#ryon:denyse

[encirclet]

addressed   to          :         denyse martell   /   @ruinovs

being in the reach once again so soon after departing from the arbor to return home felt like a cruel joke to ryon , played on him by the seven to atone for all of his past transgressions . counteracting that feeling is the knowledge that denyse herself is happy to be home once again — and happier to be out of sunspear . he himself has beegrudgingly become accustomed to the sweet scent of the reach's air , along with being constantly surrounded by flowers as they are now . " i hope you are prepared for a long and successful reign as queen of love and beauty , denyse . " he quips , breaking a comfortable silence between husband and wife . though it is but a joke , it is also true that ryon has never been lacking in hubris nor confidence in his abilities .

[encirclet]

" i might suffer it for a moment , " he lies , if only to make himself seem more amenable . despite the attempted subterfuge , ryon knows any protest he planned on making would be fruitless . " like what , denyse ? will the mother rise up from the earth and slap my wrist ? " he questions with hand gestures to accompany his suggestion . the absence of her hand is like a gaping wound , and ryon shakes his arm slightly to rid himself of the feeling . " i shall wear it if you wish me to , " he shrugs , for he could care less about aesthetics . " you wish to weigh my neck down until i cannot move . " he accuses with a pointed finger , deftly bypassing any further mention of his uncle .

" as if you would not pop it the first moment you got, even if not intentionally. " she would sooner attempt to make one of his steeds dance a waltz than to try to keep him from something he wanted to do, even if she thought that it was a bad idea to have entered to begin with. " i don't think it's wise to lie while you're so close to the sept, ryon. something bad might happen, " she chuckles, now dropping the palm she'd left on his body to pick up a necklace with matching charms, gaze moving to where she knew their joined pendants rested to hold up another in the light. " this doesn't match, but it's pretty. you and your uncle act like children when it comes to competiton, and it's very silly. "

[encirclet]

ryon was cemented in his ways , but it was not so much the doing of his family as it was his natural temperament . he was stubborn , proud , and possessed a myriad of other characteristics that one might consider undesirable . though he wishes above all that she would simply trust that no further harm would come to her now that it was something anticipated , ryon is thoroughly confused by her inability to do so . his strengths had never lay in putting himself in the shoes of others , and his point of view was so strictly limited by his love for dorne and by extension , its people . " sorry , " the apology comes immediately . the last thing he wishes for is for her to be upset with him . exasperated , and feeling as if he has somehow lost their conversation , he runs both palms over his face as he lowers himself onto the seat across from her unceremoniously . " if you had years of experience telling my mother and grandmother things they do not wish to hear , you wouldn't be so eager to inform them . " he reasons —  or at least attempts to , in his own way . he imagines it will be his departure that will turn into a topic of debate , especially considering the suspicions surrounding the reasons for the attacks . he both knows and thinks little of mace redwyne , and wishes that he had spent more time around the man during the initial negotiations of his marriage to denyse . " if you trust him , then i hope he gets you whatever it is that you wish for . " ryon could not imagine it , in truth , but the well wish is genuine enough .

nyse was beginning to believe that it wasn’t a lack of seeing, rather acknowledgement that drove the martells and filtered to ryon in some way. an easy thing for them to do in an environment that they were accustomed to where nothing was brand new, save for the faces that lined the halls of sunspear, whereas her presence had been a constant battle. “ don’t talk to me like that, ryon. ” she’d had quite enough of it from the people around her, wouldn’t allow him to join the ranks of people that denyse tip toed around, again. “ we won’t speak of it anymore. ” continuous talk of it wouldn’t change what had already happened, their vastly differing views would only add to the stress of the situation, add to the discontent she was feeling that she carefully tried not to give voice to. reclaiming her previous perch upon the couch and pulling the book she’d held back into her lap, fingers lightly flicked the pages until landing on the words she’d abandoned. “ no, i don’t think it’s wise to prolong informing your mother of it. ” nor his grandmother, each would likely have different reactions for numerous reasons but as they days passed and grew longer, the more mace’s words made sense to her. if her requesting leave would be a source of contention, what would the rest of her days in dorne look like ? “ my brother has promised to use language that won’t cause anymore fuss, and i trust that he won’t make things more difficult intentionally. he wishes to advocate on my behalf, and i don’t take issue with that. ” despite her misgivings and what mace could potentially say and do, he seemed the only one willing to speak to things weren’t being handled well — and his ability to do what she couldn’t was what she needed.

