Reviews make me write faster – I use the quatermaester interactive game of thrones map when writing
Renly Baratheon
The round hall was in a pleasant form of chaos following my election by acclamation. Wine and beer casks were being rolled out of the cellars and distributed to the army outside Storm's End, along with the story of my selection as king, while the kitchens in the keep swung into action. Preparing a great feast for all of my lords and knights to celebrate with me.
I was seated on the Storm Throne, Jon, both Edrics, Arya, and Ser Cortnay all still standing by me as I watched the lords mingle with a satisfied smile.
My heart was still going a mile a minute from the adrenaline, but I couldn't be more pleased with how things had gone. I'd successfully been elected king, and all the Stormlands Lords now had much greater by-in to my cause than they had to the original Renly's. They would go much further to see me on the Iron Throne now than they would ever have before. Now they had nailed their colours to the mast for all the other claimants to see, they had no chance of a warm welcome in their camps if I suffered reverses.
Ser Balon Swann came into view in the mingling crowd and I spoke for the first time since my election.
"Ser Balon! Step forward!" I called out, making the section of the now mingling crowd nearest to me stop and look on curiously. I signalled one of the servants watching to fetch me one of the crates I had prepared as the Stormlands knight registered my call and approached.
"Your Grace." Courteous and comely, the young knight stepped forward and bowed his head. His large chest and arms thick with muscle bulged through his doublet in a manner that turned many people's heads.
As modest off the battlefield as he was valiant on it, I had no intention of letting this gem slip through my fingers. Though he was no Barristan Selmy or Jamie Lannister, he was still well above average with a mace, and virtually unrivalled with a bow. Being one of the top ten bowmen in all of the Seven Kingdoms.
More than that, he was serious, dutiful, and responsible, entirely unlike the frivolous ass kissing friends Renly had chosen as his guard the first time around. If Ser Balon Swann had a flaw, it was only that his loyalty never wavered, no matter what the person he had chosen to give it to did. His service on Joffrey's Kingsguard showed that.
It was something I considered no flaw at all, as long as that loyalty was to me.
"Ser Balon," I began charmingly, "Your skill with a bow is unrivalled, and your obedience, modesty, and loyalty do you much credit. A king needs a Kingsguard, and though the position of Lord Commander is promised to another, I would ask that you be the first White Sword named."
The look of joy and pride shone through Ser Balon's face despite his experience at projecting courtly manners. As a second son and a skilled knight, it had always been a dream lurking at the back of his mind to become one of the legendary seven White Swords. As it was for many in his position.
"Your Grace. I'm honoured that you think so highly of me." He stammered.
"It is no less than your skill and dedication deserve. But think carefully Ser," I remarked calmly, "a Kingsguard's lot can be a terrible one. If you accept, you will stand between me and all those that wish me harm. One day those people may be your friends, your blood, yet there you will stand, all in white, between them and your king. With a terrible choice to make."
"That would never happen Your Grace!" The courageous knight exclaimed, horrified.
"It happened to Ser Jamie Lannister." I commented coolly.
Ser Balon thought for several moments before bending the knee. "Your Grace, on my sword, on my honour, and on my father's life, I swear I shall not do as he did."
I opened the crate the servant had brought me and withdrew a white cloak. The rest of the hall was watching in rapt attention as I wrapped it around the shoulders of the kneeling knight.
"Arise Ser Balon. First of my Kingsguard."
There were several bellows of congratulations from Balon's friends. But he ignored them all beyond a smile and raised hand of acknowledgement, simply standing and moving to take Jon's place at the right hand of the Storm Throne. Immediately taking his new role seriously, much to my delight.
When peoples' eyes had drifted away, I withdrew a dagger in a plain white scabbard from the box and presented it to Ser Balon.
"This is Warden," I noted as the young Stormlands Kingsguard looked over its plain white leather hilt and its plain brass crossguard and pommel. Unadorned, apart from the raised crown at the centre of the crossguard on either side.
"Don't draw it." I commented quietly, making sure not to draw attention.
