|
Post by Trystane Sand on May 22, 2019 20:23:59 GMT 1
Relates to this post by Laena and the one by Trystane preceding it - greatbastards.boards.net/post/22142/thread
Kingsbridge had been... interesting. The night of Lysette's wedding in particular. Laena had been gone by the time Trystane woke up, which didn't bother him - it was understandable that she'd want to avoid scandal - but it had left a slight sense of awkwardness that had been turning over idly in the back of Trystane's head as he set about recovering from the excessive alcohol consumption. It is hardly the worst hangover he's had, but he does find the sun a tad too bright, and the shuffling of servants a little too loud. Thankfully, for now, there is something else to focus on. Something happening where he can be useful to House Starkwood. The mass exodus from Lord Farman's service is an opportunity too good to miss. However, it is also a situation that requires a degree of deftness to pull off with maximum success. Laena seems the natural person to seek out for advice, but, well, he's not used to having to have a proper, professional conversation the day after a night of drunken passion. He writes her a simple message, deciding not to engage at all with last night. After all, he did promise not to speak of it again. Please come see me at your earliest convenience about a House matter, his message says. He sets up a map and some counters on the table in his rooms, representing Farman's former sworn swords, placed where he has been told they currently are, and lays out parchment and quill for making notes. He knows he will want to remember things she tells him. She knows the land and the people in play better than he does, and that is exactly the knowledge he wants to draw on.
|
|
|
Post by Laena Pyre on May 23, 2019 11:25:04 GMT 1
Laena groaned as she read the message, and who it was from, for more than one reason. If he hadn't specified it was house business, she would definitely find some excuse to not attend. As it was, she was tempted to anyway - she'd *left*. At least in part, she rather suspected, because Maester Ronnel didn't appreciate her interference on 'his' territory.
Still, it was a brother asking her for help. Could she really afford to turn him down? Even if his martial skills were rather lacking, their shared blood gave him attention she could well need in the future. Grumbling quietly to herself, she pours herself another glass of wine. Not enough to get her drunk, but hopefully enough to take the edge off her hangover.
While sipping the wine, she sits down and begins carefully applying makeup to hide the worst of last night's ill-effects, emphasising harsh lines and concealing any softness.
Her war face.
A modest black dress with ruby earrings and necklace completed her attire. Men often lost respect for women after bedding them. She wouldn't let Trystane do so. Not with her.
Definitely taking a chaperone with her, she decides to try Septon Niclas. A man whose severe looks could rival that of Septon Abelar, but whose mellow nature belied that façade. So long as he stays at a discreet distance, Trystane likely wouldn't discover his true nature. If he worked out as well as she hoped, she'd likely use him more in the future.
So it was that after some time, Laena made her way to Trystane's location, her measured stride concealing any unsteadiness in her gait.
"Brother." She greets him with a curtsey on arrival, the septon glowering over her shoulder from a discreet distance back. She lets him start things off. She entered his territory to prove she was not intimidated by him. Now she cedes the initiative, to see if he's going to be smart or stupid.
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on May 23, 2019 14:25:06 GMT 1
Trystane has made himself very presentable, looking much better than he feels. Despite preferring to dress in the Dornish style, he has opted for traditional Westerosi noble garb, in sober dove grey, black leathers and breeches, with a subtle sky blue embroidery on the doublet. He even wore a silver Starkwood sigil brooch on the left lapel to show he meant business - and only that.
He had told himself it was for the purpose of being taken seriously. A clever, ambitious woman like Laena might lose all respect for a man once she has bedded him, so he must look respectable and serious and not at all like he has given any further thought to last night. However, the attention he has given to neatly sweeping back his hair and curling his moustache to give the appearance of casual perfection might suggest otherwise to a careful observer.
He is unprepared for the sight before him when she sweeps into the room, looking even more statuesque and arresting than usual. The subtle craftsmanship she has done to her face is lost on him, and he sees only the end result - the war face. He finds it no less beautiful, though it checks him in his greeting effectively, even before he notices her chaperone.
"Lady Laena," he says formally, after his momentary hesitation, bowing respectfully. "Thank you for coming. May I offer you something to drink? Or something for the good Septon, if he wishes?"
Gods, she looks good, in a slightly intimidating way.
