Before I answer the previous comments, I just want to let you know that the last chapter has been edited because of the Asha conundrum. The outcome stays the same, though.

Flygar: Greyjoys are doing worse than canon. Hardly a Greyjoy-wank. Also, you know a Quentyn Martell SI is going to end well for Dorne. Though it's not a wank, Dorne is not rufflestomping anyone.

MLG: Archers, especially on ships, would be quite well trained to hit from a distance, especially to eliminate shipmen before boarding. The English had a ton of archers on their ships in medieval times.

Star: Aegon will play a crucial role in this story. As for whether he is fake or not, it won't matter...to an extent. Also, the argument of the marriage not being valid because of old/new god thing isn't really valid. Ned and Catelyn were married in a sept but their marriage is still valid before the Old Gods. And the Old Gods still have rules, there are still marriages before heart trees. Only the free folk "steal" their brides/husbands, but even then their concept of marriage is wholy different than that of the North.

Jtoom: Well, the Greyjoys have trained archers, since they need skilled archers on their ships. Winterfell is huge and likely has surplus from the Harvest feast which means these men likely aren't starving. As for it being a Dorne-wank...it's not. It's pro-Dorne, absolutely it is. But we're obviously not wanking it.

Mangahero: Robb is basically a character that is written to die. It's sad, but it is what it is.

Needing: Bran and Rickon did not follow their canon fate because Theon is not influenced by Reek.

Halfblood: Robb's death does not affect the SI in the slightest. The consequences, though...

TMI: Varys is one for theatrics, just like when he kills Kevan. It's all a show. As to all-knowing...he IS master of whispers.

Guest: Theon knows he's going to die whatever happens at this point. He just wants to go down in history as a great Ironborn, clouded by his delusions. As for Robb agreeing to this, the Northmen are overconfident since Moat Cailin, with Victarion vs the Greatjon happening in exactly the same circumstances and nothing coming of it. As said earlier, Bran and Rickon did not follow their canon fate because Theon is not influenced by Reek, for better or worse...

Mat: It's not Dorne-wank. Yes there is uplift, since this is an SI story. Yes, this story is about making Dorne stronger (who would have thought, a Martell SI making Dorne stronger). This does not make it a wank in any way. So far Dorne hasn't steamrolled anyone. No one is really winning or losing.

ATP: Bran and Rickon are...somewhere. Ramsay is dead.

Ona: And after a few comments saying this is a Dorne-wank, one that comments that Dorne is not doing enough. All in all, it seems that I'm doing a good job about balancing stuff. Dorne is very much a defensive kingdom, with shit infrastructure. If Quentyn is going to consider intervening, he is going to have to be patient and build up said infrastructure (see Jennelyn II). Renly's death being delayed has more consequences than in canon (did you forget Stannis dying? The Reach cavalry getting gutted?). As for the Brotherhood, it's mentionned in a Catelyn chapter that Quentyn "deals with messengers in the woods at night". Each chapter has some foreshadowing for whoever reads well, from the first ones to the more recent one. Remember that Quentyn is not the prince. He cannot make political decisions. As such, he's doing with what his hand deals him, and even more (eg: killing Lorch, trying to warn Ned Stark etc...). Some of these gambles don't work and some of them do. This fic is not about Dorne rolling over everyone. It is pro-Dorne for sure (the endgame, I won't spoil it, will see Dorne as one of the most powerful kingdoms), but don't expect Dorne to magically win by pulling manpower and offensive tactics out of their ass.

Arianne

To Arianne, there was no doubt; the Water Gardens was almost certainly the most beautiful place in the world. However, Highgarden had tried its best to overturn this decision. Ever since her arrival in the heart of the Reach, she was amazed at the beauty of this place, which she had only seen a glimpse of in her youth when visiting Tyene's mother.

The many walls of Highgarden were all made with pure, white stone, with mazes and gardens spreading everywhere between each wall. At the centre of it all was the inner court of Highgarden, filled with towers, old and new, which stood guard on top of the hill Highgarden was perched upon. Every one of these towers is covered in leaves and its windows are richly decorated with images of roots, flowers, knights, and tales from the songs and the Seven-pointed star alike.

