章 52: Oaths and Vows
After entering, Edric exchanged formalities before ascending to the Iron Throne and holding court. Given the number of visitors, there were many highborn seeking an audience with him. Holding court would be a way to handle all of their matters in one session rather than being disturbed later.
First up was Harrold Arryn, who stopped several steps before the bottom of the Iron Throne.
"It is a great honour to be in your presence once more, Your Grace." He bent his knee and lowered his head rather solemnly. "Since it was you who raised me to the position of Lord Paramount, chosen me a worthy bride and rid the Vale of the villainous Mountain Clans, I wished to honour you by funding a great tourney and marrying within the capital before you. I am aware that I had not sought your permission before moving, but..."
"Do not fret over it, Lord Harrold." Edric raised his hand, smiling slightly. "I approved of it the moment I received your letter."
"I am pleased to hear that, Your Grace." Harrold smiled, raising his head to look up. "There is something that I wish to announce as well..."
"Go ahead." Edric placed his head on his arm, observing with curiosity. "You may rise to do so."
He nodded, standing up and turning to face the court.
"I wish to proclaim, before the eyes of all the lords of the Realm and our great King, that I, Lord Harrold Arryn, the Lord of the Vale and Warden of the East, am His most fervent bannerman! Should there be any threat to His Grace's reign in the future, the Vale shall be the first to rally to his cause with every sword, bow, spear, mace and horse at the ready! I shall serve His Grace with wholehearted loyalty... as Jon Arryn had served Robert Baratheon... until my very last breath."
Renly chuckled, leaning to the side against a wall. He found his claim to be the most fervent supporter amusing. Stannis Baratheon looked on with the same stern expression, thinking a similar thing as Renly did. Meanwhile, Edric kept his smile.
"I appreciate your passionate oath of loyalty, Lord Harrold." Edric nodded. "It is reassuring to know that the Vale stands so firmly behind me."
Harrold turned back to Edric, bowing.
"It is the least I could do to wash away the terrible stain Lysa Arryn left on the Vale's name."
"You will accomplish that sooner rather than later, I am sure. Is there anything else?"
"Only the finer details of the great tournament... but I should like to discuss that with you privately."
"Very well." Edric nodded. "I shall see you after this hearing."
Not soon after, Lyn Corbray would step up.
"As I am a second son and stand to inherit no lands, I wish to enter your direct service as a knight, Your Grace." Lyn Corbary knelt before the Iron Throne. "If you would have me, of course..."
"You are a distinguished warrior, Ser." Edric nodded, discreetly eyeing his valyrian steel sword, Lady Forlorn. "I would gladly have you."
"I am honoured."
After several other matters related to the Vale Lords and knights, most of which had been gifts and praises - Brynden Tully stepped up. Edric was curious as to what he had to say.
"It is well known that you executed my niece for her acts of treason, and I wish to say that I hold no grudges for the act. You gave her a chance to surrender, and she remained stubborn till the bitter end." Brynden Tully stated, raising his head to look up at Edric. "To make amends for her foolishness and restore House Tully's honour, I wish to offer you my service."
"You are a seasoned veteran of dozens of battles who served my father and Jon Arryn splendidly for many years; I would be more than honoured to have you." Edric nodded. 'Loras, Lyn and Blackfish... am I unintentionally building the Westerosi homosexual superteam?'
More knights from across the Realm would pledge themselves directly in service to Edric, seeking glory and honour. Edric accepted them all like free loot. He had no reason to turn away skilled men who offered to work for free. Though... some of them were a bit more ambiguous than others skill-wise. Not all knights were exactly warriors - some had merely been granted the honour because of their name and bloodline, such as the sons of highborn lords.
All it took for one to become a knight was for another to knight them, after all.
Even so... Edric saw potential.
His court session would last the entire day as he entertained his guests and settled any disputes. Once night came, he would finally descend from the Iron Throne and stretch his legs. Most of his body ached from sitting on the least comfortable seat in all of the Seven Kingdoms for hours on end. His social battery was also completely drained by speaking to well over a hundred people and pretending to look interested in their matters.
A battle was far more fun and less tiring for him... but Edric had pushed through it all while maintaining a cheerful mood on the outside.
"You did well," Renly remarked with a smile. "Robert would've fallen asleep listening to all of the bickering of highborn."
"I was close to doing so myself." Edric chuckled, shaking his head. "Alas, I've freed myself up for a good while."
"Hm..." Renly nodded. "I heard about your little entanglement, Edric... and so did Stannis. He keeps hanging it over my head as if I had any hand in it."
"What do you think of it?" Edric questioned.
"You did what your heart told you to," Renly shrugged. I see no fault in it... except that the girl you bedded was Margaery. I am sure you know it is a matter of greater importance. Now would be a better time than ever to wed her-"
"-Because she threw herself onto my drunken self?" Edric added, raising an eyebrow. "If anything, I am exceedingly lenient on them. Throwing Arya aside and marrying Margaery instead because of her little scheme... uncle, do you take me for a fool?"
"... Of course not, Your Grace. I was only informed that it was a night of passion and love." Renly tilted his head slightly. "It would seem that my information might have been flawed..."
