Chapter 55

|Eddard Stark - Lord of the North and Warden of the North|

I rub my head as I can feel a headache in my head. I'm confused. I'm confused why Viserys Targaryen is willing to make a trade with us. We are the people who killed his family in the war but here he is willing to send his merchant selling their goods to us.

With the winter coming, we need all the food we can get.

I had already prepared to go to King's Landing and beg Robert for him to send us some of their food, but I knew it would be useless as I knew the other kingdom barely had food because of the failed harvest.

I'm grateful for what they do, but why? That is the only question I have in my mind.

'Promise me, Ned'

I shake my head and look out of the window. I can see a row of caravans inside Winterfell. It looks like another merchant from Lunaria arrived.

'Promise me, Ned'

Is this fate? Is this the reason why you keep telling me that, Lyanna?

'Promise me, Ned. Promise me to give him the family he deserves. He is innocent. Promise me, Ned. Promise me that he will have a good childhood just like us.'

Is this truly what the Gods ask me to do? Unite him with his family? No. I will give him the family he deserves. I will make sure he is welcomed in my family. I will be his father, and my children will be his siblings.

'Promise me, Ned'

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|Wyman Manderly - Lord of White Harbor and Warden of the White Knife|

"Eat! Eat! This feast is for you all! Hahahaha"

I laugh loudly as my guests take a seat. Lunaria is the newest kingdom in the world. The place where the last Targaryen ruled is the only place willing to sell us food at a lower price. At the command of my lord, I need to make sure they are comfortable and make sure they are willing to trade with us regularly.

And I agree with that command. Lunaria is a place of wonder. The spy network I placed in Essos tells me how Lunaria became one of the most powerful kingdoms among the city-states of Essos.

I already see their magic with my own eyes. So while I'm a follower of the faith, I cannot blindly follow their rule that any magic is foul magic. The people in the south did not know, but here in the north, magic still exists.

I will not practice witchcraft, but I will not call magic that did not exist.

"How is it? Delicious, isn't it? Hahahaha"

I can hear one of the merchants nod his head and swallow the food.

"It is delicious. I need a little more spice, but it's good all around."

"Hahahaha. I'm sorry if the food did not meet your standard, but spices are expensive nowadays. The only spice we can get is coming from your kingdom."

"Hmmm, truly?"

"Aye. Can I ask how the Lunaria kingdom manages to get this large amount of food and spice even when winter is happening?"

"Hmmm."

I can see the man humming for a second before looking around at my guard.

"Do you trust them?"

"Pardon me?"

"Do you trust them? I want to tell you something important. Do you trust them not telling the other? This is a trust offer from us, and if your people decide to spread the word, I will say, we will not come back here."

I widen my eyes at his words and am just about to tell him that all of my men are trustworthy, but I know reality is not as I want it to be. I know they will tell the southern spy with the right amount of money.

"Get out. All of you. Give us some privacy."

I can see my men look at me with a shocked expression before one of the sayings.

"You cannot be serious, my lord! What if he kills you?!"

"You dare to question my command?"

"O-Of course not, my lord. I'm only thinking about your safety."

"Then get out. I need some privacy."

I can see all of my men and the servant getting out of the room, leaving the three merchants coming to my city and me.

"So, what kind of word do you want to say?"

One of the merchants raised his hand before suddenly I could feel an invisible wind going past me.

"What is that?!"

"A simple privacy spell. It looks like one of your servants decided to stay behind and put her head on the door."

"Ah, I see."

One of the merchants nodded his head and looked me right in the eyes.

"The reason for coming here is to make an alliance between the north and Lunaria."

"What? Alliance? You know that we are one of the people that usurp your king's father, right? We are the one who is killing his brother and father."

"We know. We also disagree with his decision but sadly our king is too kind to leave his people here suffering from their lord's idiocy."

I wanted to interrupt him, but before I could do that, he continued to talk.

"His majesty saw how your people are struggling to survive this winter and decided to help. However, while he is kind, he did not forget what your people do to his father and brother. He will not give this offer to the other people and only to the north."

I look at him for a second before saying.

"Why? Why us?"

"Because I think his majesty already forgives you. His brother and father kill the late Lord Stark and his heir while the current Lord Stark kills his brother and father. He views it as an equivalent exchange and wants to forge a new connection between Targaryen and Stark."

"I see. Can I ask who you are? You are not a merchant, aren't you? A mere merchant will not dare to say something like that."

He smiles at me and says,

"Aye. I'm the Advisor of King Viserys, Bakir, and I have come here to be your friend or your enemy. Your choice."