2 Chapter 2: Harrenhal

Arriving late at the first day was when we arrived. The next day is the beginning of the tourney as the first day was reserved to a welcoming feast for the nobles. So I set about having a shield commissioned for me along with a scabbard for my Valyrian steel sword.

'Thank heavens Sif told me what it was...otherwise I would have spent a headache trying to mull over it.'

I was delayed due to a little confrontation I had with the mountain savages. I got a lot of loot from those fools as for some reason they all had steel swords. So after I wiped out their band of a hundred men, I ended up with a cart filled with steel swords, from shortswords to longswords and machetes to axes.

Freed a few captors from them too. There were about fifteen of them. Five mothers, three girls, and seven boys. Though much to my chagrin they instead chose to follow me for some reason.

I had initially believed they thought I was a lord or an heir to a fortune or something due to my flashy armor. But even after explaining this to them they still chose to follow me. Something about feeling a sense of security or something.

...Ok I get it. A man who can take on a hundred without breaking a sweat, yeah I understand, I think... Still doesn't make sense for some reason and does at the same time. I am still a kid after all, or am I? Yeah I'm lost on what to think about it too. I believe my modern way of thinking is messing up my thought patterns or my perspectives of two different lives were clashing. So I did what I thought I should do instead.

I rolled with it.

While the girls and the mothers tended to needs of the group and mine most of all. I decided to train the boys. If I was to take them in then I at least want them to be both useful and capable.

It took some disciplinary actions as one of these boys was far older than me and wasn't taking my bossiness lightly. After a thorough beat down, him and the rest fell into place. Luckily for me, two other boys were also old enough for some heavy training along with one girl.

Since they didn't really care what I called them. I decided to call them with my made up names. I called one of the boys Gawain who had blonde hair with aqua blue eyes and Percival with his black hair and blue eyes and the girl Mordred due to her tomboyish nature... and her blonde hair and green eyes.

Too many blondes. Lucky....? Oh well.

They learned the basics quickly in just three days. An amazing feat if any. The fact that they looked just as surprised as me stired a question within me. One that I just threw aside at some point. Future me problems I guess.

They are all at a ripe age too, I think their around fifteen years old. Or as they called it 'five and ten namedays'. Fucking numbers.

Anyway I had began a more advanced form of training for them on the fourth day. And that was when we ran into another group of vikings.

We fought without hesitation. Just as I had taught them and they adapted to it splendidly. Their performance was impressive and they were as coordinated as they could be for beginners. That and they stuck together. While I took care of the bulk of the savages, their achievement was worthy of praise no less. That was something any teacher should be giving them openly, so I did.

I should have had four apprentices that day but the trouble maker felt like playing hero and got his throat slitted. 'Dumb ass'. I left him there, making the rest of the group feel a bit bad but still they kept up with me. They do seemed to work more vigorously after that.

A question that was answered that night aswell as the mothers climbed unto my sleeping matt half naked. I had to put a stop to it, mostly from confusion. And they explained that they thought I left behind those that does not contribute to the group or down right pissed me off.

Their not entirely wrong but I added another reason for my callousness. That mainly I did not know him well enough -aside from being more trouble than he was worth- to actually care about burying him.

The girls and women got to work on looting the corpses as I slept. And from it we got another great haul. At least two gold coins in total. Several steel swords and over fifty hardboiled leather armors. I made sure to outfit every one of them including the younger ones. I didn't like the fact that they wore raggs around them so I just gave the armors away. They don't sell much here in the south after all, since the leather is usually for the cold climates of the North or the mountain tops.

So now sitting here in my upgraded tent, I look and see the wee ones running around doing chores around camp while wearing leather armors outfitted by the mothers for them along with furred boots and gloves, right along the edges and within.

'To keep them both warm and safe. What every child deserved.'

"You are smiling again mi'lord."

"Just at the children Sif."

"Aye, and you wonder why they work so hard."

"I knew those armors can still be heavy so I tried telling them they don't have to wear em' yet but they said they looked so cool. Hahaha, I could not for the life of me say no when they smiled so brightly."

"You are doing it again mi'lord. Speaking a great deal like a man grown despite your youth."

"Apologies my dear, I was raised this way."

"You apology is wasted on me milord. But tis good to know that you at least acknowledge our words... Now you know why we mothers kept sneaking into your covers at night."

I nearly choked at that. They have been trying for the past several nights now. Even at the first, which I believe they said was that it was the only thing they could do to repay my chivalry. But sadly...I had to say no.

Ok, I am no wimp nor do I swing the other way. But I'm a romantic at heart ok! That and my modern perspective hasn't faded yet. I still see having more than one woman as infidelity... but also pretty enticing.

