⊰ ── ( CHAOS IS A LADDER )

[vaell]

ＬＡＵＲＡＮＥ　ＡＲＲＹＮ ！
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( title. lady of the vale; protector of the vale ) ( tagged. nathaley, micah, tullys, valian, adryana | mentioned: - ) ( location. red keep; gardens )


indentlaurane watched lord kermit as he rose from where he had been seated, eyeing him warily as he gave a nonchalant shrug in return to micah's jabs. though her expression remained neutral, her upper lip curled in disdain for the pair. it seemed the only two things the brothers could manage to do included mindlessly agreeing with each other and missing the mark with their slander. neither of the arryn siblings seemed disturbed by their words, as it appeared the tully lords could really only muster up the first insult they could think of and let it spew from their lips. however, the moment lord calrin and lord kermit had even opened their mouths to try and dig back at micah, nathaley had rose from her seat and took great haste to escape from the mounting tensions between the tully brothers and her siblings. laurane could safely say that she was surprised it did not happen much sooner. but the slurred, dumbed down words of lord kermit did not let her continue to ponder her sister's sudden fleeing for much longer, for she could only watch his display of greatly exaggerated intoxication in concern. laurane and micah were quick to exchange a glance with one another upon his behavior, confirming they both shared the same thoughts. by the gods, it was truly embarrassing to witness. when lord kermit begun approaching an obviously discontent janessa and rambling on about how the arryns had some sort of vendetta against the tullys, she had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. he was foolish to think that they had anything against house tully, when in reality they had only been addressing the two brothers. their sisters had never done anything to make laurane feel revolted, though it seemed that both lord calrin and lord kermit were speaking as to try and make themselves feel better, as if they were aiding rheva and janessa from some kind of imaginary insults her and micah had thrown at them. right. while lord calrin decided to announce just how unwelcome the two of them now felt - which micah had assured them, they were not, in fact, welcome - and lord kermit continued on his with his drunken charade, she did not bother to offer them any words in return. the two arryns could easily pummel their pathetic insults in this battle of wit, but laurane felt anything else she would have to say would only add fuel to the fire, and ultimately cause the tully brothers to further embarrass their family. she wouldn't want to cast that upon either janessa or rheva.
indentthe tully lords were a sore sight, enough to make anybody want to tear their eyes away from them. however, some nobles did not think the same. others seated in the vicinity were quick to throw stares their way, and not the most pleasant of the sorts. she was well aware of the onlookers, thirsty for rumors to invest in. prying eyes of lesser nobles had no doubt been listening in to what they had been saying, trying to pick up on snippets of their conversation so that they could circulate what ever they had heard around gossip circles. despite some of their disapproving attitudes, she knew that the nobles likely enjoyed the quarrel for these reasons alone. laurane herself could hardly care for those who only preened at the speak of gossip, living on like it were a sweet wine. when she did look away, she snuck a glance in the direction in which her sister had fled. it wasn't hard to spot her, gown in the familiar arryn blue, even if she were becoming quickly distant, seemingly intent to make her way from the thick of the banquet. she watched as nathaley's now-furthering figure quickly turned a corner, disappearing from her line of sight completely. laurane sighed, shifting her gaze away. even if a fleeing nathaley was a normal occurrence, she could not help the slight pang of worry that struck her. it was not out of laurane's grasp to understand that her younger sister had been uncomfortable for most, if not all, of the festivities so far, and surely this had been the breaking point. finally she set her goblet down on the table before her. laurane and micah had never been the best at comforting others, and it was often that the two of them tried to evade such situations by making the other go see to it. she couldn't exactly recall how a situation similar to this one had transpired the last time, though she knew it ended with her stiffly consoling nathaley with a hand awkwardly placed upon her shoulder, not even sure if she herself believed her own words of comfort. with a sweep of her eyes, she scanned the remaining nobles at the table. if somebody had noticed something awry, they had not shown any signs of it. but even so, it wouldn't look right for both of the arryn siblings to ignore the absence of her sister, her empty seat becoming more obvious. so, slowly she turned to her brother. "poor, sweet girl," she exhaled, almost a sort of a muse. nathaley had always been the gentler of the trio, not one to purposefully get up into other peoples business and tell them they're being fools. she would much rather avoid conflict than entertain it, unlike both micah and laurane. if anything or anyone could hold a soft spot in laurane's heart, then it would be her younger sister. she kept herself out of trouble and often agreed with her - even if it was just to ensure laurane's insistences did not further - and never did any wrong in her eyes.
indentthough micah was making himself at home with various helpings of food being set upon his plate, laurane didn't really care. he always wanted to go wander off, didn't he? so now she was giving him that opportunity, even if he had to go attend to nathaley. they both well knew that solace to others was appealing to neither of them, which was exactly why she always jumped at the chance to get micah go after their younger sister, just as she would do now. "micah. i think you should check on nat," she spoke in a relatively hushed tone, though it was clear this was more of a demand than it was a suggestion. "surely she's settled a bit by now, but doing something for her would be kindly; you know, as an elder brother to his younger sister. i'm sure she would appreciate your presence." the nature of her words gradually became more pointed, paired with a bit of a jab at micah's indifferent demeanor toward their sisters disappearance and put together with a flash of a smug half-smile before she turned her eyes back to her plate. laurane herself could have just as easily gone to see how nathaley was faring, but she found great amusement in forcing micah into this sort of a task. if it were her, of course, she would not be so eager, but she was enjoying this moment while she could. the last time he had to confront nathaley about something, well, let's just say it was not the picturesque image of family bonding. and it wasn't as if she didn't care, for the sight of her sister distraught was enough to stir some anguish within her, it's that it deemed difficult to express that care. even if it they had grown accustomed to such incidents, they never seemed to become familiar in dealing with it.
indentthe amount of nobles seated at the table began to lessen, she noticed, and sparse was their company now. aside from micah, all that remained was queen adryana and lady janessa's youngest sibling, lady rheva. while she had been pleased with lord calrin and lord kermit's leave alongside lady valian, she could not say she was eager to see lady janessa depart, though it came to no surprise to her. the tully woman had first made to ensure that the nobles at the table understood that house tully took all future military action, as well as this coronation, seriously, before she had excused herself. laurane could only offer but a sympathetic smile to her own, not that it would do her much good. lady janessa was no fool, she knew that the arryns' cold words had not been directed to her or her sister, but to her brothers alone. so, all she could do now was cast her gaze upon the last of the tully brood, and the youngest. she was an unfamiliar face to laurane, which was interesting considering that all the great houses practically grew up together, aside from a few members. of course, it made sense that the whole family was presented at the first royal event in the newly crowned kings name, which was why laurane herself had brought both of her own siblings along as well. she didn't know much about the tully family dynamic, of course, but it was obvious that they were starkly different in contrast to the arryns. while the trio was a cold bunch, they were each respectively a lot different in nature from the other; but regardless, it was likely much of their behavior now could be boiled down to having authoritarian parents, holding high demands and low responsiveness. both of their parents had high expectations of the arryn children, yet provided very little in terms of feedback and nurturing. in the arryn household, mistakes were never a viable option, either, for they tended to be punished harshly for such one way or another.
indentclearing her throat, laurane hoped they could segue into a conversation that did not involve the discussion of either lord kermit or lord calrin. surely they all had had enough concerning those two, and surely rheva felt no different. her brothers had not held back in their indulgences to make their family look unpresentable, ill-mannered. it being a royal event, she could only imagine how uncomfortable she may now be. the arryn lady could not help but feel bad for the younger woman; she could imagine that her time spent in the capital so far was likely not the fondest of memories, and her brothers had seen to that. "lady rheva, forgive me, i don't think i've had the pleasure. i suspect it is your first time in the capital?" a gentle question, even if she already knew the answer. her tone had evened out into something more polite, approachable, much different in nature from the earlier spat between the arryns and the tullys, even if it was still a bit stiff. but even if she hadn't been sure, the way that rheva held herself was much different in comparison to her lady sister; she lacked the same air of complete confidence, which gave her away as a new visitor to the realm. lady janessa of course had attended many a trip, well used to being in the capital by now, similarly to laurane herself. but still, she wasn't so sure if the younger tully had been looking forward to making the trip to the crownlands or not, and this seemed a good way to gauge her feelings. she casually reached out for her goblet, taking a final sip of the arbor red before beckoning another passing serving girl to refill her of the liquid from the pitcher she held. so once again was she replenished with the drink, though admittedly much sooner than she had anticipated, having held the wine close during the chaos that the tully brothers had inflicted.

