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Lost and Found

Chapter 5

"My lady, the lunch has been laid out," Aletta Dayne said and Daenerys looked up from her embroidery.

"Is the Prince back?" she asked. Since her return from the sept, she had asked about her husband, hoping they'd be able to strike something like peace, only to be informed that he had left the Old Palace the night before. The first thought that had gone through her head had been the fear that he had gone to another woman. After all, he hadn't been said to have a mistress since his Alynna's death and that had been a few months ago, shortly before their own wedding.

She gave me everything I needed. Why should I have been unfaithful to her? Clearly, Daenerys didn't give him what he needed, so why should he be faithful to her? And why should it matter at all?

Because he was her husband. Because she would spend her life here, with him. Pride makes a very bad partner in bed, she had once heard Myriah said after a blazing row she had had with her royal husband. Of course, it was easy for the Queen to say it. She was not only a bedmate, she was loved.

For the first time, she allowed a thought to enter her head, a memory that still haunted her with the daunt of shame and regret: Daemon's wife, taken captive after the Redgrass Field. How beautiful she had been at their wedding – and how she had regained nothing of that beauty after performing as a broodmare. Was that to be Daenerys' own fate – used, unwanted, and unloved, neglected as soon as she started to lose her looks after numerous pregnancies? Was this the punishment she had to endure? I never wanted it, she railed inwardly. I never intended to do anything to her.

But she had. What was marrying Daemon supposed to be? She had simply refused to give Silviana any consideration at all. And now she had found herself in what had surely been Silviana's own position – dependant on a man who didn't love her, who loved another woman instead. True, Alynna should be no threat for Daenerys – but she was. She had held Maron's heart in a way Daenerys didn't. She still dwelled here, in the rooms that had been hers once, in the child Maron would not send away no matter what.

No, they had to strike a peace. That was the only way for her to have a good life here.

"Yes, my lady," Aletta said. "He returned a while ago. He's with his brother now."

"Thank you, Aletta," Daenerys replied. So, she would have the chance to gauge this Darial Sand for himself. She had already heard from her ladies all about how great and courageous he was… and how attractive. It was told that more than a few of the noble women of Dorne could testify to his nightly skills but then again, it was only a juicy piece of gossip, at least where maidens were concerned. Daenerys had already heard about a story of him and three widows…

She had so hoped that she had left all those bastard siblings stories behind. But then, it was Dorne here. She should have expected that there would be a bastard brother or three of Maron's lurking around. She supposed she should be pleased that her husband's own bastard was only one! Really, I should be grateful to the sainted Alynna for keeping Maron at her side unfailingly, she fumed as she walked toward the dining room.

Because of the hot weather, lunch in Sunspear tended to be pretty light, even in the Old Palace. Daenerys hoped they would have some of those nice balls of almond paste filled with raisins, as well as some nuts soaked in honey. Not that she would mind if the cooks had decided to fall back to some traditional Dornish meals. Now, she could eat almost anything Maron did and not give it a thought. She had even started to like all those spices.

Since lunch was not an official meal, she was not surprised to hear the voices from the adjacent chamber of the small dining room. Clearly, the men were not over with their conversation yet. Daenerys hesitated but entered and immediately regretted it. She should have known that the boy would be here.

Darial Sand, the late Prince's bastard, lifted Alor off his knees and placed him on the settee before rising politely to bow. Maron's look showed that he desired of Daenerys to extend her hand for Darial to kiss. All her peaceful intentions forgotten, she hesitated – and the moment passed.

"My lady," the young man said. He was a few years older than Maron, with the same dark eyes. His hair was glossy brown, though, not black, and his face was tanned, as befitting a captain in Dornish fleet. "I am honoured to finally meet you."

She gave him a long look. "I expected I'd see you at our wedding," she said neutrally.

"I could not have this pleasure," he said. "I was busy fighting the enemies of Dorne. There are always enemies. Some of those worms had permeated even the Dornish fleet." And then, he smiled. "Your Lord Velaryon was a great help. I can see why he was raised to Master of Ships."

