A/N: Hope you all are continuing to be safe and healthy.

For those wondering when we will see in more detail about the events in Westeros, we'll see it soon. Just give me some more time, please.

Sandor looked at the note given to him by the Imperial Physician, which came after he had presented the note from Jon, or Prince Daeron as he was called around. Following the directions provided by the Imperial Physician's assistant, who spoke the common tongue, he was led into a heavily populated area of the capital and towards a large building. Next to the Gongxeng Quarter was a district that had a strong concentration of those knowledgeable in the healing arts, and the assistant was taking him to a place where he could begin to end his dependence on yapian.

Sandor couldn't understand how such people could live without indulging themselves. There was a greater emphasis on personal discipline in these lands than in Westeros, as those who allowed their desires to control their minds were ostracized. There were even men in the taverns who watched each patron as they drank, and public drunkenness was deemed as an indecency, which carried a sentence of one day in the lockup and a fine of ten silver taels or a week as a chained laborer if unable to pay. Why did I end up here out of all the places in the world, he thought in light despair.

Eventually, they arrived at the place, and the assistant bid him good luck before returning to the palace. Sandor also ignored the stares that came his way, as white devils were not commonly seen in those parts. White devils… couldn't they have picked a better name that didn't come from the color of my skin?

Thinking back on Daeron, there was no doubt in his mind that the bastard of Winterfell was a Targaryen, as only those with dragon's blood could be so comfortable with those creatures. However, being a prince didn't mean that Jon automatically deserved respect and it will be a long time before Sandor showed any to those who flouted their status in his face. Fuck Joffrey and fuck the Queen. It won't be long before I say, "Fuck the dragon."

But the Stark bastard, as he still remained in his mind, was capable of being angry without exploding and he did ask him nicely to get himself sorted out from the yapian. Not wanting to risk arguing with one who could control a dragon, Sandor thought it smart to do just do what he said.

However, Sandor was not looking forward to giving up the yapian. He admitted that the stuff was very potent, and he became more sluggish the more he smoked it. At the same time, drink and the other comforts in Westeros had failed to suppress the hurt and the rage he felt ever since his youth. The memory of his brute brother burning him and causing misery in the household never went away, especially since Gregor had become so favored for raping and murdering Elia Targaryen and the dragonspawn. Well, he didn't get all of them.

With yapian, he finally found something that allowed him to pass the day without sparing a thought to Gregor or his deeds or the other shits back in King's Landing and in Westeros. He also was able to ignore his fear of fire, as lighting the yapian pipe was a small price to pay for hours of comfort.

Vinh, the yapian dealer, told him that he had to be careful who he sold it to. Selling yapian on the underground market yielded lucrative profits, but it was not uncommon for those from the Central Column to disguise themselves as buyers and then catch them in the crime. Yapian dealing was considered a vice and thus carried a heavy prison sentence or even death. That didn't stop Sandor from grabbing Vinh's neck and forcing him to hand over the yapian for his use. Eventually, Vinh agreed to sell him after he handed over his coin.

If Sandor didn't get himself cured of his addiction, Jon would throw him back on the streets and then give him a taste of dragonfire. After seeing how he lived and the quality of the food that he ate, he didn't want to give up his comforts and so decided to see how far his process would go.

Entering the building, Sandor went through the beaded curtains and saw a man sitting on mat, reading some text in guanhua. Seeing that the man didn't notice his presence, he cleared his throat.

The man looked up and spoke to him in guanhua, which Sandor didn't understand. He instead gave him the slip from the Imperial Physician, which the man took from his hand. Nodding, the man gestured for Sandor to follow him and they entered the antechamber, which had several people laid down on other mats while breathing in some incense, which Sandor noted was very strong and he coughed.

The man led Sandor to another room with beaded curtains, which they entered. Inside was a woman with slightly tanned skin, but she had a well-defined jawline, firm cheekbones, large lips and nose, and wide eyes. She also had wavy black hair and not too large bosoms, which was obvious from her white robes underneath a red coat. She looks very good, got to give her that, Sandor observed.

The man and woman spoke to each other in guanhua, with the woman nodding before the man patted Sandor's shoulder and left him with the woman.

