#𝐃𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐖 ◤ 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ◢

[godspecd]

@daviostyrell

the night’s festivities was the last thing she had to endure each day, and the first day seemed to be full of such splendor. She had hoped that such blinding lights and unlimited alcohol would cause her go into a haze of joy as she was brought to dance with the many lords that seemed to be attracted to such wedding festivities. She only had three drinks, but it seemed she had forgotten the first rule when being spun, and that was to keep focus on something in the room. her smile and laughter seemed to lighten up each of her partners, all of them seemingly eager to make a lasting impression on her for any future needs of theirs. 

dyana could feel a new hand grab at her own and she was prepared to dance with yet another lord, but immediately she felt almost snapped out of reality by the face she gazed upon. her smile fell ever so slightly, as her breath was caught in her throat as she exchanged glances with him. she wished she could have stopped, but it seemed far too many eyes were fixated on her that it would make her sudden change of mood obvious. so instead, she curtsied to him as she did with all new dance partners, before straightening herself back up. 

“lord tyrell, i do apologize for this inconvenience.” she stated, stepping forward slightly so only the two of them could hear their exchanged dialogue. “after all, i’m sure i’m the last person you wish to dance with.” she retorted, her smile a mere facade of her true feelings. 

[godspecd]

where: on the coastal beach beyond the wall of the great keep of pyke, on one’s way towards lordsport when: month 4 of the seven months of hell for westeros who: ryamis redwyne @ryamisredwyne​

this coast, this boulder she was perched on, this breeze and this sight, it was the only thing unchanging it seemed. it was a much needed break away from the great keep, from the towers that made her home so grand and terrifying. intimidation was a classic tactic it seemed on the iron islands, and this keep was not meant for any visitors to truly ever visit and enjoy. it allowed no intrusions, sometimes the harlaw woman simply felt the keep pushing her out to gather herself so she could return and be the fierce and enigmatic ruler the iron islands needed. she would never protest it, as she sat by the beach front after walking the shores barefoot to gather whatever seashells had emerged in the past two months that she had been gone. 

the bracelet she had made was completed as she head the familiar crunch of feet on sand near her. yet she expected no visitors. slowly, her head moved towards her new found visitor, her eyes still on her bracelet as she ran her fingers through the shells. finally, her furrowed brows that was directed to her small creation would be directed towards ryamis, and the concentration she had was almost instantly lost. suddenly, she realized the goosebumps she had on her arm, how her shawl was the only thing that kept her shoulders from freezing. yet, it didn’t feel like it mattered. her mind was almost completely blank, except for the thoughts that seemed to arise that came when he would appear. he always showed up in the nick of time, he always found himself by her side. it was comforting, confusing but comforting. she felt her gaze soften, usually darkened black gaze revealing the sweet browns that lied underneath. 

“hi.” her voice was coarse, it was almost hard to muster words out. “what time is it?”

[godspecd]

where: the iron islands, the sea tower when : month 4 of the seven months of hell in westeros who : ames harlaw @amesharlaw

if only someone could see the two harlaw sisters. how horribly broken they had been. in this scene, one could hear how the rushed steps of the remaining elder harlaw uncle attempting to climb the roped bridge that divided this tour to the rest of the great keep in pyke. he was summoned by one of dyana’s handmaidens, as they soon came to realize just critical of a state their lady had become. thank god dyana’s staff was all paid handsomely for their ability to keep their mouths SHUT. a long tradition in the harlaw family, her mother would tell her to continue it. after all, who wanted their house to be gossiped about outside of the walls of the great keep? or even within it? it also helped that dyana was just desperately in need to ensure aurore never heard of her breakdowns. she didn’t need to be reminded how much stronger her sister had been, how her sister could just silently clench her fists on a sponge and scrub away at a boat to get her feelings out. 

