A/N: Hi, guys! Hope you all are continuing to be safe. I'm adjusting to a new update schedule because I am studying again and I don't want to overwhelm myself. Hope you guys understand!
And man, this week was trying, with Chadwick Boseman's death among the other events of this year. Can't say that Black Panther was my favorite superhero, but I followed his career since 2013 and he had so much more to offer to the world. But he'll definitely go down as one of the legends of recent years, especially since he gave off an amazing performance as Black Panther while stricken with cancer. Mr. Boseman, you will be missed.
RHAENYS XII, KENZOU
"First thing that I will do when we see each gain is to pull down the fabric that covers your bosom, very slowly, and then run my tongue down your neck to your bare, gleaming breasts. And then slowly, very slowly, pull down the rest of your dress to expose your body to my eyes. After that, I shall lick your belly in circles further and further down, and then put my tongue in your entrance.
As for me, I shall take off my gambeson in a deliberate manner, before taking off my shirt and showing my chest and core to your stare. Then, I shall untie my trousers and push them down before jumping on you and kissing you on your big, beautiful lips. After that, I will take off my smallclothes, where I will—"
"Okay, I think you understand now," Visenya snatched the letter from Rhaenys' hands, who giggled as she read it through.
"Who knew that Jae was so… expressive with words?" Rhaenys was very amused at how explicit her goodbrother's words were when it came to when it came to their bedding.
"Oh, shut it," Visenya lightly shook her off, but she was very pleased with how much Jaenyx desired her when they did see each other again.
"Still, Jaenyx's letter is nothing compared to what I got from Aegon, which Kenzou was kind of enough to send to me," Rhaenys pulled out the letter with Aegon's seal. "I think it's fair that since I read yours, you read mine."
Visenya put Jaenyx's letter in her lap while eagerly taking the one written in Aegon's hand. Unfolding it, she cleared her throat while trying to do her best impression of Aegon's voice.
"How I miss you so much, Rhae. The distance between us has been trying on my soul and I can only begin to imagine what will happen when we do lay eyes on each other again.
Remember when we made love on the floor? First, I'm going to fall on the floor and demand that you go on top of me and kiss me. Then, I shall reach behind your back and untie every lace of your dress before pulling it off of your shoulders. I will sit back up, run my lips and tongue over each of your breasts while you throw your head back. At the same time, you will untie every cloth that is on my body, first with my chest and then with my legs, so that the both of us will be bare for each other. Once I remove your smallclothes, I will push my cock into you and you will ride me like you ride Meraxes. Whatever happens afterwards will be dictated by the pleasures between us."
Visenya exhaled, pleased with how her brother was finally being descriptive with his feelings and wants. "I would say that Jaenyx still is more descriptive and gives more details with every step."
"Come now, Vis. Egg might not be detailed in his words, but he leaves little to imagination. What's more, did Jae said that he missed you?"
"What proof do I need when he already made clear that he wants to ride me and fuck me in such a clear picture? And besides, I don't think Egg knew how to be this detailed unless he had help."
Rhaenys gasped in mock surprise. "Are you saying that our brother cannot express his feelings?"
"I'm just saying. Jaenyx made clear everything that he wants, all of which I am happy to grant him. And who knows? He's not the only one who wants what he just described from his wife and bedmate?" Visenya gave Rhaenys a suggestive grin.
"Oh, you want to wager on that, since we're so clearly divided on who is the most descriptive between our husbands?" Rhaenys challenged good-naturedly.
"All right, then. What is the wager?" Visenya was very interested.
"It's going to be clear that whatever happens between us and our illustrative husbands, it'll be a night to remember. But how much noise we can make can really show to all who is the more loving couple," Rhaenys stated.
"The wager is going to be who has the loudest tumbling between us?"
"Exactly," Rhaenys was pleased that her sister caught on.
"And the spoils?"
"All of that noise will leave little to the imagination of everyone who heard us, but they're not going to have the details."
Visenya's eyes widened. "You want the loser to read the letter we got to everyone else?"
Rhaenys nodded eagerly. "I'm sure many would be very interested in what our love life is really like. Besides, no reason that this can't be fun."
Visenya was not one to share the intimate details of her life to anyone outside of family, and she cherished every moment that she had with Jaenyx. But considering that her husband's ability for expression was in doubt, it needed to be settled.
