leonctte

[leonctte]

CLOSED STARTERS / ACCEPTING

@houndisdead / sandor clegane

whilst many were eager to leave dragonstone, leonette had been anxious for her children to spend so long travelling. still, it was in her nature to carry on, to don a smile and think of only the positives. and so she had found herself on the edge of the camp, doing her best to provide some normalcy for her three year old daughter despite the circumstances. they had gathered handfuls of wildflowers ( what few they could find with winter creeping closer ), as they might have at highgarden, and together had weaved crowns of blooms. as deft fingers worked on the next, her bright eyes never strayed from alysanne who had toddled off with a crown clutched in her hands. determined, it seemed to offer it to the familiar face of the former kingsguard. perhaps the least likely man to don the crown of flowers.

a pretty smile is offered to the approaching man, hoping that he would indulge her sweet girl rather than frighten her. with men one could never tell. “she’s chosen you to crown, ser. i’m afraid you might break her heart if you do not accept it.” 

[leonctte]

#pretty in pink

[leonctte]

garlanofroses‌

He could understand his wife’s anxiousness and Garlan patted her hand as she squeezed his arm. It had been strange to leave the idyllic refuse that Stonedance had become and he was not pleased to be traveling further from home yet again. He inclined his head as Leonette spoke, acknowledging the truth in her words. “She has,” he responded. “Though we hardly know that she will follow through. A pledge means different things to different people.”

Garlan raised a brow as he looked over at his wife. He loved her, more than life itself, but her ability to see the goodness in people never ceased to amaze him. A lesser man would call her naïve, but he knew better and the smile he gave her was fond. “I suppose anything is possible, but I find it unlikely she would fight for anything except the Lannister coffers.” It was, perhaps, not the nicest thing he could have said, but Garlan also knew that his family had grown weary of being in bed with lions. “I believe it will end in fire and blood either way, my love,” he said as he lifted Leonette’s hand to his lips and kissed her palm, keeping his voice quiet. “The only question is which side we’ll be on when the time comes.”

it seemed impossible to her, the idea of breaking a promise or vow. she had been taught that it was something sacred that ought to be honoured no matter what. the fact that they were allied to a queen who seemed to not honour that belief left her feeling more than just uneasy. but sad. mourning a loss of her own honour that she may have to sacrifice in place of her duty. fighting for the side that showed no love beyond selfish means. “our own pledge to her matters so much.” pale pink lips twist into a frown as delicate brows draw together, “and yet hers may mean nothing in return?”

to this she seems less inclined to agree, for she had a perspective that the warriors and strategists alike lacked. “and her children. we musn’t underestimate what a mother would do in the name of those she birthed. even cersei lannister.” the blonde woman pauses for a considered moment, “especially cersei lannister.” a sigh leaves her then, a forlorn sound made only slightly better by the comfort of the sole man she had ever loved. bright eyes glance about the both of them, calculation that is so rarely on show that is soon hidden behind innocence. “have there been discussions about our future position?”

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highgardenspride‌

Loras watched Alysanne sleep with nothing but fondness in his eyes as her little breaths filled the silence. His family was everything to him, and she was their future, alongside her brother - they were who he was prepared to fight for in the oncoming battle, no matter how much the thought of the dead who walked like the living scared him witless. 

“Mercy will come again. We will make sure of it. Perhaps the dead fight without it, but every force in Westeros has come together against them, the likes of which have never been seen before. I have faith we will prevail.” His eyes never left Alysanne’s sleeping form as they threatened to well up. “I would never let anyone hurt her, or anyone I love.” Not again.  He did not plan on coming back from the north - he would much rather die fighting for the safety of those he loved than in the next battle that would no doubt come, where the Tyrell’s current alliances would have him die fighting for Cersei Lannisters pride. 

she knows she must keep faith, that it is perhaps the only weapon left to her in this great war, and yet she finds herself stumbling at the worst possible time. yet she offers a tentative smile anyway, one that does not crease the corners of her bright eyes as it so often did but a valiant effort nonetheless. “if you believe it then it surely must be so. for so many to join together... it can only be for victory.”

sadness can be found in her expressive features, no matter how hard she tries to keep it hidden. still she reaches out with a comforting squeeze of his hand for just a moment. “i know you wouldn’t. i know that.” sometimes when she caught herself watching loras, and margaery too, she is reminded of just how truly young they both are. and how much weight they have been made to carry upon their shoulders that she wished she could keep them from. “you’ve always done your best loras, remember that.”

