The year is 286 AC. King Jaehaerys II has just passed, leaving the throne without a rightful ruler. While his three children fight for the crown, Winter creeps closer, and unimaginable darkness looms.
Not all alliances will be so typical this time. In fact, many people have a crucial effect on the way this story is told. As for the ending, we only hope there are enough people left alive to tell it after its passed.
Events
Join us for our first event, the wake of recently deceased King Jaehaerys II.
Updates
AUG. 19: So we are now officially open to the public. We have a mini-event flashback thread going on, and our main event just began. Feel free to make a second canon if you can keep both of them active enough.
Don't hesitate in pestering staff with questions; it's what we're here for! Let's raise a glass and make a cheer toward a successful launch of Winds of Winter.
Post by alayne baratheon on Jul 22, 2015 2:51:29 GMT
ENDINGS WITHOUT END
► it seems paper-thin ◄
Alayne Baratheon never needed to soften her grip on anything she wanted to pursue. Strong-minded, opinionated, independent and driven to work, she was pretty sure in another life, she'd make a good ruler, a warrior. If she failed, she would fall apart, but really, she liked to think things were a challenge. And she loved challenges, making swift work of them like the mental notes that she processed, like the notes from a flute being played. In another life, she wanted to think, she would've made a ruthless young man with a goal towards for. Unfortunately, the Seven had other ideas.
They had stuck her in the body of an awkward ten and eight-years old girl, with a big mouth, a big brain and a big ego that loved being soothed carefully. Mouthy. Heady. She tended to ramble, she tended to love taking up the reins and patrol the Stormlands, doing as much training as she could. Her poetry suffered, her singing was average, and her sewing was average. Why sew and write poetry when she could be out there, doing big things? Arguments with the septa. Arguments with her ladies. My, my, was the little stag the warranted firebrand.
On a fine day, the little firebrand was now a lady, in the Red Keep, poring meticulously over a book, sitting casually near a corridor. Her eyes were intently reading the words. On a separate sheet, she was writing down notes. Hmm. It had been a few days since her private dinner with Lord Tylen Lannister. Then following that, she'd met Aegys, too.
What else could happen? She shrugged the worry off and continued her note-taking, ruthless in her pursuit of knowledge.
Today was a day like any other day in King's Landing; Elyseah spent a lot of time at the Red Keep. The young lady usually kept to herself, often exploring the keep itself or the lavished gardens. One might even find her day dreaming while staring out at the ocean as the breeze caressed her long tresses of hair. Today however? Young Elys had her eyes locked into a book. Normally the dragonling would be locked inside of her room as she was locked inside of the book but today, she was prowling the halls with the book raised up in front of her face.
Now, not just anybody could walk through the halls with a book in front of their face with no need to know where they are going. It took skill and grace to do that, as well as an internal and subconscious memory of the layout of the castle. Elys had lived here her entire life and knew the hallways and rooms like the back of her hand.
She was humming softly to herself as she walked the halls and corridors. No one disturbed her. The guards kept to themselves at the their stations in the castle. She paid them no mind as did they. Her humming traveled through the corridors and halls as she got lost in the book she was reading.
Subconsciously walking through the keep, she would take a turn but then would remember that this way led to a dead end. "Hm.." she would hum, slowly looking up from her book she would find a raven-haired girl sitting in the corridor reading a book as well. "Oh," she would say, a bit surprised to find someone here. "H-ello there," she'd say. She hadn't seen this woman before. But, people did come in and out of the Red Keep a lot. Since living here she'd seen amass of people but none she'd ever really spoken to.
Post by alayne baratheon on Jul 23, 2015 5:13:51 GMT
ENDINGS WITHOUT END
► it seems paper-thin ◄
Alayne lifted her head - and unknowingly, had flipped her hair, the braids spilling out, showing how beautiful her hair was. She widened her eyes, feigning innocence, yet the daring grin that was tempting to come out from the corner of her lips was not the grin of a typical Southron lady well-versed in court decorum. So here was another fellow bookworm. She put her pen down; the ink had smudged her fingers. Her smile had been forced. Her normal smiles, coming from the corners of her mouth, her smile gave away her commanding personality. A trying smile, not a cheerful natural one. She ran things across her mind, and loved having her ego puff up in pride.
"Hello there, too." Alayne eagerly made eye contact, the force of her manners crashing like an ocean. She had the fiery heart of a Baratheon, her mother's independent streak and that force of personality that came so naturally to her. She examined the owner of the voice that had greeted her - and found a girl with silvery blond hair clad in a dress. She seemed pretty timid, judging by that stutter. The girl held a book.
Bookworm, too? Alayne could hardly contain the sparks inside her stomach. Another one to talk to! About books! Ideas. Her outward composure masked her excitement; she held herself down from being too awkward. She had a low profile to look towards to. This low profile she had to maintain, lest she get found out.
