— the journey back across the dornish dunes to sunspear from the banks of the river torrentine in western dorne was faster than the initial journey out for the funeral rites of the reachmen, women and children who had died in the midsummer ball attack. whilst the lack of bodies to carry played a large role in their return journey being considerably shorter, cedric had also spent a great deal of it in his own head. there was not much to be said between his brother and himself, and the two were dealing with their grief with their own methods; whilst cedric had longed to return back home with those who had perished, duty to his family and his house came first. there was still the matter of getting to the bottom of such attacks, and conversing with the other kingdoms about the correct steps of action to take.
upon arriving through sunspear’s gates yesterday evening, he had found himself in the familiar inviting bed of a familiar redhaired inkeeper’s daughter, who had decided not to hold his acquaintance with nicholas lannister against him for what had occurred that night. the tyrell prince had spent most of the night distracting himself in the pursuit of pleasure, and whilst his body was very much present with she who called herself loreza, his mind was in another place altogether. slipping from elia’s smile early that morning, whilst his chosen lover for the night slept peacefully, cedric had chosen to take the longer route to the fortress that went through the back of sunspear’s passages, rather than cut immediately through the martell’s watergardens. his first few weeks in dorne had seen him struggle to navigate through the labyrinth that was sunspear’s bustling bazaars many a time, though at this point he had managed to memorise a few staple routes. keeping his head down as he winded his way through the crowds and various street vendors, some who were familiar faces at this point. at this point he knew some passages were littered with pickpockets, who ranged from innocent looking children to bigger men meant to intimidate; scammers often directed unsuspecting visitors into such passages, only to attempt to rob them.
almost unconsciously, cedric knew of such a lane that was upcoming; side stepping, he brushed shoulders briefly with a figure that he paid little mind toward, before faltering slightly in his tracks. “are you sure it is safe? he was not exactly sure if those were the words he had overheard, due to the sounds of vendors shouting sales regarding their produce - though upon turning to look at the individual he had just brushed shoulders with, he had a feeling of the scene that was beginning to unfold; all confirmed by the satisfied smile on the man’s face. feet moving to intercept the scene before his mind had began to connect the dots in what to do, cedric placed a hand on the man’s shoulder and firmly moved him backwards. “no trouble is needed here.” he spoke firmly, his grip becoming slightly firmer on the man’s shoulder as he directed him toward the lane. “leave.” the man looked at him in sullen anger, though it was a face he had vaguely recognised from his time around sunspear and one he could easily report to the guards by the large mole on his nose. “now.”
the man simply glared at him before turning and going down the lane, muttering something under his breath cedric did not care to understand. letting out a low sigh, cedric turned to finally bring his gaze upon the woman; a face that gave him a warm sense of familiarity he was sure he had seen somewhere before, though it were probably at the midsummer ball. most of the night seemed a blur at this point. “do you often follow men down crooked alleys?” he inquired, his tone no doubt tired yet kind. “he would have robbed you of those flowers you’re holding so tightly; and a lot more.”
—taken aback by the sudden interruption of another stranger, Aelyn looked quite perplexed at the interaction by the two men. it was not quite clear to her whether the finely dressed gentleman was so adamant as to send that man away, though a part of her felt a sense of relief. she felt rather distrustful of him herself and having someone else confirm her suspicion was both making her anxious and thankful at the same time. she watched in silence as the man disappeared between throngs of people. her rescuer's voice demanded her attention and she turned to look at him. a rosy tint dusted lightly upon her cheekbones at his query, making her feel rather stupid for having trusted that man to begin with; not all people have good intentions, that was something she had to remind herself rather often, should she wish not to be tricked, as she had almost been this instance. ugh, how embarrassing! she thought, for had something happened to her, how would she explain to her uncle, mainly, why she had chosen to so willingly follow a stranger down a sketchy alley in a town she had never been before. she would have had no safety, no sense of knowing where to go.
meeting the man's eyes, she noted for the first time that he was rather handsome looking. he looked like he could easily be a hero in one of the romance novels, and the thought almost made her laugh. Aelyn offered him a mock sweet smile. "do you often rescue women from men who look like they have a hidden agenda?" she questioned, her tone matching the smile on her lips. yep, definitely a romance novel hero, the only downside was that she hardly ever read them and would, certainly, never consider writing one.
the thought that she was now left rather stranded, having no clue were to go dawned on her. she needed to get to either the library or a bookstore, no matter how small. it was all so unfamiliar and foreign. though the realization that the stranger who had essentially come to her rescue seemed familiar with the town, or how else would he know to send the man away or that he was leading her down a crooked alleyway? narrowing her eyes slightly at the thought, she smiled to herself at the idea which she conceived. "and seeing how you have a lot of free time to rescue a damsel in distress, and how you sent my guide away, you are going to have to take me to the library, instead." this time she offered another sweet smile, though her tone made it clear that she was anything but joking. "or a bookstore," she shrugged, seemingly nonchalant.
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