i was here, i lived, i loved

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    nineteen | bastard daughter of cersei & jaime lannister | allegiance to herself | single



    Joanna snapped back to her reality quickly, snatching the apple with the blink of her eye. She snickered softly, staring down at the red apple. She played with it in her hand for a moment, her gaze still out on the sea. But then the Prince began to speak and she turned her attention toward him. The blonde beauty smiled softly as he spoke of his dreams, what he wished to do when he was older. Which she could tell, was just a dream. His mother and father seemed very overprotective of him. Which was to be understood. He was the Prince, heir to the Seven Kingdoms. And one of the last true Targaryens left. She could understand a mother's love being mistaken with a tight noose, relinquishing all freedom. But a mother does what is best for his children. And with all the cruelty in the world, Joanna just knew, they would crush the Prince's light with the heel of their boots. The world didn't give a damn who you were. Poor, rich, young, old, good or bad. The world was cruel and it was cruelest to the weak. And the weak were often children and naive girls with their heads in the clouds. Which is why Joanna was so thankful she had woken from her dream. Her dream of thinking she could live out her days in peace, with her father at her side. As much as it pained her so, it was never meant to be. Her father was too good of a person to survive in this world. Joanna lifted her gaze to the Prince once more as he asked her about the Dothraki. He sure was a curious boy. But she couldn't fault him for that. She was curious as well, always seeming to get into trouble because of it. Joanna laid her apple in her lap, leaning back and using her palms to support her. She sighed, letting her head fall back as she took in the sunshine on her pale cheeks.


    "The Dothraki are unlike anything you could ever imagine." Joanna began, lifting her head to squint up at the Prince. She chuckled lowly before continuing. "I loved a Dothraki man once. A Khal, to be exact. He was... this sheer force of nature. As tall as a tree but as wide as an ox. Could rip an man if half just for looking at me wrong." Joanna spoke fondly of her former lover but there was a sadness in her eyes. "They are wild and their very presence commands respect. They hunt and pillage and conquer and all while not even breaking a sweat. They're magnificent to behold in battle, especially a Khal. They are the strongest of them all. They are so passionate about everything they do and speak without fear and it's truly amazing just watching them interact with one another. The love they have for one another, it's unlike anything I've ever seen." Joanna finished, a small smile on her pink lips. She sat up straight and kicked her feet back and forth in the water. She grabbed the apple from her lap and took a bite, sighing at the sweet taste. She had missed fresh fruit like this. She turned her sea-blue gaze to the Prince beside her as he asked her about the Dothraki man she had loved. A small pained smile crossed her lips and she glanced down. "He died." Joanna spoke plainly but it was obvious his death still hurt her to this day. "Some men had discovered who I truly was and attacked the tribe. I fought alongside him and just before I could run into his arms, he was shot in the back with an arrow. I killed the man who had shot the Khal and then... the man I loved died in my arms." Joanna finished, tears pooling in her eyes. She looked up at the sea, sniffling. She blinked away her tears quickly and shook her head. "So many of the people I got close to died. All because of my family name." Joanna spoke solemnly, a sadness in her voice. She sniffled once more and looked down at the apple in her hand. She took another bite out of the apple and kicked at the waves below her, exhaling slowly. She hadn't meant to make the conversation sad but she always told the truth, no matter how hard that may be.


    Joanna looked behind the two of them as she heard armor clinking. She saw two very angry looking Queensguard approaching. Joanna giggled, looking at the Prince with an amused shimmer in her eyes. "Uh-oh. Looks like we've been caught." Joanna snickered. She took another bite of her apple as the Queensguard approached. One of them spoke up, saying that Tyrion had instructed him to take her to her chambers. Joanna rolled her eyes and pushed herself to stand. She faced the Queensguard, her feline gaze daring them. "I haven't even been here a full day and I'm already shoved into a cage. Now I see why my father never mentioned my uncle." Joanna grumbled under her breath. But the Queensguard seemed to be more frustrated with the Prince. she sighed and waved in their faces, catching both of their attentions. "Don't be mad at him. I kind of stole him away. What can I say? Handsome Prince had me looking." Joanna said with a goofy giggle. The Queensguard rolled their eyes and Joanna held up her hands in surrender. The Queensguard tasked with taking her to her chambers grabbed her arm, a little too hard for her liking. "Ow, you prick. I get it, I get it. I'm confided to my chambers. No need to manhandle me." Joanna barked back, snapping her arm from his grip. The Queensguard glared down at her and Joanna could already tell he had a vengeance toward her because of her last name, like everyone else in the world. Joanna sighed, frustrated. She shoved past the Queensguard, her shoulder bump making him stumble as she stormed off the pier.


    (c)trexgirl

    ( Did you want me to timeskip a little with my post, maybe to where Joanna gets back to the Red Keep and has a chance to interact with Julian?? Edit; hang on I think I know where to take my post, I'll edit it into here once I've typed it up. )


    ♛ Aerion Targaryen ♛ 19 ♛ Crown Prince ♛ Betrothed to Nymeria Baratheon ♛

    Aerion knew that he was sheltered in his upbringing and perhaps that had contributed to his curious temperament. It was arguable that he wouldn't make the best king ever, given his lack of fighting experience and arrogance that came with never having been humbled. He was determined not to be a disaster of a royal though, and his knowledge on various subjects would help him in that regard. It was this knowledge-seeking habit that justified his questions and various escapades, though the Queen would never be at ease with him doing as he pleased. Rion hadn't been so angry about it when he was a child, but now he was an adult it just felt smothering, like his mother was trying to chain him to King's Landing to ensure his safety.


    Her words on the Dothraki served to distract him from such thoughts, the story about the fearsome Khal prompting him to ask his fate. Like all good stories, the great warrior died. If he hadn't, Aerion imagined that Joanna wouldn't have even entertained the idea of coming to Westeros. He had never been in love himself, had never trusted anyone enough in truth - anyone who showed interest in him was usually after power or money. He'd had a childish infatuation with a girl from House Velaryon, but that had gone nowhere after she said she could never accept being just his mistress. She had said that Velaryon ladies had been married to Targaryen princes three times in the past, so she would like it to happen again, after his refusal she had stormed off back to her father's castle on Driftmark and he hadn't seen her in the past two years. While he was melancholy for a short period afterwards, it had hardly been 'true love' as the poets would say, and he certainly hadn't cried over the loss. He was unsure if the killers would have been sent by his mother. Certainly not his father, King Jon was far too honourable and had more of a grudge against House Bolton than House Lannister. His mother could be angry and vengeful, but surely she wouldn't hurt a girl just because she was Cersei's child. Joanna didn't have much of a claim or any power, so someone would have to be truly petty in the worst of ways to order her killed. Jaime had proven himself redeemed by fighting for the living instead, so Aerion found it hard to believe that someone would bear such a terrible grudge against him as well. Then again, feuds were nasty things, and lasted for generations until the people in it forgot why they started fighting in the first place.


    He was about to reply when the clanking of footsteps clad in armour caught his attention. Oh dear. "Mother's going to kill me for this." he muttered, more to himself than anything. He threw the apple that he had been eating, now almost finished, into the sea and stood up to face the Queensguard knights. Trying to distract himself from the berating he was getting for running off, he busied himself with putting his shoes back on so the knight could escort him back to the Red Keep. Although he smiled at the Lannister girl's remark, he recovered his composure quite swiftly and turned his attention back to the Queensguard who was currently lecturing him. She was definitely the most interesting noble lady he had met recently, though he highly doubted she would take kindly to being called that.



