ASoIaF RPG - A Tourney of Gulls IC

[Cor Azer]

He knows! thinks Jacelynn, a slight panic flashing across her face. He's not exposing me though. That's good... I can work this out.

"Thank you Ser Laton, for the offer, but I must attend to the Lady Palla. The maester was unsure when she'd wake." Jacelynn flexes her knees to curtsy but catches herself, grimaces slightly, and bows her head instead. "Ser Jarl, my honor to meet you, however briefly."

Maiden help me! Squires don't curtsy! Think girl!

Jacelynn turns and begins walking towards the door when it opens. Haken holds the door open for Adham, one of the strongest House Vantri guards, who cradles the still unconscious Palla in his arms. Behind the guard, Maester Karlon walks, repeatedly folding and unfolding a wet cloth.

"This way, Adham. Ser Laton got the lady a room over here."

Jacelynn hurries over to Palla's side. "Is she well?" She barely tosses a glance at the maester as she asks.

"Well enough to move, but still resting. A good night's sleep should do wonders for her recovery."

"Thank you Maester." Jacelynn bites her lip as she watches the hefty guard carry the pregnant woman, timidly stretching out her hand to help support Palla's weight. She tosses a side glance at the merchant, but although Raquinno eyes Palla, he says nothing.

A loud harumph cuts into the air. See Gough looks over at Jacelynn, although he clearly is admiring Palla. "Pray tell, squire. Where is the Lady's husband? She has the look of a Lynderly, yet I've not heard of any of Lord Wyman's girls being married." His voices trails off, a lecherous hunger apparent.

May the Stranger take you you fat - "That is none of your concern, Ser."

"On the contrary, boy." Contempt and anger can be heard in the knight's voice. "It is my maester who cares for her. I have every right to know where her lord husband is so I can ensure she is returned safely to him." Ser Gough's voice softens only slightly, but a wolfish grin creeps in. "Unless... Unless she has no husband? Is that it, boy? Does your wench of a lady carry a bastard in her belly?"

Oh Gods, don't cry. Squires don't cry, thinks Jacelynn. Seven help me, don't let me cry...

 

[jackslate45]

Robin followed the Maester, Haken, and Adham into the room trying to keep his face as serious as possible. He overhears what Ser Gough was asking, and decided to re-prioritize. He approaches the group and says "Ser Gough, please try to calm down. I am sure the squire is just exhausted from the harrowing day he and his lady experienced. His only concern is that of his lady safety, which is commendable. He should go with and be with his lady now, as is required of him." Robin stares intently at Jace, hoping that (s)he would get the hint.

"As for you Ser's, I am certian as well that after a long day, food and drink are the top choice for today. Please, sit and relax, and I will personally make sure that the kitchens are working at full capacity. " Robin smiles and nods towards the counter, where most of the guard of House Vantri have already started to eat.

 

[ShaggySpellsword]

Pate perks up when the food starts coming in and manages to get one of the first plates offered. He chokes a bit when Gough openly accuses the lady of carrying a bastard and begins gulping his food down pretty quickly.

After Robin gives Jace a good excuse to retire from the common room, Pate washes the last of his food down with the last of his ale and stands, walking over to the squire, taking him by one shoulder.

"Come along young squire. Me an' Adham will make sure you and the lady aren't disturbed tonight. Let the knights sort out the arrangements of the maester and such."

Pate bows his head to the knights in the common room and ushers the squire after Adham and Lady Palla.

 

[Captain Impossible]

Jarl nods the the young squire as she gives her leave. He felt much more comfortable as he began to warm up slightly. The exertion of the day, ignored on the road, had begun to to take its belated effect upon him. It takes the sound of the door opening to snap him out of it.

As Ser Gough makes his insinuations, Ser Jarl slowly stands from table. His hand rests on his sword at his hip. Before he can do anything impulsive, Robin intercedes, breaking the tension in the room. As Pate helps Adham with the invalid lady, Jarl sits down, his hand still on his sword. "I hope the food arrives soon," Jarl grumbles under his breath.

 

[DrZombie]

Laton hooks his mace back on his belt, his movement hidden by the table. He stands up, nods at his uncle and follows the guard up to the rooms.