Ser Balon paused, about to do exactly that. "Why not, Your Grace?"
"It's Valyrian Steel." I replied so only those on the dais could hear. "I give it not to you Ser, but to the Kingsguard. It is to be passed to whoever is guarding me, no matter which of the six it is."
Ser Balon frowned. "Will you not have seven Kingsguard Your Grace?"
"My Lord Commander will have their own Valyrian steel blade. But aside from him, as many of the Kingsguard as possible will need to be armed with Valyrian steel when in my presence. Sadly this will require that the blades be passed to those arriving to take over guard duty by those going to rest, as acquiring six was beyond me."
"Do you doubt my ability to defend you without such a blade Your Grace?" Ser Balon asked, wavering between insulted and upset at the supposed lack of faith.
"Never good Ser. But there are some threats that even castle forged steel cannot protect me from. From such magics only Valyrian steel will serve as a defence."
At once Ser Balon's eyes grew calculating. "You have Lightning, your Lord Commander will have their own blade. Now you give Warden to your Kingsguard and speak as if you have another blade to give as well. You have planned too well and spent too much to be guarding yourself from an idle threat Your Grace. Who means you harm?"
"You would not believe me Ser Balon. Not yet." I shook my head. "But I will inform you soon."
My Kingsguard looked ready to argue, but he was interrupted by the approach of someone who commanded attention wherever they went.
Standing taller than me, well over six feet, and significantly more muscled than me even after the grown from my warhammer training, Brienne of Tarth parted the crowd before her as she approached me on the Storm Throne. Just by looking at her from a distance I could tell that she was truly a descendant of Ser Duncan the Tall.
As she came closer I managed to get a clear look at her. She was certainly no Gwendoline Christie. Her eyes were a beautiful strong blue, but that was the only thing she had won the genetic lottery on. The rest of her facial features were very masculine and she was flat chested for her size – both terrible states of being for women in the eyes of straight men – and as if to prove how cruel they could be, the gods had decided to gift her with crooked teeth as well.
She certainly wasn't the ugliest person I'd ever seen. But outside several lesbians I was acquainted with who deliberately cultivated the masculine aesthetic, I'd never seen a more masculine cis gendered woman before. Something that was a death knell for her social status in a society as viciously patriarchal, image obsessed, and gender role enforcing as Westeros was outside of Dorne. And as Dorne was still image obsessed so she would find little escape there either.
Brienne reached the foot of the dais and bowed her head. Arya's eyes widened as she took in the doublet and breeches Brienne was wearing instead of a dress and the sword on her belt. "Your Grace. May I offer my congratulations on your election."
"My Lady Brienne!" I exclaimed, for once not having to fake the warmth in my voice or smile on my face. "I cannot tell you how much it pleases me to see you here. I trust that there were no problems assembling Tarth's levies?"
"None, Your Grace." Brienne replied blushing heavily at my genuine welcome. "Though we did keep back a full garrison for Evenfall Hall, as you commanded."
"I'm glad to hear it." I smiled again.
Brienne continued to stand there, awkwardly trying to speak but constantly failing. I decided to rescue her before the sniggering started.
"Is there something you would ask of me my lady?"
"Your Grace, I have only one thing that I desire. The honour of a place in your Kingsguard." The hall exploded in whispers and contemptuous hoots, but I maintained eye contact with her and smiled encouragingly, so Brienne continued. "Name me one of your seven, and I will pledge my life to yours, go where you go, and keep you safe from all harm."
Brienne looked up at me desperately, and I felt like the worst scum when I crushed her dreams. But it was necessary.
"Alas my lady, what you ask, I cannot give."
Brienne's expression collapsed and she looked ready to flee, so I bellowed over the jeers that had started as soon as I refused her.
"HOWEVER! That is not because I doubt your loyalty! Nor your skill with a blade! It is because I have a different role for you. One that only you can fill."
The desperate hope on the Maid of Tarth's face was heartbreaking, so I continued quickly, addressing the entire hall.
