I Don't Own Naruto or Game of Thrones!

Blood & Vengeance - Chapter 7

"Thank you, Ser."

Naruto smiled down at the little girl who looked no older than five years old, her light brown hair hiding the sides of her face as a bright smile graced her lips. She held a bowl of hot leek soup in her small hands, the mushrooms and grounded pepper and small bits of chicken smelling heavenly. There was also a small piece of bread inside the bowl; sitting in the hot broth, soaking up the flavor – in Naruto's opinion, the bread was the best.

"You're welcome, sweetling; go on, enjoy."

The knight patted the girl on her head and ruffled her hair, making her giggle as she walked away, back to her group of friends that all sat at one of the many tables placed in the courtyard of the orphanage. Almost a hundred of other children chatted among themselves with their bowls of hot soup soothing their stomach, and more and more laughter started to emerge. Naruto smiled at the children as he kept the fire strong under the stone stove, keeping the remainder of the soup steaming hot. The weather was not was warm as before, the nightly wind would often chill the children, so some hot soup was perfect for supper.

For the last three weeks, Naruto had been monitoring the order and development of the one large orphanage of King's Landing, a structure built out of pale red stone that housed over a hundred children. The oldest amongst the large group was twelve years old, and ever she was sickly and malnourished. Jon Arryn had provided a budget of one hundred and fifty gold dragons to Naruto and tasked him to manage the operations of the place. The young man had been rather clumsy at first, but quickly grew into the task and had done a decent job, according to the Hand of the King.

With the gold, Naruto ordered the entire structure to be inspected and fixed, any sort of cracks or faults were covered by the masons and any rodent problems were smoked away. Thin layers of feather mats were installed onto the wooden beds for the children and the knight made sure that every single person had their own blanket and pillow. Then, will the help of Jon Arryn's authority, Naruto had organized a plan with a series of taverns and inns, which stipulated that any leftover ingredients or livestock would be given to the orphanage's cooks. Using only fifty gold dragons, Naruto had restructured the orphanage and remodeled the quality of life of the children. But there was still one more objective to accomplish.

"Ser Naruto," said the voice of a young man, roughly the same age as Naruto, dressed in a squire's attire. "Here is the information you wanted."

Naruto nodded before he wiped the grime and ash off his hands to retrieve the stack of papers from the squire, his eyes immediately reading the text on the initial page. "Thank you, Hugh," said the knight as he walked away to one of the empty tables. "Stand there and watch the flames, make sure the soup doesn't burn."

"Yes Ser."

Sipping on a cup of summer wine, Naruto immersed himself in the documents, his eyes occasionally blinking from the smoke of the stoves. The papers were a list of potential teachers now living in Flea Bottom, and there were quite many. Naruto remembered the lessons his aunt had taught him in the past – one of many that taught him how to categorize and prioritize. There were several individuals in the provided list that had better qualifications than the rest, there was even an expelled maester with several links in his chain, but there were more factors to consider. Most of the children in the orphanage were quite young and would need to start learning at a very basic level, so the maester might not be needed yet, not to mention that he was expelled due to improper conduct with young children. In Naruto's opinion, he best find a lady with a kind face and soothing voice, someone who would not intimidate the children and would genuinely care for them given time.

"Any good candidates?"

Naruto was broken out of his concentration and looked up to see Jon Arryn smiling down at him. "Good evening, my Lord, and yes, there are quite a few good choices," said the knight with a smile as the Hand sat down across from him. "Hugh did a good job collecting these documents."

"I'm sure he did," muttered the old man with a perfunctory tone. "Please, elaborate."

"First, there is one expelled maester named Harrison Dewitt of Gull Town, while he might be a good choice as a teacher for older and more educated children, his education may prove to be overly advanced for these children, and since he was expelled from the order because of inappropriate actions towards children, I would definitely remove him from the list." Jon Arryn nodded at the analysis, seemingly in agreement.

"Definitely, I would sooner see the man hanged than him teaching these children."