Never did Dorne have such a majestic castle, as large and beautiful as this one. Yronwood would be engulfed within the inner walls, and Sunspear would blush in front of the capital of the Reach's beauty. Even her rooms in Highgarden, while certainly modest, were larger than the ones she had in Sunspear, and were covered in decorations, with cushions embroidered with the Tyrell sigil, or representing hunts or fields of roses.

While Sunspear's sept was imposing, surely the second largest in Dorne behind Yronwood, Highgarden dwarfed it tenfold. Her hosts had told her that only the Sept of Baelor and the Starry Sept could compare to Highgarden, with its rows of stained-glass windows showing each of the Seven, the life of Hugor and Garth Greenhand, and the tales of the faith. However, it wasn't the only faith represented at Highgarden, with the three majestic weirwoods being the heart of the castle's godswood. The Three singers, they were called. Arianne never had the privilege of ever seeing any, weirwoods being hardly present outside of the North…but these…they were imposing to be sure…but they also had an eerie side to them. Whenever she would walk alone or even with a few of her retinue, it was as though she was watched…or at least some kind of voices were trying to reach her. They were odd, indeed.

However, her favorite part of Highgarden was almost certainly the inner gardens. Although the mazes were certainly entertaining, the waters of the Mander cool and refreshing, the horses beautiful and splendidly adorned, it was by far the inner gardens that took her attention. In there, the Tyrells had certainly outdone themselves.

In every row, every hedge, and every corner, there was a flower or a tree that Arianne had never seen in her entire life. Some were gifts, seeds given from places such as Qarth and Yi-Ti from before the conquest. There was an oak tree given to the Gardeners that was allegedly planted by a Stark king whom she could not remember the name, but that reigned in the North generations before the Conquest. There were trees from the Summer Islands, too, which could grow in the coldest Reacher winters, protected by the glass from the winds and the snow. There were birds too, a wide variety, from peacocks to sparrows and more majestic eagles and falcons. Some birds came from even further, with some parrots having come from a recent expedition to Volantis, and more vivid-colored birds whom she had forgotten the names of coming from traders from the Summer Islands and the shores of Sothoryos.

In addition, how could she forget the gardens of the Reach's capital without mentioning the flowers? There must have been hundreds, from tulips to sunflowers, each with their own single identity and color. However, the main flower here was, of course, the rose. Moreover, there were so many to choose from here. From winter roses to desert roses, from roses that could grow during the harshest of winters to roses that were so delicate that even touching them with your smallest finger would cause them to lose their petals. Some smelled like the most expensive perfumes of Essos, while others' smell would cause even those with the strongest stomachs to turn.

There was another kind of rose in Highgarden, though, and these were the Tyrells. Arianne didn't really know exactly what to expect from them before coming, but a few moons with them had given her an idea of each of them. There was the knight, Garlan. Infatuated with his Fossoway wife, Leonette, the man was a knight through and through, although he never openly admitted it. Tall, broadly built, and with a well-kept brown beard. He knew his way around a sword to be sure and humiliated anyone who tried to defy him in combat, sometimes even besting several men at a time.

Then there was his father, Lord Mace. He was quite plump and, even though Arianne wouldn't openly say it, quite fat. The man was always jovial and boastful talking about tales of his youth where he apparently had won many tourneys, or of how he smashed the Usurper's forces at Ashford, on his lonesome if she believed his words. However, she could tell that the head of the Tyrell family did not particularly like her; and she even overheard him say less than flattering things about Dorne and the Dornishmen, although he had said nothing about her personally. At least her wife Alerie was much more cordial around her and often asked many questions about her own family and life in Dorne. She had even told her of her own visit to Dorne, a certain number of years ago, where she had seen Starfall as her father had considered Alyn Dayne as a possible betrothal for her.

