Percy POV
Summer: 295 AC
It took Percy a moment to register the words the guard had shouted moments ago, but once he did, he quickly summoned his armor and began a sprint to catch up with the man. He couldn’t help but wonder why in the world anyone would attack Winterfell.
He understood that he hadn’t been in this land long, and he hadn’t seen any other castles, but from what he had seen so far, Winterfell was powerful. It was also an imposing fortress by his standards that should be able to withstand dozens of sieges.
To him, attacking this place was guaranteed suicide. Unless this was a massive invasion force or an assassination attempt, he didn’t see how the perpetrators could even possibly hope to succeed. Deciding he needed more information he shouted to the guard as they made a right turn down a T hallway.
“Do you know how big the force is? It seems like suicide to attack Winterfell, no?”
The guard grunted. “Aye, It’s suicide for sure. I heard it was only several dozen Ironborn, and we are going to fuck their sku...”
Percy barely reacted in time by rolling backwards onto the ground. The guard had been cut off mid-sentence due to an arrow piercing his skull, killing him instantly. While the force of the arrow snapped his neck back, stopping his momentum and causing him to fall backwards.
Percy immediately looked to the end of the hall spotting the archer on the right side who was peeking from behind cover with another arrow already notched. His demigod instincts kicked in as he leaned to the left, dodging the arrow, and unsheathing Riptide as he began to sprint towards the end of the hallway.
The son of Poseidon then rolled to the right as another arrow was loosed, keeping his momentum, and dodging two more arrows the archer had managed to get off. Percy then ducked under the bow he threw at him, grabbing the man’s wrist, and stopping his attempt to thrust a dagger into his sternum.
The demigod then twisted his wrist, causing the archer to drop the dagger, before stabbing him in the leg with Riptide. The Ironborn screamed out in agony, and Percy slapped his face to get his attention.
“What are the Ironborn doing attacking Winterfell?”
The man stared at him with hatred in his eyes, spitting in his face. “Fuck you, you pig fucker!”
Percy wiped the spit off his face before cutting off the man's arm in a single swing, followed by another scream of agony. This time Percy punched him in the face to get his attention.
“Tell me what I want to know, and I’ll make it quick and painless.”
The Ironborn met his eyes again, there was still a deep hatred, but Percy could also see the fogginess as the man began to die due to blood loss.
“I said, Fuck. A. Pig! What is dead may nev-”
Percy shook his head, stabbing the Ironborn in the heart, and cutting him off mid-sentence as he had done to the Winterfell guard. With a sigh, Percy took in his surroundings trying to determine where he was at.
With the little information that he got out of the Winterfell guard before his death, Percy was pretty confident this was an assassination attempt. Yet, he had no idea who the target was, or how to warn Eddard.
Just as he was about to make his way down the right corridor, the sound of swords clashing on the left drew his attention. The demigod then began to jog toward the sounds of combat, coming to a stop at another four-way intersection and the aftermath of a battle.
He counted four dead Winterfell guards by the Direwolf sigil the men bore, it was one he was familiar with, having seen it countless times. He then counted seven dead Ironborn, noticing their Kraken symbol for the first time. Before the demigod could even think about the Kraken existing in this world, or even check the bodies for anyone still living, he heard a woman scream from the right.
The son of Poseidon began sprinting in that direction, coming to the conclusion of another battle. This time though, Percy saw a Winterfell guard stab an Ironborn before one of the other invaders took off the guard's head.
He then saw two Ironborn kick down a door and force their way in. Percy picked up the pace, leaping over a dead Ironborn, while simultaneously cutting off the head of the Ironborn that had just done the same. Reaching the door just in time as the woman from before screamed again. However, he now realized the Ironborn’s target, Catelyn Stark and baby Rickon who was crying against the far wall.
Percy took in the two attackers as they struggled to get over the dresser that Catelyn must’ve knocked over. The demigod was thankful for the woman's ingenuity as it had bought her enough time for him to get there.
Catelyn noticed him and he could visibly see the relief in her eyes as he appeared in the doorway. Realizing that the Ironborn hadn’t noticed him yet, and not wanting to give them a chance to kill Catelyn or her son, Percy attacked immediately.
Unsheathing Annabeth’s dagger and throwing it end over end towards the Ironborn on the left before running the invader on the right through the heart with Riptide, killing him instantly. That wasn’t the case for the one on the left though, as the remaining Ironborn rushed him.
Pulling Riptide out of the dead man with a squelch, Percy managed to deflect the final invader's sluggish swing before slicing his sword arm off at the elbow like it was butter. The man screamed in agony, which went an octave higher after Catelyn kicked him hard in the balls.
Percy then went over to the man who was now on the floor sobbing, picking him up by his chest piece so they were eye to eye, slapping him a couple times to get his attention.
“Who sent you? Why kill Catelyn Stark?”
The Ironborn gave a bloody smile, and Percy nearly wretched at the smell of the man's mouth.
“The drowned god guides us. What is dead may never die!”
The man’s eyes glazed over soon after his parting words as he succumbed to his injuries. With a sigh Percy threw him back on the ground, retrieving Annabeth’s dagger from his back, before making his way to Catelyn and Rickon.
“Thank you for helping me and my son Perseus, you are quite the warrior indeed.”
Percy gave a slight bow at the praise before responding.
“You are most welcome Lady Catelyn, what happened?”
The matriarch of House Stark gave a disgusted look at one of the Ironborn corpses before speaking.
“When the horn is sounded the women and children in Winterfell are escorted to the Great Hall. We were on our way there when a dozen of the Ironborn bastards ambushed us. My guards fought valiantly and bravely while trying to keep the two of us safe, but there were too many of them.”
Percy nodded his head solemnly. “Then let's get you to the Great Hall, stay behind me.”
