A Shift of Focus

Robert slammed his fist down upon the table, among the half—empty counsel, "Pycelle! If I have to tell you to shut your damn mouth one more time! I'll have your tongue cut out!"

How many damned times is this senile maester going to bring up a Lannister?! Does he have his mind filled with Lannister Gold, or does he seek his chances with their damned gilded rose…. Robert seethed, curses filling his mind as he downed his goblet of ale, his cupbearer immediately moved to refill it but Robert gestured for water before taking a breath placating his thoughts calling for Pycelle's head, "Now!"

Robert roared silencing the present members of the council, his eyes briefly finding Theobald only to find the man wiggling in his chair for a brief moment before resting his hand on the table with a smile, "Speak now, if you wish to recommend some Lord for Master of Coin?"

His eyes washed through the room as he brought the final point they were supposed to discuss for today… Sadly, Maester Pycelle kept his assumed allegiance to himself and Robert shifted his gaze away with a long breath. Any more of this and Robert would begin debating whether it was all worth it… Ned has been gone for nearly two moons, and there has yet to be any word…

Robert began to fear the worst… but this is why he had sought Helena so… A woman similar in many ways, yet so different but noticeably less stubborn. A surprising revelation that brought some sense of worry to Robert's mind.

Theobald had initially described the woman as fierce, cunning, intelligent enough to think beyond herself yet entirely lacking ambition to further her own status in any manner that actually matters in the grand scheme of the game… Much of what Robert had concluded from Helena's first impression…

Though, Theobald went deeper in his reports, down to a near condensed version of her daily schedule. Helena was disciplined, incredibly so…

For months she rose before first light, fetched water then bathed before heading to the forge where she worked most of the bright hours of day, before joining the soldiers for the early hours of lightfall participating in the common brawls, and returning to her quarters all with little complaint whilst disguising herself as male…

Then, Theobald instigated the poor woman, making her difficult life worse and learned she wouldn't back down when under pressure. Robert could commend Helena, but the impression he felt the day before left him feeling as if it was far too easy.

He had thought Helena would at least put up an effort to make it difficult, it would have been much more enjoyable if she had… Yet, she just agreed…

Finally, Robert's thoughts refocused on the conversation at hand as Lord Arryn spoke, a name that Robert hadn't heard in a long time, and thus a Mockingbird was brought into the fold…

Theobald was quick to leave the room, and would most probably find Robert in the King's Chambers during nightfall, Jon Arryn lingered in his seat to watched Stannis bow on his way out and Pycelle slowly waddle through towards the door, while the Spider remained in his seat casting a small manufactured smile towards Robert who rose from his seat and stretched, his body stiff from remaining still all this time, eventually he found his seat once more and took a sip from his goblet, swishing the water through his mouth for a long moment he spit it out into a pail on the floor, as the Spider chose this time to speak his mind, "Your guest wandered the halls deep through the night, Your Majesty, it seems she had a restless night."

Robert nodded, "Leave her to her whims."

"As you command, though I implore you to take caution in her presence."

Robert shifted his gaze to Jon, as the man just leaned back in his chair with a distant gaze, after a long moment the Lord who had fostered him straightened himself before his aged voice fell upon the room, "You've done well to secure yourself in this time of uncertainty, though the woman you have brought leaves much to be desired she is atleast gentle on the eyes and not without sense nor Noble blood, no matter how thin it may be… You'll have to work hard to maintain your reputation when rumors begin to churn, and knowledge slips through the gaps… I'll make sure the funds are in place for a number of tourneys to gain favor with the commonfolk, and you have to spare some time in the next few years to embark on a tour through the Seven Kingdom… Showing your face to the common folk, spreading your coin among their villages…"

Jon went on, and on for some time, and Robert could only nod along…

While the spider watched on with an intentful gaze…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Helena stood out in the training yard, her tunic wet with sweat and gently clinging to her form as her fists pounded into a straw man on the unoccupied side of the yard, having found this place late the day before, Helena had been here since the sun rose having satisfied her hungry with her collection of edible roots and bulb she kept at her waist, opposite her waterskin, her breaths were haggard and the movements of her feet painful… Her legs shook barely carrying her weight, as her arms fell slack as she leaned against the straw man taking deep controlled breaths. After a long moment of rest, Helena pushed off the straw man, and staggered her way over to the wall to lean against its cool shaded surface. As she found the shade, she wiped the sweat from her face before flicking it off her hand into the loose dirt that filled the yard. It wasn't the stone yard of the Kingsguard that Helena had heard about, and just one for the houseguards, but it sufficed for Helena to vent her frustrations into something productive. This castle was suffocating, she felt trapped in the thick stones that always filled her sight…