    ⚔ Julian Arthur Dayne ⚔ 25 ⚔ Lord Commander of the Queensguard ⚔ Single ⚔

    The council meeting had been relatively normal, Tyrion had extra information on the unrest that was occurring in the Stormlands, and there was an agreement that the King and Queen would head south to help remedy the situation, leaving the Hand of the Queen in charge for the time being. It was when he returned to the throne room that he was greeted with the news that the prince had evaded his assigned Queensguard and headed off somewhere, it was imperative that they secured his safety as soon as possible, and made doubly sure that the Princess didn't also pull off a disappearing act. Sending one to watch the princess, another to scout the dragonpit, and another to check the prince's quarters, along with the two knights that watched over the King and Queen, that left him with one other knight to search with - it just so happened to be the one man who hated him. Julian was unsure if Ser Edgar Tully disliked him because he was dornish (as some from other kingdoms did), because he had joined the Queensguard so young, or because he had become Lord Commander so young. It was likely a mixture of the three, if he was honest. The dornishman doubted that Ser Edgar would actually want the job if he got it, having so much to think about and so much to do wasn't ideal for one person. At this rate, between assassination attempts and the royal children's penchant for running off, Jules would go grey by the time he got to thirty it was that much stress.


    It was a tense search through the Red Keep, with not much in the way of conversation aside from asking the odd servant if they had seen the prince. One commented that they had seen him in the cellars, so a search of where the tunnels ended was in order. A sigh of relief left his lips as he sighted the familiar white hair at the end of the docks. "Your Highness." he greeted, the words terse and serious, "If you wish to go anywhere, you realise that you must take a member of the Queensguard with you." Julian reminded. 'Of course he knows that,' the knight thought 'He just doesn't like being restricted. I don't know anyone who would.' Though any further words to the prince was interrupted by the blonde's words. The prince was hardly a child, he could damn well think for himself and the blame for running off was upon the both of them. It did seem like the other knight wasn't going to get along with the girl, though, so Julian wisely decided to change their orders. "Ser Edgar, take the prince back to the Red Keep. I'll handle this." he said, his tone telling the other knight he would not be argued with as he turned and soon caught up with the young woman who seemed quite spirited from what he had seen of her so far.


    "My Lady, you must understand that this is being ordered for your own safety, and that co-operating would make this far easier for both of us." he said as he kept pace with her, his tone polite with a hint of sternness. It was in his nature to be serious, being an eldest child raised for responsibility, and now being in a role that demanded it. Julian was careful not to touch her as the other Queensguard had, but to indicate which way led back to the keep and hope that she wouldn't disobey. He could use force to get her back to the keep, but he imagined that wouldn't go over well with her uncle and it would make Joanna herself more angry by far. His family held no particular hatred for the Lannisters, and the knight didn't see her as very much of a threat to the Queen, at worst she was a bad influence on the prince but nothing that would earn his hatred.


    ( I'm just gonna double-post in case you've already seen my earlier post. Hopefully this is enough for you to work with! )


    nineteen | bastard daughter of cersei & jaime lannister | allegiance to herself | single



    Joanna frowned deeply as the younger Queensguard stood in between the two, obviously seeing the tension between the blonde woman and the other Queensguard. She narrowed her eyes as she watched the other Queensguard reluctantly take the Prince away, glaring back at Joanna. The blonde woman stuck her tongue out at the man in retaliation, reminding herself to not trust that Queensguard. Joanna blinked and turned her gaze to the younger Queensguard, her sea-blue eyes seeming to stare into his soul. Her golden curls fell over her shoulder and danced in the gentle breeze, the smell of salt water hitting her nose like a much needed breath of fresh air. She inhaled deeply, her gaze turning feline as she stepped closer to the Queensguard. He spoke, of how taking her chambers was for her safety. She giggled and shook her head, but the giggle wasn't a happy one. She avoided his gaze with a heavy sigh, watching the children run around and play on the docks. "Are you that naive? The only thing that needs protecting is my uncle's fragile ego." Joanna grumbled, obviously upset with her whole situation. She hated being locked up, especially in a foreign country where she had nothing but enemies. The blonde beauty brushed her loose curls behind her ear as she turned to look out toward the sea once more. She let the red apple fall from her hands and into the sea, a sadness coming over her. She was doomed to spend the rest of her life in Westeros. And her uncle would probably marry her off to some Lord she could never love and be forced to have his children. That wasn't the life Joanna ever wanted. She wanted to travel the world over and over again, never letting her adventures cease. And maybe she would settle down and marry her soulmate, if she ever found him. But she never envisioned herself having children. How could she? She was branded a traitor's daughter and she could never let her children ever go through the things she had. Joanna reached her hand up gently, her hand on the necklace her father had given her. It had belonged to her mother and she wore it every day, never taking it off. It was a simple locket, with a golden chain and a golden lion on the front. Inside was a painting of her with her children, the siblings Joanna never met. They died before she was born, each more tragic than the last. And on the other side, was a painting of her father. He was smiling, like Joanna often remembered him. The blonde foreign girl blinked, moving her hand away from the small locket. She turned to face the Queensguard. Her gaze was almost bitter as she seemed to go right back to putting her walls up. She clenched her jaw.


    "You didn't have to swoop in protect me, you know. I can take care of myself." Joanna said in a bitter tone but there was a secret sadness to her tone. She hid it well but with all she had been through, the only thing she could do was take care of herself. Joanna pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind as she shook her head. She moved to walk past the Queensguard, climbing up the stairs that led toward the castle. She was still barefoot and the bottom of her dress was torn and muddy, the grey color fading. She blinked, holding her hair piece tightly in her hand. She felt the small needles that hold the piece in her hair stabbing into her palm and she bit her cheek, deciding to ignore the pain. She was far too angry to care what the pain did to her. Joanna walked back up toward the castle, feeling the Queensguard right beside her. She looked around, seeing the glares she got. Women clutched their children closer and men sharped their swords while keeping eye contact with the girl. Joanna clenched her jaw, looking forward. She watched as they approached the castle, nearly there. Suddenly, she felt mud come in contact with her face. She let out a loud gasp, watching as the wet heap of dirt fell to the ground. A man stood there, his eyes glaring daggers at Joanna. He spit at the ground and his lips curled into a growl. "Traitorous cow." The man barked out and Joanna felt her breathing become ragged as a fire consumed her body. Like a wild animal, she let out a shriek and lashed out at the man, her eyes slits and ready for the kill. She felt the Queensguard catch her before she could harm the man and she began screaming at the man. "Anha am vo a chafak, anha hash done vosi against yeri. Yeri vile saccheya ki human scum!" Joanna screamed at him in Dothraki, her eyes wild and her teeth ready to sink into the man's neck. The man just simply smirked and folded his arms over his chest. "Essos savage." The man barked back and Joanna attempted to launch at him again but the Queensguard stopped him. "Anha'll show yeri savage, yeri little whelp." Joanna snarled at the man before the Queensguard was able to finally drag her away. Joanna screamed various slurs as they went, her eyes lit with fire. She growled and fought against the Queensgaurd and only when they were inside the throne room did he put her down. She shoved him away with a snarl and her breaths turned to pants. She glared up at him and before anything could be said, she felt the tears well in her eyes. She huffed and turned fro the Queensguard, shaking her head. Everyone in the throne room was looking at her. She clenched her jaw, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Tyrion saw that his niece was upset and he rushed forward to comfort her but before he could, Joanna let out a soft cry and took off running to her room. Her blonde curls danced as she ran, running past all of the gossiping ladies and hateful guards.


