[Edric's POV]
"You brought the Kingslayer with you?" Renly questioned as we proceeded into the main hall.
"What of it?" I shrugged."He's just a brother of the night's watch on a mission to find more recruits. We just happened to be going the same way so I let him join my escort."
"How oddly convenient." Renly remarked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Lannisters have a tendency to strike gold, don't they?" I chuckled. "Besides, he's not going to court so there's nothing to worry about."
"Nothing to worry about from the Kingsguard who has killed two kings."
"Context matters, uncle."
"What context would be so enlightening."
"Use your head."
I couldn't be asked to continue the conversation.
As per usual, my return was met with a feast… and, compared to what I had been making due with, the food tasted like Michelin 3 star delicacies. I ate every plate clean, unlike most other nobles who were wasteful quite often. To make the most of this, I had set up a protocol where all the scraps would go to those struggling the most in the city.
"Ah…"
I licked my lips after downing a glass of arbour gold.
"I knew something was off… but to think that two Kingsguard fell and you were in grave danger." Arthur sighed. "I should've been there."
"You were right where I told you to be." I shook my head. "Besides, you gained invaluable experience in many ways and established the royal guard."
"I'd hardly call them that… even men-at-arms might be too kind. Although, they've done well for the time that I had with them…"
"The battles to come will weed out the weak and harden those who remain. In turn, the veterans will pass on what they learned to the next batch of recruits, and so the cycle will continue as the royal guard expands. You've completed the first and hardest step."
"And what would be a satisfactory number for them?"
"Enough to remove the reliance of calling upon banners… but that will likely come after winter."
"An ambitious goal," Arthur noted.
"Wouldn't such a force be expensive to maintain?" Arya questioned.
"I'd rather have ten thousand dedicated, versatile, soldiers than a hundred thousand men unwillingly stripped from their families and given pitchforks to fight with. Making it work will not be easy, nor cheap, but I believe it will be far more beneficial long-term."
"I agree." Arthur nodded.
"Say, were there any issues in the Small Council?"
"... Well, other than the usual clash of ideals between Hand and Regent, there wasn't anything of note… except when you sent out those seven decrees."
"As I thought." I smiled slightly, turning to him. "Well, how did it go? Renly did say that they were all approved of, in the end."
"Initially, your stance with Daenerys was met with unanimous objection - which shouldn't come as a surprise to you."
"Not at all."
"You know, I had to fight the entire small council for you. In the end, I managed to sway the Lord Hand and eventually gained the support of both sides. It took far more politicking than I could ever be comfortable with…"
"And that's another reason why I left you, to be my voice in that chamber. To stand up against the entire Small Council and turn the vote on its head… It's no small feat. You've made me proud beyond words, Arthur."
"I was just doing my duty." Arthur smiled.
"It's more than that. You've gone above and beyond in everything you do."
"Any more flattery and I may just break through the ceiling and fly amongst the clouds, Your Grace."
"Someone is establishing themselves as the next Lord Commander," Arya added. "I wonder… would Ser Barristan have done the same?"
Arthur wasn't willing to answer that, but I think he knew the answer.
"If both Regent and Hand were in agreement, he would've stood in the corner and accepted their decision like the dutiful man he is. Loras, Balon, and even Brienne would have likely done the same. It's not a bad thing, per say. The Kingsguard were made to be the finest guardsmen and hardly anything else, after all…" I shrugged. "But, you, Ser Arthur, are so much more than that. It is why you are the future of my Kingsguard."
"It sounds like Edric misses you too much." Arya noted. "If a lady was worthy of so much praise, I'm sure you'd marry her."
Arthur tried to keep himself from laughing but he couldn't keep it in.
"Don't get jealous, little wolf." I chuckled, ruffling her hair. "I'll praise you as well when there is something to praise."
"... Mhm."
"Aaand, Arthur, you're the worst knight to ever walk this land." I jested. "I''m shipping you off to the Daenerys at first light right where you belong."
"At least I'll be in better company with Ser Barristan." Arthur shrugged slightly.
"Really now?" I chuckled, rising from my seat. "Speaking of better company, I'm going to see lady Margaery."
"... Can't argue with that."
"I'm certain you don't mind me coming along." Arya stood up alongside me. She seemed rather cheeky today.
"If you wish, my lady."
I was indifferent to the request, although I found it a bit overly 'protective'. I simply had some matters to talk about… and, mainly, wanted to see little Alys and Garth.
