✶|𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺|✶ 𝘈𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘯 𝘐𝘐𝘐 𝘛𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘦𝘯

✶𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 21✶

――✴✯✴――

Arrow and Flesh

――✴✯✴――

Year 130 A.C

Westeros

Starfall, Dorne

A few days later, Serena sat propped up against a stack of pillows on her bed, her small hands gripping a well-worn book. She had spent most of her days like this, reading, recovering, and enduring an ever-growing sense of boredom. 

The room was quiet save for the faint rustle of pages and the rhythmic swish of Elyara's dusting cloth as she tidied the space.

Elyara glanced at Serena from across the room and broke the silence. 

"Are you enjoying that book, my lady?" She asked with a small smile, her tone light and conversational.

Serena barely lifted her gaze from the pages, replying flatly.

"Even if I wasn't, it's not like I have anything better to do."

The dry humor caught Elyara off guard, and she laughed softly, shaking her head. 

"Fair enough, my lady. At least you've kept your wit intact." She teased, resuming her task.

Elyara chuckled again, glancing back at Serena. 

Serena rolled her eyes, a faint smile tugging at her lips despite the monotony of her days. 

"I suppose I'm good for something then..." She retorted, her voice tinged with playful sarcasm.

Before Elyara could respond, a knock at the door interrupted their exchange. The handmaiden quickly set aside her cleaning cloth and moved to open it, revealing Maester Werner standing in the hallway.

"Good morning, my lady." He greeted Serena with a small bow as he entered, carrying his usual satchel of tools. "Time for another check-up, if you'll allow me."

Serena sighed and closed her book, setting it on her lap. 

"Do I have much of a choice?" She asked with a raised brow.

The maester smiled faintly. 

"Not much, I'm afraid." He replied as he approached the bed. He began his routine, asking questions about how she felt, whether she had any lingering pain, and how her appetite had been. After a thorough examination, he stood back and gave a small nod.

"Your recovery is progressing better than I initially expected, my lady." He announced with a tone of satisfaction. "However, you'll still need to remain in bed for a little while longer to ensure you regain your full strength."

Serena sighed heavily, her frustration evident. 

"So more reading and staring at the ceiling then..." She muttered under her breath.

"Precisely." The maester replied with a faint chuckle, gathering his tools. "But patience, my lady, it seems you've been blessed with a strong will and body. You'll be back on your feet soon enough."

As soon as Maester Werner finished speaking, the door to Serena's room creaked open again, drawing everyone's attention. Sylara's head peeked through the gap, her bright eyes sparkling with curiosity.