Hello there you sexy beasts. JK you're all fugly lmao
SO, It's been a while hasn't it? Over a month and a half since chapter 7. I'd say all that time went into making a super special extra long chapter that will blow your minds, but that'd be a lie. This chapter was a bitch to write and I was pretty busy this past month. I also don't have a beta so expect a few mistakes as always.
Speaking of mistakes, a few(many) have been pointed out to me in the past month, so after I upload this chapter, I'll upload the corrected chapters. Since FF likes to treat edited chapters as updates, I'd like to apologize in advance for any confusion.
From now on I'll be responding to reviews through PM's unless there's some shit I want everyone to know.
With all that out of the way let's get this train-wreck started.
I've said this so many times before, but it bears repeating. I'm a massive idiot. I won't say I made no progress, or that I wasted the time I had because that simply isn't true. I tamed the mountain clansmen of the Vale and brought them over to my side, I rediscovered spell-forging and used that as a gateway to gain the loyalty of every notable house in the Vale for my eventual takeover, I even started a successful alcohol business all in about a year.
But I could have done more. I could have experimented with my magic more instead of assuming I couldn't use it without the blessing of some god. If I had done so I probably could have found untapped gold veins, or paved roads throughout House Corbrays land like the Valyrians did in Essos.
On the more mundane side of things, I could have raised a competent army months ago that would have numbered at least 7,000 strong by now. House Corbray has a lot of land and over 40,000 people living on it. Hell, I could have recreated indoor plumbing.
The point is, I haven't taken full advantage of the opportunities presented to me, and now that canon's about to pop off I don't think I'll be able to. As much as I'd like to kick back in Heart's Home for the entirety of the war grinding and building up an army I simply can't do that.
Getting in good with the lords of the Seven Kingdoms will ensure a much smoother takeover on my end. Attending the tourney at King's Landing is just the excuse I need to do so before the war starts. After that though? I still need to get involved because that's how I'm going to take the Vale from Lysa Tully.
I'm no fool. Even if I've won their loyalty there might still be a few lords that won't want to rock the boat by ousting Lysa, even if we all present the letters Jon sent about her infidelity. I have to win them over by doing what she won't; Join the Starks against the Lannisters.
I'll have a few months at best before I have to get down and dirty in the Riverlands fighting with the Starks. With the Starks, not for them. The moment Robb tries to pull that 'King in the North' shit on me I'll kindly remind the dumbass that the Vale doesn't answer to him.
If he was willing to pull it on Edmure, the Lord Paramount of the Riverlands and his own uncle no less, I don't doubt he'll pull it on me.
Still, even if I wasn't on top of my shit like I should have been that doesn't mean I couldn't get on it like I should have.
Before I made the trip to King's Landing I sent word out to the men who served under me that lived on Corbray lands that their services were once again needed. They'd ride out to all of the towns and settlements under my rule with a few Corbray men and seek out any able bodies willing to join a standing army that does nothing and get paid for it.
They'd be fighting in a war pretty soon, but they don't know that and by the time they did it would be too late to back out. These brave men and women would be brought to Heart's Home, the men would be trained to fight in a war while the women would be trained to defend themselves while the men were away.
The costs were expected to be insanely high, but with the coin I made from the Tyrell's, the better crop yields from the crop rotation techniques I taught the Mountain Clansmen and my budding alcohol business House Corbray has never been richer.
The men who served under me would help train the new recruits and by the time I got back from King's Landing I'd have the beginnings of an army at least 5000 strong. House Corbray was able to raise over 3000 men in a pinch before, but those were last minute levies that were barely trained. Since I have the coin I figured, why not have a standing army ready to fight to the death because I told them to?
The infantry will be trained to wield spears, short swords and large rectangular or 'Scutum' shields the same way I trained the men to use them before, only this time they'd learn the finer points of combat outside of fighting in a line. Men who displayed a talent for riding would be trained by the dozens of knights living under House Corbray to ride alongside the cavalry.
It was a somewhat controversial move, but I allowed women to sign up for archery training under the excuse that they should be able to defend themselves from bandits should the men go to war.
Those were only the combat troops. The smiths and other laborers were also being trained in combat, but their purpose was clear, they'd support the war effort by keeping the army running smoothly.
While I was doing all that I also picked out the men and women that didn't take a shine to combat the way the others did and sent them to maester Elbert to learn how to bandage wounds and shit like that.
