Redemption 16 - Baratheon Family Time

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Notes:

Our attention turns to the Baratheon offspring.

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Previously:

Several months later a small girl child was born, bearing her father's unruly black hair which would fall into her eyes when she grew older, and stormy grey eyes like her mother. Lyarra, named for her paternal grandmother, entered the world protesting loudly, and proved to be moody, demanding, and energetic, similar to her mother as a babe. Regardless, the proud parents could not have been happier, and the fond kitchen staff was the first in the castle to toast the addition to House Baratheon.

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The Arrival of Lyarra Baratheon

Lya was as fussy a babe as her mother was said to be and cried all night to Arya's and Gendry's dismay as they tried to placate her by carrying her around until they were exhausted and losing sleep. The midwife and Maester Gormon saw the rings around their eyes and said to just let her cry herself out, but the thought horrified the new parents and they were desperate for a solution. They observed that the child settled down and seemed to enjoy the rhythmic bouncing of horseback riding, so Arya woke an unhappy groom during the hour of the wolf and bade him saddle her mare. Sure enough, the babe became drowsy as the horse trotted around the bailey and when she fell into a deep sleep, she was quiet for the rest of the night. For several months, when the parents woke to the sound of crying after midnight, at first they would argue as to whose turn it was to get up and appease the demanding babe, but eventually one would rise and do the deed. Years later, when Lya was old enough to understand, the master of horse groused what a bother she had been to the grooms and how they had frequently lost sleep. Young Lady Lyarra had no sympathy and found his displeasure amusing, impulsively laughing in his face.

Most aristocratic ladies took advantage of their status and went into 'confinement' to avoid the embarrassment of being visibly pregnant and breastfeeding. In fact, many ladies employed a wet nurse and avoided breastfeeding altogether. Arya, of course, was contrary, and kept a public persona until she was physically unable to move without major discomfort. Once Lyarra was born, the unconventional new mother went about her business as usual, attending meals, morning petitions in the Round Hall, and overseeing weapon instruction sessions in the training yard whilst nurturing her babe, though the child was discretely hidden under an elegant wrap embroidered by her aunt, Queen Sansa Stark. Older nobles were absolutely scandalized and muttered darkly amongst themselves, but some younger highborn women who felt that the concept of a confinement period for 'frail females' was demeaning, were pleased with Lady Baratheon's attitude. Amongst the smallfolk, expectant and nursing mothers had too many responsibilities to warrant a confinement period, and their respect for Lady Baratheon increased, impressed with her self-reliance. The great lady herself, could care less what others thought, but focused on what she perceived was best for herself and her babe. The young father was so over the moon with the act of procreating with the woman of his dreams that he ignored any complaints about his willful wife's behavior. Besides, he had been familiar with her rebellious nature since he met her as a stubborn child and loved her for her individuality.

The crew of Nymeria was disappointed when they learn that 'milady captain' had wed Lord Baratheon so abruptly because they had all hoped to attend a royal wedding in King's Landing. Arya declined having an elaborate wedding and bedding, and there had only been a small, private ceremony in the Stormlands. But when word of Arya's pregnancy arrived onboard Nymeria the next time the carrack docked in King's Landing, the sailors rejoiced.

As Lyarra's aspect became fixed, she was noted to have not only inherited her father's black hair, but also his square jaw and even white teeth. From her mother she received the Stark eyes and lean figure. And like both her parents, she tended to be stubborn and willful, with smoldering eyes when angry. When Lyarra lived to her third moon and appeared to be a healthy babe, the Baratheons magnanimously invited the crew to a celebration for their daughter's birth. King Bran provided wheelhouses and pavilions for the sailors, for they were completely unfamiliar with overland travel. Although the journey was long, they entertained themselves with dice games and knife-throwing competitions. When they arrived at Storm's End, Lady Baratheon greeted them whilst wearing a nursing gown and supporting her babe at her breast, but still wearing her trusted blades in her belt. Her closest crewmates were delighted for her and teased her about becoming a mother, no longer a fierce warrior. Arya's expression darkened and she spat, "I can still put the lot of you on your backs in two minutes, even in my nursing gown!" She was answered with much laughter, but Gendry was horrified at her vitriol.

Old Hallis came to pay his respects at the same moment that the hungry babe began sucking loudly and greedily at Arya's breast. The surprised old salt had a flashback to his vision of "The Mother" that implored him to live and gave him suck when he almost died on the high seas and he blushed, intensely embarrassed. Arya recognized his obvious mortification for what it was and reddened also, but chose not to remark on their shared memory.