"You're from Westeros?" she surprised him by speaking the common tongue.

"Yes. I was told by Prince Daeron to stop being an addict," Sandor cut to the chase.

"Right, the dragon," she recognized. "If you would please sit down." For some reason, Sandor followed her instruction even though he rarely followed others'. "Some tea?"

"No."

"Okay, you seem to be a man who doesn't care about the consequences of his actions or has little, if any respect, for common courtesy," the woman bluntly stated. "At the same time, I think that can work to my advantage."

"How so?" Sandor inquired.

"It means that you won't keep any secrets regarding your physical health, if you're even capable of lying about it. Usually, those who become addicted to yapian do so because they're trying to cope with a much deeper problem, something that they want to hide from others. Not that I blame them for doing so, but it doesn't excuse them for adopting self-destructive behavior," the woman explained.

"How is me smoking yapian self-destructive?"

The woman turned around, opened her drawer, and pulled out a glass cylinder containing what looked like a liver, despite the bumps on it.

"Is that a liver?"

"Yes, which belonged to a man who departed early from this world because he couldn't control yapian addiction. Over time, yapian will damage the vital organs in a person, including the heart, the lungs, the liver, and even your ability to produce seed."

"What?" Sandor was confused.

"Right, this is the part that confuses most people. Every part of the body is connected to each other, and the body cannot function if one of its parts is faulty. It's all part of balance and an imbalance in one area of the body will affect the rest. In the instance of yapian, its ability to adversely affect the heart and liver will lead to many problems when it comes to seeds, and you might not be able to get your cock up when you're with a woman," the woman continued.

Sandor never thought about it that way.

"Eventually, too much yapian use will affect your mind," she placed her finger on her temple. "You will be tired more often, you won't remember things, and you will be in a severe state of confusion among other effects. They're all connected, and every part of the body needs each other to keep going."

"Regarding the mind, maybe I don't want to remember things," Sandor answered.

"And that's one of the things that we will do. Every day, we will have you go through our treatments that range from potions to meditation and even helping you cope with your physical ailments in a healthy manner. On top of that, we will devote one hour every day discussing your past and maybe discovering what could be done to help you—"

Sandor stood up, immediately fearful of divulging his personal details to someone he didn't know. "I think… I came to the wrong place."

"No," she shook her head. "According to the slip from the Imperial Physician, you are in the right place. But I also understand your concern, which is natural? I mean, who am I to you and what did I do to deserve knowing what happened in your life?"

Sandor blinked, surprised at how well she read his mind, and sat back down.

"No matter how many potions I give you and what I do to help you to handle yourself physically, those will only deal with the surface of the problem. As I keep saying, everything is connected and I believe that besides the heart, the most important part of the body is the mind, as how we treat our bodies is dependent on our mental state. Because truth be told, your addiction to yapian is only a symptom."

"Why do you care so much about me?" This was the first time Sandor had heard anyone talk about his health and thus display concern for him.

"You misunderstand. I'm a physician and my first priority is ensuring that my patients are healthy, and the first step towards that is to make them feel secure and unafraid. There is no guarantee that what I have to offer will heal you, but you can never know if you don't try. But most importantly, it seems that you don't have much a choice in the matter since any note carrying the Imperial Physician's seal means that the treatment is mandated."

Sandor sighed. "And if I don't respond well?"

"Then, I'll just send you to another place."

"I just want to warn you that if I do this, be prepared for some messed up shit. And I don't like fire."

"I'll keep those in mind," the woman nodded. "You sure you don't want tea? It's also part of the process."

Sandor picked up the cup and held it out, with the woman pouring. "May I ask your name?"

"No names. At least not yet," the woman said. "And I know who to ask to pay for the costs, as I don't come cheap. I'll just call you the 'big white man' for now."

Sandor chuckled, which came as a surprise to both of them. "Then, I guess I'll just call you the dragon lady, since you came onto me very firmly."

Both laughed. "Dragon lady… never heard that."


Arya rubbed her forearms and shins, bruises forming from how much she struck the wooden dummy. The dummy had three arms and one leg, which represented an opponent's body in various positions and the lines of force the body can give out. Underneath the dummy were wooden slates that had a springiness, which was similar to the involuntary reaction of an opponent to strikes and allowed the practitioner to train how to absorb energy into their stance. Why was I so happy to join?

