Gather Ye Roses

[thekittenqueen]

WHO: Margaery
WHERE: #4 Bungalow, Woods, the police station
WHEN: 4/3 - 4/4
OPEN TO: All
WARNINGS: Nothing, but will update if needed
STATUS: OPEN

---

The Woods

The mornings were much the same as ever. With winter slowly coming to a close, it meant that many of the plants and flowers would bloom again, allowing Margaery to gather with the same fervency and delight as before. While her walk through the woods had been to collect kindling and winter fruit, she made a point to stop by many of her favored places to inspect how the plants were faring. Were there buds yet? How far along were they?

It wasn't uncommon to hear noises in the woods. There were others more often about now, many hunters or villagers exploring. When she heard a twig snap behind her, Margaery expected to see a familiar face. Instead, a deer slowly walked from the underbrush, sniffing the ground and listening for potential predators. Margaery rooted herself, hardly daring to move or breathe.

She could sense someone nearing behind her. Taking the risk, she raised her hand, signalling for them to stop. "I have never seen a doe this close before." She whispered.

The Police Station (Outside)

The usual sounds of animals protesting filled the air as Margaery opened the station doors to allow her animals out, her dog Gilbert herding them towards the fields where they could graze. There was still no large pen for her to let them roam about in, much to her chagrin. However, this was better. Gilbert had become diligent in keeping the animals in check, ushering back a sheep that strayed too far or yapping at a cow that lingered too long in the grass. It was pleasant, comforting.

She watched from a reasonable distance, scanning the fields for wolves or any other predators. She counted her animals in her head, tallying the amount she saw ever half hour. Many of the sheep were growing fat, a few pregnant with lambs. She would need to find a place for them all soon.

As someone passed her, Margaery tore her eyes away for a moment to smile at the nearby figure. "It is finally becoming warm again!" She announced happily. "We can begin planting again and think more about what we wish to do with the animals."

#4 Bungalow - Closed to Ned

It was common routine for Margaery to work on her weaving once her animals had finished grazing until the sun could no longer provide her proper light. The cold weather no longer hindered her from sitting on her porch, listening to the sounds of the world around her. She had fond memories of spinning during the summer, now she could weave during the spring. There were birds in the distance, optimistic for the coming warmth. Gilbert was at her feet, worn out from his work and napping as she lightly sang "The Bear and the Maiden Fair."

It was only when she came to the chorus that she noticed Lord Stark nearing her home. They had walked together earlier in the morning, having explored the woods and simply spoken about what he needed to learn. Once they returned to the village, they had parted ways and she had left to let her animals graze. She hadn't paid much mind to what the Starks might be doing, but she assumed they'd be together. Not that it wasn't pleasant to find one Stark or another turning up at her door.

She paused in her work, rubbing her hands on her skirts. "Back so soon?"

Comments

#4

[learned_to_die]

Eddard had never felt a greater respect for those who had tilled and nurtured the lands back in Winterfell before speaking with Margaery. As he attempted to listen, attempted to be attentive and let her advice and explanations seep into his mind, he found himself feeling a little in over his head. He was all the more grateful, then, for her guidance and reassurances, as well as for her patience.

It felt comforting to be able to speak with someone who knew what life had been before, someone outside of the warm hearth of his children and their home. Although Westeros and its inhabitants did not come up often in conversation, there was still an innate understanding between the two of them - comments or anecdotes that needed no explanation, no elaboration; they were simply understood in a way only those privy to the experience would understand.

After he had joined her on what she explained was a habitual morning stroll, he had thanked her for the company and excused himself to return home and check on the others. He loitered around the blacksmith again, unable to completely tear himself away from it, and also stopped at the Inn to greet the keeper. A life without small councils and kings and betrayal was strange, but Ned found it oddly relaxing, though he was albeit a tad lost at what to do with his time. Once he had learnt the skills of horticulture and husbandry, he imagined his free time would be more sparse - but, for now, he found himself meandering towards her cabin again.

As he draws near, the faint melody of her singing wafts over to his ears, and in an instant, his mind joins her in the song. He doesn't verbalize any notes, but he recognizes the words - All black and brown and covered in hair! He smelled that girl on the summer air! There's a faint smile at his lips when he is close enough, stopping at the bottom of the stairs.

"No wonder the birds have fallen silent, Lady Tyrell," he begins warmly, "They could not compete with a voice such as yours." He nods his head to her in respectful greeting, hand at his waist. His eyes waft down to her hands before lifting to her face. "Only if I am not interrupting."