Couldn't resist the urge to do a tiny bit of mirroring in the thought process. By the way, is the Septon near enough to come in and listen to the conversation?
|
|
|
Post by Laena Pyre on May 23, 2019 16:17:51 GMT 1
Laena turns to the septon, raising a querying eyebrow, to which he gives a quick shake of the head. She nods in acknowledgement. "We'll be discussing matters private to the house. Wait outside. You may knock and enter without permission should you hear anything suspicious. That way, we'll have time to stop talking, but not enough to stop doing anything we shouldn't." Before closing the door as if the room was hers.
Deliberately practising the movements Alexia showed her when Laena visited her with Malyk back at the Tear, she begins moving to take command of the room from her brother. Subtly, unconsciously. It's not perfect, she's still practising, but the only way for to master the techniques is to try them, and this is as good a time as any.
"Nothing for me, thank you. Let's begin. You said you had a 'house matter' to discuss. I've told you before that I've left, and that Maester Ronnel is unlikely to appreciate it should he hear that I'm still meddling in what he believes to be 'his territory'. So, I trust you are not requesting this meeting frivolously."
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on May 23, 2019 18:15:38 GMT 1
"How little you must think of me that you think I'd summon you frivolously for something suspicious," Trystane responds smoothly, with a little dramatic clutch at his heart in jest. "And don't worry, this doesn't require any meddling on your part. I'm only looking for some advice on an action I'm already planning to make."
He moves to the table and lightly stirs the little bead counters on the map.
"Lord Farman's men are, as I'm sure you know, deserting him, and I intend to recruit as many as I can to House Starkwood. However, I am not content to just make do with whoever happens to come close to Ulbert's lands. I want to target the best of them that I can, and go out to them before they have a chance to be wooed by someone else. Get them on the road, before they get used to some other Lord's hall. With this in mind, I need the names of the most valuable men so I know who to focus my attention on."
He stepped a little closer to Laena, though he kept one hand on the table and the other tucked neatly and formally behind his back.
"Which is where you come in. You know more than I about Farman and his House, which I expect means you will know the names of at least a few of the men that would most benefit House Starkwood, and you may also know if there is a particular angle I should use with them in the circumstances. If I am to appeal to their sensibilities, I should know what those sensibilities are."
He gestured to the quill and parchment.
"I've even prepared to take notes like a good little student, if my lady is willing to teach me some of her shrewdness," he adds, his tone shifting ever so slightly and unconsciously for a moment towards flirtation.
|
|
|
Post by Laena Pyre on May 23, 2019 19:59:33 GMT 1
Laena nods acknowledgement. "Ser Lyonel of the Cockleswhent." She responds bluntly. "With Ser Dagos dead, he's *the* notable knight of House Bridges. Lord Bryce made him master of arms. Recruit him, and you put House Starkwood on the map for a number of other knights and fighters seeking honourable employ.
"How to employ him is trickier - I've never met him, but I have spoken with Lord Desmond a couple of times, and the two of them reportedly respected each other." She gives Trystane a level stare. "You both may be half-Dornish, but that's where the similarities end. You probably heard the story that Ser Farman gave Lord Desmond a cheap funeral, saying that's what he would have wanted? While he undoubtedly did it so as to spend more money on parties, the sad truth of the matter is, that quite possibly truly is what he would have wanted.
"I don't wish to speak ill of the dead, but Lord Desmond was cold, dispassionate, and boring. Book smart, certainly; but politically stupid, else he would have got rid of Ser Farman as soon as he inherited, and so likely still be alive today. Too many powerful and amoral people are looking to flip houses to permit the next in line to have differing allegiances.
"Anyway, I don't ever recall him showing any emotion, even the day after Lord Bryce's murder. Quiet, diligent, unambitious," she shrugs quietly, "boring. He just consistently tried to act in the best interests of his house.
"So, the best angle to approach Ser Lyonel to me would be to play up House Starkwood's honourable reputation. Quietly working hard to advance the house's interests is something that will likely appeal to him.
"Meanwhile, Ser Farman is charming, charismatic, amoral, ambitious, and selfish. Don't be like Ser Farman.
"Frankly, if you could just persuade him to meet with Lord Ulbert, I think the battle's mostly won."
