Ch.5 The Pride (253ac):

Barristan wasn't feeling very fortunate.

It was simple enough at first. For the first week, he was to shadow another Kingsguard until he could get properly oriented with his duties. He arose early on the morning after the feast to attend to the young prince Aerys.

All they did on that first morning was go over some basic drills for the boy to practice in his own time. Barristan then promised to check in with the boy's training later in the week. A promise he would regret making.

On the third day, Aerys was caught by his sister Rhaella practicing his forms. She, aware that Aerys was forbidden from learning swordplay, informed their father Jaeharys in his solar.

Barristan was present at the time, shadowing the crown prince's guard.

'He has been doing what!' Exclaimed Jaeharys.

'He's been swinging a wooden sword around father. I thought you told him not to.'

'of course I had, how did he even get a practice sword?'

'My prince?' Barristan interjected 'I had given him the sword. Was I…was I not supposed to?'

'No Ser Barristan. No you were not. Did no one tell you?' The prince looked to the other Kingsguard in the room.

'Ser Mycah, did no one brief your newest brother on my son's condition?'

'N-no my prince. We all thought Prince Duncan would have told him. I…I'm sorry' came the flustered reply. Ser Mycah Stone had guarded Jaeharys for so long that this miscommunication felt like a personal failure rather than an administrative one.

'We will talk about this later.' Responded the prince, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He turned back to the young knight. 'Ser Barristan, he was forbidden from learning the sword as we were worried it would set off another episode like he suffered with the wildlings.'

'My apologies, your grace.' Barristan said quickly. Less than a week in and he had already made a serious mistake.

'If it helps, the boy took to the sword like a fish to water. I did not detect any sign of an… episode as you call it.'

'That at least is good to hear Ser Barristan. Fetch the guards and tell them to bring my son here.'

'Why are we hiding here, Aerys?' Tywin asked.

'I told you already, Rhae saw me and ran off to tell father.'

'Yes, but why are we hiding here? Surely, me and Steffon are not in trouble.'

'I want to learn the sword too!' Steffon dutifully replied. At seven namedays, the heir to Storms End was eager to begin his own training.

'Right, I forgot to tell you, Ty. I dragged you here to show you what I learnt!'

"Here" was a secret tunnel Tywin had never seen before. It was large enough to ride a horse through comfortably. Tywin believed it must lead to the stables.

'I'm two years your senior Aerys. I probably know what you know already.'

'Then you can help me learn!'

Tywin rolled his eyes. 'Whatever you say Aerys.' He said.

Tywin Lannister was not an exceptional fighter and even at his age he knew he never would be. He just wasn't as interested in fighting as the other boys he'd trained with in the yard. They learnt the sword like their lives depended on it, and in the case of some second sons that was largely true. Tywin on the other hand didn't have that same drive to be the dragon knight reborn or whatever legend the others always harped on about. Still, he was certain whatever Aerys had to show off wasn't going to be new information.

Tywin was soon proven correct.

'Like this right?' Asked Steffon. The young Baratheon had perfectly mirrored the move Aerys had done while holding a stick about the same length as Aerys's practice sword.

'Perfect! Isn't that perfect Ty?'

'Yes, Aerys. It was very impressive.'

Tywin did not tell him that was very much a beginner move. Perhaps if they became closer friends he would. He had stopped calling the younger boy "my prince" that morning and that was only in response to being called "Ty". If the boy wasn't going to bother with Tywin's full name, then he wasn't going to bother with formalities.

'Hey wait. Tywin, can you show us a move you know?' Steffon asked hopefully.

'Yeah Ty, show us.'

'Sure.' He said. Tywin could turn down Steffon, but he wouldn't deny the prince. Besides, he could show them why he was worth paying attention to.

Tywin Lannister was the heir to the wealthiest house in the whole realm. He would show these two his worth. His father might not appreciate him, but by the gods these two will.

So was his thought process anyway. It didn't quite turn out how he wanted.

'Wow, that's sneaky' Steffon commented

'Is that what a "feint" is? I heard Ser Barristan speak about them.' Aerys chipped in.

'Yes, that is exactly it.' Said Tywin, resolutely. He couldn't admit he had botched his move completely after all.

'You pretend to trip on your feet and when your opponent moves to punish you for it, you strike back!' Tywin punctuated his sentence with a sold thrust of the practice sword he had borrowed from Aerys. That at least, was simple.

'Perhaps you can show us more of what you've learnt Ty? I don't know about Steffon, but it would be nice to know what I need to learn next.'

'Yeah! I'm going back home on the morrow now the tourney's over, I want to learn as much as I can before that! Please Tywin?' Steffon did his best impression of a puppy. It wasn't a pretty look for a Baratheon.

'I don't know.' Tywin responded, wishing to avoid further embarrassment. 'Should we move on before we are found? Surely the crown prince knows of this tunnel.'

'Yes, but if we move now, we run the risk of being discovered. The guards will take this sword from me, and I'll never see it again! It must be now. Please Ty?'

Tywin was saved from having to respond by the timely arrival of the guards Aerys so feared. Hoof beats and clanking armour echoed through the tunnel as riders drew near. Tywin mentally thanked every god he could name and tossed the practice sword onto the ground.

Aerys didn't bother picking it back up. There was nowhere to hide it in the tunnel, and he wasn't going to outrun the approaching horses either.

He did make note of the stick Steffon was using. Learning the sword may be an uphill battle, but by the gods he was committed.

