Kurt watched as the celebrations ran rampant. The events of the melee had in no way diminished the spirits of the nobles of Westeros when it came to a good party. The Dornish might have been a bit closed off since their rather embarrasing loss, but while they didn't really open up to foreign celebrators, they were quite cheerful amongst themselves. The only place that seemed to be lacking in the joyous atmosphere was the section of the table his Spartans were seated at. Few dared approach them now that it was clear just how dangerous they were. That didn't mean that his his charges didn't get the chance to let loose. Robert was being hosted at the Stormlands' table and was drinking with Robert Baratheon. Robert had been the one to eventually come out on top between the three Spartans who had been competing, though Shane had withdrawn earlier than Adam since he was meant to participate in the joust tomorrow.
Team wolf-pack was celebrating their victory in two of the events of the tourney with a vigor that was uncommon of Spartans. Most would have done as team foxtrot were doing, quietly eating and drinking while keeping an eye out at the celebrating nobility. Then again, team wolf-pack had always been a bit excentric. He blamed Jane for that really. The girl reminded him a lot of Kelly, her energy and bravery had always set her a bit apart from the other Spartans. Not that any of them were cowardly, but Jane was one of the first Spartans who would break rank or take a risk if the situation called for it. After all, she had been the first one, not just in her pelican, but of the entire company, to leap into a night jump at just four years old. All without more than a cursory explaination of how to deploy a parachute.
That was why when Robert Baratheon had come over to them and offered for Robert to drink with him, Jane had accepted before he could say anything and dragged Shane along with them.
Kurt smiled. It was good that his Spartans were at least getting used to this world. With the way they'd gotten here, it wasn't likely they would ever make it back to the UNSC. Kurt shook his head, banishing the thought. Some of the best minds in the UNSC, though not its best mind, were on theirship, trying to figure out a way back to Earth and all her colonies, preferably before the Covenant burned down whatever was left.
He pulled at his sleve slightly, revealing a watch that he'd carried with him for the last twenty years. It had been a small gift that Admiral Hood had given, a momento of his promotion to captain and the next step in the Spartan III program. glancing down at the date that was displayed behind the watch's arms his heart sank a little as the seconds ticked past.
August tewnty-ninth, 2554.
Almost two years since the fall of Reach and Operation Blue Flag had brought them here. He glanced at the rest of his men who were still seated at their table. Mendez was working his way through a mug of beer, making a face every now and then and muttering about shit booze. Team foxtrot were far more involved in the celebrations, watching the different groups of party-goers while Tom and Lucy would occasionally get up an dance with the other nobles. Kurt actually had to hide his smile in his own mug when a pair of very pretty women had approached their table and asked Adam and Min to dance. Both had looked mildly uncomforable and had turned to him, looking for answers. Kurt only offered an amused smile and gestured for them to head off. After all, this whole appearance was to make themselves well known, and the battlefield was just one area of that.
"Excuse me my lord." There was a voice to his left and he turned away from where he saw Adam and Min join Tom and Lucy with their own partners. Standing before him were a pair of people. One of them was quite tall, with long silver hair and a deep purple eyes. He was wearing a black tunic and breeches with a silver dragon's head chain securing it. The other was a woman who was significantly shorter than the man. Kurt could see that she was a slender woman, well she would have been, had it not been for the largness of her belly that showed she was pregnant, and her face was set in an expression of politeness. Still, Kurt had not survived six years of service in ONI before transfering to Lord Hood without learning at least a few things about reading people. In less than a second, he had taken in almost everything about them, from their stance to the smallest details of their appearance. However, he didn't have the time to truly analyse them as he would like, given his status and who they were.
"Prince Rhaegar, Princess Elia." He got up out of his seat, towering over the two of them, and offered a bow. He didn't like the idea of bowing, of showing deference to these two people for no other reason than their birth. Tywin at least had proven himself intelligent enough that Kurt respected him, but even then he didn't like it, and the naval personel on the Plataea had liked it even less.
