A Song of Ice and Fire Cut Short by Dust (RWBY in Westeros)

[ATP]

Thanks for chapter !
Marwyn is here,and with his help they would get list of places with magic in Essoss.Problem is - nobody there supposed to have magic capable of sending people to other worlds.
With possible exception of Yeen,but people in those ruins simply vanish after living there longer then few weeks - which mean,that ruins could simply somehow eat them.

Or send to place which eat them.Or ,at best,to random place,not RWBY world.
Problem is - nor RWBY,not anybody in Essoss had that kind of knowledge.

Melee - good fight for 20.000 dragons - excellent idea.

 

[eager slacker]

Marwyn wouldn't really be disappointed to hear that the team doesn't know of magic because what's natural and normal to them is basically magic to Westeros. Trains being run by ore or fuel might as well be magic to Westeros and until the technological innovations get made whatever is given might as well be magic. Hell if anyone sees them fighting "for real" the only logical explanation is that they are magic or blessed which is just magic but with god being your backer.

 

[Ultimasaurus Imperatrix]

Someone over an alternate history brought up the fact that we haven't gotten to see the girls react to the dragon skulls, and the red keep.

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 13: The Hand's Tourney

'I've mentioned before how much esteem knights held in this era - the chivalric ideals were, if seldom upheld when it might have been inconvenient for the various nobles, almost always paid lip service to. And tournaments both benefited from this reverence of knightly valour as well as reinforced the myth of the knight as a noble defender of all that was just and holy. That aside, tournaments also were the highlights of most people's lives. Even the small, regular events were likely to be the most important festivals in a year - or even a season. The grander affairs, such as the Tourney at Harrenhal, also known as Lord Whent's Great Tournament, were talked about amongst both smallfolk and nobility for years afterwards - and not merely amongst those who had to pay for them. In fact, that tournament would have left its mark at least in contemporary history even without the crucial events that took place there and resulted in Robert's Rebellion. So, it should not be a surprise that the Hand's Tourney was bound to draw the attention of the entire realm even before the news of the Ruby Order's arrival spread. Of course, it should go without saying that many expected the Order to participate - an expectation founded, like so many theses today, on a misunderstanding of the situation due to a lack of information, although, in light of the views and society at the time, a quite understandable misunderstanding.'

• A Treatise On The Ruby Order, by Maester Kennet Bracken

*****​

Outside King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Brienne Tarth kept her head high and her eyes looking ahead as she walked through the tent city that had sprung up around the site of the Hand's Tourney outside King's Landing. She wanted to let her eyes roam, take in the sight of so many people from all over the Seven Kingdoms, look at all the banners flapping in the soft breeze, but if she did that, she'd also see the people staring at her.

Stare and whisper behind her back - or, if they were particularly cruel or bold, call out to her with a sneer or jeer. She had heard it all before. None of those who mocked her were as witty as they thought they were. And none of them would face her, should she demand satisfaction.

Not that she would. A knight was to be just and brave, to defend the young and innocent. And all women. They were not supposed to fight for petty reasons or out of spite.

Her fingers tightened around the grip of her sword. She was no knight, and would never be, being a woman, but you did not have to be knighted to follow the oaths of chivalry. She would…

"Hey, look at that beauty!"

She tensed, clenching her teeth and kept staring ahead. Brienne the Beauty, they called her when they wanted to be particularly cruel and were too cowardly to show their scorn openly. As if anyone would think they were honest when calling her a beauty - she knew she was ugly, with her broken nose, coarse face and crooked teeth, and her body was strong but not graceful - or womanly. But…

"Come on, girl! I've got money."

Brienne gasped and whirled around. Call her a whore? That was too far! She wouldn't stand for that slander, and…

She froze when she realised that the drunk man - a knight from the Riverlands, though she could not quite remember which house - had not been calling out to her but to a girl with a wild mane of blonde hair who had just turned and was now approaching him.

"Did you just call me a whore?"

The girl's tone left no doubt that she had taken offence at the insinuation.

"I called you what you are!" The knight laughed, put down the wineskin he had been drinking from, and reached out to grab her.

Brienne quickened her steps and opened her mouth to call out the lout before he forced himself on the girl. "Hold, Ser! You…"

She trailed off, gaping, when she saw the girl slap the knight's grasping hands away and grab him by his neck and belt, then lift him over her head as if he weighed nothing.

A moment later, the man flew through the air, hitting the packed dirt several paces away with enough force to bounce once before coming to a stop with a pained groan.

"Watch your tongue, asshole!" the girl spat, dusting off her hands. "Next time, you'll lose your balls!"

"You! I'll…" The knight tried to stand but bent over with a groan instead - and then vomited on the ground.

The girl snorted, then turned to glare at the knight's companions. "Anyone else volunteering to help me improve my YangTime?"

Her what? Brienne blinked, feeling as confused as the men looked. Though the threat was clear enough, and they cowered under the girl's gaze.

"Thought so." She scoffed again and turned away.

And Brienne realised who she was. "Lady Yang Xiao Long!"

The girl - the noblewoman, looked at her. "That's me!"

Brienne smiled and bowed her head. "Brienne Tarth." She should have recognised the woman at once - she looked exactly like Lord Renly had described her.

"Ah, Lord Renly's friend, right?"

Lord Renly had mentioned her to Team Ruby, as their group was called? Was that why he had sent Brienne a letter telling her to attend the tourney? "I would not presume to call myself his friend; he is my liege," she replied.

"Right." Lady Yang nodded.

Brienne couldn't help looking at her clothes. Lord Renly had not embellished her garb either - exotic was an understatement. The woman wore what looked like her smallclothes under a half-skirt, and her leggings didn't reach above her thighs. Though her gauntlets were of the finest quality - much better than Brienne's slightly dented steel armour.

She tore her gaze away. "Did… Did Lord Renly mention me to you?" she asked without thinking - the woman had already said so.

"Oh, yes. You're one of the few women who can fight in Westeros," Lady Yang replied. "Arya - Lady Arya Stark - pestered him all evening about you when she heard that."

"Oh." Brienne blushed. "I did train with the sword, yes," she said. A knight was supposed to be humble.

"Nice!" Lady Yang grinned. "Are you gonna fight in the tourney?"

"I am considering it," Brienne replied. "Are you going to take part?"

"In a special competition." Lady Yang chuckled. "Wouldn't be quite fair otherwise, because…"

"You whore! Die!"

Brienne drew her sword and whirled, but before she could step into the charging Riverlander's path, Lady Yang had already moved.

The knight was flying upwards and back in the blink of an eye - propelled into the air by a kick from Lady Yang. A kick that, as Brienne realised, had hit the man between his legs with enough force to send him flipping head over heels through the air twice before coming down.

"Now, that's a good YangTime!"

So, that was what it meant. Brienne made a note to remember it.

"So, where are you headed?" Lady Yang asked as if she hadn't demonstrated strength beyond anyone except, perhaps, the Mountain.

"Ah, I was about to look for Lord Renly. I was told he was at the training yard set up here," Brienne replied.

"Ah? Come on, it's this way! Let's see if we can catch a few good knights training."

Before she realised it, Brienne was walking through the camp at the side of Lady Yang, who was chatting with her as if they were friends.

*****​

"...and have you met the King, by the way? He's great! He created a whole event for us since it'd be unfair if we fought in the grand melee, and none of us can ride well enough to joust. Oh! Are you hungry? Let me fetch some flatbread! Be right back!"

Brienne blinked when Lady Yang grinned and headed over to a food stall. "You mentioned before that it would be unfair if you took part in the melee," she said when she joined the noblewoman.

"Yeah. We - Team Ruby - would decide the winner amongst ourselves if we took part." Lady Yang nodded, then smiled at the vendor. "Two flatbreads with beef, please! Ah… this one and that one!" She pointed at two seemingly at random on the grill. As soon as the vendor handed them over, she passed one to Brienne. "Just what you need after a light workout!"

"Thank you, my lady," Brienne replied, eyeing the bread a moment before taking a bite. It tasted like any other she had had before.

They walked on, Lady Yang quickly devouring the bread. The vendor hadn't asked for payment, Brienne realised. Of course, a woman so close to the King might have taken it as an insult, but… She glanced around. The smallfolk were staring at them - at Lady Yang. Some with what looked like awe, others with fear.

"You are well-known," she said between two bites.

Lady Yang nodded, then swallowed. "Yep! We made an impression when we helped out with construction." She grinned widely, but Brienne didn't get whatever joke she had made. It didn't seem to be aimed at her, though.

"You helped with construction?" she asked.

"Yep. It was a decent workout."

"So, is it true that no blade can hurt you?" She had heard the rumours, but they had seemed far too wild to be trusted,

"Want to take a swing and find out?"

Brienne narrowed her eyes. "Do you wish to spar?"

"Yes, but that wasn't the question." Lady Yang chuckled. "But you're right. If it's my head against a sword, my head will win!"

Before Brienne could think of a polite way to challenge that boast, the noblewoman turned and pointed ahead. "And here we are! You were right, Lord Renly's here. Ser Loras is training."

Oh. Brienne straightened and looked around. Being taller than all but a handful of men, she easily spotted Lord Renly in the training area, watching Ser Loras spar with a burly Stormlander knight she dimly remembered having met a few years before.

Lady Yang was headed straight for him, and Brienne took a deep breath as they approached, trying to word a proper greeting that wouldn't result in her making a fool out of her in front of her liege.

"Lord Renly! I brought Lady Brienne!" Yang called out.

And he turned, a smile lighting up his handsome face. "Lady Yang!" Then he saw Brienne, and her heart felt as if it skipped a beat when he smiled at her. "Lady Brienne! You came!"

"You called for me, my lord," Brienne replied, bowing her head to hide her slight blush. Lord Renly was just… He was so handsome, so gallant - and he treated her like she was… He treated her with respect and kindness.

"Indeed."

"Oh, you're Lady Brienne Tarth?"

Brienne looked up - then down. A young girl was beaming at her. And next to her… How had she missed the wolf? She tensed, clenching her teeth when the wolf approached her, sniffing at her calves.

"Nymeria! Heel!"

The wolf chuffed once, cocked its head to the side, then returned to the girl's flank.

"Lady Brienne, this is Lady Arya Stark. Arya, yes, this is Lady Brienne," Lord Renly said. "She's been looking forward to meeting you, Lady Brienne,"

"Yes! I'm going to become a lady knight as well!"

"Girls can't become knights, Arya!" a boy - her slightly younger brother, Brienne realised; he had very similar looks, and they both wore garments with the Stark's direwolf sigil. And he was in the company of another wolf.

Arya huffed. "If the strongest warriors can't be knights just because they're girls that will make a mockery of knighthood!"

"There's more to being a knight than being strong!" Bran shot back.

"Arya! Bran!" Another Stark boy - although older, almost a man grown - said, taking a step forward while a white wolf slunk around behind him. "Behave!"

