stars in her eyes, sand in her toes

Ynys fell silent as she listened to Arleena tell her story. Her shoulders dropped slightly in a small reveal of letting her guard down further. “I hope I have your permission to tell this story to her Highness upon presenting this to her. I believe she will find the tale just as valuable as the jewelry, if not moreso.” She smiled slightly.

The story also left her with many more questions about Arleena and her parentage, however she knew that it was best to keep her mouth shut. If the rumor mill hadn’t spread far enough to give Ynys knowledge of her, then it wasn’t anything of great import. It also calmed Ynys slightly to know that rumors of her own parentage hadn’t spread with her. Perhaps the princess had protected her more than she realized…

Arleena never releaved that story to anyone outside the castle walls. The only ones who knew about it had been her parents and herself, now both were dead and she was the only one that could remember the look on her mother’s face when her father said those words, laughing while he did so. “Pompous fool”, she cursed him in her mind.

“Of course you have my permission!” The Lady of Blackhaven smiled to Ynys. “It will look perfect around her neck, I’m sure,” she smiled. Arleena never wore the jewel and had wished to get rid of it for sometime. The Princess of Dorne unknowingly gave her the perfect excuse to do so. “Here we are,” the old council member returned and presented his lady with the box who gave her to Ynys. “See for yourself and tell me what you think.” 

Ynys raised an eyebrow but couldn’t hold back a slight smirk. This woman spoke in curious riddles, and admittedly, she was enjoying it. “Miss something in the sky, or on land? Because it’s never easy to keep an eye on both.” She sat down on a nearby ledge, crossing her ankles, one over the other.

though she sits, myrcella prefers to hover a while longer. curious grey eyes trying to place her face. though with hundreds travelling each day it’s likely the face is new altogether. “the land to be sure. there’s far too much down here to pay thought to the stars. as pretty as they are. they don’t really do much.”

She paused, then chuckled. "Apologies, I have not yet introduced myself. I am Ynys. It is a pleasure to meet you." She curtsied politely.

Although Ynys only traveled on occasion, her heart always belonged to Dorne. Perhaps it was national pride, or her father, or maybe it was just because that’s where her sisters were, but Dorne would always be perfect to her. She happily listened to Arleena’s description, then paused when she mentioned marriage. Ynys wanted to interject, say that she should bring a daughter to Dorne just as much, but maybe things were different beyond the walls. Or maybe there was a part of politics she would just never understand.

She nodded slightly and smiled at the invitation. “That sounds like a grand idea, and very kind. I believe she would be grateful to receive a gift from you. Perhaps I can arrange a meeting, depending on how she is feeling.”

“A meeting with the Princess would be an excellent start, Ynys,” said Arleena. “I haven’t had the pleasure to meet any royal yet, but I’ve heard your lady is a kind woman, and for what little have you told me, I would love to see her in person and if she’s not feeling alright I can always send my maester for her. We are not one of the Great Houses but we always make sure that people feel comfortable here in Blackhaven. I always make sure of that,” she added while looking at Ynys with a smile.

Both arrived to the market and Arleena began to look around, trying to find something worthy of the princess of Dorne. “Now, what would be the perfect gift for your mistress? Does she likes dresses, jewelry, books?”

"Jewelry. Perhaps it is a Dornish specialty, but we are quite fond of jewels. Any jewelry that is unique to your lands would be something her Highness would be very happy to see and receive." Ynys had seen the princess's jewelry collection on many occasions, sometimes helping her pick out which went best with her current outfit, and it was quite impressive. But the princess had admitted she was a bit of a collector, and was very fond of exotic jewelry. To the rest of the world, the Dornishfolk were exotic. But to Dorne, the rest of the world was.

Ynys couldn’t help but be proud of her home, and smiled when Arleena said that she would enjoy a visit. “I am sure you would be welcomed there, but I completely understand the difficulty of leaving your post. We always want to leave our homes and our obligations in the right hands, and if we don’t trust anyone with them, we must take care of it all ourselves.” Although Ynys didn’t exactly have many obligations, she’d heard bits and pieces of political discourse from her father and the princess, so she had some grasp of what the feeling was like.

