Chapter Text
For the first time since leaving Hottora, he was able to see a village hunkered down beneath a large, stone sept that sat atop a hill. He had never been here before, but this was undoubtedly Stoney Sept, a small town with sturdy walls and a protective, albeit small, holdfast watching over the place’s inhabitants. He was vaguely aware that the presence of the sept, as well as the general hospitality of its people, offered a good place to rest for the night for those come from the North and west of Westeros, presumably on their way to King’s Landing. The traffic was probably good for the town’s economy, whence the gates were held open, welcoming the promise of profit and tourism.
The only reason he was able to see this was because, instead of being crammed into a carriage with his mother, Tenya was free to ride a horse nearby. As always, his mother had insisted he join them, but their short stay at Castle Kasai Kori had apparently done wonders for his adulthood. Lord Todoroki, with a savage grin on his face, had slapped a hand on Tenya’s shoulder and countered that no self-respecting man rode in a carriage during travels; in the large man’s words, only “women, children, eunuchs, and cripples” rode in carriages. It wasn’t often that people disagreed before Chiaki Iida’s face, but the woman had been brutally ignored by Lord Todoroki, who had brought out his best palomino and practically ordered Tenya to sit atop the stallion’s back. It was freeing and he finally felt more like his older brothers who were allowed to ride on the horses with their father.
The older boys had raised their noses at the younger ones, seemingly deciding that they would rather hang out with men. Tenshi and Natsuo had seemingly been relieved to leave their younger brothers behind and hang out with someone their own age, falling back with the adults to join in “conversation that didn’t befit green boys”. Although Neito had tried to protest that they were, in fact, adults, Lord Todoroki had bellowed out a laugh, telling him you weren’t a man until you’d seen a woman’s body, before slapping the boy’s horse’s rear and sending him galloping ahead. Cautious about being jetted ahead by him, Tenya and Shoto had patted their horses and cantered after the blonde boy, who had just about managed to calm to surprised mare down.
After that, Neito had proceeded to boast about the beauty of his wife, Momo of House Yaoyorozu. The way he spoke of her so openly, like so trophy to be passed around, irked Tenya, but he didn’t have the confidence to stand up to the other boy and Shoto Todoroki watched on with lips pressed together. Tenya didn’t know Neito that much, but he was aware that Houses Todoroki and Yaoyorozu were friendly, which in turn meant House Monoma was brought into that circle. On top of that, with the union between Houses Iida and Todoroki, it meant that House Monoma was a distant friend to House Iida, too, so he decided to keep the peace on their travels and not question Neito’s clear lack of respect towards his own wife. His stories about marrying Momo and how he would bed her soon were thankfully being ended now that they had arrived at Stoney Sept, where they would take rest for the day.
With a clopping of hooves on a cobblestone pathway that gradually appeared from the dusty road, Tenya was the first to pass through the archway leading into the town. They were immediately met by a busy market square with a busy throng of people pausing by stalls to make delicate purchases. In the centre was a brilliant fountain with a huge stone trout rising from its waters, standing at the height of three grown men standing on each other’s shoulders. Water gurgled from its mouth; its body was covered in a thin layer of green where moss had accumulated unchecked over the years. Copper coins shimmered underneath the water, flipped in under the belief that luck would be granted for the smallest of payments despite being unrelated to the Seven. Residential houses were crouched together and a man playing a woodharp would nod his head to any tourist who dropped a coin in a hat he had laid on the floor behind him.
Their horses and carriages arriving were quite the spectacle. Wide eyes turned towards them in fascination, so Tenya sat higher atop his horse to make House Iida all the more impressive to public eyes. Keeping his shoulders straight, he felt like a good representation of House Iida, oblivious to how young he looked sat atop a great horse. However, as soon as Lord Todoroki entered beneath the archway with Tenya’s father beside him, a hush fell over the people. Indeed, the sight of Lord Todoroki was incredibly imposing, with his large stance and piercing turquoise eyes, and flowing red beard. Tenya couldn’t help but admire him alongside the rest of Stoney Sept.
“You, Sir,” Lord Todoroki stopped by the harp player. The man looked up with wide eyes, almost fearful to have such a large, black horse standing nearby him. “How long are you in Stoney Sept?”