As he rose up he saw the two give him a matching pair of smiles, though Elia's was far more warm, and Kurt honestly couldn't tell if it was a mask or not. The prince was far easier in comparison, he was interested in them but it seemed that to him they were more of a passing interest as opposed to legitimate curiosity.
"Please, sit." He gestured to the seats that team wolf-pack had vacated to celebrate with the Stormlanders, and quickly flicking his eyes that way he could see that several members of the north had joined as well. Jane appeared to be in a drinking contest of some kind with a tall woman with black hair dressed in green and the sigil of a bear on her shouler.
"How may I be of service your majesties." He said, putting on a small smile he hoped would set them at ease.
"Good evening Lord Terra." Elia gestured for him to sit as the two turned slightly to offer short nods to lord Tywin before sitting themselves. "We decided we would like to congratulate you and your men on their victory in the archery and melee."
Kurt nodded.
"I apologise that lady Jane and ser Robert aren't here." He said, gesturing to team wolf-pack, who were now surrounded by nobles of the North and Stormlands. Robert and Shane were apparently being approached by many a lady, while Jane found herself surrounded by men asking her to dance or drink with them.
"A victor should be entitled to celebrate their victory." Prince Rhaegar smiled. "We hoped to speak with you as well Lord Terra."
"What about, your grace?" Kurt asked, preparing himself.
"We simply wish to dispell ourselves of any false rumours." Elia said. "There have been many fantastical ones regarding your house and its rise you see, and you're performance today has done little to disprove any of the more outlandish ones."
"Your defeat of an entire kingdom's force might just have spurred more of those rumours." Rhaegar said.
"I would suggest keeping away from the Dornish camp for a bit." Elia added "We are quite bad at taking insults of any kind, and you're man Ser Adam has laid quite an insult at our feet."
Kurt nodded in recognition.
"Of course my lady, I will ensure that Adam's presence does not pick at any fresh wounds. What rumours are you here to disuade youselves of, if I might ask?"
"They say your people were sent by the gods from the sky." Rhaegar said, raising an eyebrow. "That the Lannisters' riches were traded in exchange for your loyalty."
Kurt chuckled slightly.
"I assure you prince Rhaegar, we were not sent by any gods. Neither did we make the Lannisters pay for our services or loyalty."
Rhaegar dipped his head.
"Your name is Ambrose, is it not?" Elia asked next "Would you have any relations to the Ambroses of the Reach by any chance? Perhaps a long lost relative who migrated to the Westerlands?"
Kurt shook his head.
"No your grace, Ambrose is not my real name, merely one I was given."
"By whom? If you do not mind my asking?"
"My old superior. He needed a last name for me as I didn't have one you see. He was the one who named me Ambrose."
"Interesting, I was wondering why your name was not the same as that of your house. Was it a latter decision?"
"You could say that your grace. It was decided that the house of Terra would not be one only of blood relations."
"Interesting." Elia said, leaning forwards slightly. "So then, how do you decide who is the lord if not by blood?"
"Rank my lady." Kurt said politely. "I am the highest ranking member of the house of Terra, once I retire, someone will be appointed to my rank, and then they will be the new lord."
"What of your children?" Rhaegar asked. "If you are the founder and lord of your house, should your children not be entitled to rule as you did?"
"Blood does not give someone a mandate to command." Kurt said curtly. "If my children possess the qualities needed for leadership, and raise through the ranks well enough, one of them might become the next lord, but it isn't guarenteed."
"You should be careful who you say such things to." Rhaegar said. "If such words reached my father or some of the more proud lords, they might take offence."
"My thanks for your advice your grace, I will make sure to not draw too much attention to such beliefs."
Kurt lifted his mug, downing some of the beer as Tom and Lucy returned from their dance. Adam and Min were still shuffling somewhat awkwardly with the two noble ladies, who themselves looked somewhat less than pleased as they kept looking down at their feet.
"Ah, Lady Lucy." Rhaegar nodded to her, offering her a nod. "That was an impressive show of accuracy during the archery tournament."
Lucy only offered a nod and a smile, making several gestures that neither Rhaegar nor Elia understood. Tom, who was seated next to her spoke up.