The two children sulked, but Lord Renly laughed. "They're very passionate about knights. Although Lady Arya is correct - I doubt King Robert would refuse to knight a woman merely because she's no man. Not after getting to know Team Ruby."

"He better not!" Lady Yang said with a grin as she smashed her gauntlets together.

Brienne didn't say anything - what could she say, in this company? Lord Renly was the King's brother and her liege lord. Those were the children of the King's Hand, the lord paramount of the North. And it was obvious that Lady Yang was held in the highest esteem by the King and his family. But she couldn't help smiling at the thought that, maybe, her dream of being a knight might not be as impossible as she had been taught and told all her life.

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"The Royal Library has been tended to by a man of the Faith since its founding!"

"Tended, not controlled. By what right do you dare to block us from using the library?"

Ruby Rose tried not to wince while Archmaester Marwyn and Septon Hernis argued. This was getting embarrassing!

"I do not block you from using the library, Maester…"

"Archmaester!"

"...but that refers to reading books, not treating the library as your own! I am responsible for taking care of the priceless tomes held here, and I will not neglect my duty and let outsiders mishandle them!"

"A likely excuse! You wish to control what information we can access!"

"I would never! I know the library like the back of my hand! It would be pointless to let you waste hours searching a book when I could find it in a heartbeat!"

"And how are we supposed to know which books we need without studying them?"

Ruby bit her lower lip. They just needed a few books, not the whole library! Did it matter who fetched the books they needed?

"As an Archmaester, wouldn't you already know which books you need? The Citadel's library is famous, after all."

Ruby cleared her throat. "What if we don't touch the books and just look at them? You can tell us what each book is about, and we can decide if we need to read it, right?"

Now both men were frowning at her.

"I wouldn't trust this man to tell me the truth about a book containing knowledge about magic!"

"I have many duties; do you expect me to wait hand and foot on you?"

"Yes! What else are you good for as a librarian?"

"This is not how we handle things at court!"

"Well, how about Lady Ruby goes and asks the King about that?" Marwyn bared his teeth at the other man.

Ruby cringed. To go complain to the King? Like… like going to tattle to the teacher? But… "The King has told us that we could use the library."

"That implies that you would use it with my help, my lady."

"Your 'help' is more hindrance! Just stay out of the way!"

"How dare you!"

Ruby shook her head. "We really don't want…"

"We need those books you're trying to hide!"

"I am not hiding any books - I am protecting them from being mishandled! Those books are centuries old!"

"How dare you insult me by claiming I would mishandle books! I've handled more and older books than you ever did!"

"Enough!" Ruby snapped, slamming Crescent Rose's butt into the ground before she realised that she had unfolded her scythe. She felt her cheeks heat up when the men turned to look at her again but straightened and raised her chin. "The King's given us permission to search his library. Archmaester Marwyn has offered us his help, and we're grateful for that. If you want to help us as well, we would also be grateful - and we would be done with it sooner and out of your hair. But letting you do all the work and picking which books we can read won't work." Really, this was getting ridiculous! They just wanted to use the library!

To her surprise, the Septon didn't protest, and Marwyn didn't gloat. Both men were staring at her.

"What?" She asked, wishing she had a mirror. Was there something on her face?

Then she realised that she had cracked the stone beneath her feet with her scythe.

"Oh. Sorry!" She smiled weakly at the two men. "I didn't mean to do that."

Fortunately, neither man called her out on her embarrassing mistake.

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"Your Grace."

"Stannis! Finally decided to stop sulking on Dragonstone and return to court in time for the greatest tourney the realm has ever seen?" The King chuckled and, without letting his younger brother say anything in return, turned to Ruby and her friends. "Ladies! This is my second brother, Stannis! Master of Ships - he commands the Royal Fleet when he's around. Stannis, these are Lady Ruby Rose, her sister, Lady Yang Xiao Long, Lady Weiss Schnee and Lady Blake Belladonna! They're the strongest women you've ever met!"

Ruby eyed the man - Lord Stannis, who was frowning at the King (who had been a bit rude, in her opinion). He looked very serious. And annoyed. He reminded her a bit of Professor Goodwitch - she didn't seem to smile a lot either. He looked similar to the King, though he wasn't fat and he had much less hair, both on his head (he was nearly bald) and on his face.

Then he turned to look at Ruby and her friends, and she smiled at him. "Hello, my lord!"

As her friends greeted him, Lord Stannis bowed his head in return, though he still didn't smile. He seemed to be one of the most gruff men she had met so far. Even worse than that shopkeeper back in Patch who was only happy when he made a sale.

"Don't let their looks fool you, Stannis! Each of the ladies could throw you across the throne room, as Lady Yang recently demonstrated on a man who insulted her!"

"Hey! I didn't throw the knight that far!" Yang protested, though she was grinning.

Ruby frowned at being reminded of that incident. The knight had done more than insulting Yang - he had attacked her! With a weapon! How stupid could you be? She hoped he was an exception and that there wouldn't be more such men. That would really suck.

"So I've been told," Lord Stannis said with a curt nod.

"Do you need a demonstration?" The King laughed and, once again, turned and spoke without giving his brother time to answer. "Lady Ruby, if you were so kind to give us a small demonstration…?"

Oh. Ruby straightened. If the King asked, she better do it. "Of course, Your Grace." She looked around for a suitable target - she wouldn't lift Lord Stannis; that would embarrass them both and probably hurt his honour or something. She could lift a table, but that would annoy everyone currently eating, and that wouldn't be nice. But lifting the side table wouldn't be really impressive - and risk ruining the cakes placed on it. So… Ah!

She activated her Semblance and disappeared, popping up between Weiss and Yang, then grabbed both their chairs and lifted.

"Hey!"

"Ruby!"

"Sorry!" Ruby held them both above her head and smiled at Lord Stannis. Her friends were the best choice for a demonstration - they wouldn't be annoyed or insulted!

"Let us down, you dolt!" Well, except for Weiss…

She set them down again and glanced at Lord Stannis. He didn't seem very impressed. He was staring at them, but he looked more gruff and glaring than surprised.

"I see."

The King laughed. "Bah, you're no fun, Stannis! I expected you to tell me how this is obviously a trick. Did you actually believe my letter?"

"I would never presume that Your Grace would lie to me," Stannis replied, looking offended. Well, more offended.

"Hah!" The King laughed again. "Now come on, take a seat - Boy! More wine! And some for Stannis!"

But instead of joining his brother, Lord Stannis turned around to look at the door behind him. "I have brought a visitor as well."

As if this had been a cue - it probably had been, Ruby realised - a woman appeared in the entrance and slowly walked toward Lord Stannis. A tall woman, though not as tall as Lady Brienne, with long, red - coppery - hair, and pale skin, wearing a bright red dress and a matching choker with a ruby set in it. And a red cloak!

Ruby beamed - the woman obviously had great taste! And red eyes, she realised. She was very beautiful, too.

"Your Grace, this is Melisandre, a red priestess of R'hllor. She hails from Asshai."

Melisandre bowed. "Your Grace." She had a deep and melodic voice. Exotic, Ruby decided.

"Ah!" The King smiled at her. "Welcome at my court, woman. Are you here to spread your faith, like Thoros?"

Melisandre bowed her head. "R'hllor sent me a vision, Your Grace." She turned to look at Ruby and her friends. "A red comet striking a glacier and melting it down to a wave that swept across the land."

Ruby felt a shiver run down her spine when the woman met her eyes and smiled. Those red eyes… She expected the woman to say something, but Melisandre only smiled and then bowed again and sat with Lord Stannis.

But for the entire rest of the meal, Melisandre kept glancing at Ruby and her friends. She didn't say anything, just… sneaked glances. It was a bit unnerving.

*****​

"That woman was a bit weird, wasn't she?" Ruby blurted out as soon as they were back in their room. She didn't even wait for Blake to check for spies. "She kept glancing at us but didn't say anything." Granted, she had been seated a bit too far to make conversation, but still!

Weiss, of course, waited for Blake to check the secret passage and give the all-clear before answering: "She seemed rather interested in us, though that is not entirely uncommon; it's actually surprising that Lord Stannis didn't seem to be as interested as his brothers."

"She's a priestess of that fire god," Yang said.

"R'hllor," Weiss added.

"Yeah, that one. And she has visions from her god that led her here." Yang shrugged. "A comet melting a glacier - I don't think she's talking about Ruby thawing our ice queen."

"What?" Ruby stared at her sister.

"Pardon?" Weiss jumped up. "What are you insinuating?"

Yang grinned. "I'm just saying you've mellowed out a lot since Ruby became your partner."

Oh, right. Ruby nodded. "Yes, that's right!"

Weiss narrowed her eyes at her and at Yang for a moment, then nodded as well. Good!

"You think that this prophecy refers to us fighting the Others," Blake said.

"It would fit, wouldn't it?" Yang shrugged. "We arrived, we kicked their butts."

"We didn't strike like a comet, and they didn't melt," Ruby pointed out.

"Prophecies are usually metaphorical," Blake told her. "It's not a literal comet strike. But if the glacier melting were the Others, then I wonder what the wave sweeping across the land is."

"It sounds far-fetched," Weiss said.

"But she is from Asshai - Marwyn said they have witches there who can work magic." Yang sat down on her bed. "So, she might be able to help us get home."

Ruby nodded - and the woman had style! - but Weiss looked a little doubtful. "Weiss?"

"She said she received visions from her god," Weiss said.

"Yes?" Ruby cocked her head sideways.

Weiss frowned. "I am not certain what could be more problematic: that she is using magic and following the orders of an imaginary god or that she is receiving visions from an actual god that involve us."

Oh. Right, neither sounded like a good thing for Team RWBY.

*****​

The Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"Lady Weiss! We still haven't decided when we'll hold the Battle of the Maidens. Would you mind to opinion on it?"

"Your Grace?" Weiss Schnee smiled widely. It was the least she could do for King, whose library they were still perusing in the hope of finding a way home, and who would be granting a fortune by any measure to her team. And it also granted her an excuse to be late to today's sewing circle with the Queen and her handmaidens as well as whoever amongst the ladies of the court was the unfortunate recipient of a royal invitation. Maybe she should stop for a snack in the great hall more often. "You are debating whether to hold it before or after the joust, I assume."

"Yes, my lady." Lord Tyrion, whose inclusion in the discussion was probably related to him drinking with the King, nodded. "It's mostly a question of how and when we insult the flower of the realm's chivalry."

The King guffawed, and Lord Eddard sighed and said: "While I would not put it so frivolously as Lord Tyrion, I do have to agree that we are faced with a problem. If we hold your contest before the joust, it will overshadow the lists. If we hold it afterwards, some of the more prickly knights might feel that it is considered the main event of the tourney."

"It is the main event!" The King cut in. "A battle the likes of which none have ever seen - and none will see for a long time after!"