'haaaa....maybe someday. A harem of strong women with taut stomachs and thicc thighs that can squeeze the life out of- YES! That's it!'

"As much as I would love to indulge myself, my family had always held to tradition of being with a strong woman and a strong women alone."

She awed in disappointment. But from there she seemed to have gained a playful side to her and a glint I didn't think was there before. Oh well...another problem for future me I guess.

"My lord!" Mordred greeted as she knelt.

"Rise Mordred. Tell me, is it done?"

"Yes my lord. The tourney starts just before midday on the morrow. The joust will be the opening bout as per tradition. And then followed by the melee."

"And our names?"

"I have registered our names my lord. And as you commanded, I didn't register any house names."

"My thanks Mordred." I said as I patted her head. And much to my joy she leaned into it. She is really cute. She reminds me of my cat.

'That little bastard better not had peed on my shoes again... I hope someone nice takes care of her.'

Maybe I'll comission a full plate for her if she wins the squires tourney. For Mordred not the cat...

She pouted once I stopped but sadly there are things to be done before I could indulge in cuteness.

"This is good. A good start indeed."

"Milord if I may?" I nodded at Sif's question. "Why keep us as no names milord? Would it not earn you more prestige if you would register a House name, therefore increasing it's renown through the tourney?"

"That may be so, dear Sif. But I prefer my first name to be one they remember." She looked confuse. "Besides prestige isn't the main thing I am going for by competing as a no name."

"Milord?"

"I am keeping my self nameless for one reason and one reason alone. Well...mostly."

"And that would be."

"To piss them all off of course." I smiled smugly at their surprise. "After all, what better way to do that than to see how far beneath they are against a 'nameless' knight. Hahahaha!"

Wide eyes and slack jawed. Yeah... This'll be fun.

Morning came with an unexpected surprise for me. Stepping outside I saw three people I was not hoping to see anytime soon.

Lyanna Stark and her two idiot brothers. 'great... it's the hot head with a devil may care personality and the honorable fool with a piss fool notion of honor.'

Yawning slowly I then rubbed my eyes and only then did I greet them. "Greetings Lady Stark and friends. My apologies but I wasn't expecting company so early into the day."

"It was no fault of yours Ser Arthas. It was I that wanted to greet you so early in the morning."

"Good morning to you then Lady Lyanna." I greeted with a smile.

"Good morning to you as well Ser Arthas."

"I do not mean to sound rude but who are your companions?"

"Oh! Right! These are my brothers, Eddard and Brandon of House Stark."

"So, your the one who disrespected my father." Brandon growled out.

"Brandon!"

"No! Jory had told me of what happened!" He then turned his attention to me once more. "You overstep your bounds Ser!"he said with vitrol. "You had no right to speak to my father like that! He is the lord of his House! His word is Law!... but then again what exactly am I expecting from a backwater foreigner like you!?" He shouted with vigor.

Of course the people started whispering of the scene he was making. Stupid wolf had a smug and satisfied smile on his face. Well no matter. It is easy enough to wipeout with his childish power play. Besides, I need to salvage my name from the audience. And this idiot just gave me one.

"Well then Heir Stark...I will make it easy for your barbaric mind to grasp the intricacy of my actions." I smiled as a few snickered loud enough.

'You're in the South boy, not the North. A lesson you will now have to learn the hard way.'

"You see the moment a man saw his daughter as a commodity than a person is when I stopped respecting them...The moment when a man put his wishes on a little girls shoulders and refused to take responsibility for it, is WHEN! I stopped Respecting them!... The moment when a person turned a blind from a child that is IMPRISONED! within her own life IS WHEN I STOPPED RESPECTING THEM!... THE MOMENT WHEN A WOLF THAT SHOULD HAVE PUT THE PACK ABOVE ALL ELSE BUT SET THEM ASIDE INSTEAD! IS! THE! MOMENT! I! STOPPED! RESPECTING THEM!!!..."

I stopped for a moment, letting the implications of my words set in. And finally, to put the nail in the coffin.

"With all of this said Heir Stark. If your father is of any kind of these men... Then...Yes. You would be right... So why don't you ask him?"

Silence.

Then a whisper.

And finally, pandemonium.

All tact went out the window when people started talking instead of whispering . No longer bothering with any form of social conventions. Conventions that I just now have broken in pieces.

The little wolves though looked down on embarrassment. Brandon tried to glare pitifully, while Ned could only try and hold his brother with the hopes of stopping him from making things worst. But Lyanna is different. She looked hopeful? I guess? A little grateful with a bit of anger there too.

"It appears you have nothing else to say, please take your leave. I have a tourney to prepare for just like you and a great many others too."