My efforts to raise an army hadn't gone unnoticed however and I soon received letters from some of the neighboring lords who were a bit unsettled by my sudden militarization. With the impression I made on them at The Gates of The Moon it didn't take much convincing to assure them that I had no plans to march on their land. I was simply training men to patrol House Corbray's land. I needed to keep the Mountain Clansmen from getting any ideas after all.
They ate that shit up.
I was only able to oversee basic training for a few weeks before I left for the capital, but things were running smoothly for the most part, so I left it in Lyn's hands and left Heart's Home with 15 of the men that served under me in the Mountains and Lucas.
(King's Landing, 298 AC)
My introduction to King's Landing was... Both better and worse than I expected. The smell was horrible and the people were filthy, but that was to be expected. A medieval city with almost no proper planning put into it was bound to have its share of problems.
King's Landing was filthy, but once you got to the nicer areas it became tolerable. We arrived four days before the tournament was to begin, so we wasted little time heading to the Red Keep.
The Red Keep was much larger than depicted in the show. The throne room, where we were expected to announce ourselves to the king, was far bigger than depicted in the show. The Iron Throne was somewhere between the dinky chair from the show and the giant metal monstrosity the books described.
The king, or rather, Lord Eddard Stark was holding court when we entered, but the arrival of nobility took precedence over the concerns of the smallfolk.
I introduced myself and my companions on behalf of my father to Lord Stark, telling him we were here for the tourney, where I would be competing. Other than a bit of muttering once everyone recognized me there was little fanfare.
Lord Stark hadn't been here for long, but he ran a tight ship regardless as he directed a guardsman to escort Lucas and I to Maegor's Holdfast where we would be staying. Our guards would be staying in an inn close by, both as a subtle flex and for protection.
Maegor's Holdfast, where the attending nobility were staying, had an entire separate wing for guests along with the royal apartments in the main keep. It really was a castle within a castle. The dry moat lined with spikes gave it a semi-"dark lord" appeal that was only offset by the scarlet walls of the keep and everything within it. Even the Gold cloak barracks weren't spared from the color.
This truly was a castle fit for a king. If only the same could be said for the city surrounding it...
The first day was spent doing fuck all within the Red Keep, speaking with nobles and the like. It was to be expected of course, the actual fun would start after the tourney began, since that's when the king would show up and everyone would put on their game faces.
The second day was spent... Putting a plan of mine into motion. It wasn't likely to bear fruit for a few years at least, but even if it didn't all I'd lose was a few gold dragons and a dagger, nothing in the grand scheme of things.
I've gotten used to being the most important person in the room I'll admit, so not being the person everyone's looking to get something from is a refreshing experience.
That's not to say I haven't been approached by scheming lords and ladies asking about my abilities, or fishing for a marriage, but after a few hours I had them eating out of the palm of my hands.
Lord Edgerton, who talked his daughter up to me, happily let me "escort" said daughter back to their shared apartment in Maegor's Holdfast. When I emerged from Meriel Edgerton's room the next day Lord Edgerton greeted me happily, as if he was glad I raw dogged his daughter.
Shit, I was glad I fucked his daughter too, so we have that in common. Meriel was cute, 18 and unbetrothed, which was weird for a girl her age, but not uncommon. She was short, about 4'11" by my estimation, but she was stacked comparatively. Her wavy hair was blonde, ending at her upper back and she had expressive blue eyes. A solid 9/10.
I know it doesn't need to be said again at this point, but CHA is fucking busted.
That was my first day in King's Landing
The second verse went the same as the first. I went around, chatted up the attending nobility, attended court and when the day was done, I pulled some noblewoman to bed and got my rocks off.
The third day the Tyrells arrived and I knew for a fact that only Loras came to the tourney in canon. Mace, Garlan, Loras and Margaery came to King's Landing along with a few Tyrell cousins that came to serve as handmaidens for Margaery.
Mace invited me to breakfast with his family before the tourney was set to begin and I'd be a fool to decline, which led to me sitting between two of Margaery's ladies in waiting, whatever the fuck that meant, Alla and Elinor Tyrell, "Roses from lower on the bush" as Elinor put it.
Did I mention that they were both flowered and unmarried? Because Elinor sure as hell did, even tried to be subtle about it.
