The Blue Wolf is Born - Part 2

A moon and a fortnight had passed since William had arrived and he had settled in King's Landing very nicely. Ravens had been sent out to all over the 7 Kingdoms informing all the lords and ladies of Prince William Baratheon, First of his Name, Crowned Prince of the 7 Kingdoms and heir to the Iron Throne. The arrival of the half stag and half wolf prince had changed the game and the future balance of power. With an heir, smart people began to consider their futures and how they could leverage the crown prince for their own uses.

One such man who hadn't taken the news too well was Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West. With a legitimate son, the only power that house Lannister could have would be with Queen Cersei and that would change depending on how well Robert and his son got along. He would have to figure something out, either ingratiate himself to the boy prince and pray that William would bring House Lannister into the fold or take him out of the equation.

Cersei Lannister was in her room in the Red Keep, preparing for the ceremony at the Sept of Baelor where she would marry Robert and become Queen. She sat in her room alone, combing her golden hair and looking in the mirror. She looked like a queen. Normally, this would be a day of celebration. She would be Queen and rule the Seven Kingdoms, but she seethed in anger at the one thing that would stand against her in the future. That wolf boy, William. With him alive, her children would never rule, and she wouldn't rule through them.

She put her brush down as her brother, Jaime walked in. He was decked in his Kings Guard armor and noticed how angry she was. "You know, most woman would be happy on their wedding day to the King." Jaime joked.

"The good it will do with that boy around. That stupid whore of a wolf. Why couldn't the boy have died in Dorne as well." Cersei seethed in frustration while she dabbed her neck with some scented oils.

"Well, there's still a chance the boy may die. This is a dangerous city and boys have died from illnesses before." Jaime walked in and stood behind her.

"If I told you to kill the boy, would you?" She asked as Jaime looked at her.

"I'd do anything for you, but I'd never get close. Ser Arthur Dayne is guarding him at all hours of the day and even at night. He'd never let me get close. He despises me enough already and even if I could get close, I'd never best him in combat." Jaime told her.

"Then maybe something of a subtler approach." Cersei said as Jaime moved his hands through her hair and to her breasts.

"A topic for another day. For now, relax. It's your wedding day." Jaime said, kissing her neck and moving down.

On the other side of the Red Keep, William was in his private chambers sitting on his bed trying his best at reading a children's book about the history of the 7 Kingdoms. William was cleaned and dressed in the finest clothes his father could get him and watched over always. His hair was trimmed so it was nice and neat, perfectly cut with a little bit of length in the front that could be pushed to the side. Grand Maester Pycelle's assistant, Cedric Angar was helping the prince, who personally requested him. Cedric wasn't a Maester but had once trained to be one. Unfortunately, circumstances led him to not getting his chain so using all the skills he learned he worked under Pycelle to assist him in running the library. Now he was the Prince's personal tutor.

William was sitting on his bed with Cedric in a chair next to him, helping him through the words. Ser Arthur Dayne was in the room keeping watch over him. The Prince was far too young to be reading but he was getting a grasp on the words which would help his speaking and he was getting better at it. He was a smart boy for his age, something that Robert and Jon picked up.

"The Wall…. built…by…. Brandon…the Builder." William managed to read his first sentence, a rather short sentence but a sentence, nonetheless that came to fruition thanks to a lot of help from Cedric.

"Well done, my prince. Well done." Cedric applauded him before turning the page in the book that showed new pictures. "Keep this up, and you'll be reading in a year."

William looked up at him with all the innocence indicative of a child. "Can I try, sooner?"

"You can try, my prince. But don't rush it." Cedric said as they began going over the words and images. Arthur smiled at the prince, seeing a great amount of innocence in him but a lot of potential as well. 

The door opened and Jon Arryn walked in, dressed in his most formal robes. "Lord Hand." Arthur greeted him.

"Ser Dayne." Jon Arryn gave him a short nod before looking over at the young prince. "How's he doing?"