"Pate, It might be best if you keep an eye out tonight. Wake me and my uncle if there's any trouble."

"Young squire, it might be best if we talk sooner rather than later."

 

[Cor Azer]

Jacelynn takes a seat in a stool next to Palla, gently fixing the blanket covering her as Adham finishes laying her in the bed. She nods appreciatively to the guard.

"Come one, Adham," says Haken. "We should leave them to their counsel." Haken bows slightly to Ser Laton, and exits behind Adham, but pauses for a second. "We'll do our best to keep Ser Gough downstairs. No eavesdroppers needed."

Jacelynn pays no attention to the conversation at the door, instead watching Maester Karlon as he fusses about Palla's forehead. Finally, the maester seems satisfied that Palla is comfortable, then smiles wistfully at the girl in the squire's clothes. "The Lady Palla will be fine. She needs rest, but I don't think there's any lasting injury." He tucks his hands into the folds of his robes as he passes Ser Laton. "Try not to stay in here too long. The lady does need her sleep." As the maester peers back at Jacelynn, he adds, "Her as well, I would suspect. Ser Gough won't like it, but I'll be available should you need me during the night."

After the door closes, silence descends upon the room.

How much do I tell him? Jacelynn turns her head slightly, trying to judge the trustworthiness of this knight.

"It's not a bastard," she says. A heavy sob is barely held back. "Not truly. Lady Palla wed my brother. There was a kindly septon in the village who did it for a few gold dragons. Kept it secret, because Palla's family wanted her to marry up, not some landed knight." Tears well in the corners of Jacelynn's eyes. "Ondrew... Ondrew died. Bandits. Clansmen. Something. Palla was riding out to meet him, but he wouldn't be there. I... I had to go. Ondrew told me everything, and I... I had to watch over his child. I had to watch out for Palla."

Jacelynn pauses, looking down at the squire's livery she wears. She pays particular attention to the House Weatherley badge on her left breast. "I know a bit about horses, and I watched Ondrew practice his sword, although it was too heavy for me, so I just took one of the shorter ones. I figured... I hoped... that being dressed as a squire - a boy - would keep people from bothering us. Mind their own business. Safer than two women on the road."

"I... I don't think Palla knows. About me. I don't think." Jacelynn looks at the sleeping woman beside her. "Sometimes I think she looks at me a bit funny, but she hasn't said anything. I told her I was Jace Weatherly - Ondrew's cousin. She knows about Ondrew's... about his death. She cried. I couldn't... not with her." Her cheeks glisten with moist tears. "I already cried. But with her, I wanted to cry again. But I couldn't. Boys don't cry. Do they, Ser?"

She sobs softly, barely paying attention to Ser Laton.

"I'm sorry, Ser. I shouldn't be dumping this all on you. You rescued us in the hills, and now I'm telling all my secrets... and I... I don't know what to do."

"It's too much," Jacelynn says, as she drops her head down to rest in the cradle of her arms on the bed. "It's too much Ser. Palla didn't know what to do. We just started riding. Couldn't go back home, she said. We met Raquinno on the road. He said he'd comfort Palla, but we knew what he meant. I think that Agorn one likes little boys - he was looking at me... wrong. The Dothraki never spoke. Merrillio, he... he was nice. Chivalrous, like in the stories of brave knights. Told the other ones to leave us alone. I don't know why he's with them."

"And then the rain, and we got lost." She sobs softly. "And then I woke in the maester's cart, and he knows about me. And he serves that... that... fat knight. I don't want him to know about me. Mother help me - there's something cruel in that... man." Jacelynn tries to pause in her sobbing rambling, and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry Ser. I'm sorry to throw all my problems at you. It's not your concern; you've already done so much for us. Thank you. Thank you for saving us. I hate to think what may have happened if someone else had found us on that road."

 

[ShaggySpellsword]

Pate listens to the whole spiel from Jace, barely able to follow what it is she is saying.

He's...a girl? Some knight's sister. The lady was married to his--no her--knight. Her brother.