As Percy turned to leave Catelyn grabbed his arm stopping him, a sincerity on her face. “Truly, thank you Perseus. Winterfell owes you a great debt, and I will see to it that you are rewarded.”
Percy just nodded his head; he would rather get her to safety than argue. “Thank you Lady Catelyn, but we must leave. I would struggle to fight a dozen men and keep both of you safe.”
She nodded her head, picking up baby Rickon, as Percy peeked out into the corridor. Signaling the cost clear Percy made his way out of the now trashed room followed by the Stark matriarch, and after giving her a moment to mourn the dead guard he spoke.
“I am still a bit unfamiliar with the layout of the castle Lady Stark, could you point me in the right direction?”
His words broke her out of her stupor, and she numbly nodded her head, pointing her finger in the right direction. Percy was slow and methodical as he led her and Rickon to the Great Hall but was shocked that they came across no more invaders and no more dead bodies.
Finally, they arrived at the Great Hall door and the two guards, upon seeing his bloodied appearance, drew their weapons. They immediately sheathed them though once Lady Stark and Rickon came around the corner behind him.
One of the guards was quick to address Catelyn directly. “Lady Stark, I am glad to see you and Rickon okay. Please hurry inside, Lord Stark is very worried.”
The guards then proceeded to open the door and Percy was surprised by the amount of people inside as he didn’t realize so many people lived in Winterfell. Although he quickly spotted Eddard, whose relief was apparent as Catelyn and Rickon walked through the doors.
The Warden of the North nearly sprinted as he made his way towards his wife and son, embracing them, before looking them over for any wounds. Satisfied that the only blood on the two was that of others, he brought them over to the rest of the family.
Percy noticed two young women in the group realizing that they had to be Eddard's infamous daughters. After their reunion, Eddard, Robb, and Jon joined him where he was waiting. Eddard spoke up, and the fury in his voice was noticeable.
“The force at the front gate must’ve been a distraction, you have my eternal thanks Perseus. I will see you properly rewarded for your actions. But first, I am going to show these Ironborn cunts what happens when you attack House Stark.”
Percy nodded his head, and the group of four made their way out of the Great Hall and into the courtyard where Percy’s ears were immediately assaulted with the sound of steel clashing. Taking in the battlefield, he could see the Ironborn were losing, and badly at that.
There were, in total, about three dozen Ironborn left in a circle surrounded by at least seven dozen Winterfell guards and soldiers. Eddard immediately charged into battle, closely followed by Robb and Jon, while Percy wasn’t too far behind.
He absentmindedly wondered where Theon was. If he remembered correctly from the talks the group had earlier in the day, Theon was the heir of the Ironborn. Shaking his mind free of those thoughts the demigod put his attention on the battle.
It was over quickly due to the sheer number advantage, and Percy was impressed that only three Ironborn soldiers surrendered. After Percy decapitated the last Ironborn, a massive cheer erupted from the battlefield, and Percy noticed Eddard on a bench as a makeshift stage.
“Today, the Ironborn have made an egregious mistake in attacking Winterfell. A mistake they will soon come to regret. I am proud of you all for your valiant efforts in repelling these invaders. If you are injured, please make your way to the infirmary, if you are able, please clean up this trash. But all of you have my thanks.”
With that, Eddard got down from the bench and ushered Percy and his sons to follow, as the guards began to clean up the battlefield. It wasn’t long until the group found themselves back in the Great Hall.
Eddard then went to a fat older man who seemed to be ripped with muscle, despite the gut. His white hair was unique, to say the least, braided in such a way that it framed his face giving him the appearance of a beard. That man was with another, this one was younger and had dark hair similar to that of Robb and Jon.
Robb, catching where Percy was looking, and his confusion, elaborated for him. “The man with white hair is Rodrick Cassel, he’s our master-at-arms, and the other man is Jory Cassel. He’s the captain of our household guard.”
Percy nodded his head in thanks, as the three men had a quick conversation before the two Cassels left the Great Hall, going in two different directions. Eddard then turned to the boys and gave them a strained smile before introducing Percy to the rest of his family.
“Perseus, I believe you have met all of my family minus my daughters, Sansa, and Arya.”
Percy smiled at the girls, and they smiled back, but before he could ask them any questions to get to know them better, Rodrick and Jory returned with several people. One of which Percy recognized as Theon, and the three prisoners from the battle earlier.
Eddard then made his way up to the raised table and cleared his throat, the room silencing immediately. Eddard made sure to make eye contact with everyone in the room before motioning for the demigod to join him, and once Percy was beside him, began his speech.
“Today, Balon Greyjoy has made a horrible mistake. His attack at the gates and the courtyard were a diversion to disguise his true attempt. Which was the assassination of my wife, and youngest son Rickon!”
Percy could hear the fury in Ned’s voice as he spoke the last bit. The Stark patriarch taking a breath to calm himself before continuing.
“I’m afraid to say that, that coward would have succeeded too if it wasn’t for Perseus. In two days, not only has he brought Ivan the Snake to justice, but he has also saved the life of my wife and youngest son. His honor and skill vouched for by Martyn Cassel himself.”
Eddard had to pause his speech as applause broke out and Percy did his best to hide his blush as all those present in the room cheered him on. Percy could even see Jory and Rodrick give him nods of appreciation.
Once the noise calmed Eddard spoke back up. “It is because of his actions that I believe it right to name Perseus, Lord of Sea Dragon Point! From there, he can stop any potential Ironborn attacks at the source!”
The roar and cheers of approval were deafening to Percy, but he did his best to put a smile on his face and wave without looking like an idiot. Eddard then ushered the demigod in front of him and had him kneel which Percy did. The last thing he wanted to do was make an enemy out of a friend by not following their customs and traditions.
“I Eddard, of House Stark, hereby declare that Perseus be named Lord of Sea Dragon Point.”
