Bloodline 12

In their previous private meetings, Arianne had always dressed lightly. Today... she wore a snow-white gown trimmed in gold, with a low, slit neckline. This unfamiliar attire made Lord Gryn feel slightly unaccustomed.

Under the sunlight, Arianne's olive skin seemed bathed in a golden glow, radiating a unique allure unlike that of Andal women.

Her clear black-and-white eyes swept lightly over Gryn. She elegantly lifted her skirts in a curtsy. "Lord Regent Crabb, good day."

Gryn had arranged a grand reception for the Dornish envoys. The Small Council ministers—Grand Maester Pycelle and Lord Gyles Rosby—stepped forward in turn to greet Princess Arianne.

After the cumbersome formalities ended, Gryn personally hosted a banquet for Princess Arianne and the many Dornish nobles accompanying her in the dining hall of the Throne Room.

Laughter constantly rang out from the table laden with fine food and wine. Yet compared to the amiable Red Keep ministers, most of the Dornish nobles wore faintly arrogant expressions.

Gryn and Arianne sat in separate oak chairs at the head of the table, he on the right and she on the left.

"You are too enchanting. You shine brilliantly, letting grief-stricken King's Landing feel Dorne's warm sunlight."

Arianne giggled, her whole body trembling with laughter. She turned her face slightly aside and said teasingly, "It is your tongue that truly warms hearts."

She gracefully took a sip of wine, then paused as her smile faded slightly. "I am surprised, though not entirely surprised, Lord Regent Gryn."

Leaning against the armrest, Gryn spoke with a trace of weariness in his voice. "This city is always full of surprises, Princess Arianne."

"Hmm?"

Arianne tilted her head toward Gryn. "Was the lion's roar echoing through the Great Sept also a surprise?"

Her words were like a stone cast into a tranquil lake,