Here it is! The new story!

Warning: This is a sequel. Please read The Princess of Winter first.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. At all.

Please leave a comment and review!

I predict around 12 chapters for this one. Hope you like it.

The story will follow Heddara in the years after the Independence. It is all still pre-cannon.

Chapter One – Age 20

I

Heddara woke up to the light coming in trough the curtains, and fingers tracing patters on her skin.

She sighed, smiling, and stretching her arm to find him, only for her hand to be caught in his.

"Good morning wife" His husky voice said by her ear, his breath ghosting over her.

She blinked, before finally focusing on him. "Good morning husband" She smiled.

He hummed, brushing his nose on her neck.

"We should get up." She said but made no move to get out of his grasp.

He raised his head to look at her, his smirk growing on his face. "Don't worry, no one expects us before lunch."

"Oh, really?" her voice was teasing, as she moved her hand to brush his hair away from his face. "And what will we be doing until then?"

He laughed. "I have a few ideas!" Before he rolled them around on the bed, bringing her in for a kiss.

On her wedding feast Heddara had been presented with several gifts, one of them a crown. Lord Umber had apparently been the owner of several old scriptures describing the original Crown of Winter and had commissioned a replica done to her size.

That was the only adornment she wore as she sat at the head of the table in great hall, the snarling wolf perfectly centered with her face and dressed as the warrior she was, Storm by her side as he always had been.

Rohar had walked in slightly behind her, his paces measured and his hand on the pommel of his sword. As Heddara sat, he stood behind her as he took his place as her guard.

This council of Lords was where he would show the Lords what they could expect of him as a consort, and he would give them what they wanted to see.

"Lords and Ladies, welcome to Winterfell." Heddara greeted, nodding towards all of those present.

The great table was full to the brim. In fact, it was made of several tables put together. Not a single Lord was missing. From Jeor Mormont to Howland Reed, every single one of them was accounted for.

"We have much to discuss today." Heddara continued. "The Winter Court is now once more in function, and there are therefore many positions that must be filled. Not only that, but many decisions must be taken to ensure the prosperity of the North."

The Lords nodded. Rohar noticed his brother looking solemn two seats to Heddara's right, between Lord Mormont and Lord Glover. His father was extremely sick back in the Dreadfort and had sent his heir as his representative. It wouldn't take long until his brother became a Lord in his own right.

He wouldn't miss his father much on his death. The man had been distant, and while he had respected him, as he should, he had never much loved him.

"I have called you here, so you may hear my first edicts, and so you may give me your council in the matters of which I am in need of further information." Heddara made eye contact with all those sat at her table. "The North will need the cooperation of all of you to elevate itself into the greatest Kingdom of Westeros."

The Lords nodded and murmured their agreement with her words.

"These last few days I have been in deep discussion with Maester Luwin", she said, gesturing to the man standing behind her and to her left. "We have revised the Governmental structures of the North before the conquest, and the current structure practiced in the south, and have come up with what we believe is the necessary number of positions to better advance our Kingdom."

Heddara accepted a sheet of paper from the Maester, as she continued talking. "I will be inviting the individuals I most believe to have the knowledge and experience needed to lead each of the areas of our government, and those individuals will then bring to me the names of those they believe they will need under their employment in order to serve the people in their positions."

Putting the sheet on the table, Heddara stated clearly. "The governing of the North will now be divided into Orders, that will answer to the Order Master and to the Queen or King of the North. These Orders will be the following: Order of Healing, Order of Guilds, Order of Laws and Justice, Order of Trade, Order of the Army and Royal Guard, Order of the Sea, Order of Infrastructure, Order of Finance and Order of Winter."

Murmuring broke out once again amongst the crowd and Rohar could see several raised eyebrows.

Heddara raised her hand, and silence immediately followed. Rohar contained his smirk.

"These nine areas of ruling will be fundamental to guarantee progress in the North." She looked around with serious eyes. "Each order will be responsible for its own field. For example, the order of..."