Percy was eerily reminded of how they knighted people on Earth as Eddard’s sword lightly tapped each of his shoulders.
“Lord Perseus, do you swear fealty to House Stark?”
Percy nodded his head before speaking loudly and clearly. “I do.”
“Lord Perseus, do you swear to aid House Stark should they ever raise their banners for war?”
“I do.”
Eddard let out a small sigh that only Percy could hear before continuing. “Then House Stark is your ally as much as it is yours. What shall your new House name be?”
Percy thought for a moment before responding. “House Wake”
Eddard nodded his head before continuing. “And what shall your house words be?”
Percy again spent a moment in thought, assuming Eddard meant a house motto. “A Storm is Brewing.”
Eddard smiled before speaking. “Now rise Perseus of House Wake, Lord of Sea Dragon Point.”
Percy rose and shook Eddard’s hand as the crowd cheered on the appointment of a new lord. Once it died down Eddard spoke again, his voice strong and clear.
“Now, we have captured three of the Ironborn bastards...”
Immediately there was a cacophony of boos, curses, and cries for death, but Eddard ignored them all and raised his voice, silencing the room once more.
“I am entrusting their punishment, and judgment, to Theon Greyjoy in order to show you what I already know, that he is not his father and is a better man!”
There was confusion and a lot of murmurs going around that Percy ignored as he saw Theon stare at Eddard in horror. The Ironborn heir was then brought to stand beside the Warden of the North, and after Eddard silenced the crowd, Theon spoke. His voice was a little shaky, but he put on a brave mask from what Percy could tell.
“I come before you all today, not as Theon Greyjoy, the proud Ironborn. I come before you today as simply a man horrified by my father’s actions. When I rule the Ironborn, attacks on the defenseless will be a crime... One punishable by death.”
Percy then watched as Theon withdrew his own sword, decapitating the three remaining Ironborn prisoners with three clean swipes. His respect grew a bit for Theon in that moment, as he carried out the punishment he gave his own people.
He wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but he thought he saw a tear fall down his face as he killed the last man. Who, instead of spitting at his feet, or staying silent like the other two. Actually insulted him, calling him an imposter, and saying that Balon had disowned him behind closed doors.
Percy wasn’t sure if the man was telling the truth or not, but Theon definitely believed it to be true. After the executions most of the people dispersed from the Great Hall with their own tasks until it was just himself, Eddard, Maester Luwin, and Jory Cassel.
Jory then came over to him gripping his forearm. “Lord Perseus, I am Ser Jory Cassel, Captain of the household guard here in Winterfell. I wanted to thank you for saving my father, he is not the fighter he once was.”
Percy nodded his head, a smile coming to his face, he remembered how fondly Martyn talked about his son during their trip back to Winterfell the previous day.
“It was the least I could do, and please don’t call me Lord. I‘m not a fan of titles.”
Jory laughed at that, “Aye, me either. It’s a good thing you’re in the North, those cocksuckers in the South love their titles. You must be wary of them lest they kill you for the slight, Eddard is one of the few good ones.”
They both laughed at that, and Percy got another piece of information that he would need to keep in mind. After reminding himself that he had to really spend some time in the library, he bid Jory goodbye and made his way over to Eddard and his Maester.
“Thank you for the land Lord Stark, but I am not really sure if I deserve it.”
At this Ned laughed, and Percy was reminded of his conversation with Jory earlier.
“Please Perseus, don’t call me Lord. I hate the titles, but I must keep up appearances. You’ve saved my wife and youngest son; I’d like to think we are friends now.”
Percy nodded his head, his own laughter reverberating through the Great Hall.
“Of course Ned, but I still don’t believe I’ve earned this land.”
Eddard gave him a knowing smile before speaking.
“You might not, but any lord who doesn’t want the title is the most deserving of it. It will take some time, but Winterfell will loan you 5 stone masons and craftsmen. The rest is up to you to build something that people will come to.”
Percy’s objection about not knowing how to be a Lord was at the tip of his tongue, but Eddard beat him to it.
“Also, being from Braavos, I am sure you don’t understand what it means to be a Lord. So in between you building your following and gathering everything necessary, I think it would be best if you attended court.”
“I will also have one of the stewardesses come by in the morning to lead you to the library. I recommend that you brush up on your knowledge of all the houses and customs, you’ll be expected to know them. You are also free to stay here as long as you need.”
Percy accepting his fate just nodded his head, agreeing with the Warden of the North. Eddard gave him a sympathetic smile.
“I am sure you will learn to love it, my friend. I also would ask that if you have the free time, you help train my sons and Rodrick in swordplay. After seeing you in battle I don’t know how, but I think Martyn was underestimating your skill.”
Percy smiled at that; it would be a fun distraction compared to all the other work he would have to do. After happily accepting to train Eddard's sons and his master-at-arms, Percy bid both Lord Stark and his Maester goodnight.
Finding his room without an escort this time, and only getting lost once, became a major accomplishment in the demigod’s eyes. It wasn’t long after making sure his egg was still hidden and secure did his head hit the pillow, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.
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Fall: 295 AC
Percy was pretty sure his grunt of frustration mixed with exhaustion was heard throughout the entire library. Then again, he was pretty sure he was the only one in the library at such an hour. His routine for the past five months had been fairly similar.
Each morning he would wake up at dawn and make his way to the library. There, he would do his best to study and read everything he could about this land as well as what was necessary of him as a new lord.
After his study session, he would attend court for several hours, learning the process and hearing what the people of the north's biggest problems were. Which, Percy learned, came down to three major things.
The first of which was water. Considering the climate, it was to be suspected he supposed but that didn’t alleviate the irony he felt. Everyone hated how hard it was to access water and that it was a daily task, since any water not in a large lake or river, would typically freeze overnight.
