Chapter 73: Courtship from the Princess
…
Elia Martell POV
The Old Palace had finally fallen quiet. Beyond the open doors of my balcony, Sunspear rested beneath a clear night sky. Moonlight shimmered across the distant sea, while a warm breeze stirred the thin curtains surrounding my bed. Most of the candles had burned low, filling my chamber with a soft, flickering glow.
I should have been asleep.
Instead, I lay between Ashara and Ellaria beneath the silk blankets, listening as they discussed my behavior earlier that evening.
"You could not take your eyes off him, could you?" Ellaria accused me.
"I was showing him around the palace," I replied. "It would have been discourteous not to look at him while he was speaking."
"There is looking at someone, and then there is whatever you were doing," Ashara said with a quiet laugh.
"I do not know what you mean," I insisted.
Ashara pushed herself upright against the cushions.
"Did you see any of the rooms you showed him?" Ashara asked. "You spent the entire tour staring at Galahad."
"That is not true," I protested.
"It is," Ellaria said. "There were guards, servants, and two very patient friends following behind you. Yet you behaved as though you and Galahad were the only two people in the entire palace."
"I was ensuring that he felt welcome," I explained.
"You watched him so closely that you nearly walked into a pillar," Ashara reminded me.
"That pillar appeared from nowhere," I protested.
Ellaria stared at me for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Of course it did," Ellaria replied. "The Old Palace itself must be conspiring against your courtship."
"I am not courting him," I said quickly.
Their laughter stopped. Ashara and Ellaria exchanged a glance.
"What?" I asked.
"You invited him to stay in your home," Ellaria began. "You waited at the gates for him while wearing one of your finest gowns. Then you personally showed him around the palace while looking at him as though he were the only man left in Dorne."
"That sounds remarkably like courtship to me," Ashara added.
"It was hospitality," I insisted.
"It was courtship," Ellaria corrected me.
"It was not." I insisted again.
"Then why are you smiling?" Ashara asked.
I immediately tried to stop. That only made them laugh again.
I pulled a pillow against my chest and hid my face behind it.
"You are both unbearable," I muttered.
"And yet you invited us into your bed," Ellaria reminded me.
"That was clearly a mistake," I replied.
Ellaria attempted to pull the pillow away from my face, but I held it tightly. The teasing should have been harmless. Usually, I would have denied everything until they grew bored and found something else to discuss.
Tonight, however, one word remained in my thoughts.
Courtship. I wanted to court Galahad. I wanted far more than that. The thought frightened me enough that my smile slowly disappeared.
Ashara noticed first.
"Elia?" Ashara asked softly. "What is wrong?"
"Nothing," I answered.
Neither of them believed me. Ellaria pulled the pillow down just enough to see my face.
"You have loved this man for two years," Ellaria said. "He is finally here, and he clearly enjoys your company. Why are you so frightened of pursuing him?"
I looked away from them and toward the moonlit balcony.
They knew almost everything about Galahad and me. They knew about the cake, our dance, the night beneath the stars, and the kiss I had given him.
There was only one thing I had never told them.
"The last time we were together, we agreed to remain companions," I admitted.
The chamber became quiet.
"What do you mean?" Ashara asked.
"It happened near the end of our time in the Westerlands," I explained. "Galahad told me that nothing more could happen between us. He said his station was too low and that I was a princess of House Martell."
"And what did you tell him?" Ellaria asked.
"I agreed with him," I confessed.
Ellaria stared at me.
"You agreed?" Ellaria repeated.
"I did not know what else to say," I answered. "I was afraid that if I asked for more, I might lose him completely."
The memory still hurts after two years.
Galahad had spoken gently that night. He had not intended to wound me. That almost made it worse. He had calmly placed a boundary between us while I stood before him wishing for something he believed could never exist.
"I told him that we could remain companions," I continued. "I pretended that it was enough."
"But it was not," Ashara said quietly.
"No," I admitted. "It was never enough."
My fingers tightened around the pillow.
