Chapter 16: Consequences
'It goes without saying that the reports according to which the Four Maidens had an affair with Prince Oberyn Nymeros Martell and his paramour Ellaria Sand are baseless inventions of those who wanted to invent closer ties between the Order of the Ruby and Dorne, either to hurt the Four Maidens' reputation or to enhance Dorne's reputation depending on if the respective authors were biased for or against Dorne's culture. If the Four Maidens had actually engaged in such activities with Prince Oberyn and his lover, they could not have kept it secret, and, given the reputation of Dorne and the Martells' relationship toward the various other realms and noble houses of Westeros at the time, it certainly would have been reported by almost everyone. And yet, we have only unsubstantiated rumours, often spread years after the events, and no confirmed information. As with the various other claims of affairs or even betrothals - often rather pathetic attempts to add importance and legitimacy to the author's ancestry - it is, therefore, clear that they never took place.'
- A Treatise On The Ruby Order, by Maester Kennet Bracken
*****
The Red keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC
Stannis Baratheon ground his teeth. His brother the King was late again for the meeting of the Small Council. And his fellow members of the council, even Lord Eddard, who, as both the King's Hand and his best friend, was poised best to set Robert straight, didn't seem to take offence at this - as if this wasn't wasting their time as much as it was wasting his. Stannis had work to do! Unlike some of the members,
he didn't neglect his duty!
"Well, we can lay the rumour that Robert has taken up training in the morning with the Four Maidens in order to gain their powers to rest, I think," Renly, never serious, and not quite as witty as he thought himself to be, commented.
Baelish, the sycophant, chuckled in response. However, to Stannis's surprise, Varys didn't make a bland comment in his usual tittering tone. The Master of Whispers merely nodded. And the Grand Maester, who oversaw the Ravens of the Red Keep and would be privy to all messages before even the King, looked a little off as well…
Was that a portent of grave news? They had heard about the betrothal between Princess Daenerys and that Dothraki
Khal, Drogo, but nothing new since. If anything changed… Stannis needed to know if he had to order the Royal Fleet to sea to intercept an invasion fleet. The best way to fight those Barbarians was when they were confined to ships - they couldn't use their horses at sea, and Stannis was sure he could sink enough of the ships carrying them for the survivors to be easily dealt with by the banners of whatever part of Westeros they landed.
Lord Eddard might be afraid of the Horde's skill at arms and their vaunted light cavalry tactics, but Stannis put his trust in his sailors; they would not let him or the realm down - he had trained them for over a decade.
But only if they could put to sea in time to do their duty.
Just when he was about to ask the Master of Whispers, the door opened and the King and Ser Barristan entered. Stannis saw at once that Robert was in a good mood - his brother smiled widely. "I see everyone survived the feast! Not that everyone was in danger of drinking too much, of course!" he joked, clapping Stannis on the back as he passed his seat. "Though some certainly could have done with a little indulging!"
Stannis ground his teeth again. Robert's jests were as annoying as Renly's, if in a different way, making light of those who actually worked hard for the betterment of the realm, instead of indulging in their whims!
Robert eased himself into his seat - though Stannis noted that he didn't quite fill it as much as he used to before Stannis withdrew to his seat following Lord Jon's suspicious death - and grabbed a cup of wine. He took a deep swallow. "Ah… I needed that! So…" He looked at Lord Eddard, of course. "What do you have for me, Ned? I'll sign it and then get out of your hair."
"Your Grace, there are a few urgent and important matters you need to know and which require a decision," Lord Eddard replied. "First, the matter of the… brawl in the Great Sept," he said with a glance at Renly.
"My gold cloaks handled it," Renly said with a shrug. "It was hardly a major affair. We've had drunken brawls that were larger."
"I don't think Septons fighting each other in public - and inside the Great Sept - is something to be taken lightly," Baelish said. "There might not have been much rioting, but they could easily have set the sept ablaze in their fervour over whether the Four Maidens are blessed by the gods or sold their souls for their powers."
Stannis scoffed, both at the attempt to criticise Renly - his brother wouldn't care about Baelish's opinion - and the implication that this was a huge problem. "It is up to the High Septon to keep his house in order," he said. "As long as it doesn't endanger the city, let the Septons quarrel as much as they want inside the sept."
"Stannis advocating a hands-off approach?" Renly gasped theatrically. "Did you truly have a revelation and join the flock of the Red God, as some wagging tongues claim?"
Stannis hadn't. His wife, however, had. But neither was of any importance here. "Religious questions are only the business of the King when they threaten the stability of the realm," he said.
"I would think that if some fanatics consider four close friends of the King as witches, it does concern the stability of the realm," Varys spoke up. "Imagine if this would spread and more smallfolk came to share this opinion! If they thought that those girls controlled the King through witchcraft!" He shook his head. "The days of the Faith Militant might be past, but even so, there could be great unrest if this is not addressed."
"If anyone is as stupid as to accuse the four girls as witches, they have only themselves to blame for what befalls them," Robert spat. "Besmirching the honour of the four most powerful warriors anyone has ever seen? Hah! I would crush them myself, if not for the fact that Lady Ruby wouldn't want me to."
Stannis nodded. The Four Maidens might be able to crush any army any realm in the world might be able to field, but they did not abuse their power. And they were friendly with Robert - Stannis's brother had a way with making friends which was a boon to the realm.
"I fear that poor knight who mistook Lady Yang for a woman with more questionable morals would disagree with that assessment - if he were still able to voice his thoughts," Varys said. "I have heard he is not expected to survive the next night."
