A Holiday by Decree

Whew, just got back guys! It's been a wild couple weeks and change! Here's a chapter to help you bring in the weekend at least!

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~~Day 10~~

"Ha!" Sansa claimed a handful of shells close to Tyrion.

Following breakfast they had gone to the pool-level terrace where the ocean view was better and the staff had erected a small cabana. A bright carrot-orange, the cabana's fabric filtered sunlight through, as comforting as it was striking against the cloudless, blue sky above.

Tyrion was tired after the night they had, and his clothes from yesterday were worse for wear, but none of it mattered. Even as he yawned over the board he thought it again to himself: this had to be one of the best days of his entire life.

He stroked his beard momentarily, and glanced up playfully past his brows at Sansa. The effect was the same all afternoon; she caught his eye and smiled blushingly, setting his heart in motion.

Tyrion had never seen Sansa so content, and given a look from him could inspire such happiness in her, was now making things seem real in a way that kept giving him butterflies. He only tore his gaze away from her to look at the set of moves she had left him.

The game that the servant taught them consisted of the narrow, folding wooden board with two rows of six wells, each end fitted with a slightly larger well. Each player received a handful of small shells, which they could intersperse in the wells on their side of the board, as they chose. Then, by turns they picked up and redistributed the shells right to left around the board. When a player's last shell landed in an empty well across from a full well on their opponent's side, they could then claim the opponent's sells.

"You know, I won't let you get away with that," Tyrion taunted, though counting the spaces out, he saw how well she had played.

A few turns later, Tyrion bowed low in Sansa's direction as she won, scooping up the last of the shells. Though the game could be simple at times, they had played many rounds of it. It had been perfect, as both of them had slept very little and desired to do nothing too difficult.

Now, it was Sansa's turn to yawn. As she did so, she snuggled down into the plushly cushioned chaise longue she was on. Tyrion counted out the shells and having stowed them back in the wells, he closed the board.

"Tyrion, this has been the best day," she said from where she lay still in her nightdress and robe, looking all that was beautiful and desirable to him in the warm light.

"You read my thoughts," he said softly, and rising, he put out his hand kindly to her.

Still, Tyrion was content not to rush things, as he walked Sansa back to her room to rest. Like a good gentleman, he released her gently to step into her room. He had already turned to go, endeavoring to be tasteful and not to linger, when she stopped him:

"Tyrion, wait -"

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~ Oh!