"I agreed because being his companion seemed better than having no place in his life at all," I told them. "But when we parted, it felt as though something inside me had broken. I wanted him to ask me to stay. I wanted him to tell me that my title did not matter."
Neither girl teased me now.
"I spent two years trying to accept what we agreed upon," I continued. "Now he is here, and the moment I saw him, every feeling returned. If I pursue him and he rejects me again, I do not know if I can bear it."
Ashara reached beneath the blankets and took my hand.
"Elia, he never told you that he lacked feelings for you," Ashara said. "He said he believed his station was too low. Those are not the same thing."
"He still chose companionship," I reminded her.
"Because he was trying to behave honorably," Ashara replied. "He believed a minor lord had no right to court a princess."
Ellaria sat upright and crossed her legs beneath her.
"Then he was being foolish," Ellaria declared.
"Ellaria," Ashara warned.
"He was," Ellaria insisted. "He decided what Elia should want without allowing her to choose for herself."
"He was attempting to protect my reputation," I said.
"And what has protecting your reputation given you?" Ellaria asked. "Two years of misery while both of you remained apart?"
I had no answer.
Ellaria took my other hand.
"You are Elia Martell, a princess of Dorne," Ellaria continued. "You should decide whom you wish to love. Not the lords of the Westerlands. Not the gossips at court. Not even Galahad."
"I cannot order him to return my feelings," I said.
"No one is asking you to," Ashara assured me. "But you can make him understand that the difference in your stations does not matter to you."
"And you can make it impossible for him to continue hiding behind that excuse," Ellaria added.
"How?" I asked.
The confidence on their faces immediately weakened. Ashara and Ellaria looked at one another.
"You should spend time alone with him," Ashara suggested.
"I already intended to do that," I replied.
"Then wear your finest dresses," Ellaria advised.
"He has already seen me in fine dresses," I reminded her.
"Kiss him," Ellaria declared.
Ashara stared at her.
"She cannot simply walk up and kiss him," Ashara objected.
"Why not?" Ellaria asked.
"Because that is not courtship," Ashara replied.
"It would certainly make her intentions clear," Ellaria argued.
I looked between them.
"Neither of you has any idea how to court a man, do you?" I asked.
Ashara lifted her chin.
"I understand the general principles," Ashara claimed.
"You have never courted anyone," Ellaria reminded her.
"Neither have you," Ashara replied.
"No, but my suggestion was better," Ellaria insisted.
"Your suggestion was to attack him with her lips," Ashara said.
"It worked once before," Ellaria replied.
My face grew warm.
"I did not attack him," I protested.
"You kissed him without warning two years ago," Ellaria reminded me.
"That was different then," I insisted.
"How?" Ellaria asked.
"It simply was," I answered.
Their laughter returned, though it was gentler this time.
Ashara squeezed my hand.
"You do not need elaborate tricks," Ashara said. "Spend time with him. Show him Dorne. Let him see how much you have changed since the Westerlands."
"And stop pretending that you only want companionship," Ellaria added. "If you continue hiding your feelings, he will continue believing the old agreement still stands."
"What if he still refuses?" I asked.
"Then at least you will know you tried," Ashara replied. "That is better than watching him sail to Essos while wondering what might have happened."
Ellaria leaned closer.
"Be rebellious for once," she urged me. "You have spent your entire life being the dutiful princess. Choose the man you want, and make certain he understands that you chose him."
I stared down at our joined hands.
For two years, fear had kept me obedient to an agreement that had broken my heart.
Galahad had not rejected me because he disliked me. He had stepped away because he believed himself unworthy of a princess.
Perhaps Ashara was right. Perhaps those were not the same thing.
"What should I do first?" I asked.
Both girls smiled.
"Find him tomorrow morning," Ashara suggested. "Invite him to break his fast with your family."
"And sit beside him," Ellaria added. "Very close beside him."
"Must I sit very close?" I asked.
"Yes," Ellaria answered firmly.
Ashara rolled her eyes.
"Sit beside him and speak to him," Ashara clarified. "Afterward, offer to show him the Water Gardens."
