Squiring for the Bold

Ser Barristan II

It was early in the morrow, I had prepared all that had been needed for His Grace's squiring. Walking down the halls of the Red Keep, I walked to his doors, Ser Balon and Ser Jaime at his doors. Once again, Her Grace had slept in her son's chambers, a mother who loves her firstborn so.

"Ser Balon. Ser Jaime."

"Lord-Commander."

Both Whitecloaks said and nodded to me.

"What brings you here, Ser Barristan?"

Jaime had said with Ser Balon looking at me attentively.

"I am to wake the Prince to start his training."

"Wait here."

Ser Jaime said as he entered the Prince's chambers, I could hear his voice as well as the muffled voice of the Prince's. While waiting, I had contemplated on the character and build of the prince. From what I have seen and heard, the Prince is not like other princes, kind and friendly to all peoples even helping some of the servants.

Yet his build was that of a quite scrawny boy, we shall see to it that his diet shall assist in creating strength in the young prince, I shall speak with the cooks on what foods he is allowed and not allowed on specific days.

Then, the door opened with Ser Jaime coming out, though unfortunately without the prince.

"And what did Her Grace tell you, Ser?"

"She'll have the prince wake up in a minute or two."

"I see, then I shall wait here."

Standing at the other end of the hallway facing the door of the prince, I had contemplated what weapons and styles of combat the prince would flow with, mayhaps he shall be like his father with the warhammer, or that of a sword like his uncle.

Then my thoughts turned to my Brother-In-Cloak, Ser Jaime, I had never asked him but why did he kill his king, was he ordered by his father to do so? Or did he do it out of spite for all the things he did to his sister? I would ask it now.

"Ser Jaime."

"Yes, Lord-Commander?"

"Why did you kill our king?"

At my words of 'our king,' Ser Jaime's face turned into a depressed form of his usual smirk, at least he shows some guilt to his actions.

"You wanna know why, Ser? After six years of his ghost haunting me with the names of 'Kingslayer,' and 'Oathbreaker,' why ask now?"

"Because it is only now did my confidence allow me to ask. Forgive me, Ser Jaime, but I know how much the Mad King insulted and slighted your family for several years."

"That isn't what made me kill him. Why would I kill a man a few hours away from dying? I'd just show him mercy by not allowing Robert or Ned Stark to beat him to a bloody pulp. No. I killed him because he planned to burn all of King's Landing, to destroy everything we see right in front of us now in a blaze of Wildfire."

"And how did you know of such a plot?"

"Before I killed him, he met with one of those pyromancers from the Guild and told him to ignite the fires and allow him to become a dragon unrivaled by any.

"Burn them all."

Those were his exact last words, burn them all, burn every man, woman, and child. Tell me, Ser Barristan, would you have stood and watched as King's Landing burned, as half a million men, women, and children put upon a pyre of Aerys' madness? Would you have done it? Would you have kept your oath, and shut up and stood like a good guard?"

At that, Ser Jaime's knees grew weak, his hands over his helm as I could see the faintest of tears flowing down his cheeks. I had never known, no one ever knew, for all that lived in King's Landing, maybe not all, but most of us owe Ser Jaime our lives for what he did.

"Why did you not say anything?"

"It wasn't worth the effort, Ned Stark already gave me the name, His Grace just spread it."

"That does not matter, what of the Wildfire that was supposed to be used in the plot?"

"I have no idea, mayhaps if you were the one to tell the Small Council, they would believe you."

Ser Balon, a great sword and a good man, had kept silent at Ser Jaime's words until now.

"No matter what the Kingdoms speak of you, Ser Jaime, no longer will you be Kingsguard who disgraces his cloak but a brother who shall be honored in our book of brothers."

"Thank you, Ser Balon."

Truly, Ser Jaime's honor shall be forever tainted by the blood of the Mad King but the Kingsguard shall forever know him as the man who saved King's Landing. Mayhaps with King Robert knowing of Ser Jaime's acts, his name may be redeemed.

Then the doors of the Prince's chambers opened with Her Grace holding the hand of the prince.

"Good morning, Ser Barristan."

The young prince said with her Grace staring at me with her passive smile.

"Good morning, my Prince, your Grace."

Her Grace then kneeled and whispered something into the ear of the prince then she got up and faced me.

"Please keep my son safe, Ser Barristan."

"It is my duty, your Grace, no harm shall come upon him."

"Thank you, Ser."

