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Addressing the Lords.
🕑 Added 2023-01-18 21:47:04 +0000 UTCAddressing the Lords.
Winterfell 287-AC
Sitting on his nephews left at the high table in the great hall of Winterfell, Benjen Stark nursed a cup of mead while thinking about the direction that his life has taken in the last few years.
Benjen knew he wasn’t meant for greatness. No, he was nothing but a third son. A third son of one of the most storied houses in existence, a great house, but a third son nonetheless. However it used to be different. When he was a boy, before he knew how the world worked, he would run around playing with wooden swords with his sister, pretending to be one of the great figures of history, such as Cregan Stark or Aemon the Dragonknight. He would dream of someday matching those legends. Of someday carving his name into the history books as someone that future generations of Starks would admire long after he was dead.
Then the war happened.
After his brother and father were murdered in the Red Keep in front of some of the finest knights of the realm, with not a single one of them lifting a finger to help, without them even offering a token of protest, he lost all ambition to try and match those so called venerated knights such as Barristan The Bold or The White Bull. He started to see their knighthoods as nothing but empty titles.
When his sister died at the end of the war, he almost broke. He blamed himself. He still does, really. He was the one who helped her escape Riverrun. He thought he was doing the right thing. His sister didn’t want to marry Robert Baratheon and she convinced him she had a plan that would mean she didn’t have to. She never told him exactly what she was planning and, although hesitant, he allowed her to convince him that allowing her to leave would be for the best. All Benjen wanted was to make her happy.
That decision cost him almost everything he cared about.
That’s when he decided that he would join The Watch. He felt like he needed to redeem himself and The Wall seemed like the best option. At that stage in his life, glory was the furthest thing on his mind. Marriage and children seemed like a blessing he should never have. No, Benjen was ready to give up his freedom and serve the North in the best capacity he felt was available.
His nephew disagreed.
In the beginning he put off going to The Wall on his nephews insistence. He had already lost so much family and he didn’t want to ruin the relationship that he had with one of the few members that was left behind. So he told himself that he would wait a year or two for his nephew to grow a bit before he made his way to The Wall. Before he knew it one year had become three and he realised that the longer he stayed the more difficult it would be to leave. He decided then that he would leave as soon as he could. However Hadrian decided he would not lose another member of his family and so proposed to make him a lord of his own holdfast. Benjen tried to refuse, he really did. But as he was coming to learn more and more often lately, it is extremely difficult to win an argument with his nephew. He has a way of presenting facts that make his decisions sound so reasonable. He makes it so that you feel like an idiot if you refuse him, as Lord Commander Qorgyl recently found.
Even so, Benjen still tried to refuse.
When Hadrian first proposed his wager to increase the yields, Benjen honestly never expected him to win. After all, what could a boy of seven namedays know about farming that farmers hadn’t learnt in the last thousand years? How could a boy who has hardly been out of Winterfell know better than men who have been practicing the profession their whole lives? So seeing a chance of being allowed to leave with his blessing and more importantly with his relationship intact, he accepted the wager.
He should have known better.
He knew his nephew was brilliant, but until he saw the figures for the first harvest after the start of the wager, he didn’t know how brilliant he was. When he saw those figures he felt like he was a part of some grand joke that the gods where playing. His father looked South for his children’s marriages in order to increase the strength of the North, when all he had to do was wait a few years for his grandson to grow.
Even though he still wanted to join The Watch, Benjen accepted the outcome. He always tried to be a man of his word and he knew he would never be able to look at his nephew in the eye if he tried to renege on their agreement. Even so, those first few months Benjen felt a little bitter about the outcome. He knew he shouldn’t. He knew he was being given an opportunity that most third sons would kill for, but he still felt as if he was being rewarded for his actions leading up to The Rebellion when he should be punished. There were times when he almost confessed what he did. When he almost owned up to the mistake he made that ended up costing so much. What held him back was the fear of how his nephew and brother would react. The fear of how they would look at him. He already lost so much family he doesn’t know if he can bear having the remainder wanting nothing to do with him.
In the end it all came down to cowardice.
Straightening his shoulders and finishing his drink he resolved himself to confessing after the Lords had left Winterfell. As while he feared losing the family he had left, he refused to be rewarded for his actions. After he confessed he would accept whatever judgement his family had for him.
Benjen found himself sitting a little easier, a little more comfortably after he resolved himself to do what he should have done long ago.