"Rhae, I accept," Visenya clasped her hands, also eager at the chance.
"And it'll be the first even our babes will remember," Rhaenys rubbed her sister's belly while Visenya rubbed the other's.
After Heart's Home surrendered after that demonstration, Rhaenys spent some time consolidating her forces while she sent the Mormont ladies with a few hundred of their troops to find some way to link up with the troops under Visenya's command. Using the knowledge provided by the Vale mountain clansmen working for them, they were able to meet a patrol belonging to Maerys Tarareon, and Visenya offered them a warm welcome to Ironoaks. With the defection of House Royce, the neutrality of House Hunter, and House Melcolm largely neutralized, the northern half of the Vale proper was secure.
Brandon left control of their northern gains, specifically around Strongsong and Heart's Home, to a small but trusty force, which allowed the rest of the army under his and Rhaenys' control to surged southwards. Once everyone assembled at Ironoaks, all of the Vale north of the Heart's Home was cut off and isolating the Eyrie from its northern and half of its eastern coasts.
There was great celebration in the halls of Ironoaks as the northmen saw each other again after so many weeks on campaign, which made Rhaenys happy because it served as an indication to what would happen when she was reunited with Aegon. Moreover, everyone could feel that the Vale campaign was coming to an end and desired for a quick resolution. As much as we liked the harsh beauty of the mountains, we all yearn to see our loved ones further south, she thought of Aegon.
But the jubilations were replaced with a solemn seriousness, as they now faced their largest obstacle yet, the taking of the Eyrie. Kenzou had time to plan out the particulars, which called for a storm of the Eyrie from two angles.
"It's possible that we can go for a nighttime raid, but in light of the success at Casterly Rock, we might need to adopt a varied approach," Kenzou said as Visenya translated. "Just like at Casterly Rock, I propose that we fly in a group on dragonback towards the top of the Eyrie. We cannot climb up, as we simply don't have that long enough rope to do so. Our way is to rope downwards and fight our inside. From there, we have to work with what we find, as we don't know the exact layout of the castle."
"Wouldn't that be a risky plan, Lord Kenzou?" Bethany Mormont asked. "Everyone in Westeros has heard of your reputation, but if this goes wrong, you might be caught and then quickly killed off in the halls of the Eyrie."
"Which is why we will adopt a secondary approach, the distraction," Kenzou responded after Visenya interpreted for him. "We need a group of men who aren't afraid of walking up to the court of the Eyrie, disguised as merchants or scouts for one of the houses still loyal to Queen Sharra Arryn. Because they will be seeing men that they haven't seen before, they'll be on some alert and their focus will be on the court. With their eyes on those men rather than the men coming from the top, we'll be able to distract them long enough for the rest of the castle to be taken. Meanwhile, once we have enough indication that the rest of the Eyrie is secured, that's when the men in the court will strike," Kenzou finished.
"In order to press our advantage, we will send five thousand men on horseback in the dead of night to surround the Eyrie and cut off all access to it," Visenya circled with her hand on the map. "Once the castle has been fully secured and everyone in there a hostage, those five thousand will continue to hold their positions while at least a hundred will march inside and disarm the garrison. Afterwards, what happens in the Eyrie depends on how much resistance Sharra Arryn wants to offer us."
"All right, this is it," Brandon nodded. "Whatever happens tomorrow will determine the rest of the campaign here. We have made valuable progress in the Vale, but we cannot have the rest further south wait for us. Once the Eyrie is secure and House Arryn has surrendered, we will offer Valemen the chance to join us against the Lannisters and Gardeners."
"You would trust the Valemen to fight alongside us?" Lord Umber asked.
"The Royces did send us a thousand men. After the Vale has been secured, they'll be able to send their full forces in support of us," Visenya answered. "The Royces giving us troops will set a precedent, for their assistance in our war will be rewarded and there will be plenty of houses who will want to advance themselves in the new order of things."
"It's also important that we present a united front and expand the foundations of our armies to other peoples like Valemen, those from the Kingdom of the Rock, and those from the Reach," Rhaenys added. "We have to make them all invested in the new arrangements that will take place all over Westeros and those who do will go in directions that they could have never dreamed of going."
"Maerys, Lord Umber," Visenya turned to them. "I want you both to contribute your men. You fought very hard for me, and I believe it's only fitting that you be there when the Eyrie is taken."
