From the second he put on that bronze crown, Robb Stark was all-in on the "Good King" act.
He wanted to be everything his dad was - honorable, strong, and fair. He was going to be loyal to his friends, terrifying to his enemies, and a big softie with his family. He'd sworn to rescue his sisters, bring his dad's body home, and let the Lannister-Baratheon drama burn itself out in the South while the North and the Riverlands did their own thing.
It was a beautiful dream. A lot of the lords were eating it up.
I saw the look of relief in Robb's eyes, and I just kept my mouth shut. My dear, sweet little King, I thought. Your dad just got his head chopped off and you think this is all going to be over by Christmas? This game is just getting started.
"Eddard," Robb said, snapping me back to reality. He reached out and gave my shoulder a firm, brotherly pat. "Your advice today... it cleared my head. Bringing you into this meeting was the best move I've made yet."
He looked genuinely pumped. "From here on out, I want you by my side. Every map, every plan, I want your eyes on it."
He'd probably been praying to the Old Gods for a sign, and since the Old Gods are usually pretty quiet, he decided I was their answer. In the North, finding someone who actually thought about logistics and psychology instead of just "charge and die" was like finding a unicorn.
"Happy to help, Your Majesty," I said.
But internally, I was already thinking: Okay, so I'm the new strategist. Where's the pay raise? You can't just give a guy more work without some perks. If he wasn't going to offer a fiefdom or a castle yet, I'd have to settle for something else.
"Listen, Robb," I said, dropping the "Your Majesty" for a second. "If I'm going to be your go-to guy, I need an actual title. Something that lets me walk into these rooms without the Greatjon trying to eat me. A little authority goes a long way."
Robb looked curious. "Fair point. What did you have in mind?"
I thought about it for a second. "How about 'Military Advisor'?" It was the first thing that popped into my head.
"Sure," Robb agreed easily. "And I'll set you up with a salary one gold dragon a month. Sound fair?"
"Actually," the Blackfish cut in, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Since you're the King of the North and the Trident now, a 'Military Advisor' sounds a bit small. You need a Hand, Robb. Someone to do the heavy lifting while you're leading the charge."
Robb's eyes lit up. "The Hand of the King. I like it. Eddard, consider it done."
I gave him a quick bow, and sure enough, the blue text flickered in my vision.
[Identity change detected: Hand of the King.][Troop Slots: 5 / 10]
Sweet. Five more slots. "No need for the formal stuff, Eddard," Robb said, waving me off. "We're moving out soon. Go check on your dad I heard he's been spending a lot of time in the Godswood lately."
"I'm on it," I said.
But I wasn't going to the Godswood. I had zero interest in watching my "cheap" father talk to a tree. I had actual work to do.
If we were moving out, I had to deal with two major disasters waiting to happen. First, Lady Catelyn was about to go on a diplomatic mission to the Baratheon brothers that was doomed to fail. Second, and more importantly, Theon Greyjoy was about to head home to the Iron Islands.
I didn't care about Catelyn's trip I wasn't about to tangle with a shadow-baby-birthing priestess in a red dress. But Theon? Theon was a walking catastrophe. If he went home, he wasn't bringing back ships; he was bringing back an invasion force.
I was busy planning how to "accidentally" trip Theon into the river when someone blocked my path.
Daisy Mormont. Again.
"Seriously?" I groaned. "Are we doing this again?"
"My mother wants to talk to you," Daisy said. She tried to smile, but it looked more like she was baring her teeth for a fight. "Over a drink."
"Where?"
"The Ivy Vine."
"Fine. Let's go."
Ten minutes later, I was back in the same private room where Karas had been having his "bonus" session earlier. Lady Maege was there, still in her armor, sitting on the wooden couch. She looked like she'd rather be anywhere else.
"Karstark," she barked, getting straight to the point. "How do you know Jorah is in Essos? And how do you know he's still alive?"
I didn't sit down. I just stood there, matching her stare. "Lady Maege, I heard your five daughters were all born from a bear. That sounds like a hell of a story. I'm curious how that works."
Maege's face went stiff. "That's none of your business, boy."
I gave her a sharp smile. "Exactly. And how I know about Jorah? None of your business."
The room went cold. Maege's lips thinned, but she didn't blow up. She needed the info.
"Fine," she muttered. "Do you know where he is? Specifically?"
I thought about it. The Red Comet was due any day now. Daenerys was currently wandering the desert with three baby dragons and a handful of hungry people. If someone left White Harbor now, they'd never find her in the Red Waste. They'd have to wait for her to hit Qarth.
"I have a good idea," I said. "But information isn't free, Lady Maege."
I glanced at Daisy, who was busy gripping her sword hilt like it was a stress ball.
"What do you want?" Maege asked. "Gold? Armor? We're not the Lannisters, but we can pay."
"I don't want your money," I said. "House Karstark is doing just fine, and I'm about to go loot some gold mines in the West anyway. What I want is respect."
I leaned in. "I want you to apologize to my father. For the insults, for the 'coward' talk, all of it. You do that, and I'll tell you exactly where to find your nephew."
Maege looked like she'd just swallowed a lemon. For a Northern lady, an apology was harder to give than a chest of gold.
She sat there for a long time, drinking her wine in angry gulps. Finally, she nodded. "Fine. I'll do it. I'll go to his tent tonight."
"Good." I sat down and poured myself a glass of Arbor Gold. "Jorah's in Essos. He took his wife the one from the Reach to Lys, then he lost everything and ended up as a mercenary. Right now? He's with a nomadic tribe. If you want to catch him, send your best fighters to Qarth or the slave cities like Yunkai. And bring a lot of gold, or they'll just end up in chains themselves."
Maege stared at me. She knew I wasn't guessing. The details were too specific. "Where the hell do you get your news, Karstark?"
"I read a lot," I said, standing up. "I'll see you tonight at my dad's tent."
I walked out, Abel and Dita on my heels.
"Young Master, look!" Abel pointed at the sky.
I looked up. A massive, bleeding-red comet was streaking across the blue sky, looking like a giant scratch from a god's fingernail. It was the first sign that the world was about to get a whole lot weirder.
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