Jasper's first impression of the so called "Dornish Sand Snakes" was that they were strong-willed and stubborn. Even after riding for hours, their backs were still straight and their posture stiff. Both ladies carried weapons, and it was clear they had experience wearing them. There was no hesitation or stilted movements, their gait was smooth and natural.
Between their confidence and general features, they reminded him a lot of the Patil twins in their later years. A comparison he was sure they would have appreciated, as both girls honestly looked beautiful, although Lady Obara was the only one old enough for him to think she was attractive. She was the same age as Jasper, and Lady Nymeria was three years her junior. Gods, I hope I don't do anything stupid. Memories of Cho Chang and his teenage years always made him cringe.
"Welcome to Vale, I hope the journey wasn't too harsh. I've never been on a boat before, but I understand it can be an uncomfortable experience. Not to mention the slew of storms and bandits that have been plaguing the South lately."
Nymeria smiled at him and nodded. "Thank you for your concern, my Lord. The ride was long and cramped but rather uneventful. We set out after much of the storms had passed, and most pirates know to steer clear of royal convoys. Thankfully we didn't encounter anything of that nature, although your father was kind enough to provide us with an escort. Once we reached Gulltown, it didn't take long for us to make it here. According to our guide, traversing the mountains used to takes weeks, but we were able to cross in just a few days. I must say, you seem to have done a marvelous job leading the kingdom in your father's absence. Those roads of yours have already proven to be a grand idea, and I've heard rumor of much change in Vale as of late."
"Thank you, my Lady." He blushed and shifted a bit on his feet. "I have merely done what I thought was best for the realm. If you cannot rely on your smallfolk, then you are a Lord in name only. Truthfully, I care little for all this politics and titles. While I will always respect my duty, I have no need to constantly be reminded of it. I was hoping that you'd both call me Jasper, except when discussing matters of state."
Obara finally spoke up, humor lacing her voice. "If that is your wish Jasper, but all of Vale knows your its Lord. Especially if you're making a name for yourself as the next Aegon the Fortunate. I imagine you'll be reminded quite frequently, whether we tell you or not… Now, in the spirit of frankness, shall we find your chambers and speed this 'welcome' up a bit? My father is a very understanding man, and he is quite grateful for how you provided justice for my Aunt Elia. I know he would be rather supportive if you claimed a reward or two between us."
He did his best not to choke and lowered his voice to a whisper. "It was not my intention to ask for anything. When my father did nothing it fell to me to avenge your aunt, my honor demanded it. And while you're both beautiful women I hardly know either of you, my Lady. I would never bed someone without at least courting them first."
She cocked her head slightly, a pout forming on her lips. "In Dorne we're much more open about this kind of thing. It is part of life, why dance around it? Aren't you curious about the pleasures of a dornish woman?"
He felt his whole face go hot and bit his lip before he said something stupid. He refused to be a slag like Robert, sleeping with any pretty thing to pass him by. Besides, no matter how beautiful she is, she's still only four and ten. "How about we stick to being friends before jumping to anything more? Should you still find me to be someone worthy of your attentions, then perhaps we may court."
Nymeria burst into giggles, her body shaking with mirth. She patted him on the shoulder and eyed her older sister meaningfully. "Obara's always one to push her boundaries and she's never shy about it. She takes after our father in that respect… You, however, look as lost and conflicted as a Tyrell in Dorne. We shall be gentle in our quest to 'court' you."
"You ladies will truly be the death of me." He sighed and shook his head, it's best to act like this conversation never happened. "Come, you must be cold. I know Dorne is much warmer than Vale, let's head inside for a hot meal." Under his breath he added, "Gods, no doubt Hermione is laughing at me over this."
Nymeria raised her brow and he pretended not to notice. The feasting hall wasn't far from the courtyard, but he busied himself by pointing things out along the way. Surprisingly, it was the weirwood tree that garnered the most attention. You couldn't find any in Dorne, so he spent most of the walk explaining its significance and the traditions associated with it. They seemed equally fascinated by his talk of the recent resurgence in weirwood trees throughout Vale, and how it's led to an unprecedented rise in followers of the Old Gods.
When they arrived, the hall was bustling with knights and servants sitting down for lunch. He had the sisters sit at the head table with him, as was traditional for guests. Bowls of soup and bread were quick to make an appearance and he smiled when he saw it. He didn't even need to say anything, the kitchen staff merely knew it was needed.
While the hall wasn't as packed as dinner would be, it was still fairly full. He stood and clapped his hands twice, instantly silencing the room. "Thank you all for joining me while we share another great meal. As many of you know, for the foreseeable future these ladies are to be guests within the Eyrie, and we are their hosts. I think you all know by now that I care little for your status of birth, but rather your strength of character. Something I hear we share with our dornish friends... So, I ask that you treat these guests as if they were Lady Arryn herself. For I will not tolerate any slights made against them- Now, let's dig in!"
He sat back down, doing his best to ignore the strange looks he was getting from the dornish ladies. My sister is considered a bastard, did they really think I'd treat them any less? He felt a set of small arms wrap around his chest and he knew instantly it was Mya.
"That was a good speech Jasper, it showed how much you care but kept a certain level of distance as well. You are still a Lord, and they are still your subjects, no matter how sympathetic you are." She squeezed his middle and stuck her face around him, smiling at the sisters. "I'm Mya Stone, Jasper's sister."
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AN: Apparently there was some confusion regarding the ages in this timeline. (IE: Four and ten means 14) Here are the ages for when the Sand Snakes arrive in Vale (Please keep in mind that 16 is the age of majority in Westeros). I ended up having to go back and tweak the ages when I realized I miscalculated on the amount of time that passed since Rowena's death:
Vale: Jasper is 14, Mya is 10, Obara is 14, Nymeria is 11, Jon is 65, Lysa is 16, Petyr is 16, Daenerys is six months old
North: Catelyn is 19, Eddard is 21, Robb is eight months old, Wynafryd Manderly is 3
Misc: Tyrion is 13, Dacey is 15, Jorah is 29
It should also be noted that originally, Daenerys married Drogo when she was 13, Sansa was betrothed at 12, and Lysa married Jon at 14 (She was married early on in the rebellion and some time has passed since the rebellion ended, thus why she is 16 now). In the show they aged the child characters to make it more palatable for the audience.
Edited 10-31-21
