(A/N):
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Snow crunched under the hooves of the Stark horses as Lord Rickon Stark,
Head of House Stark and Warden of the North,
Rode beneath the stone archway of White Harbor.
His banner—
Gray direwolf on white—
Fluttered beside the Manderly trident as the gates opened.
Behind him followed his family.
Lady Lyarra Stark, calm and composed despite the cold wind.
His eldest son, Cregan and Benjen, hardened by the northern winters.
His daughter Sara Snow, wrapped tightly in woolen cloaks.
The streets erupted in respectful murmurs.
The Starks seldom traveled south unless necessity demanded it.
At the gates,
Torrhen Manderly bowed deeply.
"My lord Stark. White Harbor welcomes you."
Rickon dismounted with quiet dignity.
"Thank you, Lord Manderly. Let us speak inside—time is short, and winter grows longer."
Torrhen nodded, then leaned closer, lowering his voice.
Nod~
"My lord… there is something else you must know before we begin."
Rickon turned slightly, sensing the tension.
"Speak."
Torrhen's voice became barely above a whisper.
"The King of an unknown realm—Eldoria—arrived today with five ships laden with supplies. And he asked for an audience."
Rickon froze.
"...."
A cold gust of wind blew between them.
He knew that name.
Everyone did.
Leo Morningstar.
The man the bards whispered about.
The man the ravens described as overwhelming Prince Daemon with ease.
The man responsible for Rhaenyra Targaryen's disappearance.
And—
If rumors were to be believed—
The kidnapping of Alicent Hightower he was the one made princess to do it.
Rickon's mind raced.
"...."
'If he is here… then could Princess Rhaenyra be here too? And the Hand's daughter? What game is being played?'
He hid his thoughts behind a stoic northern mask.
"And you allowed him into your hall?"
Torrhen swallowed.
Gulp~
"My lord Stark… he came with hundreds of armed soldiers, races we've never seen before, and goods that could feed the North all winter."
Rickon understood instantly.
"...."
White Harbor had no choice.
If anything, the Manderlys were wise to avoid provoking an unknown power.
Rickon spoke calmly.
"Take me to him. If this king brings help, the North must hear it. If he brings danger…"
"…the Starks will face it."
Torrhen nodded quickly.
Nod~
"Of course. I will summon him immediately."
MANDERLY HALL...
THE MEETING ROOM...
The room was lit with lanterns casting warm golden light across long tables filled with maps, scrolls, and tally sheets of dwindling food supplies.
Rickon removed his gloves and took his place at the head of the table,
His family flanking him.
"When the King of Eldoria arrives,"
Rickon said quietly to Torrhen,
"observe every detail. A man who commands unknown forces cannot be taken lightly."
Torrhen bowed and hurried out the door.
Guest Chamber...
In the guest chamber,
Leo was lounging comfortably—
Rhaenyra sitting beside him,
And Alicent sitting across the room reading a book.
The door opened just enough for Torrhen to bow.
"Your Majesty… Lord Stark has arrived. He wishes to see you."
Leo stood, calm and unhurried.
"...."
Behind him, fifty Eldorian soldiers straightened, forming protective lines.
Rhaenyra smirked softly.
Smirk~
"The wolves have arrived."
Alicent swallowed nervously
Gulp~
"He'll recognize us, won't he?"
Leo answered smoothly.
"If he does, he knows better than to expose it."
Hagoromo Gitsune approached, her presence both elegant and deadly.
"Shall we?"
Leo nodded.
Nod~
"Let's greet the North."
Meeting Room...
The heavy doors of the meeting room swung open.
Every Stark hand instinctively went to a sword hilt.
Footsteps—
Thud. Thud.
Thud. Thud.
Calm, rhythmic, confident—
Echoed against the stone floor.
Leo entered first, cloak flowing, red eyes gleaming faintly.
Rhaenyra followed,
Disguised but unmistakably noble.
Alicent walked just behind, head lowered slightly.
Hagoromo glided like a shadow of moonlight.
Behind them, twenty Eldorian soldiers entered—
Silent, imposing, and utterly disciplined.
Rickon Stark rose slowly from his chair.
The room tensed.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Leo locked eyes with him—
Unshaken.
Rickon spoke first.
"You must be Leo Morningstar, king of Eldoria."
Leo inclined his head slightly.
"And you, Rickon Stark, Warden of the North."
Their eyes held—
Not hostile, not friendly, but measuring.
A silence fell, heavy as the winter outside.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Then Rickon gestured to the table.
"Sit, King of Eldoria. Let us speak of winter… and what you bring to these shores."
