[ as if it sufficiently explains everything. perhaps it does; jace had grown up with them in the red keep until rhaenyra decided to leave for dragonstone. aemond, if possible, gets even more tense - enough to sit himself across jace without invitation yet again. ]
Will you be speaking with him? Have you spoken to him?
I assume he is enjoying the festivities then. ( he sits down, pouring himself his own glass of wine before leaning forward to nudge Aemond's closer to his now seated uncle.
leaning back, he sips from his glass. ) Not as of yet, but this place is not large enough for us to forever avoid one another and there is a peace to hold. Have you spoken to him of it?
[ aegon, having his fun — aegon, arriving the same window of time that pierce's friends have arrived, and now aemond's carefully cultivated balance has been thrown off its axis entirely.
he turns the offered glass around on his stem, rolling the base of it against the tabletop and letting the wine slosh around turbulently. much like how his feelings are rolling within; wave after wave of upset and confusion and gods know what else. ]
I've said enough to him for now. The rest I leave to Alicent. Our mother will better know how to manage him.
[ when aemond relents and picks up the glass, he drains the wine in a single swill. ]
( there's plenty to learn from watching people, from listening to what they are saying and not saying. his mother taught him this, as did his grandsire when he was still sound of mind. it had been advice given to a child then, but Jacaerys has found it useful in his short life.
he is not his mother, nor his grandsire. nor is he like Daemon, nor the Sea Snake or his noble father. resemblance aside, there is little of Harwin Strong in him. but he hopes to be an amalgamation of all of them, to take the lessons they have taught him and to grow into something worthy of pride instead of the shame others wish to place on his head. perhaps he can be the best of them, a statesman worthy of his line.
but it does not take a keen eye to know that there is more to this than Aegon, when Aemond downs the wine in one swill. ) Are you worried of a fight between Aegon and I? Or the opposite?
( after all, they were once close - Aegon and him. they once tormented Aemond so. he keeps his voice steady and soft, sips his own wine before asking, )
{ What worries you, Aemond? }
Edited (switching to hv ) Date: 2024-11-10 07:15 am (UTC)
[ it is like permission given, switching between tongues. ]
{Closely have I hewn to what I've known of duty and honour while we have been here, cousin. Aegon — he does not easily listen, to his peril. He has pride but not the wisdom to temper it, while he might say I have too much and thus find pride in that.}
[ what does worry him? aegon's pettishness? aegon will act as he wishes, no matter what aemond says. aegon's judgement, then? but aemond has never let it lead him, even when he craves it from his brother.
what is the matter? ]
{There are people here who are loyal to me alone. Duty demands I extend their fealty to the crown and blood - yet I find myself hesitating, despite misliking the thought of setting duty aside for personal desire.}
(speak plainly, Jace thinks and does not voice. he would have, in another life. or even a turn of the moon ago. he instead reaches for the bottle again, offers to refill Aemond's glass in a deference to age and not rank.
what is said of Aegon is all he knows. his elder uncle is a creature of pride and vanity. what Jacaerys remembers of the young man underneath the mask could no longer exist at all. and neither is he here, seated before him.
of all people, it is Aemond. )
{ You do not wish for Aegon to meet them? If it is only duty that binds you to them, then it would be a simple matter. }( but there is a small, knowing smile on his lips as he lifts his cup. ){ Their loyalty falls beyond that, then, for you to worry of personal desire. There is room for both in a place like this. }
{Room for both does not mean it is right or just to engage it.}
[ this is the correct answer. the prudent and wise answer that otto hightower would expect, because everything needs be cautioned. his grandsire is a man who would not want to upset the order of things, and it can be a fault of his, but there is wisdom in it all the same — to change things so greatly is sow chaos, and there is more than enough of that to go around.
but is there room for personal wants in such a system? surely there must be; rhaenyra found her way, even if it flies in the face of common decency. and his own mother found hers, too, in this strange place.
what is he trying to ask jace, in this very moment? ]
{The crown is its own master, as are our personal wants, and no one man can serve the two faithfully and be successful.
I don't want Aegon to poison this well, Jace. I don't even want my mother to perceive their existence beyond what I tell her. Tell me that this makes sense.}
( there is a battle happening before him, within the confines of Aemond's mind and Jace cannot fight it for him. he understands the struggle well, of personal desire and duty.
it has been easier for him as his mother's son, of that he is aware.
he listens to the words and wonders if he is the right man to provide council. for all that Jace has had, he has shared with his brothers and good-sisters. yet that had all come willingly, for the relationships there are not only forged in blood but friendship that runs deep. or ran.
the reminder of Luke makes him square his shoulders, to drink the rest of the wine down. the urge to throw Aemond from his rooms rises and is quelled by memory that their house needs to maintain its alliances. that aside, they've muddled plenty. )
{ You want something for yourself in this place. Is that it? You are allowed to keep it. Here, there is no reason for your mother or for Aegon to know all. }
such magnanimity. such directness, perhaps honesty too. this might have been a bad idea, aemond realises, sitting back and straightening his posture. hands on the table, clear for all to see, palms flat on the cool, polished surface.
