Winterfell
Tyrion Lannister
"What do you think of the Starks, Lady Elyse?" Tyrion asked as they gathered after the maester had shown them their chambers.
"It's... interesting. Almost everything about the North is different from how people act in King's Landing, Lord Tyrion," Elyse replied after a moment of silence.
"Oh? Please elaborate," Tyrion prompted.
"Well... For starters, I noticed that Lord Robb was with us in the council meeting. Isn't it unusual for the heir to be in such meetings from such a young age?" Elyse countered.
"Isn't it normal for the heir to learn to lead from a young age?" Tyrion asked. In his case, it was not due to the contempt his father had for him, but because he had heard about the rest of the western lords.
"Yes, but it's not normal for the maester to give them glances. It was as if his opinion mattered rather than being present just to learn," Elyse said thoughtfully. "I don't know. It seems strange to me that a twelve-year-old's opinion would be sought in a situation like this."
"You're right, that's not common. But we don't know if it's just the Starks or if that's how things work in the North. As we've heard, winter is harsh; perhaps they prepare them even more rigorously from a young age in case something happens to the lord of the houses," Tyrion said, frowning.
"That might be the case, Lord Tyrion. We'll have to wait and see if there are any inconsistencies. Besides that, did you notice the number of guards training and patrolling? A normal house doesn't have so many soldiers on hand in peacetime," Elyse remarked.
"We also have to consider the number of blacksmiths working tirelessly when we passed through Wintertown before reaching the castle. The North is preparing for something, and we need to find out what," Tyrion said firmly.
"Well, in that case, we have time. These kinds of investigations can last for weeks if not months. Thank the Seven that Lord Stark is being kind to us. The fact that the crown is getting involved after having forgotten the North for so many years hasn't made us friends with these lords," Elyse said with some concern.
"In that case, I hope what Lord Stark said is true and they treat us well while we're here. I don't want to see how a group of Northerners treat us if we get into something we shouldn't," Tyrion said with a slight laugh.
Next day.
Robb Stark.
Waking up at dawn, I got ready to accompany the delegation from King's Landing on their investigations. My job would be to go with them and calm the smallfolk so that there wouldn't be too many problems.
Most Northerners didn't think positively of people from the South, and this action by the crown to send a delegation to investigate our progress after having left us forgotten since the revolution didn't help at all.
Walking towards the dining hall where I would meet with the rest, I mentally prepared for what was coming. I knew I was relatively intelligent, and knowing how some of the named characters would act would help, but I also knew that Tyrion was a very intelligent person, and Lady Elyse must be too if she had been working in her position for some time.
I would have to be very careful with what I said and hope for the best. The only real advantage I had was that the North hadn't done anything "illegal" in the time I'd been here. Most changes could be explained without getting into technicalities.
"A good day to you, Lord Tyrion, Lady Elyse," I greeted them with a smile as I sat down at the table with them. "If you like, when we finish eating, I'll be your guide around the castle and its surroundings. If you want to bring a guard just in case, there's no problem with me, but my company might be better for your safety and when talking to the residents."
"It would be an honor, Lord Robb. I hope you won't be bored while we conduct the investigation," Lady Elyse said, looking at me with a calculating gaze.
"That won't happen, milady. I'm sure I'll have good company with you," I replied with a smile.
As we continued with breakfast, we had small, unimportant conversations, from how the weather was that day to what I usually did in my daily life.
Answering their questions calmly until we all finished, Tyrion, Elyse, Ser Oakheart, and I got up to start their investigations.
"What would you like to see right now, milords?" I asked them as we left the castle.
"I think we could start by talking to your master-at-arms, Lord Robb. I assure you we'll try not to ask any questions unrelated to our investigation," Tyrion assured.
"That sounds good. Ser Rodrick is training the recruits who have come to Winterfell. Let's go to the training area," I said, changing direction.
Walking toward the training areas, it was quite obvious the number of trained soldiers and recruits, had increased considerably in these two years. Generally, in previous years, there were only 800 to 1000 soldiers at any given time in peacetime, but since I began to get more involved in how the house was run, I subtly gave reasons why we should have more guards in the castle and its surroundings. Inside the castle, the original garrison of approximately 900 trained soldiers was always maintained. But now on the outskirts of Winterfell (the industrial areas and in Wintertown), there were different barricades focused on training recruits and securing the assigned areas.
When House Stark put out a notice in the center of the town that we would start training a force under our name, rumors began to travel from town to town thanks to travelers and merchants moving between them, offering everything from food to an honest salary. We had managed to have a militia of 2500 well-trained soldiers; they were no longer the same youths who joined us out of honor or to help their families, most of the soldiers were trained and already had some battles in their name during the bandit purge.
As we walked towards Ser Rodrick's location (which I had obtained through my powers), most of the soldiers stopped their work to greet me respectfully. The respect they had for me because I had trained with many of them was quite evident; I had earned their trust and admiration with my martial skills. I wasn't the best fighter in the whole North, but regarding archery, no one could say they were better than me.