The air in the council chamber shifted sharply the moment Rickon Stark's gaze lingered on the two figures behind Leo.
Rhaenyra felt it instantly.
With a low sigh,
Sigh~
She reached up,
Unclipped the wig, and pulled it free—
Her unmistakable Targaryen silver-gold hair spilling down her back like molten starlight.
Alicent hesitated, biting her lip.
"...."
But when she saw Rhaenyra reveal herself,
She followed—
Removing her own disguise, chestnut hair falling to her shoulders.
Lord Rickon's eyes widened,
Though his face remained composed.
"...."
"Princess Rhaenyra. Lady Alicent."
Rhaenyra shook her head firmly.
Sigh~
"I am not Princess of the Seven Kingdoms anymore, Lord Stark. That title died the moment my father chose prophecy over family."
A subtle sting laced her voice,
But she stood tall,
Meeting Rickon's gaze without flinching.
Alicent bowed slightly,
Her eyes downcast.
Rickon studied her carefully.
There was no fear.
No chains.
No signs of coercion.
Just… acceptance.
"So the rumors were wrong,"
Rickon said softly.
"You were not taken. You left willingly."
Alicent spoke, barely audible but firm.
"Rhaenyra did it for me... Red Keep is not for me—and I am safer here than under my father's shadow."
Rickon nodded slowly.
Nod~
He had seen enough court politics to understand what wasn't being said.
Rickon turned back to the table, posture rigid and noble.
"Let us begin. Torrhen… the winter situation."
Torrhen Manderly unrolled several scrolls,
Revealing charts of dwindling food supplies,
Frozen farmlands, and villages abandoned to the cold.
"The North faces the harshest winter since the Long Night's tales. Crops have failed. Game has fled the forests. Even our salted stores won't last the full winter."
Rickon added grimly.
"The people will starve. Tens of thousands, maybe more."
A heavy silence filled the hall.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Through it all,
Leo sat silently—
Waiting.
Finally, Rickon turned to him.
"King of Eldoria… you brought ships. You brought soldiers. But more importantly—Torrhen says you brought goods. We would hear what you offer."
Leo finally stood.
The temperature in the room seemed to shift.
He snapped his fingers.
Snap~
Immediately, two Eldorian soldiers entered—
Wolf beastkin wearing matte black armor—
And placed a large enchanted chest on the table.
The runes glowed faintly.
Everyone leaned forward.
Leo lightly tapped the lid.
"Let me show you what Eldoria brings."
The chest opened with a soft hum.
⭐ ITEM 1—Mana Flame Lanterns (Winter Edition)...
Leo lifted a small silver lantern with a blue crystal inside.
With a spark of his finger,
It ignited—
Glowing warm but cool to the touch.
Rickon frowned.
Frown~
"A lantern?"
Leo set it on the table.
Everyone gasped.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The lantern instantly heated the entire room with steady,
Controlled warmth—
Enough to keep a cabin warm through the harshest blizzard.
"These lanterns do not use fire,"
Leo said.
"They run on ambient mana. They cannot burn homes, cannot freeze over, and will last for a week without fuel. But need to change mana battery to make it glow again."
"It can be turned off automatically when the place is dark if we don't need it we could remove the battery. Without a use battrey will last for a month."
Torrhen nearly dropped to his knees.
"Gods…"
⭐ ITEM 2—Everfrost Grain...
Leo pulled out a small pouch and scattered glowing blue kernels on the table.
They pulsed faintly with life.
Hagoromo explained.
"Everfrost Grain grows in snow. It needs no sun. It yields harvest every three weeks—even in deep winter."
Rickon's sons leaned forward, stunned.
"...."
"...."
"You… you can grow food in winter?"
Cregan asked quietly.
Leo nodded.
Nod~
"Enough to feed an entire holdfast. But cannot be planted again through the harvest. It also very healthy and increases immune system during their consumption for a period of time."
Rickon's heart raced.
"...."
⭐ ITEM 3—Thermal Cloaks...
Next, Leo lifted a thick white fur cloak lined with shimmering scales.
Rhaenyra helped him unfold it.
Alicent added softly.
"This is made from Eldoria's mana-fur beasts. It regulates temperature, resists blizzards, and weighs almost nothing."
Rickon touched it—
"...."
His hand trembled.
It was warmer than anything in the North.
⭐ ITEM 4—Frost Resistance Potions...
Hagoromo placed several crystal vials filled with swirling silver liquid.
"One sip,"
She explained,
"and a man can walk in blizzards shirtless without frostbite. Lasts a day. You could think this as a medicine which needed to be in-taken to survive the winter."
