[Chapter Size: 3000 Words.]
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Third Person POV
Artic, 298 AC.
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The sound of Nymeria's paws echoed softly against the damp earth as they continued walking through the forest, with Arya and Jill as her protectors.
Everything seemed ordinary, with Nymeria quickly disappearing from Arya's sight as she entered the forest.
"What do you think of the queen, Princess?" Jill asked suddenly.
"You already know the answer, Jill." Arya retorted, still frustrated, before looking over with a regretful gaze. "Sorry for speaking like that," she said at last, looking at the woman who ensured her safety.
"You don't need to apologize, Princess. I know very well the anger you feel. I hated that woman the moment I saw her in the courtyard. What happened today is inevitable, and it won't be the last time," Jill said with a slightly harsh tone.
"She..." Arya resumed the conversation. "She's a vile and repugnant woman. She's dangerous because she doesn't seem to think much about the consequences of her actions," Arya murmured.
"I overheard a bit of the conversation with your mother... I mean, Lady Catelyn Tully," Jill commented.
"Yes... she was trying to turn Catelyn against us," Arya said, refusing to call her mother as such.
"You mentioned it... I know she also didn't accept the queen's approaches... My... Catelyn, like House Tully, is completely against House Lannister. So at least I can expect that from her," Arya said.
"You're really not going to forgive her, are you?" Jill noted cautiously.
"No. She did horrible things to Jon. I can't yield," Arya affirmed while Jill didn't respond and only seemed to agree.
Arya then continued. "About the queen... we're going to have to deal with her." She said calmly, watching Nymeria jump between bushes, probably chasing some small animal.
"Do you think the king will punish her? He's quite inclined to please her, but I doubt he'll actually do that against a Lannister's daughter... After all, the crown owes them a lot of money," Jill said.
"I know..." Arya said, pausing for a moment as she pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and placed it over a support on the horse. She had a quill with ink right there and began writing on the spot.
"The old lion did a very good job putting the king under his thumb with such a large debt... The Crown owes a great deal to the Lannisters and must be inclined to meet their demands," Arya continued as she kept writing and speaking with Jill.
"He doesn't just have the crown financially tied to them with a debt—he has Tywin's daughter and even the grandchildren as heirs to the throne," Jill commented with a surprised tone. She had come to that thought herself while studying Westerosi politics—something she wasn't interested in but had become part of Arya's conversations over the past days while listening to her talk to various nobles.
"Exactly. I wouldn't be surprised if they manage to change the name to Lannister in the future... No one will say anything with Tywin holding control of the Seven Kingdoms indirectly," Arya said seriously, as she finished writing the scroll.
She finally finished writing, and a raven landed beside her. She tied the message to its leg, and the raven took off, disappearing into the trees.
Still serious, Arya didn't stop her train of thought. "And the queen's children... they're bastards."
"What?!" Jill nearly choked on that. "You're saying... are you sure?" Jill murmured as Arya nodded.
"The queen mentioned it several times during the banquet when we spoke of Joffrey and the others. She always referred to them as lions, pure lions," Arya commented.
"And how does it seem to be what you say it is...?" Jill asked, confused.
"She always emphasized the fact that they were pure, and just that made me look closely at the children... They're completely Lannister, there's nothing of the king in them... I mean, the chances of three children simply not being born with any trait from their father, none at all, are very slim." Arya said as if it were obvious.
"Remember that the princes, although they don't share the coloring of the king or queen, still have features of His Majesty, right?" Jill commented.
"Exactly... Some of them are connected to Targaryen blood... but you can see Jon's traits in all of them, most are predominant—even some of them are Starks." Arya said.
"So... your father knows about this, your sister isn't going to marry the heir?" Jill asked.
"Yes... my father has already refused the king's proposal, and Robert is not happy about it at all, but I'll have to tell him about this eventually." Arya spoke while Jill nodded.
It was at that moment that Nymeria emerged from the forest carrying a dead rabbit, her mouth covered in blood.
"I see you caught one, girl." Arya laughed. "Now go eat that somewhere else, I'm not in the mood to watch you mutilate that corpse with your teeth." She motioned with her hand, as Arya resumed walking with her horse.
"I understand... about the children. But changing the subject," Jill began speaking again with a certain enthusiasm, "now that you mention children looking like their fathers, I'd love to see how the new four princes are doing." She said with a smile.
Jon had four children in recent moons, so it was a topic Arya often discussed with her royal guards.
"Yes... I also want to see the children..." Arya said, watching Nymeria head off somewhere out of sight to devour the creature she had caught.
"But soon, we're returning. Jon already sent the ship, and it should arrive in a few days at Winterfell..." Arya said in a solemn tone.
"Are you feeling hesitant about saying goodbye to your family, Princess?" Jill asked, while Arya nodded gently.
"Of course I am... they'll be here in the south, and I'll be stuck in the north. We won't have communication until the threat is eliminated, but at the same time, I know my place is there, fighting for our world alongside Jon." Arya said.
