Rise of the North (asoiaf)

Cregan reigned as Hand was filled with trials and executions. Most of those accused chose to take the black, chief among them Ser Perkin the Flea, but Ser Gyles Belgrave of the Kingsguard and Larys chose death. Corlys was spared a trial thanks to the intervention of Baela and Rhaena Targaryen. Cregan reigned as Hand continued for a few more years while he sent his bannermen all over the western kingdoms to help the southern lords push the ironborn back into the sea, many of whom decided to settle in Riverlands by Cregan's leave as they didn't want to burden their families in Winter. Some of them were later used by Cregan and House Stark as spies as their loyalty to North was still very strong.

Cregan would call all the ships of the western kingdoms to finally put an end to Dalton Greyjoy, the Red Kraken. He would assemble a fleet of 500 ships, 300 of which were Northern warships and invade the iron islands. They would go on to sacking the whole iron fleet and would land on the Iron Islands and continue to sack every castle on those pieces of rocks. Cregan himself would execute every son, cousin and relative of Dalton with his own hands leaving only his youngest son from one of salt wives before leaving for King's Landing.

Cregan would go onto marry both Rhaena and Baela Targaryen, daughters of Daemon along with Maria Sunderland and Alyssane Blackwood, also known as Black Aly.

One policy that Cregan would push through after Dalton's failed rebellion, would be something that he would come up with one of his wives, Alysanne Blackwood, which was the idea of the maiden and widows fairs, where the Lords of the Riverlands due to it being largely burned out in the Dance, would arrange for mass marriages many lowborn Riverlander women and the second, third, and fourth sons and brothers of northerners who weren't due to inherit anything. Over 300,000 Northmen from all around the North would migrate south to the Riverlands for the promise of getting land of their own with winter coming. As a side effect of so many Northmen coming south, it would increase the worship of the Old Gods in the Riverlands and help lower the little tension between the Seven and Old Gods in the region. 

Shortly after the Ironborn were defeated, Cregan faced unrest from the faith and a small number of lords in the south due to his having multiple wives. They would try to demand him convert and set aside 3 of his four wives, the most vocal of them would be Unwin Peake, ambitious Lord of Starpike, Dunstonbury, and Whitegroove. Cregan would tell Lord Peake that he did not worship their gods and that if they believed his marriages to be ungodly then he would face whatever champion they would put against him in single combat. Unwin Peake seeing an advantage, would take this challenge and agree to face him in single combat, as he had slayed several knights during the Dance of Dragons.

The next day after Cregan would be outfitted in his Valyrian armor, and wielding Ice, would face Unwin Peake, who unveiled that he had the ancestral sword of House Roxton Orphan Maker, and would wield it in the duel. Cregan and Lord Peake would face each other, and in a duel that lasted only 15 seconds, Cregan would slay Lord Peake by first cutting off his sword arm, and then by cutting off his head. Cregan would send the Valyrian sword Orphan Maker back to its owner, the new Lord Roxton. With Lord Peake's death, the unrest against Cregan would end, as the High Septon would accept the results of the duel, as he viewed the duel as a religious fight, and due to his liege lord the young Lord Lyonel Hightower. An agreement would be made which stated that the Faith wouldn't try to interfere with the business of Old Gods worshippers, and would not oppose polygamy from House Stark and other Old Gods worshippers. The agreement would essentially be similar to the Targaryen Doctrine of Exceptionalism but for Starks and Old Gods worshippers. 

Cregan seeing the destruction of Westeros would construct a new bank that would be centered in Winterfell. The Bank would be called the Bank of Wintercity. This bank would offer a deterrence to the other newly found bank in Westeros it would prove very profitable as North and Dorne are the only kingdoms least affected by war and most of Westeros now lay in ruin. The lords of Westeros would flock to them, in order to get loans that would help them rebuild their, villages, towns, and castles from the war. Cregan would buy many accountant slaves from free cities and set them free if they worked for him.

Cregan would go onto have Aegon III and Jaehaera Targaryen wed and secure the rule of Aegon III as both the Blacks and Greens were pacified with the merging of both the lines into one. Cregan would also give the Oldstone castle and the surrounding lands to his friend and loyal bannerman, Torrhen Mudd and would complete his ancestors promise of reinstating them in their castle in Riverlands but for that they have to leave the North and the lands of Stony Shore. 

