AN: Will post a larger chapter tomorrow
xxx
Afterwards, I had a hot bath brought up to my rooms. My first proper bath in two months.
The servants filled the wooden tub with steaming water, added herbs that made the whole room smell like lavender and something else I couldn't identify. I dismissed them and sank into the water with a groan of pure relief.
Gods, this was heaven.
I let myself soak, feeling the aches and pains of two months' campaigning slowly ease. The hot water worked magic on sore muscles. I could feel the tension draining out of my shoulders, my back, my legs.
And as I luxuriated in it, I let myself think about things I'd been avoiding.
Ashara.
It had been clear she liked me even after my short stay in Dorne. This wasn't a world where knights and noble maidens exchanged letters if there wasn't some interest between them. But I'd been too preoccupied to truly wrap my head around what it all meant.
Courting. Betrothal. Marriage. That was way harder than rescuing ladies from towers or expanding medieval port towns. At least with those I knew what I was doing.
Father had always told me I was free to marry for love instead of duty, as he had been. It was something he wanted for me and for my sisters, and he made sure we all knew it.
But I wasn't so idealistic as he was. Not anymore.
I had one goal now, one driving purpose: make House Tarth as powerful as it could be. Build something that would last. That would protect my family when the wars came. When the Long Night fell.
I wouldn't want to marry someone I hated, of course. But I had to be strategic about it. Had to think with my head, not my heart.
House Dayne was old and prestigious. One of the most ancient houses in Westeros, with a history stretching back to the Age of Heroes. They'd even married into the Targaryens once, with Dyanna Dayne serving as King Maekar's wife in a not so distant past. Any family would be honored to join with them.
Still, I couldn't help having doubts.
Wouldn't a marriage in the Stormlands be more beneficial? To secure our standing with our neighbors instead of with a house a thousand miles away, separated by oceans and deserts? Especially now that we had significant holdings in the Rainwood. Those holdings bordered other Stormlander territories. Alliance through marriage could smooth a lot of potential friction there.
Then there was the whole Hightower thing.
Given what I knew of Malora—or rather, what I didn't know—I didn't think the betrothal talk was anything other than crazy miscommunication on Gerold's part. The man had jumped to conclusions based on his grand-niece mentioning me in letters, which I knew were more about the glass candle than any kind of infatuation.
But it got me thinking.
Compared to the Hightowers, House Dayne might as well be paupers.
The Hightowers were one of the richest houses in Westeros. They controlled Oldtown, the second-largest city in the realm. They had their hands in trade from across the known world. They funded the Citadel, patronized the Faith. Their wealth was closer to the Lannisters than even the Tyrells.
A marriage to Ashara wouldn't bring any significant economic benefits beyond strengthening ties with Dorne and maybe an increase in trade with Starfall's humble port. Prestige and honor couldn't feed an army. It didn't buy ships or weapons or the thousand other things I needed to build the force that could make a difference when everything went to shit.
Letting out a breath, I settled deeper into the tub, closing my eyes, and unbidden, a picture formed in my head. Ashara's face this morning when I'd walked into the family dining room. That look of surprise and delight. Before Father came in and screwed it all up with talk of Hightower betrothals.
Gods, but she'd somehow gotten even more beautiful than I remembered. Those violet eyes. That dark hair. The way she glided like a fairy when she walked. How witty she was.
What was a man supposed to do against beauty like that?
I dunked my head under the water, trying to clear my thoughts. When I came up, I forced myself to think practically.
Marriage options. Real options. House Morrigen. Old Stormlander house, with a seat near our new one on the mainland. A marriage there could secure the western approaches to the Ivy Fort.House Caron. Marcher lords, with a good martial tradition, lots of knights, and a daughter of age. Could be useful when the wars came. House Dondarrion. Not as rich as some, but respected, and the Lightning Lord's lands were strategic in the Red Mountains.
Or look further afield. Coastal houses all over the Narrow Sea, maybe. Lord Lucerys had all but offered me some of his Velaryon cousins, and I'm sure I could find a wife in Gulltown or even with the Manderlys at White Harbor. We'd certainly make big, strong children.
The Westerlands. House Lannister itself was out of reach, I was sure, but there were Lannister cousins. Lannisters of Lannisport. Houses sworn to Casterly Rock that would love a connection to a rising house and could come in with plenty of gold as a dowry.