[leonctte]

song.

those who can compete with leonette in the ways of ladylike pursuits throughout the seven kingdoms add up to a very small list indeed. since she was a girl she has been well versed in every possible talent her lady mother could push her way. a keen harpist, intricate embroiderer, graceful dancer and her paintings aren’t half bad either. it is therefore no surprise that the lady of spring has a voice to rival any songbird, soft and gentle as it is. despite the fact, it is not a skill she finds pleasure in showing off. shying away from it unless she finds herself beneath a sept roof. in fact it is likely only a talent her husband and children are blessed enough to share in.

[leonctte]

rosamundoflannisport‌

Rosamund wondered, sometimes, what her life would be like when all of this was over, when the dead were defeated – for she could hardly imagine they would not be – and King Tommen sat high on the Iron Throne. [ Sometimes there were whispers in her mind, whispers that reminded her it was very possible King Tommen would sit on no throne, that the Starks could take it like the Baratheons before them. ] Her lips quirked as she spoke with Leonette and she inclined her head. “I agree,” she said softly. “She sees them as her children, I have heard, and not as the beasts they are. Majestic beasts, of course, but beasts all the same.” It was unsafe for dragons to roam free in Westeros, but then again, hadn’t it always been? Even the Northmen had only bowed to dragons.

Her brows arched at Lady Leonette’s question and Rosamund’s smile grew slightly more predatory as she thought of her answer. She had always thought Lady Leonette was rather soft and the question only made her feelings of superiority rise. It must be nice to assume that people did things out of the goodness of their hearts. “Of course,” she drawled, pulling her furs up higher around her neck so that the chill from the air would not touch her skin. “The throne is all she wants. I do not find it likely that she came to Westeros out of the goodness of her heart.” Rosamund gave a very unladylike scoff, holding back as much as she could so that her expression would remain placid to anyone looking at them. “Even the Stark boy has the love of his people; he does what is best for them. Do you believe that the dragon queen would do the same?” She exhaled.

“Does it matter to her if she has anyone left to rule so long as she sits upon the throne with a crown on her head?”

The smile on her face grew more genuine. “Let us hope that I am incorrect and it will not come to such a thing,” she offered. Rosamund looked back out over the waves in the bay, her back straightening. “I agree,” she stated. “It seems unlikely he would do more than allow the North its independence, though I do not see his advisers agreeing to such a thing.” Or his mother. Her lips smoothed back into a conspiratorial smile.

though it is not something she likes to linger on, leonette’s mind does find itself wondering to the what ifs when she is at her most fretful. what if she had not married into one of westeros’ most powerful families? what if she had instead joined houses with one who had sided with the false king stannis? what if she had remained loyal to those she shared blood with? perhaps she would not feel so anxious if she had cause to believe in the the ruler they rallied behind. if there were no doubts that clouded her every waking thought. as it was, the rose had chosen the lion, and so the apple must do as she is bid.

still even if she stood behind the stag, he could stand no chance against a dragon. one the lady before her now insisted would burn them all to the ground so that she might claim the throne - and she could find no logic that would suggest otherwise. only hope, belief in the greater good, in rulers anointed by god to do the right thing by the people they were chosen to rule. were they all to be at mercy of westeros’ kings and queens for the rest of their days? “people do love her.” leonette’s tone is less certain than that of the confident rosamund’s - something she found herself envious of, for she longed for such courage. brows pulled together as her thoughts warred in her head, a frown on her lips. “they must have followed her across the sea for a reason?”

she knows she’ll pray tonight, and all the nights to come, for the gods to prove her wordstrue. that in the war of the crowns they remember the people they pledge to serve, that they do not burn for the sake of a chair. “what good would ruling over a graveyard be? only madness would grant such a satisfaction.” leonette simply had to believe that daenerys targaryen, if triumphant, was as the tales said - everything but her father. soft lips part in surprise then as she turns to the golden haired lannister. “you think king tommen would allow even that? surely allowing traitors the terms they ask for is a dangerous precedent to set?”

