| The Hearts of Eagles |
| Summary: | Kamron and Martyn discuss women and the future. |
| Date: | 19/06/2012 |
| Related Logs: | None in particular. |
| Players: |
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| Mallister Pavilions, Seagard |
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| It's a tent! Purple and grey, in the middle of a bunch of other purple and grey tents. |
| 19 June, 289 |
Morning at a tournament brings rituals of all types. With no major passes at arms planned for the day, Kamron sits outside his tent, sprawled there in a camp chair in shirtsleeves. His squire hovers over him, focused very, very, very hard on shaving the Mallister knight and not nicking him. Thus far, it seems to be working, and they're almost done, just a bit of soap left under the left side of Kamron's jawline.
Rituals of all sorts seems to be the way things are at places like this. And for some, those include long morning walks, like what Martyn's done now. Returning to the campsite, he heads for his tent at first, but pauses as he sees Kamron. He comes to a stop, watching the other Mallister knight and the squire for the moment, but doesn't approach them so far. After all, he should not disturb when the squire is so focused, because that could be bad.
Kamron's eyes flicker over to his cousin, but he doesn't say anything, just tilting his head over a little to bare his throat. Percy stretches the skin, scrapes the straight razor along, brings it up off his knight's skin, and then breathes out a sigh of relief. Kamron chuckles softly, rubbing his hands over his jaw and neck, then nods, "Good job, Percy." Picking up a bit of toweling thrown over his shoulder, he adds, "Morning, coz." Percival looks over his shoulder at the other Mallister, squeaking once and dropping the straight-razor in surprise. Probably for the best that Martyn didn't say anything before.
"Morning, cousin," Martyn offers after a few moments of pause, unble to hold back a half-smile as he sees Percy's reaction. "Percival. Good thing you didn't have that reaction earlier." Heading the rest of the way over to the two now. "Got some time, cousin? I could need a bit of advice about something."
Kamron towels off his neck and face as Percy collects the razor again, blushing brightly and stammering, "Y-yesser." Kamron levers himself out of the camp chair, clapping the squire on the shoulder and telling him, "Why don't you get us all something to eat, Percy?" Looking to his cousin, he gestures into the pavilion behind him, "Want to come on in? Not too hot yet." Indeed, the deep purple tent must be hellishly hot in the later afternoon, but this early, it's still pleasant. Picking up his chair, he starts to carry it into the tent, "You did Seagard proud yesterday, coz. That was some fine jousting." There's a bit of a smirk that finds its way across his lips, "And you even got to drop Ser Kittridge on his ass too."
Martyn pauses for a few moments as he considers the tent. Looking around for a few moments, he nods a little. "Probably a bit better inside, yes," he offers after a few moments pause. Unable to hold back a bit of a smile at the mention of yesterday. "Was a close call in the first pass, though. But I'm glad I was able to give Ser Kittridge a little fall there. Not to speak negatively of the man, but he probably needs one of those every now and then." A momentary grimace, "And it was good to manage to redeem myself after the first day of jousting." Another brief pause, "How was the event from the stands?""
Kamron follows his cousin into the pavilion, setting up his chair again and gesturing toward another for Martyn. "Quite exciting, really. Lady Katrin and Lady Rosanna had a less-than-merry war between them. Oh, and the tilting was quite entertaining too." He settles down into the chair and crosses his left leg over his right, "So. You wanted advice on something?" A soft chuckle rises from his lips, "Or do you want to work it through out loud yourself while I just listen?"
At the mention of the less-than-merry-war between the two ladies, Martyn blinks a little bit. "They had? About what?" he asks, before he shrugs a little bit. "Yes, advice. I was wondering what you would say if you were trying to convince Lord Patrek of the wisdom of requesting a betroathal between… Let's say an as of yet unnamed member of the house and a lady of House Haigh, for example…" Yes, using general terms seems the best for something like this, doesn't it?
Kamron shakes his head slightly, "I don't actually remember what started it. You and Ser Kittridge, I believe. Or perhaps the two ladies simply do not care for one another's company." The generic terms, however, cause him to chuckle again and shake his head, "You mean between yourself and Lady Katrin? Lord Mallister might want to enjoy his new betrothed's company before he sends out another betrothal notice." he lets that sit for only a moment, then adds in, "What drew you to Lady Katrin?"
Martyn looks around for a few moments, as if checking there's nobody listening in or something. "It's that obvious, is it?" he offers after a few moments of pause. Considering that last question for a very brief moments, he shrugs a little bit. "Well, one of the first things that drew me towards her, after our first few meetings, was the fact that she's an intelligent woman, and didn't try to hide that fact." A brief pause, before he asks a different question. "Would you say that I've changed after the War on the Islands, cousin?" Sounding very serious at both the explanation, or start of one, anyway, and at the question, studying the other man rather carefully as he waits for the answer to the question.
Kamron shrugs helplessly at the first question, "Not obvious, no. A matter of glances and smiles." He doesn't comment on the description of the Haigh lady, but the question that follows causes a long, silent pause. Eventaully, he nods, "During. I'd say the change happened at the Grey Gardens. You've been quieter. More introverted. You spend more time sitting and thinking, and I have no idea what you're thinking about when you do it. Does anyone?"
