A/N: Hope you all are staying safe in these uncertain times. Also, quick update. Things will be continue to be busy due to many other things. But please bear with me if I don't seem consistent in my postings.
Without ado, enjoy!
"Alms. Alms. Alms for the poor?" Arya held out her hand while attempting her best pronunciation of the tongue of the new land she was in. She clutched her hand on the cloak she was only able to snatch from some bloke that didn't need it anymore, which was the only thing that kept her warm and dry as the raindrops poured down on her makeshift shelter.
Adding to the frustration was that the ground from where she sat had become muddy thanks to the heavy rain while she got wetter from the carts that scurried past her and the heavy footsteps of those trying to avoid the rain. The people in this land used something that resembled a folded canopy, but with a wooden stick attached to the bottom, and that allowed them to stay dry while walking under the heavy raindrops.
But on the bright side, today was a better day than most, for her cup had some thin silver rectangles in them. She didn't know what they were called, but she knew that these silver rectangles represented the coin here and she could thus pay for food. Nothing that I don't know how to do.
But she also had to make sure that she had enough for the day to take care of her other two companions, both of whom had some experience in being destitute or struggling to survive, and also pay tribute to the head of the local gang. After all, anyone who begged on the streets had to pay a tax to him or suffer the consequences. Arya saw what happened when one of the other street beggars tried to pocket some of the silver rectangles for himself, for which he got caught and his mutilated body was dumped in a back alley for the rats and flies to feed on.
And it wasn't like she had any other choice in being where she was now. She had to find shelter and food in the land they were in now, after being shipwrecked and barely leaving the shores of Westeros following what happened to her family. The memories of the Twins, the massacre of northmen there, and the Freys parading Robb's headless corpse with Grey Wind's head attached to it… When I come back to Westeros, anyone who took part in his death shall pay, just like the ones who boasted about cutting off Grey Wind's head.
Not wanting to stay longer and become wetter from the rain, Arya called it a day and carefully hid her silver. She wasn't the only one begging and there would be others trying to steal her hard-earned labor. Seeing that no one saw her, she quietly moved back into the alley where her two companions were.
The alley that they all picked was between two shops that served food, with the aroma and tastes being unfamiliar to them all. Curious, Arya took a bun without the shopkeeper looking and instantly fell in love with how sweet the beef and pork filling was. And it also warmed her insides, which was what she needed after all of the shit that had happened to her ever since her father died.
But deciding that she didn't want to keep thieving food, Arya approached the shopkeeper. "I… buy… buns," she attempted in the tongue of that land. The shopkeeper smiled as he handed her six buns. "But… more… than… I… asked." She didn't know what had prompted his generosity.
"I know that you have taking my buns when I'm not looking," the shopkeeper revealed and causing Arya to almost run. "Don't worry. I was like you, white devil, starving in the streets. But I was able to make my own shop and be successful, feeding other wretches like yourself. This is me returning the favor."
"Thank… you," Arya slowly responded, but gratefully.
"Don't thank me," the shopkeeper shook his head. "And if you need more buns, just ask me."
But little did Arya know that the shopkeeper was in league with the street gang, being one of their top collectors. And his act of kindness towards her was to ensure that they got another beggar to work for them. She found out only because she saw that same shopkeeper not be so kind to a group of children, slapping them around and taking their silver while cursing at them. When one of them spoke up, he grabbed a bamboo stick and hit him hard across the back.
Arya had to be reminded of how many times people who appeared kind were actually the evilest of all, starting from Cersei. And this shopkeeper was the latest. But she couldn't just leave, as that would mean that she and her two companions would starve and would be at the mercy of the local gang.
Taking a bag of meat buns from the shopkeeper, who looked at her knowingly, Arya felt sick at having to be at the mercy of someone who controlled her food and abused children. But he was giving her free food nonetheless, which she couldn't just ignore.
"Joffrey... Cersei... Walder Frey... Meryn Trant... Tywin Lannister... the Red Woman... Beric Dondarrion... Thoros of Myr... Ilyn Payne... the Mountain… the shopkeeper… Vinh…" she whispered to herself. But recently, she added two more names to her list of people that would die by her hand.
Finally reaching the place where she would sleep after she called the day, she found her two companions had already returned: Gendry from Flea Bottom and the Hound, the one who helped massacre her household when her father was arrested and the one she had to carry on a cart.
"How was today?" Gendry asked her. Looking around one more time to see if anyone was watching them, Arya pulled out the silver rectangles. Gendry was also careful, as he counted them underneath their blankets. "Well, better than yesterday."
"But it won't be like that every day. We have to stretch it out over the week," Arya sat down and finally relaxed, ignoring the Hound who was still in his daze. She then handed him the sack of meat buns, but Gendry shook his head.
"I'm not going to take any more food from that bastard," Gendry snarled quietly. "That's how he controls us."
"We're under his control anyway as long as we're here. At least we won't have to steal food," Arya pointed out. Gendry sighed, conceding her point before taking a bun. "What about you? How was today?"
Gendry looked at his fists, which had grown red from being cut and swollen. "The usual."
