Chapitre 2: C002
It has been about 30 days since Alaric was born and…he has been…interesting.
Unlike other children, who take time to mature, Alaric only after 12 days started to make coherent words and is able to walk, wobbling it may be. Something that I cannot be surprised by seeing the circumstances around his birth. He also has a habit of biting on people's hands that wander too close to him, and will never let go unless Ashara tells him to.
After 3 days from his birth, we decided it was safe to take him out of the castle. I then took him to several places in Winterfell, but there were only 3 places that managed to get the most reaction out of him.
Godswood, where he kept on caressing the trees as if they were the most precious thing in the world.
Crypts, where I took him to pay respect. But something happened there. All along the visit, Alaric kept on waving his hands in the air as if…waving at someone. Someone who was not there. What surprised me the most was that…he managed to find Lyanna. When I brought him near her crypt, he spoke, as much as a babe could, and managed to produce a sound closest to Lyanna.
The same thing happened with Brandon, and Bran the Builder. And another detail that I recognized when I was departing, too focused on his name-calling. His eyes changed color to ominous violet on pitch-black surroundings.
In fright, I took him away from it, and his eyes reverted to normal.
And the final place. I do not know if it is the place itself or the direction, but it happened when I showed him the map of the North.
He saw the wall.
His eyes turned violet and he started to beat the place beyond the wall with his small palms.
And I know what Old Nans used to tell about the wall. Something I hope is untrue.
However, there is another place, Sothoryos. Just like before, I was showing him the map to see his reaction to various places and when I brought him to Sothoryos on the map, it happened. He did not become agitated like with Wall. He did not become excited like with Crypt. He did not become affectionate like with Godswood. He just patted it. Not with affection as he did with Godswood, but as if removing the dust from it.
All I know about Sothoryos is that it is a land filled with jungles, diseases, plagues, and countless unknowns. A land that not even countless people had ventured there could map out. Most died and few who managed to survive died due to diseases on the ship itself. Finally, a sailor with a small fleet of ships decided to trace the outline of the dreaded continent from the distance.
*Knock Knock*
As I was mulling in thought, the door was knocked, following which I spoke almost instinctively, "Enter."
Opening the door, Maester Luwin came with a guard who was carrying a long box. "Lord Stark." Maester and the guard said with a bow, humming in agreement to which I asked, "Maester, what is this?"
"My Lord, this is from Dorne, sent by Doran Martell with a message that I did not dare open." Maester said as he pulled out a sealed parchment from under his sleeve and gave it to me. Examining the seal, I found it to match with the seal from House Martell.
Unsealing it, I unfurled the paper and read its contents.
To Warden of North, Lord Eddard Stark,
Snow from North carried the message of the birth of your son to Sands of Dorne. I would like to congratulate you from all of Dorne and House Martell on the birth of the child.
I will not take much of your time since you are a direct person.
I am thankful for the help you provided us and saving dignity of my sister and my niece's life. For this, Dorne will always be grateful to you. And to show our intentions in that matter, I had a gift prepared for your son. It would be helpful for him when he comes of age.
May Gods, Old and New look over your family.
Prince of Dorne,
Doran Martell
Huh.
Placing the parchment down, I looked at the box that the guard was carrying and beckoned him to place it on the table. Without looking at Maester, I spoke to him.
"Prince Doran has sent a gift for Alaric." Saying that I opened the box and saw inside it was a large spear on a red cloth.
The spear's shaft was made of metal along with its blade itself. The blade part was engraved with various designs. Getting a feel of it, I nodded in contentment when Maester spoke.
[Image]
"It is not that surprising my Lord. Your noble of act of saving Elia Martell's dignity and life, along with her child placed a huge debt on them. And your marriage with Lady Stark has only strengthened the relation."
Looking at him, I spoke, "Maester, I did not save the dignity and life of Elia Martell and her daughter because they were of noble birth, but because it was the right thing to do."
"Something I completely agree with. But after the death of the infant at the hands of those Lannisters, your noble act still provided the realm with much-needed stability." Maester added and I nodded.
"But sending a spear for a boy. And the son of North too is a bit…It is something that I expected from Red Viper but from Prince Doran of all people…is hard to imagine." Maester suggested and I could not but nod at the opinion.
True, if this was Red Viper then I would not have had thought much about it, but for Prince Doran of all people to do this. Huh, sometimes I wish things were simple.
"Hmm, you are right Maester, but the seal is true so this is what Prince Doran has sent. Let us not fret thinking about it. Have the guards keep it in the family's armory. We will later find whether Alaric would try his hand at spear or not." I said the other half to the guard that was stationed near the door. Hearing my words, he took the box with the spear in it and closed the door while keeping his head down in all of that period.
"Then my Lord, I will take my leave and make sure accommodations are suited for Lord Alaric." Maester said to which I nodded and he left the room.
Finding myself alone in the room, my eyes fell on the papers on the table in my solar, and deciding to take care of them later, I made my way outside the room as well.
Walking across several twists and turns, I finally made my way inside Ashara's room where Alaric's crib was also there. Opening the door, I found Alaric lying on top of Ashara with his cheek pressed with hers.
Registering my presence, he looked at me and with his dainty little hands reaching out for me said, "Fa.h.r."
