Chapter 7
It was a cool, crisp early morning in the North. Though Ned didn’t feel it, as he was in Winterfell’s heated rooms. Bright sunlight streamed in through the windows, bathing the room in golden glow. The cockerel had just cawed, stirring the castle awake after a big feast and a bigger snowstorm. In the distance, he could hear the bagpipes playing to rouse the city. Their wolves were curled up together in the corner of the room, by the smoking embers in the hearth.
Ned was a little sore from the previous nights exertions, all he wanted to do was curl up in his bed and forget about the world. But thoughts of sleep were banished from his mind when he heard soft moans, the sounds of women sucking and the feeling of multiple pairs of lips on his shaft. Ned cracked a smile.
“I would have thought Elia would be the one to get this treatment… Seeing as it is her nameday.” He lifted their heavy blankets, revealing his naked women sucking his hard cock. Cat was to his right, Ash to his left and Elia in the middle, between his legs.
“Devouring your cock with my favourite lovers is a great nameday present!” Elia responded, after she extracted his cock from her mouth.
Then, she gave him a dazzling smile and went back to work. Ned could only layback and enjoy the sensations of their mouths on him. He observed his three lovers as they worked diligently for his pleasure.
All three of his women were heart-stoppingly beautiful.
Cat was the palest of the three, with a light dusting of freckles covering her skin and long, gorgeous thick red hair that went down past her arse. Her breasts were the largest, but not by much. They were certainly the most perfect breasts Ned had ever scene, capped with small dark-pink nipples. Even after six children, she still had a slim figure, a thin waist that flared out into wide hips and a massive, fleshy arse that they all loved to grab. Ned saw her plump lips were lavishing his balls with love, gazing up at him with her bright blue eyes.
He turned to his other wife, Ash. Her large, haunting, indigo eyes were heavily lidded with lust as she was busy sucking along the left side of his shaft. Ned marvelled as his Dornish wife’s flawless, olive skin. She was a few shades darker than Cat, though not as dark as Elia. Her hair fell in a curtain of darkness over her body. Though her breasts were exceedingly large, with nipples, larger and darker than Cat’s they could not match the immensity of Cat’s breasts. However, she had both Cat and Elia overmatched in the arse department. Ash had been blessed with hips as wide as Cat’s, but with an even smaller waist, giving her the most delectable, bouncy behind in Westeros.
Then Ned looked to Elia, who knelt between his legs, her lips latched to the head of his cock. She was the darkest of the three women, with dark brown eyes and deep black hair that hung in ringlets down her back. Elia had told him she was nearly as flat as a board when she married Rhaegar. Ned could scarce believe it looking at her now. Her past pregnancies had given her the body of a goddess. She had large, heavy breasts, capped with nipples black as coal and a big, bubbly arse. She was a glutton for punishment, even more so than Cat. She’d beg Ned to flog her fat arse with all manner of tools and instruments.
All three of the women had ornamental piercings on their bodies, something they all enjoyed very much. On their visit to Dorne, Mellario had insisted they get them. Thoughts of the visit to Dorne and what they had done there made his cock throb even more.
Cat had used sapphires and red-gold for her belly button and nipple piercings, Ash used amethysts and silver for hers and Elia had chosen rubies and an orange tinted gold for her piercings.
Ned mentally chuckled to himself thinking of how their piercings had reflected their previous house colours before they had become his.
“Fuck…” Ned grunted as Elia drew him deeper into her mouth. She’s probably the best cocksucker of my three women. He mused. “This feels much more like a nameday present for me, than for you.”
As the women moaned, slathering his cock with their love, Ned thought back to the night before. It had been a feast that went past the hour of the wolf, to celebrate Elia’s nameday. It had been a typically rowdy, northern feast. Lords and ladies sung and danced, minstrels played and mummers tumbled to ruckus laughter from their audience.
Ned had been at the feast for some time before Ash, Cat and Elia had arrived, they certainly made an entrance. The three of them had walked into the hall, arm in arm. They each wore dresses that made Ned want to throw them over a table and plough them until winter came.
Their dresses were certainly… revealing.
The only difference between their dresses were their colours, each wore the colours of their house. All three of the dresses had long sleeves and were very low-cut, going down to their navels, bearing their bellybutton piercings. Only a thin piece of string below their cleavage held the two sides of the dress from splitting apart completely. Their dresses went down to their ankles yet also had a split running up their left sides, practically going up to their waist. The splits exposed the entirety of their bare, left legs.
On their feet, they wore shoes that Mellario had gifted them. They exposed most of the foot and raised their heels up a few inches, making them taller and their arses stick out. The entire hall had fallen silent at the sight of the three beautiful women in their revealing dresses.
Arm in arm, they had strutted from the opposite end of the hall, up to Ned and the high table, their jewelled piercings glinting in the firelight. It took all of Ned’s willpower not to fuck them over the table right there. After their display, the celebrations got even more rowdy.
As the hour grew later, the younger children were herded off to bed, with the older ones melting away with their own partners. Ned had danced with each of his women, multiple times. It had grown increasingly clear to him that they had intended to drive him into such a frenzy that he would fuck them in the middle of the hall.
Various lords and ladies had presented gifts from far and wide to Elia, which she had graciously accepted. As the night went on, the feast became even more rowdy and boisterous as more and more drinks flowed.
