Chapter V

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The years leading up to Aegon's Conquest Torrhen's father had created a small council. There was the High Chancellor, who was the head of the small council, he was the King's proxy during his absence. The Lord Marshal was the Chief Military Officer, supervising the Imperial Army and coordinating the realm's land-based defenses. Lord Admiral, was a position held by the Chief Naval Officer (CNO), supervisor of the Imperial Navy, and coordinating the Empire's maritime defenses. The High Constable, who was the chief legal advisor, managed the dungeons and supervises law enforcement. The Grand Scholar was the head of the Scholar order and chief healer to the royal family. The last two positions were the Master of Shadows, who was the Chief Intelligence advisor and spy/assassin master, and overseer of covert activities and information gathering, and the last position was the Lord High Protector. This position was the Title of the regent of an underage King or Queen, and for this reason, the post was only temporary. All of these posts were given to Starks or extremely loyal Stark bannermen. When Torrhen's father was close to dying, he ordered a substantial building project, which included putting bridges over certain rivers to make travel throughout the North more accessible. The bridges were made to be the same width as the roads, and the roads were extended from the North to the Riverlands, the Vale, and roads were built on the Iron Islands. The roads on the Iron Islands were only connected to ones on that Island, there was not a way the Islands could be connected to each other by roads, or at least within the financial means of the Empire. This extensive building project was begun for the same reason as the others in preparation for the conquest of Winter.

Torrhen came to the Winter Throne in 7,695 years after the long night (A.L.N.). He immediately began to ensure the Winter Army, being about 600,000 strong to prepare for the Winter conquest, but he was interrupted by a scout and a warg who had gotten word the Targaryens had landed just a few miles south of Theon's Wall, the section which bordered the Stormlands. Torrhen sent his son Rickard, who had just returned from a campaign in Essos, south to Theon's Wall to reinforce the men already stationed along the Stormland border, while at the same time doing the same for the Wall that bordered the Reach and Westerlands.

Rickard began marching south when he got word of the Targaryens moving on Theon's Wall, which he felt was unwise for the other Kingdoms, and houses did not know how to deal with dragons. The only two houses that knew how to deal with the dragons was House Stark, and those loyal to them in the Winter Empire, and House Martell and those in Dorne Loyal to them. Already he was thinking of what he was going to do when he had to go against Aegon and his two sisters, one of which he knew Aegon was married to, Rhaenys, he had heard of Visenya and her dragon Vhagar. He had to be honest with himself, if he met her, he would be speechless.

Meanwhile, with Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys, they were in the command tent. "We are going to attack the Winter Empire first," Aegon tells his sisters. Rhaenys thought it would be easy to take them out, but Visenya was wary, and with that thought, she told him. "I do not think that is wise, I believe we should take care of the other kingdoms first," Visenya says. "Again, as usual, you are too cautious," Rhaenys says. "I hate to agree with her, but Rhaenys is right," Aegon says. Visenya wanted to argue but knew it was pointless, and the Targaryen army began marching to Theon's wall when they got there Rickard's army was two days march from them. Aegon and his sisters used the dragons to attempt to get through the wall with no Targaryen casualties. This was a good plan, but it was thwarted though, by the Scorpio and ballista, they were forced to land and try again the next day meanwhile, the Targaryen army had started to lay siege to it. For two days the dragons attempted to take out Theon's wall, but the magic which was put into its walls and foundations, along with the Skag stone which the walls were constructed of, could not be burned or melted through. The Ballistae and Scorpios were fired on the dragons, most of them missed but on this day it was different. Rickard hit Vhagar in the chest and shoulder, he crash-landed extremely rough, and Visenya tried to take one of the bolts out, but she heard men on horseback approaching. She saw one man with a silverish crown approach and pushed her out of the way, and grabbed the bolt and pulled it out with one arm, and he did this with the others except the last which he had to use both arms to pull it out. "We take no prisoners." Rickard orders, and with that Visenya's men are killed, while he took her to his tent to check her for injuries. Vhagar was taken to an enclosure big enough for her to roam around in, but not by much. Visenya, however, was not going willingly, and when he got to his tent, she tried to kill him with her short sword, but it was blocked by Rickard's knife and threw her blade out of her hands, then pushed her against a pole, and held her there with his forearm on her chest. She looked into his eyes and saw a fire there, a fire which was only be found in those who had the blood of Valyria in them. She had to admit he was cute, but she could not believe he was a good person after what he did to her dragon, and her men.