Weiss couldn't help reconsidering the team's decision to participate in the battle. Certainly, the gold they would receive - no matter who won, the gold would go to the team - would grant them the financial independence they needed. That was more obvious with every day they spent at court. But she was more than a little concerned about showing off in front of so many people. Even without using more of their already low Dust supply, going all-out, as the King expected, would mean using their Semblances. With the exception of Ruby, they had kept those a secret so far. But the team - Ruby and Yang - had argued that it wouldn't be honourable to take so much gold without fighting to the best of their abilities. Weiss, with Blake's support, had only been able to successfully argue that they might need Dust to return home. Really, Ruby and Yang might be spending a bit too much time with the Stark children, in Weiss's opinion.

But the men at the table expected an answer. "I believe it would be better to hold the battle at the end of the tourney. Some might feel insulted, but others might dismiss us as an afterthought, and it should make the other events run more smoothly."

"Well said, Lady Weiss!" the Prince smiled at her. "It's what I argued."

The King laughed. "Yes, and Ned can't argue that it's dishonourable - we do reserve the place of honour for the main event; if some knights are too stupid to understand it, that's on them!"

Lord Eddard sighed again. "It does seem that there is no solution that will not result in problems."

"Welcome to ruling the realm, Ned!"

"As long as we pick the least bad solution, that's not a problem, right, Father?"

"Yes, Boy."

The trick was finding the least bad solution, of course. But Weiss didn't see any need to argue that.

"I am looking very much forward to seeing you battling without holding back, Lady Weiss," the Prince addressed her. "As impressive as your training sessions are, nothing compares to a real battle."

His smile was a bit too eager for Weiss's taste. But he was a boy who had never fought in a real battle. He didn't really understand what it entailed. "We will fight without holding back, but we will still stop before people get hurt."

He frowned briefly at that. "But how do you determine who has won then?"

"We will yield when we know we're beaten, of course," she replied. "Like in the melee, I believe."

"Few knights yield while they can still fight," he retorted with a pout.

"That is their prerogative," she said. "But we're used to fighting like that. It will be an impressive display, I promise you that." They would need quite a large safety zone. "But the risks of not stopping when the fight is decided are too great given our power."

"Even though you can quickly recover from wounds that would kill anyone else?"

Apparently, one of the others had let slip something again, and the Prince had picked it up. Weiss nodded. "We are very hard to hurt, but we are not invulnerable. And," she added with a smile, "we're friends. We don't like to hurt each other."

"Yes!" The King laughed at that and slapped Lord Eddard on the shoulder. "Friends don't fight friends - but they do knock them around in the training yard, right, Ned?"

The Prince nodded, although Weiss felt it was a bit reluctantly. He really was naive with regard to fighting. She hoped he would never have to find out what it was like. Then again, a future King who knew nothing about the cost of battles might not be a good thing either… But that was a topic for another day; she had a sewing circle to attend.

*****​

"Lady Weiss. Late again," the Queen greeted her with her usual scowl as Weiss entered her quarters.

"I am terribly sorry, Your Grace," Weiss lied with a smile. "I was asked to help plan the tournament by your husband the King." She didn't have to add 'and he outranks you'; the Queen heard it anyway.

But next to the ladies-in-waiting of the Queen already familiar to Weiss, another noblewoman - or a girl; she was very beautiful, but not even her expert makeup and perfectly styled dress could hide that she looked about as old as Ruby - was sitting, apparently with her own lady-in-waiting next to her.

The Queen waited a moment longer than would have been polite before introducing her. "Lady Margaery, this is Lady Weiss. Lady Weiss, Lady Margaery Tyrell."

"Ah, we finally meet, Lady Weiss!" the girl said as Weiss curtsied. "Although I hoped to meet your friends as well."

"Lady Ruby, Lady Yang and Lady Blake are, unfortunately, kept away by their various duties," Weiss replied as she took a seat of her own.

The Queen scoffed rather audibly, which caused Lady Margaery to raise her eyebrows in apparent if brief confusion, though everyone else knew better than to comment on the fact that the Queen had stopped inviting Ruby and the others. Weiss still wasn't quite certain why she had not been treated the same - she certainly hadn't kept her own opinion of the Queen a secret, although she had kept a polite facade for appearance's sake.

"You're Ser Loras's sister, right?" Weiss said. "He mentioned you were travelling here for the tourney." And she had expected the knight to introduce them.

"Yes." Lady Margaery smiled earnestly. "I am looking forward to seeing him in the joust. He is the best rider I know, and I hope he will be the tourney's champion."

"I wouldn't know; I hardly know anything about riding or jousting," Weiss replied. "Although he does cut a very dashing figure when he trains." Lady Sansa liked to go off about it, too, but Weiss knew better than to mention that - there would be rumours started within the hour about Lady Sansa cheating on her fiancé.

"As his sister, I am obviously biased, but I agree." Lady Margaery giggled softly. "Whoever he ends up marrying will be very happy, I believe."

Weiss nodded, her smile growing a slightly bit more polite. "I have no doubt of that."

"Of course, so would any man you'd marry, my lady."

"You flatter me," Weiss replied. That again. Was every noble she met trying to propose a betrothal to her? Lady Maegary was more subtle about it than most, but Weiss could see the signs.

"Unlike whoever ends up marrying Lady Brienne," another lady-in-waiting cut in with a slight sneer.

"Really?" Weiss frowned at the woman. "Why would you say that?" She was grateful for the interruption, but she wouldn't let that stop her from telling the woman just what she thought about her odious barb. Lady Brienne might not be a model, but she was an earnest young woman who would make whoever was not as superficial as to care only about appearances very happy. Besides, she was plain, but a bit of advice and some makeup, and maybe some styling help, could go a long way.

"Ah… have you seen her?"

"I consider her a friend, my lady." Weiss bared her teeth. "And so does Lord Renly."

Yes, maybe she should ask Lady Brienne if she wanted some advice about cosmetics.

*****​

Outside King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

This was very good fried fish! Blake Belladonna took another bite from the snack she had bought from the vendor Bran had recommended and savoured the taste. Indeed, this more than justified the detour she had taken on the way back to the city from the tourney's training area. She should have bought two, actually.

She stopped, taking another bite, and looked over her shoulder. If she turned around and headed back, she would probably finish her snack just before reaching the vendor. It would delay her return to the keep even more, but… It was really good fried fish. The best she had eaten in the city so far. "Worth it," she mumbled past the next bite and turned around.

She took a different route back, though. There had been another row of tents raised today, more people arriving to either compete in the tourney or hawk their wares - and services - to the knights and spectators, and she could take a look at the new lane formed.

She didn't recognise the sigils on the various banners planted next to the entrances, but she tried to remember them anyway, just in case - you never knew when even seemingly unimportant information could come in handy. Her time in the White Fang had taught her that.

So… She frowned. She did recognise that sigil. Three dogs - brrr!. That was the sigil of House Clegane; the Prince had shown it to them once, even though his sworn sword never wore it.

Which meant the large tent with the two guards in front who were giving her the evil eye must belong to another Clegane - and she only knew about one, the Hound's brother. Ser Gregor Clegane, The Mountain That Rides.

She had heard a lot about the man, mainly because everyone seemed to compare Team RWBY's strength to his, whether they had met the man in question or not. And she hadn't heard many good things about him, not even from Lord Tyrion, whose father was the knight's liege. Then again, she knew how someone's reputation could be deceptive, both for good or ill, and she was aware she shouldn't judge people based on rumours.

Still, the way those guards were sneering at her wasn't making her think that the knight's bad reputation was undeserved; you could tell a lot about someone by checking what kind of people they employed.

Although she would have expected the guards to have done something else than glaring at her by now - and why were they glaring at her, anyway? She had never met them or their lord before. Of course, the Hound didn't like her or her team, but she knew he positively loathed his brother. Would he still complain to him about her? She didn't think so.

So why were they glaring at her? If her partner had been here, then she would have sauntered over to the tent's entrance to ask them what their problem was - and likely start a fight in the process - but Blake wasn't Yang.

Instead, she continued walking, slowly, and focused on what she could hear from the tent's interior. The whole camp was a cacophony of noise, which made it hard to listen in to any conversation at a distance. Hard but not impossible.

But she only heard some… groaning?

She stopped and cocked her head. It sounded as if someone was in pain. And given the man's reputation… She clenched her teeth. Time to act like her partner, then.

She quickly swallowed the rest of her snack and walked over to the tent. Both men tensed when they saw her approach, another bad sign. "You seem to have a problem with me," she told them without greeting them.

They glanced at each other, then at the flap hiding the tent's interior from view, before looking back at her. "No," the one on the right said. "We don't have a problem, my lady."

The groaning had stopped. But Blake was committed now. "You were glaring at me as if you wanted to attack me," she said.

"We mistook you for someone else," the other guard said. "My lady," he added belatedly.

"Oh? There's someone else who looks like me?" Blake channelled a bit more of her partner as she flashed a smile at them. "Who is it? I think I want to meet that person."

"Ah…" Again, the two glanced at each other, though this time, they were glaring.

And Blake picked up heavy footsteps from the tent. A moment later, the flap was pushed to the side, and a huge man appeared in the entrance. He almost filled the entire space - he was bigger than Adam's Lieutenant.

Not big enough to hide the empty tent behind him, though. So, he had been the one who had been groaning. And she caught some white film on his lips - he had just drunk some… Not milk, something else. She sniffed the air but couldn't place the smell.

"Who're you?" the giant asked.

"She's Lady Blake, Ser," the guard said. "The one…" He cringed and stopped when Clegane growled at him and balled his hands into fists.

Blake had been about to blame the guards for her presence, but this changed things. "I was curious," she said. "I've met your brother and recognised the sigil."

He sneered, baring yellowish teeth. "You're the witch who claims to be stronger than I am."

She frowned in return. "I am no witch."

"Ser!" the guard tried again. "Lord Tyrion said…"

The giant backhanded the man without looking, catching him in the face and sending him to the ground in a boneless heap with teeth and blood splattering against the tent behind him.

"Are you crazy?" she gasped, taking a step back and reaching for Gambol Shroud's hilt.

He chuckled, his mouth opening into a smile. Definitely crazy.

The other guard had moved behind Clegane's back to reach his fallen partner. "Joff!" He grabbed the man's head, and Blake was bout to call out not to move the man, in case he had spinal injuries, when she caught a glimpse of the man's eyes.

They were staring at nothing, and his expression was frozen. Dead.

"Joff!"

"You killed him," she whispered. The rumours had been correct - Clegane was a monster!

Clegane chuckled again - and started laughing at her.

"Joff!"

They had drawn a crowd, though everyone kept their distance, Blake realised.

"He's dead," she said, loud enough to carry to the crowd. "Ser Gregor murdered him."

The giant stopped laughing and glared at her, breathing heavily - she wrinkled her nose at the stench of his breath. "He disobeyed me."

