Yo!
An entire chapter set in Sunspear as lots goes on there :D
Reminder Kenna doesn't wear dresses but her outfits are similar to what Eve Frye would wear in Assassins Creed Syndicate.
For those mentioning I haven't killed anyone in a while … enjoy ;)
Chapter 76: Bowed, Bent, Broken
A few hours later …
Spear Tower, Sandship, Sunspear, East Dorne
Jaime watched as his men battered down the blockaded door.
A shout of, "all clear," reached his ears and he walked through the unhinged door's entrance.
He saw maybe a dozen middle aged Dornish women and children crowded around Myrcella who stood tall in their midst. She was going to be as tall as Cersei Jaime thought and just as pretty but then he noticed something which froze him in place.
"Your pregnant," he said shocked as if she was still the little Princess in King's Landing and not the consort of Dorne, the wife of Trystane Martell.
"Please don't hurt anyone," Myrcella said ignoring her Uncle's remark as the older Dornish women cowered away from the Lannister men invading the room with their young children in their hands.
"We won't hurt you," Jaime said as his men started to grab the women.
"Don't hurt them either," Myrcella said as the women and children were escorted out the room.
"I promise they will be fine," Jaime said firmly approaching his daughter slowly.
"Please don't hurt anyone," Myrcella softly begged as she let Jaime take a hold of her arms.
"I said I won't," Jaime repeated worried that his daughter was getting so worked up.
"And what about grandfather?"
"He will only kill those that resist," Jaime tried to reassure but upon seeing his daughter get more agitated he knew something wasn't adding up.
"What is going on Myrcella?" he asked sternly, "What are you not telling me?"
"The Water Gardens .."
Same time …
Water Gardens, North of Sunspear, East Dorne
Kenna nudged her horse forwards into the lush greenery of the Water Gardens.
The city of Sunspear had been taken within the same hour as its walls had fallen. Only a couple of hundred archers had stood atop the walls and the hands that had held the bows were either too old or too young to have a real impact. It was clear that Trystane Martell had taken all the able fighting men with him to the Red Mountains, leaving Sunspear all but defenceless.
Kenna cast her mind back to another young and inexperienced leader leaving his own capital defenceless. It seemed Trystane Martell had not learned from Robb Stark's mistakes.
Kenna caught sight of Tywin edging his horse forward through an opened iron barred gate further into the Water Gardens ahead. Jaime was nowhere in sight. Kenna suspected he had split from the main group to pursue Myrcella.
Taking hostages was an important part of a winning war strategy and as much as Jaime wouldn't view his own daughter as one that was exactly what she would be when she returned to King's Landing. Another important part of a winning war strategy was draining the defeated of their resources and looking around the Water Garden there was plenty of riches on show. Once the Water Garden had been secured the ransacking could begin.
Kenna nudged her horse onwards to the open iron barred gate. As soon as she passed the threshold, she couldn't help but feel on edge as if an unseen eye was watching her every move.
"You feel it too?" Lord Royce questioned her as his horse walked beside hers.
Kenna nodded as her eyes swept left to right. She was surrounded by her personal guard and more Knights of the Vale were positioned around the beautiful gardens as well as groups of red clad armoured soldiers but still the feeling persisted.
There was a commotion behind her. She turned her head and was greeted with the smiling faces of Artys and Lord Grafton.
"The Dornish Fleet is no more .. well it is ours now," Lord Grafton said in delight, "Not that they put up much of a fight."
"Lord Redwyne and Ser Davos are preparing the ships for a quick turnaround back to King's Landing," Artys said fighting to make his brown stallion stay still.
Kenna eyed the nervous beast and knew what it was feeling. Something wasn't right. The Dornish were famed for their fighting spirit and Sunspear had had none of that.
"Are we sure the Water Gardens are abandoned?" she asked cautiously.
"Our men have searched the rooms of the Water Garden and-"
Lord Royce's reply was cut off as a Lannister solider rode up towards the Vale party.