"What are you waiting for?! Kill me!" Visenya questioned him.

"Why would I do that? Especially when you could bring such a big ransom in your trade to your brother and sister." Rickard replies.

Visenya cannot believe this and knees him in the nuts, and Rickard is unphased, he grabs her and throws her in the cells which are nearby, but afterward, he grabs a hold of his nuts, and when he gets back in his tent he drops onto his knees and just rolls around for a while. This continues for two months, him bringing her to his tent for questioning, this starts to change when Visenya and Rickard start spending all the time together, and for the next year as the Targaryen army starts to give up on the siege, and take the other kingdoms. Aegon knew Visenya was a prisoner, he and Rhaenys had seen her get shot down along with her men being kill, but there was nothing they could do. The war went on for another six months, Visenya had fallen for Rickard, but the Targaryens and Starks are tired of war. Torrhen Star's reasoning, all but five of the Arrynstarks have been killed, those that survived were boys and girls, even Torrhen's own wife, who was also an Arrynstark, did not survive. She was stabbed twenty times, historians would compare her death to Brandon Stark's death during the Andal invasion. There had been too much bloodshed Torrhen Stark thought, and for what? No ground had been lost or taken from the Targaryens.

Aegon was flying Balerion the Dread when his dragon was hit by a bolt shot from a scorpion. His dragon landed badly, and while Aegon was unconscious Torrhen attacked Balerion, but as he was about to deliver the killing blow Aegon blocked it. They fought on top of the dragon, but it was apparent Torrhen was slightly better than Aegon. Torrhen knocked Aegon to the ground, but just as he was about to deliver the killing blow Balerion attempted to fire at him, but Torrhen rolled out of the way, and put a knife to Aegon's throat. This stopped Balerion in his fire breathing. Torrhen Stark's army had killed thousands of men, Aegon along with his vassal lords were dragged in front of Torrhen Stark on their knees. Rickard Stark came from behind on his horse, followed by Visenya, who held Rickard's hands when they reached Aegon.

"By the time they realized what was happening it was already too late." Torrhen steps forward.

"Aegon and Rhaenys Targaryen, you and yours must leave Westeros, and never return. If you do, I will kill you. The rest of you, Lord Lannister, Lord Tyrell, you will bend the knee to House Stark. Lord Baratheon, you have two options, leave with your half-brother or bend the knee." Torrhen states, as Rickard gives Ice to his father.

"What about our sister?" Rhaenys asked.

"I am going to stay with the love of my life." Visenya states as she leans into into Rickard.

Aegon looked at Torrhen and states. "We will return to Dragonstone-"

"No, I mean go back to Essos, from which you came." Torrhen states. With this, Aegon along with Rhaenys gather what is left of their men and head to Dragonstone, and from there to Essos.

"What are we going to do with Dragonstone?" Viserys asked.

"Give it to my younger brother and he can start a new cadet branch called the Drakestarks. What worries me is what are we going to use as our new capitol?" Rickard says.

"We will still use Winterfell, but we will put a new castle and city where Aegon had landed, we shall call the castle the Grey Keep, and the city Grey Harbor. It will be the home of the WhiteStarks. Any ideas what to do, what plans we got?" Torrhen asked.

"Well, if it is going to be the next Stark holdfast of Westeros, we are going to need to have sewers, I do not want it to smell like shit and piss. We will need shipyards, barracks, city watch, drydocks. I say the castle will have nine towers three making a half circle facing to the South, and three making a half circle facing to the North, while the three in the middle will be in a straight line. The outer eight towers will be three hundred feet in height while the lord's tower will be four hundred feet in height. The outer walls will be one hundred and fifty feet in height while the inner walls will be two hundred and fifty feet in height. The walls will have guard towers that will be fifty feet taller than the walls they are on, and there will be sections on the wall where artillery will be placed to defend the city and Blackwater Bay from attack. There will be three two story stables enough to house fifteen hundred horses each.

