Harry Potter: Beyond the Parselveil (Multiverse)

Chapter 245: The Deserter

| A week later |

Aaric woke up early in the morning when he sensed a slight commotion happening in Winterfell castle.

He took a breath and felt the naked bodies of Luna and Daphne clinging to him on both sides while Fleur lay on top of him, her head resting on his chest.

He thought about how to get himself out without waking up the girls and gave up a few seconds later. He just enjoyed their warmth and caressed Daphne and Luna’s bare backs.

It took a few more moments, but the girls woke up themselves, having sensed something outside as well.

Fleur adjusted herself and planted a good morning kiss on his lips. "Let’s go check what’s going on outside." She said in a rasp against his lips.

"I have an idea of what’s going on. And I think it’d be better if you three stay here." Aaric whispered softly.

He could have known what was going on outside in an instant if he wanted to, but he had just used his senses to figure out the word ’deserter’, which had clued him in on what was happening.

’Wasn’t it supposed to happen before Ned had even left for King’s Landing?’ Aaric thought as the girls untangled themselves from him and allowed him to get up and get dressed.

’Canon timeline was fucked a thousand years before I arrived here anyway.’ He concluded in his mind and gave the girls one last look and a smile before leaving.

He caught up to Ned’s party, which was leaving for a hillside outside Winterfell where the deserter would be presented to Ned.

"My prince." Ra got down from his horse and bowed to Aaric when he saw the boy approaching on foot.

"Good morning." Aaric nodded at the custodian and greeted.

He gave the group a once-over to find the Lord of Winterfell and his young children, even Bran present in the group.

"My Lord." Ned greeted Aaric with a bow from his position still atop the horse, which prompted everyone else to greet him with a bow as well.

Aaric nodded and said his good mornings to everyone around him as he joined the group.

When they reached the hill and the deserter was dragged toward them, Aaric could hear him say the same thing again and again.

"I saw the darkness. I saw the dead. I am but a speck, we are but dust." The deserter chanted as he was made to stand in front of Ned Stark.

A long moment of silence passed before the deserter spoke again. "I know I broke my oath. I know I am a deserter. But people should know how they will die." The trembling man spoke.

Ned Stark nodded to the man behind him, thinking the deserter had just gone mad as he was made to lean upon a curved tree stump.

Though, the young man showed not even a slightest of resistance while being positioned for his execution.

"It had white horns. Cold blue eyes and a sword of ice. Its sword will cut us all down. Everyone will die from a sword of ice wielded by death." The deserter announced to everyone.

Ned had taken out his sword by then, but the words of the man kneeling in front of him gave him pause. He had seen enough in the past few days to think there may be a chance those words were not the ramblings of a man gone mad.

The Lord of Winterfell looked back and his eyes met Aaric’s. The boy gave him a subtle nod, indicating the man’s words had some truth to them.

They did not say anything out loud so as not to cause a commotion.

"Why am I alive?" The deserter looked up at Ned when a long moment had passed and the Lord of Winterfell had still not swung his sword.

"I will not carry out your sentence today, young man. I will lend you my ear and hear what you have to say." Ned nodded at the man kneeling in front of him, but did not get the response he expected.

"I have said all I wanted to. Kill me now. I will not live in a world that has those things. Kill me and burn my body. Kill me and tell my family to hang themselves. Kill me and tell my family I love them." The man screeched.

Ned stood stunned. The deserter thought he would not be swinging his blade, so the young man adjusted himself and brought his face up before slamming it down onto the wooden trunk in front of him.

Blood sprayed, but the young man was not done, for he was still alive. So, he raised his head again to slam it down again, when the guards around him restrained him.

"Please. Grant me this mercy. Kill me." The deserter pleaded and thrashed around.

Ned sighed. Killing the man in front of him was a mercy at this point. So, he held his greatsword solemnly in front of him before he started speaking.

"In the name of Robert of the House..." Ned started speaking, and the deserter stopped thrashing around when he understood what was coming.

The young man got back in position again and even showed his neck to the lord, as if showing where to cut. This caused the guards to let him go and get back to their positions.

"Don’t look away. Father will know if you do." Jon whispered to Bran from behind, though the slight tremble in his voice betrayed how shaken he himself was.

"... and Warden of the North. Sentence you to die." Ned completed the sentencing by raising his Valyrian steel sword and bringing it down in one, merciful motion.

Bran did not look away, not even when the severed head of the young man rolled down the hill and stopped in an upright position, its smiling face in the direction of the boy himself.