Renwick approached with a wide smile on his face, and gave 'milady' a firm embrace, thrilled to see his traveling companion again. Arya grinned, "Ah, Renwick! I have a gift for you," and gave him a nicely wrapped package marked with the rose sigil of the Reach. The old mariner opened the gift and was overjoyed to discover a generous round of brie cheese. "Tis a tasty soft cheese, better than those weird dry bricks you shared with me in Qarth," Arya continued.

Beaming with happiness as he inspected the delicacy, Renwick japed, "Aye milady, and we have real bread to eat it with now, no more of that vile hardtack!"

Arya laughed at the reference and added, "I also have a wedge of hard gruyere for you. It can be melted if you desire." Renwick was so pleased that he impulsively kissed his lady's cheek and she did not rebuff him, for he was such a close friend. The grizzled sailor now turned to Gendry and bowed, "Milord, you are a lucky man. This here wolf princess is the finest woman I know and I can tell you that there were a fair number of men that we met on our journey that coveted her attention." He puffed out his chest, "Hargrove and I did our best to protect her virtue."

The damsel in question smirked as her husband narrowed his eyes and glared at her, "Protected her virtue, eh? I owe you my thanks, Renwick, though I doubt that my bold wife viewed your companionship as 'protection'."

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By the time little Arya Stark had achieved eight namedays, she had found numerous way to exasperate her lady mother and Septa Mordane and the wild child taxed their patience frequently. One day as Lady Catelyn stared at her willful daughter, dressed in the breeches and tunic she had stolen from her brother Bran, covered in mud from wrestling with her direwolf, with thistles and twigs in her braid from rolling into a briar patch, she declared loudly with much frustration in her voice, "Arya, I hope that someday you will be cursed with a daughter exactly like yourself!" The words of the august Lady of Winterfell proved to be prophetic, because as Lyarra Baratheon grew older, she became the main focus of her parent's worries and energy, as well as their deep-seated affection.

Little Lyarra learned to run before she walked, falling over frequently, but getting up immediately to pursue whatever mischief she originally had in mind. As soon as she could reach high enough to grasp a branch, she became an adept climber and at five, chipped a front tooth by falling out of tree to her doting father's dismay. He also worried that her constantly scabby knees would scar. Lyarra broke her right arm the next year, when she 'borrowed' a gelding from the stable and rode off bareback with the grooms shouting after her, and then fell from the horse's back when she impulsively attempted to jump over a fallen tree. The worst part was that it was impossible to keep the active child immobile whilst convalescing and she carped constantly at those who were only trying to help her get well. Maester Gormon declared that the next time she required bed rest he would dose her with milk of the poppy constantly to keep her still. The septa muttered that drugging the little urchin might be the only way to keep her out of trouble. Much like her mother had been, Lyarra was a pest in the kitchen and the stable, and loved to watch her father craft metalwork in the smithy, where she managed to get totally filthy and was disciplined for soiling her smock on a daily basis.

Gendry could not refuse his beloved daughter anything, for she was too much like her mother, especially her willfulness. He was secretly pleased that she insisted on following him to the forge when he intended to work there and never interfered with her visits. One day she cut herself on a blade that she snatched whilst climbing unobserved onto a worktable and Gendry was scolded for his carelessness, but truth be told, it was difficult to keep track of the spirited girl. Lyarra's observant mother noted that the cooks gave her turnips to peel or a spoon to stir the pots with and the grooms asked her to feed the horses, so she recommended that her husband give the child work to do to keeps her out of trouble. Lyarra was given a small hammer and ordered to flatten dents in breast plates and other pieces of armor. She was delighted to pound on metal for hours with no one complaining about the noise. As she exerted herself in the kitchen, the stable, and the forge, she prattled endlessly to anyone within earshot that she wanted to learn smithing, sparring, and archery. Her parents and septa were relieved that the child was usually tired by the end of the day from all her activities and slept well.

On Lyarra's first visit to King's Landing to meet her uncle, King Bran, she also became acquainted with Ser Brienne of Tarth, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Lyarra was suitably awestruck to see a woman in impressive plate armor and announced that she wanted to become a knight. As a child, Arya had always bristled when informed how limited her life as a noble lady was expected to be, and told her daughter that she could be anything she wanted, determined not to curb the girl's enthusiasm for life. The warrior woman had already begun teaching Lyarra water dancer exercises, and now promised to begin teaching her swordplay soon. Gendry was not all that happy about the youngster handling weapons but chose not to interfere. Besides, he was smart enough not to encourage his wife's wrath with a display of male disapproval. Naturally, ill-mannered stable boys and squires sneered at Lyarra when she related her desire to be a knight and swing a sword, and she ended up getting into quite a few fights and wrestling brawls, but never backed down from a challenge. Lyarra was a tough little girl and her mother was quietly pleased.