Jill nodded with a smile, as a thought came to her mind while looking at the princess.
"Arya... you love him, don't you?"
"Who?"
"His Majesty."
"Of course I do, what kind of question is that?" Arya murmured, with a slightly surprised look at her royal guard.
"I know... but I mean more than as your kin... you love him as a man, don't you?" Jill asked.
"Why would you say something like that?! Where is this coming from, Jill?" Arya seemed to lose her composure for the first time since arriving at Winterfell. Even after everything she had been through, it was the first time Jill had seen her disarmed. The girl couldn't hide her pale face, now turning red in that moment.
"I apologize if I'm offending you, Arya... If you don't want to talk about it, I won't mention it again." Jill said carefully, as Arya seemed to hesitate.
"No... go on, why do you think that? I don't recall ever saying anything like that in front of you." Arya said.
"And you didn't, but I'm always watching you, Arya. I see your lack of interest in the opposite sex." Jill said.
"Maybe I just don't like men?" Arya asked suddenly with a smile toward Jill, while the woman returned the smile, knowing she was joking.
"I see how Mearin seems interested in some nobles, maybe not to the point of lying with them, but she talks about young and handsome men throughout the journey and even asks your opinion... but you never show interest in anyone. You won't even dance with them just to be cordial... it's strange." Jill said.
"My older brother is very jealous, maybe I didn't want to make him feel like killing someone." Arya laughed.
"But all of them...? You don't let any of them get close with romantic intentions... I mean, you're a young woman in the prime of her life, shouldn't you feel something?" Jill commented before realizing her mistake in pressing too much.
"I'm sorry... I shouldn't be asking so much, I'm just a bit curious." Jill said in the end.
"It's all right..." Arya replied after a sigh. "How are things between you and Bari?" she asked, changing the subject.
The royal guard noticed the subject shift and didn't complain about it.
"Me and Bari... well, we're enjoying our time together." Jill replied. Jill and Bari were lovers in the end, and Arya would allow them to have their moments together.
"I've already set aside some times for you two to be together." Arya replied.
"I know... it's just that we still have our responsibility to you, my princess..." Jill said.
"Even so... I'd prefer you had a little more time. Do you plan to marry?" she asked.
"We will when we return to Arctic. There'll be 98 other royal guards to replace us. If Bari proposes and the king allows it, yes." Jill said.
"I see..." Arya murmured but didn't say anything else, while she seemed to be having her own thoughts about it.
For a few minutes, no one said anything, as they kept walking through the forest. Until Arya decided to speak again.
"About me not being interested in anyone. It's just that there's no one who attracts me... I think I'm setting the bar too high for a suitor." Arya said with a nervous smile, deciding to respond to Jill after all.
"I get it... You must already have the ideal image of who your man would be, right...?" Jill laughed to try to lighten the slightly tense atmosphere.
"You could say that... Is it that obvious what you think of me, Jill?" Arya murmured.
"Your gaze... it says a lot when you look at His Majesty... since... it's been a while now. It's just that you don't have that look for anyone else, and you seem very concerned about how others see men courting you, it's a bit obvious, and if I can see it, others can too." Jill said.
"I wonder who else sees it... I managed to fool Mearin... though I see suspicion in her eyes." Arya murmured, a bit embarrassed.
"I don't doubt the queens can see it too. They can sniff out the gaze of thousands of women on His Majesty like a piece of meat. So don't be surprised if someone brings up this subject in the future." Jill advised.
"I don't look at Jon like a piece of meat!" Arya complained.
"You know what I meant." Jill replied.
"Do you think he knows?" Arya couldn't help but ask.
"The king is very clever. He knows very well when a woman wants him or not... It's no wonder he seems to manage, what, six different wives now without a civil war erupting inside Arctic." Jill said with a smile.
"Five, Val from the Free Folk hasn't married him yet..." Arya replied before continuing. "How embarrassing... I don't even know how to look at him anymore..." she complained.
"Just act normally... I don't know how you're going to handle this, but that's between the two of you. Just do what you always do—His Majesty will clearly treat you the same as ever." she advised.
"Are you going to tell him about this conversation?" Arya asked with some fear.
"No... not unless he demands it, since I do have an oath with the king. But I don't intend to say a single word about this conversation unless required." she said, and Arya nodded.
"Thank you for saying that, Jill. My father was the first person I accidentally opened up to about this, but he clearly disapproved... But I can't command my heart, can I? Now I feel as foolish as my sister." Arya said, laughing at it, though hoping the subject would die there. Still remembering Wind's words on the journey after Valyria, which had awakened those feelings for her cousin.
"You're not as foolish as she is. If you ever are, I'll hit you in the head—we need your sword in this war." Jill said, and Arya nodded.
"I think this spot is good..." Arya suddenly stopped, while her eyes turned white, and Jill halted at her side, waiting for her to finish.
