WARS TO COME, game of thrones

𝐈𝐈. deep

𝟐𝟕𝟏 𝐀𝐂

Robert and Eddard had been with Anrir in the eyrie for four weeks. They trained together, read together, and played together when their daily chores were finished. Robert was the strongest and loudest of them, always ready to incite them to mischief. Eddard was the voice of reason but ultimately so loyal that he would follow Robert anywhere. Anrir wished he could be like Robert, but no matter how much he emulated him, he was always a poor copy in the end, lacking the Baratheon fire. And so, in the end, it was Anrir who was always caught in mischief and punished.

While Eddard and Robert were playing with wooden swords in the courtyard, he watched them from a balcony, although he was supposed to be working through some history books. His gaze was glued to Robert, whose size and strength gave him the advantage, pushing Eddard further and further back. Finally Robert disarmed Eddard and he laughed, nudging the dark-haired Baratheon amicably. A deep sigh escaped from Anrir's throat and he rested his head on his forearms. He wished he were like Robert.

"Are you getting on?" His father had joined him on the balcony and was looking over his shoulders. "Yeah...More or less," he mumbled honestly and his father laughed softly. "You're not allowed back in until you're done with this. So you don't have to look so longingly, it's up to you." "I'm not as good as them anyway," Anrir sighed deeply.  "So that's exactly why you should make an effort, so that you can train with your friends again soon. Besides, the sword is not the most important thing a lord can have to offer anyway." "But a sword is more exciting," Anrir complained, smiling as his father reprimandingly buy gently slapped him against the back of his head. "Come on now."

And so Anrir was hunched over the books until late afternoon, when he finally finished, Robert and Eddard were already gone, busy elsewhere, and Anrir didn't find them. It was not until dinner that the two were back.

"Where have you been? I was looking for you," Anrir asked as he picked at the meat on his plate with a fork. He wasn't hungry, he hadn't been on his feet enough that day. "Just a little running around, hiding and stuff," Robert said between bites. "But hiding is actually more fun with the three of us," Anrir tried cautiously. "But you had punishment work," Robert teased him, and Anrir smiled, although he wished that the two of them had been looking for him. Briefly he looked at Eddard, who was eating silently. "You'd have punishment work, too, if my father knew what you were always up to," Anrir replied, surprised himself that he contradicted Robert so. The dark-haired boy looked briefly at Jon Arryn, who wasn't listening to them at the head, engrossed in some letters.
"I'm just smarter than you," Robert said, leaning back contentedly. "You wish," Anrir teased, kicking Robert in the shins under the table. Robert immediately stepped back and the plates and bowls on the long table rattled.

His foster father gave them a questioning look. "All well",Robert made and Anrir had to laugh softly, his counterpart threw him a challenging look from defiantly sparkling eyes. After dinner, they chased each other up the stairs to Robert's sleeping quarters, where Robert and he fought with pillows while Eddard cheered them on, laughing.

Later, they lay on the bearskin next to Robert's bed and chilled in the air that poured in from the open windows. Anrir felt happy to lie like this among his only friends. Eddard's cheers still echoed in his ears, accompanied by a happy tingle in his belly.

"You are the only lord of us," Robert suddenly said, "The rest of us are just boys. But you're a real lord, Lord of Riverfall." Robert laughed chuckling and rolled onto his belly, playing with the shaggy bear fur. "Don't make fun of me... I could be second born, but it wouldn't make any difference. I'm not really a lord anyway. Although... then maybe I'd have a big brother. That'd be something..."