The Children of Spring

Galladon I - Father!

The journey from Tarth to the Capital was not as peaceful as it used to be, because this time the sea was rough and the winds did not help either. However, for a family that was used to travel by sea almost all the time, it was not a big deal. It still took one day more than usual to get to KingsLanding.
Galladon Lannister-Tarth loved the sea and loved to sail, he had learned how to swim, before learning how to ride a horse. He dreamed to, one day, have his own ship and to be able to sail through all of Westeros. However, he also loved to fight and he was almost as good as his parents. He wanted to fight in the war, he wanted to help in the battle and he had the feeling that his cousins had a plan.
Galladon had tried to convince his parents to let him come with them, it did not work.
"I want to fight, I'm old enough and I can fight as good as you." Galladon had said.
"We didn't say that you can't fight as good as us, you can. It's just that this can end up in a war and, at 17, you don't need that in your head. It's not something that a person can go through and just forget, it stays with you for the rest of your life, Gal, do you understand that?" Jaime had said.
"I do, but I want to help you and I want to protect my family. Besides, you and mother entered in battles with my age." Galladon had rebutted.
"We did, that's why we don't want you to do the same. Your father went to the Kingsguard at 15 and I was sent to Storm's End at 17, we've seen things and fought in some of the worst battles, that's not what we want for you and your sisters. I know that this is not easy to understand, but believe us when we say that this is not something that you want to have in your life at this age. I know you want to fight and protect your family, we are very proud of you for that, but you have your sisters to take care of and they are here. We can't stay with them with this war going on, but you can. I know you understand that, darling." Brienne had said.
"But- alright. I understand." Galladon had ended up saying. He had not had any hope of convincing them, still he had to try.
At last, they saw the Red Keep and the Blackwater.
"Look, we're here." Joan said.
"Finally." Catelyn said.
"You can already sense the smell from here." Galladon said.
"It's KingsLanding, it will always smell like this." Jaime said.
"Is everyone there already?" Galladon asked.
"I believe so, we took one day more because of the sea." Brienne said.
Great. Finally. I'm going to see her again, Galladon thought.
He just couldn't wait to see Jenny. It had been four months and eventhough they were used to it, it was hard. He wanted to be with her always, to have her by his side, when he rode, when he sailed, when he fought. The time they were together in public, was dificult for him not to kiss her there, or take her hand, or to just tell her that he loved her. No! We have to keep it a secret. Don't get crazy ideas, Galladon thought. He imagined how it would be to see her again. They would meet in the Great Hall or the Throne Room, however there was going to be people there and they would have to wait until the alduts went away and the kids went to play. After that, Gerion and Marianne would help them make sure it was safe for them to be at ease and then they would make it up for the lost time. It was always like this. At the begining, it sucked, however with time they realized that the end justified the wait.
"Gal, you think Jen could practice with me?" He heard Catelyn saying and realized that somehow he had been lost in his thoughts.
"Uh, what? Sorry, sis, I wasn't listening." Galladon said.
"What were you thinking about, brother?" Joan asked.
"Nothing special." Galladon said.
"Don't lie, Gal. I know you were thinking about some girl." Joan said smiling. Not just some, that's the problem, Galladon thought.
"I wasn't. But, if you want to know, Jo, I was thinking about the battle." Galladon lied.
"I don't believe you." Joan said right away.
"Anyway, you think Jen could practice with me?" Catelyn asked.
"Of course she can." Galladon said. He knew that she would.
"Yey, and by the way, Jo is right. You weren't thinking about the battle." Catelyn said smiling.
"See... I bet it was about a girl." Joan said.
"Thanks a lot, Cat. And I really wasn't. Life it's not like the songs, you know." Galladon said, trying to stop the conversation.
"Of course not, but you never looked at the girls, when we played in Tarth. So that means..." Catelyn said and then looked at Joan.
"One of two things, or you don't like girls or you like one and she is not from Tarth." Joan completed.
"Jo, Cat. I love you and don't take this the wrong way, but leave me alone!" Galladon said seriously and the girls giggled.
Galladon loved his sisters, Cat always practicing with the sword and Jo always reading. The only thing different about them were the eyes, Catelyn's were blue and Joan's were green, despite that, their personalities, that were almost the oposite. However, when they started anoying him like that, he had to count up to ten not to yell at them.
It was morning, when they finally docked at the Blackwater and went to the Red Keep. The city was just like Galladon remembered. Well, it was just four months ago, Galladon thought looking at the Red Keep.