    She came to her chambers and she slammed the door shut, exhaling slowly. She groaned and grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a vase, and threw it against the wall with all of her strength. The blue vase shattered into tiny pieces and Joanna panted, tears now streaming down her cheeks. She whimpered and threw herself onto her bed, crying into her pillow. She cried and cried until she felt her body getting weaker. Her throat burned and her stomach was sore. She snuggled closer into her warm bed, wrapping her arms around her pillow. She laid on her bed haphazardly and diagonally across. Joanna began to feel her eyes grow heavy and before long, she let her tired body succumb to sleep. All the while, Tyrion was getting the story from Julian to truly understand what had happened. The Hand ran a hand through his hair stressfully and exhaled slowly. The Hand then kindly asked if Julian could go check on Joanna and possibly stay with her until she was feeling better. He also told the Queensguard that he knows it's not something he is meant to do as a knight but Joanna doesn't have any one and that she wouldn't want to see his own face at the moment. With that, Tyrion was off. Joanna slept soundly in her chambers, soft breaths escaping her parted rose-tinted lips. She murmured in her sleep, her tears stained cheeks seeming to glow in the late afternoon sun. She hummed in her sleep, dreaming of happier times. When her father was alive and she didn't have a care in the world beside her father. Joanna was deeply in slumber and didn't hear the knock on the door. She slowly blinked her eyes open as the creaking of the door opening woke her. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, sitting up. She blinked, letting her foggy gaze begin to clear. She then saw that the Queensguard from earlier was the one in her chambers. She inhaled deeply, a sleepy frown on her brow. "My uncle sent you?" Joanna muttered, the sleepy haze still consuming her.






    translations:

    I am not a traitor, I have done nothing against you. You vile piece of human scum!

    I'll show you savage, you little whelp.  


    (c)trexgirl

    ( I found this really cool map of King's Landing that is quite detailed, I thought you'd find it interesting! )



    ⚔ Julian Arthur Dayne ⚔ 25 ⚔ Lord Commander of the Queensguard ⚔ Single ⚔

    The young woman certainly didn't seem like she wanted his help or guidance back to the Red Keep. The paths of King's Landing were twisting and labyrinthine, though, and he doubted someone knew to the city would be able to find their way back without a couple of failed attempts. Given the animosity many had towards Cersei Lannister - for taxing them heavily, for sending them to fight a hopeless war, for destroying the Sept of Baelor with wildfire and having the rubble rain down onto the city and various other offenses - Julian doubted that they would take very kindly to Cersei's daughter wandering about, if Joanna got lost and ran into the wrong people then she might never return to the Red Keep. He didn't doubt that she could take care of herself, but there was a certain helplessness that came with being in a city surrounded by people who hated you. Surely she understood that she couldn't fight them all? Her uncle risked so much to bring her here, risked the ire of the Queen and her council, and yet here she was saying that his ego needed defending. He managed to bite his tongue, but honestly it sounded as if she wasn't even trying to examine Tyrion's side of things - he had betrayed his own family to join Daenerys, managed to get a place for his brother in Westeros had he wanted to take it, and even kept an eye on them as best he could while they were in Essos. He had cared enough to go out there and try to give Joanna a place of relative stability, and it seemed to Julian that she was quite intent on biting the hand that fed. He thought it was more than a little petulant.


    She muttered about him not having to protect her, and he had to speak up then. "What kind of a Lord Commander would I be if I allowed my men to act like that and didn't intervene? Not a very good one, I imagine." he responded, taking note that they had turned onto the Street of Looms and that the gates of the Red Keep were in sight, just up the hill and he could take his hand from the pommel of his sword finally. Given that he was wearing the white cloak of the Queensguard, he doubted anyone would act against him, but Joanna was far less safe. Especially since her appearance was rather unkempt, the man who threw the mud and insults likely assumed that she was a prisoner of some kind, despite the lack of shackles. The King's Landing lot were never very observant or intelligent though, and once one of them acted out, a mob mentality quickly arose, so it was in his best interest to get Joanna out of there as soon as possible, especially given her fiery temperament that seemed to be acting up. After foriegn words were spat out and she leapt towards the man, Julian had no choice but to step in and half drag her up the hill, away from the people shouting after them. It wasn't hard to say that today had been very eventful and the Lord Commander wasn't sure he liked the fact that these incidents seemed to - it made his already stressful job that much worse.


    Having finally placed her back down when he was content that they were far enough away from the problem that she wouldn't run right back, he turned to her to say a thing or two about keeping a half-decent reputation, or maybe ask her what in the seven hells she had even said back there, but his anger at the situation wasn't enough that he would say such things in front of half the court. Tyrion came over to speak with him, probably to inquire about what events had led to his niece looking like she did, either to the Queensguard or to Joanna herself, but she fled before the dwarf could speak. She certainly knew how to make a scene. The Hand of the Queen took him to one side of a nearby corridor where the story could be relayed without most of the Red Keep knowing what had happened, and he was surprised when Tyrion asked him to check on her. Julian supposed that he could, as it wasn't far out of his way if he was heading back to White Sword Tower. A part of him didn't want to, as intriguing as Joanna was, as beautiful as she was, or perhaps it was because of these reasons that he wanted to stay away from her. The Hand had asked him to, though, and he couldn't very well refuse someone who now had the power of a monarch since Queen Daenerys and King Jon would soon be heading south on their dragons.


    So he made his way up to the Tower of the Hand, where the Hand of the Queen resided, along with his family and any other council members who didn't own property in the city. He wasn't entirely sure if the lioness would be welcoming of him being there, or if she would simply ask him to go away outright. Knocking on the door before he opened it, Julian saw that she was asleep, rather peaceful looking compared to the fierce animal of a girl that he had witnessed in the streets of King's Landing. The only thing that broke the illusion of happiness was the tear stains on her cheeks, was she overwhelmed by the situation or had something specific managed to find a gap in her armour he wondered. The blonde girl seemed to awaken at the sound of the door closing, and she posed a question to him, her sleepy tone leaving him unaware if she actually wanted him there or not. "Yes, he asked me to see if you were alright." he responded, taking a moment to glance about the room before he spoke again. Already there was a broken vase, probably smashed out of frustration. The window of the room looked northwest, out over the city with the re-built Dragonpit on Rhaenys' Hill in the center of the view. "Do you know who I am?" he asked after the pause, genuinely curious to see just how much Tyrion had managed to teach his niece about the key players at court, and if he was included in that list. If she didn't, then an introduction was in order, he supposed.


    nineteen | bastard daughter of cersei & jaime lannister | allegiance to herself | single



    Joanna sat up completely as she decided to be civil with the Queensguard. She felt her blonde curls fall over her shoulder as she propped herself up on the palms of her hands. She sighed and stretched out her body, rolling her neck. She moved to sit up, grabbing the pillow she had been holding moments before. She set it beside her on the bed and sat against the headboard of her bed. She pulled her knees closer to her chest and then folded her legs out into a criss cross pattern, her hands moving to gently lay in her lap. She was still wearing the messy grey dress from earlier and the dress loosely hung from her shoulders. She pulled her hair to the side, the pulse quickening and one could see the blue veins on her pale neck. She looked up at the man before her as he answered her question. She didn't say anything. She had guessed correctly. Her uncle cared for her, she knew this. She just wished he had cared sooner. Maybe then her father would still be alive. His love for her always seemed to affect Joanna differently. She was angry with her for just now reaching out, deciding she was family only when she had no one else. Joanna felt betrayed by this motion and almost felt as if she hadn't been enough for her uncle. Was her uncle ashamed of her? Ashamed of her father? It was to be understood. Her mother was a traitor and her father was her mother's twin brother. It wasn't the most conventional family. But they were still her family. And family is one of the only things that mattered in this world. Joanna blinked, her gaze lowering. She brushed some loose curls behind her ear and lifted her gaze once the Queensguard spoke again. She smiled softly, almost as if her walls slightly melted. But the smile faded and she was back to the shielded Joanna. The young girl with no true family left and that the entire world hated her. She thought on his question for a moment, pursing her lips. "Earlier you said you were Lord Commander. My uncle told me about you. Julian Dayne. The youngest Lord Commander in history." Joanna spoke, a certain softness to her voice. Her ghost of a smile returned and she seemed to be relaxed around the Queensguard, when no one else was around that is. She put up this big front but when it came down to it, she only acted out because she was a fragile girl alone in this world and when the world had shown her almost nothing but hate. Joanna blinked, her gaze shifting to the shattered vase. She made a slight grimace, chuckling lowly out of embarrassment.