dyana’s will had been finalized, hidden away and stashed somewhere in the great keep. her great council had significantly decreased, aurore’s seat now being replaced with victarion. all were made aware that dyana had made a will, but only sigfryd and ames were made aware of where to find it if she didn’t have to write a new one. the thoughts that plagued her mind were tremendous, hauntingly so. her dreams wouldn’t leave her alone and she tried to hide in the sea tower the day before. yet, upon waking up to yet another night terror, her cries wouldn’t stop. she didn’t have her nuse maiden anymore to comfort her, nor did she have euron and lani to remind her to stop screaming. after all, she was dreadfully scary as euron remarked once.

she would find herself gasping for air and curled up in a ball against the black cold old stone of the tower when her uncle arrived. it was a breathing alike hyperventilation. if she stopped, she would die. if she stopped, the cold air would stop entering her lungs. if she stopped, she would begin to taste the horrible taste of ash in her throat. the heat of her own body was an enemy as it only felt to escalate to unbearable levels. her fingernails scratched at her arms as if flames still danced near them, enough to cause her panic. she was awake, the night terror ended but this...this attack wasn’t. she felt like she lost everything in king’s landing, anything in front of her was forgotten as she only could hear the giggles of alanis harlaw in the fire slowly turn to screams. aurore’s hand was above the bush that just lit aflame in front of her. dyana saw it turn to ash right before her hands. davios’ firm grip on her was long lost already, his touch and the memory provided no comfort. she was alone in the pyre, with only the phantoms of her family both dead and alive telling her to just give up. 

[godspecd]

@ccstaway​    ━     for alanis harlaw

there were always some simple comforts, things so reliable and unchanging. while many saw alanis’ complete unpredictability and irresponsibility, dyana saw someone dedicated to the craft that was the enjoyment of their life. alanis had always been someone she greatly admired, and someone she would ensure experienced only the best in life. while she could never be quite as entertaining as euron’s swords or aurore’s crew, dyana knew that what she provided was a home to always return to when one was ready to rest their weary bones from much travelling. unsurprisingly, alanis’ absent was always felt, and their presence highly indulged in. 

it wouldn’t be different now, as she found her sister amongst the crowd that had gathered at the jousting tournament. finally, the last one and the greatest of them all. thank god, as it was a much welcomed distraction from her shared dance with davios and the seeming pain it brought, though much relief it had granted her. now, she could simply be with her sister. “who are you betting on? my money is on daemon.” she regarded, putting an arm around her sister as they grabbed a snack before the match. “though, to be frank, i’m simply praying we see a pleasant match. i would hate to see the king upset with daemon lost. that would surely be awkward, don’t you think?” she retorted, her smile giving way at her jest.

[godspecd]

dyana: how can you be friends with trystane after he humiliated your sister and destroyed her marriage?

One could see how unimpressed the ruling lady was at the question, taking a moment to admire her breath in the cool air before she spoke. "perhaps i should remind you that most of these ruling lords cheat on their wives, and vice versa. any who don't are already dead, or will be dead soon or later. it seems the only people that survive long enough are cheaters and well, look at us." she remarked, annoyance evident. dyana had been the other woman, she knew well how it was to be in trys' position. yet there was a transparency that was shared that made her actions somehow more alright. trystane wasn't given the curtesy to know about aurore and wyllas. he was truly hidden, no insight given to him. her sister was just the unfortunate wife. though, regardless, it would be better for her marriage to be destroyed and get a divorce than stay in such a loveless marriage. "you should redirect that accusation towards wyllas, and i'll stand by trystane and aurore through their choices on how they recover from the poor decision making abilities that their lover and husband respectively did." @flvvrpetals @crvwnfought @aurorecaron

[godspecd]

(dyana) do you think you're the next harlaw death?

there was a bitterness that grew on her face at the mere insinuation of such a thing. she could feel the snarl grow as she spoke. "i bet you would love to see that." but she couldn't deny that she has longed thought of said truth. she longed believed that her time with the drowned god should have arrived already and yet here she was. she could have died already, she had an occasion to do so and yet a savior had come for her. of course it was bitter sweet, the form of her former lover emerging from the hellfire as if he was impenetrable. was that meant to be a sick joke, or a reminder who she belonged to? that she was never meant to be an ironborn her whole life, that she was meant to be wed off already to a southerner since she seemed to fit into their world far better than that of the iron islands. "unfortunately, i believe whatever god has decided to make a game out of my life would much rather see me suffer just a bit more before he decides i'm no longer fun to watch."

