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[b]Westeros, Dorne, The Sunspear[/b]

The trio of girls meandered through the maze of gardens beneath the bright sun. Sunspear may have been in a frenzy, but here, behind the tall hedges and round bushes, there was still quiet, peace. The Prince’s accident and news of his injury could never have been well contained, but Allyria had been unaware of it until Nysterica had shared the dreadful news. The pretty prince, his sweet face and honey tongue, his mischievous nature, they were taken from her. Worse, her sister now wanted her to marry his horrible brother, William. She was devastated by the news. She wanted to marry Richard, she had already named the children they would have, all seven of them, a holy number. 

“Prince William is handsome too.”

“Yes and he’s so dark and mysterious. You’ll love him too, Allyria.”

“Don’t worry, Prince Richard will get better. We can go pray for him. You’ll see…”

The chattering advice of her friends had done nothing to improve her mood, in fact, with each word from their lips, Allyria had only grown quieter, her sadness more overwhelming. She wanted nothing more than to fling herself face first into her bed and sob. Nysterica had not allowed that reaction, when the pale girl had attempted to do so, her sister had pulled her back up roughly and given her a stern lecture. Seven, how she hated her sister sometimes. She was so cold, so uncaring. Except for about herself. Thinking she was wise and quick to everything. Allyria had barely been able to get off a response other than how stupid Nysterica had been to marry their cousin. “Then you could marry William if he’s so great.” The look her sister gave her was enough to send Allyria running from her rooms and seeking the comfort of her friends. 

But there was no comfort in them either. She dragged behind, the first few steps the girls looked back, slowing down to wait for her to catch up. She didn’t want to. She wanted to be alone. 

“Allyria?” One called out as she took a seat on a warm stone bench. 

All she could do was shake her head as the tears began to form again. Richard was dying, no one would save him, and she’d have to marry William. Why were the gods so cruel?

Her friends, stood from a distant, worried for some time, before they eventually gave up and moved on, happier to talk of other things amongst themselves. 

Dornish Sun...half as hot as the food, yet still it seemed to drive foreigners mad. The man had dealt with worse in his time, across the Narrow Sea and so felt nothing but comfort as he lay across a particularly sturdy branch, a well groomed tree of the gardens holding him aloft into the Sun’s gaze. His eyes, previously shut, opened a crack at the somewhat typical nattering of the young noblewomen, a slight smirk spreading over his lips. The lute, spread across his lap and yet unplayed, was grasped in one hand. He allowed a few moments to pass, the gaggle of girls moving on without the one who sobbed, a few moments more, and he hopped out of his perch, landing with enough sound to draw attention, but enough grace to not appear foolish.

The sun caught in Valyrian hair like no other, the platinum shade nearly glowing as the afternoon sun blazed behind him, before he actually spoke, pushing the strap of the lute over his shoulder, to hand from his back.

“Not that I am well versed in such things, but surely, in Dorne, as anywhere, it is a terrible shame to see such a pretty face so sad? Distressing in fact, why, you quite disturbed my nap.” He spoke, retaining a caring tone throughout, without becoming heavy or sad, he moved a few steps closer before continuing;

“Perhaps a commoner like myself could cheer you up, you never know.”

Allyria glanced out from between her fingers at the light thud. Someone was here and she felt her face heat and redden. She thought she had been alone in her misery, it seemed even that was too much to ask for. Slowly, so as to try and scrub away the tears and calm the sobs that rose up from her core, she pulled her hands away from her face to take a good look at he who disturbed her. 

She pushed away pale gold strands to reveal her face, red and puffy, but her pale blue eyes shone with defiance, and curiosity. She had never seen him before. Tall with strong features...and silver hair...and purple eyes...As nice as his words were, as much as Allyria loved to hear such things said about her, she couldn’t shake the confusion away. 

“How are you here?” Not who are you, his appearance was strange enough that she knew he wasn’t Dornish, not even her family had looks quite like that. 

“I’m a wanderer, of sorts, I seem to just...’turn up’ in these kind of places, it’s very intriguing, to be at court in Volantis one month, then the gardens of Sunspear the next.” He smiled as he spoke, genuinely, or at least if not, very convincingly. “Admittedly I must be a strange sight, terribly sorry if you find my intrusion distressing, just say the word and I’ll be off wandering somewhere new.”

