...

I let out a somewhat contented sigh as I stared out ahead into the evening's rather beautiful sky. Following my 'duel' with the Lannister, Robert's party mood had doubled down as he'd somehow found more energy to screw around with, effectively demanding that everyone keep at it for the rest of the night, with no end in sight.

I knew better.

Since handily giving one of his more competent Kingsguard his ass, he'd evidently taken my wildfire warnings far more seriously, even if he didn't show it. A small part of him likely only now realising how close he'd always been to death for the past decade and a half.

Regarding the trouncing of the lion, I'd had a few red cloaks unsurprisingly show their distaste for me, rather openly at that- Though any actions from their part, following an attempt at my life, had promptly vanished the moment I'd grabbed a freaking arrow out of mid-air on instinct the moment I'd left the main area.

Well, presumably, anyway.

I knew it was a red cloak giving they were on guard duty, and no one else had tried to kill me since.

Probably figured to try again when they were sober or some other nonsense.

Still, given the other company, from the Stormlanders to the Northern members and mostly minor lords from the Riverlands, I had a feeling my little bout was been taken rather positively otherwise.

Sure most of 'em probably put it down to dumb luck, but given the overall mood at the party, barring Queen Bitch-face, a nickname Robert had actually used in public, I figured I didn't have much hope of dying any time soon. At least not until we reached the capital. Evidently having the King's favour was seen as a reason to keep me alive.

I had considered using the dagger to end my life, but somehow Ned freakin' Stark had taken it away from me.

Pity.

"You fought well." A voice called out from behind me, causing me to look towards a certain old knight who could carve the current crop of his fellows like they were cake. The aged knight promptly walked up beside me and took a seat.

I'd been sat closer towards the outskirts of the camp, hopeful some dumbass red-cloak had the balls to try and get Tywin's favour or some other nonsense.

"Don't you have a king to guard?"

"I have brothers to help keep my duty for me." He remarked easily, his eerie gaze set on me.

"Mhm." I nodded uncaringly. "What makes you think I fought well?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Most are calling it dumb luck."

Barristan Selmy chuckled at the words.

"Dumb luck doesn't help you perfectly break through a kingsguard's guard twice in rapid succession." His eyes momentarily narrowed. "You need swordsmen training to know exactly when to do so, and with a fighter like Jaime Lannister, that window is exceptionally small." He took a breather. "Not to mention you've obviously had other training given the fighting style you settled for-" His narrowed eyes gave away to a bemused expression. "Why not settle for duelling him like a knight when you obviously can?" He questioned curiously. "Many back there would've offered you a proper blade for it."

I carefully studied the man beside me.

"You're awfully certain I have the skills for it, it really could be dumb luck."

"Yes, it could." The edges of his mouth twisted into a slight smile. "But that wasn't. I've been a knight long enough to recognise a dangerous fighter when I see one." A serious expression quickly took over. "And your eyes remind me of Arthur Dayne's. You could've likely gone through the kingsguard back there and killed the king if you'd wished."

I snorted.

"Does that include you?"

"Perhaps." He answered seriously, his gaze still appraising me. "Even now, inebriated as you are- I see no open signs to attack even if I wanted to. Even now, my senses are telling me that picking a fight with you, would only end one way."

"Rather big leap in logic, don't you think? Arthur Dayne? I don't-"

"He too, found very little to worry about, no matter whose blade he faced-" He narrowed his eyes. "But even he had the sense of survival not to toy with his lessers."

"Maybe I just want to die?"

He nodded resolutely at that one.

"And that makes you all the more dangerous," He remarked pointedly. "If your body itself is capable of handing one of the finest warriors in the kingdom his backside, despite your minds indifference to it, then one could only wonder what you could when focused."

I hummed along at this explanation, before letting out a shrug.

"And? What of it? Maybe I am that good- Maybe I am the warrior come again?" I snorted. "Or maybe the warrior was based of off me? Who gives a fuck?"

He promptly raised himself into a standing position, ignoring my blasphemous remark with ease.

"I do." He remarked resolutely before he promptly unclasped one blade from his around his waist and handed it over to me. "I would very much like a proper duel with you." A single beat passed. "Perhaps when your sober, however."

I snorted in response.

"Oh trust me, old man, I've plenty of advantages as it is," A beat passed. "To the death?" I questioned with a grin.

"I would much rather not." He deadpanned. "I do have a duty to uphold."

I rolled my eyes at him and asked him to lead the way as I took hold of the offered blade, before taking out of it's sheath to test it out, Barristan's studious gaze on me all the while.

"So, what are we fighting for anyway?" I question as I followed him. "Can't just be because you want to get your ass kicked."

He harrumphed at that one, a small chuckle coming out.

"I would simply have you tell me one thing." He remarked, giving a brief look over his shoulder at me.

"Which is?"

"Are you a danger to the king?" His eyes briefly narrowed. "Am I to face a faceless man right now?"

I almost stumbled at that one, my laughter echoing out loud.

"Nah, I'm just a danger to myself- And anyone else caught in it whose too stupid to live."

After a brief moment, the man sighed, his unspoken words to my response clear as day.

Yes, yes I was a danger to the king.

...

-Barristan Selmy-

...

He held in the urge to pant, to greedily grab hold of more air as he carefully manoeuvred himself around, keeping a tight hold on his stance. His gaze focused ahead as he took in the easy-going expression before him. The stranger idly waved around his blade tauntingly, as he'd done since they'd started their bouts.

