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Post by Laena Pyre on Mar 9, 2022 22:07:34 GMT 1
Hmmm. If he doesn't come across as frazzled and overworked, he probably likes his lord - gives him a lot of power with little oversight. That angle is probably my best shot.
Laena clasps her hands together. "Alright. I'll speak with who I need to. Obviously, if Lady Wenda fails to make a convincing case, there's nothing that can be done, but you can at least look the Father in the eyes and tell him you tried your best." She stands, and gently places a finger on the edge of her mostly-empty glass. "What you do is, of course, your choice. But if I may suggest: a few prayers to the Mother are unlikely to hurt."
[Barring any final words needing a response, Laena will bid a respectful farewell, and go and meet with the Maester. Audience roll required? Kind of assuming not, under the circumstances. Assuming I can meet him, I will greet him politely, then play it largely by ear, depending on how he responds.]
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Post by Father on Mar 18, 2022 15:19:16 GMT 1
It is difficult to judge if the maester is overworked in general, or merely exhausted from treating Robyn on top of mending all the bones bruised and broken over the course of the tourney, he immediately assumes that she is here to check on her kinsman. Robyn is lucky to be so young, young men heal much better than old men, but wounds such as these, one can only help the body put itself together and sometimes the damage is too severe. A healer cannot know which the case might be, so he must hope it is the first case and treat it as such. Robyn has been given a generous dose of milk of the poppy to ensure restful sleep, now all one can do is pray that he does not worsen during the night, as hope will then be strengthened.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Mar 18, 2022 23:40:49 GMT 1
Laena listens carefully to the given prognosis, nodding at the end. "House Starkwood appreciates your efforts, Maester." She was in no real position to speak for the house, but being polite to the man keeping a member of the house alive was both good manners, and good sense. "For what it is worth, I believe he will live - he was too bull-headed to yield to Ser Normyn in good time, he'll be twice as bull-headed should the Stranger come calling.
"I suspect, given his past with the Blackbar tragedy, the mental blow of what will happen on the morrow will hurt him far more than the physical blows today. Not that many will look back on this day fondly. Lord Oakheart has already lost a favoured relative, Lord Footly will do so tomorrow, and it was clear to all that your good lord will carry the burden of enacting that judgement for the rest of his life. Tragedy on tragedy on tragedy. It's so sad, isn't it?" Laena invites comment, and watches for clues as to how best to proceed.
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Post by Father on Mar 19, 2022 17:58:07 GMT 1
"If she had not met him alone, if she had not backed out at the last moment, if he had not forced the issue, if she had not struck him fatally, if she had recruited a more formidable champion." The maester sighs. "Things are rarely how we wish them to be, a lord's duty is rarely pleasant, but his life is far better than the multitudes who till his fields"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Mar 20, 2022 0:41:49 GMT 1
Laena gives a small nod agreeing with his initial statement, but blinks briefly in surprise at his last comment. Didn't see that coming. Is he baseborn, maybe? Rather than get distracted arguing that point, she focuses on the earlier comment. "It is true that matters are seldom as we wish them to be. But there are times when we *can* actually change that. Times where the right man in the right place doing the right thing... can make all the difference in the world.
"What if I were to tell you that, in this time, in this place, *you* are that man? That - if you wanted it enough - it is, probably, within your power to save the young maid's life, and spare your lord the pain and guilt of having to end it? She would still answer for her crime with a life of service to the Seven, but that is, I sincerely believe, a far better resolution."
She gives a casual shrug. "Her life is, I am afraid, entirely in your hands. She is currently crying, nearly broken, desperately praying to the Mother for any kind of mercy, fully cognisant that it would take a miracle for her to receive any.
"You, and you alone, can provide that miracle."
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Post by Father on Mar 30, 2022 13:17:56 GMT 1
"I am listening, my lady" The maester gestures for Laena to continue.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Mar 30, 2022 15:56:55 GMT 1
Laena nods acknowledgement. "The catch is, you have to lie in order to save her life. And do so publicly." She holds up a hand. "And yes, I do understand that is no small thing for a maester. Still, I am asking, when Lady Wenda claims to be with child, if she does so convincingly enough that your lord asks you to check, that you confirm it to be true, giving him the political cover he needs to commute the sentence to sending her to the Faith without incurring the wrath of Old Oak.
"Rest assured, she will suffer a stress-induced miscarriage shortly thereafter, so there is no significant risk of your reputation suffering from saving this young maid's life."
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Post by Father on Apr 4, 2022 8:55:55 GMT 1
"I see" The maester says thoughtfully. "If my lord were to ask, it would be my duty to inform him that his house might be best served by not supporting such a ruse."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Apr 5, 2022 2:35:23 GMT 1
Laena nods casually. "Naturally. From a pure pragmatism perspective, that is both obvious and inarguable. Were this house some kind of automata, purely acting in its own self-interest, it would not even consider such a plan. But it's not. It's run by a lord. And a good one, at that. With a strong sense of honour and duty, both.
"His duty calls him to do nothing. Let the judgement stand. Protecting him and the people relying on him from an angry Old Oak. Losing nothing.
