A Song of Fairies
Part 1: A Game of Thrones
Erza
Erza stomped along the mud and cobblestone streets of the village outside the castle. Her brown eyes roved the little corners next to small stone huts, hovels, and shops. Most of the small folk were fretting about. Beating rugs with brooms, scrubbing their doors, a few bold merchantmen were still attempting to sell their goods to the masses. But no one paid them no mind, certainly not Erza. There was a much more important event occuring.
King Robert was arriving.
The Stark household had initially assembled in the castle yard. Everyone wore their finest clothes. Bran, Robb, and Jon wore their best outfits, complete with new fur cloaks over their shoulders. Rickon stood beside his mother, wearing a fancy new doublet. Sansa stood regally beside her brother Robb, chin held high, posture perfect. A dainty little smile on her face. And the Lord and Lady of the house stood between them all, both nervous and dour as normal. There was one missing person however. And that was who Erza was searching for.
Little Arya Stark. The troublemaker of the house.
That little girl. Erza thought to herself as she brushed passed several carts and turned a corner, Always finding mischief. Always making my job more difficult. A small smirk crossed her face, She reminds me of a few people.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a small form wearing an iron helmet rush towards one of the wagons. The little person shoved her way through a growing crowd on the main street, jumped up onto the wagon and peered into the distance. Then Erza heard it. The sound of horns. She turned to see, up on one of the hills outside of the city, a banner. A crowned stag on a yellow field.
Dammit Arya Stark. Erza furrowed her brow and looked back at the helmeted figure, who was now doing their best to scrambled down from the wagon and make their way towards the castle. Erza peered closer and saw that the cloak around this little person's shoulders was far to rich for the smallfolk.
She smacked herself on the forehead.
"How did I miss that?" She grumbled before charging after Arya Stark.
She quickly caught up to the youngest daughter of Lord and Lady Stark. And when she did she twirled the girl around, causing Arya to let out a surprised yelp.
"Found you." Erza said firmly, but at the same time she couldn't help but suppress a grin.
Arya was beaming, "I knew you would."
"You picked a bad time to do this, you know." Erza scolded half heartedly. She gripped Arya's shoulder and guided her back towards her family in the castle yard.
"But you still found me in time. So it wasn't a bad time."
"Barely." Erza whispered back as she placed Arya beside Sansa.
She heard the two girls begin to bicker as she stepped away. A sharp glance from both Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn silenced them both. Meanwhile, Erza went to stand several rows back, where a friend of hers also stood.
"Good timing."
Erza rolled her eyes, "Arya said the same thing."
Jon smirked, "Great minds think alike."
"More like reckless minds." Erza replied.
To her right, she saw Theon Greyjoy arch an eyebrow as he glanced at the pair. Erza gave him a hard stare and the ward of Eddard Stark looked away.
"He's spineless." Jon muttered.
"How do you know that? Maybe I just intimidate him." Erza remarked.
"You don't intimidate me."
"Well you've actually gotten to know me." Erza replied, "He's just always… staring."
Jon pursed his lips and bobbed his head. He then rubbed his cheeks.
"Stop that." Erza shoved his hand away from his face, "You look fine."
"I feel naked."
"Don't make a scene of it then." Erza hissed back.
"I'm trying not to."
Lord Stark glanced back at them. A look that ordered both to be quiet. Both fell silent.
"Your fault." Erza teased once Eddard Stark turned away.
Before Jon could reply, another trumpet blasted. A wave of horses began to stream into the yard. At the head was an older man wearing golden armor and a white cloak. His face filled with lines but his eyes hard and focused. Behind him trotted several guards in red armor, two of them clutching the Lion of House Lannister in their hands. Beside them was the man who carried the standard of House Baratheon. Then came a teenage boy with golden hair riding beside a knight in black armor and a helmet in the shape of a snarling hound.
"The crown prince." Erza heard Sansa gasp.
Erza just rolled her eyes. She did catch herself staring at the knight in the hound helmet though. He seemed to notice her. The helm slightly swiveled to stare at her before the knight returned to riding beside the prince.
