Aeron Stark's Story

EDRICK STARK

Edrick breathed in the warm air of the castle known as the Red Keep, riding up to colossal gates of the capital of his beloved Westeros. A breeze rippled through the party of riders, the Direwolf their emblem. His horse, jet black, snorted at the warmth, not used to the weather. It was a Winter Horse, built of ice and steel, not of this softer Southron metal. His daughter, Alyria rode ahead with his son and heir Brandon. Alyria was betrothed to Steffon Baratheon, and soon, they would be married. His son rode quietly, a mixture of scholar and warrior, admiring the art and beauty of the city and also studying it for weaknesses, the perfect hybrid. His son Brennidon rode beside him, and his Direwolf beside him. He was alert, watching and breathing in the air. Aeron rode behind them, a contingent of Grey Cloaks guarding the youngest like Wolves protecting the youngest of the pack.

He smiled at the honesty, the power, the strength and the North in his children, the finest people in the world. They deserved the life they were about to get. But, Edrick was still not happy. He loved Aegon, his king, his lord, and his friend, and was loyal to the core of his bone. But, in his heart, he hated politics. And being the Hand of the King required him to get involved in politics. Petty disputes, money problems.... these were just some the things his oldest friend had tasked him with. And although Edrick would do whatever his King needed him to, it broke his heart to have to. He missed Winterfell and the bitter cold of the North. He missed his wife, and visiting the Godswood every night. He missed home. He had been travelling before, but he had not always been heir to Winterfell, and when he was, he was younger. He was an older man now, and wanted to prepare his home for the storm that was coming, for something was. Wildling reports were rising south of the Wall, and he was worried. But now was not the time for that. Now, it was time to face his duty, and to honor his King. He turned to his son, and spoke in his usual Northman tone.

"Son, Brennidon, I feel I should tell you something. As Hand of the King, it is now my duty to.....unite the Kingdom as much as Aegon does. So, when the Greyjoy's come to say, I am going to negotiate a marriage between you and one of the daughters. When they arrive, as will all the Houses for Aegon's name day, become friends with them. Get close to them. You will need to. Son, you may hate me for this, but in time, you will understand. It is time you gain a wife."

Edrick slowed his horse down, waiting for Brennidon's reaction the the new task Edrick had just given him.

Aubrey Stark

The young teenage woman sat comfortably atop her horse, a lovely bay with long black mane and tail. She adjusted her riding clothes, a long grey skirt with a matching jacket. Both were warm and well-suited for life in the north at Winterfell, her home.

Aubrey's expression remained calm as she glanced around, hardly betraying the welling excitement she felt within. She noticed her father, Edrick, and younger brother, Brennidon, were riding side by side and decided to catch up for a moment. With a flick of the reins and a gentle nudge Aubrey raced ahead to join the men, her horse snorting as it picked up the pace. She slowed to a trot beside her family members, looking to them both with a smile.

" I assume it will be fine if I rode ahead, just for a little while." She stated lightly, laughter evident in her tone as she glanced toward Alyria and Brandon, her elder siblings. " I'll be near them," Aubrey added as she gave another flick of her reins and leaned forward, urging the mare forward wordlessly, as the graceful creature neighed excitedly and galloped ahead. " Good girl," she murmured, rather pleased with the horse.

She came upon her sister and brother, flashing them both an excited smile as she slowed to match their pace.

" So," Aubrey began, an eyebrow raised as her brown eyes twinkled mischievously. " Either of you up for a race?"

---

Elaena Targaryen

Elaena felt free.

Her beautiful chestnut horse galloping beneath her, his body moving with strength and speed, and the wide open sky above her. Elaena's long platinum blonde curls were pinned up, only a few loose over her shoulders, and she was wearing a black hat over top with a blue ribbon trailing behind her. A solid black jacket, long blue skirt and high black boots that were mainly hidden made up her riding attire.

