Hey, I Ruin Stories! Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Tending to Wounds

[Early Morning — Guest Quarters, East of Red Keep]

"I believe you now have a decent understanding of the situation?"

I nodded. It was indeed a complicated and overwhelming situation to take in all at once.

"I do believe so," I replied, "Although I cannot promise it won't be messy. I have never interacted with them, nor do I have much information about everything else."

My answer made Varys nod. "Quite unfortunate but understandable. It will create a bit of a mess with the Queen, but we shall handle it. As long as you can bring back Ser Jaime without sparking a war between the Starks and the crown, we will be fine."

"You can rest assured, as long as that is the only task, I can manage it just fine."

This was fun.

Facing one of the strongest forces in Westeros, just three days after arriving, was no less daunting than meeting the one person with dragons in this world.

Clearly, the places I have been appearing in are not random.

"Robb Stark is the new Lord Stark after the death of his father," Petyr explained, but it was wasted on me.

I had already gathered all the necessary information, and nowhere did it mention Eddard Stark's death, only his public execution.

Eddard Stark, the Warden of the North and the best friend of the deceased king, was executed on charges of treason.

Sounds very suspicious, doesn't it?

Being beheaded right after the death of the old king, the one who would have protected his friend.

Without that protection, he was executed.

Suspicious, as if an effort to silence him and hide some secret.

Should I look into it? I should, shouldn’t I?

"But Robb is not anywhere near Ser Jaime Lannister, now is he?"

Petyr and Varys shook their heads.

"He is out with his army on the exact opposite side, so this is possibly the best chance for you to make your move," Varys said, implying it would be easier to deal with the Stark army in Robb's absence.

However, I didn't want it to be easy. I would have preferred Robb to be there.

But there is no point in dwelling on it.

"When will you be moving out?" They were clearly desperate. "The longer Ser Jaime is held captive, the worse it is for the crown."

They were certainly worried about him being a hostage for a few more days, though he had likely been captive for quite some time now.

Well, it doesn't matter.

"I will be moving out early tomorrow morning. And worry not, I will return with him safely."

"Given your achievements, we do not doubt it, Ser Darius." It felt strange being referred to as Ser by Varys. Ser was a title for knights or people of similar status in this world, which I was not.

"Then you shall rest well today." They suggested, "You may check around the city if you wish, and you will be provided with the best cuisines of Westeros tonight. Rest well, as you have a journey ahead."

"Oh, I will."

They had given me enough information for my journey to be smooth sailing.

"Then we will leave you to yourself for now," Petyr said wisely, knowing I did not like being surrounded by old men all the time. "I will send some maids to tend to you."

But my mood wasn't for that.

"It's fine, Lord Baelish," I appreciated the gesture, "I wish to relax by myself for now."

The two men thought for a bit, not liking the idea of leaving a sorcerer alone in their kingdom. But they knew better than to argue and they certainly had other ways to monitor me.

"Then, we shall leave you to your own, Ser Darius," Varys said, stepping back. "Enjoy the rest of your day."

"That I shall, Lord Varys."

I never got his full name, and I don't think it's wise to ask now.

But after that little conversation, I was alone in the massive room.

Open windows, bright light, the scent of rose petals all around, and the sweet aroma from the garden outside.

It was almost like it spring in the kingdom, how sweet.

The people of the deserts of Essos dying without water, the poor serfs of King’s Landing unable to have three meals a day.

And the royal family and nobles enjoying a lavish lifestyle filled with gold and flowers.

Absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Not like the world is ever fair, so it is only natural that such situations exist.

It truly makes me wonder, does such hierarchy exist outside the world of humans?

Certainly, there is hierarchy in the animal kingdom, but is it as bad as being made to suffer while the rich and powerful hog all that you desire?

"Do they, little birdie?"

A little sparrow flew to my hand, landing on my fingertips that hung outside the window.

"Do you suffer from the same social structure as humans?"

Of course, it didn't answer, of course, it didn't understand me.

How could a bird even understand a human?

Unless...

"Unless I use my powers."

My eyes locked onto the eyes of the little sparrow, making it freeze on the spot —pupils dilating and feathers going stiff.

"So... it does exist."

Truly an amazing power.

