The Sword of the Starks
Chapter 9
Disclaimer: I own no part of the Game of Thrones franchise. All characters and locations are property of George R.R. Martin and whomever else he worked with. All writings are works of fiction and not meant to be part of any GoT storyline. Thank you to G.R.R. Martin for creating this wonderful universe.
Author's Note: Hello readers. I haven't much to say this time other than I hope you enjoy the 9th chapter of The Sword of The Starks.
Nick awoke, sunlight streaming down onto the bed. As his eyes blinked open, he saw the woman lying across from him. Her black hair was lying down across her shoulders and face, going onto her back. The two of them were lying on their chests, facing inwards towards the center of the bed. Their hands were joined in between them, even after they had fallen asleep. He let go of her hand, moving his up and brushing a strand of hair out of her hair. Their faces were a few inches away from each other. They had fallen asleep happy, holding each other in their arms. During the night they must have untangled themselves, still holding hands.
"Mmmm," Emma moaned, her eyes fluttering open. She looked over at Nick, smiling at him and moving closer towards him, moving herself onto her side, as Nick did the same. She put her arms around him, kissing him.
"Sorry if I woke you up," Nick said, kissing her back.
"It's fine," Emma said, kissing him again and resting her head against his chest. "I'm glad you did."
"So," Nick said, kissing the top of her head. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Emma said, looking up at Nick. "We're married. We get to live the rest of our lives by each other's sides."
"Mmm. That we do," Nick said, kissing her. "What about kids? Assuming that you want children."
"Of course I do," Emma said, smiling at Nick and putting her hands down onto his waist. Leaning up to kiss him, she talked quietly to him. "At least three. But maybe more. We'll see how it goes from there."
"Alright," Nick said, smiling as he kissed her. "But I will need sons. Or at least my father will."
"Fine," Emma said, smiling as she kissed him back. "But then I'm going to need daughters then."
"Well," Nick said, chuckling to himself. "If both of our requests are plural, then we are at least up to four."
"Mmm. Well, I think I can manage that." Emma said, laughing along with Nick. "But let's get through the first one first."
They lay there, in bed, for the next few hours talking and making out, their naked bodies pressed against each other. Later, there was a knock at the door. Nick stood up from bed, grabbing a pair of his pants and putting them on. Before opening the door, he looked over at Emma in bed, making sure she was covered up. He opened the door a crack, peering out through the small sliver.
"Who is it?" Nick asked, addressing the person who would disturb his morning.
"The maester, m'lord. Come quick! The King has been wounded!"
With this, Nick turned to face Emma, watching as the news of her father crossed her face. He noticed the movements Emma began to make, as if she was about to get up. Nick shut the door, turning around and walking over to grab one of his shirts. Pulling it on, he watched as Emma got dressed. Once they were both dressed, they opened the door and followed the maester, heading towards the King's chambers. They exited the Tower of the Hand, crossing the courtyard and entering the Red Keep. From there, they made their way to King's Chambers. Upon entering, he spotted Ser Barristan, Ser Mandon Moore, and Ser Preston Greenfield all standing around the King's bed. Next to the bed, in a chair, sat Nick's father, Eddard, with his leg all sprawled out in front of him.
"Father!" Emma said, running to King Robert's bedside.
"Daughter," The King said, grunting. His entire front was bloody, with it being badly bandaged up. "Eddard has informed me of my wife's betrayal. I am inclined to believe him with what it is that he has gathered. If it is true, then you are the heir to the Seven Kingdoms. I'm glad that Nicholas will be by your side." As the King said this, he was coughing and grunting in pain every few words. "However, your mother has refused to surrender the throne. As such, in the name of, well, me, I proclaim you, Lady Emma of the Noble Houses Stark and Baratheon, heir to the Iron Throne. And I, here and forevermore, disavow Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella Hill from the bloodline of the Kings and Queens of Westeros and the Iron Throne. I command all the Kingsguard to protect you, Princess Emma. Now, in the name of the King, I command all who are present and those loyal to them to reclaim the throne and put an end to the false rule of the pretender Queen and princes."
