More Tommen related stuff, because I liked writing about him and maybe give him relevance to the story.
Chapter 7. The laughing stag.
Be ready!
Tommen woke up all of a sudden, shivering from the dream. It had been just plain weird, specially now that this was the fourth time in a row he had that dream, every three or so days in the last forthnight. Speaking wolves, ravens and lions? Dragons and... whatever that had been. Just thinking about it made him shiver in fear. Whatever it was, he didn't want to think about it.
With a heavy heart he'd depart winterfell, he left behind poor Brandon and his uncle parted ways with them to go and see the wall at the edge of the known world. He had asked to go, only to be kindly shut down by his mother and be mocked in snickering tones by his brother.
Thus they made their way back home. And like always he'd be chaffing insde the stuffy house her mother had insisted on bringing. It broke too often and wasn't really that spacious. Tommen would have liked to camp better, make a bonfire and tell tales around it. That would have been fun.
Sigh, it was a pity mom wasn't too fond of it, well, girls weren't too fond of it. Luckily for Tommen he could go ride outside from time to time.
Buttershot, his pony which had a color similar to its name, snorted as he sped up a bit. That startled Tommen a bit but he managed to hold on the reins and his pony.
Joffrey saw that and snorted, rolling his eyes dismissively. Tommen pouted a bit, seeing his brother had yet another thing to add to his repertoire of insults and mocking.
And he'd add mind you. Joffrey was very mean and never let down anything.
With a sigh and a slighly saddened smile, Tommen decided to ride ahead, his guard, Ser Brandon of house Marlon, following him quite close. Marlon was an average man in all espects of the word: neither tall, slim, fat or small. Neither ugly nor pretty, just plain. Chestnut hair and eyes and nothing to write home about. Still he was a very kind and nice man, unlike a few members of the kingsguard who where quite scary if he was asked.
Now the convoy was halted, preparing the food to break the fast and letting the nobles rest. They were still in the north, about to pass the swamps of the neck. He remembered that place. it was a bit spooky with its swamps and the strange crannogmen... though he had come to learn they were very nice and welcoming, specially the son of the lord, Jojen who was a very interesting boy who Tommen hoped to see again, he liked him. Though, to be honest, Tommen liked a lot of people. And it should be so, why should he want to mourn and perpetually frown like grandpa? He didn't want to be grumpy when he was old, nor hated. No, he'd do a good job and make people happy. He'd a good lord who'd do father proud.
He heard a noise: of wood clashing, like practice swords. He commanded his horse to go faster and sped his way towards the noise's source.
Two boys were playing with wooden swords. Tommen recognized them: one was a butcher's son he'd seen quite a few more times in the convoy and the other... wait the other wasn't a boy. It was Arya Stark! He almost gasped in surprise at that.
The two other kids turned in surprise at the young prince's arrival. The young butcher boy dropped to his knees to bow but Arya rose him up almost inmediately.
"What are you doing here?" Asked Arya in a barbed tone, skitish like a shadowcat. "Are you going to tell dad about this, aren't you?"
Tommen shook frantically
"No, no! I was just riding when I heard you fight and wondered what was going on!"
Her eyes clenched bit, slits of distrust now. No one said nothing for a couple seconds until Tommen decided to dismount and approach.
He was a bit nervous to speak with them, considering he didn't have many kids his age in king's landing he wasn't sure what to say.
"Uhm... can I play with you?"
Arya's, Ser Brando's and Mycah's (that was his name... Tommen thought) eyes went wide open.
"YOU!? But you're a prince, what if I hurt you!"
"I'll say I'm practicing with Ser Marlon and that I told him not to hold back, that harm me would make me stronger. At least that's what my father says."
Arya stared at him skeptically until she grumbled. She could say no to the guy when he was making such puppy eyes and such a beaming and wide smile.
"Fine, but if you hurt yourself you've gotta say you hurt yourself! Promise?"
"Promise!"
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"Wow, look at them," said a marvelled Arya Stark.
