Tourney at Harrenhal V

- 281 AC -

- Harrenhal -

(3rd Person POV)

Robert has arrived at Harrenhal, in the Riverlands. The way wasn't that long, but he took his time, enjoying the moment while it lasted. You never know what might happen, and from the things he knows already, there may be more to this tourney than meets the eye. He has spent the last years doing what he can to improve the condition of Storm's End and the Stormlands. He took care of his smallfolk and the interest of House Baratheon. Storm's End was the biggest and most impressive castle in all the Seven Kingdoms, and if Aerys wasn't totally bonkers, he would realise that the power had shifted in Westeros. Robert had also trained in the years. He discovered that he couldn't do without moving and using his body. He would swim in Shipbreaker Bay every day, despite what others said. He has prepared for the upcoming events, should they truly transpire. He has spent a lot of time preparing his enemies for his long overdue payback. No one would whip his parents and get away with it. If it hadn't been too soon, Robert would have gone to war against the entirety of Westeros. But the suffering it would have brought to his own people didn't outshine what his family suffered. As hard as that was, it was the truth. 

But that was all in the past. Revenge would be served, and it would be delicious. 

Robert rides through the hundreds of tents of all the guests of the Tourney. The tourney was announced last year, in 280 AC, by Lord Walter Whent shortly after he was visited by his brother, Ser Oswell Whent of the Kingsguard. The rewards offered by Walter are three times greater than those offered by Lord Tywin Lannister in the tourney in honour of Prince Viserys's birth at Lannisport in 276 AC. This is naturally a statement from Lord Walter and the mysterious backer of this Tourney. The lavish prizes offered by Lord Whent have brought hundreds of challengers to the tourney and many more who wish to spectate the events. Walter also wants to present his massive castle and his fine sons, as well as his daughter. That's what every tourney is about: prestige. And Lord Walter was bound to earn a lot through this one. 

While most believed House Whent was displaying their wealth and splendour, some believed the Whents lacked the funding for the prizes and were instead supported by a "shadow host"; which Robert knows to be Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. King Aerys II Targaryen will attend the tournament only because Lord Varys warned him that Rhaegar, his son and the crown prince, arranged the tournament as a pretext to meet with several high lords to discuss removing his father as king in an informal Great Council. Little do they know that Robert arranged this. He didn't plan on having both of them here at the same time, but he actively arranged the paranoia, which Aerys already suffered from, to increase. Varys' little 'birds', as he called them, were also disappearing all over the Seven Kingdoms, and he was starting to worry. 

Lord Tywin Lannister is not at Harrenhal because of a quarrel with King Aerys, although many westermen are attending. Robert would have liked to see Cersei again. He has received a few letters from the young woman and has sent her some as well. But not nearly as much as a proper noble would if he were to consider a relationship. Robert was no fool. He enjoyed the young lion's company but knew Tywin had other plans for her. He would not see her as anything but the Queen, married to Rhaegar. Now that this won't work anymore, he naturally focuses on the next potential King, whomever that may be. 

"Robert. Over here!"

Robert looks to the side and sees Stannis standing at the entrance of a large tent. It seems his brother had prepared a tent for them. He knew that Robert wouldn't bother with spending time with the pompous nobles and groom his words. So he prepared in advance and settled in a place where no one cared how he talked or acted and was just themselves. It was the first time in a long time that Stannis had gotten time like this to leave everything behind and just enjoy himself. Over the past few years, growing up with Robert as the big brother, he had a lot of things on his plate, and if it hadn't been Robert who almost threw him out of Storm's End, Stannis wouldn't have come here. 

"How are you, brother? You look better than the last time I saw you." Robert says, embracing his brother in a bear hug. Something he knows that Stannis doesn't like but still does because that's just what he does. 

"The last time you saw me was behind my desk. Doing the work YOU gave me."

"Hahaha, come now, Stannis. That's why I told you to take this time off and enjoy yourself."

"You threw me from the chair and carried me to the stables, telling me that if I didn't leave, you would take away all the plans we created and start knitting."

"I said that?"

"Yes."

"That doesn't sound like me at all."

"That does sound like you."

*Sigh*

"Haha, not even alone for a sennight and already tired? You really need this time out, brother. Now, what is there to see?"

"Well, today is some kind of ceremony. I think the King might truly attend. The Lannister boy is acting like a prince."

"Ah, Jaime. Yeah, he was born with a golden spoon up his arse. No wonder he likes to trott like a Cock."

"But there's more to this."

"True. The King and Tywin are cross now, and as much as he can, Aerys will provoke Tywin. He will make him a Kingsguard."

"What?! He wouldn't ... would he?"

"He would."

