Teach our children of our strife
Nicholas sadly stared at his window as a maid had opened his door bringing his food, "I'm not hungry" he said, a day had passed and he remained on his room, feeling dread every moment and dreams, those dreams still haunt him in his sleep, I protected them they're hurting them, I did what I can to protect them, my family, my friends, he continued to reason himself as he looked at the direction of the door then saw that the maid hadn't left yet, "didn't you hear me? I'm not hungry! Leave me!" he yelled as a new figure entered the door and Nicholas found himself in front of his mother.
"If you're not hungry then why is your stomach grumbling?" she said as Nicholas tensed and then blushed as a grumble was heard in the silence, with a smile Pyrrha turned towards the maid "I will help my son to eat, thank you" she said as she took the tray from the maid who quickly curtsied then leave the room, "Nicholas..." she called out, she sets the tray down in front of him, Nicholas then looked away from her as if he felt so ashamed that he didn't want to look at her.
"I'm a monster" he said as his mother touched his shoulder, "no you're not a monster you saved your sisters, your friends, no one can condemn you for what you did" his mother said as Nicholas began to look at her trembling as he saw her smile, blue orbs stared on the green ones, his mother's eye were filled with care as she hugged him.
"What I did mother, I was scared, I was angry, they're hurting Artemisia and they've threatened our friends I don't know what to do then and then I feel it, power, mother, power running in my veins enveloping me as I stand and then all I saw was red..." Nicholas began return his mother's embrace as he continued his tale, "...when I opened my eyes I saw blood and fear" Pyrrha tightly embraced her son as sobs began to ring in the air.
It was enough pressure for the child to be able to activate his own Aura, Pyrrha knew because that is what her brother did after continuous training and putting himself on a lot of pressurized environment he was able to activate his Aura, but still it was overwhelming for Nicholas, it was his soul and he just used it to kill, no, to protect those he cared about, oh noble blessed spirit, rage and righteous fury incarnate, may you become a paragon of justice, a defender of the defenseless, the shield that guards against wickedness, oh caged furious soul I unchain your shackles and set you loose, it was the whisper of Nicholas' Aura as he felt it back then when he saw his sisters about to be harmed by those scum, he felt his mother removing her embrace but still holds him on both shoulders as she looks at him.
"Nicholas you are not a monster, you are a hero, just like me and your father, my father and his father and all the others before us" Pyrrha said as Nicholas just tearfully looked at her as she speaks, "you saved everyone, you protected everyone, I can ask none of it if I were you" the sobs had died down Nicholas face was now wounded by a weak smile as she offered him bread, "now you should eat, breakfast after all is the most important meal of the day" she said as Nicholas took the bread and then started stuffing it on his mouth while Pyrrha just continued to hand him every food that he tried to reach in while telling him the stories told in the oral tradition of the Nikos and Arc families telling him the legends and histories that made them famous in Remnant.
The next day came, Apollina, Artemisia, and Nicholas were at the training grounds with Pyrrha, their youngest brother Pyrrhus was looking at them as their mother trashed them again and again with her training sword, "you should raise your guard up" she suggested as the three raised their shields, "not like that, you wont see your opponent, how many times do I have to tell you raise above your neck not your face" Pyrrha continued to instruct them as Pyrrhus began to excitedly point at entrance of their training ground.
"Mama look! Look!" he excitedly called out as Pyrrha and the three turned towards the entrance then saw the friends of Nicholas as they all eagerly watched them train, it can't be, I did a horrible thing they should be hating me, Nicholas thought as Pyrrha then went out of the ring. "Hello may I help you children?" she asked as the children began to excitedly call on Nicholas who was shock at the way they enthusiastically called his name.
"We want to see him do magic again!" one of them said, "yes he was like this and then that, the mean bandits didn't stood a chance!" another said as Pyrrha then turned to Nicholas and then at the children, "why don't you kids play with him then, like you all used to?" Pyrrha said smiling as they began to surround Nicholas and began to ask him what he did, he couldn't help but be embarrassed as he find himself being the object of praise and awe by his friends, he turned towards Pyrrha who was smiling and chuckling along with his sisters as they seem to join in also with them.
