In the year 293 of the Targaryen Calendar, on the continent of Westeros, in the capital of King's Landing of the Baratheon Dynasty.
Two figures, one tall and one short, turned into Iron Street, following the winding path. The Visenya Hill seemed endless, and along the way were blacksmiths working beside forges, free riders haggling over armor, and ironmongers with graying hair selling various old iron knives from their carts. The noise and bustle were all for profit and fame.
"King's Landing is like a spider's web, and only a spider can navigate it!" thought the cloaked man leading the way with a smug satisfaction. Across the Narrow Sea, he and his allies held the remnants of the Targaryen family, but in Westeros, who would have thought he also had the bastard of the stag? If that secret, the great secret deep within the Red Keep, were to be revealed, he would reap endless benefits.
The tall boy following the cloaked man stared at the figure ahead, his eyes filled with curiosity and helplessness. The boy had a very youthful face, but his eyes seemed more mature and composed.
The cloaked man was not surprised. If a boy was a bastard whose father had left and whose mother had died early, he would indeed become angry and mature beyond his years. The cloaked man never considered that the child had the soul of an adult.
Gendry even occasionally saw some Lannister knights in red cloaks and lion-crested helms. The Lannister family seemed to be everywhere in King's Landing.
The higher they climbed, the taller the buildings became. The more famous the blacksmith, the more grand their residence. Until they reached the top of the hill, where there was a large house.
Tobho Mott's shop was larger than any other on Iron Street, built of wood and plaster, with a height that overlooked the entire street. Two great doors were made of ebony and weirwood, carved with a hunting scene. On either side of the door stood stone knights in red armor, their poses resembling a griffin and a unicorn guarding the entrance.
"Pour wine for the lord at once!" The sharp-eyed and slender serving girl was very clever. She noticed the expensive clothes of the leading man and immediately went inside to inform the shop's owner, the finest blacksmith in King's Landing. The leading man was burly, with broad shoulders. His cloak was made of sturdy purple velvet, edged with silver, clearly high-quality, but the hood concealed his face, revealing only a brown beard with a hint of red.
Tobho Mott wore a black velvet coat with hammer patterns embroidered in silver on the sleeves, and a heavy silver chain around his neck, adorned with a sapphire the size of a pigeon's egg.
"My lord, if you seek a new suit of armor, you have come to the right place. I assure you, my craftsmanship is unparalleled in King's Landing. You may compare it. Others forge armor, but I create art. I have served many nobles, Lord Renly, for instance," Tobho said proudly. He was not entirely boasting; he had been an apprentice in Qohor.
"Master Tobho, I do not desire a helmet or armor!" The cloaked guest spoke in a muffled voice, loud and greedy, sounding like a Tyroshi.
"I wish to apprentice this boy to you." The cloaked man laid down some gold, not the common gold dragons, but gold from across the Narrow Sea. But gold was gold, after all.
Tobho noticed the boy the cloaked man had brought. He was tall for his age, with jet-black hair and a pair of beautiful blue eyes.
Tobho tried to suppress his inner panic. He had seen Renly, Robert, and Stannis. The boy bore a strong resemblance to Renly, but Renly could not possibly have such a grown-up bastard. Stannis was even less likely. So there was only one answer.
"My lord, I do not wish to invite trouble!" Tobho hesitated, but the cloaked man laid down a second pile of gold.
"Keep it quiet, Tobho." Tobho thought for a moment and decided to take the boy in. "This boy is now my apprentice. I know not who he was before he came to me."
"Very well! I trust you to keep this secret," the cloaked man said, satisfied, and prepared to leave.
"Thank you, my lord!" Gendry said to the cloaked man.
"I hope you like this life. It's better than running errands in a tavern, at least!" The cloaked man turned and left without looking back.
"I know it's you, Spider," Gendry thought to himself. The Spider's ability to disguise himself was truly top-notch. He was a soul from another world, and now he had become a blacksmith's apprentice in _A Song of Ice and Fire_.
At least Gendry had outstanding looks and physical strength. The patrons and the fat king had once been the Stormborn, and the Baratheon family produced such handsome, charming, and strong men with clean faces and clear eyes.
Gendry accepted his fate, born in a tavern and quietly serving as a tavern boy, which was the safest path for him.
The Lannisters had great influence in King's Landing, and he did not want to end up like his siblings, assassinated in the shadows. Besides, the king was a man who did not care about family or children, forgetting all promises after a night of passion. Not to mention bastards. Until the observant Spider discovered him and sent him to the blacksmith's shop.
"Boy, what's your name?" Tobho asked.
"Gendry. I have no surname."
"No one cares about that. There are plenty of nameless people in King's Landing, barely making a living. Following me is your fortune! Come on, boy, I'll show you the workshop!" Tobho led Gendry forward.
Tobho took Gendry out the back door, through a narrow courtyard, and into a spacious stone barn, where the actual blacksmithing work took place.
As soon as the weapons master Tobho opened the door, a wave of heat rushed out, making Gendry feel as if he were stepping into the mouth of a fire-breathing dragon. Every corner had a blazing forge, and the air was filled with the acrid smell of smoke and sulfur. The blacksmith foreman glanced up, just long enough to wipe the sweat from his brow before continuing to swing his hammer and tongs. The bare-chested apprentices worked hard to stoke the bellows.
Gendry looked at everything with curiosity and interest, but it was also a physically demanding job. Anyway, this craft was much better than running errands in a restaurant.
"Blacksmithing is a job that requires both physical strength and skill. Once you master this craft, knights and lords will beg you to forge armor and helmets for them. There will be more demand than you can supply," Tobho boasted. But then he thought again, the boy's identity was too special, and it would not be easy to just focus on forging iron.
Tobho still called over the foreman. He took the blacksmith foreman to the other side. "This boy is my new apprentice. From now on, you will be in charge of him. Don't assign him too heavy a task at first."
And so, Gendry's apprenticeship began.