Naruto tossed the sheet of paper into a hearth near the table and continued. "There is one Anna, no last name, originating from King's Landing." Jon nodded and listened on. "She doesn't have any sort of formal education or background, but she is literate and would often ask for discarded books around the city." Naruto nodded as he read more of her document, "She apparently looks quite friendly and elegant, given her upbringing, and is quite kind of others."

"Any previous affiliations or occupations?" asked the Hand of the King as he leaned in.

"Yes," replied Naruto with a slight sigh. "She used to be a whore in one of the many establishments in King's Landing, but she managed to leave that profession after ten years." The blond cleared his throat and sipped on his wine, "I assume that she saved every copper and silver to live a simple life, however depressing that may sound."

"I'll have Hugh follow up on her and decide later, but she sounds like a good person to teach these children, as long as she doesn't affect anyone here with her past profession."

Naruto nodded and continued to skim through the pile of documents, discarding many poor candidates into the hearth. Then there was one decent individual. "My Lord, this person seems decent," said the knight with a small smile. "Melinda Waters, a bastard daughter of someone in the Crownlands, retired septa of the faith and used to be a governess for House Darke." Jon nodded, impressed at the find. "She lives near Gin Alley in a house she bought with her savings, and is now living out her old age." Naruto smiled and nodded, "I think she is one of the best candidates we have."

Jon nodded as he rested his back fully on his chair. "I agree; I will personally visit this woman and ask for her help here; hopefully she would be willing."

"We still have one hundred gold dragons left over, so using a nice salary to attract her would also be possible."

"Indeed, but I don't want to use any more gold than we need to use." The Hand of the King smiled and crossed his arms across his chest. "But you needn't worry; there is another matter I need you to take care of."

Naruto noticed the amused expression on the older man's face and wondered. "Is there something I'm missing?"

"Princess Myrcella has officially selected a Lady-in-waiting and she is to arrive on the morrow."

"Really?" asked the young knight surprised. "The princess didn't say anything to me last time I saw her." Since his beginning in King's Landing, Naruto had seen the Princess less than ten times, and each time he only had to stand behind her and make sure to harm would come to her. There were a few moments where the girl would excitedly ask him multiple questions when her Royal Mother wasn't looking, but those moments were scarce. "So who is this new lady?"

Jon poured himself a small cup of wine and smiled. "It's Lady Margaery Tyrell, the nice young lady we met during the King's Tourney."

Naruto nodded, finding sense in the new development. "Lady Margaery should prove equal to her new position." The knight noticed the small smile on the Hand's face. "What is it, my Lord Hand?"

"Lady Margaery has a reputation back in Highgarden that is similar to yours – a sort of people's heroine – and she had asked to help us in our current endeavors." Lord Jon placed his cup on the table and collected the papers. "I tentatively accepted; I'm sure that a Lady with her courtesy and beauty would be a fine addition to our grand purpose." He cleared his throat before he looked up at Naruto, "You will welcome her at the gate on the morrow and personally show her to the Red Keep." With a smile he continued, "Based on the looks she was giving you the last time, I'm sure she will appreciate you accompanying her."

"What looks?"

"Oh come now, Naruto; surely you've noticed Lady Margaery's expression when I suggested that you crown Lady Arianne the Queen of Love and Beauty the next time you win the Joust." Naruto thought back to the King's feast and remembered nothing and merely shook his head. Jon sighed before giving an amused smirk, "Trust me, you are the perfect person to accompany her around King's Landing while she aids us."

"Okay," muttered the young knight, "So where should I welcome her?"

"Princess Myrcella will personally be greeting her Lady-in-Waiting, so you will escort the princess to the River Gate where Lady Margaery is expected to pass through." Jon cleared his throat and stood from the chair, "They will both be escorted to the Red Keep and Lady Margaery will then meet with the Queen; it is after all that when you will escort Lady Margaery to the Tower of the Hand."

Naruto bowed to his leader, "I understand, my Lord Hand."

Jon smiled and nodded, "Good, now let us retreat to the tower and have a nice dinner."

The River Gate, or commonly known as the Mud Gate, was the same gate Naruto passed through the day he came to King's Landing. It was only a month ago, but already felt quite distant. All too many things had happened and changed in the short time. It was quite a wonder to Naruto that in such measly days he had gained ninety-thousand gold dragons, Knighthood, and the reputation as the people's hero. But as surreal as it all may seem, it was not over, not nearly over.

