girls had no right being smart, had no right to be clever – or at least, that was the gist that had so long been spoken about women, the gist that had not taken hold in myranda, whose mind ticked and formulated thoughts and ideas far quicker than some of the men she'd seen taking up armor in hopes of becoming one of the winged knights. though the blackfish might not have fully caught on to her words, there was no doubting the curiosity she knew she had piqued by her line of questioning – no doubting the fact that the man who'd known her since she was little and ever more full of questions knew she did not ask unless she already had an inkling of the answer she'd receive.
myranda only smiles, warm and sweet as she brings her goblet of wine to her lips and drinks, before placing a hand upon his arm carefully. “you must stay for the tourney lord littlefinger is insisting we hold, i believe your little grand - nephew would find comfort in your presence.” that was, if the sweetrobin even made it down the mountain, she was starting to have doubts – starting to feel the ill at ease settling in her stomach that often came with a shifting tide. harry the heir was not being called to heel at last for only a sweet showing of kindness before his little lord paramount. but myranda was more interested in directing brynden's gaze to the girl littlefinger had touted as his bastard daughter, more interested in piecing together the missing link to the question of who she really was. she already had an idea, but proof . . . proof was necessary.
“perhaps he might even see fit to name you one of his winged men, if he does not find you have grown too wrinkled to wield your blade.” her lips curl into a teasing grin, the jest off of her tongue as easily as if she had been speaking to a friend her own age. “or maybe you will finally find yourself taken with a lady so that you may settle, i hear baelish's bastard daughter is quite lovely, pretty eyes. bluer than blue.”
TIME HAD SEEMED TO SLOW SINCE HIS ESCAPE . Riverrun was now in the past , as was the self - righteous look upon Jaime Lannister's face , occasionally still haunting him in short , subtle nightmares . should've socked that ugly git in the mouth when he'd had the chance . should've faced him in combat , maybe , and gone down like a true knight . . . and forsake every chance to ever help his family again . the few of them that were still alive , that was .
the Blackfish turned his own goblet in his hands , slunk down in his chair . he had believed the Eyrie safe to return to , but the news of Lysa's death had reached him just in time - and his journey thus had ended at the Gates of the Moon ; safely tucked away , for now , in the stronghold of a friend , until he had recuperated and healed the few wounds he had suffered during his escape . " I'll let you know once I've spotted a foolish girl around . " his voice sounded gruff as ever , but there was kindness in his eyes . he'd known Myranda since she was but a girl . since the days when she'd been unwed , unwidowed , and a little more lucky than she seemed these days .
Littlefinger knew of his presence and had offered copious invitations for him to stay at the Eyrie , but an ugly little weasle remained an ugly little weasle and he'd rather drown himself in the moat , than trust Petyr Baelish . to the daughter he had claimed was his , had Brynden paid no attention at all . " Catelyn , " he replied almost into his goblet , tully blue eyes grown distant for but a moment . he had failed his little Cat and now he sat trapped in the Vale , unsure of where to turn . his gaze switched to Myranda then , curiosity peaked at the odd question . she was a smart girl ; quick - witted and fast to catch on . and beyond the reputation as a terrible gossip , Brynden knew she rarely asked questions just for idle conversation . " why the sudden interest ? "
@tymptir said : I am not what you wanted, but I swear to you I shall fulfill my duties as your husband as well as I can — and leave you alone as much as you wish, should that be your preference. , from tyrion to sansa .
she knows that she should not be cruel. for whatever situation she had found herself in now, it was not his fault – sansa had come to learn which lannister pulled the strings, which cruelties to blame upon joffrey, and which ones could be attributed to cersei, but this one she knew belonged to a far more diligent hand. lord tywin had not been present within the red keep for more than a few days before her dreams of escaping to highgarden with lord willas had been dashed, and the cold face of reality made to look back upon her once more from her vanity mirror.
but that does little to quell the annoyance she feels now, the insistent rage of a girl so tired of being used in whichever political arrangement she was most useful for. another fact that is not his fault, but lord tyrion is the only one offering her this quiet place of solitude – the only one offering her the ability to voice her displeasure without fear of retribution. even still, sansa eyes him much like a wolf uncertain if the hunter before her is hiding a knife behind his back.
