[D4, EN] The Lady and the Dragon (Closed)

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine sends a message to Baelon, inviting him to visit her at the Marsten pavilion. He finds her sat by the fire, cradling a cup of wine in her lap, rolling it absent-mindedly between her hands as she gazes into the orange flames.

[Baelon Drakeson]

The shape of Ser Baelon Waters emerges from the shadows of the night into the warmth of the firelight.
The campfire reflects burning in his eyes, and the light dyes his hair a mottled, shifting reddish-orange.
It is, overall, not a comforting effect.

"
Good evening, Lady Corrine."

His tone is flat and formal. Guarded.
"
You wished to see me?"

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

She looks up at him, and the glow of the fire in contrast with the dark of the encroaching night does indeed give his appearance an eerie aura.

"
I did, yes. Will you sit? I have some wine, if you'd like."


Her tone is more uncertain, anxious.

[Baelon Drakeson]

Baelon takes a glass of wine, and sits.

He does not speak, nor sip his wine.

He just looks at Lady Corrine, waiting.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

His gaze is cold and uncomfortable for her to meet, and she nervously tucks a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

"
You rode well today,"
she said, her courage to tell him what she wanted to dissipated by his flat tone and hollow stare.

Mother have mercy, he's more upset with me than I thought.

[Baelon Drakeson]

No thanks to you.

His gaze shifts to his wineglass.
Then to the fire.
Then back to her.

What is this I feel? Not rage, not anger. Not sadness or despair, either.
Why do I feel so empty when I look at her?

He sits, waiting for more.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

His silence is even more unsettling than his stare. She shifts in her seat and takes a nervous sip from her wine cup.

"
I... erm... it's... I... I spoke with Lord Krieger. Things seem to be smoothed over now, for the time being. I need to make sure that our knights don't let them down again."

[Baelon Drakeson]

Do you even know what you are saying? Have you any clue about the reality of the situation?
Or are you so tied up in your little fairy-tale romance world that you are ignorant of what really happened?
You think you are ready to step out into the world, take over House Marsten?
You think you have any clue what it means to rule?
Think again.

Of course he does not say that.

"
That was your mother's choice, don't blame the knights for it.
She chose to protect her child, and his died as a result.
I can't blame Lord Kellan for being so angry."


The entire household treats you with kid gloves, a delicate little flower that will wilt in the slightest hint of cold air.
You know what? I'm starting to think they were right to.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
Oh, I don't blame the knights at all. They were only following orders,"
Corrine explained. "
I understand why both Lords were so angry, their men too, and I understand why mother made the decision she did. I don't blame any of them. I just meant that, in future, I want to try and ensure that all who follow House Marsten are protected and know they are valued."


She looked regretfully down into her cup.

"
People have suffered because of me, and I do not want to let it happen again."

[Baelon Drakeson]

"
Yes, people have suffered because of you."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Her eyes snapped back to his, the echo being both unexpected and stinging;


"
Yes, I know,"
she replied, a little hotly, picking up on his dark tone. "
That's what I just said. Why did you just repeat that back at me?"

[Baelon Drakeson]

"
Emphasis, lady. And to remind you that one of them is sitting right here."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

What little defensiveness had flared up dissolved into resignation, and her shoulders sank even further.

"
I am sorry, Baelon. I never meant to hurt you,"
she said, miserably. "
I just didn't know what to do. I panicked. More than one person clamoured for my affections, and it overwhelmed me. I did not want to let any of you down, but my indecisiveness has caused pain anyway."


She sighed heavily, and forced herself to look him in the eye.

"
I invited you here tonight to tell you I have made a decision on that matter. I felt I owed you the truth, and an explanation for my behaviour when we last spoke. Now that I have explained, I must..."


She took a deep breath, steeling herself.

"
...regretfully tell you that I have decided you are not the person I want to be with. I am very sorry that I cannot give you what you want, and that I was unable to tell you this sooner. I hope that you can forgive me."

[Baelon Drakeson]

Baelon stands. His wineglass tumbling to the ground, spilling its contents.
The dark wine looks like blood in harsh light of the fire.

"
You can't mean that Ironborn - Athelstan. I heard the rumors that you had feelings for him, but I didn't believe..."

He pauses, a look of realization coming over his face.
"
That's what he meant by being bound in the fight. I thought he was just making excuses."


He steps over to her.

"
Surely, you cannot still hold out hope to be with him, he is a confirmed kinslayer;
there is no hope there.
You would not merely bring shame upon yourself with such a union, you would bring ruin upon House Marsten."


He kneels on the ground before her, taking her small, soft hands into his larger, harder ones.
Looking her in the eye, with the fire behind, there was still a flame in his eyes - yet it could not possibly be a reflection from the campfire.
This is a different sort of fire than was in his eyes when he first arrived.

