36 Chapter 36 - The necklace.

"And when? When are you going to teach me how to forge that steel?" Tobho asked anxiously.

"I'm currently busy to teach you in person, but if you think you can learn from a recipe, I can give it to you now," Arthur replied.

As if challenged, Tobho looked deep into Arthur's eyes and snorted.

"But of course I can, if I couldn't grasp it from a recipe, I couldn't be considered a master blacksmith," Tobho retorted.

"Alright then, take this," Arthur said as he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Tobho.

"Memorize it and burn it right away, in this city, everything has eyes and ears," Arthur warned.

"Right. " Tobho replied with a nod of his head.

"Well, it seems we're done here. Carry on with your work. If I need you, I'll get in touch. And if you need any help, whatever it may be, go to the Smiling Boar tavern, tell them you're my subordinate, and you'll be taken care of," Arthur said.

"Alright, before you go, I have something for you. Wait a moment while I fetch it," Tobho said as he went upstairs.

As Tobho ascended, Kevin and Astrid made their presence known.

"Arthur," Kevin spoke as he approached.

"Where have you been?" Arthur asked.

"I searched around here but didn't find anything that caught my attention, so I went out to get some fresh air. It's fucking hot in here," Kevin replied.

"I didn't find anything either, and I went out with Kevin to keep him from causing trouble," Astrid replied aggressively, glaring at Kevin.

"Alright, I'm done here. Tobho just went to get something he wanted to give me, and then we'll leave. I want to get out of this city today," Arthur said.

"Alright, don't forget you have a meeting with that prince," Astrid said.

"Shit, I was almost forgetting, but either way, it doesn't matter. I can already imagine what he wants from me, and if it's what I'm thinking, our conversation will be short," Arthur replied.

"Oh, by the way, while we were outside, I noticed some people keeping an eye on us, and the weirdest thing is that they weren't together. They were probably spies from different people," Kevin said.

"I figured it would be like that. It's not every day that a northerner comes to King's Landing, especially one who's the bastard son of the Lord Paramount of the North and has a reputation for killing a large number of criminals in that part of the kingdom. It would be strange, in fact, if there weren't people spying on us," Arthur responded.

"And the suspicion increases even more when this bastard has a face-to-face conversation with the crown prince in the middle of the street," Astrid said.

"Precisely," Arthur replied with a slight smile.

"I'm back," Tobho said, reappearing while holding a small wooden box.

"Here, I brought this with me from Qohor. My relatives received it from a traveler from Pentos many years ago. He had asked my ancestors to rework a Valyrian steel sword for him, but since he didn't have enough money to pay, he paid with this necklace," Tobho explained, handing the wooden box to Arthur.

Taking the box in his hands, Arthur calmly opened the small box. Inside was a necklace with the characteristics of Valyrian steel, and in its full splendor was the head of a wolf, with red rubies in its eyes.

"A wolf..." Arthur said.

"It's not just that, lad. Look behind the wolf's head," Tobho replied with a smile.

Looking behind the wolf's head, Arthur could see something written—runes, to be more precise.

And having the bloodline of the First Men in his veins, Arthur had tried to learn the runic script. Although the meanings of some had been lost over time, Arthur recognized these runes with familiarity, for they were mentioned in various books about their house."

"Brandon Stark."

"Brandon Stark? Which Brandon Stark?" Arthur asked, puzzled.

"Now it's up to you to figure out which Brandon Stark owned this necklace," Tobho said.

"Do you have any idea how many Brandons there were in House Stark?" Arthur said with a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"Following your customs here in Westeros, I'm sure there were more than hundreds," Tobho replied with amusement.

"And how did this necklace come into your possession?" Arthur questioned.

"This necklace somehow became an heirloom of my family. An Andal merchant came to my family in Qohor and asked us to work on his Valyrian Steel Arakh, and so we did. But at the time, the man didn't have enough money to pay, so he left this necklace as payment," Tobho explained.

"But that doesn't explain how a Valyrian steel necklace that belonged to my family ended up in the possession of that Andal merchant. I don't recall the Starks venturing much into Essos, in fact, I only remember two instances," Arthur said.

"And what are those?" Tobho asked, as if enjoying the story.

"The most recent would be the men and women who left the North and founded a mercenary group, the Company of the Rose, in Essos, after Torrhen Stark knelt before Aegon the Conqueror. And within that group, there would have been some Starks."

