A Crown of Winter Roses

Chapter 2

"Queen Rosaerys, you seem in awe of our gardens." Rosaerys heard him before she saw him, her ears detected he was coming from the right. He had a deep voice, and held a different kind of Dornish accent, not the same as the messenger Daemon he had sent over, it almost seemed too much like those she had seen in Pentos and Braavos.

"Prince Oberyn?" She called, her eyes darting to any sense of movement. Surprisingly, he appeared from the left, dressed in a golden tunic, that too decorated in golden suns; his breeches were a dark leather and he wore no shoes.

She gazed up at him. He was a gorgeous man, far beautiful than that of what she had remembered of those in Westeros. His beard shaven so it framed his sharp jawline, his mustache resting just on top of bronzed thick lips; his skin an olive colour. Yet it wasn't his features that caught her attention, it was his eyes. The same eyes that were similar to Elia's, only these were more worn, having gentle wrinkles around the side from the side having laughed for too long; but the hue of his eyes were jet black.

"Correct, welcome Queen Rosaerys." With every word that he spoke, he moved with the grace of a wild cat, eyes trained on his prey; he stopped just a meter short of where she stood. Daario's body stiffened at the act, this gently beginning to tug on the handle of his dagger; watching, observing Oberyn's next move.

"When they whisper of the exiled Queen's beauty, I never believed them, yet seeing you here now; I can tell you are Rhaegar's daughter. Their whispers do you no justice." He bowed slight, reaching for her hand, and laying a delicate kiss. It was almost as though the sun itself had scorched her skin with his touch, the heat delicious and intense; as his lips met her hand, it ran its course around her body before stopping. She curtsied to the kind Prince before locking eyes once more.

"Thank you, Prince Oberyn; for extending your generous hospitality." Rosaerys continued to stare at the man she called Viper, a gentle smile playing on both of their lips.

"Your sellsword seems weary of me, have I offended?" His Viper eyes barely moved from hers, other than to study her features, yet Daario moved to lower it.

"No offence, Prince Oberyn, we are only cautious over the safety of our Queen, especially so far from home; we have limited numbers, and we are surrounded by Dornish guards; how are we to know and protect her, if we let our guard down?"

Oberyn seemed to turn it over in his mind, thinking of the words, before nodding his head; a smirk easily spread across his face.

"I understand, but there is no threat here. Dorne has always been a close ally to the Targaryens, long before even my grandfather's-grandfather had been born. We do not wish to hurt the Queen, only reinstate her." Both were satisfied as Oberyn suggested moving inside, away from the blaring heat. As the small party moved through the Palace Sunspear; the lavish furnishings grew.

The floors were decorated in mosaics, large ones which spanned from one side of the hallway to the other, depicting the valiant battles that must have occurred. The doorways and arches in the halls were in a Mudéjar sense of fashion, heavily ornate and layered in gold. The walls were painted brilliants shades of cobalt blue, and fern green; meanwhile other walls were a sensual blood red, or a salamander orange. Rosaerys was in awe.

They had gone to the Solar above, before stopping. "I hope you these rooms to your taste." With that he left the way that they had come, the unsullied, along with Daario looked to their Queen. They all shared the same look.

"Don't look at me like that, they're being generous." With that Rosaerys pushed open the door, before shutting it tight. Despite not hearing a sound, the Unsullied, along with Daario were already setting their plans on who would watch over and when.

As she turned away from the door, she was finally able to take in the room. It was just as beautiful as the rest of the Palace, being rich with warm tones, and heavy with thick dark wood; she smiled. Walking towards the windows, the shutters that covered them causing a honeycomb-like print to decorate the floor.

Rosaerys whipped off her cloak, setting it on the bed before tugging off her breeches and tunic. She was desperate for a bath, turning her way into the bathroom, she saw one was already run. Rich fragrances of Vanilla radiating off the top.

Rosaerys slipped in, letting the heat wash over her body before sinking down, she only just managed to close her eyes.

It was the night terrors again, she could already feel it. The cold chill that ran down her back in an almost familiar manner seemed to become a closer friend, yet it wasn't the chill that caught her. She could hear her heart pumping, faster than that of a hare; the familiar pulse exploding in her ears.

She moaned, her body arching in odd angles, fingers wounding tight into the duvet before a scream left her lips.

"Not him! Not him!" Rosaerys screamed as she lurched forward, head spinning, eyes wide. She pulled back the covers, barely making it to the bathroom before she hauled the contents of her stomach into the small bucket; pulling back her hair as she did so.

"Mhysa?" It was one of the Unsullied who came in first, rushing as soon as he had heard danger. She raised a hand, signalling she was fine; and he left, but not before scanning the room for any potential danger.

Rose slid down from her knees, choosing to interlock her legs instead; her head resting gently against the porcelain. It was soothing against the stuffiness of the night and for that she was thankful.