It got to the point where a drunk Sylvie and Lemore had leaped onto the high-table and began to strip naked for Elia, who cackled and whooped at the impromptu show. Sylvie and Lemore shook their naked bodies around Elia, pressing their breasts and arses into Elia’s face, who eagerly started licking them.
Things only got worse from there.
People started fucking quite quickly, Ned was sure he saw Marei on a table surrounded by a dozen, cheering men. Arthur was seemingly sharing Genna with Mance. Benjen and Rhea had made a quick exit, no-doubt to fuck in the privacy of their own bed. Sabrina walked out of the hall with her arms around three burley rangers. Triss and Yennefer were fucking in an alcove as a group of men watched and pleasured themselves. Elia, Ash and Cat had dragged Ned from the hall back to their rooms, leaving Sylvie and Lemore to make love on the high-table.
They had actually passed a few couples fucking in the corridors as they made their way to their rooms, laughing and kissing. Ned was surprised their dresses survived the debauchery of what happened when they got into bed.
“Alright girls. I think it’s time for the main event.” Ash said, pulling away from Ned’s cock.
“So, who gets to ride first?” Ned wondered aloud, looking between his women.
“Elia.” Cat responded. “It is her nameday after all.”
“You’re so good to me, Cat.” Elia said, leaning over to kiss her passionately.
The Riverlander and Dornish-woman shared their embrace, their tongues writhing together. Then they pulled apart and Elia pulled Ash into an impassioned kiss. Ned’s cock bobbed and throbbed in the cool air as he watched his women above him.
“I believe there is something else to you need to attend to, my dears.” Ned smiled up at them. All three turned to him and giggled.
“We’re sorry, my love.” Cat purred, laying herself down on his right side, pressing her enormous breasts against him, soaking in his warmth. He could feel the metal and jewels of her piercings against his skin.
“We got a little carried away.” Ash mirrored Cat on his left.
“Now I shall have my nameday treat!” Elia said, happily. Ned watched as she positioned herself over his cock and mounted him in one smooth motion. Both lovers moaned deeply at the sensations of becoming one. Ned could feel Elia’s tight, Dornish cunt clenching around him, squeezing him like a vice. “Haaaaaaaahhh….” Elia breathed, as she adjusted to being filled completely by Ned’s cock.
“God’s… Look at her… She’s so fucking beautiful…” Cat cooed as her hands brushed through Ned’s chest hair.
Ned could only agree with his wife. Elia was one of the most beautiful women in the realm. Her smoky eye shadow and dark skin made her the definition of an exotic beauty. Her little moans and movements were causing her massive breasts to quiver and shudder hypnotically. His hands snaked down Ash and Cat’s bodies, taking large handfuls of their plump arses.
“Ha! …Glad you’re enjoying the view…” Elia moaned, waving a few dark ringlets of her hair out of her face. Then, she looked Ned in the eyes, place dainty hands on his chest and began to move her hips. She began slowly, undulating them back and forth, taking only a few inches at a time. “They say they have the best stallions in Dorne…” Elia moaned as she rode him. “Yet… I have found the best stallion in Westeros in this room.”
“How grateful are you, that I told you to fuck him?” Ash asked, running her hand up Elia’s thigh.
“So fucking grateful…” Elia whined. She was beginning to bounce herself up and down his shaft now. “Fuck! Rhaegar wasn’t a tenth the man you are, on his best day. Or a TENTH the LOVER!” Even after all these years, Elia loved to disparage Rhaegar as they made love.
That silver-haired shit must have been truly awful to her… Ned thought.
Not wanting his wives to feel left out, Ned worked his fingers into their arseholes and began to work them. Ash and Cat moaned in response, clutching his chest and kissing along his bearded jaw.
Ned could see Elia’s cream covering his cock every time it withdrew from her silky depths. Elia was bouncing on him in earnest now, moaning and screaming as he penetrated her womanhood.
“FUCK! FUCK!! I LOVE YOUR COCK!!!”
Her massive, brown breasts were swaying back and forth, the rubies on her nipples and bellybutton glinting in the light of the morning sun. As her breathing became more erratic and her hips lost their steady rhythm, Ned knew Elia was nearing her end.
“Just look at those breasts.” Cat marvelled at the Dornish princess. She got up from her position at Ned’s side to sit on his stomach, face to face with Elia. Ash was busy burying her face into the crook of Ned’s neck, moaning wantonly as Ned brought her to a small climax. “You should have Ned’s child.” Cat stated to Elia, licking and kissing along her jaw. Elia’s stilled, but only for a moment, Ned could tell she was thinking of something. Then the moment passed and she went back to grinding on Ned’s cock.
You never stop trying to give me more children don’t you… Ned thought in wonderment. Catelyn was always trying to get Ned to give his lovers a babe to bare.
“There’s nothing that draws a loving man and woman closer like having a child together.” Cat explained. She took handfuls of Elia’s bouncing breasts, lifting them up. “Imagine what would happen to these if you were with child.” Elia was moaning louder and louder under Cat’s ministrations.