"He's getting better with words. I can't say to his progress but Cedric is teaching him to speak much more than I could."

"The boy is smart. For a boy of only three years, he's pushing himself. Remember when he tried to pick up the practice sword a fortnight ago?" Jon recounted and Ser Arthur Dayne could tell why.

"He wants to be strong…to honor his mother."

"He'll make her proud." Jon replied when William noticed him in the doorway and jumped off the bed.

"Hello, Uncle Jon." William's happy face and expression made the old man smile. A boy so young and pure reminded him of good times. Since Jon was like a father to Robert, William called Jon uncle, not that he minded.

"Hello, my prince. It's time to go to the Sept." Jon told him and Will was more than ready to go. "Now remember, this is an important day for your father so try to remain as quiet as possible."

"I will." William said as Jon Arryn and the prince were escorted to the Sept where they witnessed the wedding of Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister.

Line Break xxxxx

Year 285 AC

Two years have passed since Robert took the throne and became King. The 7 Kingdoms were in reasonable peace since the Mad King's death and luckily, they didn't have to worry about Robert like they did they Mad King. Robert spent most of his time when he wasn't with his son either hunting, whoring, or drinking. It was usually a combination of the three depending on the situation but whenever he was with William, Robert was completely different. Robert was calm, gentle, and caring whenever he and William spent time together, probably because William was his trueborn son with his love Lyanna and spending time with him reminded him of the good old days before everything changed.

Still, Robert was King so he was occasionally dragged to some meetings when Jon Arryn could get him to go or when Jon had the Prince convince him to go to one which worked most of the time. Cersei was Queen and had given birth to a blonde-haired son last year, Joffrey making him Will's younger brother. But Cersei kept him with her all the time and didn't want William interacting with him. William spent his time with either his father, his tutor Cedric, Jon Arryn when he wasn't busy, his uncle's Renly and Stannis, Ser Barristan Selmy, and Ser Arthur Dayne.

William was 5 years old, nearly 6 in a moon. He was taller than most boys his age, at about 4 feet in height but he was still growing. Just now he was barely able to hold a light wooden training sword in both hands, but he wasn't able to swing that much. Robert liked to help William train, but his expectations were a bit high. No 5-year-old can lift a Warhammer. Where William did exceed was his mind as he was very smart for his age. He mastered speaking when he was four and now, he fully knew how to read and write. He was smart for his age, but obviously, there were things he didn't know or that flew over his head. He could still understand most conversations people had.

Currently, William was in the training courtyard enjoying the sun of summer as he played with a black dog pup his uncle Renly got him for his name day last year. William named him Shadow because of his dark coat. In the courtyard was Ser Barristan who was watching the prince and Ser Arthur Dayne who was keeping his skills sharp with a practice dummy. William scratched Shadow on the stomach, watching Ser Arthur wield two swords and swing them expertly at the wooden dummies and finished his session by taking off the dummies heads.

"Well done, Ser Arthur." Barristan praised, handing him a water skin.

"Thank you. Best thing to keep my skills sharp now that it's peace time." Arthur took a sip of water and wiped his face with a towel.

"Aye. It's quiet. I like it but it does get a bit dull." Barristan said and Arthur nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I'd imagine it's different compares to King Aerys." Arthur countered.

"Indeed. Most of my time is spent watching over Robert to make sure he doesn't drink himself to death or watching the Prince." Barristan recounted as they saw William and Shadow walk over to one of the tables near the training targets.

"Well, this is our life now. Better get accustomed to it. I have." Arthur strapped his sword to his waist. 

William looked at the table and saw the swords, axes and maces that were blunted for training and grimaced that he couldn't use any of them yet. He did see some small daggers that were smaller than his arms that didn't look heavy, so he picked up two of them. They felt fine to carry and their grip in his small hands felt perfect so he began swinging them like he had seen Ser Arthur do a minute ago. He then saw a target about 8 feet away and looked at the knife before he threw both and they landed within the middle ring of the target.