Then there were the other girls of house Tyrell. The oldest, lady Olenna, was the smartest of the bunch, and also the most dangerous. Her small size and old age did not deceive Arianne. If she had been raised in Dorne, people would have called her a viper for she spewed venom like a desert snake, her sharp tongue and straightforwardness definitely earning her the moniker of Queen of Thorns.

And while she was direct, it wasn't the case with her granddaughter, Margaery. Or should she call her Lady Baratheon? Well, it truly didn't matter now. Her husband was dead, that much was certain, although he had done his duty somehow. Nevertheless, the Rose of Highgarden was still as beautiful as ever even while heavily pregnant, while her words were coated with honey, her sheepish attitude being impossible for Arianne to decide on whether she was really that naïve or whether it was all a show for her to better further her own desires. She was herself surrounded by a flock of Tyrell cousins who were just as beautiful and sweet as her: Megga, Leona, Alla, and Elinor. She was also the only Tyrell alive to have met her brother. And Arianne couldn't help but repress a small laugh as she described him as smart but rash and with a tendency of really getting on people's nerves.

There would also have been Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers, who had a reputation that did reach as far south as Dorne, but he had been slain in the battle of Storm's End, breaking the hearts of a thousand maidens. His remains had been brought back to Highgarden and buried beneath the crypts where he joined a hundred other Tyrells, who had fallen in battle, of old age…and in the sands of Dorne. Indeed, Arianne had assisted the young knight's funeral, and she could feel the stares of the audience when Lyonel Tyrell's resting place was crossed.

That left only a single member of the Tyrell branch left. That man was to be her own betrothed, Willas. Physically, the man was quite striking. Dark-brown hair and brown eyes, a well-kept sculpted beard, and a smile that would make any maiden blush. The only issue that she could see with him was his bad leg, as he had to walk with a cane, but that certainly didn't stop him from making love to her as well as any fit man would've, and more besides. The man was smart, cunning, and with a deep knowledge of history, geography, religion, and other things that completely went over Arianne's head. He would get along perfectly with Quentyn, to be sure.

However, there was another face to Willas and the Tyrells in general. Something that she couldn't exactly put a finger on. There was this other face as if everything he did was completely calculated and just a ploy, a façade. After all, when they coupled, she did feel bliss and pleasure, of course. However, she also felt that behind every kiss, every touch, every flick, there was a thought, a question, a calculation, as if it was all staged, part of a mummer's play and she was the puppet.

Similarly, she could not help but think whether these smiles and interest in her, were real? Was Lady Alerie really interested in her or did she have a deeper motive? Did the Queen of Thorns actually enjoy her company, or did she only do this to gain something? But gain what? Arianne didn't have anything to offer. Dorne was not hers to have, and with Nymeria being with child, it wouldn't be long till Quentyn's line would be secure, if only even illegitimately for the moment. Likewise, Trystane was betrothed himself, and her five legitimate Martell distant cousins were alive and with children of their own.

Then what would there be to gain from her? Nothing, really.

This did reassure her somewhat. At least, she could take some solace in knowing that she wasn't completely alone in her new home for the moment. And her brother's words resonated in her head, too.

There is another choice. A slim chance, but slim is better than none.

A cousin lost beyond the seas in Essos. She could hardly believe it when she read the paper her brother had handed her. Since then, this thought trailed in her mind: what would be the point? Uniting her with him would bring their house nothing useful, and would bring their cousin nothing useful. Moreover, how could her brother have known of their cousin's existence, far beyond the shores of Essos? Was it even real, or was Quentyn playing with her as he had already done before? Was he trying to destabilize her, to make her reconsider her match with Willas Tyrell? Was her brother jealous, or was it fear, fear that her husband would be powerful enough to challenge his position? She perished the thought repeatedly, but these thoughts came back to haunt her every time she pushed them away. There were too many questions, for too few answers.

Aegon Targaryen. Alive and well. How? A sliver of proof, all on a short piece of paper that could have been forged for all she knew.

Damn it all to the seven hells. She wouldn't think about this for the moment.

