sciientiae

[sciientiae]

𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲.

“frugality is not a trait common to our noble king, i’m afraid.” venom swirls in his mouth, and drips upon the speech. nevermind how poor timed this all is, seeing a member of the council just died, and his murderer is still missing, with a kingsguard lost over the seeking of justice instead; the mere thought makes his head ache, so he clears his mind and his throat. “that’s an ointment for cleaning fire wounds. there are fire breathers hired from essos, and while they are trained, i believe some of the younger dragons can be too excited around new people.” he wasn’t sure if the prince and the princesses were allowed to keep their little monsters at loose, but knowing them more or less, he just couldn’t be sure, and found it best to prepare for all. “well, i believe it is best to be prepared. i’ve had a little kid crying about splinters in his hands from a kid’s little tournament just now, and we must be able to treat it all, small or large.” he heaves a sigh. it’s hard to keep some thoughts from plaguing his head. “you were very brave during the trial, ayleen. as was your brother. tell me, do you find this, so soon after all of that, to be a reprieve or simply torturous?”

𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 a soft, snortlike sound as she set down the ointment with great care — the lady would never have been so cautious with her own possessions, but it always seemed only right to around lord tarly; he was trying to teach her something, after all, it was best to seem put together even if that was far from the truth — hearing the barely concealed jab at king lucerys. ayleen had openly disdained politics for many years, but even to someone as disinterested as her there was a line, and it is completely safe to say that the politics in question directly endangering one’s blood for no real reason crossed that line. the lady's stomach still seemed to squeeze in on itself a bit upon her hearing the word trial. "to be perfectly candid, it's difficult to say. my first instinct would be reprieve, definitely — but can such a tiring social event ever not bear some semblance of torture? i must admit, i do find myself sometimes wishing i... we were back in the stormlands already." she says, without specifying which we she means specifically; the lord didn't need to know. ayleen paused, very pleased with her response; but she could not pretend for long the mention of real fire breathers having come all the way from essos left her unaffected; in fact, it left something bubbling in her chest that made the young lady feel as if she were but nine years old again, making her first attempt to spot constellations in the night sky after being introduced to the concept. a smile creeps onto her face; finally, an attraction she can truly get behind. "i must say, however, that your mention of trained fire breathers has left me more than intrigued, lord tarly. i have yet to run into them, it seems; but thank you for alerting me of their presence. i simply must ask them about their craft."

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𝐰𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧.

a look of surprise appeared on his face as the realization of what she was implying sank in. wyllas himself was quite familiar with what he presumed she was feeling, having found himself often times wishing he could ask the favor of another knight in the joust, rather than one of the ladies eyeing him over. “ you know, i heard there were some less lordly competitors this festival. lady grafton is riding, i heard she is incredibly talented on a horse,” he glanced over, giving the younger woman a cheeky wink. “ perhaps she will be more of your type to route for? i find i will be rooting for lord tommen.”

she could feel the relief washing over her at his response. ayleen's heart felt as if it could burst into song any minute; it was not until this moment that she truly felt the friendship and understanding between them blossom again, strengthened by this knowledge about her that only few had. "you are right; there may not be a special someone among the participants, but i must admit lady grafton does look quite fetching." she pauses for a second between glancing at wyllas with a smirk. "and i'm certain she could unhorse lord tommen with ease."

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𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐬 outwardly cheerful as her older sister, ayleen is similarly transfixed by the red star making its way across the firmament. she hadn't witnessed such a sight in her life, and it wouldn't be much of a stretch to claim it was more fascinating than the celebrations taking place. "i would have to say wisdom is its own blessing, no?" the lady replies, raising her eyebrows, but she can't help smiling, seeing jocelyn so joyful. "but i will give you this, it does seem lucky, happening during a wedding."

open starter !

“oh look !” jocelyn calls out, her pupils widening to take in the beauty of the red comet painting the sky. there was something about nature & the skies above them that fascinated her so. she felt safe for a moment, blanketed in the warmth of her joy & forgetting the judgement of those around her. “the crone must be smiling down upon us, don’t you think ? blessing those who are wise.” she finally looks to the person beside her, her gaze kind and genuine. 

[sciientiae]

��𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐧  —  wedding attire .

clad  in  all  black  with  a  hint  of  baratheon  gold ,  ayleen  may  look  more  fit  for  a  funeral  than  a  wedding ,  but  far  be  it  from  her  to  care .