Rickon's jaw tightened.
"...."
He knew what this meant.
Hunters could travel farther.
Soldiers could defend longer.
Entire villages could survive the cold.
Rickon stood slowly.
His voice trembled—
Not with fear, but with something rare for a Stark:
hope.
"King of Eldoria… this… this is enough to save every man, woman, and child in the North. But is it really true."
Leo's crimson eyes glowed faintly.
"...."
"I know. And also everything I said is true. You could verify."
Rickon clenched his fists.
"What is the price? Kingdoms do not give without taking."
Leo stepped closer.
"I do not want land."
"I do not want oaths."
"I do not want the North on its knees."
Rickon exhaled heavily.
Then Leo finished.
"I want allies."
"Trade."
"And peace."
Rickon stared at him for a long moment…
Then slowly bowed his head.
"Then the North will stand with Eldoria."
The deal was struck.
The future of the North was saved.
And a new alliance—
Quiet, powerful, dangerous—
Was born that day in White Harbor.
The negotiating table gradually shifted from panic and urgency…
To bewilderment…
To disbelief…
And finally to stunned relief.
Rickon Stark expected the worst.
He expected Eldoria to demand exorbitant prices:
Flour worth its weight in gold.
Cloaks costing a winter's harvest.
Potions priced like dragon eggs.
He had mentally prepared himself to beg—
If it meant saving the North.
But then Leo calmly displayed the pricing ledger.
The room went silent.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Rickon blinked twice.
Cregan Stark leaned forward in disbelief.
Benjen Stark the kids jaw literally dropped.
And the quiet, composed Lady Lyarra Stark finally broke the silence.
"This… this is cheaper than southern wool."
Torrhen Manderly whispered, almost trembling.
"Is… is this a mistake?"
Leo simply shook his head.
"Winter should not be a weapon for profit."
The Starks—
The most stoic family in all Westeros—
Couldn't hide their reaction.
Rickon breathed out slowly, overwhelmed.
"You could have charged triple. Even tenfold. We still would have been forced to accept."
Leo shrugged.
"And what would that earn me? A desperate ally? A starving North? That is not a kingdom worth trading with."
Even quiet Sara Snow,
Listening from the corner with the Manderly maids, whispered.
"He's… different."
Rhaenyra smirked.
Smirk~
"...."
Alicent nodded softly.
Nod~
"...."
Hagoromo simply folded her hands, calm as ever.
By the end of the meeting...
Prices were fixed across all northern cities.
Eldoria agreed to establish permanent trade outposts in White Harbor, Winterfell, and Deepwood Motte.
Northern guards would help transport goods.
Eldoria would receive access to northern iron, timber, and furs in return.
All trade routes were sealed with magical markers to prevent tampering.
Rickon Stark stood, extended his hand—
"On behalf of the North… we accept this alliance."
Leo shook his hand.
"Starting tomorrow, winter will no longer claim your people."
And for the first time in weeks,
The North breathed easier.
Word spread through White Harbor like wildfire.
THE NORTH IS SAVED.
A ELDORIA KINGDOM HAS BROUGHT FOOD, WARMTH, AND HOPE.
By nightfall, the Manderly kitchens roared to life.
Tables were piled with.
Roasted boar with spiced Everfrost glaze.
Mana-flame baked bread (never burnt, always soft).
Seared trout with snow-salt seasoning.
Hot spice wine that never cooled thanks to Eldorian warming stones.
And, most importantly—
Everfrost Grain Stew, glowing faintly blue
When the dishes were served,
The Starks and Manderlys froze mid-bite.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Cregan spoke first.
"This… this tastes like summer. In winter."
Benjen nearly cried.
Lady Lyarra whispered.
"This grain alone could feed the North for generations."
Torrhen Manderly wiped his eyes openly.
"...."
Even the Stark children,
Usually quiet and disciplined,
Giggled with delight at the sweet, warm bread.
Rhaenyra leaned toward Leo with a smug grin and whispers.
Grin~
"You see? Told you mortals would worship you if you fed them."
Leo rolled his eyes.
"...."
Alicent sipped her wine, cheeks warm.
"...."
"If King Aegon the Conqueror had Everfrost Grain, half of the realm would have bent the knee before he even mounted Balerion."
Hagoromo smiled gently.
"This is only the beginning."
The North feasted deep into the night.
Outside, Eldorian soldiers stood guard—
Silent, vigilant, and terrifyingly disciplined.
Inside, laughter, music, and the clinking of cups filled the hall.
