“Indeed. It was fun because it was so… different.” Mariya said cheerfully before smiling and chuckling a bit.
It felt natural, speaking to him and walking with him. She very much enjoyed it and she enjoyed his company.
“Oh, I hope so my lord. I’m still trying to find my way around, so hopefully I will not accidentally get us lost.” Mariya replied sheepishly with a smile.
Upon hearing his question, she beamed. Delighted that he had asked she excitedly answered.
“Oh the gardens here are lovely but they have far more flower bushels than Goldengrove’s gardens. Our gardens have flower bushels too but we have a lot of trees. One of my favorite trees in the garden has golden flowers that grow near it. Near the garden is the river that the castle sits upon so you can imagine sitting there reading in peace and quiet under the safety of a tree with golden flowers around you as the sounds of rushing waters fill your ears. The garden here in Staerdale doesn’t have that, but it is still peaceful all the same.” She mused.
She giggled as she heard him speak, shaking her head.
“Oh no I’m sure it’s not. I’d love to read your two books, I’m sure I’ll enjoy them. You’re very welcome my lord.”
Mariya walked along with him into the gardens and gestured to a nearby stone bench where her servant stood with four books in her arms.
“Shall we sit?” Mariya asked before instructing for her servant to put the books down next to them before thanking her, the servant left after curtsying to the Lady of Goldengrove and the Lord of Godsgrace.
“Thankfully I didn’t have to reorganize my books after the fire, and even better none of them were damaged. After we look through each other’s books, I’d love to attempt to find the library with you. I haven’t managed to find it yet!” Mariya admitted with a laugh as she sat down.
In truth she hadn’t wanted to find it yet, for she had been struggling with going to The Sept and not going to The Sept so much so that she hadn’t thought of the library really, only her impending duties that she would have to fulfill in the near future in order to make her parents proud along with stepping into certain responsibilities of a lady that her sister once had.
“The Sept has taken up much of my time. Though I haven’t really been inside of it either. I’m tired of mourning, Trystane. But, I refuse to allow myself to be morose anymore, especially while you’re here. For your presence puts a smile on my face.” She paused briefly.
“That and sharing knowledge and a love for books with someone who understands you definitely puts a smile on my face. I am very glad that you’re here.” She said with a smile, the brief sadness in her eyes fading away as she gazed at him.
“Ah, I’m glad she has these in order. This one on top is the second book in the series.” Mariya said as she held the book up with glee before handing it to him.
he listened closely as she spoke of her home. while he knew little of flora, it having never been a subject he’d gravitated toward, trystane enjoyed hearing others speak of subjects they cared about. her words painted a clear picture of the scene, and he nodded; it did sound like a peaceful place. ❝ it reminds me of one of my favorite reading spot at godsgrace. ❞ some days he ventured outside the library or his study and sat beside one of the fountains in a quiet courtyard. ❝ i’m glad the gardens here are at least peaceful. otherwise, i’d never leave the library during our stay here. ❞ even still, he was unlikely to.
❝ i hope you will. ❞ he had thought carefully about the two he’d selected, considering the titles she’d mentioned reading in the past, both as a gauge of subjects that interested her and to make certain he didn’t suggest a book she’d already read, and then also subjects she’d mentioned wanting to learn about.
he nodded and sat down next to her. ❝ you haven’t? ❞ eyes widened slightly. ❝ then we must find it as soon as possible. ❞ he chuckled. perhaps the dragons wanted them all halfmad so his grace didn’t so close to falling into that category. however, mention of the sept made his expression sober. ❝ i understand. ❞ while he wouldn’t - couldn’t - say it out loud, he’d felt akin to a man in mourning at times during the past seven months. except the people he mourned still lived; it was the future he might have shared with them that was dead. ❝ i’m honored to be someone that brings you happiness, lady mariya. i hope you know i also enjoy your company and the conversations we share. ❞
attention drifted to the books, but his gentle smile remained. ❝ i look forward to reading them, ❞ he said as accepted them. however, he placed them to the side so he could take the two books he’d brought from his bag. ❝ one of them is an account of the author’s travels in essos. while it cannot match seeing the places yourself, it paints a good picture of the different regions beyond what the histories say. ❞