After pouring himself another drink he shook himself out of his thoughts and took a look around the hall.
His nephew Hadrian was eating quietly with a small smile on his face as he observed the lords feasting in the hall. His face may look relaxed but his eyes were sharp, his gaze was searching, piercing. Sometimes his nephew would still unnerve him. Benjen had seen grown men with eyes that weren’t that aware. It just didn’t belong on such a young boy. Sometimes Benjen felt his nephew could look at a man and know him better than the man himself did. That he could see into a man’s heart and know what drives him and what he fears with but a glance. Benjen felt his lips turn up slightly at seeing his nephew smile. Even if it’s a small one. Smiles from Hadrian are a rare thing indeed. His nephew almost never seemed to relax completely. He was always jumping from one thing to another with complete seriousness and a concentration that most grown men couldn’t match. The only times that he seemed to truly be relaxed was when he was with his younger cousins or with himself or Ned. So to see him smile, even slightly, in front of a hall filled with lords from all over the North was truly a pleasant surprise.
On Hadrians right Ned is sitting having a quiet conversation with Catelyn who is sitting next to him with Sansa in her lap with Robb next to her. Judging by the slight scowl on her face she isn’t very happy. Likely the reason is that Jon is also at the high table sitting at Benjens right. She tried to argue that a bastard shouldn’t be seated at such a place of prominence when the lords were at Winterfell. Ned seemed about to give in to her demands but Hadrian would have none of it. Benjen will never forget how Jon seemed to straighten up at his words. ’He has the blood of the Starks running through his veins. As far as I’m concerned that makes him more important than any lord in the North.’
Looking out over the lords feasting Benjen felt a smile come to his lips as he watched the Greatjon and Rickard Karstark trying to drink each other under the table. The Greatjon seemed to get louder and more energetic the more he drank. While Lord Karstark seemed to be struggling to keep up with the mountain of a man. He laughed when he saw the Greatjons son cheering his father on. Looking past them he noticed Lord Manderly was stuffing his face with as much of the food as he could, while laughing merrily to some joke Lord Mormont told him. Shifting his view his eyes fell on Lord Bolton who seemed to be watching the other lords quietly with a gaze that seemed inhuman.
Resisting the urge to shiver he turned his attention away from those dead eyes towards Hadrian’s other grandfather, Lord Ryswell. The man seemed to be in good spirits, drinking from a cup of mead and loudly regaling those near him of stories of his late daughter Barbrey and speaking about how much Hadrian reminds him of her. He and his children were frequent guests at Winterfell, often coming to visit Hadrian and trying to pass along his wisdom to his grandson. They never stayed for more than a few weeks at a time but Lord Ryswell seemed to try and make it a point to visit Hadrian at least once every six moons or so. Benjen knows Hadrian appreciates it when they visit and he often seemed to hang on to every word Lord Ryswell says about his mother. They would generally be seated at the high table when they visited but with so many lords currently in Winterfell, Hadrian decided he could not show too much favouritism, even if Benjen knew he would always have a soft spot for the Ryswells.
The rest of the lords seemed to be in similarly good cheer. Laughing, drinking and boasting to one another in a way that only Northmen could.
His nephew shifting drew Benjens attention back to him just in time to watch him sit up straight. Hadrian seemed to glance at his dog which was lying in front of his spot at the table for a moment before looking back over the lords. In the next few seconds the black hound sat on his haunches and released a great howl that echoed over the hall.
“Arooooooooooooo”
In a moment the hall was instantly quieted as all those present looked towards the source of the noise. Feeling his brows scrunched together Benjen idly wondered how his nephew did that, he had never seen Hadrian training the dog. A question for another time perhaps, as his nephew cleared his throat and began speaking.
“Thank you all for coming to this harvest festival my lords. I will try not to take up too much of your time as I’m sure some of you would rather get back to drinking.” At this he sent a sly glance towards the Greatjon, who released a loud booming laugh and raised his mug in a toast while patting Lord Karstark on the back with one of his meaty hands. The lord almost stumbled over from the force of the blow but managed to right himself admirably in Benjens opinion.
While the commotion was going on Hadrian walked around the head table to stand in front of the lords. A serious breach in etiquette, as most lords wouldn’t deign to move to their feet to address their bannermen in their own hall. Something his father once told him was a display of power. Benjen was sure Harry knew this, so what was he doing? He had never known his nephew to do anything without a purpose.
