Lion in the Vale (Open)

[Lena Arryn]

When the doors opened to the solar Lena's heart froze as she expected some bumbling Lannister cousin to come through them, instead another figure entirely haunted that archway like an imposing statue in a scept. With shoulder length golden main and broad shoulders that some how seemedless daunting as when she'd first met him stood Torin Lannister. Middle born son to Tywin Lannister, heir to Casterly Rock, and her husband whom was thought to be months dead.

Lena's chest seemed so shake as she exhaled a breath she hadn't been holding. It took ever ounce of restraint she had in her body not to fall out of her chair. Instead shakily she stood her face colorless as if she'd seen a ghost. "Torin." She addressed him, her voice sounding as if she hadn't spoken in years.
Hastily she descended the steps and looked at the men behind him, all the red cloaks and then to his side she noted Matilys the young fresh faced Lannister girl, on his other side a woman stepped up a woman who seemed familiar with him- a woman she didn't know. Lena had a sudden moment where she feared that he had brought his new woman to the Vale. She wasn't sure how she'd handle him having a mistress in her own home.

When she reached the three at the head of the massage group she looked into Torin's eyes her own glassy. "I've missed you."

[Torin Lannister]

Lena seemed shocked to see him. If she was making an effort to hide it, she was doing a poor task of it. She came down from her perch upon the ascended dais where the Arryn throne was situation and came down to greet the wraith that had come to the Eyrie. But he wasn't a wraith. Rumours of his demise were greatly exaggerated. Lord Torin was very much alive.

When she was standing in front of him she was trying, and failing to hold her composure. Lord Torin was back with his Lady wife however, and he knew her better then she expected. His arms wrapped around her waist and he lifted the woman off her feet before twirling them both around, his cloak near enveloping them for a moment before coming to a rest. "I have missed you too." There was a brief tender moment when he held her eyes, but he pulled away after a moment.

"I assume you recall my cousin, Lady Matilys..." with a wave of his hand he brought attention to his little cousin and beckoned her forward. "And Lady Halaevia Baratheon. Lady Halaevia aided my escape from Dragonstone and has brought me into the Light of Rh'llor, which will we shall discuss later." with that it was Halaevia's turn to be introduced. He did not miss the manner in which Lena regarded Halaevia.

[Halaevia Baratheon]

The emotion in Lena's eyes when she saw her husband didn't fail to move Halaevia. She couldn't imagine what it would be, to have someone thought lost return safe and well, and when Torin swept her up into his arms, there seemed an intimacy in the moment despite the onlookers on both sides. She couldn't begrudge them that moment of joy, that realization that they were reunited.

She was not so caught up in second-hand emotion, however, that she neglected to notice the way Lena looked at her. It was displeasure, almost, but in a fashion she couldn't quite pinpoint. Did she know that Hallie's loyalties lay with Dragonstone? Was that it? It was unlikely. She wouldn't even have made the assumption that Lena Arryn knew who she was, let alone anything else about her, but that look meant something. It made her want to stare straight back, and so she did, and it was then that she noticed the slight but unmistakable curve of Lena's belly. That wasn't a woman tending to plumpness, she knew at once by the way Lena carried the weight. She was with child. She glanced sideways at Torin - did he see it? It was impossible for her to determine if he knew; he was looking at her fondly, but that told her little.

If he knew, he said nothing, but began with introductions, and there was that old line again about how she had helped him escape. It was grating, given what she had gone through in order for Torin to leave Dragonstone, but she knew that calling it into question wasn't at all in her best interest. It was an unpalatable slant on the truth, but a necessary one, and she let it stand.

Instead, she looked to Lena. 'It is good to meet you, Lady Lena,' she said. 'Ser Torin has told me much about you, and it is a joy to see you so happily reunited.' A small smile crossed her lips. 'It is true that your husband has been given a great gift, and it is my hope that perhaps you shall be also.' Now her gaze dropped pointedly to Lena's belly. 'May R'hllor bless you with a fine strong son.' It wasn't easy for her, to congratulate another woman on her pregnancy when her own children were far away from her and she missed them keenly, but she knew it was right that she say it, and so she did.

[Lord Luthor Arryn]

One could have cut the tension with a shard of glass when the sounds of many feet were echoing from beyond the chamber. Then the doors were pushed wide as Lena's supposedly dead husband strode in. It would seem even death would not stop the Lannister hold on the Vale, and the hold on his cousin. He would have hoped for a touch more composure from Lady Arryn, but she went running down to him as if she were a maid barely blossomed to a returning hero.

When the Lady Baratheon noticed and pointed out that Lady Lena was pregnant, he let an eyebrow rise for a moment. They had brought someone with a lick of intelligence. Luthor had not expected that. It would not be forgotten however. Most certainly not. For now however he resumed his position, offering a glance to the dear Maester as if to ascertain his thoughts on the matter. As glad as it made Lena, Luthor was not sure how happy he was about Torin's survival.