"What Cersei Lannister has done my lords, is to make it so that we cannot rely on even the queen's own brother to guard her virtue. Though I am certain that my own future wife, and the many queens that will come after her down the centuries, will never do what Cersei Lannister has done, the question will still be on the lips of every opponent. The possibility a knife in the hand of every pretender."
Most of the hall scowled and muttered as they realised for the first time exactly how deep and damaging Cersei's actions had been to all future queens. Their concerns appropriately stoked, I began to present my solution.
"It is for this reason that the guarding of the queen and the royal children is no longer to be the responsibility of the Kingsguard, from now on they will only guard the king."
The muttering took on a note of incredulity.
"Who will guard the rest of the royal family?!" Alyn Estermont called out, giving voice to their thoughts.
"I will create a new order of knighthood for the task – The Rainbow Guard!" I proclaimed, changing the muttering from incredulous to exited.
"Who will serve in the guard?" Ser Owen Penrose asked, his strong voice carrying over the others.
"And how many knights will there be?" His young son, Renly Penrose, piped up in excitement, his voice cracking in the middle and making him blush. Named after me by my most loyal bannermen, no doubt his dreams of being a Kingsguard knight were changing to being one of the Rainbow Guard as he watched it being created by his hero.
"The Rainbow Guard will number seven, just like the Kingsguard, they will hold no lands and will not wed, just like the Kingsguard, and they will serve until death, just like the Kingsguard. They will each be armoured in a single colour, assigned when they take their vows, but their cloaks and shields will be the stripes of the rainbow. To show the favour of the Faith and the Seven while they watch over the queen, mother of the realm, and the innocent princes and princesses as they grow."
I smirked as my lords processed my announcement. A splendid new order of knighthood, with a gorgeous new raiment to proclaim it. Exactly in keeping with Renly's character. Many highborn would miss that I was aligning myself closer with the Faith with this action, using their sacred rainbow symbol as the raiment of the knights that would guard my wife and children. But the septons would certainly notice, which was something that I was banking on being useful in the days ahead.
Even if things didn't work out as planned with the Faith's hierarchy, the Rainbow Guard would still be a big win for me. The smallfolk were devout even if a large chunk of the highborn were not, and they associated all rainbows with the Faith, the second great pillar of their lives. For me to assign my wife and children's safety to an order of knighthood named the Rainbow Guard, something even the most illiterate smallfolk would hear of, would bring back memories of the Warrior's Sons and their own rainbow cloaks. Emphasising my continued – though insincere – devotion to the Faith and siphoning off some of their legitimacy for myself. Especially when compared with Joffrey's sporadic lip service to the Faith, and Stannis' active purging of it and promotion of R'hllor instead. There were few bigger tools available to bring the mass of the Seven Kingdom's smallfolk further into my camp, given their mass illiteracy.
Secretly, I had to admit to myself that all of that was secondary. Creating the Rainbow Guard was something that I had been unable to resist, no matter the cost. Self-indulgent though it was. The idea of a gay man from the shires creating the Rainbow Guard, the order that would serve as a beacon across the Seven Kingdoms and in the history books – announcing the first of the hammer blows I intended to land on Westeros' cisgendered, straight, male dominated, feudal absolutist social structure by changing knighthood from an exclusively male institution to a gender-neutral one…it was just something that I couldn't let pass.
As the excitement among my lords grew at my effective doubling of the prestigious Kingsguard slots, I decided it was time to drop the gender-neutral knighthood bombshell.
"My Lady Brienne. It is in this capacity that I wish you to serve. Women are uniquely suited to guarding fellow women and children, and none can accuse you of being the father of the queen's children! I ask you, my Lady of Tarth, will you do me the honour of being the first Knight Commander of the Rainbow Guard?"
Brienne was only shocked to silence for a moment, quickly recovering and shouting her acceptance over the hollering disbelief and scorn from the rest of the hall.
I remained completely unperturbed by the noise and simply signalled for Jon to hold out the metal training shield again. He did so, after gently moving Arya out of the way as she'd frozen in place from the confusion as to who she should hero worship more – me or Brienne.
