randomosity | [For Hannibal] Alliance of Fire

Hannibal watched as she moved freely and easily. He smiled as he motioned to her chair. "Indeed you do. I dare say you look quite deadly with how gracefully you move My Lady. To be a proper huntress from the Dreadfort, we must bring back some game." He said. He picked up her plate to offer her breakfast to her.

Margaery smiled but inside she was a bit nervous. She'd never loosed an arrow before. Jeffrey had showed her how to handle a crossbow, but it had never felt quite right.

"I hope I'm able, I can't say as I've ever participated in a hunt before," Margaery admitted as she sheepishly took a plate. "Father never thought it proper for a lady."

She'd accompanied the men on hunts and had seen how they used the weapons, but she'd never wielded them.

Hannibal gave her a slight smirk as he watched her begin to eat as he settled into his seat and began to eat as well. "I will make you a proper Lady of the North and teach you hunting tricks the southern Lords have never heard of." He said with a bit of pride dancing in his eyes.

Once they had finished eating, he set his plate with scraps down for his pups to eat from. "Are you ready My Lady? I will assist you with your furs." He offered as he stood and moved to hold her fur cloak up. It was equally warm, but not quite as heavy as his own cloak.

Margaery smiled and began to eat. As always, it was delicious. If this would be thrilled status quo, Margaery could get used to this.

She followed his lead and set her scraps down for the pups. Moanna of course licked and nibbled at the scraps first, only letting her brothers at the plate when she was content.

"I'm ready, my Lord," she replied, straightening her dress. She moved to stand beside him and let him put her furs on. She was slowly getting used to wearing more clothes than she usually did in Highgarden. The furs felt luxurious and soft as her silks against her skin.

Hannibal armed himself with his sword and short knife on his belt as he put on his riding gloves. He had a hidden knife he placed in his left boot. He slid his riding gloves on before reaching to put his cloak on. Once he was finished, he offered his arm and gave a command for the pips to stay. There were two guards outside his chamber door that were left to keep the chambers secure while they were out.

He led her down to the open courtyard where five of his best wolves were waiting along with two horses. He had spotted his brother out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored the other for the moment.

Margaery bid good-bye to Moanna and the pups before taking Hannibal's arm and following him out. She had no weapons, but she didn't know how to use them anyway. She was content to let Hannibal teach her in his own way. Margaery smiled upon seeing the horses and wolves ready and waiting.

Ramsay, however, unsettled her. The way he looked at her as she walked out into the courtyard with Hannibal, there was nothing good about it. He approached them with a smirk on his face and his arms crossed before his chest.

"You can dress up a flower in furs and fine jewels, but that doesn't make it anything other than what it is," Ramsay sneered. "Lovely, frail, delicate...breakable."

Margaery pulled back her upper lip in disgust and stuck her nose in the air. "And changing a bastard's name doesn't make him anything other than a bastard."

Ramsay's eyes narrowed. Oh, he didn't like that. The glare melted into a smile at Hannibal. "Going hunting brother? Give me but a moment and I'll have my horse ready to join you!"

Hannibal's face darkened. He made certain he was between his brother and his future bride. The wolves were snarling and they shifted to stand around Margaery.

Hannibal gave his brother a hard look. "If you best me in a fair spar I will allow you to tag along. The Maester will judge the victor." He said.

One of his guards removed his cloak as he was given a blunt long sword. One was offered to Ramsay as well. The Bolton men did not use shields when sparring. Hannibal was taller and stronger than his brother. Hannibal's men disarmed him and moved to disarm Ramsay as well.

Ramsay smirked and let the guardsweet disarm him and remove his own cloak. He took the blunted sword but frowned at it. "Tch...such swords are not worthy of a Bolton sparring match. Come brother, we're not children, we should be using real blades."

He stepped back and held his arms out from his body, giving a smile that was likely meant to be innocent, but came off more unsettling than ever to Margaery. "Don't you trust me?"

Margaery stepped back and let the wolves step between her and Ramsay and Hannibal. She bit her lower lip and felt her stomach turning - she knew though, there was no way Hannibal would lose.