Finding her did not take long at all. She had quite the entourage of ladies, yet so easily stood out. Oddly, she looked more beautiful. Likely the result of me spending nine months in the North surrounded by less pleasant sights.
"Your Grace." Margaery performed a curtsy, bowing her head. The rest followed like a wave. "It feels like an eternity since I've last seen you."
"You've been through much since then, I am sure. I admit it was rather inconsiderate on my part to take you from your home after only recently bearing twins."
"I doubt my time at home compares to the battles you've faced. As for the sudden request, if anything, I am glad. You could have just as easily ignored the situation."
"And what father would that make me, hmm?" I tilted my head slightly. "It would not be fair to burden them with the circumstances of their birth any more than the rest of the world most certainty will. As far as I will ever be concerned, they are simply my son and daughter. Nothing less than that."
"... Of course." She looked surprised, if not flustered, playing with her curls a little. "It is a most noble and kind decision to make."
"I know what it's like to grow up without either parent." Probably one of the better things to happen in my second life, but I played it off as a sad thing. "It's not a fate I'd wish upon my own."
"Well, would you wish to see them now?"
"Most certainly." I smiled.
"They're not as far as you'd think, I wager."
"And where might that be…"
"The royal apartments."
"The royal apartments?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"The Lord Regent thought that some of the empty rooms better suited its new guests."
"Well, then, let's get going. Excuse us, ladies."
I made my way to the side and eventually Maegor's Holdfast which was more private. Arya, who had been strangely quiet, Ser Arthur and Margaery joined me.
"I often dislike Renly going off and making these decisions without seeking my opinion - but, in this case, it is convenient, for once."
"At first, I rejected the honour since it seemed inappropriate but he was rather insistent."
I chuckled.
That ol' uncle loves pushing his Tyrell agenda. I do have some words for him…
"Since I have no legitimate children to fill the space, it's hardly of any consequence." I shrugged. "Though, I'd imagine Stannis wasn't too fond of it."
"At first, no, but he was won over by our sweet little Alysanne. She is the kind of child you can't help but love." Margaery smiled as I glanced back at her.
"Winning over my grumpy uncle is quite the feat."
"Oh, you have no idea. She has the entire court wrapped around her little finger with only her big pearly blue eyes and irresistible smile." Margaery chuckled. "Not to mention, she became fast friends with Shireen… and has lessened her greyscale with each passing day. That is not the end of her divine gifts, either. She is simply a living miracle."
As a newborn… small wonder she was the favourite.
"Already?" I blinked, genuinely surprised.
Did her magical talents surpass my own or did I make it easier for her to grow? I suppose both could be true.
"You will see."
As we continued, I stepped back to walk beside Arya.
"You're oddly quiet." I remarked in a lower tone. "I expected you to say something by now."
"I'm trying to be more lady-like and not stir any trouble. Would you prefer otherwise, my bethrothed? You seem to be enjoying your time."
"No, I quite like this. It's very mature of you." I noted. "I dare say you might be a bit too timid."
"Those who listen the most hear the most."
"Sounds like something I'd say."
The greatest benefit to being an introvert.
"Do you two wish to speak in private?" Margaret questioned. "If so, I can wait…"
"No, we were just done talking." I shook my head. "Go on."
…
When we entered the room, Garth had this terribly grumpy face while Alysanne was full of life. The wet nurse was not someone I recognised, likely from Highgarden.
"M-my lady." She bowed awkwardly. The wet nurse was on the younger side. "And… Your Grace."
"How is my son fairing?" Margaery questioned.
"Well, as you know… he's picky." She looked embarrassed. "He either ignores me entirely or spits everything out. He also cries often in your absence…"
Garth started reaching out as his blue eyes turned to Margaery, even starting to whimper and charge up his cry. Seven hells, I hate babies.
"Waaa…"
Margaery stepped forward and gently took Garth from his crib. Immediately, he let out a sound of joy and placed his head against her teat. I smiled slightly. For what it was worth, the instant change was rather amusing. Cheeky bastard has standards.
Thankfully, he grows out of it… mostly.
"So, I take it that you've had to nurse him yourself?" I looked at Margaery.
"Quite so." She smiled, kissing Garth's forehead. "In a way, it is rather endearing. I've found that I prefer nursing our children instead of leaving that responsibility to another. Although, with twins, it can be rather burdensome… which is why I have Taria here to aid me."
