Hello everyone. So this is an idea I have been toying around with for a while. I have never considered myself a good writer, or even decent, but I finally decided to do it myself. So, please give me honest feedback and tips. Thanks.
Also, I don't own Game of Thrones. :)
"Ser Barristan," Robar Baratheon began "What were the Targaryens like? As rulers, I mean." Robar was always smarter than people gave him credit for, even at nine. People would look at him and assume him to be a warrior without a mind.
Ser Barristan took the sparring swords and sat down on a bench in the training yard, and he began "Before the Mad King, Aerys, They were all rather good. Of course, there were always some who didn't help the realm, but he was the first to start a war. Rhaegar would have been a good king."
"Wait wait, Didn't Rhaegar kidnap Lyanna Stark?" Robar interrupted.
Barristan sighed and scratched his beard. "I helped raise that boy, trained him to fight myself, I never thought he would do such a thing. But yes, he would have been one of the better kings out of the Targaryen dynasty. The noble families loved him, Small folk all adored him. Despite his faults, I think he would have been a great king."
Over the next four years, Barristan Selmy and Robar Baratheon formed a close bond. Barristan taught Robar all manner of things. He would tell him all about the Targaryens, focusing on Rhaegar and his family. He would tell Robar about his travels of Westeros, what he had seen, where he had gone. He trained Robar in all different manners of weapons, from Swords, to Glaives and spears, to Bow and arrows, and even war hammers, with some input from Robar's father, Robert Baratheon. They even learned some new fighting styles and weapons together. They learned the Bravosi water dancing, how to disable limbs with a two inch deep stab, and even learned to use more exotic weapons, like a trident. They even learned how to smith their own weapons and armour. Robar was very good at it.
And soon enough, it was time for the traditional Baratheon hunt.
Robert, Barristan and Robar were walking through the forest, armed with Spears, swords, hammers, bows, daggers and a number of different weapons, all on a trailer, with space for a medium sized stag. Robert was stomping about, drinking, shouting about how proud of his son he was. Robar was trying to tune his father out while looking around for a stag, and Barristan was trying to hide his amusement at the whole scene.
That's when Robar saw it.
On the other side of a lump in the ground, was one of the biggest stags he would ever see. Its antlers reaching to about 6ft high at the tip, slightly higher than his head, a deep brown coat. Robar couldn't help but feel intimidated.
"Father shut up." Robar hissed.
Robert, shocked for a moment that his son would speak to him that way, stopped walking, shouting a drinking. He then followed his son's line of sight, and thought to himself 'This should be good.'
Robar walked over to the trailer, and grabbed his favorite weapon of all. He picked it up, and looked it over. Its 4ft pole, pair of 1'5" steel blades, looking like slanted triangles, with a 6 inch gap between them. His Two bladed Fauchard looked in top condition.
He walked to where he would charge at the stag, spun his fauchard and charged towards the lump in the ground, and the stag charging too, looking to gore him on his antlers.
The stag hit the lump first, and jumped from the top of it. Robar realized the stag would hit him, and slid along the ground. When his blade touched the stag, he lunged it into the beasts gut. The stag, continued to move in the air, and the blade dragged through flesh like paper.
When the stag hit the ground, there were two long but slim blade lines from its throat to its back legs. It fell to the ground, dead, with its intestines all over the floor and even on Robar.
Everyone stood rooted to the ground in shock for a few seconds, until Robert started bursting out laughing.
Robar sat up, and just asked Barristan, who was staring with wide eyes. "Did I just..." and joined his father in laughter. Eventually, he stood up, removed the intestine from his shoulder, and looked around him.
The stag, which would have to weigh easily 396 pounds lay dead behind him, with half of its intestines leaking out.
Barristan, normally very composed, was sitting down on the weapon wagon looking between him and the stag in shock.
Robert was laying on the ground laughing so hard he couldn't breathe.
Robar stood up, walked over to his father to check he was okay and helped him up. He then walked towards the stag to move it when Robert shouted "I'll get that for you Robar! That looks heavy. Its even bigger than mine was!" and moved to pick up the stag.
Robar stopped him by saying "No, it's alright. Ser Barristan, could you come and take my arm bands off please?" and walking towards the Kings guard.
Barristan stood up and pulled a key from his pocket, which he then used to remove the 10 kg weights from each arm, and threw on the wagon.
Robar walked over to the stag and threw it over his shoulder like it was a sack of potatoes, albeit a heavy sack of potatoes. He walked past his shocked father and threw it on the area of the wagon for the stag. Robar then turned back to his father, cocked his head to the side and asked, quite cheekily, "Shall we?"
When they returned to the Red Keep, Cersei, Robar's mother, met them at the door. She walked over and looked at the stag on the wagon. Cersei then turned back to Robar and said "You smell. Go bathe, our meal is in two hours."
