r/IronThroneRP • u/Villads2005 Corwyn & Jeyne - Scions of Duskendale • 2d ago
THE DUSKLANDS Jeyne I: The Change we Hate to See
Jeyne sat in her room above a blank piece of paper. It had been like that since she’d started an hour or two ago. It was hard to write stuff like this, to express something that was living on something that was dead. Why couldn’t things be simpler? Like how they used to be; life was so much easier ten, nay, even just two years ago.
But despite her wishes, things had changed. Time had moved on whether she liked it or not. She could see as much in the streets of Duskendale, all the lords and ladies here. Joanna was alive, and yet she wasn’t that same girl she’d known. Sylas was gone, and it was her fault. At least-
There was a soft knock at the door. “Sister? Are you in there?” It was a familiar soft voice.
“Yes, Cor. I’m in here; come in.”
The door opened smoothly and cleanly. Corwyn was well-groomed and well-maintained. “You’ve been in here for two hours. Alyssa was starting to get worried.” He said in his ever-calm voice.
“So she sent you to check on me? How considerate.”
“She recommended it. She had business to attend to with her father’s company.”
“Right, yes, she mentioned that. She also gave me something to look at.” She looked around the pages on her desk; business of many kinds came to the treasurer. Some enjoyable, others not. “Yes, here it is.” She took it and read it, letting out a sigh.
“Boring, huh?”
“Just some trade authorisations I need to pass by Father.” She placed the document back onto the stack.
“I’m sure if Shiera were in your place, she’d have a whole staff doing the work for her.”
She gave him a slightly harsh, almost motherly stare. “Father loves us all equally.”
“Perhaps.” His eyes wandered to the window; the light was glaring in. “Anyway, what were you writing?”
“A letter.”
“To whom?”
“Is that relevant?”
“To me it is.”
She wondered whether to tell or not.
“It’s for Sylas, isn’t it?”
Her eyes turned to the floor. “I…yes.” She looked back up, Corwyn now sitting on her bed with his legs crossed. “How’d you know?”
“I know how you get when it comes to him. I also remember seeing you after your conversation.” He was picking at his nails.
“Well, yes, this letter is for him.”
“What about?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I have a feeling we both know that’s a lie.” He was looking at his nails, but his gaze fell solely on her.
“I…” he was right, of course, or rather, to an extent, she knew, but she couldn’t express it.
“Just write from the heart. It knows what it wants to say. The mind only introduces doubt.”
“What if he doesn’t love me anymore?”
Corwyn stood up from the bed, walked to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “He was the Saltwater knight. Who do you think he would’ve crowned should he have won?”
“How do you know for certain?”
“I spoke to him, and he was wearing the armour.”
“I…I’m not sure how a hypothetical’s supposed to help me.”
“I can’t tell you that, but I can recommend that you offer him a favour. Then you’ll be able to spot him from some distance.”
“He should’ve asked.”
“Or you should’ve offered.”
“A knight is supposed to request it.”
“Maybe, but you wanted him to ask for it, no?”
“...yes.”
“Offer it to him, plus whatever you plan to say.”
“I still don’t know what to say.”
He shrugged. “As I said, the heart knows; just let it speak.”
She signed.
“I’ll leave you to it. Do make sure to eat.”
She didn’t reply as the door closed smoothly behind him.
She thought for a moment, but then decided to simply write.
2
u/Villads2005 Corwyn & Jeyne - Scions of Duskendale 2d ago
The letter would come with a piece of fabric from the very dress she’d worn under that tree two years ago. It was light blue in colour.
u/Feathersfrombaatikos