The worry that had begun to creep up vanished at his easy smile. It was a very pretty smile, and though she wasn’t sure what to make of his answer, she was quite taken by her curiosity. Allyria could see the lute on his back, though it didn’t make much sense for someone who looked like him to be a minstrel. Could he be dangerous? Would he have gotten so far within Sunspear if he was some sort of trickery by the dirty Westerosi? Allyria found the thought to be ridiculous, something her sister would think of. 

“No, don’t go.” She brushed at her skirts and crossed her legs, the dress she had chosen to wear today a good choice she happily thought. He [i]was[/i] nice to look at. And the pale green gown she wore showed off what she most liked about herself. What most men seemed to like about her now that she had filled out in her hips and bust. “You said you would cheer me up. Tell me a story, or sing me a song. Do you know the ones about Jonquil and Florian?”

The man laughed slightly, although with the melody of care, rather than derision, at her suggestion, his smile twisting slightly into a grin, although remaining friendly, before he continued to speak, closing the gap between them with another few steps. He was still well over arms length away, but at least a little more personal.

“Why, the best stories are those which can be sung, although, you must have heard the tales of Jonquil and Florian a thousand times and more. I could sing you songs a thousand years older, and a thousand times as beautiful, sad and passionate, at the same time.” He felt the Essosi trader slip into his mannerisms fairly easily, but didn’t attempt to fight it, the girl clearly didn’t have much experience beyond her own people, such behaviour would at least be new, even if it didn’t have its desired effect.

“But I mean, that depends, some songs are meant for the ears of noble ladies, they can hold quite the sway.” His tone began to turn full-fledged mischievous, still good humored, but fading from the careful calming tone of before, as if he was being truly racey.

Allyria would have been disappointed, if the suggestion hadn’t been so much more scintillating than her own. Nysterica didn’t like her reading things of that nature. It would fill her head with fluff, or so she claimed. She didn’t care, she liked the “fluff,” she liked the way it made her feel; warm and alive. 

“I don’t know if I believe you.” She teased, her full lower lip jutting out dramatically. “Maybe you are all talk, maybe you can’t even play your lute.” The young Dayne crossed her arms beneath her chest and gave a long sigh. She did really want to hear these stories he hinted at though, and her attempts to be surly wouldn’t be able to last long against that curiosity. 

“Oh, you wound me my lady, but sadly, it is true, I cannot play the lute,” He replied with much in the way of dramatics, ending with a deep sigh, casting his eyes to the ground, before eventually looking back up at her with a half smirk, “But, I might just be able to show you how.” The High-valyrian man approached her, handing the rather perplexed Dornish girl the lute, before with a slight laugh, he stepped over the bench she sat upon, moving around behind her. Moving slowly, so as to not give the impression he was grabbing her, his hands slowly pushed hers into position. Other than their point of contact, his form remained desperately close, but not quite touching her own. He smiled at her, from where his head now sat at just above her right shoulder, before ‘plucking’ a string, his own fingers moving her’s in something approaching the correct fashion.

“Do you think you might be able to help a hopeless bard such as myself cover for his failings?”

Giggles, soft and sweet, formed her answer. She hadn’t been sure what he intended, but Allyria had allowed her hands and fingers to be placed just so, the nameless man’s proximity invigorating, even if it was all innocent. Flirtatious, yes, a fact that Allyria much appreciated. It was just the right sort of medicine to soothe her wounded spirit. 

She needn’t turn her head far to see him now, and as he pushed her fingers into place and a sound leapt from the instrument, another soft fit of giggles sprung to life. “I will try, I only hope you can actually sing or I don’t know what kind of bard you are!” The kind out of stories, she eagerly thought, he was a story brought to life. 