"Ser Naruto?" whispered a soft voice from within a carriage that was stationed next to Naruto. "Can you hear me?"

Naruto smiled at the excited whispered of the princess, "Yes, Princess, how can I be of service."

The beautifully embroidered curtain of the carriage window peeped open and familiar golden tresses fell through as the princess' green eyes looked up at her knight, "Did you ever do the thing I asked of you last time?"

"Yes, Princess," answered Naruto with a smile. "The little bunny is in the Tower of the Hand, inside my own chamber, and I'll show it to you the next time we have time."

Myrcella smiled happily and brushed more of the curtain away. "What color is its fur?"

"A beautiful light brown," whispered Naruto back, "But I've heard from the Maesters that some bunnies turn as white as snow during the winters."

"Really?!" whispered the princess happily, "I can't wait until winter, then!"

Naruto chuckled and placed and finger on his lips, "Don't let other hear that, princess."

Soon the sound of a column of horses could be heard and the tip of banners could be seen. A golden rose on a field of green was proudly emblazed on the front banners of the column where a large carriage was being pulled by six horses. Ser Horas Redwyne was riding along the carriage, his usual crimson armor shining in the sunlight. If Naruto hadn't seen him compete in the King's Tourney, he would have thought of him as a competent knight.

More guards followed behind the carriage – numbering over twenty – and all of them were atop of stallions decorated with golden roses. They formed a trailing triangle behind the main carriage and all were armed with blades and shields, also decorated with roses. But unfortunately, all the golden threads that made the roses were stained with mud and dirt from the travel and no longer looked graceful, unlike the lady sitting in the carriage.

Lady Margaery had opened the front of her carriage and she looked at the gate as they arrived, the smile on her face as beautiful as ever.

Naruto got off his horse and met with the Tyrell column, offering a bow to the carriage. "Good afternoon, Lady Margaery; representing Princess Myrcella Baratheon, I, Naruto, the sworn shield to Princess Myrcella, would like to welcome you to King's Landing."

"Thank you, Ser Naruto" replied the silky voice of Margaery, "It is humbling to have such a welcome."

The daughter of the Warden of the South stepped down from her carriage with Ser Horas guiding her hand, and she stepped closer to Naruto and the princess' carriage. Even with the slight wind Naruto caught small traces of Lady Margaery's vanilla perfume, and it was quite delightful. Though his rational thoughts took over and urged him to not comment on it.

The blond knight retreated to the princess' carriage and gently knocked on the door. "Princess, Lady Margaery has arrived."

Almost as graceful as the Queen, Princess Myrcella stepped out of the door as Naruto held it. With a deft hand, Naruto helped the princess out of the carriage and the seven year old girl gracefully exited her carriage. Her elegant green dress gracefully complimented her golden hair; even at such a young age, the princess looked no less beautiful than Lady Margaery.

"Thank you for joining us here, Margaery."

The Lady Tyrell smiled and gave a curtsey. "Thank you for allowing me, Princess Myrcella."

Myrcella smiled brightly and stepped closer to her lady in waiting. "I've always wanted a friend with me in the castle, so I'm really excited about having you here." Margaery curtsied again and held onto the princess' hand, "We've already prepared a room for you in the Red Keep."

"I can't wait to see it."

"Princess," started Naruto with a bow, "I believe the Queen intends to have tea with you and Lady Margaery." The two ladies turned and nodded at the knight, "Shall I lead us to the Red Keep now?"

"Yes," replied Myrcella, "Lead on." The princess turned to smile at her first lady in waiting and grabbed her hand, "Come on, Margaery, and let's use my carriage."

Naruto remembered the times he shared tea with his aunt back in Lys. It was not quite often, but he loved every minute of it. Sitting next to their small window with the perfect view of their farm, they would enjoy the taste of jasmine and share in old stories. Naruto could still vividly remember the color of their old wooden table and how it would creak whenever he would shift his weight. That was their idea of tea; in King's Landing and in the Red Keep, it was very different.