"She's thankful for your compliment Prince Rhaegar. She's hopeful that the next time such a competition occurs, she can beat Jane."
"Oh." Elia said. "Can you not speak Lady Lucy? I'm sorry if we caused offence."
"No no." Tom waved off their concern as Lucy made a few gestures. "No offense taken my lady. Lucy's voice was injured a long time ago. She can speak in some instances, but not for long and not very loud."
"It... hurts... throat." Lucy rasped before taking a sip from her mug.
"I'm sorry." Elia said. "I've met a few men and women who suffered injuries to their voices. I hope it wasn't too painful."
Lucy made another set of gestures for Tom to interpret.
"She says 'thank you for your understanding.'" Tom said.
"Of course." Elia said. "I was wondering though, all of your other companions have participated in events so far ser, will you be participating as well."
Tom smiled as well.
"It is Tom your grace, and indeed, I will be competing in the joust tomorrow, though so will Shane."
The group looked over to where Shane and Robert were apparently being egged on by Jane and several other lords and ladies into drinking from a pair of absurdly huge drinking horns.
"I can see why he didn't wish to prolong his fight with Ser Robert if he is to joust tomorrow." Elia said. "I'm sure you two will do well."
"Thank you your grace." Tom replied politely.
As Elia, Tom and Lucy continued a conversation Kurt was far more focused on Rhaegar. The man's eyes were flickering around the banquet hall. First they were on Kurt, Tom, Lucy and Elia, but as his wife seemed to control and continue the conversation, his eyes darted elsewhere. Kurt followed the prince's line of sight to see he was staring at three people at the northern and Stormlands table. He recognised Robert Baratheon, and he saw Rhaegar's eyes flicker over Shane for an instant, as if picking him apart. However, it was the last one that was a surprise. Lyanna Stark seemed to have caught the prince's eye, and judging by the look of subtle hunger in his gaze, he wasn't interested in her for noble reasons.
Political marriages were common practice amongst the Westerosi nobility. While most of his men looked down on them from their own upbringings in the twenty-sixth century, some of them, including himself, could at least understand why they would be necessary in such a barbaric age. The marriage between Rhaegar and Elia could definately be one of those solely political unions but Kurt still didn't like the way that the twenty-two year old Rhaegar was looking hungrily at the fourteen year old Lyanna. Having enough of the prince's crude voyeurism of the young lady he cleared his throat.
"Will you also be participating in the joust, prince Rhaegar?" He asked, drawing Rhaegar's eyes back to him and the table.
"I will lord Terra, though I will have to quite wary if I am to face Ser Tom and Ser Shane."
Elia laid her hand on her husband's arm.
"Indeed, there are already so many great knights who are competing."
Rhaegar offered Elia a polite smile before turning it to Kurt and his subordinates.
"Thank you for the conversation lord Terra, I wish you good luck in the morning."
"And you as well your grace." Kurt replied.
Rhaegar smiled at Kurt, but there was something about it that the Spartan found strange. He was looking at him as if he knew something Kurt didn't, like he was a child who had said something foolish.
"Of course my lord."
Getting up from the bench the two royals disappeared back into the crowd as Lucy and Tom turned to their commanding officer.
"Something's up with him." Tom said. "He seemed toocertain about tomorrow."
"He acted like he had already won." Lucy gestured.
Kurt nodded.
"He was distracted while the princess was speaking. I saw him staring at the young lady Stark."
Tom and Lucy's expressions curled into twin pairs of slight frowns.
"Should we be worried? Better yet, should we inform the Starks or Baratheons?"
"Not quite yet." Kurt said. "Unless we have ironclad evidence, accusing the crown prince of impropriety is a surefire way of earning the emnity of the crown."
"So how do we proceed?" Lucy asked.
"For now we focus on the mission. We take down everyone in the jousts and name Cersei queen of love and beauty, then we have a serious reputation built up, and hopefully and inroad with some of the other kingdoms when we begin modernising the Westerlands."
