xofnightsong - Tumblr blog

[xofnightsong]

--

The last rays of light casting in from the windows behind the lord of house Swann colored the hallway in warm shades of red and orange. As if even the sunlight wished to remind them that they were on Lannister grounds. There were a few beats of silence between them as they stood on either side of the doorway. Her brown-eyed gaze glanced up at him as he seemed to take in the sight of her. The silence lasted almost too long to be comfortable, but Rhyswick released some of the tension as he finally spoke. Or more accurately, he transformed the tension from one form into another. One that left a slight warm and tingling feeling inside . His words were all too flattering and made a deep shade of pink flush across her cheeks. For the first time this day, she was thankful for her maids’ heavy hand when she had applied her make-up. At least now the flushing wouldn’t be so painfully obvious. “Thank you, my lord, but I have to give most of the credit to my servant and our two youngsters. Together, they have picked this attire for the evening. But I am happy to hear you enjoy the look of it.” Ever terrible at taking a compliment, Lynette felt as if she fumbled over every word. Unable to take it with any of the grace which he had just accredited to her. Her gaze shifted, breaking their eye-contact in order to collect herself again. For over a year they had hardly spoken, and if they ever did she had been a beacon of respect and composure. It would be foolish now to let kind words shake her to her very core. Even if they came unexpectedly from the lips of her own husband. 

Upon his request to enter her chambers, her eyes blinked back up at him again. Accustomed to most men who had held claim to her simply barging in without asking, she was happy to take a step back and gesture to him to enter. “Please..-” a quick look through her bedroom left her with relief that it was well-kept and clean. There were very few traces of the tornado that had been her dressing session that had occurred just hours before. The look around also reminded her of the presence of the children, whom she had almost forgotten about for an instance . Before Rhyswick could turn and begin speaking, her hand reached out to touch his arm gently. Aiming to capture his attention before his low voice would fill the room and bounce off the stone walls. - Lynette put a finger up to her lips, silently requesting him to speak quietly. “We may discuss it here, but I must ask you to do so quietly if possible. It took an hour before they fell asleep.-” she spoke softly as she gestured at her bed and the two young ones in it. “I do not wish to wake them.”

Lynette didn't deserve his cold and aloof attitude. Nor did the rest of his family and friends--but Lynette was his wife. Supposed to be the one closest to him among the rest. And yet, here they were a little over a year into the marriage but him still being almost a complete stranger to her.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was easier to ignore the gossip back home because many knew of his tragic tale of what happened to his first wife, but over here, it was different. In the capital, most of the other nobles only knew that he had remarried a year ago but was now seemingly distanced from his new wife. All kinds of rumours had already reached his ears and it wasn't pleasant. Lynette certainly didn't deserve all this. Especially after she had become like a second mother to his beloved Amerie. Thus, it was with the notion of trying to dampened the gossip and making the first steps of a friendship with what seemed to be a truly lovely and kind lady, that the Swann lord found himself knocking the door of her bedroom chamber. When she opened it, he was prepared to see her already all finely attired for the celebratory feast. What he was not prepared for, however was how stunning she looked. She looked both utterly bewitching and regal that Rhys could not help but to stare with a slightly opened mouth at his exquisite beauty of a wife. It was only after a few moments , did he finally come to his senses but it was not without embarrassment.

"Forgive me for staring at you like that, Lynette but you--you looked extremely stunning. I was honestly taken away. Your dress and your hair, your accessories.. you have impeccable taste," he complimented genuinely with a small smile. Truthfully, he preferred her hair down in it's usual slightly unruly thick curls, but now with this hair-do, it gave her the presence of regality. A look that made her look like as though she was of royalty.

"Oh,..oh no. There had been no changes to the schedule but rather, I--erm, could I come in to the room first, please? I rather not discuss this outside in the hallway."

[xofnightsong]

—.  the street of spring —.  closed for @cscensionism - Jaeda & Lynette

Lynette had mostly dreaded the idea of attending the spring celebrations from the moment the formal invitation from the king had reached the Stonehelm. It was the ultimate event for ghosts of the past to come and haunt her, as well as a place where the current states of affairs could come to light. She had no doubt that there were a few former acquaintances that were eager to witness her new misfortunate marriage. Loveless, even upon first glance. Her family, on the other hand, would undoubtedly comment upon the fact her stomach still remained flat. Urging her to make more effort to get on with the task at hand. At Stonehelm keep, at least she was mostly left to her own devices. She did not particularly look forward to her every move being watched and judged. 

