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Post by oznerol on Jul 13, 2020 15:50:30 GMT -5
"Tris is a good man, he would make a good husband, if you were to take him"Said Rodrik. "I would counsel against marrying Goodbrother, there's no gain from such an union, save making him feel entitled to lord over you as your father-in-law. If he wants to stir trouble, let him do it, he can hardly do anything now that you're sitting on your father's chair. And he alone would be easily crushed and thrown over board to feed the fishes"He pointed out. "The Greenlands have not so many men of note that are left unmarried. Yes, maybe Lord Jason's son at Seagard, the widowed trout or the juveline Lannister at the Rock, but you have to think what do you truly would get from such and union and how dangerous it would be. They'd rather still have you married to Ironmaker than to a lord from the greenlands, specially if you're to father a heir"
By the Drowned God, the very thought of marriage made her want to jump off a high cliff. Yet she was not dumb enough to think she could get away with it for too long. If Stannis won, sooner or later he would come knocking on her door, demanding she marry a man of his choosing. If she had to make a choice, Asha preferred it be on her own terms. "Sooner or later we'll have to look to the future, beyond the war. Uncle, you are a learned man and respected among our people. I want to leave these isles better than I found them, to catch up to the other Seven Kingdoms. The Old Way is a dream of an violent age long gone, and my father was a fool to think that we could restore the past. We must forge ahead on a New Way, which Quellon Greyjoy tried before. Will you aid me, uncle?" Said Rodrik with a smile. "I'm old, old enough to retire between my books and tell the world that it can be dammed, but..."He scratches his nose.
"I shall help you. My beloved sisters would poison my wine and shit on my bed clothing if I leave my niece on her own"The Reader joked, with a chuckle. "You have my quill, for the lack of a good axe or sword"
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Post by Royal Joker on Jul 13, 2020 16:32:24 GMT -5
Asha gave him a warm smile.
"I'd let them know immediately, then I could take Ten Towers as my own as per your will. I assume that offer is still available, should I grow tired of Pyke?"
She laughed loudly and stretched herself out in the Seastone Chair.
"Harlaw was always more of a family to me than my own was. While my father loved and respected me, I could hardly say the same of my uncles or my brothers before they died."
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Post by oznerol on Jul 14, 2020 4:12:59 GMT -5
Asha gave him a warm smile."I'd let them know immediately, then I could take Ten Towers as my own as per your will. I assume that offer is still available, should I grow tired of Pyke?"She laughed loudly and stretched herself out in the Seastone Chair."Harlaw was always more of a family to me than my own was. While my father loved and respected me, I could hardly say the same of my uncles or my brothers before they died." Said Rodrik. "Just don't let it grow on you and don't think this is it, the whole world. If you even have to let it go, do it, don't die for something as menial as a pile of rocks. There's a world out there that I could only see in the scribbled pages of books, don't think Pyke is what you're meant for. Ten Towers might still be yours, it shall be waiting for you, in the end, even if everything goes away"
He added. "They were all arseholes, trust me, I haven't seen meanest lads in my whole live, your brothers were bullies and little tyrants that would have made terrible lords. Your uncles are or were no better"
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Post by Royal Joker on Jul 14, 2020 5:18:19 GMT -5
Asha chuckled as she slurped the last bits of her stew.
"I'm Ironborn, uncle. I've seen the world, I've traded and reaved across the Narrow Sea. I've waded through snowstorms and fought alongside a king with a glowing sword. I've returned from exile to take back what was stolen from me. I doubt I need to see more of it for a while. Now I just want to relax on these shitty pile of rocks on the edge of the known world, breathe the salty sea air and enjoy my fish stew. The world will know my name and deeds soon enough."
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Post by Gandalf on Jul 21, 2020 5:18:47 GMT -5
Asha is summoned to King’s Landing by Raven to take her place on the Small Council as Master of Ships.
