꧁~~~Benget Stark~~~꧂
꧁~~~298 After Conquest~~~꧂
꧁As the crowd that had formed when meeting the King and the royal family disperses, Benget makes his over to the stables area where three Kingsguard of Robert Baratheon are getting their horses lodged and fed. Jon walks by his side, following his older twin almost like a puppy following its mother, wanting to know what to do exactly. Ben had never minded it. Always saw it as a way to be close to his brother. Whenever the two were separated for a good time, both always felt like shit. The almost year and a half Ben had spent down in the South had nearly ruined both of them.
"That's Barristan Selmy!"
Jon says excitedly as the two brother continue walking towards the Kingsguard members.
"Do you remember the stories of how he and Arthur Dayne defeated the the outlaws of the Kingswood Brotherhood?"
"Yes, Jon, I remember. And I remember how you're also obsessed with the stories of Daeron Targaryen, the Young Dragon, and his conquest of Dorne."
Benget remarks with a smile as they approach the Kingsguard as the old knight finishes up taking the saddle from his horse, setting it down on a post as Ben and Jon come to a stop behind him.
"Ser Barristan Selmy."
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The Old Knight turns around at the sound of his name being mentioned. He focuses up on Ben for a moment, nearly startled at the practically glowing violet eyes looking at him as his mind sharply drifted to the memory of his Prince, Rhaegar Targaryen, before focusing back in the present, looking at the two young men before him.
"Ah, you must Benget Stark, the Violet Wolf."
"That's me."
The two shakes hands with smiles on their faces before Ben motions to Jon beside him.
"This little arseling here is my twin brother, Jon Stark."
"You defeated Simon Toyne of the Kingswood Brotherhood! You ended War of the Ninepenny Kings by slaying Maelys the Monstrous!"
Ser Barristan smiles a little as he puts his hands on his waist, shaking his head a little as he raises an amused brow to Benget.
"Seems I've got an admirer."
"You're the greatest swordsmen in all Seven Kingdoms. I'm sure every man and boy in Westeros looks up to you."
Jon says through a cheerful smile as Benget shakes his head at his little brother's excitement. Barristan smiles at the boys.
"So King Robert wants to see you fight it seems. I hear you're quite a warrior. The Red Viper of Dorne had said you are by far one of the greatest with the sword."
"Two of his daughters said the same thing."
"Did they now?"
Another voice says as Ser Barristan turns around as Ben and Jon look behind the Old Knight, watching another Kingsguard Knight approach them. Blonde hair, though not as long as Ben's or Jon's, flows almost too perfectly down his neck. Golden cunt, is the first thought that runs through the mind of Benget as the man approaches with a grin.
"I had heard of you before, Dayne. I'm just a bit disappointed as it is said that Benget Stark is seven feet tall."
"Aye. He is. He also can burn his enemies with fireballs from his eyes and lightning bolts from his arse."
Jon snickers at that as Ser Barristan wears an amused smirk as does Ben. Beget stares at the taller blonde man, looking him up and down for a moment, sizing him up a bit.
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"Ah, now I see. You're the Kingslayer."
"And you're Ned Starks sons."
Jaime Lannister looks down to Ben's waist, eyeing the sword Dawn in its scabbard and he smirks.
"The last man to wield that was Ser Arthur Dayne. He was a great man."
"So my father tells me."
"Did he tell you that he killed Ser Arthur as well?"
"For good reason I hear."
"Mm."
Jaime says, narrowing his eyes but still wearing that smirk as Benget holds the Kingslayer's stare with one of his own.
"So do you hold the title of the Sword of the Morning, then?"
"No. I'm not a knight. And we Northeners follow the Old Gods of the Forest. Knighthood is uncommon up here in the North."
"I figured as much. The last Sword of the Morning wielded two swords. I can't imagine you can wield even one that well like the stories say."
Ser Barristan rolls his eyes a little at just how rude Jaime is towards everyone he meets but Benget only has a tiny smile playing at the corner of his lips.
"I don't like to strum my own strings but I'd say I'm an okay swordsmen."
"Have you ever even swung it?"