[winterfell.]

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⇉ [ location : red keep ] [ title : lady of riverrun ] [ tagged : tullys; valian; arryns; adryana ] [ 1054 words ]


- - - - -Lady Valian, though polite and friendly, seemed invested in the attention she was getting from Rheva's brothers. Rheva was a little concerned as to where that might lead. Kermit and Cal weren't the best in formal situations and she worried what they might to do make fools of themselves. While she'd adjusted to it in her personal life, she knew that Janessa would be humiliated if anything were to go poorly. Whether Valian knew it or not, she might be exacerbating the problem by humoring the Tully boys. or maybe she had nothing to do with it and her brothers were going to be a nightmare no matter who they spent time with. Rheva did her best to just stay quiet, to keep from adding to the problem. It wasn't usually he place to speak up either way. She exchanged her pleasantries with the other noblewomen, the Arryn ladies and the Queen of the North. But, before anymore niceties could have been spoken, Micah Arryn arrived. And he was quite unhappy with Rheva's brothers. She went stiff in her chair, glancing between the Arryns and the Tully boys as the lot exchanged insults. While the Tullys were more ridiculous, a clear reflection of the attitude of her brothers, the Arryn's addressed them with a cold judgment that nearly made her shiver. Part of her grew angry at how her brothers were being spoken to. Sure, they were idiots and deserved a good scolding after how improperly they were behaving, but they were her brothers. It felt rather insulting to have them be so openly berated by strangers. But the other part of her knew that the Arryn's weren't wrong in anything that they said. Laurane in particular was a bit less insulting, more practical and accurate in everything she said. Rheva bit her lip at the casual mention of the Riverlands being so dangerous during times of war, glancing down at her hands as they rested in her lap.

- - - - -She glanced up, watching her brother so casually insult the Arryn bunch, as if they were doing something wrong by holding a safe territory. Power over the Eyrie wasn't anything to be ashamed of. In fact, as much as Rheva loved her homeland and would love to be back in the walls of Riverrun, part of her would have loved to have been in the Vale, particularly in the upcoming months, given all the unrest in Westeros. It would certainly be safer there. Kermit was putting on a horrible show, faking drunkenness, as if the conflict between two power families wasn't humiliating enough. Why was he insisting on making things so much worse for them? She cringed when she felt his hand on her shoulder, eyes falling so that she was staring at a spot on the table instead of looking directly at anyone else. Eventually, the two Tully brothers made a rather dramatic exit, Lady Valian tagging along with the two. Lady Nathaley Arryn was, apparently, not taking the situation well either, abruptly leaving without as much as an explanation. She pitied the poor girl, watching as she disappeared from the table. She wondered if either of her siblings cared much, but they didn't make any immediate moves to chase after her. Perhaps this was a normal thing for her. Things were uncomfortably awkward at the table once their numbers had dwindled, Rheva tapping her fingers against her leg in an attempt to keep her hands from noticeably trembling. She snapped back to attention when she heard her sister mention her. Damage control was certainly in their best interest and Janessa was doing her best, given the circumstances. But it was obvious that, despite her usual poise and confidence, she was having a hard time. She excused herself from the table and Rheva wanted to go after her, to offer her any sort of comfort that she could. But this sort of thing was, unfortunately, not unheard of for the Tully brood. Janessa needed a few moments to herself, to compose herself. Rheva being there for her to vent to might only make things worse. It was better saved for a time when they weren't in public.

- - - - -And just like that, Rheva was the only remaining Tully at the table. Around her were two semi-hostile Arryns and the Queen of the North. She detested conflict, discomfort setting in really quickly. But, with any luck, the quarrel was with her brothers and they'd spare her their scrutiny. That seemed to be the case, Lord Micah being dismissed by his sister to tend to the youngest, whom Rheva was just about to ask about. It wouldn't be surprising to her if Lady Nathaley simply couldn't handle all the bickering, as the Tully lady found herself wanting to run and hide several times during the fiasco. She was glad that the young Arryn lady was being cared for by her siblings, even in the midst of a very public event. Once Micah took his leave, the table had dwindled down to just three women: two of them heirs to their houses and territory and Rheva being the third. To say that the situation was intimidating would be an understatement. But she couldn't run. Besides, Lady Laurane was being quite polite with her, despite everything that Cal and Kermit had just pulled. The Arryn heir actually seemed rather enthusiastic to avoid the topic of her brothers altogether, a relief to the youngest Tully. She couldn't contribute much more than Janessa already had before she left the table. She nodded at the woman. "My first time outside of the Riverlands, actually," she said softly. "And it's certainly beautiful here. Warm," she added. Janessa had spoken of Laurane before, seeing as most of the nobles spent much of their childhoods together. However, Rheva still didn't know much about the woman. She knew that she was dignified, but could be cold. She took things very seriously and was mature beyond her years. It was a refreshing contrast to her brothers. Still, she felt like she had to choose her words carefully around the woman. Which wasn't a bad thing, per say. Just new. "I'm honored to be a guest for such an important occasion," she said. "I've never seen so many people in one place before. Is it like this often?"

[radio.active.]

i lady heir of storm's end
ii gardens of the red keep
iii tags the Tense Table, the tully brothers
iv no mentions

indentDespite herself, or rather the exact opposite, Valian found herself giggling as the table guests around her dissolved
into chaos. The parties had been in King's Landing for hardly a day, and within speaking distance of one another for even
less time. The combination of the wall of animosity that emanated from both families and her own love for watching the
world descend into drama and chaos was almost too much. For heaven's sake, Lord Kermit was presenting the table with
a half-drunken spiel, how could she feel like anything other than a child at her name day celebration?
indentAs the Tully brothers stood to leave, both offering a hand to her, Valian cast a smile towards the two house heirs.
"I suppose I shall manage these two," she hummed, reaching across the table to grasp what was left of her bottle of that
atrociously sweet blackberry wine. "I fear a fistfight between the Lords Tully and Arryn would put antarnish on our dear
King Andrik's coronation celebrations that the Tyrells may not happily forgive." The Baratheon lady rose from her seat,
finishing off the bottle with a final - rather unladylike - swig as she turned to the Tully brothers. She half-tossed the bottle
to a passing servant, ignoring the glaring look that followed, and reached out to take Lord Calrin's arm. "Shall we go find
a bottle a little less saccharine?"