[godspecd]

(dyana) do you think your betrothal will actually see itself through?

the silence after the question was evident that a subject had been broached that she didn't desire to touch on. her betrotha had been many things, and its main purpose for it was now long lost seeing as she wouldn't need more fleets to distribute to siblings who were now long dead. yet, it had begun to turn into something more than she had anticipated. she could feel herself shift from one foot to another, as her gaze lowered to the ground. " i would like it to. though, i suppose that wasn't the question. " she sighed. "i wouldn't doubt it if it fell through, but i would also like to think that ryamis has the right to his own decisions as did i when we constructed this betrothal and that both of us are aiming to wed quite soon." @ryamisredwyne

[godspecd]

when: second day at staerdale for : aurore harlaw @aurorecaron​

dyana would recognize her sister’s figure in any crowd. the harlaws always had a unique figure, an aura that was palpable from miles away. perhaps dyana was biased, perhaps it was years of being by her side and attempting to still feel her sisters presence when she was oceans’ away. dyana always tried to hard to prevent herself from getting pessimistic. she had built walls up for years since she was younger that kept her blind to the things her sisters coveted. years she attempted to ignore the iron fleet, years she tried to ignore her craving for freedom. years she learned to lick the pain of imprisonment off her open wounds, she learned how to hyper fixate on the things that truly belonged to her. nobody wanted it, nobody in her family desired this throne but dyana learned to love it. at least, try to. dyana was always like that, from a young age she had little regard for what actually made her happy. she learned to adore the small things granted to her. after all, her father had always made a point to remind her that she would be on this throne for far longer than she’d ever care to be. for the ruling lady to cope, she needed to find these small joys. unless, one wanted a ruler who desired nothing but war 

then again, it seemed dyana wouldn’t be lacking in the department of war. dyana didn’t need to be part of a war, her people didn’t need to be part of a war. yet, her sister seemed fully immersed on this diplomatic mission of hers. the first opportunity at freedom and yet aurore found herself yet again in another battle. dyana wished she would simply stop, to take a moment to consider her actions and what that would mean. to stop to think for a moment what her involvement in the north could entail, could enrage. dyana was sympathetic, she understood and she supported rohan. damn, she supported henry with her entire being. yet, with dyana’s recent trauma and her experience and beliefs, aurore was threading on a fine line that could cost their entire houses’ survival. they already replaced one great house, dyana didn’t want to be alive and be the cause to yet another burning of an ironborn family (not that there was much left anyways). 

yet, all these thoughts, were all only quietly brewing in dyana’s mind. she couldn’t argue, she cant. she’s already done so much arguing with her sister, emotionally she couldn’t cope with anything further. the only people that new of dyana’s thoughts were ames and sigfryd. she was sure ryamis was catching on but she didn’t dare try to plague that man’s mind with politics. not yet. she didn’t want to involve him until they were wed, until it was certain their fates were interlocked by the drowned god himself. 

dyana found the solemn look that graced her features was quickly replaced with that of a smile as she excused herself from her quarters and those in attendance before running off. it was all a facade, but she had been learning to use it once more. the blue silks of her dress seemed to flow as the air went through it. she looked almost phantom like, the only indication of life was the tint of her olive skin. before dyana turned the corner to go towards the courtyard, she allowed the facade to drop. it was in that moment, she just wished they were children again. for the past seventeen years, they had been so far away both physically and emotionally. dyana lived her life and aurore lived her own. they both processed things so different, thought of things so differently, and yet as children they always seemed to find a way to be together. it brought a tear to her eyes as her eyes watered, thinking of the times they would be caught by their parents. how their giggles could be heard on the beach front of pyke, how their guard’s firm grip on their tiny waist and their father’s booming voice never truly bothered the sisters because they had each other. dyana knew aurore had her back, always remembered her and loved her. somewhere deep, within her soul, she knew this truth. yet, such things seemed to be lost as their survivals were now dependent on completely different matters. 

