-
The regular administrative staff are taking a vacation, and in the meantime, Biigoh is taking over. See here for more information.
-
A notice about Rule 3 regarding sites hosting pirated/unauthorized content has been made. Please see here for details.
-
Staff is working to deal with the problem of synonymous tags. See here for more information and to suggest tag mergers.
-
Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
Her Eternal Excellency (Raiden Ei reborn as Argella Durrandon)
- Thread starter Samael61
- Start date
ATP
Well worn.
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2020
- Messages
- 7,653
- Likes received
- 16,614
i like it.Others,Targ empire? not or monkeys,not our problem.They really could afford to not care.
Western nations - i think,that there should be descendents of Brandon sailors who once sailed there and never returned.
solar core for ships - i once watched "Mysterious golden cities" cartoon,and there was ship fueled by solar energy.You could use it for your story.
Western nations - i think,that there should be descendents of Brandon sailors who once sailed there and never returned.
solar core for ships - i once watched "Mysterious golden cities" cartoon,and there was ship fueled by solar energy.You could use it for your story.
Last edited:
Chapter 64 - The Vale
New
Samael61
Not too sore, are you?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
- Messages
- 388
- Likes received
- 19,044
Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.
Readers who enjoy the premise of a strong main character like Ei will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
—
Vale of Arryn
100 YA
The Thunder Dragon soared over the cold mountains of Vale. Carolaine Arryn had taken her court to Eyrie, fearing that her bannerman might assault the Bloody Gate to depose her.
Circling down the ancient keep, the dragon hovered before the small gate. The doors of the carriage underneath it opened. Ei, followed by Kage, Chiyo, and Sasayuri. The puppet helped the Oni maiden down, while Sasayuri flew down on her wings.
The guards were running around like headless chickens. Queen Carolaine, far braver than her men, came out of the gates. Covered as she was against the cold, only her childish face that was slowly maturing was seen.
She looked resolute for a fourteen-year-old.
"Your Excellency," the Queen of the Mountain and Vale bowed, far deeper than she should have.
"Queen Carolaine," Ei greeted her back with a shallow nod.
"We have much to speak about. Please, allow me to welcome you in."
She followed the young queen inside, glancing at the guards and the courtiers. Hushed questions accompanied the hesitant looks. Queen Carolaine must have kept the letter a secret. Otherwise, she might have been dead by now.
The ancient seat of House Arryn was impressive in a way. Built at the top of a mountain, a siege was impossible. Without support from the skies, this keep was one of the greatest defensible places in the world.
Against mortals, of course.
She took them to her solar, a room with a raging fireplace. Wood has been stacked inside, and in this cold, they would have to be constantly burning to avoid deaths.
"As I am sure you are aware, the situation in Vale is tense. Half my bannermen want the kingdom to open to the outside, and the other half wish for the opposite," she explained after taking her place.
The Vale did not have many trading partners after Queen Regent Shara Arryn and then her son, Ronnel, unofficially banned traders from her kingdom. The North did not trade with the Vale in the first place, and the Kingdom of the Rock did not produce enough foodstuffs to trade.
The Vale was self-sufficient when it came to food, but the lack of trade had increased the prices on the coastal lands. Not everyone could afford to feed their bellies.
Traders from the Valyrian Empire were opportunistic, and the poorer houses, such as Corbray, Coldwater, and Lynderly, suffered due to the increased food prices. The Graftons and Melcolms were discontent as they saw less trade each year.
The remaining lords were content to be cut off from the kingdom of heretics.
It had resulted in the Battle of Redfort, where both sides nearly annihilated each other. It left her position as an unwed young queen extremely precarious.
"You think the solution to it lies in becoming a part of the Storm Kingdom?" Ei asked. This girl was far wiser than any child of her age in the neighboring kingdoms.
She nodded, "I believe that eventually, you will conquer the remaining kingdoms, whether through blade or with peace. I simply wish to get ahead of the curve."
"You are wise for your age," Kage praised.
Carolaine reached down for the bottom drawer. She pulled out a book.
Management of Land in All Its Aspects, by Her Excellency, God of Thunder, Argella Durrandon
"You read it?" Ei asked. The books written in the Storm Kingdom were banned in the Vale.
"Among many of the books written in your kingdom. Some traders brought them to Vale, and they were to be burned, but I managed to save them," she answered. The young queen was clutching the book rather tightly in her hand.
"Your kingdom has grown in wealth, people, and strength year after year, while we all wane. If I don't join your kingdom today, the smallfolk will revolt again and do so eventually," she explained.
The winter did not break the people yet, but it was grinding them down each day.
"I am inclined to accept your offer, but the lords will not be given mercy should they be belligerent," Ei warned.
"I have no wish for you to spare their lives over a misguided sense of kinship."
"Very well."
"I will summon my bannermen to the Bloody Gates, at least those that will arrive, to surrender my crown." In the sight of the nobility of the Vale, she would surrender her crown. There would be no talks of coercion by the lords.
"We could take her with us on the dragon," her shadow suggested. It would save on the travel time.
"I appreciate the thought, but it is for the best if I travel with the court. I do not want rumors to arise."
The fate of the Vale rested on her shoulders; the discomfort of the ride was nothing compared to it.
"Then we shall return to the Storm Kingdom to prepare the army for an intervention should there be resistance."
The details of the Vale becoming a part of the Storm Kingdom were the same as with the other prefectures, minus the tithe taken from the coffers. The new governor would be decided through merit.
Ei knew Carolaine had a great chance of being the first governor of the Vale Prefecture.
She would open the trade routes to solve the immediate issues the people of Vale faced, starting by bringing in foodstuffs. The winter would be over soon, as she had expelled the influence of the Others after accepting Carolaine Arryn's offer.
Should any of the belligerent nobles refuse or resist, no quarter would be given. On a brighter note, the army would get to test the new weapons in a real environment.
Further details would be left for the meeting at the Bloody Gates.
—
Storm Kingdom
Storm's End
"It's barely been two days," Saiguu said as the group entered the garden. The kitsune was lounging under a shade, attended by the Children of the Forest, who had become her unofficial minions.
"Everything went smoothly. Carolaine will surrender her crown at the Bloody Gates. Her bannermen will be there to witness it," Ei explained, taking her seat.
"I will go and prepare an adequate force to march," Sasayuri said. Ten thousand men, along with the new cannons, would be enough for the broken forces of Vale and the mountain clans.
