The Rise Of A dragon - Chapter 5: A Tourney of Blood
Aerea smiled as she rode in the wheelhouse with her mother and a few servants on their way to the great arena.
The tourney Tywin Lannister organized to celebrate Aerys’ ascension was being held that day.
The young girl’s excitement was palpable as this would be the first tourney that she would be allowed to attend, being deemed old enough go by her parents.
Rhaella stared at her daughter as Aerea leaned in her seat to stare out the window, worried about the three days of violence her daughter would soon witness. Aerys had deemed that their daughter was more than old enough to attend, stating that children her age and younger would also be going and Rhaella could not find a way to argue, remembering that Joanna had said that she would be attending the tourney with her own children.
Rhaella let out a sigh as she could see Rhaegar from outside the carriage window, the prince rode on a horse of his own, Aerys stating that it would have been embarrassing for him if his heir rode in the carriage filled with his mother, sister, and other women.
It was hard for the Queen to reconcile with the fact that her children were growing up, that they were becoming more capable of doing things by themselves, that they needed her less and less.
“Freak!” Rhaella was broken out of her thoughts by the shouts coming from the crowd that had gathered in the streets of King’s Landing, the common people watching the various nobles and knights.
A tall man with black hair and sun burnt skin emerged from the crowd, there was a wildness in his eyes, made more obvious by the light that reflected off the seven-pointed star that was pinned to his shirt.
“The Abomination Princess deserves death! Such a plague is an afront to the Gods, a disgusting product of incest that should be culled for its sins!” The man shouted, spit flying from his mouth as his rage continued to build.
“The only way towards the path of repentance is for the death for that vile creature masquerading as a princess, only then will the Targaryens be forgiven for their-----” The fanatic’s tirade was cut short as a sword was forcibly shoved through his throat. Ser Gerold Hightower, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard had done the deed, quickly pulling his blade out from the man’s neck once his strike held true.
The man staggered backwards, clutching his throat in a futile attempt to keep himself from bleeding out, choaking gasps leaving his mouth. It only took a few more seconds for the man to fall onto his back, dying before he even hit the ground.
The crowd was silent for a few moments before breaking out into wild screams and jeers, watching as the knight returned to his horse, bowing his head to the King after carrying out his order.
Historians would look back at this event as a prelude to the fates of those who dared to insult Princess Aerea while in the presence of the King.
The royal progress continued its path to the arena, the dead man’s actions seen as nothing more than a blip on the short journey.
Rhaella immediately turned to her daughter, Aerea no longer leaned against the door trying to look out the window, the girl sat back in her seat, staring ahead. The joy had been wiped away from Aerea’s face as her lips were pulled into a tight frown.
“Aerea...” Rhaella said as she stood and sat next to her daughter, “What happened just now-”
“Am I an abomination?” Aerea asked, staring up at the Queen with teary eyes.
“Of course not!” Rhaella exclaimed, propriety be damned, “You are not an abomination, you are my daughter, my perfect princess. Do not listen to the words of such a man, he was clearly mad.”
“But it's true, isn’t it? Is that why people in the Keep look at me strangely? Why none of the other girls want to be my friend? I’m not normal, I’ve never been normal...” Aerea said, her voice cracking with emotion, desperately trying not to cry as it all became clear to her how different she was.
In a matter of minutes, Aerea’s entire world had come crashing down, the words of the man reverberating throughout her head as she thought back through all the instances where she had been treated or looked upon differently.
Everyone knew... everyone knew but me...
Rhaella pulled Aerea into her arms and hugged her tightly, opening crying for the innocence that her daughter had just lost, for the cruel and unforgiving world that she had been born into as she knew it would never truly accept her.
The rest of the short carriage ride was spent in silence, the servants of Rhaella’s household standing awkwardly as they looked between the Queen and princess, Rhaella worrying over what this revelation would mean for her daughter, and Aerea, questioning who she even was now as a person.
~X~
Aerea wordlessly followed her mother and older brother as they made their way to the large box that the royal family and the members of the small council along with their families would be watching the tourney from. The royal viewing box sat in between four other balconies that all the nobles would be sitting inside of, they were across from the large rows of benches that the smallfolk were sitting on.
