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Plans After the War

-West. King's Landing-

Tywin Lannister enjoyed the sight of the capital (but not the smell) savoring the sentiment. Several days ago his operation to get rid of the Targaryen dynasty had been safely completed which was a victory. The feeling of having eliminated Aerys and seeing his legacy thrown to the ground was beyond positive. But unfortunately not everything was good.

Instead of killing Elia Martell and her children, he discovered that all three of them escaped. And they didn't exactly escape what was Rocadragon but they were missing. Now they were leaving it up to Varys to find out. He didn't like him but Varys was an excellent spymaster and he thought he could work.

However, his mind was analyzing much more information. This information was the defeat of his brother Tygett. His defeat was something he counted on, although he counted on it, he didn't fully count on it in his mind. He did know that he was sending Tygett with an outnumbered army against his enemy but in his mind they would be attacking Stark's rear.

I would destroy them for sure. But instead of being destroyed he quickly realized what is worse and that is that his brother and other lords as well as heirs who accompanied him were captured giving the North hostages.

His brother being captured meant in a nutshell that his house looked weak. That his house looked shabby. Unacceptable. He clenched his teeth just thinking about it and there was nothing he wanted more than to kill his brother for not backing down. Instead he had lost a battle that rendered him worthless at best.

His house was being ridiculed for this damn it. What was he supposed to do about it with all this? They were supposed to be the house that made others tremble. However, the North had eliminated that weakness. The northerners were the new house that is spoken of with fear. Although he did his thing by looting the city, they only saw him as an invader.

There was nothing he wanted more than this had not happened. There was nothing he wanted more than to be able to move things in the Western lands so he could calm things down and make his house look powerful. But he had lost half the Lannister army. If you counted the losses of all the houses they could not face the army of the North. Not like they were now.

Because the North did not have to go out and fight. They would let them meet their forces in what was their new channel and crush them in that goddamn damned fortress. Even a naval attack was stupid because the bloody Tyrells had lost their fleet to the North burning it to cinders. And the same could be said of the royal fleet. He cursed completely.

That brought something else to his mind that he didn't like. Jon Arryn wanted to bring the Stark house into the fold and the great idea that he came up with was to continue with the marriage of Robert and lyanna Stark to which he naturally refused. He had helped in this way. He had put his house in a bad situation. He had misnamed them. Everything to do neither more nor less than he has power in the future government. His daughter was to marry Robert Baratheon. Instead Jon Arryn kept thinking of forcing the current Lord Stark.

There were two exits. One is that he killed the girl. But then he would earn the wrath of House Stark. And if he knew one thing, it was that Hariric Stark would have no rest until he was put underground and his entire family dead if he dared to think about it. It might be hard to believe but he knew a dangerous person when he saw one and Hariric Stark was that damn person damn him.

That same person who would not hesitate in the slightest to do the maximum possible damage and screw up your existence. He was like the only one who seemed to be much closer to his family than he was. Although he could be exploited if you put your hand on one of them the chances of that going ahead were more than low.

The other option and the one he expected the most is that Hariric Stark would deny the marriage. While it is true that Jon Arryn could try to force him, Hariric Stark could argue that the marriage was orchestrated by none other than the king and he had no intention of continuing to abide by the rules established by Aerys. Of course Robert could make a comment or even refuse outright but Tywin knew Hariric wouldn't mind. Unlike other lords, the great lord of the North would not submit for what it is to fulfill his demands. He actually could see it for what it is: a hostage attempt.

At another time he would not have hesitated to kill the girl. But here it was different. The other houses lacked the stomach to hurt him. But Hariric Stark was not. He proved it in this war. There were no injuries from the enemy armies. All died. That spoke of someone who didn't believe in the term mercy. Hariric Stark looked a lot like him. Maybe he had limits. But if he pushed him too far he could decide to attack him where it hurt the most. And he knew that if he died, his house would be too weak to defend itself.

''I'm glad Lord Tywin has come. With you we can begin to talk about what this rebellion of the wolves has been.'' Wolf Rebellion. A good name for this. And there was no one who could deny it.