Then there was the Reach, of course. Plenty of wealthy houses there. And though I didn't think Malora was truly interested, would it be a bad thing if she were? She was just as beautiful as Ashara, and certainly richer, even if she was as mad she was mysterious.
"Fuck," I muttered to the empty room.
This was why I'd avoided thinking about it. Because when I did think about it, when I really let myself consider it, I only came up with more question marks.
I stayed in the bath until the water started to cool. Then I climbed out, dried off, and dressed in clean clothes that felt impossibly luxurious after two months in the same travel-stained leathers.
I needed to talk to Father. Get his advice. See what he thought about the political implications of various matches.
And then... then I needed to talk to Ashara.
xxx
Later that morning, I left Father's solar with none of my doubts erased.
He thought if I was old and smart enough to do the work I was already doing of building a private army, managing trade operations, and conducting military campaigns, then I was old and smart enough to pick a wife responsibly.
Though he'd given me plenty of advice on love, which basically translated to him gushing about Mother for a good ten minutes. How she'd made him laugh. How she'd challenged him. How she was the smartest person he'd ever met. How he thanked the gods every day that his father had let him choose for himself.
He wasn't wrong on either account. I'd never accept a marriage I didn't desire, so there was little point in him picking for me.
But it didn't make the decision any easier.
He did tell me about the work settling the newcomers at the Ivyfort, the port we were building on the coast that was coming along well, and the plans for roads connecting our new holdings to the rest of Cape Wrath, which were not so much. Still, Ser Endrew was doing good work there, managing the influx of refugees and coordinating with the knightly families who'd sworn to us.
Father also passed over the report written by Jace's man. So far, we were clear. No signs of trouble. No indication that Ser Endrew was anything other than loyal. No problems with the new vassals. No signs of enmity from the new neighbors.
One less thing to worry about.
I also got to read Lord Leyton Hightower's letter. It confirmed what I'd already imagined. It was the diplomatic, medieval equivalent of sending a text asking: "What's this I hear about your son and my daughter?" Only his source of gossip had been the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, which gave Gerold, the crazy old fool, plenty of credibility.
I'd have to write a response as soon as possible. One for Lord Hightower, of course. But also a clarifying one for Ser Baelor. And perhaps even one for Malora herself, though I had no idea what I'd say.
Dear Lady Malora, thank you for the glass candle. It's been helpful when I need to have my brain broken by fire witches. Also, sorry your grand-uncle thinks we're getting married. Best wishes, Galladon.
Yeah, that would go over well.
I was halfway to my chambers when I ran into Arianne in the hallway.
"There you are," she said. "I've been looking for you." She stepped beside me as we walked and spoke low enough only I could hear. "It's too bad I couldn't just look in the glass candle to see where you were."
"Nice try," I said flatly.
She gave me an impish smile. "Worth a shot." Then she turned to me, her expression serious. "I need to tell you something. Well, somethings."
That got my attention. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. Just... come with me. My rooms are closest."
Her chambers were just down the corridor. We slipped inside and she closed the door behind us, checking to make sure no servants were nearby.
The room was quintessentially Arianne. Books stacked on every surface. A half-finished sketch on her desk. Her bed a rumpled mess. The only thing missing were some emo band posters in the walls to tie up the space.
She settled onto the edge of her bed, gesturing for me to sit beside her.
"So," she started. "I've been observing the Dornish ladies while they've been here."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I didn't think you were suited as a spy."
"Do you want to hear this or not?" She crossed her arms.
"No, no. Go ahead."
"I thought they were suspicious at first," Arianne said. "Just coming to visit Tarth for no true reason. And without sending word or announcing themselves when they arrived either."
I blinked. "Wait, what? They didn't send word?" I had been out for two months on the road, so I had thought I'd simply been away for the whole process of their visit.
"Mother said there was no raven. Princess Elia claimed it must have gone astray, but..." Arianne shrugged. "I don't think that's true. I think they wanted to arrive unannounced."
My mind churned. Why would they go to such lengths? He suspected a big reason they were coming was for the Princess to meet with Gerion. If Ser Sarek had told him the truth, then the two of them would be almost an item at this point. But that didn't mean they needed to skulk their way into the island.
