Chapter XV

Jon IX

I winced as the sun entered my room. I'd barely slept that night, thinking about this fateful day, thinking of how I needed to convince Doran to side with us in the war against Tywin and Stannis. I let out a deep sigh. This was going to be complicated. I'd woken up very early, pacing around my room to try and find the specific words that would bring him to our side, but this was harder than it looked, and I'd recited a thousand speeches in my mind without being able to find the one that would strike true.

Come on, I thought, how can this be so bad? Then I remembered. I'd have to convince him to enter a war with factions he'd probably know next to nothing about, then convince him of marrying his daughter without pressing a claim as king, and finally hope to have him and Oberyn use their influence in the Reach from the rebellion to prevent Mace from tipping the tables or doing something really stupid.

As dawn rose over my window, I looked out onto the Shadow City, as the sun's rays started shining on the sea in the distance, dancing with the shadows of Sunspear's skyline on the large beaches of the dornish capital. A beautiful sight on a beautiful day.

I looked around for Ghost, the white direwolf had made its way into my dreams that night again, that of a hunt in Sunspear's small woods. He probably had gone to satiate his hunger by killing a deer or a few rabbits, and I didn't worry about it too much, Ghost always made its way back to Sunspear, no need to check on where he was, by midday I'd find the direwolf asleep in my chambers or cooling off in the shade away from prying eyes.

Suddenly, a noise came from the door of my chambers. A few knocks in quick succession. Damn, I knew we were leaving early, but this early? Dawn barely broke…right. I looked around for my things, no time to think about speeches, I'll just have to worry on the way, maybe ask Arianne and Oberyn what they think about the whole situation.

"I'll be there in a moment!" I said, before packing a bag, sheathing my sword, as I rushed towards the door and opened it.

Suddenly I felt a jolt through my body, a deep pain going through me as I took two steps back. What the hell? Too surprised to scream, I didn't have time to react to anything, what had happened? One minute I'm fine and the next…shit is that blood coming out of my…oh no.

"I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere, Jon Stark."

A cry of pain finally came out as I felt the blood leaving the wound I desperately clutched as I grappled the wall, trying not to end up on the ground to at least having a fighting chance against the unknown assailant.

"Actually, I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

"Who the fuck are you?" I managed to blurt out between muffled cries of pain.

"Oh you don't remember me?" the figure stepped out of the shadows and into the light, the bloodied dagger in his hand well on display.

Suddenly, the realisation struck me. White hair and a black streak, purple eyes, punchable face…Gerold Dayne. Fuck me, I'd forgotten about him ever since I…well no, not me, but still, the force controlling me kicked his ass...what was that, five months ago?

He hadn't appeared since and I'd just assumed he'd returned to High Hermitage and fucked off for a while. I cursed myself. Just because someone goes away doesn't mean he won't be a problem later.

"What, ran out of something smart to say?" he jested, pointing at my bloodied wound as I failed miserably to contain the blood from spilling on my chest.

Right, I had to make time. Gerold was a cocky fuck, need to keep him occupied, try to get a dagger, get the upper hand, immobilise him. Uhm…

"Why?" I simply asked, fumbling and bringing my right hand closer to the inside of my cloak where I had a secret dagger stored in case something happened.

"Well you should know that. See I cannot let you marry the princess…" Gerold Dayne started to play with the dagger like a shark turning around his prey, ready to strike a second deadly blow. "You see…the princess is mine, and mine alone. You are nothing but an insignificant member of a great house I'll admit, but insignificant all the same, a legitimized bastard. Oh, bastards can rise high in Dorne, yes, but I draw the line at becoming a prince of Dorne."

I continued to fumble, looking for the damn dagger. Where did I place it?

"And what makes you think you can get away with this?" I continued, trying to make as much time, knowing that the second strike could come any moment.

"Well, it's simple, you attacked me first, and I defended myself. All I need to do is…AH!" he screamed in agony as I managed to slip out the dagger of my cloak and went for the first thing I managed to hit, being his elbow.

