Chapter 20: Meeting three old friends
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[Fourth month of year 265 AC]
[Storm's End's keep]
Eddard, who had spent his last five years living like a prisoner under his mother and the fucking author's monitoring, did not get to do what he intended to do. He did not even use his ability even for once. Due to Cassana's order and insistence, his father, Steffon Baratheon, had ordered two men to follow him like his shadow.
That young man's name was Wilyam Arc. He was just a small soldier under Steffon, so Wilyam did not dare not do his job well and followed Eddard everywhere. At least, the young man was friendly, and Edward liked his character.
"Wil, why are you working here?" Asked Eddard as he did not find anything else to do but talk to the young soldiers. His brother Robert liked to bully him, and Eddard was not able to make him stop that.
Eddard tried a lot to befriend Robert, and he managed to do that, but there were consequences for doing that. If he wanted to be Robert's friend, he had to bear his attitude and bullying, so Edward gave up on hanging with Robert and the other children.
"I wanted to be a knight, my lord. I could not find another way other than becoming a soldier since I am just a commoner." Said Wilyam with a sad tone. The two had gotten close to each other since they were together for two years now.
"Is that so? You are really pitiful. Why don't you only follow me when I grew older and leave my father?" Asked Eddard as he liked the young man's personality. Because of the second ability; the author gave him, Eddard was able to see more than people's intentions. Eddard was able to see some kind of connection to other people.
He could see clearly that Wilyam would be a great help to him in the future, and he could not waste this chance of getting close to him.
Of course, Wilyam would not take Eddard's words for real. How could he believe the words that came from a five-year-old child? He decided to go with what Eddard said, though.
"Sure, sure, my lord." Said Wilyam as he smiled at the young lord and followed him as he walked towards the Great Hall to meet his father.
Eddard could only shake his head after hearing his words. He knew clearly that Wilyam did not believe his words at all, but he could not do anything. He could convince the man later in the future.
Wilyam opened the door for Eddard, who entered the hall to find his father standing there with his brother, Robert, and another two children. The two children looked like they were about nine or ten years old.
When Robert saw his brother, he could not help but smile and come close to him. Although Eddard wanted to stay away from Robert, it did not mean that Robert would leave him alone. When Robert saw that Eddard was trying to stay away from him, he bullied him more.
"Ed, you are here!!" Said Robert as he came close to Eddard and punched him on his shoulders. Although Robert was only a child and thought that he was only playing with Eddard, his hands were heavy enough to make every bone in Eddard's shoulders hurt.
"Yes, I am here." Said Eddard as he stepped back a few steps as he did not intend to stay near Robert. He waited for the day when Stannis would be old enough to receive Robert's bullying instead of him.
"Father, who are they?" Said Eddard with an innocent expression when he felt that those two men were close to him. He felt the same feeling that he did from Wilyam Arc when he looked at the two.
"They are Lance Erol and Eddric Swann. They will start working as my squires from this moment." Said Steffon with a calm voice. He had been treating Eddard more nicely than the others because of Cassana's words.
But that was it. Steffon was not planning to pass Storm's End to Eddard since he intended to make his son, Robert, his heir.
"It is great to meet you." Said Edward as he stood in front of the two with a smile. Since he felt like that, he intended to befriend the two and take them under his wings.
"The honor is mine, my lord." Said the two in one voice as they nodded their head.
Eddard wanted to get to know the two more, but before doing that, his father's words left him speechless, making him unable to think of whether to laugh or cry.
"Robert, take your brother to your mother since she asked for him earlier." Said Steffon since he did not intend to hear his wife nagging him again.
Robert nodded his head and pulled Eddard hard enough that he thought that his arm would come out because of that. He did not know where Robert got that strength from; they were brothers from the same father and mother, but Robert was something else.
Anyway, Eddard started cursing again because he did not know what the author had been planning for him all this time since he did not appear in front of Eddard for two years straight. Although he did not show himself, the consequences behind his past actions did not disappear, and his mother was treating him in the same way.
Eddard did not know when he would get the chance to move alone without a guard following him or surveillance from his mother. All the plans that Edward made since he got born got wasted because of his mother and the author.
In the end, he wasted five years of his life like that without using his ability to create even a gold coin. Although Edward had expected something like that a little, he was afraid that this matter would continue like that.
Meanwhile, In Cassana's chamber...
Cassana was taking care of her son, Stannis, herself. Since Edward got born, she did not allow the maids and servants to take her place and insisted on raising her children.
At the moment, Cassana was talking to Stannis, who was only three years old at the moment.
"When you grow up, Stannis, I want you to believe in the lord of Darkness. He saved your brother when he was young, and it is time for us to show our respect." Said Cassana as she smiled at Stannis, who nodded his head towards her. Since that day on which the author came to see her, she would gather her sons to pray for him to thank him for his kindness.