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Post by The Gambler on Jan 7, 2014 16:47:08 GMT -5
His eyes seemed to have some understanding, though weighted with heavy concern.
"Far worse has been done for the sake of freedom." he allowed. "Just do not trade one prison for another."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2014 16:59:00 GMT -5
"I understand. I'll be careful. I will come back, I promise. I can't leave you short of a spy for too long, after all."
She smiled sadly, then leaned up to give him a small kiss on the cheek, before she stood up, reaching to the window sill behind them. She plucked down one of her carved figures, a stylized dragon, hewn in crimson resin. It had originally been used to represent a unit of the Targaryen army on a map, but Lord Darklyn had given it to her as one of their mock-secret presents some time ago. She turned it lovingly in her hands.
"I shall take this with me. A lucky charm, to remind the Gods that I have people to whom I must return safely."
She held it close to her chest, as she offered him her hand;
"But I have taken up far too much of your time already, I should let you get back to more important matters."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2014 11:30:25 GMT -5
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Elsey was thankful to have been mostly unnoticed as she walked the corridors towards her room. She had sent her armour & flail for repair once the soldiers had dispersed, and her mission was now simply a hot bath and some proper food. She was relieved that her mother and sister were absent as she entered the solar that adjoined their living areas. However, Lissa was present, and she made an immense fuss of a deeply reluctant Elsey. Finally, she managed to calm Lissa down enough to request a bath be drawn, and some ham, cheese, bread and apple tarts be brought up.
As Lissa scurried away, praising the Gods, Elsey allowed a weary smile at the woman's well-meaning coddling. She was certain that Lissa would inform Jeyne and Visenya of her return, but hoped that she would yet have some peace and quiet. She flopped heavily, face-down onto her bed, reveling in it's comparative softness to her camp bedroll, and dozed a little, until Lissa roused her with the scents of a hot, steaming bath with lavender sprinkled into it, and a plate of food set on the nearby table.
Sending Lissa away with many exhausted thanks, Elsey barred her door, undressed, then sank with a joyous sigh into the womb-like, lavender-scented embrace of the hot water.
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jan 31, 2014 12:56:03 GMT -5
Visenya had heard that her sister had returned, some time after those who had come on dragons. She hurried to her sister's chamber and, much to her chagrin, found he door locked. "Elsey? Are you in there?" she called excitedly.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2014 12:57:17 GMT -5
Eventually, once the water had cooled to a less sedating temperature, Elsey emerged, drying off by the hearth, and donning a simple, comfortable dress of dark green wool. The wide, boat-shaped neckline exposed the scars on her shoulder from the crossbow bolt, but she didn't mind. She had become strangely proud of them.
She was tempted to devour the plate of food Lissa had left her, but instead forced herself to eat slowly, savouring all the flavours she had missed so much while she was away.
It was then that she heard her door rattle, and Visenya's voice. Elsey got up and hurried to the door, unbarring it and pulling it open with a smile.
"Sorry, I was having a much-needed soak."
She opened her arms to embrace Visenya.
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jan 31, 2014 13:09:53 GMT -5
Visenya threw her arms around her sister and crushed her to her chest. It seemed absense did, in fact, make the heart grow fonder, at least in this case. When she finally let her go, she looked her younger sister over. The scars were the first thing she noticed and she could not help but to touch them, oh so softly, with her fingertips. "Elsey! You were wounded! Oh, I didn't hurt you, did I?"
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2014 13:40:25 GMT -5
The squeeze was heartening, though it did make the remnants of her aches flare up a little. She winced, but kept smiling. She didn't flinch when Visenya touched the bolt scars;
"Only a little, it's alright. I'm mostly healed now, just still a bit tender. It was much worse right after the battle, so much bruising! Of course, me, being an idiot, still tried to move about. Being stuck on a ship for nearly two months with only one book meant I had no choice but to lie in my cabin and let my bones knit," she chuckled.
"Will you come help me consume this mountain of food, sister? Lissa seemed to think my request for some proper food meant that nobody fed me in the army!"
As Elsey walked ahead towards the table, Visenya could see that battle, and even the relatively short time away, had changed her sister somewhat. She was, perhaps, another inch taller, her stride more rangy, her bearing now no longer that of a nervy young girl. The bounce in her step had been replaced by a solemn, soldierly gait, with squared shoulders and her head held more confidently.
Her lack of courtly graces was still amusingly apparent though, as she flopped into one of the chairs by the table, gesturing for Visenya to sit, before breaking a chunk off the cheese and chewing it loudly in satisfaction.
