Chapter 14: The Battle of the Maidens
'Some scholars try to cite the fact that the Ruby Order took part in the Hand's Tourney in the Battle of the Maidens, a special competition limited to the four of them, as proof that the tourney was restricted to men. This could not be further from the truth, as it overlooks or straight ignores the participation of Lady Brienne Tarth in the melee, which multiple sources confirm, both sympathetic and hostile to the lady in question or the Ruby Order. It is also clear, mostly thanks to sources from Storm's End's archives, that Lady Brienne was already a trained fighter when she took part in the contest, so the claim that she met the Ruby Order in King's Landing and, inspired by their skill, asked to be trained as a knight by them so she could take part in the tourney, can be dismissed as a factually wrong later addition to the myths surrounding the Order. But if Lady Brienne could fight in the melee - officially, and not disguised as a man, as some of the more fanciful tales add - then why didn't the Four Maidens themselves take part? Some sources claim that they were bribed with a contest of their own, and a sizable fortune, to keep them from humiliating the flower of Westeros's chivalry, preventing unrest amongst the nobility in a time of instability. That theory ignores that while the roots of the Succession were already laid during King Robert's reign, it is generally agreed that his reign was stable, especially after he had crushed the Greyjoy rebellion. Equally unfounded is the theory that King Robert didn't want to risk the Four Maidens' beauty since they were known to fight without armour, relying on skill at arms to avoid being hurt. The claim that they fought without armour has long since been contested by every serious military scholar of the time and is likely an addition based on tales from a later era when armour started to fade from military use following the proliferation of firearms and colourful uniforms became common. Nevertheless, while there is no irrefutable proof, the most likely explanation lies in political struggles following the arrest of the Mountain that resulted in a compromise to satisfy everyone's honour, though we cannot say for sure who the involved parties were. This is based on several comments in surviving letters of the time that lauded King Robert's cunning in arranging what we would today call an exhibition match.'
A Treatise On The Ruby Order, by Maester Kennet Bracken
*****
Outside King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC
Margaery Tyrell held her breath when the signal sounded and her brother pushed his horse forward. Loras looked splendid in his shiny new armour, and his form was perfect as he rode down the lane, lance lowered already, aimed at his opponent. Still, she couldn't help worrying - jousting, even with tourney lances, was dangerous.
And Loras's opponent was Ser Jaime Lannister, one of the most famous, and infamous, knights of the realm. He had far more experience than her brother. In a joust, his age - he was more than double Loras's age - wouldn't be much, if any, hindrance. And he cut a dashing, dangerous figure with his white cloak trailing behind, wearing the best armour Lannister gold could buy. He had murdered the last king - and she wouldn't put it beyond him to kill Loras if given the chance to make it look like an accident.
No, she had to have faith in Loras! He was one of the best knights in Westeros! He wouldn't give the Kingslayer such a chance. He would…
She forced herself to watch as the two knights clashed while the spectators yelled, both lances hitting the other's shield and breaking on impact. Loras was leaning to the side as the two passed each other, but quickly straightened, while Ser Jaime appeared unmoved.
Both saluted each other as they returned to their squires to replace their lances for the next pass.
"Loras almost had him, Margaery!" Angia said next to her.
Margaery smiled at her and nodded, though both of them knew it wasn't true. Loras had been closer to being unhorsed than Ser Jaime.
People cheered as the two lined up again, and Margaery glanced around, unwilling to stare at her brother. The King was laughing, pointing with his free hand while his goblet was being refilled by his page. No surprise there - King Robert was known to love tourneys. He wouldn't have spent a fortune of gold on this otherwise. Lannister gold, mainly, if Grandmother's sources could be trusted.
The Queen, of course, was cheering for her brother, but Margaery couldn't help thinking it felt put on, almost fake - no, not fake; she wanted her brother to win, but there was more to it. Maybe she wanted Loras to lose even more than she wanted her brother to win? It was something to investigate.
"Go, Ser Loras! Go, Ser Jaime!" Lady Yang yelled, with both hands cupped around her mouth to let her voice carry better across the field. If Margaery had done this, made such a spectacle, Grandmother would have words with her.
The Queen openly scowled at her, even though 'Team Ruby' clearly had no favourite in this tourney. Was she jealous of Lady Yang? The woman was far younger than the Queen, and - in Margaery's honest opinion - far more beautiful as well. Her temper was also far more agreeable, and it was obvious that the King was very fond of her and her friends - though they were not sleeping together; Margaery could tell.
"They're starting again!" Angia told her, and Margaery whipped her head around in time to catch Loras spurring his horse onward once more.
And once more, she held her breath, struggling not to close her eyes as the two knights clashed, and once again, neither knight fell as both lances were reduced to firewood. This time, Loras didn't even sway, and Margaery sighed with relief when both started to return to their squires for the next pass.
"Woohoo!" Lady Yang cheered again, as did her sister and leader of their group, Lady Ruby - the two were the most excited of her friends. Lady Weiss and Lady Blake were more restrained.
They were a conundrum, Margaery had to admit. Probably beyond even Grandmother's ability to unravel. They had the King's favour - at the cost of having the Queen's open disfavour - and they were friendly not only with Lord Renly but also with the King's Hand; spending a lot of time with three of his children. And Margaery had no doubt that Lady Blake causing the Mountain to be arrested for murder would be looked on with favour and interest by the Martells. And, according to Grandmother's sources, all four were far stronger than they appeared, although Margaery didn't know just how strong they were. Rumours claimed Lady Blake had easily beaten the Mountain, though she had heard that he had not been wearing armour and had drunk so much milk of the poppy that a lesser man would have died on the spot.
