This sidepiece was written by Beleriond.
Eastwood
Late 52 AC.
Elena POV
Elena woke up that morning feeling quite ill, as was normal in recent times. This did not put her in the best of moods, and many of the staff and even her own brother had taken to avoiding her in the mornings.
She was now eating breakfast in the main hall, eggs were conspicuously missing from the table as the smell made her nauseous. Elena had just finished her small plate of fruit slices, bread, and choice meats and was about to stand when she was interrupted by a hesitant cough from a few seats away.
"H-hmpf," grunted Elena's husband Aelon Eastwood from the head of the table.
Pausing and looking up to him, Elena saw that he had a slight blush on his cheeks and was having trouble meeting her gaze. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again.
Slightly amused by his nervousness, Elena took pity on him and asked, "Yes Aelon, what do you wish to say?"
Meeting her eyes with a determined expression belying his remaining blush, Aelon got out in a rush, "Y-yes, I was wondering if you might accompany me for a ride about our lands today? You haven't had a proper chance to see much beyond Eastwood and Stormtower yet if I am informed correctly. Maester Armon says that you are far enough along that the babe is not at risk any longer."
Elena was stunned for a moment. Their relationship had improved greatly since she had told him of her pregnancy, but this was certainly a first. Aelon in many ways was an ideal husband. He invited her to participate in his council, allowed her far more responsibilities and freedoms than a Lady generally enjoyed and was faithful to a fault. But for all his good qualities, he was also awkward and shy and while he didn't seem to actively avoid her, inviting her for an outing was most definitely new.
Glancing around, Elena saw a look of surprise on Ser Morden's face as well from where he was standing behind Aelon's seat. His surprise quickly morphed into a subtle smile of pride for his young liege.
Her eyes moving back to Aelon, Elena hesitantly, turning enthusiastically, said, "That… sounds like an excellent idea. Please give me some time to prepare myself."
Aelon, having waited anxiously for her answer, relaxed back into his own seat and replied, "Of course. Take as much time as you need. I was planning to leave an hour or two before midday."
Elena nodded and walked quickly to her room, or as quickly as her slowly growing womb would allow anyway, hearing Aelon ask Ser Morden to round up some guards for the ride. A castle maid followed her there to help her change into her riding clothes.
Arriving at the stables, Elena got to see Aelon's eyes widen at her new look.
Elena's hair had been pulled back into riding braids for the day rather than its usual style, revealing more of her finely sculpted Valyrian features. While Elena did not think herself a great beauty, she knew her colouring and aristocratic features made her quite eye-catching.
Elena's normal dress had been replaced with the riding gear she had brought with her from Tarth, or what would still fit. High-topped boots of soft calfskin covered her feet and ankles. Her legs were clad in brown leather breeches beneath a calf-length riding dress of periwinkle blue, split to allow her to properly sit a horse. Sadly her leather harness had been unable to fit over her expanded midsection, she would have loved to see Aelon's reaction to the way it highlighted her form. Without it, her riding dress had been quite shapeless. Elena and her maid had been able to rectify this somewhat with a leather belt, carefully positioned not to harm the babe.
The overall effect left Aelon stunned for about a minute. Elena noticed a number of the guards that would be accompanying them give her looks as well, then quickly turn away either out of respect for their lord or because of Ser Morden's glare.
Aelon walked up to her and offered his hand. "Please let me help you, my lady," he rather gallantly offered, guiding her to a dappled grey mare that a stableboy had just brought out.
"This's the one yeh wanted milord. Calmest mount we got, ne'er even seen 'er so much as kick," said the stableboy.
Aelon smiled from beside her and replied, "Perfect! Thank you for that." He then passed the boy a couple of copper stars and waved him off. Turning back to Elena, Aelon started to justify himself, "I thought it would be better for the babe if-."
Raising a hand to stop him, Elena said, "I understand Aelon, a calm mount is exactly what I need right now." Muttering to herself, Elena continued, "No more reason to lose my breakfast than I already have."
Seeing Aelon's odd look combining guilt and amusement, and then further guilt at his own amusement, Elena once more raised her hand. "Don't worry yourself, I am quite well enough to ride, and the babe is not entirely your fault after all," the last part was said with a coquettish smile towards her now once more blushing husband. He was an odd man.
Aelon gently took Elena's hand and walked her to the small step that the stableboy had left beside her mount. From there, he carefully helped her to mount the horse. Many of the men-at-arms seemed surprised when she chose to sit astride the horse instead of the more lady-like side-saddle. Aelon never batted an eye.