"You honor me very much, Your Grace," Lord Umber bowed his head.
"It'll be a pleasure," Maerys spoke the common tongue with her Valyrian lilt.
Rhaenys, Visenya, Brandon, and the others also attended another meeting, this time with Kenzou speaking only in nihongo to the twenty men that will be participating in the raid. Rhaenys was intimidated every time she looked at the men of the Harus, as their eyes gave off a certain gaze that only came as a result of harsh upbringing and experience. Not that whatever they witnessed made the hardiest men alive, but it seemed as if all emotion was just taken from them. What was left was just pure focus and commitment to goals, alongside their want to accomplishing their goals in whatever way was possible. Them not saying anything added to the stoicism and obedience they had to Kenzou, who merely said what they needed to do and no more.
Afterwards, they started to prepare themselves in their minds by spending the next few hours in total silence, looking at the setting sun and saying quiet prayers to whatever deities they believed in. Everything about them is so subdued. It's like you could try to observed them for a thousand years and there will be many things that I won't be able to understand even after all of that time.
She brought this up with Kenzou, with Visenya translating for him. "Why do you suppress your emotions?"
"It's not that we are not emotional people," Kenzou answered. "It's embarrassing for us to express it in front of others, for it shows insecurity and weakness. Also, no one cares what you feel."
"What are you talking about?" Rhaenys couldn't quite understand what Kenzou was talking about.
"I'm sorry to say this, but the only reason why people care about what you have to say or feel is because you were always in a position of power and privilege. You never had to worry about food water for the next day, or whether you had a place to sleep. More importantly, you never had to live every day by looking over your shoulder. What's more, people don't care about other people's problems."
Rhaenys was struck at how cold Kenzou's words were. "Do you always have a pessimistic attitude towards everything?"
Kenzou sighed. "Let me explain this to you. Consider my life as resembling yours, with a house and an easygoing existence. Then, at the age of four, all of that crumbled into little pieces and we have to live in a different place every moon because we couldn't stay in the same house without attracting attention. Then, you are trained from the age of seven to kill in dozens of ways and you realize just how fragile a body really is. But many don't know their vulnerabilities and think themselves superior while spitting at you and saying, 'You're no good.' And that's when you conclude that trying to live among people, despite you begging for their help, is fruitless because they don't want to. After living through that, can you really say that you could live further with optimism?"
Rhaenys couldn't help but be sympathetic to Kenzou. Beyond his cultural upbringing regarding emotions, she saw that for all of his stoicism and tenacity, he was at heart a bitter man who didn't have good experiences with people at large and knew nothing else but killing. "But what about Jaenyx and his people? Why did you come to them if you didn't want to be around people?"
"In a colony or in any other setting like the Basilisk Isles, you do not have the luxury of choosing who you live with. And the Belaeryses were quite tolerable for dragonlords, so we had to pay back their generosity in allowing us to settle with them. It was either the Basilisk Isles or continuing to live on the run from the emperor's agents."
Rhaenys pursed her lips. "You know, Kenzou, one of these days, you're going to have to learn not to be suspicious of everyone. I do have to admit that I haven't lived like you and therefore there are many things about this world that I still don't understand. At the same time, I believe that we are the result of our choices. Jaenyx was like you, but he chose to change and now, look what happened." She pointed to Visenya's stomach. "Not only will he be a prince, he's going to be a father. If you treat everyone like the enemy, who's going to want to serve you and work with you in the future? I believe that's a terrible way to live, which is quite disturbing considering how young you still are."
Kenzou narrowed his eyes. "And you think you know everything there is to know about hardship?"
"I'll be lying if I say that I do, because what you saw will be more than what I will ever see in my lifetime. But please for all of our sakes, let's be better. Once this is all over, you will be exalted among many others. That I can promise you, but what kind of memories do you want to leave behind? I'm sure even you understand how powerful they are, given what you've been through."
Kenzou blinked, having never thought of it from Rhaenys' point of view. And for once, she saw right through his steel exterior, for her words had made him disquieted. Not so above it after all, are you?
After Visenya and Rhaenys were alone, she asked her sister, "Did you have to do that, before we were about to embark on a storm of the Eyrie?"
