♛ ― 𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖

axel tully. lord prince of the riverlands " Let the kings of winter have their cold crypt under the earth. The Tullys drew their strength from the river, and it was to the river they returned when their lives had run their course " ( ironforgedrp )

[riverlcrd-blog]

minisa-m‌:

Minisa nodded, falling into step next to him. “We do always miss the air of home, don’t we?” Seven knew she had. Riverrun was far north of this place, though not so far above Maidenpool. It was, however, drier. It had taken her ages to grow accustomed to the water always around her, but not the sea. “Riverrun is by the water too,” she corrected, because rivers and thesea were nothing alike. “Maidenpool, as this city, is by the sea. And, yes, I much prefer it to here.” Maidenpool may be a smaller town, but it looked like a town should look—organised. Pretty. Pink. Like home. King’s Landing was just… too much. “You’ve traveled through the kingdoms, have you not? Have you ever been there?”

“That we do. For better or for worse.” Axel felt a small smile tug at the corners of his lips when he heard her speak of the city they were in. It seemed they shared the same opinion on one thing at least, home was always best. “I went through Maidenpool, but only shortly to get on a boat to the Vale. I’m afraid I didn’t get a chance to look around, apart from a quick stop to Jonquil’s Pool.” he trailed his steps up the from the harbour, “It was very refreshing.” he nodded and smiled to himself in agreement. “Once things calms down, I’d love for you to show me around. Be it just the keep or the city itself.” Whenever that would be, only time would tell. For now it seemed they were stuck in the capital for a little longer. “You’ve probably already gotten sick of Riverrun by now.”

[riverlcrd-blog]

minisa-m‌:

She raised an eyebrow, half turning to face him. “To find me?” That was even more unexpected. Well, he’d left her alone for long enough in the city—and at Riverrun, though she hadn’t particularly faulted him for it then—it was only right. “Bow practice?” As long as he didn’t want her to practice the bow. She wasn’t the one participating in the tourney, after all; she would just be audience. “I’d… like that.” She would. She’d spent little enough time with him, and while it wasn’t her priority, she did want to know her husband a little better than she did. “It’s a nice enough city. Do you like it much, here?”

Whether he liked it or not, Minisa was one of the few things in the city which reminded him of home, of Riverrun. He’d barely had the time or energy to seek her out, but the simple fact that she had been there was enough to give him a sense of normalcy. “Walk with me.” he nodded his head back towards the practice grounds close to the harbour. “I don’t mind the warmer weather- but I do miss the air of the Riverlands.” Was the politest way he could reply to that question. King’s Landing wasn’t for everyone. And not for him either. “Maidenpool is by the water as well, do you prefer it to this?”

[riverlcrd-blog]

minisa-m‌:

She hadn’t expected to hear a familiar voice, as she knew few in the capital, and those she did had been busy so far. Minisa looked to her side, blinking at her betrothed. “Prince Axel.” She cleared her throat and turned back to the waters, trying to come off as unfazed.

“It isn’t, that’s true enough.” Though little enough had happened since her arrival here. “But you’d think with this tournament planned, and half the kingdoms’ great lords here—Princes and Kings now… the quiet is eerie.” She shrugged. “What brings you to the harbour today? Some business?”

Finding her light surprise just a little amusing, Axel found a smile creeping on his lips. “Lady Minisa.” He politely greeted back and then looked back out over the sea just as she did. A side of him wished he’d have insisted she stayed back at Riverrun as they barely had any time together here anyway, and it would be safer for her there.

He nodded in agreement with her words. Perhaps she had a better understanding of this whole situation than he had given her credit for. Intriguing. “I came to find you- actually.” He turned back to face her with small smile still on his lips. “I was going to ask you if you wanted to join me for some bow practice before the tourney? I want to hear what you think of King’s Landing.”

[riverlcrd-blog]

minisa-m‌:

The pale sails of a Lysene cog fluttered in the wind, the only ship in the open waters for the moment. Minisa sighed, leaning an elbow on the parapet and watching the ship inch forward. It had been a long time since she’d looked out at the open sea, but it was no real attraction. The sea would always be there, you only had to ride far enough. But people… there was no lack of those in the city either, it seemed, and yet the streets and the waters looked empty.

“You’d think there’d be more ships in and out of the harbour.” She leaned her head on her elbow. “With all this talk of trade and alliances.” Not to mention the tournament.

The second he saw a chance to, Axel had snuck out, hoping no one would notice him. With his family members caught up in so many other affairs, he was the guy that the lords and ladies tried to find, should they need something from house Tully and he was getting tired of getting his ears talked off.

He figured it was the best moment to catch a bit of fresh air and a chance to speak with his, admittedly, neglected betrothed. “People must be weary of the tension in the capital.” he noted and stepped up next to her. “As they should. It’s not exactly peaceful here.”

