Fire and Blood

Chapter 73: The Blood of Old Valyria

Red Keep ― Training courtyard...

The Velaryon princes Jacaerys and his younger brother Lucerys stepped foot in the Red Keep's training yard after being away for more than six years. The place had undergone many changes, but some things remained the same. As they made their way down the battlements leading into the yard, familiar and new faces greeted them. Memories came flooding back as they reminisced about their boyhood home.

"Smaller than I remember," Lucerys remarked.

"It looks exactly the same," Jacaerys disagreed. "Oh, Luke, come on."

As the two teenagers made their way to the yard, they could hear the distinct sound of swords clashing together, the shuffling of movements, and faint grunts filling the air. The Kingsguard knights, Ser Arryk and his twin brother Ser Erryk, were practicing their swordsmanship against each other. With curious onlookers watching, the Cargyll twins seemed evenly matched in skill, durability, and tenacity. After all, they were tasked with guarding the royal family and had to push themselves to be the best warriors they could be. Even though they were already considered among the seven best swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms, Arryk and Erryk trained vigorously daily to ensure they were effective Kingsguard knights. Members of the Blacks silently acknowledged Jace and Luke, but followers of the Caltrops eyed them closely with suspicious intrigue. Jacaerys didn't seem to mind, yet Lucerys was visibly uncomfortable as too many people stared at them.

Before them laid a variety of training weapons designed for slashing and bludgeoning; swords, daggers, knives, maces, clubs, morning stars, etc. Lucerys looked at them and picked up a sword, but somehow it felt heavier than he last remembered.

However, Jace rushed over to the wall near the gates, where he saw a missing portion of the wall. "See? I told you this would still be here," he pointed out. "And you thought you could swing Criston's morningstar. And you almost took your own head off." He ruffled his brother's head and examined the selection of armaments. Noticing Luke's discomfort, Jace rolled his eyes. "What's your problem?" he asked, picking up a short sword.

"Everyone's staring at us," Lucerys explained.

"So? Yaah!"

"No one would question us being Velaryons nor you being heir to Driftmark... if... if we looked more like Ser Laenor Velaryon than Ser Harwin Strong."

Oh, please. Not this again, Luke. "Ugh, it doesn't matter what they think. It's what you do that counts. Let them stare. They can gossip all they want, but it still doesn't change anything."

"You say that now, cousin, but even a united front motivated by a common cause can do more harm than good," Aegon and his twin Viserys arrived, accompanied by their youngest brother Daeron.

Jace stood there, noticing Aegon the Younger, Viserys, and Daeron making their grand entrance. "Well, look who decided to join us!" he exclaimed readily before his cousins. He then turned to the twins and confidently asked, "Let me guess, Aegon?" he pointed to one of them. "And Viserys?" he asked the other.

"Correct," Viserys nodded in agreement, confirming Jace's guess.

On the other hand, Aegon was a bit disappointed. "At least you got it right. Unlike Prince Daemon, who can't seem to tell us apart," he said sarcastically.

"We're twins, Aegon. Of course, people would have difficulty knowing the difference between us based on appearance alone. It takes time. I mean, take a look at Arryk and Erryk. Not even grandfather or the other Kingsguards could tell them apart."

"You know, Luke, you worry too much about what others think of you," Daeron teased. Despite being a year younger than Luke, Daeron stood almost as tall as him and held his ground.