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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 24, 2021 23:23:15 GMT 1
[Chronologically, this occurs just after the Appleton Joust has completed, before the Feast begins]
With the crowds slowly dispersing after the joust, drifting back to their wardrobes so as to dress to impress for the upcoming feast, Laena spots Ser Davos Dayne standing, arms folded, staring at the empty jousting field, and she recalls a mild curiosity that had previously occurred to her regarding him. Having plenty of time, and no reason not to, she strides over to him, making sure to adjust her approach so she was within his line of sight as she did so. In these tense times, such a man might instinctively react violently on suddenly detecting someone approaching from behind. In these times, she could hardly blame him.
"Ser Davos Dayne." She greets him with an appropriate curtsey. "We have not met. I am Lady Laena Pyre. Hopefully my name at least is familiar. I have a question, if you will indulge me?"
On recieving permission, she gives a small smile and politely responds. "Thank you, Ser. Forgive me for meandering a bit around the question, I simply wish to .. contextualise it.
"Ser Davos *Dayne*. One of the oldest and most respected houses in all the Seven Kingdoms, with blood dating back to the First Men. The Andals arrived and you prospered. The Rhoynar arrived, and you prospered, despite nominally losing the Kingship of the Torrentine. Instead, you became one of the most powerful houses under Princess Nymeria and House Martell.
"Not that the house is doing badly right now. One of your siblings is Lord Dayne, as powerful as any of that title ever were. Another is a revered member of the Kingsguard and the Sword of the Morning. And a niece is married to a Prince of the Seven Kingdoms.
"And then there's ... you." Her tone is curious, rather than dismissive. "Presumably named after your revered ancestor - Sword of the Morning and Prince Consort of Dorne to Princess Nymeria herself. You, however, were raised in Dorne, spent the last decade in Essos,
"and now you are here, in the Reach.
"Where likely the only familiar thing is an old hatred from Old Oak - I doubt your sister is the same woman you knew before.
"Where you serve a house which half the Reach regularly forgets exists, and most of the rest, if asked to point where their castle is on a map, would point vaguely at the forest and say 'In there, somewhere'.
"Where hatred of and violence towards those with your skin is rapidly rising as the months pass.
"All of which was simply to emphasise that I am not asking the following out of idle courtesy, but genuine curiosity.
"Are you happy, Ser Davos Dayne?"
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Post by Davos Dayne on Jun 25, 2021 2:57:26 GMT 1
Davos knew where the context was leading. He had asked himself dozens of times before. His sister had asked when he decided to stay at Starkwood, as had Lord Ulbert, though more coldly and bluntly, a hairs breadth away from distrust. His brother had asked when he wrote back; a position could have been found for him at Starfall, or with their connections Sunspear or even King's Landing. For that matter, his home back in Essos was palatial in comparison to Starkwood, in luxuriousness if not size.
"Lady Laena, it is..." it is because I expected the same question that everybody else asks. She did not ask 'why'.
He continues on, only the briefest of pauses betraying the shift in mental orientation. "... a pleasure to meet you. Of course I have heard of you. Lady Laena Pyre, cousin to Lord Ulbert, friend to my niece Ashara whom I am sorry to say I never got the chance to know, mother of Sylvina and Landar."
He smiles.
"Lady Laena, whose mind is at least as sharp as Dawn and whose face is twice - nay, thrice as fair. You ask a difficult question. Not because it is hard to answer, but because to give a trivial courteous answer is easy but dissatisfying, but the truth is far more complicated. To sum it to a single word I would have to choose 'no'."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 25, 2021 12:01:23 GMT 1
Laena gives a small smile and nod, acknowledging the point, as he describes her ties in turn. When he flatters her, she chuckles lightly, accepting the words, but not taking them seriously.
"I have to say, I would be surprised if you were. Impressed, but surprised. I believe few in your circumstances would be. And fewer still would receive much in the way of support or understanding for their choices. And who could you talk to about it? How could you discuss the matter with anyone near you without them taking it as some kind of insult?
