My armour had been dented thanks to the blunt lance it took… however, with my winnings, it was hardly a loss. The real loss was the wound I had taken, which stopped me from doing most intense physical activities. The maester highly recommended that I stayed away from my regular training for at least a week.
It was a pain in the ass… but what could you do?
Real warriors get wounded all the time.
I stopped my training for a bit, focusing on the less physical part of Cortnay Penrose's program. I developed a strange interest in House Stark, delving into their far less honourable past as I read every book about them I could find. From the records, I found out that the Starks were once cunning as wolves. They were more like the Boltons of the present… minus the flaying.
Me personally on House Stark? I kinda didn't like the Starks in the show, they were too good. I know, I know… how can someone be too good? But like, I found them kind of mid most of the time. Sansa was a crybaby and then suddenly became a whole different character, Jon Snow was cool until he hit his head against a rock thanks to the shit writing, Arya Stark was pretty fun and then she wasn't, Eddard Stark was aight and Robb Stark… no cap, he was the Stark goat for me. Imagine being so fucking good you make Tywin Lannister catch L after L after L. The only way he could win against him was some shady tactic like the red wedding.
Overall, the books did those who I didn't like more justice (especially Sansa)… but they were never finished, were they?
Even if they were, I'd never get to read them.
But hey, I got to write my own history.
Regarding that, no matter what, I needed to stop the War of the Five Kings from ending up how it did. The Seven Kingdoms had to stand united for the Long Night… and that meant I had to influence events. However, it was easier said than done.
I didn't even know where to start.
Even if the Seven Kingdoms were somehow united long enough, wouldn't Daenerys just fuck it all up with her dragons until she got what she wanted?
'… Man, how is a humble aspiring knight like me supposed to save the world?'
I wondered, dunking my head into my bed.
'One step at a time… take it one step at a time.'
~
"Edric, I was looking all over for you." Alysanne smiled slightly as she bumped into me in the castle interior. "Don't you remember my promise?"
"Ah… is it about the banner?" Although my face didn't show it, I was hyped. Banners were fucking cool and I definitely wanted one.
"Mhm… of course, I was ready to start from the moment you won but it wouldn't have been right without your input. It would be your banner, after all. It has to represent you."
"I'm full of ideas… I think." I chuckled, scratching my hair. "Let's start now."
…
"I want it to represent my heritage… so… have one half with a golden stag on a black field facing a black dragon on a red field."
"You want House Baratheon's and House Targaryen's banners reversed?" Alysanne shook her head. "Not only would your father rip it to shreds, but you barely have Targaryen blood. You're more Florent and Estermont than Targaryen."
"Turtles and foxes are hardly as intimidating as dragons." I replied, shrugging my shoulders.
"Turtles are rigid and foxes are cunning. Each animal has its own perks or else they would all die out to the strongest."
'That's… valid.' I thought, stroking my chin. "Why not have all four on one banner?"
"You're a bully." Alysanne remarked, pouting slightly. "Do you realise that this imaginary banner has to be made by hand?"
"Yes, yes…" I nodded, tilting my head as I smiled. "I trust in your skills to make my banner perfectly, Alysanne."
"... It's going to take quite a while but a promise is a promise."
"I love you." I said with a clear sarcastic tone.
"I love you too." She chuckled, replying with the same energy.
~
I rode out into the local village of Storm's End in the middle of the day, following the instructions written in the letter the throwing champion had written. He gave me some shady vibes so I pulled over with all my equipment like I was ready for war. At first glance, he was nowhere to be found.
I looked around, realising that I was getting a little popular. My appearance alone drew quite the attention. Though, after some gossiping, everyone went on with their day. Meanwhile, I kept riding around. Then… I found him, on top of a hill. There was a strong stench in the area, though it was hardly something that one sweaty man could accomplish. What the hell was it something from?
The one-eyed pirate-looking man was leaning against the sole tree which stood at the very peak of the hill. I dismounted, slowly walking up. He seemed to be sleeping like a whole baby…
"Oi." I finally spoke, frowning slightly. "Wake up."
"What made you think that I was asleep?" His eye slowly opened, looking up at me. "Ah, you came alone… quite brave. Or stupid?"