“I reside here, m’lord,” the harpist replied. “It’s just a humble-”
“Excellent,” Lord Todoroki boomed with another wide grin. “There are many of us and we shall be celebrating at the Flying Fish. You shall play for us tonight, for we are almost upon King’s Landing and we will need drinking and feasting tonight.”
“Yes, m’lord,” the harpist bowed low. “Thank you, m’lord.”
“It has been a while since I have stayed at Stoney Sept,” the great lord said. “Remind me where I can find the Flying Fish.”
“Further along this road, m’lord,” the harpist said. “Just towards the holdfast.”
“A good man, this one,” Lord Todoroki listlessly flipped a silver moon into the harpist’s hat, ignoring how the man’s eyes bugged out. “There shall be a lot more where that came from, I assure you, my friend. Tell me your name.”
“Tranis Moreland, m’lord,” the man stared into his hat.
“Good man,” Lord Todoroki prepared his reigns to leave. “I expect you at the Flying Fish when the sun sets. If you do not appear, I shall have to retrieve that moon personally.”
“No funny business from me, m’lord,” humble Tranis replied, but Lord Todoroki was already moving on.
Tenya nudged his horse’s flank, idly moving forward along the narrow, cobbled road, the stones paved in circular rings, like water drops hitting a pond on a terribly rainy day. He was already hungry, so he hoped Lord Todoroki wouldn’t make them wait until supper for their next meal. They followed Tranis’ instructions, pulling to a gradual stop outside the Flying Fish, an inn that looked far more suitable for children in comparison to the gloomier looking Peach. It was only once they were right outside that Lord Todoroki stopped with a frown twisting his features. He turned his head, fiery mane bright underneath the midday winter sun.
“Pranar!” he bellowed, voice filling the streets.
A young man sat atop a brilliant speckled grey horse trotted up to the front. Tenya recognised him as Lord Todoroki’s right-hand man, a commander who worked closely with the lord on political and economic affairs. He was reliable and on the ball, as well as being fiercely loyal to House Todoroki.
“Yes, my lord?”
“Halt the carriages before they proceed further,” the lord instructed. “There’s little to no space for them here, so we’ll have to have them camp outside of Stoney Sept. Have all occupants get out and arrange for a group to guard them overnight.”
“Yes, my lord,” Pranar pulled on the reigns and turned around, bringing his horse further back down the path.
“And Pranar, fetch me Drevyn!”
Drevyn was a squire who worked closely with Lord Todoroki. He was the young son of a hedge knight who had wanted to amass some prestigious names and titles behind his family. He was small, with sandy coloured hair and a spattering of freckles covering his entire face. His rushed demeanour gave Tenya the impression that a lack of punctuality would have him in great trouble with Lord Todoroki. That was understandable; you couldn’t afford to waste a lord’s time.
“Go book our rooms in the Flying Fish for us, boy,” Lord Todoroki instructed. “We will need thirteen, as our guardsmen will be camping outside of town.”
The boy nodded, scurrying inside the Flying Fish. Lord Todoroki motioned for his entourage to follow, the clopping of hooves moving past the inn to find a stable attached. The man standing present arched his eyebrows at the number of horses but promised to have them all penned in after the promise of coin. Tenya felt a relief that he could finally dismount his horse, to stretch his legs and move his arms properly after what had felt like forever. Hours of horseback each day had been wearing them all down, with the only consolation being that they would have proper beds tonight. His back needed it. Keeping a firm hold of his palomino’s reigns, Tenya helped the stableman guide him in to be rested after being on the move for a long time. Due to the large number of horses they had, it was decided by Lord Todoroki and Tenya’s own father that they would use stable space at the Peach, too, and any spare horses would have to be lashed to trees outside of town, nearby the carriages.
Tenya hovered to one side of the cobbled road, joined by Shoto and Neito, neither of whom seemed capable of keeping up conversation with one another. At first, Tenya had believed they were both shy, since Shoto hardly spoke a word, but Neito was perfectly capable of speaking for lengthy amounts of time. It was only recently that Tenya had realised they didn’t like each other, especially as Shoto was always cordial towards Tenya when the two boys spoke. Because of this inherit dislike, Tenya found himself wedged in the middle of them, a buffer to prevent any bickering whilst they had free time. The idleness had allowed the women and younger children to catch up, but it was Momo Yaoyorozu who approached them to stand beside her husband.