Not only humans, but I could read other creatures too. Thoughts translated to feelings and those feelings translated to words that my brain understood.

They didn't have a hierarchy built on fortune and power, birds were free creatures.

But their beauty and ability to entice others earned them respect over others.

The leader of the flock, a position earned through beauty and skill.

Sadly for the little sparrow, he was at the bottom of the flock.

At least this little one is a sparrow and not another species where being at the bottom of the hierarchy meant being a plaything for those at the top.

"Well, I can help you be better than every other sparrow, little one."

My words fell on deaf ears as the little bird understood not a single word.

"Of course."

Focusing again on its eyes, I put my thoughts into its head. This time, the little bird stared directly at me —hopefully.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

It didn't, so I had to show it what I meant.

Placing my finger over it, I changed the composition of its body with elemental magic, giving it all the nutrients needed to make it stronger —capable of flapping its wings much faster. Its bones changed, becoming much lighter, more porous but equally strong.

Even its eyesight improved, and so did its energy.

It immediately shot into the air, flying twice as fast as before —swirling and diving in the sky, flying higher than it ever had.

It was excited, understandably so.

But birds were more loyal than humans.

Every species was more loyal than humans.

And as such, it descended back to my fingertip.

"You like it, don’t you?"

It didn't understand my words, but it certainly understood what I wanted to convey and thus nodded violently, causing me to chuckle.

"Well, if you like it so much, I can give you more —faster speed, stronger bones, shinier wings, and a much more pleasant voice."

My words were conveyed through my mind arts, and it nodded heavily once again.

"Perfect."

I took out a very tiny piece of paper, no more than an inch, filled with tiny writing in the Dothraki language.

"I want you to deliver this little letter to someone."

The bird was curious but nodded without hesitation.

"I trust you can do it."

I made sure to put the image of the person, the location, and a way to draw the person’s attention without getting hurt into the little bird’s head.

"Now fly, little one," I said, as I finished tying the tiny letter to its feet. "And once you succeed, I will give you more."

The bird wasted not a second and shot up in the air with all its strength, dashing through the leaves and flying higher than any sparrow ever could.

Flying to a distance it had never covered.

Well, human or not, greed was common for every living creature.

And greed was good for me.

With a little bird flying to deliver a certain message to a certain Mother of Dragons, I could explore the castle a little.

Best to enjoy before another long journey.

And I certainly wouldn't have stayed just inside the room, despite it being massive with almost every utility a man could ask for.

Even women would be presented if I wished for it.

But no.

I decided to walk out.

Walk and enjoy some fresh air.

Wait, since when did I care for fresh air? 

…

…

{Sansa Stark}

Each day at this castle felt suffocating.

The desire to be the prince's wife had long since faded, as had the desire to live in this castle.

Every waking moment felt like living in a prison.

A glass house that shattered long ago, leaving shards that I had to walk on every day.

It was my fault, wasn't it?

My father was dead, my sister had run away, and my brother was preparing for war because of my mistakes.

There was no Tyrion around either; he had left to meet his father and had not returned. He was unpleasant to look at, but his words were always comforting.

But now, I had no one to talk to.

Alone, and abandoned by everyone.

"Oh, I don't think I have met you before?"

The sudden voice drew me out of my thoughts and made me put on a fake smile. A smile was necessary to survive in this place, and a fake smile was needed to avoid beheading.

"I believe not."

It was a face I had not seen before. A handsome man, a bit younger than Ser Jaime, yet equally attractive.

Different features, different ethnicity, but equally pleasing to the eye.

But I had long since lost interest in appearances.

"Lady... Sansa?" he guessed. "I have heard a lot about a Princess Stark with auburn hair and a sweet voice."

Princess. 

I had never been called that, but I understood what he meant.

"Good morning, Ser." Unfortunately, I had never heard of him before. However, considering his appearance, he was certainly someone powerful.

And he understood too.

"Ah, pardon me." He gave a respectful bow. "I am Darius Safar, a sorcerer serving directly under the kingdom."

This took me by surprise. "Oh." I couldn't figure out what to say to him. I had never met a sorcerer before.

Maesters also dealt in magic, but sorcerers only dealt in magic.

Sorcerers were scary too. I had heard stories of how they drove men mad if angered.