“You’ve… Ha! …Already impregnated the lovers of both my brothers. Mellario twice.” Elia moaned over Cat’s shoulder, looking at Ned. It was true. On their visit to Dorne, Ned had fucked a second babe into Mellario, along with Oberyn’s lover Ellaria Sand too.
“I’d be happy to do the same to you.” He responded heartily, thrusting his hips up to meet Elia.
Ned’s cock and Cat’s dirty talking became too much for Elia, who began to writhe and convulse as the waves of her climax crashed through her. Ned felt Elia’s cunt tighten to almost an impossible degree around him, it was a wonder he didn’t fill her with his seed right there. But Ned kept thrusting up into Elia, drawing out her climax, making her shiver as she collapsed against Cat.
“Whore.” Cat said as she looked into Elia’s eyes, her hand clasped around Elia’s throat.
Elia’s eyes rolled back into her skull as her lovers pleasured her. When her explosive climax finally came to it’s end, Ned took hold of her hips with his hands and started thrusting up into her, chasing his own end. Elia would have fallen to the bed if Cat hadn’t been holding her up.
She was pressed into Cat’s massive breasts, muffling her screams of pleasure as Ned’s cock kissed the entrance to her womb. Pleasure and pain mixing together in an intoxicating concoction to make Elia sore higher and higher.
Eventually, Ned felt the pressure in his cock become too much for him. With a roar that shook the timbers of his room, he filled Elia with his seed. He made sure to thrust as deep inside her as he could go, to make sure she got every last drop. Feeling Ned inseminating her, sent Elia over the edge again and she came undone around him. The four sweaty lovers stayed where they were for a while, basking in the warmth and the scent of their love.
“I think it’s time you two assumed the position now.” Ash said, rising from the bed and walking over the desk of draws where they kept the sex toys. Cat helped Elia dismount from Ned. The feeling of the cool air on his cock after the warmth of Elia’s sheath sent a shiver along his spine.
Ned sat up as Cat placed Elia in one of the two stockades they had at the end of their bed. Elia’s arse and leaking cunt were fully displayed to Ned, her arse cheeks made a tempting target.
“I could use some help, my love.” Cat purred as she got on all fours, her massive breasts hanging from her chest.
Ned smirked and got up from his position, to help his Tully wife into the other stockade. He locked the beam into place. Now, both Cat and Elia were completely trapped and exposed to whatever Ned and Ash wanted to do to them. Their large brown and pale, freckled arses quivering in anticipation.
“Right… Now I have everything.” Ash said, turning around revealing she was wearing two mummer’s cocks in a harness. They were perfect replicas of Ned’s cock gifted by Mellario when all four of them visited Dorne. In her hand, Ash held another mummer’s cock, like the other two and a bottle of lubricant. Smiling, with a mischievous glint in her eye, she sauntered over to the bed and climbed back on it.
Kneeling with Ned, she leaned up to kiss him, they shared an embrace for a few moments, before they went to work on their lovers. Ash put a generous amount of lubricant on Cat and Elia’s arseholes, before she worked a finger into Elia’s backdoor. She moaned in response, pressing her hips back to meet the invader.
Ned did the same to Cat, who mirrored Elia’s reaction. Ned then worked the mummer’s cock Ash had given him, into Cat’s arsehole. It took a few minutes for Cat to take it all, Ned eased it inside her slowly.
“Remember to twist the back end.” Ash reminded him, as she did the same with her mummers cocks.
Ned activated the implement and it began to hum with magical energy, making Cat moan and buck her hips. The mummers cocks Mellario had gifted them magically vibrated on activation. Mellario had informed them, they were imported from Lys, where they were used in the best pleasure houses.
The vibrating cocks had proved to be a great source of pleasure for Ned’s women, who enjoyed having both the mummer’s cocks and his own inside of them. Ned watched Ash as she activated the cocks, a faint humming could be heard as she inserted them both into Elia’s arsehole and used cunt.
“Ahhh… Ahhhh! …Fuck!” Elia shivered and cried out as she was taken in both holes at once.
The harness and the cocks were very well designed, they provided pleasure to both the receiver and the user during the act. Ash started off gently, easing in a few inches then retreating, only to surge forth again even deeper.
“Surely, you have not forgotten me?” Cat joked, shaking her hips enticingly as Ned turned his attention back to her, the mummer’s cock vibrating deep in her arsehole.
“How could I forget and arse like yours.” Ned responded, clapping a hand down on her pale behind, earning a squeal in pleasure from Cat.
“Please… more!” She moaned in response.
If you want more, you shall have it.
Ned got up from the bed and retrieved two wooden paddles from the sex toys draw. He returned to the bed, handing a paddle over to Ash, who began to use it on Elia, drawing cries and moans as she rained down blows on her arsecheeks.
The sound of the loud smacks began to fill the air. Ned joined Ash, striking Cat’s arse, thighs and hips. A melody of moans was sounding from Elia and Cat’s lips, both were quivering in pleasure as their lovers struck them.
Soon, Cat’s behind was as red as her hair. Ned formed some ice in his hands, then ran it over the reddened skin. Cat hissed and shivered at the feelings of the cold ice running over her, the mummers cock still vibrating in her arse.
Finally, Ned prodded Cat’s lower lips with his cock head, teasing his lusty wife. He smiled as Cat tried to press her hips back into him, trying to take his cock inside her.
