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Annoyingly, as soon as Cregan enters the room, Jace's body decides now is the time to start shivering.
"Heard you caught a spot of snow," Cregan says. He doesn't look or sound especially worried. Or sympathetic.
Jace supposes it's not exactly unusual to get snow in the North. Or maybe Cregan just doesn't like him that much.
He says, "Yeah," then wonders if he should have said 'aye' instead, the way Cregan does.
"Should've gotten yourself a snow cloak," Cregan says. He makes it sound as if any reasonable person not only knows what a snow cloak is but also how and where to get one. (Jace doesn't. Nobody's come up and offered him a snow cloak.)
He says, "Uh, my mother the Queen gave me and my brother these cloaks. They're good enough against rain."
Cregan shrugs, as if to say, 'well, rain'.
"However, I would be grateful if you could tell me how to acquire a snow cloak, Lord Stark," Jace says, feeling quite diplomatic.
He may be standing here barely dressed and shivering, but at least he's being very polite.
"Plan on sticking around, were you?" Cregan asks. If he hadn't been Cregan, Jace might have called the expression on his face 'canny'. As it is, Cregan's only playing at canniness.
Vermax could probably out-canny Cregan. Especially if there's a goat involved, which currently there isn't.
"I might if someone were to get me a snow cloak," Jace says. "Freezing to death isn't much fun."
Cregan scoffs. "You're inside, in front of a nice, warm fire. You're hardly in any danger of freezing to death. My prince."
It takes Jace a while to remember the 'Lord Stark' that means he presumably had that 'my prince' coming. Not that he minds Cregan calling him that. It's not like Cregan ever sounds particularly respectful when he says it.
A little fond, perhaps, and a bit exasperated, on occasion, but Cregan's definitely never been impressed by Jace being the heir to the Iron Throne.
Jace himself isn't either, to be fair, so that's fine.
"Besides, as a Stark, I am far too honorable to resort to bribery," Cregan goes on.
"You mean that, as a Stark, you're far too stubborn to admit you like my company," Jace says. He's starting to feel a little warmer, possibly because of the fire but more likely because of Cregan.
Cregan rolls his eyes. "I like your company just fine. Don't go putting words in my mouth."
"Well. If your honor forbids you from getting me a fancy snow cloak, perhaps you could at least help me get warm again?" Jace tries not to sound too hopeful. Cregan's a busy man, who takes his duties very seriously.
Jace likes that about Cregan, likes how Cregan is steady and calm and everything Jace thinks a Lord should be.
But everything has a price, and the price of Cregan's excellence is that he's never going to prioritize spending time with Jace over doing his duty.
Jace clears his throat. "And by 'help me get warm', what I mean is - "
"I know what you meant," Cregan interrupts, scowling. He also looks like he's thinking about it though, so Jace simply waits.
And waits.
And waits.
"Cregan."
"You seem pretty warm already," Cregan says. "Don't think you need me for that, really."
Jace considers faking another attack of the shivers, but he does have his pride.
"Still," Cregan says, grinning. "Shall we say, better safe than sorry?"