Arya shook her head. Because he was strong, the shopkeeper had Gendry work for the local gang leader as an additional pair of hands for anyone that didn't pay their dues. Usually, that meant whoever didn't pay their dues got a beating and they made Gendry do it, or they'll do much worse to him, herself, and the Hound. Naturally, he hated working for the local cutthroats, since they represented all he had grown to hate from his time at Flea Bottom and he grew more unhappy with each passing day that he had to beat people who didn't anything wrong to him.
Arya put her hand on Gendry's shoulder. "We'll get through this. Once we get enough silver, we'll get ourselves a proper place and not have to beg anymore."
"But what can we do here in this land? For all we know, we're just a bunch of 'white devils' and it's not anyone is going to give us a job," Gendry was quick to remind her.
"At the same time, anything else should be better than what we're doing," Arya tried to say.
But Gendry just shook his head before pointing at the Hound. "And what are we going to do with him? He's been smoking that shit since we got here and that's all he does. He can't help us."
Arya looked at the Hound with pity. He had been in pain ever since she carted him all the way to the ship. After all that had happened, she couldn't find it in her to let him just die, so she managed to steal a horse and a cart and came back to where he was laying, gravely injured from the fight with Brienne of Tarth. Once she found a ship that took them east, the Braavosi captain let them aboard after seeing the iron coin Arya showed him. However, he also said that he couldn't just sail directly to Braavos since he had personal business to take care of in New Ghis and asked if Arya was okay with that. Wanting to leave Westeros and to have someone care for the Hound, she agreed and so began their voyage towards the city that was once a Valyrian colony.
While on the way, the ship came across a small boat with a man nearly dying of thirst. Recognizing him as Gendry, Arya told the captain to pull him aboard and she helped nurse him back to health.
"How did you escape the Red Woman?" Arya asked him once he fully came to.
"Ser Davos Seaworth freed me, the Hand to Stannis Baratheon. He didn't like what Stannis was doing, so he told me to take a boat and sail west from Dragonstone. But I've been adrift for days now and I lost track of where I was going. I drank some seawater when I got thirsty, but that must've made things worse," Gendry took a jug of freshwater from Arya, who giggled.
"Yes, I heard that would happen," Arya set the jug down. "But I'm glad you're safe. Good to see a friendly face while I'm sailing east."
"But what's he doing here? And why is he all bloodied up?" Gendry raised an eyebrow at the unconscious form of the Hound.
"It's a long story, which I will tell once you've fully rested," Arya patted his shoulder.
But as the ship was sailing further east, they were set upon by pirates and the Braavosi captain was injured. Then a storm drifted them off course from New Ghis, from which the crew had sailed past the Jade Gates and into the Jade Sea. The storm got worse and everything turned to black. The next thing Arya knew, she, Gendry, and the Hound had been shipwrecked on a faraway land. Why couldn't have ended up in Braavos?
From what she remembered from her lessons, there was a land on the shores of the Jade Sea called Yi-Ti, which was her best guess given that the land was fairly populated and had some semblance of governance. But they had to hide, so they got into the nearest city they saw, which was so much bigger than even King's Landing, and thus began their daily struggles to eat and make it to the next day on the streets.
As for the Hound, his body might have recovered while they were sailing, but his mind was a different story. After they were more or less coerced into working for the shopkeeper, Sandor was drifting idly in the streets, ignoring the stares of the people from seeing what the locals called "white devils," which applied to anyone with white skin. He then stumbled upon a man who gave him a brownish paste called yapian, which apparently came from the plant used to harvest the milk of the poppy, and from then on, the Hound started to smoke it more than five times a day.
Out of curiosity, Arya smoked it also and was struck at how… powerful the hallucinations were. She saw Gendry surrounded by hues of differing colors and felt her pain go away, if only temporarily. But Gendry knew better, as he saw too many drunks in Flea Bottom, and smacked the yapian pipe from Arya's hand. "One is enough."
She couldn't blame Sandor for seeking comfort in the pipe, as there was just too much shit in his mind that the normal escapes such as those found in ale and wine were not enough. And having experienced how powerful the hallucinations were, she was tempted to allow Sandor his release, as he did save her life at the Twins.
But soon enough, Arya saw what happened when one used yapian too often. If left unchecked, the person would eventually become confused, have shallowed breathing, and then lose consciousness. She also saw a few bodies on the streets, all of them ending up dead from too much yapian. However, she didn't know how to stop the Hound's heavy usage at the moment, as he might lash out just as he did when Arya got too close with the fire.
Back to the present, Arya told Gendry, "You don't know what he's been through. But back to us, we'll find a way."
"Oh, really? And how exactly do you plan to get us out from under that fucking shopkeeper?" Gendry wasn't angry at her, but at the circumstances that they were in.
Arya rubbed her forehead, trying to think of something that they could do. Then, an uninteresting idea came to her. "We rob people."
"That's… not very original," Gendry shook his head.
