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He remembered exactly where he was and what he was doing when Maester Caleotte presented him with the letter. He'd had a suspicion that the letter contained bad news, and so he dismissed the Maester. It was only Oberyn, Mellario, the Captain, and himself in the throne room when he opened it.

Doran had gone to the throne room to have a bit of solitude. Except when the Prince was holding audience, few visited the lofty chamber atop the Tower of the Sun. Doran would often go there when he wished to have a bit of peace. Peace was hard to come by these days. It was wartime and he couldn't retreat to the Water Gardens. The family was in mourning for their uncle Lewyn. And on top of that, he had a one-year-old son. Total escape was not possible.

He had a sense of foreboding about that letter. He was terribly worried about Elia, both due to the rebels and the Targaryens. He wasn't one to trust that King Aerys wouldn't harm her. He had essentially used her as a hostage to gain Dorne's support in the war. He hesitated, not wanting to open the letter right away. Pure chance had Oberyn and Mellario in the throne room with him at the time.

When he finally opened the letter and read the words, it took him several minutes to comprehend what he'd read. Elia…dead? No…how could she be…It wasn't until he got to the gruesome details of her death that it hit him. He was normally stoic, a man who bottled up his emotions deep within. He never shouted. He never cried. He never complained. Yet his voice broke when he read those words. He felt a tear slide down his cheek. Then another. He finished the letter. It fell to the floor. He glanced at Oberyn. His face bore an expression of rage, anguish, and grief as he turned and fled.

Oberyn's footsteps echoed as he ran down the stairs. Mellario sobbed softly on Doran's right. Tears continued to slide down his cheeks. He was vaguely aware of Mellario embracing him, trying to comfort him. He did not recall leaving the throne room, he was so consumed by grief and anger.

Later he had all the children gathered together so he could inform them of what had happened. He did not tell them the horrific details, just that their aunt Elia had been murdered, along with their cousins. He held Arianne as she cried, doing his best to comfort her while he felt no comfort himself. He tried to comfort his nieces as well. "I do not know where your father has gone. He loved aunt Elia very, very much. He is hurting right now, but I know he loves each of you very much as well." He embraced each of his nieces, even Obara, & kissed their foreheads gently. "We must all be brave now."

Now he sat on the sofa in his solar, Mellario beside him. A servant entered with a tray of food for each of them. Mellario picked at hers a bit, then realized that Doran was not eating. "Doran, you should eat something."

"I am not hungry," he said simply.

"I know you are grieving for Elia. I am, too. But starving yourself will not bring her back," Mellario replied softly.
"I have no appetite. Don't ask me to. Please, Mellario. I can't." The last two words came out as a whisper. Tears began to fall down Doran's cheeks again. He stood and walked briskly out of the solar and into the bedroom. He hastily untied his sandals, threw himself down on the bed, and wept.

Several moments later he felt Mellario's arms around him once more. He rested his head against her soft breast as she stroked his long, straight, black hair and whispered to him softly. She smelled of the exotic fragrances of the Free Cities. It was a comforting smell. He wept until he could no more, and they went to bed.

Doran could not sleep. He lay awake, his red-rimmed eyes open and staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. He was filled with grief and rage.

He knew well the exploits of Tywin Lannister. He knew what the man was capable of, how vicious and cruel he could be. He'd heard "The Rains of Castamere." He'd listened to his mother's warning on her deathbed about him. He knew well that Tywin was no friend to the Martells. But this…how could anyone commit such an act? Tywin had ordered two children, one still an infant, and a woman murdered. Brutally murdered. The Usurper King had then condoned it when Tywin laid the bodies before the throne. He used their deaths to advance himself. The killers would never be brought to justice, Doran knew.

Such an act could not go unpunished. Tywin must suffer, and greatly, for his vile crimes. Elia and her children must be avenged. You may be a lion, Doran thought, a lion who can take down dragons. But you cannot step into a pit of vipers and not be bitten. My fangs are long and venomous.

"Tywin, I will destroy you," he whispered into the night. "I will take from you everything you love, everything dear to you. I will have vengeance and justice. I swear it by Sun and Spear and Seven."

Suddenly the door opened. A small figure stepped into the bedroom. It was Arianne. She could tell that her father was not asleep. "Father?" she asked.

"Come here, Arianne," said Doran softly. Mellario was fast asleep beside him. Arianne silently walked over to the bed and climbed into her father's arms. "I wanted to be with you," she said as she clung to him.

"I understand," said Doran as he stroked her hair. "You may stay here for the night." Arianne clung to him a bit tighter. He gently brushed her tears away when she cried, trying his best to comfort her. Never will I let anyone harm you, Arianne. My daughter. You will always be protected, always be safe. I will see to it.

After a while, Arianne fell asleep. Doran lay awake, his daughter still in his arms, waiting for the sunrise.