A Song of Ice and Fire Cut Short by Dust (RWBY in Westeros)

[ATP]

NSFW basically just means "graphic sex". You have to go really, really far with gore and torture etc. to get into NSFW territory (according to US standards, of course - Europe isn't really that weird, but the web tends to use US standards).

Click to shrink...

Agree.Most stories in NSFW section really are not NSFW,but author put them there to get attention.
It is really nice of you,that you do not followed them.

About chapter - now,it is obvious that Lyra worked for Queen,and could deliver poison for her.....but, who killed her? Queen? if so,who did it? Jaime?
Well,we would seein next issue!

P.S dealing with Tywin - just tell him,that they would go straight for him do not caring how many of his soldiers die if he start war - but do not support removing Joeffrey.

 

[Mike9650]

We're about to enter spicy waters.

Things are going to go from bad to worse.

Or is it?

The game of thrones have many dynamics.

 

[eager slacker]

Well if the two ladies-in-waiting end up dying in a similar fashion to Robert then that will definitely turn heads. I doubt it will be conclusive though because Kennet mentioned that Cersei did actually have rare historical supporters and if it was known that she committed adultery, incest, and murder then the historical myth would turn into the four Maidens of the RWBY order coming from the heavens to rescue the kingdom from some villainous queen that threatened to destroy the kingdom or something like that.

Meanwhile Oberyn is using the frighteningly brilliant strategy of winning by doing absolutely nothing. Nowhere in his possible dreams did he expect the Mountain be killed via trial by combat, Robert be poisoned, and have the Lannisters self destruct this wildly and openly.

 

[OriginTrainer]

She shuddered and unfolded Crescent Rose, taking a few swings to warm up - and to shoo away the raven who was sitting on the closest post. The silly bird needed to be more careful! Probably too used to people.

Click to shrink...

Ya know what?

I'm starting up a raven counter. Greenbeak over here is becoming too obvious.

Birb Count: 1

I'll go back to the first chapter and work my way down.

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 23: Death

'The Succession started with the death of King Robert. In hindsight, most of the events that followed may seem predictable - some scholars even claim that they were obvious. That is obviously both arrogant and wrong. While in hindsight, many actions could be explained by prior events and decisions, that doesn't mean that those actions were the only possible consequences of said situations. Many different courses of action would have been explained by the same situations and events. So, coupled with the shock of the King's death, it shouldn't come as a surprise that few of the major factions were prepared for the Succession. Team Ruby was amongst them; some of my colleagues base their claims that they were anticipating such an event - a few even hint at involvement in the King's death - on the fact that the Ruby Order was quicker to react than others and ignore that it was far easier for four individuals at court to act than for someone who only heard about through messages by raven and who took weeks to react. Back then, information travelled as slowly as people, and so it took weeks, in some cases months, before most of the population was aware that the King was dead and his succession somewhat in doubt.'

• A Treatise On The Ruby Order, by Maester Kennet Bracken

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

…and I don't need to explain to you how much our family's fortunes are affected by this. A potential rift between the Starks and Lady Ruby and her friends, especially over a blatant attempt to remove Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella from the succession, has the potential to change the game board. As long as they support your grandson, no one will dare question his claim to the Iron Throne.

Tyrion Lannister paused, moving his quill away from the letter lest it spill ink. Was that a bit too forceful? If he were to hear this said, Father would cut in and caustically remark that if Tyrion didn't need to explain something, he shouldn't waste his breath and explain it. Yet, he knew his father. The odds that he would believe the reports about Team Ruby's power were slim. His father was prone to making his own judgment and then defending it against any and all criticism, no matter how well-founded. And Lord Tywin Lannister wasn't the kind of man who would believe that a group of girls, foreign girls at that, without even a single retainer in their service or much money to spend, would pose a threat to a Lord Paramount, much less the entire realm.

Tyrion could only hope that the multitudes of reports Father must have received already would raise enough doubt that he would not call his banners without at least taking a look at Team Ruby himself. At the very least, even if he didn't believe that the four girls could wreck the entire host of the Westerlands - or any other of the seven kingdoms - he might not be so quick to dismiss their obvious influence at court, especially on the Starks and Baratheons. Father would realise at once what the charges levelled against Jaime and Cersei meant for the succession; he would not hesitate to exploit such an opportunity if he were in the Baratheon's place.

Adultery and incest! He clenched his teeth and grabbed his cup, then the bottle of arbor red to refill it when it turned out to be empty already.

What have you two idiots done? No, what have you idiot done, Cersei? Jaime was an idiot as well, but he would be following Cersei's lead in this. He would never go against her wishes, and the idea that he was the one to seduce her was laughable. Cersei would have, as always, led him in this.

Led him into her bed and her family to the brink of ruin. No matter whether the children were fathered by Jaime or not - and they did look a lot like Lannisters and not at all like Baratheons - even servants were already wagging their tongues about the affair. Joffrey's position as the heir was crumbling.

Heh, Tyrion couldn't help thinking that it would actually be better if there were a formal accusation of being bastards born out of incest; Lady Ruby would be their champion and soundly defeat whatever fool would fight for the court. The smallfolk would bow their heads to the judgement of the Seven Who Are One, and the courtiers would see Lady Ruby and her friends firmly backing Joffrey's claim. That would put most dissent to rest for the time being.

Which, of course, was the reason the Baratheons were not pushing their claim. Lord Renly, at least, was aware of the political realities and must have persuaded his brother and Lord Eddard not to push Team Ruby into the Lannister's camp.

Tyrion found his cup empty again - how had that happened without him noticing? - and refilled it once more. Most would already assume, should they know of the talks between the Starks and Baratheons and Lady Ruby's group, that Lady Ruby was allied with House Lannister. Tyrion knew better, of course. They were not allied with anyone. The only reason they were both supporting the accusations against Cersei and Jaime and defending Tyrion's nephews and niece was their sense of justice. Their very foreign sense of justice.

And that, to be fair, was as much a boon as a problem. If Father mistook their stance as currying his favour… Tyrion took another swallow of wine. Lady Ruby's mercy was astonishing, going as far as to force Lord Eddard and the Baratheons to spare his foolish siblings' lives despite Cersei's attitude and actions against Team Ruby. But like everything, it had limits. And Tyrion had a feeling, based on his extensive experience with his family, that both Cersei and Father could reach those limits. And once they did…

Tyrion didn't want to find out what Lady Ruby would do if pushed beyond mercy. It might make Father's more infamous actions pale. And if her friends followed her - and why wouldn't they? They were following her lead from the start - heads would roll by the hundreds.

He picked up his quill again and dipped it into his inkwell. He had to make Father listen to him. Him and Pycelle. And hope that all the spies Father employed at court were reporting the truth to him.

If war broke out, and if House Lannister was blamed for it, Lady Ruby and her friends would move against them. And Tyrion's family could not stand against their power.

His kin stood at the brink of ruin, and he wasn't certain if he could save them. But he would do everything he could to try. As many of them as he could. Even those who didn't deserve it.

Or brought it onto themselves, like his foolish siblings.

*****​

"Tyrion! You came!"

Even in his cell, Jaime was smirking, but Tyrion knew his brother, better than most, and could tell that it was fake bravado. Jaime knew he had gone too far and would now suffer the consequences.

"You fucked up, Jaime" he told him. "You fucked up worse than Father thinks I did."

Jaime winced, as he should. Father might publicly deny the charges, but he would rip into Jaime in private. He looked behind Tyrion.

Tyrion scoffed. "I arranged privacy." It hadn't been cheap, but he could afford it.

Jaime slowly nodded. "Yes, I fucked up. I know."

"Do you?" Tyrion raised his eyebrows. "Do you truly understand what you have done? You and Cersei?" Jaime shrugged, but Tyrion didn't let him answer. "You ruined your life and Cersei's. You ruined our family's reputation. You made Father a laughingstock."

Jaime winced again.

"You might yet ruin our family and plunge the realm into a war. A war we will lose."

"Father won't be as stupid as to call his banners when he has no allies at all and is facing four girls who can destroy his host without trying," Jaime replied.

"Father hasn't seen them. He has been told, by many, but you know him."

Jaime pressed his lips together and didn't answer.

"You fucked up so thoroughly, the only reason your life isn't forfeit is because Lady Ruby and her friends are more merciful than anyone else I've ever met or heard about. They insisted that neither you nor Cersei will be executed when you're found guilty. Despite everything Cersei did and said against them."

"The septons might be on to something with their claims of the four maidens being messengers from the Seven," Jaim quipped. "Not that you will see me complaining, of course."

"You better not!" He would likely complain a lot once he was at the Wall, Tyrion knew him. But he would be alive. Tyrion would even be able to visit him. And he would be so far away, not even Tywin's fury might reach him. Though Tyrion wouldn't put it past Father to travel to the North with the sole goal of scolding Jaime - Father could be terribly petty at times.

Jaime shrugged.

Tyrion shook his head, then sighed. "Why?" Why had he done this? He was handsome, skilled, famous - he could have had almost any woman he wanted. Tyrion could have found him a whore who looked like Cersei's sister, if Jaime had told him. Why had he endangered his family?

Jaime closed his eyes and sighed. "I love her, Tyrion."

Tyrion clenched his teeth. Of course! The fool! He took a deep breath before he schooled his features in a wry, suffering grin. "And not in a brotherly way."

Jaime snorted at the weak jape.

If Tyrion hadn't already known, this would have told him enough to realise that his brother was faking his usual attitude. He muttered a curse under his breath.

"So, how much longer will I have to spend here?"

"Not much longer. The trial will be soon," Tyrion told him. "A few days at most."

Jaime frowned. "That would mean Father won't make it to the trial." He sounded almost relieved.

"That's the idea, I believe," Tyrion said. At least for Lord Renly and, perhaps, Lord Stannis. Lord Eddard probably thought that justice shouldn't wait or something.

"So… I could be off to the Wall before Father arrives." Jaime shook his head and glanced at the door.

"Yes." Lord Eddard has probably already arranged transport, Tyrion thought.

"This might be the last time we can talk," Jaime said.

"You're going to the Wall, not to your death," Tyrion said. "I can visit."

Jaime shrugged. "Look after the children," he suddenly said,

Tyrion stared at him. Did that confirm what he suspected? Or was Jaime just concerned about the children? "Are they…?"

Jaime slowly tilted his head.

Tyrion closed his eyes. He didn't need to know that. Or he did. "As long as it can't be proven, Lady Ruby will defend them."

Jaime smiled. "She is truly too good for this world," she said, his smile shifting into a smirk.

Tyrion narrowed his eyes. That had been his brother's usual smirk.

*****​

"Monster! Traitor! Murderer!"

Tyrion winced. Not because the insults hurt - they didn't; he had heard much worse from his sister - but because Cersei's shrieking hurt his ears.

"You fell for the lies of those whores! You took their word over mine! And Jaime's!"

Should he mention that Jaime had confirmed the accusations?

"You let them drag me into this cell! Get me out of here!"

"I can't get you out, Cersei," he told her.

"You useless monster! You killed Mother, and now you want to kill me! What did they promise you to betray your own family? Did they sleep with you?"

That insult hurt. He had killed his mother - she had bled out after his birth. So he ignored it and shrugged. "I am quite happy to hear you think so highly of my charms, but no, none of Team Ruby slept with me." Except in his dreams, but that was neither here nor there.

"They did! And they set you against me!"

"They didn't set me against you." That was all your doing.

"You turned my children against me! Joffrey would never have abandoned me if you hadn't poured poison in his ears! Stay away from my children! I won't have you corrupt them!"

Tyrion didn't think he could do anything to corrupt Joffrey; it would do the boy good if Tyrion managed to persuade him to go whoring and drinking. It might mellow him some. And Tommen and Myrcella were far too young to be corrupted. Or far too good - they were nice children despite Cersei's influence.

"I explained to your children why you were arrested."

"You did? You fiend! You monster! Spreading filthy lies! You will pay for this! Father will punish you! He will teach you family loyalty!"

Tyrion shrugged. He was certain that his father would blame him for the mess - either for covering for his siblings or for not stopping them, depending on his mood, maybe both - but Tyrion had faced such scorn all his life. He was used to enduring it, and it had sharpened his wit. Besides, Father would step very carefully once he saw the Four Maidens spar. He might even be impressed that Tyrion managed to maintain cordial relationships with those terrifying girls and managed to keep his nephews in the line of succession.

And pigs might fly. He chuckled. "I have no doubt that Father is most unhappy about the whole situation, but I think his ire will be focused on you and Jaime first. Provided that you're still in King's Landing when he arrives."

"What do you mean?"

"They're holding your trial before Father arrives." The Baratheons didn't want to risk Father's interference. Tyrion had made some discreet overtures, but he wasn't his father - he could only offer so much.

She seemed stunned for a moment by the news, gaping at him without saying anything. He would cherish that memory for a long time.

"Father won't save you from this, Cersei," he said, smiling twistedly. "The only reason you won't be executed is that Lady Ruby insisted that neither you nor Jaime would be killed for your adultery."

He had expected her to be angry at that, but the sheer horror she showed on her face was surprising.

"The shrouds… No!" she whispered, before starting to scream at him. "No! NO! They will kill my children! You can't let them do it! Save them! SAVE THEM!"

Once again, he winced as his ears hurt. "Your children are safe, Cersei. Lady Ruby said she will be their champion if anyone should try to harm them." Close enough, at least.

"What? No! They plan to corrupt them, use them and then discard them to take the throne! And you're helping them!"

He clenched his teeth. His sister had lost her mind. If she didn't recover until the trial, it would be a farce. "I'm not helping them, Cersei. And they haven't seen the children."

She shook her head. "No… this is their plan… No!"

"Cersei!"

She looked at him, her face twisting into a sneer. "Go away, Imp! You have done enough harm to your own flesh and blood! Go!"

Well, he had tried. Tyrion gave her a mocking bow and left her cell without asking if she wanted him to pass on anything to Joffrey, Tommen or Myrcella. It would be pointless, anyway - it was quite obvious that his sister was truly mad.

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"Yes, I saw the two of them sleep with each other with my own eyes. They were naked, and there was no chance of a mistaken identity."

Ruby Rose blushed as Blake explained what she had seen - gave her testimony - in front of Lord Eddard and the people in the Great Hall broke out in whispers and gasps. Doing it with your sister… Ew! She shuddered at the thought.

Lord Eddard nodded. Apparently, that was enough for him, but Lord Tyrion rose to ask: "When you say 'sleeping with each other', what exactly do you mean, my lady?"

"They were engaging in carnal pleasures, my lord," Blake replied, showing her teeth in a definitely not very friendly smile.

"She means they were fucking like rabbits," Yang whispered next to Ruby.

"Yang!" Weiss hissed.

Ruby rolled her eyes. She knew what Blake meant. She had peeked into those books as well - the characters in those books were the only ones who spoke like that, anyway.

"Ah." Lord Tyrion nodded. "Like husband and wife?"

"Yes. Exactly like husband and wife." Blake wasn't blushing at all.

"That means intercourse," Yang whispered.

Ruby elbowed her. She knew about sex. She knew why it was important that Ser Jaime and Cersei had had sex and hadn't just been fooling around.

"Lies!" Cersei yelled from her seat.

Ruby glanced at the Queen - former Queen, now that the King was dead, she reminded herself.

Ser Jaime had put a hand on her arm and was trying to make her sit down, but she tried to shrug him off. "You are lying!"

Lord Tyrion didn't even look at his sister as he asked: "How exactly did you happen to see them, my lady? Where did this supposedly happen?"

"It didn't happen, Imp!"

"I was climbing the broken tower in Winterfell, my lord," Blake replied. "I was teaching Lord Bran how to climb walls and wanted to ensure the wall there was safe. The tower was not in use, so I saw no harm."

"Until you did," Yang commented in a low voice, prompting another admonishment from Weiss.

"Do you make a habit of climbing towers, my lady?" Tyrion asked.

"I prefer jumping on them," Blake replied.

Yang snorted, and Ruby grinned, but Weiss frowned. Ruby knew what her partner was thinking - that people would now look out for Blake hanging on the walls outside before talking in their rooms - but that couldn't be helped.

She looked at Lord Baelish. Ah… the nobleman was frowning at Blake. Damn! He would be one of those checking his windows from now on. As if they didn't have enough problems already!

"Noted, my lady." Lord Tyrion nodded at her answer without changing his expression. "And why did you wait months until you told others what you had seen?"

Ruby winced. That was a tricky question. But they had thought of it.

"We had just arrived in Westeros and didn't know the laws of the land nor our place in it. But when we were approached by Lord Eddard, Lord Stannis and Lord Renly, who all suspected the queen of adultery already, we told them," Blake replied.

"I see," Lord Tyrion commented while the crowd whispered and mumbled.

"Do you have any further questions, Lord Tyrion?" Lord Eddard asked.

"Not right now, my lord." Lord Tyrion sat down again.

Cersei had been sat down again, but she was still trying to shrug off Ser Jaime's hand. And she could still speak. "What? Question her further! Expose her lies!"

Lord Tyrion still didn't look at her. Ruby winced. If one of her team were accused, she wouldn't treat them like that. On the contrary - she'd support them all the way.

Lord Eddard took a deep breath. "We have heard the testimony of Lady Blake. The next witness is Lady Jocelyn."

Ruby leaned back on her seat. They had been warned about this - there would be a lot of witnesses, even though they hadn't seen anything - but Lord Eddard, Lord Stannis and even Lord Renly insisted on hearing them all. Even though Ruby (who was no lawyer at all) could tell that just because Lady Jocelyn hadn't seen Ser Jaime and Cersei sleeping with each other didn't prove that they hadn't. Slept with each other, that was.

This was going to be a lengthy trial. And a loud one, she added when Cersei started to yell again. Yang's joke about being glad for the former Queen's temper and volume since it would keep them from falling asleep seemed pretty much on the mark.

*****​

"...and the court finds you, Lady Cersei Lannister, guilty of incest and adultery, and you, Ser Jaime Lannister, guilty of incest and oathbreaking," Lord Eddard stated. "As punishment, you, Lady Cersei, will spend the rest of your life as a Silent Sister."

Ruby clenched her teeth, but (to her surprise), Cersei didn't start shrieking about lies and injustice. She glanced at Ser Jaime and Cersei and saw that they were whispering together. Lord Tyrion was frowning at them. At least the children weren't present, though from what she had heard, that had taken some persuasion by Lord Tyrion.

Lord Eddard, who was also frowning, went on. "You, Ser Jaime, are sentenced to death, though you will be allowed to take the Black if you choose so."

Ser Jaime rose, glanced at his sister, who nodded, then turned to face Lord Eddard. "I demand a trial by combat for me and my sister."

Ruby gaped at him as everyone started to whisper and even talk excitedly. What was he doing? He had known he wouldn't be killed - he could choose the Black! Lord Eddard had said so! Why was he doing this? This made no sense!

While she was staring at him, their eyes met, and she saw he was smiling faintly for a moment. Then he glanced at Cersei again.

And Ruby realised that Cersei was smiling as well and also staring at her.

No…

"That bitch!" Yang hissed next to her,

"That fool!" Weiss snapped.

Lord Eddard nodded. "Very well. As its champion, the court chooses…"

"I'll be…!" Blake said.

"I'll be your champion!" Ruby said through clenched teeth as she shot to her feet, her hand on Crescent Rose and her eyes on Ser Jaime.

"Ruby!" Yang protested.

"We talked about this," Ruby replied without taking her eyes off Ser Jaime - the idiot. She took a step ahead, another, then drew and unfolded Crescent Rose. "I'll be the court's champion!" she repeated herself, slamming the shaft of her scythe down hard enough to crack the stone.

"And I will represent myself and my sister!" Ser Jaime rose as well.

What was he thinking? He knew he couldn't beat her! They had sparred often enough!

"Ruby! What are you thinking?" Weiss hissed as Lord Eddard ordered everyone to move to the yard outside - the same place where Blake had beheaded the Mountain.

"Ruby!" Yang was also angry.

Ruby frowned at them. "I'm doing what I said I was doing." She wouldn't let any of the others do this. None of them. She was the team leader; it was her responsibility to lead.

"Lady Ruby?" Lord Renly approached her.