Roose stepped out when Ramsay said that. "I will not have you main each other with real blades. Hannibal has a wedding soon. Blunted blades with no shields are acceptable." He said cooly.

Hannibal gave a bow to his father before taking his fighting stance. It was both menacing and relaxed. He would wait for his brother to make the first attack. "You still have a blade on you that my men do not remove because of where you hide it. Why would I give you another sharp blade to fight dirty with?" He taunted.

A few of his guards moved to stand slightly in front of Margaery as well. In case that small blade went flying. There were also guards just around Margaery in general to keep her safe.

Margaery was almost startled when Roose Bolton approached. She bowed her head and inwardly thanked the gods. Then she looked back to the Bolton sons.

Ramsay frowned, but bowed to his father all the same. He smirked when Hannibal mentioned his hidden blade. "Ah, guilty as charged. But what Bolton man wouldn't have an ace up his sleeve?" Ramsay smirked.

He dragged his blade along the ground and brought it up to tap against Hannibal's blade. A taunt. Then he brought the blade up and smacked the side of his blade against Hannibal's before stepping back and putting space between them to allow him to react.

Hannibal tilted his head at that as a nod of agreement. He still had the blade in his left boot.

He allowed his blade to swing wide from the strike. He made no move closer, but did smirk. "I think my fair flower can strike harder." He said. Enraging his brother was best to cause him to charge.

Ramsay knew that Hannibal likely had a blade hidden. His goal was to jab his own blade into Hannibal's throat or heart before Hannibal had a chance to even draw.

He frowned when Hannibal mocked him. His lips pulled back in anger and disgust. "She can, I'm sure. But she likely lacks the head for battle and strategy."

He brought down a barrage of slashes and strikes on Hannibal's blade, moving to push him back and gain some ground.

Hannibal always expected his brother to try and kill him any time they sparred. Unfortunately for Ramsay, Hannibal knew where he hid his extra blade and would be watching for him to make that move.

Hannibal absorbed he blows and stood his ground firmly. A few of his counters landed across Ramsay's arms hard. Those hits would leave bruises on his brother, but not cause any more serious injury yet. He fully intended to break his brother's dominant hand. At his first opportunity he swung his blade hard and hit his target. There was a loud crunch when Ramsay's main fighting hand was broken in multiple places.

Hannibal would follow with multiple hard strike to his non dominant arm until there was another crunching sound. Hannibal strode forward and punched his brother hard enough to break his nose and send him toppling to the ground. He strode over and stopped on his chest to knock the wind out of him. Hannibal knelt down and pulled the hidden blade from Ramsay before towering over him as he held it in his hand. "Perhaps next time you will stick this in me brother." He said before handing he blade to one of his guards.

He collected his real sword and tossed the blunt blade to a young squire. He put his cloak back on and offered Margaey a hand to assist her up and into the saddle. "I do apologize for the slight delay My Lady." He said before swinging into his own saddle. He turned his horse and led her out towards the woods. The wolves followed as did four guards. There were wildlings in the woods to worry about.

Margaery gasped when Hannibal broke Ramsay's hand. The older brother howled in pain and dropped his sword. He stumbled back a few steps, his eyes alit with furious fire. Margaery never covered her eyes, never looked away, she watched throughout the whole thing. Her dark eyes widened each time Hannibal laid a blow, each time she heard that sickening crunch of Ramsay's bones breaking.

Ramsay was ruthless, but Hannibal was more skilled. He made an attempt to knock his brother to the ground that ultimately resulted in him being punched and dropping to the ground. Ramsay coughed up his own blood as Hannibal taunted him with his own blade. "Sooner than you think..." he muttered before Hannibal got too far - but too softly for anyone else to hear.

Margaery smiled when Hannibal emerged the Victor, and she again tilted her head to Roose Bolton. "You've chosen a good, strong husband for me, Lord Bolton. You honor me."

Then Hannibal approached and Margaery smiled. She took his hand and slid gracefully into her saddle. "No need. You did well, My Lord." She praised as she took the reins. If nothing else, Margaery was a skilled rider, so she wasn't completely hopeless on a hunt. She kicked her horse and followed after Hannibal, the Bolton banners before and behind them, carried by guards.

