Legitimise

It was during one of the days when Gendry was working as the blacksmith's apprentice that he was taken by the city watch and brought before King Robert Baratheon. Though wounded, King Robert was still able to speak from his bed and with his Hand in his presence, Gendry feared that he had somehow offended His Grace.

It was widely known that King Robert had laid with more prostitutes and women than he had his own wife, and many also knew he had sired countless bastards. So when his Hand, Lord Eddard Stark, unrolled a parchment and began to read from it, Robert knew the consequences of his actions would not be pleasant. "From this day until your last day, you are Gendry Baratheon, Son of King Robert Baratheon, heir to the Iron Throne."

Gendry knew this must have been a mistake. He couldn't be a bastard of the king, and even if it turned out that he was a bastard child of the king, bastards were never legitimised. Especially not the king's own bastard. "Y-your Grace," he stuttered, "there must be some mistake."

"There is no mistake," Lord Eddard interrupted, staring at him intently. "You are Robert's trueborn son."

"What about Prince Joffrey and--" He was cut off.

"The Queen is a whore," King Robert said bluntly. "An incestuous whore who can't keep her damn legs shut."

Sweat trickled down the back of Gendry's neck at the situation. He didn't know what to say to what the king had just admitted, and being in the presence of both him and Lord Eddard Stark was more than he could deal with. A blacksmith like himself was never supposed to be in the company that he currently had. The king was only supposed to be seen from afar and his father was supposed to remain this faceless figure whom he would never meet within his life. He'd accepted that as life and didn't dwell on not having a father.

"As Robert's heir, should anything happen to him, the crown will pass to you. To prevent the Lannisters from crowning Joffrey as Robert's heir, we must work fast to announce you across the realm and publically denounce Cersei Lannister and her children," Lord Eddard explained, vaguely hinting at the king's premature death.

"I'm a blacksmith, not the king's heir!" Gendry protested.

King Robert, already bothersome due to being bed bound, snapped at him. "Listen here, boy. Your mother was just some woman I fucked, ready to become a forgotten memory, but I need a true heir and you are my blood so shut your mouth," he commanded, making Gendry close his mouth and step back.

Did the Gods hate him to curse him with King Robert as his father? The more Lord Eddard Stark and the king spoke, the more Gendry wanted to leave and forget about being legitimised. He didn't expect his life would become any easier as the son of King Robert, in fact he suspected it would become a lot more. Especially with the Lannisters as his enemy.

Unfortunately for him, he was right.