The she-wolf and the lion

Chapter 59 - lessons for a lord

The next morning, maester Craylen starts his first lesson with Daemon, the eldest of the Lannister-Stark children, the true heir to both his father's and his mother's titles, seats and lands, in one of the chambers at Casterly Rock.

Bronn, serving as the little lord's escort to and from his lesson, sits in a corner, cleaning his fingernails with his sharp elaborately carved and decorated dragon boned Valyrian steel knife, a gift from Lyra and Jaime when he was appointed as captain of their household guard.
"Good morning, young master Lannister", maester Craylen says.
"Good morning, maester", Daemon says.
"Your parents and I have agreed that your education will be split up a bit, so you will have some lessons here with me, some with your father in the great hall and some with the captain of the household guard", maester Craylen says.
"I will have lessons with Bronn too?" Daemon asks, surprised.
"Your father and I will share in the lessons you will have in the training yard and on horseback", Bronn explains. "Your mother asked it of me herself, you can ask her later, now focus on the maester, my little lord."
"Thank you, captain", maester Craylen says. "Today's lesson will be on the history of the seven kingdoms."

Bronn gives the maester a little nod and sits back in his chair, continuing to clean his nails with his blade, listening to the maester and the young lord have their lesson.
"Mother said something about high Valyrian", Daemon says.
"I will teach you high Valyrian, my little lord", maester Craylen says. But not today.
"It will be useful for you when you speak to your future cousins", Bronn says. "Your aunt, her grace the Queen and her Targaryen king, will appreciate it, he speaks the common tongue just fine, but he prefers high Valyrian to be spoken in the castle, especially by the noble lords and ladies."
"That's right", maester Craylen says. "Captain, would you be so kind as to hand me the rolled up map of the Seven Kingdoms, it's in the bookshelf over there."
"Of course, maester", Bronn says, getting up to fetch the map for maester Craylen. "Here you are, m'lord."
"Thank you, captain", maester Craylen says, spreading the large map out on the table in front of Daemon.

The lesson on the history of the Seven Kingdoms lasts for two hours. On their way out, Daemon bow to the maester and goes with Bronn.
"Where to now, captain?"?Daemon asks.
"Your chambers, my little lord, to get your riding clothes on, and then out to the stables where your lord father awaits us with your horse and one of his horses, and possibly with my horse", Bronn says.
"How do you know that?" Daemon asks.
"Your father's other squire, his cousin Martyn, he's 13", Bronn says. "He came to me on the orders of your father to tell me that he was expecting you to go to your chambers to change in to your riding clothes after your lesson with maester Craylen, and meet your lord father in the stables."
"Do you think that father will let me start training with weapons from horseback soon?" Daemon asks.
"Eventually I'm sure he will, it's a rare and valuable skill, but I doubt he'll let you start with that right away, be patient, my young lord of Lannister and Stark", Bronn says.
"I've seen father shoot a bow from horseback", Daemon says in a dreamlike voice. "I want to learn how to do that too."
"Oh, that's hard, takes years to master that skill properly, I doubt it will be the first thing your lord father teaches you", Bronn says with a little sideways smile directed at his master's son.
"Can you do that, Bronn?" Daemon asks and Bronn nods.
"I'm not very good at it, but yeah, I can do it", Bronn says. "Your father is much better at it, I'm sure."
"Maester Craylen told me about the Dothraki people, the horse lords across the Narrow Sea, that they teach their sons to shoot a bow and arrow from horseback when they are only four years old", Daemon says and Bronn nods, he's heard of the horse people across the Narrow Sea.
"I've heard about that too, the copper skinned horse lords from across the Narrow Sea, when I was a young man and in the company of some of your grandfather's soldiers, they talked about those men, said they were unbeatable in an open field, because of their horses", Bronn says.

In Daemon's and Gerion's chambers, Bronn helps Daemon in to his riding clothes and accompany him to the stables where Jaime is waiting.
"There you are, you're late", Jaime says sternly.
"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, father", Daemon says.
"It's alright, now, let the lesson begin", Jaime says.

Jaime and Daemon lead their saddled horses out to the training yard, Bronn following behind them without his own horse. He watches the hour long lesson with amusement. Jaime on horseback is a sight to behold, as it's always been.

He teaches his son and heir a few simple but useful things. When the hour is up, Jaime dismount with all the ease and grace befitting a lord and a warrior. Daemon dismounts less gracefully.
"Now, to the stables to tend to them", Jaime says. Bronn, accompany us.
"Yes, m'lord", Bronn says, following the lord and master of Casterly Rock and his young son.
"Where to next, father? After the horses have been tended to?"Daemon asks.
"To the armorer, to fit you for your first armor", Jaime says. "It's time, you're ready for it, my son."
"When did you get your first armor, father?" Daemon asks.
"When I was 6 years old", Jaime says.