"What's your name? My name's Alayne. I am Alayne of House Baratheon." She held out her hand, eager to have the other girl take it and introduce herself. "What's that book you're reading, too? I'm curious," she allowed herself to say. Instead of coming out too warm, too nice, she was a little exasperated that she ended up sounding like an executive politician talking to his fellow politician.
This girl could be a Targaryen. It was the most viable option. The blood of the freehold of Valyria seeping through the girl's veins. She hoped it was someone of Targaryen blood. Best option, too. She needed to grab someone with the connections. The links.
The two whom stood before each other seemed exact opposites; though maybe that was why they'd been brought together. Violet eyes admired raven locks of hair that were braided together. She watched a smile formed on the other woman's lips, however the other girl whom was ingenuous could tell the smile was a bit forced. She'd seen forced smiles before from people who visited here and introduced themselves to her.
However, as the two made eye contact Elys couldn't help but smile at the other girl. She was rather genuine; but perhaps one day someone would get the best of her because of it.
The raven haired girl would introduce herself. Alayne Baratheon. She'd heard a lot about the Baratheons. Well, actually she had read about them. If she hadn't been born a Targaryen she might have liked to be a Baratheon; though she supposed that she might be to timid to actually be one. Only in her vivid daydreams could she ever be a strong and brave Baratheon. She started daydreaming again and realized that she had been asked something. "Oh!" she'd say a bit startled, pressing the book in her hands to her bosom. She wasn't sure how long she'd be out of it. Elys started to blush; a bit ashamed.
She tried to recall what the girl had said to her. Her name. What she was reading. "I-I'm Elyseah... Of House Targaryen.." though her mother was of House Velaryon and her father House Redwyne she wanted to believe that she was a Dragon. Dragon Blood did run through her veins right? Even just a little bit?
"It's about the origins of the Dragons... and how the Targaryens tamed them," she would begin to say, getting lost in thought about the Dragons. She'd read this book amany a time but could never seem to put it down for too long. She'd extend her hand back towards Alayne, shaking it as she spoke.
"What about you, Lady Alayne?" she would ask, looking at the book that Alayne had been reading and taking notes of.
Post by alayne baratheon on Jul 24, 2015 13:12:14 GMT
ENDINGS WITHOUT END
► it seems paper-thin ◄
The girl had blushed. Pushed her book to her bosom. So this one was prey? Well, not that Alayne would bother wanting to devour the sweet girl alive. Any prey she wanted to catch between her teeth were prey she could easily feast upon on. Did a dragon lie somewhere beneath this girl? This girl was a Targaryen, fire and blood, and yet here she was, silk and steel, hidden in her shyness. Alayne had her fury and her assertiveness to the girl's shyness. Dominating by nature, she wanted to reach out.
For more than moral purposes. She had her own interests. Yet she could not also deny herself the right to pat herself on the back. She was a little moved by the girl's slow willingness to be acquainted. Her smile became warm, by a small fraction - and for a moment, she allowed herself to be charming, a bit of her genuine ferocity curdling in the Baratheon blood that flowed so freely through her veins. To deny this girl her company would be to deny her chances to get any shit she wanted done. Make the most out of this challenge. For she had lived for challenges.
She breathed them in. Breathed the suffering. Lived in the storm that gathered. The Storm Lady, they called her, for her amount of energy, for her cold calculating and her leadership. More than a pretty face, she'd spent her energy making most out of herself. She pushed people, she pulled them. For that was her holy grail, the pinnacle of tasking she delegated onto herself.
"I'm reading about how the political system here in Westeros works. It's a guidebook to politics. Part mythology, part reality, most theory, most history," and so explained the dutiful stag to the shy little dragoness. "It's written by an anonymous person, it's also rather biased with how it views Lannisters. Still, it does concede to Targaryen rule's strength via status quo, what's happening right now."
Alayne found herself laughing as she spoke. The cold smile almost melted in her dry calculating humor.
"So you like books, don't you, Elyseah? We'll be good friends, then," she added. And why not? This girl seemed sweet. This girl was a Targaryen. Sweep up the personal. Sweep up the political. For the personal became political and vice-versa. Besides, this girl, she had a gut feeling that she could probably use a new friend, someone like Elyseah.
Elyseah listened the raven-haired girl speak about the book to which she was reading and had been vigorously taking notes on. The dragonling was quite versed in many books; anything she could get her hands on really. But, she had only brushed up a little bit on politics...they didn't particular bore her but she was interested in other kinds of books.
Elys wasn't that good with talking with others but she could bite someone's ear off when talking about books and the things that were in them. However, this girl seemed to be able to too.
