A Holiday by Decree

~~ Day 4 ~~

Sansa pressed her fingertips to her eyes the next morning, having replayed it all (at least what she could remember clearly enough) of their evening together.

Good gods, Sansa, she thought, still forcing herself to wake up. The way you acted! You could have told him anything last night! What happened to taking it easy, and waiting to see what, if anything, could happen? He could easily think you haven't progressed past being the same, silly child.

And if not that, she feared that at best she had been smothering and overt – How awful!

Sansa had almost convinced herself that even if she could physically get out of bed she did not want to (based on grounds of embarrassment), when a maid knocked at her door: "Good morning, Milady. Lord Tyrion invites you to coffee in the Aviary Courtyard."

In spite of the pack of reasons she had just come up with to stay in bed, she roused herself and quickly dressed after the maid pulled a dusty plum-colored, airy sleeved shift for her. Feeling it important not to delay, as Tyrion had made such a point himself the morning before, she brushed her hair, but left it free around her back and shoulders.

When she entered the courtyard at a swift pace, Tyrion rose from his seat to brightly greet her. She took a seat in a petite chair of curved iron design. As Tyrion reseated himself on a stone bench across a matching, small, round wrought iron table, she noted how put together he looked in contrast to how she felt. She distracted herself with studying what appeared to be a modest beverage service on the table.

Apparently noticing her behavior, he started in a more gentle tone, "Uh, I hope you are alright after last night. I wanted not to wake you too early, but I thought it was possible you might be in need of something more than tea this morning."

Sansa gave a small, polite smile, "Thank you, that's thoughtful of you. I'm frankly not sure what it is though."

"Well, then you may find this a treat," he replied a bit more animatedly, reaching for the brass kettle and taking her empty porcelain cup by its handle. She watched, as he explained and fully put together her drink. "This is coffee. Based on the climate here, I inquired if it was available, and they brewed a whole pot. I first had it in Essos, where coffee beans are traded as a luxury to roast and grind. The taste can seem too strong depending on preference, so it's served with cream and sugar. Its qualities are much more invigorating than those of tea."

He placed the cup in front of her. The strong, sweet, earthy aroma of the brown liquid, which had turned light sable after Tyrion added milk to it, wafted up. Already attracted by its warm, comforting nature, she took a tentative sip and welcomed the flavor to grow on her.