with that, dyana tried to think solely of what their relationship was founded on. she had to, she had to understand. she prayed and begged the gods that she could understand. dyana would kill for her and aurore to return back to their childhood selves, held by the waist back by their most beloved protectors (though they never needed such men), and fill the ocean’s air with their laughter. 

“aurore harlaw!” it was a name that dyana would only recognize aurore now. no caron title, nor karstark title could ever change who aurore was to dyana in the end of the day. she was a harlaw, nobody could take that away. “how does it feel to be at staerdale? interesting name, no?”

[godspecd]

who : davios tyrell @ @knightsfcll​ when : day one of arriving to new valyria

dyana knew things had gotten bad in the reach, she could recall when she received the news of davios and his loss, but she hadn’t realized just how bad it had gotten. maybe that was why there was a pit sensation in her stomach when she spotted the man she once loved so dearly. her eyes diverted from her limited staff that she brought from the iron islands as they hurriedly went to seek out her lord uncle ames to see what quarters they would be placed in. her dismissal wasnt granted, but many knew that when dyana walked away so abruptly, it was for a reason. once again, as she had done all those years back, she was dressed in the finest iron island fashion, the blues so dearly accentuating her as they always did before. it wasn’t long until dyana found herself alone with davios in a hidden corridor, ust as they always did. always hidden, always a secret. the stench of alcohol was strong, it was almost repulsive. though mainly, it was concerning. she understood the grief, she truly did. yet, the davios she knew wouldnt drown his sorrows so horridly. he had class, he had taste, he was a man who was silent like her. though then again, a lot could have changed. certainly things changed for her. 

“lord tyrell, how did you consume so much already? i can smell it from across the hall.”

[godspecd]

@shesiren​ for tommen lannister where : near the lannister quarters

dyana had hoped to have gone unnoticed towards the lannister quarters to seek out momentarily companionship in the form of cassian lannister, since she had noticed almost everybody from the keep retreating from their prison to go see all the competitions, games and entertainment being provided by the king. dyana found that while it had only been a few days since her brother’s death, she long learned the art of completely indulging her emotions so she could go back to pretending all was well for all in court days after. such was the occasion, as she filled any sort of sensation of sadness or grief with either the company of men and women or in precious liquor from dorne. 

she slowed her steps when she spotted tommen leaving from the lannister quarters, attempting to listen to see if a voice would arise from behind the doors. when she heard nothing, she looked toward tommen for a moment, before realizing that perhaps she should care the same amount of shame as he did, which was none. “you wouldn’t happen to know if anyone else was still in your quarters, would you?” she asked, a slight smile on her face as she approached the man. “or perhaps i could ask you to keep me company for the day.” she suggested, eyebrows lifted as she took a look over the lannister man before gazing at him through her lashes. 

[godspecd]

@crvwnfought​

dyana was hardly in the mental state that would be deem safe for her to be alone. yet, she didnt wish for any company. not even the company of her siblings was enough to comfort her. as the night began to dawn, she could feel the presence of someone behind her, almost waiting for her to turn around. dyana didn’t care, she had no care to be hospitable, even when her tutors and priests would demand her to put her feelings to the side and ensure proper greetings were shown. she sniffled as she tried to stop the tears from once again flowing, her legs weak from being up for so long. but dyana wouldn’t give him to her body’s natural calling to fall. she had to go back to the Keep and she couldn’t be so distraught. what kind of ruling lady would she be, if she couldn’t face the crowds and pretend she was proud for her brother’s sacrifice? euron proved a man’s innocence, that was honorable. he served his king the best he could, just as their mother desired. yet, dyana felt anything but proud. 

