( AERLEY CELTIGAR )
“Oh, Aeron..” Aerley mumbled with her fingers over her lips as her teeth began chattering out of fear. This cannot be happening. She thought to herself as she looked in every direction in search for Aerys. “Aeron! How many times have I told you two that you are to remain together if you get separated from me or someone else?” Aerley looked up and rolled her eyes, reminding herself that she needed to soften her demeanor. “Aeron, can you please tell me what happened again so we can find your brother?” The little ten year old stammered and picked his words carefully, almost as if he was cutting out pieces of the story. Aerley’s eyebrows raised as she only heard the gaps in his story.
Aerley used a finger to pull up his chin to meet her eyes. “What happened?” She asked in a firm tone. “Truly.” She added, completely sure that he was leaving out an important reason for why the two separated and left their trainer. Finally, Aeron admitted their wrongdoings and what led to them running in opposite directions. “You what?” She asked, now more angry than worried. “You hit him with your sticks? And then you ran?” She looked away in an attempt to spot Aerys, but found herself rolling her eyes even harder than before.
“Aeron, this way,” she said as she grabbed his hand and lightly pulled him in her direction. “If your brother has left the keep..” Aerley looked down at her little boy, who was clearly worried. She bit her lip as she thought of a different way to finish her ominous statement. “..Then it will be very hard to find him.” His positive words almost erased the awful images of her head of her son wandering around Flea Bottom aimlessly.
After ten more minutes of searching, they decided to go check by the stables that were close by to where they had been training. “What kind of damned man runs from little boys with sticks?” She asked aloud, to which her young son replied, “A stupid one.” Had they been under different circumstances, Aerley would have chuckled. As they turned the corner, she saw someone on their knees attending to a young boy with black hair. “Aerys!” She yelled as she picked up her skirt with one hand and ran with Aeron’s hand in the other. As soon as they were close to him, she dropped down to her knees to get a better look at him.
His face was red, puffy, and had snot under his nose, likely from crying. Aerley pulled her sleeve over her hand and wiped the snot off, not caring for her dress. The person who was attending to her injured boy had already done what they could to soothe his injuries, but there was still a bone protruding out of his arm. Instead of pestering her son with questions, she turned to the person that had been helping him. Her lilac eyes wide with concern as she hoped that the maester in King’s Landing knew how to handle broken arms. “Thank you so much for finding him. What happened?” She asked quickly before turning her attention back to her son.
THE DAYS IN KING’S LANDING were becoming more tiring by the minute. it feels like it has been much longer since they arrived, since the celebration happened, and they are still there — sitting, waiting, meeting others… losing time, in klaus’ fair perspective. to have them all in the red keep still seems like a terrible idea, much like he has talked to his advisor, who he sent back to storms’ end in his place, hoping and trusting the man to keep things in order for the time being.
there is no joy in riding around there as he has felt in other places — to do so in the stormlands were calming, especially with the view of the sea. it’s an weird comfort for someone who sees those wild waves in the sea and still feels a storm on his insides. it is not like he doesn’t like the place here — his younger self had some amusement whenever he ended there — but with a new child coming soon and unable to solve his own and much simpler things back home are just enough to make him distressed.
he’s only leaving his horse by the stables when he hears the running, followed by a loud and painful whine — and he is fast to find the source then, staring down at the child holding his arm against his chest, seeming to be holding back the tears. the boy, much older than his own son, still brings him some parenting sense, making him approach calmly, giving a light smile and asking to see if he had hurt himself too badly.
with a soft voice, he proceeds to calm the boy, massaging his wrist, all careful with how swollen it seems. “and where is your brother…” he is just asking the boy, not helping a chuckle with the the story of what had happened, unimpressed by the shenanigans. how many times haven’t klaus and his older brother done such things, after all? distracting tutors, running from them when they were too young? it brings quite a good memory, leaving a smile on his lips before he notices the rest of the child’s family comes to his rescue.
ruffling the boy’s hair before moving away, giving space for the mother to claim her son, klaus watches the scene with some curiosity, looking at the other boy — who definitely seems relieved to see his brother. when word is directed at him, lord caron is nodding slowly, giving a small smile at the woman. “he’s tripped while running away from his tutor, i believe?” he comments the part that is worth telling, seeing how the boy ( aerys, he mentally takes note ), stares up at him, probably thankful he hasn’t said everything — although klaus is sure his brother have done the job by now. “it is a bit swollen… but i hope and believe it must not be something to worry too much…”
