Araela did the only thing she could to to give some strenght to her friend, for she knew that if she had another choice, Nym would take it in a heartbeat. She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her, squeezing her against her body. “I wish that you were free to follow your heart, Nym, but women must make the best of her circumstances in this world. Yes, you didn’t want to be the Lady of Raventree Hall, but you’ve done a great job so fat and there’s a lot of things you can do to improve your people’s living conditions and keep them safe. Not just your people, but your family as well, your sisters, and I’m sure they appreciate your efforts”
The Lady of Goldengrove still kept the letters that Nymeria had sent her after and confided in a young Araela how she wished her mother had given birth to a healthy son. There was a great difference, between then and that somehow made them to keep a close frienship. Araela would have been devastated and furious if a brother had been born to her mother before she died, and Nym wanted with all her hear that she could have one to take the burder of ruling away from her shoulders. How strange life was. One girl wanted a brother and the other didn’t.
It also seemed like this business od marriage was the same for Nym as it was for her. Well, not as often as her council members asked, but it was still a delicate and important subject on top of the table. “Well, remember that House Bracken has Blackwood blood running through their veins and the same with the Blackwoods,” she let go of her and took her arm to continue walking. “You have to be careful because if I remember me history lessons correctly, there has been a marriage between Blackwoods and Brackens to make peace between botth Houses.” Araela smiled. “Maybe your destiny is to get married with someone from that House.But Nym, talking seriously, if you do get married, will you accept the man your people choose for you or you’re going to make an arrangement like mine? You’re the Lady and the Head of your House so you could do something like that so those fools can stop bothering you all the time. It worked for me, why wouldn’t it work for you?”
Not even one year after she took control of Goldengrove, Araela began to assist council meeting wehre the only subject was the one of marriage. The old fools suggested Lord from the Reach, the Crownlands, Dorne, the Westerlands, and a few from the North, but Araela was firm in her decision, one that surprised them all. She was going to get married when the time was right, there was on question of that, buy she would be the one to chose her husband. She would marry for love, and her marriage will not be an arranged one like the one her parents had. “You could marry the men you want to, Nym, or you could enjoy having a lover first, whatever you want, my dear,” Araela poked her friend on the ribs. “Or, if that doesn’t work, you can come to live with me to Goldengrove and become my Maester! I’m sure it would be quite the scandal to have a but I never care about such things.”Araela then gasped and stared at her. “Once we leave this place, why don’t you come back to Goldengrove with me? Brings your sisters if you want, it could be just like old times, please, Nym!”
the embrace was welcome only in a small circle of people. despite their familiarity and longtime kinship, nymeria still stiffened briefly in the unpredicted show of affection. finally exhaling despite the tight grip, she relaxed into the embrace and patted araela softly on her back. “i am not insecure about my abilities, rae, but rather that my heart is not in them. i have no doubt of my own capabilities regarding rule.”
nymeria frowned, wishing she had the same interests as her dear friend. softly, she pulled back, brushing her hair out of her face and letting out a small sigh. “it’s just that i don’t enjoy it; i don’t care for it. there is so much self-aggrandizing and networking. things take forever to be done and rarely is the outcome observable.” it was such a difference from healing. bonesetting and treating ailments had a tangible satisfaction. smallfolk said what they meant and there was little and less mindgames among them.
“aye, araela, i know the history of my own house.” she rolled her eyes playfully. “feuds like that cannot be solved by simple, fragile alliances alone. they always restart over some small thing or another. old wounds do not disappear with deft stitching, yet they leave scars to remind them. peace is so tentative and while i bear no ill will, who is to say that whomever follows me in my seat will not find some petty slight of their own.”
nymeria bristled at the continued talk of such unions. in some ways, she could not help but be a prodigal, insolent child--so concerned with her own interests that she often could not perfectly place the fate of her house--her family legacy--above her own selfish desires, which bit at her like small river fish on the corpse of a drowned man.
“an arrangement like yours?” she wasn’t entirely sure what she meant, but she waved away the comments of the fools. “they are but old hens, clucking harmlessly to hear themselves talk. they have little and less better to do--” though certainly that had changed now. “--and they think i would be happier wed, save maester henly. their nagging is but that of a mother eager for grandchildren and nothing more.” it had been a long time since the girls of house blackwood were toddling babes. she wondered if time had softened her councilmen, sending them yearning for the sweet joy of children playing in the courtyard.
“i know i could take a husband or a lover should i choose.” she smiled gently, chuckling at the eager friendliness. “my options are not elusive to me, but i much prefer my solitude and independence. there is little else as sweet as my own company and i cannot interrupt it with stalwart companionship unless it is certain to bring me more joy than i can bring myself.” so far, no one had and, despite her desire to aid the smallfolk, she did find herself so often to prefer her own company. “besides,” she smiled warmly, “i cannot be a maester, not truly. the citadel would never suffer a woman among them no more than i would suffer to tolerate life among them.” in addition, nymeria was much more interested in the ailments befalling the commoner than the lord. penultimate among her interests was the battlefield, though thoughts of it could make the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand to hear men tell of it.
nymeria pondered her lady friend’s invitation, chewing the inside of her lower lip delicately. “i suppose i could, but i would first need to return home and address the tragedies the houses have been forced to bear while in my absence. no doubt they will want to hear it from their own lady, but after stability is returned, it would be nice to make a visit.”