"While I might consider her a friend, she is no lover of mine." Edric replied, shaking his head. "I've already said so once and my mind remains unchanged; when Arya is a woman grown, I will wed her, and she will be the queen. After that, I might consider Margaery's position if she remains unwed."
Renly raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"It depends on what the future holds... regardless, I will hear no more of my marriage prospects. Is there anything else you wish to speak of?"
"No, Your Grace, I won't take more of your time today. You should take this time to rest instead." Renly smiled slightly, nodding. "I know you must be tired from your journey."
"I'll take your advice, uncle."
...
Edric called for Varys in his study room, still intrigued by the group he encountered earlier.
"Please, sit."
"How might I serve you, Your Grace?" Varys questioned.
"Might you know of the group that wears a banner with a silver dragon on a sky-blue field? I met them in King's Landing earlier and am curious of their origin."
"If I am not mistaken, that would be the merchant Princess Rhaerra Aeraellis and her retainers."
"Rhaerra Aeraellis... can you tell me more about this person?" Edric asked 'That name is quite the mouthful.'
"Certainly, Your Grace." Varys nodded. "She is famed for her seemingly countless talents, including painting, learning, architecture, crafting, singing, acting, sailing, and managing finances, among other things. Her skill as an archer is also well-noted for a woman, and few people are as passionate about creative arts as she is. As far as I know, she is fluent in over a dozen languages."
'...'
"Due to her vast talents, ambition and diligence, she has accumulated an enormous treasury, formed a bank and commands a fleet of two dozen merchant ships."
"..." Edric paused, blinking silently as he let all of that sink in. 'What can't this woman do? I reckon that list would be shorter.'
"I imagine you would also be amused to know that she is Dorian Daggerhand's daughter."
"... His daughter?" Edric blinked once more, beginning to speculate her true purpose. 'That rogue... is this one of his so-called 'gifts'?'
"In all but blood," Varys explained. "From what I know, he has been unable to sire any children despite his frequent entanglements with various women. That is why, thirteen-odd years ago, he chose to buy Rhaerra and raise her as his own."
"I'd think that he would be the type of man to prefer a son to inherit his legacy." Edric stroked his chin.
"Mayhaps that is true, but Rhaerra was no ordinary girl. She was bred from many generations of slaves by masters who sought certain traits. They bred beauty with beauty, beauty with strength, beauty with intellect, and it goes on. Rhaerra... she is what you might call the 'perfect' culmination of hundreds of years of such practices."
"... I see." Edric nodded. "What of Dorian himself? What is his origin?"
"He was a bastard born of passion and sold to a slaver at the age of eight. From there, he-"
"Who were his parents?" Edric questioned, raising an eyebrow. He had already heard the slave story and many others from Dorian himself - but very little of his parents.
"His father was little more than a commoner, a sailor of great charm and not much more. As for his mother... she was a disgraced noble."
"Hmm..." Edric took note that he did not say any names. It looked like Varys wouldn't budge on the matter. Though, Edric had his suspicions already.
"He does not hold his bloodline in high regard, and it only led him to slavery, so it matters little. All that he is today was made from his own efforts."
"You would be right." Edric rose from his seat. "Thank you for your time, Lord Varys."
"Any time." Varys lowered his head slightly. "Your Grace."
~
[Jaime's POV]
While the initial days in Castle Black were not too kind to Jaime Lannister, he began to accustom himself to the brothers of the Night's Watch. He became less prideful and mocking towards the men around him, even if they mocked him. Each time he felt the need to rectify their mockery, he had thought of his father's words;
'A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinion of sheep'.
Though a majority of the Night's Watch disliked him, Jaime had befriended a group of men and gained some support. His 'training' went exceptionally well as he showed why he was held in high regard as a swordsman and showed potential in terms of being a ranger.
He even found himself enjoying the constant physical activities, which allowed his mind to focus on what was in front of him rather than his misery.
Soon enough, he had been assigned to the rangers and was only one step away from becoming a man of the Night's Watch... his vows.
...
As Jaime was no believer of the Old Gods, he did not have to say his vows before a weirwood tree and chose to do so in Castle Black's sole sept instead. It was a small building, crowded with men. Most of the men gathered around, wishing to see the sight of the famed Jaime Lannister becoming a man of the Night's Watch. A lot of them even waited outside.
"Well, Kingslayer?" Bowen Marsh questioned. "We do not have all day to be standing around... or did you forget the words?"
I know the damn words, Jaime thought.
He took a deep breath, thinking of all that led to this point.
Had there been a point where he could have been someone else? Was it when he stabbed Aerys in the back? Embraced his sister? Was there ever a time when he could have been like a Ser Arthur Dayne? The more he thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed.
He silently cursed himself, kneeling down before the Gods.
So... this is my fate.
"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children."
As Jaime began saying his vows, a few laughs came from the men watching him. He kept going.
"I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch..."
He paused, closing his eyes briefly.
"... for this night and all the nights to come."
And so, he rose as a man of the Night's Watch... taking his black cape and wearing it as he once wore his white one.
~
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