The room is illuminated by the morning sun, it's a nice morning, and I am sitting at my desk, On my table is my new project on paper, it's simple but is great, man, the Byzantines were the best.
But that is for another time, I focus on the two women sitting on the couches on the balcony, and there is a small table between them, some cakes lie there on a silver platter, they seem thoroughly engrossed in their conversation.
It has been two days since Arianne was brought to the Moat, During this time, I introduced her to the few I could, Lord Stark was still in the castle, so I kept the number of people who knew of her very small, to prevent someone from saying unnecessary things.
Mansy of course, a number of servants, Asa the leader of the Owlguard in the Moat, and Haela, I introduced the two of them yesterday but they seem to be old friends already even with Haela's broken westerosi, they bonded over their common ground like they are doing now.
"I mean how could he not know the tea would not work on his children, for someone that says to be so learned on the ways of healing and magic, it's very suspicious". Arriane said.
"Oh yes, and his use of magic in sex, extremely unfair, I love it, but is frustrating at the same time, I was quite proud of my... er... what the word? Prowess, yes! Prowess on the bed, but now? My pride is broken, years of practice! And I was bested by a magic trick." Haella said back with an incensed voice.
"HA, don't even start with that. Did you try sleeping with another man?" Haella shook her head negatively.
"I did! It was totally unsatisfactory, he ruined it for me! The poor boy, it was his first time, and I couldn't even pretend to be satisfied." yikes, I feel sorry for the guy as well.
Talking shit about me seems to be their common ground, I could defend myself, but I ain't complaining, better to have peace than to be right.
It helps that Haela doesn't seem interested in marriage and assumes a place of submission in mine and Arianne's relationship, as she put she is here to serve me and my spouse, it also helps that they are carrying my children at the same time, another thing to bond over.
Gods! Children, I will have children, from two different women, how do you do that? How I will become a father? How do I take care of them? What if they don't like me? Or if I become a terrible father, like Tywin!
I raise from my table and go to the one by the wall, which is full of refreshments, I fill a goblet with wine, down it in one go and drink another, but it does nothing, goddamit, venom resistance fucking me again, I need barrels to get wasted.
Not to mention everyone else reaction to these children, I alone am receiving marriage proposals left and right, from girls half my age to women the triple of it.
When the news of my children leaks, the crows will have an awful lot of work.
"Antares?"
I turn to see Arianne looking worried at me, she is no longer sitting on the balcony, she is in front of my table looking at the papers, then she look at me.
"Nothing to worry about, just cursing my advantages in life, and thinking of the future."
"Well then, perhaps it would be better if you stopped cursing your blessed life and come help us." she rolled her eyes, took my hand and dragged me to the balcony to sit with them.
"Help you? You are doing the same as me, complaining about my advantages in life." I say with a teasing smile.
"Well, they are unfair!" she pouts.
"You're adorable," I remark, stealing a quick kiss.
"Well, now I am envious." Haella's voice comes from the couches.
"Jealous," I correct, and she throws her hands up.
"It's the same thing!" she says exasperated.
"Not quite," It is so fun to tease her.
"Your language makes no sense." she crossed her legs and arms.
"Well, now that I teased both of you, stop it," I see a teasing smile on Haella's face, she has a dirtier mind than I have, and I shudder to think what she would become if there was internet here. "What my help is needed for?"
"We are deciding on the name of the children."
"Oh, I see, and how is going?"
"We got some, but we would like your input, you know as the father of the children," Arianne said.
"Well I was going to give my input as a painter, but I guess the input as a father will do as well."
"Ha ha, pass me the wine please, I'm thirsty." Arriane said, I floated the jug of water to her cup and filled it, no wine at this stage of pregnancy.
"Hi thirsty, I'm da-" OH NO, the dad jokes started already!
...
The next half hour we spent discussing many names for the children until a knock on the door took us away from the moment, I changed my view to Starchaser and took a look at who was at the door, it was Mansy.
