Ninth Month of 235 A.L. King's Landing

Ser Aegor Rivers

For two years he had served as hand of the king, and during that time Aegor had helped his great nephew rebuild Westeros from the disunited ruin it had been following Maekar's death into something approaching a much more stable and secure kingdom. Being hand of the king, truly was not all that different to being captain general of the golden company, after all the lords and the people of Westeros, all wanted something, and for Aegor it was a case of figuring out what they wanted and then tying that into the needs of the kingdom. The people seemed to be happy with what he and Baelon were doing for the lords who counted were still standing behind them and as such so were the smallfolk and the other lords of the realm. As for being in the Kingsguard, that had been something that had surprised Aegor, but when he had landed in the north and learnt that Shiera, his one true love had died, he had not truly minded being in the Kingsguard, if he could not have her what was the point in having other women? The knights of the Kingsguard were as good if not better as they had been during the reign of Aegor's own father. Aegor himself was a good swordsman all these years later, Ser Adam Woolfield was electric with a sword in his hand and was honourable to a fault, Ser Lyonel Reyne, was strong and quick as well, Ser Desmond Royce was silent and deadly, Ser Harlon Tarly was one of the finest swordsman Aegor had ever seen, and then there were the two hostages, Ser Davos Baratheon a small man with the strength of an ox, and Ser Tion Lannister. The Kingsguard was good and would defend the king should the need arise.

And it might very well arise, small council sessions were dominated with talk of Dorne and the Stormlands and the Targaryens across the narrow sea. Today was no different. "There has been no change in what Aegon Targaryen does across the narrow sea Your Grace." Lord Jasper Arryn said. "He sits in his manse with his family and Lord Rosby and plots and plots. He makes no move to do anything else and the magisters of Pentos grow weary of housing him."

"So are you saying there is a chance that they might throw them out and leaving them wandering around Essos?" Baelon asks sounding eager.

Lord Jasper nods and says. "It looks like it might come to that Your Grace. Prince Aegon has done himself no favours with the magisters, he seeks Westerosi betrothals for his sons and ignores whatever overtures that the magisters or the Prince of Pentos make towards him. Soon enough he will find himself without a single friend there at all."

Baelon laughs and claps his hands. "Excellent. Then we can send word to Strickland and ask him to prepare for an ambush for the Targaryens and perhaps we can seal their fate without needing to engage in even more battle?"

Aegor speaks then and says. "We must first come up with a reason for the Magisters to force the Targaryens out. Simply refusing betrothals is not enough reason, the Pentoshi are a prideful people yes, but keeping the Targaryens means that they will stand to benefit should the time come when the red dragon sits the throne once more. We must find something that will force them to question the wisdom of having the Targaryens in Pentos."

"Why not hold back on trade?" Lord Viserys Plumm the son of Aegor's aunt Elaena asks. "After all we have enough gold in the treasury and enough contacts within Essos to do without the Pentoshi imposing their tariffs on us for harbouring usurpers. Withhold trade with them and the Prince will be pressured, either die or cut the Targaryens out. And then we can strike."

Baelon seizes on that. "Yes," he says nodding. "That makes sense. Force trade with Pentos to stop completely, not just with us but between the other free cities as well, and the magisters shall begin pressuring the Prince to remove the Targaryens."

Aegor was not as convinced as the other members of the council and said as such. "Whilst that plan would be genius if it would work, there is no clear indication that it would work. For whilst Tyrosh will do as I bid them, Lys, Myr, and the other free cities have no reason to listen to what we have to say. No reason at all."

Daeron Velaryon speaks then. "The throne might not, but I have a reason to make Volantis listen to what I have to say. My wife is from Volantis, and as such her brother is the most powerful member of the triarchy. One simple word in his ear and Volantis will cut trade with Pentos instantly, as will the other free cities that follow Volantis' lead."

Aegor looks at the king and sees his eyes shining with anticipation, he nods subtly and the king says. "Then do it, speak with you wife my lord. And make sure that nothing can be traced back to us." Lord Velaryon nods and then the king turns the council's attention to the other pressing matter at hand. "Dorne's independence is something that I find very offensive, when my ancestor set out to conquer Westeros, he wanted all of it not just six kingdoms. Dorne must fall and it must fall soon."

Aegor speaks then. "Well enough time has passed to make the lords hungry for glory once more Your Grace. I say we begin preparing for a campaign, and send feelers out. Tyrell's son has now wed Robar Baratheon's daughter and so that power play can come full circle. We need the forces of the Reach focusing on Dorne now."

