hadriel | Video 3 - Margaery's Apartment

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Video 3 - Margaery's Apartment

[The video opens not in the Sewing Shop but in Margaery's apartment where she's sitting in the middle of her bed, a pillow clasped in her arms. she's looking down from the camera and she's in a bathrobe and nightgown, both wrinkled. her hair is disheveled and her eyes are heavily rimmed with red, as though she's spent a long time crying. which she has been. a whole day and night and a new day of crying.

she tries to look up at the camera, clear her throat and speak, but the words don't come. fresh tears well in her eyes and she looks down again, biting her lower lip.

a long moment passes with nothing but Margaery fighting back tears and silent. finally, she looks back up at the camera and speaks]

I--I thought people may want to know that Matt Murdock is no longer among us. His. His help was invaluable in the time before the Null invasion and [her voice breaks] he will be missed greatly.

[she brushes a tear off of her cheek, looking down again. she forces herself to look back up and continues]

I need to apologize to those I promised garments to. I. It will be at least another month before they're finished. I'm--I'm sorry.

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Good. [ He smiles at her, fierce and approving of her own fire ]

I will never understand that sort of thing, although I know it is very common, amongst Men! I am glad you had the chance for love, for it is one of those things, I think, that make a life so much brighter.

It will be. [she refuses to entertain any other option]

Dreadfully common. All three of my husbands were disappointments. Renly preferred my brother, Joffrey was a perverse tyrant, and Tommen had no spine. So when I met Matt and he was attracted to me and I to him and he. . . accepted me and I him, I just--couldn't help myself. Neither one of us could.

[ Maglor shudders ]

I am sorry you had to endure such - and gladder now that you and Matt had each other!

So am I. I always knew I'd marry for politics and the good of House Tyrell, not love, but no one can help dreaming of love. And it exceeded my wildest, most hopeful dreams, while I had it. But now, I have to learn how to--to endure without it.

You will. [ Maglor says with conviction ]

Your heart is strong, lady, and your will undaunted. You will endure, and you will see him again.

I suppose I must.

[she manages a small smile]

I've always prided myself on my strong will. And I know that I will be with him again. The so-called gods cannot stop me.

With courage and will like that, milady, I cannot but think you will succeed.

[ He presses her hand comfortingly ]

Will you eat a little now? If you like, I brought some small biscuits.

Thank you, Maglor. Your kindness is a great comfort to me.

[it is a comfort. Margaery is a tactile creature by nature, always taking the arms of those she walks with and ready with an embrace, should her friends need one]

Yes. Yes, I suppose I can eat. I wasn't able to before.

I try.

[ He smiles at her and opens the little parcel to offer her the biscuits ]

Grief is something that comes to all - I think it is good and right that we help each other bear it.

[she takes one of the biscuits and nibbles on it. she hasn't been able to hold food down today or yesterday, so she's taking it carefully]

I agree. Pain is a wretched thing to endure alone.

Aye.

[ He nods, pouring her a fresh cup of tea ]

We have enough trouble here already, I think, without being cruel to each other.

[she takes it and has a sip]

I've been fortunate. Everyone I've met have been most kind. It's a--strange sensation. Utterly unlike home.

I am sorry your home was so cruel.

[ He says softly ]

Although there is something, I suppose, about small spaces and a common enemy that unites folk.

So am I. It's not likely to get any kinder with Cersei Lannister on the throne.

[she knows that Dany is on her way to overthrow Cersei, but expects the power struggle to be a deadly one]

Yes. An enemy like the Null. Do you think they're truly gone?

A ruler who is cruel will find many to oppose them. I hope their reign is short!

[ He shakes his head ]

I doubt it. They seem unable to let things be - I know that singular focus. [ Far too well ] It will drive them to their own destruction. But it may take us with it, and that I fear.

As do I. Cersei Lannister is a murderer with no love or kindness in her heart. She will make the Seven Kingdoms bleed.

Then, we mustn't let our guard down. All those who can fight need to be trained and perhaps additional safe houses need to be constructed.

A wise idea.