[sciientiae]

𝐰𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧.​

“ i was not, i suppose baratheons are skilled in hiding their private affairs till they wish to bring them to the light,” wyllas tried to not dwell on the fact that theodore had not mentioned his feelings for lady karina to him, less he admit that maybe he was not the friend he believed himself to be. he turned his attention back to ayleen with a cheeky grin. “ and now i must ask, are you hiding some torrid love affair, lady ayleen? is some dashing, young lord going to ride up to us to beg you of your favor with a tale of loving you for ages?” there was a jest in his tone, giving her a soft nudge. he was admittedly relieved that her former sour disposition to him was gone, replaced by the familiar woman he adored as though she was one of his own sisters. 

𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐩 on her favor, haphazardly put together the night before the tournament - after all, the chances of some knight asking to receive it were about as high as those of the doom of valyria being self inflicted, in her opinion - tigthened. why did she say the things she said sometimes, the lady had no idea. it would have been so easy to just... not place herself in such a very obvious corner. feeling herself turn pink, ayleen averted her eyes from wyllas, suddenly seeming interested in the crowd seated lower than them. "that is doubtful", she began, still looking away, her mind racing to find the most diplomatic half truth out there. "i would not be expecting some lord, no". all that was left was to pray he understood the implication.

[sciientiae]

𝐰𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧.

wyllas had set about to enjoy himself during the festival, something he had not done in quite some time, already most excited for the joust. there was a solid set of contenders, though a few names he barely recognized. with the baratheon betrothal behind their family, he no longer had a guilt carried above his head, allowing himself to daydream a bit as he watched the crowd. at the sound of another voice, he started slightly before relaxing once wyllas realized it was simply ayleen sitting beside him. “ lady ayleen, do you not wish to sit with your sister to watch the tourney?” he gave her an easy smile, laughing at her question. “ yes, but which brother i have yet to decide. were you aware theodore carried such feelings lady manderly?” 

𝐬𝐡𝐞  𝐥𝐞𝐭  𝐨𝐮𝐭  𝐚  𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡  she  didn’t  even  register  holding .  it  seemed  the  lord  had  also  decided  to  put  everything  behind  them ,  and  for  that  ayleen  was  deeply  grateful .  settling  in  more  in  her  seat ,  newly  relaxed ,  she  shook  her  head  —  theodore’s  favour  request  was  a  complete  surprise ;  after  all  that  had  happened  with  stefan  a  mere  week  earlier ,  she  wasn’t  sure  if  all  the  romance  wasn’t  beginning  to  reach  parody  levels ,  not  that  she  herself  wasn’t  complicit .  “ not  at  all !  i  don’t  even  recall  having  spoken  much  to  lady  manderly ,  i  can  only  wonder  when  that  all  could  have  started .  then  again ,  i  had  no  idea  about  lady  emmelyne  either .  it  would  seem  harboring  deep  secret  feelings  is  somewhat  of  a  family  staple  by  this  point ” .  she  narrowed  her  eyes .  “ were  you  aware  of  this  manderly  business ? “

[sciientiae]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝  𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 :  𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦  𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲  /  @perfervvidus​ .

𝐬𝐡𝐞  𝐰𝐚𝐬  𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡  the  many  small  bottles  of  various  ointments  and  tinctures  the  medic’s  tent  for  the  king’s  joust  had  been  supplied  with ,  some  of  which  ayleen  could  recognize ,  many  more  —  not  so  much .  she  was  eager  to  learn  though  —  with  how  preoccupied  she’d  been  with  stefan’s  trial ,  she  had  no  time  to  spend  on  research ,  much  less  anything  practical .  besides ,  she’d  missed  lord  tarly  greatly .  “ the  crown  spared  no  expenses ,  it  would  seem ” ,  she  remarked ,  holding  one  of  the  tinctures  up  to  the  light  coming  from  the  tent  door .  “ are  they  expecting  something  to  happen ?  i  suppose  it’s  not  out  of  the  question  with  a  killer  still  at  large . ”

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𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝  𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 :  𝐰𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬  𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧  /  @gcldenflwer .

