Meria I
"Have you heard the news mother?" Nymor was a sweet son, but he was often stupid. Meria wondered how it was he ended up in this state.
"I am blind, old and far Nymor, but not deaf nor stupid. Of course I've heard the news." Meria was sick to death of people talking about the news. She knew that Aegon was there, on Dragonstone, waiting to conquer the continent.
"Well what are you to do, the Yronwoods want a plan of action. They are already threatening our position, saying that you are unfit to rule." Nymor said hoping they won't be overheard. Yet they were in Meria's private chambers and unlikely to be disturbed.
"I will say to the Yronwoods what I've said to my servants, sent by ravens and dispatched messengers to speak of. We shall do, nothing." Meria declared with defiance. She had explained herself enough.
"Mother, with all due respect, I think that the Houses of Dorne are expecting something more decisive from the great House of Martell. Think of our name."
"I'm thinking of the people Nymor. You think you are ready to rule, but I am not dead yet, and until that fateful day, I am still the ruling Princess of the Princedom of Dorne. You should not question a command." Meria was sick of the same argument. These points had already been told to her enough and she did not need her heir carrying on the discussion. "You still have a lot to learn young Nymor."
"What are we to wait for, mother?" Finally, an intelligent question from him.
"We are to wait for Aegon to attack the others first. It would not be logical to attack us when the Gardiners, Lannisters and Durrandons block their path to us. Once we see their tactics we can ensure that our motto continues." Meria said proudly, she had always been proud and wanted to make sure she left behind a legacy
"'Unbowed, unbent, unbroken.'" Nymor said as a chant. With that he seemed satisfied and turned to leave. He gave a little bow and left the room. Only when he left did Meria properly contemplate her heir. He was an old man himself, his fiftieth nameday had come and gone some years ago. His dark ebony hair was now infused with greying streaks and his skin, which was once so tight and gleaming, hung off his face around his eyes, making him look constantly tired. Yet something else bothered Meria. Despite his age, he had only managed to sire one heir, a girl named Deria. Despite her younger age of just sixteen years, she was already more intelligent than Nymor. She thanked the Gods she didn't inherit her father's cluelessness. Yet, he had only married Taena Jordayne out of the deal that Meria made herself, and strangely lacked a paramour. Meria had always assumed it was out of shame or embarrassment, but never found out the truth. It mattered little whilst there was still an heir, but should anything befall Deria, then Dorne will be left in instability, which is just what the Targaryen would want.
Meria contemplated her options too. She was to wait, yet she always hated Argilac of the Stormlands, and was constantly vexed by his expansionist actions by the Dornish Marches. Therefore she had a brilliant idea. She order one her maids, her name forgotten by the aged princess, to send her maester, son, granddaughter, the member of House Dayne that was still visiting Sunspear, some ink and parchment to be gathered in the Great Hall as soon as possible.
It took Meria a long time to reach the Great Hall. Sunspear has fewer stairs than some of the other Great Keeps of the leading Houses of Westeros, but nonetheless, it had its fair share, and took the old woman a great deal of time to get to the bottom. Once there she was helped to the throne by the knight guarding the door. She thanked him as she sat down and sent him out.
"I'm sure you're wondering why I've gathered you all her in such short notice." Meria said trying to get comfortable upon the throne.
"Considering I was with you, not moments ago mother, yes I am." Nymor had begun. Meria did not care what any of the thought, she had had an epiphany.
"I have had an idea. I shall write to the Dragonlord and propose an alliance to him between him and Dorne." Meria had started.
"You would forsake your crown for him?" Deria asked confused. She was always proud of her grandmother's outspokenness and rebellion, so this surprised her greatly.
"No my dear, you misunderstand. I shall propose that we become allies and equals to remove the Storm King together. Aegon can then keep the land, should Dorne be left alone."
"You would risk our men to fight Argilac?" Prestan Dayne asked. "What good would that do us? We would remove one semi-threatening neighbour, with one that has openly said he wants to control us."
