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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jul 16, 2018 8:17:41 GMT 1
Location: The Sept
Time: Shortly after the Rise a Knight Event
Balon had finished his conversation with Lord Gormon Peake and started to walk back to the camps. He planned to don his Blackbriar tabard before going to officially sign up for the tournament. He had a great many things on his mind. His previous night with Lady Jeyne. His drinking with Lord Karl. His morning with his father and Abelar in his pavilion. The sparring session. The confrontation with Ser Walton. The advice given by Lord Gormon. It was enough to have Balon's head begin aching again. So deep was his thought that his heart skipped a beat when a woman from behind him called out his name.
"Ser Balon... Ser Balon!" the woman said. Balon turned to see one of his mother's handmaiden. "Lady Shiera requests to speak with you. She is in the Rose Garden."
How cute she says requests. She demands, not requests. Most people didn't like his mother. She was cold, condescending, and bitter. Balon knew of all these things but she was incredibly loving of her children and wanted nothing but the best for them. He understood her resentment, being married into a lesser house, but Balon couldn't change that anymore than he could change the sun rising in the east.
"Thank you. I will go there right away." Balon turned around and made his way to the gardens.
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Location: The Rose Garden
It didn't take long for Balon to find his mother. The Rose garden was aptly named as there was row after row of well manicured rosebushes. She was standing, ever proud of herself, admiring a bush in full bloom. "Greetings mother. I hope your time in Highgarden has been productive so far." He waited for the lashing he suspected was coming. Abelar and Donnel were first, surely Shiera was next. Maybe my siblings if there is time?
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Post by Father on Jul 16, 2018 13:54:06 GMT 1
"Not quite so productive as yours, I hear." She seems mildly amused. "Now what is all this about Walton Wyl, you did not get *that* drunk, I hope."
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jul 16, 2018 20:08:17 GMT 1
Balon smiled sheepishly, "Lord Karl (Willum) enjoys his drink. I thought it prudent to build relations with the young lord. But that's not what caused me to speak ill of Ser Walton."
Balon looked at the rosebush, "I think alliances can be much like this rosebush here. The better tended to, the more healthy it becomes and the more attractive people find it." Balon searched his mind as he tried to continue the bad analogy, "But sometimes no matter how well you tend to a rosebush outside factors can damage it." Balon looked up to the sky, "Bad weather, insects," Balon looked to his mother, "a blight that poisons the roots." He became very serious, "I plan to get rid of a blight before it can damage the bush."
Being just the two of them Balon felt he could be more honest with his mother as they were both staunch Blackfyre supporters. He leaned in and whispered, "Ser Walton will challenge me. He has to. I will make him regret it. Better to remove a piece from play before the game begins."
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Post by Father on Jul 16, 2018 20:24:46 GMT 1
"You intend to try and kill him, is that it?" Her bluntness is more curiosity than condemnation. "I may lack instructions in how to wield a lance, but I pick up a thing or two, men can be killed in the joust, accidents does happen, but deliberate ones almost always casts you in the role of the villain, is that what you want?"
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jul 16, 2018 21:06:25 GMT 1
"I think being highly aggressive and being deliberate are two different things. I'm not trying to knock his helm off then goad him into continuing so I can rip his head from his body." Not that it would bother him if that happened. The only good Dornish was a dead Dornish more often than not. "But I do want to send a message. Some will see me as a villain, but will some secretly see me as a hero? I don't know maybe I'm being delusional." Is this what Balon really wanted? Were his actions being driven by Jeyne's cunny? His hatred of the Dornish? His desire to be recognized by those fomenting rebellion?
"I'm not blind. I see what's on the horizon. Wouldn't it make sense to better position ourselves for the fight to come?" He looked at her, hoping for guidance.
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Post by Father on Jul 16, 2018 22:17:45 GMT 1
"Either way, I think you already have reduced your immediate marriage prospects to Ladies Sybelle Oakheart and Perianne Middlebury." That was always on her mind it seems. "Their fathers will approve where most others does not."
"But now you have a choice, Balon, you can either commit fully to seek an end to his wretched life, or you could merely seek to defeat him in the joust with a minimum of fuss. In his love of spectacle and thirst for glory, Lord Leo have no idea that the barrel he has lit is full of wildfire, so if you decide to do the latter, this business with Walton will mostly be forgotten in a week. If you want to make a proper statement, then ask whoever put you up to this scheme to make doubly sure that it is written as you please." Doubly sure almost sounds like using the jousting match as a cover for the true cause of murder. "If you go through with it, you will soil your esteem in the eyes of many and mark yourself as a target for all who wants an easy mark against whom they might win glory and favors with the many who still believe that honor is worth as much as good steel and the skill and will to use it."