    "Sorry, my temper tends to get the better of me." Joanna murmured under her breath. She lifted her gaze to meet Julian's once more. She inhaled deeply and pulled a relatively large strand of hair from her lion's mane. She parted it into threes and began to braid her hair. Her fingers were nimble and graceful with her movements, as someone weaving a basket would be or someone locking an arrow into place on a bow. "What made you want to become a knight?" Joanna asked curiously, flipping her now finished braid over her shoulder. She had tied it off with a silver bow and it looked stunning, the late afternoon sun's rays seeming to make her hair glow. She blinked, her head tilting slightly to the side as she studied the knight, curious to see what his answer could be.


    -so terribly sorry my muse is so bad rn, i'm so tired


    (c)trexgirl


    ⚔ Julian Arthur Dayne ⚔ 25 ⚔ Lord Commander of the Queensguard ⚔ Single ⚔

    Joanna seemed for a moment as if she were deciding on something - whether or not to ask him to leave, perhaps? She appeared to be deciding to be more civil, gentle even, a stark contrast to the fiery attitude he had seen from her earlier. Or perhaps she just didn't want to be alone and thought that tolerating his presence would be better than being confined to her quarters without company. Whatever the reason, between already having agreed to stay with her for a bit (and he fancied himself to be a man of his word, so there was no going back on his promise now) and the blonde girl having asked him a question, he figured that he would be staying here for a while. So he moved towards the desk that was positioned to allow someone to look out over the city, stepping around the remains of the vase as he went and moving the chair so that he could face her.


    He wanted to keep some kind of distance between them, if only so that if someone saw them, the court wouldn't be alight with rumours. Julian was fine with 'Youngest Lord Commander' being his reputation with people, he didn't want to be considered an oathbreaker, even if just by rumour because that kind of marring on one's reputation never washed off easily. The people of King's Landing had a way of being particularly cutthroat that he never quite understood, and the day he did understand was the day he lost his honour completely - he didn't want to surrender to their shadowy ways and dishonourable tactics. While he didn't understand their motives, he could predict their moves quite well, and knew just what to do to avoid his own ruin. In this case, that would be 'keep a safe distance from the daughter of a traitor'. It wasn't out of dislike or hatred, simply out of fear for his own good reputation. Speaking of his reputation, it was evidenced by her words that she had put two and two together and figured out who he was. A smile showed on his face as his gaze went from the Lannister to the floor in an act to try and be humble, despite his achievements. He was well aware that people knew him for his status as a young Lord Commander of the Queensguard, but he never really understood the idolising words and looks that came from them - he had worked hard for most of his life to make himself worthy of the position, his skill was hardly some miracle bestowed upon him by the Gods, his position on the Queensguard was honestly a matter of 'right place, right time' as his path to get where he was now started at the Tourney of King's Landing nine years ago. With a wave of his hand to dismiss the importance of his age in relation to his job, he nodded to affirm what she had said. "The youngest, yes, but not without experience. I've been a member of the Queensguard for nine years, that's more than some before me have had." he responded, granted that those with less experience than him had often been promoted during times of strife when all others more senior than them had died, but he wasn't about to mention that.


    Glad to be given a chance to escape having to downplay his own achievements, he glanced back over towards the broken vase when she mentioned it. Her question on his motives on being a knight was expected, and he assumed that she meant 'why did you join the Queensguard?' as well. While a prestigious profession, many would question why Julian did it. He was a lordling lined up to inherit a powerful bit of land in Dorne, probably marry a beautiful young woman (if the stories he had heard were to be believed, he never actually got to see her in person), and he could make his name and serve the Queen in other ways. He had forsaken all of that in favour of a life of duty, and while his name would be remembered, those who guarded the monarch often found it a fine line between have a brilliant reputation and a nefarious one. "I think it's the servants you should be apologising to, they're the ones who have to clean it up." he said, logical and practical as ever, then pausing to think before he answered her question. "My uncle was Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be like him; to be the new Sword of the Morning, the best knight in the Seven Kingdoms, to serve the Targaryens however I could. All of that would lead me to the Queensguard, even if I hadn't seen the dragons. My mother brought me with her when she came to swear fealty at Daenerys' coronation, I was the heir at the time so it was custom to have me speak to her as well. I was only six, but when I saw the dragons and the Queensguard beside the queen, I knew I wanted to be like my uncle in that respect as well. I wasn't intending to be the Lord Commander so young, but most of the others saw me as Ser Jorah's successor and evidently Queen Daenerys agreed." he explained, perhaps going into a little more detail than necessary, but some points probably required context for someone so unfamiliar with Westerosi culture. It occurred to him that she hadn't been in King's Landing long enough to see the dragons, perhaps they could catch sight of them as the King and Queen left the dragonpit to head south? It took time to get to the dragonpit and saddle the dragons, and he hadn't heard the familiar roars of the beasts that shook the very walls and floors as they set off for the skies, nor had he seen a giant shadow pass overhead, so it was safe to assume that they hadn't left yet. "Have you seen the dragons? They likely haven't set off yet, you'll probably catch a sight of them with a view like this." he asked, gesturing out the window towards the giant building on Rhaenys' Hill that served to house the dragons. In King's Landing, there was nowhere that could escape the presence of the dragons, with dragon banners everywhere and the creatures themselves thriving, so if Joanna had a distaste for the creatures based on her history, she was going to have to get used to them being there.


    ( It's okay!! I get that low muse strikes sometimes. )


    nineteen | bastard daughter of cersei & jaime lannister | allegiance to herself | single



    Joanna felt the ghost of her true smile curl onto her pink lips as she saw Julian look down at the floor with a bright smile. He seemed shy about his own achievements, which she thought was odd. She thought he would be shouting his achievements from the rooftops. Any other man in their right mind would have. But then the blonde girl realized that perhaps Julian wasn't the type to boast about his triumphs. Joanna lifted her chin and her blue gaze looked over the Queensguard. She had noticed him in the throne room. He was one of the most handsome men she had seen, there was no denying that. She had a feeling he knew his attractiveness as well. Which made Joanna snicker to herself. She liked someone who was confident. And there were certain times where Julian seemed so confident. But perhaps this just wasn't one of those moments. When Julian spoke up, Joanna adjusted the way she was sitting. She sat up straighter and she pulled her blonde curls to the side. She scoffed when he had mentioned she had been in the Queensgaurd for nine years before he had become Lord Commander. "Nine years is quite impressive. Especially for someone so young." Joanna spoke but her voice came out as smooth as honey. She pulled her knees to her chest and laid her cheek on her knee, her gaze meeting Julian's. She was a gorgeous girl, there was no way around that. She may be the daughter of a traitor but the Gods had gifted her with beauty unlike most. Joanna blinked slowly, almost seeming to study Julian. She seemed very feline in her movements and mannerisms, always graceful with what she did. Joanna sat up a bit as Julian's logical words about the vase. Her delicate brows knitted into a deep frown as she thought on his words. He was right. So she decided after he was finished speaking, she would clean it up herself. It was her mess, she couldn't let someone else pick it up and possibly cut themselves. Her blue gaze turned to his once more as he continued to speak. She listened intently to what he had to say, her head tilting slightly. Arthur Dayne. She had heard of his uncle, her father had told her about him. He was fierce and merciless. One of the greatest knights to ever live. He certainly did the Dayne house proud. At the mention of dragons, a soft gasp escaped Joanna's lips. She leaned forward, as if anticipating his next words. She had heard so many stories of dragons and sure, she had seen most of the world's wonders. But nothing could ever compare to dragons. Julian spoke of what had happened to him as a child and what had inspired him to be a Queensguard. Joanna listened, an aweful look in her blue eyes. She was like a curious child at times, the same child that ran all over Volantis and got into trouble. Joanna blinked, smiling gently. She understood that Julian hadn't wanted his position so young but this Ser Jorah obviously meant the world to him and to the Queen. So his opinion must have mattered.


