Summerhall:
Raehlla was sitting with a book in her hands in the shade of an old apple tree when you came riding towards her, the blue cloak which embroiled the sigil of your house. Something you found rather tacked on. Everyone in Summerhall knew who you were, and making yourself a target made you nervous.
"You know, a fair maid alone can sometimes invite the most unchivalrous of intentions, especially as night begins to fall." You said jokingly as you stepped off your horse and strode towards her. "Perhaps the company of a friend my dissuade such intentions."
Raehlla laughed as she closed her book as she saw you walk towards her. "Or perhaps it is he who has such ill intentions, and this fair maid should call for her knight to rescue her."
Stepping out from behind the tree was Ser Gerold Hightower, and the grin on his face said it all. "Arstan." He said quietly.
"Oh shite." You whispered.
"You know what his Grace has said about the two of you… fornicating." He said, the grin still on his face. "The wedding is only a few months away, and than we both don't have to worry about how the King will react to both of you being together."
"We do not fornicate or any other such insinuations." You stated.
"Than why did we find you both cuddling?" Gerold asked.
"It was cold, you know how winter is." Raehlla replied.
"And the kissing, and the touching." He asked again.
You grinned. "She had an itch that needs scratching." that earned a blush from Raehlla.
That earned you a tap on the head with Gerolds armored hand. "Ow!" You yelped, jumping back. "Fuck!"
"You are very impatient, you know." Gerold stated.
"Well, after waiting for a year, it's a little hard." you stated.
That earned a laugh from the White Bull. "Oh to be young and stupid and mad again. Back when I was your age, all the girls used to make me feel strange, but you know what I did?" He asked.
Oh bloody hells, not this story again. "What did you do?" You asked, knowing that Gerold would never stop pestering you if you didn't ask.
"I decided to focus on my swordsmanship." That earned a laugh from Raehlla, who was not turning bright scarlet in the evening sun. You also grew scarlet from embarrassment.
The knight knew exactly what he was insinuating, and you knew he just embarrassing you. "It's not like I can practice on just anyone." The laughter continued.
It was than you noticed the sun's light dim more than it would at this time of the evening. And then you looked up and saw the black smoke.
Ser Gerold stopped laughing as well, and saw the smoke rise from summerhall.
"Oh gods." you whispered, before immediately springing to action. "Ser Gerold, get Raehlla to safety!"
Ser Gerold was not used to you barking orders, in fact he loathed it, but he knew that something was happening, and he and you were assuming the worst. He needed no answer as to where you were going.
You mounted your horse and rode towards the smoke rising over the walls.
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The fire had engulfed much of the main keep as you crossed the threshold of the palace gates. The entire courtyard seemed to be ablaze.
Much of the palace inhabitants were armed with buckets, trying valiantly to fight off the blaze.
"Wheres the king?!" you shouted, your voice carrying far into the panicked mob of people.
Your only answer was an old man pointing a finger towards the blaze that was engulfing the keep.
You know that Joanna and Aerys were in there with the King.
By the gods. You ripped your cloak off of your back and soaked it into the water of a nearby bucket. Placing it over your mouth and taking a few steady breaths, you ran into the flames.
The flames and the air was hot and was filled with smoke. Your eyes watered and burned as they squinted to see. The flames felt hotter than anything you ever felt before, and being so close to them made you feel like you were about to catch on fire as well.
The cloak did well to at least keep your throat clear of much of the smoke, even though you coughed greatly as you moved through the blaze, struggling to breath.
"Aerys! Joanna! Duncan!" You shouted the names of your childhood companions, and the man who taught you the blade as a child, before coughing a storm.
Moving through the blaze a chore, a dangerous chore where one mistake could be your end, but you somehow moved through it, towards your chambers, the chambers of Joanna and Aerys.
At the door, was Ser Duncan the Tall, carrying someone on his shoulders. "Arstan." His voice was low and hoarse, as if he inhaled a lot of smoke. "Help me get the door."