"Are you truly ready to weather that storm?"
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jul 16, 2018 22:36:47 GMT 1
"It did not five and thirty years ago, it will not now. *IF* you manage to rip off his helmet, he will yield, if you taunt him further they will ensure that you could not be more shamed for it if someone decided to tie you up naked on display over the gates of Highgarden for all to see." I think there is a little confusion. I said I WASN'T going to knock his helm off and taunt him into continuing. |
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Post by Father on Jul 16, 2018 23:31:56 GMT 1
edited
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jul 17, 2018 21:34:03 GMT 1
"Either way, I think you already have reduced your immediate marriage prospects to Ladies Sybelle Oakheart and Perianne Middlebury." That was always on her mind it seems. "Their fathers will approve where most others does not." " I'd hardly call those poor choices." Balon knew of Sybelle but knew little of Lady Perianne, " What do you know of Lady Perianne? Besides being comely and her father hating the Dornish I don't know much of her or her house." Is she the heiress to Middlebury? I know it's a smaller house and only a few details in Cast of Thousands.Balon spoke of his conversation earlier in the day, " I spoke with father and Septon Abelar this morning about marriage prospects. What do you think of Lady Daena Roxton and her father? If the realm reaches the tipping point it'd be good to have the Ringfort support the right side." "But now you have a choice, Balon, you can either commit fully to seek an end to his wretched life, or you could merely seek to defeat him in the joust with a minimum of fuss. In his love of spectacle and thirst for glory, Lord Leo have no idea that the barrel he has lit is full of wildfire, so if you decide to do the latter, this business with Walton will mostly be forgotten in a week. If you want to make a proper statement, then ask whoever put you up to this scheme to make doubly sure that it is written as you please." Doubly sure almost sounds like using the jousting match as a cover for the true cause of murder. "If you go through with it, you will soil your esteem in the eyes of many and mark yourself as a target for all who wants an easy mark against whom they might win glory and favors with the many who still believe that honor is worth as much as good steel and the skill and will to use it.""Are you truly ready to weather that storm?" Balon sighed heavily, " I..." he looked to the ground, " I don't know. He is a threat and the loss of him would be greatly felt. Can I weather the storm? I think so. I'm making friends. People who know how to use a sword. People to watch my back." Balon hoped he was right in that regard, " What do I do? Hope I blind him in the joust?" he laughed mirthlessly. At the conclusion of this it'll spark some more dialogue with Jeyne in the Bitch in Sheep's Clothing thread. |
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Post by Father on Jul 17, 2018 23:19:22 GMT 1
"Lady Sybelle would indeed be a great catch, Perianne might look good to your eyes, but a Middlebury is..hmm, well a noble house and thus you should not fuck her without marrying her first, but not an alliance that would rise our esteem or bring us any closer to victory." In other words, Middlebury is something one should not pursue before others such as Ladies Sybelle, Lysette or Daena had been tried and found to be out of reach. Shiera had, upon first learning of Balon's "conquests", laid out three rules: Never be found sleeping with any girl, never sleep with any lady of noble birth, never be exposed as sleeping with any lady of noble birth. Much more simple and agreeable than what his father and the septon preached. She cared only for his image of a chivalrous knight. "Lady Daena Roxton would be ideal, or Lady Lysette either of those would do equally well, but Lord Starling will disapprove of your words, and so will the Roxtons, few lords can afford to speak as you have done, leaving us with the daughters of those who did it anyway."
"I would have hoped that your time with Lord Peake would have taught you the lesson of not to take the first step unless you have a plan in place and intend to follow it through. But alas, Fireball is a gifted commander and a knight that many men will blindly follow, valuable traits but only to the extent that Gormon and Bittersteel can put them to good use. He sees a nail sticking up and he brings down the hammer on it, sometimes a nail ought to be pulled out, or be left for someone else to deal with. You took the first step in a plan that involves the death of Walton Wyl, or an act of impulse that serves nothing but your ego. If you do not like the plan or the consequences it will bring, then let it stay an act of impulse and there will always be another tourney to pursue better ladies than Perianne in. Or you can decide for yourself what the plan looks like and what you are getting out of it. Once you are the slayer of the king's master at arms, what would you do with the title?"
If she's not noted as the heir, she's not the heir. Also, she is mostly laying out his options, she understands where Balon is on the pecking order (which is not very high at all), and thus mostly wants him to know what he might get himself into. In fact, she's actually more vicious than Jeyne Cuy, Jeyne just hopes the "risk" of accident increases, Shiera will want you to sacrifice chivalry to make it so. Either commit fully or not at all is her message.
