Yoren was overwhelmed by the hugeness of this castle, his father's castle. He felt so tiny, so insignificant under thoses big stones. He tried to look everywhere at the same time, which was impossible, of course. He grew up at New Dawn, the city founded by his mother. As long as he was a young child, he stayed there with her or with other families when she wasn't here but as soon as possible, he joined her in her explorations. Since he was nine, he spent most of his time outside or under a tent so, this huge catsle seemed amazing to him. His father's castle. His head was spinning a bit.
The servant, Blimau was nice but seemed guarded around him. She led him to a room where a bronze tub filled with hot water was waiting for him. He flicnhed when Blimau tried to help him to undress. Why was she doing that ? He knew how to undress, thanks the gods ! He was almost twelve ! When he was naked, he came closer to the tub, cautiously. He put a finger in the water he removed it quickly, it was so hot !
« -What are you doing my boy? Go inside the tub before you get a cold. » Her voice was gentle.
« -It's just... Isn't it too hot ? I mean, I never bathed in water that hot... I don't want to be burned... » Blimau bursted out laughing and gave him a fond look. « -There's no risk of burn, young man, I assure you. Lady Baratheon takes her bath at the same temperature, you see ? No risks at all. »
He hesitantly entred the tub, and almost instantly, his muscles relaxed in a delicious way.
His body may be relaxed, but his mind wasn't. Lady Baratheon, his father's wife... His mother told him it was very likely that his father was married and that his situation would be difficult... He wished he would have been able to stay with her, but he was too young, to weak... for now.
« -So, since you're with Privan, the traveller from the West, I guess you come from there too, right ? » She was being curious... But Yoren answered her, if he was staying here, his identity would not stay a secret for long.
« -Yes, I do. I was born there. I lived with my mother but, she had a task to do and I couldn't go with her. So, here I am. » He tried to be as brief as possible, he really didn't want to talk about this, he missed New Dawn and his mother so much. Blimau seemed to feel that and kept silent as she helped him bathe and then dry.
When Yoren was finishing to lace his shoes, someone knocked to the door. His heart was hammering, they will talk now. He wanted to get to know this father he almost didn't know at all. The few informations he had, he gather them from his mother. But he quickly saw that talking about his father made her sad and melancholic, so he stopped. Bilau went to the door and let the visitor enter. Well, the visitors. It was not his father who standed before him but four children, three boys and one girl. The tallest looked very much like him but had blue eyes. Hostility was in the air.
« -So, you will stay here, bastard ? I hope you don't expect to follow us everywhere. I came here to make things clear. You're a mere bastard, a stain on our lord father's and lady mother's honor, that's all. You're a disgrace to our house so, don't think we'll ever be charitable with you... » The blue-eyed boy was about to add more to horrors to his speech but the girl cut him short. She looked very angry at him.
« -You're so stupid Robert ! You speak of things you do not understand ! How dare you insult our brother under our father's roof ? Yes, he is a bastard and what ? So was father before the Dragon Queen legitimased him. And it didn't make him any less a valuable lord. » She turned toward him and gave him a nod of sympathy, granting him her full support. Yoren was disoriented by their extreme behaviors, he heard things about people from the Stormlands and it was true : their fits of rage were as sudden and violent as thunderstorms.
« -And, I may add, our father told me about Yoren's mother. I know he loves her still, I know she's a good person and I don't see why her son would be any different. To me, he's a brother, bastard or not. »
« -What ? Our father told you things like that ? Why you ? I mean... » Robert was about to add someting but he was cut short again but this time, by their lord father who was standing on the doorstep.
« -Yes, I told you sister things she needed to know and you didn't. What are the four of you doing here ? Where is Septa Lella ? » The tree oldest children were a bit ashamed, only the youngest one seemed confident enough to answer « -Robert told us you brought a new brother home but he's not enterely our brother. Because his mother is not Mother, and we had to scare him. » His honesty shamed Robert who lowered his head as his yougner brother talked.
His father sighed,« -All right, we'll talk about this later. Right now, I need to speak with Yoren. So, all of you, go back to your classes if you don't want me to put guards to escort you all day along. Am I clear ? » He shot a serious look to all of them, especially Robert. As soon as they were gone, his father's knelt before him -he was so tall-, clearly worried. « -Are you all right ? What did they tell you ? »
« -Nothing I didn't expected, Mother warned me, you know... And the girl, well my sister, she was very nice. She defended me when Robert picked at me, she said I was her brother, no matter who my mother was. I like her. » Hope filled his voice at the end of his sentence, maybe his life here would be nice after all, he aldready has a sister he didn't have yesterday !
