Brewing Calm (D1 EA Tremaine Pavillions)

[Maester Simon]

Simon'e eyebrows rose ever so slightly. Most nobles never bothered to learn anything beyond the common letters. "Very good. Who is the maester of house Feyther?" he added, curious. Surely the Feythers had one. One didn't learn foreign languages just like that. Especially in the Westerlands.

[Alicent Feyther]

"Maester Vernan," she replied. "Older, salt and pepper beard."

[Maester Simon]

"Maester Vernan. Vernan..." Simon scratched his stubble, frowning as he paused to think. "I am fairly sure I've heard the name, but I can't think of why or where. Anyway, I take he has seen to your education?"

[Alicent Feyther]

"Yes," she agreed, a little surprised about the thorough questioning about her education. "I was a little sad he didn't come... Without that or books it will be a little difficult to add more."

[Maester Simon]

"Well, it's not like you won't be returning home?" he asked, puzzled by the choice of her words.

[Alicent Feyther]

"I meant in the meantime," she clarified.

[Maester Simon]

"Ahh, well. It's not so easy for us to travel. I'm somewhat of an exception with the whole Tremaine family here." Simon explained his presence. "We do not get to travel often, so I feel rather privileged."

"So, what got Lady Alicent interested in such things, then? Lessons or?"

[Alicent Feyther]

"That is fortunate, then. Ours is advising my brother at home," she nodded. It was reasonable. "As to that... I'm not sure what brought it about, exactly. Perhaps lessons. But between history and embroidery, it's hard not to be a bit more interested in the former."

[Maester Simon]

"That sounds par the course. I take your noble father is here then" Which would have made sense. "Eh, well. Some think that history is awfully boring." Simon laid down his cup on the ground. "Years, names, numbers. Stories, some true and others less so. It takes a while to get any kind of picture of what's happened more than say, fifty or seventy years ago. Quite a few of my peers didn't like it. They said they'd rather work on something that was here and now. Medicine, warcraft, statecraft, coins, alchemy..."

[Alicent Feyther]

"No... He doesn't really leave home anymore. I'm here with my other brother," she replied, looking to the northwest as though she could check on him with a glance. Then she turned back. "I think it's interesting to figure out truth from legend and where the grains of truth that bore the latter lie. Though some of that is pure educated guessing... Bit difficult to test. I can see their point of view, though. Both have their appeal."