Roose Bolton gave her a nod in return before giving Hannibal a look of approval. He looked down at Ramsay in disgust. "That is why he is marrying the rose and you only have your whore."

Hannibal gave Margaery a brief nod as they rode off into the forest. He came to a stop only a few miles from the keep. They were still within sight of the stone walls when he dismounted and held his hands out to assist her out of the saddle. "You ride very well My Lady." He complemented as he set her on her feet in the packed snow.

"Have you ever been taught how to shoot an arrow My Lady?" He asked.

Roose's scolding only made Ramsay angrier. He growled in anger and got up to tend his wounds in the infirmary.

Margaery slowed her horse to a stop as Hannibal did. When he reached up she took his hands and slid from the saddle with equal grace. "My thanks, your grace. Highborn ladies can hardly not be good riders, now can they?"

She was amazed at how she hardly felt the cold of the snow through her thick boots and leggings. Then as snow vegan to flutter from the heavens upon them, Margaery looked up and smiled, the white snowflakes a sharp contrast to her dark hair.

"No, though I've observed my brothers being taught. And.....Joffrey taught me how to hold a crossbow but...he's hardly a credible source, I'd say," she replied. "I think I understand the core concept, at the very least."

Hannibal listened and chuckled at her words. "We don't use crossbows whilst hunting. That takes half the sport out of the hunt." He said.

He produced his longbow and pointed to a tree. "Watch carefully My Lady. Make certain you are balanced with your feet. Pull back on the bow slowly and steadily. Rest the string against your cheek. The most important rule, take a deep breath in and let go of the string as you breathe out." He said. He then demonstrated for her and struck the heart of the tree at about the height of a man's heart.

He then motioned for another guard to bring a slightly shorter bow, for her height, out and hand it to her. Hannibal stood behind her prepared to assist her with her stance if she requested it.

Margaery's eyes locked on his movements, watching every single movement he made. She jumped when he loosed the arrow and how accurate his aim was. Margaery smiled and stepped up as the guard offered the bow to her. She took it in hand and adjusted to the weight of it in her hands.

Then she stepped up and took an arrow. She looked where Hannibal had fired and took a deep breath before bringing up the bow and the arrow. As he instructed, she balanced with her feet and pulled back on the string, touching it to her cheek as the arrow flight touched against her cheek in turn. Her dark eyes locked on the portion of the tree just beneath Hannibal's arrow. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again.

Margaery re-aimed and focused her eyes before loosing the arrow - she hit just beneath Hannibal's arrow. She grinned from ear to ear, delighted at her results.

Hannibal watched as she took her stance. The bow seemed to be the perfect fit for her, he had not yet told her, but it was his mother's bow. He saw her take her aim and found himself impressed with her quick adjustment. He knew where the arrow would strike as soon as she loosed it smoothly. There was approval in his eyes as he looked at her. A smirk of pride threatening at the corners of his mouth.

"Are you certain you have never hunted before My Lady?" He asked as he handed her another arrow. "See if you can strike just above my arrow." He said. If she could be accurate two times in a row...then she was indeed a natural huntress.

Margaery beamed when she felt him look upon her in praise. She eagerly took the arrow from him and smiled up at him.

"That was the first arrow I've ever loosed, My Lord," she chuckled. "I take it I did well?"

Margaery adjusted her stance again. She brought the arrow up as she had before, bringing the bowstring and flight to her cheek. She focused just above Hannibal's arrow. Again she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, opened them again and loosed the arrow.

It landed not quite in line with the other two, but it was only off by about an inch. The arrow still hit the tree above the arrow that Hannibal had shot.

Hannibal watched silently as she took her second shot. He walked closer to her so that she could feel how close he was to her. "I should be cautious of how well I teach you. You are indeed a natural huntress My Lady. You might best me one day with enough training. I daresay my brother will be in quite a bit of danger now that you know how to shoot. He will never suspect you of being as accurate as you are." He praised her.