“Aerea?” Before she knew it, Aerea found herself standing in front of her Kingly father, she had been so out of it she missed the short conversation between her parents, only refocusing when Aerys called out to her.
“Yes, father?” Aerea replied.
“Do not let the opinions of sheep tie you down; we are dragons, we soar high above these insects. The ramblings of an uneducated wastrel should hold no power over you.” Aerys stated, knowing that the words that the unknown man had shouted her weighting on the girl.
The King did not need a daughter who second guessed herself, she was to be the warrior of his dreams; strong, confident, and powerful. The King needed to nip these growing doubts in the bud, to prevent them from ruining the promise princess that the Gods had foretold him of.
“Yes, father.” Aerea answered, standing straight, and schooling her features in her attempt to show her father that she was doing what was told of her.
Aerys opened his mouth to speak again but closed it for a few seconds when he saw someone from the corner of his eye. “Cousin, it is good to see you again.”
Standing a few feet away from the royals were the Lord of Storm’s End and his family.
Steffon Baratheon was tall and broad-shouldered man, standing a few inches above six feet tall with short jet-black hair and sky-blue eyes. A large smiled graced his lips as he let out a small chuckle, “It is good to see you too, Your Grace.”
A genuine smile formed on Aerys’ face, not a hint of cruelty of malice in sight. “I thought I have told you over and over to call me by my name, not ‘Your Grace.’ You are not one of the numerous petty lords constantly calling for my attention, Steffon, you are family.”
“You humble me, Aerys.” Steffon replied with a bellowing laugh, the Lord of Storm’s End then turned to face the other three royals. “You grow more beautiful each time I see you, Rhaella.”
Rhaella returned the smile, “You flatter me, cousin.”
“And is good see you again as well, Prince Rhaegar.”
“You are well met, cousin.” Rhaegar spoke, his voice not changing from its usual despondent tone as he greeted his second cousin.
“It is good to meet you, Lord Steffon.” Aerea said bowing slightly to the older man, she had heard stories of the Lord from her parents but had never met him before.
Steffon laughed, going as far as to ruffle Aerea’s hair with his hand. “We have met plenty of times, you were just too small to remember. And don’t call me ‘Lord Steffon,’ makes me feel old, with one foot in the grave, little princess.”
Aerea smiled for the first time since she had been in the carriage, “Of course... cousin.”
Steffon then waved his hand to his family, “And you all remember my family, cousins. My lady wife, Cassana, my eldest son and heir Robert, and my youngest son Stannis.”
Cassana Estermont was a short and slender woman, being dwarfed by her husband, she had sandy brown hair and warm brown eyes.
In comparison, both Baratheon boys took after their father more; Robert was tall, taller than a boy his age should be, with a large body, and with the same black hair and blue eyes as Steffon, even having the same easy-going and charming smile on his face.
Stannis was also the same; tall, broad-shouldered, and with black hair and blue eyes. The differences lay with the young boy’s demeanor; Stannis was serious as he stood among the royal family, his lip forming a small frown that refused to move.
The three bowed to the royal family as Cassana addressed the King, “We thank you for your invitation to your celebration, Your Grace, you honor us greatly.”
Aerys waved his hand, “The honor is mine, Lady Cassana. You are my dear cousin’s family; you shall always be welcomed in my city.”
“Mayhaps the children shall sit together while you catch up? We can all watch the tourney together.” Steffon proposed, wanting his and his cousins' children to get along as well as they do.
And so, Aerea, Rhaegar, Robert, and Stannis sat next to each other in the row closest to the arena floor and two rows away from their parents.
“It is good to meet you both, cousins.” Aerea said to the Baratheon boys once they sat down.
“Ha, it's good to see you now that you’re no longer soiling yourself too, Aerea.” Robert replied, playfully slapping his cousin’s back, almost sending Aerea flying out of her chair from his strength.
“Robert!” Stannis hissed, “Our cousin is a princess; you cannot speak to her so rudely. And do not put your hands on her.”
“It is fine, cousin. Truly, I know that Robert was only making a jape, I took no offense.” Aerea said, not wanting to cause an argument between the brothers as she saw a wrathful anger appear on Robert's face.
Robert’s expression soon changed, his easy-going smile appearing once again, “See, Aerea knows I’m just having fun, so don’t be such a cunt, Stannis.”
