driftfleet | 🌹 ００１

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🌹 ００１｜ｖｉｄｅｏ

Who: margaery tyrell.
Broadcast: fleet wide.
Action: Marsiva ; hospitality deck
When: current

[ the girl who sits in front of the camera seems as if she is quite well-versed in this manner of communication. if she had spent precious time watching others from afar before trying her hand at it as to not look foolish, it does not show. the only hint of how foreign she is to this setting is her manner of dress but give it a few seconds and you might start thinking this is somehow natural, too.

after all, she does seem very comfortable. Margaery's smile is sweet and bright, her hair is flowing down her shoulders and a few roses are placed neatly in her lap, almost a portrait-worthy moment before she speaks. ]

If I am not entirely mistaken, these are our best chance of speaking to one another. I did not wish to appear ill-mannered in failing to introduce myself.

[ to her fellow hostages and to the audience watching. she made certain to appear especially lovely for this. if they love you from the first moment, they shall be yours forever if you mind your step. ]

I am Margaery of House Tyrell; some of you I had the pleasure of meeting already and as for the rest, I am eager to speak to you as soon as it pleases you. I understand we are to spend quite some time together and it would please me to know each and every one of you. I am certain you have fascinating tales to tell of your time here or where you come from; if you ever wish to share, I shall be honored to provide company. I know little of such vessels and adventures but I am keen to learn all that I may.

[ and win whatever game this is. she dips her chin, a humble gesture. ]

For now, I hope I am welcome among you and dearly hope this finds you well.

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[Her manner of speaking and dress remind Riona a bit of home, though she is by far the politest person she's come across so far. Not to disparage those she's met, but goodness, this girl is pulling out all the stops.

And is remarkably composed for a newcomer.]

Getting to know every single person here may be a monumental task; there are quite a few. [With seventeen ships in the fleet and many reporting to be overcapacity, well... the math spoke for itself.] But it's admirable of you to want to try.

Riona Cousland. Pleasure to meet you.

I ought to at least strive for it, Lady Riona.

[ she speaks with an air of nobility, with pretty words and a sweet smile and margaery's smile grows in response, turning from bright to secretive, as if the two are dear friends already. ]

I am certain I could learn from everyone and I am certain they would prove to be such sweet company with their tales.

Oh, just Riona is all right. It's been quite awhile since I've been called that. [She laughs a little under her breath. It's been awhile for a variety of reasons, but it's certainly a throwback to home to hear it again. It stirs up quite a bit of nostalgia.]

Well, you're not wrong there. Many come from different worlds and offer new perspectives. I wish you luck in that endeavor and hope you don't find yourself overwhelmed.

[Her smile doesn't falter, though it does gain a touch of seriousness as she continues:] Has anyone you've spoken to so far told you of what your new situation is?

How sweet of you to cast aside your title, I was - considering doing the same. After all, it means so very little to the people here. If I am to call you Riona, then you must call me Margaery.

[ the smile remains even after the question is asked but a glint of interest makes its way to her eyes. ]

I have heard some words of it but I fear they are a little lost on me. I wonder if you would be so kind to explain to me in your own? we seem to understand each other well, you and I.

Margaery it is then. You have the right of it; for better or worse, titles are all but meaningless here. It can provide an interesting dichotomy from an environment back home if one is used to such things, and provides an equal field for those who have no titles.

[Margaery is extremely charming, Riona has to admit. She's definitely used to dealing with people, and given her manner, speech, and the fact that she said House, she's clearly nobility. But she's kind and doesn't shove that down others' throats, it seems, so Riona likes her well enough for it.]

But of course. Well, as you've likely discerned by now [She smiles wryly at the obviousness] you've been kidnapped. Brought into space as part of a television show, so they call it. If you're not familiar with such a thing, it's... like seeing a production in a theater, but you view it on a small screen, sort of like these devices. And you can watch it at any time.

Anyway, supposedly we have an audience that watches our every move and are riveted in their seats to see how our daily lives aboard these ships unfold. Luckily, aside from keeping us trapped here, Atroma - our dear hosts [Said with dripping sarcasm] interfere directly very rarely. I've been here near a month and I've never heard anything from them. Or he or she or whatever Atroma is.

You are used to it, are you not? the same way I am, perhaps? are there kings and queens, ladies and lords at your home?

[ there is equal merit to learning about the different worlds people come from and learning of space. if one is to be on the good graces of others, one has to understand them. ]

We are - actors of a kind, then. It was my understanding that we have come here to entertain.

[ her husband-to-be's sweet mother would have reeled and threatened at the prospects and would have made herself a laughingstock, no doubt. if margaery finds the arrangement displeasing, she does not speak of it. ]

Our gracious hosts, yes.

[ her tone is not sarcastic but there is a glint in her eyes that suggests agreement. ]

Then, upon being brought here, one is expected to go about their routine, I trust?

Quite. We have all of those where I am from. The titles themselves vary per country, but underneath the different names it's all the same. My family is of a noble house, as you would put it. [Down to just her and her brother now, thanks to Howe's treachery. But the Cousland name endures, and that's what counts.]

