Full Summary: Daveth Baratheon is the eldest son of King Robert Baratheon and Queen Cersei Lannister, the only one of four children she actually bore her lawful husband. A natural-born prodigy at an early age, his keen intellect and swordsmanship are ranked as one of the best in Westeros. But to make it through the Game of Thrones alive, one must be ready to navigate through dangerous waters. The difficult challenge, however, is to do it without compromising your own ideals.
Author's Note: Ever wondered what might have occurred if Robert and Cersei's trueborn son actually lived? What might have changed? This is my first addition to FanFiction regarding Game of Thrones ; however, this will follow the HBO TV series adaptation instead of the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Also, some feedback will be required from viewers regarding other characters, so I don't break them. If I do make a mistake take it easy on me, all right?
Cast:
• Mark Addy as King Robert I Baratheon : The King of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, and founder of the Baratheon dynasty; former Lord of Storm's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. Once a powerful warrior and charismatic man in his youth, he led a rebellion against the Targaryen dynasty and seized the Iron Throne but proved to be an ineffective ruler, having grown fat and miserable and loathes his responsibilities as king.
• Henry Cavill as Prince Daveth Baratheon : Firstborn son of King Robert I Baratheon and Queen Cersei Lannister, heir to the Iron Throne as Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms. Calculating and determined with a mysterious past, he spends most of his time formulating strategic plots and preparing himself for the next challenge - even if it means getting his hands dirty. Nicknamed "the Young Stag" and "Black Lion", he is more commonly referred to as "the Oathkeeper" for delivering on a promise or a threat.
• Jack Gleeson as Prince Joffrey Baratheon : The second of Cersei Lannister's four children. Although believed to be one of King Robert I Baratheon's sons, unbeknownst to him and the realm, he is actually a bastard born of his mother Cersei's incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime. Vicious and cruel, he has a short temper and believes he can do anything he wants. He is also a coward when confronted by those who aren't afraid of him.
• Nell Tiger Free as Princess Myrcella Baratheon : The third of Cersei Lannister's four children. Although believed to be King Robert I Baratheon's daughter, unbeknownst to the realm, she is actually a bastard born of her mother Cersei's incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime. Unlike Joffrey, she is described as a sweet girl with a quiet disposition and has a close relationship with her eldest brother.
• Dean-Charles Chapman as Prince Tommen Baratheon : The youngest of Cersei Lannister's four children. Although believed to be one of King Robert I Baratheon's sons, unbeknownst to him and the realm, he is actually a bastard born of his mother Cersei's incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime. Like Myrcella, he is good-natured and passive boy in contrast to Joffrey and is fond of Daveth and his uncle Tyrion.
• Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister : The head of House Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Lord Paramount of the Westerlands, Shield of Lannisport, Warden of the West and former Hand of the King to Aerys II Targaryen. A calculating, ruthless, and controlling man, he is among the wealthiest and powerful lords in Westeros. He is the father of Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion and the grandfather of Daveth, Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen.
• Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister : The wife of King Robert I Baratheon, sister of Jaime and Tyrion, and the mother of Daveth, Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen. Despite her firstborn son Daveth being fathered by her lawful husband of 17 years, she has been involved in an incestuous relationship with Jaime from early childhood which has continued despite her marriage, making him the biological father of Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen. Her main character attribute is her desire for power and her deep loyalty to her father, children, and brother Jaime.
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister : The oldest son of Tywin Lannister, Cersei's younger twin, Tyrion's elder brother and a member of the Kingsguard. He has been involved in an incestuous relationship with Cersei from early childhood which has continued despite her marriage to King Robert I Baratheon, making him the biological father of Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen. Infamously nicknamed "the Kingslayer" for killing King Aerys II Targaryen near the end of Robert's Rebellion, violating his vows to protect him.
• Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister : Tywin Lannister's youngest offspring and younger brother of Cersei and Jaime. His mother, Lady Joanna, died giving birth to him which earned him the hatred of his father and sister; only Jaime is kind to him. Known for his dwarfism, he is mockingly nicknamed "the Imp" and "Halfman" due to his size and relies on his wits and intellect to overcome the prejudice he faces.
• Sean Bean as Lord Eddard Stark : The head of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount and Warden of the North. He is regarded as a dedicated husband and father, a loyal friend, and a dutiful, honorable lord considered to embody the values of the North. A veteran of Robert's Rebellion, he supported his childhood friend Robert Baratheon's campaign for the Iron Throne as one of his generals - although he has no interest in politics and prefers to rule with honor and follow the law.
• Michelle Fairley as Lady Catelyn Stark (née Tully ) : The wife of Lord Eddard Stark, originally the eldest daughter of Lord Hoster Tully, ruler of Riverrun and Lord Paramount of the Trident. She was originally betrothed to Eddard's older brother Brandon, but married Eddard after King Aerys II Targaryen brutally executed him to cement an alliance between the North and the Riverlands during Robert's Rebellion. She has five children with Eddard: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon.
