AN: So here's the next chapter, going to do as I have been and address reviews here.
Shoveler: Glad you liked it hope I can keep it up for you
Guest: Well thank you for the compliment and I am flattered that you enjoyed it enough to want to read something else that I had written. I saw a challenge for a HP/GoT crossover that interested me so I might give that a go at some point.
Guest: Yes Jon will be in this, as to his pairing I haven't decided yet but the two people you mentioned are the two people I was considering… so yeah. I look forward to writing those reunions.
guest: Aegon will interact with both Aerion and Arya on more than one occasion so no worries.
naleight: I always appreciate your reviews so thanks for that. I'm glad you like the way I've depicted Daenerys and while I don't have anything against Aegon in the book I just can't see humility being a trait in somebody who has spent his whole life being told he'll be a king. As such, I can totally understand why you are pro-Dany and anti-Aegon. As for Aerion and Arya, I like writing the progression in their relationship. The hardest thing for me is making sure I have balance between that, the politics, the fighting and other character interactions all while keeping the pacing from being dragged down. The reason for giving Arya, Blackfyre was two-fold in my mind. One, Daenerys does not particularly care for Aegon and doesn't want to gift him with the sword of their family. Two, Daenerys while not a swordsman herself can see the benefit in having a truly exquisite blade at Arya's disposal as she will be in the thick of things when it actually comes to battle. Tyrion didn't tell Daenerys what happened to Ice out of guilt he was merely answering a question posed to him by Daenerys. In the end, I think it just comes down to the fact that she understands it will be most useful in Arya's hands and doesn't want to see it wasted on… say Aegon.
The march had begun, 75,000 men along with 8,500 horses, 300 elephants and three dragons were making their way north towards King's Landing. By the end of the first day, they cleared the Dornish Marches and now made their way to Fawnton, a town between the Blue Byrn and the Kingswood, from there they would make their way up the edge of the Kingswood until they reached the Rose Road and took that path to the capital. They were a day from Fawnton and five from the capital as long as the weather held. It had been blessedly kind as of yet, snow fell granted but it was not enough to hinder their progress.
Scouts had reported that the enemy army had yet to break their camp and seemed as of yet unaware of their movements. It was of little consequence as with their position they would likely travel up the west bank of the Mander before turning east to meet them. As such there was no threat of meeting them before they reached the capital. Arya was currently with Daenerys relaying in greater detail what it was she believed Aegon may attempt and what the best ways to counteract any foul play would be.
Aerion was riding alongside Lord Tyrion, what he was not expecting was the unwelcome presence of the princeling. Fortunately for Aerion he wasn't there to speak to him, at least it didn't seem so, as he approached Tyrion straight away and ignored Aerion altogether.
Aegon's voice was uncharacteristically reserved as he started talking, "Tyrion, I did not get the chance to say it when first we met for negotiations but it is good to see you again. I must confess it is a surprise to see you alive and well, we had given you up after you disappeared in Selhorys and I am most definitely surprised to see you with my dear aunt.
Tyrion eyed the youth critically, "Yes I'm sure you find it extremely good to see me again considering some of the first words out of your mouth when you sat down with our Queen was criticizing her for allying with a Lannister of all people." Tyrion waved a hand in dismissal, "As to my disappearance, I sincerely doubt Jon Connington spent more than five minutes looking for me before he gave it up as a lost cause."
Aegon's false smile faltered for a moment, "I apologize for what I said at the negotiations but you must admit it is suspicious that she takes council with children of two of the men responsible for our family's downfall. I spoke in anger and truly meant nothing by it" That at least sounded genuine, "… You should know though that we spent hours searching for you after your disappearance," it was a lie but Tyrion didn't need to know that, "Jon valued your presence amongst us, and he was distraught to see you had disappeared."
Tyrion laughed in Aegon's face and based on the slight reddening of the young man's ears and narrowed eyes he did not appreciated it, "No Prince, I do not admit anything of the sort regarding Daenerys's advisors. Arya and I are here because we believe in what she represents and what she can do for us and the Seven Kingdoms, we are not our fathers. If anything is suspicious, it is your willingness to renounce your claim so easily," Aegon made to interrupt but Tyrion did not give him the opportunity, "But that is not what I found so funny, that would be the insinuation that Jon has anything but absolute contempt for me and my family. He only tolerated me when I was on your little ship because Varys and Illyrio commanded it."
"You say that as though the pair has absolute control over him and in turn me." Aerion snorted and immediately regretted it as he drew the pompous young man's attention. Damn it I was doing so well staying out of his notice.
Tyrion continued as though nothing had happened, "That would be because they do. Jon would likely have died long ago much as the stories that were told of him imply, drinking in a gutter if not for their manipulations. As for you, were it not for the mummer and his word that you are Aegon Targaryen you would never get anywhere near the Iron Throne."
Aegon flushed in anger, "I am Aegon Targaryen with or without the word of the Spider. You on the other hand are nothing more than the child of a traitor and a hideous little imp." Wow that is the best he could come up with; not as though Tyrion hasn't heard that one thousands of times in the past.
Tyrion smirked, "True but there is proof that I am my father's son and no denying that I am imp… unlike your repeated claims; though if nothing else you do look the part." Please gods let the fool just leave.
Aegon seemed to come back to himself, "Yes agreed there is no doubting that you are an imp; and if I recall you are an imp who is quite good at cyvasse, we will have to play again at some point." Tyrion nodded and Aegon smiled before turning to Aerion. Gods damn it! I really thought he would just leave me be. "I don't believe I was given your name while in Blackhaven." I was a veiled command.
Aerion restrained the urge to roll his eyes, "Yes well I doubt you would have been given Arya's name either had it not been for Lord Dayne recognizing her; after all, we are only Daenerys' champions so there was really no need to introduce us at alliance negotiations unless somebody decided they wanted to end the issue through single combat." Aerion deliberately avoided the man's question. If I am going to be subject to the princelings company I'm going to make it as unpleasant for him as I possibly can. Aerion laughed internally at the disgruntled look on Aegon's face. He isn't used to people who don't jump at his every command or acquiesce to his every little request.
The princelings lips were thinned in obvious annoyance, "True enough, I suppose a champion isn't really important enough to introduce at such important events; however, I would still like to know the name of all those who swear fealty to my aunt." Hmm that was probably the most subtle comeback I have heard from him so far.
"Yes, well I am quite sure it will take you a great deal of time to learn all of those names. She is a much loved Queen and as such many people have sworn their fealty," Aerion's subtle dig clearly hit home as he noticed a slight twitch above Aegon's right eye, "I suppose you must start somewhere though. I am Aerion Ormthair of Pentos."
"Aerion… that is an interesting name," Aegon commented casually, "quite Targaryen in fact, of course the most infamous of them was Aerion Brightflame or Aerion the Monstrous, the mad man who thought drinking wildfire would allow him to turn into a dragon."
"True enough," Aerion couldn't deny a simple fact, "but as far as I remember the first Aerion was father of Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys. I see no harm in sharing a name with the father of the Conqueror."
Aegon snorted derisively, "Very few remember the name Aerion because of him though." He really thinks this will irritate me, insulting one of his own family members.