"He has already received one tour from me," I reminded her.
"Then give him another," Ellaria replied. "You barely looked at the palace during the first one."
I threw the pillow at her.
Ellaria caught it while laughing.
We continued making plans until the candles burned nearly to their ends. Most of their suggestions were either too bold, too ridiculous, or both. Yet beneath all their teasing, one truth remained.
If I wanted something to change between Galahad and me, I could no longer wait for him to take the first step. Two years ago, I had accepted companionship because I feared losing him. This time, I would show him that I wanted more.
…
Morning arrived far sooner than I would have liked. I had spent much of the night thinking about everything Ashara and Ellaria had said. By the time sleep finally claimed me, the first light of dawn had already begun to appear beyond my balcony.
Despite my exhaustion, I rose early.
I chose a light orange gown with golden thread along the sleeves. It was elegant enough to be noticed without making it seem as though I had spent too much time selecting it.
At least, that was what I told myself.
Ashara and Ellaria accompanied me through the Old Palace toward the guest wing. Morning sunlight streamed through the open arches lining the corridor, warming the pale sandstone beneath our feet. Servants were already moving throughout the palace, carrying fresh linens, pitchers of water, and trays for the morning meal.
Galahad's chamber waited at the far end of the hall.
The closer we came to it, the slower my steps became.
"You are slowing down," Ellaria whispered.
"I am walking at a perfectly ordinary pace," I replied.
"At this rate, breakfast will have become supper by the time we reach his door," Ashara observed.
I ignored them and continued forward.
When we were only a few steps from Galahad's chamber, Ashara and Ellaria suddenly slipped behind one of the nearby pillars.
I stopped and turned toward them.
"What are you doing?" I whispered.
"Giving you privacy," Ashara answered as she peered around the stone.
"You are hiding behind a pillar," I pointed out.
"We are offering support from a respectful distance," Ellaria explained.
"You are spying on me."
"Only because we care," Ellaria replied.
I narrowed my eyes at them.
Ashara motioned toward Galahad's door.
"Go," she urged me. "Before someone notices the three of us behaving strangely outside his chamber."
"You are the ones behaving strangely," I whispered.
Ellaria pointed firmly toward the door. I drew in a slow breath and turned away from them. It was only an invitation to breakfast. There was no reason for my heart to be beating so quickly.
I crossed the final few steps and stopped before Galahad's chamber. Raising my hand, I prepared to knock.
Then I hesitated.
What if he was still asleep? What if he had already left? What if he remembered our agreement from two years ago and realized what I was attempting to do?
"Elia," Ellaria whispered from behind the pillar.
I glanced over my shoulder.
She pretended to knock upon an invisible door while Ashara impatiently waved me forward.
I turned back and raised my hand again. This time, I knocked. For several heartbeats, there was no answer.
Then footsteps approached from within. The door opened. Galahad stood before me.
He wore a simple white linen tunic and dark trousers. The collar of his tunic remained loosely fastened, while his golden hair hung unbound and slightly damp around his shoulders, as though he had recently washed.
For a moment, I forgot every word I had prepared.
"Good morning, Princess Elia," Galahad greeted me.
His voice finally pulled me from my thoughts.
"Good morning," I replied.
Galahad waited patiently.
I continued staring at him.
His eyebrows rose slightly.
"Is everything all right?" Galahad asked.
"Yes," I answered far too quickly. "Everything is perfectly well."
From behind the pillar, Ellaria pointed toward her mouth and pretended to eat.
Breakfast.
I had come to invite him to breakfast.
"I wanted to ask whether you would join my family and me as we break our fast this morning," I said. "My mother and Oberyn already know you, of course, but Doran and his wife have never had the opportunity to meet you."
"It would be an honor," Galahad accepted. "Thank you for inviting me."
Relief washed through me.
"Then you will come?" I asked.
A small smile appeared upon his face.
"I believe I just agreed," Galahad replied.
"Yes, of course," I said as warmth entered my cheeks. "I merely wanted to be certain."
