Lucius Aurelianus

Lucius sat at the main table in the hall, outside the castle, a storm battered the island and the Stone Drum, the main keep of Dragonstone, seemed insistent on proving worthy of its name. Thunderous booming sounds filled the keep, without rhythm to speak of. A drum indeed, but the storm proved to be a poor musician.

Princess Elia Martell presided over the round table, flanked on her left by her Ladies in Waiting: Lady Ashara Dayne, Lady Larra Blackmont, Lady Myria Qorgyle, and Lady Frynne Manwoody. To her right sat her uncle Ser Lewyn Martell, a member of the Kingsguard. Maester Corwyn sat beside Lewyn, while Ben and Lucius occupied the remaining seats. Lucius was seated across from Princess Elia, beside Lady Manwoody.

Maester Corwyn was regaling the table with a tale about Ser Lucamore Strong, a knight who had lived more than two centuries ago. “And so he was dragged to the Iron Throne in chains, there the whole court was present, and Ser Gyles Morrigen presented the King with living proof Lucamore the Lusty had betrayed his oath. Before the King stood three women, and sixteen children.” The Maester took a break from his storytelling to take a sip from his cup and recover his breath.

“It turns out, the White Sword had married three different women, without telling each of the other two. It is said that two of the women hurled insults at each other and their children, while the third attempted to attack Ser Lucamore with a knife she took from a knight distracted by the spectacle. She was only stopped by Ser Ryam Redwyne. Alas, he later would have preferred she had succeeded in her attempt, since King Jaehaerys ordered Ser Ryam to cut the precocious knight’s manhood and sentenced him to the Wall, and so the same knife with which his second wife tried to murder him was used instead to gild him.” The Maester finished his story to the playful applause of Princess Elia and her ladies, who were listening intently. Ben and Ser Lewyn applauded the Maester too, who in turn stood up and mockingly bowed to them as if he was some sort of bard or entertainer.

Elia giggled at the Maester's antics. “Sit down Corwyn. I know for a fact you will be complaining later about the pain in your knees.” She mockingly scolded the Maester who sat back down as the chain along his neck clanked. “I could start complaining now if only to prove my Princess right.” The Maester chuckled.

“There is no need.” Ser Lewyn interrupted their chatting, “We hear you complain enough as is.” The knight japed. Princess Elia giggled again. She wore a red, thin linen dress, and over it, a sheepskin cloak, to guard her against the cold. It seemed that the warming days the previous year had been a fluke, winter had returned with a vengeance.

“Speaking of complaining. How comes your training, Ben? I haven’t heard you complain about it since Ser Myles left with Prince Rhaegar, I do hope you haven’t been neglecting your duties this past week.” Ser Lewyn turned towards Ben. Ser Lewyn was wearing armour and, on his shoulders, rested a white cloak. Lucius had never seen the knight unarmoured or without his cloak since he had met him.

“I haven’t! I’ve been following Ser Myles’ instructions. It’s just that I wish he had taken us with him.” Ben replied. Elia frowned, but hints of her smile were still visible on her face. “I didn’t think you would abandon me so, Ben. It wouldn’t be gallant of a knight to leave a young mother like me, and such fair maidens as my ladies all on our own. Would it?” She said, chastising him, Ben’s eyes grew large with panic.

“I didn’t mean to… Princess, I… Ladies…” Ben fumbled in his attempts to explain or excuse himself. Lucius was extremely amused by his friend's clumsiness with words, but he hid his smile by drinking some wine from his cup. The Princess wasn’t half so subtle, she outright laughed at poor Ben. “Worry not Ben, I’m jesting with you.” Her tone was kind, and her smile warm. Ben seemed to relax. “I have my uncle to protect me, and I’m sure Lucius wouldn’t be as eager to abandon our company as you seem to be” She japed.

"I would never dream of abandoning your company, Princess," Lucius replied with a charming smile, his eyes flickering over to the ladies who were now giggling. "The least I owe the prince is to protect his wife and children, although I must admit that the lovely ladies accompanying them are a persuasion of their own." He gave a respectful nod to the Princess and a wink to the ladies. Princess Elia huffed, there was a hint of amusement in her eyes, but also a touch of genuine anger. “In that case, I’d think we’d rather you go along with Ben, follow my fool husband around whatever merry chase has caught his fancy this time. It must be something important I expect since it has compelled him so to abandon his wife and first son just a few months after he was born.” Her voice was laced with sarcasm, and the ladies couldn't help but snigger at the pointed remark.

“Don’t be so quick to dismiss them, Elia. They make for entertaining company.” Lady Frynne said directing a sly smile to Lucius, who returned a smile of his own. “Entertaining imagery you mean, with the way your eyes wander.” Elia quipped, and the ladies giggled, except for Lady Frynne who pouted. Ser Lewyn laughed alongside the ladies. “It’s no wonder they find the young squires charming, they are talented fighters, women can sense those things.” Lewyn nodded sagely to his own observation. “Is more that they are not as boorish as you Ser Uncle. Men with a modicum of manners, tolerable looks, and wit enough not to yap incessantly are easy to digest for womanly eyes.” Princess Elia said in a serious tone. Her uncle leaned backwards and threw his hands to the sides as if asking why he was being unjustly targeted. Elia giggled with his ladies at Lewyn’s reaction.

The princess took one last sip from her cup and stood up, everyone stood after her. “The ladies and I will retire now, my children must miss their mother already.” She declared and left the hall with her ladies behind her. Lady Frynne looked back at Lucius with playful green eyes and waved her fingers at him. Lucius smiled and waved back.

The storm outside raged on for hours, the drinking and bantering just as long. Lucius expected the old Maester to be the first to succumb to slumber and leave but it seemed Ben couldn’t quite hold his liquor and he passed out on the table, Ser Lewyn went to sleep shortly after. Lucius drank no more than three cups in the entire night, but Maester Corwyn drank cup after cup and seemed immune to the effects of wine. They chatted for hours, it was more Maester Corwyn lecturing about unusual topics and telling old tales than an actual conversation, but Lucius enjoyed it. Finally, Lucius got drowsy and retired to his chamber, he left Ben on the table, he had to learn how to moderate his drinking somehow, and he was too tired to carry the big oaf.