25 The shield, the horn and the bean

Eight months later

Lannisport, end of 286 AC

A few things happened, with barely any problem or scandal coming to cause problems to the daily life of high society.

A small incident occured, with Jullie… Lynesse's lady-in-waiting got pregnant after her 'too many walks' with Lucion Lannister. He decided to marry her so that the child could be legitimate upon birth, making Jullie a Lannister. Lynesse was a bit shocked to learn this, but the situation itself didn't cause any havoc.

Speaking of my betrothed, things are going better and better with her. One day she caught me studying the history and geopolitical situation of other houses intensely, and came to read alongside me.

The next day, Lynesse began to take an interest in the houses of Westeros more intensely. I quickly noticed that she was trying to get closer to me by mimicking my hobbies and pastimes. But studying more has also made her wiser and more mature.

Although coming up with realistic plans for the future takes a lot of my time, I decided to bequeath some of it to Lynesse on a more regular basis. Since then, we like to talk about historical and political subjects during our daily walks before dusk. From time to time, I continued to occasionally offer her some perfumes and flowers. Overall, my time spent with her slowly passed from a duty to a pleasure.

After talking to my father for a long time, I convinced him of the need to kill Lord Brax as well as taking charge of it myself. It served as a test for the girls I trained... more or less trained.

I relocated them to small isolated dormitories in Lannisport and gave them regular missions. More often than not, they had to try to discreetly follow influential merchants and nobles passing through Lannisport, without being caught. The goal was to bring me as much information as possible about the hidden sides of the markets occurring in Lannisport.

As careful as they were, one had to engage herself in a chase and ended up seriously injured. In the other hand, Laena has done a good job, as good as... her sister's services.

And so I created the another incident, when one of them ended up being talented and driven enough. She was sent to infiltrate Hornvale as a new maid, with a dose of Sweetsleep as a mean to kill Andros. He ended up dying in a maid's bed, half-naked, with a dumb and blissful smile on his face. Very few people cried him, as expected.

I himself continued to consume some Sweetsleep, now barely able to give me a good nap at the end of the afternoon.

Outside of my studies, I began to train seriously in jousting with Hermes. Although I'm talented at riding and passable with a spear, I mostly turned away from jousting. But at a next tourney, I would like to win this part of the competition. And a certain crown is at stake, after all.

And finally, I met the suspicious person I was looking for in Amber Mane, who was indeed a Lannister from Lannisiport. She is an intermediary informant between several sources responding to Tywin, Rechar and sometimes Damon. After speaking with her, I convinced her to also give me some of her informations by raven or directly in Amber Mane.

We can say that all this made me multiply my sources to stay informed of current affairs.

Six weeks ago, two things happened nearly at the same time. The Leon towers project was completed and a letter arrived from Kings Landing. Joffrey Baratheon is born.

Directly after learning the news of his birth, I sent my congratulations to the king and the queen. But mayhaps, I should also have sent one to the father…

But he's not the only one recently born. This is also the case of Willem Lannister, new son of Kevan. I also got wind of the birth of Sansa Stark, confirmed from a reliable source.

The subject of the Greyjoys has been in my head a bit, not knowing when they will attack. It is for this reason that I preferred to directly continue with my project concerning the reinforced personal guards, just after the end of the towers project.

To not accept just anyone, I decided to create a selection event. Many public announcements and peddling were organized to let everyone know of my intention to recruit a big group of people at once.

The details of the announcement were very clear. Only people under the age of twenty-five and without major health problems can apply. Being selected means devoting your entire life to training and warfare, including a low but steady salary. Possible effort bonuses are also provided after each participation in a battle. The most valiant ones will emerge richer than the others. Basically, it's more of a lifestyle than a job.

The aspect of loyalty and servitude repelled the mercenaries, of course. But I prefer to employ this type of person in addition, if the need arises.

After six weeks of publicity, a good number of people showed up at the Lannisport tourneys ground. At first glance, they must be between three and four thousand coming from different corners of the Westerlands or even Westeros. This is way too much for a personal military force, sorting out is necessary.

At this time, I am now in the process of requesting the first and enventual last names of the participants. I take this opportunity to ask them if their loyalty already belongs to someone. What is all this for? If they're lying, it means someone sent them here. In this case, their candidacy is already denied.

Their name helps me to see if some come from good families, and might already have military experience. This kind of hidden pearl interests me more. Of course, talent must also be taken into account. This is why a general melee is organized with the remaining participants.

In the candidates not being sent by anyone, only two names out of the few thousand seem to stand out.

''Roland Hill and Aegys Valteran…''

The first is undoubtedly a bastard of the Westerlands. The questions would be why is he here ? And why isn't he serving his own house ?

