" does this mean you shall address me by my full title?" vaelyx pressed, taunting ever slightly. ignoring the way bile rose up the back of his throat at the idea of theon demanding he call him by lord stark, as if they had not once laughed at the very ridiculous notion. " i am not demanding you speak to me," the words are sharp, only dropping the act once the crowd has left. only then did it soften ever slightly. " i shall only request you listen, you wish to duel me then you must listen as i speak," he demands, as if he has any right to. eyes roll as theon calls him coward, though it remains evident on his face that the word bothers him. " their opinion matters little to me."

what an odd sensation, it'd been years since vaelyx heard it, but he could recognize the timbre in theon's voice still. once it had filled the man with excitement, now only painful regret rose as he slowly turned to face the other. " theon," he greets, motioning away his guard that stepped forward. a hint of relief flooded his chest as he drank in the sight of the man, once brother, standing before him - he looked well just as vaelyx had hoped. fatherhood suited the former baratheon well, as it always had. hand grips his own blade tighter, longing to sheath it, to not raise it against this man. " if it grants me the ability to finally speak to you," he calls back, stepping forward. " then i shall entertain your best attempt." the man glances to the small audience of guard and others that stood around them, setting his shoulders straighter. " leave us." an order, firm without any room to say otherwise.

" i suppose we're different there, my lady. if i went the rest of my time here without meeting another new soul, it would be far too soon." edmyn retorted, letting out a tiny frustrated huff. they furrowed their brow when she spoke of myr, trying to recall if they'd ever spoken about it before. " . . . you are from the free cities," he asks, confusion evident in his tone. " i've never been out of westeros," they admit after a few moments. " what's it like?"

the tully is far too accumstomed to their attitude being met with anger, an emotion that they were more comfortable with. when laena does not goad edmyn further, he forces himself to soothe a bit of the temper within. lady blackwood, while naive, was not attempting to provoke him and edmyn desperately needed her to not hate him. a long beat of silence passes, edmyn's face flashing a look of torn emotion. " . . . i apologize, i am feeling a bit caged in within this place." he swallows his own pride for a moment, glancing away from laena. " how do you not feel trapped within these walls? within those markets full of far too many people?"

his gaze on her body was evident, melony preening ever so slightly under the attention before mentally scolding herself. curse the spell cassian tyrell seemingly cast over her, she could hardly wait for him to return to her empty handed so she may be free of this silly infatuation her body ached for. " so callous with me, cassian, do i always desire to ruin my fun? " she retorts. flicker of smugness flashes through her mind at the notion that melony was correct in setting this information aside for the man, that it rattled him even a small amount. it takes self restraint to bite her tongue when he touches her, moving forward so that she was perching on the edge of his desk. noncommittal shrug at his question. " does it matter? an arrogant man who believes himself smarter than most with loose lips and a disregard for simple ladies." not that melony particularly wished to tell cassian that she'd overheard it when she was listening to another guard member drone on about hos own desires."

" if you wished to hurt me," a faint smile remains on her face, as if everything cassian does amuses her, perhaps it was the desk between them that made him far less predator under her gaze. she waits till he has plucked the parchment from her palm, ignoring the tingle his fingers leave behind, to finish her thought. " i would not be standing before you, would i?" hint of a taunt laced in her voice. green eyes roll in annoyance as he absentmindedly waved her off, as if melony was nothing more than a fly hovering around his head. the woman began to move, fingers tracing the edge of his desk as she made her way around it slowly. if cassian wished to dimish her presence, she'd force him to acknowledge it once more. " i must admit that i am a bit naive when it comes to court, cassian," she says, honey lined tongue once more till she stands merely a foot in front of him. " but it feels a bit odd for the lord commander to be doing his own investigation into what happened at the feast. . . to be caught inquiring about the hand's whereabouts as of late" a knowing look flickers in her eyes, before it is gone once more. " does it not? "

