| Seagard in the Roost |
| Summary: | The Mallisters get their eagles in a row before Lord Jerold's meeting. |
| Date: | 31/05/2012 |
| Related Logs: | The Eagles Meet and everything that's been going on across the Cape of Eagles |
| Players: |
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| Reading Room, Four Eagles Tower |
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| The room has a large glass window and seat that looks out partially over the cove, in daylight hours the sun provides illumination to the room. Other stools and chairs linger in small groups as shelves along the walls are littered with scrolls, books, letters and documents. The contents are a modest collection of local records, histories, and literature offered to both the family and guests of Four Eagles Tower. |
| 31 May, 289 |
With so much going on, it seems only reasonable to Kamron Mallister to talk things over with his fellow scions of Seagard. He's sent his squire out to see if Martyn and Muirenn can join him, and sits at one of the chairs, his arm still bound up in a sling and a couple of sheets of parchment and paper scattered on a low table before him.
Martyn is still moving a bit slowly as well, although it would seem that he's healing. Still a bandage around the middle finger of his left hand, as he steps inside the room. Looking a bit tired, as he steps into the room, pausing a bit as he almost walks into the doorframe. People would also know that he came back to the Roost a bit later than the rest, him and his squire Xander.
Kamron looks up in time to watch Martyn nearly walk into the doorframe, his eyebrows shooting upward. Rising to his feet, the younger Mallister moves over to meet his cousin, "Seven hells, Martyn, are you alright? You look like you haven't slept in days."
"It's not been that long," Martyn replies, with a bit of a sigh. "Slept rather well when we had to find shelter from the weather on the way back here…" A brief half-smile as he looks over at Kamron. "I'm fine, really…"
Kamron shakes his head, "I'm starting to get worried about you, coz." Still, he moves back toward the low seat he was perched on before, keeping his left arm clasped to his stomach within its sling. "If you don't take care of yourself, I'll have to sic your sister on you." Slowly lowering himself into his seat, he frowns up at the nearest window, "I wonder how long it'll take for Percy to find Lady Muirenn."
"I'm fine, really. Just having a lot on my mind," Martyn replies, with a bit of a chuckle. "You should try it sometime…" Offered a bit lightly now, with a bit of a chuckle.
Kamron groans softly, reaching up to rub at his temple with the fingers of his right hand, "You have no idea, coz… thinking is hard." The half-whining complaint is given with a laugh at the end, obviously a joke. "Between the Groves harvest, Stonebridge, the bandits, and the combination of the marriage between Lord Jacsen and Lady Anais floundering and the Freys trying to marry another Banefort… I feel like I'm doing nothing -but- thinking."
The mention of his name seems to be the right way to summon the poor squire for there is a clatter in the corridor, and a mortified young man's voice making what seems to be an abject apology. The cracking voice that resonates somewhere between alto and tennor is soon joined by the tart tones that can only be Muirenn's elderly Septa. It is another minute or so before a red faced Percy appears at the door and says softly with a bow, "I found her Ser", before ducking to the side.
A moment passes and the sound of her voice can be heard singing before ever she is in view. "Red is the rose by yonder garden grows and fair is the lily of the valley. Clear is the water that flows from the Blue but my love is fairer than aaaannnnnyyy." Soon she is framed in the doorway, smiling and dipping her knee in a respectful curtsy, "my apologizes cousin and brother, I have been at the Sept all day offering up prayers." There is a slight skip to her step as she drifts in, pulling from her girdle a bunch of wildflowers that she lays upon the table.
Pausing a bit at the mention of marriages, his expression turning a bit more thoughtful, Martyn shakes his head a little bit as if clearing it. Opening his mouth as if to say something, he closes it again. "You know, one of the closest things to a way to keep the Freys from marrying the Banefort lady in question comes to mind," he comments, a bit lightly. Pausing a bit at the singing and his sister's entrance, he smiles a bit. "Someone's in a good mood," he remarks. Still looking rather tired at the moment, though.
Kamron looks up as Percy trips into the room, shaking his head slightly, "Thank you, Percy. You can relax for a while, enjoy the afternoon off." The singing draws a smile to Kam's face as well, as his squire just barely avoids running into the incoming women, managing to scoot out of the way and slip out the door. Kamron rises as Muirenn steps into the room, bowing his head, "It's not a problem at all, Lady Muirenn. I thought it might be useful if we talked about the viewpoint we want to present to Lord Terrick." Evidently, he figures that a singular Mallister viewpoint is better than three possibly seperate ones.
Martyn's 'threat,' however, is ignored for now.
