Letters (Corrine & Gwyneth)

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

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My dearest Gwyn,

I am delighted to receive news of the birth of little Mikael. May the Old Gods and the New bless him and keep him. What a lovely way to honour your father by naming your son after him. He would be ever so proud.
Of course, I gladly accept your kind invitation to the celebration tourney. Ben &
I will be there, and we will be bringing Bethany too. She's grown so much. I have no doubt that you too will become as utterly besotted with her as we have.
In a few short months, she will become an elder sibling. Maester Ronnel thinks that it will be twins, which brings me both joy and no small measure of apprehension. I do have the utmost faith in his and Septa Heloise's abilities, though I also pray every day that all will be well.
How are you, dear cousin? I trust you are recovering well, and taking to motherhood with aplomb. With your caring heart, you could hardly fail to be a wonderful parent.
Is Baelon well? How are things at Caladan Hall? I look forward to seeing your new home for myself. You must give me a tour when we are together again next month.
Until then, give our love to Baelon, and may the Gods watch over the three of you.

With love,

Corrine

[Gwyneth Drakeson]

Cousin,

I am so relieved that you can come to visit. I didn't truly doubt you would, but with things being as busy as they must be for you, and the world being what it is...I was worried. In truth, it's been harder than I like to admit trying to keep up. Sometimes I feel like I want to just throw the House out the window of the tall tower and do nothing but hold Mikael to myself. Other times I hear him cry and feel resentment and things that feel very unmotherly. Happily, I've been able to steer a course between those two storms for now. I can raise a strong child, and a strong House. I just didn't realize how much each would demand one another's time. He has a nurse of course, but it's so hard to leave him alone with her. Like a tiny betrayal. Is that mad?

Baelon does try to help, and sometimes successfully, but he is also the only one of us who can still travel easily, and we've been working hard on improving Caladan's defenses as well, which he is heavily involved with.

You've been a source of strength for me, Corrine. You're a reminder that these things can be accomplished. Thinking of what you've been able to do has given me hope on bleak days when my own hope faltered.

I will send all the prayers I've left in me that your birthing is easy, and I simply cannot wait to meet little Beth again. Times like these, it hurts to be so far away. I would like our children to play together and watch over one another and be as brothers and sisters. I do not regret my decisions, but I must acknowledge the price we both paid for them. I hope we can visit more often in the future.

The view from Caladan is simply amazing, Corrine. By day you can see all the way to the King's Road if you've eyes enough. Yet we're still high enough that by night you can read by starlight. I'll bring you to the high room for the sunset, and when the sun's down you can brush my hair out, and I'll put yours up in curls, and we can talk until the moonlit hours like we never had the chance to when we were girls.

Ah, look at me now...all maudlin and soppy. I do hope this is just one more thing about having been pregnant that will fade with time.

Travel safe, dearest cousin. And travel swift.

Gwyn

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Gwyn,

I do not think you sounded mad or soppy. In fact, your letter resonated very much with me. I certainly harbour similar feelings with Bethany, especially just wanting to leave the House to the Gods sometimes, and only be with her. I expect it will be the same with the impending arrivals. I know I cannot though, and so I must return to the real world.
Ben built us a little cabin in the forest where we can escape when needed, and forget about the pressures of being Lord &
Lady for a while. He does love a romantic gesture. When things get to be too much, I ride out there and spend an evening by the fireplace, sometimes with Beth, Ben, or both, but sometimes alone. It's the only place where the noise of my own mind does not trouble me. That is just between us, of course. As far as we know, nobody knows it's there.

I am glad that Baelon is helping when he can, and that the improvements to Caladan Hall are going well. May your House grow mighty and prosperous. Do let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

It heartens me that I give you strength. I value your love greatly. You too are a source of strength for me, knowing that I am not alone in whatever challenges arise. We both struggled with my mother's ideas of who we should be, but I wish we had not been pressured so. I still see you and Dyana as the sisters I never had. Speaking of which, have you heard from her? I sent a letter East some time ago, but never heard back. I hope she is alright. I worry that our excitement about matchmaking her &
Daveth might have scared her.

I too would like our children to grow up together. When we are together in person, we can discuss a plan for that. I am sure we can manage something. Ellie and Gillian Kriegar spend alternate seasons with us and with House Kriegar, which has been good for both of them, and for relations between the Houses in general.

I shall look forward to spending time with you. As you say, we have lost time to catch up for, not having these opportunities as girls. No-one has ever been quite as good at curling my hair as you were.

Corrine

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