A Throne Nobody Wants
Chapter 2
*** Winterfell***
Her two older brothers had completely fallen for the Princess of the Realm.
'Literally,' Sansa thought wryly as she watched said princess dispatch Ramsay Snow, the bastard of House Bolton, with almost boring ease. Her two brothers were on their backs and unable to move, having been defeated earlier. How such a small frame could best men seemed suspicious to her but she sensed no magic. The Princess, Mordred, was just that good.
On a cool crisp Northern day, where the sky remained gray but clear, were five sprawling bodies surrounded by men of arms on both sides. Apparently the rumors of the Warrior Princess were not just rumors, she was legitimately good at fighting. As the princess turned her back to her opponent, sheathing her sword, the bastard of the Bolton fell to his knees and slumped forward. The princess never spared a glance, instead, she turned to face her father, their gaze locking.
Her two younger brothers cheered as the Bolton bastard was easily taken care off; their eyes shone while looking at the blonde princess.
"Damn it!" King Robert Baratheon growled as the final challenger for the Princess's hand in marriage was defeated. His daughter broke her gaze a moment before he was going to himself, he could not help but think she let him win their little staring contest. Which just pissed him off all the more. "Not even four moves!"
Sansa looked to the King and once more sighed. The Shirou part of remembered that even politicians in his time were fat and ugly. The fact that the King of the Realm, the man her father spoke so highly of, was a fat oaf of a man that only liked to drink and eat was very disappointing. This was supposed to be a time of knights, honor, and chivalry wasn't it? When men were real men and honor meant something, not the cesspool of the modern world politics. Yet... perhaps it had never been that different to begin with.
"I don't think any man can defeat my sister," Crown Prince Joffrey Baratheon spoke in a respectful tone to his fiancee at his left.
Sansa sighed once again but gave a polite smile to the prince. She was engaged. Her, Sansa Stark aka Shirou Emiya in another lifetime, was engaged to a damn prince in a fantasy kingdom! Unfortunately, she could not decline as that was not her right. If she had known she was going to be engaged, she might have made a run for it beyond the wall and lived with the wildings.
Of course... with her strength and stamina, chances were that she wouldn't have lasted long. That and she was pretty sure the men of Winterfell would ride out and never stop searching for her. She couldn't put them in danger for her own selfish needs and wants. That was not who she was, both Sansa and Shirou. Snubbing the King's offer here and now would put her family in danger.
Monarchy sucks.
"Damn it Ned, is that the best the North has to offer?" The King accused his friend, his fat face blustering and reddening. The Queen next to him looked livid when the King made the declaration that anyone can win the Princess's hand if they defeated her in combat. The shocker was that it mattered not if they were bastard or sons of lords. The only restriction was that they be no older then seventeen.
So for the past few days, after settling in, the would-be sons of lords and the bastards born of the North had battled each other, the final five battling the Princess. Her two elder brothers had been victors, Bolton's bastard was another, the final two being of House Manderly and House Karstark.
"They are young, your grace," Her father, Eddard Stark, replied next to the king but he appeared to be looking at the Princess on the field in a new light. "Though it appears she takes after you."
"Aye, that she does," King Robert sighed as he bellowed for more wine from his servant. Truth be told, there were some skilled boys, especially Ned's sons; but once more his daughter had bested all five finalist. Damn it!
"You seem displeased," Ned Stark observed of his friend, whom appeared to be quite disappointed that his daughter had prevailed.
"You don't get it Ned, I was hoping one of the lads can shut her up," The King replied as heshifted in his seat to be more comfortable. "Now I will never see her humbled..."
Eddard Stark was surprised by his friend declaration. He looked to the Queen and saw her content face, however, her eyes shined as she gazed at her daughter. No, the Queen couldn't hide her pride in her daughter but there was something else too. There appeared to be some kind of rift between the twin blondes with the way they were staring down at one another. Shaking his head, he turned back to Robert.
"So you wanted someone to best her in combat?"
"Aye, your son, true born or bastard was my hope but now... NOW, Ugh... Now I owe her five hundred dragons," Robert drank heavily into his cup and glared down at the girl. "I suppose you are quite pleased with yourself!"
"Very much so, I expect payment when we get back to King's Landing," Mordred declared as the corner of her mouth showed the beginning of a grin.
"You'll get your money you little..." Robert trailed off as he turn to his friend and excused himself.
The Royal Family followed suit while Sansa made her way to her two defeated brothers, who were now just back on their feet. Though recovering, their eyes trailed after the Princess as she left.
"Boys," Ned spoke up, making the two boys shift their feet uncomfortably. "You did well."
