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Post by Father on Jun 26, 2018 22:28:28 GMT 1
Lady Alicent Yronwood is a statuesque woman, with a sharp-lined face that seems exactly as something that the most brilliant artist might carve out of a block of the finest marble, except that there is no way to replicate the glow of her skin. her golden hair flows freely below her shoulders, though mostly kept behind them. Her eyes are green flecked with gold, a string of small jewels, clear as Myrish glass dangles from her ears, catching and reflecting such light as finds it's way to them, she wears a necklace of gold, studded with emeralds, several smaller ones and a sizable square cut specimen without flaws just beneath her throat, pointing enticingly to the the hint of cleavage exposed by her yellow sandsilk gown in the dornish fashion. It is sleeveless and leavesthe shoulders bare, with a tight bodice as is necessary to keep it from falling off, the skirts are airy and light, her legs can be seen as faint shadows if she stands between the observer and one of the hearths. Enough to make a septa frown and for the hearts of boys to pump swiftly, though she carries herself with such grace and reserved dignity as to avoid the condemnation she otherwise might risk, she is mostly left alone though, despite her obvious Andal heritage and no sign of any Rhoynish pollution at all, she remains a lady of Dorne. "Ser Roland, it is truly a pleasure" Her curtsy is flawless, her manners impeccable and her words like velvet. "For a few moments there, I feared that all these knights lacked the courage to speak with a daughter of Dorne."
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Post by Roland Cordwayner on Jun 26, 2018 23:31:33 GMT 1
Roland bowed, slightly more deeply than was proper, but not so far as to be subservient. He knew Lord Merryweather only by reputation, but regarded it as unknightly for the lord to leave his betrothed unattended. Lord Merryweather was a disgrace to Andal men, closer to summer fair pig than a knight. Inquiring after Alicent's cousin seemed the knightly thing to do, he half lied to himself.
He felt his heart flutter where it been steady in the Dornish marches. This was a woman with true Andal looks and manners, even if Dornish blood ran through her veins. A cruel turn of events, that the Seven should see her betrothed to a beast like Lord Merryweather.
Easier to face twenty Dornishmen in the field than one of their women in the courts.
"My Lady," he smiled. "Men may hesitate to look upon the sun lest it diminish all other lights in the realm for them."
He paused a moment and attempted a more serious tone.
"Will your cousin Isabelle be travelling up from the Sept for your wedding? It would be a blessing to have one so close to the Seven at such an occasion."
A strange thing, sworn enemies of the Yronwoods and their allies one year, sharing bread and salt with them the next. Lady Isabelle's husband had fallen to Roland the day he won his spurs.
Roland remembered his exchange of letters with Isabelle Yronwood. It had only enraged Lord Oakheart further when he sent a messenger returning her late husband's family sword after the skirmish near Hart Hill, having already escorted her back to Dornish lines rather than take a precious widowed prisoner. Her replies abruptly dried up when House Cordwayner seemed to stop sending ravens onward to him. Widowed at a tender age, Isabelle had not remarried according to the last Roland had heard at court.
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Post by Father on Jun 26, 2018 23:51:25 GMT 1
"It is difficult to say who might be coming and who might not when a day is yet to be decided and no invitations have been written, ser." It is hard to imagine that she could possibly wish for that situation to change, though she betrays no feelings on the matter. "You are very kind to say so ser, though I can see several daughters of the Reach in attendance which surely would shine as brightly as I, pray tell, is there any whom perhaps have caught your eye?"
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Post by Roland Cordwayner on Jul 8, 2018 22:07:38 GMT 1
"The Seven willing enough time shall be spent on preparations my Lady. Such matters shall be resolved at their appointed time, no sooner."
At Alicent's remarks on marriage prospects Roland held up his hands in mock surrender.