Chiyo left to gather grain and preserved foodstuffs. Riverlands was the closest prefecture. With its farming growing by leaps and bounds in the last century, they had more than enough to spare.
Beyond the orders, the Riverlanders worshipped the ground Ei walked on. Even if it was a voluntary contribution, the people of the Riverlands would fatten the entirety of the Vale.
The Reach Prefecture would be sending their share as well. The people there were not the zealots the neighboring Riverlands were. The septons were the most active in the region, having written the rest of the kingdom off as a loss.
Still, a growing section of the population was worshipping Ei. The septons were racing against time, and time always triumphed.
—
The cabinet received the orders to create a plan for the integration of the Vale. The First Princess Aluna Durrandon, as the leader of the cabinet, began the work in earnest.
Everything would start with infrastructure. Paving roads and building ports to restart the trade was the first step. The Vale's internal resources would undergo an investigation to prop up the local economy and turn the region self-sufficient.
The mountain clans were a thorn in the side of the region ever since several of the First Men refused to yield to the Andal invaders and fled the fertile fields of Vale and hid in the Mountains of the Moon. With the weakening of the Vale, they were more active than ever.
The Minister of Defense, General Sasayuri, created a plan with the Minister of Internal Affairs. The mountain clansmen would be offered a chance to be a part of the kingdom. They would be free to keep to the faith of the old gods. However, kidnapping women, raiding, and other illegal activities would be barred.
Any women who have been kidnapped would be set free to return home. The clans that refused the offer would be hunted down until every warrior capable of fighting lay dead.
The ones that took the offer of peace would be allowed to settle across the kingdom, sharing the full range of civic rights every citizen had.
Houses Frey, Roote, and Hawick would extend their roads to the neighboring lands. House Roote would be the ones to pave the path to the Bloody Gate, where the army would cross into the region to ensure security.
—
Queen Carolaine Arryn, at the age of fourteen, handed her crown to the God of Thunder with a deep bow. Her bannermen, broken as their forces were, did not resist. They gave the oaths of fealty with scrunched faces and went home.
Carolaine would not be the governor due to her young age. During the transition period, she would instead be the vice-governor to Prince Randall Durrandon. Younger than his sister, Aluna, he too had received an excellent education. A contender for the position of the First Prince, he had narrowly lost.
Undiscouraged, he had instead applied to work in the Ministry of Infrastructure. His talents would serve him well in the Vale.
Once Carolaine had learned all that Randall could teach, she would make an excellent candidate as the governor.
The distribution of foodstuffs, in addition to the healers sent by the latest ministry to be created, the Ministry of Health, had reduced the tensions among the population.
The livestock took a hit due to the harsh winter that has been going on for two years. The lack of trade did not make it easier for the granaries. The old, injured, non-breeding, and surplus livestock have been slaughtered to stave off the fodder.
It would take time for those numbers to return. Meanwhile, the rest of the kingdom would pick up the slack by feeding the Vale until the snows melted and the farmers started to work again.
The first mountain clan to be greeted by the expeditionary force was the Stone Crows. Antagonistic against the forces of the God of Thunder, they were annihilated in quick order when the Thunder Dragon detected their campsite.
Black Ears, led by a woman who wore the ears of her enemies as a necklace, challenged the Commander of the Expeditionary Forces, Chiyo.
The duel had lasted a whole second. Chiyo blurred from her position, cutting the metal part of the woman's axe in half. Her blade had stopped just shy of cutting her skin open.
She had yielded.
The Burned Men, Milk Snakes, Painted Dogs, and the Moon Brothers clans were destroyed. The winter had weakened the clans, and the summer made them more willing to commit to dangerous raids.
The remaining clans had surrendered. They would be allowed to practice their culture, except for the parts that were banned, such as mutilation of self and enemy, raids, or kidnapping women.
All kidnapped women, who weren't many to begin with, were taken back home. Some had chosen to take the children they were forced to give birth to, to the outrage of the males, but most had chosen to leave the children with the clans.
Forcing oneself on another person, regardless of the gender, was a crime, and the fathers had either chosen to go out by combat or were hanged.
The situation in Vale began to stabilize with each passing day.
—
The echoes of Vale's willing submission to the Storm Kingdom were felt in Essos. The heir to the High Archon, humiliated by the Kitsune Goddess, had been considering an alliance with the Vale. His plan was to prop up the Arryns to lead deniable attacks against the Storm Kingdom.
When Jarred Arryn died and left a little girl as the Queen of the Vale, he had decided to travel to Vale himself. He reached the docks, only to learn that the little girl had bent the knee to the God of Thunder.
He left, furious that his plan was over before it even started. It did not mean he was giving up. If the Vale was out of the board, and the remaining kingdoms were too afraid to act, Aerys knew where else to find allies.
Kandac could only be reached by the long-distance ships of the Storm Kingdom. The Valyrian Empire had many talented artisans and shipwrights. They should have no issues building ships to traverse the Sunset Sea.
Word on Kandac was scarce, except that they were three islands locked in an ever-changing game of superiority. Also distrustful of the outsiders, Aerys knew if he could convince at least one island to accept the empire's assistance, he could have allies.
The Ironborn were mere prisoners, and they worshipped an actual god. If Kandac had a god too, why shouldn't it fight for the lands of his followers?
The Kingdom of the Rock and the Kingdom of the North feared they might share the same fate. If the people rose in rebellion because they wanted the life the Storm Kingdom offered, or just as bad, they kept abandoning their respective kingdoms, where would they be?
The nobility was only a small part of the population compared to their power. If the fields were not tilled, blacksmiths did not smith, and there were no workers, how would the kingdom stand?
Begrudgingly, both kings agreed that the God-Queen's idea of improving the smallfolk's lives was not some divine flight of fancy but the brilliant decision of a ruler.
Which led to Casterly Rock and Winterfell reaching out to the Storm Kingdom for cooperation on carrying the same reforms into their kingdoms.
Researchers from the Academy of Transience were sent on tours in both kingdoms, tasked with understanding the current state of the lands. Natural resources, state of the trade, internal security, and whether the lords were capable of ruling or not would be documented.
The reports would then be examined by the cabinet to determine whether the Storm Kingdom should assist the neighboring kingdoms or not.
If a positive decision was reached, action plans would be made to see how the Kingdom of the Rock and the Kingdom of the North could be uplifted.
