[She smiled, pleased that there is something of a reputation building for her as a mother. She had been hidden in the background for so long, but it seemed that some of her effort was reaping rewards.]
It is a pretty dream, to have an heir for the North, but if we fail in this war, succession will be of no concern. There will be no living men in the North to look to a king.
[The rest, he doesn't answer. It would be easier in some ways and harder in others. If Ygritte had lived -- but that's a thought he only allows himself once in a while, late at night with a cup of ale in his hand, and there still isn't much comfort in it.]
[If she were a different woman, she might suggest that love was more important, but such things were beyond her concept. She could only think in terms of duty.]
[When he reads that, he lets out a rueful chuckle. The prospects are grim. He has tried to make it plain that they are grim, but the people don't believe him -- not truly. They imagine war, but what sort of war it is, no one can really imagine until they see it.]
So do I. If we don't -- nothing else matters. It will be the end of everything and everyone. We mean to fight it. We mean to do what we can.
If you live in a time of peace, it's easy to think that things will always be so.
[She had never experienced war, but she had to imagine that it always felt that way. Her father had tried to impart that idea to her, the dangers and risks of supporting Rhaenyra. Political mistakes were life and death, war was likely no different. She dared not write that, certain she would appear the fool.]
Perhaps it may seem that way. Peace too long can leave men restless and aggressive. The tourneys become more bloody and dangerous. Others seek to stir up trouble and move people into the positions they wish.
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no subject
Date: 2022-09-25 04:33 am (UTC)My children are all I have.
Are you married?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-25 04:41 am (UTC)One day, maybe. We face a war. To have a wife and a child in danger is more than I can bear.
[To have to kill them if the White Walkers get to them first, this wife and child that do not exist, that would be even worse.]
no subject
Date: 2022-09-25 04:57 am (UTC)Warriors need a companion, someone to share the burden. Do you not want someone to speak to during the harsh days?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-25 05:01 am (UTC)[The rest, he doesn't answer. It would be easier in some ways and harder in others. If Ygritte had lived -- but that's a thought he only allows himself once in a while, late at night with a cup of ale in his hand, and there still isn't much comfort in it.]
no subject
Date: 2022-09-25 05:12 am (UTC)I hope that you prove victorious.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-25 05:52 am (UTC)So do I. If we don't -- nothing else matters. It will be the end of everything and everyone. We mean to fight it. We mean to do what we can.
If you live in a time of peace, it's easy to think that things will always be so.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-05 04:56 am (UTC)Perhaps it may seem that way. Peace too long can leave men restless and aggressive. The tourneys become more bloody and dangerous. Others seek to stir up trouble and move people into the positions they wish.
[She was specifically thinking of Daemon.]