With this Nick and the rest of them left the chamber, getting to their feet. From there they all went to their rooms, gathering their gear and troops. They returned to the courtyard, all the loyal Stark and Baratheon men standing at the ready. The Gold Cloaks of the city watch marched with them, secured to them in ways that Nick did not know, only by what his father told him. Nick was in full battle armor, sword secured at his side. He walked at the front of the column with Emma and Ned, his direwolf Night walking along by his side. Around them stood the three men of the Kingsguard who were loyal to them. The Stark and Baratheon men marched behind them with the Gold Cloaks on the flanks. They threw the doors open, marching inside and stopping at the foot of the throne.
"I hope that you have come here to swear fealty to the new King," Queen Cersei said as she stood next to the Iron Throne. Seated in the Iron Throne sat Prince Joffrey.
"We shall swear no new fealty," Eddard said, stepping forward and addressing the Queen and Prince. "As long as the King still lives."
"Actually," Maester Pycelle said, speaking in his old, slow tone. "The King passed away just now. The bells should start-" He was interrupted by the sound of the ringing bells. The Sept of Baelor was ringing away, ringing the bells in the way that they only rung when the King was dead.
"NOW!" Joffrey yelled, standing up and calling out to the assembled men. As he stood up, one of the blades from the Iron Throne cut into his arm, tearing through his rich clothes. "Swear fealty to me right now or I'll have all your heads on pikes!"
With this Ser Barristan stepped forward, pulling out a piece of parchment. On the parchment was written what it was that the King had said. As Ser Barristan said this, Nick looked around at the men crowded into the throne room. He could see several of the Lannister men lined up in front of the Kingsguard, who were in front of the King, looking around, judging what was being said. Suddenly, six of the men walked forward, stepping next to the Stark and Baratheon men, and turned to face the false king, hands on the hilts of their swords.
As Ser Barristan finished, he handed the parchment to one of the Lannister men who gave it to the Queen. "You really think," The Queen said, tearing the parchment into eight separate pieces. "That that will protect you?"
With this she nodded at Petyr Baelish, who was standing to the side next to the commander of the Gold Cloaks. Nick was one of the few who caught this, and he managed to draw his sword from its scabbard. Lord Eddard had Ice strapped to his back, and managed to get it out onto the ground. But behind him came Littlefinger. He put his dagger to Ned's throat, whispering at him to yield. But Ned drew Ice up, into the air. Petyr slashed the noble lord's throat, blood spilling out over the blade. Ned fell, like a dropped sack, into a crumpled pile onto the ground, blood seeping from the cut into a pool of blood.
While Nick was focused on this, the battle was raging around them. The Gold Cloaks had turned, spearing the Northern men in the backs. Most of the men on the outside of the ranks were dead, but the inner-most men had turned to fight. But Nick ran forward, charging straight towards Littlefinger. Turning to face Nick, he ran away, pulling several Gold Cloaks to defend his path of retreat. The first man ran forward, spear's in hand. As he lunged forward, Nick sidestepped and slashed his sword across the man's neck, nearly beheading him. Blood sprayed everywhere, onto the next man's golden armor. He was stunned by the blow, stumbling backwards. Nick's sword cut through the golden chainmail easily, stabbing the man straight through the chest. The third man ran forward with his sword, throwing a blow down from above. Nick parried the blow easily, turning and sweeping a blow through the opponent's side. He watched as the man fell down to his knees, falling over onto his side as blood spilled out into a pool.
Meanwhile, his direwolf was wrecking havoc on the enemy soldiers. At the commencing of the battle, Night had lunged forward, tearing the throat out of the closest foe. Night killed eight more enemies, all while defending Emma from assailants. There were multiple body parts flung around the hall, so much so that it was unclear who it was that each belonged to.
