* CARELESS / 𝚟𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 .

She was steadfast in her position, neither flinching nor giving away that she would want him to stay further from her. She seemed strong and confident, a woman who could tie a man down no matter the reckless behavior. What on godly earth had he walked into and what was this vixen in front of him, if not a creature he could never tame nor have? It made it all the more interesting, all the more something he desperately would want in the end. Her delicate fingers were not strapped to the fabric of his clothing, but he didn’t care - She had his utter attention even if he didn’t wish for her to have it. The gentle tug was not an invitation, but more a seduction he would have to keep. She was teasing him, more than anything and even if Sigfryd was an ironborn, he was also a man, but a man who grew up amongst women and men without tact, well some did - Ames for example was the perfect example of what an ironborn was not when it came to manners, then again Sigfryd admired him. “Ah cheating did not cost me my eye.” he smirked and looked away for a second. In truth, it was a delicate subject, but it didn’t mean he would tell her right there and then, he’d rather not. “I believe the story of my eye shall wait.” he mused, leaning into her touch, feeling as if he was already spellbound.

“And when did you assess what I like or not my lady? Did I tell you I wouldn’t not like to do whatever would please you?” he cocked his head to the side, wondering where her analysis of him had taken her. Perhaps she saw a pirate or someone out to take whatever he wanted. Even he liked a challenge and it seemed so far she was the challenge of his life, someone so small, petite, and not really kind but demanding. A strong woman with a fire in her eyes that no one could steal. He was mesmerized. A small chuckle left his lips at her retort of him knowing her name. Of course, he would like to know it, to speak it, whisper it, moan it - There was no denying he wanted to know her name. As his captivation of her proceeded, he also found himself wanting to play this. To keep her unknown, yet known in a manner he did not quite understand. “I believe cheaters cannot be trusted, they tend to stab you in the back when you least expect it and therefore I will keep my story and name secret - “Sigfryd couldn’t help it. A hand had snaked its way forward, touching a fallen lock of her hair, letting it glide between his fingertips. As she turned however she seemed lost again, like a glimpse he could feel but never touch again. “Yes, I would like to know your name,” he stated before leaning against the railing. “But something tells me I will not know it tonight.”

like  two  predatory  creatures  of  the  sea  and  the  sky,  their  gazes  remained  interlocked  in  an  unspoken  challenge  until  he  looked  away  ─  ceding  ground  by  breaking  contact.  her  fingers,  slender  but  strong,  rubbed  the  fabric  of  his  shirt  between  the  pads  of  her  thumb  and  pointer,  half  gloating  and  half  soothing  whatever  injury  she  might  have  caused  by  digging  a  little  too  deeply  into  the  story  behind  his  lost  eye.  larra  was  not  without  some  sense,  all  too  aware  that  some  secrets  were  not  to  be  shared  during  first  meetings.  if  he  had  pried  into  the  reason  behind  her  sleepless  adventures,  she  would  not  have  been  as  kind,  so  she  hummed  gently  in  response,  deciding  that  she  will  allow  him  to  keep  the  secret  for  now  ─  it  would  be  much  more  satisfying  to  have  him  tell  her  the  story  own  his  own  accord,  a  victory  in  itself  to  peel  back  the  layers  to  this  fascinating  stranger.  ❝  very  well  ...  keep  your  secrets  for  now  but  as  i  said,  i  do  not  like  to  be  kept  waiting  for  long.  ❞  softly  repeated  in  admonishment,  she  did  not  push  further  in  an  effort  to  extend  some  element  of  respect  or  perhaps,  an  unstated  apology.  it  would  be  up  to  him  to  decide  what  to  make  of  her  patient  gaze,  contrasting  the  demanding  words  that  dripped  from  her  forked  tongue.