    Joanna hadn't had the chance to say anything before Julian had mentioned the dragons once more. Joanna's eyes widened and she let out a excited giggle. "Wait real dragons?" The beautiful girl exclaimed happily. She could hardly contain her joy as she jumped out of her bed, stepping carefully over the vase. Her feet was still bare but she didn't seem to have a care in the world. She danced on the air as she approached her balcony. She opened the doors that lead to the balcony and the evening wind hit her blonde curls. Joanna let out a sigh as the air hit her, like a deep inhale. She felt her lips curl into a smile once more as she approached the edge of the balcony, her feet on the cold concrete. Her grey gown was matted and torn but that didn't take away from her beautiful silhouette. Joanna exhaled shakily, her heart thundering against her chest. She looked up, watching the sky turning into an orange hue and then fade into a deep purple. She let out a small giggle, amazed by the very beauty of the world. She turned her head to the side as she saw Julian walk up beside her. She looked up at him, a radiant sparkle in her eyes. "How old are they? Are they really as amazing as the stories say?" Joanna asked excitedly, jumping once from happiness. She didn't have time to ask anymore questions before the entirety of King's Landing shook from the ferocious roar from the Queen's dragon. Joanna gasped loudly and instinctively, she grabbed Julian's hand. She gripped his hand tightly, her heart thundering. She looked in awe as the dragons roared once more and took to the sky. She felt the tears well her eyes and a soft laugh fell from her pink lips. She shook her eyes, unable to believe her eyes. Joanna imagined how her father must have felt when he first saw a dragon. Terrified probably. They seemed to have that affect on people. But not Joanna. She was in awe.


    (c)trexgirl


    ⚔ Julian Arthur Dayne ⚔ 25 ⚔ Lord Commander of the Queensguard ⚔ Single ⚔

    The Dornishman was confident in his ability to do his job - Ser Jorah had thought that he would make a good Lord Commander, and he trusted the Northman's judgement more than most - he simply wasn't fond of the way people looked at him in awe or admiration. He was simply doing what he had sworn to do, did anyone expect him to do anything less? He had certainly set out to make a name for himself, with the childish dream to become the greatest knight there ever was, but by now he had found that there was more satisfaction in knowing that he was keeping the royal family safe than the thought that he was forging a legend for himself. There weren't often times when he would regret the decision to join the Queensguard, but the job (or perhaps being in King's Landing for so long) had certainly made him a little more grounded and miles more practical than he had been as a foolish boy that put his mentor's armour on to impress people at a tourney. He was thankful for the experience it had given him, of course, but sometimes he wondered what his life would have been like if he had inherited his mother's lands and had a normal life for a Dornish nobleman.


    The lioness' gaze fixed on him as he spoke, and he couldn't help but be enchanted by her beauty. It didn't affect his words, but it was an observation he made. When she wasn't being generally wild, she could almost pass for a noble lady. Almost. Many of her behaviours would betray her harsher nature to those observant enough to take note, and her posture, while graceful, was more the defensive grace of a warrior if he had to name it.


    Her question about dragons had him frown at her. "Did you not think a Dragon Queen would have dragons? There are four alive now." he was about to say more detail about them, explain that he knew their names and temperaments, but even he wouldn't go near them without their riders present. He wasn't insane enough to do that. But Joanna was already moving towards the balcony, asking even more questions about the beasts. Julian was no scholar, but he had been around the King and Queen often enough to learn the basics about the dragons. Taking a place beside her and gazing out over the city, it was easy to see the Dragonpit, the hill that it was on wasn't as tall as Aegon's Hill upon which the Red Keep had been built, but the tall dome of the building was enough to house six fully grown dragons, and so the building dwarfed all those around it. Built out of stone strong enough to withstand dragonfire, it was surely an impressive structure, with its large dome and a door that thirty men could walk through side-by-side. That was necessary, given the size of these dragons. The roar disturbed the clamouring in the air of King's Landing, and a quiet fell over the city as all the people looked to the sky. It wasn't something people got used to, especially if you had known a world where dragons were just in stories. Now they were living, breathing things.


    Joanna grasped his hand, and he didn't dare to pull his hand away from her as a ghost of a smile formed on his features. As the dragons ascended into the sky, they would have to fly over the castle to go south he noted. Taking his free hand from the pommel of his sword, he tried to indicate the dragons as he spoke. "The dark one, with the red wings, that's Drogon. He's the Queen's dragon, and the largest because he was never locked up while he was growing. The green one is Rhaegal, named after the King's father, so I suppose it's only right that he controls it. Those two are the oldest, they're about twenty-six years old now. But I think that's still young for a dragon, I'm not sure. The Prince knows more than anyone else about the dragons, perhaps you should ask him. Between his experience with his own dragon and all the reading he did when he was trying to hatch it, he has knowledge that could rival the best maesters." he responded, his tone when he mentioned the prince being a little teasing. He had never known a woman to drag the Prince about before, with the exception of the Princess, especially not on the first day of meeting him. Her reaction to the dragons was not uncommon, he had been in awe of them as a boy, but then again he hadn't fully understood that the animals could have killed him in a blink of his eye if that's what the queen had wanted. He considered that Joanna likely did know the danger of them, but was in awe of them despite it, or perhaps it was because she hadn't seen one of the creatures close-up that she didn't fear them as much as many did.


    nineteen | bastard daughter of cersei & jaime lannister | allegiance to herself | single



    Joanna looked to the sky, her blue eyes sparkling with wonder. She let a soft exhale fall from her lips as she watched the dragons take flight. She felt a smile curl onto her lips as she watched the shadows their wings cast over the kingdom. She looked at each dragon as Julian explained who they were and who they belonged to. She looked at Drogon, her heart thundering against her chest. She exhaled slowly at the sight of him, watching how his scales shimmered in the sunset and how his roar ripped through the sky like a sword. She clutched Julian's hand. Not because she was afraid but because she was so overwhelmed and amazed by the mere sight of the dragons. She then turned her eyes to Rhaegal and a soft 'wow' escaped her lips. She thought his colors were beautiful and there were truly no words for the wonder in her eyes. She had read so many stories about dragons and had never thought she would ever see one. She had heard war stories from when Daeneyrs had been in Essos, what her dragons had done. But she was not afraid. She was brave. She wanted to ride one. She imagined the pure adrenaline made someone feel as if they were the most powerful person in the world. That's how she imagined the King and Queen must feel. Which she understood. When Julian mentioned the Prince, her eyes glanced over at the Queensguard. She giggled softly at his tone when he mentioned the Prince and then she looked back to the sky. She released Julian's hand softly and placed her dainty hands on the railing of her balcony. She looked up, watching the dragons fly off with their rider on their back. They headed south, which she assumed was to solve some kind of dispute. Joanna exhaled slowly as the breeze picked up and made her curls dance off of her shoulder. She was still in such awe of the beautiful creatures, imagining how it must feel to touch them. Were they like a lizard and their scales were hard as stone? She imagined that each dragon had a different temperament but each had a temper in some kind of way. She reminded herself to sneak out and go to the library later on. She wondered if the library here had more knowledge on the dragons. She figured they would since Daeneyrs is the Dragon Queen. She saw the dragons fade into the distance and she smiled happily. "They're so beautiful. I had only ever read about them. But I never imagined anything like that." Joanna spoke with a breathy sigh. She turned her gaze to meet Julian's, her own blue eyes shimmering with happiness and wonder. She then turned to look out at the kingdom once more and she blinked. She leaned against the railing, her stomach pressed to the railing. She looked down and saw the castle grounds below her. There were children playing and flowers and knights. She smiled at the sight, finding Westeros beautiful. Not as beautiful as her own home perhaps but it was still a sight to behold.