Margaery and Loras were sitting across from us as Mace, Garlan and Lucas were speaking at the end of the table.
"I never would have thought taming the Mountain Clansmen of the Vale would be so simple..." Alla remarked in awe. She's a shy girl, but I was able to bring her out of her shell with little effort. People like her are shit at starting conversations, but will jump in once you broach an area they're comfortable with and Alla just so happened to be quite interested in warfare.
Alla was beautiful, with loose and curly light brown hair falling past her shoulders, hazel eyes,a pretty face and an award winning smile.
"I had a bit of help in that regard, believe it or not." I admitted, pausing to take a sip of the Cherry Bounce, or "Corbray Crimson" I brought along to King's Landing. I brought some along as a gift to the Tyrells, offering a few casks for Mace to take back to Highgarden. Once he had a sip he was hooked.
As he should be, I made that shit.
"We were ambushed not long after one of my scouts discovered the settlement of the Howler clan and their chieftain's daughter led the charge. I captured her and used her to negotiate the surrender of the Howlers. With their help, we were able to reach the other clans in no time and thanks to the Howlers supporting us, they were willing to hear us out." I finished my tale.
"Sounds like a stroke of good fortune on your end, lord Corbray." Loras Tyrell chimed in, a teasing smirk on his face.
"Perhaps. I prefer to think that the training I put my men through paid off. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have been able to find the Howler's settlement and we certainly wouldn't have been able to fight off an ambush without a single casualty on our end." I humble-bragged to the amazement of Alla. I could almost see the stars in her eyes.
By God, she's adorable.
"The Howler Chieftain's daughter," Elinor began, wanting to grab my attention. "She's the one you gave the last sword to at the Gates of the Moon, isn't she?" She asked, despite already knowing the answer.
"She is." I affirmed. "Her efforts in gaining the trust of the other clans was invaluable to our cause." There was no reason to say more than I needed to. As much as I may like the girls sitting next to me, I know that they're just here to butter me up and gather intel for Olenna.
I'm not about to give them more than they already know, but I can't make it seem like I'm being cagey either since that would give them reason to talk shit. I have to toe the line and give them just enough that they can't call me out on being vague without also giving them too much information.
If I speak too highly of her, then it might as well be a confirmation that there's something going on between us, even though that was made pretty clear when I gave her a priceless sword.
"Is she a warrior?" Alla questioned with a hopeful gleam in her eyes.
"All of the Mountain Clansmen are warriors." I informed her "They believe that every person's voice, whether they are a man or a woman, should be heard. As such, most women take up arms alongside the men if they're capable enough."
"Just how capable are the Mountain Clansmen?" Margaery Tyrell, who up until now had been mostly silent, inquired. She doesn't look much like her show counterpart, but the resemblance is there. Her hair is dark brown and mostly straight until the ends where it curled slightly with the same hazel brown eyes as her cousins. She was somehow able to pull off the queen bee and the girl next door looks at the same time. Her body was slim, with small breasts, but it's obvious that she wasn't quite done growing yet, only being around my age by my estimation.
"They're all great warriors, as fierce as they come, but the lack of resources and skilled smiths among them held them back tremendously. Even with such a disadvantage, the Burned Men gave my men some trouble, although they did have the advantage in numbers." I answered her.
Margaery pondered the information for a few seconds, no doubt making sure to sear it into her brain for her grandmother.
We made small talk for a few more minutes before I had to go get ready for the joust. As Lucas and I were leaving I could feel Margaery's eyes searing a hole into the back of my head.
-A Restrictive Game-
"RAAAH!" I yelled like a fucking chief as I sent Loras Tyrell flying off of his horse to the outrageous applause of the crowd. Not a single one of my opponents made it past the first tilt because I'm fucking baller like that.
1500+76%= 2640 EXP
I'm going straight to the top and no one can stop me. There's too much at stake.
[The Hand's Tourney]
The king is hosting a grand tourney to celebrate his new hand, Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. Steal the show by winning at least one event.
Main Objective: Enter at least one of the events being held at the tournament and win first place.
Reward: 10000 EXP for every event won, +10 Stat Crystal for every event won, Increased Rep with all attendees for each event won.
Bonus Objective 1: Enter the Joust.
Reward: 1500 EXP for each opponent you unhorse
Bonus Objective 2: Enter the Melee.