" if you wished to hurt me," a faint smile remains on her face, as if everything cassian does amuses her, perhaps it was the desk between them that made him far less predator under her gaze. she waits till he has plucked the parchment from her palm, ignoring the tingle his fingers leave behind, to finish her thought. " i would not be standing before you, would i?" hint of a taunt laced in her voice. green eyes roll in annoyance as he absentmindedly waved her off, as if melony was nothing more than a fly hovering around his head. the woman began to move, fingers tracing the edge of his desk as she made her way around it slowly. if cassian wished to dimish her presence, she'd force him to acknowledge it once more. " i must admit that i am a bit naive when it comes to court, cassian," she says, honey lined tongue once more till she stands merely a foot in front of him. " but it feels a bit odd for the lord commander to be doing his own investigation into what happened at the feast. . . to be caught inquiring about the hand's whereabouts as of late" a knowing look flickers in her eyes, before it is gone once more. " does it not? "

        it  perplexed  him  how  she  could  do so little and yet his eyes refused to look away, taking note of her every movement as he had in the hallway. now the atmosphere was different, but cassian knew the same game was being played.        ❝  she is very well fed and cared for.  ❞        he rolled his eyes. however, the moment melony turned back toward him, cassian's eyes turned sharp. he wasn't disappointed, but he also wasn't expected for how her voice spoke his name, caressing the syllables like a kiss and making something stir his heart. say it again, he thought. her surprises didn't end there. but if she thought to throw him off guard like a common lord then she'd find herself mistaken.          ❝  a favor of my choosing? quite the dangerous offer, melony.  ❞        he spoke her name slowly, almost threateningly, but even as he spoke the warning, he seized the parchment from her hand, sealing her fate. as he took it, he made certain that his fingers ghosted along her palm.        ❝  but do go on, make your deposit.  ❞       he waved his hand almost absentmindedly as if the exchange was nothing more than a normal occurrence. he glanced down at the parchment as he waited.

closed starter for @fireblcd ! ( flora stark )

melony raised her gaze from the book before her to where flora sat across from her, she stared at her friend for a moment, a slight smile tugging at her lips. " flora, dearest," she started, folding over the corner of the page she was reading before closing it entirely. " you are radiating so much joy," folding her hands beneath her chin. " that i dare to believe something has occurred you've yet to tell me. tell, who has captured my sweet wolf's heart?"

a fitting name for a tyrell beast, melony thought as she continued watching the snake, gently offering her finger for her to sniff. a soft sigh releases without her noticing, as if a piece of her softened as well at the interaction with belladonna, wall slipping for a moment. " lady belladonna," she coos quietly, a bit fearful any louder may spook her. " i do hope he is offering you a hefty coin for keeping him company." after a long beat of silence, melony forces herself to rise once more and face cassian. she shall not be distracted by a beautiful beast or man." you gain a favor, that you may call upon. . . whenever you desire, cassian." words drawn out on the last word, as if his name is honey in her mouth. hint of a smile drifts over her face, fingers gently pulling a piece of parchment from where she'd hidden it in her bosom. " if you retrieve these for me," holds the folded parchment in the palm of her hand, stretched out towards him. " i've information to offer as a deposit of sorts." tilts her head, eyes taking in the sight of him against her will, drinking in the enticing image that cassian presented.

        seeing  her  annoyance  spark  so  quickly  only made his grin widen. a retort was prepared on the tip of his tongue, intended as a sharp reminder of who was crawling back to who while he had sat with far greater concerns than thinking about her, though occasionally he had, but her distraction caught his attention. it'd only been a few days but cassian had already adjusted to having the snake, who had been sunning herself on his desk, around. she raised her head as melony approached, eyeing the woman before extending her head and sniffing the extended hand.        ❝  belladonna,  ❞        he offered the name to her. some of the satisfaction faded from his expression and was replaced by a fleeting softness as he watched the interaction. it was gone before she spoke again.        ❝  a bargain.  ❞        he tilted his head. the smugness washed over his expression again. so she did need something from him - now to see how desperately.        ❝  and what would i gain from this bargain?  ❞

" you're content because you get gifted with cakes often, what a lovely arrangement," melony teased, stretching up to press a kiss to his cheek where she had pinched it. she relished in the ability to tease her brother once more, as if the months they spent apart had never occurred. " trust, orys will not be able to escape my meddling for much longer, i've plans to talk his ear off once he's settled more," mischief thick in her words, akin to when she would drag nikolai into her devious plans of teasing orys. truthfully, melony longed for nikolai to be far from the insidiousness of the capital, but she'd allow it and protect him if it meant that a smile may rest on his face more often. if it meant he was able to form a life for himself once more. " yes, it's absolut-" words are replaced by a faux gasp of outrage. " i knew he was hiding secrets from me, and you, my sweet nikolai, have been aiding him!"

