Game of Thrones: Imagines and one shots. Book three

The banner "man" - Part 12 - Jory x Reader

All day. From dawn to the time that the sun had been at its highest point in the sky and beyond, (Y/n) had not once stopped training the men. Not once taken a break. She had instructed her men to have a rest, had instructed Jory's men to, but the daughter of the twin blade swordsman had kept going. Sweat glistening on her brow as she fought and instructed man after man. As she had watched them fight one another. Calling out for them to raise their guards, to control their swing, their breathing; to watch not only the swords of their opponent, but everything; their eyes, their body language, both of which could tell you where the next strike could come from. Jory watching and doing his best to recall everything that she had said, every move that she had had the men make, hoping to store it in his mind so that he could practice later himself.

In the past, at the end of the day, he and "Sebastian" would practice together. Whenever they had a free moment, Jory would ask Guthrie's child to show him more of the techniques. And during that time, they would talk, they would laugh, well........... Sebastian would laugh every time that he managed to use the flat of his sword to flap him on the backside, or use his legs to knock him to the floor. Jory looking up finding that the amused sound that filled the space was quite contagious; the captain of the household guard unable to stop himself laughing along, as the young bannerman that had quickly become his friend would help him from the floor. Yet he had a feeling that that would not happen today.

"That's all for today." (Y/n) suddenly called out causing Jory to shake the memories from her mind. A small smile pulling at the corners of the captain's lips as he watched his men all breathe a sigh of relief; those that she had known and lived with when she had pretended to be Guthrie's son, making their way over to the now captain of the Tyrell guard and asking her all about herself. About how she had become a captain of the House of the Rose. It obvious that they were far more accepting of the fact that the ex-bannerman of House Stark was in fact a woman, than he had been. This the first time that Jory had seen the woman smile since she had arrived back at Winterfell.

(Y/n) hadn't really said anything to him all day. In truth, she hadn't even looked at him. Her focus solely on the men and the job at hand; but as she bid the others goodbye for the evening, he hoped that there might now be a moment that they could talk about something more than just about why she had been sent back to the seat of the Starks. Yet as he watched the beautiful smile leave her lips as she caught sight of him, he doubted it.

"They seem to be doing better................" Jory said softly, as (Y/n) moved over to where her swords lay.

"If you mean better as in the fact that no one has had to be taken to see the maestre or ended up dead, then I suppose that you would be right Captain Cassel. Though they still have a very long way to go." (Y/n) replied, as she pulled her cloak around her shoulders, the air beginning to cool her clammy skin.

"Yes. I suppose." Was all that Jory could think of to say in reply. Everything that had gone through his mind the night before; everything that he had thought of saying as he had watched her, completely leaving him as she want to leave the training area. The Stark captain reaching out and grabbing her by the wrist as she walked past him.

"(Y/n) please.............just let me................"

"Just let you what, Captain Cassel? Let you tell me again that I am a liar. That I should leave? That I don't belong here. That as a woman I am not allowed to join a household guard. That I should get out and go back to my home, huh? I was just going to bathe, perhaps you would like to tell me all that in the bathhouse? Perhaps it would feel more familiar there. Maybe it would make you feel braver and bolder if you were stood over me when I was naked apart from a sodden shirt? Or maybe you should just let my arm go and allow me to leave." (Y/n) interrupted. Her eyes dark as she looked up at him. Missing the light that had once been there when she would look at him.

Once again, he couldn't blame her for any of this. He deserved all this and more. It was wrong of him to have said all those things, but people made mistakes. He had been shocked that night, he had felt hurt and deceived; and yes, he should have given her a chance to explain why she had done what she had done. But hindsight was a wonderful thing, and as much as he wanted to, he could not go back to that night and change what had happened.

"I've missed you..............I went looking for you the night I sent you away. I went to find you so that I could apologies and bring you back. I went to your parent's old home in hopes of finding you there. But.............I..........I'm sorry (Y/n), I was wrong, I know that. I'm just glad that you're back where you belong.............." Jory confessed, as his grip on her wrist loosened until he finally he let go. (Y/n)'s arm falling to her side.

She couldn't breathe, in truth, she had not been prepared for anything like this. She had never expected Jory to apologies for that night. Never thought that he would have gone looking for her after what had happened. That he would have journeyed to her old village to find her. (Y/n) not sure what to do or say now, as Jory's eyes turned to look at the floor. She had spent so long with lady Olenna discussing things that had happened that night, but she had never thought what she would do in this circumstance. She wanted to stay angry with him, to remain cold and professional, but her heart............her heart was betraying her.

"Perhaps.............perhaps you and I could practice together tomorrow? To my recollections, you were almost as bad as your men when it came to my father's techniques; and it wouldn't do for the captain of the guard to be bested by his own men, now would it." (Y/n) finally replied. Fighting the smile that wanted to come to her lips as Jory looked up at her.

"I.........I'd like that............" Jory replied, his own smile getting broader.

"Then until tomorrow.............Jory............" The Tyrell captain said, before making her way back into the old castle; leaving Jory to hope that tomorrow would bring with it a fresh start.