Riding had long been a favoured activity of Elena's. She had loved to ride her mare across the green hills of Tarth, it's pristine sandy beaches and gorgeous waterfalls were sights she dearly missed. Her riding instructors and septa had long tried to teach her the proper way for a lady to mount and had failed miserably. Elena simply found that she couldn't sit side-saddle without nearly falling off, or slowing down, but where was the fun in that.
Wondering how her husband would react, Elena quickly seized the reins and kicked her heels to send the mare into a canter through the courtyard. Laughing gaily, she looked over her shoulder at Aelon as she circled him, to see his face. His expression was a bit stunned, likely never seeing her this lively before, but it quickly broke into a grin.
Liking what she saw in Aelon's face, Elena decided to up the ante a bit more. "Well are you not coming husband?," she called from across the yard. Before he could respond, Elena turned her mare towards the gate and began to ride through, glancing back once she was sure of her course.
Aelon's grin grew wider and he quickly moved towards his own mount, the guards following suit.
Stopping just outside of the gate, Elena waited for the 'brave' menfolk to catch up to the 'delicate flower' that had left them behind. She didn't know where Aelon wanted to take her after all.
The rest of the ride passed by smoothly, with Elena never going faster than a canter so as not to hurt the precious life within her.
Having passed through a few small hamlets, and been greeted warmly by the smallfolk that lived there. The group had been riding through the wooded hills to the west of Eastwood proper.
Calling the party to a halt at the foot of one such hill by raising his hand, Aelon moved to speak with Ser Morden.
"Ser Morden, I think it's time to stop for lunch, wouldn't you say?," Aelon asked.
Hearing that, the men perked up hopefully. Elena would be lying if she said she wasn't hungry as well.
Ser Morden himself glanced to the sky, measuring the sun's angle, and gruffly agreed, "Fine, I suppose these greenboys deserve a break."
The relieved men moved quickly to dismount, tether and unburden the horses.
Elena saw Aelon, already on the ground, approach as if to help her down. She had just been about to do so herself, but after having her fun in the courtyard she decided to let him act the gallant knight this time.
"So… I actually have something I wanted to show you here," Aelon said uncertainly, after Elena once more had her feet on the ground.
Elena raised an inquiring eyebrow.
"I found this place a while ago and thought that it would be perfect for a picnic."
"Picnic?," Elena asked, not recognizing the term.
Aelon paused for a moment, and then said, "Forgive me, it's a smallfolk expression my father picked up in the Riverlands. It means an outdoor luncheon, typically carried in a basket and eaten on a spread blanket."
"Ah," Elena thought that was a lovely idea, though she didn't see what made this particular patch of hilly woodland so 'perfect'. To her it looked much like any other.
Seeing her confused looks around, Aelon said, "Well, not here exactly, just around that bend over there."
Taking her by the hand, he led her around a small outcropping of rock, Ser Morden following dutifully behind. Elena noticed a rushing sound starting as a small murmur no louder than the rustling leaves, that grew louder as they went, finally becoming a roar.
"Gasp!"
Elena's breath was taken away by the sight of the stream they had passed, forming a waterfall cascading down from the top of a steep cliff and into a crystal clear pool at the bottom of a ravine. The waters of the pool flowed into a stream that travelled down the ravine. Moss, ferns, and beautiful wildflowers dotted the rocks, providing a vibrant contrast that made the water all the more glorious.
She could do nothing but stare for a moment, filled with emotion as the sight reminded her so much of home.
Elena's reverie was interrupted by a voice from beside her.
"I-I had heard that Tarth was known for its greenery and waterfalls. When I first found this, I hoped that it could offer you some of the same beauty you had lost," Aelon said, looking down and away, a blush on his cheeks.
Moving closer, and placing her hand on his cheek, Elena raised his head to face her. She then leaned in and kissed him deeply.
Pulling back, she said, "I agree, it's perfect. Thank you husband."
A happy and confident grin growing on his face, Aelon once more took her by the hand and led her carefully down the scree to the gravel shore of the pool.
Coming to an outcropping of rock covered in soft moss, Aelon came to a stop and waited for Ser Morden to catch up. Elena saw that he was carrying a basket in one hand with a folded blanket over the same arm.
Aelon released her hand and moved to Ser Morden, taking his burden from him. "Thank you Morden. You may return to the men now."