Rhaegar escorted his wife back to the longtable reserved for the royal family. His father had decided not to participate in the evenings festivities, though he was also raving about the kingsguard. Rhaegar wasn't sure as to what his father had planned. No king had ever expanded the kingsguard beyond the traditional seven members, but Aerys seemed deadset on bringing the Spartans under his control.
'Tywin believes he has an advantage.' He had heard his father ramble to himself after the melee. 'But all men bow to the dragon, or they burn. Yes, they will bow or burn.'
Rhaegar didn't want to know what his father might have planned, but hoped that it was not so drastic as what he had done with Jamie Lannister. He still had no idea how his father had thought it a good idea to steal Tywin's first born son and heir, esspecially when his only option after that was his dwarf son who his wife had died birthing.
Still, he reclined in his chair beside his wife, allowing her to disappear into conversation with Ashara Dayne while he turned his eyes onto the subject of his attention.
Lyanna Stark seemed to be involved in conversation with the lady Jane of house Terra, who despite speaking with the young woman, seemed more focused on her two male cohorts.
The Stark girl was a wild thing, but had a beauty who's charms could be described as like that of winter snow; pure and unblemished but also uncontrolable and willful. shifting from the woman he saw her betrothed, his own first cousin, Robert Baratheon. The Staglord was deep into his cups, laughing with Eddard Stark and eyeing several pretty serving girls.
His younger cousin was tall for his age, already past` six feet tall and likely to grow even taller by the time he finished growing. However the young Baratheon lord was wild and uncaring for many of the responsibilities of his office. More than that, he was perhaps Rhaegar's biggest obstacle should he need to invoke the pact. Lyanna Stark was not to marry the man yet, for she was but fourteen and robert himself was eighteen, but their betrothal was all but set, and little save for death or an inconveniently pregnant noble lady would be able to break it. Plans formed in his mind, but he shook them off, he should not worry himself too much with his cousin's betrothed when Elia was still perfectly capable of providing him with the dragon's three heads. After all, she was already half way there.
As his gaze passed across the hall of a hundred hearths, he contemplated the joust that would begin tomorrow. Many great knights would be participating, from the knights of the kingsguard to even unknighted nobles of the North. Brandon Stark was even said to be participating and Rhaegar considered that that might be an opportunity to speak about Lyanna's betrothal, and perhaps drop a hint or two about her future in the south.
Finally his eyes darted over to the men who he and his wife had just left. The knights and ladies of house Terra were engaged amongst themselves, but their lord and his older companion seemed more focused on him, as Rhaegar could almost swear their gazes met across the crowded hall.
Rhaegar relaxed back into his seat, whatever men the seven kingdoms might bring, from their lords and knights, to even the Spartans of house Terra, none of them could stand up to destiny, and his would be secured with his victory in this tourney.
Again, sorry about the whole no Spartan fight, but I honestly didn't think I could do it justice at the moment. I'm kind of burnt out on fight scenes at the moment, and with a lot of stuff going on with Corona and the holidays coming up, this is actually kind of relaxing, just pumping out shorter chapters than my other works, which I tend to obsess over far more. Hope you still enjoyed it and that Rhaegar still doesn't feel too off. We don't see much of him in the books or tv show but overall I want to show that he wasn't uncaring, just single-mindedly focused on his destiny and prophesy. Also, we see that R+L was not really about love and more about Rhaegar's precieved destiny, which I think would have been cool since it would paint a truly flawed picture of both Rhaegar and Lyanna. However, it would also paint Lyanna as naive and somewhat 'asking for it' which I guess the showrunners didn't want.
Also, I've had a few questions about whether Spartan III augmentations were better that those of the Spartan IIs. Now this is somewhat subjective. On the one hand, Spartan IIIs rarely if ever got the chance to really go against Spartan IIs or function with similar equipment or experience. We do have noble team, as well as Tom, Lucy and Saber team in the newer novels, but overall they are painted as just as effective as S-IIs when they have the same equipment. The S-III augmentations didn't always necessarily give better results than the S-II's but if the results are generally the same or in some cases, better, and the failure rate is do drastically different (56% failure rate for S-II compared to 0% for S-III) then I would say they are 'better' sorry if there was any confusion.