Pycelle winced and Lord Eddard frowned, but Robert snorted. "Serves him right! You don't insult and then attack those who can crush you like a bug!"
Stannis nodded again. If you were attacked, you defended yourself. While he hadn't bothered to investigate - he wasn't the Master of Law - what he had heard was quite clear: The knight had insulted Lady Yang, and, when she had chastised him, had proceeded to attack her. Whether he had drawn steel was not quite as clear, but that didn't matter for the law.
"Well, no one is asking to put Lady Yang to trial for that," Renly said.
"And if they did dare, I'd deal with them!" Robert growled. "And, speaking of trials…"
"Can we settle the matter of the Great Sept first?" Lord Eddard spoke up. "So, do we leave that to the High Septon?"
"It's his sept," Renly said. "And he is responsible for religious matters."
Robert scoffed, "Just have the fool invite Lady Ruby and her friends into the Great Sept. If their gods disapprove of them, they can do something about it then."
"That would be an elegant way for the High Septon to avoid taking a stance," Renly said. "I am sure if someone suggested it to him, he would see the wisdom in it."
Stannis rolled his eyes. They should let the High Septon handle this himself. But it was none of his business.
Lord Eddard nodded. "As long as it's not an order."
"Perish the thought!" Renly chuckled. "I wouldn't dare to try and order the High Septon around."
Stannis didn't believe him, but that wasn't his business either.
"With that settled, there's the matter of Ser Gregor Clegane's trial," Lord Eddard said. "We should set a date."
Varys cleared his throat. "House Martell will want to attend. I fear they would be offended if the murderer of their kin were tried without them."
Stannis frowned. "Ser Gregor won't be tried for the death of Princess Elia but for the murder of his guard. The Martells have no stake in this case, and there is no reason to delay justice." Politics should never influence justice.
Renly chuckled, once. "I think they would disagree, brother. And even if they agreed, they still would want to see Clegane's head roll."
"If it comes to that," Baelish said.
"Do you doubt that he will be found guilty?" Renly raised his eyebrows. "Or do you think he'll win the trial by combat that he will certainly demand?"
"No. But whoever of the Four Maidens will end up facing him might just crush him like a bug." Baelish laughed at his feeble - and gauche - jest. Really, quoting the King's own words was a pathetic display of empty flattery!
Stannis frowned even more deeply, but Robert spoke up before he could tell the Master of Coins that you didn't joke about justice: "We can delay the trial until the Martells arrive - I assume they already know about it?" he looked at Pycelle.
"Yes, Your Grace," the spineless Grand Maester replied. "I expect a raven from Sunspear any day to announce that they are already on the way to King's Landing. If the weather remains favourable, they could be here in less than ten days."
That was about right for the trip at sea, Stannis knew.
"Good. We'll delay the trial then. Maybe seeing the Mountain die will make them happier with us." Robert snorted. "At the very least, seeing one of the Four Maidens fight will give them pause."
Renly nodded. "We can say that the Mountain needs more time to recover so he can stand and fight in the trial."
"Good idea, Renly. That should stop any complaints."
Stannis ground his teeth again. This was… It wasn't injustice, but it threw a shade on the trial. At least the Dornish ships were fast, so it shouldn't delay the trial overly much.
"And what about Lord Tywin?" Pycelle asked.
"What about him?" Robert asked gruffly.
"Ser Gregor is his bannerman," the Grand Maester went on, leaving no doubt whose coin he took. "If the trial is delayed for the Martells, shouldn't Lord Tywin also have the opportunity to attend?"
Renly laughed. "I doubt he wants to be reminded of that."
"He's in the Rock, isn't he?" Robert didn't wait for an answer from Pycelle. "It would take him over a month to travel to King's Landing. We won't wait for him. There are already far too many Lannisters in the city, anyway. If House Lannister wants to attend the trial, Tywin can pick anyone he wants."
Stannis agreed with that. Even though if what Lord Eddard and he were investigating was true - and he had no doubt at this point - then Lord Tywin being in King's Landing, far from his home, would certainly help with containing the consequences, justice shouldn't be delayed because of politics.
*****
The Red keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC
"They want us to visit their Great Sept?" Ruby Rose peered at the message on the table in their room and frowned. "I thought only those who believed in the Seven Gods were allowed to enter it." And she didn't believe in them.
"According to the gossip I overheard, they want to see if we will be struck down by the Seven if we set foot into the sept," Blake explained from her usual spot at the wall next to the window.
"Ah." Ruby nodded.
Weiss scoffed. "A clever way to settle their religious dispute. It seems their High Septon is not as stupid as the Queen claims."
Yang, lying on the bed next to the window, hands folded behind her head, snorted. "If Cersei says one thing, assume the opposite."
"It's not quite as bad," Weiss said, "but I can't deny it's a good rule of thumb. Although we haven't met since the tourney ended, so she might have reconsidered her attitude."
That would be a good thing. Ruby was tired of the… bitching from the Queen. They had never done anything to her, so why was she so angry at them?
Yang laughed. "Do you honestly think that will happen?"
"No, I don't," Weiss admitted with a wry smile.
"Whatever!" Ruby spoke up. "We'll have to visit - you've heard about the riots. If this will stop the fighting, then we have to do it." So far, no one had died, but people had gotten hurt - a lot of them. They had a duty to stop that, if they could.
"What if this is a trap?" Yang asked. "Let us enter and drop some of that 'Wildfire' stuff on us, and then claim it was their gods?"
"We should be fine," Weiss said. "Our Auras should be able to withstand such fire even if we shouldn't spot the trap in advance."
"That's a lot more 'should' than I feel comfortable with," Yang replied.
