Part 1: The world as we don't know it

Beron I

The Red Keep, 289 AC

The royal sept inside Maegor's Holdfast

The eyes of the Warrior stared at him impassively. They had been doing that for the whole night. Why did he even bother glancing at them, anyway? It was just a statue. It wasn't as if it could move or talk. Now, that would be a sight to see. An interesting diversion that would, at the very least, alleviate some of his boredom.

Beron sighed, lowering his head again and closing his eyes. When is it going to end? He already knew it was going to be a boring affair, having experienced it years before. Standing vigil for the whole night was by no means fun, like feasting with your friends or bedding a beautiful maid.

His body was on the verge of falling asleep. He kept himself awake by sheer force of will. He couldn't ruin the cerimony. It would be a disappointment not just for himself (he always did go all the way down, once he set himself to do something), but for an entire host of people. His lord father, to name just one. His other kin, chief among them his elder brother. And most importantly, the man that had knighted him, and who he greatly respected. He had to endure the wait a little more. Then, it would be all over, and he would be able to do something which implied more activity on his part.

Beron muttered another prayer to the Seven, just for safety. Then, out of old habit, he added one to the Drowned God. He chastised himself soon after. That wasn't his faith anymore. He highly doubted his old god would listen to him, now. Assuming that what the Drowned Men said about him was true, that is. And anyway, he had never paid too much attention to religion. He had partaken into the rituals and said the prayers, but without putting too much heart into it. And he wasn't the only one. His father, too, had always just done the bare minimum to save appearances.

He felt a pang of nostalgia. Leaving his old life behind to live among the greenlanders hadn't been easy. From time to time he missed his home, and wondered if he would ever see it again. He half snickered. What a stupid thought. It wasn't as if he was going to die. And even if everything went smoothly, he would still get a chance to visit his home island. Even the black brothers of the Night's Watch left the Wall, once in a while.

Beron focused his attention on his new sword, which he had placed at the feet of the statue. That weapon would be his constant companion for the foreseeble future. He would train with it, fight with it, and think of it as he would of his closest friend.

For a brief moment, he wondered what his ancestors would think of him, if they saw him now. He decided he didn't care that much. Thinking about things past was pointless. He had to take care of the here and now.

His stomach grumbled. He hoped he would get to eat something good, after the cerimony. Boar, maybe, or deer. He was starving, for gods' sake!

After a while (he couldn't tell how much; he had lost track of time), he heard a noise from outside the room he was in, and someone fumbling with the lock. He held his breath. It must be over! What else could it be?

In fact, as soon as the door opened, an old septon poked his head in. "You may leave this room, young man."

Hiding his excitement, Beron nodded to the septon. He rose to his feet and put his sword back into its scabbard, then followed the other man outside of the room.

He was led to a large hall full of people. Most of the members of the Small Council were there, together with the whole Kingsguard and the High Septon. Beron couldn't help but notice once again how Ser Gerold Hightower still looked strong, despite his age. Next to him was Lord Tywin, the king's goodfather and Hand, and then Queen Cersei, as beautiful as ever, holding her newborn third child in her arms.

Then he noticed his kin, and a smile appeared on his face. His father, elder brother and cousins were standing next to the Greyjoys. Lord Quellon, as big as Ser Gerold and just as old, if not older. His aunt and her children, his cousins. Rodrik, Maron, Asha, and little Theon, the latter holding his sister's hand. Beron was happy to see them.

And in front of them all, King Rhaegar, handsome and elegant in his black and red robe, with the sigil of House Targaryen on his breast and a crown resembling a circle of flames on his head. The king was only thirty, but the beard he had started growing and the fatigue of ruling the realm made him look older.

Beron knelt in front of his king and waited.

"My lords and ladies," the king spoke. "we are gathered here today to witness an event that has no precedent in the history of the Seven Kingdoms. Something that marks a new era in the relationships between the people of the Iron Islands and the Iron Throne.

"Eight years ago we took the first step, when the brave iron captains started accompanying our merchants in their journeys eastward, to protect them from pirates and thieves. And I'm proud to say that nobody has come to regret this..."

Except for the pirates themselves, Beron thought with amusement. He listened as King Rhaegar kept on talking about the benefits brought by this and Lord Quellon's other reforms. Not everybody saw it like that, though. He knew that some of the iron lords resented the change, and that many on the mainland viewed the ironborn as untrustworthy. Not that he could blame them, of course, what with all the history of pillage and bloodshed the Iron Islands had accumulated over the centuries. However, hopefully all this would change in a few years.

"...but enough talking. If I had wanted to annoy people with my voice, I would have brought my harp." said the king, and everybody chuckled. Except for Lord Tywin, who just stood there looking at everything and everyone with his perpetual scowl. Beron wondered if he ever smiled. As far as he could remember, he had never seen him doing it.

"Ser Gerold, Your Holiness. If you would come forth..."

The High Septon and the Lord Commander stepped forward, each carrying the item required for the cerimony. The holy man was the first to begin.

"I bless you in the name of the Father..." he said, touching Beron's forehead with a finger dipped in holy oil and tracing the sign of the seven-pointed star. Beron's heart started beating faster.

After the High Septon had completed the blessing, it was Ser Gerold's turn. The White Bull looked at Beron and spoke. "Do you swear, before the eyes of gods and men, to protect your king and his family, even at the cost of your own life?"

"I swear." answered Beron.

"Do you swear to forsake every claim to your former life, to your House's holdings and titles?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to never take a wife, to never father children?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to always stay true to your vows?"

"I swear."

Then Ser Gerold took the white cloak he had been holding and placed it on Beron's shoulders. "Then rise, Ser Beron of House Harlaw, and join your brothers in the Kingsguard."

The Lord Commander's words were followed by a flood of applauses that echoed throughout the hall. Beron rose to his feet and smiled. His new life had just begun.

AN: The ASOIAF Wiki says that the cerimony for the appointment of a new kingsguard can vary, so I thought it could include a night in a sept, just like for normal knights. And now, a few explanations:

1: We know from canon that Rodrik Harlaw had two tall sons who died in the Greyjoy Rebellion, but aside from this, we know nothing else, not even their names. This is why I call Beron a "sorta OC"; a canon character about whom we know next to nothing. He's one of the three main POV characters for this fic, and I hope you'll at least not hate him.

2: While I was working on the plot, I kept on struggling with what to do with the ironborn. Then, I remembered reading a particular oneshot on alternate . "Black Harren's Revenge", by CaekDaemon. With the author's permission, I borrowed something from that story. Specifically, Quellon's ideas for getting closer to the Iron Throne (having ironborn captains escorting westerosi merchants and...the way Quellon dealt with his sons). Anything else you've seen in this chapter, is a product of my twisted mind. "Wait," you're surely thinking. "What happened to Balon and his brothers?". Well, you can either go read Caek's oneshot, if you don't mind spoilers; or, you can follow this story and see what happens next. And I assure you, you're in for a few surprises.

3: Some of you are surely thinking "Wait, why isn't Tywin looking happier? His daughter is queen!". Well, this is Tywin we are talking about. If he started smiling, people'd take it as a sign of the apocalypse.

That's all for today. See you in two weeks, with the next POV character!