"Yes."
"At someone, I mean."
Benget loses his smile instantly as his mind travels back to his adventures in the South briefly. Of course he has killed more men in his time since the Wolfswood those years ago. More deaths on his conscience. Jaime grins as he sees that he's gotten to the young Stark as the stare from the boy had turned into a glare. For a long moment, nobody says anything or does anything, just watching the Wolf and the Lion glare at one another.
"And what about you, Dayne?"
Jaime glances away from been, looking Jon up and down as his grin widens a little bit more.
"Have you ever killed a man?"
"I don't remember my brother being your concern."
Ben immediately cuts in, moving in front of Jon as to block him from the gold plated Lannister cunt as Jaime's eyes once again return to Benget's.
"I'm just curious, Lord Dayne. Curious to see if your brother knows what it's like when you cut a man open, like you, me and Ser Barristan here have. When you realize that all a man really is, is a pile of flesh and blood and bone to keep it all together."
"I wonder if your pile of flesh and blood and bones will stay together if we ever cross blades."
"Do you wish to find out? Robert wants to see you fight, I can think of no better opportunity to cross blades with one another."
Barristan then cuts in, standing in between the dangerously close Jaime Lannister and Benget Stark.
"Damn it, Ser Jaime. You're just goading the boy."
"I was, and enjoying it."
"Barristan! Kingslayer!"
The King's booming voice thunders out across the courtyard by the stables as Jon and Ser Barristan turn to look at Lord Eddard Stark approach the three along with Robert. But as the two friends approach, both notice the deadly glares the Violet Wolf and Lion of Lannister are sending one another. Ned's eyes widen a little, a slight fear starting to creep up like a cold winter chill up his spine but Robert finds all of it amusing. Seven Hells, he wants to see the boy fight.
"I'd like to see that boy of yours fight, Ned. See if he truly has the Dayne blood running through his veins."
Jaime and Benget still hold their glares, neither of them refusing to back down from one another as the others watch on for a few lingering moments before Robert bursts out laughing.
"Kingslayer, quite trying to intimidate the boy. We all know that won't work."
Jaime holds his glare for a moment longer on Ben. Looking into the practically glowing violet eyes of the Stark-Dayne boy, he feels like he's looking at Rhaegar Targaryen once more. Rhaegar was the best of men. He surely would have been a King of Kings..
"Alright, lad. Come on. I want to see if the nephew of Ser Arthur Dayne can fight."
The King motions for Benget to walk with him as Ben glances at Ser Jaime, raising a brow before joining the King.
"Make a square! I want to see the young lad fight!"
"My love, surely we should get settled in first before we doing any-"
"When I ask for your opinion, you can share it, woman."
King Robert remarks to his approaching wife as she has her two children with her. Ben sends her a look that had a small amount of pity in it as she stands in embarrassment of the situation. The crowd from before before greeting the King seems to return as everyone comes back to watch the Violet Wolf fight. It's always been sort of an event in Winterfell when he and Jon were growing up. Everyone would come and watch. Everyone, that is, except for Lady Catelyn.
As the square forms, everyone is there. Arya stands with the reluctant Sansa as Robb stands with Theon. His father stands beside Robert as Queen Cersei and her children stand on the other side of the fat King. Everyone else just stands around him, waiting.
Benget Stark had fought in front of crowds before. People often come to watch him practice in the trainingyards with Ser Rodrik and Jory Cassel, and some of his other teachers he's had throughout the years. When he had traveled to Highgarden in the kingdom of the Reach, the Knight of the Flowers himself was impressed with Benget's ability with the blade, having beaten him several times in duels and training. Though, Benget could rarely best him on horseback as Loras Tyrell is an excellent rider.
Either way, Margaery had been impressed with him.
But the real events where Benget Stark had fought in front of a massive crowd was in the city of Sunspear, home of the House Martells of Dorne. On his adventures off along, Benget had made his way to Dorne, somehow managing to cross paths with the Red Viper while in Sunspear. Oberyan Martell became a sort of teacher to Benget, teaching him to fight with a spear among other things. In Sunspear, their tournaments are held in a giant arena like pit where fighters would fight it out until first blood, usually.
