310 AC
Brienne of Tarth
Brienne couldn't have imagined that her life would have led to, when she first picked up that sword in her father's tiltyard.
She had been inducted as the first woman in the history of the Kingsguard. After the Lion's War, she had held her duty…guarded and protected her king.
Robert I Baratheon, Robert the Baratheon, Robert the Lusty, Robert the Just, Robert the Usurper, Robert the Man-Devil, and the Demon of the Trident.
All referenced the man in front of her. When she had first met the King, he had been a great mountain of fat and sinew. Eyes glazed over, and wine dribbling down the corners of his mouth. But after she had joined his guard, he had changed.
She remembered a night, long ago, when the king had drunkenly confessed a number of secrets to her. He hadn't realized it, but it changed her perspective forever.
But instead of pushing her away as she feared would happen, he only grew to respect her more. Despite there being six other knights to the guard, the King insisted that Brienne accompany him if he was to leave the Red Keep.
When he had announced his extended absence from the Iron Throne, she was the only Kingsguard to actually be requested by the King to accompany him.
Her superior, Lord Commander Selmy, had volunteered, as did most others. It was only after the insistence of both the newly appointed Prince Regent, the Small Council and other courtiers did he even accept Ser Guyard to join them.
Over the years, she had noticed a change in the King. He had begun to lose weight during the civil war in the Reach. But now, a decade later, he had lost much more. Seemingly a spitting image of his younger days. But his behavior had changed.
At every castle they would stop at, the hosting lord and his knights would comment on his change.
Robert Baratheon had been a lively man. Even before the weight of kingship pushed him into drunken stupors. Whoever he had been long ago, has since been forgotten. He was not cold, nor rude.
But he was calculating. He took a moment of caution before doing something. He listened before he spoke. Everything he did, including how he moved, he did with purpose.
That wasn't to say he did not laugh or smile or find joy in the world. But when he did laugh, it sounded genuine. A far call from his huffs of air and inebriated chuckles.
It had been over a year since the King had left the Red Keep. Robert, Ser Guyard, and herself rode first to Storm's End and stayed for a number of moons. He had once more checked in on his brother, Lord Renly.
Lord Renly had been very good host. But when the King had finally demanded when the growing Renly would finally marry and sire heirs, Lord Renly simply waved the King away.
Renly Baratheon had stated that he was uninterested in siring any children, and that he was perfectly fine with one of Stannis' children inheriting after him. At first, that sent the King into a dark mood. Not shouting as once he would have, but angry eyes, and angrier words.
'I didn't gift you Storm's End to piss it away!' The King had refuted.
But Renly would not budge. After a number of nights, anger was forgotten as once more, Robert enjoyed his time hunting and adventuring with his brother, his bastard son, and his two Kingsguard.
Eventually, Robert grew bored, easy thing for him to do. And so, on the morning of a cloudy, rainy day, their party set off north. This time, he had his son Edric Storm join them. They had ridden once more back up the Kingsroad, and turned west, onto the Gold Road. They veered north just before the Western Hills. The King had wished to show his son Edric the place of the famous Battle of the Bells…the Stoney Sept.
Ser Wilbur, the Master of Stoney Sept, had hosted their small party for a number of days. As word began to spread around the realm of Robert's extended progresses, the people no longer grew to be surprised to see him.
From the Stoney Sept, they rode to Pinkmaiden, then to Acorn Hall, then to Lychester, and then many more keeps, holdfasts, castles and towns after that. They had spent moons traveling around the Riverlands. Simply with his presence, the Riverlands saw a boost in revenue as traveling merchants and peasants came to the kingdom to see their king in person. This influx caused a great deal of trade.
And finally, only a fortnight ago, they had left Riverrun. Lord Tully had hosted their party and gave them more supplies. Now, their destination was the North.
Of the four of them, only the King had ever been there before. Edric, who he had grown close to while traveling, waited in wonder, eager to meet the people from his father's stories.
Brienne too was somewhat excited. If at the very least to meet other warrior women. Ser Guyard was not dismissive but was certainly uninterested by and large. Instead, Ser Guyard found his happiness from the simple things in life.
A good meal. A good song. And plenty of flirting.
Brienne had once been the target of the flirting. She had been scandalized since by then, both had taken their vows of the Kingsguard. But it soon became apparent that Ser Guyard saw it as amusement. Word soon spread in the capital of the handsome Kingsguard who sang and flashed smiles.
Despite this, Brienne didn't think that Ser Guyard had broken his oaths, at least as far as she had observed.
Now, they had passed Seagard, and were approaching the Crossing, the seat of the House Frey.
"Father, are we going to stay in the Crossing over the night? I've heard that it could be dangerous."
Edric Storm had asked. The young man was now in his early second decade. Grown out of his bastard past, he was now confident as well as skilled in the arts of war. Despite being a bastard, his longtime residency in Storm's End had allowed him to become accepted by most of the Stormlords. However, while his martial and leadership skills had grown, he was still under-educated on the ways of the other kingdoms.
"Bah. The rats have been better according to Lord Tully. Ever since the Late Lord Frey died at his daughter's wedding, they have become…bearable he said." Robert retorted.
She jumped in. "Besides Master Edric, I've grown weary of camping under the stars and trees recently. I could do well with a bed at long last."
Brienne had long lived by the tenants of a noble knight. And that of the Kingsguard as well. She had originally been nervous to speak her mind, let alone speak at all without first being given leave. Such was the curse of women in Westeros.
