A Holiday by Decree
~~Day 10~~
The morning air was soothingly cool coming off the jungle after the storms. When Tyrion and Sansa went out to the grand dining area, the sun radiantly streamed through the clear air, but Sansa pulled her robe around herself more tightly. It had only been so brisk once or twice, since they had arrived. Still, in spite of it, neither of them wanted to miss the beautiful, crisp morning nor part ways just yet even to change.
Having been nearby, Jesa came out with thin but tightly woven lap blankets. Tyrion put his around his shoulders, while Sansa laid hers across her lap, toying with the foreign feeling, glossy looking weave, which was actually quite warm despite its appearance.
"Could it be that the Queen in the North is getting soft against the cold due to her vacationing in the South?" Tyrion teased once they were both settled.
"As if - your accusations won't ruin my reputation, Lord Hand," Sansa parried, playfully wrinkling her nose.
Tyrion and Sansa looked out and listened to the crash of the receding tide. The bright blue waves breathed in and out as if the storms the night before were a mere memory. Meanwhile, the servants laid out a veritable banquet for breakfast.
Plump halves of the bright-crimson fruits they had sampled the juicy pips of before were abundant. Serving plates were laden with two different types of flat breads, one toasted and crisp, the other sweet with airy pockmarks in the dough. These were served with a block of some of the richest butter either Sansa or Tyrion had ever tasted. A viscous, nutty paste paired well on the breads with golden honey. More of the orange jam and cheese spread Tyrion loved was there, and a final bowl held a sunshiny-yellow, creamy substance. Sansa spread some on a piece of the toasted bread and exclaimed immediately.
"Mmm, it tastes like lemon curd! … But not?" she half-squealed, intrigued.
"Oh I forgot, I may have mentioned you love lemons… I was rather hoping they could make you lemon cakes," Tyrion smiled a bit shyly. "Unfortunately, Jesa told me they don't have lemons now. Perhaps this is their effort to make an alternative?"
Sansa flushed at his thoughtfulness and happily savored the delicious curd.
They sipped hot coffee and took their cozy meal, while the sun warmed things up. Tyrion stretched catlike in his seat, drawing an amused smirk from Sansa.
"At this rate, I'll need to lose weight when I go back," he sighed, though not unhappily. Still, silence followed. Unspoken, they had avoided mention in the past few days of their eventual return. Fortunately, a distraction came: the young manservant who had helped them with their pipe approached the table.
"My Lord, my Lady, the housekeeper has asked, if you would like to try a local game?" He produced the wooden box he had carried over, and for Sansa and Tyrion, thoughts of their departure were thankfully forgotten once again.
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Hi all, unfortunately life offline calls, and I will be away from my computer for about 1-2 weeks, so you won't see updates for a bit. Keep well in the meantime!