7
Oberyn's body was still tense, his entire body tight and pulsing. No matter how calm he tried to be, he could not calm himself. His blood boiled from the news I had presented him. So I used my skins in massaging to help ease the knots in his body. He tried to fight it for a while before melting into my touches.
"Did he say anything to you… try to bother you?" he asked lowly looking my way.
"Continuing to discuss this will not help you." I said pushing my thumbs into his shoulder blades. I could tell he needed a reason, anything more than the reason he had now, as provocation to go after the large man.
"I want to talk about it." he demanded turning to face me some more. "Did he try and hurt you?" I shook my head immediately.
"No." I replied.
"What happened when you saw him?" he asked right after. I shrugged.
"Nothing. He looked at me as if he had never seen a woman like me… there are not a lot of people in King's Landing that look like me or my father." I explained. He looked away but I knew he was frowning and I gently trailed my finger nails down his body, his body arching some at my touch.
"No beauty in this pig shit of a city compares to your rich, smooth skin." he said running his hands up my arm. We soon lied back together and wrapped ourselves in the blankets of the whore's sheets. "I was in Essos with the Second Sons when I heard about Robert's Rebellion. I knew my sister was in danger and no matter how much I begged the gods to move the waters so the boats would get me back to her faster, I knew it was futile."
Our hands gently played with each other and I moved the tip of my middle finger around his open palm.
"Doran told me what happened and what they did to her… and now I am back in this putrid city with the man who did it and I cannot even touch him." he said bitterly, his body beginning to shake as a frown began to play on his face at the thought of his own words. Without thinking I moved to sit atop of him.
"He is most likely gone now. I know it's hard for you and everything you are feeling, I feel with you. But I don't want to lose you. Your kindness, your power, all of Dorne needs that. I need that." I replied. He looked at me with heavy eyes and he shook his head slowly.
"Power… I have power over the seven kingdoms, I am the most deadly fighter in the entire realm… but I could not save my sister." he said and I sighed gently and leaned over him, resting my body on his chest. Slowly his arms wrap around my back to embrace me and I listened to his steady heartbeat.
"Only vengeance will make you feel better." I concluded.
"Only vengeance…" he replied and I nodded. "But for you, and only this once will I not seek out the monster." I closed my eyes in great relief of this and I nodded. But deep in my mind, I knew his words may not be entirely true.
"I can imagine the reason why we are all here is so Prince Doran can speak to King Robert about peace." I replied. He scoffed some holding me tighter.
"Sadly, yes. Doran is under a lot of pressure to join back with the remaining kingdoms. He will have no choice but to marry one of us to someone related or close to King Robert." he said. I nodded thinking of that.
"It will not be you." I said looking up at him and he shook his head.
"No. My brother knows I will die before ever marrying a Lannister. Maybe he will do it. He is a prince and can rightfully do so. He can still have children." he said. I nodded thinking of his words. I nodded.
"Have you two spoken about the business that is to go one here?" I asked and he sighed some.
"No. I have never been interested in politics if I could help it. My brother was always the serious one where I was the carefree one." he said. And Elia was the naïve and innocent one.
"It's funny. I have always asked my father to let me travel with him, but was always denied for some reason. I could get sick on the voyage, we could be ambushed by pirates or some other catastrophe happen. And yet, he invites to come here with him. It cought me completely by surprise." I said. The thoughts were moving around in my head for a moment thinking now something was weird, off about me being here. Oberyn and I both looked at each other as we were both trying to find the answer in each other's eyes. The hard beat of armor on floor made us alert as the doors opened and men in golden suits entered.
We sat up quickly and Oberyn's hands moved to pull the blanket over my body. I gripped the sheets hard as he moved to grab his knife.
