NOTES

What do you think of Grace Phipps as Ashara Dayne?

EDDARD III

Not only were the Water Gardens the most beautiful palace in the Seven Kingdoms, but they were also the most effective prison. He had been invited as a guest, which was nothing more than a euphemism for hostage. His visit to King's Landing had cost him dearly. Not only did he miss Jon's wedding, but he would be kept away from Starfall indefinitely.

At times, Ned tried to put himself in Prince Doran's shoes. For if he himself had been disgusted by the death of Elia Martell and her children, Prince Doran must have felt much more than disgust and anger. Even so, it was not fair for Jon to be used as a pawn in the game of thrones. One of his consolations was that Arianne seemed to love Jon as much as he loved her, although he knew that she had seduced him by taking advantage of his youth and innocence.

His other consolation was his beloved wife. Ashara was everything to him, the only woman he had ever loved, the woman who had saved him from an unhappy marriage to Lady Barbrey Ryswell. That was why he would always be grateful to Brandon for lying to Father, Lord Rickard. Although his older brother had only helped him to keep Lady Barbrey as a lover, it was still the greatest favor he had ever done for him.

"Come on Ned, we'll get through this," urged Ashara, his wife, as they watched the children play.

Ash was as beautiful as the day he had met her. Her black hair, violet eyes, and pale white skin gave her an otherworldly appearance that unsettled many. In fact, Brandon had once compared her to the Night King's wife, which had not pleased Ned. To him, Ashara was the perfect woman, and no one could ever surpass her.

"Do you trust in Darkstar?" Ned asked.

"To be honest, I see a resemblance to Brandon. Do you trust your brother, Ned?"

"With my life."

"Then I trust Ser Gerold. He is a loyal vassal, and although I would have preferred a more advantageous marriage for Lya, I must admit that the union of the two branches of House Dayne is quite timely."

"In the North, we never attempted to merge with the Karstarks," said Ned.

"In the North, there is plenty of land, my lord. I am sure the Karstarks have as much as half the houses of Dorne put together. If we were to make High Hermitage the heir's seat, we would strengthen our hegemony over the Torrentine," replied his wife.

Ned considered his wife's words and realized that she was right. In the past, the Starks had to face a rebellion led by the Boltons and the Greystarks, a rebellion their ancestors had won, but it showed the danger of cadet branches when they were overcome by ambition. And now, as a Dayne, he had to look after the interests of the Daynes. That meant sacrificing his views of Ser Gerold Dayne and accepting him as his son-in-law.

"You're right," Ned admitted. "Difficult times lie ahead."

"Are you still thinking about your visit to King's Landing?" she asked.

"Yes. It seemed like the king needed a friend, like he needed me."

"Lord Royce will do well, Ned. Even in Dorne, we have heard about his virtues. He is as honorable a man as Lord Jon Arryn."

Bronze Yohn was one of the best lords of the Vale and perhaps all of Westeros. Ned did not doubt for a moment that he would be a worthy successor to Jon Arryn as Hand. Even his son Waymar had joined the Night's Watch of his own free will, something that rarely happened. Moreover, in the best case scenario, Robert would marry Prince Joffrey to Ysilla Royce, saving Emma from the royal engagement.

That was his biggest concern. Among all his children, Emma was the most like him, quiet and moderate. Ned hoped that Skyreach would change her for the better, so that she could relate better to the other nobles. However, spending time away from the court would only increase her fear of marrying a complete stranger.

Ysilla Royce, on the other hand, would go to the court and meet Joffrey. Ned prayed to the gods that they would fall in love. A marriage that would benefit all of Westeros, not just for Emma's happiness, but also to destigmatize House Dayne, which was already considered too ambitious and therefore, a target of intrigues.

"Do you think my nephew is safe in Starfall?" Ned asked, changing the subject.

"I assure you that no Tully killer will set foot in Dorne," interrupted Prince Doran, who was walking with difficulty, aided by Areo Hotah.

Ned was worried that the prince had heard the rest of the conversation. Nevertheless, it was common for lords to grant their vassals private time, even when they expected them to speak ill of them behind their backs. Doran, through his spies, often breached this implicit agreement among nobles, although it was also expected that a lord would spy on his vassals. This was known as a "whispering war."

"I assume the entire realm knows that the son of the Warden of the North is in Dorne," Ashara interjected.

Doran sat down with difficulty and then nodded.

"The House Tully has put itself in a very complicated situation," affirmed the Prince of Dorne. "The nobles tolerate murder with ease, but they hardly forgive those who fail."

"What do you mean?" asked Ned.

"My contacts at the Wall informed me that if your nephew made it to the Wall, it would be only a matter of time before they pushed him off," said the Prince of Dorne. "As the story goes, Lord Commander Whent maintains correspondence with Lady Stark."

The words of Prince Doran were sensible and convincing. However, something inside Ned refused to accept them. Rodrik was of his blood, and for his sister-in-law to plan his murder was an affront to the entire House Stark, an affront that Brandon should take care of. An affront that would never have been received if he remained faithful to his marriage vows.

"That's terrible," lamented Ashara. "What fault does a child have in his father's infidelities?"

Ned did not respond. Prince Doran seemed to notice and said, "Your nephew will be safe," he promised. "Our scouts would recognize any stranger. Besides, the rivermen are not known for their skill in intrigue."

Although it seemed like he was trying to reassure him, Ned knew that his feudal lord was speaking between the lines. The Dornish were always good at plotting.

Did that mean he had to act carefully if he didn't want to pay the consequences? The mere thought gave him a headache and he hoped to find the perfect excuse to return to Starfall. Once home, he could isolate himself from the world and focus on the only thing that mattered: his family.

But did running away really keep his family safe?

"My prince, will the convoy to Norvos be leaving soon?" Ned asked.

The question caught both his wife and the prince off guard, as they did not expect such audacity from him.

"Do you want me to send your nephew to Essos?" the prince asked.

Ned nodded.

"Okay. I'll send him to Norvos as a gesture of goodwill. Once there, he'll serve as a guard for my wife."

The rest of his afternoon was pleasant. He was certain that at least one of his family members would be safe. And as he relaxed, he realized he had much less to fear than he supposed. Prince Doran was a ruthless enemy, but Ned was not his enemy, and if they maintained cordiality, the sands of Dorne would take care of protecting his family.

"I didn't expect you to propose that to the prince," Ashara commented when they were in bed.

"Few dare to ask their lord so openly."

"He's my blood, Ash," he replied. "We do anything for our loved ones."

"What would you do for me, my rebel?" she asked playfully, and they made love.

Ashara would always be his greatest accomplishment. And only for her, the Tourney at Harrenhal was not a painful memory. Perhaps the gods, seeing the impending doom, allowed him to join her to appease him. Perhaps it meant nothing more than that the good and bad things in life coexisted and that the gods did not stop to reward or punish men.