[Epilogue] Lord Tullison stands vigil

[OOC: just leaving this here in case Dunstan wants to note his thoughts/any of you want to assassinate him/gaze on him.]

Dunstan Tullison wrote:
After a few drinks and words with other men, Dunstan will walk to the statue of the Warrior and pille his armor and sword at the base of the statue, wearing a piece of garmnet Ser Jon gave him. There he will pray all night, promising to himself and the Gods to be a worthy knight.

In the morning he will walk barefoot to the stairs to receive the honour.

Clad in simple undyed wool and barefooted, Dunstan kneeled in front of the statue of the Warrior. His armor pilled beneath the statue, and his sword rested on the side of it, he bowed his head and shut his eyes.

At first he thinks thoughts usual to the newly annointed man

Father, lend me strength to defend those in danger, and to always act according to the Seven Pointed Star. Lend me bravery to always find the strength in me to punish those who are wicked, and reward those who shine light upon the world

So he prayed for hours, but soon ran out of religious thoughts, and soon he started to get very very sleepy.

It's not easy kneeling all night. I wonder how many of them actually do it, and how many just go to sleep and show up on the morrow., he starts doubting the ancient Andal customs.

Ser Dunstan the Brave, he starts coming up the future nicknames for himself, No, too common. Everyone is the Brave, he dismisses that one.

Ser Dunstan the Unbreakable! No, he thinks again, not very catchy. It must be catchy if you want entire realm to remember it., he starts getting lost in his sleepy thoughts.

When the sun almost came up, he hoped to see Ser Jon, and others too, and he hoped he can still stand up since his knees were completely numb.

Before the vigil ended, the near-knight heard footsteps behind him.

Gwyneth Marsten didn't know quite what to expect of a knight in his vigil, nor from herself. After spending a year chasing a man, only to turn from him just as he accepted, what was the appropriate way to feel?

Seeing Dunstan there in his white shift, kneeling before the Warrior, what she felt was a glow of affection, and a vague sense of protective approval. As if he was a little brother or something.

"
Hello Ser Lord,"
she said mischievously, taking hold of Baelon's arm and pulling him along with her as she went in. "
Or is it Lord Ser? You're gathering quite the collection of titles today."
She paused to let Dunstan register her presence and added warmly, "
Congratulations."

Feeling accomplished and overjoyed, Dunstan walked up the steps of the Sept as Gwyn and Baelon walked toward him.

The corner of his eye twiched out of nervousness upon sighting them, and a bit of jealousy started to show.

"
Hello, My Lady. Er, thank you, this is a great honor for me.. Hopefully I will not dissapoint Ser Jon in the future.. How are you two, I mean, is all well?"
.

"
All is very well,"
Gwyn replied, smiling radiantly. "
And that's thanks in no small part to you. You may not have been formally knighted before now, but your patience and understanding in a difficult situation made you a knight in my eyes well before this."


"
So how does it feel? Taking this step...being here...thinking about what's to come?"

"
Like finally capturing that animal you hunted your entire life"
he winked at Gwyn while repeating the very same words she told him in the past.

She laughs at that.

"
Just make sure that it's what you truly want, rather than what everyone expects you to have,"
Gwyn replies. "
We won't always be lucky enough to have second chances."


"
Are you going to stay for the weddings?"

Baelon smiles. His own knighting was more conflicted. He had wanted it, nay, needed it if he ever wanted to be more than a mere guardman - but he also spent his vigil thinking about the fact that he would soon be leaving the only two people who had ever actually claimed him as family. He squeezes Gwyns arm gently. At least founding his House would not require such sacrifice.

"
Congratulations, Dunstan. So, being knighted by the Bold Ser Jon Roxton? I'm surprised your uncle didn't request the honor... or ask the Prince to do it."

"
"
I want a lot of things, but sometimes they don't want me. But a knight, yes, I always dreamed of that. Finally wishes came through."
he says.
"
It's not like I am in position to choose anyways. In my ideal world, I would be a blacksmith one day, and a Lord another. Than a sellsword, and a hedge knight the morning after. But what's there is there, might as well do best with what we got"
.

"
Most certainly, I wouldn't miss it in the world."
he replies to the comment about the weddings.