The second was the weather itself. Percy realized that he lucked out by staying in the castle proper. It had an elaborate network of pipes that ran through the walls that helped keep the castle warm due to an underground hot spring. Most people had layers upon layers of blankets that they had to use just to keep warm.
The last issue, besides the day-day ones which included thievery, proposals, small slights, and other non-issues. Was the lack of nutritious food, and the ability to grow food year-round. Due to the cold summers with even colder winters, very few crops were able to survive, and most livestock were killed by the wild animals or the weather itself.
Thanks to his heritage, and the fact that he grew up in a much more modern world, he had been able to come up with a plan to fix those three issues in his castle and town. He planned to share them with Winterfell, but only after he had drawn in a good amount of people with the futuristic amenities.
After his court sessions though, Percy found himself working with Rodrick and Jory almost every day. With Robb and Jon joining occasionally, with the even less occasional Theon. He was impressed by their skills from the start considering their mortality, but he found improvements that could be made nonetheless.
Mostly seeing the faults because of his experience. Facing gods and titans with eons of practice and skill had helped him learn a thing or two. After the training or sparring depending on the day, Percy would then take a shower and typically go out into town.
His whole purpose was to gather followers and able bodies to help him build his settlement. It didn’t take Percy long though to realize how much of a target he was of both men and women alike.
Men wanted to take everything he owned, and women wanted him to marry them or fuck them and give’em a child. At first, he had resisted all of the women, and most men stayed out of his way after he left two of them broken and bloodied when they tried to jump him.
However, a month prior had been his and Annabeth’s anniversary, and instead of crying in his guest room like he planned. Robb, Jon, and Theon took him out to the city after they had noticed his sadness, getting him incredibly drunk. An impressive feat considering his demigod nature metabolized the alcohol very quickly, meaning it took a lot to get him drunk.
They had then paid for one of the more expensive whores and he had lost himself in her flesh. His drunken state surprisingly soothed his heartache, and actually allowed him to enjoy himself. That wasn’t the case the next morning though, and when he had awoken next to the naked woman, he promptly emptied his stomach over the side of the bed.
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She had left shortly after, but not without a wink and a promise that next time it was free. Percy shuddered at the memory and hated the fact that he was slowly beginning to lose details about his beloved. His memory not retaining the same clarity it once did.
He could still see her blonde princess curls, her stormy gray eyes, and California tan. But, it was getting blurrier by the day, and he hated it. He supposed it had to do with his demigod nature though, and the fact that his brain was hardwired to move on from death due to its frequency in his life.
Returning his focus back to the book in hand, he let out another frustrated sigh. His dyslexia and ADHD followed him to this new life and instead of Greek, his brain was now hardwired to read High Valyrian.
This meant the common language, which was just British English, had words swimming off the page. He supposed he was at least a little bit lucky considering he didn’t have to learn a whole new language. Gazing at the length of the shadow from the window he figured he only had another twenty minutes until he had to be in the Great Hall for court. So, with a tired sigh, he shut his book.
He had learned a lot in his mornings, and most evenings, after getting back from town about the land he now lived in. The first of which was that he had a huge respect for Torrhen Stark and couldn’t believe that people actually criticized him for bending the knee.
The man saved thousands of lives that day, and his beliefs brought him closer to Robb and Sansa, who also believed Torrhen Stark to be a good leader. He had also learned all of the important houses and their words. Something he had to know in order to pass the test that is given by the Citadel that would allow him a Maester of his own.
He was hesitant to allow a maester, considering he had serious doubts about their loyalties, but decided he would try and get one nonetheless. He’d rather have a spy he knew about than a spy he didn’t.
He had also learned what his egg was, yet still couldn’t figure out how to hatch it. The Winterfell library had a single High Valyrian book, and in it was a trove of information. It contained pages upon pages of information about the legendary dragons, their power, what their eggs looked like, and how the Targaryen’s cared for their own dragons.
It wasn’t the fabled ‘Fang of the Dragon’ book that was kept under lock and key in the Citadel. That book contained information on how to hatch dragons, and how to care for them, in incredible detail. It was Percy’s understanding that it was the only thing saved from Valyria before its Doom.
The demigod waved his goodbye to the librarian, and the guard that protected the library, before making his way through the winding halls and corridors with practiced ease. It had taken some time, but Percy was able to navigate the castle easily now and ended up being the first one to court.
Taking his seat before pulling out his journal. It was probably the most important thing he had that wasn’t brought over from his past life. In it were his construction plans for his castle and town. Along with the number of people he currently had volunteering to go with him, and their occupation.
It also served as a reminder of what his current finances looked like, some potential ship designs, and any futuristic ideas he might look to add to his city. At the moment, his finance section was fairly bare.
He still had yet to sell a majority of Hades' gems & metals. Only selling a bit in Winterfell so as to not draw too much attention, but the little he did sell made him fairly wealthy. Having a little over fifty gold dragons to his name and several hundred silver stags.
He planned to travel to White Harbor in the coming weeks and sell enough gems to hire one of the construction companies from King’s Landing to help him build his castle and town. Then, while they constructed it, he wanted to travel to Braavos and sell the vast majority to the bank.
He could explain the money in Westeros by saying he had kept his fortune in Braavos and in Braavos, he could explain that he had found it while in Westeros. That would hopefully give him the funds to build and do everything he wanted.
He was just glad that the metals and gems were roughly valued the same here as they were on Earth. He realized after selling some of the initial gems that Hades had put an insane amount of valuables in the enchanted pouch, and he couldn’t even guess how much money he would get out of it all.
Flipping over to his people section, he was happy to see that he had convinced a little over three-hundred people to travel with him, with about two hundred fifty of them being families. He would have ten stone masons and craftsmen each, and the remaining thirty or so men would act as his guard and soldiers.
After making a note that he should probably get a handful of whores to join them as well for entertainment, he flipped the page to his designs and idea section. He hated the idea that the women were solely entertainment, but there was nothing he could do about it yet.
