Author's Note: I initially wanted to wait with the publication of this chapter until after I have finished the next one for the Einzbern Grail War (which is currently half-way done), but some study-related events have left me in a great mood, so I wanted to share it with you. I hope this chapter can set the tone for how I am going to tackle this crossover. And I of course also hope that I get the unique personalities of everyone right. Enjoy!
Chapter 2 - Teamwork
Jaime
He had seen quite a lot of castles in his life. From all those tiny holdfast speckling the countryside to that molten monstrosity which was Harrenhall. From the mighty Casterly Rock carved out of the cliffside above Lannisport to the Red Keep looming over the stinking hive which was called King's Landing. But Jaime had never seen a more purposeless approach than he saw in that Einzbern 'castle'. There were no feasible defences to speak of. No castle moat, no embrasures for archers and the walls, while looking impressively high, were neatly mend together with the bricks of the roof, thus robbing itself of space that could be better used for more defenders. In fact Jaime thought any enemy who manages to break through the main gate had already successfully overcome any defence it had to speak of. It was more like a pimped up mansion, a tiny palace in the middle of the forest. Calling it a castle was preposterous, but there was a tiny shred of doubt in Jaime's evaluation. The Einzberns were mages, that was something the guy with the squinty eyes and the unspeakable name told him. So there might have been some dark magics at work which were unknown to the knight.
Jaime Lannister was wandering around the 'castle' in his full Kingsguard armor, dragging his white cloak through the snow. He had just excused himself to take a bit time for himself, to think about the situation he had found himself in. But soon enough, he simply began to analyze his surroundings as if he still were inspecting a castle in Westeros.
I'm not in my world anymore...
He died. That was clear. He still vividly had the picture in front of him. How he breathed his last breath with salt on his lips. Then there was darkness. Darkness for an immeasurable amount of time. And then, finally, there was an offer. A wish. The chance to set one wrong of his life right. Without thinking, Jaime accepted and the very next moment he found himself in this strange world. Alive again. Whole again. He still didn't know exactly how he wanted to use said wish, he only knew he had damn good need of it.
What should change? When I decided to kill her and lost my love? No, that was right. When I lost my hand and myself? No, I needed that too. When I pushed the Stark boy out of a window and plunged the country into war? Maybe... but it triggered so much more. When I slit Aerys' throat and lost my honor forever? Yes... no... I lost my honor much earlier. Back when he offered me my place in the Kingsguard and I readily accepted, like the green boy I was. But what then? Surely things would have changed. Or maybe, maybe nothing at all. And then I would have ridden into the city at the side of my father, unsuspecting and sporting my golden armor. And then I would have burned to death like everyone else. Not a fine death, no... but an honorable one. This way the Kingslayer had never existed.
He was still musing about endless possibilities when he turned around a corner and found himself in a grove full of snow-covered trees. In the middle of it all, there was the figure of a man in black cradling a little girl clad thickly in a violet jacked. Jaime stopped, not wanting to interrupt them, but the man looked up and let go of her.
"Saber?", it was the man with the unpronounceable name again, the man who proclaimed himself his Master and to whom he had spoken some magical oath or something.
"Sorry, I didn't intend to disturb."
The girl turned around, watching him with wide red eyes. Her white skin and silver hair made Jaime shiver despite not being bothered by the cold.
Gods, she looks like her mother. Stranded in a different world and of course I stumble upon the only two people with Targaryen features.
"Saber?", she echoed the words of her father.
"It's the man who accompanies me to that job I've told you about", he commented.
"Hello, little princess", Jaime set up his most charming smile, stepping closer. "With whom do I have the honor?"
"I'm Ilya!", she proclaimed proudly.
"Nice to meet you, Ilya. What are you two doing out here in the snow?", Jaime kneeled down to her so they could talk face to face with each other.
He must have made a strange impression how he watched her in wonder. This child reminded him so much of someone long dead, he could not help but stare.
"I've been competing with Kiritsugu", she explained. "I am going to find more walnut buds than he does."
Pretty impressive. So small and can already speak his name without slipping up. Even I cannot do that.
"Sounds like fun", he chirped. "Do you mind if I join?"
"Only if you don't play foul like that cheater over there", she said, causing Kiritsugu to sigh rather embarrassedly.
"I would never dare thinking about that", Jaime replied, frowning about the implications.
"Yeah, another competitor!", she cheered and charged forward into the woods.
Kiritsugu followed her, Jaime falling in at his side after he stood up.
"Your daughter?", Jaime asked while he was looking for his first score.
"Yes", Emiya said solemnly.
"I didn't take you for a family person", the knight commented.
"Me neither. I never thought I'd ever settle down like this", Kiritsugu replied, his voice sounding grave.
Jaime nodded in understanding.
"How old is she?"
"Eight", Kiritsugu said.
The knight shot him a confused glance.
"Eight? You're fooling me here."
His icy glare seemed utterly serious.
"Ilya grows slower than other children", his Master admitted then.
"I see. Well, I'm not one to judge. My brother always refused grow his last few feet."
They continued their walk for a few more minutes in silence. Little Ilya managed to add two more to her score during that.
"Were you a father?", Kiritsugu suddenly said.
Now it was Jaime's turn to grimace.
"I always preferred the role of the fun uncle everyone likes", Jaime replied.
Putting it like this made it only half a lie.
Not that I ever managed to properly be that either.
"We will have to speak about you and where you come from. Later", Kiritsugu said matter-of-factly.
"Sure... But I have to warn you. I caused the Maester who taught me my letters quite a few grey hairs by falling asleep. If you want an accurate history of Westeros, you should have summoned my brother. I'm not a good storyteller, I never was much more than my sword hand."
"It will suffice."
"And we will need wine", Jaime added thoughtfully. "A lot of wine. Telling stories is a thirsty business."