Arya had to find her way to the Jade Order pavilion, as Jon and Sam had to go to work and Benjen had to return to his headquarters deep in the jungle. She started the day learning the tongues and culture of Yi-Ti alongside Gendry and Sandor. Afterwards, Gendry would report for training with the army and Sandor would go to the physician in the city. So, she used her limited knowledge of guanhua to ask for directions, although she was admittedly a little embarrassed about her speech sounding so choppy.

Eventually, she came to a pavilion with a wide courtyard, which had women drilling with weapons and their hands and feet. She walked to the pavilion, ignoring the stares that the others gave her, and went towards the entrance. Upon opening the screen doors, she saw a woman sitting on a mat while playing with what looked like a stringed instrument. It gave off a similar sound to the fiddle, but it seemed to go longer and rang more calmly in her ear.

As for the woman, she had a small face, black hair tied back, lips and nose that fit her face, and focused eyes. But upon closer look, Arya could see that her eyes weren't looking at anything and was playing the fiddle-like instrument with such concentration. Is she… blind?

"Hello," Arya spoke in guanhua.

"Do you seek the Jade Order?" she asked in guanhua.

"I do," Arya nodded. "May I ask who you are?"

The woman set her instrument down and walked towards Arya. It became clearer that she was blind, but Arya didn't say anything. "I am Gong-Er. I can take you to where you need to be, but first, I must apologize," she dipped her head in respect.

"Apologize?" Arya asked, stumped.

"For this." Suddenly, Gong-Er attacked Arya, her hands and feet striking seemingly all at once.

Acting quickly, Arya dodged her attacks and jumped backwards, just avoiding her kicks. Despite being blind, Gong-Er knew where Arya was and tried to strike her with a hand slice. Remembering what Syrio taught her, she flipped backwards and kept her distance. Where's a sword? I need a sword!

Gong-Er was persistent, as she used her legs in a rapid fashion and kept closing the distance with Arya. Seeing that there was no way she could avoid her, Arya punched her face as hard as she could, but that only caused her fall down on the floor and jump right back up.

Gong-Er spun around before jumping, her feet colliding Arya's chest and making her crash into the screen walls. When Gong-Er got close again, she tried to hit her with as many punches as she could, but she was too quick.

"You are skilled, but this is no dance," Gong-Er then forced her hands away and pushed against Arya hard, her back crashing into the screen walls again.

Thinking quickly, Arya ran straight for the instrument, with Gong-Er in hot pursuit. After grabbing it, she raised it to strike at Gong-Er. But then, she stopped in her tracks and raised her hand.

"Good," she said. "You have some idea of adaptation, improvisation. You saw that you couldn't beat me, so you used what you could find. That's a good start."

Arya raised her eyebrows while giving Gong-Er her instrument back. "What was that for?"

"Princess Khiara has many enemies. I had to be sure."

"Of what?"

"That you were not an assassin," Gong-Er circled around her.

"Um," Arya struggled to find the words, as her knowledge of guanhua was limited. "You… could… have… asked."

"No," Gong-Er shook her head. "You do not truly know someone until you them. Now, come. Sit down."

Arya obeyed, sitting across from Gong-Er as she resumed playing music. "You… very… good."

Gong-Er smiled. "I was already good before I lost my sight, but I didn't allow that to limit what I could do."

"May… I… ask… what… happened?"

"Black powder. Someone sabotaged our black powder storage and I tried to stop it from going off, but it did and the last thing I remembered was the storage burning before my sight faded," Gong-Er revealed.

"I… am—" Arya started, but Gong-Er shook her head.

"Don't feel sorry. It's just an inconvenience and my lack of sight made me appreciate the world of the living, as there were things I couldn't have touched and sounds I couldn't have heard if I could see clearly. We must see the good in everything, or we'll suffer forever," Gong-Er answered.

Good in everything… how am I supposed to see the good from my father dying?

"I can sense conflict in you, whatever your name is."

"My name is—"

"No, your name is not important. Why have you come here?"

"To… learn… how… to… fight," Arya said with enthusiasm.

