THE NIGHT | arthur dayne

Chapter 7

Jorelle sits in the hall with fabric and a needle in her hand. Alara sits across from her with Jeyne and Cersei not too far away. Whenever the girls practiced their embroidery together, they often brought much gossip with them to share when Septa Saranella left them alone for a short time. Today, of course, all the talk was about the tourney.

"I cannot believe they left so suddenly. It was so disrespectful," Jeyne said. Jorelle wasn't sure if Cersei had told Jeyne what actually happened. It didn't seem like something Cersei would do but Jorelle didn't feel like it was her place to tell Jeyne that the king had left because he rejected the betrothal.

"It's a shame. I was quite excited for the feast," Alara frowned.

Alara had forgiven Jorelle after the incident with the witch in exchange for being able to hear all the gossip about the royal family.

"I'm glad the feast was canceled," Jorelle said. The needle pricked her finger and she sucked in a breath and looked at it.

"You always hated feasts. If I got as much attention as you, I'd love them," Cersei replied.

"I don't ask for the attention," Jorelle said. "Maybe if you were nicer you'd get it too."

Cersei angrily pinched Jorelle's arm and Jorelle slaps her away. "Ow!" Cersei yelled. "Maybe if you were nicer then father would've married you off already."

"Maybe if you were nicer, the king would've let you marry the prince," Jorelle mumbled. Without even looking up from the fabric, she could tell that Cersei was turning red. "I'm sorry, dear sister. I had no intention of hurting your sensitive feelings."

"Oh please stop bickering. You always do this," Alara said. "Was the prince as mean as his father?"

"No," Jorelle replied. "He was quite the opposite. I supposed he must be more like his mother." Jorelle looked up at Cersei who was gritting her teeth.

Cersei always wished she was more like their mother. Jorelle had her mother's looks and charisma. She had also been told that she had a sweetness to her, an innocence. Cersei only had some of their mother's looks, nothing else. Perhaps that was why she was so resentful.

"And Ser Arthur Dayne?" Alara asked.

"The sword of the morning?" Jeyne smiled. Both girls giggled.

"He was very kind. Him and the prince are very close friends," Jorelle replied. "Can you please not ask me about them anymore? Isn't there something else we could discuss?"

"Nothing else has happened," Jeyne replied.

They all went silent when Jaime walked through the hall. He was sweaty from a day of training. Cersei smiles when she saw him and Jorelle scowled.

"Are you not happy to see me, dear sister?" He asked her.

"You're interrupting," she replied.

"Not interrupting much apparently," he grabbed the fabric out of her hand and examined her embroidery. "This is terrible." He tosses it back to her and she catches it in her lap.

"You're too kind, brother," Jorelle replied. "I greatly value your critiques. I'll work harder next time."

Jaime stuck his tongue out at her and she did the same towards him.

"When is father sending you away? I can't wait any longer to get rid of you," Jorelle said. Jaime rolled his eyes.

"I'm not sure. The incidents of this past week have distracted our lord father and he's probably forgotten me," Jaime replied.

"It'll happen soon enough and then you'll be a knight one day and it'll finally give you some kind of personality," Jorelle replied. "Hopefully."

"Oh can you two stop?" Cersei complained.

"Why? Are you afraid that I'll become Jaime's favorite sister?" Jorelle turned to Cersei. "I could never. That would be gross."

Cersei looked up with anger in her eyes at her sister's slight reference to the rumors and Cersei and Jaime were a little too close. They had never actually done anything, but sometimes the looks they gave each other made Jorelle feel sick.

"You're always mad when I speak to my brother," Jorelle said.

"You speak to him as if he's beneath you," Cersei replied. "It's rude."

"I'm sorry you don't understand jokes, Cersei." Jorelle turned and went back to her embroidery. "Maybe that's why you're so miserable."

"I didn't mean to start a fight between the two of you," Jaime said, clearly uncomfortable that they were fighting over him. "I was just coming by to see how you were doing."

"Or to bother us," Cersei said.

Jaime left without another word, pretending to be mad at Cersei for appearances. Jorelle knew he would never get mad at her because he was too obsessed with her. As weird as their relationship was, Jorelle was slightly jealous. She wished she could have someone care about her the way that Jaime cares about Cersei.

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Jorelle and her Aunt Genna sat on the balcony overlooking the water. Genna had been preoccupied dealing with Cersei during the festivities that Jorelle had almost been forgotten. Not truly, but Jorelle felt so. In reality, Genna would never forget about her beloved niece.

"Do you think I would have grown up differently had I been raised by my mother?" Jorelle asked. Her Aunt Genna looked away from the water and towards her niece.

"Everyone would be different had they been raised by someone else," Genna replied.

"But how different?"

"Perhaps you'd be nicer." Genna paused. "And you'd sit up straighter."

Jorelle became aware of her posture and adjusted how she was sitting. Jorelle adored her Aunt Genna. She adored her father, but there was something different about Genna. There was more spontaneity, more confidence. Tywin crumbled at the feet of the king, but Genna wouldn't bow down to anyone. Jorelle admired that.

"Am I really that mean?"

"No. But you're a woman," Genna said. Jorelle furrowed her brows so Genna explained. "Any time you're direct or stern, no matter how correct you are, they'll always call you mean."

"But how do I know if I'm actually being mean?"

"You don't. Doesn't matter. People must earn your kindness," Genna replied. Jorelle paused, trying to understand.

"Have I earned yours?" Jorelle asked.

"No one has. You might one day."

Jorelle decided to stop asking questions. She'd had enough and she wasn't liking the answers.

"Has your father found you a husband?" Genna asked. "Or has he been too focused on Cersei?"

"He has very high standards and has yet to find a man to meet them," Jorelle replied. "Either that or he has yet to find anyone to accept the offer."

"I doubt he's actually looked," Genna replied. "He'd hate to lose you company."

"And I don't want to leave. I want to get married and live here with my husband like you do."

Genna laughed. "No, my dear. As much as I enjoy being here with you, I enjoy being other places too. You mustn't live just here at Casterly Rock. There's so much more out there for you to see," she said.

"There's nothing else out there. It's just trees and mountains and snow."

"There's mountains and hills more beautiful than any near here. There's trees with colorful leaves, not just green. And the snow when the light hits it just right while it's still on the branches is such a beautiful sight to see," Genna said. She looked back towards the water.

"I don't need to see that. I don't want to. It's not important."

"See, if you had been raised by your mother, you would've had a very different response," Genna said. "Not everything must be important or part of some plan. Sometimes you must simply enjoy things."