บท 22: Songs and Tears
Howland was now sitting with the Starks in the feast hall, along with their northern allies and vassals. He was sitting with the wild Brandon Stark, the quiet Eddard Stark, the wolf maid Lyanna Stark, and the youngest of them all, Benjen Stark. At first, Howland didn't want to come to the feast, as he didn't feel like he belonged, but Lady Lyanna insisted that he attended the feast, a she-wolf like her couldn't be refused, and so, Howland relented, he borrowed a suitable clothes from Benjen, and sat with the Starks, along with their vassals.
Cheers and laughter echoed throughout the hall, Howland saw the storm lord drinking cups of wine in one go, and got handsy with the maids much to Lyanna's ire, as she was betrothed to him. He then heard the dragon prince sing a song so sad with his harp that it made the wolf maid cry, Benjen teased her for that, and that made her spill wine on Benjen's head. He also heard a black brother trying to convince a knight to join the night's watch, Howland heard the snickers and smiles as the black brother was speaking.
He then saw a maid with laughing purple eyes, standing nervously on the dance floor, as if she was looking for someone.
"Who's that?" Eddard questioned his brothers and sister, pointing at the maid.
Brandon sniggered as he heard his brother's question. "Fancy her Ned?"
Ned then scoffed shyly and said. "I was just asking."
"She's Ashara of House Dayne." Brandon answered. "A Dornish girl, only recently chosen as Princess Elia's lady-in-waiting, although she'll not be in that position for long."
"Arthur Dayne's sister?" Benjen questioned.
"Apparently." Brandon said, he then looked at Ned again, who was looking at her rather intently. "You want to ask her on a dance?"
"I- I'd rather not." said Ned shyly.
They then saw a Dornishman that Howland had met approached the maid. When the girl saw the Dornishman, she smiled brightly at him. The Dornishman, who was Prince Morian Martell, bowed slightly to the maid, kissing her hand, asking her for a dance. She gracefully accepted, and they both danced, not caring the stares and looks everybody was giving them.
"And who's that?" Benjen questioned, curious at the man.
"Prince Morian Martell, the Black Hawk." Brandon said dismissively while eating an apple that is on the table. "Father once asked the Late Princess of Dorne to arrange a betrothal with him and you, Lyanna, to strengthen the relations of the north and the south, but the Princess of Dorne refused, saying that the Prince is already betrothed, so father went to Robert instead."
"I didn't know that…" Lyanna murmured. "I met him, he's the one that helped Howland this afternoon."
"Did he now?" Brandon was amused. "I didn't know that he was that honourable."
"What is that supposed to mean?" questioned Lyanna accusingly.
"There are whispers that it was Prince Morian and his brother Oberyn who killed the three archmaesters in the citadel," said Brandon. "But no proof whatsoever."
"I think he wouldn't do that." Howland defended Morian.
"The north and the south are different, Lord Reed." Brandon laughed as he patted Howland's back. "The south is full of snakes, and the Martells are definitely one of them, they were often called the vipers for gods sake."
The Starks then looked at the two dornish dancing gracefully at the dance floor, but then Benjen interrupted the stares.
"Wait, The Black Hawk?" questioned Benjen. "He has a nickname?"
"The sailors call him that." Brandon hummed. "Father told me that people say that Prince Morian could see through his black hawk's eyes, and the prince looked eerily identical with his hawk, hence the nickname."
"You mean he's a skinchanger?" Lyanna questioned, even more curious about the background of her acquaintance.
"I wouldn't say that." answered Brandon quietly. "It's just the sailor's whispers after all, it might not be true."
—
Ashara was standing shyly on the dance floor, she was looking for someone whom she hadn't seen for a long time. She was excited when she heard about the tourney, she thought that she would meet him there after a long time, but she didn't see him so far. She was Princess Elia's lady-in-waiting, so she's been tending to the princess all day as she was pregnant with the dragon prince's second child, yet all day, she hadn't seen him, she saw Prince Oberyn and his retinues visiting the Princess, but she didn't saw him, and she was too shy to ask Prince Oberyn about it, so now, she was looking around the feast hall for any signs of the man she was looking for.
She had declined every single man that offered to dance with her, some didn't take it well, but she didn't want the man that she was looking for saw her dancing with another man before him, and so she patiently waited, and her patience was rewarded, when a young man, a Dornish young man with blue eyes approached her with a smile. She knew that it was him, and she smiled brightly, finally seeing him after a long time.
"My lady." said the man while bowing, he took her hand and kissed it. "Would you care for a dance?"
"I would love to, my Prince." said Ashara shyly. And so both of them danced on the floor, slowly waltzing as they enjoyed each other's company.
"I believe that I have fulfilled one of my promises to you now," said the prince cheekily.
"What promise?" questioned Ashara.
"That I would meet you in the spring." continued Morian.
"Oh," said Ashara absentmindedly, remembering Morian's words when he parted with her. "I suppose you did."
Morian chuckled, amused by Ashara's absentmindedness. "Did you know that we are betrothed?"
"What?" Ashara froze a little when Morian said that, surprised by the sudden revelation. "My betrothed is you?"
"What? You thought it was someone else?" questioned Morian, finding the situation more and more amusing.
"W-Well, I thought that I had to say something to you that I have been betrothed to someone else, thus we have to part ways… Thank the seven I didn't have to do that." sighed Ashara in relief, she smiled at him, and she put her head on his shoulder.