The Kingdom of the Rock possessed many mines, the source of its wealth, yet it was rarely invested to create more stable sources of income. No matter how deep, those mines would eventually run out.
Lannisport still received a great deal of trade, but its importance has been lessened due to the increasing number of ports in the Storm Kingdom. Without the canal shortening the voyages, the situation would have been worse.
The North was more desolate. Its underground resources were not explored. Considering the size of the kingdom, the potential wealth beneath the snow could be astronomical. It was such a pity they were too content for the last eight thousand years to explore their kingdom for gold, silver, copper, tin, coal, and other valuable resources.
—
Notes: Time skip next chapter. Also, the first three chapters of my original story, Arrival, are out. Please let me know what you guys think
—
In the next chapter:
Today was a great day for the domain of the God of Thunder.
The first train to be built in this world would be starting its journey from the city of Storm's End to the city of Fairmarket. A byproduct of the solar engine created by Elmund Kidwell and Jon of Stoney Sept, a commoner who had become one of the wealthiest individuals in the kingdom.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.
Readers who enjoy the premise of a strong main character like Ei will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
—
Vale of Arryn
100 YA
The Thunder Dragon soared over the cold mountains of Vale. Carolaine Arryn had taken her court to Eyrie, fearing that her bannerman might assault the Bloody Gate to depose her.
Circling down the ancient keep, the dragon hovered before the small gate. The doors of the carriage underneath it opened. Ei, followed by Kage, Chiyo, and Sasayuri. The puppet helped the Oni maiden down, while Sasayuri flew down on her wings.
The guards were running around like headless chickens. Queen Carolaine, far braver than her men, came out of the gates. Covered as she was against the cold, only her childish face that was slowly maturing was seen.
She looked resolute for a fourteen-year-old.
"Your Excellency," the Queen of the Mountain and Vale bowed, far deeper than she should have.
"Queen Carolaine," Ei greeted her back with a shallow nod.
"We have much to speak about. Please, allow me to welcome you in."
She followed the young queen inside, glancing at the guards and the courtiers. Hushed questions accompanied the hesitant looks. Queen Carolaine must have kept the letter a secret. Otherwise, she might have been dead by now.
The ancient seat of House Arryn was impressive in a way. Built at the top of a mountain, a siege was impossible. Without support from the skies, this keep was one of the greatest defensible places in the world.
Against mortals, of course.
She took them to her solar, a room with a raging fireplace. Wood has been stacked inside, and in this cold, they would have to be constantly burning to avoid deaths.
"As I am sure you are aware, the situation in Vale is tense. Half my bannermen want the kingdom to open to the outside, and the other half wish for the opposite," she explained after taking her place.
The Vale did not have many trading partners after Queen Regent Shara Arryn and then her son, Ronnel, unofficially banned traders from her kingdom. The North did not trade with the Vale in the first place, and the Kingdom of the Rock did not produce enough foodstuffs to trade.
The Vale was self-sufficient when it came to food, but the lack of trade had increased the prices on the coastal lands. Not everyone could afford to feed their bellies.
Traders from the Valyrian Empire were opportunistic, and the poorer houses, such as Corbray, Coldwater, and Lynderly, suffered due to the increased food prices. The Graftons and Melcolms were discontent as they saw less trade each year.
The remaining lords were content to be cut off from the kingdom of heretics.
It had resulted in the Battle of Redfort, where both sides nearly annihilated each other. It left her position as an unwed young queen extremely precarious.
"You think the solution to it lies in becoming a part of the Storm Kingdom?" Ei asked. This girl was far wiser than any child of her age in the neighboring kingdoms.
She nodded, "I believe that eventually, you will conquer the remaining kingdoms, whether through blade or with peace. I simply wish to get ahead of the curve."
"You are wise for your age," Kage praised.
Carolaine reached down for the bottom drawer. She pulled out a book.
Management of Land in All Its Aspects, by Her Excellency, God of Thunder, Argella Durrandon
"You read it?" Ei asked. The books written in the Storm Kingdom were banned in the Vale.
"Among many of the books written in your kingdom. Some traders brought them to Vale, and they were to be burned, but I managed to save them," she answered. The young queen was clutching the book rather tightly in her hand.
"Your kingdom has grown in wealth, people, and strength year after year, while we all wane. If I don't join your kingdom today, the smallfolk will revolt again and do so eventually," she explained.
The winter did not break the people yet, but it was grinding them down each day.
"I am inclined to accept your offer, but the lords will not be given mercy should they be belligerent," Ei warned.
"I have no wish for you to spare their lives over a misguided sense of kinship."
"Very well."
"I will summon my bannermen to the Bloody Gates, at least those that will arrive, to surrender my crown." In the sight of the nobility of the Vale, she would surrender her crown. There would be no talks of coercion by the lords.
"We could take her with us on the dragon," her shadow suggested. It would save on the travel time.
"I appreciate the thought, but it is for the best if I travel with the court. I do not want rumors to arise."
The fate of the Vale rested on her shoulders; the discomfort of the ride was nothing compared to it.
"Then we shall return to the Storm Kingdom to prepare the army for an intervention should there be resistance."
The details of the Vale becoming a part of the Storm Kingdom were the same as with the other prefectures, minus the tithe taken from the coffers. The new governor would be decided through merit.
Ei knew Carolaine had a great chance of being the first governor of the Vale Prefecture.
She would open the trade routes to solve the immediate issues the people of Vale faced, starting by bringing in foodstuffs. The winter would be over soon, as she had expelled the influence of the Others after accepting Carolaine Arryn's offer.
Should any of the belligerent nobles refuse or resist, no quarter would be given. On a brighter note, the army would get to test the new weapons in a real environment.
Further details would be left for the meeting at the Bloody Gates.
—
Storm Kingdom
Storm's End
"It's barely been two days," Saiguu said as the group entered the garden. The kitsune was lounging under a shade, attended by the Children of the Forest, who had become her unofficial minions.
"Everything went smoothly. Carolaine will surrender her crown at the Bloody Gates. Her bannermen will be there to witness it," Ei explained, taking her seat.
"I will go and prepare an adequate force to march," Sasayuri said. Ten thousand men, along with the new cannons, would be enough for the broken forces of Vale and the mountain clans.
Chiyo left to gather grain and preserved foodstuffs. Riverlands was the closest prefecture. With its farming growing by leaps and bounds in the last century, they had more than enough to spare.
