Chapter one

Squire's trials

It was a warm Sunday morning a light breeze coming from the south. Justin Maxward would have loved to enjoy the day swimming in the lake outside his Uncle's keep in the Reach, but the knight he squired to Ser Douglas Rowman had ordered him to clean out the stables and begin his usual training with the keeps master of arms. Amongst the other squires the knight was known as Ser Douglas the cruel, a fitting name for the man who had continuously beat Justin for the smallest errors or just because he was drunk and angry. Justin was a big lad for the age of 15 he was 6 feet tall and very muscular from the constant training and manual labour Ser Douglas had put him through. He had his fathers thick black hair and his mothers emerald green eyes. When he first came to the Reach Justin hated it he hated the weather, the food and his cousins Darris and Brenard, he was just 11 when his Mother had told him he was to go live with her brother until he came of age to be knighted and later return to his home at Eaglesend a small stronghold in the North. He was the second true born son of Lord Trenton Maxward a sworn banner man of Lord Eddard Stark, his father had always spoke highly of Lord Stark about his bravery in Robert's rebellion and Justin had always liked Lord stark the few times they met, Lord Stark was always kind to him he had attended a feast at Eaglesend for Justin's sister Breyna's wedding, Breyna was the eldest of the Maxward children, then came his older brother Danard and his younger brother Lucas although Lucas was a bastard so he could never become lord of Eaglesend.

It was past midday when Justin had finally cleaned out the stables and made his way to the courtyard to start his day of training, Justin was told today would be a lesson on archery, he hated archery he wasn't any good at it and he preferred using a sword to fight, "a real knight knows how to fight with all forms of weapon boy" Ser Douglas had told him when Justin had complained about not needing to know it, Justin had wished afterwards that he didn't complain that night he received the worst beating in over a year, the Maester had told him he had cracked two ribs and had also dislocated his left shoulder, Justin knew after that it was easier to obey and do his best then to speak back to Ser Douglas. By the time evening came Justin's whole body hurt but he had done well with his archery today he hoped that Ser Douglas would have been at least mildly proud of him but the old goat didn't even acknowledge him when he had entered the great hall and heard the master of arms telling Ser Douglas how Justin was improving. Although it was his uncles keep Justin was still made to eat as far from the high table as possible with the other squires some of whom weren't even noble of birth, but Justin had preferred it this way, his uncle Derrion Barren was a pompous man who doted over his sons, when Justin had first came to the Reach he was allowed at the high table but was completely ignored by nearly everyone around him. Justin had found an empty spot on the table with the other squires and filled his plate with meat, onions and boiled potatoes, as he was about to start eating a familiar face sat next to him slapping him on the back and nearly knocking him face first into his meal. "Justin I heard you're finally becoming a half decent squire to Ser Douglas, of course you'll never be good as me" the young man smiled at Justin between mouthfuls of meat. "Well I don't need to work as hard as you stone I already have my knighthood assured, a year or so more and I'll be a knight and return to my father's stronghold in the north, will you return to whatever brothel your mother works in now or do you think your Lord father will take you back?" Justin thought for a moment the other lad might knock his block off for saying that but he didn't instead he started laughing and Justin and the other squires joined him.

The Squire he was talking to was a bastard born called Robin Stone he was from the Vale of Arryn, he was nearly 14 and small for his age although he was as tough as old leather many a times Justin had hit him with hard blows with his sword knocking Robin down on multiple occasions but not once did he yield he would always get back to his feet and keep fighting usually harder and faster then he did before he was knocked down. "Have you heard the news from the wall? They say that wildlings killed 2 rangers and fed them to a giant and a dire wolf" robin had said. "Oh please Stone next you'll have us all believing in grumkins and snarks" laughed one of the older squires Darren Payne a distant relative of the kings justice Ser Ilyn Payne. "I swear it's true the ranger that had escaped them swore it to be true by the old gods and the new" Justin smiled his uncle Rodrick served at the wall as a ranger and he had read about strange happenings over the wall from his uncle, "I doubt they were fed to giants but dire wolves are real and there are tribes of wildlings who are cannibals" Justin had said chewing on a potato. "Not you as well Maxward, but you northerners are an overly suspicious bunch I guess." Justin glared at Darren, he had never liked him and believed he was either too stupid or too weak to become a Knight. "Well I'll be receiving a knighthood before my 17th name day you're on your 19th now aren't you Payne?" The other squires laughed at Justin's joke but Payne gave him a death stare and continued to eat his food.