Arya
He was not angry. And for some reason Arya found that unsettling. He should have been angry. He had to use one of his precious command spells. But instead of admonishing her, they were just sitting there in his room, staring at each other. Kotomine was a strange man. Arya was taught to study somebody's face, but she was barely able to make sense out of this one. Instead of being angry, he studied her face more in curiosity... and much to her confusion, with the hint of amusement.
"Who are you?", he suddenly thundered with his deep voice.
"No one", Arya replied.
"A lie", Kotomine commented without a second of hesitation.
Arya bit her lip. It was the House of Black and White all over again.
"How should you know?", she snapped, too agitated to not let it out.
"No one would have no grudges against that boy Tokiomi summoned. Who is he?"
"Joffrey... Joffrey Baratheon", Arya replied, gritting her teeth.
"And you hate him?", Kotomine cocked his head.
"Of course I do...", she grumbled.
"I see. Who are you then?"
"No one", Arya hissed.
"A lie. No one would have no father to avenge. How did he call you?"
She looked at him with anger swelling in her stomach. She wanted to tell him that it was of no business to him. But his relentlessness made her falter. She had the feeling this game could go on forever if she continued to be stubborn.
"Arya...", she said sheepishly.
"Very good. I am glad you start to be honest with me. Then, Arya, who are you?"
She broke their locked stares and cast her eyes to the ground.
"No one", she said.
"A lie", he sighed. "Your last lie, I hope. It gets tiresome like this."
"Then just stop asking me", Arya groaned.
"I can't... You attacked the Servant of my ally and I need to persuade you to stop your hostilities."
"Why should I? It doesn't matter. If I don't kill him, someone else does."
"How can you be so sure of that?"
Arya vividly remembered the scene at the Trident. Her standing above the bleeding boy, a sword at his throat. She could have finished him then and there. If she did, Lady would have lived and she wouldn't have been forced to release Nymeria... and her father would have lived. But it was not that she remembered the most. It were his eyes. Joffrey's eyes full of terror. He had the same eyes only a moment ago when she was attacking him. He hadn't changed at all.
How could someone so pathetic do so much damage?
"If your friend puts his trust into Joffrey, he is already as good as dead. And if you stick to your alliance, your cause is doomed as well", Arya explained darkly. "Just let me finish him and be done with it. It would save you two a lot of trouble."
Kotomine frowned:
"Why do you think Tokiomi's Servant will cause his demise?"
"He is useless, that's all I need to say about him. He speaks boldly and pretends to be charming, but he is just pathetic. And cruel. Cruel above everything else."
"You said he killed your father", Kirei stated in confusion.
"Not he himself. Ilyn Payne did that. He just betrayed him. Branded him a traitor and executed him. My father would have never let himself killed by him in a fair fight."
"I see..."
Arya sighed. Her cover was blown. She wouldn't be able to switch to one of her other personas in front of Kirei anymore. She was not no one. She was Arya Stark again. But at least as Arya she knew what was right.
"Do you let me kill him then?", she asked warily.
"I don't think so", he replied thoughtfully.
"Why? I told you how useless he is. If it is not too late, your friend could still summon someone else."
"Maybe. But you have to see, Tokiomi wouldn't take that as kindly as you would."
Arya's face darkened.
"You only have two command spells left. You can't stop me forever."
Jaime
He whistled in appreciation when the two of them entered the wine cellar. Numerous shelves with rare bottles were arranged down there in the usual cold and dry atmosphere. Squinty-eyes took one of the less expensive ones and guided him thereafter to one of the solars above. They had left little Ilya with Irisviel after the girl had beaten them handily in her game.
"So... the way I see it the Grail had some serious malfunction causing it to summon a hero not originating from Earth. What can you tell me about the world you are from, Saber?", Kiritsugu asked while pouring them two glasses of red.
Jaime tasted and raised his eyebrows. It was a surprisingly strong wine, but still of high quality. It could have easily rivalled the wineries of the Arbor.
"Well, there is quite a lot to tell. Where should we start?"
"How about the place you come from?", his Master proposed while lighting a cigarette.
Jaime frowned after he realized how ordinary it looked to him. It was strange that he knew what a cigarette was. But he decided not to comment on the awful stench and focused on his story.
"Mmh... that would be Casterly Rock. That's the place I was born... The eldest son of Lord Tywin Lannister, brother to a sweet sister and a 'little' brother in the truest sense of the word."
"A son of a Lord?", he asked, exhaling the poisonous smoke.
Jaime chuckled.
"A Lord Paramount. If he was born a couple of centuries before, he would have been king. The Kingdom of the Rock was one of the seven kingdoms making up Westeros. You must know how such a story usually goes. If two argue with each other, a third one gets to laugh. If seven argue with each other, an eighth one comes along with a crop of dragons and burns them all to death. This way the Targaryen dynasty came to power and ruled the seven kingdoms for three hundred years. At least until the last one was unfortunate enough to get me as a Kingsguard", he donned his most mischievous smile.
Kiritsugu seemed not impressed. Or at least Jaime was not able to tell. He was studying his face without betraying a hint of his thoughts.
"You said you were known as Kingslayer. Why did you kill him?"
Jaime paused. It was as if the Grail gave him the opportunity to have a taste of what he could do with his wish. Squinty-eyes had no idea what Jaime had done to get his cursed title. Theoretically he could tell him every story he wanted to tell. Lie as much as he wanted. How should he prove him wrong? He had to accept it as truth. There was nobody around who was able to give a different version to condemn him. If Jaime had not slipped up during the summoning, he could have presented himself as 'Goldenhands the Just' for all he knew. But instead Jaime sighed. He knew the risk of telling the truth all too well. He broke his oath, that was all it came down to after all. If he told him the truth, chances were he simply dismissed it as sorry attempt of justifying his horrid actions.
"It really depends on who you ask...", Jaime replied, trying to evade the question.
"I ask you", Kiritsugu said grimly, not having touched his wine.
Jaime nodded. So he wanted to hear his version and no one else's. Maybe he should tell him everything, but his oath to keep the secrets of the king still rang in his head. He looked down at the red and then at the golden sword at his side.
