Wyman Manderly had been struggling to his feet when Eddard called out to him, and he immediately sat back down.
"Lord Eddard, what can I do for you?"
By this time, the other nobles had already departed, leaving only Eddard and the Earl Wyman in the hall.
"Lord Wyman, as the Earl of White Harbor, you deal with ships and sailors from all over the world every day. Among my vassals, you are clearly the most knowledgeable about ships."
Since the Burning of the Fleet by Brandon Stark, the Starks had never shown much interest in seafaring. Eddard's sudden question surprised the Earl. "Lord Eddard, do you want to build a ship?"
"No, I want to build a fleet."
The Earl Wyman stroked his ample chin. "Build a fleet? That will cost a pretty penny, Lord Eddard."
Eddard clasped his hands together. "Which shipyards produce the best quality vessels?"
Wyman Manderly thought for a moment, "Braavos, their shipyards can build a ship a day. Of course, Gulltown and the shipyards in King's Landing are also good. Don't forget the Iron Islands, the Ironborn's longships can hold their own against any warship. No matter where you build them, ships are expensive."
Eddard Stark said, "That's why I plan to build them myself. Build ships, build a fleet, and create the North's navy. We have plenty of timber in the Wolfswood, we just need ship designers."
Most of the people in the North were descendants of the First Men. The First Men weren't skilled sailors. When they came to Westeros, they crossed the Arm of Dorne. On land, the First Men were a brave and fierce people, but at sea, they were completely useless. The North had a long coastline, and Eddard needed to build a strong navy to defend their home and protect his people.
If the North had a fleet in White Harbor, Eddard could send two armies if Robert Baratheon and Jon Arryn ran into trouble in the south. One army could march south along the King's Road, and the navy could carry warriors from White Harbor, through the Bay of Ice, and across the Narrow Sea to King's Landing. Once they were at war, Winterfell would have more initiative.
This plan excited Wyman Manderly.
"Lord Eddard, our House Manderly's sigil is a merman wielding a trident. Who knows the sea better than a merman? Leave the shipbuilding to me. Ships from across the Narrow Sea come and go in White Harbor every day, I can help you find excellent shipwrights."
After Lord Wyman left, Robb rushed in.
"Father, Theon is angry, you should go see him! He's in the Godswood."
Today was a cruel day for Theon. At the recent meeting, he had witnessed firsthand 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 Iron Islands heir in a short time, and Domeric was comforting Theon.
Domeric left after kneeling to Eddard. Only Eddard and Theon remained in the Godswood.
Eddard looked at the pale weirwood, its crimson eyes seemingly weeping, watching Eddard and Theon.
"You came to the Godswood, seeking the comfort of the Old Gods."
Theon scoffed. "Lord Eddard, these strange trees are not my gods, never have been! Just like those northern lords said in your meeting, I am a damned Ironborn, I am not a northerner. But here, I can't hear the sound of the sea, I can't smell the salt. The Drowned God has no power here. Where can I go? The Seven Gods are strangers to me, and Septa Mordane and Maester Luwin in the sept just nag and nag."
Eddard then noticed the bloodstains on the Godswood. Theon's fingers were covered in blood.
"You punched the weirwood? You're hurt. Go see Maester Luwin!" Eddard examined Theon's fingers, and Theon pulled his hand away.
"Lord Eddard, I am sorry for what I did, for waving my fist at the Old Gods. Would those northern lords execute me for that?"
Eddard sighed. "The meeting… I am sorry about what happened, Theon. Before the meeting, I specifically asked you to find Jory. I sent you to join the guard in Winter Town to maintain order. I didn't want you to hear those unpleasant words. I didn't expect you to return."
Theon sneered. "I am glad I returned. I saw how hypocritical and bloodthirsty those noble lords are."
Eddard said, "Theon, you cannot blame these lords. Their people have suffered from the Ironborn's slaughter. They have wrongly directed their anger towards you. Words are like the wind. Lords wear public masks when they meet, especially at gatherings like this."
"These noble lords scheme against each other. Some are even sworn enemies, some despise each other, and some use each other. But they sit there and have to say something. They clamored for me to kill you, but many were just echoing others, like parrots. You can't take them seriously."
Eddard patted Theon's shoulder. "Of course, I am not excusing them. In my lord's meeting, they openly discussed murdering my foster son, holding my foster son responsible for crimes he shouldn't be involved in. I will not accept it! I severely reprimanded those fellows."
Theon was skeptical. "But today, a cavalryman from Barrowton mocked me, saying that if my father dared to provoke the North or the Iron Throne, you would use the Stark family's ancestral Valyrian steel greatsword, Ice, to chop off my head. Foster sons are used to ensure family loyalty. Once my father's loyalty is questioned, I will die."
Eddard said calmly, "It is true that when I took you in as a foster son, I did consider ensuring your father Balon would not rebel again. That is a fact. I once worried that if your father disregarded your life and raised the banner of rebellion again, whether I would have the courage to harm you, an innocent child. You were indeed a hostage when you came to Winterfell in those days, but now, it is completely different."
"You came to my home at ten years old. You ate with my wife, my children, and my bastard every day, sharing the hearth and the hall. You were trained by Ser Rodrik Cassel, and you studied with Maester Luwin alongside my children. You knew everyone in Winterfell, from Hodor to Farlen the kennelmaster, Old Nan, Gage the cook, Mikken the blacksmith, and Hullen in the stables."
"Theon, you grew up in Winterfell. That is a fact. You are a kraken, but also a wolf pup. I don't know what you think, but in my heart, I have always considered you like my eldest son. You are Robb's elder brother, you taught him many things, and 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, "I was a ward of Jon Arryn with Robert. People in the Vale said I was a hostage. When Aerys the Mad King demanded Jon Arryn hand over Robert and me, what did Jon Arryn do? He raised the banner of rebellion, risking his own life and his family's fate for two foster sons who weren't even related to him by blood."
Theon murmured, "Yes, that war even buried the dragon dynasty."
Eddard leaned closer to Theon. "To be honest, I discussed shipbuilding with Lord Wyman, and the creation of a Northern fleet. Theon, you are of the Ironborn. Who is more suitable than you to train a navy and command the fleet? You play an irreplaceable role in my plan."
Theon smiled. "Lord Eddard, in the future, when I inherit the Iron Islands, the Greyjoy fleet and the Ironborn fleet will be at your disposal."
He immediately fell into confusion again, "I will inherit, right? After all, I am my father's only surviving son."
Eddard Stark asked, "What news have you heard?"
Theon replied, "In Winter Town, a fisherman from the Iron Islands mentioned that my father intends for my sister, Asha, to inherit the Iron Islands. However, the captains of the Iron Islands seem to favor my uncles, 'Crow's Eye' Euron and Victarion Greyjoy."
Eddard Stark smiled slightly. "Theon, it is your right to inherit the Iron Islands. If your family and the Ironborn do not respect your right, I will help you win the Seastone Chair."
"With the strength of the entire North!"
....
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