"Ah, you want to fight people. That means you want to hurt those that wronged you, right?" Gong-Er continued playing.

"Yes."

"And not because you want to protect Princess Khiara?"

"I… don't… know… her… well."

Gong-Er stopped playing, surprised at her answer. "Where are you from?"

"Westeros. The northern kingdom," Arya answered.

"I see," Gong-Er suddenly spoke the common tongue.

"How do you know the common tongue?" Arya was becoming more startled at this strange woman also knowing how to talk to her.

"It was probably the only way that I could talk to those that came from the west of the Jade Gates. That, and High Valyrian. You're not the only white devil that managed to come here. But I'm curious. Why did you leave Westeros?"

Arya exhaled, hesitant to reveal what had happened ever since she left Winterfell.

"You're a fugitive," Gong-Er guessed.

"It's complicated," Arya replied.

"We have time. Tell me your story."

Arya spent the next few moments explaining her life at Winterfell, her time in King's Landing, witnessing her father unjustly executed by Joffrey, her brother and mother butchered by traitors, and how she was on the run.

"I can't say that you aren't justified in having hate, rage, and anger against those that wronged you. Contrary to what many people might believe, anger can be useful, but only if you don't allow it to become your only reason for existing," Gong-Er said.

"How so?" Arya crossed her arms.

"Correct me if I'm wrong. From how detailed your account is, you must have a list in your mind of the people you want to kill. The people you want to kill gives you purpose, helps you keep going through every hardship, and helps you stay focused. Am I wrong?"

Arya gulped. How did she know?

"But allow me to ask this. If you kill everyone on your list, what will you do afterwards?"

Arya was taken aback. She had never thought that far, as the thought of killing Joffrey and the others had been the sole focus of her mind. "I don't know," Arya admitted.

"And that's the problem with revenge, as that only gives you a short-term purpose but not one that can keep you going even if you accomplish all of your goals. I'm sorry to say this, but as unfair as your hardships have been, the world went on while your father died. It's difficult to accept that, but it's the truth. No one cares."

Arya grounded her teeth at how cold and dismissive Gong-Er sounded.

"If you want to fight and hurt people, you must first learn how to live peacefully and learn how to heal yourself and others. To do both is much more difficult than hurting, as there's a certain strength from healing that those who relish killing can never have," Gong-Er continued.

Arya blinked. "How can those who heal be stronger than those who kill?"

"Do you remember how quickly you wanted to kill this Joffrey for killing your father? That is usually the response we have whenever someone wronged us, but as I said, life went on."

"So… you're implying that I should learn how to heal even my enemies?" Arya was close to scoffing.

"No. I'm saying that you must have a purpose larger than yourself to live with and you must learn how to attend to your spirit before you think about ending another's life. Those who killed your father only know to take life, so they're already weak."

Why is this so confusing? Arya rubbed her forehead.

"I have trained countless women, those who wish to join the Jade Order, but only one in ten managed to complete my training. Do you wish to know why?" Arya continued to listen. "It's because many times, those who wanted to join the Order only did so out of vanity, a way to escape the confines of their families who wanted a future that they didn't want to be part of. Other times, those who come here have too much expectations and expect the Order to be filled with those who practice straight moral lives, but the world is rarely kind to those sorts. Especially women, because no one expects us to have strength."

Gong-Er swiftly put her hand on Arya's face, tracing her eyes, her cheeks, her nose, and her chin. "You have fine features, but I can sense a dimness in you. Of the Maiden-Made-of-Light and the Lion of Night, you seem to have more of the latter inside. Without the Maiden, you will perish, for an imbalance between the two can lead to terrible consequences." Gong-Er resumed playing on her instrument. "This is called an erhu, quite common in the music of the empire. But this allows one to really feel the emotions when included in song."

"When will we begin training?" Arya was growing impatient.

"Soon, after I explain to you what you will face. You know how to flip, but we can teach you how to overcome any obstacle. You know how to improvise, but we can teach you techniques where any object can become a weapon. You have quick instincts, but we can teach you how to kill with the simplest of tools and without thinking. You will be taught how to use a sword, a bow, spear, and how to handle black powder weapons. You will learn hundreds of ways of killing," Gong-Er continued to strum.

