“Steady there, my Lord. That’s right. Be quick with your footwork.” At ten years old, Nikolaus was already proving himself to be a strong child. He wasn’t pushing the swordmaster back just yet, but give it a couple years, and the man would have to exert himself to stay on top. Once he reached his manhood, he would doubtless need a new swordmaster to even challenge him.
When they ended the fight, he was breathing hard, sweat soaking into his tunic, but his deep-set violet eyes remained calm and analytical, impossible to read. He wiped the sweat from his brow and went to bathe, his father looking on approvingly.
“Man, don’t you ever smile?” His five-year-old cousin asked brightly, joining him on the way to the bath. “He almost couldn’t keep up with you! I’ve never seen Maester Gamwin have that much trouble with anyone our age!” He waved his arms enthusiastically, but Nikolaus just gave him an empty look.
Jonatan pouted, but let his cousin get to his bath. Afterwards, though, he found the young Lord sitting in his father’s study, reading on his own. He was reading “On the Ailments of the Human Body” which looked ancient and would have put Jonatan to sleep immediately.
“Why do you read things like this?” He asked, scrunching up his nose and peeking over the title at the other boy. “Isn’t it boring?”
“It is my duty.” The other boy said, gravely, though his voice was nowhere near as deep as it one day would be, lacking the dark gravity in tone it would one day come to have.
Jonatan plucked the book from his hands and closed it. “Don’t you do anything fun? Or enjoy it when you’re doing things that are supposed to be fun?” Nikolaus studied him carefully, but didn’t look angry at having had his book taken from him. “Ugh. Or get angry at anyone? You ever feel anything at all?” He waved his hand in front of his cousin’s face. He’d been introduced by his mother as a playmate, but as far as he could tell, he’d never seen anyone who wanted to play less than the Lord Nikolaus Velaryon.
“I do.” He said, calmly, “But the mark of a leader is knowing when to put aside emotions in the service of a greater good, and how would I be able to put them aside when it counts if I cannot control them when it does not?”
Jonatan frowned at him, but then finally said, “You know. I think that’s the longest thing you’ve ever said to me. Does it really matter all that much to you?”
“Does what?” Nikolaus asked back, curiously.
“All that duty stuff. Becoming Lord of the Tides, Master of Driftmark. Don’t you ever think of wanting to become someone else? Or take a day off? You don’t have to study all the time, do you?” He would hate doing that all day. It seemed awfully boring, at least.
Nikolaus leaned forward, and for the first time, Jonatan noticed that the full force of his Lord’s gaze was fixed on him. It was a little bit creepy, but with that much attention on him, he could also for the first time detect a note of emotion in the grey-haired boy. He was curious about him, but also… was that anxiety? It was something similar, anyways. “Why do you believe I don’t think of doing something else? But why should my doubts prevent me from pouring myself into a cause I find worthy?”
Jonatan tilted his head to the side and thought about it. “Are you scaared?”
“No, I’m not!” Nikolaus snapped suddenly, then calmed himself again, and that was when Jonatan saw it.
He grinned. “You’re weird, but cool.” He punched his future Lord in the shoulder and plopped the book back in his hands before heading out of the library. “If you ever do want to play, just ask me, okay? Even if it’s just once. Momma says I’m always fun.”