"We need to make more coin than we do, which is little. We go to the market, look for people with deep pockets, and take what we can. We can buy our own place faster that way and then not have to worry about the shopkeeper and whoever the gang leader is," Arya proposed.
Gendry didn't look persuaded, as he saw people in Flea Bottom try to rob others before, which didn't work most of the time. But considering where they were now, he didn't see a better option.
"Okay," Gendry assented. "Let's go, then."
Arya and Gendry scouted out the market, which had brightened up from the many lights that brightened the night sky. Wherever we are in Yi-Ti, they sure have an active night life.
Arya scanned who they could approach, but so far, no one looked promising. Most of the people in the market did not exactly wealthy and unlike in King's Landing, the market was full of armed men, presumed to be responsible for maintaining order. But as it was night, their chances of escaping without being caught had increased, but they had to choose their mark carefully.
Then, Arya saw a bald man dressed in a blue robe armed with two swords, accompanied by another bald man with a cane and five guards. From what she learned from how the people in Yi-Ti dressed, they usually kept their coin pouches in their robes, meaning that they get close to them if they wanted to grab at it. And seeing that bald man with guards told Arya that he was rich and maybe worth trying to steal from if they could distract his guards and get near him.
Arya signaled Gendry to the bald man, who nodded back to her. Grabbing a water bucket, he approached the bald man and deliberately looked as if he would trip. He then spilled the water on the bald man, soaking his robes and causing his guards to look at him with indignance.
One of the guards shouted at him in the tongue of the Yi-Ti, which Gendry didn't understand mostly and responded by shaking his head. Cocking his head, the bald man held up his hand, silencing the guard. "Where are you from, boy?" he asked him while speaking the common tongue.
Gendry's eyes widened, not expecting their target to know what tongue he talked. "I-I-I-I-I-" he stammered.
"You from Westeros, boy?" the bald man stood straighter while narrowing his eyes.
"Yes," Gendry replied with hesitation.
"You are speaking to Joon Kitara, Lord of Kushiro, Governor of the Northwest Province, Field Marshal in the Imperial Army, and Master of the Horse for the Emperor. You will address him as 'my lord,' white devil," the other bald man scolded him.
"I apologize," Gendry answered, not fazed by the titles, but was at a loss at how to address the bald man, only just noticing that he was blind.
"That's Hoon Ti, the captain of my guards. And how might I address you?" Joon asked Gendry.
"Gendry, my lord." He kept glancing past Joon and saw Arya come closer.
"And where in Westeros do you hail from?"
"King's Landing, my lord." He decided to keep answer Joon's questions, in order to keep him occupied.
"And what brings you here to our lands, Gendry of King's Landing?"
"I was trying to find my way to New Ghis, as I heard that I can find some work there since there are no chances for me back home," Gendry told a half-truth.
But that prompted Joon to narrow his eyes, as Gendry didn't realize that he was not the first person to do that to him. "You know, I have a lot of influence at court here. If you don't tell me the truth, the full truth, I will have you arrested and subject you to other methods of persuasion that won't be agreeable to you. Do you understand me, Gendry of King's Landing?"
Arya was then right next to Joon. "Perfectly," Gendry said before pushing Hoon Ti off of his cane and headbutting the Lord of Kushiro, stunning him just long enough for Arya to reach into his robes and grab his coin pouch.
Both ran off into the crowd, with the guards shouting for the armed market sentries to go after them. After taking a circuitous route around the many alleyways, Arya and Gendry finally made it back to where they were staying, with the Hound finally waking up from his yapian daze.
"What the fuck were you two doing?" Sandor blinked his eyes.
"Trying to survive," Arya looked around again before holding out the pouch. She was shocked at how big and heavy it was. Having overheard what this Joon Kitara really was, she should have expected him to be loaded with coin given that he was a lord, but this went beyond her expectations.
"This is probably enough to get us a decent place to live and not beg for a long time," Arya said in amazement.
"Where did you get that much silver?" Sandor became curious.
"We robbed a lord, a powerful one from the looks of it," Gendry answered.
"They have lords here?" Sandor inquired.
"Seems like it. But that lord knew how to speak the common tongue, and was pretty good at it," Gendry noted.
"How do you figure that happening, a lord knowing how to speak with those from Westeros?" Sandor became concerned.
"I don't know," Gendry shrugged.
"Did he get your name?" Gendry looked at him in confusion, but Sandor's eyes widened in alert. "Fuck, boy! You gave him your name! And now he's going to look for you!"
"Don't worry," Arya tried to assure him. "We made sure that no one followed us."
"But that much silver and a lord? Oh, no. He's going to look for the boy, and then he'll find us," Sandor immediately went for the pipe to drive away his worries, but Arya grabbed it from his hand. "What in the hells was that for?!"
"Stop smoking," Arya threw the pipe away. "I've seen people die from that. After all the effort of keeping you alive, I'm not going to let you go that easily."
"You should have left me there," Sandor said in annoyance.
"You're welcome," Arya shot back sarcastically. She didn't tell him that he had added his dealer on her list.
"So, about the silver. We leave this place first thing in the morning? While the shopkeeper is still sleeping?" Gendry asked.
