293ac

Addam nervously held on to the ship's wheel as it soared and rode the waves. The two and ten-year-old youth bit his cheek when the wheel nearly slipped from his hand, though he was quick to grasp it again.

This was the most fun he's had in a moon's turn, even if it was just for a bit as his cousin Monford and Aurane sat back and watched him go... If only he could be on Driftmark for another year as he's soon to leave for King's Landing.

Father nearly didn't even let him do this, saying it would be the one time he obliged his rowdy son.

Honestly, the idea to be on Driftmark was his stepmother's, she brought him to her side one day as they watched the ships go around the island and asked if he would like to sail a ship like his father.

Addam beamed, even more when his mother announced she was pregnant again... Though it would be a temporary joy.

"Be firm, lad, or else you'll maroon us," Monford said, coming over and helping him spot some jagged rocks, they neared a little closer than he liked so he steered the ship back to the open sea. "Good job, cousin."

Monford was his older cousin, married to a cousin to a lesser cousin named Larissa who gave birth to his first son and Addam's second cousin, Monterys.

The Lord of the Tides was also a good mentor on naval lessons, he learned much of a ship's body and the many pieces that make it float and had even journeyed once to Pentos, though he would never tell his father about it.

He called it his first voyage, hopefully when he is older and with his very own ship (perhaps a fleet) he will make such grand journeys as the Sea Snake did.

Returning to the isle of Driftmark, the Velaryon lands, he spotted the ruined castle of High Tide.

It was once a beautiful seat of white marble, the Hall of Nine being a wonder of the world until it had been sacked during the Dance of the Dragons by the Triarchy pirates.

"Monford, why haven't you or our grandfather ever rebuilt High Tide?" he asked and his cousin smiled sadly whilst looking at the ruined seat.

"... It just hasn't, our family lost much of the support we had since the civil war." it was why the Targaryens barely entertained marriages with House Velaryon for almost a whole century.

From what lady Jeyne, his old keeper who died from the greyscale that nearly murdered his sister is that his grandfather wanted his lady mother to marry the Last Dragon.

It fell through, though, then his Baratheon grandfather arranged the match with his father, the spare heir to Storm's End to his uncle Robert.

"There is a large dragon skull in the old library at home." he mentioned and Monford nodded, "The head of Meraxes, Queen Rhaenys Targaryen's dragon."

He had been reading much of the histories to his sister, Shireen who was ever joyful even with her deformation. She is seven, now, her name day having passed just three moons ago.

She is bright and if only that wretched Garin's curse hadn't touched her then she would certainly be the gem of the Baratheon House.

"Addam, come on, lad," Aurane called as they pulled into the town of Hull, a settlement on the northernmost part of Driftmark Isle.

A few days later on the night before he would set sail for King's Landing, Monford held a small feast and gifted him a cloak with a variation of the Baratheon banner, a silver one riding on a sea of blue, the cloak itself made from sealskin.

Morning came all to soon when they began walking to his cousin's ship, Nagga's Son.

Aurane said it was good having him, though Addam had him swear to be his companion when he came of age. Monford laughed and patted him on the shoulder, promising they would both come if he should ask for it.

Addam didn't want to leave, he even wanted to go home to Dragonstone.

And yet he boarded the ship and a few days later woke to the rays of the sun shining on him through a port window, he quickly dressed and went to the top deck and saw the Red Keep in the distance.

Father and Mother waited at the docks, he smiled and initially wanted to run to his papa but reminded himself that he was almost a man.

So, he straightened his back and bowed to his father, "I missed you, Papa. Mother."

The Master of Whispers rarely ever smiles, he's grown accustomed to seeing the stone-faced expression but his father's eyes softened and Addam smiled, knowing he was missed in return.

295ac

Addam stomped down the hall towards his chambers within Maegor's Holdfast.

His anger was wroth at Joffrey Baratheon, his uncle's eldest son, and Crown Prince and the reason for his irritation was that the supposed future great King was a brat and a crybaby.

As close kin and nobility, they were expected to train together, and up until this day, he listened and made it easy for the Prince.

He hit him harder than he should have, the boy wanted to be treated like a warrior so he did and Joffrey couldn't stop crying, spewing that he had broken a bone when all Addam did was get a bruise.

Ser Barristan even said so, inspecting the prince and the Queen, his aunt had Grand Maester Pycelle look over his cousin to say the same as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.

"A lesser boy would have lost a hand for what you did." Ser Jaime commented next to the King when he and his father were notified of the incident.

Father had simply commanded him to go to his chambers when he vehemently argued that the Prince wanted him to fight for real, "He wanted to fight like a warrior! He wanted to!" he shouted and was silenced when he was given a hard stare from the Master of Ships.

Finding his room, he opened and slammed the chamber door shut.

It was nightfall when his father opened his door and walked, inside, Addam was ready for bed when Papa entered. "Sit down." he did as he was told and with averted eyes. "Your cousin said you goaded him into letting you fight harder, is this true?"

"No, well, not all of it." he then described the whole affair...

Addam, Joffrey, Joff's cousins of Lancel, Martyn, and Willem were there along with Ser Barristan, Ser Jaime, and Ser Meryn Trant.

Along the yard were also a varied amount of squires, knights, and men at arms all getting in some training before the midday began. He was showing off by using some less-than-savory tactics to disarm and make the King's squire yield.

"I want a turn!" Joffrey declared loudly and Aron Santagar, the master-at-arms permitted it. "I want to fight Addam."

Addam looked between the other young knights in training and knew he had to hold back, they've been at this before and each time was more embarrassing than the last because most boys who went up against the Crown Prince feigned ignorance and often let the Prince win.

At first, he remained defensive, taking little retaliatory strikes against his cousin, it only served to anger Joff for some reason. "No! I want a fight like you had with Lancel!"

"Your Highness, I don't think I should... " he tried to say and was silenced when Joffrey demanded a real fight loudly to all around.

Slowly a crowd had started to gather for the contest between Addam and his nine-name day-old cousin, and feeling as if he would lose his pride if he refused again, he instead relented and said, "Fine, cousin."

What entailed was a horrible defeat by him and Joffrey struggled (understandably) against Addam who was older and more skilled than the Prince.

Eventually, he went to bring down his wood sword when Joffrey yielded, tripped and fell backward, and rose up his left arm to shield himself when his weapon made contact against Joffrey's skin.

His father looked and had been unflinching to his retelling of the story. "I swear it, Father, that is the truth of it."

"... I believe you, though I must remind you that Joffrey is the Crown Prince, let him cry and run to his mother but you must never harm him." it hurt Addam's pride but he bit his tongue, "Sleep well, tomorrow you will accompany me to the docks to inspect ships, I hear you've become quite the sailor with your Velaryon cousins."

Addam smiled then, "Yes, Father."