As expected, the next day, news of Robb Stark becoming King in the North spread across the Riverlands, the North, and even throughout Westeros, carried by people and birds alike.
The joy of the new king's ascension dispelled the sorrow that had loomed for so long—at least for most.
With a temporary halt in the war and nearly 20,000 troops assembled at Riverrun, a human tide began to flow in from all directions. Laborers, blacksmiths, tanners, camp followers, and women of all kinds arrived. Some were brought by the lords during their march, while others came after the ceasefire, eager to fill the soldiers' void of loneliness and exhaustion after months of battle.
Eddard watched as the already-bustling Riverrun grew even livelier and couldn't help but shake his head.
The alliance between the wolf and the trout had shattered the moment Robb declared himself king. Neither Renly nor Stannis would accept a broken Iron Throne—even if either could claim it.
By now, the truth had spread: Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella were not Robert's trueborn children. Stannis, unlike Eddard Stark, saw no need to preserve his late brother's dignity. To seize the throne, he had already sacrificed too much.
But Eddard had no time to dwell on these matters. He was incredibly busy. Even when he lay down to sleep, people came knocking.
In theory, he shouldn't have been so overburdened. But since Lord Rickard entered Riverrun and sealed himself inside, all military matters had fallen to his second son.
Tasks piled up: repairing damaged armor, sharpening dulled weapons, reshoeing warhorses, burning fallen riders and documenting their names for postwar honors and compensation.
None of this required Eddard to do personally, but overseeing it all fell on his shoulders. He listened to his subordinates' reports and made judgment after judgment.
He even had to mediate disputes over spoils, assign duties to hunt down fleeing Lannisters, and deal with incidents where soldiers chopped off fingers over stolen goods.
Sometimes, justice wasn't fair. A man's status often dictated what was right.
Take, for example, how Eddard punished soldiers who brawled over spoils by sending them after the Lannisters. They had energy to spare and weren't satisfied with their loot. It was a win-win.
Or in the case of theft—cutting off fingers sufficed. Had this happened in the North, they'd be on a one-way trip to the Wall.
He did wonder, though, whether the Night's Watch accepted women.
Eddard's four main subordinates were just as busy. Abel and Dita Kalander were off on missions. Lando was recovering from serious wounds to his left arm and leg—he wouldn't be back on his feet for at least ten days. Karas Snow, though injured, had only a minor leg wound and limped his way into town to spend his well-earned coin.
After the recent battle, all four had pocketed a generous sum in silver stags and gold dragons. Dita Kalander, in particular, was an expert at scavenging spoils.
They even had unsold Lannister warhorses to trade.
But Eddard soon discovered a problem: in just a few days, the boost in morale from monetary rewards had already faded.
It was clear now why ancient commanders paid troops before decisive battles—loyalty bought with coin vanished quickly.
Thankfully, a new reason for loyalty had emerged: [You led him to shine in the camp raid battle and gained a lot of spoils].
Eddard couldn't see the exact values, but he felt confident the numbers had gone up.
That morning, with the sun shining and a cool breeze blowing, Eddard stood outside his tent when six well-equipped cavalrymen approached.
Mam had died in battle, and Rickard, concerned about Eddard's safety, had sent six more elite riders.
Eddard now had twice the protection.
He frowned slightly. His current status allowed him to recruit only five soldiers who could benefit from the system's upgrades. Any extras wouldn't receive those perks.
But then he changed his mind.
If he became a lord one day, he might command hundreds—maybe thousands! Perhaps even tens of thousands?
He'd never be able to recruit them all into the system. Better to start learning how to manage regular men now.
He also wanted to compare system-bound soldiers to ordinary ones receiving identical treatment.
"Gentlemen, introduce yourselves," he said. With his current prestige, there was no need to explain who he was.
One by one, they stepped forward:
Konn: A slender, clever, handsome young man.
Paine: Short, stocky, simple-faced, with a stutter. He had one son and two daughters.
Matthew and Martin: Ordinary-looking brothers, young horse archers with slightly long arms.
McKen: Short and wiry, with a grizzled beard. Over forty but strong, with a voice like a drum.
Doren: Sturdy, silent, and weather-beaten.
Most came from the common folk around Karhold—families with small businesses or crafts seeking social mobility through military service.
Each man introduced himself. Eddard added them to the system, reviewed their information briefly, then sent them away for the next. One profile stood out.
[Doren]
Loyalty: Very Poor
Reasons:
1. Your father sent him to protect you.
2. He has long served House Karstark.
3. Roose Bolton bribed him with a promise of land.
Soldier Rank: None
!!!
Eddard's eyes widened.
The Old Flayer had already placed spies in House Karstark?
Of course—Dreadfort and Karhold bordered each other. Roose Bolton, with his ambitions and cunning, would've targeted Karstark loyalty early.
Robb Stark—look at what your enemies are doing while you bungle the war for a few Lannisters!
Should Eddard kill Doren now?
Or use him as a counter-spy?
He wouldn't send Doren back. That would risk tipping off Bolton. Better to keep him close and monitor any changes in his system profile.
When Doren eventually exposed himself—or when war with the Boltons broke out—Eddard would deal with him.
Eddard assigned the new men to various duties. He sent Doren to assist Maester Reed with treating the wounded—an unpleasant but important job.
Let him wade through blood and screams. It might keep him too busy for betrayal.
"Yes, young master." "Understood." "Right away."
They rode off.
Some murmured to themselves, "Didn't we hear the young master gives a 50 silver stag welcome gift? Why didn't we get one?"
No one dared say it aloud.
With the soldiers gone, Eddard picked up his battle axe and began training.
Despite the system's enhancements, no one ever complained about being too strong.
He had barely warmed up when Abel rode in, dismounted, and whispered, "Young master, there's something. Let's head into the city."
Eddard raised an eyebrow, grabbed his axe, and followed Abel toward Riverrun.
The bridge, damaged during the siege, had been repaired. Merchants and farmers were now bringing in goods to restock war-depleted stores.
Eddard and Abel, under House Karstark's sun-and-star banner, crossed the bridge and rode into the castle.
Life had returned.
Hawkers shouted, children ran, merchants bargained, and the streets buzzed with peace.
After dismounting, Abel led Eddard down a quiet alley, past a sword-bearing guard, and into a small wooden door.
Immediately, Eddard heard the sounds of music, laughter, gasps, and the clinking of cups.
The decor was lavish—screens from Myr, embroidered with exotic flora and sultry women. Sunlight filtered through colored glass onto Dornish wine and dancing girls.
This was clearly a brothel.
Eddard shot Abel a look. A noble entering a brothel in broad daylight? The gossip would be relentless.
Abel just shrugged and led him into a private room. Inside, Dita Kalander and Karas Snow were already lounging.
Karas lay back on a couch, a voluptuous brunette bouncing on his lap. He grinned and slapped her thigh.
"Hurry up, the young master's here!"
Eddard blinked.
What... what is this?
Trying not to show discomfort, he turned to Dita.
She explained quickly, "Young master, this is Qingteng Tavern. If you rent a luxury suite, you get your pick of the girls. Karas saw Abel and me here, assumed you reserved the room for... entertainment, and joined in."
Eddard realized what happened. Abel and Dita had used the room to complete one of his tasks, and Karas misunderstood.
Such outings were common among commanders—some even used them to bond with soldiers. The Mountain was notorious for it.
Eddard forced a smile and scolded playfully, "Enough, you two! Get out!"
Karas chuckled, finished his business, paid the girl generously, and limped out, leaving the room to Eddard.
"Alright," Eddard said, his tone serious now. "Tell me what's going on."