She could deal with the eyes that seemed to follow her everywhere, for her Parent's fragments are always with her and was a similar sensation, she could deal with the mocking whispers for they were simply ignorant opinions and assumptions…

However… To be babied in the yard, to be looked at as if she was a fragile piece of wet parchment…

A sigh tore through her throat… Of course there weren't any drunken brawls in the King's Castle… No easy method to show these men, that a woman could contend… Surpass…

These lower—

Helena's thoughts slammed to a stop, as she let out a long breath, with a sip from her water skin and a small handful of field onions and dried mushrooms, Helena pushed off the wall and found the straw man once more…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Robert looked through the lower training yard, taking a moment to watch over the men—at—arms bearing his banners, before he caught a splay of long brown hair followed by two crisp thuds as their right fist pounded into the soft spot of the straw man's 'ribs', the second closed the distance with an elbow before the woman shuffled to the side tearing back her left to lay one into the 'meat' of the straw man's back…

As his appearance in the yard had caught some attention, and the direction of his gaze catching a few eyes, one of the men who were lingering in the yard approached with a rigid casualness that was only gained by fighting side by side in a bloody field, "Majesty, She ah be 'ere 'ince dawn."

Robert furrowed his brow as he planted his hand on the man's shoulder in thanks, before finding a familiar wrinkled face among the crowd, "Theobald, why are you skulking around here?"

Theobald sent Robert a dull glance, "The same as you… She's only rested twice since dawn, and did not lay to rest when night fell. Her endurance, and discipline is truly something to admire. Despite the pain of her skin tearing, and her flesh being grinded away she still continues… Have you seen, she twists her fist just as she makes impact, eating away at the straw… Look at its base, all those flakes, she was slowly tearing it away only filling her stomach with that which she scavenged on the way here. Oh, and I hadn't seen her refilled her waterskin since nightfall the day before we arrived, she had been satiating herself off of only a few sips despite—"

"Stop," Robert intoned, "You're going to talk until my death if I give you a chance…"

Theobald smiled as he returned his gaze to Helena's figure, watching as she delivered a sequence of three hits to the straw man, each responding with a crisp soft thud, "You should speak to the others, at this rate she'll start a brawl just to return to the schedule she'd built up over the last few moons, even I couldn't break her of that, let the men know that she won't take it easy even if they do…. You saw the report—"

"Yes, I saw your reports, I'll have her brought to the upper yard where she could spar with the Kingsguard, they could take the beating and give it in return. I'm sure the Kingslayer's, and Ser Barriston's reactions will be quite the sight. It will continue to sharpen her mind, and serve to polish her ability…"

Theobald hummed in agreement as Robert's words trailed off, keeping his mouth closed was a rare occasion, and Robert relished in it watching as Helena unleashed a flurry of strikes with her forearms, and Theobald interrupted the relative silence, "From my studies, she conditioning her bones to be more resistant to heavy blows, something she secretly questioned on during my lessons, she's quite—"

"Quiet."

Theobald went silent, as the duo continued to watch the unaware Helena as she battered her arms and hands, while beating the straw man senselessly…

After some time, Theobald rose from his crouched position with a grunt, and began weaving through the sparse crowd on the way out of the Training Yard, Robert followed along after catching the old man's gesture, and as they returned to the interior of the Castle the Maester spoke, "She'll soon seek out a forge to continue her monotonous 'schedule'… I'll leave it to you to inform the blacksmiths. I have a few words to exchange with that old coot Pycelle…"

Robert was about to groan, stating that Theobald wasn't any younger than Pycelle but held his tongue as he made his way to the forge, intent on having the smith's set aside an ingot of steel for Helena when she arrived; if Theobald's understanding of the woman could be trusted…

Thus, Robert lingered for a while, settling himself under an overhang which casted shadows over his frame, and before long Helena arrived with swollen knuckles stained with dried blood, arms terribly swollen and skin torn…

Yet, she seemed uncaring if the pain as a faint surprise marked her face as the smith moved out of her way, gently gesturing towards a still—warm forge with a steel ingot laid upon an anvil… Helena frowned, her gaze washing through the courtyards until it settled upon the darkness where Robert lingered, and just before he stepped out into the light her gaze fell to the forge, the whole of her focus with it…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Helena sank into the unreasonably soft bed, the silken canopy overhead colored a gentle purple, her mind was exhausted and her body screamed for rest, and Helena eyes slowly fell closed as exhaustion cleaved her thoughts bringing about a peacefulness that only came with sleep.