"Yes. Let's step outside," Ruby said with more confidence than she felt when she started walking next to him. She would be facing Ser Jaime. Would kill him. But could she? Could she kill him in cold blood? He was no threat to her. And he wasn't a murderer…

The courtyard was already filling with people - more than had come to watch the Mountain's trial, or so it seemed. Ruby tried to ignore the crowd. And her friends, who were still trying to make her change her decision.

She couldn't! She had said she would do this! And she wouldn't let her friends do this!

She stepped into the ring and swung Crescent Rose around, limbering up. She didn't need to, but it helped her focus. She still didn't get Ser Jaime. Did he want to die fighting? Like some movie character? But why? He could just go and fight Wildlings at the Wall and get killed, couldn't he? And why had Cersei been smiling? Oh! Had Ser Jaime been sandbagging all this time? No. Ser Barristan would have said something - Ser Jaime wouldn't have hidden his skills before their arrival. He was far too proud for this.

Sooner than she had expected, Ser Jaime arrived, in full armour - though with an open helmet, not a closed one with a visor.

Ruby straightened when they handed him a sword and shield, and he stepped into the ring.

Both of them bowed to Lord Eddard. Then they had to wait while the High Septon led a prayer for divine justice. Ruby tried not to look at her friends or at the crowd, so she glanced at Ser Jaime. He was still smiling. Didn't he get that this could only end with his death?

Finally, the High Septon finished! Ruby turned to face Ser Jame, and Lord Eddard gave the signal.

Ser Jaime didn't charge her like the Mountain had charged at Blake. He slowly started to circle her, shield and sword up to guard himself.

She knew she could kill him with one blow - neither his sword nor his shield would stop Crescent Rose. Just one lunge, one blow… She clenched her teeth.

He stepped closer, close enough she didn't have to lunge, but didn't attack her. "You don't want to kill me, do you?" he asked in a low voice, still with that smile - that smirk - on his face.

"Why are you doing this?" she snapped, also in a whisper. "You knew - you heard - neither you nor your sister would be killed!"

"Yes." He still kept circling her, carefully putting one foot in front of the other as she mirrored him. "But we'd be separated forever. Unable to see each other. What man would I be if I did not risk everything for my love? Why should we be punished for this? We never hurt anyone."

The crowd was starting to whisper and mutter. She could hear them. They wanted her to attack. But…

"It's hard to kill, isn't it?"

He suddenly lunged - but it was a feint, a half-hearted one at that. Ruby parried it easily with Crescent Rose, and her follow-up strike, out of reflex, tore half his shield off.

That only seemed to amuse him as he backed off. "Just now, you could have killed me easily."

Yes! She could have! And he knew it!

"But you don't want to."

She clenched her teeth. How sick would you have to be to want that?

"But the only way this can end is with my death - or with the accusations withdrawn. What will it be, my lady?"

She blinked. Was he…? "That's your plan?"

He tilted his head slightly to the side. "It's not very honourable, I know." He smirked. "But I'd do everything for love."

He was… He expected her to… He was trying to force her - no, Blake! - to withdraw the accusations by threatening them with his own death? That was crazy!

The audience was muttering. More people called out for them to fight. The noise was covering their talk.

And yet, it would spare you from killing him, a small voice seemed to whisper in the back of her mind. No one would have to die. No one would wage war.

She shook her head. That wasn't… It was true, but… She clenched her teeth. Team RWBY had talked about this. Not exactly this, but… "You're taking yourself hostage," she said.

"In a way, yes." He tilted his head again.

"That was what you meant, back in your cell!" 'If only we'd have known!', he had said.

"I had not much else to do but think of a way out of this for me and Cersei." He smirked again. "What is a little risk for a man in love? Compared to spending the rest of my life in the freezing North, far from her?"

She blinked again. Her eyes felt wet. But… "And you'd do it again." Take a hostage. To get his way. To force Ruby and her friends to do his bidding. And even if he wouldn't do it, others would. People would suffer because of this. Because of Ruby. Because she didn't want to kill people. People would die.

She shook her head, blinking tears away.

He was still smiling, more confidently now. "You don't want to…"

Ruby moved before he could finish his sentence. Crescent Rose rose and fell, cutting through him, from shoulder to hip, through armour, sword, and arms, in one smooth motion.

She watched him fall, watched the blood splatter on the sand, the pieces dropping.

The crowd had fallen silent.

"No! Jaime! JAIME!"

She turned, bowed to Lord Eddard, then walked out of the ring and kept walking. The crowd parted before her while Cersei kept screaming her brother's name.

Ruby didn't care. She just wanted to get out of here. Away from this… this crazy, stupid mess.

A moment later, she was halfway to their quarters, trailing petals and tears.

*****​

Weiss Schnee stared at the pieces of Ser Jaime on the ground. Blood was pooling around them. With his mouth open and his dead eyes staring at the sky, he looked surprised. He probably hadn't even realised what was happening before he was dead. Ruby had killed him… Ruby needed her!

Yang was already running - the crowd of spectators, already closing again after Ruby had gone, quickly parted for her, Weiss noted with relief - she didn't think Yang would have been gentle in pushing through obstacles.

"Blake!" Weiss called out. When her friend, who had been going after Yang, stopped, Weiss flicked Myrtenaster and created a glyph in the air - facing the gates leading into the keep.

Blake flashed a tired but grateful smile, and both of them jumped up, at the glyph, which propelled them over the crowd to land at the gate.

It still wasn't enough to overtake Yang, but they saw her running ahead now as they charged through the hall, weaving around noisy servants and whoever else hadn't been outside watching the fight.

"He thought she couldn't kill him and would yield," Blake said, anger clearly audible in her voice as they sped down a hallway and up the stairs. "His plan was to take himself hostage."

Weiss felt fury fill her. "That scumbag!" she spat through clenched teeth. How dare he do this to her partner!

They reached the hallway leading to their room just in time to see Yang push the door open. A quick sprint later - Blake cheated with a clone - all were inside their room.

Where Ruby was sitting on the bed, cradling Crescent Rose in her arms and staring at the floor.

"Ruby…" Yang whispered.

Weiss bit her lower lip and closed the door, then looked at Blake, who was already checking for spies. There weren't any - which was good. Weiss didn't know if she could have controlled herself right now.

"The bastard tried to take himself hostage," Blake told Yang.

She gasped. "He didn't! I…"

Ruby's sniffle interrupted her. "He told me I couldn't kill him. That he was doing this for love. That they hadn't hurt anyone." She raised her head, and Weiss saw that she was crying. "But… If I had yielded, he would have done it again. Or someone else. They would have taken hostages!"

Yang sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

Weiss clenched her teeth, then forced herself to relax and sat down on Ruby's other side, putting her hand on Ruby's - she was still holding her scythe - and squeezing gently. "I know, Ruby," she whispered.

Blake, still standing at the wall which hid the secret passage, hesitated a moment, then came over as well to stand in front of Ruby.

It's getting a bit crowded, Weiss thought, then had to suppress a snort at her silly and utterly inappropriate thought.

"You had no choice, Ruby," Blake said.

"I knew that!" Ruby blurted out. "I knew I had to kill him when he demanded a trial by combat. But I didn't understand why he wanted to die. Until he told me!" She sniffled again. "I didn't want to kill him! But I had to."

You knew that this was a possible outcome when you insisted on being the court's champion. Weiss didn't voice her thought - Ruby knew that as well. But she - and, to be fair, Weiss and their friends as well - had thought that it wouldn't come to this. "No one could have expected him to try this," she said.

"I should have expected it!" Ruby shook her head.

"No!" Yang growled. "You couldn't have expected this! Everyone was surprised - even his brother!"

"Not Cersei, though," Ruby whispered.

Weiss nodded. "She knew. She wanted him to do it. It might even have been her plan." And Weiss would never forgive her.

Ruby shook her head. "No… he told me it was his plan."

Blake nodded.

Weiss pressed her lips together. He might have believed that, but it wouldn't be the first time someone might have been manipulated by their lover into doing something without realising it.

"That bitch!" Yang either shared Weiss's suspicion or thought that going along with it was bad enough.

Ruby hadn't let go of her weapon, and Weiss hadn't let go of her hand. She could feel how tense her partner was, still.

At least Crescent Rose wasn't dripping blood - Ruby must have been too fast for that. Or the blood had been shed during her rush to their room. Either way, Weiss was glad. Blood stains on the floor - or, worse, the bed - wouldn't have helped at all.

"It's not your fault, sis," Yang said.

"I chose this," Ruby replied, still staring at the floor.

"He chose this," Weiss said. He and his sister.

"I killed him. Cut him apart." Ruby raised her head and looked at Blake.

Blake slowly nodded, and Weiss felt an irrational bout of jealousy. Ruby was her partner, yet Blake was the one who had killed like Ruby. She would know best how this felt. All Weiss could do was offer her support.

And she wanted to do more. Ruby needed more. She was the youngest of them. And the most… Some would call it naive, but not Weiss. Not any more. Ruby was… idealistic. Determined to do the right thing, to help people, regardless of the cost to her.

"Next time, I'll fight," Weiss said.

"What?" Ruby stared at her, blinking tears away. "Weiss! No!"

Weiss met her eyes. "I won't let you do this again!" She could handle it. She would handle it.

Ruby shook her head. "Weiss…" She trailed off. She must have realised Weiss wouldn't budge on that.

Weiss half-expected Blake to chime in, but her friend didn't say anything. Good.

After a moment, Yang chuckled, though Weiss couldn't hear even a hint of amusement. "Are we really arguing who gets to kill the next scumbag trying something?"

Weiss nodded. "Technically, we are." With benevolent motives, but… the situation was absurd in an almost comical way. She snorted.

Yang chuckled again, Blake made a noise that might have been a snort, and Ruby… still was sniffling but managed a weak giggle.

Weiss squeezed her hand again. They would get through this.

And if anyone tried this again… Weiss would deal with them.

*****​

Blake Belladonna's ears twitched. Still no sign of any spies trying to listen in. She looked at Ruby, who had fallen asleep between Weiss and Yang. This wouldn't have happened if Blake had insisted on fighting, as she should have - nominally, she had been the accuser. It had been her testimony that had proved the guilt of Ser Jaime and Cersei. Instead, she had let Ruby be the court's champion. And pay the price.

She bit her lower lip. She should have known the Lannister siblings would do something like this. She should have sneaked into the Black Cells to spy on them. They would have been ready for it. If she had known that Ser Jaime would call for a trial by combat, Blake could have taken Ruby's place - she had already done it once before, after all. She was already a killer. And she had lost her innocence the day she had joined Adam's cell.

But she couldn't dwell on what she should have done - she had to focus on what she needed to do now, with their plans so thoroughly derailed. If what they had heard about Lord Tywin was true - and she had no reason to doubt it, not with so many people, both his allies and enemies, even his own son, agreeing on it - then he would call his banners, as they called mobilisation here.

"I wish the rumours that new Silent Sisters got their tongues cut off were true," Yang muttered, Ruby still in her arms. "It's all that bitch's fault."

"Without her, Ser Jaime certainly wouldn't have committed incest," Weiss said.

Technically, that wasn't true, but Blake didn't think Ser Jaime shared Lord Renly and Ser Loras's inclinations. She certainly had never seen any hint of it. Not from Lord Tyrion, either, but she hadn't actually observed what he did during his carousing escapades. Still… "I wouldn't sell Ser Jaime short. According to his own words, he was the one who thought of this plan. That doesn't sound like he was a victim."

"While I would caution against underestimating Cersei, I do concur that the attempt to use Ruby's own idealism against her would have required an amount of empathy I doubt she could muster," Weiss agreed.

And it would keep Ruby from feeling even worse for killing a victim of Cersei's manipulation instead of killing a manipulating bastard.

"I still want to punch her head off. More than ever," Yang said. "Can't really make it worse now, can I?"

"You don't want that," Blake told her partner with a shake of her head.

Yang closed her eyes. "You're right. But break her legs?"

Blake snorted, feeling both mirth and a pang of pain at thinking of Nora. Their friends must believe them dead… She pushed the thought away. They had more urgent problems to worry about. "What do we do now?"

Weiss looked at Ruby, who was still cradling her weapon in her arms. "We'll have to discuss this once… everyone's ready. But we certainly need more information."

"I don't think Lord Tyrion wants to talk to us right now," Yang said.

Blake nodded. The noble would be blaming them for his brother's death, and not incorrectly so. Ultimately, Ser Jaime had chosen his own fate by gambling with his life and losing, but without Blake, Ser Jaime wouldn't have been in the same situation - he certainly wouldn't have faced a member of Team RWBY in the trial by combat, but another member of the Kingsguard instead. And after sparring with the knights for so long, Blake would've bet on Ser Jaime in a fight against any of the others but Ser Barristan. "And I think the others are a bit more wary of me now," she said.

"Yes." Weiss frowned. "That was inevitable, but it does restrict our options somewhat."

Blake nodded. She would have to be more careful - and sneakier.

"We need to talk to Lord Renly and Lord Stannis. And Lord Eddard. Once Ruby has rested some," Weiss said.

Blake understood what she meant. They would be checking the walls now, but she knew the secret tunnels leading to their rooms and offices.

*****​

"Isn't it ironic, Loras? After all that negotiating with Lady Ruby, compromising to let Cersei and her brother live despite their crimes, Jaime forces her to kill him herself. A mummer would love this twist."

"I would call it poetic justice, Renly. Yet, Cersei still lives."

"For now."

Hidden in a narrow passage - an air vent, probably once connected to a kitchen - that she had only managed to navigate thanks to her flexibility, Blake frowned. Would Lord Renly arrange for the murder of Cersei?

"Do you want her dead, Renly?" Lady Margaery echoed Blake's thoughts.

"I do. But I am confident others will take care of that problem. The Lannisters have made too many enemies for Cersei to survive this. I wouldn't be surprised if she's poisoned shortly afterwards."

"Do you think the Martells would risk that?"

"The Lannisters have lost all influence at court, and no one likes them. Tywin will call his banners and move against the throne."

"Will he, Renly? It would be suicide. He has no allies, and Lady Ruby and her friends would trounce him - and they know he would blame them for this. Lady Blake testified, and Lady Ruby slew his son."

"He is too proud to let this go." Renly sounded sure.

"I beg to differ," Margaery said. "Joffrey is still the Prince. If Tywin breaks the King's peace, he undermines his own grandson. Would he risk that when everyone already doubts Joffrey's legitimacy?"

"Tywin's pride will be his downfall. And Joffrey won't become king."

"Lady Ruby made it clear that she will defend him."

"In a trial, Loras. And because she won't let the bastards die. But do you think she will fight to put him on the throne? You've seen her after she killed Jaime."

"But she did kill him," Margaery pointed out. "As did Lady Blake against the Mountain. Do you want to risk it?"

"We don't have to. Sooner or later, someone will deal with him. Lord Eddard knows he's a bastard as well."

"He won't betray his oath as regent, Renly."

"No. But I bet he's already looking for an excuse to dissolve the betrothal between Joffrey and Lady Sansa and return to the North. He only came to serve as Hand for Robert, and he would only stay out of loyalty to Robert's children. With them being bastards? He'll be gone before the season ends." Renly sounded very sure of this.

"And then Stannis will become King."

"Yes. And he either needs a new wife to get a son, or the throne falls to you, Renly."

"Either way, we win."

Blake blinked. She wasn't surprised about the naked ambition - not any more - but it seemed quite a bit optimistic to assume everything would come out in your favour without doing anything yourself. At least, it meant that there shouldn't be any trouble from Lord Renly and the Tyrells.

When Lady Margaery excused herself, and Lord Renly and Ser Loras started to get intimate, Blake left the shaft. She could check Lord Stannis and Lord Eddard's quarters, but it was already late - Ruby had slept until dinner - and the odds of overhearing anything were slim.

Tomorrow, then.

*****​

Street of Steel, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"Lady Yang!"

"Yo!" Yang Xiao Long waved at Gendry as she entered Tobho's smithy.

"How are you? Do you have any news about the murder of m… the King?"

She snorted. "You can call him your father. He acknowledged you. And who would disagree with the King?"

"I know, but…" He looked around. "People are saying all sorts of things. In the Great Sept, some say that the gods prevented you from saving him because of his sins."

"What?" She growled. "I thought we'd set that nonsense straight!" And she had come here to distract herself from failing to protect Ruby!

Gendry winced. "People keep talking. Although some also say that the Lannisters killed the King, and that was why Lady Ruby punished them."

That wasn't what the trial had been about, which everyone should know! "If we thought that the Queen had murdered your father, we'd have accused her - and told you," she said. "But we don't have any news about that. They're still investigating." Despite all the torture, she added to herself. Well, there was the dead lady-in-waiting, possibly connected to the poison purchase, but… Best not mention that. If Lord Renly and Lord Stannis heard, everyone who knew her would get tortured.

"But why did Lady Ruby stay her hand? She could have killed Ser Jaime in the blink of an eye. She did, in the end. Was it to give him time to confess his sins?"

Damn. Yang wasn't about to betray Ruby's confidence. And the last thing her team needed was more people thinking that they could be pushed around with hostages. "Yeah, sort of," she said. "She wanted to know why he was doing this."

"And when she knew, she killed him. Because he showed no remorse and didn't repent." Gendry apparently was listening quite closely to those rumours.

Yang shrugged. "He thought he could win. He was wrong." No need to go into details.

"I've heard some criminals prefer to die rather than join the Night's Watch," Gendry said. "If you are used to living in luxury, it must be even worse, I guess."

Yang shrugged again. "So, what else are they saying in the Sept?"

"Ah… I mainly go to pray to the Smith, to ask for his blessings for our work here. I don't really talk much to people, my lady."

She raised her eyebrows at him.

"I've heard that the children of the Queen are born of incest." He grimaced. "But many say that the Four Maidens would have called them out if that were the case. Others say that Lady Ruby is only staying her hand because they are still children, and should the prince try to claim the throne once he is of age, he'll be struck down."

Someone had been busy spreading all those rumours. Not Lord Eddard, and Yang didn't think Lord Stannis would do this - though both had retainers who would - but this might fit what Blake had overheard when she had spied on Lord Renly.

She noticed how Gendry was looking at her. He obviously expected her to answer the unspoken question. "We haven't seen any proof that the King wasn't the father of Prince Joffrey and his siblings," she said. Only hearsay and conjecture, as Weiss called it. Oh, Yang was pretty sure that Lord Eddard and the Baratheons honestly believed it, but they had no real proof. Hair colour didn't prove anything - Yang and Ruby were the best examples of that. And Weiss too.

"Oh." Gendry nodded. "I'll tell the others when I visit the Sept next time."

"Which won't be for a few days, boy!"

Yang had noticed Master Tobho approaching them, but Gendry was startled. He needed better situational awareness. Even Jaune wouldn't have jumped like that. "Master Tobho."

"Lady Yang."

"The Smith is blessing us, Master," Gendry said with a pout. "Ever since I started praying, we have made much more progress."

Tobho scoffed. "That's because you focus more when you don't leave your thoughts wandering. But if the sept is full of rumours, you can't focus."

"I'm praying!"

Tobho scoffed. "Do it less often. We have a lot of work to do."

"Any trouble with…" Yang tilted her head and looked at the walls outside the smithy. "...unwanted attention?"

"Not that I'd have noticed, but I don't follow the boy outside."

"Who would waylay me on the way to the sept, Master?"

"Any assassin worth their pay, boy! If they can kill the King, they can kill you."

Yang winced at that. If they hadn't revealed Gendry to the King… But he had already been known by others, like Lord Eddard. "If you see anything or anyone suspicious, call us, OK? I mean, send for us." No scrolls here.

"Of course, my lady."

For whatever it would help.

"Now, can I take a look at your work?"

"Of course, my lady. Your tools are almost done."

"The Smith has been blessing us."

"Don't be a fool, boy! This is our honest work!"

Well, as long as Yang got her tools, she didn't care who did it. That would be one less thing to worry about. Maybe Ruby would cheer up as well if she could tinker a bit with those tools and the rest of the materials...

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Agree.Most stories in NSFW section really are not NSFW,but author put them there to get attention.
It is really nice of you,that you do not followed them.