"You look lovely this morning," Galahad added.
Every thought vanished from my mind again.
Behind the pillar, Ashara covered her mouth with both hands. Ellaria seized her arm and shook it excitedly.
"Thank you," I managed. "You look very…"
My gaze moved over his loose hair and open collar.
"Awake," I finished.
Galahad looked amused.
"I am relieved to hear it," he replied.
I wanted the floor to open beneath me.
"I meant that you look well," I corrected myself.
"Thank you, Elia," Galahad said gently.
Hearing him use my name eased some of my embarrassment.
"The family dining chamber is not far," I explained. "I can escort you there whenever you are ready."
"I only need a moment to fasten my boots and put on my outer coat," Galahad replied. "You may wait inside if you wish."
My heart nearly stopped.
Before I could answer, Ashara made a frantic motion across her throat from behind the pillar. Ellaria, however, nodded so enthusiastically that she nearly struck her head against the stone.
"I can wait here," I decided.
"As you wish," Galahad said.
He began closing the door before pausing.
"Will your companions be joining us?" Galahad asked.
I froze.
"What companions?" I asked.
Galahad glanced toward the pillar. Ashara and Ellaria quickly pulled their heads out of sight.
"The two who followed you here and have been whispering behind that pillar," Galahad answered.
I closed my eyes. Of course he had noticed them.
"Ashara. Ellaria," I called without turning around. "You may come out now."
The two girls slowly emerged. Ashara attempted to appear dignified. Ellaria looked entirely unashamed.
"We wanted to ensure that Elia reached your chamber safely," Ashara explained.
"From the dangers of the guest wing?" Galahad asked.
"Precisely," Ellaria answered without hesitation.
Galahad's mouth curved into a small smile.
"I appreciate your concern," he said. "Although you may wish to choose a larger pillar next time."
Ellaria looked back at the stone column.
"I told you he would notice us," Ashara muttered.
"You did not," Ellaria whispered.
Galahad returned his attention to me.
"I will be ready shortly," he promised.
"We will wait," I replied.
He closed the door.
The moment it shut, Ashara and Ellaria hurried toward me.
"He said you looked lovely," Ashara whispered excitedly.
"And he invited you into his chamber," Ellaria added.
"I refused," I reminded her.
"A terrible decision," Ellaria declared.
"It was the proper decision," Ashara argued, although she sounded uncertain.
"I thought neither of you knew how courtship worked," I reminded them.
"That has not stopped us from helping," Ellaria replied.
The door opened again before our argument could continue. Galahad emerged wearing a dark outer coat over his tunic. His golden hair remained loose around his shoulders.
"I hope I did not keep you waiting," Galahad said.
"Not at all," I assured him.
Ashara and Ellaria moved aside.
I stepped beside Galahad and gestured down the corridor.
"This way," I said.
We began walking toward the family dining chamber together. Ashara and Ellaria remained behind, but I could feel their eyes following us.
My first deliberate act of courtship had been nothing more than an invitation to breakfast.
Still, Galahad had accepted. For now, that was enough.
…
Galahad matched his pace to mine as we made our way through the sunlit corridors of the Old Palace. Ashara and Ellaria remained behind in the guest wing. When I glanced back at the next turning, Ellaria motioned for me to move closer to Galahad. Ashara caught her arm and pulled her out of sight before he could notice.
At least, I hoped he had not noticed.
"I should apologize for them," I said as we continued walking.
"There is no need," Galahad assured me. "They care for you."
"They enjoy tormenting me," I corrected him.
"I suspect both can be true," Galahad replied.
I glanced at him and found a small smile upon his face.
The exchange eased some of my nervousness.
On our way through the family wing, I stopped a passing page and asked him to inform Mother that Galahad had accepted my invitation. The boy hurried ahead of us, leaving just enough time for an additional place to be prepared.
By the time we reached the private dining chamber, I had recovered most of my composure.
Then the doors opened and every member of my family looked toward us.