They were deep in the forest now, in front of them only trees and shadows, with a few signs of wildlife, while Nymeria seemed to be somewhere nearby, handling her rabbit like a snack—given the size of Arya's wolf, taller than a horse.
Arya returned to her body and turned to Jill.
"They're arriving soon." she said, as she connected with Nymeria and commanded her to return to them.
Nymeria came back just as Arya did, and neither she nor Jill moved after that, standing still for the next ten minutes, until the sound of hooves came from behind them as a large group of mounted men approached.
Arya looked over her shoulder, seeing the Stark uniforms rushing toward them, her older brother leading the group of fifty Stark men who slowed when they spotted Arya, keeping a steady pace—not too fast given they were riding through forest terrain.
"Arya! Are you all right?!" Robb exclaimed immediately as he saw that Arya appeared perfectly fine.
"I'm fine, brother... they're 500 meters from us." she said.
"I see... Arya... let's deal with them! Damn cowards, how dare they!" Robb exclaimed angrily.
"I know... but I've been watching him the whole time, ever since they set up here." Arya said calmly.
"And you only brought your guard?!" Robb protested.
"I'm watching the entire forest, I know their positions and how many there are. They're not dangerous to that point... now can we deal with them once and for all?" Arya said.
"All right... Everyone, prepare for battle!" Robb shouted, and everyone began readying themselves, drawing their swords and preparing their horses.
"I didn't want you to have to go... but I suppose I don't have a choice, do I?" Robb murmured, as Arya shook her head—there was no option for her to stay behind, especially with Nymeria taking a ready stance beside her.
"Fine... we're lucky these trees aren't too dense, so we can still surprise them on horseback at a moderate speed. On my signal!" Robb declared, as everyone prepared for the fight.
Arya had delivered that scroll from earlier directly to her brother in Winterfell, who hadn't even told their father when Arya reported thirty armed men setting up an ambush for her in the forest.
"Let's go!" Arya shouted and charged ahead with Jill and Nymeria at full speed. Her brother soon followed behind, and though movement was difficult, by riding in a narrow formation they could run as the situation demanded.
Arya kept running until Nymeria rushed ahead, catching a man nearby after covering 200 meters—it was a scout. The man was quickly killed by the giant wolf, his scream echoing.
By then, they all knew the ambush had been exposed, and the rest began to run in a panic, trying to stop the attack while grabbing their heavy weapons—axes, clubs with spikes or chains.
They all wore black robes, were bald, and bore a mark on their foreheads.
It was the Faith Militant.
An organization reactivated in the last year, allegedly due to Arctic's actions. Arya had been watching them infiltrate the North, following rumors and linking their presence to the messengers connecting the royal family to them each week. Through her investigations, the princess knew she had to destroy them.
Arya was still leading the way with Jill as Nymeria ran to catch up after leaving the corpse behind.
She could see the 29 men staring at them in fear, as Arya charged toward them without hesitation, drawing Dark Sister.
She clashed against them before they could act. She didn't manage to kill anyone with Dark Sister at that moment but cut her way through. Jill, more skilled on horseback, killed one and stayed close to Arya for her protection.
They were stunned, but they couldn't focus solely on Arya. Robb's northern group soon crashed into the rest, knocking them down and slashing with trained swords—the Faith group was quickly overpowered.
"These bastards, how dare they set foot here?!" Arya exclaimed, halting her horse and turning around to face her enemies, dismounting as she ran toward the front line—she wasn't very effective fighting mounted due to her small frame.
Small and agile, Arya sprinted toward the first man, who wielded a chunk of wood spiked like a mace. He seemed determined, fearless.
"Die, heretic!" he snarled, lunging at Arya. She quickly created an opening with her strength and slipped her blade into his neck like a needle, withdrawing it fast as he collapsed, dying with eyes full of regret.
Chaos had fully taken over the area, but soon, every man of the Faith was dead.
"Arya! Tell me you're all right!" Robb approached as she stood with blood splattered on her dress.
"I'm fine, brother... I took care of two myself." Arya said in a bored tone, rolling her eyes.
"Why... why were these lunatics here?!" Robb demanded answers.
"We might still find out. They were likely confident and had no idea what we're truly capable of. Unlucky for them that I had the best teacher to lead a large group."
"Some escaped, my lord!" A Stark soldier approached with a shamed expression.
"I see... let's go after them," Robb said.
"Don't worry about it, brother, I have a way..." Arya said suddenly, flashing a smile.
As the four ran into the forest, Arya let Nymeria handle them, while she herself dashed after them, vanishing among the trees.
The northern group could soon hear the screams from deep within the forest, mixed with the snarls of a terrible wolf mutilating the men.
Before long, Nymeria returned, dragging a crying man, his arm clamped in her jaws, blood dripping along the trail—he was the only survivor of the four.
Nymeria dropped him in front of Robb, while two others had been captured alive by the northern men.
"Now, let's get to the questions..." Arya said, gazing at the last three surviving men of the Faith, while all the others lay dead.
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