#crvwncd

[disrcpairs]

“  if  you  have  a  daughter  ,  name  her  baela  .  ”  explanation  of  previous  night's  events  from  vantage  of  sylaisha's  eyes  always  antithesis  of  her  own  .  tempest  would  throttle  dalton  ,  curse  his  name  ,  number  of  different  things  yet  his  wife  held  the  still  grace  of  the  sea  rather  its  swirling  waters  that  had  marked  the  friendship  baela  held  with  her  husband  since  they  had  been  young .  “  it  would  prove  that  you  are  more  mine  than  his  ,  as  well  as  allow  me  to  annoy  him  til  the  end  of  his  days  .  baelon  ,  should  the  child  be  a  boy  .  we  can  tell  him  together  ,  if  you  wish  .  ”  iced  hues  twinkle  with  humor  as  she  knew  it  would  be  ,  yet  another  ,  hurdle  for  them  to  overcome  .  “  you  know  it  is  just  because  he  is  an  idiot  that  does  not  think  .  ”

closed starter : @crvwncd

[wcrfcres]

CLOSED STARTER ✦ @disrcpairs , @sunlaid , @crvwncd

dornish lord bear witness to the consequences of being drunk on wine and merriment . a liege from the reach stitched with boisterous laughs , brimming with impudence while seeking a dance with those nearby . if not for some of his companions , a mess would have been made at the table . ❝ well , that was ... interesting . ❞

[morewoe]

closed for @crvwncd

"Princess.  It  seems  as  though  we  have  been  paired  for  this  dance."  He  offered  his  hand  and  a  smile.  Forever  a  man  bound  by  his  ambitions,  he  certainly  would  not  pass  an  opportunity  to  make  acquaintance  of  one  of  the  Essosi  royals,  even  if  it  was  the  younger,  rather  than  the  Crown  Princess.  He  had  little  to  do  with  any  of  them,  even  in  King's  Landing,  and  was  curious  as  to  what  made  the  Queen  so  eager  to  ally  with  them,  and  what  better  time  to  find  out  than  a  celebration,  with  the  introductions  already  made  for  him  by  the  aquamarine  dance  card  given  to  him?  "If  there  is  any  reservations,  I  promise,  I  am  better  at  dance  than  I  am  at  the  joust."

[wcrfcres]

glorious news wraps him in a blanket of euphoria . cradled in a bed of sea foam , sang lullabies of waves folding on the shores of pyke , and peaceful evenings under the star scattered sky , rid of hauntings of all kinds , from slumber and those of memories . ❝ i'm going to be a father . ❞ he says it with relief , with utter reverence . the bliss silencing the static and murmurs that plague his waking moments , sharpened claws scratching at his periphery , and tattered silhouettes drawing themselves at distant views . the love of his life giving him more than reprieve , sylaisha was giving him a chance to live . his gaze moves from being lost in her eyes , to where his hands rested , on her stomach , where a gift greater than life itself grows . ❝ there's a baby in there , love . our baby . ❞ eyes once again meets that of his wife's , smile that had never dared upon him pulls on his lips . joy was overflowing like seawater scooped in his hands , features not crafted to hold great elation as he found himself , once more , at a loss for words . never has he imagined for a day to come when he can be stunned into silence . not when the ferocity of the ocean breathes in his flesh and bones . ❝ fuck , you would be such a great mother . ❞ both hands know rested on her stomach , cautious , gentle as he fought the overwhelmed shiver that threatens to overtake them . dalton leans into her touch , feeling more nervous as the reality of the revelation sinks in — i hope they take after you . never has he been more awed and terrified in his life than when he heard those words . ❝ no , no , i want them to take after you ... so brave , and sweet , and kind , and loving . and so beautiful . ❞ the captain can go on and on about all that his wife possessed . it is in the existence of it all that he feels at ease , that his shortcomings can be filled by her strengths , and this child will be all the wonderful things he is not .

