Eddard 'Corvus' Stark

(Ezio POV)

My name is Ezio Auditore. When I was a young man, I had liberty, but I did not see it. I had time, but I did not know it. And I had love, but I did not feel it.

I am the son of Giovanni Auditore, a wealthy merchant from Gulltown who made his fortune trading fine furs, timber, and silver from the North to the more refined markets of the Vale, King's Landing, and even Essos. Though not of noble birth, the Auditores were respected in Gulltown, with strong connections among the merchants and minor lords. I never understood why Westeros values birth so much. As if it were something you had any control over. Your standing in life is basically based on luck and not skill. That's why I was proud to be an Auditore, son of Giovanni, the man who pulled us from the bottom to reach great heights. 

But my father was a shrewd and ambitious man who had long sought to elevate our family's status. He hoped to one day secure a knighthood or a marriage alliance that would grant us children a place among the nobility. Essos was a good place to make deals and profit, but there was either too much or too little order and a chance for us to climb a ladder. So Father concentrated most of his attention on Westeros while using Essos to make favourable deals and earn most of our money. The only other thing valued so highly as birth is money, which my father used to our advantage. The Faith of the Seven, as it is called, is a hypocrite, and my father used that hypocrisy. 

I was born into wealth and privilege. And while I was raised in the bustling streets of Gulltown rather than a noble castle, there was nothing we truly lacked. My father loved my mother, Maria and us children more than anything else. Unlike many highborn children, I learned not just swordplay and riding but also how to move unseen in crowded streets, listen for whispers in markets and taverns, and read a man's intent through his words and gestures. It started out as an experiment and then ended up as an addiction. My brothers, Federico and Petruccio, and I played catch and release and tried to stay unnoticed by others for as long as possible. It developed further as we got older, until we were required to steal something from the person we were following. 

Our father, ever the pragmatist, believed that gold and knowledge were more powerful than swords, but he ensured his son was well-versed in both. Should we ever become knights or nobles, we would need both. It is not hard to guess that his actions were rather ambitious. 

But ambition breeds enemies.

Father was accused of treason in the year 275 AC when I had just seen my ninth name day. Lord Marq Grafton, the ruling Lord of Gulltown and an influential bannerman of House Arryn, claimed that my father had been conspiring with pirates from the Stepstones, providing them with safe harbour and information in exchange for a cut of their stolen wealth. It was a ridiculous notion for my father and for us sons, but Mother was afraid. She was aware of the danger that lurked in Westeros; behind the pretty words and nice dresses, there lay a darkness she was aware of. I thought it wasn't as bad as she did ... I realise now that I was lying to myself. Unwilling to admit that there was a chance my father, Giovanni Auditore, could ever fall. So, instead of leaving with us furtively, my father decided to face the accusations head-on. 

The charges were false, but the evidence was damning - manufactured letters, testimony from a rival merchant, and a chest of foreign gold 'discovered' in our home. I couldn't understand what was happening and fell into a trance as they enchanted my family. 

I watched as my father, mother, and elder brothers were dragged from our home and dragged to Gulltown's square and hanged as traitors. My younger sister, Claudia, was taken by men I didn't know ... most likely sold to pay off the debts that were suddenly placed upon my family's name. 

I barely escaped with my life. A family friend, a sellsword named Domenico, smuggled me out of Gulltown and into the Vale, warning me that if he stayed, I would meet the same fate as the rest of my family. The Auditores' fortune was seized, and our home was given to another merchant loyal to the Graftons. 

.

I moved from place to place, trying to survive using the skills I had acquired from playing games with my brothers. I stole from the rich and wealthy. Looking back on it now, I was most likely trying to get caught, to end it all, while my unconsciousness was fighting against it. Whatever the reason, I gained lots of experience and managed to survive for an entire year until I reached the Eyrie. 

The Eyrie. The capital of the Vale and home of the Arryns. The one house that should have protected my family from the injustice that befell it but did nothing. I can remember the anger I felt at realising all of this, and I wanted to do something. I don't know what I had planned, but it was most likely not clever. However, I came across three hanged corpses dangling from the poles, and everything I tried to bottle up came back up. It stopped me in my tracks, and I am thankful for it. Because if I hadn't been at that spot at that time, I would have never met him. 

He. The man I owe everything to and will die to protect no matter what happens. The one person who met me at my lowest and extended a hand to me ... just because he could. 

Eddard' Corvus' Stark

When he saw me the first time, he gave me food. I didn't ask for it or even answer any of his questions, yet he still gave me food. He saw the state I was in and acted accordingly. Today, I can say that he would have acted the same, no matter who was standing there. He has a great sense of justice, and his optimism is contagious. He was a child of 11 name days when we met. I was ten, and he was one year older, but he seemed so much older than that. Ned has always been wiser and more intelligent than he should have been. But if there is anything I have learned in the time I have known him, it's that there is nothing set in stone when it comes to him, but one thing. Those closest to him, like his true friends and especially his family, will always be his highest priority. He will go to war against the entire world for them and do it with a smile.