"I ... I don't want to overstate the similarities, but I myself have been in a roughly similar situation before. A good few years ago now. In my case, in my youthful naivete, I did try and speak about my feelings with those close to me. Which made things worse. Repeatedly - because I was both stubborn, and believing that the problem was with my execution, rather than the idea itself. By the time I realised the true problem, the damage was done. Another nail sticking out the bed I had to lie in."
She puffs out a breath, and shakes herself lightly. "Fortunately, my circumstances now are much more agreeable. But that story wasn't aimed at garnering sympathy. Rather, to hopefully emphasise that I am being serious in my offer: while I fully understand why you may not wish to discuss such a matter with someone who is essentially a stranger,
"If you want to discuss the complicated truth with someone, without the risk of making it worse with unintended insult, my ear is available."
A small smile. "Of course, a sympathetic ear is all I really can offer. And maybe you don't feel the need to talk as I did. But when I thought on your tale, I saw enough similarities that I thought I'd at least make the offer."
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Post by Davos Dayne on Jun 25, 2021 19:42:01 GMT 1
Davos smiles, warm and kind.
"I thank you for the offer, and I may take you up on it. You misunderstand, however. My unhappiness is not due to those around me, nor dissatisfaction with my present place in the world. I am where I am and with whom I am with because I have chosen to be here and with them. I may have sworn an oath to serve Lord Ulbert, but that is mere formality, and he is not so foolish to think otherwise. I serve at my pleasure as much as at his. I have other opportunities, other offers, or should I desire it can have the means to live an independent life beholden to no one."
He shakes his head.
"I can and have talked with them, though only my sister has any real understanding of my melancholy."
He considers for a moment.
"Though perhaps you would as well. Forgive me if this is more personal than you care to answer, but did you love your husband? No, that's not quite right. Did you live for him? Was he your air, the center of your existence, that which made the rest of your life make sense, the puzzle piece that made all the other parts of your life, past and present, make sense? The bedrock upon which your life's foundation rests?"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 25, 2021 21:06:40 GMT 1
Laena's eyes widen slightly during Davos' question. While not overt, it's fairly clear she did not expect the conversation to take that particular turn. "Ah. Um. I ... ah, forgive me, I suspect I may not be able to relate as well as I thought." Her eyes shift in thought. "Forgive me a moment's consideration, I wish to answer without speaking ill of the dead.
"The simple answer is 'no', but I do not wish to imply insult to my departed husband. I believe the best way to describe it was that we both believed we saw in each other what we sought in a partner, only to discover too late that we were both of us decieved, albeit unwittingly. It is no flaw of a round hole that a square peg cannot fit through it, if that makes sense."
She frowns in thought a moment, then her head rocks back slightly in shock as a realisation hits her. "You said your *sister* was able to relate to this, at least to some extent?! Lady Allyria!?" While trying to ask in a neutral tone, she is clearly having difficulty relating the cool, duty-bound marriage Laena saw between Allyria and Lord Ulbert with anywhere close to the depth of passion Davos is describing.
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Post by Davos Dayne on Jun 25, 2021 22:40:52 GMT 1
Davos raises his hands apologetically.
"It is a sad truth that few marriages are as such; it is no insult to anyone to say that they do not have such feelings for their spouse. Certainly that is the case with my sister. No, she lives for her children, I suspect more find such a feeling in the birth of a child than in a marriage, arranged or otherwise."
He swallows dryly. Sure he had talked about this before, but it never got any easier.
"I consider myself to have been one of the lucky few."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 26, 2021 1:00:12 GMT 1
As soon as he mentions 'children', Laena's face clears of confusion. "Ahhh. Yes. That is certainly true in my case, as well. I think ... I cannot say that I see from the same shores you do, but I can perhaps see them from where I stand, after all."
Laena's mouth opens slightly in a silent 'ah' when he mentions the words 'have been', rather than 'am', and the pieces fit together in her head. "I see. My c- No!" She cuts herself off with a very angry objection, frowning at the air for a few moments, before restarting more hesitantly. "May the day when you feel bittersweet joy from your memories of her, rather than simply pain, come soon." After a moment's staring into space, listening to her own words, she gives a cautious nod of confirmation, before returning her focus to Davos. "She sounds like she was a very special lady. And *now* I see how your sister could relate. I considered Lady Ashara a sister, but I do not pretend that my pain was in any way comparable to Lady Allyria's." Her face gains a somewhat haunted look as she imagines losing one of her own children.
