[D3 M] Motherly Guidance

[Kaliya Redding]

The rain drummed heavily, promising only to increase before the morning was done. Preferring not to have the girl head out in the storm if it could be helped, Kaliya had a pair of servants escort her across the compound to Kaelyn's pavilion, holding a broad sheet of oiled canvas over her as she walked in an effort to keep her somewhat dry.

"Lady Kaelyn? It is Kaliya," she called over the rain.

[Kaelyn Dunn]

Kaelyn started at the voice. She'd never liked storms but always felt safe under the stone walls of The Burrow. "Come in, Lady Kaliya!!" she called out, standing to receive her properly as a Lady, as opposed to the frightened little girl she felt she was in this moment.

[Kaliya Redding]

With a nod to the servants, Kaliya stepped into the tent and moved to embrace the young woman, "good morrning, dearr, how have you been finding the tourrney?"

[Kaelyn Dunn]

Kaelyn was happy to have someone to hold on to, even if was for just a few seconds. "I've been enjoying myself, up until this storm, that is. It's been a challenge conversing with people without first being introduced, but I think I've been improving."

A loud crack of thunder made her wince. She looked to be distracted and reached for what she knew.

"Where are my manners? Would you care for some water, or Dornish wine? And please, make yourself comfortable."

[Kaliya Redding]

Taking a seat at the small table, "wine would be lovely. Thank you." She glanced about, smiling, before turning her eyes on Kaelyn once more, "I am glad to hearr that you have been doing well. Yourr motherr and fatherr will be verry pleased. And the tourrney seems to agrree with you, the rribbons in yourr hairr are most lovely."

[Kaelyn Dunn]

Kaelyn went quickly to pour the wine, her hands managing to be steady due to seemingly endless hours of practice. It might be the typical job of a servant, but her Septa assured her that a Lady hostess should be able to do this for her husband and guests.

"Thank you. I normally don't wear ribbons, but I decided to take your suggestion to heart and purchase some from a shop. Do you know, I think that the vendor must have known which houses were coming for weeks. They had several in the colors of our house."

She gave Kaliya one of the glasses she poured. She may not like wine, but it would be rude to make her guest drink alone.

"I don't exactly understand how a ribbon is much of a good luck charm, but it does seem to help show the competitors we care what happens to them."

[Kaliya Redding]

Kaliya sipped her wine and raised an eyebrow, "good luck?" she has her suspicions, but she asks anyway, "what do you mean?"

[Kaelyn Dunn]

"The ribbons," Kaelyn touched the ones she'd put in her hair unconsciously, "to give to the competitors? They're for good luck. Like a charm."

[Kaliya Redding]

"Kaelyn," Kaliya's voice carried that tone that all children recognised: someone was about to get in trouble. "Tell me you arren't giving away these rribbons and calling them favourrs." And I know exactly how she got the idea in herr head, the older woman chided herself.

[Kaelyn Dunn]

"I...." Kaelyn's face fell and she thought hard. She had a good memory. "I don't think I've been calling them favors... I gave one to Lord Kevan the day we arrived. It was grey and pink, and I told him it was so he would remember his house was behind him." She tried to remember what she'd said to Davelyn. "And I tied one around Ser Davelyn's wrist for good luck. It's the first time he's competing, and I told him I was sure he'd get more." With trepidation, "Why do you ask?"

[Kaliya Redding]

Kaliya's eyes harden at the mention of Davelyn, but her smile doesn't waver. "Kaelyn, you need to underrstand something. You arre a young, beautiful, and verry eligible young woman. You arre looking for a husband. A favourr is not just some token of good luck, but a sign that you are interrested in knowing that man betterr. You must take carre that yourr intentions are not misinterrprreted."

[Kaelyn Dunn]

Her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped a little. "O-Oh. Oh, by the Seven. Oh." Kaelyn found herself pacing, completely forgetting the storm. "But... If I didn't call them favors... And I explained... Do they think I want to... do... things....?" All the color was gone from her face and her nervousness was starting to raise Dahlia's feathers.

[Kaliya Redding]

Kaliya rose to her feet and wrapped her arms warmly about the girl. "Hush, little one, it will be all rright. Serr Davelyn is a man of honourr and honesty. He would neverr act on such intentions unless it was perrfectly clearr that you werre willing and rready."

Leaning back, hands on Kaelyn's shoulders, she smiled cheekily, "as forr Lorrd Dunn, well, he might have thought about it, but he's a good man. Of all the men you could have made such a kind and innocent mistake with, it seems you have been verry forrtunate. Chin up."

[Kaelyn Dunn]

Kaelyn breathed a sigh of relief, hugging the friend she had found. The last thing she needed was to go home and tell her Father that she was now the courtesan of the Tourney. "Okay, now I think I may have bought too many ribbons, but that is a very small penalty to endure compared to what might have been. Thank you for explaining this to me. I would have been mortified."

[Kaliya Redding]

Kaliya stroked the girl's hair affectionately, "the rribbons rreally do look prretty," she reassured, "and no harrm done."