text | un: stormsend

[bruxisms]

GREETINGS. I AM STANNIS BARATHEON, ONCE RIGHTFUL KING OF WESTEROS, AND LORD OF DRAGONSTONE AND STORM'S END, THOUGH OLD TITLES MATTER LITTLE HERE.

I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS FOR ALL "REFUGEES".

[ is he using capslock because he believes that is the proper way to type? because he accidentally got his phone stuck on it? because he just wants to? the true reason will likely be lost to time, and none will ever know. ]

HAVE ANY OF YOU EXPERIENCED AN ODD OCCURRENCE WHERE YOU MEET SOMEONE THAT YOU ARE ACQUAINTED WITH, AND THEY RECALL EVENTS FAR DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU? NOT MERELY A LAPSE IN THEIR MEMORY, BUT ENTIRELY DIFFERENT EVENTS, SUCH AS A MAN STILL BEING ALIVE WHEN YOU KNOW HIM TO BE DEAD, OR HEARING THAT YOU MARCHED YOUR WIFE AND CHILD INTO BATTLE WHEN YOU KNOW THAT WOULD BE UTTER FOLLY AND RECALL LEAVING THEM SAFELY UNDER GUARD?

[ he still cannot believe that anyone would do that, least of all a man who seems to share his name, personality, and so many of his memories, yet is very much not him. ]

I WOULD KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR THINGS WITH THOSE THEY KNOW. AS THOUGH THERE WERE TWO VERSIONS OF YOUR WORLD. ONE THAT SOME OF YOU RECALL, AND ONE THAT OTHERS DO.

AND EVEN IF YOU DO NOT, I WOULD ALSO HEAR OF WHAT YOU KNOW OF DRAGONS FROM YOUR OWN WORLD. AS A MEMBER OF THE SIMWE INSTITUTE, ONE OF MY TASKS IS TO STUDYING THEM, AND I WOULD HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.

YOU HAVE MY THANKS, AND DO NOT WASTE MY TIME.

Comments

[veneries]

I couldn't say, my lord. She does not speak of it.

[bruxisms]

YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE TWINS YOURSELF?

[veneries]

My mother and I go once a year, my lord.

[bruxisms]

TO WHAT END? I DID NOT KNOW WALDER FREY LIKED TO SEE HIS SERVANTS AGAIN AFTER THEY WERE DISMISSED.

[veneries]

I do not know, my lord. We go for the harvest tourney.

[bruxisms]

I SEE.

AND YOU HAVE NEVER SPOKEN TO A FREY YOURSELF?

[veneries]

Not as you and I are speaking now, my lord.

[And then- the switch to private. He might as well let the old man know Willem's secret if it'll shut him up from straying too close to questions that Ramsay has no idea of the answer to.]

You've likely guessed it, so I may as well say. My true name is Willem Rivers. Danwell Frey is my father, and my mother was his lady's maid.

[bruxisms]

[ well... this was unexpected. though, he supposes that it made sense well enough. ]

I KNOW OF DANWELL FREY. HIS LADY WIFE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO BEAR HIM A CHILD. GIVEN WHO HIS FATHER IS, I CANNOT SAY I AM SURPRISED.

[ he does have more questions, but this does explain some of it. ]

DID YOUR LORD FATHER TREAT YOU WELL ENOUGH, WILLEM?

[veneries]

He saw that my mother and I wanted for nothing, my lord. It was arranged for us to live away from the Twins, to spare my Lord Father's wife the humiliation.

[bruxisms]

THEN HE IS A KINDER MAN THAN HIS LORD FATHER.

TELL ME, WILLEM. HOW HAD THE WAR IMPACTED YOU IN THE RIVERLANDS?

[veneries]

The men went to war, and then all the food and taxes went as well to support them. There was no fighting where we lived, but we lived further north even than the Twins.

[Look he has no idea okay. He just has a vague idea of maps and towns that he can reference. HDU call him out on this, Stannis.]

[bruxisms]

THEN YOU STILL LIVE ON FREY LANDS? OR ARE YOU CLOSER TO HOUSE MALLISTER? OR DOES THAT PLACE YOU ON THE BORDER OF THE NECK?

THOUGH I SUPPOSE THE DOINGS OF LORDS MATTER LITTLE TO YOU WHEN THERE IS WAR AFOOT.

[ sucks when the guy you're talking to has a commoner best friend doesn't it?

although, he still has no reason to be suspicious of Willem just yet. other than the typical Stannis reasons to be suspicious of everyone. ]

[veneries]

The border of the neck, close to the coast of the Cape of Eagles. With most of the men gone our main concern was raiders from the Iron Islands.

[bruxisms]

EL NYSA MUST SEEM PEACEFUL TO YOU, THEN.

[veneries]

It's very different, my lord.

[bruxisms]

DO YOU ENJOY THE PEACE?

[veneries]

Don't you?

[bruxisms]

I BELIEVE I DO. IT IS A FAR DIFFERENT THING THAN WESTEROS, AND ODD TO BE FREE OF DUTIES.