"Let me get a shirt first you tactless idiot!" That was the muffled shout Sir Abbe Faria Margrave of Alistair first heard from outside his office doors as the heavy footsteps came closer ultimately stopping when 2 knocks sounded through the room. He could feel himself gaining a few new strands of gray to his hair that would probably add an even more imposing atmosphere to his already sharp menacing features.

  He sighed as he answered quietly "You may enter" Yet his voice still travelled well that only a moment ter the doors where pushed open and a tall man with stern features and blonde hair dressed in the usual Alistair Knight attire of dark silver chest pte on top of chainmail entered the room holding a young man by the biceps with two other helmeted knights behind them.

  "Sir, we found the young master" The Knight gave the young man a rough push forward that was answered with a stink eye as he looked back at the blonde knight "Watch it ", the two locking eyes as they stood there.

  "Thank you Tel" Abbe interrupted the little quarrel as he stood up and walked across his rge table filled with neatly organized stacks of paper and stamps to stand in front of the young man with both hands behind his back.

  All 3 knights involuntarily straightened their backs at the presence of one the most powerful men in Essos. Whose presence alone seemed to demand respect. And yet was oddly contrasted by the young man who met his gaze with a neutral almost bored expression.

  "Father." He stated acknowledging him.

  Abbe stared at his son appraisingly up and down, from his well worn brown boots and leather pants, up to his well built shirtless torso his gaze lingering on the silver pendant portraying wings atop a shield, his family symbol, and finally stopping at his face, dark brown hair framed a strong jawline that he noticed a little stubble of a beard and moustache growing out contributing to that rugged charismatic look of his with a deep set of blue eyes, all features that only served to remind Abbe of the boy's mother, and bring back the ache in his heart.

  For a moment father and son just stood there unmoving looking at each other, strong bck staring into deep blue.

  Abbe was the one to finally break his gaze and the silence suffocating the room as he looked at the blonde knight "Why is he shirtless Tel ?"

  The blonde was flustered for a second clearly not expecting to be addressed first "I uh-" his voice came shaky at first before he caught himself with a cough and sharpened up "We don't know sir" he said as he spread the failure to bring up the answer to his group of 3 instead of just himself with the ''we''.

  Abbe looked back at his son repeating the question.

  "Why are u shirtless ?"

  "I lost my shirt" Came the reply, dry and not a beat ter.

  "How ?" He continued calmly.

  "Do we really have to do this ?"

  "You go off to town and disappear for 3 days, and i have to drag you back here half naked and looking like you just ran out of a whorehouse without paying, I'm the one who should be asking if we really have to do this Jean". The Margrave said with a tinge of anger and impatience sipping through his tone.

  Jean sighed as he looked past his father to the desk filled with documents noticing a standout blueish letter with curved golden lines at the top of a pile as he resigned himself to answer "Girls house, dad came back, didn't have time to grab my shirt" recounting quickly and pointedly leaving out details, which by the disappointed shake of the head his father gave and the snicker from one of the 2 helmeted knights which was promptly stopped by a elbow from Tel, the meaning of the expnation didn't go past anyone's head, "-they're called brothel's now... whorehouse is antiquated" Jean finished.

  Abbe turned around with a sigh going back to his seat as he pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly "Thank you really, for correcting me on what appears to be you're favourite subject nowadays." as he sat down he motioned for the knights to leave "U are dismissed".

  "Yes Sir" They all saluted, right fist to the heart before turning to leave. For a moment the quick shuffle of boots was the only thing heard until the door was ultimately closed leaving the room in silence for but one moment before the routine for father and son started once more.

  "Is making a mockery of this family all you want in life? I tolerated you when i thought this was just some sort of rebellious phase that you would grow out of, but it's been far too long for me to allow you to keep dragging this family's name through the mud!" The Knight Commander started voice even at first but climbing higher and higher in anger "All that talent all that potential that you have, wasted!" he smmed the table witch such force that it wouldn't be a surprise if the table buckled right then and there, but remarkably it stood, cracked slightly only. "I refuse to believe I've raised such a disgrace, you show no honor, no responsibility and no respect for the generations of greatness that pre-"

  "Oh just don't give me this shit. Like you're one to talk about responsibility." Jean interrupted his anger rising in tandem as he pointed a finger at his father. "You can go ahead pretending you're the most honorable knight in Essos but don't preach to me about responsibility when you couldn't even protect your wife.".

