Chapter 138 – Demanding a Life

[A/N: Just made some minor fixes for the last twenty chapters. Thanks Akisu for pointing them out!]

[301 AC – Winterfell]

"I don't think that that's the right way to go about this, Your Grace. If what the priest said is true, shouldn't we all have the right to hear about how to defeat the White Walkers in battle, considering that it will be on us to man the Wall and face them in battle?"

Hearing these words spoken by no other than Roose Bolton, Jaehaerys suppressed the frown that was about to set on his face and kept a calm expression, while his inhumanly sharp senses picking up the minute change in the Thoros' demeanor, who stood right next to him.

Like every High Priest, Thoros was a master at concealing his intentions and emotions, even though he was not very proficient in putting up a false facade and acting out a role, which was undoubtedly Melisandre's and Bellegere's domain, as the young dragonrider was well aware of.

Still, it was an easy matter for the high-ranking priest to distance himself from his emotions and act with calm and rationality in almost every situation, as his discipline and self-control definitely matched his position.

The fact that Jaehaerys could pick up on the change in Thoros' aura, was proof of how great his magical abilities truly were as a dragonrider trained by the Red God himself.

Jaehaerys also realized that things were about to get very serious, as the High Priest had seemingly decided to confront the Lord of House Bolton despite the somewhat alarming news from the Wall, which was something Robb had planned to do originally.

His brother had planned to use this gathering to reveal Roose Bolton's crimes before the noble Lords of the North and the Riverlands and give him a chance to explain himself, before eventually deciding on his punishment after he did so.

Jaehaerys and even Robb's wife had advised him against doing so, as this would definitely lead to further resentment amongst the nobles under his rule. The young dragonrider had advocated for a more silent and concealed approach and had even offered the young King the help of the Hidden Flame.

Roose Bolton could simply have had an 'accident' with none of the Lords in the North and the Riverlands being the wiser.

Robb though, much like his father, had decided to do this the honorable and 'right' way, which was something that made Jaehaerys lose some respect for his brother, as he willingly endangered his family with his acts.

Causing further resentment could only end in conflict, even with the Red Temple as a deterring factor, as there were other ways of causing harm than just open rebellion. Talisa and her unborn child may have been safe thanks to her affiliation with the Red Temple, but Sansa, Bran, Rickon, and even Robb himself were not.

The simple fact that Robb did not have the strength of heart to do what was necessary to ensure his family's safety and survival, even in a situation as precarious as this, disappointed Jaehaerys greatly, considering that he had been taught to do exactly that by Phenex and had seen him abide by these teachings himself.

Not to mention that the prosperity and continued existence of the Red Temple also rested on these principles.

Still, Jaehaerys knew his brother had his own path to follow, as did he.

With the sudden shift in Thoros' demeanor, the young dragonrider knew that Robb's plan for taking care of Roose Bolton was not going to play itself out as it was supposed to.

The High Priest's oppressive aura and heavy words obviously pushed for a direct clash between the Red Temple and House Bolton, which caused Jaehaerys to slowly rise behind the older priest along with the Fiery Hand warriors.

As a High Priest, Thoros did indeed have the authority to make drastic decisions based on his judgement alone.

His senses dialed to eleven, the young Targaryen let his magic course through his body with full force, his sharp gaze trained on the younger man beside Lord Bolton, as he felt the greatest sense of danger coming from him by far.

The next moment, right after Thoros had finished saying his piece and invoked flames via his magic, Jaehaerys' instincts proved themselves true as the younger man suddenly pounced towards the great table where Robb and his family were seated.

Dagger in hand, the man moved with great speed, his target being the closest of the Northern royals, which was undoubtedly Sansa.

The Fiery Hand warriors weren't close enough to intercept him, despite their great physical prowess, while Thoros was wholly focused on Roose Bolton, who had also suddenly moved into action with his men, and was about to try and take one of the heirs of a minor noble House near him hostage, in hopes of forcing the approaching priest and his men to stay their hand.

Jaehaerys though didn't care about them, his whole focus resting on the man approaching Sansa, as draconic might erupted from his heart and filled his every cell with mountain-shattering power. His body moved faster than any mortal eye could follow, a coat of blood-red flames surrounding his form, as the distant echo of a dragon's roar shook the atmosphere in the great hall.

Before anyone else had a chance to react, a blood-red shadow appeared before the young man, who was only a step away from the wooden table and reaching the Northern Princess, grabbing him by the throat and bringing him down on the ground hard enough to crack the polished stone tiles.

The impact alone cracked the young man's skull and broke half the bones in his body, but Jaehaerys didn't stop there as he raised his other hand and gathered the flames coating his body to form a small blood-red dagger.

Without hesitation, the young dragonrider stabbed it down right between the half-dead attacker's eyebrows, causing a shrill and horrifying shriek to echo outwards, as he destroyed the spirit of the man using bloodmagic he had learned from Kinvara.

His rage had not yet faded though, as he rose from his crouched position and fixed his gaze at the rest of the men from House Bolton, who were being subdued by Thoros and the Fiery Hand warriors with great ease, his eyes shining like molten gold while his pupil had changed into a vertical slit, giving him the draconic eyes of his bonded companion.

Years of training his self-control though proved themselves effective the next moment, as Jaehaerys forced himself to release the tension in his muscles somewhat.

His heart still beating like a war drum, while his lungs felt like iron bellows taking in blazing fire instead of air, the young dragonrider shook off his anger and regained full control over his mental faculties.

Jeahearys took a few deep breaths, before turning back and seeing the Northern Princess looking at him with her deep blue eyes, worry and fear evident in them. They widened in shock when they caught sight of his own draconic gaze, causing her to gasp in surprise.

Assuring himself that Sansa was fine and unharmed, Jaehaerys turned back forward.

Drawing on his magic once again, the young dragonrider let it flow outwards, causing the cloak of blood-red fire to reignite around his form and slight draconic pressure to descend on his surroundings, as the noble Lords, heirs, and representatives looked at him with great shock and terror.

Taking hold of the magical flame, Jaehaerys waved his hand toward the carcass beside his feet, causing it to be consumed by his fire in mere seconds.

The bearded priest and the Fiery Hand warriors dragged the subdued men of the Boltons and the Lord of the House before Robb, who had managed to keep his calm despite the rather shocking sight of how his brother had taken down the bastard son of Roose Bolton.

"The Red Temple hereby demands the life of Roose Bolton for the attempted murder of priestess Talisa Stark, née Maegyr, of the Healing Light branch.", Thoros announced in a low tone, standing beside the figure of the kneeling Roose Bolton, whose arms were bound behind his back to keep him from resisting.

Flames still flickered around the High Priest's form, while Jaehaerys had not removed his blood-red fiery cloak yet. This along with the flaming weapons of the Fiery Hand members made for an oppressive sight.

Each and every man in attendance who saw this scene knew that the High Priest's words were not meant as a request, but as an order.

They realized that Roose Bolton's life was forfeit, no matter how their King decided, as the Red Temple had once again come for those who harmed or planned to harm its members.