Next came a massive wheelhouse, easily as big as one of the rooms in Winterfell. The massive gilded contraption rumbled through the stone and muck before coming to a stop just inside of Winterfell's gates. Then came three others. Two were knights with white cloaks once again. The third, in between the two knights, was a rather fat man with a thick, scraggly black beard and long oily hair. Despite his portly appearance, he rode his horse well. Head held high, a sense of command flowing from him.
"Is that him?" Erza asked Jon.
Jon nodded, "I think so."
The two knights stopped and the King continued forward another few paces. When he stopped, a young squire rushed over with a wooden step stool to help the King down from his horse. The King let out a sigh when he touched the ground before turning his gaze to Lord Stark and marching towards him.
Erza and Jon held their breath. The King did not appear friendly. His dark eyes were narrowed at Eddard Stark, completely focused and unwavering. When he approached the Lord of Winterfell, Lord Stark and everyone else knelt before the King. Erza hesitated then followed suit. She then glanced up at the man.
He was even heavier set that she initially thought. His gut extended well past what was considered healthy. The beard was no doubt grown to hide a double chin. Erza could feel a small frown forming. This man looked nothing like a king. And certainly not anything like how Lord Stark had described him.
Lord Stark rose to his feet suddenly. And everyone else rose as well.
The yard was completely quiet. No one said a word. No one dared to make a sound. The King looked Lord Stark up and down.
"You've got fat." He said.
Erza felt her jaw drop.
Lord Stark said nothing. Instead he just stared back at King Robert. Then the two men broke into loud laughter before finally embracing.
"Nine years Ned!" King Robert said joyfully, "Nine bloody years! What the hell of you been doing up here?"
"Running the North for you." Ned replied with a wide grin. The widest smile Erza had ever seen on the man's face.
Erza glanced over at the Wheelhouse to see the doors opening. Three passengers cautiously stepped out. One a young boy with golden hair. Another one of the King's sons no doubt. The next was a young girl, her hair the same golden tint as the little boy's. The King's Daughter. And lastly came a stunning woman with bright golden hair and vibrant green eyes. She gracefully exited the wheelhouse and approached the Starks just as King Robert was getting himself acquainted with the rest of the family.
After ruffling the hair on little Rickon's head, King Robert moved over to Robb and gave him a firm handshake.
"Aren't you a pretty one." He said to Sansa, who smiled dutifully and curtsied for the King.
"And you. Who are you?" He asked when he stopped in front of Arya.
"I'm Arya!" The little girl said definitely, causing both Jon and Erza to smile and shake their heads.
"Arya huh." The King nodded then finally reached Bran, "Show me your muscles boy." Bran flexed his arm and the King laughed, "Yes, you will be fighter."
Erza looked back to see Ned bowing to the Queen. Then she felt Jon nudge her in the ribs.
"See that knight with the white cloak and gold hair?"
Erza glanced back at the wheelhouse.
"Aye."
"That's Ser Jaime Lannister." Erza could feel her jaw clench as Jon pointed him out.
"The Kingslayer." She whispered, recalling her studies on the recent history of the Seven Kingdoms. More specifically, the Sacking of King's Landing during Robert's rebellion against the Mad King.
"Aye." Jon whispered back, "And the Queen's twin brother."
Erza nodded then tilted her head, "Question. I thought the queen had two brothers?"
"She does." Jon replied.
"So where is the second one?"
Jon shrugged. Then King Robert's booming voice rang out again.
"Ned, take me to your crypts." He commanded, "I want to pay my respects."
"We have been traveling for over a month, your grace." The Queen argued back before Lord Stark could reply, "Can we rest first?"
"Ned." Robert nodded and marched in the direction of the Stark's family crypts, with the Lord of Winterfell in tow. A flicker of irritation crossed the Queen's face before she let out a long breath and turned to whisper to her brother.
"Where's the Imp?" Arya asked Sansa.
"Would you shut up." Sansa snapped back.
"Sansa. Arya." Erza warned. Both girls closed their mouths.
"Why don't you children go find something to do." Lady Catelyn suggested, "Do not run off and do not get dirty. We are feasting tonight."
"Yes momma." Bran said quickly before rushing off with his Direwolf behind him.
"Yes mother." Arya grinned before donning her helmet once again and charging into the crowd. Her little form disappearing from view.
Sansa simply nodded and went to find Septa Mordane. All the while, the girl stole some glances back at Prince Joffrey and his black armored knight.
