The interior of the Crossroads Inn was cramped and smelled of stale ale and roasted onions. Link sat at a corner table while keeping his back to the wall. He was nursing a cup of water and watching the room.
The royal court had taken over the upper floors but the common room was filled with Lannister men and Stark guards. The tension was thick enough to be cut with a dagger.
[Status: Alert]
[Warning: High Hostility Environment]
A group of Lannister soldiers were laughing loudly near the hearth. They kept glancing at Link and whispering. Link ignored them. He was focused on the stairs.
Finally he saw her. Cersei Lannister descended the wooden steps with a slow and predatory grace. She was dressed in crimson silk and her golden hair was intricately braided. Behind her walked Ser Boros Blount of the Kingsguard.
The room went silent. The soldiers stood up and bowed. Cersei did not look at them. Her green eyes scanned the room until they landed on Link.
"You" she said. Her voice was like cold honey. "The guard who thinks he can command the Crown prince ."
Link stood up and bowed. "I am a guard of House Stark My Queen."
"You are a nuisance" Cersei said as she stepped closer. "My son tells me you blocked his path yesterday. He tells me you spoke to him with a tongue full of venom and treated the Crown Prince like a common criminal. He says you moved as if to draw your steel when he tried to pass."
The room grew even quieter. Link could feel the hands of the Stark guards moving toward their hilts. Because of his reload the fight with Mycah and the wolves had never happened but Joffrey had simply replaced that tragedy with a lie about Link's own insolence.
"The Prince is mistaken My Queen" Link said while keeping his voice low and steady. "I merely escorted the Lady Sansa back to the camp at the request of the Hand. I never touched my sword."
"Are you calling my son a liar?" Cersei's voice sharpened. It was the sound of a trap snapping shut.
Link realized the danger. He had saved the innocents but he had wounded Joffrey's pride. To a Lannister that was a crime punishable by death.
"I am saying there was a misunderstanding My Queen" Link replied.
Cersei turned to Ser Boros. "A guard who calls the Prince a liar is a guard who has forgotten his place. Take his sword. He will be held in the cellar until the King decides his punishment."
Ser Boros stepped forward and his hand went to his heavy broadsword.
Link felt the familiar hum of the interface in his mind.
Load?
He hesitated. If he reloaded again where would he go? He had already tried to stop the event and it had only led to this. Joffrey would always find a way to be cruel.
No Link thought. I cannot just keep running. I have to play the game.
"I will not surrender my sword to you Ser" Link said while stepping back. "I am a man of the North. If Lord Stark commands me to disarm I will do so. But I do not answer to the Lion."
Lannister soldiers drew their steel. Stark guards led by Jory Cassel stepped forward to stand beside Link. The common room of the inn suddenly became a forest of drawn blades.
"Are you inciting a rebellion in front of your Queen?" Cersei asked with a small and terrible smile.
"I am defending the law" Link said.
At that moment the door of the inn slammed open. Ned Stark walked in with his cloak covered in mud. He looked at the drawn swords and then at the Queen.
"What is the meaning of this?" Ned demanded.
"Your man has insulted the Prince Ned" Cersei said. "He refused to disarm. He is a traitor in grey wool."
Ned looked at Link. Link saw the exhaustion in the Hand's eyes. Ned was trying to keep the peace and Link had just handed him a war.
"Link" Ned said. "Give me your sword."
"My Lord?" Link asked.
"Give it to me" Ned repeated. "I will keep it. You will stay in my sight tonight. No one will take you to the cellar. But you will disarm."
Link slowly unbuckled his sword belt and handed the heavy steel to Ned Stark.
"Go to the yard" Ned said to Link. "Stay with the horses. Do not speak to anyone."
Link walked out of the inn. He felt the eyes of every Lannister on his back. He had saved the wolves and the butcher boy but he had placed his own neck on the block to do it.
.…..
Author Note
Hi guys! Thank you for reading my fanfiction.
I wanted to let you know that I'll be releasing bonus chapters for Power Stones. Here are the goals:
15 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
30 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
50 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
75 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
100 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
Thanks for the support!