cream & gold

Shireen hadn’t thought about that night in a little while but seeing Jeyne had brought back her memories of that night. Despite not knowing Jeyne well, Shireen was relieved that she had recovered from that night. Shireen couldn’t have imagined what it must have been like to plan a party and have it turn out the way it did. “It’s good to see you too, Jeyne. How are you?” Shireen asked curiously with a smile. 

She sidestepped to the left, to let people through, before answering Jeyne’s question. “Well right now, it’s the snacks.” She held up her cotton candy as a demonstration before expanding on her answer.” I’m just excited for everything. After everything that’s happened, it’s nice to just take a day where I can enjoy myself and not worry about what’s going to happen later,” Shireen said with a shrug as she picked at her cotton candy.

jeyne could admit that the cocktails were beginning to look quite good, but she stuck with her water for the time being, lifting the bottle to her lips for a long swig. she didn’t know shireen well at all, but at the other woman’s greeting, her lips curved even higher. “doing well,” she said with a nod. “i’m trying to hydrate before i start on the drinks, though.” her mouth twisted into a playful smirk.

the cotton candy looked quite good and jeyne nodded. “i agree.” she was pleased to see that shireen was taking time for herself, that she seemed to be doing quite well after everything that had happened back in king’s landing. “i came for the weekend with friends and while there’s part of me that misses my cat, i’m ready to just enjoy myself.” she wrinkled her nose once more. “have you ever had a cocktail with cotton candy inside of it?” she asked. “they’re quite good. i wonder if they have any.”

The light was what woke Mira up, stirring from a comfortable sleep and noticing that her bed was empty. It wasn’t something she would have observed before but only a few hours before someone unexpected had been beside her. The first thing she thought to do was check her phone to see if there were any messages, but perhaps it was to soon to be in direct contact with Robb. Mira had relationships before but it had been too long since she felt light in her head, her thoughts incoherent and feel her face flush at the thought of the man. After a few moments of rejecting the idea of getting out of bed, she rose and her toes found the ground. She continued throughout her morning routine and took the stairs down, thinking of how long it had been since Robb took the stairs down but decided to ignore anything related to the other. She found Jeyne at the kitchen table and smiled tiredly. “Morning.” Mira greeted brightly, almost more happily than any other morning and defiant against the time it was. She busied herself with making a cup of tea and toast, hoping to find something to narrow her attention on. “How long have you been up? Are you going to be here tonight? We should have wine and watch a movie. Emphasis on the wine.”

@thegildedseashell​

Jeyne had come home later than usual and though she’d noticed Mira’s door was shut, she hadn’t thought too much about it. She’d simply poured herself a nice glass of wine and had gone back to her room so she could watch the latest edition of The Real Housewives of the Vale and text Maron her thoughts about it. Inevitably, she’d fallen asleep with her tablet running and a smile on her face, phone still clasped in her fingers. Today, though, she had gotten up early and taken a long run around the neighborhood before coming back to start coffee. Jeyne had never eaten a lot in the morning, so she made some avocado toast to tide her over until lunch. With her tablet on the table in front of her, she caught up on the day’s news, sipping the black liquid from the mug at her side. When she saw Mira come down, her eyebrow lifted. “You’re in a good mood this morning,” she mused, her lips quirked at the corners. “Any particular reason why?” she tilted her head to the side. “A couple of hours; I already went for a run.” Jeyne shrugged. “I don’t have any plans. A night in with movie and wine sounds good. Perhaps some gossip, too. Have you heard anything good lately?”

“It would totally throw off all my outfits so definitely much too early.” Jeyne seemed to be a little ahead of Myrcella when it came to the drinking - although she had time to catch up to her friend, of course. It seemed like a good idea too but she wanted to be a little circumspect about it. Myrcella loved a good party and having fun as much as anyone, but all her lessons about being a proper lady lingered in the back of her mind even then. 