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on May 23, 2019 20:33:56 GMT 1
As she speaks, he quickly jots down 'Ser Lyonel of the Cockleswhent. Honour. Don't be like Farman', and nods along as he listens to her. He was yet to hear anything about Farman Flowers that didn't make him think the man was a creep, and Laena's description carried even more weight.
"Thank you. This is helpful, though House Bridges sounds like it's in trouble far deeper than I had thought. I will try to win over Ser Lyonel, and if I can get him to meet with Ulbert, even better. Perhaps he will bring men with him who share his honourable values, doing a bit of this work for me."
He sets the quill down and looks back at Laena more attentively now that he isn't writing.
"Should I expect retaliation of a personal nature from Farman? He does not strike me as a good man by all accounts, and I suspect he won't be happy about this mass exodus."
|
|
|
Post by Laena Pyre on May 23, 2019 21:31:00 GMT 1
Laena nods. "It is. House Bridges likely won't show the weakness for a while. Depending on how bad things get, it may not even show up this generation, but House Bridges has significant financial problems in its future." She shrugs. "But had Lord Desmond lived, they likely would have significant political problems in their future. Frankly, neither man had the makings of a good lord. But if Ser Farman can learn to curtail his spending, he could likely turn things around. Lord Desmond's difficulties were far more deeply rooted."
At his question about retaliation, Laena sighs. "That's hard to judge for sure. I'm leaning towards 'no' - at least not anything significant. Ser Farman is a pragmatist, and Ser Lyonel knows where his bodies are buried, possibly even literally. While he likely will not be well-disposed towards the deserters, he's unlikely to want to create unnecessary animosities, especially where it may result in former knights breaking their silence.
"He may stoop to low-grade opportunistic troublemaking - the odd rumour and so forth, but I don't *think* he'll do worse than that. But that's based on reputation and some observations from a distance. We've not even had a face-to-face discussion I can recall.
"So long as House Starkwood doesn't stand in the way of any of his objectives, I doubt he'll bother with you at all."
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on May 23, 2019 22:04:38 GMT 1
"That is reassuring to hear. It's not so much a concern for myself personally, though that doesn't hurt. I just would hate to bring any acrimony back upon House Starkwood. I don't intend to fail in my duties this time. Perhaps if I can win us some good knights from House Bridges, it will go some way towards penance for my past failure."
He was referring, of course, to the lost duel to answer Eoric Applehouse's insult against Ashara. He may have done better in helping to investigate her murder, but the defeat still bothered him.
"Thank you, by the way, for the implication that I'm not cold, dispassionate or boring," he says with a little smile. "I hope someone kills me before I become any of those things. And if I ever seem like I'm becoming Farman-esque, do please tell me so I can fix it," he chuckles softly, his demeanour becoming more friendly.
|
|
|
Post by Laena Pyre on May 24, 2019 11:35:54 GMT 1
"To make sure you learned the right lesson from your failure, you failed when you made the challenge against a man you had no idea as to the competence of, not in the actual fight itself. I can understand and sympathise with the intention, but had you not challenged him, someone actually capable of beating him likely would have.
"It was a classic example of someone's emotions, however well-intentioned, leading them towards self-defeating actions.
"In this case, so long as your primary driving force is simply to help the house you are sworn to, I'm sure you'll be fine. But if your actions are born primarily of regret and frustration, from that dark place in everyone's soul where feelings rot and fester, then I fear you will do no better this time than you did last.
"As for being like Lord Farman? That's not actually all a bad thing, you know. We may all of us be called 'dragons', but just as there are True Knights and those who have merely sworn the oath, so too are there True Dragons and those who merely have the blood. To be a True Dragon requires the will and competence to make your dreams real, to shape reality itself until it is how you will it. To not merely meekly accept what you are given, but to strive, to seek, to achieve.
"To win.
"Until I started looking into him, I saw Lord Farman as a mere hedonist, a dragon in name only." She shakes her head. "I was wrong. He *is* a True Dragon. That is not to say that he is a nice or good person, or that you should emulate him closely, but to reject all of his traits because of his negative ones would be a mistake.
