Chapter 6 - A Bastard's Tale

118 Ac

Hugh Pov

"Bastard". The first memory was of me being called a bastard. I was six namedays old when I realized the meaning of that word. A child born out of wedlock is what I was. A bastard of the blacksmith.

A huge man with big calloused hands. I knew It very well since he would always beat me up whenever he was frustrated. The bitch that was his wife was not any better. Insulting me whenever she had a chance. It was at such a time that I would think about how life would be different If the woman who was my mother did not die in the birthing bed.

Every day was a struggle. There were times when I would have to go hungry due to not getting any food to eat. It was torture, but it was nothing compared to the looks given to me by the people, disgust being the most prominent. It was not my fault for being born a bastard. But they did not understand, they will never understand.

The only good thing that the man who was my father did was teach me how to use a smithy. So I dedicated myself to learn everything from him.

But deep down in my heart, there was a nagging feeling. Is this what is supposed to become of my life? A bastard son of the blacksmith just spending out his life on an Island, being hated by everyone.

I wondered about how life would be If I was born a noble. Enough food to never feel hungry again. A family who would look out for me, who would love me. A family. The thing that I yearned the most for.

"Foolishness", that is what It was. I hammered those thoughts away from my mind and heart knowing that such a thing would never happen. Before I knew It the sword that I was working on was destroyed due by me.

That was when they came. The man-at-arms to whom the sword belonged. Father would beat the shit out of me and I resigned myself to that fate.

"Oii bastard, what the fuck did you do to my sword?", said the man.

"The fucker broke it Oliver", said his friend.

"That is why they say Jeremy, bastards are fucking useless. Your mother should have never given birth to you boy at least she could have still serviced us. By the gods, she was a good fuck boy.", he said with a grin.

Hearing them I wanted to break their fucking necks, and that was when I let loose the rage inside me.

But It was not enough, they were stronger than me and were beating me. That was when I saw him. A boy no older than eight namedays with a mop of white hair and pale lilac eyes.

He looked at me with pity and then proceeded to defeat two of them until It was my turn to save him and I did that.

After asking for his name, he looked at me with the same apathetic eyes before saying his name, "Ulf".

When the Master-at-arms came along with his father I feared for the worst. What would happen to me? would they send me to the wall, what If they took my hand? It was with the same trembling hands that I proceeded to the castle.

It was there that Ulf saved me again by lying to the princess. What surprised me was the fact that he did all of this without even knowing me. It was the first time that I had experienced kindness.

After the trial had ended the Master-at-arms approached me and asked me whether I wanted to be his squire. Hearing his proposition I was shocked.

"You better say yes, otherwise he will not ask you again. Ser Robert lacks the virtue of patience".

Hearing Ulf I vigorously nodded my head.

A chance to become a knight and remove the stain of bastardy. The chance that I always dreamed of.

After Ser Alfred left I followed Ulf and he turned his head in annoyance asking me why I was following him.

"Would you be my friend?", I asked him with my fingers digging into my palm with my eyes closed.

When he did not respond I could feel the tears welling up. No matter what would happen It seemed that I would always be alone.

"Alright".

It took some time for me to realize what had just transpired. He said yes.

"But do not bother me too often, I am pretty busy, pus due o the fight I have to go to the maester", he said.

I just smiled brightly not registering the words.

A friend, I finally had a friend.

After a few days, my training with Ser Alfred started and boy was he brutal.

When the chance to select a weapon to use, I was confused on which one to chose.

"Pick each one up and see what feels right", came Ulf's response.

I picked up the sword but It somehow did not feel right. The axe, spear, mace nothing felt right. Util my eyes fell on the hammer.

As soon as I held it I felt a connection. It was as If this was the weapon that was made just for me.

Before we could start the spar, A dragon's roar was heard and I saw a bright red dragon in the sky. The feeling of excitement welled up in my heart but when I looked at Ulf I could see that he was cross. That was the first time that I had seen him that tensed up.

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The days became months and life moved on. Currently, I was practicing the letters that were thought to me by Ulf. He had said that I should not be an uneducated ass like the rest of the sheep and I took his words to heart.

Since the morning the servants in the castle were busy running around. Ulf had said that the princess would be giving birth soon and that he would be busy. Apparently, the maester wanted him to help him during the birthing process.

On the martial side of things, life was very good. I was one of the tallest ones there and Ulf had said that I would easily be six foot six once puberty hit me. Whatever that meant. I was on the cusp of manhood with me becoming thirteen namedays old in a few moon's turns.

In the training yard, there was no one who was a match for me other than Ulf. While I would easily overpower the other men-at-arms Ulf would always dodge the strikes and attack once I was exhausted, but the spars would always end in a stalemate with our stamina getting over due to him constantly dodging and me continuously swinging my hammer.

The only person who defeated me was Ser Harwin Strong, the princess's sworn shield. By the gods he was good. Truly deserving of his moniker, "Breakbones".

Another person who constantly visited the training yard was Prince Daemon. For some reason, he would always look at Ulf which would result in Ulf getting nervous.

But despite Ulf's dislike of prince Daemon, his behavior would instantly change whenever he saw the prince's wife. She truly was a sight to behold with her pale white skin and her silver-gold hair that would put even the whores of Lys and the Old Blood of Volantis to shame. That was all Ulf's words and not mine. I did not understand what he liked so much about her but he told me to wait for the holy coming of puberty after which I would understand what he meant.

He really was weird, but It mattered not since, in the end, he was 'family'.

It was then that I saw him running through the courtyard. It seemed that the princess's labor had begun.

"Do enjoy the sight Ulf", I said while trying to control my laughter at which he just showed me his middle finger.

Ulf never told me what that meant. Maybe It was a gesture of friendship. I will probably ask him tomorrow.