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jan 31, 2014 19:05:55 GMT -5
She watched Her little sister walk toward the feast with a grin. She was growing up quickly; soon she would overtop Visenya in height. "Of course I'll join you," she said, sitting in the chair opposite and selecting a roll to spread generously with butter. "It's good to see you're almost healed. The scar makes you look terrifying. I...I'm sorry about Nenyan. I hear Rhaegar's dragon also fell." A wave of guilt passed over her then, thinking of Silverwing, the only surviving dragon among Aenar's kin. Her dragon.
She frowned, sorry also to have brought that up so soon. "So..." She went to continue, but for once Visenya Targaryen was at a loss for words.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2014 20:15:11 GMT -5
"Heh, I am alright with seeming terrifying," Elsey replied, with a chuckle. "Perhaps, in time, I shall be fearsome enough to drive away any assailant!"
Nenyan's name still caused a pang of sorrow in Elseyris' heart, but she shook her head gently;
"It's alright, he died fighting bravely against the Dragonbane himself. I cannot think of a more honourable death. There are still parts of him left for me to remember him by," she said, clasping the little dragon tooth pendant she always wore, on it's silver chain, shed by Nenyan when he was just a hatchling.
"I hope that the bastards who stole his and Azuria's bones are caught, and burnt alive. Their skulls arrived safely, but... such disrespect for the dead."
After a moment of quiet, Elsey took a deep breath and spoke again;
"It's alright though, really. I intend to petition the King to tame another dragon soon. I fear that, if I leave it too long, I may consign myself to grief, and never have another dragon, which would likely be to my disadvantage. I had some time to think on this, and I don't believe it would dishonour Nenyan's memory. Ser Maekar tamed a new dragon well enough, though he told me, after the battle, that the pain of the loss never fully goes away."
Elsey leaned over and took her sister's hand;
"Visenya, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be grim. How have you been? How is mother? I hope she has forgiven me by now."
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jan 31, 2014 21:22:27 GMT -5
Visenya squeezed Elsey's hand in return. "Be safe when you go. The wild dragons there are fierce and often difficult to subdue, or so I hear. I was lucky Silverwing took to me, or I might have been a casualty," she added, reminding her sister of the one of the only other time the family had gone to Dragonstone. "I wouldn't tell Mama about it, though. She just got you back safe from war, she wouldn't want to hear of you going off and risking your life again, even if it is necessary." She put a bit of ham between the two halves of her buttered roll and began to eat.
"I had heard of their bones being then, but it trust they will be recovered. It must be difficult to hide the bodies of such large creatures, especially Azuria."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2014 22:21:12 GMT -5
"Yes, I trust the culprits will be found. Whatever they intend to do with the bones, they'll be noticed."
"I won't be doing anything right away, don't worry. By the Gods, I haven't even seen Mother yet. It would be ironic to survive the Faith Militant, only to have her kill me for not presenting myself immediately!"
Elsey laughed a little, but her eyes were sad.
"I had hoped that my going away might help her to let go of me a little, but I fear it may make her cling more tightly. I would have sent word if I could, but it was frantic there. Never be tempted to go to war, Visenya, the tales leave out all the horrible bits."
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Feb 1, 2014 0:15:22 GMT -5
Visenya laughed sardonically. "I do not think it likely that I will be tempted to go to war, dear sister." She finished her roll and wiped her mouth delicately with one of the cloth napkins. "She will be very glad to see you, though perhaps cleaned and dressed properly is the best way to allay whatever lingering fears she may harbor. Oh, and I would cover up the scars if I were you, at least for when you first see her." She poured herself a bit of the chilled wine and sipped it delicately. "Delicious."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2014 0:36:16 GMT -5
"You are right, of course. She will think me mortally wounded. I wonder if she would make such a fuss, had I been a man."
Elsey also sipped the wine;
"Yes, I could stand this level of cossetting from Lissa now and then. I never thought I could miss apple tarts so much."
She took a bite of one of the fresh tarts, warm pastry tumbling into her lap.
"I did feel... right, being with the army though. For all that it was brutal and terrifying, I felt like I was following my heart."
She shook her head a little;
"But honestly, enough about me, what have you been up to?"
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Feb 1, 2014 0:42:36 GMT -5
"Certainly not following my heart, or I'd have been there alongside you." She laughed and reached for an apple tart as well. "Oh, these are very good!" she said. Unlike her sister, she managed to catch the tumbling crumbs in a napkin, loath to have them soil her fine violet gown. "Aegon is well, is he not? I am sure all the city would be in mourning if he weren't. Poor Aemy, though. I never took her to be a traitor."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2014 0:49:49 GMT -5
"He was, last time I saw him. We spoke briefly before he left for the Arbor, and I left for here. There is still much to do. Winning the war is never the end of the war, as I understand it. It was... sad, about Aemy, but sometimes, ambition drives people to do terrible things. It was fortunate that she was stopped before she did any harm."