"Enter Mansy," I say, right after the door opens and she enters the room.
"My lord, my ladies," she bowed to us," I come to say that the wolf lord wants to the lady," She gestured to Haella.
"Why?" Haella ask.
"He didn't say," Mansy answered shaking her head.
"Thank you Mansy, tell Lord Stark that Lady Haella will be with him shortly," I say, she smiles bows and leaves.
"This is going to be uncomfortable, he makes me nervous and I can't speak too well in westerosi." Haella sigh.
"Let me do the talking them," I smile at her.
"You are not here, remember?" she raises an eyebrow.
"Indeed, I am not here."
...POV: Eddard Stark...
... An hour early...
I stand on the hill and observe the fields around it, besides me are Lord Forrester and Lord Cerwyn, and a middle-aged man with simple clothes brow hair, brow eyes, a farmer.
"As said milord, grain seems to want to grow from each patch on the ground, maybe the Reach could rival such fields but I have my doubts." The farmer says with a proud voice.
"I see" I spot from here on the fields some workers, they seem weird, they all have these wood masks on their faces, and there was not one bit of skin showing.
"Are those part of your family?" I point to the weird workers on the field, he looks at where I am pointing.
"HA, gods no milord, those are the workers of Lord Palestars, the first harvest will not cost anything he said, the next one will be a Stag for each worker I want."
"You don't have a family to help with the fields?"
"I do, three strong boys, but Lord Palestars said that all the fields should be seeded, at first I was dismayed because there was too much land for my family to take care of by ourselves, but with these... workers, I don't have enough work!" The man laughs at the idea of a peasant not having enough work.
"And since there is not enough work here, your children go the Halls of Knowledge I presume."
"Oh yes, those boys will have a different life, the oldest wants to be a captain in the fleet, fighting pirates, and discovering treasures in Essos, he always had an adventurous spirit inside him."
"The middle one is looking to work in the City admi...adiminister, uh I think that's it, working with numbers and stuff if I am not wrong." The man scratches his head.
He smiles and shakes his head "The youngster wants to be a wizard!" he laughs.
"I see. Could I speak with one of those workers?"
"Well, I don't see why not, but they don't speak much."
We approached one of the workers and the farmer started to speak with him, we tried at least.
"Hey, you! Lord Stark wants a word with you." the man said to one of the workers.
He stops what he is doing and moves toward us, in a weird manner, it seems unnatural, like someone moving in a rusted suit of armour, he bows his head low and a lifeless voice comes from behind the mask.
"Lord Stark, number 3.4.2 at your disposition." That doesn't make me feel very well, I look at my companions and they seem suspicious of the situation as well.
"3.4.2 Is that your name?"
"3.4.2 is my identification, my Lord."
"I see" I look at him? her?" Can you remove your mask?"
"I don't utilize any mask, my Lord."
A silence follows that, how I respond to that?
"Do you work here of your own will?"
"Yes, my sire wants me to work here, that's my purpose."
"Could you leave this place then, work somewhere else?"
"No."
I raise my eyebrows "Why not? Is your sire forcing you into service?"
"He is my sire, my lord. I will serve him with my whole being until the day when I cannot do it anymore. I can't leave this place because my sire didn't tell me to do so, he does not need to force me, his will is my will." All that was delivered without a spark of emotion, that made even weirder.
...
I arrive at the main hall of Moat Cailin, inside is decorated with many black silk Palestars banners, and a dark red carpet goes from the entrance to the end of the hall, there waiting and sitting on a white, tall throne of weirwood tree is Lady Haella, perched on the arm of her throne is a large, brightly red coloured bird with long tail feathers.
I arrive at the feet of the small palanquin that the throne is, I give a small bow to her.
"Lady Haella, I have to discuss some things with you." She slowly nodded her head, her eyes going from me to the bird that started speaking to her, is it like a crow?