    She lifted her gaze and looked out to the sea, imagining how close Essos was. She wondered if she could sneak onto a boat and head back home. She wished she could but she would be all alone. And Joanna's biggest fear was isolation or being locked way. Joanna refused to be prisoner and endure what her mother had. She would be better than that, she had to be. She had no option or she wouldn't survive King's Landing. Joanna then broke the silence between the two of them as she stood up straight, her palms still resting on the railing. "In Essos, there are so many stories about dragons. Where they come from, why they only obey the Targaryen bloodline and those other brave few? One story is that there were two moons at one point. And the moon shattered and was an egg. And out came... thousands and thousands of dragons and they drank from the sun's fire." Joanna said with a ghost of a smile, remembering that her Khal had told her this. He didn't believe it but some of her ladies had and she thought it was fascinating. "Some people think they came from the center of the world and have been around longer than White Walkers had." Joanna said softly, a soft laugh coming from her lips.


    (c)trexgirl


    ⚔ Julian Arthur Dayne ⚔ 25 ⚔ Lord Commander of the Queensguard ⚔ Single ⚔

    Julian wasn't sure he would call the dragons 'beautiful', or if he had seen them for the first time as an adult that his reaction would be quite the same as hers. He had been just a boy when he first saw them, blissfully unaware of the threat they could pose to him, like a fool he had even asked if he could ride one. His mother had given him a sharp hit to the back of the head and apologised on his behalf, later giving him a stern talk on diplomacy and tactfulness. It never quite made sense to him; staying quiet when you should speak and telling lies to those you want to trust you were just wrong. He knew now, of course, that honesty was not what kept a person alive in King's Landing. Joanna's enthusiasm about the dragons was endearing, if he had to choose a word. Despite them being symbols of a house that despised her, she wanted to know more about them. That curiosity would either get her a long way or not far at all, and he wasn't at liberty to judge which right now.


    Her hand moved away from his own, and he had to admit (only to himself, mind you, and only for a moment) that he missed the contact. Julian caught himself at the thought that he could take her hand again, as if suddenly remembering that he was here to watch over her by the order of her uncle, the small smile that had formed on his features at seeing her delight fell and his posture shifted slightly to something less relaxed. "I wouldn't know what is true, if those are, and the knowledge wouldn't help me do my job at any rate." he responded. Everything came back to his job as Lord Commander, whether he wanted it to or not, his work was almost always on his mind. A bad habit, perhaps, but he had nothing else of importance to him here, his sisters were in Dorne and The Reach safe behind castle walls. She, too, was alone here aside from her uncle, whom she had made clear she was not close with. The thought struck him unexpectedly, and as was his nature he spoke out. "My Lady, if ever you need help, I would be happy to give my aid in any way that I can. A child shouldn't be punished for the crimes of their parents, you deserve at least one person on your side here." he offered. Though in reality he was bound by his role as one of the Queensguard, he had power besides that as a lord of a powerful house and a great warrior, and he meant his words; he would do as much as he could for her, not out of pity, but a sense of duty as a knight. If he did not help those who had nobody else, who would?


    ( This is not super great ( it's like 500 words :/ ), but I tried my best. Can I just say that we can have Joanna trying to hatch a dragon egg/tame a dragon as a plot point if you want?? Also I figured she can probably run into Aerion at the library & he can tell her more about dragons at some point?? )


    nineteen | bastard daughter of cersei & jaime lannister | allegiance to herself | single



    Joanna giggled and shook her head when he answered in such a proper manner. She expected no less from the Lord Commander, but still. Part of her hoped he would relax and possibly let himself have some fun every once in a while. With how hard he worked, she figured he deserved it. And he was always about his duty and very stern and serious but Joanna could see there was something else underneath all that armor. Perhaps he was still that bewildered child who had seen dragons for the first time. Joanna hoped to bring out that side of him. He seemed like a genuinely good person, which was a rare encounter for Joanna. She admired him, she had read so many stories about him after all. She adored reading and learning new things. She also knew her uncle wanted her to know everyone at court. And meeting Julian, she could see the stories were true. She blinked, staring out at the sunset as the gentle breeze made her hair dance. She felt the ghost of a smile curl onto her lips and for the first time since losing her father, she felt... blissful. She had no worries on her shoulders, at least in this moment. She felt free, almost as if she could take flight and leave as the dragons had. She wished she could. And possibly take Julian with her. Maybe then he'd loosen up and let himself smile. Joanna inhaled deeply, watching the orange horizon fade into blues and purples. She looked up, seeing the night sky lit up with the stars. She began to trace certain constellations with her eyes, remembering everything her father had taught her about the stars. Just based on the stars, she could find her way home if she ever got lost. Joanna smiled softly at the memory, her heart wrenching at the memory of her father's hand on her own. She gently reached down to touch her hand, wishing his calloused had still held hers. She missed him deeply and seemed to miss him more and more with each breath she took.


    Her thoughts were interrupted when Julian spoke. She looked over at the Lord Commander, her sea-blue eyes shimmering in the moonlight. She listened to his words attentively and she felt her lips part in a soft gasp. A confused frown crossed her face and she shook her head gently, not understanding why he felt the need to say these things. Did he truly mean them? Did h truly hold no grudge for her because of her parents? She felt a small smile fall on her lips and she looked up at him, a hopeful sparkle in her eyes. "Thank you. That means the world to me. The world already hates me so it feels good to have someone on my side." Joanna spoke softly, a delicate smile on her lips. She brushed some of her loose curls behind her ear as she looked down, unsure if he meant his words or not. In a place such as King's Landing, you never know who to trust. Joanna just hoped she was right and that Julian was different from anyone she had met.


    --that's totally fine love! and i'd actually love that. dany would be pissed to see that joanna is unburnt as well. i can see aerion helping her raise her dragon. also, i was thinking maybe tyrion could try and marry her to a karstark? and joanna is miserable about it and maybe aerion crashes their wedding and says he isn't going to let joanna marry a man she doesn't marry and the whole kingdom goes crazy


    (c)trexgirl


    ⚔ Julian Arthur Dayne ⚔ 25 ⚔ Lord Commander of the Queensguard ⚔ Single ⚔

    Night was falling, he noted. Had they spent that long talking or just standing amidst comfortable silence? A small portion of him panicked, knowing that he couldn't stay much longer for fear of the rumours that could sprout up, and the worry that something could go wrong with the other Queensguard when he was standing around here weighed on his mind. With a sigh, he realised he would have to leave soon. Joanna seemed far calmer and happier now, at least he thought she was. She seemed to so frequently have walls up, much like himself, and occasionally some gem of the bright and carefree personality would shine through. He absently wondered if he looked much the same through her eyes - guarded and professional, but with moments of weakness. Julian considered the thought without realising that weakness is most definitely not the same as vulnerability, and vulnerability is not necessarily negative. Carrying the amount of responsibility he did at such a young age brought with it unique problems such as his, especially given his diligence and eagerness to do well at what he does.