The king nods and says. "Send a raven to the Arbor. Tell Lord Redwyne, it is time for him to prove just how good a fleet the Redwyne fleet is."

First month of 236 A.L. Sunspear

Princess Arianne Martell

Dorne was an independent kingdom once more. Without a red dragon sitting the throne, there was no point in being associated with the rest of Westeros in such a capacity, that was what Arianne and her brother Doran and husband Alor had all agreed. And so she had declared independence and had Ser Alleras Sand hold the Boneway for her against anyone from the Reach who might think to try their hand at invasion. A free and independent Dorne, was something that both excited and frightened Arianne, because whilst she was excited about the possibilities this could bring, she was also scared that she would mess things up and her people would suffer as a result. Already the Baratheons had caved in eventually, and Lord Robar had wed his eldest daughter to Ser Willas Tyrell, making the Tyrells one of the most, if not the most powerful great houses in the realm. Of course there was talk of something more going on but that was all it was just talk.

Of course Arianne also had other things to worry about as well, Alor was ailing in health, her husband of twenty years was growing weaker and weaker and there was nothing that could be done about it. Their children, Elia and Lewyn were both growing up quickly, Elia was ten and Lewyn eight, and Elia reminded Arianne so forcefully of Alor that sometimes it hurt her to look at her daughter and heir, whilst Lewyn reminded Arianne so much of her brother Doran that often she merely smiled looking at him. Her children were growing up under much more scrutiny than Arianne ever had, for they were now complete royalty and would be expected behave as such.

Of course just now she could not really think about that. Not when she saw how grim her brother looked. "How bad is it out there brother?" Arianne asked dreading the answer. When Redwyne ships had been sighted sailing down towards the western coast she had feared the worst.

Doran took a long sip of wine and then spoke. "It is very bad Arianne. The Redwynes are pushing hard against our reserves, and Lord Maron does not know how long he can keep throwing them back into the sea. It does not help that he cannot truly trust the Daynes of High Hermitage, for all we know they could be working alongside the Black Dragon or even the Yronwoods."

"Do you think that they are in line to bring us down then brother?" Arianne asked.

Her brother's brow furrowed and he said softly. "I know not Arianne. All I know is that unless we push the Redwynes out of here soon, we shall be seeing a possible civil war within our own lands."

"You are certain that is the case?" Arianne asked. "From what I have been told the lords and people alike think that the move I made was the right one, and as such do not wish to be part of the Iron Throne's domains again."

"And that is precisely where the problem lies." Alor says speaking for the first time. "They do not want to be part of Westeros again, not in the way we have been ever since grandmother was wed to grandfather, and yet they all know that should the Targaryens emerge from Pentos, or wherever it is they are now, then we shall declare for them and Dorne shall send its sons and daughters to fight and die. They do not like that."

Arianne snorted then and said. "SO they would rather fight alongside a man who would gladly see them and theirs reduced to nothing more than common peasants, simply to preserve themselves? Something that I am already working hard to do."

Alor nodded and then said. "Though there might be one possible bright spark. A friend of King Aegon's at court has written to us to say that aid is fast coming to help us against the Redwynes and should we need any more assistance we need only ask."

Arianne looks at her husband and asks. "Who is this friend of King Aegon's? As far as I was aware there was none of King Maekar's court left when the black dragon came and took it. They were either killed or fled. So who is this man husband?"

Alor is silent a moment and says simply. "I know not Arianne. He never writes his name. He merely says he is a friend of Aegon's and thus a friend of Dorne's. I do not ask and he does not tell. But all he has said so far has come true, I have no reason to doubt what he says."

Doran speaks then. "We must needs be careful over what we take as true from him though. And we must wait and see, what aid does come. The royal fleet is either broken or missing, and the Velaryon fleet belongs to the Black Dragon. The only other aid could be the Ironborn and they have no reason to aid us."

Arianne runs a hand through her hair and sighs. "Aye, that we must do. Though perhaps sending word to Quellon Greyjoy might not be such a bad idea. An alliance and some terms to bring this about might wet his appetite to destroying the Redwyne Fleet for us."

Both her husband and her brother look at her and then Doran asks "Are you sure that is wise? The Ironborn are loathed from here to the wall. Allying with them could make many of our lords question whether you have lost your sanity or not Arianne."

"Let them," Arianne says. "This alliance might be the only thing that saves us from burning due to pirates."

Alor speaks then. "And what pray tell could you offer a man such as Quellon Greyjoy in this alliance that would make him see it as worth wile in the first place?"

Arianne smiles then and says. "Why a marriage of course."