Eddard quickly took the paper from the Maester's hand and checked it with some urgency. The things he read soon made him relax, and with a smile, he showed the letter to the men around him.

"The negotiations have had a positive outcome," he announced happily. "The Company of the Rose is returning to the kingdom and will serve as an elite military unit."

The Company of the Rose was a mercenary group that had formed after the King Who Knelt Torhen Stark kneeled before the Targaryens, consisting of some nobles and soldiers, and was founded by King Torhen's brother, Brandon Snow. The group had never severed its ties with the North, and even today, retired soldiers who had fought in that army could be found in Winterfell, some of them in command positions. Some of the third or fourth sons of Northern noble houses would join the group in hopes of a better future and adventure. Brandon, his older brother, often dreamed of joining the group and embarking on free adventures in Essos.

Now, the North had regained its independence, and the Company of the Rose was returning home. Not to serve as mercenaries, but to settle as the kingdom's professional army. Eddard was considering renaming them "The Winter Army" and assigning them to patrol the Riverland borders. His good father, Hoster Tully, feared a future in which the Riverlands would be invaded, and the presence of a 4,000-strong professional army would greatly ease his worries. Eddard had sworn to his good father that he would protect the Trident no matter what, and he was determined to keep that promise. The Riverlands were the grain store of the North, and every lord in the North understood the critical importance of its protection.

However, feeding an army of 4,000 professional soldiers would place a burden on the kingdom's treasury, and the kingdom needed new sources of income. Eddard had ideas like using the Riverland watermill model to increase timber production and build sawmills, but even if this idea was implemented, it was uncertain whether the North would earn enough gold, and there was a clear reason for this: The North's biggest buyers of timber and leather were in Essos.

After the Greendoom disaster, an Anti-Valyrian movement began to form across Westeros, which essentially meant facing off against more than half of Essos, as most of the cities on that cursed continent had been founded by the Valyrian Empire. Some even proudly called themselves the "Daughters of Valyria" and took pride in their Valyrian heritage.

The city of Braavos, which had the best relations with the North in Essos, was known as the "bastard daughter of Valyria," and due to historical reasons, its relations with its parents and the other daughters of Valyria were not very good. The North had suffered very few losses in the Greendoom disaster, which meant that, compared to other kingdoms, they did not harbor much Valyrian hatred. However, this did not mean that they were treated well. The executions of his father and brother were still remembered, as they had happened just three years ago.

Anyway, trade relations with Braavos were still in good condition; however, trade with them alone would not be enough to enrich the North. Relations with Pentos and Myr had deteriorated. Pentos was the closest Essos port city to the North, while Myr was the producer of the necessary glass greenhouses for the North. Ned would need to exert some effort to repair relations with them.

Ned wrote letters with specific instructions to Lord Manderly and his good father, Hoster Tully, asking them to prepare for the arrival of The Company of the Rose. Especially Blackfish had a lot of work to do because Ned would assign him to command the new army.

After closing this matter, he began reviewing other letters. Lord Jeor Mormont's heir, Jorah, had married Lord Bracken's daughter and had a sept built for her on Bear Island. Ned received this news positively. Recently, marriages between Northern and Riverland lords had increased. Both Hoster and Ned had supported these marriages, although there was still a cultural, especially religious, divide. Ned had had a sept built in Winterfell for his wife, Catelyn, and had encouraged houses marrying Riverland ladies to do the same.

This encouragement had angered more conservative Northern houses like the Karstarks and Umbers. Ned's coronation by the High Septon had already been an unwelcome situation, and this encouragement had only added to the discontent. Some had even gone as far as to claim that Ned worshiped the Seven, not the Old Gods. However, everyone living in Winterfell knew that Lord Stark woke up at dawn every day to visit the heart tree. Furthermore, Ned was the man who led the Northern army in battle, winning victories, so his reputation as a ruler was not easily shaken.

Ned would have liked to say that he understood the reactions of the more conservative Northern houses regarding the sept in Winterfell, but honestly, he didn't. The religious war between the worshipers of the Seven and the Old Gods had not been fought for thousands of years. The two religions were not contradictory to each other; they shared common taboos, such as strictly forbidding incest and slavery. Over thousands of years, these two sides had learned to respect one another.