Many lords covered their ears as they noticed what I was doing. Once again, I brought my warhammer crashing down on the training shield, filling the hall with the unholy screeching of metal on metal for the second time.
I casually sat back down on the Storm Throne in the resulting silence and regarded all of my bannermen with a pleasant smile. This time there was no explosion of anger. I was done imitating Robert Baratheon. It was time my bannermen got used to Renly Baratheon.
"I apologise my lords. I don't know what I did to give you the impression that I will be submitting all my decisions to a great council for approval. Clearly I must have done something, I'm certain that none of you would question your king so otherwise."
My tone was sunshine and rainbows – and completely at odds with the dual challenge and threat that I had just made to the entire hall of lords and knights.
I was met with silence and disbelieving stares, until one knight's bitterness overcame his common sense.
"That monstrosity is no knight Your Grace! How can she be Knight Commander if she isn't a knight?" Ser Humphry Wagstaff was a sixty-something knight of House Wagstaff and castellan of Grandview for Lord Hugh Grandison.
As such he wasn't well disposed towards me to start with. But Brienne breaking his collarbone, and three of his ribs, when he attempted to 'teach her her place' in the training yard upon being betrothed to the then sixteen-year-old Brienne, had likely been the part that overpowered his survival instinct.
"Ah! Ser Humphry!" I called out joyously, as if he were my oldest friend. "You are, of course, right, thank you so much for pointing it out."
The old knight made to smirk at Brienne, but I continued in my joyous tone before his lips could move.
"On a completely unrelated matter, thank you for volunteering to lead the digging parties for the camp latrines for our entire campaign! Your generosity is inspiring!"
The entire hall couldn't have frozen in place faster if it had been blasted with an ice dragon's breath.
"But…but…but that's smallfolk work!" Ser Humphry exclaimed in horror at the thought of digging the shit pits with his own hands. Especially as the first would be in use long before he finished digging all of them, every night the army stopped to camp.
"Indeed, it is," I noted magnanimously, still smiling brightly, "truly your humility and willingness to lead by example is a lesson to us all."
It was a lesson alright, and the rest of my bannermen had clearly heard it. They were looking at me with the same confused horror as the gold cloaks at the gates of the Red Keep had. Completely nonplussed by my method of issuing threats in the same tone and demeanour that they used to extend feast invitations to their dearest friends.
Jon and Edric Dayne, both witnesses to this before, were struggling to contain their laughter.
Arya wasn't even trying and had begun cackling like a woods witch.
I turned back to Brienne. "My Lady, I would knight you now, there is no law against it and your martial skills and dedication to the knight's oaths are more than deserving of such an honour. But as the first woman knight in Westeros, I feel that your knighthood should be a reward for something spectacular. Something for all women knights who come after you to both treasure and to aim to surpass."
There were many shocked, horrified, angry, and cutting looks being directed at me from around the hall. But now I had made it clear that I was willing to spend significant political capital to ensure that women could be both knights in general, and members of the Rainbow Guard in particular, no others were willing to risk my displeasure by speaking against me openly while I was in such a strong position.
I was sure that I would have to spend a lot more political capital in the years ahead to keep this bit of social progress alive, but this was a hill I was willing to die on. For Brienne, for Arya, for the Mormont girls, for all the gender nonconforming girls that would come after them. For all the trans men who wanted to live as their true selves like their cis brothers, for all the queer people of Westeros that didn't have supportive parents and a highborn name to protect them.
I ignored the scorn from the men in the room, and the rush of fear that came from the hatred in their expressions, even though they weren't directed at me. It was a timely reminder of what they would have done to me and Loras if we hadn't been two of the most powerful highborn in the realm. Refusing to let my fear show, I stared them all down coolly with a cold smile and a raised eyebrow, daring anyone else to openly defy me as I indicated Brienne should kneel.
She did, shakily.