Then, Helena awoke, her eyes darting to the ethereal light streaming into her room from the balcony that looked over the Narrow Sea, and for a while she was lost in that sight until the door creaked open and Helena snatched up her axe flinging it towards the door without a hint of hesitation, doing far more than scaring the poor maid who was tasked with filling Helena's bath…

Helena stared at the young woman who had fallen to her rear, with a face as pale as a sheet of parchment, "Knock before you enter…" The maid quickly bobbed her head, as she attempted to rise to her feet, only for her legs to give out under her as her eyes landed on the axe that had embedded itself into the door a finger's width from her head…

Helena moved to her bundle of clothes, retrieving a stained tunic, and a pair of worn leather breeches before changing and informing to bring water for a bath come nightfall. Having surprised herself with how quickly she adapted to the maids' presence…

The young woman felt like naught more than a pest in her presence… A being on a lower rung of existence—

Helena shook her head, casting the thoughts from her mind, as she moved through the halls only to find a plump man in bright yellow silk robes and a polished bald head watching her from a distant turn in the hall. Despite furrowing her brows, and marking his appearance in her mind, Helena paid the man little attention continuing along her way while stuffing a handful of dried mushrooms, roots, and bulbs into her mouth washing it all down with a generous sip from her waterskin, feeling the lightness of it she knew that she would have to fill it, before it drew too close to empty…

Helena's thoughts came to a sudden halt, as a gold armored figure stepped out before her… His head of white hair, and gentle wrinkles betrayed his age while the white cloak hanging from his shoulders spoke of his station, "I was instructed by His Majesty to escort you to the Upper Yard, the Kingsguard present will openly spar with you as ordered by the King."

Though his voice felt forced and awkward, Helena could tell the man was sincere in his words, and the gentleness in his gaze showed he didn't enjoy the particular orders he had received. Helena gave a nod at his words, "I'll follow you."

She didn't bother questioning how Robert knew what she was seeking, as she immediately assumed it was due to Theobald. Much like the open forge, and the steel she had been provided the day before…

With naught a word, Helena trailed behind the knight until they reached the Upper Yard where Helena caught sight of a golden haired fellow exchanging blows with a rotund man who seemed pitiful even when compared to some of the men she had learned beside in the Rear Encampment… It seems even a position in the Kingsguard could be bought…

Other than those two, the Upper Yard was empty and their duel only came to a close when the golden haired knight disarmed the rotund knight… Then they turned to spot the old knight, and the woman at his side…

"I assume this is her then?" The golden haired knight spoke as he pushed his gold locks from his face while the rotund man heaved, a frown settled onto Helena's face as she heard him wretch…

Which must have been misunderstood as the Gold Knight scoffed, Helena cast her gaze to who she assumed was Ser Barristion, "Well, I admit I'm rather incompetent with a sword… Though, I'll be more than happy to agree to a quick round of fisticuffs."

See Barristion nearly stumbled midstep from the sudden casualness, and bluntness of Helena's words, most probably expecting a spoiled young woman who knew naught of the pain and timelessness of actually improving oneself— "Lannister, remove your armor—"

"Leave it on," Helena interrupted the aged knight, and upon seeing the looks she was receiving Helena suppressed a sigh decided to deal with them in a different manner, "Your enemies won't think twice about you wearing naught but linen and cotton, it's better to temper yourself against an opponent who can take the shape of an enemy in your mind to further prevent irreparable habits from forming."

"Are you sure…? A single strike from a gauntlet could shatter your teeth…" Ser Barristion actually sounded worried, yet Helena only shrugged as she flicked her arms and leveled into a low wide stance, "Doesn't matter, a Essosi Sellsword wouldn't bother to ponder on such things— I'm coming."

Helena dashed forward, closing the distance before the Lannister could recover from the conversation, his battle—hardened and well trained instincts kicked in and he raised his arms…

Only for Helena to hook her right arm, which had shot out, in the bend of his guard as she slammed her right foot between her legs and twisted her body, pulling the armored knight over her hip before slamming him into the ground, following through with an elbow from her left that the Lannister managed to soften—

"Yield," Helena spoke softly, two fingers and a thumb placed sharply against the apple of his throat as realization slowly dawned upon the man's emerald eyes.