The name of the second screams the pure-blooded Valyrian. I couldn't verify this, as he was wearing his own full body armor with helmet included. He looks like an lonely errant knight, with his gear being way too good to have no noble origin. Going to bed with a half Valyrian is one thing, but employing a pure-blooded one of unknown background is another.

Fortunately for me, maester Creylen is at my side to help me find out more about them.

''Maester Creylen, could you tell me more about these two men? I would like to know the context that prompted them to come here.''

''Of course, young lord. I'm afraid I don't recognize them by name. But going into my archives and letters should tell us more on the matter. I am going there right away.''

''Then please do so, maester. I appreciate it.''

The general melee eventually started, with practice swords provided to everyone. No need to make them kill each other. A person loses by falling to the ground, admitting defeat, or having a sword pointed at their neck.

A lot of red cloaks, as well as guards from Casterly Rock and Lannsiport are present to judge the different fighters. Such an organization requires an increased presence of guards.

For the fight, heavy and metallic armors are prohibited for the sake of disadvantage. However, accessories are permitted. For example, Aegys armor is forbidden but his weird shield is allowed.

It previously took a few hours to guide this mass of people and prepare them for battle. But everyone is now ready… and some fights directly caught my eyes.

Roland Hill is a violent strategist. He silently observes his opponents before knocking them out with a few precise blows. He likes to dodge and counter blows before hitting hard. He also seems to use his legs to destabilize his opponents, not playing regularly. Roland knows the point is to show off his abilities, not just to play with his sword.

He is a man of normal height with an imposing build. His short, wavy light brown hair shines with a blonde sheen in the sun and doesn't seem to move, despite his sudden movements. His hard gaze is enough to disconcert the weakest of mind. A sculpted oliphant horn is attached to his belt, totally unnecessary. Well, I allowed accessories… I should have given more details, sigh. Still, I wonder where it comes from.

Aegys is far more on offense, always being the one to strike first. He seems to strike haphazardly at those he looks down on, and uses far more refined forms of combat when facing someone who knows how to fight. Aegys prefers light bursts of blows before delivering a final sword swing where he concentrates all of his strength. The slightest blow received enrage him, but without destabilizing him.

Without his armor, his short silver hair and liliac eyes are clearly visible. His face and smile have a touch of arrogance, as well as playfullness. He only uses his shield as a last resort, a very nice object that is quite enigmatic. The alloy appears to be made of bronze and steel, with at its center the sigil of a dragon biting its own tail.

I expected these two to be the only ones catching my attention. But a third man was worth a look.

A young man with a still childish face stands out from the crowd in a somewhat confusing way. Although he is afraid of everything and distracted, luck seems to smile on him at every moment. His hazardous blows disarm his opponents and his falls result in their unexpected defeat. Other than that, his arms still look sturdy and his blows carry some strength.

The combination of his red head and green eyes reminds me of the uncanny result of the union between a Lannister and a Tully. Everything about him is unkept but he isn't the shrimp type, with a bit of fat and muscles around the edges.

But his luck didn't lead him to victory, being brutally stopped by a shield blow from Aegys who got angry at the boy's unstable behavior.

After a very long series of fights, the last two people standing are Roland and Aegys. The two then begin a high-quality duel. If I had any, I would be taking out my bag of popcorn while watching them fight each other like Naruto against Sasuke.

Aegys charges and multiplies the dangerous blows, while Roland analyzes his movements and dodge as much as possible. His eyes then become more focused and he begins to parry each blow before attacking at the slightest sign of latency from Aegys.

But when his blow could have been decisive, his sword meets the solid surface of the shield. He therefore loses his feet and is forced to retreat strategically.

Aegys charges again, this time with a smoother pace and an entirely different technique, which unsettles Roland further.

Seeing them fighting like this awakens my competitive spirit and makes me more attentive. This is finally a really interesting fight. I like this.

Roland then leaves his calculations and becomes more offensive in turn, as well as more violent. His blows contain a strong mixture of rage and passion. He loves what he is experiencing, and it shows with the wide grin on his face.

''ONLY COWARDS USE A SHIELD ! COME ON ! SHOW ME WHAT YOU REALLY GOT, SILVER GUY !''

In response, Aegys lays his shield to the side before advancing with renewed determination. But he doesn't seem to like what's happening, probably thinking he was the best participant so far.

Taking his sword with both hands, Aegys then changes his technique again completely. His movements then look more like a dance. On his part, Roland is confused but redoubles his concentration. He tries to remember each pattern, in order to anticipate Aegys moves.

But Aegys accelerates again and again, making any calculation impossible. Going for broke, Roland quickly rolls sideways before landing a precise blow that stops millimeters from Aegys throat.

The battle is over and Roland wins the melee. This is the beginning of a great rivalry capable of pushing someone beyond their limits.