"What are you planning?" Tyene's voice drew her out of her endless questioning.

Her cousin had followed her to Highgarden, along with a few other companions so that she may feel a little less alone in this endeavour: Sylva Santagar, Joss Hood, Jayne Ladybright, Garibald Shells, Larissa Moonstone, Trebor Tear, and Deria Nasyr. Some of them were friends, others knew the Reach well enough, and others like Hood, Shells, and Tear were in charge of her protection should she need it. Arianne would have liked to have a few other ladies with her, but most of them were bastards, and giving her one bastard handmaiden was already pushing close to insult, despite Tyene being of princely blood.

As for Tyene, she was dressed a lot more conservatively than usual, wearing a beautiful orange-and-green dress that married the colours of Dorne and the Reach to perfection. After all, Tyene was half-Reacher and looked more like a Reacher than a Dornishwoman, for her to fit into Highgarden was child's play.

"Just thinking about a lot of things, Ty." She answered truthfully.

"About your betrothed?" she asked.

"Amongst other things." Arianne nodded in reply. "But he is not my betrothed."

"Yes, yes, semantics." Tyene laughed. "He's handsome, heir to the second-richest family in the kingdoms and by far the most beautiful castle, sweet, charming, and intelligent. If one forgets his bad leg, it's a wonder he went unbetrothed for so long. So, what's holding you back? Does he not please you?"

"You would have been the first to know if he didn't." Arianne scoffed.

"I thought as much. I hope you will let me share him too. I wish to see what a Tyrell is capable of." Her blonde-haired cousin smirked. "But if this isn't it, what is wrong with him?"

"Nothing, but…" Arianne trailed. "He seems too perfect. Too proper, like it's all an act."

"What's wrong with that?" Tyene scoffed. "You know that men put up acts when in the presence of women as well as I do. And it has never bothered you beforehand."

"You may be right…" Arianne sighed. "I've also been thinking of home."

"You know that you may just break the possible betrothal, too?" her cousin stared at her with a slightly surprised look on her face. "All it takes is a letter to your father saying that although you like your betrothed, you don't like the Reach or Highgarden and…"

"No." Arianne shook her head. "Highgarden is a far more worthy prize than Sunspear, no matter how I look at it. The only difference is that I do not have any claim to Highgarden."

"Nor do you have any to Sunspear." Tyene slightly frowned. "Anymore."

"Mhm." Arianne just looked away, her face a mixture of shame and sadness. "But we cannot fix the past, can we? Highgarden is as good as a prize as I am going to get. Skyreach is only a week away, and Sunspear is not further off if you take a ship from Oldtown."

"Then what do you miss?"

"I'm surprised you don't want to be there for the birth of your nephew or niece."

"Ah." Tyene coughed. "I care somewhat, of course. I would have loved to be with my sister for this moment, if only she hadn't decided to have a child with him…"

"Listen, Ty, I know Quentyn was harsh but…"

"Harsh? He humiliated me!"

"I know, but you didn't have to do what you did to try and bend him to your will. I tried to dissuade you, remember?"

"Yes, yes, I damn well remember…" Arianne could sense the rage through Tyene's voice. "But I will not step into a room with your brother if I can help it, less I punch him…or worse."

"You won't harm him, Ty." Arianne frowned.

"I'll at least get back at him." Her cousin seemed determined, to Arianne's shock. Usually, Tyene was sweet and jovial, just like the Tyrells, but her brother had unleashed the snake underneath.

"Perhaps." Arianne conceded, not wanting to be drawn into an endless argument. "In the meantime, it doesn't change the fact that I would like to have been there to witness the birth of my first niece or nephew, bastard or not."

Tyene huffed and crossed her arms.

"Let's talk about something else." Arianne shook her head and readjusted her hair, sensing that the tension in the room needed to be defused, and fast. "How is lady Margaery?"

"Still giving birth, as far as I know," Tyene replied.

Indeed, the young rose had gone into labor in the early hours of the night, which explained why her future betrothed had left her alone with her cousin for the moment, probably too worried about his own future niece or nephew to devote any attention to her, which she perfectly understood.