"I yield…" It sounded more akin to a sigh, but Helena accepted it nonetheless as she rose off the man's body revealing that she had his leg hooked at an awkward angle, before offering her hand towards the Lannister who simply laid there staring at the clouds above… Ravenous laughter resounded as the rotund man seemed to catch his breath, "Haha! The great Kingslayer fell to a mere woman! To think I'd see the day—"

"You wouldn't fare much better…" Helena's words were low, but they were heard all the same in the relative silence of the yard, as her gaze settled upon the rotund knight she momentarily entertained the thought of charging at him planting her fist upon his jaw, as she had no expectations for the man to react… In every sense, the rotund knight was blatantly the worst in current company.

He let out a shallow growl that Helena deigned to ignore in favor of picking up the dulled metal sword that Ser Lannister had stuck into the ground after their spar. Turning towards the rotund knight, her voice level and soft with an unknown depth as she took slow deliberate steps towards the man, "Come, and learn how much better you would fare…"

Helena would carve her name into the mind of every Kingsguard, they would learn to respect her name regardless of gender, whether she had to beat that respect into their bodies, or get beaten in turn…

The rotund knight scoffed, and Ser Barristan allowed a sigh to slip from his lips as Helena showed a faint frown, "Very well, I shall make the first move—"

The moment her words slipped from her lips, Helena moved to close the distance with a thrust she knew she wasn't close enough to land, yet the man seemed incapable of gauging the distance as he scrambled… Flicking the sword upward, Helena grasped the dull blade before wielding it in the same manner she would an axe, bringing the cross guard down in a hefty downward intent on 'cleaving' through his shoulder—

A crisp, morbid crack sounded from underneath the rotund knights pauldron, then a muted scream that leveled the knights gaze, in that moment Helena felt like she was looking at a shadow but continued to plant her foot onto his torso and push him onto his rear and stepped forward to look—

"That's enough," Helena turned to find Ser Barristan had snuck up behind, his hand firmly locked onto her wrist…

His eyes were a pale blue, deep with weighty experience, far more that the fragments her parent had left, Helena sent the man a subtle nod as she stepped back allowing the wizened knight to tend to his fellow before her gaze drifted over to the Lannister. He caught her gaze…

Helena furrowed her brows, as she turned back to Ser Barristan and simply stood there watching the wizened knight as he tended the rotund knight, had he truly snuck up on her or had she lost focus of her surroundings once again. Slowly, Helena's mind ran through those precious dozen—or—so seconds of semi—worthwhile experience, not focusing on the what was in front but what she could remember from her surroundings, and while they were dull hindsight showed that Ser Barristan had truly snuck up on her, and that she had lost focus of her surroundings…

Helena's gaze rose to the sky as she recalled her father's final moment, though they felt muted and for a brief moment her breath picked up as a torrent of emotion flooded through her mind only to be swept away by panicked focus that forced her to closed her eyes as the world seemed to spin— She stumbled but somebody caught her…

Her body felt weak…

What…?!

Every breath felt like it needed to happen, that it must be done—

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as her skin burned with an intensity Helena had never known—

Then darkness swallowed her mind.

Then blinding light as Helena's eyes shot open, finding only clouds above… She was soaked, the stone floor darkened by water, with a long breath Helena sat up and cast her eyes to her surroundings—

"G'Morning," Theobald's wrinkled brow lingered directly to her left with his worn leather book opened, his gaze lingering in Helena's face as she frowned, "How long—"

"Mh, a quarter day has yet to pass so it hasn't been terribly long, though I would like to ask some questions…" Theobald… and no endless chatter…

Helena's pupils narrowed as she rose to her feet, casting a quick glance either way only to find Ser Lannister at the entrance to the Yard. "What do you want, Theobald?"

"Why must you push yourself so hard…? What troubles you mind so terribly that you must go without sleep for days, quenching your thirst with only few precious sips of water and quelling your hunger with that which you have scavenged when you could have lamb, beef, pork, rabbit, and whatever greens and roots you could think of, filled with spices you have never tasted in your life…?"

Helena stared at Theobald for a long while, "Firstly, I push myself to temper myself… I don't have an army to command, nor towering castles to hide within… Secondly, the best resistance against poison, is to not put yourself in a position where you can be poisoned—"

"Yet, you were poisoned all the same."