she turned slightly towards her new companion, attempting to keep her composure in case it was someone she had to hide her true emotions form. yet, the second they laid on trystane’s face, her face instantly cracked into the fullest crescent moon. dyana had few friends she could call upon, those who weren’t her family who she could tell everything to. yet, it seemed that trystane was one of those few. instantly, she could feel her lips quiver as she tried to muster words to come out of her mouth, but nothing came. there was no train of thought in her mind, simply screams and cries of grief and agony.

only her actions could speak as she instantly found her legs moving towards trystane and she collapsed into his chest, a wail being released like no other. she had noticed how he had tried to comfort her the instant her brother was slain, but it seemed the ironborn guards were all too prepare to hold anyone from reaching over to comfort their ruling family. it didn’t go unnotice, and dyana was sure to make a point to thank him for his efforts regardless, and for his appearance at the shore with her. 

[godspecd]

for dyana; if you could marry for love & for yourself who would you choose?

"only my sister and uncle know the name of said man. but i've long since accepted the fact that it will never happen. so why dwell on it any further?" she remarked, her tone final as she continued to read the papers in front of her. yet, it seemed her company wouldn't leave her without an answer and dyana sighed. she took a second to look up before leaning back into her chair. her eyes were pensive, memories that once were filled her mind and only the slightest of smiles graced the corners of her lips. "i would have married davios tyrell once upon a time. though, presently, as time sees itself, i doubt he'd allow me near his heart the way i used to be. perhaps i'd marry henry, he's always been such a close friend of mine, and does not all love stem from friendship?" she stated, sure that this answer would stir some drama. yet, a hand fell to her lips at the idea of marrying for love. while her betrothal wasn't love, there was certainly something there and she couldn't deny it. she hoped this brewing would turn into that of love, or something stronger than the papers they would sign on their wedding day. after all, she had already so adored baby ros. she wondered how much she could come to admire ryamis as he was. perhaps her choice in betrothal was truly meant to be, just perhaps. @knightsfcll @prodiiteur

[godspecd]

dyana; if it was sigfryd who died instead of euron, would you be somewhat relieved?

she could recall a member of her council asking her the same question when she returned to the iron islands. how quickly she responded, just as she was going to do so now. "there would be no amount of relief if either of them had died. while euron might be my blood, my youngest brother and the very boy i would commit so many horrors for, i would turn the waters to fire and ensure everyone died of thirst if they took sigfrid from me. what would give me relief would've been to see a stranger die than my own so-" she stopped herself, as the world lingered in the air. euron wasn't her son. just as alanis wasn't her daughter. yet, they felt like her own. "my own brother." she finished, the words stinging. @knightsfcll

[godspecd]

@daviostyrell​

her sister’s words of what they had done had been shocking. dyana had never told alanis about her rendezvous with davios tyrell, less the entirety of the story. it made her wonder if the letters she had sent to aurore were ever shared, or if they had somehow conspired to do this together. what spies did their parents have on dyana when she was so young that would spill her most intimate of secrets, her most tragic heartbreak? whoever it was that fueled the flames of her sister’s fury would be damned one day, if they weren’t already. there was a reason dyana didn’t tell alanis. her sister displayed immense selflessness when it came to dyana, and the eldest feared of the amount of turmoil she might cause herself for pretending all those years, for betraying a friendship that seemed so dear. after all, the heart always found a way to attach oneself even to the things it hated the most. dyana would know, her heartstrings were still much attached to those who made her suffer the most. 

dyana wasn’t sure what she was going to say to him. while she didn’t know the entirety of the conversation, she knew that she had to ensure the clarity of the situation. she wasn’t sure what he believed, what lani had said to break his heart as he had. yet, there was not much to think about when she heard the door to the rooftop open. the banquet had just started only an hour ago, the sound of music escaping the halls desperately to be released ever so quietly to the winds outside. dyana and her staple black shawl that so intricately detailed out small white flowers in it like shadows would be the only way to recognize her. her blue dress peaked from underneath, not intended for him but intended for the crowds. after all, the harlaws were not just a symbol of death as the boltons. she had to remind herself of that. she turned towards the sound, finding him stopping far from her. dyana felt her mouth part but no words would escape. she found her hand once more reaching towards her lips, pressed against them as she desperately tried to find anything to say. they had much to jeopardize being together again, and yet, here she was risking it all once again. 

