𝙸𝙽𝙰𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙰 ° myrcella baratheon

II

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚠𝚘
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑠

✙

"What do you think he did?" The second-born Stark brother asked as he looked over at his riding companions, who just looked at him with furrowed brows.

Mere minutes after the four disbanded from their archery training session, they were grouped together again at the stables; another man had been caught fleeing towards the South, the guards catching him before he could get very far. Now, they were riding along the dirt paths together, heading towards the executioner's block.

"What do you mean?" Jon questioned, looking over at his half-brother. "He's a deserter. His crime is that he left."

Lachlan rolled his eyes. "But why did he want to leave so bad? You don't just abandoned the watch without a valid reason. I mean, what's worth losing your life over."

"It doesn't matter. He broke his vows, and he has to pay the price for that."

"You're no fun." The seventeen year old groaned out before looking to his left, where Theon rode on his own horse. "What about you, Greyjoy? What do you think he did?"

The ward shrugged meekly. "Probably killed someone. Not often we get people running for something else."

The group fell into silence, instead just choosing to keep their eyes ahead and their mouths shut. Up ahead, Robb rode with their younger brother, who was only coming because their father persisted. He's the same age as you were, the man had said when asked by his sons. It's time he sees it.

"What about rape?" Lachlan spoke suddenly, his brows furrowed in genuine thought as he kept a his eyes straight ahead, ignoring the way his bastard brother's head whipped to face him.

"Rape?" Jon said, shocked. "There are no women in the Night's Watch."

A smirk came to the Stark boy's face. "Don't underestimate what a man can do when he puts his mind to it, Snow." Was all he said before he kicked his heels into his horse's sides and sped up to ride beside his two brothers.

✙

The man the soldiers had dragged forward looked just as you'd expect him to; raggedy, malnourished, and ashamed. Though he didn't look like he regretted what he did, just like he knew what he did was wrong. And it was clear he knew his actions as he was shoved in front of the block, lifting his head slowly to face the lord.

"I know I broke my oath." He said softly, his voice breaking. His thick accent caused his words to sound otherwise, causing Lachlan to stifle a laugh. This earned him an elbow in the side from his older brother that stood beside him.

Despite the small interaction between the brothers, the man continued on. "And I know I'm a deserter. I should have gone back to the Wall and warned them. But I saw what I saw."

At his words, the Stark boy pulled his brows together in confusion, standing up a little straighter and listening just a little closer, now more interested in what the man had to say.

"I saw the White Walkers. And people need to know." His words trailed off as the former Night's Watchman looked down at his feet before he slowly rose his head back up. "If you can get word to my family...tell them I'm sorry."

"Coward." Lachlan scoffed under his breath, thinking his words went unnoticed. That is, until he heard Jon stifle a laugh behind him and Robb shot him a dirty look.

Their lord father merely nodded at the deserter before the guards shoved the man to his knees. Ned tuned to look at his ward, who had already brought forwards his great sword, bound in a sheath made from pelted furs. As he pulled in out, the steel glistening in the sunlight, Lachlan couldn't help but he envious; Ice was a weapon you did not want to be on the recovering end of.

As Ned started muttering the words of the law, the Stark boy tuned into the small conversation, or more like comment, that was being held between Jon and the youngest boy. "Don't look away." The bastard told Bran. "Father will know if you do."

And, with that, the four siblings watched as the sword was swung and the man's head was removed from his shoulders. While he couldn't see him, Lachlan was sure the ten year old flinched, as he heard him roughly intake a breath of air.

He sighed softly as he spun around, seeing his brother staring at the block still, even as everyone else moved away. The older boy reached down and placed a hand on Bran's shoulder, causing the young one to look up with slightly widened eyes.

"You can look away now," Lachlan said, glancing over his shoulder as the body was being hauled away before looking at the boy again. "It's all over. There's nothing more to see."

The young boy gulped and nodded, his eyes still drifting off to look at the corpse. "Ok..."

"Come on," The seventeen year old nodded like his brother did but he gripped his shoulder a little tighter and spun him around and towards the horses, not wanting him to see any more. "Let's get back home."