[leonctte]

CLOSED STARTERS / ACCEPTING

@garlanofroses / ❝ She will go down in flames and blood. ❞

the hand that clutches at her husband’s arm flexes then as her teeth begin to gnaw anxiously at her lower lip. a habit that had only worsened since they had departed dragonstone. it would seem she had traded her worries of a dangerous political atmosphere for a closer march to death. and yet still conversation seemed to turn toward their allies amongst the tyrell camp. “the queen regent has sent thousands of men from the westerlands and pledged lannister forces.” leonette points out, making great efforts to keep her voice lowered to avoid the chance of any prying ears about the camp overhearing.

“perhaps she has seen the light, and wishes to fight for the living?” so wilfully optimistic it near bordered on naive and yet the lady of spring couldn’t help but long for it all the same. was it so strange for her to hope the queen they had sided with possessed a hidden heart? wide blue eyes look up at her husband then, almost as if pleading for good news. “i just want to believe that we’ve sided with the right queen. that it doesn’t have to end in fire and blood.”

[leonctte]

CLOSED STARTERS / ACCEPTING

@highgardenspride /  ❝ What we do now, we do so that someday mercy will be able to survive here. ❞

soft hands run through the blonde curls of her sleeping daughter, blue eyes filled with so much worry as they bear down on the pure embodiment of innocence. they had both been so excited to travel, gareth near impossible to subdue enough for sleep the evening before they had left. though she herself had been keen to leave the tense atmosphere of dragonstone, seeing the columns of men they marched with that day had imbued her with fresh nerves. be careful what you wish for, dear one. hadn’t that been the lesson her mother had taught her so long ago? soon the north would one day loom before them and she would no doubt find herself longing for the dark halls of the dragon’s keep once more.

“that is what frightens me most.” with pursed lips she tears her eyes away from alysanne, looking to loras instead. “the dead have no mercy. perhaps one day mercy will come again but that is not a fate we can expect in this war.” for a moment in the tent, all optimism deserts her. she knows, deep down, that he is right. if they survive, so will the dream of a better world. but to live seemed so distant to her now. “the stories the northerners have makes such a victory seem impossible.”

[leonctte]

I was a daydreamer as a kid. I want to act because of whatever artistic bone is in my body. I want to explore what it is to be alive. I just want to make good shit.

[leonctte]

❝ It’s an activity fit only for beasts yet practiced by no kind of beasts. ❞ - Garrick

the lady of spring dons a smile of relief then, chancing a bashful glance to her side so that she might avert her eyes from the violent scenes before them. how she had found herself amongst a mock melee is beyond her, but it is not a situation she feels comfortable in. soft blue hues looking on in horror as warfare is acted out before her. “my father always said that a man’s blood runs hot when battle is almost upon them.” her brows knit together as a pained shout fills the air and cheers erupt from the crowd. though just what this victory proves she is entirely uncertain.

“yet i must confess it seems senseless to me.” leonette turns from the brawl then as the spill of blood only seems to make them rowdier. “to fight for ones survival and others is a noble path. when there is nothing at stake but the chance to settle petty scores i see no reason for it.” though she manages a smile, it is one that does not reach her eyes, and is rather forced to her lips. “it is as you say, my lord. an activity for beasts.”

[leonctte]

❝ I cannot disguise my distress and unhappiness. ❞ from loras

“oh loras…” a gentle hand cups the young boy’s face, sadness etching itself into every line of her expression. it was impossible for her not to take on his heartache for her own, it had become her singular use over the years had it not? an ear to lend, a shoulder to cry on. “you needn’t hide it from me. bring me all your burdens, i will always hear them out.” she could speak no softer than the dulcet tones offered to him now. to see him suffer was painful enough, but to think that he might go through such turmoil alone is almost more than she could bear, and she would not allow for such. not while she lived.

how far back did his problems go, she wondered. did he still shed tears for the late lord renly, a man they did not discuss but for whom loras’ affection had been so obvious to one who saw love so clearly? or did he mourn today for the loss of days past? days where he’d had little to worry over but riding and jousting. it was her husband that was in part the cause for such upset, this she knew for certain. though she longed to repair the cracks between brothers, it was something far beyond the lady of spring’s control. “i know not what to say, only that you deserve to be happy. and that one day you will be, for the gods shine on those brave of heart. and there are few above you that are braver.”