After taking a moment to look over the lords in the hall his nephews continued. “The first thing I would like to do is give thanks to all of you. When the Mad King burned my grandfather alive and murdered my father, my uncle called his banners AND YOU answered that call!” Harry’s voice carried clearly across the hall. Not one lord made a sound. But Benjen could see most straighten up in their chairs.
“Many of you have been to Winterfell in the past three years and I’ve had the opportunity to thank you in person before today, but just as many have been busy with your own duties so I never had that chance. Now that you are all here, I felt that I had to take the opportunity to thank you for the support and loyalty you have shown my family my lords.” Hadrian dipped his head down towards the lords as he finished his statement. Benjen could see some lords puffing their chests out in pride at his nephew’s words and actions.
While it is common for lords to thank their bannermen for their actions and recognise their feats during a war, most Great Lords will do that by assigning a few honours towards the lords and giving a brief word of thanks. Rarely will they give genuine heartfelt thanks to all the lords regardless of their feats in the war when it is those lords sworn duty to answer the call in the first place. It’s basically unheard of for a great lord to humble themselves before their lords by rising to their feet while their lords sit. Benjen could never see Tywin Lannister, Jon Arryn or Mace Tyrell doing so. Hells he doubted even Robert Baratheon would do so. He could see most lords greatly appreciated the gesture if the slight smile on some of their faces was any indication.
The Greatjon stood. “What happened to Rickard and Brandon was a great crime! It was an honour to answer the call and avenge them!” He boomed. He then lifted a mug of ale in a toast. “To the Starks!”
All the lords quickly stood with their own mugs. “To the Starks!” They chorused before taking a sip.
Hadrian smiled while bending over to pour some ale into his own cup before lifting it. He could still see over m heads from the raised platform the head table was stood on, even if only barely. “You honour us my lords. I’m trying to honour you.” He jested with a small chuckle before lifting his own mug of ale. “To the North!”
The lords raised their cups again. “TO THE NORTH!” They roared and Benjen echoed before everyone took a sip of their ale.
Placing his cup on the table Hadrian watched the lords for a few moments. Once the commotion died down he continued to speak. “I –No we-” he gestured to the head table where all the Starks were sitting. “are honoured to have your faith and trust my lords. To that end I will be dedicating my life to making the North strong so the south will think twice before moving against us in such a way again.”
A cheer rang out across the lords. After a few moments Harry raised his hand for silence. “I have already started plans to make the North stronger. Some of those plans have met success. As of a few weeks ago I have entered into an agreement with The Nights Watch in which the Gift will be returned into our hands.”
An even greater cheer washed over the hall. Benjen could see that Lord Umber was especially happy. As he should be Benjen thought. When the Gift was taken away from the North, the Umbers lost a lot of land. Benjen knows his nephew plans to give quite a bit back to them.
“My uncle and I will be speaking to the lords that this pertains to in private over the next few days. For now there is another topic I wish to speak about that will have as great, if not a greater impact on the North. Over the last year I have spent some time studying the farming practices of the North and have come up with a way to drastically increase the yield of our fields.” Muttering rang out across the room. Most of the lords had sceptical looks on their faces. Hadrian seemed to have expected this though, as he gestured for Ned to speak.
“It’s true my lords. Following my nephews instructions the farms around Winterfell have seen a fifty percent increase in yields over the last nine moons. The farmers expect this number to continue to rise for a time.” The muttering grew much louder. This time it carried an excited air about it. Most of the lords know Ned Stark as a paragon of honour. He never lies, so for him to say that the yield increased by that much most believe it had to be true. The muttering grew louder and louder before his nephew dog once again began to howl.
“Aroooooooo!”
Once he had the lords attention and there was quiet in the hall Hadrian started to speak again. “The process is pretty simple and will be written down for you to take back home to your Maesters, so they can make sure your farmers can learn how to do it. Basically you divide a field into four equal parts, three of those parts will be growing whatever crop you choose while the last will grow turnips or clover. After each harvest the field growing turnip or clover will be rotated to one of the other three fields while the area they used to grow in will now be used to grow your crop. Another advantage of this is that turnip and clover can be used as feed for animals allowing us to increase our number of livestock as well. I know it sounds like madness my lords, but it works.”
Many of the lords looked like they were in between looking incredibly happy and still skeptical.