Stannis grinded his teeth together as he kept himself from angerly retaliating against his brother, not wanting to cause a scene in front of so many people, especially not in front of their royal cousins.
“So,” Robert said as he turned to face Aerea once more, “I heard that the King has ordered the Kingsguard to teach you how to yield a blade, is it true?”
“Yes, it is. My main teacher is Ser Barristan, but the other knights teach me if he’s busy. I’ve been learning for the past two years.” Aerea answered, proud of the progress she was making.
“To be taught by knights of the Kingsguard is a great honor, you must be proud, Your Grace.” Stannis said amazed, his cousin was experiencing what many young boys such as himself had dreamed of.
“I am proud, I know it is very unusual and so I’m working my hardest. And you can call me Aerea, Stannis, my father was right; we are family, no formality should exist between us.” Aerea said, amused by how serious the older boy was, realizing that it was just his personality and not him putting on an act.
A small blush appeared on Stannis’ cheeks, “Of course... Aerea.”
“Then we should spar with each other soon, cousin. I want to see the lessons of the kingdom’s best in action.” Robert proposed, his voice filled with joy and longing the way it always did when fighting was brought into discussion.
Before Aerea could respond, Rhaegar spoke for the first time since they had sat down. “You will not be sparring with my sister, Robert.”
Robert sat up, making eye contact with the prince over Aerea’s head, “And why not?”
“You are not known for your subtlety and caution. We do not need you forgetting that Aerea is a child and hurting her because you could not control your strength.” Rhaegar answered.
Robert’s rage grew at the insinuation, “I wouldn’t do that! I know how to control myself, and besides what you know about sparring? Aren't you three and ten and have never held a sword in your life?”
Rhaegar’s face remained unchanged at his cousin’s outburst, staying blank and unreadable. “I do not need to hold a sword to know the injuries that can come from it.”
Robert then smirked, “Well, I guess it's easy to be worried about your sister when you’re afraid of getting hit.”
Rhaegar only shook his head, further angering Robert as he saw this as Rhaegar continued to look down at him. “There are more important things in life than running around trying to strike down another man with a weapon. It's those of us that think, that truly make a difference not those who only do what any commoner fighting in an army can.”
“You fucking-” Robert started, but was interrupted by the announcement that the tourney was starting. At this point all the other nobles had taken a seat, leaving only Robert the only one standing, the young boy having jumped to his feet in anger.
Robert muttered under his breath as he took his seat, the young boy kept his head forward, knowing that he would not be able to control his temper if he kept looking at Rhaegar.
“Why did you do that?” Aerea asked her brother, leaning against his arm as she whispered in his ear.
“I do not want you to get hurt, Aerea. Our cousin is still young, he may hurt you if you two fight each other.” Rhaegar said.
“It won’t be a real fight; it would be a sparring match. You didn’t say anything when me and Jaime sparred against each other.”
“That was different; there was no chance of Lord Tywin’s son hurting you. The boy just started his martial training; Robert has been training for years.” Rhaegar answered, “And do not think about sparring in secret, I will know, and I will tell our parents.”
Aerea pouted at her brother, knowing that Rhaegar would keep his word and tell their parents if she tried to spar with their cousin.
Before Aerea could complain, she saw the Lannister family make their way up the stairs of the viewing box, the princess returning the wave that Jaime had sent her as the two made eye contact.
The young boy turned to his parents, speaking to them adamantly as he pointed in Aerea’s direction, the princess froze as Tywin looked up from his son to meet her gaze.
Tywin Lannister was a man with a powerful and authoritative stare, being able to unnerve even the most unshakable men. It took everything within the princess not to wilt under his gaze, to tear her eyes away from his and force them to the floor.
Aerea had not spent much time in the presence of the Hand, as he helped to govern the realm and she was just a small child.
There was also the fact that despite her title of princess, being the daughter of the King and Queen, Aerea was not seen by many as important. Rhaegar was crown prince, the one with the inheritance, the one who would succeed their father as King of Westeros. It was Rhaegar that had the attention of the court, of the common people, Aerea often faded into the background, usually only being acknowledged by her family.
If I were normal, then I would have some use for being married to a lord of a great house... Aerea thought to herself bitterly, remembering what she had discovered earlier that morning.
