Addam Hightower is the second son of the late Lord Leyton Hightower and his wife, Lady Aelora Velaryon, and a knight of the Kingsguard of King Aegon VII Targaryen, as well as his successor, King Daeron III Targaryen. He is young and fierce for his age, well renowned for being one of the deadliest swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms, with little tolerance for weakness. He is the younger brother of Lord Arthur Hightower.
Appearance and Character[]
Addam stands out from the rest of his siblings. While the others, Arthur and Leyton in paritcular, share the same light blonde hair and blue-green eyes as their mother, Addam favors his father more; with Leyton's jet black hair and icy blue eyes, in particular. He is tall, broad, and lean, with a deceptive amount of muscle mass on his thin frame.
Addam, unlike most children, always took to all things with an incredible wit, taking far less time to learn the things that took both his siblings, and other children, far longer, soon earning himself quite a bit of envy from those he grew up with. To further compliment such, Addam's unique physical strength served to make him even more of a weapon on the field of battle, and fast became the passion of his life. While Arthur began pursing more scholarly studies, Addam studied instead with blade and mace, aiming to hone himself to be the best knight there ever was, with resounding success, none could deny.
With his incredible gifts comes incredible arrogance, and as such, he is lonely by nature. He makes friends slowly and ones he likes even less often, and thinks himself far better than those around him by virtue of his skill at arms, a state of mind only confirmed by his induction into the Kingsguard at the age of seven and ten, one of the youngest ever to wear the white cloak. Despite his cutting wit, he is ultimately immature for his age, unable to encounter any situation with reverence or respect, instead choosing to approach life with puffed up derision and a condescending tongue.
Background[]
Addam Hightower was born the second son, and third born child of Lord Leyton Hightower, and Lady Aelora Velaryon. For his earliest years, he was lucky in that he was too young to properly understand succession and that he was but a spare in the great game, but alas, as time passed, and he and his brother Arthur grew, he began to understand things ever more, faster than would be expected of a child of his age. And so, as Addam slowly learnt of the difference between his brother and himself, slowly did he find himself wishing for separation from his brother, for they were not to be the same forever.
So when some years later in 424 A.C., Arthur was sent to the Capital to be raised as a ward of the Crown, a young Addam was silently pleased. While this event had been precipitated by the death of his father, he had never known the man, for he had been barely a year aged when his father had died at the hands of Aemon Dayne. For Addam, Arthur would not be a true brother, but instead a memory, seemingly a figment of his very imagination, for was a brother truly a brother if he was not there? Was an heir truly an heir if he was elsewhere? In Addam's eyes, his true siblings were his older sister, Alys Hightower, his little brother, Leyton Hightower, the sons of Dorian Hightower, Olyvar and Samwell, and his more distant cousin, Quenton Hightower. And so, with the years, did Dorian come very much to be a father to the likes of Addam and his siblings, Alys and Leyton.
Yet, while in his earlier years Addam was more open to other children of similar ages, with time, as he began to see that they were quite different from he, and that they lacked the intellect that he did so possess, he did slowly begin to separated himself from the younger amongst them, and take to finding companions from amidst vassal Houses and wealthy merchants families within the city. Yet, these would not be friendships as so many would expect them to be, but instead were more a glamour, so as to provide Addam with the means of acting as if he were like all others, while retaining control and power over each and every of them due to his elevated status as the heir to the Hightower.
Run of the City[]
With Arthur gone, as the days, weeks, months, and years began to pass, did Addam gradually become ever more confident in his position. Feeling evermore empowered within the walls of the Hightower and the streets of Oldtown, as if he himself were Lord of the place, with Arthur gone, did Addam start to think himself even better than the others of his age, and such was only further built up by his mother's pampering and excessive care, for with the loss of his father years before, and then Arthur's being taken to the Capital, Addam and his siblings had become all she had.
Oldtown circa 430 A.C.
But alas, as the years passed, and Addam entered his teenage years, he continued to consistently see himself as above those around him, both with regard to intellect and study, and martial pursuits. Moreover, as he grew, he quite vividly began to realise that he was distinctly different from all the others around him. Different from his Hightower kin, with whom he shared blood and name. Different from the companions he had cultivated so as to make himself feel superior. And different from the preachings of the Septons and the learnings of the court Maester, who always talked of marriage. Addam hated the concept of marriage. It was not just that he would be forced to be with a woman in such close proximity for the rest of their lives, and that she would be like to find out all about him and through such he would become vulnerable to another he did not trust, but that it would be expected of him to produce offspring, more Hightowers, children of his loins.
And so, possessing no desire toward women, Addam actively made to bury himself in swordplay and study, although more so the former. Nigh every day Addam could be found in the practice yard wiling away his time with sword and shield, bow and arrow, and lance. Addam's dedication was so vigorous that even the Master-at-Arms was taken aback by the boy's commitment and prowess at such an age as fourteen years. Yet, with what was to come, such freedom would only last for so long.
The Second Hammer Uprising[]
Main Article: Second Hammer Uprising
Alas, the outbreak of the Second Hammer Uprising was to be marked by Addam's very own capture. Scions of Houses Bulwer and Cuy, previously ever loyal vassals, whom had once remained stalwart in the defence of House Hightower for thousands of years, betrayed their liege lords and smuggled Addam from the Hightower, and while he fought all he could, he was but a lad of five and ten years aged, and they were men grown.