Arthur and Barristan looked to see William had thrown two daggers into the middle ring of a target. He didn't the bullseye but the middle circle of the target in between the bullseye and the outer ring. William looked at the target, walked over and plucked the knives out before returning to the spot he was standing at before and kept practicing.

"Maybe he won't be a swordsman, but he might be a fine archer someday." Barristan suggested.

"Aye." Arthur and Ser Barristan got comfortable as they watched the prince train.

William's life fell into a routine. His days would vary depending on if he would spend more time in the library or with Jon Arryn, but he was usually kept busy. But on other days, he liked to explore. He was often found running through the gardens or the Godswood of the Red Keep for fun with Shadow by his side. William enjoyed running through the trees and bushes, often making a game to see where he could climb and how fast he could run with Ser Arthur right on his tail.

One day, William made his way out of the city to explore the surrounding woods and forests after getting tired of the gardens and trees of the Red Keep. William was running through the woods with Shadow right behind him and Ser Arthur following. The older knight had trouble keeping up wearing his armor and the prince was very fast for his age. William jumped off a rock and his feet crunched against the tree roots, dirt, and mud when he rolled to the ground. William then ran up to a small tree and managed to grab onto a low branch before pulling himself up. Then he began making his way up the other branches to the top.

Shadow sat by the base of the tree and wagged his tail while Ser Arthur looked up at the Prince who was about 20 feet off the ground and still going. "My prince, you shouldn't climb so high! It's dangerous!" Ser Arthur shouted but was ignored. Will grabbed onto a branch to pull himself up and looked out to the wide fields surrounding King's Landing.

"It's beautiful. You should come up, Ser Arthur!" William shouted.

"I prefer my feet on the ground, thank you very much, my prince!" Arthur replied. William looked out to the field and saw some men at work.

"What's that?" William began climbing down the tree with ease.

"What's what, my prince?" Arthur asked and William jumped down next to him.

"Over there." William ran west and Shadow followed him. Ser Arthur sighed in exhaustion and ran after him.

William ran out of the woods to the leveled grass plains where farmers were tending to their lands. William walked around as he saw men, both young and old using pickaxes, shovels, and pitch forks to work the fields and dig up the ground for the seeds they would plant. The farmers were using these tools and whatever else they could with small donkey's pulling wagons of tools and bags of seeds.

William saw one of the older men having trouble moving a big rock out of the way so he ran over and helped push. Ser Arthur saw this and came over to help and they managed to move the rock onto the wagon where it was carried away.

"Many thanks, my lord." The farmer thanked Ser Arthur and shook his hand.

"You should thank him." Arthur pointed to William and the prince shook the farmer's hand as well.

"Aye, thank you little lord." The farmer said and William smiled.

"It's William."

The farmer took a moment to look over the young boy in front of him and quickly realized he was talking to the crown prince so he bowed and lowered his gaze for forgiveness. "Prince William, forgive me your grace."

"It's all right, stand up. What's your name?"

"Rydan Gower, your grace."

"How long have you been farming?" William asked.

"All my life, your grace. My father did it, and his father before him and so on. It's hard but honest work. Now more than ever, it's tough." Rydan looked at the perfectly clean patches of field that were untouched by them.

"How come you're not over there?" William asked.

"Ah, those areas are too covered in rocks to plow with our tools, your grace. We'd never farm them." Rydan explained so William looked at the tools and began to think.

"Maybe I can help. I can talk to my father for some better tools."

His earnestness earned chuckles and smiles of appreciation. "I'm sure the King has better things to worry about."

"Well, can I help at all? I want to." William asked as Ser Arthur and Rydan smiled.

"I suppose you can help the lads smooth out the soil for the seeds." Rydan offered. William nodded and ran over to help with Shadow following him. "That boy is something else. I don't think I've ever seen a lord, let alone a prince help the common folk."

