| On A Fairer Day |
| Summary: | Rutger and Rygar talk about War, the lapse of justice, and the Duel amongst all things. |
| Date: | 26/04/2012 |
| Related Logs: | All the Tordane mess |
| Players: |
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| Tordane Tower - Main Hall |
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| The main hall of Tordane Tower. Long benches, food. You know midday things. |
| 26 April 289 A.L. |
Three days before the contest of arms, and apart from the latent tension running through the folk- small and great alike- of Stonebridge, business carries on as usual. Rygar is seated at the comman hall's long table, reviewing a list of numbers compiled weekly by the dockmaster. Tariffs, fines, quantities of rivercraft and the like. Idly as he reads, the lean knight picks at a platter of roast trout, taking either his midday habitually early.
'Do you have room for another, cousin?" a tone of familiarity as another Nayland has entered the scene. There is a brief nod given to one of the servants, as he moves to come and sit opposite of the leaner knight. One hand smoothing through his beard. His own meal should be coming, while his squire and page see to the horses, and other sundry things. Rutger lets his pale eyes settle on the list, before they look to Rygar's visage. Promptly sitting down the knight waits as dish and drink are brought, only nodding once in dismissal. "I feel, Ser." Rutger begins, "I have placed you in a horrible position."
"While your company can try my patience at times, cousin, I should not describe it as horrible," Rygar returns, deadpan. He does glance up at Rutger as the younger Nayland approaches, giving a dip of his head in greeting, and awaiting the more genial man's next words.
"Just so." a wry grin comes upon Rutger's face. "Allow me to put it this way, coz. I failed. And because of that,you are doing something, which I should be doing. Though I fear it is my own sword that I should be falling on, as opposed to the Bastard Pretender." A slight pause as he reaches for his drink. "I should have fucking known I would have to get into his fucking blood. That Damned bastard of a king. Months spent bowing and scraping for a pretender on the throne, bloody wasted because of sentimentality. And probably Seven fuckitself booze."
With that uncouth rant down, Rutger bows his head. "My pardon for treasonous and unknightly words." A sip and he now bringing a fork to pick at his own trout. "I have failed our family. And now, you must do this just thing"
"We had both trusted in justice to uphold the law, Ser," Rygar returns plainly. "In that we both misjudged our lieges." A short breath is drawn through flared nostrils, "Once the Pretender is slain, all shall be set again to right. I anticiapte anger, of course, from those whose sentiment has been thwarted, but the claim on Stonebridge shall at last be secure." He shakes his head once. "I cannot find it in me to take sorrow in that."
"As you shouldn't" Rutger replies before taking in a bite of fish. " Should someone press to see you hanged for this, which I doubt-and some how get the dying Fish to sign off on it, I will push for the Black for you." he states deadpan before taking another bite. "I am also planning in case we do fail. BUt, I do not expect someone with your calibre and experience to fall easily to a young pup's soft teeth." And down some more wine.
A half grin shows on Rutger's face. "Yes, well with whom our lieges are, it should be no surprise. Lord Waits to be wed and King needs to bed." A shake of his head. "Not exactly pillars of what a Lord should be." And so he tilts his head back, looking to his Cousin. "I am also letting you know, that I plan to be in the Mire come the Sun's day. I think some distance will help separate us from you." A pause there. 'but please know, I shall be saying my prayers for your sake. And I am leaving a man here to send me news of the outcome immediately."
Rygar nods curtly to the news of Rutger's absence. "A wise precaution, Ser. Your brothers would be well advised to follow suit," he notes simply. "A further wisdom would lay in considering possible replacements as Sheriff of Stonebridge. Once the Pretender is dead, my continued service in such a role could prove disadvantageous to the House in dealings with Tully."
Rutger nods. "I might require you to come home to the Sevens and serve me there, when all is said and done, or see if we cannot find you posting with another family-as much as I would hate to do it." And his appetite wains for a moment. "Either way, I will see you taken care of, till the scandal dies down, and we can bring you back into a more prominent role. This sacrifice that you make for our Blood, will not go unrecognized."
"Circumstance shall be judged as it comes, cousin," Rygar allows with a short nod. "It is the great shame of our age, Ser, that there is no justice nor good faith to be had save through strength at arms," disgust colors his cold voice with the words. He speaks on, "Should scandal leave me ill placed to do so, advocate for the favorable placement of my sons as pages, Ryon will soon be of age for such."
"If you like, I can take him on, as soon Lucamore will be of the right merit to knight, and our page moved to my squire." He adds, without looking up. Instead he is content to toy with his meal, before picking a bite he likes, and chewing slowly. "But, I will see that your boys have a place to go and with fine gentlemen." he adds on before he looks back to his Cousin. "You are a fine friend to me." said after a moment. "And we have served through hellish campaigns. Have we not?"