Nevertheless, the four foreign noblewomen were currently the most influential faction at the court by themselves, so why weren't they trying to solidify their position? Margaery had subtly touched on the subject of a betrothal when she had met Lady Weiss, but the noblewoman had deflected her proposal, and Margaery wasn't aware of any betrothals or proposals currently being considered by any of the girls. Apparently, they had turned down proposals by Lord Robb Stark, the heir to the North, and by Prince Joffrey himself! Margaery knew no family who would not have accepted either betrothal at once - well, except for the Martells who hated the Lannisters and Baratheons, and she would still give better than even odds of them accepting anyway.
It made no sense - Margaery couldn't fathom what game Team Ruby was playing. And that…
The trumpet starting the third pass interrupted her thoughts. She drew a deep breath through her suddenly clenched teeth and stared as Loras rode on. Was he faster than before? Yes, he was - Margaery rode her own prized mare often enough to tell. What was he planning?
The two knights bore down on each other, and Margaery tensed even more. Loras's lance wavered! Was he tired from the other passes? Why would…?
Loras whipped up his lance at the last moment before the two clashed, and it struck his opponent's shield at the perfect angle before breaking.
Margaery gasped as Ser Jaime was lifted from his saddle and slid to the side, one foot splitting out of the stirrup. Was he…? Yes! Ser Jaime fell off his horse! Loras was the victor! Loras had won the Hand's Tourney!
She cheered as loudly as Lady Yang and Lady Ruby.
*****
Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC
Margaery had to resist touching the crown on her head as she took another sip from the excellent wine - the best and most expensive arbor gold; she recognised the vintage - at the feast. Loras had crowned her Queen of love and beauty! Oh, how the Queen had glared. Granted, Loras was her brother and knew better than to crown anyone else, but Margaery didn't think she didn't deserve the honour. Not even when comparing herself to Team Ruby. The Four Maidens were exotic and very beautiful, but there was more to a woman's beauty than mere appearance. Poise, grace and wit were as crucial as looks, and, of course, without perfect manners, not even the greatest beauty could truly shine.
"Congratulations, Lady Margaery!"
"Why, thank you, Lady Yang." Margaery dipped her head with a friendly smile. Case in point.
"Yes, congratulations! You deserve the honour!" Lady Ruby added.
"Indeed. Ser Loras may be your brother, but he clearly followed the chivalric ideal to be honest and true." Lady Weiss nodded at her as well.
"I concur." Lady Blake was as taciturn as Lady Margaery had heard, but her smile seemed as genuine as her friends'.
Team Ruby was either honest about Loras's choice or they were the best liars Margaery had ever met. She wasn't quite certain which was correct, but manners dictated her response. "Thank you!"
Lady Yang turned her head, looking over her shoulder, then frowned.
"Is something wrong, my lady?" Margaery asked.
"Nothing. Well, one of our friends is still brooding, and Lady Brienne has yet to arrive."
"Ah." They were talking about Stark's bastard son, then. The boy had fought well at the melee, or so Margaery had been told by Loras - she was no expert - so something must have happened if he wasn't celebrating his success. Had the ransom of those he had defeated been underwhelming? Or had he hoped to win the melee? He was a boy, and he might have overestimated his own prowess. Or… Had he hoped to win the heart of one of the Four Maidens? The boy spent a lot of time in their company, as Margaery had heard, and they were very attractive - and dressed so scandalously, even old men might be driven to foolish expectations. The boy might have deluded himself into thinking that if he won the tourney, it might overshadow the fact that he was a bastard. Or he had hoped to be legitimised as a reward. "Lady Brienne is well, I hope? She was struck hard in the melee - I feared for her health," Margaery said.
"Oh, she's fine. Bruised as hell, but she's tough." Lady Yang grinned. "Won't let that keep her down."
And arbor gold would dull the pain, Margaery thought. At least, the bruises wouldn't harm her appearance - there was not much to be harmed. She harboured no ill will against Lady Brienne, but the kindest one could say about her looks was that she was plain. The worst… well, some of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting had complained about milk curdling in her presence. They were creatures of the Queen, and Lady Brienne was, by association with Team Ruby, placed firmly amongst those the Queen did not favour, but if Margaery was brutally honest, they were not that far off the mark.
Lady Weiss frowned. "Maybe I should check on her before she misses the first course."
That was interesting. Team Ruby might hold Lady Brienne in higher regard than Margaery had expected if she was willing to fetch her in person. Although it did fit the tales of the Four Maidens' kindness that Margaery's servants had passed on to her. Or they had a weakness for unfortunate people - Stark's bastard would certainly fit the description as well. Maybe..
"There she is!" Lady Ruby announced. "Oh, she looks nice!"
Margaery turned, a polite smile on her face, and found herself blinking. Lady Brienne had entered the great hall but she wasn't wearing an ill-fitting dress nor enough face paint or powder to weigh down a mule in a desperate attempt to pass as a beautiful woman.
No, Lady Brienne was wearing men's clothing - a very fine doublet and hose, with a touch of Braavos' style; Margaery could tell - and tailored to fit her body much better than her usual clothes. She would have to inquire which tailor had managed that.