"What would you have to gain from plotting against me? I don't have anything valuable." I replied, raising an eyebrow.
"How much would a prodigy like you be worth?" He drew a dagger, placing the tip against his sharp teeth. "To your rich family… to slavers? At such a young age, you are already the size of a man. I can imagine you'd fetch quite a handsome price."
"So, what? You going to try kidnap me-"
Whoosh.
I had tilted my head instinctively, glancing back at the dagger on the ground which had flashed before me… almost cutting my cheek.
'That was way too fast… and precise.'
"You have good reflexes, boy."
"I appreciate you trying to wound me." I remarked sarcastically.
"First lesson… trust no one." He stood up, grinning. "The greater you are and the more value you have to your name, the more people there will be looking to bring you down. Others will intend to cling to you and leech off of your success for their own benefit. As such, you should never be at complete ease."
"Weren't you sleeping soundly earlier?"
"Was I? Look on the other side of the hill and tell me." He gestured down, turning.
I shrugged, walking up. When I reached the top, I saw five armed corpses. They didn't have any fancy armour or weapons… clearly on the poorer side. However, their weapons clearly meant business. Or, used to. All five had clear and deep knife wounds to the head. It was a rather horrifying sight, even though the kills were so clean.
'That's where the terrible smell was coming from…'
"A great amount of gold can make plenty of men desperate. And desperate men… make grave errors."
"You didn't even bother moving?" I raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you afraid of the law?"
"When they had their weapons drawn against me, do you think either parties considered the 'law' of the land?" The man chuckled, shaking his head. "When in danger, you must never hesitate to be ruthless."
"I came here for a throwing lesson, not a life lesson." I stated.
"You will have both. After all… why would you want to master throwing knives? To be a jester, to win little prizes in contests? No, not at all. A fierce boy like you wants to kill better."
"I… well, partly." I nodded, agreeing. "I want to be able to fend for myself and others as best as I can."
"So you should want all the lessons that I have to offer, won't you?"
"I suppose…" I scratched my hair, glancing away. "Yeah."
"Third lesson… patience. Be observant, do not speak or act too soon. Striking at the opportune time is paramount in many ways. You will learn, it takes time… now, we need a target."
He smiled slightly, walking down as he grabbed one of the corpses and dragged them up to the tree. Using his knifes, he nailed the corpse against the tree.
"Let's begin throwing, shall we?"
"... Yeah." I gave him a weird look. 'Real corpses for target practice… isn't that extra?'
"Have you never seen a man's corpse before?" He frowned with his one eye. "Get used to the terrible look… the stench… get used to the blood. If you want to be a killer, these things must become ordinary. Now throw."
I took out my dagger, throwing straight for the head… and hit. Barely, but I hit.
"Your form is terrible…" The man remarked. "What is the purpose of hitting your target if the hit does nothing but tickle him? The knife is not a bloody bow. It spins like the wind. "
"l…"
"Let me show you how it's done."
He took out three knives from his pouch, standing even further back than I did. Then, with three consecutive throws, he hit the target from three different places. The first struck his eye and the other two spun from opposite directions… landing straight for the ear.
He had spun that shit like a shuriken!
"The art of the knife is not about strength, Edric Storm. It is about skill and finesse."
…
After several hours of practice, it was getting pretty dark. I was getting pretty tired, both physically and mentally. As a teacher… the guy sure didn't hold my hand. He kept a rigorous pace, forcing me to exhaust myself.
"Go now, before I have your uncle arriving with half a hundred knights." The man scratched his hair, smiling. His sharp smile was reminiscent of a grinning shark.
"Thank you for the lesson." I nodded, retrieving all my throwing weapons. "I learned a lot more than I thought I would."
"You know where to find me for the rest of the moon."
"Will you truly be leaving?"
"That is what a traveller does." The man nodded, tilting his head. "These thousand gold dragons will not last forever."
"If it's money that drives you… how much would it be to hire you?"
"You want to hire me?" He chuckled, staring into my eyes. His eyes were like daggers cutting deep into my own. "A thousand per year."
"Gold dragons?"
"Mhm."
"Deal."