That was news to Daenerys. She had thought the young man had been elevated solely because of his sister's marriage to Maekar. She had never considered the possibility of him being capable. But then, they all were, weren't they? Those who were elevated, at least – Baelor, Maekar… Brynden. Why should Naeryne's brother be any different?

A shriek made her jump just as she was making herself comfortable. She looked around wildly to see who was being killed but the enemy saw her before she saw him. Her shriek turned to laughter at the sight of the brown monkey that landed in her lap and fumbled to rise.

"Furry!" Alor exclaimed and came running to save what was, clearly, his new pet. The monkey jumped on his shoulder, wove a hand through his hair and squealing, started tugging at him to go somewhere off.

Maron sighed and looked at his brother. "Really!" he exclaimed. "Will I ever live to see the day you bring a present that is normal?"

"Furry is normal!" Alor exclaimed indignantly before Daenerys could say the same. In truth, she wouldn't mind if Darial had decided to present her with a monkey. Unbidden, the thought of Furry jumping on the High Septon's shoulder and pushing the crystal crown aside to get him by the hair… if he found some at all, made her grin improperly.

"I bought him against a length of silk in Volantis," Darial said. "I thought Alor might like him."

"I do,' the boy assured him vehemently but the energy let go off him pretty fast. For the last few weeks, he had changed – he had become quite restless, his appetite gone. Daenerys could guess what he was thinking about – the rumours had reached even her.

Alor went back to his uncle and sat down next to him. "You know it'll be the Warrior's Day soon, don't you?"

The palace had been preparing for the celebration for weeks. Personally, it was never one of Daenerys' favourite holy days but of course, it didn't matter. She had started organizing the festivities, ordering the courses for the feast and conversing with the septons.

Of course, she suspected that it would not be a favourite holy days of Maron's, either. Not now.

"Yes," Darial said. "I know it'll be the Warrior's Day soon."

"And…" the boy started and his voice faded.

"And your mother's nameday, as well," Darial finished for him.

Alor nodded.

"I know," Darial said.

Alynna's nameday was the Warrior's Day. Daenerys had already heard that when Alor had been even younger, they had had two celebrations in the same day – in the morning, it had been Alynna's nameday, then it had been the Warrior's Day and late in the evening, when Alor had been already put to bed, it had been Alynna's nameday once again and she, Maron, Darial, and a few friends had gotten drunk together.

"Does the Stranger allow namedays?" Alor asked, looking from his uncle to his father, and then Daenerys.

"Err…" Darial started.

"I don't think…" Maron tried.

Daenerys wanted to snap at them but it would be no good.

"I don't think why he wouldn't," she said before the two foolish men could say exactly what they shouldn't.

Unfortunately, that clearly made Alor think that she was the one who could give answer to all his questions. He hugged the monkey and looked at Daenerys.

"Why isn't my mother coming back?" he asked. "Was I bad?"

That was what one got when they opened their mouth when they should have kept silent. She didn't even bother to look at Maron for help – she knew he was as stunned as her, if not more. What in the Mother's name had he been doing all this time he had been spending with his son? What had he been talking to him about if he had missed on the most important things? And why, oh why should she be the one to clean the mess?

"No, Alor," she said, knowing that the two men would be no good at all. "Your mother was just ill."

"My nursemaid was also ill."

"Yes, but that's another illness. Your mother wanted to stay here but she couldn't because she was too ill…" A new thought came to her and for a moment, rendered her speechless. "Alor, did you think your mother was coming back?"

"Yes," he said softly and nodded. "She might not like it with the Stranger. She always said Sunspear was the place she loved best. She might like it better here and come back."

Maron has done great job at explaining death to him, hasn't he? "I am sorry, Alor, but your mother isn't coming back. Ever."

For a while, he stared at her before running out of the room, squeezing the monkey so tight that it started screeching again. Maron rose and banged his fist against the wooden frame of the window, leaving a bloody imprint. Darial looked as if he would rather be fighting sea battles again.

For the first time since her arrival, Daenerys realized that she wasn't the only one who had lost her way.