The Unyielding Stag (Game of Thrones AU/Invincible)
Chapter 47: Manipulation

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A/N: Axel has the very best schemes.

-x-X-x-

"You called for us, Your Grace."

Axel turns to regard Nymeria and Obara Sand with a smile as they step out into the courtyard. He sees how they both stiffen upon seeing the other two individuals waiting alongside him though. No doubt neither of them much cares about the presence of Brienne of Tarth, but both Sand Snakes react rather negatively when they see that the member of the Kingsguard currently accompanying him is none other than Ser Sandor Clegane.

Even after months as a knight of his Kingsguard, the Hound still doesn't look very comfortable in his white cloak and shining armor. In fact, the only time the young King would say that Sandor looks happy or content is in the moments when they're sparring and the man is reaching beyond his limits, advancing his skill with the blade against the immovable wall that is Axel Baratheon.

But Axel had warned the man. He'd given Sandor ample time to leave King's Landing, or at least the Red Keep, and avoid being sworn into his service. In the end, Sandor had remained for too long and Axel had made him one of his Kingsguard, filling that last empty slot in the process.

Of course, there were those currently staying in the Red Keep who had a problem with that, given Sandor's House Name. Two of them were now standing in the courtyard across from him now. None of the Dornish Party had tried to do anything untoward to the Hound just yet, but all the same…

"I did! It's good that you're here. Now that you are, we can finally begin."

Obara narrows her eyes, while Nymeria, the more cunning of the two, continues to smile, speaking for both of them.

"I'm afraid I don't understand. Begin what, Your Grace?"

Rather than answer with words, he does so with actions by walking over to the nearby rack. Pulling Stonehart, still sheathed, from his side, Axel sets it down and picks up a blunted steel sword. Then, he turns to regard all four individuals standing in the courtyard facing him.

"A test of sorts. You four are some of the best fights I've had in recent months. And yet… I find myself unchallenged, even against all of you."

There's some bristling and scowling at that, though none of them can gainsay him. Axel just grins brightly, pretending like he didn't intend any insult. It was nice to have something of an affable reputation. People tended to underestimate him because he'd come from a bastard's background.

"So I thought to myself… how to rectify the situation? And then I realized… of course! I'll just have all four of you attack me together! A knight of the Kingsguard, a woman who might as well be a knight, a mid-ranged spear fighter, and a ranged knife thrower. You four compliment each other perfectly and are therefore the best group for such a task!"

Axel is, of course, lying through his teeth here. While Sandor was probably one of the better fights he could count on these days, and Brienne wasn't too bad herself… the truth was, neither Obara nor Nymeria were quite as good as they thought themselves to be.

And really, if he was trying to form up a group of the most capable warriors currently in King's Landing, he probably would have invited Asha as well. He just had to hope she wouldn't find out about all of this and feel snubbed, but given what he was really intending with all of this, her presence would really only complicate matters.

Nymeria Sand wasn't a warrior to begin with, in all fairness. She was an excellent hand with her hidden blades, don't get him wrong. However, with a slender, slim figure and not much in the way of muscle, she had to rely on keeping her distance from her opponents.

They'd only sparred a handful of times compared to him and Obara, but each time Nymeria hadn't been able to touch him with a single knife throw. This was something Axel knew vexed her to no end, even if she made a good show of hiding it.

Obara Sand on the other hand, now she was a warrior. Or at least, she considered herself a warrior. She preferred spear and whip instead of sword, which made sense given that she was a woman and therefore physically weaker than most men. And seeing how she didn't have Brienne's height or reach to make up for that simple truth, she had to improvise.

And yet, for all that she styled herself as a warrior, Axel fully believed that any man on his Kingsguard (except for Trant perhaps) could easily equal or best her in battle, so long as there was no poison involved. She really wasn't as good as she thought she was, though her pride wouldn't allow her to accept that fact.