“ none of this is to my preference, but that has never mattered much to anyone here. ” she says plainly, her emotions steeled behind practised mannerisms. if she could stand to look joffrey in the face after he'd harmed her, after he'd made her look upon her father's head upon a pike, sansa could manage this. could manage anything. “ your family enjoys killing wolves, i hope you will be kind enough to allow me the comfort of not knowing when you decide to take my head. ”
unwilling to acknowledge his willingness to acquiesce to her, as if his willingness made it better that she'd been a prisoner here ever since the day her father was killed. as if she'd ever been given a choice on whether she wanted to stay.
@tymptir said : there is nothing bad inside you. nothing. , from gwayne to helaena .
a slow, delicate shifting of her gaze to look at her uncle, a momentary pause as she considers just how much he reminds her of her mother. of the fact that if she allows her eyes to close, she could almost imagine that alicent had said the words instead, that her mother had comforted her this way, instead of looking upon her with the same confused, uncertain look she tended to have for her. but there was something inside of her that wasn't . . . inherently good, of that, helaena was almost certain. good did not conjure nightmares, did not plague dreams with visions of futures – good was benevolence, kindness, gentility. whatever gifts had been given to her had not been done in good faith.
her lips pull into a smile that does not reach her eyes, a pale hand extended out to gently press fingers to his arm in acknowledgment of his words before said hand falls away just as quickly – an echo of a graze, like being touched by a ghost. “ there is nothing bad in you. ” she repeats, her eyes held onto his face, despite the fact that helaena did not often feel comfortable doing so for anyone. it felt right to do so now, felt imperative that lilac tinted hues hold onto his face.
“ i think it is too late for me. ”
@tymptir said : i can't help you if you hide things from me , from garlan to desmera .
it is with the practised grace of a woman whose brothers have never been helpful that desmera turns, sizing up garlan with tired green eyes before she shakes her head. “ i do not recall asking for your help. ” she says softly, even toned – as sweet natured as is befit her station. desmera has never held a cross word out loud for anyone; she saved them for the quiet, when she was alone and could speak her displeasure without worry. her father had not ceased his intentions to see her wed, ever concerned that with horas and hobber in the depths of kings landing that his heir, whichever twin had not angered him more as of late, would not return home when duty in the arbor called. so his secondary plan had befallen to her, wanting to ensure a good marriage in the case that desmera should inherit . . . and she had not known peace since. garlan's appearance had not helped matters, had not eased her conscience any, more and more she felt as though she were the sacrificial lamb being fed to slaughter.
her cheeks settle with a light flush as she curls her hands around the handle of her pall-mall mallet, squaring her shoulders as she readies to hit her ball. “ in any case, i do not have anything to hide from you, either. ” an inhaled breath, and then she swings, sending the burgundy colored ball through hoop near the fountain. desmera turns to face him again, gentle, porcelain hands still holding onto her mallet, though she hardly looks anything near menacing. too sweet-faced, perhaps too akin to that damned lamb, again. “ i do not have a say in my father's intentions for me, garlan. ” a fact that doesn't settle entirely well on her shoulders, but, that was what had always been expected for her – of her. women like her did not get the opportunity to marry for love.
@tymptir said : " the look on your face says there's more on your mind. " , for the blackfish & myranda.
she'd always been poor at hiding her thoughts, ever visible in the curl of her lips – in the way her eyes hold life no matter how hard she tries to dull the fire within them. it comes as little shock to hear as much from his lips, even if myranda had considered him to be uninterested in the things that lingered in her head. she purses her lips for a moment, her head tilting as she casts her glance over the blackfish once more, before a soft rise and fall of her shoulders is offered in response.
“ surely the mind of a foolish girl does not bother you so much, lord brynden. ” a teasing curl of her lips as lithe fingers curl around her goblet of wine, bringing it to her lips to take a small sip. myranda knows well enough of the reputation that precedes her, for the bawdy rumors that encompass the minds of everyone when her name is brought up. a fact she cannot change, the unfortunate side effect of how her first, and only marriage, had come to its end.
“ i was only thinking of how you share a look with someone, that is all. ” keen eyed, myranda'd picked up on the similarities withheld between this tully and the girl littlefinger had sworn to be his own daughter; had also listened to enough fumbles of words from alayne to parse out enough information that she wasn't entirely who she said she was. an intriguing game it was, and one she thought perhaps, that the blackfish hadn't yet caught on to being played. “ what was your dear niece's name again, the one married to the stark? ”