Not to be mistaken for "a Song of Black and Gold" by TheForeverKing who gave me permission to use my title. Disclaimer: A song of Ice and Fire belongs to George R.R. Martin

Prologue

He had always been quiet. Having been born the Second son and Third child of his parents, Arthur had accepted from a young age that he would never be the child his parents would regale stories about with their fellow lords, boasting of his prowess with a sword or his of his intelligence and wit, in the hope of matching him with a suitable bride to insure the continuation of his family. He accepted this and set to find his own future.

House Estermont dated back to the arrival of the first men from the Andals though Arthur nor any current member of House Estermont knew the history of the family prior to their ruling on the island Estermont.

With its remote location, surrounded by water as far as the small island stretches, Arthur in his youth often found himself meandering the reclusive isle through its small trampled mountain pathways, of which he had become so acutely aware, in the hope of one day stumbling upon some secret treasure trove containing a sword of some great swordsman famed in battle or perhaps belonging to a hedge knight that kept it with him for all his adventuring days. Once again his trek would led him to one of the four ocean beds he could not have avoided heading in any direction and he would, as always, reluctantly lean over to pick up a stone to skim it in the water waiting to see how far it would travel and then lay down on his back jealous that the stone had gotten further from where it had once lived than he ever had.

Arthur's Father, Andrew Estermont, like him was the second born son but was the younger brother to the future heir of House Estermont Aemon. Having grown up close the brothers were always at the others side and as such Arthur was made to be present at both small and large gatherings at the Castle of Greenstone in which Island Estermont was governed. The castle was not nearly as grand or lavish as others with its modest furnishings and even more modest size and in all the years Arthur had lived there only once did Greenstone ever see cause for there to be any type of gathering when it was visited by the King Robert Baratheon, Queen Cersei Lannister and some of the court of King's Landing before Arthur's Birth. King Roberts' Mother was Lady Cassana Estermont who had married Steffon Baratheon years past and some say King Robert had always been fond of House Estermont, though may say his fondness was simply for a cousin he had bedded there in his youth. Though many speak of his more dubious deeds Arthur would have honoured to have been alive at the time to have met Ser Jamie Lannister who had accompanied his sister.

The idea of the greatest swordsman in Westeros having been on the same small rock he called home filled his head with notions of wild fantasy that perhaps the presence of a true swordsman had made the Gods look down upon the island, blessing it so that no matter you're humble origin those who believed could see their dreams become reality and that he could one day become a Knight of the Kingsguard.

It had been three years since Arthur had placed his hopes on this belief and it would seem whatever Ser Jamie Lannister had left behind in the years since he had visited had blown away in the wind and dreams were replaced with the gut wrenching feeling of loss and betrayal. In that time Arthur he had become an older brother and now understood what his own older sister and brother must have felt when they first saw him newly born and crying with such a large age gap between them "I will never truly know this new sister of mine" he thought solemnly to himself. Later in bed that night Arthur was angry at himself for seemingly blaming the child for existing.

A loud commotion of servants running through the corridors outside his room had awoken Arthur the following morning. "Prepare the dining hall we have important guests approaching!" Seemed to echo off of one wall and rebound on another.

"Why didn't we receive word sooner?" bellowed one maid as she ran down the hall.

"They say the Boys like the father, got it in his head he wanted to visit and the father set out with him the next day" another replied, though the running insured it did not come out as eloquently as she might have hoped.

"Then we had thank our lucky stars he's the second born son, otherwise we'd have a kingdom traipsing all over it self" laughed another maid

"Enough Babbling!" the voice commanded in reply a voice that Arthur knew belonged to that of the head maid of the castle and the instigator of the commotion which had woke him.

"Second son?" Thought Arthur laying confused and still half-asleep at the meaning. Wanting to avoid being trampled on or getting in the way of the workers in the castle Arthur got out of bed and fetched the practice sword he kept inside his room's cupboard. He had asked the Blacksmith to make a sword with which he could train and headed toward one of the seafronts to be alone. In the days after having first received the dummy sword Arthur had practiced with those he's age but after quickly besting them, they no longer wished to spar with him. When the men at arms and even his brother did not have the time to partake with him, he again found that being alone was the only training offered ,though that did not stop him growing resentful. Practicing alone only embedded his errors he knew and he'll never truly learn to improve without a mentor.

