The Faithful Knight
In the cold, musty winds of the Wall, a knight sat among the others. The brothers of the Watch were training, for the war ahead and how the fate of the world will be decided. It was the coldest place in the world, and the knight was lucky to survive.
Ser Sorrell Grimm of Greyshield was among the men, who made it to the Wall to save the Night's Watch from the wildings, led by the King Beyond the Wall, who was now a prisoner of King Stannis, and didn't have much time left on this Earth.
The knight of the Reach was alone; he usually was close with Prince Jacob. He saved his life, and brought him back to his parents, which got him a knighthood and a position on the King's war council, only because the prince said so.
His dark hair was shorter. He had it cut because of the cold weather, and how it wasn't good for his hair. Being from the south, and being in the North made Sorrell a bit grumpy and hostile, as he wasn't used to such conditions.
"This weather is going to kill me faster than a sword sooner than later. I am here because of my prince, and I have to protect him. Maybe, when the war is over, I can have a place on the Kingsguard, but it will be complicated because it's a profession dedicated to the protection of the king and I will be his guard, not his friend.
Throughout this journey to the wall, Sorrell and Prince Jacob grew closer, as any good friends would.
He was the only one keeping the prince from falling apart, because he missed his mother Queen Selyse and sister Princess Shireen; they were at Eastwatch by the Sea, under the protection of several of the Queen's Men left behind.
It made Sorrell look at himself deeply, and how possibly betraying his family would affect him, and how the war will end with them being dead for being Lannister and Tyrell supporters, as Stannis Baratheon doesn't know the meaning of mercy or forgiveness.
As a man from the south, Sorrell didn't like the king much, but only tolerated him for the sake of his son and heir, who he liked very much, and would sacrifice himself for him, because who would in this den of people with unknown motives and schemes.
His eye caught on Ser Justin Massey and Ser Richard Horpe, two men who were loyal Queen's Men, and men he didn't like very much. Sorrell knew these men were hoping to suck up to the king for some lands and fortunes from dead houses.
"Stupid fools, as long as the prince has influence over his father. Those men wouldn't get a single gold dragon from this war."
Sorrell knew ambitious men, because he lived with them and was the son of one. Men who would give up their morals and principles for a bit of power and fortunes, but he was no such man because he had given up his own ambition to serve Prince Jacob.
The cold winds were frosting on his furs, in which were in the darkest of colours. It didn't keep him warm enough, as he was still cold and felt like the cold creeped into the deepest parts of his flesh.
The knight had his sword by his side, as it was made of good steel. Sorrell maybe a knight, but he was still a man from a highborn house, and had a name in the Seven Kingdoms. He accomplished thing his own male relatives wouldn't have done.
Fighting against wildlings, sailing a ship to keep a valuable man out of Lannister hands and was pretty good at what he could do.
Sorrell rattled his mind on the recent meetings with the King, Prince and the new Lord Commander.
The boy Jon Snow wasn't bad, but his bastard status plagued the poor boy wherever he went. He had the colouring of his Stark father, but he trusted Prince Jacob's opinion of him being good and trustworthy to their cause.
Unlike a certain Red Priestess, Prince Jacob's advice for his father was logical, realistic and his father listened to him, as fathers should do with their sons from time to time.
"Grimm, shouldn't you be with the prince?" Ser Justin said, walking past him, as the man was also alone.
"His Grace needed a break, the meetings with the Lord Commander were draining him." Sorrell replied.
"The prince should learn how to be a king, and not hide behind you." The other knight said bitterly.
"He is already a better king than the brat Tommen."
"At least you said something that makes sense, Grimm." Ser Justin said, folding his arms cross his chest and trying to make himself look bigger than he actually was.
Sorrell of House Grimm didn't hate him, as much as he hated Horpe. Massey was a decent fighter, and they don't make them as they used to anymore. He was fun to play with, because most of the worshippers of the Red God were bitter and cold folk.
"We could be great friends, if you didn't dislike me for my loyalty to the Seven."
"Typical Reach man, always holding onto such faith, even when the Lady Melisandre has proven R'hllor's power among us."
"Listen to the Red Woman any longer, and she might have you eating the bodies of the burned men next."
"Are you mocking me, Grimm?"
"No…..telling the truth."
"Others of the Queen's Men would like to see you burned alive."
"Only if they were brave enough to kill me themselves, and face the wrath of the Prince."
"You maybe a Prince's Man, but the King's Men think you are one of them."
"Think what you want, ser. The truth is the Prince doesn't like you, and others of the King's Men would like it if most of you stayed with the Queen."
"Keep your Seven corrupted bias to yourself, man of the Reach." The knight said, and began to walk away.
Sorrell didn't mind having Massey around, because he didn't have many friends, a part from those of the King's Men who had the bigger numbers at Castle Black. It was nice to be among men, who still worshipped the Seven, even though not all did.
"The prince must be waiting for me, he is alone with his grim-faced father and the boy commander. He will need me more than ever now, because this war is going to take us into the heart of the North, and a lot of men will not survive the storm."
For the knight of Greyshield, Sorrell had his first taste of the battlefield, and hungered for more, because it was in a man's nature to fight and kill, not be hold up in a castle, as many lords of the Reach liked to do, when a war came.
He wanted more.
He wanted a taste at a real war. A war when men gave their lives by the sword and the shield, not the war of politics and scheming. It was not his avenue, but he was willing to be the man, who served his prince well.
Through the last few days, Sorrell had seen Prince Jacob change. He had grown from a defeated boy into a strong, capable man who began to look a lot like the late King Robert, by some of the men who had seen the late king, whilst he was still alive.
Most will deter true loyalty in the hearts of men, who are true and honourable, as those kind of men were a dying breed in Westeros.
As long as Sorrell lived, he was there to service Prince Jacob, and be there for him when he needed it. Lord Davos was away on a diplomatic mission on the king's orders. It made the prince's time at the Wall hard, and he struggled emotionally, but he didn't show it.
Sorrell's heart pained, when he saw the prince secluded and miserable, it was evidenced he missed Davos; he looked up to the Onion Knight, as the second father figure in his life. And missed the man a lot more than he let on.
"The prince doesn't have any friends, other than myself and Jon Snow. He has lost them all to this war, and I am afraid he will close himself up forever. He is the kind of man, that doesn't share his feelings very much, and will have that wall behind his emotions."
The knight stood and watched some of the black brothers training, and them clashing swords with one another. He smiled, as he didn't know how these men could live in these conditions and still fight evil day in and day out.
It was something Sorrell admired about such men. How they are willing to die by their oaths, and will never turn back from their duty to defend the Wall and the realm of men, from whatever was behind the wall.
A bigger war was coming ahead, and it wasn't over some ugly chair. It was about life and death, and how those in Westeros will have to band together to even make sure there is a world left to live in.