“Okay first, yes, everything has been way too gloomy, hasn’t it? We needed a good festival to cheer us up. And second please! I am ready for one! Lead on and we can walk slow enough for you to finish that one while we go. How have you been?”

Jeyne laughed. “Fair enough.” She’d had several nights – or days, for that matter – where she’d woken up with drink stains on her clothes, and that was if she’d woken up in the same clothes she’d worn out to begin with. She’d never been afraid of a good party and she was glad to have run into Myrcella for the evening. She took another sip from her glass and allowed her hair to fall down, the dyed locks curled in waves.

“Exactly! Not that I don’t care about people, because I do. But it’s been such a mess these past few weeks that sometimes we just need to let loose!” She nodded and began to lead the way toward the bar. “I’ve been good! Work’s busy which surprises me. I expected it would be slower after what happened.” She shrugged. “How about you? How’s school and everything?”

Jeyne stared at her phone, her lips thinned as the gossip columns ran rampant over the screen. The queen, it seemed -- because she was technically a queen even if she hadn’t been crowned -- had disappeared from Summerhall and Jeyne felt a strange eeriness over the city as many around her seemed to be recognizing the same thing. “Shit,” she murmured as she began to turn back toward the hotel she was staying in for the time being.

She was so busy that, in her haste, Jeyne bumped into someone on the sidewalk. Her phone fell from her hands and shattered on the pavement. “Godsdamnit. Can this day get any worse?”

“I do.” He said honestly, turning his face to the breeze and let the crisp salt air beat against his face. The thought of living anywhere where he couldn’t have this if he wanted baffled him. As much as he dearly loved Sansa and the Northerners he called friends, he didn’t know how they could manage without the sea. Sometimes when his games called him too far inland he could pretend the roar of traffic sounded like the crashing of waves.

“People don’t seem to get why I can’t move away from Storm’s End, but I can’t get why they can live so far away from the sea.” He admitted with a shrug. Perhaps Jeyne would get it when other people might not. She seemed to hear the call of the sea as well. Greyjoys weren’t the only ones with salt in their blood. “There’s something about the air that’s just better, y’know? Makes one really feel alive.”

Jeyne had always loved living near the sea, had enjoyed the sounds of the waves crashing outside of her window at The Crag. Even now that she lived in the Reach, the waves and the sea were different somehow than they’d been further north but she adored them all the same. “People that haven’t lived near it don’t understand,” she pointed out with a shrug of one shoulder, her lips curving at the corners. “They don’t understand what it means to feel the wind shift and to smell the salt in the air.”

It was rare for Myrcella to run into someone she wasn’t happy to see. Especially at an event like this - anyone was a friend, and she loved all her friends! So when she bumped into Jeyne, while it was certainly not expected, she wasn’t at all upset.  There wasn’t a spill - not that anyone would really have noticed if there was one, she thought - and the chance to catch up with one of her friends was always a welcome one. Particularly a friend like Jeyne, who was always fun at a party. 

“Luckily for me, you didn’t! How are you?” She slung an arm around Jeyne - carefully, so as not to induce another spill - for a quick squeeze. “Isn’t the festival great?”

She grinned. “Good. It’s much too early for such a party foul, right?” Jeyne lifted her glass to her lips and took a long sip, knowing that the liquor would soon affect her more than she thought. But wasn’t that the point of fun events like this? Her lips twitched and she wrapped her arm around the other woman, squeezing slightly before she laughed, a little too loud for polite company, but she expected that Myrcella wouldn’t notice – and if she did, she likely wouldn’t care.

“It’s amazing!” A laugh escaped her lips. “I think this is the most fun I’ve had in…ages, really.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Do we need to get you a drink?” she asked. “I’ll soon be due for another.”

Renly liked Oldtown well enough. It didn’t have the same marrow-deep draw to it that Storm’s End and the rest of the Storm Coast did, but it had the crisp breeze from the sea and the spray of the waves all the same. He knew that Baratheon blood didn’t come with the same inexplicable tie to the crashing tides as Greyjoy blood did, but he also knew he got antsy when he spent too much time inland. He was a coastal creature and he’d long ago accepted it. Salty air made him feel alive again. Plus, running on the beach counted as quicked endurance training.

