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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 11, 2019 11:56:38 GMT 1
[This scene occurs during the Midsummer Feast, relatively shortly before Ashara's murder. It is a retcon, with Father's permission, due to Aerion's player returning.]
Laena's face lights up with a smile as she sees the man she's after. "Brother!" She greets him warmly, before giving him a familial hug. Stepping back, she looks him up and down. "You're looking well. How are things with you?" Two short sentences are as long as she can go without asking after her children. "I hope you're being stricter with my children than you normally are, 'obesity' is not a good trait for boys or girls, and can ruin their lives. Remember: kindness is cruelty when not tempered with wisdom." And cruelty is kindness when it is. She mentally finishes off their mother's old saying, but doesn't vocalise it.
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Post by Aerion Flowers on Jun 11, 2019 14:56:12 GMT 1
"And cruelty is kindness when it is, yes I know what our mother used to say." replies Aerion with a dismissive hand gesture after reciprocating the embrace. "I know it's over and done with, but I am still in shock about that whole damn Black Tourney. It has been a dark mark on the Realm. But you are a beacon of light in an otherwise lightless place, dear sister. It is good to see you!"
Aerion can't help but smile when she brings up the children. "Little Sylvina is becoming quite the conversationalist, and Landar can almost lift my sword!" he says, laughing at his own joke and, before Leana has time to scold him for letting the boy play with a sword, quickly adds "Ah, I joke. But I will make the finest knight of him someday. You don't have to worry about him being obese, the horses tend not to appreciate it." The way he says horses almost sounds like whores, but Leana can't be so sure. Judging by his grin, though, it was completely intentional.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 11, 2019 20:54:29 GMT 1
She nods agreement at his assessment of the tourney. "It did a very good job at exposing just how few who claim to be chivalrous truly are. And then it cut down their numbers even further. I doubt things will get any better before this whole rebellion is over, one way or the other." She snorts, and shakes her head. "So much for being a beacon of light." Before impulsively hugging her brother again. "It's good to see you, too."
Her smile is at first proud as he describes her children's progress, before it turns melancholic, followed by an eye-roll at her brother's linguistic word-games. "Yes, well, he's still too young to worry about him spending time with hor..ses just yet, thank the Seven. So long as you are willing to be firm on them when required, I'm sure they'll turn out fine."
Her smile fades, and her face becomes serious. "There is another matter I want to talk to you about. An important matter. A 'meddling elder sister' matter. My spies deep within the heart of House Starkwood have told me you're interested in pursuing Lady Victaria Rhysling's hand." She lets that claim hang in the air for a moment, before she clarifies with a grin. "Ashara told me.
"So, naturally, the first thing I did on hearing this was to dig into her, see if she's a woman worthy of my only fullbrother. And, well, I have concerns." She waits to see how he reacts to this before continuing. Men can get unreasonably defensive over women they're interested in.
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Post by Aerion Flowers on Jun 13, 2019 17:53:43 GMT 1
"you know I love both you and the children too much to let them turn out like our parents." he says sincerely.
At the mention of Leana being a meddling sister, he silently thanks his lucky stars that she's his sister. Nobody else would look out for him like she does, not even he.