"That's no reason to murder a man!" she spat. Not even Adam would have done that.

He scoffed.

She glanced at the crowd. None of them looked like they were about to step in. Very well. "Call the gold cloaks!" she yelled. "There has been a murder!"

For a moment, no one reacted. Then she saw someone turning away and calling out for guards.

And Clegane roared and charged her.

He was fast, very fast, for someone his size, but not fast enough. Not nearly fast enough. She ducked beneath his swing and slid between legs as thick as her torso, drawing Gambol Shroud as she jumped to her feet behind him. "Surrender!" she called out.

He whirled, lashing out with a kick as he turned, and she jumped over his leg, then twisted in the air, flipping over to drive her heels into his face.

Blood flew as he stumbled back, seemingly shocked, and she landed nimbly on her feet. "Surrender!" she repeated herself, pointing her blade at him. "You are unarmed and unarmoured!"

He grabbed the sword of the fallen guard and charged her again.

Enough was enough. She met his blade with Gambol Shroud, twisting her weapon to parry his swing in that seemingly effortless way Ser Barristan had taught them, then stepped into his reach and kicked him in the stomach.

He stumbled back, then bent over, spitting white vomit and bile on the ground, and Blake clenched her teeth in disgust when the sour smell reached her nostrils. "Whore!" he snarled, looking at her with rolling eyes above his bleeding, broken nose and split lips.

What was it with those insults? Blake scoffed and lunged. It was time to end this before someone else got hurt.

He tried to hit her, but she dodged his first swing by sidestepping it, then jumped over his backswing and hit him in the face with Gambol Shroud's sheath, hard enough to stagger a beowulf.

He was no beowulf - he was already falling when she landed on his back and drove him into the ground, face first.

For a moment, the crowd was silent, staring at her as if she was the monster. Then the yelling started and didn't stop even after the gold cloaks finally arrived to take Clegane into custody.

*****​

Outside King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

"Whoo! Go, Jon! Show them how to fight!" Yang Xiao Long cheered loudly and waved when she spotted Jon in his armour - with a new breastplate wrought by Mott's apprentice - standing at the edge of the battleground, between two knights in slightly rusted armour. He saluted her with his sword.

Then she waved at the armoured figure standing a dozen knights apart from Jon, easy to spot since she towered over almost everyone. "Smash them into the ground, Brienne!" Brienne saluted her as well.

"You're making a spectacle," Weiss commented from her left side.

"So? A tourney is meant to be a spectacle!" Yang replied. The people here certainly needed it, what with having no scrolls, no TV, not even ancient radio.

"Just an observation." Weiss didn't really sound annoyed, even though the row of noblewomen behind them were tittering. Well, except for Lady Margaery and her friends.

"Whoo! Go, Jon! Go, Brienne!" Ruby, standing on Weiss's other side, was also going all-out, as expected. Weiss didn't say anything to her, though - as Ruby's partner, she would know it wouldn't do anything. She beamed at Weiss and Yang. "This is so exciting!"

Yang nodded. Everyone was fired up. Most of the audience was cheering their hearts out. Not the nobles, though. "Certainly more exciting than the archery contest."

"The archers have shown impressive skills," Weiss said.

"Yeah, but, you know, bows and arrows just lack a gun's yang." Yang grinned when Weiss rolled her eyes, and Ruby giggled.

She glanced to her right side. Blake had been quiet so far. Probably trying not to draw any more attention - the court had made a big fuss about her knocking out that Mountain creep. Some of the nobles seemed to think that Blake arresting the guy was worse than the guy murdering one of his own guards.

Well, the King would hold a trial after the tourney, and the creep would be locked up in the dungeons until then, so Yang wasn't really worried. Their upcoming team battle would make a much bigger splash, anyway.

A trumpet sounded - the signal to begin!

In the battleground, the participants turned on their neighbours at once. Jon had to fend off two knights ganging up on him, and only quick footwork saved him from getting brained as he circled around one while giving ground to the other so they would hinder each other.

Brienne was under attack by three - no, two; she had just smashed one down with a quick combination that left the guy unmoving on the ground.

"Cowards!" Yang yelled. "Ganging up on our friends?"

"I believe that is the reason they are ganging up on Jon and Brienne," Weiss commented.

"What?" Yang didn't spare her a glance; she was focused on Jon disarming his first opponent - he had watched Ser Barristan as well - but getting hit in the back and sent stumbling. "Coward!" But Jon's new chestplate held. And might have saved him from a broken back.

"It's allowed in melee," Blake said. "But I think Weiss is right - they are going after our friends. Either to get at us or because they think they are a bigger threat than they are because of us."

"Oh." That made sense. And Jon recovered. He whirled, deflected another attack with his shield and lunged, striking at the other knight's shin. His opponent snapped his shield down, and Jon hit him in the face with his shield.

Yang cheered - she had shown him that move!

"Go, Brienne!" Ruby yelled. "Go, Jon!"

"The ranks are thinning," Weiss commented. "The easy opponents are already down."

Jon was facing a knight in fancy armour now. Rich - and experienced. Not as experienced as a Kingsguard, though. And… No, not as talented as Jon. Jon quickly started to drive the man back with a series of sharp, quick blows that had him struggling to cope. His footwork was suffering as well, and… there was an opening! And Jon used it! His sword struck the man's helmet, and he went down.

Jon placed the tip of his training sword at the man's gorget, then retreated.

"He yielded," Blake stated the obvious.

"Good. Even if Jon is eliminated now, that knight's ransom should be enough to pay his own armour's ransom and leave a profit," Weiss added.

Yang snorted.

Brienne, meanwhile, had smashed two more knights down, but now three were ganging up on her again. And those were more skilled than the ones at the start. And they were working together as if they had done that before.

Yang narrowed her eyes. That was… "That's cheating!" she spat. "They must have planned that!"

Brienne was surrounded and no matter who she faced, she'd leave an opening. Her armour was sporting new dents, and Yang winced - those would be nasty bruises. She couldn't keep this up for long.

Brienne had realised that as well. She suddenly charged ahead and tackled the one in front of her. He was smashed into the ground, with her on top. Brienne used the opportunity to land two quick blows with her gauntlets on his head - like Yang would have done! - before rolling off him and to the side. That meant a blow aimed at her back landed on the unconscious knight's chest, and Brienne reached out and grabbed the blade with her fist before he could draw back.

A quick tug of war later, the man had lost his sword, and Brienne advanced on him. A few blows left his shield battered and out of position, followed by a body blow that sent him staggering back a few steps before he fell to his knees, raising his hands in defeat.

But the attack had left Brienne too open, and the third knight struck her in the legs from behind, and she collapsed. She managed to roll around and avoid another strike, but when she tried to get up, her leg gave out. She managed to parry two more blows, but it was obvious… Oh! Another knight stepped in to face the coward and made short work of him. Yang cheered.

But Brienne was still unable to stand, and her saviour turned to face her, pointing his sword at her. She yielded and Yang booed. "No, Brienne!"

"No, Jon!" Ruby yelled, followed by Arya and Bran, and Yang turned to watch,

Jon was in a bad situation. He had lost his shield and was barely fending off the blows of a taller knight in heavy armour who slowly but surely was pushing him back. Yang looked around, but there were too few knights left and none of them were about to intervene.

Jon was good, but his opponent was better, and Yang winced when he caught a blow to the side that sent him stumbling, then another on the shoulder that made him drop his sword and yield.

"He gave a good showing," Weiss said. "He was amongst the last ten to stand. Better than expected. Brienne as well."

"And both will be lucky to stand tomorrow, with all the bruises they collected," Blake said.

Yang nodded and watched the last four - three - knights standing as they faced each other.

"Vacuan standoff," Ruby commented. "Whoever attacks first is likely to get ganged up on."

"Only if they're not good enough to pull a surprise attack off," Yang disagreed.

And as if they had heard her, one of the knights dashed forward, striking at one of his opponents, then whirling and catching the second right when that one tried to flank him, landing a hammer blow on the man's sword arm.

But his first opponent was fast enough to attack before the knight could turn and struck with a combination of blows that smashed his shield to the side and left him open for a blow to the head. The knight didn't recover from that and went down after a few more blows to the body, and the audience - including the nobles - cheered as he fell down and yielded.

Yang cheered as well. It wasn't as exciting or fast as a sparring match at Beacon, but it had been a sight. "Let's go check on our friends," she said.

"Yes!" Ruby turned. "Are you coming as well?" she asked Bran and Arya.

"With Lord Eddard's permission," Weiss commented with a frown that had all three blush a little and made Yang snicker.

But Lord Eddard nodded, and so all of them were off to congratulate their friends. And to console them if needed - Jon probably was brooding already, thinking he had disappointed his family and friends even though he had been doing very well, especially for a boy his age.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

So they knew that despite how strong team RWBY claimed themselves to be, they can be defeated.

Click to shrink...

Kind of.

Yes, odd that Yang has the name but not the appearance of a Yi Ti suggesting her origins lies elsewhere.

Click to shrink...

Or that they don't know enough about Yi Ti.

Oh Baelish is far more dangerous than anyone realize. In fact none of the characters in canon truly appreciate how dangerous people like him is because they work in the shadows until it was made clear to them.

Click to shrink...

Baelish is dangerous, but he is not as dangerous (or smart) as he thinks he is.

Now we're talking! Technically Yang is the strongest but Ruby is a prodigy and Weiss is the most adaptable. Blake is likely to be the weakest because her skills rely on deception, assassinations - not quite useful in a direct combat. But maybe one can make the argument she's more agile and flexible than the rest of her team.

Personally, I like Weiss to win. She rarely gets a W in canon so perhaps the extra lessons with Barristan will be enough for her to win.

Click to shrink...

Ah, there are a few variables in play here to determine the outcome. It's not always the strongest who wins.

 

[Mike9650]

This story is getting really good. I love it!

 

[ATP]

Well,good chapter,and girls finally meet bad witch of Asshai.Pity,that she do not knew how to change dimensions,too....