Despite the disconnect, Aerea respected the Lord of Casterly Rock, understanding how effective the man was when it came to his duty. Tywin was a man that no one dared mock to his face, many even feared saying anything unclothed behind his back.
Tywin and Aerea continued to stare at each other, neither backing down for several moments, before Tywin looked back down at his children. He spoke only for a few moments before both Cersei and Jaime turned in Aerea’s direction.
It was then that Aerea noticed there was a another child amongst the Lannisters. The boy was older than the twins, with a thin face, a weak chin, and stringy brown hair.
Tywin then led his family to where the royal couple and the Baratheons sat together in the center of the viewing box. The family greeted the King and Queen, Aerys paid no attention to any of the Lannisters besides Joanna, smiling at the woman and greeting her kindly.
To all watching, it appeared that the King had forgotten what he had said to Joanna when the Lannisters first arrived in the capital, his cruel words left behind in the cups of wine he had selfishly consumed.
After a few minutes, Tywin and Joanna sat next to Rhaella, and the Hand’s sister Genna and her husband separated from them to sit where they pleased.
The Lannisters twins then moved in the direction of the Targaryen siblings and the Baratheon brothers. Cleos Frey nervously followed his cousins once it became clear that there was no space for him to sit with his parents.
“Good morrow, Your Graces.” The three greeted the royals with various tones; Cersei’s was ecstatic and awestruck as she had eyes only for Rhaegar, Jaime’s was excited as he would not only be watching his first tourney but watching it with his new friend, and Cleos’ was nervous and afraid, scared that he would do something to embarrass himself in front of the royal children.
“Good morrow, my lords, my lady.” Rhaegar said plainly with a nod of his head before turning his gaze forward.
“Good morrow! It is good to see you again, Jaime, Lady Cersei.” Aerea said as she smiled at the twins before turning to the older boy behind them. “And you are, my lord?”
Cleos jumped a bit when he realized that it was him that the princess was speaking to, “I-I-I-I a—am C-Cleos Fr-Frey, Y-Y—You-Your Gr-race.”
Aerea glared slightly at Robert when she heard him snort under his breath, the older boy using his hand to cover his mouth and keep his laughter from escaping him. She then turned back to Cleos, smiling at him, “You are well met, Lord Cleos.”
“These are our cousins; Robert and Stannis Baratheon. Cousins, these are Lord Tywin’s children and his nephew.” Aerea said as he introduced the five to each other.
“Right. Nice to meet you.” Robert said, surprised when he heard that the twins were the children of the Lord Hand, but was otherwise uninterested in them personally.
“You are well meet, my lords, my lady.” Stannis with the respect and grace that his brother lacked.
The Lannister-Frey's had returned the greeting in their own ways; Cersei said it monotonously, not all interested in them but not wanting to appear unladylike in front of her prince, Jaime was just as respectfully as Stannis was to them, and Cleos said it just as nervously as he had when he greeted Rhaegar and Aerea.
“May we sit with you?” Jaime asked, his eyes focused on Aerea as he knew that if he looked at the prince, he would lose his nerve.
“Of course!” Aerea said, cheerfully waving to the empty seats on her brother’s left side.
As Jaime prepared to move, Cersei quickly moved past him, beating him to the seat directly next to Rhaegar.
Jaime stared at his sister with an annoyed and unimpressed expression, he was about to argue, but the glare that Cersei sent his way killed the words before they could leave his mouth. With a sigh, Jaime sat next to his sister, annoyed that he was now further away from Aerea.
Cleos flinched when he saw the others staring at him, realizing that it was because he was now the only one standing, practically throwing himself into the seat next to Jaime.
“What a fucking craven.” Robert muttered at Cleos’ display.
“Robert!” Stannis hissed, “Keep your words to yourself. You cannot say those aloud about Lord Frey’s son.”
“You mean Lord Frey’s grandson, brother, Last I checked this pathetic lion cub was the son of a second son. No one important.” Robert hissed back, smiling at the pained expression that formed on Stannis’ face when he said, ‘second son.’
Stannis turned away from his brother, once again gritting his teeth to hold his tongue and not fight back against Robert.
He knew that it would be pointless to try, once Robert made his mind up about something it would be impossible to change it. He also knew that trying to get Robert to behave in a decent manner was also a pointless and time-consuming endeavor.
