So, my muses aided me in writing this thing so quickly. Therefore, I hope you enjoy this... before I go on however, some replies.

Awkane: No, the burnings and rapings have not started yet. Aerys' descent into madness is somewhat slower and the fact that he has not been poisoned against his family means that, at least for some time he can be kept reasonably in check, key words being for some time

Guest: Well, I've come to believe that Robert only got into whoring and drinking his life away when in grief and serious pain. Look at it this way, Mya Stone was conceived pretty much just after he had returned to the Eyrie after seeing his parent's ship sink with them on board. And after the rebellion, he was pretty much in constant grief. Heck, if my memory serves me, he even quit whoring for six months while trying to make an absolutely loveless marriage to work. He's not blameless but I've come to think that at least some of the things he gets flak for, are not entirely warranted... As for the Tyrell girls, I will be closing one potential avenue here, but there are some more options around...

Osterreicher: How relevant will that be? only time will tell

Hadrian: So do I, to be honest, so do I

yesboss: to answer to your various questions... the strange woman was the Ghost of High Heart, the woods witch that came with Jenny of Oldstones. The Redsmiths will play a role that is still taking shape on my head... and I agree, fuck Varys.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Warning, if you seriously hate Robert Baratheon, you won't like this chapter.

The Kingswood

While Father and Lord Baratheon chose to remain at the Red Keep -and so did the younger brother now that I think about it- That still left Arthur, Robert Baratheon, myself, and a couple other knights who were at the Keep, alongside some other of the Kingsguard, we were left to have a small three day hunting party.

As it were, Robert had a spear with him, Arthur carried Dawn -Surprisingly enough he had managed to take a boar with that sword, although that was more of a sudden boar attack on his person- and I carried a recurve bow. So far, with his self-defense, Arthur had both Robert and myself beat.

"I know you're strong and all that cousin, but are you sure it is wise to have only a spear?" I asked Robert, he laughed. Robert's laughter, like his father's smile, was sincere, it was also mirthful and quite loud.

"Hah! You're sounding like Ned when we hunt back in the Vale!" Was his reply, the three of us laughed at that remark. "I swear he worries too much about these things" He finished. We saw some game ahead. There was an Elk nearby.

"That one's mine" I whispered in a hushed tone, we came to a proper distance and I carefully aimed, letting the tension build for a second or two on the string and bow, then I loosed the arrow.

The Elk made a sound as the arrow got it in the neck, it then collapsed.

"And here I thought you'd come back with your hands empty" Teased Arthur with a smirk. I chuckled and shrugged, we all walked over to the dead Elk. Then we heard something approaching. The three of us took a few steps back when we saw a damn big brown bear coming at us.

Sure that this was the end of the road, Arthur pulled out Dawn, I took an arrow, and then we both saw that the bear was impaled on Robert's spear, Robert had the widest smile we had seen on him yet, he pushed the bear and it fell down on the ground. It was dead, Robert had somehow managed to get the spear through the bear's heart without getting mauled by the claws.

Satisfied that each of us had managed to get some quarry, we called for help in getting them back, and began to make our way back to the camp that had been set in the Kingswood.

That evening, we drank around a fire, the ale was decently cold, the fire warm, and we were eating from the boar that Arthur had killed.

"I thought we were done for" stated Arthur, I nodded in agreement and Robert nodded as well. "That was my first bear" he remarked in an almost nonchalant manner. "At the Vale, Ned and I have killed some boars and elks, but we did not hunt bears. Too dangerous. Jon always said" Then he laughed

"Well, I will have to go to the Vale then at some point, perhaps we'll meet again there and go out for a hunt. I've heard that Mountain Goats are, while not impressive, quite hard to catch" I told him with a small smirk, he laughed again and took a drink from his mug.

"Aye, those are quite the challenge" Robert agreed. Arthur remained mostly quiet

"Tell me... do you think a lady would like if I have a gift made for her out of the Bear's pelt?" Robert asked after a few seconds. Arthur looked at Robert with a honestly surprised face -much to my surprise, he had not shown as much interest in some of the prettier servant maids that were around- And I raised an eyebrow.

"It depends on the Lady... any specific one in mind?" I asked back, He laughed, took another sip of his ale and looked at me.

"Aye, Father saw to it that we were betrothed, and from what Ned has told me... I've yet to meet her, but I think I will love her like I would no other woman once I do." That took me by surprise, I had thought that that specific betrothal had not been made -even if I had hinted at it being already a thing when I had discussed my own marriage with Father- But it made sense. If you want an alliance, just a friendship between your heir and your prospective ally's second son was not really enough...

I admit his attitude was, if not entirely surprising, something that got a smile out of me. Who would have thought that Robert Baratheon, before losing himself in grief, alcohol and women, was quite the romantic in his own odd manner?

"Ah, I'm afraid that, from what you've told, I'd be even less useful to advise you on this than young Lord Eddard, at least he knows the lady" I replied with a slight smirk. "From what you've said, he and I may not be so different, at least on that regard."

That remark from me made it for Arthur, who started laughing at last, Robert joined him and so did I, embarrassed as Arthur began telling the heir to the Stormlands about how had it come to be that I was going to marry his sister.

By the time we rode back to King's Landing, it truly felt as if I could already count the loud Baratheon as a friend.