 

[0SoutherPot760]

This is interesting. The openings are fantastic!! Big fan of the historical perspective POV

 

[Starfox5]

Chapter 14: The Battle of the Maidens

'Some scholars try to cite the fact that the Ruby Order took part in the Hand's Tourney in the Battle of the Maidens, a special competition limited to the four of them, as proof that the tourney was restricted to men. This could not be further from the truth, as it overlooks or straight ignores the participation of Lady Brienne Tarth in the melee, which multiple sources confirm, both sympathetic and hostile to the lady in question or the Ruby Order. It is also clear, mostly thanks to sources from Storm's End's archives, that Lady Brienne was already a trained fighter when she took part in the contest, so the claim that she met the Ruby Order in King's Landing and, inspired by their skill, asked to be trained as a knight by them so she could take part in the tourney, can be dismissed as a factually wrong later addition to the myths surrounding the Order. But if Lady Brienne could fight in the melee - officially, and not disguised as a man, as some of the more fanciful tales add - then why didn't the Four Maidens themselves take part? Some sources claim that they were bribed with a contest of their own, and a sizable fortune, to keep them from humiliating the flower of Westeros's chivalry, preventing unrest amongst the nobility in a time of instability. That theory ignores that while the roots of the Succession were already laid during King Robert's reign, it is generally agreed that his reign was stable, especially after he had crushed the Greyjoy rebellion. Equally unfounded is the theory that King Robert didn't want to risk the Four Maidens' beauty since they were known to fight without armour, relying on skill at arms to avoid being hurt. The claim that they fought without armour has long since been contested by every serious military scholar of the time and is likely an addition based on tales from a later era when armour started to fade from military use following the proliferation of firearms and colourful uniforms became common. Nevertheless, while there is no irrefutable proof, the most likely explanation lies in political struggles following the arrest of the Mountain that resulted in a compromise to satisfy everyone's honour, though we cannot say for sure who the involved parties were. This is based on several comments in surviving letters of the time that lauded King Robert's cunning in arranging what we would today call an exhibition match.'

• A Treatise On The Ruby Order, by Maester Kennet Bracken

*****​

Outside King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Margaery Tyrell held her breath when the signal sounded and her brother pushed his horse forward. Loras looked splendid in his shiny new armour, and his form was perfect as he rode down the lane, lance lowered already, aimed at his opponent. Still, she couldn't help worrying - jousting, even with tourney lances, was dangerous.

And Loras's opponent was Ser Jaime Lannister, one of the most famous, and infamous, knights of the realm. He had far more experience than her brother. In a joust, his age - he was more than double Loras's age - wouldn't be much, if any, hindrance. And he cut a dashing, dangerous figure with his white cloak trailing behind, wearing the best armour Lannister gold could buy. He had murdered the last king - and she wouldn't put it beyond him to kill Loras if given the chance to make it look like an accident.

No, she had to have faith in Loras! He was one of the best knights in Westeros! He wouldn't give the Kingslayer such a chance. He would…

She forced herself to watch as the two knights clashed while the spectators yelled, both lances hitting the other's shield and breaking on impact. Loras was leaning to the side as the two passed each other, but quickly straightened, while Ser Jaime appeared unmoved.

Both saluted each other as they returned to their squires to replace their lances for the next pass.

"Loras almost had him, Margaery!" Angia said next to her.

Margaery smiled at her and nodded, though both of them knew it wasn't true. Loras had been closer to being unhorsed than Ser Jaime.

People cheered as the two lined up again, and Margaery glanced around, unwilling to stare at her brother. The King was laughing, pointing with his free hand while his goblet was being refilled by his page. No surprise there - King Robert was known to love tourneys. He wouldn't have spent a fortune of gold on this otherwise. Lannister gold, mainly, if Grandmother's sources could be trusted.

The Queen, of course, was cheering for her brother, but Margaery couldn't help thinking it felt put on, almost fake - no, not fake; she wanted her brother to win, but there was more to it. Maybe she wanted Loras to lose even more than she wanted her brother to win? It was something to investigate.

"Go, Ser Loras! Go, Ser Jaime!" Lady Yang yelled, with both hands cupped around her mouth to let her voice carry better across the field. If Margaery had done this, made such a spectacle, Grandmother would have words with her.

The Queen openly scowled at her, even though 'Team Ruby' clearly had no favourite in this tourney. Was she jealous of Lady Yang? The woman was far younger than the Queen, and - in Margaery's honest opinion - far more beautiful as well. Her temper was also far more agreeable, and it was obvious that the King was very fond of her and her friends - though they were not sleeping together; Margaery could tell.

"They're starting again!" Angia told her, and Margaery whipped her head around in time to catch Loras spurring his horse onward once more.

And once more, she held her breath, struggling not to close her eyes as the two knights clashed, and once again, neither knight fell as both lances were reduced to firewood. This time, Loras didn't even sway, and Margaery sighed with relief when both started to return to their squires for the next pass.

"Woohoo!" Lady Yang cheered again, as did her sister and leader of their group, Lady Ruby - the two were the most excited of her friends. Lady Weiss and Lady Blake were more restrained.

They were a conundrum, Margaery had to admit. Probably beyond even Grandmother's ability to unravel. They had the King's favour - at the cost of having the Queen's open disfavour - and they were friendly not only with Lord Renly but also with the King's Hand; spending a lot of time with three of his children. And Margaery had no doubt that Lady Blake causing the Mountain to be arrested for murder would be looked on with favour and interest by the Martells. And, according to Grandmother's sources, all four were far stronger than they appeared, although Margaery didn't know just how strong they were. Rumours claimed Lady Blake had easily beaten the Mountain, though she had heard that he had not been wearing armour and had drunk so much milk of the poppy that a lesser man would have died on the spot.

Nevertheless, the four foreign noblewomen were currently the most influential faction at the court by themselves, so why weren't they trying to solidify their position? Margaery had subtly touched on the subject of a betrothal when she had met Lady Weiss, but the noblewoman had deflected her proposal, and Margaery wasn't aware of any betrothals or proposals currently being considered by any of the girls. Apparently, they had turned down proposals by Lord Robb Stark, the heir to the North, and by Prince Joffrey himself! Margaery knew no family who would not have accepted either betrothal at once - well, except for the Martells who hated the Lannisters and Baratheons, and she would still give better than even odds of them accepting anyway.

It made no sense - Margaery couldn't fathom what game Team Ruby was playing. And that…

The trumpet starting the third pass interrupted her thoughts. She drew a deep breath through her suddenly clenched teeth and stared as Loras rode on. Was he faster than before? Yes, he was - Margaery rode her own prized mare often enough to tell. What was he planning?

The two knights bore down on each other, and Margaery tensed even more. Loras's lance wavered! Was he tired from the other passes? Why would…?

Loras whipped up his lance at the last moment before the two clashed, and it struck his opponent's shield at the perfect angle before breaking.

Margaery gasped as Ser Jaime was lifted from his saddle and slid to the side, one foot splitting out of the stirrup. Was he…? Yes! Ser Jaime fell off his horse! Loras was the victor! Loras had won the Hand's Tourney!

She cheered as loudly as Lady Yang and Lady Ruby.

*****​

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Margaery had to resist touching the crown on her head as she took another sip from the excellent wine - the best and most expensive arbor gold; she recognised the vintage - at the feast. Loras had crowned her Queen of love and beauty! Oh, how the Queen had glared. Granted, Loras was her brother and knew better than to crown anyone else, but Margaery didn't think she didn't deserve the honour. Not even when comparing herself to Team Ruby. The Four Maidens were exotic and very beautiful, but there was more to a woman's beauty than mere appearance. Poise, grace and wit were as crucial as looks, and, of course, without perfect manners, not even the greatest beauty could truly shine.

"Congratulations, Lady Margaery!"

"Why, thank you, Lady Yang." Margaery dipped her head with a friendly smile. Case in point.

"Yes, congratulations! You deserve the honour!" Lady Ruby added.

"Indeed. Ser Loras may be your brother, but he clearly followed the chivalric ideal to be honest and true." Lady Weiss nodded at her as well.

"I concur." Lady Blake was as taciturn as Lady Margaery had heard, but her smile seemed as genuine as her friends'.

Team Ruby was either honest about Loras's choice or they were the best liars Margaery had ever met. She wasn't quite certain which was correct, but manners dictated her response. "Thank you!"

Lady Yang turned her head, looking over her shoulder, then frowned.

"Is something wrong, my lady?" Margaery asked.

"Nothing. Well, one of our friends is still brooding, and Lady Brienne has yet to arrive."

"Ah." They were talking about Stark's bastard son, then. The boy had fought well at the melee, or so Margaery had been told by Loras - she was no expert - so something must have happened if he wasn't celebrating his success. Had the ransom of those he had defeated been underwhelming? Or had he hoped to win the melee? He was a boy, and he might have overestimated his own prowess. Or… Had he hoped to win the heart of one of the Four Maidens? The boy spent a lot of time in their company, as Margaery had heard, and they were very attractive - and dressed so scandalously, even old men might be driven to foolish expectations. The boy might have deluded himself into thinking that if he won the tourney, it might overshadow the fact that he was a bastard. Or he had hoped to be legitimised as a reward. "Lady Brienne is well, I hope? She was struck hard in the melee - I feared for her health," Margaery said.

"Oh, she's fine. Bruised as hell, but she's tough." Lady Yang grinned. "Won't let that keep her down."

And arbor gold would dull the pain, Margaery thought. At least, the bruises wouldn't harm her appearance - there was not much to be harmed. She harboured no ill will against Lady Brienne, but the kindest one could say about her looks was that she was plain. The worst… well, some of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting had complained about milk curdling in her presence. They were creatures of the Queen, and Lady Brienne was, by association with Team Ruby, placed firmly amongst those the Queen did not favour, but if Margaery was brutally honest, they were not that far off the mark.

Lady Weiss frowned. "Maybe I should check on her before she misses the first course."

That was interesting. Team Ruby might hold Lady Brienne in higher regard than Margaery had expected if she was willing to fetch her in person. Although it did fit the tales of the Four Maidens' kindness that Margaery's servants had passed on to her. Or they had a weakness for unfortunate people - Stark's bastard would certainly fit the description as well. Maybe..

"There she is!" Lady Ruby announced. "Oh, she looks nice!"

Margaery turned, a polite smile on her face, and found herself blinking. Lady Brienne had entered the great hall but she wasn't wearing an ill-fitting dress nor enough face paint or powder to weigh down a mule in a desperate attempt to pass as a beautiful woman.

No, Lady Brienne was wearing men's clothing - a very fine doublet and hose, with a touch of Braavos' style; Margaery could tell - and tailored to fit her body much better than her usual clothes. She would have to inquire which tailor had managed that.

"Lady Brienne! Nice threads!" Lady Yang said as the other woman approached their group.

Lady Brienne looked confused for a moment before she nodded. "Thank you, my lady."

She was wearing face paint, Margaery realised - though much less, or much more subtly applied than most women at court would choose. It didn't turn her into a striking beauty, but it did hide the bruise on her face and the other blemishes of her skin. It couldn't do anything about her broken nose, of course, or her teeth, but it did help. "Indeed," Margaery said with a smile. She almost added a comment about how daring it was, though Lady Brienne would probably mistake the compliment for a jest - Margaery had heard how some men mockingly called her 'Brienne the beauty'.

"Thank you, my lady." Lady Brienne bowed her head.

"Lady Brienne! You look very dashing today!" Lord Renly and Loras joined them.

"Thank you, my lord." Lady Brienne blushed. "You are too kind."

Margaery knew that Lord Renly was merely honest, of course, and the reasons why. But that was not something she could or wanted to discuss in public. Or with anyone except for her close family.