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Post by Davos Dayne on Jun 26, 2021 3:56:35 GMT 1
His smile broadens, and his eyes drift to the middle distance.
"How could I not feel joy when I think of her? She was special, yes. Beautiful and athletic, more skilled with a blade than some knights I know, but not a fighter, not in that sense. Words were her preferred weapon, and she was good with them. Stubborn though. Oh was she stubborn. Being right most of the time didn't help, but somehow it was part of her charm. She remade me - no, she made me want to remake myself for her."
He snaps back into himself and returns his focus to Laena.
"Yes, I am saddened by her death, of course I am - but more than that it's... well, it's a little like just now when you thought that I was speaking of Allyria and romantic love. Things just don't make sense. I look at the world and what I see is just... wrong. It doesn't match what is in my head. All the pieces are mixed up. It's like a mosaic where you know what the picture is supposed to be but the tiles have beenplaced wrong. Some are out of alignment, some are backwards, some are just completely in the wrong place."
He shrugs.
"In the midst of it is a vaguely Davos shaped piece that doesn't really fit with the Starkwood tiles, or the Dayne tiles, or the Essos tiles. This is the closest fit I have found. It is painfully imperfect, but better I think than being on my own, adrift. There are many things here that are wrong, and it feels like if I can straighten out enough pieces I might fit. The problem is there are so many wrong things, and I am an imperfect craftsman - some of my attempts at correction only seem to make things worse."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 26, 2021 14:33:22 GMT 1
'Have you tried murder? It works for me.' is Laena's first thought, but she doesn't vocalise it, for obvious reasons. Instead, she ponders her response for a few moments, and begins hesitantly. "I cannot say I have been in the same circumstance, so what follow is merely my opinion, rather than my experience." She clears her throat awkwardly before continuing with emphasis.
"Fuck the world!"
She continues in an apologetic tone. "Pardon my language. I felt it apt in this circumstances - some emotions cannot be appropriately conveyed without profanity."
More firmly, she explains. "If I may, I would say that it sounds like your wife is still with you, as much as she ever was, in all ways bar the physcial. She helped you remake yourself once into who you wanted to be then. Use her again, to do it again for where you are now. It is not dishonouring her to change from who you were. It is honouring her for her to still be your inspiration, rather than your anchor.
"The world will likely resist this change, as it tends to resist all change. Ignore it. You have as much right to the world as anyone else, more than some. It will try and convince you you are 'wrong'. Ignore it. The only judgements that matter are yours, and the Father's. Reforge yourself into who you should -must!- be, then *force* the world to accept it. You may make mistakes, but no craftsman becomes a master without practice. Learn, and move on. The world will not arrange itself to your preference by simply asking nicely and waiting. That's a recipe for the world to erode you down into naught but a hollow shell, with naught but memories of a happiness you used to know."
She seems momentarily embarrassed, but folds her arms proudly, and meets his eyes. "There. The opinion of a woman who has not experienced one step of your life, never met your wife, and has known you for less than the length of a conversation, freely offered. Take it for what it's worth." A subtle note of dryness in her words.
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Post by Davos Dayne on Jun 26, 2021 18:38:05 GMT 1
"No pardon necessary." Davos says laughing. "You aren't wrong, about any of it."
He takes a moment to let the words sink in.
"There is so much hatred. Blackwood and Bracken hate each other, Blood and Fire hate each other, Oakheart and his ilk hate the Dornish and seem really intent on provoking hatred in return. It is foolish and wasteful, and brings naught but misery. I can't change all of it, and I'm not foolish enough to try. Foolish enough to want to deal with the greatest culprits of that last one, though. Oakheart. Middlebury, Blackbriar."
He sighs.
"Nothing I can do will bring my brother back, nor is there anything Robyn can do to bring back the Blackbars. What we can do is find ways to punish the murderers. In an ideal world that would be with the full support of their peers, but at worst resorting to their own underhanded methods is... somewhat acceptable."
His eyes harden.
