when you play the game of thrones you win or you die
Years have passed since King Tommen's reign over the Seven Kingdoms, and with those years things haven't changed. Much.
King Jon Hightower managed to regain the treasury from being in debt, that alone took many years. The Late King Tommen
was the last of his pure name, he left no heirs and married no woman. His brothers were struck down in a rebellion in
the Free Cities, his father had long passed.
So who gained the Iron Throne? Whose rightful place was to be seated in a thousand swords? No one knew, and no one still knows.
The High lords of Westeros meet each moon cycle to talk about things that have gone amiss in their Homelands, and to hear
the people of King's Landing. But how much longer will this go on? Time grows short for the Kingdom, for a storm is brewing.
Who will reign over the once mighty Kingdom?
Walking through the hallways, she kept her head down to not draw attention to herself. This afternoon was one of the rare times that she was not required and therefore she would have a moment of quiet to herself. Freya was able to wear her own clothes; though they were simple, they were much better than her service clothes. Her hair formed its natural waves past her shoulders. She did not wish to draw attention to herself because she did not wish to work this afternoon.
Being in service was difficult, but she had no other option since her mother and father had died of illness, she was left on her own with nothing but a bit of bread to her name. This was a way to make sure that she would live and continue to do so. The days were long and hard, there was very little sleep, but there was somewhere to stay, she had her own bed and that was what mattered and she received food.
A small smile rested upon her lips as she walked down the steps and into the courtyard. Looking around, it was nice to take it in and not to be working for once. Freya made her way over to a bench to just watch the hustle and bustle of the early afternoon. It was different seeing it from this part.
Finally one day off from the Vale, and Trystane was stuck in the smelly city of King's Landing. He didn't even know anyone to be able to go and visit with them, nor did he have any family that he could visit. It was quite lonely when he started to think about it. The knight hadn't donned his armor today, though he did have his sword belt around him for just in case. The Gold Cloaks were supposed to take care of the city and it's fairings, but Trystane was a little weary of the City Guard, since often it was heard that once before they would be paid for silence.
Being a knight wasn't all that great. It was all "Sers", and "M'lords."Simple things that he would have rarely had to bother with if he had became an apprentice blacksmith instead of becoming a squire. Tryst often wondered how different life would have been if he had just done that instead.
The warmth of the sun made his face tingle, making a smile spread across his face. Being back in the courtyard, the young knight could hears others at their sword play. Maybe I should practice... the thought vanished as soon as it came. The sun glinted off of a chest piece, causing Tryst to look away in another direction. The sight of a young woman sitting down caught his attention.
"Hello, my dear woman." A boyish grin spread across his face as he looked upon her face. She was a fair woman, in his eyes, she may still even have her maidenhead,
The day was bright and she took a deep breath watching people move around, just taking in everything that was surrounding her. These were the days she enjoyed and she hoped that one day she would be head maid, that would be an accomplishment for her, it would mean she would have a meaningful status of her own. Since Freya did not have anything of her own, she made sure that she worked hard every day, even though the days were long. It was then someone addressed her, she found herself looking up and a blush filling her cheeks and a shy smile appearing upon her face.
“Hello.” Freya spoke in a timid voice, biting upon her bottom lip completely in awe that someone was talking with her since normally she would be ignored. This was something new to her and she was not sure of how she should act. The life of a maid didn’t allow for much social interaction, this was out of her normal space. Taking a deep breath, as she attempted to calm herself down.
Once more drawing her gaze to his. “What can I do for you sir?” Freya was quite well spoken despite her lack of any rank and her lowly status. The attention was welcome to her; it was something new almost like an adventure. “It is a lovely day is it not?” She spoke the first thing, which had come to her mind. “Would you take a seat?” Freya moved along the bench making room for him to sit down.
Taking in his appearance she found herself liking the way he looked, he seemed to be... handsome.
That was the first time someone had tried to have a conversation with him that wasn't about getting wenches or battles. It took the knight by surprise, to say the least. "Aye, a fine day." he said staring onto her face. "Forgive me for not saying so, I am Ser Trystane Baelish," grinning, Trystane said,
[/b]"You can just call me Trystane, or Tryst."[/b]
Would you take a seat?"
The question sounded a little odd coming from the woman's mouth, but nevertheless Trystane sat down next to the woman. "Who might my lady be?" the words just kept spilling out of his mouth. Sighing, he out his hands behind his back on the bench, leaning with his head back. It was a nice day, a really nice day.
Although Trystane was only in his early twenties, he had had his fair share of women. Why did this one make him feel any different? She didn't look to be anyone of importance, she even looked to be a serving maid. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]
When he spoke his name, Freya gave a soft smile. “A pleasure to meet you Trystane.” She spoke softly nodding her head slightly in respect to him. “My name is Freya Callahan, but I find that Freya meets the situation.” She followed suit by allowing him to call her by her first name. She was surprised that she felt quite calm considering that she was talking to someone other than the other serving maids.
“I find that just sitting here is… relaxing, it is rare indeed that I have such time to myself.” Freya said though more to herself than anyone else. Looking down at how she was dressed, it was a simple dress in the shade of a brown colour, nothing special it just blended in with her hair and her eyes. It was all that she could afford but she had felt proud that she had bought it with her own money.
