7 An Important Talk, Five Years Later and Leaving Tarth

Running and crying. That's all Brienne did until she got to the courtyard. Even there she walked to the far edge of the courtyard that overlooked a valley and just continued crying.

I tentatively walked over to her, not knowing what I should do exactly.

I was never the type to comfort his friends back in my past life. I was more like the friend that'd give you space and let you sort things out. But I couldn't do that for this. I couldn't just sit by as a girl I see as my sister is breaking down.

A new body, a changed me, I guess? Probably not exactly but a new body would mean a new me in a way. Different levels of hormones would make me act differently.

Even my tastes were different. In my past life I hated sweet things but in this life I love them. Can't get enough of sugar water and iced honey milk. Two things I know I would've hated if the me from Earth tried them.

But enough of that. I walked toward Brienne and spoke her name somewhat quietly, "Brienne," my voice, despite the low volume, still made Brienne flinch and then freeze. I took a few more steps toward her and stood to the right of her, looking over the verdant field in front of us, "I'm sorry you had to deal with that on your own, Brienne."

I apologized and the blond next to me just looked at me but I didn't look at her. I just continued looking forward, waiting for her answer.

Her answer came in the form of a punch. I took the punch, not feeling the pain, but definitely feeling the shame that I'd upset her this much. She went for another punch but I stopped this one by grabbing her by the wrist, turning my gaze to her and matching her glare with an apologetic gaze. She didn't accept it.

She threw another punch and I let go of her wrist and backed up, dodging it. What came after this was just me going back and forth, side to side, dodging her attacks. I didn't attack back, despite her calling me a coward for just dodging, because she was just angry. She needed to let it all out.

And I was fine with accompanying her to let that happen.

It continued for a dozen of so minutes and toward the end she was just throwing haymakers that lacked technique and were only full of bullish attitude and anger. Like she thought if she was angry enough, she could definitely hit me. But reality was completely different for Brienne as none of the punches even touched the edge of my clothing.

I'd stopped holding back Spartan Time and just let it fully work as I witnessed her technique-less punches move in slow motion.

Before long, she was out of gas and was heaving for air on the ground. Meanwhile I wasn't even slightly gassed. Maybe a small bit of perspiration on my body but that was from using Spartan Time which amps up my nervous system - makes my body a bit hot which makes my body begin to secrete sweat. My stamina was completely fine and I could continue with this kind of dodging exercise for another hour.

This was the difference between us physically, and Brienne seemed to understand that as she sat, kneeling on the ground with her hand grasping at the grass and dirt below her. But she didn't care for that.

"...W...why...!?" she got out hoarsely and I sat down in front of her as she let it out. The anger disappeared, replaced once again by sadness, "Why did you just...just stand aside, Lucius...?!" she looked up at me, her blue eyes catching the light from the moon above and making her look all the more sad as it highlighted the tears in her eyes and on her cheeks.

Sighing, I began to answer, "Because Brienne...helping you would've hurt my family. I can't put my family in danger by sorting out your problems for you when you were perfectly capable of dealing with them yourself. You dealt with those laughing at you in the end, didn't you? It was all resolved in the end, wasn't it?" I said with a somewhat neutral face before I leaned back and looked up at the impossibly starry sky. "I couldn't help you because right now, Brienne, I don't have the power or influence to help you. I'm only from a House of Landed Knights. Any one of those boys there tonight could've had their Houses make things hard for my father and family if I hurt them. Even if I stood up and disrespected them they could've done that," I looked back down to Brienne who was still looking sad but a glint of understanding was in her eyes. Along with something in her eyes dying...a part of her childhood innocence. Seeing this, I frowned, "I...I really didn't like what I had to do just the, Brienne. I really hated having to sit by as they called you those names. I'm...I'm sorry."

I apologized despite having nothing really to apologize for. I did what I had to do to ensure my continued survival and the survival of my family and House. Even if it was a dick move, it was the right move. The logical move.

Brienne, hearing my apology began crying again but she spoke up this time, "I...I know," she admitted, hiccuping as she cried, "It just...their words just hurt so bad...I was angry and sad and I didn't know why things don't go the way they do in the books father...father reads me," she got out in between hitched breaths and I just sat there, listening to her, "Even if...if what you did was for your family...I wanted you to help me, Lu-Lucius," she said with a saddened tone but a tone that said that she understood how selfish that desire of hers was.

Shuffling over to her, I pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back. It took her a second to realize I was hugging her but when she did, she wrapped her arms around me and held me so tight it was like I was being held by a Kraken.

