rebirth 17 | orb 1

[ladysarmour]

Please, there must be some sort of mistake. I've told them - I can't be a princess, I'm not even from this place, I've no rightful claim, I-I'm only a baseborn girl.

I'm sorry. I don't mean to do insult to the honor done me. Only I'm not sure what is expected of me in such a role, and…and I would very much like to go home.

[ There's an animal whine from somewhere out of sight, and a nervous look flitters briefly through Sansa's eyes. ]

The man said… It can't be true, can it, that death does not bind here?

Comments

[greatsquirrelhunter]

[Faolan looks a little confused] Death is. Vati and Mutti are dead, so they don't come back. So now Faolan lives with Hawk.

Princesses are pretty.

[ladysarmour]

But Lady - Lady is here, and she died.

Yes. They are. ...Do you like stories?

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan likes stories! You know stories? [Eager wriggle]

[ladysarmour]

Yes.

Is it my role to tell them?

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Yes yes please!

[ladysarmour]

Very well. Which sort of story shall I tell?

[greatsquirrelhunter]

[Faolan beams at her] A happy story!

[ladysarmour]

[ His smile is infectious. It draws a small one from her. ]

I may know some. Do you know the story of Princess Daeryssa and Serwyn the Mirror Shield?

[greatsquirrelhunter]

[Faolan shakes his head, smiling at her.] No! Tell me!

[ladysarmour]

Daeryssa was a princess of Dragonstone, the fairest maiden of her time with hair of silver and eyes like the sky at dusk. Everyone loved her because of her sweetness, and she was the dearest of her father's children. For this reason, the giants, ever hateful of the realms of men, conspired to cross the Wall and steal Daeryssa away.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

What were they gonna do with her? [Faolan is completely taken with the story]

[ladysarmour]

Giants are known for their appetite for men. But when they took Daeryssa they found they could bring themselves do her no harm. You see, she had a voice like the Daughter Herself, and it so charmed them they too found themselves loving her.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Can you sing too? [Interruptions are par for the course]

[ladysarmour]

[ startled, she remembers the last time she sang, and the kiss the Hound left her with afterward. ]

Yes, of course.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan likes to sing! [He demonstrates, although it sounds more like howling than singing]

[ladysarmour]

[ it's loud. she holds the orb a bit further away, her lips tightening imperceptibly. ]

And you are very talented at it.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

[The boy has no sense of subtlety and beams at her praise. Then he prompts her.]

Now you.

[ladysarmour]

[ the first song that comes to mind is of Florian and Jonquil, and her gorge rises with it. she swallows it back down. ]

I only know religious hymns.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

[Oh! She looks sad! Faolan whimpers and wriggles that he's sorry he made her sad.]

[ladysarmour]

[ Sansa just looks at him blankly ]

Is something wrong?

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Made you unhappy? [He looks so sad about that]

[ladysarmour]

Of course not. My heart is glad and light.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

[The 10 year old is easy to convince. He smiles at her again.]

[ladysarmour]

[ That draws a small smile from her, but one with little real feeling behind it. ]

[greatsquirrelhunter]

[He settled back down.] Finish story?