In the brief moment Naruto had stood inside the room, he had seen how the Queen preferred her tea time. Instead of a simple wooden table, it was a large decorated marble monstrosity with golden embroidered tapestry and golden cups. There were at least ten handmaidens in the room, and all of them had one specific task to master, be it keeping the steaming temperature of the tea, fanning the Queen and the ladies, refilling of the small sweets, and refilling of the cups.

Standing outside of the room, Naruto couldn't help but wonder if it was like so every single day.

"So, Ser Naruto," started Horas Redwyne with a smirk on his face. "I see you are doing quite well here; it really isn't every day I see a lowlife being in the company of the princess." He laughed to himself as he looked over at Naruto, the only other person in the waiting area. "You really should be grateful."

Naruto merely smiled, "I am very grateful, Ser Horas, as you should. I see that your leg as recovered quite well from the tourney; it's not every day that I see someone who couldn't even ride a horse and point a stick properly protecting the daughter of the Warden of the South." Horas' smiled faded and was replaced with a slight scowl, but didn't say anything. "I guess a lowlife can fight better than a highborn knight; the King has obviously seen truth in such a statement; otherwise he wouldn't have made someone like you protect Princess Myrcella."

"Be careful, peasant."

"As I should; if you fight me, I'd have to pay extra attention and try not to hurt you too much." Naruto turned his head and gave the man a kind smile. "I mean no disrespect, but you're not like the mountain; if I attack you like I did him, your head might fall off." Naruto patted his longsword and turned back to face the other side of the room, "After all, a sword can do much more damage than a wooden stick."

Naruto resisted the urge to smile as silence reigned; he had wanted Horas to fire more verbal attacks at him, but apparently his boredom must continue.

Not long after, footsteps could be heard from within the tea room. As the door opened, Naruto turned and bowed his head, allowing the people inside to file out. The sweet smell of strawberries filled Naruto's senses as the first lady walked past him, and he saw that it was the Queen as he rose from his bow, looking as regal and stunning as ever. As much as Jon Arryn had descried Cersei Lannister's pride and ostentatious spending, Naruto had to admit that she was truly a sight to behold. Her golden hair and bright green eyes enchanted every man around her, even at her age.

"Ser Naruto," said the Queen.

"Yes, your Grace?"

The Queen stared at the young knight for a brief second before continuing, "The princess will accompany me to my chambers now, so you are dismissed for the day." Cersei placed a hand on Myrcella's shoulder as the girl walked out of the room. "If the princess needs any protection on the marrow, I will send word for you."

Naruto bowed, "Of course, your Grace."

"If Ser Naruto is free, may I ask him to escort me to the Tower of the Hand?" asked Lady Margaery with her usual courteous smile. "I should pay a visit to Lord Arryn before I officially aid in his ambition."

The Queen nodded, "Of course, dear girl."

Ser Horas stepped up. "I'm sorry, my Lady, but shouldn't I accompany you instead?"

The daughter of House Tyrell shook her head, "Thank you, Horas, but since Ser Naruto is a part of Lord Arryn's service, he would be more appropriate." Margaery smiled and stood next to Naruto. "Thank you for all your hard work today; you may see to your new arrangements here in King's Landing and have our guards settled."

Horas bowed, "Yes, my Lady, but…"

"Don't worry, I'm sure someone with Ser Naruto's skills and reputation can protect me."

"Of course, my Lady." The man left after that, but not before sending Naruto a discreet glare.

Margaery bowed once more to the Queen and Princess, "Thank you again for tea, your Grace, Princess."

Cersei smiled and nodded. "Thank you, dear girl."

Myrcella smiled and waved, "I'll see you in a little while, Margaery, and see you on the morrow, Naruto."

The knight smiled and nodded, "Goodbye for now, Princess, your Grace." Naruto turned to Margaery and bowed with his hand gesturing down the hallway. "Please follow me, Lady Margaery."

