Crops were replanted in the open fields, though they were sparse, clearly having "survived" the destruction.
The sparse crops resembled the lonely cooking smoke rising from the distant farmhouses.
There were no longer skeletons scattered along the roadsides, and the villages had regained some vitality.
The wounds of war seemed to be healing, but the overall atmosphere was still somewhat desolate. A team of around twenty people was traveling on the main road when they suddenly stopped to take a short rest.
Arya was the first to jump off the carriage, turning back to the sluggish Sansa and asking, "Sansa, aren't you going to practice your sword anymore?!"
"Coming, coming." Sansa replied from inside the carriage, still feeling a bit shy. She constantly adjusted the narrow sleeves of her practice clothes, feeling uncomfortable without the flowing movement of wide sleeves and long skirts.
Jenny, also wearing practice clothes, followed behind her, intending to learn alongside Sansa.
After experiencing this series of events in King's Landing, Sansa realized the importance of practicing martial arts.
However, the thought of having to wield weapons like Arya still made her feel uneasy.
But Jon encouraged her, saying that adding exercise would improve her skin. Only then did Sansa decide to follow Arya and learn her Water Dance.
However, Sansa's athletic talent was clearly inferior to Arya's. She and Jenny had entered an unfamiliar Domain, experiencing Arya's predicament during needlework class.
"Sansa, Jenny, can you put a little effort into it?! Your movements are so soft they couldn't even pierce a piece of paper!"
"Sansa, speed up your movements!"
"Sansa, your feet need to move forward when you thrust."
"Sansa, you move like a duck!"
"Sansa—"
Arya felt a mischievous delight, having finally made Sansa cry.
"I don't want to practice anymore!" Sansa threw down the wooden sword in her hand and turned to go back to the carriage.
Seeing Sansa leave, Jenny also chose to depart. Both of them couldn't stand Arya's "suppressive" teaching style.
Sandor, not far away, watched the three playing around and chuckled softly, then shifted his gaze toward Jon and Davos, who were talking by the river.
Jon set off almost immediately after finalizing his engagement with Margaery, witnessed by Davos, taking only a dozen or so attendants and guards.
The armies were still being reorganized; the King's Landing troops would only depart after Jon had settled matters with Robb.
For this expedition, Jon's own army consisted of over eight thousand men, not including Harken's contingent returning to the Mountains of the Moon.
In addition, Stannis provided support of about three thousand men. In fact, he hadn't been reduced from over twenty thousand men to just two thousand during the Blackwater Rush.
Most of the men had simply been captured.
Stannis currently had over ten thousand troops he could directly mobilize, and this number was rapidly recovering.
Besides the troops Stannis provided to Jon, the Frey Family would also support Jon with a thousand men. Stannis had completely pardoned the Frey Family's previous support for Robb's claim to kingship and had accepted them into his New Court.
Jon had now briefed Davos on Robb, Catelyn, Brynden, and some of the Northern nobles. The two were analyzing their likely attitudes toward ending their independence and how to deal with them.
"Are you suggesting Brynden might be the most stubborn among them all?" Davos asked thoughtfully.
"Yes, Brynden and his older brother Hoster Tully both adhere strictly to the Tully Family motto—Family, Honor, Duty. Brynden only left Riverrun for The Vale back then because he refused the marriage alliance arranged by his Family. When Tywin was ravaging the Riverlands, he rushed back almost immediately. If Robb gives up his claim to the throne, Riverrun loses the support of the North, while the threat from the Westerlands is very real."
"What about Lady Catelyn?"
"Lady Catelyn's attitude toward her children is comparable to, perhaps even surpasses, Cersei's. I believe she is inclined toward peace talks. She wasn't entirely supportive when Robb first claimed the crown."
Jon and Davos then analyzed some of the moderates, such as Roose Bolton. In this timeline, Roose Bolton hasn't had the chance to commit any atrocities yet.
