Oberyn Martell took a small thrill in knowing he wasn't where he was supposed to be. If he had been a responsible man he'd currently be riding at the head of a procession to meet whatever unlucky lord had been sent to greet him. Instead, here he was, inside King Landing's most notorious brothel with three beautiful women standing before him.
On the bed behind him was his gorgeous paramour, Ellaria Sand, and to the right was Littlefinger's new brothel manager. The three women before him were moderately dressed by Westerosi standards, but by Dornish standards they were dressed rather conservatively.
"What do you think, my love?" Oberyn asked Ellaria as he pulled on the first girl's dress. "Is she not beautiful?"
"Yes, she is, but far too timid. Timid bores me," Ellaria drawled from behind him. Oberyn turned to the next girl and was drawn to her immediately. Her sultry gaze wasn't timid in the slightest and she was presenting her buxom chest to him as if it were a present.
"What about you? Are you timid?" He asked as he pulled her dress away from her shoulders. The material pooled to the floor at the girl's feet and she took a step towards the bed. The girl lifted her foot and pulled it back until it touched the crown of her head. Oberyn and Ellaria each let out an amused chuckle at the sight.
"Definitely not timid," Ellaria smirked.
"Do you like women?" Oberyn asked as he joined the two women on the bed. The girl's lips curled up into a delicious smirk as she took in Ellaria's form.
"When they look like her, my lord," the girl giggled.
"This one will do nicely," Ellaria smiled as she stroked the girls soft skin. Oberyn curled up behind his lover and allowed himself to appreciate the way Ellaria's dark skin contrasted against the whore's creamy complexion.
"Very good, my lady," the manager remarked. Oberyn felt Ellaria tense up at the title and a smirk spread across his lips.
"Oh, I'm no lady," she snapped back at the man. Instead of looking embarrassed an amused smile graced the younger man's mouth.
"A term of courtesy in this establishment," he replied.
"A lie anywhere," Ellaria fired off. Now the smile left the man's face and Oberyn had to fight back his laughter.
"Why not use the right words?" Ellaria asked sweetly. "I am a bastard, she is a whore. And you're a what? A procurer?"
"Any of the others?" The man asked without hesitation. Oberyn looked to Ellaria but she just scrunched up her nose and waved an impatient hand.
"The two girls can leave," Oberyn sighed as he stood from the bed. The two girls quickly exited and the man started to follow before Oberyn stopped him.
"You stay," he ordered as he poured himself a glass of wine. The man turned to him, shock and confusion etched across his young face. Oberyn loved teasing the Westerosi people this way. They were so conservative and sheltered that even the smallest sexual innuendo made them blush.
"I'm afraid I'm not an offer, my lord," the man replied. Oberyn smirked as he finished filling his cup.
"Everyone who works for Littlefinger is an offer. Take off your clothes, we'll be here a while," he announced as he turned back to the man. The younger male was looking at the prince with a mixed expression. It was mostly bewilderment, but part of the look was intrigued.
"My lord…"
"I'm a prince, boy. Have you ever been with a prince?" Oberyn asked, raising one dark eyebrow in challenge.
"Can't say that I have," the boy chuckled in disbelief. Oberyn approached him slowly, watching as the other man's resolve slowly broke. The prince felt like a snake ready to strike, his body was tensed with sexual desire and the challenge of seducing this man was proving very arousing.
"I'm wildly expensive," the man finally announced with a small raise of his brow. Oberyn chuckled darkly and looked to the floor for a moment. The feeling of finally getting what he desired was almost as good as sex itself. Almost…
"Take off your clothes," Oberyn ordered once more. The boy smirked again and began to untie his floor length robes. Oberyn fingered the fine cloth and looked back up into the boy's face. He decided he liked this boy. He was knowledgeable, but still so naïve in some ways.
"Which way do you like it?" The boy asked. Oberyn smirked and like his nickname, the viper, he struck out and grabbed onto the boy's manhood. He moaned out at the touch and they connected eyes once more.
"My way," he growled. The two men smirked, but Oberyn's smile fell when a familiar song hit his ears. Ellaria must have heard it too because she pulled away from the whore and looked at her love.
"Oberyn, don't," she warned, but Oberyn didn't listen to her. He followed the familiar strings of "The Rains of Castamere" into a public room where he saw two Lannister men, each with a whore on their lap. As he entered the room one of the men sang out the final note of the song before they each turned to the prince.