In this impromptu council was Robert newly crowned king. There was Jon Arryn recently named hand of the king. Other members present were hoster Tully. There was Varys who was acting as the spymaster. And of course Tywin Lannister himself who could provide what was more information. If possible they would have wanted someone from Dorne and someone from the Dominion but they were not present at this meeting. The Dominion was recovering from the damage and Dorne was silent.

''When someone is asked to be present before such an important council, it is better to be present. Although I would like to know why I'm here. Neither I nor Hoster Tully have been appointed to the council. Furthermore, efforts should be made and seek potential members for what is essentially the future of the council.'' And she already had members in mind. His brother became lord of the ships. Kevan could be an excellent advisor to edicts.

''The council will be formed. But first things first. The lords must be called upon to follow the new king. Robert baratheon is the new king and I think we can all agree that the lords should recognize the new king.'' Jon only said what he felt to be an accurate truth. As long as Robert was not recognized as king he was not king.

''at this point, my gentlemen, I have the sad duty to report various things. They have very serious concerns regarding the domain lands. Half of his lords along with heirs and the south lord Mace tyrell have been captured and taken north by lord stark to do god knows what with them. Varys spoke in a calm voice. He could be heard at that very moment as calm but inside he was very upset. So many plans would have to be scrapped and new ones developed.

''That's really bad, how are we supposed to open dialogue and talks with the South so that they accept Robert as king if his lord has been caught by those savages from the North?'' Pycelle decided to offer her opinion.

''fuck the bastard with the roses. If he had stayed out of this the problem wouldn't have blown up in his face the way he did. Robert decided to make his opinion known.

''You can't be serious Robert. Whether we like it or not Mace Tyrell is an important lord of the south and that means in a nutshell that he should be treated with due respect. The north having him trapped means that he can negotiate with the Dominion from a position of strength which is not a good thing." Jon tried to make his charge understand as best he could that things were far from how he was going to like them somehow.

''that flower of shit got in the way of the north to put the damn dragons in their place. Although I am not happy, what is clear to me is that I despise the fact that this man decided without further ado that he could put himself on the path of the North to recover my future wife. In Robert's mind everything he had to do with getting his future wife back was what mattered more than anything.

''Be that as it may, Robert, it doesn't matter how you can see it, but in the end the case and final point is that Lord Stark must deliver the Lord of the Dominion in an optimal state of health. And we must start discussions with his family members in favor of what it is that they bow the knee to you. Jon decided that he had to bring up the subject of the place.

''I think House Tyrell will be happy if we simply negotiate to get back from the Starks not only Mace Tyrell but all the lords who have been captured. I suppose the North will have to give in to our pressure for the release of these men.'' Hoster Tully said what he thought was true. The raw reality in his mind of how things were. But I hear a snort.

''If you think you can put pressure on House Stark to back off that they should hand over the idiot and his minions then you're wrong. This is the North. They don't take prisoners. If they have been taken, it is so that Hariric Stark can interrogate them and possibly to force a solution beneficial to him, not to talk with him willingly''. Tywin sensed that they were talking nonsense.

''Don't you think you're exaggerating a bit? I think Lord Stark will agree that due to pressure from all the southern lords he he he will have to give in to the demands of the south. Not if he doesn't want to be in a longer war. Hoster couldn't conceive in his mind that Hariric Stark wanted to be in a longer war. But Tywin's look told him that such thinking was foolish.

''You do not know Hariric Stark. That boy is not a joke. I don't take prisoners for the pleasure of taking prisoners. I take no prisoners for simply making yourself look good. I take prisoners because he wants to send a message. And now the South as a whole is in the worst possible situation.'' With the armies of the kingdoms destroyed the truth be told is that the North had the upper hand.

''I cannot conceive in my mind that Hariric Stark would actually want to prolong the war. That is to say, he killed Rhaegar and immediately withdrew. For what reason other than that he wanted peace more than anything after this senseless conflict?''. In Jon's mind he couldn't quite conceive at least that Hariric Stark was being somehow more considerate.

''You're not looking at it from a military perspective, Lord Arryn. Once Rhaegar was treated as hariric, Stark had no reason to stay in the south other than to rescue his sister. Rhaegar was the threat. The man who kidnapped his sister. And he died at the hands of Lord Stark. In fact if no one had gotten in his way this could have had a very different ending.'' From Tywin's point of view the entire war had been a waste of time.