[alyredwyne]

@riverlcrd

        it was to her great disappointment the word of the new festivities in kings landing only reached her once she was on sea – the redwyne men were fierce things on their great ships, but no matter how accustomed or loyal they were, there was little they could do in regards to weapon and armory forgery. said fact was a thing that often dampened her mood while on the way to the capital, actually; she was used to having her whims pampered, after all. she already had emeric’s gift ready, a true lavish thing from the reach, but cedric too was her brother, and his nameday approached – true, it was not so close, but enough so that something for a dashing knight of the reach would be the perfect gift.

so, once on land, she is quick to employ people to plan and prepare something for the tyrell prince. she devotes herself to it, tending to details and overseeing the craftsmanship of the gift herself; the smith might as well be tired of her daily appearances, but she did not care, and attended the meetings religiously.

“you must make sure to perfect the roses, sir.” she tirelessly reminds the man, only prying her eyes away from the intricate work when another patron comes into the shop. she made herself familiar with that, and, enthusiastic as she is, always greeted the people warmly; she steps aside, as of habit, allowing the other to make their requests to the owner of the shop.

but she knew this man. how could she not? she had spent more hours with him than she could ever count; his features would never slip from her memory. “good morrow, ax.” of course. family, duty, honour. family always came first for them. alysanne can not help but to wonder, had cedric knew of his presence when he mentioned the tullys to her? “have you come to prepare yourself for the tournament as well? i fear it may be a lost trip. i am certain cedric is going to unhorse you anyways, you know, just out of habit.” she can not pass on the jest, as if it was her duty to rekindle their amity whenever they met.

[riverlcrd-blog]

           the timing of the tourney seemed oddly placed to him. the tension in the capital seemed to have only increased since its announcement and he wasn’t quite sure what for, but as tradition called for, axel would be participating, though only in categories he was sure he had a chance of winning. he wasn’t about to make a fool of himself in front of every lord and lady under the sun as if he hadn’t already been doing that since he sat foot in the red keep.

self-deprecation aside, the reason he was in the capital wasn’t diplomatic as much as it was simply to assure his family’s safety. His family was lucky to be as well regarded as they were by most of the major houses, but that didn’t mean that having powerful friends didn’t come with having equally powerful enemies, as the recent kidnappings had very clearly shown. so perhaps upgrading his equipment for the tournament saved a different purpose than just an advantage in the games themselves, but also if any conflict should erupt. it never hurt to be prepared. having received word that part of his order had been finished, he swiftly made his way to the smithy. 

there were very few people outside his household in the riverlands that he could make out who were simply by their voice, but alysanne was one of them, so he immediately looked up at that familiar sound. “alys- what a surprise.” he flashed a short smile. it always seemed bittersweet to see her no matter how much time passed between each encounter.

“I’m picking up a new set of bracers as we speak, so yes, i shall be competing.” he greeted the smith with another smile before turning his attention back to the tyrell whose comment made him scoff with feigned offense. “i’m sure cedric could unhorse me, but for that very reason, i won’t be competing in the joust. i’m afraid you shall only have the pleasure of seeing me in the horse race, or with a bow in my hand. much to your dismay i can imagine.”

[riverlcrd-blog]

cedrictyrell‌:

cedric let out a loud scoff as axel addressed him by his title, waving his hand as though to dismiss the use of formalities.it was only because he was trying to get accustomed to the title; but also the fact he did not believe formalities and titles were needed with the tully. their houses had been close allies throughout history, and the somewhat strange friendship between their older brothers (who would want to be friends with emeric?) assured cedric to be comfortable around the presence of the man. “come now, you know i am utterly in awe to be in the presence of his grace axel tully himself.” 

“give it a few days. you will forget air without the stench of shit exists.” his eyes fell back on the doors of the great hall, the music and chatter still loud. cedric could not help but roll his eyes, turning back to axel, momentarily breaking his collected composure. “i ought to learn how to fall asleep with my eyes open; it isn’t like they let you get a word in anyway, they would have no idea.” 

he peered over at axel again, crossing his arms before his chest and leaning on a column. “i have heard your brother is hesitant to formally commit himself to an alliance with the reach. i will admit, i was surprised. what troubles him so?” 

the mix of obvious jest in the other’s voice coupled with the absurdity of hearing his own title spoken out loud like that made axel release a short laugh. it was a relief cedric was as comfortable as he was at least. it gave him a bit of breathing space among the many nobles and the otherwise thick tension in the capital as a whole.