"Lord Tywin askes for your presence," the clean shaved but helmeted man said with a grim expression before kicking his horse back to where he had come from without further explanation.
Kenna exchanged a weary look with Lord Royce before kicking her horse onwards. The large Lord unsheathed Honour's Edge, a movement which was mirrored by Artys and Lord Grafton as they urged their horses to follow Kenna's path.
Two dozen heavily armed personal guard shadowed their Lords alert stances as they jogged to keep up with the horses.
Half a minute of further riding on the Lannister man's tail Kenna found herself in the centre of the Water Gardens where Doran had famously taken up residence instead of ruling from Sunspear. The inner section of the gardens was itself secluded from the garden at large by a circle of buildings and the gate Kenna had just ridden through.
As soon Kenna entered the space it became apparent why Tywin had sought her out.
Amongst all the vibrant plant life growing in the inner garden and the idyllic water fountains spraying in the soft wind there was an image of death hanging in the centre.
Six yellow clothed Dornish noblemen were swinging by their necks from a wooden gallows. The taut ropes were squeaking every now and again with the dead weight swaying in the gentle breeze. Small wooden stools were knocked over and splayed around the higher wooden platform just out of reach of the dead men's dangling feet.
Kenna heard Lord Grafton swear behind her and felt Lord Royce's concerned presence beside her.
"What happened here?" Artys asked, puzzled at the picture presented in front of him.
"Not sure but I know who probably has a good idea," Kenna said as she dismounted and walked towards the gallows.
Tywin stood on the upper level of the gallows inspecting the scene. When he saw Kenna's approach, he waved her through the line of Lannister men surrounding the gallows.
She climbed the steps of the gallows and stood beside Tywin.
"What are you thinking?" Kenna inquired eyeing the finery of the dead men's threads and the expensive jewellery that still circled their fingers and wrists.
Tywin switched his gaze from the grey-haired hanging bodies to his good-daughter, "Trystane left these men in charge of Sunspear when he went to join his army in the Red Mountains."
"And now they are dead," Kenna muttered as she started to pace between Tywin and the slightly swaying bodies.
His golden flecked green eyes followed her movements, "That is clear. The question is why."
"They wanted to surrender Sunspear to us," Kenna realised out loud stopping her pensive steps right in front of Tywin.
"And they got murdered for that sentiment," Tywin said finishing her line of thought as they stood in the shadow of a hanged man.
Kenna knelt down placing a hand on one of the discarded stools before looking at the other ones scattered around the wooden platform, they were all mismatching as if taken quickly from wherever.
"Despite the method of death these were impulse killings. Done in anger. Not planned," Kenna deducted.
Suddenly Kenna's head snapped up at Tywin and alert clouded her eyes, "The Sand Snakes … where are they?"
As if on cue a harmony of battle screams assaulted their ears.
"For Dorne!"
And as soon as those words had reached them so too did arrows, spears and sling shots rain down on all those standing in the inner Water Gardens.
Kenna had no time to react as Tywin grabbed her and launched them backwards off the wooden platform.
Kenna landed on top of Tywin and the little grunt he gave out indicated that it had not been a soft landing for him. She scrambled off his armoured front to see a large spear where she had been kneeling only moments before.
Kenna looked upwards to see dozens upon dozens of Dornish women lining the rooftops on the northern side of the buildings that surrounded the inner Water Gardens. All of the tanned women were armed with ranged weapons.
Fuck, she swore in her head. They were trapped like fish in a barrel.
Tywin roughly pushed her back against the lower solid wooden frame of the gallows, cutting off the angle from above as a wave of arrows and stones splattered the previously deadly silent gardens.
Arrows felled Lannister and Arryn troops that were not quick enough to seek out cover behind hedges, fountains and pillars. Kenna saw a few of the red clad soldiers she had passed earlier lay only two metres away from her with arrows sticking out of their bodies at various angles.