"Let's just say King Aerys was not the most exemplary king who ever lived. And I not the most exemplary knight. There was a rebellion going on. His mistreated subjects rallied to get his head. I was faster. When my father entered the capital and sacked it, I slit the king's throat to get rid of him."
"I don't want just the events, I want to hear your reasoning", Kiritsugu said seriously.
"Sure... what do you want to hear? The version in which I just acted on behalf of my father? The version in which I wanted to end the civil war in a way that guaranteed a pardon of the fat oaf who took the throne thereafter?", he didn't intend to sound so harshly, but his voice was acid regardless. "Or the version where I just felt like it?"
Kiritsugu shook his head.
"No, this is not what I meant. Let's take a different approach... what would have happened if the king escaped the capital? Would the war have dragged on? Would more people have died?"
"The king never intended to flee", Jaime said truthfully. "But yes, if he lived only minutes longer, many more people would have joined him in his grave."
"So as far as I can see it, it was the right decision", his Master said, shrugging.
Jaime was taken aback, not knowing what to say. He never even got to the part where the king threatened to blow up the city and kill more than half a million people just out of spite. And this man here already supported his decision, dismissing his honor as if it wouldn't have been a factor for his decision.
It must be a cultural thing, he has no idea what that meant for a knight.
"I broke my oath when I turned against him", Jaime said slowly. "I soiled my honor forever that day. The irony of a member of the Kingsguard killing his own king, the whole realm never let me forget it."
"I can imagine it. Doing the right thing is often painful and many don't understand. I learned so myself the hard way", Emiya's eyes never met Jaime's when he spoke. "But as long as you think the sacrifice was worth the lives you saved, there should be nothing to worry about."
Jaime thought about the words and found himself agreeing. He served justice where other, more honorable men, would just have watched.
All these knights who served with me. They were all much better in ignoring injustice, in going away inside when they witnessed the mad king at his gruesome work. And at the end of the day I was the one with shit for honor...
"So then... Kitsugi Emiya, what is your story?", Jaime then asked.
"There is not much to say", he explained. "I only ever had one profession. To kill. Magi, Dead Apostles, humans. Anything that could disturb the balance of the world. Despite earning my money as a professional killer, I only ever took on jobs I felt were right to do. When the Einzbern family offered me the chance to be their champion in the Holy Grail War, it was an opportunity I could have never refused."
Jaime thought there was something odd about his story, but he needed several seconds to realize what it was. His family. The Einzberns, the guys who owned the castle he had found himself in, he married one of them.
"Did you meet Irisviel before or after you joined their cause?", he asked in honest curiosity.
Kiritsugu shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Let us just say she was part of the deal. But it doesn't matter. She is my wife regardless and she and Ilya are all I have left in my life."
"So why abandoning your cosy new life to go hunting a cup? What is in it for you?"
The man in black paused, seemingly thinking about his question. Jaime thought he looked nearly sheepishly when he answered:
"I want to save the world."
"What?", Jaime was aghast. "Don't tell me the Others are trying to get yours!"
"I... don't know what you mean", Kiritsugu frowned. "If you think about a single, tangible threat... no, there is no single one I need the Grail for."
"What then?"
Kiritsugu grimaced as if he was unsure, but when he took a breath and told him, he sounded completely behind his quest.
"I want to end all conflict. Forever."
Jaime's eyes widened. He could not help it, he just had to laugh out loud. It was the most ridiculous thing he ever heard. What kind of adult child called himself his Master? Kiritsugu himself stared at him with his usual icy glare while putting out his cigarette in the ashtray between them.
"It was a mistake to tell you. I should have known better", he groaned, standing up to leave.
"Wait", Jaime called out, raising his hands soothingly "It was just an unexpected answer. I'm sorry, but you have to admit it sounds pretty crazy."
Still standing, Kiritsugu turned back to him, the hint of a bitter smile on his face.
"Is it really so unbelievable? Is violence so deeply rooted in human nature that you call me crazy only for wishing peace?", the loathing was clearly audible in his voice.
The knight grimaced. He could not deny that violence was part of his own nature. He only ever truly felt alive when he was fighting or when... when he was with Cersei. And even that was pointless self-torture more than anything else.
"It is a nice dream", Jaime admitted. "A world where the likes of us would be completely worthless."
"Exactly", Kiritsugu nodded and Jaime felt that he now had a spark of fire in his eyes, even if only for a short moment.
"Still... an impossible dream..."
"You see, this is the point where I need the Grail to make it true."
"Because it is omnipotent", Jaime realized. "You are really going to make full use of it, don't you? Changing the very laws of how society works..."
"I only grasp opportunities when they arise. And an opportunity it is. For me to never have to raise my gun again. And for my daughter to never know fear."
Kayneth
It was the most horrible day in his entire life. His feet ached and he was completely exhausted when he arrived home. But the most startling aspect was that Sola-ui still seemed to have energy left and was still gushing about all the places they had visited. She sat on the couch together with Lancer and showed him all the photos they made during their whole bloody tourist tour through London. They visited the Houses of Parliament, had seen the Buckingham Palace, were wandering through Harrods, visiting the British Museum, and the Clocktower University beneath while they were in the area. At least Kayneth was able to talk her out of Madame Tussaud's. They saw 'Much ado about Nothing' at the Globe instead and Lancer greatly enjoyed the play. Kayneth himself was weary and found it agitating to get dragged through half the city, but if it was to seal their alliance, fine. He could live with it. But sadly, he had the feeling that she was only entertaining him like a guest. And while they talked quite a while about Earth in general and England in specific, they only learned very few bits about the world he was from. It vexed him to be left in the dark, especially since the Grail quite obviously malfunctioned.
"Sola-ui, dear. Would you mind fetch us a pot of tea? We have a lot to discuss."
She halted amidst her conversation and shot him an irritated look. Sighing, she let go of her camera, but only after several seconds of weighing her options.
"Of course you do. I'll be at it."
She stood up and went to the kitchen, finally leaving Kayneth and Lancer alone.