"You fucking northerner. I had my fun with you, now is the time to end you." Gerold said as he looked at his wound again, sneering with anger. Wrong choice, bitch.

During the time it took for him to sneer that comment and look at the wound, I'd already removed the dagger and went for a second strike. Gerold managed to dodge out of the way though, and I missed his heart, going for the ribs, that must have hurt.

"When you can stab, stab, don't talk." I managed to blurt out as I felt the pain kicking in from the previously inflicted wound, the blood starting to flood out of the door next to me.

Wrong choice of words, I guess, since the High Hermitage knight tried to jab at me, but I managed to parry the blow with my left arm, holding the dagger a foot away from my face. This quickly had turned into a brawl as I felt him trying to reach for me with everything he had. The rest of the fight was blurry. He and I exchanged blows, as I hit him as he hit me, but I needed a specific place to hit.

"C'mon Ghost, what are you doing…" I mumbled as I tried to wrestle Gerold away from me, with no luck, he was gaining the edge.

"Ah, finally weakening I see." Gerold laughed. "It was a fun fight, I'll admit but…AAAH!" the knight cried in intense pain as a white figure lept onto him, tearing into the flesh of his white elbow.

Ghost ex machina, thank god.

I managed to fumble back onto him, before lunging at his heart, completely missing it and going for his nuts instead.

His cries of pain likely woke up all of the castle as I struggled to stay conscious, feeling more and more blood leaving my body. Finally, I managed to stab him one final time in the chest, as Ghost had already torn half his arm off. The knight of High Hermitage's breaths became more and more erratic and I smiled, plunging my dagger deeper into his body.

"Yippee Kai Yay, motherfucker." I finally managed to whisper in his ear, before I passed out.

When I woke up, it was with a huge sting of pain in my stomach as I tried to rise.

"Lie back down, Jon. Don't rise too fast, the sudden movement might sew the wound open again."

I looked up to see Prince Oberyn looking at me. Without a word, I nodded and brought myself back onto the bed.

"Maester Caleotte has managed to sew your wound neatly." Oberyn continued. "You've had quite a rough fight, but only a few bruises, nothing that couldn't be stitched up, a few minor scars and that dagger wound. It'll leave a mark, but you should be able to walk and move around easily provided you don't make any brash movements for a week."

I nodded.

"Gerold?"

"Dead." Maester Caleotte turned to me with a jug of milk of the poppy, which I immediately downed. "You can thank your wolf for that. A deadly wound at the neck and a few minor but painful ones around, one on the elbow, one on the ribs, one in the chest and one in the…"

"I guess I'll have to thank Ghost." I sighed with a small smile, all the while trying to rise, putting my two feet on the ground.

Oberyn rushed to help me, but I declined, trying to rise up without any help. It was a difficult task, but I still managed. Still, my feet were wobbly, it was a bizarre feeling.

"You can walk." Oberyn smiled in amusement.

"I'm alive, that's what counts the most." I replied.

"You might not be for long if what my nice and your sister told me are true."

I gulped.

"They know Gerold attacked me, right?"

Oberyn chuckled.

"Maybe…" he smiled as he opened the door, both Arya and Arianne rushing in, eyeing me up and down. Arya was the first to act, rushing to hug me, as I winced in pain and nearly fell down onto the bed.

"Careful Arya, my chest hurts." I said as she quickly stepped back.

"You're alive." She smiled.

"I think so. Thanks to Ghost."

"I'll hug him later." Arya nodded.

Arianne was next to lunge forward, avoiding my chest, but kissing me on the lips before I could even mutter a word. She then looked at me with a cold stare.

"If you ever give me a scare like this one, Jon Stark, I swear I'll chase you through all seven hells to kill you again."

"Ari…I…"

"No. I'm sorry, I should have told you about Gerold." She sighed. "I knew he was obsessed, but I thought that obsession was with himself, not…me. I didn't think he would…I'm sorry."

She started tearing up but I stopped her by holding both hands to her face.

"Don't be. You couldn't have known. I couldn't have known. It isn't your fault. Let's just both be happy I'm alive and I can still use my body functions correctly."

