GAME OF THRONES

THE DRAGON OF DORNE

PRINCESS ELIA

The Realm is in an uproar, as four of the seven kingdoms of Westeros are in rebellion to Iron Throne. Houses Arryn, Stark, Baratheon and Tully are allied against the ruling House of Targaryen. The only Houses supporting the Targaryens are the crownland Houses, the stepstones, Houses Tyrell and Martell. Houses Lannister and Greyjoy have stayed out of the conflict so far. House Lannister and its Banners because of the former Hand of the King Tywin Lannister had been insulted too many times by the Mad King Aerys Targaryen. House Greyjoy because they didn't care as the Iron Born have always been looked down upon by the other Kingdoms.

No one could blame the Great Houses and their Lords for rebelling against Aerys' madness. But despite the King Princess Elia Targaryen nee' Martell partially blames herself for the war. If she had not encouraged her husband Prince Rhaegar to seek a second wife then he would not have been accused of kidnapping and raping her friend and sister by choice Lady Lyanna Stark of Winterfell. She had encouraged both Rhaegar and Lyanna to wait, but they insisted on marrying immediately and then everything went to hell after that.

Elia worried for them both as neither had been seen since Harrenhal. Elia herself was on her way to Dorne when Aerys' men caught up with her and forced her back to King's Landing. Now she is a prisoner in her quarters in the red keep. A pawn to keep her bother Prince Doran of Dorne loyal to the throne. "Princess…" The sweet shy voice of her handmaiden Lorell sounded. Elia's other handmaidens had been dismissed by the King.

"The Princess and her mongrels have need of only one servant." The Mad King had said. Mongrels when Elia heard her father by law refer to her daughter and son as such she wanted to gut him right then and there.

"Lorell what is it?"

"I heard some guards talking…The Lannister army is here."

"What!"

"Yes…Some sixty thousand strong."

Elia shakes her head, "No…No Tywin Lannister is not here to help us…He came to take the city."

"How could you know that?" Lorell asks.

"I know the man…I watched him for many years as Hand of the King. If he is here that means the rebels have won." Elia goes to her room where Rhaenys her daughter is playing and baby Jaehaerys is sleeping.

"Princess."

"Lorell pack some clothes for my daughter, my son and myself."

"But."

She grabs her arms, "Just do as I say."

"Of course."

As Lorell packs some clothes, Elia removes a key from a lock on a chain around her neck. Then she opens an iron chest she keeps locked at all times. Inside is Dornish armor for a woman, daggers, a short sword, and a spear that must be assembled. She dawns the armor which has the sun and spear, the sigil of House Martell on it. She places daggers on her grieves, her thigh bands, one in her cleavage and one on each hip. She places the sword belt across her body from right shoulder to left hip and sheaths her sword behind her back.

Then she assembles her spear, "Mother what are you wearing?" Seven, year old, Princess Rhaenys asks.

"My armor." Even Lorell is shocked by how Elia is dressed. As in some of the North, the Iron Islands, and beyond the wall, the women of Dorne are taught arms and combat. Those of noble birth are even taught warfare. When Elia married Prince Rhaegar she kept her martial prowess a secret, even from her husband.

Thusly dressed she waits and waits, then the bells start ringing and when Elia goes to the window she can see fires breaking out all over the city. "Mother what is happening?" Rhaenys tearfully asks.

Elia walks up to Rhaenys, "Listen to me my little Dragon…You are my daughter and the daughter of Prince Rhaegar…I need you to be brave…Can you be brave?" She shakes her head. Then she walks to baby crib and picks up her son. She hands him to Lorell. "Are you with me?"

"Yes My Princess."

"Stay behind me…I will protect you all." Elia leads them to the door and opens it. The guards on duty had abandoned their post. "Come!"

"The Lannisters are in the Castle!" A servant screams running pass them to another room.

"Come…" Elia heads to the Queen's Rooms, but she is already gone. Elia heads up the hallway and stops as at the end of the hallway two Lannister men are waiting. "I am Princess Elia Targaryen…Stand aside!"

"I am Ser Armory Lorch and this is the Mountain that rides Ser Gregor Clegane…We were sent to find you bitch!"