"..." His eyes widened slightly, probably in surprise. "You do not even know my name and yet you do not hesitate to make such a deal. What do you think are the chances that I take the thousand and run away?"
"I'm not giving you a thousand right away." I shook my head, smiling slightly. "Two to three per day. Now that I think about it… it's an absurd sum."
"Paying for every day… you're a clever boy." The man chuckled, his dark blue eye glowing slightly. "Aye, you should always spend your money wisely."
"What about one gold dragon per day?"
"Haggling down to a third… for a greedy man like me, that is truly heartbreaking. A wise man would object, knowing that you were willing to pay a thousand." He grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "Lesson number four; when trading, always start low when you're buying and the opposite if you're selling."
"So…"
"When a man is at his richest, his services are also the most expensive they will ever be."
"Until he loses his money." I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "See, with me, you'd have a constant flow of gold. Right now, you're just sitting on a hill of gold slowly drifting away."
"... And how certain are you to maintain your wealth?" The man grinned slightly, stroking his chin.
"Because I plan to spend it to make even more gold instead of throwing it away on useless things until there's nothing left. I respect your skills… and so, I'm willing to give a gold dragon per day. Once your gold runs out, how much will you be contracted for, risking your life for whoever? How much do those Stormravens really pay? I doubt it's even half of that. Even better, I promise to have you by my side for at least five years… and you can walk out on that anytime."
I was chatting mad shit… I didn't know the first thing about investing money. Every paycheck I had, I spent on things I needed and then the rest of it on stupid shit.
Even so… I truly believed that this guy was worth the money. Not only would he aid me with my skills but he would be a great bodyguard.
"... You have a way with words." The man remarked, nodding slightly. "I agree to your offer."
I may have jumped the gun a little… but I was 1000% certain this guy was the real deal. I mean, he dominated the throwing contest and killed five men on his own. If I had someone like that around, my chances of being caught lacking by anyone was much lower.
~
Explaining why I had blood all over me was a little difficult as I used the excuse of hunting. Everyone thought I was a good boy… so no one really brought up further questions.
Soon enough, the royal family bid their farewell and began the journey back to King's Landing. I was around, albeit considerably further back. From the looks of it, Joffrey Baratheon genuinely abhorred my existence as did Cersei Lannister. Unsurprising.
Then… Renly Baratheon turned back, walking up to me. I raised an eyebrow.
What was this about?
"I will be departing for King's Landing as well, Edric." Renly Baratheon stated, smiling as he pat my shoulder. "You're the lord of the castle now… don't make a mess of it, eh?"
"Why… King's Landing?" I questioned, frowning slightly. 'Storm's End might have shit weather but at least it doesn't smell like it.'
"Greater duties await me in the capital… I've been dodging them for too long. Cortnay Penrose will continue to be the castellan so you shouldn't have a difficult time finishing your training. It is unfortunate that you do not have the Lannister golden hair and emerald eyes, eh?"
"... I can't come to King's Landing?" I raised an eyebrow. 'I mean, it probably wouldn't be the best idea.'
"You would not be welcome there as you are here. But… if you truly wanted to, I would do my best to vouch for you. You are my favourite nephew, after all. How could I allow you to be turned away?" Renly Baratheon smiled, turning away. "It will be farewell for now, Edric. I hope that you have achieved your goal of being a great knight the next time we cross paths."
"..." It was rather bittersweet to see him walk away. He was like an older, cool, brother that I never had before. "I will."
…
After that, I made sure Alysanne had everything she needed to complete my banner before continuing with my training. She also asked for extra gold because of some family problems. Being a good friend, I didn't question it at that point in time and gave her a hand out. I then managed to get my bodyguard and teacher into Storm's End… eventually learning that his name was Dorian. His second name, however, he never spoke of.
Since winning the archery contest in such dramatic fashion, I became a whole celebrity amongst the youth. The ladies vied for my attention and all aspiring archers looked up to me. I tried to keep to myself but the more I strayed away the more persistent people seemed to become. In the end, I accepted my new reality and used it as an opportunity to build my charm and leadership. Interacting with people was important for both, after all.