[thekittenqueen]

There were times during the morning that Margaery feared speaking too much, nothing of consequence, yet unaware of when to cease. Ned Stark was difficult in that sense. He said so little, but what he said was honest and serious. He never seemed to mind her chatter, which offered her a measure of relief. It was pleasant to spend the morning with someone, a person that might understand what was on her mind and what her thoughts drifted towards in those darker moments of silence.

He had been attentive and asked the right questions, showing that he was listening to her instructions and advice. There was little reason to fear regarding his abilities. He was not a foolish man and knew to defer to another's wisdom, especially in the matters he didn't understand.

When they parted company, she had felt a measure of disappointed. The hours passed quickly with him, even if he was stoic and dour. Much like Jon. It was strange that such a serious man could inspire others to gravitate towards him. Perhaps it was the power of the Starks? They were an interesting house, one that she regretted not knowing before her family turned away from Renly.

There was little disappointment in her features as she moved to greet him, offering him the chair beside her loom. "You shouldn't say such false words to a lady." She teased him lightly, a measure of heat appearing in her cheeks. "Moon Boy is a far better bard than I am. I merely seek to pass the time."

She reclaimed her chair, but did not return to her work, choosing to focus entirely on his company. It was a pleasant, if unexpected visit. "No, not at all. Arya sometimes joins me when I am spinning and on occasion Sansa has paid me visits. It is pleasant to have someone to speak to while I am finishing the last of my work. Though, I thought you grew tired of me after our walk this morning. I did run you ragged, my lord."

[learned_to_die]

"I would never," Ned quickly quips, nodding his head in silent gratitude as he takes residence on the seat offered. It takes him more than a moment to recollect Moon Boy, his face, the sound of his voice - and there is a slight downwards tug at the corners of Ned's lips as he remembers. He can hear his songs against the thunderous hooves of the jousters' horses at the tourney, can remember the Small Council meeting in which they had all met to discuss the event. He remembers how little he had wanted it, how extravagant it seemed, but how they had all eventually acquiesced to Robert; how could they say no to the King? "It is not fair to compare yourself to a man whose sole purpose was to entertain through song," he adds. "There is something to be said about the purity of your purpose. Anyone can create silly melodies with enough practice and if favor and coin are involved. Filling the air with dulcet tones for no purpose other than simple desire, however, is different."

Mention of Sansa and Arya elicit the same reaction as always, lighting his features entirely, as though the sun itself were backlighting his face. There is no hiding the love and adoration Ned carries for his children.

"I do hope they have remembered their manners, even though we are no longer in Westeros." A quiet bark of a laugh escapes him. "I know I have a great many name days behind me, but I - Old Gods be good - have many yet ahead of me. Hopefully I do not outwardly resemble Maester Pycelle any more than I feel in my bones."

[thekittenqueen]

"You are far too kind, my lord." She grinned at him, as effervescent and bright as the sun. There was such an earnestness to him that very few had, aided by the level of honesty and seriousness he brought to any conversation. He didn't need to flatter her with poetry, the simple observation was enough to swell her pride and make her feel truly remarkable. "What was merely to pass the time seems much greater now. I fear that I shall worry about living up to your praise."

The look in his eyes at the mention of his daughters returned that heat to her cheeks. It was truly gratifying to see a man that loved his children so truly. It had been good for them all to reunite and have that second chance. "You needn't fear over their behavior. They are both true friends to me and I have never been given reason for offense, save only that I should like to see more of your family and of you." It was a comfort. She could not have her brother or grandmother, but she was not truly alone. Not with the company of the Starks.

Her expression became tender, reaching to take hold of her hand. "You are young yet, my lord. Far more handsome and spry than Grandmaester Pycelle. Though..." she smirked, "he wished others to believe he was older and more frail than he was truly." No one else seemed to see it. "I am far older than when I first married Renly as well. Gods, how many name days have passed? Five? No, more I think?"

[learned_to_die]

"There is no need for such a worry; simply carry on as you have been, so long as you promise to continue to do so if it brings you joy," he replies rather simply. Certainly, he could listen as objectively (or perhaps subjectively) as he desires, appreciate the soft and airy nature of her voice, but the reverberations of sound did not exist solely for his ears or his enjoyment. Hedonism, he knows, will betray even the strictest of men, but life is little without its simple pleasures.