"
Corrine, sweet, beautiful Corrine... I know your heart is elsewhere, but it cannot be. Surely you must see that.
I know I have my faults. I know that I may not be... deserving... of your love;
but for you I would change my ways,
to be the sort of man that you would want me to be... and I hope that eventually, perhaps, you can find it in your
heart to some small flicker of love for me."


He takes her hand and places it on his cheek.

"
There are times when our love and duty to our family may make us make sacrifices to protect what we hold
dear. I... I will not ask for my own sake... but for the sake of House Marsten, I beg you to reconsider the kinslayer.
No good can come of such a match, and I... I hope that I would not be too great of a sacrifice for you."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine is surprised by his response. His previous curtness had made her expect fire and blood from him, not this sudden tender beseeching. She took her hand from his face, but kept holding his hands.

"
You are mistaken, Baelon, sweetly though you implore. Athelstan is not the one I have chosen. As you say, he was judged guilty by the Seven, and so I will never be his, as much as he might want that. I already told him he must desist with me. He... did not take it well. But that is another matter. It is not him. I want to marry Ser Benedict Blackthorne."

[Baelon Drakeson]

Ser Benedict? Where did that come from?
"
In the course of one afternoon you shift your attentions from Athelstan to Ser Benedict... are you so sure that your heart will remain constant on him?
Would you stake your life, your future, the future of House Marsten... would you put all that at risk that this time, you truly know your heart?"

He shakes his head.
"
I'm not asking you to spurn him and take me instead. I said before that I'll not wed a woman who does not want me, and I meant it.
No, I just ask that you be cautious, and take care. If you are wrong in this... it will not be just you that suffers. It is not fair to Ben, either;

not to mention the risk to Gwyn, Dyana, and the rest of House Marsten."

He sighs.
"
Your marriage is not just about you. That may not, no, that IS not fair, but that makes it no less true. I do not know
Ser Benedict well, though he seems to have taken an irrational dislike to me. I know of nothing wrong with him as
a man - but you should also consider if he has what it takes to be a lord. If he doesn't, then no matter how good of
a man he is, no matter how much you love him, you would be damning your family, your House to ruin. This dispute
with Lord Kellan - that is a sign that there is something wrong in this house, and your future husband, whomever that
may be, will be thrust deep into the thick of it."


"
I want you to be happy, Corrine. I wish that sincerely... but I do not think you would truly be happy should House Marsten fall.
If.. if there is any chance that I might be able to make you happy, please, please consider me. I can bring much to this house,
support of many friends, and even royal support... but that means nothing if I cannot bring joy to you."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine listened to him, taking in all he said, the gravity of it all.

"
Baelon, I think you have listened too closely to rumours. I am not so inconstant as the rabble make me out to be. I did not set my heart on the Ironborn. I had affection for Ben long before I even came to this tourney. He was a dear friend when he was at Hartshorn, though that was when we were much younger. Still, even before Athelstan Pyke introduced himself to me, I had spoken with Ben and felt a real connection. I believe the way we have each grown allows us to fit eachother in a way nobody else does, and that is incredibly valuable to me."


She was deliberately downplaying her relationship to Athelstan, but she felt it a necessary bending of the story.

"
Ben is kind and brave and loyal. Not that you are not those things, I believe you are, but with you, it does not feel the same. I look at you and see a Targaryen, not a Marsten."


She held his gaze softly, her voice utterly sincere.

"
I know that the future of the House rests upon my choices. I do not take any of it lightly. In truth, that pressure threatens to crush me at every moment. But I believe I can do this. I am going to make use of the support I have from mother to learn what I must, and I will hold my House steady as best I can. I know there are problems to overcome, but I am doing my best, and I believe that Ben will rise to the challenge too. I do not think he dislikes you. He is just a bit defensive around people whom he thinks dislike him, like my mother, for instance. He expects scorn from members of this House because of past events, and the tension with the Blackwoods, and so he sometimes seems spiky to protect himself. Besides, you can be quite intimidating, my dear."


She gave Baelon a tight but kind smile, trying to convey that she was trying to do right by everyone, especially him.

[Baelon Drakeson]

"
So you deny that you had feelings for the Athelstan? That the rumors are nothing but falsehoods?"


He shakes his head.

"
Yes, I am a Targaryan by blood - Prince Daemon... my father... just confirmed to me that I am his son. Is that a bad thing?
Ser Benedict will always be a Blackthorne, too - or perhaps a Tullison man. Why is that better than a Targaryan?
As you say, he fought for House Blackwood. He may have even shed Marsten blood, taken Marsten lives.
Is he more fit than I to be a Marsten, who has shed blood in the defense of the House?"


He shakes his head.

"
I met Ser Benedict the other day. His dislike for me was... palpable, even before I spoke a single word to him.
Perhaps Ellie told him the falsehoods that were spread around House Tullison when Gwyn and I were there."

That would be a shame. I liked Ellie. She reminded me of Raena and Baela, a bit.