Before they could start yet another commotion his nephew continued. ”Now while I know many of you are still skeptical I ask that you give this a chance my lords. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. There is only one more bit that I would like to speak on but it is nowhere near as important as the previous topics. I have invented a new way of keeping an accounting of coin. It is simpler than the old methods and much harder to cheat as well. It will also prevent you from being cheated. To this end you are all to implement this method in your own households as soon as you can. My Maester will be sending out written instructions in the weeks after you have returned to your holds on how to implement this method. “
The lords barely even reacted to what his nephew said. Benjen believes it didn’t even register as something important to most of them. Not when they were told the North would be gaining a large amount of fertile land and that his nephew has come up with a way to make sure all land grows even more food. Next to that a new way of keeping numbers must seem like something trivial to them. All except for Lord Manderly who he can see is watching Hadrian closely.
“Thank you for your time my lords. Please get back to the feast. Lord Umber, Lord Manderly please present yourselves to my solar tomorrow at noon my Lords.
With that abrupt finish Hadrian spun on his heel and walked back around the table to his seat.
Only once Hadrian was seated did the commotion start up again. The lords all sat back down into their own chairs and began to speak loudly with each other about what this could mean for the future of the North. Most began to really drink in earnest and the mood of the feast got even more celebratory than it was before. Benjen could loudly hear Lord Umber repeatedly toasting to his nephew with Lord Karstark and downing drinks with even more zeal than he did before. As he watched he saw Lord Mormont join in with a toast towards his nephew before racing with Lord Umber and Karstark to see who could finish their drink the fastest. Benjen had a feeling that the feast was only just starting. He also had a feeling that most of the Lords would be conspicuously absent the next day.
“So how did I do?” He was brought out of his observations by Hadrian who was speaking to him and Ned.
Benjen saw his brother look at his nephew with a proud smile on his face. “You did very well nephew. It is important for lords to create loyalty with their bannermen. You did well in the speech in the beginning, thanking them for their loyalty during the rebellion. It can mean more to a man to get recognition than you think. I doubt many Great Lords would bother to thank their bannermen for doing their duty. Doing so certainly endeared you to many of them. The lords were certainly excited to hear about the new farming practices and the return of the Gift.”
Benjen snorted.” That’s an understatement. I doubt many lords here will be able to function until well after noon with how much they are drinking. Lord Umber looks like he has never been happier.”
Hadrians eyes travelled over the hall and his smile widened slightly. “Good. They should celebrate. It is certainly a good occasion to.”
Benjen looked back over the hall and felt a slight tug on his lips as he looked at how merry the people in it were. He laughed slightly as he saw Lord Karstark fall off his chair and struggle to stand back up with how much he was swaying as he did so. He guesses the Greatjon is still undefeated when it comes to drinking contests.
Hadrians spoke again. “Uncle Benjen are you prepared to do what we discussed in regards to Lord Manderly? “
Benjens couldn’t help but feel himself perk up slightly at his nephews words. While he would be sad to leave his family in Winterfell to go to White Harbour, he is happy that he would finally be of more use to his family. While he knows none of them see him as a burden, he knows that they don’t really need him either. Hadrian hardly even needs Ned these days. So while it may be a bit selfish of him, Benjen is more than happy to go on a bit of an adventure away from Winterfell for a while. Plus he cant help but be excited to learn how to sail and captain a ship.
“Aye,nephew I am.”
He could hear the smile in Harrys voice. “Good.”
Hadrian reached for the jug of ale, pouring some into his cup. Lifting the cup he spoke. “Then let’s have a toast-“
Before he could finish speaking Ned snatched it out of his hand. ”You’ve drank enough tonight. “
Hadrian pouted. “But Uncle-“
“No, Hadrian.”
Benjen burst into laughter. When his nephew looked towards him with eyes filled with betrayal he averted his eyes so he was looking back at the lords. “This is going to be an interesting few years.” He stated.
After his gaze landed on Lord Bolton who was staring at his nephew with a blank face and an intensity in his eyes that he couldn’t help but find worrying, he murmured so softly that nobody could hear him. ”An interesting few years indeed.”
Thank you for reading. As always criticism is welcome as long as it’s constructive.
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Comments
Eric
Thanks for the chapter, happy to see that your on a nice weekly schedule. Please keep it up if you can as having consistency helps the stories move along