“Pleeeeeeeease fuck me!” Cat whined, needily.
“As you wish…” Ned thrust his entire cock inside her in one go. Cat wailed and thrashed beneath him, but he held her tightly. “There we go… You love my cock don’t you?” Ned growled as he set a steady pace of fucking.
“YES! YES I LOVE YOUR COCK!” Cat screamed, thrusting her hips back to meet him. “BREED YOUR RIVER-WHORE WIFE!!!”
Ned laughed and clapped a hand on her arse, earning more moans from her. Their fucking was frenzied and animalistic. The loud clapping of their skin smacking together could probably be heard throughout the castle.
Ned looked over to Ash and Elia, who was in a very similar state to Cat: moaning and squealing as Ash fucked her from behind. Ned reached out and smacked Ash’s luscious arse as she thrust into Elia. His wife yelped in surprise, then leaned over to kiss him.
“First to make their partner finish?” She asked, clearly setting a wager with her husband. In their relationship, they often bet who could bring their partner to climax first. It was game they all enjoyed.
“You better pick up the pace then.” Ned answered, stroking his hand along Elia’s back, making her shiver and moan.
The race was on. Ned and Ash set a brutally relentless pace as they ploughed their partners. Cat and Elia were high in the heavens, being taken like a pair of bitches in heat.
“YES! YES!! FUCK US!! FUCK YOUR WHORES!!!” They cried together in hoarse voices.
After a time, they could do naught but moan in pleasure, their voices having broken under the strain. Ned could see they had both began to drool onto the floor, their eyes having rolled back in pleasure as their heads fell forward.
Eventually, Ned grasped the mummers cock buried deep in Cat’s arse and began to move it around as he ploughed her. Cat had screamed in pleasure, tossing and bucking. Ned could feel her cunt fluttering and clenching around him. He leaned forward to take handfuls of her massive, swaying breasts. Strong fingers tweaked tugged at her nipples, making her moan even higher.
Soon, her damn broke and Cat screamed operatic tones of euphoria as her climax wrecked her body. She reflexively tried to get up and move, straining against the stockade, her legs kicked out as her body shook. Ned’s front was coated in her squirt as the fountain of her cunt shot out a mighty jet stream.
Elia was not too far behind her. Ash brought her to a shaking climax as she spanked Elia’s large brown behind. Ned could see that the vibrating from the mummer’s cocks had brought Ash to her own end as well, from her flushed cheeks and hearing her beating heart. Ned was the last to find his end. He’d fucked Cat through her explosive climax. Knowing that he had lasted longer than the other three, he let forth another torrent of his seed.
“Get pregnant, bitch.” Ned grunted as rope after rope of his seed shot into Cat’s womb. His words and the feeling of being filled clearly sent Cat over the edge again. She was shivering in the after shocks of another climax when Ned pulled out of her, still harder than Uru.
“Gods, look at all that cream.” Ash moaned, leaning over to lick and slurp along Ned’s cock. “Hmmm, delicious.” She licked her lips as she straightened up.
Ned saw that she had removed her harness, leaving the vibrating cocks still buried inside a comatose Elia. Ash observed her comatose lovers for a few moments, then fixed Ned with a wanton look.
“Seems you and I are-ah!” She was interrupted by Ned throwing her down on her back, hooking his arms under her knees, pulling them up to her chest and thrusting his cock all the way inside her and stayed there. “Argh-Fuck!” Ash screamed, fisting the bedsheets above her head. Her iliac eyes were shinning with lust and life.
She looked up Ned, her plump lips parted, her massive breasts rising and falling on her chest with every breath. Ned could hear their hearts beating as one. The world seemed to slip away. There was only to two of them and the pleasure of their union.
“…I’m going to breed you.” Ned growled, with a finality that guaranteed it would happen. He felt her hot and silky walls clench around him even tighter. “I’m going to breed you.” He repeated, pulling his cock out, then thrusting it in again.
Ash threw her head back as pleasure overwhelmed her. Ned fucked her without mercy. She stained the bed beneath them with evidence of her pleasure. His hands went to her ankles, holding them above her head as his cock kissed the entrance to her womb.
Ned’s eyes were drawn to Ash’s mountainous breasts as they bounced back and forth, her nipple piercings twinkling in the light of the sun. They were already very large even before she had children, but now Ned imagined only Cat and Mellario had better breasts.
“FUCKING FILL ME!” She cried, as the bed rocked under the force of Ned’s thrusts.
Her climax shook her whole body. Felling her cunt clench even tighter around him, massaging his manhood almost made Ned fill her with his seed right there, but he kept his pace. Ash’s eyes began to roll back into her head as she moaned incoherently, panting.
Ned was held up by his knees and his hands pushing into the mattress behind her head as he savagely thrust down into her. Her soaking cunt fluttered and quivered around him as he thrust deeper and deeper. They stayed like that for a long time, Ned thrusting into Ash as she moaned and whined beneath him. Ned could tell she was getting closer to her next climax.
“I’m close!” Ash whined as her breasts bounced in time with Ned’s thrusts. He gripped her throat with his hand, holding her tightly. Her haunting eyes widened in shock for a moment, then a haze of lust fell on them.
“Only when you have my permission.” He growled at her through gritted teeth.
