---
I was surprised, to say the least.
I had expected him to give me some gold and send me on my way, or perhaps grant me knighthood and make me a captain of the guards at Winterfell. Something simple and practical. This, however, had not even crossed my mind.
If it were anyone else, I would have considered the possibility of being threatened or silenced. But this was Eddard Stark. From the memories of this body—and with my Space Marine-enhanced mind—I had already ruled that out.
In fact, my impression of him was quite favorable. He was not like some of his more ruthless ancestors, such as Rickard the Laughing Wolf, Theon the Hungry Wolf, or their rumored forefather, Brandon the Bloody Blade. No, he was more like Torrhen Stark—the King Who Knelt.
Torrhen Stark had seen the writing on the wall after witnessing what had happened to the Storm King and the Gardener King at the Field of Fire and Harrenhal. Rather than let the North burn, he chose to bend the knee to Aegon the Conqueror. Though his decision had saved countless lives, there were still Northerners who resented it to this day. Even during Robert's Rebellion, there had been whispers among the Northern lords about how Torrhen should never have knelt. Talks of Northern independence were ever-present.
If not for the fact that Eddard Stark was firmly in Robert Baratheon's camp—and that he had been fostered outside the North, meaning many Northern lords did not know him well—I was certain they would have petitioned for independence once again.
But back to the matter at hand.
Eddard Stark, like his ancestor Torrhen, was a wise man.
By making me the Lord of Sea Dragon Point, he was achieving multiple goals at once.
First, he rewarded me for my service during the war and ensured my silence regarding Jon Snow's parentage.
Second, he secured my loyalty to House Stark, tying me to his family in a way that was beneficial to both of us.
Third, he sent a message to the North: that he was a man who rewarded those who aided him. A leader who recognized and repaid loyalty.
Fourth, and most importantly, this move helped secure the western coast of the North from Ironborn raiders. The Ironborn had long been a plague upon the North, and by developing the land into a naval stronghold, Eddard was reinforcing the Northern fleet—something that would serve both military and economic purposes.
And yet, because Sea Dragon Point was an undeveloped region with little immediate value, granting it to me would not be seen as an extravagant reward. No one would contest it. No one would think too much of it.
Well played, Lord Stark.
Man, this Space Marine brain is something else. All of these deductions took me barely a minute. To any observer, it probably looked like I was simply in shock at being granted such a significant reward. Not that anyone could decipher much from my face anyway.
Now, it was time to give my answer.
I looked at him and spoke clearly.
"My Lord, I would be honored by this. But before I accept, I have some conditions."
---