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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 22, 2014 11:12:57 GMT -5
Trystane comes to see Visenya in her own chambers, summoning Valaena to meet them both as well. The Prince and Visenya's daughter arrive first, and when Visenya enters the room Valaena is playing a lute in one corner while Trystane recited a troubadour poem that he had composed, of which Visenya suspected she was the subject.
Valaena had immediately taken to Prince Trystane when Visenya had begun her relationship with him, even sometimes calling him 'papa' which was something she had never done for Quentyn. It was clear to Visenya too, that Trystane saw something of his lost daughters in hers, and he doted on the girl in a way that only the most indulgent of fathers would.
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jun 22, 2014 12:06:14 GMT -5
Visenya entered quietly and waited for them to finish, smiling to watch the two people she loved best enjoy eachothers company. As the poem came to a close, she clapped enthusiastically and came to sit by her paramours side. "Bravo, both of you. Valaena, you've become such an accomplished player." She beamed at her daughter before turning to Trystane. "To what do I owe the pleasure of an afternoon meeting?"
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 22, 2014 12:33:29 GMT -5
"I am riding to Skyreach this morning, and I would like the pair of you to meet me there in six days," the Prince said, taking Visenya's hand and smiling at her. "Lord Fowler has been assembling an army, with Lord Blackmont's father and the Sword of the Morning. When I arrive, we are going to march north against Nightsong. If we cannot seize the castle, then we shall raze it to the ground."
Valaena had continued playing as he spoke, but when he said "raze it to the ground" she dropped her lute with a jarring crash. "Are we to go with you into battle, truly?! It is only right that Nymeraxes grow accustomed to the taste of Stormlander blood," she said with a wicked smile, which faltered as she turned her gaze toward her mother. Visenya had refused to allow the girl or her dragon to be used as a military asset in the past, and Valaena clearly feared that she would do so again.
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jun 22, 2014 13:09:24 GMT -5
The smile dropped from Visenya''s face. "We are mounting an offensive against Nightsong? Why is this the first I've heard of it?"
She cast her eyes on her daughter. Battle was not something she wished the girl ever to see, and yet... She said nothing yet to Valaena and continued speaking to Trystane. "How long has this been planned?"
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 22, 2014 14:09:53 GMT -5
"Only a few have known of these plans, my mother, and the Lords of Skyreach, Starfall, and Blackmont. The army has been assembling in secret for two months and the fewer mouths able to speak of it the better," the Prince replied. "The time has come, however, to remove the veil of secrecy and show Westeros that Dorne is strong and able to defend herself."
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jun 22, 2014 19:22:34 GMT -5
"And where are Morys and Lord Dryland? Are they to partake in siege as well?" Visenya said irritably. "You would have all my children save Elia go to battle? I suppose if she had a dragon, you would send her as well."
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 22, 2014 20:42:12 GMT -5
"Mother! I can ta-" Valaena began to exclaim, before being silenced by a look from Prince Trystane.
"Visenya, you came to Dorne as an exile, and my mother granted you asylum here on the condition that your dragon would serve Dorne's interests when asked, and you have lived up to that bargain more times I can count. However the condition upon which your children were given dragon eggs, eggs which were the property of the Princess of Dorne, was that they too would serve Dorne when called. They are being called, we need the strength of your dragons to stand against your enemies," Trystane said firmly, meeting Visenya's gaze and holding it. "We must all do our duty to Dorne."
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jun 23, 2014 0:13:12 GMT -5
"Mother! I can ta-" Valaena began to exclaim, before being silenced by a look from Prince Trystane. "Visenya, you came to Dorne as an exile, and my mother granted you asylum here on the condition that your dragon would serve Dorne's interests when asked, and you have lived up to that bargain more times I can count. However the condition upon which your children were given dragon eggs, eggs which were the property of the Princess of Dorne, was that they too would serve Dorne when called. They are being called, we need the strength of your dragons to stand against your enemies," Trystane said firmly, meeting Visenya's gaze and holding it. "We must all do our duty to Dorne." The sweetness and tenderness that she usually heard was gone from his voice, replaced by a tone that would suit The Lord of the land, or a king. Her mouth tightened, her full lips thinning into a pressed line. Her gaze met his evenly, as she knew she and her children, even Valaena, would have to go, no matter how little she liked it. Her violet eyes were cold, and told her lord, her lover, that if Morys or Valaena (especially her, the last remaining blood of Maekar) came to harm, she would never forgive him. "Valaena, you may go. Avenge your father on those Stormlander. Let Nymeraxes taste their blood," she said, still focused on Trystane. |
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 23, 2014 8:24:05 GMT -5
Visenya knew Trystane well enough at this point to know that, while he was capable of adopting the 'King's Mask', as the impassive visage of authority was commonly called, but it was not his preferred state of being. He would accept no challenge to the supremacy of House Martell in Dorne, but he did not take pleasure in the mere giving of orders as some men did.
Valaena wisely kept her mouth shut, her eyes going from Visenya, to the Prince, and back to Visenya. "Morys is a man grown, my love, and you cannot coddle him forever. He must learn to defend himself and stand upon his own feet, if he is to protect the interest of Whitesand from predatory neighbors. And surely you know that your daughter is twice as fierce as any man from the Stormlands, and thrice as cunning," he said reassuringly, moving to Visenya and embracing her gently. His expression softened, and she could see that he was aware of her concern, and he even shared it, but she could also see that he would always put the interests of Dorne before the interests of an individual, no matter how much he loved them.