"I think that's a good idea," Arya nodded. "Then, we can get some decent food and maybe some chicken for our Hound here."
Sandor was emotionless, but Arya could see in his eyes that he was all for that.
"Then, it's settled. Let's get a good night sleep and we'll get out of this shithole for good," Gendry moved to wrap himself with a blanket. "Sweet dreams."
Arya kept the silver pouch close, their one chance of freedom in this land at the moment. She silently warned the Hound to not go after the pipe. After promising him chicken, Sandor sighed before trying to get some sleep.
Joffrey... Cersei... Walder Frey... Meryn Trant... Tywin Lannister... the Red Woman... Beric Dondarrion... Thoros of Myr... Ilyn Payne... the Mountain… the shopkeeper… Vinh…" Arya said aloud, the last name being the yapian dealer, as she drifted to sleep.
But a few hours later, she got a rude awakening as she stared down upon by a Yi-Tish man clad in armor and armed with swords. He shouted at her in his native tongue while dragging her out from the alley, with Gendry and Sandor already tied up. A crowd formed around where the three were, who were surrounded by some of the city sentries.
Then, Hoon Ti and Lord Joon entered the circle, their anger evident. Joon also had a bruised forehead and looked venomously at Gendry. He better not hurt him, she thought fearfully.
"Do you know we found you, white devils?" Joon asked Arya in the common tongue. She shook her head, after which Joon pointed behind her. Turning around, she saw the shopkeeper looking emotionlessly at her. "He sold you out, cutting a deal with us and bargaining for his life when we issued a city-wide order for two white devils wandering about."
You bastard! Arya grounded her teeth at the shopkeeper, who didn't look impressed.
"I believe you have something of mine," Joon held out his hand. "I don't care much about money, but I did earn it. So therefore, I keep what I earn."
Arya slowly held out the silver pouch, sad to see that their one chance at freedom was being taken away. Snatching the pouch from her hands, Joon put it back inside his robes and crossed his arms.
"Before you unwisely tried to take what wasn't yours, you were about to answer on how you came here," Joon turned to Gendry. "Answer truthfully, or suffer what thieves suffer."
That doesn't sound good. Gendry and Sandor also thought so, so the blacksmith from King's Landing told them of what really went happened, from their trying to hide in the riverlands, his capture at the hand of the Red Woman, and how he reunited with Arya, but with the knowledge that he was the bastard son of Robert Baratheon. The crowd looked on with interest, but they couldn't understand since they were talking in the common tongue.
"Just imagine how much pain would have been avoided had you just told me that," Joon sighed. "But who is your lady friend and scarred companion?" Sandor growled at what Lord Joon referred to him as. "Looks like you're just another addict. I can smell the yapian from your breath," he scoffed.
"They call me the fucking Hound, my lord," Sandor answered mockingly, causing Hoon Ti to strike him hard on the scarred parts of his face with his cane. He bit his teeth down, trying to control the pain that followed as he fell to the ground.
"You're not acting with wisdom, dog. Respect is important here, and a lack of it will come with severe consequences," Hoon Ti scolded him.
"And you are?" Joon turned to Arya.
From how Joon conversed with Gendry and how he listened to his story, Arya sensed that the Lord of Kushiro knew much about Westeros and what was occurring. If he knows, then he surely must know the Stark name.
But having seen Joon detect lies or attempts to hide the truth and responding accordingly, Arya was conflicted on what she would do. Praying to the old gods for help briefly, she readied herself. "I am Arya Stark."
Joon blinked, as did Hoon Ti. "Did you say… Stark? As in Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North?"
Arya was brought back to when her father died at the mention of his name, but she was shocked at how much he actually knew. "How did you know that?"
"Are you related to him?" Joon pressed.
"He was my father," Arya admitted.
"Then… do you know of Benjen Stark?"
What?! Arya got more shocked. "How do you know Uncle Benjen? What's going on here?!"
"Calm down, Lady Arya," Lord Joon knelt before him while grabbing her shoulders. "Your Uncle Benjen is safe here, and he's doing very well. And I guess I don't have to ask if you know who Jon Snow is."
Her mind went blank at the mention of Jon's name. "J-j-j-Jon? You know him?"
"He's here as well, and he's quite a man these days," Joon answered. "I must say that it's a pleasure to meet you, Arya Stark. He said much about you and to see you here is quite amazing. Although we'll hear more of your side and answer your questions at another time. For now, I suggest you come with me along with your companions. I can take you to Jon and your uncle."
For the first time in a long time, Arya felt hope and excitement. Always close with Jon, she was ecstatic to realize that her brother was here and apparently doing well for himself from this Lord Joon had said of him.
While still wary around this man who promised this great thing, she wasn't going to let her fears stop her from seeing her beloved brother again. Gendry and Sandor were untied but were made to come along.
"Shit," Sandor groaned. "Now, we're going to see the girl's bastard brother."
Hoon Ti scoffed. "If only you knew who he really was, dog."
That confused the Hound, and more so with Arya. "What do you mean?"