However, the Seven had granted her a few points of light to cling onto. One of them being the reunion with an old friend, whom she had last seen when she still lived at Nightsong with her family. When her days in Dorne had seemed hopeless, the Martell princess had become a close friend and confidant, as well as her savior from the lands of sun and sand to which she did not belong. Lynette would dedicate her life repaying her, had the princess wanted her too. Instead, her unconditional friendship had proved to be enough. 

With little else to look forward to, Lynette had spent days in anticipation of their meeting. Eager to hold her friend in a close embrace and for a moment forget the judgemental eyes upon her. With correspondence through their servants, they had agreed upon a meeting at the street of Spring. In her explorations, she had discovered a Dornish pair that had set up shop a little further away from the centerpoint of the streets where the firepit still smoldered from the night before. Their little stall was decorated with pastel shades of orange and greens, displaying various treats that reminded the brunette of days past. A wonderful place to start, so she thought. All that was missing was her friend, whom she assumed would arrive fashionably late as she would at her court. As she waited, she was content chatting to the owners of the stall. Listening to their tales of the past few days at the festival.

[xofnightsong]

—.        the guest quarters —.  closed for @ofloyaltiesxrhearts

Gentle fingers trailed over the white-gold embellishments that were so carefully sewn onto her black dress. Making swirling patterns that accentuated her hips and then dripped down her skirts like water cascading over dark rocks. It was an attire the lady of Stonehelm would only wear for festivities, and a new one at that. Her maid, supported by both Myles and Amelie, had recommended her to wear it for the evening. According to the children, she had looked like a princess from one of their tales. It was a shame that when observing herself in the reflection of the tall mirror under the dim light of candles and a fire, Lynette felt as if she could hardly recognize herself. Her curls had been tamed into a decorated braid, her cheeks unnaturally flushed and the dress felt too dark and heavy. But perhaps, they proved to be right. She did not dare hope but maybe even her husband would find this look agreeable enough to enjoy having her by his side this evening. If anything, it could be a topic of discussion amongst the ladies if she failed to make conversation with her partner. 

A knock on the door shook her from her thoughts. She quickly threw a look over her shoulder at her bed, in which two children rested peacefully. It had been almost impossible to get them to sleep in their own room, so she had made peace with the fact they would stay by her side as long as they remained in the keep. How two small bodies could claim the whole bed still remained a mystery to her, but she had made due with the small couch near the fire most of the nights since they had arrived.--  A smile of adoration lifted the corners of her lips upward as she watched them, before a second knock reminded her again that she shouldn’t dally. Not if she wanted to keep the two youngsters asleep. With quick, quiet steps she moved to the heavy door that sealed her quarters from the hallway. Carefully opening it with as little creaking as she possibly could. Her eyes once more on the children, to ensure they did not wake. How funny, she thought, they were so restless in their own beds but they slept so peacefully in hers. 

As her gaze shifted back to the doorway, she had imagined there to be two possibilities of who the knock had belonged to. Either her maid, who came to make the final adjustments to her attire, or a guardsman coming to collect her early. To her surprise, it was neither. Instead, a raven-haired man stood tall in her doorway. His garment similar in color to her own, the signature black and white of house Swann. “My lord” she greeted him quietly with a reverent bow of her head. The earrings she wore made a soft tingling sound as she did. “I assumed the banquet would not start until the sun had fully set this evening. Have there been unexpected changes to the schedule?”

[xofnightsong]

Duty had demanded her presence at all of the events hosted by the crown, if only just once. Not only to represent the house of Swann, with whom she was now aligned, but to show the presence of house Caron as well. Her brother was only but one man and a participating fighter at that. He could not be expected to show his face in every place, so the duty would come to pass upon the eldest. In order to get the worst part over with, as well as to support her brother, she had decided on spending the day watching the tournee. - Ever since their arrival and the announcement of the games, her stomach had twisted at the thought. No matter the time that had passed since the unfortunate accident in which the gods decided to take her first husband, it would forever leave her with a bitter taste in her mouth. As well as a wandering mind, which fantasized of what life could have been had her marriage not ended with death that day. - Upon stepping onto the grandstand to watch the participants gamble their life away in the jousting competition, her features showed none of her concerns. Blank-faced, she took it all in. Her deep brown eyes observing the action, hit after hit, until blood would spill red upon the fields. She continued to watch until her brother had returned victorious and her stomach could take no more. 