"The other would be Theon Stark, who defeated Argos Sevenstar and sailed across the Narrow Sea to the coast of Andalos with Argos' body displayed on the bow of his ship as a figurehead. He pillaged and burned several Andal villages, killing hundreds and capturing fortified towers and septons. Soon after, he displayed the heads of his victims on spears along the northern coast to deter future invaders," Arthur said.

"Worthy of being called the Hungry Wolf, wouldn't you say?" Tobho said with a slight smile.

"But unfortunately, I don't know the specific date when this necklace was acquired, whether it was during the Conquest or long before that. I'm sorry," Tobho said.

After absorbing the information about the necklace, Arthur looked at Tobho and nodded his head.

"A thank you for this gift, Master Tobho. I will investigate it," Arthur said gratefully.

"I'm just returning it to its rightful owners, nothing more," Tobho said with a smile.

"I'm leaving now, Tobho. Remember to burn the paper as soon as you finish reading it," Arthur said, extending his arm for a handshake.

"Of course," Tobho replied, extending his arm for the handshake.

"Astrid, Kevin, let's go."

Arthur, Astrid, and Kevin left the shop and walked along the bustling street. By the time they had been inside the shop, evening was setting in.

"It seems we'll have to postpone our departure from the city for another day. Take the sword back to the Smiling Boar and let the others know we'll leave at dawn," Arthur said, handing the sword to Kevin.

"Right," Kevin replied with a nod.

"Do you want me to accompany you?" Astrid asked.

"There's no need. Go back with Kevin and make sure he doesn't stop at brothels along the way," Arthur said.

Nodding her head, Astrid pulled Kevin's arm and headed toward where the Smiling Boar was located.

"Time to find a prince..."

Arthur then began to walk in search of Prince Rhaegar. After a few minutes of walking, Arthur arrived at the main square, which was crowded with people. On top of a kind of platform stood a handsome man with long silver-blond hair, holding a finely ornamented harp. Two men in white armor with golden details stood guard beside him, their long white capes distinguishing them from the other guards.

More city guards were positioned around the platform, ready to act.

Contrary to what one might expect from a crowded square, it was silent. The predominant sound in the atmosphere was the melody of the harp and the melodic, deep, and captivating voice of the prince.

Arthur, who was extremely proficient in the musical field, couldn't deny Rhaegar's talent, as he knew that the gift of singing was present in him.

Trying to get closer to the platform, bumping into some people, Arthur positioned himself in front of it, making his presence known to those above.

Noticing Arthur's presence, Rhaegar nodded his head at him and then returned his focus to the music he was playing.

After a few minutes, Rhaegar released his fingers from the harp, embracing it. He stood up from the bench he was sitting on and addressed everyone present.

"Thank you to all who stopped what they were doing and listened to the music I played. I hope I didn't embarrass myself in front of you all and that this simple melody has somehow brought joy to your hearts. I wish you a beautiful evening, and until next time," Rhaegar said as he stood up and descended from the platform.

The square went from the sound of just the harp and the prince's voice to applause, whistles, and shouts with the prince's name.

Arthur then approached Rhaegar, who was waiting for him beside the platform but was stopped by two city guards.

"Halt, this is the limit."

"Let him pass, he's with me," Rhaegar's voice came from the background.

"Yes, my prince," the two guards said, allowing Arthur to pass.

"And what did you think of the music?" Rhaegar asked with a smile.

"It was magnificent, my prince," Arthur replied, maintaining his composure.

"Hahaha, thank you very much," the prince said, his smile stretching from ear to ear.

Arthur then realized that Rhaegar didn't do what he did solely for some kind of benefit. Of course, there was always a purpose behind every action, but Arthur knew that Rhaegar sang and played for his own satisfaction. He knew this because he was the same way. Since his time in the Elysian Fields, one of the few things that calmed his mind in times of conflict was music.

"But then, my prince, what would you like to discuss with a simple bastard?" Arthur asked.

"You possess nothing of simplicity, and don't diminish yourself by calling yourself a bastard. My wife is Dornish, and there, bastards are treated with greater equality and tolerance, able to inherit lands and titles depending on the circumstances. It's something I intend to bring to the rest of the kingdom when I become king," Rhaegar replied.

"It's a noble thought, my prince," Arthur said with a smile.

"Enough talk. Let's go. I'm thirsty after singing," Rhaegar said, heading towards a tavern near the square they were in. The royal guard remained close by, ever vigilant.

"Let's go."