Rumours hadn’t been lying that she was the Greatest Beauty of Westeros. With long ink-black hair that fell ran smoothly down her back like a sheet of water and a full figure hourglass figure at the age of five and ten, she really was desirable. Even though her catlike eyes were dark, there was a lot of curiosity, emotion and thought behind them, and her porcelain skin looked delicate and smooth to the touch. She wasn’t stunted, but tall and majestic, stand a good half a foot over the average woman. Despite having the height of a man, this didn’t make her off-putting in the slightest. She was unearthly, a woman so far beyond the Westerosi women, and probably just as beautiful and foreign if she were to travel to Yi Ti, the homeland of her mother. He didn’t want to stare too long at another man’s wife, no matter how beautiful she was, so Tenya drew his eyes away.
“Me Lord Todoroki,” Drevyn the squire came rushing out of the Flying Fish, cheeks reddened and worry glittering in his eyes. He was trying his best to sound like a nobleman, but the twitches and tilts in his word implied he would never be highborn. “Me lord, there’s a problem in the Flyin’ Fish. They got the thirteen rooms on ‘em that you wanted, but each room only ‘as one bed. Big beds, me lord, but not enough for more than two grown men. Ah asked for more, but the lady said they ‘ad no more than thirteen.”
“You inspected these rooms?” Lord Todoroki worked his jaw, frustrated.
“Ah did, me lord,” squire Drevyn replied, lowering his head. “An’ tha’s all they ‘ad. Two adults with two kids could fit in a room, but nothin’ more.”
“One-bed rooms, hm?” the large man didn’t look impressed. “I shall have to discuss with Lord Iida, but in the meantime we should all eat. Drevyn, arrange lunch with innkeeper and inform him that we shall be feasting at dusk later.”
“Yes, me lord,” Drevyn hurried off once more, the oak door shutting behind him.
“A shortage of rooms?” Lady Momo looked distressed. “I suppose I could share with some of the younger girls if we’re having problems.”
“Nonsense, Momo,” Neito shook his head. “You and I will have a room, just like every other husband and wife.”
Tenya noticed the girl didn’t respond to that, but it wasn’t his place to intervene or ask questions. His stomach was empty and he only cared about eating in his current mood, and he doubted Neito would appreciate him making remarks on their marriage. He didn’t have to wait long, because the innkeeper’s wife, a kind round lady called Nyla Cherman, had rushed outside to tell them that they had food and drink ready for a pleasant lunch, given the short amount of preparation time. She also promptly apologised for the shortage in rooms, before guiding in the hoard of hungry men, women and children. Once more, Tenya was seated with the younger men. He was starving, but he was sure the real feasting wouldn’t begin until dark.
It was a squat building with wooden fish carved and hammered to the walls above doorways. Wooden floorboards creaked underfoot and were covered in a myriad of dark stains, the faint of smell of wine and beer lingering in the air. Although small, the windows let in a vast amount of daylight, but torches on the walls would be lit for when the dark crept in. There was a comfortable, homey smell about the Flying Fish, like warm bread and sweet honey; in fact, there was a lack of fishiness about it that puzzled Tenya. He supposed the name was only related to the fountain that was the centrepiece of Stoney Sept. Many round, rectangular and square tables were scattered around and a tall bar was set to one side of the room, blocking access to the kitchen. Little had been done for additional décor, but Tenya supposed it wasn’t the aesthetics of the Flying Fish that earned the place money.
They filled the entirety of the inn’s dining area, with men having to stand up and outside the inn, and others heading down to the Peach for different kinds of food. The Flying Fish was able to provide them with fresh cuts of warmed rye bread, the faint taste of ash where the loaves had been briefly held over a fire to warm them up once more. As they were paying well, and Lord Todoroki’s favour went a long way, there were big lumps of churned butter, an iron knife provided to spread it in thick slabs across their bread. Boiled potatoes and carrots had been cut up and prepared to put on the bread, with some cuts of salted pork that the men happily indulged in. For those with a sweeter tooth, a bowl of jam had been laid down, perfect with lashings of butter, which would also serve to make a nice treat with the pork. Since he was so hungry, Tenya couldn’t help but grab as much as he could compete for, tearing bread with his teeth and taking cuts from the platters dotted across the table. He wasn’t normally so invested in food and, even though this was a plain meal, it was very welcomed and in his hunger it felt like ambrosia. He chugged mead to sate his thirst, and was even partial to two or more tankards of ale. The small room was suddenly filled with bustling activity, the highest spirits Tenya had seen for a long time.
