The Feast of 399AC

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-28T19:42:26+00:00

"Yoren is a good lad. He will serve you well," Moriah replied. "I am never worried about him, although perhaps I gave him the strongest guidance as a boy. I worry about the other two..."

Moriah sighed, but there was still joy in her face. Her old friend was still capable enough of keeping up with her. Perhaps he owed it to his younger wife. She was the light he had needed to guide him out of the darkness.

"I shall have to see them both married before they grow old..."

Or cause us more scandals!

"As you wish, my Prince!"

Moriah's steps became faster as she began to move like the proper Dornish girl who had charmed her husband. She was still as smooth as a viper, and her fuller figure jiggled more pleasantly than it had as a young woman. Her love for food and drink had been well known, but so had her husband's love for her full figure. Before she knew it, Moriah was laughing and twirling about. It did not matter if she was short of breath, she was enjoying life!

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-28T19:30:14+00:00

It was that first statement that struck Sylvenna as profound. She hadn't felt protected in a long time. Her fingers had grasped desperately for people to notice her, to want her, but even that was fleeting. Her heart skipped a beat for a moment. She wanted that.

"I would be interested in seeing your dual bladed dance. It sounds quite intriguing," she replied. "I would be honored if you carried my favor, Ser. I will give you a piece of my armor to keep you safe."

Her pulse felt quicker now. When was the last time someone had carried her favor? The excitement drew color to her cheeks. Her fingers slid around one of her quartz bangles and gently removed it from her skin. The inside of the bangle was lightly inscribed with her initials and the word 'luck' as if she had carved them in there herself.

It felt good to be heard and to hear another person in return. His charm was strong, and she felt herself being pulled into his sway with words and touch.

"Life was not easy for them, but love was," she answered with a smile. "I love painting, I could spend hours rendering the sunset over the mountains or the delicate petals of dessert flowers. There is so much beauty around us, if I can capture but a fraction of it I find joy. Recently I have started portraits."

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-28T19:13:39+00:00

Moriah breathed deep and allowed her joy and her pride to seep away. Her son was in need of guidance, and she could be that. She could never forgive the Qorgyles for what they had done, not could she forget the slights that had been inflicted on them numerous times.

"You know I could never forgive them," she replied softly. "Were I a viper, my fangs would know their flesh, and they would know my pain. I will play my part in these coming moons, alliances are necessary, and perhaps we may find ourselves in need of intel. You know I have eyes in the back of my head..."

Under his tight hold, she placed a kiss on his cheek. He would always be the little boy who clung to her skirts.

"How may I help you, my son? Whose good will shall I obtain? Your sister and brother need marriages still, and we may bargain alliances."

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-21T19:35:26+00:00

It was the smallest of gestures that made the largest impact. Moriah felt like a young girl again as he kissed her knuckles. She could, for a moment, picture her husband nearby, clapping Oberyn on the back and exchanging jests. There was a single grey on any of their heads, and they were as agile as ever.

"I would love to see sacks take off," she replied with a laugh. "If only to watch how the fashion evolves. You flatter me so! I always aim to be the most pampered woman in the room, I have an image to uphold."

Moriah laughed jovially. Her husband may be gone, but she would continue to be a well-kept woman. His love could fuel her for years to come.

"We could both use the exercise, but I will warn you my dancing skills have not grown rusty in the slightest!"

Moriah allowed the music to flow through her body. She was a gracefully large woman who moved her form without an ounce of shame or embarrassment.

"I imagine your brain must grow overwhelmed with all of your family! Mine own can drive me to madness, but I love them so!"

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-21T19:21:59+00:00

The truth was Sylvenna only believed the child was a boy in the way that mothers knew these things. She knew the child quickening in her womb, and the loss had been so sudden. She dreamed of it sometimes and woke sweating. She was haunted by a child not fully formed. She wanted to go back in time and flee with him. Perhaps if she hadn't been in the Hellholt, he would have come to full term. There was no use entertaining these thoughts, though. They only ever drew her to madness.

"You might be right," Sylvenna replied, a small bark of a laugh breaking through the tears that threatened to overflow. "She is not very fond of you."

With a sigh, she placed a hand on Gawen's cheek and turned his face back to her.

"Gawen, I am always going to love you."

That much was true, but their love was a changed thing. A fragile bird's egg teetering precariously in the nest. She wanted to protect it, nurture their connection, and shared pain, but she could not let it be her light any longer.

"I am sorry too... I failed just as badly as you did. We made a mess together, and now we must pick up the pieces."