This was the Princess of Westeros' favourite part of life, even with that stupid Guard following her. Her father, King Aegon Targaryen of Westeros, had insisted the Guard go with her for safety though this was pretty normal for the girl. She, along with the rest of her family, was well aware of her lack of strength and need for protection.

She turned around to look back as the powerful animal ran along the green meadow to look at the older man and his steed. " Can you not keep up, Sir Ferdain?" The Princess laughed, feeling quite comfortable in the saddle as she nudged the large animal to go faster. " I shall meet you back at the castle," the blonde called loudly over her shoulder with another contented laugh as she raced back to the dirt road that lead back into King's Landing. She followed it for a few minutes before slowing her horse as its hooves made contact with the cobblestone pathway that lead directly to the castle, her home.

Elaena found herself at the stable within a quarter of an hour and slipped from the back of her mount, the animal breathing heavily from the exercise. She moved toward his head and smiled as she kissed the top of his nose, still holding the reins lightly in her hand as she patted his side. " I should take you out more often, Aenys," the blonde murmured sweetly as she passed the reigns to a stable-hand. " Thank you," the Princess said gratefully as she gave her horse one last look, " Be good."

With these parting words to her beloved stallion, she was gone and walked into a side door only to be rushed off to her bed chambers. It appeared she was in need of a bath... Who knew? Though she had plenty of time before the Houses would arrive.

As it turned out, she was very nearly wrong when a servant called out to make it known the first of the Houses had been sighted entering the gates and Elaena was just finishing having her long hair brushed and pulled back from her face with a jewelled clip. A matching necklace and earrings, gold with sapphires, seemed to go well together with her ivory dress with the lovely embroidery and long train. One extra accesory, a golden ring with the Targaryen family crest etched into it, was the final piece to her outfit as she slowly and gracefully made her way down the steps.

---

Vysenia Targaryen

" Rhaegar?" The young Targaryen called as she rushed from room to room, down halls and countless stairs. Was her brother out for the morning? Where on Earth could the male be?

Vysenia, with her long dark golden hair and kind blue eyes, sighed as she stopped in the corridor to stand at a window and look out at the courtyard. Lovely blue, violet and red flowers bloomed near the stone walls in the flowerbeds. They appeared to be looking up toward the sky, reaching toward the warmth of the sun's rays. This made the youngest royal calm down from worrying over her elder brother. After all, a seventeen year old man should be able to look after himself.. Right?

With this thought in mind, a slow smile spread over her youthful features as she made her way down the stairs and out to the very courtyard she had been staring out at. Her pale blue dress fanned out behind her, a golden necklace with a pendant in the shape of a seven-pronged star within a circle and a circle within it. The symbol of the Faith of the Seven.

The young girl knelt to gently touch one of the violet flowers' petals, her touch as light as a feather, as she gripped her pendant with her free hand. " The soil is as fertile as the Mother," Vysenia said quietly, her gaze on the flowers. " to allow such lovely flowers to grow here." Her tone was happy as she said this, closing her eyes to imagine the face of the Mother planting each seed with care and tenderness. How like her to picture her own mother's face, unblemished with beautiful eyes and long golden hair, as the Deities'.

Rhaegar Targaryen

The notched arrow released, soaring through the air and landing a few inches left of the center of the target. Cursing, Rhaegar strung an arrow again, this time focusing harder, and he managed to land it closer to the center. A grin spread across his face, and he strung a third arrow, having it hit just shy of the center. He lowered the bow, and moved to the next target, loosing three more arrows. He wasn't so accurate, and tossed the bow aside in frustration. He was talented with the bow, everyone told him so. Yet his consistency still wasn't where he wanted it to be. His father would probably curse him if he knew he was out in the yard shooting arrows. He was already dressed in his best, black silk breeches matched with a black doublet, complete with dragon's head studs.

He knew the Houses were probably arriving at this very moment, so reluctantly he headed back inside the keep. He just hoped he didn't run into Aerys until the actual festivities had begun. He was going to see him enough in the coming few days as it was. He wandered through the keep, looking for any of his sisters or parents, but the castle seemed unnaturally quiet. A few serving girls passed him, all smiles and batting eyelashes, but he did not feel like giving them the time of day. So he just kept walking.