She smiles, "I am no bitch! I am the wife of the Dragon, a mother and a Princess of House Targaryen and a Princess of Dorne…Woe unto you." They laugh as she throws the spear thinking she is too weak, but the Mountain stops laughing when the spear strikes Lorch in the chest killing him. As the spear flew up the hallway she runs after it. When she is close the Mountain swings his sword, but Elia goes into a roll stops at his side and plunges her short sword into his foot.

He bellows in pain swinging his great broad sword again. She rolls away and comes up on her feet grabbing a torch off the wall. Elia leans away and ducks his every attack. She comes up and sticks the torch into Gregor's face. He howls and grabs her arm with his left hand, she leaps into him wrapping her legs around his torso, then she uses her other hand to draw a dagger and shoves it up into his jaw. The mountain throws her to the ground, swinging his sword wildly and using his other hand to remove the dagger from his jaw.

Meanwhile Elia rolls across the floor behind him and straddles his back. She takes two more daggers and plunges them into his neck. Then she removes his helm, yanks the daggers out and plunges them into the sides of his head. With the last of his strength he slams her against the wall and falls down dead.

With the wind knocked out of her Elia sits by the dead body of Ser Gregor Clegane. "Mommy?" Rhaenys says in shock after witnessing her mother kill two men.

"Princess are you alright?"

"I…n…eed…to…cat…ch…m…y…breath." She says in great heaves. After a while Elia stands up and collects her weapons. "Come." They leave the family wing and head for the east wing of the Castle.

"Mommy here." Rhaenys says as she has explored every inch of the Red Keep and knows all the secret passages. A part of the wall is pressed and they enter the passageway. As it closes behind them they are joined by Rhaenys' cat Balerion. "Balerion!" Rhaenys says picking up her cat. "Where have you been you naughty cat?" They head down some steps and through the wine cellar. They enter another passage and are confronted by the Master of Whispers Lord Varys.

"Lord Varys!" Elia says pointing her spear at his throat.

"Princess! I am glad to see you alive."

"Who convinced Aerys to open the gates to the Lannister army?"

"Pycel of course."

"Any word on my husband?" She asks after looking at Rhaenys who had been taken out of earshot by Lorell.

"He died at the hands of Robert Baratheon on the Trident…Robert and his allies are few hours march behind Lord Tywin."

She lowers her spear, "Have you seen the Queen?"

"Queen Rhaella and her son Prince Viserys are on board a ship heading for Dragonstone. There is blood on your spear…I did not know you were a warrior Princess."

When Elia came to court she pretended to be weak, while hiding her skills at politics, intrigue, and fighting. "Never judge a book by the cover Lord Varys…I must go now."

"I can help you escape the city."

"Lead us to the gate that leads to the river." Following Varys they eventually exit the maze of underground passages near the river gate. Running from shadow to shadow they hide in high grass and watch as four men guard the bridge across. "They have horses…Stay here and be quiet." Elia runs out the high grass screaming, "Help me by the gods help me!"

"Oh we'll help you alright."

When she gets close Elia slits the throat of the first man. "You bitch!"

She breaks his nose with an elbow to the face and kicks the third man in the groin. She ducks an attack from the last man and slits his throat as well. She snaps the neck of the man with the broken nose. With sharp whistles she calls Lorell and Rhaenys, "Can you ride?"

"Of course Princess."

"Rhae ride with me." They ride off into the night with all four horses. The jostling of the horse makes the baby cry, but they cannot stop. The gallop until the horses can't run anymore. When the sun comes up they stop to rest in a well, hidden area in the King's Wood.

"Why are we stopping?" Lorell asks.

"Better to light a fire during the day than at night." The saddle bags have full water skins, bread, dried meat and fruit. One of the horses has a hunting bow strapped to the saddle. "This should last a little while." After the fire is roaring and Elia is rested she stands up. "Stay here I'm going hunting."

"Mother can I come?"

"No stay here…I will be back soon." Elia returns an hour later with young deer. She skins and guts the animal, then she seasons it with salt she finds in one of the saddle bags. "Those men must have been of noble birth to have salt on them." She says. After the meat is cooked Elia feeds and changes the baby then they ride on.