It was odd for her to appear a little more confident than her normal shy self, though it was evident that she was still timid. Once more, she looked up at Trystance. “What brings you to King’s Landing, I have not seen you around before.” Freya had always been curious about seeing new people, though she had only been there for a short while.
Freya. That's a nice name, for a pretty woman, Trystane thought. Trystane looked the young lady up and down, noticing her brown hair and brown eyes. She has a commonly face, too. The sun was at its highest and the warm rays made his brow sweat. He ran one of his hands through his hair, thoroughly ruffling it up. Nearly everyday he found himself messing his hair up three or four times a day. Most would say that that was not very proper for a knight.
“I find that just sitting here is… relaxing, it is rare indeed that I have such time to myself.”
[/b]
Trystane sat and pondered on that sentence. It seemed to him that nearly no one in King's Landing ever had a day to themselves. At least in the Vale there wasn't very much to do other than beat the other knights in sword practice, or go hunting. "It is a nice day, my lady. Though I have nearly everyday to myself. It gets quite boring." he said with a sigh.
“What brings you to King’s Landing, I have not seen you around before.”[/b]
Well now, this was true. This had been the first time he had seen the woman himself, or heard of her for that matter. "I am a Knight of the Vale, m'lady. House Baelish has always been under House Arryn." His great great grandfather had once rules the Eryie for a short period of time too, the one who was known as Littlefinger. He left that part out though, for Littlefinger didn't always have a nice reputation among the people.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]
It was not uncommon for her to work a long day without a break or very little eat, it was the way the food chain worked. Once more, she settled her gaze upon his, her eyes scanning his face briefly and saw that he had a somewhat rugged look about him, causing her to once more bite upon her bottom lip. Her own hair falling just below her shoulder though not tidy, as she would have liked it to be. Her hands played with her fingers as her shyness showed slightly more.
“I’m just a serving maid; I work hard to do my job.” Freya spoke, telling him of her role and not being much, just one of many nameless faces that work to keep the rich happy. Looking down at her feet for the briefest of moment before looking back up. “I believe then you are lucky sir to have such freedom, the things you must get to see out there, to have adventure.” Her eyes lit up for a moment, a true smile appearing upon her lips as she thought about all the adventures she had dreamt about going on. Her father has been a knight until he had been killed and her mother practically died of a broken heart leaving her on her own with nothing to her name.
Freya listened to him explain what he was. “I serve the House of Baratheon.” She spoke in reply to him. “I have done so for a little while, I am lucky to be fortunate to serve as I do.”
“I believe then you are lucky sir to have such freedom, the things you must get to see out there, to have adventure.”
That was true, Trystane had been very fortunate to have the freedoms that he had. Though it was so very dull, he felt as if he would die of boredom half the time. Nothing ever happened in the Vale, and this was the first time he had been chosen to come to King's Landing with the Lady Gracelin.
“I have done so for a little while, I am lucky to be fortunate to serve as I do.”
"Aye, my lady. I wish there were something for me to do, other than sit and beat the others to a pulp. Maybe got after a raid of bandits, or chase out the mountain men. But even they are not causing trouble for once in their lives. It has been rather dull, and even here it is rather dull." He was rambling on and on to the maid, but he didn't care. It was nice to finally have someone to talk to.
Freya listened to him, it was something she was good at and it was listening. She stayed silent tilting her head to the side considering him as Trystane talked. It was never worth getting herself in any form of trouble where she could risk being executed. Though her life may be difficult, she enjoyed life and often the things that it would throw at her. Everything happened for a reason to her and so her continued living must be for a reason. Right?
That was what she liked to think but only time would tell on that matter. “Maybe it is the calm before the storm, the gods could be granting you this time of peace before something happens…” Arianna spoke her thought to him freely, not entirely sure, of how he would receive her words, it was just a passing thought. “I am sorry if I spoke out of what I am allowed, I accept full responsibility if I have offended you.” She quickly said looking downwards towards her feet realising that she could quite have possibly spoke out of turn or for even speaking her thoughts.
Ser Trystane Baelish sat and listened to his words like they were his masters. Huh. The young man had never thought about it that way before, that it was just the calm before the storm. The gods must have something big in store for him then, if they're making him wait this long. Then again, most knights now days die from being to fat to defend their keeps.
The day was getting on for Trystane though, and he had places to be and people to see. "Well, my lady, I fear out time has come to part. I must get back to Lady Gracelin, for the council meeting should be ending soon..." honestly, the knight was a little sad to be leaving the maiden's side. Even of she were only a serving girl. Oh well, there are plenty more out in the Vale. he thought, before he did something irrational.
Nodding as he spoke that he had to leave, she understood he was an important man and had better places to be than talk to a serving girl. Freya was used to it and she tried not to let it get to her though she had been enjoying their talk even though it had been short. “I understand, I am sure you are needed else where.” A small smile on her face, this was her reality and had grown to accept it a long time ago.
“I hope that you have a bright day sir and that the gods smile upon you.” Freya bowed her head in respect to him, and then looked down at her hands, once again her nervous habit showing through. Perhaps she would go through the fields and have a long walk, or maybe watch the knight’s train; they would surely be something that could keep her occupied. Lifting her gaze upon him one last time.