After their meal the boys were offered a mug of Ale from their knights all except Justin, Ser Douglas said he was unworthy of sharing a drink with the knights. Justin had decided it was time for him to go back to his room he walked across the yard, it was cooler in the evenings then during the day, it was currently the long summer he had never remembered winter but his father had said that a long summer would mean an even longer winter, Justin shuddered at the thought of it, he had reached his room and sat down at his table lighting a candle, he had decided to write to his mother she would worry about him if he didn't write often, he grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from the table and started to write. "Dearest mother, I hope you and father are well, things are going well for me here Ser Douglas has been working me hard but I am improving fast soon I may even be knighted, I had heard that Breyna is pregnant, I hope I get to see the child before they're too large to hold in my arms. Uncle Derrion is well he is preparing a feast for his 57th name day and has asked me to invite you and father to the feast, I hope you're able to attend, it would be good to see you and father again. I must go now as it is getting rather late, your loving son Justin."

Just as he was rolling up the parchment he heard a knock on his door, Justin stood up and walked across the room pulling the door open it was Sara his youngest cousin, "Sara what are you doing here? Isn't past your bedtime?" "I couldn't sleep and I had seen the way Ser Douglas treated you tonight, I do apologise for his behaviour before he swore his sword to my Lord father he was a hedge knight and not a nice one from what I had been told" She smiled at him, he had always loved her smile no matter how hard the beatings he took were her smile seemed to take away his pain. "It's fine, Ser Douglas just means to train me to be tough, knights can't be soft like your feather pillows little cousin" Justin laughed but Sara didn't take his joke very well she scrunched up her face and punched him hard in the stomach. "I'm tougher then you and any boy in the Reach, and I don't need feather pillows I could just as easily use straw pillows the same as you" Sara said. "Oh I beg your forgiveness mi'lady I promise I won't say that again" Justin smiled but Sara still looked as though she would hit him again but she didn't, she just stormed off. Justin removed his leather jerkin and tunic, his tunic was damp from the days training but it was the only tunic he had that fit him and as squires weren't payed he couldn't but a new one the only option he had was to wash it once a week, he laid on the straw mattress on the floor and closed his eyes almost instantly falling asleep.

It was 6am when Justin had awoke, he walked across the courtyard to the quarters of Ser Douglas, Justin had knocked on the door waiting for a reply. "Enter", Justin had pushed open the heavy oak door to see Ser Douglas was awake and reading by the window. "Ser you had asked for me" Justin stood up as straight and tall as he could, his arms were bruised and his back aching. "I called for you nearly an hour ago boy" Ser Douglas stared intently at his book barely acknowledging Justin's presence. "Apologies Ser the message had not reached me till a few minutes ago" Justin felt as nervous as he had ever done, Ser Douglas had beaten him for smaller offences before and he expected an even harsher beating this time. "I only wished to inform you that I do not need your services today, you have leave to spend the day as you please, we will return to your training on the morrow" Ser Douglas licked his forefinger and turned the page on his book. "Thank you Ser is there anything you need of me before I take my leave for the day?" "Pour me a cup of wine then take your leave" Justin quickly walked across the room and picked up the jug and poured the wine into a cup handing it to Ser Douglas. "Now leave me, and enjoy your day boy" Ser Douglas had smiled back at him, it was a rare sight for Justin to have seen Ser Douglas smile but he moved out of the door as soon as he could, a grin beaming from his face. A whole day off Justin pondered on how he would spend it, it had been over a year since Justin was given a day off of training and serving Ser Douglas. Ser Douglas had not even giving him a day off for his name day, now he would use the day to swim in the lake and ride outside the keep, it had been too long since Justin was allowed to ride a horse outside the keep to ride as fast as he wanted to feel the wind in his hair and ride as far from the keep as he liked. He saddled up Thunder, the horse his parents had brought him for his 14th name day and began to ride out of the keep to the lake near by, it had been so long since he had left the keep for more then just a simple errand or as an envoy beside Ser Douglas that he had forgotten how beautiful the Reach was, wild flowers grew all around in every shade and colour Justin could think of, trees blew lazily in the wind and it brought a smile to Justin's face to know that today would be the day he didn't have to work, the day he didn't have to spend hours shovelling horse shit and training in the yard the day was his to do as he pleased.