"Right, I wasn't thinking clearly," Rhaenys said apologetically. "However, I had enough of Kenzou acting all strong and all that because I knew that he was hiding behind something. And he dare make comparisons with my life and his? As if he's the only one who lived a hard life before all of this."
Visenya sighed before nodding. "I understand Kenzou and what he said, but I also agree with what you said. We are determined by our choices and Jaenyx was just like his Haru comrades before he married me and fathered my child, which I expect to be due soon," she tapped her belly lovingly. "And I'm glad that you got him thinking. Without his bitterness, he's going to have to see the world differently, just like what Jae did."
Rhaenys walked up to her sister and also put her hand on her belly before putting her ear on it. "I can't wait to meet you. I want to hold you in my arms and kiss your brow, of course after your mother."
Visenya chuckled before kissing Rhaenys' belly. "And I can't wait to meet you. But I do look forward to hearing who you like more, your mother or your aunt?"
"Of course they'll love me more. I gave birth to them," Rhaenys jokingly answered back.
"Not sure about that," Visenya said in a sing-song manner. "If they are dragons, they'll likely go after the ones who can teach them the sword."
"Oh, that's how it's going to be?" Rhaenys came closer to Visenya's belly and whispered. "If you're anything like your father, I'm going to teach you how to be best singer in the world. That way, you'll spend more time with me and you'll say that I'm your favorite."
"Stop it," Visenya hit Rhaenys on the back playfully.
They spent the rest of the time they had before they had to fly out arguing jestingly on who their children will like of the two of them.
Kenzou was dropped off by Visenya and Vhagar approximately five miles away from the Eyrie. For this part of the storming, he and five others were tasked with approaching the mountain stronghold of House Arryn on foot while the rest would attack from the air after being dropped off by both Vhagar and Meraxes. The son of Konno Haru found it quite extraordinary regarding the many capabilities of the dragons, and even more impressive on how they could be tamed in the first place. However, he was going to save his thoughts for another time, for he had more important matters to attend to.
He figured that even with war going on, there would still be trade going on, just in a less overt manner. What he learned from his time in the Free Cities on the run from the emperor's agents and from his own homeland was that in any war, the only ones who would declare neutrality either didn't have the strength to participate in the hostilities or stood to gain from profiting on both sides. And with the recent victories in the Vale proper, one of the most lucrative commodities in wartime besides food were anything related to pleasure. That would include anything from silver platter to wine, and he had a few cases of Arbor gold to deal with.
The plan was that he and the others that came with him would pose themselves as wine merchants from somewhere in Essos, where they made a profit in running wine past the lines and into the hands of those willing to pay for them. Once they were able to make it past the guards and into the court in their disguise, they would strike in conjunction with the men that had infiltrated the castle from above.
The shinobi might have earned their reputation from striking at night, but they had developed a number of methods that allowed to become amongst the most feared groups in the Golden Empire. If they couldn't fight within the established methods of war, they found ways around it and he found it quite surprising how stubborn all of his opponents were. Given how much value these people place on honor, it shouldn't be hard to fool them into a false sense of security, Kenzou thought about the Andalic view of chivalry.
But while he and the others were changing into their regular attire while hiding their weapons, Kenzou couldn't help but think about what Rhaenys had said. He wasn't going to deny that his experiences had made him into a bitter and distrustful man, but because of both of them, he and his family were able to survive for a long time. Added to the fact that assassins were not supposed to be close to outsiders, distrust was a virtue.
At the same time, things were different. Kenzou and his father were lords in their own right and like Rhaenys had said, they would enjoy a place in the inner circle of the dragons for their merits. Also, they couldn't view the world as simple warriors anymore. Lords had to deal with worries that most people would never be exposed to, and simply killing those who opposed them was not a productive way to go about it. They would have to act like the very people who made their life a hell, but power would be their ultimate shield and Kenzou couldn't reject it because of past experiences.
Bringing himself back into the present situation, Kenzou and the others had to remain alert. Even though they might claim to wine merchants, the very fact that they were foreigners might raise some alarm. The Faith's declaration of war against the Valyrians implicitly applied to anyone who did not look like they belonged to Westeros and the moment that they appeared, the Valemen could kill them and thus endangering the raid. However, he also realized that the Valemen were just like any other he had deal with. Give them food or drink that isn't common where they grew up, they will bend over to what I ask of them, Kenzou thought.