Like a ghost, she disappeared from the cheering crowd as quietly as she had come. Down a flight of make-shift stairs and onto dry, sandy grounds. Away from the sounds of galloping horses, shouts and clanking armor. The air felt lighter here, easier to breathe. That was, until another body knocked into hers. Swiftly followed by an apology and a flash of a guilt-ridden gaze from doe-like eyes. Lynette forced a smile onto her lips. Forceful not because she had not accepted the honesty apology, but because her body still felt too uneasy to produce an honest one. “Well, you are hardly the only one in need of said air. These competitions have never been my favorite to attend either, but I heard it be said that they can become an acquired taste.... -” “May I ask, have you found a quieter spot away from the crowd? And may I accompany you there? I could do without the cheering of the crowd ringing in my ears.”

in  her  twenty  five  years  ,  lady  eleyna  has  been  sheltered  to  the  truth  of  king's  landing  .  to  see  blood  spilled  with  ease  ,  her  eyes  widen  in  their  surprise  at  such  violence  and  the  tourney  is  ,  suddenly  ,  not  quite  what  she  had  expected  .  not  entirely  naïve  ,  she  is  aware  of  the  world  which  surrounds  her  ,  of  the  terror  and  the  bloodshed  and  still  —  she  shudders  at  the  sight  of  another  joust  ending  in  death  .

  excusing  herself  ,  eleyna  eases  a  smile  upon  her  face  as  she  slips  from  the  audience  and  out  into  the  surrounding  grounds  ,  her  breathing  uneven  ,  her  stomach  roiling  .  clumsiness  is  a  virtue  ,  and  she  wanders  into  another  with  a  grunt  ,  eyes  reaching  theirs  with  apology  .  "  i'm  so  sorry  !  i  was  just  excusing  myself  for  some  air  away  from  the  chaos  .  "

[xofnightsong]

In a crowd as diverse, it was at times difficult to discern the different patronages from one another. What was easy to tell apart, was the people who attempted to show their colors, pride and wares and those who wanted nothing more than to blend into the crowds. She, without a doubt, belonged in the second group. Along with the few nobility, servants and those who saw the opportunity to rid the rich of the content of their pockets. Of the first, a boasting example in red and gold had taken up space beside her. As she exchanged a few coins with a young boy for a small, woven basket of berries, the man beside placed his ring into a basket of what was little more than worthless trinkets and some candy. The red embellishment glittering in the sun before it mixed in with the rest and the man disappeared to find the next contributor. 

Perhaps he had noticed her eyes upon him, or he was merely looking to find a person to converse with, but the Lion’s eyes fell upon her. Followed by a question in her direction, dark brows that framed his face raised just a little out of interest. “I fear that I am not a woman fit to join these games, my lord. My talents lie elsewhere. But my brother has decided on demonstrating his talent at the jousting competition, so as a good sister I do support his matches. - Have you yourself participated?” she asked, as she extended the hand in which she held the berries to offer some to the stranger. His second suggestion as to why she found herself on the grounds, leaving her a bit surprised. “Gamble, my lord? I fear I lack both luck, as well as the knowledge as to where I would be able to participate.”

——        the  tourney  grounds . ——        open .