[vaermina]

ＡＳＩＲＩＡ ＭＡＲＴＥＬＬxxx
I.xa princess of dornex II.xtagged: the targaryens, the martells, cardan, myrrine, kronos


indentthe prisoner didn't stand a chance.
indenthe was dead before asiria could so much as breathe. the black dragon atop the statue had reduced him to a pile of smoldering meat and charred bones within minutes. the stench quickly became overwhelming. asiria felt herself become overwhelmed. despite swallowing her true emotions during the duration of her stay on dragonstone so far, she was unable to hide her true feelings at the sight of the burnt corpse. she looked horrified and, well, she felt horrified. she has never witnessed death before, nevertheless an execution by dragon fire. lady naerys had not even so much as hesitated to end his life, killing him before he could even finish his final say. a man who's only crimes in this world seemed to be the immoral occupation he chose, dead before he could finish his words. it was beyond petrifying. if his words were true, he was also apart of the greyjoy family. the targaryens were not afraid to exterminate anyone who could be a threat to their conquest and that even included their allies. naerys targaryen had shown him no mercy, just like she and her siblings will do when they begin infiltrating the six kingdoms. in that moment, the severity of the situation finally sunk in. if the targaryens would stoop as low as to slaughter their own allies, who's to say they wouldn't reduce westeros into a wasteland of ash and ghosts if the great houses refused to bend the knee? they appeared to lack a desire to not sup on tears. anyone who is not strictly with them is against them. her betrothed had droned on about how their enemies never really seem to learn, but in reality, have the targaryens learned nothing? has the near destruction of their dynasty not paint a picture clear enough for their eyes to see? nobody wanted the targaryens as rulers because they are nothing short of tyrants. historically, they have produced dictators and mad kings who have destroyed and maimed throughout their entire reign. if nearly all of the great houses had risen to overthrow them, should that not explain to them how unwanted they are? of course, they didn't understand. judging by her interactions with the dragon lords so far, they appear arrogant of their self-proclaimed right to rule. she could already tell this war would be long and brutal, and many will suffer. the targaryens did not care about anything other than the iron throne, and she doubted they cared enough to spare the lives of others if it meant their chances of success would be hindered. if they do claim the throne, their kingdoms would be nothing short of burnt castles and mass graves by the end of their conquest. the mere thought made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. it was almost like she could taste the smoke and the blood, see the cities reduced to smoldering ruins and the battlefields haunted by the souls of wandering soldiers. so many deaths, and for what? to claim a throne? to sit in a keep that might be nothing but a red skeleton by the end of this fight? the targaryens are murderers. even if dramon is not as outwardly frigid and intense as his younger sister, his core is the same. she was sure their elder siblings are just as similar. like their ancestors before them, they would destroy everyone and everything in their paths if they get the chance. admittedly, the tyrells have not treated her family kindly but did she think king andrik and princess lyanna deserved to die because of the sins of their father? of course not. she didn't think any of the lords and ladies that make up the great houses deserve to perish because of what their parents had done. it wasn't fair to hold that sort of mentality. the past is the past for a reason. clearly, she is the only one on this island who thought so.
indentif the tyrells were not alerted to the true horrors that lurk on dragonstone, they would without a doubt be taken by surprise when the time comes for the targaryens' conquest. she knew that the royal families of westeros had not a clue the targaryens have dragons at their disposal, or newfound allies, or a secret force behind them that gives them a certain amount of power they could never curate for themselves. their dragons would not be rideable for the next few years, true but they would grow to be devastating beasts of war. she was sure the targaryens have no issue crushing anyone who does not submit to their will, and she had an inkling that the other great houses are not going to be as submissive as the dragon lords would like. someone has to alert them what is truly going on on dragonstone. asiria did not think she would be able to look at her reflection in the mirror if she sat on the sidelines with the knowledge she has and not utilize it to help others. so far, lord dramon has been polite to her but that did not hide the fact he was just as perilous as his sibling. she didn't trust him, and he had done nothing to try and save the greyjoy man from such a heinous death. it was in that moment that asiria has never been so sure of what she must do in her entire life. her siblings may be fine with watching the rest of westeros be reduced to fiery rubble, but she was not.
indentthe presence of lord dramon's hand on her shoulder abruptly pulled her from her thoughts. she hadn't realized how expressive she was being until just now. her eyes had widened in shock, her brows raised and her mouth held agape. a scene of horror danced in the umber of her gaze. unlike dramon's dragon, who had taken to his shoulder again, naerys' dragon let out another loud shriek before it took flight, soaring high above the courtyard and vanishing over the harsh gargoyles. "do not touch me," the hiss that came from the princess was unexpected, yet laced with a fair amount of venom unanticipated from her. she didn't want to be touched by him, or anyone, or anything. she didn't think she has ever felt this disgusted in her entire life. the targaryens are no different than their forefathers. they would watch the world burn if they could. lady naerys frowned at her response, but her dark gaze flickered to her brother at his curt words. "none of it matters now. he is dead." she looked at the remnants of the former pirate. dramon's words about leaving the courtyard were hardly acknowledged by asiria. she felt as if she were in some sort of different universal plain right now. she wished the ground of the courtyard would open and swallow her whole. despite asiria's lack of response, his sister chipped in. her arm was still hooked with asiria's, the sharp ends of her gauntlet still digging into the princess's arm. "but yes, let us return to the stone drum. they will most likely begin the feast soon, and we do not want to miss it. the guards will clean up out here." she nodded to the masked men who had already begun to approach the horrific remains of the prisoner. asiria could do naught but look away, dread and guilt beginning to creep up her throat. why feel culpability over something she had no control over? she was not even married to lord dramon. she had no sway over the targaryens, no room nor respect to talk out of place. she wouldn't have been able to save the man's life, even if she tried. if he had deserved execution, then surely he hadn't reserved to die by dragon fire. she couldn't imagine a more horrific way to go.
indentlady naerys did not wait for a response from her brother. she began to lead asiria away from the gruesome scene, back towards the arching entrance of the courtyard so they could make their way to the stone drum. despite the dornish princess's refusal to be touched, the younger woman did not seem to care much about that. figures. the face-stealer held little care for anyone. led away from the courtyard and now surrounded by the targaryens, it did not take long for the three to be interrupted once more. exiting the great hall were a flow of shadowy figures, two who seemed to be none other than lady myrrine and someone she did not quite recognize. they slowed once they approached the trio. the silver scales of myrrine's serpent contrasted the dark violet robes she wore as the creature sat curled around her torso, its triangular head rested on her shoulder. the older woman cocked her head, a pleasant smile growing on her lips. "well, i see you three are returning for the feast. very good. you wouldn't want to miss it." asiria could not help but eye her snake warily. the creature hissed softly, tongue flickering as it eyed the trio. it was the largest snake she's seen in her entire life, and she quite literally resided in a desert. it looked like it could swallow the targaryens' dragons whole. beside her, naerys gave a compliant smile. "of course not. but are you not staying for it?"
indent"i'm afraid not. i trust you and your siblings will be well-mannered enough to entertain our guests while they are here. after all, it is you four they will be serving once you claim your throne. and i have other matters to attend to. lord amon has sent word from the crownlands that he has received some very interesting information about the travels of king andrik in the coming weeks. i'm afraid my earlier plans have been altered; i do believe we will be paying the king a visit earlier than expected. is that not right, my dear?" she looked at the man next to her. the mention of the king made asiria's heart leap in trepidition. how? how did they know the tyrell ruler planned to make a trip outside of the red keep? who is lord amon, and how was he able to even access such information? asiria could not help but eye the man next to myrrine the same way she eyed the burnt bones of the prisoner outside. much like the serpent that seemed beloved to lady myrrine, the man next to her is a unique - if not somewhat affrighted - sight. he was one of the tallest men she has ever laid eyes on. he easily towered over seven feet tall, but perhaps even saying that might be an understatement. covered from head to toe in thick iron that was melded and twisted to make him appear like a flayed skeleton, he was large and broad-shouldered, someone who was obviously created by the gods for the battlefield. the belt wrapped around his waist boasted several human skulls, cracked and dull. a battleaxe was strapped across his back, a weapon that appeared like only the strongest could swing it efficiently. the eyesockets of his helm were large and gaping, revealing eyes as dark as blood. the visible skin around his eyes are dark gray, reminding her of that of a rotten corpse. he appeared to her as sinister, but also extremely unnatural. there was something about him that did not sit right with her. she knew the targaryens are from essos and so are their followers, and unlike the relatively familiar landscape of westeros, essos is dotted with different cities and regions ruled by different economies, governments and people. not one region is the same. essos is notorious for its baleful realms such as the shadowlands, where few dare tread due to its black rivers, veiled people and sinister practices. she wondered if the man before her is from such a place. the man did not respond to lady myrrine's inquiry but instead leaned his head down to say something to her in a gravely voice. he spoke low, so the trio could not hear him. in seconds, the woman's features twisted. her eyebrows lowered, her gaze hardening. when he leaned up again, she looked at asiria and her children. then, she smiled but it held no warmth like it did before.
indent"oh. i see. instead of showing princess asiria of our hospitality, you subjected her to a execution instead." if looks could kill, the targaryens would have dropped dead in that very second. how lady myrrine knew about the execution, she had no idea. it appeared the towering man next to her informed her about it, but perhaps he had somehow pieced the puzzle together given asiria's expression, the lingering smell of burnt flesh and the now empty presence of the former prisoner. perhaps he could sense death himself. she wasn't sure. nevertheless, myrrine did not look happy. at all. naerys frowned. "mother-"
indentshe was interrupted before she could finish. "the three of us will talk later. for now, go to the great hall. it is rude to keep your guests waiting. princess asiria, i apologize profoundly for the irresponsiblity of your hosts so far. i do hope you enjoy the feast." the way lady myrrine switched from warm to glacial in a matter of seconds surprised even asiria. it appeared that when her children displease her, she is quick to show it. was she truly irritated by the targaryens subjecting asiria to an execution? the older woman seemed to be a friendly character, but if there's one thing asiria was beginning to learn here on dragonstone, it's that not everything is as it seems. myrrine held power that the targaryens do not hold themselves. it's almost like the guards, the shadowy figures, the pillars that support the dragon lords seem to be focused on the older woman instead. they seem to respect the targaryens, yes but it was a dynamic not true to what you would see followers behold to those they believe are the proper rulers. no, something is definitely not right here. if the mysterious man beside lady myrrine is a bodyguard of some sorts, why would he not be in the great hall protecting the targaryen heir? why was more emphasis put on the safety of lady myrrine than her children, the self-proclaimed rulers of westeros? it was almost like dramon and his siblings weren't in control at all, despite it appearing that way to those outside of their circle. the man next to myrrine could easily slice someone in half with his axe if he wanted to, so why was he not inside the great hall? her mind was beginning to spin the further she thought about it. beside her, naerys' frown deepened. lady myrrine did not say anything else, but instead walked right past asiria and the targaryens without another look. her snake hissed as she passed, this one more aggressive than the last. the man beside myrrine only briefly stared at them before he shouldered past, nearly knocking the three of them aside as if they weighed less than the patches of seaweed on the beach. naerys grumbled some insults underneath her breath, but as to be expected, had not voiced them out loud. she knew it would not be good for her if she did.
indentthe trio entered the great hall. asiria's eyes landed on her siblings, markas and amaris standing aside as lord cardan greyjoy made his appropriate introductions to the dragon lords. it seemed he had just finished bending the knee. naerys' claws were still dug into asiria's arm as they approached the group. asiria could feel her sister's eyes on her as the face-stealer smiled, her features uncanny. "we apologize for our late arrival. we had some business to attend to. lord cardan, it is a pleasure." she dipped her head at the greyjoy heir. it made her blood all but run cold. she had blatantly murdered his brother, slaughtered like a lamb out in pasture yet she put on a smile. asiria did not mimic her cool features. she looked as pale as a ghost, as if she had just witnessed something horrific. and she did. a part of her wanted to open her mouth and reveal to lord cardan what the targaryens have done to his pirate brother but the sentence refused to leave her. what could he do, anyway? he was a sheep surrounded by wolves while on dragonstone. any sort of declaration of anger would label him an enemy. besides, there's no telling what relationship he had with his now dead brother. they could have despised one another, for all she knew. and whether or not the prisoner had been telling the truth, she had not a clue. she supposed naerys had been right. it doesn't matter now. asiria could not find the words to make a proper, respectful greeting to the greyjoy lord for it's like her vocal cords had been ripped out. naerys motioned with her free hand to a set of large doors nearby. "i do believe we have a feast to attend to, correct? let us not keeping ourselves at bay. i'm sure we will have much more to discuss over some goblets of wine." the young woman did not wait for a response from her siblings. she was already leading asiria to a set of doors nearby, that led off into another chamber.
indentthe chamber the feast had been set in was comfortable. it was smaller than the great hall, and branched off from the kitchens of the castle. a long, dark oak table had been set up with multiple chairs and silver dishes already prime for the picking. at the head of the table would sit the eldest targaryen, lord rhaegon while his siblings and asiria sat on one side and their allies on the other. flags of crimson and ebony hung from the ceiling, paintings along the wall that beheld the dragonstone aesthetic. above a hearth at the front of the room was a painting, one that appeared to be of lady myrrine and the targaryens when they were younger. a balcony was connected to the chamber, although its doors had been opened to allow fresh air to filter in. asiria was urged to sit by naerys. no sound of protest came from the princess as she sat while the others followed in. she had nothing to say. and it would probably remain that way for a while.

