"You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved"
Audelia Stark of Winterfell, the beauty of the seven kingdoms, daughter of the honourable Lord Eddard Stark. Her life was perfect, she had everything she ever wanted. A family that she loved and...
Not long ago I would have despised Winterfell, the North, the Cold. Everything here seemed so much duller and simpler. But now I was realizing it was exactly what I needed. The North was healing me, not destroying me like I thought it would. It made me breathe easier, it helped me get up in the morning, and it filled me with warmth I never thought possible.
Now that I was completely healed from my wounds from the Battle of the Bastards, I wanted to have a purpose to play in preparation for the Dead. Which was how I found myself standing beside my future wife, the Queen overlooking the process of preparation for Winter.
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"How much do we have?", asked Audelia as we watched people wheeling in carts of hay, and transporting water or weapons. They were hard at work, and so were we.
"Four thousand bushels, my Queen", replied the Maester.
"What does that mean?", asked Audelia turning to look at him as did I. It was new to me too as to how to rule a Kingdom. A kingdom as large and as important as the North.
"For the current occupants of the castle, it is enough food for a year, perhaps more", replied some Lord from the Vale I could not bother remember his name. But Audelia trusted him, as he supported her in the execution of Littlefinger and is ruling the Vale while Robyn is growing and learning. If she trusted him, so did I. To an extent.
"What's the longest winter in the past 100 years?", asked Audelia as she began walking and we all followed after her.
"Eh, I'm not entirely certain, my Queen. I'll check the record of Maester Luwin, he kept a copy of every Raven's scroll", offered Maester Wolkan and she nodded as we descended down the stairs towards the main street.
"You're telling me we do not have enough food, especially not if the armies of the North come back to defend Winterfell. And add the armies of the Unsullied and Dothraki and three grown dragons.", continued Audelia and Maester Wolkan sighed.
"No, we do not have enough, your Grace", said the Maester.
"Well then let's prepare for that eventuality. Whatever direction the threat comes from, this is the best place to be. We need to start building up our grain stores with regular shipments from every keep in the North. If we don't use it by Winter's end we'll give it back to them but if the entire North and more will flee the North, they won't have enough time to bring wagon loads of grain with them", ordered Audelia and I nodded in agreement as she looked at me for approval. We passed under a small bridge connecting two walls as we walked into another courtyard.
"Very wise, my Queen", said the Vale Lord.
"Maester Wolkan, will you see to it?", she asked and the Maester bowed and walked away towards the castle.
We stopped in front of some men making steel armour for the soldiers. There should be leather on those, to make sure that the soldier could stay warm longer. Not something you need in the South, but here, in the North, it's more important than anything.