               despite   her   pressing   concerns   with   the   riverlands   ,   minella   still   found   herself   worrying   about   the   well   -   being   of   her   lannister   family   .   a   strong   pride   of   lions   ,   put   at   odds   by   a   phantom   of   the   past   .   her   soft   ,   shared   glances   with   the   besmirched   ruling   lady   and   frail   smiles   shared   in   passing   were   her   only   supply   of   comfort   left   after   the   past   seven   months   ,   emotional   support   tank   running   dry   .   frequenting   the   gardens   with   tylan   gave   the   woman   a   shred   of   peace   ,   a   glance   into   the   normalcy   that   she   had   once   found   within   the   safety   of   king’s   landing   .   though   ,   she   remained   a   lamb   for   the   slaughter   ,   unsure   of   how   to   proceed   with   new   found   ideas   of   redemption   .   she   paced   herself   ,   stepping   into   the   uncomfortable   air   surrounding   the   new   home   of   the   royal   family   .   hushed   words   had   become   common   place   for   the   lady   lannister   ,   especially   for   calming   the   infant   sat   upon   her   hip   .   lips   quirked   into   a   smile   as   lyonel   appeared   at   her   side   ,   seemingly   from   the   shadows   .   “   a   need   of   my   expertise   ?   for   such   a   request   ,   i   shall   allow   you   to   join   us   .   ”   she   teases   ,   sharing   a   brief   nod   in   the   direction   of   her   safe   place   ,   encouraging   him   to   follow   .   “   i   have   not   seen   my   siblings   since   last   leaving   the   riverlands   .   i   should   hope   to   find   my   sister   soon   ,   but   my   dear   brother   has   yet   to   join   us   .   i   wonder   if   he   isn’t   settling   into   his   new   role   as   easily   as   expected   .   ”   minella   paused   .   eyes   turned   to   lyonel   ,   gentle   hand   placing   atop   his   arm   ,   attempting   to   summon   what   was   left   of   her   nurturing   side   to   provide   comfort   .   “   i   will   send   your   sentiments   to   riverrun   .   how   are   you   doing   ,   friend   ?   ”

there  was  something  comforting  about  being  in  her  presence  ─  around  minella,  there  was  less  of  a  need  to  pretend  that  all  was  well  for  she  had  borne  witness  to  his  despair  and  confusion  when  the  news  had  arrived  on  the  wings  of  a  raven  as  they  were  travelling  back  to  the  westerlands  at  a  slow  crawl.  he  had  attempted  to  keep  his  feelings  from  her,  understanding  that  she  had  much  on  her  mind  without  needing  to  worry  about  the  lions  of  the  rock,  but  he  had  not  needed  to  speak  for  her  to  be  a  comfort  by  just  existing,  not  pushing  him  to  pick  one  side  or  the  other.  lyonel  could  not  imagine  the  struggle  she  was  facing,  having  so  recently  lost  her  father,  but  he  hummed  in  gentle  satisfaction  as  she  allowed  him  to  darken  her  moment  with  tylan  with  his  presence,  shadowing  the  mother  and  son  pair  like  a  devoted  knight  as he  kept  two  paces  from  them.  ❝  my  lady  is  most  kind.  ❞  his  feet  hastened  to  match  her  steps  as  she  turned  to  him,  features  drawn  down  into  an  appropriately  considering  look.  ❝  i  am  certain  the  king  will  understand  if  he  is  unable  to  attend  the  gathering  ...  there  was  still  much  to  be  done  in  the  riverlands  when  we  left.  perhaps  we  might  make  a  trip  there  when  we  are  allowed  home.  ❞  his  tone  implied  that  he  doubted  the  depths  of  the  king's  understanding  for  anyone  who  was  not  from  house  targaryen,  one  corner  of  his  mouth  lifted  in  a  derisive  smile,  though  his  gaze  gentled  at  her  attempts  to  comfort  him,  one  hand  coming  to  rest  atop  her  own  warmly.  ❝  i  am  well  ...  i  wish  we  could  do  something  more  than  make  nice  with  our  enemies  but  i  do  not  want  to  risk  the  king's  wrath.  at  the  risk  of  sounding  like  an  old  man,  i  fear  that  i  have  grown  tired  of  court  and  the  games  that  one  must  play  to  survive.  ❞  a  pause,  his  clear  gaze  meeting  with  hers.