[winterfell.]

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⇉ [ location : dragonstone ] [ title : lady of dragonstone ] [ tagged : targs; martells; cardan ] [ 1078 words ]


- - - - -The fact that she was the one to speak up before Rhaegon was a bit of a surprise. Her brother was normally quick-to-anger and the sight of a Westerosi lord standing before him should have been enough to get a reaction. Of course, he was on his best behavior at the moment, Saenera knew. If he were to step out of line, Myrrine would make sure he paid for it. She always did. Perhaps it was for the best that she was the one to say something, to make demands of Lord Cardan Greyjoy. Her light snap, an almost-polite request that he do what was asked of him when addressing his rightful ruler, was significantly more tame than what Rhaegon might have done. Of course, that wasn't the reason she said anything. She'd be lying if she said she had an altruistic reason for speaking out. She didn't care for the man's safety or for Rhaegon's well-being or even to keep the cult pacified. She only spoke up because she felt insulted, felt that Lord Cardan's initial stance, the fact that his instinct wasn't to kneel before the Targaryen family, was somehow stoked by the idea that he might think himself superior to the dragons. His reaction to her request left her a little unsure about that. He knelt without question, of course, and she straightened up a bit in pride. But the smile on his face as he did so make her quirk a brow. Was he mocking her somehow? Or was it his attempt at seeming polite, even cheerful about the alliance between their houses? She couldn't be sure either way, but took the whole thing at face value. She nodded at his apology, glancing over to her brother to gauge his reaction, since the Greyjoy directly addressed him and not her. Taenyr's claws dug into her shoulder once more, but the dragon made no sound, no move toward the man. She reached up, lightly tracing the scales on his neck with the back of her hand.

- - - - -The remainder of the Targaryen clan returned to the Great Hall, Princess Asiria Martell in tow. The poor girl was dauntingly close to Saenera's own sister. Naerys was nothing short of unnerving, even after having time to get used to her. She was unhinged, often cruel. Dramon should have been caring for his betrothed better than to let the girl -- a girl who was much too soft for Dragonstone -- be lead around by the face-stealer. She seemed mortified enough, Saenera noticed. And based on the dragon's shriek she heard moments ago, she had a guess as to what might have scarred the poor princess. Unfortunately, witnessing dragonfire, the open hostility toward nearly everyone throughout the continent, was to be a part of Princess Asiria's life from now on. She would soon be a Targaryen, wed to a dragon of Dragonstone. Her children would be the blood of the dragon. There was no escaping this. But, that didn't mean she should be exposed to it just moments after she arrived on the island, before she even had time to meet the Targaryens she'd be living with. Naerys didn't seem to care much, which was unsurprising. She never cared much for other people. She might have thought she was doing the Martell girl a favor. Or maybe she just liked to watch her squirm. Who could say? Saenera had to put forth a lot of effort to keep from rolling her eyes at how casually she spoke to Lord Cardan after what she'd most likely just done. But it wasn't her place to say anything, nor would it be a good idea. Making an unflattering comment toward her sister -- no matter how warranted it might be -- would make it seem as though there was infighting among the Targaryen siblings. Even if they didn't all get along, they had at least seem like they had a unified front. And, truthfully, they sorta did. They were unified by their dragon blood, by Myrrine and her guidance, by the cultists that backed their claim to the throne. Any conflict between then would make them seem weaker and she wasn't willing to do that to herself or her family, even if it would satisfy the urge to call her sister out, to speak her mind. There were more important things than her petty impulses.