"While you were gone," she continued, "I've been trying to do as you said. I've been joining the ladies' meetings when Mother holds them. Watching their auras for any sign of treachery or deception."
I looked at her with genuine surprise. "You have?"
"Yes. And I've begun doing it for the household too. Any visitors who come to the castle." She wouldn't meet my eyes. "I thought... I thought it might be useful. After what happened with Lenora."
I reached over and patted her head, the way I used to when we were children. "I'm glad. I'm proud of you, Ari."
She made an exasperated noise and batted my hand away. But I could see through it as easily as she read people's feelings. She enjoyed the praise.
"What about the Dornish, then?" I asked. "Did you find anything concerning?"
For a moment, I wondered if I'd read them wrong all along and they didn't actually have good intentions. The Stormlander in me even thought: Of course. They're Dornishmen after all.
But Arianne shook her head. "It's not what you think. It's Lady Ashara."
My stomach did something complicated. "What about her?"
Arianne's pale cheeks suddenly flushed. "She's... she's pink."
"Pink?"
"Her aura. Every time someone talks about you around her, it gets bright pink. Like..." Arianne struggled for words. "Like sunrise. Like flowers. Like..." She bit her lip. "I think she loves you."
Oh.
Well.
I swallowed hard. "Love is a big word, Ari. It's thrown around too easily sometimes. Mother and Father have been together for almost twenty years, and you see how they are with each other. That's love. What you're seeing with Ashara is probably just infatuation."
"Maybe," Arianne allowed. "But it's there. And it's real."
"I see. Thank you for your wisdom, my lady."
"Hey don't joke about this." Her eyes were fierce now. "You shouldn't play with a lady's heart, Gal!"
I raised my hands in surrender. "I know, I know. I don't plan to do anything nefarious with her heart, I promise. Things are just... complicated."
Her eyes softened. "I know."
I looked at her skeptically. "You know about love complications now, do you? At thirteen?"
Arianne snorted. "No, stupid. I know that your situation is complicated. I hadn't put it together until today. Until Father blurted out about the Hightower girl and you mentioned where you stopped on the way back from the tourney." She shot me a knowing look. "Then I remembered reading the only mention of glass candles in a book about the Citadel and the Hightower's library."
My gaze sharpened. "Put what together, Ari?"
I already knew the answer. But I needed to hear her say it.
"It was Lady Malora who gave it to you, wasn't it?"
I didn't answer. Just looked at her.
That seemed to be enough.
"You don't have to tell me," she said quickly. "It's more that there's something you should know about her. Well, I think it's her. If she was truly the one who gave you the glass candle."
I pulled her closer, lowering my voice even though we were alone. "You can't tell this to anyone else, Ari. For her sake more than anything. It's not our secret to tell."
"I know, I know." She nodded seriously. "Trust me, I owe her more than you know."
"What do you mean?"
Arianne sighed, looking down at her lap. Then she took a deep breath, looked up, and told me about the strange specter-figure she'd met in the glass candle world. A woman shrouded in mist and shadow who'd appeared when Arianne was lost and afraid, guided her back to her body, and taught her how the candle world worked.
Apparently, she'd deliberately chosen to hide it from me after it happened, afraid that I'd take the candle away from her since she was basically disregarding the biggest stranger danger rule, only she was doing in a magical, parallel reality. And then by the time we'd had our family talk and she'd decided to clean up her act, she hadn't even remembered to mention it. Too much time had passed and it had just slipped her mind.
But now that she'd made the connection between Malora and the candle world specter, she thought I needed to know something important.
While Lady Ashara's affection for me was genuine, Arianne didn't think I was right in saying that the whole thing with Lady Malora was a misunderstanding. She thought there had to be something there as well. Malora had played her own part in saving our mother, guiding Arianne through the glass candle when she'd needed it most.
And she didn't think Malora would have done that if she didn't have a reason for it.
In her mind, what other reason could a young maiden have to help a young knight?
Once again, I left a family member's presence feeling all the more confused than when I'd entered. My life was becoming impossibly tangled, and I could see no clear path forward for my romantic future.
I was only saved from spiraling further into uncertain thoughts when a servant found me in the corridor to tell me a Lannister ship had been spotted in the horizon.
xxx
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