        he  rolled  his  eye  and  scrunched  his nose, feigning trying to pull away, when she pinched his cheek.        ❝  lony,  ❞        he whined.       ❝  maybe i'm very content with my bargaining skills.  ❞        not that he would object to a new book or two. the second his sister frowned, guilty pooled in the pit of his stomach.        ❝  if anyone's old and without purpose it's our elderly brother. not my brilliant sister who's living in the capitol.  ❞        he bit his tongue from saying the truth. orys had runestone; nik was the one with no purpose, no prospects, but he knew that'd only sadden his sister so he mirrored her attempt at a joke. it was also why he didn't continue objecting about staying in king's landing. they both knew, even if melony tried denying it, he'd only wilt more here.        ❝  the library?  ❞        now his smile returned.        ❝  are you asking me because you think i'll spill orys' secrets that he's neglected to share?  ❞

melony rolls her eyes, feathers slightly ruffled in the way only narisa was able to achieve by them calling her question silly. it hardly seemed ridiculous to imagine narisa might be attempting to claim his heart, considering why their presence was called to the capital to begin with. lets out a tiny, haughty huff, flipping another page in her novel despite the fact her attention is now entirely off it. " if they desire for the crown atop his head, they remain the foolish ones," she voices as if it is fact. " why would anyone wish to wear a crown that comes with a knife poised at your own back? the fact that they kill their own partners aside, nearly half the realm must wish them dead for what they've done," she ranted, keeping her voice low less they be overhead. " to marry the prince is to agree with the wretchedness they committed against the baratheons."

stvvlblcde​ / melony royce

“ and the realm shall be a better place for us all because of it,” the words a light jest on behalf of her friend, a smug grin threatening to spill across her face with it. though the idea of having to travel so far north to visit them made melony wish to sigh again from the pure effort it would take but she bit her tongue. gaze returning to the book in her lap, more than happy to let narisa linger by her side as she continued to read, perhaps even share a passage or two with her. “ fearful? no, maybe arrogant once or twice. but it’s a becoming look on you, narisa.” a passing compliment, to smooth over the few feathers she may have ruffled. a snort comes from melony at her friend’s remarks, gaze shifting back up to give narisa a pointed look. nose scrunched in distaste. “ why would i desire to toss myself at that man? from what i'v heard he is vapid and incredibly boring, like nearly all the men here. hardly worth the time all of them are spending trying to catch even a glimpse of him,” she ranted, pausing to consider narisa for a moment. “ do not tell me you are attempting to, narisa.”

♛

narisa gives melony a look, one that lies somewhere between amusement and an inquiring feeling of whether she was just enjoying messing with them. either way, narisa’s attention and need to figure it out is fleeting at best, finding no call to it nor finding that their mood depended on melony’s answer. “i will take the compliment and safeguard it for however long it takes you to give me another.” it’s a jest, the devious look in their eyes the cherry on top. the topic of the prince is unexpected and not all that welcomed but narisa does not turn away from saying what they truly think, whether someone has a crown on their head or not. “my survival instincts are far better than of those around me, it seems, so let that be my answer to your silly question.” they tilt their head, smirk growing. “i doubt everyone throwing their name in that contest is in it for his charms, mel.” if anything, narisa would wager it is more about the title that he brings to whoever he decides to curse with the velaryon name. “surely, you don’t believe so many want it because of his shining personality and not the glistering crown meant to be atop his head sooner or later.”

melony laughs quietly, so as to not further disturb the knights training, at cella's wink. her grins widens near enough to make her cheeks softly ache, eyes returning to the scene before them. " i see our presence less a distraction and more a gift, they must get used to seeing such beautiful women if they have any hope of earning the honor of the guard one day," she teased, letting out a snort as one of the knights nearly ran into the wall. a hum escapes her at myrcella's question, the noise a gentle chide to her almost sister. " i shall not confess less you do, cella, you recall our rules," the grin widens further. " but perhaps i've been a bit charmed as of late. " gaze returns to her cousin. " i'll gift you a hint for being late today. . . the reach is seeming very appealing these days."

          the sun is about as much of a constant as of late as the nobles they were forced to see day in and day out. there were none she enjoyed watching more than the knights, some fluid and nimble where others stumbled in the presence of beautiful ladies. myrcella's own quiet laughter filled the space between them as she leaned into melony's side, eyes alight with a familiar amusement. ❝ to the lord commander's credit, i do think training goes along much smoother when they are not so terribly distracted. ❞ but oh, how the lannister lady loved nothing more than being such a distraction. she couldn't help but meet melony's gaze, shooting her a wink. ❝ none of these knights here, i can assure you, though plenty catch my interest. and what of you, my dearest ? find your heart charmed by anyone ? ❞

gaze darkens slightly at myrcella's suggestion of any member of his guard being sweet on her, pausing in their walking to gently grab her by the hip, tugging her to face him. azriel does not speak, instead tugging myrcella into a bruising kiss, as if the very notion of another man touching her inspires a need to claim within his gut. " if a single of them has laid a finger on you, i shall make them repair the stone wall at the east gate from daybreak to sundown," his voice is low, mixture of promise and threat alike. " till their knees give out and they remember to not touch what is not theirs." he tugs her into a kiss again, hand slipping along the side of her dress. " if you wish to call my attention, there are far more entertaining ways then stealing the attention of my men," he whispers before releasing her, taking a step back. " shall we continue onward?" voice still holding a hint of the desire within azriel.