Now, we're talking.

"But… your time learning how to kill will be balanced by learning how to appreciate life. You will be taught how to write poems, calligraphy, play music, and dance properly." Arya groaned. "I know what you're thinking, but a woman who only knows how to fight and dresses like a man will be detected easily. However, a woman who can kill and at the same time still retain her appearance in a dress will be unstoppable, as no one will expect such a person to be so deadly."

"So… I should wear a dress then?" Arya almost choked on those words.

"Only when you have to," then Gong-Er finished whatever song she was playing on the erhu. "Let's begin with strikes. As I said, you are skilled and have some combat training. Let's see what else you know."

Arya had been training with Gong-Er for the last week, and the soreness that resulted from her intense regime didn't cease. Gong-Er made her body move in ways that she never thought was possible, and bruises formed on her legs and arms from constantly striking solid surfaces. The wooden dummy was just the latest one she used.

Meanwhile, besides her morning lessons with the tutor Jon hired, she learned how to write elegant calligraphy, playing instruments, and dancing. The type of dancing that Gong-Er made her learn was also quite strenuous, as she had to perform elaborate moves over two hours at most.

Before the week was over, Gong-Er took her to a slaughterhouse, where the butcher had just dressed a cow. A strong stench hung in the air, nothing that Arya wasn't used to.

"Hit it," Gong-Er pointed to the cow carcass.

"You want to me to hit it?" Arya was baffled.

"I'm testing something new. I wonder what would be more effective when it comes to learning how to fight: using dummies or using actual flesh and bone. Help me figure that out."

Arya exhaled, preparing herself. She threw a punch at the cow carcass, but she flinched upon discovering how hard it actually was and rubbed her knuckles. "What in the Seven Hells?"

Gong-Er paid the butcher some silver taels to leave the slaughterhouse to them for the rest of the day. She also turned to leave. "Keep practicing."

"Wait a moment. Where are you going?"

"To get food. Don't worry, I'll get something for you also."

"What will you get?"

"There's a noodle place not far from here, if I remember correctly. I'll be back," and Gong-Er left the slaughterhouse.

Arya groaned, but continued striking against the dead cow's flesh. The bruises didn't make it easier, as she winced every time she punched and kicked.

But the more she struck, the more she began to be accustomed to it. Eventually, Arya imagined Joffrey in the place of the cow carcass, the memory of how she fought the vicious idiot on the Trident still very fresh. It pained her to have Nymeria separated from her, but Cersei wanted blood and just settled for Lady.

Remembering the very people that had a direct effect on her life made Arya strike the dead cow harder and faster. The amount of rage and hate that she had against those that wronged her and her family had finally found an outlet, and she wasn't going to stop until all of it had been released from her body.

What started out as hesitation against hitting flesh and bone transformed into an eagerness to know what it felt like to hurt people. The Hound did it, the Mountain did it, and I shall soon do it.

Eventually, Arya got tired and fell on her bottom before taking in heavy breaths. She looked at her fists, which became more bruised, and felt her legs, grimacing at how tender they felt.

The slaughterhouse door opened, with Gong-Er entering with two steaming bowls. "I'm back." She sat next to Arya and handed her a bowl. "Be careful. It's hot."

Arya needed more time to become accustomed to the hashi, but she was much better with it than before and readily stuffed the noodles in her mouth. Slurping them in, she found herself enjoying the texture, the shredded chicken, and the broth's warmness.

"It's good, isn't it?" Gong-Er caught on.

"Mmmhmm," Arya was too busy consuming one of her new favorite dishes.

"Yeah. One of the things that I grew to appreciate after becoming blind was that I still had my other senses. Imagine not being able to taste good food. I would have lost my mind there."

"For some reason, no matter how much I eat, I just don't grow," Arya swallowed some chicken.

"Be thankful for that. Taller people usually have a more difficult time doing all of the elaborate exercises we've been going over."

"Like Princess Khiara?" Studying what the Lengii were, it didn't surprise her that Khiara was very tall, even though she was only half-Lengii.

"Her Highness has many skills, but wielding weapons is not one of them. Still, she's not someone to be trifled with."

