A/N: I'm aware that Edric Dayne is a child. I boosted his age to make the story work. Shush yourselves)
Elyssia Thorne
Lord Edric Dayne's return, accompanied by Oberyn and Quentyn Martell, was met with the grandest festival Elyssia had ever seen. The streets were hung with bolts of twisted silk and every torch lining the narrow streets was lit with a strange powder that made the flames burn bright blue. There were fires burning merrily around every turn, often being used to cook multitudes of spicy peppers, meats, and fruits. In the center of it all was a massive bonfire that could be seen from every corner of the city. The fires were sorely needed. As Elyssia had learned, Dorne grew cold without the sun's warmth.
Olenna had spent hours on Elyssia, insisting that she make the girl up herself. When she'd finished, Elyssia's hair had been curled, the strands near her face twisted up into braids and pinned around to the side where one of the Dornish Spitfire's was pinned neatly above her ear. The gown Olenna had chosen was the color of a sunset, made with silk dyed bright shades of orange, red, and a soft orange-pink that complimented the soft blonde of her hair. The dress was beautiful, but Elyssia still remembered the distaste her foster mother had imposed on her of bright colors.
The festival itself would have been scorned in the North as well. It was full of dancers and tumblers, and Bravosi fire dancers with flaming swords. One dark skinned woman sashayed around a small square, twirling a long rope of silk behind her as she did. Olenna guided Elyssia past the thickness of the festivities, leading her along a narrow stone path that connected the market street with a smaller residential street. This area of the city was filled with wealthy merchants and traders and lesser nobles. It was here that a much more modest party had formed. A smaller bonfire lit the center of the street, and a much calmer group of people surrounded it. Among them was Lord Dayne as well as several other young men who'd attracted quite a lot of attention from the young ladies that hovered nearby.
"Ah there you are" Lord Dayne said, waving Elyssia over to the group as he saw her approaching with Olenna. "This is my great-niece, Elyssia. Elyssia, this is Prince Oberyn and Prince Quentyn. They're visiting from Sunspear."
"A pleasure to meet you, my lady" Elyssia's attention was drawn to the taller of the two men. He was smiling darkly at her, his arm wrapped around a young w/"oman with pretty brown eyes. She assumed this was Oberyn Martell. The Red Viper. He was holding a stemmed wine glass, filled to the brim with some honey colored liquid. Oberyn sipped it quietly before speaking again. "We'd hoped to make your acquaintance at my niece's name-day party. Unfortunately it seems you were quite ill after your journey home."
"The water's were a new experience" Elyssia answered. "I'd never been on a ship before coming to Dorne. I'm feeling much better now that there's earth under my feet."
"Wonderful" Oberyn nodded. "I believe I've forgotten a slight formality" He indicated the young woman standing with them. "My dear Ellaria Sand. Mother to my children"
His paramour. Elyssia knew the term from Luwin's lectures. It was a disgusting thing to people north of the Boneway. But here in Dorne keeping a paramour would be perfectly acceptable, even encouraged, especially for someone from the Warden House of Dorne.
"A pleasure" Elyssia managed a smile at Ellaria, pleased that she was still able to recall the manners Lady Catelyn had imposed on her.
"As to you" Ellaria answered, twining her slender arm even tighter around Oberyn's waist.
"And of course my nephew Quentyn" Oberyn swept an arm out to grab onto the shoulder of a younger man. Quentyn Martell was much less dramatic than his uncle. He seemed almost too indifferent to the situation, bordering on outright rudeness. Despite his obvious reluctance, he smiled in her direction as she turned her attention to him. Though he lacked his uncle's daring handsomeness, he was comely in his own way. Elyssia could easily see why the Prince attracted so many of the young women who'd gathered here.
"It seems they weren't lying when they said you were the very breath of summer" Quentyn's eyes confused Elyssia when he spoke. Though his face was mocking a warm, pleasant expression, his eyes betrayed suspicion. Of what she couldn't determine. "When I heard you were a relation of Lady Damyan I'd assumed you'd be of her likeness. I never expected a golden flower"
The name Damyan didn't immediately click to her, a fact that disturbed Elyssia. She'd learned what she could of Lord Edric's family and her own during her time in Starfall, but names still escaped her. Was Damyan Lord Edric's mother? Perhaps his wife or infant daughter? It couldn't be his wife or late child as the two of them had died before Elyssia's mother had even been born. Could Damyan be Edric's sister? Or perhaps one of her mother's siblings?