About chapter - now,it is obvious that Lyra worked for Queen,and could deliver poison for her.....but, who killed her? Queen? if so,who did it? Jaime?
Well,we would seein next issue!

P.S dealing with Tywin - just tell him,that they would go straight for him do not caring how many of his soldiers die if he start war - but do not support removing Joeffrey.

Click to shrink...

Tywin certainly will be torn between his pride and pragmatism.

We're about to enter spicy waters.

Things are going to go from bad to worse.

Or is it?

The game of thrones have many dynamics.

Click to shrink...

Well, today's chapter should have added to the spicyness.

Well if the two ladies-in-waiting end up dying in a similar fashion to Robert then that will definitely turn heads. I doubt it will be conclusive though because Kennet mentioned that Cersei did actually have rare historical supporters and if it was known that she committed adultery, incest, and murder then the historical myth would turn into the four Maidens of the RWBY order coming from the heavens to rescue the kingdom from some villainous queen that threatened to destroy the kingdom or something like that.

Meanwhile Oberyn is using the frighteningly brilliant strategy of winning by doing absolutely nothing. Nowhere in his possible dreams did he expect the Mountain be killed via trial by combat, Robert be poisoned, and have the Lannisters self destruct this wildly and openly.

Click to shrink...

A lot of historical figures have been slandered by contemporaries or later "historians". Like the story about Nero playing his fiddle while Rome burnt. And some people will support someone despite knowing better, for a variety of reasons.

Ya know what?

I'm starting up a raven counter. Greenbeak over here is becoming too obvious.

Birb Count: 1

I'll go back to the first chapter and work my way down.

Click to shrink...

 

[Tager Joseph]

He was still smiling, more confidently now. "You don't want to…"

Ruby moved before he could finish his sentence. Crescent Rose rose and fell, cutting through him, from shoulder to hip, through armour, sword, and arms, in one smooth motion.

She watched him fall, watched the blood splatter on the sand, the pieces dropping.

Click to shrink...

RIP bozo. The moral of the story is don't play chicken with superhumans.

Ruby absolutely made the right choice. This sets a precedent that while she and her team are nice, they are not so nice that they won't become human blenders if pushed. If you don't establish the Find Out half of the FAFO equation, the Fuck Around half will only continue to escalate.

 

[eager slacker]

Everyone knew that the situation is untenable. People that are aware of and acknowledge that RBWY is here for a pit stop before leaving knows that Jeffrey only lives because the team does not approve of child murder. Now people will try to milk a possible war with the Lannisters being wiped out as a competitor. Maybe Renly will try to maneuver the team to do something against the law to get Stannis more mad and oppose them and knock his brother out of the running. Kinda stupid for many reasons but Renly was always way too ambitious and not very responsible.

 

[ATP]

RIP bozo. The moral of the story is don't play chicken with superhumans.

Ruby absolutely made the right choice. This sets a precedent that while she and her team are nice, they are not so nice that they won't become human blenders if pushed. If you don't establish the Find Out half of the FAFO equation, the Fuck Around half will only continue to escalate.

Click to shrink...

Agree.If she let him go,she would face another situations like that later.
And Tywin here ,after loosing son,would propable start war and lost it quickly.

What next? Renly as King? Stannis? see in next issue !

 

[Spartan303]

I'd love for Team RWBY to investigate or learn of Valyrian steel. Get their thoughts on it and how it compares to Aura enhanced weapons. like, how would Longclaw compare to Crocea Mors?

on another note, Team RWBY could forestall the war entirely by going to the Westerlands or meeting Tywin in a Neutral Location. Make it a firm request (in order to get it over with). Tywin will not be able to resist a face to face meeting if only to get the measure of the women who have upended everything.

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 24: Dealing

'The trial by combat in the Lannister Incest Case is one of the most famous fights of the Succession era. Not for its result - anyone who had witnessed the Battle of the Maidens or the trial of Ser Gregor Clegane, or any later historian who had studied the trial's records, would have known that it could only end in Ser Jaime Lannister's death - but for its consequences. Both the court and the Ruby Order underwent significant adjustments in the wake of the trial, although in the order's case, they were a bit more subtle. Even so, one cannot fall into the trap of focusing merely on Lord Tywin Lannister's response to the death of his eldest son and the banishment of his daughter - many of the most important consequences of the fight were less obvious yet as crucial for understanding the changes that happened to Westeros at the time. The realignment of the various factions at court, for example, had a significant effect on the Succession, for example. And one cannot overlook the effects the fight had on the Faith and the smallfolk, albeit those consequences took quite some time to manifest.'

• A Treatise On The Ruby Order, by Maester Kennet Bracken

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"Good morning, my Lord Hand, Grand Maester."

Petyr Baelish was in a good mood when he greeted the others and took his seat at the table for the meeting of the small council. The Lannisters were done for. Ser Jaime was dead, the former Queen had been sent to the Silent Sisters, both disgraced as an incestuous couple. That left the Imp as heir, and everyone knew he was too fond of drinking and whoring, Petyr better than most since the Imp tended to frequent his brothels.

If Tywin were smarter than he was proud, he would disown the Imp and wash his hands of all his children. Pick a new heir and focus on keeping his grandson in line for the throne. Not that he would succeed at that; not when rumours about dear Joffrey being the offspring of incest were running wild in King's Landing and spreading to other regions. And if you considered Joffrey's horrible character, all the money in Tywin's coffers wouldn't help him there.

But Tywin's intelligence wasn't greater than his pride. He wouldn't be able to accept that his children had been tried and found guilty of incest, and his proud son had not merely been killed but outright humiliated by Lady Ruby in the trial by combat. He'd call his banners and attack all his enemies, imagined and real. Probably the Stormlands because he couldn't get to Dragonstone, King's Landing or the North.

But that would bring in the Tyrells even if Stark, the noble fool, would not condemn Tywin for breaking the King's peace. Tywin would struggle against that alliance, and once everyone with a grudge and a border with the Westerlands came to fight the Lannisters, they would be defeated in short order - they couldn't stand against that kind of power.

And they had no allies. Lysa was a gullible fool, but she would have reservations about joining the Lannisters in such a doomed war, even if Petyr were to visit her and persuade her in person. Which would take too long, anyway. The Ironborn might try to raid all coasts, but it was far more likely that they would use the opportunity to raid the Westerlands, to take revenge for losing the Greyjoy Rebellion years ago.

He shuffled his notes - not that he needed them - as they waited for the other members of the small council. To have the war end quickly and without a lot of damage done to any part of the realm except the Westerlands wouldn't be ideal. It would further undermine Joffrey and his siblings, but if the Lannisters lost the war, Stark would likely make them write off the money the court owed them - he had mentioned something like that. And that would stabilise the realm. And damage his own influence. Neither was acceptable.

And yet, Petyr couldn't be sure that this would come to pass. Not with those girls at court! Team Ruby had the power to prevent this - if Tywin listened to all his spies, he wouldn't dare to draw the Hand's ire while the four girls were around. And if he still defied the crown and the four girls involved themselves in the conflict, the war would be over as soon as the girls reached the Rock and killed Tywin in his throne room.

He had to deal with the girls so he wouldn't miss this opportunity to destabilise the realm further. Fortunately, the relationship between the Starks and Baratheons and the girls had been strained recently.

Petyr could exploit that. He just needed the right angle.

Fortunately, for someone who had been playing the game for years, and who had risen from a disgraced petty noble to the Master of Coin of the entire realm, putting together what the four girls wanted was not too difficult.

Lady Ruby and her friends had known about the incest for months, yet hadn't said anything. It was patently obvious that they had been biding their time and saving that information for when they were ready to use it to the best effect - when they had ingratiated themselves so closely with Prince Joffrey that not even removing his parents would damage their relationship, and no one else would dare to stand against them.

And they were close; the little bastard was following them around like a lapdog. He hadn't even thrown a tantrum when his mother had been dragged off to the dungeons by the girls. They were leading him by his nose - or rather, his little cock; the girls were not sleeping with the bastard - he was not nearly as love-struck as he would be - but they were dangling that lure in front of him. Like they had done to Stark's sons. And were still doing in the bastard's case.

Fortunately, Petyr had tipped off Stark to the Queen's infidelity, and Stark and the Baratheon fools had been quick enough to unravel the secret to foil the girls' plans and force them to act before they were ready. Even better, he had exposed the Lannisters' crimes, and so the little bastard's legitimacy was all but ruined. Instead of using the Prince to rule the realm, they had to use their reputation to prop up his claim. And now, Tywin would want revenge for what they had done to his children, the Baratheons still wanted the bastards gone, and Stark was caught between his so-called allies' different goals.

Petyr chuckled under his breath. Would Stark back Joffrey, using his daughter to turn from the Hand of the King to the Prince's regent and goodfather and the power behind the throne? Or would he back Stannis's claim? Demand an engagement between Stannis's disfigured daughter and his own son as his prize? Even though that would oppose the plans of the very girls he had courted so hard and earn their enmity?

Petyr didn't know - not yet. But he had the man's trust, thanks to dear, gullible Lysa and Cat, and so would be amongst the first to find out. With the right touch, Petyr would be able to present himself to the girls as a trustworthy source of what went on at court. And once he controlled what they knew, he could control what they'd do.

Of course, they had a spy of their own, but skulking around in shadows and climbing walls to listen at windows wouldn't grant them any really valuable information. Certainly not now that people knew about her - even Stark would take precautions.

But Petyr had a network of spies and contacts. Whatever happened in the city and beyond, he would know. Money talked.

And knowledge was power.

He smiled at his thoughts when Varys entered - the last member of the small council. His old rival. The man acted like usual, smiling and tittering as he brabbled an excuse about having been held up, but Petyr could tell that the man was off his game. Had been since the Battle of the Maidens. For all his experience, Varys simply wasn't smart enough to deal with four powerful women. Well, he wasn't a man. Petyr was.

Stark nodded at Varys and started the meeting. They quickly covered the daily business - and, again, Petyr noted that Varys was talking less than usual - before Stark finally decided to address the actual problems - or opportunities.

"We haven't heard from Lord Tywin yet," the fool said. "So, we don't know yet how he will react to the death of his eldest son."

As if there was any question - the Old Lion would call his banners and attack the Stormlands. Or the Riverlands, if he wanted a few victories before he was crushed by the combined might of the realm. And then, not only would the bastard prince be left entirely dependent on Team Ruby and, perhaps, Stark, but the war would have drained even more gold from the realm's coffers - and filled Petyr's.

"I hope Lord Tywin will remain reasonable and accept the judgement of the gods," Pycelle, the doddering old fool, said.

"He would stand no chance in a war," Renly added the obvious. "But I can't say that he ever struck me as someone who would let his pride take second place to survival."

"And he has not seen Lady Ruby and her friends; he might doubt their power," Stark said in a thinly-veiled attempt to remind everyone of who was the most powerful faction in the realm.

Varys cleared his throat. "Lord Tywin has alternatives to letting the crown feel his displeasure. The Kingdom owes him a fortune, after all, and should Lord Tywin call in his loans, things would become… uncomfortable. Even the mere refusal to loan us more gold might make the Iron Bank raise the interest for future loans to the crown - or refuse further loans altogether. The latter would be a certainty if we defaulted on Lord Tywin's loans."

That was… Petyr didn't bother hiding his scowl. Stark would assume he was worried about the realm. But Petyr was angry that he hadn't considered this; if the Lannisters stopped loaning money to the court, people would expect Petyr to find alternative sources of gold. And if he failed, he would get the blame for the resulting consequences. Of course, Lord Tywin using such a ploy to put pressure on the court wouldn't be enough to repair his reputation, but the Old Lion wouldn't hesitate to use it to weaken the realm before he took more drastic - and more violent - actions.

Petyr quickly schooled his features. "Let us hope it doesn't come to that; it would probably be easier and quicker to conquer the Rock and seize the gold mines there instead of finding more money." He laughed to show he was joking, although he wasn't really joking, so Stark wouldn't scold him for his comment; at the moment, Petyr couldn't afford to annoy the man.

Not until he was ready to use the Four Maidens against his rivals.

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Ruby Rose ran through a series of moves to limber up before her morning training session and stopped in the middle of a downstroke. The same move that had cut Ser Jaime in half. Half and a few smaller pieces, a voice in the back of her head whispered.

She pressed her lips together. She had killed a man. Deliberately. A man who hadn't been a threat - not a physical threat, at least. Not to her. She could have let him live, spared him, but she had chosen not to.

She had killed him so he wouldn't live. So others wouldn't imitate him. Wouldn't try to use hostages against them. Wouldn't try to use themselves as hostages against Ruby and her team.

No matter how often she repeated this to herself, the guilt remained. Weiss had told her that she hadn't had a choice. That Ser Jaime had forced this on her. Blake had told her that she had done what was necessary to prevent others from becoming hostages. Yang had told her that it wasn't her fault.

But she'd had a choice. She could have let Ser Jaime go. It would have been unfair, and would have meant Cersei would go free as well, but Ruby could have made that choice. Ser Jaime hadn't controlled her. And she didn't know if what she had done had actually saved anyone. People here were used to taking hostages. Theon had been - was - a hostage back in Winterfell. Lord Eddard was keeping him as a hostage to ensure Theon's father wouldn't start another war. Sooner or later, someone would take people hostage to control Team RWBY.

And it was her fault. Ruby was the leader of Team RWBY. She had decided to use this plan. She had decided to fight as the court's champion. She had failed to convince Ser Jaime that this was foolish. If he hadn't believed that she didn't want to kill him, he wouldn't have demanded a trial by combat.

"I should have been… tougher. Harder," she muttered as she drew Crescent Rose back and repeated the move, then flowed into a sweeping attack. Scarier. If she were scary enough, no one would bother her or her friends.

She ran through another set of moves. Faster, and more forcefully. She imagined her scythe cutting through an enemy as she swung it at a training dummy, slicing off limbs and sending blood spraying… She stopped, barely preventing Crescent Rose from tearing into the ground before she let it rest on her shoulder.

"Your form's a bit off, Lady Ruby."

She turned around, staring at Ser Barristan. She hadn't even noticed him approach her! So much for her situational awareness!

"Yes," she agreed. No point in lying. Especially not during training - you'd be lying to yourself.

If he had also noticed that she had missed him coming to the ring, he didn't comment on it. Instead, he drew his sword and executed a few moves himself before sheathing it again. "Was Ser Jaime the first man you killed?"

They had probably killed a few wildlings, after their arrival in this world. Indirectly, by causing them wounds that wouldn't be healed, and by taking food and supplies that they needed to survive in the cold lands beyond the wall. But she hadn't realised it at the time, and as guilty as she felt for missing that, it wasn't the same. "He was the first person I deliberately killed," she said. "I could have spared him and didn't." She looked at him, meeting his eyes, while she pressed her lips together for a moment. "I chose to kill him."

He slowly nodded. "Aye, you did." He performed a few more forms.

She did a half-hearted spinning move before stopping again. "And I wasn't in any danger. He was no threat to me." Just to others.

He nodded again, a hint of a smile on his lips. "He knew that. It must have galled him."

She frowned in return. "It didn't stop him from fighting me."

"No, it didn't. But Ser Jaime knew the odds, and still chose to face you, out of pride or desperation."

Not love? Maybe Ser Barristan found that too disgusting to consider it love. "He thought I would rather surrender - I mean, make Blake withdraw her accusations - than kill him." Ruby pressed her lips together. She hadn't told anyone else except her friends that. But it wasn't really a secret, was it? It would be better if people knew it, anyway, so they wouldn't try the same, and she wouldn't have to kill anyone else.

"Oh." He blinked. "I see. Yes, he might have thought so - he was not quite as clever as he thought he was."

Ruby nodded. Ser Jaime had been stupid. Too stupid to live, Yang had said.

"And yet, I can understand how he might have come to this conclusion," Ser Barristand went on, sheathing his sword again. "You and your friends, my lady, loathe killing to a degree most of us cannot understand. Or do not want to understand, in some cases."

She snorted. "It's not hard to understand. Killing shouldn't… It should be a last resort. You only kill when you have no choice."

"You had no choice - you were the court's champion. The gods were watching."

Ruby so had had a choice! "You always have a choice," she said. "You just might not like the results."

Ser Barristan nodded. "Wise words, my lady."

She felt herself blushing - she had stolen them from her favourite game!

"And yet, I would say that the results of certain choices are so abhorrent, we don't have a real choice."

She nodded. "I couldn't let him walk away."

"And he could have chosen not to challenge the verdict and lived. But he couldn't bear the thought of going to the Wall."

"Yes."

After a few more moves - she thought she had figured out how to wield Crescent Rose to deflect arrows back at an archer, though she would have to test that (and without putting an archer into danger) - he spoke up again: "You wanted to know why he was facing you before you killed him."

She hadn't wanted to kill him at all. "Yes. I needed to know why he was doing this - why he was risking death."

Ser Barristan nodded. "And he told you. And then you killed him."

"Yes."

"He really wasn't as clever as he thought he was. Although, I fear, that applies to many amongst the court."

"I sure hope they aren't as stupid as he was," Ruby said through clenched teeth. She didn't want to kill anyone else. "Do you think his father will start a war over this?"

Ser Barristan took a deep breath. "I don't know. He lost his son, but Ser Jaime and Queen Cersei brought immense shame on his house. Lord Tywin has gone to great lengths to restore the reputation of the Lannisters, which he thinks his father hurt. The best course of action would be to disown both and bear the embarrassment. His grandson will be crowned once he is of age. You can recover from such humiliation - Lord Tywin proved that himself, albeit in different circumstances. But he is very proud, and pride can drive a man to as much foolishness as love can."

"If Lord Tywin dies, Lord Tyrion becomes his successor, right?" She didn't want to kill anyone, but… if it was necessary to stop a war? They could probably capture Lord Tywin instead. But wouldn't rebels be executed anyway?

Ser Barristan narrowed his eyes for a moment. "Lord Tyrion is Lord Tywin's heir according to law and custom."

And Lord Tyrion probably hated Team RWBY for Ruby killing his brother. Ruby closed her eyes and sighed. "How can we stop people from being so stupid?"

"That is a question the brightest minds have failed to answer, my lady," he said with a wry smile.

Ruby sighed again and tried to distract herself from her dark thoughts by training as hard with her baby as she could without wrecking the training yard.

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Lord Tyrion looked tenser than he had the last time they had met, Weiss Schnee noted. He looked more tired as well - not quite exhausted, but she had seen students cramming through the night who looked better.

"Thank you for seeing me, my lady." He bowed his upper body with a lopsided grin that held more edge as well as before, in her impression.

Well, Ruby had killed his brother. It had been Ser Jaime's own fault, and Cersei's, but that wasn't a thing you could easily forget. If someone had killed Winter… It was a good thing Ruby wasn't here.

She bowed her head in response. "There are a few things we need to discuss, my lord."

"Just a few," he said with a short, sharp chuckle before taking a sip from his cup.

It wasn't even noon. She hid her distaste with ease from long practice. Things were different here in Westeros, she reminded herself. People drank far more in general. The water wasn't particularly safe, and there were not many alternatives to alcohol. And it wasn't as if Lord Tyrion was drunk already. Despite his low body mass, he held his liquor well, though that was probably from a long habit.

And yet, Weiss couldn't help feeling that there were some similarities between his and her mother's drinking, at least right now. Time would tell if Lord Tyrion would end up the same kind of useless drunk who would while away their days in a drunken stupor.

"You said you didn't blame people for the actions of their kin." He stared at her.

"Yes. We don't." How could you blame the children for the sins of their parents? That was barbaric!

"You also said you had ensured that Jaime and Cersei would live. Forgive me, that was uncalled for," he quickly added.

Was that a planned outburst to make her feel guilty? Or his feelings overcoming his self-control? Weiss couldn't tell. But it had to be addressed either way. "We did. And if not for Ser Jaime calling for a trial by combat, he would not have died." That had been entirely his own fault. And he deserved it, and worse, for making Ruby go through this!

"Jaime was a fool. He wouldn't have done that if not for Cersei."

Weiss nodded in agreement, though she didn't know if Lord Tyrion was talking about the trial or the incest. "That is my thought as well."

