#{.. barristan ..} first meetings

He only sat on the SMALL COUNCIL for the SUPPORT he had of the PEOPLE. There was not a man, woman or child who did not know his NAME or of his DEEDS. He had easily passed into LEGEND with all he has achieved in his long life and the CROWN knew it was better to keep such a folk hero on a tight leash, close to them so that the LOVE and ADMIRATION he received would rub off on them. That was the only reason he had a seat on the SMALL COUNCIL. It was the only reason any of them let him in the chamber, it was easier to keep him around than to force him out.

“There have been moments where I admit, I have been TEMPTED to use it.” His voice was not heard, they HUMOURED him at the beginning, but now they just TOLERATE him and flat out IGNORE him and it has come to the point where he merely takes his seat and utters not a single word. “Yet I FEAR I am merely someone to OCCUPY a seat and nothing more.”

He offered a small smile, as he felt the softness of her fingers, touching his as he remained still, eyes lingering down for only a moment and nothing more than that as he looked back up at her. “There are only so many PARDONS you can give a man.” He LAUGHED – making light of the FORGIVENESS the NEW KING had given him on the BATTLE FIELD – pardoning him after he had KILLED a dozen of his ALLIES.

He would NOT take another drink – not now, not when the CONVERSATION had turned AND shifted to something more SERIOUS. He listened to her PLIGHT, to her REQUEST. He turned his head, for a moment. The king cared little about him, honestly no one even knew he EXISTED– he was nothing more than a shadow of what he once was, this was the first time in years – that he has had the chance to actually do SOMETHING, instead of sitting in the SMALL COUNCIL CHAMBER being IGNORED and INSULTED.

She had arrived later than she had wanted, but the gatesman informed her that her father was hosting the king in the Great Hall. She entered quietly through the large double doors to find King Robert seated at the head table, along with her father and several of her brothers. Other than a table of giggling girls who had remained behind after breaking their fast, the rest of the Freys were no where to be seen. 

King Robert was speaking loudly, already deep in his cup, no doubt, and his chair was flanked on either side by two members of his Kingsguard -- one tall and white-haired, the other, rounder and jowly. The white-haired one was Ser Barristan Selmy without a doubt, any child in the Seven Kingdoms would be able to point him out. The other, she did not recognize.

She stopped by the table of girls to see that they were her nieces -- Merrett’s girls. She didn’t remember all of their names, she had been away at House Haigh for so many years now, but they recognized her. 

“Auntie Meryll -- when did the King get so fat?” one of the girls asked, giggling. “What are you doing here? Did Uncle Leslyn come too?” another interrupted.

She shushed the girl who had so rudely commented on the King’s appearance and turned to the other. “I wasn’t going to miss a chance to see the royal family, was I? And no, I came alone.” There were other reasons why she had been eager to leave House Haigh, but those were not for the ears of these girls.

“Ser Jaime is here too, but he is guarding the Queen. She’s still in the wheelhouse with Princess Myrcella,” a plump, blond-haired girl informed her. “We really wanted to see Ser Jaime.” The other girls sighed with moony faces in agreement and began to giggle again, attracting the attention of their grandfather.

She shooed the girls outside before her father started yelling, and then approached the head table, taking a seat to the side and ignoring the narrow-eyed look her father was giving her. She was the oldest daughter, why shouldn’t she have a seat at this table alongside her brothers?

Robert appeared to be in the middle of some boastful story about making the eight. Heaven help them, could the man be any more crass?