Beyond the orders, the Riverlanders worshipped the ground Ei walked on. Even if it was a voluntary contribution, the people of the Riverlands would fatten the entirety of the Vale.
The Reach Prefecture would be sending their share as well. The people there were not the zealots the neighboring Riverlands were. The septons were the most active in the region, having written the rest of the kingdom off as a loss.
Still, a growing section of the population was worshipping Ei. The septons were racing against time, and time always triumphed.
—
The cabinet received the orders to create a plan for the integration of the Vale. The First Princess Aluna Durrandon, as the leader of the cabinet, began the work in earnest.
Everything would start with infrastructure. Paving roads and building ports to restart the trade was the first step. The Vale's internal resources would undergo an investigation to prop up the local economy and turn the region self-sufficient.
The mountain clans were a thorn in the side of the region ever since several of the First Men refused to yield to the Andal invaders and fled the fertile fields of Vale and hid in the Mountains of the Moon. With the weakening of the Vale, they were more active than ever.
The Minister of Defense, General Sasayuri, created a plan with the Minister of Internal Affairs. The mountain clansmen would be offered a chance to be a part of the kingdom. They would be free to keep to the faith of the old gods. However, kidnapping women, raiding, and other illegal activities would be barred.
Any women who have been kidnapped would be set free to return home. The clans that refused the offer would be hunted down until every warrior capable of fighting lay dead.
The ones that took the offer of peace would be allowed to settle across the kingdom, sharing the full range of civic rights every citizen had.
Houses Frey, Roote, and Hawick would extend their roads to the neighboring lands. House Roote would be the ones to pave the path to the Bloody Gate, where the army would cross into the region to ensure security.
—
Queen Carolaine Arryn, at the age of fourteen, handed her crown to the God of Thunder with a deep bow. Her bannermen, broken as their forces were, did not resist. They gave the oaths of fealty with scrunched faces and went home.
Carolaine would not be the governor due to her young age. During the transition period, she would instead be the vice-governor to Prince Randall Durrandon. Younger than his sister, Aluna, he too had received an excellent education. A contender for the position of the First Prince, he had narrowly lost.
Undiscouraged, he had instead applied to work in the Ministry of Infrastructure. His talents would serve him well in the Vale.
Once Carolaine had learned all that Randall could teach, she would make an excellent candidate as the governor.
The distribution of foodstuffs, in addition to the healers sent by the latest ministry to be created, the Ministry of Health, had reduced the tensions among the population.
The livestock took a hit due to the harsh winter that has been going on for two years. The lack of trade did not make it easier for the granaries. The old, injured, non-breeding, and surplus livestock have been slaughtered to stave off the fodder.
It would take time for those numbers to return. Meanwhile, the rest of the kingdom would pick up the slack by feeding the Vale until the snows melted and the farmers started to work again.
The first mountain clan to be greeted by the expeditionary force was the Stone Crows. Antagonistic against the forces of the God of Thunder, they were annihilated in quick order when the Thunder Dragon detected their campsite.
Black Ears, led by a woman who wore the ears of her enemies as a necklace, challenged the Commander of the Expeditionary Forces, Chiyo.
The duel had lasted a whole second. Chiyo blurred from her position, cutting the metal part of the woman's axe in half. Her blade had stopped just shy of cutting her skin open.
She had yielded.
The Burned Men, Milk Snakes, Painted Dogs, and the Moon Brothers clans were destroyed. The winter had weakened the clans, and the summer made them more willing to commit to dangerous raids.
The remaining clans had surrendered. They would be allowed to practice their culture, except for the parts that were banned, such as mutilation of self and enemy, raids, or kidnapping women.
All kidnapped women, who weren't many to begin with, were taken back home. Some had chosen to take the children they were forced to give birth to, to the outrage of the males, but most had chosen to leave the children with the clans.
Forcing oneself on another person, regardless of the gender, was a crime, and the fathers had either chosen to go out by combat or were hanged.
The situation in Vale began to stabilize with each passing day.
—
The echoes of Vale's willing submission to the Storm Kingdom were felt in Essos. The heir to the High Archon, humiliated by the Kitsune Goddess, had been considering an alliance with the Vale. His plan was to prop up the Arryns to lead deniable attacks against the Storm Kingdom.
When Jarred Arryn died and left a little girl as the Queen of the Vale, he had decided to travel to Vale himself. He reached the docks, only to learn that the little girl had bent the knee to the God of Thunder.
He left, furious that his plan was over before it even started. It did not mean he was giving up. If the Vale was out of the board, and the remaining kingdoms were too afraid to act, Aerys knew where else to find allies.
Kandac could only be reached by the long-distance ships of the Storm Kingdom. The Valyrian Empire had many talented artisans and shipwrights. They should have no issues building ships to traverse the Sunset Sea.
Word on Kandac was scarce, except that they were three islands locked in an ever-changing game of superiority. Also distrustful of the outsiders, Aerys knew if he could convince at least one island to accept the empire's assistance, he could have allies.
The Ironborn were mere prisoners, and they worshipped an actual god. If Kandac had a god too, why shouldn't it fight for the lands of his followers?
The Kingdom of the Rock and the Kingdom of the North feared they might share the same fate. If the people rose in rebellion because they wanted the life the Storm Kingdom offered, or just as bad, they kept abandoning their respective kingdoms, where would they be?
The nobility was only a small part of the population compared to their power. If the fields were not tilled, blacksmiths did not smith, and there were no workers, how would the kingdom stand?
Begrudgingly, both kings agreed that the God-Queen's idea of improving the smallfolk's lives was not some divine flight of fancy but the brilliant decision of a ruler.
Which led to Casterly Rock and Winterfell reaching out to the Storm Kingdom for cooperation on carrying the same reforms into their kingdoms.
Researchers from the Academy of Transience were sent on tours in both kingdoms, tasked with understanding the current state of the lands. Natural resources, state of the trade, internal security, and whether the lords were capable of ruling or not would be documented.
The reports would then be examined by the cabinet to determine whether the Storm Kingdom should assist the neighboring kingdoms or not.
If a positive decision was reached, action plans would be made to see how the Kingdom of the Rock and the Kingdom of the North could be uplifted.
The Kingdom of the Rock possessed many mines, the source of its wealth, yet it was rarely invested to create more stable sources of income. No matter how deep, those mines would eventually run out.