That nearly made her come undone right there. Ned’s hand squeezed her throat, cutting off her air as he thrust into her with renewed vigour. Ash struggled for breath as Ned rammed her, driving her to even higher peaks of pleasure. She looked at him with pleading eyes, begging him to let her climax, even as they began to water with the lack of air. Ned’s balls were loudly clapping down on her arsecheeks as he ploughed her.
Ash gasped a breathless moan as Ned began to pinch and tug at her nipples, bringing them to hardened points, her abs flexing under his fingers. Ned gently tugged on the amethysts at Ash’s nipples, sending her mad with pain and pleasure. He felt her tightening around him again, just begging to be unleashed. Ned leaned close, so his mouth was at her ear, tears were streaming from her glassy eyes as she choked out soft, weak moans.
“You have my permission…” He whispered in her ear and let go of her throat.
The resulting sound that came from Ash’s lips was indescribable. She thrashed and shook as she came crashing down, clenching down on Ned so hard, he thought he might never be out of her. A prospect he didn’t have a problem with. She lost consciousness at some point during her climax, Ned gently brought her back with a few slaps.
He ended their liaison tenderly, thrusting gently into her cunt as he filled her womb with his seed. Ash’s face seemingly falling deeper and deeper into a state of bliss as she felt rope after rope of his seed fill her.
Ned stayed inside her for a few minutes, then pulled out of her cunt and stood up. Looking over his women, Ned felt a great sense of pride swell within him. All were glistening with sweat and panting from their activities, with his seed dripping from their cunts. Ash was on her back, Elia and Cat were still in the stockades, barely conscious and drooling onto the floor.
Ned stretched and yawned, before walking out onto their balcony. Leaning over the barrier, he surveyed Winterfell, with the morning sun rising in the east. Ned was glad the cold had no affect on him anymore, otherwise his lack of clothing would certainly be uncomfortable.
The dragons were circling Ice Dragon’s Peak off in the distance. Unlike the southerners, the Starks didn’t keep their dragons in a dragon-pit. They preferred to let them roam more freely with a large mountain near the Winter city as their home.
They’re probably feeding them right now. Ned thought.
At the beginning of each week, the dragon-keepers would give the dragons a few mammoth carcasses to eat. Of course, they still hunted their own food, but it was always a good idea to make sure dragons didn’t go hungry. That was when they started eating people. A loud knocking could be heard from the door.
“Come in.” Ned said, walking back into the room.
The door opened and Captain Harper walked in, along with his wife Ramona, the chief maid to Ash, Cat and Elia. She had come with Elia to Winterfell. She and Harper had quickly fallen for each other and decided to marry. A look of resignation fell on Harper and Ramona’s faces when they saw the state of Ned and his women.
“Ugh! I’m a maid to three whores.” Ramona said as she unlatched Cat and Elia from their stockades. “Just once can you not leave such a mess.”
“Calling your lady a whore would normally get you slapped and removed from your position.” Ash mumbled as Ramona started pouring hot water into a tub to wash them in.
“Ha! I’d like to see you try.” Ramona snarked as she helped Ash up from the bed and over to the very large wooden tub. “You’re as weak as a kitten.”
With a huff, Ash tried to lift her arm, then gave up. “Alright, you get to keep your job… for today.”
“The princess is very gracious and generous to a poor simple commoner like me.” Ramona curtsied sarcastically.
“Just once, i’d like to come in here and it not look like a whore-house.” Harper said, exasperatedly, as Ned reached for a cup of last night’s ice-wine from the table. Ramona, making a semi-disgusted face as she removed the still-vibrating mummer’s cocks from Cat and Elia.
“I’m a maid to whores and so are you!” Ramona laughed to her husband as she helped Cat into the tub with Ash.
“He’s not my maid.” Ned corrected her, leaning on the table but not arguing the accusation that he was a whore.
“The council is in session.” Harper told Ned, trying to get the conversation on track.
“Shit. That time already?” Ned asked, putting his cup and walking over to the cabinet that held his clothes.
“Yea, they’ll wait, but Benjen won’t wait forever…” Harper teased, leaving the room.
“Ramona, you can take the morning off.” Ned told her as she dumped Elia into the tub. “I’ll handle them.” He nodded to his women as they curled up together in the warm water.
“I saw the state you left them in. I know you can handle them.” Ramona laughed as she poured a bucket of water on Ash, Cat and Elia, who sputtered awake as the water roused them from their slumber. “Prince Stark.” She said in acknowledgment, curtsying before she left the room. Then Ned leaped into the tub as well.
They all washed each other before they got dressed. Ash, Cat and Elia wearing no small-clothes, to try and tempt Ned into fucking them during the day. Ned dressed himself in a grey tunic, breeches and well-worn leather boots.
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The council chambers were large, with an old oak long-table in the centre surrounded by chairs. On the wall hung a detailed map of the North and all that was in it. The Winterfell council members all stood as Ned and his women walked into the room, their direwolves by their sides. Fang, Starlight and Redmane walking over to Warden, Benjen’s direwolf, sniffing each other, then settling down by the hearth together.
“Apologies for our lateness, my lords and ladies.” Ned said, as they got to their seats and sat down. “We… lost track of time…” The council members all chuckled together.