"Aye, William is one of a kind. And he'll be a good king. Now, let's get the rest of this field ready." Ser Arthur said, picking up a shovel to help with the digging.

Prince William and Ser Arthur Dayne worked with the farmers for the entire day, plowing the fields to be ready for planting. They worked with the men, ate with the men and for a day weren't the Prince and his protector but just regular people. William enjoyed himself and he learned a lot about farming and helped the best that he could, even Shadow helped. By the end of the day, Rydan had plowed all the fields that he needed, and the crops were planted. It was a grueling 12 hours of work, but William was happy. He enjoyed it but was exhausted. Ser Arthur carried him back to the Red Keep to get some much-deserved rest.

The next week after William helped Rydan farm, he went to Cedric for all the information on farming techniques and tools and even asked some of the city's builders, smiths, and masons for advice on new tools that could improve the farming situation. They came up with the design for a new plough that would improve the trenches made, dig deeper into the ground, and remove objects like weeds and rocks out of the way. It would have sturdy iron blades in the front to dig into the ground and have two small wheels to aid in the moving and ideally an oxen or horse would pull it to improve the speed, but the unique treads on the wheels made it so that two men could push it through tough ground.

He also asked for improved designs on the old tools to make them and the job easier. He hoped it would help Rydan tend to the area he couldn't get to, but Ser Arthur and Cedric pointed out that with the new designs and tools, William could negotiate a deal with the builders and sell them to farmers all over the realm. Farmers in harsh terrain could use new and improved equipment. William liked the idea and asked if Cedric would help, and he was more than happy to.

They worked on the idea and the masons, smiths, and builders also pointed out other things they could improve on like new building tools, mining tools to sell to the Westerlands or better wagons and William welcomed all of this. If they could do it, why not? Of course, Ser Arthur pointed out that William would need to talk to his father or Jon Arryn about paying the builders, smiths, and masons for their work in order to start. He couldn't help people without providing compensation.

So, a fortnight after William met with the builders about his idea and had all the designs and schematics ready, he was ready to speak to Jon Arryn about finding some coin to build them for a test. William walked to the Hand of the King chambers with rolls of papers in his hands, Shadow right next to him and Ser Arthur accompanying him. William knocked on the door and Jon Arryn's squire, Hugh answered.

"Your grace."

"Hello, I'm here to see Lord Arryn." William greeted and Hugh let him in.

"Lord Hand, Prince William is here."

"Thank you, Hugh. Leave us." Jon said. Hugh let the prince and Ser Arthur in and left, closing the door. Jon stood up from his desk and hugged the prince. "How are you, my prince?"

"I'm good. You know why I'm here today?" William asked and Jon nodded.

"Yes, I received your message earlier. Well, let's have a look." Jon said as William handed him all the papers he had. Jon looked over the schematics and was impressed by the designs, not that he knew anything about farming or building but they looked impressive. Attached were potential monetary notes about how much they would cost and written notes from the smiths and masons who were going to work on the projects.

The idea was that farmers who could pay for the tools and machines would send it to Prince William or Cedric and that would commission the tools. Deals could also be arranged where farmers who couldn't afford it would pay back in profits made from their crops by moon or year, depending on the circumstances or in produce harvested. Lords and other people who wanted to buy the tools could set up payment plans or just pay the fees and the taxes to the Prince. It seemed well thought out. Jon could help the smile that graced his face. William was already becoming a smart man and a good future ruler by thinking of the people he would be ruling over.

"Everything seems to be in order, my prince. The plans look good, and the ideas are well thought out. Cedric did his work." Jon praised and William couldn't help but smile in response. "And I'm glad you came to me about this but the Master of Coin deals with any monetary issues."

"That's true but this isn't a royal expense, it's my own." William countered.