• Richard Madden as Robb Stark : Firstborn son of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark and heir to Winterfell. Nicknamed "the Young Wolf" by friend and foe alike. Like his father, he shares a keen sense of justice and devotion to honor. His direwolf is named Grey Wind.
• Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark : The second of Lord Eddard and Catelyn Stark's five children and eldest daughter. Described as tall, slim, womanly, beautiful, and demure, destined to be a lady or a queen, she is betrothed to marry King Robert's son, Prince Daveth. She is often seen in contrast with her sister Arya, who has neither her looks nor her accomplishments in feminine activities and comportment. Her direwolf is named Lady.
• Maisie Williams as Arya Stark : The third of Lord Eddard and Catelyn Stark's five children and youngest daughter. Tomboyish and headstrong, she rejects becoming a lady and traditional "lady-like" pursuits in favor of combat training. She takes after her father and has a quarrelsome relationship with her sister Sansa, due to their contrasting interests and personalities. Her direwolf is named Nymeria.
• Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark : The fourth of Lord Eddard and Catelyn Stark's five children and second son. He was named after his deceased paternal uncle, Brandon. His favorite hobby is climbing the walls of Winterfell and dreams of becoming a knight of the Kingsguard, but an incident renders him permanently crippled. His direwolf is named Summer.
• Art Parkinson as Rickon Stark : The youngest of Lord Eddard and Catelyn Stark's five children. He is naturally aggressive, strong-willed, and violent. His direwolf is named Shaggydog.
• Kit Harrington as Jon Snow : The alleged bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark who left home to join the Night's Watch. In reality, he is actually Eddard's nephew by blood as Lyanna Stark's only child with Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, though his true parentage was kept a secret. Born as Aegon Targaryen, he was adopted into House Stark during infancy to protect him from Robert's wrath. His direwolf is named Ghost.
• Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy : The youngest son of Lord Balon Greyjoy, ruler of the Iron Islands. Since the age of eight, he has been a ward/hostage of House Stark for his rebellious father's good behavior stemming from the failed First Greyjoy Rebellion against the Baratheon dynasty. Despite his position, he remains loyal to Eddard and is good friends with his sons Robb and Jon.
• Harry Lloyd as Prince Viserys Targaryen : The second son of King Aerys II Targaryen and his sister-wife Queen Rhaella, younger brother of Prince Rhaegar and older brother of Princess Daenerys. He and his sister are the last remnants of the exiled Targaryen dynasty following Robert's Rebellion, which resulted in the deaths of their father and brother. He laid claim to the Iron Throne as King Viserys III following his father's murder. A narcissist, he is arrogant and self-centered, caring only about himself and looking down on others, especially his sister.
• Emilia Clarke as Princess Daenerys Targaryen : The daughter of King Aerys II Targaryen and his sister-wife Queen Rhaella, younger sister of Prince Rhaegar and Prince Viserys. Also called "the Stormborn", she and her brother Viserys were smuggled to Essos during the end of Robert's Rebellion. For 17 years, she has been under the care of Viserys, whom she fears, as he is abusive to her whenever she displeases him. Initially a timid, obedient youth, she grew more confident as time passed to become a formidable conqueror in her own right. Nicknamed "the Stormborn", "Breaker of Chains", "Mother of Dragons".
*"The rest of the cast will be played by the original cast of the HBO TV series Game of Thrones"*
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Game of Thrones characters in the story or from the novel A Song of Ice and Fire . Only the OCs included are mine. Main storyline takes place 17 years after Robert's Rebellion.
YEAR 298 AC
King's Landing, capital of the Seven Kingdoms…
Bells ring out in the capital city of King's Landing. Lord Jon Arryn of the Eyrie, Warden of the East and Hand of the King, had unexpectedly passed away. As his body lays in the throne room, the Silent Sisters prepare his body for burial. Elsewhere, in the balcony where the noble ladies of the court stand, Queen Cersei of House Lannister is seen contemplating as she leans against the edge of the railing, taking a moment to observe Lord Arryn's corpse.
The sound of someone's approaching footsteps breaks her concentration. The person in question is revealed to be her twin brother, Ser Jaime Lannister. One of the most skilled swordsmen in all of Westeros, Jaime was appointed as the youngest member of the Kingsguard at age fifteen to the last of the Targaryen kings, Aerys the Second of His Name. Unfortunately, he gained an infamous reputation throughout the Seven Kingdoms as "Kingslayer" (much to his irritation) for stabbing King Aerys in the back and killing him at the foot of the Iron Throne itself, thereby breaking his sworn vows to protect him.
As Jaime leans against the edge, he looks to counsel his twin sister. "As your brother, I feel it's my duty to warn you: You worry too much. It's starting to show."