"King Robert wishes both Prince Oberyn and Lady Isolda in the small counsel room with the rest of Prince Doran's party. Immediately." A soldier said. Oberyn and I looked at each other stunned and confused. We grabbed our clothes dressing quickly, Oberyn's eyes watching the soldiers with hard glares. When done, we walked with Lannister guards all around us back up into the large kingdom surrounded by noblemen and servants. The soldiers led us into a small room surrounded with Dornishmen and King Robert and Queen Cersei herself. I swallowed some as all eyes were on us. Prince Doran sat one side of the large round table with my father and a few soldiers behind him.
"Finally. How nice of you to join us, Prince Oberyn. Sit. Both of you." King Robert demanded after we gave our respective bows to him. I was very confused as to why I was here. This was obviously an important matter. Oberyn was the prince's brother, maybe he needed to bear witness to something. I looked at father who didn't even look at me. He just kept his eyes ahead not even bothering to acknowledge me. This was very strange and almost fearful to me. We both took the seats on either side of Doran. He looked at me with a warm smile opening his hand to me, a kind gesture that you never deny. I smiled warmly back at him and took his hand. Oberyn wasn't upset by the gesture, his eyes probig the king and queen.
"Alright. Let's get this over with," King Robert demanded. "We need Dorn's alliance once more and it's high time they rejoined and made the seven kingdoms whole again." Prince Doran nodded looking at him with a stern stare.
"Yes… even after the events that led to my sister's death and the lack of justice, I have decided to put that horrible past behind me." he said. Oberyn looked at him swiftly, eyes confused and betrayed already. I glanced at Queen Cersei. She had scary eyes, eyes that were vicious like a snake itself. I hope to never have to talk to her.
"Good. War is a horrible thing for both the innocent and enemies alike." Robert said. I just looked around some noticing Doran's hand on me tightened some.
"As our custom, we form our alliances through marriage." he replied. King Robert nodded.
"Yes. And we've agreed it will be from a loyal house of our choosing, to one of your Martell family members." King Robert told. Doran nodded and I watched as he began to look at me and I looked at him a bit worried and confused. I looked at the King now who was just looking down at me lazily. Why were they looking at me like this? What was going on? Clearly they did not mean me in anyway. I looked back at my father, as I could see Oberyn watching with wide eyes.
"Father?" I asked and he just looked straight ahead as he opened his mouth to speak.
"Her mother was a Martell relative. By our laws she is a Martell." he finally said and my eyes popped as the news was just presented to me.
"Father!" I snapped wanting to standing, but Doran held my hand close to him so I couldn't move. Father would not even look at me. Was there pain in his eyes, because if there was I could not see it. Oberyn leaned into his brother.
"What are you planning?" he whispered harshly. Doran looked at King Robert.
"She has noble blood in her therefore our alliance will combine through her. Have you discussed who she will marry?" he asked. Queen Cersei smiled almost wickedly now.
"She will marry the head of our most loyal house, someone who will protect her with his brute strength," she said lightly and proudly. Oberyn and I looked at her in unison with mixed emotions. All the while there was a harsh marching noise approaching from the hall to the right of the King and Queen. This wasn't happening. Whatever was going to happen, wasn't happening. "Ser Gregor Clegane of House Clegane."
The marching grew louder and closer before finally the mountain of a man was standing right in the way of the hallway and my eyes just widened as my world was dropping over me. The King stood up.
"Then it's done. We will discuss wedding arrangements." he announced as if his word was law. The king and queen left, but not before Cersei could smirk ay Oberyn's anger. I looked at Oberyn to see his body jump from his chair, but he's immediately grabbed by numerous guards. They know him well enough to hold him down while they remove his weapons.
Gregor just looked at him as if he were nothing, eyes dead as he finally looked at me. I felt a surge of fear erupt inside me as his stare intensified on me. Oberyn was starting to fight his way through his guards before my father landed a solid punch to his chin knocking him completely out. I covered my mouth with my hand and gasped some as he is carried away. I looked at Prince Doran before finally looking at my father. So this is why he let me sail with him. Because he knew I may not be returning with him.