He tended to run early in the morning but he’d arrived in town too late for that. Crashing at Sansa’s meant having to use her shower, so he’d saved his run until she’d left for work. Thank all the gods for the off-season, honestly. Once practice started in earnest he’d not have this sort of freedom.

Regardless he found himself running one of his favorite lesser known trails in the middle of the day, headphones in and music thrumming a steady tempo through his ears. He’d made it less than halfway through his normal route when he saw a familiar figure picking her way through the trail towards him.

Pulling out one earbud Renly slowed down and came to a stop. “Jeyne? Is that you? I didn’t expect to see anyone out here this time of day.”

@thegildedseashell

Jeyne had lived in Oldtown for several years at this point and while she often missed The Crag, there was something freeing about living on her own (albeit with a roommate) and in a city that had so much to do. The city itself could be rather busy, with something to do around every corner. But it did not take much of a drive outside of the city limits to find that the greenery of the Reach was not overestimated. The shores had a plethora of hiking trails and on most free mornings she would take a quick jog around them before enjoying the sight of the sea at the shoreline.

Jeyne held a drink in her hand as she listened to the end of a concert at the U3 music festival. Lifting the cup to her lips, she took a heavy drink, already feeling the alcohol affecting her. It had been a good day thus far and though she’d tried to stay hydrated, Jeyne could admit that she was more in the mood to have a few drinks. For so long, she’d had responsibility and it was nice to enjoy a party for a change.

The romper she wore had spaghetti straps and the shorts were cut high. Jeyne’s hair was long and as she swayed to the music, she allowed herself to get caught up in the moment. After she turned once, she bumped into someone else. Her eyes widened and she laughed. “‘Cella!” Her exclamation was cut short by a giggle. “I didn’t spill on you, did I?”

who: shireen baratheon when: february 20, 2020 where:unbowed, unbent, unbroken music festival, sunspear

Shireen hadn’t planned on coming to the musical festival in Sunspear but after receiving tickets to the three day event, she didn’t want it to go to waste. And it was obviously time for her to step outside and what better way than a weekend without her parents to monitor her every move. It had been over a month since Balon Greyjoy’s unfortunate passing which meant it was time for her to stop dwelling on it. The party, the arrests of her family and people that she had known her entire life was all she could think about for a while but Shireen hoped that the festival could at least distract her for a short time.

When she arrived at the festival, it was already at full swing. Everywhere she looked, there was people just enjoying their time and it helped Shireen relax a bit. She walked through the crowds, holding cotton candy in her hands when she accidentally bumped into someone. Quickly turning to apologize, Shireen couldn’t hide her surprise at who it was. ” I’m so sorry about that,” She apologized, scanning the other person’s clothing to make sure that her cotton candy didn’t ruin their clothes.” I didn’t realize you would be here,” Shireen commented with a hint of surprise.

Jeyne always enjoyed U3; it was the preeminent music festival in Westeros and she would not dare to be seen ignoring such an event. She’d attended alone, though she had many friends who would be there and she was looking forward to seeing them. She carried a bottle of water in her hands, not wanting to begin drinking just yet and the music around her was as eclectic as the people. A smile rose on her face and she looked around at the vendors, wondering if there was something else she’d prefer having to eat. Her head tilted to the side as she looked at some of the signs, ignoring that she was in the walkway.

When someone bumped into her, Jeyne looked up. “Oh, it’s my own fault.” The smile was genuine as her words and as she looked over at Shireen, she recalled the other woman had been at the Prime Minister’s birthday. It had been a strange evening, though Jeyne felt bonded to anyone who’d been stuck there and she laughed. “I wouldn’t miss it,” she remarked with a shrug of one shoulder. “But it’s good to see you.” She didn’t know Shireen well enough for a hug and a handshake seemed so impersonal so she hoped her words worked well as a greeting. “What’s your favorite part of the festival so far?”

