Game of Thrones Imagines Book Two

The banner "man" - Part 1 - Jory x Reader

This is a request for loveletterpoetess. I love doing these gender swap kind of stories. It appeals to the Shakespearean in me, and all I could think of was Viola from Twelfth Night. So, I hope that you won't mind if I call the reader character after Viola's twin brother, Sebastian. But I digress. I hope that you all enjoy the first part of this little offering for our lovely Captain of the guard.

(Y/n) looked up at the great castle. Pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulder. Trying to shield herself from the bitter wind that whipped around Winterfell. For so long she had wanted to come here. Since she was small, she had listened to her father talk of the castle and the wolves that called it home. For so long she had trained for this very moment. And now that it was here, she just hoped that her disguise would work.

Lord Eddard had called on young men from the north to come and try out for the household guard. The best, guaranteed a place under the watchful eye of the Master at arms, Rodrik Cassell. To be trained to defend Winterfell and the Stark family, from all enemies. And (Y/n) wanted that more than anything. She wanted to follow in her father's footsteps. In her grandfather's footsteps. To have her family name continued to be associated with loyalty, pride and honour.

Despite the fact that she had been born a girl, her father had reasoned that his child should be learnt to fight like all others before her. That even though she would never get the chance to be a bannerman, she should at least know how to fight like one. And so that was what he had done. Her father training her until one day he had fallen to his knee and declared that the apprentice was now the master. That she had learnt all that he could teach her. And was as good with a sword, as any that he had had the privilege to meet. But now, with the death of her father, (Y/n) was alone in the world. The young woman well aware that the only thing that she really knew how to do, was fight. And so, when the call had reached the villages, (Y/n) had hatched a plan. A plan that would see her father's dream come true. That would see her dream come true. That would make her a Stark bannerman.

Discarding all the trappings of her femininity. (Y/n) had cut her hair as short as she could. She had tightly bound her breasts, and donned her father's clothes, before packing a few sentimental items and grabbing her swords. Leaving her small home in the middle of the night and making her way to the great castle. And now she was here. Now all she had to do was impress the Lord and his Master at arms. Now all she had to do was make all those around her think that she was a man.

In truth, (Y/n) supposed that being a man was the only thing that she really knew how to be. Her mother had passed when she was very young. And with her father not knowing the best way to deal with a little girl, he had done the only thing that he had known how to do, and that was deal with her as a boy. To deal with her as a soldier. And that was how she had grown. From the moment she had woken, to the time that she went to bed, her day was taken up with either hard and heavy work, or training. And now she would make all those long years, work for her. Now she would show others what she had learnt.

Suddenly the sounds of rambunctious laughter met her ears. (Y/n) turning to see the other hopefuls that had come to try and claim a place, making their way to the castle. The young woman quickly blending into the crowd, as the men all made their way through the great walls.

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Rodrik huffed, the Master at arms not impressed with anything that he had seen so far. The old man shaking his head, as the latest man fighting in the practice ring against one of his nephew's men, almost fell over his own feet.

"Don't worry, Rodrik. It can only get better." Eddard chuckled softly. Finding the unamused look on the Master at arms face, quite amusing.

So far, every young man that had presented himself, had been, well to put it politely, terrible. Rodrik and Ned sure that none of them had held a sword properly in their lives. The Master at arms having a feeling that not one of the latest bunch of hopefuls, would make the grade.

"Well, they can't get much worse." Rodrik grumbled in reply, sure that he had much better things to do, than watch this.

"NEXT!" The old man shouted out. (Y/n) taking a deep breath before stepping into the ring. The waiting bannerman furrowing his brows, as this latest hopeful refused the sword that he offered, and instead, drew two from under their cloak. The hooded figure taking a stance before metal met metal.

Eddard and Rodrik inched forward on their chairs, watching as the latest young man moved effortlessly around the arena. Rodrik indicating for two more bannerman to join the fray, as the newcomer suddenly knocked the guard to the floor. The young man seeming to defeat two opponents, as easily as he had done one.

"I have only ever seen one other man use swords like that." Eddard said quietly, as he and Rodrik continued to watch the hopeful fight against more men that the Master had just gestured to move into the ring.

"Aye. Guthrie Sharpe. The fighting style is so similar, it could almost be him. Perhaps that's his son. But whoever he is, he's the best we've seen." Rodrik replied, before turning to his nephew that had been watching the young man as intently as his uncle and his lord.

"Looks like we have found you one, Jory." Rodrik said. Jory nodding in agreement, as he stepped forward.

"Perhaps we should go and find out more about our newest bannerman." Ned added, as he got to his feet, and made his way down to the practice ring, with Rodrik and Jory in tow. The bannermen in the ring stopping the fight, as the lord stepped foot into the arena.

"What's ya name, boy?" Ned asked as he made his way over to the still hooded figure. (Y/n) doing her best to still her heavy breathing and beating heart, as the lord looked down at her.

She knew that this was the moment. That hopefully when she removed the cowl, that the Lord and his Master at arms would be fooled by her guise. That they were here to tell her that she had been successful.

"My name is Sebastian Sharpe, milord. Son of Guthrie Sharpe." (Y/n) said, as she straightened herself and removed the hood. Ned smiling as he looked the young man up and down. The lord more than pleased to meet the child of such a celebrated soldier.

"Well, young master Sharpe. It would appear that you have impressed my Master at arms. And you have certainly impressed me. But we should see if you have impressed your captain, as he is the one that you will be answering to from now on." Eddard told her, as Jory made his way forward. (Y/n) not hearing that she had been accepted as a bannerman, as the dark haired captain made his way over to her. (Y/n)'s heart now pounding for a very different reason. It now pounding because of the captain. Because of the most beautiful man that she was sure that she had ever seen.