🌹 ００１ ｜ ｖｉｄｅｏ

[partialities]

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.

Comments

[partialities]

A golden head, how beautiful.

[ that the lannisters are known for such is little reason to despise the color. if margaery will bear joffrey's child and the babe will be born with a head of gold, she would love them all the same. ]

Your father allowed you to go with him? What a brave man. I am so sorry that you have lost him.

[ and her sentiment is as sincere as they come. she's good at that, empathy. in that manner she fits joff perfectly, creates a balance as the boy-king has none to speak of. ]

Each house in my realm has a sigil, Katniss. The men wear it upon their shields and the women portray it in their jewelry. There are lions and stags and fish, even. My house's sigil is a flower, a rose. Our seat is named Highgarden; a castle surrounded by fountains and flowers. We favor those and wear them often. My brother Loras is named the Knight of Flowers for this reason. Some might joke that it is less - intimidating than a lion, for example.

[ but then, some people are fools ]

But we would never change it, we value nature and beauty too much.

[takeabow]

[ her expression darkens slightly, and she draws back emotionally some ]

I suppose it serves your house to be underestimated like that.

[partialities]

It matters to us less. Highgarden is not the capital of my realm, it busies itself with art and music, with care for the people. My time at home was spent in orphanages, distributing clothes and food. Too many in our realm fail to see the people they are meant to serve, I find it terribly unbecoming.

[ her thoughts stray to the queen regeant in her golden hair and sharp claws ]</small. There was those among other houses who found such concepts to be worthy of their mockery but what of it? Everyone must do what they deem just and good.

[takeabow]

[ she relaxes again slightly ]

Oh, that's great. There should be more people like that, everywhere. People who care about their citizens.

[partialities]

[ she smiles and nods ]

I reckon so as well. My thought is that if there are those who had the fortune to be born into nobility, then the gods wish for them to help the others live as well as possible. Just because someone was born poor or an orphan does not make them any different than one born to wealth. Encourage and help them and they will live better life and love you better for it.

[ she falters ]

there are those in my realm who would only install fear, it is why we are so different, myself and my house, we want the people's love.

[takeabow]

[ in a rare moment, Katniss feels like maybe she can connect with what Margaery is sharing and decides to open up and soften just a bit ]

My world sounds like it could belong in your world, the way you're describing everyone else. My district is poor and poorly rationed. My sister and I almost... died after my father was killed. My mother couldn't work and we had nothing.

[partialities]

and there was none to help? none to offer food or blankets?

[ not so different than the poor people on flea bottom, barely dressed and covered in dirt, opening their hands, calling for help ]

when I came to the capital, so far from Highgarden, I could not believe the state of the people. It was horrid; the beauty of the castle did not concern me as much as much as the hunger in the streets. My house brought wagons upon wagons of food, passed it among the poor alongside blankets. It was all I could think of.

[ that became possible by her becoming joffrey's queen to be. as renly's, her lord father was the one to close the roseroad and prevent goods from arriving at king's landing and margaery had cared for the poor in the Reach.

but what about that now? when she is queen, she will care for her people in all seven kingdoms. ]

[takeabow]

[ it's difficult for her to talk about—her mouth has gone slightly dry and she looks past the camera on the video feed. she shrugs and prepares to start a few times before she actually talks, her voice flat and quiet ]

I wasn't old enough to get tesserae—rations. You have to be 12 because the cost of them is an entry into the lottery for the Hunger Games.

[partialities]

The Hunger Games?

[ this might be the one time since her arrival and margaery's smile has left her, replaced with a frown as she listens. ]

are these tournaments of a kind?

[takeabow]

[ she can't help but sigh slightly, preparing for the explanation ]

Remember how I told you I had a sob story? I don't usually go into this during introductions but...

Yeah, it's a tournament of some kind. In exchange for whatever they consider to be peace, the Capitol has arranged that every year, a boy and a girl from each of the 12 districts gets chosen to fight to the death. The age range is usually 12-18. It's meant to "remind us how terrible war would be" and I don't know. Celebrate bravery or some shit.

