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"Joffrey! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Robert roared, face turning red. "I brought you here to watch how hard Ser Neo trains, not to start trouble! Hound, put that sword away. Now!"
After everything he'd learned in the last few days, Robert knew Leo was still basically a beginner. Joffrey ordering the Hound to fight him—and telling him not to kill the man—was clearly the little shit trying to embarrass Leo. It made the king furious.
The Hound glanced at Joffrey, then silently slid his longsword back into its sheath.
Joffrey just shrugged, completely unbothered. "I only wanted the Hound to spar with him. You said he trains so hard—think of it as testing how far he's come."
Queen Cersei strolled up beside Robert with a faint smirk, Jaime right behind her wearing that same superior little smile.
Jaime spoke up. "The prince is right. Endless practice alone won't make you good with a blade. You need real fights to build experience."
Robert shot him a glare. "I'm talking to my son. Nobody asked for your opinion."
He turned back to Joffrey and growled, "I already told you Ser Neo's story. He hated sword training as a boy, just like you. Only after bandits nearly killed him did he finally wise up and start training seriously."
"A real man learns how to use a sword."
Joffrey lowered his head, but inside he was thinking something very different: Why bother learning to swing a sword when killing is so easy? One word from me and it's done. Or I could just pick up a crossbow, pull the trigger, and it's over. Why waste the effort?
Cersei pulled Joffrey close, looking annoyed. "He's your eldest son, the prince, future king of the Seven Kingdoms. Why should he have to sweat over swordplay?"
Robert's beard practically bristled with rage. "You're a woman—what would you know about it?"
In Robert's mind a king rarely needed to fight his own battles, but sword training wasn't just about skill. It forged a man's will.
He also wanted to use this to build a closer bond with Leo.
Just like Jon Arryn had pointed out, the power behind the boy's family might be enormous. Staying on good terms with him could only help.
From what Robert had seen lately, Leo had real knightly talent. He was also a foreigner with no allies in Westeros—exactly the kind of loyal man a future king like Joffrey would need at his side.
Robert was laying groundwork for his son.
Great houses had done the same thing for centuries: marry their children off or send them to serve as squires under other lords to tighten family ties.
He and Ned Stark had grown up together under Jon Arryn's roof and become closer than brothers. That friendship was the whole reason the "stag, wolf, falcon, and trout" alliance had won the Iron Throne in the first place.
Robert hated being king, drowned himself in wine and women, and wasn't much of a father. Most days he was disappointed in Joffrey's spoiled, vicious nature and felt a strange, instinctive rejection toward the boy he thought was his.
But sometimes—even if only for a moment—he still hoped his son might grow into a real man… and maybe even a good king.
His feelings toward his wife and son were a complicated mess.
Leo, meanwhile, had already figured out why Joffrey suddenly hated him.
He had become the classic "someone else's kid"—the one parents always threw in your face. Back on Earth Leo had hated hearing about that perfect kid too.
Still, I caused this, he thought. Time to smooth it over.
He stepped forward with a calm smile. "Please don't be angry, Your Grace. I'm sure Prince Joffrey meant well. He only wanted Ser Sandor to help test my training. Isn't that right, Your Highness?"
Joffrey's eyes lit up. "Exactly! That's exactly what I meant!"
Seeing Leo hand him an easy out, Robert clapped the young man on the shoulder. "If that's how you want to play it, then fine."
He shot Joffrey one last warning glare.
Leo grinned. "Since Prince Joffrey was kind enough to offer Ser Sandor's help with my training, how could I refuse? Your Grace, I'd actually like to test myself against the Hound and see how far I've come in the last half-month."
Robert blinked. "You're serious?"
Leo nodded, then glanced at Jaime. "After all, Ser Jaime himself said that real fights build experience better than practice alone."
Robert thought it over for a second, then shrugged. "All right. But no live steel—use blunted training swords only."
He didn't want blood on the yard. In his mind Leo was nowhere near the Hound's level.
Joffrey clenched his fists in excitement. "Yes! Ser Neo, I'm starting to like you. Hound, with blunted blades you can really let loose. And Ser Neo—you wouldn't want your opponent holding back, would you?"
The obvious taunt didn't bother Leo.
He gave a small bow. "As you wish, Your Highness."
With Leo himself agreeing, no one else could object. Joffrey looked like a kid who'd just been handed front-row seats to a show.
Only Barristan stepped close and whispered, "Be careful. If you're outmatched, yield immediately. There's no shame in it."
Leo felt the genuine concern in the old knight's voice and nodded. He walked to the weapon rack, grabbed two blunted training swords, and tossed one to the Hound.
"Let's do this."
The Hound's scarred mouth twisted into a cruel grin, making the burned half of his face look even more monstrous.
The next second he charged, sword raised.
Leo was faster.
The instant the Hound took his first step, Leo triggered [Charge].
Before anyone could even register what happened, Leo blurred forward like a ghost and slammed his shoulder straight into the bigger man's chest.
The Hound's eyes widened in shock. He staggered backward like a drunk, feet scrambling.
Leo didn't waste the opening. He hit the Hound with [Hamstring] to slow him down, then unleashed the sword forms Barristan had drilled into him—wave after wave of strikes, each one faster than the last.
Caught completely off guard and off balance, the Hound still managed to block several blows through sheer battle instinct.
Until the final strike.
Leo poured every ounce of his strength into [Slam].
The Hound brought his blade up in a desperate parry.
Clang!
A massive jolt of power slammed into the Hound's sword. His grip broke. The blunted blade flew from his hand and clattered across the yard.
Leo's sword crashed down onto the Hound's shoulder and drove the huge man straight to the ground.
For a single heartbeat the entire training yard was dead silent.
Everyone stared in complete disbelief.