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Post by Trystane Sand on Apr 12, 2019 17:38:20 GMT 1
[An offshoot of this event - greatbastards.boards.net/thread/942/phase-midsummer-nights-feast-event]Trystane was not short of dance partners at the feast, and he was in his element, enjoying the revelry with as many ladies as would agree to take a turn dancing with him. It was not unlike being back home, carefree and enjoying the best of what life had to offer, though he was not blinded to the few looks of disdain he drew from those who disliked the Dornish, or who just disliked how close he was getting to certain young ladies. During a brief rest from dancing to replenish his drink, Trystane sat with Davos, who pointed out to him which other Great Bastards were present, along with noting how approachable each was likely to be. When Davos' subtle gesturing brought Trystane's eyes to bear upon Lady Laena Pyre, Trystane was struck first by her cool elegance and poise. She seemed very much like someone who would be interesting to meet, such was her unique presence. He decided he just had to introduce himself. He managed to manoeuvre into the crowd of dancing pairs just in time to catch her at the end of a dance, and he bowed, giving her a charming smile as he straightened back up. "My Lady, may I have the next dance?" he asked.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Apr 12, 2019 20:28:34 GMT 1
Laena greets the handsome man with a smile and a curtsey. "You may, Ser." Offering her arms for them to begin.
"I heard your speech." She begins. "From your mention of staying with Lord Ulbert and that Ser Davos is your friend, am I correct in believing I am dancing with my brother, Ser Trystane, who my cousin Lady Ashara has told me of in our correspondence?
"A very perceptive woman, Lady Ashara. Sees twice what you expect, and thrice what you'd hope. So, what do you imagine she had to say about you?" Whatever it was, Laena seems amused by it more than upset, so maybe that's a good sign. In truth, Ashara was as yet reserving judgement on the man, passing on little more than the basics, but Laena wanted to see what Trystane *thought* was being said about him.
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Post by Trystane Sand on Apr 13, 2019 0:14:09 GMT 1
Trystane confidently took Laena's offered arms and led her into the next dance. He couldn't help but smirk at Laena's circumspection, wondering how much of the knowing look was backed up by actual information. And what could Ashara have been saying? He would have to ask her later.
"It is I indeed, and I am flattered that Lady Ashara considers me worth writing about. The hint of amusement I detect is a slight worry, I'll admit," Trystane said, light-heartedly. "But I'm a very well-behaved lad, so anything amusing she told you must be baseless hearsay of the most fantastical nature," he jested. "In seriousness though, I would hope she has spoken well of me, or at least been vague enough to allow you to find me out for yourself. Am I close to the truth?"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Apr 14, 2019 1:11:29 GMT 1
"Oh, I would never betray words spoken in confidence, Ser." She responds in a light tone. "But you may rest assured that if she had spoken too badly of you, I would have had no qualms in turning down your request for a dance.
"Still, you are a long way from home, if you even still consider Dorne such. People typically only do such things for one or both of two reasons: to find something they want, or to avoid something they do not." Deliberately avoiding referring to it as 'running away from something'. "What reason are you prepared to share for your travel, in your words?"
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Post by Trystane Sand on Apr 14, 2019 1:45:01 GMT 1
"I suppose it could be a little of both," Trystane responded, carefully. He was not ready to share his embarrassing recent past, not with someone he hoped to impress.
"I lived quite a sheltered life in Dorne, which has felt stifling of late. My mother, bless her, is a little over-protective. Being legitimised provided a catalyst for me to broaden my horizons. I want to see more of the world, and find out what it has to offer, given this small elevation. So I am simultaneously finding my own place in the world, hoping to find glory or success, seeking new friends and family to share life with, now that I know I have this whole new plethora of half-siblings. And, well, ultimately trying to avoid growing old a nameless nobody, even if it would have been in the beautiful Dornish sunshine."
He paused, thoughtful, for a moment. He was being surprisingly frank, even with his withholding of information. Probably the wine, he thought, though he had to admit she had a very disarming manner too.