So what if he had a sept built in Winterfell? Most of the southern noble houses had a godswood and a heart tree. Well, it wasn't a real heart tree; it was usually a large oak with a face carved into it, which they called a heart tree. They did this mostly to show how deep their history went. Even houses in the Reach, though they called themselves Andals, considered themselves descendants of the First Men and didn't see it as something to hide. Even House Hightower had a godswood in their garden. After all, there was no other house in Westeros that could claim to be as old as the Starks.

In any case, the southern houses showed at least a minimal level of respect for the Old Gods, and Northerners could do the same for the Seven. It wouldn't hurt.

As for the matter of the Seven's religion, Ned had started watching them closely because, after the Greendoom disaster, the church was undergoing a reform. The actions of the High Septons during the Targaryen era were being scrutinized, and the laws they had written were being reviewed. Even the writings about bastards being the seeds of sin had been completely removed and banned from the Seven's religion.

The reform in the Seven's faith was showing positive signs for now, but danger loomed on the horizon. The result of this reform could be bad for the North. If the zealots used the reforms to enter the most devout councils and stoke the old flames of hatred against the Old Gods... Eddard did not want to deal with a crusade.

On the other hand, there was the situation in the Reach. Ned was expecting a civil war in the region as soon as the council was over, but fortune had smiled upon the Tyrell family.

Lord Quellon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands had seized the opportunity of the Maidenpool council and started raiding the Reach. As soon as Lord Mace Tyrell returned home, his first move was to gather an army and attack the Ironborn. By an extraordinary stroke of luck, they managed to find and kill Lord Quellon Greyjoy in the first attack. This success was a fluke, but unlike the Battle of Ashford, it was not a stolen victory. Lord Mace Tyrell had truly managed to drive the Ironborn out of the Reach in one swift move. This success had raised both his and his house's reputation, securing their position as leaders. Therefore, there was no internal strife in the Reach at the moment, but that was only for now. The lords had retreated to their castles, drawing their swords, preparing for war. The Reach was a volcano that would eventually erupt, and even if they joined the Three Kingdoms Alliance, this would not change.

For this reason, Jon Arryn and Ned saw the Reach as a dead investment and closed the door to all offers from the Tyrells. The Three Kingdoms Alliance had just ended a war; they wouldn't jump into a new one so quickly. The Wolf, the Stag, and the Falcon were victorious but wounded. They needed time to lick their wounds.

The Three Kingdoms Alliance... There was really only good news on this front. No alliance in history had been as strong as this one. Robert and Ned were stepbrothers; Jon Arryn was like a father to them. They would leap into fire for each other without hesitation. Moreover, all three were still quite healthy, so they would continue to rule for a long time.

The lords of the kingdom were men who had fought together, and they all respected each other. Even the most conservative lords of the North no longer looked down on the southerners, and the southerners had stopped seeing the northerners as "barbaric pagans." There were still occasional tensions, but the relationships between the lords were at a good level. Even a man like Roose Bolton had managed to find a few friends.

There were no noteworthy events happening in the Westerlands for now. Jaime Lannister had declared himself King of the Rock in a grand ceremony, but that was all. It was unclear who he would choose as his queen or who he would marry his sister Cersei off to. This matter actually surprised Ned, as he had expected Cersei's hand to be offered to Robert. The Westerlands were not like the Reach; they weren't a boiling pot about to explode, and they were very wealthy. This meant that, in exchange for protection, they could provide the necessary gold for the development of the alliance's countries. So, it was plausible to consider them joining the alliance, but no offer had ever been made, and it seemed like they weren't considering making one. Ned was curious about what was on the Lannisters' minds.

As far as Ned knew, Dorne's internal political situation was stable, but they were suffering from the anti-Valyrian ideology, particularly their deteriorating relations with Lys. A war was expected to break out soon in the Stepstones, which affected the commercial security between Westeros and Essos. This meant that the Three Kingdoms Alliance would need to seriously monitor this situation.

And lastly, the Iron Islands. Ned was keeping an eye on them, or rather, everyone was keeping an eye on them. The barbaric sons of whores would undoubtedly take advantage of the fragmented situation in Westeros. Yes, Mace Tyrell had driven them out of the Reach, but they hadn't inflicted serious damage to their armies or ships. They had merely killed Quellon Greyjoy by sheer luck. The reason for the retreat of the Ironborn was the loss of their leader, not the loss of the war.