He turned away from the receptionist when he heard someone coming towards them, and he was quite sure (and completely unashamed) that his face lit up at the sight of her. It had been a heavy week or so, and his very being ached with the pressure of cameras flashing in his face and journalists examining every one of his expression as he and his siblings bore his father’s coffin out of the citadel and the endless hours of menial fallout meetings on base that ground at his tolerance like sandpaper.

His arms went around her waist and as she hugged him tight, he did the same right back, making her feet hover off the ground until he set her delicate heels back on the floor. “I had to be in Oldtown for work.” Maron smiled against her hair at the affirmation of how happy she was to see him. “Thought I may as well make the trip worth my while.” He’d planned to apologise for showing up unannounced, but her smile made him think he probably didn’t need to. “Would you happen to have any time to get lunch or something?” His voice was low enough that only she could hear him as a few faces popped around doorways to see what was going on. “I’d suggest dinner but I have to be back in King’s Landing by tonight.” 

She was not often one for surprises, but as she wrapped her arms around Maron, Jeyne thought that facet of her personality might have changed. When he hugged her back and lifted her up, she closed her eyes for one brief second, enjoying nothing more than the moment, the feeling of being enclosed in his arms. “You certainly know how to make a woman feel special.” Her murmur was soft and teasing, tinged with an openness he seemingly brought out of her. She was slow to leave them once her feet were back on the ground. “How did you find out where I was?” she asked, curious and pleased, ignoring the curious stares of the receptionist as she looped her bag over her arm so she could tuck her other hand into the crook of Maron’s.

Though part of her was a bit disappointed he couldn’t stay longer, Jeyne was rather gratified that he’d chosen to seek her out in his limited time in Oldtown. She nodded, the smile widening on her face as she faced Maron. “I would love to. I’m off for the rest of the afternoon, actually, so maybe lunch and a walk through the Citadel’s gardens before you have to leave?” It was nice outside, though she knew the winter winds would likely whip against the hair that fell loosely around her shoulders. Jeyne gestured toward the door so that they could leave and her head tilted to the side. “Did you have anyplace in particular in mind?”

NAME:

MG 💖

RINGTONE:

a standard ringtone that’s different than her usual one

PICTURE:

LAST TEXT RECEIVED: 

I’ll have to stay longer next time.

LAST TEXT SENT:

Yes, please. Cat is very upset she couldn’t meet you.

@thegildedseashell​

Maron took the stairs two at a time to the address that he had up on his phone. Work had threatened to drain him, and he wasn’t sure how many more meetings about managing the aftermath of his father’s murder he could sit through before he started experiencing Targaryen levels of madness. In his capacity as a Greyjoy, and in his capacity as a high ranking member of the Westerosi Defence Force, he’d been all over the country meeting with countless faceless officials from every sector, trying to find some sense in the untameable chaos that had become his life.

The request for his time in Oldtown had brought some order to said chaos - and he’d been as fast to okay the meeting as he’d been to get in contact with his old mentor for an odd request. Gawen Westerling had come through, and though he had been confident all this time (he’d even been excited like a schoolchild waiting for the bell to ring) he found himself a little nervous as he was faced with the receptionist of the small, tastefully fitted-out shared workspace. “Uh… I’m looking for Jeyne Westerling - would I be in the right place, by any chance?” 

Though Jeyne did much of her work on location – very few of the events she planned were actually in Oldtown – she still had an office in the city. It was rather small, when compared to other firms, but she enjoyed her coworkers too much to work entirely remotely. The past few weeks had been hectic. Coming down from the murder of Balon Greyjoy had been difficult, more difficult than Jeyne was happy to admit. She worried over it at times, about the state of the country, about the Greyjoys – or, at least, about one Greyjoy in particular.

