She tried not to let the little incident at the wedding affect her enjoyment of King's Landing, but with her father having to act as a judge and her sister being, for the lack of a better word, out of it, that had not been quite as achievable. She still had her mother, technically.

Some people might be happy being able to spend more time with their mother, and she had been as well when her mother had offered to accompany her instead of Elle, yet at the end of day one she yearned to get her sister back. Because her mother did not want to walk alone with her, insisting on building an entire travelling party.

The three ladies that had come from Dorne with them - Myria Jordayne, Larra Blackmont, and her daughter, Jynessa - accompanied them, as well as her grandfather, Harmen Uller, and, because her mother was her mother, seven servants were forced to join their party as well. At least bloody Daemon Sand had opted to remain in the manse.

They did not wish to explore. Not truly, at least, not as she and Elle had done both here and back home. Instead, they meandered about, looking at this and that, heading through one store then passing another.

"How about this one, Elia?"

Her mother held up a bulky golden necklace, and she did her best not to frown at such a ridiculous thing.

"That will burn my skin as soon as I step foot into the sun."

Someone giggled behind her - likely Myria, the heir of House Jordayne had never truly liked her - but they were quickly shushed by someone else.

Clothing, hair, beauty - what was she to do with all that? Her interests laid in martial matters, in learning and exploring, to be just like her father. Or heroes like Allyria Dayne, Nimueh Starlight, Queen Valena, and the Golden Paladin.

A knight, travelling the lands and fulfilling great deeds. That was where her destiny laid.

"Have you seen that Kingsguard at the wedding, the one with the wings on his helmet? I believe he is Dornish," Jynessa said as she excitedly took ahold of Myria's arm.

"But there are no Dornish knights on the Kingsguard," the other girl responded. "Perhaps a Marcher lord?"

"No, a northerner could have never been as handsome as him. Believe me, I saw it in his eyes."

"That he is Dornish or that he is handsome?"

The two girls turned around to Elia, both looking similarly annoyed at her sudden interruption.

"Don't worry about that," Myria said. "Lady Lance could never understand that."

Even despite her condescending tone, Elia knew her words to carry truth. She had, after all, never, not once in her life, been interested in a boy. Nor a girl, for that matter.

She had tried, of course. Tried to experience that thing that connected her parents, to feel what others experienced every day, to force it out of herself. Perhaps, she had thought, if she only spent enough time with people she thought pretty, it would come naturally.

But no matter how hard she tried, nothing happened. No number of boys or girls she kissed, no amount of forcing herself through those awful books about chivalry and romance Elle so adored changed what was fundamentally different inside of her. And now that she was approaching eight and ten, she assumed it never would.

Good riddance, she thought to herself on some days, when she remembered the girls crying because a boy had rebuffed their advances. Love seemed far too much work than she was willing to put up with. There was no need for it, either. She had everything she needed.

Now she remembered why she disliked being around her mother's friends. Elle understood her, and when she didn't she at least accepted her and never mentioned it again, but these ladies did neither. Despite hailing from Dorne, even they had preconceived notions of what a woman should be like.

The royal court must be even worse in this regard. If she had been Elle, she would have fled as well.

Her father returned in the evening, while they had already started with dinner - today even her grandfather Harmen and her great-uncle Ulwyck had joined them.

The trial had been over for two days now, Tyrion Lannister having called for a trial by combat according to her father. Yet he had returned to the castle once more today, and now he finally told them why.

"I have offered Lord Tyrion to champion him at his trial on the morrow," he said as he took his seat at the table, "and he has accepted."

"Why would you do that?" Elia asked. "I thought we hated House Lannister."

"Not everyone." He sent a smile towards Elle. "Rarely is ever an entire family to blame for a crime, as is the case here. I believe Lord Tyrion to be innocent, the evidence is simply too convenient. Yet even if-" He paused. "The crown's champion will be the Mountain."

It seemed as if even the birds quietened for a moment.

"Be careful," her mother said. "I know how much this means to you, but be careful."

"I would fear more for the Mountain," Ulwyck said. "He will rue the day he decided to challenge Dorne."

"You have nothing to worry about, my love." Her father pressed a kiss to her mother's hand. "I have waited so long for this moment, not even the gods will be able to save that monster." He chuckled, then his gaze wandered towards Elle, who had remained silent during their conversation. "You haven't eaten."

Indeed, her sister's bowl was untouched, still filled with Ful Medames, a stew consisting of beans, parsley, garlic, and onions.

"I'm not hungry."

"You should eat something," Elia said with a smirk. "How else are you planning to defeat me during our sparring sessions?"

Elle stared at the bowl before her, her hands burying themselves in her skirt's fabric. Then she stood up so suddenly, her chair toppled over and fell to the ground. "I shall return to my rooms, I am rather tired."

And with that, she had disappeared through the door.

Elia was about to run after her, when her mother laid a hand on her wrist.

"Let her be," she said quietly. "She has just lost her brother, she needs time to work through it."

Now she felt stupid. Of course Elle had been out of it, she would be as well if she lost a member of her family. Even after she had been told of Elle's real identity, it seemingly still needed time to fully sink in that her sister wasn't only hers.