“falling asleep with your eyes open do seem like an incredibly useful skill to have at court. should you ever uncover a hidden talent for doing just that, you’re obligated to teach me.” his tone continued to be light, of course. 

his eyes quickly fell to the floor beneath and his lips thinned into a line as he pressed them together, thinking carefully of the best way to phrase his answer. “i’m afraid i know very little of what goes on in my brother’s mind, but i have a feeling that entering alliances isn’t in the forefront of it.” he spoke while smiling diplomatically. it was all he could do right then and there after all. “perhaps it should be, but let’s not dwell on that. the bond between our houses remains strong, i don’t see why he would have any doubts.”

[riverlcrd-blog]

rhcena‌:

All Rhaena could do was nod in response. She also hoped that she would not find out, but she had started to lose faith in everything. Tate’s friendship with Lord Tyrell worried her, she was certain he would turn his back on her in the future, but for now they were still friends, he was still loyal and wanted to protect her. It had to be enough. She let out a mixed noise of irritation and a laugh, not directed at Axel, but because she could sympathise. “Oh yes, having a royal title definitely attracts attention,” the queen sighed. “Sometimes a gift, mostly a curse. You learn to smile and talk your way through it.” She had a lifetime of experience. “King’s Landing used to be a beautiful place, full of hustle and bustle, but also with corners of calm and beauty. I have a hard time finding the quiet and calm at this time.” Everything was chaos, she felt like a mess, everything had become so complicated and dark and sad. 

The queen felt sorry for Axel. Tate was a very skilled fighter, it must be hard being the little brother of someone like that. “I am sure you are great in your own way,” Rhaena encouraged with half a smile. “I will cheer you on.” In reality, she would not really be cheering, in fact, she hardly expected to be able to pay attention. “So will your sister. I bet you I will be able to hear her shout in the crowd.”

Axel couldn’t risk staying on the topic of the divided kingdoms too long. He might have not believed that separating from the Iron Throne was the correct solution, but he couldn’t undermine his father’s decision in any way. If anything, this was the very moment their family had to seem as undivided as possible. “I should ask you for some pointers on how to deal with that one day.” the tone of his voice remained playful, hoping not dwell on his words too long. The whole continent seemed to be in a state of chaos, and worst of all was here in King’s Landing for good reason. 

“Your optimism and kinds words warm my heart, your grace.” He didn’t necessarily look forward to the tournament, but it would be a nice change from the otherwise gloomy atmosphere of the capital currently. That, and he’d have a chance to not look a complete fool in front of everyone. Who didn’t like a little bit of showing off? “It will be nice with a bit of festivities. Hopefully it’ll stand to bring the realms a little closer to one another again.”

[riverlcrd-blog]

tatethetully‌:

“I constantly wonder what’s going through his head.” Tate said and shook his head. “Do you reckon the Tully’s are the only ones who aren’t please with their new titles? I think everyone else is enjoying their new status.” Yet he and his siblings were all visibly uncomfortable with the title of Prince or Princess. Then again, they weren’t the ambitious sort. They all simply wanted to do what was best for their family and people. Simply being the key word. Unlike the other kingdoms, the Riverlands was the most at risk for war. It bordered nearly every Kingdom and was already host to a plethora of battles over land. “We would be lost without her. She’s the best among us.” Tate said. It was no coincidence their baby sister reminded him so much of their mother. “By all means, ask away. I’ve gotten through the worst of it, I think.”

“Hey, it’s not all bad. He might be a- special kind of person, but our father isn’t stupid. Far from it.” Axel shook his head from side to side, trying to play the devils advocate at least for a little while. He’d be lying if there wasn’t a part of him that were uncomfortable with the change in status, but that didn’t mean he didn’t plan to take full advantage of it. As long as his land and family was safe, details didn’t matter. “If she’s the best, then I’m a close number two i’d reckon.” He confidently boasted, though obviously in jest until his tone and expression once again withered. “I’m-” he paused, trying his best to come up with the best phrasing he could but ended up just continuing. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.. first of all. I should’ve been here. Maybe then they wouldn’t have gotten to you.” he exhaled in a sigh. “Do we have any semblance of understanding on what actually happened? What do you know?”

[maurawrites]

[riverlcrd-blog]

hc + forbidden

       - axel didn’t necessarily like rules as a child. he would always give his parents, their septa and the maester a bad time whenever they tried to make him do things he didn’t want to. he’d sneak off to the library whenever he had the chance or he’d hide somewhere in the castle while everyone was frantically trying to locate the young lord, but he eventually realized that in order to fulfill his duty to his family and his house, there were certain rules he had to keep, or at least make sure it seemed like he kept them.

perhaps the one thing that he has indulged in which is very forbidden is his tendency to get a little too close to some men, though he does an exceptionally good job at hiding this particular habit of his from anyone, even his family. 

