The day grows late, the sun travelling into the west sending light slanting through the windows of the refectory. Only a handful of the royal household are here, yet among them are some significant men, one of the King’s Scales, and no less figure than Ser William Waxley, King Daeron’s steward. A man of neat and careful appearance, he drinks from a pewter goblet, looking out of the windows to the courtyard below.
The liveried servant enters the refectory, having led Ser Ethos here from wherever it was he found him. “My lord, Ser Ethos of House Mertyns,” the man announces with a bow, and then withdraws. Others in the hall look on with a kind of jaded boredom, soon turning back to their conversation or other business. Only Ser William says, “Greetings, Ser Ethos,” and his manner is pleasant enough. With a gesture, he invites the young knight nearer.
Ethos probably couldn’t look any more uncertain about a summons to speak with someone. Luckily he was back in his guest apartment, cleaning up after spending all morning and afternoon at the training yard, so the young knight doesn’t look as if he was rolling around in the dirt when the servant found him.
His expression is a mix of confusion and a guardedness. For all he knows he’s angered the Tyrell woman enough to be getting some kind of royal trouble. When the steward beckons him over, Ethos approaches and gives the man a bow that lacks grace, but his tone is courteous, “Greetings, Ser Waxley.”
A quiet, thoughtful sound escapes the steward at the knight’s bow, but he smiles a rather vacant smile, the practiced expression of a life-long courtier. “I hope the summons did not cause any inconvenience, ser?” Ser William asks. “You seem to have been keeping yourself busy, with your feats in the kingswood and whatnot.”
Ethos shows no response at the steward’s reaction to his formailities. Mertyns might be prideful from time to time, but erring on the side of caution in unfamiliar situations can serve a man better. He smiles as well, “Not at all. It was quite good timing actually. I had not yet gone off in search of entertainment for the evening.”
The topic of the Kingswood erases some of the uncertainty from the Stormlander’s face and his smile grows easier. “It was business I had to see to personally. Is that what you are interested in, Ser? The poachers we caught?”
“Not as such, no,” the steward admits, before taking a sip of wine. He regards the younger man with a frank and weighing gaze, considering. “But it was something that brought you a little attention at court. That’s not an easy thing to do, with so many younger sons seeking some advancement here.” A pause, and then he adds, “I trust you _are_ seeking some form of advancement here. Otherwise, this will shortly be an awkward conversation.” He flashes an unctuous grin, and offers a mild chuckle at his own jest.
“It would be a strange man indeed that wouldn’t seek to better himself and his standing with his peers, Ser.” Ethos responds confidently, though his pale blue eyes do flick around the room once. “I.. would be very interested in the conversation you’re proposing.” He adds after a hint of hesitation, likely to consider his words.
“Good,” Ser William says. A pause, and an exchange of amused looks with one of the other courtiers, and then he remarks, “As I said, you’ve won yourself some attention, ser. There has been enough interest here, in fact, that when an opening in the royal household made itself available, you were recommended for the position.” Another sip of wine, drawing it out. And then he says: “It pleases the king, you see, to name you his royal huntsman.”
It still isn’t clear to Mertyns if he’s here on positive terms or not, since there was some disagreement over whether his actions were entirely warranted amongst the other knights involved. When Waxley goes on to explain an opening in the royal household, Ethos isn’t able to complete hide his surprise.
His thin brows lift and the Stormlander is silent for a long moment, stunned. “Royal Huntsman?” He repeats, then asks, “You are serious?”
Ethos is the only son of Leobald Mertyns and Moranne Swyft. As a child he spent much of his time persuing a natural talent for playing the lute, and music in general.
When he was twelve, he became squire to Sarmion Baratheon, the Stormbreaker. Ethos was knighted by King Daeron at the end of the grand royal tourney in King’s Landing when he was nineteen.
“My famed wit preceeds me, I see,” the steward chuckles—genuinely, this time—at that incredulous response. Yet his eyes narrow, ever so slightly, as he gives Ethos a closer look, and then exchanges another glance with one of the courtiers at the table. “In any case, yes, Ser Ethos. It’s the king’s desire. A stormlord such as yourself, one with a will to see the king’s law protected, familiar with the kingswoods, a stormlord… And you are young, and bold, and you fought in the king’s war in Dorne.” A shrug of his shoulders, as if it should all seem self-evident.
There are times when Ethos has wished he paid a bit more attention to education in courtly graces. This is one of them. The knight lets a half laugh escape his lips, smiling again. “The honor is unexpected, ser. I was not imagining my efforts to garner such attention.. as you said, there are many younger sons to compete against.”
There is a pause again, the young man quickly reining in his shock over the matter. “The king is most gracious.” Then he asks, “Who made the recommendation?”
Waxley smiles. “More than one man remarked on it, I’ll say that much. Ser Lormon Buckler was one. Not an easy man to win praise from, but he seemed to think highly of your dealing with the poachers.” And then he sips his wine, and the goblet is left empty. Setting it down he goes on, “So, well and good. My congratulations to you, ser. You’ll have a brief audience with the king shortly. And after that, well, the usual business. Coordinating with the keepers of the kennels and mews, seeing that the king’s huntsmen are ready at short notice whenever his grace desires to hunt, the usual business of coin to pay for livery and equipment, the hunting licenses…”
“Lorman Buckler?” Ethos looks surprised again, but he regains composure far more quickly this time, nodding along quickly as the man runs through some of the duties. “Of course. I will see that the king is not disappointed.” Maybe the nervousness is the unexpectedness of the meeting still affecting him? The knight smiles again, “Thank you, ser.”
“Thank everyone, forget no one,” Ser William remarks. “Advice I was given when I first came to court. You seem to be making a good start of it, Ser Ethos.” With that, the steward seems to decide that he can remove that task from his list. “Very well. My congratulations, of course. I’ll have one of the veteran huntsmen see you, and introduce you to the rest who you’ll command. Have a good day to you, ser; don’t stray too far for the time being, in case the king has need of you.”
“I will keep that in mind, ser. Thank you again, for the news and the advice. Good evening.” Ethos is finally remembering some of his manners and gives the man a nod. Once dismissed the knight will leave the steward, off to see to all matters of this position that is -very- new to him.