Justin arrived at the lake and tied Thunder's reins to a nearby tree. He stripped almost completely naked save for his under garments and dived into the lake, he swam back to the surface of the water shaking his wet thick black hair to try to keep it out of his eyes. That's when he had spotted her, Rina Tavner one of his Aunt Elisa's handmaidens, she was maybe a year or so younger then Justin but she was beautiful all the same long flowing fiery red hair, a long thin neck and those freckles that dotted her body, he had especially liked the freckles on her face they brought out the colour in her lips, lips he had wished he could kiss but to do that would dishonour himself and her. Her father was a knight in service to the Tyrell's he had even earned enough gold serving the Tyrell's that he had brought a keep close to Lord Barren's which is why Justin's aubt had taken Rina as a handmaiden, he stared at her as she laughed and joked with the other handmaidens as she dipped her toes in the water. "Why don't you just go over and talk to her you daft prick" Justin turned to see Robin Stone smiling back at him. "I can't, she's with the other handmaidens and she's clearly busy". "Busy with what? Washing her fucking feet? Go Justin just talk to the bloody girl I'm sure she doesn't bite" Justin stared back over to her took a deep breath and swam towards where Rina was.

"H-hello Rina isn't it?" Justin wished something under the water would grab him under and drown him at this point. "Yes, who are you?" Rina gave justin a curious look not sure what to make of him. "Well I-I'm Justin im Ser Douglas Rowman's squire an-" before Justin could finish his sentence another one of the handmaidens interrupted him, "ugh you're lord Barrens nephew aren't you? The northern boy who came here nearly 4 years ago? You were a fat little boy back then" The other girls had started to laugh which made Justin turn a bright shade of red but he had noticed Rina had not joined their laughter. "Don't be so cruel anya, it's nice to meet you Justin they say Lord Barren is your uncle what family do you come from if I may ask?" Justin had not realised she would stick up for him but it gave him an extra bit of confidence then he had before. "My family name is Maxward, my father Trenton Maxward is Lord of Eaglesend a small stronghold in the North, although I'm not next in line to be Lord that would be my brother Danard" Justin smiled and Rina and smiled back. "My father would always tel me stories of the valour and honour of your father although I must confess I know nothing else of your house." "Maybe I can teach you more mi'lady if you'd care to walk with me" Justin stood out of the water and offered his hand to Rina who accepted and walked with him for a while.

"So I assume as your stronghold is at Eaglesend your family sigil is an Eagle?" Rina had looped her arm in his as the walked. "No mi'lady our sigil is a great sword with a mountain behind it, our words are now our enemies rest." Justin smiled realising that this was easier then he was expecting, all the times he had sat and watched her too scared to say anything to her and now here he was walking arm in arm with her. "Then why is it called Eaglesend?" Rina cocked her head slightly looking Justin dead in his eyes. "Because it is built directly into the mountain, in the story one of our ancestors Tormund Maxward had climbed the mountain to defeat a giant eagle that had been attacking the villages in the area, although he was able to injure the eagle he was not able to kill it so he had tricked it into a cave and then brought the cave down around it, to make sure the eagle could no longer escape he built the stronghold into the mountain and trained men to fight in case the eagle broke through the stone and dirt of the mountain, after 40 years Tormund was on his deathbed he called his eldest son Gerhad in and gave him the sword he had used to injure the eagle and had told him that his and the eagle's time had come to an end, that's when Gerhad had named the stronghold Eaglesend, because it was the end of the eagle" Justin stared off into the distance that story had made him sad as a child why the eagle had to die such a horrible death trapped below a mountain to starve. "That's a beautiful story Justin, but I fear I should be heading back, it's nearly midday Lady Elisa will want her meal, perhaps I'll see you soon?" She smiled at Justin and he stared into her eyes pale blue eyes like the sea. "Of course Mi'lady would you like me to escort you back to the keep? my horse isn't far from here." "I would like that Justin only if you have the time of course" Rina's smile sent butterflies in Justin's stomach. He led her to where he had reined Thunder before, she stroked the big horses neck, "he's beautiful, where did you get him?" Justin stared at her for a minute and at the horse Thunder was a brown and white Destrier, he had never really stopped to appreciate the strength and beauty of the horse before. "Thunder was a gift from my Lord father for my 14th name day, the day he arrived at the castle we had had one of the worst thunder storms in the reach for over a year, and Thunder had barely flinched the other horses in the stables were restless and some had even escaped the stables but Thunder had stayed calm throughout, that's why I had given him the name, would you like a hand up mi'lady?" Justin offered his hand to help raise her onto the horse.