- - - - -Everyone began filing into another chamber, this one specifically designated for their feast. The chamber was significantly smaller, a long, dark table at the head of the room with space enough for the Targaryens and their allies. For a moment, she couldn't help but think about how, in the capital, the Tyrells were holding a similar feast. And they had many more tables full of guests. Rhaegon, the true king, would only be hosting a few nobles for the time being. It wasn't a pleasant thought, that most of Westeros still thought the Targaryens villains. Or dead. Most of them likely hadn't learned or accepted the truth of their return. One day, though, she hoped that they would hold another feast. This time, in the Red Keep, Westerosi nobles from all over the continent, from all seven kingdoms, joining them in celebration of the dragons taking back the Iron Throne. But, for now, they had three guests total, not counting Asiria, of course. She moved to take a seat closer to the end of the table, next to the seat designated for her elder brother. Taenyr left her shoulder, flying away and perching himself on the railing of the balcony. It felt colder without the beast at her back, but at least his claws weren't sunk into her skin anymore, she supposed. She clasped her hands together, resting them on her lap as she looked between the nobles wandering into the chamber, violet eyes flickering over to her sister and future sister-in-law briefly. Why Naerys had taken it upon herself to stick by the Martell was a mystery to her. And while Saenera didn't care much about the princess, admittedly, she did hope that she could get away form the face-stealer sometime soon, to learn that the Targaryens weren't all as unstable. It was in everyone's best interest that the young woman's stay at Dragonstone wasn't torturous. "Dragonstone is very different from your respective homes," she said simply to no guest in particular. "But I hope that it is still hospitable to you and that the feast is to your liking."

[vaell]

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( title. a prince of dorne ) ( tagged. amaris, asiria, cardan, targs | mentioned: - ) ( location. dragonstone )


indentmarkas found himself standing still beside amaris, hands neatly clasped as the greyjoy lord made to come forward in the hall to present himself and finally address the dragons. he heard his sister's voice, nothing more than a whisper but it still made him turn his gaze toward her in a pointed manner. she was wondering if the man whom had joined them in the hall was lord cardan greyjoy. of course he was; could she not draw that conclusion herself from the sigil of a kraken donned by the man? nonetheless, before he could in return mutter a short answer of confirmation, the voice of lord cardan filled the hall and he had returned his attention back on the two houses before him. it was quickly made clear to him that the dornish party had experienced a much more refined, smooth introduction to the targaryens in comparison to lord cardan's own, for the tension that sparked as a result of the man not having knelt immediately was no doubt weighing heavy. even though lady saenera's voice was calm, a sort of unease loomed over the hall. to be honest, though, the encounter made him glad that he did not fumble in his choice of words, or even hesitate in any of his body language, as it seemed the two had a keen eye for any signs of what could be interpreted as disrespect. either way he was a fool for not bending the knee sooner.
indentthough he had been transfixed on what was occurring before him, the lord of the iron islands quick to right his wrongs and kneel without hesitation, the unfamiliar badges of serpents had not gone unnoticed by the dornish prince. he had never seen the insignia before, though he did know the large majority of the targaryen supporters and backings were of essos origin. whom they were - the foreboding they - was still a mystery to be solved. neither the lord or lady of dragonstone had offered any sort of explanation as to where the source of their power stemmed, but that was no surprise to him. he didn't expect such pleasantries, and he certainly would not be asking anytime soon, for he did not want his head bit off for it. still, he could make assumptions of his own. perhaps he could even try and dig around, put his nose in places where they likely shouldn't be and figure something out about these mysterious figures. whatever or whomever is backing the targaryens isn't of the greatest level of importance, but the not knowing made the whole situation feel ominous to him. he wanted to know who he was working with, who he was really working with, after all. and for what reasons did a foreign party aid the dragons so heavily? bringing them to westeros alone was a surprise, for what would they gain from it? his eyes moved to the guards plastered against the walls, another symbol of this unknown serpent organization. they were dark, sinister, just like the castle they occupied, and were clearly stacked in numbers to ensure that their allies knew they were not to be taken lightly. he knew that if he had no clue, then amaris likely didn't either. it wouldn't be surprising for the two to discuss such a topic on their venture back to dorne. perhaps she was just as curious as he.
indentthe cry of a dragon was not an unexpected one on this island. as much as he were to be in awe, he made sure not to give too much of a reaction, though his eyes did flicker toward the noise. it seemed that a feast was in order for the bunch, because lady myrrine and a few other figures trailing behind her had already made their leave from the hall, and he watched as she and her silver-scaled serpent disappeared behind the heavy doors. he could, for a moment, make out a few fragments of a conversation beginning, though his listening was ceased when the doors finally shut closed. he glanced to amaris, though she seemed to be keeping herself behind a impenetrable front, just as he. the quick succession of the doors opening once more had him looking across the hall in curiosity. if they had just left so soon, why would they be back already? though he was not greeted with lady myrrine and her mysterious, shadowy entourage this time - no, he knew the woman whom entered this hall, whom hung on the arm of a targaryen lady and was followed by a dragon lord. as they neared, he tried to get a closer glimpse of asiria's face, as well as dramon's, not particularly paying too much attention to lady naerys' words of apology. she had slunk away from the hall earlier, he could recall, some sort of business likely needing to be taken care of.
indentwhat hit him when they finally came to a halt before them was the scent of burnt, charred flesh. his nose nearly crinkled at the smell, for it was pungent and unexpected. he could really only give a small nod to lady naerys' words before she had swept asiria away to another set of doors that would be presumptuously where the feast would be held. as they passed them, however, he got a good look at his sister's face. he wanted to try and catch her eyes, in a moment of wondering 'what exactly did you do', for clearly she did not seem the same woman she had been when they first set foot on dragonstone. her skin was paled, and she seemed withdrawn, not the same old cheery and pleasant princess of dorne she normally was. his eyebrows drew together in confusion more so than concern. he had thought a tour of the castle did not include of the burning of someone as well? or was that the way they did things around here, show off their prisoners and off them before their guests? either way, he could only help but follow the targaryens into the chamber, for he knew he could always pester asiria later on before they departed for sunspear if he really wanted to. that was, if he could even find a moment alone with her. now with the targaryens seemingly clutching onto her as lady naerys so obviously did, he wasn't sure he would even be able to speak to her. oh well. he could make speculation without her and it would likely be right.
indentthe smell of food was one he inhaled greedily, a much better alternative to whatever had followed naerys, asiria and dramon like a lingering perfume. he sat himself down at the table beside amaris and lord cardan, across from the targaryens. this chamber was a bit more mellow compared to the rest of the castle of which he had been exposed to. still there was no lack of show for the targaryen colors on flags that decorated the ceilings even despite the neatly placed paintings and attempts to make the room seem a bit softer. either way, he was famished, and couldn't help but begin to dig in to the feast before him. lady saenera's words did catch his ear, though. "yes, my lady, it is. though you have been very welcoming, and for that, we are thankful." he didn't want to stay on this gloomy island for any longer than he had to, and could hardly wait until he and his sister were departing back to dorne, but he would enjoy the feast most definitely. when he glanced back up from his plate, he looked between each targaryen. lady saenera was sitting closest to the end of the table, and lord dramon had taken his seat beside her and asiria, lady naerys on her opposing side. the dragon lord that was most unfamiliar to him finally spoke up, addressing each of their guests. "my apologies, prince markas, princess amaris, and lord cardan; i suppose a late introduction is necessary. lord dramon, and it is a pleasure to meet you three."
indentfrom what he could tell, the man was well-spoken. no doubt he thrived in political affairs more so than his eldest brother, lord rhaegon, or his youngest sister, lady naerys. he and lady saenera seemed to have that in common. so, he gave a light smile in return. "it is a pleasure to finally meet you. i hope both you and my sister's tour of the castle went well." his eyes flashed to asiria briefly, trying to get something out of her, for she seemed a bit too quiet for his taste. instead, he heard her future husband's voice once more instead. "yes, it went excellently." was all that he seemed to be able to offer along with a curt nod. something about the man seemed slightly detached, however, as if he knew of some inevitable doom he would face.