Brandon could only snarl as he stomped away amidst the not so quiet jeering and mocking from the crowed, followed by his brother. I gave Lyanna's hand one more brush from my lips before she went. She looked a bit abash and shy as I did so in public but she smiled softly no less.

'...so much for the pack...'

"Milord, was it truly wise to antagonize one of the Great Houses?" asked Sif.

"No not really. But a confrontation was made certain the moment Heir Stark started accusing others without knowing the full truth." I said loud enough for a dozen people to hear. A little escape goat for the old wolf.

Sif bowed and showed understanding of my intent. 'She was clearly a highborn's servant at some point. Perhaps even a highborn herself. I'll have to ask eventually.'

By midday I had picked up both my shield and scabbard along with a juicy gossip. A public tounge lashing from Lord Stark to some guy named Jory. Sad for the man to serve as the escape goat to avoid the growing scandal. It was everything anyone talked about, even more so than the King's attempt at making Jamie Lannister a member of the Kingsguard. An attempt that was halted by Tywin Lannisters timely intervention.

Still it was satisfying wiping that smile off of the brash wolf's face. Unfortunately for me I have to deal with the angry glares of shimmering rage from the stupid pup.

'Another problem for future me to deal with I guess.'

I soon finished my preparations and then begun checking on my squires aswell.

"Hang on. I just need to..." I said as I begun rubbing her face with a clean washcloth and softly wiping out the dirt from her face.

"...please my lord. Tis embarrassing..."

"...uhuh..."

Mordred squirmed under my treatment. But then again it is the girl's fault for working late. After wiping the dirt and soot I began tying her hair into a french braid. Most people were laughing and snickering at my actions. Only then did I realized why.

The men here do not do this kind of things. Things they consider womanly duties.

'What a sad way to live.'

After braiding her long blond hair and making sure her armor is properly fastened, I handed Sif a pouch of Ten gold coins.

"My lord?"

"Something to spend on necessities. Food, clothes, horses, carts and proper tents. For everyone."

*Sigh...* Of course she would be surprised.

As if hearing the reason for my disappointment at her reaction, her eyes softened significantly and then she started tearing up.

"My lord is indeed generous..."

"Pffftt no. This is an investment. I want to see if you could be trusted. And if you could, then I want to see if everyone else is worth the coin. If I don't like what I see...consider this the last of it."

"Yes my lord." She said as she bowed deeply, showing off the deep valley between her massive twin peaks.

I only realized I was staring once she started swaying them. I looked up and was greeted with her smiling playfully at me. 'shit...'

Grabbing my head she roughly burried my face in between them.

"Is there truly nothing I could do to make you change your mind about participatin'?" She asked with a sultry voice.

I felt myself stiffen at her words as a tingle poured down my spine. She's good. I took deep breaths that seemed as if I was inhaling her secent, and began calming myself down. I looked up and smiled softly at her. I gave the exposed top of her breast a soft kiss each. And then removed myself from her embrace in reluctance.

"I am certain Lady Sif." I answered as I looked into her eyes.

She nodded in acceptance. "Will there anything else you will be needin' milord?" She asked softly with her beauty accentuated with the soft blush that shade her face, a small smile and half lidded eyes.

"No my dear. See to your duties if you would."

As soon as she bowed and left, I let out a sigh of relief. Thank God. I feared what would have happened had she pushed. Fucking hormones. I heard her giggle, and I turned to see her looking at me playfully from outside before she blew me a kiss and then left with a sway on her hips.

'...ok I let my guard down. That one's on me.'

Now that I think about it, she does look like Sif from God of War Ragnarok, only younger.

I soon left for the tourney once I knew that all the fanfare and lordly Introductions were finished.

I stood at the waiting area were the knights, warriors, bandits, thieves, cutthroats and a whole slew of murderers that wanted the price money of 40,000 gold dragons. That's not just a lot of coin. That's a family fortune on itself.

I was suddenly given a red rope just like the rest and I began using it to tie to my sword. Blunt steel is the play. The only problem is, once disarmed, you can use no other weapon than your own but the pair of fist you have with you.

I at least had enough sense to hide the Valyrian steel sword and only bring a longsword from the caches of weapons we had in stored paired with my kite shield.

Specially with all the eyes trained on me. There aren't any Northmen but for sure they are all looking at my face and armor. I am looking too young. I can't fault them for that. But there ain't anything I can do for now so I simply shrugged them all off.

In the corner of my eye, I saw a blonde looking male that struck my memory fiercely. A stinging headache and I decided to shelf the thought for another time. Hearing a thunderous cheer, I along with everyone else stepped out to the open field as I held my helmet in my arms with my shield strapped to my back. Together we walked into the arena or the meat grinder. Doesn't matter.

