Winterfell Castle
POV of Eddard Stark
"What are you thinking about my love?" Cat asked as they finished their lovemaking, and she laid on his chest.
He stayed silent for a moment, thinking about the young lord who left Winterfell early in the morning after he gave his oath and finished his business in Winterfell.
"Domeric Bolton." He said and left it at that. There were so many things about the young lord that he didn't even know where to begin.
"Ah... Domeric. He seemed like a good boy. So intelligent and mature for his age. And to have lost both his parents at such a young age." Cat said with a hint of sympathy in her voice "I wonder what our little Robb would have done if he lost both his parents at such a young age. Would he mature as fast as Domeric?" she asked while looking into his eyes and he held a sigh at that.
Of course, Cat, being a woman and a mother would sympathize with the recently orphaned boy. But was that all she noticed when she looked at the boy? Didn't she notice the direwolf he was riding? Or how he gave off an aura of intimidation. Despite being escorted by Lady Barbrey Dustin, it was clear that all the Bolton men answered to him and him only.
To see grown men have such loyalty for a young boy was both fascinating and worrying.
The decision to change the banner was not anything that just about anyone could make either. After all, the banners of a house are what give them their identity.
House Stark had gained the Direwolf for its sigil because it was said that their ancestors rode giant direwolves in battle. He had believed that to be mere rumors and legends until today when he saw young Lord Bolton riding the black direwolf.
House Bolton had similarly gained its sigil because of its practice of flaying their enemies. A practice that was only outlawed about a few hundred years ago. And something that the Boltons were said to have still performed inside closed doors.
Changing a house's sigil was not something that could be done lightly, especially by someone whose position was not secure within his own household.
So, either Domeric Bolton was a stupid boy who didn't know what he was doing, or he was very smart and had the loyalty of most of the people in Dreadfort.
He wanted to believe the truth to be the former one but for some reason, he had a feeling that it was the latter.
But what could he do about it even if it is latter? He couldn't make things difficult for Boltons just like that. That wouldn't be honorable. But did that mean he had to watch from the side, and couldn't do anything about it?
If he was sure that House Bolton wouldn't make things difficult in the North, then he could be calmer. But will the Boltons just sit in their castle and be peaceful with their growing power?
He could be less anxious if any other house, but Starks didn't have a good history with Boltons and with a Stark hater regent, could things go better?
He clutched Cat tightly to his chest, her warm body calming his frantic heart as he thought about the charters for the expansion of Dreadfort and the Port town. He wondered if the boy would even use those parchments.
A new town around the castle and a new port town at the mouth of the river. How many years they will take and how many resources Boltons had to use to build these towns? Maybe it was a good thing to sign those parchments. If the Boltons had to use their time and resources for the towns, they couldn't make things hard for him, right?
"I don't know Cat." He said and then kissed her soft lips gently. "I hope that we live a long life, and Robb won't have to pick up the mantle of the Lord of House Stark for many years."
She gave him a small smile and then kissed him on the neck, eliciting a moan from him before she removed the blanket covering them and sat down on his lap.
It seemed that he would have to work extra hard to please his lady wife tonight.
---------------
True North Beyond the Wall
POV of Bloodraven
"Interesting. Very interesting. That boy... something is different about him. He is like someone not real but also real. Like he doesn't blend into this world. But that's not all. He is like someone who has chosen. But by whom? Gods? People? Fate?" murmured Bloodraven.
"What are you talking about raven?" someone called him.
"Leaf. I can feel something's changed. Things are changing in this world." He said.
"Does it matter to us? We don't care about the world outside anymore." She said.
"Don't be so sure about it Leaf. Something... something is changing about the fate of this world. Maybe even your folk will be affected. After all, how can people fight against their fate?" he asked himself more than Leaf.
Now she seemed a little concerned. An emotion he hadn't seen on her face for a long time.
"What kind of change? Is it bad or good?" she asked.
"Who knows? For some people, it might be good and might be bad for others. Or bad for everyone and good for no one. Only time will tell." He said and didn't speak after that.
'What are you going to do, Domeric Bolton? What path will you follow? Will you stand on my path? If you will, then...'
---------------
Author's Note: Thank you, KingDre, for upgrading his membership and becoming my first DIAMOND Member. And thanks Vishal, for becoming my Patron and GOLD Member.
You folks also can read up to plus 26 Chapters on mt P@treon Page as an early access privilege.
You can also see some pictures as a free member.
www.patreon.com/vanguard_v