[vaermina]

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I.xa lord of the valex II.xtagged: laurane, nathaley, rheva


indentif there is one thing to note about micah arryn, he is unapologetically grating.
indenthe didn't care to take caution when confronting other people because, truth be told, he didn't care if he was hurting someone's feelings. he never acted malicious on purpose, but he was not afraid to express his displeasure without sugarcoating it. it didn't take much to tread on his fragile nerves in general, so it was not uncommon for him to get irritated at the antics of strangers. to put it simply, he found the tully lords to be exasperating and children trapped in the bodies of adults. did he basically call them fools? yes. would he do it again? absolutely. micah knew that he himself is not exactly the most pleasant man to be around, but his meddlesome nature with his family stemmed from the fact he is a restless soul who tends to lash out in emotional outbursts whenever he's angry. he was not naturally chipper nor vivacious and puerile. micah can be just as cold as his elder sister, although he rarely bordered on haughty and simply acted passive aggressive. he could not wrap his head around the fact that the tully men had not a care in the world, be it towards their personal reputations or their house's reliability. of course, coronations are supposed to be jovial but this one had a somber atmosphere, for reasons that are as plain as day. a little lightheartedness is appreciated but lord calrin and lord kermit almost acted as if sitting at a table and dining like normal people was too boring a task, and that all the other lords and ladies having nothing interesting to say. he was sure they would be quick to humble if it were them in the shoes of the tyrell family. how they so easily brush off war is not something he understood, either. no, he didn't care for the tully lords and he wasn't afraid to show that, either. they are not intimidating and, quite frankly, are nothing short but a waste of space here at the coronation. why come if all you do is treat it like a trip to the candy stall? micah is not exactly the most politically oriented person in westeros but he is intelligent enough to know that a trip like this requires a certain level of respectability. it's not only a crowning event but a scene where houses are scoping out their allies and getting a feel for who is the most dependable.
indentwhatever insults lord calrin and lord kermit could come up with, they did not hit home. as the riverlanders spoke, micah continued to pile food onto his plate, visibly unfazed by their indignant nature. they were taking jabs at the eyrie, something that micah didn't quite find insulting considering even he did not hold that much love for his ancestral home. yet the eyrie is quite possibly one of the only castles in westeros that is impenetrable, and has been often referred to as one of the most beautiful ancestral homes to grace the continent. it's not like the arryns could help the fact that the eyrie is as defensively clever as it is lovely. unlike the riverlands, the vale is bordered by massive mountain ranges that make it nearly impossible for travelers to pass through during the winter season. if you can brave the snowstorms and perilous cliffs, you must also be wary of the bloodthirsty mountain clans and shadowcats. micah knew that if war were to brew in westeros, he and his family would not be hit by the effects of it outright unlike some of the other houses. after piling a good amount of food onto his plate, he looked up to see kermit tully acting out in a fake drunkenness. he quirked a brow, meeting his sister's gaze for a brief moment before looking back at the tully brood. he didn't think he ever wanted to rip someone's tongue out more than he does right now. in fact, he'd probably be doing everyone a favor by doing so. it was obvious he was putting on a ploy. for what, exactly? micah didn't know. if he thought he was being insulting, he was not. he was only humiliating his family further, as shown by his elder sister's reaction. to be honest, it could be considered borderline comical watching the tully men dig themselves further into their holes. it's not the arryns who are making fool of themselves, anyhow.
indenteventually, the tully brothers left the table, accompanied by the equally dense valian baratheon. minutes after, lady janessa took a brief leave herself to head to the powder room, no doubt overwhelmed and frustrated by her house's lack of properness at the feast so far. the table size only seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. not that micah cared much. he was much more focused on his meal, which he began to pleasantly feast upon now that the tully lords had left. micah has never cared much for vegetables, which is why his plate was full more of meats and desserts than anything else. he had stacked his plate with cheeses studded with beechnuts and hazelnuts, sliced ham and pork, colorful trifles, strawberry flans, and cheese and leek flan along with a helping of cherry pie and several slices of golden bread. he was starving. his altercation with the tullys had hardly dented his appetite. truth be told, micah simply didn't care enough to linger on the subject. now that they were gone, he could dine in peace without having to listen to their nonsense babbling or meddlesome complaints.
indentso he thought.
indenthe turned his head to look at laurane as she spoke, urging him to go check on their younger sister, nathaley, who had fled from the table a few minutes ago when the atmosphere turned tense. if micah's head could burst into flames, it absolutely would. "oh, come on!" he snapped, not even attempting to hide his irritation. "first i had to deal with the traveling circus, and now this. why do i gotta do it? she'll be back in a few moments, like she always does. besides, can't a man eat in peace? and why am i the only one who's eating right now? isn't that what feasts are for?" it's not that micah didn't care for his younger sister, of course but combined with the tully nonsense and his now growing hunger pains, he was becoming irritated. much like laurane, micah is not the best at comforting, either. he gave terrible advice, and even terrible solace. he never knew what to say. he was so different than nathaley he could not relate to her on any sort of spectrum, and he was sure she felt the same towards him. whereas she fled from confrontation, micah faced it head on and even initiated it. laurane is always blatant to show her familial preference towards nathaley, anyway, so why not go and help her herself? stupid freakin' idiot. of course, she was throwing the task of comforting onto micah, despite knowing fully well that micah is no better than she at consoling. micah hadn't even reacted because this type of anxious behavior from nathaley is common, and he always thought it better to leave her to her own devices and let her reenter the scene on her own. apparently, he was the only one who thought that.
indentmicah felt his lip curl in a snarl. "fine. but i'm taking this. pain in my arse," he growled, pushing his seat back none too gently as he grabbed his plate. he had no idea why he was so vexed, to be completely honest. micah has always been quick to piss off, although he supposed his encounter with the tully lords combined with not being able to catch a break and eat for the first time all day wasn't helping. now having a hold of his plate, the arryn lord left his sister with the sole remaining tully - lady rheva - and headed off in the direction nathaley fled to. as he walked, he jabbed his meal with his fork, eating as he followed nathaley's trail. he rounded a set of neatly trimmed hedges, quickly discovering his sister on a mossy bench away from the social scene of the banquet. it looked like she were drinking a cup of tea. micah shuffled awkwardly towards her, eyeing her carefully. nathaley has always been quiet, much more introverted and gentle than he and laurane. it almost made him feel bad for her, that she had been born into such an aloof family as the arryns. of course, it's not like micah wanted her to suffer but he had no idea how to help her. if he could wear a huge pin on his shirt that says 'i really wish i weren't here right now', he would.
indent"hey," he greeted her, somewhat ineptly. despite ready to flip the table on laurane several moments ago, his features had fallen neutral now that he were with his younger sister. with one hand still holding his plate, he rubbed the back of his neck.
indentawkwardness.
indent"erm, you okay?" another pause. "do you, uh, wanna talk about it? or something?" he wasn't sure what there was even to talk about, but honestly, he had no idea what to say. he just figured the sooner he could lead her back to the table, the sooner he could eat in peace and not have laurane hop on his shoulders with another pestering request. he just had no idea what to do. growing up under such strict and no-nonsense parents, it had been difficult to express genuine emotions as a child. he had never learned how to handle and dish out solace. after all, you can't help someone when you can barely help yourself.
indentnevertheless, he was really wishing one of the garden statues fell on top of him right now and took him out of his misery.