"Yes," Aerion decided he would play this game if that was what the princeling wanted, "but last I checked of the Targaryen kings named Aegon one was the great conqueror, the second caused civil war, the third is known as the Dragon's Bane, the fourth was the single worst king in the history of the Seven Kingdoms, and the fifth while a good king allowed for his children to marry whom they pleased eventually leading to the reign of Aerys II who, whether you want to admit it or not, was as mad as people claimed. So… I would say that both of us share names with great and terrible men." Aerion heard Tyrion try to pass off a laugh as a cough.
Aegon didn't find any humor in the situation, "Yes well at least none of the men I shared a name with were outright insane." He is far too stubborn for his own good.
"I suppose that is a matter of perspective." Aerion looked to the silver haired man beside him,"I think most would call it insane to legitimize all of your bastards on your deathbed causing a Rebellion that could have torn the Kingdoms apart but then some men may not see it that way."
"You know a strange amount of history about my family for a man from Pentos." There was a distinct accusation in his tone.
"What can I say," Aerion responded with a slight shrug of his shoulders, "the Targaryens are an interesting family if nothing else; mad men and maesters, cruel killers and pious priests, great knights and beautiful princesses, few families can boast such a wide range of people… at least few are famous enough for each one to be remembered." For a moment Aegon didn't seem to know how to respond.
Aegon smiled coldly, "Let us both hope that we are remembered in the same light as the good men that share our names instead of our less respectable ancestors." The use of the word our did not escape Aerion's notice. So somebody has told him then… that explains his attempts at irritating me, if he dislikes the Starks he must hate the Blackfyres.
"Oh well I don't think that will be an issue. Personally I have already done the name some pride, I am a swordsman and a musician, now all that remains is to put my name on something that will allow it to live on." Aerion's tone left no doubt what he thought of Aegon's accomplishments to this point.
"Aerion Brightflame wanted to be remembered as well… I doubt it turned out the way he had hoped." Aegon threatened more than warned.
Aerion resisted the urge to laugh in the prince's face, "Well I would say serving the woman who actually managed to bring dragons back into the world is a far cry from the man who thought he could actually become a dragon by drinking wildfire."
"Yet you serve her only because it coincides with your own desires." Aegon accused callously.
Aerion's eyes narrowed as the princeling had finally managed to strike a chord, "I serve her because of the sort of person and ruler she is; that I have personal motivations as well does not detract from that."
Aegon's tilted his head, and peered at Aerion through narrowed eyes, "Though one might question whether you have higher aspirations given your lineage."
Aerion sighed tiredly, "Finally we come to the crux of the matter, my lineage is not so different from yours; I have no doubt that my aspirations are far less than yours, after all I am no prince."
Aegon sneered, his comely features twisting, "No you are the last male in a line of up jumped bastards that nearly tore the Kingdoms apart."
"For all we know you are as much a Blackfyre as I am," Aerion told the prince unrepentantly, "my grandmother was not the only female from the line she was simply the most direct."
"I am the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell!" The princeling yelled, his going red in the cheeks. He must be the single easiest person to rile up that I have ever met. He seems to think himself greater than others; he is the absolutely worst kind of royalty in that regard. Unless he grows out of his sense of entitlement he will never deserve to be a king.
"You keep saying that," Aerion commented inattentive to Aegon''s anger," I'm beginning to believe that you think if you say it enough, everybody will simply believe you."
"I had 40,000 men under my command that were more than willing to believe it!" Aegon hand's clenched the reins of his horse more tightly, his knuckles turning white.
"No," Aerion refuted, his voice slightly louder than before, " you had two men that believed it, Harry Strickland and Doran Martell. You are fortunate enough that the held the loyalties of tens of thousands of men between them. Their men only believe you are Aegon Targaryen because they do."
Sounding like a petulant child, Aegon retorted, "You are wrong."
Aerion looked at Aegon with a hint of disdain in his eyes, "Perhaps but regardless, you command nothing now and what people think of your parentage is irrelevant; you will be the prince of the Seven Kingdoms should Daenerys's forces be victorious, be glad of that and know that I shall be no hindrance to your endeavors."
"I am to believe that a Blackfyre has no intentions toward the throne," he laughed humorlessly, "no I think this all a complex scheme to see yourself upon the Iron Throne."
Aerion patience had reached its limit and he snapped, "Then you are a fool. I have many desires in life but that is most certainly not one of them. I have no machinations that involve the Iron Throne, my grandfather," the word was said with obvious disdain, "was a monster and the Blackfyres overreached when they had no cause."
His voice softened though there was no less anger in his words, "As such, amongst my many goals in life redeeming my grandmother's family is one but walking the same self-destructive path that saw every man with the name Blackfyre dead is not." Aegon sat there silently evaluating him and for the first time Aerion saw in Aegon's demeanor what he expected from a mind that had spent most of its life being trained for rule.
"Admirable, Aerion Ormthair, I apologize if I offended you. I suppose I should take my aunt's advice in this case and understand that the sins of the father, or in your case grandfather, are not the sins of the son. However, that does not mean I shall not be wary of you; you could still be a threat to both me and my aunt." It was meant to be a threat but Aerion thought nothing of it.
"We should all be aware of threats to Daenerys, she is our queen and many will seek paths to see her removed." If anybody is a threat to the Queen in this camp it is you or Connington. Aegon nodded and pushed his horse into a gallop to catch up with Jon.
Tyrion finally decided to speak up again, "Well that was entertaining, it is usually me that irritates highborn lords, but you just nearly gave me a run for my money."
"I highly doubt that," Aerion said unconvinced, "I have seen you and what I just did pales in comparison to your ability to irritate others."
Tyrion chuckled, "Yes I am a God of Annoyance, though I think many would wish it otherwise. Nonetheless, it was fun watching you irritate the prince." Tyrion's mismatched eyes narrowed in thought, "I remember when I first met him, he was intelligent and still is but I could see that slight bit of madness that seemed to drive his arrogance. I count my blessings that I was able to find a less volatile dragon."
Aerion smirked, "I imagine you are quite happy with your choices, though I must admit that no one has ever taken the time to actually tell me how you came into Daenerys's service."
Tyrion's visage darkened as the now present scowl slightly loosened the scar along his face, "A less than interesting story I am afraid but if you must know, I was taken captive by Jorah Mormont in hopes that my capture would regain him favor with the woman he lusted after."
"The man who sold her out for a pardon?" Aerion had heard tale of the former Lord of Bear Island, "I take it that did not go as planned for him."
"You would be correct on both who he is and how it worked out for him." Tyrion informed him, "The queen had only just recently discovered the conspiracy to see her murdered, when Jorah and I arrived in Meereen she was less than willing to accept anybody who had personally betrayed her. Fortunately for me I had done nothing to her and unlike Jorah I was able to provide her with useful information and council."
"What was done with the knight?" Aerion questioned.
"The same as had been done when first his betrayal came to light. The only difference, I imagine, was Daenerys actually thanking him for my safe deliverance before having him removed from her city." Tyrion laughed slightly to himself at the memory, "She could not trust him any longer and his lust for her would have only been a hindrance if she allowed him to remain." A wise decision, men do terrible things in the hopes of attaining the love of a woman they shall never have.
Curiosity got the better of Aerion, "What became of Ser Jorah, do you know?"
Tyrion quirked his lips as he shook his head slightly, "I imagine he took to doing much the same as he had when he found me, drinking. It is likely that he has drunk himself to death at this point."
Aerion didn't like the sound of that, "No one thought it pertinent to keep tabs on the man? He could be a threat somewhere down the road."
Tyrion looked doubtful of such a thing, "I sincerely doubt that my young friend. He may have been a good knight but he had no talent for the clandestine practices that would now be necessary to harm our Queen."