You noticed that person was Aerys, the prince looking singed and his hair burnt. His face was bloodied and burned, as if something or someone exploded into a ball of blood, gore and mixed it with wildfire. The other man holding Duncan's hand was a very burnt but very much alive Archmaester Gyldayn.
Behind the door, you hear muffled screams. "Help!"
"Bloody hells boy, open the damned door!" Gyldan shouted, ignoring that he was breathing in smoke and looked very close to passing out. "Lady Lannister is hurt!"
You did so pushing the door open to see Joanna on the ground, holding her pregnant abdomen. She was low to the ground, as low as she could possibly get.
On the ground below her, was a very large pool of water. Her water had broken.
"Joanna!" You said her name with worry as you crouched to her height, placing the wet cloak over her mouth. "Come on, get up, we have to go."
Joanna however, could not move. She screamed in terror and pain. "Duncan help me!" You shouted to the tall man.
Duncan did. "Carry him!" He ordered, as he shoved the unconscious prince into your arms, and scooped up Joanna into his arms. "Lady Joanna, breath through Arstan's cloak and try not scream." He ordered.
Joanna was to much in pain but the Archmaester placed the cloak over her mouth and pressed it against her. "The smoke inhalation must have caused her to go into labor." the archmaester said with a labored breath.
You dragged your friend across the halls leading the group towards the exit that you came through.
"What happened?" You asked as the smoke seemed to clear behind you. "What in the seven hells happened."
No one answered. But the smoke seemed to move on it's own, not going outward, but going inward, towards the doorway above you. Ser Duncan was still moving towards it when the stones gave way.
The structure collapsed, and you could only watch as you thought your friend and one of your mentors would die.
But Joanna was thrown forward, landing just beyond the falling stone.
And Ser Duncan the tall, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Knight of the Seven kingdoms was holding up seemingly the entire structure by himself.
He looked at you, the Archmaester and the unconscious prince, along to the pregnant Lady Lannister, and gave a small smile. His smile said everything that needed to be said.
Goodbye.
The Archmaester, still moving sluggishly and slow, dragged Joanna away from the knight, towards you and the outside world.
He was still smiling before smoke clouded his face, and when you reach the exterior, the rubble collapsing, and nothing came out but the smoke and dust from the falling keep.
The air was clear now, and you could breathe again, but there was still the matter of the burning keep.
The flames had engulfed much of the keeps inner sanctum, and the walls and outer areas would soon be next.
It was quiet running across the road and pond with Joanna, the Archmaester and the still unconscious Aerys. But when you reached the pod, you could walk with Joanna no further.
By the tree where you saw Raehlla, waited ser Gerold and the Princess herself, still waiting, with both a horse and a cart.
The archmaester immediately took command. "Ser Gerold, I need your cloak. Princess, I need your assistance with Lady Joanna and part of the dress."
"What can I-" You started.
"Quiet boy, you've done enough already, now tend to the prince, cover his burns with that cloak of yours. It should at least clean it and stem the bleeding until more help arrives." The archmaester ordered.
The knight and the princess did as he asked, Raehlla tearing off much of her dress and gave it to the maester.
After doing what little bandage work you could, you looked back to watch the flames finally overtake Summerhall.
The flames were bright orange, just like a fire in the fire pit would be, only it seemed to move, to sway in motions that should not be possible. Jumping from roof to roof with fiery percition, setting much of remaining keep on fire.
It was like watching a flame move with a mind of its own.
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Aerys awoke swiftly and suddenly. "Joanna!" He cried, before he groaned in pain, clutching his burned face.
"She's okay." You replied. "She's… giving to your children right now."
In the inferno's light, both of you could see that Joanna was in the middle of her labor, and trying to get anywhere near her would lead to some… well, you had heard stories of wives breaking their husbands hands while giving birth, and considering the injuries that Aerys had sustained, it would be best not to add to them.