"Now then, how did you like your tour, Prince Oberyn", he addressed his Servant.
"Oh, it surely was fascinating. Your world has its own kind of magic to it. A magic of science. Many Maesters of the Citadel would kill to get a chance to study your electronic technology. Cars and telephones and computers, all of it."
"Pah...", Kayneth wheezed. "Toys made for those pitiable beings who are born ungifted. The true magic of our world lies within the Clocktower university."
Oberyn gave him an understanding smile.
"Sure... I would have to lie if I don't say I wasn't thrilled by seeing an institution the size of the Citadel completely focusing on the supernatural arts. I had forged a link of a Maester's chain of Valyrian steel myself there and it was a rather pitiful affair."
He had no idea what he meant with Valyrian steel, but this 'Citadel' he was referencing sounded like a university to him.
"You studied magic in your world?", Kayneth asked with a frown.
The Lancer-class might limit his abilities, but having summoned the spirit of a Magus could make him far more versatile than he had initially expected. Oberyn indeed reacted with something that looked like a smug smile.
"You must understand the Citadel itself is not a nice place for those who wish to open their mind to the supernatural. When I expressed this wish my master locked me into a dark room with a candle made of razor-sharp glass, telling me not to leave before either the morrow came or I was able to light it."
Kayneth folded his hands, thinking about the tale.
"It does sound like a simple test to me", he commented with his knowledge as a teacher. "As an initiate you should be able to find a way. Would it have been enough to just increase its deflective capabilities until it was able to amplify the given light in the room? Or were you supposed to pour prana into it until it glowed by itself?"
Oberyn chuckled as if he just made a joke.
"Neither! It was not a test of resolve. Not at all. You are not expected to succeed since nobody was able to light such a candle for decades. They wanted to whittle me down until I admit that it is not possible by human means."
"What?", Kayneth was startled. "That's ridiculous!"
"Indeed. So did I tell them as well. And only one listened. A very gifted Archmaester called Martyn, who took me under his wing and accompanied me on my travels to distant lands after I got bored of the Citadel. There I learned what little magic was left in my world."
Kayneth frowned.
"What do you mean? Did you finally lit that damn candle?"
Lancer shook his head, seemingly disappointed about himself.
"Never. When the last dragons in both Westeros and Essos died, all wonder fled from my world's surface. All what was left were humans with human abilities, human desires and human ambitions."
"A truly sad world", Kayneth admitted.
It was hard for him to imagine how he would live without any of his abilities. In a world where anyone was as pathetic as these mindless sheep who populated Earth.
"But you said you learned something?", Kayneth leaned forward.
"Oh yes of course... you see, I am not a man who gives up easily. I cannot rival a shadowbinder of Asshai, but I have a knack when it comes to potions and poisons. Most people connect me to the latter, but to be honest such a reputation has its merits. 'Red Viper' they call me. And everyone who ever wronged me was surely squinting into his cup before drinking out of it."
"So what exactly can you do?", Kayneth asked warily.
He hadn't the impression after the story he told that Lancer's alchemy skills were all that useful.
"For your world it might not sound very impressive, but within the limits of my world I was rather proud of my ability to tinker with the effects of the ingredients I chose. I could take a simple laxative and amplify it until a victim literally released his bowels when he visited the privy. I could also dampen the taste of a poison until it is completely untraceable when you pour it into someone's wine. And then... there was my most precious work. An insanely potent manticore poison mixed with my best healing potion."
"Why should anyone do that?", Kayneth frowned.
Oberyn however grinned viciously.
"You ask why? I tell you why. Justice. Vengeance. Imagine a fire burning in you for seventeen years. A fire that could only be extinguished by making a certain beast of a man suffer as much as you and its victims did. My poison worked on simple principles. On the one hand is its lethality", he raised his left hand, holding it in front of his face, only to then lift his right one as well, slightly beneath it. "On the other hand is its healing ability. The trick is to make the lethality overweigh the healing factor for only the tiniest possible fraction. So if you only scratch your enemy, his death is already decided."
"But he won't die. The healing magic will prolong the end as much as humanly possible", Kayneth realized in horror.
"Days, maybe weeks. For those who deserve such a punishment, the Red Viper isn't content with just killing them. They shall know how they die. And they shall live through every moment of it in agony."
The glare Lancer shot him was intense. Kayneth gulped in his understanding, beginning to slightly feel colder. He realized he was sitting in front of a truly dangerous man. And it was just this moment Sola-ui used to enter.
"The tea is ready", she announced innocently.
Joffrey
He was glad to be able to talk to the person who summoned him under four eyes. His priestly lackey managed to drag the wolf girl away from him and disappeared with her into his own chambers while he and his Master had remained in the dungeon beneath his residence. Joffrey had to collect himself. There was rarely a moment in his life where he felt as humiliated as he was down here.
That insufferable whelp of a traitor, how dares she to attack me?
"I hope you have finally calmed yourself", the Master in his red suit said.
"Of course I have...", Joffrey grumbled. "I just lost my footing back then. It's not my fault if I get jumped at amidst my summoning."
The man sighed.
"I take it you are not Gilgamesh?"
"Who?", Joffrey asked back.
"Nevermind..."
Joffrey took a deep breath. That strange warlock not addressing him as 'your Grace' likely meant he was not realizing with whom he was talking to. Since he was thrown into this unknown world with only a tedious grasp on what he was getting involved with he only had to assume it was the same thing with that guy. His confusion only added to such a conclusion. Joffrey thought he had to be merciful in this case and since he had no announcer at hand, he had to introduce himself on his own. He raised his chin and took on royal posture.
"You have the honor of being let into battle by Joffrey Baratheon, the first of his name. King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men. Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. This is name of the hero you have summoned."
"I see", the man did a small bow. "It is a honor to meet a king. My name is Tokiomi Tohsaka, your Majesty. I promise I will provide you with all help you will need to win this Grail War."
"Of course you will", Joffrey proclaimed, nearly rolling his eyes. "And the correct addressing would be 'your Grace'."