"With respect my lord, you should not be left alone."
"You and the men deserve a break as well you know," Aelon said.
Ser Morden frowned, not looking convinced.
Interrupting before an argument could start, Elena said, "You and the men can have your meal on the overlook if you like, Ser Morden. That way you can keep an eye on us as we eat. You will also be guarding the only access on this side of the stream."
Turning to look at Elena, Morden frowned again, thoughtfully this time. Eventually, he nodded and went back up the slope to give his men their orders.
With the knight gone, Aelon carried the bundle and basket to the moss covered rocks where Elena waited. He then unfolded the blanket, laying it down on a larger patch of soft moss.
Gesturing for Elena to sit, he then proceeded to open the basket, pulling out a number of foods, ingredients and utensils; a loaf of bread that had already been sliced, assorted meats also sliced thinly, fresh greens, cheese, and four jars. Lastly Aelon pulled out several small bottles, one each of juice, wine, ale, and finally his own whisky, which Elena had never tried. Finally, a pair of cups, plates and one small flat knife.
Raising an eyebrow at the eclectic and extensive contents, Elena silently indicated for an explanation.
Rubbing the back of his head Sheepishly, Aelon replied to her unasked question, "I wasn't entirely sure which you would prefer, so I brought a selection just in case. The ale and wine are watered down a bit, just in case."
Nodding in understanding, Elena said, "The juice for now I think, with maybe the wine later. What about cutlery?"
Aelon smiled mysteriously and said, "We won't be needing it. You'll see." He then picked up the bottles she had chosen and the whisky for himself. Moving to the stream, he carefully placed them in the water to chill as he prepared the food.
Elena had just been about to reach for a slice of bread as by this point she was quite hungry, when Aelon said, "Please, wait a moment. The meal isn't quite ready yet."
Curious as to what he meant, most of the foods looked like normal travel rations to her, Elena decided to wait for him to finish. He had better hurry though, her hunger had already increased disproportionately with her growing belly.
She watched as he collected the plates. Selecting a pair of bread slices, he placed them on the plate and asked her, "Which meat would you prefer? I brought beef, pork, chicken, all smoked."
Elena decided on the chicken and told him so.
Aelon, instead of reaching for the chicken,gestured to the mysterious jars she had seen earlier. "I also have a selection of sauces to go with the meats; sweet, spicy, and sour. They're all fairly mild, but the taste is definitely there."
Curious to see where he was going with this, Elena selected the spicy sauce. With house Tarth being so involved in naval trade, she was no stranger to spice.
"This one is a blend of honey and mustard from Volantis," Aelon said as he picked out one of the jars, opening it to let her see. He then picked up the knife and used it to spread the sauce on one of the bread slices he had laid out. Once done, he selected the chicken and placed it atop that same slice.
"The next step is the greens," he said, pulling a few leaves from their bushel and placing them atop the chicken. He then repeated the procedure with some pickles he got from the last jar, and finally a single slice of cheese. "Finally, you place the other slice on top, and it's ready to eat," he said as he followed his own instructions.
Quickly passing her the plate, he watched as she lifted the strange construct in her hands.
"What is this exactly?"
"A little recipe I've been tinkering with lately. I thought you might like it," he replied.
Elena had no idea where he found the time for all his 'tinkering'. You would think that a high lord would be far too busy for such things, but his ideas so far had more than proven their quality so she decided to once more humour him.
Raising the construct to her mouth, Elena took a single dainty bite, and stopped. 'So many flavours and textures all together: the smokiness of the meat, the crisp acidity of the pickles, the fresh subtle sweetness of the greens, the savouriness of the cheese, and the heat of the sauce… It was wonderful."
"This, this is fantastic," Elena exclaimed, almost forgetting her etiquette lessons and speaking with food still in her mouth. "Where on earth did you get the idea?"
Aelon paused for a moment, "I used to help my mother in the kitchen, before she well… you know."
"Oh, my apologies. I didn't realise."
"It's alright, I finished mourning a long time ago…" he paused, "we didn't have many of these ingredients," he said gesturing to the various items laid out on the blanket. "We used butter when we could get it, and she called it a butty." He looked off into the distance, seemingly lost in his memories.
The two fell into uncomfortable silence for a bit.
They eventually started talking about safer topics; Elena asked him about what it was like to grow up as one of the smallfolk, and he asked her about her own childhood as well. The two ate more of the 'butties', mixing up the ingredients.