  Jean's breathing was the only thing contrasting the silence as father and son stared at each other.

  Abbe sighed as he took a moment to remember his te wife.

  "You can't bme me more than I already bme myself." All the anger and the imposing atmosphere repced by a somber more sorrowful tone that would be hard for anyone who knew the Margrave as a unmovable mountain would struggle to believe, but that to Jean was the only one he could believe was suited for the man. "I know how it hurt you, but i can assure that it doesn't compare to the pain i feel everyday when i think of your mother" The soft tone of that baritone voice came as a shock to Jean as he was expecting the usual shouting match that would end with him locked to the Manor and with his training doubled, but instead his father was just walking calmly to him as he talked "I don't expect you to forgive me, but i know that Allia would never forgive me if i kept pushing our only son away." He pushed his hand towards Jean, who almost flinched but knew for all the fights he went through with his father the man would never go down to the level of physical punishment.

  *Click

  The sword was removed from Jean's belt as his father raised the pommel up to eye level, showcasing his mother's Rosethorn family crest, of a sword with a rose curving along the bde, the st gift his mother gave him. "On talent alone u shine brighter than i ever did, I know u mastered Vigor already, for some that would be enough for me to grant you your knighthood and officiate you as my sucessor". His son was surprised, to think that he would go from calling him a disgrace to the family name to praise him to the point of putting him above the one most considered to be among the most talented swordsman alive in Essos. "But i need you to pick up your sword again, i wont ask you to stop chasing girls around, better man had worst vices and you will grow out of it soon enough." He switched his grip on the sword grabbing it by the sheath and showing the pommel to Jean. "There will come a time where u will have something..." He paused "Or someone to protect. And when that time comes, and u fail, i can guarantee you that you wont bme anyone but yourself." For a moment silence reigned as father and son stood in between an offer of reconcilement and Jean stood there looking at the sword.

  And he grabbed it, without saying a word, it was enough, fastening the sword back to his belt he turned to leave "I'm gonna go find a shirt to put on."

  "Wait" Abbe called and Jean thought the unsaid restrictions and endless punishments would come rolling out as was the usual, but he was wrong "U saw the letter, it was one of the reasons why i had u called." Jean would probably think the word fetched was more appropriate to having 3 knights haul him out of the street but as Abbe said that Jean looked back at the desk recalling the blueish letter characteristic of the kingdom's magic spire his sister was sent in to finish her training. "Is the psychopath finally dead ?" He asked hopefully, but was quickly denied "No, she finished her trainning" Jean wasn't surprised, for all the screws his older sister had loose on her head she seemed to gain magic talent in proportion. "And was assigned to our very own Tower Mage Rulond Temmes" and to that Jean cursed "Shit, out of 9 tower mages and all the other pces she could end up in this kingdom she had to end up here ?" Jean said raising an eyebrow to his father who just waved him off as he went to sit back in his chair "Nothing to do with me, you might think i wield all the power in the kingdom, but when it comes to the magic spires, i have no say. Just be warned that they arrive in two days, and we will have a feast to commemorate her achievements, she's only the second mage our family managed to produce, so i expect you to be in your best behaviour." Jean nodded along "I know i know I'm not a dog no need to-" Jean paused "What do you mean ''They'' ?".

  "She's not the only apprentice assigned under Temmes, another one of Val's colleagues, Tamara Silvercrest will be joining her, and staying in one of our guest rooms for some time. She said so in this letter, u can read it." Abbe finished as he held up a common beige piece of paper and Jean stepped back instinctively "Don't worry i believe you, I'm not risking getting poisoned by touching that."

  Abbe put down the tter, he didn't bme the boy, for all the things he saw Val put Jean through in their childhood he understood where he was coming from "And now that you know we will be expecting a guest, i expect you to behave properly." Abbe saw the glint in Jean's eyes and the little smirk that went up. 'Not a dog he says', and he waved him off "Your dismissed".

  To that Jean turned around leaving much more content than he would've thought coming in, 'Maybe that devil coming back wont be such bad news'.