Full Summary: William Baratheon is the second son of Robert and Cersei. His intelligence and skill with a blade are astonishing for one so young. But even that might not be enough, for the Game of Thrones spares no one. Young Prince William shall have to face enemies within the Seven Kingdoms, deadly horsemen from the east, nightmares from the far north, and even his own kinsman in order to bring peace and prosperity to the home he's come to love.

Author's Note: This is my addition to FanFiction about Game of Thrones. This is also a crossover with the Elder Scrolls series, mostly Skyrim. There will not be a Tamriel, however: this story takes place in Westeros. Some castles, people, and maybe a little more will be present from Elder Scrolls. I'm still new to writing so some criticism is appreciated but please go easy on me. Let's get started, shall we?

Edit: I've added several links on my profile to pictures that I'm basing some things on. Including a picture of what the main protagonist, William, kind of looks like.

Edit 2: The first chapter has been spell-checked for grammar errors. Special thanks to Milarqui for this! :)

Character Ages:

Theon: 19 Years Old (From what I found, Theon was ten when given to the Starks and has been in their care for nine years. But, sources vary.)

Robb, Jon: 17 Years Old

Joffrey: 16 Years Old

William & Sansa: 14 Years Old

Arya & Myrcella: 12 Years Old

Bran & Tommen: 10 Years Old

Rickon: 6 Years Old

The characters' ages are closer to what is used in the TV Series. So, the main storyline is about 17 years after Robert's Rebellion.

Disclaimer: I do not own either Game of Thrones or Elder Scrolls.

Chapter 1: The Black Prince

William Baratheon smiled as he gazed across the Northlands.

It had only been a few months since he had left Winterfell (where he had been fostered by Lord Eddard Stark for four years), under his father's orders, to return to King's Landing, and he was glad once more to smell the fresh and wild air of the North. Next to him rode his father, Robert Baratheon, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector fo the Realm; Ser Barristan Selmy, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and several of his fellow Kingsguards; and William's persona guard, the Blades, all of them carrying their swords (which they called katanas) and armor, which no one else in the world used.

At four-and-ten namedays (and barely a few months away from turning five-and-ten), William could have passed for an older person: just an inch or two shorter than his older brother Joffrey, quite strong for his age, built like a runner... many had remarked that he looked like a younger version of his father, for he had inherited his blue eyes, short black hair and body strength. Plus, he wore his own armor, a black variant of the armor used by the Blades, minus the helm, which he had never cared for, and strapped to his hip was the legendary Dragonbane, one of the oldest swords in the world.

And, for added factor, everything he wore was black in color: his cape, Dragonbane's sheathe... even his horse, Shadow, was deep black. The only thing he wore with a different color was the field of House Baratheon of King's Landing's coat of arms (a crowned black stag over a yellow field), on his cape. This preference for black had led to the popular title that commoners and nobility alike used when referring to him.

The Black Prince.

William did nothing to discourage this title. He liked it, as did his father.

After taking note of their surroundings, William turned towards his father.

"We should reach Winterfell about midday at this pace, Father."

"We should have been here weeks ago!" Robert let out gruffly, "If that blasted carriage wasn't slowing us down, we would already have arrived to Winterfell. It's been years since I last came here, unlike you, Will. I'll be glad to get off the road and get myself a belly full of wine."

William shook his head as he chuckled. He loved his father, he truly did, but he could not approve of his father's penchant for drinking and sleeping with whores. Having a strong sense of right and wrong, William knew that his father treated his mother quite poorly: years ago, he had vowed that, no matter who he married, he would always be faithful to her.

Looking back to glance at the carriage, he considered the rest of his family.

His mother, well deserving of the title of being one of the most beautiful women in the Seven Kingdoms, sometimes confused him, for at times she would hold him close in a loving embrace while other times she would only scowl at him, which he felt was because he reminded her of her failed marriage.

Joffrey, his older brother and heir to the Iron Throne, was nothing but a self-centered spoiled prat. For most of their life, the two had disliked, if not outright hated, each other for as long as he could remember, because, in his eyes, William was everything that Joffrey was not: where William was skilled for his age with many weapons and an excellent swordsman, thanks to the training the Blades had put him through for years, Joffrey's only martial skill was with a crossbow, which their father believed was a coward's weapon; related to that was the fact that William was the only one that had their father's respect or approval.

When news of the Second Battle of Long Lake arrived to King's Landing, the King had immediately sent a raven to tell William to return to King's Landing, When he arrived, the entire city had gathered on the streets to cheer on William as he rode to the Red Keep, where his father had publicly embraced him and loudly proclaimed how proud he was of his second son. While this happened, William had seen Joffrey standing next to their mother with nothing but hatred and envy in his eyes: William's hope that a separation of four years would have helped to lessen the bad feelings his brother had for him were dashed when their eyes met.