So then why was Axel doing this? Simple really. It had been several weeks since he'd started bedding both Sansa Stark and Arianne Martell, along with their seconds, Margaery and Tyene. Sansa still insisted on keeping her maidenhead intact, something Axel had no problem with because they'd done pretty much everything else together and Margaery was always there to pick up the slack.

Meanwhile, Arianne insisted on trying to challenge his stamina every chance she could. Usually this resulted in both her and Tyene needing days to recover afterwards because Axel would unquestionably run them ragged and leave them sore as can be.

Unfortunately, while they were all having a lot more fun together, this had nevertheless prompted even more of a competitive spirit between the two women that Axel was considering for the position of Queen. And there wasn't much he could do about that competition, nor much he wanted to do either considering he LIKED how competitive they were both being.

But while he might not be able to fix THAT mess, he could definitely do something about the undercurrent of hatred being directed at one of his Kingsguard just because the man shared a name with a monster. Hence Axel had come up with a superb plan that involved getting the more rambunctious of the three Sand Snakes in King's Landing to finally lay off of Sandor.

He can see immediately that all four buy his bullshit about being the best fights he's had, hook, line, and sinker. Obara in particular looks pleased as she puffs out her chest. However, it doesn't stop her from shooting a glare at Sandor all the same, her eyes narrowing with hatred at the Hound.

Nymeria is a bit more… diplomatic.

"You wish for us all to fight together, Your Grace? I'm not entirely sure that's the best idea. Obara and I might be practiced at fighting alongside one another, but we have no experience with these two."

Axel just smirks and lifts up his blunted sword. Sometimes it was good to have a reputation as a bit of a… single-minded King.

"Try. Or feel free to admit defeat if you like. The outcome will honestly be the same either way, but the respect I feel for each of you will certainly change depending on your decisions."

That gets them all, Axel notes. He grins as their animosity for one another swiftly shifts to him just as intended. Obara and Nymeria might hate Clegane for his brother's actions, but that's a distant, secondhand sort of hatred. However, their irritation over getting their asses handed to them in every single spar they've had with Axel… that's much closer to home. Far more recent too.

Soon enough, he's facing off across all four of them with their weapons drawn. They stand apart from one another, with only Nymeria and Obara really close to each other. Nymeria stands behind Obara, while Obara wields shield and spear at the ready.

For a moment, everything is still. And then… the three in the front launch themselves forward. Brienne and Sandor have at least gotten better at fighting side by side against him over the months since he began sparring with them. Obara, meanwhile, simply takes the side of him that they're not on, her spear trying to probe his defenses as they start to harry him.

And finally, Nymeria is on the wings, her hidden blades flashing out into her hands as she narrows her eyes and waits for an opening. Axel gives her a few of course, only to knock her blades out of the air or dodge them effortlessly.

In fact, he deals with all four of them rather effortlessly. Showing off just a bit more speed and a bit more strength than usual, Axel proceeds to dismantle the four fighters piece by piece.. He puts Brienne on her ass, slams Sandor down to a knee, and knocks Obara's spear from what should have been an ironclad grasp, forcing her to scramble for it. All while deflecting or sidestepping Nymeria's blades at the same time.

They're not bad, to be fair. But they aren't him. Nobody is him. And at this point, Axel is beginning to think he might never actually get the challenge he's started to crave.

But at least for today, that's not what he's after anyways. He didn't summon them all together because they were the 'best of the best' like he'd claimed. No, he summoned them here to put the Sand Snakes' issues to bed in the only way he knows how.

The fighting continues for a good fifteen minutes before everyone except for Axel has to take a break, panting and breathing heavily and staring at him with dark eyes as they try to catch their breath while watching him cautiously.

Axel just smirks, pacing back and forth in front of all of them. Even Nymeria has overexerted herself at this point, though to no avail. Every throw has been a failure.

"Pathetic."

His proclamation rings out through the courtyard, prompting all of them to stiffen in response. Axel just smiles at their expressions.