In the month and a half Naruto had been in King's Landing, he had walked through the main part of the Red Keep over fifty times. The Princess' classes on different subjects were located all over the large palace, so they would usually pass by the same hallways over five times a day. But even so, Naruto was still not used to the amount of detail and artifacts that linger through the hollow halls. He almost felt guilty walking so briskly pass such priceless artifacts and sometimes had half a mind to stop and give praise.

"It's nice to see you again, Ser Naruto."

As Naruto had expected, Margaery had waited until the Queen was completely out of sight before speaking. "You are too kind, Lady Margaery; I should be honored that a lady, such as yourself, remembers me."

Margaery gave a small laugh and shook her head. "You are far too modest, Ser Naruto; I will never forget the man who won all three event in the King's Tourney."

Naruto chuckled and continued down the hallway, "I must voice my surprise, Lady Margaery; I'd never thought the first daughter of Lord Tyrell would want to help Lord Arryn aid the common folk." Naruto smiled kindly at the lady, "It is very admirable."

"I believe every person in the world deserve the same treatment, regardless of their birth and gender; that is a lesson I've learned many years ago." The blond saw the determination burning in the beauty's eyes as she spoke. "The only reason I am who I am is because I was lucky enough to be born to my parents; it was just as likely for me to be born to into a peasant family, I understand that completely."

"I haven't met much highborn ladies, much less speak with them, but I can guarantee that most of them do not spend their time pondering the chances of their birth." Naruto offered Margaery a genuine smile and a small bow. "I am very glad that you will be helping Lord Arryn with such matters; having someone who truly cares is prudent."

The lady merely smiled. "Thank you, Ser Naruto, I am very thankful for the chance to help."

The trek from the Queen's Ball Room to the Tower of the Hand was not too far, but there was an abundance of stairs – almost thirty flights in total – and Naruto was very impressed that Lady Margaery never once complained about it. Some ladies would have guards carry them up the tower, but it seemed that the Tyrell daughter had much more stamina than the other ladies. All throughout the walk Margaery was still able to idly chat with Naruto and laugh at some of his jokes, although she was out of breath when they reached the top of the tower.

Like many parts of the Red Keep, the Tower of the Hand had tall ceilings – almost sixty feet high. Myrish rugs decorated the flooring as golden-tinted round windows filtered florescent light into the room, completing the golden theme. The Small Hall – Jon Arryn's usual meeting place with Naruto – was illuminated with its usual candles, and Naruto could hear the tune of the man's usual whistle. As usual, Jon was sitting in his desk writing his letters and sealing his envelops, but he stopped and smiled as soon as he saw his knight walk in with the young lady.

"Ahh, just the people I wanted to see." The Hand of the King stood from his desk and walked over to the young pair with a smile. "I welcome you to the capital, Lady Margaery; I hope you had a nice trip."

Margaery gave the Lord a curtsey and a beautiful smile. "It is an honor to be here, Lord Arryn, and I must thank you again for giving me a chance to help in such meaningful endeavors. It is a personal ambition of mind to help the less fortunate, and I am very much looking forward to playing my part."

Jon smiled approvingly, already feeling excited and optimistic about his lifelong dream. "Excellent, exactly the attitude I want from my fellow enthusiasts." The Hand clapped his hands together with no sign of his old age, "Now, how about my two young and dedicated helpers join me for dinner?"

Margaery smiled and nodded. "It would be an honor."

Naruto nodded in kind, "I can certainly enjoy a meal."

When the Hand of the King suggested dinner, Margaery had assumed that they were going to enjoy the delicacy of his personal cooks, but she was wrong. They had walked all the way down from the Tower of the Hand and out of the Red Keep. Lord Arryn didn't have any guards surrounding him, only Naruto stood by his side with his longsword strapped to his waist. Having such a strong knight around was certainly reassuring, but entering Flea Bottom with such feeble protection might be construed as ill-prepared by some.

But Margaery was certainly fine with it.

It was the first time the Tyrell daughter had entered the poorest sector of King's Landing, and the sight was what she had expected. Much like the small slum in Highgarden, people – most of them children – sat along the sides of the muddy streets, all holding onto small bowls for begging. The sight made her heart wrench. Such young children should be learning to read and write, not starving on the street, begging for a copper. She knew perfectly well that if they didn't do anything to resolve such tragedy, more and more people would be drawn to such conditions.