She smiled and nodded, and my attention shifted back to Oberyn.

"Prince Oberyn, when do we ride for the Water Gardens?"

"Jon, you cannot mean to go there in your state…I can handle my brother and I'll deliver him your offer…"

"I have to do it." I said. There was much Oberyn didn't know, and he and Doran could fuck this up monumentally if I didn't intervene. "I need to be there, I can't explain it, Prince Oberyn, but I have to be."

"Then let us wait a week till you've recovered enough."

I shook my head.

"No, we must do it now. Time is running out, and it is of the essence right now. We cannot afford to lose a week."

Oberyn sighed and looked at Arianne, then at Arya, who both nodded.

"Right. Fine. We'll go as soon as I can get you a proper saddle. In the meantime, I want you to rest, are we clear?"

I nodded as they left the room, leaving me alone with Maester Caleotte.

"Oh gods, what have I gotten myself into?"

The maester just laughed.

"A whole lot of trouble I imagine. Now take this herb concoction, it should help fortify the body…"

Time flew by as we left the walls of Sunspear on our way to the Water Gardens. There had been rain in the afternoon we were supposed to leave, which meant I had one more day to recuperate from my wound. There was still pain whenever my mount hit an obstacle, but it was becoming more manageable, especially with Oberyn providing first aid when needed. God bless his training at the Citadel, that came in handy.

My heart started racing as the Water Gardens came into view once more. They'd hardly changed since I came there all these months ago. The palm trees were still standing tall above the richly decorated walls, fountains and pools. I don't think I could ever stop marvelling at the time and effort it would take the gardeners to maintain such a beautiful place, who'd put most European haciendas to shame.

Finally, the pools and fountains gave way to a smaller, more private garden, where the Prince of Dorne was residing. Getting off my horse made me wince slightly, but I was relieved to see the pain was nowhere near as big as yesterday, although it was still a hinderance whenever I turned one way or another.

Doran's figure finally came into view, the old prince still staring into the distance on his richly ornamented chair, flanked by several guards including the massive Areo Hotah.

"Welcome back to the Water Gardens." The prince smiled. "Oberyn, Arianne, it is a pleasure to see you both. Jon Stark, it is a pleasure to see you as well. I'm sorry about the incident with Gerold, I hope you are well."

"The wound is still painful, but I manage, my prince." I bowed slightly.

Doran just nodded, his stoic face giving nothing away.

"Where are my manners?" he finally spoke. "Please, take a seat. I suppose you've come all this way with your health for an urgent reason?"

"Have you seen the Iron cage?" Oberyn spoke first, right to the point.

Doran winced and nodded.

"Aye. A terrifying sight, even Areo trembled slightly." The prince continued to speak with a strange uneasiness "It seems Ned Stark was right after all, the rumours of what lies beyond the wall are true, and the dead are indeed marching south. I suppose you have come to ask that I send help to the Wall?"

I nodded.

"I thought as much. The truth is, I need to think about Dorne's safety as well. If I call the banners now, when the rest of the kingdoms are at war…no I cannot. Houses Manwoody, Fowler, Dayne and Yronwood have sent help independently, and I won't stop them, but I cannot call the banners right now. Not with war still on our borders."

"Then you must understand that with such a threat, the realm must be united." I stepped in. "If the dead come and we are squabbling amongst ourselves, the Wall won't be able to hold them back."

"What do you propose then?" Doran asked with a smile.

"I propose you join the alliance houses Stark and Tully have made to install a proper ruler on the throne."

"Houses Stark and Tully have made a pact, to install whom upon the throne?" Oberyn asked as Arianne just smiled nonchalantly. "Not Tywin, I presume, Stannis then?"

"No. Not either of them."

"Then who?" Oberyn asked, confused.

"Now, now, brother. Isn't it obvious?" Doran asked with a smile. "They want to restore the Targaryens to the throne."

"Aye. We've made a pact, to restore Daenerys Targaryen to her rightful place on the Iron Throne, in exchange for northern autonomy, territorial gains for the Riverlands, and assistance in the war to come." I replied, seeing Doran's smile quickly fall.