Eventually, he heard voices, one which was surely his sister Elaena, and the other surprisingly familiar as well. "It can not be..." he said to himself as he quickened his pace. He hadn't expected any of the families to actually make it to the Red Keep yet. As he turned a corner, he saw the back of none other than Willem Lannister.

His sister seemed to have disappeared, but there was his best friend in all of Westeros. "Willem!" he exclaimed, and he couldn't help but let a large smile spread across his face. It had truly been to long since he had seen his friend. He approached him, bringing him into an embrace. Willem was more of a brother to Rhaegar than Aerys would ever be. Willem being here would make it easier to take his mind of his true brother, whom he disliked greatly.

"It is good to see you, my friend!" he said as he pulled away from the golden-haired man.

---

Alys Greyjoy

Half of Alys' family had arrived in King's Landing, and she hoped the rest would be arriving soon. They hadn't arrived too long ago, after the exhausting journey from Pyke. They had sailed down to Lannisport, and from there taken the Goldroad all across Westeros to eventually enter the city through the Gate of the Gods. It had been a long trip, but one filled with joy for her. She had never been off of her Iron Islands, and to see such drastically different landscape excited her. Everything was so lush and green, so beautiful. She didn't think she'd ever want to return to Pyke.

For the trip on land, she had worn simple attire, brown woolen breaches and a white tunic, dressing as her brothers and father. If not for her gorgeous mane of red hair, people might have mistaken her for a boy. Once inside the city, she had decided to explore, knowing that the locals would have no knowledge of who she was. She felt safe as she wandered, watching people from all walks of life in the squares.

She slowly made her way towards Aegon's High Hill and the Red Keep, not feeling any need to rush. After thinking about it, she decided to head for the docks first, hoping to see her brother's ship Lady Amalya. She had missed Donnel greatly on their trip, not getting to share her first trip off the Iron Islands with her favorite brother. Even more, she would have wished to be on the ship with Donnel instead of Harlon, but it wasn't so. Harlon had gone to observe a true captain, and Alys was already extremely skilled at commanding ships herself.

Alys wondered to herself if she would spy any other families while she was out. She would now if they were coming, she was sure. A large convoy of knights would follow any of the houses where they went, and so far no such procession had come her way.

---

Aeron Stark

Aeron watched as all of his siblings eventually got ahead of their procession, and Aubrey and Brennidon took off racing towards the large town. He had been lagging behind the rest of his family, too distracted by watching the scenery to care what his family was up to. He was much too curious, and darted back and forth between the procession, making sure he saw everything there was to see. Eventually, he decided to catch up with his father, and nudged his small grey horse to go slightly faster.

As he rode up beside him, looking even smaller than normal, he turned and said, "They're acting like me, father." He gave a big grin, watching his siblings actually have as much fun as he normally did all the time.

He nudged his horse forward again, and started circling his father's horse with his own, laughing while he did so. This was how Aeron normally was, acting like a fool and laughing all the while. His family normally found him quite charming, though how the other houses would react was yet to be seen.

"So, father, what will we do once we reach the castle?" he asked, still circling his father's horse. "Can we do something fun?" He waited for his father's response, only imagining what he was going to say.

His bright blue eyes watched as the gates got closer and closer, looming high above his tiny frame.

EDRICK STARK

Edrick laughed at his youngest sons comment. The boy was his only source of amusement, a light in a dark tunnel. He was a welcome rest from the politics and distrust in the realm.

"Well, Aeron, would training with Brandon, Brennidon and I be fun? Perhaps we can arrange Callum, Kale and Steffon to join in, eh lad?" He smiled at the younger boy, and noticed his Stark features were growing every day. He reminded him a lot of what he was like at that age, before his brothers and father had died.....

"MY LORD! SER RODRIK IS APPROACHING!" Edrick nodded at the arrival of his captain of the guard, wondering what news he brought him.

