Arthur XV

292AC

I sighed leaning back into my bed as Arianne disappeared the way she had come.

That had been hard, both literally and figuratively, but I was playing an unfortunately high-stakes game, and I couldn't afford to be Jaimie Lannister and think with my loins.

My life, and possibly the whole of Westeros was at stake, at least depending on what was going on with the fucking Ice Zombies.

I dragged my hand down my face, trying to get back to sleep, and getting the image of Arianne Martell naked in the cool moonlight out of my head, which was easier said than done.

Eventually, however, I managed to pull it off, replacing it gradually with thoughts of home, and cannons, and how Sig was probably going to blow his goddamn arm off one of these days.

That man was unjustifiably lucky.

Eventually, the depths of sleep claimed me, and I awoke to the warm Dornish Sun peeking over the Desert and straight into my bedroom, lighting the whole of the land with its hopeful young shadows at the start of the new day. I rose to meet it, knowing that the Bazaars would likely open quite early, and I climbed into my clothes for the day quickly. A more uniform set than my usual napoleon french garb. They were all white with my trademarked high collar and a short cape over one shoulder. They had black epaulets on the shoulders and I wore them with gloves.

I loved it, and it looked completely out of place on Westeros. Dyna had truly proven a visionary when it came to designing new and utterly ridiculous costumes for me. I just hoped the bright color would help with the desert heat. I hadn't been to any such environment in my new life before after all.

I opened the door to head downstairs just as one of the servants came to inform me that the lady was waiting for me at the entrance hall. We would eat at the Bazaar.

'Well, best not keep a princess waiting.'

I met Arianne at the gate, thankfully fully clothed this time, and she smiled as I came down the steps, which was hopefully a good sign that she didn't have hard feelings for me turning her propositioning down.

Instead, she almost immediately grabbed my hand, leading me out the gate. "Cmon, the food gets worse as it sits out."

"Ah, okay," I said, noting that a pair of guards were following behind us as she led me by the hand through the winding streets. It was a little shocking the whiplash she seemed to be going through, from inquisitive noble to seductress to teenage girl excited to leave her house and go to the mall. I honestly had no idea how to handle it.

"You can't ride a horse in the Shadow-City, the streets are too tight for them. They need to be led."

"I'm Island-born, so that's no great loss for me," I said, laughing as we made our way through the first ring of the city, the Shadow City was, as it looked, a mess of Sandy brick buildings and small courtyards with a network of alleys just big enough to stretch your arms out in running through it. Fortunately, the people here seemed to know well enough to get out of the Lord's daughter's way, though I imagined that the burly Hoplites behind us helped with that a great deal.

Not that Arianne wasn't recognizable on her own, even for a Dornish woman she wore few clothes, and no prostitute would have so much golden jewelry.

It seemed that the people in at least the upper part of the city could recognize her on sight as a result, most of them bowing or showing small signs of deference as we passed. It reminded me of walking around Dragonstone, except without the saluting. Of course, most of the people in this area seemed to be fairly wealthy. The buildings here were far larger than those of the lower districts, and often seemed to have attached stable or multiple buildings conjoined into small compounds.

Eventually, we reached what I presumed was the upper-class Bazaar, colorful ribbons hung overhead, providing shade to the whole place. They were suspended by a large stone pillar in the center of a brick-paved square, and merchants sold all manner of goods from engraved wooden stalls, which themselves had fabric rooves of obviously fine quality.

"These are the best." She said, going up to one of the stand's which was surrounded by the smell of cooking meat and vegetables. I noted that it's back actually led into what I presumed was a kitchen. "We call them Kebabs, they don't have them up north I understand."

I smiled gently at her. "I've heard of them, I'll try one."

She matched my grin even as the shopkeeper started deferring to her as a princess. I mostly zoned out of the greeting, just taking in the atmosphere of the place until she shoved a skewer into my hand.

"The mummers should start soon."

"Where are they performing."

"Over on the other side of the square."

It struck me just how much Arianne seemed to enjoy all of this, away from the politicking. Perhaps this was what she thought all adventures were like?

She couldn't possibly be that sheltered.

Could she?

This was the same world as Sansa Stark wasn't it?

I turned towards my skewer, biting what seemed to be a grilled onion off of it, and noted out of the corner of my eye that the guards were following us closely, constantly on watch.

The girl who had literally crept into my bed and tried to seduce me last night, naive?

It was an odd thought.