"Remind me not to tell Ashara any more secrets! But yes, it is an avenue I'm perusing. It would make me Lord Protector of the House, which is more than most men could achieve. It also doesn't hurt that she's good looking. Though why she remains unwed with a title involved is curious. Is that your concern?"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 13, 2019 21:26:23 GMT 1
"you know I love both you and the children too much to let them turn out like our parents." he says sincerely. Laena opens her mouth, but can't vocalise her thoughts for a few moments, before she changes what she tried to say, and simply quietly says "Thank you." "Remind me not to tell Ashara any more secrets! But yes, it is an avenue I'm perusing. It would make me Lord Protector of the House, which is more than most men could achieve. It also doesn't hurt that she's good looking. Though why she remains unwed with a title involved is curious. Is that your concern?" She nods. "Related to that. I do not wish for my words to be taken as insult to her - indeed, she seems rather admirable. But ... a woman's role, a wife's role, is a subordinate one. Look pretty, represent the house well, fulfil your duties to bring about the next generation, and don't even think about having a say in how the house runs. "This is a large part of why Lady Regents and Heads of House seldom do well - like a man dying of thirst in the desert to water, so are they to power. And Lady Victaria Rhysling is a very strong-willed and self-assured woman, who has had time to get used to power, to get addicted to it, and to shape the house to support her. She will part from even a drop of power as willingly as that dying man would be dragged from an oasis, and with the house as she wills it, it will take a truly heroic effort to take it. "She may - *may* - be willing to take your advice on matters, but ultimately she will do what *she* wants - she's reportedly not one to ask for much advice from those around her. All she will willingly let you do is look pretty, represent the house well, and fulfil your duties to bring about the next generation." She echoes the description of a woman's role with a slight smirk on her face. "Now, I could be wrong, but everything I learned about that woman says to me that she may happily give you the title of 'Lord Protector', but would die before she gave up any of the powers associated with that title. "There is something in our blood that calls to us. Sings to us. Brings us to brilliance and destruction in equal measure. Empty titles and useless trappings of power will not appease it. So I fear that you would not be happy in such a situation."
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Post by Aerion Flowers on Jun 14, 2019 15:20:53 GMT 1
"If what you say is true, and I have no reason to have anything but faith in your spies, you may be right. If I'm being honest, I had a suspicion of the same, but figured that it would be still worth pursuing and, if it came to just looking pretty - which I am not too bad at," he says with a grin, "then we simply stop continuing the pursuit."
"I'm glad to see you're still as poetic as ever. But the song of our blood indeed calls to me. I can't help but leap at every opportunity for glory, even if wiser men might find a moment of pause. Maybe it will get me killed, maybe it will make me a king. Who's to know?" he pauses a moment, as if he realized that what he just said could be taken as treason. Well, nobody could claim Aerion was anything less than the ideal knight, and no such knight would intend those words as such. "But I think you might be right with my satisfaction of Lady Rhysling."
"I know you are one to always have pieces on the move in the grand game we play in the Realm. I have never been one to scheme and plot, which you well know, and am beginning to recognize that may be my downfall in the coming conflict. So I put myself in your hands once again. A chivalrous knight with no schemes in the Realm right now is like a sheep in a wolves den." He takes Leana's hands into his own, and they both cannot help but remember all the times as children when their mother would have an episode and Leana would take her brother's face, telling him comforting words until his tears stopped.
"Tell me what to do, mandia, and it will be done. We must, no, we will survive this rebellion." At his declaration, the fires raging in his blood can be seen clearly burning behind his pale lavender eyes. There is no mistaking his Targaryen heritage.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 14, 2019 21:08:03 GMT 1
She raises an eyebrow. "Survive? If that is your goal, the course is clear: take no sides. Make friends on both sides. When the war comes, do your duty and serve Lord Ulbert. Seek no heroics, just fulfil your duties. There is still a risk of death, of course, there is no entirely safe course of action. But if you simply want to live, that will give you the best chance.
"I am not saying you should do that, but always remember that it is an option. An honourable one, even. Just not an ambitious one.
"If your sole guiding star is ambition, then there is a similarly obvious path: do as you were doing, and marry Lady Victaria, get her pregnant as soon as possible, then murder her once she's given you a healthy heir.
"I am not saying you should do that, but remember that it is an option. A profitable one, even. Just not a moral one.
"The problem comes in that I believe you are both ambitious and moral. And I have difficulty imagining a pairing of traits more likely to see you dead. Like seeking to duel Ser Daemon with your hands tied behind your back.
"What you flatteringly call my 'spies' are woefully inadequate for plotting a reliable plan to meet the needs of both your ambitions and your morality.
"But I do have *a* plan. Naturally.
"Lord Leo Tyrell is in a bad spot politically. Powerful, yet vulnerable, with rebellious houses seeking to supplant him from below, and the possibility of the crown replacing him from above. Not to mention that his family are hardly united politically.
