At Storm's End

He hoped to get better soon, it was so boring to have to stay in bed all day... Since he was ill quite often, his lord father would send him a traveller or a singer when there was one, to amaze him with stories and songs of unknown lands where he would never go... It was a nice and gentle idea, but a bit depressing from time to time.

Davos tried to control his excitement, Arya and Yoren will visit him this afternnon for Maester Brumi said he was well enough to receive visitors again ! He couldn't wait to hear about whatever news they will tell him, their last days have surely been more exciting than his.

But one of the bright side of his state of health was that it gave him a lot of time to think and analyse things, and he loved to do that. For example, he thought about his mother's pregnacy and his fathers's and Yoren's reactions... Of course, his mother seemed almost too content with the news. Davos thought it was reassuring for her, after the revelation of Yoren's existence. For her lord husband may have feelings for another woman but she was his lawfull wife. She and no one else.

His lord father's reaction was harder to read. He too seemed quite happy with the new but he looked a bit embarrassed. The boy bet it was because of Yoren, maybe he feared that his son would feel rejected and lonely. Or maybe his father would fear that Yoren thinks his feelings for Arya, his mother were faked... And Davos could also see a tint of fear in his lord father's eyes. Thanks to Arya -his sister- he knew that his mother almost died last time she gave life and so did he. Davos could also feel a crushing melancoly in his father's gaze when his eyes fell onto his lady mother's bumped womb. Did he imagine how his life would be if Arya Stark was his wife ?

All of this was hard to understand for the boy. He was so young, the world of feelings was mostly unknown to him so he coulnd't really understand the whole situation. But there was some things he was sure of.

Now was the time to summerise all the informations he had : his mother was pregnant and was very happy about it, his father was a bit happy, confused and melancholic, Yoren seemed shocked and thoughtful. To Robert, for what Davos learnt, it was a sign that things were going back to normal. So of course, Jon agreed. And Arya... It was hard to say... She seemed enthusiastic to have another sibling but she loved Yoren so much that his mood tainted hers...

And himself ? What did he think of the situation ? That is a tricky thing. This is always the most delicate part of a reflexion. What was the point of vue of the thinker ? Because there was always one.

He was the youngest of four children, so he didn't know what it was like to have a baby around. He would like to know. But on the other hand, he didn't like how his lady mother used this baby as a weapon against Yoren, by doing it she also hurted her husband... But was she even aware of it ?

He was lacking information... Maybe he would obtain more of it from his siblings or maybe this evening when Blimau will prepare him to go to bed... But his deep thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Arya and Yoren.

Davos felt a smile stretch his lips. He could hear them speak from the other side of the corridor.. Those two were so noisy but Yoren was only this way with Arya. Maybe he felt more relaxed by her side... He will have to think about that later, this wasinteresting.

Arya pushed the door open with her usual enthouiasm, knocking the door on the stone wall. She was radiating with energy, like always. Once, he heard Blimau joke about this. She said that his sister took all of their lady mother's energy and left him none. Why not ? The gods are the only ones who know about this kind of things...

Yoren was by her side, calm and discreet like always even if he seemed more joyful than usual. Davos knew that his lady mother gave a hard time to Yoren whenever she could... Little things like laughs, rumors or even just the way she looked at him. That's how Davos understood that most of the times, the tinest wounds were the most painful. His lady mother really was petty about this he thought. Maybe her sister, his aunt Lady Felli who has a good heart, he could tell, will make her change her ways... He prayed to the Mother and the Crone every evening for that.

His brother refused tell their father what was happening. He said he didn't want to create trouble and that it's didn't really mattered but Davos could tell he was lying.

So, the small boy was surprised to see Yoren in a joyful state of mind. He opened his mouth to speak but, like she almost always did, Arya beat him to it : « -Ser Hillin and Yoren found a very talented singer at the Rain House ! And he followed them here, isn't it absolutly great ? I bet that Father will sent him to you in the days to come ! You're so lucky sometimes ! »

Davos sighed, she really had no idea of what she was saying... But that the way she was and always will be, if the different parts of her body made a race, her tongue will win withtout doubt !

His little bubble of thoughts was burst by Yoren. « -And that's not even to best part ! He said he travelled the whole Seven Kingdoms ! I bet he has some fantastic tales to tell ! »

Davos really liked when his siblings visited him, the time seemed to fly in their company... But since they were both very busy all day, it didn't happen very often so he decided to give them all his attention. And before he even realised it, it was dusk, the sun's warm colors were thrown onto the tourmented landscape of Storm's End, staining everything and everyone of glorious orange and red and pink.

He closed his eyes for a few moments, enjoying the peace of the moment. He was getting better and was about to get out of bed in a few days. He had two great siblings he loved and who were by his side. He will have a delicious meal tonight and have a singer to sing him tales and songs very soon. Blimau will check on him and maybe sing him his favourite lullaby until he felt asleep.

And the dusk... Beautiful and absolute. It has always been his favourite moment of the day. He heard Arya worrying : « -Are you all right ? Should we call Maester Brumi ? » He felt her sitting on his bed, just next to his hip and she put a hand on his forehead, clearly looking for a fever.