Reward: 1000 EXP for every opponent defeated
Bonus Objective 3: Enter the Archery competition. (Complete)
Reward: +2000 EXP for every round passed
Bonus Objective 4: Win every event
Reward: +25000 EXP, 1 Gacha Token, +10 levels to a skill of your choice.
Heading off of the field I take the time to reflect on that last bit. A gacha token. A fucking gacha token, the same thing that gave me the shining meteorite. Marcy told me I wouldn't be getting them too often, but the events that occurred in King's Landing around this time are important to the plot, so that must be why I'll get a token for winning this bitch.
Back to current events. The joust has been a breeze so far, my enhanced stats, gear and skills proving too much for the other competitors. Hell, even one of those things would get me to the semi-finals at least, but with all three being as busted as they are? No one here stands a chance against me.
My new Sky-Steel armor is a godsend. The EXP boost alone is busted, but it's amazing armor on top of that. I went with a simple yet still over the top design for it, just to let everyone know I'm better than they are. The breastplate was silver, mixed in with darker rippling, like traditional Valyrian steel with small vine-like engravings and plated pauldrons. Attached to the back of the pauldrons was a thin feather-like cape, also made of Sky-Steel.
That wasn't even the best part though. In the center of the breastplate were small diamonds I enhanced with Geomancy. Rhaegar had rubies in his armor? Bitch please, I have magic diamonds and they aren't getting knocked out by some double-cuck with a hammer.
The rest of the armor was designed the exact same, with chain-mail protecting my joints and such. My helm was nothing special, just what you'd expect to find on any knight ready for battle, except it was made out of spell-forged steel. There were engravings of the seven pointed star on each cheek, just to paint the picture of a pious lord.
I'm anything but pious, but that doesn't matter. The Faith of the Seven is just another tool to be used in my conquest.
Needless to say, I was the envy of every lord here, even the king wasn't immune to my ballin. Cersei was giving me looks I wasn't exactly comfortable with though. She no doubt wants me to give up my bling. From the look in her eyes she might even be willing to sell herself for it, but I'm not about to give in. Bitches are temporary, drip is forever and I'm absolutely soaked right now.
"If you hadn't already done the same to everyone else you've gone up against, I might have felt embarrassed by how easily you took me down." Huh? Oh, it's just Loras.
"If it helps, you're far better than anyone else I fought today. Craftier too. If I rode in on a stallion today, your trick with the mare might have bore fruit." I told him, letting him know that his trick hadn't gone unnoticed. I wasn't about to begrudge the man for it though. I'm basically cheating all the time with my powers.
"Ah..." Loras uttered lamely, "I suppose someone would figure it out today. You don't seem too bothered by it though."
"It's not like you poisoned your opponents. A mare in heat is hardly against the rules." Loras seemed relieved by that.
"Hmm. Well I ought to get this armor off. I wish you good fortune Ser Lyon." Loras said before walking off.
I wasn't really paying attention to him, instead focused on the Mountain as he bashed through yet another opponent. At least he hasn't killed anyone yet. In the show and books he killed Ser Hugh with a lance to the throat but here they didn't even go up against one another. I guess my presence alone changed that.
I already observed Gregor earlier today and as I did so I realized something.
Gregor Clegane
LVL – 23
HP – 300
SP – 270
MP – 8
STR – 65
DEX – 19
END – 27
CON – 30
INT – 8
WIS – 6
CHA – 10
I am going to fuck this man up! Holy shit he's weak! If I'm lucky I might even be able to kill him. I doubt I'll be able to pull it off though since he's got a stupid amount of armor on.
Oh well, there's always next time. And there will be a next time.
Before long, The Clegane brothers and Jaime Lannister secured their place in the semi-finals as well. In a shocking turn of events I was to face off against Jaime after the Mountain and the Hound had their bout.
God damn.
(Arya Stark)
When she found out there was going to be a grand tourney in honor of her father, Arya was ecstatic. For once she could go see true warriors in their element without being ridiculed for it. Brave knights would go head to head in glorious combat just like she'd always imagined.
Even Sansa, who shied away from such things was excited at the prospect. For once the sisters shared a meal together gushing over the upcoming event instead of at each other's throats. Sansa was more interested in the knights themselves while Arya's focus was on the battles they'd fight, but the sisters found common ground all the same.
Despite the rocky start, things were looking up in King's Landing. The queen and Joffrey are still cunts though, but she hasn't seen them since the incident at the Ruby Ford.