"Probably but leaving someone with that kind of obsession unchecked seems a dangerous thing to me." Aerion frowned in thought, "Love turns to hate easily enough, they are two sides of the same coin and whatever his feeling are should he still be alive I doubt he merely dropped his fixation on her."
Tyrion appeared pensive for a moment, "A valid point but of little concern, it is likely that the man is dead and if he is in Westeros it is likely serving amongst one of our enemies' armies."
"As you say, I just think it would have been wise to keep track of the man."
Tyrion looked at him with a hint of annoyance, "I am not aware of all things the Queen does Aerion. It would not surprise me if she decided to have him followed. Truly, he is of no concern though; he is either dead or he will be."
"Understood, it is of little consequence anyway, there is nothing I can do about the situation now."
"True enough." Tyrion turned to him mirth behind his mismatch eyes, "Again, thank you for the entertainment by the way, you may not have a mind for politics but you are more than capable of irritating highborn lords and I think that is a fine trait to have," his eyes narrowed fractionally then, "but it may not be wise to irritate a man who will be prince of the Seven Kingdoms."
Aerion couldn't bring himself to care, "It may have been unwise but it was worth it. He insulted his own ancestors and couldn't control his anger; I learned something about someone who may be one of Daenerys's enemies, I think that counteracts my lack of wisdom." He touched the pommel of his blade for a moment as he considered the threat, "Besides he did seem genuine in his apology and for a moment I saw the sort of man that could be a king."
The half man smirked, "Arya has been rubbing off on you I see. That bit of analysis was very surreptitious and that you irritated him for that sole purpose is impressive." Aerion didn't miss the insinuation.
He didn't even bat an eye before responding, "Well yes she has, I would be remiss not to learn something from someone so skilled."
Tyrion threw his head back in laughter, "Yes well the way the two of you have been lately I would not be surprised if there were other ways in which she is rubbing off on you," Tyrion smiled lasciviously but noticing the lack of response on Aerion's part continued without further comment on that matter. Thank the gods, I have no desire to discuss what Arya and I have or haven't done with the man. "But you are right, that is probably the saddest thing about Aegon. He has it in him to be a good king but has far too great a sense of entitlement to ever be the kind of king this country needs. I hope seeing his aunt and her actions will help him see his own faults."
"I think that may be wishful thinking Tyrion." Aerion continued more quietly, so as to not be overheard, "Arya and I are both in agreement that he will attempt something and until such a thing fails he will be unwilling to even consider examining himself or his own faults."
"You are probably correct… You do realize that there is very little chance that any attempt on Daenerys's life will be traceable to Aegon; it is far more likely that one of his subordinates will take the fall."
"That makes sense, Connington is so fanatically loyal that I can't imagine him allowing Aegon to take the fall unless he is quite literally caught red-handed."
"I think a blind man would be able to see that Aerion," Tyrion replied offhandedly, "though it is good to know you are not so oblivious in matters of politics as to miss it."
"Ah but this isn't politics… not really, it's more like strategy." He missed the look of approval on Tyrion's face, "Much like in cyvasse it makes sense to sacrifice your catapult to save your dragon. There is no courtly intrigued involve here, it is far too straightforward."
"Of that we are agreed." Tyrion seemed to look off faraway for a moment, "You know I miss the courtly intrigue," he shook himself, "if nothing else it shall be interesting to see how thing play out." The pair continued on in silence.
Arya awoke three days later with a smile on her face. She had just finished a wolf dream and this one was incredibly satisfying in a multitude of ways. Nymeria had hunted with two of her pack. From everything that Arya could tell they hadn't ventured all that far from the crossroads where she had been forced to abandon her direwolf, meaning they were near the Trident. They had gone slightly further north though after picking up a new scent. Arya was pleased when they came across men wearing the flayed man of House Bolton.
She was not so vindictive as to want these men dead simply because their house was responsible for the death of two of her family. In fact, she was very much aware that they were likely only commanded by their lord at the Twins to commit their treason. No, she was happy about finding these Boltons because they had been in the process of violating a young girl. It appeared they had left the main encampment of Bolton's host in search of some… physical relief. The larger of the two was removing his trousers as he pinned her legs with his own while the smaller held the girl's arms to the ground. Her clothes were torn away and her pale flesh shown in the moonlight.
Arya took exception to their actions and immediately upon seeing what they were doing attacked, ripping at their flesh. The young girl ran from the site immediately, something that Arya was grateful for as the girl did not deserve being a meal for the pack. The men put up little fight as the larger one stumbled with his trousers around his ankles before Nymeria's pack mates tore out his throat. The smaller was pinned to the ground and Nymeria dug her claws into his chest. Nymeria and the two wolves with her feasted on the flesh of the Bolton men, to most this would be a gruesome and disgusting experience but to Arya, she saw it as a sign of things to come. She looked forward to the day that the direwolf ripped at the flayed man until he was little more than forgotten bones. Trusting Roose Bolton was one of Robb's greatest mistakes. The Bolton's have sought dominion over the North since Bran the Builder became the first King of Winter. Walder Frey would never have had the gall to attack my brother if not for Tywin's assurances and Roose's men. Of all the people on my list, I look forward to taking his life the most.
With that thought on her mind Arya began making herself ready for the day's march. Her talks with the Queen three days prior had gone well. Despite Daenerys's conversation with her nephew before their march in which he actually showed some level of respect and wisdom, she still understood that he could serve as a threat. Daenerys also realized that he was miffed, to put it lightly, that he lost what he believed to be his birthright. So, they discussed what it was could be done to ensure he would be kept in check.
Arya was surprised to find out that Daenerys did not have someone to ensure there was no poison in her food. Part of that was probably because she only allowed a select few cooks, who she had hired after her conquest in the Bay, handle her food. Arya had pointed out that such a precaution would not stop a Faceless man. They would find a way around such things, they could wear many faces and with the number who had accepted the gift in the House of Black and White it was likely there was at least one face that could pass for that of her cooks'.
Daenerys had not been happy about the idea of allowing one of her servants to take the risk of poisoning when she was the target but understood the importance of the situation. She had decided that her royal food taster would be handsomely paid and should something happen to them their family would be compensated. Arya had to respect the Queen's affection for her subjects; she sincerely doubted that Cersei Lannister had done more than demand Tommen's whipping boy be forced to test his food after Joffrey's death. With the threat of poison hopefully taken care of, Arya only had to worry about ensuring that a dagger did not find the Queen in the night.
Unfortunately this is where the Queen had drawn the line, she refused to allow her guards to actually sit within her tent or rooms depending on the situation. She understood the need for guards outside her door but would not abide anything more. Arya had been less than pleased but after talking with Ser Barristan had decided on a course of action. Guards would be posted not just at the entrance to Daenerys's tent but also around the perimeter so as to avoid the possibility of an assassin slipping in through the back. Patrols would also pass by the Queen's tent to ensure nothing happened to any of the Queensguard around the tent.
It was not a perfect solution but it was the one that permitted Daenerys her privacy while providing the most possible security. In the end, Arya considered there conversation an overall win. Daenerys had not been fooled by Aegon's feigned acceptance of the situation and had agreed to one of Arya's suggestions. She had just finished preparing for the day when Aerion entered the tent.
"Ready to go then," Arya nodded, "I figured as much."
