It Was Not Usual To See The Dancer Of Saltshore In Such A State, One Might Call It Pitiful, But It Could

Kinda in the mood to be carnally desired and intimately known

caramel colored hues brightened at the grin upon xia-li's face, no doubt glad to see an old friend again, but also glad to be more welcome company to the lady of the north. zahra's relaxed disposition seemed to fit perfectly with the free spirit that was the lady of fir hold. she did not know much of life in the north, other than simply visiting did not sound enticing in the least. the cold climate did not seem to suit the woman before her, who, in contrast, was warm as the dornish sun. "a wet sheep." she repeated, a laugh escaping her now. "well, something about mother's know best, but i might respectfully disagree."

hand took the others, no doubt a look of friendship to anyone who might gaze upon the two, and truly that is what their relationship was to it's core - kindred spirits who ebbed and flowed into one another's lives like the tide meets and recedes from the shore. "well, the people here are quite easily entertained if enough of the reach's finest red fills their belly's, i can say." zahra's experienced was not much more thrilling than the woman's before her, other than an evening spent dancing before some lord's and lady's, those who no doubt did not respect her craft as much as they did in dorne, but she danced nonetheless, because she enjoyed it.

"gods, i was going to say the same of you." zahra quipped. "home is the same, really." the dancer, however, did not pay much attention to political matters, or rather, she did not care to discuss them much. "and up north? i hope things are much better, now."

cavalier and cool demeanor is quick to melt around the dornish woman, lips quirking upward at the playful response shes given. there's little need for such an attitude when zahras in her presence, not when they've known each other in such ways that facades are impossible to keep up. "no need for flattery, qīń ài de. i believe it was my mother who told me i move with all the grace of a wet sheep and im inclined to believe her." chuckle laces through a humored admission. its true, she lacks the poise that her sisters possess and had she given as much of a care towards her status as she did conversing with the woman she lingers an acceptable distance from, it might have struck a nerve enough for change.

"the wine and the views are divine, i must admit. the people however," tongue clicks against the roof of her mouth, a signifier of her distaste for the forced company. chance to lounge in temperate weather was truly the only factor in her decision to willingly join her family in the reach. that, and the chance to cross paths with zahra once more. "let us say that your presence is a beacon of light in my dim experience. i have the gods to thank for the journey that brought you here. i've been feeling a bit deprived of dorne and all its delights." offers a hand that passerby might construe as friendly towards her. "walk with me, tell me all i've missed."

…a dreamer. I walked enchanted, and nothing held me back.

Daphne Du Maurier, from Rebecca

the melodic sound of anklets jingling echoed quietly within the great halls of sunspear, a place that she had found herself wandering in and out of in more recent months as she had become a teacher to the very heir of dorne herself, an achievement she would've only imagined acquiring years ago. while the dancer of salt shore had many privileges in her life, for a bastard, zahra had worked tirelessly to secure her own name and her own way in this life. it was, perhaps, the most important thing to her, was her fierce sense of independence and self-reliance.

her mind wandered now, knowing that, while her perseverance had been crucial, it had been her time spent in the tor that had seen her greatest period of growth in her skill - not in just dancing. she found herself now quietly humming the tune that had played during practice, her feet practically floating upon the very floor itself as a hand moved to the beat of the music that played only in her own head. she had a way of immersing herself so much in the dance and music, that the world around her seemed to fade away. though singing and acting had consumed much of her time as well while she was in the tor, it was always dancing that had held her greatest interest.

as dark hues looked at the pattern the suns rays made upon the floor now as it illuminated through the many grand windows that were lined together, she felt a sense of bittersweetness come over her. how that time in her life probably halted her wandering feet for the longest she had stayed in one place in quite a while, and perhaps it only pushed her to further fly away before she ever settled anywhere. there was no anger, but peace as her mind settled back down on the thoughts of her time there. her time with him.

her thoughts seemed to will the image of rashid jordayne to appear now, and though she thought she imagined him entirely, he was there, just some paces away from her. she hadn't even noticed him at first, or perhaps she did and didn't realize it until now. the ever-expressive face of zahra sand did not hide what lurked within her mind, and right now it was surprise. surprise that he was there, despite the fact he had ever reason to be. her feet paused now. paused. in times past they would fly towards the man before her, but now they halted all together.

