Gone but close - Game of Thrones [Bran Stark fanfiction]

Chapter 50

Raydans flashbacks:

Toria:

"Toria, whats wrong?" Her father asked his shaking daughter. She held a stuffed arctic fox to her chest.
"Are you going to sell me to some lord?" Nine year old Toria asked him furious and afraid.
"Its not selling, it is making an alliance," her father explained, picking her up and he sat her on the table infront of her as he took a seat in his chair.
"You will have me marry someone, without my saying in it," Toria frowned at him, "sounds like selling to me."
"You are way too smart for your own good, little one," he sighed, rethinking his words, "I will have you married to someone kind, gentle, caring and strong."
"Not even clever? Do you want to sell me to a boar or what?" She scoffed.
"Now watch your tone, little lady," he made his 'angry scary face' and she gaved.
"I don't want to marry someone that I don't know," she sighed, "don't you understand? I am still a person, why can't I have a say in this?"
He sighed, because no woman ever had before? Because a woman never had that right?
He had raised her with too much freedom perhaps, she had to learn the world is hard and she can not always speak her mind everywhere. Not like here at home.
But how would he explain that to her? As she was staring at him with her big grey eyes. How could he tell his only daughter that?
"Toria, thats the way live always has been, and always will be," he explained watching her expression change.
"Than I will change that," she said determined, "that way of living is not good."
He was flabbergasted by her determination and ambition, he didn't know if she had it from him or his wife. Maybe it was all just Toria, she always had this fierceness in her eyes, her little smirks seemed ambitious and the way her eye brow would quirk up when someone would underestimate this girl were rather amusing. She was rather wonderful, and he feared that she would always be a complete surprise.
"How will you do that?" He asked amused.
"I don't know, I will read it somewhere," she shrugged.
"Books won't help you," he said, "battles will give you that power."
"And why is that?"
"Because if you lead such a battle and you win, you will gain power," he explained to her.
"Or, somebody else will come once you gain that power to take it again, and you will just be fighting useless battles untill there will be someone who makes sure neither of those people survive and take it themselves," Toria sighed as her little smirk appeared on her face, "and I won't have to battle, because I was clever and patient.. something most people lack of these days."
She never could stop to amaze him.
"You are too clever for a nine year old, your brother used to tell me stories about how they saved a bird on that age," he laughed.
"I am not my brothers," she said, keeping up a straight face, "so back to the marriage thing. Who will it be?"
"There are several," he answered, "don't worry, I will only get the best for my little girl."
"You better do," she jumped off the table and walked away.
This nine year old girl was hotheaded and very determined. Which could be an issue for the future Lord to call her his wife, of he doesn't know how to handle that.

Klaus:

"Father, why don't Darkerly's leave the castle?" Klaus asked.
"Because we like to stay home and don't concern ourselves with somebody elses troubles," he answered calmly, "aren't you supposed to be learning from the Maester?"
"I'm much rather learn from you," Klaus said with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Allright, just this time," he said as they sat down at the table, "what do you want to know?"
"Why can't bastards rule?" He asked.
"Because they do not have a rightfull name, since their parents weren't married," he answered.
"But why should bastards be punished for their fathers crimes? That doesn't make any sense, father," Klaus sighed, "its not their fault."
"What are you suggesting?"
"Well, if bastards would be a rightfull heir, maybe their fathers would stop betraying their wives so often," Klaus calmly said. He saw how little Sarisa followed her mother happily. That girl was probably a bastard. They had No idea who the father was, Camyla never told anyone and nobody ever saw her with a man. But since they weren't sure they left Sarisa's last name blank. Just Sarisa.
"So, if Sarisa should marry a lord and have his baby, would that baby be a bastard?" Klaus asked.
"Probably," he sighed, "but she probably won't marry a lord because she will be a maid."
"Now thats just mean, she can't marry someone highborn because she's supposed to be a maid," Klaus furrowed his brows together.
"Of course she can, but nobody will because she's just a maid," he explained.
"Just a maid? Love is love," Klaus said, "and no title can change that."
"Do you love her?" He asked confused.
"No, I just don't want to marry someone that you picked out for me later," Klaus sighed, "I want to travel the world and find my own true love."
"Did you came here to learn or to tell me how you really feel?" He asked his third son.
"Both," Klaus shrugged, "besides why should a Maester teach me if I want my father too."
"Because that man actually did a lot of work to be able to teach you," Raydan laughed and his son who seemed to enjoy this a lot.
"So? I have a lot of siblings he can teach," Klaus shrugged, "you might be a lord, but you're also a father. And its not bad if you want to teach us something."
"Sometimes I get the feeling my children are teaching me more than I am teaching them," he smiled at his son, who hugged him tightly and continued asking questions.