The two boys looked up and saw their father smiling at them. Ashamed, they stared back down at their feet.
"We were bested by a girl, father. We shamed House Stark," Robb was the first to speak up, unable to meet his sister or father's eyes.
Jon, as was his nature, remained quiet, but nodded his head in agreement with his brother. His eyes spoke of the same shame he carried with his brother.
"There is no shame in losing to her," Ned shook his head and placed a hand on his sons' shoulders. "She was simply better then you."
"It is as father's said," Sansa spoke up, also trying to comfort her brothers. She doubted that she could fair any better against the blonde princess. "Come, let me cheer you with with warm chocolate milk."
As per her suggestion, the two brothers' eyes widened and looked eagerly at their beloved sister. "Truly?" Robb asked with an almost disturbing look in his eyes. Jon, naturally, had a matching one.
Chocolate had been hard to come by, with most of the North not really knowing what it was, but a trip to Lannisport and the Essos market had yielded cocoa beans, which Sansa was able to cultivate, culminating in whole farmlands dedicated to her being own gardens. It had been a difficult process, even armed with Shirou's knowledge, had not yield much on farming knowledge. Thankfully, with resources from both sides of her, Shirou's knowledge and Sansa's dedication, she learned how; now they could drink Chocolate milk. Sansa grinned, Arya once tried to eat a cocoabean thinking it would be just as sweet but the bitter taste had left her poor sister crying. Since then, she had been able to make a variety of chocolates, the peppermint flavor was Arya's favorite.
"I'll bring it to you two when it is finished," Sansa smiled at her two brothers and saw their spirits lifted.
"Ahem," Ned Stark cleared his throat and looked away from his daughter.
"Of course you shall have a cup too, father, as is your right," Sansa grinned at the proud man's subtle hint that he wanted some too.
"I could never asked you to dirty your hand, your mother would disapprove," Ned protested but not very much. In fact it was almost funny, as he was trying not to sound stern.
"Do not worry about Mother, I am sure she wouldn't be to adverse to it," Sansa winked slyly to her father and made her way to the kitchen.
Ned sighed as he watch the jewel of the North leave him. He was beginning to believe his men, that his daughter was blessed by the gods. The ideas she had when it came to cooking was so bizarre that he was slightly intimidated by it. Yet whatever she bought, no matter what exotic thing she had concocted, they all end up tasting simply divine.
That in itself caused some problems, many of the Houses had wanted her as a bride, good respectable Houses, but was it so wrong that he wanted her to have the best in life? So when the engagement to Joffrey came up, she would be Queen of the Realm, that was the best she could get in her life. She would be beholden to nobody and once her husband had tasted her cooking he was certain not even the future king would try to gainsay her.
Sighing once more, he walked toward the keep. He still had to tell Cat about Robert's offer.
+++ Cersei +++
The Queen walked away elegantly, her head held high. The Kingsguard followed dutifully behind her. Her golden tresses continue to sway back and forth as she moved away from the competition ring and followed her husband inside Winterfell Keep.
'She knows!' Cersei mind shouted since they left King's Landing. Her daughter knows that Robert was not her father, worse, she KNOWS about Jaime and her... indiscretion.
All the way through the trip north, her mind was occupied by that little piece of knowledge, even as she had glanced at her daughter, who preferred to ride beside Robert.
How had Mordred found out and... worse. How much did she hate her for it? Cersei found the question playing over and over in her head. Of course the most pressing question was: how long had the girl known she was a product of incest?
She had been surprised when her father, Tywin Lannister, sent Uncle Kevan to King's Landing as part of the group for representing the Lannisters for Jon Arry's funeral. What had shocked her to the core, along with Littlefinger and Varys, was when he left. All of Robert's bastards in King's Landing and the town beyond, were gone taken to Lannisport along with other trade craftsmen. Uncle Kevan had not known why but had delivered a sealed message from her father.
Cersei remembered when she had opened the letter and read it's content. Her father had written that after Jon Arry died, Mordred has contacted him and set up a way to get rid of Robert's bastards without people realizing it until it was too late. Though her father did not outrightsay it, she knew her father knew, otherwise Mordred would not have succeeded in getting his assistance to cleanse the area of Robert's bastards under the guise of new opportunity. It was a more merciful fate than what she had planned with Littlefinger, the completely purging of all the bastards by assassin knives.
Yet in one fell swoop, Mordred had taken care of it. Even if Stark were to look into what Jon Arry issue, it wouldn't matter. There were no proof of Robert's bastards anywhere within the vicinity. As much as she loathed to admit it, her daughter had outplayed all of them. When had she gotten so good at the game? When did she even participate? Cersei had not talked to her daughter since she received the letter from her father. The look from Mordred was all to clear. She knew. She knew!