"I hope it goes well for her." Arianne nodded.

"I don't see why it shouldn't." Tyene shook her head. "The master here has apparently overseen over three hundred births and he has never delivered a stillborn child."

"I'm just thinking about grandmother and aunt Elia, you know they were both frail…"

"Yes, I remember." Tyene acknowledged before a twinkle settled in her eye. "I see. You're still thinking about Nym, aren't you?"

"Yes." She confessed.

"Nym is strong, I have faith that she will be perfectly fine, especially since Skyreach's master is quite experienced too, or so I've heard."

"Yes, let us hope so. Howev…"

The sound of knocking cut their conversation short.

"Enter." Arianne beckoned the person in.

It was Willas, dressed in his green doublet, his cane by his side. He carefully bowed to both her and Tyene, earning a smirk from her cousin.

"Arianne, would you be interested in a little family reunion?" he asked. "If you are not too tired, of course. We may postpone it to later."

"Oh." Arianne looked surprised. Wasn't lady Margaery still in labor? "I'd be…glad to? I'm not tired and I am quite presentable."

Willas smiled slightly, while Tyene shoved her towards the Reachman with a smirk that did not hide her intentions at all.

"Just ask him…" she whispered as she took Willas' hand and exited her rooms.

"I hope I didn't leave you on your own for long." Willas quickly told her once he was out of Tyene's earshot.

"Oh, you needn't worry. Tyene is good company, and I'm sure the other girls would be happy to play cyvasse with me. Ser Garibald has proved to be too staunch of an adversary for me, I fear." She reassured him. "Although, since we are to be betrothed, I do not think that you need to ask for my permission to enter my rooms."

"I didn't want to appear rude." The Reachman confessed as they walked down Highgarden's halls. "Besides, last time I came, you were hardly presentable…"

Arianne laughed.

"Oh, you know, by that point my body was no secret to you." She smirked at him seductively. "And besides, Tyene was only helping me put on a dress more appropriate for the Reach. I fear that our own Dornish dresses would be quite scandalous for the region, or so I've heard. Therefore, I needed her help to try something on that would fit me better, such as this one."

Arianne wore a large dress that didn't restrict her movements as much as a typical Reacher dress would, and showed her Dornish heritage quite well, being embroidered with the burning sun and the spear of her house. It covered most of what needed to be covered, and provided her with some breathing space, unlike a lot of typical dresses in which she could hardly see a girl breathing normally in.

"I didn't want to interrupt anything…" Willas tried to excuse himself, but Arianne waved him off.

"There's nothing to interrupt. And besides, you'll hopefully get to know my cousin's body as well as my own." She teased. "After all, she and I do share a lot."

To her surprise, Willas didn't even blink at the suggestion, and instead threw another jest.

"I've got enough trouble pleasing one magnificent woman, it would be greatly overestimating my capabilities to please two."

"Nonsense." She laughed. "You'll do just fine. But…"

She trailed.

"But?" Willas looked at her, confused.

"Well, this reunion is…most unexpected." She raised an eyebrow. "I would've expected you to be at your sister's side during her ordeal."

"Ah…" Willas nodded. "My sister gave birth to a lovely, healthy baby girl, with jet black hair and eyes as green as our sigil. She named her Floris."

"And you didn't tell me?" Arianne punched Willas in the shoulder. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Willas nodded. "Well, she gave birth last night and is in good health, and I didn't wish to interrupt your sleep after…"

"You could've told me." Arianne shook her head in annoyance. "I understand why you didn't, but I quite care for your sister and I would have loved to see your niece with my own eyes."

"If it is that, if you wish, we may go and see her this afternoon?"

"It would please me greatly, Willas."

"Then I shall do as my princess commands." He nods.

"And this family reunion, what is it about?" she asked, not letting Willas breathe. "After all, shouldn't you wait till lady Margaery has recovered?"

