He woke up by the sound of the wind breath between the bushes which soon replaced by the sound of men shout and curse. he felt the soft pillow under his head and a long blanket of blue covered his body. his tired vision managed to see an empty goblet next to the bed he was resting. he sensed the scent of the goblet and found out it was anything but wine. Shame, i would just love to replace my thoughts with drunkness. he pulled away the blanket and sat at the edge of bed. I just witness the death of two men and two horse. he thought before seeing himself in the mirror. his body of a toddler, his hair silver and his eyes, the shades of purple. I'm definitely not the same person i died as. the implication is of course obvious, but i don't want to dwell into the madness of accepting it. he then thought of his new self, Aenyx, of how he prefers the eternal darkness over this, then of the questions he will not find an answer to, so better to be not asked at all.

Does killing counts as an ordinary part of life in these wretched lands? Sir Selvy defended my to be gone life with slaying two men. two men who were to kidnapp me for...gold mayhaps? what does prevails men to kill their own? would my saviours, the owners of this... tent, kill me for whatever reason? By now the sounds from outside were louder and harsher. alot of cheering were added to them too. he looked over the tent he was resting in, it was not rich and bright, but rather dull and gery. if anything it more looked like the storage of a grand market than a tent. The least of their hospitality i guess. they did provide me with a bed to sleep at. he finally stand out of bed saw his wearings, a simple nightshirt in white. he couldn't show himself in this, fheor that he searched the room with his eyes and found a closet. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if i just sneak into their clothes and wear one of them.

When he opened the closet, he found the most interesting shirt amongst the sea of them, a loose-fitting blouse with long sleeves, fuller at the bottom than the top, and gathered into a cuff, decorated with large frills on the front and on the cuffs with the fabrics which reminded him of satin. Huh, it's a 'poet shirt'. i'm so gonna wear this. he took the shirt, a pair of black trousers and a belt. he then pulled the shirt into the trousers and tied the belt to it and tightened it. Prefect dressing. but now that i think about it, i cannot help but wonder, how they have such thing? i mean the tent does not look rich.

When he finally felt ready, he went outside. he faced several tents in different colouring. there were a silver and gold tent, a wavy green and green tent, a barry wavy green, white, and yellow tent, Ugh, the worst set of colours together, and the most prominent of them, a gold and white tent. he then looked back at his own tent and saw nothing but grey. Yep, mine was the storage. he walked between the tents, letting them to lead him through to an open field. in the middle of the field, a hole had been dug, where the courses came from. he frowned at the implication. gladiators then, i hope they won't make me fight. he continued the walking until he reached the point where he could see the poor men fighting. they wore brown or grey chain mail, long black boots, with helmets that were often just had a cap and a nose guard, different from any armour a knight would wear. They're something of a viking for sure.

"'Tis beautiful, isn't." said a voice next to him. Aenyx, suprised, looked up at the source, the man was in his twenties, had short hair and was wearing a silver cape over a dark blue doublet with black breeches.

"Why?"

He looked at him smiling "Because i catched some Ironborn oafs." he said waiting for a laugh.

"So?" Aenyx answered confused by his remark on 'Ironborn'.

He looked at him for a moment before laughing. "Oh well it seems i have to explain things." he turned to the hole again. "You see my good friend, as a merchant, i should live in fear that my goods would always be in the fate of reaving by these savage Ironborns. so when i took command of my dear ship, The Comet, i fille it with guards for when the Ironborns attack, I'll be ready. of course their greed will led them right into my grip. their fate in my hands. when that occured, i bring them to this landscape and invite the neighbouring lords and the wealthiest merchants of Riverlands to come here and watch as these Ironborns fight in a competition." he said as he pointed to the people siting in a large open front tent with servants and musicians, watching. viking gladiators then.

"So what is the prize they're comepiting for?" he asked.

"Death" he said smiling.

"What?" Aenyx said with eyes wide open.

"The sweet release of death, for their bloodthirsty god is waiting for them in the sea." he explained.

"That's extremly dark, so all these Ironborns want to die?" he said horrified and disgusted.

"Yes indeed. they did not beg us to imprison them, instead they beg us to kill them in a fight, but the only fight for them was to each other. oh they raised voices, said they can't kill their own for the Drowned god would be furious of them. but i did not care for their cries of disagreement, instead, i argued that they have to fight each other or die like a rat, in which in the latter they wouldn't have any place in their god's heaven. they of course chose the former."

"And now they killing each other?"

"Oh no no no no, the loosers will be alive, they will have a pathetic death while the winner wins the death for the drowned god." he said mockingly

"You'd think since the champion has bested all his friends and proved to be the stongest of them all, he would like to keep his life."

"Apparently not, they all ask for death."

"Which is a normal thing to want?"

"Now you're understanding the concept." he said victoriously.

