[ Even this moment feels somehow private — there are revelers mere strides from them, but they seem to know to leave the newlyweds be, at least for the moment. And besides, the ceremony had passed without incident — any gossip will be far less volatile now, at least so long as the night remains as calm as it has been thus far.
(Her note, that implies that her past experiences with weddings have not quite been the same, earns an arched brow from Elrond. He has heard enough, of course, of Westerosi history and of the building blocks of the Targaryen dynasty, to know that the comment isn't an entirely facile one. But he is glad, nonetheless — he has never wished for bloodshed in any capacity, much less on an evening like this. If anything, he imagines this will be a respite from work to come, likely not without its share of bloodletting. The realm they return to is one already balanced on the edge of a knife.) ]
I am gladdened to hear it, [ he says gently, in answer to her first response. It doesn't escape him that some things still nip at her — that tell, the way she seems to fidget, particularly with her hands, when she's ill at ease is one he's already filed away — but they've already skirted around the things he expects are on her mind. Legacy, duty, family — without them, one is nothing, and yet the three can often be too much to bear easily.
He cocks his head slightly at what she says next, a slight shift in expression suggesting he's heartened by the thought — or rather, heartened by her sense of curiosity. ]
I would be glad to teach you our language, should you so desire, [ he offers. ] Besides, I think it would do me well to maintain some connection to my kin, even in a new home.
[ The temptation is to say far from home, but he knows that those words aren't quite correct anymore — his home is with her, now, across the sea. It is a strange conundrum; he cannot afford to split himself so in two, but he cannot imagine a world completely detached from his people, his place of birth, either. ]
I had actually hoped that I might be able to study High Valyrian — it has always been of some interest to me, and more practically, I should think it useful if I am to meet Syrax.
[ And, thirdly, it would likely be a useful tool in court, especially if the assumption is that he does not understand it. ]
no subject
(Her note, that implies that her past experiences with weddings have not quite been the same, earns an arched brow from Elrond. He has heard enough, of course, of Westerosi history and of the building blocks of the Targaryen dynasty, to know that the comment isn't an entirely facile one. But he is glad, nonetheless — he has never wished for bloodshed in any capacity, much less on an evening like this. If anything, he imagines this will be a respite from work to come, likely not without its share of bloodletting. The realm they return to is one already balanced on the edge of a knife.) ]
I am gladdened to hear it, [ he says gently, in answer to her first response. It doesn't escape him that some things still nip at her — that tell, the way she seems to fidget, particularly with her hands, when she's ill at ease is one he's already filed away — but they've already skirted around the things he expects are on her mind. Legacy, duty, family — without them, one is nothing, and yet the three can often be too much to bear easily.
He cocks his head slightly at what she says next, a slight shift in expression suggesting he's heartened by the thought — or rather, heartened by her sense of curiosity. ]
I would be glad to teach you our language, should you so desire, [ he offers. ] Besides, I think it would do me well to maintain some connection to my kin, even in a new home.
[ The temptation is to say far from home, but he knows that those words aren't quite correct anymore — his home is with her, now, across the sea. It is a strange conundrum; he cannot afford to split himself so in two, but he cannot imagine a world completely detached from his people, his place of birth, either. ]
I had actually hoped that I might be able to study High Valyrian — it has always been of some interest to me, and more practically, I should think it useful if I am to meet Syrax.
[ And, thirdly, it would likely be a useful tool in court, especially if the assumption is that he does not understand it. ]