For the first time in a long time…
The North felt hope.
Rickon raised his cup in a final toast.
"To Eldoria—The kingdom that gave the North warmth in winter."
The hall roared with agreement.
And so began the alliance that would reshape Westeros.
The feast inside Manderly Hall was warm and bright—
Music, laughter, and relief filling every corner.
But outside, under the pale moonlight of White Harbor…
Danger crept quietly.
MIDNIGHT...
ON THE DOCKS...
100 Eldorian soldiers guarded the ships,
Standing like silent statues.
Their armor reflected faint moonlight,
And their beastkin senses remained sharp.
In the distance, faint crunches of snow.
Low whispers.
A rustle of leather and steel.
From behind the storage barns and frozen fishing huts…
Dozens of mountain bandits emerged—
Gaunt, desperate men driven from the hills by early winter.
Their leader, a scarred man with a wolfskin cloak, hissed.
Hiss~
"Take the ships. Strip the goods. Kill anyone who resists. Those strange banners—must be treasure from Essos."
The men nodded greedily, armed with crude axes and short bows.
Nod~
They had no idea what they were attacking.
An Eldorian wolf-beastkin, standing guard on the prow of the lead ship, opened his eyes.
His pupils narrowed.
Frown~
"...."
His ears twitched sharply.
Twich~
"Movement,"
He growled softly.
Grr~
Another guard nodded.
Nod~
"Zone C. Thirty men approaching from the shadows."
A third guard inhaled deeply, scenting the air.
"Bloodlust. Hunger. Criminal intent."
The leader of the dock unit,
Thud. Thud.
Captain Grolf, a towering orc-like soldier with green skin and silver eyes, stepped forward.
"No need to alert the King. Small threat. Neutralize quietly."
He raised his hand.
Five Eldorian archers drew their bows.
Not wooden bows—
Mana bows, glowing blue with condensed force.
The mountain bandits crept closer.
"Ready bows!"
"On my mark!"
As soon as they stepped past the last storage hut—
BOOM!
Five crackling mana arrows struck the snow in front of them with blinding blue light.
The ground shook.
Bandits were thrown backward like rag dolls.
Some screamed.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Others froze in terror.
Their leader stumbled to his knees.
"W–what sorcery—?!"
From the shadows,
Eldorian soldiers moved.
Not running.
Not shouting.
Just appearing—
Silent as wraiths.
The beastkin leapt from rooftops.
Elves emerged from shimmering cloaks.
Vampires stepped from the darkness, eyes glowing faintly.
It was not a battle.
It was a demonstration.
One bandit swung an axe—
An Eldorian guard blocked it with two fingers and flicked him unconscious.
Another tried to run—
A wolf-beastkin blurred forward, pinning him with effortless strength.
Arrows were shot—
But Eldorian soldiers deflected them with armored forearms.
Thud.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The skirmish lasted less than 20 seconds.
Not a single bandit died.
Every attacker was knocked unconscious, bound, and stacked neatly in a row like captured game.
Inside Manderly Hall...
Music and laughter abruptly dimmed when a breathless White Harbor guard burst in.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Torrhen Manderly rose, alarmed.
"What is it?!"
The guard pointed toward the harbor.
"Lord Manderly—your harbor is secure… but—the Eldorian soldiers—they—they—"
Rickon Stark stood.
"Speak plainly."
The guard swallowed hard.
"They defeated thirty mountain raiders in seconds. Without a scream. Without injury. They captured them all… and didn't kill a single one. My lord… their power—It's beyond anything I've ever seen."
The hall erupted in shocked whispers.
Torrhen Manderly bowed deeply toward Leo.
"Your Majesty… your soldiers saved the harbor—and our people's lifestock."
Leo casually sipped his drink.
"Bandits attacking the ships was expected. My soldiers handled it."
Rhaenyra smirked.
Smirk~
"...."
Alicent exhaled in relief.
Sigh~
"...."
Hagoromo Gitsune wore a serene, proud smile.
Rickon Stark—
Stern, honorable, calculating—
"...."
Looked at Leo with new respect.
Not fear.
Not intimidation.
Respect.
"King Morningstar… your strength is not just in trade. It's in protection. The North will remember this."
Leo rose slightly, offering a nod.
Nod~
"Eldoria does not let allies fall."
This time, the cheers were louder.
Not just because of the warm food…
Not because of trade…
But because the North saw—
To their own eyes—
That Eldoria could defend them from anything.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)I hope you guys are enjoying the story.
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give areview
And power stone!!!
It will Motivate Me.