Lord Edric saved her from her confusion. "Oh but she is my dear sister's breath." So Lady Damyan was the woman who'd ruled Sandshrine before her son Tyror. Elyssia's grandmother. "Not in appearance no, we all know Damyan was as tall as any man and twice as handsome. But Lady Elyssia has proved quite the scholar and plays a very good game of cyvasse."
Which makes me a very adept liar, Elyssia could imagine the same thought crossed Oberyn's mind as he regarded her carefully. And an enemy to your house should I chose to play offensively in Robb's favor.
There was a light tittering of amusement from the guests gathered around the fire. A small smile turned up the corner of Quentyn's mouth as he took a drink from the goblet he was holding. He opened his mouth to respond, only to shut it when his uncle spoke instead.
"So Elyssia, have you ever seen your family's sigil?" Oberyn asked. "Not the sword and star of House Dayne, or Damyan's shadowcat. The Elderoak. Have you ever seen one with your own eyes."
"No" Elyssia shook her head, accepting a goblet of the honey colored liquid from Olenna. "They were eradicated in the North because of the Godswoods and Ironwood trees."
"They still survive here in Dorne, their unique sap makes them quite good at resisting the heat" Oberyn reached into the light cloak he was wearing and pulled out a small sprig of a tree. He handed his wine to Ellaria, freeing a hand so that he could twirl the twig in between his fingers. Elyssia recognized it immediately. The dark purple leaves that hung off the ends of the silver barked stick were a sure identifier. It was a piece of an Elderoak.
"So I've heard" Elyssia tilted her head slightly to the right,. She was unsure where this conversation was going.
"Elderoaks can be considered weeds here" Oberyn's dark eyes met hers evenly. "They're a foreign tree, meant to grow in The Reach and the southern parts of the Vale and the Riverlands. They were never meant to somehow cross into Dorne. Many people look for ways to eradicate them from here as well. Cutting them down, poisoning them, taking off their leaves so they can't spread. Some even say they're a plauge and will eventually choke out the natural trees of Dorne."
It was a threat. A thinly veiled one at that. Everyone in the small circle looked incredibly uncomfortable as Elyssia straightened herself. She set her own wine aside. "Prince Oberyn" She began slowly. "You know. That's not entirely true" Elyssia thought back to the book Maester Luwin had loaned her about the Elderoak when she was a child. "They can burn. Just not on the outside"
"Hm?" Oberyn raised an eyebrow at her.
"The sap, the stuff that makes it immune to fire, it only protects the surface" She reached across the fire, holding her hand out. "Might I see that?"
"Of course" He passed it to her.
She used a nail to scrape off the sap that had congealed at the end of the stick, covering the place where the branch had been cut from it's tree. Once the sticky substance was removed, she held the Elderbridge twig in the flame, turning it slowly until she was sure every part of the bark and wood had touched the fire.
"The outside is still unblemished" Quentyn spoke up as she withdrew the twig from the flames.
"The outside is still coated in this sap" Elyssia twirled the stick in front of him, showing him the syrupy purple substance that still lingered on the silver branch. "But the inside is less fortunate, turned to ruble and toxin." She upended the stick, allowing the ash that remained of the wood inside to fall into the palm of her hand. The still hot remains glowed purple, blue, green, and gold, shifting between the colors as it cooled in Elyssia's palm. She had to bite her tongue to keep from crying out at the painful sensation as the smoking ash bit into the skin of her palm. Elyssia could already tell the skin had blistered and would be painfully swollen in the morning. She'd have to sneak off to see Starfall's Maester as soon as she could be free of the cautious eyes of her uncle and the taunting ones of the Red Viper. "The Elderoak is said to be the very heartbeat of fortune in Elderbridge. People, both noble and common alike, pray to them for harvest and home. But should an Elderoak ever be reduced to a hollowed shell of niceties and ash..." The people watched as a thin tail of ash began to clump together, forming a rounded tail-like shape. "Well. Some people say that is when the shadowcat is born."
