Jacob I (ASOS)

His eyes were squinting, as he could hear the crashing of the sea to the shore and bustling of men outside the windows of a keep.

The opening of stern, cold sapphire blue eyes awoke, as Jacob sat up to look at his surroundings. He looked down on himself, as he was undressed. Many of his cuts and bruises have been significantly healed, since the battle of Blackwater.

A spark pain arose in his head, as the young prince didn't know where he was. He could tell he wasn't in the North or the East, because the sun shined outside of the windows and the long summer was still thriving in the South.

"Where the hell am I, I know I must be further south because of the heat. I wonder which turncloak was responsible for kidnapping me and dragging me further south, they could have handed me over to the new Lannister-Tyrell alliance to be rewarded for handing over the son of a known rebel and he could have had some lands and a knighthood."

Jacob sensed a fear trickling down his spine, the fear of being so far away from home and wondering if his parents and family members have missed him.

"Mother and Father think I am missing or dead. Most of the Seven Kingdoms think I am dead. I can use this to my advantage and make them believe I am dead, so I can get out of this accursed house and get a ship and go home."

It was a castle in some southorn city, as Jacob feared whomever took him will be back to finish him off. In his own heart, he didn't believe whoever healed his wounds and cuts would kill him because they would have done already.

The young prince stood up, feeling the numbness on his head from being hit with the blunt of a sword. His mind turned to the Battle of Blackwater and how well he fought and how the battle was lost when more soldiers from the enemy side came into the city.

"When the Old Lion and the Fat Flower banded together with their combined forces, I knew the battle was lost, but my father was stubborn and wanted to keep fighting. Smart for Ser Rolland to stage the rear-guard and get the rest of our men to safety."

He wondered if anyone was looking for him or knew he was missing. He knew deep down inside, people thought he was dead.

Then, the doors of his comfortable room opened for a man in beige clothing, with a chain around his neck, resembling those of maesters, when they forge their chain of office and begin their service to the realm.

"You're a maester." Jacob announced, backing away from the portly man.

"I see you recovered, my lord." The maester replied.

"Who…..brought me here?"

"He will be present in minutes, he was someone who knew you in the past, and still holds love for you."

"Why did he bring me here and where am I?"

The maester began to laugh, and cough at the same time. "You are in Oldtown, my lord. The city of where would be maesters study and learn to service the realm."

"Are you experienced?"

"For a long time, my lord. I know your face from these parts, you used to sail with Old Lord Hightower sons and stay inside the lighthouse tower itself."

"No disrespect, how do you know me and why did your master bring me here?"

"Most of the men in the chivalry of the south know of you, my lord. You fostered with the Warden of the South and formed friendships with his children, but those men betrayed you to side with your late uncle, Lord Renly for a reckless attempt at crowning himself king, when there were four others in the realm."

"My father is the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms, and you should mind your tongue."

"Many lords these days are calling themselves king, the Ironborn pirate, the Young Wolf, your father and the late King of the Flowers. The rumours spread throughout the realm could be considered treason, but there are some who believe them to be true."

"You are a servant of the realm, your loyalty is to your office and neutrality, not to any one family, good ser."

"You are nothing like your father, my lord. He who prides himself in his form of iron justice and will, which makes him no friend of the nobility or the commonfolk. You have a greyer view of things and understand a lot more, than what your father."

"May I ask, where am I. You told me I was already in Oldtown?"

"You are in the Uplands castle, my lord. However, a young boy of House Rowan, only a third son holds it for his friend, a son of House Mullendore. Boys and friendships are thing to behold."

"Are you mad or are you senile, I am in the lands of the Hightowers, and House Mullendore is sworn to them and I will be killed, if I am exposed."

"Lord Mullendore took half his army to court. Especially, when the Fat Flower has arranged for his daughter to marry the boy king, for an alliance of stability and wealth."

"You are stationed at his house, but you know your duty to remain neutral and not expose me."

"The Rowan boy told me not to, or it will break his heart to see you be killed by the lions who hold the kingdoms."

"Where is he, I want to see him before I get my hands on him and kill him?"

"Of course, my lord." The maester said, as he exited the room.

Jacob had a mind to strange the Rowan boy, when he got his hands on him and eventually, leave this southern city and go home, before he is discovered and killed.

