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Post by Flex on Sept 22, 2013 14:44:42 GMT -5
"Gods!!" Aurane shouted, jumping up and dropping his books.
"It's you..." He said, recovering from his shock. "Doreah... gods, but you gave me a scare."
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Post by Teirney Lannister on Sept 22, 2013 15:00:16 GMT -5
Doreah couldn't help but smile at his reaction. "How did you get through the war on the Steppstones, truly, if your own wife can sneak up on you and scare you out of your chair?" She laughed to show she was only being lighthearted and circled around to face him. How long had it been since she had seen his face, so close before her? She was surprised at the rush of affection and concern that rose in her chest for him, even after all these years away and all the ugly things that lay behind them; and she brushed his brow his brow tenderly her fingers. "I hope I did not scare you too much. You seem well, Aurane."
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Post by Flex on Sept 22, 2013 15:02:20 GMT -5
"Well enough," He replied, looking her in the eyes... he found himself taking one of her hands and giving it a squeeze. There was still something there; of course there was. But such a big hole too...
"How are the children? And how are you?" He turned and poured a second glass, handing it to his wife.
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Post by Teirney Lannister on Sept 22, 2013 15:26:02 GMT -5
"The children are very well, but they have grown so much. Nymeria has only increased in beauty, if that can be thought possible, though her manners have yet to catch up, as you have probably surmised. Something must be done with the girl, Aurane. Sansa, though, she is truly a special child--she reminds me so much of Amelia and she misses you. Have you seen Teirney since you've been here? I know you two are not always in agreement over things, but you must give her your time. She has become a woman grown, and a willful one, at that; she needs guidance. And how is my dear Damon? I miss the boy terribly, I cannot be away from him for much longer."
She paused when she had run out of praises to sing for her children. They were truly marvelous children and the one thing she had to thank Aurane for, despite every other way in which he irked her. What could she say about herself? There was so much to say, so many of her worries and guilt and trifling internal thoughts that she wished she could open to him, but their worlds were separated by a wall of glass--it had only the appearance of unity, but the transparence only underscored their isolation. She took the glass from him, taking a deep sip. "I have been...tired in your absence. Running the Rock is not a menial task."
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Post by Flex on Sept 22, 2013 15:32:15 GMT -5
"It is not," Aurane agreed, sitting down again. "It is good to hear of the children. I wish for Nymeria to visit the city, though under heavy guard. She is a precious girl and I don't want any rogueish young knights getting too close to her."
He eyes Doreah over the rim of his glass. "Damon is well. I have sent him North, where he will meet Elyssa Stark. I am hoping the two will find a liking for each other." His look became more serious. "But what is this I hear of us courting the exiled Prince?"
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Post by Teirney Lannister on Sept 22, 2013 15:56:27 GMT -5
Doreah fought the urge to roll her eyes at his insistence to indulge Nymeria at every moment--he was the reason the girl had become so difficult to manage without threat of violence or the persuasion of expensive rewards. His idea of raising children could certainly be...lackluster. She shrugged it off, however, and frowned at this new bit of information. Damon, off to meet some Stark girl in the North? "You sent him North? You could not have sent me a raven regarding the affair?" She fumed silently into her wine, taking a long pull of its contents to hide the stormcloud that flickered across her face. How he thought he could make such vital decisions as these without her advice or approval...It was all just as well then. She had more than a few secrets she would keep from him as well, if that was the game he wanted to play.
She resurfaced when Aurane brought up the topic of Damon. That much had been inevitable. "It is nonsense, of course. You think Casterly Rock would harbor such a traitor and exile? I am not half so foolish as that, dear."
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Post by Flex on Sept 22, 2013 16:00:35 GMT -5
"And yet there is a root of truth to every rumour, especially when I hear the words from Prince Evan Martell," Aurane replied calmly. "In combination with certain letters from Maester Theo I am beginning to get a slightly broader picture of what has been happening." He rested the calf of one leg on his other and sloshed his brandy around.
"As for Damon, he is a grown man now. A knight too, and he has drawn blood in battle. He is ready for the world."
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Post by Teirney Lannister on Sept 22, 2013 16:06:43 GMT -5
"What kind of picture would that be, dear husband?" Doreah retorted, meeting his eye unflinchingly.
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Post by Flex on Sept 22, 2013 16:08:10 GMT -5
"A contentious one," Aurane replied, finally taking a sip. "One that the Lord of the West should have full knowledge of before he and his dear wife visit their relatives in Sunspear."
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Post by Teirney Lannister on Sept 22, 2013 16:20:40 GMT -5
"Ask me what you want to know, plainly then. I will not refuse my husband's requests." Doreah drew a chair a millimeter away from Aurane's, facing him, and perched upon it expectantly.
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Post by Flex on Sept 22, 2013 16:26:19 GMT -5
Aurane studied his wife for a long moment before setting his glass down. He cupped her cheek with one hand and kissed her.
"It's been a while since I have been able to do that," He said instead, something strange about his voice. Something... kind.
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Post by Teirney Lannister on Sept 22, 2013 16:37:43 GMT -5
Doreah froze. It had truly been some time since she had last kissed her husband, and it was not something he engaged in with her with any sense of affection anyways. This was a rare moment, and she feared it would slip away altogether too quickly and barely leave the remnants of its passing in her memory. When he pulled away, she sat before him, feeling suddenly small and considerably less in control of the situation that she had thirty seconds ago. "Did you miss it when you were away?" she asked, feeling very dubious.
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Post by Flex on Sept 22, 2013 16:42:34 GMT -5
A question he was somehow not prepared for. Could he bring himself to admit to some of the confusing things he felt?
"It... it is always strange to be away from someone for so long," He managed, his hand still on her cheek. "I..." He thought of his concubines and felt... something. Sadness? Regret.
"It made me think of when we met."
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Post by Teirney Lannister on Sept 22, 2013 16:51:10 GMT -5
Doreah slid forward and kissed him again, but it was not a chaste kiss like Aurane's had been--It was one filled with all the heat and zeal that marked her as who she was, and she almost fell out of her chair in delivering it. This will be the closest he will ever get to telling me he has missed me. I will not be such a fool as to turn it away.
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Post by Flex on Sept 22, 2013 16:54:18 GMT -5
Aurane put his hands on Doreah's hips and pulled her onto his lap, not breaking the kiss. The bitterness between them didn't matter, because there was something that was still there; something that burned hot and could not be denied.
He found his hands roaming her while the kiss deepened between them, becoming more passionate by the moment.
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Hope you all are well and happy.