Eddard II
Watching his friend, his king, the raging fat fool who'd given over his kingdom to Lannister plots and Baelishs less then brilliant schemes, oh Petyr thought he was being subtle and sneaky, but like it or not he had weakness'. And the worst one of them was that he believed Catelyn had a very unhappy marriage. That said Catelyn had at first been displeased to be asked to "spy" on a man she considered a little brother, however it had become clear after the first few letters that Petyr did not have "Familial" feelings toward Catelyn, unless of course you were part of the more conservative Old Valyrian exclaves in the Hornwood and White Harbor.
That said for all the sour feelings he had, Robert was still his friend and he did not wish this sort of trial on any man. Now the laws in the North had due to the Compact not been integrated into the rest of the Seven Kingdoms laws, of course that was also the reason the Starks were known as Princes of Winterfell, similar to the Princes of Sunspear in the south, that Myriah Martell had managed to swing Daeron II Targaryen into granting her upon their marriage. However that was neither here nor there.
Robert looked at him and said "Why couldn't you have been King, the Starks have more Targaryen blood then the Baratheons do. Even with Grandmother reckoned into it. There's only one generation difference" Eddard looked at him for a long moment "Jon Arryn and the rest of your priest-ridden lordlings would have never stood for it. Jon was a good man but he was far too eager to listen to Septons, and you know aswell as I do that had I taken the throne, there would not have been peace, war would have continued unabated as most Lords in the south consider us here in the north, as dangerous heretics at best, at worst they consider us Ironborn." Ned took a long draught of his mead.
"Besides the north hasn't been trusted since Artos Stark married Elaena Targaryen" Robert snorted. "Married?...The Raid on the Maidenvault is one of the more famous plays in the South, Ned, Artos Stark and forty picked men stormed the Red Keep and stole his bethrothed away to the North." Ned smiled grimly, "Aye, it only worked because in Baelor's mind only gods were needed not guards. And Baelor paid for it as Elaena put her considerable talent for numbers and her status as a member of the forty families to work forcing the Valyrian mages to attempt a recreation of the Dragon roads.
When Grandfather took the seat, he could have bought most of Pentos, instead he used the riches on his mother's roads and much of went to shore up the unlikely's rule down south in his later years. He did after all sit as Master of Coin for some years" Robert looked pensive for a moment before gazing down to where the Bloodraven was interrogating Joffrey, "Is my son going to survive this Ned?" Ned looked at Joffrey for a moment, ice in his gaze "Do you want him to?" Robert sighed for a moment, "Yes.. he needs to be punished but I do want him to live." Ned looked down at the table for a moment "Alright, but there will be a severe cost for this, you need to know that." With that he stood up and called out "Halt the proceedings, the King has asked for a direct sentencing and fine. As representative for the aggrieved party I will need some time to confer with my son and nephew as Rhaenys though now a Stark is still his half-sister and so by the compact he does get to advice on demanding damages."
Robert looked at him for a moment then nodded stepping down into the arena and hauling Joffrey up none to gently by his arm before dragging him out of the hall towards their assigned quarters.
The newcomers as they were known in the north had brought many changes to laws of the first men, one such thing was that near no matter what a woman did, a man did never meet her with violence, only women may mete out violence to women. But southerners did not train their women in arms.
So it was that Catelyn Stark, formerly Tully meted out the greatest amount of violence a Southron lady can do without resorting to poisons or daggers. She wrote letters, a lengthy one which she had Rhaenys amend, went to Sunspear, a slightly shorter one went to Alannys Harlaw at Pyke, the Lady Regent getting her letter hand delievered by recently returned son, would see a great deal of improvement between Winterfell and Pyke, though there would still be no love lost. Theon would be arriving not as a stripling youth, but trained by the best armsmasters and educated by Njords priests on Bear Island, a hard man of the northern seas, who had led a ship of raiders against slavers of the Summer Isles.
That letter detailed that Winterfell would not be averse to warming relations with Pyke, but should Alannys so choose Asha who was still held as hostage, though now in Winterfell proper, could marry quite well among the sons of Winterfell, two of Ned's younger brothers were named, each well known for their part in the decimation of the Iron Fleet during the rebellion or should Alannys prefer there could be something worked out with Riverrun and her brother Edmure, who did indeed need a wife and heirs. Other letters were sent to many a Lordly and Noble House.
"You want what?!" Roberts face was turning an alarming shade of puce as he glared at Eddard. Ned returned the glare with a solemn serious gaze and said calmly again. "Robb, Artos and myself have discussed this Robert, in order to consider the matter settled and to not seek a price of blood and gold against your house, we will have the Domain of Dragonstone. It will be passed to Artos; he will be titled by royal decree as Prince of Dragonstone and Lord of the Eastern Isles. This will be so as not to conflict with the Greyjoy titles at Pyke. Furthermore House Baratheon of King's Landing will give up any claim whatsoever to the Islands beyond the suzerainty of the Throne."
"That is my price, Robert. Pay me this as weregild and Joffrey lives and goes free when you leave here to return south, otherwise the ting has affirmed that we will be empowered by them seek the full punishment, accorded us in the laws of the realm."
Robert sighed deeply, before picking up the quill and signing. As he put down the quill. There was a knock and the door opened letting Lord Brynden into the room he cleared his throat saying "Lord Eddard, King Robert, our scouts and rangers have sighted white walkers and great masses of wights near the skirling pass, it seems at war is upon us once more from beyond the wall."
Whoa! giant wall of text off Captain Hunt. that is an extremly impressive amount of information, alot of it will come as we progress, some minor characters and major ones are quite dead at this point and some that were to die will live. However, in regards to the culture, there are are no "pure" First Men houses anymore, given that the legal and material benefits were quite huge for women, so over 2 millenia they've all changed. Religions well the Septons hold the Old/Norse Gods in slightly higher esteem then they did the OTL/Old Gods, easier to the draw parallels and so on. The Rowans are Sif specific, if there had been an insult to Thor it'd have been Oaks, Oden would require Ashtrees or Weirwoods so as to symbolise Yggdrasil.
