𝙳𝚈𝙽𝙰𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙲𝚂 .

darkened hues threaten a squall , her temper curtailed by the camaraderie and affection . friends are few and far between in king's landing , she can not afford to alienate her few alliances with her quickening temper . more so , argella did not wish to ruin decades of friendship that bordering familial , especially not over a misplaced comment . ❛ thank you for such a ... thought provoking insight . ❜ though temper is tamed , the clip to her tone does not so easily dissipate . it was not royce's fault , their conversations had enjoyed the benefit of frankness for many years and thus , she could not blame him for continuing in the tradition . ❛ it is not that i do not trust you , or believe you incapable , i simply do not know what shall be best . would having him in the capital at all be foolish ? ❜ it's rhetorical , more voicing aloud inner thoughts and yet still her gaze ( gentler now ) falls upon him , a brow arching at the mention of her siblings . ❛ what sort of distractions ? ❜ the expression upon her countenance questioning if he was aware of something she was not .

The change of subject is welcomed, selyse had never minded the topic of her marriage, although with whom it was spoke was differently. with argella it was as speaking to a friend, with her father a business transaction, and with his wife, well that was a trap she refused to fall into. "i cannot say anyone has, dearest sister," selyse finally brings herself to answer it. it was not just the wish or argella, for better or worst it was that of the king and queen too. yet, to everyone demise the youngest stag of the lady of storms, she was an idealist. "i do wish to marry, you see," selyse sighs, "but i do not wish to attach myself to someone only for political reason. and i know," and she did understand, "that i should to hold to such believe with firmness, that i am a princess and my duty is to our father and the kingdom," and blah blah blah. "but i simply cannot fandom it, it terrifies me, and i am certain i will wither away." she was not as strong as argella was, she never had been nor she pretended to be.

the patience argella had for her sister was , uncharacteristically , endless . where with others the mention of shirking one's duty would rise ire , with selyse she wished only to provide a solution . a smile , slight in proportions , tugs at the corner of her mouth , attempting to break the tight compressing of lips . often did she ponder the differences between selyse and herself ; where the younger possessed gentleness and warmth , argella viewed herself with a firm aloofness . it was not the notion of fighting against ones duty , argella had fought her marriage tooth and nail , but it had not been for some idealistic romanticism – that was what she failed to grasp . ❛ you shall not wither away , sweetling . ❜ the sigh that accompanies her words sounds almost exasperated , yet she grasps selyse's hands with firm determination . ❛ i wish i could give you what you seek , but the world is not always fair to people like us , it is the price we pay for power . ❜ even as words are uttered , argella's impulse to take away all of selyse's fears directs her towards a more coddled approach . ❛ though rest assured , i will never allow a match for you that would make you truly unhappy . ❜ how she would keep such a vow remained to be seen .

"well one would like to lose to a victor after all, so my hopes go out to the tyrells," alyssa replied, "i'm sure that selyse would agree with me."

alyssa and selyse had never been close either. selyse, like argella, had been set against her from the start, all for the sake of her mother, but at least the two of them were able to be civil with each other for the length of a tennis competition. if she'd been playing with argella, alyssa would have broken a tennis racket over her head at some point during the first match.

she would never say as much out loud, but alyssa was jealous of her two older sisters, who clearly loved each other so much and loved her so little. it hurt, to watch the two of them together while she was sat at the sidelines, and so she had doubled down on the rivalry, throwing herself into her love of her true brothers, of her mother. to spite them, or to make herself feel better? at this point she wasn't sure.

tempest hues observed porcelain features with a measure of amusement , since when had her little sister possessed such a bite ? it was true that alyssa had never really featured prominently in her thoughts or concerns . it had been far easier , in youth , to simply ignore the younger and pander to selyse in ways she may not have had the fates been different . youth bequeaths petulance and no more so than in broken children . it would not be unfair to say that argella had been a villain in the lives of younger siblings , just as often as she had vilified their mother . her reasoning had been simple back then , they were her children ... her spawn . or at least , such was the simple reasoning ; even as a child argella could not admit the jealousy over the simple fact that they had their mother and she did not . nevertheless , they had both grown and whilst she may have expected to feel the bit behind her sister's words , she was nonetheless amused surprised .

❛ ah , well , i wonder who will win between your queenly mother and her little ... pet . ❜ the droll tone spoke of a predetermined victory on the queen's behalf , had selyse been with her then perhaps the pair would have laughed . ❛ you played well though , i was impressed . ❜ no longer the petulant child , genuine compliments were not impossible for her other siblings ( save for drystan , she'd rather peel the skin from her bones layer by layer than stroke his ego ) . ❛ have you signed up for any other competition ? ❜

