Looking After Lily (Closed)

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Upon reaching the Marsten pavilion, Corrine dismounts and helps Lily down, keeping her steady by holding her around the waist.

Corrine looks to Loreia and Trelane;


"
Let's take her to my tent. Get her a seat and sonething to calm her nerves."


She started cautiously leading Lily to the tent, giving Ser Markus the nod that indicated Loreia and Trekane were allowed to follow.

"
Would you please have someone bring tea? The poor girl is very shaken. Thank you."


Ser Markus nodded and obeyed.

She sat Lily down on the bed, sitting next to her and holding her hand.

"
There. You're safe. This is my own personal tent in the Marsten pavilion. This is Ser Loreia and Trelane. They are friends. I'm going to protect you, Lily, and do all I can to help you. Try to take deep breaths. Some tea will help too. And once you're a bit calmer, you can tell me more about what you said back there."


She kept her voice soft and soothing, doing her best to calm Lily.

[Ser Jorah Holt]

Trelane smiled in a friendly manner at Lily, but discreetly kept his hand on the pommel of his short sword.



ooc
[url=intrigue initiative][/url]: 4d6k4 15 If we are going into an intrigue.
[url=awareness empathy][/url]: 5d6k4 17 is his first action

[Loreia]

"
I'll keep a lookout. I'll be right outside."
Loreia brushes the tent flap aside to step out. Gods know Lily must be done with knights at present, real or false, and it matters not what Loreia feels. Forget how it may eventually reach Ser Jorah's ears through his squire, it will be easier for the noblewoman to air her troubles without a knight of any kind hanging over her.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine notices Trelane's posture.

"
Feel free to have a seat, Trelane."


She returns her attention to Lily.

"
Now, tell me what's wrong. Why do you not want to go back to your family?"
she asks, as gently as she can.

[Reader]

Lily looks at Corrine, desperation in her eyes.

"
It won't be safe for me. It cannot be safe for me there."


She casts her eyes downward.

"
I beg you, it would be a kindness to me if you send me to the Silent Sisters, as far from home as possible."


She manages to speak in a composed fashion by now, but there is an edge to her voice.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine nodded slowly, and lightly took Lily's hand.

"
I understand. I will not send you Into danger against your will. And the Seven's grace is a noble shelter. However, I need more information, some manner of evidence that you will not be safe with your family, to protect you. Taking you to the Silent Sisters will incur House Daleford's wrath, and neither of us will be safe if we cannot sufficiently justify the act."


While her voice is gentle and calm, their is an urgency to Corrine's tone. As much as her heart went out to Lily, Corrine was not going to defy another House lightly.

[url=Convince][/url]: 6d6k5 27

[Reader]

Lily nods, composes herself and in a breach of decorum cups a hand to Corrines ear and speaks.

[OOC: PM sent.

4 DoS.]

[Reader]

[OOC: posting publicly, only Corrine knows IC but many worked hard on this and should share in the OOC knowledge and have connected physical evidence. Well done feels like the wrong phrase.

4 DoS, Lily whispers to Corrine:
- "
You must see to it that Ser Erryk Vance does not suffer, he meant well of me and helped me escape."

- "
I was a foolish girl and then suffered for my own errors afterward, but he was a true knight to me."

- "
I always trusted to the Seven, that they would protect me, but I will only worship the Six hereafter."

- "
No mother should rejoice in losing the child she carries, and in truth I could not bring myself to feel true joy. But if not joy, I at least felt relief. Father said if Adman could not give him an heir..."
[The composure that Lily had maintained until now breaks completely, and she falls on Corrine's shoulder with renewed sobs, loud enough for the others to hear even outside the tent.]

[Ser Jorah Holt]

Trelane looked on as Lily collapsed into sobs. Dammit, he thought, suspecting some of the truth of what she whispered to Lady Corrine, how do we deal with this without causing an almighty scandal.

Then he remembered, his eldest brother was married, but his other brother was not and he was the more sensitive of the three brothers. Perhaps that might be a way for all the houses to avoid a scandal and provide Lily protection.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine held Lily close, stroking her hair.

"
I'm so sorry, Lily. But thank you for trusting me with this. You are going to be alright. We will help you."


She glanced to Trelane, hopefully, though with a modicum of trepidation. He was vouched for, but still, she did not know him herself, and this was a huge mess already.

"
Lily, I think you should rest a little. You may lie down in my bed. Make yourself comfortable. I need to speak with Trelane and Ser Loreia privately about how best to help you."

[Loreia]

Not a talker, this one. One of her failings. Way below the level of the songstress Lady Gwyneth. Neither can she hope to aspire to the cordially enchanting Lady Marsten. Like a dog learning to talk.

Loreia bends down to stroke Badger's fur pensively. With no further commands after the fight had stopped, he simply followed his master, keeping pace with the purposeful gait of the horses. A small smile worms its way into her mouth, recognizing the same traits she aspires to in her loyal companion, perhaps even more. It certainly had its own way of speaking to the young lord. Kind to its friends, cruel to its enemies. A creature whose actions speak louder than its "
words"
ever could.