"Mother, what will happen now?" Galladon asked.
"We're going to atend a meeting probably and then we'll see." Brienne explained.
"You're not going to the battle today, are you?" Catelyn asked concerned.
"No, the sooner we can leave is tomorrow." Jaime said.
"You'll come back, right?" Joan asked.
"Of course, we will." Jaime said.
"Don't worry, everything will be alright. We will all be home again." Brienne said and she and Jaime exchanged a look. Galladon saw it and he was sure that what they said was what they wanted to happen, but they were not sure if it would be true. Now, I'm definetively going to that battle, Galladon thought.
When they arrived at the Keep, they entered and everyone was there to meet them.
As soon as they entered the Throne Room, Galladon saw Jenny and they instantly smiled. They waited, until every greeting was done and the alduts went to talk and the kids went on their way and then, when Jenny, Galladon, Marianne and Gerion were alone in the room, Galladon went to give Gerion a hug first and said,
"We'll help them, don't worry."
"I know, thank you." Gerion said.
Then Galladon greeted Marianne and then he turned to Jenny.
"Jen." he said.
"Gal." she said smiling.
"Come on, there's no one here, but us, just kiss already." Marianne and Gerion said at the same time.
And Galladon and Jenny went to each other and Galladon hugged her and lifted her off her feet and spun her around and they kissed deeply. Marianne and Gerion smiled, they knew how happy they were, when they were with each other.
"I've missed you so much." Galladon said.
"I've missed you too." Jenny said.
"All of that it's beautiful, but we have a meeting to listen to. Later, we'll help you, but right now we really have to hear what they are saying." Marianne said.
"Sorry, but she's right." Gerion said.
"Let's go then." Galladon said.
"Uh, uhem. The hands." Marianne said, looking at them.
Jenny and Galladon looked at each other and then at their hands that were locked and unlocked them.
"Sorry. Habit." Jenny said.
"What would you do without us?" Gerion said with a chuckled and they all laughed.
This time Galladon and Gerion went to hear at the door of the Small Council Room, while Jenny and Marianne stood on the watch.
"So we're dealing with warlocks... great." Jaime said.
"They wanted to overtrow me. We have to raise an army here." Daenerys said.
"I can sent a raven to Clegane, see if he can raise a small army." Joanna said.
"Does someone know what are the plans in Winterfell?" Brienne asked.
"They have the troops ready to fight, but they are still inside the castle." Bran said.
"We have to part tomorrow." Jon said.
"You're leaving the kids here?" Bronn asked.
"Yeah, why?" Jaime said.
"They're going after you. You know that, right?" Bronn asked.
"Can we see if the guards of the castle can block the exits?" Pod asked.
"That would work, besides me and Varys and Bronn and Bran can look after them." Sam said.
"That would really help." Jon said.
"We have to make an annoucement." Daenerys said.
"Tomorrow it is. We have to tell the kids." Brienne said and then Marianne and Jenny went to call Galladon and Gerion.
"Come on, we have to go." Jenny said and then they went away.
They went to the garden, to talk about the plan that they were cooking.
"We will be watched. They're going to leave the guards blocking the exits." Galladon said.
"We can sneak out through the Dragon Skull room." Jenny said.
"We have to get horses, weapons and provisions." Gerion said.
"We can steel something unoticed." Marianne said.
"How will we manage to convince the kids not to go along?" Jenny asked.
"How can we make them understand that they can't go?" Marianne said.
"We can do like our parents tried to convinced us. They have to take care of the younger." Galladon said.
"What if they go anyway?" Gerion asked.
"Then we're in trouble, but I don't think they will." Marianne said.
"We have to talk more about this, in a more private place." Jenny said.
"Later, in my room." Marianne said.
"After everyone is asleep." Jenny said.
"Deal." Galladon and Gerion said.
"You think everything is alright in Winterfell?" Gerion asked concerned.
"If there was anything, the news would have already arrived. Everything's fine, Ger." Galladon said.
"Help is on the way, don't worry." Jenny said.
"I should have stayed..." Gerion said.
"Our parents passed through one of the worst wars this world has ever seen and they're here. They can handle this and we'll help them." Marianne said.
"When we get there, how will we do not to be found out?" Galladon asked.
"We have to go in disguise." Jenny said.
"I can get some cloaks for us." Marianne said.
