Chapter 293

KING ROBERT BARATHEON POV

He sat on his chair and watched the fight commence under him.

36 fighters entered the arena with various weapons and started beating the shit out of each other.

Now that he ha started to train once again, he knew that he would not have lasted a minute in that place.

He lamented the loss of Ned refusing his offer of being the Hand. It filled him with anger as being the King meant that no one ever dared to refuse him. But he could understand Ned's reasons and didn't take it to heart.

He knew that if not for the White Walkers then Ned would have definitely been here for him right now.

It was a great pity that he had to give the position to his dour brother Stannis. But if not Stannis then the position would have gone to the old lion and he didn't even want to think how that would have ended.

He looked at the melee in front him.

Without Varko there to liven things up, the fight seemed a little dull.

Like he had held a grand feast and the most important guest didn't come.

He wondered why did Varko not come this time before he remembered sending Lord Bolton to the North for brining the proof of the White Walkers. If Lord Bolton was going to such a dangerous place, then there was no way that Varko wouldn't follow his lord.

A part of him hoped that the lad would die in the land beyond the Wall.

He had nothing against the boy who House Bolton has grown rather powerful the boy's actions had broken any semblance of friendship between the Lannisters and the Starks.

But then again, from what he had heard, the boy was an excellent lord and a great battle commander. And Ned would need such people in the upcoming conflict.

The fight was starting to die down now with only Sandor Clegane, Ser Barriantas the Bold, Kingslayer and Thoros of Myr with his flaming sword.

He had been asked to ban Thoros from these melee or at least stop him from using the Flaming sword as it intimidated the other contestants and left them with burns but the man was a great drinking friend and rather fun to be with. Plus, the flaming sword was a novelty and kept things interesting.

He still remembered how Varko had cut Thoros' sword in half before knocking out the stunned man with a punch to the face.

A great pity that Varko couldn't come.

Still, the fight was decent and he had paid for it. So he should at least enjoy it.

He saw a maid fetching wine for his wife who was wearing her cold bitch face and looking at everyone and everything with thinly veiled disgust.

He pulled the maid and made her sit on his lap.

The maid giggled and pretended to protest.

She did not have the large bust that he usually preferred or the fat arse. But she was pretty to look at and practically weightless in his arms.

The cheers erupted in the arena and he noticed that Thoros had defeated the Hound and Ser Barristan had defeated the Kingslayer.

Both the parties circled each other and the clashed.

For all of Thoros' tricks, Ser Barristan was and old hand and had more experience in battle than all the other Kingsguard put together.

Thoros was defeated in short order and became the victor of the day.

Though even after winning the melee, he could see that Ser Barristan was just as impressed by his victory as he was with the whole melee.

Without Varko presence, victory seemed unearned. But traditions must be kept.

He got up from his chair, congratulated Varko and gave him the 20,000 gold dragons prize which the old Knight humbly accepted before the whole melee came to an end.