“I’ll bet.” Ranger Jory, the captain of the household guard said under his breath.
Winterfell’s chief steward, Vayon Poole raised his goblet. “Please allow me to begin this meeting by wishing Princess Elia a happy nameday. Winterfell is made brighter by your presence and i’m sure I speak for all here when I say we’re glad you have made this place your home.” The council rumbled in agreement.
“Happy nameday, Princess.” They all toasted Elia together. She graciously accepted their praise, though didn’t say much. Ned suspected because her throat was still sore from all of her screaming earlier.
“Now that is done with.” Vayon continued. “I believe our first port of call should be about the snowstorm that blew through last night. There are a number of buildings in Winterfell that will need to be repaired: the old keep, the beast pens and the stables sustained damage.”
“Aye, we had to move some of the beasts into spare rooms to keep them warm.” Thistle, Winterfell’s Beastmaster, cut in.
“Then we will need to hire from the builders guild to make repairs.” Ned said, then turned to Cat. “Will you meet with the guild masters later today and tell us what they say?”
“Yes.” His Tully wife answered. “The cost will not be dear.”
“Then onto the next order of business.” Benjen said, turning over to the next page in his book, a smile ghosted his face when he read it. “Ah yes. Lyanna has fulfilled the contract we sent out on the Striga that was attacking travellers on the eastern road.”
“Lyanna, truly?” Ned asked, surprised that she was that close to Winterfell and he did not know it. As his sister had chosen the life of a Witcher, she traveled around the North often, dispatching monsters ‘with deft skill and cat-like grace’, as she put it in her letters.
“Yes.” Benjen smiled. “She’s outside now.” Then he called out “Send her in.”
The guards opened the door and let Lyanna in, she was carrying a Striga’s head and a Minotaur’s horn. She was dirty, wearing chainmail with her Uru blade slung over her back. Her long dark hair was in a tight braid down her back. Her four she-wolves bounded in behind her, before going over to Fang and the others. Ned rose from his seat and walked over to her, gripping her in a tight hug.
“Lya!” He beamed. “It’s been too long.”
“You should visit more often.” Cat called from her seat, likely too tired to rise at the time.
“The children love when you come by.” Ash added.
“Yes it has. Yes I should. And of course they do.” Lyanna addressed all three of them when her and Ned pulled apart. “I was coming back to visit when I saw the notice, so I decided to earn some money on the way.” She explained. “The beast’s head, as ordered.” She planted it on the table. “And a bonus: There were a few beastmen in the area that I dealt with for you.” She laid the broken horn down next to it.
“I’m sure the travellers of the eastern road thank you for your service.” Ned began, “And if they don’t, I certainly do. You’ll be well rewarded for your deeds.” He nodded to Benjen, who threw a bag of gold coins to her. She caught it with one hand and bowed her head.
“Grateful as ever, Ned.”
Yennefer leaned over the table, towards the Striga’s head. “I would like to have this for my studies.” She said. As Ned walked back to his seat, he saw Lyanna’s grey, cat-eyes take an appreciative glance down Yennefer’s ample cleavage.
“Well… I’ll happily to give it to you… my lady.” She responded.
Ned had to stop himself from telling Yen to stop flirting with his sister.
“In that case. I will have another contact for you when we are concluded here.” Yennefer smirked.
Lyanna took her trophies and her gold and left the room, after telling him she’d be off looking for her many nieces and nephews. Ned saw Yennefer paying very close attention to Lyanna’s swaying arse as she walked away.
“Now I believe it is my turn to report.” Monfryd said, getting up from his seat. The dwarf walked to a long wooden chest and opened it, taking a long wooden and metal staff-like object from it. “This is a perfected, personal Thunderer.” He said proudly, laying it on the table. In the years since he had first showed Ned the original Thunderer, Monfryd had been tirelessly working, designing and re-designing weapons for house Stark.
He now had multiple weapons that used his black powder: the first was called a cannon. It was a massive metal barrel that shot out an iron ball in a tremendous explosion. One hit from the ball would kill a knight in full enchanted armour and many knights standing behind him. It would turn a normal man into red mist. The trouble was that a cannon was incredibly heavy and it required several men to load and fire a shot. It was also inaccurate, failing to be on target the majority of the time.
The next weapon he came up with was called a Hwacha, Monfryd said he came up with the idea after drinking with sailors from Yi Ti. It consisted of ten rows of twenty arrows, each just over three feet long, being held on a wooden rack. Using the force of blackpowder exploding, they would be fired into the air and have a devastating affect on force under it’s fire.
Like the cannon, it was ungainly and inaccurate. However, with two hundred arrows raining from each one, it didn’t have to be accurate. There was also an underlying problem with both: they had a tendency to explode if not handled correctly.
Monfryd’s new weapon was supposedly the answer. It was much smaller than a cannon or Hwacha and would be carried and shot by a single soldier.
“It certainly looks impressive, Monfryd.” Druid Luwin said. “How does it work?” Monfryd beamed at the question, Ned could tell he was clearly very proud of it.
“You see, the principle is the same as a cannon, but much smaller.” He began. “You need to use this stand, to help you aim.” He took out a long wooden stick that forked into two prongs on one end. “A shot fired from one of these bastards will knock the wind out of a knight in full enchanted plate and blow limbs of someone who isn’t.”