And yet he is the special one, the one who will be Lord of Storm’s End after father.
Stannis sighed knowing that it would be a long day ahead of him at his brother’s side.
~X~
“Who do you think is going to win?” Aerea leaned to her right, yelling the question to Robert over the noise of the crowd.
“It will definitely be Lord Jon Arryn!” Robert said boisterously.
“Lord Jon Arryn?” Aerea asked, she was vaguely aware of the man from her lessons with the maester on the Great Houses of Westeros, but did not know much about him.
Robert smiled at his younger cousin, “Jon Arryn is the Lord Paramount of the Vale. I have been fostered by him for the last few years.”
“Really? Has Lord Arryn made you his squire?” Aerea asked, she knew most young boys were only sent to be fostered so they could become squires to a Lord or knight to gain Knighthood for themselves.
“Well, not yet, but me and Ned think it will be any day now when he finally makes it official.”
“Ned? Who’s Ned?”
“Ned is Eddard Stark. He is the second son of Lord Rickard Stark, Lord of Winterfell.” Stannis said before Robert could answer. Aerea noticed that Stannis’ voice became tense, and his face scrunched in annoyance when he said Ned’s name.
Robert was oblivious to his brother’s anger, his smile growing wider at the mention of his best friend. “Ned and his family arrived about a day ago. They should be sitting in one of the other boxes. Oh! I can introduce you two.” He then leaned in and loudly whispered in Aerea’s ear, “We can bring him with us when we spar.”
Aerea avoided looking at her brother as she felt Rhaegar’s piercing gaze on the back of her head, no doubt hearing Robert’s poor attempt to be discreet.
“I would like that.” Aerea whispered back.
Robert sat back, “Anyway, Lord Jon is definitely going to win the joust.”
“No way!” The trio turned and saw that it was Jaime who spoke up, “Our uncles Tygett and Gerion are competing, and they’re the best fighters. One of them will win!”
Robert leaning over and smirked at the younger boy, “You can think that, but there’s no way that Lord Jon will lose to your uncles. They don’t have the skill to match him.”
“Let’s just wait and see. No need to fight over it at the start of the joust.” Aerea tried to placate, once again trying to stop a fight before it could start within the group.
Before either boy could respond, the announcer called out the names of Barristan Selmy and that of a man from House Estren of the Westerlands. The crest of House Estren was prominently shown on his breastplate; the green saltire between four red double-headed eagles, on a white field.
The joust ended quickly as Barristan was able to unseat the younger man with a single strike of his lance, sending the Estren flying into the muddy ground.
The crowd cheered for the Kingsguard’s victory, Aerea clapped full heartedly for than man that had been training her, but none were as loud as the heir to Storm’s End.
“Hahaha! If that is the caliber of knights from the West than Lord Jon will have no problem beating your uncles!” Robert said, his smile growing wider as he saw the rage on Jaime’s face.
The joust continued, nobles and commoners alike becoming more invested as each fight lasted longer and more men showed their prowess.
Jaime had an air of smugness around him for the last few rounds, both his uncles had been unhorsed by Ser Gerold Hightower, but Jon Arryn had been bested two rounds before this by Prince and member of the Kingsguard, Lewyn Martell, younger brother of ruling Princess, Myria Martell.
However, Jaime’s words did not grow beyond friendly teasing and Robert regained his charming and relaxed stature quickly after Jon had left the field, the Lord of the Eyrie showing no ill will towards the Dornish prince.
Aerea continued to talk with the boys, even pulling the shy Cleos into their conversation as they talked about who would win it all.
Although, she could not help but feel a little bad for her brother, Aerea knew that her brother did not enjoy tourneys and melees, finding them to be boring and nothing but glorified displays of violence, but Rhaegar was suffering even more with Cersei talking his ear off.
Since the Lannisters had sat down, Cersei had been talking to Rhaegar, ignoring everyone else in favor of trying to endear herself to the prince.
Rhaegar Targaryen was not a sociable person, enjoying his own company or that of his mother and sister, only interacting with others, when necessary, but Aerea knew he hated interacting with girls their age the most.
And it was clear that Cersei was infatuated with Rhaegar, seeing him as a strong and gallant prince charming that would sweep her off her feet and make her Queen of Westeros.