Kenna then heard another round of arrows hit the wooden landing and dead bodies above her. She registered Tywin's tense hand holding her midriff against the solid wooden frame behind her, keeping her in place as he peeked above the higher platform.
They were joined by half a dozen Lannister men that had managed to avoid the initial barrage and had copied their Lord in seeking the gallows as a shield from the Dornish furies above.
"We need to move," Tywin barked out as his body trapped Kenna's against the wooden wall behind her.
"If we leave this cover, we will get shredded," Kenna countered seeing the bodies littering the greenery of the gardens between them and the next available cover of fountains and pillars.
"We have to chance it," Tywin responded nodding at his men who were raising their shields in anticipation for the sprint retreat.
"Why? They will run out of ammunition soon," Kenna argued.
"They will but not soon enough," Tywin replied, "A group are making their way towards us now."
Before Kenna could response a coarse and raspy voice thundered, "Tywin Lannister come out and pay for your crimes," and its source was clearly not on the rooftops.
Kenna nodded at Tywin knowing there was no time to waste. He signalled for his men to surround them with their shields and run.
In the next instant they did.
The next seconds were chaos as she concentrated on the straight dash towards the fountain the six Lannister soldiers were practically carrying her too. She did her best to ignore when one soldier fell behind .. then another .. then another. She reached the fountain and dived for its cover. She sucked in deep breaths as she noted two Lannister soldiers had made it with her.
She felt the panic start to well up inside her as she looked for those damned green eyes. She poked her head out from behind the fountain only for a heavy hand on her shoulder to yank her back and pin her against the stone of the fountain's foundation.
She was confronted by the incensed face of Lord Tywin, "Keep your head down. We still need to reach the buildings on the other side."
A wave of arrows passed over their heads and high-pitched screams indicated that some had found their mark in the Dornish women adorning the rooftops.
Kenna looked towards the buildings that faced the gallows, the open entrance was only perhaps twenty metres away and some of the path was obscured by tall hedged and vine covered pillars. Before their next move could be decided upon Lord Royce ran out from behind all that cover with Valemen and Westermen alike at his back and charged towards them with swords out. Kenna could see Artys and Lord Grafton in the pack of armoured men as well.
The skirmishing part of this fight is over then, Kenna gladly thought knowing the Dornish would be no match against her knights in melee combat.
No projectiles struck the advancing men but as they reached the fountain Kenna and Lord Tywin were behind, they clashed violently with the Dornish women who had climbed down from the roof.
"Lord Tywin," a big-boned woman with rat brown hair roared as she struck out with a long spear.
Lord Royce's parried the blow with his heavy shield, "Get Queen Kenna to safety," he yelled before squaring up to the large woman.
"Go," Tywin shouted as he covered their retreat with his remaining men as more sun kissed woman rushed at them.
This ambush had turned into a full-on battle as Valemen and Westermen engaged with the Dornish women in combat around the luscious vegetation of the inner Water Gardens.
A whip lashed out and wrapped itself around Tywin's neck causing him to struggle for breath and fall to his knees with his hands scrabbling for purchase to remove the offending pressure at his throat.
Kenna turned and saw a dark-skinned woman wielding the whip in one hand and a cutlass in the other attempting to drag Tywin towards her. The two Lannister men charged at the dark-skinned woman but their path was blocked by more female Dornish warriors.
Kenna quickly grabbed the whip with both hands and yanked it out of the Dornish woman's grip but as soon as she did so the dark coloured lady ran at her.
Kenna managed to avoid the initial swipe of the cutlass with no weapon to block but the dark coloured fighter kicked her off balance and her back slammed into the ground. The woman spared no time in jumping on her like a lion would a downed prey.
The cutlass point was edging closer towards her chest as Kenna attempted to hold the woman off her.
Kenna looked for help as she held the woman's wrists in her hands pushing up as the other woman pushed down but Tywin and his men were all now occupied with their own fights.
"You are all alone now Lady Kenna," the woman taunted her from above.