Then she hears the open bawling coming from inside the tent. She mutters "
stay and watch"
and opens the tent flap.

When she sees no change, save for the young lady sobbing with tears streaking down her cheeks, she asks, "
Is she going to be all right?"

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine gently guided Lily to the curtained-off sleeping area of the tent, quietly reassured her, then returned to Loreia and Trelane. There was a slight dip in her composure, reeling sonewhat from what she had learned.

"
I think she will be alright, eventually. But we must decide swiftly what to do. She cannot return to her family. Her father..."


She couldn't make the rest come out.

"
...She has asked me to deliver her to the septry, to take up the life of a Silent Sister. I intend to honour her wish, as I have reason to believe she will be safer there. That leaves the question of how to deal with Lord Daleford."

[Loreia]

Perhaps he is a harsh man. To run away like this, and bawl in fear of intentions to bring her back? Did he beat her?

Loreia shrugs. "
He's fightin' a curse. I guess he wants to marry her off to get back some of the wealth of House Daleford's years past. He'd be happy to know she's alive, at least. Might pale next to the news that she won't be returnin' home."
She at least has some insight into the habits of nobles at a meager level. She almost winces, remembering how she tried to talk down someone who knew far more than she did, deflecting her small-minded jabs and assertions.

[I'm honestly having trouble putting the picture together with the implications, for purely OOC knowledge.]

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine glanced briefly around, then stepped closer to Loreia. It was at this proximity that Loreia could see the anxiety in Corrine's eyes, as she spoke quietly, knowing the weight of the words.

"
Her father was forcing himself on her. He wanted to secure a Daleford heir by any means. She was with child, by him. She got rid of it, and fled. I... I can't send her back to that."

[Loreia]

Loreia almost staggers back. There are no words. At least, not yet. But it makes a sick sort of sense. Ser Adham must not have many admirers due to his family's misfortune.

"
Bloody hell...! E-excuse me, milady."


As she recovers, her features become stern and steady, fueled by that not-so-secret flame one may have been familiar with since that night in the sept at Riverrun two years ago, peaking out from behind her eyes. "
We managed what we set out to do. She's alive and well, an' a wretch like him couldn't ask for anything besides. If you'll pardon me for talkin' out of turn, Lady Corrine,"
she adds as an afterthought.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
There is nothing to pardon, Ser. I understand. It is taking all my strength to keep from saying even blunter words than that. I will die before I let that poor girl go back to such cruelty, but I'm not convinced the Sept can protect her sufficiently. Is there another way? How can I get her far away from her family and those who would turn her in? If I must bear consequences, so be it, but I want to make sure that brute never touches her again."


Corrine's fingers dug into her folded arms, her expression full of grim determination.

[Reader]

Corrine held Lily close, stroking her hair.

"
I'm so sorry, Lily. But thank you for trusting me with this. You are going to be alright. We will help you."


She glanced to Trelane, hopefully, though with a modicum of trepidation. He was vouched for, but still, she did not know him herself, and this was a huge mess already.

"
Lily, I think you should rest a little. You may lie down in my bed. Make yourself comfortable. I need to speak with Trelane and Ser Loreia privately about how best to help you."

Lily Daleford composed herself once more, giving Corrine a look of pure gratitude and favouring her companions with a tentative smile. She managed a curtsey before gratefully accepting Corrine's offer.

[Ser Jorah Holt]

Trelane shook his head when Corrine spoke about what Lord Daleford had done. He knew some of the appetites of Lords in the Seven Kingdoms, but incest disgusted him. He leaned against a tent post, considering how best to both use the situation and protect her.

"
The Septry will not be enough. She was taken from Shattered Rock easily enough and she will need protection that he cannot easily bypass. The best way to protect her is to provide what her father needs in a way that he cannot abuse her. In basic terms, what she needs is a husband in a powerful and influential house, but one whom her meeting would not seem to have been arranged by us. House Bartheld would provide the setting and I believe I can provide somebody who can protect her. Of course, she would have understand that the Septry cannot protect her and mayhap one of our houses could find a place for Ser Vance."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine listened to Trelane.

"
Your suggestion has merit, though I would not arrange that without her consent. Tell me about the man you would put forward. I won't send her from one brute to another."

[Ser Jorah Holt]

"
I know the second son of House Connington is not married and he is certainly not a brute as you worry about. They would have nothing to fear from House Daleford and might be able to help restore them."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine nodded slowly.

"
Alright. We can bring this to her. And what of Ser Erryk? I am minded to keep them together, since she trusts him."

[Ser Jorah Holt]

"
Surely that would be up to Ser Erryk Vance if he wishes to remain with House Daleford or not?"

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
And how well do you think he'll do if they find out what he did?"
Corrine challenged, though she kept her tone even.

[Ser Jorah Holt]

Trelane lifted an eyebrow, regarding Lady Corrine.

"
Well, I never said we shouldn't talk to him first. Without having met the man, we should not presume what action he would want to take."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
Right. Yes. Of course. Have you any suggestions of how to make contact with him discreetly?"

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