Her jest made him smile, but he decided not, for once, to answer in kind, instead, guiding her hands to the first notes of the song, before beginning to recount, in song, one of the many tales he had heard. His voice was slower, deeper than the typical jovial bard, to be dramatic, an expression of soul, rather than celebration. The tale was an old one, nearly as ancient as the Love Goddess of Lys herself. Two lovers, their names, even in the strictest sense, their genders, lost to time. They met at a dance, a fireside ritual of days gone by. Drawn by each others laughter, they were lost in the night. Under the stars of Essos, the Goddesses’ touch was felt brightly and both were in love, before they could even realize it.

Unlike Jonquil and Florian, the two weren’t separated by the whims of others, were free to express their love, if not for the events that struck them in the nights to come. The song spoke of fire and blood in the night, riders in the dark, and one half of the lovers were taken, while the other screamed their name. Many told them the other half to their whole was gone, could not be saved, but that did not stop them. They wandered across the vast sprawl of Essos, each time hope was nearly gone, a sign of their lover’s presence kept them going. Where their tears fell, the land was rejuvenated, touched by the passion and blessing of the divine held within them. Finally, their travel brought them to Lys, where the slavers were supposed to have taken the greater half of their soul. Eventually they found them, but it was too late. The other had been broken, in body if not in spirit, pushed to their end by men far too cruel to live. In the greatest of the slave markets, they shared their last kiss, before they both passed on to better things, the exhaustion of years apart catching up to them. Where their bodies fell would become the Temple to the Goddess of Love, so moved were the Lyseni by the passion and power of their emotion. This is why, when you ask a Lyseni, they will always chose the flame that burns brightest, but shortest, because it has the power to move any obstacle.

When the song drew to a close, the man plucked a few more strings with her fingers, before sighing gently, the smile slowly returning to his lips.

“I hope I did not disappoint you, my lady.”

He had a voice like the smoothest silk, full and deep with emotion. Allyria was soon transfixed by not only the tale, but the way in which he told it. Her hands moved in his, guided completely as she had never laid her hands on the instrument before, but even that this mystery bard did with excellence. By the time the song had ended, she had nearly begun to think that it was she who was playing his accompaniment. 
Love torn asunder was perhaps close to her heart at the moment. She shook her head, “It was beautiful.” Softly, whispering her response. He would not need to strain to hear her answer, how close he remained to her. “What is your name?” Her head turned enough to catch his eye, her own still wide with awe. “I must know who you are.” 

It only required a slight turn of the head for his eyes to connect with hers, the deep, near-black purple still sparkling in the Sun as it continued to climb down the sky. It would almost appear as if said eyes sparkled with the mischief that seemed to exude from his person.

“They call me many names, not all of them kind, but each of them earned.” They were close now, he could feel her somewhat strained breathing against his face as he spoke, the saucers of her eyes only convincing him to play with her further. “What could a noble lady such as yourself want with the name of someone as lowly as me? Perhaps I should trouble you no further.”

“No!” It was a hushed cry that slipped past her lips. “Please, you aren’t troubling me at all.” A commoner? Allyria still couldn’t believe that, not fully. She had never seen a common man with hair or eyes like his, or clothes, or the way he held himself. Granted, she had not spent much time with the common man, but he was simply too...perfect, to be common. “Stay with me a while if you have nothing else to do, but tell me who you are…” She batted her long eyelashes, her words not fully a plea or a command. Just a desire. 

“Hmmm, well, treat it with care, but the name I was given; Jaekar Redwyrm. You really mustn't go shouting that around though...it’s a name I keep only for those closest to me.” While his voice never peaked beyond a whisper, the ending to his response was a barely audible, husky response, finished with a grin, his face a few mere inches from hers, although they hadn’t moved since the song, the space felt infinitely smaller now it was there to be noticed.

“Well, if you do not wish me gone, I suppose it is my place to follow your wishes, although it would be my pleasure, even if I was a far greater man.” His grin softening to a slight smile as he continued, it might have appeared to the young girl as if he had only just noticed her beauty, beyond the sweet general compliments of before, gazing at her for some moments, before apparently struggling, and momentarily failing, to avoid the visual pull of her chest. Of course such things were carefully timed, but appeared as natural as anything could be.