By providing ladies of the night, he would be able to give his men a reason to work every day. Without them, he was afraid they would become sexually frustrated and rape the married woman, which he didn’t want at all. It was also about the only thing to do in the north for entertainment, which was something Percy planned to fix.
Scanning through his modern idea list he put a checkmark beside the amphitheater, sauna, running water, greenhouse, and school. He felt he could realistically implement these ideas without facing much of a backlash.
He then flipped over his designs for the Castle and made a little star next to one of his more recent ones. It was big, with three tall towers, and the center tower being noticeably higher. It would have a room dedicated as a school by day and a war academy by night. It would have its own greenhouse and stable, as well as a dozen guest rooms.
Leaving another twenty or so rooms for himself and any trusted advisors, important personnel, or even a possible family. He would also have a library built inside as well as a standard dining hall, great hall, and war room. He figured by his estimations the castle itself would take over nearly twenty-plus acres.
Before he could flip the page over to his ship designs for the navy he planned on creating, he felt another's presence outside the hall and put his journal back under his cloak. The demigod was finally starting to get used to his powers in this new world.
It had only taken him training with them every fourth evening to not be exhausted using his senses to feel for the water and to manipulate it slightly. He was still nowhere near his original control, but he was more than happy to be making progress.
Turning his attention to the door he smiled as Robb and Sansa walked in. The two eldest Stark children returned the greeting before taking their seats. Eddard and his Maester joined shortly after and then court began.
To Percy, it felt like ages, but ultimately it wasn’t that long. Eddard had heard from several people and most of the requests were mundane such as more grain, marriage blessings, and permission to construct another brothel.
The only interesting aspect of the session for Percy was an accusation of theft. A merchant claimed that one of the guards in Winterfell had taken an apple without paying. After hearing from the accused and several witnesses Eddard had actually turned the decision over to Robb and Sansa.
The eldest Stark children ultimately decided the Winterfell guard was a thief. However, instead of taking his hand like Percy thought they would, they forced the guard to work for the merchant for a week on top of compensation for two apples.
Percy thought it was a just punishment, and with a glance at Eddard’s face, Percy could see the pride the Stark patriarch held in their decision. It wasn’t until after they adjourned court did Percy find himself with Robb and Sansa as he made his way to the training grounds.
“Perseus, what did you think of our decision?”
Percy smiled at the redhead’s question; she was a much different person than when he had first talked to her. She still wanted to be queen, that was for sure, but she wasn’t as naive about it. He remembered their first conversation a couple days after he had been named Lord of Sea Dragon Point.
Sansa had been talking to him about how she would be queen and would have so many luxuries in the Red Keep that she wasn’t able to have here. The entire conversation had been about her and everything she would gain, not a single mention of an idea about what she wanted to accomplish as queen of the realm.
Percy had decided at that moment that the girl needed a wake-up call as to what the real world was like and had taken her to some of the poorest areas in Wintertown. It was where he had spent most of his time recruiting and was confident in his ability to protect the Stark princess and show her the world wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
He was happy that his plan worked, and ever since the girl had insisted on joining her father and brother Robb in court. She still wished for all the luxuries and perks that being the queen of the realm would give her. Now however, she was vested in hearing her people's concerns and issues.
She had even asked Percy to spend an evening once a week running through policy exercises and some of the basics of politicking he had experience in. So far, he had been extremely happy with the results of their endeavors and the serious thought she was putting behind improving the everyday lives of her people.
The demigod was brought out his inner thoughts as Robb waved a hand in front of his face causing him to stumble slightly and triggering the elder Stark children to laugh.
“Perseus are you okay? You seemed to be out of it.”
He nodded his head; their question was one of jest, but he could hear a hint of concern which he appreciated.
“I am, I was just thinking of how much you have changed for the better Sansa.”
The girl gave a light blush at his compliment.
“As for your question though, I thought you both came to a good decision. However, I would be amiss if I didn’t remind you that while some people can indeed change, some can’t. You need to keep a record of who that guard is and his offenses. If he steals again, he would need to be more severely punished.”
The two nodded their heads, appreciative of his advice. Not wanting to end the conversation on a serious note though he continued.
“Lady Sansa, shall you be joining us today as you watch me pick apart your brothers and Theon in our spar? I always enjoy your cheers.”
Sansa blushed scarlet and gave a small nod, while Robb let out a grumbled response that was lost over the sound of Percy’s laughter. Once they arrived at the training grounds Percy was happy to see that both Theon and Jon were already ready.
Sansa bid Percy good luck and went up to the spectator box, while Percy and Robb got ready. Deciding he wanted to test his dual-wielding skills today, Percy found two similarly balanced training swords and got in a ready stance, causing the three young men to sigh in frustration seeing Percy’s weapon choice.
Percy let out a chuckle. “What’s wrong boys? Last time I dual-wielded you won.”
Jon spoke up at this. “Yeah, and when we did it was because it was six on-one, and you didn’t want to hurt Arya.”
Percy let out a chuckle at that. A month prior he had fought Jory, Rodrick, Theon, Jon, Robb, and Arya after she had practically begged her father to learn how to fight. It had taken Jon and Percy working together to convince the Stark patriarch to let her participate in the occasional training and spar.
Something Eddard only ended up agreeing to as long as she agreed to put more effort into her courses on being a proper lady. In fact, that was only one of the four losses Percy had experienced since he began training his friends.
He had hoped to fight all six again but was disappointed as Jory and Rodrick had actual work to do, and Arya was in one of her classes. He was broken out of his musings as Eddard himself joined his daughter in the spectator box.
Looking at the battlefield the Warden of the North let out a chuckle. “Ah, I’m glad I didn’t miss this. Good luck boys!”
