Elia raised her brow. Still a maiden? She hadn't thought it possible to remain that past five and ten in Sunspear, but then Isobel hadn't been at court. She hadn't been one since she was three-and-ten. She and one of Lord Wyl's sons had gotten lost in the desert and found an oasis... It had been a great deal of fun until Ser Dymon found them the next morning. She mentally promised herself another night with her bedmates if she got through this without hitting Isobel. It was like talking to a moonstruck girl of three-and-ten.
"Yet. That has a promising sound." She smiled. Gods be good, she would drown her daughters if they were this foolish. Fine. She would help Isobel Dayne enough to keep her from throwing herself off a tower. Elia was a princess of all of Dorne, not just the intelligent parts.
"Listen to me, Isobel, and listen closely. Those blushing Northron maidens you act like have fathers who have no traitorous brothers. It's a luxury you do not have. If you want a husband, you will have to get him on your own. Blushes and maidenly virtue are hardly going to help." It annoyed her to see any of her subjects acting as if the foolish Northron sheep were above them and she didn't bother hiding that irritation, but she softened her tone with some effort.
"Order some new dresses, and I'll send Aeria's favorite jeweller to you. Wealth, sweetling. It's one thing you have got and you best use it. And stop looking so eager to please them all or they'll eat you alive- they feed on fear. That's what this court does, Lady. They call us vipers, but these serpents swallow their pray whole."
That said she sat back. She was acting as Princess of Dorne now, but she wouldn't oppose Hester's campaign either. In fact, she was probably about to help it along...