Her thoughts were on Maron now as she walked toward the reception area, purse in hand with a leather jacket slung over one arm. Was it too early to text him again? As she pondered the thought and turned a corner, however, Jeyne’s eyes widened. “Maron?” she asked, her voice incredulous, surprised, at the sight of him. Heels tapped quicker on the wooden floors as Jeyne nearly threw herself into the man’s arms, her own winding around his shoulders. “What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice muffled against his neck. As she pulled back, the smile on Jeyne’s face grew. “Not that I’m not pleased to see you, of course.”

He didn’t even really like tea. 

Rodrik had long since been avoiding the liquid since he was a child and his mother forced it down his throat every time he was ill in the winter, but the lingering familiarity and the rare moments of comfort it came from was enough for him to pretend for a few moments more. It was odd, the effect this all had on him, and for a moment he entertained the idea that his mind could be snapping. Her voice brought him back to the forefront of his mind once more, and as he understood them, a slow smile crept onto his face. “I’m going to be honest with you here,” he said, half of his face scrunching before he drew a deep breath. “That’s music to my ears. I can’t stand the taste of tea.”

He did nothing but offer a smug smile when she turned to land him with her arched brow at his request, watching silently as she replaced the mug with something larger, and when she agreed to compromise, he nodded in appreciation. “Many thanks and blessings to you. Jeyne, isn’t it?” he was fairly certain he’d heard it before, but Rodrik was sometimes bad about only preoccupying himself with his own issues, which was why he phrased it as a question. He swallowed roughly at her suggestion, eyes averting before he replied. “Yeah, he’s taking it pretty hard.” Harder than most of their family, which not only confused Rodrik, but also grated him in ways he wasn’t able to process just yet. At her second suggestion, he out right laughed, brow furrowing, tone bemused when he said, “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Standing up straight, he went on. “Is this your way of telling me I’m keeping too long? I can finish the tea, if so.”

Perhaps it was the tension that had permeated the entirety of 14 Valyrian Way, or perhaps it was simply Rodrik’s delivery. Either way, Jeyne’s own lips quirked upwards into a genuine smile at his admission and she shook her head, the long curls grazing her skin as she worked. “Then you simply haven’t had the right tea,” she remarked, her brow rising. “They’re not all awful, though some are much too strong for my tastes.”

Nodding, she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she poured water over the sachet in the cup and turned back toward him as it brewed. “Yes, it’s Jeyne,” her voice was quiet, perhaps not wanting to completely disturb the peace in this one small room. There was no need for him to say his name; like his father, she rather thought he commanded a room. “He’s…I wouldn’t want him to do anything rash.” She liked Theon very much, and even earlier that evening had been looking forward to planning an event at his club. But now, with the death of his father hanging over them all, Jeyne could only barely look forward to going home.

Jeyne had not meant to offend, had not meant to insinuate that she wished to extricate herself from this conversation. Her eyes widened at his question and Jeyne shook her head. “That wasn’t exactly my intention,” she said, her voice soft as she finished preparing his tea by adding a splash of whiskey, and handed him the mug. “But I would like to check on your mother once more and then Maron. I expect he…” Jeyne trailed off, her eyes flicking down the hallway to the guest room that Alannys had told her once was for her middle son. But then they came back to Rodrik and her lips quirked at the corners. “Well, I expect he will need a bit of looking after as well. But he does not seem nearly so reckless. And...I can manage him at least.”

He knew she was right, but what would be the appropriate response for a Greyjoy when one of their own had been so gruesomely killed in their own home? Balon was the one to instruct Theon to carry a gun when he’d started getting involved, because as he’d so lovingly put it, “you never know when someone might want to toss you into a ditch”. The old man was the brunt of the joke now, but none of the people in the next room over were any of Theon’s typical buyers. That left him to wonder if Balon had been killed for political reasons, or if he harbored more secrets than even Theon knew about.

Given how lost, confused, and afraid Theon felt–anger felt like an appropriate place to focus it all. He’d not experienced loss before, was uncertain how to handle it, and given the reaction of his brothers (or lack of) felt he may be the only one impacted in any regard with the exception of his mother. 