"Lady Brienne! Nice threads!" Lady Yang said as the other woman approached their group.
Lady Brienne looked confused for a moment before she nodded. "Thank you, my lady."
She was wearing face paint, Margaery realised - though much less, or much more subtly applied than most women at court would choose. It didn't turn her into a striking beauty, but it did hide the bruise on her face and the other blemishes of her skin. It couldn't do anything about her broken nose, of course, or her teeth, but it did help. "Indeed," Margaery said with a smile. She almost added a comment about how daring it was, though Lady Brienne would probably mistake the compliment for a jest - Margaery had heard how some men mockingly called her 'Brienne the beauty'.
"Thank you, my lady." Lady Brienne bowed her head.
"Lady Brienne! You look very dashing today!" Lord Renly and Loras joined them.
"Thank you, my lord." Lady Brienne blushed. "You are too kind."
Margaery knew that Lord Renly was merely honest, of course, and the reasons why. But that was not something she could or wanted to discuss in public. Or with anyone except for her close family.
Instead she made polite conversation and tried to figure out if anyone from Team Ruby harboured similar interests. If they were not receptive to offers of marriage, then maybe there were other ways to forge closer ties with them.
*****
Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC
Weiss had done good work! Ruby Rose beamed at Lady Brienne. Her partner was the best when it came to makeup and fashion. Well, except for Coco Adel, but she was an upper year Huntress. Weiss was Ruby's partner! And you could barely see where Lady Brienne's bruises were while the hose and the shirt - the doublet, she reminded herself - suited her perfectly. If only she were wearing her sword and shield as well! Maybe Ruby could design a collapsible shield for her that also served as a sheath for her sword… No, they lacked all the materials such a design would need. Although maybe a simpler version, a shield with an integrated sheath? Hmmm… That might work.
Her design work was interrupted by a not-so-soft elbow in her side and a whispered "Ruby!" from her partner.
"Sorry!" she mouthed, smiling embarrassedly. "So! That was a nice tourney, wasn't it?" she added a bit more loudly.
"It's not yet over," Lord Renly said. "Tomorrow, we will be treated to your fight - the Battle of the Maidens."
"Right!" Ruby nodded and tried not to wince at the name - 'Maidens' sounded so pretentious! (And it was probably incorrect, not that she would ever ask her friends about that!) "But the joust is the main event, right?"
"Normally, yes," he replied. "Although I would wager that this time, things might turn out differently if my brother the King is to be believed."
Yang laughed. "Oh, we'll do our best to put on a good show! Just don't complain if we wreck the ring."
"Yes!" Ruby nodded. They wouldn't be able to easily repair whatever they broke in the match like Professor Goodwitch could thanks to her Semblance.
"Really?" Lady Margaery looked a bit doubtful, though she was polite about it. Unlike a certain Queen.
"You have never seen them spar with the Kingsguard, sister," Ser Loras said. "I have, and I am looking forward to seeing them fight in their melee."
"You're not the only one!" Yang smashed her fist in her palm. "Watching all those contests makes me want to cut loose as well! I've got some pent-up energy to work off, and those twenty thousand gold dragons are calling for me!"
The others - those from Westeros - looked a bit confused but nodded anyway. Well, Yang's sentiments were clear. She had commented several times how she was looking forward to showing off.
Ruby snorted. Yang might be confident to win, but Ruby wouldn't hold back either.
"Don't bet on winning," Weiss cut in with a toothy smile. "It's been quite a while since we gave our all in a sparring match."
"Exactly! You must have grown rusty!" Yang replied with a matching smile.
Weiss scoffed in return. "We'll see tomorrow who has grown rusty."
Ruby looked from her sister to her partner. Sure, she wanted to win as well, but they seemed to take this a bit too seriously. It wasn't as if they wouldn't share the money, anyway.
She glanced at Blake, who hadn't said anything yet. Blake was smiling subtly, but her eyes almost seemed to glint as she said: "Tomorrow should be interesting."
"So, you have been holding back!" Lord Renly nodded. "My brother was right. And now I am even more curious to find out what you've been holding back. Lady Ruby isn't shy about demonstrating her own talents, so it's something different, right?"
"You will have to wait for our match," Weiss told him. "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."
"It'll be a blast!" Yang announced with a chuckle.
Ruby giggled at the comment, but Weiss rolled her eyes. "Not if I eliminate you before!" she said.
"I'd like to see you try!"
Ruby was wondering if she should step in - she was team leader, after all - but she noticed the Prince walking toward them. Well, she noticed Clegane, Sandor Clegane, approaching, the man was even taller than Lady Brienne and was the Prince's bodyguard, so the Prince should be with him. Or he with the Prince, whatever. And there was the Prince!
"Good evening, my prince!" she greeted him.
"Good evening, Lady Ruby." He nodded at her, then at the others. "Uncle Renly. Lady Weiss. Lady Blake. Lady Yang. Lady Margaery. Lady Brienne. Ser Loras. Good evening."
"Joffrey." Lord Renly smiled at his nephew, but he looked more… polite than warm. Not for the first time, Ruby remembered - they were family, but they weren't close. Then again, Lord Stannis and the King didn't seem very close either. Nor Lord Renly and Lord Stannis. She felt bad for the Baratheons. You should cherish your family - you never knew when you might lose someone.