Mostly it serves to remind everyone every year how much power the Capitol has, and how much we don't have.

[ her mouth makes something that could only be described as a smile in the barest of contexts. It's laden with venom and regret ]

My sister's name was called her first year. She hadn't even taken any tesserae. So I volunteered in her place.

[partialities]

Fear.

[ though joffrey has yet to become this creative. still, if he were to hear of this, margaery is certain he would find this an appealing idea to take the children of the houses subjected to his reign and have them fight each other to the death. ]

In any realm, it so easily becomes brutal. Of course you went in place of your sister, what were you to do? any of by brothers would do the same for me.

[takeabow]

She was just too young.

[ "young" here has weight to it. She's not just talking about age ]

I did win, by the way. The boy from my district and I found a way to stay alive and be co-victors. The Capitol wasn't happy about it.

[partialities]

I understand.

[ there are those who, despite it all, remain oblivious to the nature of the world at least for a little while. margaery is reminded of her cousins in their giggles and their gossip and it makes her smile. yes, those must be protected for as long as one is able.

it shan't last forever but mayhaps just long enough. ]

I imagine they were not but yet, you are here, speaking to me, Katniss. You are braver than most of the knights in my realm put together.

[takeabow]

I do what it takes to survive.

[ the way she says it evokes a placid surface with something very dangerous underneath ]

I am alive, but that's not always a requirement for being here. Sometimes people get... brought back, I guess. It's a different world, so if they've died in their home, it doesn't really take here.

[partialities]

[ two valuable pieces of knowledge. the girl, katniss, is strong, very much so, with keen protective skills and a sense of what is just is one; that people can be brought back from the dead is the second and it makes sense in an odd way. she is speaking to robb stark, is she not?

she thinks, fleetingly, of renly. ]

May I tell you something, Katniss? A secret, if you will..

[ that all of their audience can hear, she is well aware. ]

[takeabow]

[ she's a little thrown at the quick change ]

Sure?

[partialities]

My house worships the Seven. The Faith of the Seven is one way of worship in my realm, we pray to seven Gods and each embodies different matters, if you will. Folk pray to the Warrior for strength in battle, to the Mother for compassion and mercy.

[ a beat ]

There is one, the Maiden, they sing of her, her smiles teach the birds to fly, and gives dreams to little children.

[ she smiles a little. ]

I shall always think of your sister when I pray to her.

[takeabow]

[ it's something she wasn't expecting—not least because they don't have anything like that where she's from, but she can recognize the weight and importance of the gesture. From moment to moment, she can suppress her longing for her sister but Margaery's words make everything rush back, knocking the wind from her. She goes very still, taken away from the present for a beat, then she recovers, her voice soft and a little huskier, trying to quell her reaction ]

I.

Thanks. Thank you. Maybe I can— If there's a way to find a photo of her. I'd like to show you.

[partialities]

If there is such a way, I would dearly wish to look upon her.

[ said with a soft nod of her head before she bows it ]

Until then, I shall imagine a face like your own, younger and softer, with golden hair laced with a ribbon.

[takeabow]

[ Katniss smiles as her tone tries to lighten the mood—to limited success ]

I told you, she's nothing like me. She's much prettier.

[partialities]

[ coyly ]

I cannot easily imagine it, you are already far too pretty.

[takeabow]

[ she can't even address that, she'll just flush a bit and change the subject ]

Once you know where you're assigned we should go out around the station together. There's not much to it but I can still probably show you some things.

[partialities]

I have heard of the place, the station.

[ she claps her head ]

Oh we ought to make a day of it, you and I. It shall please me.

[takeabow]

[ plays with her braid a bit ]

Or enough of a day, anyway. We'll see how long I can stand shopping and crowds.

[partialities]

When you tire of it all, we shall retire somewhere quiet. You could teach me to do my hair in such a manner, it's truly ever so pretty.