The Young Lion

Act 2 Ch 10 A Restless Night

[Inside The Red Keep]

After the battle had ended and both armies retreated to their respective bases, Joffrey ordered a tally to find out how many of his men fell on the battlefield. Emissaries were sent to the north’s camp telling them they could come and collect their dead. He had Jon Umber’s body transported by his personal guard as a sign of respect to the most terrifying old man he had ever faced. 

Joffrey was currently shirtless and sitting on a table being treated by his personal physicians, his face was swollen and bruised and his left eye red. He had fingerprint bruises around his throat signaling how close the giant had been to choking the life out of him. Currently Sansa, Barristan, Varys, Sandor, Tyrion, and his cut throat Bronn surrounded him.

“How could you be so reckless!?” Sansa wailed as she kneeled at his side, tears running down her face.

“I had no choice, the enemy caught us by surprise.” He said as he ran his fingers through her hair.

“You’re a reckless idiot.” She muffled burying her face into his torso as she cried.

Joffrey looked down at her with a sincere smile feeling guilty he had worried her so much.

“I agree with milady, how could you be so careless as to fight on the front lines?” Barristan asked with a concerned look.

“Our men were losing their morale.” He responded looking at his kingsguard with a serious expression. “If I hadn’t acted they would have broken rank and retreated, this was their first real battle after all. What kind of king would I be if I sat back and let others just fight and die for me?”

“A smart one.” Tyrion responded.

He was shocked by his nephew's actions, a year prior he couldn’t face a stable boy. Now he had fought on the front lines and had killed professional soldiers. He couldn’t rack his head around his drastic change in demeanor. It was just one shocking development after another since he came to the capital.

“I think that's enough.” Sandor spoke up. “Everything turned out well, and the young lad showed balls if you ask me.” 

The other advisors looked at the hound annoyed. They didn’t want to encourage the young king's reckless behavior, with the exception of Bronn who nodded in agreement with the hound.

“Still I can’t believe the young wolf would violate peace terms to stage a surprise attack.” Varys said his hands in his robe sleeves. “ I guess he is less like his father than we hoped.”

Sansa looked up from Joffrey and gave the spider an angry glare for his words against her oldest brother.

“My brother had nothing to do with this!”

The others looked at her with sympathy for her naivety when it came to matters of war, till Joffrey spoke up.

“She’s right, Robb had nothing to do with the attack.” Joffrey declared.

The others looked confused by his words.

“How can you be so sure, your grace?” Varys asked.

“Because if all the reports of Robb Stark's strategic mind are to be believed, then there is no way he planned that attack.” He stated flatly. “There must have been some division among his troops.”

The others looked at each other after hearing his words.

“It doesn’t matter.” He declared standing up from the table and putting his shirt back on. “I want a total report on the men we lost on my desk by the end of the day. Am I clear?”

“Yes, your grace.” The Advisors and bodyguards nodded their heads.

“Good, I’m heading to the baths. Make sure my soldiers are fed and cared for and they fought excellently today.” He stated that he turned to leave the laboratory. 

The others bowed their heads once again to the king’s back as he left the room. They began to talk among themselves on the reports and other duties they had to do. With the exception of Sansa who looked at the doorway with a concerned expression. Having been the only one to have seen the shaken look in her beloved’s eyes.

Joffrey walked down the stone hallway passing by the servants who bowed their heads to him as he walked by. He continued to walk until he was alone in a secluded area in the Red keep. Once he was alone he began to hyperventilate and dropped to one knee. He clenched his chest as his heart rate skyrocketed.

“I almost died again.” He thought as he gasped for air.

The memories of the battle raced through his mind as his breathing became faster and his heart rate increased. Scenes of the battle flashed through his mind as he remained on the stone floor. Memories of chaos and death, of blood and guts, of dismembered body parts, all the while the putrid stench of shit filling the air. But worst of all were flashbacks of his battle with the giant. The heavy blows that rattled his head and blurred his vision. Of the feeling of his lungs gasping for air as the mutilated old man strangled the life out of him. He had never been so sure of his impending demise in either of his two lives, than when that terrifying old man wrapped his fingers around his throat.

Despite already facing death once, in the end Joffrey was still only human, and the most basic of human fears was very simple. The fear of death. 

It took some time for him to regain his bearing, thankfully there were no eavesdroppers or witnesses to his moment of weakness. After his heart rate lowered and he got his breathing under control he stood up, straightened up his clothes and made his way to the giant bath for a much needed soak.  

He laid in the giant stone bath much longer than usual, trying to clear his head of the day's chaotic events. After some time he got out of the steamy bath and changed into some clean clothes he had prepared before making his way to his personal chambers. It was already much later in the evening since he left his advisors and the sun was beginning to set. 

Once he arrived in front of his door he slowly opened it and made his way inside. At the desk he spotted the reports he had ordered awaiting him. As he approached his desk he could hear the light footsteps of someone approaching behind him. As he felt them grow closer and closer, Joffrey launched a surprise attack first. 

He grabbed the would be assassin and hip tossed them into the floor. He then held one hand on their throat and drew the dagger he always had hidden on him. As he raised the dagger in the air to strike all he found was the visage of his teary eyed terrified fiancee.

When he finally came to his senses, he quickly released her and stood up backing away. He looked at her with shock and terror. His mind spiraled from what he almost had done. 

The girl’s sapphire eyes filled tears as she stared up at Joffrey with fear. She had sneaked into his chamber to comfort him after experiencing such a terrifying battle. As she heard her mother had done for her father on countless occasions. She couldn’t help but ask why he had chosen to hurt her in response. 