Jon and Hoster looked at each other. If what Tywin said was true he meant in several words that Hariric knew about the military move they were making. He knew that if he didn't get out of the south he would be trapped by his armies. That also meant that he destroyed the twins to make sure there was no attack from anyone's rear and possibly no support from the river houses either.

As for the valley, it meant in a few words that the North could be responsible for what it was to intercept his army. The problem of the valley was to leave due to the difficult roads and much more. That Hariric Stark had counted on it meant that he had a good group of military strategists and possibly had a decent idea of ​​it all himself.

''Not to mention that there is another detail that we are all missing. What can Hariric Stark want from all the people he defeated in the battle of the trident? He may have demands and demands. It's what I would do''. Although he knew that putting the boy on the same level as himself was meaningless, he could say with total candor that it was best to be as safe about it and treat the young Hariric Stark as a solid threat.

''Can't it just be that Lord Tywin has decided to take prisoners, neither more nor less? Hariric Stark shouldn't have wanted to get the blood of so many nobles on his hand after all.'' Jon decided that the most sensible thing to do was to offer the possibility that things could be in a rather different way.

''Tell me, Lannister, if you had to think of a reason why Hariric Stark would take everyone he did prisoner, what do you think would be the reasons for doing so? What ulterior motives could Hariric Stark have in mind to treat things as they happen?'' Robert had to say that he was curious about the lion lord's point of view.

''simple. Mace Tyrell is an idiot bully. He has always felt with a right thought that makes him believe that he is above others. So taking him and all the other Dominion lords is a clear message. A message that they are not as imposing as they think and that they are below them.'' In Tywin's opinion, an idiot and useless man like Mace Tyrell deserved in many ways all the crap that could happen to him.

''So what you mean is that Lord Stark is simply trying to teach him a lesson to never disrespect him again? That sounds like an exaggeration even when you put it like that. It makes no sense for Lord Stark to be doing such things to a fellow noble." Jon Arryn had to say that he had a hard time imagining such an action on the part of Hariric Stark.

''but it wasn't just mace tyrell the man he captured. There were the domain members who accompanied him to the battlefield. The nobles of the crown lands. The nobles of the riverlands except Frey. The nobles of the stormlands. And of course Dorne. All of them were captured by Lord Stark. Who knows what he could do with them. What Tywin was saying began to get into the heads of all the men present.

''bah as far as I'm concerned all those who dared outright to oppose Stark who came from the storm lands can be considered as exiles. I have no intention of enduring those bastards who supported the dragon scum." Robert spoke. And since not everyone partly agreed on what was said.

''My apologies, Lord Lannister, but tell me, what are you going to do with Tygett Lannister, your brother? He along with several other lords of the western lands were after all captured by Lord Stark, do you intend to just let him be like that my lord?'' Varys massively enjoyed what Tywin's look was like.

Tywin glared at the bloody eunuch for bringing up a painful subject. In addition to his brother, four other lords and members of their families had been captured by Lord Stark. More specifically Ned Stark. Say what you want but it in many ways demonstrated his thinking that the North was much better prepared and clearly better trained than most of them.

''I intend to negotiate with Lord Stark. I have some strategies designed to know how to get my brother out of the trouble he is in. At the same time I hope that doesn't destroy the chances of him having a good relationship with the north. They all shuddered and Tywin nodded to himself.

''good. Lord Varys, what else can you tell us? Lord Stark wouldn't have retreated to the North without being sure that her sister was safe so he must have found her and brought her to safety really. Jon looked at the eunuch. He needed to know where the boy was and where the girl was. The girl was a threat to his plan now that he thought about it.

''is as you say Lord Hand. Lord Stark sent a group of his elite. A group of soldiers stormed the Tower of Joy. From what my little birds have been able to tell me, not only members of the royal guard are missing, but also prince Oberyn martell''. Varys had had to admit that Doran's idea wasn't a bad one. Take the sister hostage to force Hariric. But that had backfired on him.

''Did House Martell have anything to do with keeping Lord Stark's sister kidnapped? If so, I think it's fair to say that the north will deal with them in a tough way and it could even be said more than brutal if I have to be honest.'' Jon nodded to himself. This would destroy the tenuous alliance created between the North and Dorne.