"My Lady has seen through me. I will confess that I have a mind to stop my wandering and seek a wife, should there be a woman here who finds me worthy to wear her colours. Lady Janna Hightower is young and I have yet to meet her, but comes from a fine family and nobles I hold in high regard praise her as a paragon of the Seven's virtues. Our own Lady Lysette will be sought after by men of House Starling and far beyond."
His voice drops to a more cautious tone, albeit not quite conspiratorial.
"Lady Ysilla Flowers is a source great confusion I must confess. The Seven know much and more of those born from lies and deceit, yet by word and action she gives a firmer rebuttal to common wisdom than a score of maesters arguing the case of the base born."
Roland was often freer with his words than he should be with the ladies of the court, keen to engage with them and eager to ensure others enjoyed their meetings, but sometimes being drawn in to giving away more than he should.
[OOC: aiming to wrap this, apologies for neglecting the thread due to business - hopefully clearing in two weeks. Roland might give away a fair bit with a simple intrigue or get manipulated here, if that suits - I can write it up if need be.]
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Post by Father on Jul 8, 2018 22:39:44 GMT 1
"Oh, my dear ser, I fear that your confusion would only grow if you ever spoke to the Lady Ysilla, her mind is the most refreshing, and her spirit has no equal. Her manners are perfect and graceful, and yet she speaks of things that few ladies I know would even think of, let alone put words to describe them." She seems almost sympathetic to his ideas. "The Lady Lysette is highly sought, perhaps more so than even the daughter of Lady Tyrell, I cannot claim to know what might move her heart, though it would seem that she may pick from all the fruits the Reach have to offer, should the choice be hers and hers alone." She sighs "To have such a choice, well that would truly make me jealous, ser. Supposedly a sin, I know, desiring the lot of another, but can I be blamed? I am five and twenty, and still a maid, the contract for my marriage signed before I even knew what it meant, and I am both free and not free, would that I could chance upon a knight to come to my rescue, but what use are swords when there is no foul beast to slay?"
[Well, for the one thing she wants, she probably wants a more...mmm, creative and cynical sort of knight, idealists are best suited for luring into other sorts of trouble, but given half a chance to subtly incite him against Lord Eldon, she'll take it.]
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Post by Roland Cordwayner on Jul 9, 2018 11:02:07 GMT 1
Roland smiled as Alicent educated him on the ladies of the court.
"My thanks, I am at least better educated now if no further forward on whose favour to seek. Still, as least it is a choice even if it is a vexatious one. I can but hope to win the right lady's favour and then prove worth of her radiance."
Roland sucked air through his teeth at her final remark, notoriously unsubtle when it comes to the matter of lords that fail to live up to the knightly virtues.
"My lady is correct, there is a tool for every task and a task for every tool. One would send a maester to tilt with a room full of ledgers rather than waste Redtusk on such a matter, no?"
"Some foes are best fought with words rather than swords, but that does not make the foe any less beastly or the maiden in any less need of rescue."
He frowns in genuine concern - it would be ill-mannered to denigrate her betrothed beyond his presence, but Roland would not suffer a maiden to be placed in danger. This rose should have been plucked by now, but it would be unknightly to see it plucked and then crushed beneath a brute's blubber.
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Post by Father on Jul 9, 2018 13:32:48 GMT 1
"What hero of songs used words to that effect?" She sighs. "Lann the Clever used trickery, though the Casterly's were quite gullible in those tales. I know not how this knot could be untied."
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Post by Roland Cordwayner on Jul 9, 2018 13:46:47 GMT 1
Roland sighed, unable to summon up such a figure from myths and legends. Gilded Cage Knowledge (Education): 3d6 8 - TN of at least 9 in my opinion, if not higher given the martial culture "I know not either my lady, although the counsel of Septons can unknot even the most tightly wound puzzle. I can but advise prayer and the counsel of the learned, I hear Septon Abelar is present at the tourney and high in wisdom." "I fear my failure to remember a hero with craft and knowledge suggests I am but a man better suited to cutting knots in problem than unpicking them, and such is not always a wise or noble approach."