“There’s worse things to get arrested for.” Murder being one, but he couldn’t exactly justify the things he wished to do tonight, and even that statement felt childish after it left his mouth. “Who’s to say this person won’t come after my mother next? Or my siblings?” Or me. Theon asked softly, his voice a hoarse whisper, barely restrained by the rise in his emotions. Just because he didn’t get along with them most of the time, he still loved them, and now, feared for them.

She could understand – even sympathize with – Theon’s want for revenge. Jeyne could hardly imagine what she would feel, or what she would do, if her own father had been so brutally murdered at a party celebrating his life. But she also knew that she had come to care for the Greyjoys, especially Alannys, in the time she’d been planning events for them. She could not live with herself if she allowed Theon to go out so angry.

Jeyne wished, not for the first time, that she could do more to help. Keeping the peace in the halls and ensuring that the guests had food and drink was seemingly all she could do. But it didn’t feel like enough.

Her head dipped down in an incline and Jeyne found she couldn’t argue him. The hoarse whisper made her pause and Jeyne’s eyes flicked across the room, hoping his mother didn’t overhear their discussion. “They might,” she said softly. “But there are plenty of detectives on alert and I mentioned security for your mother to Rodrik when I saw him earlier.” Jeyne ran one hand through her hair and let out a sigh. “The best thing you can do right now is be here. And I’ll help where I can, I promise.” Jeyne reached out and placed a hand on Theon’s arm. “You’re allowed to feel anger. Just, please, be smart about how you use it.”

A usual night in for Mira would be buried under her blankets back at the flat she and Jeyne shared, only willing to slip out when her friend was home or there was food. If they ever went out, it was nothing on this level and Mira wanted to soak into it. Mira only had been to a few places like this, but it was only because of her name. The fears of arriving back to King’s Landing were surely put to face and Mira was only here because of Jeyne and her family. When she had done her training she had learned what kind of people were nestled in the castle and she knew which ones to avoid. 

Mira’s bright eyes widened in surprise at the mention of the Greyjoy brother, withholding herself from turning around the room to find him. A genuine gasp and breathy laugh escaped her and she covered her mouth from any wandering gazes. “How-when-why the hell did you not tell me this?” Mira managed with a burst of questions, trying to think of any time Jeyne blushed in the last few weeks. This evening was for the Greyjoys and her mind immediately wondered if she was the planner because of the intimate connection. Her painted lips curved genuinely at the comment and decided not to argue. “I do not need to be escorted around. I’ll let you know if someone catches my eye or the other way around. The men here are mostly just boys dressed to the nines and I have no interest in spending time around that. I learned my lesson with that guy from the Riverlands last summer.”

Though Jeyne often planned a great deal of parties, she was not one for attending them. She liked nice things and there was a small amount of materialism that she’d cultivated over the years, but there was a difference, in her mind, between being surrounded by beautiful items and showing them off at every given opportunity. Most nights she wasn’t working were spent watching her favorite show or perhaps going out with friends. It was, perhaps, why she and Mira got along so well – they were not the type to be at every party or wanting their names in every gossip column. Even now, Jeyne lamented that she would not be going home to her cat.

One brow raised in response to Mira’s question and Jeyne’s cheeks flushed pink before she responded. “There was no need to. It was when I was just a kid.” She shrugged as she thought of the first time she’d met him. “Didn’t expect him to look this good.” She ran her hand through her hair and tucked some behind an ear. “But I have to at least be somewhat professional. Mrs. Greyjoy trusts me to ensure the event goes well.” She understood what her friend was trying to say and she shrugged once more, not wanting Mira to have a bad experience once more. “Some of them clean up nicely, though,” she pointed out with a soft smile. “And you don’t have to do anything serious. But let yourself flirt if you meet a nice one.” Jeyne waggled her eyebrows and lifted her glass to her lips once more.