''oh yes my lord Hand. Apparently Doran Martell was planning to operate in two ways. One is that Hariric Stark was destroyed and therefore nothing would come of it. In the second case Doran had thought of using his own sister as a hostage to force north at his own whim. Needless to say, Hariric Stark won't be happy with just that.'' Varys shuddered, and this was for real. Only judging by the aftermath of the war could he honestly say that he didn't want that enraged man.

''good. For now we will leave it be. I will send a raven to Lord Stark to discuss his coming to swear allegiance to the new king and to discuss the possibilities of a wedding between Lyanna Stark and King Robert Baratheon. This advice is overruled.'' Jon decided that he had had enough.

Tywin left but he had things on his mind. He had to prevent the wedding by all means. He had gotten rid of Aerys and put her house in a bad name for a reason. He would come out of this as the clear winner no matter what anyone said. That's what he thought and nothing and no one would stop him. However, something in his mind warned him not to go after the Stark house. The mere threat of Hariric Stark told him above all that this man would stop at nothing to get his hands on him and he really did not want that man's fury in his life.

Varys left while his mind was racing through one plan after another and forming completely new ideas. Overthrowing the Targaryen house was a good plan. However, the new plan that he had in mind seemed impossible to carry out at this moment. He didn't see a way to make it work. Not with Elia Martell and Ashara Dayne alive. Because if he wanted his future plans to have the progress he expected, he knew and he had reasons to do so that the point was that House Stark would have to fall and hard as well as reach Ashara Dayne which seemed almost impossible.

A thought on the Great Wolf. Or as Many were already calling it: The Black Dire Wolf of the North. The truth is that he thought that such renown was an exaggeration but he had to admit that people were afraid of him and it was natural to be afraid of such a skilled and capable person from what he could say. No. He had to be patient. He had to be calm. He had come close to getting it but instead now the Targaryen house was out. The red dragons had proven to be unsuitable. But the black dragons would prove everyone else wrong.

Pycelle frowned. Things were not looking good. Nothing good. The North would now have a formidable reputation. As if that were not enough, their economic power was serious since according to the data that she had been able to have they did not buy anything since thanks to glass gardens and thanks to resistant plantations the Stark house had good food resources.

As if that wasn't enough, Lord Stark had devised many new and varied ways to make money. Money that was very important to House Stark. With the South now possibly interested in negotiating with them but in a position not to draw their attention negatively the North would grow strong which was not a good thing.

All the players left. Each with a different plan. Hoster Tully was clear that she had to get a marriage between her daughter and Ned Stark. Although she would have liked his blood to rule the north at first, she could be patient until the current Lord Stark fell. He was just a man after all. Jon Arryn thought about how to marry the girl to her heir to hold her hostage. Tywin Lannister actually planned to put his daughter in the bed of the next in king. And Varys was going with his machinations. At no time did they plan that there was a player as cruel and dangerous as all of them together.

-The North. winterfell

Hariric was lying peacefully on his king size bed while Ashara was asleep next to him. Thanks to the runes, his room, as well as the entire castle, was an exceptional place to live. Knowing that her beloved wife had missed him so much she liked him and he had held her tightly before spending the whole night tending to her needs.

Hariric was calmly thinking about what the current situation was. The cat was totally out of the bag and people knew now that he had the power of magic. People still had to ask questions. His companions had asked him what he could do with magic and he answered a limited truth indeed but from what he could tell the loyalty of the future lords of the north had risen to an almost fanatical loyalty.

Many seemed to think that he was actually chosen by the old gods to bring the great days back to the north. He did not have the slightest intention of telling them that he was here on the orders of a primordial force, neither more nor less.

He couldn't care less what the southerners felt. He knew that judging by the information obtained from what the citadel was, they would already be plotting his death. The citadel would want him dead for three reasons.

The first they would think that it was the cornerstone of the north to make sure that the north is powerful so tearing it down meant that the north would be weaker. A stupid plan if I had to say so. But in Hariric's mind he had no intention of correcting them in their completely idiotic ways of thinking and would let them move against him.

The second reason they would want him dead is that they would think that with his death the north would be weak and vulnerable. He wouldn't deny it. Ashara could have magic like him but without the same rituals as him she couldn't wield the same power as him. In addition, Hariric's abilities were greater. The good news is that she could have a lot of learning now that she was reborn and if he had to be honest he loved teaching his wife all the magic he knew.

