A Holiday by Decree
Author's Note 1: Warning, descriptions of smoking products usage will be described in the next few chapters. I've taken some artistic license with this too - so you can see some more author's notes below the chapter.
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~~ Day 3 ~~
As Tyrion did the clasps on his doublet, part of a beige ensemble of more Meereenese lightweight fabric, he felt thankful the clothes still fit. His work may have been desk-bound and every time he looked in a mirror he found himself aging to some degree. However, though others might doubt it, he did routinely exercise and monitor his upkeep. The only exception was his hair, which he admittedly lost control of anytime it got a bit too long.
Tyrion Lannister, you aren't over-the-hill yet, but death could be near this night, he thought while adjusting his under-tunic. After he slid on a pair of his favorite rings and chestnut-colored leather huarache sandals, he headed out for the meeting spot Sansa had selected that morning for a pre-supper meet up.
He fidgeted with one of his rings while he walked and considered what would possibly invite his demise; paranoia already had him wagering just when Jon Snow would jump out of some dark corner to get him, even if this evening was Sansa's plan. To that end, he reviewed their breakfast conversation:
"No, I suppose, I am free," he replied with his availability.
"I want to invite you to join me for something, but it's a bit unconventional –" she hesitated momentarily. "I asked the housekeeper for ideas about what to do for leisure here that might be different than in Westeros. She mentioned that Daenerys and Jon like to smoke a type of local water pipe some evenings, when the weather is nice, before and during supper. I asked if I could try it, but it seems like it's more of a social activity here. Would you be interested in doing it with me this evening?"
Tyrion's curiosity was piqued by the invitation in more ways than one. While smoking wasn't done in Westeros, he had smoked occasionally in his travels. He was hardly an expert, but he knew enough to try to ask what would be in the pipe in question. He had usually smoked with others who were in the know, making it less of an issue even if things got, well, rowdy - but that said, he had also never smoked with a high-born lady before. He couldn't imagine Sansa having ever done it. Would she even like it? There were certainly things to consider.
"That does sound interesting," he replied nonchalantly. "Uh, but would you know what we'd be smoking?"
"Oh yes - it was described to me as a melange of local herbs and spices. The aroma and flavor are meant to be earthy and soothing when vaporized through the pipe. I thought that sounded rather nice. I look forward to trying it and hope you'll join," she explained matter-of-factly.
So hearing that her plans were set as they were, Tyrion felt himself bound to join her. Clearly uninitiated as Sansa was, he was not about to let her try this on her own for the first time - visions of disapproving, murderous Jon Snows or not.
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Author's Note 2: I interestingly found while writing this that there's apparently been some discussion about something distinct I realized while writing this chapter: GoT characters don't really smoke. I've seen some reasoning that this is based on real Medieval Europe, where smoking became a thing later on when tobacco was eventually introduced to the area. Of course Sansa and Tyrion are in a paradise land of my creation, but the keen reader may have spotted that the water pipe mentioned is a riff on hookah. Hookah is more of a 16th century thing according to references I've seen, but I decided I liked the thought of them doing this unfamiliar, possibly even taboo, thing too much not not to roll with it. Hope you will enjoy it too.