GOT : Chapter 109

( Nymeria POV )

"You sound optimistic," she confessed, "I doubt that one will accept such a thing lying down."

"She doesn't have much of a choice," Quentyn said firmly "I'm willing to offer concessions that are quite reasonable. I am not, however, willing to budge on us, Aliandra or anything that could come in our way."

...

Nymeria smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, the sun is getting higher and there is not much shade here. Let us find some refreshments and prepare our arrival."

They reached Sunspear in the early evening, while the sun was still an hour away from setting, thanks to favorable winds.

Despite the late hour, in Sunspear, just like in Ghost Hill, a crowd had gathered around the few ships huddled in the small harbor. Most of the convoy had been forced to leave for Planky Town to avoid congesting the small harbor, which was still in the process of being enlarged.

It was already getting dark when the small party reached Sunspear castle itself, which overlooked the rest of the city, where they were greeted by a small welcoming committee, at the head of which was Gulian Qorgyle.

The young heir to Sandstone had tired eyes and it was clear in his demeanour that he had worked tirelessly for the last few months.

"Quentyn," Ser Gulian smiled, embracing her cousin. "I hope your adventures in the capital weren't too tiring."

"Not as much as yours, I expect," Quentyn swiftly answered.

"Let us just say that I haven't slept much these past few weeks," the Qorgyle boy massaged his temples, sighing, "And Gerris being too occupied with his wife did not help things."

"Did you manage to do all that I asked be done?" Quentyn asked.

"Most of it is, but for some we are still waiting for materials," came the answer. "But overall, everything has been done as you conceived, and I'm glad you are here."

"Is it because you are finally glad to see your friend again after so much time?" Quentyn asked with a slight smile.

"Oh, yes!" Gulian Qorgyle laughed. "But most of all, it means that you will finally start working, and I can take a long stay somewhere, the Summer Islands, perhaps. It would do me good."

"I can understand that." Quentyn smiled back. "I myself wouldn't be against a good few weeks in the Summer Islands, in the calm waters of their cays…"

"Please stop, you're making me dream," Ser Gulian said with a wistful sigh. "I wish for something like this, but I feel like we are not done yet, are we?"

"You are right in thinking that your time as regent has ended, but I fear our task is not yet over."

"Well, gods be good, there's some solace to be had at least. Where are we going next?"

"Volantis, probably," was her cousin's answer, swift as ever, "How are the two princesses?"

"They're both in the Gardens, as you asked. Your brother is there too, and your daughter as well."

"Good, I think a visit will be in order soon."

Ser Gulian nodded.

"Since I need to pack for a trip across the Narrow Sea, may I take my leave, or do you need to be introduced to the novelties?"

"Unless you have prepared some surprises, I think I can show Nym around."

Ser Gulian shook his head, and left the two of them to roam the halls of Sunspear again.

She was confused, though. On the outside, nothing had changed in the old palace overlooking the Shadow City.

"What novelties was Ser Gulian talking about?" she asked, curious.

"I've asked that Sunspear castle be rebuilt on the inside, for more comfort for us all, shall I show you?"

Nymeria raised an eyebrow.

"You have caught my attention, cousin, lead the way."

Quentyn took her by the arm, and, for the first time in gods knew how long, they were finally wandering the halls of their home on their own. There was a small sense of melancholy as dusk settled in, and their footsteps were the only sound they heard other than the small chirps in the night.

They walked down a large corridor that she didn't recognize and, suddenly, Quentyn stopped in front of a large door atop of which the sun and spear of house Martell was etched in wood.

"Let me introduce you to our new rooms," Quentyn said as he winked.

He pushed the door forwards, and Nymeria was immediately awestruck. These weren't the small rooms she stayed in for most of her childhood, or even rooms like her father's or even the prince's. No, this was a king's room, if even that, due to its sheer size.

The floor was made of polished wood, which seemed to extend everywhere. The bed was extremely large and made of solid oak, covered with silk blankets and embroidered drapes of various colors: golden, red, orange and yellow, while the cushions were just as large, covered in white with embroidered beasts such as tigers, leopards and elephants.

Right next to the bed was a large window, overlooking the Shadow City, and, a little further, the bay where ships were coming and going, guided by the fires of the newly installed lighthouse at the entry of the harbor. 

During the day, if the sunlight shone properly, the view would have been magnificent, covering the turquoise blue waters of the sea and the vibrant colors of the city of Sunspear.

Around the room, many shelves and desks were placed around, with countless books and other items lying on them. What attracted her attention was the large mirror, placed opposite the bed and close to a large desk on which rested several bottles of ink and many scrolls of blank paper.

The edges of the mirror were golden, strewn with images depicting the legend of Nymeria and the ten thousand ships.