Kenna flexed her hands and both blades struck out digging into the other woman's wrists causing her to drop the cutlass and shriek out in pain as she pushed herself up and away from Kenna staring at the gashes on her wrists.
But Kenna followed the other woman's movements and rapidly brought one of her blades into the side of the wounded woman's neck.
"It's Queen Kenna and I do quite well on my own," she spat into the woman's ear before retracting her blade from her throat and watching the body hit the floor.
"Sarrella," an olive-skinned woman with a long black hair braid screamed as she rushed at Kenna.
Kenna jumped back out of reach of the woman's small knives but she kept coming with furious speed.
All Kenna could do to avoid their deadly edge was to keep retreating. Unfortunately, her concentration on what was bearing down in front of her meant she wasn't aware of what was behind her as she tripped backwards over the body of a dead Lannister soldier.
The woman gave her a vengeful smile as she prepared to lunge down at her only to be hauled back by Lord Grafton pulling on her purple-coloured cape. He received a light cut on his already mutilated hand for his trouble but otherwise looked fully capable in the fight against the agile knife wielding woman.
"Run," he said to his Queen as the olive skinned Dornish woman stepped towards him.
Kenna didn't need to be told twice and bounced up from her position to continue on her way to the safety of the buildings where the majority of her men were.
She reached the building just as Tywin did.
Kenna answered his questioning look, "I am fine, how is your throat?"
"Sore," he croaked as one hand rubbed over the red skin where the whip had wrapped itself around.
Kenna turned her attention away from Tywin to see that the Dornish fighters had nearly all been defeated.
Lord Royce stood above the dead body of the large woman who had attacked with a spear while Lord Grafton had managed to pin down the knife wielding woman and was tying her hands together. Artys observed his mentor's movements as he pressed one of his hands over a shallow but long cut that was bleeding through the torn material on his torso.
A fair skinned and blond-haired woman was screaming at a few Lannister men as they kicked at a dark-haired downed woman who was bleeding from her face.
"Stop," Tywin ordered, "Tie them up."
"What is so special about them?" Kenna asked.
"Those two are Sand Snakes."
"How can you tell?"
"They have their father's eyes."
"How many losses?" Kenna asked as Lord Royce approached her.
"For the Vale, around four hundred from the siege and thirty in this ambush, not counting those that might succumb to their injuries."
Kenna pointed to the gallows, "They are Sand Snakes?"
Lord Royce diverted his eyes from Kenna to the three-woman kneeling on the wooden platform, "Yes the one that wielded the knives is Nymeria, the one with the blond hair is Tyene and the one with a bloodied face is Elia."
"Elia … that is a sad name. We should round up all the Sand Snakes, they will be useful hostages against the Martells in the future."
"We can't round up all of them," Kenna gave him a questioning look, "We both just killed one."
"Ah Sarella," Kenna commented remembering the name Nymeria had yelled at her before trying to slice her to pieces.
"And Obara," Lord Royce said looking at the body of the big boned woman he had left beside the gallows.
"They got warrior deaths," Kenna remarked unwilling to think of what Oberyn's reaction would be to hearing of the deaths of his two daughters.
A few minutes later ..
"Jaime has secured the Spear Tower," Tywin informed Kenna as he settled by her shoulder, "Myrcella and the three youngest Sand Snakes were there too."
"What aren't you telling me," Kenna commented hearing the slight pause over Myrcella's name.
"Myrcella is pregnant," Tywin replied seeing no reason to keep the truth from her.
Kenna clapped softly, "Congratulations, Dorne will have its first ruler of Lannister blood. An achievement I bet you never thought to see in your lifetime."
"My Queen," the tone that Lord Royce had spoken in made Kenna spin around.
"What is wrong?"
"It is Lord Grafton … he just collapsed."
"Poison," Kenna and Tywin said in unison knowing that Oberyn's daughter took after him.
Kenna and Lord Royce rushed outside to see Lord Grafton on his back gulping in deep breaths as Artys hovered above him.