"The amount of child beggars have decreased since last month," said Naruto as he saw how Margaery looked around at the beggars. "We have organized a series of orphanages around Gin Alley and the first one was quite successful; if we model the following buildings after the first one, most of the children here should be able to have a home."

Margaery nodded as she bit her lips. "How many children can we fit in one orphanage?"

"About sixty children and since we also want to provide a simple education for them, each one of these facilities will need three teachers." The knight had his hand on the hilt of his blade just in case someone tried to attack the Hand or the Lady. "There is a long list of people currently in Flea Bottom we can use as teachers, so the resources are quite readily used."

"I definitely agree that we should take care of the children first; they are my far the most important part of our cause." Margaery realized that even if the current generation had sunk too far, they must ensure the improvement of the next. "And we definitely have our work cut out for us."

Jon cleared his throat and stopped. "We're here."

The Violet Vine

The name was elegant enough, but its appearance could use a little improvement. The effort was clearly present, though. The paint on the walls was starting to fade in the sun, but Margaery could still see a nice shade of violet. The entrance to the tavern was quite narrow and some of the wooden wall had start to rot away, but the aroma of steamed fish and baked kidney pie was heavenly.

Jon led the way in, and all eyes turned to them. It was not every day that the Hand of the King and the daughter of the Warden of the South would dine in such a place, and some people were already leaving the tavern. Some of the older men – a bunch of drunks with fewer teeth than fingers – were leering at Margaery with lustful eyes; even at her young age she was strikingly beautiful, and those looks made Naruto grip his sword just a little tighter. It was clear that they were drunk, and sometimes drunks fail to notice the knight beside the girl and would still try to violate her.

There was another table – on the opposite side from the drunks – and they were equally drunk, but they had gold cloaks on their backs. It shocked Margaery that the men of the City Watch could be so drunk while wearing their uniform.

"Ahh, free table over here." Jon led the group over to the table and pulled out a chair for Margaery, "Here, Lady Margaery."

"Thank you, my Lord Hand."

Naruto took a seat next to Margaery, placing himself between her and the drunks. His black leather doublet felt a tad warm in such a steamy tavern, but he decided to just ignore the heat, opting to order a cup of chilled milk, a delight that Jon Arryn had introduced to him.

"If I remember correctly, the pigeon pies here are quite tasty." Jon smiled as he looked around at the other tables and took in the variety of foods, "Although a nice bowl of leek soup also sounds nice."

Margaery smiled, "I'll have the steamed fish."

"Pigeon pie sounds good for such a night, but a cup of chilled milk to wash it down sounds even better."

Naruto waved over to one of the tavern maids and she quickly walked over with a bow, seemingly having a clue as to who they were. She quickly took the orders and blushed and stuttered when Naruto ordered, clearly trying to avoid his gaze. No one at the table had nearly as much exposure to the public as Naruto; almost everyone in King's Landing could remember the face of the victor of the King's Tourney.

"So, Lady Margaery," started Jon as the Tyrell looked over at the lord, "I believe you already have experience with such matters back in Highgarden?"

Margaery nodded with a smile. "Yes, my Lord Hand; along with my older brother, Willas, we created a food bank for the poor. Even now, the houses of Highgarden will donate a certain amount of food every week to the bank, and a portion of them will be distributed to the people in the slums each week."

Naruto smiled, "That sounds like a good system."

Jon nodded, "Indeed, I can see us using a similar infrastructure here after we solve the problems with the children."

"I believe I still have some of the notes I took during working with my brother, so I can easily remake the model for our current situation."

"That's perfect!" replied Naruto with a smile.

Jon smiled at their young enthusiasm and only nodded along at their constant ideas and suggestions. He could barely remember the time when he felt like that, and Robert and Eddard were never people for infrastructure rebuilding, so seeing them in such a light was refreshing.

"PLEASE!" cried the voice of one of the tavern maids, "PLEASE SER, I'M SORRY!"

