Curse Them All! Apprentice.
...
"Again," I stated, idly taking another bite out of a peach. The silence, besides the clack of a sword crashing against a tree and a petulant wolf, was rather enjoyable.
The two of us, if one didn't count the gaping onlookers/spies/guards, we're currently in one of the many water gardens that surrounded Sunspear. Rather the corner of said garden, with two walls filling up the background of the large tree. A single giant rock next to it, with the waters of a small lake? I wasn't actually sure, a few metres behind me. The aforementioned gossip-horde was far off on the other side of it. Though I did spot a few sentries hidden inside one of the nearby towers.
With another thwack, Lyanna Stark took a breather from her torment of the poor tree and turned towards me with another pout.
"You promised to teach me magic." She stated, closing her arms in the process, the sword thankfully pointed away from herself, albeit behind her.
"I did no such thing," I remarked, taking another bite. This time savoring the taste.
The girls frown to my response only deepened.
"So you won't?"
I rolled my eyes and took a few steps towards her. "There are steps to learning the arcane arts- I said I'll teach you, but not until you're ready." The only thing, in truth, that I was worried about was Lyanna herself attempting any form of magic. Physical activity in its entirety, following the charm I'd cast on her to prevent any out-sourced 'accidents', shouldn't be an issue. At least this early. One might call me paranoid, but as grateful as the Martels might be, I doubted it'd be enough to let a possible rival for the crown live.
Any food, or drink, brought to the girl was tested first, whether by direct consumption or a magical check, by yours truly. Her chambers guard at night? The same. Not that she knew, of course.
There was no reason to give her an inflated viewing of me. I could definitely do without the cultish worship happening... again.
The girl mulled over my words, particularly the emphasis and pointed look I'd given her for a moment before a crease appeared on her expression.
"I thought you said it was 'cos I was-"
I clamped a hand over her mouth- And ducked the instinctual sudden swipe by the girl's free hand.
Instinctual considering the oh-shit expression that quickly graced Wolfy's face.
"That's what I just said." I deadpanned taking away my hand, barely hearing a mumbled apology in the process. One that earned Lyanna a smile. "There's a good wolf, now hit the tree like you mean it."
The words earned a sigh out of the girl, Lyanna's free hand going to the bridge of her nose as her eyes closed.
"I told you already, I know how to swing a sword!"
"Maybe, but that's not how I swing a sword,"
"...Your way has no form- And leaves too many openings!"
"So?"
Lyanna Stark twitched at my response as she stared at me for a second.
"It makes it very very easy for the other person to stick the pointy end in you."
"...So?"
"You're not going to let this go are you?"
"Nope!" I answered with another radiant, if I do say so myself, smile.
With a huff, the girl turned on the spot and slashed at the tree like I'd showed her.
After a few more minutes of beautiful silence, the girl gave out another sigh and turned back towards me with a demanding expression on her face. Her arms crossed again, though this time she'd elected to take a seat on the giant rock nearby. Her blade's sheath by her side.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do I have to learn your way?"
I shrugged.
"'Cos I said so,"
"..."
I rolled my eyes at the continued stare, the girl's brow furrowing in the process.
"...What does magic have to do with sword-fighting?"
"Nothing, yet everything."
Bucket list, check. A small part of me has always wanted to say that to someone.
"...Are you taking me for a fool?"
"Perhaps."
The girl, almost immediately, dropped the sword to the ground echoing a loud clank as she jumped to her feet, her hands by her side closed into a fist. Her expression practically fuming, with a tad hint of tormented as she searched my expression.
"... Give me something... a reason- gods any reason-" The girl's hands seemed to shudder for a moment as she locked eyes with me. "I'd be a lot more willing to listen-"
"Is that what you told Rhaeger?"
Her eyes widened, anger immediately filling them, and for a moment I'd genuinely thought she was about to reply with another attack on myself. Until she deflated, her hands limp to her side as her shoulders slumped, her gaze looking towards the ground. With a hint of resignation, she turned back to the sword, picked it up, and started hacking at the tree again.
Rather perfectly, I'll admit.
"Teaching magic is easy. I don't want to do that," I remarked, moving towards the stone-seat. My words, for a moment, prickling the girl's ears. "I don't want a student. If I wanted that, I would've flown to the Citadel." Over my dead body, I left unsaid.
The only reason I was making a trip to that cesspool of bullshit, was to burn it down.
I could tell, judging by the shadowed expression on Lyanna's face, she wasn't taking my words very well.
"I want an apprentice."
I idly took out another peach from a pocket, Doran really kept the best of the best to himself. And, now me. Not that he needed to know that, of course.
Lyanna on the other hand, seemed almost ecstatic judging by the expression on her face. And the renewed vigour.
"Aww, look at that smile-" Her switch of expression on the other hand was almost comedic in its timing. "Who's a pretty little princess?"
I ducked my head, the sheath flying over it harmlessly by an inch, as my laughter echoed out.
...
"My brother is not... very happy about your refusal," Elia stated beside me. Just ahead of us, surrounded by a contingent of guards and onlookers- I counted a sand bastard or two- were two noble-house members dueling it off.
One Oberyn Martel, the man while bemused about the request was amused enough to take me up on it, was currently handing Lyanna Stark her figurative ass. The spear users technique, completely and utterly blocking every attempt by Wolfy.