"My Lord Edrick, Baratheons have been sighted not too far behind us. I thought you would want to see them."

Edrick nodded, happy the Baratheons, one of the Starks oldest allies, had arrived.

"Keep an eye on Brennidon, Alyria and Aubrey, Ser Rodrik. Brandon and Aeron will come with me." Rodrik turned around, and Edrick quickly added "Keep Alyria company, and tell her to prepare for Steffon's arrival." With that, he picked Aeron of his smaller horse, and placed him in front of him.

"Brandon, with me!" Edrick called, before charging through the streets and turns of Kings Landing, coming out to the final stretch, the gates, sighting the Baratheon banners.

"Is this fun, Aeron?" he whispered to his son, before calling out to his oldest friend.

"KALE!!! IT IS ME, EDRICK! IT AS' BEEN TOO LONG, OLD FRIEND!"

He rode the final stretch, stopping before Kale Baratheon, great general, warrior and womanizer. He allowed himself a smile before gripping the mans arm.

"Too long, old friend."

TYBOLT LANNISTER

Tybolt smiled at Joanna's comment, glad she understood what to do. He had brought her up well, and he honestly wished she was his heir. She was smarter, stronger, more manipulative than any of his other children.

"I am glad you wish to see the Wolf again. If it does not go correctly with Aerys, we have a fallback plan. Play with him if you want. He is a nice boy, but his love for you is his weakness, and you can use it against him. I got you some gifts, you will receive them at your room, later. For now, though daughter, I ask your advice. Your mother is not here, and you are the closest to her there is. I am going to offer to fund a tourney for Aegon's name day, being the richest man in Westeros. However, I need a second gift. Before we arrive, what should it be? A sword? Money? Armor?".

He queried this with his beloved daughter, realising they had reached the Red Keep, people swarming to welcome them. He smiled, handsomely, winking at women as he went. As he got off his Horse, he grinned, before offering his daughter his hand to get down, waiting for her response to his question...

Aubrey Stark

" I have no need to wish," the lovely young woman called as she found herself catching up, more quickly as the seconds passed. Her tone was matter of fact as she watched her brother's smirk grow. She would wipe it off his face soon enough, Aubrey thought as the bay managed to reach the warhorse's flanks. She turned her dark head, brown eyes glancing over at her younger brother, even as the gates loomed up ahead. She knew she wouldn't win this one but, of course, there would be others. After all, Aubrey and Brennidon were practically famous for their competitive and close bond.

The pair entered the gates, nearly side-by-side but Brennidon certainly was the winner. Just as she had predicted. He literally won by the nose of his horse as it had stretched it's neck in the effort it was spending to maintain the speed. Immediately after entering the city, Aubrey pulled gently on the reins to signal to her horse to slow down. She came to a stop not far from her brother, the bay's sides covered in sweat from the workout, and leaned over to pat the mare's neck. " We almost did it girl," she said lightly, her gaze coming up at the sound of her brother's voice to look at him.

" It was a rather good race, though a pity someone younger than I won." Aubrey shook her head slowly, her curls sliding over her shoulders as she laughed. " Congratulations but I do not, however, concede defeat. I shall win the next one, Bren." The Stark smirked, confident in her own words, as she nodded in agreement. " But yes, a break would be quite welcome." If she could get down from the saddle, anyway. She felt like her legs may be numb by this point as the ride had been long and tiring and their race had certainly jolted her around a bit.

" Would you mind giving your sister a hand down?" Aubrey asked politely, trying to regain her sense of propriety. She was expected to behave a certain way within the walls of the gates, after all. Being a woman.

---

Elaena Targaryen


Elaena heard her brother's voice as she left the room, a small smile appearing on her lips as she didn't even bother to turn. Thank you Rheagar, she thought as she released a small breath she hadn't been aware she'd held after speaking to Willem.

