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Post by The Forgotten God on Nov 29, 2012 20:45:37 GMT -5
"Well, well, when would you like to be wed, my dear? It's so nice to finally meet the granddaughter I never had," he grinned. "But who wants to hear an old man? Let's eat!"
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Post by Arania Stark on Nov 30, 2012 13:25:16 GMT -5
"When?" She looked surprised to be asked her opinion. She glanced at Kalvin, smiling at him before turning back to the old man. "Soon...but at your convenience, of course, my Lord."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Nov 30, 2012 13:32:35 GMT -5
"Soon IS my convenience; old man like me could fall over any time!" he says boisterously. From his voice, he could conceivably outlive them all. In the dining hall are boar and venison and steamed cabbage and steaming bread and wine and ale and honeyed fruits.
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Post by Arania Stark on Nov 30, 2012 14:00:19 GMT -5
There was no need to be careful of the old man, Arania decided. Ancient though he was, there was hardly a hint of frailty about him. "We had best hurry, then," she said cheerfully, licking her lips at the spread. Her stomach growled, loudly, suddenly reminding her that she had hardly eaten on the journey.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Nov 30, 2012 14:02:34 GMT -5
The food is excellent, if gamier than Arania's upbringing has her used to. Kalvin devours more than she ever thought possible, and Catherine is not far behind him; she had been a bit ill on the road up ad makes up for it at the feast.
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Post by Arania Stark on Dec 1, 2012 1:30:58 GMT -5
Arania ate voraciously, like the rest of them. Usually she ate like a bird, but at the table of Lord Rickon she found herself taking a second helping, and to her own great surprise, a third, and washing it all down with rich dark wine. After a lot of eating, she leaned against the table, feeling pleasantly full and warm. "That was wonderful. Best I've had since we've been back in Westeros, I think." Perhaps she exaggerated...but only a little.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Dec 1, 2012 10:27:48 GMT -5
Given the destruction of Eddard's Rest, it may not even be an exaggeration. The wine definitely feels pleasantly strong after three glasses. The meal slowly dissipates, and many well-wishers start chatting with her, before Lord Rickon, with a laugh dismisses them. "The lady can have a warm bed and her gifts from Oldtown before having to listen to you all squawk!" he said in his cheery manner.
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Post by Arania Stark on Dec 1, 2012 13:10:06 GMT -5
Arania blushed from all the attention (the wine may have helped), and was grateful to be granted solitude...for tonight at least. Gifts? She wondered what he could have sent. Books, no doubt. He knew all her favorites. "A bed does sound pleasant, and I'm very curious what my father sent. Would you show me the way?" Her smile was bright, matching the cheer of all present. The ruins of Eddard's Rest were a long way behind her, in more ways than one.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Dec 1, 2012 13:16:01 GMT -5
"Hells no, I'm too old for all those stairs," he grins. "Kalvin, show her up." Kal chuckles at his great-grandfather. He offers his lady an army and leads her to her room.
It's a climb to get there indeed, but she has been granted an entire floor of the somewhat narrow tower; perhaps twenty paces on each side. She can see for many, many miles from the windows dotting the walls, and the floors are warm, lending the entire room a comfortable air. Next to her large and comfortable-looking bed are four chests. Kalvin looks at them. "Ornate," he comments. They are ebony and emblazoned with the insignia of House Hightower.
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Post by Arania Stark on Dec 1, 2012 13:35:21 GMT -5
"Going up and down those stairs every day..." she shook her head and smiled widely. "Reminds me of home, to say the least."
She dragged a finger along the smooth top of the chest closest to her. "Of course. My father never does anything by halves." She laughed and knelt in front of it, lifting the lid.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Dec 1, 2012 13:43:16 GMT -5
The first chest has a collection of books she's never even seen before. They must have come from the far top of the Hightower, her father's private library, which he never let anyone in. There's at least fifty.
The second is a set of clothing her mother probably designed; a wedding cloak of silk is the most prominent piece. The third chest is yet more books; most of her known favorites from the Hightower, and a few new ones presumably from the Citadel.
The fourth, which is more for Kalvin, officially, is her dowry. It is a chunk of gold that is almost never seen in the North. Thousands of coins, all told, and some jewelry Arania will probably enjoy showing off at some point, when she meets an uppity bitch to outshine.
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Post by Arania Stark on Dec 1, 2012 19:33:26 GMT -5
Arania lifted out one of the books, eyes misting a little. "He thought of everything, didn't he?" She thumbed the pages, then laid it carefully back in its place. Wiping her eyes in the back of her sleeve, she grinned at Kalvin. "What do you think; a week of reading to finish them all?" she joked.
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Post by Amelia Royce on Dec 1, 2012 21:33:40 GMT -5
After the happy couple had left Benjen stayed with Rickon.
"So, I heard there is still trouble with Manderly," He said, his tone not too dark to dampen the mood. "I almost came but judged the Nightswatch to be competent enough to deal with him."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Dec 2, 2012 8:21:35 GMT -5
Kalvin is still regarding the chest of gold. "Probably five or six days; whoever wants to get out of bed when it's so cold out?" He picks up a golden dragon and turns it front and back. "I hope you like it here. I'll show you the godswood tomorrow."
//
Rickon chuckled. "Traitors are never too interesting; the rapscallion is too busy trying to feed his hordes to fight, according to the Frozen Lion."
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Post by Arania Stark on Dec 2, 2012 12:18:44 GMT -5
"Certainly not I, though I'm sure they'll wonder where I've disappeared to." She ran her finger over the spines of the books fondly, then closed the lid of the trunk. She smirked at his concentration on the gold and wrapped an arm about his waist. "Do you know what you'll do with it all? Or are you just surprised to see so much, all in one place?"
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