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The Reaction to the Myr Acquisition

-Westeros. The Crownlands. King's Landing-

-Tower of the hand-

Varys moved forward with worried eyes. He had known for some time that the realm of Asgard could be a very serious problem to take into account and that they could become a more serious threat to his plans. But one thing is knowing that this can happen and another very different thing was seeing it.

You see, when Hariric Stark declared the independence of Asgard, he found it amusing. Even if the Winter King had magic. Even if his realm had all the advantages. In the end, it only takes a brave man to be able to solve problems, and Varys knew that in the free cities there was no shortage of people who were fond of Hariric Stark.

His policy of acquiring slaves and gradually helping people to integrate into the kingdom that was becoming more and more of a paradise annoyed them. Oh yes, Asgard had a climate not as pleasant as the southern kingdoms. But one of his many spies explained to him that the climate was several times better than before.

Where the North was once covered in snow for most of the year, that snow was now turned into water that was used to help the fields grow crops through Hariric Stark's magic. He never understood how before, but now he knew better how that was possible, which bothered him greatly.

But that was not all. No sir. The kingdom of Asgard had once again become a powerful partner of Braavos, the free city that most despised the Valyrians. Hell, he still thought that the action of that keyholder was idiotic. But even with that unforeseen event, Asgard and the free city were now close at least.

Hariric Stark had made it a policy to hunt down and beat slavers without mercy. Every time a slave ship seemed about to reach the waters of the realm of Asgard or to disturb its commercial vessels there was a full-blown retaliation that made the pirates understand that Asgard was not to be messed with.

Slowly but surely, Braavos' friendship with Asgard was restored. However, it seems that Hariric had used the breaking of the alliance between Asgard and Braavos as an excuse initially for two things: to make the Bank of the Winter Rose even more important and to make the eastern fleet even more powerful.

Hariric Stark had built two powerful shipyards. His little birds had informed him of what they saw in Asgard. The shipyards on Bear Island and Skagos were imposing. Bear Island based its economy on maintenance, ship building and the sale of ice. Skagos, on the other hand, did so from the first two and mining.

Between these two islands they had been producing ships that were so superior that they crushed the iron armada without hesitation. Thus consolidating the power of the Asgard force on the seas and causing everyone on the western and eastern coasts to fear for their lives.

But now… now he took the cake. Without anyone noticing, Hariric Stark manipulated the military strength of the eastern navy. He didn't even really see it. He manipulated the ships and sent them to what was Myr. Without anyone fucking noticing.

And now one of the cities he had thought of using due to hatred for the Starks due to their loss of trade was now being dismantled. Each magister's wealth divided. Half to the future free lord of the city. The other half was divided amongst the workers who were now free employees serving the realm of Asgard.

His little birds had gotten him some information. Namely, that the king himself and his three wives had fallen. Lady Shelia's arrows had demonstrated the power and certainty of an unprecedented marksman. Lady Elia's whip-sword had frightened him. Lady Ashara's spear. And the raw power of the winter king.

He didn't like it. He didn't like what had come of it one bit, damn it. Hariric Stark had three strong, powerful wives who threatened to tear them all to pieces if they became enemies. And even though Robert wanted Elia and his daughter dead for being dragon scum, no one had the balls to do shit.

He knew why Myr had fallen. It was an act of retaliation by the Winter King for the pirate fleet's attack. But if the Winter King were to discover that the same fleet was funded in part by the Magisters of Pentos at the behest of his good friend, he knew there would be a lot of trouble.

The Winter King had already shown interest in Pentos once before. And if he found out about Yllyrio he might end up finding out a lot more. That was something he couldn't allow. Hence why he was so damn defensive. His best hope was to lead the storm of fury that was Jon Arryn into the realm of Asgard but the man was afraid of that too.

Walking over to the table by the hand he sat comfortably as one by one the members of the small council arrived. Many of them curious. Except Petyr. Oh yes. Petyr looked pale and if he could swear he was even nervous. Possibly reasoning that something terrible could happen to him because of his own part in that small fleet.

Jon Arryn arrived moments later. The man looked tired and exhausted. Every day was getting worse for him if he had to say so. He couldn't say he blamed him. Having to run a kingdom with Robert Baratheon at the helm was an unprecedented task. The king and the hand had to work together. However, the king in this case was useless.

''Lord Varys, it is very unusual for you to call a meeting, but I have to assume that if you are calling this meeting it is because an unexpected event has occurred. Have the remaining Targaryens been found?'' Jon growled. He knew where Rhaenys Targaryen was, but it was impossible to reach her. Viserys and Daenerys were a different matter.

''Ah yes, I have information on that matter that could be valuable to this council. But the reason I have summoned the council... is because Hariric Stark has managed to make an invasion move on Myr, catching them off guard and slaughtering every last one of their magistrates.'' Varys could see the reaction and did not disappoint him on that score.

Jon felt his jaw drop at the sound of that. Myr? While it wasn't the most imposing free city, it was still a city capable of fielding a considerable naval force. And their land defenses were no joke either. True, they didn't have any black walls, but they still had a powerful defensive fortress.

Stannis frowned. Being able to take Myr without anyone noticing, was the Eunuch's surveillance network somehow compromised? Or could it be that this Stark had used his magic once again to be able to mobilize his army without anyone noticing?

Renly felt a more than ample fear born of what he was. If Stark could mobilize his fleet to attack one of the free cities. Then take control of it. And subsequently eliminate any resistance, what would that mean for them? What was stopping Stark from focusing in some way on the kingdoms eh?

Petyr wanted to growl. Really growl. The attack on Stark was not without reason. By his calculations it was quite possible that with Stark's death the family's protection would have been shaken and therefore that would have meant that Ashara would have had to make marriage alliances allowing a move on his part in some way. The reaction proved that Stark was even more dangerous than he thought.