He knew the name of the boy. His was Ser Artys Rowan, only a third son of an intelligent and mindful lord. Many years ago, when he was just a boy fostering in the Reach, Jacob met Lord Mathis many times and began to respect him for being a man of strategy and politics.

When Jacob grew into manhood and experienced the taste of wine and experienced first courtly love with Desmera. She wasn't the only person in the Reach, who claimed to love the grim, intelligent nephew of the late King Robert.

Ser Artys had loved him, Jacob knew exploration of feelings and emotions were wrong, as he was devout in his Faith towards the Seven and wanted to be honourable in the eyes of the gods he worshiped.

It didn't matter, as Jacob hated to admit himself a hypocrite. He chastised his Uncle Renly's relationship with Ser Loras, when he himself had feelings for the third son of Goldengrove, when he was only a boy of four and ten.

"Why did Artys bring me here, did he kidnap me for revenge purposes or was he generally concerned for my safety and well-being. We ended things, when I was commanded by Uncle Robert to travel forth to Winterfell."

Sometimes, he reminded himself the Red Viper of Dorne enjoyed the company of men and women, and didn't care what the lords of the south thought of him, because his bastard daughters were fearsome fighters and would kill them all.

The only person Jacob told these secrets to was Ser Davos, a man who would never betray him or hurt him, as many other men had done before.

"Davos, where is he. Is he dead or alive? I don't know." The Prince thought with tears streaming from his eyes.

He couldn't be weak, especially when Jacob was the prince and rightful heir to the Seven Kingdoms.

Ser Davos was more than a knight to Jacob; he was an advisor, a fearsome sailor, a man who rose from nothing to a landed knighthood and a second father to him.

Jacob looked at himself, as the maester of House Mullendore did a great job in healing his wounds.

He relaxed his shoulders. He was in the territory of the Hightowers of Oldtown, a house who have been nothing, but kind and hospitable to him.

Jacob felt a shiver down his spine, with the Tyrells allying with the Lannisters, it meant that the Hightowers cannot be trusted.

"I have to get out of here, before Artys gets mad delusions of romance and decides to keep me here for the rest of the war."

Every child in Westeros knew of how great the city of Oldtown was, long ago it was it's own kingdom because of how rich and vast the town was. It was a beautiful port to look at, when the lighthouse tower brightens the city, with the ships leaving and arriving to the port.

Jacob loved Oldtown, it was one of his favourite places to visit in the Reach when he was fostered there. He liked sailing, as opposed to swordplay because it felt natural to him, as the wind hits the sails and the ship travels.

The city was still beautiful and grand in Jacob's eyes, but his mind set has changed because of experiencing war and killing people by the blood of his sword.

The young prince saw a pile of clothing on the bed, as it was the clothes he wore, during the battle of Blackwater, they have been washed and cleaned by the servants in the keep.

The door opens for a young man to appear, wearing the arms of the golden apple of House Rowan. His face was oval-shaped, with his mid-length hair being fair blonde and his eyes were dark brown.

The young knight had his sword by his side, but he was quite handsome and had been the fancy of many of the girls of the Reach. He was quite tall, lean and slim of build, unlike his more muscular brothers and other knights of the south.

"You traitor, bastard and rascal." Jacob shouted, holding the knight by his tunic hard. The anger boiled inside, as he wanted to throttle his former lover to death.

The knight smiled, and eyes were widened by the fear in his eyes. "Glad to see me, Jake. It's been a long time."

"I thought you were at war with your father."

"I was sent here to hold the keep for my friend, who is of House Mullendore, and who is with his lord father in court."

"How kind of you?"

"My father has no use for me, since my brothers are more important to him, and my sister too."

"Is it true about what happened between the singer and your lady sister at that feast?"

"My lord father and lady mother thought the singer had raped her, but I knew my sister invited the man to bed at her own will, wanting to experience the pleasures of the flesh without the constraints of keeping her maidenhead."

"And the man was sent to The Wall for it."

"Love in the Seven Kingdoms has it's place, but not for us highborn men and women. Sons and daughters of noble men and women."

Jacob let go of Ser Artys. Deep inside, he didn't want to hurt him because this fool saved his life from being killed.