"I would like to discuss the nature of the workers that your..."Husband? Lover?" Partner, lent to the farmers in his lands."
She started speaking in a Essosi tongeu, high? or maybe low Valyrian, after she stopped speaking, a third voice appeared in the hall, Antares' voice.
"What would be your question specifically, Lord Stark? I shall do my best to answer, but there is only so much I know about the business affairs of this land."
I look at Lady Haella, she nods to thebird that now is looking straight at me.
"A-Antares? You're a bird!"
The bird? says a few words again and soon after Haella speaks in Valyrian.
"This is a creature from Sothoros and speaks both our tongues, he will translate to us both." the parrot says.
"And an animal can simply do that!?" What an absurdly smart animal it is, not only to speak the common tongue but Valyrian as well, I can't even speak a word of Valyrian.
She shrugs her shoulders and speaks, the bird translates again "From what I have been told, he is trained to do so."
...POV: Antares Palestars...
Heh heh, I must admit Ned's face was funny when I told him a bird can speak not only one but two languages. The bird in question is of course me, turned into a parrot, now I can speak with Ned without giving up the fact that I can make a months-long journey in minutes.
"I see... the world is certainly vast, this is not the weirder thing I saw around Antares." He looked at me weirdly" So I shall go directly to the point, the workers Antares lent to the farmers, I received information that they were slaves brought from Essos." He said with a frown, I frowned as well, I tried at least, parrots don't frown, I think, but who did he receive that information from?
I turn to Haela and say in High Valyrian.
"He speaking about the breaking of a law. Asking if I brought slaves of Essos here, frown a little and pretend you are thinking hard." her delicate features descend in a frown, after a few seconds she speaks in high valyrian while looking with a serious expression to Ned.
"I want to know when you will come back from the East my love, it has been some time since we shared a bed, I have an ich and only your long member can scratch it." She said with a perfect steady voice.
WHAT THE HELL WOMAN! I know he can't understand but damn it, and some time since we shared a bed? It has been two days!
I turn to Ned and say.
"I don't know much about the goings and doings of Antares, my lord. But I can guarantee you this that there are no slaves in Moat Cailin and never will be."
"It certainly is reassuring my lady, but I still must ask what are they, why can't they disobey? Why can't they leave?"
I turn to Haella again and speak with her.
"Turn your head a little as if pondering, a bit confused, he asking about the magical workers in the field." She does exactly that and I got to admit she could be a good actress.
"When you come back for good, I want you to take me in every corner of this castle, I want you to take me in the rooms in the halls. I want you and Arianne together in the same bed, all days and all nights." This woman is teasing me too much.
"I can't answer that Lord Stark but I believe it has something to do with magic, you will have to ask Antares when he comes back from his travels in Essos."
He narrows his eyes "Yes. I shall, when that would be again?"
"Another moon."
"I see, I shall leave and return then, I thank you for your hospitality Lady Haella."
He turned and left the hall, I let out a sigh this was surprisingly draining.
...
"Leaving so soon?" Arianne asked.
"Yes I left Marwyn alone in that cursed river, it would be best if I don't take too long to go back."
"What river?" she asked tilting her head.
"The Rhoyne."
"You went to the Rhoyne!?" she asks excitedly.
"Yes I did it was shi... do you know the orphans of the Greenblood?"
"Of course! Even if they are a bit secluded, as a princess of Dorne I had contact with pretty much every kind of people in Dorne, Why?"
"I need someone that speaks Rhoynar, to translate some relics I might find in Chroyane."
Shock passes through her features" What are you doing in that cursed city!?"
"Conquering apparently, is mine since I killed the shrouded lord."
"The shrouded lord is real!?"
"Was. there is a massive glowing weirwood tree there now as well."
Arianne massages her temples " That what you have been doing in Essos conquering lost civilizations' territories? And yes I might get you a translator."