“this was the only place that i could think of where my sisters wouldn’t go trying to find me.” she remarked, knowing that he was aware of her fears of heights. while in pyke she had gotten used to the cliffs with a firm grip on her guards arm, or the balcony in which she could jump off into the waters beneath it and whatever rocks lied there, something was almost horrifying of only solid ground and nobody to catch her. the water was her safety net with heights, and that was always found back home. here, none of that existed. he knew this, she had showed him, the memory only serving as a reminder of his kindness towards her. “i heard what alanis did.” dyana wished nothing more than to run to him and hug him. “i want it to be clear that i wasn’t aware that they had been doing that. their travels while fascinating never divulged the friendship you shared with each other, nor the intentions behind it. if i had known, i wouldn’t have allowed it.” her voice began to break, just it always had done. “i never wanted them to know, she is the cruelest of my sisters but only because she means well. i wish i could apologize on her behalf but it feels wrong to do so. so take this as my apology for allowing her to find out to begin with.”

[godspecd]

for all: romantic entanglements you regret and why?

"we all have romantic entanglements we regret, do we not? mine was a lord from castlery rock. or was it lannisport? i can't remember. i've lost track." she playfully remarked. she truly didn't regret the lannister lovers she had, but they were the closest to the sentiment of regret. after all, it proved to dyana that sometimes she possessed absolutely no shame when it came to sharing herself within someone's family. what kind of woman was she, willing to be shared between brothers and then their uncle? it made her realize things about herself which was, "a pretty face is going to be filled with regrets to share with you. you better have space because you'll soon realize something has to be wrong with you. if you allowed yourself to get as far as i did."

"i usually dont make mistakes when it comes to my romantic entanglements. you'll have to bear with me, i have many names to go through." elif could feel herself getting comfortable as she allowed her brain to freely think for a brief moment. "lord thorne has been a pain in my ass lately, he's turning into such a bottom boy. i'm sure slowan did that. i probably should have never bedded olyvar. though thats so because it rather confused me. he's always confused me when it comes to his actions and his emotions. a sad thing, a man with such a GRAND asset shouldn't ever be that conflicted. it only proves to be dangerous for us women because - " she stopped herself before she could finish the sentence, a face flashing before her face and immediately giving her pause. "i would say aeron but that wasn't a romantic entanglement. marriage is not romantic, neither is a betrothal. that is all political. there is no room for such a thing to brew, even if one wanted it to. besides, regret is such a strong word. while i may not have enjoyed us being together, i do not regret what it taught me, what it led me to. " she remarked, taking a deep breath before speaking again. "you know who else was horrible?" and the ramblings continued as she began to speak in depth of a woman nobody knew about nor elif would name. @warsmade @servtudes

ishan took a moment to think, an arm on his knee as he sat against the wall. he wasn't much of a lovers man, he valued his relationships as they were and never aimed to make something more of it on accident. after all, he knew the consequences of being irresponsibility and he was not about to subject his family and his now-present wife to said decisions. "there was once a woman, a woman of the sea who was part of my crew for some time before she went off to marry an ironborn lord. she was quite captivating, the way a storm is. i wont reveal her identity in case she wishes to forget about me but i do remember her. she was - i mean is - still one of the very few woman i've considered to explore such a entanglement with. alas, it's in the past. i have no care for it anymore, as my dedication and devotion alone lies with my wife."

"i regret no entanglements of mine. i've always had such wonderful men surround me, surprisingly. or perhaps i was just blind to their flaws. after all, one may say i'm blind to even my husband's flaws."