"Yes, your Grace", he bowed again.
Well, this turned out better than expected...
"Fine. Now that we have exchanged our names like it is common courtesy, let us come to the point of it, Tohsaka", he made a dramatic pause before continuing. "What was that Stark girl doing at my summoning?"
The man in the suit grimaced, obviously uncomfortable in his skin.
"As you can see, I had not intended to summon the king of the Andals, but the king of Uruk, your Grace. I am sorry for the events getting out of hand, but I was not aware that there were chances that Kirei's Servant could hold a grudge against you."
"Mmh... as unfortunate as it was, I am still wondering why you invited her in the first place. I was told this melee of yours makes us enemies no matter our previous encounters."
"This is easy to explain, your Grace. Kirei is my disciple in the art of magic. Years ago we made up the plan to participate as a team in the Grail War with our Servants working side by side to defeat the other ones."
Joffrey didn't like it. He could not work together with the spawn of a traitor, much less with this one. She made him look like a fool. No matter the circumstances, she had to pay for it or Tohsaka would never take him serious enough.
"Only one of us can get a wish", he said warily.
"Since Kirei completely lacks ambition, it was always set in stone that you and I will be the winners of the Grail War."
"At least something", Joffrey said, slightly feeling better. "So I can put the wretched Stark girl to the sword?"
Tohsaka frowned.
"Not yet, your Grace. Our alliance still stands and when you two work together until the end, we should fair much easier against the others."
"Are you implying that you order me to work together with this stinking daughter of a traitor who has already raised her hand against me? I am her king and she struck at me, this is punishable by death!"
Joffrey was sure he heard a sigh from his Master, even if he tried to suppress it.
"And justice will be done, your Grace. After the fight against the other five teams is done. Right now Kirei is busy talking sense into the girl and I am sure he will be successful. We only need your word that you approve of the alliance."
"I don't approve", he snorted. "And don't make it sound like you try to order me around. I am king, I can approve and disapprove as I see fit. And I don't see how a little girl with her toothpick could possibly an addition to my cause."
The man in the red suit grimaced.
"I mean no offense, you Grace, but from my point of view, she seemed quite effective with the element of surprise on her side."
The king narrowed his eyes, anger swelling up in his belly.
"Don't dare take this as a reference again. I hadn't even quite arrived when she attacked me", Joffrey reached towards his belt and drew his sword, pointing with it at the man, trying to get a reaction of him. "I am best used taking an enemy head on. Whoever got summoned into this age, they will tremble and shatter when Widow's Wail strikes after them."
His precious sword of Valyrian steel was brimming with energy. This present of his grandfather, Lord Tywin Lannister, was not a common sword and even stood high above the other ancestral swords of Westeros. Joffrey only held it for a short time, but he was fascinated by the black steel with its red ripples from the moment he first lay his eyes on it. It even looked like death incarnate.
"I am sure they will, your Grace. But you too in your wisdom as a king must see the usefulness of using Assassin to spy out our targets", Tohsaka said soothingly. "With her gathering information and you striking forward, everything should work out splendidly."
Joffrey thought about that, but he was still unconvinced.
My father wouldn't have need of her. He didn't care for spying out enemies, he would just charge them head on. A real king doesn't need to listen to such a fool. Still... what is a king with only one follower?
"Maybe I can let myself get convinced of it", Joffrey watched the relief plainly written across Tohsaka's face when he said that. "But she needs to do the one thing her father failed to do. Bend the knee. Since I am in quite a good mood for walking amongst the living again, I will do with a simple apology for now."
Tohsaka smiled warily.
"I... I think that could be arranged as soon as Kirei comes back."
Kariya
Twilight was coming upon the amassed tents with the lion-banners flapping above them. The man who became Berserker marched towards one especially large tent made of red cloth together with another knight who had a black manticore on red background as his personal sigil. An angry man who had a silver dog's head on blue on his shirt left it, marching off before the two others entered. The inside of the tent was lit by candles on a table crammed with maps, books and scrolls. Kariya guessed it was the command tent. And the man in the golden armor with two lion heads attached to his shoulders must have been their leader. He could feel how much Berserker respected this golden-haired man. Both knights bowed deeply.
"M'lord", growled Berserker.
"At your service, M'lord", said the other knight.
The man looked up. His green eyes cold and calculating. Kariya shivered despite knowing all this happened quite some time ago.
"We will arrive at King's Landing at the morrow", the lord said. "Letters from Grand Maester Pycelle assure me, that we will find the gates opened. I have no intention to let it come to a siege so that the Stormlord can arrive to reap our spoils."
"Good. I already feared we'd never go fighting ourselves", Berserker grunted.
His lord with the golden whiskers glared at him. Kariya immediately realized he disapproved of him speaking out of turn. The stare itself was enough to silence him.
"There is still one business left which needs attendance", he then went on. "As soon as we dispose of the king and the rebellion ends, matters of inheritance will arise. With the crown prince's death at the Trident, the kingdom would go to his son, thus remaining in the hands of the Targaryens."
"What is our job, M'lord?", the man with the manticore asked.
"It should be simple enough for your likes. According to Pycelle, Queen Rhaella has left the city with her son, but Princess Elia still remains with Aegon and Rhaenys. As long as the children live, the realm will have pretenders cropping up for centuries to come. And since I doubt the Stormlord has the guts to get rid of them himself, you should kindly do this for him. Is my meaning clear?"
"Of course, M'lord", Berserker dipped his head and so did the knight besides him.
The setting changed. Distant screams and the smell of blood filled the air when Berserker, his companion with the red manticore and several other men sharing their sigils hurried through narrow stone corridors. Men in black chain mail and golden cloaks threw themselves against them, only to die under the blows of their swords. When Berserker passed a window, Kariya saw that they were within a castle of red stone towering over a large city. And the city itself was aflame. Tiny dots with red banners were marching through every street. They sacked the city, plundering, murdering, raping. Despite being physically somewhere else, Kariya Matou felt his heart racing.
