Prologue: they make ready for war
A falcon chasing the moon, the flag of Jon Arryn was waving on the air, as Jaune observed the whole trident from the opening of their tent, "Pyrrha" he called as the amazon looked at him as she sat on their bed, remnants of their lovemaking last night was evident to their clothes strewn on the floor, Pyrrha's attention was on the candle that was now dead, "Pyrrha" he called out again as the red haired woman turn towards him.
"Jaune" she said as they sat and looked at each other for a moment, it had been a few weeks now since their arrival in Westeros, a month after they had helped Eddard or as he insisted to be called Ned, from a Targaryen ambush since then they have been a crucial part of this rebellion led by Robert Baratheon, adviser and squire of Jon Arryn who always consulted him for his counsel, and I have always helped him with it, Jaune thought as he watched Pyrrha began to stand up closing herself beside him.
"What does this makes us Pyrrha?" he asked as he remembered what they did last night, a whore tried to have sex with him, as he awkwardly tried to placate the woman, Pyrrha had rushed in, red faced and angry, as he followed her begging her to not leave him, Pyrrha was ranting and crying out at him and Jaune didn't know what to do so he kissed her, she kissed him back and then this happened, "I don't know, what makes us now Pyrrha, please, last night it was all my fault, its all my-" he was begging now as Pyrrha hold his hand then put it to her chest.
"This is what makes us Jaune, I choose you, you choose me, I am yours and you are mine, I'm happy, we are happy" she said as tears seem to fall on her eyes then to her cheeks, "long I've always wanted to tell you how much I want you and now I'm happy, I get to tell you what I wanted to tell you" she smiled as she closed herself to Jaune locking herself to him with a kiss. It was not long until Ned had arrived with an embarrassed expression on his face.
"Jaune" the two quickly broke contact as Pyrrha jumped to bed while Jaune jumped to his seat, "Jon called you, he says its urgent" he said as Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other before Jaune returned his eyes back to Ned.
"If you will give us some time" Ned nodded as he went out of the tent flaps, Jaune went out shortly, with his usual attire of a strange hooded black gambeson and steel breastplate, as most people of this world would tell him about his hoodie and armor, it was strange and unusual, maybe I would have to have a change of choice clothing after this, Jaune thought as he looked at Pyrrha who was now clothed in her usual outfit, the Dorian attire, golden and bronze that went well with her ruby hair, Mistral being known as a bad land, it was no wonder that Pyrrha despite her status as a champion of her kingdom decided to go to Vale so as to escape the harshness of Mistral celebrity life and its politics, if she hadn't left Mistral then I wouldn't be here with her, Jaune thought as they followed Ned to the war tent.
Jon Arryn was rubbing his beard thoughtfully as he stared hard at the map of the Trident, Jaune and Pyrrha had finally arrived, as the lords in the war council turned their attention to them, "ah good you are here" Jon began as Jaune stood beside him, putting his hand at the edge of the map, "the Loyalist houses are trying to bait us in to what you call a double envelopement" Jon said as Jaune studied the whole map with the wooden pieces that represent the banners of the Loyalist and the Rebel houses.
"We had to pretend we take the bait" Jaune said as he pulled two Vale banners, "Lords Moore and Waynwood will have to chase down their skirmishes at the right side of the ford" he then looked at the flags of Darry and Rosby, "when you passed the ford quickly retreat, the Darry and Rosby should quickly break their formation then try to chase you down leaving the center bare" Jaune looked at the left side of the ford, "Lord Stark and his bannermen and the riverlanders should try and hold the Dornish and the remaining Crownland forces, Robert will have to try and break through the center" he looked at the three headed dragon piece, the symbol of the sick dynasty that they were finally overthrowing.
"That would mean large losses on our side, we would be obliterated, this is a preposterous plan!" one of the riverlanders shouted as Jaune looked at the man, "also why is a squire making our strategies, this is a lord's war camp, boys are not allowed here!" some of the lords nodded and voiced their assent while Jon and Ned had to look apologetic while Robert then slammed his cup in front of them.
"Seven hells! This squire has done more than you lot did, saved my friend and brother in a damn Targaryen ambush, made sure that in every skirmish there are less casualty on our side, if you had any other good ideas you can tell him now or otherwise just shut your trap and listen to the man!" the words of the leader of the rebellion was enough to silence the whole tent as Jaune observed the formation of the Targaryens, it was an obvious attempt to surround them, the center as the scout reported was not made of the King's Landing vanguard but by Loyalist bannermen, the flanks however from their reserves and their left and right were made up of the so called elite Goldcloak guards, King's Landing guards loyal to the Targaryens and to the city which they call the capital.
"Thank you Robert" Ned said on behalf of the two of them as Jaune just sighed as he looked at the map of the trident, while Jon Arryn looked at Lord Tully who shook his head.