How that man managed to get under her skin so easily was beyond her but, as usual, she always maintained her usual air of courteousness. He was so, so, so.. She couldn't even think of a word that would properly fit him. She hoped to the Seven that her father, King Aegon, would never consider Lord Willem Lannister of Casterly Rock as a suitable husband for Elaena. The princess hated to think poorly of her father but that would be the worst mistake of his lifetime, if he chose this.. if not, well, she'd be rather pleased.

With these thoughts in mind, Elaena made her way to one of the many front rooms and sat on a bench by the window. She turned her head to look out of the room to watch as their guests arrived. They would all be here shortly, especially if the rest of the Lannisters weren't too far behind Willem.

---

Vysenia Targaryen

The smile that lit up Vysenia's expression was one of the light from the sun shining upon the land in the morning, forcing the darkness and shadows to flee. Her eyes were bright and happy, almost child-like in her excitement. " I can't wait," she said softly, " and of course I will dance with you, mother. As every year, it has turned into tradition." The youngest princess replied, hugging her mother tightly for a moment before releasing the woman as Rhaenys tucked a stray strand of her golden hair behind Vysenia's ear.

Her tinkling laughter rang out clearly in the courtyard as her mother scooped her up, her delight blatantly easy to read on her features. " Does it never? Truly?" She asked, ever the curious child she had been mere years ago.

Vysenia found her eyes drawn to a new voice, Ser Alyn, a knight her mother spoke to of the Great Houses arriving. Rhaenys stood now, pulling her daughter up as she did so, and the princess brushed any bits of grass from her long skirts before moving to her own which she had graduated from ankle length a few years back. She was now the proud owner of all dresses made to touch the floor, though she did trip on the hems occasionally.

She nodded, her smile growing as her eyes showed her barely contained excitement. The celebration was that much closer now.

" Callum and Aeron will be here," Vysenia exclaimed, nearly jumping with joy. Callum was her betrothed, yes, but she was quite fond of him as her best friend. Or close friend at least. Aeron, on the other hand, was only her friend so far. She hadn't met him many times before but he was a rather nice boy and he would allow Vysenia to join in with their games, regardless of their differences in gender. She rather enjoyed the sweet young Stark for his company and honesty.

Rhaegar Targaryen

Willem was exactly right... it had been too long. He couldn't even remember the last time they had seen each other. His great friend had definitely grown into more of a man since the last time they had spoken. He was taller than Rhaegar himself, of course he had two years on the young Targaryen. His friend began talking rapidly, and Rhaegar couldn't do anything but smile. The excitement was plain on Willem's face, and in his words.

When he finally stopped to breathe, Rhaegar couldn't help but bellow out a laugh, echoing off the stone walls. "Ah, my friend, you haven't changed a bit!" he exclaimed, taking a step back.

"I'll make you a deal. You get one Greyjoy brother, and I get the other!" He smiled, his white teeth gleaming. "Of course then, that means next I'll have to unhorse you myself!" He laughed again, clapping his hand on his friend's shoulder. He chose not to respond to Willem's mention of the girls. His friend didn't know about his love for his sister, Jaehaerys. No one did. And he wanted to keep it that way. He had no idea what his father would think, let alone his friends who didn't understand the Targaryen way of marrying sister and brother. And if his friend found out it wasn't just for duty, but also for love? He didn't want to think of it.

He waved a hand, not caring that his friend had so much to talk about. "Being a prince is boring," he responded. "Although I have become quite skilled with a bow. You and I must go in to the yard and-"

"My lord," a guard said, approaching from the doorway. Rhaegar turned reluctantly away from his friend to the guard. "Your mother requests your presence in the Great Hall."

So it was time already? He silently cursed the guard for interrupting his reunion with Willem. "Very well, I will be there shortly," he replied to the guard before dismissing him. He turned back to his friend. "Alas, it seems I must go. But we will talk later." He embraced his friend once more before leaving for the Great Hall. As he walked inside, he noticed that all the ladies of his family were already present, sitting in their respective places, and his elder brother, the heir, sat next to his father's throne. He scowled.