"He needs friends. Him and his family both. Powerful, influential friends would be best, but they are rare at the best of times. I think at this time, he'd appreciate any kind of friend. Not a false friend using the façade of amiability to draw him into one side or the other, but a true friend, hoping simply to support him. Not offering political opinions unless asked directly.
"Given how he gave you your spurs, I can hardly think of a better person for the role. And after the war, hopefully the house will still be powerful enough to express gratitude to their friends, with the extent of it likely largely depending on if they were on the winning or losing side.
"Plus," a small smile. "I won't deny I greatly appreciate how supportive he was during the Lady Johanna situation, and want to help him in turn."
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Post by Aerion Flowers on Jun 16, 2019 23:44:49 GMT 1
"Of course you'd take survive to mean its simplest form." he says, shaking his head."Would that we could see ourselves atop the burning pile of rubble that's likely to be half the Realm following this ordeal, but I choose to set survival as a must, and anything more than that as good fortune."
"There will never be a time when I will murder my own wife, regardless of the political gains that might be had." A scowl crosses his face. He knows Leana isn't seriously suggesting it, merely laying out options, but he's offended nonetheless.
"I too see these two traits as likely to get me killed. Hence why I am glad you are here. With a plan in hand even more so!"
"Lord Leo knows he can always consider me a friend. And hopefully also as an ally, though we may disagree on the legitimacy of Blackfyre usurping the crown. What more would I need do to pursue this avenue? And are there other allies that could be gained at the same time?" Leana is likely astute enough to see the conflict within the knight regarding Ser Daemon and the Blood/Fire dispute. Daemon is the Warrior Reborn, and King Daeron is hardly knightly, but he is the King, and that comes with it vows of loyalty. After all, who is Aerion to decide who should be King?
"Would that life could just be bedding women and riding in tourneys.." he finishes wistfully.
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 17, 2019 18:56:38 GMT 1
"It is worth remembering that while Lord Leo's sympathies are known, he has pledged allegiance to neither side. Sensibly so, to my mind. He has far more to lose than he has to gain.
"Unfortunately, it is here in the detail that my plan suffers. The best course I can give is 'take opportunities as they arise'. For example, during the Black Tourney, I heard a few rumours criticising him for not being able to curtail the worst behaviour of others. Naturally, I did what I could to shape public opinion so that when the dust settled, blame landed on the shoulders it belonged - the people who actually *committed* the acts, cowards hidden in shadow, rather than Lord Leo." She says without a trace of irony audible.
"The good news is that an honest knight honouring the man who knighted him will hardly be seen as an aggressive power-play, and is unlikely to generate rancour from either side, so you've got a fair degree of flexibility."
She frowns a moment. "Also, try to avoid getting caught up in the Kingsbridge-Longtable feud. While the moral side is obvious, they are rather outmatched in terms of power, and completely overwhelmed in terms of cunning. The only hope they have is to gather up allies to support them, be it individuals or houses. And were I Lord Eldon, I would naturally choose to erode said support in such a way as to discourage future assistance being given. He's so despicable that it's easy to forget just how dangerous he is.
"Anyway, in terms of allies, I'm not sure. If you want, I can try and spend some time investigating other lady heads of house, such as Lady Gwynesse Grimm, for instance, see if perhaps any of them are better suited?"
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Post by Aerion Flowers on Jun 20, 2019 0:46:21 GMT 1
"A prudent move, no doubt. I can understand both sides of the argument, Ser Daemon is more of a knight than all but maybe a handful of men in the Realm, but we cannot choose to usurp the throne because the King is an unknighted scholar. Lord Leo should know that, even if he had more to gain than lose."
"I shall try to be more observant of said opportunities, though my eye for them has never been that good."
"Never have I met a man more deserving of a slow and painful end as Lord Eldon." says Aerion, and his tone makes it clear that should he be given the opportunity, he'd swing the sword himself. "But the snake would never find himself out of the grass he hides in. Maybe I could convince the king to deny him the option of having someone stand in his place.." he thinks out loud.
"If you hear of anything of importance, I'd be happy to learn of it, but don't stress to much about my marriage prospects. Surely if a man like Lord Eldon can be betrothed, I should be alright."