Pycelle was sweating. Sweating profusely. He was sure that Stark suspected that the citadel had very possibly had something to do with the attacks on magic practitioners for some time now, which meant that they would be on his shit list. What was stopping him from deploying his western force to do the same to Oldtown and wipe it out at his command? It was a very serious fear.

''This... is unprecedented. I suppose Stark must have had a compelling reason for doing this. Otherwise he would surely earn the enmity of Lys, Tyrosh, and Volantis. And Braavos might become very suspicious of him.'' Jon growled. This meant that this was a demonstration that Stark could perfectly retaliate against his enemies.

''Myr and some who are still in hiding paid for and possibly financed the creation of one of the largest pirate fleets. Within that fleet would include names like Euron Greyjoy. The plan... was to attack Stark when he returned from his trip to Valyria.'' It was bad that many people already thought that Stark was going to succeed but magic opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

''So the Myrish decided to try their luck by gathering a sizable naval force thinking they could somehow attack Stark. That man built the fleet that was able to put the fear of the gods throughout our western flank, did they think that by numbers alone they could overcome him?'' Stannis had to admit that it was a very stupid way of thinking.

''It may be hard to believe, Lord Stannis, but even today there are those who believe that quantity is a quality in itself. The Myrish thought that with the fleets of several pirate lords they would be able to overwhelm Stark's small fleet. It did not go as they expected, obviously.'' Annoyed. If Stark died, it was better. But by not dying he had taken out useful players.

''I think what we need to ask ourselves is the most important question. Stark was able to mobilize an invasion fleet, attack a free city and conquer it before anyone or anything could realize his plans. Am I the only one worried about that?'' Renly could tell that he wasn't just worried. He was afraid of what it could mean.

''I agree with you Lord Renly. And I actually think we should take a course of action. The problem is that we don't have a force that can put pressure on us. Although perhaps we could make the conquest of Myr cost Stark dearly somehow.'' Jon was thinking of all the ways to hurt the damned bastard.

''I fear, Lord Hand, that such a decision might not be the most appropriate. Hariric Stark has left a legion of twenty thousand soldiers already there. And according to the report, he has already provisioned the city. As if that were not enough, it is said that the Winter King has invested some of his time in strengthening the free city himself.'' Varys could see the reaction. Jon Arryn was never happy with Stark.

''Perhaps we could get Lysh and Tyrosh to do something. Maybe even include Volantis. They are Valyrian cities after all. I think the fact that someone has entered their city and conquered them would not sit well with them. The Valyrians are a very proud people after all.'' Petyr smiled. He just had to do a few maneuvers about it.

''While it might be possible that Lys and Tyrosh would support us or do something like send Khalassares against the city, it's highly unlikely that Volantis would do anything. During his journey to Valyria, Malaquo Maegyr allied himself with Hariric Stark, or at least there's a rumor that he's in talks with them. It's a potential situation for Malaquo to try to get doctors from Asgard.'' Volantis will think twice before screwing with the Starks because of that alliance.

The people in the room frowned. The Maegyrs were practically the royalty of Volantis. They were a fundamental part of it and the ones who shaped it for the most part. The funny thing was that despite their position they were better at treating their slaves than elephants, which should say something. The fact that they allied themselves with the Starks secured their position against other tigers.

''Perhaps...we could try to catch up to Stark somehow. Increase the power of both the Redwyne and royal fleets as well as build a more military-grade Gullport fleet. A sizable number should be able to overtake Stark somehow.'' What the maester wanted to do was send an assassin. But with no maesters in the north that was difficult.

''Such a decision would be difficult. Militarizing the Redwyne fleet would take a long time since they are more focused on being a business fleet. The Lannister fleet is rebuilding but it will take years before it is a threat to Asgard. And as for the royal navy, it is going slowly but we estimate that in a few years we will have a hundred warships. The problem is building a fleet in Gullport.'' Stannis's explanation went down badly.

''Not to mention the consequence that Asgard might take it the wrong way that we're doing such a thing and might think we're preparing for some kind of invasion or something. Stark might think we want to start a campaign against him and might launch a preemptive strike and seeing the cruelty shown it's obvious that the result would be bad.'' It was translated as possibly two bloodlines would be completely exterminated.

''But we can't just let this go. Stark has proven that he can be responsible for and cause of the destruction of an entire free city's way of life. How do we know he couldn't have an interest in us in some way? There's a saying in Asgard: they remember. And quite possibly they don't forget many decisions made by the South.'' Petyr enjoyed spreading fear.

''While there is nothing I would like more than to attack or somehow settle scores we cannot afford to do so. With the Twin Wolves the realm of Asgard is protected from invasion and attack. The Western Fleet is a threat and it is safe to say that the Channel is under Asgard security. And the Manderlys do not remember anyone from the south fondly. Not good news if you ask me.'' Renly was no soldier but he knew things.

''If the Boltons weren't dead we could have tried to use them in some way to wreak havoc. That fucking dragon misused them and a bloodline that could have been used in some way is now damn dead.'' Stannis let his fury escape at what happened that day.

''We have another matter to discuss. My little birds convinced a good man to bring Viserys Targaryen to us. The young beggar king is currently being brought to our city to become the king's victim.'' Varys smiled, earning at least a few breaths from the other councillors.

Varys had no illusions of any kind, and to be honest he knew that catching this fool was something. He had counted on Viserys to be able to keep Daenerys under control. With Rhaenys having to be killed the best way to secure the dragon line was a wedding between Daenerys and Aegon. But Viserys had lost her. So he had no value anymore.

Where was the dragon princess hiding huh?

-Western Lands. Casterly Rock-

-Lord's room-

Tywin looked at the report from his spies in what was the capital as well as the report delivered by several of his agents and felt that this was bad. The destruction of the Myr magisters' way of life as well as the capture of the city could mean several things.