The final rays of the sun were clear in the sky, which mean that they only had an hour at the most. Whoever ruled anywhere would usually retire for the evenings before the last ray disappeared from the day, which indicated that they didn't have much time left. "Let's pick it up," Kenzou ordered to the others.
Finally, they got within sight of the Eyrie, which marveled Kenzou as he had never seen a fortress so high up the mountains. But the Arryns' belief that their location would protect them would be their undoing, as they were now complacent.
"Hold up!" Kenzou heard as a few Arryn men-at-arms emerged from behind some boulders. "Who are you strangers?"
Kenzou cleared his throat, as he tried to find the right sentences to say. "We come in peace, good ser. We just want to conduct business with your Queen."
The men-at-arms stared at each other with confusion. "Where are you from?"
"We come from Norvos," Kenzou answered, guessing that they didn't know what Norvosi looked like. I haven't been there myself.
"You're a long way from home, traveler," one of the men-at-arms noted. "What kind of business do you wish to conduct with Her Grace?"
"Just a simple exchange of goods," Kenzou revealed his case of Arbor gold. "You have no idea how difficult it was to get this past through the lines."
The men-at-arms were pleasantly surprised that Arbor gold had made it all the way here, as even they knew how expensive it was and that much of the noble houses preferred that as their choice of drink. "How did you get this past our enemies?"
"Words will not be enough to describe how hard it was to get it through. And we have more with us. I understand that the Queen Regent is from the Reach herself, so she might enjoy a taste of home."
The men-at-arms conversed with each other before the leader nodded. "Come with us."
Kenzou and the men were escorted by the Arryn men-at-arms, past the gate and through the walls, where probably hundreds of other armed men stood at attention and vigilant against any threats from the outside. But they remained oblivious to the threat that they had just allowed passage through their defenses.
Even though they had just gained access into the Eyrie, which was proving itself bigger than it looked on the outside, Kenzou and the others had to remain alert. The hard part was coming and how they accomplished that would determine the rest of the storming.
Before they were able to enter the court, which Kenzou had learned was High Hall and had the infamous Moon Door that looked straight down to the ground thousands of feet below, they were stopped by another ranking man of the Eyrie garrison. "Who are they?" the older man asked the leader of the group that escorted them.
"They claim themselves as merchants from Norvos. They were able to smuggle Arbor gold past the front lines and into our doorstep."
"And that gave you enough reason to trust them?"
"Come now. You know how much Her Grace was seeking Arbor gold after her own stores had been consumed."
"Still, you should know that any outsiders, anyone that Her Grace wasn't familiar with, must be searched vigorously. They could've been spies."
Seeing how difficult this was becoming, Kenzou decided to step in. "If I may, good ser?" Surprisingly, the old man allowed Kenzou to say a few words. "You are right to be worried about spies, because I would take precautions myself. At the same time, we have a schedule to keep and our clients back in Norvos will not be pleased that their profits had been delayed. You might not care about my problems, but consider this: we are the only ones that possess what your queen desires and if you delay us any more, our clients back home might eliminate us for our offenses against their trust. That could be a detriment to you, since who could say that they smuggled probably the rarest sort of wine in times like these? I'm sure that your queen will not respond well."
The old man was surprised at how persuasive this merchant was despite Kenzou's obvious inability to speak the common tongue well. However, having known Sharra Arryn for years now, he wasn't going to risk her displeasure and could only sigh before allowing them entry into the High Hall. "Let them in. But please, make your business brief. Her Grace has more important matters to deal with besides her need for her favorite type of wine."
"Of course, good ser," Kenzou answered courteously before the doors to the High Hall and the Vale court opened.
As expected, there weren't many courtiers present at this time of day, but there was still enough to consider this gathering as a proper court. Kenzou glanced around at the people who held power in the Vale, similar to the very types that made him and his family fugitives. But he wasn't focused on them. His eyes turned to the throne of the Vale and the Mountain, upon which sat what many referred to as "the Flower of the Mountain," Sharra Arryn.
Kenzou looked at her up and down. She had black hair, swarthy skin, didn't look older than forty years, and brown eyes. She was wearing a dress made of blue threads and wore the falcon crown of House Arryn in place of her young son Ronnel, who Kenzou assumed was sleeping by this point. That makes things much easier for me. Children can complicate things.