Ned had one friend at the time of our meeting, Lord Robert Baratheon. He doesn't choose his friends lightly, and while he had a childish way of arguing about it, he wasn't entirely wrong. He never made the same mistake I did and trusted others without knowing them and their motives. He is an optimist, but only as far as he can live with the consequences should his optimism be betrayed. What this means is simple. He believes that all people have the potential for good, to be just and to do the right thing. But because he realises that there are evils in the world, he expects terrible things to happen. If he can live with the fact that he may get betrayed and his optimism proves detrimental, he will still do it. But if he can't live with the consequences, he doesn't. Should someone betray his good intentions, though, he drops all of his optimism, and what reveals itself is a dark storm of violence.

I didn't understand it at first, either.

After we met for the first time, Eddard was unwilling to let me be on my own and thought about a way to improve my living conditions. I refused his help at first, but the Raven Wolf has a way of looking at you that makes you forget what you wanted and agree with anything he says. He wouldn't take a no from me, and my 'skills', which I had honed, proved to not even amuse him. He dragged me to the castle and right into the solar of Lord Jon Arryn, telling him about my situation, at least what he knew and told him that he would like to acquire a small cabin for us. He specifically said 'us' and not me. 

The way he talked to Jon Arryn was like an equal and not like a ward to his foster father. But as they spoke, it became apparent that the Corvus never asked anything of Lord Arryn in the years he had been there. Not only that, but Corvus was an important and skilled scribe and translator. He took a lot of work off of the Maester and was even better at it, in fact. So when he asked his foster father for a rundown cabin, Lord Arryn agreed after thinking about it. If he had known how happy he would be in the future, he would have agreed to it much quicker because Corvus's prowess covers more than just his physical aspects.

Corvus got the documents signed and ready, and then we were off. The cabin's location was not good. It was supposed to be renewed initially, and had it not been for Corvus, who saw potential, it would have been. If I were to be presented with the cabin today, I might not react the same, but looking back to the time I had lived on the streets and eaten anything remotely edible and also unedible, it was beautiful. Someone had taken the time and responsibility to give me a place to stay without expecting anything in return. 

We started working on the cabin immediately. Corvus spent almost all of his free time working on our cabin. He organised and bought building materials of wood and even stone. He showed me how he planned out the cabin in the future and what we would need to get there. His vision was incredible, and I never thought we would succeed. But he didn't take no for an answer; he never does. He aimed to transform the cabin into part living space and part inn. I had no idea why he wanted that, but he assured me there were reasons for it, which was undoubtedly true. 

.

Time passed rather quickly after Corvus took me in. Each day was filled with things to do and tasks to complete, lessons to learn and worth to prove. Next to my Lord, you feel wanted but still unworthy at times. This proved to be a big problem for me initially until Corvus calmed me down and told me I was doing enough. The rundown cabin slowly turned into a beautiful hut and grew larger than initially. There was a nice and cosy place for me to sleep and potential for more growth, while there was also a tiny but aesthetic inn. I didn't know what Corvus had planned for it and was surprised when he started ... cooking. He started trying out different dishes and asked me for input. I never helped much when my mother was still alive, but I did remember some things which he used and changed. He was experimenting and, after months of doing so, created various dishes I had never heard of, which were delicious. 

So we opened for business. That's right. Corvus and I opened the inn and started to serve customers from the Eyrie food and drinks. Due to my Lord's connections, it turned into a tremendous success. The food was impeccable, and the inn looked special, which appealed to many people. I was glad for a while and almost started to believe this would be my life from then on. Little did I know, it was about to change. I was about to change; Lord Corvus was going to change me. 

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(Flashback)

"Ezio, come with me."

"Yes, my lord."

Eddard leads me to the back of the inn and crosses his arms. He has a serious look, which I know to be his contemplative one. 

"You have been with me for a bit over a year now. And no matter how many times I tell you not to, you continue to call me Lord."

"I apologise, it's just-"

Eddard holds up his hand. 

"I don't truly care what you call me, but you must know that it has consequences. I thought about it and believe you are the perfect candidate for my plans."

"Plans, my Lord?"

"Aye, plans. I will create a group, an organisation of sorts. This group will work in the dark, from the shadows and defend what lies dearest to me. I will teach you the skills necessary to do so."

"What skills?"

"This."

As he says that, Eddard just vanishes. He was in front of me in one moment and then disappeared the next. I look around the room to find him, but it doesn't work. And then he reappears. I jump back in surprise. That should be impossible. 

"That's ... incredible. How are you doing that, my Lord?"

"I will teach you how to replicate it to some extent. I will teach you how to hide, to move silently, to become one with the shadows ... to kill. Is this something you want?"

I don't answer him for a while. I think back to the day my family was hanged, framed for crimes we didn't commit and Marq Grafton. My mind is clear on this, and I understand its implications. I nod my head. 

"I want to do it. Please teach me."

"Very well. Welcome, Ezio Auditore, to the Shadow Guard."

(Flashback end)

.

And so, the Shadow Guard was created. It wasn't called that initially, but I started to call my Lord: Corvus, due to his connection with Ravens and Crows. The Shadow Guard was renamed the Raven Guard, which seemed much more fitting. It began as a group and turned into a brotherhood of sorts. Our sole purpose is the protection of Lord Corvus and his purpose. 

'Nothing is true, everything is permitted. We work in the dark to serve our light. We are the Raven Guard.'

My story is one of many thousands, and the world will not suffer if it ends too soon ...