Lewys Dondarrion

Ser Lewys Dondarrion is the second son of Lord Guyard Dondarrion of Blackhaven, and has served as a Knight of the Kingsguard since 420 AC, having replaced Ser Justin Mallister after the knight's suicide.

Appearance and Character
Whilst muscular, Lewys Dondarrion is built thinly, and uses it to his advantage, being both a strong fighter and an agile one. However, his lack of broadness does not affect how imposing the man looks, standing at six foot and two inches. His hair, much like many of his ancestors, is red-gold, cut to a medium length, and his beard, whilst thinner than his locks by far, is similar. Lewys wears the white armour of his order at all times save for sleeping, and wraps himself in a white cloak, clasped with the white lightning-bolt of his house, gifted to him by his uncle, Lucas.

Early Life
Lewys was born in the sixth month of 399 AC, in the castle of Blackhaven, to Lord Guyard Dondarrion and his wife. During his infancy, both Lewys' father and his uncle, Lucas, were absent, fighting alongside the Stormlander fleet in the War of the Three Thieves, leaving the life of the young Dondarrion to his mother. With her eldest son under the service of a Blackhaven knight, Lewys was the object of her affections, and for the first few years of his life, was spoiled greatly. Growing quite large as a young boy, the young Stormlander had not even thought about picking up a sword once in his life.

That would all change upon Lucas Dondarrion's return to Blackhaven. The War of the Three Thieves had been over for three years by the time the brother to the Lord Dondarrion appeared at his home, and he had changed greatly. Scarred and experienced, yet with a brighter outlook on life, Lucas asked his brother for permission to whip young Lewys into shape. Whilst Lord Guyard had not neglected his son - far from it, in fact - he had not cared for him, and had little time to devote to both his education and his wellbeing. And so, Guyard trained the boy in the basic skills of life, his mother attended to him, and Lucas introduced him to a strange new world, of knights, battle, and war.

Lewys did not take to it well. Initially happy to sit and rest, the young lad had no interest in his own strength, and enjoyed the idea of eating and reading far more. Lucas decided to humour him. When he decided to sit and eat, Lucas would do the same, and this persisted through every action the young boy took. And yet, when Lewys did nothing, Lucas trained. He would make a show of it, as well, and, deep into Lewys' seventh year, his tactic finally worked. With goading and encouragement from his uncle, the young Dondarrion got up from his seat, and headed to the training yard. Slightly overweight, and unfit, Lewys did not do well in his training, but the approving smile of Ser Lucas Dondarrion drove him forward. And so began the path that carries Lewys to this day.

To War
Whilst Lewys had the drive to train, he did not enjoy it, not at the start. As only a page, he lacked many of the responsibilities that came with being a squire, and so saw his tutoring as a long, drawn-out process with little reason or excitement behind it. One year into his training, however, and war erupted across the Seven Kingdoms. Her Grace, the Queen Visaera, was beset on all sides by rebels. On one, Maekar Targaryen, the Prince of Summerhall, fought to depose the Queen for her son, Rhaegar, and on the other, Maegor Waters, son of Prince Aenys Targaryen, fought for his own claim to the throne. For the first time in his life, Lewys' training took him from the black basalt walls of his ancestral home.

Lucas was placed in command of the Dondarrion forces sent to join with the greater Stormlander army, and Lewys went alongside him. Whilst the men under Gwayne Baratheon's command did not see combat, the young Dondarrion learnt the ways of camp life, and watched his uncle command the men of his homeland. Lucas held a strange way of command, being intimately familiar with his men, inspiring them, and tearing them apart personally for disobedience. Whilst initially confused by this, having read of great commanders with impersonal ways of leading their men, Lewys eventually was inspired by his uncle, adopting this way of leadership in his own, brief stints as a commander.

After a long march, to Highgarden and back, Lewys' experience of a "real" war had grown, although the lack of battle had almost saddened the young boy. His reluctance for combat that had been ever-present a year before was entirely absent, replaced with a zeal and wish for bloodshed that would not be tempered until his first kill, years later.

Peace and Boredom
[WIP]