"And you never worry about anything," Cersei responds. "When we were seven, you jumped off the cliffs at Casterly Rock. A 100-foot drop into the water. And you were never afraid."
"There was nothing to be afraid of until you told father," Jaime said humorously before deepening his tone of voice to imitate their father. "'We're Lannisters. And Lannisters don't act like fools.'"
"What if Jon Arryn told someone?" she asks.
"But who would he tell?"
"My husband," Cersei answers despondently.
Jaime merely shrugged his shoulders. "If he told the king, both our heads would be skewered on the city gates by now. Whatever Jon Arryn knew or didn't know, it died with him. And Robert will choose a new Hand of the King, someone to do his job while he's off fucking boars and hunting whores. Or is it the other way around? And life will go on."
"You should be Hand of the King."
"That's an honor I can do without. Their days are too long, their lives are too short."
-Elsewhere-
In his chambers stood the Crown Prince and heir to the Iron Throne, Daveth Baratheon. He had been busy packing whatever necessities are required for the journey to Winterfell in the North, expecting the climate to be cold. Standing in front of a mirror to properly tuck his royal attire, He didn't let the expression on his face to show, but deep down Daveth still had a tough time coping with Jon Arryn's death; the Lord of the Eyrie was like a second grandfather to him. Wise and prudent, Jon essentially tutored Daveth on how to rule and often presided over Small Council meetings together with Lord Arryn since his father, Robert of the House Baratheon, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, had no particular interest in ruling his kingdom and was more than happy to pass on the responsibilities to Lord Arryn and his eldest son despite the youth's age.
Since then, popular rumors began to circulate that it was Daveth who ruled the Seven Kingdoms in practice if not in name.
A true protégé of his maternal grandfather Lord Tywin Lannister, Daveth appeared to possess an extreme level of intellect and cunning, allowing him to outmaneuver his political rivals such as Petyr Baelish and even his mother Cersei Lannister with relative ease. At an incredibly fast pace, Daveth had demonstrated such great promise as a highly capable administrator and skilled warrior in his own right with a reputation for achieving efficient yet effective results in a short amount of time without reneging his word. As such, he is known throughout Westeros as the "Oathkeeper." Daveth cared little about nicknames or what other people thought of him.
Unfortunately, his fame and reputation caused a tense rift to develop between him and King Robert and the two became estranged. The royal court would soon be divided into two rival factions between those who supported the prince and had the good of the realm in mind and opportunistic sycophants who supported the King who felt increasingly threatened by his son's rapidly growing power and influence.
His thoughts were broken by a knock on the door.
"Come in," Daveth answers.
The door opens and in steps in Bernadette, a handmaiden to Daveth's mother Queen Cersei. She politely bows her head. "Forgive my intrusion, my Prince. But the Queen has requested your presence at the gates."
"Very well. Tell her I am on my way."
Bernadette bows once more and left to inform Cersei. Daveth grabs his belongings and inhales sharply through his nostrils.
And so, it begins. The search for a new Hand.
-At the city gates-
Upon exiting the city gates, soldiers holding the Baratheon and Lannister sigils accompanied the carriage carrying most of the royal family, except for King Robert and Prince Daveth - who instead chose to ride up front mounted on their horses. The royal party had long departed for the long march to the North on the Kingsroad.
"This would've been going a lot faster if we didn't have any certain baggage slowing us down!" Robert gruffly complained.
"Come now, father, I'm sure you wouldn't even consider leaving our family behind, would you? We have a long road ahead of us, so certainly it wouldn't hurt to at least maintain a steady pace so the others can keep up."
"Bah! Seven Hells, sometimes you're just like your mother! The sooner we get there, the sooner I'll have food and wine in my belly!"
Daveth shook his head in annoyance. Although a loyal, dutiful, and respectful son, he was irritated by his father's penchant for drinking and sleeping with any pretty woman whenever he could. It was no secret that Daveth hated Robert for emotionally (sometimes physically) abusing Cersei and his unapologetic marital infidelities. He knew how poorly his father treated his mother and how unhappy their marriage was. Daveth learned the difference between right and wrong as he was often exposed to intense arguments and occasional beatings no matter how hard Cersei tried to hide it from him; since then, Daveth swore to be a different kind of king and vowed not to be like a man Robert was.
His relationship with his mother, on the other hand, was sometimes complex. At times Cersei adored Daveth and held him close, other times Cersei would treat him coolly and occasionally scowl at him without warning - something Daveth felt was because of how his very presence reminded Cersei of her failed, unhappy marriage.
