HEARTΒ CAUGHTΒ INΒ HERΒ THROAT,Β tanselleβsΒ woolenΒ sleeve,Β halfΒ anΒ inchΒ tooΒ longΒ inΒ theΒ hastinessΒ ofΒ aΒ disguise,Β conductedΒ theΒ impossibleΒ taskΒ ofΒ pullingΒ awayΒ fromΒ him. Β itΒ wasΒ anΒ effortΒ valiantlyΒ fought, Β howeverΒ lostΒ inΒ theΒ end; Β andΒ sheΒ isΒ coalesced Β intoΒ serΒ dunkβsΒ orbit, Β andΒ inΒ thisΒ newΒ space, Β thereΒ isΒ aΒ remarkableΒ dilationΒ inΒ time.Β heΒ doesΒ notΒ coaxΒ her,Β noΒ pullΒ onΒ theΒ fabricΒ toΒ closeΒ theΒ sliverΒ ofΒ air Β betweenΒ them, yetΒ ensnaredΒ sheΒ wasΒ byΒ sapphiricΒ hues.
rarely was anyone truly at her eye level, and she preferred it that way. the quickest way to command a room was to stand tall with confidence after all, and what kind of performer was she if she didnβt add in a few extra inches to her costuming?
but from their few encounters, she noticed he was not like that.
for a man of his stature, he shied away from space ββββ shrank into it. even now as he laid on the cot did he seem small. but it was a man like this who stoodΒ firmΒ notΒ tooΒ unlikeΒ aΒ treeΒ rootedΒ inΒ place when coming to her aid & it was a man like this who had gotten a targaryen to rescind his accusations.
smaller when it came to himself, taller when it came to others.
on the crimson soaked field, she first met his eyes before the blow. he stood tall ββββ like he did when he came into the performance tent swinging ββββ sitting βpon his horse, a spitting image of a fairy tale knight. Β itΒ juxtaposedΒ theΒ awkwardΒ imageΒ ofΒ hisΒ lankyΒ heightΒ nextΒ toΒ hisΒ tinyΒ squireΒ theΒ smallΒ princeΒ fromΒ allΒ theΒ timesΒ before. Β here, Β hisΒ eyesΒ wereΒ aΒ piercingΒ blue, Β pinningΒ downΒ theΒ noblesΒ andΒ peasantsΒ alike; Β sheΒ wasΒ notΒ theΒ targetΒ ofΒ hisΒ pleading, Β butΒ theΒ tideΒ pullsΒ herΒ inΒ regardless. Β theΒ secondΒ timeΒ wasΒ afterΒ theΒ crowdΒ wasΒ soΒ certainΒ thatΒ deathΒ hadΒ comeΒ forΒ him. Β hadΒ herΒ handΒ notΒ beenΒ injured, Β itΒ wouldβveΒ beenΒ balledΒ upΒ withΒ herΒ knucklesΒ tightlyΒ wound.
theΒ memoryΒ hurts, Β butΒ doesΒ herΒ noΒ harm ββββ and yet,Β yetΒ β¦Β
β iΒ hopeΒ youΒ sawΒ theΒ good,Β andΒ turnedΒ awayΒ forΒ theΒ badΒ β¦ β
butΒ thereΒ wasΒ noΒ curtainsΒ drawnΒ forΒ hisΒ performance. Β NOΒ TRICKS Β οΌ Β NO GIMMICKS: Β onlyΒ theΒ honest, Β brutalΒ violenceΒ aΒ trialΒ couldΒ bring. Β aΒ ravenβsΒ cryΒ carriedΒ overtopΒ theΒ heldΒ breathΒ ofΒ theΒ crowd, Β andΒ partΒ ofΒ herΒ thoughtΒ himΒ aΒ goodΒ thespian. Β theirΒ attention,Β her attention,Β wasΒ solelyΒ monopolizedΒ byΒ him.
toΒ lookΒ awayΒ wouldΒ beΒ toΒ ignoreΒ injustice. Β theyΒ hadΒ alreadyΒ doneΒ itΒ onceΒ withΒ her, Β andΒ tanselleΒ wouldΒ beΒ no betterΒ thanΒ them ifΒ sheΒ didΒ theΒ sameΒ toΒ him. Β andΒ soΒ sheΒ watched.
noΒ matterΒ theΒ amountΒ ofΒ strikes, Β noΒ matterΒ theΒ battering, Β heΒ neverΒ yielded. Β hisΒ figureΒ tremoredΒ underΒ theΒ forceΒ ofΒ hisΒ ownΒ blows;Β anΒ angeredΒ bullΒ deniedΒ itsΒ charge,Β allΒ forwardΒ andΒ noΒ grace. Β theΒ cracksΒ ofΒ boneΒ heardΒ evenΒ fromΒ theΒ backΒ ofΒ theΒ crowd.