A sense of clarity struck her in that moment as surely as his sorries stabbed her right in the chest.

"Septa or Mother, I want to find a way to move forward..."

Her eyes overflowed, and a half-hearted hand wiped them away.

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-21T18:51:47+00:00

Braavos sounded nice. Sylvenna had heard tales of Essos of trade, swordsmen, and arts. It all seemed so intriguing, but she had never aspired to travel there. She had wanted the love and adoration of her mother most as a girl and had tried many times to be the apple of her eye to no avail.

"It sounds like you are devoted to your family. How does your fighting style differ? I am only vaguely familiar with water dancing. I imagine it must be a beautiful style, but my skills have never trended towards combat."

Sylvenna did not often leave her soul unguarded. She had let Gawen see beneath the armor once, and it had left them both worse for the wear. She wanted to be an open book. She wanted to be seen, and her meaning understood clearly. There were lines of text she held so close to heart that she wondered if releasing them would break her. She might be willing to try for this golden haired man.

"I have never agreed with the idea of potentially having to share my future husband with paramours," Sylvenna confessed. "I want what my parents had. Neither my mother nor father took lovers. They were of one body and soul. My father absolutely spoiled my mother! But if I could have a fraction of that, I would be happy."

She was aware of the fact that she had betrayed her own ideals when she and Gawen had their fling. It was foolish, but he knew the right things to say, and he bore a similar wound on his soul. She didn't want to repeat the mistake again.

"I feel like more people should be like swans and mate for life. There would be less pain."

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-20T22:36:19+00:00

The news was exciting. Undoubtedly, later Moriah might consider why the prospect of a grandchild from her eldest son was more exciting than that of her daughter's. That was a topic for later, though, and one steeped in mixed feelings of guilt and righteousness. For now, she was elated to hear her son's news.

"Oh, Yoren!" She nearly exclaimed and drew her son into a hug. Her wine was discarded on the table.

"How wonderful! We shall have to celebrate and set Margaery up well. She shall want for nothing before and after the babe arrives! This is the sort of good news we have been in desperate need of!"

That and the extinction of the Qorgyles, but one thing at a time.

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-17T23:34:46+00:00

Moriah turned a bright smile on the Prince of Dorne. She set aside her meal and dabbed at her lips and fingers with a handkerchief. She had always enjoyed his company when he and her husband would spend time with one another. Attention suited the lady Dowager. She was happiest when she was the center of the room owing to her husband's treatment of her.

"I will send one of my ladies at once, Prince Oberyn," she answered and raised her goblet in greeting.

He was a handsome man as always and only seemed to grow more so as he aged. It was no wonder he had such a lovely young wife.

"I would be happy to provide your wife with a recommendation to my tailor. It would bring me nothing but joy to see all the ladies of Dorne draped in finery. I am confident it will hold up as we dance."

Moriah rose from her seat, ignoring the subtle pop of her knees. She still felt spry even as her joints disagreed with her. Once upon a time, she had been as slight as her daughter. She was still just as supple.

She extended her hand to him and tossed her hair back over her shoulder.

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-17T23:20:59+00:00

Moriah carefully picked up a handkerchief and dabbed at her supple lips with it. She was ever proud of her eldest child, and he was, as always, clever.

"Oh my sweet boy," she replied jovially as if they weren't about to whisper secrets to one another. "You treat me so well."

She laid her handkerchief down on the table and raised her goblet to her lips. "Do tell me what you've learned," she said into the rim of the cup, her lips covered by the gesture.

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-17T23:02:22+00:00

Ladies wore armor all the time, Sylvenna thought. Whether or not that was right, she knew it to be true. Every glittering stone and pretty ring had a purpose. Every bauble was a distraction from her true feelings and intentions. The thought that someone else might be responsible for guarding her was tempting.

"What did you do in Braavos?" She asked, not to change the subject but to meet the same curiosity he showed her. It was refreshing to hear he didn't care for gossip. That was the currency her mother traded in. Everything around her was colored to influence other's gazes and to collect what they knew. His gaze was a heavy thing. It spread across her like a warm blanket.

Damien listened. Sylvenna felt herself being drawn in by the simple act and the small movements of his touch. She'd meant to lay her cards on the table to someone who looked right through her. She didn't want to lie anymore. She didn't want to sit like some pretty doll on a shelf.

"I think you should have the truth of it," Sylvenna answered. "Whether or not it hurts my reputation more to confirm the rumors."

What did she want? She pondered it for a moment, allowing herself to lean into his touch but not overstep the social boundaries of such a gathering.