Cregan would rule as Hand and Lord Regent for two years and will leave the realm and regency in the hands of a council of seven regents for the young Aegon III Targaryen. This regency period was filled with many troubles as the realm struggled to rebuild from the war. Out of the seven original regents, only Grand Maester Munkun would serve the full term. The first seven regents were Lord Tyland Lannister, Lady Jeyne Arryn, Lord Royce Caron, Ser Torrhen Manderly, Lord Manfryd Mooton, Grand Maester Munkun, and Lord Roland Westerling. Aegon will dismiss all of his regents in 136 AC after reaching majority but still he who has seen the death of his whole family rarely smiled, was always melancholic, like he has lost all his energy.

Aegon III bestowed many rewards to Cregan one of which was gold and honored the agreement reached between Cregan Jaecarys Velaryon. Cregan will use much of the gold to make another order of trained militia known as Winter Wolves, which will be made completely of cavalry and will be 3,000 strong with 1,000 Heavy Cavalry, 1,000 Light Cavalry, 700 Horse Archers and 300 scouts. Their job will be to guard the roads and provide escort to merchants and lords which will make this order self-sustaining.

Cregan would also take measures to increase the population of the North as too many people left North for freely given land in the Rivrlands. He would do this by giving tax exemption to those with more than two children. He would do this for 10 years before stopping so that the population do not become too high to manage and feed.

Cregan and his wives would prove to have very fruitful marriages, a combined number of fifteen children would be born from their unions, six sons and nine daughters, while Cregan would have a total of sixteen children from all of his wives. Cregan would have four children with Lady Alysanne Blackwood, Sarra, Alys, Melissa, and Brynden. Lady Baela would give him four children as well, Laena, Edric, Raya, and Brandon. Lady Rhaena would give him five children Jonnel, Barthogan, Mariah, Alyssa, and Larrissa. While Lady Marla would give him two children Bella and Steffon. The order of birth for Cregan's children would be Rickon, Laena, Sarra, Jonnel, Edric, Barthogan, Alys, Mariah, Raya, Bella, Melissa, Brynden, Brandon, Alyssa, Larissa, and then Steffon.

The majority of the remainder of Lord Cregan's reign would mostly be peaceful following the end of the Dance of Dragons, as no more threats remained to the North or Westeros as a whole. Cregan was well-loved and respected by his bannermen, he had already proven he was brave, a warrior, that he could rule, and proved that he could be merciful, he had also made them prosper. 

Cregan would also introduce the concept of knights in the faith of the Old Gods. He would make a dedicated order who would be responsible for 'knighting' the people as no knight can just make a knight like the southern ones. Those seeking to become knights will have to do rigorous training and have to pass the trial set by the order.

Cregan also built strong ties with the Braavosi. While the city is now considered to be one of the strongest and richest of the free cities in Essos this was not always true. In fact despite the Braavosi boasts the only reason Valyria did not simply grind Braavos under its heel and annex the land has nothing to do with Braavos itself, but rather Braavos is still here because it formed a convenient trading port for the Sarnori who also did not wish to see Valyria, old ally though it may be, expand its domains beyond Lorath in the Far north of Essos and the Valyrian's agreeing to Sarnori demands.

Indeed, for most of its history, Braavosi trade with Sarnor was not just the largest component but what truly sustained Braavos and kept it alive, for at the edge of the world, who do you trade with? The answer in Lord Cregan's mind was the North. As such Cregan joined the North deeper into the trade networks of Braavos. He also deposited a huge sum of money into the Iron Bank making House Stark one of its largest depositor and customers and certainly the largest from Westeros with it being known that during the reign of King Robert the Starks had over 3 million of Gold Dragons deposited in the Iron Bank.

It was through Braavos that Cregan connected the North to the world and it was through the North that Braavos was able to grow, expanding and taking advantage of the northern trade to fill their harbors, using its location to channel the growing northern wool trade through not just its ports but also its workshops and tailors, in the end gaining the second largest share of the coin from Essos in the wool trade after the North itself and maintaining its lead in the more expensive and elaborate clothing for they knew the tastes of the magisters of Essos better than the North. However, it was not just wool, the northern trade would by the time of Lord Rickard expand to beef, soap, fish oils and pastes, linen. There was also demand for Neck Wine however the Starks had forbidden exports of these good and so the trade continued but through smugglers. 

When Aegon III died in 157 AC and his son Daeron inherited the throne and is crowned Daeron the First. King Daeron is everything his father is not, he is energetic, charming, intelligent and bold. Despite being of Queen Jaehaera's womb and as such the direct heir to Aegon II, Daeron always was closer to his father and like him felt the loss of Queen Rhaenyra keenly, even though he never met her. With this in mind along with the urge for adventure strong in his veins Daeron gathered his Lords in the Red Keep in 158 AC and announced the war for which he is known, The Iron throne would Conquer the Stepstones.