[riverlcrd-blog]

hc + bravery

        - the northern lord axel squired saying he wasn’t brave enough. he needed to take more chances, look for an opening, but his lack of skills with a sword just meant he would automatically always stay on the defensive. that didn’t stop the lord from pushing him every chance he got, and while he isn’t exactly sure when it shifted, he found himself doing as he was told. he would take more chances. that was ultimately what caused him to take the step and travel the seven kingdoms by himself. today, very few things scare the blonde tully. he still isn’t too fond of water, but should there be a conflict, he would charge in first thing. 

[riverlcrd-blog]

hc + family

       - all the tully siblings were practically spoon fed their words at a young age. family comes first, then duty, then honor and lastly, everything else. axel, despite never being incredibly close to either their mother nor father, took these words to heart. he grew incredibly protective of his younger siblings and equally as loyal to his older brother. he had read so many tales of honorable and legendary houses and how they got their glory. the tullys never had that. they might have been the lords of the trident and the riverlands for five hundred years, but many other families traced their lineage back much farther to identify with heroes. 

that was when a young axel decided that he would do whatever it took to give the tullys the same linage. an honorable and legendary house. perhaps that is one of the reasons he enjoys being a prince a little more than he probably should. the tullys finally have a royal history.

[riverlcrd-blog]

hc: death

         - axel never had much of a relationship to death growing up. he lived a sheltered and protective childhood, while still being able to freely roam the castle grounds. even with his sister as sick as she was as a kid, he would still never fear her death. he was deadly afraid of deep water as a young child, but not because he associated it with death, he just associated it with danger, or discomfort.

it wasn’t until recently that he really stopped and thought a moment. he had been in dangerous situations on his travels, but never anything life threatening, so when his mother fell ill and eventually died, he was stunned. he didn’t really know how to react at all, and seeing his mother so weak on her last days made him start to think twice about everything. he would slow down. life wouldn’t last forever, so it was about time to slow down so he could enjoy the rest of his life, however long that may be. safety of his loved ones comes above anything else now.

[riverlcrd-blog]

hc + water

        - when axel was a kid, he wandered away from caretakers, all the way down to the water gate beneath riverrun. he fell into the water, and being no older than six years, he was clearly struggling to stay afloat. minutes, which felt like hours to the young boy, would be spent flailing around, screaming for help until a passing guard heard his plea and helped him up from the cold water. after this, axel stayed as far away from water as possible. when his siblings and friends would play down by the rivers, he would stay back, find something else to do. he obviously hid his inherent fear of it, but even then, his father took notice.

no matter what they seemed to try, the young boy would stay as far away from the river and the water gate as possible. he would shake with nerves and fear when crossing the moat or if someone splashed water at him while he was bathing. it wasn’t until his father took him by the hand, and instead of forcing him to go into the water, they would sit by the shore and fish instead. slowly, he got over his fear, but even to this day, he has trouble being completely submerged in water, despite his accident being so long ago.

[riverlcrd-blog]

hc + fish

       - axel didn’t have a lot in common with his father. his subpar swordsmanship and lack of potential in fighting in general put somewhat of a gap between them when he was still young. one of the few things they had though was fishing as boring as it sounds. as a kid, due to an accident, axel was deadly afraid of the rivers, so as way to help his son get over his fear, theron tully started taking him to the river to fish whenever he had the time. he would teach axel about the different fish and what defined them. they’d talk about everything, then about nothing at all. looking back it’s definitely one of the fondest memory the tully prince remembers. even as he grew older, they would still occasionally find time to fish.

[riverlcrd-blog]

eleanor-tully‌:

“Do not apologize. I was one of the lucky ones. I fear Tate thinks that he is healthier than he is. I do not want him to loose his hand due to him wanting to prove his just fine.” She often had opinions on her brothers thinking they were better at something than they were. It was part of the reason why her council was valued by her brothers. “I do not know if there was anything that anyone could do.” 

Her put her hand on his arm, giving him a squeeze. “I do not know who to trust either. I know some people will always be on our side. Or at least honest with their intentions. I hope I will be able to stay here and make sure that the Riverlands do not fall prey to anyone who would want to take advantage of it.”

Axel turned his head to sneakily scan their surroundings, making sure they weren’t being eavesdropped on, but then again, could you ever be sure that the walls weren’t listening in on your conversation in these gardens? “Still, I already feel much better now that I’m here, by your side.” he felt another reassuring smile tug at his lips.

“Is there anything I need to know, Ellie? Do we know who did this in the first place?” he scrunched up his nose, knowing he was grasping at straws and that his sister obviously wouldn’t lie to him. He knew her better than that. “Are you sure you should stay here, though? It’s not safe. No one could touch you back in Riverrun.” His plea was probably in vain, but he at least had to try once to dissuade her from staying. “I’m speaking nonsense, am I not?”

[starlvrd]