Tommen himself was too surprised when he saw again the towers of Moat Cailin. It wasn't that they were magnificent. They certainly were nothing to write hom about and they were old. But it was the contrast the supposed between the massive savage realm of the swamps the crannogmen (and many, many, many flies) called home.
"It's incredible they are still standing here, they look so old!" was all Tommen managed to say.
"Say, do you think we will see more castles like this one? Asked Arya in wonder.
"We still have Harrenhal, that one is massive!" Said Tommen as he stretched his arms as much as he could to give a bit of the impression of the gargantuan hold. "It's like you could see the seven kingdoms from it's top! I'm sure of it! Oh and uncle Arryn's house on the Vale too, that place is so high I think we could see the home of the seven from there"
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation to see Harren the Black's home. To see the vale. He made a wide grin.
"It's incredible. Do you think it will take us too long to make it to Harrenhal?"
At that moment Tommen swore he had seen something move thrugh the foliage something strange. Like a kid, but one that was blindingly fast.
Surely he had imagined things.
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"You know, I've seen that our two young boys are getting along very well," commented Robert as he downed his second flask of wine this morning. "More, c'mon you crap-for-brains good-for-nothing squire!" Roared Robert as he commanded Lancel to pour him a third (and soon the fourth) flask of wine.
"Indeed," Eddard made thin smile. Tommen was a good boy and maybe he'd make Arya a bit more ladylike if they grew fond of each other. "It is good two boys of their age get to befriend and bond, she generally didn't have anyone of her age at winterfell.
"Maybe Joffrey's and Sansa's won't be the only ties of blood between our families, hahaha!"
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"Can I touch her?" Asked a dubbitative Tommen about Nymmeria.
"She's very touchy of strangers but you can try," said Arya with half a grin.
Nymmeria by now was very large, only a head smaller than Tommen in height but very tall nevertheless. She was as skittish as her owner and looked the most savage of the stark direwolves.
With shaky hands, Tommen caressed the direwolf's fur.
Nymmeria panted happily, barked, and licked Tommen's cheek. Both children, Arya covering her mouth with her hands and rolling into the ground upon seeing Tommen's face of surprise. made silly giggles when the direwolf repeated the act.
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They kept meeting on to play with the swords and practice. Tommen fell quite often and lost most of the time but they had a lot of fun. Quite a few times they had made a meelee a trois and fought until they were so tired they fell to the ground laughing.
But today it wasn't like always.
They had spent quite a while, almost a moon or so, and they had made it to the riverlands. There they stayed at an inn for a few days to rest and repair the massive house-couch of his family.
And today Joffrey and Sansa found them. Just when Mycah had striken Arya's hand by accident. She made a very loud ouch when they approached.
"Arya what are you doing here?" Asked Sansa in a high-pitch tone, surprised to see her sister in a very unladike activity.
"I'm practicing with the sword with Mycah and Tommen."
Joffrey snorted and chuckled obnoxiously then put a bit of thought into the matter and made a vile grin.
"Say... whatever your name is. Seeing that you're eager on attacking high-born ladies, why don't you try your luck with," with a slow motion he unsheathed his sword. "A real fighter? Not some wobbly mess like my craven brother. I'm sure it would be an... enlighting experience."
Mycah's face blanched and he went to his knees.
"Please my lord, it wasn't an accident, I only-"
"QUIET YOU WORM!" snarled Joffrey as he startled everyone, specially Sansa who freed herself from his grasp and went a step backwards."You think you can get away with striking your betters?" Asked Joffrey as he closed the distance and pointed his sword at the boy. "Do you think you can get away with your acts of treason? You want to play a knight, go and play with a real warrior, c'mon you craven shit!"
"Joffrey, please calm down," tried to say Tommen before his elder brother stroke him down with a thunderclap.
"Don't butt in you pathetic blob!" Shouted Joffrey. "I AM THE CROWN PRINCE, YOU MAGGOT!!"
