However, as time passed and the southern Starks began to lose the northern traditions, they started being looked down upon by their relatives in the North. In fact, the then Lord of Winterfell, Roygar Stark, went as far as to say, "The only thing our so-called relatives in the South share with the Starks is their black hair and grey eyes. Other than that, they bear no signs. If you want to see a true Stark, look to Winterfell."

These words greatly angered and drew the attention of the imperial family, who saw themselves as the proud descendants of Eddard the Unifier. Although the Emperor at the time, 'The Cunning Wolf' Rickard Stark II, refrained from responding directly, he devised a long-term plan.

He invited Aaron Dayne, the lord of Starfall — the newest city in Westeros — to a major football tournament to be held at the palace, and on that day, the two men reached an agreement that would change the fate of the North.

Emperor Rickard's newborn third son Eddard and Lord Aaron's newborn daughter Ashara (it is believed these names were chosen to romanticize the alliance) were betrothed while still in the cradle and were declared Lords of New Gift. Thus, House Dawnstark was founded.

With the strong backing of the imperial family, House Dawnstark soon rose to become the most powerful bannerman of the North, and on the 80th anniversary of their founding, they rebelled against their lords in Winterfell.

As a result of the civil war in the North, House Stark of Winterfell fell, and House Dawnstark took its place. Thanks to this victory, the imperial family solidified its position in Westeros as the only family directly descended from Eddard the Unifier and bearing the Stark name.

And thus ended the story of the Winterfell Starks, who ruled the North for thousands of years.

— From "The History of Westeros' Noble Houses" by Grand Maester Wullan.

"Then it is decided," declared King Arryn. "We can no longer stand by and watch the savagery in the Westerlands and the Reach. The alliance of the Three Kingdoms will intervene."

Robert let out a triumphant laugh and downed his ale in one gulp. Until now, Ned, Jon, Stannis, and his grandfather Eldon had always stopped Robert from taking the Reach—but that would no longer continue. Robert was thrilled to finally pick up a hammer again and smash a few skulls.

Ah, he would probably have to marry Argilac off to a Tyrell girl, which was disappointing for Robert personally, since he had been eager for the future Queen of the Stormlands to be a Stark. But there was nothing to be done; that matter would have to be left to the next generation. After all, Robert's daughter was going to be the future Queen in the North.

"Hic. My dear daughter is flying away from her father's house," he said drunkenly, head spinning as he looked at Argella. "Give little Robb plenty of children. Black-haired, storm-eyed Starks."

Robb's face flushed with embarrassment while Argella kicked her father under the table. Robert grunted in pain, grabbing his leg—his little girl's kicks were no joke.

Watching the scene from the side, the King in the North let out a deep sigh and grabbed Robert by the arm, starting to drag him out of the room. "Seven hells, it's like I'm back in the days at the Eyrie."

Robert chuckled at the comment. "Hey, Ned."

Ned shot a sharp look at his foster brother. He was all too familiar with the kind of foolish remarks Robert tended to make in such drunken states.

"You know, sometimes—hic," Robert hiccuped again, "there are times in bed when it's the woman, not the man, who rules during sex."

"Shut up, Robert."

"And we both know—hic," his head swayed slightly, "Argella's going to have poor Robb wrapped around her little finger. When she's done with him, there won't be a single drop of fluid left in the Stark heir's body, hehe."

"Fuck off, Robert."

"It's not as bad as you think," Robert went on. "Alara does it to me from time to time. And if half of what I've heard about Dornish women is true, Lady Ashara must've done the same to you, hehe."

At that, his foster brother Ned tossed Robert off his shoulder in one swift motion and flung him against the wall. "I think you should sleep against the wall tonight."

Shit, I really messed up this time. "Wait, Ned! I'm sorry," he quickly grabbed his brother's arm. "I'm sorry for picking at the wound, truly. I'm just worried about the Reach, okay?"

The King in the North looked at his friend with a sigh, then finally sat down beside him, leaning his back against the wall. He pulled a hip flask from the inner pocket of his shirt and took a swig. "So what's going on?"

"The Reach conquest, fuck... my head is still spinning. The Reach is at least three times bigger than my country, Ned. They say there's no peaceful land left except Oldtown. Almost everywhere has been destroyed, conquered, or pillaged, and you're telling me I have to fix all of this?"