"All will be revealed in due time," Hoon answered simply.
What does he mean by that? Arya became frightened at the prospect of Jon not being her brother, but she was going to have her worries set aside, as seeing him and Uncle Benjen was the only thing that mattered now.
But before they disappeared from view of the shopkeeper, who was more than surprised at the turn of events, she threw him a death glare. I will come back and I will kill you for what you've done to us, she said to him through her eyes.
I'll be waiting, the shopkeeper answered as if knowing what she said.
Benjen sipped the boiled chicken broth while he, Jon, and Sam were enjoying one of the few quiet times that they had for the day. Although it was a little counterintuitive to him to consume warm soup as they were still sweating against the sweltering heat of the jungles in the south, which Yin was close by, the Yi-Tish said that warm soup during hot climates was actually good for one's health, as the heat in the body could be more easily controlled during the summer. There are still many things that I don't understand about this place.
After being promoted to lieutenant-general and appointed commander of the capital field army at Si Qo, Benjen wasted no time in studying all he could about his new headquarters and his new command. He might have had a successful time as a brigade captain, but he was now in charge of an army, which put him under more scrutiny. I have to do this right.
Hundreds of miles upriver and inland, deep in the heart of the jungle, laid the previously ruined city of Si Qo, from where the Scarlet Emperors of Yi-Ti ruled for centuries before they were pulled from power following several disastrous expeditions against the Jogos Nhai. It was from the fall of the Scarlet Emperors that the Golden Empire decided to pursue subtler methods in containing the threat from the plains in the north.
After some centuries of being abandoned, the third azure emperor decided to rebuild Si Qo as a fortress city, since he wanted to make sure that as much troops as possible could safeguard the capital itself without inflaming court or the population. Armed men were never a welcome sight, especially in a major city like Yin, and they couldn't increase the garrison. So, the third azure emperor decreed that Si Qo would be the headquarters of the newly created Capital Field Army, which would answer to the Yin garrison commander and thus granting the emperor an entire army under his personal control.
Benjen learned that there were over five hundred thousand troops in the imperial army at any given time and those were the numbers maintained in peacetime. In emergencies, that number could increase to over a million, but that would be at peak operation and thus unsustainable in the long-term. Thanks to the policies of the third azure emperor, the current emperor had over eighty thousand men under his direct command, with twenty thousand guarding the capital itself. And that was not including those that were former soldiers and could be called up should another emergency arise.
As for Benjen, his command at Si Qo consisted of sixty thousand soldiers, all of them well-trained, well-equipped, and staffed by experienced officers. He was surprised that a third of his new command were armed with the tanegashima, making the Capital Field Army the only major unit to have black power weapons as part of its main arsenal.
After getting acquainted with his new superior officer, Captain-General Lord Gaoxu Buko, who came from an old noble family in the south, Benjen proceeded to his new headquarters but struggled with the wetness and insects that made the jungle their home. Great. What I would do for the wide space and chill for the north, Benjen longed for.
He was subjected to the various ceremonies that came whenever a new commander came, which he quickly tired of. Just like with Lord Joon, Benjen could care less for such trivialities, but to not comply would set him on the wrong foot with his new command and he couldn't afford to slight them, as they could make his life very difficult. He was then introduced to the key officers that would help him, starting with Taelu Trinh.
"Greetings, General Stark. I am Taelu Trinh and I am your Adjutant-General," Trinh introduced himself.
Benjen smiled, but remembered what adjutants were from his experience with Adjutant Dae. "Good to meet you, Adjutant Trinh. But I would like to ask you something. You have a problem working for me?"
"No, general," Trinh shook his head.
"Are you sure? I am a white devil after all," Benjen emphasized.
"I am an officer in the army, and my personal feelings should not interfere with my duties," Trinh answered.
"I hope so. Now, tell me what I have planned for today."
The first day in his new command was already busy, as he had to inspect the troops and meet more of his officers, including the brigade captains, the quartermaster, the generals in charge of the foot and the horse, the provost-general, and so on. He also had the troops armed with the tanegashima to demonstrate their skill, only seeing what those weapons could do a few times in the northwest province, including once against the Jogos Nhai renegades.
Walking up to one of the soldiers armed with the black powder weapon, he asked him, "How long have you fired this?"
"Five years, general," the soldier replied. "We were the first to be armed when the army equipped us with this, so we had plenty of time to be familiar with it."
"I can tell," Benjen looked at the target in front of the soldier. "You're pretty good with it."
"Thank you, general," the soldier was moved by his praise.
"Show me to how to do it."
The soldier took his time to teach Benjen how to fire a black powder weapon, which usually took between thirty to forty seconds to load. In order to fire the tanegashima, he had to first insert the black powder, one or multiple iron balls, and wadding of rice paper or cloth to hold the iron balls inside the metal tube.
