#feralrites

[misrybred]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐘 ? 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃, 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐓 apology or speech filled with her adoration, respect, love for him. if he did then cole was more delusional than alicent believed him to be---he had always been devoted to her, yes, & for a time she respected that until it molded into something else. until he began disregarding her wishes, her boundaries for his own wants. he had crossed a line sitting in wait for her, expecting her to give him whatever he wished just because they had been together twice before. ( it reminded her, in a way, of viserys yet criston cole was worse. or so it felt. with viserys it felt more like a duty, something to simply get over whereas her so called 'protector' felt himself entitled to access to her. ) it is why alicent holds an expression of slight bewilderment on her face, eyes widened were eyebrows crease. lips are downturned & she holds a scoff in her chest.

@feralrites SAID, " YOU LEFT ME BEHIND. "

❛ what is it you expect of me, ser criston ? ❜ asks the queen as if she were seeking clarity. in a sense she was yet it sounded more like she was searching for were he believed he could accuse her of something. he was implying, was he not ? ❛ what happened between you & i ... it will not happen again. it did not mean what you believed it did. ❜ it felt important to start off with this boundary, to make her intent or feelings more than clear so he did not assume or misunderstand. alicent turns her back to walk away, to make distance. ❛ & perhaps ... it was my mistake, not making myself clear or not correcting you when i saw you getting too close. ❜

[misrybred]

[ MSG --- DO NOT ANSWER. 8:45 PM. ] ➣ didn't expect a message from you so soon after getting my number ! hey, how are you ?

[ MSG --- DO NOT ANSWER. 8:45 PM. ] ➣ oh, drinks ? well, i'll have to see when i'm free if i'm being honest criston. when were you thinking ?

[ MSG --- DO NOT ANSWER. 8:46 PM. ] ➣ and just wanna sorrry in advance if you pick a day that i'm busy on! i've been so slammed recently, everyone wants a piece of me somehow lately. craaazy !

[ MSG --- DO NOT ANSWER. 8:46 PM. ] ➣ but, i'm all ears right now.

@feralrites TEXTED, " WE SHOULD GO FOR A DRINK SOMETIME. "

[misrybred]

𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐃. 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓 to her. so many times people have wished to blame the way they are, their behavior, on outside circumstances when really they should be looking more inward. alicent is no exception yet she knows, like herself, that they do not care to look inward because of what they might see or realize about themselves. people are often selfish, they want to look out for themselves or the cause they take up before anything else--criston cole has never been anything but that nor has he been better than. ( he wishes to cloak himself in some thin, fragile sense of 'honor' he might have once possessed in the beginning but it is no where to be seen now. he had grown reckless, sometimes self serving before doing his duty. he pushes her limits, he butts in when it is not his place. what kind of man does that ? one who is self absorbed, thinks boundaries nor code do not apply. )

@feralrites SAID, " THIS IS WHO WE ARE, A PRODUCT OF WAR. "

hands clasp at her front tightly, expression mostly blank. alicent does not give sympathy in her expression nor in her eyes---she has no time nor patience for cole to try to make himself out to be a better man when she had seen otherwise for years. it was hypocritical when he does not hold himself to real standards of the kings guard. ❛ you cannot blame all behaviors nor actions on the war. ❜ stated plainly, head tilting slightly to the side. dowager queen takes a step forward in order to catch the mans gaze, ❛ men often blame outward circumstances for their actions, for the violent deeds they commit against others ... ❜ a pause, ❛ it is simply an excuse to do as they please no matter how ugly. an excuse to be terrible without due consequences. ❜

[thebrokenhelm]

@feralrites asked: ❛ only lies offend me, never honest council﹙ from valarr ﹚.

𓍼ོ ─── the 𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅 was not a place that lent itself easily to honesty. there were too many 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀, too many 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀, and the kind of conversation a man might want to have with his son had a way of becoming something else entirely by the time it passed through enough of them. perhaps that was why he’d always been fond of the 𝑔𝑜𝒹𝓈𝓌𝑜𝑜𝒹. it was as beautiful as it was quiet — a piece of green the courtiers, by and large, left alone.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ baelor walked it with one hand wrapped loosely around his wrist behind him, his son in step beside him.

