A/N: I own nothing except my OCs. A Song of Ice and Fire is owned by George R.R Martin.
Reviews:
WolfishBear: That`s true, I`ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the suggestion.
Shrednector15: Thanks for the suggestion and praise, it means a lot.
GuardianAngelX: I understand, I should have tried to build up to it better.
- 271 AC, The Stormlands-
Artys rode beside Elbert, following Robert through his homeland. The young lord had been called back to Storm`s End, the seat of House Baratheon. Jon had been asked to come as well, but he was too busy, so Artys and Elbert were sent in his place. The large amount of forest these lands had astounded Elbert, while Artys felt uneasy, like they were going to be attacked at any moment. Robert told them not to worry, but he still felt nervous.
"Are you keeping up back there?" Robert asked.
"Mostly" Elbert replied. "How much further is there?" he asked.
"Not much, we should be seeing Storm`s End soon" Robert replied. Artys glared slightly at the young heir. The incident at the Gates of the Moon had changed the feelings the two boys shared for one another. True to Robert`s word, they soon saw the central tower of the seat of House Baratheon, Storm`s End. The castle was large and imposing, as the legends has suggested. It had been built to withstand even the strongest of storms, according to legend. It was quite different form the Eyrie, Artys` home. The Arryn boys couldn`t help but stare at it an awe.
"Welcome back, milord" a guard said as he approched Robert. After he dismounted his horse, the guard led it to the nearest stable. Two other men did the same to Artys and Elbert`s. The doors to the castle were opened, letting the three boys inside. They were greeted by a tall man with dark hair. Despite his large frame and imposing appearance, he smiled warmly at his three guests. He was Steffon Baratheon, Robert`s father and Lord of Storm`s End.
"Welcome to Storm`s End" he greeted. "I presume you are Lord Jon`s kin?"
"Aye, I am Artys Arryn, son of Lord Jon Arryn, and this my cousin, Elbert Arryn" Artys replied.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Baratheon" Elbert bowed, with Artys doing the same.
"Very well, a meal has been prepared for all of you. Please follow me" Steffon said, leading the three boys towards the dining hall. As they entered, Elbert`s mood soured a little upon seeing the modest meal that had been prepared. Having grown accustomed to the ecstravagant meals of the Vale, the simple soup, pototoes and salad left him, and his cousin, feeling unsatisfied. Neither of them said so oloud however. They wanted to leave a good impression on Lord Baratheon after all. After Steffon had excused himself, the thre boys sat down to eat.
"Hm, not bad" Artys thought aloud. Elbert and Robert ate in silence, most likely due to exhaustion from traveling. The silence was soon interupted by the arrival by two boys, both having similar dark hair to that of Robert. The boy on the right looked a bit older than the other.
"I should have known you would be here" the older boy spoke.
"Are they your brothers?" Elbert asked.
"...Aye" Robert replied, after wolfing down some soup.
"I am Stannis Baratheon, this my younger brother Renly " the older boy said.
"My name is Elbert Arryn, this is Artys, my cousin" Elbert smiled. Stannis nodded towards the two guests.
"What do you want?" Robert asked.
"We just want to see our brother and his friends" Renly replied. "After all, we rarely get visitors."
"After we have finished eating, could you lead us to your father`s chambers?" Artys asked. "We have come on behalf of my father on his request" he added.
"Fine by me" Stannis shrugged. "By the way, are you taking part in the tourney?" he asked.
"...No" Artys replied, rather confused. The Baratheon brothers left the dining hall, letting the three boys enjoy their meal. Glancing at Elbert sligtly confused, Artys opted to continue eating, rahter than asking questions.
As they had agreed, after they had finished eating, Stannis lead them through the halls of Storm`s End. The pale grey stones that made up the castle gave it a much more dour feeling than the Eyrie whit its white stones. Despite this, Artys found the experience exciting, in its own way. This was his first time outside the Vale, in a whole new region of the Seven Kingdoms. Suddenly, they stopped in a massive hall. On a small throne in the middle of the hall, Lord Steffon Baratheon sat, looking as regal as a King.