"You flatter me, truly. Though I am greatly comforted at knowing they have won your favor and continue to give you reason to seek out their company." Neither of his children had had easy lives, from the little Ned was able to wring from Jon, following the execution. There were whispers of shadows and death around the sometimes sullen faces of his children, though none would freely admit as to why. He had seen the pain in Robb's eyes, the torment in them - but his son would not relinquish the reason. "I am comforted in knowing they still know how to create the bonds of friendship. It has not always been easy for them," he says, letting his voice trickle to silence. He means to add, after I died, but assumes he needn't verbalize for Margaery to understand.

His eyes fall to their clasped hands with surprise, though no part of him pulls away or flinches at the softness of her touch. He lifts his gaze as the complimentary words leave her lips, and he finds himself shifting in his seat bashfully.

"I suppose it is not much of a merit to be more handsome and spry than a man such as he," he teases lightly. "It is like saying I smell better than a hound." Her admission about Renly surprises him, and both brows pique with a twinge of confusion. "Five? When I last breathed the Westerosi air, you had only just wed."

The Woods

[3ofswords]

Kira crouches when he's motioned to, though the atmosphere is more anticipatory than wary, if he's any judge. Better safe than sorry, if they're waiting on or encountering something his normal footfalls through the brush haven't frightened off.

It's finally warm enough, and he's found reason enough to set out alone, that he's taken his book on foraging out into the woods with him. The interruption seems odd, but when she speaks, any readying for fight or flight bleeds away.

"Oh," he says, whispering because she started it: "I can fix that." Taking up a rock as he lifts from his crouch, he tosses it at the nearest tree, not even near to hitting the thing but startling it well enough. Its head lifts, creepy wet eyes swiveling to find his standing form, and he lifts both hands over his head for good measure. "Get the fuck out of here," he calls, watching it lurch into motion and bound away through the thinner, younger saplings.

"Those things always kind of creep me out, honestly."

[thekittenqueen]

She had a moment to appreciate the doe, offering out a handful of berries and waited for it to approach her. Just as it seemed to, Kira threw a rock at the tree and the deer tore back into the woods at full speed.

Margaery whirled on her heel, looking back at him with open annoyance and frustration. "Why would you do that?" She asked, trying to keep her anger under control. Not everyone enjoyed the forest or the animals in it. Yet this as far from what she had expected.

She sighed in frustration, depositing the berries back in her basket. It was a pleasant day. "They are harmless, far more terrified of us." With good reason.

[3ofswords]

"I don't like animals with long eyelashes," he answers dryly, though his thoughts leaned more toward the practical: he wouldn't want to wait on her to play Snow White to pass, domesticating deer seems low on the list of survival paths. "Besides, why would you waste supplies on something that's already feeding itself?"

It didn't take a psychic to notice the way she reeled back her immediate reaction, though, or that it had been anger. Blustering a sigh, he searched for some compromising answer: "Maybe I don't want her to approach someone with a bow expecting a handful of berries," he points out.

Creepy or not, he gave away his own hunting gear long ago, far too squeamish for the task.

[thekittenqueen]

She doesn't even know where to begin with any of that. "I waste no supplies. What I have gathered, I can gather again as I do each day. If we are to be stuck here, I'd rather find something beautiful to enjoy as we have seen little of it." There seemed to only be chaos and destruction. "It wasn't harming you."

It was a fair point at least and he was trying. Forcing away the last of her irritation, she tipped her head, acknowledging his gesture. "She should be having children of her own soon. With her alive, the forest will be more populated with game."

She couldn't hunt herself, but she knew there were many in the village that did.

[3ofswords]

He couldn't much argue with that, even if the inclination struck him--how often had he paused at the spring in the southwest, enjoying the oasis of green that had sprung up before spreading out into the rest of the forest? There had been nothing like it in Manhattan, especially in the months before his departure. Even the garden left to rot at the safe house had been a marvel in that long winter.

A deer might have been an appreciated sight, though he can't imagine it wouldn't be gunned down for rations. He'd weathered enough shitty jokes about his ability to make dog taste like chicken to have low expectations.

"Sometimes it doesn't feel like a big enough place, like it would be easy to strip it if there wind up being too many of us." The crops would help with that, and they did lose people sometimes. "I have a couple of books on foraging, but if you already know where things are and want an extra pair of hands, I promise not to throw rocks at the next thing you want to play Snow White with."

woods

[tooktheblack]

"Typically you won't, as they shy away from people," Jon said. He lowered his bow. He couldn't in good conscience shoot the doe in front of a lady, even if the meat would be welcome among the other citizens of the village. He would likely see another, though, and if Margaery were gone by then he could quietly clean and dress the carcass before bringing it up to the Inn to be used for the communal meals.