"Why did you save me?" Jacob asked.

"I was with some of my house knights, but I wasn't even in the fighting. A man in my service kidnapped you for me for a handsome reward."

"Why?"

"To save your life, they would have butchered you and I would have lost you again."

"You know why we had to end things."

Ser Artys began to laugh and place his hand on the young prince's shoulder. "Gods, Jake. You are too pious of your faith. Never wanting to bend the rules for me, but you will for that stupid Redwyne girl."

"You are still jealous of her."

"The girl may be married off to some distant Lannister in the future, it pains me that she stole your heart and your kiss. As I wanted to lay first claim to them."

"You are a deluded man, who needs to grow up. We are in war times, there is no time for such silly notions of love and romance, look where it got Rhaegar Targaryen and Daemon Blackfyre."

The blonde knight of House Rowan seethed through his teeth, as it was expected. He didn't like to play second fiddle to anyone, especially not the Fat Flower of Highgarden's niece.

He had a saddened look in his eyes, as a tear fell from his left eye, and then the tears started to fall from his eyes and still hand his hand on the rightful prince.

"What happened to you, Jake. What happened to the boy I loved, who liked nothing more to ride the Tyrell horses?" The knight said sadly with tears on his cheeks.

"He died, with his Uncles Robert, Renly, Maester Cressen, Ned Stark and Uncle Imry. The boy was discarded because he was too weak and selfish to do his duty, to his father and to his king. The man rose from the ashes of the boy, and fought his father's war and was kidnapped."

"Your father is a rebel, a traitor to the crown and to the realm. Nevertheless, I am weak enough to still love you, even though you are a rebel yourself and declared open war against the Lannisters and their allies."

"And your family being one of those allies." Jacob said, getting out his dagger from under the bed, holding it against the throat of the knight.

"Jake, you wouldn't kill me. We shared great things together, I saved your life when bandits tried to kill you long ago. You are a man of duty and honour, and I am a knight, a third son of my father."

The prince's nose was enriched, as the knight's fair hair smelled like the flowers of Highgarden. His nose wrinkled, as he didn't like to think of such things.

Prince Jacob held the knife against Ser Artys's throat, he was a bit chinless in that regard, even though he was named after the Arryn King, who rode the back of a huge falcon and slew the Griffin King on the highest mountain of the Vale.

He hated this man, even though he had loved him in the past. Ser Artys grunted, expressing his jealousy clearly. He hated any man or woman, who would become friends or be closer to Jacob, when he fostered with the Tyrells.

Especially Willas, the heir of Highgarden and was one of his best friends.

Until the war started.

"Jake, you would truly kill me and leave me. My friends of House Mullendore will want revenge, which is something you can't have on your back." The knight whispered, licking his lips together.

The prince scrunched his face, not liking Artys's flattery, as if it will get him anywhere. Maybe, he could use the knight's feelings for him to his advantage.

"Artys still desires me, even though I refrained from pre-martial beddings now. His handsomeness doesn't make it easy, but I can use his heart to escape from this place and go home."

Jacob wondered why he had feelings for him, he was an arrogant highborn knight who wanted to win the heart of the late king's nephew.

His heart was pounding against his chest, with sweat droplets coming from his forehead, still holding the knife to the knight's throat.

"I'll help you go home, Jake. It's the least I can do for kidnapping you against your will." Artys said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Why would you, when you can keep me for yourself?"

"It would be tempting, but if my father found out, then I will be killed, just for the act of keeping your alive and helping you."

Jacob let go, he released Artys from his hold and still held onto the dagger, it was a gift from his Uncle Alester years was one of the gifts he accepted from the Florent side of his family, as their gifts were always extravagant.

"You risked a lot for me, even though you are the son of an enemy. You allowed your feelings to make you be disloyal to your father and liege lord, but I ask you to commit treason once more and assist me in getting my ship and going home."

"I'll do anything for you, maybe one day you will repay me. It might not be realistic, with my chances of dying in the wars of the Fat Flower."

Jacob laughed, with his mind-set on going home and reuniting with his family. He played the game, in twisting a man's heart to his advantage.

The rightful prince of the Seven Kingdoms looked at the knight, as the man was the only thing standing between going home or a rebel's death.