(121-04-13) Betting On A Prince's Ransom
Betting On A Prince's Ransom
Summary: Sera comes by to visit Abram after the Trial of the Seven, to take a peek at his treasure and to settle their bet.
Date: Date of play (13/04/2014)
Related: None
Players:
Abram..Sera..

Abram had escaped the Trial without severe injury, and since the first visit from a maester has been left to mend his injuries at home. The knight is dressed in leggings and boots, with a loose shirt worn over the bruises and dressed cuts marking his torso. He had received several exotic guests from Maelys Targaryen's company, and remains in the sitting room, in the same chair after the foreign sellswords had left, his sword leaning in its sheath against the arm. He stares at the large chest the visitors had left. The chest sits open, its contents clear to the eye: tusks of ivory, striped furs of beasts unknown to Westeros, glittering coins of gold and silver, and gems; cut gems of all colors sparkling in the light.

After being told that the guests have left, Sera makes her way to the sitting room, peering through the door to see if Abram is still there and awake before fully walking in. "Ser Abram," she murmurs with a wide grin, barely able to hold back her enthusiasm at the sight of his battered but decent form. "The hero of the Trial of the Seven. You were something to watch." Her teal eyes flick over towards the chest and they widen at the sight of the exotic items within. "And apparently a man of no more wants. Shall we start calling you The Golden Knight? You will be able to put the Lannisters to shame if you continue your trend." She makes her way towards the chest, excited to see what could be brought in from such an exotic place.

Abram glances aside at his cousin's entrance. A smile tugs at his lip as he greets, "Sera. You are looking at a literal prince's ransom." A hand is raised to pass down his lower face in thought. "They said Maelys' words upon waking were 'Pay Mern's seed'. Mern Gardener himself would admire such a trove. This is beyond what I expected at the start of all this, cousin. The sheer.. possibilities."

"Mern's seed?" Sera returns with widened eyes before she grins once more. "It is good to know they still recognize our strong lineage and especially in how it shows itself in you. I am beginning to like these Dornish men, they know their history. I figured they would be too distracted by their drinking and whoring." She reaches out to pick up a tusk, tracing her fingers to feel the ivory before looking back at Abram. "You should turn this into a cup, or perhaps carve it for your sword's pommel, or even place it over your sex in a proud display of your manhood." Did she just give him a little look at that? Sera bites down on her lower lip to hide her grin while turning back to the chest. "I have never seen such color in some of these jewels. And the fur! You must line your cloaks with these! They're as soft as a baby's behind!" She runs her fingers through the fur next while her eyes feast at what else lies within. "A prince's ransom will buy you a wardrobe to fit the prince himself. Cousin, I am so /jealous/!"

Abram snorts at her codpiece suggestion, quipping with a laugh, "Do you take me for some preening Tyrell, cousin?" A familiar grin and shake of his head. "I mean to do much more with such wealth than merely wear it, Sera."

"Well perhaps not, but an upgrade in your wardrobe may help you in certain endeavors," she returns with a teasing smirk before placing the tusk back inside. Sera then rises up to her feet as she brushes her skirt down. "And what, praytell, are you going to do with such riches, cousin?" Something about her tone and her look suggests that she may have more than just an idea.

"I haven't decided, yet," Abram relates with a smile so wide he appears nearly drunk on the possibilities. A silent chuckle stirs his shoulders, before he narrows one eye in recognition of Sera's expression. "What is that look? What did you suspect I would do?"

As he questions her look, Sera smiles to herself before she reaches down to pick up a blue jewel of more than decent size and weight. She then makes her way towards Abram, leaning down to hug him tightly despite his injuries. "Perhaps I am glad you're home cousin," she murmurs warmly, or rather trying to warm him up. "And wish that you would gift me this stone. Or perhaps," with that she twists her head, placing her lips directly against his ear before she whispers, "I figure you will take it with you when you go to the attic."

Abram returns the embrace with one arm and an easy smile. Her conspiratorial whisper of the attic causes him to half turn in an instant's puzzlement that breaks into a dawning chuckle. "Ahh, so you found out about the attic? Well done then, Sera, keep the rock as a prize for your wit," he allows. "Why blue?" he prompts, with an air of weight to the question.

At his chuckle she can't help but laugh, standing triumphantly above him with the blue stone in her hand. "Why thank you, Cousin. I will treasure it forever. As for blue, well, its the color of our House, why else?" Sera quirks her eyebrows at him before glancing towards the doors to make sure they are still alone. "If I find out the name of this woman, will I earn another prize?" She asks, looking back down at him.