Balon Greyjoy, who had declared himself King of the Iron Islands, was a man who supported restoring the old order. Victarion Greyjoy was a disciplined soldier and a capable commander who would cause trouble on the battlefield, and Euron... Ned thought the rumors about him were absurd. not even an Ironborn, could be so inhuman and devilish.

Ned had stationed extra soldiers at the castles on the western coast of his kingdom, particularly Seagard, which was at risk. The Mallister family had been allies of the Starks for generations, and if the Starks did not defend them, their reputation as a noble house would be tarnished. However, Ned did not expect the Ironborn to attack the Northern Kingdom's coasts. Why would they make such an incredibly foolish move to attack less wealthy lands like the North and Riverlands when there were larger feasts to be had in the Westerlands and Reach? There was no reason for it, but still, you never knew what was going through the minds of the Ironborn bastards. It was wise to be prepared.

"Majesty." A servant hurried in, bowing. "Queen Catelyn is here and wishes to see you."

Ned sighed. His new wife was certainly stubborn. "Alright, let her in, and clear the room," he instructed. It wouldn't be good for the King and Queen to be seen arguing.

After a while, as instructed, the room was cleared, and Queen Catelyn entered. Ned looked at her sternly from across the table.

"Majesty, you didn't come to dinner," Catelyn asked, elegantly gesturing with her head.

"I am ruling a newly established kingdom, and I am busy," Ned replied in a flat tone.

"You are not too busy to visit your bastard daughter every day," Catelyn reminded him in a disapproving voice. "Shall I remind you that you have a son and your heir?"

"I remember my son and my heir, and I visit him every day," Ned reminded her, standing up. "However, I don't need to worry about my son's protection and care in Winterfell. The same does not apply to my daughter."

"You... you can't mean this," Catelyn stopped speaking formally, her face contorted with anger. "What kind of woman do you think I am?"

"Since I brought her to the castle, you've objected to Allyria's presence."

"I'm only saying that true-born children shouldn't live under the same roof as bastards. You can leave your daughter to grow up somewhere more appropriate, just like you did with your bastard son. Royal bastards are dangerous, Your Majesty."

"I will not send my daughter away. Stop bringing this up." This argument was severely damaging Ned and Catelyn's relationship.

Catelyn paused for a moment, then looked carefully at Ned's face. "Is this about Ashara Dayne?" she asked. "You can't forget her, and..."

At that moment, Ned's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table. Catelyn, who saw this, recoiled in fear; it was the first time she had ever seen her husband like this.

Ashara dayne, Did Catelyn think Ned still loved and longed for her? No, Ned didn't love her, he hated her, he abandoned her, he abandoned his daughters in this cruel world to atone for something he had no sin in doing. Did she think she was some kind of saint? No, she was a coward, she was just a coward, she ran away from her duties and in doing so she shattered Ned's heart, she made him feel guilty.

Ned hated her and hated himself for continuing to love and miss her inwardly. The quiet wolf was unprepared for such turmoil of thought and was imprudent. if possible, he would like to forget Ashara completely and erase her from his mind. he really thought he could have done it if their daughter Allyria hadn't stood there as a living example of her mother.

"You will not speak of that woman to me, Queen Catelyn Tully Stark," this time using her full name. When he raised his head and looked at the woman, he saw her fear, and he felt ashamed of himself. He relaxed his body and softened his expression, walking over to his queen and placing his hand on her arm.

"Catelyn," he said, looking directly into her eyes with all sincerity. "I swear, any daughter born of us will be loved by me just as much as Allyria. I swear, neither Allyria nor Jon will ever pose a threat to your children's inheritance. Just don't ask me to do this..."

Ned sighed. How could his wife expect him to cast away his daughter? He loved her so much, and he was proud of her. "Don't force me to choose between my daughter and my wife."

There was silence for a while. "Swear it," Catelyn finally said. "You will not legitimate those bastards. Swear it."

"But Allyria is a girl. She can't be a threat to Robb's inheritance." Ned tried to reason with her.

"No, swear it," Catelyn insisted. "Swear it, and I'll never bring this up again."

Ned took a deep breath. If this vow would ensure his daughter's safety and a peaceful childhood, he would make it.

"I swear."