sylaisha  released  a  soft  huff  of  laughter  ,  pleased  that  she  had  caught  him  off  guard  .  often  enough  it  was  the  other  way  that  dalton  spoke  things  that  fascinated  her  .  the  lamentations  of  his  god  ,  workings  of  the  court  she'd  just  grasped  ,  the  extent  of  his  devotion  to  the  islands  sylaisha  hadn't  thought  the  same  for  of  any  reign  before  her  ascent  into  nobility  .  "  close  your  mouth  ,  love  .  you  may  catch  flies  .  "  gentle  finger  curled  to  press  underneath  his  chin  ,  voice  softer  than  before  .  "  the  maesters  .  i  went  this  morning  following  unfortunate  days  of  sickness  i'd  thought  were  due  to  pollen  .  had  baela  not  forced  me  to  see  them  ,  we'd  still  be  unaware  .  "  her  hands  move  to  rest  on  top  of  his  briefly  before  they  lightly  move  to  bring  one  of  his  own  to  rest  atop  her  stomach  with  a  smile  stretched  wide  enough  to  crinkle  her  eyes  .  "  i  am  with  child  .  you're  going  to  be  a  father  .  "  eyes  softened  further  as  her  touch  left  him  briefly  to  smooth  fingers  across  his  cheekbones  .  "  the  sort  of  father  that  our  child  will  sing  their  praises  to  .  nurturing  ,  strong  ━━  the  one  that  you  wanted  to  have  .  an  embodiment  of  the  sea  with  her  gentleness  yet  storm  when  need  be  .  i  hope  they  take  after  you  .  "           

[insooth]

open starter ft. lady vereena caron. location: the grand ballroom || the hour: afternoon of the day after the ball accepting (4/5) – @ravasz, @crvwncd, @dearorphic, @disrcpairs, +1

“I see the stage remains set." Though shades of mundanity overtook the dramatics, now that the show was over, the picture of grandiosity was clear enough, enthralling all of the court to heed the whims of a select few. It would be disingenuous to say she simply 'didn't mind' missing the ball, and she had her own restless reasons for that, but– regardless, the notion of such a conniving little dance arrangement did not sit well with her. "No flourish spared for the spectacle." Slender fingers reach for one of the uncanny Tyrell blooms woven around a pillar, trailing through hardened, gold-dusted petals – token of the bold lavishness their hosts flaunted. A huff in soft amusement escapes her before she clasps at the stem and plucks it off with a deliberate twist. Its scent, brought to face, detestably sweet, as her wince betrays. Distaste not entirely wiped from semblance as violet orbs flicker at the liege in the room with her. “You were here for it, I'm guessing, my Liege. Did you dance to the Ruling Lady's tune?"

[celestei]

closed starter for dance card 5: @luvburn , @crvwncd , @dearorphic , @morewoe , @nob1es.

it's with calculated ease and grace that she walks through the crowd , heads turning to look at beauty incarnate . hair of pale silver blonde , eyes of enchanting lavender - only enhanced by the dress she wore ; layers of silk and tulle of like shades of lighter purple , teardrop shaped crystals decorating skirt and bodice giving her the appearance of the fairy of morning dew . sweet and gentle . those same crystals adorned her hair , thinly braided into soft strands . oh an image was she . " good evening , my liege , " she says , voice soft and melodic , lifting her card so the names can be read . " would you like to dance ? "

[steelfyre]

closed starter ›› baela velaryon + malaya dagareon , @disrcpairs + @crvwncd

smile  vanished  the instant  westerosi  lord finally departed. forwardness only appealing when it was desired, and laena was certain she'd rather never dance again than suffer through the company of one so obtuse. quiet distaste at an evening wasted over dances arranged by another's judgement might've had a silver lining if it had prevented such exchanges.  ❝ i'd almost forgotten how many nobles in westeros don't understand the signs of disinterest. ❞   she rolled her eyes and picked up a glass of wine.