Arya smirked up at him, "After two months I think it would be quite obvious that I am not the sort of person who needs a great deal of sleep."
Aerion laughed lightly, "Oh I figured that out in the first week, that's why I knew you were ready to go."
Arya chuckled with him, "Good to know you're not entirely oblivious."
Aerion snorted, "You know Tyrion said much the same thing after my conversation with Aegon the other day."
"Lucky you being subjected to the prince's attentions," Arya patted him on the shoulder consolingly, I have been fortunate enough to avoid them so far, though I doubt it will remain that way forever."
"No, you're probably right, it's inevitable that you will eventually find yourself in his company; after all, he is interested in getting to know those who serve Daenerys," Aerion rolled his eyes, " I would say considering he has met all of her advisors you must be at the top of his list of remaining people."
Arya laughed mirthlessly, "Oh lucky me, I am the only remaining person who he deems important enough to bother."
Aerion had little sympathy, "Yes well I was subjected to his presence so it is only fair that you receive the same treatment."
"But shouldn't my brave love defend me against such a thing," the whole thing was rather dramatic and Aerion was astounded by how well she managed to play at being the distressed damsel. She even batted her eyelashes and managed a small swoon.
"Well your brave love would be happy to defend you against such things if he didn't think you could handle the situation yourself just as well if not better than he could," Somehow he managed a completely straight face throughout that. Arya righted herself and gave him a glare that lost all of its intensity because of the slight smile on her lips.
"Oh how wonderful," Arya lamented sarcastically, "I have found a man who won't even defend me from pompous princes."
Aerion resisted the urge to laugh at her antics, "I think we can both agree that Aegon is far more likely to need the help of his guard then you will need mine. I think it has been many years since last you resembled anything close to a damsel in distress."
Arya smiled genuinely then, "True but it has been a very long time since I was faced with a person who I could not simply ignore or smack if they irritated me. Aegon may be many things but he is still to be a prince and I am still a Lady of House Stark, as such I don't have the luxury of dealing with him the way I would like." She was truly disappointed by the fact.
Aerion leaned into her and kissed her briefly on the lips, "But you will deal with him all the same; you are far more than a skilled blade, your mind is just as quick."
Her smile turned into a beaming grin and he was happy he had managed to put that look on her face. "Well thank you, I know I will have to deal with him eventually. Now I believe we should get moving."
"We can talk as we go, there is one more thing, and it is an actual matter of business that I would like to discuss with you." Arya immediately lost her air of lightheartedness and nodded as they made their way to their horses.
"What is it you would like to discuss?" This should be interesting.
"I wanted to discuss what Tyrion believed will happen once we reach the city. Should Cersei actually send out a candidate for single combat we will be honor bound to fight him. To do anything less would be a show of cowardice." He glanced down at her, "I thought it would be pertinent to decide who shall take up that duty when the time arrives."
Arya turned to him, "That depends entirely on who is sent to fight. Should it be Ser Meryn Trant, rest assured that I will be the one to remove that useless waste of fucking life from this world." Her voice was sharper than the steel on her hip.
"I expected nothing less." Aerion conceded without a second thought, "The bastard killed someone important to you, I think it only right that you be able to see justice done for Syrio. My question is what shall we do should it be another? What if she sends the Knight of Flowers I have heard so much about? Or this Robert Strong that they say is an absolute mountain of a man."
"Word is that Ser Loras was injured in the capture of Dragonstone and still has not returned to the capital even four years later. Of course there are also rumors that he is quite well and serves in the Reach having tired of Cersei. So there is no risk of having to fight him at least not in single combat Ser Balon is… a guest in Dorne with Princess Myrcella," She had been told has much by Obara Sand.
"Cersei would sooner pick the court jester than Ser Boros," Arya actually resist urge to laugh at the thought," and Ser Jaime is missing in the Riverlands some saying that he serves the shade of my mother. The only two possibilities are Ser Meryn and this Ser Robert.
She looked to Arya a bit of concern in her grey eyes, "Unfortunately for me, Ser Robert is the likely choice, and while I am perfectly confident in my skills I cannot kill a man of such size with my Needle. While I do not want to see you face such a man I see no other option. We cannot simply refuse even if we know Margaery will not accept Cersei's decision as valid. The delay is what we really need."
"So I will fight then?" Aerion questioned, just to make sure they were agreed.
"Most likely yes and I have the utmost faith that despite the size of the man, you will be able to kill him." And despite her worry she most certainly believed it, "Skill tends to win out in such things."
He smiled, "It is good to know you have such confidence in me. Should she decide to send Ser Meryn, I have no doubt the man shall feel Needle's sting before it is over."
"Of that we are agreed," Arya became pensive before speaking again, "You know I've been meaning to talk to you about your sword."
Aerion looked rather befuddled, clearly not expecting the change in topic, "What about my sword?"
"Well," She said quietly, "all the best swords have names and you've never taken the time to give yours one."
"What makes you think all of the best swords have names?" Aerion could tell she meant it and resisted the urge to tease her about the statement.
"Well they do, there is Ice, Blackfyre, Dark Sister, Dawn…," she smiled sheepishly for a moment, "plus my older brother told me that when he gave me Needle. All of the swords that have done great deeds have names to be remembered by, I think yours deserves to have a name."
Aerion chuckled, "Very well, what do you think we should name it then?" Arya's face brightened. I really thought that he wouldn't even consider it.
"Well I've given it some thought…" she didn't get to finish her statement.
"Of course you have," Aerion deadpanned.
Arya glared at him and shoved his shoulder, "Well if you're going to be that way about it maybe we should just call it Prick?"
He smiled back at her unrepentantly, "You wound me dear lady, I think maybe we could come up with something more appropriate." Arya merely shook her head in exasperation though she had a slight smile on her face.
"Anyway," She said loudly, "I've given it some thought and the most obvious would probably be the Black Blade."
"That is far too unoriginal love, I think maybe something different; I mean I know Talo will make more of his black blades and you already have one of your own, even if it is a dagger." Arya let his use of an endearment slide for now though she couldn't help the slight fire it caused in her cheeks. When we said it earlier it was in jest, I thought we were merely teasing one another but that was most certainly sincere.
"Those were my thoughts exactly so I came up with something else." She responded.
"Okay let's hear it then."
"The Serpent's Fang," he looked at her with an eyebrow raised so she decided to explain, "well I don't know whether you know or not but people have taken to calling you the Snake or the Serpent."
"I had heard it in passing a few times." He admitted frowning in thought.
"Well I think that it would be appropriate to include it in the name of your sword."
"The Serpent's Fang," he spoke it slowly as though testing it on his tongue. He was silent for a moment after that and then smiled at her, "I like it. You seem to have a knack for picking out sword names."
"Just one of my many talents," Arya said haughtily.
Aerion merely chuckled, "I am aware that your talents go far beyond weapon naming, between your use of weapons and your use of your tongue I doubt there are many who know your talents better than me and those who do are probably dead." He stopped abruptly. Probably thinks he has said something insensitive with what has happened to my family… might as well put his mind at ease.
"Oh you're absolutely right." Arya told him without missing a beat, " My family never had the opportunity to see me so skilled with a blade and every person that has known the skills of my tongue either haven't known it was me or experienced a severe case of death shortly after."
He relaxed seeing she wasn't angered, "Good to know that I am the exception then." She leaned in to kiss him as they reached their horses. They were rudely pulled from their little bit of self-indulgence by someone clearing their throat. Daario was standing their smirking at the pair.