Then, there were his younger siblings, Myrcella and Tommen. Ever since they were born, he had loved them both dearly, and had spent as much time as he could playing with them and helping them when he could. He had missed them a lot during the four years he had spent at Winterfell, and the two of them had jumped him when he returned, happy to see him after so long. He was confident that the two of them would get along very well with the Stark children when they arrived to Winterfell.

He could say that he got along well enough with his father's brothers, Stannis and Renly, even though they were as night and day. Renly was carefree and happy, which made him fun to be around, but William thought he should take his duties more seriously, like Stannis, who he took as a role model in his strong sense of loyalty and duty even if he could use with some relaxation. Both of them had certainly left an impact on him: he always made sure to settle his important duties before enjoying the time he had for himself.

From her mother's side, he got on best with his uncle Tyrion, who, even though he was similar to his father in behaviour, was easier to talk with: before he left to foster with the Starks, Tyrion had taught William a lot of things about life and people, and had also encouraged him to never stop reading books.

"You'll learn much from all these books. You're strong with your arm already, so now you must become strong with your mind. Never stop reading and you'll never stop learning. Just keep in mind that some books are written by the victors, meaning that they don't always tell the truth. You must find the truth for yourself."

In regards to his uncle Jaime, William did not trust him much. The only thing they had in common was their swordsmanship, on which Jaime had complimented him once, stating that he had been born to carry a sword. Jaime had definitely earned his reputation as one of the best swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms, so that compliment carried much weight, but he was a bit too cocky and did not seem to take any interest in any of his duties, and seemed to carry some sort of dislike towards him.

As for his grandfather, he had only met him once, when he was nine. Tywin Lannister was probably the coldest and most intimidating man William had ever met. His mere presence commanded respect from everyone in the room. In their encounter, Tywin had not exactly talked with him, more like interrogated him, and William had thought the meeting had not gone quite well, but, to his surprise, when he came back to King's Landing, he did so accompanied by Tywin's brother, Kevan, along with a message where he requested that William be fostered at Casterly Rock. However, in spite of the arguments pressed forward by Tywin's message, Kevan and even the Queen, the King had sent William to Winterfell.

There, William had found a new family in the form of the Starks. Eddard had become, in many ways, as much of his father as Robert had been, perhaps even more. He had helped train Bran in his swordsmanship, and he had also helped to teach Arya how to use a bow, working so much with her that he could say that she was his best friend. He had fought side by side with Robb Stark, Jon Snow and Theon Greyjoy at the Second Battle of Long Lake, where the four of them had forged a strong bond, the type that only fighting together, saving each others' life, could create. They had even become the subject of a song that told about their deeds, a song that called them "The Four Brothers of War". In a short time, the people of the North had become more of a family to William than his own was.

Before coming to Winterfell, William had felt disappointed at the fact that only half of his family members seemed to get along well with him. His family was quite complex, and they were always trying to hide secrets, and William wished they could just push aside their problems and enjoy life together. Many times, he had prayed to the Seven for this to happen, but they never answered to his pleas.

Perhaps that was why William had become a follower of the Nine Divines, the Aedra. The Faith of the Seven had been in an uproar for weeks over his decision, and the High Septon himself had come to him in an attempt to convince him to change his mind, but in the end they had no choice but to accept the decision: the Nine Divines had been in Westeros for as much, perhaps longer, as the Old Gods, and even though the Nine Divines did not have as much of a presence within Westeros, they still had many shrines and temples, particularly in the North.

That's when things started to change, William thought. So much happened, so fast.

William's thoughts were interrupted when his father spoke again.

"Ah, some of the landscape is starting to look familiar now," Robert commented.

"Winterfell is just over that hill in the distance, father. It's still several leagues away."

"Good, I tire of all this riding." Robert grinned. "Barristan, William and I will ride ahead to the top of the hill. Catch up when you can."

"As you command, Your Grace," the aging Lord Commander replied.

Robert then urged his horse into a gallop.

"Come on, boy. Don't keep me waiting."

William merely grinned.

"You're going to regret those words, old man. There's no horse alive that can run faster or farther than Shadow!" He too urged Shadow into a gallop.

"Old man, huh? We'll see about that!" Robert yelled back.

Sadly for the king, William's words proved true. The two of them raced down the road and then up to the top of the hill. As William reached the top of the rise, he smiled at Winterfell in the distance. He turned back as his father reached him.

"You lose, father." William laughed. "Still, you did manage to stay with me almost the entire distance. There aren't many who've managed to do so."

"I may not be as young as I once was, but I still know a few tricks," Robert said as he rode up alongside his son, clasping his hand on William's back. "You have a fine horse there, Will."

Robert was only one in about five people who called William by the nickname Will. The rest were either in Winterfell or riding his mother's carriage.

William and Robert sat in silence for a moment as they gazed over the land at Winterfell. The castle stood majestically, as if it was beckoning the two of them to come to it. Finally, his father broke the silence.