What in the world do I witness here?
"Where are the princess and her whelps?", Berserker growled when they found an old man with a flowing beard, grey robes and several long chains of many metals around his neck.
He fell to the ground, pissing himself in fear, but he had enough strength to point to nearby stairs regardless. The two knights rushed upstairs and found a locked door they easily broke out of its hinges. They found a nursery inside. A frail looking woman with olive skin and long black hair lay in a bed. A child was crying in a crib next to her and the sound gave the knight with the three hounds on his breast headaches. He and the manticore knight entered, dismissing most of the others so they could try finding their luck looting other rooms. Before they were able to do their job, a cat rushed forward and posed itself between them, hissing at the knights as if trying to defend its master. The manticore knight laughed and slashed at it with his sword which was still red with blood and viscera. Surprisingly, he missed the evading pet and cut only its ear. The remaining few soldiers snickered in amusement and the manticore knight shot them a dark glare.
The manticore knight then turned around, lunging for the cat, but it was way too fast on its way dashing outside. He tried to grab it, but his footing slipped and he fell, his heavy armor causing quite a clatter. The men-at-arms were now openly laughing and the knight's head was deep red in shame.
"Shut up!", the manticore knight hissed, slowly pushing himself off the ground.
"Stop fooling around. The girl is not here. Find her or Lord Tywin will gut you alive!", Berserker groaned.
They all nodded and together with the manticore knight, they all hurried off. The knight with the three hounds on his chest then turned around. The baby was still crying and the woman watched him approaching the crib with wide eyes.
"No, please!", she pleaded.
Kariya was inclined to agree.
What sick joke is this? Why do I have to see this monstrosity doing such a work?
"Please! He is just a child, please...", her pleads turned to sobs when his massive steel gauntlets reached into the crib and raised the tiny thing into the air.
It was still very small, but already had a mop of blonde hair on his head. And was screaming in pain, his face distorted in anger about the man who took him so roughly.
"Please...", the princess sobbed one last time.
Kariya dreaded what would happen next. He tried to look away, he tried to close his eyes, but it was pointless. He had no lids to close, since he was watching the scene through the eyes of the murderer himself. He had no control about the pictures and was only voicelessly screaming that it should stop.
"You are too loud", the monstrosity said, grabbing the child by its leg and flinging it with its head against the wall.
The continuous wailing of the baby was replaced by the high-pitched scream of a mother who had just lost her child. Kariya's heart wrenched with hers when the knight then stepped towards her bed.
"What are you to call yourself a knight?", she screamed, tears flowing across her face.
"Shut your fucking mouth, woman", he growled. "You made my head ring more than this whelp of yours."
He ripped the blanked covering the bedridden woman away and grabbed at her legs, pulling her towards himself. She was screaming and crying and kicking effortlessly against his armor, but ultimately she was too frail to defend herself against his strength.
No, no. Stop it! You've got the child, let her alone!, Kariya pleaded, but the brute could never hear him.
He tore her dress with his hands and arms still covered with the blood and brains of the child he had murdered.
"I've never fucked a Dornishwoman", he told her. "Let alone a princess."
Kariya screamed in his rage, not wanting to be forced to witness another atrocity. And this time, his strange dream seemed inclined to hear his pleads. His vision blurred and he found himself watching through the visor of Berserker's helmet. In front of him stood a man with the same olive skin as the princess and similar black hair under his helmet. He found himself in the yard of the very same red keep from before, but with many spectators watching them as if it was an arena. Both were armed, Berserker with his greatsword and the other man with spear and shield and leather armor.
"Have they told you who I am?", the man demanded.
"Some dead man", the knight grunted dismissively.
"I am Oberyn Martell, a Prince of Dorne", Oberyn said, circling him. "Princess Elia was my sister."
"Who?", asked Berserker with a frown.
The man answered by darting forward. Spear and shield clashed and he threw a quick series of attacks at the giant.
"Elia Martell, Princess of Dorne", the spearman hissed. "You raped her. You murdered her. You killed her children!"
The knight replied with a ponderous charge, but each strike was easily evaded by him.
"You raped her! You murdered her! You killed her children!", Oberyn screamed in rage.
"Did you come to talk or to fight?", Berserker asked in an annoyed tone, defending himself all the while.
"I came to hear you confess!"
Kariya could not help but cheer this Prince Oberyn on, despite the brute being of his own summoning. The fight went on and on. The dimwitted monstrosity getting more and more agitated while the spearman drove him across the yard. The fire was in that man. The fire of vengeance. Even the loss of his ruined shield never stopped him, he went on and on. At the end, Berserker was barely able to stand, blood leaking out of several gashes in his armor.
"Say her name!", Oberyn yelled before charging. "Elia Martell!"
He rammed his spear deep inside the brute's chest and even Kariya could feel the immense pain he suffered when he went down. It was exactly then when he woke up. Kariya's whole body was aching, sweat dripping from his brow. He threw up some blood before he managed to stand, leaning on the brick wall behind him. He had been sleeping in a dark alley like a homeless person, but it was still better than sleeping under the same roof as that vampire Zouken. Still, he rued his stubbornness every time he woke up like this, forcing himself to remind himself of what awaited him at 'home'. There he stood now however, Berserker towered next to him in his spirit form as to not drain him of his mana. He felt his hateful gaze.
"What have I done to deserve such a dreadful bastard like you…", Kariya grumbled.
Rin
Rin sighed when she opened the empty bag. Choosing the clothes she would take to her grandparents was one thing, but deciding which of the magical instruments she used for her daily exercises she had to leave at home was heart wrenching. She would have preferred to take all of them… or not to leave at all. But there was no way to go around it, her father made that clear. Tohsaka Rin and her mother had to leave so that they wouldn't get caught up in this dangerous Grail War her father participated in. He always told her how it was the Tohsaka's destiny to win the Holy Grail. She believed him with all her heart, knowing how much of his life he dedicated to the world of the Magi.
"Can I help you?"