"I'm not, no." Aenyx responded while the man just keep smiling as he turned to see the fight. Well he for sure is a high-functioning sociopath. the two continued to witness the comepetition in silence for a while when the man suddenly said: "Valter Mooton."

Aenyx looked at him confused. "What?"

"My name is Valter Mooton, the heir to Maidenpool and also the one you shouted at 'HELP' we brought your friend to the Maester's tent, he's now tending to him." he then eyed Aenyx' clothing "I see you tended to yourself quit well."

"Wearing your clothes, my show of gratitude." he said using an innocent child's look. "People seems to call me Aenyx and that knight you rescued is Sir Donatyon Selvy, he just loves to follow me around."

"You're a noble then?" he asked.

"Whatever made you think that?"

"Well since a sworn shield is oft a commoner or a lesser noble, granting their services to a greater noble not vice versa, so the only logical explanation is that you are of high noble birth." he said with respect.

"Well i don't know what to tell you mate, instead of having confusion as my epitaph, i'm leaving through it. i woke up one day and from then he is following me, also, it seems like your king is my father." he said waiting for Mooton to be suprised but instead he nodded.

"That is a possible observation since you have his silver look and the king is notoriously known for siring children out of wedlock. if that is true, we should return you to him as soon as possible." he stated.

"Why?" Aenyx asked. he didn't really knew what to expact of this situation, on one hand, he was of king's blood A bastard to be honest. on the other hand, kings are known for killing the potential threaths and he does not desire a death right now.

"Well because it's the king's decree. he summoned you all to King's Landing, he..." he was cut off by Aenyx saying "Wait, 'you all'? how many are they?"

Mooton thought for a second and then said: "As far as i'm aware, there is at the very least, five of them."

"Five bastards?" he was both shocked and scared, this increases the chance that he wants me dead.

"More if you believe the rumours." he said as he began to walk. "Follow me my friend, if you are a bastard of the king, we should set off to Maidenpool right now."

Aenyx with confusion followed him: "Why Maidenpool?"

"The seat of house Mooton is also a maritime mercantile city, we have the fastest ships, even if Velaryons claim otherwise, hells my Comet could take us to King's Landing in less than a sennight."

"Alright but what about this tournament of yours or Sir Selvy? we can't just go right now and left them here." Aenyx said. more than Selvy or the tournament, he was concern about the fate that would befall him. 'The sweet release of death'

"Don't worry my lord, our party should be ready by the eve, from here to Maidenpool is less than a day-night's ride. we should probably be there by midnight. we just need to have my lord father's premision and then we will set off for king's landing." he said as he entered the gold and white tent. "Now my lord, go to the maester's tent, it's the one at the end of this round right there" he then pointed towards the messy coloured tent "next to the tent of House Butterwall. go and inform the maester of our change of plan and also visit your friend." then he disapeared into his tent.

I'm so very uncomfortable with this plan. Aenyx thought as he walked towards the maester's tent, there he eyed the 'Butterwall' tent for a second. Who thought two greens and yellow would match? he then entered the tent and saw an awake Sir Selvy talking to the maester. "Ah...hello, Valter Mooton sent me, he said the Mooton party should pack right now for Maidenpool."

Maester nodded and said a few words to Selvy that Aenyx didn't care to listen, then he left the tent for some reason. for a minute, there was silence between the two as Aenyx akwardlly sat next to Selvy. "Mooton wants us to get to King's Landing through the ships in Maidenpool." Aenyx said.

"Lord." Selvy coldly said as he took his sword and stand up. he was wearing a simple tunic but the bandage on his left arm was noticeable.

"What?" asked Aenyx in confusaion. Confused, it's becoming my most used word.

"You should refer to the heir of Maidenpool or any heir lower than the crown prince by the title of Lord. it's part of the courtesy behaviour you need to know when you're in the royal court." his voice was still cold.

"That's the thing you are concerned with? not that i technically led your horse to its demise..."

"No" Selvy interfered. he then turned to Aenyx and looked him in his eyes. "I am your sworn shield my lord. my duty is to protect you, to correct your behaivour when i know you would not survive the court with that tongue. i am not just your guard, i am your shadow and if in the line of duty, my horse has to die, so be it." his voice cracked for a second at the last part. he looked sad. Damnit, i'm now sad.

Just as Aenyx was about to answer, Valter Mooton entered the tent, smiling. Why is he always smiling? and said "Good news Lord Aenyx, our party has no problems whatsoever to move for Maidenpool, we should be there by the time i mentioned. i also sent a raven for Maidenpool to inform my lord father." he didn't noticed the frown at Aenyx' face when he mentioned 'Raven' as he turned to Selvy "Good afternoon to you Sir Selvy. why a sad face? you survived death or... loosing a hand if i'm informed correctly."