[leonctte]

garlanofroses‌

Though he was teasing her, his lips twisted into a small scowl as Leonette mentioned how Olenna had treated her. In truth, Garlan cared little about his grandmother’s opinion of Leonette. He did not think she would have approved of anyone he’d married that was his own choice. [ Garlan had been lucky, he knew, that he’d been allowed to marry the only woman he’d ever wanted. It had been the only time he’d felt as if his wants had been taken into consideration by his father; for all of Mace’s bluster, Garlan had loved him that day. ] But there was part of him that grew more piqued each time a loaded barb was sent Leonette’s way, each time she was made to feel any less a part of their family because she did not share the blood of kings. “She will not be around to treat you as such much longer,” he stated, his voice belying the lightness of his expression. Though it would be just like Olenna to outlive them all, would it not? He was unsurprised by the information Leonette revealed and he merely nodded. “He is needed in Highgarden and we all know it. He would not do as a consort in King’s Landing.” Personally, if given the choice, Garlan would not return to King’s Landing either.

“It matters not what Grandmother would do with Margaery,” he admitted with a wry smile. “I do not believe Willas would send her to the North. And if he tried, I would remind him which of us is the better swordsman.” His lips twitched as he looked at their son and he nodded. “Aye, we will have to take him,” he agreed. “So long as he stays close to me, I do not mind showing him the dragons. They are magnificent, beasts though they are.” He shrugged at the question about the journey. “Loras and I had an argument on the way,” he admitted. “I was honest and he took it like the spoilt child he can be.”

Leonette was right – the thought of having Loras at Brightwater was a surprising one. He lifted his wife’s hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm. “I have not discussed it with him. It was a thought I had on the journey there and then we got into a stupid argument that wasn’t really an argument, I suppose. More Loras not liking what I had to say.” Garlan shook his head. “We will resolve it at some point, I know.” One side of his mouth lifted up. “How has it been here? How is Margaery? How are you?”

perhaps she wouldn’t find herself so upset by the remarks that had been aimed her way since the day they wed, if she weren’t so intent on being liked. more than anything she longed to be accepted by her new family, to have them proud to see her bear the grand sigil of house tyrell. every pointed insult or veiled mockery only served to show her she was still a way off yet. “you musn’t say such things.” soft reprimand leaves her lips, though she is internally grateful for his constant support. always could she count on garlan to come to her defence, ever her gallant knight. “you’ll be sorry for it when she’s gone, she’s still your family my love.” though olenna had often been a thorn in her side, it was in her nature to see the good she had done for her family. the day she was gone from this world would be sad indeed.

she can at least take some comfort in his words, knowing he was likely right. as persuasive as the queen of thorns could be, it was indeed willas now that they all must answer to as lord of highgarden. and she doubted very much that he would be sending his little sister into the wolf’s den anytime soon, no matter how cosy an alliance it made. “oh you would now, would you? then perhaps i ought to warn dear willas of the threat.” leonette’s brows arch playfully, a pretty laugh leaving her rosy lips. she is satisfied with the promise that their son will see the dragons soar as he so desires, and a small part of leonette too who still finds childish wonder in their magic. “it is certainly a once in a lifetime chance for us all to see.”

the process of losing one’s family was a painful one, something she was keen for her husband to avoid if possible. though there were cracks in his relationship with loras, she preferred to be of the mind that they could still be fixed. “what did you argue over? nothing too serious, i hope.” the gentle lady’s voice grew sad as her attention is offered to him completely. “i know he vexes you, but i think it would do you both some good if you were to see the other is eachother’s shoes. do not be too hard on him, he does adore you so very much.” either way, she believed wholeheartedly that having loras join them in their new home would be good for them all. her hand remains clasped in his, finding comfort in having him so close after weeks of an empty bed. “margaery busies herself with the mining efforts, i’ve hardly seen her. in truth i worry for her, she works herself so hard but i know she does so half out of distraction. so as not to think on her grief too long. you and your brother will go a long way to helping her.” a half smile touches her lips, “you needn’t worry for me, i’ve been well, all the better now you’re here.”

