Chapter 7.1- The Seadragon's Roar

—108 AC—

“Your father has written me to beg my presence in this war of his in the stepsons. He desires for Stormlander blood to be shed in his war against the pirates, corsairs, and sell sails that plague those cursed islands.” Boremund said, looking over at me from across the dinner table. I looked up, nodded, and kept eating. Manfred had returned to being th one who swsparred with me the majority of the time and so found myself tired as seven hells by the time dinner came around. I didn’t have the energy to dance with words like the Great Lords did.

“Nothing to say, boy?” He finally asked. After minutes without reply.

“Nothing, my lord. You are a wise and fair, Lord, so you know best whether to help the Kingdom with its goals or not”

“The Kingdom? Pah. More like House Velaryon”

“If you insist so, my lord. I will defer to your greater wisdom on the matter.” Whether he joined the war or not, we would win. Daemon’s participation just about ensured it, and I knew Boremund Baratheon after yers within the man’s court. One thing he despised was beggars. He’d say no if he felt he was being begged just for the hell of it.

So it was probably the case that the only way to keep him interested in joining the war was to make it seem like I truly did not care whether he did or not. That would make him more confident about our chance, and thus more likely to commit his men to the bloodbath that was to follow. The truth was that no matter how Boremund liked to assume otherwise, he was just as cowardly and opportunistic as the other Great Lords. Just that he hid his tendencies behind bluster, a booming voice, and a war hammer the size of my midsection.

“The Stepstones? Those pirates will piss themselves at the first sight of a good stormlander charge” Manfred said, taking a large swig of his ale. Bastards could rise high in war. I’d all but confirmed it that Manfred was Boremund’s other son. Boremund’s more present son. Boremund’s favoured son, in some ways even.

“A war in a foreign land for a foreign cause? Sounds folly to me. What concern of ours is it that Velaryon can not ship in his silks and perfumes?” Borros scoffed. He had returned most recently a few weeks ago, and even though I was to be his squire, he had seldom said more than a word or two in my direction. Boremund had to have known what he was doing when he did it. Borros resented Manfred for being the Bastard with their father’s favour, and Boremund had gone ahead and placed me under Manfred’s wing first thing. I wondered whether I would be the first squire in history to never even be countenanced by his knight. It made my hopes of earning a knighthood slim in the short term as well. So I did need House Baratheon involved in the war.

“I do believe my father has promised to pay the transportation, martialling, and upkeep cost of any army that joined the pacification” I said casually.