All of that then had to firmly inserted from the front end of the tanegashima by using a packing stick. The packing stick simply pushed the parts of the shot firmly from the front to the bottom part of the tube. Once the tanegashima is loaded, a small portion of black powder was placed in the firing plate, which was located on the side of barrel end. When the trigger was pulled, the burning hemp fuse traveled forward then downward to ignite the black powder inside the firing plate. The black powder ignited inside the tanegashima's tube. Finally, the shot pushed out from the front end of barrel after the explosion that took place in the bottom part of barrel. The shot would fly directly toward the target, with the hitting of the mark or missing it all dependent on the shooter himself.
Reminded of how heavy it was, Benjen mounted the tanegashima on a metal pole and only then was he able to hit his target. The soldier clapped for his new commander, as did the rest of the soldiers and officers who watched their commander try. He was then taught how to wield the hand-held version of the tanegashima, which was lighter but more inaccurate, which also applied when one tried to hold with a crossbow with one hand. But as an officer in the south, Benjen had to carry the handheld firearm and thus resolved to practice with it until he got it right.
While trying to fulfill his duties as commander in Si Qo, Benjen was obligated to return to the capital once every moon since he was also a vice-minister of war. He found out that the position was merely an advisory one, since all power rested with the Minister of War and vice-ministers only contributed to what the Minister would say in court. But there, he met Lieutenant-General Donju Zen, a bastard son of a northern lord who climbed all the way to the war ministry. He could tell that he had severe grievances and only focused on military matters, never discussing politics. Given how he observed how Jon was raised, Benjen couldn't blame Donju for behaving that way. At the same time, the fact that even bastards could rise to the very top of their profession impressed him, as bastards rarely did so back in Westeros and the Blackfyres certainly didn't help matters.
Bu what struck Benjen was Prince Kaijin, who made regular appearances at the War Ministry. Unlike what he thought of princes, Kaijin Bu took his duties seriously, as he eagerly listed to what the War Minister had to say on things such as organizational reforms and the upgrading of weapons. He also inspected the troops in the capital and reviewed the fleet, even becoming friends with Lord Okamoto. But like Donju, he was not political, which Benjen thought was the key to how he survived. Despite being the son of a concubine, he still had the emperor's blood and a claim to the phoenix throne should he choose to pursue it.
"Lord Stark," Kaijin surprised him with his knowledge of the common tongue, even though it had a slight accent. "This must be all new to you, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't say new, Your Highness. Just different," Benjen replied.
"I hear that your nephew, Prince Daeron, and my brother Prince Yujin came to blows again just yesterday," Kaijin stated.
Benjen sighed. This wasn't the first time that it happened, as Yujin was probably the worst sort to have the emperor's blood. He heard the rumors of his personality, which included him being trained by someone who didn't teach him restraint, but it was one thing to actually see it. While walking with Jon, they, along with Sam, saw Yujin pushing a maid to the ground before pouring her face with hot tea while shouting how displeased he was at the taste.
"Hey!" Jon shouted while he ran to the maid. "Leave her alone!"
"What is it to you, dragon?" Yujin spit on the ground near him. "She's part of my household, not yours."
"Do you not know common decency?" Jon spat back at him.
"What do you know about what's right and wrong?" Yujin's eyes flared. "And I'm older than you, so you should speak more properly to me."
"I'm not your family, Prince Yujin. And that respect only comes when one is worthy of it, which you haven't demonstrated," Jon spoke.
Yujin was about to strike him with the empty tea pot, only for Ghost to growl at him, ready to pounce should he harm his companion. But instead of being afraid, he scoffed. "Of course. Your white pet. And your red dragon is still flying about, isn't she?"
In the year that had passed since they arrived in Yin, Meleys had grown considerably, where Jon had to ask the emperor permission to build a special space for her to rest next to his palace. Although big enough to be noticed as she flew through the sky, she wasn't large enough yet to be ridden.
"You want to see what she can do to anyone that hits me?" Jon challenged him.
Yujin shook his head, but he was still unafraid. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Then, he threw the teapot onto the floor, smashing it into pieces. "Never thought a dragon could be so soft."
Jon was close to fuming at his words, only for Benjen to calm him down. "Let it go, Jon. He's just acting tough and knows that he can't hurt if you have Ghost and Meleys around."
Jon nodded, while he checked on the maid. But the maid wasn't as grateful as he expected.
"Your Highness, with respect, you put me in more danger. Now, Prince Yujin will come after me now," the maid said fearfully.
"You don't have to be his servant. You can come join my household," Jon tried to offer, but she shook her head.
"I belong to Prince Yujin's household, Prince Daeron, and therefore I belong to him. Unless he dies, I stay with him."
"It doesn't have to be that way," Jon expressed his frustration. "I'll talk to the emperor and I'm sure that he will do so."
"With respect, Your Highness, you're a white devil and Prince Yujin is his son. What can you do for me that he would so disregard his own blood?"
"If you think the emperor is close to him, then you are mistaken. I'm sure he will listen to me once I plead your case," Jon assured her.
Benjen found out that Prince Yujin's mother was the emperor's favorite concubine, having discovered her while she performed as a dancer. But she died in childbirth and the emperor blamed him for her death, which poisoned relations between them.