The chamber was smaller than the halls used for formal feasts, though the table at its center could have seated twice our number. Tall arched windows overlooked the palace gardens, with the blue waters of the Narrow Sea visible beyond the outer walls. Thin curtains stirred in the morning breeze, allowing sunlight to fall across the tiled floor.
A golden sun pierced by a spear had been carved into the back of each chair, while a banner bearing the same sigil hung above the sideboard. Servants moved quietly around the table, uncovering dishes and filling cups with water, tea, and watered wine.
Mother sat at the head of the table.
Doran occupied the seat nearest her on the right, with Mellario beside him. My good-sister wore a loose gown of pale green silk, though its flowing fabric could no longer conceal the gentle curve of her belly. She was nearly five moons into her pregnancy and sat with one hand resting over the child growing within her.
Several cushions had been arranged behind her. When Mellario shifted, Doran immediately adjusted one against the small of her back.
"Is that more comfortable?" Doran asked her quietly.
"Much more," Mellario assured him with a grateful smile.
The place nearest Mother on the left had been prepared for Galahad. My own chair waited directly beside it, with Oberyn seated on my other side.
Whether Mother had chosen those places deliberately, I could not tell.
I certainly had no intention of questioning them.
"Lord Galahad," Mother greeted him as we approached. "Welcome to our table and to the Old Palace. It pleases me to see you again after so long."
"The pleasure is mine, Princess Nymeria," Galahad replied with a respectful bow. "House Martell has shown me nothing but generosity since my arrival."
"I remember the kindness you showed my family in the Westerlands," Mother told him. "Consider our hospitality a small repayment."
"No repayment is owed," Galahad said. "Your company was more than enough."
His gaze moved briefly toward Oberyn before settling upon me.
I lowered my eyes before anyone could notice how much that pleased me.
Mother gestured toward the other side of the table.
"You already know Elia and Oberyn," she said. "This is my eldest son, Doran, and his wife, Mellario of Norvos."
Galahad inclined his head to each of them.
"Prince Doran. Princess Mellario," Galahad greeted them. "It is an honor to meet you both."
"The honor is ours, Lord Galahad," Mellario replied warmly. "Your name has been spoken often in this palace."
I wondered how much of that speaking had come from me. Knowing my family, far more than I wished to admit.
Doran studied Galahad from across the table. His expression remained courteous, though noticeably more reserved than Mother's or Oberyn's.
"I did not accompany my family during their visit to the Westerlands," Doran explained. "Until yesterday, I knew you only by reputation."
"I hope meeting me proves less disappointing than the stories," Galahad replied.
"I have learned not to judge a man entirely by stories," Doran said. "Please, sit. There will be time enough for us to become acquainted."
Galahad took the chair beside me, and I sat a moment later, acutely aware of how little distance remained between us.
Oberyn glanced at me. I ignored him.
The servants began uncovering the dishes spread across the table. There were baskets of warm flatbread, eggs cooked with red peppers and herbs, goat cheese, olives, dates, figs, and freshly sliced blood oranges. Platters of spiced sausages stood beside honeyed pastries filled with nuts and fruit.
Galahad looked over the selection.
"The eggs are mild," I explained. "The sausages are not."
"Is it that bad?" Galahad asked, glancing at me.
"I'm just warning you," I replied.
"In that case, I will trust heed your advice," Galahad said.
Before he could reach for either platter, I placed some eggs and two sausages upon his plate. I added a piece of warm flatbread, then pushed the goat cheese nearer to him.
Only after I finished did I realize that Mellario was watching me. A small smile touched her lips. Mother noticed it as well. The two women exchanged a brief, knowing glance before returning their attention to the meal.
I pretended not to see them.
Galahad tasted one of the sausages.
"Well?" I asked.
"The flavor is excellent," Galahad answered.
"And the spice?" I pressed.
"Pleasant," Galahad replied before taking another bite.
I stared at him.
"Pleasant?" I repeated.
"Was I supposed to suffer?" Galahad asked, amusement entering his voice.
"Oberyn did when he first tasted them," I revealed.