On the one hand, Asgard could be planning some sort of conquest scheme that involved eliminating a threat in some way. He couldn't just doubt it. But he also knew that with the size of Asgard such a possibility was low since Stark had to take care of the proper treatment of the people who lived in his realm.

But another possibility, and one I was more in agreement with, was that Myr had exhausted Stark's patience somehow and the Winter King decided it was perfectly fine to kill every last one of those who wanted to attack him. This in turn would set back the plans of anyone with designs on Stark in some way.

He knew that this could very well mean that then many of those who wanted Stark dead in the free cities would think twice about it because it was something he did not want. With Lys and her production of poisons and the different assassin guilds of what was Essos he trusted that some brave man would be able to kill Stark somehow.

Unfortunately for him and all those with such plans, the destruction of political and economic power in Myr would mean that would not happen. But more importantly, with the magisters of Myr dead, Hariric had taken control of the city. What could he be planning? And how could he plan to do it so that the fact that he made such a decision would not make the members of the Iron Bank feel bad?

But that wasn't the only action Stark had made more than one person think twice before messing with him. Malaquo Maegyr had started dialogues and conversations with the Starks. They were the most powerful tiger family but they were being harassed by elephants and other tigers. With an alliance with Stark and seeing the current demonstration, everyone in Volantis would be very hesitant to bother them.

People would think twice about it. So far no one knew the true extent of Stark's magic with magic. Only suspicions and rumors. Hearing that Stark was capable of such powers would make people think twice about it. And what made the man so angry was that it was then money wasted to try and move them against Stark in any way.

Tywin wasn't alone. His grandson Steffon was there. Learning the ropes of being a leader. There was also the dwarf who had proven himself to be a shrewd politician much to his displeasure. And what bothered him even more was his wife. But he couldn't lay a finger on his nascent family because then he might hatch a plot against House Lannister or be used in such a way.

His brothers were also present. Jaime was doing military actions at the time because a lot of pirates were still using the area. He was pretty sure that the Iron Islands were probably renting their ports to pirates. Jaime was doing some cleaning, which was saying something.

As for Catlyn Tully, the woman was more or less stuck with ladyly duties. Though she hardly had to say anything. Genna mostly took care of the upbringing of the children: Clarent and Joanna. Those two children were a gift at least from the seven. The Lannister family had grown in number which was good.

''The Stark ships are proving to be a bigger pain than I thought. I had thought the power of the Northern fleet could be overcome by numbers. But a fleet of hundreds was overwhelmed by just ten warships and transports. If this continues, Stark dominance will become unsurpassed.'' Tywin was not happy with this news.

''The Hightowers attempted to steal the plans and much more from House Stark. As a result, Hariric Stark not only executed one of his bannermen. He also executed the daughter of that foolish man Leython. Now Asgard is more than aware of our interest in their warships.'' Gerion sighed. Hightower's action was visible to all.

''Not to mention that Asgard's military and naval superiority is clearer than ever. We also have to take into account their actions. Hariric Stark is likely to focus on Essos more than before. He will be very interested in finding out where the remnants of the red faith are hidden.'' Tygett would never forget the Starks and how dangerous they could be. So he knew they wouldn't let this go.

''Mmm, they may soon be meeting with the Sealord and the most powerful representatives of the Iron Bank. Although Myr was a rival city and also a threat to Braavos, the Starks could be seen as somehow plotting a campaign of conquest of Essos.'' Tyrion's understanding and analytical mind quickly came to that conclusion.

''Perhaps we could make Braavos aware of the Stark threat somehow. They still have the most powerful and skilled assassin guild in the free cities. We could try to convince them to take action against Stark and eliminate him once and for all.'' As far as Kevan was concerned the threats had to be cut off.

''We'd have to get it paid for. The Faceless Men kill according to the price that would be safely placed on the man's life as well as the need of those who want him dead. It would be very expensive.'' While Tyrion thought killing Stark was a priority, doing so without well-established resources was foolish.

''The plans to kill Hariric Sytark are likely to be put on hold all over the world. The very idea of ​​a man capable of taking a city by himself and even more so a city like Myr will make everyone and their mother think twice before trying to screw with them in any way.'' Gerion knew it and suspected it in fact.

''Stark's magic is the unknown. I sincerely believe that we should start thinking of him as someone who would be able to emulate the actions of the Valyrians. It would be best to massively distrust him and what he is more than capable of.'' For Tyrion the matter was simple: he distrusts everything that someone with such power could possibly do.

''I agree with Tyrion on that score. We must think and act much more carefully. It bothers me but I would like to be able to strike back at the Starks. But as long as we do not possess the same power as them such a possibility is out of our reach.'' Tywin knew that as long as Stark possessed magic they were not at a disadvantage.

''Maybe we should be more clever about it. But how are we going to deal with Stark's magic? That's the question. It's the big unknown. As long as he's powerful we can't do anything. And it seems he's not the only one in his family who has magic, apparently.'' Tygett was reading the reports and it was enough to annoy him.

''Whether we like it or dislike it in some way man the fact is that Stark is powerful. And well it should have been obvious that if someone possesses magic then it would be quite possible that they would be able to see how to nurture that same potential in many more people.'' It was the most logical move if you stop to think about it.

''We might be able to convince the magics to come work here with promises of riches maybe. But...with the stronger persecution and our suspicions of the Citadel I don't think it's something we should do because it's quite possible that Stark has already warned them.'' Gerion already knew the reality.

''We should have dealt with Stark a long time ago. We should have dealt with Hariric Stark when he first started showing his potential. Instead we sat back and did nothing. Because of that House Stark is now the only independent house in the kingdoms. This is a complete mess that we should not have allowed.'' Kevan complained.

''You can hardly blame us. We were playing with assumptions in different camps regarding Stark. And man I think I'm not the only one who will say that Stark was far more cunning and intelligent than most. He hid, prepared and planned in order to beat the shit out of all of us.'' Tyrion thought his uncle was stupid for thinking the way he did.