He took another swallow from his cup - no, he emptied it. "Will you take action against her?"

Against Cersei? Was he serious? She shook her head. "No." Not unless that… stupid, malevolent person made another attempt to hurt Weiss's friends in any way.

"Ah. Is that because you think she's already suffering as much as she could, reduced to being a Silent Sister? She certainly loved flaying people with her tongue and must miss that as much as her position as queen."

What did he think they were, petty and cruel? Like his sister? "No. Because she is already serving her sentence," she said in a slightly clipped tone.

"Ah." He snorted again. "No wonder you keep confusing everyone you meet."

Weiss frowned. "Why would anyone be confused? She was judged, found guilty, and sentenced. That is the end of it." Or it should be, though you never knew in this world, where justice was decided by a fight to the death.

"You sound like Lord Stannis." Lord Tyrion laughed and refilled his cup - had he emptied it already? He must be drinking more than normal. "And yet, you will defend my nephews and niece?"

"Of course. We care about justice, not power. A thinly-veiled power-grab based on flimsy accusations, lacking any actual proof, is not just." Weiss nodded sharply for emphasis.

He stared at her, shaking his head, before he laughed once more. "Oh, how that must vex Lord Stannis! To find his plans foiled because they aren't just! The very man who thought he was justice personified!"

"Our views of what is justice differ somewhat," Weiss replied. "As do our standards for what we consider proof beyond doubt."

"Oh, I doubt anyone would doubt that." He half-emptied his next cup and wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

She snorted at his… it wasn't a joke, not even a weak one - just some wordplay.

"Well, except for Father, of course. Oh, I wish he were here and trying to make sense of you! You'd drive him mad. Mad with confusion, not anger, although he'll be angry as well."

And now they were reaching the topic of this meeting. "Do you think he'll start a feud over this?" she asked. "Will he blame us for your brother's death?" Do you? she silently added.

Lord Tyrion sobered up - figuratively; he had not stopped drinking - at once. "He'll carry a grudge. 'A Lannister always pays his debts', you know."

Was that a threat? she wondered. "But will he call his banners and start a war?" Will we have to kill him to stop this?

He shrugged and took another swallow from his wine. "I don't know. It would be stupid, but… Father blames me for my mother's death. She died giving birth to me."

What? That was barbaric! She pressed her lips together. "I see." Though she didn't. Was this an honest warning? Or an attempt to manipulate Team RWBY into killing Lord Tywin so Lord Tyrion would inherit? "You are saying he will attempt to avenge Ser Jaime's death."

"Most likely. Though whether he will weigh your protection of his grandchildren against this debt or not, I cannot say. It would be the smart and logical option, but Father is not always as coldly logical as he should be, despite his reputation." Lord Tyrion finished his next cup of wine.

"And what about you?" she asked, looking directly at him. Straight and to the point. Like Ruby would, if she were here.

He avoided her gaze while he refilled his cup, then stalled some more by sipping from it. But she was patient.

"Lady Ruby could have spared him," he said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"She didn't want to kill him," Weiss said. "Yet she couldn't spare him."

"No power in Westeros could have forced her to kill him," he spat. "You can kill every guard and noble in this city before the sun sets."

That was probably hyperbole. Tracking down all soldiers and nobles, preventing them from fleeing… Weiss didn't think Team RWBY would manage such a feat. Not that they would ever do this, of course. But she got his point. And yet, he was wrong. "If she had spared your brother, she would have endangered many more people - people who did not challenge her to a trial by combat."

He shrugged with a twisted grin. "You can't know that."

"It was obvious. So obvious, even your brother and sister saw it."

Weiss almost winced at the sheer hatred that briefly appeared on his face. Was that aimed at his sister? She hadn't been mentioned so far, so perhaps. Unless this was what Lord Tyrion wanted her to believe.

"Cersei's actions are unforgivable," he whispered.

And Ruby's? she wanted to ask but didn't. "I hope you will advise your father not to escalate matters. No one but your rivals would gain anything from such a course of action, and many people would lose everything."

"Including Father?"

Weiss stared at him. "His troops sacked King's Landing and murdered many of its citizens. Do you think we would let him repeat this?"

He winced and shook his head. "I guess not."

She nodded. "For what it is worth, we don't blame anyone but Ser Jaime and Cersei for this. For all of this."

She didn't have to add 'so far'; his expression told her that he understood her.

Good. Weiss really didn't want more problems for Team RWBY.

*****​

"...so, Lord Tyrion doesn't think his father will be reasonable. Or that's what he wants us to think so we will kill his father and make him the new ruler of the Westerlands."

"Yes." Weiss nodded at Ruby's summary. "I can't tell if either or both are true."

"But we can expect trouble from the Westerlands. Like a war." Ruby pressed her lips together.

"It's a distinct possibility. I'm sorry." Weiss felt guilty - if she had been able to judge Lord Tyrion better…

"It's not your fault," Ruby said.

"It's Cersei and Ser Jaime's fault," Yang added.

Weiss nodded. That was certainly true.

"It's not just their fault. It's this whole world's fault!" Ruby spat. "Everyone - every noble, at least - is so quick to use violence to win whatever argument they have."

The smallfolk were quite eager as well, in Weiss's opinion, they just seemed to lack the means most of the time. But the religious dispute they had seen…

"Well, violence does solve a lot of problems," Yang said. "Like Grimm, bandits, criminals…"

"Yang!" Ruby glared at her.

And Yang winced. "Sorry, bad joke. I know what you mean."

Blake spoke up: "We can't overlook that as Huntresses, we're trained to fight, just as the nobles here are trained to fight. Most of them, at least. And if you are trained to use violence, and don't have many alternatives…" She trailed off with a wry and humourless grin.

"There are alternatives!" Ruby said. "But no one wants to use them. Not if they think they can win a fight."

"They can't win a fight against us," Yang said.

Weiss nodded. "But instead of using alternatives, they - at least some of them - are trying to make us fight for them."

"Well, we won't! I'll stop them!" Ruby said with narrowed eyes. "Ser Jaime thought so, and he was wrong."

Weiss grimaced. Ruby sounded… She shouldn't sound like that. "I'm not letting you do this alone," she told her.

"Weiss!" Ruby gasped.

"No. If we have to kill another idiot to protect people, I'm with you."

Ruby met her eyes for a long moment but then looked away with a sigh. It wasn't the pout she usually showed when she lost an argument with Weiss, but it was a start at least.

*****​

Street of Silk, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Lord Baelish had increased his security, Blake Belladonna noted as she studied the noble's main brothel from a distance, her eyes having no trouble piercing the darkness and spotting the additional guards he had placed on the roofs. Two on neighbouring roofs, one on the brothel's roof itself - the man was taking his privacy seriously. Then again, he had a lot to hide.

But despite his efforts, his guards couldn't cover every possible approach, nor every hiding spot. They must have seen Blake at the Battle of the Maidens - Lord Baelish certainly had - but they must not have realised the full extent of her abilities.

They knew she could climb walls better than they thought, and jump farther than they thought she could.

They didn't know how far she could jump. And how well she could see in the dark - or how sensitive her ears were.

Grinning briefly, she moved to the edge of the roof she was on, quickly checked for witnesses in the side alley below - Lord Baelish would have people watching the streets as well, but they couldn't see through the darkness - and then jumped down. A few quick steps had her cross the alley and pass through an even narrower alley that was almost completely covered by overhangs from both sides - more like a tunnel. But there were still nooks and crannies through which she could fit, and it didn't take her long to reach the end of the alley while hiding above the street level, with a clear line of sight across the street to the brothel - and within jumping distance, provided she used a clone as support.

Which she did, launching herself across the street, and not onto the roof, but under a projecting alcove, whose supporting beams provided her with ample hand- and footholds. And a nice, dark path to Lord Baelish's office. Just from below instead of above, this time. Still out of sight of his guards.

Granted, she could not as easily look through the window as before, but Lord Baelish had added more drapes anyway. And she was close enough to hear everything said inside the office.

"...and those are the profits? They're lower than last month!"

"The death of the King, and the violence in the Great Sept have had an impact, m'lord."

"That's no excuse! Difficult times mean people want more entertainment! Show me your numbers again!"

Unfortunately, it seemed as if today's evening would be focused on the brothel's business, and not whatever else Lord Baelish was planning - Blake was sure he was planning something; she had seen him move money from the treasure chamber to his private quarters and then out, but she hadn't yet found out what he was doing.

But it was a start. And as time passed without any incident, Lord Baelish would grow less cautious. And his guards would grow bored and less alert.

And Blake might find something incriminating in his offices.

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Varys, on the other hand, was proving to be a tougher opponent, Blake had to admit as she pressed herself into a corner of a tunnel ceiling close to his office, wedged against the stone like a ninja from her favourite novel. She could slip past his guards as well - with more difficulty, since the tunnels limited her approach, but she was dealing with children, and for all the training they had received, they were still not on par with a trained adult. Much less an Ex-White Fang member turned Huntress. And with a bit of help from a freshly drilled hole into the tunnel that led to Varys's office, she could perfectly listen in on any conversation.

But being able to listen to whatever was said in Varys's office was of no use if there was nothing of importance being said at all, not even when his spies and couriers went in for reports and orders.

"Here's the message. Have you read it? Good."

She could even hear the sound of the message being burnt, but that didn't tell her what the courier had read. Or delivered. She could only follow the courier and find out for whom their message was meant.

She would do it, of course - knowing who in the city was working for Varys was important - but it would take a long time to chart his network that way. And even longer to figure out what he was doing.

Unless she wanted to let this courier go and hope the next spy would offer something more important… No. She couldn't tell anything, so she might as well go with the first opportunity.

She waited until she heard the footsteps of the courier in the tunnel next to her spot, then dropped down and quickly dashed forward, then climbed a short shaft that let her cut off the courier in the main tunnel.

Not that she would actually intercept the child; that would expose her work to Varys for nothing. Instead, she followed them through the maze of tunnels and passages under the Red keep - they were not moving as if they were trying to lose a tail, she noted - and then through the alley of King's Landing until they reached a small warehouse in the docks.

Sneaking into that warehouse was easy - they had one guard at the door, and two people were counting crates inside. Fortune was smiling on her, even - she managed to hide herself in the rafters above the man the courier was approaching. A perfect spot to observe the entire exchange.

"What message do you have for me?" the man asked.

The courier gestured at the parchment and quill on the makeshift desk near them.

"What? You want to… write the message here?"

The child nodded, and the man muttered about the cost of parchment. He still handed the utensils over, so Blake made a mental note that Varys held quite the influence over his contacts - he must be paying them well.

The courier quickly started writing, obviously they were practised, and their handwriting was neat and easily readable even from the rafters above them.

But it was also obviously in code, making references to established information and past events without naming anything. Blake clenched her teeth in frustration. She would still note down what she had read, of course. Any information could be important. Even the most basic piece might turn out to be crucial later.

Her nose twitched when the courier burnt the parchment as soon as the man had stated his understanding. No doubt, Varys knew about proper spycraft and information security.

But he wasn't perfect. Sooner or later, Blake and her friends would find a crack. And then they would find out where and how he got the mutilated children he used as spies and put a stop to that. One way or the other.

*****​

Yang was dressed for bed but still awake when Blake returned to their quarters, but both Ruby and Weiss were asleep already - she could hear them snoring slightly from the other bedroom.

"Any luck?" Blake's partner asked when she stepped into their bedroom - after checking with a glance that the bar at the door was set and the alarm devices Ruby and Yang had constructed were planted on the doors and windows. There was no candle burning, but the starlight was enough to see clearly - and enough for Yang to spot her.

Blake shook her head. "Nothing substantial. Lord Baelish was occupied with managing his brothels, and Varys was using encoded messages."

"Ah, damn." Yang shook her head. "Well, you'll get lucky sooner or later."

Blake raised her eyebrows at the double-entendre, and Yang blinked, then giggled. "Sorry!"

Blake smiled and sat down on the bed, then slid Gambol Shroud's sheath off and started undressing. She could and had, more often than she liked, slept in her combat clothes and with her weapons ready, but they should be safe enough to forego that. For now.

The nightdress was locally made - well, from imported silk, but a tailor in King's Landing had made it. A small piece of luxury, and something Blake hadn't had back home. Not since she had left Menagerie, at least. But easily affordable here with the money from the Battle of the Maiden. The others had indulged as well - Yang had opted for a silk version of her usual sleeping attire, though it had taken her some sweet-talking and a gold dragon more to get it made by the scandalised tailor. Apparently, wearing their combat clothes was fine for the Maidens, but commissioning more such clothes was a bit much.

"How's Ruby holding up?" Blake asked when she slipped under the covers on her side of the bed.

Yang sighed. "She and Weiss both are determined to be the one who'll handle the next 'problem'."

Weiss hadn't yet killed anyone, as far as they knew. But Blake could understand that she didn't want to be 'kept out' of that by her friends. She also knew it wasn't a good stance, of course, from her time in the White Fang. Taking part in missions to 'prove your worth' despite your age… She had been such a stupid girl, in hindsight. And yet… "Weiss won't let us protect her like that."

Yang snorted. "Of course not," she replied. "I wouldn't let you do that to me either."

There was a certain edge to Yang's statement that belied her confident smirk.

Blake nodded with a smile. "I know better than trying that." Even if it were better. Yang had killed a man, but by accident. She hadn't killed someone intentionally. That was a step you shouldn't take lightly or at all. But as Blake had said, she knew better than to try to shield her partner. Especially after Ruby had killed Ser Jaime.

"Good." Yang lay back down, hands behind her head, and stared at the ceiling.

But Blake would still try her best to keep her friends from having to kill again. Or at all, in Weiss's case. Even though she didn't think she would succeed. Not in this world.

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Brienne was acting weird, Yang Xiao Long noticed. She was looking at Yang, which wasn't unusual when they were training, but she was trying to avoid Yang's eyes. If it were Jon, she'd think the woman was brooding. She would ask her what was wrong later - right now, she had to focus on finding a counter to Weiss's latest trick with Myrtenaster; Yang could tank the hit, of course, as long as she had Aura to spare, but it was always better to have the option to avoid getting hit in the first place.

"Again, please!" she said, grinning at Weiss.

Her friend matched her grin. She was overconfident, in Yang's opinion, since she had just learned that move from Ser Barristan, but lunged again at Yang, her blade twisting in the middle of her move. This time, Yang caught the tip with her bracer, deflecting the point - and managed to avoid the follow-up kick so she could grab Weiss instead of the other way around.

"If I had used Dust…" Weiss complained when she landed on the ground.

Right. Yang would need a better counter to that. Maybe if she used her shotguns to throw off Weiss's aim? She couldn't quite train that here, ammunition was scarce, but… "Let me try something else."

"Alright."

That ended with Yang hitting one of Weiss's glyphs in the middle of her counter-attack, but she still managed to avoid the original twisted lunge. Progress!

At the end of the training session, Yang had a good idea how to counter such a move. She just needed a bit more training with Dust in play.

She used a rag - a clean one - to towel off some sweat as she walked to the edge of the training area and grabbed the jug of water from there; Blake had checked for poison already.

A few swallows later, when she was wiping her mouth with the back of her arm, she noticed Brienne approaching her, though more hesitantly than she usually walked.

Frowning slightly, she leaned against the fence there and waited.

"Lady Yang?" Brienne asked, after clearing her throat a few times. Nervous.

"Yes?" Yang smiled, though she was a bit on edge. If this was another marriage offer… No, Brienne wouldn't serve as a messenger for that - she had no male relative close enough, anyway; that was why she was her father's heir.

"Ah, I was wondering about…" she trailed off, then straightened. "I was wondering why you are defending the children of the former Queen, even though you fought to condemn them."

Yang cocked her head to the side. Was that Brienne asking? Or was she asking on behalf of Lord Renly? Lord Renly already knew why Yang and her friends were doing this, but he might try to make them change their minds through their friends asking questions. In any case, Brienne was her friend and deserved a straight answer. "Because there's no proof that they are bastards," she said. "While there is proof that Cersei and her brother committed incest."

Brienne looked unconvinced. "Everyone's saying they are bastards, though."

"Everyone?" Yang raised her eyebrows.

"Well, everybody who talked to me about that," she said, blushing slightly.

Meaning, Renly. Yang was sure of that.

"They don't look like the late King at all," Brienne added.

"That doesn't matter. Sometimes, you look like one parent and not like the other. Ruby and I have the same father, but I look like my mother." Who had abandoned her and Dad. "And she looks like Mom." She pushed off the fence and took a step closer to the two. "Looks aren't proof."

"But would all three children favour the mother?" Brienne argued.

Yang shrugged. "It's still not proof. You cannot condemn someone just because you think they're guilty. You need proof. Proof beyond doubt." Damn, she sounded like Weiss when she was ranting about the justice here. But her friend had a point.

"But what would be proof?"

Yang shrugged again. "A confession that Cersei never slept with the King? I don't know. Back home, we could test their blood, but not here. And without proof, they're innocent."

Brienne hesitated, then cleared her throat again and asked: "But do you think they are bastards, my lady? Even without proof?"

It would be like Cersei to cheat on the King from the start - though the King hadn't been faithful to her anyway. But Yang shook her head. "I wouldn't condemn anyone just because I think they're guilty. Or bastards. Or whatever. It's not enough. I need to know - I need to be sure."

"Oh. And if you aren't sure, you… treat them as if they were legitimate? Even if you have doubts?" Brienne asked as if that was weird.

Yang nodded. "Yes."

"So, even if you think someone's a criminal, unless you've got proof, you treat them like an honest person?"

Ah, Brienne was being sneaky. "It doesn't mean I have to like them. Or hang out with them," Yang said.

Brienne nodded. "I see. That must be difficult."

More difficult here than back home. Yang didn't say that. She just nodded. "But it's important."

"And that is why you will defend the children's claims?"

"Yes. Because it's the right thing to do." Yang nodded again, emphatically.

"I see," Brienne repeated herself with a smile. "Thank you, my lady."

"No problem."

"It is clear why you're favoured by the Seven."

Yang blinked. What the…?

But Brienne had already turned away. She was walking with more confidence now, Yang noted.

Weird. Yang was about to call out for her to wait, but then she noticed Jon walking past the training area - and he looked shocked.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

RIP bozo. The moral of the story is don't play chicken with superhumans.

Ruby absolutely made the right choice. This sets a precedent that while she and her team are nice, they are not so nice that they won't become human blenders if pushed. If you don't establish the Find Out half of the FAFO equation, the Fuck Around half will only continue to escalate.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. Still sucks for Ruby.

Everyone knew that the situation is untenable. People that are aware of and acknowledge that RBWY is here for a pit stop before leaving knows that Jeffrey only lives because the team does not approve of child murder. Now people will try to milk a possible war with the Lannisters being wiped out as a competitor. Maybe Renly will try to maneuver the team to do something against the law to get Stannis more mad and oppose them and knock his brother out of the running. Kinda stupid for many reasons but Renly was always way too ambitious and not very responsible.

Click to shrink...

Some people might discover that trying to use people who can end your realm if sufficiently mad as tools might require more cunning than they posses.

Agree.If she let him go,she would face another situations like that later.
And Tywin here ,after loosing son,would propable start war and lost it quickly.

What next? Renly as King? Stannis? see in next issue !

Click to shrink...

Well, Tywin will have heard a lot of information, some of it contradicting itself. Sorting that out might delay his response.

I'd love for Team RWBY to investigate or learn of Valyrian steel. Get their thoughts on it and how it compares to Aura enhanced weapons. like, how would Longclaw compare to Crocea Mors?

on another note, Team RWBY could forestall the war entirely by going to the Westerlands or meeting Tywin in a Neutral Location. Make it a firm request (in order to get it over with). Tywin will not be able to resist a face to face meeting if only to get the measure of the women who have upended everything.

Click to shrink...

Well, there's the fanon that Valyrian steel requires human sacrifice... The issue with such meetings is the travel and communication time. But a meeting seems inevitable.

 

[ATP]

Varys is smart,but Baelish think that he could control RWBY - which mean,that he arleady lost.
Brienne become fangirl of Young.Good for them,i quess.
Tywin could start war,but should demand moneys instead.And check Baelish - when they did that,dude would die screaming.