"What of you, what else have you been up to lately?"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 20, 2019 17:29:47 GMT 1
"A prudent move, no doubt. I can understand both sides of the argument, Ser Daemon is more of a knight than all but maybe a handful of men in the Realm, but we cannot choose to usurp the throne because the King is an unknighted scholar. Lord Leo should know that, even if he had more to gain than lose."
"You are correct that both sides have valid arguments, but the precedent it would set to have the throne decided by popularity rather than primogeniture terrifies me, I admit. No matter how good the king, there will always be those who feel marginalised or slighted, and there will always be far more who want more than they have. "It could well set us on the path of having a civil war over the throne literally every generation. The Kingdom would not survive." "I shall try to be more observant of said opportunities, though my eye for them has never been that good." "If I am nearby, I can give you a nudge. Else, just do what you can." "Never have I met a man more deserving of a slow and painful end as Lord Eldon." says Aerion, and his tone makes it clear that should he be given the opportunity, he'd swing the sword himself. "But the snake would never find himself out of the grass he hides in. Maybe I could convince the king to deny him the option of having someone stand in his place.." he thinks out loud. "Did you never meet our father?" She asks dryly. "Large man? Rather lascivious? Got you squired under Lord Leo Tyrell himself?" Her tone turns more serious. "Anyway, I doubt the King would ever deny somebody the right to appoint a champion - not only would that break with our traditions, opening him to attack, it is also a decision which would come around to bite him through his enemies, since he's obviously reliant on champions himself." "If you hear of anything of importance, I'd be happy to learn of it, but don't stress to much about my marriage prospects. Surely if a man like Lord Eldon can be betrothed, I should be alright."
"Lord Eldon was betrothed to a lady who despised him. I don't just want you married, brother. I want you *happy*." "What of you, what else have you been up to lately?" Hmmm. Went to an orgy, cold-bloodedly murdered a woman complicit in the murder of Lord Bryce, investigated the actions of Lord Gorman, fucked Lord Marq... no. Not going to mention any of those things. "Nothing too exciting. Spent a fair amount of time writing an entirely accurate and unbiased history of the Black Tourney - as I said, making sure blame was cast where it belonged. Travelled a fair amount, including spending some time with our new sibling Malyk, who is just as charming and eccentric as you would imagine." She puffs out a breath as she thinks of anything else. "I think that's mostly it in terms of notable things. It may not sound like the most exciting of lives, but it's a *lot* more new and interesting than simply rotting away in Starkwood lands waiting for a betrothal which will never come."
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Post by Aerion Flowers on Jun 21, 2019 17:42:30 GMT 1
"You are correct that both sides have valid arguments, but the precedent it would set to have the throne decided by popularity rather than primogeniture terrifies me, I admit. No matter how good the king, there will always be those who feel marginalised or slighted, and there will always be far more who want more than they have. "That is a very good point." he concedes. "Although philosophically, if a king is objectively good, there would be more people who are happy with them than not, and thus the power differential would keep those dissenters in check. Plus, if a king knows that there is the threat of being replaced, then hopefully it would lead to them being good.""It could well set us on the path of having a civil war over the throne literally every generation. The Kingdom would not survive." "But more likely than not, they would crush whoever they didn't like, and we get back to the present.""If I am nearby, I can give you a nudge. Else, just do what you can." "I appreciate that. I will""Did you never meet our father?" She asks dryly. "Large man? Rather lascivious? Got you squired under Lord Leo Tyrell himself?" Her tone turns more serious. "Anyway, I doubt the King would ever deny somebody the right to appoint a champion - not only would that break with our traditions, opening him to attack, it is also a decision which would come around to bite him through his enemies, since he's obviously reliant on champions himself." "Lord Eldon is a man, albeit a disgusting example of one. Our father was closer to a monster than a man. But I suppose there is no shortage of terrible men if one has the fortitude to look for them.""Lord Eldon was betrothed to a lady who despised him. I don't just want you married, brother. I want you *happy*." A smile. "I appreciate that, my dear sister. Happiness is indeed an admirable goal. Less important it seems than