"Can we help you?" One of them snapped. Oberyn frowned and slowly approached them, letting his hand pass through the flame of a nearby candle.
"Sorry for staring, but we don't see many Lannister's where I come from," Oberyn replied.
"And we don't see many Dornishmen in the capital."
"We don't like the smell," Oberyn chuckled. At that moment Ellaria came rushing in and gripped Oberyn's shoulders. The two Lannister men shooed away their whores and raked their eyes across the prince's lover.
"Come with me lover," Ellaria pleaded.
"Gods, look at this one," the Lannister man appraised. "Why are you wasting someone like her on a Dornishman? Bring him a shaved goat and some olive oil."
The man laughed like he had just said the funniest joke in the world. Ellaria's grip on Oberyn tightened so much that he was sure that her nails had drawn blood.
"You Lannister's think you are so great with your gold and your lions and your golden lions," Oberyn growled as he approached the two men. The soldiers stood and glanced warily between them.
"I don't see a golden lion," Oberyn growled. One of the soldier's broadswords was on the table, but the other one had his strapped to his waist. Either way, neither was going to quicker than Oberyn.
"All I see is a pink man who is slow on the draw," he snarled out his last few words. The man before him looked from his own sword to Oberyn's hands, which were both placed flat against the table. The man started to move for his weapon but Oberyn wasn't called the Red Viper for nothing. In a flash, he had unsheathed his knife and stabbed it down onto the man's wrist. Screams ripped through the room as the man took in the sight and felt the full force of the pain. His friend started to draw his sword but Oberyn threw him a warning look.
"Longsword is a bad option in close quarters," Oberyn whispered while looking between the two men.
"When I pull my blade, your friend starts to bleed, quite a lot I'm afraid. So many veins in the wrist," Oberyn explained, twisting his knife deeper.
"He'll live if you get him help straight away. So, decisions…," he finished with a big smirk on his lips. At that moment three people entered the room and came to halt at the sight of Oberyn's knife in a Lannister's wrist. There were two men, one tall and one very short, and one extremely beautiful woman.
Oberyn hesitated slightly as he took in the woman. She had waist length chestnut brown hair, almond shaped eyes the color of storm clouds, creamy skin the color of ivory, and a figure so pleasing to the eye that Oberyn found himself instantly aroused. Her eyes took in the sight before her and instead of looking shocked she appeared amused. She laced her arms over her ample chest and let a small smirk grace her plump lips. She was wearing a sleeveless silk dress, the color of which reminded Oberyn of a setting sun. At the collar, it was a bright orange, but the further down the fabric fell the more brilliantly red it became.
"Prince Oberyn, forgive the intrusion. We heard there might be…" The short man began speaking, but Oberyn pulled the knife from the man's flesh and his face quickly paled. Oberyn watched the woman's face to see her reaction, but she only raised an eyebrow and turned towards the other tall man.
"Trouble," the small man finished. Now Oberyn knew who this short man was. Not many imps travelled with such fine-looking company. This must have been the infamous Tyrion Lannister, but he recognized no one else in his party. The Lannister soldiers hurried by, but seemed to slow for a second as they pass Tyrion's lady friend. Her eyes met the bleeding Lannister's and a frown appeared across her lovely face.
"That's what happens when you annoy a man known as the Red Viper," she snarled. The men paled slightly and hurried out of the brothel. Oberyn couldn't hide the smirk that once again reached his lips. She knew who he was. So far, she was the only person from Westeros that he actually liked.
"Apologies my love," Oberyn said to Ellaria. He pulled her in and made a big show of giving her a passionate kiss. The prince opened one eye to see his guest's reaction but was surprised at what he saw. The two men looked at each other uncomfortably while the woman continued to let that deliciously amused smirk continue to grace her lips. Usually it was the woman who became uncomfortable, but it seemed like she was just simply enjoying a good show.
"I'm here to welcome you to the capital," Tyrion finally said, averting his eyes. Ellaria finally pulled away and tilted her head towards their guests, silently warning him to be polite.
"Ellaria Sand, my paramour. The King's own uncle imp. Tyrion of House Lannister," Oberyn introduced. Ellaria's face fell a little, but she managed to keep her composure and flashed the man a semi polite smile.
"If there is anything I can do to make you're stay…" Lord Tyrion tried once more, but was cut off by Oberyn.
"And who are you? His hired killer?" The prince asked. The woman let out a low chuckle, her eyes turning to the tall man that Oberyn addressed.