"My mother nursed all of her children." Arya noted. "She saw it as her duty… and, well, loved us too much to leave it to a wet nurse."
"That is impressive, awe-inspiring, even." Margaery praised. "Especially considering that you do not have a small number of siblings."
"Nursing children helps build a strong bond between mother and child." Taria added.
Obviously.
"And you…" I turned to Alysanne, reaching out and picking her up. Holding her across my arms, she was rather light (which coming from me didn't really mean much). Her blue eyes lit up, sparkling almost like stars. "My little angel."
She cooked in response, nestling into my chest. Before I knew it, after a short yawn, she was already asleep.
"Getting her to sleep is the hardest task of all…" Taria looked very much surprised.
"Really?" I shrugged. "I might just be a natural."
"It could be that your face was so dull she fell asleep instantly…" Arya jested.
"You're breaking my heart." I glanced back. "On the contrary, I believe she just feels at home in her father's arms."
"... I can see why she's so popular." Arya walked in from the side and had a closer look. "Also… Alysanne is… an interesting choice for a name."
"Quite so." Arthur nodded, looking at me.
"I admit, it was a risky choice but I thought it was fitting." Margaery replied.
"You were right to do so." I nodded. "It is a sweet name. As for Garth, his namesake is the Greenhand, no?"
"Indeed." Margaery nodded, touching his tiny nose. "I knew how you liked your stories of heroes and, considering our blood ties in the Reach, I don't believe there was a better name."
"It won't be easy to live up to such a name." I noted.
"And yet he will." She smiled in response.
"Did my seed come with my confidence?"
It was more of a joke that I'd keep to myself, but I just let it fly this time.
"Mayhaps…"
Margaery looked flustered, turning a little red almost like a shy maid. It was definitely intentional. I could see Arya roll her eyes.
"The wildling influence is showing, Your Grace." Arthur japed.
"I can't keep all of my humour to myself and leave the world out to dry." I replied, shrugging. "Though, mayhaps it was a little inappropriate…"
"I found it droll."
"See, I'm funny." I chuckled, putting down Alysanne back to her crib. "Anyway, it looks like Garth is getting a bit hungry so I'll let you attend to that. Arthur, I want to see what the Royal Guard is looking like in person."
"Farewell." Margaery nodded.
"Yes, Your Grace."
Once we left the room and made some distance, Arya began to voice her frustration.
"She conforms to everything you say and do to make herself more appealing. It's so… argh." Arya clenched her fist. "I know it's all a front too. How could you even stand her - surely you see what I see?"
"She is clever and knows how to play her cards, I'll give her that. But I doubt all that much of it is an act." It seems like she feels threatened to an extent, magnifying everything as a result. "You… don't have to worry about her."
"... Really? She is everything I'm not. I can't give you any heirs now, can I?"
"... Well, no." I shook my head. It made me think of the 'future' where I left her with nothing. "But you will, in time. Besides, it's not like I'm in a rush. I'm three-and-ten myself, as many tend to forget."
"You're brilliant in your own way." Arthur added. "Edric, despite not being the best jouster, willed his way through a tournament of the Realm's finest knights just to crown you the Queen of Love and Beauty. And it was not for personal glory, no, that entire performance was dedicated to you to show who his future belongs to. Would he do the same for Margaery?"
I'm right here… but great speech. Becoming quite the spokesman, he is. Yoda, I am not.
"..." Arya looked at me.
"Arthur knows me better than anyone else." I smiled, nodding. "That joust was my apology for what happened. I didn't ever want you to feel that way again…"
"I'm sorry, I overreacted." Arya shook her head. "I just…"
"It's okay." I reassured her. "You really should have more confidence in yourself.
"... You're right."
~
I stood on top of a hill that overlooked the entire field alongside Arthur, observing.
As per Arthur's instructions, the Royal Guard were performing drills and practicing their craft. For a rag tag group of smallfolk, they showed flashes of brilliance. A great majority had decent builds and looked like men ready for war. But… looks weren't everything. The real thing would test their resolve.
"Well, what do you think?"
"It's quite the mixed bag from what I see. We have archers, crossbowmen, spearmen, axemen, swordsmen, cavalry, men with warhammers and halberds…"
"I decided to first put them all through basic training where their foundations were built. Through that, I was able to observe their strengths as well and allowed each man to choose a speciality in combat. I wanted every last man to be elite with one weapon rather than stretch out their time over various other skills."