[vencmovs]

allaria  gives  the  other  a  half  smile,  a  respectful  nod  as  she  admits  defeat  "that  observation  is  right,  i'm  afraid.  i  do  apologize  for  the  tone,  nonetheless."  the  lady  of  pyke  had  managed  to  evade  her  ladies  in  waiting  and  their  constant  reminders  of  behaving,  only  to  find  herself  almost  committing  a  faux  pas  at  another  the  minute  they  were  gone. while the environment at highgarden was peaceful and hospitable, there was still the lingering feeling of danger in the air "i  must  admit  i'm  a  bit  nervous  considering  everything  that  happened  last  time  we  were  all  together  in  one  place.  i  feel  like  we're  sitting  ducks  waiting  for  the  storm  to  come."

"  it  was  your  intention  to  be  rude  .  "  dovarsary  continued  her  descent  down  the  small  step  into  the  portion  of  the  gardens  where  the  other  meandered  ,  ladies  of  her  own  trailing  at  safe  distance  .  "  it  wasn't  your  intention  to  be  rude  ,  to  me  ,  you  mean  .  "  statement  of  fact  rather  than  admonishment  .  the  hightower's  already  stilted  pursuits  in  allowing  grace  to  soften  her  words  had  ceased  and  reasoning  for  her  trusted  ladies  to  have  space  between  them  .  "  with  the  tensions  as  they  are  it's  hard  for  anyone  to  not  find  themselves  annoyed  with  the  smallest  of  things  .  though  unfortunate  as  we  should  all  exhibit  restraint  and  temperance  ,  we  are  but  cogs  in  a  wheel  that  is  in  need  of  oil  .  "         

[proelium]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝  𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫  : @crvwncd

❛  it  would  be  remiss  of  me  to  not  ask  ,  so  i  hope  you  don't  take  offense  to  this  ,  sylaisha  ,  but  i  would  like  to  commission  you  for  a  few  more  gowns  if  possible  .  ❜  thalina  wouldn't  pretend  to  know  much  of  the  now  lady  greyjoy  ,  aside  from  the  work  her  family  had  done  for  her  own  .  laces  stitched  with  a  steady  hand  that  she'd  yet  to  find  again  ,  details  a  subtle  intricacy  house  brax  known  for  with  rich  colors  and  expertise  that  couldn't  be  duplicated  .  ❛  i  would  understand  if  you  chose  to  decline  with  your  new  standing  .  it's  hard  to  find  any  seamstresses  or  merchants  that  offered  the  skill  your  family  did  .  how  do  your  parents  fare  ,  by  the  way  ?  ❜  

[disrcpairs]

news  set  to  burst  on  tip  of  her  tongue  ,  certain  dove  could  see  excitement  thrumming  from  soles  of  her  feet  to  tips  of  her  ears  .  the  silence  of  their  shared  reading  space  proved  too  great  ,  a  secret  to  many  but  never  to  be  kept  from  dove  —  younger  attempted  to  find  words  that  would  not  sound  a  girl's  folly  but  when  had  she  ever  been  good  with  those  ?  “  i  kissed  someone  .   ”   blurts  out  ,  book  raised  to  hide  blushing  pink  cheeks  yet  feelings  of  fuzziness  yet  to  abate  .  butterflies  written  in  novels  settled  in  her  stomach  adjacent  in  feelings  of  guilt  a  sober  mind  conjured  .  “  i  want  to  do  it  again  ,  but  .  .  .  it  is  not  fair  to  lady  paege  .  we  are  not  married  but  she  is  my  betrothed  yet  .  .  .  it  seems  that  does  not  mean  i  should  not  explore  ?  ”  yet  she  knew  of  alysane's  disappointment  in  her  betrothed  from  public  slight  against  her  .  myrcella  would  know  nothing  of  it  .  “  am  i  a  horrid  for  wishing  to  have  kissed  him  more  ?  ”

closed starter : @crvwncd

[wcrfcres]

CLOSED STARTER ✦ sylaisha greyjoy ( @crvwncd )

in the confides of their chamber , he did not have to pretend . he was no ship captain , no mercenary , and certainly , no noble lord . he did not have to carefully curate his presence , to play the role of a fool , a quiet observer , not even a cunning ironborn . in the confides of their chamber , he only needed to be her husband . ❝ has today treated you kindly , my love ? ❞ if only knew how to find the right words to say , to not only show her but speak of it without it sounding like an apology for having placed upon her hands the burdens of the noble born . ❝ or has trouble found its way to you ? ❞ he teases , childlike smile brushing itself on the corners of his lips .

