✶|𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺|✶ 𝘈𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘐𝘐 𝘛𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘦𝘯

✶𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 19✶

――✴✯✴――

The Price of Courage

――✴✯✴――

Year 129

Westeros

Starfall, Dorne

Serena sat frozen for a moment, her gaze shifting between her parents as she struggled to comprehend what could possibly be going through their minds to push Elyas into an engagement at such a young age. The weight of the dinner's tense atmosphere pressed heavily on her chest, making it impossible to remain seated any longer.

Without a word, she pushed back her chair and rose, leaving her plate untouched as she turned toward the door. Her movements were sharp, her expression unreadable, but her silence spoke volumes.

"Serena!" her mother called out, her voice laced with both authority and concern, attempting to halt her daughter from walking out in the middle of the meal.

Serena ignored her mother's call, her steps quick and purposeful as she exited the dining hall. She closed the heavy door firmly behind her, the soft thud echoing through the corridor. 

Standing there for a moment, she glanced around, her eyes scanning the dimly lit hallways in search of any sign of where Elyas might have gone.

The silence of the castle stretched around her, offering no clues. Serena's gaze landed on one of the guards stationed by the dining hall door. Quickly, she stepped closer and asked.

"Did you see which way Elyas went?"

The guard nodded, pointing down the corridor to the left. 

"He went that way, my lady."

Without hesitation, Serena muttered a quick Thank you and took off, her footsteps echoing as she ran in the direction he indicated, determination written all over her face.

Serena kept running through the winding corridors, stopping briefly to ask guards and servants if they had seen Elyas. Each one pointed her further along, and she followed their directions without pause, her worry fueling her urgency.

Finally, she pushed through the heavy doors leading to the gardens, where the cool evening air greeted her. 

Slowing her pace, she walked a few steps, her breaths coming hard and fast as she tried to recover. Her eyes darted around, scanning the pathways and hedges, the last rays of the setting sun casting a golden-orange glow that was already beginning to fade into twilight.

She moved past the main gardens. As Serena rounded a corner near the hedge mazes, she finally spotted Elyas sitting on a bench, his posture slumped and his face a mixture of frustration and sadness.

"Elyas!..." She called, her voice quiet but firm, loud enough to break through his thoughts without startling him.

He looked up, his expression softening slightly as his eyes met hers, though the tension in his shoulders remained.

Elyas sighed deeply as Serena approached, his voice tinged with irritation. 

"Did they send you after me?"

Serena shook her head and let out a soft sigh, sitting down beside him on the bench. 

"Of course not. They're probably furious I left the table to come find you..." She replied, her tone lighter than the tension lingering between them.