Then at once Percy was on the defensive, as the three men attacked him. Using his right sword to deflect Robb’s sword into Theon’s and using his left sword to block Jon’s, pushing him back with a kick.
The demigod immediately went into the offensive after creating the breathing room and was in a masterful dance of steel. Continuously slashing and stabbing with the dull blades, spinning the swords around as if they were merely batons rather than weapons of war.
Aiming a slash at Robb with his right sword that the prince of Winterfell parried. The demigod's experience coming into play as he simply took the momentum and kicked Robb back with a spinning kick. Before taking his left sword into Jon’s, locking their blades, as the two fought for control.
Theon then went for an open opportunity that the boy didn’t realize was left intentionally, making him the first to fall. As the last son of Greyjoy went for a stab, Percy brought his right sword around. Knocking Theon off balance, before the demigod disarmed him with practiced ease.
With Greyjoy now out of the fight, Percy disengaged his sword from Jon and took a step back to allow him and Robb to recover. With a taunting look, Percy smirked at the boys as they recovered themselves.
“Already out of breath? Why, I didn’t realize I was sparring with Bran and Arya. Should I blindfold myself as well?”
The two boys bristled and went on the offensive once again, Percy’s smirk grew as they charged him recklessly. Immediately going on the defensive, constantly spinning and twisting his swords around his body as he moved. Parrying or blocking every strike the two men gave him, with the occasional strike back if the opportunity presented itself.
Deciding the spar had gone on long enough, Percy went on the offensive once again. Stepping out of the way of Jon’s overhead slash, while using his left sword to block Robb’s strike. The demigod then smacked Jon’s back with his right sword as he went by, taking him out of the fight.
The demigod then disengaged from Robb, circling him as he waited for the eldest Stark to make the first move. With a start, Robb sprinted at Percy performing a perfect feint that forced him to block with both his swords.
To Percy’s surprise however, Robb kicked his shin during their stalemate causing the demigod to wince in pain. The Stark heir capitalized on his momentary weakness by disarming his left sword and going for a punch with his free hand.
Percy had recovered at this point though and leaned away from the fist. Bringing his right sword up to block Robb's follow-up strike. The demigod grinned as he and Robb contested blades once again trying to overpower one another.
Percy had to give it to the heir too, as he was actually struggling a bit against the Stark’s strength. However, the demigod's experience saved him from potential embarrassment as he maneuvered his foot to sweep Robb's legs, knocking him off balance.
The eldest Stark child landed with a ‘hmph’, and before he could react Percy was overtop him with a sword at his neck. The sword disappeared immediately though and was replaced by Percy’s hand as he helped him up.
“That was good Robb! I honestly didn’t see the shin kick coming, well done.”
The Stark heir accepted the praise with a smile, as Percy then went into any flaws he noticed and how the young men could improve. He was glad that Robb and Jon weren’t as prideful as Theon and took his advice to heart.
He was interrupted though as Ned Stark came over to him while he was making his suggestions, Sansa at his side.
“Aye, Perseus. That was quite an impressive and skilled display. You almost remind me of the Sword of Morningstar.”
Percy bowed his head in praise. He was familiar with the legendary knight and had read a couple of texts about Ser Arthur Dayne. He also knew that Eddard was the only man to defeat him in combat with the help of several others based on the tales of playwrights in Wintertown.
“Thank you Lord Stark, you honor me.”
Eddard laughed at that. “It is I who should be honored by you Perseus, your skill with a blade has not been seen for a lifetime. Yet you still take the time to teach my sons, my captain, and master-at-arms.”
Percy accepted the praise before thinking of something he could actually use help with.
“Actually Lord Stark, because of the time I’ve spent I haven’t really had time to develop a banner for my house. Do you know who I could contact for assistance?”
Sansa perked up a bit at that, and Eddard smiled.
“Of course lad, I am more than happy to help. I will gather those necessary and we will convene in an hour.”
Percy nodded his head in thanks before turning back to Jon and Robb, Theon having left shortly after he was defeated. Doing his best to pick up where he left off, pleased to see the young men still interested in his advice.
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It wasn’t long after his words with Eddard that Percy found himself back in his guest room. The egg sitting in the center of his desk as he studied it, trying to figure out how to hatch the creature inside. He could feel the warmth of the egg beneath his palm, yet he still couldn’t figure out how to hatch the damn thing.
The demigod was broken out of his musings as the door opened and in walked the Lord of Winterfell, his Maester, and eldest daughter Sansa. Now up until this point, he had done a good job of hiding his Dragon egg.
The few who did see it had no idea of its nature or value. However, judging by the look on Eddard’s and his Maester's face, they realized the value of his possession. Sansa stared at the egg in confusion until Eddard spoke up, his voice hard.
“Perseus, where in the world did you come across a petrified Dragon’s egg? Robert said he destroyed them all.”
Percy was at a loss for words, not quite sure how to go about explaining it. However, he also knew that there was a lot of magic in Westeros from greenseers, to witches, to the mystical powers of the Targaryens, all the way to the White Walkers.
So, after a moment's thought, he decided it was best to go with a mixture of the truth and lies.
“If I’m honest Lord Stark, it was a gift from the Old Gods.”
At the trio’s now preposterous look, Percy explained.
“After we visited the Weirwood outside the castle for Ivan’s execution, I felt as though something was watching me. This persisted for the next several days until I was finally confronted by them. I was walking back to Winterfell when one of the Old Gods appeared to me with this gift and a warning.”
“They handed me this egg and said, ‘Winter is Coming. Only the Song of Ice and Fire can stop it.’ After that, they vanished.”
Eddard and his Maester stared at the demigod for a long moment, looking him up and down as they evaluated him for lies. Percy just met their gaze, having lied hundreds of times in his past life when it came to his heritage and what was happening, and seeing this as no different.
