court of lies | robert's rebellion

the call

"fairytales don't always have a happy ending, do they? and they rarely have a happy start"

279 AC, The Arbor

Arys Oakheart was already starting to regret wearing his new helmet. The master-at-arms told the young knight that this helmet was much better than his usual one, has more protection and would give him a better view. Which obviously was a lie. He was doing his usual combat training with Victor Tyrell. Thanks to the master, Victor's luck had turned and he was probably going to beat him.

Maybe it was even his plan, he thought. He wanted to win so Ser Lusac probably helped him willingly. The knight was an old man but this didn't change the fact that he loved these kinds of shenanigans.

He was trying to hit Victor's shield but it was really hard to do that without actually seeing it and his friend almost beat him. He would probably fall down after another hit but then they heard a very melodic laugh and it distracted Victor.

Arys took his chance and kicked his feet and before he could fix his balance threw his helmet off and start swinging his sword fastly, minutes later Victor tripped over his own feet and fell down with Arys' sword on his neck and he gave up.

Atera Hightower was sitting not too far away from their duelling area. She was wearing a beautiful light blue coloured gown with a deep v-neck decollate. Even though they were in winter, they were in the Arbor and in the Arbor, the sun would always shine over them. Atera looked even more beautiful than usual under the sun and Arys saw the ashamed look on his friend's face. He really wanted to win this one but failed again.

"You shouldn't let her distract you."

"It's easy for you to say. You don't see her the way I do."

It was known that Victor had a little crush on Atera. Nothing serious, nothing much, just interest but it was still enough to distract him. He knew a relationship would be impossible. Even though he was a Tyrell, he was a distant one, she would overrank him as the only sister of the Lord of Oldtown and a match between Houses Hightower and Tyrell had already been made. Nobody would consent to it. And of course, Atera didn't feel anything towards the blonde man.

"I know about the beauty that my cousin has. I would be deemed as an idiot if I didn't, after all the poems those poor lords and knights serenaded her with.", Arys and Victor grimaced. She hated poetry. "But she has no interest in you. Or anything these days. Remember, we are here to distract her not for anything else."

"When will you stop painting me as a doe-eyed love fool? There's nothing for you to exaggerate."

Normally Arys would keep teasing him but then he saw one of Paxter Redwyne's squires approach his cousin. The young boy handed her two letters and whoever sent them made her frown deeply. Arys stopped joking and went to her side.

"Who is it? Leyton?", he asked with caution. Atera wasn't reacting well to her brother's name on these days. It was going to be a year and a half in a moon since they last saw each other and yet, neither tried to contact the still.

"No. It's the king.", she looked at her cousin with a frown and shook the first letter nervously.

A letter from the king wasn't a good omen. Especially not around this time when it was known that Aerys was looking for a wife for his son. Even his cousin Steffon Baratheon died in this case, but no lady with Old Valyrian blood was enough noble to satisfy Aerys. People knew that he started to search for a bride in Westeros itself, but Arys just hoped his claws wouldn't reach them.

Velaryons and Celtigars had the same Valyrian blood as the Targaryens. But Velearyons didn't have daughters anymore. The ones they had, both met with tragic ends in their marriage with Leyton Hightower. And the Celtigars were too weak for a match.