#crowns:st

[starksblood]

𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏  ,  𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐀𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄  ;  nonetheless  ,  rowena finds herself at a moment of solace  ,  the first ever since her arrival in the capital  .  the gardens are quiet  ,  though they’re in full bloom  ,  bright  &  thriving  ,  a myriad of colorful blossoms and plants far taller than she  .  the soft  ,  content panting of her companion beside her brings a smile to her lips  ,  free hand stroking over the dog’s head  ,  fingers crooking to scratch lovingly behind crow’s ears  .  the dog has been her constant companion since she was seventeen  ,  having begged her parents to keep the mutt until her eyes were full of tears  .  ever since that time  ,  they had been one  :  wherever rowena was  ,  crow was surely to be found  .  king’s landing would not change that fact  .  rowena paces over to a bubbling fountain to perch delicately on the edge  ,  lithe fingers dipping into the cool water  ,  brushing against a lily that floats on the surface  .  it is nice  ,  finding a moment of serenity  ,  even here.

the moment crumbles as soon as crow bristles  ,  a growl rising in her throat at casual footsteps  ,  and rowena stiffens much the same as she turns to glimpse whoever has drawn crow’s alarm as they come around the tall hedges  .  “  it’s alright  ,  hush now  .  ”  she pats the canine again in slow  ,  soothing strokes of her hand  ,  though her gaze doesn’t shift.

[thornd]

                             THE WORLD WAS VAST  , this much lilyana had found to be true . she had also found it loud , with odd smells and crude words . sheltered indeed , and even armed with a silver tongue and inquisitive nature , she had found herself cowering within the warmth of her accompanying guard . though guards grow inquisitive too , towards ales and wines , towards the company milling the halls and public gardens . and without watchful eye and in possession of ringing ears , lilyana had slipped away on aching soles , any sort of declaration the last thing on her mind .

                            SANCTUARY NOW THANKFULLY FOUND   in the form of little gazebos and grand blooms , of little trays of silver with food stuffs and cool wines , the young tyrell had sat and busied herself with stretching her legs in front of her , beneath petticoats and embroidery . a flush to her cheeks and thankful smile to her lips , glossy black eyes begin to pry as they so often do  ---  strangers mill , but dressed differently now . that smile grows as she takes in each pattern, each colour , each style  --  and out from her skirts pockets comes a little book of bound parchment and a cloth of neatly packaged charcoal  ...   and without thinking ;

                           “  say  ,  would you be awfully opposed to my drawing you ?  ”   

[lcffords]

                     tinkling  laughter  filled  the  air,  melodic  &  soft,  it  was  a  well-suited  sound  to  the  beauty  of  the  royal  gardens.  in  ursula’s  opinion,  the  roses,  tulips  &  lilies  were  just  about  the  only  pretty  thing  about  the  capital          everything  else  was  so  dull.  her  fingers  reached  for  the  tray  of  lemon  cakes  as  she  dismissed  her  handmaiden,  whom  she’d  been  jesting  with.  beneath  the  canopies  which  kept  her  shaded  from  the  sun,  she  peered  over  the  series  of  poetry  books  which  she’d  been  gifted,  a  feeble  attempt  at  sweetening  her  heart  to  her  current  circumstances,  she  was  sure.  aquamarine  eyes  looked  up,  and  bore  into  a  on-looker,  ❛  have  you  read  any  of  these?   ❜  she  enquired  in  a  bored  tone,  her  expression  expectant  as  her  fingers  picked  at  the  pale  parchment   ❛  if  you  haven’t,  do  not  bother.  they  are  a  waste  of  ink. ❜ 

[wildlingsblood]

the south was a  mystery  to victarion ,  who had spent his whole life as far north as most anyone dared to go these days .  who had been raised on stories of even further north ,  beyond the wall that no longer stood ,  past the haunted forest and into the woods with no name .  it was  hotter  here ,  not just for the climate ,  but for the activity .  the city bustled at every turn and vic had thought winterfell full to bursting most days . it must have been only for the landsmeet ,  but there seemed to be more people in king’s landing than the  entirety  of the northern kingdom .

it seemed half the day before he found a moment to slip away ,  not  alone ,  but where the noise was just quiet enough for him to hear himself think ,  and something else ,  distant ,  which sounded distantly like the yowling of a cat .  “ gods , ”  he breathed ,  only just hoping no one would hear him .  “ is  this  what southerners call music ? ”

[diivined]

valyria  had  spent  her  day  roaming  around  the  streets  .  she  had  stolen  a  few  things  along  the  way  &  even  managed  to  snag  some  silver  to  pay  for  her  meal  for  the  night  .  sitting  at  the  very  end  of  the  tavern  ,  far  from  everyone  else  ,  she  had  a  half  empty  mug  of  ale  &  her  sword  that  she  was  in  the  process  of  cleaning  .  prick  was  its  name  &  she  took  the  best  of  care  of  it  .  she  had  her  eyes  focused  on  her  work  when  she  heard  one  of  the  stools  across  from  her  move  .  a  groan  fell  from  her  lips  ,  though  she  hadn’t  bothered  to  look  up  .  “  i  suggest  you  find  another  seat  . ”  she  spoke  harshly  .  “  i’d  hate  to  have  to  start  cleaning  prick  here  all  over  again  . ”  

[starksblood]

𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒  &  𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄  ;  she skates upon the fringes of the festivities for the moment  ,  taking in the crowds with a nervous shine in her gaze  .  the gardens are beautiful  ,  as is the crowd that currently swarms it in their revelry  —  women laugh and dance in swirling skirts of shimmering silk  ,  colored as vibrantly as the geranium  &  king’s mantle that bloom around her  ;  warm sunlight glints off of shimmering gold  &  silver jewelry  ,  men boast  &  drink  ,  children dart back and forth to steal treats from passing servants  .  and she  —  she toes the line between curiosity and fear  .  behind her  ,  waves lap lazily at the coastline  ,  and a breeze blows in from the water  .  she could hide in her gazebo and nurse the summerwine offered to her  ,  crow sprawled out at her feet like a barrier not meant to be crossed  ,  if she so chose  .  while pondering  ,  she turns and wanders to the parapet to gaze out across the water  ,  chalice still gently clutched  .

she won’t  ,  of course  .  she can’t  —  her absence would be noted by anyone keeping watch  ,  she’s sure  ;  even with the floods of crowds  ,  rowena is a stark  .  her father had been heavily involved in the dragon queen’s battle for the iron throne  ;  assuming she could avoid notice would be a foolish presumption on her part  .  it is with a reserved sigh bitten back that she turns to find her way into the celebration  ,  but instead  ,  her shoulder collides with another and wine is sent splashing across the front of her dress while she gasps  &  recoils  .  it is not the dress she’s worried about  ,  but the person she’s walked into  .  “  i am so sorry  —  forgive me  ,  i wasn’t paying attention  ;  are you alright  ?  ”  the apology bursts forth with nary a moment to reconsider as anxiety burns a gaping hole in her stomach  ,  and embarrassment blooms across her cheeks bright enough for any onlooker to see  .