Howling at the Sun

The next morning, Tabitha wandered one of the many halls of the Red Keep in search of the library. Her handmaiden had given her instructions, but Tabitha had long since forgotten them as the hallways were too beautiful to not be distracting. Everything was so open and the sun shone through from almost every angle, a complete contrast to Winterfell’s colder enclosed rooms.

“Lady Tabitha,” a voice called and she immediately shut her ajar jaw and stopped staring at a tapestry of a previous Targaryen ruler. Her eyes rested upon Oberyn who was striding down the hallway towards her.

“Prince Oberyn,” she replied with a short curtsey. He stopped before her, the ends of his lips curled up ever so slightly as he looked Tabitha over.

“You really are a beautiful woman, you know,” he remarked, taking Tabitha aback by how blunt he was.

“Thank you,” she breathed while willing herself to not blush.

“There is not a single person with red hair in Dorne. Blonde hair is rather rare too,” Oberyn continued and Tabitha smiled, now understanding why he had made such a brazen comment.

“Every second family has a redhead in the North. I am rather ordinary looking,” she countered smoothly and he grinned.

“I will have to travel there one day then,” Oberyn said as Tabitha pushed a few strands of hair from her face. She did not wear her hair up in complex braids like the other women in King’s Landing did; she stuck to the styles of the North and left her hair mostly free from ties and clips. “I bet there are many beautiful red-haired men there too.” Tabitha hesitated and her lips parted with bewilderment from his statement.

“Pardon?” she blinked, revealing her astonishment to Oberyn who chuckled, very familiar with such stunned reactions.

“It is the way of the Dornish. When it comes to love, we don’t pick sides. If it happens, it happens,” he explained and Tabitha relaxed slightly as she vaguely remembered lessons from when she was younger about Dorne. “Perhaps you need to indulge a little more in life, like us Dornish do.” She hesitated at his interesting words and then decided to play along to find out exactly what he meant.

“Indulge more?”

“Yes. I saw the way you were drinking the wine so slowly last night. How will you ever enjoy it if you don’t have enough?” Oberyn asked.

“I have seen its effects on men, and I do not wish to partake,” Tabitha said with a slight shake of her head.

“With a husband like Viserys, you might just need its effects,” Oberyn offered in a lower voice. “You should learn to drink it properly, and enjoy it. Just a suggestion.” His tone sent a shiver down Tabitha’s spine. From conversation over dinner last night, she knew that the prince had been living with Viserys for a while now and was therefore more aware of the kind of person the Targaryen was. She gave a short nod, surprised at how she had gone from being joyous from the flattering compliment to depressed about her future in such a short amount of time.

“If you would excuse me, I was on my way to the library,” Tabitha mumbled, her saddened gaze falling to the floor.

“Very well, my Lady. But there’s another thing. You should be outside enjoying nature on such a beautiful day like today, not stuck inside reading. Though there is nothing wrong with reading, of course,” Oberyn spoke as she stepped to the side, trying to leave. Now she wanted more than anything to become lost in a novel and forget about the wretched situation she was in. “You do know where the library is, don’t you?” Tabitha halted and winced.

“Of course.”

“Then why are you walking in the opposite direction?” Oberyn wondered and Tabitha turned slightly to meet his eyes.

“Because I actually got lost in these hallways many minutes ago,” she admitted with a hint of natural charm that caused Oberyn to grin.

“Come. I’ll show you the way.” He was demanding rather than offering, but Tabitha didn’t hesitate to follow. Though he spoke his mind and was brutally honest about other things, he was still decent company, and come the time he parted with her at the grand library’s door, Tabitha couldn’t help but feel a little less cheerful.