A/N:This chapter contains corporal punishment. If that makes you uncomfortable, please don't read. As always, reviews are appreciated.
The song in this chapter is: The Song of the White Wolf from The Witcher OST
It was only mid-morning, and Jon Stark was already tiring of his eldest son's mood.
Gared seemed to make it his personal mission to push his luck with anyone and everyone that he came in contact with today.
Just a few moments ago, Ygritte entered her husband's office to inform him that their son had been sent home from his lessons for acting up in the training yard.
Jon entered the house and found Gared sitting at the kitchen table, arms crossed and staring defiantly straight ahead.
Ygritte was the first to approach the teen, cuffing him upside the head.
"Ah, thought I told ya to find a corner an' stand there!" The red-haired woman scolded, before taking hold of her son's arm. She half carried, half dragged him to a corner of the room, and pushed him to stay there.
Gared murmured something under his breath, causing Ygritte to pop him across the mouth. "Gods, you are acting foul today! I oughtta take some lye to your mouth for speakin' to me like that!" She growled before turning to walk back to Jon.
"I'll deal with him," the Lord Commander promised. "Can you keep Olly occupied until this evening? I have a feelin' that this discussion with Gared is going to be a long one."
At the sound of his father's voice, Gared turned from the corner, his eyes wide and his face pale. Jon shot the boy a withering glare, and Gared quickly turned away.
"I'll see you this evening, then," Ygritte agreed, kissing her husband.
She then addressed Gared, "And Gods help you if you haven't straightened out by the time I return, young man!"
The door to the house closed, leaving father and son in silence.
Jon sat down at the table and pulled out a few letters. The commander wanted to give his son time to think about his behavior; and since Jon doubted that he would be going back to his office for the remainder of the day, this seemed like an excellent opportunity to get some work done.
After a while, Gared began to fuss from his place in the corner. The 13-year-old started to rock from side to side. When that did not get his father's attention, Gared started rocking onto his heels, using the wall for leverage.
"Unless you want to make this worse for yourself, I'd suggest you stop that," Jon warned in a low voice without looking up.
"Make me," Gared sneered under his breath. He immediately regretted the statement when he heard his father's chair roughly push back from the table. Before he could truly comprehend what was going on, Gared felt his father's hand take his arm in a vice-like grip, and a barrage of painful swats were laid down on his backside. It was clear to Gared that his father was pissed as he was putting his full strength behind each blow.
Just as suddenly as it happened, the spanking stopped. Jon then pushed Gared so that his nose was touching the wall.
"Stand like that, and don't move until I give you leave to," Jon ordered before walking into the other room.
Too stunned to do anything but obey; Gared stood with his nose to the corner until his father returned.
A tense silence descended over the room before Jon ordered Gared to him.
Gared obeyed, and he soon found himself in his father's iron grip.
"Your behavior last evening, and this morning has been absolutely deplorable," Jon scolded. "I gave you a pass last night because I knew you were exhausted, and I hoped that you would wake in a better mood today. I was even willing to let your attitude towards me go with just a scolding; that was until you got sent home from your lessons and decided to cop an attitude with your mother."
Gared tried to pull out of his father's grasp. He didn't like where this was going.
"You've earned yourself a sound spanking, Gared," Jon continued. "Hopefully, this will be an incentive to change your attitude."
That said, the Lord Commander hooked an arm around his son before stripping the boy of his britches and underclothes.
Jon silently positioned Gared over his knee and began the spanking.
The room was quiet, save for the sound of swats and Gared's tears.
The boy fought at first, trying to jerk out his father's hold. He even went so far as to shoot a fist out in a weak punch against Jon's hip. But Jon just took a firm grip of his rebellious son's arms and pinned them to his back.
"Now, do you want to tell me why you have been acting like a bratty little boy instead of the young man that I know you are?" The Lord Commander asked, breaking his silence.
"D-do-don't know!" Gared wailed. "Please, father! Stop!"
"Yes, you do know," Jon countered, increasing the strength of the swats and aiming for the tops of Gared's thighs. "and if you keep lying to me, I'll take my belt to ya. It's your decision, son."
"You an' mom love Olly more than me! YOU DON'T LOVE ME ANYMORE!" Gared bellowed before collapsing over his father's lap in a fit of violent sobs.
Jon immediately stopped the spanking and, in one fluid motion, lifted Gared, cradling the teen against his chest.
Gared tangled his hands in his father's uniform and continued to wail like a babe against Jon's shoulder.