Finished with his opponents, Nick looked around seeking the man who had murdered his father. Not seeing him, Nick leaned down and closed his father's eyes, grabbing Ice from the floor. He unhooked the sheath from Ned's back, putting it around his own and sheathing the two-handed greatsword away. Turning, Nick saw as Ser Jaime advanced upon Emma. Nick charged forward, cutting through the simple leather armor of one of the Lannister spearmen and spilling his guts across the floor.
As he approached Ser Jaime, Nick sheathed his bastard sword in favor of the two-handed sword across his back. Pulling it out, he slammed his blade down onto the Kingslayer's back. The man stepped out of the way, receiving a blow that cut through the armor on his shoulder and cut into his arm. The gash bled, blood dripping off of the Lannister's arm. Ser Jaime turned around, swinging his blade around. Nick blocked the blow, swinging down at his foe's legs. They continued to trade blows, dueling back and forth until Nick was a beat too late. Receiving a gash across his side that cut through his leather armor easily, Nick collapsed to the ground onto his knees. Smirking, Jaime raised his sword up over his head. Seeing a chance, swung Ice and cut into Ser Jaime's leg. As he fell to the ground, Nick tore the greatsword out of the knight's leg, sending blood spraying out. Nick hit the Kingsguard warrior in the side of the head with the flat of the blade, knocking him unconscious and sending him to the ground.
"Nick!" Emma yelled out, drawing his attention. She was standing in the doorway, surrounded by two dozen men loyal to her. Around her was twice that number, and it was growing larger as the remaining Stark and Baratheon men were killed around the hall. The fight was not going their way. Ser Mandon Moore was dead, killed by the other three of the Kingsguard left standing. "We need to go now!"
Nick ran after her, only to find Ser Boros Blount blocking his path. Nick dueled with the man for a moment, before Nick knocked aside his blade. The valyrian steel of the sword cut straight through the man's breastplate, stabbing into his chest and killing him instantly. The greatsword was sharp, sharper than any other in the realm.
Push past the falling corpse, Nick cut through four other men before reaching his wife. Together they led the remaining troops through the streets, running for the stables. Upon reaching them, Nick led the others onto horseback, mounting steeds to take them far away from King's Landing. From there they rode through the streets, making for the main gate. Upon reaching it, the two spearmen there attempted to stop them from leaving. The first was killed when Nick rode by him, getting cut nearly in half, blood spraying everywhere. The second man managed to get his spear up, getting one of the rider's horse through the neck. The spear slammed into the man's chest, killing him instantly. The horse flew forward, slamming into the guard and crushing him under the weight of the horse.
As the small group rode out of the city, archers on the wall loosed volley after volley of arrows. Only two found their marks, and both of the arrows wounded men, not killing them.
The party rode on, traveling North on the Kingsroad. That night they came across a small caravan, filled to the brim with westerlands gear for the armies, along with food and water.
Upon reaching the group, they handed the leader a copy of the King's last decree. Ser Barristan read it to the men, and the caravan listened. Of the thirty men, two dozen of them fell in with Nick's party. The other six, resisted, proclaiming that it was a hoax and Joffrey was the one true King. The men from the caravan killed the resisters, showing their loyalty to the one true Queen. That night they made camp, north of King's Landing in the woods.
They had four and twenty men from the caravan, seven Baratheon men, eleven Stark men, and two of the six Lannister men who had joined their side in the Throne Room. In addition to the four and forty men, they had both Ser Barristan Selmy and Ser Preston Greenfield. As they had ran out of the Throne Room, Arya had ran in alongside of them. Sansa had disappeared in the fight, most likely to her room with her handmaidens. With the addition of the two Kingsguard, Nick, Arya, and Emma, their party was nine and forty in size. That night, Nymeria walked into their camp. Night had been howling, and she had responded to his calls for his sister. Arya rejoiced, glad that her direwolf was back.