If there was ever someone Genna would trust completely, and devote her affection and trust towards it was the cousin who seemed to want nothing more than to steady her, help her, and be a part of her choices no matter what they might be. A part of her felt guilty, rather ashamed that he would do her bidding even against those he loved the most. How had she been so lucky to find a friend amongst the lions and the most loyal at that? Was she prepared to toss him over the edge of the cliffs alongside herself until they would fall? Or would they reach the peak and highest standards and find glory and victory? She didn’t wish to drag him into it, yet she couldn’t do it without him. For the first time in weeks, Genna smiled with tears in her eyes, a hand gently connected to the cheek of her cousin. “Lyonel.” she murmured as her fingers caressed his cheek in a loving manner, a thankful manner. “if there was anyone I could ever give the world to, it would be you, my knight.” she smiled at him, more than she had in such a long time and it felt like with just his words and vows she felt more at ease. The lion who would fight for her against them all, was there anyone more honorable? Was there anyone else she was more terrified would betray her and yet she would take the risk? She would, because after all, it was him, it was Lyonel. As she finally calmed herself a little, the worry of the world still fresh in mind, she walked back to her desk, pushing papers away, tossing them to the ground, and dragging a chair close so she could place him in it, make sure he didn’t stand for too long. “Sit,” she commanded, having seated herself opposite in the chair facing him. She would not have him stand there wounded and exhausted. He had to be looked after and even if she wasn’t ready for a servant to burst the bubble they were in at the moment, she needed to make sure he was alright. “Let me look at your arm, I cannot have you standing there exhausted and tired when we have so much to talk about.” she sniffled, trying to compose herself again, needing herself to put the armor back on, if only half of it.

the  old  stories  had  always  spoken  of  a  time  when  the  hero  had  to  make  a  choice  between  doing  what  was  easy  and  doing  what  was  right  ─  though  the  young  lion  had  emulated  the  behaviors  of  many  of  these  heroic  knights,  he  had  been  spared  any  genuine  struggle  in  his  life  up  until  this  moment.  it  had  always  seemed  so  straight  forward  in  the  stories,  each  opposing  side  painted  in  a  specific  way  to  fit  the  idea  that  the  narrator  wished  to  present  to  the  people  but  even  though  lyonel  had  made  his  decision,  he  was  still  warring  within  himself  over  the  belief  that  it  was  the  right  decision  as  it  would  cost  him  the  family  that  had  raised  him  and  perhaps  even  the  seat  that  he  stood  to  inherit  one  day.  if  he  had  been  born  as  a  more  ambitious  man  (  as  his  father  was  ),  he  might  have  dared  to  ask  for  some  reassurances  in  return  for  his  support  ─  lands  or  titles  or  a  place  among  the  heirs  of  casterly  rock  as  a  reward,  should  victory  be  in  their  future,  but  if  victory  meant  defeating  his  family,  lyonel  would  rather  ask  for  mercy  to  be  shown  for  them  instead.

❝  while  i  am  sure  lord  brax  believes  he  holds  power  by  the  side  of  my  assumed  cousin,  he  is  hardly  the  root  cause  of  her  problems.  he  is  merely  a  treacherous  little  worm  beneath  her  boot  but  we  are  all  here  on  the  invitation  of  the  king  ─  it  would  be  poor  manners  to  disrespect  our  host  by  pulling  out  a  weapon  and  i  believe  we  all  have  seen  how  the  king  dispenses  justice  to  those  who  insult  him  and  his  home.  ❞  they  were  surrounded  by  the  evidence  of  targaryen  justice.  a  castle  built  on  the  bones  of  the  dead.  lyonel  would  not  turn  casterly  rock  or  lannisport  into  another  new  valyria.  ❝  besides,  i  will  not  be  the  one  to  draw  first  blood.  ❞  he  carefully  avoids  the  first  part  of  the  question,  the  truth  bubbling  like  bitter  medicine  in  his  belly  ─  he  knew  that  he  could  not  actually  hurt  braxton  even  if  he  had  imagined  it  many  times  before.  (  though  he  knew  that  there  may  come  a  day  when  he  is  left  with  no  choice  but  to  cross  swords  with  his  old  friend.  )

❝  i  would  not  be  so  foolish  as  to  allow  it  to  happen  again.  ❞  mauveine  hues  peer  up  from  beneath  dark  lashes,  fingers  coming  to  rest  against  her  thigh  where,  under  the  layers  of  soft  fabric,  the  outline  of  her  dagger  laid  unassuming  and  comforting.  ❝  i  have  been  taken  unaware  once  before  and  i  have  learned  from  it.  no  one  will  take  me  anywhere  with  my  consent.  not  anymore.  not  unless  they  want  a  quick  lesson  on  how  fast  someone  can  bled  to  death.  ❞