And then she left, going in the direction of her chambers, now looking at the young prince he beamed with excitement though small as it was since he looked fatigued and dazed from waking up this early.

"Where shall we go now, Ser Barristan?"

"To the courtyard, my Prince."

"Then off we go, Ser."

His words almost made me giggle, I never saw such excitement from a boy to start his training. Maybe this shall be a lesson for both him and I, there are some things this old knight has yet to learn.

* Book! Bock! *

The sound of wooden training swords hitting each other went around the courtyard as the young prince and I continued our training for several hours, something I had never anticipated.

It was as if the young prince's energy never depleted, never ended. His strikes were precise and accurate yet his stance and technique were that of a man far larger than the young prince's, mayhaps he is copying someone's fighting style, though that shall be his bane, if he cannot create his own style than he shall not be capable of going far in his martial learnings.

Over the hours, several servants surrounded the courtyard to see the young prince fight, some to see his potential in a sword as both the boy's uncles were here, Lords Stannis and Renly Baratheon.

Many had expected the boy to be seated on the dirt or to have him be disarmed several times but none of them expected him to be so fast and agile, nothing I haven't seen before but something I never expected the prince to ever be capable of. His speed didn't come close to the Water Dancers of Braavos but it was enough for me to be caught off guard and be hit multiple times though after a few minutes I grew accustomed to his speed and now we were not landing hits on each other.

From the side, I could see some of the servants and even Lord Renly start a wager of who would fall from fatigue first, something the prince didn't seem to be close to. Yet my old bones didn't wish to lose to the prince, as if they called for the Gods to give them strength, for all the squires I've trained, none of them ever made me so riled up in a mock duel.

Stannis I

It was here in the courtyard of the Red Keep where an unusual sight was seen. Crown Prince Artur Baratheon was having a mock duel with Lord-Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Barristan 'The Bold,' Selmy.

When Renly and I came to the courtyard, we saw the two dueling with over half a hundred of the servants watching them, it had been an hour since they started a wager on who would fall flat on the floor from exhaustion. Yet it didn't seem both of them never ceased in their strikes.

I was surprised by my nephew's agile stance, something not very well seen in Westeros, more used in Essos, mayhaps Robert had a Water Dancer from Braavos come one day and fight with some of his guards to see his skill and my nephew saw it and copied it, but that would be near impossible, no one can copy a fighting style just from looking at it, could it be possible? No, that would mean my own nephew was a sorcerer.

Whatever he did to learn such a style, his footwork did not go well with his body as well as his strikes, as if he was a man stuck in a boy's body, it was surprising really but that may be a consequence of copying a stance and not learning how to integrate it with his stature and height.

Not minding all the shouts and words by the servants and Renly around me, I kept watching closely at their duel. When I had heard of Artur's great intelligence, it had intrigued me as well as surprised me, a boy who loved reading being Robert's son? The Seven do exist.

Intrigued me enough to keep an eye on the boy but now that I've also seen how he fights, it wouldn't be a surprise why the Great Lion of Casterly Rock would want to foster the boy and have him as his page.

If he learns a good deal of ruling and commanding, he shall become a ruler to be remembered by generations of hundreds of years. A Baratheon in the annals of history. Ha. It seems like a mummer's tale but something that seemed to be unfolding before our eyes already.

Robert I

"What's happening?"

I asked one of the servants.

"Y-Your Grace. Good morning, well as you can see, the young prince and Ser Barristan are having a mock duel."

"Hah! How long have they been fightin'? Since you started workin'?"

"No, your Grace. They've been fighting ever since the day started."

"What?! How in the Seven Hells is my son still fighting then?!"

"We don't know your Grace, he's been like that since we came here."

Going through the crowd of servants, I came in front of the two dueling combatants.

"I think that's enough Artur, Ser Barristan. You've been fightin' since dawn. Mayhaps a meal or two for the two of you."

"I don't need it father, I can continue fighting."

"Hah! See! Like father like son! If only you wielded a warhammer then you'd be a spittin' image of me!"

"Forgive me father but I don't think I'd have your strength for that."

"You don't have my strength but you have my stamina!"

"Your Grace. It is an honor to train one such as prince Artur, he has great potential as a knight."

"I know, Ser, but both of you need to learn when the fighting stops and when to relax. Come Artur, we'll be having our meal with your mother and brother."

"I shall be behind you, father."

"Let's go before your mother becomes an earful to me."