THE VIPER'S BASTARD

Battle is an instinct, like eating, drinking, speaking, flinching and running. But it only becomes a battle when there are more people involved. That's how the lords like to fight, they would rather that they have other people die for them and so they can sit back drink wine, f**k whores and get ever so richer. Even when your related to a great family, just because your baseborn . . . what? Fine b*****d, it's the same thing.

I mean I'm just another bastard to most people, nothing special. I have some basic form of sword-fighting skills, and I do have royal blood, even if it isn't much Targaryen, more Martell. I won't go into much detail but I will just get on with the story.

It was actually during the end phases of the War of the Five Kings when Dorne finally showed its true elegances to House Targaryen once my cousin married the Young Dragon, Aegon:

Shortly following the end of the Tyrell's attempt to recapture Storm's End after the Golden Company held out till the Dornish Army, led by my younger cousin, Trystane Martell, although he didn't really lead them Lord Quentyn Qorgyle of Sandstone really led the attack, Trystane was just learning seeing as his older brother Quentyn returned a burnt corpse from attempting to tame a dragon.

I wasn't there at the time; I went with Ser Aero Hotah and most of the Dornish Army to Highgarden, as his squire, I was granted enough of my own equipment by my father and even a horse. Mace Tyrell was acting Hand of King Tommen Baratheon in King's Landing, crippled Wilas was still trying prevent the Iron Fleet from sailing up the Mander, flower fighter Ser Loras was half scorched in Dragonstone, and gallant Garlan was too far away in his new home of Brightwater Keep. So there was only really a few sworn swords still guarding the fortress.

Highgarden was a large castle standing on the banks of the River Mander. It seemed like an ancient castle, nearly abandoned due to the vines and ivy growing all over the castle, but it hadn't been abandoned, we all knew that the moment we approached it.

"You think this will be that easy?" I asked Areo.

"Look, the closest Tyrell to us is the cripple Wilas, and he is not the bigger threat: Garlan Tyrell still resides in Brightwater Keep south of here. But he will be too late once we launch our attack".

I stared in to the Mander as it continued flowing, but its gentle flow was disruptive and constantly crashing against each other. "What about the Iron Fleet? They sailed right up here . . ."

"The bulk of the fleet is already gone, probably couldn't handle all the pressure and fled. Aaaand the Baratheons wouldn't dream of attacking us while we still have the Kings sister in our possession, which is also a win-win as if the Tyrells attack us without the Kings leave then that will cause a rift between their little alliance."

I still felt uneasy about this. My uncle Doran only allowed me to join as he saw I needed to be put into good enough use. Ever since the Mountain smashed my father to death defending the Imp I suppose he thought that Oberyn's only son should be learning to fight for his father's house and ruling kingdom.

"We can easily take Hightower, so I want you Alek to go south."

"South? Towards Garlan?"

"Defeat him and capture him. That's all you need to do. Capture him and the Tyrells will bend the knee ever so easier".

I stared at him sarcastically "Robb Stark captured Jaime Lannister and the Lannister forces didn't give up . . ."

"They relied on the weakness of women to make sure that they didn't kill him. They had Starks sister's, his father's bones and his families ancestral sword. The Tyrells have nothing on us except the Iron Throne. The boy knig is under the control of Mace Tyrell as his Hand. Aegon will gather his forces ready to take King's Landing. The Westerland forces are broken in the Riverlands as well with contending with Stannis Baratheon in the North, and those Greyjoys skulking around the Iron Islands."

"That seems a pretty big gamble based on things that could easily go wrong".

"The young Targaryen's hoping to draw all this attention. The rest of those Houses are still dealing with their own problems. Once Arianne is married to the Targaryen, Our alliance will be set in sands."

I could have argued further, but I was in no position to argue further with a knight, especially the Captain General of Prince Doran's Guard. I pulled on my horse to move south. Following me was several hundred men, most were spearmen mercenaries. I was about follow them till Hotah noticed my shield.

"That's a nice set of arms there". I turned my head round looking at my fairly battered shield: It was an all-black shield with half an orange sun at the bottom with the spear tip breaking through it half way, splitting the shield into two halves. On the right there was a Red Viper, and on the left was a White Auroch, both were facing inwards towards the spear.

I replied "I had trouble with the design. I needed to keep in with my ancestry, but it had to personal."

"I can see that, You kept the Sun and Spear of your father's house, even the Red Viper in memory of your father." He took a long, hard stare at the other animal. "What was the Auroch for?"

I took my sheild off and stared at it. "What's my name?"

"Alek Sands, son of Oberyn Martell of Dorne".

"And my mother's name?"

"Well, no one really knows who your mother was. But they do say she was a 'Flowers'".

I nodded. "She was a bastard also. But I remember just one thing about what she told me before my father asked me to join him in Dorne. She told me that I was destined to be a great knight like my father, but also her father was one of the greatest. Gerold Hightower."

"The Lord Commander of King Aerys II's Kingsguard, the 'White Bull'. I should have guessed as much."

I smiled and turned my head, with my sheild secured onto my back. I pulled on my horses reigns and galloped on, following my army as we marched for Brightwaters Keep.