"Why are you in the woods this morning, Margaery? You know there's things more threatening than deer, yes?"

[thekittenqueen]

"They are beautiful creatures." She remarked, turning to look at Jon. The doe would be spooked soon enough, she merely wished to enjoy a minute to appreciate its proximity and gentleness. She had no illusions about what the bow in Jon's hand meant, but appreciated his kindness in staying his arrow.

"I do know, but I wanted to gather kindling and the winter fruit." She showed him the contents of her baskets. "You are welcome to walk with me, but I don't wish to interrupt your hunting."

[tooktheblack]

"There's more game in the woods," Jon said, shrugging a bit. "I think I can spare a bit of time to walk with you, if you wish it."

There was a blossoming friendship between them, after all, and after they'd been a bit standoffish with one another immediately after her fight with Ygritte, Jon was glad that fences had been mended a bit. He had come to like Margaery.

"It seems that spring might be coming soon."

[thekittenqueen]

"I do wish it." She had missed this easy rapport with Jon that she once had before. It had never left her mind that he had looked after her when she first arrived in this world. While he was a serious man, she enjoyed his company more than he might know. "Have you eaten since this morning? I brought along some meat and berries. There is a rocky enclosure further up ahead. We could lunch?"

She looked up towards the canopy of the forest, overjoyed. "At last! I fear I weather winter rather poorly."

[tooktheblack]

"No, I haven't eaten yet. That sounds perfect," Jon said. He gave her a bit of a wry look when she mentioned not wintering well, a look that only deepened when she stared up into the forest canopy with such a look of splendor on her face. He would never understand the Southron fascination with warm weather.

"You'll be glad for flowers again, I presume?"

Woods

[king_in_the_north]

You had to be early or lucky to claim one of the bows from the collective cache at the inn for the day. That day, Robb had been both, heading out well before the sun was more than the faintest wash of color on the horizon. He'd thought perhaps that luck had been ill used, considering the paltry results he'd had hunting that day, but then... there it was.

Killing a doe was a bit of bad form, but gods, it could feed them all for a week or more. Arrow nocked, he'd drawn back, creeping as softly as he could, and then—

The held breath sighed softly from him as he lowered the bow with a faint creak of the string.

"I would have thought they followed you everywhere you go," he quietly replied, and slipped one of his precious few arrows back into his makeshift quiver.

[thekittenqueen]

She was the bane of any hunter, preferring the beauty of the creatures in the wood rather than the meat they provided. As much as she enjoyed going to bed with a full belly, the tranquility and peace these animals brought her were too precious to ignore.

Her smile was quick to spread at the good natured teasing. The doe seemed to smell the berries in Margaery's basket. Taking a handful, she spread them on the ground before stepping back towards Robb's side. Her eyes still fixed on the doe that happily lapped at the berries she had left behind.

A moment more. Gods, one more moment of this and it would be worth all of the difficulty and uncertainty.

"That would make my animals jealous. I cannot have a sulky cow." Her nose wrinkled. "My porch is overcrowded presently with an abundance of Starks."

[king_in_the_north]

"We do seem to be multiplying," Robb remarked as he tracked Margaery's movements from the pile of berries to his side. Months it had been since they'd last spoken; it had seemed easiest that way, less likely to crack open the wound. That she was pleasant didn't surprise him; she wasn't a woman who let a silly thing like awkwardness or distaste get in the way of playing her part. She'd apparently even won over Jon in the end.

The polite thing to do was to ask after her health, but it seemed presumptive and somehow callous; they were far beyond politeness, the two of them.

"I see you still insist on going wherever you will alone," he continued instead, the words wry, not a rebuke -- It wasn't his place to chastise her any longer, never mind that it had always seemed rather a rather pointless endeavor to try.

[thekittenqueen]

Months without speaking, yet seeing each other about the village. She guarded herself, returning to what she knew and how she protected herself from the uncontrollable, her heart among them. Despite what she might feel, she would never harbor ill feelings towards him, just as she knew he would not do the same. He was a good man at heart, honorable and kind. He wouldn't treat her poorly.

She smiled genuinely, finding her footing despite the awkwardness. "I am a foolish woman, incapable of learning." Somehow, it wasn't difficult to find levity in the situation. "I often walk with others during this time of day, but none were able to this morning."