He sighed with relief internally, as the two finished their scrutinization and Eddard let out a long sigh. His eyes flickered to his daughter before returning to the demigod. It was at that moment Percy thought Eddard truly looked his age and then some.
“If it is the Old God’s will, then who are we to stand in the way, or interfere? Especially with the troubling warning. Sansa dear, please go fetch the book in my room underneath the bed in the locked box.”
After handing his daughter two keys, a second thought came to his mind.
“Oh, and don’t speak a word of this to anyone. Not even your mother, do you understand?”
Sansa hesitantly nodded her head before leaving, Percy then looked at Eddard in confusion as the Maester shut the door. Eddard met his gaze as another sigh of exhaustion escaped his lips.
“I have a book that outlines the process the Dragon Pit Maesters used to hatch Dragon eggs during the rule of the Targaryens. As far as I am aware it is the sole copy ever made of the ‘Fang of the Dragon’, the Citadel’s most precious possession, and was gifted to Torrhen Stark by Aegon himself after he bent the knee.”
“Torrhen Stark was confused as to why Aegon had given him such an important and valuable gift. The reason Aegon gave has been lost to time. However, the book, and the responsibility given from heir to heir of Winterfell, has not.”
Percy stared at the Lord of Winterfell, enthralled by the secrets he was hearing.
“First, I must ask that you leave Maester Luwin and keep everyone away, including Sansa, until I get you myself.”
Maester Luwin nodded his head, his eyes still wide, no doubt about the revelation that Winterfell had a copy of one of the most prized books in the Citadel. Once the door was shut, Eddard moved Percy’s dresser to cover the door before starting a fire in the fireplace.
His goal was to stop any from overhearing what he was about to say, and Percy was enraptured by the usually stoic and honorable man’s secrecy. After ushering Percy next to the fire Eddard began.
“What I am about to say should not be repeated, even to those who know of the secret, of which Robb is the only other person to know.”
Percy nodded his head, honestly shocked that his lie had become such a big deal. His whole piece about a ‘Song of Ice and Fire’ just being something he felt compelled to say at the time. Although in hindsight, when he played back the moment and the feeling in his mind, he was confident that he was influenced by something else.
Making a mental note to look into it at another time. His focus returned to Eddard as he continued the story.
“My father told me before he and my eldest brother headed south, of a note in his dresser, and should neither he nor my brother return, then I was to open the letter. When they didn’t return, and I opened the letter, it explained what I just shared about the book and how it came to my family’s position. But, it also contained this prophecy and warning.”
Eddard cleared his throat.
“There will come a time when the Night King, and his walker brethren, shall rise again. Their desire, and eternal night, will come to be. Unless a Stark and a Targaryen stand united against the Icy King. Their battle to be remembered across the realm as the Song of Ice and Fire.”
Percy nodded his head at the revelation, his mind coming to grips with what he had been told. After taking a moment to process the demigod had only one question.
“I appreciate you sharing this with me Lord Stark. But, why are you sharing this with me?”
At this, Eddard gave a slight grimace and seemed to stare off into the unknown for a moment before coming back to reality.
“I made a promise once, to keep someone safe and to protect them. I had initially thought they would be the ones this prophecy had been referring to. However, from the time I have known you, I believe you to be an honorable man and one that wouldn’t lie.”
“As such, I believe the Old Gods gave you that gift and warning for a reason. I am not yet sure of that reason, but I have my suspicions. You can read High Valyrian correct?”
Percy nodded his head, slightly shocked that the Warden of the North knew that. He supposed though the librarian would let her Lord know he had checked out the sole High Valyrian book in Winterfell’s library.
“I suspected as much based on what Lena said.”
Percy gave himself a mental pat on the back as Eddard revealed he had gotten the information from the librarian.
“I won’t speak to my suspicions yet; I simply wish for you to attempt and hatch the Dragon egg given to you. Should you accomplish the feat, I wish for you to let me know.”
Percy nodded his head, and with their clandestine conversation at an end. Eddard moved the dresser away from the door and ushered back in Maester Luwin and Sansa, who had a fairly large-looking book against her chest.
Percy grabbed the book from Sansa at Eddard’s nod of encouragement, but before he could open it, the Lord of Winterfell spoke.
“I believe that it would be best if you study the text another time, Perseus. We still have to design your House Banner after all.”
Percy understood the hidden message immediately and put the book over to the side next to the Dragon egg. Afterwards, the four occupants then began going over House Banner suggestions and ideas, while Sansa drew quick and beautiful sketches.
Several hours later Percy had made a suggestion that was acceptable and didn’t infringe on another house’s sigil. Sansa had made the sketch and he was happy with the outcome, even getting a compliment from everyone else on the power and elegance it would demonstrate.
His banner would be a darker gray background, with blue waves and a green dragon’s head, with its neck appearing above one of the larger waves. Overall, he was excited with how the design turned out and was ready to begin his journey to Sea Dragon Point in the coming months.
Percy then bid Eddard, Sansa, and Maester Luwin farewell as they made their leave having settled on the design. He also hadn’t missed the look Eddard had given him as he was shutting the door, which screamed ‘read the book’.
So, that was exactly what Percy did. Although he didn’t really need the look to come to that conclusion, the idea of having his own Dragon was all the motivation he needed as he flipped open the first page and began reading.
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Percy woke up at his desk and felt a little sheepish at the obvious drool stain on the incredibly valuable book. He had stayed up until his eyes grew too heavy reading the ancient text trying to figure out how to hatch his Dragon egg.
A glance through the small window told him that it was still nighttime, and he had simply taken a nap of sorts. Thankfully, he believed he found a way that didn’t involve a mass sacrifice and fire.
From what he could tell via the other history books and what he had read last night before passing out. Whenever a Targaryen hatched their Dragon eggs, they always involved some sort of human blood sacrifice.