Instead she made polite conversation and tried to figure out if anyone from Team Ruby harboured similar interests. If they were not receptive to offers of marriage, then maybe there were other ways to forge closer ties with them.

*****​

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

Weiss had done good work! Ruby Rose beamed at Lady Brienne. Her partner was the best when it came to makeup and fashion. Well, except for Coco Adel, but she was an upper year Huntress. Weiss was Ruby's partner! And you could barely see where Lady Brienne's bruises were while the hose and the shirt - the doublet, she reminded herself - suited her perfectly. If only she were wearing her sword and shield as well! Maybe Ruby could design a collapsible shield for her that also served as a sheath for her sword… No, they lacked all the materials such a design would need. Although maybe a simpler version, a shield with an integrated sheath? Hmmm… That might work.

Her design work was interrupted by a not-so-soft elbow in her side and a whispered "Ruby!" from her partner.

"Sorry!" she mouthed, smiling embarrassedly. "So! That was a nice tourney, wasn't it?" she added a bit more loudly.

"It's not yet over," Lord Renly said. "Tomorrow, we will be treated to your fight - the Battle of the Maidens."

"Right!" Ruby nodded and tried not to wince at the name - 'Maidens' sounded so pretentious! (And it was probably incorrect, not that she would ever ask her friends about that!) "But the joust is the main event, right?"

"Normally, yes," he replied. "Although I would wager that this time, things might turn out differently if my brother the King is to be believed."

Yang laughed. "Oh, we'll do our best to put on a good show! Just don't complain if we wreck the ring."

"Yes!" Ruby nodded. They wouldn't be able to easily repair whatever they broke in the match like Professor Goodwitch could thanks to her Semblance.

"Really?" Lady Margaery looked a bit doubtful, though she was polite about it. Unlike a certain Queen.

"You have never seen them spar with the Kingsguard, sister," Ser Loras said. "I have, and I am looking forward to seeing them fight in their melee."

"You're not the only one!" Yang smashed her fist in her palm. "Watching all those contests makes me want to cut loose as well! I've got some pent-up energy to work off, and those twenty thousand gold dragons are calling for me!"

The others - those from Westeros - looked a bit confused but nodded anyway. Well, Yang's sentiments were clear. She had commented several times how she was looking forward to showing off.

Ruby snorted. Yang might be confident to win, but Ruby wouldn't hold back either.

"Don't bet on winning," Weiss cut in with a toothy smile. "It's been quite a while since we gave our all in a sparring match."

"Exactly! You must have grown rusty!" Yang replied with a matching smile.

Weiss scoffed in return. "We'll see tomorrow who has grown rusty."

Ruby looked from her sister to her partner. Sure, she wanted to win as well, but they seemed to take this a bit too seriously. It wasn't as if they wouldn't share the money, anyway.

She glanced at Blake, who hadn't said anything yet. Blake was smiling subtly, but her eyes almost seemed to glint as she said: "Tomorrow should be interesting."

"So, you have been holding back!" Lord Renly nodded. "My brother was right. And now I am even more curious to find out what you've been holding back. Lady Ruby isn't shy about demonstrating her own talents, so it's something different, right?"

"You will have to wait for our match," Weiss told him. "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

"It'll be a blast!" Yang announced with a chuckle.

Ruby giggled at the comment, but Weiss rolled her eyes. "Not if I eliminate you before!" she said.

"I'd like to see you try!"

Ruby was wondering if she should step in - she was team leader, after all - but she noticed the Prince walking toward them. Well, she noticed Clegane, Sandor Clegane, approaching, the man was even taller than Lady Brienne and was the Prince's bodyguard, so the Prince should be with him. Or he with the Prince, whatever. And there was the Prince!

"Good evening, my prince!" she greeted him.

"Good evening, Lady Ruby." He nodded at her, then at the others. "Uncle Renly. Lady Weiss. Lady Blake. Lady Yang. Lady Margaery. Lady Brienne. Ser Loras. Good evening."

"Joffrey." Lord Renly smiled at his nephew, but he looked more… polite than warm. Not for the first time, Ruby remembered - they were family, but they weren't close. Then again, Lord Stannis and the King didn't seem very close either. Nor Lord Renly and Lord Stannis. She felt bad for the Baratheons. You should cherish your family - you never knew when you might lose someone.

"Congratulations for your victory, Ser Loras. It was a close bout, and very tense," the Prince went on.

"Thank you, my prince." Ser Loras bowed in that graceful manner of his.

The Prince turned to smile at her. "I wanted to wish all of you luck for tomorrow. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing you demonstrate your true power."

Ruby tried not to wince - they would still hold back some; they didn't have enough Dust left to waste any of it on a sparring match. So, she felt a bit bad about nodding. "Yes. We usually don't go all out when sparring."

"It can be a bit hard on the training area," Yang added with a fierce grin.

"More destructive than your usual sparring?" Lord Renly raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, yes!" Yang grinned.

"Some people sometimes forget to control themselves," Weiss said with a glance at Yang, whose grin widened. "Also, we rarely have a training area large enough for a sparring match where we don't hold back."

The Prince tilted his head slightly to the side. "Lady Ruby doesn't seem to have trouble controlling her magical speed when she's training in the yard."

"I don't," Ruby agreed. She had trained to fight even in enclosed spaces - you never knew when you had to hunt Grimm in a cave or so. "But with more space to use, I can use my Semblance better as well." She couldn't really use it to create a whirlwind if others were too close - well, she could, but that would be bad for the audience.

"Usually, the wider the area, the more options you have," Blake added.

Yang shrugged. "It's all the same for me. I hit things."

Ruby frowned at her. With none of them using ammo in the fight, Yang couldn't use her shotguns to boost her speed, but she wouldn't have to worry about Ruby sniping her from afar, or Weiss using exotic Dust-enhanced glyphs. That meant she had an advantage.

But Ruby had a plan for that. She just needed to settle some details.

"Do you require any special preparations?" the Prince went on. "We'll provide you with anything you might need."

"Oh, no - we can activate our Semblances as we want," Ruby said. "We don't need anything special."

"Not even Dust?"

"Dust can enhance a Semblance - or any weapon," Ruby replied. "But it's not needed."

"And will you be using Dust tomorrow? I remember hearing about Fire Dust," the Prince said.

"We have to conserve our Dust charges in case we need them to get home," Ruby explained. Or in an emergency. Even though she couldn't think of an emergency they couldn't handle without Dust. But Marwyn had told them that Dust might be the key to getting them home. Though he also thought Dust was magical, and it wasn't - Weiss had explained that thoroughly.

"Ah, that's too bad. I would have loved seeing you wield weapons enhanced with Dust. Though I assume you'd have to do that before the fight starts."

"You can do it in the middle of the fight as well," Ruby told him. "If you know how."

"Dust is very versatile," Weiss added. "Though you need to know how to use it or you'd risk hurting yourself, or worse, if you manipulate it."

"Ah, yes - I sneezed when I met Weiss and almost blew us up with some loose Dust!" Ruby giggled at the memory.

"You left a crater in the ground," Weiss said, rolling her eyes. But she was smiling fondly, so that was OK.

The Prince looked disappointed, but that couldn't be helped - they really couldn't waste Dust on a show. "You'll be amazed at what we can do," she told him, which made him smile.

Success!

*****​

Weiss Schnee wanted to sigh - the Prince's attempts to find out more information about them were almost painfully transparent - but that would have been rude. And the Prince was a child; it wouldn't be nice at all to make fun of him for being curious about them just because he was a bit more obvious about it than the rest. More persistent, too. Still, he would have to wait until tomorrow to learn about their Semblances, like everyone else. They hadn't shown them to anyone, after all.

And she was relieved she had managed to shut down requests to use Dust. They had to conserve their reserves for emergencies. She didn't think Dust would be useful for getting home - it wasn't magical, despite Marwyn's opinion - but she couldn't completely dismiss the possibility that Dust might be needed in some way. Magic might have unique effects on Dust, after all - in fact, as Weiss had theorised with the Archmaester, interaction between Dust and magic might have been the reason for them being transported to this world.

"Ah, you know how to play the game!" Lord Renly said with a smile. "You're a tease, Lady Ruby."

Weiss pressed her lips together when Ruby blushed. Her partner and team leader shouldn't be so easily flustered by the simplest flirting. Still, she was two years younger. More innocent as well, at least in this area.

So Weiss nodded and took a small step forward, drawing the group's attention. "Pageantry is important - especially in a tournament."

Lady Margaery smiled. "You just caused our expectations to rise even higher."

"Yes, we did," Weiss said with a smile. She was well aware of that.

"And you won't be disappointed!" Yang chuckled again.

Weiss was about to comment again when she noticed Blake turning away from the group. What was she looking at? Ah. Lord Baelish was headed their way. Once again, he was dressed in the finest clothes, albeit a little understated compared to Lord Renly's attire. Since he had only a small fief, his wealth was all thanks to his position as Master of Coin, and Weiss was pretty certain that he was skimming off the top, so to speak. But that was expected, as she understood the situation, as long as you didn't take too much.

He greeted all of them with the utmost politeness and a warm smile, though Lord Renly, once again, was polite at best, and the Prince looked bored - maybe even annoyed for a moment. Neither fact seemed to faze Lord Baelish. "As others have doubtless done so, I offer my congratulations to your victory, Ser Loras."

"Thank you, my lord."

"Oh!" Lord Baelish nodded at Lord Renly. "Since you're here. I have a question about our most infamous prisoner that you as Master of Laws would undoubtedly be able to answer."

"Yes?" Now Lord Renly sounded wary. And the Hound was tense and looked as if he was about to growl.

Undeterred by either, Lord Baelish continued. "Will you be putting Ser Gregor on trial for his many, many past crimes as well? You might have to delay his trial even longer if you do, of course, since the Princes Martell will want to attend the trial in that case, to see the rapist and murderer of their sister and her children being brought to justice."

Weiss's eyes widened, and she heard Ruby gasp. Clegane had murdered - and raped - a noblewoman and her children? A princess, at that? And he had not been put on trial for that? That was shameful indeed!

Blake and Yang looked angry.

"The only crime he has been accused of so far is the killing of his guard," Lord Renly replied. "No other charges have been brought forward yet."

Were those just rumours then? They would have to look into this. Lord Eddard would likely know, wouldn't he?

Lord Baelish shrugged. "They have not yet sent a raven with any demands? Curious. I would have expected them to rush to King's Landing to see justice - if late and only indirectly - be granted to their kin."

Ruby nodded firmly. "Yes! People need such trials to get closure!"

That was correct. Weiss knew that from losing family and friends in a White Fang attack.

"They haven't brought forth any charges so far," Lord Renly repeated himself. "Should they do, we'll have to consider that."

Ser Loras shrugged. "As long as Clegane is put to death, who cares about the exact crime that sees him executed?"