The last of the reasons was simple: it had magic.

In the eyes of the order of the masters, the mere idea that someone has magic is a great offense to their sensitivity. They couldn't accept the harsh reality in any way and that harsh reality is a world where they are incompetent fools. Getting them out of the north was good. With isengad now running the North had doctors and other instructors ensuring the advanced education of many people.

Of course Ashara shared his fears with him. Knowing that he could do magic would put not only his children in danger but would be targeted by all the lords. They all wanted the future northern lords to be able to do magic so they could match them. The growl that threatened to escape him was no joke. The very thought of someone trying a way to make his family hell pissed him off.

He knew that he had to meet with his father and mother and explain things to them. She knew that they had every right to know the truth. And the truth is that he was capable of using magic and therefore his power was one that could potentially be useful to the north. Explaining to his parents why and how his power worked could be the best. Without telling him that he was a reincarnation. He absolutely did not want his parents to think for some reason that he was some kind of envoy. It would be the last straw.

Hariric snapped out of his mountain of thoughts when he felt a presence. Feeling the presence crystal clear he made himself comfortable before seeing how a shadow grew bigger and bigger. Out of the shadow came the primal version of him. The first Harry. He looked so relaxed at that moment. Almost as if a great weight had been lifted from him. Hariric stood up and walked over to the balcony. With some clothes on him he opened the door to the terrace and walked out calmly. Creating a bubble of hot air so that the cold would not touch him, I wait there for the other version of him who arrived so calmly.

'' You were very lucky that you fell in love with such an amazing woman Hariric. I don't think I have to say that the same thing didn't happen to me. You are very lucky and you should treasure that as much as possible.'' The primary Harry was smiling happily but at the same time he had a serious look that made it clear that he would be more than upset if he wasn't that way.

''I am aware of how lucky it was for me to have such a special person like her in my life. I am more than aware of it. However there is more to talk about than just mentioning the fact that I am lucky. I know you're not here to talk to me out of that kind of kindness.'' Hariric looked at the first version of him.

'' ah well the truth is that I wanted to tell you three things. The first is my congratulations. You have managed to mortally wound that part of the red priests. You have practically mutilated their god which is good. However, I must warn you of something. All his priests have his power. They are like little horcruxes. Let them hang around too long and they'll create another version of that monster and this time you won't have it so easy.'' Harry warned Hariric with a grimace.

''because that being will be ready to deal with me. He was an interesting opponent and capable of dealing damage if I have to be honest. I deduce that if I faced him a second time things would be far from being to my advantage in any way. A real problem.'' There was a reason he didn't leave survivors when he got into a fight.

'' Be very careful. They are not just pieces. Its members are monsters that have lived for over a hundred years and have accumulated years of sacrifices. You killed one of their members which is good but there are still several that can be a real threat if you're not careful''. There was no way he could allow the guy who was doing his job to be attacked in some way or something.

''I am very conscious of not underestimating an enemy. I am also aware that by now they will have felt the weakness. They will hide and bide their time except for those who have power bases to operate from where it will be almost impossible to be able to deal with them.'' Only an idiot would enter a place that was under the protection of a magician.

'' don't judge me Black. You know better than anyone that one is what one is educated. I was raised to be dumb and ignorant. So believe me when I say that I know and I am more than aware of how badly a person can really screw up. It's that bad and I'm not going to deny the bad path I can take if I let my ego get carried away.'' Harry knew he might be exaggerating a bit but hey, no one could blame him for that.

''no thanks I am well aware of the mistakes I am capable of making. I have not the slightest intention of going after them. But their centers of power are fair game, and I'm capable of smashing them in every imaginative way I can think of. It's the reality of what it is and nothing can stop me." He just had to locate where the red god's faith was strongest and attack with force.

'' I'm glad you realized it. I would almost have felt bad if he entrusted your position just on a whim and you ended up dead. That's the first thing I had to tell you. The following is bad news. Your action has attracted a lot of attention from the other ascended beings in this world. They're nervous about your presence.'' To say that they were nervous was an understatement.