Got it all in one. Fortunately no script, but Atroma is adept at catching us off-balance. [Bringing in people from home that would elicit an entertaining reaction seems to be their favorite method.] Do not underestimate what they can do and you'll do fine.

It seems as if we are very similar, you and I. Are any members of your house also reside here? I have yet to meet anyone from my own realm but then, I have only been here for a short time.

[ there are some she would be endlessly happy to see and some she prefers not to see at all until she finds her way back to westeros ]

I shan't dream of it. If they have managed to bring us all here, they must be very wise and powerful.

[A passing look of sorrow passes over her expression before Riona schools it back into place.]

No, no kin of mine are here. But I have been here for only a month myself, so time will tell if that is to change. Where are you from, if you don't mind my asking?

[She snorts lightly.]

Powerful, definitely. Wise is debatable. But they're very careful and cover their tracks well.

I do not think my kin are here, either. They would have sent word already if they had, they are all so protective of me.

[ she smiles a little, gentle rather than bright. ]

I shall pray that you will be reunited with your own kin at home.

[ a beat ]

I come from a realm named Westeros. Seven Kingdoms united under one king. My home, however, is named Highgarden.

Likely so, unless they have not had the chance to see your message as of yet. Unfortunately your chances are they are not here, but that could always change.

[She smiles weakly at Margaery's good-will wish. She'll never see most of them again, and who knows when she'd be able to visit Fergus or vice versa. However, the intention means more than the reality of the hope.]

Thank you.

Hmmm. The name does not ring a bell. [Sansa, Robb nor Bran ever mentioned the name to her. Otherwise, she'd have said something.] But seven entire countries under one king? Impressive. [The place must be as large as Orlais, if not more so. And she can't even imagine trying to reign sovereign over that much territory.] Is Highgarden a lovely of a place as it sounds?

Though I do not wish any of them to be abducted by this place, I admit the thought of them here is likely to become sweeter by the day. we are not very used to be so far from one another.

[ especially not herself and Loras. ]

They were once separated until a man named Aegon the Conqueror of house Targaryen brought them together under his rule. He and his sisters had came to battle had many victories until eventually all the lords and ladies accepted their rule. He was called Aegon the Dragon, too for he and his sisters came to claim a throne riding their dragons.

[ but she digresses, doesn't she? she smiles a little ]

Forgive me, it is one of my favorite tales. It is a very old one, house Targaryen and their dragons are long gone from the shores of our realm. You asked me of Highgarden and I shall tell you, there are not words to describe the beauty of it. It is a castle my house has kept for many, many years, built upon a hill by the river, filled with sweet fruit trees and fields upon fields of golden roses.

[She listens to the story intently. It reminds her of the tale of Calenhad and how he united Ferelden, minus the sisters and dragons. A mention which causes her eyes to widen only slightly.]

Dragons can be tamed where you're from?

[They're nothing more than a big, dangerous pestilence in Thedas. ]

But I can see why you enjoy the tale. It seems like a rather exciting one.

[Golden roses and a castle by a river. It sounds so idyllic, like something out of a fairy tale. And a rather far cry from her childhood home in Highever.]

It sounds wonderful. It's a shame I cannot visit. I'd very much like to see these golden roses; we have no such thing in Thedas. [What she'd give to be able to pluck a few and show them to Alistair when she got home.]

Once, they could have, and only those of house Targaryen. The dragon is their sigil and the beasts have always shown an uncanny loyalty to them, so the old tales tell. They say their dragons were so large they could fill halls upon halls.

[ she smiles, her tone turns conspiratorial ]

A few roses came with me. They are not true Highgarden roses but I shall give you one the day we meet.

High dragons, then. [It's more muttered to herself. Thedas had drakes and dragonlings, which were relatively small. But the female high dragons? Hoo boy were they big. And a pain the ass to fight. It's really no wonder to her, then, that these Targaryen's could overtake seven kingdoms if they had dragons on their side.] I am impressed that anyone could have any capability in controlling those beasts. But then, things that hold true in one world don't necessarily do the same in another, I've come to learn.

[The offer surprises Riona. It's a very kind gift coming from a total stranger.]

My goodness, are you sure? I would not want to take something you have from home away from you. It may be some time before you return.

Are they matters of tales in your own realm as well? Fierce and untamed, I assume?

[ there is a dark side to the house of dragons as well. much like the beasts themselves, those born to dragon blood seemed to be as unexpectedly violent but those are morbid thoughts, hardly necessary now. ]

I am certain. You have been kind to me in my most uncertain hour, it is the least I can do for a friend.

Oh absolutely. They're fierce predators and can wreak utter havoc when they come out of hiding to nest. Fortunately that's the only time they appear, and they're not terribly common. A huge relief, given how difficult it is to fight one.

[She's only ever fought one proper high dragon but that was enough for her.]

Then I would gladly accept your gift. Thank you very much, Margaery.

You seem to know so much of the subject. Have you ever seen one? I can imagine a dragon is quite a sight.