A great hall which will have three stories, the first story will be able to house two thousand lords and ladies, with room to house five hundred on each of the consecutive floors above. The lord's room will have a chair made out of weirwood with direwolves carved into it. One hundred and fifty feet above the courtyard of the castle, there will be bridges built connecting the towers together, and at each tower there will be three elevators with levers leading to each floor. The city's outer walls will be fifty feet with seventy-foot guard towers at intervals, and there will be artillery emplacements on top of these towers as well and Scorpio emplacements between them. There will be five walls before you reach the Grey Keep, each will be twenty feet higher than the last, with towers being twenty feet higher than the walls. Public bath houses, Coliseums, Aqueducts will be built throughout the city as well. The houses of the common folk and the middle classes were built of concrete. With this in mind the Starks hired men and women to build the new holdfast, for House Whitestark. When it was done the Starks called upon all the lords and Ladies of Westeros to come to Winterfell to bend the knee or swear fealty to the Starks.

All the houses except those of Dorne came and did exactly that. Torrhen was sixty when he marched south to Dorne, he did not take the castles, he burned them to the ground, he killed women, children, men, babe, everyone until the Martells were forced on their knees, Torrhen's second son married the eldest daughter of the Prince of Sunspear. The Martells hated what Torrhen did, but what shocked them was what he did next, which was rebuild the castles he had burnt. He died when he was eighty-nine. Rickard and Visenya would have six children, Brandon, Lya, Benjen, Dacey, Eddard, and Torrhen. Rickard's second brother Ned took the name Drakestark and built a good majority of the Imperial ships. The Starks spent the next one hundred- and twenty-nine-years building roads, adding moats around all the Stark keeps, Theon's Wall, The Wall, and improved the military. The military would now include all of the Kingdoms and Isles. Each Kingdom would have at least five legions to protect it except Dragonstone and the Iron Islands which each only had one.

During that time the scholars replaced Maesters and schools were built in all the Kingdoms, soon the Kingdoms were no longer being referred to as the seven Kingdoms, but as the Kingdom of Winter. The education of not just the nobility, but of everyone would see a technological leap. So many Kingdoms were there the Starks decided to create six new houses to act as Governors in their name of their King of the Winter except in the case of the Sandstarks who would become the High Protectors of Dorne. House Martell is the only house in Westeros that still controls its ancestors' lands as rulers, house Sunstark only serve as an Imperial presence, so as to ensure the loyalty of the region. Weirstark of Weirwoold Grove became Governors of the Reach. The Lanstarks of the Wolf Canyon became the Governors of the Westerlands. The Dunstarks of Thunder Den became the Governors of the Stormlands. The Drakestarks of Dragonstone become the Governors of the Coastlands. The Whitestarks of Grey Harbor become Masters of the newest city in Westeros, this house is founded from members of House GReystark of White Harbor. Their new name and the name of their new seat pays tribute to their ancestors.

Torrhen started the construction of chains to come out of Direwolf towers at every city, port or sea entrance, but it was not finished before his death in the year forty AC. His son Rickard took over, and began a building project so large that when he was in his eighties it was still not finished. The Starks had started going through an Industrialization period, it was slow, but they had developed steam engines, found a way to mass produce steel and iron cheaply. Because of this the ships were changed from Longships and Frigates to have metal in their sides, the ships were still powered by sail. Advances in mining and Metallurgy allowed the mines to produce more refined metals than ever before, buildings that were built during this time were blast furnaces, finery forges, slitting mills, smelting mills. On top of these new technologies were brought about included the printing press, and the nautical compass.

An invention that allowed for better mills was the crank and connecting rod, a mariner's astrolabe, something that measures latitude of where a ship is, and the dry docks were improved even more to allow for metal ships to be built, but one thing which was added was the floating dock, and the lifting tower was invented, it allowed for heavier blocks of skag stone which were the building blocks of all castles and cities. However, for the lowest buildings like peasant housing was made out of concrete and Northern Steel, which the Starks knew made the concrete to the printing press, the newspaper was created, it allowed the people of Westeros, both highborn and low to know what was going on, not only in the Winter Kingdom, but in Essos and beyond the wall as well. The best technology, which was brought about was the pile driver, this was especially put to use when new bridges and foundations of buildings. Rickard also looked at the weapons and armor of the army and realized he needed to change them, and give them a complete overhaul.