What was perplexing was Mordred's endgame. Mordred always had an endgame. Cersei had seen Mordred lead Robert by the nose too many time for it. Of course she thought that was a father being wrapped around his daughter's finger. The opening salvo by her changed everything. Petyr and Varys had been in seen whispering frantically for days. They knew about the bastards too, what was their plan for them? Did they think because her daughter loved fighting that she was stupid?
Mordred obviously loved her brothers and sister, though if she had to pick an order, she knew Joffrey would be a distant last. Joffrey on the other hand, worshiped the very ground his sister walked on and strived to be as great as her. Unfortunately, Jaime's skills was not what he had been blessed with nor her courage. Her son was easily frightened and quick to complain. The only person he dared not do that around was Mordred. The girl scared him.
Cersei recalled a time when Joffrey showed Mordred the unborn kitten that he cut from a pregnant cat in hopes of gaining her approval. What Mordred did to Joffrey had horrified her and, once more, gained approval from Robert.
'Don't worry father, if he dies, you have a spare.'
Mordred's words echoed in her ears. There had been so much blood... so much. However, her daughter had achieved what she had set out to do, Joffrey became a shell of the boy he once was, he could still be mean and petty but under his sister watchful gaze, it's excessiveness had been curbed.
So now she was fretting. Joffrey was her blood, her brother, and Mordred had shown little mercy. If she knew that she was conceived from incest, than what punishment was awaiting her and Jaime? What was her daughter's endgame?
Thankfully, being here at Winterfell had been a godsend, normally she would scoff at this place but being away from King's Landing meant that whatever network Mordred had, she would be cut off from. With Eddard Stark in the picture, a righteous, honorable fool, it just might stay her daughter's hand. At least until she could figure things out and find the best way to proceed.
For once, she supported Robert's idea on making Eddard Stark the Hand, the only other person that qualified would be Tywin or the Blackfish. Both of whom would more than likely help Mordred in her schemes.
Of course... there was the slim hope that somebody would defeat her here in the North. That way, she would have to married and stay in the North. It was, after all, her wager. Unfortunately, her daughter's skills only improved. None were her match.
Cersei could not help but feel conflicted about that too. One part cursing the weak Northerners, the other filled with pride by her daughter.
'Don't count me out of the game yet, daughter.'
+++ Volantis+++
Arthur knew he was dreaming. How did he know? Easy. He was in the body of his female self. Arturia Pendragon, in her familiar battle armor over her royal blue clothing overlookinga very familiar field. Camlann. In her dreamscape, it was not littered with the bodies of her dead soldiers. It was still a beautiful meadow, untouched by war.
"Viserys?"
Arturia turned around and saw a familiar man that she had not seen in over a decade in her new life. The man could only be describe as beautiful with his long silver hair, slim dancer like frame, and piercing violet eyes. He was the man who destroyed his own kingdom, who killed his own children as surely as if he had done it himself. The man who dishonored his vow. The man who would be her brother.
"Rhaegar," Arturia acknowledged as her eyes hardened against the man who made the realm bleed over a pretty face.
The man appeared surprised as he continued to gaze at her, his eyes wide and uncomprehending, there was even awed in it. "You are Viserys, my brother?"
"As loathe as I am to admit it, yes," Arturia said in a displeased tone of voice. In this form, Arturia's she only reached Rhaegar chest. She quite enjoyed Arthur's taller stature.
"Your... Your soul is that of a woman..." Rhaegar marveled as his eyes ran all over 'Viserys's' form with her shorter stature, blonde hair that rival that of any Lannister and green eyes like the purest of emerald, not to mention the golden aura she was exuding like a beacon to him. It was glory intangible, it made her beautiful beyond compare.
"You point being?" Arturia asked coldly as her emerald eyes bored into his amethyst ones.
Being of dragon's blood, the Targaryens loved shiny things. That was why there were so many legends of dragons hoarding gold. If Viserys had been born looking like this, Rhaegar would have held onto her possessively.
"You do no look pleased to meet one of your family."
Arturia blinked at the audacity of the dead crown prince. The man actually sounded hurt. "Please to meet the man that destroyed our family and ripped the realm apart? You'll have to forgive me if I can't help but view you in the same light as our father."
Rhaegar face now visibly displayed his hurt for all to see. "Our father was worse and you know it, what he did to mother..."
Arturia closed her eyes. She knew Aerys was insane, she had hoped Rhaegar proved not to be the same in that respect. "As bad as he was, you have proven to be just as bad when you abducted the Stark girl and raped her."