the shock wore off after a few beats of silence and her features stilled entirely, he had clearly noticed her, too. what was one to say to fill the years lost between two souls? there was no animosity between them, only a connection lost after they parted ways. certainly there were times where they were in the same vicinity, but yet worlds away.

a warm smile naturally crept on her lips now, for zahra was never one to sit in silence for very long. "rashid." she said, for she could not think of any other greeting that would suit the situation as of now. she wanted to ask him many questions, but she wouldn't. she didn't need to. she opened her mouth again to speak, but the words did not come as quickly as she expected, leaving a woman who was always found loudly conversing or laughing within a group, unusually silent.

a few more beats passed before she finally thought of one thing to say. "i....heard of your marriage to the princess loreza, congratulations." there was a genuine tone in her words, for zahra knew what rashid had yearned for, or one of the many things, and certainly the princess would make a fine ruling lady of the tor.

who: @dancingshores when and where: following zahra sand's audience with the princess myriam of house allyrion, rashid jordayne comes across a memory in the hallways of sunspear.

it was not often rashid qamar of house jordayne thought of midnight: it was not often the man was even awake to see midnight, if not attending formal events within the great domed mirrored halls of sunspear's fortress, and it was not often the man thought of the moon he had been named after. there was once a time in his life where he and midnight were old friends, companions even; as though the middle of the night was the middle of the day, for that was when the sun seemed the most like she shined. it was not often rashid qamar of house jordayne thought of rain; those ancient ancestors before them learning to survive with what little of it there was, and that still meant he was unable to deny the beauty of the first rain of the harvest.

rare as it was, and yet, most things that truly mattered in life were incredibly rare, were they not?

the transition into lordship was one he had undertaken some years ago, following the slow and painful death of a father that deserved so much better than the end that was given to him. visiting him day after day to see his immobile condition only worsen was enough to stir and swirl what peace the man seemed to hold within his own chest, locked up under secret lock and key; his transition to lordship came with carrying the heavy burden of grief, as the transition does to all who take the mantle. it had taken him time to understand how to grieve for someone who continued to live. and live, and live, and live, as she had always done; swirling skirts and the sounds of laughter ringing from atop a stage, or the time her ankle twisted and he found himself needing to carry her on his own back.

it made him realise there was no grieving for what could have been; only acceptance. for the what if remained very much alive.

it was that same acceptance he knew all too well as he walked the halls of sunspear following a conversation with the soon to be future ruling prince, if rumours were correct, considering the movements he would make as a lord. he thought of how he wanted to be remembered, knowing the genuine weight of his actions: he was not a man who spoke for the sake of speaking. he was not a man who did not consider all options deeply, before settling. but he was a man who followed through on his word: it could bloom, or it could rip away what there could never be. that same feeling of acceptance seemed to slowly wash over him as he looked up within bustling halls, filled with such a stark variety of colours: and yet still, his eyes immediately fell to her.

her face remained the same. her walk remained the same. there was a time where it was he that was too much the same, and now he felt as though he were changing; only to look upon her and see she truly was just the same. as though she remained entirely where they had left one another, a part of him almost went to look at her ankle to wonder whether she were able to walk on it properly now. there were no words that came out of his mouth, though he felt a slight exhale come out of him; so subtle it was hard to notice. once he held his breath when he saw her, and felt a thudding deep within his heart - and now? now he exhaled.

it was relief he felt in her presence. what words were there that could even be echoed within such a time, when it had been years and somehow felt like it had not all at the very same time?

he said nothing. he didn't need to.

the dancer of salt shore had spun about the room, chatting with other guests of the evening and dancing to practically every tune that had been played this evening. she was making her way back across the room when a familiar voice beckoned her to sit with them. turning to see devani toland, a grin crept upon her face. in truth, it mattered not where most nobles came from, whatever squabbles were between them were not necessarily under her radar. figure slid into the chair across from the woman and plucked a golden goblet from a passing tray to partake in drinking dornish red. from the flush of the woman's cheeks, she had already indulged in plenty that evening.

zahra did not enjoy being within the walls of the red keep, almost suffocating in which it was flooded with tresses of silver any which way one would look. she would not really pretend to be entirely alright, either. the death of the qamar of the tor had wounded her more than she allowed herself to process at this point. this night in particular felt heavier, though perhaps it were the full moon that shone brightly in the night sky. regardless, believed she simply needed to get through this visit, and when they were back in dorne she would float around aimlessly, for a while.