"You know for such well-trained killers you have an annoying habit of being disgustingly sweet in one another's presence." The Tyroshi teased them without thought.
Arya met his gaze and she was pleased to notice his slight wince, "I have experienced the absolutely best and worst of people in my time and it happened for me far younger than most. There was a time when I could have let it consume me." Her tone was surprisingly somber, "Instead of letting the bad destroy me and allowing myself be the weapon I was supposed to be. I chose to recognize that despite all the bad, there were still good things and people in the world. Now that I am free to walk my own path again, I will be damned if I don't embrace one of the good things about life since I have both the chance and a person to share in it with."
Daario nodded before his expression became incredibly lecherous, "I'm sure the pair of you have been embracing all of the good things that caring about someone can bring… though I must admit from the lack of moans that come from either of your tents I think you may be rather unskilled at the act."
He ran a hand through his blue beard, "I wonder, is it because the Snake's snake is less than impressive or is it because the assassin is as cold as the people she put in the ground. Should it be the former dear lady, perhaps you should warm my bed at night as I can ensure you I have no such problem and if it is the latter, I can only offer my humble condolences Aerion as I doubt you shall ever know true pleasure now you are stuck with her." Arya was immediately filled with the desire to have a repeat performance to the conclusion of their fight. What a right bastard, the idea that two people wouldn't immediately desire to fuck must be so incredibly foreign to him that he can't even fathom a scenario where after a month we wouldn't be in bed together.
This was not to say the thought hadn't crossed Arya's mind, she had in fact considered it, but she didn't want to do such a thing before they participated in what would be the single largest battle in the history of the Seven Kingdoms. It would cheapen the act, we would both know that we only did it for the sake of doing it before we might die. She wasn't aware that Aerion had much the same view on the matter. Of course relieving myself at night has become rather tiresome. I never had that problem as a Faceless Man, then again there was no one who fueled any sort of fantasies then so I suppose that makes sense. Arya made to respond but Aerion beat her to the punch.
"I can assure you neither am I lacking nor is she cold and should we be doing the things you are insinuating neither of us would choose to share any such information you," he paused for a moment and locked eyes with Daario, "I must question why it is you are lurking outside either of our tents, if I didn't know any better I would think you were up to something unseemly. Perhaps we ought to have a duel and I can teach you exactly why you should avoid such things."
Daario gulped and shook his head vehemently from side to side, "No… no, that will definitely not be necessary, I was merely teasing."
"Well your teasing was in poor taste," Aerion informed him through clenched teeth, "and I think you owe us both an apology."
"Yes I apologize to both of you." He responded quickly. Daario may be a proud man but he knew when he had pissed off the wrong person, he wouldn't have survived so long if he didn't.
Arya grinned maliciously, "Apology accepted but I will be sure to remember this next time you decide you wish to fight me." Aerion merely nodded beside her. Daario beat a hasty retreat after that.
The pair looked at one another before they burst out laughing. They quickly became aware of a third voice that had joined in their laughter though. Daenerys was about twenty feet to their left nearly on the ground from laughing so hard. Well that is probably the least dignified I will ever have the pleasure of seeing the future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Daenerys quickly righted herself before walking over to the pair.
"You know I have known that man for five years now and he has never been anything but an overconfident and arrogant… well man-whore for lack of a better term. Before I learned what it meant to truly lead he was even more than willing to take liberties in how he addressed me, still does on occasion though he keeps himself in line most the time," she paused a moment and smiled, "But you two, you have managed to put him in his place. Honestly, I have never laughed so hard as the two times I have seen him after you were finished with him."
Aerion answered, "Well I'm glad we're able to provide you with entertainment."
"As am I," she chuckled.
Arya decided to take the conversation in a more practical direction, "Any word from the scouts?"
The queen sobered immediately, "Yes we have word that they are traveling north along the Mander as expected. They should meet us in the field a day after we arrive. Unfortunately that makes it all the more likely that they will send an emissary with an offer of single combat to delay, they know that they will be unable to hold the city if we attack upon arrival. Obviously we don't want to take the city by force if we can avoid it, so we are going to allow their delay as planned." The trio mounted their horses and began the day's march.
They'd reached the capital. The army stood poised on the far side of the Blackwater Rush they were well within view of the city as planned but more than far enough from the castles defenses. Drogon, Viserion and Rhaegal circled the city regularly, their massive forms covering it in shadows. They had been commanded, or Drogon had by Daenerys, to merely inspire fear in hopes that perhaps bloodshed could be avoided. Wishful thinking, Cersei Lannister will never willingly release power when there is even the slightest hope of victory and from what I've heard of Margaery she covets the throne far too much to give it up so easily. No, they will allow this bloodshed to happen out of sheer foolishness.
An emissary arrived almost immediately upon their arrival, as expected single combat had been requested in order to avoid a siege. It escaped no one's notice that Tyrion had been absolutely right. The emissary had been sent by Queen- Mother Cersei Lannister and no one believed her supposed terms would be upheld should their champion be victorious. They were informed that Ser Robert Strong would be Cersei's champion. As such Arya found herself in Aerion's tent watching as he prepared himself for the fight. He wore his full complement of armor. He looked much the same as he had the first time they had fought even down to the purple shirt that matched his eyes so perfectly.
They said very little to one another as he prepared just enjoying the other's company for what could be the last time. Even knowing that they would both be fighting a much larger battle together should Aerion be victorious, Arya was far more worried about this one. She wouldn't be there to watch his back and while she had all the faith in the world in his ability it didn't abate her growing sense of concern. He has become far more important to me than I thought possible when I first saw him in that fishing village.
He finished fastening his greaves and vambraces. He turned to her and they merely looked at each other for a moment. He moved quickly and embraced her, she simply hugged him back enjoying the contact. They stayed like that for quite a while until he finally pulled back and kissed her. It was passionate and she melded herself against him. His tongue brushed against her lower lip and she allowed him entrance. They lost themselves in the moment before they were finally forced to retreat for air. She smiled brightly at him and despite his nerves he smiled back.
"You know I figure I might as well say it considering by the end of the day we might both be dead, I love you Arya." Her smile widened as he continued, "I know I've called you love, and I know you've noticed but I've never come out and just said it so there it is; two months has been more than enough to find out that you are the single most amazing woman I will ever meet, thank you for that."
Arya hadn't cried in a very long time, that lone tear when leaving Nela behind being the only exception, but at this moment she almost wept in a way she hadn't since her father died. She didn't though, that was not the sort of woman she was and not the sort of woman that Aerion had fallen in love with. Instead, she merely leaned up and gave him one more soft peck on the lips before moving over to his ear and whispering, "I love you too. You'll be fine though, you still have more stories to tell me and I still have more stories to tell you."
He smiled bigger than she had ever seen then and she was happy that she was able to put that look on his face just before he was going to fight for his life, "I look forward to hearing yours." With that they turned to leave the tent, they were met immediately by Daenerys, Tyrion, and Ser Barristan.
Daenerys stepped forward and Aerion bowed low, "You may rise Aerion Ormthair, you are more than my champion you are my friend and I would address you as such."
He rose and nodded to his Queen, "Thank you Daenerys, I would like to thank you again for accepting me into your service… and should I die today I am glad that it will be in service to something greater than myself."
Daenerys smiled, "Well I have faith you shall be victorious."
Ser Barristan spoke up then, "I have no doubt that he is going to kill this Robert Strong. Whoever he is he was not a knight of any note just five years ago."