"Quite impressive" Oberyn chuckled, turning to Ellaria. "Isn't it sweet? We'll have to display Lady Elyssia's little trick to our daughters. The young ones will love it"
"Indeed" The paramour smiled icily, though Elyssia could see the smile did not carry to her eyes. She could have sworn Ellaria glanced toward Elyssia's hand as she took a sip, as if acknowledging the pain that was radiating from her hand and fingers.
Once Oberyn had looked away to amuse himself with a young nobleman talking joyfully, Prince Quentyn stepped forward. It was him that quickly brushed the cooling ash from her palm. He upended his own goblet over the burns that were left on her palm, ignoring the incredulous expression on Olenna's face.
"Wine won't do for sterilizing the wounds. But it should wash away the ash and keep it clean until your Maester can use boiled vinegar and some poultice to suck out the burning." Quentyn said softly as to not attract the attention of the people around them.
"Thank you, but I was hoping to slip off the moment your Uncle turned his back" Elyssia whispered in return. She was unsure why she was confiding in the young prince after meeting him a few moments before.
"Perhaps I can assist with that" Quentyn looked up from her hand, glancing around at the men and women around them, almost as if he were taking inventory of who was closest and watching. "Take my arm when I offer it. Answering my question will be as simple as 'yes, my lord,' or 'certainly Prince Quentyn.' Once you answer I'll invite your woman here along as an overseer to my good intentions. Then we'll go see this Maester"
Elyssia merely nodded as best she could, completely confused about the display. Quentyn straightened up, looking toward his uncle's turned back. He offered Elyssia his arm, smiling lightly. "Lady Elyssia, perhaps you'd allow the time to show me to your castle? I believe I've had enough of this cold air and smoke."
"Of course, Prince Quentyn" Elyssia said quietly. "It is indeed far too cold to stray from the fires for very long. We should hurry"
Quentyn smiled as if he was pleased with her answer. He looked away from her, turning his attention to Olenna. "Would you care to accompany us? It would be ill-seen should I escort the Lady unsupervised. Your know how people would talk"
"Of course my Lord" Olenna, having been blind to their plan, said suspiciously. "I am with Lady Elyssia wherever she goes. If I were not I would make a poor shield should someone mean her harm"
"A wonderful shield you must be" Quentyn didn't blink as Olenna subtly grazed her sword hilt. "Well then, shall we be off, My Lady?"
"Of course" Elyssia smiled pleasantly as she allowed Quentyn to escort her from the grumbling circle of women who'd overheard their exchange. The Dornishman lead her quietly into a adjoining seat, keeping her arm knitted tightly through hers as they passed the revelers and dancers and swordsmen that crowded the streets.
"My Lady? You were meant to attend Lord Dayne as his heir tonight" Olenna mumbled to her as she stood between Elyssia and a drunken man that stumbled past.
"She is attending him as his heir. What better way to show her dutiful nature than to escort an unfamiliar man to her castle beyond the reach of her great-uncle and the noblemen who are preening for his attention?" Quentyn chuckled as he walked her through the crowd. "There are many women in Dorne who would cow at the notion of being alone with a knight while only escorted by one sworn sword"
Quentyn held up his free hand as Olenna went for her sword. "Fear not, I mean Lady Elyssia no harm. I simply meant to free her from my uncle's criticisms and allow her an excuse to see the Maester for these blisters." He brushed the fingers of her burnt hand with his own, causing her to wince. "They'll be quick to fester with that ash. My uncle clipped that twig from a poisoned Elderoak. The toxin is only harmful to trees, have no fear, but who knows what nastiness it could invite to this wound"
"You should never have been allowed to burn yourself, my lady" Olenna said crossly, giving Quentyn a scornful look. "Your foolish uncle, both yours and Lady Elyssia's, allowed her to come to harm from the flames rather than insisting she stop"
"I beg your pardon," Quentyn smiled. "But Elyssia hardly seems the type to stop something simply because a man commands it. Now. Shall we enjoy the festivities while we can be away from our elders?"
If Elyssia had to say anything for Dorne, it would be that it's princes were certainly more interesting than those in King's Landing.