7th Month of 298 A.C. King's Landing
King Joffrey I Baratheon
His Kingsguard had been confirmed, Ser Barristan Selmy, Ser Jaime Lannister, Ser Jon Stark, Ser Rolland Storm, Ser Arys Oakheart, Ser Robar Royce and finally Sandor Clegane, all of them had been brought into the Kingsguard, for surviving the trial by combat they had been confirmed and given their white cloaks. And Joffrey had ensured their loyalty by giving them the drink of elixir with his blood inside it. Tying them to him and his will indefinitely that would be useful with the struggles to come. His damned uncle was playing the fool and Joffrey had decided a war council needed to be convened.
"Tell me my lord Stark, what foolish notions is my uncle using to justify his oath breaking?" Joffrey asks.
His hand and his goodfather takes a moment and then says. "He claims that the increased taxation as of late violates the contract between king and lord, and that you are impeding on the rights of the lords of the realm. He argues that his rebelling is justified in the eyes of gods and men."
Joffrey snorts. "Of course he does, and of course the lords of the Reach follow his lead. They have the most to lose by the increased taxation, and the lords of the Stormlands, well they are blind fools who follow a fool. And where is my uncle being stationed?"
"The army he has assembled is currently camped within the reach Your Grace." Lord Stark responds. "From reports being gathered it seems that Lord Renly marched with the lords of the Stormlands into the reach and is currently camped at Ashford. Where more Lords of the Reach continue to join him."
Joffrey looks at his goodfather for a moment then and then says. "He is trying to build up a sizeable threat, and cause panic amongst the people of King's Landing. Food does come from the Reach into our streets, and yet more food is coming from the north as well as the Vale and the Riverlands. His tactic might work it might not work. But he will eventually be slowed by the pace of his army."
His goodfather responds then. "His army is slowing him down now Your Grace. And yet he is showing off his power for all to see. He wishes to intimate the people and make them come to him for fear of being crushed underneath his feet."
"Then we cannot allow that to happen. The people of this realm respond to action. Lord Stark, I want you to send word to Winterfell. Tell your son to call the banners and tell him to march south with the men of the north. I want word sent to all those lords within the realm who are loyal, the time has come for us to deal with this threat. They are to call their banners and those closest to the Reach are to begin attacking my fool of an uncle's host." Joffrey says.
Stark speaks then. "If I may Your Grace?" Joffrey nods. "Surely as Lord of Winterfell, I should return to the north and summon the banners. Robb is merely a boy he does not know how to deal with these lords."
"He is the same age as I Lord Stark. He must come southward with the men, for you are my hand and I require you to remain here during this time." Joffrey says.
There is a moment of silence and then Lord Stark merely nods. Joffrey then turns his attention to Lord Varys. "Tell me Lord Varys, what word has come from Dragonstone? My uncle Stannis is not coming toward King's Landing now is he?"
The eunuch chortles a little then. "Indeed he is not. It seems that the man has become more and more enraptured with the red priestess who has become more and more his key advisor. Furthermore, it seems that messengers have been sent out to find the Targaryens, Stannis Baratheon is looking for them."
Joffrey feels anger grow within him and asks. "Tell me then who are these messengers and why is my uncle going off to find them?"
Lord Varys is silent a moment and then responds. "I do not know who the messengers are Your Grace. But I do know that your uncle has been convinced to go and find them by the red priestess. It seems that the red priestess wants the dragons back on the throne."
"And what word does Jorah Mormont have to say about the Targaryens? Has he gotten close to them?" Joffrey asks.
"Yes. It seems that there is tension brewing between the two Targaryens. Viserys is growing impatient with the delaying and the waiting for the Dothraki, and whilst the girl is growing stronger, it seems that there are two factions growing within the Dothraki. Those who want the girl as their leader, and those who want nothing to do with the dragons." the eunuch responds.
Joffrey considers this for a moment and then says. "Send word to Mormont, tell him that the by the time the moon is full once more, the girl must be brought to me in chains. I do not want her anywhere near those savages, and her brother is nothing without her."
"Your Grace!" Lord Stark protests. "Surely that should not happen. The boy is more dangerous than the girl. No one would dare fight to put the girl on the throne."
Joffrey fixes his goodfather with steely eyes. "The girl can be used for alliances. I will not allow that to happen." he turns to the eunuch and says. "I want her brought before me in chains. No later than the next full moon. Anything later, and Mormont can say goodbye to his chance of coming home."
The eunuch bows his head. "It shall be done Your Grace."
"Good." Joffrey responds, he pauses a moment and then says. "We must begin preparing for war. Send the ravens out to the lords of the crownlands, I intend to force my uncle into a corner here." Another pause and then he says. "It is also time we made use of the Redwyne twins. Send word to Lord Paxter, I have a proposition he might like."