"If you don't mind my asking, did you feel any different when you learned about your being made legitimate?"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Apr 14, 2019 13:34:32 GMT 1
Laena frowns in puzzlement over his answer. "We were legitimised ten years ago. That is a very slow catalyst if that is what spurred your journey and you only arrived recently. Perchance, do you have a terrible sense of direction?" She teases. "Or are you a 'new discovery', with your true parentage only recently coming to light?"
"As for myself, my circumstances were rather different. I was in King's Landing, a pretty young girl nearing the age of flowering, under the dominion of the vile and grasping Lord Brandon. If ever you begin to doubt that Lord Ulbert is a man worthy of anything less than utter respect, learn more about his father. Anyway, any pleasure over being legitimised was dwarfed by the sheer elation over our father's death. The Seven finally stepping in where man had failed to.
"That moment was a turning point in my life. I escaped King's landing, being made a lady-in-waiting in Highgarden, while my fullbrother Aerion squired for Lord Leo Tyrell himself. Shortly after that, Lord Brandon died as well, and Lord Ulbert began slowly putting all his innumerable wrongs to rights as best as could be done.
"I may have only been sent there because of the legitimisation, but becoming a Great Bastard was the least of my joys at that time. It was only with time and maturity that I finally began to understand what it truly meant."
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Post by Trystane Sand on Apr 15, 2019 2:12:00 GMT 1
"It was a more recent discovery for me. Not faulty sense of direction," Trystane replied. "My mother did often talk about our father, but kept the legitimisation from me well. I suppose it helped her efforts that I was too absorbed in my own little world at the time to pay any attention to what was going on outside of it. Even when I did eventually find out, she brushed it off as not important, and for a little while I trusted her, because I always had. I think she was afraid of me leaving, of losing her only child, but it just ended up pushing me away anyway. Not that I don't care for her, just... it's not good to live that way indefinitely, is it."
His expression had become serious, and he disliked it. He quickly tried to steer things to a cheerier place.
"It sounds like you made good connections early on. I'll bet you know everyone and everything worth knowing. Anything or anyone I should beware of? Other than the ones who mutter about 'Dornish scum' when I go by, of course."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Apr 15, 2019 12:28:49 GMT 1
Laena darkly chuckles. "It would be quicker to list the ones you do not need to beware of. Still, I suppose the most obvious ones to avoid the sight of are Bittersteel, Lord Gorman Peake, Lady Shiera Blackbriar, Ser Balon Blackbriar - none present here, unsurprisingly - Lord Marq Durwell, Lady Shiera Seastar, Bloodraven, Lord Alliser Levalle, and, of course, Lord Eldon Merryweather." She makes subtle eye motions towards the relevant people as she quietly names them. "Note that I am not saying that these are *bad* people, but they are each dangerous in their own way, and while you are still finding your feet here, it is best you avoid them as much as possible without giving insult. Still, remember this list is far from exhaustive.
"Other than that, I suspect your greatest foe will be boredom. If you left to broaden your horizons and see more of the world, I suspect you will find Starkwood lands just as stifling soon enough. They are as empty - except of trees, obviously - and isolated as it is possible to be while still being in the Reach. Good people, but there is no space among the trees there for a Dragon to spread their wings.
"Worse, too much time there can have you believing the best of people, which can prove fatal."
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Post by Trystane Sand on Apr 15, 2019 16:47:54 GMT 1
"Thank you for the advice. I've heard similar cautions about some of those names, so it is good to have some rumours given more weight. And while I may be something of an optimist, I wouldn't be so naive as to assume the best of everyone."
He very briefly glances in Marq Durwell's direction, not even really noticing that he does it.
A pity. I'd have liked that rumour to be true.
Fixing his eyes back on Laena, he smiles.
"And I have no intention of sitting on my hands in Lord Ulbert's halls. My sights are set on the tourney circuit as a first step. Good for getting to know people's faces and getting one's own face known. Hopefully I can find ways to be useful to the House as well. Recruiting allies, spying on enemies, slaying monsters..."
He takes a playful tone for that, though the metaphorical meaning is not lost on him.
"...that sort of thing. I am at House Starkwood's service."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Apr 15, 2019 18:38:25 GMT 1
"Don't worry, we'll cure you of your optimism soon enough." Her tone is ambiguous as to if she's joking.