"You'd have a better shot against me if you fought together, but instead you insist on splitting up."

He looks to Sandor and Brienne.

"Even now after all this time, you barely show any teamwork with one another, despite knowing that neither of you has a chance against me alone."

As they stew in that, he then looks to Nymeria and Obara.

"And you two… you fight well enough together, but you ignore the two knights who could easily strengthen your fighting styles and give you far more openings than you currently have against me. You use them, but you don't work with them."

Nymeria grimaces but its Obara who snarls, breaking the silence. There's a reason that of the two Sand Snakes, Nymeria is the one who does most of the talking. Obara… is not nearly as well-mannered.

"You expect us to work with HIM? A Clegane?! After what his brother did to our Aunt and her children?"

With a snarl, Obara spits on the ground.

"I'd rather lose a thousand battles than rely on his sword arm!"

This was why Axel had made sure it was just the five of them, even picking a lesser used courtyard instead of the normal training yard. He'd been expecting an outburst like this one… counting on it, even. Everything so far had been building towards this moment. Even as Sandor stiffens in place, Axel is shaking his head.

"You know nothing, Obara Sand."

Her eyes narrow in anger, only for Nymeria to place a soothing hand on her arm to keep her quiet. The more diplomatic of the two Sand Snakes offers Axel a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"Apologies, Your Grace. My sister's temper got the better of her. Please forgive her."

Axel crosses his arms over his chest and shakes his head.

"I care little for her temper. I refuse to let this fester any longer. Tell me, did you know that Clegane here didn't really want to become my Kingsguard? He didn't even want to be knighted either. In the end, knowing full well his discomfort, I made him an offer. He could ask any one thing of me, a single boon in exchange for joining my Kingsguard. Do you know what he chose?"

Nymeria's smile looks strained at this point. Obara just looks angry as ever. It's obvious neither of them really cares. But they can't say that because Axel is the King of the Seven Kingdoms. So instead, Nymeria continues to be diplomatic.

"No, Your Grace."

Glancing over at Sandor, Axel can tell that he's angry too, mostly at Axel for airing his dirty laundry. But that was the privilege of a King, at the end of the day.

"The boon he asked for in exchange for joining my Kingsguard was simple. He asked me to take Gregor Clegane's head for him."

The admission lands like a massive boulder in a small pond. Nymeria and Obara's eyes widen in shock and stupefaction. Axel just smiles all the wider.

"I've heard the terrible things that Gregor Clegane has gotten up to. I know his crimes, I know he is unworthy of being a knight of the Seven Kingdoms. It's a rather easy request to grant in the end. When the opportunity next presents itself, I have sworn to relieve the Mountain That Rides of his head myself."

Silence fills the courtyard. Axel isn't too worried about Brienne being here for this. She has her own sort of honor, after all and she knows what sorts of things the Mountain has done just like anyone else. Meanwhile, it's obvious that neither of the Sand Snakes know what to say. So Axel decides to really drive the point home… even if it has to be at Sandor's expense, unfortunately.

"Ser Clegane. Remove your helmet."

There's a pause and it's obvious that Sandor is considering refusing the order… but finally, the Kingsguard reaches up and pulls off his helmet, revealing his burned face. It's no secret what he looks like to be fair. Long before he took up the White Cloak, he went everywhere with his facial scars on display.

But as Nymeria and Obara gaze upon Sandor's burns, Axel can tell that the Dornish women are truly seeing them for the first time… and realizing where they came from. He doesn't have to say anything more, doesn't have to explain the entire sordid ordeal that was Sandor's rotten childhood. They're at least smart enough to catch a hint and comprehend the lesson here.

Tossing his blunted sword aside, Axel retrieves Stonehart from the rack and places it back on his waist. Then, he looks to the four of them, all still silent and unmoving.

