The quiet strength behind the words was what truly caught her attention and there was something that lay in the soft determination of them that struck a chord within her. Laenah did not doubt that this woman had steel within her, mixed in with the care and concern that she seemed able to show the world without any hesitation despite the binds that the position of Lady put upon her to act a certain way. The sincerity that was embedded in her words and actions was something that almost caused some sort of envy within the brunette when she still found herself battling with who she was supposed to be, who she was and who she wanted to be. Her genuine fondness towards the other woman and something close to admiration meant that the negative feelings aren’t allowed to stay to take root and fester, instead she offers a small but soft smile.

          It was hard to know exactly what to say when it had thrown her own emotions into a reflective chaos as she was forced to realise that she had slowly been letting herself get more and more won down. She wasn’t the ocean that she longed to be but the rocks that made its bed, constantly having their rough edges worn away and away and away until there was nothing left of them. Perhaps she needed to embrace her friend’s mentality and instead of allowing herself to be worn down by other’s little corrections and the alterations that they seemed to demand that she made in order to have a place among them, she needed to stand firm and strong in herself. 

        The decision was one that she had faltered on for years, the only thing keeping her caged still being her father’s absence and her wanting to draw as little attention as possible to her House with any actions that may be deemed worthy of gossip. So her soft, genteel and carefully crafted exterior remained in tact even if she had taken to being more and more reckless with the use of her spare time. Hunting and target practise were hardly hobbies fit for a lady and yet it felt like a step too far - one sacrifice too many - for her to even contemplate giving up the things that brought her such joy. Any hopes of marriage that she might have had were placed low on her priorities, set aside until things settled out but in the meantime Laenah knew she couldn’t give up everything and leave herself hollow and fading.

         For all she had allowed herself to lapse into a contemplative silence she knew that some form of answer was required and she wanted it to be one of gentle support when the words did eventually leave her lips. ”With that resolve I am almost certain that they would never be successful.” There were no doubts in her mind that Nymeria was more than headstrong and steady in herself to easily be a match for any who made the mistake of challenging her and a part of her could only hope that one day she would be able to embody such qualities more openly than she already did.

  A brow raised at the words of Lady Blackwood, already wondering whether she counted herself among the numbers who longed for a life that forwent any sense of adventure and excitement in exchange for accepting and embracing normalcy and monotony. Their interaction had been far shorter than he would have liked but all the same, the brunette had not struck him as a woman who would take the easier, more travelled road instead of staying true to her beliefs. If his initial judgement of her proved to be false and the Lady from Raventree Hall did indeed prefer to follow the norm rather than break the mold, however slightly, the knight would feel some slight and echoing disappointment. Whether it would be for himself or for what she could have been he did not dwell on.

       Plans rarely factored into his life when following his impulses and making sure he did what he felt was right always triumphed over leading the life that had been expected from him. He was Deziel Dayne’s son in only name when the two were as different as night and day, Oberyn shunning almost everything plotted and precise while his father lived for schemes and careful orchestration. Perhaps that was why he had always possessed such an aversion to such talk when even just the mention of his father could taint even the most joyous of occasions. 

      Still, the knight had always strove to hold a certain open-mindedness, almost to spite his father for being set in his ways, and if the lady wished to hold such views he could not stop er. Everyone was entitled to their thoughts and feelings after all. Each as valid as the other even if he did disagree on such a deep level. A rare seriousness weighs down his words, almost as if he’s hoping that if she is at all undecided, that his words might push her more firmly away from the mediocre. “Simplicity can be beautiful or it can be caging. But I feel those people who long for it or pursue it never truly live.” 

    Even though it had been far from his intent, it still felt far too much like preaching and that went against his very core when the only person he’d ever railed against was sat down in Starfall. A grin is conjured up to combat the serious words and instead he allows himself to relapse into the more lighthearted countenance that he usually possesses. “But of course, my lady, the choice will always be yours. I just feel as though it would be something of a crime to deny the world of your wit and beauty when to follow a simple life would be so restricting.” It was easier to embrace his Dornishness and dig deeper into some teasing flirtation than to think about the wider implications of what had been said before.