"Started out that way, aye, but now I'm a knight," the man explained in a thick Northern accent.
"How did that come to pass?" Oberyn asked, a little confused, snaking an arm around Ellaria's waist.
"Killed the right people, I suppose," the man replied with a smirk. Ellaria and Oberyn exchanged bewildered expressions before letting out loud barks of laughter. The woman shifted impatiently on her feet and Oberyn turned his dark eyes to her.
"And are you Lord Tyrion's whore?" He purred. Something dangerous flashed through the woman's eyes and her shoulders squared bravely. Tyrion looked up at the woman and something close to fear passed across his face. The woman took a deep breath before letting an easy smile adorn her mouth.
"He wishes," she purred right back. The sound of her voice sent pleasurable ripples up Oberyn's spine. It was deeper than a normal woman's but still very feminine. He could already imagine her moaning his name into his ear with that throaty tone.
"Prince Oberyn, may I present Lady Reyna Tyrell. She is the elder sister of Lady Margery Tyrell, King Joffrey's betrothed," Tyrion explained. Oberyn's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He didn't exactly regret calling her a whore, but was surprised at how little she acted like a lady.
"My apologies, my lady," he smirked, trying to seem civil. Reyna nodded her head, her eyes telling him that she was still a little offended.
"No need to apologize, my prince. We all make mistakes," she said as she strode towards the wine jug. She poured herself a glass and drained it before refilling another and offering it to Tyrion. He politely declined and turned back to Oberyn.
But the prince was thoroughly distracted. He traced the slender curve of Reyna's arm with his eyes as she lifted the cup to her lips, watched her slender neck elongate as she tipped her head back. He even admired the way her long hair tickled the top of her ass when she moved. She was dressed rather improperly, even by Dornish standards. A large diamond cut in the back of her dress showed more skin than she was covering. The cut started at the nape of her neck, wrapped around to expose most of her sides, and came to a close at the topmost part of her bottom. She kept turning to look around the room, almost showing off how much skin she was exposing. She must have known that she had his full attention with the way she was parading around, but she seemed to act as if every move was random and not calculating.
"Prince Oberyn," Lord Tyrion addressed, dragging Oberyn's attention away from Lady Reyna.
"If I may have a word in private?" Tyrion asked, obviously annoyed by the prince's lack of attention. Reyna had her back to the group, but turned her head to look back at the prince. Oberyn watched the way her dark hair contrasted against her pearly skin and couldn't help but lick his lips. Her grey eyes slid down his body and back up, almost as if she were undressing him with her eyes.
Oberyn was about to completely ignore Lord Tyrion and approach Reyna when something Lord Tyrion's knight did caught his eye. His pale blue eyes were looking between Reyna and Oberyn, his hand tightening on the pommel of his sword ever so slightly. A possessive look was in his eyes that told Oberyn everything he needed to know. The knight was in love with Reyna, but the way Reyna looked at Oberyn made it uncertain if she loved him back.
"Of course, as long as the lovely Lady Reyna will join us," he smirked, holding out a hand for the woman. Reyna turned to face Oberyn fully, her eyes quickly sliding to Ellaria. After a brief moments hesitation, she approached the prince and slid her hand into his. Oberyn was surprised at how well her hand fit into his and couldn't help but notice how truly beautiful she was close up.
Her eyes were framed by a thick curtain of lashes and she had a smattering of golden freckles across her face. Her lips were a beautiful pale pink color that reminded Oberyn of the color of the sky at sunrise. She had a well-defined face and a nose that curved ever so slightly.
"This way, my prince," she smiled and led him outside. Oberyn kept his arm entwined with Reyna's even as they exited the brothel and walked down the street.
"Seems I visited the Lannister brothel by mistake," Oberyn said with slight annoyance. A polite smile appeared on Reyna's lips as if she was uncomfortable. Her eyes drifted to Tyrion to gauge his reaction, but the imp seemed to let the comment slide.
"Oh, they take all kinds," Tyrion replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Even Dornishmen," Oberyn whispered to Reyna, making sure that his lips brushed her ear. He watched as color blossomed onto her cheeks, but she kept her eyes forward, refusing to meet his gaze.
"The king is very grateful that you travelled all this way for his wedding," Tyrion announced as he glanced back at Reyna.