Cortnay Penrose found Dorian to be a dangerous and untrustworthy individual, leaving him to sleep in the yard. Dorian, however, did not mind at all. It seemed like he was used to far worse…
"Do you think paying for his services was a good idea?" I asked Raiden Shogun as I was going to sleep. It sorta became a routine to talk to her every night.
"You will need extraordinary people by your side to achieve the goals you seek." She replied, floating still as majestic as ever. "One great individual can be worth a hundred, even a thousand men. However, men whose loyalty relies on gold can be untrustworthy. You should not be careless around such a person."
"He did tell me to trust no one."
~
"Let's run a rematch, shall we? Edric against Robert!" Ser Davis grinned, glancing at both of us.
I frowned slightly, raising my practice sword. It had been a good while since our duel in the melee and we hadn't spoken once. I had no idea how he felt about what happened. While I did kiss the girl he liked, I also rejected her completely. I didn't know Robert well enough to tell what he thought of me… though, in the end, he could either be jealous or glad.
I was leaning on the jealous side which was unfortunate. I thought we were getting on better terms recently.
"Begin."
Robert stood still, facing me with a cold stare.
He wasn't going to strike? Then I was going to.
Clang.
He half-heartedly blocked the first blow, leading to me tossing the blade to the side with my superior strength.
"Come on man, this isn't it." I frowned, stepping back. "You're better than that."
"It's so easy for you to say that, isn't it?" Robert's stare grew colder as he looked me in the eyes. "You're the champion of the archery contest, son of the king and the person everyone is gushing over. You even beat me twice over…"
"Ser Davis, can we have a moment?" I asked, turning to him. "Just me and Robert."
"Don't go killing each other over it." Ser Davis nodded, addressing all the lordlings. "Let us move onto a perhaps more passionate duel… Arthur against Brienne."
They moved further away… and then I turned to Robert.
"You have something to say to me?" Robert scoffed.
"It wasn't always like that, you know." I shook my head, lowering my sword. "I was and am the bastard of the king, I couldn't hit a damn thing with the bow and damn near every single person hated me without knowing who I was. Just because of who my mother was… was it easy? Was it easy for me every time you beat me by using your size, age and strength advantage? Was it easy never knowing any of my parents growing up? While you were busy courting ladies, I was working… day in, day out. Now that things are a bit different and I've improved to the point that no one can deny my skills, you're crying like a little bitch. If you're jealous and can't handle my success, just say that."
"I'll admit it… I am envious of where you are." Robert nodded, admitting. "It's… difficult. I grew up as the best of the best and then you people started outshining me. One by one… first it was that Loras Tyrell, then Brienne, then Arthur… then you. You beating me twice over was the lowest blow of all."
'The hell am I supposed to say to that?' I paused, taking it in. 'Is this even salvageable?'
"I… appreciate your honesty." I nodded. "It's difficult to admit things like that."
"I appreciate yours too." Robert sighed, scratching his hair. "You're one hell of a guy, Edric. I'm not worthy of even having your concern. I think… I just need time away from Storm's End and gain outside experience. It's about damn time, too. My term as a squire should've ended a little while ago. I have no place here anymore."
"You're going to become a knight?" My eyes widened slightly.
"Yeah… I'll try to be worthy of my father's approval." Robert smiled slightly. "Your words have given me inspiration… it is not the attention of the people that I should seek, at the end of the day. It is my improvement."
"Despite everything, I'm going to miss our rivalry." I stated truthfully. "It was fun while it lasted, you know? You were one of the reasons why I strived for improvement… so that I could someday beat you."
"Don't worry." He chuckled. "I'm going to beat you the next time we face each other."
"If you don't… you'll owe me a drink. And not that Stag's Fury again…"
"No Stag's Fury?" Robert smiled slightly. "Why not?"
"It got me into another fight with you, that's why."
"Regarding that, you're a bastard for rejecting that lady, you know that?" Robert replied, shaking his head.
"If I got married, wouldn't you hate me even more?"
"... You don't get the hearts of women. She won't ever forget you, no matter how much time passes. She won't desire anyone more."
"Over a kiss? Come on now."
"They want what they can't have the most. Now, she'll either be forced to marry someone else and be unhappy or stay alone for the rest of her life."
"And that's… my fault?" I raised an eyebrow. "I was drunk out of my mind thanks to you, lest you forget."
