I do not own these characters. Also there will be some AU elements, so if you're not into that, sorry about that. Bear with me on the changes too, as I am only on the first book and have watched the show. There are going to be some differences from the central plot, obviously.
This is my first story, be easy on me! Hope you guys like it so far and I hope to hear what you guys think!
The Martells had welcomed the Royal Family with a feast that night; something Elaine and her uncle were very much against. She did not mind the imp so much, as he was much more polite than his nephew. Joffrey made a point to talk about how his father crushed the Targaryens in Robert's Rebellion, as well as brag about taking off Ned Starks' head. Elaine was fortunate that she wasn't to marry Joffrey.
Oberyn was free to do as he pleased, so of course, he did not attend as he had other "matters" to attend to with his paramour, Ellaria. Her younger brother Quentyn was currently serving as a squire in the Boneway, while Arianne apparently had other affairs to attend to as well. Elaine had hardly seen her sister since the royal party had arrived, so it was on her to be there along with Trystane, of course.
After the parties finished eating their dinner, they were shown to their chambers and Elaine joined her father in his. She sat down on his bed, almost pouting over having them there. Why could Oberyn and her sister get out of dinner with them and she couldn't? She wasn't the one getting married, it made no sense to have to meet that little shit of a King.
"I wanted to thank you for playing nice earlier, Elaine." Her father smiled as he joined her on the bed.
"Anything for you." She couldn't help but smile in return, even though it still didn't make her feel any better. "But you never told me why they've come…or rather, why you invited them."
"I told you, Princess. Your brother Trystane is to marry Princess Myrcella. Myrcella will stay here and we will be getting a seat on the small council. It's important that Dorne remains in the fold, and the Lannisters are smart to recognize that."
"Then why are you sending me away to King's Landing?" She felt hurt, as if her father were trying to get rid of her. She was younger than Arianne, the heiress to Dorne, while Quentyn was to become a knight and her brother would be marrying another Princess, what purpose would she serve then? She had no husband, no children, her whole life she was the forgotten child, so it made sense for her to feel like she was being sent away.
He gently cupped her face in comfort, "I'm not sending you away, my love."
"Oh? What is it you're doing then? Because it sure sounds like I'm just being…being shipped off…" Her voice began to raise but she stopped herself before going further. It was hard to believe that she was Prince Doran's daughter, as she had a much shorter temper than he did. The Prince had always been a calm and patient man, however many saw it as a sign of weakness, including her sister Arianne. Elaine herself could see the benefits in having a thoughtful and reasonable ruler like her father, but often found herself frustrated with his lack of action in certain matters, like avenging the death of his sister Elia.
For such a calm and calculating man, he was not sure on how to say what he was supposed to say next, his hand moved from her cheek to her shoulder, "Elaine…do you remember your mother?"
Her jaw tightened, but she was at a loss for words. Her mother had gone back home to Norvos, leaving all of them in Dorne. To her, she had no mother. Her father served as both roles and he served them well, "No…I don't…" she tried to study his face, but it was to no use given her father's hard to read features, "what of her?"
"She was a very beautiful woman, Elaine. She was taken from us too young, however…" she could hear the heartache in his voice so she placed her head on his shoulder. He continued, "It is a shame you don't remember her."
She sighed, "It is…but she left you. She left us, how could I miss a woman like that?" she asked softly, feeling almost empty. While she loved her father dearly, having a motherly role in her life would certainly have eased her upbringing. She thought about how differently it would have been.
"She did not choose to leave us, Elaine." He corrected her, waiting for her response.
"Your wife," Elaine did not speak of her name, "left to Norvos after Trystane was born. She made that decision." She hated hearing about her "mother". Her mother died the day she left them in Sunspear.
"Lady Mellario was not your mother." He said, with a flat tone. He had no other idea how to explain it to her and did not want to dance around it anymore. Elaine had finally reached the age where she would understand.
She sat back up and looked at him, "Sh-she wasn't?"
He pulled her close again, "I'm sorry, Elaine. I wanted to tell you for the longest time but I wanted you to be old enough to understand…"
She felt confused more than anything, if this Lady Mellario was not her mother, then who was the real woman? She almost felt sick at the thought of potentially being a bastard, as celebrated as they were in Dornish customs. "I'm not a bast-"
"No, you're not." He corrected her again, hoping to not overwhelm her with the information he was about to give her.
"Then who is my mother?" She looked him in the eye, as she felt herself growing more anxious. A lump grew in her throat as she waited for his answer.
"Elia Martell." He looked away briefly before returning eye contact with her, "My sister was your mother." He added softly, thinking about the last time he'd seen his sister, right before she and Rhaegar left for King's Landing. He remembered how sick Elaine was as a child, how heartbroken his sister was when she could not bring her with them to the capital. It was the one trait Elaine inherited from her mother, as Elia had always been a sick child too.
Elaine was very confused by this as well, something he expected. Because if Elia Martell, sister of Doran and Oberyn Martell, was her mother, that only meant that…Doran was not her father. She froze momentarily, trying to absorb the new information. Perhaps her father had too much to drink? Or maybe this was just a dream for her? Not a dream, but a nightmare.
He waited for her response, and she simply did not know what reaction to give. Part of her felt hurt for being lied to her whole life; her whole life was a lie if Doran wasn't her true father. At the same time, she remained rational about it. Regardless of who her blood father was, Doran would always be her father.
"Then…who is … if Elia is my mother, who is my blood father?"
He looked away, feeling ashamed for the lie he'd kept for so long. He did not want to say the man's name either. While this man made Elia a happy woman (for a while) and gave him his niece Elaine, he detested him for his betrayal to his sister. "Rhaegar Targaryen was your true father."
Her jaw dropped. Rhaegar? It could not be possible. The Lannisters had her cousins Aegon and Rhaenys slaughtered in the sack of King's Landing. It was simply not possible that her life was somehow spared. "How am I alive then?" She asked.
"You were a sick baby. Your mother wanted to keep you here, where you were born, as the Maester said you would not make the trip to King's Landing." He paused, remembering the promise he made to his younger sister, "She made me promise to raise you as one of my own if she never made it back."
And she didn't, Elaine thought to herself, with her head down. She needed time to herself now. She stood up, "I want to go to my room."
He nodded and let her leave, understanding how she might be feeling. He understood that she might need some time to think over a lot of things.
Before she opened the door, she turned back to the Prince, who now sat alone on his bed, "I want you to know that you will always be my father." She gave a small, reassuring smile because she was not upset with him, "I just need the night to myself."
He smiled back at her, which gave her a small sense of relief. She exited his chambers and made her way back to hers.
Writing Doran is hard, not gonna lie. He's probably my favorite character though.