"There was no rape!" Rhaegar spat viciously glaring at his 'brother' with his violet eyes. "We were truly in love!"
Arturia did something she had rarely done when she had this body. Yet her time as Arthur and her little sister let her loosen her emotion more freely. She matched his gaze with a contemptuous one of his own. "Really brother? You were in love? Tell me, Brother. Did she still love you as much when her father was burned alive? Or did she declare her undying love when when you told her of how her brother strangled himself trying to help his father? Did that get her heart beating faster for you? Did she love you then, brother?"
Rhaegar looked as if he had been struck, guilt flashed across his face but so was resolve. "We. Were. In. Love. Judge us if need be, but love is powerful beyond all reason and it is with that love that I completed the prophecy. My song of Ice and Fire."
"Pro- You mean... you made the realm bleed for a stupid prophecy?!" Arturia shouted at her brother, her golden aura blazing outward touching his smaller silver one and brought him to his knees. "I'll say it again. You are insane."
Rhaegar struggled to stand up but the presence that his brother exuded was almost suffocating in its power. "I never wanted the responsibility! I-If only you had been born first. You would understand what I had to do to ensure the realm's survival!"
"As much as you tried to rip it apart, last I heard, Westeros was doing just fine without Targaryen blood on the Iron Throne," Arturia replied as she walked closer to her brother, forcing him to stay on his knees.
Looking up at his 'brother' again, Rhaegar's defiance blazed as he struggled to overpower the golden aura. Eventually he was spent and sagged his shoulders in defeat. "I did not wish our meeting to have gone this way."
"What other way could it have gone, brother," Arturia was in front of the silver hair man now looking down at him. "I despise you."
"And I deserve it," Rhaegar agreed truthfully. "I was so secure in the prophecy, that I never imagined I could be killed, nor that my love would grow to hate me. It was all for the song..."
There was silence as the golden king looked down at the fallen prince. How long the silence stretch for? Arturia couldn't tell, only that her brother was now shuddering, making small, choking sounds.
"I tried to find Elia and the children but I could not, nor could I find my beloved Lyanna," Rhaegar sounded broken as he looked up to his little brother. "Why can't I find them? Why can't I apologize for all the pain they suffer?"
"Because they went to a better place than you, brother," Arturia responded to her brother immediately. Ever so slowly, she started feeling pity the man that was her brother for five years. Her eyes softened, "Tell me why you came to me in this... dream."
Rhaegar steeled himself and stood to his full height now that his brother presence had softened. "The Other are moving. You need to go back to Westeros and rally the Seven Kingdoms."
Arturia knew of the Others, the great enemy, the people nowadays assumed that it was a myth, but she did not so lightly dismissed them. After all this world was different, the magic was still here, muted somehow, but still humming in the air.
"I do not believe I am the Prince that was Promised, he died at the Trident," Arturia observed coolly and saw Rhaegar flinch before looking defeated.
"No... but you are powerful, and people listen to you, you are a leader. Take the crown and lead them once more."
"There is no sword to pull a stone from here brother, they will not follow me," Arturia smiled a bit at the memory of Caliburn. The expression on her brother's face clearly showed that he had no idea what she was referring to, which meant that he was stuck in this world or the souls of this world can only stay in this world. Merlin would have loved this.
"Brother, they will, the Usurper will die soon, he will drink himself into an early grave, the Seven Kingdom that we worked so hard for will be broken soon. They will need a strong leader to unite them, you can be that leader."
"I have no interest for the petty squabbles of the court anymore. I will not play their games," Arturia replied before she turned her back to her brother. She felt his resignation and his presence slowly fading away.
Once more there was silence over the fields of Camlann.
"You can stop hiding now."
Arturia look to a nearby tree to see a female figure that had been hiding revealed herself. Clothed in a simple blue dress, her raven black hair, upbraided, with her grey-blue eyes gave her a wild exotic look, accentuated by her pale white skin.
"Should I address you as... Your Grace?" the woman asked politely as she approached the Once and Future King of another world.
"Lyanna Stark," Arturia concluded, having heard about what she looked like once. From the looks of it she appeared to be barely fourteen. A child really.
"Your Grace," Lyanna tried her best to curtsey but it was poorly done.
"Arthur is fine," Arturia said. Looking at the girl, she was not that beautiful, certainly not enough to be this world's Helen of Troy. "Why is yet another dead person speaking to me? Why not your family members?"
Lyanna sorrowful eyes looked away from the kingly blonde and sighed. "Thanks to our bond in blood, yours is the only presence that is powerful enough to hear me, or rather, us. I could not have bothered you otherwise. I know how much you despise me."