"Do you remember the day you first saw Winterfell, Will?" He asked.

"Like it was yesterday. I remember thinking that it was one of the grandest castles I've ever seen," William said with a small smile. "Cloud Ruler Temple is the place where I wish to live and die, but Winterfell will always hold a place in my heart."

"Aye, I thought much the same when I first laid eyes on it. The North is a good and tough country, and it produced one of the best men I've ever known. I enjoyed the years of my youth with Ned under Jon Arryn. When your mother and her father, Tywin Lannister," Robert spat, "wanted you to be sent to Casterly Rock, I knew I had to do something to keep you away from him."

William gave his father a confused look.

I know he doesn't like the Lannisters, but I didn't think it was this much.

Robert turned to see the confused look on William's face.

"There's too many Lannisters at King's Landing, Will. They've grown too strong. All they do is scheme and plot to gain more power. I didn't want my favorite son to become like one of them, so I sent you to the one man who would help you become someone I would be proud to call my son." Robert gave William a warm smile. "I'm glad to see that Ned has done a good job."

William wasn't sure how to react. His father usually cursed, drank or ranted about the battles he fought and the women he took to bed with him. This was a side of his father he couldn't remember seeing before.

"I- I think you're putting too much faith in me, father. I'm just a four-and-ten namedays boy."

"Just a four-and-ten namedays boy!" Robert let out a booming laugh. "Will, about five years ago, you took an idea I had while I was drunk and made it into reality. With just the help of that Tullius fellow and a few blacksmiths, you designed and helped to create the Royal Army. Those Legionnaires are some of the best troops I have ever seen. You used them in a battle against an army more than three times the size of your own, and you crushed them! You also have gained the loyalty of several orders of knights. Your Blades, the Dawnguard, and those Companions are all sworn to you, Will!"

"Actually, father, most of the Companions aren't actually knights," William corrected.

"Knights or not, they still have a well-known reputation," his father replied, waving it off. "And they have chosen to serve you! You have achieved in five years what most men and lords don't achieve in decades. You should be proud."

William remained silent for a while before speaking.

"I don't feel all that special. Almost all of the Devouts of the Faith of the Seven distrust me since I've converted to the Nine Divines. The Companions only support me because of Kodlak, when they should hate me because I failed to save their Harbinger. Hundreds of people died before I stopped the wildling army at Long Lake, and I lost two thousand men at that battle. I remember all of their faces because I was there when they were recruited to join the Legions. I was thrust into the middle of battle, where I killed my first man. I should have died a dozen times during that battle!" William shouted, his anger and frustration showing. "For all the success you say I have achieved, I feel as there is a failure to match!"

William could only stare at the ground as looks of hatred and the dead plagued his mind.

"William."

He looked up to meet his father's gaze. Robert's eyes were filled with sympathy, sadness, and... a proud look?

"You're a strong lad, Will. Yes, you may have made some mistakes, but you choose to accept the burdens and responsibility that have been placed upon you. I am truly proud to call you my son."

William felt warmth fill his body at his father's encouraging words. Robert had rarely talked in such a way in his entire life.

"If only you had been my firstborn... what a king you would make! You're a smart lad, Will. You know why we came all this way North. I intend to make Ned my Hand of the King, because there is no one else I would entrust this to, except maybe you if you were older," Robert said with a chuckle before turning serious. "Ned is an honorable man, and will make a good Hand, but he doesn't know the first thing about dealing with all the politics back in King's Landing. He'll need your help, Will. I need your help. Seven Hells, the whole Seven Kingdoms will need your help."

"I promise you that I'll do everything I can, father," William said with resolve.

"Good," Robert replied with a smile, "Now, enough talk. Let's just sit and wait for the column to catch up."

As the two of them sat there, gazing over the land, William thought over the many events that had led to that moment. His father was right: William had done many things these last few years. He had become a follower of the Nine Divines, he had helped create the new Royal Army in the form of the Legions, he had recreated the Order of Blades, he had earned the loyalty of the Dawnguard and the Companions, he had gained the respect of the North, and he had fought in the greatest battle there was since the Ironborn Rebellion.

It all began when he was only nine years old.

Chapter End

Author's note: whew! Finally got my first chapter of my first story done. I did not originally intend my first fanfic to be about Game of Thrones but I wasn't in the mood to write something else. I'm currently half way through the second season so I do need some catching up. But I still have a lot of ideas planned for this fanfic.

I also do get some info from A Song of Ice and fire Wiki. I know it's not the best information source so if I make a major mistake, by all means correct me. Just keep in mind that this is a fanfiction and a crossover with Elder Scrolls.

The next few chapters will delve into some of William's backstory. The main storyline will not be until after that. If you have a lot of questions I do plan on answering some over the course of William's backstory. Please review but please be nice as well. See you in the next chapter!