Even still, the joust was set to be the grandest event she'd ever witnessed and Arya was as excited as a girl could be.
The reality of just what a joust was soon set in and by the fourth match she was bored out of her mind.
It's just a bunch of men crashing into each other with sticks, where's the excitement in that? It was fun the first few times, but eventually it lost its appeal. The armors were nice, but nothing she hadn't seen before.
Sansa was loving it though, obsessed with the pageantry of it all, which was good for her, Arya supposed. Still, she didn't think anything could save her from her boredom.
That was, until she saw the knight in smokey armor.
His armor looked almost exactly like her house's Valyrian steel greatsword Ice, all dark and rippled, almost like someone caught smoke and trapped it inside of metal.
Littlefinger, the master of counting or something told them that the Smokey knight was Lyon Corbray, heir to Heart's Home and that he had discovered the secret to Valyrian steel although he claims they aren't the same. From where she's sitting they look exactly the same, but she isn't a blacksmith like he is.
Her curiosity died down after a minute, even if he had nice armor, that doesn't mean the joust wouldn't be a complete bore. That's what she thought, at least until he smashed through his opponent in the first tilt like he wasn't even there. Shattered his shield and everything.
While everyone else was in awe, Arya couldn't help the laughter that peeled out of her. The knight that went up against Lyon, a Frey by the coat of arms on his shield flopped onto the ground like a fish! He did his liege lord proud with his impression, that's for sure!
Arya found herself rooting for the Smokey Knight after that, each of his wins was more entertaining than the last.
It wasn't long before he made it to the semi-finals among the likes of Jaime Lannister, the queens smug king-slaying brother, the Hound, who killed Mycah in cold blood and the Mountain, the Hound's brother who was somehow even worse than Joffrey's child killing dog.
The Hound went up against the Mountain and after three tilts the victory was awarded to the younger brother. Arya hoped that they'd both break their lances in each other's throats, but it wasn't to be.
The Smokey Knight beat Ser Jaime the same way he beat all of his opponents, with a single strike of his lance to their shield in the first tilt. He seemed to be aiming for the area Ser Jaime protected the most, as if to make a point.
Arya loved it.
A short intermission was called before the final match and Arya had to meet the man that beat the Kingslayer in one blow.
Slipping away wasn't hard, all she had to do was wait for Septa Mordane to focus on Sansa for a few seconds and Arya was able to make her escape.
A stunt like this would normally pose more danger, but there were guards posted everywhere. With the entire royal family out as well as the many lords and ladies in attendance only a fool would leave the area unprotected and her father was no fool.
It wasn't long before she found his tent, it was the only one set up in the area he rode off to and she could even see his horse outside of it.
"I think the Hound deserved that win, Ser Gregor was barely able to keep a hold of his shield by the end of it while Sandor was able to deflect most of his brother's thrusts." A young man's voice came out from within the tent.
"Fair enough I suppose, but the Hound had a shaky grip on his reins by the end of it. Another go at it would have decided the victor one way or the other." Another voice countered.
Using the lessons Syrio had been teaching her these past few weeks to stay quiet Arya peeked into the tent, spotting the man she was looking for without his helmet. His eyes were a cool blue-gray, not dissimilar to her own. His hair was jet black like Jon's and fell to his neck. His coloring matched that of a Stark more than any of her other siblings.
The man he was talking to looked similar to him. A father perhaps? Or an older brother?
Looking into the Smokey Knight's eyes she was shocked to find them looking into her own.
"Hello there." He greeted calmly, as if she wasn't spying on him. Her father will be livid once he finds out about this.
"H-hello..." She stuttered dumbly, taken aback by his casual greeting. Most people that were being spied on didn't take too kindly to it, so her confusion was understandable.
"Would you like to come in?" The Smokey Knight asked her. Father told her not to take such offers from strange men, but Arya was already caught and if he wanted to do anything to her he already would have. There was no one else in this area and if she tried to scream the Knight would have gagged her immediately.
The fact that he hadn't meant he wasn't going to, or at least that's what she hoped.
"I would, thank you." Arya wasn't one for manners, but even she knew how to thank someone properly.
The Smokey Knight, Lyon, stepped aside to let her in. There was a small round table, big enough to comfortably hold a few pitchers of wine and about four people around it and just as many wooden chairs.