But Kenzou could sense something off about the atmosphere. It wasn't Sharra Arryn or the courtiers eyeing them with suspicion, but how tense they were to each other. The son of Konno Haru had heard that Sharra Arryn did not enjoy popular support in the Vale, starting from her origins being from the Dornish Marches in the Reach. Growing up in a flat environment developed a certain way of thinking that would not be compatible with those who lived in the mountains, as the latter sort tended to be hardier, and more inclined to seclusion. Despite the Dornish Marches being a battleground between the Reach houses there and the Dornishmen, it was still connected to the rest of the Reach and there was certain sense of belonging regarding the houses' ties to House Gardener. But in the Vale, such closeness was nonexistent and Sharra Arryn trying to exert influence over the houses without consideration of their different ways of thinking did her no favors.
Kenzou had seen those types before, those who assumed that their position gave them power and influence when both were really at the mercy of conditions beyond their control. To try to force your ways onto others was like trying to fight a current in the ocean, where resistance would only wear one out and make them more vulnerable to the many other dangers. And he could tell right away that with one strike at the right spot, Sharra Arryn's rule would come crumbling down.
"Your Grace," the old man addressed her. "I present to you these men from Norvos. They have come her to make trade."
Sharry Arryn eyed them suspiciously. "What brings you all the way out here, men from Norvos?"
"It is as he said," Kenzou mustered his best pronunciation in the common tongue. "We have come her to make trade."
"You've picked a very complicated time to do that. How did you get past the lines?"
"It might be a complicated time for you, Queen Sharra, but for the good people of Great Norvos and others who are not involved in your war, it's another day. And I believe that what I have will be of some interest to you," Kenzou answered.
"And what would that be?" Sharra Arryn became interested.
Kenzou nodded to the other men, who pulled out their cases of Arbor gold. The courtiers whispered to each other, as they all knew that Sharra Arryn's stores had run dry and that Arbor gold was one of the ways that she remained attached to her Reach roots.
"How did you get these?" Sharra Arryn's eyes widened.
"Being a neutral party does have its benefits," Kenzou said. "We were able to sail around Dorne, dock at the Arbor, purchase some cases, sail back around, and begin the voyage home. We thought we could make some extra coin selling to a queen born in the Reach, as only those from around the Arbor could really appreciate the quality of the wine."
Sharra Arryn smiled and signaled to her men to pack the cases up and bring them to her cellars. "Thank you, man of Norvos. I shall pay you handsomely for taking such risks to bring this to me." Kenzou nodded. "But I do have one question. Is it normal for Norvosi to shave?"
Kenzou blinked. "I'm sorry, Queen Sharra?"
"You see, I have interacted with a Norvosi trader before. He was not highborn, but he had a mustachio that drooped over his lips and grew past the upper lip. I don't know if that was an attractive feature for Norvosi man, but that trader said that all men had it. Which makes me curious as to why you don't have it."
Kenzou could grow a beard, but he chose to be clean shaven because cleaning a beard required a lot of effort than most people realized, which he didn't say.
"And on top of that, you don't like an average Norvosi. You do have the same skin tone, but your eyes and face do not fit it. Are you a recent arrival?"
As Sharra Arryn continued her inquiry, Kenzou could hear the faint sounds of sword clanging in the hallways of the Eyrie, but the sounds were dampened largely due to the heavy wooden doors closed. Realizing that the men were engaged, he needed to continue talking to buy time. "I was not originally born in Norvos, but I came there after I was forced to go into exile from my homeland. The Norvosi took me in and I've been loyal to that city since." To make the best lies, one had to bring experiences similar to the ones they were telling and reimagine them in different settings.
But Sharra Arryn was not completely satisfied. "And where are you from, man of Norvos?"
Kenzou couldn't say that he had the best hearing, but he could feel the soft footfalls of the men as they moved through the hallways with rapid speed. "I am from Yi-Ti, Your Grace," he was getting very tired of keeping up the façade.
Sharra Arryn was instantly shocked. "Yi-Ti? You're a long way from home. But… there's only one group of Yi-Tish men who would even be all the way here."
Kenzou signaled his hand subtly to his men to prepare to strike. "And who would they be, Your Grace?"