measured breathing, as he puts himself back together, moment by moment. ]
{You'll understand if I have reservations for simply taking that which I desire. It rarely turns out well for everyone when I do.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2024-11-10 06:22 am (UTC)[ as if it sufficiently explains everything. perhaps it does; jace had grown up with them in the red keep until rhaenyra decided to leave for dragonstone. aemond, if possible, gets even more tense - enough to sit himself across jace without invitation yet again. ]
Will you be speaking with him? Have you spoken to him?
no subject
Date: 2024-11-10 06:34 am (UTC)leaning back, he sips from his glass. ) Not as of yet, but this place is not large enough for us to forever avoid one another and there is a peace to hold. Have you spoken to him of it?
no subject
Date: 2024-11-10 06:58 am (UTC)[ aegon, having his fun — aegon, arriving the same window of time that pierce's friends have arrived, and now aemond's carefully cultivated balance has been thrown off its axis entirely.
he turns the offered glass around on his stem, rolling the base of it against the tabletop and letting the wine slosh around turbulently. much like how his feelings are rolling within; wave after wave of upset and confusion and gods know what else. ]
I've said enough to him for now. The rest I leave to Alicent. Our mother will better know how to manage him.
[ when aemond relents and picks up the glass, he drains the wine in a single swill. ]
What will you tell him? Aegon.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-10 07:15 am (UTC)he is not his mother, nor his grandsire. nor is he like Daemon, nor the Sea Snake or his noble father. resemblance aside, there is little of Harwin Strong in him. but he hopes to be an amalgamation of all of them, to take the lessons they have taught him and to grow into something worthy of pride instead of the shame others wish to place on his head. perhaps he can be the best of them, a statesman worthy of his line.
but it does not take a keen eye to know that there is more to this than Aegon, when Aemond downs the wine in one swill. ) Are you worried of a fight between Aegon and I? Or the opposite?
( after all, they were once close - Aegon and him. they once tormented Aemond so. he keeps his voice steady and soft, sips his own wine before asking, )
{ What worries you, Aemond? }
no subject
Date: 2024-11-10 07:24 am (UTC){ Closely have I hewn to what I've known of duty and honour while we have been here, cousin. Aegon — he does not easily listen, to his peril. He has pride but not the wisdom to temper it, while he might say I have too much and thus find pride in that. }
[ what does worry him? aegon's pettishness? aegon will act as he wishes, no matter what aemond says. aegon's judgement, then? but aemond has never let it lead him, even when he craves it from his brother.
what is the matter? ]
{ There are people here who are loyal to me alone. Duty demands I extend their fealty to the crown and blood - yet I find myself hesitating, despite misliking the thought of setting duty aside for personal desire. }
no subject
Date: 2024-11-10 07:46 am (UTC)what is said of Aegon is all he knows. his elder uncle is a creature of pride and vanity. what Jacaerys remembers of the young man underneath the mask could no longer exist at all. and neither is he here, seated before him.
of all people, it is Aemond. )
{ You do not wish for Aegon to meet them? If it is only duty that binds you to them, then it would be a simple matter. } ( but there is a small, knowing smile on his lips as he lifts his cup. ) { Their loyalty falls beyond that, then, for you to worry of personal desire. There is room for both in a place like this. }
no subject
Date: 2024-11-11 12:03 am (UTC)[ this is the correct answer. the prudent and wise answer that otto hightower would expect, because everything needs be cautioned. his grandsire is a man who would not want to upset the order of things, and it can be a fault of his, but there is wisdom in it all the same — to change things so greatly is sow chaos, and there is more than enough of that to go around.
but is there room for personal wants in such a system? surely there must be; rhaenyra found her way, even if it flies in the face of common decency. and his own mother found hers, too, in this strange place.
what is he trying to ask jace, in this very moment? ]
{ The crown is its own master, as are our personal wants, and no one man can serve the two faithfully and be successful.
I don't want Aegon to poison this well, Jace. I don't even want my mother to perceive their existence beyond what I tell her. Tell me that this makes sense. }
[ he has no fucking idea what he's doing here. ]
no subject
Date: 2024-11-15 05:00 am (UTC)it has been easier for him as his mother's son, of that he is aware.
he listens to the words and wonders if he is the right man to provide council. for all that Jace has had, he has shared with his brothers and good-sisters. yet that had all come willingly, for the relationships there are not only forged in blood but friendship that runs deep. or ran.
the reminder of Luke makes him square his shoulders, to drink the rest of the wine down. the urge to throw Aemond from his rooms rises and is quelled by memory that their house needs to maintain its alliances. that aside, they've muddled plenty. )
{ You want something for yourself in this place. Is that it? You are allowed to keep it. Here, there is no reason for your mother or for Aegon to know all. }
no subject
Date: 2024-11-15 12:04 pm (UTC)such magnanimity. such directness, perhaps honesty too. this might have been a bad idea, aemond realises, sitting back and straightening his posture. hands on the table, clear for all to see, palms flat on the cool, polished surface.
measured breathing, as he puts himself back together, moment by moment. ]
{ You'll understand if I have reservations for simply taking that which I desire. It rarely turns out well for everyone when I do.
Perhaps in this, too, I have overreached. }