I took a rainbow cloak from the crate that a servant had brought out, fastening it upon her shoulders.
"Arise Brienne the Blue, first of the Rainbow Guard." There was dead silence from the rest of the hall as Brienne stood, looking like all her dreams had come true despite the hostile hate filled silence.
The silence was broken by Arya throwing her head back and howling like a wolf, before running forward to hug Brienne and unleashing a barrage of enthusiastic questions.
That broke the tension and Jon, both Edrics, and the three Cortnays began clapping in earnest. My closest supporters joined in politely, though the rest of the round hall remained stubbornly silent.
It was enough for now. Only in Sansa's stories were such drastic changes accepted overnight. The tradition of warrior women had been started with the Targaryen dragonriders, but only rarely had women taken up the sword in the six northern kingdoms without a dragon to ride and none had been knighted. A change like this, intended to make women knights a small, but permanent, fixture in the Seven Kingdoms, would take a lifetime and a lot of favours, blackmail, treasure, and blood to keep alive until it was self-sustaining. Fortunately, I was willing to spend boatloads of all four to see it succeed.
"Your Grace," Orys Swygert spoke up respectfully, "Do you intend for all the knights of the Rainbow Guard to be women? To more effectively guard the queen's virtue?"
"In time, Lord Orys, In time. I can think of no other way to kill the possibility of a Kingsguard being the father of the queen's children now that Cersei and Jamie have made even the closest kin links there can be suspect." I replied calmly. Before the anger among my bannermen could build too high, I added a qualification. "Of course, I recognise that few fathers have been as enlightened and supportive as the Evenstar. Lord Selywn is one of the few that has encouraged, rather than crushed, the interest of his martially inclined daughter in the sword. I will not compromise the safety of my future queen, nor my future children. So while I hope that in the reign of my son all seven Rainbow Knights will be women, so that the parentage of his children will truly be beyond question, I accept that in my reign I will be very lucky if I can find four."
Honestly even four would be a miracle. Given how brutally the northern six kingdoms enforced their gender roles, and how trusting anyone from Dorne aside from Edric was a sure path to receiving a knife in the back, I'd consider it a major win if any women at all besides Brienne ended up in my Rainbow Guard. True progress on that front was several years away, perhaps even a decade, and it was indeed likely that it would be the king after me that would be the first to have a Rainbow Guard entirely of women.
My bannermen relaxed marginally, no doubt hoping that I would grow bored of this queer experiment in a few years and satisfied that there would still be spots in the new order of knighthood for their sons.
I decided to allay their fears further as my eyes sought out the only member of Renly's original Rainbow Guard besides Loras and Brienne that wasn't either dangerously flippant and unconcerned with their duty, an enthusiastic turncloak, or both.
"Ser Robar Royce, step forward."
The sole Valeman present forced his way through the crowd to stand at the foot of the dais, next to Brienne.
Comely, in a rough-hewn lumberjack sort of way, Lord Yohn Royce's second son was a very good swordsman. More importantly, his mind was as good as his bladework. A fact proven by how he had been able to process the attack of the shadow baby on Renly and come to the correct conclusion. His fellow guard, Emmon Cuy, had not, despite having the same information.
Ser Robar's only drawbacks were his inexperience and a small flippant streak that degraded his seriousness and dedication. Given that the latter two characteristics practically defined Brienne and Ser Balon, I calculated that exposing him to them, rather than the four overgrown fratboys that Renly had picked as his fellow guards the first time around, would see his flippant streak crushed rather than encouraged. Resulting in another solid, skilled, and dutiful knight, well suited to the task of guarding the royal family. Just like Brienne and Ser Balon.
"Ser Robar, you have shown great skill in the tourneys, and none could question the honour of the Royce's once they have given their word. Do not think I missed that you were one of the few that did not voice an objection to my naming of Brienne the Blue to the Rainbow Guard. Such faith in your king has its rewards, which are yours, if you want them."
I smiled around the hall and saw more than one young knight grimace as they realised what their open contempt for Brienne had cost them. My smile grew wider when I saw the small smile on Brienne's face and I gave her a small wink in return, making her blush before I turned back to Ser Robar.