"And I have heard it's not normal fire, but something really nasty," Ruby said. Lord Renly had explained that when he had told them what the last king had done. Burning people alive… She shuddered.
Weiss sniffed. "They think we're blessed by their gods, too. They don't have high standards."
"Just saying," Yang rolled her shoulders as she sat up. "As you'd say, it isn't
good optics if we end up fighting the septons in their most holy sept."
"If we refused their invitation, it would be even worse," Weiss shot back. "Rumours about us being evil, unnatural witches would be all over the place."
Blake nodded in agreement.
"We will do it," Ruby repeated herself. "But we look out for ambushes and traps."
"Of course!" Yang grinned at Blake. "Our champion will root out any nefarious ploy they might have!"
Blake snorted in return, but she also nodded at Yang. "We'll do our best."
"Hell yeah, we will!"
Weiss sighed. "Let's hope they aren't as foolish as to try such a ploy. Judging by what I heard, the High Septon wouldn't dream of going after the King's wishes, but we might have shocked a lot of people with our fight."
Yang's grin grew wider, but Blake nodded. "Yes. We scared a lot of people."
Ruby winced. Blake would know - she had been listening to the people in the Red Keep all morning. In hindsight, that should have been obvious - most of the people watching the fight had never seen them before. They didn't know Team RWBY, and so it was only logical that they would be scared. And scared people weren't rational. "So, we really need to show them that we're not some… evil witches." It felt really weird to say that. But they were in another world, and Marvyn insisted that magic was real, and he should know. Though he also thought Aura and Semblances were magical, so… She shook her head. That didn't really matter in this case.
"Yep. Shouldn't take long - we go in, we go out, we're done in a minute," Yang said. "And then we can go to Mott's and check how he's doing with the tools."
Weiss, of course, looked annoyed. "We can't just rush this! This is an important event - a ceremony of great religious significance. If we appear not to take it seriously, the locals will not trust their test."
"Well, I don't take it seriously," Yang said. "But, fine, let's stay a bit longer."
"It won't hurt us to do this right," Ruby said. If any visitor left her home after a minute, she would feel hurt and wonder what she had done wrong.
*****
Great Sept of Bealor, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC
An hour later, when she saw the crowd gathered at the entrance of the Great Sept of Baelor, Ruby had to suppress a wince. The streets - even the pretty wide (for King's Landing, at least) Street of Steel - were packed!
"Wow! Looks like half the city's here!" Yang whistled behind her.
"If half the city were here, the crowd would fill a much larger area," Weiss said. "But I have to admit that this is a bigger crowd than I expected. I think I underestimated how much the locals value their faith."
Ruby nodded and tried not to fidget. They could do this, anyway. Provided they could reach the entrance - the crowd was pretty packed. Although… "Weiss! Create a path of your glyphs in the air so we can walk to the entrance!"
"That's… actually a good idea," Weiss agreed. She raised Myrtenaster, and a series of glyphs hovering in the air appeared, forming a line of stepping stones that led from them to the entrance of the sept.
"Thanks! Come on, team! Let's go!" Ruby jumped on the closest glyph and started hopping from one glyph to the next.
The crowd gasped and pointed, but Ruby managed to ignore them by focusing on the jumps she had to make - it would be very embarrassing if she mistimed her jump and fell on someone below.
But she didn't, and she made a perfect landing at the top of the stairs leading to the sept. "Hello!" she greeted the guards and Septons standing there. "We're here to meet the High Septon! He invited us," she added after a moment.
Half of them stared at her and her friends with open mouths - hadn't they paid attention at the tourney? - but others nodded and ran off. And not a minute later, the High Septon arrived. Well, Ruby assumed he was the High Septon since he wore a different robe and was as fat or fatter than the King, and Blake had found out that he was also called the Fat Septon (though that didn't sound very nice).
"Lady Ruby!" He seemed a bit out of breath. Had he run to the door? "Lady Weiss. Lady Blake. Lady Yang. Welcome to the Great Sept of Baelor. We are honoured that you deigned to visit us!" He bowed his head. "I am the High Septon."
"He's laying it on pretty thick, huh?" Yang whispered behind her. Ruby hoped the man didn't hear her - Weiss was already glaring at her sister.
"Thank you, High Septon," Ruby replied, bowing her head, as Weiss had told her to when they had been preparing. "We are honoured by your invitation."
"Be welcome in our sept, then!"
Ruby glanced at Blake, who gave her a tiny nod, before nodding more emphatically herself and following the High Septon inside.
She knew that she wouldn't burt into flames or get struck by lightning - though if she were, her Aura could take it, probably - but she still felt a bit relieved when she walked inside without anything weird happening (except for many people gasping and muttering - the inside was packed except for the middle lane leading to the altair).
Yang, of course, smiled widely and struck a quick pose when she stopped next to Ruby, which caused even more whispering.
The High Septon, though, beamed at them. "You walk with the blessings of the Seven, my ladies!" he said in a loud voice, and the crowd muttered and whispered even more.
"Please, have a seat; we shall pray to the Seven so they will bless us all!" He slowly moved his arm to point at the first bench, where four spots had been left clear.
Ruby kept smiling though she was starting to wonder how long this would take.
An hour later, her smile felt as if it had been frozen to her face. The Fat Septon was still praying - he had praised the Father, Mother and Warrior and was now praising the Smith - and loud enough to wake the dead. At least, that kept Yang from dozing off.
Ruby hoped that this was worth it. She glanced at the statue representing the Smith. He was supposed to fix things, if she understood the Fat Septon correctly, but things hadn't been fixed yet, as far as she could tell.