Pate squints hard with the stress of working all of that out. Rather than even make an attempt to follow this baffling conversation, he says to Ser Laton,
"Ser, I'll just take this chair out to the hall and watch tonight from there, and, um, let the two of you have your talk for now. I'll come get you and Ser Jarl should there be problems. I'm sure Haken will set guards on the wagons. By your leave."

He nods his head in a small bow and grabs the chair by the door, ready to slip out as soon as Ser Laton gives his permission.

 

[DrZombie]

"Yes, yes" Laton waves distractedly at Pate. "Go ahead."
Oh Bugger. What a mess did I get myself involved in?
"Is there room at your keep for Palla and her child? How would your parents receive her?"

 

[Cor Azer]

The sobbing slowly eases as Jacelynn slumps in her chair, nearly exhausted from pouring out her thoughts and fears. "My... my parents are dead. Ondrew was the knight of the keep, but my uncle Slynn was castellan. We're just a family of landed knights and Ondrew spent so much time at Sunkenwood serving Lord Lynderly that I don't think he realized what my uncle was doing. Nobody really cares about a lesser house like Weatherley so long as their tithes are paid and knees are bent."

Suddenly realizing that Ser Laton asked her question, she looks up wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry for crying, Ser. I am. But no, I don't think Lady Palla would be safe at Squallfield. My uncle is probably rejoicing that I'm missing, if he cares at all. With my brother dead, the hall should go to me, but I've not the power to take it back from him." Jacelynn grimaces ruefully. "Inheritance means little without swords to enforce it, and the swords of Squallfield are more loyal to my uncle than to some wisp of a girl who pretends she's a squire," she says, gesturing weakly at her livery.

"Through All Weather," Jacelynn states to noone in particular. "Our words. When Ser Hace was first granted his name and lands, he took those words to honor the difficulty he had in leading Lord Lynderly's reserves across the Snakewood to help against some invading clansmen. It tells us that we'll fight through anything." She pauses to look at the weathervane, sun and moon of the House Weatherley badge. "It doesn't tell us where to get the swords we need to do it."

"Forgive me, Ser, but I am tired after such a long day, and I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate what you've done for Lady Palla and I. Our lives are truly in your debt. But I do need rest." Jacelynn rises from her stool and faces Ser Laton, curtsying with the hem of her livery. "Pray accept my apologies for my rudeness at dumping all of this upon you and asking you to leave. I hope that Lady Palla is feeling more rested in the morning. I'm sure she would like to tha - "

A strangled yell of pain echoes from outside the inn, faintly heard in the windowless room, but reverberating strongly in other rooms. Instinctively Jacelynn drops her hand to the hilt of the sword at her hip, but her cheeks flush red with embarrassment at the though of standing should to shoulder with true knights.

Shouts from down in the common room echoes up the hall to the rooms.

"What was that?"

"Out in the barn!"

"Is someone hurt?"

"Who's out there?"

"Ser Rolston's squire."

"Is it clansmen?"

"The stableboy."

"I don't see anything."

"Haken set Talmond and a few guards to - "

"Where'd that sellsword get to?"

A loud clatter signals a few overturned benches as men in the common room spring to their feet.

"My mutton!"

A Pentoshi accent shouts something in Dothraki, then continues in Braavosi, "You stay here to Merrillio. Whatever Agorn did, his fate is his own."

 

[Captain Impossible]

Ser Jarl took a bite out of his mutton. It was wonderful and salty, but he couldn't shake the uneasiness he felt. Pregnant ladies, girl squires, foreign mercenaries, and a lecherous knight with his ... women. He couldn't let his guard down, so he couldn't have more than the one ale, at least until the others seemed settled.

Jarl's introspection was cut short by a pained yell coming from the outside. Quickly, Jarl reached for his shield and his sword. He tried to remember who was out there. Which of his men? Ser Rollston? Someone else? The room erupted as men stood up and drew their weapons.

"Haken set Talmond and a few guards to watch upstairs. Bring Laton and Pate down here. He won't get much use out of his halberd in the hallway."

Jarl waited at the doorway, ready to strike if a clansman came through.

"Ser Gough, you're not going to be much help sitting."