the ballad of elissa swann (a.t.) (UNDER EDIT)

six

Vaguely, Elissa registered the sound of footsteps, but was woken up fully by someone throwing open the curtains and letting light flood the room. She groaned and brought her sleeve to cover her face, and realized it was wool. Squinting, she recognized Aemond's coat that he had given her the night before when they flew with Vhagar. With drowsy curiosity, she sniffed the sleeve and found it still faintly smelt like leather and clouds.

She let her arm flop back on the sheets, and looked around the room. Servants were carrying buckets of water, and a large tub was brought into the room. In the far end of the room, a door was flung open to reveal a closet of clothes - probably a younger Princess Rhaenyra's as well.

"My lady," a maid said, standing at her bedside. "The dowager queen has requested an audience. Will you bathe?"

Elissa stretched and nodded her assent to the maid, who offered her an arm to leverage herself out of bed. When the bath was drawn, the maids stood to the side expectantly, and she looked suspiciously at each of them. Stonehelm was a small manor, and she was accustomed to bathing without a retinue of servants.

Clearing her throat, she said, "Thank you, but I can manage myself."

"My lady," began a maid, but Elissa interjected, "I insist. Please, give me twenty minutes and I will be ready. Leave me."

Reluctantly, they shuffled out of the door, seething down the pitcher, towels, and soaps they had held.

On a rack nearby, a dress had been pulled out of the closet and hung for her to dress in. It was a black wool dress with sleeves attached with laces, and lace closures at the sides so that she could dress unassisted. A white shift had been set aside next to it, along with a pair of stockings, two ribbons to tie her stockings above the knee, and her boots had been cleaned and rid of the mud for the trek into the woods.

She picked up the soap cakes the maids had brought and settled on one that had a scent of mint. She shrugged off the top-big clothes she had been lent by the prince and slipped into the wooden tub. The water was hot and felt amazing on her ribs, which still were sore from her coughing fit the night before. She also realized that her thighs and bottom were sore from the ride on Vhagar, who, as it happened, was not unlike riding a particularly large and cantankerous horse.

She set to work diligently scrubbing her skin and did the best she could to detangle the wind knots in her hair with the comb provided. When she had done that, she dunked herself fully in the water and held her breath, savoring the warmth, before forcing herself to get out and dry off.

She dressed as quickly as the garment would allow, and after rummaging through the drawers, found a loose ribbon that she could use to secure her hair back. In the end, she settled to loosely braid it and let it sit over her shoulder, hoping that the end result was more effortless in look than messy. Considering for a moment, she went to grab the dagger Aemond had given her, tucking it into the garter of her stocking.

When she was presentable, she strode to the grand doors and pushed them open. Ser Cole stood on the other side, waiting.

"Lady Elissa." he said in acknowledgment. "Follow me."

Elissa took in the hallway in the daylight and saw that the guard patrol seemed to have been doubled, with pikes having supplied in lieu of their usual sheathed swords. She shivered - in her life, she had been blessed by the seven to never have been exposed firsthand to war. For assurance, she brushed her fingers against the form of the dagger under her skirts, taking comfort in its presence.

As they approached a set of doors, the guards posted outside beat the floor with their pikes and announced, "The Lady Elissa Swann of Stonehelm!"

Ser Criston opened the doors and waived Elissa in.