"And what would be in it for us?" the prince asked, deadly serious.

"An alliance, binding houses Martell and Targaryen through marriage." I answered, drawing in a deep breath.

"Daenerys' hand for Quentyn?" Oberyn asked

"No." I inhaled and handed the letters I had kept in my coat to Doran. "Mine for Arianne's."

Doran read the letter and smiled, while Oberyn just seemed confused.

"You talked about an alliance with house Targaryen, not house Stark. Although I don't object to the match, I fail to see how this gives us an alliance with the dragon Queen." Oberyn continued.

"Well brother." Doran handed his brother the letter. "It seems Ned Stark has played the whole realm for fools. I didn't believe it when I saw the boy coming in here, but I realised it. Don't you see it? The brow, the nose, the face?"

"No." Oberyn shook his head. "It can't be."

"And yet, the letter confirms it." Doran shook his head. "This is the proof that Jon Stark here is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark."

"Did you know?" Oberyn turned to Arianne who didn't flinch.

"Of course, I knew, what do you think uncle?" she spat out. "That I would deny him because of his parents? Because Rhaegar and Lyanna loved each other or because he took her forcefully? What difference does it make that he is Eddard or Lyanna's blood, I ask you?"

"Rhaenys and Aegon are dead. He is alive." Oberyn spat out. "He is an insult to our whole family do you not see it?"

"I don't see shit, uncle." The heir to Sunspear growled and rose up to face him. "I see a man worthy enough to be my consort, and his lineage should have nothing to do with him being able to breath air on this soil or not."

"Brother, he is an insult to us, you cannot let him live." Oberyn growled as he made a move towards me. I tried rising up, but my wound prevented me from going further than a few inches.

"An insult? To whom?" I looked him dead in the eyes. "I didn't choose who birthed me. I didn't ask to be born a Targaryen, what sins am I guilty of? I didn't kill Rhaenys, I didn't kill Aegon. I didn't kill Elia, so what am I guilty of? Existing? Tell me Prince Oberyn, if you had been at the Tower, would you have been like Tywin Lannister, would you have killed me, poisoned me in my crib because I was an insult to your family?"

Those words seemed to have struck true as Oberyn finally realised what he was saying, and immediately sat back down, his head between his hands.

"No. No you're right." He said, shedding a tear. "I'm no better than Tywin for wishing any harm to an innocent person whose only crime is existing. I'm…I'm terribly sorry."

"I can understand your desire for vengeance, Prince Oberyn." I said, calmly, trying to forget the man wanted to have me killed a few moments ago. "And that's exactly what I'm offering you. The Lannisters stand alone in open revolt. Tywin has nowhere to go, he's stuck like a rat. But he can still try and raise forces in the Reach."

"And Margaery Tyrell wants to be queen. Tommen Waters is available." Arianne said softly. "We need to get to them first."

"We need to stop them from doing anything stupid." I added. "If they side with the Lannisters, they'll be able to muster a huge host and allow Tywin to get a second try at King's Landing and Riverrun. But when the Dragon Queen comes…"

"They'll burn." Doran nodded.

"I might be able to convince Willas to host a parley at Highgarden. He is still a friend of mine." Oberyn finally spoke up. "If anything, we'll see where the Reach stands, convincing Mace might be difficult, but he doesn't run the Reach."

"The Queen of Thorns does." Arianne added. "If we get the Reach on our side, Tywin will be trapped. The Mountain is dead already, but both Tywin and Lorch live. This is our chance at vengeance."

"This is your only chance at vengeance I might add." I chimed in. "You have the best opportunity to get revenge on the Lannisters. This might be your only chance to do it yourselves. If you don't…then let Robb Stark or Brynden Tully do it, but you'll have wasted the past fifteen years planning revenge for nothing."

"Hang on." Doran added. "We haven't talked about the terms of the alliance. I understand the marriage part, but you said you would declare for Daenerys."

"I will." I answered quickly. "Because my claim relies on the legitimization of a pretender king, and you are very much aware of that."