Lannisport still received a great deal of trade, but its importance has been lessened due to the increasing number of ports in the Storm Kingdom. Without the canal shortening the voyages, the situation would have been worse.
The North was more desolate. Its underground resources were not explored. Considering the size of the kingdom, the potential wealth beneath the snow could be astronomical. It was such a pity they were too content for the last eight thousand years to explore their kingdom for gold, silver, copper, tin, coal, and other valuable resources.
—
Notes: Time skip next chapter. Also, the first three chapters of my original story, Arrival, are out. Please let me know what you guys think
—
In the next chapter:
Today was a great day for the domain of the God of Thunder.
The first train to be built in this world would be starting its journey from the city of Storm's End to the city of Fairmarket. A byproduct of the solar engine created by Elmund Kidwell and Jon of Stoney Sept, a commoner who had become one of the wealthiest individuals in the kingdom.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.
Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2019
- Messages
- 2,984
- Likes received
- 22,122
Hoo boy, steam locomotive here we come! Although in this case it should be magic locomotive.
Chapter 65 - The Final Step
New
Samael61
Not too sore, are you?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
- Messages
- 388
- Likes received
- 19,044
Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.
Readers who enjoy the premise of a strong main character like Ei will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
—
Storm Kingdom
Storm's End
120 YA / 120 AC
Today was a great day for the domain of the God of Thunder.
The first train to be built in this world would be starting its journey from the city of Storm's End to the city of Fairmarket. A byproduct of the solar engine created by Elmund Kidwell and Jon of Stoney Sept, a commoner who had become one of the wealthiest individuals in the kingdom.
The train was the latest, but definitely not the first tool to be created with the solar engines. Pumping water out of the mines was the first field of the engines. It had spread like a forest fire after that. Textile, infrastructure, and many more fields were trying to adapt the machines.
Ships were next in line.
Under the farewells of the court and the citizens, the First Princess Aluna began the journey. The safety of the trains has already been proven. She had nothing to worry about.
The first stop was the Bronzegate station. The journey was not merely for pleasure. The cargo wagons were full of trade goods. The station in Bronzegate would receive everything and fill the train again for the next stop, Felwood.
The train then would cross into the Reach Prefecture through Grandview and then into the Riverlands. Depending on the success of the railway, which was expected to open a new page in the history of the trade.
Plans were already being drawn for a railway network across the kingdom. From Storm's End, several central railways would reach to the edges of the kingdom. Oldtown, Highgarden, Planky Town, Seagard, the Bloody Gate, and Duskendale would each be the central pieces of the network.
Those points would then reach the rest of the prefectures, spreading like a spiderweb. In time, the trains would also carry passengers. Rather than just trade, the new method of transportation would increase the pace of life.
—
Aerys Targaryen, the High Archon of the Valyrian Empire, was scheming. He had managed to convince one of the three councillors of Kandac. He would assist with his dragons to secure the remaining two islands, and Kandac would have an alliance with the empire.
In his short time in the inner sanctum of the councillor, he had seen many wonderful sights. Kandac possessed many artifacts that had reacted to the magic in his blood. They would be tools for the empire to use against the false god of Westeros.
While Aerys dreamt of payback, his empire was shaken with the recent news in Westeros. A steel wagon that ran on sunlight and carried a trade ship's worth of goods inland. It had traveled from Storm's End to Fairmarket within days.
Worst of all, they intended to create more steel wagons to cover the entire continent. The wagons would change everything. Most trade happened via ships. Wagons that could do the work of a ship would make trade within the empire soar through the clouds.
The Storm Kingdom would leave the Valyrian Empire in the dust.
The severity of the situation was only understood with the arrival of the trains. They were not the only wonders created by the solar engines Academy of Transience. Massive pumps that worked without men, horses, or waterwheels, capable of draining the underground waters in mines within hours.
New power looms that wove far faster than the old ones, Iron Works that worked better than before, and more.
The Council of Nine was quicker to seize the opportunity than the empire. It was a unanimous decision to send envoys to buy the machinery for their own end. The envoys approached the Ministry of Trade, offering large sums for the machines.
They were met with a blunt refusal.
The First Princess had forbidden the sale of the engines, or the machines that made use of them, without her written permission. It was approved by the God-Queen, and the matter was closed.
So they resorted to more underhanded methods.
Stealing and smuggling such a machine out of the kingdom was not possible without inside help, which they did not possess. However, the academy itself was open to every citizen of the kingdom, regardless of birth.
Branch members of one of the founding houses would pose as traders wishing to migrate to the kingdom. Their excuse would be the lack of opportunities in the empire and the dangers of trading with Yi-Ti and the cities further east.
It would go against the ban on infiltrating the Storm Kingdom set by their ancestors, but times had changed.
The first report of the family had arrived, and the results were pleasing. The port officials had granted them temporary asylum. Their petition has been sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to be processed. The officials were confident that the petition would be accepted.
Now, they had to wait.
—
Kingdom of the Rock
Casterly Rock
King Aldric sighed. "At least the cargo of a trade galley, you say?"
He had gathered the court to discuss the latest events happening in the lands of their neighbor. Lord Sarwyck had witnessed everything with his eyes, and it did not look good.
"Aye, Your Grace, possibly more," he said, bowing deeply.
"These trains would make the wares of the Storm Kingdom cheaper than ever. How are we supposed to match that? It would be the end of our production." Lord Westerling put his head between his hands, looking down with a blank face.
"The God-Queen did not force Vale to open its markets. Should we stop trading with her kingdom, I see no reason she would force us as long as our current agreements are honored," said Lord Banefort, though he was not certain if it was a good idea. Vale had no choice but to bend the knee in the end, and the God-Queen did not even have to lift a finger.
"True, but she would also close the markets of the Storm Kingdom to us. That would be an equally grievous blow." Lord Greenfield shook his head. His house traded heavily with the Storm Kingdom. If it were suddenly cut, he would be in dire straits.
"Damned if we do, damned if we don't," Aldric muttered.
"Your Grace, I hate to be the one to say this, but there appears to be only one choice available to us." Lord Reyne said. The mines of Castamere were not infinite, but the wealth of the Storm Kingdom appeared to be.
"To become another prefecture in her kingdom," Lord Tarbeck stated the obvious.
Lord Reyne shrugged. "Aye. How are any of us supposed to match the wit of a god?"