Lady Catelyn turned to Jon and Erza. Her jaw stiffened as she looked at Jon, then she visibly relaxed when her gaze fell on Erza.
"I can have the servants watch after the children for today. Why don't you rest and freshen up for the feast tonight."
Erza bowed, "Thank you, my lady." She replied with practiced ease.
With the King disappearing with Lord Stark into the crypts, and the Stark family leaving to go about their day, the rest of the crowd dispersed, leaving Jon and Erza alone in the yard. The Royal family had already marched indoors, their servants following behind with their belongings.
The red haired knight turned to Jon.
"The Stark's have a crypt?"
Jon looked at her surprised, "You didn't know?"
Erza shook her head, "I figured your family had some sort of graveyard. I didn't think they'd have a crypt."
The pair began to walk towards the castle doors. Both were ready to go indoors for the day.
"It's not a place we like to talk about." Jon replied, "What with its association with death and all."
"That makes sense I suppose." Erza glanced at Jon as he pushed the door open for her, "Maybe you can show me them sometime?"
Jon arched an eyebrow, "Interested in Stark's are we?"
She punched him hard in the shoulder, causing Jon to wince. Erza then smiled and strode into the castle. Her destination was Maester Luwin's tower. Even though the castle now held royal visitors, her search must continue. Erza waved to Jon and disappeared up the stairs.
Maybe today there'll be some news.
….
Erza balled her fists up. Frustration bubbled up in her as she marched into her room. She used her foot to shut the door.
"Nothing." She growled before shaking her head, "Again."
She flopped onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Worry weighed heavily on her shoulders. It had been months now. Months! And there had been no word about anyone from her guild. No sightings of a man breathing fire or a woman summoning spirits. No reports of a white haired maiden turning into a monster or a drunken woman blasting people with a deck of cards. Not even a letter telling of two girls with strange blue hair roaming the countryside. Just eerie silence. She had spent all day in the Maester's tower. Hoping beyond hope that maybe one Raven would bring a clue when it landed in Luwin's hands. But nothing came. Just the normal news from the North, which the Maester read then filed away for tomorrow. After all, Lord and Lady Stark had no time for such things. The King and Queen were here, and a feast needed to be held.
Erza huffed and closed her eyes. A stomach churning thought had started to dance through her mind as of late. And with every passing day, the possibility of it being true grew for her.
What if she and Gray were the only ones in this world? What if the others were just… gone? Or still in Fiore searching for them? Or in a completely different world from this one? What if… what if.
Erza grabbed her pillow, pulled it over her face, and screamed. All of the frustration and worry boiling over all at once. She was so focused on her yelling that she didn't even notice her door open.
"Is this a bad time?" The dainty voice of Sansa Stark asked.
Erza chucked the pillow across the room, accidentally knocking an unlit candle over. She then crossed her legs and gave Sansa a strained smile.
"Not at all." She said through clenched teeth.
The Stark girl rolled her eyes, "I'm not stupid."
Erza folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at the girl. Why was she here? She never came to visit her. Not like Arya at least. The littlest daughter always wanted to be around Erza. But Sansa always wanted to stay as far away from Erza as humanly possible. So why was she now in her room?
"What do you want?" Erza asked.
Sansa seemed surprised by the blunt question, "Um… my mother told me to come here."
"To?"
"To tell you that… um… that you probably shouldn't wear your armor to the feast."
Erza blinked, "Eh?"
"What?" Sansa replied, puzzled.
Erza shook her head, "Sorry, I'm just-" She picked her ear, "I don't think I heard you right."
"Oh… well, my mother told me to tell you that you probably shouldn't wear your armor to the feast tonight." Sansa repeated. Her voice clearly bored.
Erza felt her jaw tighten, "My job is to protect you and your siblings. How can I do that without my armor?"
Sansa shrugged, "I don't know. All I know is that is what my mother wants. And my father wants you at the feast. Obviously to keep and eye on me and my siblings, though I still don't know why he wants that. So you can't not show up. And you cannot wear your armor. It is that simple."
Erza narrowed her eyes at Sansa. The girl was enjoying this. She could tell. Erza always wore her armor. Everyone in the castle knew that. The only time she was out of her armor was to bathe, to clean it, or to sleep. And no one ever caught a glimpse of her bathing or sleeping. And only Jon had ever seen her take her armor off to clean it. Sansa had correctly assumed that Erza was very attached to her armor. Perhaps too attached. No wonder she called Erza the She-man.