There is a thoughtful pause and then Muirenn bends to kiss her brother's cheek, "I am actually." Despite her good cheer, she too looks a bit weary. Moving around the table she greets her cousin in similar fashion before taking a seat. The Septa and her handmaiden take a seat upon one of the benches, both bringing out some embroidery. Studying the wildflowers, the girl listens to Kameron quietly before looking up and asking, "Our viewpoint upon which subject, for it is to my mind that there are many things we might give opinion upon." Reaching out, she draws the blossoms towards her and with one hand draws the wealth of her waist-length hair over her shoulder and begins to twine the flowers into her braids, asking suddenly "When can I wear other than black?"
Martyn nods a little bit as he listens now, and as his cheek is kissed. Unable to hold back a grin at what Kamron chose not to talk about. Also looking a bit lost in thought at the moment.
Kamron settles back down into his chair after Muirenn takes her seat, chuckling softly at her question. Grinning a little crookedly, he starts counting on his one good hand, "Well, besides your question — the answer to which I think is 'whenever Lord Mallister says we can' — we have," he looks over to Martyn, repeating the list of moments before, "the Groves harvest, Stonebridge, the bandits, and the combination of the marriage between Lord Jacsen and Lady Anais floundering and the Freys trying to marry another Banefort." And now he's out of fingers. "A couple of those matters aren't anything we can make decisions on, but I think we should probably have -advice- for Lord Terrick at the least. Any of those particularly pique your interests?"
"The last one is the easiest to resolve and actually assists with a portion of the second to last. I think that our cousin Patrek should approach the Lord Banefort with a proposal of marriage to the Lady Saffron. This will provide our House with a continued connection with the Baneforts should, the Seven forbid, Jacsen set his lady wife aside for whatever reason." Muirenn's fingers are nimble as a series of daisies are followed by bunches of violets in her tresses, "I think you cousin Kamron would be the most obvious choice. As to the marriage between Jacsen and dear Annie…well that is a delicate matter and must be handled quite carefully." Looking up, the girl flashes Kamron the sweetest of sunshine smiles but there is something of the imp twinkling in her eyes.
"She has a good point there," Martyn offers with a bit of a smile, leaning back in his seat to watch Kamron's reaction rather carefully now. "And as she said, you would be the perfect choice, Kamron." Still keeping his gaze on Kamron now. "That seems like a good match for both her, you and the houses."
If the siblings are expecting an explosion out of Kamron, they're going to be sorely disappointed. Kam merely leans back in his chair, resting his right elbow on the arm of it, and crossing his left leg over his right. "Even assuming for a moment that I -am- the best match, it's not as simple as just proposing another match. It would have to be one that would cause Lord Banefort to be willing to spurn the possible connection with the Lord Weasel. Or we'd have to convince the Lord Weasel to spurn the possible connection. Either by presenting a match he thinks of as more advantageous for this Lord Walden, or by causing him to think somehow that Lady Saffron is unsuitable. I would rather not tarnish the reputation of a good lady." Evidently, someone's been giving this a good deal of thought.
"Then I suggest you write to our cousin and let him know that you would like the Lady Saffron's hand in marriage. What Seagard can and cannot offer at this point I am unsure for I know they are still rebuilding as are the Terricks. Informing Uncle Jerold of any proposal at this time would be presumptuous. I do not think we need to bring that up to him at all." Muirenn gives a smile, it doesn't appear she was looking for an outburst because she moves on to the next subject, "I think that we…the Mallisters…and Uncle Jerold need to invite Lord Groves to discuss terms for their harvest. This Nayland nonsense has gone on long enough and seems to be rather stalled. While they might wish to make peace and that is all well and good, though unlikely, it is not as if the Naylands have an excessive surplus of food to provide for the Mire, Stonebridge, and Terrick's Roost…though I could be much mistaken."
Martyn nods a bit, "At least get our cousin to let them know that there is another possibility for them, if the possible match between Lady Saffron and the Frey is something to worry about." Nodding a little bit as he nods a bit at the mention of the next point on the agenda. "Inviting Lord Groves over to discuss the terms sounds like the best route, especially if it can be done without closing the door on the Naylands fully at the moment." Leaning back a bit further in his seat at the moment.
Kamron closes his eyes at Muirenn's suggestion, reaching up to rub at his temple with the fingers of his right hand, "Lady Muirenn… did you hear what I said? Simply putting forth another offer would not help the Baneforts, and so would not be likely to stop the marriage to the Freys." He draws in a breath and lets it out slowly, opening his eyes once more and pushing forward one of the papers on the low table before him, "I have a letter from Lord Mallister here. He's not happy about the idea of trading land for food, but he also doesn't want the Naylands to get their hands on the surplus that is, for them, unneccessary. I suggested that we," the Mallisters, apparently, "offer up some land to lessen the blow against the Terricks, but he didn't seem particularly interested in that idea. And I don't believe that the Groves are looking for more negotiations. I believe they're looking for an answer. I'd like to suggest to Lord Terrick that he trade the land for food — with further food shipments…"
"…to come so long as the Groves hold the land and have surplusses."