"He is intelligent, insightful, opportunistic - that word may be taken negatively, but to see and take advantage of opportunities is a real talent; socially talented, martially adept, calm under pressure, the list goes on.
"You may dislike what he uses his capabilities *for*, but he does have a number of admirable characteristics which it would be no bad thing to emulate."
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on May 24, 2019 13:33:48 GMT 1
“I won’t pretend I’m not a proud man, but all that mattered to me then was defending Ashara’s memory. And doing right by House Starkwood is what matters to me now. I may not be the perfect knight but I take my oaths seriously. You are right to caution me on checking my emotions though. I will keep that in mind. At least with this situation, my approach will be more ambassadorial. Less scope for loss of temper.”
He leans against the table and regards Laena curiously.
“Looking into him? What were you looking for? You sound almost like you admire him.”
|
|
|
Post by Laena Pyre on May 24, 2019 15:44:15 GMT 1
"I viewed him as a suspect in Lord Bryce's murder." she explains. "Him and Lord Desmond were the two obvious beneficiaries, and Lord Desmond clearly wasn't the type."
She frowns and considers her words briefly before explaining. "'Admire' is a word with many different implications." She flashes back to watching him tied up, being questioned, then finding out who was behind it, and escaping with barely a scratch. "I admire his *capabilities*, though I do not like the *man* behind them. But the truth is, there is only one man, with both the capabilities and the personality. Good and bad, like pretty much everyone. It is easy and tempting to deny the positive qualities of ones you dislike, but that all too easily leads to underestimating them. And it is just as easy and tempting to ignore the negative qualities of ones you like. And that can be just as dangerous."
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on May 24, 2019 19:08:29 GMT 1
“Are we still talking about Farman?” Trystane asks with a wry smirk when Laena cautions against ignoring the negative traits in a person one likes. He moves closer still to her, stepping just within the boundary of her personal space.
“Or was there a bit of yourself in that warning?”
His gaze is curious, but not a cold scrutiny. The question is almost playful. His proximity and the way he looks at her are definitely over-familiar, but the way his eyes check hers for objection suggests a readiness to withdraw if she wishes.
|
|
|
Post by Laena Pyre on May 25, 2019 9:53:05 GMT 1
Laena raises an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting I have negative qualities, Ser? That may be an even more dangerous line of thought."
She briefly considers encouraging his attentions, but only briefly. While her memory of last night was far from complete, she'd certainly had fun. But ... he felt 'soft' to her. Not physically - he had enough muscles, but mentally. He reminded her of Ser Roland, in a way. A good-hearted, straightforward man, with nothing but the best intentions. The kind of man who believed in things like 'good' and 'evil', and tried to do good and fight evil.
The kind of man she'd chew up and spit out.
Maybe if he weren't her brother, she'd consider it, but after the Seven spoke so clearly, she's trying to cut down on the kinslaying, limiting herself to kinlaying instead. And in this case, the latter would likely lead to the former, even putting aside Ser Balon.
So, she places the tips of two fingers on his chest, and gently pushes him out of her personal space. "A moth is not a good thing to emulate, either." She turns her body to the table, casting it a casual look. "Anything else you wish my input on?" She asks, as she begins mentally crafting a rumour to spread to hopefully smooth his recruitment efforts.
|
|
|
Post by Trystane Sand on May 25, 2019 19:44:06 GMT 1
Auto-failing Empathy and engaging Lascivious for the shenanigans potential. Open to possible Intrigue.
"And now you have trapped me, my lady" he chuckles softly, her touch making him bolder rather than shy away, perceiving her movement as a playful test rather than an actual rebuff. "If I say you do have negative qualities, I risk your wrath. But if I say you do not, I prove myself a fool who has not listened to your wise words of caution."
He steps up behind her and slides an arm around her waist, his free hand moving to brush her hair away from her neck, bending his head down to place a kiss behind her ear. Though the previous night existed in his mind only in fragments, he had remembered enough to want to repeat the experience while sober enough to properly appreciate and recall it.
His own promise to never mention it again melting away in the hungry crucible of his base desires.
"And though I may be trapped for the moment, I am no moth. If I was a moth, I would fear flames. But fire cannot kill a dragon."
Pressing his body against hers, and in turn pushing her firmly against the table, he trails a few kisses down her neck.
|
|