"Congratulations for your victory, Ser Loras. It was a close bout, and very tense," the Prince went on.
"Thank you, my prince." Ser Loras bowed in that graceful manner of his.
The Prince turned to smile at her. "I wanted to wish all of you luck for tomorrow. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing you demonstrate your true power."
Ruby tried not to wince - they would still hold back some; they didn't have enough Dust left to waste any of it on a sparring match. So, she felt a bit bad about nodding. "Yes. We usually don't go all out when sparring."
"It can be a bit hard on the training area," Yang added with a fierce grin.
"More destructive than your usual sparring?" Lord Renly raised his eyebrows.
"Oh, yes!" Yang grinned.
"Some people sometimes forget to control themselves," Weiss said with a glance at Yang, whose grin widened. "Also, we rarely have a training area large enough for a sparring match where we don't hold back."
The Prince tilted his head slightly to the side. "Lady Ruby doesn't seem to have trouble controlling her magical speed when she's training in the yard."
"I don't," Ruby agreed. She had trained to fight even in enclosed spaces - you never knew when you had to hunt Grimm in a cave or so. "But with more space to use, I can use my Semblance better as well." She couldn't really use it to create a whirlwind if others were too close - well, she could, but that would be bad for the audience.
"Usually, the wider the area, the more options you have," Blake added.
Yang shrugged. "It's all the same for me. I hit things."
Ruby frowned at her. With none of them using ammo in the fight, Yang couldn't use her shotguns to boost her speed, but she wouldn't have to worry about Ruby sniping her from afar, or Weiss using exotic Dust-enhanced glyphs. That meant she had an advantage.
But Ruby had a plan for that. She just needed to settle some details.
"Do you require any special preparations?" the Prince went on. "We'll provide you with anything you might need."
"Oh, no - we can activate our Semblances as we want," Ruby said. "We don't need anything special."
"Not even Dust?"
"Dust can enhance a Semblance - or any weapon," Ruby replied. "But it's not needed."
"And will you be using Dust tomorrow? I remember hearing about Fire Dust," the Prince said.
"We have to conserve our Dust charges in case we need them to get home," Ruby explained. Or in an emergency. Even though she couldn't think of an emergency they couldn't handle without Dust. But Marwyn had told them that Dust might be the key to getting them home. Though he also thought Dust was magical, and it wasn't - Weiss had explained that thoroughly.
"Ah, that's too bad. I would have loved seeing you wield weapons enhanced with Dust. Though I assume you'd have to do that before the fight starts."
"You can do it in the middle of the fight as well," Ruby told him. "If you know how."
"Dust is very versatile," Weiss added. "Though you need to know how to use it or you'd risk hurting yourself, or worse, if you manipulate it."
"Ah, yes - I sneezed when I met Weiss and almost blew us up with some loose Dust!" Ruby giggled at the memory.
"You left a crater in the ground," Weiss said, rolling her eyes. But she was smiling fondly, so that was OK.
The Prince looked disappointed, but that couldn't be helped - they really couldn't waste Dust on a show. "You'll be amazed at what we can do," she told him, which made him smile.
Success!
*****
Weiss Schnee wanted to sigh - the Prince's attempts to find out more information about them were almost painfully transparent - but that would have been rude. And the Prince was a child; it wouldn't be nice at all to make fun of him for being curious about them just because he was a bit more obvious about it than the rest. More persistent, too. Still, he would have to wait until tomorrow to learn about their Semblances, like everyone else. They hadn't shown them to anyone, after all.
And she was relieved she had managed to shut down requests to use Dust. They had to conserve their reserves for emergencies. She didn't think Dust would be useful for getting home - it wasn't magical, despite Marwyn's opinion - but she couldn't completely dismiss the possibility that Dust might be needed in some way. Magic might have unique effects on Dust, after all - in fact, as Weiss had theorised with the Archmaester, interaction between Dust and magic might have been the reason for them being transported to this world.
"Ah, you know how to play the game!" Lord Renly said with a smile. "You're a tease, Lady Ruby."
Weiss pressed her lips together when Ruby blushed. Her partner and team leader shouldn't be so easily flustered by the simplest flirting. Still, she was two years younger. More innocent as well, at least in this area.
So Weiss nodded and took a small step forward, drawing the group's attention. "Pageantry is important - especially in a tournament."
Lady Margaery smiled. "You just caused our expectations to rise even higher."
"Yes, we did," Weiss said with a smile. She was well aware of that.
"And you won't be disappointed!" Yang chuckled again.
Weiss was about to comment again when she noticed Blake turning away from the group. What was she looking at? Ah. Lord Baelish was headed their way. Once again, he was dressed in the finest clothes, albeit a little understated compared to Lord Renly's attire. Since he had only a small fief, his wealth was all thanks to his position as Master of Coin, and Weiss was pretty certain that he was skimming off the top, so to speak. But that was expected, as she understood the situation, as long as you didn't take too much.
He greeted all of them with the utmost politeness and a warm smile, though Lord Renly, once again, was polite at best, and the Prince looked bored - maybe even annoyed for a moment. Neither fact seemed to faze Lord Baelish. "As others have doubtless done so, I offer my congratulations to your victory, Ser Loras."
"Thank you, my lord."
"Oh!" Lord Baelish nodded at Lord Renly. "Since you're here. I have a question about our most infamous prisoner that you as Master of Laws would undoubtedly be able to answer."
