121 AC
The Village of Silverhill
"She is Daemon Targaryen's bastard????"Cadwyn never saw Lord Serret this angry before. Lord Serret was flipping out. The house of Alex barely containing the rage. Everybody in the room were as it follows: Jaimie, Cadwyn, Lord Serret, and Alex. Alyssa, the Targaryen girl, was fast asleep in the room above, tired from the partying.
"Hey, old man, she's sleeping. Stop shouting. And I've adopted her. She was starving in what was the place called Runestone, so she isn't a bastard. If anybody asks, she's mine." Alex resolutely said.
"Are you sure about this, Alex? They will ask and grill you endlessly about this. You must come up with a backstory foolproof. Alex, I only rage because bastards of dragonlords invite danger. I for one think you did a noble thing, but why not for many other children? Why for her?" Lord Serret asked a valid question.
"You didn't see how she looked at me back then. She was so malnourished, her head was covered in bruises. It's precisely because of her heritage I do this. Being a bastard doesn't mean you deserve to be subhuman. I rage against it. I always will. It's wrong. Are we not all humans? Do we not bleed the same? I know this will invite some fuckery later on, but I welcome it because by God, she deserves love and a warm meal. I will give her that and more." Alex firmly stated.
"I hear your words, Alex, but we are walking a tightrope. The Lords will chafe if they think you slept with a foreigner. They know your power and they will use this against you. Alex, you are kind, gentle, and more of a man than I ever will be, but by the Seven, think of implications. If the Prince knows you are harbouring his bastard daughter, if he has an inkling of familial love, and he takes slight to this, he will burn you." Lord Serret pleaded.
"Ah, let him try, and she isn't a bastard. She is an Armstrong. She is my daughter, and that is final." Alex put his foot down.
Cadwyn couldn't plead against this. By the Seven, it was a folly to persuade Alex when he was like this, especially when it came to his morals. It was one of the things Cadwyn swore he loved about his friend. Cadwyn knew this would lead to severe implications down the road. But Cadwyn would be by his friend's side all the same.
If he burns, so too will Cadwyn. Cadwyn would do anything to protect his brother. To the depths of hell and back.Cadwyn saw Lord Serret accept Alex's words and, not wanting to argue against Alex further, obliged. Lord Serret would proclaim Alyssa an Armstrong in the next gathering. Lord Serret would also back Alex to hell and back.
Lord Serret would forge the documentations with his contacts, and Alex would repay the favor by building a public work every year. Alex was going to do it anyway. Lord Serret just wanted to remind Alex.
Lord Serret left with Jaimie. Jaimie was shocked but he was being super, super shy, more than normal, stealing quick glances at Alyssa when she was first introduced. The girl was quite willful, announcing herself whenever she could.She frightened Jaimie with how much she asked Jaimie about himself. She tired herself out, which is why she is slumped out in the master bedroom. Alex has no servants to tend to anybody. He does everything himself. Lord Serret did offer some, but Alex refused out of principle. He wanted to do everything himself.
Cadwyn was chuckling at the absurdity of it all. But he had a question to ask.
"Where is the sword then, Alex?" His eyes brimming with curiosity.
Alex smiled and unveiled the massive sword. It had a peafowl pommel and peafowl carvings all etched into the steel. It was such fine steel, finest steel he saw. Cadwyn was shocked, truly. Nobody has a sword like this except those Valyrian steel swords, and Alex already assured this sword was stronger than Valyrian steel and had no blood magic imbued within it.
Cadwyn then picked it up. It was so light, light as a feather. How could this be? Alex then put up a chair and asked for Cadwyn to sit.
"Brother, I want to say thank you for holding everything down," Alex smiled.
Cadwyn nodded to show it was nothing.
"Brother, if you are ever in dire help, and you need me, I have uncanny hearing. I've tuned it to your voice. So if you ask me for help, I will come rushing. You won't need it because you already are a beast."
"I have a task for you. It will come in a couple years, and when shit really pops off, I only ask you protect those that you can and protect the weak as best as you could. I heard how much you cared for the villagers. I know how harsh they treated you in the past, yet you were willing to set aside past bullying in order to protect them faithfully, and for that comes this." Alex smiled. Alex then got up and grabbed the peafowl sword.
"Kneel," Alex bellowed.
Cadwyn knelt. Alex placing the sword on each shoulder. Cadwyn knew for it to be officially recognised there must be an audience for him to be a knight. Alex never knew the words. Alex only asked for a simple thing.
"Cadwyn the Bold, will you be kind and gentle to those who are weak?" Alex said with a soft smile. The candlelight flickering.
"I will."
"Cadwyn the Bold, will you be unrelenting in your pursuit to being kind?"
"I will."
"Arise. Ser Cadwyn the Bold, Knight of the Peafowl and the Smallfolk, my Bloody Brother!" Alex roared.
Cadwyn found himself in a massive hug. Alex let go, and Cadwyn swore in his heart Alex didn't know the words of becoming a knight. But it didn't matter, for in this moment, Cadwyn was a knight. Nobody could change that.
He was infinite in this moment.