[ He smiles at her practicality ]

We could look at building defenses similar to what my folk had in our own home, if a little less elaborate, perhaps. [ Probably not the tripwire arrows inside the house, for example ] And the other things that worries me is stores of food and water.

I wonder, who has experience fighting? And who would be willing to teach those who can't? It would require quite a commitment from both sides, but I don't think we can afford anything else.

What sorts of defenses do your folk have in your homes?

[she nods] Without Hope, we have no food and no running water. And he's the one the Null were trying to kill.

I can say for certain that all of my kin are experienced warriors and war leaders, although for some of us it has been a long time since we rode in active war. The Guard, of course, although I know not the skill level of those within it. But there must be others - there have been a few folk on the network asking for sparring partners. We could look at drawing up a more formal list, for folk to check on each other, perhaps?

[ He smiles a little wryly ]

Far too many, in hindsight! But my brother and his son were, I think, somewhat bored. We barred the windows and doors, both with wards as with more practical means, and boobytrapped many of the rooms inside.

[ He nods ]

Makes sense, from a siegepoint view. [ He says practically ] Without food and water, folk die faster. We've been hunting and fishing, and drinking from the pools but we'll need stores, for open water sources can be easily fouled.

A list of those willing to teach and what they can teach. That would be useful for us all. We could even request that it be added to the "newbie guide" for those new to Hadriel and to combat.

[she arches an eyebrow slightly]

That does sound--rigorous. Are your homes similarly defended at home?

Sometimes, the store have canned food. That can be stockpiled. If we had a good source of salt, meat and fish could be preserved. But what can be done about the water, do you think?

The only problem would be keeping it updated.

[ Maglor muses ] I suppose the other alternative would be some form of notice board, that folk could come and consult.

[ He grins wryly ]

I did mention my brother was bored. But... [ The smile drops, and he looks, for a moment, very old ] We are used to castle walls, my kinsmen and I, to sword and shield and bow. We were at war for a very, very, long time. Siege warfare is not something we prefer - but we know how to deal with it.

As to the water... cisterns, I think. Although I do not know how we would go about producing those here. I can, at need, sing the impurities from the water, but it is difficult, in a world not my own, and I am not my Arafinwean cousins.

That's true. People come and go so often. What kind of notice board did you have in mind?

I, too, am used to castle walls, though I didn't take up the sword until I came here. I never really got to see much of the War of the Five Kings, I was at the Red Keep in King's Landing much of the time. Have your wars ended?

That's true, to create cisterns, we'd need both clay and someone skilled at making such things. [wide eyed] You can sing the impurities from water? That's amazing. I've never heard of such a thing.

Perhaps a large wall where folk can place notices? That way it can be easily adjusted as needed. Someplace public, like the clinic or the guardhouse, perhaps.

[ Maglor suggests and nods, his voice taking the sing-song cadence of a bard ]

At long last the Dark Lord is overthrown, the Shadow banished, and we have peace again. Not that we expect it to endure forever, nor that evil be banished forever, but we have won, and we will have peace now, for a time.

[ He shrugs shyly ]

Water and I .... have an... understanding, I suppose you could say. Mind, I've not tried that here - I don't know if the waters here would answer me.

How close are they to completing those buildings?

[her eyes widen slightly at his voice]

That's good. That's . . .beautiful, perhaps? That now you know peace but also know it can't last forever. That perhaps it's more beautiful in its transience? Am I [her voice grows uncertain] making any sense?

I've never heard of anything like that. It sounds like a kind of magic. And you should try with the waters here. Try it and see?

I am not sure, in honesty - work goes a-pace, I know, but I do not know how close they are to completion.

[ He smiles a little sadly ] Aye, you see it too. A wise man once said 'The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater'. My people call history the Long Defeat, for we know we can beat the Shadow back but temporarily. And yet, we do not despair, for we love well the lands of Middle-earth in all its moods, and we count our time in her defence and betterment well spent, e'en if it fades eventually.

I have heard it named so! [ Maglor laughs ] But to us it is Art, for we are only asking the world to move to the shapes that it already knows, just... a little out of its normal order.

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