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
I am sure that, if Ben does indeed believe ill of you, I can persuade him otherwise. Ellie too,"
Corrine offered. "
I would not have rancour between those I care about. As for the the Ironborn, he was charming and bold at first, and I was prepared to hear out his case, as I was with you, but his judgement was clear. I want nothing to do with the kinslayer."


Her last statement was determined and cold. She pushed down the feelings Athelstan had stirred in her the previous evening, burying them as far away from her heart as she could.

"
I am not saying that the Blackwoods or Tullisons are better than you, far from it. I hold you in very high esteem, Baelon, truly, and I am grateful for all you have done for House Marsten. I will even help to find a good match for you if I can. But my heart has spoken, and I believe that Ben will be the best choice for me, and while he is not yet as close to House Marsten as you, I do not believe him a fool. He will help me rule wisely, I am sure of it. We share similar values, I know he will be loyal to both my House and to me personally, and, well, he makes me happy. I don't think you and I would be happy together, Baelon. I'm sorry."


Her tone was soft and gentle, trying to convince him of her sincerity and judgement.

"
I cannot predict the future, only make the choice I believe will make for a good future."

[Baelon Drakeson]

"
I just ask that you be cautious - take some time. Such matter don't need to be, shouldn't be decided hastily. Don't do it for me - do it for yourself, and for Ser Ben. Hastiness makes for tragedy, and I would not want to see you suffer more."



OOC: [url=awareness v Corrine][/url]: 3d6 13 to see if he sees through her lie/see her emotional turmoil about Athelstan.
EDIT forgot my injury, that should be at -1 for a total of 12

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

She nods slowly.

"
Thank you, Baelon. I will be cautious, I promise. I am going to speak to mother about it tomorrow."


To less astute observers, it would seem that Corrine has no interest in Athelstan, and might even believe that the rumours about them were baseless. However, up close, Baelon can hear hesitance in her voice when she speaks ill of the kinslayer, like her coldness about him is to disguise and guard herself from painful emotions. She is hiding it valiantly, but she cannot completely conceal that there are more feelings there than she lets on, and clearly more than she wants to have.

[Baelon Drakeson]

"
Your mother? Good luck with that. You'll need it."

The tone of his voice makes it clear that the statement has more to do with Lady Isobel than Corrine or Ben.

"
Tomorrow, though? Perhaps you ought to take a little more time to be sure before you fight that battle.
Even I can see your turmoil over the kinslayer - your Lady mother will surely notice... and likely take that
as evidence that your judgement cannot be trusted in this matter."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

Corrine looks a little little affronted, though mainly it is from Baelon seeing that which she is trying to hide.

"
I am not in turmoil over that Ironborn murderer,"
she protests quietly. She knows, however, that she is caught, and decides against trying to deny it further.

"
I will not insult you by lying to you. Yes, I liked him, and I had hoped he would prove himself not guilty, not just for me, but for his people. I wanted to believe that they could be better than what everyone thinks of them. But the matter is settled now, and whatever inconvenient feelings I may have experienced must not be allowed to remain. I am not so foolish as to go pining after such a ruinous creature."


Despite seeing she has been hurt, she does seem sincere and determined about putting Athelstan in the past.

She sighs heavily, with a quick glance up into the night sky, then back to Baelon.

"
I also have to tell Yoren Longshore tomorrow that House Marsten rejects his offer of aid. I'm hoping he is more reasonable and gracious than his bastard brother."

[Baelon Drakeson]

"
I am glad that you have put your feelings for him behind. That would not go over well with your mother. All the more reason to wait before talking with her."

He looks concerned.
"
If you would like, I will accompany you when you speak to this Yoren, to protect you, if needed.
Or, of you think my presence will be disruptive, given my recent history with his brother, I urge you to take Ser Kevan or another of the knights."

He shakes his head.
"
I doubt all ironborn are as... unpredictable... as the kinslayer, but still, your life is too precious to take foolish risks with.
There is no guarantee that this Yoren fellow won't try to get revenge against House Marsten for my role in his brothers punishment...
especially if Athelstan spoke to him of your... affiliation."

[Lady Corrine Marsten]

"
I hope he has not been spreading his scorn, but who knows,"
Corrine shrugged. "
If so, I shall just have to live with it. I know I did nothing wrong. Thank you for your offer to accompany me, but I fear you may be right in being cautious with your presence. I know not what his disposition will be after all that has happened today, towards either of us. I will take Kevan though. The fact of the matter is that, even if the Ironborn were not so unpredictable, and in the middle of internal strife, Yoren was still asking for more than the House can afford for his services. I just need to find a way to decline without a diplomatic incident. I spoke with mother earlier, about the things I've been doing to try and learn how to be a better leader. She seemed pleased that I am taking counsel. I know I am not used to any of this, and I have much to learn before I'll be ready handling the House affairs, but I do take it seriously. If you have guidance on what I ought to say to Yoren tomorrow, I would gladly hear it."

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