At most, one could say his actions were not decisive enough; we cannot assume guilt based on suspicion. In comparison, Jon seemed more like the villain.
But since Robb's situation hasn't deteriorated to the original extent, he should honestly refrain from betraying them.
Furthermore, because the North and the Riverlands still commanded over thirty thousand troops, Stannis considered the situation and decided that as long as Robb was willing to lay down his crown and submit to him, he could be given the title of "Prince of the North."
After all, the last King in the North three hundred years ago, "Torrhen Stark," was known as the King Who Knelt.
The one who accepted the surrender of the King Who Knelt was Aegon the Conqueror, riding the great Dragon "Balerion."
However, the Northmen did not think highly of Stannis, especially since he had just suffered a devastating defeat. Only due to the variable factor of Jon could he find refuge.
Thus, offering the title of Prince as a condition for peace talks was considered a compromise from both sides.
"Alas—Robb Stark still lacks decisiveness. As a king, he has been insufficiently thorough in many matters and acted somewhat willfully." Davos was referring to Robb's marriage to Jeyne Westerling.
"Robb is only fifteen years old. He lacks experience, and these matters cannot be entirely blamed on him. When surrounded by a large group of nobles urging one to become king, I doubt many people could resist that temptation," Jon countered.
"Ah, Jon, you are right." Davos nodded, but then suddenly realized that Jon was only fifteen too. How could he speak with such a mature tone?
Davos reflected on himself, realizing it was mainly because he had spent too much time with Jon recently, subconsciously believing that a fifteen-year-old should behave this way.
Upon careful recollection of Robb's actions, he was still a very promising young man.
If only Stannis could have an heir like that. It was just a pity—
A little girl with large grey scars on her face appeared in Davos's mind—that was Shireen, Stannis's only child.
Shireen suffered from Greyscale since birth. Greyscale is a contagious disease, and because of this, Shireen could not be affectionate with her parents like other children.
Shireen could not even attend the coronation ceremony. This was a decision unanimously agreed upon by everyone after discussion.
"Alright, alright, you can take a break." In the distance, Arya, experiencing the joy of teaching for the first time, issued the command.
She wanted to talk to Jon, but Jon was still conversing with Davos, so she didn't approach. Seeing Sandor standing there like an iron tower, she walked toward him instead.
For Riverrun this time, Stannis also offered quite favorable terms: Old Walder, the Marquis, was conferred the title of Duke. Henceforth, the Frey Family would no longer be vassals of the Tully Family but would exist as equals.
This was essentially a weakening of the Tully Family.
Furthermore, the King's Landing City Watch, or the Gold Cloaks, would recruit some Freys to become officers.
Thanks to Jon, the Frey Family also benefited from the war and avoided the eventual fate of being executed down to the last member by Arya.
Ultimately, it was the Stark Family who first broke the alliance with the Frey Family. It was just that the Frey Family's method of collecting their debt was too crude, or perhaps they simply overreacted.
Jon and Davos's first destination for this diplomatic mission was Riverrun. Davos would represent Stannis in conferring the title upon Old Walder and accepting Old Walder's allegiance to the iron throne.
With mutual benefit and win-win results, the trip to Riverrun was sure to be easy and pleasant.
However, Davos had one concern, and it was about Jon.
Jon had previously confessed about his relationship with Roslin, but Davos was worried: what if Jon recklessly broke off the engagement?
He decided it was better to warn him in advance.
"Jon, regarding Young Miss Roslin, I don't know if you still—if you are—" Davos began cautiously, but stumbled mid-sentence.
However, Jon knew what he was trying to say. In fact, before setting off, he had already written a letter to Roslin expressing his apology.
"Don't worry, Ser Davos. I do still have some lingering affection for Young Miss Roslin, but I won't pursue anything further. I am a bastard; I know what the strange looks of others mean for a bastard, and I absolutely will not let my Bloodline endure that again."
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