“Remarkable,” Neito said. “I had heard Iidas were quick, but I hadn’t imagined that referenced eating.”
Tenya swallowed a hunk of bread he’d been chewing. “Iidas are quick?”
“Well, there’s so many of you that you must fuck like rabbits,” Neito snorted. “I’m sure only a speedy pursuit would produce that number of children.”
He didn’t want to let the blonde boy’s remark knock him, but the remark had left a sour taste in his mouth. It was true that there were a lot of House Iida; his own father was one of six, he was one of five, and his father now had eight grandchildren without Tenya or Tenshi having had kids yet, nor his eldest songs to stop having kids.
“And I suppose your mother took one look at your father and prayed to have a son, so that she would only have to open her legs once,” Shoto scowled. “Luckily, the Seven were benevolent.”
A slight hint of colour rose to Neito’s cheeks. “You can’t beat perfection. That’s why my parents don’t have any additional children. My parents are quite careful with their children, you see. Never have I had a near death experience nor boiling water thrown across my-”
Shoto was so quick that Tenya couldn’t stop him. Perhaps he wasn’t used to drinking ale or mead, because he grabbed Neito’s colour and slammed his forehead to the blonde’s nose. There was a strangled cry as Tenya stared, wide-eyed, as blood shot from Neito’s nose, dribbling past his fingers as he leapt away from the table and out of Shoto’s grasp. Only then could Tenya react, dropping his bread and holding an arm in front of Shoto to stop him pursuing.
“So you can insult my mother but I can’t insult yours?” Neito practically shrieked. “And yet I’m sure everyone here would agree that there’s some truth behind the title ‘Mad Lady Todoroki’.”
“Don’t say a fucking word about-”
“Shoto!”
The voice bellowed across the ruckus, sending silence across the hall. Tenya turned to see Lord Todoroki had risen from his seat, his face flushed almost the same colour as his beard and his piercing blue eyes flashing with rage. Even from across the room Tenya felt his intimidating presence. The urge to shrink back was tempting, but it wasn’t him who was beneath Lord Todoroki’s spotlight. It was Shoto, who stood rooted to the spot with a dark expression on his face. Apart from the rough, red scar tissue on one side of his face, his porcelain skin was almost white, save the underlining faint blush that had begun to spread as his hands trembled with rage.
Tenya didn’t know much about House Todoroki’s closest secrets, but Lady Todoroki wasn’t present and he hadn’t seen her in the few days they had stayed at Kasai Kori. There were plenty of rumours to go around, all based on the fact that she had attacked her own son, the scar on Shoto’s face blatant evidence of that. Tenya’s mother always shook her head whenever he tried to bring up Lady Todoroki. She would always say something like, “It’s best not to talk about that woman, Tenya,” with the smallest shakes of her head, and he had once overheard her worrying whether Fuyumi had fallen far from the tree before her marriage to Tensei. Of course, she was delighted with Fuyumi, but Lady Todoroki remained a subject that Chiaki Iida wasn’t interested in talking about.
When he approached Tensei about Lady Todoroki, his older brother had crouched down and explained that Lady Todoroki was incredibly ill. No rational mother would ever harm their child, he reasoned. He also added that Tenya ought to keep his distance, and both he and Fuyumi had agreed that Tenkai ought to be a little older before he was allowed near his grandmother.
There was obviously more to it than the family would let on. Despite her having attacked him, Shoto was unusually protective over her. Whilst that could be due to having familial pride, Tenya couldn’t help but feel attacking someone over it was necessary unless there were things he didn’t know. The smug expression on Neito’s face didn’t seem to make anything better.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Lord Todoroki boomed, his presence fiery and his large form frightening.
“The bastard insulted moth-”
“Do not speak of young Lord Neito in such a manner,” Lord Todoroki thundered. “He is a guest under our roof and it would be very disgraceful of us to treat him with disrespect. I will have no son of mine insulting other noble families.”