Alayne asked her if she liked books too, and holding the book closer to her chest she would look down a bit, blushing a bit more. Others told her that she read too much. Other girls often invested in falling for guys and princes and stuff. Elys would nod towards Alayne smiling softly. She didn't have many friends. "That would be nice...Lady Alayne," she would say, recalling upon ways to act towards other.
"So..what kind of books do you read?" Elys would question, curious.
Post by alayne baratheon on Jul 26, 2015 13:51:21 GMT
ENDINGS WITHOUT END
► it seems paper-thin ◄
The girl was the silk to Alayne's steel. And shy. She was an odd thing, shy and fond of books and sweet. Then the girl had proceeded to ask Alayne the kind of books she liked reading. So what did Alayne like to read? At that, Alayne made a few decisions, mentally. Her mental process was a tricky thing - methodical and risk-taking and full of visions but flirted with plans once in a while.
So what did she like? More than once had the maester accused the young stag of being a politician who loved meritocracy. The maester found her rather empirical for a young girl. She had a direct logic that dug on the external rather than the internal, so to speak and it was a logic that made the maester a bit nervous. Her books were based on logics that were internal or external. It just had to be unfortunate that her way of thinking was empirical.
Girls were supposed to be... gentle. Not that she found herself not feminine. Growing up had been okay - she was comfortable in a position of leadership, of commanding her environment and having her books with her. She'd loved her books, and she'd loved her father, who'd read to her as a child. Favored her father, and up to now, she had some bits and pieces that gladly favored her father to her mother although nowadays, she was a little relieved her relationship with her mother was slowly mending.
"I read about History. I love History - and I love reading about Economics and Politics. Well, I like the idea of having a book genre about self-improving. I want to write a book about self-improvement and mastery."
Why not? Write one herself. So another thought was added to her list of goals. And priorities. It was a huge spectrum, plan banking on another plan and so. Her mental process was a heavy one, burdened with glory and dreams turning to realities with concrete steps.
"And I'd much prefer to be simply called, Alayne rather than Lady Alayne. You make it sound like I am some fragile creature who can't even defend herself, when in reality, I do have a bit of a reputation. They call me the Storm Lady, back in the Stormlands; I command my men, we go patrolling." She chuckled, waving a hand, showing off the marks from archery. A practiced archer and a dedicated student to learning the way of the archer. A bookish girl with a mind of her own.
And hopefully, the friend of a Targaryen. What could do they do for each other? The ideas were many. They'd be good friends. What Elys lacked in command, was what Alayne naturally had. She had her own charm, and Alayne's charms were natural, not forced.
Alayne was like the steel of the sword Elyseah often carried with her. But, the young Dragon wouldn't know of that yet. From what the girl could tell about the Baratheon was that she liked reading and was a bit more outspoken than herself. Elyseah would listen as Alayne would explain to her what sort of books she liked reading. So, she liked history. Elys loved history. The stories about their history, about Westeros and Essos. Alayne would tell her that she liked politics and economics as well. Elys had read a few, though they were a tad bit boring to her. She'd only read them because her maester and others had given her to read for her studies.
Alayne told her that she wanted to write a book about self-improving. She thought that was pretty cool. Being shy and a bit of an introvert, Elys wanted to be more outgoing and outspoken..she'd often times try and improve herself but it was a hard feat. "oh! That's wonderful, so do you want to be a writer or something?" she would ask. Elys could be a writer herself but her books would only be of stories about her dreams and the places and adventures she wanted to have. Because she was much more reserved than others, the only place she could go on such adventurous were in her dreams and day-dreams and in the books she read.
Elyseah's face would brighten a bit as Alayne said that she would rather be called Alayne rather than Lady. Saying that she wasn't just a fragile creature and that she had a reputation. Bowing some,Elys would apologize, "Sorry..L-Alayne," It was a bit of a habit that had been forced into her by maester and Septa. She curled a bit back into her shell; slightly, embarrassed.
Elyseah had never gone patrolling. Actually, she hadn't been out of King's Landing much.. When she was a bit younger she snuck out of the Red Keep to wander through King's Landing. She often wandered to the Docks to watch the ships set sail, wondering if one would ever whisk her away. If she'd ever watch Westeros shrink away as Essos grew closer...
"Um... So, what're you doing here at King's Landing?" she would question, after a little bit of silence between the pair. Elys saw a lot of people pass to and fro in King's Landing and the Red Keep. Most were here on diplomatic matters. She actually saw a lot of men go in and out of King's Landing..some offering their hand to ladies in waiting. Elys wondered if that was why Alayne was here.