Abram relaxes subtly at her answer, though his countenance remains genial throughout. The young lady's latter question elicits a fresh chuckle. "Perhaps, although I will require you to prove your guess, and not merely speculate."

Her eyes harden slightly in their intense gaze, studying his features very carefully. "Alright," she returns with another little grin. "Is it Lady Valerity Redwyne?" she asks.

"I'll hear your reasoning before answering your guess true or false," he volleys back, relaxing back into his seat and leaning an elbow unevenly on one armrest. "And it had better be more than your initial suspicion on the River Road, or I'll be quite disappointed."

"Not just the River Road, although mentioning her surname did indeed help me narrow my guess. There aren't many Ladies of Redwyne here." Sera returns thoughtfully. "So I kept my eyes on them during the Trial of the Seven. When she lept up at your injury," she looks at his bandages briefly, "and the way she clutched her fingers. She was holding back so much…" She tilts her head to the side as she quirks her eyebrows. "A decent woman from a fine line, I do not see the reason why you should sully such a girl when you can simply ask for her hand. Her reputation may not be the best but you are hardly helping her…"

"Did she indeed?" Abram voices with a bemused smile and raised brow as Sera describes Valerity's composure during the Trial. "I was rather occupied at the time and hadn't noticed. And no, I don't suppose I am patching her reputation any, if you were able to deduce as much after a week in Oldtown." As to her prize for the guess. "Take one of the square silver coins. Once you can tell me where it comes from you may have another." As to why.. "Until this morning, my branch of the Florent line was of little means. Father made it quite clear my task in life was to collect enough renown to marry a lady whose dowry would bring us land, so that we need not exist as glorified guests of our more exalted cousins."

"Wouldn't he be happy to know that you have single-handedly altered your fate." Sera returns with a grin before she moves back to the chest, enjoying the little game. She picks up a silver coin and studies it briefly while continuing, "Your father has sound rationale, an unfortunate trait in a parent." Sera flips the coin this way and that before she turns her eyes towards Abram. "As for my skills of deduction, you should know by now that I am no ordinary lady. I won't lecture you on your actions, you're doing fine. If anything I am envious."

"Isn't it?" Abram assents with thinly feigned irritation at the soundness of paternal logic. "And I thank you for the consideration," the knight chuckles to her lack of lecturing. "I'd hate to start ignoring my favorite cousin."

"I will have you know that your life would be /very/ boring should you start to ignore me," Sera returns with an indignant sniff. "If wealth is what he wanted then you should lay your hands on a Lannister girl, they have plenty to spare. Though they may be more snakes than lion at times, they have plenty to keep your pockets happy. A Tyrell wouldn't be so bad either, especially since you have won this Trial. They would be fools not to line up at your door, though you may inherit Lord Garvin as your cousin or brother," she teases. "I can just imagine you with one of the twins." It's hard to tell if she is serious or not.

"As I said before, cousin," Abram notes at her litany of potential brides, "So many possibilities. Though I never mean to bed another Tyrell girl," a shudder. "Besides, Lord Lorant loathes our family, he'll not part with a single weed toward our benefit." He draws a slow breath, musing, "I like the notion of land. Though spreading the gems on the floor and rolling around in them also holds some allure." An unspoken thought causes a wicked twist to his merriment.

"Cousin, I am afraid to ask what has brought about /that/ look," she returns with a laugh. "As for Lord Lorant, if it bothers him that much I would think that would inspire you to pursue Tyrell girls even more. Imagine his dismay if they begged and /pleaded/ with him to marry you! Oh I would have it painted and displayed over our mantle." She sighs wistfully, "if only I could bring about such disdain from the man, but marrying one of his sons sounds like it may be a step backward."}

"Because the last time, the girl's brother ended up my commander in Dorne and he tried to get me killed," Abram laughs. As for his earlier look, the knight winks with the words, "Ask at your peril, little cousin, but it involves an attic."

Sera can't help but make a face, throwing the coin she had picked up directly at Abram's forehead. "Ugh! Cousin! Don't make me imagine such things! That is another that should fall under cruel and unusual punishment!" She then folds her arms before tilting her chin to the side. "Tried to get you killed? Did he order you to jump off a cliff, Cousin? If that's the case I am glad your common sense outweighed your loyalty."