Jaune watched as his eldest son trained with Arya Stark, watching with interest at the style of her fighting as she seems to try poke Carolus with her practice sword, if you make her hair white and her eyes blue, fix some features here and there then I'm looking at Weiss Schnee herself, Jaune thought as a smile crept on his face, Arya's fighting style clearly reminded him of the glyph user he once had a crush on back in Remnant, they were now camped eighteen miles towards Pinkmaiden. After the skirmishes in Maidenpool, Jaune was able to finally drive out the Lannister forces in the East of the Riverlands and so they began to march towards the Pinkmaiden, with them were the forces of Lord Tytos Blackwood and Prince Oberyn Martell who had helped them in the siege of Harrenhal and their skirmishes at Maidenpool which led to the Lannisters contingent lead by Lord of Greenfield and the Lord of Silverhill to flee to Duskendale.
Harrenhal, Jaune clenched his fists as he remembered it, the stink of death and decay was rich in his nose, living in this world had already made him aware of death around him but still the fact that innocents were often the victims in the wars was enough to make him question the righteousness of each sides cause, Jaune then remembers a little girl thin, naked, and bleeding died in his son's arms, "she was asking for food" Carolus said as Jaune ordered the death of the thousand of Westerland prisoners, starting with the head of the garrison, Amory Lorch but not without having him hanged, drawn then quartered, he had the heads impaled to which they were now carrying as they marched westward, "we could have saved them, why father? why would they do this things to the innocent?" the question was rich in Jaune's head he quickly shook the memory off as he looked at his son who seems to be pre-occupied in training with the Stark girl until one of Oberyn's daughters, Obara had challenged Carolus to which his son gladly took.
"Do you mind having a wager my Lord?" Jaune turned to his side to see Oberyn Martell, a smile was plastered on his face as the Lord of Venice sighed, Prince Oberyn Martell, the man's quick witted as his spear is but from what Jaune had heard about the rumors, he swings both ways, even his paramour which he brought with him seem to share the same inclination as they send some of the most obvious signals to his son and poor Carolus had to awkwardly refuse much to their amusement, well they've also asked the same question to me once, if its alright for me and Pyrrha to join them in the bed, Jaune shivered at the thought of the memory as he began to hand over a hundred stags.
"I don't see a problem Prince Oberyn, a hundred stags my son will beat your daughter in a short time" Oberyn's smile widened as he called for his squire, Daemon Sand, to hold Jaune's bet.
"Is that so Lord Arc? Very well then I shall bet five gold dragons my daughter will beat your son as soon as the match begins" he also handed his bet to his squire who hold it, other people of the camp began to gather as something interesting seem to happen, the two combatants began to position themselves on their respective sides, Jaune had noticed that his son had taken the high guard pose or the La posta de falcone, his sword raised above his head, Obara Sand however had began to ready her spear as if a snake ready to strike, Oberyn pulled out a handkerchief then with a winning smile he threw it.
"Begin!"
In an instant sword clashed with spear as Obara made a quick thrust to which Carolus was able to parry and try for a counter-attack to which Obara quickly moved away from his sword's reach in a dodge, there was a cheer among the crowd as Jaune's son then swung twice at the Sand Snake who blocked and parry when the hit connected trying her best to move away from Carolus reach but every step backward she takes, he fills the gap in with a stride and a slash or a quick hack, it wasn't long until Carolus has Obara pushed to a corner with his sword on her throat, there was a stunned silence for a moment until Carolus' father had called the match to an end.
"That's enough!" Jaune had called as he then turned towards Oberyn who just smiled and shrugged, cheers grew louder as Carolus had taken the win "such a wonderful display of your son's swordsmanship my Lord" he said as he gestured for his squire to hand him the Lord of Venice's winnings, "my son has done what he can do, your daughter is a good spearwoman herself if I may say" the two lords looked at each other as Oberyn began to laugh while Jaune just smiled.
"Of course she does my Lord after all I taught her everything she needs to learn" Oberyn said with a smile as he went towards his daughter while Jaune let his son go towards him, the fight has already ended and so the crowd began to disperse and return to their normal duties.
"Did I do better there father?" Carolus asked as Jaune handed him a rag to rub over his sweat, "as much as I find it amusing that you are baiting her with your openings, your mother would tell you-" Jaune was cut off by his son.
"Yes, mother would tell me to not show any openings and to strike harder as I do so" Carolus cut in as both father and son laughed as Jaune handed a waterskin to his son, "I'll send in some scouts around and then when they return we'll march tomorrow" Jaune said as he left his son who began to change his clothes, he sent Vhaqo and fifty other troops to scout the whole place should their be an ambush waiting for them, he had already sent a raven to King Robb about his on coming encounter with the Lannister forces in Pinkmaiden, the ravens returned with a message from the King in the North who was about to attack the Crag.