Wide-eyed, I looked at Ashara and spoke, "Ashara! Did you hear? He just said father!"
At this, Ashara looked at me with a grin and through the corner of her eye looked at Alaric and said, "Alaric, who am I?"
"Momma!"
"Yes I am." Ashara said as she hugged Alaric and looked at me with the same grin.
Seeing this I did not whether to be happy for him trying to call me father or sad that he is able to call Ashara mother perfectly. So I just sat on the bedside looking at the giggling figure of Alaric and the smiling face of Ashara, which caused a small smile to break onto my face.
Then Alaric turned to look at me and stopped giggling. Just staring quietly at me, he squinted.
"Aww! Does Alaric want to go to his father?" Ashara said pinching his cheeks which earned her a bite from Alaric. For some reason, since his birth, Alaric has not allowed anyone to pinch his cheeks other than Ashara, and that also is only when she is tired.
"Alaric, leave mother's finger." Ashara demanded with a fake look of frown. Seeing it, Alaric merely turned his eyes away and kept on biting it.
"Well, it seems you have forced my hand." Ashara said with a determined look as she crept her hand to Alaric's face and…
…pinched his nose.
"Pfft." I tried to stifle a laugh seeing his indignant expression, but it seemed I was not quite enough and he snapped his small head at me, then made grappling motions in the air.
"Oh, it seems someone wants to put Warden of the North in his place."
"Umu."
Ashara said and Alaric agreed while looking into my eyes.
"You Dornish people." I said to Ashara with no real heat behind the words. At those words, Ashara merely placed her finger at her chin and with a feigned look of being immersed in thought, spoke, "Hmm…if my memory serves me right, you had no problem in consummating the marriage with a Dornish."
"Ashara!" I said to which she shrugged, "Ned, Alaric is a child. He is smart but does not understand everything."
"Still…" I said but then Ashara turned to Alaric with a huff who broke the stare at me and looked at Ashara. "Alaric, do you understand what mother says?"
He at first looked at her with confusion then with a bright look shouted, "Momma!" and Ashara discarding her previous question hugged Alaric and said, "My little boy." And all the while Alaric rubbed her cheeks with his but continued to maintain his glare at me.
But then…
*chomp*
…he bit on Ashara's hand.
Separating from the hug, Ashara looked at Alaric who looked at her. Then Ashara decided to take things farther from just pinching the nose and pulled Alaric by the back of his neck.
"Gow! Gaow! Goaw!"
This caused Alaric to make some noise. We found out about this thing says ago. Whenever Alaric goes out of control, grabbing him by the back of his neck like a cat's scruff, he stops doing anything and just keeps on making that noise.
Leveling him by her eyesight, Ashara finally let go of the back of his neck, and Alaric quieted down that one could mistake him for a peaceful boy who has not even of 1 names day.
Then she turned around and placed him in my lap suddenly as she spoke to him, "Now, mother is going to get some air. Play with father for a while." She said as she pecked Alaric on her forehead and left the room.
Now in the room were only two people.
Alaric and me.
Alaric stared at me, I stared at Alaric. He then took my hand and placed it on his cheek.
I stared at him, he stared at me.
He then took the hand and started to make a pinching motion.
"You want to pinch your cheeks?" I asked half-surprised knowing how guarded Alaric was about it.
Nodding at my question as if he understood, I pinched his cheeks and found them to be soft. Slowly I started to tug on them a little, but in response Alaric merely closed his eyes.
Then opening them in a little while later, he looked at me in the eyes and said, "Ae.D."
"What?" I asked, trying to understand a little better.
"E.D."
Is he…?
"NE.D."
*CRASH*
As Alaric spoke my name, a crashing sound came from behind me. Turning back I saw Ashara who looked as if she had seen a ghost.
Scurrying close at astonishing speed, she looked at Alaric and spoke, "Alaric, what did you say to father?"
"NED!" Alaric said, much more clearer this time.
Hearing this, Ashara looked pale as she spoke, "Alaric, what about me?"
"MOMMA!"
"No."
"No momma?" Alaric said looking at me confused, to which I shrugged my shoulder. Then he turned at Ashara as she spoke, "No Alaric. I am momma."
"Momma!"
"Yes, I am Momma, but call me Ashara as you did with father. A-SHA-RA."
"Momma?" Alaric said with a tilt of his head. This caused Ashara's mood to dampen which had me stifle a laugh, but it seemed I was not quiet enough because it earned me a glare.
Then as fast as the wind, she turned her face toward Alaric who looked at her like he did when he saw a cat.
Slowly, Ashara spoke pointing to herself. "Ashara."
Pointing to her, Alaric spoke, "Momma?"
"No, Ashara. A-SHA-RA." Ashara spoke patiently.
"No momma?" Her brows furrowed.
Huh, she looks pretty when she is sulking.
"Repeat after me." Ashara said wiping any trace of exhaustion and pointing at herself spoke.
"Aaa."
"Aaa." Alaric repeated.
"Shaa."
"SHAA!"
"Ra."
"RAAA!!!"
"Ashara." Ashara smiled.
"Momma!" Ashara sulked.
Guess days like these are not bad.
***
Next chapter, I will start from a time skip to start from where the story begins. No baby arc.
Participate when I poll next time if you want to read this novel. Check my profile for my other works.
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Word Count: 2230
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