Chapter 15

After staying at Winterfell for the better part of a month we were finally making our way down to the capital where things would begin to kick off. The smell of war was lingering in the air, and it seemed that only my men and I could smell it, but by the way Robert was looking around warily and the grumbles of him picking up his Warhammer again I think he could feel it too.

We were at the Inn near the Crossroads and the first conflict was about to take place, deciding to see if I could change things, I had my men spread out and take up security and the rest went with me to stretch near the creak where I knew Arya and the butcher's boy would be playing.

As we walked out into the clearing by the creak, I could see the Arya and the butcher's boy going at it and despite what it looked like I cold see some potential in the boy and Arya was already using her speed to take advantage of the bigger and meatier boy.

As we drew closer Arya finally saw us and stood in front of the boy while glaring at me and the men with me.

"What are you doing here?"

Now I didn't really care for the prince treatment but at the end of the day I am a prince, I was owed a certain level of respect no matter how my family felt about me. To the rest of the world, I was the eldest prince and should be treated as such.

Now I know she was raised in a home that didn't care about the social hierarchy and that she was allowed to do as she pleased but I was not her family and if she kept on going with the attitude, she has now, she was going to get someone killed.

"Watch yourself little wolf, you keep going and someone's going to get killed."

There goes Apollyon my trusty second and as soon as she was done, I could see stars in the little wolfs eyes when she recognised that my second was in fact a woman.

"You're a lady!?"

It sounded more like an accusation than anything else, but it was laced with heavy confusion as she could not come to understand how there was a woman dressed as a knight and was so imposing as Apollyon was.

"Yes, little wolf, Apollyon is a woman, and she is also my second."

I could see the confusion in the little girl's eyes but beneath that there was hope, I knew she was hoping she could be like Apollyon and become a knight. Problem was none of my men were knights, that included Apollyon and my close circle. I could see the girl had something to say but I decided to cut her off.

"We didn't come to cause you trouble little one, I figured it's been a while since me and my men got any practice in so we should stretch a little before we make t back to the capital."

"Can we stay and watch?" I could hear the anticipation in her voice as she looked at me and Apollyon in expectation.

I didn't see anything wrong with her watching us stretch and thought about the front row seats to the first conflict of the series I had secured for me and my men.

"Sure, I don't see why not."

And with that I showed her to the side where she could watch safely, and I drew two short swords and took up position in the centre of my men as the surrounded me from all sides.

Apollyon was standing to the side with 7 of my men as she watched the other 7 take up arms and get ready, I could feel my body tingle with excitement as my men began circling me waiting for the signal to begin an all-out attack on their lord.

"Begin." I hear Apollyon whisper as the onslaught of attacks began.

I was on the defensive as I took on all their attacks and spent most of the time adjusting and parrying their blows but as my body warmed up and I picked up speed with me movements and began attacking her and there.

Before long Apollyon started calling for more men to join the fray as we started a deadly dance, my men trying to coordinate themselves and corner me as I blocked parried and tore any semblance of unity apart.

As more men joined, I could hear the faint sound of a song echoing in my ears and I knew the Blood song I had come to love on the battlefield was rearing its head, as I listened closer to the song my movements became increasingly more dangerous, and I was soon dominating everyone using speed, strength, and technique I relentlessly beat my men down repeatedly.

My flow was interrupted when I had to spin out of the way of a giant sword that was aimed to decapitate me.

After I got my bearing, I saw Apollyon standing with her sword slightly buried in the ground and I could feel her excitement through her armour, I grinned at her excitement and begun twirling my short swords between my fingers in an impressive display of dexterity.

"It's been a while since we last got a good stretch in, hasn't it my dear Apollyon?"

"Aye it has, I was beginning to worry you forgot how to wield a weapon but now it seems all we have to do is hake off some rust and sharpen you up a bit and all will be right with the world again."

I gave a short laugh at her words before getting into position, "Then let's shake off the rust and loosen up a bit before things start kicking off."

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POV Change- Arya Stark (11):

I was playing knight with Mycah as I was trying to get as comfortable with a sword as I could because I knew no one would teach me because I wasn't a boy. Mycah seemed to be the only one who didn't care that I was a noble lady and treated me the same as he treated his other friends.

As we were trading blows, I saw past Mycah's shoulder the eldest prince and his men coming our way with his knights. Seeing their armour, I knew that more than anything in the world I wanted to fight alongside them and wear the same armour they did.

Soon after we talked a bit I watched as the prince fought his men as more and more joined but no matter how many joined Alexander never seemed to struggle. As I watched him fight more and more it seemed like he was dancing to a song of steel that only he could hear and as things progressed, he seemed to get faster and more deadly.

Then Apollyon joined and soon it was just them, I don't think I have ever seen something so beautiful and dangerous as they exchanged blows and it seemed as if they were trying to kill each other but as I looked around it didn't seem as though the princes' men were worried at all.

After watching them fight I worked up the courage to ask if they could teach Mycah and I a little and I was surprised when the prince agreed and soon, we were being taught the right way to hold a sword and how to move properly in a fight.

It was honestly one of the best times of my life as the prince and his men taught us and showed us what to do and what to look out for. I don't think there is a time where I was happier than now.