He approached his mother first, bowing slightly, though not smiling as he addressed her. "Mother, you look absolutely beautiful." He moved to Jaehaerys, and her beauty made him pause. Her gown was breathtaking, and the low plunging neckline immediately drew his eyes. He felt warmth rising to his cheeks, and he quickly kissed her hand saying, "You look lovely, my sister." He exchanged pleasantries with his other two sisters, before taking his place beside his youngest sibling, Vysenia. He sat still, a neutral look on his face. He wasn't looking forward to seeing and watching all the royal families shower his older brother with nice words, while Rhaegar himself would be almost nonexistent. The families would spend more time being friendly with the future king than the younger brother who wouldn't amount to much.

---

Alys Greyjoy

She had enjoyed exploring the city, seeing both the beautiful and downtrodden parts. All of it was absolutely fascinating. Most citizens just stared at her, obviously not knowing who she was. Perhaps they were confused why such a beautiful woman was wearing breeches and a tunic, instead of a gown like most ladies. Or perhaps they sensed that she was higher born than she looked. Either way, she graced them with a smile before moving on.

As she emerged from an alleyway, she saw that she was right near the docks. She scanned the boats, and her eyes instantly found her brother's ship, Lady Amalya. She quickly made her way through the throngs of people, searching for her brothers. After searching, she found they had just walked off the boat. She took off at a dead run, throwing her arms around Donnel when she reached him, squealing with delight. She clung to him for a good minute, before releasing him and stepping back. "Brother, it is good to see you," she said, a large smile on her face. She glanced over at her younger brother. "Harlon, how did you like the trip?" she asked, placing her hand on his shoulder for a moment.

She listened to their responses, smiling the entire time. She felt whole again now that she knew Donnel was here in King's Landing with her. Before she could say anything else to him, her father's guard approached them, Duncan. "My lady, I am glad to have found you," he said to her, before also addressing her brothers. She listened to them exchange words for a few moments, before growing bored. She grabbed a spare horse that had come with the guard, and hopped on. "I will see you at the castle, brothers!" she exclaimed, before turning the horse around and letting him gallop down the street.

The people parted before her, grumbling that she was coming down the streets so quickly. She hardly cared though, loving the feeling of her hair flowing behind her, as red as fire. When she reached the castle gates, she dismounted the horse and handed him off to the stable boy. He took the horse to the stables while she looked around in awe. The castle was so large! She walked around a little, not really knowing where she was going. She wondered if she would run into anyone from the other families, and if they would even know who she was.

---

Aeron Stark

A huge grin lit up Aeron's face at his father's words. His father and brothers were normally much too busy to practice dueling with him. The thought excited him. "With one condition," he said, "I get to use a real sword!" He giggled, finally stopping circling his father's horse, and riding to the left of him.

He gave a shout of surprise as his father lifted him up onto his large horse. He felt so tall! He laughed as the horse turned through the streets with ease, people scrambling out of their way, not wanting to get trampled. When he looked ahead, he saw the black stag on a gold field, the banner of the Baratheons. Behind their banner loomed the walls of the Red Keep, so large they made him feel like the tiniest ant.

The two houses rode together the final distance to the castle gates, where he found the rest of his family waiting. He found that his eldest sister was waiting for the eldest Baratheon, and they exchanged pleasantries. Aeron really wasn't interested in hearing what they had to say, so he hopped off his father's horse, landing swiftly on his feet.

He walked around his father's horse, finding Callum Baratheon with his family. "Callum!" he called happily, smiling and waving.

Willem Lannister

How right Rhaegar was. Being a prince was a dull affair, riddled with responsibility and a future that was determined for you. Being a Lannister, however, or more accurately, being rich, was quite the opposite. What Willem wouldn't have given to not be a prince, to not have all the responsibilities saddled on him, and to maintain his wealth...well, it was too good of a life to hope for. Still, he had a right to dream.