"Who cut you," Kenna asked as her eyes searched for any obvious wounds.
Lord Grafton raised his hand as he concentrated on breathing.
Kenna grabbed it and saw the cut just below where his missing fingers would have been. She remembered who had given it to him and so did Artys.
"She got me too," Artys said with concern etched onto his sweat covered face.
"Lay down now," Kenna ordered before peeling away and running to the gallows where Nymeria sat with a sinister grin on her face.
She knew what she had done.
"Where is the antidote," Kenna demanded as Lord Royce joined her on the wooden stage.
"There isn't one," the bound bastard responded behind a vindictive smirk.
"That is a lie. You would have one just in case you nicked yourself," Kenna reasoned, "Give it to me now."
"No."
"Search her," Kenna roared, knowing time was of the essence.
Lord Royce roughly patted down the woman and looked for any container that might hold the antidote but all that dangled off the woman was jewellery and a long necklace in the shape of a sun.
Kenna knew in that moment that there was only one way to get the antidote.
"Take those bodies down," Kenna shouted then pointed towards the three bound Sand Snakes, "and hang them up."
The bodies of the deceased Dornish noblemen were quickly removed and replaced with the three caught Sand Snakes. The only difference was that the three Sand Snakes had stools to balance on as the ropes nestled around their necks.
"Tell me where the antidote is?" Kenna repeated herself knowing her threat was clear for all to see.
"I die knowing I took as many of my enemies with me as I could," Nymeria snarled down at Kenna.
Kenna didn't even hesitate. She kicked the stool away and watched the olive-skinned beauty choke on her last words as she dangled like a caught fish.
"I know you would but your sister's might not feel the same way," Kenna retorted up at the gasping woman.
"Stop, stop," screamed Tyene, "the antidote is in her necklace but there is only one dose."
Lord Royce rushed to the still struggling Nymeria and pulled her necklace from her before flipping the sun open and finding a small bottle inside. He jumped down from the wooden platform and rushed to where his old friend and Artys were laying.
"You have it. Now cut her down," Tyene yelled, watching her elder sister's movements weaken as she fought for air.
Kenna gave Tyene a dispassionate look then followed Lord Royce down the stairs of the gallows and knelt over Artys who was now unresponsive with his eyes closed.
"Who do I give the antidote to," Lord Royce questioned Kenna as they both watched the two Valemen deteriorate before them.
Kenna hesitated as the full reality of the awful decision ahead hit her it its entirety.
She had to choose who would live and who would die.
Artys was her blood, the King of the Iron Islands but Lord Grafton had been her loyal man that had sought out Stannis even when she had been captured in King's Landing. An action that had facilitated the late King's charge on King's Landing and released Kenna from under the Lannister's thumb.
Lord Grafton took pity on her.
"Give .. to .. Ar .. Artys," Grafton managed to splutter with his eyes closed shut and beads of sweat dripping from his forehead to the floor.
"You will die," Kenna replied with emotion overwhelming her.
"I am .. an old man … lived my life .. give it to Artys .." Lord Grafton wheezed out.
"Lord Grafton …" Kenna trailed off but gestured for Lord Royce to carry out the dying Lord's final wish.
Lord Royce administered the antidote to Artys whose skin was clammy and hot.
"It is done," Lord Royce said quietly for Grafton's benefit.
"Good," Grafton coughed out as foam started to appear around his blue tinged lips.
"No," Kenna shouted as she cradled his head in her lap.
Grafton open his eyes to stare up into her tear-streaked face and his trembling hand found hers. He tried to communicate that he felt ready but all Kenna saw was the blood and foam trickling from his mouth as his craggy breaths became shallower and shallower until she couldn't hear them anymore.
His eyes were still staring up at her even though the life had left them. His head still felt hot in her lap and the hand that had curled around her own didn't give her comfort just reminded her of what she had lost in that moment.
A loyal vassal. A loyal friend. A man that had saved her life and her reign.