"Oh, Gare," Jon murmured, tucking the boy's head under his chin. "Of course, mother and I love you. What in the world would make ya think otherwise?"
"Olly is good," Gared answered, calming a bit. "I'm not good like him. T-that's w-why you punish me. Y-you hug him, give him baths, tell him stories, and cuddle him," Jon's heart broke at hearing his eldest boy's admission. Gared was so distressed that he regressed into a younger state of mind. The boy only did this after a major emotional meltdown.
Jon wanted desperately to say something to assure his son but forced himself to remain silent. It was clear that the teen needed to get his feelings out.
"Y-you g-gi-give Olly cuddles 'cause he's good. Y-you jus' scold me an' I spank me. B-but I w-want cuddles, hugs, and stories. I-I only get cuddles after a spanking.
I-I can be good! Promise! Jus' love me like you love Olly!" Gared burst into a renewed fit of sobs.
Jon tightened his grip around the teen, rubbing a soothing hand down Gared's back.
"Gods, have I been so neglectful that my child would take a thrashing just to get comfort after?" Jon thought. "I'll do whatever it takes to set this right."
"Shh, Shh, "Jon hushed, patting Gared's back in a soothing rhythm until his eldest settled into sporadic hiccups.
Once the boy was calm, Jon crooked a finger under Gared's chin and directed the boy to meet his gaze.
"Now I want you to listen to me very closely, little wolf," the Lord Commander instructed. "I love you just as much as I love Olly. You are older than he is, and I have started treating you as a young man. But, in doing so, I did not take into consideration how my actions would make you feel, and for that, I am truly sorry."
Gared just nodded, still matching his father's gaze as he leaned against Jon's leather-clad chest.
"You don't need to earn yourself a spanking to get comfort. Mother and I have been giving you space because you are maturing into a man, and we thought that independence was what you wanted. But clearly, we were wrong.
You'll always be our baby boy, Gare. If you want a hug, or to spend some quiet time with us, all ya have to do is ask, got it?"
"Got it," Gared responded. "'m so sorry, father."
"Oh my boy," Jon murmured. "My sweet, good, little boy; I'll never stop loving you."
Gared just slumped against his father's chest, clearly exhausted by his punishment and the resulting emotional upheaval.
Jon lifted his son slightly to correct his small clothes and pants before tucking Gared under his cloak.
"Why don't you lay down and rest for a bit while I finish up some work?" Jon suggested.
"We can go in the training yard and spar later if you feel up to it."
"T-take a nap a-alone?" Gared asked, hesitantly.
"If you want to," Jon answered. "If not, you can rest in my room, and I can work in there."
"S-stay please," Gared requested, clearly too exhausted to form complete sentences. "D-don't wanna have b-bad dreams."
Jon responded by standing up and lifting Gared into his arms; settling the boy on his hip as if he were no more than a toddler.
There were very few occasions when Gared regressed like this.
"If he wants to be treated as if he is three rather than 13, I'm in no position to refuse," Jon thought as he walked down the hall.
Gared was nearly asleep when Jon placed him on the large bed.
Ghost was asleep near the fireplace but awoke when they entered the room. The white Direwolf hopped up onto the bed and curled around Gared; taking up a protective vigil of his "pup."
Jon sat on the edge of the bed and met his son's gaze.
Gared tiredly reached out and took hold of his father's hand.
Jon got the unspoken message and placed his hand on Gared's back.
"You want a song or a story to help you fall asleep?" The Lord Commander asked.
"Song, please," The teen answered.
"The call of the White Wolf is loudest at the dawn," Jon began softly, patting his eldest son's back to settle the boy. Gared let out a content sigh, recognizing his favorite song.
"The call of a stone heart is broken and alone
Born of Kaer Morhen
Born of No Love
The song of the White Wolf is cold as driven snow
Bear not your eyes upon him lest steel or silver draw," Jon continued.
"Lay not your breast against him or lips to ease his roar
For the song of the White Wolf will always be sung alone
For the song of the White Wolf will always be sung alone
Cast not your eyes upon him, lest he kiss you with his sword
Lay not your heart against him or your lips to ease his roar
For the song of the White Wolf, we'll always sing alone
For the song of the White Wolf, we'll always sing alone,"
Jon finished the ballad to find that both his son and his Direwolf were fast asleep. He leaned down to place a kiss to Gared's baby-soft hair before moving to his desk to finish the day's work.