As Jon had promised, the emperor granted his request and the maid was transferred to his own household, where she was currently serving them tea.
Benjen looked at Jon, who was becoming more like a prince with each passing day he spent at court. As the recognized Prince of Dragonstone, the palace was adorned with the three-headed dragon banner and his personal guards wore armor with black dragon scales and red sashes. Besides his golden jacket, he wore Dark Sister on his waist and had Longclaw strapped to his back alongside a handheld tanegashima in his belt. He had continued to style his hair in the Yi-Tish top knot, while his beard was cleanly trimmed and his face looking fresh despite the wetness of the climate. Also, thanks to his continuous training with Hoon Ti and other trainers assigned to him, not a trace of fat or loose skin could be found.
More importantly, Jon remained serious and carried a strong air of certainty around him. He had long moved on from Chanhee's death and was focused on more immediate matters, but he still had a long way to go before he could make certain his absolute survival in court. Along with being a white devil, he was too honest for the officials' tastes, since he showed his insistence on being fair while as an assistant quartermaster and not overly flaunting his privileges as a lieutenant of the imperial guard. It also didn't help that he refused to pay for the privilege of speaking in court, and the Economics Minister would have retaliated had it not been for Ghost and the presence of Meleys.
All in all, Jon was adjusting himself well at court. Lyanna would be proud.
As for Sam, he was still plump and continued to indulge his tastes in food. But unlike when they first came to Yi-Ti, the heir to Horn Hill was much happier and actually looked forward to his duties in the Imperial Household. Assigned as the assistant to the steward of Prince Kaijin's household, all were relieved that he was assigned to the kinder and more able of the princes. Sam's duties mostly consisted of making sure Prince Kaijin's incomes came regularly and ensuring that his household remained in good condition. As expected, he was the best of the three when it came to the court dialect of guanhua, surprising many of the officials for how quickly he grasped it.
Sam was also involved in translating for the Grand Secretariat many of the works written in the common tongue into either guanhua, goryeomal, or nihongo, for which he received one hundred silver taels for each work translated. Lord Tarly actually likes being a steward and is able to make some extra coin on the side. At least he can enjoy himself.
"How was today, Jon?" Benjen asked his nephew.
"Very good," Jon smiled as he bit down on his boiled chicken breast. "Quartermaster Choi decided to entrust me with more responsibilities and seconded me to the Chief Commissioner, meaning that I now have the power to conduct audits."
From what Benjen had witnessed, possessing auditing power was very potent, as it gave whoever held it the right to investigate and recommend sentences. "That's something, although as a prince, don't you already have that kind of power?"
"Mostly. But this shows to the emperor that I am performing my duties well."
"That's good to hear. What about in the imperial guard?"
"Nothing new," Jon shrugged. "Besides witnessing Chenyin Dao's visits to Prince Sumeng."
By that time, they had learned that Prince Sumeng's affair with Captain Dao was essentially an open secret among the powerful at court. But what made it worrisome was that Dao's father, Lord Xiaochun, was a key supporter to the Prime Minister, with both families coming from old southern nobility dating back to the founding of the empire. And Lord Dao was the Prime Minister's main contact with the monied interests in the south, so they held a lot of influence over the amount of coin that they could call upon. Great. Prince Sumeng is a bugger of men, and his lover's father is in the Prime Minister's pockets. I wonder if Lord Dao wanted his son to seduce him in order to control the prince.
"And the Princess?"
Jon hesitated. "She's been inviting to many court functions and even for dinner. She's also been showing up to see Meleys more often, but from a distance."
Benjen looked up at Jon's attendant, who happened to be Yongpo, Selah's Jogos Nhai nephew. Jon wanted to maintain contact with Selah the Hyrkoon, so he invited one of them to the capital under safe conduct and employed him in his household. It also helped that Yongpo took the time to learn the common tongue.
Yongpo nodded, confirming what Jon said about Princess Khiara.
"Be careful, Jon. Women like her can be very dangerous if you allow them to be close," Benjen warned.
"I have to do it carefully. If I try to push her away, I might end up in more trouble, as she does have much influence in court, especially from the navy."
Benjen sighed, not denying Jon's reasoning. "And you are making your own relationships?"
"Fortunately, having a dragon does open some doors. Just yesterday, I had dinner with Lord Buko's adjutant."
"Good. Just remember. We must—"
"Go back. I remember, but it'll take some time before we have an army to come back with us," Jon answered.
Benjen nodded, satisfied that his nephew remembered his purpose. "What about you, Sam?"
"Prince Kaijin is thinking about traveling to Jinqi by next week. Much of today was spent organizing the trip," Sam answered.
"He's a good man, isn't he?"
"And quite able, which is more than what I can say about Prince Sumeng, and a good man, unlike Prince Yujin. Although… I can't help but feel sorry for him. It's not his fault that his mother died."
"Well… men can have some peculiar reasons to blame others, and the same with women," Benjen remembered Catelyn's treatment of Jon. "Nothing no one can do for him, as he chose his path ultimately."
