Jason decided to immediately raise another legion, the Third Northern Army, by recruiting soldiers directly from the lands of the Dreadfort. The strategy was twofold: it would weaken the power of the local petty lords loyal to the old regime while simultaneously winning the hearts and minds of the common folk. With the generous pay and treatment offered to the soldiers of House East, loyalty could be bought and secured.
If not for the urgent threat at the Wall, Jason would have personally overseen the management of his vast new territory. For now, he had to delegate. To establish his authority and effectively govern the 200,000-square-kilometer domain, he had summoned one of his trusted assistant maesters from Starfire City.
Qyburn arrived to take charge, accompanied by several junior assistants. He was to work with the Dreadfort's former maester, a nervous, middle-aged man named Kevin, to oversee the transition of power.
"Maester Qyburn, as you requested, we have dispatched riders to every village in the Dreadfort's lands," Maester Kevin reported, his voice tight with anxiety. As the man most familiar with the territory, he had quickly arranged the conscription according to Qyburn's instructions. "They carry Lord Jason's order of recruitment."
Maester Kevin had good reason to be uneasy. His former lord, Roose Bolton, had betrayed the Starks, only to be defeated, captured, and ultimately beheaded at Winterfell. Everything had changed with breathtaking speed. The Dreadfort now belonged to the very man who had helped orchestrate his master's downfall.
Jason had only met with Maester Kevin briefly, offering a few words of reassurance before placing him under Qyburn's command. Jason's mind was consumed with settling his two legions and planning for the impending war with the wildlings and the true enemy that lay beyond them. He simply had no time for a lengthy discussion with the former Bolton maester. This hurried dismissal had only deepened Kevin's unease, leaving him to worry constantly about his standing with his new lord. He might have resigned and returned to the Citadel if the pay offered by Lord Jason hadn't been so much better.
Qyburn saw the worry etched on Kevin's face and offered a placating smile. "You're doing excellent work, Maester Kevin. We are strangers in this land and need your expertise. The Citadel sent you to the Dreadfort for a reason; it speaks to your knowledge and ability. You should know that our Lord Jason places great value on men of talent. You'll see, once you've worked for him for a while."
Qyburn's calm demeanor was reassuring. Though Kevin had heard rumors that the Citadel had stripped Qyburn of his chain, the fact that Lord Jason had appointed him as the Maester of Starfire City spoke volumes about the old man's capabilities. Kevin had a deep respect for knowledge and skill, and he bowed his head slightly. "As you say, Maester Qyburn. I will do my duty."
With Qyburn overseeing the new territory, assisted by Maester Kevin and the others, Jason had no worries on that front.
Recruits soon began pouring in from the towns and villages. Lord Jason East's reputation had spread far and wide across the North. Even poor farmers who had never left their homes had heard his name from the traveling merchants who brought the famous and affordable goods produced by House East. They spoke of Lord Jason as a man of his word. A soldier in his service received free food, lodging, and clothing, as well as a monthly salary of at least fifteen silver stags. On top of that, there was generous compensation for injuries sustained in battle and for the families of those who fell. For farmers so poor they were nearly eating dirt to survive, the choice was simple. They brought their sons to the Dreadfort in droves to enlist.
After a month, the lords from the other Northern houses finally began to arrive with their newly raised levies. By then, Jason's Third Northern Army, recruited entirely from the Dreadfort's lands, already numbered 7,000 men. They were housed in a newly constructed barracks where McCann, with a cadre of veterans from the Southern First Army, had already begun their rigorous training.
The lands around the Dreadfort were transformed into a massive military encampment. Jason's own forces consisted of the First and Second Northern Armies, the Southern First Army, and the new Third Northern Army, totaling a staggering 28,000 professional soldiers.
They were joined by the levies of the other houses: the Glovers of Deepwood Motte, the Umbers of Last Hearth, the Manderlys of White Harbor, the Tallharts of Torrhen's Square, and the Karstarks of Karhold. Together, these great houses of the North brought another 10,000 men. Combined with the more than 10,000 prisoners of war from the Bolton and Frey armies, the total force gathered at the Dreadfort swelled to nearly 50,000 men.
When the newly appointed young lords of the North saw Jason's four legions assembled—nearly 30,000 disciplined, well-equipped soldiers loyal to one man—their faces showed unconcealed shock. To maintain such a formidable military force with the wealth of a single house was a feat that left them utterly stunned. No other family in all of Westeros could field a standing army of tens of thousands.
What was even more astonishing was that these were not mere levies, but professional standing armies. The soldiers were fed, clothed, housed, and paid a high salary every month, year-round. The sheer financial power required to sustain such a force was unimaginable. It was a stark testament to the incredible wealth of Lord Jason East, a man famed for his mastery of trade and business.
The Northern lords were filled with a mixture of envy and a deep, newfound awe for Lord Jason. A chilling thought passed through their minds: if any of them were to displease him, he could crush them without a second thought. One wave of his hand, and his legions would storm their castles and strip them of their titles.
In that moment, they all understood that the North had truly changed forever. House East had become the de facto power, and Lord Jason was its uncrowned king. Furthermore, his marriage to Sansa Stark gave him a legitimate claim to rule. If anything were to happen to the two young Stark boys, no one would be surprised if Lord Jason East, the Earl of the Dreadfort, became the Duke of Winterfell and Warden of the North—a title the Iron Throne had already offered him, and which he had refused. A thousand thoughts raced through the minds of the Northern patriarchs as they stared at the sea of soldiers, realizing they were now players in a completely different game.
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