The Lord of Crakehall suggested funding an academy in the Kingdom of the Rock to duplicate the machines of the Storm Kingdom. Unfortunately, the scholars of the kingdom preferred the Academy of Transience and moved to the Storm Kingdom permanently.
There weren't many scholars they could find. Either maesters that were too stuck in their ways or the disgraced scholars of the Academy. The gold mines of the Kingdom of the Rock could not offer any reputable scholar an environment that the Academy of Transience could not outperform. Any attempt to create a center of learning would take decades, perhaps centuries, before bearing any fruit.
They only had mere years.
Lord Marbrand laid out the idea of an alliance with the empire, but even the Targaryens kept heavy tariffs on the goods from Westeros to preserve their coffers. The dragonlords were not a solution.
"My lords, I have heard your opinions, but as the king, the final decision is mine," Aldric said, silencing the room.
—
Storm's End
"Huh, here I was expecting the Starks to come forth first," Saiguu said. As the closest to the messenger, she had taken the letter bearing the sigil of a lion.
"For what?" Ei asked, brought out of her meditation.
Saiguu waved the letter. "The King of the Rock wants to meet you for a momentous occasion for both kingdoms."
There was nothing else he could offer that could be described as momentous. Except for declaring war, which would be momentous in the wrong way.
"That does not necessarily mean he wants his kingdom to become a part of ours," Kage said. The Kingdom of the Rock was in a better state compared to Vale when the current Lady Arryn had bent the knee. Though, with the advancements of the Storm Kingdom, they would be hard-pressed to stay that way any longer.
"One of his lords was at the train station. He looked troubled," Chiyo added.
When it was announced that the God of Thunder would be joining the unveiling of the train with her friends, the number of attending delegates had increased, greatly so.
"So was every other foreigner. Does that mean they all wish to be part of the kingdom?" Sasayuri asked.
Not that it looked improbable for Aldric Lannister to surrender his crown and become a part of the kingdom. She would just prefer more concrete proof than a letter that did not state anything directly.
"If it weren't for the Targaryens, I am sure they would be," the kitsune goddess said.
She chuckled, remembering that arrogant little boy who was scheming something that she did not see as important enough to investigate.
"Are you going to accept it?" the oni maiden asked.
Her advice would be to accept it for several reasons. Not only would it unify the southern side of the continent, but she was sure the relevant ministries could extract more precious metals from the land than the nobles could.
"Yes. The mines could be good to funnel the growth of the railway system." It was just one of the reasons, should it actually be what Aldric Lannister wanted to speak about.
"I was getting bored anyway. It would give us something to do," Saiguu muttered.
Laying around all day was boring.
—
In the sixth month of the 125th year of ascendence, King Aldric Lannister of Casterly Rock visited Storm's End with his court. He was granted an audience and made his case to the God-Queen.
The Kingdom of the Rock would fall behind in times with how fast the Storm Kingdom was progressing under her rule. They were already behind in many aspects, but the trains and the new machines used in production would make them a poor kingdom in several years.
He, with the agreement of his nobles, wished for the Kingdom of the Rock to become another prefecture of the Storm Kingdom.
In front of the public.
Ei accepted the offer on the spot. Aldric surrendered his crown and, with the nobles of the Westerlands Prefecture, had given his oath of fealty.
The rest was a matter of discussing how the new prefecture would be ruled. She agreed to appoint Aldric as the first governor. He would have advisors who were experienced in management across the Storm Kingdom to facilitate the growth of the new prefecture.
Work on the infrastructure would begin immediately. The neighboring prefectures already had roads extending to the border of the Westerland Prefecture. It was just a matter of repaving the roads inside the land according to the Standard Infrastructure Decree.
The railway network would also be extended, starting with Lannisport and spreading from there. The taxes from the valuable metal mines would be used to facilitate the construction.
There were many parts of the new prefecture already propped up with the help of the kingdom. At the time, none had considered the idea of the then Kingdom of the Rock becoming a part of the Storm Kingdom. Now, it had only made their work easier.
The North, once they received word that the Kingdom of the Rock was no more, began to consider their options.
The Kings in the North had kept trade with the Storm Kingdom small, only buying foodstuffs while selling raw materials of equal value. They, too, had accepted the assistance provided by the Academy of Transience and the kingdom as a whole, but to a more limited degree.
The Northerners were too prideful to be told how to rule their lands. Only the Starks, Boltons, and Manderlys had taken the suggestions.
Yet, one matter made all of them reconsider whether they should have taken it or not.
The Others.
No matter how much the nobles wished to deny the existence of the monsters beyond the wall, they could not. A Child of the Forest was teaching the existence of the Others in the Academy of Transience.
The god who had revived the decaying Storm Kingdom and conquered the remaining kingdoms in Westeros would not be foolish enough to let it happen without a good reason.
House Stark had sent several joint expeditions beyond the Wall to see the proof with their eyes. Yet, all that had been accomplished was dozens of missing men.
There was another matter proving the existence of the Others, depending on who you asked. The seasons in the Storm Kingdom had changed.
Three months of summer, fall, winter, and spring each, rather than years of summer followed by winter, with fall and spring barely felt. Argella Durrandon's kingdom did not have to worry about famine, the harsh winter, or raiders.
Thousands of smallfolk had already left the North to settle in the Riverlands. There was work for everyone, and it paid more for the same effort in the North. No one went hungry, the nobles could not act as they wished, and the lives of the smallfolk were comfortable.
Every smallfolk they had lost was one less worker for the blacksmiths, what fields they could till, and every other work that required manpower.
Stopping the smallfolk would lead to rebellions, yet not stopping them would lead to shortages.
The North was sharing the fate of the Vale, even if it was slower.
With the Lannister king bending the knee, being the subjects of the God of Thunder did not seem to be such a horrible prospect anymore. The people were allowed to practice their faith without facing backlash, though most worshipped Argella Durrandon these days.
Yet their pride stood in the way.
Artos Stark, the King in the North, was considering his options. Half his lords, the more sensible ones, would agree to the idea of becoming a part of the Storm Kingdom, finally unifying the continent.
But the remaining half would refuse out of spite. The North had endured for thousands of years; they could endure for thousands more. However, the issue wasn't enduring.
The smallfolk wanted better lives, and as things were, the Kingdom of the North could not offer that. The nobility would find that their blood did not make them immune to hunger, thirst, or cold.
Which would be their fate if there were no smallfolk left to work in the North.