"You think I can't be girly." Erza surmised.
Sansa blinked in surprise, "N-no I just-"
"Oh yes. That is exactly what you're thinking." Erza nodded then shook her head, "Alright, fine. I'll wear something else tonight." She rose and walked over to her wardrobe. But inside was nothing but some small clothes, a spare white blouse and blue skirt, and a pair of swords. Erza grabbed the white blouse and blue skirt.
"No." Sansa suddenly scolded. She marched up to Erza, tore the blouse and skirt from her hands, and placed them back in the wardrobe.
"What?" Erza asked, "I said I'd wear something else."
"You can't wear that!" Sansa exclaimed, "Do you want to look like a whore?"
"What did you just call me?" Erza growled.
Sansa ignored Erza's fury, "Wait here." She rushed out of the room.
Several minutes passed. All the while Erza fumed.
Oh when she gets back in here. She will get a nice dose of reality! Erza scrunched her face, Calling me such a horrid thing. Wait till she gets a fist in the face!
Sansa strode back into the room. And behind her were three servants carrying a tub filled with steaming water. Erza forgot all about getting vengeance on Sansa Stark.
"What?" Sansa asked, "I don't like you still. But I'm not going to let you look ridiculous with Prince Joffrey here." Sansa brushed some hair from her face, "It would make me look bad as well, since you are supposed to be my protector."
Erza snorted in reply.
"Now come on, She-man." Erza glanced furiously as Sansa called her that. The servants set the tub down, "Into the tub."
Erza scowled then sighed. She quickly stripped and sank into the steaming water. As soon as she settled into the tub, two of the servants began to scrub her down. Meanwhile, Sansa ordered the other to fetch several dresses from her room.
Erza didn't mind being pampered like this. It was a nice change. Winterfell was so medieval compared to Fiore. Baths were not a daily thing for those who weren't of noble blood. So when she was able to take one, Erza enjoyed it immensely. Although she had never had someone else take care of her like this. A wary eye glanced over to Sansa as the girl glanced at a blue dress looked over at Erza, frowned, then tossed the dress to the side.
"So you are doing this just so you can look good for Prince Joffrey?" Erza asked.
Sansa nodded, "He is the prince. Noble and handsome. And I am the daughter of his father's best friend." Sansa held up a green gown and looked over at Erza. She scowled and tossed that gown away as well, "I am sure you can connect the dots."
Erza jerked up in surprise, "Wait!? You mean-"
Sansa nodded then held up a red gown with white trim. She glanced at Erza and this time smiled, "This one will work."
"You're just gonna marry someone you've never even met?" Erza said stunned.
Sansa gave her a puzzled look, "Of course. He's the crown prince. Destined to be a great king. And I am the daughter of a lord of a great house. It is my duty to marry a great lord and bear him sons."
Erza's jaw fell open.
"Why does that seem so foreign, She-man?"
Erza snarled and jumped to her feet, startling the servants around her. She stood in front of Sansa, not even bothering to cover herself.
"Do I look like a She-man to you?"
Sansa paled a little bit, "N-no." Sansa then gulped, "Get her dried off." She ordered the servants, "Then help her with this dress." She held the red dress up in front of Erza, "It matches her hair."
Erza shooed away the servants as Sansa took a seat on her bed.
"I can do it myself." Erza grumbled as she took the dress and held it up, "Huh…" She remarked, "Not bad."
"How could you know?" Sansa replied.
"I've owned my fair share of dresses."
Sansa looked at her with disdain, "It is a gown, Miss Scarlet."
"Gown, dress. Same piece of clothing, but meant for a different event." Erza replied as she finished drying herself off before casually slipping into the red and white gown. Just before she finished lacing it together, she went over to her wardrobe, grabbed a dagger, and slid it beneath the laces along her back. The pommel resting easily atop her collar.
"What are you doing!?" Sansa exclaimed.
"What? My job is to protect you and your siblings. Do you seriously think I'm going to go anywhere without a weapon? Besides it blends in enough."
"You don't need a weapon. We are completely safe." Sansa argued back.