Gwyn let her head tilt to the left a little as she regarded Dunstan. Very much still a boy trying to decide what sort of man to be. But less of a boy now, and more of a man. She felt a little stab when he mentioned not being wanted...but he was right. And while she could have pointed out that she'd only rejected him once, compared to the dozens of times he'd rejected her...what would that prove? The one time she'd rejected him had been the only really important one, to him.

"
I'm glad. It wouldn't be the same without you. And I very much hope to merit an invitation when you find your bride."
She added teasingly, "
You wouldn't want to tempt the wrath of House Drakeson now, would you?"

"
Oh, I heard of that. You are to go and be a House pledged to the Coldbrooks! A fine name that is, Drakeson. Congratulations on that."
he says.

Truth be told his affections for Gwyneth only rose up since she rejected him. Once she used to be someone who chased him, and after the rejection she became something he can't have. So his blood boiled whenever he saw her, feeling uncertain of himself, not knowing that he can't have it all like he used to so far.

Gwyn gives Baelon a quick grin when Dunstan expresses his like of the name, then bestows that grin on Dunstan.

"
Our thanks. Baelon will be joining the campaign against the clans, and we have some ambitious plans for the future, so you haven't seen the last of us. And once we're settled in and have things in order we'll have some kind of homecoming affair, inviting family and friends to come visit."


Abruptly she laughed.

"
But this isn't my day, Dunstan. It's yours. Look at you...about to be knighted. You know, I said once earlier in this tourney that the title of a knight is in some ways worth more than that of a Lord. Most Lords are that simply by virtue of their parents. Every knight earns his 'ser' by his virtue and skills."


Gwyn's smile took on a sly aspect and she added, "
Have you chosen an epithet yet?"


You couldn't spend a year with Dunstan and not get some idea of how he'd be spending his vigil.

Baelon responds to Gwyn:
"
Well, the epithet he is known by will be a result of his deeds, not his choice. Trying to choose one for yourself might result in people calling you 'the vain', and we wouldn't want that."


Turning to Dunstan he continues:
"
I'm sure your deeds as lord and knight will earn you an epithet, and a good one at that. Well, it is late, and we've disrupted your vigil more that we should, I think. We should probably be going."

Theomore didn't quite know what drove him to check on his nephew, it was not like Dunstan would run off or do anything to tarnish his reputation. He would take his vigil most seriously, but still. Maybe he just wanted to stroke his pride. His nephew would become a good knight, well, at least with age and wisdom, but his heart was in the right place. To a relatively young and small house, that reputation would be more valuable than the mind of a skilled strategist. Though there would need to be others to guide him to that age and wisdom, and others to teach his children the more subtle things in the game of thrones. But that was his concern.

No need to check in, no. He himself had not spent the night before his knighthood in vigil, circling from one image to the other to say his prayers to the seven and contemplate on the charges that would be placed upon him in the name of each one...a rather remote sept, as the prince had wanted to arrive in the most dramatic fashion...when the tourney was about to begin. Theomore was off visiting a nearby homestead, acquainting himself with a farmer's daughter...she was rather skinny and plain to look upon, but back then, it only mattered that certain pieces would fit. Oh, well, that had not changed, it was just that the puzzles had quite a few more parts now.

Dunstan would stay here, and do as the seven pointed star prescribed, no need to come see it with his own eyes. That Baelon and Gwyn was here..that was more surprising.

Gwyneth nodded at Baelon, "
I suppose so. Congratulations again, Dunstan."


Still smiling, she turned to leave the Sept, and paused on seeing Theomore.

"
Oh, hello. Come to see your nephew?"

"
I suppose I am, my lady. Though I don't think he has much need of seeing me"
Theomore replies, wrestled out of his thoughts as it were, his voice kept low not to disturb Dunstan. No, this was the sort of moment where only an exchange of glances and a nod would be the right amount of seeing each other.

Baelon keeps his volume low as well.
"
Well then, we were just about to leave. I hadn't really had a chance to speak with Dunstan since... well, you were there. He's my friend and a good man;
I am happy to see that this tourney is ending on a good note for him. He's earned this."

"
Indeed he has, ser Baelon"
Theomore can't quite hide a certain amount of pride, he did happen to be the one father figure that Dunstan could remember, even if he was absent more than not. "
And Mountain's Reach will prosper for it, to govern a lord need only be wise enough to surround himself with good counsel and heed it, but only he, and he alone may forge a legacy of valiant gallantry."