Sam nodded, conceding his point. "In addition, I finally translated the book on House Gardener. They gave me fifty more than my usual rate."
Benjen patted Sam's back. "That's great. But remember our purpose. Don't get too comfortable here."
Sam sighed, sad at the prospect of eventually leaving Yi-Ti. "Sometimes, I wonder if I could be live here in another life or if the gods allowed. People here value books and if only…" He shook his head. "No use in thinking about what the past could've been like."
Benjen bobbed his head. "Very true. Always look forward."
As they continued their meal, a servant ran up to their table. "Prince Daeron, you have visitors."
"Who?" Daeron looked at him.
"It's Lord Joon Kitara, Hoon Ti, and three Westerosi."
Benjen, Sam, and Jon glanced at each other. Westerosi? They followed the servant to the entrance of Jon's palace, curious as to who their new guests were, trailed closely by Ghost, who was eating his daily serving of raw meat.
Although not as large as the emperor's palace or Prince Sumeng's, it was more spacious than Winterfell and very relaxing thanks to Jon's efforts. Meleys was probably resting after a day of flying, as her resting area was right next to his house.
Benjen found Lord Joon and Hoon Ti standing at the entrance, but his heart seemed to stop after he saw two people he had not expected to see in Yi-Ti. One was the scarred man and crass member of the Baratheon household, Sandor Clegane or the Hound. But Benjen recognized that the yapian daze despite it mostly wearing off. What in the hells happened to him?
He didn't recognize the muscled young man, but Benjen froze upon seeing his beloved niece, the one many said took after Lyanna, the one who chafed under Catelyn, and the one who loved Jon and treated him like his brother. But what had happened in the time they were separated had clearly gotten to her, as shown from her eyes and her hair.
"Arya?" Benjen and Jon whispered out.
Arya was likewise shocked at Lord Joon's words being true, especially since Jon was really in Yi-Ti and was doing well for himself. After a moment of processing who was in front of her, she glanced at Ghost, and that was all she needed to know that it was clearly Jon. She wasted no time in running past Lord Joon and Hoon Ti into Jon's arms, who kneeled down and hugged her tightly. Benjen joined in the hug, happy to see that at least one of his blood was alive, and the tears fell between them. So much might have happened, but the bonds of family could never tear apart and they allowed years of sorrow to dissipate for just one moment.
Sam, Gendry, and the Hound merely watched the scene, with the former two smiling that at least someone close to them could reunite with a loved one. The Hound looked as if he was about to puke, and not because his body was about to plead for more yapian.
Eventually, the three broke their embrace and looked at each other, their smiles wide. "Jon, Uncle Benjen, how are you two here?"
"Long story, Arya. But how are you here?" Jon asked.
"Long story," Arya smirked before reaching over to Ghost, who happily let a familiar hand rub his neck. "Ghost is so big now."
"Fed him too much," Jon snarked.
"We have so much to talk about," Arya was giddy.
Meanwhile Benjen turned to Gendry. "And who might you be, young man?"
"Gendry, my lord."
"How do you know my niece?"
"Long story short, I saved her life when her father died," Gendry jested.
"I could've taken care of myself," Arya groaned.
"Yeah, you seemed to be doing well at that," Gendry continued to jest.
"Do you have any food?" Sandor was growing impatient.
Benjen and Jon narrowed their eyes at the Hound. "How in the hells are you with my sister?" Jon asked firmly.
The Hound was momentarily struck by how assertive Jon was, very different from the bastard he had seen at Winterfell. "Give me some food and I'll answer all of the questions you want, bastard."
Hoon cleared his throat. "He is Daeron Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone. You will address him as Your Highness."
The Hound became more shocked, but not more than Arya, who looked at Jon with disbelief.
"What is he talking about?" Arya became worried at what they were actually saying.
"Come inside, and we'll talk. We have much to catch up on," Jon gestured for Arya to come in.
Benjen was afraid that their bonds might not be the same once Jon told the truth, but he had faith that the old gods would not let such things be so easily broken. But he also readied himself, as he also had much explaining on his part. I guess I have to extend my stay in Yin longer. I'm not going to let Arya out of my sight.
A/N: Didn't expect Arya, Gendry, and the Hound to appear in Yi-Ti, did you? But after thinking more about it, Arya deserves to be with family once again, and who better than Jon? Also, what she will learn in Yi-Ti will replace what she learnt in Braavos (guess what that is)
With the addition of Arya, Gendry, and the Hound, the original three will not be the only ones who learn something in the East. I hope my explanations of how they got there made sense. Also, under certain circumstances and given his messed up childhood, Sandor had the potential to become an addict and his addiction to yapian/opium would be an important subplot in Yi-Ti. But everyone will find their own strengths and have their experiences in the empire.
More importantly, Jon and Benjen can be happy that at least one of their family is alive and have living proof. They definitely have heard about the Red Wedding by this point, so Arya's survival gives them hope to continue on.
And we have more about what Benjen, Jon, and Sam were up to in this time jump, while we will also see what's happening back in Westeros. But we will also see what exactly happened with Jon as he proceeded further in court.
