Noblesse Oblige (Closed)

[northerndragon]

Who: Jon Snow, Mat Cauthon, Alicent Hightower
When: Probably more often than they should
Where: Nott and surrounding territories
What: Help or Hinder Quest
Warnings: There are no vegetable mistakes, just vegetable happy accidents.



These lands have suffered, but the people have done what they could with them. It seems right to try to aid them with magic when they have toiled so hard.

This farm is not so poor as some of the others; nor is it the most rich or fertile they've seen. That makes it like enough to a Northern farm, Jon thinks. The crofter's name is Giles Bacon, and he has a few different crops. When asked how long his people have been on this land, he shrugs, then allows, "Long years."

Bacon does not seem inclined to idle chatter, but at least he doesn't seem to bear them any enmity: more curiosity about the foreigners than hate or fear. He stands back at a distance and watches them as they set to their work. Might be that he wants to see what they can do; might be that he wants to stop them if he thinks they are bringing disaster.

"I'll do the pumpkins, unless one of you would rather I did the potatoes or carrots or melons," Jon says to his friends. With a shake of his head, he adds, "Wish we had spells like this in the North. The lands are poor -- people can't eat mountain stones in winter."

Comments

[a_better_man]

"Could have likely used it back home, too. Your crop didn't come in well come harvest, you were well fucked."

Mat feels very at ease here. Nott's a poor place, it's true, and rough. But the people are people he's familiar with. Hell, he'd probably live here if he'd been born to this world. He gives a quick sort of wave to the farmer before wandering over to the potato patch.

"And go on and do the pumpkins, I've got the potatoes."

He can understand exactly why Farmer Bacon is watching them. They're strangers, visitors, and this is the man's farm. It's his life and likely all that keeps him and his family fed. A failing crop any year can spell disaster. Of course he wants to watch and be certain all is done right.

[chainedqueen]

Alicent is less comfortable among the smallfolk as Mat and Jon seem to be. She has never spent time outside of the Red Keep and briefly in Oldtown. Her father being a second son meant they had no lands to manage, which likely kept her further isolated from the sort of work the Tyrell children would understand.

She's a little hesitant, still shy about spells and performing them publicly, but eager to gain some notice. Alicent smiles at Jon's comment before gazing out across the fields. "Food shortages lead to panic. I am certain the snallfolk would ask for sorcery, whether it worked or not. There are a number of curious practices they cling to, which they believe will bring results."

Well, that left two available crops. "I could try the carrots and melons."

[northerndragon]

Jon only nods at Mat's comment, because there is only truth in it. How many times had there been famine in the North during or just after a long winter? How many times might there be in the future? In the days before he came to this world, he would have given much and more to be sure that there will even be farmers in the North in coming years.

But when Alicent says she'll take the carrots and the melons, he gives her a long look, mildly surprised that she feels confident enough to take on two different crops.

"If you have trouble with either, we'll do what we can. Though they say back at the castle that as long as you do it right, there won't be any surprises."

The potential for surprises seems to be great.

[a_better_man]

"We'll be fine. I'm practically a mage!"

Though Mat's magic is far different than the Academic magic most practiced at the castle. Still. He's been channeling for what feels like ages now. How difficult can reciting a spell be? It's been fine the other times he's performed Academic spells.

"They're right about as long as you follow the instructions, it'll be alright. S'like maths or cooking."

Follow the steps, the result will be as intended. Light he wished his sort of magic was that simple. But Jon and Alicent are smart folks, he can't imagine any actual problems arising.

Probably.

[chainedqueen]

She covers her frustration at being doubted by Jon, smiling as she often had to whenever Viserys made some dismissive comment towards her. Perhaps it should not trouble her, but she hopes Jon thought more of her than being unprepared. "I studied for this." Why else would she spend much of her day surrounded by books.

She picks at her fingers, gazing across the field, from the carrots to the melons. Accidents are hard to predict and, for someone so new to magic, it seems inevitable that something might happen. Yet, she knows if it were Rhaenyra here, she would be praised, even for her failures. Not all were so lucky and that thought weighs Alicent's thoughts down.

"It is a simple recitation." She has spent her life performing such things, she's prepared.

[northerndragon]

Jon nods, smiles slightly, trying to look reassuring. "Then I'm sure it will go well."

Her fretfulness is not always obvious; she was raised to be a lady, and she is a queen. But it's there, and he knows she also hasn't been studying these things as long as Mat or him, and Jon remembers the time when he found himself trailed by a number of the moth-hares. That had been the fault of someone more experienced in magic than him. Mistakes are more than possible even for the careful and well-schooled.

When the group breaks apart, he goes to the pumpkin field and manages the recitation without incident. Bacon rewards him with a grunt and a nod, and Jon follows along to see how the others have done.

[a_better_man]

"Have some faith, friend!"

