Posts by LUCERYS TARGARYEN

Was the child sleeping? Casting Leopold an idle glance, Lucerys supposed that he was and refrained from approaching him for the time being. Leopold looked so peaceful asleep, and the Lord of Dragonstone didn't particularly deign to entertain a child anyhow.

Lucerys raised his brow, almost affronted by Barbara's forwardness, but like his father, he had a certain predilection, a weakness, for a pretty face. "But not nearly as much as contrariwise," the Lord of Dragonstone suddenly corrected, continuing to drink his tall glass. A quiet word of flattery. Already he was betrothed and although he found himself very pleased and fortunate by the lovely lady who had offered herself to him, there was a quiet part of Lucerys that found himself apprehensive of the new restrictions that would come with remarriage. But this was innocent, a harmless back-and-forth. Some another male had already gotten Barbara with his bastard and Lucerys liked to consider it beneath his dignity to roll around with strange, foreign girls, sensual as they may be.

"Hmm," he acknowledged her expressed gratitude, pale eyes levelled steadily. Barbara bore a striking resemblance, by way of mannerisms, to the mistresses and paramours his father used to take up with during his childhood - and likely still did now. He could certainly see the appeal that must have driven his father into the arms of and the beds of so many different women, but at the same time Lucerys found himself vaguely sympathising with his mother's position. But on the other hand, Sweetophelia had always been too sensitive, too jealous and possessive; she hadn't understood a man's method. Besides, Lucerys was a bastard himself - his father had only promised Targaryen princes - a marriage bed had not been included, not even in the promises of their courtship days.

"I thought this was the game," Lucerys remarked evenly, gesturing to their surroundings, the picnic blanket, the food, the ambience. His mother's clan didn't "do" arranged marriages in the fashion of her native country, but wasn't the main motivation behind this whole affair to strengthen clan relations by way of friendship or coupling? And sex was indefinitely more powerful than any platonic affection could ever hope to be. "But fine - what game did you want to play?"

Lucerys didn't have a particularly high opinion of ColouredClan - that distinction was reserved for the few clans who had already demonstrated their power and vigour, clans such as BlizzardClan or ShadowClan. He would not volunteer to visit ColouredClan, and instead took a seat beside Alfeynnah, sharing with her a quick, polite smile before his gaze was redirected to the High King.

"Did you?" Lucerys blinked, unfazed. "You're fortunate that this was all the potion did," the Lord of Dragonstone remarked. "You ought to be more careful." Did Alfeynnah care for this half-sibling? He could not recall the answer but it would have some bearing on his own perspective on Ren.

Lucerys blinked, his figurative eyebrows furrowing as he observed Micah's surprisingly enthusiastic response, although the dragon was inwardly amused by the flowers' reception by the pup. "If they could blush, I believe they would," Lucerys remarked in turn, extending the flowers towards Micah who seemed so taken by them. "Hello," he added, nodding in acknowledgement to Ramsay as the familiar canine approached.

"I am well," he confirmed. "I have recently become engaged. But our betrothal is still in negotiation and we have not yet worked out finer details such as the date." Of course his upcoming nuptials were political in nature, but nevertheless Lucerys would make the best of his remarriage. Alfeynnah was a fine match - young in body, vast in land holdings, and astute of mind. Other arranged marriages had oft turned out worst for both parties. "Westeros is faring excellently as well. Our conflict with the Cartel continues to rage on."

The Sanctuary. Lucerys didn't have any particular opinion on the group - fair or poor. "So he requested a Targaryen specifically," he mused quietly, more to himself than anyone else. He wondered if that preference had arisen from Lady Mallister's influence and found it likely. At the moment it didn't seem that their father had many available children to marry off, possibly turning him more selective. "Did she ever mention his name?" He recalled that the Lady Mallister had informed them that her brother was a "former leader" but she had never specified what group it was that he had led, leading Lucerys to conclude that the group had been relatively obscure and without much influence or power. "She didn't mention any current honours either." For the time being, her brother seemed to be a regular joe in the Sanctuary, hardly worthy of a Targaryen bride was he?

Lucerys listened to the news in silence, his expression returning to its usual grim state. The promotions mostly didn't interest him, but Varick's appointment to the Hand of the King was displeasing to him even if Lucerys had expected it one day or the other. It was tradition to select a Hand outside of one's house.

When his own - and Alfeynnah's - elevations were announced, Lucerys became quietly pleased at their new distinction, his pale grey eyes sliding over to look upon her, to gauge her reaction. Their impeding marriage was becoming more and more appealing day by day and already he could envision them together - on the Iron Throne. There would be no more concerns of gold diggers and upstart bastards, which had previously made his own position precarious.

Lucerys blinked, surprised by Antoinette's sudden approach and whispered words. He had seen her whispering to Varick before. Somewhat discomforted, the Targaryen male broke away, his attention turning onto Leopold just as the child spoke up and Alfeynnah walked in. Regardless of Antoinette's innocent intentions, he felt almost as if he had to justify himself but nevertheless he remained firmly planted where he stood. "Glad you're not dead," Lucerys settled eventually, voice gruff but not hostile. He didn't have much else to offer by way of words and simply waited to hear Leopold's response to his betrothed's inquiry.