But Robert Baratheon ended that fairly early on. She had been assigned to him as he was leaving a small council meeting and had asked for her advice. She had refuted him at first, until he snapped at her. Since then, she has been unafraid to speak her mind.
"And I could use a good mug o' ale too." Ser Guyard humorously added.
"Shove off, you're always in the mood for an ale."
"Aye lass, which is why I'm known as the fun one."
"The fun one?" Brienne asked confused.
She noted how the King and Edric had notably widened their eyes and veered their horses away from the two of them.
"Aye, the fun one. I'm the fun one, and you're the staid one."
Now she was mad. "The staid one?! I'm fun!"
"Ha, sure ya are."
Brienne sputtered over some words than snapped to look at the King and Edric.
"I'm the staid one?!"
The King simply chuckled and snapped his reins forward. But Edric looked down. "I…I believe that…I believe that Ser Marq Piper coined the names when we stayed in Pinkmaiden."
"And why did none of you tell me this?" She asked shocked.
Edric looked at her in a mixture of fear and pity. "We feared that if you found out…you would hurt Ser Marq-"
"We?!"
"Damnit Edric." She heard the King huff in front of them.
She couldn't do anything against her liege lord, but she certainly could against Edric and Ser Guyard.
"Why you are the most awful group of stuck up, boisterous, noisy, smelly, disgusting, men I have ever been in the presence of!"
"I'm sure you only speak of Ser Guyard and my son, Lady Brienne." Robert commented. She didn't see the smirk on his face.
"Of course...of…of course Your Grace."
On either side of her, the two other men laughed at her.
She quickly dispelled this when she unsheathed her sword and smacked Ser Guyard and Edric in the side with the flat side of the blade.
"Oh!" They both exclaimed.
But before they could react, she had ridden ahead, to ride next to the King once more.
She heard the king chuckle. "Good shot."
"Thank you, Your Grace." She replied with mirth.
"Your Grace, I am Ser Walton Frey, son of Lord Stevron! We received word from Lord Tully on your travels! It would be an honor for us to escort you the rest of the way into the Crossing!" A man in Frey livery called out.
"Very well, lead us on!" The King curtly responded. He leaned over in his saddle, speaking softly to all of them. "Word is that the Crossing under Lord Stevron is infinitely more kind than the previous lord. But do not drop your guard. There are still any number of Freys who are not to be trusted."
The other three nodded silently.
Walton Frey however seemed a decent man, if not a talkative one. He spoke proudly of his children. Walton had two older brothers and a sister. The sister, Maegelle, had died giving birth to Patrek Vance. Aegon was the next oldest brother, but a lackwit through and through. Walton spoke that although Aegon was older than him, due to his mental state and lack of any sons, Lord Tully would most likely ensure that the Lordship of the Crossing, if not the regency of it, would go to him if his eldest brother's nephews were to die.
"Beware, Your Grace. I try not to speak ill of the dead or family, but the sons of my eldest brother are as black hearted as my brother was before his death. Edwyn, eldest of Ryman, is the heir to the Crossing, but he is as rude and as cruel as his great-grandfather. As are his two brothers."
Robert nodded to her, his son and other knight. "Many thanks Ser Walton. Is this an issue you have raised with your Lord father?"
"No, Your Grace. To speak of it would be to speak ill of the dead as well. I have spent some time in Riverrun however, making reparations to the ruined reputation that my grandfather gave us. It is during this time that I have spoken to Lord Tully."
"I shall keep extra watch for their behavior, ser. But regardless, excluding heirs to a lordship requires more than simple manners. Otherwise, the entire realm would erupt in rebellion if they learned of a royal sanction that overlooked lawful heirs."
Walton bowed. "Of course Your Grace. I meant no trouble to you. But still, I would impress upon you to keep watch for them. They sneer behind backs, and I have no doubt that if they were lower in succession, they would stab those who are, in the back."
"This talk does not raise my hopes for your home, ser. The small council informed me over the years that under your father, the Crossing has been more welcoming. Am I to assume that my small council lied to me?"
"No, no. Under my father, the Crossing has been more homey. However, my father is tied with his hands. So instead of expelling our many blood relatives, he simply hides them from those who stay with us. More friendly to the unassuming. But still, in the dark tunnels of the Crossing, plotting continues."
"I will simply ask Ser Walton. Will we be safe here? Would it be better to keep riding and camp further north?"
"No…there is no risk to you. You are the King, and as daft as my cousins, nephews, and other family may be, they are not mindless enough to think attacking the King will do them any favors. In all likelihood, they will more likely attempt to send their sisters and nieces and daughters to seduce you, and whisper in your ear. So too to your bastard here."
"Oi! That's Edric Storm to you!" Edric glared. Ser Walton looked apologetic.
"Apologies, Master Edric. Still, you are a passage with which others will use to seek the King."
They rode over a small hill and through some trees. Finally, the Crossing came into view, they stopped at the peak of the hill. Ser Walton looked over to them.
"Girder your hearts and minds, good party. This will be an interesting night. You can be assured of that."
Ser Walton snapped his reins and continued down the hill. The King let out a sigh and followed after him.
A King in the Crossing… Brienne thought that a mindless jape could be made of that.
*I received a lot of positive reactions from my Brienne chapters in the previous story of this series. Alas, I hope I did not disappoint. I tried to capture the same closeness that had begun to evolve in the last story, while also realizing that a decade had passed, and people evolve as characters too.