"All right. Well, the royal treasury still has coin that can accommodate the building of your tools for the test trial. And should it succeed, then I'll send out ravens to lords all over about your tools. Well done, my prince." Jon said with a smile.

After the meeting with Jon Arryn, he gave them the coin they needed for the tools and William asked Rydan to test them out and if they worked, he could keep them. Rydan agreed and in 5 days the new equipment was ready. Rydan and his men tested it and the new plough and tools made it easier to dig up the fields. He was finally able to plow the fields that he couldn't before because of the rocks and terrain. The new tools enabled him and his men to work just as hard with less stress and more gain.

Rydan wanted to pay back the Prince, but all William wanted was the first chance to buy the new crops when they were ready, something Rydan was more than happy to oblige him with. Despite that, he had another gift in mind for the prince. William told Jon Arryn about the success so he sent out ravens to the neighboring lords and towns about Prince William's new tools and they began getting replies about the costs and orders.

Word began to spread about Prince William's business endeavors and it impressed people. A young boy of nearly 6 who began to make a name for himself and a bit of profit as well. Tywin Lannister was impressed as was Olena Tyrell and when Ned Stark heard of his nephew's exploits, he knew Lyanna would be proud and he would have a surprise when he visited his nephew for his name day celebration.

Line Break xxxxx

King's Landing was busy with news and celebration as it was the week that Prince William Baratheon was celebrating his name day celebration and would be turning 6. Lords from all over the 7 Kingdoms would come for the festivities and knights and squires for the tourney that King Robert was throwing for his son. Some of the lords had arrived early in the week to ingratiate themselves to the King and his son to earn favor. Tywin Lannister came, of course, as well as Lord Hoster Tully and other lords from the Riverlands. Lords from the Vale as well as Lords from the Reach and Ned Stark and his family were coming for his nephew.

Speaking of the Prince, he was in the training courtyard with his father, Ser Arthur, and Ser Barristan. William was training with his daggers once again. He was 10 yards from his target and threw his daggers, hoping to hit the center. The target was already riddled with eight daggers so his ninth landed within the area of the middle ring. Same with the tenth. They were getting closer to the center.

William sighed as he walked up and grabbed the knives and daggers off the target and returned to his spot. "Don't rush it, my prince. Throwing knives and archery requires time and skill. You're still young." Ser Barristan told him.

"Don't worry, William. Soon you'll be wielding a Warhammer and cracking skulls." Robert boasted as he sipped a cup of wine. Seeing the smile his son gave him made Robert feel a sense of pride that he was sure any father would want to feel. There he watched his son try again with his dagger, doing his absolute best to hit the center of the target and was content. Granted he'd be even happier if it was a sword or a Warhammer, but a dagger will do for now. Robert then looked at Ser Barristan and motioned him closer. "Did we manage to track down the gift for William?"

"Yes, your grace. It's with Master Mott. He's just adjusting the grips for the Prince." Ser Barristan replied as William threw another knife and hit it close to the center. He threw another one and hit near the center again but wasn't getting closer.

"Any advice, father?" William asked, causing Robert to chuckle as he took a sip of wine and stood up. He walked over to William and held one of the daggers which was miniscule in his hands but perfect for his son.

"Well, I never was one for daggers. I always preferred my hammer or a long sword. But Jon taught me everything he knew, and he knew a lot about fighting. Do you know the first lesson he taught me?"

"No, father."

"He told me that a great warrior's most valued attribute is his instincts. Do you know what that is?" Robert asked and William shook his head no. Robert smiled, kneeling down to his son's height. "Your instincts tell you what to do and what not to do. Your instincts drive your body in ways your mind may be too slow to act. It's my instincts that I follow in battle. And my instincts that I followed when I first met your mother. Trust your instincts."

William nodded in response as Robert kissed his head and stood up. William looked at the daggers, then at the target and relaxed. He held one dagger in each hand and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm down his rapid beating heart. He then opened his eyes and loosened up the grip on the daggers, so he wasn't holding them too tight. He threw the dagger and this time hit the target dead center.

