Author's note: so it was been like 1 year and a half since I've uploaded this story. I've finally finished my medschool year and I'm waiting for the results. As I promised in my last AN here's a new chapter. I realise there's a lot of grammatical mistakes in the lasts chaptersdue to english not been my mother tongue so I will try and correct them in the following weeks and I'll write more chapters of course. I'll post previews of the next chapters on my Tumblr page (theburningspirit).
Reviews are appreciated as well as any comments on the story, the grammar or the timeline.
Here you go.
Dust. Dust everywhere. In her eyes, in her mouth and probably even down her fighting skirt.
« Come on get up. Are you sick or are you always that bad? » he yelled at her.
If it was any other day, this would have put her in an extreme anger but the recent events had clouded her mind and Mila couldn't keep her focus on her sparring partner.
Not that it matter of course, he would have crushed her even on her best day.
« Come on sleepy, at least try and pretend you're not clumsy little girl who doesn't know how to hold a sword. »
She sighed. He knew she was better than that, he had seen her fight after all but he also knew she was too lost in her own thoughts to put up a good fight and it turns out he took an insufferable pleasure to push her buttons.
« Get up Mila! You are so much better than that! »
But Tyene's cheers were to no avail as five seconds later Mila ate the dust again. It was a surprise she hadn't drown in it already.
She waited for his next attack but it never came. She got up slowly and eyed him warily but he wasn't planing his next move or thinking of a new way to humiliate her. No, instead he was looking at her with genuine concern.
« You're bleeding. » he simply told her and Mila had to make a complete u-turn to find her wound.
It was a long cut starting from the back of her knee down to her ankle.
« I'm fine. Get back to the fight! » she snapped at him. « I'm not a baby, I can handle a lot more than that. »
He smirked at her. This horrendous smirk that just made Mila want to slap him to erase it.
« Really? Because from where I stand you don't seem to be able to handle anything. »
A laugh echoed his words, forcing her to turn to see who had the stupid idea to mock her. It was no surprise to Mila when her eyes met Ellaria's.
Yeah, like she's ever been in a fight.
Mila took the distraction that Ellaria was providing to Oberyn to knock down his spear from his hand and hit him across the hip.
Ellaria's mixed surprised and horrified sound was music to her ears.
Don't worry woman. I won't break your toy. At least not too much.
Oberyn smiled at her for the first time of the morning and it was not some stupid smirk.
« There she is. Time to watch the she-wolf and not the puppy. » he whispered for only her to ear.
He swiftly pushed her back, successfully avoiding her blade and took back his spear.
He took a swing at her and she was truthfully happy when she avoided being hit.
They sparred a bit, almost dancing around each other, waiting for the other to make a mistake. Mila could ear Tyene's cheers as well as some shouts from others but it all seemed to come from far away. All she could see was Oberyn anyhow he was standing in the way of her victory with his insufferable smirk that irked her so much she could have burned the whole city to the ground in this moment.
Maybe I am my father's daughter after all.
She had tried not to think about it much. She had taken a sleeping draught before retreating in her chambers and had woken up in the morning, immediately rushing to the training grounds to empty her head.
From what she had understand from Tyene's rambling before the sparring, Sunspear had thrived the night before, celebrating the King's fall. Even if he wasn't directly guilty of the horrors that the Martell family had suffered during the Sack of King's Landing it was still his rebellion, his association with the Lannister that'd killed Princess Elia and her children. Your siblings Mila.
Oberyn hit her this time, barely touching her but still. She could almost hear Arthur whispering in her ear 'let him get close, let him believe he has power over you, being underestimated will always be your greatest strength'.
He approached her slowly like the snake he was. He was obviously expecting her to do the same.
Except I'm not a snake.
He jolted his spear forward and Mila made no effort to avoid it. The spear empaled itself in her arm, a sign that he wasn't seriously trying to harm her.
His smirked at her again. And then Arthur's voice 'then strike him down'.
And so she did. Her blade made no attempt to touch him directly. No there was no point in that. Instead she hit the middle of the spear. The pointy end didn't move from her arm, it was too stuck for that, so it was his end that suffered the strength of her attack. It jolted back and forth taking him by surprise. And then he let go of it. She had won. She had disarmed him.
He looked at her with admiration in his eyes, probably analyzing how she had been willing to sacrifice to conquer.
Mila tried as hard as she could not to cry when she took the spear out. She was used to getting hurt but the pain was still present. She looked up to Ser Daemon giving her some bandages to stop the bleeding.
He's prepared. Must happen every time Oberyn fights someone.
She smiled thankfully at him and then took in her surroundings. Most people including the oldest Sandsnakes were clapping. Daemon was now discussing whatever topic he had with Oberyn while attempting to clean her blood off the spear and last but not least Ellaria was livid. Mila gave her a wink before disappearing in the castle.
She had her victory.
The celebrations of King Robert's death lasted for days, a never ending flow of dornishmen from all different houses coming to Sunspear. Mila half hoped Ser Arthur would be among them but she knew he was way too honorable to celebrate even his enemy's death.
It was the evening and music was being played around every corner of every street, yet Mila wasn't happy. Prince Doran had sent a scout to bring her back to the palace and the guard was being particularly pressing with her. When she finally arrived, Mila found that she wasn't the only person Doran summoned. Indeed the entire Council had been reunited plus a few more people including the Sand Snakes, Ellaria and Oberyn's squire Daemon who seemed like he had just been teared away from his favorite place much like her.
« In the events of the Usurper's death… » Doran began and was interrupted by Oberyn clapping at the news.
Gods help me he's such a child.
« As I was saying » Prince Doran continued after sending Oberyn a warning look. « The Usurper's death leaves the throne alone and vulnerable. I have received a raven from Lord Stark informing me that Baratheon's children are illegitimate and that Lord Stannis is the rightful heir to the throne. »
« There's no such thing as rightful in any member of House Baratheon, same as House Lannister. » Interjected Oberyn. « Besides it's not like Cersei will let anyone take her throne away and I'm not even talking about Tywin. »
« Indeed brother you are right. Ned Stark has been arrested for treason, his fate is yet to be known but considering the Lannisters are involved, I would assume the worse. »
Mila, who had remained silent during the whole conversation between the Martell's brothers, took a step forward. « Prince Doran, if the raven you received comes from Ned Stark… » The uncle who left me behind. « and he sent it before he was arrested, how do you even know this happened? »
Mila's question raised a few approving nods, people catching up on her train of thoughts.
Doran's voice was raised, and silence resurfaced when his answer was met with great surprise.
« I have received another raven young Lady. A proposal for an unlikely alliance that many of you will be quick to refuse but that comes at a perfect timing in our search of vengeance against Tywin Lannister. While we could never trust Stannis Baratheon into our biding for he is harder headed than the Usurper himself, there is another one we could place on the Iron Throne to serve us the war against the Lannisters many of us have been waiting for. Your patience will not be in vain. I have started negotiations with Renly Baratheon. »
Okay so now we are around the events of season 1 episode 9. At this point Ned is already dead considering the time it takes for a raven to go all the way to the South: Doran first receives news of Robert's death through an "official" raven with the Crown seal and with it comes Ned's raven about his discovery of Joffrey's parentage and 2 or 3 days later he receives Renly's raven with an alliance proposal. Renly's raven will be explained in details in later chapters but to make it short, at that point Renly has already left KL and is making his alliance with the Tyrells.
So do you think an alliance with Renly can work? And with the Tyrells knowing those aren't in good terms?