"The Freys are not coming" Jon said as Jaune looked at the map of Westeros and then saw the owner of the largest bridge in Westeros, House Frey of the Twins, being one of the richest houses in Westeros, the support of House Frey can turn the tide of war but sadly it seems Lord Walder Frey has decided to sit the whole event down, like a vulture to a carcass, Jaune thought as he began to think of them as opportunists.
"Well we had to go to war then, show 'em what they're missing" Robert said as he left the tent, "oh and Jaune one of your men had another drunken brawl, he's at the pillory now" Robert turned to him once more before leaving for sure, Jaune looked at the map of the Trident and then sighed as he remembered his men, his suicide squad, twelve individuals that he had met, helped, and trained with. Jaune had met them for sometime after he rescued Ned from the ambush, Harrion a thief that he rescued from being hanged, Ronel Morose a hedgeknight condemned at the pillory, Arthur Corbray a knightless squire, Shae a serving girl that Pyrrha decided to bring along with another serving girl Elise Snow, then there is Dunstan Pyke a self-proclaimed master shipwright who made a sturdy raft made of tar, reeds, sticks, and weeds when they escaped spying a Targaryen encampment, Paxter Flowers a suspected spy by the Targaryens so he was imprisoned but he is too dumb-looking to be suspected of spying, Harrold Felton a sellsword with a penchant for all things expensive, Peter Beggar a maester that was well not a maester anymore since he delved in explosives and poisons rather than medicines, Patrek Ewe a hedgeknight who thinks himself a knight worthy of the King's guard, Merett a poacher who was bound for the Wall if not for Jaune paying for his release, Jeyne a pickpocket that he caught picking his at the road, they were an unlikely group of unliked people but at least they can do the job that was given to them well and its what he preferred.
"Let me prepare a few things" he said as he looked at Pyrrha who nodded, Jon Arryn's Blackhand, it was quite the nickname that stuck to them since they do the scouting, the spying, and even the sabotage that most people of Westeros considered dishonorable, but Jon Arryn knew that there is no honor in war as Jaune had said it to him.
"Wars are won by the wiliest of minds my Lord, honor is second place"
"I'll call Harrion and Shae" she said as she made a quick peck on Jaune's lips before leaving the tent, Jaune then looked at Jon Arryn and Ned as the other lords had already left.
Shae woke up as she felt the rays of the sun touched her skin, it has been fifteen years, fifteen years she remembered the muck and grime of the field, the smell of cheap ale, and wine, and fornication, the stench in which she was rescued by a slender, smooth, and female hand, a hand that changed her destiny as she looks at the capital of the seven kingdoms, a damning reminder of the city that reek of pollution and yet she find it scary that she didn't mind it as such, it has been a long time, she thought as Shae quickly sat on her bed, remembering the training she took under her patron and protector.
"Lord Tyrion wants to see you" the eunuch, Varys, said as Shae quickly put herself on the defensive, the spy master unsettled her, for months that she was brought here by her lover Tyrion, she never let herself be around the spy master, he could know that I'm spying for Lord Arc, it was the fear of such that she never let her guard down in front of the eunuch "it seems he wants to tell you some matter of great urgency" Varys said as Shae went to the bowl of water and then splashed her face, enough to not look sleepy in front of the other servants.
"Another busy day at the kitchen I presume?" Shae's attention was now on her ever demanding charge, the Imp, Tyrion Lannister was on his bed as he was now retired from his duties as Hand of the King.
"My sauces are on demand, the court seems to love it" she said as she sat at the small bedside of the dwarf who smirked at her remark, she looked at the scar on his face, touching it despite Tyrion being reluctant into letting someone touching it, "forgive me, my lion" she said as Tyrion shook his head as he let her hands touch his scar.
"T'is fine my lady" he said as he found himself on her chest, letting her warmth be a place of refuge for the Imp of Casterly Rock, they sat like there like it was an hour or a day, even a week, Shae thought as she grew to be fond of Tyrion and yet her responsibilities to pay a debt to Lord and Lady Arc prevented her from pursuing any purpose, I wish it didn't have to be this way, Shae thought as she felt tears in her eyes, "after all of this I would like to go somewhere" she heard the dwarf mutter.
"To where my lord?"
Tyrion pushed himself out of her embrace as mismatched eyes meet the dark ones, "far away from here, somewhere where I can plant grapes and make my own wine" he said as he served himself with a drink while pouring another for Shae who smiled.
"We can do it now if you like it my lion" she said as she drink from her cup while Tyrion drank from his, "but for now we must do what we are told do."
Ruby watched the devastation wrought by Jaune's forces at the countryside surrounding Barrowton, the farms were set ablaze and pillaged, despite the hesitance of Jaune's soldiers, under strict orders they were forced to comply, he plans to starve the whole place, he wants to force them to a surrender, despite disagreeing with Jaune she had to understand its purposes, what happened to you? Ruby asked herself as she saw Pyrrha helping Jaune put on a shirt of mail.
