End Game// Tormund Giantsbane (3)

11. Don't Not Like Him

"I will be back, I just have to visit a friend." Caro remarked and SHireen nodded watching her go. 

"A friend?" Jon questioned. 

"What am I supposed to say?" Caro countered. "I'm visiting a prisoner, giving him his meals because I like his company better then her father and his slut?" Caro offered. 

"Friend is better." Jon agreed. "You dont have to bring Tormund his food."

"I know I dont have to." Caro agreed. "I like him better than the crows and Stannis men." she added. "He's fun." 

"You like him?" Jon questioned curiously. She had been so in love with Jory for forever that when he heard that Jory was killed and Caro had to remarry to save her family... marry Tywin well Tywin seemed very different from Jory, Tormund was definitely no Jory. 

"I don't not like him." Caro corrected. "SHut up." Caro murmured. 

"I didnt say anything." Jon corrected. 

"Stop laughing, he is funny. I dont have to on guard around him which is strange considering he is the prisoner." Caro remarked. "Maybe we lock stannis up." 

"Stop talking I dont want you to lose your head." Jon begged she blew him a kiss as she headed to Tormund little prison. 

"Are you lonely?" Stannis questioned as Shireen looked around his office at the castle black.

"Just bored." Shireen corrected.

"My father used to tell me that boredom indicates a lack of inner resources." Stannis informed her

"Were you bored a lot, too?" Shireen asked innocently, Stannis glared back at her. 

"I know Castle Black is no place for a child."

"I like it. I really like Lady Caro." Shireen corrected. "She is nice and brave and strong, she is teaching me archery." 

"I saw that." Stannis agreed letting out a sharp breath. 

"She always wanted children but I think I heard her say she was baren... she would be a good mother." Shireen decided and Stannis stared back at her perplexed. Oh yes the woman that was constantly threatening and belittling Stannis and his commanders, terrified most, yet offered mercy to Mance Rader... sure that sounded motherly. 

"I'm glad you made a friend." Stannis offered instead. 

"Could I stay here forever?" Shireen questioned. Stannis stared back at her confused. 

"At castle black?" 

"With Lady Caro." Shireen corrected gently. 

"No." Stannis answered and Shireen continued poking around the office. 

 "I thought I'd be left at home. I know mother didn't want to bring me." Shireen added. 

"Why do you say that?" Stannis countered

"She told me "I don't want to bring you." Shireen remarked bluntly

"She shouldn't have said that" stannis rasped.

"Are you ashamed of me, father?" Shireen questioned getting closer

"When you were an infant, the Dornish trailer landed on Dragonstone. His goods were junk except for one wooden doll. He'd even sewn a dress on it in the colors of our House." Stannis recalled and Shireen saw a distant in his eyes. "No doubt he'd heard of your birth. And assumed new fathers were easy targets." Shireen smiled back at him

"I still remember how you smiled when I put that doll in your cradle. You pressed it to your cheek. By the time we burnt the doll, it was too late" stannis remarked. 

"I was told you would die. Or worse. The grayscale would go slow.Let you grow just enough to know the world before taking it away from you. Everyone advised me to send you to the ruins of Valyria to live out your short life with the Stone men, before the sickness spread to the castle." Stannis reminded her and shireen saw true sadness in him that she hadnt seen before.

"I told them all to go to hell. I called in every maester on this side of the world. Every healer, every apothecary. They stopped the disease and saved your life. Because you did not belong across the world with the bloody Stone men." Stannis declared and shireen had never felt so proud and then his next words made her feel so loved. "You are the Princess Shireen of House Baratheon. And you are my daughter."

Now Stannis just wished his wife would show Shireen a fraction of kindness that caro so easily showed Shireen constantly it seemed. Stannis was baffled that Shireen wanted to stay with a stranger compared to her own mother so soon after meeting her. 

+

"Tumi and Tyanna." Tormund remarked and Caro smiled back at him. 

"How old are they?" 

"five and six." Tormund remarked. 

"Where are they?"

"North." Tormund offered. 

"You dont trust me?" Caro countered. 

"I dont trust the cunt calling himself king. The one that wants to exterminate my people." Tormund corrected. 

"I would look good in a crown." Caro agreed. "But I would rather the baratheon line exterminated." Tormund smirked back at her. 

"Your nephew know of your little visits?" Tormund questioned. 

"Yeah." Caro offered. Tormund waggled his eyebrows at her. "I'm not doing anything wrong." Caro reminded him. 

"No, of course not... do you want to?" 

Caro honestly wanted to do something. She didnt know what but she wanted more of something. He took another step towards her but his chains kept him in place. She stared down at the chains a moment longer before taking a sip of ale and putting the jug back on the table. 

"See you tomorrow." Caro offered as she headed out.