This is the sequel to my previous story 'Dorne's Great Heaven'. Hope you all enjoy it!

PROLOGUE

"Mother, how do you think the battle with the Lannister army will go? Do you think brother will prevail?" Mina, the eldest daughter of Olenna and Paxter Redwyne's wife asked her mother, even as the ladies of Highgarden sat together for their morning breakfast. In order of presence were Olenna, Mace's wife Alerie, and Olenna's two daughters Mina and Janna.

They were currently discussing the ongoing battle at Bitterbridge, which was now the talk of the realm. Every single eye in the Reach was fixed on Bitterbridge and Olenna's own agents were sending her as many reports as they could, but one thing was now clear. Her son had gone against a thousand years of tradition and had allied himself with the Dornishmen. This was quite literally unprecedented. Despite her reservations, the matriarch of Highgarden had by now realized that the Prince of Dorne was an unparalleled genius in the arts of war, and stood on the same league of generals like Robert Baratheon, Eddard Stark, and Rhaegar Targaryen.

This made for a very potent combination. While the Reach boasted the greatest number of men, they lacked true masters in the art of war. Though Tarly and her son-in-law would contest that of course. Randyll and Paxter were great warriors and could win many battles no doubt, but they were not capable of waging wars that could make or break a kingdom or rather kingdoms at that. They were not that good. Now, with that Dornish brat leading them, they were like tigers given wings.

"Hmph … as loathe as I am to say it, your brother has indeed displayed exemplary wisdom in allying with the Dornish," Olenna grunted. Being excluded from the councils of the Reach had rankled her sorely, but it had also allowed her time to reflect upon her actions. Belatedly, she had realized that she had come close to a knife's edge in undermining her son's authority over the Reach by her obstinacy, and that had sobered her. Besides, Leyton Hightower could be trusted to keep Mace in check, if only to see his grandson succeed him.

"You mean … brother will win?" Janna asked her with her eyes fluttering and displaying wonder. Olenna snorted at the look of wonder on Janna's face. She had trained her offspring well.

"Wipe that coy look off your face, Janna. I trained you to be coy with your husband, not your mother," she grunted while Janna Tyrell snorted and became serious almost instantaneously.

"The only way Bitterbridge can hold is if the commander of the enemy's is a general in the caliber of Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark. For all his bluster, Tygett Lannister is just his brother's butcher and not a true general, and he stands no chance against the boy from Dorne. Apart from the Stormlord and the Northman, there are no other men in Westeros who can tangle with Quentyn Martell. No, my girls, Bitterbridge will fall, you can be sure of that," Olenna replied, even as her daughters and her daughter-in-law absorbed that news.

That was when the Maester of Highgarden chose to storm into the room, wildly waving a piece of parchment in his hands as if it was a piece of burning coal.

"My Lady! My Lady! Message from Bitterbridge! It's …"

Olenna promptly snatched the message and began to read its contents. It was from Mace, and it seemed that her son had written it while being unable to contain his excitement. His normally superb penmanship had devolved into hasty scribbles, indicating that his hands had been shaking when he had written this message.

Tremendous Victory … Lannister Host destroyed completely … Gregor Clegane defeated by Arthur Dayne … Tygett Lannister captured by Oberyn Martell … Victory greater in scope than the field of fire … Immense gains …

Against her will Olenna's mouth broke into a smile at the news. Then as she read the next part of the message she choked and even her eyes went wide.

She had expected a victory, yes, but not this … This changed everything!

"Maester … we need more details, what transpired on the battlefield?" she asked Lomys, even as the Maester looked flushed.

"Well …my lady, from what my acolytes on the battlefield have reported …" the man began, even as he explained in detail all that had happened.

The arrival of the Dornish and Reach armies at the same time on the battlefield … the parley between Mace Tyrell and Quentyn Martell … the assault of the combined armies of the Reach and Dorne on Bitterbridge … the defense of the Lannister's … and then about the brutal strategies employed by the Prince of Dorne.

Olenna's eyes widened as she learned of how Quentyn Martell tricked the Lannister's into opening their gates only to be slaughtered … Ironic, she snorted. Tywin betrayed Aerys when Aerys opened his gates for him, and now Quentyn Martell had used a similar trick on the Lannister's. The Gods did have a cruel sense of humor, she mused even as her children listened wide-eyed with wonder at the details.

Then as Lomys described the duels between Gregor Clegane and Arthur Dayne, as well as Oberyn Martell and Tygett Lannister, even Olenna winced at the brutality and the carnage. But all of that was shattered when she heard Lomys speak of how Quentyn dealt with the Lannister prisoners.

