Leana had spent more time than she wanted to admit styling her black, stubborn locks. Finally she had settled on a complex and eloquent braid she had learned from her old handmaiden. It required five strains and a massive amount of attention, but its elegance was almost unmatched.
As for her clothes, today she had chosen a silk, moss green dress that matched the color of her eyes. It was cut lower than what she was use to in the front, exposing her chest but it had hints of modesty. She was certain her father wouldn't have approved of the dress, but he wasn't here to scold her anymore.
Leana strolled through the garden alone, her eyes focused on the silhouette of the flowers against the sapphire water. The sun was causing the water to shimmer like a crystal, as it reflected the light in her face. Even as she admired the water her mind was still heavily twinned in yesterday's venture of trying to force Sansa to eat. Leana knew the news of Sansa's brother Robb and her mother's death had demoralized her greatly as it would many, but giving up was never the solution. It was so obvious that Sansa's marriage to Lord Tyrion was also driving her into a unfathomable depression.
She was worried about her northern friend who had bore such atrocities as of late. Leana decided she would visit her again soon, convincing Sansa was of the utmost paramount. When Renly had died, Leana had taken it very hard. Renly had been like the brother she'd never had, but deep down Leana knew Renly wouldn't have desired her to waste herself away to nothing.
As she walked, Leana wondered where Prince Oberyn was, he'd seemed sincere in his intentions to walk her around the garden. She had been waiting all day for this, adoring herself in her best clothes, doing her hair in the most elaborate fashion, all to make herself seem more promising as an ally. Her mind drifted to her first and only encounter with Prince Oberyn. He was a fierce, ardent man like Margaery had promised – nothing short of what a powerful, undomesticated man should be. She did find his confidence enticing; he was a rich and influential man. The Prince could be an impressive ally to possess under her belt, but she had very little to offer him in exchange for an alliance or even a mutual partnership.
Leana knew she needed to maybe find some of his weaknesses; she hated the thought of exploiting him, but it wasn't out of her reach. Her family needed her and protecting them was the only thing that mattered now that she was here. Leana had learned of Prince Oberyn's prominent affiliations with women, which could prove useful, but that also put her at risk. Oberyn was the type of man that would taint or destroy a woman's reputation with no remorse – and Leana wasn't the type of person to stumble into that pitfall.
Lazily, she walked a familiar path through the garden. Leana had spent so much time admiring the roses and the beautiful creeping vines. There were never any flowers at Dragonstone which kept the place looking dreary and dead, unlike King's Landing. The flowers were always in full bloom here.
It was a shame she couldn't just pick some flowers and bring them home to Dragonstone. The sun was never out enough to sustain any decent plant life. Grass, ugly patches of moss and scraggly lichen were the only things that could handle the rocky, sea-beaten cliffs of her home.
"Ah, Leana Baratheon. May I say what a pleasure it is to see you again." Leana nearly jumped in surprise when she heard her own name being called by the familiar voice of Prince Oberyn. He approached her slowly, looking her up and down before he took her hand.
This time he held it for a while, running his thumb along her skin before bringing her hand forward to kiss it. He left another lingering, sensual kiss.
"You look quite ravishing today, Lady Leana." Oberyn said, his voice sounding more sensuous than she was expecting. As he did yesterday, he offered her his arm, which she took.
"Thank you. You look quite impressive yourself. Do women ever tell you that yellow might be your color?" Leana reciprocated with an equally pleasant compliment.
Prince Oberyn leaned in, making sure they weren't overheard by a Lady that was passing them. "No, not usually. Most women don't usually see me in clothes very often." He grinned, raising one of his eyebrows at her suggestively.
"Do you enjoy speaking so scandalously?"
"Not always, but I like to talk about what I excel in." Oberyn smirked, leaning in more. She could feel his warm breath tickling her ear. "Fighting and sex are what I do best." His accented voice gave the statement a rhythmic jingle to it.
Leana was adjusting herself to his bold comments and she was impressed that she didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her blush. "Oh, how poetic of you. I wouldn't have expected such linguistic fluidity from a Dornishman. They seem to enjoy voicing how skilled they are at other activities."
"You wound me. All Dornishmen born of nobility indulge themselves in writing poetry." He countered her snide remark.
"Really? I would not have foreseen you participating in such artistic activities."
"Of course, we Dornish are experts in the art of articulation and expression, from the quill to the battlefield and most importantly the bedroom."
"Does everything you say come back to..." She could hardly think of an appropriate word for promiscuous behavior.
"To fucking? Yes, but only when beautiful people are involved." He interjected, teasingly. His eyes were running up and down her body with playful curiosity, as if his eyes were already undressing her.
Leana tried her hardest not to blush; even with her face remaining stony she could feel heat rising in her cheeks. "You are very bold Prince Oberyn, I will give you that. But are you not a fan of civility then? I thought you wanted to get to know me better, not try to shock or seduce me."