Mat flashes a grin as he settles himself in place. Yes, sometimes accidents happen. But all they're doing is some simple vegetable magic. It's not as though they're going to trip over a syllable and open a chasm in the earth beneath them.

Though perhaps some crops may suffer for it. Which would not be ideal.

But he's confident in his own abilities. Magic does not frighten him as it used to. Why should it? He's been doing it over a year now and he's perfectly fine. No ill effects, other than sometimes it exhausts him if he does too much. And this isn't even the same type of magic. He clears his throat and recites as he was taught, resisting the urge to give a dramatic flourish with his hands.

[chainedqueen]

The melons are enchanted without incident. There is no grand flourish of her arms, keeping it simple and to the letter. A swell of pride fills her when she sees the results, wondering if the others noticed before reminding herself that they were likely focused on their own tasks.

The carrots could not be much more difficult. Surely not. With that confidence, she uttered the words. Hubris might well be her downfall, she is not blind to it, but even still, it makes her freeze with shock as she stumbles over the words. There is a spray of colors as the carrots grow, their shape twisted and distorted.

Oh no.

[northerndragon]

Oh no.

Jon makes his way back over to where Bacon looks on at what has happened. The farmer is inscrutable. The carrots seem edible, or at least the one Bacon pulls out of the ground does, but also like someone has bred them with a mandrake. Unsettling until they're put into a stew like any other.

Alicent must feel dismayed; he looks to her to see if she is. But she can try it again, if Bacon wishes it. And he's not sure that Bacon wishes it.

He also isn't sure that she will still want to try tomorrow's demonstration.

"No harm done," he begins, then looks to Mat.

[a_better_man]

Mat ambles over to take a close look, peering at the one the farmer's pulled up.

"Nah, no harm at all. Even nature grows carrots funny sometimes. I've seen'em with two tails."

They aren't running around and baring teeth, they aren't glowing, they aren't covered in odd spots. They're just...funny shaped.

"Dug up a potato that looked like the face of an elder man once. Nose and chin and all." And he'd wager that Farmer Bacon has seen some odd shaped tubers in his time. It happens. They hit a rock or a root as they're growing down, and they divide.

Anyhow, once they're chopped up, all veggies look about the same.

[chainedqueen]

Alicent tore at her cuticles, tasting blood on the tip of her tongue. 'No harm done.' Only to her ego. At the moment, she wants to bury her face in her hands and fall into the earth. She can't even look at the farmer, not wishing to see his reaction. A twitch at the corner of his lips would be enough to make her fold into herself.

She mumbles, "I could try again?" Her words are near buried against her hands. If the boys listen hard enough, they might catch it, as she keeps tearing at her nails.

[northerndragon]

Jon notices what Alicent is doing -- her hands, her disappointment with herself. So he says, carefully, "We learn by doing. We make mistakes along the way. The gods know that I've missed enough targets in my time, but the arrows hurt no one."

Bacon, for his part, is still hard to read, looking mostly at the carrot, but sometimes at Alicent. Finally, he says, "Yeh. Try it again. Ill-favored carrots won't do at market." He doesn't sound angry. "You made 'em bigger, that's good."

[a_better_man]

"Light, you should see some of the ways my magic's gone wrong! It really is alright, Alicent, I promise. See."

Who hasn't had their magic go astray? It happens. Even the farmer isn't bothered, and she can just give it another go. Mat's tone is encouraging and he offers a smile to match.

"Just don't worry about it, put the first try out your mind, and start a'fresh. You've nothing to fret over. Remember...you're tougher than you think."

[chainedqueen]

They both offer words of encouragement, a rarity in her life and something she has no idea how to respond to. Mat's smile is what relaxes her. That simple gesture that brings brief and painful memories of Rhaenyra. Smiles and sweet words.

It's not wise to try again with confusing feelings bog down her mind. She takes a breath and another until that steadiness returns. Carefully, she enunciates the words, taking it slower than before.

A flash and she knows she has it right.

[northerndragon]

Bacon watches her closely, and when she's finished, he pulls one of the carrots.

This time, it's as big as before, but not twisted: orange as vibrant as it should be, but not so bright that anyone might hesitate to eat it, and there is something luscious about it.

"This'll do," the farmer says, relief and a sort of pleased approval mingling in his voice.

Jon smiles when he sees the carrot, also feeling relieved, in his way. He turns the smile to Alicent. "A job well done." He then adds, "You still coming to Nott tomorrow?"

[a_better_man]

"There, see!" Mat beams encouragingly. It must be hard, he thinks, being nobility. So many pressures and expectations. No wonder Alicent was so forlorn over a small and easily fixed mistake.

"And I, at least, am not the formal ceremony sort." Particularly when it wasn't even his own people's formal ceremony. He offers Bacon a grin, though. "But I shall toast the fruitfulness of your fields from whatever tavern I find myself in."

Light knows plenty of folks are depending on the harvest.