Robar just nodded and walked past her. She had always treated him coldly at best, and it was common knowledge that she didn't like him. He would walk around Fleabottom, handing out food, clothes, toys to children, other such things that they should have. He was very popular with the people, both noble and common alike, and yet, no one knew why she didn't like him. So he got over it.
Robar made it to the kitchens, and with the help of some of the kitchen staff, mainly males, and very few women, because most couldn't pay attention to anything but his physique, they skinned the stag and began preparing it for the meal.
Robar thanked the kitchen staff, and started his way back to his rooms. He was almost there when a small blonde girl collided with him. Robar's younger sister, Myrcella, adored him. It was known to most of the people who came to the Red keep often that he all but raised Myrcella and Tommen. He had to, so he could protect them from Joffrey's cruelty. Joffrey was always the favorite of their mother, and she barely paid attention to Myrcella and Tommen, and she loathed Robar.
"Robar! How was the hunt? How big was it!? What did you kill? Did you have fun?" Myrcella said rather quickly. Robar picked up the eight year old and wrapped his arms around her back while she wrapped her legs around his ribs and arms around his neck.
Robar walked past a few people while carrying his sister like this back to his room. Everyone looked amused, even uncle Stannis.
Robar entered his room, put Myrcella down on his bed and told her about the hunt. She looked rather ill when he described how he killed it, and soon enough she ran back to her room, leaving him to organise himself a bath before dinner.
He scrubbed himself roughly, getting all the blood, sweat, and dirt off himself quickly enough, and got out. After dressing himself casually, yet still nice enough for a prince, he made his way to his name day feast.
When he arrives, most of the high lords of the south, even the Dornish, were there. He sat down and made small talk with his sister. Over the next twenty minutes, the rest of the lords of the court arrived. Once everyone had arrived, Robert stood up to address the lords and ladies as was his job, as king.
"Lord and Ladies, we are here to feast for my son, Robar's, fourteenth name day. Today, we went out into the woods for a hunt, and my son killed this stag for the feast. BRING IT IN!" He roared to the assembled guests. Twelve of the kitchen staff walked in to the hall with a massive plate, with the stag he killed earlier, roasted and posed atop different meats, fruits, vegetables and sauces.
Over the next three hours, Robar listened to his father's booming voice retelling the story to different people. Half way through the feast, Robar saw someone who he had wanted to speak with for years, Oberyn Martell.
When Oberyn saw him approaching, Robar saw him quickly hide a grimace and let lose a small chuckle of amusement.
"Prince Oberyn, Thank you for coming. I have wanted to speak to you for a while now." Robar said respectfully, smiling at the older man's shock.
Schooling his features, Oberyn replied "Thank you for the invitation, I was a bit surprised at the invitation though. After all, I fought against your father during the war."
Chuckling lightly, Robar smiled his charming smile "Ah, but that was fifteen years ago, was it not? I was not there, and have issue with neither you nor Dorne. I have nothing but respect for you as an individual for your skill as a warrior though." He responded.
Shocked once more, Oberyn responded "Ah, we should have a spar tomorrow then, I would be interested how well the newly dubbed 'Robar the Disembowler' battles." Chuckling at Robar's grimace, he continues, "Where are my manners, this is one of my daughters, Tyene Sand."
Robar turned and smiled at Tyene "Its a pleasure to meet you" and kissed her hand as was customary.
Amused at his formal greeting, she asked "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Does it not bother you that I am a bastard?" with a raised eyebrow.
Chuckling lowly he replied "Should it? It doesn't bother me, really. The only reason I am being as formal as I am is because people are watching to see how the crown prince speaks to our supposed enemies. Anyway, my sister, Myrcella wishes to see me again, so shall I see you both again tomorrow?"
Oberyn smiles and answers "Yes, I hope so. I plan to do some sparing tomorrow morning at about 10 in the yard. I hope to see you there."
"I shall see you out there" Robar grins back. He turns back to Tyene and says "And I shall see you tomorrow as well." And makes his way back to his seat.
The next morning at breakfast, Robar turns to his father and says to him "Father, I need to speak to you this afternoon. I plan on doing some training with Prince Oberyn this morning and I wish to speak with you afterwards, about three o'clock?" he asks.
"Of course Robar, I'll see you then" His not-so-kingly father booms back.
And so for the next five hours, Robar was in the yard with Oberyn and Tyene. They had spar's, gave each other taps and just made conversation.
Afterwards, Robar made his way back to his room to get ready. He was bloody nervous. He had been thinking on this for about a year. He knew his father would be disappointed, but this is what he wanted. Robar put on a black silk shirt and pants with golden highlights, and began his walk to his father's chambers. When he arrived, he saw Ser Barristan standing guard.
Robar approached the door and guard, and said to the king's guard "Can you come in with me? This affects the both of you in a way I suppose." And knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Robert boomed back. Once they entered, Robar sat down, looking very nervous. "Now then" Robert began "What do you want to talk about Robar?"