political ramifications of a marriage, but if it can be achieved that would be nice."Hmmm. Went to an orgy, cold-bloodedly murdered a woman complicit in the murder of Lord Bryce, investigated the actions of Lord Gorman, fucked Lord Marq... no. Not going to mention any of those things. "Nothing too exciting. Spent a fair amount of time writing an entirely accurate and unbiased history of the Black Tourney - as I said, making sure blame was cast where it belonged. Travelled a fair amount, including spending some time with our new sibling Malyk, who is just as charming and eccentric as you would imagine." She puffs out a breath as she thinks of anything else. "I think that's mostly it in terms of notable things. It may not sound like the most exciting of lives, but it's a *lot* more new and interesting than simply rotting away in Starkwood lands waiting for a betrothal which will never come." "I would like to read it, if there is a chance.Good that you have been able to get out again. Starkwood is indeed a little bland, being where it is."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 21, 2019 22:09:14 GMT 1
"That is a very good point." he concedes. "Although philosophically, if a king is objectively good, there would be more people who are happy with them than not, and thus the power differential would keep those dissenters in check. Plus, if a king knows that there is the threat of being replaced, then hopefully it would lead to them being good." Being very familiar with her, Aerion easily sees a spark of interest in his sister's eyes, as she enjoys being challenged intellectually. "What a fascinating claim. You say that the more 'good' a king is, the less likely they are to suffer rebellion. It seems inevitable that King Daeron will suffer a rebellion, yet our father did not. So, I have to ask: how do you define 'good', in this case?" "Lord Eldon is a man, albeit a disgusting example of one. Our father was closer to a monster than a man. But I suppose there is no shortage of terrible men if one has the fortitude to look for them." "Indeed. What makes Lord Eldon notable isn't how terrible he is, but how *overt* he is in his terribleness. For every overt monster in human flesh there is likely a score or more who are simply more covert. Never forget that even men deemed 'honourable' did little to nothing to reign in our father's excesses, but are all too happy to rebel now." A smile. "I appreciate that, my dear sister. Happiness is indeed an admirable goal. Less important it seems than political ramifications of a marriage, but if it can be achieved that would be nice.""Any lady would be lucky to have you. I'll see what I can do." "I would like to read it, if there is a chance. Good that you have been able to get out again. Starkwood is indeed a little bland, being where it is." "I think I can arrange that." A familiar grin. "Just don't drop jam on the pages as you read it. "And yes. While I suspect Lord Ulbert suggested it at the behest of Maester Ronnel, to get me out from under his feet, I certainly can't complain at the result. I'm so much happier being out and about, meeting new people, experiencing new things. It's like for the first time in quite a while, I'm actually *alive*, rather than just 'living'."
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Post by Aerion Flowers on Jun 27, 2019 19:42:43 GMT 1
Being very familiar with her, Aerion easily sees a spark of interest in his sister's eyes, as she enjoys being challenged intellectually. "What a fascinating claim. You say that the more 'good' a king is, the less likely they are to suffer rebellion. It seems inevitable that King Daeron will suffer a rebellion, yet our father did not. So, I have to ask: how do you define 'good', in this case?" Of course Aerion knew full well this line of reasoning would capture his sister's attention. They'd often talked well into the night about all sorts of thing. Leana probably had the most influence on Aerion's mental and social growth, and he liked being able to get lost in discussion. "I don't know if 'good' is the right term, but one would think that a poor leader would have more to worry about than a great leader if they both face the possibility of rebellion. Much like Landar throwing a tantrum, people rebel because they aren't getting what they want. That usually is power, but it could be other things that they think needs to be improved. If the current king will not or can not deliver those wants, they will turn to someone who will.
I imagine many of the current members of the rebellion are simply using it as an excuse to grab power, and they are praying on the ideals that a king should be knightly and martial. The question is, if we had the option to choose, what qualities are desired in a leader?
I would like to see honour, Chivalry, and justice atop that list, that's how I would define good, which typically means a knight of the seven. But a peasant can be honourable, just as we've seen that knights can be blackguards. There is many sides to a man, indeed.