When Lyarra possessed two namedays, Arya birthed her second babe, Eddard, a solid lad with a longer than square face, a toothy smile with a slight overbite, chestnut hair, and bright blue eyes. Unfortunately, he was troubled with the chills before his second nameday, and his mother's attention was mainly focused on improving his health.

As luck would have it, Captain Saan chose that moment to retire from seafaring and make Storm's End his permanent home, as his knees had become so arthritic that he no longer could endure standing on the deck of a ship. The old mariner had outlived or been separated from his wives, had no living sons, and never had any daughters. Since their shared voyage on Nymeria, he thought of Arya is his true daughter, and missed her company. The captain knew that he would yearn for the sea, but once established at Storm's End he felt that the view of the boats in Shipbreaker Bay as seen from the castle was all that an old sailor could ask for.

Prior to taking command of Nymeria, Captain Saan had enjoyed a long career as a pirate-lord. His fleet of ships had struck fear in the hearts of merchant captains from the Narrow Sea to the Summer Sea and Slavers Bay, and he exacted much tribute. During the War of Five Kings, the smuggler Davos Seaworth introduced him to Stannis Baratheon, who hired his fleet of sellships to control the region around the Blackwater Bay. Captain Saan's fleet was fortunate to be stationed outside the zone near King's Landing where Lannister wildfire had destroyed every one of Stannis' ships, and later he broke completely from Stannis due to nonpayment for services. King Stannis met his unfortunate fate soon afterwards and no payment was ever forthcoming. Captain Saan loved the sea and sailed as long as he was able.

Fortunately for Arya and Gendry, little Lyarra had a great thirst for adventure stories and she sat for hours on Captain Saan's lap mesmerized as he reminisced about his life. Lya had previously often claimed that she wanted to be a master of horse, or an armorer, or a knight, but now she was convinced that she wanted to become a pirate. The girl started wearing a knotted red handkerchief to cover her head, a red sash as a belt for her breeches (for she insisted on dressing like her mother) with a wooden 'dirk' at her waist.

As her children approached the age of education, Arya reluctantly agreed to engage Septa Eglantine from the Great Sept in King's Landing to tutor their children in the ways of the Faith. The Stormlands followed the Faith of the Seven and the Great House of said kingdom was expected to honor the official religion. Lord Gendry convinced his wife that they need not be overly religious, but there was no sense in distressing their vassals with noncompliance. But the septa soon declared Lyarra to be impossible and despaired at being the little urchin's governess.

Arya's old sailing companions, Renwick and Hargrove, like Captain Saan, were also long in the tooth and they requested permission to retire to Storm's End to spend their golden years with their treasured liege lady. The two old salts unwittingly became Lyarra's nannies and mentors. Arya was pleased to see this happen, since Septa Eglantine had no patience for the obstinate tomboy. When Lyarra was introduced to the grizzled old tars and observed their sailor's clothing, she asked hopefully, "Are you pirates?"

A bemused Renwick shook his head at the spirited child that bore such a strong resemblance to the bold woman he proudly served and replied, "Nae, milady, we are but able seamen." But seeing the obvious disappointment on Lyarra's face, he added, "But we have fought many pirates and lived dangerous lives on the high seas." Soon they found themselves frequently recounting their maritime experiences in response to the endless questions the curious girl peppered them with as they went about their mundane duties of corralling the lively hoyden.

One day, a disturbed Septa Eglantine came to Arya and complained, "Milady, Lady Lyarra's behavior has simply become intolerable!" Apparently the septa had attempted to get Lyarra into a bath before dinner and the disobedient urchin had pulled away from her whilst angrily snarling, with her hand on the toy dirk in her waistband, "Blimey! Get off of me, ye sorry, pox-faced kraken!", and seeing the woman's shocked expression, added "ye mutinous, nattering wretch!" when she attempted to grab the girl again. Little Lady Lyarra's handmaidens were no help, for they were rolling on the floor with laughter as the willful child ran from the chamber. Upon hearing this, Gendry doubled over with mirth, but Arya had to call in Renwick and Hargrove and advised them to be careful with their language when the impressionable lassie was present.

