"What's this?!" King Robert thundered as he gazed at Sakura in surprise. "A child volunteering in the Trial by Combat?!"
"No, absolutely not!" Her Lord Father said immediately. "I refuse!"
"As do I! I refuse for a child to volunteer in the Trial by Combat!" King Robert said, "Your daughter has gone mad for daring to volunteer, Ned!"
"I apologize on her behalf, your grace. I will talk to my daughter as soon as this farce is over." Eddard Stark replied.
As the people thought all the drama was over, they thought wrong.
For another voice spoke up.
"If my sister can't volunteer, then I will be volunteering for my father!" A familiar voice called out and Sakura whirled around to see her dearest brother, Jon Snow, stepping forward.
Sakura's heart dropped straight to her stomach at Jon's words.
"No!" came her father's protest.
"And who might you be?" The King inquired as he looked at Jon.
"He's my son!" Eddard Stark cried out.
"I remember you now. You're Ned's bastard son." King Robert remarked.
"My name is Jon Snow, your grace," was Jon's reply, bowing deeply. "If you will allow me, I would like to volunteer on my Lord Father's behalf."
"You want to fight in the Trial by Combat against Jaime Lannister?" The King inquired, scrutinizing Jon closely.
"Yes, your grace," came Jon's response.
"No! Your grace, don't let him volunteer." Her father said hastily. "I will fight against Jaime Lannister in -"
"Be silent, Ned!" King Robert snapped out.
At once, her father fell silent.
"If your bastard son want to fight for you Ned, then I will accept his offer to fight in the Trial by Combat." King Robert said with a note of finality.
"Your grace, please reconsider! My son is still young and -" Her father protested.
"Father, please let me do this," Jon interrupted in a pleading voice. "At least let me fight for you."
"Ned, your bastard is willing to fight for you. I say let him do it." the King said.
"But your grace, he's still inexperienced in ways of combat. He is no knight! Jaime Lannister will slaughter him in moments!"
"Are you doubting your bastard's fighting skills Ned?"
"No, your grace. I'm only telling you the truth. If you truly want Jaime Lannister defeated. I say you should pick someone who has fought in the war. You should choose me as Jaime Lannister's opponent."
There was a pause as King Robert regarded Eddard Stark in silent contemplation.
"You are quite right. I do want Jaime Lannister defeated, or killed. And since you are so eager to fight the Lannister bastard Ned, then you shall have my blessing in defeating him in the Trial by Combat."
"Father please," Jon said imploringly. "Allow me to fight him for you!"
"Enough, Jon! You had your chance earlier but the King's decision is final. You shall not fight Jaime Lannister. I will." Her father said.
Sakura watched everything unfold before her eyes. She silently wondered if she should have done something else to stop her father from fighting Jaime Lannister.
At the thought of the Kingslayer, her eyes landed on the man himself, who remained silent during the entire time her father argued with the King. As if sensing her stare, the Kingslayer looked in her direction and met her eyes.
A moment later, she saw the man smile sardonically.
In response, Sakura merely scowled at the bastard.
"To all the people who have gathered here today!" King Robert suddenly called out to the gathered crowd. "We shall commence and have the Trial by Combat outside in the courtyard. You have an hour to do as you please. Take a piss or shit. Do whatever you want. Just come back after an hour or before the Trial begin."
Sakura listened to the King's instruction with numb shock. Her father only have an hour to prepare himself before he would fight Jaime Lannister.
She needed to do something during that time before her father would face the Kingslayer.
Sakura would have to speak to her Lord Father.
.
.
.
Sakura slowly approached her father, who was currently talking to Jon at the moment.
"I understand that you wanted to fight for me, Jon. I do. However, you are still too inexperience in battle that you won't last long with the Kingslayer. You must understand that I only did what I did to stop you from dying in the fight." She heard her father said to Jon.
"Father can I talk to you in private?" Sakura interrupted before Jon could reply.
Her father and her brother turned to her then with similar frowns on their faces.
"Yes, I want to speak to you as well, young lady. Come, let us talk in my solar," came Eddard Stark's immediate reply. "Jon, I will speak to you later."
"Yes, father," was Jon's only response. "Gods be good and I will see you later, father."
Eddard Stark simply nodded his head in Jon's direction before ushering Sakura out of the Great Hall and towards his solar.
.
"What were you thinking Arya for volunteering like that?!" Her father demanded the moment they arrived at his solar.
"I'm sorry Father. I did it without a thought." She explained as she stood before him.
"I'm grateful the King is wise enough not to take your offer in fighting Jaime Lannister. I'm also relieved to know that the King sees my reason when your brother tried to volunteer as well." Her father said.
"Jon could never win against the Kingslayer as he is now," came Sakura's comment.
"I know that, Arya. It's the reason I refuse to let Jon fight for me." Eddard Stark said to her.
"While Jon can't outfight the Kingslayer. You, on the other hand, are no match for Jaime Lannister as well. You will die in your attempt to fight him," Sakura told him bluntly.
"How can you be sure of that, Arya? You haven't even seen me fight yet." Her father asked with a look of surprise.
"I have seen Jaime Lannister fight and I know enough to understand that he's far more swift and agile than you are father. He will tire you out and kill you the moment you lower your guard."
"I may look like an old man to you, dear daughter. But this old bones still have fight in them. I won't be easily defeated."
"Father, trust me. You won't survive the Trial by Combat unscathed. You will either die or lose a limb in the process. Jaime Lannister is a formidable opponent and I am certain that he will win the Trial through sheer skill alone."
"Why do you doubt me so, Arya?" Her father said as he looked at her with perplexed, grey eyes. "As my daughter, you should at least give me words of encouragement instead of telling me your doubts."
"I apologize father if I appear to be like that," Sakura said as she walked forward to give him a comforting hug. Her father hugged her back.
"I am sorry." She repeated. "I really don't want you to fight Jaime Lannister, father. If I can, I will take your place and fight him myself."
"Dear child, you can't stop me from fighting the man, and you most certainly can't fight him." Her father said as he gazed down at her. "Even if you are allowed to fight him, you will only die in the attempt."
"No, I won't." Sakura replied confidently. Her hand already surging with chakra as she placed it at the side of her father's neck. "I won't die father, I promise you that."
"What are you talking about, Arya?" Her father asked, frowning down at her in puzzlement.
"I'm sorry father, but I have to do this," was all she said before Sakura disrupted her father's blood flow to the brain and forced Eddard Stark into unconsciousness.
At once, her father collapsed before he could say anything and Sakura had to catch him before he fell on the floor.
"I'm sorry father." She murmured as she settled Eddard Stark upon his chair behind his desk. "But I just can't let you fight the Kingslayer."
Afterward, Sakura did what she does best.
She hastily cast a genjutsu around the room to make it appear like no one was there. Then, she used the Henge no Jutsu to transform herself into her father's likeness.
Once that's done, she took her father's valyrian steel sword Ice from its mantle and walked out of the solar.
Now, all she needed to do was kill the Kingslayer before her father woke up.