He had only lost a few matches but had an absolute time down there anyways until Oberyn Martell's paramour practically tried to kill him after she had found out that he had slept with two of her daughters, the Sand Snakes.
But he loved Dorne though. Still does. Benget had been there for several months before he had decided to go back home. A feeling in his heart- his very soul- was pulling him back to the North and he couldn't resist it. He had found that that pull was his twin. Benget and Jon, the Stark-Dayne twins were inseparable since then.
But a home in Dorne was always presenting itself to him. Starfall was always there, seemingly waiting for him to go to it. But no matter what, Benget couldn't bring himself to go to the place of his mother, even after she has long gone from that place and this world.
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"Alright, lad. I've got some of the finest of my bannermen with me to-"
"I want to fight your Kingsguard."
Bemget cuts off the King, making Robert and everyone look at him in slight shock as Robert begins to grin.
"You sure about that, lad?"
"Oh, I'm sure."
He remarks back with a grin as Robert forms one of his own, looking back to Ned.
"Ned, the fucking balls on this one!"
King Robert laughs, snatching a skin of wine from his squire, taking a long gulp. Benget stands in the middle of the square putting on his black leather gloves on as Robert finishes his last gulp.
"Kingslayer! I want to see you fight the lad."
"Are you sure about that, Your Grace? Perhaps you should choose any other. I would just hurt the poor boy."
Jaime remarks with a smirk as his sister also smirks at his comment. Benget smiles with amusement, glancing from Ser Jaime to King Robert with a grin.
"That would probably be for the best, Your Grace. I am no King, the Lannister here has no experience of fighting men that have the chance to swing back."
King Robert bursts out laughing as he is utterly cracked up at the remark. Ben eyes up Jaime, raising a challenging brow as the Lannister's fists clench tightly at his sides. Jon grins with a chuckle as Robb just flat out fucking dies of laughter as embarrassment and hate fills Ser Jaime, clearly shown on his face.
"Alright then. Have at him!"
Robert shouts through his laughter as Jaime steps into the square, anger in his Lannister green eyes as a glowing violet pair stare back at him with a smirk. Jaime draws his longsword, pointing it towards Ben as the young Stark draws Dawn, twirling it around effortlessly in a single hand as he twists it around, holding it and both hands behind his back.
"First blood or to the death?"
He remarks before Jaime lunges forward, striking widely as Ben ducks under the blade, watching as it soars over his head, barely catching his reflection on the shiny blade before dancing away from the Lannister's strikes.
Moving around swiftly as if it were a dance, the Lion and the Wolf clash blades, the Wolf overpowering the Lion at almost every turn as everyone watching can tell that Ben is merely mocking Jaime. Jaime Lannister may have been trained by the Master-at-Arms at Casterly Rock, squired to Ser Barristan Selmy, and watched and trained with the likes of Ser Gerald Hightower and Ser Arthur Dayne, but all of that training he did through thirty-five years of life has done not a thing as he comes to steel with the Violet Wolf.
Ben switches from using a single hand to two hands interchangeably and without effort, moving from left to right as he simply moves away from the Lannister's strikes, tiring out his enemy with ease. Robert and the crowd cheer for the Violet Wolf as Ben simply keeps moving around, leading the Kingslayer around like a dog's master.
He even yawned. Benget Stark yawns in the middle of a damn duel with supposedly one of the most dangerous men Westeros.
"I'm really bored of this."
He remarks, clashing Dawn with Jaime's sword, entering a blade lock. The only advantage that Jaime Lannister has against the Stark-Dayne is that he is several inches taller. But as Ned Stark once said, "Big men fall just as quick as little ones."
"Look at this, folks! The son of the mighty Tywin!"
Ben decides to end it there, swiftly bringing Dawn up harshly into Jaime's blade, forcing his sword up before bringing it back down as hard as he can, practically slamming the blade out of the Kingsguard's hands. Glancing at the Queen and smirking, Ben swiftly moves around Ser Jaime, snatching a handful of that white Kingsguard cloak, wrapping it around his leg before he can even react and yanking it, forcing the Lannister off of his feet as he face plants right into the muddy ground.
