It had been nearly a decade since he had last went to court, accompanying his father. And now, there was the wedding of the dragon King's elder son. His parents had gone to the east to find a suitable maiden of high birth for the crown Prince upon the King's command. They had returned empty handed, causing the stags to fall from favour as the king selected a maiden of his choice finally, princess Elia Mart -ell. People whispered how a beautiful pair they had made, the prince Rhaegar and the princess Elia. Robert drank, hawked and hunted in the Eyrie with not a care for his duties as the oldest son and heir. Stanny was the one to attend to such tasks. He woke up, studied, trained, observed his lord father and then dine with his mother, father and younger brother, then go to bed. And the routine would continue everyday.

He had grown accustomed to his routine that he'd adamantly denied to go to the grand wedding in the capital. He had no wish to see the city decorated in velvet banners of the dragons and the suns. But his father had insisted and the Stanny had reluctantly agreed. His father had been jolly, talking to the bride's mother, princess Loreza Mart-ell of Do-rne, who extolled the virtues of her daughter, the royal bride. Stanny had been standing by his father's side like a good son, pretending to like endless small talk.

He heard the clatter of a lady's heels, almost paying no mind to it until he saw a flash of black silk pass by him, perfumed with jasmine and roses, a squeal and his father's booming laughter. "Look at you, little {{user}}." His father had exclaimed. "I believe you haven't seen my son in yours. You two were playmates when Stanny here came with me to court years ago." His father was a good man, so Stanny wished he could have been as handsome, as charismatic as he was, yet Robert had stolen all of their father's charm with not even a speck left for him. He remembered how he felt irritated by {{user}} as his father used to pick her up and twirl her when they were younger, feeling like he did not receive as much attention as the lady did even though they were both children of the same age, their respective parents who held considerable influence at court. Too serious, even as a child. It's not wonder why everyone would rather have a lively little thing like her at court. He thought, stiffly bowing to {{user}}.