“But do they actually work?” Ash asked inquisitively.
“Yes, Princess.” Monfryd answered. “A trained marksman should be able to hit his target at quite a distance with one of these. As Captain Harper can attest.”
“He’s right.” Harper agreed. “Me an’ the lads took a few shots with them. They’re as good as Mon says. Though do hurt like hell to fire.” He said, rubbing his shoulder. “Perkins fired one and it nearly knocked his shoulder out of it’s socket.”
“Alas, this is something I cannot change.” Monfryd admitted. “I would need to make the force of the shot even weaker, for the kick-back to be diminished.” He paused for a few moments. “So… what do you think?”
“I think Tywin Lannister should never have weapons like this.” Elia said. Ned placed a hand on her shoulder. Neither of them had ever forgotten of forgiven what he had done to Aegon and tried to do to her and Rhaenys.
“I agree with Princess Elia.” Benjen added. “We should keep these weapons a secret. For now at least…”
“Are we not at peace?” Vayon asked. “The king is Prince Stark’s friend.”
“These weapons are terribly destructive…” Ned said. “But i’d rather the North has them and other realms do not. They shall remain a secret.” The other members murmured in agreement.
After that, the council meeting went on a little longer. Mostly inconsequential matters, yet Ned had to pay attention as he was the Prince of Winterfell. When their meeting ended, they all went their separate ways, Ash, Cat and Elia going to meet with ladies of the North who had come to visit Winterfell. Ned went for a walk through the Gallery of the Kings.
The seemingly endless vaults of house Stark stretched out before him. Very few were ever allowed entrance to them. Fang padded beside Ned as he wandered through the halls, looking at the artefacts house Stark had stored away.
He passed the row of crowns from each of the Stark kings. A tradition of house Stark had been for each crown to be forged by the king who would wear it. The quality of the crown reflected the quality of the man. That was the idea. If the Stark put effort and skill into creating their crown, then they would put that same effort and skill into ruling the kingdom.
Often the Stark who had to forge the crown would bring their siblings in to help. It was a way to make the Starks work together in a way that would strengthen their house. The same way that they would work together to strengthen the North. Each of the crowns sat on plinths with the name of the Stark who wore it underneath.
Though crowns were not the only things that house Stark kept in the Gallery of the Kings. The vault was also where they kept all the magical weapons and trophies they had won over the thousands of years they have existed.
Foesmasher was a notable example of one weapon house Stark had created. A hammer made from purest black Uru, it was the twin of Foebreaker, the hammer wielded by the head of house Baratheon, currently Robert. Jonothor Stark had gifted it to a Durrandon king centuries ago. It was Foebreaker’s equal, but only able to be wielded by a Stark who was worthy. The inscription was clear in the runes of the old tongue.
“Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall poses the power of Jonothor.”
He was certainly said to have power like no other. Stark’s who had wielded Foesmasher and Ice at the same time had been able to create snowstorms that could cover the entire North and beyond. Most second sons dreamed of being worthy of it, as they would not get Ice.
Ned had always wondered if he was worthy of the hammer. Sometimes the temptation was palpable. Yet he had never actually tried to lift Foesmasher. Perhaps a part of him didn’t want to have confirmation that he wasn’t worthy. It was of no consequence, he already wielded Ice and did not need another weapon.
Another notable Stark weapon was a suit of Uru plate armour. It was created by the son of a Stark and an Ironborn lady. They called him the Iron Man. In the armour, a man was practically impervious to all damage, supposedly even dragon fire. Though, none had been brave enough to test that last theory.
Ned walked passed an array of armoured suits to the Valyrian section of the vaults. There was a collection of Valyrian steel weapons, Valyrian books of magic and Valyrian armour. One sword in particular had Ned’s attention. A thin Valyrian Steel longsword that had been stolen by the ‘Lusty Wolf’ during his travels in Essos.
According to his writings, the ‘Lusty Wolf’ had fucked the Valyrian lord’s wife. Then climbed out of her bedroom window after she gave him her husband’s family swords. Ned planned to give the sword to Rhaenys when she married Robb. That or the sword of her namesake, Rhaenys the sister of the Conqueror. Ned knew the Valyrian steel sabre wielded by Torrhen Stark’s Targaryen bride was kept somewhere in the vaults. The trouble was that the halls were so vast most things were very difficult to find. However, Ned had taken care to find the other gifts he would bestow upon his future Good-daughter, a Rhoynar spear that had been given to house Stark by Nymeria herself. Along with a book of Rhoynar water magic, so Rhaenys would have gifts for both sides of her heritage.
Walking past the Valyrian section of the vault took Ned to where Brightroar, the Valyrian steel greatsword of house Lannister lay. It had come into house Stark’s possession when they had launched a small expedition to Valyria in search of treasure. Many had not returned from the trip and the few that did brought back little, except for Brightroar.
They had found it on the skeletal corpse of the former king Tommen Lannister. The Starks of the time decided the Lannisters hadn’t earned their sword back and so Brightroar rested deep in the Gallery of the Kings.
Given Tywin Lannister’s actions, Ned was very unlikely to ever give him the sword. Though, a part of him thought to gift it to Mance and Genna’s oldest son, Tytos. Or maybe melt it down, split it into two and give swords to both of their sons.