Allyria’s eyes widened at the name he gave, for if it was his true name, the implications were vast. He was Valyrian then and somehow related to those who sat the hideous iron throne far to the north. “It will be known only by me, I promise.” The clandestine nature he introduced was a delicious twist to their chance encounter, and in the relative silence, she could hear her heart thumping it’s approval, it’s excitement. Such a friendship would surely be forbidden to her and that only made her want to be near him more. Nysterica and William could take their plans for her and choke on them. 

She returned his gaze in silence, wondering at what he was thinking, wondering at how they had not moved from their positions though the song was over, his secret shared. A coy girl she may have been, but not one completely ignorant of men. He had called her pretty, but had barely spared another remark or such a long look as this. Now his gaze had a weight to it, and it was with great relief that she felt that weight move down, away from her face. Allyria could not easily hide her happiness at that fact, and a grin spread across her face as she watched his failure to remain a proper gentleman. 

A man of Valyrian blood, here, in the gardens with her. She wasn’t sure she could wrap her mind around how to handle that. Her family, her house, was strange in Dorne for their appearance. Arron could have been his cousin, by looks alone. But there was something else in the way he held himself, anyone could have silver blonde hair and purple eyes, but the Targaryens and their kin had something more, she was sure of it now. This moment wouldn’t last forever though, and impetuous as she was, she did not want it to end with a regret. 

Allyria leaned forward, not that she had to move far to do so, and let her lips brush against the smooth skin of his cheek. It was barely a kiss, or even a peck, in fact, it was entirely possible it would be taken as an accident, one wrong movement that brought her too close to him. She blushed though, and averted her eyes down to her hands, not wanting to see his immediate reaction. 

The contact of her lips on his cheek brought a smile to his face, something that could be felt through the muscles of that very same cheek. It was only a half-second before she pulled back, although he didn’t allow her much in the way of reprieve. She had offered an opening for him, it was time to seize that, even if at first it startled her. At least they were in Dorne, where he was unlikely to simply just be killed for such behaviour. His lips met hers, even as her face, framed so prettily by the hair that almost but not quite valyrian, had began to withdraw. It would be a shock, but then it was meant to be, even Dornish ladies weren’t oft to do this at a whim, but then, it was meant to be completely disarming. One hand rested on her far hip, but that was the extent of their further contact, it was all about the kiss, let her lose her mind in it, for it would be like one out of the songs for the noble girl, particularly as the Sun beamed its orange glow upon them, and the pleasant sea breeze whirled around them. When he finally pulled back, his features turned to that of apologetic, and then downcast.

“I...I am sorry my lady, you were, are, just too...I should be gone, such behaviour is most harmful to yourself.” The added stuttered had been a nice addition, he thought, if the kiss itself had completely entrapped her, then hopefully his apparent vulnerability would.

Unexpected, yes, but unwanted, no...Allyria perhaps too easily gave herself over the wildness, to the passion in the kiss. Kissing was not something new to the girl, but never had she shared one with a man so bold. She could feel her head spinning before long, her lips straining to hold their own, her heart threatening to explode from her chest. She was out of breath when Jaekar pulled away, her eyes opened slowly, her body confused as to why it had all ended. 

“Don’t be…” She cupped a hand to his cheek, her thumb softly moving against his skin. “You will be my secret.” They could be like the two nameless lovers in the song he sang her, their love begun today beneath the hot Dornish sun. She bit at her lip and laughed softly, her face still flushed. He was handsome, exotic almost, strong looking…romantic. There was nothing to not like, Allyria felt herself drawn to him, this stranger who seemed so caring and attentive. “You’ll stay with me then, right?”

“I am...so very fond of secrets.” Jaekar half-laughed as his grin returned, the look of apparent worry drifting from his features within the space of a moment, seemingly disappearing at the touch of her hand. The man seemed somewhat shocked by her final question, before chuckling slightly, eyes sparkling, he leaned in, so that his mouth remained inches from her ear, the hot breeze of his breath falling across her neck.

“I couldn’t refuse such a beauty now, could I? Not after she’s been so very sweet.” He finished with a kiss to her neck, and then another, lower at the base of her neck, nigh on scandalous in public, even for Dorne. He was aware they might be watched, but all of the main personalities of court were accounted for, and his own spies would deal with anyone serving such individuals before they could report anything too compromising for the young Dornish lady, at least for now.