"Excuse me Lomys … could you repeat what you said?" she asked, even as the room fell silent in trepidation.

"Prince Quentyn Martell … he … he ordered that the eighteen thousand men of the Lannister Army who had been taken prisoner be … be … buried alive, My Lady!" Lomys whispered in fear at the end, while Mina Tyrell dropped her goblet of wine in shock even as Alerie Tyrell covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a gasp.

With a shaking tone, Olenna asked again, "You are certain of this?" she asked, even as Lomys nodded.

"Yes, My Lady, Archmaester Ebrose himself sent word from the citadel. The last men to do such an act in Westeros were the conqueror himself in the field of fire when he burned the armies of the Gardeners and the Lannister's, and before him, Theon Stark, who broke the Andal invasion of North! This is … This is … unprecedented, My Lady!"

"Yes, it seems we live in unprecedented times!" she ruminated even as she dismissed Lomys. Now, the second part makes sense. I must thank Leyton, Mace may have just cemented his place in history with this move.

"Mother … this," Mina asked with hesitation in her voice, even as everyone looked at her for guidance.

"Finished! The Lannister's are finished for good! Tywin is done for, my girls. The Westerlands have been crippled for at least three generations. Make no mistake, we are seeing history made before our eyes. We are witnessing the destruction of the seven kingdoms in front of our eyes! What Aegon the conqueror created has now been rendered extinct by your brother and the Prince of Dorne! The Iron throne is now worthless as a symbol of power!" Olenna finished, while the other women absorbed her words.

"What happens now?" Alerie asked with seriousness, as Olenna nodded in approval.

"Mace has sent word," Olenna replied as she took charge. "Quentyn Martell has declared himself King of the South, and he has claimed dominion over Dorne, The Reach and the Crownlands. Your brother has already bent the knee to the Prince. The entire retinue of the Dornish and Reach military leaders are making way to Oldtown soon. Quentyn Martell intends to crown himself in the Starry Sept. The Martells of Dorne, mainly Myriah Martell along with the nobility of Dorne are on their way as well. We must make preparations to move to Oldtown immediately. I expect we will receive a more detailed raven from Mace soon," the old woman finished, while the younger women of House Tyrell listened wide-eyed at the earthshaking revelations.

"This is …," Mina began in trembling tones, even as her mother nodded.

"We are witnessing the breakdown of history here, children. What your brother and the Prince of Dorne have achieved here are equal to what the conqueror did when he arrived in Westeros. The very structure and the delicate power balance between the seven Kingdoms in Westeros have been broken for good. We are witnessing the destruction of the Seven Kingdoms and are witnessing the creation of something new and unprecedented," Olenna finished, even as her mind began to feverishly calculate all possible scenarios at a frightening pace.

"So, what will we do next, mother?" Janna asked with a serious tone, even as Olenna nodded.

"Now, my dear, we try our best to ensure that you become the new queen of the Kingdom of the South," Olenna smiled grimly as Janna was taken aback, along with everyone else.

"It is certain that your brother will become the new Hand in the new Kingdom that will come into existence, but Quentyn Martell is still unmarried. We must ensure that you become his wife, so that House Tyrell will have an equal claim on the new throne that comes into existence. And we must insist on it, before Myriah Martell saddles her grandson with a Dornish Bride! If the new Royal family is of pure Dornish Blood, then House Tyrell will be relegated to a secondary position in the new Kingdom, just like how Orys Baratheon was made second to his brother, the Conqueror. No, this victory was earned with the blood of the Reach as well, even though it was directed by Dornish hands; but we will not settle for second place, not again. We must speak with …no … I must speak with Mace immediately," Olenna decided rapidly on the spot, while the other women nodded in agreement.

"Are you sure that you can prevail upon the Prince of Dorne, mother? This is not Mace we are talking about, and Myriah Martell will have come to the same conclusion as you! Do you think she will permit her grandson to marry a Reach woman knowing what is at stake?" Mina asked carefully, while Olenna's eyes gleamed in excitement.

"It is as they say, girls. The Battle of men and swords is over. The Battle of Women and intrigue is beginning. This is the real Game of Thrones!" the old woman leaned back and laughed heartily, while her daughter's smiled.

AN:

The sequel is here. It starts with the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Bitterbridge in the previous story 'Dorne's Great Heaven', and carries from there. This shows the POV from different perspectives. The aftermath of Bitterbridge is fresh and the decimation of the Lannister's at the end of the previous story is yet to happen. All the shadow players will now be seen acting and reacting to what has happened till now.