Mya loved Dorne, it was absolutely beautiful here, with all the unique buildings and roaming deserts. Even the water here felt wilder, and untamed. She had never gone farther then the Black Lake before and being here allowed her to see the ocean for the first time in her life. Even the little things, like the bazaars that dotted the city, felt so amazing and exotic to her. But despite all these wonderful moments that filled up her days, she still missed her home fiercely. Her brother was busy trying to put out fires all over the Vale, and she was here, on what little more than a vacation. On top of that, she still wasn't sure how to feel about her father's death. He may have been a difficult man, and one she never truly understood, but she couldn't help but feel sad that he was gone. She didn't doubt the necessity of what her brother did, but her heart still felt heavy with guilt and shame over allowing it to happen.

Lysa tried to help, but she was still weak from delivering the baby, and most of her time was taken up with caring for Rob, and watching Daenerys when Mya was stuck in her daily lessons. The Daynes had come several times these past few weeks, doting on all of them like family. But thankfully, none had made any mention of trying to take Dany from them. It seemed Allyria was in the middle of a pregnancy, and while she still cared for her niece, she wasn't as frantic about the thought of losing the heir for House Dayne to some foreign fostership. Family was important to her; it's why Allyria came in the first place. But she had never met her niece before their arrival, and the Martells had repeatedly backed the Arryn's claim to the girl.

Daenerys herself was having a wonderful time though, crawling around the watergardens and exploring the castle endlessly. At only a little past a year old, she wasn't walking or even talking yet. But she still did her share of babbling and pointing to make sure she got her feelings across. Oberyn's long-time paramour, Ellaria Sand, had helped considerably with watching over both of the little ones. Something Mya was truly grateful for, as she couldn't help but feel completely lost when she was alone, trying to care for Daenerys herself. Few of her original minders had survived the attack on the castle and Jasper was too afraid to risk finding any replacements while they were still staying in Dorne. Thankfully, Ellaria had spent a considerable amount of time raising Oberyn's children, and she had a daughter of her own that was about Dany's age as well.

Mya still felt exhausted though. Depression, nerves, and grief had all been taking their toll. And she had only managed to see her brother twice, throughout the entire time she'd been there. Once, briefly, while he was delivering various contracts and important documents to both Lysa and Doran to sign. And once, for a day, when he was able to sneak away from the castle and spend an afternoon with her. It seemed like being away from him hurt more than almost anything else. He had been her closest friend since she was a child and she missed him and couldn't help but feel constantly worried about him. Ever since the attack it seemed like all her dreams were filled with visions of blood and pain, and all she could do when she woke up was cry. Please, she thought desperately, let me go home soon.

Nymeria, the wonderful friend she was, had been trying her best to help Mya cope and heal from all her trauma. Listening to her talk about her fears and her nightmares, offering comforting words when she could. But Mya knew she wouldn't feel whole until she was home, and she knew her brother was safe again. Doran had been understanding about the whole thing, and just told her that grief and fear have a way of effecting everyone, and that each person has their own way of coping. He urged her to use her time there to focus on healing, and to always be mindful of her emotions, lest they overwhelm her. He also made a point to caution her on making any decisions while she didn't have a clear mind, as actions centered around feelings, tend to be the ones we regret doing the most.

However, between her time with Nymeria, Doran, and Ellaria she had managed to meet the entire Martell family. From Doran's two children, Arianne and Quentyn to Nymeria's three sisters- Tyene, Sarella, and Elia. If nothing else, she was grateful for the time she spent with each of them, and was seriously considering trying to convince Ellaria and her children to come with her to Ironoaks when this was all over.

o-O-o

Jasper hadn't been idle while his sister was in Dorne. It seemed that all the smallfolk in Vale were either scared, angry, or in mourning. Many felt close to their Lords, and a betrayal by them was a shock to the very foundation of their way of life. He ended up going through as many regions as he could, to personally reassure everyone that they were safe and that he would never allow such a thing to happen again. While this was going on, he also took the time to survey all the territory that had been confiscated after the attack, and personally check the land, supplies, and anything else that might have been left out of the official documents. Something that proved itself worthwhile, as he uncovered a considerable amount of gold that had been "missed," during earlier assessments.

In between that, and preparing Ironoaks for his sister, he also made sure to inform Doran of his past and drafted contracts for Lysa, which she signed without complaint. Essentially, she would not interfere with his ruling of the Vale, get married, or bare any children until he came of age next year. He didn't want to leave anything up to chance when she was officially his acting regent.

It wasn't all perfect though, as the few members of the Faith that had stayed in Vale had been killed, shortly after the initial riots. And while the murderers were hanged, the damage was done, and many of the lords from neighboring kingdoms were enraged with such a light response. They felt like this was proof that followers of the Old Gods were just a bunch of backwards barbarians and Jasper was unfit to rule. Thankfully, it hadn't stopped any trade or travelers, but diplomatically, things were strained with the other kingdoms.