“So then, I might hazard a guess that I could have cheered you up, I believe it’s your turn to decide what ‘game’ we must play next.” He leant back from her, although his hand remained on her hip, ever so slightly squeezing into her softness beneath the tantalizing dress. His tone was once more that of the merry bard, rather than the lustful rogue, although the twinkle remained in his eyes.

She had left her hand against him for a while, softly brushing until she pulled her hand back to run through his silver locks. The Targaryens may have never conquered Dorne, a fact her land was so proud of, but they had conquered six kingdoms. She entertained the notion of him having hidden a dragon, how he would have one she didn’t need to explain, but the thought of being able to ride away on one…

The warmth of his breath against her skin sent a chill down her spine, a chill that disappeared only to be replaced with a scorching heat with his impropriety. Allyria could stay like this all day, his arm around her, his hand against her hip. She needed a way to stay like this then, and maybe get another kiss or two. “Have you ever played verity or jape?” It was perhaps a childish game at times, but she and her friends would still play at it even now, though the requests were not always so innocent. 

Her response, if childish, only further enhanced his smile, bringing forth a slight laugh. He’d never played the game as a child himself, simply due to a lack of similarly aged, or carefree friends, but a few of those who whispered their tales to him were young, and he’d come across them ‘playing.’ For someone so intrigued by secrets, it was a fairly amusing game in principle, and so he’d at least have to start along that game.
“Not that I’m overly experienced, but I believe I’ve encountered the ‘rules’ before, I believe I have to pick one, very well, I’ll start with verity, see what hidden truths you can reveal then.” He finished with a smirk, his tone seemingly teasing her with the prospect, the shine of his eyes daring her to scratch beneath the surface of the mysterious, handsome stranger.

With a quick and easy smile, her approval was clear, but Allyria couldn’t quite stop herself from clapping her hands together. He had picked truth, and she pressed her lips together in deep thought over what to ask. But she didn’t want to bore him of the game, there was so much she could learn from it if he played along. “Do you like Sunspear so far?” There may have been a slight implication that she did not entirely mean the city itself.

Jaekar smiled, lifting one of her hands to his lips, before kissing it in the manner so associated with the chivalry of Westeros, before responding with his words; “An interesting city, I think, although the sights really are rather stunning.” His smile twisting into a grin at the hinted compliment, he followed more directly, “Of course, how could I not be enjoying myself, barely arrived and I’m in the company of, whom I hear is, the most desired noblewoman in all of Dorne, although I’d be tempted to add Westeros to that statement.” He laughed, but clearly retaining a genuine tone, as if the laughter sprung forth solely from happiness.

“So, do you wish to keep unveiling my thoughts? Or are daring acts more worthy of you attention or worst of all, giving the ‘power’ over to me.” The grin returned, his final words accompanied by a momentary squeeze of her hip, enough to push her slightly towards him, before relenting.

Allyria was nearly glowing in the radiance of his praise. It was precisely the sort of thing she responded to best, the type of treatment she was sure the scowling William could never offer her. Her hand in his, she did not allow him to relinquish the hold, but laced her fingers through his larger ones. Finding herself pulled closer, she breathed out a contented sigh, her fingers squeezing his hand in approval. 

“That’s how the game is played, we have to take turns, or does my bard not know his manners?” Her eyes gleamed with the tease. “You may have this ‘power,’ I choose verity as well.” Allyria bit at her lower lip in anticipation and nervousness, only feigned in part. 

“I think you’ll have to answer me, how you think my own singing compares to the usual kind of bard, I’ve been told I’m rather...unconventional, and that most in Westeros won’t appreciate my efforts, it’s been truly rather worrying.” Jaekar had not been worried about such a thing for a good while, convinced through experience that despite some failings in regards to education, the individuals of the western continent were really not that different, and it wasn’t as if he was dependent on his bardhood, however it suited him to keep her mind on the things that impressed her, at least for now.