"Feel free to take a seat, it's not like anyone else is using it." Lyon's relative invited her.
"I'm Lyon Crbray, by the way, and that's my uncle Lucas, lady..." He trailed off after introducing himself.
"Arya, my name is Arya Stark and I'm not a lady." She couldn't help but say.
Lady. A word she'd hated since she learned what it meant. For as long as she could remember it had been nothing but a shackle dragging her down and away from the things she loves. Archery, combat, having fun in general. She used to beg her mother and father to let her go on a hunt, but her mother always told her that hunting wasn't what a lady should do.
A lady should learn to sew dresses, bear her lord's children and keep his home for him.
A servant. That's what a lady is and Arya Stark was no one's servant.
Lyon simply smiled in response, no doubt finding her resistance to her role funny.
"If you're not a lady, then I'm not a lord. Now I can finally focus on my crafting instead of my lordly duties." He japed. It was kind of funny, Arya supposed. "Well, if you do not wish to be called a lady then I will simply call you Arya, provided you do the same." Arya expected him to ignore what she said like everyone else. Actually being listened to for once was... Refreshing.
Sitting down at the chair he gestured towards Arya took the drink he offered her, something he called Lemonade. It was sweet, nowhere near as tart as the name would suggest.
"So, is there any particular reason you were spying on us, Arya?" Lyon asked her. She knew this was coming, but it was still embarrassing.
"I... wanted to meet you after you beat the Kingslayer." Arya admitted, feeling heat in her cheeks after doing so. Why was this so hard?
"Seems you have an admirer, Lyon." His uncle Lucas teased. Before she could deny it, Lyon spoke up in her defense.
"Leave the girl alone, uncle. If I saw someone beat Ser Jaime in one blow I'd want to meet them as well."
No one ever defended her before. Even Sansa, her own sister, lied to protect Joffrey, who was tormenting her friend Mycah. Arya was a bit ashamed to admit it, but she took a bit of joy in seeing Sansa's face after the King sentenced Lady to be executed, at least until she realized an innocent Direwolf was about to be killed.
Say what you will about Sansa, but Lady was an absolute darling. At least Nymeria's still alive… She hoped.
There wasn't much time left in the intermission, so she asked Lyon every question she could think of.
How did he get so strong? When did he learn how to make Vayrian steel? How did he learn?
He answered every single question she had and even asked a few of his own. Lyon seemed genuinely interested in her water dancing lessons, not once remarking that it was beneath a lady to learn such things and even asked if she'd like a few pointers every now and then!
Before she even knew it, the intermission was nearly over and she had to go back to the stands. Septa Mordane and Sansa were furious, but she was let off with a warning thanks to their good mood. Her father showed up right before the final match was set to begin and reassured Sansa and the septa that there were enough guards in the area to ensure her safety. Not entirely true, but Arya wasn't going to out herself. She doesn't need that kind of trouble right now.
The brave knight is about to slay the foul beast after all.
-A Restrictive Game-
Staring down my opponent from across the field, a hardened knight who's without a doubt one of the single most dangerous men on the planet, only one thought enters my mind.
There is no way in hell I'm about to lose to this goober.
My physical stats are nearly maxed out and with the passive bonuses I get from Bulk up and Agility, my STR and DEX actually are maxed out. My proficiencies with armored and mounted combat are at 99 and 73 respectively, so he won't win with skill or anything like that, and my armor, though thin, is spell-forged and thus outclasses anything else in Westeros.
In comparison to that? Sandor Clegane was nothing.
Sandor Clegane
LVL - 24
HP - 280
SP - 290
MP - 15
STR - 58
DEX - 22
END - 29
CON - 28
INT - 15
WIS - 17
CHA - 6
He's good, great even, but I'm so beyond his league in every way it isn't even funny.
That's a lie, it's actually hilarious. I've observed every single person of note and barring White Walkers or Dragons, I'm untouchable. I mean, I'm not really, but I'm pretty damn close.
Still, I'm not about to take this lightly. No way in hell, I've got too much riding on my victory, plus I had Lucas put some money down on me winning all three events, so if I lose this one I'll look like a total jackass.
Quickly roiding out with Bulk Up, I wait for the signal. A single horn blast is all it took for the both of us to ride at each other, in hopes of knocking the asshole in front of us down. With a single, soul-crushing thrust at his shield, which might as well become a signature move of mine at this point, I completely shatter the flimsy wood and catch him in the chest, sending the Hound flying off of his mount and into the dirt.