Eventually the conversation turned to Elena's own family, with Aelon asking, "what about you? It must be hard not seeing your family much? Serwyn's here, but not the rest."
"It's true, I do miss them," Elena said looking down sadly, "but I always knew I would have to leave Tarth eventually." Swirling her cup of wine, Aelon had brought the drinks back a while ago and they had already finished the bottle of juice, Elena said thoughtfully, "I know that my life has been quite privileged as a noble, but in some ways I envy the smallfolk. They can marry for love, and don't have to leave their family and friends behind."
"They're not too far away. I wouldn't stop you from visiting them, or inviting them here if you wanted, you know?"
Looking up to see Aelon's guilt ridden face, Elena said, "Oh I know you would of course, and please don't misunderstand me. You are likely the best husband I could have asked for, certainly better than the alternatives."
Aelon's expression shifted to confused surprise. "What do you mean? Weren't you one of the most eligible ladies in the Stormlands? You could have had any husband you wanted," Looking down, he said, "much better than some newly-enobled minor lord I'm sure."
Looking at him in puzzlement, 'Surely he must know, or is he really that innocent?,' Elena asked, "Aelon, may I ask what you mean by that?"
Aelon looked at her for a moment and then glanced away, his eyes focusing on the distance, seeming to be recalling all he could of Elena's House. "House Tarth are an ancient, powerful, wealthy, and well respected house of the Stormlands. From my understanding, you could well be considered marcher lords of the Narrow Sea for your protection of the Stormlands' shipping from raiders and pirates."
Elena nodded, knowing all that was technically true, although Aelon seemed to be missing some rather key details in his assessment.
Aelon continued, "I know that you are the only daughter of House Tarth, albeit not of the main line. You also share blood ties with the Velaryons, and your mother is the first-cousin of Rhaena Targaryen, giving you royal connections as well."
Again, Elena nodded for him to continue. Once again what he had said was true, but he seemed not to understand some of the implications.
Aelon seemed unsure if he should continue this time or not, looking both nervous and embarrassed. Fortifying himself with a quick guld of wine from his cup, he went on, "You're also quite pretty. Likely one of the most beautiful women in the Stormlands. I know that our colouring," he reached up to pull at a lock of his own silver hair, "is quite exotic and attractive to most." Flushing, he turned away.
His last comments had forced a blush to come to Elena's cheeks as well, and a warm fluttering feeling in her stomach. She very much hoped that the sound of the falls was enough to cover their conversation from the watching guardsmen. It should be as they were more than thirty paces away, and the two were speaking lowly.
The two shared an embarrassed silence for a time, which Elena finally broke.
"Well, you were mostly right I suppose, but not about everything."
Aelon gave her a grateful but questioning look, both for the change of subject and the mysterious nature of her words.
Unsure of how much to tell him, she hadn't had nearly enough of the watered-down wine to loosen her lips, Elena thought for a moment.
Like most nobles, the competent ones anyway, Elena knew that trust could be easily abused. On the other hand, Aelon was her husband and House Tarth's greatest ally at present. She may not have been married to him for long, but Elena also didn't believe that deceit or betrayal were really in his nature. He was far too open and honest for that.
Taking a leap of faith, Elena decided that honesty would be the best policy for their marriage going forward.
"House Tarth is still, powerful, and wealthy, but not as much as we once were," Elena said sadly, looking to the roaring falls across the pool. She couldn't see Aelon's face to judge his reaction, so continued ahead. "In recent decades our house has been in decline. Much of our power and wealth was lost with the Conquest." She looked back at Aelon, seeing his confusion and then dawning understanding.
She continued speaking, "In the past two centuries or so House Tarth has declined as a naval power, a few wrong decisions here and there, the rise of Weeping Town as a major port in Cape Wrath and a particularly harsh storm a few decades or so ago had seen Tarth's fleet decline from a major naval power to a few dozen ill-maintained galleys, carracks and cogs that plied as merchant ships before the Eastwood Tarth Trading Company had been established. But even then the greatest challenge became the formation of the…"
"The Crownlands," he finished her sentence.
Pleased he managed to figure it out so quickly, even if saddened by the topic, she nodded and turned back to the falls. Aelon was intelligent; there was little doubt about that. Odd and strange as well. She could not say for sure, not being privy to her lord uncle's thoughts, but she felt that her new husband's oddity may have been the reason his proposal was accepted. Her uncle well knew that House Tarth's power had always come from the merchants of the Narrow Sea.