"The King gives welcome to the warriors of the Seven Kingdoms! And may the Gods, EVER SHINE IN YOUR FAVOR!!!"

The master of ceremonies' announcement bought a lot of cheer. And then I felt it, the air thickened as men left and right wielded sharper eyes. The only strays were the younger ones who looked lost and scared and the idiots smiling like a... well... an idiot towards the crowed, mostly to the women.

"Begin!"

And with that I knocked out the nearest idiot right next to me with nothing but a flick of my wrist straight to his temple bringing him down. *Thud!*

They all quieted down as most of the Lords themselves selves looked at me in surprise. After scanning my eyes across them, I finally put on my helmet and as soon as I lowered the face plate. I issued an invitation to get this party started.

"Let's dance."

~~~ 3rd person POV ~~~

Everyone watched in rapt attention in the melee as unlike from the joust, this was attended by every single lord and lady currently present in Harrenhal.

But instead of the battle royal they had initially expected. It had turned into a battle between one man vs an army.

The youngest of the participants, someone who looked a lot like a Lannister with no more than four and ten namedays' old is now currently being swept in a tide of blades, blunts and shields.

Arthas dodged and weaved across attacks all the while retaliating in a very crippling manner. His movements were both fast, sharp, strong and yet strangely flexible. Every swing of his sword, one just as tall as him, either knocked out or broke down a man.

He side stepped a spear as he broke the shaft. Again he ducked under a sword but struck at the overextended leg. He parried a sword hitting another instead while kicking his initial assailant in the face. He swerved and sweeped across the field with nimble yet precise movement, without sacrificing his form and footing allowing him to retaliate with power and ease.

To most that watch him, he looks like he was gliding across a dance floor.

While the audience grew in awe of the elegant display of swordmanship. The participants grew in fear that begetted desperation.

Their attacks were useless as they were frustratingly parried aside hitting a completely different participant. And those that made through were too weak that his armor easily ignored it. But what was worst is that every passing second, the discontent began pouring into the rest of the participants causing them to clash against one another.

Of course this was the initial purpose of the melee but most couldn't help but curse at the little lordling as his skill obviously put him into the top candidates for victory.

Just knowing your chances of getting that price money dwindle before your eyes was the last they could take, as every man began crossing blades with the nearest person they could reach. An attempt filed by rage and done with a bit of desperation to salvage what little remained of their wounded egos.

Rickard on the other hand was sweating bullets. He had seen the young man fight and fight with such skill he did. But he obviously knew little of its full extent as he himself was occupied during the attack. But seeing it first hand was enough to curse his mouth for losing such a skill and talent.

Despite the scandal that his own eldest son had brought down upon themselves, Rickard cannot denie the kids talent.

'I need to make peace with him somehow.' Rickard looked towards his daughter and saw her cheering and clapping along with the crowed that had been riled up by the rising star of the melee. 'perhaps their friendship could be of use.'

Rickard could only scowl at his eldest's obvious hatred at the young knight. 'I will have to curb that anger.'

While Eddard seemed more focused on the sword skill than anything else. 'Tutelage perhaps?'

While Rickard planned into getting into the young man's good graces once more, Tywin Lannister is one sporting relief.

Down at the arena he scowled slightly before nodding in satisfaction at the unconscious form of his son Jamie Lannister.

He had been lucky enough to have successfully stopped Aerys from making his eldest a Kingsguard. A knighthood his idiot son was actually enamored with and nearly accepted with little thought of the repercussions.

'It was a good thing I was able to intervene. But I won't be able to do it again. I had obviously overstepped already, anymore and I can be charged for treason. Something Aerys would be gleeful for. I need my son to marry soon....'

It was a thougt he has to follow through since he knew that Aerys would not stop despite his wishes. And so he looked on in satisfaction of his son's defeat.

'The first to fall in the melee. And my men called him a rare talent... Pah! I knew they were buttering me up.' he thought sharply.

A loud cheer once more echoed and Tywin looked to see only the Lordling remained as he raised his sword in acknowledgement of victory.

"By the blessings of the Gods and the Honor of the Crown. I present to HARRENHAL!!! Your victor, Ser Arthas!!!"

Arthas smiled at the outcome. While the common folk cheered, most of the knights and the Lords themselves were first surprised and then scowled in dissatisfaction. A no-name knight taking victory against knights and heirs of renown. It was bound to leave a bad taste as it did not bode well with their self entitlement and wounded pride.

'I can find a side through all of this. Now, to see which amongs you lords are worth my friendship. Time to find out.'