Arianne raised an eyebrow, while Doran scowled.

"See, when we first met, I didn't seem to understand why you kept insisting on the fact that I was born a Sand. But now I get it." I chuckled. "You wanted me to pursue the Iron Throne. It wouldn't be hard to then propose a match between Arianne and I, as you placed both our chambers next to each other, not a coincidence I imagine. This would give me the Dornish spears, and with the North, Riverlands and Vale, not counting a possible match with Quentyn, you could install me on the throne. And then get rid of me."

Arianne stared dead into the eyes of her father, who was growing very uneasy.

"Oh, of course first you'd make sure I'd left a babe inside Arianne." I continued "Boy or girl, it wouldn't matter since you'd have arranged for me to declare Dornish law for the Targaryens. But then you'd either arrange an accident of some sort or just have me removed from power due to my name, which as I said, is based on the legitimization of a usurper. You'd then have your blood on the Iron Throne, with Arianne as queen, and it wouldn't be difficult to have convinced me to take Oberyn as my hand, then as regent."

"Surely you couldn't have done this, father…" Arianne cut in as Oberyn reeled in shock.

"But have you thought about the consequences? I always thought you were an intelligent, calculating man. But what of the North, Vale, Riverlands? Would they just accept you removing me from power? What reason would they have not to go to war with you right away. And that's not even taking into account the rest of the kingdoms. Sure, you'd have one on your side to marry the babe but what of the others? Would they accept the Dornish ruling the country? Remember the times where the kingdoms thought there was too much dornish influence at court because the Crown Prince married Elia? What would they think now with a dornish queen, a dornish regent and a half-dornish child? How many would turn onto you?"

"Is this true?" Arianne stood up in shock. "Did you really think this would work?"

"I only wanted what is ours, Arianne." Doran tried calming her down. "Our blood on the Iron Throne, our right…"

"And what about me? Did you even think about me?" she cried out. "Did you really think I'd agree to becoming Queen, a toy only to whelp a babe, is that what you think of me?"

"Arianne I…" Doran pleaded, to no avail

"You only wanted what is best for me?" she scoffed. "But you didn't even consider what I wanted. I wanted Dorne, father, I wanted to rule, and you'd have snatched that from me? My birthright? Is this why you secluded me in Sunspear without any power whatsoever? Why in seven hells did Jon teach me more in a year than you in twenty?"

"Arianne, you would…" Doran tried arguing.

"Have been queen. I'm very much aware." She interrupted him. "But to whom? When you betrothed me to Viserys did you even think about my well-being. The boy had gone mad since he had to sell his mother's crown. Would you have given me to a monster?"

"You didn't know." She said as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "You have spies on both sides of the Narrow Sea but you didn't know."

"I'm surprised your spies on both sides of the Narrow Sea didn't tell you that you got played like a child." I chimed in.

"What do you mean?" Doran asked, too shattered by her daughter's words to be angry at the obvious slight.

"Who brokered the agreement?"

"The Spider." Oberyn said confidently. I just smiled even more.

"Ah yes. The Spider. The most untrustworthy man in Westeros." I laughed as I slowly stood up. "Now let us see the plan with Viserys. Marry Arianne to Viserys, then marry Daenerys to Khal Drogo, that give you an army, no, two armies."

"I don't follow." Oberyn said, confused.

"You don't? Well then let us see, what exactly would have happened if right after Robert Baratheon's accident Dorne were found supporting Viserys Targaryen, the mad king's son with the same madness in him, and to place him on the throne, an army of savages, reaving, raping and pillaging the land?" I asked. "Oh, there would be chaos of course, battles would have been fought and the realm shattered. And there would have appeared a hero Westeros needed to bring back order. The Spider's pawn."

"The little piece of shit…" Doran hissed at the realisation.

