"Crazy. Crazy. I think you are truly crazy."
On the Storm bound for Braavos, the first mate looked at Zaren with shock written all over his face.
"Do you know what you refused? A castle, a lordship, and lands!
"If you had agreed, from now on every Sisterman would have to bow and call you 'My Lord'."
"It's 'M'Lord'," Jimmy Sunderland corrected the first mate's accent, looking at Zaren with admiration.
"The Commander is certainly not crazy. Giving up lands to keep an oath is an act of supreme honor, worthy of respect, like a Kingsguard in white cloak and armor."
Jimmy Sunderland had curly chestnut hair and a fresh, youthful face. He had draped himself in a white cloak with a red sash.
He was the youngest son of Old Ser Lyles. previously serving as a squire to his father and eldest brother, he dreamed of becoming a knight. Being a Kingsguard was a dream he barely dared to entertain.
In Westeros, becoming a knight required more than just a horse, armor, and a sword. It required knighting by another knight or a king, a vigil in a sept anointed with holy oils, and vows to be brave, just, and protect the weak and innocent.
A knight's honor and prestige were measured not only by martial prowess and tourney victories but also by character and adherence to vows.
The vows of a Kingsguard were even heavier and stricter, bringing the greatest honor and renown.
"Commoners say 'M'Lord', nobles say 'My Lord'," the first mate spat disdainfully at Jimmy's correction. "How can there be more nobles in the Three Sisters than commoners and smugglers?"
"Enough. Hss—" Zaren tried to stop their argument but hissed in pain as Zack Stone applied ointment and bandages to his bruises.
The first mate snatched the ointment from Zack. "Did old Godric really give you these beatings?" he asked while bandaging Zaren.
"Before I made my choice, Uncle looked like he had one foot in the grave," Zaren said, sitting shirtless in a chair, his body covered in bruises.
"I didn't expect that after I refused him, he'd run faster than me, blessed by the gods, chasing me with a piece of firewood."
"I can testify to that. Under the tower, I heard not only the whipping sounds but also Lord Godric's loud cursing," Zack Stone said, scratching his head goofily after losing the ointment. His voice was rough and booming.
"The Lord's voice was loud. I heard it clearly. He called the Commander crazy, stupid, just like people call me."
Zack Stone was Old Ser Lyles' bastard son, a few years older than Jimmy. He was tall, robust, and agile, running like a charging bull.
However, he was somewhat slow-witted and had an enormous appetite, earning him the nicknames "Never-Full" Zack or "Dim" Zack among the Longsister folk.
His brothers affectionately called him "Rice Bucket."
Hearing Zack, Zaren rubbed his forehead and sighed.
Old Ser Lyles had sent him two living treasures as squires: a strong rice bucket and a boy playing dress-up in a white cloak, dreaming of knighthood.
I should have known that old fox was up to no good, Zaren cursed silently, resolving to send them away at the first opportunity.
---
It was three weeks later when Arthur saw Zaren again.
From the fourth-floor window of his mansion, Arthur watched Zaren's small boat dock.
Zaren had changed significantly since he left.
Before leaving, Zaren dressed like a Braavosi lord in dark clothes and a silk cloak—his usual attire in Braavos.
Now, he wore a light green hunting tunic and breeches, with a grey silk cloak fastened at the shoulder by a silver crab clasp. At a glance, he truly looked like a Westerosi noble.
Arthur remembered their first meeting on the Storm. Zaren had looked like a bandit leader then, his pale eyes full of arrogance, his thick lips curled in disdain, his emotions plain on his face.
It was hard to imagine such a transformation in less than a year.
Does war truly accelerate a man's growth?
Some expert had said the best way to make a man mature was to send him to the battlefield.
Arthur used to think it was a dark joke. Seeing Zaren now, he began to doubt himself.
Did the expert actually mean it?
Before Arthur could think further, 'Ledger' Pate knocked and entered to report Zaren's return.
Along with Zaren came 'Shorty' Weiss and Victar.
"We encountered a considerable storm on the way back to Braavos," a haggard and visibly aged Victar reported first in the meeting hall.
"It blew the fleet off course, and two medium flat-bottomed boats are missing."
"May the gods grant their safe return," Arthur told Pate to note it down. "If they met with misfortune, compensate them according to the standards for the war orphans."
After spending another quarter of an hour discussing casualties, expenses, and spoils, Arthur asked Zaren with interest to recount the war and the suppression of the pirates.
As the commander, Zaren described the war in the Three Sisters and on Pebble from his perspective, detailing the events.
Listening to Zaren's account of key moments and his final summary, even Arthur felt he learned a lot.
After all, let alone commanding a war, Arthur hadn't even personally killed anyone yet. His [Twin-Vipers] had truly become swords of benevolence.
Moreover, Arthur could hear from Zaren's words that he now had a systematic approach to mobilization, personnel management, and decision-making.
His tone was confident, his demeanor commanding. He truly acted like a qualified lord.
When they heard that Earl Godric had offered Zaren the heirship of Sweetsister to make him stay, and Zaren had refused, everyone's view of him changed, not just Arthur's.
'Ledger' Pate's mouth hung open. Born in Flea Bottom, he knew the value of becoming the heir to a lordship.
Victar looked at Zaren with newfound respect. Having struggled on both sides of the Narrow Sea for thirty years, he knew how hard life could be. Giving up an inherited castle required immense courage, whatever the reason.
Victar knew he couldn't have done it.
Victar's eldest son, Vickon, who had always been at odds with Zaren and the Sistermen, bowed his head in apology to Zaren.
"I was prejudiced against Sistermen before and spoke too loudly. Please forgive me."
Even Kojja Mo, the Summer Islander with a vastly different culture, and the taciturn 'Shorty' Weiss praised Zaren for keeping his oath and refusing the inheritance.
Shing—
Amidst the praise, the sound of a sword being drawn rang out.
Everyone looked to see Arthur drawing the sword at his waist.
[Twin-Vipers]: The male sword can sense the location of the female sword. (Effective only for the host).
Arthur caressed the blade of the female sword of the [Twin-Vipers] nostalgically and introduced it:
"I have carried this sword since Winterfell. It is one of the first four Black Mamba swords I forged.
"Of those four, I gave two to my closest cousins and kept two for myself. I couldn't think of anything else to repay your oath and honor your loyalty, so I give you this sword."
"My Lord, you don't have to," Zaren said, though his webbed hands gripped the hilt tightly as if afraid someone would snatch it away. "I will treasure it."
Zaren's hands trembled. He understood the implication: this sword was only gifted to close cousins. Arthur was saying their relationship was like brothers.
"I have one more announcement," Arthur scanned the room, his gaze resting on Zaren Borrell.
"Once the businesses in Braavos are stable, I will travel to Starfall. In my absence, Zaren will manage affairs in Braavos for me."
Zaren's demonstrated loyalty, ability, and identity made him the best choice.
As for Earl Godric, that bald, cunning old man... Arthur cursed him silently as an old fox.
Looking back, Zaren's choice benefited Godric either way.
If Zaren stayed, Godric gained a qualified heir. If he left, Zaren gained a reputation for honorable adherence to oaths. It was a win-win.
However, the old man's move gave Arthur a direct understanding of Zaren's loyalty.
Regarding Victar's outstanding contribution at Sweetsister, Arthur granted his request: his second son, Vickary, would take over the fleet, while Victar would stay in Braavos to assist Zaren.
Arthur also promised to forge a unique Captain's Sword personally for Victar.