The majority of Stormlords had little respect for anything other than martial prowess and saw trade as the work of lesser men and cowards. The Tarths were one of the few exceptions. They used their natural harbour to provide safe anchorage to trading vessels from Essos and the other kingdoms of Westeros. Their fleet had been employed protecting these vessels from pirates. Perhaps her uncle had seen Aelon's mercantile ambitions as key to restoring House Tarth's former glory.
"When Aegon, Visenya in truth, drew the borders of the Crownlands, the Stormlands lost most of its safe anchorages. The Stormlands were with only a few minor fishing villages along the Sea of Dorne to act as ports. Losing the mouth of the Wendwater has forced local merchants to either pay tariffs for passing through the Crownlands or to take the long route overland to reach the heart of the kingdom, significantly increasing costs for all imported goods. Oh, we can still make port at Tarth and Weeping Town, and we can still send goods up the Wendwater, but the tariffs are high," She said.
Aelon said nothing, allowing Elena to continue.
"Before the Conquest, Tarth was ideally suited to deploy ships to protect shipping from both Blackwater Bay and the Sea of Dorne and guard the route between them, but now the trade between the two has almost dried up with my mother's house being tasked with guarding the former… I-I think that her marriage was an apology almost to House Tarth. I know that they didn't marry for love, even if it grew into that."
She stopped for a moment, leaving an uncomfortable silence. She was actually grateful that Aelon didn't try to fill it, or perhaps he just didn't know what to say.
"The shortage of trade has also caused a recession in the northern Stormlands. The south can still use the Slayne to transport goods inland but with the Wendwater cut in half the north has been crippled," she drifted off lost in thought as she recalled the situation of her childhood.
"Ever since they were young, my father and uncle Brynden have yearned to return Tarth to its former glory, but harsh winters, constant warfare, disease and bad luck prevented them from investing in the growth of our naval interests. And soon enough, when there came the time, that they finally had the capital needed to grow, there remained the insurmountable hurdle that while Tarth had stagnated over the past few years, others had not. Alternate trade channels had been created and the wheel continued to turn. There had been little left to sell that would generate enough profit to support Tarth's naval ambitions," Elena paraphrased the words her uncle used to tell her in his darker moments.
"With such damage to the trade which House Tarth relied on, my uncle was forced to sell off a third of his fleet just to avoid debts," Elena stopped as she heard Aelon gasp. She turned to see the look of sympathy on his face.
"I-I don't-"
"Let me finish Aelon, please," Elena said back, raising her hand to stop him.
Aelon's mouth closed with an almost audible click.
"The downturn in our fortunes had many lords see us as beneath their notice for matches. I know that my uncle did try to find me a match with the more powerful houses, but given that I was unbetrothed at sixteen name days, well you can guess how that went."
"As for my relations and looks…" she started to say, "they are as much a hindrance as help."
Aelon made an interrogative noise from beside her.
"Many of the Stormlords, remember or were raised on stories about, when the Stormlands were an independent nation, ruled by the proud Storm Kings of House Durrandon. They resent the Targaryens for taking that away along with the damage done to the north."
Raising a lock of her own hair to look at it Elena went on, "I know that my looks are appealing, or at least many knights have told me so, but they also mark me as a foreigner. Someone strange and not to be trusted…"
Elena fell once more into silence.
"When your proposal arrived, my uncle was seriously considering Lord Estermont, a man in his sixth decade, and with sons already. I was to be nothing more than a bed warmer," Elena said, still somewhat bitter over the whole thing. "It still would have been better than marrying a trueborn daughter of House Tarth to a landed knight of all things," Elena paraphrased her uncle's words. She still loved the man, and knew he loved her, but she didn't think he had his priorities straight.
Putting her anger aside, Elena turned back to her new husband, "And then you came. A young lord looking for a wife. My uncle was unsure of you at first, but even on Tarth we had heard rumours. A newly risen bastard that had managed to build a new anchorage on his lands, and enrich the rest by ingenuity and investment, exactly what we needed. " She smiled at him.
And it was true she thought. Aelon had soon proven himself to be a valuable trade partner even before their marriage. The creation of the new port Stormtower so close to Tarth had allowed easier shipping directly to the heart of the Stormlands. Aelon's luxury products also helped greatly, she knew. The Stormlands had little in the way of valuable resources. There was a market for furs, amber, leather and metalworks, however, lumber was the greatest export of the Stormlands by far, but the market for such was mostly in the Crownlands which received it overland, leaving Tarth with nothing. Whisky and soap were valuable additions that could hopefully fix that problem in time.