Kenna blinked away her tears but refused to move, "Take Artys inside and have him looked over. I don't want to lose two people today."
Lord Royce nodded but instead of doing the deed himself he handed off Arty's unconscious body to some Valemen then crouched next to Kenna, placing a hand on her shaking shoulder.
"Artys's cut was deeper than Grafton's. There will be more poison in him but with the antidote he should recover before the day is out."
Kenna didn't respond but nor did she resist when Lord Royce took her hands and guided her to her feet.
"Lord Grafton is gone," the large Lord stated keeping his voice steady as he embraced Kenna in a deep hug, "but before we can honour his sacrifice and his life. We need to finish what we started here before we can mourn him."
"You are right," Kenna mumbled into his chest before gently pushing away, "See to Lord Grafton's body. I will finish what we started."
Lord Royce gave Kenna a supportive nod before picking up his old friend's body and slowly making his way inside the building where Artys had been taken, passing Lord Tywin as he went.
Once she could no longer see Lord Royce Kenna cleared the tears from her eyes, straightened her back and let the rage burn through any reservations she had left.
She walked back towards the gallows, ignoring all the prying eyes of the soldiers gathered in the inner Water Gardens.
Nymeria's body was hanging in-between her sisters having lost the fight for air a while ago. The younger one, Elia, was sobbing silently while the fair skinned one, Tyene was just staring at the wooden floor.
"How did you know where Nymeria kept her antidote?" Kenna asked in a firm tone that hide her inner turmoil well.
"Because I made it for her," Tyene replied still avoiding the Valewoman's demanding eyes.
"You also made the poison that coated her blades, didn't you?" Kenna accused with white fury in her words.
"I didn't kill your Lord."
Kenna placed her foot on the edge of the stool, "Of course you did and he wasn't just my Lord, he was a friend. Your sister may have swung the blade but it was the poison that killed him."
"I am a useful hostage-"
Tyene didn't get to finish her sentence as the rope around her neck tightened with the loss of the stool supporting her feet.
Kenna moved onto the youngest Sand Snake, "How old are you?"
When she got no response, Kenna clicked her fingers to drag the black-haired girl's attention away from her suffocating sister to her.
"How old are you?" Kenna repeated.
"Eighteen, please stop. Save my sister," the young woman spluttered.
"No, she deserves her death the question I am trying to figure out now is do you?"
"If you let me live, I will spend the rest of my days hunting you down," the still crying girl yelled, "as will my father when he finds out you killed my sisters."
"I am already on your father's list of people he wants to stab with a spear," Kenna revealed as she placed a foot on the stool supporting Elia's weight.
Elia spat blood down at Kenna from her broken nose, "Do it then, you monster."
Monster … monster .. the word reverberated around Kenna's skull like an unwelcome tune.
She removed her foot from the stool and retreated back down the steps.
Tywin's sharp eyes scrutinised her every action until she disappeared inside the building Artys and Lord Royce had vanished into.
He walked past his men who were still clearing the inner garden of all the bodies and ascended up the steps to stand right in front of Elia. The blond one had stopped her futile struggle and just limply hung next to her younger sister.
Tywin looked at the last surviving Sand Snake, "She showed you mercy and you would repay that by dedicating your every waking moment to killing her, wouldn't you?"
"She will die, whether by my hand, my father's or someone else's," Elia replied once she had mustered enough courage to do so.
"It won't be by yours," Tywin kicked out the stool and left the girl to die.
A few minutes later all three hung Sand Snakes were dangling in the warm wind, watching the soldiers take away the dead bodies of Sarella and Obara through unseeing eyes.
Author's Notes
This was a long fucking chapter! I did focus on Tywin & Kenna as well as the deaths to try to keep it streamlined but this was an important chapter as the Sand Snakes deaths (all FIVE of them) will be felt by Oberyn and Trystane as well as Grafton's by Artys, Kenna and Lord Royce.