Joffrey, his younger brother and second in line to the Iron Throne after him, was an arrogant, sadistic fop with a massive sense of entitlement. Everyone in King's Landing knew how they hated each other for many years - in his eyes, Daveth was everything that Joffrey was not and vastly superior: Daveth was respected by the other lords and well-loved by his subjects, fiercely intelligent, a brilliant administrator and a powerful warrior - having been trained by their uncle Jaime Lannister and Ser Barristan Selmy, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Joffrey had none of Daveth's traits and was only skilled with a crossbow; Joffrey was jealous of and envied his older brother's successes.
On the other hand, his younger siblings, Myrcella and Tommen, idolized Daveth. He cared deeply about them and helped his mother raise them ever since they were born. He took care of them and played with them whenever he could. Whenever he had to tend to royal functions outside of King's Landing or negotiate trade deals for extended periods, the two younger blonde-haired children were always the first ones to greet Daveth - always happy to see their big brother.
He could say that he's on well enough terms with his paternal uncles, Lords Stannis and Renly Baratheon - even though they saw each other daily. Renly at times gave Daveth a headache, with Stannis noticing the prince takes his duties more seriously than any of his brothers.
From his mother's side of House Lannister, Daveth respects his maternal uncles Jaime and Tyrion. Jaime helped teach Daveth how to use a sword and was left aghast with his nephew's performance in a tournament held in King's Landing last year. When Daveth received his knighthood on his sixteenth nameday, his father King Robert was insistent on staging a tournament (the first and perhaps the only time the Stag King was proud of his son). The joust had ended and all that remained was the melee. The match between Daveth and Ser Jaime lasted for what felt like an hour and, albeit both competitors were left utterly exhausted after matching each other blow-for-blow, the Young Stag stunned all in attendance by barely defeating the Golden Lion despite the youth's lack of experience. Daveth could've sworn he'd wounded Jaime's pride that day, though he couldn't tell.
Tyrion was more approachable and, despite his dwarfism, Daveth could tell there was potential in his uncle where he could further hone his talents - provided he'd stop his lewdness. Even so, Daveth did appreciate the history books Tyrion gave him such as "The History of the Greater and the Lesser Houses" and "Lives of Four Kings" - as they kept his wits sharp.
His grandfather, Lord Tywin Lannister, was someone even Daveth had to take seriously and always headed the Old Lion's counsel. The Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West commanded a powerful presence and easily intimidated those around him. In their encounter, Tywin spoke with his grandson (albeit it felt like an interrogation with the way the Old Lion was looking at him) and Daveth was sure to answer whatever questions his grandfather hurled at him. When their visit to Casterly Rock was over, to his surprise, Robert and Cersei received a message from Lord Tywin's brother Ser Kevan Lannister that Tywin was impressed with the boy's vast knowledge and sought to educate him.
Daveth's thoughts were interrupted when his father spoke again.
"Boy! Did you not hear a word I've said?" Robert demanded.
"Yes, father," he answered.
"Good. Because I am tired of all this riding. Go on and scout ahead and inform me of how what you find. I'd like to know much further Winterfell is."
Daveth nodded and galloped on his horse to the nearest hill. Once at the top, he took a moment to scout the area. After a long ten minutes, Daveth spotted faint but light snow on the horizon. They've been on the Kingsroad for more than a month now, and their primary destination was within sight. Once calculating the distance and the time it would take to arrive, Daveth hurried back to King Robert.
"Well?" he asked.
"Given the current pace and the depths of the terrain, we should be able to arrive at Winterfell within a fortnight."
"Good. At least you're good for something."
Daveth gritted his teeth at his father's words but held his tongue. "I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise. The North is, after all, the largest region of all the Seven Kingdoms in Westeros. Ride two hundred miles to the west, you're still in the North. Ten miles to the east, you're still in the North. Fifty miles to the south, you're still in the North. It's enough to fit in the other six kingdoms."
Robert nodded. "Aye, though much has changed the last time I saw it. But hopefully not too much. Ned'll probably be as fast given how long it's been since we met."
Daveth raised his eyebrows. Lord Eddard Stark? So… you intend to name him as Lord Arryn's replacement?
Robert took notice. "What, boy? You disapprove?"
"Not at all. It's just… It's been more than nine years since we last set foot in Winterfell, father. Kind of leaves one feeling sentimental, you know?"
"That it does," Robert nodded in agreement. "I'm only doing this because Ned's the last friend in this world I trust. The only one left."
"Do you think he'll accept?" Daveth asks.
"He will. Besides, I'm the king. And I get whatever I want. Now come on, let's get moving."
As the two of them began to resume their march, Daveth had been contemplating what kind of reunion he'd expect in Winterfell. From what he remembers, Daveth seemed to recall his father and Ned Stark as having been childhood friends - like he was with Ned's eldest son and heir, Robb. And Daveth only knew what Robert's words meant when he said that; surely there was bound to be trouble on the horizon and there were few allies left in the capital he could turn to for help.
Still, as heir to the throne, Daveth will continue to play his part… for the greater good.