The young woman pauses long enough to give a slight nod of her head, "I would make the approach that they give a certain amount of food per year per segment of land. It would be rediculous for the Groves to accept an offer that would require them to provide the Terricks for food in perpetuity. A more reasonable offer for both parties would have a time limit somehow joined with the amount of land that Lord Groves is requesting." A fragrant spring of rosemary is withdrawn and lifted to her nose. Smiling she inhales and then twines it in and around between the daisies and the violets. "What say you both to that notion?" Her grey eyes focus intently upon first her brother and then her cousin.
"It would have to be either a timed offer, or to some kind of terms about certain condition having to be met for the shipments to cease," Martyn offers, the right hand moving up to wipe at his eyes a little. "I have a feeling that Lord Campbell Groves knows that he has much of the advantages at the moment. After all, even though the land in question would be important to them, they've survived without it for a long time now. But on the other hand, the food is much more needed for our survival here. So as I said, he has quite an advantage there. Which might be one of the reasons for them negotiating with the Naylands, to show us that they have the advantage." Shrugging a little bit now.
Kamron sits up a little at Muirenn's suggestion, nodding along just a bit, "I think that's a rarely fine idea for a position to settle on, Lady Muirenn. Perhaps start with the surplus in perpetuity, and negotiate back to the shipments for a certain number of years." He nods his head, then looks over to Martyn, grimacing slightly and nodding his head, "Oh, Lord Groves knows he has the upper hand, and I'm sure he's quite interested in holding the Mallisters and the Terricks over a barrel for us taking away those bits of land." He grunts softly, "And far, far better the Groves than the Naylands or even the Westerlings." Rubbing his temples again, he goes on to the next subject, "As far as Stonebridge is concerned, I informed Lord Mallister of my discussions with Lady Tordane, but didn't make any suggestions there. I don't think I trust her, and I don't think we should support her without any proof she will support us. I was planning to just tell Lord Terrick about the discussion I had, nothing more."
"I am curious, how did she decry the rumors that placed her intimately with Lord Riordan merely a day or so prior to her supposed marriage to Ser Gedeon and how could she possibly know she was pregnant with Ser Gedeon's child at his death?" With a shake of her head, Muirenn says quietly "The last alone I cannot understand." Her lips curve into a faint, but mirthless smile, as her cousin speaks of trust "Honestly, I am not sure what my Father intended I should learn away from home when he allowed Uncle Jason to claim my guardianship but what I have learned is that there are precious few people that I *can* trust in this life outside of my family." This statement seems to depress the girl as her fingers pluck absently at the flowers left on the table, "Too many people telling too many stories about things that are none of their concern or even inventing stories to increase their own self worth. It saddens me." A sigh, "So what is the next item we need discuss Kamron?" Glancing up she forces a smile through for him.
Shrugging a little bit as they get to the matter of Stonebridge, Martyn looks a little bit lost in thought. "You already know my thoughts on that subject, cousin, even if you may not like it. So just mentioning the conversation and not more would seem to be the best way of dealing with it," he offers, a bit quietly, before he frowns a bit at Muirenn's words. "Someone once said that a man is a wolf to other men, sister." Sighing a bit for a few moments now, as he looks between the others now.
Kamron shrugs his right shoulder a little helplessly at Muirenn's questions, "I didn't ask her about either of those topics, actually. I figured that everyone she talked to would be asking her those questions, and she might be more likely to talk to me if I didn't." Kamron nods his head slowly to Martyn, shifting a bit in his seat and grimacing as he has to move his left shoulder. "Just the bandits really, but I suppose we're just here to support the Terricks on that. Lord Justin has a plan to try to entrap the bandits, and if that doesn't work, we might talk to these covert woodcutters and start investigating Tall Oaks — with Lady Camden's approval." He sighs a bit heavily, "I suppose the other issue is what — if anything — to do about Lord Jacsen and Lady Anais. You mentioned a worry, Lady Muirenn… what have you heard?"
Pausing another daisy in hand, Muirenn shakes the poor bloom soundly at Kamron and Martyn "You both support Lord Justin in this. That poor boy is overwhelmed and worried about his House and his family. Were he some other House that were appropriate, I might consider him." Smiling faintly the limp flower is tucked in with others and a fresher one picked up. Her brows narrow as she watches her cousin wince, "Have you been rubbing on the ointment that I gave you twice a day as instructed?" Blink, "worry? Oh…I am sure my concerns about Jacsen and Annie are ones we all have. I esteem them both as dearest friends. Jacsen has been working too hard and took the siege and his inability to fight and defend too much too heart…then there are all the rumors about the Dornish herbalist. And of course the rumors about Lord Riordan courting Anais." Sighing she gives a shake of her head, "I think they could be so happy together, truly and I would dearly love to see that along with adorable chubby babies running around." The teenager's face softens dreamily and the flower is merely twirled in her fingers absently rather than braided into her auburn locks.