“I don’t believe the princess is staying for long, merely passing through. She’s been exhausted from her travels lately, and has sent all but one of her Ladies out to have a day to explore.” The princess wasn’t always one to travel, due to how tiring it tended to make her, but was fairly kind to her Ladies, and usually allowed them some freedoms when she had no need of them. She would rotate which of her Ladies she kept by her side while she relaxed, although it was usually her best friend.

“Of all the Kingdoms in Westeros, I’ve always felt atracted to Dorne the most. Perhaps I was dornish in a past life” she smiled. “When I was a little girl, every time the merchants came to Blackhaven, my mother would bring me down from my chambers and we would watch in wonder all the things they brought from the Free Cities. The silks, the animals, the jewelry, the flowers and the spices,” she sighed remembering the good times she had with her mother. “I hope I can go there one day. If I ever get married and the gods bless me with a son, I will take him to Dorne first”.

The all prospect of marriage seemed so tedious for Arleena, but she wasn’t completely opossed to the idea and she knew that sooner rather than later she would have to marry someone or Blackhaven would fall in the hands of greedy people or worse, the relatives of her mother’s side of the family and she wasn’t going to let that happen. “Would you mind taking a walk with me, Ynys?” Arleena asked the young beauty in front of her. “I would like to buy something so you can give to the princess, a gift so next time she visits she can stay a few weeks with us. We don’t have the sun of Dorne in the Stormlands, but I’m sure we could entertain her.”

She nodded slightly and smiled at the invitation. "That sounds like a grand idea, and very kind. I believe she would be grateful to receive a gift from you. Perhaps I can arrange a meeting, depending on how she is feeling."

“Similar troubles,” she admitted with a slight chuckle. “Sleep is something you cannot force, no matter how much you do during a day’s work.” Sleep was a fifty-fifty shot with Ynys. She was either going to sleep perfectly and easily, or have so many difficulties that it may have been better that she never lay down in the first place.

a day’s work. that was near laughable. perhaps it was why sleep evaded the queen so easily. the most strenuous day’s work for her meant a tea party on the terrace. “alas, i find that if the sky is awake then to sleep would be a waste. what if we miss something?” she quirks a playful brow at the stranger then. lips curved still in a charming smile.

Ynys smirked a bit as she placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. “Nighttime simply tends to be the best time to practice when you’re on your own,” she shrugged. “The night temperatures make swinging a sword around more comfortable, and there’s less chance people see you test your skills alone and think you’re a crazy person.” She wouldn’t admit it, but she was speaking from personal experience. She also couldn’t sleep, but again, that’s not exactly what you admit to a complete stranger.

Jana did not know what sort of answer she had expected from the other woman, but it was not the one she gave. “Interesting. Is it not better to practice sparring with a partner, though?” she mentioned, letting her eyes fall upon the sword at the lady’s hip once more. “Where I come from you do not really see women swinging swords”. Not that the blonde would have had anything against such practice. Such a thing was not seen in her homeland but it was not that rare for Northern women to pick up archery, however.

Ynys shook her head, but kept her smile. “For people who have never met her highness, it is more common for one of us Ladies to be mistaken as her. She is very generous to us, and always makes sure we are dressed well.”

She looked out over the crowds once more. Almost everyone seemed to be smiling. “Happiness is needed indeed, and this seems to be bringing it greatly. It is more bustling than our marketplace on its busiest days, and it truly is wonderful.” The Dornish markets were always full of people, but the happiness and energy in the festival was much greater than those in the marketplace.

“It’s almost unfortunate things are not like this all the time. But the world would be dull if there were no conflict.”

“I’ve always thought that there needs to be a balance in the world. There can’t be peace love without hate, pleasure without pain, night without day, and of course peace without war,” said Arleena. “The world would be dull ineed without something to spicy things up.”

 She believed in the Old Gods but Arleena didn’t like them very much to be honest. She found them annoying, ruthless and unfair, but that’s why they were gods. “I’ve never been to Dorne but I’ve heard stories about their markets full of people and exotic things from across the Narrow Seat. I would love to go there one day but being the Lady of Blackhaven means I have to be here at all times and I don’t trust anyone enough to keep me my place warm while I go to have adventures of my own.”