The room Heddara had selected for her council room had been unused for a long time. No one knew what it's purpose had been, but it was now the meeting place of eleven people. Heddara as Queen, Benjen as her heir, and the nine masters of the Orders that had just been sworn in the day before.

Most guests had already left that morning, leaving only young men and woman who would be serving at the Royal court as pages and ladies in waiting. Meanwhile, the members of the Winter Council were meeting for the first time in almost three hundred years.

The half-round table had been Rohar's idea and been commissioned purposefully for this room. Heddara had to admit that she liked it. Being able to see every face in the room was a bonus.

"Welcome to the Winter Council, Lords and Lady" She nodded to Lady Tallhart, whom she had named as the Master of the Order of Finance.

Lady Tallhart was a formidable lady. Now in her forty-second name day, Helyana Tallhart had become a widow very young, when her husband – and cousin – had died in a hunting accident. With two young sons to raise, she had become regent and kept a tight fist over her houses finances, managing to pay all the debts her husband had accumulated during his life – which were quite significant – make savings for her son's rule and still bring the house to a better standing.

Now, her son was old enough to not need her help, and Heddara had promptly stolen her for her brilliant mind.

"Let us start with the most important issues" Heddara started. "Our borders with the Riverlands are the most important aspect of our defense. Baratheon has signed a treaty, but he is not known for his rational thoughts. In a year or two he could find a reason to attack. We must make sure the borders are secure before that happens, but we can't dismiss possible attacks from Ironborn or wildlings."

The others nodded. "Moat Cailin is the priority then, my Queen" Lord Karstark, who had been instated as master of the Order of Infrastructure took a note on a leather book. "What other types of defensive infrastructure should we consider?"

"First the Moat, then the roads from all the major holdfasts to Winterfell. The faster we can move our men, the faster we can position them to defend ourselves" Rohar proposed.

"The Consort speaks right." Lord Manderly said, inclining his head towards Rohar. "As master of the Order of the Army and Royal Guard, he will need roads to move his men. We can build the roads at the same time as we rebuild the moat if we use local men. Half the work involving building roads is all about clearing trees out of the way, so the workers don't need that much experience."

Rohar and Karstark nodded, agreeing with the older man.

"How are we to pay for all that, though?" Lord Glover wondered. "And if all the money will be going towards that, how will the rest of us do anything ourselves?"

Lady Tallhart smiled. "That is quite easy, actually. The North will no longer be sending a percentage of its taxes to the crown in the south. And let me tell you, that according to Maester Luwin, the money the North was sending was incredibly high. The mad King had been raising the taxes during the last decade, and in his paranoia the taxes of the North were some of the most affected. Then, there is the Winterfell coffers. If my Queen would like to explain."

Heddara nodded. "Generations of Starks have been saving money and precious stones in those Vaults. And those same generations of Starks have been very careful with those contents. Too careful sometimes." She shook her head. "I believe there is still quite a bit of loot from the time of Theon the Hungry Wolf."

Lord Umber broke out laughing.

"So, we will be using gold stolen from Andals to fight other Andals? I like it!" He chuckled. "Maybe we should make certain that it is that gold that is used to pay for Moat Cailin especially, my Queen. It would have a sense of poetic justice."

"The Master of Laws and Justice is quite right!" Lady Tallhart said. "What other projects should I take into account for my calculations, my Queen?"

Heddara hummed, looking out at the book she had filled with her thoughts and ideas. "I have considered three phases. First the Moat, the roads to Winterfell and turning a good number of Lord Manderly's boats into war vessels. They can still be used for trade during peace, but we need a fleet that will be able to face the southern eastern sea force." Her master of the Order of the sea nodded. "The second phase will be mostly about boats. I want at least a new port town in the east and two in the west. We cannot let our western shore Keep on being invaded by Ironborn and wildlings. We can't ignore this weak point any longer. And we also need to extend our trading reach. The roads will also help with that."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"It is understandable that these projects will take years and years, until they are completed. Lord Dustin, as Master of the Order of Trade, I want you to find men to go on an expedition through the North. They will collect information about what goods we can use to trade with foreign nations, and where we would better invest our resources. We have many abandoned mines, and in many cases, there is no reason for them to remain that way." Seeing Willam nod, she added. "I believe my brother would be a good option for this venture. Also, coordinate with Lord Manderly and Lord Roose to organize an expedition to the Northern free cities, they might have good products that we can use for trade and will likely have many different foods that will be used to the cold. We should take advantage of any products we can use for winter."