Given the girl was one, facing off an older and experienced fighter, and two, using and struggling with a very bad new sword-form made it all frankly expected.
A blind man would've seen it coming.
Lyanna Stark had said as much before she'd started losing.
Every now and then, I could see her slipping back into her style, albeit fixing it quickly in lieu of punishment via returning to the tree.
Idly giving Elia a look. "What refusal?"
"Of a reward."
Holding in the urge to roll my eyes, I turned back towards the scene at hand. Oberyn Martel was currently telling Lyanna Stark she'd been killed again.
"I am at liberty to refuse a reward-" Especially a terrible one.
The fuck was I supposed to do with a castle? Or the army that came with it?
I already had a castle- albeit a freezing one- beyond the north.
As for armies?
I had plenty of those, wrapped and handed to me by literally any noble in the continent. You know, provided I killed the soldiers first.
I was holding out hope it wouldn't come to that... But, well, I frankly doubted it.
"And, I suppose, my brother is at liberty to feel insulted."
"That doesn't sound like my problem."
"...The implications of it will not be ignored-" Elia remarked, wincing the slightest as she watched her brother thump the back of his spear onto Lyanna's head. The girl falling to her back almost immediately as a bewildered expression filled her face. "-the other houses will think it a lacking in our part and try to win your favor-"
"Well, maybe he should've offered me a better castle."
Elia turned a rapid look towards me, her expression neutral.
"What sort of seat where you thinking of? Exactly?"
I gave her a lopsided smile, one that seemed to set her expression worse for wear. I turned towards her and answered.
"What if I said Sunspear?"
A beat passed as the woman pointedly stared at me, her head tilting the slightest. "Then an insult to his name will be the least of my brother's worries." She remarked carefully. "A threatened snake can be a very dangerous creature. Even to one such as yourself."
"And, do you truly believe those words?"
Elia hesitated, her full attention, and body turned towards me. A worried expression filtering her face for a moment before an irritated one filled it.
"I do not appreciate such japes, Ser." The girl huffed as she turned back to the scene before her.
Maybe the sudden laughter was too much after all.
I really just couldn't help myself. Keeping a straight face has always been rather difficult.
Everyone I've met, frankly ever, could attest to that.
"I am no knight,"
"Yet you strive to act like one to her."
"I am wounded princess, have I done you no favors?"
"That's not what I- You're doing it again, aren't you?"
"Perhaps." And before she could reply, I turned my attention back ahead before me, watching as Lyanna successfully hit the Dornish viper for the first time. The training weaponry, thankfully, not leaving any lasting damage.
An exuberant smile filled the girl's face as she declared the viper to be dead. Oberyn, bless the fucker, went a step further and dramatized his 'death'.
"If anything, he ought to focus on the insult thrown at your name. Or is Rhaeger's one to you less important than my unintentional own to him?
I waited a moment as I let the princess take in the words, a hint of gratitude and a surprisingly somber note filling the woman's face in the process.
Deciding that was frankly enough, I cut the woman some slack and stopped been... well, myself.
For the moment anyway.
"I truly do not wish for a reward, princess. I did what I did because I wished to do it. Nothing more. If any other house wishes to act on it, then rest assured that I will set the matter straight with each of them. In-person if need be."
"..." Sighing once, the princess nodded. "I suppose that is as much consolation as anything, though my brother won't believe a word of what you just said."
"Well, he is set in stone. Figuretively-speaking. Of course."
The princess's twitch was admittedly amusing.
"You are right, you truly aren't a knight. For no Ser would make such a jape."
"That's what happens when you have a stick up your ass. Comes with the title, I think."
Elia's snort and barely covered laugh was another nail in the coffin that I'd done right by cutting the canon timeline like a bad haircut.
The sounds of the two fighting, as well the cheers by the majorly biased spectators filled the comfortable silence between us. One that stretched long enough for another small bout between Snake and Wolf, before the princess finally broke it again.
"I have heard you intend to teach her... your knowledge?"
I nodded, idly taking out the last peach in my pocket. The action not going unnoticed, even if the woman didn't mention it. "You want to join?"
Elia blinked once before shaking her head, "I don't believe I would have the time, though I imagine you could have your fair pick-"
"Not interested."
Blinking once, the woman nodded, albeit tersely-
"What about my children?"
"Which one?" I questioned immediately.
"...Do you have a preference?"
"Do you?"
"No, I would wish the opportunity for both of them,"
"Do you care about what the people would think? Of a wizardly king, and witchly princess?"
"...Not if it keeps them safe."
"Then no, I don't have a preference."
"...Are you agreeing?"
"I am considering it, though either way. I won't take them under my wing until they've come of age."
Childhood training montages tended to make people less than stellar in the mentality department.
"...Even still, I have to ask... Is this-" Elia questioned, one hand pointing towards the latest fight before us. "-part of that training?"
"Power is so very easy to lose oneself in. The first, most important step, is to learn how to lose, and accept it."
"...Why?"
"Because if you can't do it while you are powerless, you will never do it while powerful. You would never concede."
The slightest widening of Elia's eyes was the only give away that she knew exactly what I meant.
"That's how you get a burning kingdom," I added on anyway.
...
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