Ser Criston guarded the Queen’s chamber.
It had been a day since the tournament.
His King had chided him for his ‘overzealous’ strike on Ser Joffrey.
Criston had felt shame for lying to his King, but he had told Viserys that he had thought Ser Joffrey was still able to fight.
The King had told him to be more careful in the future, but there had been no punishment.
From the Queen he learned Rhaenyra had tried to have him removed from the Kingsguard.
He hated her.
She had tempted him and showed him how weak the flesh was.
He was a man of honor.
A man who took his vows seriously.
Or so he thought.
Her tight body had won over his integrity.
He had deflowered the King’s daughter, and later still, he had offered to betray the King’s trust once more by stealing away in the night with Rhaenyra.
Only she had refused him.
Bitterness had filled his soul, and he knew he was knave of the worst kind, and it had all been for naught.
Criston had been prepared to confess all to the King, but in the end, it was the Queen who saved him.
He had unburdened himself with Alicent.
She had told him that while he had erred, he still had a duty, and that duty could not be fulfilled with his execution.
It would not even have harmed the harlot heir, as the King allowed her to get away with anything.
Alicent knew the King’s heart better than any.
Ser Joffrey had ended up living.
He had been gravely wounded and his speech was slurred.
For that, Ser Criston felt no guilt.
The man made a mockery of his knightly vows and devotion to the Seven.
Criston knew in some ways he was as bad as the sword-swallower for what he had done with the princess, but he at least planned to devote his life to making amends.
He doubted a deviant like Joffrey would ever commit to the same.
Nearly silent footsteps came from around the bend of the hall.
Despite his thoughts, he had not let his attention falter for a moment.
The cadence could only be that of the princess, the younger one.
Ser Criston was familiar with Elaena.
One could not be unfamiliar with any of the King’s family given the Kingsguard’s role.
She was a dutiful child who made Queen Alicent’s life significantly easier.
Little Aegon’s tantrums were already a thing of legend, but Elaena was able to calm him better than even his mother.
“Princess,” he bowed as he went to open the door.
“A moment of your time, please, Ser Criston.”
Elaena was unfailingly polite and courteous, but she had never spoken overlong with him.
“Of course,” he replied.
“I am upset with your actions in the tournament.
My sister’s wedding feast was quite ruined as my good-brother spent it away from her side.”
He grew a bit uncomfortable, not quite sure how to respond to a child bringing this issue up with him.
“I was too forceful in the melee, and I have apologized to the King for it.
Yet, Ser Laenor should have attended the feast.
It is unseemly for him to be that… distracted.”
The little princess tilted her head slightly.
“Ser, I don’t think you would understand the relationship Laenor and Joffrey have, it is no easy thing to attend a celebration when someone so dear to his heart lay potentially mortally wounded.”
Now Criston was even more discomfited.
And mayhap even have gone so far as to excuse it.
Fresh disgust welled within him, though none of this was the fault of a girl of, what, nearly five?
He recalled she had recently had a name day celebration, but could not remember her age.
“Whatever their relationship is, he had a duty.”
“As do you, ser.
You should call on my good-brother and Ser Joffrey and apologize for the accident.
The longer you delay the less understanding they will view the incident.”
He scoffed, and then his finely honed instincts sent a surge of adrenaline through his body.
He felt as if he was in mortal danger.
His eyes flickered to the right and to the left, but he saw nothing.
His attention turned back to Elaena whose eyes were staring up at his own.
There was a weight to that gaze.
Criston recalled the last time he saw Syrax land bearing Rhaenyra, after their argument.
The dragon had stared at him, and just now, he felt the same sense of peril.
Ser Criston had not let his body’s alertness unman him then and he would not do so now.
He was a knight of the Kingsguard.
He opened his mouth to speak, but could not think of what he wished to say.
Her gaze broke away and she let out a tsk.
“You should apologize, but I will not press the issue.
I know the real reason for your frustrations, and you have my sympathies.
It isn’t easy, but it will get better as time passes.
But in regards to my request, I ask you to remember it is not Ser Joffrey’s fault either!
Again, do as you will, I will see my mother now.”
Ser Criston felt his face heat up in shame.
That vile whore had spoke of his shame to a child?
How many knew of his dishonor?