"I was seven," Oberyn protested from beside me.
"You cried," I reminded him.
"My eyes watered," Oberyn corrected me. "There is a difference."
Galahad hid his smile behind his cup.
The exchange softened the mood around the table, though Doran continued to observe our guest with quiet attention.
Once everyone had begun eating, my elder brother set down his cup.
"Elia tells us you came to Sunspear by sea," Doran began. "May I ask what brought you so far south?"
"I command a trading venture consisting of three merchant ships," Galahad explained. "We entered Sunspear to replenish our water and provisions. One of the vessels also requires new sailcloth and minor repairs before we continue east."
"You command all three ships yourself?" Doran asked.
"I own the venture and determine its course," Galahad clarified. "The captains command their individual vessels while we are at sea."
"A merchant venture is an uncommon pursuit for a noble lord," Doran observed.
"My lands are not so vast that I can afford to ignore a sound opportunity," Galahad replied. "Trade has served me well."
There was no defensiveness in his voice. He spoke as calmly about ships and cargo as he did about swords, without trying to make himself appear greater than he was.
Doran seemed to notice that.
"What goods do you carry?" my brother asked.
"Western wool, timber, worked steel, wine, and several smaller wares," Galahad answered. "Nothing remarkable in the west, though they often find better prices across the Narrow Sea."
"And where in Essos do you intend to sail?" Doran continued.
"Tyrosh first," Galahad replied. "After that, perhaps Myr or Lys. Much will depend upon the weather and the opportunities we find."
Doran nodded slowly. His questions were not hostile. To anyone who did not know him, they might have sounded like ordinary curiosity.
I knew my brother better.
Doran rarely formed an opinion before he believed he possessed every useful piece of information. Galahad was a stranger beneath our roof, and my brother intended to understand him before deciding how much trust he deserved.
Galahad appeared untroubled by the scrutiny.
Mellario shifted in her chair and rested both hands over her belly. Doran immediately moved her cup of mint tea closer to her.
"How long do you expect to remain in Sunspear?" Mellario asked Galahad.
"A week, perhaps longer," Galahad answered. "There is no need for us to hurry."
My head turned toward him before I could stop myself.
"A week?" I asked.
"At least," Galahad confirmed.
A smile escaped me.
It lasted only a moment before I remembered the rest of my family was present.
Mother lifted her cup to conceal her expression. Mellario made no attempt to conceal hers, while Oberyn leaned back in his chair and regarded me with open amusement. Even Doran's attention moved briefly from Galahad to me.
I reached for a piece of flatbread and devoted far more concentration to tearing it apart than the task required.
"The ships could be supplied sooner than that," Doran remarked.
"They could," Galahad agreed. "But my crews have spent many days at sea, and I see no reason to deny them proper rest."
His gaze found mine once more.
"Besides," Galahad continued, "Sunspear has already proved a pleasant place to linger."
My fingers stopped upon the bread.
Mellario's smile widened.
"You should remain as long as you wish," Mother told him. "The Old Palace has no shortage of chambers."
"You are most generous, Princess," Galahad replied.
"Mother is generous to guests she favors," Oberyn said. "You earned that favor in Lannisport."
Doran glanced toward our younger brother.
"I have heard several accounts of the tourney," Doran said. "Most of them sound increasingly improbable."
"The truth was impressive enough," Oberyn replied. "Galahad defeated every man placed before him and claimed the tourney without suffering a single loss. He even defeated Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Barristan Selmy together in the melee."
"You make it sound easier than it was," Galahad said.
"It appeared easy from where I stood," Mother recalled. "I watched renowned knights struggle merely to follow your movements."
Galahad lowered his gaze with a modest smile.
"Victory makes a man appear more capable in memory," he replied. "There were several close contests."
"Again you're being too modest," Oberyn said.
Doran returned his attention to Galahad.
"Oberyn also claims he has faced you several times with a spear and has never defeated you," Doran said. "Is that true?"
Galahad glanced at Oberyn.