"Erm…usually, yes." Willas seemed to hesitate while he leaned on his cane. "But in this case, things have changed drastically. And a reason why we would like you to attend this reunion is because we have gotten news from your own family, and these matters concern both you and I and my family would like to have your opinion on it."

Arianne raised an eyebrow, intrigued. What could her house possibly have anything to do with matters of the Reach, and what was so urgent for them not to wait for lady Margaery?

It seemed as though she would soon get her answer. Walking side-by-side with Willas, she entered a room where the entire Tyrell family was present, bar Margaery: Olenna, Mace, Alerie, and Garlan were all waiting.

"Ah, there you are, both of you." The Queen of Thorns piqued. "I had thought that princess Arianne's beauty had charmed you yet again and that we would have waited a while longer!"

"Mother, please…" Lord Tyrell grumbled.

"I agree with father, let us quickly discuss what needs to be discussed." Willas countered, helping Arianne into her seat while his brother brought them a cup of wine. "Princess Arianne needs to be informed of the recent developments."

"What developments?" Arianne asked.

"Well, your uncle and your father have been negotiating with the Iron Throne for some time now," Willas spoke up first. "You may remember the betrothal between your brother Trystane and the princess Myrcella?"

"I have been aware." Arianne nodded in response. The betrothal had come as a surprise to her, but she could see the reasoning behind it.

"Your father and the Iron Throne have agreed to give your uncle, prince Oberyn, a place on the small council in the capital." The Queen of Thorns took the floor. "We know that prince Oberyn has accepted this proposal and he is due to arrive in the capital shortly."

Arianne sat there, completely stunned. How could her father do this? Myrcella? She could understand. A hostage to ensure the Throne wouldn't get any ideas, but this? This was delusional! They couldn't just make peace with the monsters who killed aunt Elia!

However, an inner voice soon brought her back to reason. After all, no one was trying to get vengeance more than her uncle Oberyn. And he would never have accepted such a position if there wasn't something to be gained…but what?

She would have to dwell later, but for now, her attention shifted back to the meeting, where she didn't show any emotion other than a slight frown.

"Are Dorne and the Reach are to be at war, then?"

After all, the Reach had withdrawn from the war, but it did not mean that they were neutral, they certainly hadn't bent the knee to the Lannisters, or any other faction up to that point.

"The Iron Throne made the same overtures to us." Ser Garlan…or rather Lord Garlan, since he had been given Brightwater Keep, commented. "We initially refused them, because of our alliance with Renly Baratheon, and the fact that Marge was still pregnant with his child."

Arianne could see where they were going with this.

"But now that she has given birth to a daughter, you wish to give these talks a chance." Arianne finished Garlan's sentence.

Lord Tyrell made to talk but the Queen of Thorns interrupted him as if the man was going to spurt out a big mistake.

"Exactly, dear." The old woman smiled, unnerving Arianne. "Unfortunately, a daughter's claim to the Iron Throne is weaker than a man's…and an alliance with both Dorne, the Westerlands and the Crownlands, to which we may bring the Reach and the Stormlands, would usher in an age of peace and prosperity…"

Under Tyrell rule.

Arianne left that part unsaid. It was clear the game they were playing, but why tell her all of this? After all, she hardly had a choice in all of these decisions. She could try to plead to Willas or try to warn her uncle, but something told her that neither would be effective.

No.

If she was to play kingmaker in this affair, she would have to be discreet and slowly turn Willas to her side. The man was resisting for now, but he would break eventually, or so she hoped. Then…well she would go from there, but controlling the heir to the Reach would bring her immense benefits, especially since she saw who really ran the household in Highgarden.

She didn't even bother listening to the rest of the Queen of Thorn's tirade, instead feigning to listen while developing a plan of her own.

"However." Lord Tyrell coughed, looking at his mother with some contempt. "We understand that your family has grievances. And that some members of this said family had decided to settle it…themselves."

Arianne grinned.

Oh, how she jubilated once she had heard the news. Quentyn gave that monster Lorch what he deserved and more. She remembered grinning all night long as she thought about the hundreds of stabs the monster had gotten and how he had suffered.