Martyn keeps quiet for now as he listens to the others, keeping quiet for the moment, and absently rubbing a bit at his side for the moment. Using his right hand for this, since the left one still has a bandaged finger now.
Kamron chuckles softly, "Yes, Lady Muirenn." The sing-song response is -too- contrite to be real, a grin flickering across his lips as he moves back to the topic at hand. It's a short-lived grin, however, that fades almost immediately, "I don't know Lord Terrick that well as of yet. I assume he would take it badly if I spoke to him about my concerns and suggested that he talk to Lord Jacsen? Lady Anais has told myself and others several times that she feels slighted by the amount of time he spends with the Dornishwoman, and that they are not as happy as they once were." His fingertips tap at his hip, where his axe-head would hang if he wore the weapon, "I'm concerned about the Nayland snake. I don't know what he might be doing to ensnare Lady Anais. She's usually so sensible, and his reputation is almost as black as that of his brother at this point."
"I am so tired of being mocked cousin. I am a *good* healer. I know what I am doing." Muirenn scowls at the teasing, apparently having felt humored or coddled on this subject one too many times of late, "So take your medicine!" a hapless violet is thrown at Kamron. Tossing her now flower becked hair back over her shoulder she moves on with the final topic, "I would not bring it up tonight. If he says nothing, I may bring up the concerns privately. If it gets brought up, well…technically it is a Terrick issue and it may be something they can sort out." There is a pause as she glances at her brother and asks hesitantly, "Did Lord Alric Fenster find you Martyn?"
Martyn stops rubbing at his side at Muirenn's words. Looking to her a bit carefully now, it really shows that he hasn't gotten that much sleep the last night. Nodding once as he hears her question. "He did…" he replies, after a few moments of pause.
Kamron widens his eyes in true innocence — or a very good facsimile thereof — at the scowling words, "It helps the muscles ache less. I'm actually very grateful for it. I just thought I had left my mother behind at Talon Point, cousin." The words are quiet, earnest, and only a little teasing, "Whatever your brother says, I'm smart enough to obey the orders of my healers." He leans forward to pick up the violet, tucking it behind one ear with a grin and a nod, "I wasn't going to bring it up in public. I was thinking about staying after to talk to Lord Terrick in private." The mention of an unknown lord draws his eyebrows up, and a grin onto his lips, "Lord Alric Fenster, eh?" Now there's a good deal of teasing in his grin and his words indeed.
Her brows furrow and the girl rolls her eyes, "Apparently I am so little a prospect that the young Lord Fenster feels his House has a chance to join with ours by a betrothal with myself. Either that or he was sincere when he said he finds me lovely and wishes to know me better." The curve of her shoulders lift in a shrug, "Either way, unless I am mistaken there is no reason why Patrek should heed his case. They are one of the Charlton vassals and are quite a small House." Gathering up the rest of her flowers she gives a soft hiss of exasperation, "That his is the only House to have offered for me though is quite embarrassing. Please tease me not Kamron. He is a nice enough young man and I like to think he truly cares for me and so his feelings shouldn't be mocked."
Martyn nods a little bit as he listens now. "I'm not sure what I think of him yet," he offers, after a few moments of pause, sighing a little bit now. "I think we should speak more of this afterwards, sister." Going quiet again for a little while before he adds, "I just don't know what I think of him, or his house. Or their connection to the Charltons…"
Kamron bows his head at Muirenn's request of him, "My apologies, Lady Muirenn. I would not take offense, truly. You are young yet, and you have not travelled so widely that your beauty is well known. The offers will come, certainly. The matter isn't mine to offer guidance, but I would beg you to not set your heart on the first man to come along simply because he is the first. If you truly care for him, I'm sure that Lord Mallister will take that into consideration." He glances up at a knocking at the door and Percival's anxious face visible in the crack the squires opens in it. "Now, however, I believe that we should adjourn to join our Terrick friends and allies. As your brother said, there is time to speak later."
"No, my heart is not his. I think of him perhaps as a friend nothing else." Muirenn smiles as she rises and adds, "Your words ease my distress cousin, thank you!" Gratefully she moves and takes the violet from behind Kamron's ear and tucks it handsomely at the neck of his tunic. "There, a bit more distinguished." Her eyes twinkle and she moves to her brother's side, "Will you escort me, Martyn?"
Martyn gets up from his chair a bit slowly now, nodding a little bit as he hears that. "Of course," he replies, with a bit of a grin, moving to offer his arm to his sister.
