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Arianne Martell did not know what wrong she had done in life to always find herself locked in towers. First in Sunspear, and now in High Hermitage. After her plot to free Myrcella and establish her as the rightful Queen had gone so horribly wrong, Darkstar, the bloody bastard, had turned and imprisoned her instead. What he meant to do with her, she did not know. She also did not know how long she had been locked in this godawful thing. Moons came and went, as did the maids that brought her food and bathed her from time to time. She had tried to befriend them, but they were different than her. The one thing they all had in common was that they were terrified of Ser Gerold Dayne.
Why Arianne ever trusted him, she did not know. Maybe her acquaintance with Arys Oakheart had clouded her judgement on knights. She sighed heavily at the thought of her late lover. What a fool he was, giving his life for their cause. In the end, it had been a waste. She wished they'd never left Sunspear, and she would still be there in the comfort of her own home, doing as she pleased.
As she gazed out the window onto the setting sun, she contemplated jumping once more. She had very often ever since her imprisonment. There had been no news, nothing of either what was happening in the realm, or what Darkstar really wanted with her. Her fingers curled around the stone frame of the high opening. She looked out onto the ground, a soft breeze caressing her hair and face. It had gotten colder recently. Arianne had noticed all the signs, the birds flying south, the winds getting colder, the fields turning barren. She knew what was ahead of them, and it was Winter. And a Dornish princess locked in a tower would not fare well during the cold and snow.
Taking a deep breath, she slowly started climbing. It was not the first time she had done so. As she carefully sat down on the windowsill, her heart was beating rapidly faster in her chest. Her legs were dangling in the air, the skirt of her dirty dress battered by the winds. Arianne grabbed the edges of the window so hard, her knuckles had turned white. Was this it? Was this the end of Princess Arianne Martell? Tears started to gather in her eyes, and at that moment, she felt the isolation taking a hold of her mind. She had nothing left to live for.
Just as she took one last deep breath, and prepared herself to let go, she heard a strange noise. It sounded terrifying. Her gaze whipped up from the ground so far below, and she started searching the sky for the source. Low and behold, another screech sounded, and then she could see it: a dragon. Arianne was so taken aback, she started fumbling around, falling back into her cell. As she hit the floor with a loud thud, the screeching now filled the air around her. It seemed to vibrate off every wall in High Hermitage. Hastily, she clambered back up and looked out of the window. Since when had dragons returned to Westeros? Was her mind playing her tricks, or was this reality?
As she watched the beast soar above the stronghold, she concluded that no, she was not just imagining this. This was a real life dragon, and on its back was the figure of a woman. A woman with silver hair. The Targaryens were back. Arianne decided then and there that she would have to save suicide for another day.
"Archers! Ready your bows! Close the gate! Prepare for attack!" everywhere around Gerold Dayne, commands were being shouted as he made his way up the curtain wall of High Hermitage. Hastily, he had pulled on his armour as he heard the first noise. He had read enough about dragons to know the sound of one. As he ran towards his men, they were still staring at the sky in a baffled manner. He slapped the commander of his household guard once across the face to get him out of his daze, and that's when they started to prepare.
Now, he stood there motionless as he watched the beast land a good distance away from the gate. He had heard that the Targaryen girl had come back to Westeros with her dragons, but never thought that she would come to see him. However, it seemed risky for her to come alone. As far as he could tell, no army or garrison was on their way here, so why would she come here by herself? He watched as a slender figure dismounted, and started walking towards the gate. Yes, it seemed like her. Womanly, and with silver hair, although it was short for a Queen.
When she was still out of reach of the archers, she took her own bow and held it high into the air. To his surprise, she then put it down on the ground as a sign of peace. She did the same with a dagger she produced from beneath her travel cloak. Gerold Dayne was sceptical. He could not see her eyes, and that's what bothered him. He was always able to judge a person's character by looking in their eyes. They often showed a softness that his lacked.
But however much it bothered him, the girl had a dragon poised for attack just behind her. He knew that the beast could cause enormous damage, and he was not sure whether his men would be able to kill it, so he did the only reasonable thing: he ordered his men to lower their weapons and to open the gate. As she started walking, he quickly made his way down the wall and out of the gate himself.
Samaya's heart was throbbing in her chest. This was not Winterfell, this was the stronghold of a possible enemy. Once again she got annoyed with her sister for sending her here. It seemed like she was left to run all of Daenerys' errands, while the Queen remained at Dragonstone. The fact that she had to leave Jon Snow behind made her even more agitated. She took a deep breath and started walking as soon as the soldiers had lowered their weapons. The gate opened, and a man appeared, coming straight at her.
His hair was white, but for a thick, black streak down the side, and she knew immediately that this must be the famous Darkstar. He was older than her, but his muscly built and strikingly purple eyes made him attractive, she found. They stopped a few feet apart, and she waited for him to bow. He did not.
"Ser Gerold Dayne, I have come in the name of Daenerys Targaryen, rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms," she started and he gave her a crooked grin.