        𝐀  𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐌𝐀𝐍  𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇  𝐀  𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑  𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐓  full  of  trinkets  and  coins  and  candies  stops  before  him  ——  a  gathering  of  simple  little  things  to  divide  amongst  the  children  who  play  games  amid  the  larger  tourney.  for  a  heartbeat,  he  considers  sending  the  man  away  with  nothing.  the  gods  know  he  isn't  carrying  any  sweets  or  toys  or  little  trinkets  ;  too  much  gold  has  been  spent  on  this  celebration  anyway.  but  is  he  not  a  lion  of  the  rock,  richer  than  the  heavens  as  far  as  the  man  with  the  basket  is  concerned ?  a  smile  limned  with  weariness  washes  over  criston's  features.  he  plucks  a  ring  from  his  finger  ——  a  gold  band  studded  with  rubies  ——  and  tosses  it  into  the  basket.  a  lord  who  doesn't  carry  a  coinpurse  because  he's  never  has  use  for  one,  not  a  lord  who  is  beggared. (  he  does  not  remember  where  the  ring  came  from,  anyway.  not  his  mother's,  not  a  gift  from  his  sister  nor  his  mistress  ...  he  will  not  miss  it.  ) as  the  man  with  the  basket  trails  to another guest,  criston's  eyes  skim  away  and  fall  upon  another.  "  come  to  watch  the  games,  or  to  join  them,  my  liege ?  "  he  asks.  his  brows  raise  just  a  little.  "  or  to  gamble,  perhaps ?  "

[xofnightsong]

With a small shake of her head and a half-raised hand, Lynette denied the servant that attempted to appease the crowd with a luke-warm drink that had been warmed by the sun. Like the woman beside her, who shifted in her saddle out of what she assumed to be anticipation for someone to call the start of the hunt, she had no interest in the offerings. The brunette’s hand absently brushed the mane of the horse they had assigned to her, a gentle gelding who’s eyes seemed to have seen its fair share, as she listened to the other’s complaint. “Perhaps it is someone of importance they are waiting for? Or they have yet to release the boars onto this slightly barren land to give the men something to hunt after.” Her last sentence left her lips a little quieter, hoping no local or fanatical supporter of the crown heard her. Compared to the woods of the stormlands, or the rolling hills of the reach, the Lannister lands simply seemed to lack fertility. 

The Stormlander’s gaze shifted up when the shadow of a rider coming towards them played with the light that had warmed her features before. The eager lady beside her waisted not a single moment to ask for any news on when the spectacle would start. To Lynette’s only disliking, he came bearing the news that the front of the party would soon begin the ride. She herself had been just as content spending more time just basking in the sun, watching the crowd gather and mingle. As the man rode off to get the word out to the riders behind them, Lynette directed her attention to the lady beside her. “It appears your prayers have been answered. At last, we shall ride. - I assume you shall not take position in the forefront of the pursuit, or am I mistaken?”

location: the hunt with: open

alannys  stifled  a  yawn,  fidgeting  slightly  while  mildly  interested  in  the  trays  of  meat  and  drink  being  served,  she  was  ready  to  get  things  underway.   she  couldn't  help  but  shift  slightly  in  her  saddle.  "  i  was  hoping  for  fresh  air  but  it  would  seem  the  organizers  are  taking  their  sweet  time."  alannys  had  not  been  planning  to  join  the  hunt.  it  was  meant  to  be  a  spectacle,  one  that  she  didn't  want  to  be  a  part  of⸻ but  the  other  part  of  her  was  drawn  to  it  like  a  moth  to  a  flame⸻  and  perhaps  the  knowledge  that  a  certain  someone  would  be  there  was  some  motivation.  her  dark  eyes  regarded the  visage that  trotted up  next  to  her.   "  any  word  on  when  we  shall  start? " 

[xofnightsong]

º   .   𓅫   ⸻   in  the  conflict  between  lions  and  men,  Lynette Swann née Caron  begins  their  first  steps  up  the  ladder  in  the  game  of  thrones.  known  to  be  benign  and  supportive,  their  rumored  pritave  and  apprehensive  tendencies  might  prove  to  be  their  unmaking.  the  court  bards  play  upon  themes  of  three  A nightingale quietly sitting in a golden cage, the laughing and singing of children’s voices on a sunny afternoon, a black bird flying over misty marshes when  composing  a  tune  for  them.  while  they  are  the  lady of Stonehelm,  it  is  said  that  their  loyalties  lie  with  themselves  (neutral).  only  time  will  tell  if  the  tides  shift  favorably  for  them  or  if  the  climb  is  too  hazardous  for  even  the  most  sure - footed.

______________________________________________________________

    &.TAGS ,   BIOGRAPHY   ,  PLAYLIST  ,  PINTEREST  ,

[xofnightsong]

gratiela brancusi gif pack

public commission! 168 gifs of gratiela brancusi in 1883. all made by me, like / reblog if you’re using or found this pack useful!