He decided to change the armor to three kinds, linothorax in hot climates like Dorne, plate armor without fur linings for more neutral climates, and lastly plate armor with leather and fur linings in them for when it is winter or close to the arctic conditions. Rickard had the swords used by the swordsmen changed in such a way the crossguard had direwolves made of Ironwood, and the swords were all the same length; The spears were replaced with Halberds, and as such the spearmen became Halberiersmen. The pikes got no change, but the plate armor got changes, it remained the black and white, but with the cloak it became grey for the Winterguard and for the Kingsguard, on the grey cloak they had a gold direwolf on it. The Cavalry was improved to Cuirassiers, they wore plate armor, and their horses wore armor as well, they carry lances and swords into battle, they are considered Heavy Shock Cavalry.

Rickard ordered Weirwood trees be planted all across the Winter Empire, and Ironwood trees were planted in areas they set aside specifically for trees to be used in ships, to prepare for the fleets size increase the Starks knew they were going to go through. The Lannisters, Redwyne fleets were added to the Winter fleet. He also ordered the standing army to increase from 600,000 to 1,200,000, but he ordered at the most to train 5,000 per year, but by doing this he knew this would take one hundred and twenty years to train so many men, and the Navy would go from two thousand to four thousand ships. The last thing he would have commision was new roads. The Starks are ruthless to a fault, but they also know when to reign it in.

It was the year 129 AC, in Essos, the Targaryens were going through the Dance of Dragons, the Starks was dealing with its own problems. Cregan Stark was walking the battlements of Winterfell when he heard an explosion. He and some of his guards ran to where said explosion had come from, and when he got there a man who had what appeared to be a black powdery substance all over his face. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Apologies, your grace. I was testing a new substance I created and was testing it, but as you can see it got a little out of hand."

"A little? There is a hole in the wall."

"Yes, well, I can show you how it works." A scientist says, as he shows him how it works. "Now, militarily it can be used like so." He then shows him how. When Cregan sees it, he looks at the scientist or inventor. "Whatever you need, ask these men for it, but first we must get you a new place for your inventions away from these walls. Make sure he gets a new place, and get someone to fix the wall." Cregan states, and with that he leaves the inventor to go about his work, and within ten years it was implemented into new weapons for the Empire. Cannons, mortars, rockets, muskets, rifles, pistols, all of these were created, and with-it new buildings were brought as well as new ships. Cregan Stark ordered the military to be reorganized, and it went like so. The infantry was replaced with Line Infantry, the Cavalry were replaced with Dragoons, this included the general's bodyguard, the skirmishers were replaced with Rangers; the Artillery was replaced with mortars, twelve-pounder cannons, along with horse drawn six-pounder gun, and twenty-four-pounder gun. All Legions except the Wolf Guard were given two thousand Guardsmen, they were the elite unit in the infantry, the Wolf Guard was renamed the Imperial Guard.

The Imperial Guard was organized into the Winter Guards, the infantry of the Imperial Guard, the Wolf Guard serves as the Cavalry of the Imperial guard and as such makes the second largest force of it. The White Guards are the elites of the Imperial Guard handpicked from the Winter Guards, Wolf Guards, they are the only soldiers allowed to wear pure white uniforms instead of the standard issue dark grey. They act as the kingsguard, and there are seven regiments, and the White Guardsmen/Women are allowed to get married and start families. These were not the only changes the Starks made to their military, they also changed the Navy, which now had four hundred heavies first and first rates, twelve hundred second and third rates, and four hundred fourth and fifth rates. The fifth rates were heavy frigates, which were similar to what the North already had, but they were given gun ports. The North dismantled the longships and used the wood from them to build the new ships, for they felt it would be a waste if they did not do so, it also saved many trees, which is something the Starks wanted to continue to do as per their agreement to the Children of the Forest. The North kept these advances extremely secretive from the people of Essos and the Targaryens. The rest of the world would soon feel the wrath of Winter.