Love and hate between Martell and Lannister

Rhaenys was knocked out by a few cups of wine, leaving Elia no choice but to summon her maids and have her carried back to her quarters.

As for her drunken ramblings, Elia did not take them to heart.

Only after they had left the terrace did a blond figure quietly emerge from behind a stone pillar. Jaime Lannister watched the departing group stagger away, looking thoughtful.

Once Ghost got drunk, he slept until noon the next day. Besides Elia, who had promised to come look at clothing designs, there was an unexpected visitor-Jaime Lannister.

When Ghost finished dressing and came out, Elia was bickering with the boy several years younger than him. Or rather, she was simply teasing him. "What wind blew the young lord of House Lannister here? Shouldn't you be following Arthur around begging for sweets?"

Jaime smiled as he retorted, "I came for swordsmanship. But has the eldest princess of Dorne come to curry favor with Prince Rhaegar's fiancée because the prince doesn't like her?"

Elia, after all, had plenty of experience. A little boy could hardly match her sharp tongue.

"When it comes to currying favor, how could I compare with your sister Cersei? The greatest beauty in the Seven Kingdoms, no less-she all but wants to wrap herself up as a gift and deliver herself to the prince's bedchamber."

Jaime's expression changed abruptly. "You!"

Ghost: ...Oh boy.

She hid, not daring to come out for fear of being caught in the crossfire. Cersei really was utterly infatuated with Rhaegar at this point. There had even been a line in the original novel: "Compared with Rhaegar, handsome Jaime looked like a cowherd."

Naturally, Jaime was furious.

Elia had already spotted Rhaenys hiding, but her tongue remained merciless. "Lord Tywin certainly knows how to scheme. He had barely rejected our queen of Dorne's marriage proposal before sending Cersei to Prince Rhaegar's side. Never mind that he already has a fiancée. What man wouldn't go weak in the knees at the sight of the greatest beauty in the Seven Kingdoms? Keep working at him, and perhaps it'll happen after all."

Jaime's face flushed with anger. He could not catch up with Elia in a war of words even on horseback. All he could do was say stiffly to Ghost, "Forgive my discourtesy. I will visit the princess another time."

After driving Jaime away in a fury, Elia was huffing herself. Ghost asked in puzzlement, "What's there to argue about with a child? He isn't his sister."

Elia rolled her eyes at her, her gaze alluring. "All the Lannisters are the same. Do you think he came to see you for anything good? That sister of his must have put him up to it again."

Ghost asked tentatively, "Was there a marriage agreement between your family and the Lannisters before?"

"It was that old bastard Tywin who went back on his word." Elia recounted all the love and hatred between Dorne and the Lannisters.

Tywin's wife Joanna had been a remarkable woman. In her younger years, she had served as the queen's lady-in-waiting. The Mad King's desire for her had enraged the queen, who then sent her back to Casterly Rock to marry Tywin. His lust for Joanna had also been one of the main reasons for the rift between the Mad King and Tywin.

(Ghost: Such juicy gossip... Tiny eyes filled with enormous question marks.jpg)

Joanna, the woman who could make Tywin smile, had been close to the queen of Dorne. After giving birth to twins, she had even planned a marriage alliance with either Elia or Oberyn of Dorne. But Joanna later died in childbirth while delivering "the Imp," and Tywin unilaterally tore up their verbal agreement.

Worse still, when the queen of Dorne brought it up again, Tywin actually put forward his deformed youngest son, telling her that if she wanted a marriage alliance, she could marry her daughter to Tyrion Lannister.

The proposal enraged the queen, who considered it an immense insult. From then on, Dorne and the Lannisters had been at odds...

Ghost was simply astounded... His fear of Tywin Lannister deepened further. This man would stop at nothing for his family and was utterly devoid of feeling. There was nothing pitiful about his later being shot dead on the privy by the Imp.

"Forget it. Let's not talk about these irritating things. I've brought some tailors over. Let's choose clothes together."

Ghost looked at the mountain of fabric. Why did there seem to be even more now? He called Barbara over and asked, "Barbara, did I have this much stuff before?" Those dozen or so large chests had filled the little sitting room.

The maid Barbara blinked, her face full of happiness. "His Highness sent over a great deal more. He really does hold you in his heart."

Seeing Ghost's unmoved expression, Elia tapped her forehead with a finger. "The prince has never given gifts to any woman before. Be grateful."

Ghost changed the subject. "Did I get drunk yesterday? I didn't cause you any trouble, did I?"

Elia grinned wickedly again. "Nothing much. You just asked me why I didn't like Rhaegar when he was so handsome and rich. You also shouted that Prince Rhaegar was a... diamond bachelor?"

"I know what a diamond is, but what does bachelor mean?"

Ghost covered his face and wailed, "I'm never drinking again. I didn't say anything else ridiculous, did I?"

Elia shook her head.

Ghost lowered his hands and asked a little anxiously, "Elia, do you really not like Rhaegar?"

Why was that? Could the original course of events in Game of Thrones have been wrong?

Elia spread her hands. "I was sickly as a child and couldn't train in martial arts. So I like strapping young men covered in muscle. Those bodies, that strength... especially when they're drenched in sweat while training. How captivating."

She added with some disdain, "Forget Rhaegar and that little frame of his. He isn't even as sturdy as my younger brother."

"Uh..." Ghost was at a loss for words. So this fierce woman liked the American style? Muscular young men?

Elia suddenly lowered her voice mysteriously. "Speaking of which, what's the name of that big fellow who's always following Rhaegar? Do you know?"

The big fellow who was always following Rhaegar... a Kingsguard...

Ghost suddenly grew nervous. Surely she didn't mean the Sword of the Morning? No way. Elia was interested in the Sword of the Morning?

This was quite something.

He lowered his voice too. "You mean Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning?"

Elia's eyes lit up, and she smiled as slyly as a fox. "So he's the Sword of the Morning."

The Sword of the Morning-that name resounded throughout the Seven Kingdoms. He was a beacon in the hearts of knights and countless swordsmen, a model of chivalry in Westeros, while few people knew his actual name. The title came from Starfall's ancestral greatsword, Dawn, a two-handed greatsword forged from meteoric iron.

Thinking it over, it was only natural that Elia, who admired martial prowess, would fall for the Seven Kingdoms' top dog-Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning.

Ghost suddenly began to worry for his good friend. Arthur Dayne was a sworn Kingsguard, forbidden to marry or have children for the rest of his life...

Barbara came in, interrupting their conversation. "Your Highnesses, the tailors are waiting outside. Shall I summon them in?"

Elia winked at Ghost. "We'll talk later. Remember to introduce me."

Ghost nodded. "Let them in."

There simply was not enough room in the reception room, so the tailors and jewelers entered in several groups, one after another. At this time, certain precious gems could only be worn by royalty and great nobles, so the craftsmen did not supply the materials, only their services to the upper classes.

Ghost and Elia each held scrolls brought by the craftsmen, looking through them carefully. Elia examined them with great interest, but the more Ghost looked, the deeper his frown became.

What were all these old-fashioned designs...?

Why weren't there any of those beautiful clothes he had seen while binge-watching the show-not! A! Single! One!