Erza shrugged, "Lord Stark begs to differ."
Sansa furrowed her brow, "You think the Lannisters are dangerous?"
Erza was silent for a moment as she smoothed out some faint wrinkles, "They have that type of track record." Erza then began to fiddle with her hair, trying to figure out if she should leave it down, or pull it up for the night.
"Well, I don't think they are." Sansa rose to her feet and moved over to Erza. To the redhead's surprise, she began to braid Erza's hair, "Father would never even consider letting me marry Joffrey if his family were dangerous. I believe Joffrey to be a good prince, and a good man. He is certainly dashing isn't he?"
Erza sighed, "He made an interesting first impression." She replied, recalling how he rode in with incredible confidence while his bodyguard, a man simply known as the Hound, rode beside him.
"You can have your opinion." Sansa remarked as she finished braiding Erza's hair, "I will have mine. However," She glanced over at the small mirror in the wardrobe, "Do you think he will like me?"
Erza arched an eyebrow as she glanced back at Sansa.
"What if he thinks I'm not pretty?"
"If he doesn't think you're pretty then he isn't worth your time." Erza replied sharply.
"But he's the prince! And he will be King. And I could be a queen. Just like in all of the stories."
Erza simply sighed, "Sansa, stories are not real life." She turned to face the young Stark, "And don't worry. You look beautiful."
For the first time since she met her, Sansa Stark gave Erza a genuine smile.
"I know one person who will say the same about you." Sansa muttered.
Erza looked at her puzzled, "Who?"
Sansa just chuckled and shook her head. Without another word, she took Erza's hand and the pair made their way down to the great hall for the feast.
….
There were many perks to being the bastard of a noble lord. For one, Jon Snow was not required to sit at the family table for the feast. No, Lady Catelyn would never allow that. The queen might be offended if a bastard sat in her presence. But Jon was glad for that decision. It meant there would be less bitter stares between him and Lady Stark. Less awkward moments for his Lord Father as he juggled loyalty to his wife and displaying affection for his son. Overall, it was a lot less attention. Something the Bastard of Winterfell very much preferred.
The second benefit of being a bastard was that he could drink all he wanted, and no one would care. Hell, the other knights, squires, bastards, and servants were more likely to urge him to drink more rather than tell him to follow the courtesies of a noble house. He was a bastard, hardly noticeable for someone like Queen Cersei, or even King Robert. If he made a fool of himself, no one would mind.
Save for my father. Jon paused as he brought another drink to his lips. Instead of guzzling it down like he did previous ones, he just sipped it. As he did this, his eyes wandered the room before falling on her again.
Erza Scarlet.
Was it the wine thinking for him, or did she look this incredible sober as well? She hadn't been able to talk to him all night. The two friends were separated by duty. One to avoid being seen, the other to be seen beside the Stark children and ready to defend them. He had watched quietly and fumed as Erza was giving a cold greeting by the Queen as well as a mocking bow from Ser Jaime. And Jon smiled widely when he saw her give Jaime an unsettling glare that made even the Kingslayer hesitate to approach her. Though one who wasn't paying attention wouldn't notice that. The Kingslayer still wore that cocky grin that he always seemed to have on.
She is certainly intense. He thought before taking another sip.
The feast was beginning to grow more rowdy. King Robert had long ago left the high table and was drinking among the common folk, kissing strange women, and singing bawdy songs with the minstrel. Queen Cersei and Lady Catelyn remained at the high table, both picking at their food and observing the crowd that had gathered for the feast. The queen silently fumed at her husband while Lady Catelyn glared at Jon several times before speaking to Lord Stark or her children.
"Hey." Jon felt a hand tug on his sleeve. He turned to see Theon Greyjoy standing beside him. The Ironborn nodded at Erza and grinned, "You have an eye for redheads I see."
Jon scowled and turned away.
"Oh don't be like that." Theon protested with a wry smirk, "Any one of us would love to fuck her." Jon clenched his jaw, "Do you think she likes you? I don't know. I hear that when a woman is aggressive to a man, it means she likes them. And well… she's always trying to punch me." Theon's grin widened, "Maybe I should try getting her into bed."
"Would you shut up!" Jon shouted, much more loudly than intended.
The minstrel stopped playing and all eyes turned to Jon. Jon felt his face go hot and his cheeks burned red.
