Just as the entire hall thought that the gift giving event was over and Lucas would take his seat next to Ned Stark, he turned and stood facing them once more.
"Lord Stark," he said. "There is one more person whose name is not Stark, but the same blood flows in his veins as in yours."
"I believe Jon Snow also deserves a gift," he said, his eyes settling on the Lord of Winterfell.
There was no change in expression on Ned's face. He did not think much of it. According to him, this was only appropriate. He simply nodded his head in approval.
There was also not much reaction from the people in the hall. Unlike in the South and in the Faith of the Seven, where bastards were seen with eyes of disgust and doubt and were treated as lowborn, in the North, they were thought of and treated much better.
But there were a few people who did not take Lucas' move well. Catelyn, Septa Mordane, and even Sansa to some extent.
Sansa did not really think anything bad about it. She just found it strange. She could not understand why a knight and a man like Lord Lucas would even bother with someone like Jon Snow.
To Catelyn, however, she could not bear to see the presence of Jon Snow being acknowledged. In her mind, she knew that what Lucas was doing was correct. Even if Jon was a bastard, Ned had acknowledged him as his son and had allowed Jon to stay in the castle itself.
It was only natural for Lucas to show a modicum of respect to the bastard also. But knowing the reality and being able to accept it were two different things, and Catelyn surely was not able to bring herself to accept the reality. The teachings of the faith about the evilness of bastardness was too far ingrained in her heart and she could not get over it.
Meanwhile, Lucas had crossed the few tables and arrived at the end of the hall where Jon was sitting. Jon had an incredulous expression on his face. He was almost shocked and stunned. He knew his status better than most. Lady Stark had made sure that he was aware of his status.
To be acknowledged in such a feast and to be grouped with the rest of the Starks was not something he had actually expected in his life.
But the moment he saw Lucas approaching him, his mind whizzed, and all the things he had learned from the Maester came rushing back. He knew how to treat and behave around a Lord of higher standing, and though he remembered it all, his body almost instinctively grew stiff.
"Jon Snow," Lucas' voice boomed through the hall.
"Lord Lucas," Jon said, standing from his seat.
Lucas stood directly in front of Jon, and though Lucas was not a lot taller than Jon, he was looming over the future King in the North, or at least, the man who would be king if Lucas did not affect the future.
Jon, meanwhile, was barely holding his composure.
Another box was unbolted and his gift was pulled out. The gift did not surprise many people. It was a sword, almost similar to what he had given to Robb. The only difference was that unlike Robb's sword, whose pommel had been carved into the shape of a direwolf bust, Jon's pommel was plain and simple. The blade, though, was the same.
"A sword," Lucas said, handing the blade to Jon, who took it with a trace of happiness in his eyes.
"Thank you, Lord Lucas," Jon said, his voice genuinely grateful.
Lucas nodded, turned back, and walked to his seat next to Ned Stark.
Meanwhile, his act of giving the same sword to Jon and Robb had left a sour taste in Catelyn's mouth. Though Robb had also received a complete set of armour and an extra gift and his sword featured a direwolf pommel, her mind was more focused on the similarity. She was hell bent on considering Jon to be a rival and obstruction in the path of Robb. Whatever little grace Lucas had earned in Catelyn's eyes vanished.
Shortly after, Bran and Arya were made to return to their chambers while the feast continued in full flow, with the men getting more and more drunk.
And though Ned too seemed to be enjoying the feast, his mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts, thoughts about the gifts that he and his family had received from Lucas.
He was no fool, and he could see what Lucas had been trying to do. He was putting on a display in front of the whole of Winterfell, showing what he could offer to the North.
Those figurines of metal, those swords, and the armors were a message to the North and to him about what Lucas could provide. Ned could not deny that he was tempted. Who would not be tempted by better farming equipment for his people and better weapons for his soldiers?
But what worried him was the cost that Lord Lucas would be asking in return. He did not have the capability to pay in gold, and he was certain that Lucas was smart enough to know his limitations regarding his wealth. It warranted the question: what did he truly want?
"You went a little overboard with those gifts, Lord Lucas," Ned remarked in a low voice. "These are too costly."
"No, not really, Lord Stark," Lucas chuckled, waving his hands in dismissal. "You are the Lord of one of the Great Houses. These were the gifts you deserved as per your station."
"But I did not hear of you bringing similar gifts to the King and his brothers, who have a higher station than me," Ned remarked.
"I am building them an entire city to rule," Lucas responded. "An appropriate gift, if I may say so."
Ned nodded. He did not buy this argument, but he did not say anything more on it.
"But still," he sighed. "I will accept all your gifts, but not the necklace you gave to Sansa. It is too costly. Extremely costly."
"You will have to accept it, Lord Stark," Lucas said. "Besides, I cannot bear to take it back and take with it the smile from Lady Sansa's face. Did you not see how much she appreciated the gift?"
"She is a mature lady," Ned replied. "She will understand my actions."
"Of course she will," Lucas said, though he doubted that Sansa would actually understand. If Eddard took back the necklace, she would surely throw a tantrum.
"But I still cannot bear to take it away," he added.
Ned was about to say something, but Lucas cut him off.
"Do not fret, Lord Stark," he said. "Compared to the things which we will be discussing tomorrow, this necklace will be very insignificant."
Ned opened his mouth to say something, but ultimately he remained silent. He would deal with it when the time comes tomorrow.
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