Game of Thrones: The Road to Pirate King

Chapter 241 The God of Cookery Makes His Debut

For two consecutive days after Euron confessed everything, Ashara Dayne locked herself in her room and didn't step out.

Only the faintest sounds could be heard from outside the door, as if she were silently processing the immense shock and grief all by herself.

In the past two days, only Arianne Martell, in his dual capacity as a friend and heir to Dorne, frequently visited her room, patiently keeping her company and comforting her.

It wasn't until the morning of the third day that Asara's door finally opened slowly. She came out, her figure seemingly thinner than usual, her face as pale as a moonstone wet with rain, and her once bright eyes were now dim, showing obvious signs of fatigue and sorrow.

As she descended the stairs, her gaze inevitably met Euron's, who was waiting in the hall, and her movements froze for a moment. But she didn't stop or say anything; she simply turned her head away, turning her gaze to the empty wall or window, no longer looking at him, as if he were just an invisible wisp of air, and walked straight past him.

In the days that followed, Euron Greyjoy tried almost everything he could think of to make amends and win back Ashara Dayne's favor.

He personally dived into the cold, deep sea where light could not reach, searching among the dark reefs and caves, just to collect those enormous pearls that had been formed over hundreds of years, as if solidified by moonlight, each one round and flawless, radiating a soft and precious luster.

He sought out rare, deep-sea red coral, its color as intense as congealed blood, its branches and forms exquisite and unique. He spent a great deal of time hand-polishing and polishing it, creating a one-of-a-kind, dazzling necklace, each step of the process imbued with a clumsy apology.

He even used his unique connection with the deep-sea monsters to ask his "friends in the sea" for help in searching for and capturing an extremely rare and exotic sea fish in the vast ocean, a fish whose scales shimmered with dreamlike iridescence. He presented it to Ashara as soon as possible.

In his many attempts to please others, Euron even did something he himself hadn't expected: he tied on an apron, stepped into the kitchen, and displayed his almost forgotten culinary skills.

He once thought he would never set foot in such a small place, untouched by swords and power struggles, again. Unexpectedly, in order to win back his fiancée's heart, his rudimentary cooking skill, long dormant in the corner of his skill bar and covered in dust, was forced to see the light of day again.

Euron knew that Ashara's favorite dish from Dorne was lemon duck.

So Euron specially selected the fattest and tenderest Dornish ducks, stuffing their bellies with desert specialties such as dates, nuts, and various fragrant spices. He then personally prepared the marinade and sauce, mixing salt, freshly ground black pepper, sweet honey, fragrant olive oil, and Dornish specialty salted lemons with a unique flavor, repeatedly kneading and massaging the mixture to allow the flavors to fully penetrate.

They abandoned the simple stove and insisted on using fruitwood for roasting, believing that this would give the duck meat a richer aroma.

When this feast, which embodied heartfelt effort and clumsy hard work, was finally completed and served to Ashara by Euron himself, the "Son of the Drowned God," who had just conquered the Steppes, still had several obvious streaks of cigarette ash on his face, creating a stark contrast that was both comical and touching with his usual cold and dignified image.

Euron's unusual appearance, with cigarette ash on his face and wearing an apron, immediately caused everyone present to burst into laughter. Prince Doran, leaning back in his wheelchair, let out a low, pleasant chuckle and shook his head repeatedly; Prince Oberyn was even more unladylike, slapping the table and laughing so heartily that it almost lifted the roof; the most exaggerated was Princess Arianne, who laughed so hard that she almost fell backward, chair and all, but was fortunately caught by her maid, though she was still laughing so hard she couldn't straighten up.

Amidst the laughter that nearly burst through the hall, Asara, who had maintained a tense and deliberately aloof expression, finally couldn't help but let her gaze fall upon Euron's disheveled yet earnest appearance, and a slight smile of helplessness crept onto her lips.

Euron was a little embarrassed by the laughter. He coughed twice to try and remain calm, then pushed the plate of carefully prepared lemon duck forward again, his eyes filled with rare anticipation: "Try it, how does it taste?"

Asara picked up her utensils, took a small, reserved bite, chewed slowly, and then simply commented: "—

"Likewise."

Euron immediately gave a wry smile and defended himself, saying, "I specifically learned from the best chef in Sunspear City." As he spoke, he began to serve food to Prince Doran, Oberyn, and Arianne, who had just gotten up, and finally cut off a piece of duck for himself and put it in his mouth.

After carefully tasting it, he looked up with an expression that said, "It's actually pretty good," and said with a touch of self-assurance, "I think it tastes great!"

Asara put down her cutlery, frowned slightly, and said with a hint of complaint, "I've never really liked this dish; it's too greasy."

Euron was taken aback by these words, and blurted out instinctively, "But Arianne clearly said this was—"

Before he could finish speaking, Asara interrupted him. She looked up, her eyes filled with a hint of grievance and dissatisfaction, and glared at him: "That's Ariane's favorite food! You didn't even know what I really like to eat before you made this haphazardly."

snort!"