''That's enough. I have to agree on a lot of points. I do, actually. We should have dealt with Stark when he was still part of the realms but we couldn't get to him. His level of protection was too high.'' Tywin sighed at the shit storm that was that one act.

''But we must not dwell on the past. We still have six kingdoms to control. And though I would like to strike back at the northerners we will be…patient. Now leave us all. I want to speak to my grandson about this.'' Tywin saw the obedience in everyone's eyes as he addressed his grandson.

Tywin couldn't be prouder of his grandson. The boy was a fast learner. He was cunning. And he was cruel. He was everything he would have wanted in an heir. Jaime's children idolized him. And they were fiercely loyal to him. This ensured a good alliance. Now he just had to find a good wife. Preferably from the Reach, but one that the young man was ready for before then.

''Tell me Steffon your opinion on this. You've heard about our comments about what this situation is regarding Stark and Myr and Volantis. Tell me honestly how we should get ahead of all things.'' Despite his grandson's youth he wanted to test him to know his course of action.

''The most sensible course of action and the most logical decision in all of these matters is to ensure that the strength of the West is superior. As much as we resent what Asgard has done, at the moment we do not have the tools to confront them, yet being the key word for that.'' Steffon was young but he was cunning and knew how to calculate his next move.

''Are you suggesting that we should focus less on Asgardian affairs and instead focus on southern affairs? I won't deny that it's a good decision but I'd like to know why you want to go down that path.'' The truth is he also agreed with it. Despite the threat of the Western fleet, House Stark had no interest in them at the moment.

''Magic is the tool that defines the Starks now. And they are more powerful because they've had years. They've been recruiting people from all three cultures: First Men, Valyrians, and Rhoynar. Each and every one of these. They have their strength at their command. As long as they possess that power, we cannot fight them.'' Because they would be outmatched.

''But there is one opponent we must deal with. It is here. In the south. It is those who would see the Baratheon dynasty wiped out or those who would use our position to their advantage. What we must do is focus on them in some way.'' The young Baratheon refused to allow such a threat to exist in his reign.

''You want us to focus the resources we have on trying to deal with those we already know are our enemies. And once we have the entire power of the south under our own control, what do you want? Do you want us to deal with the Asgardians in some way?'' Tywin was so far happy with his grandson's decisions.

''The best way to deal with the Asgardians would be to pool blood. But for that to happen several factors have to come together. We have to grow as a kingdom and be seen as worthy by the Asgardians. It's about time the maesters earned their pay dammit.'' Steffon had a very low opinion of the maesters thinking they lived off his money.

Tywin nodded in agreement with his grandson's thoughts. He didn't doubt the Asgardian threat and the power they could wield. It was no less real if you stopped to think about it. But he recognized all too well that they had to deal with several powers. The Martells. The Tyrells. And Robert's brothers. There were many more enemies to deal with and they were close to home dammit.

-The Domain. Highgarden-

-Solar de Olenna Tyrell-

Olenna looked at the report in front of her as if it were a threat. If what it said was true…then they were in more danger than ever. After all, she had often advocated for making Hariric Stark's daughter little more than a glorified hostage. And the wolves have never been ones to forgive an offense as the Tullys, the weakest house in the realms, could now prove.

Asgard's power would grow and grow. Until now she had thought that magic, thanks to her allies in the citadel, was nothing more than a bit of skill. She had thought that the runes were the power but that they were limited. But it seemed that the Starks had shown that she was not only wrong but that they were also falling further short of what they thought.

The power of House Stark was now at its peak. And they possessed a weapon of mass destruction in the form of magic. She didn't know how many magic users there were or how many people working in those fields they had. But the reality was that House Stark and the realm of Asgard were far more powerful than they had ever been before and she feared that with that power they would recover the debts owed to them.

Olenna knew that for a long time the citadel and the faith had wanted to enter the North and convert it to the faith of the seven. They had devised all kinds of actions. The most ambitious was Wallys' attempt to make the kingdom in question give its future to what was the south. Unfortunately for them, the shot backfired.

It didn't help that thanks to his spies in the citadel he knew that they had tried to kill Hariric Stark when he was nothing more than a child because of his way of thinking. A way of being that went against everything the citadel stood for and therefore demanded that he be cleansed in his own words.

Asgard was now a power unto itself. Asgard's power was such that they had been able to launch a full-blown invasion of Myr. They had succeeded. And the attack had been so swift and silent that Myr couldn't even put up a defense. Asgard's soldiers had once again proven their efficacy and effectiveness which was saying something.

With the power of Asgard being so high and not being a fucking joke it meant in short that the kingdom would grow by leaps and bounds and would dethrone the historical political positions of many. And fear now reigned in the hearts of the people because of the fact that the Starks could do something.

Leython should be especially worried. With his plan to acquire Asgard's shipbuilding plans sabotaged and the loss of an Asgard lord it was quite obvious that the realm of Asgard was full of desire against them. And knowing his son he would become once again unstable fearing the wolves' retaliation.

He once thought that something could be done. But what could they do about Asgard? There was nothing that could be asked of them in that regard. In fact Asgard was the only kingdom he could see not giving in to what were alliances. Their biggest alliance right now was with Braavos. And with this action it would be quite obvious that the other free cities would be on edge for sure.

Olenna wanted to moan. Really moan. Why didn't they tie up the wolves when it was their damn chance? They should have done it no matter what. Wealth aside, there is nothing better than power and what it could mean to a person. The power of Asgard promised if anything to be the dominator of its continent and it is very possible that of Essos too.

The gate to her manor opened and Willas entered. Her grandson was crippled thanks to the actions of that foolish son of hers and a fighter from the valley. Needless to say, he was very unhappy. And what was worse, the best possible healing was far from her reach. The situation was completely unacceptable in Olenna's mind.