it was not uncommon for matthos , after one too many chalices of wine or tankards of ale , to lament the demise of his sire . it was , after all , a strong justification for the rallying of his bannermen . whilst the stark grandsire featured within the grisly tale , he played a secondary role to the baratheon protagonist and in truth , so ingrained within argella was matthos' version , he was often an afterthought for the princess as well . with a turn of her head , argella forced her gaze away from her soon - to - be goodsister , unwilling to acknowledge the morsel of shame lumped within her throat . besides , she doubted the stark's ( despite the penchant for the sanctimonious ) regaled the demise of lord rogar with the same sorrow as they did for lord osric . ❛ a little . ❜ argella mused , trying to decipher fact from fiction . how much of rogar did she actually remember and how much of it was just her father's ramblings ? ❛ i remember him comforting sebastion and i after mother died , he held our hands as we kissed her goodbye . ❜ matthos had not been around for that and she remembered father & son arguing later that evening for it , but that would remain unspoken . ❛ not so long after he was gone as well. ❜ the shrug that rolls elegant shoulders almost feels coolly dismissive , but it is nothing but a defence mechanism , the princess lacking any desire to pry open her chest of traumas and least of all in present company . a smile is forced , a nod in accompaniment . ❛ perhaps you are right . ❜

the swift change in topic is welcomed , the previous having leaned too heavily into the realm of emotion for argella's liking . conversation regarding her children comes easy enough , though seldom does she gush , the pride in her tone is unmistakable . ❛ all splendid ideas , lady lynara , i shall have to seek. your counsel on her next nameday . ❜ a brow arches in slight surprise to her reaction over the offer of her gift . ❛ selyse ? ❜ naturally her mind goes to full blood over diluted and for a second time a shrug rolls her shoulders . ❛ well , if you do not want it , i shall not force it upon you . ❜ it was difficult to tell whether offence was taken , for seldom was argella not curt of tone . the necklace is handed back to the vendor , a small smile offered in gratitude as she turns away from the stall completely . ❛ is there anywhere else you wish to venture ? ❜

The princess laugh was refreshing, to him hearing a woman laugh who hardly ever did was far more enchanting that hearing the ones who laughed often and for no reason. iravan forces himself to look away as his own lips curl into a smile, fighting the urge to laugh alongside her only because her amusement was contagious. "i have heard such sayings before, although i cannot agree with it, i have master the swords but dancing, i am good at best princess." he confesses, it wasn't him being humble, but simply being honest. "i am quite content with watching the fun from the sidelines, there is better competitions for me." the arts of weapons, things that were more physically demanding in his opinion were far more suited for him.

an amiable smile curled berry - reddened lips , his disagreement a refreshing reprieve from the usual pandering she often received from her father's advisors . yes princess , of course princess , their tones layered with patronising overtures . ❛ how very modest of you . ❜ hands folding within her lap , argella casts a sidewards glance in his direction . ❛ oh ? and which competitions might they be ? ❜

had the fates been kinder , or steered from their cataclysmic path even for a moment , she may have called him uncle . yet to have done that would have been to call joanna , mother ; and that thought alone was to rouse a wave of nausea . instead they were destined to a fate of loathing and , as was evident by his candour , a lack of civility . of course , argella was quick to misplace her own blame in rousing his hostility , but her own came simmering to the surface like a pot left to boil . ❛ oh how helpful you are , lord lorcan . ❜ every syllable oozed derision , her stormy irises darkening . her cloak roused a layer of dirt from the floor with the sharpness of her turn . ❛ fucking lannisters . ❜ uttered under her breath , yet not nearly as concealed as she may have intended them to be .

it was always a bit of a risk for a lannister ( or one affiliated with them ) to speak to argella with such piqued candour . yet , as affronted as argella could become cerenna had the luxury of being the queen's niece and no matter how much argella fought against it , joanna did outrank her , thus a safe harbour from the tempest was offered to the lannister woman . ❛ you mean to tell me that all this time you have been nice during our conversations ? ❜ whether or not argella had intended the humour that laced her words would remain a mystery , but she offered a huff of laughter all the same . ❛ i should hate to see you at your worst . ❜ the chalice was brought to her lips once more , golden arbour sweetening lips as she mused over cerenna's words . ❛ such is the nature of our status , i am afraid & one day our children shall loathe that about us too . ❜ the thought of change hadn't crossed her mind . whilst argella had been devastated over the news of her own betrothal ( oh how she had shouted , begged and cried ) she was always going to follow through with the decision . the alternative would have been a loss of everything and argella was far too stubborn to allow something like marriage to stand in the way of her ambitions . ❛ i take from your blatant displeasure that someone is forcing you into something ? ❜

starter   for   :   everyone location:   great   hall,   masquerade   celebration

it had become a defence , of sorts , her unnerving talent for observation . or in more simplistic terms , her ability to stare down an opponent ; the unsettling effect it had upon people merely a advantageous byproduct of its usefulness . you could learn a lot about people by simply observing them , yet on occasion their actions left one with more questions than answers . the man who had become the object of argella's attentions that evening was one such person . though he was not completely unfamiliar to her ( if one were to believe the gossip , they were pledged to house targaryen initially ) , argella could not recall having met his acquaintance before . ❛ my apologies , i was merely appreciating your costume this evening . ❜ a lie , but a well polished one . masks had long since slipped from the faces of many , the initially excitement waning for practicality and argella was no exception . the stag mask she had donned hours before had been sent back to her rooms , it had been a wonder , but dreadfully heavy . yet despite the masks having been cast aside , the fabulous and oftentimes ostentatious attire remained . ❛ did you have a theme in mind when choosing , my lord ? ❜