As soon as I have some time, I will definitely train against these two.

While the participants retire and take a few moments to rest, I discuss with the guards and various observers about who is to be selected.

Maester Creylen then returns from his travel and research. He has the kind of look that shows he has found what he was looking for.

''Maester Creylen ! I take it that you found what I wanted.''

''Aye, young lord. More than enough. First, I was able to find some letters from the maester of Faircastle. We converse a lot, so Roland completely slipped my mind. He is the bastard of a younger branch of House Farman. This young man would have an oliphant horn given to him by his mother, an inheritance from Essos. If this is true, I am told that the day he first tried to blow in the horn, his breath was so powerful that its echoes were heard from one end of Fair Isle to the other. Being himself a bastard and having committed incest among other things, his house never accepted him. The Farmans are more fervent believers than average, you see. Roland must have had enough of his treatment, if he went so far as to leave his island to find a place here.''

A unique person, this Roland Hill. In any case, his talent is largely worth a place among this group.

''And what could you find about this… house Valteran ? Is it supposed to be well known, perhaps ?''

''Not at all, young lord. While their past is somewhat worth to be mentioned, time hasn't been kind to them. I was able to find some writings about their house, in a book that King Jaehaerys had written. If anything obsessed the father of Aerys as much as the dragons, it was the history of the Valyrians. During one of his trips to Lys, the king met an embittered old man who told him about his family's past. This man was called Vaelarys Valteran. The story he explained was quite long, though.''

''It's fine, I have the time. It is necessary to know more about Aegys, if I want him to work for me.''

He is talented, but I have to know if he is worth it. I can't attract myself more trouble only for one capable man.

''Very well. The story begins before the Doom. During Imperial times, house Valteran would have been a small freehold located near Mantarys, in the far north of the peninsula. They were known for creating shields with an impure alloy of Valyrian steel. During the Doom, they would have lost their two little dragons. But thanks to an unparalleled speed of execution, lord Vaelinor Valteran saved almost a tenth of his men. Thirty Valterans of the main line and secondary lines survived, along with a good number of servants, slaves and soldiers. When the last survivor of the main freeholds Aurion Belaerys declared himself the first emperor of Valyria, on the back of his enormous dragon, he raised an army of 30,000 men at Qohor before marching towards the destroyed peninsula. He was a descendant of Jaenara Belaerys who explored farther south in Sothoryos than anyone had gone before. On his way to Valyria, he stopped at Mantarys and offered the Valterans to become his first vassals. Lord Vaelinor agreed, and almost all of his House followed him, except for two members of the secondary line. No one returned from this mortuary journey, neither man nor dragon. The two survivors moved to Lys and began a tradition of 'lineage purification' similar to the Targaryens. Later, they managed to enlarge their house and become more important. During the Dance of the Dragons, a second daughter of house Valteran was given to prince Daemon Targaryen to be part of his Lysene paramour. The Valterans tried to use this opportunity to raise their rank among the noble families of Lys. But in the end, they got way too greedy. In this time of great instability, the Valterans sought favor from all parties. So they started working for the Rogare Bank. Nothing good came of it for the Valterans. They ended up even lower than the Valyrian houses who lost everything during the Doom, sinking into general oblivion. Their house never stopped decaying since then. However, I'm afraid I don't know what happened to this young Aegys. He must be here for a reason.''

A long road from greatness to the dumpster, to make it shorter.

''Yes, I can imagine all of this happening. The famous dance… an interesting part of our history, for sure. However, my heart wavers more towards the period of the Blackfyre rebellions. King Aegon IV created such a mighty mess that I get a migraine just by thinking about it.''

''Aye. That, he did. Legitimizing dozens of ambitious bastards at the same time isn't exactly a wisely chosen last will. But mayhaps… Daeron's good heart, or even foolishness, may have played a great role in the following chaos. Yet, another reminder of what misplaced kindness can do to the realms.''

''I can't help but agreeing with your wise words, maester Creylen. Granting titles, lands and control over taxes to aspiring usurpers in the hope of satiating their greed ? It was the wrong move to try to prevent what was to come. Kindness dooms those who can't wield it properly.''

Before speaking to the accepted applicants, the three personally chosen by me are called in for a private discussion.

''You are here because your performance has been superior, when compared to the rest. If your future accomplishments match your respective talents, you may get a position of command alongside me for this unit. I therefore ask you to set the bar higher than the others and show me if a leader lies dormant in you. It is not yet decided which of you three will second me, so do your best.''

The choice would rather be between Roland and Aegys, but I want them to be even more competitive with each other. Roland having a sharper mind, he is currently my favorite for this position.

Roland is the first to respond, while doing his best to hide his endless pride after his victory.

''Aye, my lord ! I will continue to prove myself !''