Rin winced, jumping around. She never heard anyone open the door of her room, let alone stepping inside. But she was there regardless of it all. A young girl several years older than her.
"Who are you?", she heard herself asking.
"No-", the girl attempted to say, but stopped herself with a smirk. "My name is Arya."
"You… are you one of those 'Servants'?"
"Yes", she replied. "And you must be the daughter of Tokiomi. You resemble him quite a lot."
People often told her this, but most of the time it embarrassed her when they were pointing out their likeness and praising her for her growth. The way this girl put it however made it sound like a simple fact which had nothing to do with her.
"I am Rin", she only said.
"Nice to meet you, Rin."
It were her eyes. Now it was clear what she found off the moment she saw the girl. Those eyes were empty, cold, devoid of joy. Pretty much like Kotomine even. She might have been older than Rin, but she was still a child regardless. Children shouldn't look like that. Or getting summoned by the Throne of Heroes at all.
"You are not my father's hero", she stated warily.
"No… I'm Kotomine's", she sighed and the last sentence came out with a scornful voice. "Your father got Joffrey."
Rin had the feeling she shouldn't press the matter. She turned around and proceeded to fill the bag with ingredients, stones and magical amplifiers.
"If you have nothing to do with my father, what are you doing here?", she said with her back facing to the strange girl.
"Your father and Kotomine are discussing their 'alliance'. Again…", she heard Arya say behind her. "I just went exploring the house and wondered what you are doing here."
"Leaving…", Rin groaned. "Isn't it obvious?"
Arya stepped next to her, watching her instruments with curiosity.
"What are those?"
Rin sighed. It was difficult enough for her herself to remember their weird names, so how could she explain the materials which help her train her mana-flow when charging gemstones to someone who had no experience with it?
"Just some equipment for my lessons", she replied evasively. "My father would be furious if I ever get slothful."
"So your father personally trains you magic?"
She looked up to the girl and felt how a faint smile formed on her face.
"Yes…", she said softly.
"I have not spoken to him yet. What kind of father is he?"
Rin realized this must have been the only reason Arya talked to her.
What does she expect me to say?
"He is a great man", she finally said.
Their eyes were deeply locked into each other, Arya was studying Rin very attentively.
"I see", she said. "He must be very dear to you."
"Of course he is. He is my father after all!", Rin suddenly felt aggravated by her implied assumption that this stood to question. "He taught me as much as he could."
"Sure, but did he teach you because it was your sincere wish to learn?", Arya asked with a frown.
Rin tilted her head.
"He is teaching me magic! Why shouldn't I wish so? I would never miss any of it!"
"I am glad you have fun then", Arya said. "Still… he also has Kotomine as his student and I find that one irritating. Your father… what I actually wanted to ask is if he is an honorable man."
She was at least glad she shared her own feelings towards that fake priest. Rin always felt cold in his presence and sometimes thought she was the only one crept out by him. Arya feeling the same made her immediately a bit more sympathetic to her, despite her initial strangeness. But her question about him being honorable still confused her.
"Honor?", she echoed quietly. "I think so. He knows his duties to his family and to his legacy as a Magus. He would never do anything to bring shame upon himself and us."
"A good answer…", the girl nodded with an approving smile. "I will take your word that he is a good man."
"So you will take good care of him?", Rin asked Arya warily. "That he gets through this Grail War unharmed."
Her eyes didn't meet then, Arya was gazing away.
"He has Joffrey to protect him, not me", her voice now sounded strangely sad.
"But my father and Kotomine are allied. You simply have to see him through", Rin protested. "You are supposed to be a Heroic Spirit, aren't you?"
"I am. But much can happen in a war. The many-faced god claims whomever he sees fit", Arya then put on a knowing smile. "I can't guarantee anything, especially with him being cursed with Joffrey. But I believe you and your father aren't bad people. And I know the pain of having lost a father… and more. I wouldn't want you to ever share that pain. So if I see the god of many faces, I will tell him that it is not your father's day. That I can promise. I will keep an eye on him."
Despite everything, Arya's words lifted her mood. She never got as much of an offer from Kotomine, which was already weird in its own right. She really believed the words of this strange girl. Tohsaka Rin made a small bow.
"Thank you. It means very much to me."
Robert
Robert Baratheon was back again, young again, fighting again. It was a great feeling. Sure, he missed his old companions in arms. The clever old Jon Arryn, mad Thoros with his flaming sword and most of all somber Ned Stark who had always been the wiser of the two. Instead he was forced to fight with that scrawny little thing who called himself Waver Velvet. He doubted the boy had ever killed before, heck Robert was pretty sure he never ever lay with a girl before. But that was nothing Robert couldn't change, he would bring him into shape and make a man out of him, he promised this to himself. Until then he had to explore this strange new world of his.
This boy who had summoned him brought him to a tiny house at the edge of the city. He had advised him not to behave too loudly and explained that he was living with an old couple and they were likely sleeping at the time they returned. They were not his real relatives, but he made them believe he was their grandchild with some magic trick of his. Robert found it odd and wondered how this easily flustered young lad could delve into such malicious dark magic. He doubted the boy could harm a fly.
"I had not much choice", he replied looking miserably. "I have not much money and have nobody else to rely on. These people here are also the only British people I found where my being here would not raise suspicions."
"Still… using such low tricks to gain the protection of their hospitality doesn't seem right."
At least the boy had enough decency to look properly ashamed at that notion. He had let him to his room directly under the roof, bubbling excuses about it being so tiny and that Robert as a king was likely unaccustomed to it. Especially as a king of his proportions. Robert thought grimly about the proportions he had near the end of his life, but decided not to ponder on that. It was a fun adventure for him all the same and having a solid roof above his head was already more luxury than the hardships of the two real wars he had faced in his lifetime.
Seven warriors, that's a skirmish, not a war!
Now he was seating himself on the ground in front of his Master who preferred to sit at the edge of his bed.
"So boy, you have surely been studying the battlefield before you summoned me, so what are your plans?"
