The Stag and The Frog - (GendryxMeera, GOT Fanfic) Part 2: Together

18: For my brother

Steffon sat perched in one of the oak trees in the courtyard of Storm's End. In his hand, he held his bow and arrow. He clasped them hard to his chest so they wouldn't disappear like his brother who had given them to him. They had been Dev's when he was Steffon's age and when he outgrew them he gave them to his youngest brother.

Below him was hustle and bustle of everyday life in the castle. Blacksmiths worked on weapons, butchers prepared meat, soldiers practiced fighting. And around it, all brown chickens and spotted pigs roamed freely.

Watching the daily life in the castle was Steffon's main source of entertainment these days. There were no other children his age at the castle to play with and none of his other playmates were available either.

Dev often used to play with Steffon, because despite being nine years older Dev was still very amused with childish games.

Sometimes, Stannis played with him as well, but he was currently employed by Lord Baratheon to help him read the books necessary to come up with a plan to defend the castle if necessary. Not even Stannis' friend Bastian was available to play with since he had been stationed to guard the gate of the castle as part of the efforts to strengthen its defenses.

So there was no one for Steffon to play with and nothing for him to do.

"Can I join you?" a voice suddenly asked below him.

He looked down and saw Lady Baratheon standing at the foot of the tree.

Steffon nodded but wondered to himself how she would get there. Ladies didn't usually climb trees. Although this lady didn't look like most ladies in her pants and tunic.

"If you can get up here, Lady Baratheon," he replied.

It turned out she could. She grabbed a branch with her arms and then heaved her legs up around it to pull herself up. It took her only an instant.

"Of course I can," Meera said as she sat down next to Steffon. "I've climbed plenty of trees. And don't call me Lady Baratheon. Call me Meera."

"Meera..." he said a bit hesitantly since calling a lady by her first name didn't seem proper. It seemed like something his mother might discipline him for.

"Do you miss your brother?" she asked and put her hand on Steffon's shoulder.

He nodded slowly while twisting his hand around the handle of the bow. "Dev was supposed to teach me how to shoot," he said.

"You want me to teach you?"

Steffon looked up at Meera in surprise. This didn't seem like something ladies should do. Although ladies also shouldn't climb trees.

"If you want to," he said. "Would your husband let you?"

Meera chuckled slightly. "I do want to," she said. "And I don't have to ask my husband for permission. He doesn't own me and I don't own him, that's not how our marriage works."

"You know how to shoot?" Steffon asked.

"I do, my father started teaching me when I was very young. And later I taught my brother when he was about your age. Jojen was never very good at it though."

"You have a brother?"

"I had a brother... he's gone now."

"Just like Dev."

"Dev's not dead, you can still see him again one day. I will never see my brother."

"What happened to your brother?"

"He... fell in battle," Meera said and jumped down from the tree. It seemed like she didn't want to talk more about her brother. "Come on. I'll go get my bow and arrow and then we can practice out in the woods right outside the walls."