Chapter 116: ' The Frosty Queen of Spices' Part II

Chapter 116: ' The Frosty Queen of Spices' Part II

POV: The Queen In The West-Continent

Solarium of the Lady of Barrowhall.

Moments after a Northern son defended his father's memory...

Barbrey felt an irrational hatred after those words.

They were similar to those spoken by that Bloody Demon six years earlier during their first meeting.

Sentences filled with reasons and legitimate motives for all the evil inflicted upon her.

Lady Dustin hated immensely that that selfish and senseless part of her was being stifled by compassion and rationality.

The Queen in the shadows closed her eyes and calmed her heartbeat with deep breaths. She had to at least acknowledge the bit of effort shown by the man before her.

"I apologize for my earlier outburst, King Eddard. I let hatred and selfishness take the floor. I wish no harm to Lord Rickard's soul or his son Brandon.

I hope they may have found peace and comfort among their loved ones and ancestors after all the suffering they have gone through.

I ask you to forget that untimely moment if you can." Finally, Barbrey bestowed a peace offering.

"It is already buried and forgotten by me, Lady Barbrey," and the Lord of Winterfell willingly accepted.

"I am... Brandon and Rickard's actions are forgotten. Now let us turn to those of Eddard of House Stark."

The North does not forget easily.

Ned stepped forward.

"I will not apologize for asking Lord William to accompany me that day...

He was one of my most trusted and best fighters in the North.

I did not order him to follow me south, but I did call on his help to find and rescue my sister. And he accepted without hesitation...

He was a good man, a great companion, and an honourable vassal." Eddard.

"And yet, you abandoned him there. The last descendant of a Northern House older than The Wall itself. A fellow soldier who had given his life for your family, despite the wrongs perpetrated upon his wife.

Lyanna deserved the honour of being buried in the crypts of Winterfell... So why? Why didn't William Dustin, Ethan Glover, Theo Wull, Martin Cassel, and my cousin, Mark Ryswell, deserve the same honour?

Why did you leave them to rot under those godforsaken rocks more than two thousand miles away from Home?" Barbrey.

Ned lowered his gaze, full of regret and shame, downward.

After a few moments, he raised it again and replied.

"I have been trying for years to find a worthy answer to that question, and to this day, I have not seen it.

I could tell you that losing Lyanna also prevented me from thinking clearly at the time, but that would not be the reason...

Maybe it was just an act of weakness. But, after all that death and load of pain, a part of me just wanted to forget, to leave that burden behind.

A part of me still believes that that fight could have been avoided and all those lives spared.

Perhaps the return home with the remains of my friends and comrades seemed too much to bear.

A mere and shameful act of weakness. I have no more excuses to give.

I can only attempt to invoke your forgiveness, my lady. William, Theo, Martin, Ethan and Mark deserved better. They earned a better lord and commander than I.

The mistake was made, and that cannot be forgotten.

Tell me if there is anything I can do to make it right in even the slightest way. I will do all I can to repay this offence." The King in the North bent a knee to the ground, bowing his head in forgiveness.

'Yes, you have been. You were a weakling. And you are still a weakling, Stark!' That was the thought that Barbrey could not voice.

However weak a kneeling King might appear, the effort of will it took to display that scene of submission, guilt, and humility was not for the weak.

Only the best Kings would kneel at the appropriate time for the good of their people.

Torrhen Stark knelt to the Three-Headed Dragon, earning him forever 'The King Who Knelt'. Few remember that Aegon The Conqueror also took the swords of the Northmen, but they were never melted, bent, and used to make up what is now known as The Iron Throne.

With that act of sacrifice, the last King in the North saved thousands of lives from the wrath of the Dragons.

"You may rise, King Eddard Stark..." Barbrey stood up along with the man.

The lady walked over to one of the nightstands to get new cards and inkwells.

"After the wedding, my husband Jorah will assume the office of Lord of Barrowton and protector of the Barrowlands. The legacy of House Dustin will pass to House Mormont.

Lord Jorah Mormont will always be loyal to House Stark of Winterfell.

I will retire and devote myself to the complete management and preservation of the Never Winter Bank...

You will have the chance you seek, Eddard of House Stark, and my help."

End POV.

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POV: The King in the North

Solarium of the Lady of Barrowhall.

A few seconds after a King rose to his feet...

"I thank you, lady... Ser Barbrey Dustin, Knight in the service of the Old Gods and the First Men." Ned sat down after the woman's cordial nod of the hand.

A dark drape in the Quiet Wolf's heart began to slowly dissolve, giving more and more relief to his mind and spirit.

"And Lord Leyton? Will House Hightower expose his financial holdings in front of everyone, in your opinion?" Barbrey.