❝  that  is  one  word  for  it.  ❞  he  had  experienced  a  myriad  of  emotions  in  the  past  three  months  that  it  was  difficult  to  pinpoint  his  exact  sentiments  about  his  family  now  that  some  time  had  passed  and  each  feeling  as  layered  ─  confusion,  anger,  disappointment,  hurt,  twisting  inside  him  until  he  could  barely  breathe  in  their  presence,  the  pretense  that  he  is  forced  to  put  on  in  the  king's  court  suffocating  him.  ❝  i  still  love  my  family  but  i  do  not  agree  with  them.  i  ...  i  feel  like  do  not  know  them  anymore.  it  is  a  strange  feeling  to  come  to  terms  with  in  only  a  handful  of  months  and  being  angry  with  them  is  easier  than  trying  to  figure  out  why  ...  ❞  he  pauses,  one  hand  coming  up  to  rub  at  the  center  of  his  chest  as  though  to  soothe  away  some  phantom  ache.  ❝  why  they  would  do  this.  ❞  (  why  it  hurts  so  much,  he  does  not  say.  )

❝  who  ?  rusty  ?  ❞  he  did  not  have  an  exceptionally  difficult  name  to  remember  but  her  latest  amusement  (  at  his  expense  )  had  been  to  mispronounce  his  name  or  call  him  by  something  else  entirely,  hoping  to  catch  him  off  guard  ─  russal  had  been  infuriatingly  good  at  responding  to  her  silly  monikers,  however,  taking  the  wind  from  her  sails.  ❝  i  do  not  trust  anyone  that  easily  and  certainly  not  some  nobody  from  the  stormlands  but  for  the  purposes  of  keeping  me  safe,  i  suppose  he  will  do  well  enough  as  a  protector.  he  is  certainly  great  fun  to  harass  and  not  entirely  terrible  to  look  at.  i  would  consider  it  a  success  if  he  sticks  around  long  enough  to  actually  become  endearing  or  if  he  leaves  my  service  because  of  the  hell  that  i  will  put  him  through.  ❞

❝  mhm  ...  contrary  to  the  sentiment  of  the  general  population,  i  am  confident  enough  to  say  that  my  list  of  favorite  westerosi  people  comprise  of  mostly  targaryens.  ❞  it  was  not  a  very  extensive  list  as  larra  thought  very  little  of  the  westerosi  and  their  varying  cultures  and  traditions,  so  the  fact  that  house  targaryen  dominated  the  list  was  of  little  consequence  considering  she  had  been  confined  to  dragonstone  castle  for  the  past  few  months.  ❝  i  suppose  i  can  only  speak  of  the  ones  that  i  know  better  than  others  ─  daemon,  aerea  and  rhaegar  are  all  beloved  to  me.  they  are  like  true  siblings  and  i  would  kill  for  them  if  the  need  arose.  my  sentiments  for  the  king  are  well  known  ...  i  would  like  him  more  if  he  gave  me  a  dragon  egg  but  perhaps  after  shaera  has  a  baby,  i  might  steal  one  from  it’s  cradle  instead.  i  have  nothing  nice  to  say  in  regards  to  the  summerhall  targaryens,  so  for  once,  i  will  hold  my  tongue,  and  i  do  not  know  the  princess  vasila  well  enough  to  form  a  judgment  though  they  are  rather  formidable,  from  what  i  have  heard.  ❞

where  :  empty  bar  -  eque  room  in  the  palace  .   who  :  open  starter  (  @drummsinthedeep·  @flvvrpetals·  @servtudes·  @crvwnfought·  @chvshire·  @prodiiteur·  @vedritied·  @caelestiaes·  @mariyaxmyrielle·  @perfervvidus·  @glvrious··  )  .

silhouette  sits  on  the  ground  in  the  dark  ,  with  only  the  faded  moonlight  bringing  color  to  the  room  .  fingers  twirl  the  goblet  filled  with  dornish  red  ,  losing  count  at  how  many  the  princess  already  consumed  ——  numbers  were  more  larra’s  thing  anyway  .  shaera  cannot  believe  how  foolish  she  has  been  ,  telling  someone  who  is  not  blood  her  secret  is  one  thing  ,  but  having  been  caught  by  a  lannister  is  the  worst  crime  .  placating  the  king  was  hard  but  the  lys  born  noble  knows  how  to  manipulate  men  to  her  advantage  ,  a  trick  she  has  not  used  in  a  while  ;  still  ,  he  is  wary  of  her  .  purple  hues  close  as  head  bangs  against  the  wall  and  the  pain  feels  good  ,  something  she  deserves  .  daemon  deserves  better  than  her  ,  the  princess  cannot  face  her  lord  husband  ,  not  with  all  the  rumors  now  swirling  around  .  ❛  this  chamber  is  taken,  ❜  she  speaks  to  the  stranger  opening  the  door  ,  lysene  accent  stronger  than  ever  ,  the  alcoholic  beverage  weakening  her  delicate  poise  ——  soon  the  brunette  will  speak  in  the  lysene  tongue  ,  bastard  high  valyrian  like  the  child  that  was  never  born  .