"Yes?" Now Lord Renly sounded wary. And the Hound was tense and looked as if he was about to growl.
Undeterred by either, Lord Baelish continued. "Will you be putting Ser Gregor on trial for his many, many past crimes as well? You might have to delay his trial even longer if you do, of course, since the Princes Martell will want to attend the trial in that case, to see the rapist and murderer of their sister and her children being brought to justice."
Weiss's eyes widened, and she heard Ruby gasp. Clegane had murdered - and raped - a noblewoman and her children? A princess, at that? And he had not been put on trial for that? That was shameful indeed!
Blake and Yang looked angry.
"The only crime he has been accused of so far is the killing of his guard," Lord Renly replied. "No other charges have been brought forward yet."
Were those just rumours then? They would have to look into this. Lord Eddard would likely know, wouldn't he?
Lord Baelish shrugged. "They have not yet sent a raven with any demands? Curious. I would have expected them to rush to King's Landing to see justice - if late and only indirectly - be granted to their kin."
Ruby nodded firmly. "Yes! People need such trials to get closure!"
That was correct. Weiss knew that from losing family and friends in a White Fang attack.
"They haven't brought forth any charges so far," Lord Renly repeated himself. "Should they do, we'll have to consider that."
Ser Loras shrugged. "As long as Clegane is put to death, who cares about the exact crime that sees him executed?"
"The Martells, I would think," Lord Baelish said. "And the kin of all his other victims - provided they are still alive and will hear about this trial in time to attend." He took a sip of wine from the cup he held in his left hand. "Of course, there's also the question of who will be willing to face the Mountain in his trial by combat."
"I would!" Sandor Clegane spat through clenched teeth. "The cunt burnt my face and killed my sister when we were children."
Weiss froze for a moment. She had known about the origin of the facial scars, and had been appalled that such a crime had never been punished, but she hadn't been aware of such details - nor that Ser Gregor had murdered his own sister as well.
"Oh, no!" Ruby blurted out, looking at Clegane with pity in her eyes.
That would make the man even angrier, Weiss suspected.
"You are his brother, Clegane," Lord Renly said. "No trial will see a champion turned kinslayer! The very notion would have the Septons protest!"
"Bah!" Clegane growled. "That monster is no kin of mine!"
"I am afraid that the law and the faith disagree," Lord Renly said.
"But then, who will face Ser Gregor?" Lord Baelish asked again. "Even a Kingsguard might not fare well."
"Any of us can face him!" Ruby said with a scowl.
"That would certainly ensure that Ser Gregor will not escape justice merely because he is the strongest knight in all of Westeros," Lord Baelish said. "And it will prevent him from murdering someone else in the process."
That was undoubtedly true - Blake hadn't had any trouble subduing the man. And none of Team RWBY would want others to be killed in such trial by combat.
But if one of them fought for the court in such a - barbaric - trial by combat, they would do so knowing that if they won, their opponent would be executed. Who amongst them could face and bear that kind of weight?
Not Ruby, Weiss decided. She wouldn't let her partner shoulder that burden.
*****
Blake Belladonna didn't regret taking down Ser Gregor. The man had killed his own guard without care and was, by all accounts, a serial rapist and murderer. But she did regret confronting him so openly. If she had realised the attention knocking him out would bring to her and her team, she would have opted for a more subtle course of action. Maybe sneak into his tent, render him unconscious and make it appear as if he had drunk himself into a stupor. On the other hand, that might not have led to his arrest - Ser Gregor's reputation certainly seemed to indicate that he could literally get away with murder. Multiple times.
Part of the reason was the protection by Lord Tywin Lannister, the Warden of the West and the King's father-in-law. But she was sure that the fact that as a noble, he was entitled to a trial by combat where his sheer size and strength would grant him a decisive advantage also played a role.
And, speaking of that… "If there is a trial by combat, I should be facing him - I saw the murder happen, I subdued him and I will testify against him." This started because of her actions, and so it was her responsibility.
Clegane growled, but she ignored him.
"There might be concerns that as someone who defeated him once already, you becoming the court's champion would mean the outcome of the trial was already determined," Lord Baelish pointed out.
"That's not actually true," Lord Renly retorted. "I recall a number of trials where this was the case - one in particular where two feuding knights faced off after one had defeated the other in a tourney. If Lady Blake volunteers for this duty, I doubt she will be refused."
"I don't doubt you, my lord, but I fear that not everyone will agree. And it doesn't take too much gold to influence opinions even when the truth of the matter is clear as day," Lord Baelish said.
Yang snorted. "That sounds familiar."
Blake nodded. It did. Corruption and rumour mongering were the same in Westeros as in Remnant, with just the details differing. "That won't change anything. My offer stands."
"I salute your bravery, my lady," Lord Baelish said. "Not many would dare to risk earning House Lannister's ire. Lord Tywin is known for paying back any perceived insults with interest. 'A Lannister always pays his debts', as the saying goes."
"We're Huntresses. We are trained to brave even worse danger to do what's right," Ruby said in a firm tone.
Blake nodded again. She didn't think backing off now would change anything if what she had heard about the head of House Lannister was correct; he was said to be proud even for a Westerosi nobleman. If her team backed down, they would be seen as weak, and Gregor Clegane would come after her anyway - she doubted that he would be able to bear being defeated by her; he had seemed far too proud, and far too violent, for that. And it would be better to deal with him in a trial than in the shadows - everyone would suspect her anyway, should anything happen to the man.
