Naveena STARK :||: Queen Series #1

5) Naveena

There was a burst of musical laughter from the verandah and I spun to find Cersei and Lady Catelyn standing side-by-side, the Queen smiling in amusement. The Lady of Winterfell, however, looked far from impressed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Jaime take a step forward, trying to get me whilst I was distracted. I brought up my sword and blocked, yielding two steps. His strike was strong and it took a moment before I parried and struck back. Our swords sang as they scraped together, and we took a step back, circling each other.

"Don't you ever lose focus when someone has a blade pointed at you again," There was a hint of genuine anger in his voice.

"I still managed to counterattack, didn't I?" I pointed out and watched him step forward. I swung my sword around to block, swivelling out of the way.

"That is because you are quick on your feet, which is good," He grunted, then went for another attack and I yielded, but managed to get around him with a thrust of my own. "But what happens when you're injured? You'll be slow, you need to learn how to adopt different fighting styles."

"Like what?" I grunted, meeting his swing, the blow reverberating up my arm. "Close-body fighting and keeping you at the end of my sword?"

"Yeah, we've practised those," He parried and I backed up before engaging his weapon and spinning around him to give us some space. "How about fighting with your non-dominant hand?"

"What?!"

"Swap!"

I threw my sword into the air, catching it again with my left hand, so quickly he didn't have time to strike. "Hey!" I protested, noticing him still fighting with his right. "You didn't change hands?!"

"That's because my father didn't teach me how to fight with my left," He attached, but I noted he was pulling his blows.

We went back and forth a bit. A few times I had to surrender, getting stuck in a corner or fucking up a parry because I rotated the wrong way. "Okay," He gestured for me to raise my sword. "Let's practice that parry technique. We'll go slow."

The two of us had the yards rapt attention, even Bran had given up on shooting arrows over the wall of the yard and into the godswood. The three boys were leaning against the table, arms crossed and following our every move.

We ran through the parry technique we'd worked on in the capital, but in reverse now that I had switched sword hands. Running through it a few more times, each getting faster and faster, I noted the sweat that coated my forehead and dripped down my temple. Jaime went in for an attack, getting in one swing before yelling, "Swap!"

Lighting fast, I switched back to my right hand and blocked his swing, gripping the hilt with two hands. His strength was back and I braced my entire body. He was grinning now, pleased with my work.

Not giving him a moment, to recover, I parried and struck, a quick combination I'd only mastered a few weeks ago that had him reeling to defend. I got him at just the right angle before hooking our swords together and twirling them. Forced to let go of his sword, it went flying off to the side and I brought my sword up underneath his chin. 

The pair of us stood there panting for a moment in utter silence, watching each other in surprise. "Well done, Naveen!" Robert exclaimed, clapping his great hands.

I felt my chest expanding rapidly, tightening the leather wrapped around my middle. Jaime shook his head as I lowered my sword. "I've been training you for three years and I never taught you how to do that?"

Retrieving my sheath, I casually shrugged, returning to the table of weapons and the boys standing around it gaping. "Lord Arryn did teach me a few things, you know?"

The Lannister could only shake his head, re-sheathing his sword and bowing his head to myself and the king, before approaching his sister. Lady Catelyn was watching me with narrowed eyes, ignoring the Queen showering me with compliments.

"You just defeated the Kingslayer?" Theon pointed out, gesturing to the now empty yard. "How?"

"Practice?" I managed between gulps of water from the canteen I held above my head.

"Well, Jon, looks like you have some real competition now?" Robb nudged his brother affectionately.

I raised a brow at Robb and Theon. "You two can't keep up?"

"Not a chance," Robb let out a laugh. "Theon's much better with a bow though."

"He should probably pass some of that expertise onto poor Bran," Jon commented, eyes trained on their younger brother, who was still attempting to hit the target. A few arrows poked out of the hay bale, but none had landed true.

My heart bled for the young boy, standing in front of the three older boys he probably looked up to. I watched him shakily pull back the bowstring and I set down the canteen, making my way over to him. "Hey, Bran," He didn't move his body, but his eyes were watching me. "Your brother is right, you need to relax. And turn out this arm," I clasped his elbow and gently rotated it. "Don't want the string to snap back and get you. Stings when that happens."

A grin spread across his face at my teasing tone and he readied himself once again, turning his arm out as I suggested. Straightening, something whistled past my face and I jerked backwards. Jon's arms came up to steady me before I could fall and everyone spun around to see where the arrow had come from. 

"Someone shot at my sister!" Robert roared from above. 

But young Arya Stark stood there, holding a long bow, her eyes wide. "I'm sorry," She barely whispered. 

"Arya!" Robb scolded, glancing back at me. 

Jon had set me back on my feet and I moved past the shock of my life potentially ending, to smile at the young girl in reassurance. "It's alright, it's alright!" I repeated as my brother continued to rage on the balcony above, Nedd grimacing uncomfortably beside him. "Good thing Lady Arya is a good aim," I praised, turning to the target Bran had been trying to shoot at. "She hit the middle."

"She shot at you!" 

I glared up at my brother. "She shot at the target and hit it. She did nothing to me."

He shook his head, face red and turned to Jaime, who had reappeared beside me. "Is my sister okay?" 

Rolling my eyes, I shrugged out of the Kingslayer's grasp and stormed towards the verandah. Lady Catelyn had left the Queen's side, already dragging her youngest daughter back inside. Cersei was smiling as I came to stand beside her. "We haven't been here a day and yet you have managed to piss off your brother."

"I would hardly call a little girl shooting at me my fault," I rolled my eyes, stepping under the awning so Robert could not see me. "But that doesn't mean his anger isn't pleasant to see."

In the training yard, the boys had returned to their practice. Jon stood close to his little brother, whilst Robb kept glancing back to where I stood. 

"You've certainly caught his attention," Cersei noted.

My gaze met Robb's bright blue eyes before they quickly glanced away and allowed my attention to shift elsewhere. It was the briefest of glances but Jon's dark eyes flash to me before he faced Bran once again. It was almost as though the interaction had never occurred, except it left me with a racing heart and an odd feeling in my gut. 

I could feel Cersei's eyes on the side of my face and I quickly turned away. "I guess training's over, I best take a bath." Bowing my head, I retreated into the keep and the two stares that burned into my back. 

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