Trials and Tribulations of the Oathkeeper

Chapter 114: Interventions, Plans, and the Benefactor

—At King's Landing—

Red Keep — Maegor's Holdfast...

Daveth massaged the small bandage wrapped around his head. Catelyn had requested to see him, though by the time he was walking back to his room – his earlier temper had seemingly simmered down, though the Young Stag was still overall determined to wipe out the Sparrows for their recent transgressions. Ser Barristan walked alongside his former squire, never taking his eyes off him—whether it was due to the blow on the head he received, or fighting to suppress his inner demons once more.

Pushing the door to his chambers open, Daveth noticed his children playing with each other as Catelyn gently reminding them in a grandmotherly tone to be careful. Their candied plums remained untouched due to herself determining they were not yet ready for sweets yet. In her hands she was a woven wooden circle bound together with twine; Tyrion watched with amusement as he drank his goblet of wine. Lyonel and Cassana stopped playing with their toys when they saw Daveth entering the room.

"Daddy!" they rushed him.

Catelyn and Tyrion turned towards him, though they both the bandage with dried blood on his head. "By the Gods, what happened?" she asked.

"Sparrows tried to capture Tommen and Myrcella," Daveth calmly explained. "One of them ended up hitting me in the head with a club."

"Are you in pain?" asked Tyrion.

Daveth shook his head. Cassana looked up at her father and pointed at his head.

"Daddy go' e boo-boo," she piped up.

"I'm fine, Cass," he reassured his daughter.

"I kiss betta'?"

Daveth was amused at his daughter's gesture and felt a bit more relaxed. I swear she's just like you, Sansa, he speculated before bending down at Cassana's eye-level. He watched his daughter hold his head with her small hands and felt her plant a kiss on his bandages.

"Betta'?" she asked innocently.

"Better. Thank you, little firefly," he said appreciatively.

Cassana smiled sweetly and returned to playing with her dolls. Lyonel returned to playing with his wooden toys. Tyrion chuckled at the sight.

"She's showing herself to be quite the daddy's girl, nephew," he pointed out.

Daveth ignored his uncle's remark and stood back up. "Cat, Ser Barristan said you wanted to see me?"

Catelyn looked at her son-in-law. "We both did," she stated, referring to herself and Tyrion. "Our two houses have always been close, which is the reason why Sansa asked me to look after you in her stead until she returns."

"There's more going on than meets the eye. With trouble brewing in the North and here in the capital, even the rest of us can notice that the crown's heavy burden often weighs down on you when something becomes personal," Tyrion explained. "As such, Lady Stark and I have determined... that the situation is now a lot more complicated. But then, we all live complicated lives, don't we?"

"So why not tell us. I can see some wear and tear."

Daveth opened his mouth to speak but clamped it shut. Don't even think about lying to your family; they'll end up finding out eventually if you do, he told himself. "There have been some rough patches," he said. "But with everything going on with these Sparrows, I feel myself slipping."

"Slipping? How bad is it?"

"When they went after Tommen and Myrcella, I really let loose."

"So you did what any other older brother would've done and defended—" Tyrion said before being cut off.