#caitria 001

[calculatedtwilight]

setting: the verdant concord, sabiha met caitria blackbar many years ago, and the two got on well enough to exchange letters over the years. caitria had sent sabiha a portrait of what she looked like now upon learning sabiha was traveling to westeros for an extended visit ; starter for @caitria-blackbar

the soft murmur of the crowd drifted through the air like a thousand whispers, the scent of blooming flowers mingling with the faint salt of the sea carried on the breeze. sabiha moved through the gathering with quiet grace, her eyes scanning the sea of faces, each one caught in the ebb and flow of the verdant concord. it was a place of promises, of intellectual exchange, and of hidden tensions. still, her mind was elsewhere, distracted by a puzzle she had long since set aside.

she moved closer to a small cluster near a stand of silver-flecked sculptures, her gaze landing on a woman whose portrait she could see clearly in her mind's eye just by look upon her face now. a flash of recognition flickered in her chest, but she hesitated.

sabiha paused just near the woman, standing still for a moment. the rustle of her skirts was nearly swallowed by the sounds of the festival, but the soft press of her pendant against her chest seemed to steady her.

"lady blackbar?" sabiha's voice was soft, measured, yet there was a quiet uncertainty that clung to the edges of the words. her eyes flickered over the woman's features, searching for confirmation in the curve of her cheek, the tilt of her chin. "caitria blackbar? i hope i haven’t mistaken you, but... it has been some time since we last saw one another face to face."

she straightened, her posture as composed, but the slight furrow in her brow betrayed her uncertainty. "though forgive me, if i am mistaken."

[pressedxpetals]

setting: at one of the family dinners in brightwater keep, keira is sat next to caitria ; @caitria-blackbar

the warm glow of the hearth flickered across the stone walls of brightwater keep’s dining hall, where the scent of roasting meats and fresh bread filled the air. keira sat at the familiar table, her hands wrapped gently around her goblet as she took in the scene before her. the clatter of plates and soft laughter drifted around her, but her attention was on caitria, seated beside her. though they weren’t bound by blood, their shared roots as clover folk made them family in a deeper, more meaningful sense. the bond between them had been forged in childhood, and keira had always found comfort in caitria’s lively, ambitious nature—traits that made her a force to be reckoned with in any room.

keira smiled, a touch shy, as she caught caitria’s animated expression in the glow of the firelight. she reached for her plate, her voice soft but warm. “i can’t recall the last time you weren’t the one leading the conversation.” her words carried a teasing edge, but her tone was affectionate. “it’s easy to get lost in your energy sometimes.”

there was no judgment in her words, only the quiet admiration that had always colored her view of caitria. keira had always been the quieter one, content to observe rather than engage. but caitria’s fire and determination had always drawn her in, a source of inspiration even when keira remained in the background.

“i’ve always wondered,” keira continued, leaning slightly forward, her voice dropping to a more thoughtful pitch, “whether you ever stop and think about where all this is leading you. i suppose I’m the opposite—i spend too much time in my own thoughts. but you… you always seem to know where you’re going.”