@icegcds / elric + alerie.
there was something about king’s landing that had alerie simultaneously on edge and at ease. since riding north, she had dreamed of seeing the ocean again. maidenpool had the loveliest sunrises and sunsets that could not be paralleled anywhere else in the world, even here in the capital city. the breeze blew through her in a way that was reminiscent of maidenpool, though, and when she closed her eyes, it was easy to pretend that she was sitting on the pink walls that surrounded her home.
when she opened her eyes, though, she was back in king’s landing and that uneasiness had made itself at home in her gut. she wanted answers to questions she didn’t know how to ask and the rest of the world was trying to figure out how to kill one another most diplomatically. she found herself in the gardens so frequently not because they were particularly lovelier than any other but because she found it easiest to set her intentions clearly when she attempted to commune with nature when she was in it.
settled beneath a towering tree, a cloth in front of her with chalk marks reminiscent of the witching table that she had carted all across the kingdoms laid out with a number of symbols and trinkets across it. in the center, as with most things, a small disk painted with the colors of house targaryen, the fractured antler pieces surrounding it and the snake skin not too far from it. in another corner, a small bundle of fur from a direwolf is separated from the trio of houses, a falcon’s talon not too far from the fur. the scales representing house tully and the splinter of an ironborn oar are inconspicuously missing from the larger picture. it was a rather acceptable understanding of the current state but every time alerie tried to recast the objects, nothing would change. it was maddening.
so when the twig snapped and she realized it was through no fault of her own, she was more than relieved to see elric standing near. whatever tired frustrated lingered in her bones seemed to fly away when she saw him, relieved and excited to see him all at once. perhaps she was foolish, to allow herself to have developed such a fondness for him, but they were to be married and hers was a gentle, giving heart.
❛ i’m sorry to say that i’ve eaten all that i’d brought out with me, but i’m sure there’s still wine in the bottle if you’d like to have a drink. ❜ after a moment, she asked, ❛ would you like to sit with me ? ❜