A/N: The final (eventual) harem mber's first POV chapter~
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"So Snow! You went all the way south did ya? To plead our plight to the kneeler king himself? Hah, who knew you had such a soft spot for us!"
As the crow flushes and stamrs a response, Tormund just laughs boisterously at the effect his words are having. Ygritte grins from close by, arms crossed over her chest and eyes lingering on Jon Snow.
From a further distance away, Val watches all of this in mild amusent even as she sits with the aftermath of eting the king of the kneelers. He was… different from what she was expecting, truth be told.
But then, what had Val been expecting? Certainly not a man half as tall as a giant, wielding a sword bigger than himself while clad in armor that looked nothing like anything she'd ever seen before. No, when it ca to her idea of a 'kneeler king', Val had imagined so soft, pathetic weakling of a man who sat upon his cushy throne and gave orders to the kneeler knights to do his bidding.
Instead, Axel Baratheon had co all the way here himself to see what there was to see. No, more than that, he'd flown all the way here. Val had heard so rumors about that shit. They said that the kneeler king had powers. That he was stronger than a hundred n, had singlehandedly killed dozens of monsters, and could fly through the air as fast as swift as a bird.
Val hadn't really believed such rumors, obviously. And she was pretty sure Mance hadn't either. Now though? Now they both believed. Axel Baratheon had turned out to be more than just a man.
… Though he was also very much a man as well. Val bites her lower lip as she reminisces. The kneeler king was hunky beyond belief and carried himself like a true warrior despite his finery, strange armor, and the crown upon his brow.
More than that though… he'd listened. He'd sat with them and not only had he heard Mance out, but he'd let the rest of them tell their stories too. There was sothing… strange about that. But not necessarily in a bad way? Fuck, when was the last ti any man actually listened to her without wanting to fuck her in exchange?
… Maybe that was the kneeler king's plan! Maybe he was trying to seduce her… by being kind? Val huffs to herself as she watches Ygritte and Tormund's continued ribbing of Jon Snow from afar. Yeah, even she knew she was being ridiculous with that one. More likely it was just that she wanted that to be Axel Baratheon's plan.
Mm, it wouldn't be half bad to be stolen by a man like that, even if he was a kneeler. If Val thought she had a chance, she might try to steal him herself. Sort of like she knew Ygritte was tempted more and more with each passing mont to do with the crow. Jon Snow better watch himself. If he wasn't careful, those vows of his wouldn't hold much longer.
The look in Ygritte's eyes made it crystal clear that she was- Val's head twitches, a whistling sound filling the air. It sounded like an arrow, but it just kept going and going… until…
KABOOOOM!
Val's eyes widen as the earth shakes beneath her. She manages to keep her feet and so do Ygritte, Tormund, and their pet crow, but it's definitely a near thing. anwhile, Val thinks she sees a massive plu of snow just a couple hundred feet away in another part of the camp.
Without thinking about it, she draws her bone knife from her waist and begins racing over as everyone else converges on the point as well.
"IT'S THE KNEELER KING!"
Val stiffens as the voice of Rattleshirt cuts through the air. She redoubles her pace, eyes narrowing into slits, and arrives just in ti to witness what happens next.
Rattleshirt is standing over a body in the snow… and that body is wearing strange yet familiar armor while also clutching a massive, familiar sword.
Letting out a bark of laughter, Rattleshirt spits on the snow before moving forward. He plants his foot on the fallen man's chest, causing a roar of agony to rip from the downed man's lips.
"Not so tough now, are you kneeler? Let's see that sword of yours, shall w-urk!"
It happens so quickly that Val's eyes almost can't track it. The man on the ground is Axel Baratheon, of course. He seems to be injured. And he's only holding his massive sword with one hand. Rattleshirt, being the asshole that he is, is stepping on the injury, grinding his foot down on it to further weaken Axel.
Yet even in such pain, even in such a disadvantageous position, Axel Baratheon's sword flashes… and Rattleshirt's head flies through the air as his body tumbles to the snow, decapitated.