“What in the seven hells is wrong with you!?” She screamed. “Why did you do that!?”

“I’m… I’m sorry, I thought you were trying to kill me.” He stuttered weakly, his hand shook uncontrollably forcing him to drop his dagger.

Sansa gazed upon the deep sense of dread and terror that was spread across Joffrey’s immaculate visage and quickly forgave him. She couldn’t imagine the terror he had faced as he looked death in the face earlier that day. As such she slowly got up and cautiously approached the young king who had slumped to his knees, his breathing growing heavy. She slowly wrapped her slender arms around his body and buried his head into her shoulder.

“I’m here if you want to talk about it.” She said sweetly into his ear as he returned the embrace.

He soon gave into her tender and warm body as he slowly calmed himself down. Tears slowly trickled down his face. 

“I’m… I’m sorry.” He muffled into her shoulder as he lightly cried.

“Shh” She said sweetly as she held his strong body in her arms. 

“I understand you can’t show weakness to your men or advisors.” She said as she soothed his emotional pain. “But please don’t think you’re alone. I will always be by your side, my love.” She said as she combed her hands through his gold hair.

“Sansa?” He said looking up from her shoulder. “Could you please spend the night here? I don't want to be alone.”

“Of course, your grace.” She said with a slight blush.

The pair then made their way to his large bed. Joffrey held her tightly in his arms, her silk nightgown caressing his skin. She combed her fingers through his long golden hair returning his embrace as they laid together. She brushed her right hand across his strong wide chest appreciating the strength and discipline it admitted. Slowly Joffrey lost himself to her warmth and drifted off letting go of the fear and panic he had experienced earlier in the day. Sansa lingered longer as she combed her unconscious lover's hair. Looking down at his angelic appearance a smile spread across her face.

“If you are the sword that guards the realms of men, then I will be the shield that hides your weakness.” She whispered before kissing his cheek.

[The North Camp]

Back at the northerners' war camp Robb Stark was busy trying to quell the chaos that the Karstarks had wrought. Thanks to lord Karstark’s mutiny they had lost over half of their army. More than seven thousand northerners would never see home again. He was currently surrounded by his remaining lords in his tent.

He sat at the head of a wood table while the middle aged men argued around him.

“We should withdraw and regroup at the Riverrun.” Lord Bolton suggested.

“What!” Smalljon umber yelled out. “They murder thousands of our men and my father and you want to run back to the river lands with our tails between our legs?!”

Smalljon Umber had taken a place on the war council after his father fell on the battlefield. He was nearly as tall as his father and twice as hot blooded. 

“Then what do you suggest when you sacrifice more men to a siege that is clearly lost thanks to lord Karstark and your father’s stupidity?” He asked sarcastically.

“What you say!” He yelled back ready to draw his blade.

“Enough!” Robb slammed his hand on the table silencing the bickering lords. “We can’t fight among-st ourselves, not now that our positions have been so badly compromised.” He said sternly.

“Forgive me, your grace.” The two said, bowing their heads.

“Your grace, what do you think we should do?” Lord Glover.

Robb leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes, his face becoming still and serious not betraying any of his thoughts. He had been racking his brain all afternoon weighing all his options and what the best course of action would be. His original strategy of blockading the city and waiting for Theon's ships was now out the window. He knew they couldn’t take the city with the amount of men they had now, but he also didn't want to retreat as it would destroy his men’s morale. He looked down and read a piece of paper one of Joffrey's emissaries had brought.

“Joffrey wishes to speak again tomorrow morning to talk.” He finally spoke. “When we meet, we’ll see what his terms are.”

All his advisors' mouths hung open, hearing their young king's words.

“You can't be serious!” Smalljon yelled. “You still want to talk with that blonde little shit?!”

“He’s right, your grace.” Lord Bolton spoke up. “How do you know Joffrey will still be willing to negotiate after today?”

The other lords nodded their heads to Roose Bolton’s words.

“We still have his “uncle”.” He said with a serious expression. “We can still walk away from this and secure the North’s future.”

Robb could see even if his war council couldn’t that their chances of winning the war of five kings had become near impossible after their defeat at the southern kings hands. Their only hope was to salvage some dignity through negotiation. Hopefully the demands from Joffrey wouldn’t be too unreasonable.

“I think that's enough for tonight we’ll reconvene tomorrow morning.” Robb said, standing up from the table and making his way out of the tent. 

The other lords bowed their heads as he left, keeping their thoughts to themselves.

As Robb walked down the muddy path passing by his soldiers who bowed their heads to him as he walked past. He could feel the unease in the air. Looking at his men's faces he could feel their morale badly damaged and wills near broken from facing such a bloody defeat. Once he was far enough away from the camp he stopped and stared up at the night sky overlooking the capital city. He filled his lungs with the cold air and breathed out trying to steady his nerves. 

For the first time since he began his campaign to get his family back he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know if he could defeat Joffrey in the field anymore if push came to shove. His royal guards fought in ways he had never seen before. Sure he had his uncle Jamie, but he had his father and both of his sisters. He felt he was about to lose everything he held dear and there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it. He knelt and prayed to the old gods and new to show him the way out of his current predicament.

Though the only response he received was the tranquil silence of the hour of the wolf.   

A/N Happy New Year My Dear Readers.

Sorry I have been writing and releasing chapters as much as before I have gotten busy with school and other life priorities.

I'll try to drop new chapters when I have time and promise to wrap up Act 2 shortly.