Abram laughs but doesn't dodge the coin that bounces off his skull to clatter lightly on the floor. Unabashed, he warns, "Be cautious what secrets you pursue, cousin. And don't be silly, I have no common sense. He sent me among the Outriders to spring a Dornish ambush. Had a horse killed under me, and likely would have obliged him in getting killed, if not for wiser men than myself."

"Remind me to earn your complete and undying loyalty then!" Sera returns with a laugh. "And while I may regret having such images in my head I never regret learning a secret. It is my bread, my butter and my wine. Without them life would be dull and lacking in blue jewels," she tosses the stone up before snatching it out of the air. She then pauses before murmuring a bit more quietly, "and cousin, I…wish to be married soon. I need to get rid of a false history and find that there is no better way then layering it with the truth. It is one of the reasons I came here and-…" she trails off before looking at him.

"You're a Florent, so you've a good start on my loyalty. And I should hope so," Abram answers her wish to be married soon. As she tapers off, the elder Florent prompts, "..And?" with brows casually lifted in curiosity.

"And nothing," she finishes for him before Sera presses her lips into a thin line. "I just want you to trust my judgement should that time come. You may receive word that my father and mother are eager to marry me to any eligible man that approaches. I simply wish for you to trust my judgement in this. They are still displeased with a past event and, unlike your father, are not thinking rationally. So I just want you to be behind me in this, that is all."

Abram lifts one leg to hang his boot over the arm of his chair, as Sera finishes her thought. "I will be returning to Brightwater Keep within days, cousin. Not for long, a month at the most, but I will be taking most of this," a motion toward the chest of riches, "With me. Its far too foolish to store it all here, under my mattress; I'd never sleep for the lumps. If you've any preferences toward your future husband, or anything you'd rather avoid, I could certainly spare a few words of persuasion for your parents? My words are likely to be more persuasive than usual, in light of recent.." his eye goes from cousin to cache. "..changes."

"Already you're letting your new power get to your head, Cousin," Sera teases, but she smiles at him. "If you're going back home then yes, please pay them a visit, I am sure my father would like nothing more than to see your face, especially after such a victory. If he starts shoving me towards you then just ignore it in good humor or tell him you have another woman in mind." She then shifts her bodyweight onto one foot, glancing out of one of the windows as she continues. "I would appreciate it very much if you spoke to him, tell him that I am doing my duty in acquiring a husband but that there are none that seem like a good match yet. It may be a lie, but I do not want to be stuck with a Lord Pansy either. Nor do I want to end up with a man who cannot hold a sword properly or call himself a real man. I know, I am setting my standards too high…But cousin, I see very few true men here."

"If your father does charge me with finding a husband for you I will be most cross with you, Sera," Abram laughs back. "Such a responsibility could interfere with my drinking and scandalous ways." Her comment about power going to his head is met with a shameless, "Clearly." Another deep breath, and he notes, "I daresay we can manage a decent knight for you, cousin. Even if Oldtown has managed to gather an undue number of ..lesser specimens."

"Better you than any other, cousin, and you /cannot/ blame me for the actions of my father. He is a touch strong-willed but he is tired of dealing with his many children and may just agree with whatever lands in front of him. Trust me it would be a shame to let him decide." She crinkles her nose before grinning. "Besides, you can just say yes, nod politely then go back to your drinking and scandalous ways. I will not say anything, he would be none the wiser and when I find someone I can tell you." There, nice and neat. She then glances towards the door. "If he keeps pestering you then just keep claiming that we have such lesser specimen here."

"I can and I will," Abram sniffs at the young lady's claim that he can't blame her. His smile robs any ire from the words, though. "Do try to keep Arion on a short leash while I'm away?"

"I have already spoken to Arion, and taught our cousin a few tricks to be more discrete. Hopefully he will heed my advice and we won't be needing to keep him on a short leash, though we may need to buy quite a bit of Milk of the Poppy," she winces at that before shaking her head. "Another image in my head that I would much rather do without." Sera then flashes him a grin before leaning over to kiss the side of his crown. "I am glad you are still with us cousin."}

"Not half so glad as I am," Abram claims with a smile. "Enjoy your prize, have it on a pendant or something suitable by the time I get back, and you had better not make life any more difficult for Valerity Redwyne," he warns in another bout of good humor. "Now be on your way with your silver coin and blue stone, and try to find a gentleman worth the name for me to find fault with when I return."

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