"Thank you" she heard Jaune muttered as he gave a quick peck on Pyrrha's lips, Pyrrha sadly looked at him as he left the tent, barely recognizing Ruby's presence, Pyrrha looked apologetic to Ruby as the Huntress and the Lady of Venice looked at each other.
"Pyrrha" Ruby called out as Pyrrha began to prepare herself for battle, "you can't just let Jaune have a thousand people starve to death, its wrong" she reasoned as Pyrrha looked at her apologetically.
"I'm sorry Ruby" she said as she quickly equipped Milo and Akouo, "if you had arrived earlier than we did then you might understand as to why we had to do all of this" Ruby looked at Pyrrha's eyes then saw cold, hard determination, a determination to fight back against those who wish evil against them, they are lost in their own, Ruby thought as she went out of the tent only to see Ren and Nora eating with the nobles of Houses Cerwyn and Glover.
"Lord Arc" a messenger took Ruby's gaze away from the two of her companions as she saw an old man wearing robes and with a chain on his neck, a maester, a wise man by Remnant standards, the old man whispered something at Jaune and the Lord of Venice looked ahead then saw a group of people on horses all of them were carrying white banners.
"Lord Arc have mercy to House Dustin and Barrowton!" they all but cried out as every northerners loyal to House Stark were hurling insults to them, the horsemen dismounted dragging a figure towards them, the last of House Dustin, Ruby thought as she looked at Lady Barbrey Dustin in shackles and kneeling in front of Jaune who stood imposing in front of the woman.
Lady Barbrey Dustin quickly spat at his feet, "coward!" she screamed as she looked at everyone in the assembly, "cowards everyone of you! House Stark is done! The King's peace reigns over the whole of the North and yet you deny it!" she glared hatefully at Jaune, "you lap dog of the Starks ought to join your masters in the Seven Hells along with the Others!" Jaune motioned at his men who brought a block of wood, those who are holding Lady Dustin forced her head at the block.
"Jaune..." Ruby tried to reach out but she was stopped by Pyrrha.
"No..." the look in her eyes told it all, Ruby was afraid of it, those fierce green eyes that demand blood.
"In the name of Robb Stark King in the North and the Trident, Lord of Winterfell, the Young Wolf, I Lord Jaune of House Arc, Lord of Venice, sentence you to die" with a clean sweep of Crocea Mors, Lady Dustin's head was quickly liberated from her shoulders, Jaune looked at one of the troops who quickly made a salute and then took the head, "put it on a pike, we'll march to Winterfell, I want the bastard's head next to this bitch" cold blue eyes looked at the assembly of Lords who were cheering at him.
"Down with the Boltons and their allies!"
"Burn the Freys and their bridge!"
"Avenge the Red Wedding! Justice for the King in the North and the Trident!"
"For the Starks!"
"The Lion in the North!"
As banners of the Northern houses flew and wave, Ruby was watching Jaune as it seems to gleam blankly into the sun, it was the same eyes as Yang had when she lost Blake, Ruby thought as she quickly walked away from the scene finding herself in front of the prisoner's tents wherein resides one of the political prisoners, Jaime Lannister, "I've been waiting for you Lady Rose" the voice of the knight was soft as Ruby quickly entered the tent then found him beaten up just like every other night, ever since the capture of Winterfell, Jaune and Pyrrha had been vindictive against those who are the direct cause for the harm against their family even if they weren't actually there, they blame them all the same Jaime was being subjected to frequent beatings by men under Jaune's commands, filthy food is being given to him, Jaune's losing it, Ruby thought as she looks at Jaime with pity.
"I can try asking him again to treat you better, Jaune's not usu-" Ruby was stopped from a harsh cough from Jaime as he looks at her green eyes meeting the grey.
"The Lion in the North doesn't pity those who harmed his children, it'll be a miracle for you to make him see sense unless you become his wife which I doubt seeing that he is loyal to his lioness" Jaime said as Ruby sat next to him she took out a cookie in her pocket then gave it to Jaime.
"'I'll try and get you as much food as I can" she said as Jaime nodded his thanks, smiling at the comfort that she offered by her company, Ruby looked at Jaime and was reminded by Jaune, a man out to be appreciated by everyone, she thought as she had often heard his story from Jaune and the others and also to the man itself, is there anyway to make Jaune see sense?
Author's note: oh hey there! I know right!? the Semester is about to go to a close and I subject myself to a lee way to be able to write this second part of A Song of Summer and Winter, here we will see either the end of the whole duology or it can be a trilogy unless I didn't become busy since second semester is the start of the planning of our graduation thesis in which I hope I can do it, so yes have fun reading and remember I only build bridges for stories and you're all welcome to burn it!
Criticisms and Praises are appreciated
Miko 56