"Mmm, the King in the Yellow will throw him a challenge, that's for sure. But I don't think he'll expose himself. In my opinion, the man will offer a sum less than House Tyrell and, afterwards, send one of his sons for a private meeting with you.

That is what I would do." Duncan.

"We're playing with wildfire-powered lanterns. One mistake, and we're doomed. Are you aware of that, Hero of the North?" The True Queen.

"We will be? So you have finally decided to fight by my side, oh my faithful ally?" Bloody Snow.

"You kept your word. And I will keep mine." The boy pulled out a letter written in the woman's handwriting in question.

"Mmm...just a reminder," the Queen cheekily downplayed.

"I would like to discuss this very 'reminder'... You know what I mean. I need to know... There are too many lives at stake, Barbrey," the ally insisted.

"What do you want me to say? You're the one who reopened that bolted and locked door." Barbrey.

"I didn't move heaven and earth to create a weakness in my most powerful ally. I did it because I believed and still believe that you and Jorah deserve to find happiness again.

What lies ahead is not a path a person can walk alone. It would be worth it to walk it if there wasn't someone to share the finish line with.

If we can survive to that day, we will all soon be family.

But you can no longer use Jorah as a means of threat. The war that looms over us will be the most terrible and fierce living memory.

The enemy will have no qualms about mercilessly striking at every possible pressure point to destroy us.

Jorah, Dacey, Domeric, our families, our comrades...none of them will be safe from here on out.

You know better than I how painful it is to lose those we love." Barbrey looked away, trying to suppress the strong, growing emotion.

"There's nothing worse..." the woman confirmed and then resumed the word.

"Will you continue to help me protect him?"

"Here's my proposal: I will do everything I can to help you protect those you love if you do the same for those I love.

And if all that isn't enough, and our common enemy succeeds in taking from us those we care about most, Comrade will do everything he can to rekindle a light in the darkest hour... What do you think?" Proposed the companion.

"Just turn on a light? What about revenge? Won't the ally help the companion claim righteous vengeance?" the ally.

"You offend me, my lady. I thought the matter was understated...

We are both Northmen, and The North Never Forgets." Barbrey's lips rippled slightly, forming a smile.

"Never... We have a deal, Bloody Snow." The two parties stood up, shaking hands.

"Who knows, maybe at the end of this whole thing, only House Mormont will come out intact and victorious. Ahahaha!... Huh?... Bad joke?" Duncan.

"No... Or rather, Yes. It was totally inappropriate, but that's not it...

Even though you managed to get all the allies you hoped to get, you fear that this is not enough isn't it?

Even if we manage to gain all the time and means hoped for, will it be the same? Don't you dare try to hide this from me? Reveal your thoughts." The boy's smile faded, and his face grew gloomy.

"Yes, I fear the possibility exists," the most powerful woman in the Seven Kingdoms widened her eyes when she heard the answer and sensed for the first time ever traces of fear in the most monstrous being she had ever met.

"What makes you think that?" Barbrey asked urgently.

"... The more I enter into the truth known to few, the more I have the feeling that something continues to be out of tune in the Great Song of World History.

I still have no idea which notes are missing or in excess...

The Guardian of Beauty has confirmed this hypothesis of mine. Maybe he's the oldest being still alive in the World, and I'm sure that being is hiding something from me...

The thing that disturbs me the most is that he probably did it to safeguard the World he swore to guard or me.

It was as if he didn't think I was up to the task of bearing the colossal burden he held inside.

And that scares me, Barbrey."

The True Queen of Westeros kept her cool in the face of that shocking revelation. Instead, the ally took the helm and began to keep part of the pact she had just made.

"If you're afraid, it means the World is in good hands... Only suckers don't feel fear in the face of unknown dangers.

Information is the key. If this 'anomalous note' does not yet want to be revealed, it is vulnerable somehow and, for some reason, cannot yet act openly against the World's great powers.

If we stir the waters, the 'fish' will sooner or later be forced out." Bloody Snow found the same determined look he once had.

The mouth resumed smiling.

"Yes, you're right. Although it seems that this 'fish' as you call it is more of a dormant Leviathan. Stirring the waters, yes, but let's try not to wake him up too abruptly! Ahahaha!" A small inaudible laugh also came out of the Frosty Spice Queen's half-sealed lips.

"It's getting late. It is time for me to leave, 'my Queen'. Thank you for the warm hospitality and pleasant conversation. Good night." The boy bowed to the Queen, handing out the proper retirement etiquette.

"Wait..." called the Queen hesitantly, stopping the guest from taking his leave.

"Yes, my lady?" The boy turned with aroused curiosity.

"I... I haven't thanked you yet.

Thank you for everything, Ser Duncan."

End Chapter.

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