starter  for  :  everyone location:  great  hall,  masquerade  celebration

it was a pleasant novelty to experience , the masquerade ball . mystery and intrigue enthralled her with unfamiliar fervour , two things she would usually loathe exciting her with the prospect of a level playing field – she was not alone in her disadvantage . and though some were recognisable by gaits or styles that betrayed their true identity ( just as she would be known by some ) for the most part , argella could enjoy the anonymity . that did mean , however , that people were not as careful as they might otherwise be around her . the nudge to her shoulder a prime example . the wine sloshed in the cup , droplets falling upon her pale hand , but fortunately missed the sleeve of her dress by a fraction . lips pressed into a thin line , eyes narrowing upon the figure uttering her apologies . it was her voice that fully quashed a quickening temper , her expression soothing into one of deep thought – where did she recognise that voice from ? ❛ it's quite alright .❜ she uttered , shaking the spilled wine from her hand . her gaze was intently honed upon the woman , however , steady eyes trying to fathom any familiar attributes . ❛ i am aware this defeats the object of masquerade , but you must sate my curiosity and tell me who you are , your voice is so familiar and yet i cannot quite place you . ❜

drystan’s amusement didn’t wane at argella’s pointed emphasis; instead, it only broadened his grin, the edges of his lips turning up in delight as he took the chair across from her. “ah, ‘your’ father,” he echoed, the word rolling off his tongue with a deliberate mimicry, his tone infused with a jesting sarcasm. he lounged back, arms draped casually over the back of a nearby chair, embodying the very picture of nonchalance. in his mind, the titles and blood ties that so deeply defined the roles within their family were but pieces in a game he was determined to win, regardless of his lineage. the pursuit of the throne, for him, was not a matter of birthright but of ambition and capability. the question of whether or not he was matthos’s child held little weight against his aspirations; his desire to rule was fueled not by a claim of blood but by a belief in his own superiority.

even as a child , drystan's ability to incite irritation had been impressive ; a clever turn of phrase or one of his broadening grins ( much like the one her wore in that moment ) never failing to raise her ire . yet it was his nonchalance that irked her the most . oh , she knew it formed part of the ornate decoration upon the mask he wore & whilst it may have disarmed her siblings , argella had never fallen victim to his charm . he knew this too , that much was evident and so , mannerism that were designed to charm and distract others were solely used as to get a rise out of her . argella could not completely hold this against him , after all , she was prone to doing the same thing . yet there was a peculiar sensation also felt within the company of her younger brother – ease .

argella would be amongst the first to recognise such a ludicrous sentiment given all her dislike & distrust of drystan . nevertheless , however paradoxical it may have seemed , the lack of pretence between them was some form of relief . with drystan she didn't need to pretend to be anything other than what she was ; dislike was mutual , distrust was paramount . constant charm and pleasantries could be exhausting , the addition of politics and the crown made the spectacle a thousand times worse . thus , the company of one she didn't trust , nor needed the trust of was a refreshing change to her day . eyes rolled at his emphasis of your father , the slight far more enjoyable with a more emotional reaction . ❛ of course he enjoys the spectacle , sebastion is the same . ❜ drystan did too , came her afterthought , though not one she would come to utter . ❛ his children are adults , i think he wishes to turn back time and recapture his youth , and if overshadowing his offspring accomplishes that , then that is what he will do & and you , brother , would be wise to let him win should you find yourself in such a position to best him . ❜ hands clasp together , ❛ or don't . i would have just as much enjoyment in him shunning you as i would in seeing you loose . ❜

the formalities have been a steadfast part of their repertoire for as long as argella could recall , though since her marriage to the lannister's puppet house ( perhaps not a truly fair slight to level against her husband ) she seemed to revere the greeting of lady lefford . it was not difficult to deduce it as an attempt to remind her of her place and to the queen's credit , she knew exactly where to strike . she shifts uncomfortably , less so for the mild. accusation hurled her way , but it irks her all the same . regardless , she grants her the curtesy of her rambling . she was not exactly attempting niceties , but she could not fathom the experience and even if she was not fully convinced that it was not all one big ploy ; a design by joanna's own hand in an attempt to gain sympathy . yet , argella is wise enough not to voice such speculation , at least not at present . ❛ briony . ❜ argella finally voiced . ❛ that was the name of the slain handmaiden . i have sent a raven to her family , expressing our condolences as a ... family , i did not think such a expression of sympathy should wait for your recovery . ❜ in truth , it had not. exactly been from a place of sympathy that argella had reached out to the girls family , rather it was another thread to their already tangled web . ❛ my trip has been pleasant enough , all things considered . ❜