He ordered letters to be sent to his lords and waited. May his forefathers forgive him for what he was about to do, but he saw only one way forward that did not end in his kingdom splintering like a rotten board.
—
In the next chapter:
The times were dire for the North. So much so, Arthos had no choice but to summon his lords in the middle of the winter. The people of his kingdom were resilient in the face of hardship.
It did not mean they wanted to traverse all the distance to Winterfell in the dead of winter.
"My lords, welcome to Winterfell. We have much to discuss," he said to the nobles assembled around the table. Warm drinks and food had been served to raise their spirits.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.
Readers who enjoy the premise of a strong main character like Ei will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
—
Storm Kingdom
Storm's End
120 YA / 120 AC
Today was a great day for the domain of the God of Thunder.
The first train to be built in this world would be starting its journey from the city of Storm's End to the city of Fairmarket. A byproduct of the solar engine created by Elmund Kidwell and Jon of Stoney Sept, a commoner who had become one of the wealthiest individuals in the kingdom.
The train was the latest, but definitely not the first tool to be created with the solar engines. Pumping water out of the mines was the first field of the engines. It had spread like a forest fire after that. Textile, infrastructure, and many more fields were trying to adapt the machines.
Ships were next in line.
Under the farewells of the court and the citizens, the First Princess Aluna began the journey. The safety of the trains has already been proven. She had nothing to worry about.
The first stop was the Bronzegate station. The journey was not merely for pleasure. The cargo wagons were full of trade goods. The station in Bronzegate would receive everything and fill the train again for the next stop, Felwood.
The train then would cross into the Reach Prefecture through Grandview and then into the Riverlands. Depending on the success of the railway, which was expected to open a new page in the history of the trade.
Plans were already being drawn for a railway network across the kingdom. From Storm's End, several central railways would reach to the edges of the kingdom. Oldtown, Highgarden, Planky Town, Seagard, the Bloody Gate, and Duskendale would each be the central pieces of the network.
Those points would then reach the rest of the prefectures, spreading like a spiderweb. In time, the trains would also carry passengers. Rather than just trade, the new method of transportation would increase the pace of life.
—
Aerys Targaryen, the High Archon of the Valyrian Empire, was scheming. He had managed to convince one of the three councillors of Kandac. He would assist with his dragons to secure the remaining two islands, and Kandac would have an alliance with the empire.
In his short time in the inner sanctum of the councillor, he had seen many wonderful sights. Kandac possessed many artifacts that had reacted to the magic in his blood. They would be tools for the empire to use against the false god of Westeros.
While Aerys dreamt of payback, his empire was shaken with the recent news in Westeros. A steel wagon that ran on sunlight and carried a trade ship's worth of goods inland. It had traveled from Storm's End to Fairmarket within days.
Worst of all, they intended to create more steel wagons to cover the entire continent. The wagons would change everything. Most trade happened via ships. Wagons that could do the work of a ship would make trade within the empire soar through the clouds.
The Storm Kingdom would leave the Valyrian Empire in the dust.
The severity of the situation was only understood with the arrival of the trains. They were not the only wonders created by the solar engines Academy of Transience. Massive pumps that worked without men, horses, or waterwheels, capable of draining the underground waters in mines within hours.
New power looms that wove far faster than the old ones, Iron Works that worked better than before, and more.
The Council of Nine was quicker to seize the opportunity than the empire. It was a unanimous decision to send envoys to buy the machinery for their own end. The envoys approached the Ministry of Trade, offering large sums for the machines.
They were met with a blunt refusal.
The First Princess had forbidden the sale of the engines, or the machines that made use of them, without her written permission. It was approved by the God-Queen, and the matter was closed.
So they resorted to more underhanded methods.
Stealing and smuggling such a machine out of the kingdom was not possible without inside help, which they did not possess. However, the academy itself was open to every citizen of the kingdom, regardless of birth.
Branch members of one of the founding houses would pose as traders wishing to migrate to the kingdom. Their excuse would be the lack of opportunities in the empire and the dangers of trading with Yi-Ti and the cities further east.
It would go against the ban on infiltrating the Storm Kingdom set by their ancestors, but times had changed.
The first report of the family had arrived, and the results were pleasing. The port officials had granted them temporary asylum. Their petition has been sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to be processed. The officials were confident that the petition would be accepted.
Now, they had to wait.
—
Kingdom of the Rock
Casterly Rock
King Aldric sighed. "At least the cargo of a trade galley, you say?"
He had gathered the court to discuss the latest events happening in the lands of their neighbor. Lord Sarwyck had witnessed everything with his eyes, and it did not look good.
"Aye, Your Grace, possibly more," he said, bowing deeply.
"These trains would make the wares of the Storm Kingdom cheaper than ever. How are we supposed to match that? It would be the end of our production." Lord Westerling put his head between his hands, looking down with a blank face.
"The God-Queen did not force Vale to open its markets. Should we stop trading with her kingdom, I see no reason she would force us as long as our current agreements are honored," said Lord Banefort, though he was not certain if it was a good idea. Vale had no choice but to bend the knee in the end, and the God-Queen did not even have to lift a finger.
"True, but she would also close the markets of the Storm Kingdom to us. That would be an equally grievous blow." Lord Greenfield shook his head. His house traded heavily with the Storm Kingdom. If it were suddenly cut, he would be in dire straits.
"Damned if we do, damned if we don't," Aldric muttered.
"Your Grace, I hate to be the one to say this, but there appears to be only one choice available to us." Lord Reyne said. The mines of Castamere were not infinite, but the wealth of the Storm Kingdom appeared to be.
"To become another prefecture in her kingdom," Lord Tarbeck stated the obvious.
Lord Reyne shrugged. "Aye. How are any of us supposed to match the wit of a god?"
The Lord of Crakehall suggested funding an academy in the Kingdom of the Rock to duplicate the machines of the Storm Kingdom. Unfortunately, the scholars of the kingdom preferred the Academy of Transience and moved to the Storm Kingdom permanently.
There weren't many scholars they could find. Either maesters that were too stuck in their ways or the disgraced scholars of the Academy. The gold mines of the Kingdom of the Rock could not offer any reputable scholar an environment that the Academy of Transience could not outperform. Any attempt to create a center of learning would take decades, perhaps centuries, before bearing any fruit.
They only had mere years.