[vaell]

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( title. lord of riverrun ) ( tagged. kermit, valian | mentioned: tullys, arryns, ani, beanie ) ( location. red keep; gardens )


indentto say the least, cal had to clamp his hand over his mouth to ensure he didn't fall into a fit of laughter simply watching his brother slink around their sisters in his drunken charade. though their words had hardly elicited a response from the arryn duo, he still thought it was hilarious to see their reactions to what they had said. or of what reactions they did have, he supposed, for lord micah and lady laurane seemed to care a less. the arryn lord was too busying piling food upon his plate to have a single care and it seemed his elder sister was more interested in the wine in her hands - oh, but he knew that he and kermits words had hit home. seriously, why else would they so outrightly ignore their jabs, if they were not slightly hurt from it all? he was quite sure that they had the better half of the argument thanks to the falcons' lack of response. maybe they were dumbfounded and couldn't think of anything to come back at them with. either way, their youngest sister had fled the scene, so maybe even she had just been too afraid to bear witness to whatever other insults the tully brothers could honor the arryns with. either way, he would take it as a win. he looked to his brother as he neared him and the lady valian, no longer showcasing the falsely drunk front he had put on for the table, and couldn't help but chuckle. "that she might. but that means all we can do is enjoy tonight, brother, and to the fullest extent possible, before janessa has our heads." generally not the best mindset to go about doing things, but that was cal for you. if he already knew that janessa wasn't going to be the most pleased with the two brothers the next day, then he would much rather spend the entire night enjoying it to it's full potential while he could.
indentluckily for them, lady valian had agreed to their exit and had snatched up the remainder of what was in that bottle of wine before they would leave the table far behind. he was about to comment that he would definitely win a fistfight against the lord arryn - perhaps that was the wine talking - but the baratheon heir had already rose from her seat and arrived at their sides, so cal decided to, for once, not insist on any further drama. or else perhaps a real fistfight would occur, and he wasn't so sure he actually liked the idea of that after all. lady valian's carefree demeanor was no doubt something that kermit and cal found interesting, as it wasn't often they stumbled upon someone so alright with whatever nonsense or trouble they would find themselves getting up to. he was totally enthralled by it all, to be honest. so when she reached out to take his arm, cal gave her a grin. "yes, let us not waste anymore time," and with that the trio was off to venture the gardens, the tully lord having quickly replenished his goblet as they passed by a servant. sometimes he would grab whatever handheld foods were being held upon platters, taking what he could from the feast as they made to depart from the tables of nobles. they had missed a lot of the eating and drinking part of it all anyway, so he would need to fill in the gaps somehow. no thanks to the arryns for spoiling their time seated. it wasn't like he was going to sit around janessa and rheva all night and listen to them exchange pleasantries with the other nobles, but still. he didn't think he would be running around the gardens so soon.
indentas they came down a pathway, he took another swig of his goblet. "when did everyone become such a bore? like, seriously, i don't think i've ever come across anyone so annoying as those two arryn siblings," now that he was away from them, he didn't really care what insults he let out into the world. and if someone other than kermit or lady valian were to hear, it wouldn't really matter to him, either. it was only the truth. he didn't care for those two and he would be damned to pretend if he liked them in any way shape or form. janessa could suck it if she believed that he was going to go apologize to the arryns or even return to see her or rheva again for the good majority of the night. "i can't believe i'm saying this but man, am i enjoying the silence. nattering can only be listened to for so long, as well as the nagging of others." they passed by flowerbed upon flowerbed, though he didn't really care too much for the sights of the garden themselves rather than the isolation they served from the main event. they would find their way back to the feast at some point, anyway, so taking a stroll wasn't so bad. cal wasn't much for appreciating the integrity of castles, least of all gardens, so not much tended to catch his eye if at all. though nearby he could swear he heard some distant, hushed conversation, though it grew further away as they continued to walk. clearly they weren't the only three making an escape from terrors that the feast beheld to them.
indent"and, gods, lady valian. it must be nice not to have an elder sibling in your ear all the time," he added, casting a glance to kermit with a roll of his eyes at the mere thought of them being bossed around by janessa. "or any siblings at all, i guess. it just might be nice to be alone. but still, us tully brothers do make very good company." he all but checked into kermit's shoulder lightly, allowing himself some inward laughter at his own words. sure, lady valian did have her brother, bennis, but he didn't reside in storms end like she did. he was a knight of the kingsguard and therefore his place was with his king, andrik tyrell. man, it would be sweet to visit the stormlands, he realized. someday he and kerm would need to venture out there, if not just to visit their dear friend lady valian, but to see the sights that were offered in storms end too. though the stormlands are most definitely a smaller region of westeros, they are a land of harsh mountains, stony shores and verdant forests. he supposed traversing through either the kingswood and the rainwood, which both stood among cape wrath, would be interesting to visit. different than the riverlands, basically, which was probably why it had appealed to him in the first place.

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( title. lady of the vale; protector of the vale ) ( tagged. rheva, micah | mentioned: - ) ( location. red keep; gardens )


indentthough she had just been glaring at her brother's back as he and his plate of food made way from the table only moments ago, she held no same contempt when she looked upon lady rheva. the younger woman was soft-spoken, gentle, even. generally, laurane seemed most compatible with those of such nature, if her sister was not evidence of that already. so naturally she did not find it hard to interact with the tully. "ah, how wonderful," she smiled, not entirely surprised. her first time outside the riverlands, shoved straight away into the full fledged atmosphere that was the social scene of the nobles of westeros. a daunting task for anyone, but she did seem to be settling into it all, if her words could be any indicator. "well. i'm glad you are enjoying yourself." she spoke gently, then continuing on to pick at the contents of her plate, letting up on the arbor red for a moment. their table was quieter now, less populated, and in truth she was rather enjoying it. excessive amounts of nobles always tended to be draining, especially if they decided to make some sort of a scene just as had been done earlier. sure, micah had been the first to call lord kermit and lord calrin out, but they were the ones who couldn't contain themselves if even for a moment. and speaking of, if micah were still at the table, she couldn't tell whether he'd be so transfixed by the food before him to hardly care for what else is going on around him or complaining that everyone is apparently putting too much emphasis on talking rather than eating. so, yes, a smaller number of guests seated at their table was favorable for laurane. when the tully spoke again, she returned her attention back to her, lowering her fork down. "it is like this often, yes," a small chuckle escaped her lips, "i can also confirm that the amount of crowds do not lessen, either."
indentan unfamiliar sight to lady rheva now, she was sure that soon enough she would become acquainted in facing vast numbers of people concentrated in one area. "it does grow on you. in time," the arryn added, a small smile still playing upon her lips. though she hoped some of her gentle reassurances helped, truthfully she thought lady rheva to be taking in such an overwhelming event with grace, or at least from what she had seen of her. and admittedly, she was actually enjoying the presence of the youngest tully, far more than her brothers, of course. it was nice to engage in a lighter conversation, after all, perhaps even with one that posed a potential friendship. "and surely you must be looking forward to venturing the gardens, as well. perhaps you could join my sister and i, later on?" it was a small offer, but still. perhaps then she could too meet nathaley, on a bit less of a formal level than previous. she could imagine the two may get along quite well. and luckily they wouldn't be disturbed, for she doubted micah would try and tag along with them. lady rheva's own brothers had disappeared somewhere into the thick of the gardens, having retreated from the conflict they had brought onto themselves alongside lady valian. her eyes turned to the empty spot beside lady rheva for just a brief moment, well aware of lady janessa not having returned yet. perhaps she need think of a way to put the whole ordeal behind them, if only to display their strength in alliance. it was when she looked back to the youngest tully something clicked in her mind.
indentboth house tully and house arryn were far from having shaky ties in terms of their alliance; their neighbours to the west were ones the arryns had a solid, sure connection with. there was no doubt about that. of course, onlookers of the previous spat between the tully brothers and her own brother and herself may believe otherwise, spotting turmoil in their relationship when in reality there is none. and she well knew that during times of strife, misconceptions and rumors are not something you want to have plaguing an alliance, even if she didn't care to pay mind to those whom chose to engage in such pastimes. it could deem both houses unreliable, if only by speculation, should the need arise to aid one another in conflicts -- and laurane planned on keeping their relationship with the tully's to be a sturdy one, in both the social atmosphere and behind the scenes. perhaps she could extend an olive branch of sorts, even if it was only for the political theatre. maybe an offer so much as to demonstrate their alliance and solidify it further had the opportunity to lighten the mood by the time that lady janessa were to arrive back at their table as well. her index finger tapped against the side of her goblet, the drinking vessel being held idly atop the table as she entertained the idea, looking down into the contents of the drink. this sort of a proposition was delicate business, especially with the looming threat of a war up in the air, and she most of all knew that travelling about would not be in the best interest of most, if any. the security of taking temporary residence in the eyrie, however, was hard to challenge. even those the most uncomfortable with allowing their siblings depart from their homelands could be swayed by such an offer, if only by a little. maybe lady janessa would budge, maybe not. regardless, her effort to make it up to the tully heir would still be made known. and maybe she even wanted a break from her siblings after all; she could only imagine how much of a chaotic household she must reside in, even if lady rheva proved to be nothing like her brothers. sure that such an idea would settle any troubling thoughts regarding the two houses, she drew her gaze back up to the youngest tully, eyes no longer peering down into the red liquid.
indent"you seem an intelligent young woman, lady rheva," she noted, pulling her goblet back from the table once more, one hand holding the base of the drink. "though your lady sister is not present, i'm curious your thoughts. of course, these are uncertain times for everyone, but extending you an invitation to the vale.." she tilted her head slightly as her words trailed off, as if trying to gauge her feelings toward the notion of being given the opportunity to travel to yet another unfamiliar realm. this time, she would be without her family, though. and of course, like with everything, both pros and cons could be posed for such a gesture of respect toward the tullys. the youngest tully wouldn't be far from her homelands, not like if she were to travel to dorne, and she would be safer in the eyrie than in riverrun should the perils of war truly ensue. most of all, it would solidify the disposition of both their great houses. the only downside laurane could pinpoint would be the harshness of winter; it was unlikely lady rheva could return to her own home for some time. would she be of something like a ward, then? only she wasn't an heir; but even still, she could argue that learning the customs of the vale would be beneficial for any noble lord or lady in westeros, no matter the stature. "certainly i would be pleased to host you. after all, we must be a united front, should we not?" lighthearted she spoke, even if it was a slight prod, trying her best not to inflict any sort of intimidation upon her. whether or not she felt that way, though, laurane had no way of knowing. but surely if the woman agreed, then it would not be hard to present the idea to her elder sister, either. all in all, it was a gamble, for they had not known each other longer than this very day, but it proved important they needed to reinforce the image of house arryn and tully as a whole. hopefully she would understand her motives. so, at last, she raised her drink to her lips.