"The fact that he was close to my own age and handsome as well may have played a role when my uncle consulted me on the betrothal as well," Elena said leadingly.
Elena's words were rewarded with the blush she had been hoping for when Aelon turned his head away once more.
Seeing her husband blush like a maiden and look away amused her to no end. He was an odd contradiction in several ways, some positive, others less so. Elena had long known not to expect a loving marriage like those in tales of dashing knights and beautiful maidens so popular with many girls around the realm.
Aelon truly was handsome. His Valyrian features were rather strikingly pretty. Was it arrogant of her to think so, considering she shared those features?
He was also intelligent and kind, showing great ingenuity and a drive to better the lives of his people. His new ideas and compassion could be explained to a degree by his having been raised among the smallfolk. Yes, Aelon's fresh perspective could explain his inventions, but she felt that there was still more…
Elena knew from reading about history and politics, as well as the few interactions she had had with other nobility, that established lords and ladies often fought against change, seeing it as a threat to the established order. And this was something that she knew that Aelon was also not ignorant of. And yet he persisted. His work ethic and dedication were some of his best qualities, and yet at times, it blinded him to everything else.
Elena was pulled from her thoughts by Aelon's stuttered words.
"I d-didn't know any of that," he said. "I can't take credit for helping you, though I would have had I known," he hastily added the last part, raising his hands as if to ward off her displeasure.
Elena smiled again. "I know, and it's just one of the things I think I could grow to love about you."
Aelon's blush couldn't grow any brighter if his head were replaced by a tomato. His look then shifted slightly to confusion as he seemed to parse her words more carefully.
"I said I could grow to love it. I don't think we're quite there yet husband, but I hope one day we will be," Elena said looking into his violet eyes, measuring his response.
Aelon's blush died down and he looked at her much more seriously. Smiling he said, "I hope so too, wife."
Elena saw only truth in his eyes. She took his hand in her own and both fell into a much more comfortable silence than any before. They sat and ate a bit longer watching the sunlight cast rainbows in the waterfall's spray.
They each had a bit more to eat before Aelon packed away the food into the basket from whence it came, He had even managed to convince her to try a sip of his whisky, a mistake she quickly regretted when the burning taste forced her to spit it out. Aelon had started to laugh at her misfortune before he quickly fell silent at her harsh glare. She couldn't keep it up long however and eventually she started to laugh as well.
Once the basket was once more full, Aelon had offered her his hand and helped her to climb back out of the ravine. They arrived at the top to see Ser Morden and his men already packed and waiting for them.
The ride back was pleasant and shorter than the more meandering ride out.
Arriving back at the castle, the horses were quickly stabled, while the men went back to their duties.
Aelon waved them off and moved to Elena, offering her his arm once again as he escorted her back to her chambers.
They made small talk along the way. Aelon asking if she enjoyed the day, she kissed his cheek and thanked him profusely, saying they would have to do it again after the babe was born.
Arriving at her chambers, Aelon released her arm, clearly about to leave, when Elena stopped him, clasping it once more.
Aelon turned in confusion, "Yes?"
"There are several more hours until dinner, I thought that we might spend them together," Elena said, a sly smile on her face.
"Doing what?"
Grasping the sides of his face with her hands, Elena pulled him into a deep and lingering kiss.
He tensed for a moment, but slowly started to relax into her grip.
Releasing him to see the pole-axed expression on his face, Elena giggled.
Using his stunned state to her advantage, she quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him into her chambers, locking the door behind her.
AN: Hope you all like it. This is the first time I've actually released something for public review.
AN (for twitter trolls only): Just to be clear, I know that some of you may have wanted a different Elena POV, with her being more independent and kickass, something that would pass the Bechdel test. Unfortunately, this is a mediaeval setting where a woman's place in society is almost entirely determined first by her father and then by her husband. There were exceptions like Joan d'Arc or a few rare guilds that were run by women where they could actually succeed and rise by merit, but those were exceptions for a reason. It is possible to write something more feminist, but I don't have the skill to do something like that justice yet. Maybe if the story was taking place in Dorne or Essos, but it's not. Sorry for that.
You can also just blame the main story authors for not having enough female characters. JK those guys are great. Hopefully, we'll have more female characters soon. Can't promise any PoVs from them though.