She was shaking her head before Jaekar had even finished speaking. “No, that is ridiculous. Any who’ve said that have no ears! Your voice is far more pleasing than any bard I’ve ever heard. It’s so...emotive, feeling. It was as if you could paint a picture with just your words.” Her hand squeezed his again for emphasis. “And you know songs our bards do not, you would do so well in our courts.” Allyria did not need to embellish her belief on that matter, she could not wait to see him perform before a crowded room and now that she alone had captured his attention. “You’ll see, I know it, at least here in Dorne. The northerners, well…” And she paused, perhaps she should not insult the people she thought for sure he would be related to. “They would think so too. But now it’s your turn to choose again, what will it be, now that the power is mine again?” She smiled again, it seemed hard not to be smiling in his presence.

“Well, in the interest of balance, although I do so long to tell you all about myself, I choose jape, if you can think of something entertaining enough, with this ultimate power of yours,” He laughed, before seemingly becoming ‘caught’ in that smile of hers, His lips pecked hers, if only for half a moment, a sign of appreciation rather than the passion of earlier, although the sigh that left his lips as he returned to simply gazing at her hinted at the latter still burning and present. “Well then?”

“No fair,” she giggled softly, “you aren’t allowed to distract me while I think of some feat for you to accomplish. You can’t bribe me with kisses to go light on you.” Allyria’s chastisement was quite hollow, she would allow him to do precisely that had he wanted. She did not want to embarrass him in any manner, this could not be like the japes her and her friends had challenged each other with. “You must teach me a dance I do not know already. And,” she spoke softer now, “for each dance you name I already know, you must tell me something new about yourself.” Quite satisfied with her trickery of the jape, Allyria leaned into Jaekar, confident that she had played that round well. 

“I’m not sure if such foul trickery is allowed, but as I can’t possibly refuse you, I suppose I’ll have to play along.” He replied with a smirk, leaning in, as if to kiss her, before at the last moment he pulled her to her feet, along with him, standing in the gardens. One of his hands snaked around her, holding her by the opposite hip, while his free hand moved her right to place against his chest, her other hand placed on the back of his shoulder.

“As you seemed to enjoy their music, a dance from Lys might suit you quite well, although I’ll start with one of the more simple ones no? Some require rather more practice, that perhaps I can show you another time.” He smiled, before starting to direct her. It was not necessarily as faster dance than the usual across Westeros, but it was intimate, even more so than could be found across Dorne, where the more sensual dances were generally performed by solo female dancers. Their bodies pressed together, except when on occasion he spun her, the dance itself contained a number of slight ‘jumps’ although he was strong enough to lift them both up, unusual as such a dance was for one not of the Disputed Lands’ courts. It ended with a ‘sweep’ bending her at the back, while supporting her with his arms and twisting on the spot, given her current dress, and as would be the norm in Lys, providing a fairly tantalizing view of her cleavage to the imaginary audience, before pulling her back up to meet him, placing his forehead against hers.

“So, have you encountered that before?”

It was most certainly not a dance she was familiar with, a fact she discovered instantly if only by how close the two of them had to be. Allyria was relieved by how little following she had to do in it, as Jaekar seemed to effortlessly guide her through each step, manipulating her body when she found herself at a loss for what came next. It was easy to quickly lose herself in the moment, noticing only the sensation of her skirts twirling out beneath her and the heat of his body against hers. The dance could have only lasted seconds, or perhaps hours, and by the end of it, Allyria couldn’t find it in her to be upset over having to admit her plan had been thoroughly defeated. 

“You know too much, Jaekar Redwyrm.” She tilted her head up enough to place a quick peck on his lips and added, “I know too little. You will have to teach me then, these exotic things you know of.” A sad thought entered her mind, he had appeared out of no where and he could disappear the same way. “You’ll be here long enough to teach me, yes?”

“I am sure there are things that you know which still elude me, it is simply a matter of experience.” He smiled after her kiss, the warmth of the waning Dornish Sun still beating down on the pair in their isolated corner of the gardens, not that their privacy could be assured for much longer. When she voiced her worry, instead of speaking, he replied with a kiss, not the short pecks they had kept to, but the passion of his first, supposedly impulsive, kiss. Both of his hands nestled on her hips as he did so, holding her pressed against him, before he broke off.