Ned Stark had been sympathetic, however, and started writing letters to Jasper immediately following the attack on the Capital. Initially, when he had learned of Jon's death, Ned rallied his bannermen and made it all the way to the Neck before Jasper could tell him that he had retaken the castle and taken steps to secure the Kingdom. Ned continued on to the Eyrie anyway, staying with Jasper until Jon's body had been returned and laid to rest beneath the castle.

He was kind, and while they were never close during Ned's fostering, Jasper was happy to pursue the connection. The North was like a wellspring of untapped potential, and the Vale was in the perfect position to supply them with things for any coming winters. On top of that, their beliefs were the closest to his own out of all the kingdoms in Westeros, with Dorne being the only exception to this. Ned agreed to open his southern ports to start a line of trade between the North and the Vale. Jasper started shipping in timber, a valuable commodity in the Vale, where much of the region was mountains and what wood was available, wasn't suited for more delicate or specialized building projects. Ultimately, he hoped to build his own merchant fleet, as well as develop more of a Naval force, to help combat the increasing pirate activity his sailors were encountering along the Narrow Sea. A problem it seemed Robert was either ignoring or too drunk to even notice.

Jasper didn't dare bring back the girls though. The Tyrells and Lannisters and even the Greyjoys were all just itching to make a move on the Vale. And the Tully's were putting increasing pressure on Lysa to take control of the Eyrie and either remove Jasper or wed him to a loyal House in the Riverlands. If it wasn't so frowned upon, he was sure that Lord Tully would have demanded Lysa wed Jasper and be done with it. Thankfully, none had done anything though, and with things being so tense in King's Landing, he hadn't been summoned to swear fealty to Robert yet.

With all these dangers surrounding him, he realized it was necessary to create some kind of an early warning system, even if it meant showing off a little bit of magic. If there ever was an attack, it would take time to gather his troops and send them to wherever they were needed. Ravens were far too slow, and they unreliable anyway, as they could be shot down or intercepted. He needed something that was a lot more immediate. Thankfully, ever since he had been a child in this world, he had been trying to use runes to recreate things he had encountered in his old life. And while he never could get a broom to fly, he was able to recreate the talking mirrors. He had originally planned to use them with Mya or even knights in the field, but he was never able to work out a small enough cluster to make it work with a handheld mirror, which was why he never used them in the past.

Now that subtlety and maneuverability weren't as important to him, he had no problem adapting the design to full-sized mirrors. He had them installed in all major locations in Vale, from ports to watchtowers. It wasn't full coverage of Kingdom, but enough where he would get word of an invasion before it ever reached the Vale proper. Thankfully, after all the years of contracts, everyone believed him when he said he had them sent from his contacts in Essos. Although, worryingly enough, he had heard rumors that both the Lannisters and the Tyrells had sent ships across the narrow sea, presumably to find their own little cult of shadow-binders.

o-O-o

It was not even two weeks later, that he got the first call on his mirror system. He was sleeping, and a frantic guard had to wake him because of the "talking spirit" in the great hall. It had taken him a moment, but Jasper realized what he meant and ran out of his bedroom in northing but his trousers.

It was Lysa's uncle, Ser Brynden Tully, the commander of the knights stationed at the Bloody Gate. Jasper felt himself go cold, Lord Tully must have had enough waiting.

"I'm sorry for waking you, Lord Arryn. But this seemed rather urgent. I caught two people trying to cross the border into Vale, and they are members of House Lannister. What would you like me to do with them? They could be spies." Bryden said, his voice gruff but calm.

Jasper didn't wait a moment, he apparated straight to the Bloody Gate, directly into the room with Brynden. Behind him, stood a very short man, and a young woman, wrapped tightly in cloaks and dripping wet. All of them jumped and shouted the second he appeared.

"I apologize for the suddenness, but this seemed rather serious. Where did you find these two, and how do you know they're Lannisters?"

"Because I told him," The short man said. "I'm Tyrion Lannister and this is my wife, we've come here seeking asylum. I had heard that your kingdom was a great place for people to start a new life, and that you were an honorable man, although one bound to contracts with warlocks from across the Narrow Sea."

Jasper quirked an eyebrow, "And why would a Lannister be seeking asylum?"

The little man looked into his eyes and said, "Because my father is the most evil man in the Westeros and I'd rather spend my life without a name then be trapped beside him."