Lucerys was never quite happy, there was always a concern pressing at the back of his mind, a new enemy to slay or outmanoeuvre, and the pursuit of furthering his own ambitions which had been borne into existence in the aftermath of Jaehaerys' assassination. If happiness was attainable for him then he was very close to seizing it now, or at least he was firmly entrenched in contentment for the time being. His relationship with his parents was stable, even if his mother didn't keep in contact with him by any method but letter when it would be so easy to speak face-to-face, his engagement was formalised and had become public news in the Seven Kingdoms, and he and his betrothed had recently been elevated to the rank of Crown Prince and Crown Princess, naming them Tsubodai's legal heirs with precedent over all of his other bastard children and the innumerable relatives through the late High Queen Eurydice Targaryen with possible aspirations to sitting on the Iron Throne.

Of course it would be dangerous to let his guard down but nevertheless Lucerys found himself growing more idle, allowing himself more time on Dragonstone, which was also where he had found a talented craftsman, one who forged for him two matching bands - one for himself and one for his bride-to-be. Lucerys was not an overt romantic, but in his previous marriage he had enjoyed lavishing Malaella with flowers and affection. Alfeynnah was not such a sweet-natured and innocent, blushing young girl but nevertheless she was beautiful and powerful, and Lucerys found her desirable and pleasing in terms of both her individual traits and personal character and her titles and holdings. He was not so certain as to the extent of her feelings for him - beyond the vague sense of possession she looked upon him with - but it would be ideal if their union was more than one of political motivations. Marriages were so expendable nowadays - annulments and divorces were common-place outside Westeros - and children and heirs suddenly so easy to come by. A lasting union needed more than small bodies of flesh to remain resolute, it needed to inspire devotion from both parties.

He was waiting for her in the gardens of the Red Keep now, seating himself on one of the stone benches with the long boxes set beside him. The dark lion had sent word to her earlier that day by messenger, of his interest in seeing her that afternoon and he sat here now, waiting patiently.

Lucerys hadn't expected to keep his wardenship with his ascension to the rank of Crown Prince, nor for Alfeynnah and Varick to do the same. He was not humble by any means but it would be agreeable to Lucerys if he could pass the role onto someone, someone with ambitions and someone to be pleased. For now, he would be keeping his eye out and performing his typical duties.

Approaching in silence and taking a seat beside his betrothed, he said not a word but was silently miffed that Varick would take the Reach - an upstart, he was.

Arriving in silence, Lucerys took a seat, his pale grey eyes fixing themselves on the High King. He didn't really have an inkling as to what Tsubodai desired to discuss amongst his lords and ladies, and he didn't feel much like wagering a guess.

"The Sanctum is a dying group," Lucerys remarked, unconcerned. "Whoever your attacker was, I doubt they'll return and if they do and we catch them - well." Lucerys didn't imagine it would be advisable to describe gore to a child as young as Leopold. "Can you try eating something non-meat?"

Ordinarily Lucerys would have selected a seat closer to Tsubodai, but seeing that Alfeynnah had remained in her dragon form and had instead taken perch on a nearby building, the dragon followed suit, settling beside his betrothed.

The dark lion was seated upon a stone bench, his paws hanging idly over the edge. He was waiting in the gardens of King's Landing, having earlier arranged for a meeting with Antoinette Uller, the last apparent living member of an old house, one with great influence in Dorne. It had been Lucerys' mission to lead an expedition into Dorne and although his father had not yet officially tasked him with reclaiming Dorne, he knew what was the end game. Diminished power and one less fancy title was both sacrifices he was willing to make - he had already secured a better one anyhow.

A merit based ranking system and a land based system. Lucerys agreed with the concept and had no complaint. Idly listening to the rest of Tsubodai's announcements, touching on the performance of his fellow citizens, the dragon lifted his wings, pushing off the roof and disappearing to return to Dragonstone after a nod of farewell to Alfeynnah.

His body turning as he registered the familiar sounds of Alfeynnah's approach, Lucerys offered his betrothed a quick smile, hiding his true tentativeness behind a front of stoicism. He didn't typically present more than an image of indifference anyhow, and so hoped that Alfeynnah would think noting of his mannerisms now.

"I commissioned a gift for you," he spoke up, pulling up one of the boxes between them. "For us, truly." Holding up the box to her now as an offering, the lion nodded, indicating for her to unwrap the contents. Inside she would find a wide golden band to fit around her ankle. The piece of jewellery had some origins from the gold mines of Casterly Rock, and it was enchanted to shrink and grow as she shifted between forms - between the familiar lion and dragon shapes Lucerys was so well accustomed to. His own version was embedded with black agate orbs whereas hers as complimented by gleaming red rubies - the two colours of their ancestral house.

OOC | sorry for the late response!

"House Hightower is gone - House Darling took Oldtown," Lucerys remarked firstly, approaching after the others and settling near Antoinette, another "Southern" - although perhaps a truer Southerner than he. "Welcome back anyways. I am Lucerys Targaryen." It took him a moment to recognise the name House Beesbury; it had been such a minor house, but it was refreshing to see the return of so many houses.

"Westeros-dwelling-people" was fresh, at least. He certainly hadn't heard that term before. His figurative brow lifting, the Crown Prince glanced over at Jim, his expression unchanging. "Okay," the dragon offered blandly. He wasn't very interested - Westeros had hundreds of cities and villages and other small settlements. There was a lifetime of adventure already at home for him.

Arriving quietly into the room, Lucerys glanced around, seeing that he was the first of the ambassadors to arrive aside from Katarina herself. Settling down into one of the empty seats, he poured himself a small drink of wine, idly watching Katarina looking through her letters.

"I'll take a task," Lucerys spoke up, approaching quietly after Josephine. Perhaps some work would help focus him. Lately the dragon had been feeling all over the place.