"Excuse me." He muttered before bowing his head and retreating out of the room.
….
Erza heard the outburst before she saw it. And instantly, she knew it was the Greyjoy's fault. She watched as the entire feast fell silent, every eye turning towards Jon Snow. The bastard who dared to speak harshly at a festive event where he was supposed to remain unseen and unheard. She could see the cold glare Lady Catelyn was giving him. Colder than the frozen wind of the North itself. Lord Stark just frowned then returned to his own thoughts. And once Jon rushed out, the music continued, the bawdy songs were sung louder, and more wine was poured.
Erza had barely touched her own glass. Her sole focus tonight was on her job. But now, after Jon's outburst, she could feel her mind beginning to stray. She was worried about him. It was very unlike Jon to lash out like that. Whenever Theon would antagonize him, he would normally just ignore the boy. Erza pursed her lips then looked at Lord Stark.
"My lord-"
"Go ahead." The Lord of Winterfell muttered back. He was clearly aware of what Erza was about to ask. But his mind seemed to be elsewhere. She could see him subtly chewing on his fingernails between small sips of wine and small bites of meat. Something big was on his mind. He could not leave to speak to Jon as a father normally would. "I'll have Jory watch the children."
Erza bowed, "Thank you." And she rushed out the of the hall.
The night air was cold. She could see her breath misting in front of her face. Already, she wished she brought a coat with her. She shivered and rubbed her arms, doing her best to keep warm.
I'll never get used to this. She thought.
She heard a loud cry and then the sound of steel biting into one of the straw practice dummies in the yard. Despite the frigid night and her own cautiousness, Erza couldn't suppress a light smile.
Of course Jon went to where the swords were. It was how both of them would vent their frustrations. There was nothing better at clearing the mind than a good workout. Erza strode over across the yard and saw Jon hacking furiously at the dummy. And her inner swordsman was not pleased.
"You're flat footed."
Jon's arms shuddered as his sword bit into the dummy, "I don't care right now!" He drew his sword back and swung as hard as he could again. The steel bounced off of the burlap and straw, causing him to stumble to the side.
"I told you." Erza remarked as she drew closer.
"I'm not exactly practicing right now." Jon growled back. He reared back for another swing, only this time, Erza's hand whipped out and caught him by the wrist.
"But you should be." Erza replied calmly. Jon let out a defeated sigh and allowed his arms to fall to his sides.
"Can't you see I'm angry?"
"That and embarrassed." Erza replied, "Don't worry. It happens to the best of us."
Jon grit his teeth, "But what Theon said-"
"Doesn't matter." Erza folded her arms and leaned up against the walls of Winterfell, "You can't let him get under your skin like that."
"It wasn't me he was insulting."
Erza cocked an eyebrow, "Was it me?"
Jon clenched his jaw and nodded.
"That spineless idiot." Erza muttered under her breath, "Can't even work up the courage to talk to my damn face." She huffed, "I'll have a few choice words for him."
"Do you like him?"
Erza jerked her head back and felt it slam into the wall behind her. The shock of the question mixed with the sudden pain lancing through her head made her groan and see stars.
"I think you drank too much." Erza replied as she rubbed the growing welt on her head.
Jon was about to reply when he caught himself. He then nodded, "You're probably right."
"You know I am." Erza grinned, "So no more tonight."
"I think he should be allowed to drink as much as he wants." A new voice piped up.
Erza's hand grabbed the sword on her back. She wrenched it free from the laces, not even noticing that she cut through most of them, then twirled around to point the weapon at the newcomer. Jon always swiveled to face their uninvited guest, only he kept his blade down. He wasn't focused on the small man strutting towards them, a small bottle in his hand. No, Jon was focused on the dress slowly slipping down from Erza's shoulders.
"Erza." Jon gulped.
"Already getting naked for me?" The little man smirked. Erza glanced down and saw the dress slipping. Her face went red and she quickly dropped her sword and grabbed the top of the dress, keeping it from falling past her chest.
The little man smirked and leaned up against the wall, "I don't normally go for women as intimidating as you are. Swords aren't really something I find very attractive. But then again you are very pretty. Can I say I am flattered that you would do this without even knowing who I am?"
