Chapter 4

POV change- Alexander Baratheon (12):

I walked into the solar of the king of seven kingdoms and took a seat without waiting for permission and got comfortable as I slouched a bit in my seat.

All the while my father looked at me with a raised eyebrow and before I could try poke anymore buttons of his he spoke and threw me off guard completely.

"Tell me do you hate me boy?" was the first thing the man said to me after I had taken my seat and the first words, he had spoken to me in years if not my whole life. His levelled gazed bore into me as if seeking the answer to his question from my body itself.

I thought his question over and I took a deep look at my father, I looked at his bright blue eyes that I only shared in the one eye, and I finally came to an answer, but I truly did not know how he would feel about it and I could not be bothered to look at the man's mind, so I decided to speak the truth consequences be damned.

"Not really, but then again I can't really say I love you either," I brought my hand up to my face and rubbed my bare chin as I cracked a grin while looking deep into his eyes, "I guess you can say I do not care all that much for you, I neither hate nor love you. I have no feelings towards you whatsoever."

'You can't really hate or love a man you don't know.'

As I finished the man laughed but it wasn't his usual full-blown bursts of laughter as this laugh never reached his eyes and they seemed to gain a cold light to them as they regarded me.

"Audacious little shit, aren't you? You best watch yourself or I would have you shackled and thrown into a black cell if not have you outright flogged. Regardless of you being a prince and my first born."

"I guess you could, as is your kingly prerogative," I said with a ghost of a smile as I reminisced of the past, "It has been a while since I was last thrown into one of the cells in the dungeon below the keep. As for the flogging, I do believe it is long overdue. I don't believe I have ever gone this long without being flogged in a long while."

"Me, a prince?" I could not help but scoff at the title for I had never been treated as a prince since the birth of Joffrey and I let my anger seep into my voice as I continued. "So, I truly am your first born, all this time I thought I was a bastard you picked up out of boredom." I took a deep breath to calm myself before continuing, "Besides all that I do think you find this quit refreshing, no?"

There was a thick silence after my speech and I am not sure if it was my mind playing tricks or if it was true, but I thought I saw the slightest flicker of guilt in his eyes as he looked at me.

His softened as he looked and me, "You cut down half my kings guard and half a dozen city watchmen trying to kill your brother Joffrey, my heir. Why?"

It is true, I had barged into the throne room while my father held court and drew my sword marching towards the dais where my father sat on his throne, and the cunt Joffrey stood beside him. I had ignored all orders and shouts to halt and cut down any man in my way. All I had seen was red and Joffrey's sickening smirk. They had only managed to stop me after I hesitated to cut my uncle Jaime Lannister down when I had disarmed him and had my sword at his throat. It was in that moment that Ser Barristan had placed his sword at my own throat and the remaining kings guard restrained me that they had stopped my onslaught.

I thought of a hundred excuses and different ways to downplay my grievous crime and mistake. I thought of trying to lay all the blame at the cunt Joffrey's feet or even my bitch mothers but that wasn't me. So, I looked into my father's eyes and gave him a smile that promised blood.

"Ours is the Fury…"

I gave no explanation for I knew that if he really cared he could just get answers from Varys or anyone in the keep really. No, what he wanted was to see what lies or excuses I would spin and give him for my actions. But when I had said the words of our House, I could see it in his eyes, no matter how he tried to hide it, buried under the hatred there was pride.

Instead of speaking his true feelings the bastard just grunted and took a roll of parchment then handed it to me, I took the parchment with some trepidation but knew that this is the bed I had made myself and now it was time to lay in it.

I began reading what was written as it become clear the fat bastard was not just going tell me what the big deal was. As I started reading, I began to frown and when I got to the pertinent part, I could not help but scowl at the paper and began reading aloud just to make sure there was not some kind of mistake.

"Due to a recent rise in banditry throughout the six kingdoms a new order has been established…" I stopped reading the letters on the parchment and looked at my father. "Is this true father?" I asked as I pointed to the last sentence on the parchment that sealed my fate and exile. "You want me to head this new order of 'hunters'? I'm not even a knight and you want me to lead an order of knights--" before I could continue my rant my father stood up and called for one of his kings guard. One of the few survivors.

He signalled the knight to hand over his sword as he lumbered over to me as his foot steeps rang heavy in the solar.

'The fat fuck is really doing this; does he have any idea of what I could do with an order of my own that practically has no restrictions?'

"Kneel boy," he said in his kingly voice that he only ever really used on the few occasions he held court. It was then that I understood that he was serious about this and that there was no going back.

I had a few complaints about my disguised exile but what could I do, this was an order by the king and a chance to finally introduce my own force and grow my influence.

With a sigh I got up and grudgingly knelt before my father, the king. I hated the fact that I had to kneel to anyone but if you had to kneel who better to than the king of seven kingdoms, at least it was not some nobody that thought himself above everyone else.

He laid the sword on my right shoulder, "Alexander Baratheon, first of your name and Prince of the seven kingdoms, do you swear before the eyes of gods and men alike to defend the innocent and those who cannot defend themselves, to protect women and children free from sin," he then moved the sword to my left shoulder. "To fight courageously and honourably when called upon despite the danger to yourself, do you swear to complete the tasks set out before you no matter how hard or treacherous or humble they may be to the best of your ability?"

I suppressed the growing grin on my face and kept my face hidden by staring at the floor as I replied, "I swear by all the Old Gods and New."

"Then rise Ser Alexander Baratheon, Knight of the seven kingdoms." He said as I rose and faced of my father looking deep into his eyes.

"I suppose mother was the happiest with this new order of yours, she's always been trying to get rid of me and now you've done that which she has sought all my life. I'm sure you will be greatly rewarded father." I said as I dusted the non-existent dust from my clothes.

He gave me a shake of his head before turning away, "This has nothing to do with your mother and I'm sure when she hears of this, she will kick up a fuss. She is overly protective of you kids." He said as he walked back to his seat.

I scoffed at his remark before turning to leave and get ready for my imminent departure. That was when I heard his voice, as quiet as a whisper.

"Don't die out there boy."

Closing my eyes, I shrugged, "I don't see how my death would concern you or anyone else, after all it was you who forcibly removed me from my position as Crown Prince and the line of succession as soon as the Demon Joffrey was born on account for my feature which I inherited from you by the way. Besides if I do die, I will just be another dead prince, there are countless dead princes throughout history and there will be countless more after me."

I gave him one last look before departing the room not giving him a chance to respond to my words. I would go along with this order and prosper as I grew my force and influence in the six kingdoms as ill no doubt make a name for myself throughout the coming years.

I will only come back when the plot starts whenever that happens and try to make it in time for Jon Arryn's death.

As I made my way down the many halls of the Red Keep, I could feel eyes on me, so I whispered to no one and everyone.

"This exile is not the end, no, it is only the beginning. On that, you have my word…"