He knew he couldn't risk taking too long as he went in for a stab, keeping his body's position engrained into his head, as his sword-hand swiftly switched his blade's edge horizontally, his mind preparing and taking in the sudden sidestep to the side to the dodge before him, as he quickly manoeuvred his blade into a horizontal swipe.

He watched, barely showing any surprise, as the other, in one swift motion, threw his blade into the sky, while his body impossibly bent backwards to avoid the sudden swipe- Yet just as quickly as he'd switched his side-swipe into another overhead one down the middle, he grit his teeth as he forced himself to stop the sudden attack and quickly take a few steps backwards, just in time for the thrown blade to land down, blade first, into the exact spot his head had been in mere moments ago, his body rapidly shifting into a defensive stance-

Only for his gaze to momentarily widen as, instead of grabbing the mid-air blade and dashing for an attack as he'd done before, his mind idly noting the fact it had been diagonally aimed towards his newest position, the stranger promptly kicked the hilt of it, and forced the blade to soar towards him, spinning as it did, before it ended on a diagonal swipe that would've cut through his neck had he not made a last-minute adjustment to his guard- Only for his momentary lapse of balance to award him both, a kick on his left foot that almost buckled him as he held his blade with a two-handed grip as the stranger, just as fast, rapidly grabbed the ricocheted blade into a diagonal swipe that was barely blocked.

The stranger smirked as, instead of continuing his attack into what would've surely been an easy victory, backed off and simply started waving his blade around almost uncaringly.

Feeling the exertion of the duels take their hold on him, he let out a breath and simply chuckled as he promptly sheathed the blade. His mind idly took in the shocked onlookers, from his fellow kingsguard to the king himself, betting and drinking as they watched the bouts.

He almost couldn't believe what he'd witnessed himself.

The stranger was...

He shook his head again.

He was someone he wouldn't want to face in an actual battle, that was for certain.

His fighting style was near impossible to read, and any time spent trying to figure out was time spent giving the other to not only read him but proceed to predict him. Openings he purposely left open were the very openings he'd planned three, four, even five steps ahead- The visual of the fight and what was going to happen already seen before he'd even had time to consider taking them.

Likewise, if he made to break his guard instead of falling for the clear traps presented, he'd find himself overtaken because said defence was almost impossible to break through without exertion on his own side, and worse generally led towards a chaotic dance that the other was still in control of.

The stranger didn't bother using his own strength, instead allowing momentum to dictate the fight itself, he didn't waste energy, he didn't miss a single step. Every attempt he'd made, whether it was to change his own stance, to attempting to manoeuvre around the other was perfectly countered.

Yet, possibly the hardest thing to overcome- Even if they were on similar levels, which he sorely doubted, for while his own swordsmanship was better, it was the sheer number of alternatives that the other was experienced in, to faith defying levels, that prevented him from capitalising on his own advantage.

But even then, what made it truly impossible, was the simple fact that the other, somehow, seemed to control not just his own body's placement, not just his ability to predict him action for action, but rather his control of their surroundings- Going as far as using the minuscule change in the wind itself as an advantage if he'd felt the need to. The man had complete, absolute control of their surroundings and a near on superhuman insight into him and the flow of the fight.

It was more akin to fighting a blade-wielding storm than a knight. The man weaponised everything around him, down to the last minuscule detail.

He was practically a sorcerer with a blade.

Barristan simply couldn't fathom the amount of training, the number of decades it would take to be able to instinctually pull off what he'd seen. And yet... look as young as the other- Even Jaime Lannister had likely expected him to be as good as his age dictated, a green warrior who'd been too young to join the Rebellion- Though odds were the Lannister truthfully hadn't expected much.

He shook his head again, a genuine chuckle coming out of him, as he reached a hand out, the other snorting as he took it and promptly sheathed the blade he'd lent him before handing it over.

"Good fights," The man grinned at him. "Nice to warm up every now and then, don't you think? Really sober's one up."

He couldn't help the second chuckle at the words, a mournful part of him reminiscing as to why Rhaeger hadn't had a blade this adept on his side during the war.

"Gods man," Robert's booming voice overtook them as both of them promptly turned towards the approaching king, Barristan instantly lowering his head into a small bow. "Where the bloody hell did you learn how to fight like that!?" There was a veritable tone of respect in the Demon of the Trident's voice.

The other shrugged and uttered a word that was both utterly ridiculous, yet utterly terrifying if truthful.

"I am self-taught."

Robert's eyes momentarily widened, before steeling themselves.

"If one of the useless fucks meant to protect me loses their place for whatever bloody reason, I want you in my kingsguard!"

The man waited a single beat before snorting at the King's request.

"Hell no. Would literally rather die." And promptly walked away as if he hadn't just insulted an order that's been around for centuries, and not to mention the king himself! Something that the king seemed to find humorous judging by the shake of his head at the response, yet judging by the veritable sea of disapprovement-

He tensed as he heard the sudden sound of a crossbow's discharge fill the air, the sound stopping Robert's own voice as the king's eyes momentarily widened. Yet before any of them could so much as move toward the stranger- He watched, his eyes disbelieving the sight before him, as without even turning towards the source of the bolt... Faster than any of them could process, the stranger had raised a hand towards the side of his head and caught it.

"Seriously?" The man deadpanned. "Freakin' rookies." And promptly threw it away as he continued walking off, the disbelieving king at his heel. Robert's cries to find the one responsible were ignored as he promptly started scouring the area around him, as he started going through the hundreds of very confused and panicking onlookers doing the same.

...

Hope You enjoyed! Don't Forget Feedback!