the  glances  that  she  had  received  as  she  strode  through  the  halls  of  staerdale  had  alerted  her  to  the  underlying  tension  within  new  valyria  ─  hers  was  a  beauty  that  held  an  innocence  that  men  sought  to  corrupt,  so  it  was  no  odd  thing  that  there  were  eyes  upon  her  but  familiarity  with  the  sensation  of  being  gazed  upon  meant  that  larra  knew  when  the  weight  of  a  stare  held  admiration,  lust,  danger  or  something  else  entirely.  it  had  not  taken  long  for  her  to  be  privy  to  the  whispers  that  trickled  throughout  court  and  the  news  that  her  sister  had  been  summoned  by  the  king  because  of  such  rumours  had  only  served  to  hasten  her  footsteps  towards  where  shaera  had  been  last  seen,  throwing  open  the  doors  to  find  the  woman  that  she  sought  seated  upon  the  ground.  barking  out  an  order  to  her  guard  to  remain  posted  outside  the  door,  guarding  against  any  who  wished  to  enter,  larra  strode  over  to  where  her  sister  was  seat,  bending  at  the  knees  so  that  their  eyes  were  level.  ❝  how  could  you  be  so  foolish  ?!  ❞  the  words  are  spat  out  in  bastardized  valyrian,  vitriol  coloring  her  face  ruddy.  panic  had  seized  her  heart  at  the  thought  of  anyone  uncovering  their  deception  but  it  seemed  as  though  her  sister  held  little  concern  for  the  matter  if  she  was  speaking  of  it  to  those  who  were  not  to  be  trusted.  ❝  you  know  these  people  hate  you  !  it  does  not  matter  who  they  are,  they  are  never  to  be  trusted.  no  one  loves  you  enough  here  to  lie  and  kill  for  you  ...  no  one  but  serenei  and  i.  you  know  this.  ❞

❝  i  do  not  swoon  !  if  you  spread  a  lie  like  that  again,  i  will  rip  out  your  hair.  ❞  while  the  denial  is  fierce  and  emphasized  with  a  pointed  finger,  there  is  little  that  can  hide  the  blossoming  redness  in  her  cheeks  and  the  rapidly  pace  to  her  heart,  fluttering  like  the  wings  of  a  hummingbird.  ❝  i  have  every  right  to  act  high  and  mighty,  as  you  so  eloquently  stated.  i  am  practically  foreign  royalty  in  westeros  and  can  certainly  buy  over  any  one  of  these  noble  families  thrice - over  if  needed.  none  of  these  westerosi  boys  have  the  capability  to  make  me  swoon  ...  i  just  feel  a  little  lightheaded  sometimes,  looking  up  at  these  ridiculously  tall  men.  ❞  first  brynden  marbrand,  and  then  sigfryd  wynch  ...  what  was  in  the  water  in  westeros  ?  

❝  i  would  sooner  slit  my  own  throat.  ❞  vehement  declaration  is  punctuated  as  he  rises  to  his  feet.  ❝  i  will  not  do  an  injustice  by  lying  and  saying  that  the  thought  did  not  cross  my  mind.  it  would  be  easier  to  give  into  the  advice  of  my  family  and  remain  silent,  staying  my  sword  from  her  defense  but  i  cannot  justifying  doing  nothing  or  taking  his  side  blindly.  ❞  the  words  are  spat  out,  brows  furrowed  with  the  hurt  that  he  has  kept  down  since  the  westerlands  had  begun  to  tear  into  two.  ❝  even  if  he  is  who  he  says  he  is,  do  we  give  the  wardenship  and  the  title  to  him  just  because  he  is  the  firstborn  ?  he  has  not  been  in  westeros  for  nigh  forty  years.  what  does  he  know  of  our  people  in  the  westerlands  ?  what  does  he  know  of  being  ruling  lord,  if  he  was  truly  raised  by  a  servant  ?  what  are  his  goals  for  our  region  and  our  family  ?  we  do  not  know  him  and  we  cannot  simply  reward  him  with  power  just  because  he  has  come  home  after  so  long.  the  fact  that  some  in  my  family  believe  this  is  right  is  baffling.  if  he  truly  meant  to  reunite  with  the  family,  he  would  have  done  so  when  my  uncle  still  drew  breath.  ❞