          meeting his gaze, she can't help but shoot him a wink in return, a playful question that held far too many possible answers. teasing and endearing was what she did best, a feat easier with him than she could have anticipated. ❝ i should've realized all it took was a sweet smile to sway you. though not to worry, i save all my best ones for you, ❞ and as if an answer, another settles easily on her lips, nose crinkling slightly. they both knew better, more often than not, and it was never a mere smile that landed them in one of their beds. not that myrcella was anything but shameless about that fact, both comfortable with and unbothered by how she spent her time, or who she spent it with. and she certainly enjoyed it with azriel, something light beneath that stern exterior of his. ❝ a lady does not thrust herself, lord commander, though you are a difficult man to call upon. i'd hate to pull a member of your queensguard away to send word for you. ❞ eyes twinkle mischievously, knowing the answer and yet far too amused by idea of the knights scurrying to aid both lady and lord commander. ❝ though, some of them are quite sweet on me. i'm sure they wouldn't mind. ❞

" the day you finally agree with me on the failings of lord manwoody, i shall rejoice before the grand maester himself," azriel teased back, winking playfully at cassian. he hummed in agreement about the rest of the council, choosing to bite his tongue on voicing any thoughts about his concern for her majesty. clapped cassian on the back playfully rough, as if he a younger brother of the man. " hippocras it is! a vale man cannot help but delight in the delcious drinks of the reach," he grins wolfishly once more. " and i do not speak just of the wine." boisterous laugh bursts forth, waving a hand to nearly dismiss the question. " i do not know her family name, i fear, but she's been a faithful companion the past few months. she wrote earlier that she had duties to tend to this evening, i imagine she's one of the handmaidens of a lady. they can be quite demanding."

        ❝  lord  chaol  had  some  insightful  comments  today, which you might have heard if your ears weren't filled with your ego,  ❞        he teasingly retorted.        ❝  as for lord lannister, i fear if i said anything he'd only further be motivated to run his mouth.  ❞        besides, the hand couldn't be seen as stirring conflict during meetings, not when the queen was so agitated. as long as the animosity was there, quietly festering, then cas was content. he laughed, holding back a quip that perhaps the lord commander should have.        ❝  hippocras i can do.  ❞        it wouldn't risk him losing his ability to drink arbor wine.        ❝  and i do have some good ones. however i must ask, who is denying our handsome lord commander their time?  ❞

forrest clasps his hands in front of him as he approaches her, so that it is evident he has no weapon or malicious intent toward her. hearty laugh leaves his chest at her remark on the lack of shoes for her feet, shaking his head slightly. " fear not, my lady. my sisters have often warned me of the awful devices they're required to wear. you will find no judgement from i, for freeing yourself of them." he shakes his head once more at her question, glancing around, curious on if he was imagining the interaction. " you were not, i was simply passing by. but, there is something oddly enchanting about you. i wished to see what you were doing."

stvvlblcde​:

positions shifted, it was forrest now seemingly avoiding others. the gardens seemed an easy enough place to start, the idea of either piece of his family was laughable, it’d been a far cry since forrest walked the fields simply to admire them. eyes roamed over the delicate flowers, categorizing colors in his mind without giving to much thought. it’d been ages since the man had dared to pick up a paint brush or unpacked the vast amount of paints jars that were tucked in his trunks. the desire had laid dormant within him for months now, the few times he’d attempted to look at canvas had resulted in him staring at it till his eyes nearly hurt. sound of a voice pulled his gaze, smiling tugging at the corners of his mouth at the sight before him. flowers delicately placed in hair, drawing his attention to the girl who stood there looking as if she’d stepped out of a painting herself. a flash in his mind, he can already see the colors he’d use to portray such a rarity, her sigh and words making him laugh. ” pardon me, my lady,“ he called, taking a few steps closer to her. ” i didn’t mean to intrude… “

.