"Thank you both." With that he made his way over to his horse and mounted. With one last look at Arya he made his way toward the city to meet his opponent.
Daenerys turned to Arya, the Queen could obviously see the worry written across her face, "You know this is the first time I have had any regret in naming either of you my champions. While I know there is a chance that any or all of us may perish today," scouts had recently informed her that the enemy army was a mere two hours away and would be visible soon, "that doesn't change the fact that I feel I might be sending him to his death."
"No you can't think of it that way! He will win and he will be on the field against the Tyrell and Lannister forces," Arya said with conviction.
"Well regardless, the army is ready and the cavalry is waiting in the Kingswood to flank when commanded, I have called Drogon to me and he waits for me to ride into battle. I know you will watch the fight from afar but you should ready yourself for the fight to come." Arya didn't respond she merely turned and walked away. She returned to her tent and quickly donned her own armor and weapons, including Blackfyre which she strapped across her back. She quickly returned to the outside of the camp where she could see Aerion had nearly arrived. He dismounted as she reached Ser Robert Strong. She was amazed when she realized the sheer size of the man. I haven't seen anybody that large since the Mountain killed his own horse at the tourney in my father's honor. Arya worried her lower lip. Not today.
Aerion dismounted his horse and was briefly taken aback by the size of his opponent. He had heard the rumors about Ser Robert Strong but this was the single largest person he had ever seen. Well that just means he will be the single largest person that I will have ever killed. The man stood about twenty paces away wearing the enameled white armor of the Kingsguard. Hmm we will be in stark contrast to one another, me in nearly all black and him in all white. It was a funny thought to have just before a fight but it crossed Aerion's mind nonetheless. The man held in his right hand what most would call a great-sword but Aerion figured that for the eight foot monster standing across from him the sword was as easy to heft as a common longsword.
He felt it then for the first time since he had been told he would be fighting this duel, fear. Fear gripped him but it was a different fear than he was used to, he was afraid that he would never see Arya again and he would not abide that. This man is going to die. With that thought, Aerion drew his sword from his scabbard and approached the man. It was slightly disconcerting the way that he just stood there still as a statue. If Aerion didn't know any better he would think the man had died while waiting for him.
"Shall we begin then?" Aerion called to the white sentinel. His only response was a nod as the man took up his sword in both hands. Aerion prepared himself and what came next was not remotely unexpected but that made it no less unpleasant. The man moved and he was far faster than Aerion would have expected for someone of that size. Aerion went to block the blow and immediately regretted the decision; the strike rattled every bone and muscle in his upper body. Dodge and deflect, that is going to be the name of this fight.
This wasn't like fighting Ser Barristan and definitely wasn't like fighting Arya, Ser Barristan was all measured strikes and precision and Arya was all fluidity and speed; this Ser Robert, he was like a rampaging bull, hell bent on destroying everything in his path. While there was obviously experience behind the strikes they lacked the beauty of fighting with a truly masterful swordsman, as such Aerion knew that fighting him would be about patience. Aerion avoided great swings of the man's sword constantly being forced to keep his distance, he parried and dodged trying to maneuver his way into a position where he could attack at the man's flank or back.
Aerion found his first opportunity when Ser Robert lunged forward with a thrust, Aerion batted it away and pushed the man off balance briefly he then brought his sword down in a slash that met Ser Robert's arm, the sword bit down through metal and flesh and blood began to flow from the wound. Aerion was astounded, he was beginning to believe the man he was fighting was not human. Not a sound, I just cleaved into his arm and he didn't even make a sound.
As Aerion retreated from his assault he took note of the blood covering the monster's once pristine armor; instead of the normal red blood that he would have expected, a putrid and vile looking black began staining the white of his armor. He also couldn't help but take note that the man's movements didn't slow despite his now severely wounded left arm. I have a feeling putting this man down permanently will be far more difficult than it should be.
Aerion's thought was prophetic, thirty minutes had passed now since they began their fight and Aerion was becoming frustrated something that he knew he should avoid in the middle of a fight as it made one more prone to mistakes. He cut no less than a dozen gashes into his opponent but not a single one seemed to make a difference. Aerion's two most major blows hadn't even made a difference, a slash to the back of Ser Robert's leg had merely made him stumble before regaining his balance, and a stab to his bicep had resulted in absolutely no reaction. The monster took a slash that narrowly missed Aerion's head and seeing an opening he took a swing of his own right aimed to cleave at his great helm. It struck true but instead of meeting the solid of a human skull he was met with only the clang of crushing into hollow metal.
The force of the hit knocked the helm ajar and on Robert's next massive swing it came fully off. Aerion had to conscientiously force himself not to stop, instead of a head above 'Ser Robert's' shoulders there was only a stump stained with the same disgusting black blood that oozed from each of his wounds the only difference was the stains around its neck were dried. Well at least now I know for sure the thing I'm fighting isn't really human.
Unfortunately, Aerion took a moment too long observing his opponent's condition and felt a massive gauntleted hand make contact with his gut. It lifted him from the ground and forcefully removed all the air from his lungs. Despite the disorientation caused from the attack Aerion still managed to avoid the follow up strike aimed for his head. That likely would have killed me. He then returned to his own offensive despite the pain in his abdomen; he slashed and jabbed at the thing until finally he saw it wearing down. He overstepped on one of his strike and remembering the lessons from Ser Barristan quickly pulled his leg back, a good thing to as the monster's sword cut into his leg even with his quick movement. No emergency amputation for me thanks.
Forty-five minutes after their fight began, Aerion finally found the opportunity to strike a killing blow. Even if this thing doesn't have a head it still pumps blood and it still needs a functioning heart to do that. Aerion deflected a massive swing and stepped into the beast knocking it off balance and onto one knee. He saw its massive fist once again come up to strike at him and quickly reached for the dagger on his hip and drove it through metal and bone. The hand fell limply to the side and the strike never reached home. Aerion gathered himself and stabbed forward with a mighty yell and drove Serpent's Fang straight through Ser Robert's stained armor and mail and into the flesh beneath. He pierced the heart straight on.
Despite the lack of a head and necessity to actually breath it gave a great shudder and began to spasm violently, for a few moments it simply continued in that fashion as its limbs flailed aimlessly. Luckily for Aerion, these were not aimed attacks simply the dying shudders of a creature that should have been dead years ago. When finally the thing stopped its movements Aerion brought his foot up to his enemy's punctured chest and wrenched his blade free, a spurt of black blood followed and Aerion narrowly avoided being sprayed.
No longer having anything to hold it up the body fell to the ground lifelessly, Aerion heaved a great breath and wiped the sweat from his brow that had formed despite the cold. He leaned over and quickly cleaned his blade of blood on his enemy and then turned to remount his horse. He looked down and finally felt the slight twinge of pain from where his thigh had been cut. Well that is going to have to be burned and bound before the actual battle begins. That was a sobering thought as he realized that in less than two hours he would be fighting for his life again. Well at least I'll have Arya there for that one. He smiled at that and began a steady gallop back to the army, he could actually hear the uproar in the city behind him as he made his way back.
(POV SHIFT)
Arya along with just about every other member of the army stood and watched the monster fight Aerion. When he knocked the helmet from the thing's shoulders Obara Sand gasped in a sudden realization and quickly explained that this thing was not just comparable to the Mountain it was the reanimated corpse of the vile man. Well that would explain the size of him.