"So, you know that she's dangerous."

"I might not have my sight, but I am not blind. You cross her, she will make you disappear. What worries me so much is that she is never angry or vindictive. There are times where I think that she doesn't have any emotions at all and is very indifferent whenever something terrible happens."

"I would expect her to be."

"But at the same time, she will never abuse those who serve her and will never allow greed rule her actions. That, I believe, makes her so frightening, because she is concerned about the common good but is not above killing innocent people to get what she wants."

"How would you know that?" Arya asked curiously.

"There was a rumor going around the palace, concerning one of the emperor's concubines. That concubine gave birth to a son, the emperor's third male child before Prince Sumeng was born. But the abundance of sons born to different mothers would lead to a lot of competition for the throne, and Yujin and Kaijin were slowly growing when that boy was born. No one wanted to return to the evil days of war over the phoenix throne, so imagine everyone's relief when that boy was found dead and Prince Sumeng finally entered the world."

"How is this related to Princess Khiara?"

"Some courtiers believe that the emperor's Lengii consort wanted to eliminate that child, and that she had Khiara do her dirty work. I knew the empress while she was still alive before succumbing to disease and how close she and Her Highness were to each other, so ordering a child to be killed so that her trueborn son could inherit the throne was something she would do."

Arya's eyes widened, disturbed by that prospect. "And you believe it?"

"I don't know if it's true, but it is very possible. And Her Highness is very much like her mother. In addition, it's no secret that the rest of the family do not consider Prince Sumeng adept at politics and war, but there's a precedent and no one is going to risk another succession crisis."

Arya processed what Gong-Er said about Khiara. She shouldn't have been shocked, as she figured that Joffrey didn't blink when he ordered all of Robert's bastards killed and especially since Tywin most likely was complicit in murdering the Targaryen babes born of Elia. However, it bothered her because she had difficulty in reconciling the likelihood of her being a killer of children with how open-handed she was to herself. I might have told Jon to be careful of her, but still…

"Why are you still in the Jade Order, protecting her, if you knew all of this?" Arya had to know.

"Because even though I know how much of a threat she can be, I am indebted to her. I have no family, and no one would take a blind woman into their service, but she did. And a small part of me is hoping that Princess Khiara is more than what she wants to reveal to others, because I can no other reason why she would keep me on despite my skill. Then again, hope is rarely useful in describing people who have much to lose and much to gain in power plays."

Arya sighed, seeing how conflicted her teacher was. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

"You told me your story. It's only right that I tell you mine," Gong-Er shrugged. Arya chuckled as they both finished their noodles.

Walking back to the palace and calling it a day, Arya walked back to Jon's palace and looked forward to the next day with Gong-Er.

"Hey, white girl!" Arya turned around and saw Prince Yujin and a couple of men moving towards her.

She had heard about Prince Yujin, particularly how he was abusive to his servants and how he engaged in wanton behavior towards any perceived slights. She also heard that he was a dangerous fighter, very willing to break the rules and cheat in order to win. He's Joffrey, but he knows how to fight and doesn't need to whine to be threatening.

Arya continued to walk, not wishing to interact with Yujin. But he would not be denied, as the two men with him grabbed onto her and pushed her against the wall. They were much stronger than she was, and her limbs needed more time to be adjusted to the training Gong-Er was putting her through.

But she remained calm as Yujin looked down into her eyes. He talked to the one of them, who said in the common tongue, "When His Highness talks to you, you best listen."

"Is this his idea of talking?"

"Shut up!" the man said before he translated Yujin's words. "He said, 'I hear you were a beggar in the streets, working for a man who ran a meat bun shop. And that one of your companions is an addict.'"

Arya narrowed her eyes. "How would you know that?"

"'I have connections with the less desirable sects of this city, and they are not pleased that one of their earners has been taken away from them. They want compensation,'" the man said for Yujin.

"That is not my problem, and they can go fuck themselves," Arya spat.

Yujin laughed in amusement. "He said that you have spirit, but you have no sense of gratitude. Is this how you behave when it comes to those that fed you and kept you hidden from prying eyes?"

"They did nothing to help me. Don't get the facts confused," Arya told Yujin.