Before Selvy could answer i jumped in "He's sad because his black stallion died."

Selvy frowned at that but Valter with his happy face said: "Well that's no concern at all! if you cry for a day-night that horse of yours will come back to life." he said as if he was stating a fact.

"That's not true." Aenyx responded

"Yes it is. When i was a mere child, my mother died, i cried for her so hard that she came back from dead back to life, with a new face, in the hands of my lord father when he retired from his day to his chambers." he explained

"Kinda sounds like your father just married another woman, probably another lord's daughter." said Aenyx. he wasn't sure if Mooton was joking or if he actually believed his words.

"No! my tears brought her back from death." he said joyfully

"So where is..."

"Death is not permanent." Mooton stated.

"For what is worth," interfered Selvy as he turned to Valter "I thank you Lord Valter. I do not know about Lord Aenyx, but i owe you a favour."

"No Sir Selvy you don't. i helped you just for the kindness of my heart and that kindness rewarded me with having the king's bastard in my party." he then went to the maester's desk and poured sime wine "To your health and my wealth, Sir Selvy" and drank it. "Now you shall get ready sir. we will set off by the eve." he said as he made way towards the exit. Donatyon nodded at that and went to search the room for his armour. Aenyx felt he probably cannot pull all that armour himself, so he went to help him.

By the midnight, as Valter had predicted, the party were at Maidenpool. the city was like nothing Aenyx had ever seen. it was built over a hill and had great stony walls that lengthed from the castel at top of the hill to the low parts of the city which the gates located. he saw the harbour that was busy even at night and some ships waiting there and thought about which one of them is to ride them to the pit of death that is King's Landing. he was embarrassed when Valter mentioned a certain pool for maidens and that Aenyx could visit them because no one would recognise him for a boy. It seems a silver hair is enough to be consider effeminate. the castle of House Mooton however, was a pretty regular one, nothing special that distinguished it from the ones of the French or Scottish dukes.

They went to the Lord Mooton's solar because the time he would answer the calls in the main hall has ended hours ago. What lazy lord. when they entered the solar, Aenyx faced a red faced old man in night shirt with a goblet of wine sitting next to a goat. "Well greetings to my dear guests. servants bring them chairs." he said as he went and sat in his chair behind his desk. Not the best first impression, don't you think so old man?

As Aenyx and Selvy sat, Valter went next to his father. "My lord Aenyx, Sir Selvy, i introduce you to my lord father, Daenar Mooton." That's the weirdest name i've ever heard.

"Yes, yes, lord Daenar Mooton, a pretty name isn't my lord" he told Aenyx "You know why is that? well i tell you. you see my lord father, the late Manfryd Mooton, was the most loyal to your great-uncle, King Aegon III, and he proved that by naming his firstborn and the only child to be honest after a Valyrian name."

Oh here's that word again. Aenyx forced a smal smile "Good for him."

"Indeed good for him." he agreed "he proved his loyalty, and my son and i, will prove ours with sending you my lord, safely to your home."

"I assure you that's not my home."

That got him a chuckle. "Do say my lord, do you believe in the beauty of nature?" he said as he touched the goat and drank his wine.

What? "I'm not sure where are you directing our talk."

"Have you ever witnessed the coupling of two animals?" he said as he drank yet another wine.

"That's not a subject i want to talk about." Aenyx said uncomfortably. he looked at Selvy for help but the knight just looked down.

"But have you ever imagined it?" Daenar continued.

"I don't wanna." Aenyx said disgusted.

"But you can imagine it, right?" Daenar said. I think he's talking out of exprience.

"That will get me bad dreams." Aenyx answered.

"I'd have dreams too." Daenar kind of agreed.

"Can't help but notice you left out the word 'bad'"

"Father which one of our ships will have Lord Aenyx and Sir Selvy?" Valter interfered. Thank god.

"The Comet, you will take command of the ship" Daenar stated. That's not good then the drunk lord turned to Aenyx again. "Are you excited for the journey my lord?"

"Oh i cannot wait to get the hell outa here, far away from you, you freekin' lizard kisser." Aenyx finally let it out. he quickly regretted saying that.

That got a loudy laugh from Daenar. "Oh my lord you for sure have your wits," he turned to Selvy "You better protect him good Sir, with that wit, it won't be long before an accident would befall the prince Aenyx Targaryen."

Selvy's and Valter's eyes went wide while Aenyx looked confused. Daenar again laughed "Oh i forgot to mention that. you see King Aegon the fourth of his name has layed rest, he's dead. as his last wish, he legitimised the lot of his bastards. now King Dearon sits upon the Iron throne and he requested all of his half-brothers and sisters to be in King's Landing." Daenar explained

All of Aenyx' thoughts crushed there, he could only think of fratricide. fratricide that will befall him.