How's my little girl?

Finally Dymas was feeling fine. Sure, he was still regaining strength, but the illness was gone, he was out of danger. After such scary moments, and after scaring bot of his daughter so much with the prospect of his imminent death, he really wanted to check on his youngest daughter. She always acted so tough, but he knew she wasn't as cold as she seemed and he wanted to reassure her.
He reached her in her room, asking the servants to leave them alone, he needed some alone time with her.
"So, how is my beloved Irima feeling today?" he asked, sitting down on a chair: he still was too weak to stay up the whole time.

Írima lifted her head when someone started to talk to her. She had been too deep into the book on her knees that she recognized someone had been walking into her room. Her gouvernante had given her books she thought Írima might find interesting and indeed they did catch her interest.

"Father.", she said, kind of shy and hesitately. He hadn't been around much due to his illness and it surprised her to see him. "I'm doing fine.", she sat up and straightened her back like she was taught to do. "Ithil took care of me, like she always does.", a small and gentle smile curled up on her lips. Her gouvernante was almost like the missed mother to her. "It's of more importance how you feel.", she tilted her head.

Dymas smiled in tender amusement, seeing how is little girl was startled by him. It looked like she was really caught by her book. He took a moment to observe her: she was growing into such a beauiful young lady, it reminded him terribly of her mother. He nodded, as Irima explained how the governess took care of her: he knew he left much of the job with his daughters in the end of masters and governesses, but he just didn't know how to handle the education of a girl! If his wife was alive, she would have taken care of that... he... he could only love his girls and spend some quality time with them, giving them what they wished and be sure to be there for them.
"I'm fine my dear, I'm fine. The master said that the worst is gone, I just need to regain srength, that's all. I'm sorry if I scared you"

"You didn't scare me at all.", Írima answered strictly, but couldn't surpress her lower lip turning into a little pout. She thought for a moment, not sure if what she wanted to do would be unladylike and if Ithil would scold her for it, but then she decided she didn't care and to be true Ithil always pushed her towards her father.

Ìrima layed the book on a small table next to her and walked towards her father, before she hugged him carefully. Somehow she wanted to sit on his knees like earlier when she was younger, but he had been ill, so she kept away from it.

"Did you talk to Lily?", she asked carefully.

Dymas couldn't help but chuckle at his daughter's answer: oh Irima, always so imperturbable... He was, though, gladly surprised by her gesture, when she decided to approach him and hug him. It wasn't like he never hugged his daughters, on the contrary, but Irima wasn't usually too keep on letting herself go to such manifestation of affection... He gently hugged her back, enjoying that little moment.
"Come sit on my knees, Irima... like when you were a child" he suggested with a tender smile, caressing her cheek, almost like he could read her mind.
"No yet, why?" he asked then, at her question

"Uhm, nothing important then.", she answered elusively, while she crawled carefully on her fathers lap. Ìrima layed her head against his chest and closed her eyes for a moment to listen to his heartbeat.

Then she lifted it to look at him. " Are you proud of me?"

He blinked, surprised by her answer. That wasn't promising... he had to go back on the subject, but in that moment he just wanted to enjoy the feeling of having his little girl sitting on his lap. He caressed tenderly her hair, until he lifted up again. At her question he looked back a her with a curious glance "Of course I am, my love. Never doubt that" he caressed once again her cheek, giving her an encouraging smile, wondering why she would even ask

She sighed and looked down at her hands. Why couldn't she believe his words, even if they sounded true? Ìrima took a deep breath. "Can you teach me? Teach me how to rule?", she asked vaguely.

She knew it wasn't hers to rule over the kingdom later on, it was Reths duty and if not his then Lilys husbands. But ìrima wanted to know. Ithil was trying to explain, helping but she never ruled. Even though she had been married.

Dymas was quite surprised by her question: she didn't need such a thing, she would never be in need of ruling, why would she want to after all? Dymas himself quite despised having to be in charge, he just didn't give up on his duties, mostly to help Reth, but he didn't like that at all... And beside, such subjects were not stuffs for ladies... but could it really create any problem if she learnt? If she wanted to learn, what harm could it do? Beside, maybe seeing what it was like would bore her... In the end he nodded "If you want, and if you'll stay quiet, you can come with me during my meetings, as soon as I'm feeling better." After all, the best way of learning was doing it in first person. It was easier to explain something Irima could witness than something abstract. "But why are you interested in such a thing?" he asked curious, caressing her soft hair

Írima's eyes began to shimmer in joy. He allowed her to learn it. To be true she had been afraid to ask him, to be scolded for asking. "I just want to know. I'm curious.", she needed to know why the men always made such a drama out of these things and sent their wives away. "I won't say anyone.", she nodded graceful. Well maybe Ithil, but her governess would never bring danger upon her. They were both loyal to each other.