[ she nods ]

You are always welcome, sweetling.

Oh, I have. Up close and personal, in fact. Tried to make a meal out of me and my companions, breathed fire, and so on. Nasty thing.

[And that was just the high dragon that watched over the Temple of Sacred Ashes which, if Oghren hadn't been a drunken idiot and stumbled into that damned gong, she never would have had to fight the thing.]

Truly?

[ she gasps and then chuckles at her own dramatics. she leans forward, catching every each one of her words, eyes widening. ]

and you fought against it? have you defeated it?

We did and we won. Barely, I might add. By far the most difficult and exhausting battle of my life at the time.

[A pause, and then she smiles conspiratorially.]

Would you like to hear the story? Now that I think about it, it's not too bad a tale.

[ even if she were not interested, margaery is fortunate enough to have a gift of making those she speaks to feel as if there isn't anything in the world more fascinating than themselves. When she is taken by her company, quite like now, she becomes joyful and giddy. ]

I do greatly enjoy stories. Now you must tell me.

Then I shall not disappoint you. Though to understand this story in its fullest will require me to explain a few things beforehand. Do forgive me for it; I'll try to make it quick.

[She gets comfortable in her seat, knowing this will take a bit of time.]

My country was embroiled in a civil upheaval at the time of this story. Our king had died suddenly in battle and his advisor, Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir, seized power, instating himself as regent. [She smiles bitterly.] It didn't go over well with the nobility, as you might imagine. [There was also the Blight occurring, but that wasn't necessary to know for the story and would make the tale twice as long as needed.]

My companions and I, among other things, were trying to unite the nobles of Ferelden to confront Loghain and bring an end to the civil war. The best man to help us with that was a man named Eamon Guerrin. Eamon is an Arl in my kingdom, a noble lord with considerable influence and power. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, he had fallen ill. Poisoned, we later learned. And no known medicine or treatment worked to cure him.

The only option left to us was a legend that told of the Sacred Ashes. They are said to be the ashes of Andraste, a prophet from a thousand years before my time that spread the word of the Maker. Her teachings are the basis of the Chantry and the Chant of Light, the dominant religion in my world. It was said that her ashes had potent healing properties and could cure any illness.

[She pauses to take a breath before smiling in apology.] Forgive me, that's a lot to take in.

You must not apologize, I find the tale fascinating.

[ it gives her a look into another realm aside of her own. it does not sound so different than westeros in the way of politics and poisons. different names but the same agendas. it gives her the benefit of looking into the life of the lady she speaks to ]

please, speak freely. It appears that we have ample time to speak to one another in this realm.

Thank you. You're too kind.

[With all the background out of the way, now she can get on with the tale.]

Eamon's wife had sent many of their knights out into Ferelden to track down the ashes. Piggybacking off what information they had gathered and from the accounts of the at-the-time missing Brother Genitivi, we eventually tracked down the location of the ashes. They were hidden in the mountains behind a village called Haven, an isolated location in the Frostbacks, west of my kingdom. The town did not take kindly to outsiders. They had essentially cut themselves off from the rest of the world for centuries. And, ah, when we said we needed to get to the mountain to get to the ashes, they really did not take kindly to that. [To say the very least.]

After several unfortunate encounters with the local population, we found Brother Genitivi. Poor man had gone to the village to find the ashes as well and got taken prisoner. Once he was patched up, he led us to an old ruined temple, filled with more angry villagers. He stayed behind while we were forced to fight our way through the place to get to the mountain. [It's clear by her tone that she wished it hadn't been that way, but the villagers had left them no choice.] The temple led into a series of caverns that wound their way up through the mountain. We ran into several dragonlings and drakes - male dragons that are much, much smaller than their female counterparts. Typically signs that a high dragon is nearby or at least lives nearby, anyway. Worrying, but we had more pressing matters to worry about.

"But what were these villagers doing, hiding out in a cavern system with such beasts?" you might ask. That's what we wondered, too! Since dragons and drakes like to munch on humans. We discovered the truth when a leader of the villagers - Kolgrim, I think his name was - confronted us as we were leaving the caverns. Apparently, the villagers had taken up worshiping the local high dragon, believing she was Andraste reborn. They had been trying to get to the ashes to destroy them because they were certain that if they did so, the magic in them would be released and Andraste would achieve her true form. And the leader was so generous as to offer me forgiveness if I took some of the dragon's blood and poured it in the ashes. Seeing as I was not keen on being remembered as the lunatic who defiled the ashes of the Maker's Bride, I said no. They got mad, and they attacked.

[It's the story of Riona's life as a Warden, honestly.]

After that unfortunate incident, we finally emerged from the caverns and saw the mountain which housed Andraste's ashes. Now, the villagers were a crazy lot but they were right about one thing: there was, in fact, a high dragon. And she was right there, sleeping above the entrance into the mountain.

[She pauses for another breath and to let Margaery take it in. And also, admittedly, for dramatic effect.]

🌹 ００１｜ｖｉｄｅｏ

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i am so sorry for all this word vomit

you're good!

thank you ;;

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