“Does it kill you to defend your wife?” Shoto scowled. “The woman you married? He called her insane.”
“This is not,” Enji Todoroki growled, slamming his tankard on the wooden table, “a topic for public discussion. Regardless of what he said, gentlemen do now through fisticuffs over dinner. Save the bar brawls for peasants.”
“I would rather defend my mother than be your son,” Shoto spat and stalked out of the room.
There was a momentary hush as the door slammed shut behind him, shaking on its hinges. A low murmur spread across the hall. Around him, Tenya could see the pale face of Lady Momo, anguish in her dark eyes. Her posture was alert, ready to spring up from the table and rush after Shoto. Beside her, Neito was the opposite. Whatever anger he had taken from his family being insulted had washed away. His mouth was twisted into a contented smirk, and his silvery-blue eyes gleamed with victory.
“Silence!” Lord Todoroki slammed a fist on his table and lowered himself down once more. “Let the boy sulk. We’re here to enjoy our night, so continue.”
Tension swiftly leaked out of the room as drinks were lifted once more and friendly chatter drifted across the hall. The only part that remained soured was their little segment of the table, with Shoto’s empty seat beside Tenya. Momo only stared into her lap. Tenya felt bad because Shoto been punished after standing up for him.
“That was unkind of you, Neito,” Tenya pressed his lips together. “It’s unsavoury when a Lord’s son goes around insulting other noble Houses.”
“Relax,” Neito waved a dismissive hand. “Everyone makes jokes at Lady Todoroki’s expense. Shoto just had a sense of humour failure.”
“I was referring to my family,” Tenya said.
“It was a bit of mild humour, Tenya,” Neito stood up. “There’s no bad blood between the two of us, I assure you. Come, Momo, we’re going for a stroll.”
“I’m not sure I-”
“I need to walk off this alcohol, and what better way to do so than taking a stroll with my beautiful wife,” he held out his hand pointedly towards her and she took it, rising to her feet. “Have a good evening, Tenya.”
A little sour, he watched them walk away. He didn’t like how Neito had brushed him off, but there wasn’t much he could do. There was no point in taking the slight to heart. Neito was a difficult character, and he definitely wasn’t the kindest Lordling to walk Westeros, but he was more bark than bite. Put off from his meal, Tenya quietly rose and slipped outside. There was a sharp wind and black skies above, a brittle breeze that sent juddering shivers tingling along his spine. He could see the receding figures of Neito and Momo and immediately headed in the opposite direction, towards the stone sept at the top of the hill and away from the magnificent fountain.
He found himself trotting uphill towards the hunched down holdfast, grey stone still standing strong. With its raised height halfway up the hill, it was the perfect lookout tower, peering around Stoney Sept for enemies that hadn’t marched for centuries. It was cast in deep shadows, the door flung open wide. Although it wasn’t in use anymore, the townspeople kept it upright and going, just in case if need for it arose in the future. Tenya tentatively stepped inside and raised his head up, looking at an open trap door on the ceiling. A spiral staircase of uneven stone steps led up to top, a trail he followed until he could poke his head up into the cold once more.
There was someone already up there, although with the open doors he shouldn’t have been surprised. Shoto was leaning on the battlement, overlooking the city with a vacant expression on his face. The earlier anger and furious flush were gone from his face, replaced by a cold stoicism that Tenya struggled to read. He climbed noisily onto the top, sharing the overhead view with the other boy. They were around the same age, so it saddened Tenya to think they hadn’t had much opportunity to talk whilst their families grew close.
“Shoto…”
“That was a scene back there,” he remarked, leaning forward between two merlons. “Have you come to relay a message from my father?”
“Not at all, I saw the open door and…” he considered his words. “To be frank, I wasn’t actually looking for you, but now that we’re both here, I’d like to thank you.”
Shoto glanced at him, cold eyes of mismatched colours seemingly disinterested.
“You stood up for me back there, and I said nothing for you in return,” Tenya wandered over to look down at the town.
“Why would you?” the other boy said. “You’ve been doting on my father like a lost puppy the moment you laid eyes on him. Why would you feel the need to stand up against him in order to defend me?”