"I thought you cannot be the Queen herself. Who are you?" he said in a deep, raspy voice.
"My name is Samaya Tyrell, I am the Queen's half-sister," she said after a few moments. This man irritated her, especially when he gave a little chuckle at her name.
"The famous Maid of Highgarden! Last I heard, you killed the Mountain and jumped off a cliff to your death," he commented. Samaya gave him a polite smile.
"As you can see, I am not dead, but have joined the Targaryen side. I am here because of Arianne Martell," she told him. Darkstar crossed his arms and gave her a challenging look.
"What of her?" he taunted.
"We know you are holding her prisoner, and we would like to take her into our custody," Samaya explained, still trying to be polite. He was making it harder by the minute.
"And why would I just give her to you? I know what has happened to Doran," Gerold Dayne said with a cheeky smirk. Samaya's hands balled into fists at her side. She had to keep her composure. Slowly, she took a step closer to the man.
"If you play this right, Ser, you could benefit from this as much as she. Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes are dead. Murdered by the Lannisters. Queen Daenerys has three full grown dragons, a Dothraki horde, and an army of Unsullied. She will conquer this kingdom, and when she does, there will be a place for you at her court, that much I can tell you," she told him with an urgent tone in her voice. Samaya was getting tired of this back-and-forth.
"Why do you think I would want a place at court? I might just want to be left alone, here in High Hermitage," he replied and she took a long look at him.
"You do not look like the kind of man that is content with a stronghold in the middle of nowhere. You look like a warrior to me. Join us and you will get all you ever wanted. Fame and glory," Samaya said, playing on his weakness. Everybody knew how much Gerold Dayne had envied his famous cousin, the Sword of the Morning. He thought about her words for a moment before he answered.
"And if I refuse?" he asked, to which Samaya gave him the sweetest smile she could muster.
"Then I will let that dragon there burn everything to the ground, including you," she answered and his smile faltered for the first time since she had met him. Quickly, he composed himself.
"Would you care to join me for dinner, Lady Samaya?" he then said and offered his arm to escort her inside.
"It would be my pleasure," Sam told him sweetly and together, they started walking.
Jon had never been happier to see Northmen as much as when his envoy stepped off their boat. He greeted Davos enthusiastically. The older man only had to take one look at Jon's face to know he did not enjoy it here.
"Is her Grace being difficult?" he asked as they walked up to the castle. Jon huffed. He had wanted to show her the cave today, but the Queen was 'occupied'. Once again, he cursed coming here.
"So far, she's insulted, disbelieved and ignored me. She's as stubborn as any Northerner," he told him quietly. Ser Davos chuckled.
"Ah, you Grace, I'm sure you can win her over with that rugged charm of yours. Where's the sister?" he inquired further.
"Had to leave again. They did not tell me where to," Jon reported and Davos huffed.
"On an important mission, for sure. I heard the Greyjoy fleet was attacked?" he prodded further.
"As far as I know. They seem to have lost the Dornish support, too," the younger man said as they walked through the massive gate adorned with dragons.
"Well, I'd like to meet this Queen who seems to be losing allies left, right and centre, and have her tell us to our faces that she does not want the North's support now," Ser Davos concluded and Jon had to smile. The man had a point.
Just like Jon, his men first met the Queen in the audience chamber. Just like Jon, they were baffled by her titles and mannerisms. But unlike Jon, the Queen seemed to take to Ser Davos. Even Tyrion smiled at the man.
"I would like a private word with Ser Davos," Daenerys finally said and Jon left a little unwillingly. Why was she so cold towards him? Was it because of Samaya? His mood was as dark as his expression when he left, heading straight towards his guest room.
It seemed like forever until the door swung open, and Davos joined him.
"Finally! What did she want from you?" Jon immediately asked him. Ser Davos assumed his usual position, hands clasped behind his back, before he started speaking.
"First, she talked about Stannis. Then, she asked me if I trusted you," he said curtly.
"And what did you say?" Jon replied, eager to hear his answer.
"I said I'd never met a more honourable man than you. That you give everything for the good of the people, and that you would never lie about such a thing as the Army of the Dead," Davos reported, and Jon was pleasantly surprised. He had seen the Onion Knight's loyalty, but did not know it ran so deep.
"Thank you, Ser Davos," he said after a few moments.
"There's nothing to thank me for, your Grace. I just told her the truth. She will meet with you tomorrow to inspect the cave, I am to tell you," he continued. Jon nodded.
"Very well. Let's hope she will let us mine it," he concluded and filled two goblets of wine for them. They both downed them in silence, hoping that they did not come here for nothing.
High Hermitage was a small stronghold, nevertheless Sam marvelled at how many people it held. Not only were there guards, but also common folk that stared at her as Darkstar led her inside. They entered a small, but comfortable study after climbing a few staircases, and he gestured for her to sit down while servants brought wine, bread and salt. Darkstar handed her some of it, but she gently waved it away.
"You refuse bread and salt?" he asked her, his eyes widened ever so slightly.
