Chapter 166: 165
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299 AC
The North - White Harbor
Eddard Stark
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I look back at the two very young children who look to be improving from their sudden... abduction.
Damn, Robert asking me to save your children without so much as a week to properly prepare. Now I have undoubtedly dragged the North into war as Cersei will have armies marched to recover her children. I can't even say anything bad about her doing so anyway as I am the one in the wrong at this moment as I follow the wish of my dead friend.
"Not much longer, you will be able to play with my children and will have all your needs seen to." The older of the two, Myrcella Baratheon puts on a brave face and nods, she helped me get her brother out of Kingslanding.
She heard what I told her and how Robert wanted me to protect them and she decided to trust me with her life and her brothers. She knows the war is going to be bloody and bodies will stack up, a smart girl. I promised them safety away from the dragon's rage at her house in Winterfell and she trusts me to keep that promise so I will see to it she and her brother are safe.
I will have the Neck fortified and we will hit back anyone coming for them and wait out the Targaryens coming for their crown. I am certain Lyanna will be able to plead for our case and we can be safe in the North. We only need to mind our own and keep the war from touching Northern lands and we will weather the storm.
"Can we eat soon, I am starving." The young boy speaks up reminding me of my own young boys and I nod with a pained smile.
"Let's go find something." He smiles wide for the first time since he got on the ship leaving the only home he truly has known at the word of a stranger in truth.
For I am a stranger to them even if I grew up with their Father and was like a brother to him. But I promised and I will keep that promise and I will also keep the North out of conflict as much as I can. If we put up a strong defense Tywin will pull the men back his daughter is no doubt to send. We can sit it out and hold what we have as we wait for the Targaryens to reclaim what they view as there's.
I would prefer this war not happen but it is too late, the dragon grew too fast and too strong to stop. With actual dragons growing as well soon enough they will ride them to battle and make more Harrenhals with their flames. I won't let Winterfell become like Harrenhal, I will preserve and we will survive the coming of Fire and Blood.
But first I need to feed these young ones and get us a ship that can go up the White Knife to get us closer to Winterfell.
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299 AC
Dorne - Sunspear
Arianne Martell
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I tickle the nose of my little babe and she squirms in her sleep with her nose scrunching, a cute babe that much is for sure. But there was no real doubt with her parents, she was always going to be a beautiful babe and I am excited to have her before me. The kicking and stirring in my guts are finally gone and I am happy about it even if she left some marks on my skin when she swelled my belly.
Though I think the marks are not too bad and show a certain maturity only a Mother could have and it helps with my image. It is not as bad as I thought it would be even if I thought I would die on that damn birthing bed. Little Nymeria is perfect as she could be, with her silver wisps and purple eyes so dark they look black.
She has a darker tone of skin than her siblings from what I have heard but that is fine, it shows her heritage is not just Valyrian. A combination of Rhoynar and Valyrian just like the children of the Daenerys Targaryen who married into Dorne for joining it to the rest of the Kingdoms. My little girl is just as beautiful or more so than any of them and she will be a warrior Princess just like her namesake.
A regret I have, not learning to be a true warrior as my ancestors did with both spear and sword. Though Nymeria herself was more of a commander on the battlefield and apparently never fought directly, at least not often. My babe will grow to be both sharp of mind and wield sharp steel to cut down her enemies and defend herself from unwanted attention. I can defend myself at least to a certain point, but I want my daughter to be stronger and more fierce while maintaining her beauty.
I am sure Nymeria my cousin is annoyed with her name being 'stolen' but she will have to deal with it, it's a perfect name for my little girl.
Eragon is eager to see her in person and it will be... difficult with the situation involving Viserys my legal husband. If I knew Eragon was going to make himself a King and soon to support his brother I would have just wed him instead. I do not see how Viserys will be King when Eragon is around, he has no dragon and no crown, and even if his brother gives him one it will be too late. The people will see the younger as the better than his older and it will hang over Viserys like a storm cloud.
He has made a lot of effort to better himself with a blade but unless he becomes a demon with a blade he stands no chance of holding a Kingly image next to Eragon. But no one has the heart to tell him what he likely already knows, instead we all just watch on as he trains with his Kingsguard and improves day by day.