"Grandma, have you sent for me?" Willas approached his grandmother. The young lord was in a very low mood these days, thanks to the fact that many people were looking at him with sadness. He might be crippled, but it wasn't a problem, damn it. He still had his mind.

''Read this report and tell me exactly what you think. Take your time with it so you can say what you think about it, my grandson.'' Olenna knew better than anyone that you should never underestimate Willas' mind. Not only was he very skilled. But his sharp mind could possibly be the future of the house.

Willas frowned but read the report as it was. He slowly felt his blood run cold. Political implications aside, there was the fact that this could have a far-reaching impact on the affairs of all of Westeros and quite possibly all of Essos as well.

''Grandmother... if what is said here is true, we may be facing an unprecedented situation. The amount of grievances that House Stark received throughout the Targaryen reign is unprecedented. And many of them can be laid at the feet of people or the rivers or the lands of the domain.'' Willas was not stupid and was able to make an assessment of it.

''Asgard will not stop in any way against those it thinks have harmed House Stark in any way. And unfortunately we Andals have exploited that type of action against House Stark so many times that it's not funny.'' House Stark had been attacked by them so much that it wasn't funny.

''It's quite possible that House Stark is thinking of ways to strike back. With the greatest possible force. With the power of their fleet and their armies...we could see the fall of Oldtown. And even more so if we are not able to see them coming.'' They were blind. There were no spies of the Dominion there in the realm of Asgard.

''That's just the icing on the cake. I'll let you in on a couple of secrets. Since Aegon's conquest, the faith and the citadel have done everything they can to affect the realm. Those things might include interfering in the raising of Stark heirs…even convincing King Jaehaerys to take away the Starks' gift.'' Olenna shuddered. That alone was too bad.

''I don't understand, I thought it was Queen Alyssane's idea to give the gift to the Night's Guard so they could have access to resources useful to them.'' Willas had a very bad feeling about it and in fact it was confirmed when she heard her grandmother sigh, which was not good at all.

''That was the excuse given to everyone. That the good queen took an interest in the guard. The real excuse was that the citadel and the faith convinced the wise king that House Stark was a house that could plot a rebellion in the future. The best way to stop this was to take away their farmland and thus tie them to dependence on the other kingdoms.'' Needless to say, this was going to end up biting them in the ass.

''and the king fearing a war of any form that could entail the downfall or damage to his dynasty decided to take the risk. That being one of the many actions that would slowly but surely end up pushing the Stark house against them in some way.'' Willas wanted to groan. What the fuck had those fucking fucking morons been thinking?

''The Citadel has always feared the North. Its magic was crude, yes, but it was there. Since the conquest, they have done everything possible to eliminate it. Stealing books. Killing children who showed potential. That and much more. Needless to say, if Stark knows it, it's obvious what's going to happen.'' It didn't take a genius, and she knew that they would be harmed in many ways.

''And I must assume that at this point the Citadel is still not happy with the way things are and wishes nothing more than to begin a way to kill Stark which would end up drawing Stark's attention to us and ending in our certain deaths.'' Willas could already understand her grandmother's point of view.

''The citadel has actually been more or less having ideas about magic and plans have been afoot. This could very potentially lead to them launching an attack for fear of being next. We're going to have to clean up before this hits us in the worst way.'' He refused to allow himself to see his kingdom suffer because of the arrogance of these morons.

''Don't you think they'll succeed? The citadel has years and more than years in which they have perfected many crafts, including healing. To do so, they have had to study in great detail how to kill.'' Willas had nothing against her grandmother's words. In fact, she thought it was the most sensible thing to do, too.

''As much as I wish I had faith in them, the truth is I don't. The Citadel is considering Stark beneath them and I'd even venture to say that they think they have it all under control. That alone promises to bite us all in the ass in the worst possible way.'' Because the maesters still thought that magic was inferior to their intellect.

''So what do we do with faith? You've heard of that high sparrow. He has many followers and desires nothing more than to wage holy war against the realm of Asgard. While I highly doubt that intelligent people would do anything, some fools might decide to do or take a very stupid course of action.'' He was wary of the man in question and preferred not to trust a religious extremist.

''So far, nothing more than trying to open negotiations with the Starks in which we explain that we have nothing to do with the High Sparrow and that in fact we not only reject his measures but are also willing to limit them further.'' That might win them some good will with the man.

''While we try to play with the Asgardians…and possibly cleverly direct them not only against the High Sparrow but against his entire inner circle thereby destroying the entire circle and power of the man and his sect.'' It was an advantage they could take advantage of, thus surely destroying the power of the kingdom's enemies in turn.

''It's a valuable decision that has a lot of potential and that we can take advantage of. In the end, the High Sparrow seeks the same thing we all do: power. His power is directed towards the people. He seeks to manipulate them, use them and manipulate them in order to have total authority in his power. His greatest enemy is the Stark House.'' Because the Starks were a faith that had nothing to do with them.

Olenna sighed. She didn't like the way things were looking and in fact felt that if they wanted the Dominion to survive they would have to split it up into a series of operations. Clean out the citadel. Eliminate or at least sell information about the High Sparrow. And finally eliminate the more devout lords who might try to screw things up.

At the end of the day, for Olenna, this was a different war. And she refused to lose it either way.

-Dorne. Sunspear-

-Office of the Lord-

With her father in the water gardens, it hadn't been difficult to convince her spymaster to allow her to make assessments herself. Especially when she had the support of her uncle Oberyn. In the end, that meant she had the same information as her father, which meant knowing about the Stark family's attack on Myr.

The mention of the attack surprised her but at the same time only made her feel unprecedented panic. The way House Stark had mobilized one of their legions and fleet for an attack and control told her that House Stark was very possibly planning some sort of campaign.

The potential and ability to conquer without being taken by surprise in any way told Arianne above all that the kingdom of Asgard was ready to be a force that could fight them all. From her reports the legions numbered twenty thousand soldiers that combined archers, heavy infantry and heavy cavalry.

