Harrenhal Godswood

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

The godswood is walled over twenty acres. It has a small stream running through it. The weirwood heart tree appears to have a terrible visage full of hatred, with a twisted mouth and flaring eyes. It is located across the ward from where the Barracks Hall and the armory are.

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

Lady Hightower, after a fair amount of complaining from her husband about not being very respectful and kind to his family, arrived at the appointed time to go on a nature walk with Princess Melisa.

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa waited at the entrance to the godswood. Since they were going to be spending a fair amount of time behind the great walls of Harrenhal, Melissa hoped that a visit to the godswood would satisfy her desire for open sky, trees and the beauties of nature. She had dressed in a simple green dress, elegant but not nearly as princessy as most of the gowns she had brought with her.

"Lady Alyssa," she cried, upon spotting her goodsister. "I'm so glad you decided to come. We women should stick together, shouldn't we? No doubt the men are off discussing boring things, anyway." She gave Alyssa a conspiratorial grin. "I am so looking forward to exploring with you. There's nothing like being outdoors."

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"Of course" Alyssa said dryly. she was wearing Green herself, a dark bottle green dress that showed off her enviable figure. "I am also looking forward to getting to know you better Princess. We are family after all" she said and smiled as if it was an afterthought, "What are you hoping to find in this... outside"

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

"Beauty, the heart tree, perhaps some flowers.  Mayhaps, if I'm lucky, friendship."  She smiled at Alyssa as she said it.  "I've no sisters of my own, and my female cousins frequently baffle me.  But I'm sure I do the same to them."  She glanced around, taking in the stark beauty of the trees.  "Have you seen many godswoods, before?"

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"no," Alyssa said,, still smiling, though she resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she said friendship as something to find out here, as if you could become friends in one afternoon.

"I have seen one or two, but no proper ones with a weirwood, they do not grow well in southern soil" She said, "I would not think, coming from highgarden, that you wanted for flowers to see"

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa laughed slightly. "Oh, but I thought it would be interesting to see what plants and flowers grow in the Riverlands. The landscape is so different." She gestured at the trees ahead of them. "The trees in our godswood at Highgarden are so different to the ones here. You'll think me foolish, perhaps, but the air feels a little different too. And Dorne is different again. The air is dryer, and the heat feels different to a sunny day in Highgarden."

She stopped herself with another laugh. "And here I am rambling. I'm glad you and Geralt could come. It would be a shame to miss a historic event."

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"Well, even if I could not attend I never deny Geralt an opportunity to leave Oldtown" She said, with heavy implication, "so you would have had him at least. Loathe would I be to miss the silly waving around of sharpened sticks and the like." It was no secret Alyssa was less than impressed with martial practice, and the whole procession of a tourney. "It has impressive trees, i will give it that."

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Though she found it odd that Alyssa was not a fan of tournaments, Melissa elected not to remark upon it. "They are impressive, certainly. Surely you will give Geralt your favour to wear in any events he chooses to compete im? It's what I were do, if I were married. AS it is, I suppose I shall have to find another man to honour with my favour. Alas, the disadvantage of being unmarried," she said, eyes dancing.

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"If you enjoy that sort of thing" she said, looking to Melissa, "He can have my favour, if he bothers to ask for it, which I doubt he will do." Alyssa looked up and started to walk through the giant Godswood, "Is there any here who have caught your eye to give your favour to?"

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Alyssa and Geralt certainly didn't behave like the other married couples Melissa knew, but she wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"Not exactly," she said, guardedly. "I haven't met enough people to be sure. But Prince Theon has taken an interest in me, somehow." She bent to pick a flower and gaze at it. thoughtfully. "You know him. Is he a good man?"

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"Good is a point of view," she said, "What we think of as good is cowardly to others and vice versa" she pointed out, "I like him very much, though, but i have known him my entire life,'

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

"Of course. Do you think I ought cultivate his friendship, then?" She put the flower in her hair on a whim and continued onwards.

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

Alyssa looked after the woman as she walked off with the flower. Frivolous.

"Is friendship what you want of him? You two would be a good match, ther than the Dornish the Ironborn may be the best for a warrior Queen?" She suggested.

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa paused to gaze out over their surroundings. Harrenhal's godswood wasn't a patch on the beauty of Highgarden but it had a certain rough charm. She spotted a stream up ahead and longed to trail her fingers in the clear water.