He went to strke again poor Tomment but at that time Arya shouted a command.
"Nymmeria attack!"
And at that same time Nymmeria had started to ready its legs to jump over the prince. Pinned down by the great dire-wolf, the prince screamed in fear and impotence.
"Don't hurt him Arya!" Pleaded Sansa as she grabbed her little sister by an arm.
"Then he better not hurt my firends!" Arya roared in anger. She conced quickly, though. "Nymmeria get out of him, least you get food poisoning."
The wolf groaned and showed its teeth at Joffrey who made a scared whimper. When he could rise, the Prince sprung and went running away.
He was going to tell mother, Tommen though grimly.
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They argued about who had done what. Joffrey said both him and Tommen had been manhandled and assaulted, almost killed if it hadn't been for his superlative swordsmanship. Arya and the Butcher said the truth. In the end it all fell to him.
Joffrey's murderous stare stabbed daggers at Tommen. Arya's stare begged him to tell the truth, to save her pup and their friend. Because if Joffrey won Nymmeria would die and so would, most likely, Mycah. Just for playing and being the target of his bully brother.
It wasn't right, they didn't deserve it.
His brother would be angry. So would his mother. He shivered in fear at the prospect of the brutal beating. His body almost convulsed in terror. Joffrey would be very angry, he'd torment him and bring it to a new sickening degree. He might die, considering how intently Joffrey glared at Tommen. After a few seconds of thinking about that horrible that awaited him should he speak against Joffrey, Tommen realized he could say only one thing. He could only betray.
A small part of him died then as he uttered those words that would brand him a traitor:
"Joffrey attacked Arya and the boy, they were just playing with me and we've been doing this for weeks now," He gulped, his hands tremble Nymeria just defended us."
Silence struck the hall. Joffrey's eyes bulged and menaced with leaving their orbits. Arya made a sigh of relieve and gave Tommen a weak smile. Cersei gasped. A random dog pissed on a knight who cursed: "you bloody bitch!"
King Robert perched on his chair at stared at his son with inquisitive eyes:
"Are you sure of it, that's a very different story than your brother's."
"Yes, father," sentenced Tommen, his voice barely hiding his shakiness. Still he managed to strike a solemn voice and pose. Or at least he thought it would be that way.
He didn't turn his head, his eyes were locked in his father's who in urn stared into Tommen's very souls. Tommen feared he'd melt in any second and he'd be afraid of what would his lord father say. Robert just nodded and rose from the chair. His voice was cold as ice when he spoke.
"Joffrey, tomorrow I'll have a talk with you."
"What about the beast and the butcher boy?" Asked Cersei in an increasingly outraged tone.
"Tomorrow I'll talk with the father's boy and say I'm sorry for my little spitbrain of an heir," Robert's voice was close to erupt in anger now. Everyone flinched and expected an impending backlash. "And I expect to see them fine and well tomorrow. Or else I'll speak with whomever that harmed them," he finished as he gripped his hammer.
There was no more to say, the queen simply shrugged in defeat and walked straight out of the room, not before giving a disappointed glare to her second son.
People left, many sighing in relief and tiredom.
Arya's eyes gleamed as she turned to see Tommen while her father hurried her away to sleep.
It was then he noticed something very grave.
Joffrey's face was a mask devoid of any emotion. Tommen realized he was so angry he couldn't even articulate it.
"You traitor," he said in a strangled whisper as his lower lisp trembled. Then he stormed off the building with the Hound in tow. He'd make him pay dearly.
It was the right thing. They deserved it.
Tommen told this to himself and realized that, even though he'd see seven hells from now, he didn't care. The part that was afraid of his brother had died at that moment . For that single moment. That single smile and sigh of relief and, most importantly, the knowledge his friend would live had justified everything that was to come.
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Just a question, do you think its believable for an eight-year (I'm going for him being that age while Arya is about to turn 10 now) old's behavior? On the other hand I'm so proud of this guy *sniff*