''That is or at least it seems to me something that could happen. On the one hand I have the protector of the specters who will possibly be taking more action to stop me. Possibly the lord of the oceans who is the drowned. And also of course there are the deities like the seven and also like those of the free cities''. He should have known that killing a thing that looks like a god-step in the human world would bring bad vibes to all of them.

'' I see you've noticed. Very good. An impeccable job. Noticing the threat before it gets down to business will give you a significant advantage against your adversaries. But you shouldn't worry. The drowned god is just a variety of the old gods. He will not oppose you because you are a follower of the old gods. The others could be a problem if they see you as a threat…like the faith of the seven for example''. Good old Harry looked as calm as ever but at the same time you could tell that he wasn't happy on that point.

''The faith of the seven would always have been a pain in the ass. I suppose that faith will somehow seek to take advantage and find a potential ally. Someone who unites his servants firmly and makes them stand up and finish destroying the faith of the old gods. A real pain in the ass if I may say so.'' He hated religion. He really hated her.

'' You are lucky that your church has lost a lot of its prestige. With few miracles in recent times. I can only tell you that if you are smart enough you may be able to push back your enemy with force of that I have no doubt''. Although the most numerous religion only needed a small push to defeat it.

''I will treat them properly. Honestly, I am not going to allow them to dictate how I should do things. The North is MY kingdom. Here the religion of the first men is followed. Gaia's religion. Frankly, if someone just thinks I'll allow things to go according to whatever god's plan, they'll learn the hard way." However, Hariric decided that the most sensible thing to do in this case was to be cautious.

'' I like to see that you've realized it. That leaves us with the latest news. Let's call it a favor I do you. I'm sure you've wondered how things got so out of hand. Since the prince must have thought properly and launched into these meaningless plans and since the king went mad, don't you agree?'' Harry could see the interest.

''You know if I were an idiot man I wouldn't have made much sense to it and just thought it was about them being a bunch of idiots who thought they knew better just because they were Targaryens. But something tells me that this is not completely true and seeing that you are the one who tells me…someone is trying to escape death, isn't it true?''. Hariric could see the smile widening on Harry's face.

'' You are very smart. That mind of yours is a real gift. The truth is that there is a small life form that is trying to escape from death and it is using all the resources at its disposal to avoid it. Be careful. He will try to control your family members in the same way that he has broken his own family members.'' With his final words delivered Harry disappeared into the night leaving a hariric who was pondering things carefully.

Hariric narrowed his eyes thinking about it. A vermin that tried by all means to seize power. This someone sought to escape death and therefore live forever or possibly live according to a new possibility... the child that was born in his sister's womb. Her men had informed her that she was indeed pregnant with said child.

He might be a child born from rape but he was still an innocent child who wanted to be turned into a puppet. He wouldn't allow it for the world. And if what was said is true it meant that possibly whoever was behind this had to be either in Essos or beyond the wall of all things.

The mere thought of his pregnant little sister worried him. He was no more than sixteen years old. It would be fucking dangerous for her to have children for gods sake. It was lucky that her wolves had found her in time. But that brought other thoughts to his mind. The Martells. He offered them an alliance. He offered them the power to feed his people without the need to buy food from the Dominion. And in return that bastard Doran Martell stabbed him in the back. He kept his sister a recluse. He let her be raped over and over again on her land. And all while he was thinking of using her as a hostage against him. The fury that threatened to explode in him.

Without hesitation he entered his room and focused on Ashara. Her brown skin. Her black hair. She got closer. There was little to hold him to the ground. There was little to keep him as a human being. But the reality is that his wife was that reality check he so badly needed if he was to be blunt. The mere thought of the same thing happening to his wife made his blood run cold. There was a reason Frey was dead along with all of his progeny.

''I don't like you getting up when we're sleeping together. You know how I feel about you not sleeping with me.'' She could hardly believe it but for Ashara possibly one of the things that she always liked was the presence of hariric.

''I'm sorry. But it seems that annoying version of me that was incredibly idiotic decided that it would be perfectly fine in her mind to say a thing or two to me. Notifications above all of how my presence can affect our current situation and little else of all things. Hariric lay down and felt his wife cling to him.