Cersei and all those girls are delusional if they think Rhaegar is a fairy tale prince. Aerea thought, knowing that Rhaegar was far more interested in books and their family's legacy than girls.
This made Aerea feel for whoever her future good sister would be, knowing that they would be in for a rude awakening once they married Rhaegar.
Despite the strong showing of the Kingsguard, most of the crowd, the smallfolk especially, were rooting for a mysterious hedge knight going by the moniker of the Knight of Silver.
The mystery man derived his moniker from the shinning silver full body armor that he wore and the bright silver shield that he carried, making it obvious that the mystery knight had to be a noble or someone with wealth.
Regardless, his anonymity made him popular as people speculated just who was under the silver helm combined with the fact that he was able to make it to final round of the joust, now facing off against Barristan Selmy, both men fighting to become the joust’s champion.
The crowd was on the edge of its seat as the two knights continued to charge at one another, each tilt led to a broken lance as neither man would yield to the other, using their strength to remain on their horses.
When the fourteenth tilt occurred, that the match ended, Barristan and the mystery knight raised their lances up to strike each other, but it was Barristan’s that struck true.
The Kingsguard’s lance pierced through the visor of the Knight of Silver’s helmet and a gurgled scream ripped through the arena.
The lance broke in half as the Knight of Silver slipped from his horse and forcefully landed on the ground, the muddy floor stained red as the Knight of Silver’s blood began to pool around his fallen and still form.
The crowd became frenzied as the Knight of Silver laid prone on the ground, Barristan immediately dropped his broken lance and jumped off his horse, making his way to the fallen man. Two squires had come, and one pulled the broken tip of the lance out of the man’s visor and the other struggled to remove the helmet.
After a few moments of struggle, the squire removed the visor, revealing the Knight of Silver’s mangled and bloody face to the crowd, a large hole could be seen as blood and pieces of his brain were falling out of it. No one needed the confirmation that the mystery knight had been killed, dying the second that the lance had entered his head.
This was the second time that Aerea had seen a man killed and by a member of the Kingsguard, but remembered that tourneys can be dangerous and that maiming, and even death, were to be expected.
A piercing and bone shuddering scream ripped through the air and Aerea realized that it had come from the viewing box next to them. Various eyes were drawn to a noble woman who was standing over the edge of the viewing box, her hands covered her mouth and tears fell from her eyes as she stared at the Knight of Silver.
Aerea knew from the way the woman dressed that she had to be a noble lady from the North and from the complete devastation in her eyes that she had to have known the Knight of Silver.
But the woman’s grief was not the only thing that drew people’s attention as Aerea turned to her father after hearing a small chuckle escape his lips.
The nobility looked on in shock as they saw the amused smile on Aerys’ face, his eyes remaining on the Knight of Silver’s dead body.
Aerea too was horrified, she immediately turned to her brother and saw Rhaegar looking at their father plainly, not bothered by their father’s lack of empathy and his joy in the Northern woman’s suffering.
Aerea realized that it was not that Rhaegar was unbothered, he was just not surprised by their father’s actions.
It was the same way he looked when they sat with Aerys as he held court a few years ago, how he looked when Aerys ordered Gerold to kill the religious man that emerged from the crowd of smallfolk.
And when Aerea turned back to their father, she saw that same look on the faces of her mother, the Hand, his wife, and the Lord and Lady of Storm’s End. They too were not surprised, but Aerea could see the underlying look of disgust in the eyes of her mother and Joanna, both directing this at her father.
Aerea turned back around to see that a stretcher had been brought out for the squires to carry to deceased man away, a blanket had been placed over him to hide the gruesome sight from the crowd.
It did not take long for the crowd to resume their cheers, praising Barristan for his victory, not even waiting for the Knight of Silver’s corpse to disappear from the field.
Aerea could not stop the disgust that coiled within her guts at the sight of this, she knew that violence was to be expected and people loved watching it, but she did not expect people to cheer for death.
The Knight of Silver had been the crowd favorite and yet the people so easily disregarded this in favor of reveling in his bloody and painful death, ignoring the heartbreak of those that cared for him like the noble woman.
And Aerea could not help but be disgusted at her father for also enjoying this.
How could he laugh? I can understand liking to watch people fight, but how can you laugh as someone is killed? As people mourn them?
