Aemon

Aemon was worried. His brother had not taken the news of what had happened with his lover well. Aemon had seen him only once after he had heard of what his father had done, storming out of his father's solar. After that, he only had hearsay placing him in some corner of the Red Keep drinking heavily or the words of his fellow squires who were beaten black and blue by Aegon in the training yard.

And so, Aemon found himself outside his brother's bedchambers, along with his sister Naerys, early in the morning before the sun had risen, hoping to confront him before he could leave to hide away. The Warrior's Day tourney was tomorrow and Aemon hoped that the prospect of fighting might cheer his brother up a little.

Aemon stepped inside his brother's rooms and went over to his bed and pulled back the covers, only to find the lump in the bed was not Aegon, but only pillows put together! Aemon turned around to take a better look at the room and found his brother at the table, fast asleep, his head in his arms. Aemon gave him a little nudge to wake him up.

"Eh! Geroff!" Aegon mumbled and turned away to sleep. Naerys giggled and Aemon shook him a bit more urgently and Aegon woke up, his sleep ruined, he stood up and rubbed at his eyes before taking a look at Aemon, then at the gray early morning sky.

"What are you doing here? Do you know how early it is? Unlike you, some of us have to sleep to be able to survive. How did you even wake up so early anyway? Just leave and let me sleep," Aegon said, irritation visible on his face.

"Aegon, we need to talk. Where have you been? It has been two weeks and neither I nor anyone else has seen anything of you. And I've been hearing that you're drinking wine a lot. Me and Naerys have been really worried," Aemon said.

Naerys nodded and said, "Yes, Aegon. Please, tell us what's wrong. Is it about that woman you loved? Falena Stokeworth? Aemon told me about her, you know. And Aemon, it's Naerys and I, not me and Naerys," Naerys said. Aemon cringed, yes he had told her because he felt she had a right to know, but she was being entirely tactless and from the look on Aegon's face, he felt the same.

"Oh, so you know how I feel then. Perhaps you know what it feels like to have your life torn out, root and stem. To lose the woman you loved, to have your own father not care about your happiness. To have your uncle, the person who you trusted to help, turn against you," Aegon exploded at her and Aemon noticed Naerys starting to cry and jumped to her defense.

"Enough, brother. Watch your words, look Naerys is about to cry because of you," he said hotly and this seemed to enrage Aegon even further who replied with just the same anger.

"Yes, she's crying, you care only about her, don't you? I trusted you and you blabbed about my secrets to her and who knows who else. I don't care for either of you, now get out and leave me alone," Aegon said getting properly angry now, his face a furious shade of red.

Aemon realized that he should have been a bit more diplomatic and tried another approach. "Calm down, brother. Naerys meant nothing by her words. She is still a child. We only came here to enquire about your well being. As I had said earlier, we are worried about you. Please, don't get angry," Aemon said.

But Aegon was too far gone in his anger and physically pushed Aemon and Naerys away. Taking this as a sign of his brother's violent mood, Aemon beat a retreat, not wanting to come to blows with his brother in his sister's presence.

Dejected, Aemon escorted his sister back to her rooms and was on his way to the yard to get in some practice when he happened upon a curious sight.

The yard was empty owing to the early hours of the morning save for two figures. Two short and very familiar figures. Wearing padded clothes and holding tourney swords, with each having a half-helm on their heads.

"Daeron! Baelor! What are you doing here? In the training yard at this early hour," Aemon asked and he saw Daeron urgently trying to hide his tourney sword and urging Baelor to do the same.

"Uh, Aemon! How nice to see you here! What a pleasant surprise! Me and Baelor are just inspecting the weapons and such. To check for signs of sabotage. Yes, that's what we were doing," Daeron said in the tone of someone who had something to hide or that of a child who has not yet learned how to cover up his mistakes.

"It's not 'Me and Baelor'. It's 'Baelor and I', and I want you to know that you're not really very good at lying," Aemon observed lightly. If anything this increased Daeron's panic which also started to make Baelor a bit more agitated. Aemon realized that Baelor was about to tell him the truth if pressed a little harder and turned on him.

"Baelor, what is all this about? Are you doing something you are not supposed to do? And that too without the Kingsguard present to protect you if anything were to happen," Aemon said and predictably, Baelor folded like wet paper.

"Aemon! We were practising our swordplay. Daeron and I are going to take part in the squire's tourney tomorrow. In honour of the Warrior, and we will show our marital skills as a tribute to his glory," Baelor said, clearly very taken with this idea. Aemon knew that Baelor was never the most aggressive of people, but seeing him this way shocked Aemon and Daeron pressed this to his advantage.

"Please, Aemon. You can't tell anyone. We just want to take part in the tourney. It'll be very exciting and I managed to convince Baelor after a long time. And you have to help us," Daeron said.

"You are nine and Baelor is eight. There is no way this is going to be safe for either of you. And neither of you are squires. You can't take part in the tourney anyway," Aemon said.

"We solved that problem already. You know how there are mystery knights in some tourneys? Well, we are going to be mystery squires. I have already bribed the person in charge of the admissions and when me and Baelor come into the field, we will be wearing brigandines with no insignia on them and great helms to cover our faces. It's going to be great," Daeron said excitedly and Aemon gave it up as a lost cause.

