[D7 EA] Second castle second try (open)

[Kevan Lyras]

After he wasted two hours on the day before listening to nonsensical debates between guards and baseless speculation between servants of the Warrior's Seat. Kevan was prepared for another frustrating afternoon at Raventree Hall. With great reluctance he had made it there, after spending the last hours in the presence of his little family. Nevertheless, duty called and Kevan was not one to dismiss its call.

And off we are, somebody has to know something about the state of Market Town...


[url=Rumour roll (D7)][/url]: 2d6 6 + 2 BoTA = 8

[Reader]

[OOC: results via PM]

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine trots up beside Kevan on her horse, looking between him and the lands.

"
So, now that we have the place to ourselves, can you tell me more about it, and the veracity of the claim?"


[Corrine assists Kevan for +1?]

[Kevan Lyras]

Kevan frowns at the difficulty of the matter at hand before answering the question.
"
It is a mess. From what I can see half the houses from the riverlands and the surrounding realms have a theoretical claim. We should try to secure the town for House Marsten and install a landed knight to govern the community. If this should fail, we have at least to ensure that it falls into the hands of an allied house. I do not know much yet, but the current major seems to be a key piece in this play."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
It will be hard to hold from Hartshorn, true. Still, perhaps, if we show strong leadership, that will carry us. We should have a backup in place before we act."

[Kevan Lyras]

"
I have to say, I like the progress our house made, sincd you took over the lead. We solved matters with Lord Kriegar, we defeated the clans and our lands are thriving. I believe this is a perfect opportunity to strengthen our economical base. What are your plans for the next few months? Will you also attend Lord Redwain's wedding?"

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
Thank you, Kevan. I'm glad you are happy. I must admit, I'm rather pleased myself. Every triumph we have shows the naysayers that House Marsten did not die with my father and Willem. I owe you and Ben so much gratitude for all your support, even when I have not been an ideal leader."


She gave him a warm smile.

"
And yes, I will go to the wedding. I don't know Lord Redwain, but such occasions are useful for networking. Will you and Sofia be in attendance too?"

[Kevan Lyras]

"
You did well and you know that, My Lady!"
, Kevan replied, returning the warm smile.
"
Yes, Sofia will probably come with me, after our week here, it will be nice to spend some time with her, especially since I am in the process of planning another journey in the upcoming months, which I unfortunately will tackle alone..."


His smile becomes broader
"
To be honest it is not the wedding itself I am looking forward to the most, but the tourney. After Riverrun, I look forward to do some jousting again, even though I am not sure I can meet my performance from back then. Also, it will be a good opportunity to improve our relations with Lord Frey and meet some of his bannermen."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
I'm sure you'll do brilliantly in the jousting. I do love a tourney,"
Corrine replied, wistfully, the fond menories she had of the Riverrun tourney the previous year returning to her. "
Keeping a good relationship with the Freys is wise. Lord Forrest seems to be a good man. And, well, the way things are going, House Marsten will need more friends if it is to thrive. This week has shown me that."

[Kevan Lyras]

"
However, this week has also shown that friends are hard to come by, so I already would consider it a success if we were to make some allies. Did you know it was Lord Forrest's wife I carried out of the smoking ruins of Green Door Inn? I did not realize it at the time, especially since she did not dress like your average noble women."
A smile appears again on Kevan's face.
"
I will also visit some of castles in the Crownlands in the next few months, for the very same purpose."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
I did hear that you rescued her. That was very brave of you,"
Corrine smiles, proudly. "
I helped get Ser Florian Greysteel to safety and joined the efforts to heal people's wounds, but it was all so chaotic that I didn't know much of what else was happening at the time. Thank the Gods there were not more deaths. What a horrific act."

[Kevan Lyras]

"
I heard about that too, a famous knight of the kingsguard being rescued by a brave women, that could lead to some green supporters changing their perspective a bit, one might hope."
, and in a more serious tone he continued: "
Yes, we were truely lucky that day. It was also amazing to see all investigating houses setting aside their differences and working together to save as many as possible."


Edit: Changed, due to my mix-up with green/black knights :-)

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine let out a little closed-mouth laugh at the mention of changing people's colours.

"
It would be good if I could change minds like that. The "
women can't lead"
jibes are rather repetitive. But yes, it is good that everyone worked together. Hopefully we can make such co-operation happen again today. What do you think, Kevan? Do you think we can bring peace?"

[Kevan Lyras]

Kevan sights: "
A lasting peace between Brackens and Blackwoods?"
, he shakes his head slowly: "
No, I do not think that is possible, I fear. But I am convinced that we improved the situation significantly and maybe, if we are lucky, we even managed to create a period of quietude before the feud breaks out again. That would be worth something...!"

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
I agree. There won't be true peace until one or other House ceases to exist. But if we can keep them from eachother's throats for a generation, at least, that will be an achievement. I think I came here with too many ideals about peace and justice. I nearly lost myself in desperation, trying to make everything right. But I'm only one person. I cannot right every wrong. That has been a hard lesson."


She exhales slowly, shaking her head a little.

"
At least it seems we can get some justice here. Especially for Blackbuckle, and Benji. His parents' murder has affected me deeply. His loss reminds me of my own."

[Kevan Lyras]

Unsure how to reply, Kevan at first remained silent for a few moments.
"
Yes, you both suffered terrible losses, but that is not the only commonality. You both had people to rely on, people who protected and supported you to get through these dark times."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

She smiles at him.

"
That is true. How wise you are, Kevan. Thank you."


She took a deep breath, shaking off the melancholy upon her.

"
Sorry, I should not be so sentimental. How do we go about securing this land? I want to ensure that we have as strong a claim as possible, as legitimately as possible. I don't like dirty fighting."

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