"M-My lord" Elbert nervously said, kneeling before the Lord of the Stormlands.
"At ease, Elbert" Steffon chuckled. Sligthly embaresed, Elbert stood back up. "I assume Lord Arryn told you what we are to discuss?" Steffon asked.
"Aye" Artys nodded. "...Robert has not caused any problems since being punished" he added after a pause.
"Good" Steffon said. "Now that he is a man grown, he is repsonsible for both himself and his House."
"I`ve heard many ladies gossip about Robert`s handsome looks" Elbert said.
"Have they now?" Steffon chuckled.
"The master at arms is pleased with his skill in weapons" Artys added.
"I see" Steffon mused, running his hand through his beard. He studied the boys` behaviour, noting the difference in how they acted. "What do the Vale lords think of him?" he asked.
"They seem to like him" Artys said.
"That should be all" Elbert said. Before the stormlord could respond, a servant entered the hall urgently.
"Lord Baratheon, there appears to be a dispute near Griffon`s Roost" he said.
"Very well, tell the knights we will depart shortly" Steffon spoke.
"Yes, milord" the servant bowed, taking their leave. The Arryn cousins shared a concerned look.
"Is something wrong?" Artys asked.
"Nothing to worry about, just a minor squabble" Steffon replied without a hint of concern. "You boys stay here" he said.
"Aye!" Artys and Elbert nodded. Giving them one final smile, he moved to tell his sons where he was headed.
Having nothing else to do, Artys moved towards the courtyard. The servants he passed gave him weird looks, not being used to seeing someone with his features. One maid even asked to touch his blonde hair, leaving him taken aback and his cousin giggling. Once he arrived at the courtyard, he was surprised by the size.
"Artys!" he heard a familiar voice bellow out. Robert had already arrived, he seemed to be sparring with Stannis, who was armed with a wooden sword.
"Robert" Artys responded with a curt nod.
"Want to join us?" Robert asked.
"No, I would rather not interrupt" Artys replied.
"In that case, I`m leaving" Robert said. Before Artys could speak another word, Robert had already taken his leave.
"Aren`t you going to stop him?" Artys asked.
"Once he has decided on something, there`s no convincing him" Stannis replied blunty.
"True enough" Artys mumbled. "I have heard from the servants that Lord Steffon had another child recently" he said.
"Aye, a son" Stannis replied, putting away his wooden sword.
"Congratulations" Artys smiled. "Does Robert know?" he asked.
"Probably" Stannis shrugged. "I hear you have a sibling yourself" he stated.
"I do, an elder sister named Alyssa" Artys replied.
"What is she like?" Stannis replied.
"She is kind, cares about others, and does not let anyone walk over her" Artys replied, a smile forming on his face. "That said, she can also be overbearing" he added with a sigh.
"Sounds like an interesting woman" Stannis said, almost cracking a smile.
"She is, you should meet her" Artys said.
"Perhaps I will someday" Stannis said. "You need anything else?" he asked.
"One final question" Artys replied. "When is that tourney taking place?" he asked.
"Tomorrow" Stannis replied, though the young blonde caugh a slight sigh. "Is that all?" he asked.
"That is all, sorry to keep you" Artys apologized. With a curt nod, Stannis left the courtyard. As the blonde Vale heir turned to leave, he mused on a single thought.
`For being brothers, they seem like almost opposites´ he pondered, as he continued wandering the halls of Storm`s End.
A/N: That took MUCH longer than I expected. Sorry, a lot of things just happened all at once. Changed schools, losing access to word, school trips and vacations. Thankfully, things are nowhere near as hectic this year and they shouldn`t be for next year either. I will try my best to update more frequently from now on, but I make no promises. As always, thank you so much for reviewing, favoriting and following. Critisisim is always welcomed, I have plenty of room to improve.
Now that Game of Thrones has ended, I have two quetstions for all of you. First, what was your least favourite episode of the show? Second, which prequel series are you the most interested in seeing be made? Happy hollidays, merry christmas and happy new year. See you all in 2020.