Arya repressed a gasp when she saw the strike that lifted Aerion off the ground. She had heard tale of how Oberyn Martell died, she had absolutely no desire to see the same sort of thing happen to Aerion. She watched with baited breath as he recovered and then finally she breathed easier as she watched Aerion plunge his blade into its chest. He killed the fucker, thank the gods. Despite the fact that all present knew this would mean nothing in less than two hours, a tremendous cheer went up through the ranks of men. Arya retreated to her tent to boil wine for the wound she had seen Aerion sustain.
Twenty minutes later, Aerion walked into her tent, limping slightly and immediately smiled upon seeing her, "Well that was quite a fight."
She chuckled, "That is putting it rather lightly," she pointed him over to a chair in the tent, "take off your pants."
"Well that was quite forward but if you insist." She rolled her eyes as he began removing the clothing that impeded her ability to get at his wound. "So how long until they reach us?"
She began cleaning the wound, "Last reports say roughly an hour and a half; we should be able to see them within the next forty minutes."
"I am surprised that Daenerys has not taken Drogon to begin burning their ranks." Aerion watched as she ran the cloth along his leg.
"She does not want to risk them fleeing." Arya rung out the cloth and stood.
"Understandable," He said as she went over to the fire where the wine was boiling, "while she may be able to burn a sizable portion of the army here she wouldn't be able to completely decimate them and then they would retreat to their castles and suddenly this becomes a far more arduous campaign."
"Exactly," she poured the wine across his thigh and he winced almost imperceptibly as his muscles contracted in protest.
"We should cauterize it as well if I am to fight." She merely nodded in response as she but a poker into the fire.
"So I assume you were told exactly who it was you were really fighting." Arya questioned as she sat beside him.
He nodded an amused smirk coming to his lips, "Oh yes, imagine my surprise when I arrive back at camp only to be accosted by a surprisingly emotional Obara who actually hugged me. Apparently the Sand Snakes were under the impression that their father had managed to avenge Elia Martell and while in part he did, she felt it necessary to express her gratitude for permanently ending the man responsible for her aunt's rape and murder."
Arya scoffed good-naturedly, "That wound must have been far worse than I thought, there is no way that Obara Sand would ever do anything like that… at least not in public."
"Trust me, I was just as surprised as you." The poker had heated long enough and Arya retrieved it from the fire. She took it and pressed it to the cut along his thigh, a grunt was the only sign of his discomfort. He began putting his equipment back on. Belwas entered the tent at that moment.
"An emissary has been sent from the city and the Queen desires your presence." They both nodded and quickly made their way to the Queen's tent. All of Daenerys's advisors were already present, including Aegon and his former council. Unlike the previous messenger this one was not a Lannister; instead it was a young man with the Tyrell appearance to him. Gods I'm beginning to think Tyrion might be able to see things before they actually happen. The young man was no older than Arya probably a year or two younger and was clearly incredibly nervous.
"Queen Margaery and King Tommen, along with his Lord Hand Mace Tyrell regret to inform you that the Queen Regent acted outside of her authority and as such the terms she agreed to will not be honor."
Tyrion snorted loudly, "Are you trying to convince us that the King, Queen and Hand had no knowledge of my sister's actions?"
Sweat began to develop on his brow, "That is my understanding my Lord." Daenerys merely gave a dismissive wave of her hand and the young man was led out. She then turned to Tyrion.
"They did exactly as you expected, was there a reason that you decided to torture the young man?"
"Just a small bit of fun in case I die shortly." The Queen sniffed in disapproval but made no further comment on the matter.
"Everybody prepare for battle." And they did.
An hour later, the forces of the Reach were well within sight and all of the commanders had gathered to observe their approach. Daario had command of the all sell-swords who had joined the Stormcrows, Harry Strickland command of the Golden Company, Grey Worm the Unsullied, Obara the men from Sunspear, Edric the men from Starfall, and Aegon and Connington the remaining forces from Dorne. Aggo had command of the cavalry that awaited signal in the Kingswood. Arya and Aerion were situated next to Ser Barristan; they would be under his direct command for the duration of the battle. The three dragons stood at the ready awaiting Daenerys's arrival. She stepped from her tent clad in black armor adorned with the three headed dragon of her house. She looks much the way I imagined Visenya when I was younger. The only thing missing from the picture was a sword. Daenerys quickly made her way to the fore and spoke to those gathered.
The army was deathly silent and somehow every man could hear her words, "Today will be spoken of till long after every man here has left this world. Let us make sure that we are remembered as the victors who brought peace to these Seven Kingdoms!" A roar went through the ranks and Arya found her voice rose right along with the rest. Short but inspiring nonetheless. Daenerys turned and mounted Drogon and her three great beasts climbed into the sky.
The army of the Reach was now mere miles away. They had only 1500 cavalry that would likely be used to break their front line. So many of these men are going to die today at the whims of men who care little for their sacrifice. They were within a mile when the dragon's descended from the clouds. They were at the rear of the enemy army when they began unleashing a torrent of flame. It was beautiful in a terrible sort of way… multicolored flame reflected in the eyes of every member of Daenerys's army. Drogon's flames burned a deep red with flecks of black that spit up along the edges, Rhaegal's were as green as his scales with a faint orange at the very center, and Viserion's burned a golden yellow similar to the lines that crossed his white scales.
The screams could be heard even from their position and the opposing army immediately began pushing forward faster in order to force the dragons to stop their onslaught for the sake of not burning their own men. Some along the southern line of the army seeing the carnage behind them began to flee south toward the Kingswood. The front lines of the enemy army reached their lines and Daenerys was forced to halt the inferno that decimated their rear lines. She took the dragons and flew toward the Kingswood; this was the signal for the cavalry and elephants to attack their southern flank.
They thundered out of the wood, 8,300 beasts crashed into the enemy's flank and trampled dozens who had the unfortunate fate of being caught in their wake. The enemy was now pinned in on all sides, fire blazed at their back, the river to the north, the horses and elephants to the south and the army in front of them. Their commander clearly had good control over his men though, as while they initially panicked order was quickly regained and the battle became less slaughter and more actual fight.
Arya watched as elephants were brought down with efficiency. While large and great at breaking the line once in the melee they were easy targets, former Dothraki horde members rode through the fray maintaining their seats on horseback. Well I suppose when you're basically born on horseback it is quite difficult to actually be removed from your mount.
Twenty minutes into the great battle, they began seeing a push of men along the south east that would allow enemy men to break through and gain better position; Ser Barristan turned to Arya and Aerion and nodded. Time to join the fray it would seem. Surprising those are the men being commanded by Connington, I would have expected Aegon's to be more likely to allow such a thing.
They made their way quickly to the strain in their line and joined the fray. The men making this push wore the sigil of House Tarly, the striding huntsman on a field of green, and House Hightower, a stone white tower with a flame adorning its top on a field of gray. These were some of the most experienced and skilled fighters that the Reach's army had to offer. Arya having already drawn Needle from its sheath quickly killed one of the experienced and skilled fighters by driving the pointy end right through the man's throat. Stick them with the pointy end indeed. She and Aerion stuck close to one another and began systematically pushing back against the surge that had nearly changed the makeup of the battlefield.
Arya's appearance had pushed a few into laughter, clearly they hadn't been expecting a woman to actually be on the battlefield. Of course, Arya took advantage of their distraction, it wasn't the first time she left a man with a stunned expression to meet the Many-Faced God. The four members of the Kingsguard and the two champions seemed to bolster the resolve of the other men present and suddenly what had been the weakest corner of the battle quickly became the strongest front.