But - there is still nobody in Westeros who could help them go home...Maybe Isle of Faces?

 

[eager slacker]

The big issue that the more manipulative members of Westeros have is that they keep thinking that they can out trick the entire team consistently and that somehow tricking them once means that they will always be under their thumb or not come up with the brilliantly simple answer of just breaking them in two with their bare hands. Oh congratulations you used the teams own sense of morality against them and forced them to back up your goals. Now you have to sure that nobody ever reveals that you made the situation happen in the first place and hope that the team is truthful about their intentions and motivations. Mocking mercy is ridiculous when you depend on the mercy of the people involved to not become a smear on the wall.

 

[Spartan303]

Its amazing how the sheer implicit threat of a super human beatdown is enough to keep things mostly calm and keep people rational. Still not stopping the intrigue, but for the moment, things are peaceful.

 

[justregretsss]

she had seen him move money from the treasure chamber to his private quarters and then out, but she hadn't yet found out what he was doing.

Click to shrink...

feels like they're gonna get blamed again for withholding information..

 

[Ultimasaurus Imperatrix]

A link to the to draft of the new chapter over on the spacebattle version of this thread. https://forums.spacebattles.com/thr...y-in-westeros.1203011/page-247#post-111884612

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 25: Honour

'One thing that set the Ruby Order apart from other factions in their time was their code of honour. While some contemporary scholars claim that the Four Maidens had no code of honour - an obvious attempt to disparage them that can be dismissed easily - it is true that the code cited by later scholars, often members of my own order, as well as that followed by the later incarnation of the Ruby Order, are of questionable veracity. In many works, one can easily see where the author substituted their own views for those of the Ruby Order or, in a blatant attempt to hide their lack of sources, claimed that the Ruby Order followed simple rules such as 'do good' and 'help those in need'. Such a simple code of honour, however, does not fit with the fact that all sources agree that from what they told about their homeland, they were raised in a civilisation with a sophisticated philosophy. A group with an origin like that would also have a sophisticated, evolved code of honour. Alas, for all their clear interventions in the politics of the Seven Kingdoms, the Ruby Order kept - with some notable exceptions - quite quiet about their own laws and views - likely because there were key differences between their views and those of Westeros that would have antagonised the majority of the population. Otherwise, their lack of any attempt to promote their own philosophies and views cannot be explained given their proven influence at court and on key members of the highest nobility of the realm.'

• A Treatise On The Ruby Order, by Maester Kennet Bracken

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"What's wrong, Jon?"

Jon Snow blinked as he realised that he was standing near the Kingsguard's training yard. He must have walked here without thinking. "Lady Yang? Lady Brienne?" he added when he noticed the noblewoman.

"What's wrong? And don't tell me nothing's wrong!" Lady Yang put both hands on her hips as she stared at him with narrowed eyes. "You look like you're in shock!"

"I'm not!" he retorted, sharper than he meant, "I'm sorry, my lady," he quickly added with a bow of his head.

"Yeah, sure, and I am Ozpin." She didn't look mollified, though whether it was because he had just contradicted her or because he had been too formal, he couldn't tell.

"Ah, who is Ozpin, Lady Yang?" Lady Brienne asked, sparing Jon from doing it - the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"Ozpin's the headmaster of Beacon Academy, the Huntsman Academy of our home," Lady Yang explained.

Right. That was where he had heard the name before. Jon nodded.

"But we're not talking about school. We're talking about what's wrong with you, Jon." Lady Yang flashed her teeth as she leaned in closer, making Jon bend back as he struggled not to look away or to blush at how close she was.

By the Old Gods and the New, she was so beautiful, it hurt!

"So, who do I have to hit to make things better?"

He gasped. "None! There's nothing…" He flinched under her glare and looked away, then caught Brienne frowning as well. "It's private," he said. And lethally dangerous for his entire family.

"Ah." Lady Yang withdrew a bit, half a pace, but didn't smile - she kept frowning. "Private and weighing so much on your mind?" Her eyes widened. "Oh! Did you talk to your father?"

Jon stiffened. He had talked to Lord Eddard, not his father. "Ah…"

Sadly, Lady Yang had caught his reaction - and drawn her conclusions. She smacked her fists, still covered in her gauntlets, together.

"No!" he blurted out. "Yes, I talked to him. But it's not… It's not his fault."

"Oh." Lady Yang cocked her head to the side and tossed her beautiful mane of golden locks back before she glanced at Lady Brienne.

The noblewoman was already backing off with an apologetic smile. "I'll leave you to your private talk, my lady, Snow." She turned and started to walk away.

"So… Do you want to talk about it?" Lady Yang asked. "It's your decision, of course, but I know about missing mothers."

Jon closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. His mother had died long ago, but he still felt as if he had just witnessed it. "Lord Eddard told me about my mother, yes. She's dead. Died shortly after giving birth to me, actually." He blinked - his eyes were getting a bit blurry. "All those years, I hoped…" He drew a shuddering breath.

Lady Yang put her hand on his shoulder, squeezing very gently - he drew a sharp breath to mask his reaction - as she smiled sadly, and nodded. "You hoped to meet her. Talk to her. Ask why she had left you with your father. Why she wasn't there when you grew up."

He winced. For most of his life, he had thought he knew the answer to that: He was a bastard, and it had been bad enough that Lord Eddard had taken him in. If Lord Eddard had also taken in his mother… Lady Catelyn would not have tolerated either of them. And Lord Eddard, as the Lord Paramount of the North, would have provided him with a better life than the mother of a bastard. Even if she had been a noblewoman.

He snorted against his will as the irony struck him - his mother had been a noblewoman, as he had dreamt in the more naive days of his childhood. But Lord Eddard wasn't his father.

"I just wanted to meet her," he said, blinking again.

Lady Yang nodded again. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

Jon tried not to focus on the feelings she caused to grow inside him. Could he tell her the truth? About his mother, not about his feelings. She already knew those. But… this secret could destroy his family - would destroy them. Lord Eddard had been clear about that. He couldn't tell anyone, or he would doom his family.

And yet… Lady Yang was not merely a friend - a very close friend, if not as close as he wished she were. She was also one of the Four Maidens. Blessed by the gods with power and mercy beyond mortals. Willing to defy the most powerful people in the realm to protect even their worst enemies from any injustice.

If he couldn't trust her, whom could he trust? She didn't care that he was a bastard. None of the Four Maidens did. Who else had ever treated him like that?

And, he couldn't help thinking, why should he heed Lord Eddard's order after he had been raised in such ignorance all his life? If not for Lady Yang, Lord Eddard wouldn't have told him the truth until Jon was a man grown - his uncle had told him so himself. A few more years in ignorance, thinking Lord Eddard was his father, wondering about his mother, falsely hoping he could meet her one day…

He took a deep breath. "There's more, my lady. But it's a deadly secret." He bit his lower lip, hard enough to hurt. Could he really tell her? But if he didn't tell anyone… He couldn't stand it. It was too much. What he knew…

"Ah." She nodded. "I understand." She squeezed his shoulder. "You're sworn to silence."

He shook his head. "I didn't swear an oath, my lady." He glanced around. No one was close enough to overhear - the closest being was a raven on the roof nearby, but that was still too far. "Lord Eddard isn't my father," he said. That was the easy part.

She blinked, obviously surprised. "But…"

"My mother was his sister, Lady Lyanna," Jon whispered.

Lady Yang's eyes widened before she let out a hissing sound and grimaced. "That's… She was kidnapped by the last prince, wasn't she?"

He nodded. "Prince Rhaegar Targaryen." Lord Eddard hadn't explicitly told him that the Prince was his father, but he had made it clear without saying his name. And who else could it have been? The Prince had kidnapped Lady Lyanna - Jon's mother - and kept her prisoner in a tower guarded by three members of the Kingsguard until Lord Eddard had freed her - just in time to have her die in his arms after giving birth to Jon. And why would he have kept Jon's mother a secret if it had been someone else?

But also that meant Jon was the son of a rapist, not the child of an honourable man who had made a mistake during the war. Jon's mother had been dishonoured and forced to give birth to him - at the cost of her life.

Lady Catelyn had all the reasons to dislike or even hate him.

"Fuck."

Jon snorted. Lady Yang had a talent for summing up a situation in very few words.

He sighed. "That's… weighing on my mind."

"Yeah, I bet it is." She shook her head. "I'm sorry you didn't get better news."

He shrugged. "I'm still a bastard. So, in a sense, nothing really changed." And yet, everything had. Lord Eddard was his uncle, not his father. Robb, Sansa, Bran, Arya and Rickon were his cousins, not his siblings. It shouldn't change anything, but it did. Deep down.

And, of course, his foolish, childish hope that his mother was alive was gone.

And he was the child of a rapist, he reminded himself.

"So, wanna spar a bit? Get your mind off it?" Lady Yang asked with a faint grin.

He blinked at her.

She shrugged. "Hey, while we're here? And it helps dealing with… such stuff. Ruby's feeling better already."

Right. Lady Ruby had taken her fight with Ser Jaime - if you could call it a fight at all - hard, or so he had heard. "It must be hard sometimes to do the will of the Gods," he said. No matter whether it was the old Gods or the new.

She snorted. "You just try doing what's right and hope for the best."

Well, that was a simple rule. And yet, one he could get behind. "Let's spar then, my lady," he said.

*****​

Ruby Rose was feeling better when she left the training yard. Sparring always made her feel better. Well, almost always. Sometimes, it could be frustrating. When no matter what you tried, it didn't work. Or if you were training with a jerk who just wanted to win.

But today had been nice. She had figured out a counter to a lance attack. With her speed, it should work against arrows as well - she had to test that tomorrow. Once she found someone willing to shoot at her. The Kingsguard hadn't wanted to, saying they were knights, not archers. Which was kinda silly - everyone should have a ranged attack. Just in case you were stuck fighting someone you couldn't reach or catch.

And now, she had breakfast - second breakfast, well, a good snack - waiting for her. Lots of honey cakes and warm milk (with honey). Just the thing you needed after a good workout to take your mind off the fact that you…

"Lady Ruby!"

…cut the uncle (or father) of Prince Joffrey into pieces because he had been listening to his stupid sister. Prince Joffrey, who had just greeted her. "Good morning, your grace," she said, smiling awkwardly. This was bad. What do you say to someone whose mother you sent to a fate worse than prison? After killing her brother? "Hello, Sandor. Or is it Lord Clegane now?" His brother was dead (killed by Blake), and if he hadn't had any children, Clegane would be his heir, right?

Sandor glared at her with a grunt instead of answering her question.

"He's Lord Clegane now," the Prince said.

"Noted." She nodded.

Sandor grunted again. He was tense and looked around them - he was too focused on guarding the prince.

Ruby clenched her teeth and pressed her lips together. She knew that the Prince was in danger. And he knew it as well. "Shouldn't the Kingsguard be guarding you as well?" she asked. Or was it instead?

"I told them to guard my brother and sister instead. I trust the Hound to guard me."

"Oh." That was nice of him. Both that he wanted his siblings kept safe and that he trusted Sandor. She nodded again.

"I wish to talk to you, my lady," the Prince went on.

Ruby winced. She didn't want to talk to the Prince. Not about what she thought he wanted to talk about. But someone had to. And it was her responsibility. "Alright." She looked around. "What about the ramparts? No spies there."

The Prince blinked. "Do you expect spies…" he looked around. "...in your quarters?"

Not if Blake is around, Ruby thought. But she nodded. "There are probably spies everywhere. You're safer if you assume the walls have ears. And eyes." She winced again. Should she have said that? Would that make Blake's spying harder? Drat, she was an idiot!

"I see. The ramparts will do fine, then. Not many chances for an assassin to hide there."

Sandor grunted in what was probably agreement. Ruby wasn't sure.

They walked over to the closest stairs leading up the walls.

"Uncle Tyrion didn't want me to talk to you, but he cannot order me around," the Prince said. "If I am to be King, I have to make my own decisions."

Ruby nodded. It was the same for her as the leader of Team RWBY.

"Keep your distance, Hound!" the Prince snapped when they reached the top. "Guard the stairs."

To Ruby's surprise, Sandor obeyed without a grunt or glare.

"I wish to have a private talk," the Prince said, though Ruby hadn't asked. It was pretty obvious, after all.

"Alright!" She nodded and leaned against the rampart, taking a deep breath. Here came the uncomfortable questions. But she was ready for them. Probably. Hopefully. It wasn't as if she could run away now - well, she could, but it would make everything even worse.

"You killed my uncle Jaime in the trial by combat." He stared at her.

"Yes." What else could she say?

"Yet Uncle Tyrion assures me that you would fight for me in a trial, should anyone contest my claim to the throne." He shook his head. "Why?"

"Because that's the right thing to do?" Why else would she do this?

"You accused my mother of being an adultress - with my uncle. It was your testimony that condemned them. And it was your blade that proved their guilt when you killed my uncle."

It had been Blake who had seen them do it, but Ruby nodded. "I didn't want to kill him. We ensured that neither your mother nor your uncle would be executed. But your uncle called for a trial by combat." And she had had to kill the stupid, arrogant idiot!

He stared at her as if he didn't understand. "Why didn't you want to kill him? You said he was guilty - and he challenged you."

"Because you should only kill people if you have to," she told him. He still looked confused, so she added: "I didn't want to kill him for what he had done, but he forced me to. If I had let him go, he and others would have thought that they could control us like that. Taking hostages."

"Ah." He nodded. "You had to kill him to scare off others."

"Ah… kinda." It wasn't quite perfect, but close enough. "I really didn't want to kill him. I'm sorry it came to that."

The Prince nodded again. "I understand, my lady."

Good. It would have been bad if he hated her. Sure, she had killed Ser Jaime, but that had been Ser Jaime's fault.

"And if someone accused me of being a bastard, you would kill them?"

Ah, that was a tricky question. "If they have no proof or try to kill you. But I don't see how they could prove that - you don't have blood or gene tests here."

He looked shocked and was silent for a moment. A long moment. Then he asked in a low voice: "But… Do you believe that I am a bastard?"

It was possible, of course, but Ruby wouldn't tell him that - he was still a boy, and being a bastard was very bad here. "It doesn't matter what I - or anyone else - believe. What matters is what can be proven." Yang had said the same, though she had been much younger then and it had been about stealing cookies. Though while she had convinced Ruby, Dad hadn't been convinced.

"I understand now." He nodded once again, slower this time, and with a determined expression.

"Good." Ruby smiled gently at him. It would be bad if he, once he was King, would decide trials based on what he believed instead of what was proven.

*****​

"Ah, Greetings, Lady Ruby."

"Oh? Hello, my lady." Ruby forced herself to smile. She hadn't expected to meet the Red Priestess in the library. Couldn't Marwyn, Pycelle and Hernis have warned her? Well, they probably couldn't have, not having scrolls, but still! And now they were hiding in the back of the room - she caught glimpses of their robes - while she was stuck here, the woman who made her uncomfortable! And… "What are you doing here?" Oh, that had come out a bit too forcefully. This wasn't her library; she was just a guest here.

"I am looking through the books," Melisandre replied. "Lord Stannis gave me permission."

"Ah, OK." Ruby nodded, then clenched her teeth. Of course, she was here for the books, duh. Why else would you step into a library? Unless you were looking for a CCT connection or something. But they didn't have anything like that here. Though their ravens were kept in towers, so it was kinda like the CCT towers back home…

"You're still looking for magic to send you home to your world, aren't you?"

"Yes!" Ruby nodded emphatically. They would have left this world already if they knew how!

She placed the book she had been reading - or looking at - on the shelf next to her. "I've gazed into the flames, but R'hllor has not shown me answers yet."

"Oh?" Was Melisandre praying to her god to help Team RWBY? Or was she just saying that to make Ruby like her?

"It might be that you've yet to fulfil your destiny here."

"Our… destiny?" Ruby grimaced. What did she mean by that? The woman gave her the creeps! If it wouldn't be rude, she would have left her here.

"You defeated the Others and their king."

"We did?" Ruby blinked. "Oh, you mean the ice zombies!" She smiled as she nodded. "Yeah, we killed their leader, and they all fell down and didn't move any more."

"And you saved a great many lives by that. Yet, you have not been sent back. You might still be needed in this world."

Ruby frowned. "Do you mean we were taken here?" That was kidnapping! No one had asked them if they wanted to travel to another world!

"Yes. I do not believe that your arrival - at the precise time and place to defeat the Others - was a coincidence."

"And who took us here?" Ruby narrowed her eyes and touched Crescent Rose on her back. If she found the kidnapper…

Melisandre smiled. "That is a question to which I do not yet know the answer. It was not R'hllor, though; he would have told me. But there are others with power over such things."

"Do you have a list?" Ruby asked, smiling encouragingly.

Melisandre stared at her for a moment. "You wish to ask them to send you back."

"Yes!" Ask, and if they refused, make them do it if she had to.

"They cannot be reached easily. Just as only the truly faithful can contact R'hllor, there are limits on who can contact those powers. And doing so is fraught with danger. For an outsider like you to attempt it… I would not advise it."

"And who can contact them?"

"Priests, faithful…" Melisandre spread her hands. "Though as I said, you might not yet have fulfilled your destiny."

"It would be a lot easier and quicker if someone told us what we need to do."

Melisandre laughed, and something in her voice made a shiver run down Ruby's spine. "Oh, that is not how those powers work. Our minds can barely comprehend them with training and use when they deign to contact us. But one way or the other, your duty will become clear."

Ruby snorted. That sounded far too vague. Why would anyone transport her team here and then just let them be? That made no sense.

"And what are you planning to do while you wait to understand what is expected of you?"

"Uh…" Ruby shrugged. "Same as we've been doing so far?" Help where they could and look for a way home. Was that a trick question? They had never hidden their plans.

"I see." Melisandre smiled, and Ruby felt a shiver run down her spine again when the woman bowed in a weird way before leaving the library.

That had been weird.

*****​

"Who's a good girl? You are! You are!" Weiss Schnee cooed while rubbing the soft underbelly of Lady. The direwolf was such a dear! Always well-groomed and so well-behaved!

And so fluffy! When Weiss was back home, she would have to look into getting a dog like her. If she ever returned… She pressed her lips together for a moment while she petted Lady. They would return home! Nothing else was acceptable! Weiss would never settle for living in Westeros!

A soft cough interrupted her thoughts. "Lady Weiss?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, Lady Sansa." She felt her cheeks flush. She hadn't meant to lose her focus.

She slowly rose to face the girl while Lady softly protested at the sudden end of her pets.

"No, no, it's alright. Lady loves you!" Lady Sansa said, smiling widely as she rubbed the direwolf's head herself. "I was just…"

"Yes?" Weiss tilted her head slightly to the side.

"I was wondering about my betrothed," Lady Sansa said in a low voice. Weiss saw her biting her lower lip for a moment, clearly nervous or worried.

"Prince Joffrey?"

"Yes," Lady Sansa said, and her expression clearly added 'who else?'

"I heard he was doing better with regard to the consequences of the trial," Weiss said. Ruby had told her that. And it was best to step lightly around a sensitive topic - she was speaking with a young girl, after all, not an adult.

"It's… " Lady Sansa looked around and lowered her voice. "People are saying that he is the, ah, result of the Queen's affair with her brother!"

Oh, that. It was definitely a sensitive topic. "Those accusations lack any valid proof," Weiss told her with a firm nod. She knew how quickly rumours spread, no matter how baseless - although in this case, one couldn't claim the rumours were baseless; such a scandal would have resulted in the same kind of rumours back in Atlas - and spread with the same motives by those who would profit from such a turn.

"So, those accusations are false?" Lady Sansa leaned forward, and her voice grew slightly in volume.

"They are unsubstantiated," Weiss corrected her. At the girl's expression indicating a lack of comprehension, she explained: "There is no proof for those claims, meaning they are mere allegations. But at the same time, they haven't been disproven either."

Lady Sansa didn't seem to be satisfied with Weiss's answer. "But… don't you know the truth? You're blessed by the Seven!"

Weiss didn't wince at that even if she wanted to. "That is not how it works," she replied. "We rely on verifiable facts, on proof beyond reasonable doubt, to determine what is true and what isn't."

"But… Father said you'd defend the Prince's claim!"