β myΒ finger?Β youΒ oughtΒ toΒ worryΒ aboutΒ yourselfΒ first,Β ser. β Β footstepsΒ asΒ quaintΒ asΒ aΒ tomcatβs, Β sheΒ closedΒ theΒ distanceΒ withΒ littleΒ hesitanceΒ now. Β sheΒ didΒ notΒ pullΒ away,Β andΒ fromΒ here, Β sheΒ couldΒ seeΒ theΒ firelightΒ flickerΒ orangeΒ acrossΒ hisΒ bruisedΒ face, Β acrossΒ theΒ tightnessΒ inΒ hisΒ jaw, Β acrossΒ fingersΒ thatΒ lookedΒ notΒ allΒ tooΒ dissimilarΒ toΒ herΒ own.
hisΒ voiceΒ wasΒ rough, Β andΒ hisΒ concernΒ wasΒ heardΒ theΒ wayΒ oneΒ hearsΒ theΒ crackedΒ stringΒ ofΒ aΒ luteΒ ββββΒ notΒ loud, Β butΒ unmistakable. Β β iΒ toldΒ myself, βΒ sheΒ began, Β voiceΒ low, Β steady, Β asΒ thoughΒ sheΒ wasΒ placingΒ somethingΒ fragileΒ betweenΒ them. Β β justΒ oneΒ look. Β oneΒ glance. Β iΒ neededΒ toΒ seeΒ youΒ beforeΒ iββΒ β¦Β iΒ left. Β iΒ couldΒ notΒ walkΒ toΒ dorneΒ withΒ yourΒ sentencingΒ loomingΒ overΒ myΒ mind. β Β aΒ shiftΒ &Β herΒ fingersΒ curlΒ aroundΒ hisΒ thisΒ time, Β fabricΒ slippingΒ awayΒ fromΒ himΒ andΒ replacedΒ byΒ flesh, Β deliberateΒ &Β warm.
violenceΒ didΒ notΒ lookΒ comfortableΒ onΒ him, Β heΒ didΒ notΒ carryΒ itΒ withΒ theΒ sameΒ arroganceΒ otherΒ knightsΒ did. Β sheΒ recognizedΒ itΒ though. Β recognizedΒ theΒ wayΒ survival, Β whenΒ repeatedΒ tooΒ often,Β beginsΒ toΒ lookΒ likeΒ guilt. Β hadΒ itΒ beenΒ anyΒ otherΒ knightΒ ofΒ theΒ realm, Β tanselleΒ wasΒ sureΒ theΒ firstΒ wordsΒ fromΒ theirΒ mouthsΒ wouldΒ notΒ beΒ soΒ selflessΒ likeΒ his. Β sheβdΒ beΒ pushedΒ toΒ compensate, Β toΒ payΒ backΒ forΒ theΒ righteousΒ deed.
butΒ heΒ onlyΒ askedΒ ifΒ sheΒ wasΒ well.
β iΒ amΒ fine, Β thankfullyΒ onlyΒ oneΒ broke. β Β herΒ throatΒ feltΒ dry, Β andΒ wordsΒ wereΒ leftΒ unspoken. Β itΒ brokeΒ byΒ theΒ joint,Β Β onΒ herΒ goodΒ handΒ too. Β sheΒ wouldnβtΒ beΒ ableΒ toΒ manΒ herΒ puppetsΒ orΒ paintΒ orΒ soΒ muchΒ asΒ stepΒ onΒ stageΒ untilΒ itΒ heals.Β herΒ fingerΒ didΒ notΒ hurtΒ asΒ muchΒ asΒ herΒ pride. Β β gods, Β theyΒ brokeΒ youΒ toΒ pieces. βΒ herΒ freeΒ handΒ reachedΒ down, Β gentlyΒ cuppingΒ theΒ sideΒ ofΒ hisΒ faceΒ asΒ herΒ thumbΒ tracedΒ underΒ theΒ daggerΒ cutΒ eye.
allΒ menΒ areΒ fools, Β andΒ allΒ menΒ areΒ knights. soΒ whereΒ doesΒ thatΒ leaveΒ her?
β theΒ maestersΒ willΒ takeΒ careΒ ofΒ you, β Β ofΒ this, Β sheΒ wasΒ sure. Β sheΒ had toΒ giveΒ specialΒ careΒ asΒ toΒ notΒ beΒ caughtΒ comingΒ in. Β β iΒ shouldΒ leaveΒ beforeΒ theyΒ comeΒ back. Β ifΒ theyΒ seeΒ meΒ withΒ you, Β youβllΒ onlyΒ sufferΒ more. Β youβveΒ justΒ clearedΒ yourΒ name, Β iΒ wonβtΒ riskΒ youΒ sullyingΒ itΒ byΒ beingΒ here. β Β sheΒ shouldβveΒ leftΒ earlier, Β but seeingΒ him, Β beingΒ hereΒ withΒ him,Β wasΒ shakingΒ herΒ resolve.