Eyes widened for a fraction of a moment, gauging in fact if a gasp was warranted before she smiled. With a small twist of her feet in the grass, soft and luscious before lifting her skirt just a fraction to show her feet. “It is no brother you are more than welcome to intrude. Any woman who has ever told you that they enjoy wearing shoes with heels are lying. Terribly uncomfortable” She admitted with a soft sigh, before picking up those damned things. Holding them now she looked the stranger over before giving a small bow of her head. “I don’t bite -truly. Was I intruding in on you? If I was my deepest apologies I did not know the garden was taken up for the time being.”

the kiss on the back of his hand makes forrest let out a soft gasp, the unexpected action making it feel like a blizzard has stirred within his stomach, despite the clear heat that spreads across his cheeks. " forgive me, my lord, but are you so brazen about your desires with all that catch your eye," forrest asks, not acknowledging the hint of something else in his words, as if he needs to know if uthor thinks him special. or if he remains another casualty of a ravenous lord with the world at his fingertips. the man swallows his own desire and smiles warmly at uthor, gently pulling his hand back once more. " surprise me?" he nearly whispers, ignoring the beat of his once still heart in his chest.

stvvlblcde​:

the flush spread across his cheeks rivalled the deep reds of the stain glass art above their art in the windows, unaccustomed to such directness. it had been far too long since anyone had deemed forrest worthy of any affection, any words that set his stomach into a flurry like the snow that graced the estate in karhold. the last person who’d gifted forrest with this sensation had been his husband. “ … only a sketch? and i may keep it afterwards?” the man mulled over the idea in his head, it’d been ages since he’d participated in any form of art, even longer since he’d been anyone’s idea of a muse. eyes linger on the outstretched for a breath too long before something settles in his chest, forrest taking the hand and the leap in stride. “ i shall allow it, but you must tell me a story while we sit, yes?”

.

A hand both strong and as delicate as a lover’s sigh made a lord of hightower feel a spark of electricity run through him. Barely a graze and it was such a temptation. Uthor hoped he’d gotten it right in his head - neither had said their name but something in him enjoyed being thae handsome stranger wondering about the one that prayed. The gesture that came next, that was the response the casual touch called for and any gentlemen ought to reply with. It was only right in the presence of a beautiful thing. Lifting the back of other’s hand, lift grazed the back of it like a tender caress as Uthor dipped his head. The man before him could either punch him or allow it to sand but Uthor could say he kissed a beautiful man that day even if his lips hadn’t found the others - he’d have the memory at least, a story told and an almost lover immortalized on paper. “Stories I can tell you as I memorize your face. Do you have a preference or should I surprise you?”

" you cannot possibly expect me to believe that you do not find me desirable," forrest teased, raising both eyebrows at theon in a suggestive, playful manner. " if i recall you had tears in your eyes at our ceremony, was that not over seeing me marry another?" a cheeky grin on his lips as forrest shifts into the familiar stance of training, eyes scanning over for any weak spots in theon's own position. " you may try to regain your honor back," feigns a dart forward before his blade passes near the other's knee. " but your attempt shall be futile."

        ❝  arya  wouldn't,  because they  know  you'd  never succeed.  ❞        nor would anyone else foolish enough to try. his heart belonged only to one, and he never bothered hiding it. theon snorted.       ❝  tripping over yourself already.  ❞ though, he kept his confidence at bay despite the smirk on his face, not erasing the possibility that forrest was pretending; he wouldn't be made a fool due to his own fault.       ❝  cheating on me?  ❞ he gasped.       ❝  well, now i must defeat you. my broken heart demands it.  ❞ smiling, theon drew his blade and waited for forrest to attack.

  “ laena,” forrest whined ever so slightly to the younger woman. “ learn your own strength, you will pull my entire arm off,” he chided teasingly, though he still lets her drag him along. hums in agreement at the beauty of the flowers, eyes taking note of the various colors, how his fingers itch to paint them again. he pushes that desire to the side, focusing instead of if he shall send some to that hightower lord, or perhaps even nisa. “ they are, would you like one? i’ve brought some coin with me,” he suggests, tugging his pouch out to offer it to laena. his father still steadily filled it in hopes that the son would return to their home soon. “ or one for a suitor of yours, perhaps?”