The moment those words fell from Theobald's lips, Helena's brows furrowed as her mind rampaged, "No, it wasn't your waterskin, nor was it the food you have foraged… The maid who had been assigned to you powdered your bedspread with a poison that attacks the respiratory system, and is known to induce hallucinations. Not very different from the Strangler's Brew, yet far more subdued… I'm actually quite surprised your body handled it as well as it had, I haven't even given you an antidote and here you are… Alive, and Awakened."

"Where is she…?" Helena nearly growled out those words, and Theobald shook his head.

"She has been moved to the dungeons, Robert's men are already torturing the lass, though I doubt she'd speak the name who put her up to this. Not that you truly care who has done it… You know how this game is played, and I'm curious how you'll retaliate…"

Helena rose to her feet, and despite being a little wobbly, and her vision dulled and doubled, a lightness to her head that left her wishing to lay down, "You'll see… They all will…"

Helena swallowed her words and moved through the Yard, stumbling past Ser Jamie who only watched her with a sincere gaze, though there was a hint of something underneath— A pity, an unspoken apology, one that was meant to be hidden deep beneath that emerald gaze…

He knew… Helena whispered in her mind.

Lannister… They may be known for paying their debts, but they seemed to have incurred one that won't accept Gold…

Helena's thought slammed to a halt as she turned, finding the Lannister's gaze still lingering upon her frame, and she showed him a fearless smile that she had no doubt would be misunderstood…

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Tywin Lannister stared down at his only daughter; The Lannister's Gilded Flower, Cersei Lannister with a frown, "You've wasted your Gold, the woman you sought to remove still walks the halls of the Red Keep. If you attempt such a thing once more, I'll have you sent back to Casterly Rock and married to the Reach's cripple…"

Cersei frowned but kept her words to herself, as she kept her head low… First a lecture from her Brother, and now threats from her Father… Cersei internally snarled, having wasted nearly a hundred gold in a useless maid who couldn't even do one thing correctly….

Not that, that measly amount of Gold was anything worthwhile in Cersei's eyes, but the fact that it could have been put to better use angered Cersei to no small extent…

How dare a 'mere' lowborn bastard believe herself worthy to be queen… Unaware and ignorant of the mind Cersei had just set into a full focus…

(A/NStats -

Main Level: 25 -

• Basic Special Knowledge [Indepth First Aid]

Strength: 10 [||||||||—————] -

• Moderate Knowledge [Leverage]

Agility: 7 [||—————-——] -

• Basic Knowledge [Breathing]

Vitality: 8 [||||||————-—-—] -

• Minor Uncommon Illness Resistance

Combat -

Defense: 3 [|||||||||||||||||||||—---] +

Warfare: 0 [||||||||||—-—-——] +

Axe: 5 [||—-———-——] +

• Basic Knowledge [Edge Alignment]

Bow: 0 [———————] +

Hammer/Mace: 0 [||||||—————-] +

Spear: 4 [|||||||||||||||-—-—-] +

Sword: 3 [|||||||||||————] +

Unarmed: 7 [||||||———-——] -

• Basic Knowledge [Stance]

Skills -

Alchemy: 7 [||||——————] +

• Basic Knowledge [Natural Remedies]

Blacksmithing: 8 [|||||||||-————] -

• Basic Knowledge [Iron]

• Special Basic Knowledge [Damascus]

Bowery: 0 [———————] +

Carpentry: 7 [|||||||||-——-——] -

• Basic Knowledge [Rough Building]

Drinking: 5 [||||————-——] -

• Tempered Gut

Herbalism: 14 [|||———-——-] +

• Moderate Herbology Knowledge [Riverlands]

• Meticulous Picker

Horsemanship: 2 [|||——————] +

Houndmaster: 0 [———————] +

Hunting: 0 [———————] +

Lockpicking: 0 [———————] +

Maintenance: 10 [|||||||-—-———] -

• Basic Knowledge [Tools]

• Basic Knowledge [Weapons]

Pickpocketing: 0 [———————] +

Reading: 15 [||||||||||||————] -

• Moderate Westerosi Language

• Basic Calligraphy

• Mindless Reader

Tailoring: 9 [|||||||||||||———-] -

• Basic Knowledge [Linen]

Stealth: 3 [|||||||—————] +

Total Level: 127

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(A/N: [~39?? Words])