Nodding a little at Kamron's words about him. "I don't know if anyone knows what I'm thinking of, no. And I don't know why, perhaps it was being so close to death that did something to me." A sigh, before he adds, "It feels like I've been bottling up things, both good and bad…" He shrugs a little, before he adds, "But back to Lady Katrin. As I got to know her better, she managed to get me to open up a bit more." A brief pause as he holds up a hand, as if stopping an interruption that he thinks might be coming. "And I know I should be careful about that. But I also know that she's never done anything to betray my trust in her…"
Kamron bounces his left foot a little as he thinks, "You know me, I'm not so good at bottling things up." He draws in a breath, then lets it out again, "What about her display with the sleeveless Nayland at The Twins?" His voice doesn't carry disdain or judgment, just curiosity and perhaps a little wariness. "She caused almost as many rumors as he did that night. Is that someone you want to link your family — our family — to, coz?"
"If I didn't know her better than the rumors," Martyn begins after a few moments. "Then I would have answered that question with a no, I suppose. But the fact is, I know her better than the rumors now, so I'm less hesistant." Looking around for a few moments, then back to Kamron. "But if there's anybody who could understand that there are things that I'd value more in people than what the rumors say about them, I would think that would be you?" A brief pause, before he adds, "Everyone makes at least what others would percieve as one mistake, right?" He pauses for a few moments again. "As for that Nayland, she told me that her family had let her know that there can't be anything there." Going silent again now.
Kamron shrugs acceptance of his cousin's rejoinder, "Then the question is, does she want something to happen? And is she going to to make something happen no matter what match her family makes? Because Eagles don't grow horns." Okay, that might be a little harsh, and Kamron shakes his head in apology, "Sorry. But I want you to be happy in any match, especially if you ask for the match yourself." A faint smile touches his lips then, "When you see her, what runs through your mind?"
Martyn shakes his head after a few moments. "I don't think she wants anything to happen. She might have wanted it until getting that messge from her family, but not anymore, I believe." He pauses a little at that last question. "One of the first thoughts that go trough my mind each time I see her is that if I had her by my side that would be a big part in making me a far better man than I could ever hope to be without her." Another brief pause as he studies Kamron again now. "And you, cousin? Think you'll ever be cured from that fear of marriage?"
Kamron nods at the first statement, then shakes his head, chuckling softly at the response he gets to his more important question, "Well, that's a very honorable response. Perhaps something more… passionate… will develop in time." His smile quirks up at one corner at the return question, "Maybe sometime. Who knows what can change the mind of a man." And if his smile weren't growing as he speaks, it might even be expected that he wasn't hiding something.
"The passion is there, cousin. It's getting that to show more often than not that is the challenge for me," Martyn replies, before he shakes his head a little bit as he sees the smile at his question, but he doesn't make a comment now. "I'm still not sure what I should point out as good reasons for making me a match like this, though. Aside from the fact that it would make me a very happy man." A brief pause, before he adds, "And that it never would hurt to have a connection to other houses in the region, even though they have closer ties to the Twins, I suppose. The current mess in Stonebridge proves that, I'd say." A brief pause, before he adds, "And ties to a house that gets much of their revenue from agriculture is never a bad thing either, right? Especially not the way things are lately." A brief pause, before he looks back to the other Mallister. "Does any of that make sense, or am I just rambling now?"
Kamron chuckles softly, "You might want to give Lord Mallister a few more ideas than 'because it'll make me happy,' coz, just so that he knows that you're thinking with your head rather than your heart." He shrugs a little helplessly then, "Rambling a bit, but no more than is to be expected." His grin twists up at one corner again, "You never know, if the Charltons and Naylands go to war, the Haighs may want out from under the Frey thumb." He chortles then, "Especially if you make Lady Katrin as happy as she seems to make you."
"I know. I just need to find the right good reasons, cousin," Martyn replies after a few moments of pause. Nodding a little bit now, "If they go to war, it'll probably open the eyes of the Haighs, and possibly others as well, yes." That oart about making the lady in question happy makes his cheeks turn a faint bit of red for a few moments, before he offers a bit of a smile. "I have a feeling she would be rather happy as well, cousin," he offers, before he sighs a little bit. "Thank you for the talk. I should take a walk and think for a while." Wait, didn't he do that earlier this morning as well?
Kamron rises himself, chortling at the blush and reaching out to clap his cousin on the shoulder, "Well, don't think too long. You'll have to act some time if you want to win the fair lady's hand. The sooner the better, probably." Then he laughs again, his grin getting distinctly mischievous, "Just don't act enough to make her too happy before your wedding, or else you might get we Mallisters in a bit of trouble."
Martyn nods a little, "The sooner the better, yes," he replies. Pausing for a few moments at that mischevious grin and the comment, and he aims a quick punch for his cousin's shoulder, although it's just a light one. "I'll keep that in mind, cousin," he replies with a bit of a grin, and that color returning to his cheeks. "Thanks," he adds once more, before he makes his way out of the tent now.
