| New Relations |
| Summary: | Jacsen and Gwyn talk about their new familial relations during the second day of celebrations. |
| Date: | October 22, 288 |
| Related Logs: | All Wedding Logs |
| Players: |
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| Outside the Celebrations at the Roost |
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| October 22nd, 288 |
The throes of celebration, the second night of such since the wedding, goes on inside Terrick's Roost. The throne room is the epicenter of the party, where drink, food, music, and conversation flow as swift and smooth any river. Even so, the man the celebration is presumptively for seems to have escaped the party for the fresher air outside in the courtyard. Jacsen is on a bench not far from the doors, exchanging a few words with well-wishers making their way past.
Flushed from the company (and possibly the wine) there are a gaggle of women who slip out the door. In the center of that giggling swarm is the redheaded sister of the Lady of the Evening. Her ladies in waiting are passing something that looks like a skin of wine back and forth among them, sneakily hiding it in their sleeves when anyone passes close enough by. Their talk is hushed enough that it's hard to make out exact words from afar, but as they wander close by the bench Jacsen is seated, it's easy to make out their gossip.
"You danced three songs with him!" One of the ladies titters.
"Ugh, don't remind me. I barely escaped. He was handsy, but I promised Anais dances with him." Gwyn takes a swig of the skin and keeps a hold of it. By now they are almost upon Jacsen's bench and the youngest sister of the Baneforts stops up short, quickly shoving the skin into her sleeves when she spots him. Her face is already red, so it's hard to tell if she's blushing. "Ahem. Evening," she greets, perhaps a tad too informally. The rest of her ladies in waiting come up quickly stop behind her and fall remarkably silent.
"… for coming, tell your brother I hope he is healing well. Perhaps I'll see you both should I ever make it back up to Seaguard again." Jacsen's parting words to the two older men near the bench, whom wander off before the girls get too close, is followed by a thoughtful glance back towards the festivities, where his new wife and sundry friends and relations remain.
He reaches for his cane, but the sound of voices, or more appropriately the sound of one voice he recognizes, stays his hand. Jacsen's lips curve even before the women blunder upon him, and Gwyn attempts to hide that flask. "Good evening, ladies," he remarks, nodding curiously at the flask she doesn't quite manage to hide in time. "And who's so handsy? At least I know you're not talking about me." You know, since he can't really dance anyways.
Luckily the men have gone by the time Gwyn arrives, so she only has Jacsen to contend with. Now it's very possible to see that Gwyn is blushing because it creeps up toward her forehead when her new goodbrother nods toward the flask she was not quick enough to hide. "Good evening, Lord Jacsen." She curtsies in an attempt to hide her embarrassment, but that's hard to do. Her hair is curled up against her head and so it doesn't shield her reddened face. "Oh no, of course not. It was a Frey." Perhaps she should be more diplomatic in her dealings, but that's not exactly Gwyn's way. "Taking in a bit of fresh air? It's a bit crowded. Everyone's celebrating. Annie looks very happy."
He pats the spot beside him on the bench. "Why don't you sit and join me for a few minutes, my lady? And really, we are family now," Jacsen remarks, "So you ought to feel comfortable calling me Jacsen. Or Jace, as those whom know me best seem to like." His polite smile grows a touch deeper. "I think I'd like that."
"Anyways, I'm not so surprised. About the Frey I mean. I'd ask which one but…" He waves a hand. "Half of them have the same name, or look enough alike it's hardly worth the telling them apart. I'm better pleased that you think Anais seems pleased herself, truth be told."
"Neither of us expected as much, that's true," Jacsen agrees with a faint nod, still smiling at his wife's red-haired sister. "But surprises can be pleasant things, and I think, mayhap, this could turn out to be one such. So it would seem thus far, in any case." He glances at the wine skin and waggles his brows. "Enough there to share with your new good brother, Gwyn? I'm thirstier than I remember when I excused myself for a breath of fresh air."
The blush returns when Jacsen calls Gwyn out on the wine skin. Without looking over, she merely hands it over. There is still at least two thirds of it left - it looks like they refilled it before leaving the throne room. "Don't tell my sister." After all, she's supposed to be the proper Banefort lady and leaving with wineskins may not be the perfect picture of propriety. "I'm happy for you both. I'm sure you will be very happy together. Maybe one day she'll even teach you the Banefort Water Sport rules."
He uncaps the skin and takes a small sip, before offering it sans cap towards Gwyn, a clear invitation to indulge. "Oh, Seven help your sister if she'd be cross at you for having drink and merriment at her own wedding," Jacsen says, dismissive of any idea that Anais should be upset with the younger Banefort daughter. "As to the Water Sport rules… I rather think if she is teaching me, that is a problem, isn't it? I'd thought you both said something about there not really being any rules, or making them up as you went? I'd not want to be tricked into adhering to some set of guidelines that cost me the game." Not that he is like to play it, being a gimp and all.