Jasper gently peaked into his mind and sifted through his memories. He felt a tremendous fear and desperation from Tyrion as his beloved Uncle Gerion pushed a bag full of coins into his hands and pushed him onto a horse. Urging him to run away with his beloved, and to never return. He warned him Lord Tywin's plans to annul his marriage and force Tyrion to watch as his wife was raped, repeatedly, and maybe even until death. He knew that if he rode hard, he could make it to Vale in a matter of days, and Tywin feared Jasper's magic more then anything else in Westeros. Jasper backed out of his mind, and merely blinked a few times.

"I suppose you would know his true self better than anyone, you are his son after all. The Vale is always welcome to strangers, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to leave you alone wondering about my kingdom. You may return with me to my castle, and you are welcome to stay for as long as you like, as my guests. Just mind yourself and your manners, and we'll get along fine… Ser Tully, please excuse my interruption, I will be taking these two back now. If you wouldn't mind, please have a courier bring their things to the castle."

Without even stopping for breath, he grabbed Tyrion and his wife's hand, he still didn't even know her name, and apparated back to the great hall. Obara was just running into the room when they arrived, totally naked and carrying nothing but a spear. "The guard told me you had bloody disappeared again. What did I tell you about running off on your own, Jasper?!" Her cheeks were red, from running he was sure, Dorne didn't have a nudity taboo, or maybe that was just her, he mused.

She smacked the back of his head, before adding, "Did you even look at yourself? You're in your trousers! What if you were attacked, hmm?"

He never had a chance to answer though, as both Lannisters started throwing up behind him. He sighed, "I'll wake you next time. In the meantime, my Lady, they need a room to sleep in and we both should get on some clothes."

o-O-o

Tyrion's wife, Tysha, or so he later learned, was a member of the smallfolk. She wasn't sure what to do when they woke in the morning, so she had gone straight to kitchens to start working. Obara simply grabbed her by her skirts and hauled her back to a table, muttering about guests not having to cook for themselves. Jasper ignored her father's muttered comment about collecting strays and just ate his breakfast with a smile. He had no idea what he would do with the pair of them, but for the moment they were his guests, so he let them be.

He imagined this is how it would have gone if he had rescued Elia and her children, cordial, if a little distant. Already he itched for the comfort of, at the very least, a secrecy contract. But he stayed his hand, they both had been through a lot, and he would let them enjoy some peace for a bit first. They were surrounded by guards, and he would go over all the contracts after they ate.

By the time he got around to actually doing it though, it was late afternoon. The couple had spent hours exploring the library and the godswood, and even the stables. Thankfully, they both agreed to secrecy contracts, and although it didn't make any mention of magic, it did cover the secrets of House Arryn, the Eyrie, and the Kingdom of Vale. They also agreed to Loyalty contracts, after a very careful review of the wording. Once they were sure that it only meant they wouldn't betray his House or act against it, they grudgingly signed it. Both were his only requirements to staying in Vale, and in turn, the Eyrie. He wasn't sure if he'd send them to Ironoaks, as his sister's castle would have far less magical things around, but he never got the chance. The mirror went off once more, and with it, the news that Jasper had fearing finally arrived. The Greyjoys had launched attacks on Seaguard and Lannisport, and they were spotted making their way up the Blue Fork, towards Saltpans and likely Gulltown.

i {o,o}
i /) ')
i -"-"-

AN: I did a quick edit, to just to fix a few things. I had a moment in IRL right before posting where I couldn't focus on writing or even editing anymore and just posted it. This should be a little better now, sorry about that!

Here is a list of ages for people as of this chapter.

Misc:
Tyrion- 14, Tysha- 15, Jasper- 15, Lysa-17, Eddard- 22, Catelyn- 20

The Martells:

Adults:
Oberyn- 29
Ellaria- 28
Doran- 40

Oberyn's Children:
*Obara- 15
*Nymeria- 12
*Tyene- 10
*Sarella- 6
Elia- 1

Doran's Children
Arianne (Princess and heir to Dorne)- 10
Quentyn- 5

*I know these are children he had with other women, in my version of events, he was more willing to take them in immediately after their birth. Also, he started his relationship with Ellaria fairly early on. She was likely to join in with him on these "adventures," so I don't find that unlikely to have occurred, even if he was with others at the time. She thinks of them all as her children even if she didn't give birth to them, and she raised them all herself, with Oberyn. However, by birth, only Elia is hers.

Also, I know I mentioned this before in chapter 8, but I will add it here for those of you that inevitably missed it. Ashara Dayne, Daenerys' official mother, had surviving family in Dorne. With both Ashara and her brother Arthur dead, that only leaves Allyria as the head of House Dayne. As such, Daenerys was the current heir of House Dayne, until Allyria bears a child. Please note this is not due to gender, but rather because Ashara was the youngest of the siblings, as such Allyria's children have a higher claim then Ashara's. As noted previously, I'm retconning Allyria's unnamed brother.