"As is my sister," Reyna added, finally looking Oberyn in the eyes. Oberyn was momentarily stunned by her gaze. Depending on the light her eyes seemed to change. In the dim and smoky brothel, they seemed dark and stormy, but out here in the sunlight they were a soft mist. It was enchanting and gave him the feeling like she could see straight through him.
"Let's speak truth here. Joffrey is offended by my presence. I am only a second son after all," Oberyn scoffed. Reyna politely bowed her head and turned her gaze to the horizon, the sunlight catching in her hair and highlighting the small amount of red in her hair.
"Well, speaking as a fellow second son, I've grown used to being the family insult," Tyrion joked. Reyna froze mid step and looked down at the small Lannister. Both men turned to her and were both surprised at the new fire in her eyes.
"Don't say such things," she scolded, her eyes as hard as stone. Tyrion held the woman's gaze for a long moment before nodding his head and once again turning to Oberyn.
"Why did you come to King's Landing, Prince Oberyn?" Tyrion asked. Oberyn finally released Reyna from his grasp and took a step away, lost in thought.
"I was invited to the royal wedding," he smirked.
"I thought we were speaking truths?" Reyna countered, crossing her arms. Oberyn's smirk fell and a serious look crept into his eyes.
"The last time I was in the capital was many years ago, another wedding. My sister Ellia and Rhaegar Targaryen." Oberyn went silent as two members of the City Watch walked by. He gauged his two guest's expressions and found them to be very different. Tyrion looked guilty and Reyna looked forlorn. She must have known the end of his story, but instead of looking guilty or sad she seemed sympathetic, like she personally knew what his sister had gone through.
"My sister loved him, she bore his children. Swaddled them, rocked them, fed them at her own breast. She wouldn't let the wet nurse touch them. And then the beautiful and noble Rhaegar left her for another woman. That started a war and the war ended right here, when your father's army sacked the city."
"I wasn't actually…" Tyrion began but was immediately cut off.
"They butchered those children, my nephew and niece. Carved them up and swaddled them in Lannister cloaks," Oberyn continued. Now Tyrion wouldn't even meet his eye. Reyna was looking off into the distance, tears threatening to spill from her pretty eyes. Her jaw was clenched and a flash of what seemed like motherly rage swept across features.
"And my sister, do you know what they did to her?" Oberyn snarled at Tyrion. When the shorter man refused to look at him, Oberyn cupped his chin so that their eyes met. Reyna shifted defensively on her feet and took a step closer to the men.
"I'm asking you a question," Oberyn growled. Then, very suddenly, the princes hand was smacked away by the Lady Tyrell. Her eyes flashed dangerously and she took another step closer to Oberyn so that she was partially in front of Tyrion.
"We've heard whispers," she snarled back into his face. Oberyn was impressed by her bravery and loyalty, but she could never understand. Her family was untouched by the Lannister's. Their families were about to be joined in marriage and she would have to be loyal to all of them.
"Hm, so have I," he chuckled. Reyna raised a brow, but did not back down when Oberyn moved so that there were only inches between them. He knew she could sense the danger of being so close to him. She saw what he could do with a dagger, but her gaze never wavered. She had already made her assessment of him and knew that he wouldn't hurt her.
"The one I keep hearing is that Gregor Clegane, the Mountain, raped Ellia, and split her in half with his greatsword," Oberyn explained. Now Reyna's eyes shifted. She looked just to the left of the prince's head and a glassy film covered her eyes. It was like she was witnessing the images in front of as he spoke of them.
"We weren't there," Tyrion butt in, pushing Emma's hip so that she was behind him again. "We don't know…"
"If the Mountain killed my sister then your father gave the order," Oberyn said as he shifted his attention back to the Lannister. Tyrion's lips parted like he was going to say something else, but they quickly closed again. Reyna had crossed her arms again and was looking far away. The way she reacted to hearing of his sister's death interested Oberyn. He was excited to get to know this rose woman more intimately.
"Tell your father I'm here. And tell him the Lannister's aren't the only ones who pay their debts," he hissed. His nose curled up in disgust as he strut past Tyrion. Before he re-entered the brothel, he stopped beside Lady Reyna. She turned her eyes, now a dark wolf grey, back to him and held his gaze. Oberyn felt his skin tingle, but resisted the urge to reach out and touch her face.
"Till we meet again, my lady," he smiled as he dropped into a quick bow. The smallest of smiles reached her lips and she sunk into a quick curtsy. Without another look back, Oberyn entered the brothel, more than ready to let off a little steam.