Aegys is second, with a quiet and ferocious gaze directed to the one who bested him.

''Yes, my lord. I shall become the very best and surpass the others.''

The young man is last, with a more modest and kind approach.

''Aye, milord. I'm grateful for your consideration. I'll do my best to be worth my pay.''

I nod my head in approval and move on to the next step of the program.

''Good. Now, a bunch of question are required. Your identities are sometimes surprising and I have to verify a few things. First, mister Roland. I don't care that much for your circumstances. But does your presence here pose a problem for my relationship with house Farman ?''

Roland's expression is unchanged, as if the subject left him indifferent.

''I don't believe so, my lord. I left before they could be the ones to cast me away. As for the reason ? I was just a bit playful with my cousin, we were kinda too close in their taste…''

Alright, I heard enough.

''Understood. Now, mister Aegys. You are part of house Valteran, correct ? Then why don't you stay by their side ? And why coming all the way here ? Lys isn't exactly just next door.''

Aegys gains an uncomfortable air, on the verge of sadness.

''Hum… I'm the last member of my house, my lord. It happened recently. I'm starting my life over from scratch.''

''Oh. Because of old age ?''

His gaze averts, almost taking him into his thoughts.

''No, a duel. I still feel conflicted about what occured…''

No need to bombard Aegys with questions. I will have plenty of time to get to know him.

''Say no more, I understand. Now, the surprise of the day. What was your name, again ?''

The young man advances and almost stumbles, still keeping an innocent face and an enthusiastic smile.

''Sean, milord. But everyone call me Sean the Bean.''

''… Then don't let them name you that way, Sean. It's not a compliment, so try to impose yourself some dignity.''

''But, but… I like beans, milord.''

…Ah.

''Whatever. But say 'my lord' and not 'milord'. You are not a peasant anymore, but a proud warrior in the making. Do you understand ?''

''Aye, mi-… my lord !''

''Prefect. Now go and join the others.''

Once all the eight hundred selected men have been gathered, the time for the speech has arrived.

''Congratulations to you all. Your presence means that your case isn't hopeless. But don't take your place as granted. Applications are still going to be possible in the future and the number of places is limited. Two to three hours of purely physical exercises will take place every other day, while the rest of the time will be devoted to the handling of the sword. Diligence, punctuality, bravery and obedience are required. You will be encouraged to clash with each other, even spilling your blood if need be. But it is better to bleed in training than to die in war. Your profession, your life and your heart are now one and only thing: TRAINING, TRAINING AND TRAINING. UNDERSTOOD ?''

Their response is concise and resonates in unison.

''YES, MY LORD !''

''Very good. Ser Cerval Marbrand and ser Benedict Broom will lead you, and alternate between each other to take care of your training for now. I will come from time to time and duel some of you to see your progress.''

When they are all gone, I return to the maester for other matters.

''Maester Creylen, did you prepare what I ask of you ?''

''Aye, young lord. I accumulated as much as I could on every houses of the Vale, the Reach and Dorne. It goes from their history to some of their relationships and a couple of rumors. Everything as been put in your quarters.''

Some basic plans are moving forward, but I need more informations about these three kingdoms to fine-tune what I plan to do. I will have to call on all my sources, even if it means spending a few more golden dragons.

''Thank you, maester. This will be helpful. What of your personal project ? You seem to have placed a great deal of importance in 'hygiene'. How is it going since the last time ?''

''Oh, I began that project a long time ago. It advanced quite well. But I'm still discredited by the Citadel. If it stays that way, they can kiss my old ass for a favor from me.''

Frankly, this opposition brings me more good than harm. Creylen is entrenching himself more and more on my side, and the Westerlands are the only ones to benefit from our joint ideas.

''Don't stumble over it, maester. Your expertise is important in many areas. And don't mind the hermits of the Citadel, holed up in their books older than the wall itself.''

''Sigh… you are right, Leonard. I have better to do than hitting myself against a bunch of stubborn mongrels. Oh and I believe Lynesse to be waiting for you on the balconies of Casterly Rock. She is quite eager for your walks together. You have grown so much, young lord…''

Crap, it slipped my mind.

''Ah yes, Lynesse. With all of this, I totally forgot about today's walk. Let's go back to the Rock, then.''

''Indeed, let's go home. And before I forget, you also received a letter from Kayce. This seems to be an interesting kind of invitation, to say the least. If I was younger, I would have accompanied you.''

House Kenning ? Vincent, most likely. What did you prepare, my friend ?

——————

Small notice: While it is true that some minor and impoverished Valyrian houses survived and reside in Lys (in asoiaf), they are mostly unnamed and house Valteran is thus one I named myself.

For those who don't know, the story of Aurion is canon btw. Not knowing his family name, I chose to have him related to the Belaerys freehold.