"If you would swear to stand between all who would do the royal family harm, even though those may be your bannermen, your friends, or your blood, then I would name you, Ser Robar, as the second of the Rainbow Guard."
"I do so swear Your Grace." Ser Robar responded seriously.
He knelt, and I placed a striped rainbow cloak from the crate around his shoulders.
"Arise Ser Robar the Red, knight of the Rainbow Guard."
There was far more applause this time as Ser Robar stood, taking his place next to Brienne. The rainbow cloaks on both of them showed I was serious about my new order of knighthood, while the appointment of a Royce also gave me a toehold in the Vale. Given that his father was the Vale's most respected lord now Jon Arryn was dead, my bannermen would know that I was already considering moves that would get me closer to the Iron Throne. Which should help to reassure any that were suffering from buyers' guilt that they had backed the right horse.
"I will, in time, provide you both with new suits of armour in your Rainbow Guard colour, as you deserve. Sadly, there is little time for such courtesies in war. We must march with what we have, not what we wish we have. I hope both of you and Ser Balon will forgive the delay."
All three nodded in acceptance and I noted several looks of respect from my bannermen at the pragmatic and practical attitude I was showing. A rainbow or white cloak was easy to make if you could afford the materials, a custom suit of coloured armour made by Tobho Mott was something else entirely.
Perhaps I was being a snob in refusing to engage Storm's End's master smith or Highgarden's to make the armour. But I refused to have my Kingsguard and Rainbow Guard armed and armoured by anyone but the absolute best.
Power resides where men believe it resides after all – and that meant messages such as the quality of the armour of my two most prestigious and visible orders of knighthood were as essential to get right as my more fancy political footwork.
The crowd began to mingle again when it was clear that I had no further positions to give out today. Once their attention had wandered, I turned to my two Rainbow Knights.
"Lady Brienne, would you accompany me for a walk on the curtain wall? We will discuss what your task to earn your knighthood will be. Ser Robar, as I am not yet married, you will act as a Kingsguard along side Ser Balon until such times as I have another task for you, or I have a queen to guard. The rest of you, entertain yourselves until the feast is ready."
My retinue dispersed as Brienne walked by my side, out of the round hall and towards the steps leading to the curtain wall. Ser Balon and Ser Robar were my constant shadows, though I noticed when we reached the top of the steps that I had also acquired another one.
"Arya," I groaned out exasperatedly, "what are you doing?"
"You're going to give me a mission too, so I can be a knight as well." The little she-wolf declared firmly, staring at Brienne.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Arya, you are but two-and-ten. I'm not knighting you."
"But that's not…" Arya began but was cut off by Brienne's strong voice.
"Lady Arya, what is the most important duty of a knight?"
Arya froze before answering tentatively. "Kill bad people?"
"Protect the innocent, yes." Brienne replied, a genuine smile on her face. "What is the second most important duty?"
Arya was clearly stumped and looked at the floor.
"To obey your king." Brienne answered her own question, kindly but firmly.
Arya huffed and collapsed in on herself. "I want to be a knight." She muttered mutinously, hurt colouring her voice at her heroes denying her dream.
"And you will be, one day," I explained calmly, "but you're two-and-ten. That day is many years in the future. Now, go and ask Syrio to give you a dancing lesson."
Her young face brightened even as she looked confused. "A real water dancing lesson? I thought you wanted me to pretend to be Sansa?"
"I think that ship has sailed, given your behaviour after my election." I remarked dryly, letting my genuine amusement show.
"I'm not sorry!" The little she-wolf replied stubbornly, digging her heels in and pouting.
"Did I say you should be?" I shot back, raising an eyebrow. Arya had played her part to perfection in my campaign, as I needed her to. Now I had already been elected her true nature leaking through, while unhelpful with all of my bannermen present, was of far less concern to me. This was another battle it was in my interest to let her win.