[Maester Daern]

Daern's eyebrows were raised in surprise at the grandeur of Lena's former late husband. How could one mistake the rather large Lannister for dead? And here he was before them. Obviously full of life and vigor. Daern happened to catch a quick glance over at Lena as Torin approached. She looked as lost for words as Daern himself. At the mention of R'hollor, worry and some scrutiny began to play on his features. He had heard of this 'Lord of Light.' Hell Stannis had even had a priestess of the newest religion close by his side. And everyone saw how well that did for him.

Daern eyed the Baratheon Lady. She seemed cool and collected. And the informer of R'hollor. In all truth and honesty Daern would like to sit and chat with the Lady. Learn a full intake of the mysterious religion and its fast growing pace. Daern gave the proper head bows to the ladies and didn't bother with Torin, as he closed the gap to Lena.

Eyeing the married couple Daern couldn't help but look at Luthor with some keen interest. It was no secret that the cousins loved each other dearly, and no doubt this struck a little hard. But more importantly the child that was so obviously within Lena's belly was now out in open words. Looking back at the Lady Baratheon Daern narrowed his eyes in thought. Something was severely amiss.

An un-announced call. A dead husband, now alive and well. And the newest Lord among the Gods was present in the Vale. Daern's eyes sought out Luthors and they passed a silent notion of unease and wariness. They would have to hold a private counsel to discuss the tension that no doubt would keep growing in House Arryn over the next few days.

[Lena Arryn]

Lena was lifted into the air before she could protest and her husband spun her around in an act of affection, she smiled briefly until he set her down. Her chest was still rising and falling with fear that this was a coup and worry that her husband had brought along his mistress to replace her in their marriage bed.

Lena noted Matilys with mild interest and then returned her hard stare to Halaevia who was introduced as a Baratheon; a traitor to the crown who had rescued him from Storms End and reconciled him to the Lord of Light. It made Lena's skin crawl to think of her self saddled with Torin Lannister's child for the rest of her days while he rode this Baratheon woman in the name of a god from the south.

Before Lena could return her attention to her husband Halaevia spoke.
She spoke of the small bump Lena had forgotten about hiding under her clothes when recovering from Torin's affectionate embrace.
Lena's eyes widened only for a moment as the hushed group around them seemed to hold their breaths. She could feel Daern and Luthor's eyes on them now.
"Thank you lady Baratheon, I am sure my husband will appreciate a strong son." She wasn't sure how to play it off.
Lena was afraid to look at Torin, what expression did he now wear?

[Torin Lannister]

In truth Lord Torin Lannister had not noticed the bump that Halaevia had noticed, though after it was mentioned it suddenly became as obvious as the sun. If he was not mistaken her breasts had swelled also. That pleased him greatly. Such a change was not harmful to her appearance, he believed. "Send word to the kitchens, we shall feast greatly tonight. I have returned and to news of a child!" This was reason for much rejoicing. He would eat his weight and drink his fill before laying with his wife.

"The Lord of Light provides bounty for his Champion." the lion's head tilted towards Halaevia as he said it, regarding her with the smile that now dominated his face. The Red Cloaks were piling in at this point, standing against the walls and doubling up. They would be resting in the camps with the other men, but were an elite peace keeping force. Someone would need to protect the Vale when the soldiers pulled out to aid in dealing with the Riverlands. That would be a matter he would bring up later or on the morrow.

"Now then, let us stop standing on attendance. We have traveled far and would take time to refresh before eating." It had been a long journey, he could only imagine how desperate for heated water his cousin and adviser were. He would rather enjoy it himself.

[Matilys Lannister]

Matilys had given Lena a bright smile as Torin gestured for her to step forward. It seemed to her that her cousin genuinely cared for his wife, and certainly the way they had greeted each other was not reserved and dutiful as it might have been were there little affection between them. The tension in the air, then, was uncomfortable, and she wanted to defuse it.

Not that Torin and Halaevia were helping with that, bringing up their precious new god almost at once. It struck her that likely neither of them realized just how odd it sounded. Matilys at least had had time to get used to the idea, although the concessions she made to it were few. She had told her septa to stay back in King's Landing, but then it wasn't necessary for her old teacher to still be attending her, anyway. She might write and tell Septa Jennia to go to Casterly Rock. Little Janei wouldn't quite have outgrown her nursemaid yet, but she'd be in need of a teacher of her own in due course, and Jennia had done well enough with Matilys' own education.