On the walls, several paintings, depicting landscapes such as the deserts of Dorne, but also other, more exotic places, such as the Old City of Volantis, an attention she knew was destined for her, as well as several castles of Westeros, such as Winterfell, Highgarden and Riverrun.

Quentyn then led Nymeria further away, towards a closet, which he quickly opened by pulling the handle, the doors sliding on small wheels towards the left.

She couldn't conceal her amazement at what she saw. Inside, neatly folded or presented, were dozens of items of clothing, from vests to doublets, shoes to gloves, and a wide variety of dresses, each more colorful than the other.

"Are these for your princess?" she taunted Quentyn with a smirk.

"Of course." He smiled slightly. "They're all for you, should you wish to have them. After all, you are my princess, no?"

Nymeria's lips curved into a wide smile, but before she could even say anything else, Quentyn drew her attention to the other side of the closet, revealing boxes containing all the jewellery imaginable: necklaces, rings, earrings, bands, circlets…

Nymeria took a few of them, examining each object with awe before carefully putting them back. It was no secret that she loved such crafts, usually dressing herself richly, with the exception being if she was going to pick a fight, of course, and even then, a small band would always be nice…

Turning around, she darted towards her cousin, but before she could reach him, he whispered, "There's one last thing I need to show you."

In a corner of the room was a small door, which led to a spacious room, albeit much smaller than the one they had just set foot into.

This room was inaccessible from any other door, although it had a small window which didn't show much of anything.

"This is our bathroom," Quentyn pointed out.

Nymeria raised an eyebrow. There was a large bath, of course, along with a large desk with a wide variety of soaps, perfumes and towels, but her attention was drawn to some interesting additions.

On one side, there was a small seat, which Quentyn showed her how to operate. In fact, it was a toilet which water flushed out the waste, dragging it into a whirlpool: no need for chamber pots anymore! 

As for the desk, she quickly realized by herself that it had taps with water in them, while being overlooked by a large mirror, allowing her to wash her face, comb her hair, clean her teeth, or for Quentyn to shave without needing help.

"Where do you get all the water?" she asked.

"Sunspear is rich in it, as a matter of fact," Quentyn replied, "there are underground rivers and oases flowing around, and we should have no shortage of it. 

I've also ordered for some water recuperation stations to be built, so that we may collect any rainwater when it falls, and the maesters are working on a process to filter out the salt from seawater., but I fear this won't be an easy feat."

She nodded, satisfied with the answer.

Then, Quentyn took her towards another interesting contraption. Lying behind another sliding glass door was a small space, with a floor made with colored stones, mostly pink and brown.

Quentyn pointed to a pommel stuck above them, and to two levers right underneath it.

"This is a shower," he said with a beaming smile, "It allows us to bathe without needing considerable amounts of water required for a bath."

"How does it work?" she asked, intrigued.

"You pull the levers and the water comes!" he laughed.

"Like this?" she moved in, pulling one of the levers downwards.

"No! Wait…" Quentyn tried to stop her, but it was too late, she pushed her arm past him and yanked the lever.

Suddenly, water came gushing out of the pommel, completely splashing Quentyn with water. Instead of rushing out, her cousin stood there, dumbfounded, with water quickly dripping over his head and onto his now soaked clothes.

Restraining herself from another laugh, she yanked the lever upwards, and the flow of water stopped once again, leaving her cousin dripping with drops of water.

"Well, I've got a few ideas for what we can do with this…" she smiled widely at her still soaked lover.

"My idea for now is to get a change of clothes and get some sleep." Quentyn sighed deeply, his shoes flopping with every step.

"I agree." She patted him on the shoulder, leaving him to change in the bathroom while she took a step towards the bed, enjoying the comfortable mattress and the delicate sheets, taking off her lavish dress for something more appropriate to sleep.

Travelling had been exhausting and now, all she wanted was for a good night's sleep.

Quentyn came out of the bathroom, having changed into a new pair of pants, but not wearing a shirt, and his hair still being quite soaked, since it seemed he had trouble in drying it. She grinned.

"You know, I think I like you better like this," she quipped.

Quentyn fell on the bed almost like a rock, lying beside her, giving her a small kiss on her lips.

"I hope you like it here," he finally whispered.

"It's wonderful," Nymeria replied, embracing him as she put her head on his shoulder. "I think I could stay here forever, with you."

"Me too." Quentyn wiggled in the bed, putting his arms around her waist and closing his eyes, slowly drifting to sleep. "Forever, I love you, Nym."

Nymeria smiled widely, and whispered into his ear, hoping he'd hear her although sleep may have already set in.

"I love you too, my little prince."

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