“Does that feel like someone who will simply leave when there is still so much to teach you?” Jaekar grinned as he spoke, moving one hand to stroke the side of her face, placing a few strands of silver-gold hair back behind her ears. “So then, verity or jape?”

Her fears, at least momentarily distracted and assuaged, retreated. It had been such a silly notion to entertain, she couldn’t let her sister’s pessimism taint her so. “No,” she answered with a sigh, dropping her head down to rest against his chest and gather herself again. “Verity for verity and jape for jape.” Her hand squeezed his arm and needed only to roll her eyes up to catch a glimpse of his face, wondering what sort of act he would think to demand of her. 

Jaekar’s hand moved up to stroke her hair as she rested her head on his chest, remaining silent for a moment as he looked out across the sea, the sun’s orange light sparkling, the intensity of the light turning the sea a very clear blue, unlike the green cold tide of much of Northern Westeros. He could feel the motion of her breathing, and very faintly, her excited heartbeat, passing through their bodies, pressed together.

“Hmm, well, I guess it may be a fairly daring jape, you may require some assistance. Out on the sea, you can watch the sun set behind Sunspear, hence I like to have my ship taken out to take in the view. I think such beauty could only be matched by your presence, if you’d like to join me. You’d have to keep quiet though, if I’m to remain your secret.” He whispered it into her ear, in a low hushed tone, as if them being alone in this part of the gardens wasn’t enough, hopefully further adding to her excitement at the prospect. Perhaps she had seen the view before, perhaps not, but he counted on her interest in him to make it novel all the same, and he doubted the noble girl has ever had to sneak around in her life, the idea almost making him laugh.

“So, are you brave enough? To make your newest secret so very happy?”

Allyria’s heart thrummed at the risky proposition. It was a daring thing to suggest in no small part due to how she had absolutely no idea on how to pull it off. Sneaking around, though it would have come in handy to her in both Starfall and Sunspear, was never something the young Dayne girl had attempted to do. Usually throwing a fit was enough to get her sister to leave her be to her own devices, and her father had never found it easy to deny his sweet daughter the things she wanted. But she most certainly had to find a way to fulfill Jaekar’s wish. To be out on a boat, alone with him, watching the sun set was too terribly romantic to pass up. They could be truly alone out on the water...anything could happen. She blushed at the thoughts that came with her imagination conjuring up several scenarios. 

“I will be brave, for you, my sweetest secret.” She nuzzled her face into his chest, breathing deeply to try and calm her heart. It was a largely fruitless attempt. “But you will need to give me some hints on escaping the dreadful palace...and my sister.” Allyria frowned into his chest, Nysterica would most certainly find a way to ruin everything for her, regardless of what she didn’t know. 

Finally, Jaekar did chuckle at her, although it was sweet rather than cruel, momentarily squeezing her in their embrace as he did so. “How very adorable, the noble beauty who’s never had to hide for anything.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head, the tickle of her deep breathing spreading across her chest. “While I am very much used to sneaking, just in case I am caught in the palace, I wouldn’t want to cause you the stress of such a situation...a friend of mine, his daughter works in the palace, she should be able to help you, as long as you do what she says, even if things are normally the other way round.” He couldn’t help but keep the smile from his features at that, he may have had no real quarrel with the idea of nobility, but there was some amusement to be had when things were turned on their head. As if there wasn’t already enough to distract her, one of his hands slipped scandalously low down her back, fingers resting upon the curve of her rear.

“You bless me, by being so brave, and for that you can have any verity from me, my Dornish flower.”

It was pleasing to hear him laugh so, there had never been malice in it, and it seemed to come to him so easily, and soothed her so. He did not laugh at her, though few would have openly done so anyways, but it felt so real, so genuine. He was happy with her, pleased, and she found herself pleasantly contented at being able to elicit that response. Even his tease was sweetly mocking, something that made her giggle at how very inept she must seem in so many regards to his knowledge and yet that did not seem to push him away from her. He liked her for who she was. He must have. 

