Lady Alyana Vivenne Baratheon (hersisthefury) wrote in awod, @ 2010-07-23 05:49:00 |
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Entry tags: | alyana baratheon, chapter 2, myrwin martell |
A Snake and a Viper
Who: Myrwin, Alyana
Where: His champers
When: Aug 19th, Afternoon
Rating: PG
Status: Closed/Log/Completed
Alyana sat next to the sleeping Dornish Prince. At least she assumed he was sleeping, he might well be drugged, she hadn’t asked when she had insisted on a visit. Attempting to have his life ended, even knowing it wouldn’t succeed, hadn’t been anything personal, after all. It had simply been a means to an end. She had nothing against Myrwin personally.
Which was why she did visit. Maybe this time he would actually wake up. He didn’t spend all of his time sleeping, from what she heard, but pain killers were hardly easy on the body despite the relief they granted.
The maesters had concocted some truly evil substances to try to help Prince Myrwin manage the pain of his injury. Some of them he tolerated fairly well. Others he did not. He was thick in a chemical fog, feeling like his entire body had been wrapped in a wet wool blanket. He felt very little pain, which was a blessing, but he also couldn’t do much of anything else.
He was dimly aware of someone nearby and he fought like hell to shake off enough of the fog to be able to ascertain who it was.
Alyana looked up from the book and put it down for a moment, using her finger to mark her place, “Oh, are you waking up?” she asked, wondering if there’d be any sort of vocal response or if this was just him stirring, “I hope so. Whatever they’ve fed you has to be wearing off a bit by now.”
Myrwin made an incoherent noise and tried to struggle himself into an upright position. Whoever his guest was, his guards had obviously vetted her, so ... it hurt to think, so he decided to do as little of that as he could.
Alyana didn’t even have to make any gestures at the servants for pillows and to get him settled sitting up. A witless man could sit up though, and she wanted to see if there was anything in there that was recognizable as the Dornish prince for various reasons. One of the simple ones being it would change and alter plans. There were other, more complicated reasons as well, but those were hardly important in the grand scheme of things.
“Can you understand me?” she asked, hearing was obvious. Understanding was something else.
“Bloody fuck, woman.” he growled, then reached over for the waterskin that was usually at his bedside. He drank deeply from it, water spilling over and running down his face and chest, and he did not stop until the bag was empty.
“What a pleasant way to greet someone,” Alyana said, “I’ll take that as a yes,” she said, letting him drink. Whatever it was they gave him may have made him thirsty.
“Right. Whoever let you in is going to be flogged.” he said, leaning back and closing his eyes against the pain. “Is there something you needed?” he asked, being dreadfully rude but in reality being in too much pain to really give a shit.
“Now, there’s no need to be rude. Or uncivil. I think I intimidated the poor man. Rather unladylike of me, I know, but I wanted to see how you were doing and wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Alyana said easily.
“Good days and bad days.” he admitted, fully-knowing that this woman had hardened into something of a snake. A far take from her early years, as he remembered with something of a grin. “Shall I go find a tree so we can be re-introduced properly?” he jested weakly.
“I’m afraid there’s very few trees in here, milord, and I don’t know if you could make the walk outside right now. Or could you?” she asked, looking him over, “It was a very nasty injury from what I’ve heard.”
“Keep mentioning it and I’ll let you experience it firsthand.” he growled, finally getting himself fully upright without feeling like his head was going to explode. “You’ll have to forgive me, the camel-piss the maesters have me trying out does horrible things to me.” he admitted.
“It doesn’t sound as if it would be pleasant at all,” Alyana said, “If you like we can send you one of ours, perhaps they’ll have something that tastes less vile and does a better job.”
“If there was such a thing, I would be using it.” he said. “But send the man over anyway.” he added. His head throbbed in time with his heartbeat, which was never a good sign, but at least today he could see and think reasonably clearly.
“Perhaps they simply haven’t found it yet,” Alyana pointed out, “I will send him by. It’s good to see you’re still able to converse. There were rumors, and I was wondering.”
“I’m not dead yet.” he said irritably. “I still rule Dorne.” he added.
In a purely technical sense, Alyana supposed he did. But there was still no telling if he would be the man he was, and there were rumors filtering in from Summerhall that the King was sending his mother home. In that situation, you had to wonder if Myrwin would be ruling anything more than his bedroom anytime in the near future.
“I’ve heard there was quite a close call on the first one,” Alyana said, “To think, they tried twice.”