Nervous, Robar just said "I don't know how to say this, so I think I'm going to blunt, okay?" he asked the pair. Robert just nodded, looking confused, and Barristan, thinking he had an idea what that was about, nodded along too.
"Right. I don't want to be king." Seeing their shocked faces, he continues "I don't want to spent the rest of my life sitting in a chair, running the realm. I want to explore the world, see the best that both Westeros and Essos have to offer. Maybe I'll be a sell sword, I don't know. I just, I can't see myself doing that, it's not who I am." He released a long sigh, and just said "I won't spend my life sitting in this damn castle acting as if everything is fine in the world."
The room was silent until Robert let a long, deep sigh out. He looked into his son's eyes and said "I know how you feel. I have half a mind to pass the throne to Joffrey and join you. Seven hells, I probably would if I wasn't so fat. Before my rebellion, I planned on making Stannis the lord of storms end, and Ned had an older brother, the two of us planned on doing the same. Then everything came to a head, and I became king. Now I can't." He sighed again and continued "I had hoped you would become king after me, and rule the seven kingdoms as a better king than I ever had the potential to be. When you started asking people you had met about where they had been, I saw this coming."
The room resumed its silence, and the three great warriors sat for a few minutes, until Barristan asked an important question. "Where would you plan on starting? Essos is a large place. There's slavers bay, the free cities, the great grass sea, the red waste, Asshai, the shadow lands? It's a large place."
"That's a great point. I shall head into the city and get a few maps of Essos." Robar said as he stood and left.
Robert turned to Barristan and asked "What do you think of this?"
Barristan simply said "I'm rather jealous myself. Iv spent most of my life as Kings guard or fighting in tourneys that I have never seen the world."
Robert appeared rather thoughtful until he looked at Barristan again and asked "Do you want to go with him?"
Robar was walking through the city of Kings Landing smiling happily. That conversation went a lot better than he had expected. He arrived in Flea bottom where some rather high quality maps were sold. He walked in the shop and approached the counter where a older gentleman was creating a map. When he arrived at the counter, the man saw Robar and stood.
"Ah Prince Robar, how can a mapmaker such as myself help you today? Where do you need a map for?" He asked the prince the people favored.
Robar smiled at the man "Please just call me Robar, there is a good chance I will be seeing you quite a bit soon enough."
Curiosity peaked, he asked "And why would that by Robar?" Quite respectfully.
Robar chuckled and said "Sorry, not allowed to say, it's a rather well kept secret. Anyway, I would like a map of Essos. From the free cities to the Shadow lands, and down past the Basilisk Isles. Just a general Essos map please"
Smiling, the man turned around and found a map he was looking for. It was a large 5'x5' map. He took the money and say goodbye.
Robar made his way back to the keep, wondering where he should start.
Once Robar re-entered his fathers chambers, after knocking, he cleared everything off the table, and put the map onto the top. The map had Bravos in the top left, with the summer Isles in the bottom left. The top right stretched to Mossovy, and down to the bottom right down to the Saffron Straits. The three were all shocked for different reasons. Robert for the size of Essos, Robar for the detail of a map from flee bottom, and Barristan that Robar got such a high quality map so quickly.
"Right" Robert began "I don't want you starting too far away, I want you in one major cities where you can keep in contact. I don't expect you would stay there though. I'm assuming you would end up in Asshai or Ibben eventually." He hummed in thought.
"What about starting in Volantis, moving through Lys, Tyrosh, Myr to Pentos for starters. If you decide after that you wish to continue, make way from there." Barristan suggests. They look down at the map and follow path. It looks like a good one.
Robar looks up at his father, a hopeful expression on his face. He had been considering this for coming up six months. He had been trying to think of a way to take Ser Barristan with him, but he couldn't, and he didn't want to leave the man behind. He raised him more than Robert did.
Robert, seeing his son's hopeful expression was torn. On one side, he wanted his son to be happy, the life he wanted but could never have. He had always wanted to do this, but was never able. He wanted this for him. On the other hand, his second son, Joffrey, would become heir to the throne. He hated that little shit. He was either always whining about something or bragging about how he should be king and would crush all their enemies. He knew his second son was cruel. How could he not?
Barristan was hopeful that Robert would let his son follow his dream. He was also hopeful the he could join Robar on his adventure. He knew Robert wouldn't let his son go alone. Barristan hoped that he got to go along with Robar, and not some idiot, Sandor 'The hound' Clegane, or Jamie Lannister, the King Slayer.
"Alright, Alright. I'll talk to your mother. In the meantime, start learning to speak Valyrian. Most of the free cities speak some form of it. Il find someone to teach you." Robert said to his excited son, who hugged him suddenly and charged out of the room like a man on a mission.
Thanks for reading!