Nymeria starts crying and I sit up to expose a breast for her, I don't want to have a wet nurse and instead, I will care for my daughter on my own. It is better this way anyway, even if I had a wetnurse I don't want my daughter to have one. I have the time available to care for her and I have the desire to do so, nothing is stopping me so I will do as I please.
Even as war closes in with each day and armies are on the move all over Westeros, Nymeria will always bring a smile to my face.
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299 AC
The Vale - The Eyrie
Aemma Arryn
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I suppose the young Stark boy is going to continue to send me ravens until he knows exactly what I plan on doing. He won't know even if I sent a response, I have my plans and Yohn Royce will see them implemented. The Vale army will destroy the Lions if they keep moving up the Riverlands as the Riverlands struggle to respond to the sudden invasion. The Stormlands have the Dornish to worry about and the Crownlands have declared for House Targaryen. The Reach remains as silent but the Iron Islands have begun sending raiders out to burn ports and claim land with the Iron price.
Things are chaotic, war like this with so many people all doing different things has not truly been seen in our lives. It is perfect for the return of the House of the Dragon as that will bring back the King's peace over Westeros. I can already tell four of the seven Kingdoms will bow without any resistance, if only to end the war sooner. The other three will be not far behind, I only see the Reach trying to grab at power as they remain fresh sitting the war out.
The food of the Reach and the hundred thousand men that can and will be raised, it will give their words strong pull at the negotiating table. I just don't know what they will scheme to get out of the Targaryens. Maybe a hand in marriage to the heir to the Throne but I do not even know who that is with the current state of things.
Also, there are so many options with Dragon Blood that I don't see a marriage to House Tyrell becoming likely. Instead, they will have to be satisfied with something else, I just don't know what it will be.
I however do know I need to send something back to young Robb Stark as I have gotten five ravens and the boy seems anxious. He probably does not even know what is happening as war comes for the North. The people who were most likely to sit the war out at family was on one side and friends on the other, now they are dragged in.
I will see if I can send him some words that will see the Lannisters opened up to attack and the Westerlands brought low. The Riverlands would surely be grateful for the relief and it will be to House Targaryen's benefit if the Riverlands can quickly recover and amass their armies. With the Lannisters doing the damage they have as they march forward the Riverlands will be out for blood, Lion's blood.
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299 AC
Crownlands - Dragonstone
Stannis Baratheon
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"Send word down to the men we will be sailing soon." Ser Davos gives me a furrowed brow look and I grit my teeth. "The sooner we get there the better, I held Storms End once I will hold it again or die in its walls. You can sneak the best of my men in as you snuck in yourself while I sit outside the wall drawing attention with the bulk of my force." He sighs and heads out of the room after a quick bow.
Renly can't hold the castle and I will be damned if I let her fall to the Targaryens, we killed them all and they are coming back but they won't get my home. The home that should have been mine if my brother was not a damn fool and a drunkard. Renly was never meant to sit at Storms End and should have been given this barren rock I now sit on. But the Crownlands have flipped under the Velaryon's call for men, I will take the rest who have not and my ships and go get my castle.
I will bend if I must but I won't lose my family's home, anyone who says otherwise will have to take it over my corpse. House Baratheon earned Storm End and I will see to it we keep Storms End, or die trying.
I have enough food prepared plus what is already there to sit for a year or more instead of starving like last time. The Tyrells can sit outside the walls for as long as they want, I will hold my castle to my last breath.
"What about Shireen?" My Wife asks as she sits at the painted table with a conflicted look.
"She will be there, it's her future birthright as she is my heir." Her Mother nods and I look out at the sea as the waves hit the rocks for hopefully the last time.
I hope to never see this ill and grey rock again, Dragonstone is hell and only a demon could be comfortable here. Suiting for those who built upon her, for they are the true demons who crawled out from Valyria's corpse.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Pretending_Author
Pretending_Author Clearing up some stuff before time skips, Westeros sooner rather than later.
Thanks for reading!!!
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