Rhaella waited outside her father's solar while he disciplined Aerys. She didn't need to be there necessarily; she just didn't have anything else to do.

Usually, her free time was spent with family. There were few others her age at court, and she was too young to have lady's in waiting as her mother did.

She liked to pretend that she was the perfect princess, like it was duty that had her telling on Aerys. The truth was, she was simply jealous.

Before he had run away, Aerys had always been in the same boat as her. The few others their age were either visitors like Steffon, or low-born servants who wouldn't dare play with the royal children.

She blamed Tywin Lannister for changing all of that.

He had arrived at court while she was at the wall. When she did meet him upon her return, she knew immediately that she didn't like him. If asked, she wouldn't be able to say why. It wouldn't be until much later in life, when Rhaella was a woman grown, that she could properly articulate the reason.

Tywin was arrogant. She could tell from the way he carried himself, as if he would rule the world one day. She could tell from the way he looked down on her whenever they conversed, as if being a girl made her lesser. She could tell from his dismissal of her favourite servants, as if he at age 11 held the power of life and death over them. She did not appreciate his bearing. The pride he exhibited sickened her.

And then he met Aerys. Tywin only ever put up with him, she could tell, but he always said yes, and Aerys always wanted to hear it. After knowing each other for barely a week Aerys wanted to show off his sword skills to Tywin. Rhaella wouldn't allow it.

Now, with her ear pressed to the door she regretted it.

'Why are you so fixated on that damn sword!' Her father yelled.

'Dark sister is lost, and one day I will recover it.' Aerys responded calmly.

Rhaella did not like Aerys's response. Aerys should be yelling back, screaming out his frustrations. Rhaella herself would be in tears by now if it were her in that situation. Where was the emotion that typically coloured Aerys's voice?

'You are my Heir. You will one day rule the seven kingdoms my son. You have much bigger things to worry about than some sword.'

'If you say so father.' Came a deadpan response. Aerys had long given up on convincing his family of his quest. He knew they would never approve.

Jaeharys was furious. He could have forgiven Aerys's wilfulness in different circumstances. Children act out all the time, that was something he's had to deal with in the past and would likely have to deal with going forward.

It was clear however that Aerys was not going to stop trying to train himself no matter what Jaeharys said or did. Worse, he was behaving far older than he actually was. That scared Jaeharys but the prevailing emotion was anger.

'Go to your room Aerys. We will talk again later. Ser Mycah will make sure you try nothing further.' He would consult his own father on the matter. Perhaps he could be of assistance.

'Yes father.'

Rhaella scurried out of sight before the door could swing open. She ducked around a corner. Ser Mycah knew she was there, as was his duty as a kingsguard, but she didn't want to be seen by Aerys.

I wish he'd never laid eyes on that damned sword she thought to herself. This new obsession with the blade was something she had mistook for some passing fancy that he'd grow out of. Now, it was clear that this desire was much deeper than she anticipated.

It was one thing for him to have other friends. On some level Rhaella knew that was inevitable even if the eight-year-old wasn't mature enough to accept that fact. It was much worse if he was training for some kind of… Death Quest. How could he be doing that instead of spending time with his own sister?

Rhaella didn't know what to do about all this, but she did know that it upset her and therefore, Aerys upset her. She decided that he needed to make it up to her.

Aerys spent the rest of the day doing just that, doing anything and everything she asked. He had no idea whatsoever what he had done to deserve Rhae's ire, but he wasn't going to complain. He enjoyed playing around with her. It reminded him of the wildlings.

He was proud to have such a sweet sister.

A few hours later, Barristan found himself shadowing his lord commander. He wasn't surprised to be wondering into the king's solar. Ser Duncan the tall never strayed far from the king's side. He was surprised to be addressed, however.

'Barristan, I have decided that you are to continue training my grandson.' Aegon announced.

This was a punishment in truth. Barristan had instigated this mess albeit unknowingly, but he would be responsible for how it plays out.

'Me your grace? Surely there's another-'

'Make no mistake ser, this responsibility is yours.' The king interrupted with finality.

'Yes, your grace.' Never let it be said Barristan Selmy was slow on the uptake.

'You will watch him train every morning. You will spar with him weekly. You will ensure that he maintains his duties as a prince going forward, and if he fails to do so you will stop training him immediately.'

'Yes, your grace.'

'Good.' If Aerys was going to pursue sword training, then he would do so on his family's terms. Jaeharys was reluctant to agree but didn't have any better options.

'I'll be honest with you Selmy; the boy has this fanciful Idea in his head that he shall retrieve the sword Dark Sister. Worse, he seems to think its previous wielder was a traitor and a coward despite being a venerable member of the Night's Watch. Do not try to beat these ideas out of him. I have learnt the hard way that being forceful will not change someone's mind. One day when he is older, he will learn the true weight of duty, so for now we will indulge him.'

'I understand your grace.' He did not. Barristan was young. He barely understood his own duties just yet little lone the duties of a prince who might one day be king. The young knight refrained from voicing his misgivings to the king, however. He suspected it wouldn't be appreciated.

'Return to your duties for now. You will begin properly tomorrow.'

'Yes, your grace.' Barristan repeated.

The king returned to his work, moving through some of the documents on his desk. For his part, Barristan came to the rather sudden realisation that those last three words would dominate the rest of his life.

Yes, your grace he thought to himself. The words swirled around his head. He contemplated them as he stood guard. No matter how much he might screw up, he answered almost directly to the king himself.

The thought filled him with pride.