"Drink and merriment is one thing." Gwyn takes the skin with a smirk and takes a drink - longer than Jacsen's. "However excesses of either are discouraged for us ladies." With a grin, she puts the cap back on, but sets the skin down between the two of them so they can both partake when the mood strikes. "Ah, see, that's the beauty of the Water Sport rules. We can tell you them and then from that basis break them all. It's all really about how you sell it." So, he could certainly play and just argue what he was doing is right. "You need a Banefort to introduce you to the game. After that, it's all about how you play."
Jacsen nods once to his good sister's explanation, which more or less confirms his thoughts on her attempted trickery. "Well, if someone will introduce me to the game, better it you than Anais… else she'll be well positioned to defeat me when I challenge her," he points out. "And truly, Gwyn…" he pauses, "Can I call you that?" and then continues, "Truly, I think you're far from over partaking in either drink or merriment, just yet. So do not worry too much."
With a laugh, Gwyn nods. "Perhaps. I will gladly teach you Water Sport game. She will be quite surprised when she finds out you are already well trained." As for her name, she smiles. "If I am to call you Jacsen, it's only fair for you to call me Gwyn." With a shrug of her shoulders, she looks back toward the party. "Taking a wine skin with my ladies may not have been what my sister had in mind when she said we should enjoy ourselves. That's merely my own idea. Though, I must say, I have yet to make off with one of the handsome men inside. My self restraint amazes even myself."
He cannot help to find some laughter at that, scooping up the wine skin for another slow sip. "Mm, well. I have already been laid claim to, Gwyn, else I might conspire to help you." Jacsen makes a faint clucking sound in one cheek, "Though I guess I'm not quite made for the sneaking and such, in any case." He takes another sip from the skin before he offers it to his bench compatriot, wondering, "Is there anyone that quite catches the fancy of, if I might say, the prettiest Banefort in the Roost?" He adds, with a grin, "Your sister is a Terrick now, after all."
"Alas, my luck runs out." Gwyn grins. With a laugh, she picks up the skin again and starts to uncap it. "It's a good thing. I would be quite annoyed with my sister being sneaked around on." They are sisters, after all. "Aha, good save. I have my eye set on quite a few, honestly. It's hard to choose just one." Finally, she takes another swig of wine before offering it to Jacsen. It's only polite.
Jacsen's smile deepens, and he reaches to accept the wine skin again. "I should hope you would be, given how fond the both of you seem of one another," he offers, taking a long sip. He wipes his mouth off with the back of his hand, and insists, "No need to be so vague, you know! I might even know somewhat of these quite a few, that you can whittle down your list somewhat." And of course, as propriety must dictate, the skin is handed back to Gwyn.
Taking the wine back, Gwyn sets it between the two of them again. Best to not over indulge too quickly. She smirks. "You think I'm being vague, but that is quite the truth. Knights, singers, pages. The winner of the tourney today was quite handsome. Very accomplished for a squire, don't you think?"
"Rowan? Oh, yes, that was quite the accomplishment. Unseating Ser Ryman Frey, after he won that hard fought match with Lord Mallister," Jacsen observes, with something of a smirk, "That was quite the coup. And he's well liked about the Roost, he was my brother's squire for a long time." He tilts his head in a measure of consideration, before asking, "Speaking of the Roost… have you had much time to think about your intentions? Will you remain here, now that the matter of your sister's wedding is done? Or do you intend to travel further afield?"
"He did indeed. And that's worthy of quite a bit of praise." And Gwyn can't wait till she can find the squire in question and bat her eyelashes at him. "I have been thinking about it. I like it here. I'd love to stay for at least a little while longer before my father attempts to wed me to someone to strengthen an alliance or the like."
Jacsen seems satisfied with that answer, and gives a firm nod. "Good. I don't think the Roost is done with you just yet, Gwyn, and mayhap it could be that a match in this corner of the Riverlands might be found that suits. And surely Anais will be glad to have a familiar face in residence, even if she takes as well as she seems to my family. Besides, I think we'd all like the chance to know you better ourselves, before some lucky lord is fortunate enough to call you wife."
"I don't believe it is, either." Or, that's what she'd like to believe and she's happy to hear someone else say it. Gwyn laughs. "I would be glad to be close to my sister, as well. Though, it's true, she gets along quite well with your family. I'm sure it will continue." There's a bit of tittering behind her and Gwyn glances over her shoulder to see a Frey exiting. Her ladies quickly move to shield her from vantage point of the door. Gwyn swings around to face Jacsen again. "Oh Gods, there he is. Forgive me, but I should go before he attempts to 'show me his dancing skills' once more. I'll see you inside, I'm sure. Congratulations, as I've get a chance to say it to you personally. Seven save me, he's coming this way." With that, she scampers off, attempting to stay ducked between her ladies in waiting as shields.