He acted out his daily routine imaging the faces of invisible enemies attacking him, trying to reach the King he guarded or the surrounding army barring any exit. "A foolish fantasy but mine" Thought Arthur as he began his final attack to put down the imagined general of the mercenaries. Before the final slash he alarmingly jumped back when he saw a figure watching him. He initially believed a figment of his imagination had come to life, what with the look of a rouge and a pirate's devilish grin on its face the figure, sat perched above him looking down on him with one hand cradling his face. The figure then stood up.

"Well done, well done" the young man ,now very much real, hollered having moved his hand from his face allowing him to clap at Arthur's performance. "But why stop, I believe you were so close to bringing down that enemy of yours?" the young man said looking at Arthur incredulously.

Arthur offered the gawker no reply but when he went to sheath the weapon he forgot that it being a practice sword there was no scabbard to place it in and instead dropped the sword.

"No matter" the young man replied to himself while he stood to jump down off of the edge he had watched Arthur's performance from. Once he landed he proceeded to dust himself off before looking up at Arthur to continue his questioning. "Why do you not practice with others, not able to ask for competition" he asked innocently waiting for an answer.

Arthur was quiet, he had always been quiet but this boys interest in him made him speak. "Others no longer wish to spar with me" Arthur replied coarsely "I beat them."

"You're that good?" he asked missing the anger in Arthur's tone. Staring at the boy Arthur could see the boys blue eyes staring intently "you certainty have the correct movement, stance, true potential perhaps even if at the moment only the shadows on the sand are the only beings to see it".

"Thank you" Arthur replied slightly put back by the words of kindness offered to him surprised at the young man's compliment. He was grateful though his face did not show it.

"I've been training myself" The boy proclaimed proudly. "With actual opponents mind you, though my teachers offer the same amount of response as your shadows do" The boy paused to plan his next response "I've come to think that my teachers believe giving me too much of a positive response will make me over confident" he shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

"Perhaps their right"

The boy laughed "Perhaps they are" he seemed to drift away in his mind as if to accurately recall something he had been told before. "Jon believes that a boy of ten should also make time for study, an able body makes an equally able mind he says." He slowly nodded to himself with his eyes closed smiling "I often find him to be right as well." He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Arthur.

"Ten!" Arthur thought shockingly now looking over the boy he believed was older. "He is nearly of a height as me though I am three years older, he even has the early signs of having a broader body. Who is this mysterious figure in front of me?"

"That answer seemed to shock you" the youth having noticed Arthur's reaction smirked. "Many react the same way, I have always been bigger and taller than those my own age."

Though Arthur had a growing interest in the boy and as pleased as he was to have meet a fellow sword enthusiast in the time they had spoken he had begun to become suspicious having never seen the youth before on his home, a home he could easily venture across in a day. Arthur folded his hands and started his investigation into the young man "I must say I cannot recall ever having seen you before? Arthur asked directly as he had seen the Lord of Estermont ask those he questioned when trying to get to the truth.

The youth raised and lowered his eyebrows in gesture and Arthur could not tell if he meant it jokingly or mockingly. As he walked towards the sea bed he leant over to pick up a stone, looking at it with a fasciation Arthur could not understand. "I'm new here. You see I have an older brother who dosen't get along with me."He looked down to his feet and a troubled look stretched across his face as he started throwing the stone in the air slightly always catching it."But he is my brother and I love him for that at the very least." The young man paused. "My younger sister and brother though" the thought of them alone seemed to erase the look of trouble from his face and he smiled as he looked up again. "They make up for any differences I have with him"

Arthur was listening to his story intently though realised the young man he had not answered his question. "You still haven't explained why you're here." Arthur was even more direct this time as he noticed the ocean seemed to be getting closer and the sword he dropped almost floated away before he stopped it with he's feet.