*****
The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC
As she walked through the Red Keep's yard, Weiss Schnee was reconsidering her opinion about yesterday's visit to the Great Sept of Baelor. While it had, according to what Blake had overheard, convinced a significant number of people who had been hostile to her team that Team RWBY weren't witches, it had also, apparently, had an effect on those who had already considered them blessed by the gods. Weiss wasn't, despite her friends' biased opinions, an expert on Westerosi politics and customs, but she knew enough to know that if the Castle staff showed more respect and awe toward them than toward the royal family, then that wasn't an entirely good thing.
The King wouldn't mind - probably, at least - but the Queen would be seething, Weiss was certain. Even more than she usually did, at the very least. It remained to be seen how the Prince would react.
She descended the serpentine stairs to the training area, once again feeling annoyance at the design well up inside her. The lack of a sewer system - at least, anything that would deserve the name - remained the worst architectural and urban planning deficiency in Westeros's capital, but the fact that they had had centuries to fix those stairs and had not done it, despite the fact that, as they had heard and confirmed in the castle's library, people had fallen down and hurt themselves - fatally, in some cases was in some ways even worse. Creating a sewer system in an existing city would require a massive financial and political effort. Even more so when they lacked the technology to dig the tunnels without risking cave-ins of houses, perhaps even entire streets, and so would have to displace thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people. But replacing this deathtrap of stairs, in the seat of the realm's monarch? That shouldn't have taken long or required a lot of effort.
Maybe she should write a text about it. A huntress had no trouble with the stairs, of course - they were trained to fight on much worse ground - but the average person here? Or, worse, the young or elderly? Or, probably more likely, those nobles who had drunk too much at one of the feasts? It wouldn't end up saving more people than installing a proper sewer system would, but it was a lower-hanging fruit, all things considered.
She reached the bottom of the stairs and proceeded to the training area. Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime were already there, together with Ser Arys Oakheart.
Ser Jaime's lips twisted into a grin as he saluted her with his sword. "Hail the Blessed Maiden!"
"Good morning, Sers." Weiss remained polite despite the hint of a mocking undertone - Ser Jaime had taken to such blatant greetings after the Battle of the Maidens, and she hadn't yet figured out why exactly. Although she was leaning towards the idea that he was compensating for a bruised ego; the Battle of the Maidens had overshadowed the rest of the tourney and his own admittedly impressive showing.
"Good morning, my lady." Ser Barristan, at least, had not changed how he talked and treated her.
Ser Arys, on the other hand, beamed at her before bowing deeply. "My lady!"
"Have you come to spar, my lady?" Ser Jaime asked, cocking his head to the side.
"Yes." Did he expect her to stop? Her skill with Myrtenaster had noticeably improved thanks to the training with the Kingsguard. Her friends had improved as well. And speaking of them… "The rest of my team should arrive shortly." They better do, she added in her mind. If Weiss could arrive early despite having had to speak with the Master of Coin so they could store the majority of the tourney prize Blake had won in the King's vault, then her friends had no excuse at all to be late!
As if her partner had read her mind, a red streak turned into Ruby next to her, materialising in a cloud made up of sand kicked up by her braking and red petals from her Semblance. "Made it!" She beamed at them.
An impressive entrance, Weiss had to admit. But the fact that Ruby was carrying half a bread roll in her left hand, which she proceeded to stuff into her mouth, ruined it.
By the time Yang and Blake arrived, Ruby was still chewing.
Fortunately, none of the knights seemed to have taken offence, and the rest of the Kingsguard had been a little late to join the training as well, so there was no grounds for anyone to feel offended.
Not that that stopped Ser Mandon Moore from looking like he was offended but hiding it, although he always looked like that. It was almost comforting that he hadn't changed his attitude towards them either - unlike Ser Preston Greenfield, Ser Meryn Trant and Ser Boros Blount, who, all of them, were far more friendly and respectful than before.
They were overdoing it, in Weiss's opinion. But the training was effective - she managed to improve her parrying a bit more. Now, if her stamina would improve at the same rate…
*****
"And here's the vault! As you can see, Lady Weiss, your friend's money will be perfectly safe here!"
Weiss's polite smile didn't waver even though she didn't believe Lord Baelish. Any of her friends could kick open this door, of course, but she didn't trust the locks to keep out thieves for too long either - if they had enough time, they could chisel away the wood and then file down the hinges. What were a few bribes to patrolling guards - or the captain of the guard who set the shifts - when you could loot the King's treasure chamber?
Of course, she didn't say that out loud. Instead, she smiled. "Thank you, Lord Petyr. This is a great relief for us."
"Oh, I can imagine! Even for someone as strong as you are, carrying around such a fortune must be a bother," Lord Petyr said while he made a show out of opening the door. "Only I have access to the key, and I only hand it out to people I trust with my life!"
She couldn't resist. "So, if someone stole our money, it could only have been you or your closest friends?" She said, raising her eyebrows.
He laughed. "You could say so, I guess - but I can assure you: No thief will ever enter this chamber!"
Unless they had the key - through theft, or by having it handed to them. Weiss was sure that Lord Baelish was skimming from the top; it was an open secret that he had grown rich in King's Landing since he had been granted the position of Master of Coin. But that was expected in Westeros - another sign of how uncivilised the locals were. Corruption was poison for any government. Unchecked, it could ruin a kingdom's economy faster than almost anything else. The question was merely how much he was skimming off the top. Judging by his clothes, he either was sticking to the expected level - or smart enough not to flaunt his ill-gotten wealth. Weiss didn't know.
"And here we go!" Lord Baelish announced as he pulled the door open.