"If it's you, no problem," Ned said with a shrug. "The Reach is the land where anti-Valyrian ideology is at its peak. It's not just among the nobles, but it's quite widespread among the common folk as well, and it's encouraged by the Seven's Council." He pointed at Robert. "And you, you killed Prince Rhaegar like a pig. If it weren't for the Greendoom, you would have overthrown the Targaryens and become king. And finally, you wiped out Lys, the city that carried the most noble Valyrian blood, from the map." He took a swig from his hip flask. "For the anti-Valyrians, you're like a prophet, so they'll eagerly follow you. Just be your usual Robert self and use your natural charm."

"Heh, I guess you're right, I can do that. What about you? How do you plan on conquering the Westerlands?" Yes, the division of land had been arranged this way—Robert would take the Reach, and Ned would take the Westerlands.

"The lands outside Casterly Rock won't be too hard to conquer; militarily, they're already in a broken state," Ned said thoughtfully. "But I still haven't decided what to do after the conquest. Should I give the rule of the Westerlands to the Farmans or the Lannisters? The Farmans are a cursed family who break guest-rights, and the Lannisters... their reputation in the realm is less than stellar, to put it mildly. If I choose them, I'll have to marry off the little Queen Ceryse to my second son Edwyle, and just the idea of that marriage would absolutely drive Catelyn mad."

"Why? Is there a problem with Queen Catelyn?" Robert asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There's no problem with him, it's just... My wife is probably the most anti-Valyrian person in the North. And she hates dragon blood even more than me, who fought against the Targaryens personally." Ned seemed to be trying to hide his face from Robert in an odd way. He was just looking up at the sky, watching the stars, as if he had discovered something very interesting there. "The Lannisters, according to Catelyn's taste, look too much like Targaryens, and little Queen Ceryse is the product of an incestuous relationship. If I were to marry our son to her, Catelyn... Damn, sometimes I think she has Umber blood because when she gets angry, she's like a giant... and by the Old Gods, her gaze alone could freeze all the blood in a man's veins." Ned chuckled to himself, and Robert laughed along with him.

"I'm glad to see you're moving on, my friend, really. But I wouldn't say I'm surprised. There's no lingering in the past for you."

"Sometimes I see her in my nightmares," Ned said with a sigh. "At Gull Tower that day, I told her about the Greendoom disaster in all its reality, and she threw herself from the tower, Robert. I curse myself every day for doing that, and I will never forgive Ashara for leaving our daughter all alone. She's not someone I remember with love, more like someone I wish to forget, because every time I think of her, my heart burns like a piece of wood set on fire."

"Lyanna..." Robert mumbled to himself. "Honestly, I don't even remember her face. But there were things I dreamed of doing with her. We were going to hunt together in Kingswood, she was going to teach me how to train purebred horses, and I was going to teach her archery. 'Which other woman could I do this with?' I thought. Well, until I met Alara." He paused. "Fuck... Ned, I could tell she didn't like me much, okay, I wasn't blind, but by the gods, I swear I didn't want to lock her up like the other southern ladies, having her sit in a castle and counting copper. Stannis could do all that."

"I know," Ned muttered, almost in a voice so low that even he wouldn't have noticed. "And I thought she would realize... she didn't, she didn't listen to me or my father, and didn't give you a chance. She had already labeled you, and refused to see beyond that."

"Anyway, look... What the hell is that!?" Robert leaped to his feet as a loud explosion echoed through the air. Was that wildfire? Those little bastards, Then he turned his face to the sky where the explosion had come from and saw the most magnificent sight he had ever witnessed.

The sky suddenly lit up with lights that tore through the night. It was as if the stars had fallen to the earth, exploding and merging back into the sky. First, there was a whistle; a high-pitched, impatient sound, followed by a sudden, massive explosion—but not frightening, awe-inspiring. The colors burst open: a red flower, followed by a blue waterfall, and then golden rain. With each explosion, the heart momentarily stopped, only to start again with the vibrations echoing in the chest. As he tried to follow with his eyes, he became confused about which one to focus on; it was as if the sky was performing a special dance just for him. With childlike joy, he watched, entranced: time had stopped. The sky had turned the night into a fairy tale.

The two friends watched the display in awe until it ended. "Damn, now I remember, the Sealord of Braavos was talking about a very flashy new invention from Yunkai. What was it called? Fireworks. They're beautiful, Ned."

Ned was silent for a moment, as if he hadn't heard his friend at all, just watching the sky.

"Hey, Robert," he said finally.

"Yes?" Robert looked at his closest friend.

"Did you say these fireworks came from Yunkai? What's used to make them?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure, we'll have to ask the Sealord of Braavos for the full list." Robert scratched his beard, then paused as something came to mind. "Ah, actually, I do remember one. It stood out to me because it was the first time I'd heard of it."

"Black powder."