[morewoe]

@crvwncd said "i  believe  in  second  chances,  i  don’t  believe  in  third  chances."

"That  is  very  kind  of  you,  my  liege.  I  do  agree  that  mistakes  do  require  a  certain  amount  of  forgiveness.  But  I  also  find  that  my  propensity  for  doling  out  chances  is  directly  in  line  with  the  previous  offence.  Should  it  be  malicious,  lets  say,  then  I  am  far  less  forgiving,  and  far  less  likely  to  grant  the  opportunity  for  the  person  to  strike  again."  He  shrugged  his  broad  shoulders,  arms  crossed  in  front  of  his  chest.  It  was  likely�� not  an  unusual  stance  to  take,  though,  and  he  felt  quite  comfortable  with  sharing.  There  were  some  in  the  court  he  would  grant  no  forgiveness  and  no  more  chances  to,  but  she  knew  who  she  was.

[sapphircd]

closed   starter   for   : 𝐠𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞   𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭   &   𝐝𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲   𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫   @crvwncd

"  did  you  enjoy  yourself  last  night  ?  "  with  head  tilted  to  the  side  the  florent  looked  at  the  Hightower.  unexpected  friendship  had  seemed  to  form  between  the  two  over  the  years  and  with  an  unexpected  bond,  the  two  had  met  in  secret  enjoying  each  other's  company  and  bodies.  she  was  part  of  a  life  he  had  hidden  from  his  family,  a  secret  escape,  a  hole  in  his  father's  schemes  and  plans.  he  did  not  have  romantic  feelings  for  dove,  but  he  truly  did  appreciate  their  connection  ⸻  for  amongst  the  reach,  he  was  the  black  fox,  a  stain  upon  their  region  with  his  family.  but  she  did  not  care,  she  had  never  bothered  with  politics  when  it  came  to  him  and  that  was  the  main  reason  he  was  civilized  with  the  flower  of  house  hightower.

[morewoe]

"Where  should  I  place  it,  then?  I  bear  blame  enough  for  the  situation  we  find  ourselves  in."  In  the  eyes  of  her  parents,  at  least,  this  had  been  something  she  had  brought  onto  them,  a  failing  on  her  part  in  some  way.  The  whispers  she  had  heard  made  her  sound  undesirable,  for  a  woman  with  no  title  to  so  easily  pull  attention  from  her.  She  had  heard  others,  of  course,  but  none  had  followed  her  into  the  small  hours  of  the  night,  haunted  her  dreams  and  muttered  in  her  ear  the  very  words  she  had  feared.  "And  have  grown  stronger  for  it.  Cast  your  blame,  if  you  wish,  and  I  shall  carry  that  too.  But  I  have  little  sway  over  the  court.  If  you  find  opinion  falling  one  way  or  the  other,  perhaps  you  should  look  inwards."  She  smiled  at  that,  a  cold  thing.  She  had  never  bid  anyone  else,  besides  maybe  her  husband,  share  her  opinion  on  the  future  lord  and  lady  of  Pyke.  It  had  not  been  her  doing,  but  that  isn't  to  say  it  wasn't  delicious  to  see.  "Too  right.  I  apologise,  deeply,  for  overstepping."  She  is  careful  with  her  apology,  specific  to  the  situation  and  insincere  regardless.  "I  suppose  it  makes  no  difference,  now."  It  wasn't  as  though  she  could  turn  back  the  clock,  stop  the  resentment  from  forming  or  warn  younger  self  not  to  place  all  hopes  into  one  basket.  What  is  past  is  past,  and  there  was  no  way  but  forward.  "I  think  I  shall  find  better  wine  elsewhere."  She  leaves  her  cup  and  rises  slowly  from  her  seat  with  a  barely  contained  roll  of  her  eyes.  She  pushes  herself  to  make  it  look  intentional,  like  she  had  all  the  time  in  the  world,  rather  than  necessity  to  keep  her  leg  from  buckling  under  her.  "Enjoy  the  rest  of  your  evening."