"I think it's better to discuss that details later, or someone is going to hear us." Gerion said.
"You're right." Galladon said. Then he looked at Jenny and she smiled to him. I just can't wait, until we can be alone, Galladon thought.
"Lovebirds, you're showing it." Marianne said with a giggle.
"She's right." Gerion said with a giggle.
"Stop that, alright?" Jenny said anoyed.
"Yeah. It's been four months, give us a break." Galladon said and they laughed.
Then Catelyn came running to them and said,
"The adults are practicing."
"Where?" Galladon asked.
"In the yard." Catelyn said.
"Let's go." Jenny said and then they went to the yard to saw the adults practicing.
When they got there, they saw Joanna and Brienne practicing and were amazed. They fought like it was real and they could fight in sync, without any sync at all and still most of the round ended in a tie. In that moment, Galladon realized that he wanted to fight like that, he wanted to fight in the battle the same way they were fighting. I'm going to fight like them, like my mother and my father and my aunt and uncles. One day, I'll be a knight and a saillor, with Jenny by my side. Always. We just have to wait a bit longer, Galladon thought.
"They're amazing." Jenny said.
"They are. This is different, from the other practices." Marianne said.
"They're preparing to war. It can't be like practicing." Gerion said.
"We'll have to practice too. When they leave, we have to start." Galladon said.
"We can't fight like that." Marianne said, looking at the fight.
"You have an extraordinary optimism, Mary." Gerion said sarcasticaly.
"It's the truth." Marianne said. If these two didn't start to argue, then the world was ending, Galladon thought and then he looked at Jenny and she rolled her eyes. It was anoying sometimes. They were always arguing for silly things and even when Jenny and Galladon tried to stop it, they continued.
"But you could at least give some motivation." Gerion said.
"Then what do you want me to say?" Marianne said.
"I don't know." Gerion said.
"Then don't complain." Marianne said.
"You two are always the same." Galladon said.
"What do you mean?" Marianne asked.
"You're always acting like an old married couple." Jenny said.
"We never do that!" Gerion and Marianne said and Jenny and Galladon laughed.
After sometime the practicing ended and it was almost dinner time. Galladon knew that it was the perfect time to sneak out to their place, because it was the time when all of the servants were doing their duties and the adults had just finishing practicing, therefore they were ocupied, and finally the kids were always distracted at that time, because they were always late for dinner.
"Do you want to sneak out?" Galladon whispered to Jenny.
"Of course. Let's see if we can." Jenny whispered back.
"Well... Ger, Mary... do you think that... you can... you know, help us." Galladon said.
"What do you think, Ger? Can we?" Marianne said.
"You can be even worst than James sometimes, you know?" Jenny said.
"I don't know, Mary. Can we?" Gerion said.
"Really? Now you stop fighting?" Galladon said.
"We're kidding. Go, we'll work things out here. Just come back before dinner." Marianne said.
"Thanks, we owed you two one. Again." Galladon said.
"See you later." Jenny said.
"See you." Gerion and Marianne said and Jenny and Galladon went away.
They were walking through the garden to their place, while talking about all that happened in the four months they had been apart. They had found the place sometime ago, when they were children. It was near the Blackwater, behind the gardens and completely hiden, with a sight to the sea, no one ever came there and most of the people did not even know it existed either. When they were children they would go there to play and as they were growing up, they started to spend a lot of time in there. Sometimes, they found it weird the fact that no one knew about that place, because the two knew that KingsLanding was the city of secrets and there sure must have been some secret that was there hid. They were not wrong for thinking that, because that place had been the same in which his father had practiced with Bronn, when he had learnt how to fight with his left hand. Galladon did not know or even imagine that.
When they got to the stairs that led to the place, after looking if there was anyone there and comfirming there was not, Galladon took Jenny's hand and she looked at him smiling.
"There's a ship being built in Tarth, you know. My ship." Galladon said.
"Then when will you take me sailing, like you promised?" Jenny asked smiling.
"I was thinking about your nameday." And Jenny looked at him surprised and happy.
"Do you plan to sail from Tarth to Casterly Rock?" Jenny asked.
"Maybe, if I can, I will. For you." Galladon said and she kissed him and he kissed her back. They were at the end of the stairs by then.
Although they did not see that, there were two people in their place. And the last persons they would expect or want to be there. They had kept the secret for a year, but not anymore, not when Jaime and Podrick saw them.