A half an hour into the battle solid progress had been made, the smell of blood, sweat and shit was strong in the air now. Less seasoned men among the ranks on both sides actually retched from the putrid smells of battle. Fortunately, years of serving as one of the Faceless men had given Arya a strong stomach as well as a strong sword arm. Arya, having slid Needle through the kidney of a Tyrell man based on the flower on his chest, heard a cry close behind her. She turned to see Strong Belwas with a sword sticking through his gut. Well hopefully it missed any vitals. Blood poured from the eunuch's mouth as he gripped the man who stabbed him by the temples and twisted violently.
Arya's moment of distraction was far from wise as when she returned her attention to the onslaught a man was thrusting at her. She just had enough time to parry the blow before it reached her. This man was a knight unlike many of the others she had slain to this point. She was surprised to see the black manticore adorning his chest, he was a Lorch. Hmmm well I watched his relative devoured by a bear may as well remove this one from the world as well.
He was a not untalented with a blade but he clearly believed his superior size would be enough to overwhelm the smaller girl he was fighting. Arya played this to her advantage dodging his blows constantly until finally she aggravated him enough that he simply charged her. She sidestepped and threw her leg out to trip the man, he fell face first into the dirt. Arya quickly stepped over him and drove Needle straight down into his back. The man's breath quickly left him as he stopped his struggling to get up. She heard him gurgle up blood and red stained the snow beneath him.
As Arya went to remove Needle from her latest kill it would not budge, it was lodged in his chest between two of the dead man's ribs and pinned on the other side where it had penetrated past his plate armor. Arya was unwilling to leave the sword behind but knew there was nothing for it with the battle raging on around her, so she quickly removed Blackfyre from its sheath on her back. She didn't realize that cold, calculating purple eyes which held no love for her saw its removal and planned to address the issue once the city was taken.
Two hours of bloodshed and the battle had still not come to an end and Arya truly did to understand why their commander's refused to yield. From what she could see, they had destroyed at least half of the Reach's 80,000 men and while they had lost probably something like half that the fight was clearly in their favor. Small scrapes and bruises adorned her skin and looking at Aerion off to her right, she could see he was in much the same state but neither had sustained any severe injuries. Blackfyre had tasted blood for the first time in decades and she was amazed at how easy it was to handle the blade. She may love Needle as dearly as any possession she had ever had but she was glad for the gift Daenerys had given her at the moment. Ser Barristan was ahead of her maybe twenty yards fighting a large bald man wielding a great-sword of what appeared to be Valyrian steel. As he turned she saw the Tarly sigil across his front and she immediately knew who he was. So that is Randyll Tarly then.
Aerion and Arya were met by a man in beautiful Tyrell armor, the golden flower of his house emblazoned on his chest for all to see. They fought like a well-oiled machine much the same way they had against the bandits on the road what felt like ages ago. The man was by far the most talented either of them had encountered since they began the battle. I wonder if this is maybe the Knight of Flowers he is after all rumored to be amongst their number. Still despite his obvious skill he was unable to withstand both the Snake and the Assassin at the same time. They pushed at him slashing and stabbing until he was driven back by a thrust that he caught on his shield and fell to his knees. He raised his hands in surrender and screamed his yield. Everyman in the area bearing the Tyrell sigil stopped their fighting.
The pair looked around just in time to see Lord Tarly meet his end at the hands of Barristan the Bold. As the bald man went to slash at the old knight he spun around and slashed at the Lord's back. His blade bit through the steel chainmail rings that covered the large man's back and cut into his spinal cord. He toppled like a house of cards and fell lifeless to the ground a visage of anger forever marring his stern face. With the yielding of the Tyrell Lord and the death of their commander the men of the Reach and what few remained from the Westerlands threw down their weapons in surrender. The Tyrell man stood and removed his helmet. No not Loras.
He spoke in a strong voice and head held high, "We yield, until just a moment ago I was second in command of these forces. With Lord Tarly dead, it falls to me to offer…" He did not have the opportunity to finish his statement as a rush of wings drowned out what he was about to say. Drogon hovered overhead and all those beneath him cleared a space for his landing. Ser Barristan quickly made his way over to his Queen and helped her from her massive mount; he quickly directed her over to the Tyrell Lord who bowed his head in supplication at her approach.
She eyed him critically before speaking, "Who are you?"
He did not raise his eyes as he spoke, "Lord Garlan Tyrell of Brightwater Keep, second son of Lord Mace Tyrell, Hand of the King, Lord of Highgarden, and Warden of the South."
"I imagine you are now in command of what remains of this army." It was a statement not a question and Garlan merely nodded.
"I offer our surrender." He eyed the dragon behind the queen momentarily.
"A wise decision," She said dryly. She eyed looked Garlan up and down before continuing, "All nobles will be held apart from the common soldiers as prisoners. Your men shall be allowed to rest and recover from their wounds, they will be treated with dignity but you are still our prisoners until such time as your sister and her husband capitulate."
Garlan was clearly caught off guard, "You are most generous, thank you. What shall be done with those who fell in the field?"
"You may collect your dead and do with them as you will, though I am sure the silent sisters will give last rights to those of the Seven who are here; however, all those who are not removed from the field in two days' time will be bathed in dragon fire. Leaving them as they are could easily lead to disease inside the capital." She took his silence as consent and nodded in the direction of Arya and Aerion as she turned to leave, her Queensguard followed in her wake.
They were surprised that Garlan continued speaking to them, "She is a good Queen, isn't she?"
Aerion coughed a laugh, "People don't show bad leaders the kind of devotion her people show. She understands people far better than most because she has lived as a beggar as well as a Queen. I doubt there are very many people in history who can boast such an understanding of both the noble and the common."
Garlan looked around at the death the surrounded them before speaking bitterly, "All of this could have been avoided. She doesn't seem the sort of woman who wants battle for the sake of battle. Tens of thousands of men just lost their lives for a throne that will suit her far better than it fits my good brother."
Arya was surprised. Well he certainly has more sense than most. "I would say that you are probably right?"
Garlan eyed her for a moment, it was not the look she got from many men instead it was simple evaluation, "I must confess myself surprised to see a woman amongst Daenerys' army, granted the Dragon Queen herself fights but she does that from atop Balerion reborn… you were here on the ground and from the state of you and the way you thoroughly dismantled me, I would say you are at home here."
Arya actually smiled at the man, "Well let's just say that the Queen does not reject skilled help wherever she can find it." The pair turned from the Tyrell Lord and made their way through the throng of people in an attempt to locate Needle. It didn't take long and they were soon making their back to the army's encampment. Just outside her tent Arya finally gave into the urge she had since the end of the battle and embraced Aerion, happy they had both made it through the battle mostly unharmed. Well that's one fight finished it will be many more before this is finally over.
AN: There you have it
I know this took me a little bit longer to get out then the last three chapters. Part of that is because I tend to be busy in March what with being an Irish musician. The second is that writing two battle scenes is kind of a bitch and deciding how much detail I wanted for each one took a while to decide.
Again no beta here so if you find any mistakes let me know and I will do what I can to fix them.
Next chapter they will enter the capital… so yeah. Please leave a review because I really do enjoy getting the feedback. If you liked it follow and fav, thanks everybody.
Until next time.