with  forrest  frey    /    @stvvlblcde

        ❝  look!  ❞ tugging  gently on  his  arm,  she pointed at the flower stand that had caught her eye. it was no secret that the queen favored the street of blooms more than any other area of the city, which was why laena had wanted to see the street for herself. now wandering along it, fluttering from one vendor to the next, the air filled with the sweet perfume of flowers, she understood completely. if it wasn't so crowded and if she also had her sketchbook, she would have paused to draw some of the flowers on display.        ❝  aren't those bouquets beautiful?  ❞ perhaps she should purchase one for the princess; a vase of fllowers would be a pretty sight for her to see when she finally awoke.

ichorforged​:

           the sun of winter was hardly something applicable to the ruling lord of karhold . if he had it his way , torrhen would live only by light of the moon . . . a forever reprieve from the annoyances in the daylight . though , it would not benefit his watchful eye over the younger karstarks to be a night owl . short strides followed carefully behind narisa , gaze briefly flicking in their direction as the two graced the dining quarters of the karstarks , surprised to find forrest for the very first time since entering the crownlands . torrhen had not been intentionally avoiding him . even though sight of his good brother had caused the man to duck down different halls . perhaps for the best . the overwhelming feeling of impending doom creating an inability to look him in the eyes . “ perhaps it is . ” torrhen quipped , supplying no hesitation before treating himself to some of the sweeter fruits littering the table . “ or , perhaps , you have been avoiding us ? ”

narisa sits down and reaches for a cup to pour themself some water and letting their gaze wonder the food set for them to break their fast, all the while feeling like they’re moving through air heavier than usual. one would have to actively ignore the way the room fills itself with karstarks ( even previous ones ) and a tension grows in the words that are not said as openly as they ought to. narisa’s dark eyes look at forrest for a moment before looking at their brother, gaze narrowing at the way both of them say the same thing to one another. unfortunately for them, the only time narisa partakes in the push and pull is if court has demanded it so. “i suppose us talking during the feast before it got interesting has slipped your mind, forrest,” they remark as they meet forrests’s own gaze after taking a sip of their water. narisa sets the cup down, “surely no one has been avoiding one another, yes?” voice comes laced with a knowing tone, searching for an answer that they know is coming by the way torrhen and forrest seem to be circling around instead of speaking plainly. “but since you have spoken of it first, forrest, please, do enlighten us. you do not wish the ride back to karhold to be like this lovely morning meet, do you?”

@stvvlblcde​​

 the man lets out a scoff at the pair of siblings, so similar in their quick dismissal of any problems that may lie between the three of them. had loch been here, he would’ve joined the pair and forrest would be outnumbered entirely. pointed look at torrhen, eyebrow raised at the implication that forrest had been avoiding them. “ strange, i seem to return here every night to sleep, yet you’re never doing some your nightly prowl, torrhen. “ a frustrated sigh releasing from forrest, eyes rolling with little malice at narisa. “ hands off the strawberries, i already claimed them.” the mention of returning to karhold erasing any snide remark forrest was preparing for his good sibling, looking instead down at his plate. as if it contained the answer to how to ease the tension. “ can we stop pretending that i will be returning to karhold?” he snaps, voice more sorrow than anger. “ i am to return to the twins once the festival has concluded. my father has demanded it, so it is so.” forrest was once again his property, the idea making him swallow the lump in his throat. “ and i do not want to spend our last month together, acting if i no longer fucking exist.”

@nubivgant​

something twists within edmyn at her words, shame perhaps, that eyla had seemingly struck a chord within the lord. it echoed the same sentiments his father spoke to them before departing for king's landing, you shall a lonely bitter man with no one by your side. as if edmyn was incapable of being loved by any soul one day. they glance away from her, quiet for a moment. " yes, well, i suppose it'll be a fantastic look for you to not invite the heir of riverrun. certainly will promote trade between our houses." his shield of ice is set in place once again, even if his words lack the bite they held before. " i do not find comfort in your discomfort, lady eyla, and you are foolish to believe it so."

eyla frowned, wondering what caused him to feel such incredible displeasure at someone he didn't actually know or wished to know. she hadn't put much thought into them and during their betrothal, he had never once been kind. what a sad fate to never see that life had so much to give and yet all you could do was cover it in your own malice and darkness. fiddling with her fingers she let her eyes drift to him once more. "I could never invite you to such a thing my lord-" she bit her bottom lip, trying to cover the small smile she had never intended to appear. "I do not think a show of my happiness could be of any satisfaction to you, as your world seems a cold and lonely place." she knew she was stepping out of line, but then again hadn't he done so during every conversation the two had ever shared? "after all you always found comfort in my discomfort." Was it that bad that she wished for some pity to be given to the man who never showed an ounce of kindness towards her?