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Feb 1, 2014 1:00:25 GMT -5
It was incredibly plain to see how pleased Visenya was with the news. She smiled and swung her feet a little as she took another small sip of the wine. "I'm so glad. Do you know when he will return to the capitol? I so long to see him again." Even her cheeks went pink with pleasure as she thought of her cousin, and how he had kissed her in the Godswood before he had gone.
"I never liked her, and she never liked either of us, but I am still sorry that she had to go in such a way. So ungraceful. The rumors have been running riot about that, you know." She laughed again, in an incredibly good mood now. "No, you wouldn't know, would you? You have been away."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2014 1:11:13 GMT -5
"I'm sure a great many people will wish his attention when he returns, but I do not know when that will be."
Elseyris remembered how viciously Visenya had reacted the last time they had spoken of him, and felt a barb of anxiety in her chest. She hoped that would be the last of it, suppressing her urge to express her own feelings.
"Rumours about what? I was there when Aemy died, I saw what happened. What else is there to know?"
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Feb 1, 2014 1:16:21 GMT -5
She contented herself with that, for now. She had waited this long, she could wait a little longer to see him at last.
"Well, of course rumors would fly, no matter what happened or how many witnesses there were. She was a...well, a very visible figure at court," Visenya said tactfully of her deceased cousin. "And she died in a very visible manner. Was it very terrible to see, dear?"
She noticed her sister looking a bit tight around the mouth. "Are you feeling alright? Is your injury taxing you too much?" Wine was quickly poured and pushed toward Elseyris. "Drink up, it'll make you feel better, I promise."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2014 1:35:04 GMT -5
"It was... confusing. And yes, unpleasant. It drove home that no-one is safe from anything. That knowledge still haunts me, along with the burned faces of dead men and the noise Nenyan made when the Dragonbane killed him. I may never forget those things."
Elsey's voice had become flat and distant, the memories swelling up like ink in her mind.
When Visenya nudged the goblet towards it, she barely registered the feel of it in her hand. She numbly picked it up and sipped.
"I am sorry, Visenya. I hope such words do not upset you. I am plagued by nightmares, and the lack of rest tires me. I hope that being home may help, but I do not mean to bother you with morbidity. Shall we go see Mother together?"
Elsey stood up, and found herself a black cowl that she draped around her shoulders and neck, to cover the bolt scars.
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Feb 1, 2014 1:56:15 GMT -5
Visenya felt a growing sense of discomfort, watching the changes in her sister's manner. War had wounded her, and not just her shoulder. Elseyris was indeed too young to go and fight and see such horrific things. She wanted to wrap her arms around her and protect her from everything bad. She regretted how they had grown apart and how she had felt it necessary to threaten her sister about Aegon before everything else had happened. "Oh, Elseyris," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. They were still sisters, after all.
Wiping her eyes as clandestinely as possible, Visenya cleared her throat. "Perhaps not black, dear. It is a color traditionally associated with mourning."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2014 2:02:34 GMT -5
Elsey hadn't really thought about the colour when she picked the cowl up. Her mind had become a morass of fears and dreads. Perhaps her choice was an unconscious expression.
"I do mourn, Visenya, but I suppose you are right, not the best message to give to Mother."
She pulled the cowl off, and changed it for a dark green one, to match her dress. After seeing that it sat properly over her scars, she turned to Visenya, and slid her arms around her, tears welling up in her sad brown eyes;
"You know I love you very much, don't you? Whatever happens."
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Feb 1, 2014 2:18:26 GMT -5
Visenya had just enough time to nod in approval before Elseyris had her arms about her. She embraced her sister in turn, feeling that the girl must have been hurt far more deeply than she had previously imagined. She could hear the tears in her sister's voice and feel them dampening the cloth of her bodice. "Of course, Elsey. I love you, too."
"Oh, dear," she said, stroking Elsey's honey-colored hair. "I'll be here for you, no matter what."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2014 2:35:51 GMT -5
Elsey pulled back, rubbing away her tears, feeling foolish and awkward. She brushed at the small wet patch she had made on Visenya's dress;
"I'm sorry about that. I'm being very silly. I am truly happy to be home, it doesn't even quite feel real yet. I'll be alright, sorry for getting in such a flap."
Despite fighting tears, Elsey smiled warmly at her big sister, and took her hand.
"Let's go see Mother, I've missed her too."
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Feb 1, 2014 3:02:59 GMT -5
"Don't mind it. Lissa will be able to clean it," she said regarding the spot of wet. "Everything will be okay, now you're back, and now the war is done." Hand in hand, the sisters walked down the hall to where their mother had her rooms to see if Lady Jeyne was at home.
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Feb 7, 2014 14:13:56 GMT -5
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Visenya came and knocked on her sisters door.
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all alone and also really bored 
Hopefully going to kickstart the festival too