And just when Davos wanted to tell her he was fine, the noise of hasty steps and sobs made him open his eyes quickly. He just had the time to recognise his lady mother, who was almost unrecognisable : her face was devastated by tears and the features of her face were twisted by pure anger and hatred, before she grabbed the broom Blimau left in the corner of the room and began beating Yoren with a savage strengh and an animal rage Davos didn't suspected his mother had.

Arya got over of her shock and tried to make her mother stop, she shouted to her and even tried to grab her left arm ! But their lady mother threw her Arya away and his sister's head crashed into the wall... But Lady Tasha didn't even see it for all her attention was focused on Yoren. Davos screamed, as loud as he could. He couldn't rise to help his siblings but at least, he could attract to them people who could.

And she beat him again and again, he was now on the floor, curled into a ball. She also kicked him now he was on the floor, she pulled his hair with such violence that Davos could swear he saw blood. He couldn't believe this small ball of flesh was his brother Yoren, who was an accomplished waterdancer. All his grace, all his strengh were gone, the only thing that was left was a fierce will of survival.

Despite his screams, he could hear his mother mutter under her breath : « That's all your fault, you filthy bastard ! Child of the Seven Hells ! Monster ! » And so on...

Finally, some servants came but they clearly didn't know what to do. His lady mother might have gone mad, but she was still the Lady of Storm's End after all. Hopefully for everyone, Ser Hillin was around. He approched Lady Tasha with calm and restrained her moves with his strong arms. Then, he beholed the situation and saw that the most urgent thing to do was to fecth the Maester.

« -Girl, find Maester Brumi and tell him he will nedd to treat Lady Arya and Yoren. And you -Cara right ?- find all the servants you can and carry them to the Maester's chambers ! » The girl ran out of the room shouting for help.

When his lady mother was a bit more calm, Ser Hillin lifted her into his arms. She fell against him like a rag doll. Lady Tasha told him the same kinf of things Davos heard her say earlier : « -That's all his fault, this filfty bastard ! He's a wizard, like his demon of a mother ! He came to destroy us all ! We must stop him, you unsertand ? Kill him ! Help me ! »

Davos didn't even hear Ser Hillin's answer, he didn't see the servants carrying his siblings to Maester Brumi. The words of his lady mother kept playing into in mind : what was she speaking of ? Yoren didn't know any magic, he just knew things about plants and herbs that's all, he knew less the Maetser Brumi, and by far ! She wasn't making any sense...

That's when Davos looked at his mother's dress. It was all bloody and there was too much blood for it to be all Yoren's... What happened ? This question kept ringing into his mind and he could'nt help it. He hated being so helpless : he coulnd't act because he lacked strengh and he could't think because he lacked information ! This was real torture to him !

He snapped out of his trance because of the entrance of his aunt, Lady Felli. Her eyes were full of tears as she ran to him. He felt her warmth as she hugged him hard. Davos nestled his face against the hollow of her neck. She was like an anchor to him, hooking him to reality. He didn't realise he was crying before she whispered him : « I'm so sorry sweet boy, none of you deserved this. Sinda and I, we thought that Tasha was about to make someting terrible. So, when we came back to her rooms and we found them empty, we ran to the roofs for we feared she would try to jump. We never, never tought she would hurt any of you ! Forgive us, I beg you. »

Davos could feel she was crying too, her tears were in his hair and he wetted the hem of her dress. He hugged her harder, his kind aunt Felli who tried to copy her older sister in every way but was far too gentle and kind to do so.

« -Tell me, Aunt Felli, what happened to Mother ? I barely recognised her you know. Tell me ! I need to know after all of that ! » He straighten his head and looked her right in the eyes. Hers were full of sadness and worry. She didn't want to tell him, he could tell, but she gave up when she saw how adamant he was.

« -Earlier this afternoon, Tasha lost the babe she was carrying. I happened so quickly, we didn't have the time to do anyting. There was so much blood ans he was so pale, like if she was about do die ! So we put Tasha on her bed. Sinda went to look for a servant to clean everything and I went to Maetser Brumi and when we went back to her rooms, she was gone. The rest, you know. »

At King's Landing

Lord Davos Seaworth, Master of the Ships was quite thoughtful. During the last small council, the Master of Whispers gave him some news of his protégé, Gendry. Davos always thought he has been a good lad, so he has been quite surprised when he heard the news... A bastard boy he had with Lady Arya Stark, the Dawn Bringer... Unbelievable ! How, when, where ? He sighed deeply, all of this showed one thing he should have remembered : you never knew people entierely.

Until now, nothing really moved in Westeros but it was only a matter of time he tought.

In this contient, blood was power, and in this boy's veins flowed the blood of the Kings of Winter, his father will have a hard time to keep him out of this... The Game of Thrones, a game he patiently learned to play, year after year, battle after battle, plan after plan continued and always will, generation after generation.

Maybe he will travel to Storm's End soon. He missed its stormy sky, which always seemed to hesitate between thick and heavy clouds and raging rain that could bruise your face if you didn't take care. King's Landing's sky was too dull for him with its lifeless blue. The port was also far too calm for him, he wanted to see several crews struggling together to moor a single boat to the quay. In the Stormlands, mutual aid was not an option, one's survival rested on everyone's ability to collabore.

Here, in the capital, people thought they didn't really need each other. Solidarity was quite a rare thing to behold to be honest... He felt his heart squeeze a little in his chest at the thought.

Yes, it was decided. Soon, he will go to Storm's End.