Roose Bolton nodded in agreement.

Appointing her good brother as Master of the Order of Winter had been one of her best ideas. Roose was a very ambitious man, so Keeping him out of the council would be not only foolish, but a blow to his ego. Giving him this position gave him a sense of power, and a responsibility to the people. Making sure the realm survived during the winter was no easy task, considering they lived in the coldest country on the continent.

"Let us adjourn this session until Lady Tallhart has more information for us." Heddara said.

"If I may, my Queen?" Maester Luwin interrupted. "Could I advise Lord Karstark to contact old students of the Citadel? Many men go to oldtown to study various subjects, without ever intending to join the order of Maesters. I know many men who studied Architecture, Engineering and Ship Building, and that left once they earned those links."

Heddara hummed. "Any of them could be trusted with our secrets?"

The Maester looked contemplative. "One of them was northern, so I would say yes. The others were southern, but I believe they would honor an accepted a contract. We could always assign those men to less critical projects, such as mining or ship building."

Heddara pondered for a minute. It would be too risky to give unknown men positions where they would be able to uncover northern secrets, much less put them in place to build the fortress that would guard the North, but there would be many building projects taking off in the next few years, and many of them were not critical.

"Very well. Send the ravens. I want to speak to each of them before any contracts are agreed upon." She tapped her fingers on the table. "And prepare letters to be sent to all holdfasts. I want every Lord to propose men to be sent to the citadel to forge their chains in various subjects. We need to have knowledgeable men in our ranks. And the Gods know the Citadel won't refuse our coin."

Rohar walked down the line of men with Martyn Cassel, carefully inspecting each of them. As the master of the Order of the Army and Royal Guard, it was his duty to choose the men who would be guarding his wife and closest family.

Some Lords had asked about creating a northern version of the Kingsguard, but Heddara had not been at all interested in recreating what she saw as an inefficient and slightly corrupt organization. Instead she had given her husband the power needed to create a Royal Guard and organize an army that would defend their rule.

No one had been able to question that choice, so Rohar had accepted the position, and sworn to uphold it with honor and integrity.

He already knew the men he wanted for the Guard. Those who he had seen in action in the war and whose loyalty was to him and Heddara alone. In the ranks of the fifty men he had selected, only two were originally from his lands.

He didn't need Bolton men. He needed his men.

These fifty men would still be going through severe training, and tests of loyalty. Very specific tests of loyalty. He wasn't leaving the protection of his family to chance.

Apart from the Royal Guard, he also had plans for a city watch for Winter town. A safe and peaceful city, meant a safer holdfast.

Then he would turn his sights towards the Moat, and the forces holding it under Lord Karstark's brother.

"So, Stanis Baratheon was not on time to catch the last Targaryens and their loyal Kingsguard? I bet his brother is not happy" Rohar said, after Heddara finished relating the news in the letter.

Heddara snorted. "That is an understatement. He apparently came extremely close to banishing him to Dragonstone. Only Jon Arryn's fear of upsetting the Riverlands kept him from doing so." She waved the letter at him. "As it stands, Stanis betrothal is what kept him as Lord of Storms End. Baratheon has given the Island to his youngest brother."

Rohar nodded. "And when will the two brothers wed?"

Heddara chuckled. "Knowing how much time it takes to prepare a royal wedding? Probably not any time soon."