𝐡𝐨𝐰  𝐬𝐡𝐞  𝐡𝐚𝐝  𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝  𝐰𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬  during  stefan  and  jeyne’s  short-lived  betrothal  weighed  heavy  on  ayleen’s  conscience .  well ,  not  exactly  —  what  he'd  done  was ,  frankly ,  an  idiotic  move ,  but  at  least  no  lasting  harm  was  done .  and  regardless ,  she  missed  their  once  uncomplicated  friendship .  the  sole  issue  was  apologizing  —  it's  only  natural  someone  as  stubborn  as  her  would  have  issues  there .  but  what  had  to  be  done  had  to  be  done ,  and  with  the  joust  soon  to  begin ,  it  seemed  like  the  perfect  moment .  ayleen  approached  the  lord  from  behind ,  wringing  her  hands .  this  had  no  right  to  be  this  difficult .  “ lord  wyllas ” ,  she  began ,  settling  on  the  stands  next  to  him .  “ hoping  to  see  my  brother  thrown  off  his  horse ? ”

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𝐞𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫.

the deafening slam of those incessantly obvious wooden doors with their ornate fixtures staring back at her. no , they were glaring back at her. frozen where she stood moments before when things seemed right for a moment in time. at least his presence was still felt but now … her soul already longing and reaching. eyes trained on the exit stefan had been thrust towards. emme’s glance becoming almost catatonic until aerea’s grasp fell away from the arm she was struggling against. tears threatening but the presence of so many to witness , she could only hold her head high enough to push past the throng of people. the same people that would not voice any apprehension towards her lord’s arrest. then again … she had not done so either. but his sight on hers was enough to know she had to stay silent for now and for the both of them. what she had not expected was bumping into someone as she tried to make an escape. — and not just anyone. maybe the seven gods were trying to prove something. “ lady ayleen. “ tilting her head down to show her respect to a sister unawares , quickly blurting out “ … i understand. “ taking hold of lady baratheon’s hand “ come with me. “

𝐟𝐞𝐰  𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬  𝐢𝐧  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝  could  captivate  ayleen  as  well  as  a  mystery  —  and  this  certainly  was  one .  still  reeling ,  she  allowed  herself  to  be  led  out  of  the  sept  by  the  taller  woman ,  and  as  she  forced  herself  to  even  out  her  breathing  and  her  more  rational  thoughts  slowly  returned  to  her ,  the  lady’s  mind  began  buzzing  with  questions .  what  would  —  or  what  could  their  house  do  to  free  stefan ?  how  could  the  king  even  come  to  think  her  brother  a  murderer ?  was  someone  framing  him ?  if  so ,  who ?  and  finally  —  what  did  this  lady ,  who  ayleen  could  just  about  recognize ,  mean  by  what  she  had  just  said ?  she  decided  to  prioritize  —  perhaps  she  could  at  least  get  an  answer  to  that  last  question  before  going  completely  mad .  once  the  two  were  in  some  empty  corridor ,  hopefully  far  from  unwanted  eyes  or  ears ,  she  slipped  her  hand  out  of  the  other’s  grip .  “ lady  celtigar ”  —  she  decided  not  to  try  using  a  first  name ,  she  was  never  good  at  remembering  those ,  better  not  to  say  one  at  all  than  get  it  wrong  —  “ . . .why ? ”  is  all  she  managed  to  say  before  a  new  thought  appeared  in  her  mind ,  fueled  by  the  paranoia  her  siblings  used  to  joke  she  was  so  prone  to  —  “ do  you  know  something  about  this  crime ?  did  you  have  something  to  do  with  it ? ”

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“We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side.”

— Khalil Gibran

[sciientiae]

𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫.

as  expected  of  tommen  ,  he  dutifully  mourns  the  grand  maester  —  no  need  for  him  to  fake  tears  when  westeros  still  valued  strong  warriors  with  no  emotion  .  the  lannister  lion  holds  no  love  for  the  deceased  florent  but  he  did  spent  hours  stuck  with  the  maester  and  his  apprentices  :  healing  and  nurturing  his  wounds  ,  even  the  rare  broken  leg  .  however  ,  never  in  a  million  years  did  the  the  blonde  expect  the  dramatic  scene  in  front  of  him  :  stefan  baratheon  dragged  away  by  the  royal  guards  ,  perhaps  funeral  rites  are  entertaining  after  all  .  he  moves  closer  ,  others  quickly  making  space  for  the  tall  son  of  a  great  house  until  someone  ran  into  him  .  loud  groan  escapes  chapped  lips  ,  hand  moving  through  his  golden  waves  as  eyes  formed  tiny  slivers  .  “  my  lady,  are  you  all  right  ?  ”  he  asks  ,  always  the  gentleman  ,  perfecting  the  role  of  a  lifetime.  “  perhaps  you  need  to  sit  down  somewhere,  have  a  quick  bite  to  regain  energy.  ”  blue  eyes  gave  a  quick  glance  to  the  sept  doors  but  ultimately  landed  on  the  raven  -  haired  lady  .

𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧  𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫  𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝  𝐚𝐭  navigating  the  social  functions  necessitated  by  her  station ,  much  to  the  frustration  of  her  parents ,  her  septa ,  even  her  siblings  sometimes .  but  —  to  give  her  credit  —  nothing  could  have  prepared  the  lady  for  barreling  straight  into  a  lord  of  house  lannister  while  chasing  her  newly  arrested  brother .  tommen’s  voice  snapped  her  back  into  reality  as  her  mind  finally  began  to  cease  spinning .  unfortunately ,  she  wasn’t  perfectly  mannered  at  the  best  of  times .  “no ,  my  lord”  —  she  spoke ,  a  frown  forming  on  her  face  —  “i  am  not  alright .  does  it  need  asking  about ?  i  don’t  think  eating  will  better  this  situation ,  do  you ?”

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𝐣𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐧.

her world had descended into chaos without warning & her heart ached with the knowledge that her brother had been taken – dragged from their family. this was an insult to their house and she could not help the mix of rage & pain that stirred inside her. she had swallowed her pride with the interrogations, hoping that everything had been settled, and now stefan was charged with murder. her eyes searched frantically for her other siblings, as she became lost in a crowd of people, & she started to wonder if they had managed to leave the sept. that was until her sister came barreling into her. “leena !” jocelyn exclaimed. it took her a moment to steady them both, but she did not waste time in taking hold of her sister’s arm and guiding her towards the doors of the sept. “hold onto me. we must find theodore, he will know what to do.” 

𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧  𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐝  𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐥𝐲  even  in  her  sister’s  firm  grip .  she  couldn’t  exactly  grasp  her  emotions  with  much  precision  in  this  moment  —  or  any  moment  —  but  some  part  of  her  didn’t  think  it  was  fear  that  caused  it .  it  may  have  been  the  fury  of  their  house’s  words ,  but  most  likely ,  it  was  desperation  in  its  purest  form .  only  jocelyn’s  hold  on  her  arm  was  tethering  her  to  where  she  stood ,  keeping  her  from  running  after  their  brother  until  her  legs  gave  out .  “jossie” ,  she  finally  spoke ,  her  voice  much  weaker  than  even  she  herself  expected .  hearing  her  sister’s  plan  as  they  made  for  the  exit ,  ayleen  frowned .  “will  he ?  can  anyone  know  what  do  to ?  did  we  secretly  plan  for  our  brother’s  arrest  for  reasons  that  are  truly  beyond  me ?”  these  words ,  however ,  held  none  of  the  bite  they  normally  would  have .

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说英雄谁是英雄 | Heroes, Episode 34 ° Yang Chaoyue as Wen Rou

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𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐧.

        seeing  his  little  sister  so  nervous tore at his heart, and even though he’d done no wrong, at least not what they accused him of, he found guilt forming a pit in his stomach. he’d always hated worrying his siblings. when his sister’s shawl fell, he quickly picked it up and held it out to her.        ❝  one of the kingsguard said something about the servant meeting with someone wearing our house colors.  ❞        it’d been a passing comment. stefan wondered if it’d been said on accident for the rest of his questions, and he’d shouted many, had gone unanswered.        ❝  do they think us stupid?  ❞         his expression twisted. stefan had a solid grasp on his strengths and weaknesses, navigating the political game belonging to the latter, but even he knew better. only someone who wanted to be caught, or wanted someone else caught, went to a secret meeting in easily identifiable clothes.