"Your point is valid, but you forget, this is Dorne. Dragons or not, we are a kingdom hard to defeat, just like the North. And we would get experience with how the Targaryens fight, so we can expect how they shall attack us, should they do so in the future."
"Mother, I think that this is a great idea. We lose nothing either way, and could protect ourselves in the meantime." Nymor said with an ounce of respect. She knew he would be easily manipulated.
"And should he refuse? What would the Princedom of Dorne do then, grandmother?" Deria was the clever one, she had to admit it. She would be a more worthy heir than Nymor ever would be.
"We would still attack them, but carefully and secretly. Divert some of the lords closer to Dorne from the major battle with small covert groups of our own men. To me, Argilac is a bigger threat than this Aegon. It's him we should be worrying about. Dragons mean nothing if you don't give them a target." Meria paused, waiting for the members to give their approval. "So, are we in agreement?"
"You're giving us a choice," Nymor asked quizzically, he really was a stupid man.
"Good heavens no, but I want to hear what you all think first. I will do as I see fit, but there's no reason why I shouldn't hear your thoughts first." Meria said smirking.
"Well I think that it's an excellent idea." Despite being blind, Meria could not miss the air of confidence surrounding her son at the moment. "As do I grandmother." Even the Lord of Starfell agreed.
"Well there you are maester. Now write a letter to Aegon expressing my wishes. Ensure that it is formal and polite, I wish not to give him a slight against Dorne until he attacks us." Meria stood up and left the throne room. She could hear the scratching of quill against parchment as she began to climb those stairs again.
"Grandmother!" Meria heard behind her. Deria had run up beside her and taken her elbow. "Would you mind if I walked with you?"
"Nonsense dear, come, you can help up these forsaken stairs." As they climbed Deria made general conversation with Meria about the Daynes that had visited, the merchants that had been on trial in front of Nymor earlier in the day and the glistening heat of that day. Yet it was only when they reached the Princesses chambers that she got to the main point she had wished to speak about.
"Grandmother. As you know my sixteenth nameday has since passed and I am a woman grown now. Soon, you and my father will no doubt find a suitable match for me in the Princedom and I will wed and one day rule Dorne myself, with my own heirs running after me, appealing to my own demands." Deria had started. Meria had wondered when this day would come. The idea of paramours was unusual across the Seven Kingdoms, but this practice was very common in Dorne. Most lordlings had a woman to warm his bed before being wed. The practice was less common amongst women, but was still seen nonetheless.
"You wish to take a paramour?" Meria asked. There was no tone in her voice. She had expected it and didn't want to alienate the poor girl.
"Yes grandmother. Earlier this week I met a man in the city and we began talking. He made me so happy and I wish to be with him." Deria sounded as though she were intoxicated by him.
"When I was younger, before I wed your grandfather, I had paramours of my own. One will stay with me forever, Arton. He was a handsome boy, with the copper skin and dark ebony hair. All the ladies turned their heads as he approached, yet he chose me. My father was furious, he said that once I lost my maidenhead, I was worth less, yet I still married well. Do not fret, my dear. But, you know the rules. He may enter the castle, but is not to be privy to any information and no council meetings."
"What should I tell my father?" Deria sounded concerned, she was always closer to her grandmother than her father.
"What a blind idiot he is, and coming from a blind woman, that means an awful lot. You do not have to tell him anything my dear. And should he find out, I shall deal with him, after all I am still here and he still answers to me. Now, go and enjoy yourself." Meria was happy with what she had done. She was also proud of her granddaughter, she was sixteen before meeting her first, but she knows that across Westeros, women are married as soon as their blood comes, twelve year olds being paired with men in their late twenties. Rumours float in from the Reach that a nine-year old girl was wed to a thirty year old man, but the truth to this still remained uncertain. Yet she was happy that Deria would experience some happiness before the war, because she was still a summer child, and as the Starks would say, Winter is Coming. Just not in the way people would expect.