The crowd erupts in cheer as Ben looks around, giving a little bow to all as stands over the thoroughly beaten and defeated Jaime Lannister.
"I think the rains are definitely weeping o'er his halls but there are plenty of people around to hear."
He remarks as Jaime slowly gets up to his feet, mud covering his armor plating and his white cloak drenched in mud, the same brown smudged all over his pretty face as everyone laughs at him. Cersei had watched in total embarrassment for herself and for Jaime.
Ben bends down, picking up the Kingsguard's sword, holding the blade out to the kneeling Lannister for a moment, the tip of the blade just a few inches from his face. But finally smiling, Benget allows the hilt and blade spin around skillfully in his hand, now holding the hilt out for Jaime to take. Jaime huffs angrily but beaten, snatching his muddied golden blade before sheathing it, stomping off angrily. Cersei watches her brother retreat with wide eyes of shock. Nobody has ever humiliated Jaime like this before. And Cersei is feeling the embarrassment inflict upon her as her husband roars with laughter, shotting up out of his seat.
"Now that was a fucking fight! Bravo! Bravo!"
King Robert cheers as Ben bows once more, a smile on his face as he watches the retreating from of Ser Jaime for a moment longer before moving to sheathe Dawn at his waist.
Ben glances at Cersei for just a few seconds, raising a brow, receiving a look of growing anger in return.
"I want to see more!"
"Your Grace.."
"Oh, just look at the lad, Ned. Of course he ain't tired. He barely broke a sweat against the Lannister cunt!"
Robert says through his chuckles as Ben stands in the middle of the square, shrugging his shoulders.
"I suppose I got one more fight in me."
"Alright then. Barristan!"
Ben's eyes widen slightly as Ser Barristan Selmy steps out in the muddy square, turning and bowing to his King.
"Your Grace, I am yours to command."
"I command you to fight the Violet Wolf. Test the lad for all here to see!"
The crowd of Northeners and Baratheon bannermen cheer loudly as Barristan bows respectfully and dutifully to his king. Even though Benget Stark is an experienced fighter in many forms of combat, the man now standing before him is quite literally a living legend with the sword. Even with experience, Ben takes two steps back, gripping Dawn in his hand just a little bit tighter as the Old Knight draws his sword.
The crowd chants and cheers as the Kingsguard and Violet Wolf circle one another, the cockiness Benget often displays coming back slowly as a smile forms on his lips, raising his sword in stance.
"I grant you first strike, Ser."
Ser Barristan, though not really into games like these, smiles a small smile as he lunges with such speed that it should not he possible for his age. His longsword and Dawn clash, the steel and starmetal ringing out as the two warriors from the Stormlands and North clash. Ducking under strikes and levying his own, the smile had worn off of Ben's face as this fight is much harder than any fight he's had in quite some time. Loras Tyrell was an exceptional swordsmen, only losing a handful of times to Benget. And the Red Viper of Dorne was just almost impossible to beat in a duel.
Maybe Ser Barristan Selmy is not as quick as the Red Viper, or as strong as the Knight of the Flowers, but he certainly had a good combination of the two as Benget has to work harder than usual to keep up with the old man.
Dancing away from the shining blade of the Kingsguard, Benget glances at Jon mixed in the crowd, seeing him standing by one of the posts on the wall of the building. Parrying another strike with one of his own, Ben gets into a blade lock with the Old Knight, pushing against his blade with his own, forcing the Old Knight back as to give him space, but the Kingsguard is back and ready for more as it is almost like he begins chasing after him.
Benget turns swiftly and runs to the post, eyeing Jon as the twin immediately knows what he intends, drawing his own sword from his scabbard. Jon throws his blade, hilt first into the air as Ben nearly runs up the tall post, the crowd gasping in shock and awe. Almost as elegant as a calm stream, Benget snatches Jon's sword with one hand while he holds Dawn in a reverse grip in another, twisting in the air as the Kingsguard halts in his tracks, eyes wide with shock.