"Deep down, some part of you desired her. The drink just brought out that side." Robert remarked, turning away. "It's not my problem now… you beat me to it and you got to decide what to do with the prize. If you throw it away, it isn't my problem. A real man would have taken responsibility."
"..."
How did he go from coping to cooking me in such a short period of time?
In the end, I believed in truly loving only one person. That person to me… was Raiden Shogun. I really felt like she was, at least. Alysanne, Cynthea, Brienne… any girl, it didn't matter… I didn't believe that I should feel the same romantic 'love' with anyone else.
"You're just gonna walk away and not finish your last session?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You're the only person present here worthy of my farewells."
"... Farewell, then, Robert."
"I hope you do become a landed knight someday, Edric. I'd love to see how a bumbling idiot like you rules over land."
"Shut up." I smiled slightly.
"Farwell, Edric Storm."
Why did it feel like everyone was leaving me, one after the other?
Well, it wasn't wrong to think that. Renly Baratheon, Loras Tyrell and now Robert… three people who I've been seeing for god knows how long. After that, Brienne also returned home and so did Alysanne. She hadn't finished my banner as she left but she promised that it would be perfect the next time we met.
I still hadn't told her about how I felt… I mean, I didn't know entirely myself. I wanted to believe that she was just a sweet friend but, at the same time, I felt closer to her than I did with Raiden Shogun. Raiden Shogun was a cold, floating, ghost most of the time while Alysanne was someone I could talk to all day.
"Safe travels, Alysanne." I couldn't hide my smile when I looked at her. "You should come around more often."
"I'll see what I can do… but you know, it's hard for me to be away from family."
"I completely understand." I nodded. 'Well, Edric Storm shouldn't… but I do.'
"Mhm… don't wander around and find yourself a wife while I'm away."
"A wife? I'm hardly ten." I chuckled. "As a bastard, I get to decide when I want to get married and who to. After all… no one truly values me enough to deny my request."
"That's a great luxury you have." Alysanne smiled slightly, turning to her father. "Farewell, Edric."
"See you around." I nodded.
"Get married already." Her father sighed, shaking his head. "You like each other enough, don't you?"
"Father…"
"Ser, I'm too young to make commitments like that." I replied, smiling slightly.
"Life does not hesitate…" He replied, turning away. "If you do not grasp what you have, you will lose it before your eyes."
"... He's just a bit drunk." Alysanne smiled slightly, pushing him away.
'Weird…' I stroked my chin. 'Is the father the family problem she spoke of?'
"Saving it for when you truly need it is clever. Though, most people hardly have the patience. Once gold enters their hands, they have to spend it."
I recalled one of her sayings… frowning slightly.
Maybe I was overthinking it.
As I watched them depart, I just shrugged and turned away.
"Do you know what he meant?" Dorian asked, standing in the back with his arms crossed.
"What?"
"He meant he's looking for men to sell her off to. You would likely be one of the best suitors at the moment, despite having no land to your name… all thanks to your three thousand shiny gold dragons. She's about that age, too. Any longer and she'll start losing her ripeness."
"Shut up." I frowned at him, feeling much angrier than usual.
"I was just being honest…" He shrugged, grinning slightly. "By your reaction, she is clearly important to you. Ahhhahaha… young love, you children make it seem so complicated. Though, a hero in the making like you could certainly find someone prettier."
"Looks aren't everything."
"She has your heart… but not your eyes. Who took your eyes, I wonder?" Dorian stroked his beard in thought. "Cersei Lannister, the golden queen?"
"Pfft… don't make me laugh." I scoffed, shaking my head. "Just do what you do best and teach me throwing."
"Ah, I can do a lot more. I could even teach you to seduce and woo the girl of your dreams… at no extra cost! Am I not the greatest hire you could ever make, Storm boy?"
"..." I sighed, walking away. He followed at a distance.
He was sometimes funny, sharp with his words and always straight to the point… I never saw him afraid to speak his mind. At times, the things he said were downright offensive but he never once lied or said something he didn't believe.
As time passed, I found Dorian to be my best companion.