"I've always known that I will marry, one day," she said, a little absently. "The decision will be my father's, though I'd hope he loves me enough to consider my opinion of any possible husband. Perhaps Father intends me to marry Prince Theon, but he hasn't said so...yet. At the moment, friendship will suit me well enough. I barely know the man, I'd be a fool to fall head over heels in love with him."

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"Well, do not let people force you into something," Sh advised, "There are six other kingdoms, all with eligible sons" she nodded and linked their arms, to carry on the walk. "There is a lot of freedom with the responsibility of running your own lands"

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

"Is there? Truly, I never thought of it like that, but then, I've never been heir to anything. I always thought if you have the responsibility for your own lands, there must be less time for freedom and pleasing yourself. But you have Geralt to help you, of course. And I'm sure you must have many loyal advisors too?"

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"Yes, but you get the fulfilment of being able to make a real difference, have power and control nt because of what is between your legs" She said, "I have my own money, my own power," she explained, "I am independent of men"

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa was silent for a moment, then she said, quietly "But you are married, Alyssa. You need a man to give you an heir, even if you don't need one for anything else." She had to suppress a giggle at the thought of Alyssa using Geralt as a stud. "And the law says a woman should obey her husband, even when she holds land in her own right. I'll admit that worries me a little bit. Do you disregard the concept?"

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"I do, I have been disregarding it since I was young." She said, "And you are free to ask Geralt if I obey him. It would not bother me if I never had a child, I have other family who could take on the mantel, would not have time to raise them anyway."

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa's mind reeled. She had not realised how controversial Alyssa's views were. Almost everything her brother's wife had said about marriage contradicted everything Melissa had been taught by her mother and septas.

"May I suggest you speak more cautiously in my father's presence? I would hate him to turn against you," she said. "But I don't mind. You've given me a lot to think about. But why marry at all, if you don't care for a child and have no significant use for men? Simply because your brother died, so I couldn't marry him?"

She felt a pang of regret at the thought of her deceased betrothed. She still missed him in her more reflective moments.

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"It was arranged by my father before I was the Beacon of the South, nither your brother or I had a choice," she said and scoffed a bit, "Your father would never turn against Oldtown and he has no reason too, I am merely sharing thoughts on my own marriage.

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

"Nobody in Highgarden has spoken so frankly about marriage before. I'll do my duty, no doubt of that, but it's good to see things from another's perspective. My mother is so very traditional, you see. And I am...not." She smiled.  "Alyssa, may I ask a bold question?"

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"Of course," Alyssa said with a smile.

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

She glanced around to make sure nobody had followed them.  The godswood was so large it was impossible to know if anyone else had been there before the two of them had arrived.

"Do you love Geralt?  Forgive me, I do not know you well enough to tell.  Only, I wondered..."

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

Alyssa gave an unflattering puff of air at that question, " love is for children and stories," she replied. "Is that what you want? Love? The best you can hope for is a man that serves you well at night and leaves you alone in the day."

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

Melissa was rather taken aback.  "Everyone wants to be loved...don't they?  At least, I thought it would make marriage easier to deal with if my husband love me, and I love him. I know it's not always possible, but I still hope..."

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

Aug 7, 2017 19:11:01 GMT Princess Melissa Gardener said:

Melissa was rather taken aback.  "Everyone wants to be loved...don't they?  At least, I thought it would make marriage easier to deal with if my husband love me, and I love him. I know it's not always possible, but I still hope..."

"The illusion of love is nice I suppose. You should come to the Citadel and see what they have to say on the matter, all of their research hasn't found one trace that anything like love exists." She said, "but I hope you get your illusion, Melissa, but remember this, nothing lasts forever. Love is no different."  With that she smiled, having successfully shattered a few dreams, "the godswood does smell lovely. 

[Princess Melissa Gardener]

"It does, truly. So different to our southron trees." She glanced around. "I didn't realise you were so cynical. But do you mean then that you have actually been to the Citadel?" She turned back to Alyssa, eyes wide. "I didn't know they allowed women to even visit."

[Lady Alyssa Hightower]

"I am the defender of the Citadel, there is no door in Oldtown closed to me. You do not know me at all, is that not why we are having this little chat?" She said still looking at the flowers.