"The Martells, I would think," Lord Baelish said. "And the kin of all his other victims - provided they are still alive and will hear about this trial in time to attend." He took a sip of wine from the cup he held in his left hand. "Of course, there's also the question of who will be willing to face the Mountain in his trial by combat."

"I would!" Sandor Clegane spat through clenched teeth. "The cunt burnt my face and killed my sister when we were children."

Weiss froze for a moment. She had known about the origin of the facial scars, and had been appalled that such a crime had never been punished, but she hadn't been aware of such details - nor that Ser Gregor had murdered his own sister as well.

"Oh, no!" Ruby blurted out, looking at Clegane with pity in her eyes.

That would make the man even angrier, Weiss suspected.

"You are his brother, Clegane," Lord Renly said. "No trial will see a champion turned kinslayer! The very notion would have the Septons protest!"

"Bah!" Clegane growled. "That monster is no kin of mine!"

"I am afraid that the law and the faith disagree," Lord Renly said.

"But then, who will face Ser Gregor?" Lord Baelish asked again. "Even a Kingsguard might not fare well."

"Any of us can face him!" Ruby said with a scowl.

"That would certainly ensure that Ser Gregor will not escape justice merely because he is the strongest knight in all of Westeros," Lord Baelish said. "And it will prevent him from murdering someone else in the process."

That was undoubtedly true - Blake hadn't had any trouble subduing the man. And none of Team RWBY would want others to be killed in such trial by combat.

But if one of them fought for the court in such a - barbaric - trial by combat, they would do so knowing that if they won, their opponent would be executed. Who amongst them could face and bear that kind of weight?

Not Ruby, Weiss decided. She wouldn't let her partner shoulder that burden.

*****​

Blake Belladonna didn't regret taking down Ser Gregor. The man had killed his own guard without care and was, by all accounts, a serial rapist and murderer. But she did regret confronting him so openly. If she had realised the attention knocking him out would bring to her and her team, she would have opted for a more subtle course of action. Maybe sneak into his tent, render him unconscious and make it appear as if he had drunk himself into a stupor. On the other hand, that might not have led to his arrest - Ser Gregor's reputation certainly seemed to indicate that he could literally get away with murder. Multiple times.

Part of the reason was the protection by Lord Tywin Lannister, the Warden of the West and the King's father-in-law. But she was sure that the fact that as a noble, he was entitled to a trial by combat where his sheer size and strength would grant him a decisive advantage also played a role.

And, speaking of that… "If there is a trial by combat, I should be facing him - I saw the murder happen, I subdued him and I will testify against him." This started because of her actions, and so it was her responsibility.

Clegane growled, but she ignored him.

"There might be concerns that as someone who defeated him once already, you becoming the court's champion would mean the outcome of the trial was already determined," Lord Baelish pointed out.

"That's not actually true," Lord Renly retorted. "I recall a number of trials where this was the case - one in particular where two feuding knights faced off after one had defeated the other in a tourney. If Lady Blake volunteers for this duty, I doubt she will be refused."

"I don't doubt you, my lord, but I fear that not everyone will agree. And it doesn't take too much gold to influence opinions even when the truth of the matter is clear as day," Lord Baelish said.

Yang snorted. "That sounds familiar."

Blake nodded. It did. Corruption and rumour mongering were the same in Westeros as in Remnant, with just the details differing. "That won't change anything. My offer stands."

"I salute your bravery, my lady," Lord Baelish said. "Not many would dare to risk earning House Lannister's ire. Lord Tywin is known for paying back any perceived insults with interest. 'A Lannister always pays his debts', as the saying goes."

"We're Huntresses. We are trained to brave even worse danger to do what's right," Ruby said in a firm tone.

Blake nodded again. She didn't think backing off now would change anything if what she had heard about the head of House Lannister was correct; he was said to be proud even for a Westerosi nobleman. If her team backed down, they would be seen as weak, and Gregor Clegane would come after her anyway - she doubted that he would be able to bear being defeated by her; he had seemed far too proud, and far too violent, for that. And it would be better to deal with him in a trial than in the shadows - everyone would suspect her anyway, should anything happen to the man.

Although there were good odds that after tomorrow's 'Battle of the Maidens' - a ridiculous name, especially for herself - several people would have to reconsider whatever they thought about Team RWBY. "This is my responsibility," she said - mostly to make sure Ruby wouldn't believe it fell to her as their team leader to step into the ring.

"I don't believe Lord Tywin will care that much if Ser Gregor is brought to justice," Lord Renly said with a frown. "The Ser Gregor is one of his bannermen, but he has distanced himself from the Mountain in the past over his crimes."

Well, that was what 'rogue agents' and 'plausible deniability' were for. Another thing that was the same in Westeros.

The Prince chuckled. "If Ser Gregor is found guilty, it would only be fitting if you brought him down, Lady Blake."

She nodded at him with a polite smile. The boy was a bit too eager to see a man executed, but Ser Gregor had murdered a Queen and her little children once already, according to several sources, so the Prince might feel that an example had to be made in order to discourage everyone from repeating such a vile deed.

"We shouldn't be talking about such dreadful things," Lady Margaery spoke up. "My dear brother just won the joust, and Lady Brienne gave a good showing in the melee. And we're about to watch a great event on the morrow. We should be celebrating!"

"Yes! We should enjoy all the food!" Ruby exclaimed.

And Blake should be checking the food for poison. "Indeed," she said. "I'll be grabbing a bite to eat."

"I'm feeling a bit hungry as well," Yang said and fell in next to her as Blake turned away from the group.

Blake snorted softly. "I don't think anyone is going to attack me in the middle of the feast," she whispered. And if they did, she could deal with them.

Yang flashed a grin at her in response. "Just because it's unlikely doesn't mean it's impossible. And I won't leave my partner alone here with all those nobles."

Blake could handle those as well. She wasn't the naive girl anymore who had fallen for that bastard. But she appreciated Yang's support anyway and smiled at her partner. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Blake was about to reply again when her nostrils widened. She knew that whiff of perfume! The spy master behind those child agents was in this room - and she had his scent. Now she just had to narrow it down - and hope that no one else wore the same perfume, though since she hadn't smelt it before, neither at the tourney or here at the feast, she gave herself good odds of finding the man.

"What's wrong?" Yang asked in a low voice.

Blake wrinkled her nose. "Just a stench."

Her partner's eyes widened for a moment when she realised what Blake meant, followed by a firm nod. "Let's take the scenic route."

"Yes." Blake hooked her arm into Yang's as she had seen noblewomen do when walking together and started to steer them through the crowd, keeping track of the scent. Following it like a dog - ugh - would have been a stupid mistake; people noticed that. But aimlessly walking through the crowd, noting where the scent grew stronger and where it faded? That would take longer, but was far more subtle.

Soon, she had narrowed down the location to a spot near but not in a corner, where…

…Varys, the official spy master of the realm, was talking to a nobleman.

Blake felt really stupid. Of course, the most obvious suspect for running spies on the Red Keep was the King's own Master of Whispers. How could she have missed that possible suspect?

She chuckled a little and started to steer Yang towards the tables with the food. The others would find that gaffe very amusing, she had no doubt, once she could tell them about it.

Of course, they would still have to do something about the spying - and, perhaps, ask a few pointed questions about why the King's spy master was using little children as agents.

*****​

Outside King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC

This was it! The big event! The Battle of the Maidens! Yang Xiao Long smiled widely as she took in the field - not that she wasn't already familiar with it; she and the others had helped set it up after the melee. They knew best how wide and sturdy it had to be for a real fight amongst Team RWBY, after all.

And it was wide - they had enlarged the area where the melee had been fought. And limited the spectators to one, slightly narrow part of the circle. It had taken a bit of an effort to get more stands built next to the one for the nobles so the smallfolk could safely watch, but if the alternative was RWBY holding back so the audience wouldn't be in danger, and the King wanted to have his all-out battle…? You built more stands. And the workers had finished setting up the walls as well, scattered in the centre of the area like some unfinished maze. They were made of brick, small and not very high, and wouldn't stand up to a glancing blow from a Huntress, but they could hide you for a moment, and that could be crucial.

She smashed her gauntlets together. "So… may the best Yang win!"

"You wish!" Weiss replied at once from her left.

"You won't have an easy victory!" Ruby declared.

She needed to work on her trash talk, Yang found.

Blake merely snorted, softly, and Yang didn't have to glance at her partner to know she'd be smiling slyly. She did it anyway, of course, and flashed her a grin.

Sure, all members of Team RWBY were great Huntresses-in-training, but when it came to fighting other people, Yang had the advantage - her Semblance assured it. And she wasn't quite as handicapped as the others by the lack of Dust. She couldn't use her shotguns, but none of the others could use Dust either. That meant Yang didn't have to worry about Ruby sniping her or Weiss using Dust-enhanced Glyphs to take her out from outside her range. Or Blake using her pistol, though that pea-shooter would only serve to fuel Yang's Semblance.

Sure, Yang couldn't quite pull off her best moves without the recoil from Ember Celica, which cut down on her mobility some, but it wasn't that hard to compensate for.

"They're waiting for us to enter," Blake commented.

"Right!" Ruby nodded. "Let's not leave the King waiting. And the others."

Yang nodded firmly as they started walking across the field to stand in front of the King and the other nobles.

"Team Ruby!" The King stood up and waved at them.

"Your Grace!" Ruby replied, and all of the team bowed.

"Are you ready to do battle?" the King bellowed.

Next to him, Lord Eddard looked as stony as ever, but the Prince leaned forward with an eager expression. Without TV and games, this was probably the best entertainment he'd ever see. The Queen, though, scowled. Yang wondered why she had attended at all - but she probably felt she would appear weak or something if she stayed home.

"Yes!" Ruby nodded and unfolded Crescent Rose, then swung it around so the scythe rested against her shoulder - and made the crowd gasp at the same time with their first glimpse at a mechashift weapon.

Weiss drew Myrtenaster with a flourish and saluted with her blade. "We are."

"Yes." Blake drew Gambol Shroud's blade, leaving the sheath on her back.

Yang smashed her gauntlets together. "Yes!"

The King turned to address the crowd. "This will be the final event of the Hand's Tourney! The Battle of the Maidens! You're about to see the strongest people in the world fight it out - a display of skill and power you've never seen before!"

The crowd - mostly the smallfolk - roared and cheered. The nobles, as usual, were a bit more restrained, especially those close to the Queen, with some exceptions like the Stark children, Lord Renly, Ser Loras and Lady Margaery. Not Lord Baelish, though, she noted. Or Varys. He was acting as if he wasn't interested in the event at all - which wasn't very convincing for someone who sent children to spy on them. Lord Stannis and Melisandre were silent as well, but that was probably normal for the King's brother, and the priestess was staring at Team RWBY as if her life depended on it. As was Marwyn, actually - for once, the Archmaester had forsaken his research in the library and had come to attend the tourney. Well, he'd love the display!

