Goldenheart Palace

Daenya arrived at the palace in her new dress, hair washed and combed, a crown of flowers atop it. She wore her hoop earrings she had been given and a necklace, as well as some rings. On her shoes were lightly heeled sandals and she wore the perfume she had gotten from Kesi.

Escorted, she arrived in the throne room and waited for the king's attention.

Whereas the Red Keep and its throne room had been built with intimidation in mind, it seemed the Goldenheart Palace had been designed for luxury and beauty. The palace itself was constructed of sandstone spires, supported by goldenheart timber. The central keep was capped with a pale blue dome of tempered glass, which reflected light brilliantly during the day. Despite its appearance, the archers manning the spires and parapets gave Daenya no doubt the structure was defensible, as well as the thin elevated sandstone bridge that led to the only entrance into the keep.


Within, the throne room itself was a panoply of vibrant colors. Pillars of lacquered goldenheart wood held aloft the vaulted ceiling, the light form the dome above bathing the room in a rainbow of warm light. Molding and jade and coral lined the walls, intricate reliefs carved upon them depicting nude forms entwined in loving embraces. The smell of jasmine is heavy in the air and exotic dancers writhe about to do honor to the king and the goddess they worshipped.

Rather than a monstrous throne, the king's throne was understated, a simply adorned goldenheart chair painted with red lacquer. Whereas the Iron Throne imposed the king's dominance over its people, the Goldenheart Throne allowed for familiarity with its ruler, surrounded by pillows and chaise lounges.

The king himself, Zanabar Xho, stood as Daenya entered. His ebony head was shaved bald and oiled so that it glistened in the sunlight streaming down. Tall and with the sinewy arms of a dedicated archer, he towered over the Targaryen Princess, though he had a joyous smile on his face. He was garbed in a cape of green and scarlet feathers, worn over golden chainmail. Daenya likely would have guessed the man was in his twenties, had a bit of grey in his goatee not hinted otherwise.

"By the Goddess!" he exclaimed graciously, hands open and extended. "Never in my days did I think to see a dragon in my court. Welcome! Welcome!"

"You do honor to my court and the Goddess with your presence here." he replied, clapping his hands to signal his servants to bring forth an assortment of exotic fruits and fish. "I trust you have found my realm to your liking?"

The king's expression turned grave as he split a pomegranate, the red juices staining his ebony fingers.

"You have my apologies on that account then." he replied, eyes hardening. "I am sure it was a misunderstanding. We had been led to believe the Targaryens have hair of silver. From your appearance, you were likely judged as a Tyroshi spy. Our relations with the Archon have ever been contentious at best."

"I am certain something was lost in translation." he assured, a hard glance in Koja making it clear they would be discussing this later. "I humbly beg your forgiveness in the matter."

"As far as I know, your dragon is the first to grace the Summer Isles with its presence." he said, as he scooped the seeds from his pomegranate and deposited them in his mouth. "I only wished we had been told of your voyage, as preparations befitting such a momentous occasion would have been made."

"You should have come straight to the capital." he offered, more friendly than chiding. "Though I will not lecture the progeny of Valyria."

The king had her bags released, once more with apologies.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of this surprise visit?"

"Curiosity and eagerness do not mix well with apprehension about the exotic." the Zalabar remarked. "It is how we honor our Goddess, a religion in which both rich and poor have equal chance at finding divine favor."

"I had understood it was near the same perspective as you have in Westeros." he remarked with curiosity. "We in the Summer Islanders have always respected the Valyrians for their liberal views on sexuality. You simply lack the religious connection."

"I would be honored to meet your proud mount and for you to teach me what it means to be blood of the dragon." he said with clear interest.

"Fourteen and a woman grown." Zalabar remarked, with an appreciative glance at her dress. "I am sure there are those that would kill for the chance to honor the Goddess by taking a dragon to bed."

"I will inform my people." he assured her.

"It is the greatest challenges that make the most worthy sacrifices." he replied with a lascivious glint in his eyes.

"I find my temple to be the jewel of the Summer Isles, though there are countless sites worth visiting. The Temple of the Goddess should not be missed, though it may be jarring if your sensibilities are truly so delicate. Our famed Blackbelly Rum Distillery is located near the port."

"Perhaps if you witness the Summer Isles craftsmanship firsthand, you can convince your father to import more barrels. I hear there are a number of weddings on the horizon and little prepares for a proper bedding like rum." he said with a sly wink.

"As for the temple, I warn you that the worship is a communal rite. There are no casual voyeurs in our services."

"It is said that the gods made bodies and souls. They gave people voices to worship them with song, hands to build temples to them, and they gave desire so that people might mate and worship in that way. No matter which gods you follow, they all provided worship. Do you not have your own goddess of lust, Tyraxes? Should she not have her due"