    Seeing the Lannister turn from the corner of his eye, his gaze shifted from being transfixed by the sunset and the lights that cropped up in the streets and windows of King's Landing as darkness befell the city, to the equally bewitching sight of her beauty. She seemed confused by his words and his honesty, even if she didn't say it her expression betrayed as much. His dark violet gaze locked with her blue one, and he felt a breathy laugh leave his lips. "Is it not my job as a sworn knight to protect those who need it? At the minute you need more help than anyone else in King's Landing, considering that you don't have many allies, but you have many enemies." There was a pause. "I mean it, by the way. If you need help, I will help. Or I can at least convince someone who can." he promised, hoping that his sincerity would be clear through his words. Diverting his gaze again to look at the stars and there seemed to be another shift in his body language, as if he had remembered himself again and reminded himself what a perilous thing staying too long in the young Lannister's room would be. "If that is all, my lady, do you mind if I leave? I'm afraid my duties as Lord Commander keep me quite busy." he said, though it was less of a question and more of a polite way of saying that he had to take his leave, he would wait for her affirmation regardless. A few more minutes in her presence wouldn't kill him or destroy his reputation, so he would allow it.


    ( I mean I don't think you have to be unburnt to be a dragonrider, it just makes it a whole lot easier. I love that plot idea!! It would definitely cause some tension with Aerion so obviously being infatuated with Joanna rather than the girl he's supposed to marry. )


    nineteen | bastard daughter of cersei & jaime lannister | allegiance to herself | single



    Joanna met his gaze as he spoke, a breathy laugh escaping his lips. She let out a soft giggle, looking down. She supposed he was right but he could be like the other Queensguard and hate her out of pure association. She was thankful Julian wasn't like that, that he didn't seem to hold hate in his heart. Which was rare in a world like this. Joanna locked gazes with Julian as a soft blush rose to her cheeks and she felt a ghost of a smile on her lips. It was strange, she felt more relaxed with Julian than she had been since her father died. Everything had hit her all at once and everything had gone wrong but with Julian, that was all silenced. Joanna wondered why. She blinked, lifting her chin. "That's very kind of you. Thank you." Joanna spoke gently and then turned back to watch the horizon. The orange and reds had faded and it was now a dark night sky, purples and blues. She smiled softly up at the stars, imagining flying among the stars. She felt she would feel so free just to be above the city and away from everyone. Joanna remembered the stories her father had told her about dragons. Her father had always admired the creatures, just based on the way he had spoke about them. But Joanna could always tell he had been terrified of them as much as he was in awe of them. Joanna felt different to her father in this way. She did not fear the dragons. She feared losing herself or being alone. In this world, she had always had one person as a constant. Her father. But not that he was gone, who did she have left? Sure, she had Tyrion but he didn't hold the same place in her heart as her father had. And she had never known her mother. The only man she had ever loved had died in her arms. Joanna frowned at the memories, hugging herself. She truly felt alone but Julian seemed to make all of that melt away. Joanna was determined to find out why. Joanna turned back to the Queensguard as he spoke about taking his leave. Joanna laughed softly and brushed some loose curls behind her ear. "Of course, you have to protect the realm. I'll be alright. Thank you for staying for me." Joanna said with a soft tone, her voice as soft as silk. She smiled small and then turned her gaze back to the stars. She turned her gaze slightly when she saw his shadow disappear and she was left alone as he left her chambers. She blinked and pushed herself to stand up straight. She felt herself slipping into the painful memories of her past so she felt her best option was to go to the library and study the dragons. She walked back to her chambers and saw the broken vase. She inhaled and cleaned up the vase, throwing the shattered pieces in the trash can in the corner of her room. She slipped off her messy grey gown and left it on her bed for her servants to clean. She knew they would come in once she left to tidy up anyways. She walked to her closet and slipped on another gown and then proceeded to brush her wild blonde curls. She pulled her hair into a ponytail once she was done and then decided to remain barefoot, slipping on an anklet.


    Joanna slipped out of her chambers and silently rushed down the tower's stairs. She slipped past guards like a shadow and eventually was walking through the castle like a beautiful ghost. She passed some ladies who were gossiping. She heard one of them call her a savage and she nearly halted. She decided they weren't worth it and kept making her way to the library. She finally came to it, smiling brightly. She walked between the bookshelves, graceful movements like she was walking on water. She looked around with curious sea-blue eyes and her touch was gentle on the bookshelves as she passed them. She smiled at the sight of all the books. She imagined how happy her father would be to see the library once more. He had not been a reader in his younger days but raising Joanna, he had learned to love books and she grew up always seeming to have one in her hands or a sword. Whichever was more useful in a situation she was in. Joanna continued to walk, slipping between lords who spoke in hushed whispered as Joanna passed them. She seemed to be the main focus of the kingdom and she knew it. She couldn't help the crimes of her mother, just as Daeneyrs couldn't help the crimes of her father. Joanna frowned as she realized the Queen's hypocrisy. She finally came across the dragon section and her blue eyes filled with wonder. She smiled as her fingertips touched the spines of the books. She didn't know which one to choose first.


    -- true, i just thought it would be cool for her to be unburnt as well. and yess! i figured it would cause some tension.


    (c)trexgirl


    ⚔ Julian Arthur Dayne ⚔ 25 ⚔ Lord Commander of the Queensguard ⚔ Single ⚔

    Julian was not oblivious to the way she blushed when their eyes met, it was how many young women reacted when they spoke to him. When he had been fifteen, betrothed to marry a girl from the riverlands of the Mallister family, to foster relations across Westeros. She had done almost exactly the same thing when he spoke to her. She had been out of her element, having traveled from Seagard to Starfall, dressed in Dornish silks that felt unfamiliar to her, not knowing if her husband would be kind or terrible. When he spoke to her with his usual kindness and courtesy, she had blushed, diverted her gaze and thanked him for his kindness in much the same way. There had been a sense of relief in her voice, that she hadn't come all that way for a miserable marriage. She had been beautiful, he remembered, dark brown hair and brilliant green eyes, but she was painfully shy and naive. Joanna wasn't alike her in that respect, he knew of her bold attitude firsthand.


    He thought of this now, because he felt much the same way as he did ten years ago. He felt like a foolish young man who didn't quite know what to do with his emotions. He recalled particular details about his betrothed; how her hands felt so cold, how she had a scar above her right eye where her brother had tried to teach her to fight, how she laughed at his jokes and tried to teach him to play a northern card game. One detail he couldn't recall? Her name. He knew what family she was from, knew that she probably hated him for choosing the Queensguard over her, he could remember all these minute details about her and could describe in detail how he had given her a pendant before he left with Ser Daemon Sand for the tourney that changed his life, but for the life of him he couldn't remember her name. Would that be all Joanna would amount to in ten years? A young woman he became infatuated with before life drew them away from each other? She would marry a noble lord for an alliance, most likely, her uncle would make sure of that. Tyrion would likely do that as soon as possible as well, as Joanna was doing so brilliantly at fitting into the court.


    These thoughts plagued his mind as he walked away in silence, with only a nod right after she spoke and the words "Goodnight, Lady Joanna." spoken in parting just before he opened the door. He would make his way back to White Sword Tower, aiming to lose himself in his work so as to distract himself from his thoughts. He had an oath to keep and a job to do, if he was distracted by every girl who looked his way he would never get anything done. Joanna was different, though he couldn't put his finger on what, he assumed it was a product of her rather unusual upbringing.



