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Being Aerys by Xersin
 Books » A song of Ice and Fire Rated: T, English, Drama & Humor, Aerys T., Rhaella T., OC, Words: 167k+, Favs: 1k+, Follows: 1k+, Published: Jun 14, 2017 Updated: Sep 1, 2017282Chapter 26: 26 - Our Claws Are Sharp
xXx
11th Month 261AC
His father had said that serving as a squire to Prince Aerys was an honour. What honour was there in serving a cripple who couldn't even fight, let alone hold a sword?
I wonder what I did to earn this fate from father. He thought to himself. I would have preferred to squire for him, or even uncle Reynard.
Right in front of him, in the training yard, Harry Wendwater faced off against Brandon Stark. Harry might as well have been an offering. His fellow squire was a poor swordsman who didn't even seem to hold any particular skill with the sword.
He was always over cautious, not willing to go into the attack. A poor tactic considering that most of the people that trained and practiced with them were far better swordsmen than him. Brandon Stark for one.
And it showed as he easily broke Harry's guard and send him sprawling to the floor within quick succession.
"So let me get this right. You have a father called Roger, an uncle called Reynard and your name is Ryam." Beside him, his own sparring partner, Benjen Stark rubbed at his beard. "Is there any particular reason for your family's fondness with that particular letter?"
Not too his knowledge there wasn't. Although he would admit that his family did have a curious appreciation for that particular letter. He had distant cousins named after his grandsire Robert. Others named after some other Reynes by the names of Rion, Robar, Rosalyn, Rose, Rosa, it just went on and on and on.
But he wasn't going to tell Benjen that. He didn't need to be mocked any more than he did. This lion still had his own pride.
"And how many Brandon's have been in the Starks then?" He asked, turning to face the older man.
Benjen blinked. "You know, that's a good question. Nobody actually knows. Us Starks can trace our ancestry all the way back to the Age of Heroes. That's thousands of years of history, little lion. There's bound to have been a few Brandons during that time. More than can be counted." He grinned a wolfish grin that was almost barbaric in it's manner. "And let's not forget the bastards as well."
Ryam shook his head. The northmen and their strange ways. For some reasons, they thought it well to keep their bastards close. Such impropriety would not be seen anywhere near Castamere or his lady aunt's castle of Tarbeck or within the very lands of the west itself.
At least they are not the Dornish. The less said about those particular savages the better.
A crash in the snow attracted his attention to the sparring ring once more. He wasn't surprised to find Harry on his arse again and picking himself up.
"That's enough for now." Brandon said, his boots making muffled sounds as he walked towards Harry. He held out a hand. "You are getting better. Slowly, but getting better."
Harry was all but beaming from the praise. "That's good. Better is better than nothing." He said as he accepted the hand, and in one simple motion, Brandon hurled him to his feet.
Ryam thought he saw Harry hang in the air for a moment. "By the rate you are improving though Harry, you would be married, have children, and they will still be better than you." Harry levelled a look in his direction and he smiled. "What? I only speak the truth. I've seen old women fight better than you."
"Pay him no attention, Harry." Brandon put a comforting hand on the squires shoulder. "Some learn quickly. Others learn slowly."
"And even if you don't improve, the practice and techniques you learn will still make you better than your average guardsman." Benjen continued causing Harry to smile at his prospects. "Well, until he gets proper training and experience that is."
And the smile dropped. Brandon sighed as he shook his head. "Brother, please think about the things you say."
Harry shrugged off Brandon's hand and made his way towards the weapons stand. "It's fine. I've never been good with a sword. I know that much." He said as he placed his practice sword and shield onto the stand.
"Have some faith in yourself." Ryam said in some annoyance. "If you have so little faith in yourself, you won't make any progress then. If you believe in something, then it will happen."
The Wendwater heir looked at him. Stupid blue eyes looking at him before he spoke. "...But I am hopeless with a sword though. Everyone in my family knows it. I know it. Ser Lionel knows it."
"Who's Ser Lionel?" He asked in confusion. He didn't think they had come across a Ser Lionel since they seemed to share just about anything when it came to their squiring duties. The same tutors, both academic and martial, or perhaps. "Have you been having extra lessons behind my back? I'm slightly impressed at by that. Well done."
"No." Harry said as he shook his head. "Ser Lionel is the captain of the guard and master of arms back home. He was the one father charged with my martial training."
"He mustn't be that good then. I would look for a new master at arms and captain of the guard."
Harry turned and raised up his head in anger. "He distinguished himself in the Stepstones. He saved father's life." He then calmed himself done and leaned against the stand, the fool nearly knocking it over. "I'm better with a bow anyway. I prefer that compared to a sword."
"A bow? Coward's weapon."
Behind him, he could hear the Stark twins chuckle. "Bows can be quite deadly in the right hands." Brandon told him.
"Not that deadly to a knight in full plate." Ryam responded as he turned to face the Starks. He crossed his arms. "The arrow would have just about as the same amount of value as an annoying fly. If the knight even notices it."
"Then I'll just shoot the horse then." Harry said as he looked rather pleased with himself. "I have seen enough tourney accidents to know that it's rare such things end well. Even more in the midst of battles if the knight happens to be in a charge. Think of all those horses, and their hooves thundering on the ground. And that poor knight in the midst of that, without a horse."
Ryam whinged at the image. That was not a honourable way to die on the battlefield. It had to be with blood on your blade, facing off against a worthy opponent.
"And not all knights are rich enough to possess full plate armour. Even that of the highest quality that you might be used to seeing around the castle or back home." Brandon said to him.