While I was comforting her, I spoke out one last time, "In the future, Brienne, I'll get enough power and influence to help you out, no matter who you need help against. I promise," I said and Brienne just hugged me harder. I was being serious as well. This wasn't just a lie to make her feel better or to make me feel better.

To help and protect my friends and my family, I'd get enough power and influence to be able to walk freely and without being control or suppressed.

I absolutely would.

. . .

Five years of time. It's a lot shorter than you'd think it is. Especially when you dedicate yourself to learning, preparing and training.

With an end goal in mind and a time limit to my plans, time seemed to pass quicker.

A day was never enough. Neither was a week or a month. Even a whole year felt like it wasn't long enough. There was always something to improve. A technique that needed sharpening or a skill that needed to be polished even further.

Or even something as simple as not having enough time to push your body as much as you want. Not having the time to test out every hypothesis you have about your body's abilities.

But at the same time, five years was enough to get enough done. Enough for the next part of my plan. My plan to move on from being a page to go on to become a squire under a Knight who could teach me more than what Ser Goodwin had taught me. Even after five years, he was still only helping me polish my technique because any further teachings should only be given to a squire, according to him.

It didn't really matter. It gave me more time to get the basics down and make my foundations unbelievable steady so I could further impress the person I wanted to impress at the coming squire selection*.

(*A/N - There's no such thing like this in the original series or even in the show. You squire to whoever the hell you can get to take you on as their squire and the way you do that is by using your family connections. This would put a massive hole in my story, so I invented a sort of ceremony where Knights can pick worthy squires through watching them fight and doing other knightly duties like riding and such. It won't have much effect outside of the next chapter or two.)

Looking across the port I'd came to all those years ago to page here, I turned back to see Brienne standing there were a slightly red nose and somewhat teary eyes.

Smirking, I walked forward and gave her a friendly punch to the arm, "What? You gonna miss me so much you're crying about it?" I teased and Brienne, ever the headstrong girl, rubbed at her eyes with a frown that looked more like a fake snarl of annoyance.

"Sh-shut up. I just got some spray of saltwater in my eye, that's all," she took the Tsundere route and I couldn't help but laugh at it.

We'd both grown tremendously over the five years since that infamous night. We were both actually the same height for what I suspected would be the last time. We were both roughly 5'7" which was quite tall for our ages. Though less so for Brienne - I'd seen 13-year-olds who were 5'7" in my past life. They were tall for their age but not unrealistically so.

But for me, an 11-year-old, to be 5'7"? I hadn't even hit puberty yet and I was already the height and size of an average/short man.

Pulling Brienne into a tight hug, I pat her back with quite a bit of force behind my hands, causing her to cry out in a little pain and as I released her she gave me a somewhat indignant look as she spoke, "By the gods, Lucius, you get stronger everyday, you know?" she complained as she rubbed between her shoulder blades where I'd pat her.

Laughing at her reaction, I shrugged, "I'm not getting stronger. You're just getting weaker, Brienne," I teased and she looked like she was about to try and beat me but at the last second she stopped herself which made me raise an eyebrow.

That sort of taunting usually got her pretty fired up and competitive.

She clutched at her arm nervously and looked away from me for a few seconds before she looked at me from the side of her eye, "Good luck, Lucius. I'm sure you'll be able to become a legendary Knight!" she smiled a dazzling smile and I returned it in full force.

"Young Master, we're ready to set off now," one of my guards came up to the side of me and I acknowledged what he said by turning to him and nodding before turning back to Brienne.

Giving her a wry smile, I spoke up first, "You better not slack off on your training, Brienne. I want you to become the strongest woman in Westeros by the next time I see you," I gave her a genuine smile before I pulled her into one last hug before letting her go and walking to the ship. When I was on the ship's deck, I turned to see Brienne waving at me and trying not to cry.

...She was failing horribly at the latter.

Soon the boat was off and I was waving goodbye to my first and only childhood friend. I guess this is a sign of growing up, huh? Saying goodbye to safety and security and stepping into the outside world.

Well, I've still gotta keep going with my plan, haven't I? And to make sure that plan goes off without a hitch, having the necessary training will be necessary.

Turning away from the port that was already becoming nothing more than a blip, even for my eyes, I walked to the front of the ship and looked at the seas that were slowly losing their sapphire color and were quickly becoming a dark murky blue.

...A sign of leaving the peaceful times of my life on Tarth, huh? Onto becoming a squire then!