While the members of House Stark studied Danyla, she scrutinized them just as carefully. Looking at the Starks before her, Danyla could not help grumbling inwardly,
It seems that apart from Eddard Stark and his sons in the main series, who were rather straightforward, the Starks of this era were no simple characters.
Although House Stark had submitted to House Targaryen, they still lived much as they had before, rarely involving themselves in the disputes among the great houses south of the Neck. Even their marriage alliances were exclusively with the great houses of the North.
Only when winter came did they ask the royal house for supplies. The southern houses had always seen the North as poor and backward. Apart from providing troops when the royal house called upon them for war, the North had almost never paid it any taxes.
Are the northern houses really as simple as they seem? If they truly are so destitute, how did they train all those formidable warriors?
Doubts could not help stirring in Danyla's mind.
At the outset, Danyla had firmly framed House Hightower's exile to Queenscrown as an effort by the royal house to better develop New the Gift. This had both dispelled House Stark's concerns that the Night's Watch might leave New the Gift uncultivated and eased their resentment over the royal house arbitrarily meddling in northern affairs.
Although House Stark's misgivings would not disappear entirely because of this, at least they would no longer be able to use it so readily as an excuse to snub the royal house.
The atmosphere grew much more cordial after that.
"Your Highness, thank you for your Dragonfire Wine and that set of Dragon Porcelain drinking vessels."
Lady Lysa Locke was dressed like a typical northern noblewoman and looked quite plain. Yet