Everyone was shocked and William was beyond happy. "YES!!!" William grabbed his father in a fierce bear hug. He got back to work, and his aim now landed his daggers into the center ring of the target. Robert, Ser Barristan, and Ser Arthur smiled as they saw William continued with his training.

"That's it, William. Keep on practicing and you'll be deadly and feared by the time you pick up a real weapon!" Robert boasted. The men smiled as they saw William practice when Jon Arryn walked in.

"Your grace, my prince. The guests have arrived for the feast. I believe it's time to get ready. You've kept most of them away while you've been here so I think it's time for you to get ready." Jon said only to see Robert drink more wine.

"Ah, come on, Jon. William just struck his first bullseye, so drink with me. Share in our celebration!" Robert told him and Jon chuckled in amusement.

"And I'm glad but it's time for the dinner. Lords have come for days for the tournament tomorrow and tonight marks the start of the celebration." Jon reminded him. Robert regrettably nodded and finished his wine.

"Aye, all right. Let's go, William. Time to get ready." Robert told him and they left to get ready.

Ser Arthur escorted William to his chamber where a maid had set out some of his fanciest clothes since it was his name day celebration dinner starting tonight. It consisted of a nice tunic, long pants, and boots combination that his father wore every day but of a better quality and fabric, so it appeared shiny and clean. He wore a black tunic with dark gold pants and boots. His top half had streaks of dark blue with the crest of House Stark stitched on the chest. The crest of House Baratheon was stitched on the small flaps at the bottom. 

The maids helped him adjust his clothing and made sure it looked clean and smooth with no wrinkles. One of the maids walked over to his dresser and pulled out the box that held the finishing touch. She opened it and pulled out a Winter Rose, the same Winter Rose that William received from his mother before she died. Ser Arthur had the flower pressed to preserve it so William would always have it. The maid took a pin and pinned it to his chest and straightened it.

William smiled and thanked them as Ser Arthur walked in, dressed in his best clothes with his great sword, Dawn, still on his waist. "Ready, my prince?" Arthur asked and William nodded, and they walked out with Shadow next to his master.

Ser Arthur escorted William to the dining hall where the banquet was set up. Jon Arryn had taken charge of preparing the banquet and ball and it was set up in the large dining hall of the Red Keep that could easily house all the visiting guests. They walked through the two large double doors as servants and Stormland soldiers greeted and wished Prince William a happy name day. Jon had tasked the servants to make the name day celebration special, so the finest silks and tapestries were set up around the hall to decorate it in the sigils of the Crown Stag of House Baratheon and Direwolf of House Stark. Tables of food ranging from pigeon pie, roast boar, venison, lamb, ham and potatoes, grilled vegetables, breads, and a line of sweets filled the room with a delectable aroma that would make anyone's stomach growl.

There were some performers entertaining guests while musicians filled the hall with elegant music as noble lords engaged one another with conversation, dressed in their finest robes and silks trying to show their own elegance and power. Renly was talking to other young boys of the court; Stannis was with his wife and Ser Davos while Robert was talking with Ned when he saw his son enter. Robert rushed over and picked up his son with a hearty laugh as all the lords and ladies looked at them.

"Lords and Ladies, today marks a momentous day for it is my son's name day! Let us rejoice and feast to mark this special day!!!" Robert shouted. The men cheered and the ladies clapped in applause. Robert put his son on his shoulders and carried him in as the lords reached out and shook his small hands. The band began to play lively, celebratory music just as Robert brought William over to Ned. William jumped down and ran into his uncle with a hug, plowing into his stomach.

"Uncle Ned!!" Ned laughed, hugging his nephew and was beyond happy to see him again. "It's good to see you. I haven't seen you in so long."

"Aye, I know. But I'm needed up North and your place is down here. But don't worry, I wouldn't have missed this day for anything." Ned told him. William then hugged his aunt, Catelyn Stark.