Although there were good odds that after tomorrow's 'Battle of the Maidens' - a ridiculous name, especially for herself - several people would have to reconsider whatever they thought about Team RWBY. "This is my responsibility," she said - mostly to make sure Ruby wouldn't believe it fell to her as their team leader to step into the ring.
"I don't believe Lord Tywin will care that much if Ser Gregor is brought to justice," Lord Renly said with a frown. "The Ser Gregor is one of his bannermen, but he has distanced himself from the Mountain in the past over his crimes."
Well, that was what 'rogue agents' and 'plausible deniability' were for. Another thing that was the same in Westeros.
The Prince chuckled. "If Ser Gregor is found guilty, it would only be fitting if you brought him down, Lady Blake."
She nodded at him with a polite smile. The boy was a bit too eager to see a man executed, but Ser Gregor had murdered a Queen and her little children once already, according to several sources, so the Prince might feel that an example had to be made in order to discourage everyone from repeating such a vile deed.
"We shouldn't be talking about such dreadful things," Lady Margaery spoke up. "My dear brother just won the joust, and Lady Brienne gave a good showing in the melee. And we're about to watch a great event on the morrow. We should be celebrating!"
"Yes! We should enjoy all the food!" Ruby exclaimed.
And Blake should be checking the food for poison. "Indeed," she said. "I'll be grabbing a bite to eat."
"I'm feeling a bit hungry as well," Yang said and fell in next to her as Blake turned away from the group.
Blake snorted softly. "I don't think anyone is going to attack me in the middle of the feast," she whispered. And if they did, she could deal with them.
Yang flashed a grin at her in response. "Just because it's unlikely doesn't mean it's impossible. And I won't leave my partner alone here with all those nobles."
Blake could handle those as well. She wasn't the naive girl anymore who had fallen for that bastard. But she appreciated Yang's support anyway and smiled at her partner. "Thanks."
"Anytime."
Blake was about to reply again when her nostrils widened. She knew that whiff of perfume! The spy master behind those child agents was in this room - and she had his scent. Now she just had to narrow it down - and hope that no one else wore the same perfume, though since she hadn't smelt it before, neither at the tourney or here at the feast, she gave herself good odds of finding the man.
"What's wrong?" Yang asked in a low voice.
Blake wrinkled her nose. "Just a stench."
Her partner's eyes widened for a moment when she realised what Blake meant, followed by a firm nod. "Let's take the scenic route."
"Yes." Blake hooked her arm into Yang's as she had seen noblewomen do when walking together and started to steer them through the crowd, keeping track of the scent. Following it like a dog - ugh - would have been a stupid mistake; people noticed that. But aimlessly walking through the crowd, noting where the scent grew stronger and where it faded? That would take longer, but was far more subtle.
Soon, she had narrowed down the location to a spot near but not in a corner, where…
…Varys, the official spy master of the realm, was talking to a nobleman.
Blake felt really stupid. Of course, the most obvious suspect for running spies on the Red Keep was the King's own Master of Whispers. How could she have missed that possible suspect?
She chuckled a little and started to steer Yang towards the tables with the food. The others would find that gaffe very amusing, she had no doubt, once she could tell them about it.
Of course, they would still have to do something about the spying - and, perhaps, ask a few pointed questions about why the King's spy master was using little children as agents.
*****
Outside King's Landing, Crownlands, Westeros, 298 AC
This was it! The big event! The Battle of the Maidens! Yang Xiao Long smiled widely as she took in the field - not that she wasn't already familiar with it; she and the others had helped set it up after the melee. They knew best how wide and sturdy it had to be for a real fight amongst Team RWBY, after all.
And it was wide - they had enlarged the area where the melee had been fought. And limited the spectators to one, slightly narrow part of the circle. It had taken a bit of an effort to get more stands built next to the one for the nobles so the smallfolk could safely watch, but if the alternative was RWBY holding back so the audience wouldn't be in danger, and the King wanted to have his all-out battle…? You built more stands. And the workers had finished setting up the walls as well, scattered in the centre of the area like some unfinished maze. They were made of brick, small and not very high, and wouldn't stand up to a glancing blow from a Huntress, but they could hide you for a moment, and that could be crucial.
She smashed her gauntlets together. "So… may the best Yang win!"
"You wish!" Weiss replied at once from her left.
"You won't have an easy victory!" Ruby declared.
She needed to work on her trash talk, Yang found.
Blake merely snorted, softly, and Yang didn't have to glance at her partner to know she'd be smiling slyly. She did it anyway, of course, and flashed her a grin.
Sure, all members of Team RWBY were great Huntresses-in-training, but when it came to fighting other people, Yang had the advantage - her Semblance assured it. And she wasn't quite as handicapped as the others by the lack of Dust. She couldn't use her shotguns, but none of the others could use Dust either. That meant Yang didn't have to worry about Ruby sniping her or Weiss using Dust-enhanced Glyphs to take her out from outside her range. Or Blake using her pistol, though that pea-shooter would only serve to fuel Yang's Semblance.
Sure, Yang couldn't quite pull off her best moves without the recoil from Ember Celica, which cut down on her mobility some, but it wasn't that hard to compensate for.
"They're waiting for us to enter," Blake commented.
"Right!" Ruby nodded. "Let's not leave the King waiting. And the others."