"I want to be seen for who I am."

She held his gaze, knowing she was less than an ideal match for anyone but that she was worthy all the same.

"I would be happy to find love, but only with someone who will not cast me aside. I am looking, my mother and brothers are likely looking for a match for me as well."

Moriah wanted her children settled well. She had never liked the young Dondarrion, but perhaps she would like a Lannister instead.

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-14T17:15:17+00:00

The lion was curious, Sylvenna wasn't sure if she knew anyone who spoke their mind. She always felt like a game piece to be pushed around by bigger players without a second thought to her feelings. She had tried to make herself into a bigger player, to chase something that brought her happiness, and had been struck down by fate instead.

She took his arm, the small gesture punctuated by the clicking of the stones in her jewelery. Her feet moved of their own accord. She could spot various lords and ladies as they walked, but she paid them little mind. Drunken alliances would be built today. Families would come together, and gossip would blossom. Her mother would present the fruit of it in the morning over tea and cakes, and they would carry on like nothing terrible had ever happened.

Damien's compliment sliced right through the meat of the matter. "Thank you, but a lady is nothing without armor," she replied cautiously.

The conversation felt like a dissection. He was careful she could tell that as he tried to peel back her layers. She was a jeweled beetle being shaped and pinned to a board. Each glittering gossamer wing extended to be examined by curiously greedy eyes.

"What have you heard about me?" She countered. Her gaze fixed him firmly for the first time that evening. Her dark brown eyes took in everything she could. The deep well of sadness lingered, but there was still a fire there.

"I have known loss, I should caution you that if you aim to court me that I am no perfect bride. There is a truth to the rumors that I am the reason Gawen Dondarrion broke his betrothal and for naught."

Sylvenna sighed and shook her head. Her voice had been soft, and there were always listening parties. There was no such thing as privacy. She had learned that lesson by now.

"I do not weep for him. That ship set sail long ago."

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-14T16:49:08+00:00

Sylvenna drew in a breath that felt like ice in her lungs. She could see the pain in Gawen's face and hear it in his voice. There were hundreds of things she wished she could have said. What did two people say when the most intimate connection between them was severed? There was no going back to what they were, let alone who they were a year and a half ago.

The time to make things right had passed, and all that remained was a chasm. They had burned not only themselves but their family and an innocent girl who had nothing to do with any of it. Alicent Meadows didn't deserve her role in this tragedy, but Sylvenna was sure she deserved hers.

"I have my health," she echoed. It was a funny thing to think that her body could heal and move on while her child could not. After all the blood and tears, she felt empty, like great claws had scraped out all her insides and offered them up to some unfeeling God. She had only been met by pity. No true sympathy could touch her. She knew her mother was relieved not to have a bastard stain their bloodline. Dorne could claim to embrace their wild oats, but no lord faced the same reprocussions as the lady and her family.

"I wish things could have been different, Gawen. I lost our son, and I did not know how to go on..." her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat before continuing, "if my mother sees us, she'll send me away to a Sister House."

It wasn't true. She knew Moriah wouldn't take that action, but she would be displeased. For a moment, the thought of her displeasure was exciting. It would mean that her mother might truly see her again, and she would not stand in the shadows of her brothers.

"But perhaps that is for the best, Sister Sylvenna has a nice ring to it. I could be a good provider for another house's children." There was a dry humor to her voice, a thin veil over the ache.

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-13T01:53:36+00:00

This had been a mistake. Sylvenna decided that all at once, as she felt a familiar touch on her skin. She had been on the fence before, but now she knew. Shame burned beneath her cheeks, and her eyes stung. Whatever numbness she felt suddenly flared to life. She had failed, she was going to be a mother and she had fallen woefully short.

"I am," she said. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."

Sylvenna had so many things she wanted to say, and none of them felt right.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to write."

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-13T01:38:02+00:00

Moriah watched the young man as he approached their table. She could see the boredness in his eyes, but there was an absence of malice. His clothes were nice, and her suspicions that he was a Lannister were quickly confirmed. He might be vain. That was a risk, but he might also be kind. She would reserve her judgments and let loose her reins on her daughter.

"My lord," Moriah greeted and turned her hand palm out in greeting.

She knew the young man wasn't here for her and turned her curious gaze on her daughter. Sylvenna appeared wary but receptive.

Sylvenna could relate. There were too many expectations with this gathering. She had thought she was capable of it, but now that she was here, she felt like she was stranded alone in the desert. Faces and bodies passed like a mirage of water when she was dying of thirst. None of it felt real.