It was while she was contemplating this that Lady Halaevia pointed out the fact of Lena's pregnancy. She was observant, Matilys would give her that, although it was obvious once one had been told. Her smile widened. 'Congratulations to you both!' she exclaimed, delighted. Lena would be relieved to have fallen pregnant so quickly, she surmised. She was on the older side to be carrying her first child, and Matilys imagined that no married woman was immune to the pressures of needing to produce a son to carry on her husband's line. Not even a woman like Lena.

Then Torin suggested that the kitchens prepare a feast, and that they take time to prepare for dinner. Matilys was glad he'd remembered. She wasn't about to attend dinner in the Eyrie dressed in her travelling clothes, not when she'd insisted on bringing her jewelry and silk dresses along. 'That sounds a wonderful idea,' she told Torin. 'I must look frightful, after so long on the road.' This was quite untrue; Matilys still took care with her appearance even during a journey so rushed as this one had been. Yet she would look better still once she had time to bathe and choose fine clothes and arrange her hair.

'Come, Lady Halaevia,' she said then, and crossed behind Torin so that she might talk to the other woman more easily. 'My seamstress is finished with your dresses, you will have the pick of them tonight,' she said quietly. No matter what else she thought of her, Matilys had a certain sympathy for a woman who left home without any of her possessions. She had taken it upon herself to see that Halaevia had at least a few dresses that weren't ill-fitting, and assigned one of her own maids to attend her, although in hindsight that had likely been a mistake. The girl was now hanging on the Baratheon woman's every word and repeating her statements about the Lord of Light as if they were indisputable truths. Some people, thought Matilys, were all too impressionable.

[Halaevia Baratheon]

Her husband would appreciate a son? That was a telling remark, thought Halaevia. Lady Lena Arryn wouldn't be the only woman of her acquaintance to be hoping for a daughter instead, although it wasn't generally something admitted to in mixed company. In her experience, it rarely mattered to a mother once she was holding her child in her arms, anyway.

She still didn't like the way Lena was looking at her. They had all looked to her when she had spoken, and that had been her intention, but Lena's gaze was more critical than the others. Halaevia didn't flinch from it. She had hoped that she and Torin's wife might be friends, of a sort. They were both there to support him, after all. Perhaps this disapproval of hers would only be temporary. Perhaps not. Either way, it was Torin she was here for, not Lena. It was not so important as all that.

Torin then spoke of a feast, which was only proper to celebrate his impending fatherhood, and of the fact that it was R'hllor's doing, at which Halaevia nodded agreement. She turned to look at him, and he smiled at her - truly smiled, and that had to mean that he was pleased that she had spoken up about the child. 'Just so,' she said to him softly. 'He rewards those who faithfully carry out his work.'

Then she had his cousin at her side again, speaking to her about clothes. It wasn't, truth be told, one of Halaevia's most pressing concerns, but she knew the girl meant well. 'Thank you, Matilys,' she said warmly. 'You've been very kind to think of me and to arrange it, I'm sure they will do wonderfully.' Concerns about how she looked came a distant second to the prospect of sleeping in a real, comfortable bed that night, and not having to rise early to be on the move again.

[Lord Luthor Arryn]

The call for a feast was good, it would provide Luthor the chance to get to know this Lady Baratheon that had been brought into the Eyrie. She was a holy woman by the seems of it. She must have had something very fulfilling between her legs to have that Lannister buying into her faith in the manner in which he had. His experiences with Torin had been thankfully few but of the many things he would describe him as, a holy man was not among them.

He gave one more glance towards the Maester before finally breaking from his perch. His leather boots patted against the stone floor much more softly then the great number of armoured boots that had stomped in. Luthor was actually very fond of the Redcloaks. They were professional and well trained, with a better reputation then the Goldcloaks. He simply would have rather he had been admiring them in Lannisport, not the Vale. The Vale protected the Vale.

With them all leaving to prepare for the evening's feasting, Luthor would take the time to send some ravens. He was a busy man after all. He ad money to make.

[Maester Daern]

Daern raised a brow at the height of which Torin's voice carried. It would seem that he was a bit surprised. All of his commotion seemed a bit out of character from what Lena had described of him. His gaze broke from Luthor as he watched the two ladies meet in discussion of clothing or some such. At Torin's approval of dismiss, Daern watched Luthor stride out. He had no doubt that he was just a small bit annoyed at the coming of the golden lion.

Daern himself made his way down the steps. He passed by the Lady Halavia. He gave a small respectful bow towards the little Lannister girl and to the Lady Baratheon herself. "My Lady Baratheon, if it pleases you I would like to discuss your Lord of Light. Perhaps tomorrow after the festivities have died down? I am interested in your beliefs and practices. Who knows, you could help me with my next link." Daern said with a small smirk at the dark haired lady. He gave a leaving bow as he headed out towards his personal chambers.