𝐬𝐡𝐞  𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐰𝐥  𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦  𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐧  without  sparing  it  a  glance .  ayleen  was  in  her  element  now  —  perhaps  not  the  most  reasonable  feeling  to  have  while  visiting  one’s  imprisoned  brother ,  but  finding  clues ,  constructing  something  feasible  out  of  bits  and  pieces  —  this  she  knew ,  and  it  had  a  clear  purpose .  as  long  as  there  was  a  purpose ,  ayleen  could  go  on .  she  could  make  sure  no  actual  consequences  reach  stefan  when  he  so  clearly  hadn’t  committed  the  crime .  upon  hearing  what  her  brother  managed  to  make  out  of  the  master  of  whisperer’s  evidence ,  her  eyebrows  shot  up .  “that’s  what  they  are  basing  this  entire  farce  on?”  something  like  the  beginning  of  a  laugh  escaped  her  lips ,  though  hardly  appropriate  given  the  circumstances .  “surely  the  king  must  be  going  senile  or  lady  dayne  is  playing  some  horrid  joke  on  us . . .  or  it  was  she  who  ordered  the  deed .”

[sciientiae]

𝐰𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 .

wyllas hesitated, a bit confused as to ayleen’s disposition towards him, more use to the two of them getting along fairly well. “ that doesn’t mean i care about you or your wellbeing any less, lady ayleen.” he smiled warmly at her. “ i feel as if though you are one of my sisters, and soon enough you shall be, yes? once stefan and jeyne have wed. i’m quite excited for it, I have always enjoyed wedding celebrations.”

𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞  𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐧  𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝  𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩  𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 ,  “yes ,  i’m  quite  sure  you  have”  slipped  from  between  her  lips  in  response  to  the  lord’s  last  statement .  now  she  was  seriously  regretting  leaving  her  chambers  that  morning  —  sometimes  she  wondered  whether  a  life  of  hermitage  would  suit  her  better  if  it  meant  she  wouldn’t  have  to  endure  torture  such  as  this .  “well ,  my  lord ,  you’ve  certainly  done  everything  in  your  power  to  make  that  happen .  and  for  that  we’re  all  grateful .”  she  bit  her  tongue  immediately after  finishing  the  sentence ,  an  absurdly  belated  reaction .

[sciientiae]

SHE SAT ALONE in her chambers at night, piercing stare cast upon the parchment before her, as if willing it to reveal some secret. hastily written sentences wee just as quickly crossed out as she muttered to herself — a habit her septa back at storm's end had tried to get rid of for years to no avail.

partly against her will, she thought of storm's end — of home. how did it all come to this? what felt like centuries ago, as she ran through the gardens after her siblings, she had never for a second thought she would be here, in king's landing, sat at a table at the hour of the owl thinking of defenses for her brother's trial. well, it was stefan. she may have thought of that once or twice. but it was never in all seriousness, never so large and inescapable as it was now, as the unspoken possibility of losing their brother forever loomed over the baratheons' heads.

even the thought alone felt blasphemous, or in some superstitious way wrong, as if even entertaining the possibility could shift stefan's final fate. to think that she so recently worried only about idiotic betrothal drama! ayleen forced herself to look upon the parchment once more, her eyes having shifted to the window, the view now suspiciously blurry. she still had her mind, and as long as she did, the baratheons would never truly be doomed. as she blinked furiously, the last sentence she's written met the same end as its predecessors, crossed out multiple times, an inkblot forming next to it. suddenly, struck by inspiration, the lady began writing furiously, her other hand curling up into a fist against the table.

"as such, i can be confident in my knowledge of his character", ayleen muttered, writing the same words. "lord stefan baratheon is not treacherous, he is a man true to his word." her scribbles grew less and less comprehensible to anyone who wasn't her, but she paid it no mind. she held on tight to the only way she could help her brother ever see the gardens of storm's end again.

[sciientiae]

open starter!

AS THEY DRAGGED STEFAN out of the sept, ayleen could swear she felt the floor swaying under her feet. she’d always liked to think of herself as perfectly rational, never the slave of passions — even as... recent events had already proven that to be a bit of a stretch to say the least. yet in this moment all that lady ayleen baratheon, woman of science, could do was make a desperate attempt at running after the guards who had taken her brother away — making her way through the crowd of mourners was difficult, even as she used her elbows and ducked in a rather undignified fashion — before finally running headlong into someone unfortunate enough not to get out of the way. “oh!” left her mouth first. then, “my apologies, i have to– i need to–” she attempted to regain her composure, yet all she could muster was a vague gesture towards the doors of the sept, stefan and the guards long gone.