"If you four learned to fight together as well as you fight solo, then you might actually be enough to give me a challenge. Consider this an order from your King… you are to train with one another at least three times a week. We will continue testing your skills each fortnight. I hope you manage not to disappoint."

And then he leaves, walking away just like that. But then to be fair, he's the King. He can do that sort of thing, even if he definitely plans to make this up to Sandor later. Or at least, that's the thought running through Axel's mind right up until he enters the nearest corridor just to find Jon Arryn waiting for him. Immediately, Axel grimaces as his loyal Hand falls into step beside him.

"That was… interestingly done, Axel. I only hope it doesn't blow up in your face."

Snorting in amusement, Axel shakes his head.

"If it does, I'm more than durable enough to survive it. How are things, Jon?"

Letting out a weary sigh, his Hand runs fingers through his grey hair.

"Things are… moving along apace, my King. The audit is almost finished. We weed out more and more of the corruption I let fester during your father's reign by the day. I-!"

Axel stops and turns towards Jon to scowl, cutting the older man off with nothing but a look before he can get too down on himself.

"Do not blame yourself, Jon. Not for my father's excesses. You tried to warn him. You tried to reign him in. But he was still King. His choices were his own. If he'd only listened to you half as much as he should have, maybe we wouldn't be in this damn mess."

Jon smiles wanly, inclining his head.

"I appreciate your kind words Axel, but some of the blame must fall on me anyways. Robert's whoring, feasting, and reveling were one thing. But the corruption… he had little part in that. At worst, he was a distraction that allowed all of the rats to scurry around our feet unnoticed. Still, I should have looked down at least once and recognized what we were dealing with."

Axel frowns, still not pleased with Jon's self-deprecation. But before he can defend the man against his own words further, Jon is the one who now pins Axel with a look.

"Still, if you mean what you say, perhaps you will let this old man give you some advice. And maybe, if the Seven are very kind, you'll even listen to it."

Wincing, Axel already knows what Jon is going to tell him. He can feel it in the pit of his stomach, even as he gestures for the older man to speak. Jon hesitates for just a moment before grunting.

"You must make a choice, Axel. You must marry one of the two women who have been all but courting you for months now. The rumors in both the Red Keep and King's Landing abound. It won't be long before they reach the rest of the Seven Kingdoms as well if they haven't already. You need a Queen. You need children of your loins. You need… to choose."

It's the last thing that Axel wants to hear. But perhaps that's why he needs to hear it. Grimacing, Axel hangs his head for a moment… before finally nodding.

"You're right Jon. I've been indecisive for long enough. The Lady Stark and Princess Martell have both made it clear that they want to be my Queen. All that's left is for me to pick one, but I've refused for fear of hurting the other. And yet… by doing so, I'm hurting them both in a way, aren't I? And I'm hurting the Realm too…"

Jon's hand comes down on Axel's shoulder, giving it a solemn squeeze.

"Well said, Axel. Well said. It seems you already know what you must do."

Axel nods, having to swallow the lump in his throat briefly before letting out a shuddering breath.

"… Yes. Call for a Small Council Meeting, first thing tomorrow morning. I will announce my decision there first and then go speak with both women afterwards."

His Hand inclines his head.

"Understood. We will not have full attendance, I imagine. Stannis is currently away at Storm's End continuing to get his house in order and Davos left for an inspection on Dragonstone just yesterday. But everyone else shall be there, I'll make sure of it."

Grunting, Axel just nods again.

"Very well. I shall see you then."

As Jon walks away, Axel watches him go for a moment before turning and striding in the opposite direction. He doesn't go to either of his prospective brides. He doesn't go to anyone, really. Instead, he seeks solitude.

Why? Because even though he just told Jon that he would pick a Queen on the morrow… he honestly still has no idea just who he's going to marry.

-x-X-x-

A/N: Poor Axel. Forced to make a choice. But who? Who will he choose? Maybe he'll finally realize he shouldn't have to make a choice!

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