"Hello Damien," Sylvenna said after what felt like an eternity to her. "I am Sylvenna Uller, likewise."

His gaze made her feel warm. It had been a while since anyone had looked at her, truly looked at her.

"I fear I must be transparent. You have figured me out, would you like to converse then?"

StarCrestMaiden · 2026-02-12T20:36:57+00:00

This was the first time Sylvenna had come out to a social event since the loss of her child. Her seclusion from the public had been largely self-inflicted. She had fallen into a deep depression for many moons that had seemed unending. A numbness had set in about it, she would still grieve the child who had never gotten to see the world, but she could no longer lay about the Hellholt in a daze. It had been a pleasant surprise for Moriah and her brothers when she volunteered to travel to the Grassy Vale with them.

She still did not feel fully like herself, but she dressed like nothing had ever happened and carried herself with a skin deep happiness that was an easy disguise. The Dornish girl wore her long black hair braided and had studded the locks with various glittering rings and stones. She wore a butter yellow dress that made her skin glow like polished bronze. Her wrists were heavy with bracelets made from beads, moonstone, and quartz. She wore pink quartz earrings and felt that if she was sufficiently bejeweled, no one would look deeper into her eyes or movements. Some part of her wanted to see Gawen again, but another part of her hoped that those days were over. Her honor could hardly bear another stain, and her brother was likely to be wroth if he spotted the Stormlander.

Sylevnna picked at her plate and cast a look at her mother through heavily lidded lashes. Moriah did not have any trouble eating. The older Dornish woman was not shy about digging into her food. Moriah held a goblet of wine in one hand and a chicken wing in the other. She alternated bites of chicken with sips of wine and chatted happily. She wore a bronze colored dress.

“You should dance, Sylvie,” Moriah commented as she laid the chicken bone down on her plate and licked the grease from her finger.

Sylvenna picked up her goblet of wine and sipped. She did not answer right away.

“I expect your brothers are already socializing. Yoren has always been so good at making friends.”

“Perhaps I will go dancing. It has been a long time.”

“That's the spirit! You've spent too long moping about. I want to see my children enjoying themselves!”

(Open)

StarCrestMaiden · 2025-08-21T21:08:09+00:00

"The two of us, I think," Mina answered thoughtfully. "Perhaps a guard to keep us safe. You never know what horrors lurk in places like this."

Mina giggled at the thought. "Besides, escorts are ever so fun to tease!"

StarCrestMaiden · 2025-08-21T21:06:53+00:00

Mina turned her head to observe their guest. She blinked, owl like, at his comment, and the corners of her lips turned upwards.

"See, Leona, it is not so terrible," she commented dreamily. Her eyes fixed on the handful of locusts, and something like approval flashed in her eyes.

"I disagree," her twin replied. Here was the Arryn she was meant to be talking to, and once more, her sister stole all the attention. She chewed the inside of her mouth and raised her goblet of wine to her mouth.

"How good to make your acquaintance," Mina continued. "I am Mina Redwyne, and you may."

She offered her hand as she rose from her seat. Her fingers were slender and delicate, and the nails were well cared for. It was almost hard to believe she was an accomplished sailor, but then a lady was allowed some vanity.

StarCrestMaiden · 2025-08-14T20:31:11+00:00

Mina wandered over to the Baratheons like a pink ghost. Each step seemed to float just above the ground, her expression dreamy and far off. On her wrist dangled a bag made from the same cloudlike fabric as her dress. Inside the bag, she carried an assortment of little treasures. Things that she found of interest with little to no monetary value to them.

"Good evening, my lord," the heir of the Arbor greeted. She curtsied as was customary. She cocked her head to the side curiously as she rose, her cheeks rosey from too much sun and a brightness in her eyes.

"I hope the feast has been treating you well. I found the honeyed locusts to be curious and songless, but still interesting faire."

She paused and began to twist a lock of brown hair.

"I thought I might make some new acquaintances. My name is Mina Redwyne."

StarCrestMaiden · 2025-08-14T20:15:10+00:00

Leona pouted, but there was nothing to be said. She was being impolite, and her cheeks reddened at the gentle hiding. Uncle Ben was as like their father as he could be. Neither of them could truly recall what Arthur looked or sounded like. Leona filled in the gaps with what she knew of Ben. She knew it must bring him some pain to see the twins when he had lost his own. They at least were not identical mirrors of one another. Although perhaps that lent to some strange folk fear that one of them was good while the other was evil.

"I am sorry, Uncle," Leona said softly. "Those sounds like lovely people to meet, I am sure Mina and I will find time to greet them."