~
After recalling the big talk about investments, I confronted Cortnay Penrose and he actually supported my idea. Through him, I began to invest and buy empty land around Storm's End. Using the rest, I got around to getting some buildings built where I allowed some willing and youthful locals to move in and work the land for a profitable percentage of their harvest. Technically, I was already a landed individual at this point… just not a knight.
I even funded one guy's project of trading in Sunspear which I thought would work… and it did. He rapidly repaid my investment and then some. With Cortnay Penrose's guidance and my own strangely gifted insight, I was able to make money surprisingly well from the heap that I earned. Before I knew it, I was back at three thousand.
Using a few gold dragons, I convinced the castle's blacksmith to teach me his ways. I knew that I needed plenty of dragonglass weapons and, while Gendry was capable of forging them in the future, I wanted to be able to forge my own weapons and armour. It was just a goal of mine that I was too proud of to relegate to someone else.
With all my ongoing training (from archery to duelling to blacksmithing), diet of plenty of mostly meat and my natural age going up from ten… I started getting into even crazier shape. I had never felt better, to be honest. I was hustling with my hunting (doing so from horseback now), learning to skin and cook my game from Dorian, making plenty of gold… I was improving at damn near everything. It felt like I was learning new things everyday. Which, I mostly was.
The more I improved at certain things, the faster I improved at others. It felt like each skill was related to another in one way or another.
Life was going great, honestly.
I was the shining star of Storm's End, bastard or not. As much of a natural loner that I was, people were still attracted to me. I made plenty of friends and built even deeper bonds with the friends I already had. A girl even confessed her love for me… which I had to reject, as bad as it felt. She wasn't ugly or anything… I was just interested in someone else. I'm sure you know by now who that person is.
Most of all, Arthur became my very best friend.
Like, we started doing almost everything together. Hunting, sparring, training… he even helped me with my land! He was a real bro, no cap. I almost wished we were blood-related. Though, I later realised that it didn't matter. A brother was a brother.
…
Name: Edric Storm
Age: 11
~Lord~
Charm: 55 (Diplomat II - Improved haggling, able to get better prices out of every trade through persuasion.)
Leadership: 30 (Inspiring Leader I - The morale of those on your side is generally higher in your presence.)
Steward: 35 (Midas Touch I - You find money where others wouldn't and you find managing money to be easier.)
~Warrior~
Athletics: 80 (Titan IV - Your overall athleticism is improved, from speed to strength to coordination.)
Battle Instincts: 45 (Hyper Focus I)
Warhammer: 35 (Thunderous Warhammer I - The impact of your warhammer is slightly greater.)
~Knight~
Sword: 65 (Swordskill III - The slashing ability of your swords increased, alongside a decrease in how much stamina each combination drains.)
Riding: 50 (Riding II - Able to control your mount more effectively.)
Armour: 43 (Fortress I - The Effectiveness of heavy armour is increased.)
~Ranger~
Marksman: 90 (Sniper IV - Grants the user absurd range and accuracy.)
Scouting: 30 (Scouting I - Tracks are more visible to the eye.)
Throwing: 70 (Throwing III - Able to grab a new weapon quicker and weapons thrown, especially larger ones, penetrate armour more effectively.)
~Smith~
Blacksmithing: 30 (Blacksmithing I - Smelting is quicker and more effective.)
Engineering: 35 (Engineering I - Engineering projects take less time.)
Stranger
~Roguery: 5
Trade: 22 (Merchant I - Haggling is more effective.)
Medicine: 10
~Mage~
Storm Manipulation: 19
~
The ninth moon of 298 AC, King's Landing.
Edric Storm hopped off his ship, followed by Robert, Rolan, Bryce and Dorian. He looked upon the great port, observing it with keen interest. It was… impressive, in his mind.
He had grown even taller, reaching the threshold of six foot three inches. The more drastic difference, however, was his size. He gained more weight and muscle over the year, beating out most built men in that aspect. His physique was inhuman for his age, almost on the realm of a demi-god. Still, he had a rather childish face which he couldn't hide. His face was a bit puffy and his skin was clear as a maiden's despite all his hard work.
