People Change

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Barristan Selmy stood outside the entrance to the King's chamber with a heavy heart. He had felt a large amount of guilt weigh heavily on him ever since Harrenhal and the supposed betrayal of Daemon. He knew in his heart Daemon was not a traitor, he had joined Barristan in saving the king during the defiance of Duskendale; Daemon had told Barristan that he just wished to live a simple life with those that he loved and that was the only reason he became strong. He had no ambitions for titles or power, he just wanted to live peacefully.

Which was why Barristan knew of Rhaegar's betrayal. He knew that Rhaegar must've done something to the King, as paranoid as Aerys was he loved Daemon more than his own children and wouldn't take Rhaegar's word for it. It broke his heart to think that Rhaegar was not the kind young man who would play his harp for the people in King's Landing, that their laughter when they would drink together was false. Barristan knew better than anyone that Aerys was not a good king, while the realm prospered under his rule he was still as close to a tyrant as one could be. He hoped that Rhaegar would be the one to change that, to make the last decade of suffering under his father's rule mean something.

'Things never change for the better it seems,' Barristan thought to himself. He couldn't help but reminisce about the first tourney he had taken part in. When he had rode against Prince Duncan as a mystery knight. He often wondered how things would've been had Aegon and most of the Targaryens not perished in Summerhall. What would Ser Duncan the Tall advise him to do about the situation he found himself in? Were his oaths as a Kingsguard more important than his oaths as a knight, should he continue to protect a tyrant capable of all manner of evil?

Barristan pushed those thoughts away as he saw someone approaching at quite a quick pace. He saw that it was Varys, the master of whisperers, and the one who did his best to enflame the paranoia of Aerys. "Ser Barristan, I'm afraid I carry grave news from here and across the narrow seas, I must see the King," Varys said in his light almost childlike voice.

"The King has asked not to be disturbed," Barristan said, repeating what the King had told him.

"I'm afraid this can't wait, it concerns the whole kingdom," Varys insisted as he stepped closer.

Barristan sighed and knocked on the King's door. He did not receive an answer so he knocked again. After not hearing another response he opened the door to the King's chambers to see him sitting in the dark by an unlit fireplace. The King had not been doing well ever since Rickard Stark had removed his arm from his body; he could not comprehend how such an injury was able to befall him, he who was as close to a god as a man could become.

The King had tried to bring healers from all over to try and reattach his arm, but it seemed that Rickard's aura had strengthened after death, and his words about making a god bleed prevented the injury from ever being healed. Even stopping the bleeding was becoming difficult, the king had to constantly cauterise the wound to stop it from bleeding and yet the injury would eventually always return to the way it was. Ever since it happened the King had become increasingly paranoid, seeing enemies everywhere, if it was possible for a no one from the north to hurt him then there could be other people waiting to strike. He had stayed in his chambers ever since it happened and made sure to have Kingsguard patrol every corridor of the Red Keep on an hourly basis while one protected his room.

"Your Grace, Varys is here with a report," Barristan said clearly.

"Yes... yes... Varys, have you done as I've instructed," Aerys asked as he turned his head to the two men before muttering to himself.

"Yes your Grace, I sent the letter, but I'm afraid I've come back with dire news," Varys replied.

"Speak..." Aerys commanded.

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