« -I knew you would. Did she tell you her name ? » His father ruffled his hair when he rose up and guided him towards the door. « -No, she didn't... Where are we going ? There are things I need to tell you... »
« -I know, I want to bring you to a meaningful place to me to do so, follow me. » Yoren was estatic, his father was briging him to a meaningful place, where could it be ? The forge ? Mother told him his father loved to smith. No, they met there... No idea came to his mind for he didn't know the domain well enough yet.
They got out of the castle and climbed a stony hill. As soon as he was at the top of the hill, Yoren saw it, standing tall and proud : the heart-tree. Even if it was the very first time in his life he ever saw one, he knew what it was thanks to his mother. Many times she told him stories about her childhood at Winterfell and she often described the gigantic heart-tree that stood there, older than Winterfell itself. This one wasn't as tall as Winterfell's one but was taller than any tree he ever saw.
He respectfully approchoached the tree, knelt before it and touched the bark with his left hand. He tried to pray to the old gods « Keep my mother safe, wherever she may be. Bring her back to me. »
« -Just before I left Winterfell for Storm's End, I asked to Lady Sansa -now Queen Sansa- for a cutting of the hear-tree, to plant a new one in my new home. Even if I received my name in the light of the Seven, I could pray the old gods only after the Battle for Dawn. The Seven Gods didn't protect us, the old gods and their believes tried, at least. It's the same age as you... » Yoren looked his father as he joined him, sitting in front of the heart-tree.
« -Do you know why I wanted to bring you here ? » The tall man touched the bark too, praying.
« -Well, Mother told me no man could lie before a heart-tree. But she thought it was all shit since her sister married before one and her husband was monstrous. » A fond smile streched the lips of his father. « -Of course she thinks this way... But yes, that's why I brought you here. Yoren, you're my son, my family and as you mother would say, my pack. We do need to be able to trust each other, don't we ? » The young boy nodded.
« -Good. I want you to know you're at home here, you'll always be, no matter what Robert could say or do. »
« -But what about his mother, your lady wife ? Mother told me she had the right to mistreat me if she wanted... She said it happend quite reguraly to... well the ones Westerosi call bastards. »
« -She won't do anything to you for I will never allow it. You're my son, as much as Robert or Jon. No matter what she says or do. » Yoren sighted, clearly relieved. He smiled to his father, grateful for his words.
« -Now, tell me what happened to your mother ? Why did she send you to me ? » The boy felt both his heart and face become sader. He didn't really want to talk about that but he owed his father the truth.
« -It all began three months ago. This day, she was on hunt duty but she was late. She always came home before sunset... I remember evey detail, I was sitting next to the door, waiting for her. I was so relieved when I saw her at last ! But when she came closer, I saw she limped a bit, there was blood everywhere... » Hhe gazed upon his father who was staring at him, clearly upset.
« -She's not dead ! She was just injured ! I helped her to nurse her wounds, and believe me, they were deep and accurately done. It was no beast's work, but human one. But Mother is the best fighter I know, the best fighter of our city. Who could have done that to her ? She was too exhausted to answer so she went to sleep. At dawn, she woke and explained everyting to me. When she was a girl, Mother went to Braavos, at the House of Black and White. Do you know what is it ? »
His face worried, he denied. « -Well, this House is inhabited by the Faceless Men, the best assassins in the world. She did her apprenticeship there during several years. But in the end, the fled and killed the assassin they sent after her. But the Faceless men didn't give up, they sent another one after Mother, at New Dawn ! She killed him to ! But she said they would never give up and that I would be in danger if I stayed with her... So she decided to send me here while she hunts every single one of them down. »
« -What did you say ? She wants to hunt assassins down ? On her own ? Arya... » His father was taking his head between his big, calloused hands, sighing. « -Don't worry too much for her Father ! She's very strong and deadly ! She can change faces you know, when she does, her whole body changes... I have faith in her, if there's one person in the world who is able to to that, that's her ! »
Another fond smile appeared on his father's lips, he ruffled Yoren's hair once more. « -You're right, I know how deadly she can be. She already was a cold-blood killer when she was eleven after all... »
« -Really, she was ? Tell me ! She rarely talked about the life she had in Westeros beside her childhood at Winterfell ! » Yoren didn't know what was happening to him when he was in in father's presence. Usually, he was a quiet and silent boy. He wasn't good with words, he never was. He rathered actions... So why was he so talkative right now ?
« -Maybe another time, it's already late and we're going to be late for dinner. » After he got back to his feet, his father offered him his hand to help him to do the same.
Together they went back to Storm's End where a warm dinner and a family were waiting for them.