One of the four gold cloaks around the table sneered as she held the woman down on the table and had his hand around her neck. He held their barrel of wine above her face and started the pour its contents on her face, making her squirm around as she cried. His friends were chuckling at the sight, but mainly just shook their heads at the scene, not adding any fuel to the fire. They knew their friend could get crazy after a few drinks.

"What, I can't hear you?" The gold cloak holding the woman down asked as he spat on the woman's face. "Speak louder, bitch!"

"I-I'M SORRY!" the woman yelled, "I didn't mean to spill your wine!"

"Well you did!" cried the man close to her ears. "You dirtied my cloak!"

"I didn't mean to!"

"That's too bad!" The man opened another barrel and started to pour it down her face again, "Now you get to watch me spill the whole barrel!"

"That is quite enough," said Naruto as he grabbed the man's hand, "Stop it before I make you."

The man's three friends growled at the threat and stood up with their hands on their swords. "Be careful, you little shit; no one threatens us."

"W-Wait, isn't this the C-Champio-"

The man was interrupted by Naruto slamming his fist into his mouth, knocking out several of his teeth. Before the other could react, Naruto shoved the main perpetrator to the wall and pull the woman to her feet, allowing her to retreat back. With a strong punch, Naruto smashed the man into the wall, cracking several of his ribs. The remaining two gold cloaks cried out at him and drew their swords, aiming for his head.

"Fuck off you cunt!"

Naruto scoffed and stepped to the side, letting their slow swings pass around him, before smashing their heads into the table. Grabbing the wine barrel, Naruto poured the remaining wine onto them, covering their gold cloaks in red. Unsheathing his own sword, Naruto held it against one of their necks and leaned down.

"Get your friends and leave now, or I'll dye your cloak red with your blood."

The man felt the blade brush against his neck and stuttered out, "Y-Yes Ser…"

Watching the four men stumble out of the tavern, Margaery smiled, resisting the urge to hit them herself. She opted to help the woman with her clothes and face, but the maid had already gone inside. So she turned to the blond knight and gave him a brilliant smile. "That was great, Ser Naruto; those men deserved every bit of that, maybe even more."

"Believe me; it was hard for me to not kill them."

They both sat back down in their own table, Jon silently watching them.

"Please don't fire me!"

The maid stepped out from the curtain that separated the kitchen from the main tavern area along with an older man, obviously the owner of the place. He was handing her a small pouch of coppers and was pushing her out of the tavern, not caring for her stained skin or tears.

"I can't help you, Mary, sorry; those were the gold cloaks and they will be back for revenge if I don't fire you."

Mary got on her knees as she cried. "Please, I still have a little sister back home to feed."

"Please leave, I can't afford to anger the City Watch!"

Naruto and Margaery watched the sight unfold with surprise, both wondering how they had not foreseen such an outcome.

"There are consequences for everything, you two." Jon Arryn sipped on his cup of milk as his two subordinates stared at the situation. "That maid spilled wine on one gold cloak, and he wanted to pour wine on her face and humiliate her – that was the consequence. All she had to do was to endure the humiliation and beg for forgiveness after; in the end she would have only angered one gold cloak and would probably still have a job." The Hand sighed as he looked up at the scene. "You may have saved her now, but might have caused her even more pain in the long term; now she might have to resort to becoming a whore and endure daily humiliation from men like him."

Margaery bit her lips and frowned. "I-I didn't know."

Jon smiled. "Things are much more complicated than it seems; we are trying to break down decades of established unspoken rules, so before we make any decisions, we must understand the way things work here." Naruto and Margaery turned to face their leader as he continued, "Don't worry; I will make sure you both learn." Finishing his cup of wine, Jon pointed at the terminated woman, "Now Naruto, if you don't mind, please go and tell that woman not to worry and we'll offer her a position at the second orphanage on the morrow."

Naruto stared at the Hand for a second before nodding, "I-I understand, my Lord Hand."

The End!

Looks like there are many things Naruto and Margaery still have to learn. Good thing Jon Arryn is there to walk them through. XD

Sorry it took so long for me to update, but my motivation for this story took a hit once season four of the show was over. I'll work on this more now, though.

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