FrenzyAren
patreon
SLW Chapter 9 : Audacity and Authority
🕑 Added 2025-01-26 00:18:51 +0000 UTCAeron’s mind went blank. This was not something he had been prepared to see.
The girl grinned mischievously, clearly amused by Aeron’s shock. She leaned in closer, her breath warm against his skin, and playfully brushed a lock of her hair over her shoulder. “Didn’t know you could fight,” she teased, her voice lilting with mock surprise. “I patched you up, you know. Could’ve sworn you were about to meet the gods.”
Aeron, still flustered, struggled to find his voice. Before he could respond, she continued, “Everyone’s talking about you. How you stood up to those raiders." She straightened up on the bed and threw her arms out dramatically, mimicking one of the gruff soldiers with an exaggerated accent. “‘I’ve never seen someone fight so shite, yet so effectively with a sword in me life!’” She adopted a ridiculous, overly serious expression, then slumped back down, unable to hold back her own laughter.
Aeron couldn’t help it—he burst out laughing, the absurdity of the situation completely overriding his earlier shock. The way she imitated the soldier was so ridiculous, and the idea of him being a topic of conversation was almost too much to process. The pain in his arm momentarily forgotten, he clutched his sides, shaking with laughter.
The girl smiled at him, clearly pleased with herself, as she shifted her weight, still straddling his legs without a care in the world. “You should’ve seen the way they were all talkin’ about it. Like you’re some kind of legend now,” she said, her voice softer but still playful.
Aeron wiped away a tear from laughing so hard, finally taking in the situation—this half-naked girl teasing him like it was the most natural thing in the world. He let out a long sigh, shaking his head, still chuckling. He muttered to himself, “Maybe this world is not so bad after all, ‘I think I love this one.’
Aeron lay there, still grinning from the playful teasing. He glanced down at the girl, and couldn’t help but marvel at his fortune. Never in a thousand lifetimes would he have imagined himself in bed with someone as stunning as her. Especially after seeing the rough, weathered faces outside in the village. He was practically lucky beyond belief.
"This can’t be real," he thought, shaking his head slightly. “In any other world, I’d be a dead man in a stable, but here I am with her…”
Just as he was starting to relax, the door to his room slammed open with a thud. Aeron flinched, his heart leaping into his throat. A burly guard stormed in, eyes scanning the room before landing squarely on the half-dressed Raya.
The guard’s face twisted in a mixture of disbelief and rage. “Raya?!” he bellowed, his voice booming through the small, shabby room.
Raya froze, her teasing expression melting away in an instant. Her eyes widened, and she sputtered, “Father?!”
Aeron’s mind blanked. ‘Father?’ The girl in his lap—half-naked—was the daughter of a guard? His heart sank as realization hit. ‘What in the world..’ His mind screamed, but his body couldn’t seem to move.
The guard, now seething, took a step forward, fists clenched. His voice dripped with fury as he spat, “What in the gods' name are ye doin’ here with this scum?” His eyes, filled with disgust, flicked between Aeron and his daughter.
Aeron, completely bewildered, could only stammer, “What the fuck…?”
For a moment, it looked like the guard was about to lunge at him, the tension in the air thick and dangerous. But the old man caught himself, barely holding his anger in check. With a glare that could’ve cut through steel, he gritted his teeth and growled, “Mi Lord is askin’ for ye,” his voice thick, each word a punch. “Otherwise, I’d have killed ye where ye lay.”
Raya scrambled off Aeron, her face flushed as she pulled the covers over herself, and Aeron, still in a daze, could only stare. The guard pointed a finger at him, his eyes burning with barely contained rage. “Now get a move on,” he barked, stepping back toward the door, never taking his eyes off the young man.
Aeron slowly sat up, still reeling. “Lord Mormont is asking for me?” His mind raced as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.
"Of course," he thought to himself with a sigh, "this is my life now."
Aeron sat there for a moment, running his hand through his hair, feeling the tension hanging thick in the air. "Oh, fuck it," he muttered under his breath. There wasn’t much point in dragging this out. With a resigned sigh, he swung his legs out of the bed and stood up, still groggy, and reached for his ragged clothes.
The guard’s furious eyes bore into him as Aeron dressed slowly, pulling on his threadbare shirt and tugging at the fraying edges of his pants, not bothering to hide his smirk. The awkward silence was only broken by the soft shuffle of fabric as Aeron got himself together. The weight of the situation hit him, but he couldn’t resist making it worse.
"Lead the way, old man," Aeron said, voice dripping with defiance, locking eyes with the guard.
He then turned to Raya, flashing her a sly grin. “See you around,” he said with a smirk that was impossible to miss. Raya, cheeks flushed red, quickly looked away, but the smile tugging at her lips was unmistakable.
The guard’s fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, a visible tremor of anger running through him. Aeron couldn’t help but notice, and his grin widened. I see now... he thought, piecing it together.’ If Lord Mormont truly wanted me hurt, this old man wouldn’t be holding back.’
“Guess the Lord wants me unharmed then,” Aeron said to the old man, feeling a flicker of amusement. He gave a slight, mock bow, adding fuel to the fire.
The guard’s scowl deepened, but he said nothing more. He simply turned sharply, his boots hitting the floor with heavy, deliberate steps. Aeron followed behind him, still feeling the rush of audacity coursing through his veins.
****
The heavy thud of boots echoed down the hall as Aeron followed the guard, his steps light in contrast to the man’s deliberate and sharp movements. The tension between them was palpable, but Aeron couldn’t help the smirk tugging at his lips.
Audacity, Aeron, he thought to himself. If nothing else, you've got that in spades.
The guard stopped abruptly in front of a large wooden door reinforced with iron bands. Without knocking, he pushed it open, stepping inside and motioning for Aeron to follow.
Inside the room, Lord Mormont sat at a heavy oaken table, a large map spread before him, weighted down by small stones. His armor, though worn and practical, bore the marks of countless battles. The man radiated a quiet authority, a sharp contrast to the loud and brash figures Aeron had encountered so far.
Aeron stepped forward, inclining his head slightly. “Lord Mormont,” he greeted.
The older man raised a hand to stop him. “Don’t,” he said, his voice firm yet warm. “You are a friend, boy. And friends don’t stand on ceremony. Besides, I’m only Lord Mormont in the absence of Lady Lyanna Mormont.”
At the mention of Lyanna, Aeron’s eyes widened in shock. The name struck him like a hammer, and realization dawned in an instant. ‘Lyanna Mormont… I’m in the timeline where the War of the Five Kings is about to unfold. This changes everything.’
Still, he kept his composure, masking his surprise. “Very well,” Aeron replied simply.
