Chapter 282: You Are Not Horse-Faced
Dreadfort, Bolton Lands
POV of Domeric Bolton
"Hmm… 11," Domeric said. "I think that's old enough. After all, I was 7 years old when I became the Lord of Dreadfort. I'll tell you what happened between your mother and me once you finish telling me about your experience in my home in detail."
Arya beamed at that and started telling him about how she made friends with the Children of the Forest who always seemed more friendly with other children than grownups with some rare exceptions like him, how her Nymeria and Lady had found friends in the other direwolf pups, how she saw yet another female direwolf giving birth to a litter of pups on the 3rd days since her arrival, how she didn't like reading but was forced to do so by Ygritte and Raksa, how Aunt Barbrey Dustin gave her a horse of her own, and how Dreadfort and Lundenhold was so much more luxurious and more comfortable than Winterfell as a whole.
But what surprised Domeric most was that his aunt had given Arya a horse. It seemed she intended to take Arya as a pupil, just as she had Sansa.
"But I still miss my family from time to time." She said in the end, her mood shifting from jovial to sad in a moment.
"Who do you miss the most in your family?" he asked.
"Jon…" she replied instantly, "…then Robb, father, Bran, and little Rickon."
"Not your sister?" he asked, and she frowned.
"No. Sansa and the other girls always teased me and called me 'Horse Face'. The girls stopped doing that when Sansa was away, but they started once again when she returned." She said while stabbing the meat with her fork.
Wow, this girl has some bloodlust in her. But he could understand where that was coming from.
He, too, had been bullied mercilessly by Dudley and his friends when he was a child. It sucks. And it destroys your self-confidence like nothing else.
"Why would they call you horse face?" he asked.
She gave him a confused look in return, "Because my face looks like a horse." She replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Domeric heard Ygritte sigh beside him, and he realized she was aware of this and did not know what to say either.
This is likely why Ygritte sided with Arya when Domeric teased her. It seemed Domeric needed to think twice about his future teases when it came to Arya, at least until she regained her self-confidence.
"Arya…" Domeric said after calmly placing the fork and knife in his hand on the edge of his plate and clasping his hands under his chin. "You do not look like a horse. In fact, I would even say that you're a rather cute child and someone who would grow up to be a very beautiful woman."
Arya looked down and blushed brightly at that. Had no one complimented the girl on her cuteness before this? Strange.
"Don't listen to what the other girls are saying." He continued. "They're probably just jealous of your freedom and how you can do things that no other girl can."
"Really?" Arya asked as she looked up at him with a hopeful gaze.
"Really." He said with a bright smile, and Arya smiled back at him, even if it was a little shy and strained.
"I offered your half-brother Jon some work in my lands by the way." He said, and Arya's eyes brightened once again.
"Really? What did he say? And what work did you give him?"
"A position in the Military." He replied, "He is a good swordsman and seems pretty good at commanding people, even though he lacks the necessary experience. But he declined."
"What? Why?" She asked.
He shrugged back, "He seems pretty intent on joining the Nights Watch," he said, "Just like how your sister made you believe that your face looks like a horse, your mother made him believe that he has no place in Winterfell and if he gained power anywhere else then he would definitely come back and try to take Winterfell from you."
"He would never do such a thing."
"I know. You don't need to convince me." He said, "But that's what he believes. And I don't think anyone will be able to change his mind at this point. He's too stubborn and prideful. Both your brothers are."
Both his aunt and Ygritte scoffed at that, and he glared at them.
"What?" he asked.
Ygritte smiled sweetly at him, shook her head, and said. "Nothing."
His aunt, on the other hand, coughed on her hand and said, "Pot calling the kettle black."
He rolled his eyes while Arya burst into giggles, and the rest of the table members started chuckling to them as well.
"How's your daughter Varko?" he asked when they stopped chuckling like mother hens.
Varko gave a warm smile and replied, "She's in excellent health. Thanks for asking, my lord."
"Do spend some more time with her." He said, "We might go on yet another expedition by the end of the month."
Varko nodded and bowed his head.
"Domeric," Arya said.
"Yes?"
"Can I see Titanic?" she asked. "I've heard so many things about it, but have never seen it before. I've never seen a large ship before, either, or sailed in the sea, or seen any other kingdom, or…"
"Okay, okay." He said with a chuckle when she started counting the things she had never done and wanted to do on her fingers, "I'll have Briar escort you to the shipyard at the end of the week. Would that be alright with you, Briar?"
Female warg nodded, "Shena needed a walk and some time to stretch her legs anyway." Briar said, "Living in a comfortable stone castle, sleeping in soft beds, and eating well-prepared food has made her slow and lazy."
"Cats can be like that." He said, and Shena huffed from the other side of the room, where she was sitting on the floor, eating a large plate filled with whale meat, looking as beautiful and graceful as ever in her shining black fur.
He could see why the Shadowcats down South were hunted to extinction.
"Aunty. Tell me, what else has been going on in my absence?" He asked, and the dinner continued in that warm fashion for a good while before they said their prayers and left the dining room while he picked up Ygritte and took her to his room.
The fatigue from working for a whole week had still not left him, but he was far too horny to care.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.283: Bolton War Council - I
Ch.284: Bolton War Council - II
Ch.285: Performing the Dragonlord Ritual