After gathering the commanders and initializing their strategy when they finally encounter the Lannister forces on the field of Pinkmaiden, Jaune had slept back to his tent, drifting himself off to a dreamless sleep or so he thinks so.
He was standing at the doors of the main keep of Winterfell, in front of him was Eddard Stark with a sad smile on his face, "Jaune..." he called out as he gestured for the Lord of Venice to follow him towards the Great hall, "Ned I told you it was dangerous to go down there, I told you to refuse the job" Jaune had told the man as the man turned to him with a nod.
"I cannot refuse him Jaune, I cannot refuse a friend, a brother..." Eddard thoughtfully looked as the doors behind Jaune had closed, "you could have joined me there, you could have prevented all of this to happen if you were there to advise my actions" Jaune looked at the man with sadness rich in his eyes also.
"I cannot leave my own family behind Ned" he said as he looked around the Great hall that was filled with people, as if there is a feast, there was a hauntingly sad melody being strung by the minstrel and yet everyone took it as a sign to dance, "come I want you to meet someone" Ned said as he and Jaune went towards a table and on it was people who had the same similar look on Ned solemn yet rugged and wild.
"What have you brought before us brother?" it was the woman of the group who first speak as she stood up, Jaune couldn't help but notice that the woman had Arya Stark's looks should the young girl reach adulthood, "Lyanna..." Eddard called out as Jaune found himself in front of the woman who had started it all, Lyanna Stark, "this is Jaune Arc he is a friend, a war comrade he has fought with us" Eddard said as Jaune shook hands with her but felt his hands going cold.
"Why have you brought someone who hasn't yet received our Bread and Salt brother?" Lyanna said as everything turned black.
"Father" Jaune jumped from his bed startling his son who backed off immediately away from him, a dream, he thought as he looked at his son, "a bad dream father?" Carolus asked as he helped his father with a waterskin.
"I don't know, but I can't say its a good dream as well" Jaune said as he sat from his bed, Bread and Salt, Guest right, a feast but there are no feasts around here, Jaune thought as he looked at his son, "Carolus are there any upcoming feast this month or today?" he asked as his son looks at him strangely as if something is wrong with him.
"Why are you asking?"
"Just humor me for once my son" Jaune said as he quickly looked around then stood up taking a bowl of water to wash his face and then he quickly took a rag then wipe himself dry.
"Well there is an upcoming feast for the celebration of the marriage between Roslin Frey and King Robb Stark, I mean there's always feasts at weddings right?" Jaune just sighed as he began to dress on his armor, "its nothing don't worry, by the way aren't you going to fix your tent" Carolus began to smile as Jaune just sighed, "you let your squire do it for you, you lazy ass" he said as Carolus stood up.
"Well that's the benefit of having a squire father" despite the one year age gap between Carolus and his new squire, Gendry, Jaune often wondered as to how his son was able to manipulate the man one year his senior to do things for him.
"I sometimes wonder if me and your mother have done anything wrong in raising you" Jaune mournfully shook his head as he turned and leave after finishing in putting on his armor, helping the troops in fixing his tent and then packing them up, "let us move now towards Pinkmaiden, the enemy aren't going to wait for us!" he called out as he quickly put himself on his horse and with fourteen thousand men they marched towards Pinkmaiden wherein a Lannister host of seventeen thousand is waiting for them on the open field.
Author's Note: About the dream, think of it as a foreshadowing to a bloody wedding that will happen, don't worry I will not kill off Jaune or his son on such an early chapter of the story, I mean seriously its a no no, I assure you but anyway there will be people who will die at the fatal wedding, now about Nicholas' Aura Whisper, well most people in the RWBY fandom often believe that when they unlock their own Aura they develop their own prayer, like what Pyrrha did to Jaune back in Volume 1 when she unlocked his Aura, and so since Aura and Semblance is the manifestation of one's soul I think the mantra spoke best of Nicholas, now another thing about Jaune losing his shit, since he was born in a high society where morals and right conduct are encouraged and barbarity was seen as something, I think even if fifteen years of stay in Westeros wouldn't change how he would do in situations like in Harrenhal since he's that kind of a guy, by the way I'm going to update this story on a daily basis since, whenever the new semester steps in I'm so busy to care about almost everything other than to pass my subjects so yeah, happy reading people!
Criticisms and Praises are appreciated
Miko 56