[leonctte]

highgardenspride‌

Leonette had always made time for him, which is more than could be said for her husband who so often shut Loras out. He was so grateful for that, when he was such a lonely young man despite the cheers and adoration that greeted him when he presented himself to a tourney crowd. Garlan had been so unequivocally lucky the day he draped his rose-embroidered cloak over Leonette’s shoulders in the sept at Highgarden - they all had, really, to have such a woman bear their last name so proudly. He was so happy to see her that he felt the tense set of his shoulders slackening and a smile already forming on his lips as he sat down. Loras sat, comfortable for the first time in days beside Leonette’s warm fire, one leg tucked up so that his foot rested on the edge of the chair, and he could wrap his arms around it, propping his chin on his knee. He was in the company of family, there was no need to sit tall and proper like his mother had taught him. “It misses you.” He beamed, looking up at her from where his eyes had been transfixed on the flickering of the fire. “I swear the roses do not grow as lovely as they did when they had you and Margaery to outdo.” A boyish snicker escaped with his joke despite how serious his recent losses had made him, the company of those he loved did him good, it seemed.

 “Oh, he has excellent aim. Just like his uncle.” Loras laughed, a practiced, chiming thing that was all too telling of the part he had played. “I taught him well - the ride here was awfully long, we had plenty of time.” Mace’s aspirations of having a knightly son had taken much of Loras’ childhood from him, and he would be the first to admit that being an uncle to Alysanne and Gareth was proving a rather excellent way to grab parts of it back. “Garlan’s always been good at surprises.” He smiled, eyes sliding back to the fire. “He thought you might need their smiling little faces to cheer you up, to keep your spirits up. Though between you and I, I think my brother needed his family together more than he would ever let on. He needs you like a moth needs the moon.” Despite the recent bouts of disagreement, Loras loved his brother, and he worried about him - the way he had taken it upon himself to be so brave, so protective of them all - it was too much to shoulder for one man, even Garlan the Gallant.

fond eyes roll but the bright smile she dons removes any malicious intent behind the gesture. not that she had ever possessed any to begin with, doubtful that she was even capable of even thinking something cruel. “now i have missed your flattery but i do hope such is not the case. the roses will be longing for a while as i fear i will not return to highgarden for quite some time.” the thought is a sad one, and one she does not wish to linger on for the infamous halls had been her home for so many years now it seemed strange that it was no longer the case. “though i am sure our margaery will be more than enough to rejuvenate the blooms once she returns. but who could blame them? she is far too wonderful not to miss.” leonette had been lucky enough to follow her dear friend to dragonstone and so had not needed to miss her company for too long. but loras had been separated from his sister since he departed kingslanding and it did her heart so much good to know they reunited now.

the fires that burned throughout their keep seemed to offer less and less warmth as the days went on, something leonette did not wish to linger on for it meant something sinister was on its way. still, the chill settled over her now and so she soon abandons the upright posture as she pulls the blanket over her shoulders and huddles closer into the chair. “now i had hoped you would keep the children entertained but perhaps i should have guessed that would entail plenty mischief. do i need to find someone else to watch gareth, hm?” she arches a brow, but a smile still plays on her lips. in truth as long as her children were happy she couldn’t find it in her to go further than a playful scold. maybe that did make her a pushover, but she didn’t much care. a blush warms her cheeks then as blue hues dart to the fire instead. she of course knew how much garlan adored her, because she was just as dependant on him. “well he was right. as usual.” the smile drops from her features for a moment as her gaze returns to loras. head cocked to the side as her brows furrow. “he worries. about us all really. that he can’t be here, that he misses too much... i’d be worried myself if he didn’t have all of you around him.”

[leonctte]

[leonctte]

@moviesources: cinema month event → 3/3 teen films: marie antoinette (2006)

“this, madam, is versailles!”

[leonctte]

Ring out the bells upon this day of days! 

[leonctte]

“You have always approached everything terrible trustfully. You have wanted to pet every monster.”

— Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarahustra  (via star-eaters)