Val curses as the other Free Folk nearby, many of them followers of the Lord of Bones, all begin to roar in outrage and move forward. Before they can reach the kneeler king and get themselves slaughtered, however, Jon Snow finally arrives, the crow drawing his own sword at his side and standing in defense of his leader.
"Back! All of you! The King was defending himself! No one cos closer!"
Obviously, Rattleshirt's warriors aren't really interested in listening to orders from so crow. But Ygritte and Tormund move into position on either side of Jon a mont later, Tormund with his axe and Ygritte with her bow. They don't say anything, but they also don't really have to… their support for Jon Snow is obvious.
At the sa ti though, Val can't help but notice all three of them throwing looks down at Axel Baratheon, able to see more easily the injury he's sustained. Even Ygritte and Tormund look ill at whatever they're seeing, which only makes Val more intrigued.
Striding forward, she makes her presence known at long last before things can truly devolve into a fight.
"HOLD! All of you hold! The Lord of Bones broke guest right… and paid for it with his life. None will lay a hand on the kneeler king! I declare him under my protection… and anyone who tries to touch him will have to answer to personally."
That… quiets the crowd. Technically, Val is no one special among the Free Folk. She has no fancy titles like they have south of the Wall, nor does she lead a clan or even a band of warriors. Her reputation stems from two sources. Her own willingness to geld any man who tries to take her when she has not given explicit permission… and her relation to their leader's wife.
Val had told the truth when she told Axel Baratheon that 'King Beyond the Wall' was a southern construct. She wasn't so Princess or Lady just because Dalla was Mance's woman or anything like that. But at the sa ti, the title 'King Beyond the Wall' did still hold SO aning to the Free Folk. And combined with Val's own reputation as a Spearwife, it gave her sway she probably shouldn't have under normal circumstances.
At the sa ti, she's invoked guest right as well. Technically, an argunt could be made that Axel Baratheon had left guest right behind when he'd departed from their camp earlier. But it hadn't even been a full hour since he'd gone and no one would try to make such an argunt in good faith.
Not that Val didn't believe so of Rattleshirt's people would try later to make such an argunt in BAD faith to Mance as to why the kneeler king should die. They most definitely would. But for now at least, thanks to her reputation and Axel's three protectors and the fact that the fallen warrior had killed Rattleshirt in the blink of an eye… nobody actually wants to try anything.
In the end, they all back down after a few monts of Val staring at everyone. The mont this happens; Jon sheathes his blade and turns back to his leader.
"My King! My King, it's Jon… you… what did this to you?"
Creeping closer, Val finally gets a good look at the state Axel Baratheon is in with her own two eyes… and almost imdiately regrets laying claim to him and making as many enemies as she had in the process. Because unfortunately… the kneeler king is dying.
He must be. There's a fucking hole through his chest that goes all the way out his back. Val can see bloodstained snow on the other side of the gaping wound and she knows instantly that Axel Baratheon can't be long for this world, her jaw clenching as she finds her mind whirling at the ramifications of this.
"S-Snow…" Latest content published on novelFirｅ
Val's head twitches, her eyes darting down when a word actually passes through Axel's lips. The man was still capable of speech? Ridiculous. And yet… fuck it. Making a decision, Val flares her nostrils and then starts shouting orders.
"SEND THE WISEWON TO MY TENT! And you three! Pick him up and co with !"
The next hour or so is a flurry of action, though not on Val's part. All she really does is direct Jon Snow and Tormund to her tent as they carry the injured kneeler king between them. And then she watches as the Free Folk's wisewon, their best healers, gather around him to see what might be done.
Through so severe coaxing on the crow's part, and probably a weakening on the kneeler king's part, they're able to get Axel Baratheon to let go of his sword, though Val also makes sure it stays in her tent within her sight at all tis.
From there, they also remove his armor as well. Jon Snow nas it 'Valyrian Steel', which is apparently a mystical tal of so sort. The crow sounds absolutely shocked that sothing was able to punch through it. But then, he also seems shocked that Axel was injured by anything as well.