"Prince Oberyn is among the finest spearmen I have encountered," Galahad answered. "Every bout with him has demanded my full attention."
"That was not the question," Oberyn pointed out.
"No," Galahad admitted. "He has not defeated me."
"I have not even made him sweat," Oberyn added.
Galahad gave him a patient look.
"You are determined to make me sound insufferable," Galahad said.
"I am determined to make my brother understand that the stories have not exaggerated your skill," Oberyn replied.
Doran folded his hands before him.
"Yet you seem reluctant to speak of it yourself," he observed.
"A tourney proves who was better on one particular day," Galahad answered. "It does not make a man invincible."
"Your reputation is less modest," Doran remarked.
"Reputations rarely are," Galahad replied. "I know what I can do, Prince Doran. I also know better than to believe no one can defeat me."
Doran watched him for another moment before giving a slight nod.
I could not tell whether Galahad had earned my brother's trust, but he appeared to have earned a measure of respect.
While Doran returned his attention to his meal, I noticed Galahad reaching toward the pastries. I picked one up before he could and placed it upon his plate.
"You should try this," I urged him. "It is filled with dates, orange peel, and crushed almonds."
"You have yet to lead me astray this morning," Galahad said.
Our fingers brushed as I passed it to him. The touch lasted no more than a heartbeat, yet warmth travelled through my hand and along my arm. Galahad's eyes met mine, and for a moment the rest of the chamber seemed to fade around us.
Then Oberyn cleared his throat beside me. I withdrew my hand.
Galahad tasted the pastry.
"You were right," he said. "It is very good."
"I thought you would like it," I replied.
Across the table, Mellario exchanged another glance with Mother. They were not being nearly as subtle as they believed.
Neither was I, apparently.
As the meal continued, I found one reason after another to speak with Galahad. I explained which olives were milder, offered him honey for his tea, and warned him that the sliced peppers beside the eggs were far hotter than the sausages.
He listened to every explanation with patient attention, even when no explanation was needed. Whenever I spoke, he turned toward me fully, as though my words deserved more attention than anything else at the table.
Perhaps Ashara and Ellaria had been right. Perhaps the agreement we had made two years ago was not as unchangeable as I had feared.
By the time the servants began clearing the empty platters, the meal had lost much of its earlier formality. Mother and Mellario were discussing preparations for the coming child. Oberyn had begun telling Galahad about a horse he had recently acquired, while Doran listened more than he spoke.
I knew breakfast would soon end.
If I allowed Galahad to leave now, he might spend the remainder of the day attending to his ships and men. I might not see him again until evening.
I gathered my courage before it could desert me.
"Galahad," I began.
He turned toward me immediately.
"Yes, Elia?" Galahad asked.
"I wondered whether you would accompany me to the Water Gardens this morning," I said. "The day will grow hot soon, but the shaded pools remain pleasant. I would like to show them to you."
For one dreadful moment, he said nothing.
Then he smiled.
"I would be glad to accompany you," Galahad accepted. "I can think of no guide I would prefer."
Relief and delight rose within me so quickly that I had to press my lips together to contain my smile.
Around the table, my family had become suspiciously quiet.
Mother watched me over the rim of her cup, warmth and understanding in her eyes. Mellario rested a hand upon her belly and smiled openly. Oberyn's amusement had returned, though there was something more thoughtful beneath it now. Doran looked from me to Galahad. His expression remained reserved, but he offered no objection.
There was little reason for him to do so.
For all Ellaria's talk of rebellion, there was nothing scandalous about a woman courting the man she desired. In Dorne, men and women pursued affection openly here, and no one expected a princess to sit quietly while others decided whom she should want.
If anything, I was the unusual one.
Until Galahad, I had never desired anyone enough to try.
The family began to rise from the table. Galahad stood beside me and offered me his arm.
"Shall we go?" he asked.
"We shall," I replied as I placed my hand upon him.
No one behind us spoke as we crossed toward the doors. They did not need to. Every member of my family now understood what I was doing. My courtship of Galahad had begun. Now I only needed to make certain he understood it as well.