“What can I say? I’m a popular man.” he jested. He had some of his men looking into the attempt on his life, but so far with little success. His men were soldiers, not thief-takers, not investigators. And to bring one up from Dorne would take weeks, if not months. It was going to be one of those irritating things that he was just going to have to live with.
“Well,” Alyana said, “You have always been that,” she said with a smile. A different sort of popular was what she was speaking of, but it boiled down to about the same thing. Besides, she was very much aware of who had ordered the second attempt on his life, and glad that it had worked the way it was supposed to. Toppling the Lannisters was going to take time, however.
“Everyone wants a piece of me.” he said with a weak grin. “I don’t suppose you know anything of it, and have just come to gloat?” he asked.
“I have my suspicions,” Alyana said, “Nothing I can prove of course and I have already taken my concerns to the crown.”
“I’m listening.” he said flatly.
“Now, now,” Alyana said easily, “I’ve already taken these to the crown. Surely you trust your nephew’s judgement more than you do mine.”
He was about to tell her exactly what he thought of his retarded nephew, but then bit it back. “My brother-King, my nephew, is young. Inexperienced.” he pointed out. “He is not wise in statecraft.”
Not that he was, but he had more exposure to it than Jaer did.
“Hopefully he’ll have a great deal of time to learn,” Alyana said, “I don’t want to tell you anything that could worsen your condition however. But, if you really do insist...”
Myrwin bit his tongue and waited patiently. Woman like this, secrets were her stock-in-trade and she couldn’t help but lord them over people. He had to wonder whatever had happened to the bookish girl he’d tumbled at that long-ago tourney.
The bookish girl had grown up, mostly out of necessity. Alyana’s Lord Husband was hardly able to handle any sort of responsibility like this and someone had to look out for his best interests and that of his family. And that of her children.
“Though I am not sure if I entirely believe this, apparently there was enough evidence of the Lion’s involvement that it forced his eldest son to take up the white. No real loss there, the boy was an idiot, but one does have to wonder at all the interesting things that happen when Lord Tyrith is conveniently far away.”
“Because Lord Tyrith is not an idiot.” he grumbled. “If his House is up to something underhanded, why should he stand there to take the splashback if it fails?” he asked. “Distancing himself only makes sense.” he mused.
“No, he is not. He’s very dangerous,” Alyana said seriously, “And it’s amazing all those little things that happen when he isn’t around, or that were supposedly his ‘job.’” Alyana would have cut off her own arm happily if she could find a way to tie the Lannister lord to the late king’s demise. But that would simply be too good to be true, “Apparently there was truth enough to my concerns that a deal had to be struck, so I wonder...”
“We can wonder all day long, woman.” he grumbled. “It’s pointless without proof, and the Lion stands high right now.” he said. He’d almost considered the hand of one of Tyrith’s daughters, which would strengthen Dorne and give them a mighty ally.
“Which is why I wasn’t sure about troubling you with my concerns. They are only that without proof, concerns. Of course, you and I have something of a past, so maybe you can say I felt compelled,” Alyana said with a slight shrug.
“So you do remember that tourney.” he said with a faintly embarrassed look. “I’m surprised. I didn’t think that fit in with your recasting yourself, harder and stronger.” he pointed out.
“It would be a hard thing to forget,” Alyana said with a slight smile, “And I have to admit, there are still times I wonder what life would have had in store for me had I not had to take the reigns of everything myself. While I am most fond of my Lord Husband now, he really does demand a good deal of looking after.”
“I’ll bet he does.” Myrwin said, beginning to realize in truth just how much this woman had changed. “I’ll just bet you look after him with a heart full to bursting with love.”
“Oh yes, well, no, actually that would be more for my children. But I no longer despise him the way I did when I was a but a girl,” Alyana admitted, “And so I look after him fondly.” Someone had to keep Storm’s End from getting run into the ground or stolen out beneath him. And Cedric would cut such a dashing figure on a throne, but Myrwin didn’t need to know that.
Myrwin chuckled. This woman sought to play the Game of Thrones, using her husband as a proxy. That was becoming more and more plain the more she talked, the fervor in her voice. “And how are your children, hrm?” he asked politely.
If this woman got too aggressive, he could always arrange to have the heads of her children delivered to her in a bloody great sack. Should get the point across quite nicely.
“Ember was ill for awhile, it was why we didn’t go to Summerhall, oh, she’s my youngest,” Alyana added the last almost as an after thought, “The poor thing is feeling as if we trapped her here, but my husband refuses to let her travel if he thinks she’ll catch so much as a cough from the dust. In truth, both those girls need husbands badly, though not you, so don’t worry.” The younger Lannister boy was still a very acceptable target. It would get her eyes in that house. Something she sorely needed.