Next to Brightroar lay an even more impressive artefact. There were many Valyrian swords in the world, but the shield of Krato was unique. It was a pure Uru shield that could fold down to just a vambrace.
It was created by Krato, one of the dwarves most skilled craftsmen. It was a very convenient shield to use as it weighed practically nothing and could be folded away. Because of the Uru and the many enchantments it bore, the shield was practically indestructible. Ned was tempted to take the shield and use it for himself, but he did not. He wasn’t much one for using shields.
As Ned started making his way back to exit, he passed the horde of trinkets Theon Stark had taken from the Andals when they had tried to invade the North and when he pillaged Andalos. At the centre of the horde lay the seven pointed mace of Argos Sevenstar.
The Andal warlord had made the unfortunate choice to invade the North. During battle, Theon the ‘Hungry Wolf’ had beaten him to death with his own mace. Then, Theon lashed Sevenstar’s corpse to the prow of his ship as he sailed to Andalos, to raze it to the ground. Argos’ dried blood was still on the golden mace, even as it glowed faintly with magical power.
After Ned left the vaults, he decided to watch over his brood in the yard. He joined Ash, Cat and Elia as they were also watching the children from a balcony. Jon and Rhaenys were shooting fireballs at targets as little Rickon and Alaric cheered and clapped.
Beric was instructing Bran and little Arthur how to use a sword, with Robb being his helper. The younger ones always loved when their uncle Witcher taught them how to fight, then regaled them with tales of his adventures.
Lyanna was leading Ned’s and Ash’s oldest daughter Alysanne, along with Sansa, Arya and Alyrianne in their archery practice. All their direwolves were playing together in the mud, rolling around and yelping playfully.
There were times when Ned was overcome with grief. When he was crushed by the weight of all his loses and dreams of terrible war.
This was not one of those times.
Being in his home, with the women he loved, watching over his children laughing and playing together… Ned could not bring himself to regret all the horrors that had happened in his life. Because if not for them, he might not have what he did now, and he wouldn’t give up this life for anything.
Ned was torn from his thoughts by Ranger Rodrik Cassel bringing him a message.
“Pardon me, my Prince, Princesses.” He said, they all turned to greet him. “They caught a deserter from the Night’s Watch.”
And it was a nice day… Ned thought, grimly.
He donned what Cat had laughingly called his ‘Lord’s face’ “…Gather the children.” He ordered. “Tell them to saddle their wolves.”
“All of them?” Cat asked. “Alaric is six, Rickon only a year older…”
“They won’t be boys forever…” Ned answered, turning to her. “…and Winter is coming…”
—————————
It never gets easier… Ned thought as the head of the former watchman rolled away.
He had heard his words and saw no regret for his actions. The law was the law and Ned had to execute the man. Blood dripped down Ice’s dark blade as he looked back to his children. The were all watching, their wolves a bit further back.
When they were getting ready to leave, Ned went to the two youngest, Alaric and Rickon. They both certainly looked like their mothers as Ned knelt in front of them, apart from their dark grey eyes.
“Do you understand why that had to happen?” He asked tenderly, trying to teach his sons they way of the world.
“…Alysanne said he was a deserter.” Rickon answered.
“But you understand why I had to do it?”
“Our way is the old way.” Alaric answered this time, his big eyes staring up at Ned.
“The man who passes the sentence, should swing the sword.” Ned affirmed. “In the south, they have their executioners to carry out the deed. It shields the lords from having to deal with the consequences to their choices. They forget what sentencing someone to death means.”
“It seems easier…” Alaric said quietly.
“Deciding to end a life shouldn’t ever be easy…” Ned said, putting his hands on their shoulders. “One day, you will be lords of the North and have to carry out judgments like I just did. You will need to be able to look someone in the eye, hear their testimony and decide if you should execute them. If you cannot do that, then perhaps they do not deserve to die.”
“Robb said he was brave, but Jon said he was afraid.” Rickon said. “Can a man be brave if he’s afraid?”
Ned looked down at his sons as he thought of every battle he’d ever had the misfortune to witness.
“That’s the only time a man can be brave…”
—————————
Ned sat almost alone in the godswood, cleaning the blood off Ice, Fang was curled up beside him. He did it after every execution. Finding a quiet place to think after he had just passed judgment on a man.
Sometimes he could spend hours in the godswood, sitting beneath the weirwood tree cleaning his sword. His solitude was interrupted by Ash, Cat and Elia walking up to him.
“I’m so sorry, my love.” Cat said, holding a letter. “A raven came: Jon Arryn is dead. A fever took him.”
Ned didn’t know what to think. Jon had seemed hale and hearty when last they had spoken, though that had been a decade ago. In his youth, Ned had thought of Jon as someone who’d never die. He was strong. He had been the last parental figure Ned had left.
“Your sister, their boy.” Ned said, finally. Thinking of Lysa and Jon’s son.
“They’re well, gods be good.” Cat answered, her eyes filled with pity when she looked at him.
“That isn’t all the letter said.” Ash added, solemnly.
“The… king is coming to Winterfell, along with all his court…” Elia said.
“Oh…” Ned uttered, knowing what that meant.
The Hand of the king was dead and Robert would need a new one…