Blood and Winter

The Dragons

Chapter LXVI - Father and Son

"Robb Stark." As soon as the words left his mouth, Eddard knew there was no taking them back. It wouldn't make a difference either way, the majority had voted in the favour of his son, but his acknowledgement of his son meant that there would be no dispute as to possible successors. His vote meant that any claim he had to the throne was renounced, not that Eddard had any desire for kingship.

He had simply sought to remove the burden from his son's shoulders, to allow him time to be a boy again. To be with his wife and son rather than fighting on the battlefield and waging a war. Though as he looked upon his son, he knew that the boy he had been was gone, replaced by the Young Wolf, the man and King who had led armies to victory time and time again.

There was a momentary pause in which Ned noticed Robb looking at him, his face giving nothing away. But then Robb turned away, looking out at the other lords he didn't say anything about the vote, dismissing what had happened as if it never happened in the first place.

"Ser Brynden, have riders been dispatched to Kings Landing?" Robb asked.

"They have your grace." The Blackfish replied. "Nothing has been reported just yet. Though I suspect that the Dornish and Golden Company are allied and have taken Kings Landing for themselves."

"Is there anything else to report? Any rumours or suspicions?" The last part was directed to Garlan who paused momentarily.

"There have been rumoured sightings of a Targaryen Fleet arriving at Dragonstone," Garlan replied. "But I don't believe we to worry about another battle. We have Tywin Lannister, Jamie Lannister and the Mountain. It's very possible that we could provide them as a gift and gain a peace treaty possibly even a trade agreement. They don't have the numbers to wage a prolonged war, we do, and we also have the resources. A war with us is something that they will not want, nor would they realistically do."

"I want messengers dispatched to Dragonstone. Find out if it's true that the Targaryens have arrived and if they have, I want to know their numbers and troop distribution. Same for the Dornish. If it comes to war, I want to know everything about our enemies." There were nods around the room from everyone, some looked disgruntled, but no complaints were raised.

"And if they're willing to negotiate?" Harry the Heir asked.

Robb turned to him. "Then we negotiate. But I'm preparing for the possibility that they either do not wish to negotiate or demand too much. In those situations, war will be inevitable and I'm ensuring that we are prepared for it.

Rising from his seat, Robb exited the Great Hall without so much as another word or backward glance. The lords remained each looking to where he had left in confusion, then to one another in order to try and figure out what had happened. Ned was one of those people and he turned to Gendry.

"Gendry, if you wouldn't mind."

"Y-yes, milord."

Hearing the door to his chambers open, Robb didn't turn to look, he could already tell who it was by the rolling of the wood against the stone floor. Instead, he remained silent and continued to look out at the dreary world through the window.

"Thank you, Gendry," Ned said to Roberts bastard and a moment later the door closed, leaving both father and son sitting at the table in silence. "Do you intend to ignore me the entire time?"

"I just have nothing to say."

Ned gave a short laugh, finding that hard to believe. "No questions? Nothing?"

"What do you want me to say?" Robb asked. "Do you want me to ask you why I never heard you were alive? Why you never sent a messenger? Why despite everything I went through, you were safe in the Vale and left me to deal with it all? Is that what you want me to ask? Or is there something else?"

Ned nodded his head, frowning at the anger he could hear in his son. It was an understandable thing to feel and one that Ned had expected when meeting his son once more. "I understand. But do not blame your sisters." Ned could not begin to understand what Robb was feeling, to know that the father he had been convinced was captured or dead was now before him, alive after all this time, must be a shock. Even more, to learn that he had been forced to deal with the war while Ned had been in the Vale in presumed safety would only breed anger and a great deal of it. The stress, the trauma, the hard decisions that would haunt him to the end of days, that all weighed down on Robb, Ned could see it and he knew that the discovery of him being alive and for the most part, well would only make that anger grow.

"I won't," Robb answered. "But why did you never send a raven or a messenger?"

"We couldn't. Many of the Lords of the Vale are in debt and Little Finger has been using that to manipulate them. We later discovered rumours that Robyn Arryn is actually the child of Baelish himself." Ned began and Robb listened intently, fist-clenching slowly on the table. "He controlled the Vale and Yohn Royce was being smothered in his attempts to gain influence." Though Ned had been alive, his silence had not been without purpose, without reason and he could see that affected Robb.

"You couldn't send messages because you weren't certain of who you could trust." Robb correctly summarised and Ned nodded his head.

"It took time, but we had to be patient and gather the Vale lords to our side. If we didn't, the Vale would have been marching to the aid of the Lannisters." Leaning forwards with a deep sigh, Robb placed his head in his hands. "Even then, I can't count on the loyalty of them all. Robb, you may be angry at me, but you need to understand that I will always help you."

Ned looked out the window.

"We're surrounded by enemies and those who have their own agendas. And we, you," Ned corrected. "Will be the tool they use to advance themselves. I don't want you to become like Robert or the Targaryens. I want you to remain the man you are and see your family grow old like I failed to do."

"You shouldn't worry. I may not be politically savvy, but I know how to keep people in line." And after a few moments, Robb looked at Ned. "If you would please, I would like to be left alone."

Ned paused but eventually nodded his head sadly. As much as he wished their reunion would not be like this, he could understand why it was the case. Robb needed time and space, Ned would not force him after everything he had been through, he could only hope that eventually, Robb would forgive him.

So, another chapter is done and I hope you all enjoyed it. Anyway, if you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know.