[encirclet]

under normal circumstances , ryon was capable of arguing for any amount of time . he was not one to run out of words , nor was he commonly the relenting party , when all was said and done . but he did not aim to hurt denyse , nor insult her , nor best her in the way that he would hope to someone else . despite the little importance he had once placed on the idea of marriage , the crown prince found himself hoisting his wife onto a pseudo pedestal nonetheless . she was important in a way that ryon found he could not comprehend , even as the feelings surrounding denyse were technically his own . they were largely indecipherable , regardless . his frustration , unlike his willingness to continue arguing , remains . " i do not want to speak of your death , denyse . is that okay ? would it displease her highness if we ceased to speak of it ? " patronizing , perhaps , but his exasperation is what drives him to its doorstep . he has ceded so much , throughout this conversation — and yet he cannot bring himself to give up on dorne , nor its people . to voice his agreement with her staunch belief that her attacker was dornish would feel as if it was just that and nothing more . even the validation of her beliefs does not outweigh it . his energy for furthering their conversation on the topic is depleted , almost nonexistent , and he has grown weary in an endeavour he thought could never bring weariness about . he watches as she retreats from him slightly , face contorting at mention of her brother . " do you not think that he should stay out of this for as long as possible ? " he queries , righting his expression as to not offend what loyalties denyse still holds towards her brother , even as they have their obvious differences . " i don't think i've ever heard a word from his mouth that even vaguely resembles something that would appease or please my grandmother . "

a huff of frustration whistled through her teeth, gaze rolling to the painted ceiling in an attempt to grasp for patience and understanding. ’ do you all wish for me to ignore repeated threats against my life, and no one saying anything to me except to endure it because you don’t bend or break ? if i’m dead, there is nothing left for that. ’ from leaving the arbor solely to sell the wine she and her sister had produced, to now having eyes ( sympathetic or otherwise ) on her every move, some plotting and others observing — the flippancy it seemed everyone that lived in sunspear about it was both alarming and aggravating. ’ yet someone did, ryon ! what if it had been me on the walls instead ? i could have come into my chambers, alone, just minutes earlier and — ’ nyse paused with a shake of her head. ’ whatever you say. ’ everything about dorne, anything relating to it felt like a losing battle that denyse no longer wished to fight. nothing she said penetrated the staunch pride that they held in their lands, at first impressive now foolish to her in how purposely oblivious they all chose to be. she didn’t wish to wonder if it would take for someone to land a blow to her person, or worse, for them to see that her concerns were founded. as it was, she could only accept the compromise that they’d put in place, as difficult as it may have been to reach it, and hope that in time the many obstacles would help her to one day be able to think of dorne in a favorable light rather than a cell that she could pace from front to back, dodging attacks at each turn. what comfort he attempted to offer she accepted with a gentle pat to his chest. ’ i didn’t think we were to leave with her in place while your mother recovers, ’ she voices, releasing him from her hug to pull away slowly. ’ unless mace makes an impression in asking for our departure. ’ despite the little confidence she held in her brother’s skills in many facets, people had always viewed him a charming and persuasive speaker. from what she’d heard about the regent princess she very well may be another that wished for denyse to leave, and not return as she planned to. haste back to the arbor hadn’t been her main concern, rather the approval that she would be able to — with it now granted, nyse would attempt to distract herself with other things and not allow the thick tensions around them to further cloud her judgment.

[encirclet]

" you would have me live in a bubble , denyse ? " he pauses as she inspects a vendor's wares , eyes grazing over the items cursorily if only to keep them in mind for later —  when his sister was sure to insist that he buy gift after gift for his wife . he expects no kind of serious answer from her , but turns his head to look at her anyway , prompting one regardless with eyebrows raised . " i am always careful . " the promise comes complete with a nod . " though , if i must joust my uncle again all my promises will be void . "

nyse pauses in her idle contemplation of the stalls around them, one hand reaching out to touch the silks and jewels one merchant displayed while the other remained light on ryon's forearm. " if the gods wish it, though i am more concerned about you jousting at all. " she hadn't forgotten how the last joust had ended in tragedy, but didn't want to begrudge ryon in having his fun either. not when she knew that this wasn't a place that he wanted to be in even when she was the most comfortable surrounded by flowers and branches rather than an endless sea of sand. " i'm sure you won't listen, " denyse begins teasingly, " but i would like for you to at least try to be careful. "