Jaime and Pod had heard people talking, had turned and had realized it was them and when they saw them they were kissing, they were surprised and also confused. And they would not let them get away with it, not without a little prank, at least.
"You're thinking what I am thinking, Pod?" Jaime whispered.
"They're going to freak out, Jaime." Pod whispered back.
"Oh, I'm counting on it." Jaime whispered and they smiled and then,
"Uhemm!" Jaime said.
Galladon and Jenny froze. Galladon knew the voice instantly. We're caught..., Galladon thought terrified.
They immediately stood two feet apart and were just looking at them with a shocked expression in their faces and flushing. My father and her father, really?! Do you have no mercy at all?!, Galladon scream in his mind to every god he could remember. We're caught..., Jenny thought completely without knowing what to say or think or do.
"What in the Seven Hells is going on here?" Pod asked. He and Jaime were looking at them with a deadly serious and angry look and they did not know what to say or do.
"What do you have to say for yourselves?" Jaime asked.
"Uh... uh..." Galladon tried to explain, but the words did not come out. Jenny couldn't even speak, which he knew because she was always very reserved with these things.
"My daughter is a noble lady, she's not some wench that you can find in the streets." Pod said seriously. That one was good, Jaime thought.
"It's not like that, father!" Jenny said indignated.
"It's nothing like that." Galladon said embarassed.
"Then what is it like?" Jaime asked.
"It... it..." Galladon said.
"Started 4 years ago... we're best friends and... and..." Jenny said.
"We started to like each other... we really like each other and... and..." Galladon said.
"We are together for a year now... but we have loved each other for 3... and..." Jenny said.
"We don't get to choose whom we love... and..." Galladon said.
Jaime and Pod looked at each other and Jaime said,
"Really?!" Don't you use that on me, Jaime thought.
They just looked at them confused and they did not know what to say. It's just a sentence..., Galladon thought.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Pod asked.
"We told someone, just not you." Jenny said honestly.
"Whom do you tell?" Jaime asked.
"Mary and Ger." Galladon said.
"Let's reformulate the phrase, why did you keep it a secret?" Pod said.
"Well... because we're first cousins and..." Jenny said.
"We didn't know how would be the reaction if we told it..." Galladon said.
Jaime and Pod looked at each other and started to laugh, they could not keep it any longer and, of course, that it did not matter if they were first cousins to them, as long as they loved each other, were happy and had some sense in their minds.
They got even more confused and embarassed. Why are they laughing?, Galladon thought.
"What is so funny?" Galladon said.
"Stop laughing! Please." Jenny said and, at last, they did.
"We'll talk about it when we come back. Let's go have dinner." Jaime said and they went to have dinner. We're so screwed, Galladon thought.
Little did he know that, after dinner, in a room their parents were talking.
"You two won't believe what we found out today?" Jaime said smiling.
"I don't like that look, what is it?" Brienne asked.
"Jen and Gal are together." Pod said.
"Wait, what?" Joanna and Brienne said.
"They've been together for a year now." Jaime said.
"Eventhough, they've liked each other for three." Pod said.
"Why didn't they tell anyone?" Brienne asked.
"They told Mary and Ger, just not us." Jaime said.
"Why?" Joanna asked.
"They didn't know how we would react, because they are first cousins." Pod said.
"But there's no problem in that." Joanna said.
"Exactly, it's alright, if they like each other, if they're happy and if they have some sense in their minds, then..." Brienne said.
"We told them that we would talk to them, when we come back." Pod said.
"Wait, you told them? How did you come to know this, in the first place?" Joanna said.
"We caught them." Jaime said.
"You caught them?" Brienne asked.
"What do you mean?" Joanna asked.
"Well, we were in that place near the Blackwater and then we heard people and we turned and we saw them kissing." Pod said.
"Just kissing?" Joanna asked.
"Yeah... at least, at that time..." Jaime said.
"Tell me you didn't torture the kids..." Brienne said.
"You know us, of course, we did." Pod said.
"What did you do?" Joanna asked.
"Nothing special, asking questions mostly." Jaime said.
"Poor kids..." Brienne and Joanna said at the same time.
"All that excuses, it all makes sense now." Pod said. Marianne and Gerion always gave some kind of excuse, when they were covering for them.
"How did we not figure it out sooner?" Brienne said.
"I know, right?!" Jaime said.
"That I don't know, the only thing I know is that, after all, there are worst things than having people knocking on your door." Joanna said and they laughed.