Jaime also found/captured Myrcella who is pregnant! And the three youngest Sand Snakes so they are currently hostages but I am not sure how useful those hostages will be when Daenerys rolls up.
I want to add here that when trying to decipher the relationship between Kenna and Tywin (which is obviously central to this story) it is always their actions towards each other and for each other that speak louder than any words between them.
What did you think of the hangings and the ambush?
RIP (Fuck this is long!)
Male Dornish nobles & Female Dornish fighters (Males hung for wanting to turn over Sunspear peacefully and the females died while fighting in the ambush)
The story here is that the male nobles Trystane left in charge of Sunspear saw Kenna and Tywin's armies and wanted to surrender but the Sand Snakes being the hot-headed passionate daughters of Oberyn didn't agree with that assessment and hung them for their cowardice while raising a small army of female Dornish fighters to ambush the victorious army when they entered the Water Gardens. The idea would have been to cut the head of the snake – Tywin Lannister. But that didn't happen and all those females were defeated in the 'Ambush at the Water Gardens'.
Obara Sand (Killed by Lord Royce when she tried to reach Lord Tywin during the ambush)
Obara Sand is Oberyn's first bastard daughter by a whore in Oldtown and she was the most traditionally martial minded out of the eight Sand Snakes, being big boned and rowdy. But Lord Royce was the winner of the melee contest at the Tourney of Harenhall and he isn't so easily defeated even if he is getting old.
Sarella Sand (Killed by Kenna in a one on one with her hidden blade to her neck during the ambush)
She is the fourth bastard daughter of Oberyn and a dark-skinned Summer Isles ship captain, hence why she had a cutlass as a weapon. Her death was really to show that Kenna is still deadly, especially with her hidden blades, and that the Sand Snakes were focused on killing Tywin during the ambush.
Lord Gerold Grafton (Died due to the poison Tyene applied to Nymeria's blades)
I knew this death had been coming for a while. I thought about Victorian doing him in during their fight in Chapter 67 but I postponed his death till here so that Kenna would suffer a heavy loss during the siege of Sunspear. He is a heavy loss as although I position him as more of a mentor to Artys, like Royce is to Kenna, he was still the Lord she trusted to bring Stannis into the game and if he hadn't been successful Kenna would still be in King's Landing a prisoner under Tywin's thumb. She really owes Grafton everything. Of course, in the long term his death will affect Artys more as he was the father figure to him and because he got cut as well it meant only one of them was going to survive. Farewell Lord Gerold Grafton, you were fun to write!
Nymeria Sand (Killed by Kenna when she kicked her stool out from under her leading to her death by hanging)
Second oldest daughter of Oberyn with a Volantene noblewoman. Kenna quickly identified that Nymeria was going to die rather than divulge where her antidote was but she also correctly surmised that one of her sisters would try to save her by revealing the location of the antidote. Unfortunately for Nymeria Kenna was never going to let her live. If you kill one of her vassals/friends she isn't the type of person to grant mercy.
Tyene Sand (Same as with Nymeria, death by hanging due to Kenna kicking out the stool supporting her weight.)
Third oldest daughter of Oberyn with a septa (lol) who is into poisons like her dad. She gets hung here because Kenna places the blame for Lord Grafton's death at her feet as well as Nymeria's because she created the poison and coated Nymeria's blades in it.
Elia Sand (Dies by suffocation after Tywin kicks away the stool she was standing on)
Oberyn's fifth daughter and first with Ellaria. Kenna relents on killing Elia herself because Elia calls her a monster right when she is about to kick away her stool which makes Kenna reconsider what she is doing. Her rage lets her walk away because Elia wasn't involved directly with Grafton's death but I am not sure if she would be upset that Tywin killed Elia because she is technically a Dornish warrior who killed her men during the ambush and she has other Sand Snakes to use as hostages. Tywin kills Elia in a moment that is sweet and sinister because you can view the act as protecting Kenna in the long term from a possible assassination attempt or an act of unnecessary death on a defeated foe.
