A Holiday by Decree
~~Day 12~~
Upon reaching the site of the just-erected white fabric cabana, Tyrion and Sansa noted that the staff already appeared to be gearing up as ever to prepare them another of the islands' rustic but bountifully appointed meals. The crew were already efficiently at work building a fire pit on the sand and inspecting the haul of small fish they had captured. Adil and Hirat meanwhile worked with another crew member to unpack large hampers of everything from fresh, vibrantly hued, exotic vegetables to various cooking implements, and jugs of fresh, cool water.
Having gratefully accepted water from Adil, Sansa and Tyrion soon decided to take a walk. They had just finished snacking on another satisfying picnic-style breakfast of bread, eggs, jam, citrus custard, and the golden-colored fruit from the ranch during their voyage. Though lunch would obviously still not be ready for a bit, Tyrion had joked that if they did not work up an appetite somehow, he feared he could not possibly eat again, and so off they went.
Like the island on which the manor rested, the beach they strolled on was characterized by a wide expanse of velvety-soft, white sand met on one side by steep, terra-cotta hued, wall-like cliffs crowned with jungle foliage. As explained by Adil, on Sansa and Tyrion's other side the ocean surf rolled in gently due to the natural occurrence of light-colored sand bars in the water that could be seen at a distance from the shore. Further out, more small, neighboring islands dotted the horizon, protecting the beach from the strong tides that graced the manor's larger island.
As they walked, Sansa and Tyrion's conversation meandered easily from observations about the natural beauty around them to the boat ride to comments about the local textiles they had seen to Cyvasse.
As they went, they stopped and laughed and looked at the scenery without any real hurry. When walking in the surf no longer seemed enough to keep them cool even with the salty breeze, they stopped and turned back for the cabana. On their way, Sansa revealed that the walk on the opposite side of the beach from the direction they had just traveled apparently boasted beautiful outcrops of stone and greenery along the shoreline. Hirat had indicated that these features sheltered a beautiful, easy-to-reach lagoon not far from them.
Intrigued, Tyrion agreed to a walk that way following their lunch.
Sansa and Tyrion's approach to their little camp brought with it a savory aroma that had they not become hungry on their walk they would have been soon. While they were away, the staff had transformed the area beneath the cabana into yet another sumptuous sitting area. Cushions and spread blankets topped with wooden trays, utensils, and platters beckoned. Everything had been set up perfectly for Sansa and Tyrion to face each other for the meal, all while a simple glance to the side offered them easy viewing of pristine blue skies kissing the calm, richly glistening, jade seawater.
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Just wanted to take a moment to say how grateful I am for you, dear readers! Thank you for all who are following this story. ️ Your support continues to mean so much