Bringing the Dawn

XXVII.

Robb Stark

Winterfell, 300AC

Despite knowing it was only going to be a matter of time before he had to do this, it still did not sit right with him. It should be his father standing in this room making these decisions and not him. He was only the Acting Lord of Winterfell whilst his father was serving as King Robert's Hand. Except, everything had flipped on its axis now in spectacular fashion. No words had been spoken officially yet, but he always knew deep down he was going to support Jon in his endeavours no matter the cost, and his father's latest raven all but confirmed he had reached the same conclusion too. Robb doubted he wouldn't have done so had Robert still been alive, but he would've treaded carefully and would not have been so bold as to write it in a raven in black ink. With lemon water aye, as only they knew the trick to it, but plain black ink?

Eddard had confirmed he planned on making the truth known soon, but what truth did he mean? Was he publicly going to denounce Joffrey's claim or was he going to confess about Jon? It was times like this where he wished his father had not gone to Kings Landing in the first place so they could talk about it in detail. But no, he was alone in this, as much as he hated to think it. Almost a month had passed since that raven had arrived from Joffrey asking him to come south to bend to him, and that was the last thing he was going to do. But he couldn't remain idle for too long as that would look terrible in front of the Lords who would one day be bending to him as Warden of the North.

At least he had one parent he could rely on in these times. Recently, he had come to be pleased by having his mother run through everything he planned to do due to her shrewd mind. Whilst she had many faults, this was not one of them. When he was growing up she had never really shown her ability in said manner because southern politics don't go in hand with northern politics the same way northern politics don't align with southern politics. Whilst there were a few similarities, the differences were much more noticeable. But ever since their father confirmed the truth of Jon, out her political mind came. Remembering the time where she had calmly lectured Sansa on how the claims would and could work, and how neither could be unjustified. Yet now? One could be justified and the other could not.

The second word spreads of the royal children's illegitimacy, the war that will break out will be huge. This combined with the incoming war with Jon due to start. It was going to be a war within a war. Fighting upon fighting upon fighting. Death upon death upon death. His father always used to say a single phrase to him when they were little when they started taking lessons. Political strife causes war, and war causes political strife. A cycle that goes on and on, one that had happened for hundreds and probably even thousands of years. How many people had benefited from such things? How many had bounced back? How many fell so far down the ladder their names were just words in the wind like they had never existed in the first place?

Too many to count. That much was a certainty.

He was simply sitting at his father's desk, going through paperwork and agreeing on some decisions as he went. Any day now, they would be expecting someone of the blood of Valyria to walk into Winterfell's walls, and to say he was nervous was an understatement. Many people knew of Aurane Waters, but not as a person. Simply knew him as the famed bastard of House Velaryon. One of the very few House's where a bastard had earned his place when Addam Velaryon bonded with a dragon and fought for the Black's so long ago. They were a valuable ally to have, that was something that could not be denied. They were rich, they had one of the best navy's in Westeros, and links to the throne to boot through numerous intermarriages with House Targaryen. And now both House's may be exploding in power with cataclysmic events.

"What's on your mind?"

Robb snapped his head to be met with his mother leaning just slightly against the wall in case he didn't want her there. Whilst she'd only been back for a little more than a week, it felt like so much longer. She had sat beside him and proof read every letter he sent out to confirm if it was veiled just enough that no threat was obvious. Veiled threats were something he was not good at, nor was it something he necessarily agreed with, but it was something anyone in a high position had to do to ensure both loyalty and restraint. And he wasn't stupid, he knew some of the Northern Lord's wouldn't hesitate to overthrow him were Eddard still not alive for a little bit of glory. The Stark's were strong though, they had blood of wolves flowing through their veins and they were here to stay.