"Did he abduct you?" Arturia asked looking at the girl. Her shamed face looked spoke volumes. She found herself unable to feel any sympathy towards the two. She might have felt some had Lyanna truly been abducted but her expression said otherwise.
"I was a stupid girl whose head was full of love, who always said I never needed princes but when one came for me, I acted like any other empty headed girl did and fell in love," Lyanna spoke softly, her tone full of regret and sorrow. "He made me feel special, told me I was special, that I was going to help save the world. That he could give me freedom from betrothal and let me do as I please."
Arturia glared at the girl, trying to muster up the same hatred and anger she had for Rhaegar, for this girl before her. But she found she could not. The girl genuinely seemed to regret her actions. "You are not the first girl to fall for the empty promise of a prince. It happens, quite frequently."
"I thought I was different," Lyanna chuckled in a self depreciating way. "And it only cost me my brother and father for me to realize; I am no different then anybody else."
Arturia looked on as the girl began to break down, tears fleeing her eyes but she was not wailing. Eventually she composed herself while dabbing her eyes.
"So, why did you seek me out? We have no relation that I am aware of," Arturia said as she looked at the girl who finished wiping the tears away from her eyes.
"That is where you are wrong, you have a nephew, he is my son," Lyanna admitted as she looked up at the blonde girl. She wondered why the crown prince had a girl soul but she did not care. She only came here to beg a request from this girl born a man.
"You and Rhaegar..." Arturia began before she realized the implication. There was the future king of Westeros right there, not her.
"Yes, we 'conceived' a child," Lyanna replied bitterly. "I was already with child when news of Brandon and my father reached me. I never let Rhaegar touched me again afterward. I hated him. Hated him for his lies. His broken promises. Most of all I hated myself for being stupid but I could not hate my son."
"It is a poor mother who does," Arturia decided to give words of comfort after all. The girl, unlike her brother, truly was sorry of her actions. She understood its impact. "So what do you want from me? I can barely take care of myself and my sister."
"I beg to differ," Lyanna countered as she looked on at the blonde before her. "I cannot see the future but I do know that the Long Night is upon us. Winter is coming. I would beg of you, if you can, should you go over to the Seven Kingdom, please, take care of my son, take him back with you... give him a real chance at happiness even if it is away from Winterfell."
"I'll... consider it." Arturia replied and was hugged tightly by the woman that tore the realm apart.
"Thank you Arthur," Lyanna whispered in the blonde's ear as he slowly woke up.
+++Volantis, Pendra Residence+++
Arthur woke up to see his sister's lips on his own. With great care he gently pushed his sister away and stood up glaring at her.
"Dana!"
"Husband," Daenerys Targaryen grinned as she saw the red flustered face of her beloved brother.
"It's bro-" Arthur began to protest but stopped himself. You never knew who could have been within earshot. "Wife. Did I not ask you to never wake me up that way?"
"Yes, but as your wife, I ignored your request," Daenerys grinned as she enjoyed the sight of her shirtless brother. Was it her or was it getting hot in here?
"I am going to eat something and then I shall be off to work," Arthur finally voiced as he shot his sister a final warning glance before stalking off. His glare no longer work on her anymore but it made him feel better.
"Of course husband."
After Arthur's midday meal, he put on his elegantly cut armor, a hybrid of the one he use to wear in Britannia and opened the door just in time to see his company leader about to knock.
"Captain Belidos? What are you doing here?"Arthur asked seeing his company commander here of all places.
The Captain of the Eagles Brood was a man in his mid forties and still fit. His skin was dark but he had purple eyes like many of the people here in the Free Cities.
"Arthur," Belidos spoke in High Valyrian before he stepped aside and showed a man with tanned skin and a trimmed beard flanked by two exotic women behind him. Behind them was a company of the elite fighters in the Eagle's Brood. "These people paid us a lot of gold simply to talk to you. I'll let you talk but if you need them to be silenced..."
If the man was disturbed by the threat he didn't show it. In fact he looked almost pleased. That only made Arthur feel more cautious.
To Arthur and his commander's surprise, the man bowed low before replying in High Valyrian also. "I swear by the Seven who are One and the Old Gods, I would never harm him or his sister."
Immediately Arthur hand went to his sword but the man, to everyone's surprise, kneeled and put his right fist over his heart.
"My name is Oberyn Martell of Dorne, your majesty, we have been searching for you for two years."
Arthur did not know why but he was all but certain his idyllic life with his sister was about to get a lot more complicated.
END
AN : This chapter has been edited! Woot! Omg, it's soo clean now... SO CLEANED~~~~~