Holy shit, I think I killed him.
1500+76%= 2640 EXP
"AARGH! Fucking hell!" No, false alarm, it's all good folks, Cleganebowl is still on the table.
The crowd went wild, which is great, because it means people have finally gotten used to my bullshit. Stunned silences may sound cool on paper, but they're awkward as fuck in reality.
Riding over to the asshole that was picked to hold the pillow, I claim my prize, the Champion's Favor. It was just a regular ass crown of roses, the real prize was the fourty thousand Gold Dragons I was pretty much stealing from the Crown. I'll be stealing a lot more before the week is over, that's for sure.
Now I just have to give this stupid crown to its rightful owner.
(Sansa Stark)
She had spent her whole life dreaming of attending an event like this. A true chivalrous tourney with noble knights and their steeds battling for the right to crown a woman their queen of love and beauty.
She was hoping Ser Loras would win, but he was beaten by Lyon Corbray right before the semi-finals. At least he didn't go up against someone like the Mountain. Lord Baelish told her and Arya all sorts of ghoulish things about the man. How could someone be so cruel to their own younger sibling?
Sansa may have felt the urge to get back at Arya for all the spoonfuls of food she's had thrown at her over the years, but not once has she ever entertained the thought of scarring her sister's face like that.
It would be a shame if she did after all. Arya may be a bit… Wild looking now, but when she's grown up? There's no doubt in Sansa's mind she'll be the envy of every woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She's heard the comparisons made between her wild sister and her late aunt Lyanna more than once, and Aunt Lyanna was said to be the most beautiful woman in the world when she was still alive.
If Sansa wasn't going to be the next queen she might even be a bit jealous of her sister, she knows Jeyne is. Her friend may try to hide it behind her jokes and insults, but Sansa knew she heard the same things about Arya she did, and unlike her, Jeyne wasn't the daughter of a great noble house destined to marry an equally great lord.
Jeyne was the daughter of a steward, who was the younger brother of the lord of House Poole, a lesser house sworn directly to the Starks. She was pretty enough, but her looks won't entice any lord above her station into a betrothal. She'd be lucky to marry the second son of a second son, and she knew this, which was why she teased Arya so often.
Still, even her wild sister couldn't find it in herself to act out during a tourney, too awed by the knights and their shining armors to entertain any thoughts of mischief, which is something Sansa was thankful for. Usually whenever Arya decided to cause trouble, Sansa was her favorite target.
All was going well until the intermission was called before the final match, when Arya went missing. Septa Mordane was worried sick, but Sansa knew better and was on her guard. It was just like her sister to cause trouble for her right before an important moment.
She spent the next hour constantly looking over her shoulder while Jeyne went on and on about how handsome she found Lord Beric Dondarrion and how she'd marry him. It would never happen, but Sansa wasn't going to dash her friends hopes.
About halfway through the intermission, Sansa had grown worried. If her sister slipped away to plan something, then she would have enacted whatever scheme she cooked up by now. It simply wasn't like her to wait so long, she didn't have the patience for it, it's why her needlework was so shoddy.
Stuck somewhere between wary and worried sick, Sansa was equal parts relieved and furious when her sister finally showed up, only a few minutes to spare before the final match began.
Sometime between Arya popping up again and the start of the final match, her father finally showed up to the tourney being held in HIS honor and informed them that with the number of guards in the area, Arya was never in any danger.
She still shouldn't have run off like that.
The final match was as quick as every other one of Lyon Corbray's bouts, over in the first tilt. For a second Sansa thought the Corbray knight had killed the hound, but his pained shout proved otherwise.
She was glad Lyon Corbray won all things considered. The Mountain was a monster and she'd heard dreadful things about the Hound as well, so a true noble knight like Lyon winning the joust was the best possible outcome in Sansa's eyes.
And so it was, the gallant champion took the crown of roses, the real prize, better than a sack of gold, or glory. He won the right to crown the queen of love and beauty. She could already see Jeyne forgetting all about Lord Beric Dondarrion in favor of Lyon Corbray. If she wasn't betrothed to the most dashing prince in the history of the Seven Kingdoms, Sansa might feel the same.