    ♛ Aerion Targaryen ♛ 19 ♛ Crown Prince ♛ Betrothed to Nymeria Baratheon ♛

    As expected, Aerion had been escorted from the docks up to the Red Keep's council room, where he had spent some lessons in how to rule properly before. There to meet him had been his mother and father, the Hand of the Queen having already headed back down to the main hall. The knight of the Queensguard explained the situation, and his mother as expected, had been furious. She had promptly dismissed the knight, having him send for Princess Vaena, and no sooner than he had shut the door she was lecturing the Crown Prince about the rumours of the court and his reputation. He knew that it would be fruitless to argue back, or to look pleadingly to his father for help, as he had a feud with the Lannisters as much as any other house. Daenerys instructed him on the fact that they would be heading south to the Stormlands, to which he couldn't help but argue. He was a grown man and had a dragon of his own, why could he not help with putting down the rebellion? When his sister got here, she would surely help back him up in this argument.


    As it turned out, as much as Vaena liked fighting, she thought her brother wasn't good enough at it to go. While it wasn't usual for him to get angry, this made him see red. That he had less worth and less freedom than his younger sister. Was it because he was heir to the throne? Was it because of his bookish, charming nature rather than the martially-inclined son his parents had hoped for? Right at that moment, he didn't much care what his parents' answers would be to that question. He couldn't remember what exactly he shouted, some kind of obscenity and insult about his family before he stormed off, with a member of the Queensguard trailing behind him though the knight kept a safe distance after hearing that outburst. First he went to his quarters, pacing around in a foul mood until he heard the roar of dragons as they flew overhead. His mother and father were gone, and he still wouldn't be given any modicum of power! Everything would go to the Hand and other councilors, his mother had been clear on that. With his anger simmering, he couldn't really focus on reading, but he would go to the library in any case. Perhaps the Grand Maester had found some more books to add to the collection, anything new that he could read to take his mind off of the fact that he was feeling rather cheated. He had power, to some degree, but nothing official, and how did his parents expect him to be a good King if they sheltered him so much? He debated trying to get his dragon from the Dragonpit and head after him, but knew his sister would be there to stop him from doing anything stupid. So he walked the halls for a while, carefully listening to conversations as he passed. Now that his parents had departed, the more unsavoury rumours would creep out, and he was sure to hear them.


    Most of the talk was about the Lannister girl, and the scene she had caused, having to be dragged back to the keep by the Lord Commander himself. But there were the usual rumours. Now that his sister Vaena was old enough to marry, many whispered that perhaps the Baratheon girl (who hadn't even come to the capital as proof of the betrothal) would be set aside in favour of a traditional Targaryen marriage. The Queen was the King's aunt, and they were both legitimate Targaryens, so to many nobles it would be unsurprising for them to do thing the Old Valyrian way. Aerion wasn't so sure. He hadn't been included in the talks concerning his and Vaena's marriages, but after the way that the Targaryens had come so close to dying out the first time, his parents likely thought it unwise. He hadn't been raised with the expectation (nor the desire) to marry his sister, and as she had never told him otherwise, he assumed his sister was the same. He wasn't aware of his parents wanting that for them, in any case. It was just another thing that weighed on his mind. He had no idea what Nymeria Baratheon would be like, had no idea if she would even like him, or if she too wanted a prince who was a great warrior. He had no clue if the betrothal would even go forward, as it was a relatively new arrangement.


    When finally he got bored of pacing around the halls and battlements of the Red Keep, he turned towards the castle library, and once there he headed for his favourite section - dragonlore. The effort to preserve the knowledge of dragons had greatly increased since Daenerys came to power, with many maesters reproducing studies on dragons and even coming to King's Landing to see the beasts themselves, the history of the Targaryen family was also an area of study that had flourished, but he was sick of reading about his long-dead ancestors. Normally, nobody come to see the books about dragons, so he was surprised to see someone there. Joanna Lannister, in fact. Surely she would hate the creatures? One of them almost killed her father, and if Cersei hadn't surrendered to protect her child, his mother would have likely burned her as well. The knight who had been assigned to follow him around waited at the end of the row of books as the prince made his way forward. "Looking for anything in particular, Lady Lannister? I'm quite familiar with the books here, so I can help you out." he offered as he made his way over, his voice low so as to not alert others in the library about the hushed conversation, and he notably omitted her first name once again.


    ( I didn't mean for Julian's post to be that long, it was only meant to be a couple short paragraphs to sort of get him out of the picture but I ended up giving him more backstory? Oops. Also, I'm not sure what to do about Aerion's sister, potentially she could have a marriage side plot as well, but I'm not sure with who... Maybe a Martell and that's how Oberyn finds out that Joanna is in King's Landing?? She's willful, though, so it's unlikely she would go quietly. Also, I was thinking that Aerion might swallow his pride and ask Joanna to secretly teach him to fight after he sees her fight for the first time? The fact that he can't fight very well is a sore spot for him. )


    nineteen | bastard daughter of cersei & jaime lannister | allegiance to herself | single



    Joanna jumped a bit as she heard a voice break the silence she had enjoyed just moments before. Her fists curled up, not expecting who was standing there. She twirled to face the voice, her fists slightly lifted. She frowned deeply and seemed to relax slightly when she saw it was just the Prince. She sighed heavily and dropped her fists, shaking her head. As he approached, she glanced over at him. She rolled her eyes as he was still proper with the way he addressed her. That was another big difference between Essos and Westeros. Joanna would prefer to be called by her name, Joanna. She didn't like the tittles or the promiscuity that Westeros had. "Joanna. Don't call me Lady. I'm not a Lady." The blonde woman grumbled a bit as she turned her attention back to the books she had been inspecting moments before. Joanna then looked back up at Aeiron with a soft giggle, shaking her head. She was so used to being harsh but it was something about the Prince and Julian that made all of that slip away. She wondered, again, what it could be? She shifted her weight as she stood more off to the side, knowing the lords and ladies in the library would see them and the gossip would spread like wildfire. Joanna could care less about her own reputation but she didn't want to hurt the Prince's. He had been kind to her after all. And he seemed like the only fun person in King's Landing. Joanna snickered at the thought and she began to twirl her mother's necklace in her fingers. "I saw the dragons for the first time. When your parents were leaving. And now I want to know everything about them." Joanna said with a soft chuckle, her sea-blue eyes gazing up at the books. She had always been a big reader as a child and would read about the world. The one thing she always loved about her childhood, was that she actually got to see the world she had read about. She grew up in Volantis and would hear merchants shouting about their products for hours on end. She rose horseback through the Red Waste with one of her childhood friends and scared her father half to death. She would explore the mountains and watch the people all around her, getting an affinity for people watching. Essos was vastly different from Westeros, not just in looks and their mannerisms. But the people as well. In Essos, there was dancing around a fire with bare feet and singing all night long. Women weren't afraid to show of their beautiful bodies and the men would be lucky to touch a woman like that. Joanna smiled softly at the memories. She missed her childhood friends but she knew they had gone their separate ways for a reason. Knowing Joanna was knowing danger. Joanna would always have someone in the world who wanted her dead, no matter where she went.


    Joanna looked back up at the Prince with a curious sparkle in her eyes. She felt her lips purse as she quirked a brow. "What are you doing in the dragonlore section? Don't you already know everything there is to know about dragons?" The blonde woman said with a soft giggle, her eyes shimmering in the dim lighting of this section of the library. The torch's glow seemed to make her skin look porcelain, so smooth and unattainable. Her beauty truly was something to behold, being one of the most beautiful women in Westeros. Perhaps that was why the ladies of the court were so quick to gossip about her 'savagery'. Perhaps if she was too savage, the lords they sought after wouldn't pine after Joanna. The blonde didn't mind. She didn't plan on getting married anytime soon or even having children anytime soon. She knew she would want that in her future but for now? She was the most hated woman in the world and she couldn't afford any weakness. And that included someone she could love.


    -- maybe she could be betrothed to oberyn himself? cause he is the prince since he's the only living son of oberyn, even if he is a bastard. and i think it would be super adorable if joanna taught him how to fight. they'd bicker and have cute little moments and just yes


    (c)trexgirl