"When all this royally dull business is through here," he called as Rhaegar left to join his family, "you and I will see what trouble we can get up to!"

Willem sighed when Rhaegar was gone, knowing that he needed to rejoin his own family as well. The sooner this was over, the better. It was impossible to experience a city trapped in a keep like this. He walked swiftly back towards the entrance of the Great Hall, passing various people, some he recognized, some he didn't, few he was interested in speaking with. He knew how these reunions of the Houses worked. This was a time for alliance building and backstabbing, political pandering and arse-kissing to get one's House on top. Willem wanted no part of it. Some of these people were nice enough, but the young Lannister prince would much rather spend time among the honest common folk of Kings Landing, and in the company of good friends, rather than licking the boots of those who you wanted something from.

He passed Joanna, who had just engaged in conversation with Brandon Stark, he who had so famously granted Willem's sister her lofty title. He was tempted to interrupt with some playful, teasing comment, but instead gave his sister a small smile and a knowing wink, before heading off without a word. Joanna was likely at the forefront of his father's power games he so loved to play. He felt sorry that she probably didn't have much choice in where her life was to go from here.

"Father," he called, seeing Tybolt a ways past Joanna, and coming to a stop at his side. "Sorry for running off like that, I simply had to find Rhaegar before all this royal...well, before the celebrations began."

He'd been about to speak negatively about Uncle Aegon's whole nameday affair, but thought better of it at the last second. He and his father had quite different ideas about responsibility, and Willem had no doubt that Tybolt did not think kindly about Willem's obvious aversions to it.

---

Donnel Greyjoy

The eldest Greyjoy hardly had time to recognize his sister before she threw herself on him. He laughed at the warm embrace, smiling at her when she finally released him. "Likewise, Alys. I'm glad to see the city doesn't daunt you. It's a bit much to take in on your first trip here."

Donnel was quite protective of his younger sister, and had been somewhat worried about how she would fare in a city like King's Landing, but judging from her state of excitement, Donnel guessed she was doing fine. One of his father's men, Duncan, approached then with a horse brought for Alys. He greeted the three Greyjoys, stating his intention to return Alys to her father's side, and to summon Donnel and Harlon as well. They needed to greet the King.

"No doubt we'll need to greet the Lannisters too. I know they've sorely missed our company. We'll catch up with you at the castle, then."

Donnel hadn't brought any horses aboard Lady Amalya. He detested having the animals aboard his ships. All they did was get in the way, and shit on the decks. He was a skilled rider, of course, but horses didn't belong on boats anymore than boats belonged on land.

His sister then rode off with Duncan, leaving Donnel and Harlon alone with the crew once more. Donnel noted that they looked eager to be away from the ship, to explore the city as they would. Donnel adjusted the shield slung across his back, and patted Harlon on the shoulder.

"We'd better get going, father won't want us to be late. Just...remind me to leave the axe at my belt if any of the Lannisters get out of hand. I'm likely to start a war if there's another brawl between our fathers like last year."

---

Callum Baratheon

It was a big meeting of the Stark and Baratheon Houses, with Callum's father greeting Edrick Stark, his brother Steffon reuniting with his betrothed, Alyria, Brennidon and Aubrey conversing off to the side...Callum suspected it was because there wasn't a Baratheon near their ages. Callum himself hadn't become too close to either of them, though he thought them nice. Brandon Stark was the only one not present, having disappeared into the Great Hall after telling Callum to keep Aeron out of trouble. Callum laughed at that. No one could keep Aeron out of trouble. He watched Brandon leave. Callum had excitedly informed Steffon last year that the eldest Stark thought Joanna Lannister was some kind of queen of beauty and loveliness or something, only to be told that all the Seven Kingdoms already knew.

And there was Aeron. Callum grinned from ear to ear, waving at his friend from atop his horse.

"Tell me you've got something in mind for what to do when all the greetings are done," he said. Aeron always had the best ideas, even if they occasionally got him into trouble. The young Baratheon always seemed to have significantly more fun when Aeron Stark was around.