"Hello, Aunt Catelyn." William said with a smile and Catelyn hugged him back.

"My prince, happy name day." Catelyn gingerly hugged him because she had a small infant in her arms.

"Is this my cousin?" William asked and she nodded.

"This is Sansa." Catelyn introduced the two. The small child had a faint tuft of red hair and she likely had no idea what was going on but when she saw her cousin she giggled.

"Where's Robb?" William asked and Ned pointed to Ser Rodrick and the three-year-old boy by his side, so William rushed over to play with his cousin.

"Gods, that boy's grown since I last saw him." Ned admitted. Robert nodded in agreement as he sipped some wine.

"Aye, he's sprouting like a tree and he's smart too, smarter than me when I was his age." Robert admitted.

"I think he's smarter than you now." Ned quipped and Robert couldn't help but laugh.

"Probably and he's on his way to becoming a great warrior at his rate. You should have seen him training today. He hit his bullseye with a dagger. Ha, even at his age I wasn't that good." Robert said and Ned smiled.

"Daggers?"

"Aye, and Dayne tells me he spends his time running through the gardens or the woods like that damn wolf on your banner. Ha, he's just like Lyanna." Robert knew that if Lyanna were here she would be proud of her son. Gods, did he miss her. "Come, Ned! Let's get drunk like the old days!"

William talked and played with his cousin but also talked to Lords and Ladies who wished him a happy name day. He also met their young daughters who they introduced to him, hoping to begin introductions of a bond that would bloom later in life not that the children knew what was going on. They were still too young but they didn't seem to mind. There weren't other kids his age in the Red Keep all the time, so this was a rare chance to play with kids and not old people.

After about an hour of eating and drinking, Jon Arryn got everyone's attention in the hall because he wanted to give the Prince his gift. The Lords and Ladies sent their servants to get their gifts ready as Jon Arryn had his squire Hugh bring over a leather bound book and something covered in a tarp.

"My prince, I felt that considering your recent business ventures, that this would make an excellent gift." Jon Arryn motioned Hugh to place the book next to William. The prince looked them over and saw that they had the signature of the Iron Bank of Braavos. "I contacted the lron Bank and an account has been set up in your name to hold your gold and income from your business venture. And since it's with the Iron Bank and I've negotiated a deal, it will continue to grow so long as it remains there. You've shown great promise and I know this will greatly benefit you in your future endeavors."

William smiled and hugged Jon as Jon hugged back. "Thank you, Uncle Jon. This is an excellent gift."

"No thanks necessary, my prince. And speaking of your recent business ventures, your friend Rydan and his friends sent over a gift for your name day." Jon said, removing the tarp to reveal an intricately carved wooden piece of a Direwolf and Stag running through a forest. It was like a painting on a wooden plank and had expertly carved trees and foliage that looked real and were painted, clearly showing off a great deal of time and effort into its creation. The Direwolf looked fierce yet graceful and was painted dark blue while the Stag was proud and powerful. William loved it and imagined it was Shadow running through the forest much like the wolf.

"It's amazing. I'll have to thank them in person for this." William said as a servant came by and took the gift away.

Next came the gifts from the Lords of the Vale which included fine made battle axes and weapons for William to use when he gets older. One of the lords heard of Williams keen mind and gave him a book about the history of the Vale which William appreciated. A messenger sent from Prince Doran and Prince Oberyn of Dorne gave William a book on poisons and medicine and an iron snake statue. A possible threat or just a nice gesture, it was hard to tell. Mace Tyrell gave him a beautiful golden goblet studded with gems and other lords from the Reach gave him small assortments of gems, beautiful paintings, ornamental weapons, and some even gave him books from the Citadel.

Tywin Lannister was next as he had some servants bring over a small, solid gold Direwolf statue. "The finest gold mined from the Westerlands, designed after the House Sigil of your late mother, my Prince." Tywin said and William smiled at the statue.