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jun 23, 2014 13:16:18 GMT -5
"He is so full of unsurety that he hardly knows his own mind. He needs the guidance still," Visenya said defensively, knowing that she kept almost too close of tabs on her grown son. "He is untried, and Valaena has not even flown the scouting missions." She accepted his embrace, burying her face in his shoulder. She had never expected anything concerning her children to be so difficult. She felt a lump growing in her throat but forced herself not to cry. She had never cried in front of her children, not even when she remembered the horrors of her youth, not even when Aenar had died, not yet to his seventh birthday, and not when Quentyn had finally given up the fight against the illness that took their youngest son. She would not let Valaena see her cry now.
Heaving a heavy sigh, she turned her face and kissed Trystane's cheek. "I am sure they will be fine. I am merely afraid for them." She spoke quietly, murmuring into his ear in hopes that Valaena would hear little of it.
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 23, 2014 13:24:34 GMT -5
Trystane's arms enclosed her waist, holding her tightly against his chest as he whispered in her ear, "All will be well, my love. I promise it." Visenya could tell that he fully meant the words, but she also knew that such a thing was not always under his control.
The Prince kissed Visenya's cheek gently, deftly wiping away the water in the corner of her eyes, without Valaena noticing. Visenya's daughter stood off to the side, not quite sure what to say. Her exuberance had subsided , seeing her mother so concerned, and while she did not doubt that she was ready she did not want to cause Visenya any more worries. "We will be fine, mama. I shall write you from Nightsong, to tell of the glory we achieve," she said in a voice that spoke of confidence, and hidden nervousness.
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jun 23, 2014 13:54:11 GMT -5
"There will be no need for that, dear." Visenya sat up straight again, smoothing her hands down her skirt. "Silverwing and I could hardly let you and Morys and Lord Elyas go without us." She managed to smile at her daughter.
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 23, 2014 13:59:46 GMT -5
Valeana beamed when her mother said she would be coming too. "You will?! Silverwing will surely cause the Stormlanders to run away or surrender in panic, mayhaps we won't even have to fight," she said with a light laugh
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jun 23, 2014 19:05:34 GMT -5
Visenya couldn't help but smirk. Yes, Silverwing was of a formidable size, having continued to grow for over seventy years. She would never be as big as Balerion the Dread, but she was awesome and terrifying to behold. "I am sure they will throw down their arms and reach for their white flags as soon as they see not one but four dragons bearing down on them."
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 23, 2014 19:41:48 GMT -5
Valaena smiled wickedly. "When shall we depart? Will you fly with us, papa?" she asked Trystane.
The Prince shook his head. "I mean to lead a number of my mother's knights to Skyreach; I hope we can make the ride in a week, so you will have several days while I am riding, before you must depart. This campaign has been many months in the planning; the Queen in King's Landing holds some festival to her Valyrian gods, many of the realm's nobility will be there. If we sack Nightstong,and Blackhaven before they can even respond, we can swing south to retake Wyl and Yronwood from the North, rather than from the south as they might expect. No plan lasts first contact with the enemy, but I believe that the strength of your dragons will give us the edge we need."
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jun 25, 2014 23:59:30 GMT -5
Visenya brightened some when he mentioned extending the campaign to Wyl and Yronwood. She got up and found a bottle of wine, an item that was ubiquitous and ever-present in her rooms ever since her youth. She busied herself pouring glasses for herself and Tyrstane and Valaena to disguise the sudden flurry of thoughts that ensnared her mind just then. To remove the Stormlanders presence completely from the marches and to eradicate the last of that wretched and poisonous Baratheon family from good Dornish land...her heart soared. She bent and kissed Trystane on the cheek as she handed him his glass. "Surely it will all go to plan."
As she passed a much less full glass of wine to her daughter, she smiled much more genuinely than before. "You will have to be sure to fly often and practice manouvres in the coming week if you wish to be useful to the army. I will have some armor made for you as well, dearest."
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 26, 2014 6:02:14 GMT -5
"I will, mother!" Valaena exclaimed. Trystane watched his would-be stepdaughter with a smile, as if he had a secret gift that he was not yet ready to reveal, though Valaena was oblivious to his expression and began taking excitedly about the style of armor she had commissioned the month before. She completely forgot that she had done so in secret, concealing the beautifully wrought scale plate from her mother and using her own money from the stipend she received from Trystane each month. There was no way she could have known about the campaign, but Valaena was a notoriously impetuous spender, instantly buying something she saw and wanted regardless of whether or not she had the gold on hand.
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jun 26, 2014 9:28:46 GMT -5
"So you are already prepared? Hmmmm, I wonder what might have given you that idea." Visenya cast her eyes sidelong at Trystane over her cup, clearly thinking him somehow complicit in this development. "I can only hope it fits you properly, or what a waste it will be. It does sound like a lovely piece of armor. Have you also bought a sword without my knowledge? You seem to imagine yourself to take more after Visenya the first than your dear old mother."
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 26, 2014 11:36:17 GMT -5
"I would likely cut my own foot off sooner than kill someone," she said, giggling at the thought of flailing a sword about. "And of course I got it fitted, mother," she added, in an exasperated tone.
Trystane stood on silently, an expression of extreme innocence on his face.
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Post by Lady Visenya Targaryen on Jun 26, 2014 11:45:53 GMT -5
Visenya shrugged as she drained off the last of her wine. "Of course you did, my dear. You've thought of everything on your own. I'm hardly mad at you. I just thought it might be nice to shop for it together."
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Post by The Black Dread on Jun 26, 2014 11:56:34 GMT -5
Valaena's face fell for a moment, and then brightened. "Perhaps you should like to buy me a second suit, in honor of our victory... once we have won it, of course," she said, trying to mollify her mother.
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all alone and also really bored 
Hopefully going to kickstart the festival too