that land," Wylla commented enthusiastically. She had a deep fascination with navigation and dreamed of one day exploring the world herself.

"That’s true, but Jon managed to create a perfect map of the journey, which helped us avoid any setbacks," Arya responded.

"Amazing! I’d love to take a trip like that someday. I’d need maps like those. Do you think he’d sell them?" Wylla asked excitedly, already imagining herself embarking on such adventures.

"Perhaps. You’d have to ask him," Arya replied, knowing Jon would likely produce multiple copies of the maps, especially for commercial voyages that would now follow the established routes without his direct involvement.

"It certainly sounds incredible!" Wylis said admiringly, though his gaze remained fixed on Arya. He had more questions. "What was Yi Ti like? We know so little about that land."

"The culture is quite different, but we adapted well. Jon even met the Shogun, who is equivalent to an emperor or king in the Yi Ti Empire."

"He met this man?" Wyman exclaimed in astonishment, clearly impressed.

"Yes. Jon even decided to help with an invasion they were facing from a neighboring country. We fought for six months, which is why it took so long," Arya replied.

"Wait, you fought too?" Wylis's eldest daughter asked, shocked.

"Of course. I assisted Jon in the battles, and we quickly managed to drive out all the invaders with Jon's strategies, which earned him great recognition. When we returned to the sea, we secured thousands of gold coins from the sale of goods and also a war reward the Shogun gave us," Arya answered with a hint of pride.

The family exchanged glances, increasingly impressed by the young Stark's accounts.

"It’s certainly impressive, but the matter of the Unsullied... Your father might not approve of that," Wendel said cautiously.

"The slavers attacked us, and I nearly died in an ambush in Volantis... I lost a dear friend. Jon quickly found out who was behind the attack and realized that all of Slaver's Bay viewed us as enemies. After Yi Ti, we returned and launched an attack on each of the main cities."

Arya paused before continuing.

"I participated in every battle. In Astapor, that’s where I broke the object symbolizing the servitude of the Unsullied. Of their own accord, they said they would follow me after I freed them. I tried to refuse, but they were determined. So here we are, and now I have Grey Worm and 600 warriors ready to follow my orders. Still, I must speak Valyrian with them, which isn’t difficult for me since I learned the language a long time ago," Arya explained firmly, while the family nodded silently.

"He attacked the entire Slaver's Bay?" Wendel asked after a moment of silence, breaking it with a look of disbelief toward Arya.

Arya nodded. "Yes, every city was overthrown. Jon held trials for all the slavers in the cities. We took all their gold and distributed it among the cities themselves, ensuring they could remain functional until Jon sent people to reform their systems."

She spoke calmly, while everyone looked at her in shock. They swallowed hard, trying to grasp the kind of power the Arctic forces wielded to accomplish such feats and recount them so matter-of-factly. Toppling Slaver's Bay was not something they had ever heard of being achieved so easily.

The dinner continued, though the questions about her travels ceased. No one dared to touch on the subject further or shift to similar topics. Arya began to curtly shut down the Manderlys when their questions became too probing, attempting to uncover Arctic secrets.

"So, Lady Arya is leaving in the morning?" Wylis asked, rising from the table.

"Yes. The letter was sent this afternoon, and I know I won’t need a response from my father. I’ll be departing tomorrow morning. Thank you for everything. The Manderly family has been very welcoming and kind today," Arya replied.

"Of course. It’s nothing less than what we would do for Ned and his family. Have a good rest, then," he said as Arya departed with her men.

Arya returned to her room, changed into lighter clothing for sleep, and looked out the window with a sigh, gazing at the starry sky. She thought about how she would soon head to Winterfell, feeling a slight nervousness within.

The next morning, everything was ready in front of the Manderly castle. Her men were already in position, along with Grey Worm and Nymeria, awaiting their mistress's orders. Meanwhile, Arya was still inside the castle.

"I thank the Manderly family for their hospitality. I will make this clear to my father," Arya said as everyone watched her.

"Send my regards to Lord Stark. I’m sure he will be proud to see how much his daughter has grown," Wyman said from his chair inside the castle as he bid her farewell.

Arya simply nodded, and Wyman turned to his son Wendel.

"Everything is ready to escort Lady Stark to Winterfell. Not that she needs it, but it would be an offense if we didn’t provide some support," Wyman said directly to his younger son, who would accompany her with a few Manderly guards.

"Yes, Father, everything is prepared," Wendel confirmed, and Wyman nodded before turning back to Arya.

"We’re facing some issues here in White Harbor with potential negotiators. Otherwise, Wylis and his daughters would have accompanied you as well. I apologize for that," he said, and Arya shook her head.

"Don’t worry about it, Lord Manderly. I’m grateful for everything regardless," she replied in a cordial tone.

"A shame. Your father will be impressed, and even your mother would be proud of the Lady you’ve become," Wylis added as he began to leave the castle, while everyone moved toward the courtyard where the soldiers awaited.

"Let’s depart," Arya said in a direct tone.

She mounted her wolf and led the group out, sitting atop Nymeria at the head of the men. Arya shouted a few orders to the Unsullied, who began marching, as they didn’t ride horses. They moved through the city, with onlookers staring in amazement.

The Arctic ship departed from the harbor at that moment, as there was no need for it to remain during Arya’s stay in Winterfell. Even alone, the ship would have no trouble returning to Artica.

Thus, Arya continued toward the northern gate with her accompanying men and those led by Wendel Manderly, who would escort her. Together, they reached the main road leading to Winterfell.