"I would rather see them serving beyond our family, so that they may not be favored for their name," Rygar states in plain answer, He sniffs sharply once to Rutger's last. "So we have. I am fortunate, Ser: I had thought justice dead after the Trident, but now I am given the opportunity to restore some small measure of it in slaying the Pretender. And should justice truly die, I shall not need bear the sight of it."
"Should you fall cousin, I will make sure that Stonebridge bleeds for it." Perhaps not actual blood, but revenues, and food would be a start. There is a brief nod as to Rygar's wishes. "It shall be done. I do have some friends amongst the Erenfords, and I do know some good men of quality in the West. I will do as I can." And there he looks back towards Rygar "Do you have your affairs in order?" a simple enough question.
"As did the royal line. I will not lie and say the King himself is not an enjoyable person. But, he is a pretender. A fine lucky one." An amused look shows. "It's no wonder he would raise a bastard up. Though I feel that decision will come down to haunt him as his life goes on."
Rygar spares a moment before answering to make certain there are no smallfolk within earshot to hear him even consider failure aloud, before he regard Rutger and states, "There is a letter prepared among my belongings to address what must be known. As for Baratheon," he sniffs shortly. "He was a pretender, until he became a Usurper. I will not see Gedeon Rivers follow him in such a course." He considers a moment further, but lets the moment pass unspoken.
Rutger nods. "I will make sure that I have a man collect it." his own voice hushed. As eyes do a quick scan of the room, before he simply looks back to Rygar and nods. Both cousins of the same mind. "Good. I had thought to see if he is wounded if we could not seek out Mistress Delacourt to send him quicker to the stranger." his voice staying down until a footman comes in bringing in fresh drink. And so the conversation drops there as does the topic. "I do not hope that this is the last war we find ourselves fighting together." There sentiments done. "Have you spoken of any plans with my Lord Brother?"
"That shall be for another hand than mine, Ser," Rygar sniffs to talk of Mistress Delacourt's ministrations. "There shall always be another war, cousin. Have you not heard? Brute strength rules the Realm, now." He shakes his head to the last. "As we have agreed, it would be wise for Riordan to be distanced from me. I had considered speaking with the Lady Valda, but-" hs eyes tick briefly more narrow, and the stern knight agai chooses not to speak further.
Rutger snorts. "And kings fart upon a throne..Yes, I've heard that is what we are to do. This ever bloody dance to show whom's cock is the thickest and biggest in the realm. It is a game for those who the sun is now in their twilight. And those houses lack food right now." A curl of his lips. At the but, Rutger's brow shoots up. "But? Ser, you should know your confidence is safe with me. We have shed blood together and been prisoners together. I consider you more kin to me, than my late brother. You may trust me."
"Then it shall be a short war," Rygar volleys back dryly at talk of setting suns and starvation. "Yet the Reachlords grow fat and ever more proud. The fickle sentiment which ties the Lords of Storm, Vale, and North together shall not endure forever, and the Seven Kingdoms shall fragment, again." Dour and stern as ever, when Rygar does address his previously cut off words, it is a deflection. "I do not judge it advantageous to approach the Lady with such precautions."
Rutger nods. "I shall not then." As to why, Rutger has the grace not to pry such things from a loved kinsman, or a knight. "Indeed, it will be. We are but juggernauts to scarecrows." A sniff. "Oh I bet it shall. The seven fragmented over a woman they say-Who knows what minor thing will cause it to break again?"
"All may guess, Ser, but none can say," Rygar answers to the speculation of what shall next split the kingdoms of Westeros. "When you speak next with Lord Rickart, bid him that I shall send him a strong right arm very soon," he bids Rutger, aside.
"I shall bet a whore's child sets it off, or something else the King has thrust himself into." A smirk there before he is nodding. " I will do so. I hope it be the severed arm of a bastard, but any will suffice." And as his meal seems finished, he is slow to rise. "Is there anything else Ser, I can do for you?"
Rygar shakes his head to the negative. "No, Ser. For the remainder I am well prepared." Rygar rises as well, as is only proper when dining with one of higher station, leaving the completion of his meal until Rutger has stepped away.
Rutger comes around, and offers his hand. And a smile rises on the younger man's face. "I wish you luck Ser. I know you need it not. But I wish you luck." And when the shake is finished he will simply bow his head. "Thank you so much Coz. I am blessed to call you friend, besides family."
"Good travels, Ser," Rygar bids as he returns to handclasp. "We shall speak again on a fairer day," he notes in parting. To the remainder, the notoriously unsentimental knight says nothing, simply inclining his head as is proper, and waiting until his cousin has stepped away to retake his seat, one hand clasped atop the other for a silent moment of thought, before he resumes his daily duties.