Aerys refused to get up. "Why… I saw everything… I saw the twin dragons in my dreams. They would rise from blood and fire." He began to sob.
You didn't know what to do, but you stayed by your friend, until dawn.
For a moment, you thought you saw a falcon fly over the sky, and saw a stag in the shadows of the rising flames. With a dragon over all of them.
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Your thoughts were broken by crying, and not the cries from Joanna that had been filling your ears, nor the cries of the dying that were burning alive in Summerhall.
They were the cries of new born babes.
Joanna was exhausted from the birth and was clutching Raehlla as she slept, not wanting the safety of her friend to be taken away from her at the moment.
There were two babes wrapped in half of Gerold Hightowers white cloak, both with white hair.
One a boy, and the other a girl, both babes grabbing each others hands, even as they were wrapped up to stay warm and clean.
Time passed slowly and methodically, before a living person came to Summerhall later in the afternoon.
Steffon was riding with a dozen or so men at arms, mounted.
"What in the Seven hells happened here?" He asked.
You couldn't give him an answer. "I don't know." You replied.
"Where is the king?" He asked, this time sounding close to crying.
"Dead." The archmaester replied. "He as incinerated by the flames when he tried to hatch the dragon eggs."
"We need to go to King's Landing… The realm needs to know." Steffon stated, narrowing his eyes. "Ser Gerold… we should head to Storms End… than to King's Landing."
"We should." He replied quietly. The Kingsguardsman was the longest serving member now… meaning he was the Lord Commander.
He stod up straight. "Can you ride Prince?" He asked firmly.
"I think so." Aerys replied with a shaky voice.
"Good. Mount up with Arstan… we ride to Storms End."
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At Storm's End, Joanna came to you as you rested, being assisted by a nurse, who was nursing one of the children. "Arstan." She said your name quietly.
You looked at her, but said nothing.
"Thank you, for saving me." She said.
"Ser Duncan saved you Joanna. I just was there helping him when he needed it." You replied.
Joanna left to allow you to rest.
And you drifted to sleep.
The fire was all you could dream of.
Reward: You saved Joanna's life, and she and Aerys feels indebted to you. Whatever favor you ask of them that seems reasonable, they will grant it without a second thought.
Aerys has been scarred slightly on his hands, and a few burns on his face that will need time to heal but he will be okay.
The Prince Aegon and Princess Visanya have been born with little complications... besides the fire and slightly premature birth.
You noticed a few odd things during the fire.
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The Brotherhood of Twelve had sacked Sunspear when the call to war had been given. King Jaherys had given command to his Hand of the King, Lord Orummnd Baratheon, and told him to take the first wave of Royal forces to the Stepstones, to break the back of their Navel Forces.
You and Rae had been married the day before you were supposed to leave, after all, you were a squire, needing to follow Ser Gerold into battle, and serve him faithfully.
"Promise me you will come back Arstan." She stated.
"I promise Rae." You replied with a smile.
You will be Traveling with the First Wave of the Royal Host, with Ser Gerold, however, you were assigned to:
[]The Main Royal force: Ten thousand Strong with Lord Baratheon, you will be fighting alongside Steffon and Areys. You will be in danger, as the Storm lord will be the spearhead that will kill this Brotherhood.
[]The Valien Forces: Your father wished for you to fight alongside him, and your Uncle wishes to see the man who will soon be A Knight of the Vale. Although you worry about your father. Rage was consuming him, as he wanted Spotted Tom's head.
[]The Northern Lord's: The North needed more experienced Cavalry Commanders, and Ser Gerold Elected to take assist the Northern efforts. Much to his cringe.
[]The Reachlords: Lord Hightower Elected Gerold to Take command, much to Lord Tarly's protests. The king agreed, if only to have a man he trusted leading the Reachmen
[]The Defense of Dorne: The Dornish were going to need to push the Enemy off of their coastlines. After you dealt with the enemy's harassing attacks, you would link up with the Iron fleet and sail the rest of the way to the Stepstones.