From what he learned, the soldiers of Asgard were not ordinary men and women. Stronger. More powerful. More skilled. They were a force to be reckoned with. And with twenty thousand of them stationed in Myr it meant that Asgard was quite possibly determined to maintain power in the free city and even go so far as to use it in some way as an extension of their kingdom in Essos.

The kingdom of Asgard also loomed as a threat to Dorne, recalling that her father had foolishly ordered Ashara to kill Stark instead of trying to build a friendship with them, thus destroying the kingdom's military strength. She once again cursed her father's short-sightedness.

He could have made a deal with Stark where he offered his sister in exchange for her support for Aegon's reign. Instead, his father had planned to use Lyanna Stark as some sort of tool to drain the kingdom of Asgard dry. That backfired and now they had no allies and many internal problems caused by their father's short-sightedness.

Oh yes, they had conquered the Stepstones, which was pure luck. And only the threat of wildfire kept Lys and Tyrosh at bay. But now more than ever they needed Asgard to fuck with. They needed an alliance. Their fleet would ensure that those two cities thought three times before they came to fuck with them in any way.

Another report, and this one brought a grin from ear to ear, confirmed the capture of Viserys Targaryen by Robert Baratheon's soldiers. It seems that whoever has been protecting him has considered him a lost cause in some way and has decided then that it is better to let him go to waste.

She smiled because it meant that her father couldn't go with his plan B and instead had to go with his plan A: track down Aegon. Her father still believed that Aegon was somewhere in the free cities. She had her doubts. After all, the boy should be with his mother and now thanks to whatever it was, they knew that Aegon was not among the Stark children.

For a time she thought Aegon might be this Jon Stark. But while there was a certain resemblance to Rhaegar the boy looked more like an Asgardian. Powerful build. Black hair. Grey eyes. The boy looked nothing like Rhaegar though seeing as his supposed father could use magic could he be able to like the Faceless Men and hide his identity through magic?

Arianne had her doubts. But she hadn't let her father know that. Knowing him it could go in two directions. It could go in the direction of her father trying to push Hariric Stark into making Jon Aegon which would end with Hariric setting his sights on Dorne which was a big no.

Or it could end with Hariric thinking about using Jon to control the south. Though he doubted it. If Hariric Stark had made anything clear it was his contempt for the southern houses, southern affairs, and southern life. He would never send someone he considered family to live in a place where everyone and their mother would want him dead.

Arianne was far from an idiot. She knew that Stark despised almost all of them and that if they gave him a single chance he would strike them in the worst possible way. But the heiress of Dorne wanted to find a way to ally with him, perhaps by giving him his father's head on a silver platter? Hey, he could be her father, but what he did was betrayal of an ally, which is not done.

She was concentrating hard but even then she could see her uncle coming in. Oberyn… was doing better. He was currently expecting his fourth child with Ellaria as it seemed the curse had lifted. But it was a harsh message to the Prince of Dorne to never ever cross a Stark again in any way and that same lesson was instilled in his older daughters.

''I have to assume that Manfrey's reports must be incredibly detailed but also annoying. You are rarely seen this focused unless you are in the midst of a very serious matter.'' Oberyn was under no illusions. If his niece was here it could be very bad.

''I'm looking at a report that tells me how House Stark has not only destroyed the ruling caste of Myr but is now in complete control of Myr and has also seized its resources.'' She was very upset but at the same time jealous. That power could be backing them up right now if it weren't for her father.

''I see. It should have been obvious that Stark would move sooner or later against those who have wronged him and especially those who have plotted against him. Myr always thought himself much smarter and firmly believed he could get away with anything.'' He had been in every free city. He knew how they thought.

''Asgard will now have a more direct foothold in Essos and it is quite possible that it will create a third fleet, both commercial and military, so that Myr becomes the city that will do business with the other cities further away from Essos.'' Cities such as those in Slave Bay, Qarth and perhaps even with the Yi Ti empire.

''That shows that Stark has turned out to be much more cunning than I imagined. But at the same time it worries me if I'm honest with you niece. Stark will not recognize any alliance with us unless we are in a situation that basically tells him we are going to correct your father's actions.'' Hariric Stark did not seem like a person to accept his brother's actions so easily.

''I'm already planning for it. Handing over my father seems to be very close to becoming the only method to help us deal with this. I will deeply regret it but he should be held accountable for the actions he took and the consequences he has brought to Dorne.'' Because if his father had not betrayed Stark they would have many advantages right now, not to mention possibly wizards.

''I won't defend him. Not after the thirteen years of hell I've suffered because of him. But I can assure you that your father was just being... stupid. He thought he was better than Stark and he lost out just like that.'' That was the bad thing about gambling. The higher the stakes, the bigger the payoff, the bigger the payoff.

''Maybe. This however has trouble written all over it. Ashara is the one who is most likely going to see how to resolve her issues with the Iron Bank. They might come to believe that the Starks are moving against the free cities in some way.'' Although knowing Ashara from what her uncle said the chances were high that she would get her way.

''I doubt that very much, niece. First, although the bank and Braavos will be worried, they will probably reason the long-term benefit of knowing that by doing this, House Stark has eliminated a potential threat to the affairs of the Iron Bank, thus spreading fear in the other banks and free cities.'' Because seeing a powerful city fall would frighten everyone.

Arianne considered things as her uncle said them and could not deny that the truth was in his words. To know that very possibly the Starks, although they would be out for blood seeking to annihilate their enemies, would be able to make it look like Myr had asked for it. And Braavos would be very happy that they could have more allies against the threats in that territory.

''In the end Braavos will be more interested in ensuring that their economy is strong and powerful than in knowing what is going on. As long as the Starks do not make moves towards and with the intention of conquering the north of their position. Although I highly doubt that as well.'' Knowing the Starks they would have their sights elsewhere.