Robert looks into the distance with a strange look; Stannis has gotten used to it. He had seen it the first time when Robert told him that he had an idea. That was when they were kids. Since then, he has had to work till he collapsed. The last time he saw that was when he calmed down his brother from doing anything rash against the King when their parents ... It was not a lovely sight for Stannis, and he knew that Robert had something planned for the king. He never forgot anything. 

"Let's go and have a look. I wonder what the king looks like now. The news probably won't do it justice."

"Right, the nails and hair. I don't know why you want to see that."

.

The opening ceremony had begun. To almost everyone's surprise, King Aerys II Targaryen had arrived, and it was bound to become a memorable tourney already.

Since the Defiance of Duskendale, the king had not taken care of his appearance. His fear of blades meant he would not permit his hair to be cut or his nails to be groomed. His hair and beard were unwashed, matted and tangled, and his nails were yellow and had grown nine inches in length. His fear and paranoia of poison had made him thin and gaunt. He was afraid to eat anything ever since he had almost every cook in King's Landing executed. The lords and knights at the tourney were appalled at what their monarch had become. Nor was Aerys's behaviour that of a sane man, going from mirth to melancholy at a snap of the fingers. His bouts of hysterical laughter, long silences, sudden rages and constant weeping made all present weary. 

Well, not all those present. Two young men were unbothered by what they saw. One of them, Robert Baratheon, to be exact, found the entire ordeal hilarious. From the moment he appeared in the crowd, his smiles and jokes pulled everyone's gazes and whispers. Everyone wanted to talk to him, wanted to greet him and claim friendship. Robert didn't bother with them and just politely pushed them away. He was here to enjoy himself with his brother and maybe see Elia again, but that was it ... heh, alright, he had more things to do here. He didn't take his weapon with him for nothing, after all. 

In contrast to the King, Prince Rhaegar looked every inch a leader and warrior. Tall, clean, handsome, and well-groomed, the Prince of Dragonstone thought himself to be unstoppable in the lists, planning on winning bout after bout. But he would be surprised about a certain knight who will attend. 

Aerys had decided that the tournament would be the perfect place to initiate Ser Jaime Lannister into the Kingsguard, and the young knight said his vows before the king with the realm looking on. Robert and Stannis were present when it happened. It was impossible for Stannis to understand the King. How could someone be this stupid? How could he do this to himself? Didn't he know that this would have repercussions? Didn't he know that Tywin Lannister was Westeros's second most scary man? Didn't he know that the old lion would have his due? The man of duty, that was Stannis Baratheon, who would never commit such idiocy, found it impossible to comprehend the amount of madness it would take to get a person to act that way. 

Robert, on the other hand, knew exactly what it would take. He was responsible for putting Wildfyre into the flame, which was Aerys's madness. He smiled as he saw Aerys break off the last powerful friend he had. Now, no matter what marriage, Tywin wouldn't forget that slight to his House's honour. And the Lannister legacy was everything to Tywin. That was just taken from him with one initiation. 

.

"Come on, Stannis. I want to get some of that food they serve here. Walter Whent went all out. All out, he went. Hahahaha."

"You're in a good mood tonight."

"Of course I am. Why not? We're going to eat and drink and enjoy ourselves."

"Aha. And this has nothing to do with a young woman, of Dornish descent perhaps ..."

"Oh, you-"

Robert was just about to grab Stannis when he realised that his brother had already started running away from him. 

"Ha! You'll never get away from the bearhug!!"

"Nooooooooo..."

And so the two grown men of House Baratheon were doing their best to embarrass themselves in front of all nobles of Westeros, as the elder one was chasing the younger one. Robert chased Stannis through the halls up to the Hall of a Hundred Hearths, where the large feast was being held. The men and women inside were enjoying their comfortable evening, drinking wine, eating food and talking to other nobles, at least until a loud shout was heard from behind the doors.

"GIVE UP STANNIS!"

*BANG*

The large door is kicked open, and two big men crash into the room and on the floor. They hit the tables and chairs in front of them, and while it was terribly embarrassing for Stannis, neither of them was aware of what was going on right now. Stannis had loosened up a bit ever since his brother wasn't the dick he was in the original timeline. The two brawled quite a few times, but while he tried, there was nothing Stannis could do. Robert was just too powerful. The elder brother rolled off his brother and raised him into the air like a barbarian. 

"..."

"..."

"..."

The hall was silent, and everyone was looking at them. Robert put his brother back down and then started laughing. 

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ..... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

He was laughing and laughing and laughing so hard, that after a moment, another person also started laughing. 

"Ha ... haha ... hahahahahahahahahaha"

And then another and another. More and more people started laughing, and after a moment, the entire hall was laughing together, and no one truly knew why. That was Robert's charisma at work. Robert had grown up and the realm was not ready for it. 

_____________________________________________________________

I'm back. I plan on finishing this story and will ignore what others say about his bloodline. If you have a problem with it, ignore it. It's not that important anyway.