That wasn't entirely correct as far as their stated intentions were concerned, though it didn't seem to be an intentional misrepresentation on the part of Lord Eddard. "It's a bit more complex," Weiss replied. "Or nuanced. We believe that those who make a claim bear the burden of proof."

"Does that mean Prince Joffrey has to prove that he's the King's son?" Sansa sounded worried again.

"Only if he had not been acknowledged as the heir by the King himself before," Weiss tried to reassure her. "To change that, one would need solid proof that he's illegitimate." Although, this being Westeros, an armed coup or rebellion apparently was always a viable alternative - Weiss didn't mention that, of course. The girl was worried enough already.

"So, Prince Joffrey doesn't need to prove his claim, but others would have to… to disprove it?"

"Yes." Weiss nodded with a smile. "A stable, prosperous society needs such rules. Otherwise, things would descend into chaos as the burden of proof on any claim would be shifted according to the whims of those who'd profit from the outcome of a trial."

Weiss had to explain that in smaller words as well until Lady Sansa nodded with apparent understanding.

"So, it's more important to follow rules than what you believe?"

"When it comes to trials and similar judgment calls, yes." Weiss nodded. "However," she added with a smile, "often, following your beliefs is the right decision for you. It's not a blanket rule - you have to keep the consequences of your decisions in mind."

"And what if you don't know what the consequences are, my lady?"

"Then you make your best guess," Weiss replied. "And you consider the risks and rewards as well." Without waiting for the question she knew was coming, she went on: "If an action promises a small reward, but presents a high risk for you or others, you should consider carefully if it's worth taking such a risk. Say…" She tried to come up with a good example that the girl would understand. All the examples she knew referenced economics. "Say, you stand in front of a very narrow gorge. You aren't sure you could jump over it - it looks narrow enough, but if you misjudge your leap, you will fall to your death. Is making the attempt worth the risk if you could walk half an hour and use a bridge instead?"

"No, it isn't! That would be stupid!"

"Yes. But what about if the next bridge is a day away? And what if you're chased by Grimm who can't jump the gorge?"

"Ah…"

Weiss winced. It seemed her explanations weren't helping Lady Sansa.

*****​

"Ah, Lady Weiss!"

Weiss's good mood on the way back to their chambers - petting the adorable fluffballs of the Stark children was always a treat - vanished at once, and she pasted a polite smile on her face as she turned to greet the pimp. "Lord Petyr."

He smiled widely at her, flashing his teeth. "You're looking radiant today."

He was overdoing it. Too much flattery. And too much presumption to address her like this. Especially given his age. "Thank you, my lord." She bowed her head, slightly less than she would have if facing someone else of his rank.

If he noticed - and as an experienced courtier, he would have - his smile didn't falter. "Are you on your way back from your training?"

She nodded. "Yes." Meeting Lady Sansa had delayed her, and if she had gone out of her way to meet the girl and her direwolf when she had spotted her across the yard, then that was between Weiss and Lady.

"I'm on my way to an early meal," he said. "Work tends to pile up in these trying times, so I found it better to eat when I can."

Was he fishing for sympathy? Weiss had none to give. If you couldn't organise your schedule to eat when you needed, you might be in the wrong position. Her father certainly would never be caught like that. Besides, working lunches were a staple for businessmen. "I assume so," she said in her best noncommittal voice.

"So… since we're going the same way…" He gestured towards the gate across the yard.

There was no way to refuse that without offending him. Weiss was tempted to do it anyway, but nodded instead - Team RWBY didn't need more enemies, although she would argue that Lord Baelish might already be an enemy. In any case, she didn't trust him.

"It's been quite a time since the trial… as Master of Coin, I am not directly involved in such matters, but sooner or later, everything comes down to money."

"Money makes the world go round," she quoted Father.

"That's a good line! I might borrow it from you!" He laughed, flashing his teeth again.

She nodded with a polite smile.

"Too many people forget that, though. Especially at court. Those who have grown up never wanting anything, and never needing to take responsibilities, more often than not never learned that lesson."

"The bill always comes due," she repeated another quote.

"You seem to be experienced with such matters, my lady."

She shook her head, lying easily. "My father loved such sayings. He never taught me much, though - the family has staff for that."

"Ah." He nodded. "That might be a bit short-sighted of him. What if something happened to him and left you having to trust that none of your servants and employees will steal from you?"

"Exactly." She nodded again. They had almost reached the door, where she could leave the man and return to her friends.

"But as you said, it comes down to money. Sometimes, it feels as if just looking at where the money from the treasure chamber goes tells you more about the court's power struggles than listening for hours to people gossiping." He nodded at her as he sketched a bow. "But I don't want to bore you with such details. Good day, my lady."

"Good day, my lord." She bowed her head again, marginally lower. His offer was subtle, but clear.

And she trusted him about as much as she trusted her father.

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Blake Belladonna kept a wary eye on the four beasts surrounding Weiss as she carefully walked along the fence separating the training area from the rest of the yard. Her friend was doing an admirable job of keeping the direwolves distracted and happy, but you couldn't trust them.

"Lady Blake!"

"Lady Blake!"

"Lady Arya." She nodded at the girl and leaned against the fence. "Lord Bran. Already done with your training?"

"We're just taking a break!" Arya gestured with the small, slim training sword she used and beamed at Blake. "Lady Yang said we've earned it!"

"That is high praise," Blake told them. Yang wasn't easily impressed, so the kids must have done well - for children their age and without Aura, of course.

Arya smirked. "Want to see for yourself? Now that you've slept through half the day already?" Without waiting for an answer, she ducked under the fence and entered the training yard, raising her sword.

Blake snorted. She was up quite early, considering that she had spent half the night in the secret passages below the keep. But she could easily handle Arya. "Alright." She drew Gambol Shroud but didn't take it out of the sheath. "Ready?"

Arya's grin grew as she nodded.

And then it disappeared when she failed to block or deflect Blake's first lunge, which ended with the blunt part of her sheath resting on Arya's shoulder.

"You dropped your guard," Blake told her.

Bran giggled, making him look even younger than he was.

Arya scowled in return at him and then turned to Blake. "You're too fast."

"And too strong," Blake said. "And too experienced. But unless you're planning never to fight anyone stronger or more experienced than you, you will have to learn how to deal with such people."

"How? You're stronger, faster and more skilled!" Arya blurted out.

Blake nodded. Skill could compensate for a lot, as could speed - anyone who had ever fought Ruby could attest to that - and people could leverage greater strength as easily as picking up a heavier weapon. "Then you need to be sneakier."

"You mean feinting?" She frowned. "That doesn't work against someone more experienced!"

"Sometimes it does," Blake replied. "But I'm not talking about feinting. I'm talking about being sneaky. No amount of skill, speed or strength will save you if you're hit before you realise someone's stabbed you."

"But… Do you mean to stab someone in the back? That would be dishonourable!" Bran blurted out.

"Like cutting down a fleeing enemy?" Blake cocked her head. "Are you supposed to let them go so they can rally and regroup?"

"That's different!" Arya pouted. "That's what you do in war."

"A fight to the death is a fight to the death," Blake said. "If someone is stronger, faster and more experienced than you and wants to harm your family, do you do everything you can do to stop them? Or do you fight them head-on, lose and let your family be hurt?"

Arya opened her mouth, then closed it. "That's…"

"...the question, and the answer is: You defend your family any way you need to," Blake finished for her - Bran looked pensive. "If there's no other way, you stab them in the back if you can." They were their father's children, after all. Blake had to frame the lesson so they wouldn't reject it out of hand. Make them think and question things.

"But…" Arya, stubborn as ever, pouted. "That's still dishonourable!"

"More dishonourable than letting your family get hurt, or worse, because you chose not to do everything you could to protect them?" Blake slowly tilted her head at her.

Arya frowned again. "Honour isn't supposed to work like that!"

"But that's how honour works - or doesn't work - in practice," Blake replied. "You'll encounter - find yourself in - situations where you have to decide between actions which are all dishonourable."

"That's not true! If you're strong enough, you can always act with honour!" Bran cut in. "If you can defeat every enemy in honourable combat, you're not forced to act in a dishonourable way!" He grinned.

"Is that so? What if you have to protect someone, but you know your family is under attack as well, and you cannot protect both? Who do you let die in that case?" Blake asked.

That made both kids pout and frown again. "That's…" Bran started, then fell silent.

"Drag the one you're protecting to your family and protect everyone there!"

"What if you can't reach your family fast enough if you're dragging someone?" Blake shook her head.

"If you swore an oath, then you follow it!" Bran said, nodding firmly.

"What if the oaths conflict?" Blake smiled a little sadly. "When you've sworn an oath to obey the King and an oath to protect those in need, and the King's hurting them?"

"Uh… the King's not supposed to do that!" Bran said.

Blake nodded. "But you still swore an oath to him. Do you obey him? What if he wants you to hurt children?"

"Uh… I would refuse that!" Bran raised his chin almost defiantly.

Arya nodded firmly.

"And you'd break your oath to him over it." Blake smiled. "So, whatever you do, you'll break an oath."

That had the kids apparently confused.

"Then you shouldn't swear any oaths!" Arya said. "So you can do what's right!"

"Do Huntresses swear oaths?" Bran asked.

"Not formally," Blake said. "But even without oaths, you still might have to decide what dishonourable action you take. Do you leave your wounded partner behind to save a village from Grimm?" She shook her head. "When you're faced with such a decision, you can't hide behind honour; you will have to make a decision. You will have to decide what's the right decision - or the least wrong."

Bran pouted again. "And what if you don't know what's the right decision?"

"Then you still make a decision you think is right, and live with it," Blake told them. "Live and learn," she added before she could keep herself from saying such a corny line. "You have to live with it, so you can't let others dictate your actions. In the end, you have to do what's right. And yes, it helps if you don't have too many potentially conflicting obligations. A Huntress isn't beholden to the ruler of the Kingdom. We are free to fight the Grimm where we can. No one commands us." Well, they still had to take missions to earn money, but that was different. But they weren't soldiers bound to obey orders.

"Like a Hedge-Knight?" Bran asked.

"Something like it, yes." Blake wasn't an expert on hedge knights, but they sounded close enough to Huntresses.

"Ah." Arya nodded. "But without the knight's oath."

"No formal oath, no. But any good Huntress team will have principles and rules," Blake replied. "And we're adults, so we don't have to obey our parents," she added. Judging by the way both kids pouted, they had been thinking what she had suspected. "Alright," she said, lifting Gambol Shroud. "Let's continue your training."

"Yes!" Arya charged her at once, and Blake disarmed her.

"You need to be a lot more sneaky than that," she told the girl. "You can't…" She trailed off as she saw Hunter moving towards them, followed by Nymeria.

Bran grinned. "Reinforcements have arrived!"

Blake clenched her teeth. That wasn't supposed to happen. Dogs had no place in the training yard!

*****​

King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Blake frowned as she crept along the narrow, partially crumbling tunnel. The city didn't have a sewer system, but there were a lot of secret passages and tunnels, forgotten cellars and buried remains of former buildings. And according to what she had heard, many brothels had secret entrances to allow wealthy clients to enter and leave without being seen by anyone else.

The trick was finding them - and finding one that wasn't guarded or had partially collapsed. Like this one, she added as she reached the end of it. It must have collapsed long ago and then had been partially filled from above. By Blake's estimate, she was under the neighbouring building. Another dead end, then.

She adjusted the map she was drawing, made a few notes and headed back. Maybe she had to try the cellars of the adjacent buildings; there might be passages leading to the brothel. If she knew whether Lord Baelish owned any of those buildings, it would make it easier, of course. But the city archives were a mess, and if she started asking the clerks there for help, Lord Baelish would hear about it at once - he wouldn't be able to own brothels without anyone at court knowing if he didn't have someone taking care of the records.

So, legwork it was. At least, she was getting so familiar with the city's underground, she doubted anyone else knew as much as she did by now.

She left the tunnel through an entrance hidden under an old barrel that once caught rainwater, after checking for witnesses, and then headed down the side alley. One tunnel down, two more to check.

*****​

Street of Steel, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"...and this is how you craft the spring." Yang Xiao Long pointed at the piece of metal, then started bending it. "You need to widen the end just a bit here, so it fits."

"Oh!" Gendry whistled, impressed by the simple design.

Mott, on the other hand, nodded as if he had already known that. He probably had - the old smith had been paying close attention to everything that Yang had worked on here.

"So… with that, you can craft an alarm device that will alert you if someone tries to move it," Yang said. "And one that's not as easily disarmed as a bit of string and a bell."

"It can still be disarmed, though," Mott said.

"Sure. Nothing's perfect. Not even I," Yang grinned, though the way Gendry nodded was a bit weird - he knew she was joking about being perfect, not joking about not being perfect, right? She pushed the thought away. "Anyway, with a small casing, it's pretty hard to disarm it. And then it can double as an alarm clock in the morning!"

"I wish you knew how to craft clocks, my lady," Gendry said. "If we could do that…" He smiled wistfully.

Yang shrugged. "You probably can work that out yourself; you already know the basics." She would have liked to help out more, but mechanical clocks hadn't exactly been something she had paid attention to, back in her workshop back home. But he already knew that. "Besides, you're already making pretty bank with the mousetraps, right?"

"They do sell nicely," Gendry said, nodding.

"Others are already copying the design," Mott grumbled. "It's too simple."

Yang shrugged again. That there was no patent office in Westeros wasn't her fault either. Nor that Mott had forgotten to ask for a royal monopoly or whatever because he hadn't thought that the trap would sell. Hah! Whether on Westeros or back home, new gadgets always sold!

"Well, I also know a more complicated design, but I don't know how a trap that catches the mouse alive will sell," Yang said.

"Why would you want to catch the mouse alive, my lady?" Gendry asked, though Mott looked surprised as well.

Because my little sister didn't want the cute little mice to die. Yang didn't say that, of course - this wasn't Remnant; mice were not just a minor pest here. "Some people like to feed them to their pet snakes," she said instead.

Now both were looking at her as if she had just told them they practised blood sacrifices or something back home.

"Pet snakes?" Gendry looked appalled.

"Were there many who kept snakes to milk them for their venom?" Mott asked.

"Ah… I don't know." She shrugged. "Most pet snakes weren't venomous. Some people just like snakes."

Gendry shuddered.

"Anyway, those are alarm devices." Not quite as complex as the ones Yang and Ruby had made for their team - you didn't spill that secret so thieves could steal their gear - but better than anything else here, at least, according to Mott, and he knew his stuff. "But you can combine that with traps, of course!" She grinned again. "Traps that catch thieves. Alive."

"We've heard of your paint traps," Mott said.

"Everyone did - it was part of the latest sermon at the Great Sept," Gendry added. "Those who steal from the Maiden shall be marked for all to see," he said in a deep voice.

Yang blinked. They were preaching about that? "Ah… It's not really… magic," she said. "Or, ah, divine. It's just a trap. A mechanical trap."

Gendry nodded. "Of course, my lady. It's a metaphor. It's just paint for the body, but those who steal are still marked in their souls. A stain that cannot be washed off, only atoned for."

Yang grimaced. "Yeah, that's… kinda going far." Atoning? What did they mean? Maybe she should visit one of those sermons. Although if they went on for hours, as last time, she would struggle not to fall asleep…

*****​

The Great Sept of Baelor, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"Lady Yang! What an honour to have one of the Seven's Chosen visit us again!" The High Septon - Gendry had talked about him so much, Yang couldn't have forgotten his title if she had wanted to - bowed deeply. More deeply than she thought possible since he was as fat as Professor Port and not nearly as agile - apparently, just the short rush to meet them had made him breathe hard.

"Ah, don't pay attention to me. Just do what you usually do," Yang said.

"Of course! Your humility does you proud, Lady Yang!" And another bow followed before he turned and bellowed: "Make way for the Maiden!"

Yang winced. "I'm not the Maiden," she said, though she doubted anyone was listening.

"No, but you are one of the Four Maidens, Her chosen." Well, except for Gendry.

Yang winced again. She wanted to correct him, but she also knew that they had to step lightly here - some people were still whispering that they were evil witches; Blake and Weiss hadn't managed to find out who was spreading the rumours now that Cersei was gone. And if people started doubting Team RWBY, it could end badly for their friends. So she sighed and followed the septon to the front benches. And tried to ignore all the whispers and gasps and bows and calls for blessings. And more gasps and thank yous when she waved her hand at them as if that actually did something.

Maybe she shouldn't have decided to attend the sermon today. But she couldn't leave now.

So she sat on the bench with as much grace as she managed - and she could manage a lot - and watched as there was a brief, whispered scene between the High Septon and his underlings.

"It looks like the High Septon will do the sermon today, in your honour, my lady," Gendry whispered from her side.

"Yeah, I gathered that," she whispered back.

"Of course, my lady!"

Then the sermon began, and Yang quickly had to strain to keep smiling. All the stuff about the blessings of the Seven, that she had expected, but all the stuff about the Blessed by the Seven? The Four Maidens? The Chosen of the Seven?

And everyone was watching her - people were craning their necks to look at her. One blonde guy who looked familiar - where had she seen him? Must have been at court - was all but standing to watch her. Usually, she didn't mind attention - hell, she was hot and had nothing to hide - but this was a bit much. No, more than a bit much.

"...and we shall follow their example, uphold what's good and just, and fight what's corrupt and evil, in the name of the Seven-Who-Are-One, and led by the Four Maidens!"

Yang blinked and glanced at Gendry. He was watching attentively, but a light touch from her elbow had him look at her. "What's that about 'fighting'?" she asked in a whisper.

"That's the daily struggle in our lives. Not actual fighting with weapons, my lady," he whispered back.

That was good. Yang let out a breath of relief.

The last thing Team RWBY needed or wanted was some people starting fights in their name.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Varys is smart,but Baelish think that he could control RWBY - which mean,that he arleady lost.
Brienne become fangirl of Young.Good for them,i quess.
Tywin could start war,but should demand moneys instead.And check Baelish - when they did that,dude would die screaming.

But - there is still nobody in Westeros who could help them go home...Maybe Isle of Faces?

Click to shrink...

They're still looking. It takes a long time to search a medieval library.

The big issue that the more manipulative members of Westeros have is that they keep thinking that they can out trick the entire team consistently and that somehow tricking them once means that they will always be under their thumb or not come up with the brilliantly simple answer of just breaking them in two with their bare hands. Oh congratulations you used the teams own sense of morality against them and forced them to back up your goals. Now you have to sure that nobody ever reveals that you made the situation happen in the first place and hope that the team is truthful about their intentions and motivations. Mocking mercy is ridiculous when you depend on the mercy of the people involved to not become a smear on the wall.

Click to shrink...

Most of the players of the Game of Thrones overestimate themselves to some degree.

Its amazing how the sheer implicit threat of a super human beatdown is enough to keep things mostly calm and keep people rational. Still not stopping the intrigue, but for the moment, things are peaceful.

Click to shrink...

For the moment, yes.

feels like they're gonna get blamed again for withholding information..

Click to shrink...

They'll get blamed anyway, if usually behind their backs.

 

[eager slacker]

Joffrey occasionally makes some good deductions but him going for the mob like answer of he's still king if there's no evidence of him being a child born of incest isn't gonna end particularly well.

On a side note the small technological revolution the team started is making waves in the future. Video games won't be a thing for a long time but when it happens there will inevitably be a dating sim with the team and I guess Cersei will be the villainous fiance or something.

 

[Tager Joseph]

The last thing Team RWBY needed or wanted was some people starting fights in their name.

Click to shrink...

The second you're a figure featured in any religion, that becomes an inevitability.

 

[Mike9650]

Joffrey occasionally makes some good deductions but him going for the mob like answer of he's still king if there's no will be no evidence of him being a child born of incest isn't gonna end particularly well.

On a side note the small technological revolution the team started is making waves in the future. Video games won't be a thing for a long time but when it happens there will inevitably be a dating sim with the team and I guess Cersei will be the villainous fiance or something.

Click to shrink...

Dating sims. A fine gaming genre. The Maidens. 4 different girls. Many routes. Some good. Some bad. There's even a harem ending and a separate boat ending.