''You think Hariric Stark is going to use Myr's location to launch some sort of quest to conquer the ancient Rhoynar cities and thereby expand Stark territory. Perhaps even take an interest in the disputed lands.'' There was nothing wrong with that, although she doubted it.

''Perhaps. Though not at this time. Perhaps he will leave that to his son Cregan. Hariric Stark has to secure his domains. His entire realm is vast and there is still much to be gained. The free city may serve for expansion I will not deny that but perhaps and only perhaps once they have ensured that there are no threats against them.'' It was the wisest course of action in his opinion.

''Perhaps we could open negotiations and alliances with this newly formed free city. They could be the key to reaching agreements with the kingdom of Asgard and thus bury the hatchet once and for all. It could be enough to empower our situation against the members of our own kingdom who are looking for trouble.'' It was a more than a bit of a premature course of action but it was what she wanted to do.

However, she also knew that if that happened, it would be because her father thought he could turn one of Hariric Strk's sons against his family. Her father was obsessed with bringing the man down. Something about teaching him his place. Seriously, her father's arrogance could be the cause of so much trouble that it wasn't exactly funny.

This only meant that he had to speed up his plans. He would not let Dorne fall because of his father's short-sightedness.

-These. Will repent-

-Mansion of Illyrio Mopatis-

He had thought and indeed believed that they had the whole situation under control. It had taken a while to discover the weak points in the structure of Asgard because they had so few. But he had still managed to install people who were loyal to him in certain positions which meant that he was able to make assessments and be able to come to a conclusion about where to strike.

When Hariric Stark had moved on from all things with the course and direction to go visit Valyria he thought he could make a profit. The truth is that he didn't know if Stark's magic would be enough to allow him to survive what was inside the peninsula. But what he was really sure of was that it could be the opportune moment to hit Stark in the worst possible way.

Assembling the pirate fleet had been difficult. Ever since the Martells took control of the Stepstones it had become increasingly difficult to do this sort of thing. But fortunately he was able to assemble a good fleet including Euron Greyjoy himself. Having that man had proven to be clever.

But he had underestimated the military power of the Asgardian navy. Their ships were equipped with weapons of destruction that ended up annihilating the fleet. What was the point of gathering a fleet when you could destroy a ship with a single shot? The Asgardians tore the pirate fleet to pieces and that was bad.

The fall of House Stark had to become a reality. But for them to fall, the kingdom had to be involved in civil war. Hariric Stark was the pillar that kept and supported said kingdom. His son was still too young to be able to do such a thing. Therefore, the death of Hariric Stark was a necessity of the plans he had. It was what he had to do.

But Illyrio should have known that trying to take down Stark would be difficult, if not impossible. Hariric Stark always seemed to be several steps ahead. And most assassination guilds put a high price on laying a finger on House Stark. Now it was certain that no one would dare.

Looking at the glass of wine Illyrio held, he wanted to groan. His plans for the reclaiming of the Iron Throne were falling apart. And as long as House Stark remained strong, the chances of them being able to get their hands on that kingdom were low. There were times when he felt like it was as if the gods had decided to take sides in this.

Stark magic could only be combated by other kinds of magic. The problem was that he wouldn't trust his son's life to some crappy charlatan. Everyone saw how things ended in the war. Rhaegar was used by the red priests. That much was obvious. The warlocks of Qarth would take advantage as well. And Rhoynar magic was clearly inferior. Why couldn't his son have a proper teacher dammit?

As he thought about it he thought and planned various ways of how to turn the situation in his favor but it didn't matter what he thought. Because now Stark had dealt a brutal blow to any plan. Who would agree to attack him when the consequences of said attack could very well mean a war in every sense of the word that would end in death?

The name Stark promised his allies a life of comfort and luxury. But to his enemies it meant only death and destruction. He truly despised Stark in every sense of the word for making his life's work harder. Grumbling, he gulped down his wine as the door to his office opened, admitting a person: Jon Connington. The man looked as serious and upset as he must have been.

''Jon. I assume you're here because of what happened in Myr. The Starks have dealt a major blow to the plans. Any idea of ​​somehow bringing the North back into the fold I see hardly passing because of this.'' He wasn't joking. As long as Stark remained in power that would be impossible.

''We were on our journey when we heard what happened. The cruelty and even if I may say so the brutality with which Stark wiped out Myr has reached the ears of many people. There are those who are afraid of Stark and who in fact have reason to believe that he is a greater threat than we could have imagined.'' Jon had approached the golden company. They were not in a good mood.

''Perhaps we can do some damage to him. We could gather multiple mercenary companies and take back Myr. I hear he's leaving behind a whole legion. Twenty thousand dead soldiers should be enough to make Stark lose face in the eyes of everyone in the realm of Asgard.'' And it would be a good way to make the shark bleed.

''You'd have to find some force crazy enough. Maybe the Titan's Children would join in. And maybe the Storm Children. With them, you could add up to twenty thousand soldiers along with the Golden Company. But even I'd say that's a very bad bet against us.'' A bet that wouldn't end well for them.

''You don't think it will work out? I'd like your opinion. The loss of an Asgardian legion would be a severe blow to the Asgardians, and one thing that could be positive. Nowadays, and even more so with the attack on Myr, many people think that the Asgardians are unstoppable.'' Fear was a good motivator. If people were afraid, they could think in ways that didn't suit them.

''I can't speak for many others. But what I can say is that knowing Stark as I do, that Legion is not the only force and we'll likely be seeing a lot more of it. It's quite possible that Stark is taking advantage of the Myr situation so he can have a port of his own in Essos.'' As much as he hated Stark, he knew a tactical businessman when he saw one.

''How annoying. As long as the Starks rule Asgard the chances of us ever forcing them into the union of the realms again are impossible. And as if that wasn't enough there's also the fact of all the advantages they continue to hoard for themselves.'' It wasn't good at all and I wanted to moan at how bad things were.