I suppose though if a king knows he can be replaced, he would spend all his influence making sure that those with the power to overthrow him are happy, instead of trying to make the realm better." "Indeed. What makes Lord Eldon notable isn't how terrible he is, but how *overt* he is in his terribleness. For every overt monster in human flesh there is likely a score or more who are simply more covert. Never forget that even men deemed 'honourable' did little to nothing to reign in our father's excesses, but are all too happy to rebel now." All the more reason to question their motivations now. Where were you when our father was raping every woman in sight? Where are you now with the pig that is Lord Eldon? They call for a knight to be king when they themselves stand idle as onlookers.""Any lady would be lucky to have you. I'll see what I can do." A nod and a smile is all Aerion manages to offer in reply. What have I done to deserve this woman is beyond me he thinks to himself. "I think I can arrange that." A familiar grin. "Just don't drop jam on the pages as you read it. "And yes. While I suspect Lord Ulbert suggested it at the behest of Maester Ronnel, to get me out from under his feet, I certainly can't complain at the result. I'm so much happier being out and about, meeting new people, experiencing new things. It's like for the first time in quite a while, I'm actually *alive*, rather than just 'living'." Aerion blushes slightly, recalling the scolding he'd received from the old master of books. "Good. I have had similar feelings while jousting. There's nothing like the feeling of being alive. Better than any drug or spirit out there, and I'd know!"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 27, 2019 22:11:29 GMT 1
"I don't know if 'good' is the right term, but one would think that a poor leader would have more to worry about than a great leader if they both face the possibility of rebellion. Much like Landar throwing a tantrum, people rebel because they aren't getting what they want. That usually is power, but it could be other things that they think needs to be improved. If the current king will not or can not deliver those wants, they will turn to someone who will.
"I imagine many of the current members of the rebellion are simply using it as an excuse to grab power, and they are praying on the ideals that a king should be knightly and martial. The question is, if we had the option to choose, what qualities are desired in a leader?
"I would like to see honour, Chivalry, and justice atop that list, that's how I would define good, which typically means a knight of the seven. But a peasant can be honourable, just as we've seen that knights can be blackguards. There are many sides to a man, indeed.
"I suppose though if a king knows he can be replaced, he would spend all his influence making sure that those with the power to overthrow him are happy, instead of trying to make the realm better." Laena smiles proudly at his reasoning, broadening at his last paragraph. "Good, but incomplete. It's not just those with the *power* but those with the *inclination*. Honourable men will keep to their oaths in most cases. It is the dishonourable man who the King must appease, for their oaths do not bind them at all, merely the King's power and their fear of retaliation. The kind of king who appeases the corrupt and ambitious, like our father, has little to fear from rebellion; for those who would rebel are kept fat and happy. Contrarily, the King who tries to root out corruption has the most to fear, for it means that *all* those most likely to rebel all have strong motive to do so." She spreads her arms. "Hence, the situation we are in today. "Of course, should every King only reward ambition and corruption and ignore those who are honourable, it stands to reason that over generations, more and more of the realm would shift towards the former - either from accepting it as the way to get ahead, or simply through more men of that type being awarded more lands and power. And down that road lies total ruin." "All the more reason to question their motivations now. Where were you when our father was raping every woman in sight? Where are you now with the pig that is Lord Eldon? They call for a knight to be king when they themselves stand idle as onlookers." "All good questions to ask. Though perhaps phrased more diplomatically. When confronted with their hypocrisy, men have a habit closing their ears and their minds. Better if you simply guide them to the contradiction, rather than confronting them over it directly." Aerion blushes slightly, recalling the scolding he'd received from the old master of books. "Good. I have had similar feelings while jousting. There's nothing like the feeling of being alive. Better than any drug or spirit out there, and I'd know!"Laena raises an eyebrow. "I choose to interpret your words as hyperbole." She sniffs, but he can easily detect an undercurrent of humour in her voice. "But still, if you feel alive in the thrill of the relatively sanitised violence of the joust, I wonder how you will take to war, when it comes." Her tone seems musing, rather than expecting an answer. She smirks. "Assuming that's the type of 'jousting' you were referring to. If not, permit me to cover my ears and sing to myself for a bit."
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