The interior wasn't very impressive. Not for a Schnee, at least. A lot of chests of various sizes, but arranged somewhat haphazardly - and that in a kingdom without electronic banking where bills and goods had to be paid in hard currency. She took care to look impressed, though.
"Now… let's see where we can put your chest!" Lord Baelish stepped past the largest chest. "I think behind this one would be best."
"As long as no one takes it by mistake, any spot is fine," she said - and looked around, taking a quick count of the chests. None were labelled, and so she didn't know what was inside them, nor how full they were.
Westeros really needed modern banking and bookkeeping. This was no way to run a kingdom.
"Oh, I assure you that none of my clerks would ever make such a mistake, my lady."
"Good." She smiled. "I wouldn't want to have people killed by our counter-measures for an honest mistake on their part."
"Counter-measures?" He looked confused.
"To protect our money. I know this is the safest spot in the entire kingdom, but it won't hurt anyone if we add another layer of security. Except for any thieves, of course." Weiss put the chest down and straightened.
She wasn't even lying; Ruby had been busy with another trap. Not a lethal one, of course - at least not directly. Weiss had no doubt that anyone caught stealing in the kingdom's treasure chamber would be put to death no matter if they had stolen from the King or from Team RWBY.
"Ah, of course. I've heard about your devices."
Of course he had. But if he had, why hadn't he asked for their help protecting the King's money? That was an interesting question, actually. Was he so confident in his security that he saw no need to increase it - or did he not want additional security?
But why? If a burglar managed to break into the treasure chamber, he would be held accountable, whether or not it was his fault - at least according to her experience with the resident judicial system, or what the locals mistook for it. Was he intimidated by their display at the tourney and didn't dare to ask for their help? Or was he too proud to ask them? Even if he had a perfect excuse, now that their money was held there as well? She had told him they had counter-measures that could deal with thieves, and he was certainly more than smart enough, and experienced at court politics, to recognise the implied offer.
It made no sense. Was he preparing to steal everything and then run? That would see him pursued to the ends of the world, Weiss thought. The King certainly would consider it an unforgivable slight, and if his Master of Whispers couldn't find the fugitive he likely would find his head on the chopping block.
She didn't have an answer, and with their new fortune depending on the security of this sorry excuse for a vault, maybe she and her friend had to take a look at this.
It wasn't as if they had more pressing issues to deal with - Archmaester Marvyn was still going through the books in the royal library and would take quite a while longer.
*****
Street of Silk, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC
Blake Belladonna, hidden in the shadows cast by an oversized chimney - apparently built by a baker who believed in planning for expansion from the start - watched the street below with narrowed eyes that had no trouble with the darkness following the sun setting earlier. Compared to Remnant, where even the villages were quite well-lit in the evenings - and not just the walls where guards kept an eye out for Grimm - King's Landing was pitch-black at night, the few lights visible from above belonging to the scarce people and patrols carrying lanterns.
It was perfect for a Faunus who wanted to observe her target without being spotted - there were no other Faunus or guards with low-light vision goggles to worry about. Just regular humans struggling with seeing enough at night not to stumble every second step because they only had primitive lanterns - she had seen one carrying a torch, even! - and no Dust.
Though she was still torn about whether or not this trip was a waste of time. Weiss wanted the Master of Coin shadowed not because she suspected him of embezzlement and corruption - anyone who wasn't naive knew that he was guilty of both, even Ruby had been convinced after about ten minutes of an increasingly pointed rant by Weiss - but whether or not they could trust him with their money.
Blake didn't think the man had the guts to steal from them. He seemed to be too cowardly to risk the dire consequences he'd suffer if he were caught. He certainly had mentioned often enough how he had 'learned his lesson' after challenging Lord Eddard's older brother to a duel over Lady Catelyn, which had been his childhood friend and Lord Brandon's betrothed at the time. On the other hand, cultivating a reputation for eschewing violence - or for cowardice, as the locals here would call it - would be a good way to make most of the King's court underestimate you…
And the way Lord Baelish was walking through the dark alleys of King's Landing at night, often avoiding the main streets for back alleys and side alleys, and more as detours instead of shortcuts, didn't really fit with a coward - or someone afraid of being attacked by robbers or other criminals.
Maybe Weiss was on to something - it certainly looked to Blake like some skullduggery was afoot.
She jumped over the next alley, easily and silently landing on the roof of the neighbouring building, and followed Lord Baelish as he made his way through another seedy back alley before stopping in front of a solid-looking door.
Her ears twitched as she heard him knock twice, then once more after a short pause, and then didn't hear a sound as the door was opened - those were some well-oiled hinges. She didn't hear a greeting either, but whoever had opened the door certainly had recognised Lord Baelish since he entered without a moment's hesitation.
Frowning at the question why a member of the King's Small Council would sneak into a building through the backdoor, she quickly moved over the slanted roof to take a look at the building's front door.
Oh. She felt her cheeks blush for a moment when she realised what the sign and the decorations showed - it was a brothel. That would explain why the Master of Coin didn't want to be seen entering it, of course - and yet, was he such a frequent customer that the brothel's staff recognised him by the way he knocked? Just how much money did he spend here?
She bit her lower lip, pondering whether she should violate the man's privacy by investigating further. Then she nodded firmly. Yes, she should - while she hadn't been involved in those operations, she had heard other White Fang members who had been talk about what went on in such venues, and how the most honourable of Remnant's society might show their true - and often terrible - character when visiting.
