"Those rough men haven't seemed to have influenced you beyond your drive to earn what you receive." She wrapped her arms around her zalpaca, offering it comfort and reassurance until finally it relaxed in Jon's presence. If only the others were so easy, but they were at least creeping back to her side. "You are different than most kings I have seen."

She glanced up at him curiously, "A bastard? What's that?" It seemed to hold some meaning for him, a mark of some kind, but the word was foreign. He grew up as one, but that could mean many things.