Harry snickered at something. "I suppose you should thank the Lannisters for that then."
Ryam's face darkened as a foul mood came over him. "I will thank no-one, especially those clawless cubs." As he took a single step forward in advance towards Harry. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a look pass between the Starks. That was what saved Harry from feeling his wrath at mentioning the cowardly lions that ruled the westerlands. If the gold lions couldn't possibly rein the westerlands, it had to fall to the red lions. It was only natural. "What is it?" He questioned the brothers.
Brandon shook his head. "Nothing. It's just..."
"Tywin Lannister is not as clawless or toothless as you think." Benjen Stark finished off for his brother. Yes, he had been in the presence of both brothers long enough to know that they did that occasionally, but it was very strange.
And just...strange.
Ryam waved him off. "Nothing but a boy. If he faces father, father would defeat him in the field of battle." His father was the deadliest man in the entirety of the westerlands. No-one stood a chance against the Red Lion of Castamere.
In fact, his family was filled with exceptional people that could bring the westerlands to greater and even better heights than the Lannisters could ever. His aunt was exceptionally beautiful, more than any other lady in the west and perhaps the realm except for the Targaryens who themselves were inhumane with their beauty.
If there was one thing that he would give Aerys Targaryen was that he was prettier than all the Reyne and Tarbeck women combined.
His uncle's wits and his silver tongue was known throughout the realm. If he tried, Ryam was sure his uncle could convince the Stranger himself to spare him of death.
Being at court, he had also come to learn of the news and events that were happening in the westerlands. Through gossip or through letters from his own family there.
He was well aware that things were close to a point of no return. Just recently, it had yet to spread through the court, but he was sure that some people would begin to know, he had come to learn that his aunt and Tywin Lannister had come to something of a stand-off.
Tywin Lannister had come to hold his uncle, the useless sot Walderan Tarbeck hostage and in return, in the sort of courage, bravery and thinking a lion would do, Aunt Ellyn had captured three Lannisters, include the brother of Tywin's betrothed.
His mother had been lacking in the particular details, mostly swamping the letter with requests of his welfare instead of the subjects that truly mattered. He truly loved his mother, but sometimes, she was far too soft for a lion.
"Eh, Ryam, Ser Tywin has also seen battle. Your father and Ser Tywin fought together." Harry unhelpfully pointed out.
He rounded on him, "I know that, Harry. It still won't matter. He's still nothing but a boy compared to father."
Brandon and Benjen laughed amongst themselves once more. "If Tywin Lannister is a boy at nineteen name days, then what are we at twenty?" Benjen asked as he calmed himself down from his laughter.
"Hopefully, it won't come to any sort of fighting." They turned their attention to the new arrival and saw Prince Aerys approach them along with his lady wife, Branda Stark. All of the assembled bowed at his and his wife's arrival. "I told you to stop doing this. You are my squires and family as well." The prince said in irritation at them bowing.
Yes, the prince did not like being bowed to, but he would be caught dead if he didn't follow social expectations. He represented House Reyne in the royal court, it would be utterly maddening to do something that would embarrass his family.
Princess Branda moved towards her kin, her eyes passing him and Harry. Her eyes seemed to linger on him for more than a moment though. He smirked. She's pretty enough in a wild way, I suppose. Maybe she's enchanted? The wife of the crown prince falling for his obvious charm would make a great story.
He could see it now, The Princess and the Squire. A great story indeed, but it probably won't end with him surviving that story.
For now, anyway. Crippled as he was, Aerys was still faster, stronger and more experienced. The fact that the crippled prince kept knocking him onto his arse whenever he bothered to enter the ring annoyed him.
It will change one day. That I vow. After all, all I have to do is finish growing.
Benjen seemed disbelieving of the prince's statement as he shook his head. "The pride of lions is well known. I have yet to learn of a single pride of lion that has more than two males. How can it not end in blows? If the westerlands is the pride, then the red and gold lions are the males vying for dominance."
"And the red is winning." Brandon added.
That caused him to smile widely with course we are, Our Claws Are Sharp.
"Careful now, best not to give our little lion any ideas." The prince mused as he noticed the smile that had been on his face. He quickly made sure it disappeared.
It was more difficult than he thought.
Princess Branda shook her head. "As pretty as these animal analogues are, remember we are dealing with men. Intelligent men. A war so soon after one had just ended would simply not be worth it."
There needn't should be war. All the Lannisters have to do is give up Casterly Rock. Perhaps father would give them Castamere in return.
He would miss those winding tunnels of Castamere, with the gold and silver veins glittering in the light, but he had once feasted his eyes upon the glory of Casterly Rock and he would admit, Castamere did not measure up.
"Ah, but there lies the problem, coz. Men. They tend to think actions are better than words." Brandon said to his sister, sighing in defeat as if conflict was inevitable.
Harry walked up to the prince. "Why hasn't the crown intervened then if war is not what they want in the westerlands?"
The prince looked down at his squire and shrugged. "Reasons and certainly not a subject that should be talked about in the presence of children. Come along now you two, I have armour that I will never wear that needs to be cleaned so thoroughly that I can use it to regularly admire the perfection that is me in it's reflection."
Harry and Ryam shared a look between each other before silently following their ser. It was always like this with the crown prince. He would leave them be for extended moments of time at the random, and then on others, he would make them do some of the most inane things for no point.
Such as this.
Once, he had sent them to go look for a 'breastplate stretcher' when no such thing existed, yet he was convinced such a thing did. Saying someone called Lancel had gone to look for one.
Whoever this Lancel was, he was an idiot.
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