Her little face lit up. "You mean you don't mind? I can act like myself again?!"
"Yes, exactly that." I confirmed, laughing as she let out a cheer. "Now, away with you! You have a lesson to get to."
Arya sped off as Ser Balon and Ser Robar both tried to hide their smiles while Brienne just looked confused.
"Lady Arya is a very strange child." The Maid of Tarth commented in confusion.
"I often find that the strangest people may take the most effort to understand, but they give the biggest rewards if you're willing to put the effort in." I replied with a pointed look at the sword on her belt.
Brienne blushed as she took my meaning, before walking along the curtain wall in silence with me. I gestured that we should walk towards the seaward side. While I remained deep in thought.
Renly had thought Brienne absurd, as much as he valued her loyalty and skill. I hoped she would be a template for the women of Westeros so inclined to follow her into knighthood. Both of us had used her loyalty and dedication for our own purposes without regard to her feelings, but I at least wouldn't let that pass unremarked.
"I apologise, my lady, for treating you so poorly." I remarked as we walked.
"Your Grace, you have given me my greatest dream!" Brienne protested.
"Your greatest dream was to be my Kingsguard, or my wife. Instead, I have tasked you with guarding the woman who will take the place you wish was yours. It is cruel of me."
Brienne blushed and stammered and stopped dead in her tracks. I waved Ser Balon and Ser Robar back well out of earshot, then lent on the battlements, staring out to sea. Giving Brienne all the time she needed to find the words to give voice to what she was thinking.
"Girls like me do not become the lady of Storm's End, much less queen. I accepted that long ago." Brienne commented quietly, barely audible over the waves.
I drew on Renly's memories of the times we had met and replaced his thoughts with my own.
"I remember the first time I saw you my lady. It was on my coming-of-age progress when I arrived at Evenfall Hall and your father threw me a feast. Ser Ronnet Connington had just rejected you with a rose, ungallant fool that he is, and the boys of my retinue were laughing at you. Do you know what I thought?"
"No, Your Grace." Brienne whispered quietly, clearly afraid that I was about to ruin one of the few good memories she had.
"I thought 'there is the bravest person in the Stormlands.'" I replied calmly.
"Don't mock me, not you." Bienne begged.
"I'm not mocking you." I responded gently. "I looked at you and saw a girl who was more skilled with the sword than any in my retinue were. A girl who had persevered and trained when the entire world jeered at her and told her to stop. A girl that had come to face down all who would mock her when she had been rejected so cruelly only a few days before. To do any one of those required more bravery and dedication than all the boys of my retinue had put together, and you'd done all three. I looked at you and saw bravery my lady, a bravery and dedication I could not help but admire. It was why I desired to dance with you then, and it is why I desire you in my service now."
I pretended not to hear the few choked sobs Brienne let out. Keeping my gaze firmly out to sea to avoid embarrassing her. When she had composed herself again, I turned and showed her my true face, maskless and with a sad smile.
"No woman will ever hold my heart Brienne. But you hold my admiration, in a way few in all Seven Kingdoms will ever match."
Brienne's gave me a watery smile. "I had heard the whispers Your Grace. Though I think it cruel that the gods made the Knight of Flowers prettier than the Maid of Tarth, tis only appropriate if he is to be Lady Loras of Storm's End."
I threw my head back and roared with genuine laughter at the unexpected joke. Brienne joined in, the tension easing.
When we'd both recovered, I indicated that we should continue walking. "You're no doubt wondering why, if I think so highly of you, I denied you a place on my Kingsguard."
"It is not my place to question you Your Grace." Brienne responded respectfully, though I could tell she desperately wanted the answer.
"I would encourage you to question me. I am surrounded by sycophants enough and your opinion is one that I value." I replied, watching Brienne blush. "The answer is simple my lady. It is relatively easy to entrust your own life to another, for you bear the consequences yourself if you have chosen poorly. It is more difficult to entrust the life of a friend to another, for it is they who will suffer in your place if you have chosen poorly. But your children…"
I trailed off as I watched Brienne blanch in realisation.