"He said that maybe he should bring up this matter to your cousin, Prince Daeron. After all, he has enough money to pay whatever the shopkeeper and his bosses want."

"He will never do that. Why do you even care for scum like the shopkeeper?"

Yujin groaned. "It's a simple concept, one that even your ignorant mind would understand. They help me, I help them. You don't need to know how. Right now, I have an obligation to answer their needs. Tell me, how will you compensate the shopkeeper for all that he's done for you?"

Arya spit in his Yujin's face. "That's my compensation."

Yujin scoffed while wiping his cheek before kneeing Arya hard in the stomach, causing her to fall over and struggle for breath. She then felt her hair grabbed.

"Maybe I should take it out of your flesh," Yujin held a knife near her eye. "Blood is as good as coin to those wretches in the streets. Shall we cut away your ear or your nose?"

"My cousin will kill you for this," Arya managed.

"We'll see about that," Yujin was about to penetrate her skin with his knife before they all heard a dragon roar.

Turning to see the courtyard, they saw Meleys on all four of her limbs, growling at Yujin. The men were immediately frightened and ran off, leaving Yujin to face the Red Queen reborn and Jon, who was storming towards him from another part of the courtyard.

Arya pushed away Yujin before running to Jon, hugging him tightly as she sought his protection.

"Are you all right?" Jon asked.

"I'm fine," Arya said. She also felt Ghost lick her hand.

"Protect her, boy," Jon told his direwolf before glaring at Yujin. "You put your hands on her," he snarled.

"What do you expect me to do after she spat in my face?" Yujin sneered.

"She would only do so if she had good reason. Why did you touch her?"

"She has a debt to pay, your cousin."

"Well, she's not going to pay it, especially if it's related to the likes of you."

"That'll be unwise of her to do so, and of you to refuse it on her behalf. Who knows what might happen to you if she walks the streets of this city again?"

"Is that a threat, Prince Yujin?" Jon pushed his jacket back to reveal Dark Sister.

"I'm saying, there are people who she owes her life to when she was just another white devil and those people are not as restrained as I am when it comes to retribution," Yujin explained.

"Which isn't saying much about yourself."

Yujin stepped menacingly towards Jon. "If only you didn't have your fucking dragon, I would gladly slice open your chest and drain you of all of your blood."

"What's stopping you, you son of a bitch?"

Yujin's face twisted in anger and his hand was on the pommel of his katana, very tempted to unsheathe it. However, both Ghost and Meleys glaring at him stopped him from meeting an early death and he willed himself to calm down.

"You will pay, bastard. You will pay," he snarled before storming off.

"I will be waiting," Jon called out before rubbing Ghost's neck and scratching Meley's snout. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about me," Arya's breathing was back to normal as she rubbed her belly. "That shit."

"He'll get his. I am not letting this go, not after what he did to you," Jon promised. "But tell me. What did he mean by 'debt?'"

Arya cleared her throat. "I'm hungry. I'll tell you over dinner."

Jon nodded. "Okay. I need to know everything, so that I can help you."

"Don't worry," Arya gave him a small smile.


Mingyu presented her pass to the guard. "What's your business here?" he asked.

"I have a commission from General Lin to perform before your troops. Here is the receipt that confirms payment from the quartermaster," she pulled out another piece of paper.

The guard looked over the slips before handing them back to her. "All right. Go on now."

A few weeks ago, General Lin, the adjutant of the Capital Field Army at Si Qo, hired Mingyu for a performing job. He had much about her abilities on the koto and as a singer, so he thought that she would be able to bring some comfort to the troops who were stationed deep in the jungle. There might have been settlements at Si Qo where they could accommodate their families, but the jungle was rarely kind to any outsiders.

At least, that was what others were led to believe if they asked. In reality, she was hired to do another job, one that she was undertaking on behalf of a group of men who had much to lose from the actions of one man: Benjen Stark.

The group of men, which consisted of merchants, bureaucrats, and army officers, were alarmed when Daeron Targaryen started to investigate the "disappeared" brigades. There was much money to made from the selling off the supplies of those brigades and siphoning off the payroll to their own pockets. The merchants would sell the supplies on the market, the army officers would provide them for a cut, and the bureaucrats had to forge the paperwork and reroute the payroll. The operation got so big and profitable that certain officials at court also got involved for a piece. The northern armies could defend the empire on land and the fleet could defend the empire from the seas, so they thought, "Why not make some profit from the southern armies?"