Much to Addam's dismay and anger, he was unable to aid his House in any way for most of the Uprising, as he was kept under strict imprisonment by the Warsmiths, as without him as their hostage, the servitude of which they had exacted from the Hightower would surely come to fall. Yet, as miserable an experience as it was, there was the oft occassion on which Ser Ryman Cuy would take to teaching the lad the art of swordplay, and much to Addam's credit, what he learnt from the treacherous Knight swiftly served to strengthen his already impressive skills. But alas, when the chance to flee made itself known, Addam unhesitantly grasped it with both hands, yet, one final challenge was to present itself, and that, was Ser Ryman Cuy. Soon the two were to duel, blade against blade, Addam's steel singing loud as it clashed against the steel of the traitor, and soon enough, an opening was spied, and Ser Ryman Cuy was cut down for the traitor he was.
The Golden Company, led by King Rhaegar II and Princess Rhaenyra.
It did not take long for Addam to come across the first sign of true safety he had seen in an ever long time. Yet, it was not what he had been expecting, for Addam had thought himself riding toward Oldtown, toward the Hightower, his family, and home. By mistaken he had ridden north instead of south. Now before him stood the Golden Company, and more notably yet, the Princess Rhaenyra, and her father, King Rhaegar II. Soon enough, once the King, his daughter, and his lords and officers present had heard the lad's tale, the King ordered the Hightower scion kneel, and dubbed him Ser Addam Hightower. From there, the newly made Knight of House Hightower was presented a choice; go with an escort to King's Landing for safety, or remain with the King's host, and take to battle. The choice was clear beyond words.
Ser Addam Hightower would ride with the King and his host, and it was to Bitterbridge they would march. Soon enough, Addam, a lad of seven and ten, took his swig of battle. Lances shattered against shields and knights all around him, forcing them from their horses in a most violent manner, arrows struck through the levies to his left and right, others screamed as they lay on the ground failing to nurse their wounds, and the field of battle smelt as if a feast was in the making. Chaos was rife, it was everywhere and nowhere, for in the ongoings of battle Addam could see the make of it, one man falls, another pushes forth, until he himself falls, but even so, Addam held out well, fighting with a vigor the likes of which his brother never could, never would, at least, while Arthur would always have the Hightower, he would have his sword, and now that he was knighted, and by the King himself, Vigilance, surely.
But yet, Addam's attention was soon torn elsewhere, as a giant shooting sound cut through the air; scorpions. Lord Ormund Caswell had scorpions. Nevertheless, the Royal host fought on, and even when tragedy struck, and King Rhaegar II was shot from the sky and plummeted to the ground, ending his life as a mangled mess, the Royal host rallied and charged forth. The day was theirs by the end of it, with the Caswell host as broken as Rhaegar's bones. The day was won, and a new King was to be crowned.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms[]
In 435 A.C., the raven bearing Addam's future flew, and what an illustrious and prestigious one it was to be; the Kingsguard. Of all the things he could have found to spend the rest of his life with, this, this was the answer he had sought throughout his life. Now he would be finally free of the obligation of marriage and those later obligations that came with such.
And so, to his brother he went, to Arthur, the brother with whom he had quarreled with so endlessly for the short time they had both been within the Hightower. Their quarreling had been endless and loud and filled with vicious disdain, and drew back to Arthur's foul execution of the man Addam had taken to as a second father, Dorian Hightower. And now, now Addam would have what was rightfully his.
He was the warrior, and his brother was not. Vigilance would be his. Yet, strikingly, in surprise to Addam, he was denied it by a rather smug older brother. Surely not, was all he thought of this. Surely his brother understood his wielding their ancestral weapon would bring prestigious and legend to their House and help to restore their name after all the black marks cast upon it over the past decades. But no, that was to be the answer. Arthur Hightower would not give Addam Vigilance, but instead sent him on his way with only ordinary steel.
So without Vigilance he went to the Capital, and was sworn into the most reverred brotherhood in the Seven Kingdoms, the Kingsguard. He knelt, Ser Addam of House Hightower, and rose, Ser Addam of the Kingsguard, a man possessing of a new family, a new heritage and lineage, and a new sigil and cloak to bear. Now was his time, and soon enough did he come to find that he had been brought into the Kingsguard at the suggestion of the now Queen, Rhaenyra Targaryen, and so, soon found himself drawn closer to her than the other Queen, than his patron's rival and counter-part, Visenya Silvermoon.
Yet, Rhaenyra was not to be the only Targaryen Addam took to. For soon enough, he found himself regularly on guard for the Princes Aerion and Daemon, and albeit that Daemon was friend to Arthur, soon realised that he, like the elder Aerion, were of the same make as he. Instinctually, Addam felt he had an obligation to inform the the Lord Commander, to inform his Grace, Aegon VII Targaryen, however just as fast as such feelings of obligation had filled him, did they leave and were replaced with an almost primal need to hide the ongoings of the two Princes. And so, while he would never reveal his truth to them, he would keep theirs, remaining ever silent, an ever watchful sentinel in white, a guardian of those he had sworn to protect, and one who would never betray.
Family[]
- Leyton Hightower, the late Lord of the Hightower, b. 387 AC
- (m.) Aelora Velaryon, dowager Lady of the Hightower, b. 394 AC
- Alys Hightower, Lady of the Arbor, b. 413 AC
- (m.) Denys Redwyne, Lord of the Arbor, b. 414 AC
- Arthur Redwyne, Heir to the Arbor
- Desmond Redwyne
- Ella Redwyne
- Arthur Hightower, Lord of the Hightower, b. 415 AC
- Addam Hightower, Knight of the Kingsguard, b. 417 AC
- Leyton Hightower, b. 419 AC
- (m.) Samantha Beesbury, b. 419 AC