"Lord Ulbert may have his own ideas, as may Maester Ronnel, but I suggest you take this opportunity to speak with Lord Blackbriar and, more importantly, his wife, who is the decision-maker in that household, if you haven't already. Good relations with your southern neighbours are important, but more important is that she sees as many of you as possible as people she can approach when she has problems. House Blackbriar is weak after their split after Ser Donnel's unfortunate death, and in need of steady friends. A weak and vulnerable House Blackbriar does not advance House Starkwood's interests." Notable is her use of words like 'you' rather than 'we' when referring to House Starkwood. "But that is just a suggestion. I suspect Maester Ronnel wished me gone due to my actions interfering with his. I don't wish for him to feel I am still interfering even now I am my own woman.
"Still, you have piqued my curiosity. Do you have any *experience* spying on enemies, or slaying monsters? You mentioned your past was rather sheltered."
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Post by Trystane Sand on Apr 16, 2019 0:48:17 GMT 1
"I will be sure to seek her out then. As to my experience, it is true I've never been a spy or slain a wyvern, but I had been somewhat jesting and using metaphor. I'm clearly not as subtle as I thought, certainly compared to you, my lady.
He cants his head with playful deference.
"However, I'm not just a knight in name. I can fight and ride well enough, and I take matters of honour seriously, so if the House requires it, I will defend it to the best of my ability. I am also quite persuasive, if I do say so myself, so if the House requires someone emollient to help build allyship, loosen lips, or smooth over conflict, I can do that. I'm probably not terribly physically sneaky, but there are other ways to learn useful information."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Apr 16, 2019 2:01:41 GMT 1
She considers his words for a few moments before smirking. "Ah. 'Slaying monsters'. Yes, of course. I should have realised, with your face and body as they are. Without the typical boasting as to the size of your monster-slaying weapon, I missed the metaphor." She pats his biceps casually. "I've no doubt you've stuffed and mounted more than your share of monsters in your time." The play on words is clearly quite deliberate. While not quite flirtatious, the admiration seems genuine rather than dismissive.
"Having a charming knight representing House Starkwood will be a good thing. To be blunt, it would be better if you were not Dornish, but those who would care about that likely never would be your friends anyway, given Ser Symon's skin. Lord Ulbert is a great man, but not the most personable. Ser Mikel is smarter than his background would suggest, and braver than he is wise, but is too serious to attract many friends easily. Ser Aerion is really the only one representing the house in that way at the moment." A momentary pause. "It would be good if the two of you got along." Her voice, while not harsh, has a definite hint of steel behind those last words.
I actually don't know OOC if that was what you were hinting at for the metaphor, but Laena's mind would naturally gravitate to sex, so that's what I went with.
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Post by Trystane Sand on Apr 16, 2019 17:36:49 GMT 1
Trystane has to stifle a laugh, amused as he realises the misunderstanding.
"Oh, I didn't mean that sort of slaying, my lady. I meant bringing low the ungallant and unrighteous, not sexual conquest. I'd never call a person I'd been involved with a monster as a matter of course. I make a distinction between the primal and the monstrous."
He nudges his head in the direction of Lord Merryweather to indicate the sort of monstrous he meant, having observed the man leering and slurping all evening.
"It sounds like you and Ser Aerion are not on good terms. Would that be the case? I don't want to inadvertently put my foot in it when I introduce myself."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Apr 16, 2019 19:22:03 GMT 1
Laena gives a small intake of breath, and a slight flushing when she realises her mistake, and lets the subject pass without further embarrassing herself.
"Ah, no. You mistook my tone. I am simply aware that men with similar skill-sets can get ... competitive, even when they're on the same side. And Ser Aerion is my younger fullbrother. Getting on his wrong side is probably one of the fastest and most reliable ways to get on mine, too. I grew up looking out for him, and just never stopped.
"Do you have any siblings, Ser?"
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Post by Trystane Sand on Apr 17, 2019 0:38:52 GMT 1
"Ah no. I am an only child. Which makes meeting so many new half-siblings so interesting. It's a completely new experience. Pleasant, so far, I'm glad to say. I have met Lady Ysilla and Ser Daeron, who I'm pleased to have gotten on quite well with. Do you have other family yourself?"
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