❝  i  already  have  everything  i  could  ever  want  and  everything  else  is  a  work  in  progress.  ❞  she  flicks  something  off  one  of  her  nails  absentmindedly,  glancing  up  with  lazy  disinterest.  ❝  so  i  will  be  boring  and  predictable  instead  ...  my  main  desire  is  that  my  family  remains  safe,  that  my  sister  becomes  queen  and  makes  me  an  aunt,  that  i  inherit  the  rogare  bank  and  that  i  find  a  handsome  man  to  keep  me  warm  at  night.  ❞  a  pause,  the  curve  of  her  smile  turning  mischievous.  ❝  like  i  said  ─  a  work  in  progress  but  it  will  come  to  fruition.  ❞  even  if  she  had  to  bloody  her  hands  to  seat  daemon  on  that  ugly  iron  chair.

❝  ...  peace.  ❞  here,  she  grimaces,  a  self - depreciating  laugh  echoing  from  her  throat.  ❝  gods,  i  have  become  the  very  thing  i  feared  ...  a  peaceful  woman.  my  predecessor  warned  me  that  it  would  happen  after  years  of  being  the  master  of  whisperers.  the  sign  of  a  good  king  is  how  long  genuine  peace  lasts  during  his  reign  and  i  want  that  for  westeros  but  most  importantly,  i  want  that  for  myself  and  my  children.  ❞

❝  i  suppose  i  should  desire  an  easy  victory  for  my  cousin  or  for  my  family  to  see  the  error  in  their  ways  ...  but  i  wish  we  could  turn  back  time  to  when  the  most  eventful  thing  was  the  new  bastard  that  one  of  my  cousins  would  eventually  introduce  to  the  family.  i  do  not  want  to  fight  my  family  ...  i  just  want  us  to  go  back  to  how  it  once  was.  ❞  before  casper  lannister  shattered  the  stability  of  the  rock  and  splintered  their  family  into  two.

❝  he  terrifies  me  ...  i  would  like  for  house  rogare  and  lys  to  remain  an  ally  for  as  long  as  possible  because  i  know  my  city  will  not  hold  against  dragonfire.  anyone  who  thinks  they  have  the  strength  or  the  right  to  oppose  a  king  with  dragons  at  his  beck  and  call  should  be  burned  alive  for  their  stupidity.  ❞  the  declaration  is  ended  with  a  shrug  to  the  shoulders  and  a  sour  taste  in  her  mouth,  uncaring  of  who  heard  her  ─  enough  people  hated  the  rogares  for  the  mere  fact  that  they  were  other,  so  larra  had  decided  that  she  would  give  them  something  to  fuel  their  hatred,  if  only  so  that  her  actions  would  be  justified  when  she  eventually  snapped.  ❝  it  does  help  that  he  is  absurdly  good  looking  for  an  old  man.  ❞

❝  lucerys  has  changed.  if  i  did  not  know  any  better,  i  might  believe  that  it  was  the  lost  of  visenya  that  has  driven  him  mad  but  that  would  be  too  simple.  the  fact  that  he  had  been  taken  by  surprise,  that  his  home  had  been  desecrated  and  his  wife  had  been  killed  ...  that  someone  thought  house  targaryen  was  weak  enough  to  grow  so  bold  as  to  attack  them  repeatedly.  now,  he  will  stop  at  nothing  to  prove  otherwise  and  i  ...  i  do  not  intend  on  staying  by  his  side  for  long  to  see  the  people  rise  up  from  the  ashes  in  revolt.  ❞

❝  when  i  think  of  the  king,  i  am  reminded  of  the  fairytales  of  old  ...  a  king  should  serve  the  people  ─  he  certainly  has  the  means  to  do  so  and  could  have  assisted  in  the  infestation  of  swamp  beasts  in  the  riverlands  with  targeted  dragonfire  from  above  but  he  did  not.  perhaps  one  of  his  sons  will  be  better  or  perhaps  it  is  time  for  the  knights  of  the  kingdom  to  slay  these  dragons  instead.  ❞