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Post by Vhagar on Jun 15, 2014 18:05:25 GMT -5
"Mistress, your sons went out hunting and won't be back for an hour or more. Up to mischief, no doubt." The housekeeper was a matronly sort but she had a smile and a gleam in her eyes as she spoke of the boys. She turned to give an order to one of the maids. "I haven't seen Mistress Chaya this past hour, but she didn't go out with her brothers." But she rang the bell nonetheless.
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Post by Alexys Darkfyre on Jun 15, 2014 18:21:47 GMT -5
Alexys arrived around ten minutes later, having been mid-practice in the yard. Her dark hair was down in a long braid and she was still in her light riding leathers as she stopped in the doorway of the dining room, holding both her swords loosely in her left hand by the hilts. "I am not hungry," she announced, her eyes roaming the room for servants. "But we need to talk. Leave." This last order was naturally directed at the servants and she waited until they all left before closing the doors behind her and taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.
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Post by Alexys Darkfyre on Jun 15, 2014 18:46:15 GMT -5
Normally, this comment would have earned her mother a snide remark or at least an eyeroll, but Alexys ignored it completely - she was actually excited about a decision made this morning, even if said excitement was near impossible to read from her face. She leaned her swords against the empty chair next to her and was quiet for a long moment, thinking how to best approach this matter. She had to go to Dragonstone in order to obtain her father's dragon - it should have been hers by birthright - and this would have been best done with the help of someone who knew the island, but she also knew Vira would never agree to set her foot back there, which is why she chose a way that would leave her no other choice. "I have been thinking," Alexys said in a calm quiet voice, speaking Common Tongue now, "and I have decided to go to Dragonstone. I want a dragon."
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Post by Alexys Darkfyre on Jun 15, 2014 19:19:59 GMT -5
Alexys left it unsaid that she cared little for peace and prosperity. What she wanted was fire and blood.
"It's been seventeen years. No one knows you are alive. No one knows I even exist. I could easily pass as some Stormlander, go to Dragonmont and take Cyrax before any of this whore queen's followers do. If they haven't already," she said, and leaned back in her seat with a frown of disappointment. "If you did not save my life for that, you should not even have done it."
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Post by Alexys Darkfyre on Jun 15, 2014 19:44:00 GMT -5
A corner of her mouth twitched slightly when her mother caved in, or perhaps at being called Maekar's daughter. She had no issue with leaving her brothers behind, not because she would think their endeavour too dangerous for them, but because she thought they did not have enough Targaryen blood to tame dragons, which by definition made them useless for that purpose.
It had, in fact, been something Alexys had been considering for a while now, but was still undecided until this morning when reading an expensive volume of recent history from Westeros that depicted Rhaena and her ilk as war heroes, and her family as monsters.
"I am fine with that. I think we should go sooner rather than later," she told Vira.
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Post by Alexys Darkfyre on Jun 15, 2014 20:08:12 GMT -5
"Seeing words like 'Trajan Waters' and 'great valor' used in one sentence," Alexys replied dryly at the question. "Injustice." She thought for a while and nodded slowly. "I think we can manage. The Burned Rider, however.. what makes you think he would help us?" She didn't know much about the man in charge of the new Freehold, but enough to think this would probably the only man in the world she would ever bend her knee to.
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Post by Alexys Darkfyre on Jun 15, 2014 20:33:32 GMT -5
"Being methodical does not necessarily mean he is not a deranged madman," Alexys replied, and narrowed her eyes slightly at her mother's implication. "Perhaps not," she said, giving Vira the impression she did not want to discuss this further at the moment. She picked up her swords again. "Is there anything else you want to discuss? I ought to return to yard."
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Post by Alexys Darkfyre on Jun 15, 2014 21:03:47 GMT -5
"Seeing the Burned Rider might not be the worst idea," Alexys replied, although the idea of burning down Sun House seemed more than tempting. "Perhaps pay a quick visit to Driftmark before returning to Essos."
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Post by Alexys Darkfyre on Jun 16, 2014 7:20:13 GMT -5
"I am not a lackwit. I would find a way," Alexys replied as if that much was obvious, although she was beginning to grasp the reality of the situation now. "What can you tell me about the island itself? And the mountain? How well-guarded could it be?" she inquired.