"But his honour is wounded deep by this. The judgment is unfair, he knows. A result of politics, rather than fair judgement. With no way to avert this without bringing down the wrath of Old Oak, he had to suck it up.
"But now he can satisfy honour and duty both.
"I do not believe he will ask you if he should do it. But nor do I believe he will *order* you to do it. This is a matter of *conscience*, not pragmatism. Yours, specifically. If Lady Wenda makes a convincing enough claim that she is with child, your lord is all but compelled to ask you to check. Then it is on you. Tell the truth, and you condemn a lady who has already suffered over-much to utter humiliation atop her unjust execution. Lie, and you spare her the headsman, and a life of service to the Seven awaits her. But either way, none could point to anything your lord did wrong. He simply ordered an expert to look into a credible claim, and followed the result given. Even if Lord Oakheart smells a rat - to be honest, he probably will - none of the smell would come from your lord. Even if - and to be clear, I have complete confidence this would not happen - you were somehow taken and put to the question, you could and would honestly say that you never spoke to your lord about it, that he never asked or ordered you to do anything for it, that it was, as far as you can say with certainty, entirely *my* doing. While I would die shortly thereafter, your lord should be perfectly safe, even in that extreme scenario. For any practical one, he should be even safer.
"The risk is pretty much entirely on you and me. I have decided to act, because I do not believe I could look the Father in the eyes come my Judgement if I did not do all I could to avert such a great injustice, when I had the opportunity." She speaks that with a calm intensity. "It is ultimately up to you whether you feel the same way."
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Post by Father on Apr 6, 2022 14:19:23 GMT 1
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Post by Father on Apr 11, 2022 14:13:27 GMT 1
"Lord Walgrave would understand that his peer would have little choice but to be merciful, but his heart is unlikely to be satisfied without blood." To Laena, it seems the maester agrees with her, and yet grasps for an excuse to do nothing. He does not appear to seek any sort of compensation from her, though perhaps that is exactly what would be needed to change his mind, but what exactly may suffice to move him out of the comfort of avoiding challenges being those of scholar and healer seems a little unclear. Perhaps promises of future support to his lord that would change the conclusions as to what would benefit House Appleton the most, perhaps favors of a more personal nature towards the maester, at least the more overtly corrupt advertised their desires if one knows where to look.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Apr 12, 2022 18:11:16 GMT 1
"If he does, it will not be *yours* he would seek, good Maester. No lord would wish to upset Oldtown, no matter how powerful.
"Your Maester oaths are harsh, you know." She seemingly speaks in a non-sequiteur. "I understand the need, but they are cruel, nonetheless. The oath to be celibate. It takes away more than a source of physical pleasure. Even when applied to an imperfect world, it definitively prevents you from ever being a *parent*. So, you will never truly understand the strength of bond between a parent and their children. It needs to be experienced to be understood. Believe me that there is nothing else in the world quite like it.
"After the event, Lady Wenda will be gone, one way or another, but her *parents* will remain Lord and Lady Footly. And while Lord Oakheart may *suspect* what you did, they will *know*. They will know, in their hour of greatest need, who stepped up, with no obligation to do so.
"I'm sure a smart man like you can see possibilities, there."
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Post by Father on Apr 16, 2022 18:22:12 GMT 1
"And their appreciation will weigh up for Lord Oakheart's disappointment?" The maester does not appear overly convinced, and he could hardly be blamed for it, if perhaps he is exaggerating. Lord Walgrave might seem terrifying, but Old Oak likely has other things to worry about, until such a time as the opportunity to take vengeance passes by, if it passes by.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Apr 18, 2022 15:47:47 GMT 1
"Yes." Laena replies bluntly. "For you and your house, at least. Old Oak is powerful, but it is not especially subtle, and were it to be seen attacking a lord who, in the eyes of all here, did nothing more than enact fair justice - indeed, favouring Old Oak until such a position were untenable - then they would lose a lot of respect in the eyes of their peers. Which they can ill-afford during such times as these.
"Nor are you at risk - right or wrong, the Citadel will not allow harm to one of their own to go unanswered, and no house can be taken seriously without a maester.
"I'll say it again: the *only* person taking significant risk here is *me*. I have none of your protections - certainly my father's house would not risk tipping the political balance by acting on behalf of such a minor relation. And my mother's house could do nothing, even if they wanted to. The risk I face is *far* greater, and - as I am sure you have noticed - I am a *woman*! Surely you do not believe one natural-born has a stronger sense of justice than your Lord Appleton? Surely you do not believe a woman more courageous?" Her tone implies that she certainly doesn't. "And surely you can see that the rewards far outweigh the risks for you and your lord both? For whatever Lord Oakheart may *wish* to do, politics ties his hands just as surely as it does your lord's."
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Post by Father on Apr 25, 2022 15:42:59 GMT 1
It is not as simple, Lord Walgrave needs to simply signal his displeasure with House Leygood, and others will think twice about coming to it's aid in times of need, and opportunists will watch for chances to gain his favor by harming it.
The influence of one so powerful may be felt quite strongly even if his own hand is completely at rest.
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