He didn’t trust himself to speak and merely opened the door to allow Elaena in.
Hot rage suffused his being; he was mortified.
The princess did have a point, as vile as Ser Joffrey was, those actions had nothing do with him.
It was Rhaenyra who had sullied him, no one else.
It was Rhaenyra who now dragged his name through the muck.
No, it was not Ser Joffrey’s fault, perhaps an apology was owed.
…
The Queen had to weigh in and help Ser Criston keep his cloak.
Fortuitously, it was within the realm of possibility that Ser Criston had merely been overeager in the melee.
She was a bit annoyed with what he had done.
There was only so many things she could cajole out of Viserys, especially when his daughter made demands.
Make too many pleas and he would grow irate, it was a fine balance that needed to be maintained, and she had expended goodwill on his cloak remaining affixed to him.
She heard the door open and saw Elaena enter.
Yesterday, the poor girl had come back from the tournament grounds and immediately went to sleep.
The excitement of the tournament, followed by such a serious injury had no doubt been hard for the girl to endure.
Alicent knew that in many ways she was quite delicate, her soft-spoken daughter of the heart hid behind an advanced manner of speech and a royal mien, but she was still a child.
“Are you feeling better, Elaena?”
“Yes, mother, I am.
I apologize for not caring for Aegon yesterday evening, I’ll make sure to accompany him for the rest of today.”
Alicent made a dismissive gesture.
“I’ll hear none of that, Elaena.
You take responsibility for your siblings far more than most would.
Elaena smiled, “Thank you, mother.
I do have a suggestion.
Even with my help, Aegon is often noisy and it drives our guards to frustration.
If Ser Criston was not always acting as your sworn shield and around Aegon, I suspect he would never have let his anger get the better of him.”
Alicent considered, she knew that was not the reason for Cole’s actions, but no doubt being around Aegon was an annoyance.
It certainly was for her.
She felt guilty at that thought, but it was true.
He was getting better, but slowly.
Thankfully her babe, Aemond, seemed less difficult.
At least at this early juncture of his childhood.
“I will speak with Ser Harrold; you have some good ideas, Elaena.”
Ser Harrold Westerling was Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and a man who took his duty quite seriously.
Speaking to him and suggesting a more active rotation in the Kingsguard guarding her would likely be accepted.
It felt good to act on something Elaena suggested.
The Seven knew Elaena had probably single-handedly saved her from madness.
An extreme thought, and not accurate, likely if Elaena had not proven so helpful with Aegon she would have forced the poor maids to deal with him even more.
Still, she was very grateful.
“Thank you, mother.
I wanted to ask you if we could make regular visits to places like the Street of Steel and some of the independent merchants for gifts.
I am coming to the age where I feel it is appropriate to give family members tokens of appreciation and presents on their name days.”
Alicent had not thought about it at all.
Viserys gave gifts freely and frequently, and of course on her name days lords and ladies currying favor would occasionally provide gifts to her, but it was infrequent.
It was rarely done for children to give adults something, but it was clear to see little Elaena was not a normal child.
“We would have to arrange it with the Kingsguard and the City Watch.
I’m sure Viserys will not mind providing coin, assuming it is within reason.”
“Thank you, and I will not be wasteful.
I also see value in being a patron to the hardworking entrepreneurs of the city.
I find matters of coin and trade fascinating, but tomes and scrolls can only tell me so much.
I want to see the process in person.”
The Queen was warming up to the idea.
It would be fun.
As a young girl in Oldtown, before she came to King’s Landing, the rare times she had been allowed to go shopping for her own jewels had been enjoyable.
There was something pleasant about simply browsing wares and in deciding for herself what she had wanted.
“Let me talk to your father and Ser Harrold.
We will find a time soon.”
They would also want the City Watch nearby.
That would be a good opportunity to spend time with Gwayne too.
They talked at length about the shops Elaena wished to peruse.
Her daughter had a significant breadth of interest.
Ranging from weaponry, art, books, cloaks, and even mundane items like saddles that could be ornately designed as unique gift.
“I’m not sure we can visit all those places in a single day.”
“Oh, I know.
I hoped this could be a regularly occurrence.
Perhaps once a fortnight.”
That might be a bit much, Alicent thought, but they could see how the first excursion went.