"Alright, I'll help you, but both of you must stay by me during the fights. The men fighting in the tourney might just be squires but few of them are in their twenties and I don't want you to face such opponents. If I say someone is beyond your skill, you don't fight him. And when the fight reaches its final stages and only the strong fighters are left, you resign from the match and leave the field. If you agree to these conditions, I'll help you. If not, I think I know the way to your father's solar," Aemon said.

Daeron's face fell upon hearing these conditions but Baelor seemed to be a bit relieved and Aemon was glad that Baelor was just putting on a brave face. He didn't think Baelor was one to simply charge into situations like this and he was glad to have his assumptions proven right.

"Alright, Aemon. We'll stick by your rules. But you will help us, right?" Daeron enquired eagerly and Aemon laughed and ruffled Daeron's hair.

"Yes, I will. Now, show me your posture and take a swing."

Aegon

On the morning of the tourney, Aegon woke with the sun, but only because he had slept by a window and the sun's rays had burned his eyes. He stretched and walked out of his chambers, snagging a wineskin from his table as he went out.

As he made his way out of the Red Keep, riding towards the tourney grounds, Aegon found that his bad mood had only soured more from his conversation with his brother and sister. He did admit that he could have been better, but seeing Naerys had brought back to his mind the conversation he'd had with his father and his uncle about marriage. And now, he was afraid he would have to get married to Naerys. Well, he'd deal with it, if it came to that. Or, he could always run away to Essos and live as a sellsword. Aegon snorted as that thought came to his mind.

Soon, he arrived at the tourney grounds, where some last-minute preparations were left as workmen ran to and fro painting on sigils of the arriving lords and fixing the benches for the nobility to sit upon.

He ignored all of that and made his way to where the tents were set up. He already had a servant put up a tent separately for him and put his weapons and armor inside. Aegon made his way to his tent and started to change. The tourney would be in a few hours and the squires' melee would be the first one, a way to whet the audience's appetite for violence.

Aegon put on his armor by himself, vowing to get a squire as soon as he got knighted and deliberated over which weapon to take. His head was throbbing due to his excessive drink the previous night and he saw his tourney mace and the real thing placed side by side and on a whim selected his real iron mace. Breaking a few bones would be good for his mood.

He sat in his tent and downed some more wine before a herald came to announce that the melee was about to start, after which Aegon made his way to the melee grounds. He looked around and saw his brother talking two really short squires with no insignia anywhere on their person. Perhaps, they were the squires of hedge knights, then?

Seeing his brother talking with those two squires and giving them advice sent a thrill of anger and jealousy through Aegon. Aemon was his brother and yet there he was ignoring him after their spat yesterday, choosing instead to spend his time with two squires of no note. Perhaps, Aegon would have to break the bones of those squires instead, to teach them a lesson, he thought darkly.

Then the King stood up and spoke something about the Faith and chivalry and martial prowess, but honestly, Aegon couldn't care less. He'd never trust his uncle and his father ever again and he just wanted this speech to be over. Aegon was itching for a fight.

Soon, the speech was over and the squires spread themselves across the field and the signal to start was given. Aegon found his first opponent, a reedy squire of house Rosby and made quick work of him, probably breaking his arm in the process. Aegon pushed through the fighting men and tried to place the two unknown squires.

He found one of them near Aemon, fighting another squire and defeating him handily, but when some other squire tried to attack him, Aemon defended the unknown squire. Seeing this sent a shock of rage through Aegon. His brother, who would not even care to see him when he'd heard news of Falena's marriage, who would only come to him upon the insistence of their sister no doubt, was instead willing to defend some no-name random squires whom he had most likely just met.

Then, Aegon spied the other of the nameless duo fighting a little distance away from Aemon. He seemed to be holding himself well enough against his opponent, but Aegon wanted to see what he ahd that made Aeomn choose him over Aegon.

Aegon made his way to the squire, swatting away a few others who had thought to pick a fight with him. By then, the nameless squire had finished off his opponent, a rather young boy in House Cressey's colours, and he had turned around at Aegon's approach.

In a flash, Aegon was upon him, using his strength to swing the mace in various angles hoping to hem in the squire and finish him off. To his credit, he dodged pretty well, being nimble on his feet but this only served to further enrage Aegon. Some of his anger might have shown on his face and the squire backed away, which only made Aegon angrier.

Aegon didn't know what the squire might have thought, his face covered as it was, but Aegon imagined he must have been smug, to have led a Prince of the Realm around in circles. Unable to take it any longer, Aegon hefted his mace directly onto the squire's arm, probably breaking his bone and causing him to drop his sword with a cry of pain. Before the squire could so much as recover his wits, Aegon gave him a heavy blow to the chest with a cry of triumph. The squire fell to the ground as his brigandine started to stain red.

Before Aegon could revel in his victory, another cry resounded in the arena.

"Baelor! No!" And suddenly a hush fell over the tourney grounds as Aemon and the other squire ran over to the fallen one's side. The other squire removed his helm and Aegon realized, with growing horror, that it was Daeron. Aegon stood rooted to the spot as they pushed past him and removed the fallen squire's helm and revealed him to be Baelor.

Daeron was weeping as Aemon tried to scoop up Baelor's limp body with urgency. Aegon looked to them and felt his eyes burning and a tightness in his throat. As Baelor was carried away, a Maester having come down from the stands, Aegon stood there and realized he was crying.