Rohar laughed. "Your right Dara, I wouldn't be surprised if they were still unmarried in three moons." He smirked. "I have to applaud you once more, on finding such a way of obtaining information from the south."

"Why, thank you" She said, teasing him with a wink, that made him growl and pull her to bed for other activities.

Heddara sat down on the window seat, looking down at the courtyard where her master at arms was training a group of guards.

Things had been happening so fast. Sometimes it felt like it was going too fast.

Lord Willam Dustin had joined forces with Lord Karstark to do a survey on the Northern trade possibilities and the state of infrastructures. They had sent several men, led by cousins and brothers on this mission, and taken Ben with them. It would do him good to have a taste of adventure other than stories.

So focused – and excited, she would admit – had she been on the changes she wanted to bring to the North that she had lost touch with other issues.

She heard the door to the room open, and close, as Rohar came into her solar.

"Maester Luwin said you sent for me? Is everything alright?" He asked, his voice full of concern.

She turned around, and saw his face turn worried as he saw the tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong, my love?" He took her hands and pushed her up.

She chuckled. "Nothing is wrong." She smiled. "I'm pregnant"

He opened his mouth in surprise, before letting out his own laugh, picking her up and swinging her around in celebration.

The months passed quickly. Sometimes Rohar didn't know where the time went. His wife was with child and had started to show slightly, and he found that he couldn't Keep his hands to himself.

They were both incredibly happy, and the whole castle knew it. He had lost count of the number of times he had caught the maids smiling at them in fondness.

Well, why discourage positive feelings towards one's ruler?

On another note, the Baratheon brothers had finally married, and while Stanis seemed to be doing relatively well with his new trout wife, the King and the new Lannister Queen were a whole other story.

He smirked. Heddara's contacts in the south continued to prove fruitful. Many Northerners probably believed that Heddara had refrained from creating a mirror position to the master of Whispers due to some sense of honor or mistrust of spies, but in truth his wife had no such problem.

Instead she had a completely different approach to the issue.

She had given the position to the only creature in the entire realm she could completely trust.

Herself.

She had used the appreciation and gratitude of the people in Kings Landing to create ties with smallfolk of several status, that passed information between them until it reached hands capable of writing, who then sent the letters north through private birds.

She had people in the brothels, in the servants in the Keep, in the guards, in the blacksmiths, in the seamstresses. All of them with unshakable loyalty after the Northern army saved them from the pillaging and rape that the Lannisters had started to rage over the city.

And not only that, but Heddara had made sure to lightly bond with small rodents and cats that lived in the walls of the old Keeps they had passed through in the south, and frequently used them to spy on its inhabitant's conversations.

Walls had ears indeed.

It was hard for her to warg to a place so far away as Kings Landing, but not impossible. It left her weak though, so he had insisted that she not do it while pregnant. They had enough informants as it was.

Riverrun, where she had also left some "friends" was much easier. So were the various Northern holdfasts where she had sent animals recently.

He smirked. He couldn't help but imagine the face of the spider if he knew he was being outclassed at spying.

After all, spiders might be good at weaving webs to catch their prey, but they were not true predators. They were but a mere sniff for a wolf on the prowl.

"Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?" Rohar asked, as he petted her distended stomach while they laid in bed.

"Hum?" She asked, sleepily. "I don't know. I just want the baby to be safe and happy." She raised her hand to brush it over his head as he murmured to their babe. "Do you care either way?"

He shook his head, giving her a smile. "No, but we should consider names." He petted her belly again. "What do you think, little one? Are you an Arya, like your grandmother? A Sansa, or a Serena, like many Stark Princesses? Or maybe you'll be a great warrior man, like Theon the hungry wolf, or maybe Rodrik, in honor of all those brave Mormont women? Huh? Which one do you like?"

The baby chose that moment to give a kick, and Heddara laughed, as that didn't really answer the question.

"I think we will have to look at the babe to be able to see which name fits, my love" She said, as Rohar, smiled softy at were the baby had kicked at his hand.

"I guess so."