"I will refuse anything you offer me until we have come to an agreement. I have heard of your reputation. It seems my late husband was not the only one that was skilled with poison," she told him matter-of-factly. He chuckled softly while he sat down across from her.
"Yes, Oberyn… I cannot say that I was particularly sorry when he died. I always found him arrogant," he commented.
"I can see why you would think that. And yes, he was. But he also had other traits, some of them honourable and good," Samaya said challengingly.
"Are you implying I am not honourable?" Gerold Dayne replied. Now it was Sam's turn to chuckle.
"Arianne Martell might not think so," she said and he looked her over long and hard.
"You have a dragon. Why have you come to negotiate when you could just burn everything to the ground?" he asked her bluntly.
"My sister does not wish to become Queen of the Ashes. She wants to take her throne back in a peaceful way. Besides, we could use a skilled fighter like you. Join us. Dorne is certainly not allied to the Lannisters, why would you be?" she suggested.
"Maybe the Lannister pay better?" he answered quickly, and Sam gave him another sweet smile.
"We will reward you with your life. I think that is the best pay," she concluded and he leant back in his chair, arms crossed.
"Arianne Martell has been my prisoner for almost two years. What if her mind has gone? You wanna put a mad woman on that seat in Sunspear?" the knight was taunting her now.
"I will make my own judgement on that. Of course I expect to see her as soon as we are done here. If she is not unharmed, well… then I might rescind my offer," Sam answered coldly.
"You leave me no other choice, do you?" he asked, their eyes locked in a fierce battle of wills.
"I am giving you the best choice. In my personal opinion, you would be a fool not to take it," she finally said after some time. Slowly, he uncrossed his arms and leant his elbows on the table, head in his hands.
"One more thing," he then spoke up again. Sam gave him a small nod when he looked for her confirmation.
"How are you the Queen's half-sister?" he asked at last. She had waited for that question.
"My mother seduced the Mad King. Only handful of people knew. My father was not one of them," she told him and he grinned.
"That's clever, and convenient. How does she know you're telling the truth?" he prodded further. Samaya had to laugh at his question.
"Do you really think I would have been able to come here on the back of a dragon if I did not have Targaryen blood in me? Ser Gerold, I thought you smarter than that," she said, chuckling. His brows furrowed. She had insulted him to a degree.
"I will tell you this only once, Lady Samaya: never underestimate me. I am Darkstar, and that name comes with a promise. I am of the night, and just like it, I come swiftly and without mercy," he said lowly, his purple eyes glistening with anger.
"And my sister has been raped, burned, imprisoned and almost murdered so many times she lost count of the names of her assassins. I would not underestimate her, either," Sam answered passionately. They stared into each other eyes for a long, long time until suddenly, Darkstar leant back with a satisfied smirk.
"If your sister is half as fierce as you, then I think I am going to like her."
Arianne was pacing up and down her small room when there was a knock on the door. She froze in her tracks and stared at it. Never, in the whole time she had been held here, had anyone knocked on the door. They just barged in whenever they please. She swallowed hard before answering. When she did, her voice was rough and quiet from her not having used it for so long. In the beginning, she would sing songs, to keep her sane. But singing songs that nobody was listening to was almost as bad as not speaking at all, so she had stopped.
The door opened slowly to reveal a young woman. Arianne did not understand. Why was she smiling at her? She had never seen her before in her life. Silver hair, green eyes, a black riding cloak adorned with dragons… who was she?
"Princess Arianne, are you alright?" the woman spoke, and Arianne could have cried at the sound of a voice that was caring. She quickly rushed at the girl and threw herself into her arms.
"Whoever you are, thank you! Have you come to free me?" she said hastily, still holding on to her slender frame. The woman did not fight the embrace, but softly took her hands and loosened Arianne's grip on her. She was still smiling.
"Yes, I have. My name is Samaya, and I have come to take you to Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen," she said in a soothing voice and Arianne blinked at her in surprise.
"She has come to Westeros? But… no, you have to take me to my family! Take me to father, I have to tell him how sorry I am!" she was almost screaming now, excitement getting the best of her. The look on the other girl's face changed, and now she could see pity, which made her stomach drop. Slowly, Arianne stumbled back and sat down upon the dirty straw bed.
"He is dead, isn't he?" she almost whispered. The other woman sighed and closed the door. Then she came and squatted down in front of her. She took her hands and squeezed them softly.
"You have been held here for almost two years. A lot has happened in that time. Come now, let's get you cleaned up and I can tell you everything," she spoke in a kind voice. Arianne's eyes were filled with tears, but she nodded slowly and let the woman lead her out of the room. She was finally free… but what world would she return to?
Here we are... the famous Darkstar... I really enjoyed writing him, I hope I can do his reputation justice in future chapters.
Also very happy to hear your opinions on who Jon Snow should chose... I have it figured out, the question is just if you will see it coming that specific way ;)
Please drop me a line if you have any thoughts/comments on this one! xx