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jul 18, 2018 21:46:53 GMT 1
Balon kept a neutral face when she mentioned fucking Perianne before marriage, " Of course mother." I'd put her in an early grave if I told her what I did with Lady Jeyne. More like she'd put me in an early grave. "I would have hoped that your time with Lord Peake would have taught you the lesson of not to take the first step unless you have a plan in place and intend to follow it through. " My tongue is faster than my mind at times, mother. I'll admit my plan was... shortsighted." It wasn't his plan but he was eager to take part in it, " I had hoped to eliminate him in case Ser Daemon pressed his claim. Losing him would surely save lives on the battlefield. I just didn't really think out all the steps in between." Or you can decide for yourself what the plan looks like and what you are getting out of it. Once you are the slayer of the king's master at arms, what would you do with the title?" Balon felt like a child before his mother, " I thought the lords of the Reach and Stormlands would be happy. They'd quietly approve of me doing something they could not. I thought once the outrage settled down life would go on. And if it didn't I'd still be accepted in certain circles." Balon kicked at the gravel on the path in frustration, " It's not like I am going to cheat to defeat him. I'd just by extremely aggressive." |
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Post by Father on Jul 18, 2018 23:03:53 GMT 1
"Do not underestimate their foolish notions of honor and chivalry, son." Shiera did not believe much in either concept. "Lord Peake will privately approve of course, as would the Hightowers and certain others. Most who should thank you in their minds will condemn you as a blackguard in their hearts."
"You become a symbol, disliked by foolish men on all sides, a target for those of our enemies with their wits about them, many knights will line up to win glory by proving themselves to win glory by defeating you. Would I have thought it worthwhile for a nephew of a minor lord to become that? Yes I would if we could rid the realms of Walton Wyl, I would have offered up two. But I care as much about the fortunes of my children as to ensure our victory, though you have the opportunity to end him for us, and I cannot chose it for you."
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jul 19, 2018 7:05:23 GMT 1
"Would I have thought it worthwhile for a nephew of a minor lord to become that? Yes I would if we could rid the realms of Walton Wyl, I would have offered up two. But I care as much about the fortunes of my children as to ensure our victory, though you have the opportunity to end him for us, and I cannot chose it for you." Emotion filled Balon's heart hearing his mother say that. She was a shrewd, some would say vicious, woman yet when it came to sacrificing a pawn in the chess match between factions she preferred it not be her son. He hugged her, " Thank you." His parents wanted the best for him but they went about it in such diametrically opposed ways. After a long hug Balon stood upright, " Maybe that is what chivalry truly is, sacrificing yourself for the greater good. Letting the weight of the world settle on your shoulders and saying 'I can take it'. If... or when the time comes the absence of Walton Wyl will be felt." " And..." Balon's shoulders slumped a little, the moment of grandeur passing, " If I can't rule the Ringfort we'll have to ensure Gyldenhaal chooses the right side." |
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Post by Father on Jul 19, 2018 14:52:35 GMT 1
"No, chivalry is an illusion for the greater good." Shiera is back to her usual, cynical self. "A tale we tell ourselves over and over again until we forget that it is a lie, if no knights were chivalrous, all the realms would burn, no daughter would be safe from rape and their fathers would take vicious revenge, and the cycle of blood would go on and on and on. When most knights are chivalrous, the world is as it is right now, if you are born a noble, life is comfortable. But the knight who is willing to brush aside the veil of chivalry may find that on the other side of it, he can take all he desires if he has the skill and power to do it. Though a great many finds that their reach exceeds their grasp."
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Post by Balon Blackbriar on Jul 19, 2018 20:07:21 GMT 1
"No, chivalry is an illusion for the greater good." " Fine, let's call it duty, loyalty, or selfless sacrifice." Balon knew the risk involved if he went through with the act. There was a chance he'd be rewarded. And there was an equal chance that he'd be a pariah despite tacit acknowledgement that he did the "right" thing. " Isn't that the conundrum. If I go through with it, it will help our cause but I might be cast out by the same people who benefit the most." Balon sighed, " Or I don't kill him, treat the tournament as any other, and if the fight comes we have a master strategist to deal with. Which might tip the balance to them making this whole endeavour for naught." "But the knight who is willing to brush aside the veil of chivalry may find that on the other side of it, he can take all he desires if he has the skill and power to do it. Though a great many finds that their reach exceeds their grasp." " Father may have his head buried in the sand but I do not. Winners write the history books and wouldn't you know, the page makes them seem all so chivalrous..." Balon agreed with his mother, " Despite what people think I don't suffer from delusions of grandeur. I know my limits." |
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