''it can be annoying but surely it has given you valuable information hariric. You don't need to take your anger out on him just because he decided to upset you in some way. Let it be and focus more closely on what it is to be with me. I have to admit that I have been missing you so much and although this day has been wonderful, the pain of not having you has been great. Ashara wouldn't let anyone know but the fear of her death hit her in many ways.

''I'm not saying don't worry. I fully understand that you're furious that someone might try to get their hands on me. But I was always in the best position and it was very easy for me to calculate the movements of our enemies my love''. Hariric smiled at his wife. He knew that his being was worried about what could have happened to him.

''the south is full of cowardly people. They could have decided to resort to assassins. We were lucky they didn't. In the south you would have been blind to the threat. It's good luck if you stop to think that they decided to make deals with houses for power, my love. It was true. Had they been confident they would have had a rear attack from Bolton and his alliance while on the other hand they might as well have taken a heavy blow courtesy of what were the freys and the lannisters.

''I am very aware. In fact I know it's very possible that there would have been an assassination attempt if I had joined my armies with the Arryns and the Hosters as they supposedly wanted to do once they found out that Lyanna had been kidnapped. Along with the stupid demands and demands they made of me. Complete idiots all of them.'' Assassins were not something he feared in excess.

''You have brought many prisoners. Many of them are incredibly high capital. Most of them if you stop to think about it are really threats that would be able to make our life difficult if they had been smart. They are right now in prison as you ordered my lord husband''. He imagines Ashara's look upon seeing a great lord and various nobles who thought themselves so tall and pompous. Of all the lands. Not a single member was missing. Her only regret is not catching Jon Connington.

''All of them will be used to extract benefits for the North. If there is no agreement, I have no problem with executing all of them. They should know better than to come to fuck with the North and if they succeed, it is possible that all of them will be marked by this for the challenge of their lives. For Hariric it was a funny joke. The southern lords would learn the hard way if he had to say it with total honesty that the North was no longer to be trifled with.

''some will call you a monster for actions like that hariric. They would see you in a darker light… I think we should employ a more sophisticated tactic. Aim for rewards by demanding higher rewards''. Although House Stark was rich and clearly flourishing, the fact is that the other houses could still receive financial help.

''You want us to carry out the typical strategy of telling those of the South that we want certain things from them and in return requesting others in good time. That I suppose could work. It's better than just demanding impossible things just for the sake of destroying our enemies financially.'' Unlike what Britain and France did during the first world war. That taught him in many ways that you had to be careful when you did things like that.

''If you stop to think about it, it's a viable strategy for all of us and, more importantly, it offers us the opportunity to learn more about our enemies. Not to say that reaching agreements in this way would allow us in a nutshell to negotiate from a position of advantage against our adversaries in all lands.'' Advantage was and always would be one thing a person should always work for.

''We have many nobles trapped from the southern lands. The river lords are not a concern but I have no doubt that Hoster will make a fuss about whether I have to return them and help repair the damage done to his lands which I refuse. He had better controlled the servers than him. Fuck. I just want to solve my own problems.'' In his opinion, a kingdom with cracks should seek to repair them.

''Some would say that you shouldn't throw stones at other people's roofs when you have to take into account that in this war the Bolton family, the Hornwood family and the Ryswells have risen up against you. In fact I think many would say that you have no reason to point out the weaknesses of other kingdoms." Ashara knew how people's minds worked.

''I knew those bloody bastards would rise up against the North from the beginning and believe me there is nothing I like more than to see them torn from what is my kingdom. I will judge them all and sentence them. I don't tolerate betrayal, but if there's one thing I tolerate even less, it's bastards who just think they can get away with their fucking nonsense shit.'' In Hariric's mind he was already thinking about what he would do to all those houses.

''You may not want to celebrate so intensely husband. Some of the nobles will certainly want to get their own hands on all of this if you think about it. Although the riches that have been received in recent times are well received, many will agree that there is a lot of potential in what are the lands that are at stake.'' Ashara knew that her husband had plans.

''I have yet to choose someone to lead Skagos. The islands of Skagos are rich in iron ore and silver which is good so obviously it must be someone good... I guess we will have to ask Lord Karstark that when he has a second son he finds a good wife for the one of a house because he will be the Lord of Skagos''. The good thing about everything that was happening is that all the houses were more or less satisfied.

The two were content to hug rather than talk. Tomorrow promised to be a busy day.