Lyarra had as little fear of heights as her uncle Bran did as a youth. One day she climbed high into an crabapple tree and began pelting her 'nannies' with the small, solid fruit. The men complained to her parents that her aim was true and she had landed too many apples on their sensitive noggins. Arya surprised her daughter by swiftly climbing to her side and reprimanded her for being so mean, ordering sternly, "Now climb down immediately or I will throw you down! And apologize to Renwick and Hargrove when you reach the ground!" Lyarra had much respect for her formidable mum, for she had witnessed the warrior woman soundly defeating experienced fighting men at swordplay in the training yard. She was grateful that her mother had begun her water dancer training and had recently added wooden sparring swords to their exercises. Now the child was delighted when, after the apple-throwing incident, Arya allowed that it was time to commence her archery lessons.

By the age of five namedays, Lyarra was completely fascinated with the tales of adventure recounted by 'Cap'n' Saan, her 'nannies', and her mother, and searched the library for picture books of foreign lands. Arya told Maester Gormon to let the girl have free run of the library after her lessons, for that was one way to keep her out of trouble. One day Lyarra was looking at a tome from Braavos and pointed out one image in particular to the old navigator, querying, "Cap'n, what is this?"

Salladhar gazed at the depiction and smiled fondly at the memory, "That is a famous courtesan of Braavos on her pleasure barge."

The girl was enthralled with anything having to do with watercraft after Ser Davos had acceded to her demands and took her into the bay on a fishing boat. "What is a courtesan?" she asked curiously. 'Cap'n' was most uncomfortable with the question and cautiously responded, "Courtesans are women that are so beautiful that rich men, lords, and soldiers worship them and exchange money for their kisses." Lyarra appeared very intrigued with the concept and studied the pictures of Braavosi culture intently.

A few days later an extremely agitated Septa Eglantine approached Arya and implored, "Milady, you must attend me! I am too scandalized to even describe what I have just witnessed!" Arya followed the woman to a section of the training yard that had been set aside as a children's playground and viewed an unusual sight. Lyarra and her favorite playmate were sitting on blocks of wood in an overturned table flanked by boards. Lady Baratheon recognized her companion as Eleanor, the daughter of the steward and a tomboy of an age with Lyarra. She was often dressed in a dirty smock over boy's breeches similar to Lyarra's attire and the two hoydens loved to climb trees and swat furiously at each other with wooden sticks. Eleanor was often present at Lyarra's water dancing lessons and had earned the derision of the grooms by stating that she wanted to become a knight and stuck out her chin defiantly when teased. Both Lya and Eleanor would often shout angrily, "Stupid boys!"

Now both girls were dwarfed in colorful Dornish silk robes, obviously 'borrowed' from Arya's sea chest, and they had also sampled the cosmetics on Arya's vanity, for their mouths were painted bright red with lipstick, their eyes rimmed with kohl, and their braids coiled into updos.

With Septa Eglantine lagging behind her in embarrassment, Arya inquired, "Lyarra, what are you two playing at?"

Lyarra smiled, "Eleanor and I are courtesans of Braavos and this is our pleasure barge. I am the Black Pearl and she is the Nightingale." Eleanor played her part by beginning to sing a sweet song. The septa groaned as now Lya triumphantly declared whilst raising a bag of coins, "We are bestowing kisses on the boys for a copper each, and I have gathered more coins than Eleanor!"

The septa shrieked and now Arya noticed that all the little boys in the area, grooms, squires, and servants, were grinning and sporting the distinct outline of a pair of lips, in bold red, on their cheeks.

At that moment, having heard the septa cry out, Gendry rushed into the yard, just in time to catch the fainting woman, and he loudly enquired in a worried voice, "What is going on here?!"

Arya grinned and explained the game that the children were playing and he furrowed his brow in dismay, repeating, "My daughter is kissing boys for a copper!"

The young mother's eyes twinkled and she studied her husband's face. "Aye, I wonder how much she will charge when she flowers." Gendry appeared horrified and he choked on his response. Arya laughed heartily at his discomfort and pounded him on the back. Then she smiled softly, her eyes reflective, "Remember when I told you that if I had stayed on Braavos, the Kindly Man eventually would have sent me to a brothel for training in the art of womanly wiles?"