"Everyone's watching Ashara, it is not proper, we're not married yet." Warned Morian softly.
Ashara stood straight again, a bit disappointed. "Sorry, my prince." mumbled Ashara.
Morian sighed, then he separated from Ashara, making her confused. "I have another promise to fulfil if I remember." said Morian as he walked towards a bard and asked him if he could borrow his lute.
Ashara was confused, but then she realised what he was about to do. "Now?"
"Well, we have an audience here." said Morian as people looked at them, curious about what the Dornish prince was about to do.
Morian then sat on a stool, he took his position with the lute, and asked Ashara if she could sit somewhere near him. She did, she also grabbed a chair and sat beside him.
"Is it about me?" questioned Ashara.
"It's about both of us more specifically." answered Morian nonchalantly. He then began to pick the strings of the lute, and a melancholy melody came out of it.
The tune was soft, delicate, and calming, but there was a tint of sadness in it. As soon as he began to play the lute, the halls turned quiet, focusing on Morian and Ashara who were sitting at the side of the dance floor. People were about to protest about the sudden interruption of their dancing, but once they heard the music, none spoke. The melody was so ear-catching and calming, that even the drunk storm lord sat down to hear it.
Morian then began to sing, looking at Ashara's haunting purple eyes.
♪These scars long have yearned for your tender caress.♪
The lords and ladies were now focusing wholeheartedly at Morian's song, his voice was deep, heavy, haunting, and yet it was hypnotising. The ones who were dancing sat down to continue to listen to the music, seemingly mesmerised.
♪To bind our fortunes, damn what the stars own.♪
Ashara was surprised by his voice. She didn't know that he could sing, she knew that he could play the lute as Ashara heard it all the time when he was in Starfall, but the ones who sing were always her, not him.
♪Rend my heart open, then your love profess
A winding, weaving fate to which we both atone♪
The ladies were leaning into their partners, seemingly consumed by the melody and the haunting voice of Morian.
♪You flee my dream come the morning
Your scent - berries tart, lilac sweet.♪
Ashara chuckled, she had always worn that perfume during Morian's fostering at Starfall as per her mother's advice, but Morian never commented on it, she thought that he didn't like it, but she was wrong. She was also sad that it is true, in these four years, she had only seen him in her dreams, but thankfully, they had met again.
♪To dream of raven locks entwisted, stormy
Of violet eyes, glistening as you weep.♪
The two traits of Ashara, the lords and ladies finally knew who this song was for if it wasn't for the fact that Ashara was sitting right beside him. Ashara wept a little as the song continued, she was never treated this way before, men eyed him as a prize, while Morian was different.
♪The wolf I will follow into the storm
To find your heart, its passion displaced.♪
In this phrase and this phrase alone, the Dornish Prince stared at the Starks table, looking at the she-wolf dead in the eyes, but people seemed to not notice it.
♪By ire ever growing hardening into stone
Amidst the cold to hold you in a heated embrace.♪
The ladies in the hall began to also weep. They never heard a song like the ones that they are listening to right now, it was beautiful, it was tragic, and it was romantic.
♪I know not if fate would have us live as one
Or if by love's blind chance we've been bound.♪
Ashara did not know what he was talking about, but she assumed that it was the intricate culture of arranged marriages, presumably the fear that they would not be able to be together, because their families have arranged them to marry someone else.
♪The wish I whispered, when it all began
Did it forge a love you might never have found?♪
Ashara did not know the wish that Morian was talking about, but maybe, just maybe, if the wish wasn't there, she won't find this kind of feeling in someone else. He had filled her boring days with adventures and stories, and now, she wanted nothing but to fill his days with love and care.
♪You flee my dream come the morning
Your scent - berries tart, lilac sweet
To dream of raven locks entwisted, stormy
Of violet eyes, glistening as you weep♪
Morian repeated the chorus for one last time, ending the song with a soft and slow melody that was in the start, before ending it altogether.
All lords and ladies stood up from their seats, amazed by Morian's performance. Some ladies wiped their tears, even some men too. Morian then gave the lute back to the bard, who had a surprised face in his face.
Morian looked at Ashara, who was wiping his tears with a hard blush on her cheeks. "Another promise fulfilled," said Morian with a cheeky smile. He then stood up and took Ashara's hand. He kissed her knuckles gently.
"Only one more promise left," continued Morian. "But that can be done later, for now, I must excuse myself my lady, I had some things to do."
"Already?" said Ashara in disappointment.
"I'm afraid so." smiled Morian. "But I'll see you tomorrow morning."
Ashara just nodded, and Morian left the hall, with eyes of lords and ladies following him until he disappeared.
And so the feast continued, with the ladies talking about the song they just heard, the bards of the feast trying to recreate the melody and the lyrics, but it was still not perfect.
Ashara however, continued to stay around the hall, tending to the Pregnant Princess after she had done with her business. Princess Elia had a cheeky smile when she saw Ashara dancing with Morian, her little brother, in love. It was nice to see Morian acting like that, unlike when he only locked himself in his chambers, either writing or reading.
And so the feast continued until everyone was dead drunk, celebrating the start of the tourney.
[voice ref: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoVHALFkwfQ&list=WL&index=3&ab_channel=Evengard]
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