The biggest terrace of the palace in Sunspear

[The Smith]

Lord Quentin Fowler stepped forward bristling, "I think we are all in agreement that the Lady Martell is not a whore, and can not be but for the spare gold Lord Frey has left lying about his bedtable."

[brigida]

With her betrothed's underling walking beside her, she walked to the edge of the veranda, with a glance towards Timm Dayne who stood near the entrance--when she caught his eye, he shifted, and found a nearer place to loiter. "Ser Frey. Your Master's contract is truly an act of good faith, and it must not be taken lightly...Please know, and relay to him, that I understand the sincerity of his offer, and the profundity of the good will it displays." she glanced longingly at the harbor, with its ships floating abusurdly like little toys, and its potent breeze, and the soothing sigh of the tide--she used its beauty to calm her. "Popular opinion has turned against my union to him...and the popular opinion of the people is a majority of the sway I hold here presently...I cannot presently afford to fall out of their good graces. It is with a heavy heart and a solemn sentiment that I must renig on my earlier assent to his proposal."

[loremaster]

He looked at her carefully for a moment, before asking, "My lady, do you know why Lord Frey has remained unmarried for 42 years?"

[brigida]

"I do not know." she answered him, gazing, not at him, but at the little toy ships, bustling with activity.

[loremaster]

"Because he once fell in love with a lady of another great house... you may not know this, but Lord Frey has a son. When that son was born, the mother had to foreswear all hints of imprpriety with another man for at the end of the year, she was to be wed into another great house. Once the affair was ended and Lord Frey accepted full responsibility of his child, he became melanclolic. Obssessed with his work. The day his father died, he threw every bone and hair on his body into making money. Not for greed or pride, but so that House Frey could oneday be a truly great house. So that oneday Lord Frey would be allowed to wed the person he chose without being shamed by the very union. If you back down from this agreement, you will crush the life's work of a man who has designed nothing in his life that did not have the sole intention of insuring the happiness of his future bride. You. I cannot cannot go back with this news because it will kill him... if you let him simply visit Sunspear and meet your lords himself... you will see he is truly a good man with true dedication in his heart."

[brigida]

"That is all very well." she said, suddenly severe, as she perceived, perhaps wrongly, an indecent pressure being applied to her by the Frey servant. "But if I accept his proposal, the same end would come to him--only in that manner, if would be blood-stained. The lesser houses of my Kingdom view the union with spite and indignation--those singular lords control the people of their lands, and those people control me--I am a ruler, Master Frey, and a union to such a woman as I might entice your Lord for just the reasons you have stated--but that allure is of a deadly nanture, I can promise--for no sooner wil he taste greatness than it will be torn from both his hands and mine, and both our names disgraced for it. " she finished with a taste of bitterness on her tounge, and a rueful sigh on her lips.

[ashalind]

During the conversation between Tristeza and lord Frey, Zoella circled around other guests, trying to test their opinions about the whole incident. As she expected, all of them were outraged by the gross behaviour of the Frey envoy.

"Just imagine what will happen when they are actually married. He tried to buy us all in bulk, like slaves or beasts of burden, here, in our lady's palace, and he thought it was a big favour. Goldfinger didn't even bother to come here in person, sending that fat menial of his" - these words were repeated in different manner, the gist, though, remained the same. People of Dorne felt offended.

[brigida]

Tristeza and the Frey servant departed the party early; she stopped by Zoella to tell her that she had to finish with some urgent business...she would not have the young master go north and break the news so his superior alone--this was her cross to bear, and she would break the unfortunate news to the senior Frey. As the night became darker, she, Master Frey, Timm Dayne, and Kardaine boarded a ship to King's Landing.

[ashalind]

Zoella wished her cousin all the luck possible.

Sad and disappointed, she stayed until the very end of the party and supervised the cleaning. She wanted to cry but somehow she couldn't. It was supposed to be the beginning of better times for Dorne and it was spoiled for her.