Myrwin rolled his eyes. He’d never truly considered it, mostly because of a reflexive hatred in Dorne for the Marcher lords. Of which her husband was one. If he brought home a Stag as a wife, he’d undoubtedly be assassinated in short order.
“Well then.” he said with amusement.
“As for my sons, they’re quite busy doing whatever it is young boys do,” Alyana said smoothly. Which, despite what her oldest liked to THINK wasn’t nearly the secret he thought it was. “Hopefully by the time I’m done visiting they’ll not have burned anything down.”
“Boys will be boys.” Myrwin agreed diplomatically. Maybe he wouldn’t have her daughters killed - after all, Ember was a great deal of fun, if completely brainless - but her sons. Deny her House an heir and a mighty blow would have been struck. Especially if she herself were too old to bear another son.
A delicious possibility.
There was something going on in that brain of his, Alyana knew. Both good and bad. She enjoyed, sometimes, having someone to pit herself against of equal mental footing. Something her husband would never be, but at the same time it made him dangerous. Of course, in his present state all it took was someone to mix the medication wrong...
“Indeed, but they have their moments. Perhaps you’ll see when you have children, if you marry,” Alyana said simply, “Though it’s different for fathers, obviously.” Children that were born in wedlock anyway. He had quite a few outside.
Myrwin chuckled. “Pray the day comes soon.” he said with a chuckle. Yes, the old bat was up to something. Probably playing the game the only way she knew how - by proxy.
Westeros, he decided for the thousandth time, really wasted their women.
“I would, but I don’t think it would please my husband much,” Alyana said with a chuckle, “However, what he doesn’t know, and there will always be plenty of that, won’t hurt him.”
“How outre of you. You could almost be Dornish.” he said with a viper’s smile so reminiscent of his famous ancestor. He slowly got out of bed and threw a dressing-robe on over his smallclothes. “I’d ask you to join me for a meal, but I’m absolutely disgusting right now and not fit company for a public place.” he said, gesturing to a servant in a very specific way.
“We all have our flaws,” Alyana said, properly looking away when he stood up, and not bothering to clarify whose flaws the statement was directed at, “I’ll leave you to your day then. I do hope to see you up and around more. This place has become so frightfully dull.”
“So we do.” he said fairly quietly. “We should have tea sometime when I’m more presentable.” he said carefully. This was a viper to be kept close, but not too close. Vipers tended to bite. “It was lovely having this little chat with you.” he said, reaching over with an unsteady hand to gently caress the side of her cheek. “You’ll have to arrange for a more extended visit next time. There’s so much to get caught up on.” he said with a smile that could have meant anything at all.
“We’ll see,” Alyana said smoothly, standing up. It wasn’t an answer one way or another simply because she had no intention of doing anything stupid, foolish or short sighted. There was too much at stake, “It will all depend on my family, of course. I’ll be sending our Maester by later to see after you then?”
“I’m looking forward to chatting with him.” he promised as he stood up slowly, painfully. “Allow me to see you out?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you anymore than I already have with my visit,” Alyana stated. Besides, no matter how obviously still dressed she was, if he showed her out in nothing more than that, people would be spreading rumors. Which would be more than a little annoying, as she didn’t take any pleasure in killing rumormongers.
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all.” he said with a grin and a wink. “In fact, I insist. To do otherwise would be the very heights of rudeness.” he said with a typical Myrwin grin, and he actually managed a shallow bow in her direction. “Shall we?” he said, offering her his arm.
“Well then, if you insist,” she said, taking the offered arm with the most distance that she could without having it looked forced, there was nothing about her appearance that wasn’t chaste, “It’s so very kind of you to offer.”
“Think nothing of it.” he said with a smile. And despite his apparent infirmity he barely put any weight at all on her arm. Also, he had arms like steel cables, even more so now than he did back in his youth. He took his sweet time walking her to the entrance to his suite. “Well have to do this again sometime.” he told her, disengaging himself from her once they were both in the hall. “Good day, Lady.” he said with another bow. And that was about all he had left in him - doing that again would likely lead to him spewing his guts all over her slippers.
“Good day, Prince Myrwin, and trust me, nothing shall be all I will ever think of us,” she said with an easy curtsy before starting down the hall. That had been a much better assessment than just relying on her spies, but it was hardly one that put her at ease. It would be better if he were a drooling invalid, but too suspicious for it to happen right away.
Pity.