Arleena looked at Ynys and her smile vanished when she mentioned her mistress again. “If you’re here, does that mean that the Princess is here in the Stormlands as well? If she is, I would like to give her a proper welcome to Blackhaven.”

"I don't believe the princess is staying for long, merely passing through. She's been exhausted from her travels lately, and has sent all but one of her Ladies out to have a day to explore." The princess wasn't always one to travel, due to how tiring it tended to make her, but was fairly kind to her Ladies, and usually allowed them some freedoms when she had no need of them. She would rotate which of her Ladies she kept by her side while she relaxed, although it was usually her best friend.

Ynys was silent for a second, then smiled. She liked the way this stranger thought. “I am here for similar reasons– the sunset is always beautiful, especially in this area. Admittedly, sleep was not coming to me easily, so I decided that this was the best place to head to.” She chuckled. “When the sun goes down in Dorne, that is when we are supposed to sleep. It’s what I was always taught as a child. But now, sleep evades me.”

immediately, she returned the smile, chuckling gently. luckily she was right. it seemed that she was truly in good company. ‘’yes, it is, isn’t it? it’s almost strange. but i don’t think that it all depends on the area. the sun will always be beautiful, no matter where it shines. but that was a clever decision. fresh air always helps me fall asleep faster. and a pretty view surely cannot hurt me.’’ at the mention of dorne, she straightened her spine and tilted her chin, her heart growing heavy with pride.’’ well, you no longer look like a child. so, that means you’ve outgrown such silly beliefs. or at least i hope. the night is full of mystery. aren’t you just a little curious? ‘’

It wasn’t until now that Ynys could actually get a good look at the woman she was speaking with. She was not old nor a child, most likely around Ynys’ own sister’s age. It was obvious she was of nobility, if not by the way she dressed, by the way she moved and spoke.

Ynys couldn’t help but let out a small smile. She herself inherited her father’s regal appearance, and learned the regal attitudes from being alongside the Princess for so long. “I do not believe we have met, unless my memory fails me. I am indeed from Dorne, a lady-in-waiting to our Princess.” She lowered her head in a small bob as she mentioned the Princess, regular courtesy. “My name is Ynys.”

“Then you must forgive me! For a moment I thought you were the princess of Dorne!” Arleena smiled. “You do have a regal air in the way you move and I’ve never really actually met her so I thought you were her.”

Blackhaven was close to the border with Dorne but only caravans with merchants and traders came through the roads. Besides, if she had been the princess, she would have know it inmediately thanks to her council men who wouldn’t have failed to inform her that royalty was visiting her lands for asking permission to pass through them. “Pleasure to meet you, Ynys. I’m Lady Arleena Dondarrion, but lets leave titles aside and enjoy the festivities. It seems everyone needs a little bit of happiness.”

She looked out over the crowds once more. Almost everyone seemed to be smiling. "Happiness is needed indeed, and this seems to be bringing it greatly. It is more bustling than our marketplace on its busiest days, and it truly is wonderful." The Dornish markets were always full of people, but the happiness and energy in the festival was much greater than those in the marketplace.

"It's almost unfortunate things are not like this all the time. But the world would be dull if there were no conflict."

She needed a walk. The sun was setting, and nighttime was the best time to go out, as long as you had a sword by your side. Nobody would want to threaten you if you had a weapon and knew how to use it, or at least pretended to know to use it. Thankfully for Ynys, she knew how to use it. She found herself not too far from the palace when she stopped at the well. And to her surprise, she wasn’t alone.

“I hope you are well, this late at night,” she smiled at the person by the well.

It wasn’t too often that Criston found himself alone but today had been a particularly quiet day at Starfall. There were no guests to see, letters to answer or vital matters to handle. It appeared the world stood still, even if for just a moment. With his eyes the Dornishman traced out  the ruins of the red tower with no particular interest. Plainly, it seemed he enjoyed the rusting noise of the night’s wind. Deep into the tought, he was taken back by the abruptness of the question abut he smiled nonetheless for he was able to match the voice to a face.  ❝ Late indeed. ❞ He answered softly.

❝ We’re you looking for me or I must I find another place to look pensive? ❞

She wasn't sure if stargazing counted as being pensive, but she couldn't help but tease her father slightly. She didn't always get the opportunity, as she didn't always see him, so she took the opportunities that she could get.