Robert's young ally seemed strangely taken aback by that.
"Plans?", Waver looked at him nervously.
"Well, you entered this contest in order to win, didn't you? So you must have thought up some strategy how we should fight", Robert explained with a frown. "Yeah, I know. I am not the king you expected, but you must have thought up something?"
The boy scratched the back of his head sheepishly, red blood rose to his cheeks, making him look like a tomato.
"To be absolutely honest, just entering the Grail War at all by successfully summoning a Servant was pretty much as far as I wanted to get. I thought I could come up with something after I successfully summoned you."
Robert crossed his arms in thought.
"Mmh… well, that might be excusable. It's not like we have a real war to plan. It's just me and six other heroes. I tell you how I see it, boy: Just point at the enemy we should try to take on first and I'll do the rest."
"I… I see. I might need to do some scouting, let's see what the other teams are going to do first. Most of them don't even seem to have already appeared in Fuyuki", Waver proposed carefully.
"But you know who is, then?"
The boy grimaced and went to a cupboard nearby, taking out several photos he seemed to have made in advance to his summoning.
"There are three founding members of the Grail ritual. Tohsaka, Einzbern and Matou. Since I thought their participation was pretty much a given, I had sent my own familiars to their residences to keep them under surveillance."
"Sounds prudent enough, lad", Robert replied, giving him an acknowledging pat on his shoulder when he lay the three photos on the ground between them.
"The first one here is the Einzbern residence."
Robert frowned. It looked like a castle in the woods, but it completely lacked any sensible defensive measures. Sure enough, any castle pales in comparison to mighty Storm's End or the impregnable Eyrie he had spent his childhood in. But his honed combat instincts told him holding this particular kind of castle would have been complete folly, no matter the numbers of the defenders.
"It is completely vacant at the moment", Waver explained. "Maybe they are not here yet. They are a house of Magi from Germany after all."
Robert nodded and looked to the next photo, a large and gloomy residence inside the city.
"This is the Matou household. I'm afraid this one already has a Servant", Robert grinned, but Waver shook his head dismissively. "He fled the building last night and I've lost track of him after my familiar was killed by some weird looking flying insect."
"What a shame…", the knight grumbled then.
The last one was also a large residence with a huge, well cared garden in front of it.
"The Tohsaka residence. The family of that man left the building today, but the patriarch himself is still in there. I suppose he is making his preparations or already has a Servant."
The king couldn't help but smile. This was it.
"Ah, that's how it is… I know what to do! Let's do it like Summerhall then", his smile turned to a grin when he remembered the blood and the glory of that day.
"Summerhall?", his Master seemed not to know what had happened there.
Robert didn't wonder about that. He had already learned that this place, Earth, had no idea of the existence of Westeros. This world was completely alien to him, so he himself must have looked completely alien to that young boy too. He leaned forward when he began to tell his story.
"Well, Summerhall was a series of battles I had fought. It was pretty much the first engagement of what would be later called 'Robert's Rebellion'."
"Okay…", he looked at him rather confused, but still listened.
"That was how I got my crown. Well… not that I wanted that thrice damned piece of scraps anyway. I wanted the girl instead. My betrothed who was abducted by that silver-haired bastard Rhaegar, the crown prince. It all went downhill from there. His father, the mad king Aerys also murdered her oldest brother and father and demanded the heads of me and my dear friend Ned, who was another of her brothers and next Lord of Winterfell after the murder of his relatives."
Waver gulped, but aside from that he got no reaction from him.
"It's not like we were eager to go to the capital like sheep to the butcher. Not without armies at our backs. So Ned went to his lordship and I to mine. Summerhall happened shortly after I had arrived at my castle of Storm's End and called my banners. There were several of my vassals who refused my request and sided with the Targaryen bastard in faint hopes that he would reward them for it. They had gathered three separate hosts and wanted to meet up at Summerhall. Look, I had barely arrived and my loyal vassals were not even ready. If I had hesitated, Storm's End soon would have been under siege by their combined strength before I even had been able to gather my own forces. So I took the garrison of Storm's End and whatever men-at-arms I was able to scrap together and met them in the field."
"So… you say you just attacked immediately, without waiting for reinforcements?"
"Exactly!", Robert grinned, appreciating that he was paying attention. "Only two of the hosts combined would have been enough to overwhelm me, so few were my numbers. That's why I had to take them early on before they were able to form their alliance. First I took on the host of the Fell's. They were on the march and had no idea what was coming to them. Lord Fell himself fought valiantly, I should know since I was the one who killed him with that hammer of mine. Then came Lord Cafferen and his bunch. The last ones were the troops of Lord Grandison who waited at Summerhall itself, waiting for the other two hosts who never arrived. Might be they at first thought we were their reinforcements, until they've seen my stag banners and shat into their breeches. They had set up camp amidst the ruins of the old castle and we just swept through their defenses as if they weren't even there."
"You took out all three…"
"… on one fucking day! We never paused, I pushed my men hard forward, threatening to take the hands off every soldier who stopped to take loot. Time was of the essence back then! We got the buggers only because we struck immediately before they were able to join forces."
"So what do you want to do?"
Robert chuckled, grabbing the photo of the Tohsaka residence and holding it right in front of the nose of his Master.
"I say we two are going to surprise them, roll up the field before anyone can act! And this is our first target…"
Waver seemed aghast when the knight in yellow stood up and went to the door.
"What? You mean like now?"
Robert blinked.
"When else? The night is young and we know where the enemy is! Let's go take the battle to them and see how they are prepared to that!"
He had to admit this was the best way. He couldn't just sit on his ass and wait for the others to make their moves. He had to strike at once. Robert took the boy by his shoulder and tapped him encouragingly.
"Come on, boy! You wanted to participate in this battle because you want to win it. And I have promised you that I'm going to get that pretty cup for us."
The boy looked scared out of his mind, but simply had to follow when Robert strolled out of the door. He would show him how true battles are to be fought! And most of all, the promise of his beloved Lyanna awaited him in that residence…