He gripped his own bow as he took an arrow and gave her another one. He gave a series of whistles and the wolves spread out to flush out some prey. "Now let us see who can kill the first rabbit. The wolves will drive them towards us." He said. He would give her the first opportunity to fire her arrow. He was very curious if she would be able to lead a quick rabbit well enough to kill it. The wolves were trained not to be too close to the creatures they were driving to their master. Sometimes the wind caught an arrow and caused it to drift.

Margaery smiled and tilted a brow at him. "I doubt your brother would attack me from far away - if he were to attack me, he'd try and get nice and close. More likely to poison me or put a knife in my belly."

Suddenly the details of the red wedding re-appeared in her mind. How Robb Stark's wife had been stabbed brutally, over and over again, with a baby in her belly. Margaery looked distressed for a moment, then took a deep breath and brought herself back to the present.

She nodded at Hannibal's challenge, and took the arrow in hand. Margaery notched it and waited. Deep down she didn't like the idea of killing a sweet, soft rabbit. Deep down she hoped her aim would fail and that the rabbit would prove too fast for her meager skills. When the wolves' barking got louder and closer, Margaery's body tensed. Suddenly a large rabbit bolted out of the brush. Margaery aimed, squeezed her eyes shut tight and loosed the arrow.

She almost got sick, hearing the sound of the rabbit cry out in pain as the arrow struck it in the side, straight through it's belly. Margaery didn't look at it, she kept her eyes averted.

Hannibal saw how her face changed for a moment. He could not tell if it was a concern of something happening in the future, or a dark memory from the past. He nearly called off the event when she got herself back under control. He prepared an arrow at the same time, but kept an eye on her.

It was a fair blow that would eventually kill the rabbit, but not exactly a clean kill. Hannibal loosed his arrow and finished off the rabbit quickly. He walked over to her slowly and tilted her chin up to look into his dark eyes. "Rabbits are not in danger of dying off entirely anytime soon My Lady. They are a hearty meal and once summer is gone they are crucial for survival." He said softly to her.

His voice lowered a bit more. "Is it the blood that bothers you? Or that it is a relatively peaceful animal My lady?" He asked softly so that his guards would not hear him. He gave a whistle for the wolves to eat the rabbit. The shot through the stomach spoiled the meat for people to eat, but the wolves would enjoy it just fine.

Margaery shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. She refuse to cry, she knew it was necessary to kill a rabbit to eat it - and heaven knew she enjoyed her fair share of rabbit in the south. Margaery looked up to him with regret in her eyes. She felt foolish, silly for getting so upset.

"The animal," she replied. "Blood, violence, it has never bothered me very much."

She used to watch her brother fight in duels, which often resulted in him getting a broken nose or being hit hard somewhere that resulted in him losing a great deal of blood. It had never bothered her.

Again she turned away as the wolves ate the rabbit. She didn't want to watch. "I'm sorry...I feel so foolish," she whispered, brushing the snowflakes from her hair. How was she to prove that she was a proper huntress by behaving like this?

Hannibal signalled his guards to create a perimeter. He whistled and the wolves moved away with what remained of the rabbit out of hearing and sight. It was now just the two of them. He did not think her weak for this, it was a difficult thing to kill something innocent. However, if she was to be a proper Bolton and then a Queen she would need to grow stronger.

He placed an arm across her shoulders as he turned her to face him. He tilted her chin up once again and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Not everything that appears innocent is My Lady. When it comes to animals such as that they are for the most part innocent. However, I have seen a few rabbits up here in the north that have attacked a full grown man. They bit him and he went mad. I know it is difficult to take a life. However, you must not be afraid to do so. You may never know when that innocent life is corrupted by something else and needs to be killed." He explained to her. "Those are decisions that every ruler must make." He said.

This had turned into a greater test than he had thought. She had not flinched, fainted, or cried out when he shattered multiple of his brothers' bones. She had strength within her. Likely she was not privy to matters of life and death very often. "Perhaps when we go to Highgarden you might ask your Grandmother of these things." He suggested. He knew Margaery was close to her Grandmother and respected her advice and council.

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