Yang nodded firmly as they started walking across the field to stand in front of the King and the other nobles.
"Team Ruby!" The King stood up and waved at them.
"Your Grace!" Ruby replied, and all of the team bowed.
"Are you ready to do battle?" the King bellowed.
Next to him, Lord Eddard looked as stony as ever, but the Prince leaned forward with an eager expression. Without TV and games, this was probably the best entertainment he'd ever see. The Queen, though, scowled. Yang wondered why she had attended at all - but she probably felt she would appear weak or something if she stayed home.
"Yes!" Ruby nodded and unfolded Crescent Rose, then swung it around so the scythe rested against her shoulder - and made the crowd gasp at the same time with their first glimpse at a mechashift weapon.
Weiss drew Myrtenaster with a flourish and saluted with her blade. "We are."
"Yes." Blake drew Gambol Shroud's blade, leaving the sheath on her back.
Yang smashed her gauntlets together. "Yes!"
The King turned to address the crowd. "This will be the final event of the Hand's Tourney! The Battle of the Maidens! You're about to see the strongest people in the world fight it out - a display of skill and power you've never seen before!"
The crowd - mostly the smallfolk - roared and cheered. The nobles, as usual, were a bit more restrained, especially those close to the Queen, with some exceptions like the Stark children, Lord Renly, Ser Loras and Lady Margaery. Not Lord Baelish, though, she noted. Or Varys. He was acting as if he wasn't interested in the event at all - which wasn't very convincing for someone who sent children to spy on them. Lord Stannis and Melisandre were silent as well, but that was probably normal for the King's brother, and the priestess was staring at Team RWBY as if her life depended on it. As was Marwyn, actually - for once, the Archmaester had forsaken his research in the library and had come to attend the tourney. Well, he'd love the display!
"Alright! Let's get ready!" Ruby announced, and Team RWBY split up, spreading out until they formed a rough square outside the walled section, with plenty of space between them - and between them and the audience.
"Good luck everyone!" Ruby yelled. "May the best Huntress win!"
"Thank you, sis!"
"I didn't mean it that way!"
Yang grinned and took up a stance - mostly for show. The others followed suit.
And then the trumpets sounded, and the fight was on!
Yang dashed forward, straight at Ruby, one fist drawn back for a punch, crashing through a wall in the way and sending bricks and dust flying.
As expected, her sister activated her Semblance and vanished - or almost vanished. Yang threw herself to the side when she caught a few petals in the corner of her eye, then to the ground when Ruby reappeared, swinging her scythe in a diagonal slash that missed her by a foot and cut another wall in half before ripping up the ground.
Yang kept rolling while the crowd cheered and came up in a crouch, blocking another attack from Ruby before countering with a kick that caught her sister in the chest and sent her back - just in time to block an attack from Weiss, who had managed to get close.
Blake tried to use the opportunity to strike at Weiss from behind but her blow was stopped by a Glyph.
"As if I had not expected this!" Weiss gloated - though she gasped when she had to hide behind another Glyph to stop a swipe from Crescent Rose.
The crowd roared.
"Time to get serious!" Yang yelled and charged forward. Weiss threw a third Glyph her way, but Yang slid around it, twisting into a spinning kick as she did which…
…missed Weiss as she dodged by taking a step back.
Yang kept turning around herself and dropped into a crouch that turned the kick into a sweep when Blake tried to stab her in the side, but her partner jumped over Yang's leg and Gambol Shroud's edge slid along Yang's ribs.
"First Blood!" Blake said with a smile - which shattered when Weiss lunged with her own blade.
Yang twisted, catching Blake as she repositioned herself, but her fist only struck another clone while Blake's own attack struck her other side.
Before Yang could follow her, she caught a glimpse of red and darted to the side just in time to dodge Ruby appearing in the middle of them and swinging Crescent Rose around in a wide arc that cut just below Weiss's glyph.
Once again, the girl managed to evade the blow, though, and Blake used a clone to jump back just out of the scythe's arc, which ended carving up a part of the ground and leaving a long, shallow trench
Yang took a few steps back, frowning as she blocked another attack by Ruby, and then had to avoid a couple of Glyphs that tried to box her in with a few acrobatic moves that had the crowd roaring again.
Both Weiss and Blake were good, but those attacks should have clipped them at least. Had they been holding back? Or… ah! Yang chuckled - her friends had been training for quite some time without using their Semblances and had had to dodge the hard way. That was like training with a handicap! Of course they would be better at dodging!
But it also meant they hadn't been using their Semblances except for the few times they had gone and trained in isolation. So, they weren't quite as good with them as they could be.
On the other hand, Yang had been training hard and her Semblance didn't really affect her moves. Grinning, she dashed forward, headed for Weiss.
Weiss saw her coming as she parried a series of attacks from Blake, who was using both Gambol Shroud's blade and her sheath now, and threw another Glyph in front of Yang before creating a series of them to quickly climb into the air, jump by jump.
Yang knew better than to follow her - she'd end up jumping onto a Glyph just as it disappeared - and changed course to go for Blake. She jumped over the crack someone's attack had left in the ground and kicked a few loose bricks into dust to hide her position from the left side. Ruby dashed past them from the right, though, Crescent Rose flashing, and Yang took a glancing blow in exchange to catching Blake just when her partner used a clone to jump back.