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Post by Father on Jul 9, 2018 15:49:43 GMT 1
"What experience does septons have with betrothals going unfulfilled for years upon years, ser?" Alicent sighs. "By the will of a dead king and a dead grandfather I am to wed this man, years ago, too, and yet here we are, with no prospects of marriage in sight." Exactly who is holding up what is hard to say, though it is difficult to imagine any other explanation than that one or both of the two intends to say no at the altar, or mayhaps Lord Eldon is dreading the shame of her actually doing so.
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Post by Roland Cordwayner on Jul 9, 2018 16:20:54 GMT 1
[OOC: Gilded Cage Knowledge (Education): 3d6 9 to cite www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Some_Questions/ in character] Continued conversation had led Roland to at least the theory of what he was grasping at, event if he could not cite specific historical examples. "It is holy in the eyes of the Seven that the head of the House, the Father, should make a marriage, no?" "A learned Septon would no doubt be able to enlighten us with the historic examples, and say the right words and perform the correct rites such that the Seven look on such a parting as honouring the head of a household's holy role, rather than slighting the will of the beloved departed that made the match. It is in the gift of the head of a household to make such a match, but such has been denied to your current leadership. To my mind there could be support in the Seven Pointed Star for setting a betrothal aside to allow new leadership to fulfill their holy duty and make a fresh match, were both parties amenable to such. Betrothals are sometimes broken due to dishonour falling on one party or the other, but Seven forbid such be the case here." Roland cleared his throat. "We speak here of course of a change of heart by heads of houses. It may be they simply take the chance to affirm and bless match they regard as joyous in the eyes of the Seven and the happy day is accelerated."
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Post by Father on Jul 9, 2018 16:36:20 GMT 1
"Neither lord could walk out of the arrangement without offending the king, and what man would do such a thing?" She doesn't seem very hopeful. "I am not important enough in the great scheme of thing, and such power as I have is that House Tyrell agreed to have myself under their protection and care until the marriage can be fulfilled, it is a comfortable life, but it is not a complete one either." And much better than one as Lord Eldon's wife, but that she does not say.
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Post by Roland Cordwayner on Jul 9, 2018 18:01:44 GMT 1
"At least at this point we deal with the hearts and desires of men my lady, rather than violating holy oaths before the Seven."
"Rising to attention or finding some path that benefits both lord or our noble King seems a more palatable path than either party to the wedding forcing an end to the betrothal through some dishonourable deed, Seven forbid it." Similarly, Roland leaves unsaid Lord Merryweather's predilection for such deeds.
"That said, it is harder for women to rise to attention outside the bounds of an auspicious marriage. Something of a circular problem my lady..."
The thought was newly occurring to Roland, for the circumstances were most irregular.
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Post by Father on Jul 9, 2018 19:02:40 GMT 1
"No, we couldn't undo an ill thing by committing another, ser." She seems vulnerable, though not broken or defeated. "Though if even half the rumors are true, and can be shown to be so, Lord Tyrell must surely at least be amenable to review the arrangements made? Perhaps the Prince even holds the authority to negotiate in this matter on behalf of the crown."
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Post by Roland Cordwayner on Jul 9, 2018 19:08:34 GMT 1
Roland smiles and nods at Lady Alicent's virtuous words.
[OOC: Roland's disposition towards Lady Alicent improves by one point]
"Those are sensible words, with the passing of those involved in the original betrothal offering a godly path to avoiding any dishonourable breach. Lord Tyrell or either of his Princely guests seem the right men to go to with proof. By reputation Prince Baelor is a just man and would not see a maiden dishonoured."
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Post by Father on Jul 9, 2018 19:24:57 GMT 1
"I should indeed think him rather unwilling, ser." Alicent seems relieved, sensing at least a glimmer of hope. "A quest for the gallant knight at last, yet one hardly resolved by steel."
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