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Post by Alexys Darkfyre on Jun 16, 2014 13:31:53 GMT -5
Alexys bit her lip as she mulled this over in her head, feeling like doing this Vira's way could get messy and unnecessarily complicated. "All possibilities," she said, giving her a small smile, "we can hatch the precise plan once we board the ship. Which would be when, by the way?"
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Post by Alexys Darkfyre on Jun 16, 2014 13:53:57 GMT -5
Alexys' dark eyes were set on her mother as she spoke. She felt like running a hand through her hair, but knew better than to, well aware that people who lied had tendencies to touch their faces as they spoke. "Very well. I ought to get ready for tomorrow, then." She stood.
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 10:25:14 GMT -5
Tavio rushed through the hall, knocking over a small end table in his haste, ignoring the mess as he hastened up to his mother. "Mother, have you heard!? The envoys from Norvos and Qohor arrived today, they're all here in Pentos!" he said excitedly. The flagships of Lys, Myr, and Lorath had been in the harbor for three days, bearing the envoys of those cities, but if Norvos and Qohor had arrived than the summit would truly begin in earnest.
"I saw the Qohorik as their party came through the Sunrise Gate, they all looked very grave," he added, wiping a smudge of dirt off his face.
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 10:55:40 GMT -5
Tavio gulped. He'd fallen from a tree and broken his arm at age nine, and had never again truly regained his confidence around high places, something Vira had noticed but hoped he'd grow out of. "There are still merchants who trade in Volantis, and Volon Therys, and Elyria, under the Burned Rider's rule. Can I not continue father's business, regardless of who rules in Pentos?"
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 11:04:39 GMT -5
Tavio nodded. "As you say, mother," he replied, in a tone that made Vira suspect he was giving her the answer she wanted to hear.
"Chaya is going to Westeros… what if the Dragonqueen discovers who she is?" He asked, biting his lip with concern, making the face he always made when he was thinking about a difficult question. "If she learns that you have been living in Pentos, the whole city might burn for it."
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 11:28:55 GMT -5
"You're probably right," he conceded. "The Queen of Westeros is unlikely to have interrogators to get information out of people for her he added dryly.
"Are you going to take me and Lucreo to Westeros when you go to look for dragons?" he asked in a much quieter, more fearful voice.
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 11:36:49 GMT -5
Tavio nodded. "That will be okay, I suppose," he said.
"I have never seen a dragon before," he added thoughtfully, as if she wasn't plainly aware of that fact, though his face brightened considerably when a new idea came to him. "They must be very strong. We would be the richest family in Pentos, if we had four dragons to ship our goods overseas, instead of by ship!"
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 11:58:27 GMT -5
Tavio wriggled out of her grasp. "Get offfff, mother," he said, with all of the affronted dignity of a boy trying to figure out how to be a man. "Perhaps I will fly on a dragon on day. I would not wish to be the Prince of Pentos though, that is a job fit for fools," he said, clearly trying to change the subject.
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 12:08:18 GMT -5
"I have heard that in Valysar and Selhorys, the city-fathers were destroyed when the Freeholders hatched their dragons, but in Tolos and Volon Therys they have yet kept the councils to offer what advice they have to the dragon riders. Perhaps the Freeholder of Pentos will not need the Forty-Five any longer, and new councilors might be chosen," he replied, giving his mother a sidelong gaze.
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 12:16:47 GMT -5
Vira could see plainly on his face that he was thinking that over carefully, and he eventually nodded. "I suppose that is true, mother. Dragons seem to be the future, whether we like it or not."
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 12:25:03 GMT -5
"Crab pies!?!" he exclaimed. "Ummm, Lucero said he was going to learn dice with Moquero's uncle," he said, naming one of their friends whose father was was a wealthy merchant that lived near by, but whose uncle was a man of somewhat less repute, who frequented bawdyhouses and winesinks.
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 12:48:33 GMT -5
"We were at lessons, but then we went to the gate to watch the Norvosi and Qohorik arrive, and Lucero said he wanted to go to Mateo's house, but I didn't want to," Tavio replied with a shrug. He didn't like being reminded how his brother just did whatever he wanted, while he himself felt compelled not to do things he wasn't supposed to do. "He said he'd be back by suppertime."
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 13:41:21 GMT -5
Tavio grinned widely. "I'll not object to two horses, mother, not at all. Lucero might, though."
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 19, 2014 13:51:11 GMT -5
Tavio hastened to obey his mother with nearly the same alacrity as the steward did.
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all alone and also really bored 
Hopefully going to kickstart the festival too