Settling Down

"Roland, would you like to drink my milk?".

"...?". His mind went blank. 'What is she saying? Is she crazy?', is what he thought. 'How can she offer m... wait, I am a 7-year-old boy. Hmm... that makes sense'.

Shaking his head, he said, "No. Mother said I am too old to suck milk from teats. I drink cattle milk now.", Roland denied the offer thinking she was kind to care for the boy.

"Well, I asked because our wet nurse in Riverrun used to give her milk to my brother Ed for quite some time. Don't you want to taste my milk?", Lysa asked again.

'What? Why does she insist? Well... I am an innocent boy.', thinking this, he showed curious face, but just then a wailing voice came from inside which brought him back to his senses.

"No", he denied again firmly.

"Alright. You are a big boy now. Hehe... Now, let's sleep", and they laid down on the bed. Lysa grabbed and hugged the boy and dragged him towards him when he tried to sleep a little farther than her. Thinking he is just a kid right now and it seemed okay, he just laid and tried to sleep which eventually came and took him into dreams.

Morning came and everything went back to normal. But Lysa would sometimes ask for Roland to eat with her and if he wanted to sleep together again which he denied. As for the other guy, he didn't even make a sound from that day. It felt like he was not in the body at all. Roland felt bad and asked him how he was related to the Targaryens and Starks, but when no reply came after repeated tries, Roland just stopped and decided to ignore the guy like he did.

Few days passed, and now Roland's life went back to normal. Maester Colemon would insist for the boy to come to him and study. Well, Roland complied as he knew the need of proper education for a noble. Also, he would go for walk outside the castle regularly, being followed by a servant and a guard for his safety. 

Days passed by and Roland settled down well in the life of a young boy. Today, they just finished eating when Maester came to the private chambers of Lady Lysa, who had invited Roland to break his fast with her. 

"Lady Arryn, a letter came from Kingslanding. From Lord Arryn. It's for you to open", and he passed the sealed letter to her. She took the letter, broke the seal and took out the paper and read silently. Reading the letter she first smiled but then seemed like something troubled her.

"Is there something that I should know, my lady?", maester asked curiously.

"My Lord husband asks me to come to Kingslanding. He says I should stay with him during the pregnancy, and it will help him not always worry for my health if I was close to him", Lysa said.

"That's good thought. You should go to Kingslanding. We should start preparing a group that will accompany you", said the Maester. But then he saw her a little troubled and looking at the boy sitting next to her. 

"Oh... don't worry about young master Roland. I will be here in Eyrie to teach him and will look after him. You shouldn't worry about him", Maester reassured her.

"He says Ser Elys Waynwood requested him to send Roland to him. He wants to take him as the ward for lady Anya Waynwood. He wrote that he has agreed to the proposal and send a letter to send some guards to escort Roland", Lysa said.

"That's a good thing, my lady. As you know, your child will be the heir apparant of Vale. So, Young master Roland will be in good hands there. Ser Elys Waynwood is an honorable man and I know he will take good care of his grandson", Maester said confidently.

Anyway, it was an order from Lord Arryn, and they had to obey. Roland knew that, so he didn't say anything the whole time.

After a long silence, Maester Colemon got ready to leave and said, "Well, I will arrange all the necessities required during your and Young master Roland's trip", saying that he left.

"Roland, your grandfather asked to meet you. Do you want to meet your mother's father?", Lysa asked the boy to which he nodded but didn't say anything. After breakfast, Roland went out to do his usual thing he was doing these days, learning to read and write. 

Soon, he would be leaving this castle and will go meet another relative. So, he decided to at least remember somethings in Vale, like houses, their sigils and current heads, famous knights of Vale, famous places etc.

Just like that, days passed and soon the convoy of Lysa Arryn left the Vale for Gulltown from where they will board a ship that will take them to Kingslanding through the Narrow Sea.

Just a few days later, 4 household guards of House Waynwood arrived and showed the order of Elys Waynwood to take young master to him and they too soon left. This was his first time leaving the castle and going somewhere that far. So, he was a little excited to see what this world had to offer. That whole trip, he asked questions from the guards which they answered politely. And just like that, it took a day to reach Ironoaks which was, well, not as impressive as the Eyrie which was strategically built in a very good place difficult for many to attack and capture.

On the gates, waited people that he obviously didn't know. But he could feel that the old man who was trying hard not to let anything show on the face but was unintentionally smiling, was his grandfather.