Tenya shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. “I wouldn’t say I dote on him.”
“It’s fine,” Shoto said coolly. “Many people are swept away by my father.”
Some part of Tenya felt as though he should leave. This didn’t feel like a particularly friendly conversation and he didn’t want to overstep. Although calm now, it was evident that Shoto was capable of having quite the temper.
“Just to clarify, my mother isn’t insane,” Shoto pursed his lips together at Tenya’s silence. “I go and visit her from time to time, and she is kind, gentle, and regretful of having caused harm to me, but that man was the one who drove her to do it.”
Once more, Tenya kept his mouth shut. His quiet was prompting Shoto to keep talking, ranting to the stars and the only other person willing to stand there and listen to him.
“For years, he was cruel to our family,” Shoto complained. “Trying to push all of us to be more than human, and I can tell you know that my father has mentioned a Todoroki king before King Toshinori even sent out letters requesting an heir. My old man has been expecting the king to drop dead and to sidle into his place, and our family has suffered because of his ambitions.” He touched the scar on his face absently. “And after Toya died, things only became worse. Mother couldn’t keep a straight face in public and father wanted us to be the picture of nobility; unmoved and ‘strong’ enough to continue despite the loss of our family. It drove my mother to the end of her wits, and that’s the only reason why she lashed out. It’s not because she’s mad, or crazy, it was because my father, the very man that people skulk around and insist on admiring, and made our entire family feel inhuman.”
He shot a wild glance towards Tenya, as if surprised he was still stood there. Tenya froze on the spot, keeping his jaw straight and his eyes focused.
“He knows how hard he was to her,” Shoto continued. “And now he keeps her locked away from the rest of society, letting her take the fall for his terrible behaviour. He stopped caring about Toya and Natsuo after I was born, because he believed I was special under the eyes of the Father. A noble son born with different eyes, taking the blood of South from my father and the ancient blood of my mother’s Northern ancestry. An heir to unite all of Westeros, including the land beyond the wall. That’s a lot to put on a young boy, and my mother tried to defend me from all these godly expectations my father tried to press upon me. Do you still admire him, Tenya Iida?”
Tenya could only shift uncomfortably under Shoto’s impenetrable gaze. “I hadn’t realised.”
“Of course not,” Shoto scowled. “The only people who see through my father are the ones who live beneath his roof, but as long as he is Lord of Kasai Kori, and one of the most powerful men in Westeros, you would be a fool to speak out against him. And now you know, I suppose. Will you stand up to my father?”
“Would anyone believe me?” Tenya dared to stand beside him.
The faintest of smiles briefly touched Shoto’s mouth. “No, they wouldn’t. And even if they did, what sane person would push his voice against Lord Todoroki?”
“There’s not a lot of talk of Lady Todoroki in my house,” Tenya admitted. “I suppose I stayed silent because I didn’t know better.”
“You’re not the one I should be directing my anger at,” Shoto shook his head. “That Neito… I could punch him.”
“You nearly did,” Tenya said encouragingly.
Shoto glanced at him, wide-eyed, before a small breathless laugh escaped. “I nearly did.”
“Ignore Neito,” said Tenya. “He’s arrogant and repulsive, and I can bet he would lose in a sword-fight to Tenkai.”
Shoto wrinkled his nose at that. “I agree. It’s weird. We’re uncles.”
“You think that’s weird?” Tenya snorted. “I have a niece who is five name days younger than me.”
“You have a lot of nieces, don’t you?” Shoto asked, simply curious.
“I guess I do,” Tenya smiled. “As Neito puts it, us Iidas must fuck like rabbits.”
It was nice to say that Tenya had made a friend his own age, who wasn’t a brother. The two boys chose to stay up on the holdfast for the rest of the night, sometimes dipping down to the Peach, a less reputable tavern, for a tankard of ale to bring up with them. It was only far later in the night that Drevyn, red-faced and anxious, found them and reported that they would have to share a room at the Peach due to a lack of space at the Flying Fish. At that point, both boys were too merry to care. Shoto even joked to Drevyn that he would pick a whore and father a bastard just to spite his father. The squire had scurried off, panicked, and after a long night of drinking, Tenya crashed out onto one of the scratchy beds the Peach had on offer, falling asleep almost instantly.