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

[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.