The merchant dithered for a moment, but eventually said, "Very well, we have an agreement." He gave me a wry smile and added, "You're a hard negotiator, for a Southron."
"And you're rather clever for a Northman," I joked back, if only to show that no offense had been given. "It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Rickard."
"The same with you, Lady Stark," he replied with a surprisingly good courtly bow. "I look forward to seeing what other ventures you come up with."
I considered him for a long moment before asking, "Tell me, Rickard, what dyes are produced here in the North?"
Seeing the glint in my eyes, the old merchant smiled.
"My lady, a raven has come for you," Maester Luwin accosted me as soon as I stepped back into the castle, trailed by a pair of household guards who had escorted me to Winter Town and back.
"Where from?" I asked, changing course from the Great Hall to the Lord's solar.
"From King's Landing," he replied.
The mention of the capital caused me to stop in my tracks and look him in the eyes. "And… the sender?" I asked.
Maester Luwin smiled. "It was sealed with your Lord Husband's signet ring."
"Hmm. So, it is either great news or terrible news," I replied with a sigh. "Very well; let's go see what it says."
I arrived at the solar and cracked the seal. Maester Luwin patiently waited on the other side of the desk while I read it.
Dearest wife,
The war is, for all intents and purposes, won. After our victory at the Battle of the Trident, Robert commanded me to lead the army on King's Landing in an attempt to beat the Lannister army there. Unfortunately, the lions arrived before we could.
However, rather than reinforce the city, once the army was within the walls, the Lannisters sacked the town. In the chaos of the attack, King Aerys is dead, killed by Ser Jaime Lannister, his own Kingsguard. Princess Elia and her two children were also slain in the attack. I and my army were, fortunately, able to cease the pillaging and return the city to peace and stability.
Robert, slowed by the injuries he sustained at the Battle of the Trident, arrived a sennight after me, whereupon he claimed the Iron Throne and received vows of allegiance by all the lords present. The official coronation is to happen in two moons in the Sept of Baelor.
While in the Red Keep, I discovered news that my sister is being kept prisoner in Dorne. Thankfully, not in Sunspear, but in a small keep near the border with the Reach. When I expressed my intentions to rescue my sister, Robert ordered me to take the army and to break the siege of Storm's End. Once that task has been completed and the lords of the Reach have bent the knee, Robert's Rebellion will finally be over.
After I have rescued my sister, I will be returning to Winterfell. If all goes well, I will be home in six moons.
Faithfully yours,
Eddard Stark,
Lord Paramount of the North.
"It would seem the war is all but won," I commented as I handed the letter over to the Maester, who quickly skimmed through it.
"So it would seem, my lady," he replied, letting out a breath of relief. "And not a day too soon; such a terrible thing, war is."
"Aye, a terrible waste of life and resources," I agreed. "And yet, sometimes it is necessary."
"Unfortunately so," he commiserated.
"Well, we have perhaps six moons until my Lord husband returns," I said with a sigh. To be honest, despite coming to accept my role as a woman, I was not looking forward to my husband's return. It would bring all sorts of mental struggles to the forefront, and I worried how well I would take it.
Shaking off my introspection, I continued. "We need to prepare supplies for the returning men, to ease their march home."
"Aye, my lady," he agreed with a nod. "Shall I inform Steward Poole?"
I considered it for a moment before shaking my head. "No; I'll speak to him at the evening meal, and we will begin planning after it is done."
"As you wish, my lady," he nodded. "Do you have anything else for me?"
I considered him for a moment, then asked, "Perhaps. Tell me, what do you know about agriculture?"
"Agriculture? Only the basics, my lady, but the Winterfell library is rather extensive. Why do you ask?"
"I think we need to improve food production in the North," I replied. "I have a few ideas that may help, but I wanted to see if there is any knowledge we might find that could ease this task."
"Oh? What did you have in mind?"
"Wheat thrives better in warmer climes, and yet our primary grain crop in the North is wheat," I answered. "I wondered if another grain crop had been cultivated in the past; barley, oats, rye, or millet. I know that rye, at the least, makes for a rather good bread. Different in flavor from wheat bread, but quite good nonetheless."
"I'm afraid I do not know," the Maester replied with a shake of his head. "I know that rye is cultivated in Norvos, whose climate is not quite as cold as the North's, but is comparable overall. The Ibbenese make both bread and beer from the barley they grow on their islands, whose climate is quite cold…"
"Then we should start there," I concluded. "Find whatever you can on crops that thrive in colder climates, as well as any record of crops other than wheat that had been grown in the past, and I will find a way to put that knowledge to good use."
"Then, by your leave, my lady, I have research to do."