Rivers of Fire and Blood

Brienne II

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Ice and Fire Novels, Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon TV shows. However, I decided to have a little play around with the characters. I do not earn any money from writing these stories, it is for my entertainment and is something I like to share.

A week had passed since the wedding Sam left for Dragonstone. On the surface, life was the same, but Brienne could feel the winds of change. Gilly was teaching, but she and the babes were now living in the Red Keep and making a lot of noise about it. Bran was never seen, apparently the new Queen was helping him walk again. News of Sam was non-existent, nothing from the north. Arya was still missing and Bronn was still busy with the goldcloaks and his brothels. Even the Kingsguard were left with barely a role since the Silverwings had appeared. They were the ones who guarded the King and Queen, also Gilly and Meera. Although Brienne was fully aware they weren't being guarded for their own good, they were prisoners. She even suspected she herself was being watched. All in all, she was worried, suspicious, but mostly bored. Brienne now spent most of her days in her solar filling out rotas and planning training times instead of actually protecting the King. This was not what she expected the job of Kingsguard to be.

Brienne slammed the book of rotas shut and pulled over the book of the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. She could have filled her own pages full of her time prior to her becoming the Lord Commander, but truth be told, she hadn't done a single thing since taking on the role. Instead, she flipped through the pages to look at the achievements of her predecessor, Ser Jamie Lannister, which she had written for him. As she began to read what she had previously wrote, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." she closed the book and looked up. Little Sam walked in with a smile on his face, which in turn cheered Brienne up considerably. "How can I help?" Brienne asked.

"Can we have a lesson tomorrow?" Sam asked. "We haven't had one since I came to live here."

"I'll have to run it past the King." Brienne told him. "I have asked before but he said no."

"Ser Rodden says it will be alright, he's even offered to help." Sam grinned.

Brienne frowned. "Ser Rodden?" she asked, not recognising the name.

"One of the Silverwings who protects mum." Sam grinned. "Ser Rodden!" he called out as a man entered the room. He was one of the Silverwings who had been at the wedding, but Brienne had taken no interest in any of them. To her they were a threat to the Kingsguard and possibly to her. She didn't trust them or like them, however she had to admit, the tall, handsome man in front of her had the friendliest smile and was as handsome as Ser Jamie Lannister himself. Brienne hated herself when her tummy did a little flip at the sight of him up close.

"Ser Rodden, we haven't had the pleasure." she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Ser or do you prefer Lady Brienne?" Ser Rodden asked.

"Ser Brienne will do." Brienne held her hand out to shake his.

"It seems little Sam here is driving his mother and the rest of us Silverwings crazy with his non-stop pestering to train. He tells us you have been training him to be a squire and were looking at him being assigned a minor squirehood at the age of nine." Ser Rodden smiled. "I have checked with the King and he thinks it would be a marvellous idea for us all to train together, do you not think? It shows a sense of unity to the rest of those in the Red Keep."

"If you must." Brienne raised an eyebrow. "But yes, I was thinking about him taking on a minor role at nine, but I have to run it past his parents first."

"Don't you think the King should be the one to have the final say?" Ser Rodden asked. "It's not like Grand Maester Samwell is here, and it could be months before he returns. Long after little Sam's ninth nameday. Should we keep him waiting that long?" he asked. Brienne could spot what the man was doing, he was playing on the wants of the child and appearing as the one who would be the person to give Little Sam what he wanted.