Chapter 8: Theon

Wyman Manderly, who had been struggling to lift his massive frame to leave, immediately sat back down upon hearing Eddard call his name. "Lord Eddard, what do you need?" By now, the other nobles had left, and the hall was empty except for Eddard and Lord Wyman. "Lord Wyman, as the Lord of White Harbor, your city deals with ships and sailors from all over the world every day. Among my vassals, you are clearly the most knowledgeable about ships." Since the time of Brandon the Shipwright, House Stark had shown little interest in maritime affairs. Eddard's sudden interest surprised Lord Wyman. "Lord Eddard, do you want to build a ship?" "No, I want to build a fleet." Lord Wyman stroked his large chin. "A fleet? Lord Eddard, that will cost a fortune." Eddard clasped his hands together. "Where are the best shipyards?" Lord Wyman thought for a moment. "Braavos. Their shipyards can build a ship in a day. Of course, the Arbor, King's Landing, and the Iron Islands also have excellent shipyards. The Ironborn's longships are a match for any warship. But no matter where the shipyard is, ships are expensive." Eddard said, "That's why I plan to build them myself. We have plenty of timber in the Wolfswood. All we need are ship designers." Most of the North's people are descendants of the First Men, who were not seafarers. When the First Men came to Westeros, they crossed the Arm of Dorne on foot. On land, the First Men were a fierce and warlike people, but at sea, they were helpless. The North has a long coastline, and Eddard needed a strong navy to defend his lands and protect his people. If the North had a fleet based in White Harbor, Eddard could send two armies south if Robert or Jon Arryn ever faced trouble. One army would march down the Kingsroad, while the fleet could carry soldiers from White Harbor through the Bite and across the Narrow Sea to strike directly at King's Landing. In times of war, Winterfell would have more strategic options. This plan excited Lord Wyman. "Lord Eddard, the sigil of House Manderly is a merman holding a trident. Who understands the sea better than a merman? Leave the shipbuilding to me. White Harbor sees ships from across the Narrow Sea every day. I can find you excellent shipwrights." After Lord Wyman left, Robb rushed in. "Father, Theon is upset. You need to see him! He's in the godswood." Today had been harsh for Theon. During the meeting, he had witnessed the Northern lords discussing how to deal with the Ironborn. Some even suggested killing Theon as a warning to Balon Greyjoy. In the godswood, Theon stood with Domeric Bolton. The heir to the Dreadfort seemed to have become friends with the heir to the Iron Islands in a short time, and Domeric was comforting Theon. Domeric bowed to Eddard and left, leaving only Eddard and Theon in the godswood. Eddard looked at the pale weirwood tree, its red eyes seeming to weep blood as they watched Eddard and Theon. "You came to the godswood seeking comfort from the old gods." Theon snorted. "Lord Eddard, this tree is not my god, never has been! Just like those Northern lords in your meeting said, I'm a damned Ironborn, not a Northerner. But here, I can't hear the sea or smell the salt. The Drowned God has no power here. Where can I go? The Seven are strangers to me, and Septa Mordane and Septon Chayle in the sept only drone on and on." Eddard noticed the bloodstains on the weirwood tree. Theon's fingers were bleeding. "You punched the weirwood? You're hurt. Go see Maester Luwin." Eddard reached for Theon's hand, but Theon pulled away. "Lord Eddard, I'm sorry for striking the old gods. Will those Northern lords execute me for this?" Eddard sighed. "Theon, I regret what happened in the meeting. Before it started, I specifically sent you to join Jory in maintaining order in Winter Town because I didn't want you to hear those harsh words. I didn't expect you to return." Theon sneered. "I'm glad I came back. I saw how hypocritical and bloodthirsty those lords are." Eddard said, "Theon, you can't blame these lords. Their people have suffered greatly from Ironborn raids. They've misdirected their anger toward you. Words are like wind. Lords wear masks in public, especially during such gatherings." "These lords scheme against each other. Some are old enemies, some despise each other, and some use each other. But when they sit together, they feel compelled to voice their opinions. They clamored for me to kill you, but many were just echoing others, like parrots. Their words shouldn't be taken seriously." Eddard patted Theon's shoulder. "Of course, I'm not excusing them. They openly discussed murdering my ward in my council, holding you accountable for crimes you had no part in. I won't accept that. I reprimanded them harshly." Theon looked uncertain. "But today, a rider from Barrowton mocked me, saying that if my father ever angered the North or the Iron Throne, you'd use the Stark ancestral Valyrian greatsword, Ice, to cut off my head. Wards are meant to ensure family loyalty. If my father's loyalty is questioned, I'll die." Eddard said frankly, "When I took you as my ward, it was indeed to ensure your father Balon wouldn't rebel again. That's the truth. I also worried about whether I'd have the courage to harm an innocent child if your father rebelled despite your life being at stake. When you first came to Winterfell, you were a hostage. But now, that's no longer the case." "You came to my home at ten years old. Every day, you ate with my wife, my children, and my bastard, shared the hearth and the hall. You trained with Ser Rodrik Cassel, studied with Maester Luwen alongside my children, and knew everyone in Winterfell—Hodor, Hullen the kennelmaster, Old Nan, Gage the cook, Mikken the blacksmith, and Hullen in the stables." "Theon, you grew up in Winterfell. That's the truth. You're a kraken, but also a wolf pup. I don't know how you feel, but in my heart, I've always seen you as my eldest son. You're Robb's older brother, teaching him many things. In the future, you can help me protect Bran and Rickon." Theon was deeply moved. "Lord Eddard, I didn't expect... I'm sorry, I thought..." Eddard said, "Years ago, I was a ward alongside Robert under Jon Arryn. Back then, some in the Vale called me a hostage. When the Mad King Aerys demanded that Jon Arryn hand over Robert and me, what did Jon Arryn do? He raised his banners in rebellion, staking his life and his house's fate on two wards who weren't even his blood." Theon murmured, "Yes, that war even toppled the Targaryen dynasty." Eddard leaned closer to Theon. "To be honest, I've discussed shipbuilding and creating a Northern fleet with Lord Wyman. Theon, you're Ironborn. Who better to train and command a navy than you? You play an irreplaceable role in my plans." Theon smiled. "Lord Eddard, when I inherit the Iron Islands, the Greyjoy fleet and the Ironborn will be at your disposal." Then he looked troubled. "I will inherit, right? After all, I'm my father's only surviving son." Eddard asked, "Have you heard something?" Theon said, "A fisherman from Cape Kraken in Winter Town said my father plans to make my sister Asha his heir. But the captains of the Iron Islands seem to prefer my uncles, Euron 'Crow's Eye' and Victarion Greyjoy." Eddard smiled. "Theon, the Iron Islands are your birthright. If your family and the Ironborn don't respect that, I'll help you claim the Seastone Chair." "With the full strength of the North!"

-*Thanks to venkat for subscribing in warden of the Realm*

"Help the story climb the rankings! Don't forget to leave a Power Stone and share your thoughts in the comments if you enjoyed this chapter!"