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Post by Politburo Barry on Jul 21, 2020 13:53:44 GMT -5
A letter comes from the Westerlands, penned by the neat hand of Tris Botley:
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Post by Politburo Barry on Jul 23, 2020 22:47:18 GMT -5
Lord Botley returns to Pyke to meet his liege lady, as requested.
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Post by Royal Joker on Jul 24, 2020 15:31:30 GMT -5
Tris is brought to Asha's solar in the Sea Tower, overlooking Ironman's Bay to the East and the western coast of the green lands. The Lady Reaper of Pyke was wearing a loose, white shirt with frilled cuffs and leather breeches stained with sea salt. She stared out at the rough sea before turning to Botley as he entered her solar.
"Took you long enough. How did you enjoy King's Landing? Were the wenches any better than the ones in the North?"
She smirked and stepped forth toward her work desk, a giant piece of dark oak carved with images of longships battling krakens and other fantastical sea creatures.
"It's good to have you back, Tris, I needed to speak with you. I presume Stannis told you of my new position at his court, as the Master of Ships? He's straightforward and know he'll find no better at sea than the Ironborn, but with me close at hand means he can keep us on a short leash. No matter, hopefully I can get some of my own plans started this way. I'll be bringing some of the younger lordly sons and daughters with me, to make sure they don't rebel too easily and to start introducing some green lander ideas to them. But before that, there's an important issue I need to bring up."
She took a deep breath and looked straight at her childhood friend.
"Marry me, Tris."
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Post by Politburo Barry on Jul 24, 2020 22:41:49 GMT -5
"Ah, you know that's not my idea of fun." Tris met Asha's smirk with a smile of his own. "But the capital was fine. In much better shape than I expected, actually. Clearly Stannis maintains much higher discipline among his men than the Lannisters had all those years ago." The Ironborn hadn't been able to match the brutality of Tywin Lannister's sack of King's Landing in centuries, as far as Botley knew. Maybe if Euron had overcome the defense of Oldtown. "And congratulations on the appointment, by the by. Trap though it might be, as you say, there's no better - or other - choice than you for the seat." Well, the King did have that lowborn lord who might've posed some real competition to Asha for the job, and had indeed retaken Dragonstone and blockaded the capital by sea to prove his skills. But this lord of onions was already named Hand of the King.
At the mention of marriage Tris' large eyes widened further, and his eyebrows shot so far up as to disappear beneath his messy hair. He furtively glanced from side to side, as if looking for other people. "Truly? This is neither a dream nor a practical joke of some kind? Were I to say yes," Which he certainly would even if this was a dream or prank, "Qarl, Hagen and the others aren't going to lunge from the shadows to tackle me?"
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Post by Royal Joker on Jul 25, 2020 16:17:51 GMT -5
"Nah, I was planning to throw you out of the window personally for your idiocy."
She gave him an evil smirk.
"I've been thinking while you were gone and you may be the best candidate... by a slim margin. You followed me through thick and thin, and fought at my side even when I rejected you. If I'm to go to King's Landing I'll run the risk of being forced into a marriage with one of the stag's bannermen, and if I'm to marry it'll be on my terms alone."
Her uncle's wisdom had contributed quite a bit too. If anyone could give her a good argument to have her change course, it was Rodrik the Reader.
"And to be honest, I'd prefer you than a nonce Goodbrother triplet or Erik fucking Ironmaker. Those bastards would do everything to lock me up in an old tower to be rid of me."
Asha laughed loudly and leaned back against her desk. She gave Tris an inquisitive look, with a hint of annoyance at having to say the words again.
"So... are you just going to stand there like an idiot or should I just throw you out of the Sea Tower anyway? I need to pack for King's Landing."
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Post by Politburo Barry on Jul 26, 2020 14:30:27 GMT -5
Tris nodded along as Asha spoke, looking rather absent - until he pinched himself when she mentioned that she preferred him over the alternatives, and momentarily flinched in pain. Okay, so this was very real. At that, any pain on his face instantly gave way to a grin, wider than ever before. "Well then Asha, I suppose my first duty as your husband will be to help you pack." He moved forward, arms outstretched as if to embrace her. And to think that on the trip to and back from the mainland, he had almost consigned himself to the fate of knights in the greenlanders' courtly songs, doomed eternally to pine for women they could not have for one reason or another! Instead it seemed his luck turned even more quickly than Stannis' had in the past war.