"Why did you came for a visit?", she asked now, opening her heart and forgetting about the coldness she normally showed.

Dymas smiled fondly: oh, it didn't matter if this decision wasn't the best he could take, it didn't matter if she wasn't supposed to learn such stuffs, it was all worth it to see that lovely smile on her lips. He chuckled when she mentioned the fact she would say that to no-one "You won't need to keep it as a secret, I will tell it to the counselors. And to Reth too." he wasn't sure Reth was going to like the news, but on this he was going to take his own decision. True, Reth acted like an overprotective parent with both his cousins, he was stricter than Dymas himself, but that was just out of love. It was how Reth was made. "I came to check on you, and to have some time for just the two of us. I had the feeling you might appreciate that" he replied with a tender smile: he did have the feeling, when Irima had came to visit him, that she would have preferred to stay alone with him...

Írima nodded slowly. "That's fine. How is Reth? He hasn't been around much lately...", she raised an eyebrow. Her cousin had left before her father got ill, he went to the court, but Írima was quite displeased he didn't asked about his uncle's illness. There was no servant who could tell her that a letter came, and she had her ways to find out what she wanted. She was sure someone informed Reth about the illness. It had an impact of his duties here.

"Well, I didn't assumed your servant to be there all the time...", she answered hesitately. That she couldn't forbid Lily to see him, cause he was her father as well, was no reason. Just... She got bored and displeased. Eventhough her governess kept her interested in things, it would come to an end some day and Ithil herself would be exhausted.

Guessing his daughter's thoughts, Dymas sighed "Irima don't be upset with Reth, I gave instructions not to inform him." He lovingly rose a hand and fixed one of Irima's beautiful locks behind her ear "He would have received news only if things got for the worse. I didn't want to worry him in vain, and it was pointless to inform him, he would have never managed to get back in time anyway. You do understand it, my darling, don't you?" he looked at her in the eyes, hoping that she would understand and forgive Reth for his silence. It wasn't his nephew's fault, after all...
He chuckled under his breath a her words "I needed her presence, my darling. You should be thankful she was with me, you know: she saved my life with her help..." and more than once... but he wasn't going to tell Irima about the assassin that sneaked in his room, he didn't want to scare her..

"He still is away for far too long.", she answered pouting. Her father was always so caring and respectful. Was it something she got from him? " I do understand.", she mumbled quietly and slightly unpleased. It wasn't hers to question his desicions, after all she was a little girl and had no choice at all.

"It is her duty to care for you. But not...", Ìrima bit her lower lip. Not like this, she wanted to add, but kept quiet. And indeed they had enough male servants whom could've take care of him.

Dymas's noticed his daughter's pout, and wondered if she was just upset or if she maybe missed him... he surely missed Reth, but he wasn't 12, he had the wisdom and the patient given by the years, she was still too young. "my darling, Reth has gone to Westeros for important politic and diplomatic affairs. I wouldn't expect him to be back for quite a long time..." probably years, if not more. That surely didn't please him, especially cause he didn't share Reth's interest in Westeros... but he could understand his point of view, and he knew that Reth loved his country and whatever he did was for it. It was just a pity he still had to go so far away...
"You asked to learn about ruling, my dear: here's your first lesson then. Politics are never easy, and the higher is your position, the biggest are the sacrifices you'll have to make: Reth is not happy to stay away, but for the good of out reign he will do what he has to." he smiled to her, trying to make this lesson a little less harsh, but he wasn't going to lie to his daughter and tell her that politics were easy or fun. He himself despised having to be in charge of the reign, but the gods cursed him with such responsibilities and with a natural talent in taking the lead...
At Irima's words about Eire, he rose his eyebrows "not, what, my dear?"

"I understand ruling has to do a lot with traveling and courtsying, but at least it doesn't mean there would be no time for a letter at least.", she answered graceful. She missed Reth indeed and for her being away was no excuse to write something and ask if everything was alright. It was quite unusual for her cousin, since he always was way to overprotective about them. Even if her father told him to concentrate on the politics. She shook her head.