Also, that didn't mean I was bad at fighting with a sword; in fact, I was one of the best, and I had the potential to be the best over time, but thanks to my physique for my age, or lack of experience compared to the best, I wasn't able to beat them. That didn't mean I fell without giving a fight, as I had the reputation of being difficult to beat, thanks to cheating with my powers.
"Ser Rodrick, I need a moment of your attention," I shouted at the entrance to the training room.
Ser Rodrick looked up from where he was yelling at a poor sap who was thrown to the ground upon hearing my voice.
"Jory, keep training them," he said authoritatively.
"What can I do for you, Lord Robb?" Ser Rodrick asked as he walked out of the area.
"For now, let's move to a quieter place, Ser," I replied as I walked towards a solitary area.
As the rest followed me, I used my power to see that there was no one snooping around; I didn't think there were new spies yet, but curiosity killed the cat and I preferred to be sure.
"My companions would like to ask you some questions, Ser. Answer them without hesitation; if any question exceeds their power, I'll let you know to stop," I addressed Rodrick.
Tyrion cleared his throat to get attention. "Ser Rodrick, I hope you're having a good day," he began greeting.
"Start with the questions, Lord Tyrion. I have to get back to training that group of useless ones," Ser Rodrick said with an air of irritation.
Turning to Tyrion and Elyse, I just shrugged. I told them that Northerners weren't going to be happy about this.
"Yes, yes... My first question is, is there any reason why there are so many soldiers and even more being trained?" Tyrion asked.
Ser Rodrick raised an eyebrow, saying, "To increase security, obviously, milord. Isn't it normal to do that in the South?" he ended by asking.
"Of course it's normal," Lady Elyse intervened calmly. "But usually the numbers are lower, and we were wondering why there are so many. Even the Gold Cloaks in King's Landing number only 2000."
"We have the town and the industrial areas to protect, milady. I know you recognize the amount of gold obtained thanks to the new industries in the North; clearly, we have to protect the area and send battalions guarding the merchandise when sent to White Harbor," Ser Rodrick said in a tone gentler than the one he used with Tyrion.
"Ah, of course... your new products have created quite a stir in the Seven Kingdoms and beyond," said Lady Elyse with a chitter.
"But after the purge, there aren't as many bandits in the North. Wouldn't it be logical to reduce expenses by maintaining a fleet of this size?" Tyrion asked shrewdly.
"You can answer without hesitation, Ser Rodrick," I reassured the Master-at-Arms calmly. "It's not something we have to hide."
"It's because of the threat of the Ironborn," Ser Rodrick explained, annoyed.
"What have the Greyjoys done now?" Elyse asked with a concerned air.
"What haven't they done?" exclaimed Ser Rodrick. "They're attacking our coasts, our merchant ships, and then they give the excuse that it's not them, that pirates are sailing the sea," he finished with annoyance.
"By the Seven," Elyse said, "this is going to get more complicated than I thought," murmuring so softly that I only managed to hear it thanks to my insects.
"Are you preparing for war?" Tyrion asked alarmed.
"We prepare for any eventuality, Lord Tyrion," I intervened softly. "We have the right to defend ourselves if the Ironborn continue with their nonsense."
"This won't please the Crown, Lord Robb," Tyrion said seriously.
"Hah, quite the opposite, Lord Tyrion. I believe our king would be pleased if we rid ourselves of the Ironborn," I said with a laugh.
"The king perhaps, but the Hand not. Lord Arryn doesn't want disturbances like war and prefers to resolve conflicts without shedding blood," Elyse explained.
"Then I hope that when you return, you kindly ask in our stead for Lord Arryn to intervene. But in the meantime, we will defend our assets with all the might of the North," I said seriously. "The North is prospering for the first time in decades, and we won't let people with fish brains stand in our way."
Lady Elyse looked conflicted about the situation but remained silent for a moment.
"Thank you very much for answering our questions, Ser Rodrick," Tyrion finally said after sharing a look with Elyse.
Ser Rodrick didn't move an inch. Noticing that, I said, "You may leave, Ser Rodrick. I hope this group of recruits will be ready soon."
Ser Rodrick nodded. "I'll push them until they faint, Lord Robb," he said with a laugh.
"Don't push them too hard, Ser Rodrick," I chuckled. "We still have plenty of time."
"Understood, Lord Robb. I'll take my leave," with a final farewell, Ser Rodrick returned to the training ground.
"And now, milords?" I asked my companions.
"Now, I need a drink, Lord Robb. If you'll excuse me..." Tyrion said as he began to walk away.
"There's a bar at the entrance to Wintertown that I've heard is very good, Lord Tyrion. Look for Mickel at the entrance and tell him I sent you; he'll provide an escort to ensure you pass safely," I smiled.
"And you, milady?" I asked with a smile to the delicate lady.
"Why don't you show me the castle, Lord Robb? I'm very interested in its history," she said, covering her mouth with her dainty fingers.
"It would be my pleasure, milady."
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