"Thank you for the gift, Lord Tywin." William stood up straight and firmly shook hands with the lord of the Westerlands. The servants escorted the gift to William's chambers as Tyrion came up and placed a book down on the table.

"I've heard from my brother that you're quite the reader so I thought about getting you something that would be good to read. The Lives of Four King's. Grand Maester Kaeth's history of the reigns of Daeron the Young Dragon, Baelor the Blessed, Aegon the Unworthy, and Daeron the Good. A book every King should read." Tyrion said. William smiled as he looked at the book. It was one of the books he has wanted to read for a long time but could never find it in the Red Keep's library and it was rumored to have been only one copy left.

"I've been wanting to read this for a long time. Thank you, Lord Tyrion. Thank you very much." William shook Tyrion's hand and the little lord smiled back.

"Your welcome, your grace." Tyrion stepped aside so the servants could take the book away for safe keeping.

Ned then came over with Ser Rodrick who was holding a beautifully made coat with a wolf pelt. "Now, I realize it may be too hot down here in the capital, but a Stark isn't a Stark without a coat of Wolf's fur. And should you ever visit us in the North, then you'll fit right in." Ned told him, putting it on his nephew. It was still too big, but the fur felt comfortable. "Lyanna would be so proud to see the boy you've become. Never forget her, William."

"I won't, Uncle. Thank you." William hugged his uncle and Ned hugged him back. One of the servants took the coat to William's chambers and Robert stood up, still somewhat sober and able to speak clearly.

"William…son, come here." Robert looked him up and down in pride. "You've made me proud to be a father. You're smart, strong, brave, and will be a great King when you're old enough. Any father would be proud to have you as their son, and my pride knows no bounds. Soon, you will no longer be a boy and you will need to act like a man. So, I have a gift for you to use when you're ready."

Ser Barristan walked up with an item covered in a tarp and removed it causing William to let out a gasp of surprise and excitement. They were two daggers, beautifully made and intricate. One of them was a stiletto-style dagger while the other was curved. The curved dagger had a 5-inch handle made of dragon bone decorated in gold with a large ruby in the hand guard. The 7-inch blade had a straight back side while the front was curved. The stiletto had a 5-inch handle and a small cross guard. The handle was made of a smoothed wood and steel combination with a dark blue and black leather grip. The 7-inch blade was sharp and thin, most suited to stabbing than slashing as its length would allow it to penetrate deep. Both of the metal in the daggers had an intricate pattern weaved indicating that both were made of Valyrian steel meaning they were as rare as they were deadly.

"Be careful with these, my prince. These are not toys or training daggers, these are real and can hurt you." Ser Arthur warned him. William took the dragon bone dagger and removed the sheath, marveling at the blade.

"That's Valyrian steel, William. The sharpest metal there is and the strongest. It's sturdy but light. You read about it, right?" Robert asked as William nodded.

"It's said to be magical. Ever since the Doom of Valyria, there isn't any more Valyrian steel left. Where did you get them?"

"The straight dagger I had Barristan track down. It was in a sorry shape so we had it re-forge it for you by a master smith in Volantis. The bone dagger Dayne managed to track down." Robert said as William looked at his sworn shield.

"It's a tradition in my house that when a lad is ready, he be given a dagger. I managed to find one."

"Thank you, Father. It's the best gift ever." William hugged his father with all his strength and Robert smiled, hugging back. Will then hugged Ser Barristan and then Ser Arthur. "Thank you, Ser Arthur."

"It was my pleasure, my prince." Arthur replied. William took both daggers and strapped them around his waist.

Cersei glared at the boy as she coddled Joffrey in her arms. Daggers that precious and rare should belong to her son and not that wolf boy. Robert then stood up and picked up another goblet of wine. "All right, let's get back to the feast!!!" Robert shouted as he drank the wine in one go and everyone got back to eating and drinking.