"Alright! Let's get ready!" Ruby announced, and Team RWBY split up, spreading out until they formed a rough square outside the walled section, with plenty of space between them - and between them and the audience.

"Good luck everyone!" Ruby yelled. "May the best Huntress win!"

"Thank you, sis!"

"I didn't mean it that way!"

Yang grinned and took up a stance - mostly for show. The others followed suit.

And then the trumpets sounded, and the fight was on!

Yang dashed forward, straight at Ruby, one fist drawn back for a punch, crashing through a wall in the way and sending bricks and dust flying.

As expected, her sister activated her Semblance and vanished - or almost vanished. Yang threw herself to the side when she caught a few petals in the corner of her eye, then to the ground when Ruby reappeared, swinging her scythe in a diagonal slash that missed her by a foot and cut another wall in half before ripping up the ground.

Yang kept rolling while the crowd cheered and came up in a crouch, blocking another attack from Ruby before countering with a kick that caught her sister in the chest and sent her back - just in time to block an attack from Weiss, who had managed to get close.

Blake tried to use the opportunity to strike at Weiss from behind but her blow was stopped by a Glyph.

"As if I had not expected this!" Weiss gloated - though she gasped when she had to hide behind another Glyph to stop a swipe from Crescent Rose.

The crowd roared.

"Time to get serious!" Yang yelled and charged forward. Weiss threw a third Glyph her way, but Yang slid around it, twisting into a spinning kick as she did which…

…missed Weiss as she dodged by taking a step back.

Yang kept turning around herself and dropped into a crouch that turned the kick into a sweep when Blake tried to stab her in the side, but her partner jumped over Yang's leg and Gambol Shroud's edge slid along Yang's ribs.

"First Blood!" Blake said with a smile - which shattered when Weiss lunged with her own blade.

Yang twisted, catching Blake as she repositioned herself, but her fist only struck another clone while Blake's own attack struck her other side.

Before Yang could follow her, she caught a glimpse of red and darted to the side just in time to dodge Ruby appearing in the middle of them and swinging Crescent Rose around in a wide arc that cut just below Weiss's glyph.

Once again, the girl managed to evade the blow, though, and Blake used a clone to jump back just out of the scythe's arc, which ended carving up a part of the ground and leaving a long, shallow trench.

Yang took a few steps back, frowning as she blocked another attack by Ruby, and then had to avoid a couple of Glyphs that tried to box her in with a few acrobatic moves that had the crowd roaring again.

Both Weiss and Blake were good, but those attacks should have clipped them at least. Had they been holding back? Or… ah! Yang chuckled - her friends had been training for quite some time without using their Semblances and had had to dodge the hard way. That was like training with a handicap! Of course they would be better at dodging!

But it also meant they hadn't been using their Semblances except for the few times they had gone and trained in isolation. So, they weren't quite as good with them as they could be.

On the other hand, Yang had been training hard and her Semblance didn't really affect her moves. Grinning, she dashed forward, headed for Weiss.

Weiss saw her coming as she parried a series of attacks from Blake, who was using both Gambol Shroud's blade and her sheath now, and threw another Glyph in front of Yang before creating a series of them to quickly climb into the air, jump by jump.

Yang knew better than to follow her - she'd end up jumping onto a Glyph just as it disappeared - and changed course to go for Blake. She jumped over the crack someone's attack had left in the ground and kicked a few loose bricks into dust to hide her position from the left side. Ruby dashed past them from the right, though, Crescent Rose flashing, and Yang took a glancing blow in exchange to catching Blake just when her partner used a clone to jump back.

This time, Yang's fist connected, and Blake ploughed a furrow in the ground as she was sent back a few yards.

"First real strike!" Yang grinned, then stepped to the side when she saw Weiss diving at her, Myrtenaster aimed straight down.

As expected, Weiss used a Glyph to change course, and so was too slow to create another one to stop Yang or evade when Yang jumped straight up, deflected Myrtenaster and grappled her. "Gotcha!"

Weiss hit her in the face with surprising speed - another trick she had picked up from Ser Barristan - but Yang could take dozens of such hits without flinching and paid her back with interest, landing half a dozen punches on Weiss's head and upper body before they crashed in the ground and Yang had to roll to the side, out of the shallow crater, to…

…roll directly into Blake's next attack. She managed to deflect the blade stabbing at her face, but the sheath caught her in the hip. And Weiss would have recovered by now and… Where was Ruby? Yang kicked Blake, catching a clone, then smashed her fist in the ground, sending up a cloud of rocks and dirt to make Blake's next attack miss, and glanced around.

She couldn't see Ruby. No petals, not sneaky little sister dropping from the sky - and she couldn't bury through the ground, could she? There! At the edge of the area!

Before Yang could figure out why Ruby had withdrawn so far from the centre of the area, Weiss and Blake were both coming for her - maybe she should have cut down on the trash-talk before the match - and Yang was forced to summersault back to avoid both blades and the cleaver, then block the follow-up attacks.

She caught a few more blows - her Semblance was filling up - and got both back with a few strikes and one kick herself, when she saw Ruby vanishing in a red streak. A red streak that came at them in a wide curve, circling them.

Shit.

Before Yang could disengage from Weiss's next Glyph-boosted attack, Ruby had closed in and Yang and the other found themselves inside a hurricane. Yang hit the earth, burying both her fists in the ground, but she felt the force of the wind pulling at her - that wouldn't hold her.

Blake had lashed Gambol Shroud's ribbon to a wrecked but still standing wall, but she was flung around as if she was a tethered ragdoll instead, and Weiss…

…hadn't even tried to stand her ground? Yang saw that the other Huntress was flying through the air a moment before she herself was ripped off the ground and thrown in the air.

My Semblance can take it! she told herself as she was spun around. Maybe.

Though before she was dragged up too high, the hurricane suddenly weakened - and then collapsed.

Yang twisted in the air - she wasn't part cat like her partner, but Dad had taught her and Ruby how to fall right after he caught them on the roof for the first time - and managed to land pretty well. What had happened?

Then she saw Ruby slowly getting up from the ground, looking a bit dizzy. "Ow! I'm out. Good move, Weiss!"

She was standing at the end of a row of slightly off-set Glyphs circling them like dominoes. Weiss, who was landing gracefully at the other end, must have been creating dozens of those in Ruby's path, spaced out so she couldn't evade and smashed straight into - and through - them. Smart.

But Weiss couldn't quite hide how much that had taken out of her, and Yang grinned while she charged, zig-zagging, across the torn ground towards her. "You took out my sister! Prepare to die!"

Weiss whirled, Myrtenaster flashing, but Yang had her number now. She dropped under the blade's point and slid over the ground, legs spreading. Weiss tried to jump up, but Yang twisted and pushed herself up with her arms. Her legs closed around Weiss, and Yang twisted again, slamming her into the ground.

When she managed to grab Weiss's left hand holding her blade, it was over: Yang hit her in the face once, twice, three times, until Weiss yielded.

Two down! That left…

Blake caught Yang straight in the back when she pulled away from Weiss, and Yang was thrown forward, barely missing Weiss, while she tore up the ground with her limbs.

That was it! Yang jumped to her feet and activated her Semblance.

The crowd gasped again, yelling when her Aura lit up. "Blake!" she roared as she dashed toward Blake. Her Aura was almost depleted, but her Semblance was up. She was on fire!

Blake fell back, trying to dodge by leaving clones in her wake, but Yang knew her. Better than most. She waved around the clones, the draft from her passing disrupting them, passed straight through some of them, as she closed in, fist cocked back for a strike with all her stored power.

Blake tried to fool her with another clone, but Yang crashed through it without releasing her stored power - and then braked, boots tearing up two more furrows in the ground, when Blake whipped to the side, before pouncing at her partner.

"YOU. ARE…"

She had her. Too close for any more tricks - no matter where Blake jumped after releasing her next clone, Yang would have her. Blake tried to whip up dust and dirt with a kick to conceal herself, but Yang was too close! Too fast!

"GOING…"

She dashed through the thin cloud. And there was the clone! Yang charged in with her shoulder, brushing the clone aside with her shoulder as she hit the retreating real Blake behind her with her fist, releasing her stored power. "DOWN!"

Blake disintegrated in front of her, and Yang's heart skipped a beat. Had she just killed…?

Something hit her from behind, slashing against her back. Yang whirled and caught another slash in the side - from yards away! Aura Slash! She raised her arms to block the next but was a bit too slow, too spent, and Blake's slash hit her right in the chest. Yang stumbled back a step, then raised her hand in defeat.

She panted as she let her arms fall at her side, her Aura nearly broken. "Damn! You used the cover from he dust to create a clone out of my sight and then posed as a clone!" She had played Yang perfectly!

Blake nodded with that faint, proud smile Yang knew so well, then turned to face the stands, raising her blade above her head.

After a moment of silence, the crowd roared.

*****​

 

[Starfox5]

This story is getting really good. I love it!

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I'm happy to hear that!

Well,good chapter,and girls finally meet bad witch of Asshai.Pity,that she do not knew how to change dimensions,too....

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Well, she might not be trustworthy either way.

This is interesting. The openings are fantastic!! Big fan of the historical perspective POV

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Thanks! I like writing the excerpts

 

[eager slacker]

Well every damn knight that seen that fight is gonna release their inner chuuni. It makes sense that Kennet thinks that RWBY are merely really talented brilliant ladies because of the sheer headache and cringe of seeing some grown ass knights unsheathe their swords and pretending they shot out a energy projectile for the seventeenth time. Also a ton of men and women are gonna really hope that RWBY teaches them their totally not magic ways to them.

 

[Starfox5]

Well every damn knight that seen that fight is gonna release their inner chuuni. It makes sense that Kennet thinks that RWBY are merely really talented brilliant ladies because of the sheer headache and cringe of seeing some grown ass knights unsheathe their swords and pretending they shot out a energy projectile for the seventeenth time. Also a ton of men and women are gonna really hope that RWBY teaches them their totally not magic ways to them.

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And those in the know will be afraid of that.

 

[ATP]

I'm happy to hear that!



Well, she might not be trustworthy either way.



Thanks! I like writing the excerpts

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She is from Asshai.Of course,that nobody normal should trust her.

 

[Renko]

Covers Always Lie: The official cover art by Eru-Shi depicts the TV version of the Iron Throne outside the Red Keep with Ruby in her V4 attire walking up its steps. The story itself is rooted primarily in the books, including the gargantuan, twisted amalgamation that is its Iron Throne, and Team RWBY are dressed in their V2 attire. Word of God confirms that these were stylistic choices Eru-Shi decided to go with.

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@Starfox5

Is this true? And by volume 2, does it mean their hunter outfits?

Spoiler: Volume 2

source: rwby reddit