She checked for any witnesses - jumping and being spotted because you were silhouetted against the moon was a rookie mistake - then leapt over the narrow gap between the brothel and the building on which she was perched, once more landing on the shingles with nary a noise. With a bit of luck, she should be able to find her target by peering through the windows or catching the sound of his voice. If that didn't work… Well, even if she were dressed in a way that would let her pass as a customer, and if the brothel allowed female customers, she wouldn't be able to search for another customer while posing as one, despite what some of her books said, so it had better work.
She moved to the edge of the roof and lowered herself down until she could peer through the window below.
Oh. That wasn't Lord Baelish. Definitely not.
He wasn't in the next room she checked, either. Or the one after that. Or the last room on this side.
And her cheeks felt so warm, even the oldest Atlas guard robot would be able to spot her with their heat sensors. The people of Westeros might not be as technologically advanced as the people on Remnant, but they most certainly were creative. Maybe…
Her ears twitched under her bow. That was Lord Baelish's voice! She cocked her head to the side, then quickly followed the sound of him talking about…
… the profits from his business? She blinked, then carefully lowered herself down over the edge of the roof once more to peer through the window below.
Yes. Lord Baelish was not engaged in carnal activities. This wasn't a bedroom or boudoir, either, but an office in which he was looking over ledgers and telling a man standing in front of his desk to improve profits. Profits from this brothel.
Lord Baelish was a…
a pimp.
*****
The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC
"Here comes the Prince and his lover," Blake whispered when she spotted Prince Oberyn headed towards her, a slightly drunk courtier almost stumbling as he gave way. The Prince was tall and slender and moved with the kind of grace that marked him as an experienced fighter. He was also handsome, she noted - in short, he matched the descriptions she had heard. Whether he also lived up to his reputation she couldn't say yet.
"Ah! You must be the famous Team Ruby!" He beamed at them, and the woman on his arm smiled, bowing her head. "I am Prince Oberyn Martell and this is my paramour, Ellaria Sands."
"Hi!" Ruby smiled widely at the two. "You're right, we're Team RWBY - and we're kinda famous, now, yes. I'm Ruby Rose, this is my partner, Weiss Schnee, this is my sister Yang Xiao Long, and her partner, Blake Belladonna. And this is Lady Brienne Tarth and this Jon Snow! Pleased to meetcha!"
Blake bowed her head together with her friends.
"I've heard a lot about you, but the tales do not do your beauty justice, my ladies," Oberyn went on. "I've travelled far and cannot recall many who would be your match."
Blake glanced at his lover; it was very forward for the prince to flirt like that, with her holding his arm, but she didn't seem to be angry at him, so maybe that was just the Dornish way of being friendly?
"Indeed," Ellaria said and made a point of slowly looking them over with a sly smile.
Maybe that wasn't just Dornish politeness, Blake amended her thoughts - it could just be confidence that Oberyn wouldn't cheat on her, but she had seen that look on many nobles here, aimed at her and her friends. Ellaria was attractive, although it was a subtle thing, not some blinding beauty - there was a sensual vibe to her, a confidence like… Coco Adel's.
Ruby blushed. "Oh, uh… thanks? I mean, thanks! You're very attractive as well, I mean, both of you - although I mean that in a purely aesthetic sense, you know? It's not like I - or anyone of my friends, well, of Team RWBY, at least - are looking for, you know…"
Weiss took a step forward and half a step to the side, towards Ruby. She wasn't quite blocking her, but the gesture was clear. "We're flattered, Prince Oberyn," she said with a curt nod. "Although, as you have undoubtedly heard, we're from another world, with different customs."
Prince Oberyn didn't seem to be offended - he laughed. "Oh, I am not looking for a betrothal. I leave such proposals to my brother, the Prince of Dorne." He wrapped his arm around Ellaria's waist and pulled her closer. "But if you feel daring and wish to experience Dornish hospitality abroad…" His smile and wink left no doubt what he was suggesting.
Blake saw Weiss's cheeks flush a little, but her friend held her composure. Unlike Ruby, whose face turned red like the setting sun while she opened and closed her mouth without saying anything - though Blake's ears caught her swallowing.
Lady Brienne and Jon were obviously shocked by the blatant offer, but Blake had expected that.
"Oh, you sound like you know how to party!" Yang grinned in return.
Blake suppressed a frown; she had expected that reaction as well. She kept a polite smile on her face herself; it never paid to insult nobility. Though Yang should know better than to flirt back, she thought with a frown - people in Westeros, especially nobles, got ideas in situations like this.
Oberyn's grin widened. "We do - and I am always ready to prove that I have honestly earned my reputation."
"As a womaniser?" Jon blurted out. "My prince," he added a bit too late to be properly respectful.
Lady Brienne was tense, but Blake couldn't tell if she was outraged or embarrassed - or a bit of both.
"As a lover," Oberyn replied with a smile. "A lover with an open mind, goodman," he added with a wink.
Oh! Did Oberyn just flirt with Jon as well? Blake felt her cheeks flush at the thought. That was like in one of her favourite Ninja books!
"Indeed," Ellaria breathed more than said, winking at Yang, who blinked in response.
Blake wanted to roll her eyes at her partner, who was, not for the first time, realising a bit too late that she might have bitten off more than she could chew. Perhaps it was time to change the subject. "We've been told you are here to attend the trial of Ser Gregor Clegane, my prince."
Oberyn's smile faded instantly, replaced by a more serious expression. "Correct. As soon as we heard that our sister's murderer was facing a trial, I set sail. Doran would also have come, but he caught a sudden illness that prevented him from travelling."
"Oh!" Ruby frowned. "Can you pass on our wishes for a speedy recovery to him?"
"I will, though I would bet that knowing that the monster who raped and murdered our kin will finally be brought to justice will help him more than anything else."