Reviews:
DannyBlack70 – Yeah you are probably right to worry … ;P I just thought it would be cool to see a siege from the commander's perspective instead of the fighters in the battlefield. Jaime will always be cocky but I hope I got his feelings for Myrcella spot on. The tease, well I wasn't lying and I hope Lord Grafton's death was heartfelt as although he isn't a major character in the books or show he was in this story and his loss will be felt by Kenna, Lord Royce and in particular Artys.
NightlyRowenTree – Your welcome Tree!
Supremus85 – I mean it might seem like it now but Daenerys hasn't even arrived yet. The siege was not broken but there was an ambush. Maybe invading Dorne isn't the right word, so far the Crown forces have taken Sunspear and kept Trystane's forces trapped in the Red Mountains (Prince's Pass & Boneway).
Cashy7183980 – Haha thanks for letting me know :)
Ksyushangel – Good. Thanks for answering the question. I wanted to make it clear that Tywin and Kenna's strengths aren't in the actual physical action of fighting but I suppose in this chapter I also showed that they could hold their own in a brawl as well XD A moment of peace .. that might be hard to find now. To me Grafton's death was terrible and the scene of hanging the three Sand Snakes in my mind just wouldn't go away until I had written it. Lol I don't kill someone for two chapters and apparently it is a 'long time' :P Haha I mean war has come and I will put on a bloody show for sure ;) You are right that Kenna has gone through a lot and has mostly come out stronger for it but there is wear and tear and everyone has their limits. Kenna is though ready for this war with Dany and you are correct that she has powerful backing in Tywin and that he has powerful backing in Kenna. Will it last? I think you will enjoy then next chapter a lot ;)
Guest (commented on 21/11/2020) – You are right maybe I was being too harsh on Viserys but he was definitely mad by the time he died. Daenerys is an intriguing character because she is the underdog basically the whole time until her dragons are fully grown and she got 100,000 Dothraki and isn't reacting to other people's actions but has the ability to be the one dictating what is happening. From my perspective she is kind and caring to those that have helped her for example Grey Worm and Missandei but she can get caught up in her destiny to rule and lose track of the reality of the situation in canon (destruction of King's Landing).
Anaurel Ereinioniel – Aw thank you so much! Yes, the Oberyn and Cersei relationship is one I myself am very excited about because it wasn't in my original outline for the story whatso ever. Oberyn was supposed to die in Chapter 39 but he is still kicking about! The Tywin and Kenna interactions are one of my favorites to write they just flow from my brain so much easier than other dialogue and ideas. I hope you enjoyed their scenes in this chapter. The ambush was a trap I guess so well done on 'smelling' that XD
One Earth (Reviewed chapters 18, 19, 20, 21) – Hey, I realised that I am reply to your comments in chapters that you haven't read yet so I will PM you but for others who want to know my responses I will still be posting them here.
What do you mean, 'I let myself be spoiled a bit and hope that what I know is not all.' What do you know? How did you spoil yourself? I am a Lannister fan too but House Arryn is my favorite just for the lore and potential. I can't reply further on your first review because spoilers since you are like fifty chapters behind. Troop numbers at the beginning of the War of Five Kings (and a Queen) are the same as in canon and any number alterations thereafter I do cover in the succeeding chapters. You are in luck then because many 'strong' women to die in ARC II and quite a few others as well. Thanks for the advice but it is all a bit general and vague.
Shadow Wolf 15846 – Me too! Thanks for tell me :) It does encourage me more to write when I know some people are enjoying what I am putting out. I will always respond to reviews because it is fun to do so :D
Tohka123 – I enjoyed writing this chapter, as I did the next :)
Next Up: Lord Grafton's funeral, Tywin receives bad news, King's Landing goes into mourning, and Kenna snatches out to numb her grief.
If you are enjoying this story please *Toss a coin to your writer, Oh valley of readers* and review, follow and favorite!
See you next Thursday or before!