Spoiler

- YouTube

Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.

youtu.be

 

[Spartan303]

I'm really, really hoping that the girls could be a good influence on Joffrey and turn him away from the little shit he was in canon. But I got the feeling he's hiding his true self and biding his time to do something really, really stupid.

 

[ATP]

They're still looking. It takes a long time to search a medieval library.



Most of the players of the Game of Thrones overestimate themselves to some degree.



For the moment, yes.



They'll get blamed anyway, if usually behind their backs.

Click to shrink...

Of course,that reading medieval library take time.Problem is - nobody in Westeros had that kind of power,so it is impossible to find answer there.
Better ask Melly of list of beings who could knew,and ask their priests.
P.S i still hope,that children knew something,or people from Isle of faces - becouse old gods seems as less bad choice for making deals among all gods there.

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 26: Doubts

'One aspect that modern readers - and sometimes even scholars, who definitely should know better - often miss when considering the events of the Succession in greater depth is that even back in those times, logistics decided wars. The layperson might be prone to think that knights and footmen did not need much in the way of supplies, being able to live off the land, often based on popular tales, but nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, small bands of men-at-war could live off the land - provided that no army had already plundered the countryside or the rulers of the territory hadn't taken measures to secure or deny the supplies to their enemies - but a sizeable force, one able to lay siege to even a small castle, could not last long without either moving into new territories or having a secure supply train. And, as anyone who has ever used horse-drawn wagons can attest to, supplying any force overland, far from the sea or rivers, is in itself a very costly operation. The greater the distance to cover, the greater is the need for feed for the draft animals used to pull the wagons - there is a point where the entirety of a wagon would be needed to supply the feed for the draft animal, which, unless you are transporting draft animals, presented a hard limit to how far forces could project power from secure ports. So, a kingdom waging war did not only need trained soldiers, but an organised support system as well to move and supply them. And for most areas far from the shore or navigable rivers and not blessed with a rich country able to supply armies moving through it, that meant strategically placed depots. Depots, which, of course, were the primary targets of an attacking force and were generally prepared to be burnt rather than surrendered to an enemy. That, of course, meant that it didn't matter nearly as much how many men-at-arms a realm could muster but how many and where it could supply them - and that a well-organised and prepared smaller but better supplied force could, if well handled, defeat a much larger force. At least in theory.'

• A Treatise On The Ruby Order, by Maester Kennet Bracken

*****​

The Stoney Sept, Riverlands, Westeros, 298 AC

…and I saw Lady Yang in the Sept. Her hair shone like gold with the blessings of the Seven while she prayed. Her golden gauntlets gleamed with power while the High Septon gave a sermon, and I've never felt more protected and at peace than then. Even the shame my cousins brought on our House was not felt while I basked in her radiance. Whatever worry I felt was gone - as long as the Four Maidens stood at the King's side, everything would be alright. I've seen them rip open the very Earth with their steps and smash castle walls with their fists. Blessed by the Seven-Who-Are-One, none can stand against them.

"Tywin, are you sure that you want to continue?" Kevan Lannister asked, looking up from the letter in front of him. "What Lancel writes here…" He trailed off. His eldest son had never been the brightest boy, but he wasn't an idiot either, and all his letters praising this 'Team Ruby' read as if written by him - Kevan was familiar with his son's writing style.

"Yes." His brother nodded, briefly pausing his own writing. "As much as I would like to dismiss those claims about magic or divine power as fabrications and mummers' tricks, there are too many reports for that."

Such as Tyrion's, Kevan thought. He didn't say it - Tywin's views of his second son were… complicated, and the death of Jaime and the banishment of Cersei hadn't improved matters at all - but the boy was smart and had a decent head on his shoulders (unless Tywin was involved). Tyrion wasn't one to be easily fooled by tricks. Still… "But what if it's a trap?" Kevan asked.

Tywin scoffed. "Lord Stark is far too honourable for that."

"He is but one man at court," Kevan pointed out. "There are others who intend our family ill. Such as the Red Viper."

Tywin scoffed again. "After the King's death, he is on thin ice. And I am not as easily poisoned as Robert."

Kevan knew that as well, but he still thought it was too dangerous for Tywin to travel to King's Landing. The King poisoned, Jaime and Cersei disgraced, the legitimacy of the royal children questioned… It was obvious that the court was under the sway of people who wished the Lannisters ill. But his brother was stubborn and prideful, and he would not be called a coward for avoiding King's Landing, no matter how dangerous the court would turn out to be. "At least take more guards with you."

"We have more guards in King's Landing than with us, and they could not protect our family," Tywin retorted. "To wait for more would add an intolerable delay. I missed my son's trial and death; I will not waste any more time out of fear. If you would believe the reports from Pycelle and the others, then not even all our banners would be enough to stop those maidens."

"You doubt that?"

"Of course. Pycelle might not be as addled by age as he acts, but he is not familiar with war. It's clear as day that those reports are exaggerated; no doubt spooked by watching real magic instead of a mummer's deception."

Kevan's eyes widened. "So, you believe what Varys wrote? That they are witches from the lands beyond Essos?" The Spymaster had been circumspect, with tidbits of information semi-hidden in his condolences, but the meaning was clear as day.

"I do not care where they are from, only what they intend to accomplish here," Tywin replied. "They have seduced Stark and then the King to enter the court, and when the King died, they installed themselves as the protectors of the Royal family and personally killed both my strongest knight and then my son so they could not do their duty and protect our kin, leaving Joffrey weakened and dependent on them. Coupled with their reported influence in the Faith, and our rivals already moving against us, they could easily doom Joffrey's claim merely by withdrawing their support."

"It seems clear what their intentions are," Kevan said carefully. "Marry Joffrey and become the power behind the weakened throne."

"That would be obvious, and yet - why move against Jaime and Cersei? They had the King seduced already. People were offering marriages to them - Tyrion not only mentioned that but proposed a match with our family - yours, to be exact, though I am sure he wouldn't have minded to offer himself, had he seen the slightest chance they would accept!" Tywin spat.

And, obviously, Tywin would have seen that as a disgrace. Kevan held his tongue and nodded in apparent agreement. His brother was grieving for his eldest son. And, he couldn't help thinking, for the reputation of their House, which had suffered a near-mortal blow.

"So, I will travel on to King's Landing to take the measure of those 'Maidens' myself. And show that I am not afraid of them," Tywin went on. "Meanwhile, you will return to Casterly Rock and prepare to call our banners. Stock supplies, prepare the roads - we need to be ready to move faster than anyone else if we are to survive this."

Kevan nodded firmly. "Prepare to, yet not actually call the banners."

"Yes." Tywin went back to studying the parchment in front of him.

Kevan bit his lower lip for a moment, hesitating. His brother was angrier than he had been in a long time. With good cause, of course. And that meant he had even less tolerance for anything that annoyed him. Or anyone. But Kevan knew his duty as Tywin's brother. He should have asked before, but… Alright, he hadn't gathered the courage to do so, and now his time was running out. "What about Cersei?"

Tywin glared at him, lips pressed together, forming a thin, almost white line, eyes narrowed to slits. He knew what Kevan meant. "I will not dignify that slander with a response."

So, that was how it would be. Kevin nodded. Tywin would avenge this slight, but not right now. Not when they both lacked knowledge of what exactly they were facing and were not ready for a war. With the Stormlands and the North as well as Dorne arranged against them, their only chance in a war would be to be faster with mustering their forces and strike before the others were ready. Fortunately, the North was too far away to play a role for months and could not spare too many soldiers to begin with. And Dorne was closer, yet their armies were smaller. In a war with the Stormlands, the Westerlanders would win, Kevan was sure of that. But Lord Renly was close to the Tyrells, close enough for Kevan to expect a marriage with Lord Tyrell's eldest daughter to be announced any day, and the Reach could muster more knights and footmen than any other kingdom. Mace Tyrell was a buffoon, as his actions in the Rebellion proved, but if he relied on Tarly to command his army, the Westerlands would be hard pressed indeed, even with the advantage of striking first, to win this war. And if the Riverlands and the Vale honoured the alliance with the North, even if they somehow managed to fight every army by itself, without the others supporting them, it would still take a miracle to win against them.

Kevan hoped Tywin had a plan that would take everything into account and would prevent the worst turns. His brother was shrewd and cunning, but if his pride was pricked… Well, Kevan would do his duty anyway. If Tywin failed, it would not be because Kevan had failed him. "Please give Lancel my regards." It would have been good to see his eldest son again, especially in these dangerous times, but Kevan went where Tywin needed him.

Tywin nodded, though he didn't smile.

Just as Kevan knew he would.

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"So… the creepy red-witch-priestess-woman asked how to 'help' us. And is visiting the library." Ruby Rose wished she had a whiteboard and actual crayons. Or just a decent sheet of paper. She could think better if she could make a quick sketch during a brainstorming meeting.

She made a mark on the large board Yang had bought in the city and scratched 'M' above it with a piece of chalk. In Remnant's alphabet, of course.

"She's a friend of Lord Stannis." Ruby made another mark and placed a line between them before labelling it 'S'.

"Whether or not that is still the case is somewhat in doubt according to the latest news," Weiss added. "She arrived with him and stayed with his entourage at first, but she hasn't been seen with him lately, at least not in public."

Oh. Ruby nodded and added a question mark to the line.

"Are or were they lovers?" Yang asked.

"There's no trustworthy source of information about that," Weiss said.

"I haven't sneaked up to Lord Stannis's quarters yet," Blake said. "Should I?"

Ruby shook her head.. "No. We don't know what kinda magic Melisandre can do."

"If she can do any magic," Yang said with a snort.

"I've asked around," Weiss said. "She has impressed Lord Stannis to think she can do magic, according to a few of his retainers, and he is not a man who's easily fooled. I think we need to assume that she can do magic."

"Fire magic?" Ruby asked. "She's a Red Priestess, and the other priest loves to fight with a burning sword. And she mentioned fire for her magic."

"It would be best to assume the worst, so yes," Weiss said.

Yang snorted again. "A bit of fire won't hurt us. We've got Aura."

"Magic fire might be able to hurt us," Blake pointed out. "We have never encountered magic, so we don't know what it does."

Ruby nodded. That was a good point.

"We fought those ice zombies," Yang said, "Their magic wasn't much."

"The Others," Weiss corrected her. "Though we cannot assume that fire magic would be the same. Supposedly, the magic the red priests use is granted by their god, R'hllor. That sounds more powerful than the magic the Others used."

Ruby nodded. That was also a good point.

Yang shrugged. "Well, maybe this R'hllor is just a fire variant of the ice zombie king? We took down that one easily enough."

"Would you bet our lives on that assumption?" Weiss raised her eyebrows with a sniff.

"No one's betting any lives on anything!" Ruby cut in. "We'll assume the worst and train for it." She blinked. "Well, as well as we can train for something we don't know anything about." How did you train to fight a fire priest? Learn to dodge flame throwers? Dodge arrows and bullets just made of fire? They already could do that. Maybe assume the fire would explode? Dodge grenades?

"We could ask Melisandre for a spar," Yang suggested with a grin.

"I don't think she would agree - and if she did, I don't think she would show her power, or most of it. People distrust her precisely because she is a red priestess," Weiss said. "Granted, part of that is because R'hllor is a foreign god, but part is that she's seen as a foreign witch."

"We could ask the other red priest," Ruby said. "The guy with the flaming sword."

"Thoros."

"Thanks, Weiss!" Ruby beamed at her partner. She knew so much about the nobles and the court here! "So, we could ask him about this."

"Or the Maesters. You said they seemed afraid of Melisandre," Blake said. "They probably know something about her powers then."

"Right!" Ruby nodded. "We'll ask them as well. The more we know, the better. Anyway, that's Melisandre. We don't know yet much, and, most importantly, we don't know if she really wants to help us or not."

"Or if she wishes us ill," Weiss said. "We need to be on our guard."

Weiss didn't have to tell Ruby that - she was always on guard around that woman. "So… that's Melisandre," she went on. "Next: Lord Baelish."

"The Pimp," Yang added while Ruby made another mark on the board followed by a 'B'.

"He's the Master of Coin and controls the treasury," Weiss said. "And probably the only one who knows where and how the gold is flowing. I think we can safely assume that he is skimming from the top as well, but we don't know how much."

"He doesn't just own brothels, Blake added. "He has other investments."

"And he is a childhood friend of Lady Catelyn, which grants him ties to Lord Stark, and her sister, the regent of House Arryn," Weiss said. "Not to mention all the influence his money and position grant him."

Ruby nodded and marked 'Gold' down on the board as well as two lines to Stark and Arryn, which she also had to draw. They were making progress. "We don't know what he wants, either. But he offered to give us information about the court."

Weiss sniffed. "He is not as subtle as he thinks he is. And he is as trustworthy as a crimelord from Vacuo."

"Or Torchwick," Ruby added.

"Or Junior." Yang grinned.

"Anyway, we don't know what he wants - except more money, of course - but we know we can't trust him," Ruby said.

"People like him are never content with their wealth. They always want more," Weiss said with a grim expression.

Ruby winced a little. That sounded a bit personal for her partner. Which usually meant it was about her dad. Weiss's family was really bad.

"Well, if we can't trust him, can we reveal his side business to Lord Eddard?" Yang asked as she stretched her arms over her head.

"That might be a bit pre-emptive," Weiss said. "We also have to consider that revealing his activities, respectively his dismissal as a consequence thereof, might upset the realm's government at a critical moment - I've heard that there's some tension over loans involving the Lannisters."

"Then we don't reveal his, ah, business," Ruby said. "We don't want to do more damage to the kingdom. Unless he's abusing women."

"I'll look into his other brothels," Blake said.

"In any case, he can't really do much more damage," Yang said. "The realm seems pretty torn up already from what you tell us."

"Things can always get worse," Weiss said. "If the economy collapses, civil war usually follows. Or anarchy, although in a civil war, society tends to break down anyway."

Right. War or anarchy, either would be very, very bad."So, no telling on Baelish. Not until we know more," Ruby said.

"A lot more. If we want to ensure that he can be replaced without plunging the realm into chaos as the finances of the court are ruined, we need to know not only how he has spread his wealth, but whether and how much he has stolen from the treasury - and how much of it can be recovered," Weiss said.

"We'll have to decipher his books for that," Blake said. "I will have to break into his offices for that and use my scroll to take pictures."

"And, as far as I can tell based on my talks with nobles, there's no standard bookkeeping system in Westeros. Some use the 'Braavos Book' method, which seems very similar to what we use at home, but we cannot count on that. And we have to expect forged entries and receipts, even inventories." Weiss shook her head. "To be honest, this is a major undertaking which will likely take a long time and a lot of effort."

It sounded very complicated to Ruby. "Doesn't the King - or Hand - have people who can do that?"

"The goldcloaks are either inept or corrupt, according to Gendry and Mott," Yang said. "Which means the competent ones are corrupt, and three guesses who is the most likely guy to pay them off…"

Lord Baelish. Ruby sighed.

"If we can't do this, exposing him is still a viable alternative," Blake spoke up. "It's better than letting him get away with this - corruption is something that hurts everyone, directly or indirectly. It poisons a kingdom."

"If it becomes ingrained, people tend to get used to the practice," Weiss (probably) disagreed. "But if a government goes bankrupt, the effects are horrible. Although with the way most money in Westeros - at least the money most people use - is based on precious metal, it might not be as bad as it would be back home. But if the court loses the money needed to exert its authority, the realm might fracture as the various kingdoms start settling their differences with war instead of royal rulings." She pressed her lips together for a moment. "I still think we have to know as much as possible before we take action against Lord Baelish."

"Alright, let's just look for more information. Take the pictures, Blake, if you can," Ruby said. They had to save the lightning dust to recharge their scrolls, but it was obviously necessary to use it in this case. "But if he is forcing women into his brothels…" Ruby shook her head. "We can't tolerate that."

"We could do something about that without exposing him," Yang said, baring her teeth. "I've got some experience with busting clubs and bars."

Ruby blinked.

"That would expose us," Weiss said.

"Not if we do it subtly!" Yang grinned.

"I don't think you know the meaning of that word," Weiss commented in a dry voice.

Yang frowned. "I can do subtle."

"We can arrange something, I think, should it be necessary," Blake said.

"A bit of arson - clubs and bars are very flammable," Yang said. "If we're around to help, no one should get hurt."

That still seemed a bit dangerous to Ruby. If they had to use their limited Water dust… But it was better than letting people suffer in those brothels. She shuddered. "Alright, we can hash out what we do if we know more." That kinda summed up the entire Baelish problem.

"So, that's Lord Baelish. What about…" Ruby checked her notes. "...Varys?" She made another mark and scratched 'V' above it.

"I'm tracking his network of contacts, but it is going slowly," Blake said. "And I have even more trouble cracking his communications than with Baelish. He is using his mute couriers to pass on messages they write down after arriving. Messages that are likely encoded as well. So…" She shook her head. "We don't know what he is doing. We only know he is in contact with Essos. And he is using children who had their tongues cut out."

Ruby scowled and shuddered. How sick did you have to be to do that to anyone? Least of all to little children!

"So…" Blake went on. "We might want to look into that from the other side. Check where those children are from. Are they local? Or sent here from another kingdom? Or from Essos?"

"How can we do that without travelling?" Yang asked. "Are you suggesting we split up?"

"We won't!" Ruby blurted out. "We have to stick together!"

"Yes," Blake agreed. "But we might have to hire people to look into this. Well, maybe not hiring…" She grinned. "I have an idea."

"Oh?" Ruby cocked her head to the side.

Blake nodded. "So, according to Yang, we're pretty popular in certain circles…"

"And I don't mean the boys' locker rooms this time!"

"Yang!" Ruby glared at her sister, feeling her cheeks heat up. That was a joke too far… or whatever. "Let Blake talk!"

"Lighten up, sis, I'm just joking."

Blake cleared her throat. "As I was saying…"

*****​

"...and while it is a bit of a challenge to avoid exposing our involvement, I think we can do it."

Weiss Schnee nodded when Blake finished her proposal. "It's a sound course of action." Much better than 'let's set fire to brothels', but that went without saying. Really, it was a wonder that Yang hadn't proposed to wear suits of armour as a disguise and raid the brothels!

"Yes. I think we can do that." Ruby nodded. "But Varys is the realm's 'spymaster'. Can he be replaced easily?"

"No," Weiss replied at once. "He will have ensured that he is irreplaceable - he served the Mad King and then continued serving King Robert even though King Robert had led a rebellion against the Mad King. That alone proves how entrenched he is."

"Or how loyal," Yang commented with a snort.

Weiss nodded. Many of the best intelligence operatives in leading positions ensured their own safety as well. Father had told her that, and Winter had, if more than a bit reluctantly and while assuring her that this wasn't the case in Atlas, confirmed it. "I asked around; there is no organisation like the Kingsguard, with continuity beyond the tenure of individual members. It's basically a personal operation of Varys." Which was an insane way to run essential departments of a state.

"So… if he gets fired - or jailed, depending on what he knew - the kingdom loses its spy network?" Ruby asked.

"Yes." Weiss nodded. Ruby understood the severity of this.

"Would that be bad?"

Or not. "Yes," Weiss said, nodding emphatically. "The country would be rendered blind to both external and internal threats."

"But are there such threats?" Ruby asked.

"Someone poisoned the King," Weiss reminded her.

Ruby blushed a little. "Alright, but Varys didn't prevent that - and didn't find the poisoner either. So… Is that an existential threat to the realm?"

Weiss scowled. Her partner had a point. "Perhaps not. Especially with us present to provide a deterrence to internal and external enemies. But we cannot assume that Varys is ineffective."

"We can't assume that he is effective, either, though," Ruby said with a grin. "And we don't know if he is even working for the kingdom, or just for himself."

Another good point.

"So!" Ruby nodded. "Let's mark him down as non-essential." She scratched 'NE' next to the mark for Varys - long nights studying with her partner had resulted in Weiss being able to decipher her handwriting.

She clapped her hands together. "So, next - the Baratheons. Lord Renly and Lord Stannis." She made another mark. "I don't know if they're threats, but they really want to replace Joffrey. And we kinda are in their way."

Weiss nodded. She had no doubt that without the presence of Team RWBY, Joffrey and his siblings would have met an untimely end already.