Gendry had been awkwardly assisting the septa as she attempted to recover her composure and stand up on her own two feet, but at Arya's words, his eyes narrowed and his head quickly swiveled around to glare at her as he growled, "You know that I do not like to envision other men pawing your body!"

Arya grinned because she loved to see her husband's jealous expression. She gently gripped his bicep, stared into his eyes, and led him out of the yard, "In any case, I did not serve at a house of pleasure, and no harm has been done here anyway. But my lord, do you have any coppers?" She added with a purring tone, "I would gladly trade a kiss for your coin."

Gendry looked startled, but then he smiled broadly as he realized that his wife was steering them to the Lord's Chambers. The enamored couple spent the rest of the afternoon in pleasant activities. The next day, however, Arya and Septa Eglantine were required to have an awkward conversation with Lyarra and Eleanor about the topic of 'inappropriate touching'. Afterwards, the women muttered that they were relieved that it would not be necessary to discuss 'the sword and the sheath' for a few more years.

If the girl had learned anything from the adults' reaction to the 'pleasure barge' game, it was hard to tell, for two years later when Lyarra was a willowy seven year old, she 'borrowed' Arya's slave girl costume (although quite oversized for the child, it was too tight for her mother now, as the halter top would have overflowed) and modeled it for a few entranced squires and grooms, demonstrating the dances that she had secretly observed her mother practicing. Once again Septa Eglantine had a fainting spell, and when Arya learned of this incident, she was properly horrified to have her secrets exposed. However, by now Gendry believed that his willful daughter, like her mother, was more danger to any boy than vice versa, and was amused. Nevertheless, Lya's little exhibition provided much lively gossip in the kitchens and amongst the castle staff. Arya took a more practical approach and worried that Lyarra might be just too impulsive a child, and she reluctantly decided that it was probably time to begin to address 'The Talk'.

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As for Lyarra's burning desire to go to sea, when young Eddard attained five namedays and she seven, the growing family decided to board Nymeria and sail north for a Stark reunion and visit Queen Sansa and Jon Targaryen. Lyarra 'underfoot' was instantly at home in the carrack, having mentally prepared herself to be a sailor for three years. She was a monkey in the riggings, climbing rapidly up the ratlines with her dirk in her teeth, pretending to be a buccaneer and sneering phrases such as, 'Avast ye! Get yer gnarly paws off of me, ye scurvy-infested, bilge-drinking swab!' and 'ye black-spotted, scrappy seadog!' as she waved her wooden cutlass at imagined invaders. Young Ned followed his adored big sister everywhere and copied her violent actions with his little wooden sword. Renwick, Hargrove, and the other fond sailors taught the inquisitive child everything about seamanship and teasingly called her 'sea tigress' for her boldness.

'Arya the Adventurer' was ecstatic to be on the water again, and regularly took her place at the bow, with her glass to her eye and mesmerized with the sounds of the sails flapping in the wind and waves pounding the hull. The only difference was that on this journey, she had her third babe strapped into a harness on her chest. The motion of the ship over the water served to lull the girl child to sleep, and the voyagers were blest not to have to endure any crying.

The only member of the Baratheon family who did not appreciate their adventure at sea was poor Gendry, for he became violently seasick as soon as the first large rollers struck the hull. The stalwart landsman had never enjoyed being on the water anyway and did not like sailing, for it harkened back to the day that Ser Davos installed him in rowboat and bade him row to King's Landing. He had never been so miserable in his life – forcibly separated from 'Arry' and the Brotherhood and convinced that he would be eaten by some fearsome beast of the sea or die of starvation. His sympathetic wife taught him that he could calm his troubled stomach by eating frequently and he began to chew gum constantly to relieve his distress. But the details of that adventure will be recounted at a later date.

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Notes:

Readers, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, especially the image of little Lyarra on the knee of her 'cap'n', absorbing his seafaring stories, for the tale is told that young Robert Louis Stevenson did the same with an older relative, and what he heard inspired him to write that masterpiece of adventure fiction, Treasure Island, still and always one of my favorite books. Several years ago I had the good fortune to sail in the British Virgin Islands and had the opportunity to visit the island that is supposed to be the model for Treasure Island. I rowed a dinghy deep into a sea cave like the one in which Ben Gunn hid the gold and imagined being a pirate myself. "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!"

It would seem that Lyarra had access to the "Talk Like a Pirate" phrase generating Internet websites.

Earlier in this story, I mentioned the intrepid traveler and scientist, Charles Darwin. I should mention here that like poor Gendry, he suffered from seasickness constantly on his three year voyage around the world.