“then you will be offended often, i fear,” he said, smiling yet as he looked at him. “man will lie, and many will urge you toward what serves them best.” he reached out to pat his shoulder, easy and brief.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ “𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.” granted, “i admit 𝓈𝑒𝓇 𝒷𝓇𝓎𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓃 can be a man difficult to read, even for those who know him well.” he paused, turning the words over in his head. “while you are right to be wary, it would serve you better to hide it.”

his eyes moved to the 𝑜𝓁𝒹 𝑜𝒶𝓀 at the garden’s heart, brown-barked and still, as he recalled the aftermath of the blackfyre rebellion. “𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹,” baelor added, because it was true and because fairness demanded it. “𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. he believes he knows what is best for the realm, and he serves that before he serves any man sitting the iron throne. it is a distinction he would not deny if you put it to him plainly.” he turned back to his son. “that makes him useful, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀.”

[divin3rot]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐃, not really. alicent was fixated on something else, on something that was bothering her for as unreasonable as it is. she can't help it, can she ? her & her terrible jealous streak. jealous, territorial, & everything else in between---perhaps it doesn't come from anything inside of her that was malicious but feeling as if what was hers ... is hers. ( it was normal, realistic, for rhaenyra to be with other people before they reconnected. alicent wasn't so delusional to get angry about that fact because that would make her unreasonable ! it's just, on some level, she didn't want to hear about how their relationship had gone. which was all harwin was doing presently. ) hand holds onto the end of her wine glass as another drink is taken, the opposite hand rests on bar counter where perfect nails tap, tap, tap on the top of it. when was this business dinner ending ?

@feralrites SAID, " EVERYTHING YOU SAY IS INTERESTING TO ME. "

alicent hums, nods her head, as harwin seems to make this strange observation about her. setting the glass down, her eyebrows furrow for a moment before she can take a breath in to respond: ❛ is it, how so ? ❜ she can't recall the last time someone said that to her ... genuinely or at all. though, rhaenyra often says something like it but thats different. ❛ i didn't think i'd be the best conversation person tonight since i didn't want to come but ... ❜ she sighs, ❛ when you're married to the heir of a company, you kinda have to. these are alright, aren't they ? good food, good wine. alright company. ❜ as soon as the words left her mouth the woman inwardly cringes. why did she feel the need to one up him ?

[divin3rot]

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐔𝐁 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐘𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐓, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 seem to be growing worse as they day continues to draw onward. it was hardly mid afternoon & already alicent yearns to be laying in her bed, mind black by sleep taking over her ... if she were asleep then she would not have to concern herself with the trials & irritations of the day. but it seems life is never so kind to her to allow her such things ... it continues to test her, to make her doubt herself & this conversation is no exception. the dowager queen had not the time nor the patience to listen to one more person speak on & on about something to do with aegon or aemond or anything else related to the overtake of succession. it was nonstop for weeks now & the sound of ser criston cole's voice was like a childs screeching from its crib. ( he was lingering these days, she wonders if he assumes she had not taken notice. she did ... she always noticed when he seemed to 'forget' her clear boundaries or insert himself were she did not ask him--if it was in meetings, in private, or in the lives of her children. overstepping seemed to be his way now rather than the way of the white cloak. )

@feralrites SAID, " ARROGANCE IS A GREATER THREAT TO JUSTICE THAN EVIL OR INEPTITUDE. "

❛ then might you take some time to educate my sons on arrogance, ser criston ? ❜ asks the queen in a short, sharp tone. eyes open as hand lowers from pinching the bridge of her nose, a sigh shoved from her chest. head leans back against chair she sits in, brown eyes having no softness in them. no suggestion of tolerance in this moment ... alicent is not here, today nor lately, to be criston cole's pseudo lover or friend. ❛ seeing as they will not be wise to head their mother or the words which come from her lips. ❜ there lies the root of her frustration ! ❛ a man, you, perhaps can get through to them until their grandsire undoubtedly returns when aegon grows tired of a crown. ❜