[vaell]

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( title. princess of winterfell ) ( tagged. rodrik, winterfell's maester | mentioned: adryana, lyra, corvus ) ( location. winterfell; courtyard )


indentrodrik was the terror of winterfell.
indentno thought in her mind had ever been so prevalent as this one was now. she store down at her twin as he lay on his back, undisturbed by both her and the maester's chastising. she crossed her arms across her chest. he was wrong, she never did run off and cry about any of these things. in fact, she did her best to repress the memories of whatever foolery rodrik had been up to in a given time, not wanting more than to forget his recklessness. if it weren't him getting himself into life-threatening situations, it was him getting himself into deep, deep trouble with their siblings. he wasn't the type to let her, adryana, lyra or even corvus try and talk down to him. and it was more often than not that arguments ensued in the stark household, especially when they had all actually been residing in winterfell. lyra was always the voice of reason, perhaps one of the most intelligent people she knew, and so celia often opted to let her settle things out. still, rodrik lashed out no matter what was going on. be it the fact he had a completely different personalty than any of his siblings or he just plain out thought them irritating, she wasn't sure. she didn't really have the want to find out, either. but if anyone could be remotely similar in nature to rodrik in the stark family, it must be corvus. she avoided her elder brother just as much as she did rodrik, even if it was a hard task, considering they lived with each other. when paired together, she really could hardly handle them. if she were alone with them she always had the want to run away and never look back, leaving her two wild brothers to create chaos on their own.
indentfinally, her twin got to his feet, a scowl set upon his features. she could only help but furrow her brows at his remark. "yeah, and?" what was wrong with being a suck up? clearly it was working more for her than it was him being a rebel, not wanting to see through his duties as a prince of winterfell. she never got in trouble, she never got in outright fights, and she never had any disapproval from any of the stark advisors. so clearly being a suck up was good for something. besides, she had no reason to run around winterfell causing pain to everyone when she could just be a normal, pleasant person instead. it made no sense to her how his thought processes worked, but that was rodrik for you. she narrowed her eyes as he gave a retort back to the maester, then kicking an unsuspecting pile of snow beside him. she listened to the maester as he spoke, not giving into rodrik's careless attitude and instead directing them back toward the castle. she leaned down to pick up jaide, just catching her twin's glare before he had pushed her aside to follow after the maester. she frowned, taking a moment to catch her balance before bounding after the two.
indentthe stark princess was more than happy to be heading back inside the castle, the fires burning in the hearths immediately warming her back up again. she followed behind rodrik and winterfell's maester as they strode up the stonework staircase winding about the exterior of the library tower. once they had entered the castle's library, she made to take her seat a table with three empty chairs seemingly waiting for them. she lowered jaide down onto the floor beneath her, the pup content with curling up under her seat. celia then glanced over to rodrik. she was a little shocked that rodrik hadn't made a run for it yet, but then again maybe even he knew that he was pushing his luck right now. she didn't even want to know the extent of which his chaotic activities
went to earlier this morning, without their eldest siblings here to notice. she was often sure to keep out of rodrik's vicinity, so that explained why she missed a lot of his nonsense. for the most part. their maester sat down finally, giving a slight groan as he did so. muttered something about getting old. before them, already spread out on the table prior to their arrival, was a detailed map of westeros. this shouldn't be a challenge for them, not by now; they should be well-rounded with everything regarding the great houses and be ready for anything the maester tries to throw at them. of course, her twin brother would probably pretend to doze off - or actually fall asleep and not pretend at all - or he would be such a pain in the maester's arse, spouting remarks and getting them off topic. he really didn't care about any lessons, and she would be surprised if he even knew basic geography, to be honest. celia looked to the elder man, curious.
indenthe had not directed their attention to any part of the map, however. instead, they would cover some history on the last few decades, history of the six kingdoms and the north. she rested her chin in her palm, more than ready for whatever he would throw their way. "a very brief run-down on the history of the tyrell uprising, please," were the words that the man finally spoke. celia perked up instantaneously, quickly opening her mouth to answer. this was a topic she was immensely interested in, and probably knew way too much about how the entire thing had transpired. what led up to the power struggle and why, and how the alliances between the great houses operated. it was always fascinating to her that her own parents had been involved in these political tensions that they learnt of. "brief. right. got it. so, during a rebellion led by house tyrell, with the support of the tullys, arryns, starks, and baratheons, the tyrannical targaryen regime was overthrown, finally. they stormed kings landing and took the iron throne in the name of house tyrell," her eyes shifted to the crownlands on the map before her. "and it has been the roses in power since." she brought her hands together in front of her. the maester had been nodding along as she spoke, even as condensed as it was celia made sure not to leave out any critical points. "mm. yes, very good princess celia. how about how the north came to be an independent kingdom? again, just a summary." and so once more she eagerly made to answer him. "we were given our freedom after the tyrells took the throne, as a gesture of goodwill between our two houses." the maester gave her an approving nod once again. though this time he looked pointedly to rodrik afterward, for she had been doing most of the talking. "you have not forgotten a thing, princess. prince rodrik, what about you? do you want to give us some facts about the history of the uprising? anything at all would do."
indentcelia bit her tongue. she wanted to tell him more, desperately wanted to, but instead rodrik was the one being given the chance to do so. she leaned back in her seat slightly, looking to her side and narrowing her eyes at her twin brother. he better not avoid the question. she had so many pieces of information - small, intricate details - regarding how the tyrells came to be in power. she didn't want him to waste any time on rodrik if he was just going to be a nuisance about it anyway. he would probably just make up some kind of stupid joke about how none of it mattered, maybe this time it would be 'why should we learn about the past if we are living in the present?'; she had no doubt he wouldn't disappoint. but if for once he could be a normal person and move things along, then they could finally get to the topic of the great houses of westeros, as the map before them lay in wait for their scrutiny.