That was a very dark outlook.
"We've heard you not only brought him down so he could be arrested, but you will also face him again, should he demand trial by combat, Lady Blake," Ellaria said.
Blake nodded. She wouldn't let any of her friends do this; it was her responsibility.
Ellaria glanced at Oberyn, who frowned slightly at her while she smiled.
Blake wondered what that was about. But before she could think of how to find out, Oberyn spoke up again: "I must confess, when I heard that a woman had brought low the Mountain and is expected to fight him in the upcoming trial, I would never have guessed it were you, Lady Blake. You look far too beautiful to match the brute's strength in open combat."
Blake narrowed her eyes, both at the insult to Lady Brienne and the implied doubt about her skills. His slightly patronising tone wasn't welcome either. "You would not think that if you had seen our fight at the tourney, my prince. Or sparred with us."
"Yeah!" Yang grinned and smashed her fist into the palm of her hand.
"The 'Battle of the Maidens' is the talk of the city," Oberyn said, still smiling a little arrogantly. "Although it seems everyone in the audience saw a different fight, judging by their descriptions."
"Well, when we go all out, we tend to be a bit too fast to follow for most people," Yang said with a chuckle. "Though some of our moves should have been seen by everyone."
Blake nodded. Such as Weiss's glyphs, or Ruby's whirlwind attack. Or her clones. Oberyn probably simply didn't trust the accounts he'd heard.
Ellaria nodded. "Most people agreed on those parts, yes." Once again, she raised her eyebrows at Oberyn, who frowned for a moment.
Blake looked straight at him. "Appearances can be deceiving. Every member of Team RWBY is not only far stronger than Ser Clegane, but quicker and tougher as well." The entire city was aware of that by now. Or should be.
"I'd demonstrate, but I don't want to smash the floor - it's hard on the repair crew."
"It was an accident, Yang!" Ruby complained with a pout. "I didn't mean to smash a hole into the floor!"
Yang laughed, but Oberyn still looked doubtful.
Blake was about to tell him to spar with them if he doubted them, but she caught Sandor walking in their direction - and since he had taken to avoiding Team RWBY after the tourney had ended, that meant Prince Joffrey was headed their way and his sworn sword had to follow or break his oath.
He wasn't coming alone, she realised a moment later - he was walking next to Lord Baelish the pimp.
She suppressed a shudder. To think the realm's Master of Coin ran brothels like some criminals - as a criminal, probably; she was aware of how brothels were run from her time in the White Fang when they had had to make some examples out of those who exploited Faunus girls with few or no options left.
But she couldn't dwell on that. Not right now. Blake wasn't an expert on the politics of Westeros; Weiss knew much more about that. But Blake knew that calling the relationship between the royal family and the Martells 'strained' would be an understatement.
This wasn't good. Not at all. At least, they were under guest rights, so it couldn't be too bad.
*****
"You doubt Lady Blake's power? She arrested the Mountain herself!"
Yang Xiao Long almost chuckled at Prince Joffrey's obviously fake surprise.
"So I've heard," Prince Oberyn replied. He looked far less jovial when talking to either Prince Joffrey or Lord Baelish, Yang noted. Well, they weren't pretty girls. On the other hand, Oberyn had flirted with Jon as well, or tried to - Jon must have been spooked by the first comment since he had been quite silent for most of the talk. As had Brienne, actually, Yang realised. "But it wouldn't be the first time, not by far, that a story grew in the telling."
"Well, not this one, I can assure you, Prince Oberyn!" Baelish cut in with a wide smile.
Yang clenched her teeth for a moment, her smile straining a little. Sure, Weiss and Blake had been quite convincing when they had told her that they shouldn't act rashly without knowing the full picture and especially any other shady business that might be run by the creep, but it was hard not to rip into him and tell him exactly what she thought about his known business.
"Team Ruby demonstrated their powers quite convincingly. In fact, I think some might take issue with Lady Blake fighting as the court's champion in a possible trial by combat since the outcome would be obvious from the start," the creep went on. "Then again, some might also consider her decision to volunteer all the proof needed to condemn the man - I heard some people, Septons even, consider them not merely blessed by the Seven, but their messengers."
Yang snorted. "Well, we're not messengers from any god," she said. "We'd know otherwise."
Prince Joffrey nodded. "Their impressive powers aren't the result of a blessing by the gods - they're from another world."
Yang could tell at once that Oberyn didn't believe that. As much as she liked showing off, she was getting sick of having to demonstrate that they weren't lying to everyone they met.
"Yes!" Ruby nodded. "We were transported to this world by accident and we're looking for a way back. But so far, they haven't found anything helpful in the palace library." She pouted, then smiled. "But they're still going through the books - it's quite a big library."
"For Westeros, maybe," Yang heard Blake whisper and grinned. Her partner was a bit of a snob when it came to books. It was a cute trait, actually - she was so practical in most areas otherwise.
"Anyway, we're not giving up!" Ruby nodded firmly.
"A laudable stance," Oberyn said. "And seeing how much of an impression you've made at court, I will have to adjust my opinion, I think."
So, he could learn! Yang grinned again. "Being flexible is a good thing!"
Oberyn's eyebrows rose and his smile twisted a little. "I heartily agree with that," he said, winking at her.
She matched his smile - she hadn't intended to use a double-entendre, but like Hell she was admitting that, or backing down.
"And we're always looking forward to demonstrating it," Ellaria added.
Whoa, she was laying it on a bit thick. Both of them were, actually - Oberyn really lived up to his womanising reputation, and Ellaria was the most forward woman Yang had met yet in Westeros. And she would be in the top five even if Yang included Remnant. It was getting a bit warm in here, too.