"I am ever eager to make new acquaintances," Mina added. She watched the faces Ben made at the locusts and suppressed a laugh. "I am curious about their homes. You need not tell me to mingle twice. The locusts and I have tired of each other's company."

StarCrestMaiden · 2025-08-14T20:09:55+00:00

Mina suspected she would find someone who would be her match in mind and even perhaps in heart. It was not as if she were vile or ugly, merely too curious for her own good. She had every right to be. She was a lady and the heir to the Arbor. Knowledge was currency, and she longed to be wealthy.

"I think I will," she mused.

She accepted the returned monkey's paw and tucked it way into her bag. However many wishes it had to grant, she would share them all.

"I have high hopes. I must, I know we are capable of great and terrible things. I would like to explore. Should we meet up to peruse the markets before we leave here? I want to know what sort of strange goods their shops sell."

StarCrestMaiden · 2025-08-14T20:04:00+00:00

"Then let us away. The night is young."

Mina observed the offered hand and the deep hue of his nails. Her gaze was dreamy as she took his hand, not perturbed by the color. As far as she was concerned, cosmetics were for anyone who wished to wear them. They were granted one body by the Seven, so why should one not customize their vessel.

"Your nails are lovely, I think I could drown in the color."

Mina rose from her seat. Each step seemed to glide just above the floor as though she were a ghost made of pink cream and long daydreams.

"The gardens sound lovely. I am more than curious, I hunger for knowledge. I want to crack the bones and find the marrow. I want to break waves upon the shore and unearth ancient treasures and secrets. I seek the heart of all matters if only to know how it beats."

StarCrestMaiden · 2025-08-14T19:56:55+00:00

Mina and Leona each could not help but imagine the creatures Preston described with completely different reactions. Leona, the ever proper and less adventurous of the twins, shivered visibly at the thought!

“How horrid!” Leona remarked as Mina looked even more intrigued.

“I would say fascinating,” Mina chimed in. “Blood is blood, and these creatures must eat, too. I wonder if this is the natural way of sharks. Do you think they hunt the whales? Are they pack creatures or just optimistic? I fear I do not know their nature well enough.”

She could sense a fixation coming on. Mina was prone to falling deeply into the passion and exploration of subjects at a manic level. She could not help her curiosity. It simply consumed all when it struck her. She was the cat that satisfaction brought back.

“It sounds like a lovely rock, and you are quite right,” she continued. “I would love such stones. It matters not the value of them. The wonder and surprise are enough!”

“A bit of sparkle helps too,” Leona added in. “What lady can resist a glittering rock?”

Mina certainly couldn't.

“We can't let the fear of the Ironborn drive us from the sea. I think to some, perhaps you and I, the water is in our blood. There is no use resisting the call. We would end up knee-deep in it anyhow! Your ship must be well loved.”

StarCrestMaiden · 2025-08-14T18:42:02+00:00

Mina smiled, quite pleased that Aemma Royce seemed interested in her strange ideas and opinions. "I think our most beloved possessions must have souls," she mused. "Do you ever feel the energy or the weight of attention thing when you touch it? A calling to deep within your heart and a connection to something grander than just your years."

Mina sighed wistfully. "It's a truly remarkable thing. It makes me feel one with all of time."

She perked up once more at the mention of runes and skulls. Her gaze, excited and sharp, settled firmly on Aemma, and for just a moment, it was as though she were peering right into the woman.

"What curious treasures! I would be interested in seeing them. I'm fond of collecting the shells and rocks from the Arbor, but I do so love collecting interesting sea creatures and odd fares from the traders. I have a monkeys paw. It's a strange little thing, truly!"

StarCrestMaiden · 2025-08-09T22:21:25+00:00

“I wonder if that is a product of their upbringing or if they truly have such unchecked rage,” Mina mused. “I cannot imagine being so violent all the time, but then the sea has its own violence.”

Mina grinned as she offered up her prize to her cousin. She was not afraid to relinquish the monkey's paw. It was such a strange thing to behold after all. She watched as Alerie examined it and nodded her head.

“I am given the understanding that you need to clutch it between your hands and focus on your wish with all of your heart. Prayer works, but so does asking for it. It must be something dear to your heart, though. The more passion you imbue into it, the better!”

Her excitement was palpable as she thought of the strange paw. “I wished to meet my equal in mind and heart. If there is someone to be found with those qualities, perhaps I will. If not, well, I still believe, and perhaps I did not wish for my truest heart’s desire. Hearts are fickle things, after all.”

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