NOVEL NEXT Chapter 139 – Sneaking Out
[301 AC – Winterfell]
Looking at the subdued Lord of House Bolton kneeling before him, guarded by Fiery Hand warriors on either side, the Young Wolf wore a heavy frown on his face as this had not gone like he expected at all.
The High Priest's interference and subsequent demand to hand the Northern Lord over to the Red Temple were unexpected, to say the least.
Turning his gaze back to his brother and the bearded priest that stood beside him, Robb knew that it would be the easiest to just agree to Red Priest's request considering the Red Temple's overwhelming power, not to mention the support he had received from it during these last few weeks and months.
Feeling his wife's hand on his upper thigh squeezing down gently, he also understood that she wanted him to do exactly that. Still, his own sense of honor forbade him from just handing over one of his subordinates.
Robb knew the man's crimes very well and was well aware of the fact that Roose Bolton definitely deserved to be executed for them, but to just hand him over to the Red Temple and let them be his judges and executioners did not seem right to the Young Wolf.
“I am afraid I cannot allow you to take him away, High Priest.”, the young King voiced out calmly into the tense silence, that held the great hall captive, “This man is a traitor to his King and Queen, which I have known for some time now.”
"Your Grace, I am innocent! I swe- Mmhrmhprmhs-!", Roose started trying to argue in his own defense, but his words were cut short when one of the Fiery Hand warriors gagged him with a strap of leather and a piece of fabric.
"For his crimes, Roose Bolton, Lord of House Bolton, undoubtedly deserves death. And he will die by my hands, therefore I cannot hand him over to you.", the Young Wolf ended, still remembering his father's words about duty and honor.
'The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.'
Looking the High Priest dead in the eyes while he said so, Robb was taken aback when he suddenly saw the bearded priest's lips quirk up in a minute smile, before his usually stern look reappeared on his face a moment later.
"As long as his punishment comes swift and without mercy, the Red Temple will see it as if the demand for his life is met.", Thoros replied, as he bowed ever so slightly, the flames around him vanishing at the same time.
Jaehaerys followed suit as he reined in his magic and heaved an internal sigh of relief, as seeing conflict erupt between the Red Temple and House Stark was the last thing he wanted.
…
Smiling to himself, Phenex knew he could trust Thoros to take care of Roose Bolton, i.e. force Robb Stark to take care of him.
The Northern noble had to be dealt with decisively, as he was not only a hidden danger to the stability of the Northern Kingdom, but also the perfect target to display the Red Temple's ruthlessness and power not only to the other nobles, but also to the Young Wolf himself.
This would be just another reminder that there was no way to escape the Red Temple's justice, and neither was resistance an option.
Phenex didn't care how the young King planned to rule the North and the Riverlands, as long as his own believers did not suffer injustice and prosecution under his rule, therefore making an example out of a noble Lord from one of the most powerful Houses in the North suited his goals just fine.
Robb Stark taking the initiative to behead Roose Bolton for his perceived crimes, was also an act not without benefit to the Young Wolf, as he had displayed true backbone standing up to Thoros' demand like that, which undoubtedly made the respect his men had for him grow.
Roose Bolton's life was indeed forfeit, but executing him according to Northern tradition and laws, instead of just handing him over to the behemoth that was the temple, made the King of the North look just and honorable, something Phenex wasn't unhappy to see.
House Stark's ties to the Red Temple were already unbreakable, so it was only natural that seeing them prosper as royalty would be a good thing for the temple.
…
[301 AC – Winterfell]
Sansa found herself sneaking out of the castle with a dark and long robe flowing down her lithe form, as she approached the Red Temple's campsite with Lady by her side, her thoughts circling around a figure clad in blood-red flames and golden draconic eyes.
She knew that it was dangerous to leave the castle by herself and that it probably wasn't a good idea to do so, but something inside her just forced her to seek out Jaehaerys and be by his side. Her trusty direwolf was also there to protect her, which set her heart at ease somewhat.
Robb had offered the Red Temple's forces to stay in the castle, but the High Priest had refused the offer, and instead, they had built themselves a small camp in the clearing by the woods where their new temple was going to be built.
Jaehaerys being part of the temple had also refused Robb's invitation, mostly because he wanted to stay by Lyra's side, who was much too big to fit in the castle.
This left the Northern princess with little choice but to sneak away to see the young dragonrider.
Suddenly Lady's head turned to the side as she let out a low growl, causing Sansa to stop dead in her tracks and look in the same direction, the rate of her heartbeat rising fast.
"You shouldn't sneak through the forest at night, it's dangerous.", a familiar voice sounded out without warning, causing the Northern Princess to take a few quick steps back in surprise.
Looking up she saw Jaehaerys' figure, illuminated by the moonlight that made it through the leafy crowns of the surrounding trees, as he approached her with silent steps, his crystal gaze shining brightly in the dark of the night.
Incredulously, Sansa saw Lady directly giving up her aggressive stance and laying down in a non-threatening pose at his appearance, looking up at Jaehaerys with big puppy eyes.
“What are you doing here, Sansa?”, the young dragonrider asked with curiosity, as he arrived before her.
“I- … I j-just wanted to thank you … “, Sansa replied with a whisper.
"You don't have to. I told you, I would protect you, Sansa.", the young dragonrider stated equally, as he took another step forwards, closing the distance between them until there was barely any space between them, "And I meant it."
"No one is ever going to hurt you.", Jaehaerys added with a quiet and raspy tone, pressing even further forward as if unable to stay away from her. The urge to be even closer overwhelming his rationality for the moment.
Her breath being caught in her throat, Sansa could hardly withstand the intense look of longing and desire in Jaehaerys' eyes, slowly retreating step by step as he followed her, filling her field of vision with his muscular frame, raven-black hair, and frost-kissed eyes.
Suddenly her back hit the trunk of a tree, making it impossible to escape his approach, as she breathed out with insecurity: "Jaehaerys, please ... "
Sansa herself though didn't know if her words were a plea for the young dragonrider to stop or not, but thankfully he seemed to know, as his hands rose to cradle her cheeks softly. Brushing over her smooth skin tenderly with his thumbs, her deep-blue eyes stared up at him with a vulnerable but longing look in them.
A moment later, Jaehaerys' lips fell on hers, and that seemed to set off explosions of lights in her mind, while everything besides his touch and this kiss seemed to just fade away. Reality becoming a mere illusion in the face of this perfect moment.