POV Eddard

Robert and Neds departure from the shores of Westeros happened without any fanfare. Ash declined to sending Ned off, saying she is not ready to be Lady Ashara Dayne quite yet. Ned heart twisted painfully enough to almost bring tears to his eyes whenever he remembered her melancholic smile after their last kiss.

Ned left without any last word to Rhaegar and other allies who came for the wedding like Wyman Manderly and Yohn Royce. Ned wrote a letter to his Lord Father, asking to start negotiating with Hoster Tully for Lady Catelyns hand and to coordinate with Rhaegar to make it happen and left a note for Rhaegar saying that Neds Father will contact Rhaegar within a month.

Of the thirty men at arms that Robert and Ned brought to Oldtown, fifteen from each others household, five from each were left behind to take the horses and souvenirs back to Storms End and WInterfell via land respectively. The horses would have been miserable on a ship and Ned did not have the heart to put Longstrider through that.

And Rob won't stop grinning, 'He knows, the bastard. Eh, who am I kidding, all of Seven Kingdoms will know before the week ends'. At least Rob knows Ned well enough to understand that Ned would punch his teeth in if Rob made any salacious and crude remarks, so kept his mouth shut. 'Rob just won't stop grinning, By the Old Gods, he is going to be insufferable for months.' Its going to be long three weeks till they reach Lys.

POV Ashara

Ash could hear Arthur coming by his heavy tread, usually his steps are quiet as a mouse, he seemed to not care about it in his anger.

"Why?", Arthur nearly growled with barely suppressed fury. Ashara looked up from her bench in the gardens, and thought Art shouldn't bothered to have suppressed his fury in his voice because it and disapproval rolled off of him in waves.

"Why what?", Ash asked as nonchalantly as she could manage.

"Don't play games, Ash. You know what I am talking about", now growling, all pretense of suppression gone.

Ash sighed long and deep before saying, "Doran wanted to know more about Ned, did not order me seduce Ned or any such thing, if Ned was into men Oberyn was to charm him, if not, I was too. When usual tactics were not working blatant flirting was my idea, then it spiraled out of control and became more. Even then Ned wanted to take a step back from the edge we were nearing, said he would have to pursue one of the Tully girls for cheaper grain, whatever his own feelings about it and it would not be right of him to raise my hopes for courtship and marriage, he was right honorable and proper about it too. But I wanted him and had to practically drag him to bed. He even offered to marry me after and I said no."

Arthur who sat beside Ash while she was speaking asked quietly, "Why did you reject the offer, Ash? What about your honor?"

"What about my honor, Dornish won't care and rest of the Seven Kingdoms thinks all Dornish women wanton anyway. Its not like I love him or anything it was just a momentary passion, a passing fancy."

Arthur gently cupped Ashs chin to turn her face towards him and asked gently, "Then why are you crying Ash?"

At that Ash threw herself into Arthurs protective arms and sobbed into his chest like she did as a child with a skinned knee, mumbling softly, "I don't know, i don't know..."

POV Oberyn

"What did you find out?", Doran asked without preamble, when Oberyn joined him on the shore.

"Robert Baratheon will give a hand and a foot without asking why if Eddard Stark ever demanded it. Rhaegar and Eddard are definitely close, closer than they should be, as far as I know this is only the third time they met face to face, yet they have the air of long time friends, air of men sharing a secret, even accounting for any future kinship due to betrothal. The man is good with a long sword in dominant hand and dagger in off hand, he managed to go toe to toe with Arthur Dayne for fifteen minutes, only got defeated because Arthur pulled a trick, of course Arthur has more than tricks and neither man was giving their all. But something is off with his fighting style, his balance and reflexes are uncanny. He is not much of a liar, compensates for it by keeping his face neutral and eyes cold. He is not politically savvy, not exactly unintelligent just not able to think quickly on his feet preferring to think deep and fully before committing to anything", Oberyn recited the report without any inflection.

"Hmmm, all this, I already know, its good to have confirmation and some added detail from more trustworthy source though. But what I wanted is a deeper understanding of the man, his character, his strengths and his weaknesses. Thats why I sent the best of what I have. So what have you got for me?", Doran asked in a decidedly neutral tone.

"He cares deeply about Honor, not in the way most Lords and Ladies do, he does not care about his reputation of Honor, but about always doing the right thing for right reasons by right means. He is genuinely kind. Loves his family fiercely. Cares about his people and truly believes a lords purpose is to serve those below him. Well read, very well read in fact, I drew on my own studies from the Citadel to innocuously test him, he has an iron grip on Economics, History, Warcraft and Mathematics and has a general knowledge in medicine, enough to provide first aid at least. Abhors lying.", Oberyn finished.

"Nothing about his plans? Past, present or future ones? Perhaps the reasons for this tour of Essos?", Doran asked.

"No, if there are any, Robert does not know anything about it, he believes that all the moves that House Stark made in recent years are at direction of Lord Rickard. And Robert won't even believe anyone, an I mean anyone, if they say Ned Stark is a schemer and will probably laugh in their faces or punch them senseless for besmirching his friends honor. If Rhaegar knows better, he isn't talking. The mans other friends, allies and acquaintances say much the same as Robert about Eddard Stark, good, dutiful, kind and honorable if prodded intelligent, these are the only adjectives used to describe him by anyone who knows him," Oberyn answered with a frustrated sigh.

"Do you think Ashara is compromised?", Doran asked flatly.

"What? How could you say that? How could you even think that? Ash, Elia and me, we grew up together, she loves our family, she is family. And she loves Dorne and our people!", Oberyn retorted indignantly.

"Love, thats the problem isn't it. The man you describe is easy to love and we are a passionate people", seeing Oberyns face flushing in outrage, Doran lazily waved his hand before continuing, "Oh, calm down brother, I was not entirely serious. I do not doubt Asharas love for our family. It was just a thought, she hasn't reported yet and it is odd that she was so indiscreet about bedding Eddard Stark, she was certainly more circumspect about bedding you that once and even more cagey about Eleana and Elia."

Oberyn missed a step and stumbled a bit before yelping out, "Wait, Elia? Ashara And Elia?"

"Hmmm, you didn't know? They had been at it from about an year back till the confirmation of Elias betrothal. It seems you are not the only one in the family to swing both ways", Doran replied drily with a smirk on his face, before his face turned neutral again and said, "So we know some but not much. I doubt Ashara will have much to add to your report. We will just have to be watchful, I suppose."

And the two brothers walked in silence, busy with their own thoughts.