The Sworn Sword

Dunk told it all as best he could, though he omitted the part about Lady Helicent, which made him look an utter fool. He would have left out the clout, too, but his broken lip had puffed up twice its normal size, and Ser Eustace could not help but notice.

When he did, he frowned. ""Your lip.. "".

Dunk touched it gingerly. ""Her ladyship gave me a slap"".

""She struck you?"" His mouth opened and closed. ""She struck my envoy, who came to her beneath the chequy lion? She dared lay hands upon your person?""

""Only the one hand, ser. It stopped bleeding before we even left the castle"". He made a fist. ""She wants Ser Bennis, not your silver, and she won't take down the dam. She showed me a parchment with some writing on it, and the king's own seal. It said the stream is hers. And.. "". He hesitated. ""She said that you were… that you had.. "".

""… risen with the black dragon?"" Ser Eustace seemed to slump. ""I feared she might. If you wish to leave my service, I will not stop you"". The old knight gazed into his cup, though what he might be looking for Dunk could not say.

""You told me your sons died fighting for the king"".

""And so they did. The rightful king, Daemon Blackfyre. The King Who Bore the Sword"". The old man's mustache quivered. ""The men of the red dragon call themselves the loyalists, but we who chose the black were just as loyal, once. Though now… all the men who marched beside me to seat Prince Daemon on the Iron Throne have melted away like morning dew. Mayhaps I dreamed them. Or more like, Lord Bloodraven and his Raven's Teeth have put the fear in them. They cannot all be dead"".

Dunk could not deny the truth of that. Until this moment, he had never met a man who'd fought for the Pretender. I must have, though. There were thousands of them. Half the realm was for the red dragon, and half was for the black. ""Both sides fought valiantly, Ser Arlan always said"". He thought the old knight would want to hear that.

Ser Eustace cradled his wine cup in both hands. ""If Daemon had ridden over Gwayne Corbray… if Fireball had not been slain on the eve of battle… if Hightower and Tarbeck and Oakheart and Butterwell had lent us their full strength instead of trying to keep one foot in each camp… if Manfred Lothston had proved true instead of treacherous… if storms had not delayed Lord Bracken's sailing with the Myrish crossbowmen… if Quickfinger had not been caught with the stolen dragon's eggs… so many if s, ser… had any one come out differently, it could all have turned t'other way. Then we would called be the loyalists, and the red dragons would be remembered as men who fought to keep the usurper Daeron the Falseborn upon his stolen throne, and failed"".

""That's as it may be, m'lord"", said Dunk, ""but things went the way they went. It was all years ago, and you were pardoned"".

""Aye, we were pardoned. So long as we bent the knee and gave him a hostage to ensure our future loyalty, Daeron forgave the traitors and the rebels"". His voice was bitter. ""I bought my head back with my daughter's life. Alysanne was seven when they took her off to King's Landing and twenty when she died, a silent sister. I went to King's Landing once to see her, and she would not even speak to me, her own father. A king's mercy is a poisoned gift. Daeron Targaryen left me life, but took my pride and dreams and honor"". His hand trembled, and wine spilled red upon his lap, but the old man took no notice of it. ""I should have gone with Bittersteel into exile, or died beside my sons and my sweet king. That would have been a death worthy of a chequy lion descended from so many proud lords and mighty warriors. Daeron's mercy made me smaller"".

In his heart the black dragon never died, Dunk realized.

""My lord?""

It was Egg's voice. The boy had come in as Ser Eustace was speaking of his death. The old knight blinked at him as if he were seeing him for the first time. ""Yes, lad? What is it?""

""If it please you… the Red Widow says you rebelled to get her castle. That isn't true, is it?""

""The castle?"" He seemed confused. ""Coldmoat… Coldmoat was promised me by Daemon, yes, but… it was not for gain, no.. "".

""Then why?"" asked Egg.

""Why?"" Ser Eustace frowned.

""Why were you a traitor? If it wasn't just the castle""."

"Ser Eustace looked at Egg a long time before replying. ""You are only a young boy. You would not understand"".

""Well"", said Egg, ""I might"".

""Treason… is only a word. When two princes fight for a chair where only one may sit, great lords and common men alike must choose. And when the battle's done, the victors will be hailed as loyal men and true, whilst those who were defeated will be known forevermore as rebels and traitors. That was my fate"".

Egg thought about it for a time. ""Yes, my lord. Only… King Daeron was a good man. Why would you choose Daemon?""

""Daeron.. "". Ser Eustace almost slurred the word, and Dunk realized he was half drunk.