But Daeron Targaryen had to put his nose in where it didn't belong and threaten their livelihood. Daeron didn't play by the rules, so there was no bribing him. His uncle, Lieutenant General Benjen Stark, was like that, and his position as commander of the Capital Field Army really put their schemes in jeopardy since he had direct access to one of their most valuable sources of income. His nephew alerted him, and he thus had the quartermaster do his own investigation.

What Benjen Stark didn't know was that the quartermaster was involved and thus sent a warning to the group. Too much was at stake for two white devils to simply ruin everything, so they got into contact with someone that came highly recommended by those from the criminal underwold, which was herself.

As a fugitive from imperial justice and a former member of the Jade Order, Mingyu found herself among a clan of shinobi, who trained her in the secret arts. Now, she lived contract after contract, being able to survive while remaining hidden from imperial commissioners. The group paid her clan handsomely if they sent in someone to monitor and possibly eliminate Benjen Stark should he come too close to the truth. Nothing I can't handle.

In fact, this Benjen Stark wasn't the first army officer she was hired to kill. To her, it was just business and she learned long ago to disconnect her feelings from those she had to kill. Also, no one cared to listen to her before she had to run, as she was a merely a soldier trying to go up against those more powerful than she was. What's one more body to add on it?

Settling down in her room, Mingyu was scheduled to perform the next day. However, she would use the night to begin her surveillance of her target. Changing from her bright silk robes to her dark shinobi dress, she snuck out of her quarters, avoided being seen by the guards, and ran alongside rooftop after climbing onto it.

Remembering how army compounds were arranged, she was able to find her way to the commander's quarters. Finding some bushes to hide in, she jumped in and slid open the screen doors, but only by a little bit in order to not alert her target.

Peeking in, she found the white devil, Benjen Stark, reading through some text about the empire's military history, particularly the maroon dynasty. Looking through the room, she found only books, his armor, a table, and tea set. That baffled her, as most men in his position would use their post to enrich themselves by purchasing rich decorations and even finding female company. But not him. And his nephew is a prince, so either his nephew is being a miser, or he doesn't ask.

Mingyu heard Benjen read aloud in impeccable nihongo. It wasn't perfect, but very good considering how much time he spent in the empire and how far he had climbed. That told much about his attitude, which was very different from the other army officers she encountered.

But what's more, Benjen looked very good for his age. He had a trimmed beard, hair tied in a bun, and was well-built. He also had pale skin and certain ruggedness about him that told her that he had seen much in his life. Most generals had grown fat, let their pleasures get the better of them, and allowed others to become indulgent. From what she heard, Benjen ran the army like a tight ship and no one was allowed to slack off.

Usually, Mingyu would think that Benjen was being idealistic, but upon seeing him, she saw that there was more to him. And that made her… curious.

She didn't know much about Benjen Stark, but the good thing about her contract was there was no deadline. She could then learn more about her target, and thus see whether he was fit to live a longer life.

It would be a shame if I carried out my contract without seeing what kind of man he really is.

Making her way back to her quarters without being noticed, she prepared her instruments and prepared her voice. She also thought about how she would focus her attention on Benjen, the one that had sparked her interest. They gave me leeway on how to do it, so might as well take advantage of it.

A/N: I'm thinking that Lucy Liu plays the physician that Sandor has to visit, Zhang Ziyi plays Gong-Er, and Jing Tian plays Mingyu. And Gong-Er's intro was based on Seraph's intro in Matrix Reloaded.

Sandor is being treated at essentially rehab, Arya is training with the Jade Order, and Benjen is now being targeted. I hope I handled Gong-Er's conversation with Arya well, being a good teacher and all. But now, Jon has a personal reason to fight Yujin, as no one can get away with hurting his family.

As for Mingyu, we'll see more of her background and why she is a fugitive, including how much time she spends watching Benjen.

Looks like Jon's snooping around led to serious consequences. Here's to them surviving and beating the corrupt men who wish them harm.