"I mean if nobody is occupying the territories is it really conquest? or just colonisation?" I give her a smile.
"What, fancy yourself as the new Valirya? going to start making colonies?"
"Tempting but no, I only make small outposts, for resupply of ships, for long trips, like to Yi-ti, a line from here all to the extreme east, small islands fortress!"
"At least my husband has ambitio-" she caught herself and turned her face from me.
I approach her from behind and hug her, there is something I must do before going back to Essos, we both knew this was where was going, well I knew it, but maybe she thought I only wanted the children.
"It's very inappropriate to call an unmarried man your husband you know." Oh, I love this. she is blushing!
"I- it was a slip." She stutters and the blush gets worse.
"Perhaps we should change that, huh? I can't have an unmarried sex deviant in my house! Imagine the scandal!" I see her starting to smile.
"Haella lives here," She says, her smile growing, even if she refuses to look back at me.
"I can understand both of you, you know!" Haella says from the back.
"I can't have two unmarried deviants in my house?"
"What about my father?"
"Fuck him and everyone else, I can burn a city down by myself they can bitch all they want."
Arianne chuckled at my boldness, her cheeks still tinged with red from embarrassment. "Well, I suppose you have a point there."
Haella, who had been listening intently to my conversation with Arianne, chimed in with a mischievous grin. "Oh, Does that mean you're planning to marry both of us, Antares?" She teased.
From my position hugging Arianne, I turned my head to Haella with a playful glint in my eyes. "Now, now, Haella, don't get ahead of yourself. Marriage is a serious commitment, you know."
Haella feigned a pout. "But I thought you said you can't have two unmarried deviants in your house?"
I chuckled and shook my head. "Indeed two are too much but I can handle one. Besides, I have yet to hear either of you propose."
Arianne rolled her eyes playfully. "You're unbelievable, Antares." I turn to her.
"So what you think Princess Arianne Martel? Lady Arianne Palestars have a different and less important ring to it. Sure you want to change the name?" I give her a teasing smile.
She pulls my arms tightly around her, I can hear the smile in her voice.
"Yes, I am sure."
"So you and Haella should start planning while I am away, take a walk around the Moat, get familiar with the place now that Ned left, I don't do simple, if we are going to marry, it will be BIG."
She tightens her arms around mine smiling. "And when this great marriage will happen?"
I smile to her "We marry as soon as I am back... from... Essos." FUCKING HELL.
...
The light of the teleport fades as I walk out of the circle, I walk out of the ship, and I walk toward Marwyn that have been waiting for two days for me to come back, poor guy, He is reading an old tome and sitting with him, is Daene- Alisa I have to get used with the name, the girl has a cat with her, on her lap, is a black cat, probably one of the ships cats that we keep to deal with the rat's problem.
As I approach Marwyn who was reading out loud to Alisa, look up and get up.
"Lord Palestar, was the situation resolved?"
"Somehow, is the expedition ready, I want to finish dealing with this place." I lost the interrest in this place, I want to go home and stay with my girls. Oh wow. Fatherhood really got me huh.
"Ah! Yes, 10 owlguards and 10 men plus me and the little one." He pets Alisa on the head.
"And Balerion!" she raises the black cat to me, she is wearing a short-sleeved shirt that shows the marks on her arms.
"I think it would be best for him to stay with the ships." I looked at the small cat shoved in my belly, she was too small to put the cat in my face.
"But he can be useful! He can fit in small places and I can look into his eyes!" She said exited.
I raise an eyebrow at Marwyn.
"While you were away she took a liking to the cat, yesterday, while sleeping she saw herself by the cat's eyes, she is a warg, Lord Palestars."
Expected is one of the boons for being blessed by the old gods.
"Good, So be it, the cat can come as well, he is your responsibility though."
Alisa nods.
"Get everyone ready Marwyn, we leave for the Palace of Sorrow in 20 minutes tops!"
"As you command my lord."