Aerea continued to think about these questions as the tourney had ended, the shock of the death leaving those of the noble class as she heard talks of the feast that would be held later that night.
~X~
Aerea had sat with her family at the royal table in the front of the great hall as the first day of feasting had begun.
Aerea had been quiet since the first day of the tournament had ended, she wore a mask to hide how she truly felt, but this was only able to fool her father, worrying both her mother and brother.
The princess had many thoughts swirling in her mind, unable to think of anything besides her newly discovered status as a freak of nature and the true nature of Aerys Targaryen. It made her feel like a fool for not realizing these things sooner, for being so blind to what should have been obvious.
Aerea Targaryen was not born normal, she was not born with a normal body, for either a man or woman. She knew that she was different, she was not that ignorant, but she never knew that it made her a plague, an abomination that should have been killed at birth.
And when it came to her father, Aerys had been her hero, the person she looked up to the most, the strong and brave King that she loved. But as she looked back on her short life, Aerea come to realize that the Aerys Targaryen that she knew was not the one that the rest of the world had known, he was not even the same man that her mother and brother had been forced to endure.
Aerys was mean and he was cruel, but he never showed any of these aspects to his daughter, and the young girl could not help but wonder why.
What about her was so different that she was treated in such a way? Why was she beyond reproach in her father’s eyes?
Aerea also learned that in the hours between the tourney and the feast, it was discovered that the Knight of Silver was actually Lord Torrhen Glover, eldest son of Lord Donnel and Lady Larra Glover, and the heir to Deepwood Motte.
He had wanted to enter the tourney but was refused by his parents who felt it would be too dangerous, this led to him dawning silver armor to hide his appearance and entering without their permission. Unfortunately, Lord and Lady Glover’s fears had come true as their fifteen-year-old son had been accidentally killed by Ser Barristan. It was Larra Glover who had screamed as Torrhen had died, who openly wept for her son while the smallfolk cheered and the King laughed.
The Glover family had not appeared at the feast, wanting to be alone in this time of grief, but the other houses of the North made up for this in their temperament.
Those from the North were known for their stoicism and brutal honesty and this was shown tenfold as the Northerners kept to themselves, openly glaring at any outsiders that approached them, but most of these glares and looks of contempt were aimed at the King.
Word of Aerys laughing at the young Lord Glover’s death had spread throughout the court, leaving the North feeling disrespected and slighted. But none could dare voice their anger to the King of Westeros, knowing how badly it would end for anyone foolish enough to do so.
Halfway through the feast, Aerea turned and saw Robert standing a few yards away from the table, the young lord waving at her, trying to get her to come over.
Aerea turned to her parents, “Mother, Father. Can I go spend the rest of the feast with Cousin Robert?”
Aerys and Rhaella turned away from the conversations they were having to look at their daughter and then Robert.
“You have made friends with Steffon’s eldest boy, huh?” Aerys asked, a smile forming on his face as he imagined the two bonding like he and Steffon had at their age.
“Yes, father. Robert is fun to be around.” Aerea responded.
“Ha. Then I have no problem with you being around him. He may well be what Steffon is to me.”
“Just remember to not go too far or leave without telling us, sweetling.” Rhaella said, she too having no issue with her and Robert’s burgeoning friendship.
“Thank you, mother, father.” Aerea said, standing from her chair and kissing both her parents on the cheek and smiling at her brother as she made her way to her cousin.
“Cousin, was there something you needed?” Aerea asked once she stood in front of the older boy.
“I told you that I would introduce you to Ned and now is the perfect time.” Robert grinned, grabbing Aerea by the arm and leading her through the crowd.
“Are you sure that is wise?” Aerea asked, worried about how the Northerners would perceive her after her father’s display.
“Of course! Besides Ned’s going to love you!” Robert argued.
Aerea had gotten the feeling that this stubbornness was just something that she would have to get used to as a friend of Robert Baratheon.
The pair made their way to the side of the great hall that the Northern nobles had occupied, many turned to watch as they walked past. Their eyes held a variety of emotions; from curiosity to suspicion, to anger, and to intrigue.
Soon the pair had reached the biggest table in the area, which was occupied by four individuals.