"So, they're threats," Yang said.

"Not to us," Weiss said. "And they know that."

"But they are a threat to Prince Joffrey," Blake added.

"And to Lord Lannister. Who is likely to be a threat - although more to the stability of the realm than to us," Weiss said. "We need to meet with him and find out where he stands. If Prince Joffrey and his siblings are to survive our eventual departure, they will need a power base of their own." The crownlands were supposed to represent that, but with the legitimacy of the Prince being undermined by Lord Renly and Lord Stannis, their loyalty was questionable. And Team RWBY couldn't just leave if that meant abandoning those children to such a fate.

Ruby and Blake nodded, but Yang seemed confused.

"Is there a problem, Yang?" Ruby asked before Weiss could.

Yang grimaced. "Well… I just had a thought. Does anyone else think we sound as if we're planning to run the kingdom?"

Weiss blinked. Oh. That was… More accurate than she liked.

"Oh, no, you're right!" Ruby blurted out.

Where had they gone wrong? Weiss asked herself. "We can't take over the kingdom!" she said. "We're here to find a way back - we will leave and return home as soon as we can. If the kingdom depended on us, we would doom it by leaving." And they had to go home. Their friends and families were waiting for them! And modern amenities! And a society where she wasn't expected to marry a man and let him decide her life for her!

"But many people already depend on us," Ruby pointed out. "Like the Prince and his siblings. We can't just leave them to their fate!"

"We can't just abandon our own families either," Weiss said. Well, she could abandon the majority of her family, but not Winter. "And we have responsibilities back home as well." She was the heiress of SDC, and if she didn't return, Whitley would replace her - he might have already done so, if she had been declared dead in the meantime - and he would continue to ruin her grandfather's legacy just as Father had. And hurt countless people.

Ruby bit her lower lip and looked guilty, and Yang seemed to be torn, though Blake frowned, then smiled wryly. "We'll have to decide what course of action will do the least harm, then."

"We can't stay here indefinitely," Weiss insisted. They couldn't! She wouldn't!

"We won't. But we haven't found a way back yet, so we can't leave anyway. But we can't take the realm over either!" Ruby shook her head. "It's not our country - it's not even our world! It wouldn't be right!"

"Does that mean you'd be OK with taking over a kingdom if it were in Remnant?" Yang asked.

"What? No!" Ruby shook her head so fast, her hair almost whipped around her. "No taking over kingdoms!"

Weiss scoffed. As if they could take over a kingdom back home! "We can't ensure that the prince and his siblings are safe and have a sufficiently strong power base to rule the realm without actually running the realm at least for a bit," she said. That was elementary.

"Then we need to run the realm," Ruby said, raising her chin a bit in that stubborn way of hers. "But only for a bit, until they're safe."

Weiss sighed, but she should have expected this.

"We don't actually have to run the realm," Blake said. "As long as we have enough influence on everyone to keep them from starting a war."

"You want to become the power behind the throne?" Yang grinned.

"We already are the power behind the throne," Weiss corrected her friend. "We represent the most powerful military force in the entire realm." And the locals were aware of that.

"But we don't want to be the power behind the throne!" Ruby said. "We wouldn't even be talking about this if the locals weren't so… so…" She trailed off.

"...so local?" Yang suggested with a twisted grin.

Ruby pointed at her. "Yes!" Then she turned to address Weiss and Blake as well. "We won't take over the realm!"

"We already have," Weiss said. "We need to work on handing it over to someone else."

Which was easier said than done, of course. Not that that would stop Ruby and Yang. Or Blake.

Weiss sighed. It wasn't that they were wrong, but it was still annoying to be forced to sort out this mess. If she didn't love her friends…

*****​

The Great Sept of Baelor, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"Lady Ruby! Lady Weiss! Lady Blake! Lady Yang! What an honour!"

Weiss bowed her head together with the others at the High Septon's greeting. Around them, everyone was bowing as well. Some even fell to their knees. Maybe they should have gone with Blake's suggestion and sneaked in through the backdoor - or window, in this case - at night to the High Septon's quarters… No! That was something people only did in those lewd and trashy ninja books Blake loved to read.

They didn't have to sneak into the building like thieves if they could just walk in and ask for a private meeting - Weiss had no doubt that the High Septon would agree at once. Whether he genuinely believed that they were blessed by his gods or not, he would be eager to use this to boost his own status.

A moment later, she was proven right when the High Septon invited them into his study upon Ruby's request.

A study, Weiss noted with a trained eye a minute later, when they stepped into it, that was very luxuriously furnished. Whatever the local faith taught about humility, the High Septon certainly seemed exempt from it. Well, his corpulent body already proved that he did not suffer from excessive ascetism.

But as long as he helped them, Weiss couldn't care less about such details. Most humans craved creature comforts.

It took another few minutes to have everyone seated and supplied with expensive tea - and hot milk with honey for Ruby. Not as long as Weiss would have expected it to take, but she wasn't going to question it.

"So… how can I help the Blessed By the Seven, my lady?"

"Ah!" Ruby nodded, set her cup down and licked the adorable milk moustache her beverage had left on her face off. "We've got a problem, and we think the Faith can help us."

The High Septon looked surprised for a moment, then nervous before appearing eager. "Your wishes are our commands, my lady."

Ruby nodded again. "Good. Anyway, we've found out that there are a lot of children in the city who have had their tongues cut off."

The High Septon's shock seemed genuine. Weiss wasn't sure if she should count that in his favour, for not condoning or ignoring such atrocities, or against him for being ignorant of this. "What?"

"Dozens," Blake spoke up. "And they live together - and work together."

The man's eyes widened. "Dozens? Then… that's not a coincidence. That's… Are you saying that someone deliberately gathered such children? Mutilated them?"

The man was sharper than he looked. Weiss nodded. "Exactly. As far as we know, they're not local children who were captured and then maimed - they must have been brought here, though we don't know from where."

"Maimed children… Children with their tongues cut off. In those numbers?" The man shook his head. "I cannot believe that this could be done in Westeros. Maybe the Wildlings, or the Mountain Men, I heard some of them mutilate themselves as a sign of courage or such. But… My first guess would be Essos. Slavers would have no qualm to do such on demand, and the children would have been brought up from birth to accept such a fate - or were maimed as toddlers, never knowing or remembering what they lost." He visibly shuddered.

Weiss nodded again. "That was what we thought as well. We would like to investigate ourselves, but we cannot abandon King's Landing and sail off. But we thought that if some trusted followers of the Seven were travelling to Essos anyway, they might be asked to investigate. Although it is a dangerous task - those people who would do such a thing would not hesitate to harshly deal with anyone caught asking questions."

"So, if anyone wants to help, they should be sneaky and smart," Ruby said.

"And cautious," Blake added.

The High Septon nodded. "I can think of a few such men. They might not be the, ah, most devout, but they can be trusted, and they loathe slavery as much as anyone else of the Faith." He smiled. "We shall not fail you, my ladies."

"Thank you!" Ruby beamed at him, and Weiss smiled.

"Though… did you ask the Master of Whispers for help? He is originally from Essos and should have contacts there," the High Septon asked.

Ruby grimaced. "Ah…"

Weiss's smile shifted a little. "We would rather not involve him precisely because he has contacts in Essos."

"Ah." The man's smile grew a little thin as well. Yeah, you didn't rise to lead such a huge organisation as the local church by being stupid. "I will ask the men to be very cautious indeed, my ladies."

"Thanks!"

*****​

King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"You didn't have to come with me," Blake Belladonna whispered without taking her eyes off the building slightly below them.

"I had nothing better to do," her partner replied. "And someone needs to drag you to bed in time."

Blake snorted. "I knew it - this is just an excuse to get me into your bed."

"Our bed, actually," Yang replied. "Though yeah - don't think I've been missing how you're wearing yourself out trying to spy on everyone in the kingdom."

"The city," Blake corrected her before she could help it.

Yang snorted.

Her partner had a great talent to appear carefree and even careless, but she was very sharp, Blake reminded herself. She had to do some damage control. Blake knew that she couldn't really keep an eye on everyone in King's Landing, but she was their best spy. Her Faunus senses made sneaking around at night and in the darkness far easier for her than for anyone else. "We need to know more," she said, watching a fat man enter the brothel below with a nod to the bouncer outside. He looked a bit too affluent for the venue, but that didn't mean anything. People had peculiar tastes when it came to sex; Blake knew that from her time in the White Fang.

"Yes. But we need you healthy and not working yourself to the bone," Yang replied. "Lord Tywin will be here soon."

Blake knew that as well - it was the reason she wanted to get everything she could on Baelish before she had to spy on the head of House Lannister as well; her team needed this information or they wouldn't be able to make an informed decision about how to handle everything that threatened to go wrong here. "It's an easy mission," she said. She wasn't lying - this brothel was a lot less protected against spies and other threats than the other ones that Lord Baelish owned, which made sense since it catered to poorer clients. Blake might not know as much as she needed about Lord Baelish's plans, but she knew that he wasn't the type to spend more money on his investments than he absolutely had to.

She was quite familiar with the type; they were very common amongst those who employed predominantly Faunus in Atlas and Mistral.

"Yep. So easy I could do it once I know where the building is," Yang said.

Oh, really? Blake narrowed her eyes at her partner. "And how long until the building burned down?"

Yang, leaning against the chimney on the roof, hidden from view from everyone but Blake's eyes by its shadow, grinned. "I am not that bad."

"A fire could devastate the entire city," Blake said. "They don't have modern fire brigades here." They didn't have a dedicated fire brigade at all, actually.

"I know," Yang said in her serious tone. "If a fire breaks out, we can handle it."

Blake wasn't quite so optimistic, but that was par for the course in their team. Ruby and Yang were the optimists, Weiss and Blake the… she liked to call them realists. But as long as Yang didn't deliberately start a fire, they should be good.

And, speaking of good. "Did you talk to the others?"

"About you overworking yourself?" Yang cocked her head to the side. "No. That's between us."

Blake nodded. Good. Ruby would fuss over her, and Weiss… well, Weiss would probably make a few well-meaning but harsh comments, and then things would be awkward when she realised what she had said. "You can't get as close as I can," she said. "And you can't hear them from as far as I can."

"Yes," Yang replied. "But this isn't about spying on secret meetings. This is just about checking if people are being abused inside." She flashed her teeth in a wide but humourless grin. "And they won't bother hiding that kind of stuff much if they bother at all."

Blake knew that as well. Some of the attitudes of the locals made her want to start hitting people.

"So… now that I know this spot, let's check the others," Yang said. "Then I can take over and you can get some sleep."

That would free enough time so she could…

"And if you don't go home to sleep, I'll tell Ruby and Weiss," Yang went on.

Blake glared at her, but her partner kept smiling.

"You do need to cut back some," she said in a softer tone.

Blake pressed her lips together so she wouldn't blurt out her first denial.

"Now… the other brothels?" Yang grinned again.

Blake sighed. "Follow me." She turned and quickly moved to the edge of the roof, then jumped.

"Oh, roof hopping!" she heard Yang mutter behind her, followed by the sound of her partner landing on the roof. "Fun!"

Blake snorted and picked up the pace.

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

From up close, the dragon skulls were impressive. At least the larger ones - the smaller ones weren't that much bigger than an average Nevermore's skull would be if Grimm left behind skulls instead of vanishing completely upon death. The largest was even larger than the Nevermore her team had killed at the Initiation. Still, with their current training, Blake was pretty sure that they would be able to kill even a dragon of that size.

Standing in the darkness of the cellars below the keep, Blake shook her head. The Targaryens had collected the skulls of their dragons, which was more than a little creepy. She could understand why King Robert had them moved to the cellars - it was a way to remove the presence of the old dynasty from the seat of the government - but a few of them would make great conversation pieces.

But she wasn't here to stare at the remains of dead dragons. She was here to check out more potential passages. There were no traces on the dusty floor here that would indicate someone passing, which meant that knowledge of any secret passage might have been lost with the last Targaryen.

Or that there was no secret passage here, of course. But Blake would still check it. Briefly - Yang was helping out, but only if Blake slept more. So, she couldn't take too long for such checks.

But she had to check, anyway. Not just to keep others from using such passages to escape notice, but also because if no one knew about such a passage, it would make sneaking around without having to dodge Varys' spies easier.

And you never knew what you might find in such secret tunnels. She wouldn't be surprised if the former kings had left some treasure in a secret chamber, just in case.

If only there weren't so much to search…

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Yang Xiao Long suppressed a yawn while walking to the main part of the keep. It had gotten a bit late, last night, checking a few brothels. And she had nothing to show for her effort, either. The only people who had gotten hurt had been two rowdy customers who had been thrown out of one brothel - literally. Though their YangTime hadn't been great…

She pressed her lips together as the memory of the knight she had accidentally killed returned. She had joked about YangTime then as well, after throwing him around. She shook her head. She was better than that. She wouldn't do that anymore.

She shouldn't have done it in the first place.

Sighing, she entered the great hall to grab some food to tide her over until lunch. Free food at all times was one of the nicer things here. Of course, it had drawbacks as well - if they had chocolate, Ruby would probably have overdosed long ago. Even so, she was eating enough honey cakes to put a strain on the beekeepers.

Yang grabbed a bread roll and a sausage for herself - one of the things you could eat without grilling it. Not quite a salami, but decent enough, though she sniffed at it first to check if it was the variant with that weird spice she didn't like.

No, those were good. Oh - she grabbed another sausage when she spotted the Stark kids at a table with their wolves around them. Well, with the exception of Jon. He was probably brooding somewhere. Not that she could fault him for that. If she had found out that Dad wasn't her dad, and that her mother was dead, and that some crazy prince was her father…

She shook her head again and walked over to the small group. Brienne was there as well. "Yo!"

"Lady Yang!"

"Lady Yang!"

"Yang!"

"Lady Yang!"

"Room for me?"

"Of course!"

She grinned and sat down, then quickly ripped the breadroll apart, put the sausage into it and closed it before biting into it. Not quite a sandwich, not really a hot dog, but it was good enough.

As she had expected, the three direwolves were already gathering around her.

"Lady! Don't beg!" Lady Sansa snapped.

But her wolf, usually well behaved - for a dog; certainly for a wolf, if not as nice as Zwei - ignored her and stared at Yang's meal.

Grinning, she pulled a piece of her second sausage off and fed it to her. And then she had to defend her own meal from the other two wolves before she could feed them the rest of the sausage.

No one complained about spoiling them, though. The local nobles liked their dogs, sometimes more than their people. And everyone liked the direwolves - now far bigger than any wolf, much less a dog - well-fed, Yang guessed. "So, what's new?"

"Uh…" Bran blinked. "Nothing?"

"Jon's still being stupid," Arya complained. "He's all sad and brooding, and he won't tell me why."

Ah. So Jon hadn't told his siblings about his mother. That was to be expected, she guessed - they were little kids, after all. Though he could have told them that his mother was dead… no, then they would probably wonder why he hadn't been told before. They were kids, but not dumb.

He'll be back to normal brooding. Yang didn't say that. "He just needs a bit of time."

"You know why he's so sad!" Bran all but accused her.

"Did he ask you to marry him, and you said no?" Arya leaned forward with a frown.

"Arya!" Lady Sansa hissed.

Yang snorted. "No. He did not. But if he did, I'd say no."

Arya kept frowning at her, but that was nothing new.

"Are you planning to marry at all, my lady?" Brienne asked.

Was that fishing for information, or just curiosity? Either way, Yang had no reason to lie. "I'm not going to marry anyone until I'm back home."

"With your father, right?" Bran asked.

"With my family and friends," Yang gently corrected him. "Not that Dad could get me to marry anyone or stop me from marrying anyone I want." It wasn't as if that was a secret any more.

Arya sighed. "I wish I were as powerful as you are. I wouldn't have to marry anyone either then!"

Once again, Yang was tempted to tease the girl - she had been trying to play matchmaker for Jon - but that would be cruel as well. "You shouldn't have to marry anyone, regardless of how strong you are," she said instead.

"Father doesn't agree." Arya pouted.

Lady Sansa looked as if she wanted to comment, but she stayed quiet. But Yang could tell that she had to make an effort.

"My father has given up on trying to find a husband for me," Lady Brienne said. She sounded… Yang couldn't tell if she was sad about it, but she certainly wasn't happy about it.

"You don't want to marry and have to, and you want but can't?" Bran asked, looking at both.

"Bran!" Lady Sansa glared at him.

Yang suppressed a grin even though his grimace was funny. But the situation wasn't funny for Arya and Brienne.

"Can I come with you when you go back to your world?" Arya suddenly said. "Then I wouldn't have to marry!"

"Arya!"

Yang winced. She could tell Arya that she might want to marry someone in a few years, once she hit puberty, but that would be patronising. And Arya deserved better than that. "We don't know how we can return, yet. And whether people can come with us." What had Ruby heard from that priestess? "It might have been that we were moved here for something, and once we do it, we get transported back - just us." Yang didn't think so, but it was possible.

"You can't leave like that!" Lady Sansa protested. "We're your family!"

"I'll have to leave you anyway once I marry and have to live with a husband," Arya retorted. "I could as well leave early!"

"Arya! You can't do this! You have a duty towards our family!"

"Why not?"

"Because that's not done!"

Yang winced again. That wasn't the best argument. But she also thought about Arya's question. They had talked about this amongst Team RWBY, but mostly in general terms. What if someone wanted to visit Remnant and then return to Westeros later? What if they got weapons in Remnant, or if they brought Huntresses with them, or if a Grimm could follow them…

While the two girls bickered, she thought about the problem. She had a feeling that Arya wasn't the only one who would like to go to Remnant instead of staying here. Especially the women.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

Joffrey occasionally makes some good deductions but him going for the mob like answer of he's still king if there's no evidence of him being a child born of incest isn't gonna end particularly well.

On a side note the small technological revolution the team started is making waves in the future. Video games won't be a thing for a long time but when it happens there will inevitably be a dating sim with the team and I guess Cersei will be the villainous fiance or something.

Click to shrink...

And there will be fanfictions about how she was merely misunderstood

The second you're a figure featured in any religion, that becomes an inevitability.

Click to shrink...

Indeed.

Dating sims. A fine gaming genre. The Maidens. 4 different girls. Many routes. Some good. Some bad. There's even a harem ending and a separate boat ending.

Spoiler

- YouTube

Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.

youtu.be

Click to shrink...

I'm really, really hoping that the girls could be a good influence on Joffrey and turn him away from the little shit he was in canon. But I got the feeling he's hiding his true self and biding his time to do something really, really stupid.

Click to shrink...

Well, he has behaved better - but he's gone through a few shocks, and the recent news about the incest accusations certainly isn't doing him any favour.

Of course,that reading medieval library take time.Problem is - nobody in Westeros had that kind of power,so it is impossible to find answer there.
Better ask Melly of list of beings who could knew,and ask their priests.
P.S i still hope,that children knew something,or people from Isle of faces - becouse old gods seems as less bad choice for making deals among all gods there.

Click to shrink...

There are lots of potential spots - they are looking for a specific style of ruins.

 

[Blue1ao]

Remnant is shown from the plot armor MC's with a shonen rose tinted glasses. Even with all that they loose a more than half the population. It's better where they are especially since the whole winter thing is done.

 

[Artificial_Icecube]

Remnant is shown from the plot armor MC's with a shonen rose tinted glasses. Even with all that they loose a more than half the population. It's better where they are especially since the whole winter thing is done.

Click to shrink...

I'm pretty sure I'd still take the world with indoor plumbing even despite the giant murder beasts tbh.

 

[Blue1ao]

I'm pretty sure I'd still take the world with indoor plumbing even despite the giant murder beasts tbh.

Click to shrink...

Again more than 1/2 the population dies. And while it's never properly discussed I'm pretty sure all the land behind walls is taken. Otherwise people wouldn't be constantly moving out and they wouldn't be trying to make new cities. So I don't think you'd still have access to a toilet

 

[justregretsss]

"We're here to find a way back - we will leave and return home as soon as we can. If the kingdom depended on us, we would doom it by leaving."

This is where their (rwby) lineage argument(and similar things) becomes worthless, they(the locals) are gonna go back to how things are done, because they don't have tech and such ways.