Ser Barristan barely has time to think about what happens next as he finds himself in a losing fight. Ben crashes down onto Barristan with two blades now instead of one, making Ser Barristan work harder than he ever has before to keep up the pace. Flashes of Arthur Dayne pops into the Old Knight's vision, seeing the purple eyes glowing as Benget Stark effortlessly uses the blades.
And within the next moment, Ser Barristan's sword is caught with two blades and wrenched from his hands entirely. The panting Benget Stark holds his now two blades to the plated chest of Ser Barristan Selmy.
"I yield.."
Ser Barristan pants heavily as Ben moves his blades away, dropping one of then as he puts his hands on his knees, almost out of breath as the entire courtyard erupts in cheer for the Violet Wolf.
Bending down, Benget takes Ser Barristan's sword, flipping the blade into his hand as he offers the hilt to the Old Knight with great respect.
"The stories about you, Ser, are certainly no understatement or lie."
Barristan smiles, still breathing heavily as to recover from the duel as he takes his blade, sheathing his sword as the two smile to one another.
"You would be a great knight, Lord Stark. And the stories about you in the South don't seem so far fetched anymore now that I've seen it first hand."
"Oh, that was just scratching the surface of what I can do, Ser."
Benget grins as the Old Knight chuckles, offering his hand to shake as a way to say it was a good duel and good fun.
"Ben, my boy!"
Benget turns to see King Robert stand up from his seat, stumbling slightly as pure amusement is worn on his face.
"Come on inside. Let us share a drink before the feast!"
"As His Grace commands."
Ben bows as Robert bellows once more with laughter, already going to search for more wine as the crowd of people move to return inside, Ser Barristan leaving to find his king.
Benget picks up Jon's sword from the ground, turning around as his twin approaches him.
"I've never seen you fight like that before."
"I haven't had to try that hard before against an opponent."
Ben flips Jon's blade around to offer the hilt as the brother takes it, sheathing his sword. Ben just smiles, sheathing Dawn, but the sharp starmetal blade accidently cuts a bit of the already thoroughly worn scabbard as it stays in its place.
"Remind me, I have have get a new sheath."
"Right. Are we going to go drink with the King of the Seven Kingdoms yet?"
"Oh, would you hold your horses, arseling? I just bested two of the best fighters in the Seven Kingdoms, give me a second."
Jon chuckles as Ben catches breath for a few moments before leaning back up. He smiles at his little twin, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and bringing the shorter by about an inch or two brother along as the two laugh and smile all the way into the Great Keep of Winterfell. The feast has started.
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"Do you remember, Ned? Eh? Gods, you were there when I smashed my hammer into his fucking chest!"
Robert bellows to his best friend Ned just as Ben and Jon enter the hall, seeing the King sitting at the high table, his breath stenching of wine from across the room.
"It was raining rubies on the Trident, I tell you! I couldn't remember what that bastard whispered but it was sweet to hear that raspy broken breath before he finally died."
Ben's attention focuses up on the King's words, already knowing what King Robert is talking about. As Ben and Jon approach as several servants still work around the tables in the halls to set everything up completely before the mass of people flood in. The Queen sits beside the King, her attention anywhere else as she looks away from Robert, tuning everything out until she notes the Stark Twins approach. The crown Prince is sitting beside his mother, seemingly annoyed and disgusted just being around his father as the man pays him no mind at alk.
Ned is there, too, as is Robb along with Ser Barristan and a few others. The King notices Ben approach as a smile forms on his lips.
"Ah, here he is! The boy who bested Barristan the Bold!"
He bellows, raising his horn of ale as Ben glances at Ser Barristan, smiling lightly as he nods with great respect to the Old Knight.
"Oh, I just got lucky, Your Grace. Several times I thought he'd get the upper hand."
"Nonsense! You had him and the Kingslayer the whole time, admit it!"
"I wouldn't presume to-"
"Admit it! It was easier than lifting a damn butter knife at breakfast!"
King Robert bellows with laughter as Ben looks around a bit in embarrassment, receiving an understanding look from the Old Knight as Ben sits down at the table across from the King, next next his father as Jon takes a seat beside Ben.