Lord Marbrand laid out the idea of an alliance with the empire, but even the Targaryens kept heavy tariffs on the goods from Westeros to preserve their coffers. The dragonlords were not a solution.
"My lords, I have heard your opinions, but as the king, the final decision is mine," Aldric said, silencing the room.
—
Storm's End
"Huh, here I was expecting the Starks to come forth first," Saiguu said. As the closest to the messenger, she had taken the letter bearing the sigil of a lion.
"For what?" Ei asked, brought out of her meditation.
Saiguu waved the letter. "The King of the Rock wants to meet you for a momentous occasion for both kingdoms."
There was nothing else he could offer that could be described as momentous. Except for declaring war, which would be momentous in the wrong way.
"That does not necessarily mean he wants his kingdom to become a part of ours," Kage said. The Kingdom of the Rock was in a better state compared to Vale when the current Lady Arryn had bent the knee. Though, with the advancements of the Storm Kingdom, they would be hard-pressed to stay that way any longer.
"One of his lords was at the train station. He looked troubled," Chiyo added.
When it was announced that the God of Thunder would be joining the unveiling of the train with her friends, the number of attending delegates had increased, greatly so.
"So was every other foreigner. Does that mean they all wish to be part of the kingdom?" Sasayuri asked.
Not that it looked improbable for Aldric Lannister to surrender his crown and become a part of the kingdom. She would just prefer more concrete proof than a letter that did not state anything directly.
"If it weren't for the Targaryens, I am sure they would be," the kitsune goddess said.
She chuckled, remembering that arrogant little boy who was scheming something that she did not see as important enough to investigate.
"Are you going to accept it?" the oni maiden asked.
Her advice would be to accept it for several reasons. Not only would it unify the southern side of the continent, but she was sure the relevant ministries could extract more precious metals from the land than the nobles could.
"Yes. The mines could be good to funnel the growth of the railway system." It was just one of the reasons, should it actually be what Aldric Lannister wanted to speak about.
"I was getting bored anyway. It would give us something to do," Saiguu muttered.
Laying around all day was boring.
—
In the sixth month of the 125th year of ascendence, King Aldric Lannister of Casterly Rock visited Storm's End with his court. He was granted an audience and made his case to the God-Queen.
The Kingdom of the Rock would fall behind in times with how fast the Storm Kingdom was progressing under her rule. They were already behind in many aspects, but the trains and the new machines used in production would make them a poor kingdom in several years.
He, with the agreement of his nobles, wished for the Kingdom of the Rock to become another prefecture of the Storm Kingdom.
In front of the public.
Ei accepted the offer on the spot. Aldric surrendered his crown and, with the nobles of the Westerlands Prefecture, had given his oath of fealty.
The rest was a matter of discussing how the new prefecture would be ruled. She agreed to appoint Aldric as the first governor. He would have advisors who were experienced in management across the Storm Kingdom to facilitate the growth of the new prefecture.
Work on the infrastructure would begin immediately. The neighboring prefectures already had roads extending to the border of the Westerland Prefecture. It was just a matter of repaving the roads inside the land according to the Standard Infrastructure Decree.
The railway network would also be extended, starting with Lannisport and spreading from there. The taxes from the valuable metal mines would be used to facilitate the construction.
There were many parts of the new prefecture already propped up with the help of the kingdom. At the time, none had considered the idea of the then Kingdom of the Rock becoming a part of the Storm Kingdom. Now, it had only made their work easier.
The North, once they received word that the Kingdom of the Rock was no more, began to consider their options.
The Kings in the North had kept trade with the Storm Kingdom small, only buying foodstuffs while selling raw materials of equal value. They, too, had accepted the assistance provided by the Academy of Transience and the kingdom as a whole, but to a more limited degree.
The Northerners were too prideful to be told how to rule their lands. Only the Starks, Boltons, and Manderlys had taken the suggestions.
Yet, one matter made all of them reconsider whether they should have taken it or not.
The Others.
No matter how much the nobles wished to deny the existence of the monsters beyond the wall, they could not. A Child of the Forest was teaching the existence of the Others in the Academy of Transience.
The god who had revived the decaying Storm Kingdom and conquered the remaining kingdoms in Westeros would not be foolish enough to let it happen without a good reason.
House Stark had sent several joint expeditions beyond the Wall to see the proof with their eyes. Yet, all that had been accomplished was dozens of missing men.
There was another matter proving the existence of the Others, depending on who you asked. The seasons in the Storm Kingdom had changed.
Three months of summer, fall, winter, and spring each, rather than years of summer followed by winter, with fall and spring barely felt. Argella Durrandon's kingdom did not have to worry about famine, the harsh winter, or raiders.
Thousands of smallfolk had already left the North to settle in the Riverlands. There was work for everyone, and it paid more for the same effort in the North. No one went hungry, the nobles could not act as they wished, and the lives of the smallfolk were comfortable.
Every smallfolk they had lost was one less worker for the blacksmiths, what fields they could till, and every other work that required manpower.
Stopping the smallfolk would lead to rebellions, yet not stopping them would lead to shortages.
The North was sharing the fate of the Vale, even if it was slower.
With the Lannister king bending the knee, being the subjects of the God of Thunder did not seem to be such a horrible prospect anymore. The people were allowed to practice their faith without facing backlash, though most worshipped Argella Durrandon these days.
Yet their pride stood in the way.
Artos Stark, the King in the North, was considering his options. Half his lords, the more sensible ones, would agree to the idea of becoming a part of the Storm Kingdom, finally unifying the continent.
But the remaining half would refuse out of spite. The North had endured for thousands of years; they could endure for thousands more. However, the issue wasn't enduring.
The smallfolk wanted better lives, and as things were, the Kingdom of the North could not offer that. The nobility would find that their blood did not make them immune to hunger, thirst, or cold.
Which would be their fate if there were no smallfolk left to work in the North.
He ordered letters to be sent to his lords and waited. May his forefathers forgive him for what he was about to do, but he saw only one way forward that did not end in his kingdom splintering like a rotten board.
—
In the next chapter:
The times were dire for the North. So much so, Arthos had no choice but to summon his lords in the middle of the winter. The people of his kingdom were resilient in the face of hardship.
It did not mean they wanted to traverse all the distance to Winterfell in the dead of winter.
"My lords, welcome to Winterfell. We have much to discuss," he said to the nobles assembled around the table. Warm drinks and food had been served to raise their spirits.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.