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Post by Royal Joker on Jul 28, 2020 13:41:30 GMT -5
Tris nodded along as Asha spoke, looking rather absent - until he pinched himself when she mentioned that she preferred him over the alternatives, and momentarily flinched in pain. Okay, so this was very real. At that, any pain on his face instantly gave way to a grin, wider than ever before. "Well then Asha, I suppose my first duty as your husband will be to help you pack." He moved forward, arms outstretched as if to embrace her. And to think that on the trip to and back from the mainland, he had almost consigned himself to the fate of knights in the greenlanders' courtly songs, doomed eternally to pine for women they could not have for one reason or another! Instead it seemed his luck turned even more quickly than Stannis' had in the past war.
"Try that again and I'll feed your balls to the gulls. Now come, we've gotta pack and find a Drowned Priest for the wedding. Just the bare minimum, I'm not inviting those bastards who voted against me to a feast I'm paying for."With a slight jump off the table she leaned against, Asha passed Tris and walked towards the door. She stopped and looked back at him. There was a slight glint in her eye, something mischievous yet uncertain."You're coming with me to King's Landing, right?"
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Post by Politburo Barry on Aug 1, 2020 9:09:38 GMT -5
Tris recoiled and let out an 'uff' at Asha's blow. That said, his annoyance was lessened by this reminder of their first meeting, when a much younger Lady Greyjoy had rejected his overly-affectionate greeting in a similar way, and after a moment's rumination he couldn't help but chuckle. "I know a lot of things have changed since we were kids, Asha, even if I don't seem like I do most of the time. But not everything, eh?"
"Of course." Was Botley's simple, unhesitating reply to Asha's second question. "Unless you'd prefer I remain here to administer the Iron Isles - I thought you might need someone to handle affairs at home while you're at King's Landing. But honestly, I was going to suggest your uncle Rodrik for that role. He's a wise and well-learned man, better than I am with letters and numbers I'm sure." Even though he didn't yet know just how much he owed the Reader for this moment, Tristifer long knew and respected Lord Harlaw for being one of the few level-headed and erudite Ironborn, in a vein similar to his late mentor Blacktyde. He himself was content to leave his own seat in the hands of a steward to be with his new wife anyway; indeed Lordsport was close enough to Pyke to be its castle town, so Botley figured that it'd be in Harlaw's capable hands were he selected to administer the Iron Isles.
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Post by Royal Joker on Aug 1, 2020 15:09:19 GMT -5
Tris recoiled and let out an 'uff' at Asha's blow. That said, his annoyance was lessened by this reminder of their first meeting, when a much younger Lady Greyjoy had rejected his overly-affectionate greeting in a similar way, and after a moment's rumination he couldn't help but chuckle. "I know a lot of things have changed since we were kids, Asha, even if I don't seem like I do most of the time. But not everything, eh?""Of course." Was Botley's simple, unhesitating reply to Asha's second question. "Unless you'd prefer I remain here to administer the Iron Isles - I thought you might need someone to handle affairs at home while you're at King's Landing. But honestly, I was going to suggest your uncle Rodrik for that role. He's a wise and well-learned man, better than I am with letters and numbers I'm sure." Even though he didn't yet know just how much he owed the Reader for this moment, Tristifer long knew and respected Lord Harlaw for being one of the few level-headed and erudite Ironborn, in a vein similar to his late mentor Blacktyde. He himself was content to leave his own seat in the hands of a steward to be with his new wife anyway; indeed Lordsport was close enough to Pyke to be its castle town, so Botley figured that it'd be in Harlaw's capable hands were he selected to administer the Iron Isles.
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