"Uh-"
"You're the Imp." Jon suddenly said, cutting Erza off and allowing the red head time to catch her breath.
The small man with dirty blonde hair let out a heavy sigh, "Yes. I am the Imp." He held out his stunted hand to both Erza and Jon, "Tyrion Lannister. And you must be Lord Stark's Bastard," Jon clenched his teeth behind his lips, "And the She-Man Lady Sansa mentioned earlier."
"She's not a She-Man." Jon growled back.
"Oh, I can already tell those tales are false." Tyrion replied as he nodded at Erza, "You will be quite the prize for whatever man chooses to marry you. Truly that gown was stunning on you. A shame it was ruined by that sword."
"What do you want, Lord Tyrion?" Jon growled while Erza glared furiously at the Imp. But he seemed unperturbed.
"Nothing. Just came out for a breath of fresh, cold," He shivered, "Very cold air. And to sip my own wine." Tyrion brought his bottle to his lips, took a long gulp, then let out a loud, satisfied sigh, "What about you bastard. What are you doing out here with her? Are you two planning on kissing in the moonlight?"
Erza blushed bright red. Meanwhile, Jon could feel a vein starting to protrude on his head.
"Stop calling me that!" Jon barked.
"Calling you what?" Tyrion replied calmly.
"You know full well." Erza growled, ready to defend her friend.
"Oh." Tyrion nodded to himself, "You mean bastard." He chuckled as Jon only grew angrier and Erza grew more frustrated, "Is what I'm saying untrue? Are you not your father's son?"
Jon drew back, "I… I am Lord Stark's son, yes."
"But not Lady Catelyn's. Therefore, you are a bastard." Tyrion slowly strode up to Jon, "So, let me give you some advice, bastard. Never forget who you are, the world certainly won't. Wear it like armor, then it cannot be used hurt you."
Erza furrowed her brow as Tyrion patted Jon on the arm and began to stride away. As he walked, he pressed the bottle to his lips yet again.
"And what the hell do you know about being a bastard!?" Jon called after the Imp.
The stunted Lannister turned to look back at the pair, "All dwarves are bastards in their father's eyes." He then sighed and gave them a wry smirk, "Now then, I won't interrupt you two anymore. Have fun… but not too much fun. I doubt Lord and Lady Stark would appreciate such actions being performed in public." He raised his bottle and disappeared inside of the castle.
When the door shut, Erza huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. The arms of her gown drooping as she moved.
"I don't like him." She grumbled.
"Neither do I." Jon agreed.
"He reminds me of someone," Erza felt her spine shiver at the thought of another stunted man back home in Fiore, "But, unlike that someone, he is at least well spoken."
"But not well mannered." Jon noted. He then cleared his throat and was about to continue talking when he saw a black horse and ride come trotting into the castle. Jon's eyes widened and his face broke out into a smile, all previous frustrations and embarrassments forgotten, "It's Uncle Benjen." He grinned.
Erza glanced over at the ride as he dismounted his horse. The man was nearly the spitting image of Lord Stark, only leaner and lankier. His hair seemed a tad darker than the other Starks and his eyes held a sharp, focused edge honed by years of living around danger. He looked exactly how Erza expected the First Ranger of the Night's Watch to look.
Jon hesitated as he rushed to greet his Uncle. He glanced back at Erza.
"Go ahead." Erza said, she swallowed hard. Her thoughts now drifted to Gray. No doubt he was sleeping fitfully in his cell beneath the castle. Benjen Stark was the man who would take him and Jon to the Wall. He was the last person Erza wanted to see, let alone meet. "I need to go back to my room and change anyways. It's a little cold to be walking around like this."
"R-right." Jon replied.
"Um…" Erza rubbed her arm, "So, I'll see you tomorrow morning for training?"
"Yes!" Jon replied enthusiastically.
Erza gave him a halfhearted smile, "Good. Well, goodnight Jon Snow."
"Goodnight, Erza." Jon smiled before finally rushing up to greet his Uncle.
And chapter! That was fun! That was a lot of fun to write! Took me a little bit to put it together but I think this came out really well. I'm considering writing chapters from GOT character's perspectives as well, especially since a lot of the fun of this story is how they react to the Fairy Tail wizards and their strange shenanigans. Let me know what you guys think on that. And let me know what you all thought of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!