"They're the ones who came to Castely Rock and broke out Orys Baratheon, and also humiliated Loren Lannister. They're the men that Jaenyx Belaerys sends in to accomplish his dirty work, and they're known to infiltrate the strongest castles known to man," Sharra Arryn thought aloud.
As the courtiers and the guards slowly realized what she was talking about, Kenzou and the others readied themselves as the footfalls grew louder. Then, dual dragon roars could be heard.
"You are right," Kenzou answered. "I am Kenzou Haru, son of Konno Haru and brother of Arata. Your people killed my brother, and you will see what happens to those that fight against us."
Alarmed at what he just said, the guards put their hands on their weapons while the courtiers froze in fear. Kenzou and the five other men discarded their robes, revealing their swords and knives. Two of them threw shuriken at the guards, which weren't practical in killing but were very effective in creating distractions. This allowed them to close the distance and slash their exposed throats.
Kenzou and the other two unsheathed their katanas and wakizashis, running forward before jumping and side-kicking against the Arryn bannermen's armor. Because their blades were single-edged, they were not effective against chainmail and plate armor, but the swords were sufficient enough for the shinobi to parry each of the Valemen's swords and strike at their weak points.
Kenzou saw that one of them was trying to run outside of the High Hall and call for help. Thinking quickly, he pulled out a knife, threw it at the back of his neck, and saw it strike its mark. Another tried to charge Kenzou with his longsword, but he acted fast enough by sliding to his side away from the strike, using his katana to slash off his hands, and then decapitate him with his wakizashi.
The doors to the other halls of the Eyrie burst open, from which more of the Haru men charged through and attacked the few remaining Arryn men in the court. All of them were bloodied and had cuts on them, but as far as Kenzou could see, no one who rode on the dragons was killed and they were able to use their full strength on the now exposed Vale court.
Seeing the rest of the Arryn guards and courtiers being overwhelmed, Kenzou ran up the throne where Sharra Arryn still sat, her face frozen in terror and fear, and brought his katana up to her neck. "Tell your men to lay down their arms, if you care about their lives."
"You have no honor," Sharra Arryn could merely whisper.
Kenzou had no time to debate with her. "Either you follow my command, or watch everyone in this hall from your incompetence. Your choice."
Sharra Arryn let out a few shaky breaths before shouting, "Put down your weapons." The Arryn men hesitated. "Do it now!" One by one, each of them dropped their swords, which the shinobi collected, while the courtiers were rounded up and forced on their knees.
Hearing Vhagar and Meraxes roar once more, Kenzou saw Visenya and Rhaenys enter the hall, still looking deadly in their dragon coats despite nearing the end of their pregnancy. The sisters approached Sharra Arryn, who became fearful at finally meeting the dragon warrioresses face to face.
"Good evening, Queen Sharra," Visenya addressed her. "Do you know who we are?" Sharra Arryn nodded. "Two dragons fly outside. Have one of your men put up a white flag on the parapet. If you refuse, many will be burned just like at Harrenhal." The Queen Regent of House Arryn had no choice but to comply.
"We shall speak in the morning, but you will be escorted to your quarters under guard. And you have nothing to fear for your sons, for no harm will come to them as long as you don't resist us from this point on," Rhaenys warned her softly. "Do you understand?" Queen Sharra nodded. "Kenzou, please take the queen to her chambers."
Kenzou gestured her to follow. "No tricks, or things will become bad for you." As they passed through the hallways, they saw more Arryn men being escorted to new quarters without their weapons while the first portions of their army had closed in on the Eyrie.
Only after they had Sharra Arryn secured were they able to relish the victory that they had achieved. They had taken a mountain fortress with relatively no casualties and through surprise and deception. The war better end quickly from here, Kenzou thought, as he knew that long wars rarely had positive outcomes.
A/N: Had to include some fluff between our beloved dragon sisters :)
And even though I intend the Kenzou POV to be a one-shot, I wanted to show that the shinobi were not just known to attack at night. They used disguises and developed a reputation as experts in guerrilla warfare by hitting at the weak points in medieval Japan. I hope I was accurate in this.
And now, the Vale plot is coming to an end, but with the Vale out, the focus can now shift to the south, against the Lannisters and Gardeners. The situation of the war had just changed for the better.
Next, we see another one shot from the perspective of the Queen of the Vale and the Mountain, the last royal Arryn.
Thanks for reading. See you next time!