"We're telling war stories. I'm sure you've heard some of these from your father."
Robert motions to Ned as the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North is quiet, looking down at the table.
"Who was your first kill again, Ned?"
Robert asks, making Ned Stark look up.
"It was at the Battle of the Bells. Some Targaryen loyalist just off the steps of the Sept in the town."
"And how'd you do it?"
Ben had heard these stories only twice in his life. The only battle he had only heard once in his life was at that tower in Dorne. Ben felt strangely interested in the fight, the fight that was the end of his uncle, Ser Arthur Dayne. But when his father had told Jon and him the story, he had only said it once, any questions that followed were always answered with silence.
"My sword threw his neck."
"Didn't catch the name?"
"I don't recall looking for any names written on the corpses of men I've killed."
Ned says quietly, his eyes looking a thousand miles away as Ben and Jon feel a bit tense, seeing that Robert doesn't see how inconsiderate he is being by talking about killing as if it were nothing.
"Mine was some Tarly boy at the Battle of Summerhall. Some dumb highborn lad thought he could end my Rebellion with one swing of his sword. I ended that boy with one swing of my hammer- gods, I was so strong then. What about you, Barristan?"
"A Tyroshi during the War of the Ninepenny Kings."
The Bold responds to the King.
"And how did you do it?"
"Lance through the heart. I never caught the name of him."
"Ah, a quick one."
Robert remarks, taking a swig of wine, burping a little, drawing a laugh only from himself as he looks at Ben with a smile.
"And what about you?"
"What about me, Your Grace?"
"Who was your first kill?"
Ben loses the small smile on his face as he himself grows even quieter than the Quiet Wolf, staring into the brown eyes of King Robert. Robert doesn't take the hint that is the quiet answer he receives that should tell him not to push the subject. But a king does what a king wants, really.
"Come on, I know you've swung that sword at someone, and not just in training. Who was the man?"
Ben swallows the lump in his throat as he briefly looks down to his hands on the table, seeing the tiniest hint of a shake as he pulls them off the table, clenching them tightly underneath.
"A man in the Wolfswood outside of Winterfell."
He says calmly, though with effort as Robert eyes him.
"Yeah? And how'd you do it?"
"My sword through his eye and out the back of his skull. His friend in the heart, the other I cut his chest open and let him die slow."
Robert pauses at that for a moment, a frown forming on his face as he sees him just how even talking about this event effects Benget. But as the wine does its course, the Old Boar just grins like a madman.
"I wish my fucking son could be like you, kid!"
Joffrey looks up from the table, as if realizing he's still here as he looks at his father, whom wears a shit eating grin. Robert side eyes his son, a look of disappointment swimming in his mountain lake blue eyes as Cersei immediately grips the armrests of her chair, glaring daggers at the Violet Wolf.
"You've raised yourself a hell of a son here, Ned. Him and his other brothers, all fine young lads."
"I am glad to recieve such praise, Your Grace."
Benget stands, bowing slightly as the Great Hall begins to flood in with people.
"Now, after tosseling with a lion- or, a rather sad excuse for one- I am quite tired. I think I'll take my leave."
Robert nods with a smile as Benget bows one more time, patting Jon's shoulder briefly as he looks at the King.
"Your Grace."
He then glances at Queen Cersei Lannister, the smallest of challenging and prideful smirks worn so easily hidden in his courteous smile as if it were as easy as breathing.
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"Your Grace."
He says so smoothly as if it is a drop of water falling from a leaf on a tree. Nobody else but the Lioness of Lannister catches this and the insults he had underlying thrown at her House as he turns his back, walking away from her and the others to retire to his chambers.
And that entire time, the Lioness' dangerous green eyes bore holes in the back of the Violet Wolf's head.
꧁~~~A/N~~~꧂
Ugh, thank God... That chapter took a while for me to write and work out. Big time shout-out once more to TheGrimmReader_ because this story would not be possible of not for him! Check him out!
Thank you all so much for reading! If you have any feedback on the chapters or any suggestions for future ones, I would love to hear them!
Thank you all!!!!