This time, Yang's fist connected, and Blake ploughed a furrow in the ground as she was sent back a few yards.
"First real strike!" Yang grinned, then stepped to the side when she saw Weiss diving at her, Myrtenaster aimed straight down.
As expected, Weiss used a Glyph to change course, and so was too slow to create another one to stop Yang or evade when Yang jumped straight up, deflected Myrtenaster and grappled her. "Gotcha!"
Weiss hit her in the face with surprising speed - another trick she had picked up from Ser Barristan - but Yang could take dozens of such hits without flinching and paid her back with interest, landing half a dozen punches on Weiss's head and upper body before they crashed in the ground and Yang had to roll to the side, out of the shallow crater, to…
…roll directly into Blake's next attack. She managed to deflect the blade stabbing at her face, but the sheath caught her in the hip. And Weiss would have recovered by now and… Where was Ruby? Yang kicked Blake, catching a clone, then smashed her fist in the ground, sending up a cloud of rocks and dirt to make Blake's next attack miss, and glanced around.
She couldn't see Ruby. No petals, not sneaky little sister dropping from the sky - and she couldn't bury through the ground, could she? There! At the edge of the area!
Before Yang could figure out why Ruby had withdrawn so far from the centre of the area, Weiss and Blake were both coming for her - maybe she should have cut down on the trash-talk before the match - and Yang was forced to summersault back to avoid both blades and the cleaver, then block the follow-up attacks.
She caught a few more blows - her Semblance was filling up - and got both back with a few strikes and one kick herself, when she saw Ruby vanishing in a red streak. A red streak that came at them in a wide curve, circling them.
Shit.
Before Yang could disengage from Weiss's next Glyph-boosted attack, Ruby had closed in and Yang and the other found themselves inside a hurricane. Yang hit the earth, burying both her fists in the ground, but she felt the force of the wind pulling at her - that wouldn't hold her.
Blake had lashed Gambol Shroud's ribbon to a wrecked but still standing wall, but she was flung around as if she was a tethered ragdoll instead, and Weiss…
…hadn't even tried to stand her ground? Yang saw that the other Huntress was flying through the air a moment before she herself was ripped off the ground and thrown in the air.
My Semblance can take it! she told herself as she was spun around. Maybe.
Though before she was dragged up too high, the hurricane suddenly weakened - and then collapsed.
Yang twisted in the air - she wasn't part cat like her partner, but Dad had taught her and Ruby how to fall right after he caught them on the roof for the first time - and managed to land pretty well. What had happened?
Then she saw Ruby slowly getting up from the ground, looking a bit dizzy. "Ow! I'm out. Good move, Weiss!"
She was standing at the end of a row of slightly off-set Glyphs circling them like dominoes. Weiss, who was landing gracefully at the other end, must have been creating dozens of those in Ruby's path, spaced out so she couldn't evade and smashed straight into - and through - them. Smart.
But Weiss couldn't quite hide how much that had taken out of her, and Yang grinned while she charged, zig-zagging, across the torn ground towards her. "You took out my sister! Prepare to die!"
Weiss whirled, Myrtenaster flashing, but Yang had her number now. She dropped under the blade's point and slid over the ground, legs spreading. Weiss tried to jump up, but Yang twisted and pushed herself up with her arms. Her legs closed around Weiss, and Yang twisted again, slamming her into the ground.
When she managed to grab Weiss's left hand holding her blade, it was over: Yang hit her in the face once, twice, three times, until Weiss yielded.
Two down! That left…
Blake caught Yang straight in the back when she pulled away from Weiss, and Yang was thrown forward, barely missing Weiss, while she tore up the ground with her limbs.
That was it! Yang jumped to her feet and activated her Semblance.
The crowd gasped again, yelling when her Aura lit up. "Blake!" she roared as she dashed toward Blake. Her Aura was almost depleted, but her Semblance was up. She was on fire!
Blake fell back, trying to dodge by leaving clones in her wake, but Yang knew her. Better than most. She waved around the clones, the draft from her passing disrupting them, passed straight through some of them, as she closed in, fist cocked back for a strike with all her stored power.
Blake tried to fool her with another clone, but Yang crashed through it without releasing her stored power - and then braked, boots tearing up two more furrows in the ground, when Blake whipped to the side, before pouncing at her partner.
"YOU. ARE…"
She had her. Too close for any more tricks - no matter where Blake jumped after releasing her next clone, Yang would have her. Blake tried to whip up dust and dirt with a kick to conceal herself, but Yang was too close! Too fast!
"GOING…"
She dashed through the thin cloud. And there was the clone! Yang charged in with her shoulder, brushing the clone aside with her shoulder as she hit the retreating real Blake behind her with her fist, releasing her stored power. "DOWN!"
Blake disintegrated in front of her, and Yang's heart skipped a beat. Had she just killed…?
Something hit her from behind, slashing against her back. Yang whirled and caught another slash in the side - from yards away! Aura Slash! She raised her arms to block the next but was a bit too slow, too spent, and Blake's slash hit her right in the chest. Yang stumbled back a step, then raised her hand in defeat.
She panted as she let her arms fall at her side, her Aura nearly broken. "Damn! You used the cover from he dust to create a clone out of my sight and then posed as a clone!" She had played Yang perfectly!
Blake nodded with that faint, proud smile Yang knew so well, then turned to face the stands, raising her blade above her head.
After a moment of silence, the crowd roared.