On either side of the two adults sat two young boys, the first tall with a strong build, long black hair, and grey eyes, there was a wildness in his gaze and a mischievous smirk on his face, and despite his youthful age, it was clear that he would grow to become very handsome.
The second boy was younger than the first, his eyes a much darker shade of grey, his body not as strong or as big, his hair was brown instead of black, and his long and solemn face made him less handsome than the older boy, but Aerea could see kind soul within his grey eyes.
The woman was shorter than the man beside her, but she was stockier than most southern women that Aerea had seen, she had warm brown eyes, long brown hair, and a sweet smile that brightened the pale skin of her face.
Finally, the man was tall, taller than most men in the hall and his body was larger and more muscular. His face was framed by a thick black beard, long slightly curled black hair that had a few grey strands mixed within it, a thick and furrowed brow, and steely grey eyes.
“Lord Rickard, Lady Lyarra, it is good to see you again. I want to introduce you all to my cousin, Aerea.” Robert said as he smiled to the Lord and Lady of Winterfell.
Aerea had not yet gotten used to how casual Robert could be, and her eyes widened at his lack of property etiquette, having to compose herself as the pair turned to look at her. “Good evening, Lord Rickard, Lady Lyarra.”
“Greetings, Your Grace.” Lord Stark replied, standing up and bowing to the princess, his family following suit.
“I trust that your journey was a peaceful one. I know that traveling all the way here from the North can be troubling.”
“It was nothing we could not handle, Your Grace.” Lyarra responded this time, amused by how serious the young girl before her was acting. “Allow us to introduce you to our children; this is our eldest son, Brandon, and our second son, Eddard.”
“You humble us with your presence, Your Grace.” Ned spoke, his eyes darting between Robert and Aerea, slightly unnerved by the grin on his friend’s face.
“So, you are the King’s daughter? Are you going to laugh at us like he did?” Brandon asked, his eyes narrowing as he bared his teeth at the girl.
“Brandon.” Rickard hissed as he placed his large hand on his eldest son’s shoulder, squeezing it hard as to admonish him. Brandon’s angered expression turned into one of pain as he was forced to withstand his father's grip.
Aerea blinked, not expecting the question but maintained her composure. “No, I am not. But I do apologize for how my father acted, it was unbecoming.”
Brandon stared at the young girl, “You are?”
“I am. The Glovers did not deserve that, and neither did the North.”
“You do not have to apologize, Your Grace. My son was the one who being disrespectful, it is not necessary.” Rickard spoke, he too was angry over what Aerys had done, but knew that his rage should be reserved for the King and not the small child standing before him.
Robert placed his hand on Aerea’s shoulder, “Lord Rickard is right, you don’t need to apologize, cousin. Your father was the being a cun- er-uh... not a good person!”
Brandon snorted as it was clear to all of them what Robert had almost called their King.
Aerea shook her head, “I feel it would not be right if I did not at least give my own apologies for what happened, that is why I wanted to ask if it were possible for me to meet Lord and Lady Glover.”
Unbeknownst to the princess, there were others besides the Starks and Robert who were listening to their conversation. The appearance of Robert Baratheon was not surprising to the noble houses of the North, the friendship between him and Ned Stark due to their fostering under Jon Arryn was well known.
But the sight of the Targaryen princess was, especially since those in the South often ignored the North, refusing to see their worth.
Those who were able, moved closer when Aerea and Robert walked to the table that held their liege lord and his family, the memory of the King's insult fresh in their minds. King's Landing was a viper's nest, a city of two-faced liars, lickspittles, and betrayers, a place that was so intrinsically different from the North.
So, in this city where everyone wears a mask of fake niceties and respect, it was strange for the Northerners to see someone so genuine. It was clear just by looking into Aerea's eyes that she wanted to apologize to the Glovers.
“What man must have his daughter apologize for his failings?” Brandon muttered under his breath.
Lyarra reached over and pinched her son's ear, hearing what he had said. “Be quiet.”
A small smile appeared on Rickard’s face before he turned back to the princess, “I will see if I can arrange a meeting between you all, Your Grace. But they may not be receptive to any visitors during this time.”
“A chance is all I ask for, my lord.” Aerea acquiesced, knowing that was as much as she could get.
Aerea needed to do this, she wanted the grieving family to know that someone from the royal family cared, she needed to make up for what Aerys had done.