"…For any true parent, the life of their child is more precious than all the gold in the world. More precious even, than a twisted iron chair. Soon I will marry, and with the help of maesters potions, be blessed with children. Their mother does not wield a sword and Ser Loras is needed on the battlefield. With both of them unsuitable, there is only one person in the world that I trust the safety of my children to. That is why I need you as Knight Commander of my Rainbow Guard, not my Kingsguard. I can defend myself if all else fails, but in your rainbow cloak you, Ser Brienne of Tarth, will be the last defence my child has if the Stranger comes for them."
"Your Grace….how…what…" Brienne took a moment to compose herself but eventually managed to get the question out. "I will not fail you. I swear it by all the gods. But how do you know you can trust me so?"
"What is the highest calling of a knight?" I asked simply.
Brienne simply frowned, confused. "A true knight's highest calling is to defend those who are weaker than themselves, young or old, or die in the attempt."
"That's how I know." I replied, smiling sadly. "You are a True Knight Brienne, and that is the rarest thing in the world."
"I am no knight Your Grace." She replied, embarrassed.
"Well then, lets change that. Your task that will earn you knighthood." I let my mask slip back into place as Brienne took on an even more serious and dutiful countenance than usual. "First, remind me. How many warships are in the Stormlands fleet?"
As the heir of the most strategic island in the Stormlands until she had taken her place in the Rainbow Guard, Brienne was a fair sailor and well acquainted with the Stormlands navy. "Our fleet is small Your Grace, as you no doubt recall. Only the North has a smaller fleet, and the Riverlands if you exclude their river galleys. We can call upon sixteen war galleys and a further twenty longboats."
I nodded respectfully. "Leave the longboats where they are, they're unsuited to long voyages, and it would not do to leave us unable to respond to even the smallest raids. Where are our war galleys?"
"Six are my father's, patrolling the Straights of Tarth and Shipbreaker Bay from Tarth. Four are the Estermont's, protecting Greenstone and the Cape of Wrath from any pirates that stray too far from the Sepstones. Four are the Whitehead's protecting the Weeping Town and Tower and our southern coastline from the docks there, and two are the Swann's protecting the mouth of the river Slayne from Stonehelm." Brienne recited confidently from memory.
"I will give orders for all sixteen war galleys to assemble in a single squadron at Tarth. You will have the command."
Brienne nodded respectfully. "Where I am I to sail them Your Grace?"
"To Braavos." I answered calmly, watching as she frowned.
"Your Grace, that will take us too close to Dragonstone, Lord Stannis…"
"Likely has over two hundred war galleys there, when the portion of the Royal Fleet that has declared for him is added to those ships of Dragonstone, Driftmark, and the Crownlands houses that have rallied to him. Likely over a hundred longships too. To try and pass Dragonstone with more than a handful of ships and less than the full Redwyne or Iron Fleet is a fool's errand, I know."
"You have a plan then Your Grace?"
"Sail the squadron across the Narrow Sea to Pentos, then hire navigators that will lead you up the eastern coast of Essos to Braavos. It's a more difficult journey than up the Westerosi coast, but my brother's presence at Dragonstone closes that option to us and your task cannot be delayed."
"Your Grace." Brienne stated simply, accepting the plan.
I took the opportunity to withdraw a dagger that was the twin of the one I had given to Ser Balon from my belt. "This is Guardian, it's Valyrian steel so be careful where you draw it. It belongs to the Knight Commander of the Rainbow Guard."
"Your Grace…I…"
I cut Brienne off. "There are threats in this world that normal steel will be useless against, Knight Commander. You will not believe until you see for yourself, so simply remember my words. Even the darkest shadow can be slain with the magic of the Dragonlords. You will know what it means if the time ever comes."
"I don't understand Your Grace." Brienne asked regardless.
"Hopefully you never will." I replied grimly, gripping Fury's hilt tightly and glancing towards Warden on Ser Balon's belt. "Now, let us discuss the task you must perform once you reach Braavos."