✶|𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺|✶ 𝘈𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘐𝘐 𝘛𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘦𝘯

✶Chapter 4✶

――✴✯✴――

The Magic of House Dayne

――✴✯✴――

Year 126

Westeros

Starfall , Dorne

The banquet had been served, and by now, most of the guests had finished their meals. The hall buzzed with the sound of conversations. Serena sat between her mother and brother at the table reserved for the host family, having just finished her lunch.  Across from her, the Fowler family sat, with their plates nearly empty as well, engaging in their own quiet discussions.

The little Dayne couldn't stop thinking about what she had discovered an hour earlier. Her excitement grew as she imagined poring over ancient texts, learning the secrets of history, and uncovering hidden knowledge about the Valyrian empire... Her head was full with endless possibilities.

"Serenaaa!" Her brother's voice cut through her thoughts, snapping her back to the reality. She blinked and looked up to see him staring at her, a curious expression on his face."I called for you three times Rena. What were you daydreaming about??"

Serena quickly swallowed, trying to push aside the thoughts.

"Oh, I was just... thinking about what dessert we're having!" she blurted out, grabbing the first excuse that came to mind, hoping it would sound believable.

Elyas glanced at Serena with a soft smile, gently running his fingers through his sister's hair. Lady Dayne, sitting next to them, watched her children with a warm expression.

"Did you make any new friends while playing with your siblings and cousins, Serena?" her mother asked, her voice kind and curious.

Serena looked up at her mother, her violet eyes thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head slightly. 

"Not really... I only met Elyas's friend, Lucian," she said, recalling the brief moment with him. A flashback of the boy's awkward but innocent "marriage" proposal crossed her mind, causing her secondhand embarrassment. "He was... a peculiar boy." she added, trying to answer her mother's as quickly as possible.

Lady Dayne raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk forming on her lips at her daughter's choice of words.

 "A peculiar boy, you say? Well, perhaps you'll make more friends as time goes on," she said lightly, glancing between Serena and Elyas. "But it's good you're bonding with your brother's friends too."

Serena shifted, unsure of how to respond. Elyas, sensing her slight discomfort, gave his mother a playful look.

"Lucian likes to talk... a lot. You know how he is, mother," he said, laughing softly. "He probably overwhelmed her with his usual chatter."

"I see. Well, as long as everyone is getting along." Lady Dayne chuckled. 

Serena glanced over her shoulder as a servant entered the room with some drinks, putting an end to the conversation. Serena took a deep breath, relieved that the topic was shifting away from Lucian. She wasn't ready to explain the stupidest and most embarrassing  moment of her new life to anyone, not even Elyas.

As the servants laid out food and drinks on a table, Serena's attention drifted to a little girl, about her age, dressed in a pale yellow gown. The girl's brown hair bounced lightly as she slipped away from the gathering, walking out of the hall and into the garden courtyard alone. Something about her caught Serena's curiosity, perhaps the way she quietly disappeared without drawing attention.