"Fuck the world. And fuck them."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 26, 2021 19:22:46 GMT 1
Laena cocks her head slightly when he reveals a certain moral flexibility. "Were we drinking, I think that would be a toast." She comments wryly to his last comment.
"Oakheart alone may be more than you can handle, lost and fragmented as you are." She warns. "He is certain of himself and his goals - arguably more dangerous traits than the vast wealth and power he wields." She considers just a moment, and makes a snap decision. "However .. were I to say that the group who murdered the Blackbars were close to being lured out, and there was a plan to ambush them, and slaughter every last one, regardless of if they try to surrender, save the leader, if he were willing to testify as to his patron at trial so as to save his head ... if that were true, could I take your words as a statement of interest in being involved?"
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Post by Davos Dayne on Jun 26, 2021 20:59:48 GMT 1
"It's certainly not my ideal scenario. For many reasons."
He considers.
"Somewhat interested. You have names? The leader and the patron? Who else would - hypothetically of course - be involved?"
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 26, 2021 21:36:18 GMT 1
"I have ... let us say a 'strong suspicion' as to the patron, based on a lot of investigation, and admittedly a bit of guesswork. The leader, I know not. Should the group be successfully lured, the patron's identity would be confirmed. I admit, in this hypothetical plan, there is a chance of nothing happening, and all wasting their time. But that is a far better fate than their next target would face without intervention, so I think it worthwhile to try.
"As for involvement, none, as of yet. When theorising the hypothetical plan, I considered some names - Ser Robyn, for instance, would likely never forgive me were he to be entirely excluded - but I know my limitations. Mine is not a mind for military matters, and the formation of such a team would fall well under that subject. Better if I were to first approach a man with experience of war, and leadership, and for him to choose a team based on that experience. Better still, if he were non-partisan. I would not wish such a plan to be mired in politics, beyond a simple statement of 'women and children are not acceptable targets, no matter which man you wish to be king'." She sniffs. "If my brother can be called 'The Warrior Reborn', could I not similarly claim 'The Mother Reborn'?" A small smile. "People forget that when her children are in danger, The Mother is more fierce than even The Warrior." She chuckles, making it unclear just how serious she is in that goal.
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Post by Davos Dayne on Jun 26, 2021 22:40:59 GMT 1
"I have a strong suspicion as well, for the leader and their liege lord, as well as one who at the least must have been accepting of it. How convenient that the most hateful were in the Red Mountains, hunting 'bandits', and thus could not have possibly been in the Reach ambushing the Blackbars. I don't think Lord Oakheart would give me operational details to confirm... especially as that was also around the same time that my brother Vorian was murdered."
He smirks.
"Sometimes people forget that the information you cannot get is just as significant as the information you can."
He chuckles.
"The Mother Reborn. I think most people would think that would be the pinnacle of mercy and forgiveness, not violent retribution. To tell the truth, I spent so much time among the many gods of Braavos that I'm not sure the Mother would know who I am anymore. I even visited the House of Black and White once, after Aria and our child died. Obviously I did not partake."
He shakes his head, an odd, almost amused look on his face.
"Speaking of partaking, I have a thirst, might I invite you to a glass of wine? Surely Lord Appleton would have made sure to have some Arbor Red available, if not something better."
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Post by Laena Pyre on Jun 27, 2021 1:03:44 GMT 1
"People forget the Mother's vicious side, because those who arouse her anger do not get the opportunity to speak of it afterwards. If you doubt this, then just picture what Lady Allyria would do if she had Lady Ashara's murderer tied up before her, and no witnesses." Her tone leaves it unclear exactly how serious she's being.
"Secondly, I am no septa, but I have felt the Seven's presence in my life since my age was barely double digits. And I can say with confidence, it doesn't matter how long you were away, any mother would welcome their child back. The Mother especially so. It won't matter why you left, it won't matter why you came back, it won't matter what you did while you were away. You Are Back. That is all that matters.
"Thoooough what's the 'House of Black and White'? Presumably a temple to some Braavosi god, but as you say, they have so many, and I never saw a particular need to study them. Death and Rebirth?" She makes an educated guess, given the name and context.
Agreeing to the suggestion, she nods. "I'm not one to turn down a fine wine. By all means."
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