"I just noticed she's around you a lot lately. More than before. And you have enough male servants who could've cared for you. Which wouldve been way more appropriate in this case.", Ìrima shrugged.

He smiled fondly to Irima, trying to hide his amusement. His little girl missed him indeed! "I'm sure he'll write to us soon. He might even have written already, but sending a letter from westeros might require a good amount of time." That was indeed true. Unless the letter was particularly urgent, in which case one would find a way to take just one week or two, sending a letter could require weeks if not months.
Oh Reth... why did you have to go so far?
Dymas was then quite surprised by Irima's answer: it was true, hey had a lot of male servants, but he didn't find them quite as... efficient. In general he did prefer female servants, as Reth did, though not for quite the same reasons. "She manages her job in a way other servants don't, and she's a loyal maid, she managed to take great care of me in this moment of need. Why does that bother you so much, my dear?"

"Then it would be fine if Lily and me would be ill, that we have a male servant around us?", Írima tilted her head and looked at her father. She was too curious to see his reaction, than being scolded for the rude question. "There are a lot of loyal male servants in our house. And it bothers me, cause you sent Lily and me away, even if it was because you are overprotecting. I don't care. It wasn't nice just to wait.", she left his lap and walked around in small steps in her room. Írima tried to calm herself down after the sudden outburst. She was a lady, it was inappropriate how she let her emotions go through.

"Eire is such a fragile thing. She could've gotten ill herself easily. And then the whole castle wouldn't be safe."

Dymas really couldn't help himself but laugh at her witty remark. "I would be fine if you were my age, darling" he teased her a bit. He didn't really want to start explaining how women's right on such subjects were quite different and on how it was far less a appropriate to have a reverted situation. He could also easily imagine Reth's reaction as such words 'It won't be fine, not now nor ever.'. He knew his nephew would have scolded Irima for such lack of respect, but he simply couldn't bring himself to do so. And thinking he had scolded Reth so many times and took care of his education himself... but it was different, he was a male, the boy was tough... his daughters... they were another thing, he could leave education aside, entrust it to the governesses and just take the nice part of their relationship.

He could feel her anger when she left his lap. Pity, he liked have her on his knees... "Eire was confined to my rooms, if she got ill she wouldn't have been able to leave and therefore nobody else would have been contaminated." he replied in a sigh before he decided to stand up, no matter how much fatigue it costed him, and approach once again Irima. He bent on one knee in front of her, to be on her same level, before he spoke again "I'm sorry if you felt like my decision was unfair, I just wanted to protect you and your sister. And even if you can't understand it now, my darling, Eire was the best choice to help me trough this. I hope you trust me enough to believe me." He knew he didn't really have to give any explanation for his actions and decisions, it was actually pretty weird he insisted so much in having such an open relationship with his daughters, but he didn't care what others could think.

Írima took a few small deep breaths while listening to her father. She calmed down, trying to hide her hurt feelings under the cold sleeve she so often used to keep out everyone else. Just not too much her father would recognize, but enough to make her feel more comfortable. "Then it is as it is.", she finally answered. "I can't change past. Just see what future brings upon us.", she smiled softly, the gleam not fully reaching her eyes. Írima would never contradict her father, if she couldn't win and it made no sense anymore.

Her glance fell on her book for a short moment and she thought if she could ask him to leave. But then she waited, there was something more he wanted to ask, she was sure.

He could see she seemed calmer now, but he knew his daughter too well not to pick up the signs. Still, there wasn't much else he could do, not for the moment at least. And he could see she was impatient to go back to her readings... He sighed and kissed her forehead before he stood up once again. "I love you very much, my dear. i hope you know that."

Írima leaned forward and hugged her father, before she gave him a little kiss on his cheek. "I love you too, daddy.", she smiled warmly. "People just have different sight of views and opinions. That's why it is interesting to hear lot of different ones.", she still smiled. It just seemed like men sometimes forgot women had their own opinion and kept denying them.

Dymas smiled warmly to her daughter, feeling himself melt inside as always at her words and at her gestures of affection. He just nodded at her words, of course she was right on that. With a smile he caressed her cheek before he started walking toward the door "I'll send for you tomorrow, my dear, and you'll join me at the council" he smiled to her before he left the room