Post by alayne baratheon on Aug 2, 2015 12:32:05 GMT
ENDINGS WITHOUT END
► it seems paper-thin ◄
Alayne quickly knew what to answer to Elyseah's question and point of inquiry. She could trust this girl. This girl was easy prey fodder, but not that Alayne wanted to sink her own teeth onto her. She made the cutting figure, with her marked hands, weathered by her archery, her tremendous drive to implement things. In the silence in between, she had plenty of things to back up on if she was ever asked. She found herself grinning, dimpling her face with the force she possessed.
"I'm here.... because there are things here that matter to me, love. Good food, good books, to count a few." The best way to phrase it. "I'm also here, to see the sights of King's Landing," and so the stag chirped, thought the stag, conscious. To lie or not to lie? Good reasons, good effects. The thought process was a nitpicky and fickle thing that she needed to overcome. She spoke in a deep voice, only asserting her authority - and her manner relaxed, open palms, to clarify her honesty.
She was liking this sweet girl. Elyseah. Why not chase the girl's intimate affections? She could use a real friend - an ally. Besides, this girl needed some of Alayne's own fire and steel with her. She was willing to size up the girl, for all purposes. And now, her purpose was not divine, rather, it was becoming an honest purpose.
She was a cyvasse player, but even she knew she was at a critical point of disadvantage. Being ally-less in a cyvasse board was being prey to the predators. In this rate, she had to salvage and back up on her own case. So she had done that. She'd already had played her part to Tylen Lannster's machination and she would have to use him for her own game. If he was aware of it, he did a magnificent job of showing that he didn't know about her own machinations.
"I came to see the royal family, too," added the dutiful stag. Her eyes locked in with Elyseah's. "Prince Aegys - to be specific. They say he is intelligent so I thought I'd see him for myself and see how erudite he is. However, I do not regret meeting you instead. I really like you. You're a sweetling."
Hopefully, she was salvaging any lost marks she had on her ledger. Marks on her fingers, the deed had been done. Making a friend out of this girl, she needed to secure that. Silk and steel. That was a fearsome combination - and Alayne welcomed the challenge. She was becoming quite the wordsmith, it pleased her so but she wanted the entire trust of this girl in front of her, drinking in her words and swallowing them whole. There was nothing Alayne desired more than validation from Elyseah herself, that they would be good friends, that they would be a tandem, despite the lightheartedness and in seriousness of their situations.
Perhaps, young Elyseah was a bit naive. But, she hadn't experienced the world much and was in a bit of cocoon living here in King's Landing. She didn't know that people tried to use you for their own benefits and would be completely open to be prey for the confident stag. The dragon and the stag. But, would the stag eventually be playing with fire? Despite the sweet white rose's generally good natured and friendly demeanor beneath all her shy and timid outer layers she had thorns. But, not like she couldn't use a friend either.
Alayne would answer her question about why she was here. Elys was merely curious, and had nothing else to talk about. The dragonling would listen to her explain why she was here. They were all good reasons. And Elys could understand them. Kings Landing was the capitol, so no wonder people would flock here. Alayne spoke about seeing the sights of King's Landing, which a thought occurred to the young girl. "Have you gotten the chance yet to see much of King's Landing?" she would question.
Despite being a bookworm, Elyseah actually knew a lot about King's Landing and knew many of the streets and roads. When she had been a little younger, she had adventured out into the streets by herself. She had only been caught by her parents a few times, but she had wanted to see as much of the capital as she could.. but now she wished to see other parts of the world. "Uum...Maybe I could show you around," she would offer, looking down at her book that was still pressed open to her bosom. She would pull it away, closing it and then looking over at Alayne with a smile. It would be good to get out of the castle.
Alayne then spoke about wanting to visit the royal family, and see Prince Aegys. But she would then say that she didn't regret meeting her instead. She would feel embarrassed, looking down she'd say. "Regretfully, my cousin Prince Aegys is actually on Dragonstone," she'd say. Alayne would call her a sweetling. Elyseah would advert her eyes downwards again. She was always called sweet, or a darling. But, she wanted to be seen as more than that. She wanted to be brave. Maybe even a bit daring even.
The Baratheon wouldn't earn marks for liking Elyseah. Everyone liked her. Everyone was nice to her. Alayne would have some trust in the young dragon..but not all of it. Remembering her manners, she'd thank the stag.. though a bit hesitant to. "..thank you. But, I fear my cousin is much more fascinating than humble me," she would say, putting herself in the uninteresting corner. Sometimes she underestimated herself, sometimes she thought of herself as boring.. and was insecure about herself sometimes. Which was why she kept to herself and with her books.
"..but," she would say, looking over at Alayne again into her dark eyes, "If you like having me as company.. maybe I could show you the library, if you haven't already gotten your hands on it." her smile would brighten a bit, as she spoke about books again. Despite how insecure she was, she was starting to like Alayne back. Maybe because of how confident the stag was. Her smile would remain as she turned around to start towards the library, hoping Alayne would follow.
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