In that soft hum, besides the complaint, there was a subtle hint of coquetry that she herself was unaware of.

Euron was speechless for a moment, a hint of annoyance flashing across his face, but he immediately asked for advice humbly, his tone sincere: "It was my fault."

"Then tell me—what do you want to eat? I'll definitely learn how."

As Ashara looked at his serious expression, a sly glint flashed in her eyes. She deliberately chose an extremely difficult and challenging Dornish specialty dish and slowly said, "Dragon Pepper Scorpion."

This dish is famous for its main ingredient—a small but highly poisonous scorpion that inhabits the red desert of Dorne and requires extremely complex processing before it can be eaten—and the fiery dragon pepper that can set your tongue on fire. It is the ultimate challenge to test a chef's courage and skill.

Euron, far from being deterred, had a burning desire to try it out. He chuckled and readily agreed, his tone full of confidence and promise: "Okay! Hehe, no problem. I'll make this for you next time."

After Euron turned and left with that "I'll take care of it" grin, Arianne leaned closer to Asara, nudged her with her elbow, and chuckled in a low voice, "Hey, you're so mean! It's winter now, those scorpions have long since burrowed into the deepest sands of the desert to hibernate. Where are you going to get him to find them for you? You're clearly making things difficult for him on purpose."

Asara picked up her glass, took a sip, and a sly smile, a mixture of vengeful pleasure and mischief, appeared on her face. She replied in a light, airy tone, "That—is none of my business. It's his fault for not even knowing what I like to eat."

Meanwhile, Euron, brimming with confidence, soon encountered a huge problem while preparing ingredients. He first tried to pave the way with golden dragons, offering a high price of one golden dragon for one scorpion, only to find that no one responded. So he doubled the price, raising it to two golden dragons for one scorpion, but still no one was interested—not that people didn't love golden dragons, but that finding fire dragon scorpions in this season was simply too difficult, almost an impossible task.

Faced with this thorny reality, Euron's stubborn streak kicked in. Since he couldn't buy it, he decided to catch it himself!

This "Son of the Drowned God," who had just conquered the sea, plunged headlong into the vast and scorching red desert of Dorne. With his keen sense of life and unwavering perseverance, Euron, like a stubborn groundhog, tenaciously dug deep pit after pit in the vast sea of ​​sand, trying to pull out the little creatures that hibernated deep underground.

Arianne and Ashara stood side by side in the shade cast by the Shadow Tower, gazing at the small figure diligently digging in the desert. Arianne nodded in that direction with her chin, her tone tinged with a mixture of teasing and pity: "Look, he's already trying his best. Looking like this, no one would believe he's the same Euron who can command sea monsters."

Asara gazed into the distance and sighed softly, her tense nerves seeming to loosen slightly with that sigh.

She confessed in a low voice, "I—I'm actually not angry with him anymore." Her gaze became distant and worried. "I just can't help thinking, what will happen to Princess Ilya in the future? And that child—the reputation of being a bastard is never a good thing, no matter where you are."

Arianne put her arm around her shoulder, trying to dispel her worries with a lighthearted tone: "Let them worry about these things themselves. Prince Doran, Oberyn, and Euron themselves will handle it. Alright, let's stop sunbathing here and go back." She pulled Ashara around, glanced back at the desert, and laughed, "Judging by this, he'll probably have to dig for quite a few more days to gather enough."

As Ashara was being pulled along, she couldn't help but mutter under her breath, her tone carrying a hint of helpless complaint, yet also a faint trace of heartache that even she herself didn't realize: "Just dig up a couple as a token gesture—this idiot, does she really have to make a whole pot? She's so incredibly stupid—"

Arianne's joking expression faded, and her tone became more serious. She took Ashara's arm and whispered, "You mustn't be soft-hearted. With men, especially men like him, once you give in, countless illegitimate children and mistresses might appear later."

Upon hearing this, Asara's eyes widened immediately, and she blurted out instinctively, "He wouldn't dare!" Her tone was like that of a kitten whose tail had been stepped on and whose fur had stood on end. But then, as if remembering something, she turned her head and gave her best friend, who was also Dorn's most beautiful rose, a scrutinizing look, and warned her half-jokingly and half-seriously, "You're right! So, you'd better stay away from him from now on. I don't want to have to share a man with my best friend one day, hmph!"

Arianne was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing at her words, and tickled her back: "Dream on! Who wants to share with you!"

The two girls burst into laughter, playfully teasing each other, like two sandy flowers swaying gracefully in the shadows, carrying the unique vibrancy and coquettishness of youth, as they gradually walked away.

Their carefree and cheerful figures formed a stark and comical contrast with Euron Greyjoy, who was covered in dust and tirelessly battling sand and scorpions in the distant desert.