Building castles in the mud

[freedom_is_grey]

"My office," Ysalwen says, gesturing to the small and perhaps surprisingly cozy chamber they emerge into, the noise of Milliways fading behind them as she closes the door.

"And Liranan's third-favorite spot for napping."

The cheerful little fire crackling in the hearth -- with a very soft-looking rug in front of it -- may suggest why this is the case.

Comments

[freedom_is_grey]

"Oh, no, no," Aggi says dismissively. "I'll just send one of the girls along to freshen up the sheets and get a fire going. Do you take a warming pan of an evening? Some people like things crisp, I know."

Nathaniel.

Ysalwen laughs quietly.

"You could ask Aggi to be ready to receive one hundred guests in two hours and she'd still insist it was no trouble, I swear."

Aggi looks skeptical. "You say that, but you and I both know, my lady, that you'd never dream of doing such a thing."

Ysalwen presses her knuckles to her mouth, eyes sparkling with badly-suppressed mirth. "Just so you admit in advance that it will not be my fault if our King ever decides to pay a spontaneous call."

Aggi actually swats at Ysalwen's shoulder with the flowers, almost reflexively.

"Oh, go on with you, then. Just know that my husband will take it out of you when yon mabari there goes to stud."

[howtoactfereldan]

That -- is a good thing, like as not. It's not as though Cullen's spent a great deal of time in the great houses of Ferelden, to know if such things are typical for young nobles and their -- chatelaines? Is that Aggi's role?

More questions to be answered later.

"Ah -- no, mistress, thank you," Cullen says, when he can get a word in edgewise.

[freedom_is_grey]

That is largely Aggi's role, and it's not as if Ysalwen has spent oodles of time in great houses, either. She's begun how she means to go on, however, and most here have been so relieved at Howe's departure that they've allowed it, even against previous instincts.

It -- makes for an odd little household, but still. It works!

"And now, I think, I ought to take this one around to show off the troops. Someone should see the results of all the training they've been putting in, no?"

Aggi seems pleased to agree, then gets back to making sure everything is clean and arranged neatly as a pin.

"Her husband is the kennel-master, in case you wondered. He has a breeding plan all laid out already."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Has he asked Liranan's opinion?" says Cullen drily, following after Ysalwen.

" -- and one other thing." He stops, once they're outside the hall. "I'd like to see them, but at a distance. Don't introduce me. Let me do that in the morning, at breakfast, and we'll move to the yard from there."

[freedom_is_grey]

"Where do you think he got the first part of the breeding plan from?"

As if Liranan would let it be any other way. (Or as if Ysalwen would.)

She stops as he does, looking up at him.

"I can do that. Well, we can do that. There's a not-terrible vantage point halfway between the kennels and the stables, which also gives us an excuse to be there. Though, do you -- do you want to see them just without me, or see them just with me and without you, too? If -- if you think that's a useful distinction?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"It is," Cullen says, thoughtful gleam in his eyes. "Could we do... all of that? Or would that be too difficult?"

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen taps her mouth with her fingertip for a moment, gaze distant.

Then she focuses back on the here and now, shaking her head just a little.

"No, no I think it should be doable. We'll take Liranan to the kennel to say hello, walk across to show you the stables, and then I'll leave you there after you've seen your fill and head for the training grounds myself. It's -- actually not something I haven't done before, so no one will think it odd. Or they shouldn't."

Again, it's all the running around everyone does, honestly. It covers a variety of sins.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen nods.

(He is very quietly thrilled that they are going to the kennels. The only thing better than one dog is more dogs.)

"We don't have to do it all right away. Or even today. But while I'm here -- it would be... good."

[freedom_is_grey]

"Well, it's certainly good timing to do it today. Not for the Wardens so much as for the regular Keep recruits. Tomorrow will be better for the Wardens, as most will be back from their various training exercises."

Including Zevran, which will be -- nice.

She exhales, consciously relaxing her shoulders.

"But first, mabari. And the other hounds, of course."

But mostly mabari.

[howtoactfereldan]

"Of course," Cullen says, cheerful.

And, as they move:

"Should I address you as Warden-Commander in front of others?"

[freedom_is_grey]

No. Please.

"Um."

She swallows a little heavily.

"Probably, yes. Most people who don't know me do that."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen doesn't miss that reaction.

Quiet:

"Probably isn't yes. What would you have me call you?"

[freedom_is_grey]

"Ysa, really," she says quietly. "My friends do. But here -- just Commander, if that would be best? Warden-Commander is, um, too much."

Too much playing into recent history. For one.

[howtoactfereldan]

"Elsewhere, it's different," Cullen says -- gently enough.

"Here, you're the Commander. Just as I'm Ser Stanton. Elsewhere, nothing's changed."

[freedom_is_grey]

"Yes, well. Everything changes. Eventually."

She smiles, quick and just this side of too-bright.

"Not always for the worse, I know. Ser Stanton."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen snorts. "If you're looking for an optimist, you've got the wrong visiting dignitary."

[freedom_is_grey]

Well, if that's how he wants to play it.

Ysalwen laughs, sudden and clear.

"Who knew that you would inspire me to pick up the slack?"

What?

And on that note: puppies.

Well. Dogs. In the kennels. Liranan takes it upon himself to lead the way!

[howtoactfereldan]

"It's a gift," says Cullen, dry, trailing afterward. "One must motivate however one can."

[freedom_is_grey]

"I'm glad that you're good at it."

Ysalwen greets the kennel-master and one of his apprentices by name, kindly getting out of the girl's way so she can be greeted by Liranan. The kennel-master, too.

And then it's time to look over the dogs. Liranan seems to have a favorite set of friends already. They do not go hunting enough together! Ysalwen should fix that!

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen, meanwhile, has divided his attention.

It's... entirely strange, and he's not sure that it's in a good way, to be standing in a Fereldan kennels, on Ferelden soil, when he left Kirkwall that morning knowing the whole place would be at a standstill until he returned from doing his part to ensure good and just rule for the Arling of Amaranthine.

(He stands as though perhaps his body might evaporate into the air, which smells of dog and horse and hay and damp and, under all that, good, clean earth.

He hadn't expected it to smell the same, after seven years, after a Blight.)

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen scratches one particular mabari behind the ear, then nudges her in Cullen's direction.

Words are useless with memories, or so she's found.

Enthusiastic mabari are much better.

Liranan agrees!

[howtoactfereldan]

There are worse ways to become immediately distracted from a thought spiral of nebulous badness than being confronted by a dog.

Fairly quickly, his expression eases, and he kneels to greet her properly. "Hello," he murmurs. "It's nice to meet you."

[freedom_is_grey]

The world is often strange and terrible. Milliways just makes that different, not necessarily better.

Mabari, however, are occasionally strange but rarely terrible, so it's a nice change!

Ysalwen is going to get swarmed by dogs in a moment, if she is not careful. Liranan does insist on talking her up!

The dog in front of Cullen, however, seems determined to prove he can be climbed like a mountain! Or she just wants to lick his face.

[howtoactfereldan]

Not much of a mountain when he's kneeling! It does, however, take more effort than he'd care to admit to keep from being knocked over.

"Yes," Cullen says, carefully, trying to get a word in edgewise. "And here I'd thought it was just Liranan being enthusiastic. I'd forgotten it was... common."

[freedom_is_grey]

Maybe Cullen is just special! At least one mabari seems to think so.

Ysalwen, meanwhile, has resigned herself to being jumped on. There are worse fates!