It was a short ride back to the keep but Justin had still remained talking to Rina, mostly about how different their lives at the keep had been, Rina had a life dressing and brushing the hair of lady Elina where Justin's life consisted of shovelling shit and fighting. Justin brought Thunder to a stop and helped Rina down from the horse. "Thank you Justin, I surely wouldn't have made it back to the castle in time without your help" she kissed Justin on the cheek turning him a bright shade of red she turned back to him as she was walking away and smiled, he had unsaddled Thunder and began to brush him as Thunder drank from the trough. Justin had led the horse back into the stable and had walked back to his quarters realising he had not sent the letter he had written for his mother. After retrieving the letter from his desk Justin had almost sprinted to the ravens tower knocking elderly maester Sibas over in the process. "Sorry maester Sibas I didn't see you there" Justin helped the elderly maester to his feet, "you young boys run around without a care in the world always looking to the future or the past, never looking on where their mind should be, in the present" the maester dusted his robes down and stared at Justin suspiciously, "what are you doing here anyway boy?" Justin cleared his throat "I had a letter I wanted to send by raven I knew you fed the birds at this time and didn't want to miss you" Justin handed the parchment to the maester. "Well I'll see it gets sent, now off with you I have things to do, things I don't need a young man such as yourself being underfoot for. Justin nodded and made his way back down the stairs. As he turned round the corner he was grabbed from behind and thrown landing hard on his face. "Think you can insult me in front of the other squires and get away with it you little shit?" Justin tried to get back to his feet to face his attacker but was kicked hard in the ribs knocking the air out of his lungs he rolled over long enough to see it was Darren Payne. As Darren got closer Justin was able to sweep his leg out from under him flooring the boy, Justin rolled over onto him and started raining down punches he felt a crack as he connected with Payne's jaw before receiving a head butt of his own as 2 guardsmen came around the corner they had seen the fight escalate breaking the 2 squires up and taking them to their respective knights, Justin had looked down noticing the large amount of blood on his hands and down his jerkin.

Once the guards had left Ser Douglas stood from his chair and approached Justin. Ser Douglas stood above him and Justin tried to look anywhere but at him. "I give you a day to spend as you please and you choose to start fights with other squires? I thought over the past 6 months you had learnt some bloody discipline, but clearly I was wrong, do you have anything to say for yourself before I punish you?" Justin knew nothing he could say would change Ser Douglas's mind. "No Ser all I can do is apologise for my actions, I was wreckless and stupid and fighting over a simple misunderstanding" Justin kept his head bent he didn't want to anger the knight anymore then he had to. "You're to go to your quarters now and stay there until I call for you again, no food, no water and no leaving until I say otherwise, is that clear boy?" Justin nodded turning towards the door. He walked past the great hall on the way to his quarters he could smell cooked pork and beef coming from the great hall causing his mouth to water but he knew he'd have none of it tonight.

He had reached his room pushing open the door before the door was even closed behind him Sara's arms wrapped around his ribs causing him to grunt in pain. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry i didn't mean to hurt you, I just heard you had been in a fight with another squire one of the guards had said you were bleeding" sara's eyes had started to fill with tears. "I'm fine Sara you shouldn't worry about me so much I'm a strong lad and I've taken worse beatings then that before." Justin slumped into the chair by his desk and felt his nose, it must have been broken in the fight as he had thought it had been, he was hardly a pretty sight as it was now he'd never win a fair maidens hand at any tourney. "how has Ser Douglas punished you?" "I'm to stay here till he calls for me again I'm not allowed food or water and i'm 100% sure i shouldn't be having visitors so you should probably hurry back to your quarters mi'lady" Justin smiled at her and she had smiled back at him a rare sight from the scowl he'd usually get for mocking her, she hugged Justin once more and left leaving justin to lie down on his straw matress and try to sleep.