"something good?" she snorted, a hearty laughter escaping her, almost to the point of hysterics. "well, if you can avoid the valyrians," zahra leaned in, attempting to be quieter in those words, but failing entirely. "some of these nobles are actually alright." she shrugged, taking a long sip of her goblet now. "i even played a game of cards with a couple of lords, pompous as they were."

@dancingshores

"come and sit with me." there was an air of finality to devani's voice as she beckoned the other woman over. it wasn't her way to watch the room, to weigh up her options before engaging in conversation - once her attention was caught, devi acted upon it. "have a drink. nothing dampens the spirits more than drinking alone, no?" she gestured to a jug of dornish red she had commandeered.

she missed essos. dorne had not been her home for so long that she hardly even considered herself dornish anymore. she was a child of the sun and the sea, at home wherever she found herself. her blood ran hot, her passions hotter, and she followed every whim as it rose within her. those whims were telling her to flee once more, to go back to the life she had when she abandoned her homeland the first time.

and yet, here she remained.

she allowed a brief moment to settle, to drink, before launching back into conversation. "i've been away from dorne for too long. if i'd have known things were this bad, i'd have stayed longer." she laughed, the sound edged in something a little bitter. "tell me something good. i'm not sure my little heart can bear much more doom and gloom."

setting : somewhere outside of highgarden, starter for @xialigreenleaf

the reach had been an interesting visit, to say the least. zahra did not much have the opportunity to travel, but she was glad she was able to see these lands. they were so green and fruitful. beautiful, and and still she preferred the sands of dorne over all. the endless sunshine upon her skin.

she was lost in her own thoughts, as she could often be, dreaming of other things. it was a downfall, some might say, to not always be fully present, but zahra found a balance in both presence and dreaming, so she believed. eyes wondered around at the landscape and architecture surrounding her, when suddenly they set upon a familiar figure. one she knew quite intimately.

the woman of the north had been more than just whims of passion when the two had met some time ago during the dornish talks, she had actually become a great friend, someone zahra genuinely cared for. they found companionship in their curiosities about lands other than their own, able to sate the other with stories of the northern mountains and dornish shores respectively. she did not think she would often again see the other, until this moment.

“hello, xia-li.” the raven haired woman spoke, lips curled upward into a friendly smile, one that reached the corners of her eyes.

ADITI RAO HYDARI in Hey Sinamika (2022)

as the liquid ran itself over her tongue, she could understand why he would say such a thing. zahra had little opportunity to indulge in such a drink, normally preferring to opt for dornish red, or a spirit her father brought back from one of the free cities after a time of sailing and conducting his affairs. she found it strange he preferred to conduct his business himself, though at the same time, she understood it. it was easier to leave salt shore to the heir, her trueborn sibling, as they would one day take the keep for themselves. given her entire existence, to begin with, it likely allowed him more freedom to indulge in business beyond trade: pleasures. the thought itself nearly brought a humorous smile to her lips as she thought of the conversation she entertained with lord yronwood earlier in the evening.

not so long ago the pair conversed in the great hall amongst other nobles, and now she stood here before him in his chambers alone, silks of gold against her skin almost giving the impression she glowed like the sun. hazel orbs observed the darkened coals turning red as they were lit by the lord whilst he continued to casually converse with her.

