Rhaegar felt a powerful presence beside him.
To be honest, he rather liked Barristan Selmy.
Barristan was brave and intelligent, a knight who upheld his vows with absolute sincerity.
He was not one of those false "white princes." For a Kingsguard, the most difficult enemy was never steel, but desire itself.
Some white knights broke their vows for women, or men. Others willingly became pawns of powerful factions. Barristan had truly cast aside desire and ambition alike, remaining loyal only to his knightly oath.
That said, Barristan possessed no sense of humor. People often described him as rigid and old-fashioned. He might have many admirers, but very few friends.
Even so, being guarded by such a knight was an honor for Rhaegar. Barristan was like a living legend, radiant with quiet brilliance.
"I will protect you with my life, Prince Rhaegar," Barristan said, gazing at the boy with solemn devotion. He had long since abandoned worldly desire. To guard the blood of the dragon now felt like destiny itself.
"It is my honor, ser," Rhaegar replied.
He had studied under many teachers, history, music, literature, etiquette.
But those were merely foundational lessons.
The two people who spent the most time with him were his combat instructors.
The Fearless Barristan, and Sessa of Braavos.
Perhaps, buried deep in the dust of history, there was even a third, the Shadow of Lys.
"Sessa Uhl of Braavos."
"Barristan Selmy of Harvest Hall."
Barristan and Sessa sized each other up, their gazes meeting. They were men of utterly different origins and temperaments.
Rhaegar watched them and felt as though he were seeing two different worlds made flesh.
Barristan was the heir to Harvest Hall, a landed knight sworn to duty.
Sessa was a landless swordsman, wandering the canals and shadows of Braavos.
Barristan wore the white plate of the Kingsguard, favored heavy warhorses and lances.
Sessa dressed in dark brown, careless of appearance, devoted to the Water Dance.
More importantly, Barristan was stern, while Sessa was carefree and fond of wine.
"I sense a burning will within you, my lord," Sessa said to Barristan with a grin. "It seems we are part of a grand experiment, water and fire dancing together for the sake of a prince."
"In Westeros, there are only fire-dancers," Barristan snorted. In his view, water dancers were barely respectable.
Sessa merely smiled and did not press the matter.
Sometimes Rhaegar dined with his grandparents or parents. Other times, he insisted on eating with Barristan and Sessa instead. Though unconventional, King Jaehaerys II eventually agreed.
Prince Aerys consented reluctantly.
Queen Rhaella, however, approved wholeheartedly. She believed it nurtured warmth in a child's nature and did not wish her son to be shaped by the oppressive gloom of Summerhall.
Even Barristan found himself astonished by Prince Rhaegar's hunger for knowledge.
"The prince absorbs knowledge like a sponge, music, martial skill, history, anything that captures his interest. His talent and energy far exceed those of other children. He is precocious and brilliant, especially in music and combat. I have no doubt that when the queen carried him, she must have swallowed books, candles, a lion's heart, and a minstrel's harp strings."
, Barristan Selmy, in a letter to his kin
At one evening banquet, Queen Rhaella sent over a bottle of fine Arbor red.
Bound by his Kingsguard vows, Barristan declined to drink. The wine thus fell into Sessa's hands, and after one sip, he fell in love with it. For a brief moment, it dulled the hardships of life.
"Care for a cup, friend?" Sessa asked, raising his glass toward Barristan.
"Drinking is a sin," Barristan replied softly, shaking his head.
"What a dull man," Sessa sighed, drinking alone. The wine burned his throat and stomach, as though igniting memories long buried.
Rhaegar watched the two with interest. They made a fascinating pair.
Barristan disapproved of Sessa's habits, yet respected his character, a drunkard who loved cats, never bullied serving girls, and never visited brothels. In short, a man who cared only for swords and wine.
But when Sessa drank too much, he would sing ancient Braavosi ballads.
"Wine helps one forget the troubles of the world," Sessa said.
Then he began to speak of the past.
"Your Highness, a Braavosi courtesan known as the Black Pearl is your kin. It is said she bore descendants for your ancestor, King Aegon IV."
The courtesans of Braavos were famed across the world. Each owned her own barge and attendants. Merchants, nobles, and assassins alike sought their favor, not merely for the women themselves, but for the prestige they represented.
They were masters of music, poetry, dance, and literature, refined companions trained for years. The most renowned among them were called Black Pearls.
Rhaegar knew this to be true. If any king had sown dragonseed without restraint, it was that ancestor of the Blackfyres. His passions burned so fiercely that even Braavos had felt their heat. For the continuation of House Targaryen, he had certainly done his part.
Rhaegar and Barristan listened quietly, not interrupting.
Sessa Uhl, an exceptional Braavosi swordsman.
Braavosi bravos were fierce and quick to violence, often dueling over courtesans.
In Braavos, duels and contests happened every day.
Sessa, too, had once loved a courtesan.
His love burned like fire.
Her name was Fara, not a famous courtesan, merely a nameless girl who had fled a brothel.
"We danced beneath the moonlight, visited every statue of the Sea Lord. Those days still linger in my memory, perfume, love, and blood, all entwined."
"I won hundreds of duels… yet I could not save her. A water dancer poisoned her. Grief and fury consumed me. I killed him, his throat was carved by my blade."
"The Sealord heard my name… but I refused his summons."
"I will never return to Braavos again."
"That is a city of sorrow."