Chapter 4
Ryker awoke the next morning and he discovered Tyene was sitting at a small table that overflowed with freshly picked fruits and berries, she'd seemed to be enjoying the blackberries in particular until she noticed her brother was awake.
"Sorry for intruding, but I've been awake since dawn." Tyene said sheepishly as her brother put his tunic and breeches on.
"Couldn't fall back asleep?" Ryker asked and Tyene shook her head.
"I was sending Arianne a raven." She replied.
"Why? The Tyrell's haven't even said yes." He told her and Tyene just shrugged her shoulders.
"They're not gonna say no." Tyene stated, "They might be ambitious, but they still want to see Willas married. They wouldn't see Margaery married to Joffrey, but Willas and Arianne's children would be the heirs of Highgarden and Sunspear." Tyene added and Ryker had to admit he could see the right of it.
Arianne marrying Willas wasn't as lucrative of a match as Margaery's potential marriage to Joffrey, but Willas was the heir of Highgarden and he remained unmarried. Ryker knew this was because of his lameness, but he was still a handsome man and any woman that married him would have the vast wealth of Highgarden at their disposal.
Ryker suddenly heard a knock on the door and a teenage servant entered the room and they noticed right away that the girl seemed scared.
"Lord Tyrell has requested your presence in his solar." The servant told them and promtly left.
"She seemed scared." Tyene pointed out and then her mind drifted to a crucial point, "Where's his solar?" Tyene added and Ryker couldn't remeber either.
The siblings had been riding straight for nearly two days when Garlan and his men had stopped them near Highgarden. Ryker and Tyene had been escorted to the rooms the night before by a servant and they'd paid little attention to the turns they had taken.
"I guess we'll just have to ask someone for help." Ryker pointed out and Tyene sighed.
"I hate needing help." Tyene lamented and Ryker couldn't help but laugh as he proceeded into the corridor with Tyene beside him.
Ryker was surprised at the amount of people in the halls as they walked about. The Water Gardens at it's busiest was sparsely populated and even Sunspear could seem devoid of life at times. Scores of servants walked up and down the halls of Highgarden and pairs of guards were posted throughout the castle, as well as various nobles. Ryker and Tyene had noticed that wherever they walked, whispers would be heard as soon as they passed a group of people and it wasn't until they passed a pair of thick headed men that spoke in full volume after they had passed by.
"They say their father mated with a snake." Ryker heard one tell and the other man simply scoffed at him.
"Impossible Garse, they were weaned on venom though." He heard the one called Garse reply.
"I think they're mixing us up with Darkstar." Tyene pointed out and Ryker grinned.
"They're dumb either way." Ryker lamented, they were both laughing as they turned the upcoming corner and Tyene collided with a young woman walking from the other direction.
Ryker offered the young woman a hand to get up and Tyene was surprisingly quick to apologize to her.
"Thank you, Ser?" She asked after Ryker had helped her up and he couldn't help but grin.
The girl was already immensely beautiful considering she looked to be at the cusp of womanhood and she had several prominent Tyrell features. She was wearing a green silk dress with dozens of golden roses stitched along the length and a golden embroidery of a rose bush along the neckline.
"I'm not a knight, I've never even been a squire for that matter." He told her and then she noticed the Martell heraldry on his tunic.
"You're Sand Snakes?" She asked skeptically, "The rumors are greatly exaggerated then." She added in a dissapointed tone and Ryker couldn't help but be curious.
"And what are these rumors?" He asked her and there was a few moments of silence before she answered.
"The most popular belief is that you have scales instead of skin, aside from that I've heard everything from being hatched from an eggs to being able to spit poison." She revealed and Ryker and Tyene couldn't help but grin.
"And what do you believe?" Tyene asked her.
"I neither see scales nor fangs and I doubt the both of you were hatched from eggs." She told them as a smile formed on her face.
"I'm Elinor Tyrell by the way, one of the many cousins of the lesser branches." She revealed.
Garlan Tyrell had educated Ryker and Tyene about the lesser Tyrell branches and had remembered him mentioning Elinor. She was a distant cousin of Lady Margaery, but she had become one her closest companions and had already been promised to a son of House Ambrose.
"I'm Ryker and this Tyene." He introduced them and Tyene remembered Lord Tyrell was waiting for them in his solar.
"Do you know where your uncles solar is?" She asked her and Elinor gave a slight giggle.
"Follow me." She told them.
.
Ryker and Tyene sat down in the solar and it was obvious that Lord Tyrell had been growing impatient.
"Dornishmen, not very punctual." Lord Tyrell lamented and Ryker could feel his sister tense up.
"We weren't sent an escort so I'd say the fault lies in your hands." Tyene replied icily and Lord Tyrell seemed taken back that a woman had slightly insulted him, and a bastard woman as well.
"We met Elinor along the way, Alyn Ambrose will be a lucky man." Ryker said suddenly and Mace turned towards him and a warm smile formed.
"She is a treasure." Mace agreed, "Her grandfather had been my favorite uncle as a child." He lamented and Ryker knew he had hit a soft spot.
Garlan had mentioned that Luthor Tyrell had been his fathers most treasured uncle. Surprising amongst Tyrell's, Luthor had martial training, but he had forgone knighthood and travelled to Essos in search of greater wonders.
Luthor's journey had taken him to the ruins of Valyria however and like Gerion Lannister before him, Luthor Tyrell was lost to the ruins of Valyria.
"Anyways, I have made my decision and I accept your offer." Lord Tyrell announced and the siblings breathed a sigh of relief, but Mace raised a hand to signal he hadn't finished.
"It would be beneficial for both Dorne and the Reach if more than the Great Houses intertwined." Lord Tyrell told them and Ryker understood what he was hinting at.
"You wish to discuss marriages between our bannermen?" Ryker was surprised and Mace nodded.
"It would do wonders to repair past tensions." Lord Tyrell told him, Ryker agreed with him and several candidates came to mind.
"Ser Deziel Dalt is unmarried as well as his brother and heir, Ser Andrey. Lord Fowler has twin daughters Jeyne and Jennelyn and both remain without matches. Lord Edric Dayne is unmarried as is Cassandra Vaith." Ryker told him of the possible candidates and Mace took a long time to review each name as he though of the best possible matches.
"Lord Rowan's eldest daughter Alerie is close in age to Ser Deziel and his youngest Beony, would be a suitable match for the heir. Ser Aron Oakheart is the heir of Old Oak and Jennelyn is close in age. Dickon Tarly is young, but he stands to inherit Horn Hill and Cassandra Vaith is only a couple years younger than the boy. Alla Tyrell is the granddaughter of my deceased cousin Ser Victor, she's quite shy, but her and Lord Edric Dayne would be a suitable match." Lord Tyrell rattled off.
Ryker noticed that Lord Tyrell had ommited an offer towards Jeyne Fowler, but five offers were better than one and Ryker wasn't about to complain. He looked to his sister and Tyene nodded her agreement to the matches.
"Looks like we have a deal." Ryker agreed to the matches and he shook hands with a smiling Lord Tyrell.
"This has been a monumental meeting." Lord Tyrell told him and Ryker agreed.
"And the Lannister's have no idea." Ryker grinned