''Perhaps. If Lord Rhaegar's plan had not failed the Starks would have surely been extinct. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the right course of action. Though I think we should be more concerned with southern affairs than northern affairs if you ask me on the matter Illyrio.'' The North would not concern itself with southern affairs.

''My pet peeve is wealth, Jon. Tell me, do you know how much wealth Asgard generates? Those runes have allowed Stark to produce things that shouldn't be growing in his realm. Asgard right now produces spices, silk, exotic foods, furs, coal, and much more. The wealth of Asgard is unprecedented. And if things continue the way they are, I can tell we won't be in the best situation.'' How he hated it, damn it. He wished everything would be different.

''Aegon is still a child so we cannot plan accordingly for war. And a king who does not fight alongside his people will not attract the attention of his soldiers. There is a reason why Hariric Stark is considered the best king you can ask for. Until Aegon is of age we cannot in any way expose ourselves.'' Aegon was a child of twelve. He was not ready.

''I suppose. You'll be interested to know that we've finally discovered the location of both Queen Elia and Princess Rhaenys. They're in Asgard. Possibly being held hostage by the bastard Stark and possibly even plotting to use him to make a takeover of the Iron Throne.'' Injecting jealousy and other negative emotions was easy.

''If it comes down to it... How much would Rhaenys' death cost a guild of assassins? We cannot allow the Asgardians to somehow use her blood as an excuse to indicate that it is through her that they claim the throne.'' She would not let them take away from Aegon anything he deserved.

''Costly. The fact is that they live in Asgard and many consider the realm almost impregnable. But not impossible. I'll talk to some people and convince them. You do what's best for the king. You do what needs to be done for the good of the realms. You are a true lord if I do say so.'' So easy to manipulate. It would make Jon fall and be frowned upon by Aegon thus removing him from the board.

''The war showed me that difficult decisions had to be made. If Lyanna Stark had been used against her brother she would have bowed and given in to our demands. Family is the heart. And you should always aim to do the most damage possible.'' Jon knew it was a little cruel but for the sake of victory and his prince he would have done it.

''We agree on that. Maybe get some of the children. Even the bastard. That could soften Stark up a bit. We could take advantage of that and be able to take down the direwolf threat safely.'' In Illyrio's opinion, getting the children seemed to be the only possibility.

''If you're going to target someone, target Elia Martell's possible children. That shameless bitch should have remained loyal to Rhaegar and instead she's possibly shared a bed with Stark. Let her pay in blood for betraying her family name.'' That much was obvious. She was a small fry and in fact should have been loyal only to Rhaengar.

''I'll keep an eye out. You'll also be interested to know that Viserys Targaryen has been captured. It seems the idiot brat got drunk and was caught by Robert Baratheon's agents. It wasn't hard at all for them to get their hands on him and he's currently heading towards the capital.'' It wasn't a big loss in his opinion.

''Perhaps that is for the best. We are not interested in political opponents, much less those who have nothing to offer. I will ask about Daenerys, though. She might be useful. A good wife for Aegon. Better than the southern houses can promise in every way.'' A Targaryen wife would also cement Aegon's reign.

''She's missing I'm afraid. We don't know where she is and I've got Varys looking for her. She's the key. It's through her that we can be more certain that the fights are unified. I'll keep you informed if we're able to find her.'' The girl would unite both bloods and at the same time ensure Blackfire's reign.

''Look at that. She could be much more than the key. She is the daughter of the last true queen of the realms. Through her we could get enough support to bring House Targaryen back to power.'' And he also preferred the girl as Aegon's wife. The Tyrells could try something or possibly any house in the south would.

Meanwhile Illyrio was thinking or rather plotting ways to move things his way. He had to find a way to take down those damn Starks. They weren't as invincible as they thought and everyone had to have a damn weak point.

-Tyrosh-

-Lewyn Martell's safe house-

Unlike what many might think, House Targaryen did not keep everything in its coffers, especially a queen like Rhaella who slowly but surely had saved up money, especially when she saw the instability of her husband. She sought to create her own safe corner to protect herself, and if it weren't for that damn commander, she most likely could have escaped cleanly, damn it.

The choices had been Myr, Volantis, Lys and Tyrosh. In the end out of all the free cities the one that won was Tyrosh. Even though the daughter cities of Valyria traded in slavery at the end of the day each of them lived off of trade and Tyrosh was especially prosperous for being such an important and capable city.

Lewyn had arrived and had access to the Targaryen house's money, which was a considerable sum, and had begun to invest it as wisely as possible. His daughter depended on him and could not afford to live the life of a prince. The house was, however, owned by a magister who had decided that it was worth betting on them.

That might have surprised him, or at least it would have until he heard the magister's words, namely that he wanted a stable situation and to have the future maritime support of the six kingdoms as well as having an advantage in dealing with the squids. He knew it was asking for something, but it was logical.

Lewyn considered them to be very sensible requests, but they were also full of justified demands. It helped that his Dany was a true queen at heart and that she had all the potential necessary to become the queen who could surpass the other kings on that godforsaken continent.

He was watching his daughter practice with short swords. Though he would have loved for her to fight with a spear, she lacked the balance. Instead, she used the most well-known swords of what was Dorne like a fish in water and his precious baby was more than capable of striking down her opponents in unprecedented fashion.

As he watched his daughter train he heard a series of footsteps. Magiter Illyan Pentrose was not like other magisters. He was fit. And yes. He was married. The man was a devout man and not one to be ruled by ambition. The guy was the person one would seek out in confidence. And he had made sure he was not a threat.

''I see a smile on your face so I guess that must mean there's good news.'' Lewyn had seen that smile many times. When something incredibly good happens without you expecting it.

''Oh yes my good friend. After all…Myr has fallen under Stark rule.'' And those words sent the former royal guard spiraling.