Robert, on the other hand, had grown into a full-fledged warrior and was on the verge of knighthood. He only needed to perform a notable deed and be knighted for it. As for Rolan and Bryce, they were on a similar boat. Rolan was a highborn with a slightly perverse taste in woman while Bryce was a lowborn butcher's boy who Edric had befriended from his farm. They were Edric's closest friends… though, the bond Edric had with Arthur overshadowed the others. Rolan and Bryce were more so company.
"Excuse me." Edric Storm approached one of the men overseeing the ships. "Might you know how many days there are until the Hand's Tourney?"
"It's in two days." The man replied bluntly. "You looking for a place to stay? Don't bother, every damn inn in this city is full to the brim of aspiring victors and those who came to observe. You're better off staying in your ship."
"Thank you for the advice." Edric nodded, turning back. "Two days… we're right on schedule. Let's have a look around."
"You think they have an archery contest?" Rolan inquired, stroking his chin. "It would be easy gold for you."
"If it's as grand as everyone claims, it should." Robert replied. "A melee, joust… maybe even a throwing contest."
"Huh, Dorian… if you happen to win something like that, would your winnings go to me or what?" Edric grinned slightly, looking back.
"Keep dreaming, they would go to my pocket." He replied, shaking his head.
"I heard the whores here are the best in the Seven Kingdoms." Rolan smiled, closing his eyes for a moment. "Sweet perfume, see-through silk dresses… mmm… Ser Dorian, wouldn't you pay for my visit?"
Dorian scoffed. "Pay for your own visit, kid."
"That would be as expensive as an arm and a leg, Rolan." Arthur scoffed, shaking his head. "Nevermind how deprived you'd have to be to pay for such a thing."
"Who are the deprived ones… the ones who pay or the ones who give their bodies for gold?" Rolan countered, frowning slightly.
"Some people have no choice." Bryce spoke, lowering his gaze slightly. "Poverty in this city is the highest, isn't it?"
"... Children, children. Grown men and women should choose what they want to be." Dorian stated, shrugging his shoulders. "Being a whore is not quite as sinful as some of you believe. If anything, it is a great service to others. A deprived man… is capable of terrible things. Better to have him pay first, eh?"
"Hmph."
Edric Storm didn't put his two cents in the jar as he kept walking. Eventually, he found a poster explaining the Hand's Tourney. As in canon, it had an archery contest, melee and joust. The prizes were ten thousand gold dragons for the champion of the archery contest, twenty-thousand gold dragons for the victor of the melee, twenty thousand gold dragons for the joust's runner-up and forty thousand gold dragons for the winner of the joust.
"Ten thousand…" Edric Storm couldn't hide his smirky grin. "That will certainly help."
"Should we try to get a spot at an inn?" Rolan asked. "If I have to stay another night on that ship…"
"Rolan, you're free to scout the city for rooms. No one is stopping you." Edric Storm turned back with a smile. "I'm heading back. If you find space, don't forget to inform us. I heard King's Landing can be quite… dangerous at night. Especially if you're alone."
"You…" Rolan's eyebrows twitched as the group made their way back. "Fine, I'll stay on the ship."
~
The following day, I signed myself up for all three of the events. The rest signed up for the melee and joust with my assistance, excluding Dorian and Bryce. On the final night before the Hand's Tourney began, I sat contemplating in my cabin.
"This… is where things get sticky." I stated, looking up at Raiden Shogun.
"Pardon?" She raised an eyebrow.
"The Hand's Tourney." I replied, dropping my head onto the bed. "If I shine too brightly, I suspect that my life would be in danger. Meaning… I'd have to be extremely cautious or eliminate those who would threaten me. This is the capital. Not only does it stink of shit, it also stinks of corruption."
Do I just get my winnings and dip?
Or do I want to do more…
If I really want to save the world, I should do more. No, not even that. I have to. I have to take risks and get involved against the Lannisters. I have to make sure Robert Baratheon lives or, at the very least, someone stable succeeds him.
I have to protect the King's Peace, no matter what.
"Eliminate? I haven't known you for plotting." Raiden Shogun questioned.
"In this place, you have to play their game to win." I replied, smiling slightly. 'Though… I don't want to win the game of thrones for myself alone. I just want the right person to win.'
Little did I know… for better or for worse, doing what I planned to do would earn me the thing I wanted the least.