Feeling a measure of bravery, she looked towards him slowly. "We could walk together for a time? If you are not occupied otherwise?" She nodded towards his bow.

[king_in_the_north]

For a moment's worth of hesitation, Robb debated the wisdom of accepting her offer. He hadn't any illusions about them falling together again whilst alone, but their connection couldn't help but be strained. It wasn't an unreasonable offer, but he did wonder what good it might actually do.

But then again, his hunting was apparently doomed to go poorly, so what else had he to do? There was little excuse to be found for a graceful exit; he might as well do his part in mending bridges, if he might.

"All right," he allowed at length with a slow nod, and motioned Margaery on.

"Your livestock seems to be doing well," he added once they'd started -- Not a witty rejoinder, but at least a neutral one.

woods

[yorkist]

A nightmare had woken her well before dawn and ever since, she has been restless. Eventually, when the first beams of weak, pale sunlight stream through the curtains, she sets off to the river. The complexities of the bathroom have not yet been explained or demonstrated for her, so she finds a spot well away from the village, and sets about bathing and washing her coveralls and 'spare' change of clothes.

Between the first trilling notes of birdsong overhead in the canopy, the clear skies and cool water, everything feels fresher, better than before. No dank, dark crypt will yawn forth and take her here.

Later, she changes back into her scrubs and sets back off, this time through the woods a little ways, still within sight of the mill in order to enjoy more of that birdsong. Her wet clothes are slung over her arm, and her hair is loose, damp strands curling all down her back. It is the sight of a familiar face which causes her to halt, smiling a little. Though whatever greeting she might otherwise offer dies on the tip of her tongue the moment the doe crosses her line of sight. Elizabeth stills, eyes wide with awe and she crouches low, joining Margaery in observing the creature.

"She's beautiful," she murmurs softly.

[thekittenqueen]

"She is," Margaery grinned as Bess joined her side. She had long ago abandoned her scrubs, save for hard work in the fields. Instead, she adopted the woolen gowns that she had made, as well as the ones that had been gifted to her during the winter. The hem was muddied, but was overall free from stains. A few branches were stuck in Margaery's brown curls, showing how little concern she had for her appearance while in the woods.

The doe nosed about the ground, seeking out the same berries that Margaery had been collecting. So far there was no sign of the hunters. She would shoo away the doe the moment she caught a glimpse of them. "I think she is pregnant." Margaery smiled. "Her belly is round, more than if she has eaten her fill." Thank the gods. The woods needed to keep their current stag population, if they wanted to eat well.

"Have you been to the lake?" She asked, noticing her wet hair.

[yorkist]

A long perusal of the doe's form has Elizabeth nodding her head in agreement. She has been hunting before, and well knows how a doe typically looks. This one is more rotund than deer are wont to be, and that has her smiling. Thank God, indeed. They will need the meat, especially come winter. Elizabeth's own clothes have nettles clinging to the fabric, but thankfully, no mud. That might change if she and Margaery remain overlong, though.

The ground is still damp, despite the sunshine. "I believe you are right. And for that, I am thankful." They should survey the area, and gain a general scope of the number of deer who call these woods home. The better to not hunt them past the point needed to continue to breed a healthy population.

Margaery's query has her shaking her head, cheeks turning a bit pink. "The river, actually."

[thekittenqueen]

"Ah," she nodded, gesturing in the direction of the fountain. "If you wish, I could weave some flowers in your hair? There are some blooming that would suit your coloring." She brushed a wet strand from Elizabeth's face. "There is a tub in your home. All you need do is turn the knobs attached and it will pour water for you. Hot water." It was remarkable and a godsend.

She slipped her cloak from her shoulders and wrapped it around Bess. Her hair was still wet, she had no desire to see the young girl become ill.

"There is a hot spring further in as well, but it is better to use the tub in your home. If you wish, I can show you how to make it work."

[yorkist]

For a moment, it is almost as though they share the easy sort of companionship she had enjoyed with her sister, Mary. She had always been the one weaving flowers for the little ones, not they for her. Margaery's offer is a surprising one, and her eyes are wide for a moment before her features soften, and she nods. "Yes, please. I should like that very much, lady. But only if I might do the same for you."

And shortly thereafter, her eyes are wide again, this time with wonder and stupefaction. "Hot water? In the home?" Unheard of! Gratefully, she smiles up at the older woman as she drapes the cloak about her shoulders, and she nods.

"I would. In fact, if you have naught else to do this afternoon, I should like to know you better. If that is agreeable to you, of course."