"So, you won't object to me fighting for the court, Prince Oberyn?" Blake spoke up, saving Yang from having to answer straight away.
Oberyn smiled at her. "I would like to see you spar before making a final judgement. Or another opportunity to verify your physical superiority."
Sheesh, he switched from Yang to Blake in a heartbeat.
"I'd suggest sparring," Lord Baelish said.
"Yes!" Ruby nodded. "You're using a spear, right? So I've been told. That would be interesting; I use a scythe. Not quite the same, but still similar in some ways. We should spar! And you don't have to worry about getting hurt - we're good at holding back."
"Oh, yes." Prince Joffrey spoke up, smiling widely. "If Lady Blake had wanted to, she would have killed the Mountain on the spot. Or she could have left him broken, dying in agony, as Lady Yang did when a knight attacked her."
Yang froze. "What? What do you mean?"
The Prince looked confused, but he was still smiling. "The knight who insulted and attacked you, Lady Yang. You crushed his manhood and broke his hips with a single kick. He finally died yesterday, a fitting punishment for his offence."
Yang blinked. She had killed that fool? And he had 'died in agony' as the Prince had just said? But… Oh, no!
"Yang?"
That was Ruby's voice. Yang glanced around. Everyone was staring at her. Ruby, Weiss and Blake with concern and growing horror, Prince Joffrey with open confusion, Brienne and Jon with shock, Oberyn and Ellaria with surprise…
"My lady?"
This was… She couldn't… She shook her head and turned away, quickly heading for the exit.
"Yang!" Ruby appeared in front of her.
Yang clenched her teeth and drew a sharp breath. Keep calm! "Not here. Later. I need some fresh air."
"But…"
"Later!" she hissed and pushed past Ruby.
She could handle her sister right now. She couldn't handle anything right now.
She made her way to the door, barely noticing how the people gave way, and left the hall.
Outside, she took a few deep breaths in the cool - but not very fresh - air.
Fuck! She had killed that fool! She hadn't meant to… She hadn't known… Damn! She should have known. She had kicked him with far too much force, and he hadn't even been a threat!
Shaking her head and cursing herself, she walked away, barely managing not to run. She needed space!
*****
A few minutes later, Yang was on top of the wall, facing the sea. She took a deep breath. The air was fresh and cool here, she could feel a light breeze on her skin as she closed her eyes and blinked away the tears.
Fuck.
She'd fucked up. Killed a man. Accidentally. By mistake. Without being threatened in any form.
Because she had been stupid and angry, and had lost control.
She clenched her teeth. Hard. She was an idiot! A killer! A…
She heard a step behind her and whirled, eyes open. Oh.
Blake was there, about two yards away, leaning against the battlement and looking at her.
Yang pressed her lips together. She wanted to tell her partner to get lost, but… Blake had deliberately taken that last step without her usual grace and announced her presence.
Blake stepped up to her, then turned to face the sea as well, her arms on the top of the battlement next to Yang. "Ruby's concerned."
Yang felt even more guilt. She'd killed a man and hurt her sister. She snorted without humour at the sheer weirdness of her thought, then rubbed her eyes as she turned toward the sea again, leaning against the stone. "I'm an idiot."
Blake made a sceptic noise. "If you're an idiot, I'm worse."
"I killed a man - left him to die in agony - because I didn't think. Didn't control myself."
"That was one mistake. I was in the White Fang, fighting for them, for years without realising what was happening. What I was doing," Blake said.
"You didn't know better. I did," Yang told her.
"I
should have known better. All the facts were known to me."
Yang clenched her teeth again. "It's not the same."
"Yeah. You hit a wannabe-rapist harder when he attacked you after you already had smacked him down. I attacked humans to make them fear Faunus."
Yang glared at her. "It's not a competition! I fucked up!"
Her partner shrugged. "Everyone fucked up. I did. You did. Weiss did. I'm sure Ruby did as well."
"That doesn't make it better." Yang had killed a guy.
"No, but we can try to be better."
As Blake had done since she left the White Fang. But… "You didn't kill anyone," Yang said.
"I don't think so. But I don't know. I didn't pull my punches." Blake shrugged.
"You fought people with Aura," Yang pointed out.
"I fought people who should have had Aura. But they weren't really trained that well." Blake turned to face her. "I won't tell you that the guy probably would have raped another woman if she had been in your place. Or that he probably had raped women before."
You just did, Yang thought. And it wasn't an excuse.
"But he did attack you. Even after you had demonstrated that you were much stronger," Blake went on. "He could have fled. Or just stayed down. Or just not attacked you. But he decided to attack you instead, because his pride was hurt."
That wasn't an excuse either! But… "You know a lot about this," Yang said, narrowing her eyes.
"Prince Joffrey explained what had happened. He seemed well-informed."
"If he were older, he'd probably stalk us," Yang joked, then frowned when she saw Blake flinch a little. Hit another sore spot? She really was on a roll here.
"Yes," Blake said, turning her head to meet Yang's eyes. "Anyway, you made a mistake. But you didn't want to kill that man."
"I did it, though." The man had died, slowly, painfully, and she hadn't even known. Because she hadn't thought. Because she was stupid.
"And you won't make the same mistake again, will you?"
"Of course not!" Yang blurted out. She was stupid, but not braindead.
Blake smiled softly. "Good."
Nothing was good. Yang had killed someone.
But… she didn't feel like smashing her head against the next wall in frustration and guilt any more. She scoffed and stared out at the dark sea again.
Blake did the same, and neither said anything for a while.
*****