"if you are a traitor, then i suppose i am, too." she jested, giving a slight raise of her goblet before taking another long sip. the dancer glid over to the velvet chair across from him, taking a seat of her own and tucking her legs to the side of her while an elbow came to rest upon the chairs arm.

gaze broke from looking at him as he spoke of her being rumored to be the lady of the tor, and truthfully it was not something that was not unknown to her. it was even considered by her. some might call it self-sabotage, foolishness to reject an opportunity to rise from the position of her birth - but it simply didn't feel right for her, despite her relationship with rashid. "the princess loreza is far better for such a role." zahra stated simply, a beat of silence before she grasped the hookah that was offered and took small inhale of the smoke, allowing it to linger within her lips for a moment before i softly emitted from her mouth.

when he spoke of cards, there was a shift within her, eyes lighting up slightly as she handed the hookah back to him. "it's not always easy to read peoples feelings, they are ever-changing." she insisted with a grin. "you did not strike me as someone who would care to be read." hand dipped into a pocket within her dress, pulling out a deck of cards she tended to keep on hand. "or would you?" brows rose teasingly, though she hoped he would accept the offer.

꙰

there was a sense of ease that seemed to come over the ruling lord of yronwood as the dancer of salt shore continued to waft her way through his personal apartments within the wing of highgarden; a sense of ease that did not come in the form of cockiness or arrogance, which was most unlike him - but rather a sense of quiet contentment and amusement to watch the way in which her figure made it's way around his rooms almost as though she had walked into her own rooms.

"call me a traitor for admitting it tastes better than the dornish." the wines of the arbor came from the other sort of rhoynish that filled the continent of westeros, those who were more different to them than one could have expected; it sometimes felt as though they sometimes even had more similarities with andals than their fellow rhoynish.

and whilst his words were about wine, the casual, almost husky tone in which he spoke made it appear as though it were some illicit suggestion of something else. and perhaps it was, to gage her reaction; he noticed not as he leaned forwards to light the hookah that remained from some hours earlier, allowing it time to heat up against the hot coals. and whilst she continued to coquettishly twirl her way around the room, he remained; almost as though his own stillness was the centre within the room, the gravitational pull.

her bold confirmation caused the flicker of a smirk to cross over dark features, continuing to look at the way in which the coals beneath the hookah glowed amber: it were something the reachmen did, and thus, was easy enough to get a hold of, and he merely held it in his hand as it began to warm up. silently, he offered her the hookah; leaning back upon the velvet recliner as he rolled one of the sleeves of his black kurta up his forearms.

"because, if memory serves me correct, you were readying yourself to play lady of the tor." he replied, his voice utterly casual, flat in how direct he was to the point; yet there was not an inch of irritation to him. "that is what everyone thought, aside from yourself it turns out." it was not well known what happened, and yet, armaan remembered the news being broken by rashid to himself and baashir alike. he remembered the way in which his brows had furrowed, confused as to why such a thing would not have gone through when it appeared perfect - and it made sense now. sometimes, things that seemed perfect were cursed to be more tainted than any other.

"who knows. nothing happened, after all." he referred to the time she had spent within yronwood, alongside her father: known for his commerce. he remembered watching the way in which he spun his networks of money, of gold, and thus of influence. "just ended up being something the both of us stayed quiet about. stay quiet about." he added, making it clear to her; even now, years later, he had not mentioned the fact that he knew of zahra sand before the apparent first time he had come across her in the tor. things had ended up the way they were supposed to in the end. "you ask many questions for a seer. still doing your cards thing?"

setting : the coronation events of jaehaerys ii, a pair of lords and unlikely third party play a game of cards together ; @nicholaslannisters @percival-templeton

the coronation events of the new valyrian king had been intriguing, to say the least, for the dancer of salt shore did not often find herself beyond the borders of dorne, unless she needed to be. though she was not necessarily needed here, she enjoyed the opportunity to see places outside of her own homeland - a kite drifting wherever the wind should take her. curious, hazel hues scanned the great room before her within the red keep, it was not quite obvious in the open, but not hidden away, either. tables were set up, with nobles sat around them playing various games.

zahra hadn't a clue what the rules of any of these games were, she saw dice thrown, cheers and jeers, laughter as wine seemed to flow through all of their veins. she tended to indulge in her curisosity, especially in such a, what seemed to be, relaxed environment. bangles rang as if they were signaling her approach as she stood near the table where only two lords sat with cards in hand, perhaps preferring the more intimate game, though she would inquire anyways. "is there room for another at this table, my lords?" lips pulled upwards into a friendly grin as she looked between the two, awaiting their response only a brief moment before taking the empty chair, anyways.