If there were criminals in the Red Keep’s dungeons when a Targaryen babe had bonded with their Dragon egg, the prisoners would magically vanish, only to be discovered as charred remains caused by a freak accident. Coincidentally days after the Targaryen babe’s dragon had hatched.
He remembered the disgusting feeling in his stomach as he had read and reread the paragraph that went over the feast of Fire and Blood that must be provided to hatch the Dragon. However, as he read on, he discovered a different way that he believed to be written by Aegon himself.
It was a couple pages written in a different style than the rest of the book which gave Percy the sense it was a personal account, as it used the words ‘I’ and ‘myself’. Granted he would never know unless he got a look at the original in the Citadel, and he doubted he would ever get a chance to do that.
Pulling his focus back to reality, Percy flipped backwards a couple of pages to what he believed to be Aegon’s account of how he hatched the great Balerion.
‘I write this now with hindsight as my teacher. Realizing what I had done nearly killed me in the process, and I am sure I would’ve died, had Balerion not respected my sacrifice in his own way. Ultimately, I believe there is a second way to hatch a dragon that doesn’t involve the slaughter of humans.’
‘When I was but a child, I was the only one of my fellow Dragon Lords to not have hatched the dragon that was laid beside me as a child. My parents were disappointed and threatened to disown me, the High Dragon Lords were even considering banishment from Valyria as they saw me unworthy.’
‘Even my youngest sister's dragon was starting to show signs of being ready to hatch and she was a name-day younger. So, I consulted the High Dragon Lords at the age of six name-days, begging for their advice on how to hatch my dragon.’
‘They had laughed me out of the chamber with the threat of banishment should I return without questions for my own hatched dragon. But in this jest, they had given me an idea, one of the High Dragon Lords had said. “Perhaps your Dragon has not hatched because it desires you as its feast child.” His words didn’t have much meaning until after I had gotten back to my family’s home.’
‘It was there that the idea of using my own blood and channeling my own life force into the Dragon’s egg came to me. It started off small, with small cuts on my hand, dripping the blood onto the egg as it sat in the middle of a fire.’
‘Until it progressed to myself blacking out as I poured as much of my own blood as possible onto the egg as it sat over a fire, yet still no results. I had no luck until my parents and the council gave me an ultimatum.’
‘Deliver a Dragon by the week-end, or be banished and disowned. I had nothing to lose at that point, and that night I had joined my egg in the fire. The fire was hot and burned away my clothes and into my skin.’
‘The pain was nearly unbearable, and it had taken everything to not scream. Finally, I had taken my dagger and cut into my stomach, watching as the blood trailed to the egg before blacking out from the pain.’
‘However, to my surprise, I awoke the next morning. With an even more shocking revelation that I only had a barely noticeable scar on my stomach from where I had sliced myself with the knife. My shock then turned to amazement as I saw my little Balerion sleeping soundly by my side.’
‘With time I realized that I had developed a connection with my Dragon that most Dragon Lords never achieved. I could feel Balerion’s desire, I could sense his immense strength, and after a long while, I could command him without words.’
‘It was a two-sided mirror however, and there were moments as though I felt him inside of me. My anger would be fierce and unforgiving, there were times when I could do feats not possible by mortal man, and moments where I felt as though I was invincible.’
‘Slowly but surely Balerion started becoming one of the biggest dragons in Valyria and I, his only master. The High Dragon Lords invited me to their ranks, and my family was extremely proud of my accomplishments.’
‘Despite them having threatened my disownment and banishment from my family and home in Valyria before Balerion’s birth. Sometimes I wonder who could be more cruel, humans or dragons?’
‘Nonetheless, they always asked how I had hatched Balerion as I never requested a slave or prisoner to be sacrificed. I always told them I didn’t know for two reasons. The first being I truly didn’t know, I had plenty of theories of course. But, I didn’t know exactly what caused Balerion to hatch, and as of making this note, my dragon has yet to enlighten me in the catalyst.’
‘I simply know it nearly ended in my own demise. The second reason was that I realized that no Dragon Lord should be allowed the connection I have with Balerion. The only thing stopping a constant war of Dragons is they are still believed to be barely controllable beasts. Though none of my former kin would’ve admitted the latter out loud.’
‘I now know differently. Balerion is incredibly wise and smart, he is also caring and prideful. He would kill every other Dragon now except his mate if he believed he could do it without harming me as I rode him. I believe this was nature's way of making sure there wasn’t constant fighting and complete destruction.’
‘To the Targaryen reading this now, I plead you tear out this note after you stop the darkness in the winter. I only include my experience, as the fate of mankind needs all the help it can get. Afterwards, it will be up to you what you do with the knowledge I have imposed on you. Remember, the coming battle requires a Stark and a Targaryen, to prevail in the Song of Ice and Fire.’
Percy shut the book and stared at his egg. He wasn’t a Targaryen, and he wasn’t sure how prophecies worked in this world or how vague they could be. Either way, he had an idea now of how to hatch his egg, and he planned on doing it.
Setting his egg in the center of the fireplace, he reignited a roaring fire from the embers of Eddard’s and began to look inside himself. Using his godly energy to sense around him, and after a moment, the demigod sensed an incredibly powerful presence in front of him. One that he realized was his egg.
With a herculean effort and strain, he began to feel himself give his godly energy towards the presence, which shined a bit brighter as it turned its inquisitive attention on him. The demigod then began to scream his intent of wishing for his dragon to hatch and for it to take the energy necessary from him directly.
To his utter amazement, he felt more energy leave him without his input, while simultaneously feeling a new energy fill his being. His body joined the egg in the fire instinctively as he felt himself begin to tire. The egg, gradually slowing its greedy consumption until it finally stopped.
The son of Poseidon felt as though he had just lifted the sky again; he was so tired. Leaning his head back, the demigod let unconsciousness take him, the sound of a crackling fire all he heard.