Tony knew that when Winifred hid from her tutors it was her way of having fun or momentarily wanting to do something else. The last thing he would have done was force her to learn things if she didn’t want to. He knew it was possible that he indulged her too much, he didn’t really care either way. Things were different in Dorne when it came to raising children and he hoped his wife would have approved of how he was raising their daughter. “Then when someone needs to find you, I’ll direct them here,” he said.
Ana shook her head at the girl’s question. “I suspect that here they don’t expect much out of their ladies,” she said. Then laughed softly when Winifred said she’d smack people with her sword. “I know you will, dear. Just surprise them with how well you know how to you use it.”
Jarvis was taken aback by the question and knelt down so he was at her level. “My lady, I have been teaching you how to use a sword since you’ve been able to lift one. It wouldn’t make much sense for me to do such a thing if I thought you shouldn’t know how to do so,” he said. “Besides if I were ever afflicted with such stupid notions about what women were and weren’t capable of then my lady wife would have kindly knocked such thoughts out of my head long ago. Probably with the sword I taught her how to use.” He gave her a smile and a soft wink.
“Of course I would have,” Ana said smiling at him when he stood up. Then she touched his cheek. “All for your benefit, my love.”
Tony nodded. “Well, I think I have a moment or two to help,” he said. “That is if you don’t mind.” Gardening wasn’t something he usually did, but these plants were special. His wife had loved them and the scent has always filled the house. When she became too pregnant to pick them herself it was his job or Ana’s to get them for her. He knew they would all work hard to see that the flower flourished here.
Winifred gave her father a mischievous smile when he told her that he’d direct people to the garden to find her. She was already planning out several good hiding spots.
“Well, I’ll change that!” Winifred declared to Ana. She already didn’t like it here and hearing that the people didn’t think she deserved to know basic things like how to use a sword made her like them even less. She wished she was back in Dorne where no one had such stupid ideas. She would happily correct anyone who thought that she was going to be anyone but a girl from Dorne.
Winifred smiled to Jarvis, relieved that he thought the idea was stupid too. Now comforted by the affirmations that not everything about her life would be turned upside down in this frozen wasteland, she was much happier with the idea of making this garden a more comfortable second room.
“You can help us, Daddy!” she beamed. She knew that her father was very important and that he didn’t always have time to do a lot of things with her, but that made her love when he could take a moment or two to be with her. She wasn’t old enough yet to realize how odd it was for a Lord to dig in the dirt, but she enjoyed any time when her father could be her daddy and not the Lord of the North.
“I think we should start riiight here,” she told him, pointing around the reading area.
