บท 15: A Change of Heart
As the gentle light of the early morning Sun quietly crept into Winterfell, lighting up the dark and dreary ancient keep, I sat on a wooden chair in my room, one that was too small for my stature, and considered the consequences of my actions, tapping my fingers against the armrest.
My actions with Arya and Sansa had provided the North a massive advantage, what could've been important hostages were taken away and now, these folk had nothing to hold them back from burning down everything in their path to... whatever it was they intended to do.
But, did I feel guilty?
Not at all if I was completely honest, why would I?
It would be mighty entertaining.
But that was just about enough with jobs for the North, I wanted to move to something else... something that didn't amount to fetch quests at best... perhaps I'd attack some island or something and take over?
"Options... options and... too much time." I mused, sipping on the cup of mead I held in my other hand.
"Mm~."
I looked over at the fair skinned girl lying on my bed, her naked form concealed only by a sheet of cloth that failed to hide the shape of her perky breasts. Her long brown hair was strewn across the feather pillow as she lay on her side, facing me.
"...You awake?"
The girl seemed half-conscious.
I was a man too, and I spent most of my time alone in the Lands Between.
No man alive could blame me for taking the chance after she came on to me... No, she literally plopped down on my lap and I was pretty sure she didn't drink much if her vigour in the sheets was anything to go by.
But, I was a dragon in human form.
No one alive could possibly keep up so I had to cut my fun short some few hours in.
She didn't answer my question, just let out a small hum making me shrug and go for my clothes.
I didn't know what her intentions were with coming with me, I didn't care either.
This was a one time thing, it would happen again with someone else, and probably never amount to anything more... Sleeping together wasn't as 'sacred' as many of us might like to believe and I'd probably be gone before she came to her senses.
I put on the dark leather breeches, coupled with a dark red woolen tunic tucked into them that was way more comfortable than what they'd given me last time and a sleeveless, button-up, black surcoat that went down to my knees.
Admiring myself in the small handheld mirror in the room, I nodded in satisfaction, "Fashion souls is the true way."
The way one dressed mattered, at least in my eyes.
After millennia, I figured the least I could do was make sure I dressed well.
Putting on a small smile, I walked out of the room.
-
As I made my way through the insulated corridors of Winterfell, trying to find my way out of the place, I noticed that the way the stationed guards were looking at me had changed.
They straightened up when I approached, nodded in greeting when I passed, opened doors for me where they could and even expressed approval in that odd Northmen way of theirs.
At first, I thought it was some kind of trick from Robb to make me stay but then I figured he wouldn't do that... It was when one of the guards whistled like a loon and clapped his hands that it dawned on me that medieval castles didn't have the best sound-proofing, and wards didn't exist here.
I approached Benfred in the training yard, and patted him on the shoulder, "What's happened, man?"
He coughed into his hands with tinted cheeks, speaking loudly so I could hear over the grunts of men and the clanking of their steel, "...How would I know?"
"No, you know." I narrowed my eyes, smiling neutrally at his nervous face, "Spill it."
"What's there to spill, lad?!" Greatjon bellowed from the side, tossing a man by his breeches, "Forget Winterfell, fucking Wintertown heard what you got up to!!"
Great... That was just... great.
Well, at least this meant I'd have a reputation?
"I'm famous then?" I asked humorously, chuckling into my hand.
"Bloody legend in the making, I'd wager." The large man replied with another laugh, "Like my uncle, Hother Whorsbane!"
I paused for a moment, before shouting back, "What the fuck kind of title is that?"
Greatjon narrowed his eyes and hastily stomped my way, leaning over to whisper in my ear, "He gutted a whore that tried to steal from him. Of course the screams that one made weren't like the ones coming from your quarters, hahahaha...!"
Oh... I figure a person would scream extremely loud if one was to literally disembowel them.
Shaking my head at the man's comparison, I decided to act on the decision I'd made on my way to the training yard.
-
"Hello there, young wolf."
I greeted Robb Stark with a small wave of my hand, smiling cordially as he let go of the chicken leg he was eating and lifted his chin to stare me in the eyes... like that would accomplish something.
"Ser Karl... what brings you here so early?" He was sitting at the same table I found him last time, just eating his breakfast this time instead of trying to appear like a stoic lord.
There was also a dark haired youth sitting beside him, one I didn't recognise, staring at me like all those nobles who took offense to something I did and then refused to elaborate on just what it was that set them off.
"About that letter." I started, staring down at him, "I'm gonna have to ask you to have somebody else deliver that. I'm not doing it."
I wasn't going to be a glorified delivery boy, hell, looking back at that whole interaction seemed to annoy me... I was going to go my own way.
Was this the effect of post-nut clarity?
Robb stared at me in silent apprehension, unfortunately, his companion didn't do the same, "So you'd go back on your word? Don't you have any honour?"
Licking my dry lips, I turned to look at him in the most genuine way possible and asked,
"Who the fuck are you?"
A strange silence descended on the room, a silence that was interrupted by the youth rising to his feet and banging his fist on the dinner table, "Theon Greyjoy! Heir to the Iron Islands! I can have your head for this insolence!"
"Er... no, not really." I shook my head in denial, taking a glance at the startled guards, "I'm sensing a lot of hostility here... Why are you panties all in a bunch anyway?"
I could practically smell fear wafting from him.
It wasn't like they had announcements or statues on every major road depicting who was who, it was natural that people wouldn't recognise them... I didn't even know what the Iron Islands were in the first place.
"I will be the Lord Paramount of the Iron Islands. And I will remember this."
"I'll also remember that the 'Lord Paramount of the Iron Islands' has an ego frailer than most children." I replied with a small grin tugging at my lips.
Before the situation could escalate, Robb held up his hand, "I will accept your denial... See the Maester for your reward, and then do as you will."
"Very well... I think I might take a trip to these Iron Islands."
"You'll be gutted and hung to dry, bastar-..." Theon's breath hitched and he put a hand over his chest, collapsing on the table as he gasped for breath.
I patted his head calmly, "...Watch your mouth, boy."
Robb raised his brow, getting ready to move but... he was a lot smarter with it than the idiot.
"Lord Theon is choking on his meat, give him his drink." He spoke neutrally, staring up at me.
The boy had balls if nothing else... so I complied and put Theon's cup near him, just out of arm's reach.
"I'll be taking my leave now."
It was time to grab a few books, say some goodbyes, and be on my merry way to where the wind took me... as I had done for centuries.
-
Hope you enjoyed.
Leave a comment and/or suggestion for the story.
A bit shorter than usual, but putting in the next segment would make it go out of sync.
Also, there was blood cause I scratched my throat, not cause I have tuberculosis.
I see that you have violated the goal as before, and the extra chapter is with this one.
Also, I can't believe I have to say this but, stop joining the patre0n, do it next month if you want.
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