As Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen dealt with the last green supporters, Cregan Stark marched on King’s Landing and took control of the city, planning reprisals against Aegon II's main supporters. However, Lord Corlys Velaryon had already sent envoys to Casterly Rock, Oldtown, and Storm’s End to negotiate peace, expecting rejection to continue the war. When the Three Widows accepted the peace terms, Cregan was forced to halt further hostilities and hold court in check with his army for six days until Rhaenyra finally arrived and took her rightful throne.

Ironborn raids along the Northern and Riverlands coasts prompt House Stark and House Mallister to take up arms, with Lymond Mallister leading the charge despite receiving no immediate aid from House Tully. Unexpectedly, House Lannister joins the fight, leading to the Ironborn's defeat and the subsequent betrothal of Loreon Lannister to Melissa Mallister. 

For months, rumors of a terrifying creature stalking the Wolfswood had spread, with the local smallfolk calling it a "shadow dire wolf" and claiming it was the vengeful spirit of an ancient king of the North. Lord Torrhen Forrester dismissed the stories as fanciful tales until the creature was sighted on his lands and attacked his workers. Determined to protect his people, Torrhen led a party of seasoned hunters into the Wolfswood,

eventually tracking the beast to an ancient ruin.

There, they discovered the "Shadow Wolf" to be a massive dire wolf, a creature thought only to exist in legends. After a fierce battle, Torrhen slew the beast, but as it died, he realized it had been fleeing from something far darker beyond the Wall, leaving an ominous presence lingering in the woods. In an attempt to memorialize the event, Torrhen had its fur made into a cloak, passing it on in every generation. 

Following the slaying of the “Shadow Wolf”, by Lord Torrhen Forrester, strange occurrences plague the Wolfswood. The forest grows unnaturally quiet, and Forrester lands suffer strange losses of livestock. House Stark takes interest, fearing it may be a sign of a greater threat. Lord Cregan Stark sends ravens to both the Night’s Watch and Lord Royce Bolton.

But when no answers return, Lord Cregan sends his cousin, Brandon to go check it out. When Brandon does not return as well and a large black dire wolf is seen within the forest of Winterfell the night Cregan’s youngest daughter, Mariah passes in the cradle, this one seemingly missing the skin upon its left paw, tension begins to build as people begin to talk about a curse laid upon House Stark.

Finally, news arrives from the Dreadfort. Cregan’s cousin, Brandon is fine, having been given guest rights by Royce Bolton and his family. Though there seems to be a change in the man, he seems more skittish and averted to touch. The man who once could not keep his hands off of any maiden or wench that passed by now would cower away by any hand that neared. 

And more odd was, that he agreed to the marriage between his only child and daughter, Lyanna Stark, and Royce Bolton’s oldest son. 

Jacaerys I Targaryen ascends to the throne amidst widespread rumors questioning his legitimacy, leading to a divided realm. The conflict between Jacaerys' Blue faction and his half-brother Aegon's Red faction, intensified by internal Lannister rivalries, plunges Westeros into further chaos and civil strife.

The North keeps themself neutral as they suffer their own problems and Cregan Stark finds himself too old and tired to care.

When the year 157ac starts, another direwolf is seen with the deep snow of the North, this time upon the Kingsroad. But this beast seemed old, grey and weathered by battle and struggle and a large piece of pointed metal struck through its throat.

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Suddenly, at the beginning of that same week, the lord of Winterfell, Cregan Stark complains about having a chill, and as the week goes on, the shivering gets progressively worse until his teeth chatter so much no words can leave his mouth and his legs convulse uncontrollably. The experienced maester of Winterfell instantly knows what has taken the old man and orders him isolated and bans anybody from entering the wing where Cregan lies. 

Sadly, as the week came to an end, ravens were sent out with the sad news of the passing of the Old Wolf of the North. It is his son, Rickon who takes up the mantle and becomes the new warden of the North.

Wildling of the Frostfang Mountains, emboldened by the recent death of the Old Wolf, stage a coordinated uprising. In a large number, the wildlings attack Castle Black, leaving the Nightwatch to try and defend the North and keep the wildlings out. Marlon Manderly, who had joined the watch only a year early, is sent out to the keeps to ask for aid. Lord Rickon Stark, Royce Bolton’s son, Torrhen Manderly, and Lord Asher Forrester with their men come to the aid of the Night’s Watch.

The battle is fought and won, however as the dust settles and people sheath their swords, two bodies amongst the dead make people weary. Lord Rickon Stark lays there, impaled by a branch of ironwood through the chest, and Asher Forrester is found with a big piece of flesh missing from his neck almost as if a beast decided to take a bit. Another omen, many old wives and maids whisper

With Rickon dying in the Frostfang uprising, there is a problem that arises in the North. Rickon’s oldest son is only twelve and while already mature for his age, he, too many is too green behind the ears to lead. The heads of different houses gather in Winterfell to discuss how to proceed since there are no male relatives in House Stark to aid and guide the young new Lord Stark. Two factions rise, one supporting Lord Bolton, who married Lyanna Stark, an aunt to the young Lord Stark, and Wyllis Manderly, the boy’s grandsire. 

In the end, it is Wyllis in his old and ripe age, who is chosen to regent, to the disgruntlement of the Lord Bolton. 

However, to silence whatever disgruntlement Lord Bolton has, Wyllis Manderly offers up the hand of his granddaughter to his son, so they can bind their houses together.

​A harsh winter ravaged through the realm. In the north, House Stark, Bolton and Manderly banded together to distribute the food the people had been preserving and gathering when the first signs of winter were showing. Winter fever saw the extinction of many houses, House Blackwood of the Wolfswood, a cadet branch of House Blackwood of Raventree hill, saw their members die off one by one.

House Forrester in its boastfulness and pride fell victim to Winter fever, Lord Darrick Forrester, head of his house was the first to go, soon his three daughters and wife followed, leaving a boy of a mere fourteen to rule House Forrester with only his widowed aunt to serve as regent. 

One day, a raven arrives in Winterfell. Queen Alerie Redwyne, summons Lord’s Stark only Stark together with a retinue of her choice to Kingslanding to serve as a representative of the North and a lady-in-waiting to the Queen. It is she, while the lords of the North make their way to Summerhall in 178AC is present when King Baelon names his bastard son Vaemond his heir. 

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It is in this time, Lord bolton's son in an act of defiance breaks the betrothal between him and the manderly granddaughter breaking the already fickle ties between house manderly and house bolton

The great hall of Summerhall, once heavy with the weight of King Baelon’s announcement, now buzzed with a different energy as lords and ladies of the realm, their faces a blend of duty, resignation, and ambition, came forward to swear loyalty to the newly named Crown Prince, Vaemond Targaryen. House Velaryon took the lead, with Lord XY Velaryon pledging not only  his oath but also his fleet to the Prince,

followed closely by the steadfast stags of House Baratheon and even House Stark who’s sole daughter, XY Stark had served as a lady-in-waiting for the late Queen Alerie carried a promise of unwavering support from the North. 

As King Baelon I’s health deteriorates, he defies all advice and orders his carriages to be prepared for a journey to Harrenhal, despite being bedridden and gravely ill. With his court in tow, he sets off to confront his estranged son, Prince Jacaerys, who has remained isolated in his crumbling fortress for two years.