"The Young Griff, a Blackfyre spawn if you ask me, but it could as well be a low born." I shrugged. "In any case, the Spider and his friends would have propped him up to be Aegon Targaryen, the son of Elia. And who would contest the claim? His face was barely recognizable when Tywin Lannister presented him to Ned Stark, Jon Arryn and Robert Baratheon, figures who would already all be dead anyways? He'd have united the realm against Joffrey's wrongdoings, the kid being as mad as the mad king, and against the foreign menace and the ambitious dornish. Maybe marry Margaery Tyrell to bring them to their side, or Sansa Stark perhaps? In any case you'd likely be dead at the end of it all, and your family forever attainted."

Doran slammed the edge of his desk with his fist.

"Damn it!" he cried out. "I'll need to…check this information. But this does make sense. A lot of sense…right. You said you knew about our wish to have our blood rule the Seven Kingdoms, correct?"

"I was aware, yes." I said truthfully.

"Good. Then you came here with a marriage alliance, but no way of our blood sitting the Iron Throne?" he asked.

"Well, not exactly." I said, leaning against a column as I felt my stomach hurt once more. "I hoped my northern friends would deliver a proposal for Daenerys. A marriage pact between our children and hers. If she has three dragons then no doubt, she will try to keep the bloodline pure. A cousin with a Targaryen father would do the job perfectly for one of her sons."

"Hmm." Doran thought. "This is what we will do. I will consent to you marrying Arianne, on several conditions."

"Name them." I asked as I felt Arianne was about to burst in rage at the audacity Doran had to make demands after he had pretty much insulted her already.

"First, I want the marriage to take place as soon as possible." Doran said. "Since I am calling the banners against the Lannisters…yes Oberyn you may celebrate if you like…it'll have to be closer to the border than here. And before anyone notices Arianne is pregnant." Arianne's eyes widened slightly. "Don't act so surprised Arianne, Maester Caleotte was bound by oath to tell me. We'll have the ceremony at Yronwood in two moons."

"Thank you." I answered. Doran merely nodded.

"It is the least I could do. If that is what Arianne wishes…"

"It is." She answered with a smile

"Good." He nodded. "The second is that you will support Quentyn's suit for Daenerys' hand."

I smiled.

"Aye, I will." I answered. "But may I make a suggestion?"

"You may." Doran answered.

"Send him under escort. Sending Quentyn alone with a few friends won't be enough to convince her of Dorne's intentions. The North sent Theon Greyjoy, Wylis Manderly and Roger Ryswell. If the latest raven Robb sent me is correct, Symon Darry and Tristan Ryger will join Jason Mallister to represent the Riverlands." I continued. "You need men you can trust, but you need experienced men to stop Quentyn from doing anything stupid. Also go for Meereen, that is where the Dragon Queen is headed."

Doran eyed me for a moment before turning to Oberyn without a word.

"Oberyn, I want six war galleys to be ready to depart for Meereen. Send word to Quentyn, but also Cletus and Archibald Yronwood, Gerris Drinkwater, Ryon Allyrion, Daemon Sand, Deziel Dalt, Myles Manwoody, Ulwyck Uller, Quentyn Qorgyle and Daeron Vaith. And your daughters Nymeria and Elia. I want them all to sail under the Martell banner to bring her home and have her marry Quentyn."

"Is it time for action now?" Oberyn smiled as he got up.

"It is." Doran grinned. "Now we get revenge for Elia, with fire and blood."

The old prince of Dorne then turned back to me and extended his hand.

"Welcome to House Martell, Jaehaerys."

"A pleasure, but please, Jon is fine." I said as I extended my hand, clasping his as I ignored the pain growing in my stomach as I had to bow slightly to reach his. "Now let us show the Lannisters why Dorne is Unbowed, Unbent and Unbroken."

Arianne quickly made her way to us, grinning from ear to ear.

"Winter is coming for House Lannister." She spoke with a grin. "For Elia."

Finally done with Chapter 15, yaaaay. Anyways this was once more longer than I expected to be, and is more of a "filler" chapter although it sets more of the Meereen shenanigans in motion. I'm not really looking forward to how I'm going to piece everything together there, but I'll figure it out. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter, which was originally supposed to be cut in two at the passing out point, but it really was a super short chapter if I kept that in, so...yeah it looks weird now, and there's no cliffhanger. That said hope you enjoyed.