Dark King, Dark Prince

22:24 Juh 0 Comments

The house was dark and silent, like a haunted castle. That was exactly what he used to think of his father's house. His house, he still had trouble forcing those words through his brain. A haunted castle of a fallen king. Haunted by the ghost of the woman he loved, Lyanna Stark.

Gendry knew the story, everyone did. Robert and Lyanna were engaged and and he loved her more than anything. But apparently her love for him wasn't big as his for her, 'cause she broke up with Robert, found a new love and had a kid with him. She had died on the birth and the baby was raised by Ned Stark 'cause the father had died as well, in weird circumstances. He had been shot by a man in a car, on the road by the river. The cops never find out who did and justice was never given to Lyanna's new love.

That had happened 26 years ago. One year before Gendry was born. One could say that Robert was getting over Lyanna, but fathering bastards was a pastime for Robert Baratheon. Gendry knew he had siblings, none of them born inside a marriage. He suspected that the oldest, Mya, had been conceived while Robert was still engaged.



Sometimes, thinking of the whole 'losing his beloved' drama, he wondered if she should be more sympathetic to his father. But he couldn't. Life was never easy. Robert had lost his love, but how many hearts had he broken?

Everyone used to say that he was a copy of his father, but the only resemblance Gendry saw was the physical: black hair, blue eyes, large shoulders, muscular chest and arms. Character and personality? No. He couldn't live with himself if he was similar to Robert in those aspects.

He walked through the dark halls and corridors. A dark castle for a dark king. What made him a dark prince. Arya would call him stupid for thinking like that. He smiled as entered the kitchen and found Barristan Selmy, chief of security, having dinner by himself.

"Hi, Barry."

"Good night, Mr. Gendry."

It was a small joke between them. Gendry would not cease calling him 'Barry' while he didn't stop calling Gendry 'sir'.

"How's he today?"

"He went to work."

"Did someone send a car?"

"No, he decided to go."

Gendry nodded and took a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Where's he now?"

"TV room, sir."

"Thank you, Barry. Night."

"'Night, sir."

He went to see his father. It was a strange relationship they had. Most of the time he was sure Robert didn't want him there. And he wasn't sure why he insisted in staying. Arya once had told him that he was stupid for not noticing that he cared about his father.

He sat on a chair beside Robert's.

"Not going to sleep at your friend's today?"

"No. You're stuck with me."

Robert chuckled. "Aye."

"Have you been drinking?"

"No."

The question he always asked and the sincere answer he was finally getting. Robert was trying to stop drinking, much because 1) Gendry used to throw away every single bottle of alcohol he found in the house; 2) He had told the house's staff to do the same; 3) Ned Stark kept an eye on Robert everytime he went to work. Gendry cared for Robert, that was truth. He didn't like to admit it, though.

"How was your day?"

"I went to the company. To remind them I'm still alive."

"It would be easier to remember if they saw you there everyday."

"Don't start lecturing me, boy. I'm still the father here."

"Then act like one."

"How?"

"Advise me."

That surprised Robert. Gendry never needed advices. Not from him, at least.

"What troubles you?"

"A girl."

Robert laughed. A true laughter, full of joy. One that Gendry didn't know that existed.

"What's with us, Baratheon men, always falling for Stark girls?"

Gendry decided not ask how his father knew he was talking about Arya. "I don't think Stannis or Renly ever fell for Stark women."

"And I don't think Renly ever fell for any girl. Period. As for Stannis... Well, I don't think either."

"He's married. He must love his wife, they have a kid."

"He got married because that's what a man of his age was supposed to do and had a kid for the same reason. His life is an endless sucession of duties. He doesn't know love or pleasure."

"But you do.", he raised his eyebrows at his father.

"Aye. Love and pleasure, I used to know a lot of both."

"And Renly?"

"Ah, young Renly. He loves everyone and everyone loves him more. He's the best of us three." There wasn't admiration in his tone. Gendry felt like Robert was making a statement, not complimenting his younger brother. Robert leaned towards him, like he was going to tell a secret. "He knows how to love wisely."

"Love wisely?", he frowned in confusion.

"Yes. Stannis can only be wise and I could only love, but Renlt learned how to balance both. I took a lot of stupid decisions because of love. That's what is killing me.". He sounded defeated, like he was giving up of all the battles he still had to fight.

"Stop whining. What was killing you was the booze."

"Who you think you are to talk to me like that, boy?"

"Look around you, Robert.", he got up from the couch. "I'm the only family you have left."

He walked away, muttering a 'good night' and left his father alone in the room. He knew Robert was stronger than that. He had heard the stories of when he was younger and he used to go through the whole town trying to drink all the beer and fuck all the women. And more than that, Gendry knew his father was strong because of himself. His mother would have been sweet, kind and submissive and the last set of genes she didn't pass to him. He was a fighter like his father. Like his father used to be.