As I thought of a way out of this situation, the man walked closer —with a worried look.

"Wait, how did you get all those cuts and bruises?"

I believed I had hidden them well with makeup, but maybe the cuts were deeper and the bruises darker than I expected.

"I—I," he was still a servant of the kingdom, and I had no reason to answer, but he was also a sorcerer, and my current position was no better than a servant's, "I fell from the stairs."

I couldn't think of a better excuse. I couldn't say that I was beaten and hurt by the one who sat on the throne.

He sighed and walked even closer, standing just inches away.

"Let me help you a little," he lowered himself to my height. "I cannot rid you of all your pain, but I can at least help a little."

He showed a smile and, without anyone around us, placed his fingers on my cheek, where I had applied colored dust to hide the bruises.

"Take care of yourself," he said. "You are still very young, and while scars and wounds heal easily at your age, having such bad cuts and bruises can put a heavy burden on your skin that you will see as you grow older."

I did not know what he did, but my skin felt cold. The place where I felt the most pain started to feel numb before the pain vanished entirely.

"Now, the cuts." He moved his fingers to my arm and slowly moved them over the cuts. To my absolute surprise, the more he hovered his fingers over my cuts, the faster the wounds started to close and my skin started to heal.

"There." He slowly removed his fingers, much to my surprise. "Just make sure to be careful from now on."

My—my wounds were gone? And I did not feel any pain either.

"T-Thank you."

For the first time, someone ruffled my hair. "Don't worry about it. You seem dehydrated; you should go and have some water."

"I-I will."

For some reason, I just couldn't say no to anything he said. Maybe it was him helping me, or maybe it was him showing kindness that no one ever did, but it felt nice.

It felt good to know there were kind people here.

"Are you going somewhere, Ser?" I asked, seeing him fix his robe.

He looked at me, thinking something over, and after a few seconds, he smiled. "Yes, quite far."

"Oh."

Of course, no good men lasted in this castle. Only the corrupt survived, and all the good people either ran away or were forced to leave.

"But I will be back," he showed a bright smile. "And I will come bearing gifts. So, make sure to stay safe and happy."

I didn't know him; I had only met him a few minutes ago, and despite it all, he seemed to care and act more like an elder than anyone else who cared for me.

"Take care, princess." He stepped ahead. "Living in this castle is difficult, but if you are smart enough, it can bear you more power than pain."

And before I could ask what he meant, he stepped out, leaving through the stairs.

I still stood in my place, curious and wondering who he was and why he helped me.

Maybe… Maybe he is just a kind man, one that is rare in this place.

…

…

[Dungeon Cells, Riverrun]

{Jaime Lannister}

Days dulled into nights, and to me, it all appeared the same.

The darkness of the night, the silence that was ever-present in this place, and the cold.

No matter what I did, these factors remained.

My body had grown accustomed to the cold and the hard floor, but my mind was still not used to these horrible circumstances.

My mouth felt dry, but food and water were delivered only before sunrise and after sunset.

"Have you heard?"

In the silence of this dungeon, no matter how quiet you were or how hard you tried, echoes would always be heard.

"The Queen is trying to save her brother."

Cersei was trying to save me?

I mean, it was only a matter of time before she tried, but it would not be easy.

The rivers were difficult to cross with an army, and it would only lead them to a place where they could be easily hunted by the Starks and the Tullys.

"But have you heard that they haven't sent an army?"

Not an army?

"Hah! They think a few men can free a prisoner from these dungeons?"

"It's not a group, but a single man. And even I am clueless as to what idiocy made them think a single man could free a prisoner."

No.

No, they didn't understand.

They were not trying to free me with force.

They were planning in a more civilized manner. But how could Cersei think of such a strategy?

She might believe she is smart, but these are not strategies she can think of.

It was someone else's plan.

Varys... or maybe Petyr or Grand Maester Pycelle.

Certainly not hers.

But maybe this could work.

Maybe this was better than sending an army. If they are smart and play their cards right, they can certainly free me.

And my only hope now is whoever this man is and whatever bargaining chip he brings with him.

Maybe it was time I left this accursed dungeon.

But I had to wait.

Wait until this man arrives.

And hopefully... hopefully he succeeds.