"Interesting decision." I stroked my chin. "Individually, it makes their versatility lacklustre…"
"But they are not merely individuals. They are one unit, each man's weakness covered by another's strength."
"I'd like to see a demonstration of that in a mock battle with . Take, say, fourty gold cloaks and put them against fourty of these men."
"Any specific commanders?"
"No, let them choose a leader amongst themselves."
I practiced my magic while I waited for the battle to be staged. Once that was done, I observed keenly. The two started on even footing but the royal guard retreated to higher ground while the gold cloaks gave chase. The lighter armed archers and crossbowmen got there first, firing off a volley of bolts and arrows which were mostly accurate. The goldcloak numbers steadily decreased. In almost an instant, the spearmen formed a shield wall with a mix of pikes and halberds - stopping the goldcloak advance.
Before they got even a moment to process what happened, the shield wall opened up slightly and javelins came soaring from each opening. After that, royal guardsmen heavily advanced into their right flank - smashing their way through them. Chaos immediately broke out but the royal guards seemed to thrive in it.
Within minutes, the goldcloaks were falling left, right and centre. The remainders were swiftly hunted down and cleaned up, though most of them surrendered.
"Well, what do you think?" Arthur smiled slightly.
"You were giving me the idea that they weren't even all that good…" I raised an eyebrow.
"It might be because you were watching." Arthur chuckled. "Usually, they're not so fierce."
"The commander did well too. Did you train him?"
"Mhm. There are seven serjeants, each holding responsibility for about fifteen men on average. Each major type of specialisation has one to lead them specifically. Above them is the captain who led that unit in battle."
"Quite exceptional for someone without any former training or studies."
"A man's true talents will remain hidden until an opportunity to harness and display them comes." Arthur stated, looking contemplative. "Unfortunately, some men never have that opportunity.
"... Quite so." The wind blew over me, waving my long hair around. I hadn't cut it since… well, forever. "Well, I'll go and see what I can do to treat some of the wounds."
"You're a healer now?"
"A man of many talents." I smirked slightly.
There weren't any serious wounds since everyone was using blunted weaponry which made healing everyone much simpler. My 'healing' water was quite effective against the likes of bruises and small cuts. I was able to get almost every man back to full strength in two hours or so.
Not exactly quick, but, hey, it was good practice.
By the time I finished, though, I was completely spent. Who would've thought that healing some bruises was much harder than shocking people to death. After that, I gathered up the royal guard.
"Greetings, my most faithful soldiers. The royal guard, Storm's guard, whatever other names that have been thrown around… from now on, you shall bear the name Stormsguard." I announced, standing over them from the great nameless hill. "You are the first century, the very first hundred men to bear that name. I am certain that Ser Arthur spoke of the dangers that you will face - allow me to reassure you."
"You will be in the vanguard in essentially every battle you face. When we return to King's Landing, some of you will not be with us… that much is guaranteed. That is the harsh reality of battle."
They seemed unphased by what I said - good.
"Alas, you are not alone. You will never be alone. Your brothers stand beside you."
I raised my hand, holding it a little bit away from my face, lightning crackling within my palm.
"You will have the greatest knights in the Realm, Ser Arthur and… myself!" Lightning struck the earth in the distance, the sound of thunder resounding across the field. "I would take a blow for each of you, an arrow, a slash. I would paint a city and dye a river red for you. I would break through the gates of the Seven Hells for you… but would you follow me there?"
"... Yes, Your Grace!"
"You have my axe!"
"And my sword!"
"And my bow!"
"And my halberd!"
"And my spear!"
"TO THE SEVEN HELLS AND BACK!"
"OOOORAH!!!"
"TO THE SEVEN HELLS AND BACK!"
I couldn't help but smile. What on Earth did Arthur do to these poor men? Nevertheless, this was exactly what I was looking for.
"I wonder how they will act in the midst of battle where your leadership greatly influences them…" Raiden mused. "Perhaps they shall truly become beasts among men."
"Prove this to me and you will drown in gold, be clad in the greatest armour, armed with the finest weapons and adorned with more glory than any other guard that has walked these lands!"
A resounding boom of cheers followed.
"FOR THE ONE TRUE KING!"
"OOORAHHHHH!!!!!"
And so, the clouds of war loomed over the known world from west to east.