Mance visits at so point to get an idea of what's happening. His jaw is clenched and his eyes are wide and wild as he stares at the state of Axel. Val can tell his mind is also racing about the implications of this. If the kneeler king dies on them, they're completely and utterly fucked. Their only option will be to take the Wall by force and flee south through all the kneeler lands as fast as they can.
Val can see Mance considering whether or not to kill Jon Snow then and there and start plotting the destruction of the Night's Watch to save their people. Their eyes et at one point… and Val shakes her head. Not yet. Not while Axel Baratheon still drew breath.
In the end, Mance tilts his head in silent acknowledgnt, his own eyes very clearly demanding a promise from her. The mont Axel dies, she will make sure he knows. Val nods her wordless agreent to this unspoken command and watches as Mance slips out of the tent, probably to put out so of the fires caused by Rattleshirt's demise.
Val, anwhile, stands watch and waits. She waits for Axel Baratheon, their last hope of survival… to die and seal all of their fates. And yet, to her surprise… his last breath never seems to cos. Even as an hour turns into several hours, even as the wisewon do everything they can for the kneeler king, Axel Baratheon continues to live.
Eventually, the wisewon say they can do no more and depart, leaving Val with just Jon Snow, Ygritte, and Tormund still in her tent. Getting Tormund to leave is easy enough. Snow and by extension Ygritte, are going to be a lot harder. But then, Val has so private questions for the crow anyways.
"He should be dead, Snow. How does he still live?"
Jon grimaces, staring down at Axel's body as his chest rises and falls. The wound has been packed and bandaged by the wisewon, but the kneeler king's face is pale and his skin is as cold as ice. The massive wound going all the way through him… there's no way he survives it. Right?
"I don't… I don't know if he CAN die. My sister told about it. How he burned for a week straight. It wasn't normal fire either. There's this thing down south called wildfire. It's… it produces green flas that burn for unnaturally long periods of ti. They don't go out so long as they still have a fuel source, I think."
Taking a breath, still staring down at his king, Jon continues.
"Wildfire is what killed the King's father and his trueborn sons. His Grace was actually Robert Baratheon's bastard and was only elevated to the throne because Robert and both his sons, Joffrey and Tomn, burned to death in a wildfire explosion."
Val frowns, humming as she takes this in.
"The King though… when one of his enemies used wildfire against him later on, it didn't work. He didn't die. Instead he burned for… for seven days and seven nights. And when the green flas finally ca to a close, when the wildfire finally stopped consuming his flesh… he was whole again."
Looking her in the eye, Jon Snow clenches his jaw and purses his lips.
"… He won't die. He can't die. He'll survive even this. We just… we just need to give him so ti."
Well, that worked for Val.
"Then leave. Go and get so rest. If your king isn't going to die you have nothing to worry about. He will still be here in the morning."
Of course, the crow doesn't like hearing that.
"What? No, I can't! I have to stay by his side, I have to-!"
In a flash, Val's bone knife is in her hand, cutting Snow off.
"This is my tent, crow. And I do not sleep in my tent with n I do not approve of. Unless you consent to gelding you here and now, you will leave. I suppose, given your oaths, you might not care if I take your cock and balls from you."
As anticipated, that ultimatum gets Ygritte involved. Grabbing Jon by the arm, the other Free Folk woman gives Val a sharp nod as she begins pulling him towards the exist. The crow, anwhile, is too busy getting flustered and stamring about how he would NEVER try to force himself on anyone to really stop the red head from doing so.
In monts, Val is left alone… with Axel Baratheon. Looking at him, she sighs and shakes her head.
A man who couldn't die? What was he then, unkillable? But if Axel Baratheon was supposed to be this… invulnerable monster, what the fuck had happened to him?
… Val hated how she was beginning to hold out hope that he might survive long enough to tell her.
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A/N: D'awww, Val will nurse Axel back to health in no ti, I'm sure~
Don't worry, we're back to Axel POV next ti!
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