Jeyne's longing looks didn't go unnoticed it seemed, as Ser Lyon rode over to their area in the stands before… Completely passing over Jeyne? Then who could he be-? No… It can't be! Does he intend to crown her?!
Looking around frantically, Sansa saw the ice cold realization on the faces of the other attendees as they all prepared themselves for a repeat of the Tourney at Harrenhal, where all the smiles died.
As Sansa prepared herself for the inevitable disaster, she almost completely missed the next part.
"Lady Arya Stark, your adventurous spirit is truly a breath of fresh air, and I sincerely enjoyed our conversation earlier. Would you do me the honor of accepting this crown?" Lyon spoke, holding the crown of roses out to her sister, who looked just as surprised as Sansa felt before shakily reaching out for the crown.
'So that's where Arya went!' Sansa thought as she watched her sister stare at the crown for a few seconds before placing it on her head.
The other attendees saw the gesture for what it was, a knight making a young girl's day by naming her the queen of love and beauty. It was an innocent gesture and one that was common enough, Sansa had heard. Why, Loras Tyrel, who competed earlier, was famous for naming the most unexpected queens during his jousts, once even naming an old servant back at Highgarden in thanks for all of her hard work over the years.
Arya didn't seem to get the meaning behind it though. Sansa watched her sister longingly stare at Ser Lyon as he rode away, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. Clutching her hands together like a woman watching her husband go off to war.
It seems her wild, wolf sister is finally growing up. It was about time.
-A Restrictive Game-
Oh thank fuck that's over. That stupid fucking flower crown is the worst. What if I didn't want to name a queen of love and beauty? I only did it the first time because I fucked Myranda senseless the night before and actually liked her. I like the Tyrell's well enough, but if I gave them an inch they'd take a mile.
I didn't have to worry about that with Myrnda because Nestor Royce isn't the lord of shit. What's he gonna do if I don't marry his daughter after giving her some flowers? Not a damn thing, that's what. He isn't even the type to do anything like that in the first place.
Mace Tyrell? The man's an opportunist, so I'm not going anywhere near the Tyrell's.
Meriel Edgerton? She was a possibility, but her father would hound me for days if I crowned her.
Then my eyes turned to the Stark's. I wasn't touching Sansa with a ten foot pole while she was betrothed to Joffrey. Sansa's friend? Eh, I could, but then I got a better idea.
Arya Stark. She was only 12, so most would see it as me being kind to a young girl, so I won't have too many people think I'm entertaining any thoughts of marriage. If they got that in their heads, then no one would present their hot daughters for me to fuck, which would be a major bummer.
Adding onto that, Arya isn't interested in shit like that, so there's no way she'd catch feelings for me just because I gave her a flower crown. Eddard Stark wouldn't push for a betrothal to climb the social ladder because not only is he already at the top, he also doesn't care for the political games of the south, so I'm safe.
I got to get rid of the stupid crown, ride off with 40,000 Gold Dragons, AND
Joust Victory!
Reward: 10000 EXP, +10 Stat Crystal, Increased REP with attendees!
Bonus Objective 1 Complete!
Reward: (1500x9)+76%= 23,760 EXP
LEVEL UPx2! +2 to all stats! +4 stat points!
Lyon Corbray
LVL – 22
Class – Lord [21/25]
EXP –1117/22000
HP – 790 (7.2% per min)
SP – 940 (8.7% per min)
MP– 540 (6.1% per min)
STR – 89
DEX – 76
END – 87
CON– 72
INT – 61
WIS – 62
CHA – 100(+10)
Points – 24
I love my new armor.
Did you know this chapter was supposed to conclude with the beginning of the War of The Five Kings? Because it was. I don't know if it was the dialogue scenes or what, but this chapter beat the shit out of me. I'm actually kind of glad things turned out this way though. I originally wanted to finish Game of Thrones and move on to the next world by chapter 15 or something, so I was kind of rushing along, but eventually I realized I added so much to the planning phase of this chapter alone that there was no way to do that without cutting a lot of corners, which is something I just don't want to do.
So yeah, Game of Thrones will last until chapter 30 or something.
If you want to chat shit with me in real time like a cool kid, or want to talk about the story like a dork, I'm on Discord now!
discord .gg/wd3tUYWVCd
My channel is Creamulon's castle. You may also recognize other authors there if you haven't already joined.
~Get Creamed On~