The Water Gardens
Prince Oberyn Martell
The air was heavy with the stench of death. The guards knew it, the children knew it, and everyone knew it. His brother was dying, Doran Martell, the Prince of Dorne who had ruled since their mother had died before Duskendale, was ailing, bitterly broken. The gout that had consumed him within the last few years of his life were eating away at him, and had now brought him to death's door. Only one of his children was there to see him, Trystane the youngest, Doran had not wanted Arianne or Quentyn to come, fear of past wrongs haunted him. Oberyn felt a deep sorrow about that, but Mellario had come back from Norvos to say goodbye to her love. That was one good thing at least.
The door to his brother's chambers opens and Maester Merelyen walks out. Oberyn goes to the maester and asks. "How is he?"
"Much worse my prince, but the end is nearly there. His pain shall be over soon enough. Lady Mellario is with him now as is Prince Trystane." the maester responds. The man hesitates a moment and then asks. "Are you certain word should not be sent to Princess Arianne? She is her father's heir, surely she would want to know about this."
Oberyn shakes his head. "No, he was quite adamant on that. Princess Arianne knows the barest thing about her father's illness. She could've come of her own accord had she the inclination, but she holds the Sun Palace and so she shall remain there. As for Prince Quentyn, he is better left out of all of this."
The maester nods and then says. "Word has come from the capital. The Baratheon King wants us to call the banners to invade the Reach."
Oberyn laughs at that. "Of course he does. When has the Iron Throne ever wanted anything but to make more Dornishmen bleed? Pah."
The maester goes to speak, but then Mellario walks out of his brother's room and says. "He wants to speak with you Oberyn."
Oberyn nods and walks past his goodsister into his brother's chambers. Trystane is there reading a book, Oberyn smiles at his nephew and then walks further in, to where his brother's bed is. The stench is something else entirely, and yet Oberyn keeps his face a mask. His brother laughs though. "It is bad is it not brother."
"You always knew how to make things less awkward brother. Perhaps that is why you are the politician and I am not." Oberyn quips.
His brother sighs then. "I do not have long left, but there are two things I wanted to speak to you about brother." Oberyn moves closer to the bed and listens as his brother speaks. "We made the pact with the Targaryens, but I have reason to believe that the boy was never made aware of it. Despite my efforts the spider kept them from learning of it. I do believe we must avoid the dragons now."
"What do you mean?" Oberyn asks.
"I mean that they are too great a risk to support whole heartedly." Doran responds. "They are a volatile lot, and I have realised that our strength lies in the shadows for now. I should have sent men when Elia was summoned to King's Landing and yet I did not, and I regret that every day I wake and feel the sun on my face. The dragons have cost us more than anything else. Rhaegar had Elia killed, not anyone else. His actions put her in danger, and his brother will see Arianne burn if he could. No, we cannot support them."
"So you would abandon the one chance we have to avenge Elia?" Oberyn asks anger growing inside him.
"No, I would have you leave the dragons alone. We cannot play with fire, not anymore. But that does not mean we cannot bring Tywin Lannister down." Doran wheezes.
"What do you mean? How can we bring down Tywin Lannister without siding with his enemies?" Oberyn asks.
"He has more than just one enemy Oberyn. The King on the throne does not like his grandfather, Stark does not like his grandfather. We use that to our advantage, and Tywin Lannister will lose all power." Doran replies before coughing.
Oberyn waits for his brother to stop coughing before saying. "You want me to take Trystane to court do you not brother? To use him as a way of making sure we get in the king on the throne's good books. What of Arianne and Quentyn?"
"Arianne can hold Dorne for now, but Quentyn he must needs go to Essos for a time, he must go with Mellario and see her homeland just once. In time he will come to power elsewhere." Doran replies, coughing, blood coming from his mouth.
Oberyn looks at his brother and then replies. "Very well, I shall do as you ask."
"Good, good." his brother replies. "Now go, I want to sleep."
Oberyn nods, kisses his brother's ring and then turns and walks out of the room, he nods to his nephew and to his goodsister and then goes to stand on the balcony. He looks out over the pools and the lands beyond them. For many years he knew what his brother's plan was, but now, now he does not know, and that worries him. Doran has planned something here, but what it is, might well remain a mystery until the final day. He feels Ellaria's arms wrap around his middle and he hums as he feels her kiss his neck. "The children are well?" he asks.
"Yes my love, they are. How are you?" his lover asks.
Oberyn considers this question a moment and then says. "I do not know. Something is going on here, and I do not know what it is."
Before Ellaria can reply, a guard comes to the balcony and says. "Prince Oberyn, it is with deepest regret that I inform you of Prince Doran's passing."
Oberyn turns round and looks at Ellaria before saying. "And now the game begins again."