"
We haven't met since then either, I think. And I do believe congratulations are in order!"
Even though it was an odd choice for stepping stone, and a stranger choice for the long term. But maybe he had misjudged Baelon? Though there was no denying that few could claim to have risen as high during these nine days..Ben perhaps. Daveth? Well, that whelp had a long way to go still. And whether Ben would wear the pants of his union..that would be rather doubtful. Come to think of it, considering Gwyn's capacity, and Lady Tully's, and the wife he needed to find for Dunstan..might be the Dornish had it right to begin with, and that the princess was just spearheading the future. Maybe.

[OOC: unclear on timeline on lordship, Theo will use lord if this happens after, technically (at least IMO) he doesn't become lord before a royal writ says so, but Theomore would use it as honorific if so.]

"
I don't know about that - I can think of a few knights who have brought a reputation of valiant gallantry to their houses without being lord. Some might even include you in that number. Still, it is your nephew's way to want to do such things himself, whether or not it is required of him."


[OOC: He swore his sword &
officially founded the house on Day 9;
so this thread would be after it. I am presuming any requisite documentation had been acquired in time for that event. This is presumably before the weddings, though.]

"
Perhaps, Lord Baelon, the truth is somewhere in between?"
Funny how it often tends to be found there. "
Though I fear I can make little claim for such acts of mine to be motivated by virtue, I serve the interests of my house first and foremost, and while those include that I hold myself to the standards of a knight, I believe people will take note when someone comes along motivated by the ideal behind them, and considerably more so when he holds a lordly title to it."


[Well, if it's royal writ, necessary paperwork might take awhile? But no matter. Also been waiting for quite some time now for a resolution to certain things which will impact something Theomore wants to bring up here.]

Gwyneth laughed warmly.

"
Gentlemen, there's nothing wrong with simply taking some joy in the fruits of hard work and merit. Not everything needs to be cross-examined and questioned until it hangs dead and dry."


"
Congratulations are absolutely deserved by both Baelon and Dunstan. And Ser Theomore, you've done your House proud at the tourney, and that's deserving of praise as well. It is the deeds we do that are remembered. The whys will forever be our own."

"
Indeed, It is my experience that whether or not an act is considered valiant or gallant has little to do with the actual motivation behind the act. It seems to me that most people will assume what the motivation is based on what they know - or think they know - of the person performing the act. Perhaps a lordly title makes some people pay more attention, but no act goes completely unnoticed, no matter how small and no matter the title of whomever performs it."


[OOC: Perhaps it would have taken longer... but I don't see as it really makes that much of a difference that we must split hairs over it. It made for a better narrative for Lord Tomas to say "
Rise, Lord Baelon"
than it would have for him to say "
Rise Ser Baelon, and in 7 to 10 business days you will be officially a lord;
this ceremony was merely for show, it doesn't really mean anything."
]

"
And that is precisely the advantage my lord nephew holds, in both action, words and demeanor, his main concern is for that which is good."
Unlike say, Theomore, or most everyone else, who clearly concerns themselves with advancing their fortunes first, even though many seek to do so in ways that benefit others, or within the boundaries of decency. "
And that is a rare enough thing in a lord that people will take note."


"
Though I suppose all three of us know his qualities, no? "
time for the touchy subject, well almost, he shouldn't let this annoyance impede on such things as he enjoys. "
And I do happen to be a bit of a selfish creature every now and then, and I do so happen to have a curiosity about what you plan on doing so far north."


"
The periphery does seem a rather odd choice for you two."
No accusation in his tone, merely curiosity. Baelon he wasn't too sure about, but Gwyn was not someone likely to jump at the dangle of some lordly title, and she would have her way. So there must be something of interest to the place.

"
Oh, it's not so far north - not too far from Mountain's Reach, actually. As for plans... well you'll just have to wait and see. We haven't been there ourselves yet, so really all we have are some ideas."

"
There will be a lot of work ahead of us,"
Gwyn agreed. "
Regardless of what we do. I think those lands have a lot of potential. How we use that potential will become clearer once we see exactly what we have."


She tilted her head slightly as she regarded Theomore with curiosity. "
Have you given thought to pursuing lands outside Mountain's Reach? To being the lord of your own domain?"