The young man smirked at the side of his mouth and looked to Arthur out of the corner of his eye seemingly transfixed with the sea and not wanting to break contact for too long. "It all comes together, though I will skip ahead. About a week past I asked my father if I had any other relatives beyond my Nuncles and Grandfather, as it happened the closest relatives he could think lived on this island." The youth's eyes seemed to beam at this moment barely containing the excitement. "House Estermont, the house my grandmother, my father's mother belonged to. My mother believed it dangerous, the King and his son travelling here at such short notice and wanted to stop me but I told her all the men in my father's army would not block me from going. My father roared with laughter at this and we set out the next day"

That answer had span inside Arthur's mind like a whirlpool. The only relation he knew House Estermont could date back to that many years ago would be-

"You've answered it, no? "The young man said before Arthur could. "My name is Orys Baratheon, second of my name, second born of King Robert Baratheon, first of his name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men and Queen Cersei Lannister" Orys had spoken the words as if made to practice them a hundred and more times though if he truly cared for them his face did not let on. He had stopped throwing the stone in the air and he's eyes were focused solely on Arthur. "I arrived this morning fearing I would meet no relations of interest only those who bow and scrape before me due to my birth in the hopes of winning the crowns favour, but then I see a young man a few years older than me, practice sword in hand walking with conviction, seemingly blind to the commotion that was going on around him. When I asked for his name they tell me he is Arthur Estermont second born son of a second born son named Andrew Estermont, a knight from House Estermont. A quiet and lonely boy they called you, apparently only caring for his sword and solitude, I must say I was interested in you more than anyone else"

Arthur was put back "I wanted to know of him while he seemingly knew everything of me" he thought reeling from the revelation. "I...I fear" his words generated less conviction now he knew who he was talking to but he steeled himself and began interrogating the young Prince Orys once again. "I fear I'm less interesting than you may think and we are only half cousins at most. I am from the branch family of House Estermont, at best I will become a... A knight for House Estermont a duty I can be proud of as someone of my station." The words seemed to sting as he said them, fearing the truth of them.

"Seven hells with that nonsense" Orys exclaimed breaking Arthur out of his stupor. "You expect me to believe all that after having watched you perform for your audience of stones and seashells, bugger that."

Orys laughed loudly, whether at the vulgarity that the youth must have wanted to try out for himself or whether at Arthur's new found openness showing more of his thoughts than he had ever intended, Arthur could help but smile truly for the first time in a long time as the ocean began to pull even closer in.

The laughter subsided and Orys Continued "You are exactly what I hoped for, someone who speaks honestly, a swordsman and dreamer, though I admire you're duty to your family." Orys again nodded slowly, eyes closed in thought, assured of himself though the youth failed to see the truth in the same way as Arthur had told it to him.

"Family" he said quietly opening his eyes but still thinking on the word "Jon told me family is more than just blood, its love, and when you love something sometimes you do bad things for good reasons and good things for bad reasons to protect it." Orys for the first time in this conversation looked the boy he was, the confused look in his eyes showed an innocence it had not before, he did not yet understand the meaning behind these words and as he looked to Arthur full of uncertainty he found Arthur too did not have an answer.

"What is it you hoped of me my prince?" Arthur asked to break the silence, confused as to what was expected of him.

"Out of the sight of others, call me coz, were family" Orys's smile stretched across his face. "What do I hope of you? To accept a position at my side of course."

"A position at your side?"

"There are so few near my own age I am close to at home and none with the love of training you and I share. Orys's smile turned serious. He held out a hand. "Become my sworn sword and I'll see to it that the Kingsguard teach you as they teach me. Agree and I know my father will have your parents allow it and if you're family has any doubts he will agree to any of their demands; money, lands, marriage if they want but prove yourself able and loyal and I vow to you in time my father will name you to the Kingsguard."

Time stood still for Arthur. Everything he had wanted was in front of him, to leave the only home he had ever known and make more of himself than he could in staying on Island Estermont. He thought back to the day he heard Ser Jamie Lannister had visited. A strong breeze passed over them both "Is this the answer, had the Gods favoured me." He made his decision. He looked toward the sea and it seemed to reflect them all; The Father, The Mother, The Maiden, the Crone, The Warrior, The Smith, The Stranger. He saw Orys Baratheon. He shook he's hand.

He felt the stone still in Orys's hand. He felt the water pass over their feet where they stand, the tide had come up the highest it had been all day. "It shouldn't reach this far at this time of year" Arthur noticed inquisitively. Orys broke hand contact first and dropped the stone in the ocean as it was then pulling out, dragging the stone out father than any Arthur had ever thrown. Arthur stood watching the ocean as a tear rolled down his face.

"Shall we return to tell them the news coz" Arthur heard Orys ask but he had already began walking back before Arthur could stop him and reply.

Arthur rubbed the tear away and looked down to the sword he had dropped and reached down to grab it by the handle, tighter than he ever had before, then ran to catch up to his cousin, prince and charge. Arthur had fallen in next to at his side.

And became resolute.