“I will do everything she asks of me.” She quickly agreed. Allyria had listened to her maids before, sometimes they had good stories or advice, not that she would ever think to have them ordering her around, but this would be them helping her because she wanted it. Her mind began to wander though, with the pressure of his hand below the small of her back. She wasn’t so sure she could wait until she was alone with him on his boat. Not pure in the strictest sense, she had had brief trysts with the boys of Starfall. But with Jaekar, she felt as if she were swimming in the deepest of waters. She opened her mouth to speak and stumbled over the words. What had he asked her? 

“I…hmm.” Her lips pressed together in thought. “Do I kiss as well as the beautiful ladies of Lys?” 

His fingers began to press into her as she spoke, as he noticed how flustered she was becoming, her trouble at keeping her concentration amusing in an endearing manner. He paused for a moment, allowing the heat of his breath to travel down her neck and back, teasing her with the utter closeness of their contact, but still separated by such thin layers as her dress. He didn’t stumble over his words, but still, the pause seemed elongated.

“Beautiful ladies all seem to kiss differently, while I have encountered a number, if not many, my first in Dorne certainly seems to be my favourite so far.” He once again whispered his answer, mouth right beside her ear to be highly intimate. It wasn’t entirely false, or somewhat of an exaggeration, right now he wouldn’t have traded any of his past kisses for the ones he was having now, even if multiple factors were at play, she was still very much pleasing.

“Why? Do you doubt my affections?” He spoke, with the slightest strain on his voice, well placed, almost as if he had tried and failed to avoid sounding hurt, even if in reality, it was entirely deliberate, his hand unrelenting in pressing against her form through the delicate surface of her dress.

The spike of jealousy that came from his open admittance of there having been other women in his past only seemed to breathe more life to the fires burning within her. She did not fancy the thought of other women one bit, except in the case of him turning other women away in favor of her. She would like to see that, surely women would be throwing themselves at him. Allyria would like to see their faces when they were spurned, a rather selfish desire that even she recognized as such.

“I don’t doubt them now.” She released her grip on his arm to softly caress his face, tracing the outline of his cheek and jaw with her thumb before resting her palm against his cheek. “I don’t want to ever doubt them.” Head over heels, how easy it had been to fall so quickly. Surely then, she thought, it must be fated by the gods, whichever ones were at work. 

In the distance then, she heard her name being called. Allyria closed her eyes and nuzzled her head into his chest, reluctant to lose the moment that had turned into so much more. But she heard her name called again, this time closer. Damn those two to seven hells, she had wanted to be left alone and now only wanted to be left alone with Jaekar. 

Jaekar’s eyes turned from the young noblewoman nestled in his arms, to the direction of the voices. Thankfully the sea air was on his side, they could hear them long before the girls would be able to see him. He couldn’t help but laugh slightly at their timing, knowing full well how enraptured Allyria had become, and as much as it was cruel to tease her with the prospect of waiting, it would only further feed the seeds that had been sown.

“Well, it seems I’ll have to wait until sunset to glimpse you once more, but, just in case the world should end before then.” His hands moved to sit just beneath her rear, pushing her up and against him, until their lips met. The kiss was shorter than the others, but he deliberately left it until the sound of the girls’ voices was worryingly clear, the sound of their footsteps becoming audible. He placed her down, their lips separating, although he made sure to linger, as if it pained him to do so, stroking the red-flush of her face with a hand, he turned to leave, taking his lute from the ground, before slipping into one of the more secluded paths of the gardens, disappearing from her sight just as her friends caught sight of her.

Allyria’s back was turned to the pathway her friends took to find her. She felt frozen still, letting the lingering sensation of his presence die away naturally, unwilling to force it away. They wouldn’t be separated for long, she had to remind herself, only until the sun passed from overhead and began to dip down towards the horizon. Not so long, no matter what it felt like. 

“Allyria! There you are, what are you doing back here?” 

She turned at last, still flushed. “I...went for a walk.”

“Are you alright? You look upset, still. Maybe we should go back, did you want to go to the sept or--”

She cut them off. “No, I think I just want to go lie down. I, I don’t feel well. I’m sorry.” Allyria moved past them, only barely resisting the urge to spill every last detail about what had happened. They wouldn't believe her and even if they did she would only get Jaekar in trouble. And that would mean no sunset spent on his boat. No, she had to keep quiet no matter how much they pestered her.