"  misplaced  anger  like  that  of  a  petulant  child  .  shall  i  place  the  blame  for  my  experiences  onto  your  shoulders  for  you  to  bear  the  weight  of  as  well  ?  "  as  if  she  had  been  embraced  by  anyone  aside  from  her  husband  ,  least  of  all  surrounded  in  court  .  already  ,  she  felt  as  though  they  would  continue  to  circle  around  each  other  on  points  that  only  one  of  them  heard  from  the  other  and  accepted  .  aisha  saw  now  that  she  wouldn't  ever  find  peace  in  the  court  ,  even  far  from  the  rest  of  the  nobles  as  there  would  always  be  gysella  lannister  to  glare  at  her  back  .  it  was  exhausting  .  chin  moved  to  rest  on  the  palm  of  her  hand  ,  chocolate  gaze  no  longer  on  the  lannister  lady  ,  rather  ,  the  various  others  that  milled  about  .  "  i'm  sure  we  have  many  things  in  common  .  "  unfortunate  ,  they  would  likely  never  know  what  those  commonalities  were  .  sylaisha  looked  back  to  gysella  then  ,  calculated  as  she  watched  her  before  she  shook  her  head  .  "  then  you  won't  find  what  you  look  for  here  .  i  owe  nothing  to  you  to  feel  as  though  i  should  lay  myself  bare  so  that  you  will  better  understand  a  choice  that  wasn't  made  by  me  .  especially  as  ,  even  with  understanding  ,  i  doubt  you'll  accept  it  .  "  the  anger  and  bitterness  weren't  emotions  that  they  shared  .  all  aisha  had  ever  wanted  since  agreeing  to  marry  dalton  greyjoy  was  to  find  a  way  to  exist  peacefully  with  her  husband  and  support  him  in  all  that  he  desired  .  she'd  stepped  into  cool  waters  and  fire  ,  doubly  ,  since  first  going  to  pyke  to  tread  water  and  dodge  hurled  insults  at  her  ,  her  standing  ,  her  parents  ━━  she  didn't  give  a  damn  about  any  of  it  .  dalton's  choice  had  been  made  ,  and  as  he  would  protect  her  ,  she  would  honor  him  .  "  i  have  nothing  for  you  ,  aside  for   wine  should  you  like  more  .  "           

[crowncost]

addressed  to  :  dovasary  hightower @crvwncd

the  one  person  she  had  to  tread  carefully  around  and  it  just  had  to  be  her  good  sister.  dovasary  had  seen  through  her  rouse  in  less  time  it  took  to  enter  oldtown,  and  derya  had  been  fortunate  that  the  warnings  hadn't  deterred  her  brother  from  marriage.  ❝  sister,  wouldn't  it  be  nice  for  you  to  become  the  hand  ?  you  would  be  amongst  family.  ❞  away  from  oldtown  to  put  a  stop  to  derya's  plans.  

[heavenechos]

closed starter with: rhea and sylaisha (@crvwncd)

“Sister, is that you? Can you come here for a moment?” Rhea called out into hall, unsure if her voice had carried far enough to be heard- as if her standard level of speaking wasn’t loud enough to be heard across the whole of Highgarden. On the bed in front of her lay two dresses- one rather plain and grey, and one pale blue, with a few embellishments- and Rhea sat staring at both of them with an increasingly frustrated look on her face. “I wanted to wear something different for dinner, but the blue just seems so…” A moment of hesitation. “I don’t know. Show offish? I’m worried people will stare.” She reached out, running her hand over the fabric of both garments. Grey was her go-to color, her security blanket, but she was growing tired of blending into the masonry. “What do you think?”