Admittedly, her brother had also completely won Dorne to his side, but this was a price that she would have gladly paid at that point to see Rhaenys' butcher suffer.

"Indeed." Was her only answer as she took a quick sip of Arbor Red.

"Do you think these will cause…divisions…in your family?" Willas asked.

Arianne thought for a brief moment but shook her head.

"My brother may have some influence in Dorne, but in the end, he does not make the decisions." She sighed. "Quentyn will follow whatever our father tells him to do, and if my uncle has agreed to take a spot on the Small Council, then it is likely that the issues with my brother's actions have been resolved."

"Hmm…" the Queen of Thorns observed her. "You may be right, but even if Lorch was but a minor bannerman, he was still one of Lord Tywin's bannermen. And it was a grave insult to his pride."

"If I remember, the rumours say that my brother only killed him, and paid a ransom for him from bandits in the Riverlands." She shook her head. "If my uncle or my father had this choice, they also would have taken it. I myself would have crucified the bastard in the middle of the sands of Hellholt, opened a wound, and let the vultures feast on him whilst he was alive."

The audience went silent while Arianne slowly finished her drink.

"I pray that you are right." Willas put a hand on hers. "But my grandmother is also right. Lord Tywin is a powerful man, and there is a chance that he has not forgotten this slight."

"As it stands, it still was one of the conditions Prince Doran sent us for his support of our claim…" the Queen of Thorns looked pensive. "Bah! Do not fear, princess, nothing will befall your family whilst they travel to that rat-infested place, we will make sure of it! After all, our families will soon be one and the same, no?"

Lady Alerie nodded and smiled at that, while Willas only nodded slightly.

"If I may ask, what is to come to Floris?" Arianne raised a question. "Surely you do not take me for a fool that you will not ask for a betrothal between lady Margaery and the king? And as you say, the Lannisters will not take a rival claimant very well…"

"Since Floris is Renly's, she will inherit what Renly has been rightfully given by his brother Robert…Storm's End." Willas replied. "She will become the lady of Storm's End once she becomes of age."

And no doubt that her regency will be assured by a Tyrell cousin of some sort, and she betrothed to either a Tyrell or a close house of the Reach: Hightower, Redwyne, Ambrose, Fossoway, Beesbury, Meadows, Norridge, Blackbar, Serry…house Tyrell's roots run deep through the Reach, after all.

"Oh, and I almost forgot." Willas reached into his doublet. "Congratulations, Arianne."

She eyed him with a confused look as he handed her a letter.

"You've got a niece too." he smiled slyly.

She looked at the letter. It had been opened, to be sure, but it also bore the seal of House Fowler. And Arianne knew of only one…well, two…people of her family that were at Skyreach at the moment.

It was like a huge burden was taken off of her shoulders, but she had no time to even read it, as the plump head of House Tyrell quickly rose from his seat, drink in hand.

"Well, princess Arianne." Lord Tyrell toasted his cup. "I am glad that your house will soon join the fold. With the might of the southern kingdoms, the northern rebels will soon be annihilated and we shall usher in a new age of peace and prosperity. A toast to peace!"

To peace, to peace… Arianne thought deeply about these words.

Everything sounded fake again. From these promises to the reunion that she was brought in for. They knew the answers she was going to give before she even stepped into the room. Why invite her? For her to watch this show? To send her a message? To what end? And Willas' comment towards Quentyn's child? What did it mean? Surely there was something there too, he could have just announced it while they were walking, but in public…why?

Gods, she had so many more questions now. So many new things she would have to think about and twist in her mind until she finally had a solution. Luckily, as Quentyn had said, she was a viper, and vipers were at home in the gardens.

She had an asset, one placed deep inside the Tyrell family. Willas Tyrell. She would break the gentle flower, and bend him to her will. It would take some time, and prove to be quite a challenge, but she would do everything that was needed to finally know what was going on, and most of all, make sure that the Tyrells did not betray their southern allies, lest they remember the fate that befell many of their ancestors…