"I hope your pensive thoughts are treating you well."

“I hope you are well, this late at night,” she smiled at the person by the well.

She needed a walk. The sun was setting, and nighttime was the best time to go out, as long as you had a sword by your side. Nobody would want to threaten you if you had a weapon and knew how to use it, or at least pretended to know to use it. Thankfully for Ynys, she knew how to use it. She found herself not too far from the palace when she stopped at the well. And to her surprise, she wasn’t alone.

“I hope you are well, this late at night,” she smiled at the person by the well.

‘‘oh, allow me to correct you. it’s not late at all. time is just a concept invented by those who were afraid of the dark. but i am well.’’ she gave her other woman a pleasant smile, one that displayed a genuine warmth. she had never been afraid of the dark, not even as a child but she knew that most people weren’t so fearless and fond of dark blue nights. ‘’however, i always feel much better in good company. i guess i feel much better now. but i was simply admiring the last rays of sunlight. watching sunsets always makes me feel a bit strange. i guess i love the sun too much and i never want to see it vanish. not even just for a few hours. but what brings you here, my lady?’’

She needed a walk. The sun was setting, and nighttime was the best time to go out, as long as you had a sword by your side. Nobody would want to threaten you if you had a weapon and knew how to use it, or at least pretended to know to use it. Thankfully for Ynys, she knew how to use it. She found herself not too far from the palace when she stopped at the well. And to her surprise, she wasn’t alone.

“I hope you are well, this late at night,” she smiled at the person by the well.

The healer had bought earlier some herbs and oils that were foreign to her but seemed to be common in these lands. All that was left for her to do to finish her day was to collect water to prepare some ointments. She found herself alone by the well for a while but soon enough a young woman approached. Jana glanced up from the task at hand when the other spoke, noticing right away that she carried a sword with her. “Aye, I am” the blonde stated back, lacking the good-natured quality to her greeting that the dark-haired lady did offer. “I must have missed the notice, I was unaware a sword was required to come to the well” the Northerner added, a comment that serves a some backwards way to ask why she had a sword with her at all.  Perhaps such was the Dornish way and this was the way in which she was finding out about it.

It had been ages since Ynys had seen a full tournament. But with the Princess passing through the Blackhaven territory, it gave her a few days to enjoy the area and witness the festivities. The smell of foreign pastries filled the air. More than once Ynys was almost tripped up by one small child chasing another. There were people nearly everywhere. And yet it was peaceful. Nobody was thinking about the wars, the politics, the fear. It was beautiful.

After a while, she found herself gravitating towards the archery range. Although well proficient and performing with spear and sword, Ynys had never picked up a bow, and was fairly curious. She paid attention to the form of each man shooting, but kept herself at enough of a distance not to be a target and not to be noticed.

She turned to her side, and paused. Based on descriptions she’d heard alone, she could fairly well assume that this was Lady Arleena of Blackhaven. Ynys politely curtsied and smiled. “It is a lovely day for the people, my Lady.”

Arleena turned her head when she noticed a lovely face of Dornish features. She looked familair but since Blackhaven was located in the Dornish Marshes near the borders of Dorne and to the south of the Stormlands, the Lady of House Dondarrion had seen her fair share of dornish men and woman walk through her territory in colorful caravans than atracted the attention of her people, especially children that would look with wide eyes and open mouth to the knights and merchants from that region.

Arleena curtisied to her and noticed that this woman had a regal air about her. She was probably a member of a noble house from Dorne so she answered in the same way. “It is, indeed, my lady. The gods had favored the tournament and blessed it by allowing the clouds to be blown away so we can enjoy of the sun, a strange thing here in the Stormlands but a welcomed one, no doubt,” she smiled. “Forgive me for asking, but have I seen you before? You come from Dorne if I’m not mistaken?”

Ynys couldn't help but let out a small smile. She herself inherited her father's regal appearance, and learned the regal attitudes from being alongside the Princess for so long. "I do not believe we have met, unless my memory fails me. I am indeed from Dorne, a lady-in-waiting to our Princess." She lowered her head in a small bob as she mentioned the Princess, regular courtesy. "My name is Ynys."