Oberyn Martell gave her a wide, sassy grin before speaking. "If I was trying to seduce you my Lady, you would we be begging me to lead you to the brothel, or your room at this very moment. As you are not asking, I can confirm that I'm not trying to seduce you. Yet."
Leana kept her expression at a constant level of unimpressed. She was very much attracted to this bold Prince, but even the most beautiful of flowers could be poisonous, just like Nightshade.
"Ah, I see, very serious. I was under the notion you weren't such a prude. I could help you relax." He said coyly. "But alas, maybe another day. I know quite a bit about you already, so toying with you is more entertaining."
"I'm not a prude." Leana grumbled. "But you've been talking about me? I'm flattered you would even think to ask about me."
"You wouldn't be so flattered if you heard what nobles whisper about you. They say your father is a traitor to the true king, Joffery. That he killed his own brother Renly, attacked King's Landing, and after he failed to take it he's been holding up at Dragonstone." Oberyn looked down at her, but his eyes were very neutral.
"But that's mostly about your father, and I don't hold a daughter responsible for her father's actions. But from what I've heard, you betrayed your own father to secure a Tyrell alliance for your uncle Renly."
It was disturbing to her, seeing his face so passionless, she'd become accustomed to seeing his eyes so bright. Leana was beginning to think that maybe he despised her already for her father's actions. Everyone one else in King's Landing did. When it came to Renly and her father Stannis, well she had held them both with equal admiration and respect. Renly was like the older brother she had never had, and Stannis was her father. Picking a side had been impossible and heartbreaking for her, but Renly had already obtained a decent amount of support from Loras Tyrell, and as she was a ward in Highgarden she could have been imprisoned for being a traitor, and escaping home to Dragonstone had not been an option. So she had done the best with what she had been anointed.
"Renly was like a brother to me and he raised me more than my own father did. I love my father as I should, but he won't be a good ruler for Westeros. Renly would have been better, he would have inspired people because he was a kind and just person. So tell me how I should have handled the situation? I would have been betraying one of them and my father probably thought I was a graceful hostage in Renly's care anyways. So I decided to help Renly, " Leana put a little too much passion into her declaration, but it seemed to have entertained Prince Oberyn as there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes again.
"I told you the timid ones are secretly the most passionate," Prince Oberyn said with a chuckle. "I hope I didn't upset you with my prodding, that was not my intention."
Leana straightened herself, making sure her posture was as highborn as possible. "I'm not offended by your curiosity," she replied quickly.
"Well, at least the most delightful part was hearing how your family has a certain distaste for Lannisters." She was happy to see a ghostly smile resurface on his face. "It seems we have something in common."
"The accusations against my father don't offend you? You aren't insulted by my presence like everyone else then?"
Oberyn shook his head, "Of course not, we are both misfits, loathed by the Lannisters, they don't discriminate when it comes to their enemies. And like I said before, I don't hold children responsible for their father's actions. The only way you could insult me would be if you sided with the Lannisters."
"The Lannisters are holding me here against my will. They're just too modest to call me their hostage. I hold no love for them."
"Neither do I. The Lannisters are responsible for the slaughter of my sister, Elia Martell and her Targaryen children, but they didn't stop their insult there. They allowed the Mountain to rape my sister before he chopped her in half. To think those are her last memories of life, being violated by that monster, it makes me livid." Oberyn hissed with disgust; she felt his arm shake in rage.
Leana grasped his arm tighter, to try and calm him. Now she under why he had sounded so vexed when he had mentioned the Lannisters yesterday. "I am truly sorry for your lose, Prince Oberyn."
"Do not fret your pretty little head about it. I know I will get my revenge on the Lannisters and Ser Gregor Clegane." Oberyn vowed, his voice filled with zeal.
"It is still a tragedy. I could not imagine what it would be like to lose my sister." She confessed.
"You have a sister? I thought Stannis only had one child – you." The prince muttered, confused.
"I have a sister, but my father has never let her leave Dragonstone or hardly acknowledges her existence. When Shireen was a child she was afflicted with Greyscale, which has left terrible scars on her face. My father is ashamed of her and so she has spent the majority of her life locked in her room. Once I tried to take her out of the castle, but my father punished me severely for it. He said that if Shireen were to leave she would 'make a mockery of our family name.'" Leana sighed, the indifference her father treated Shireen with made her sick.
She glanced at Oberyn and instantly noted the frown on his face. "Such a shame. Tis' a big and beautiful world, to be locked away from it should be a sin. I have been fortunate to see so much of it."
"You should tell me more of your ventures, but perhaps another time." She paused slightly, looking over at the vast, lush garden. "Luckily, my sister is not completely uneducated about our world. The one thing she takes the most pleasure in is reading about it. I have been personally supplying her with books since the moments she could read."
Leana found herself even smiling. It was not often that she was even remotely happy in King's Landing, but thinking of her little sister often brought joy to her, as well as deep sorrow. "Shireen is infatuated with the stories of the Targaryen's and their dragons."
"As all children should be. My daughters are fascinated by the Targaryen's as well. Though, I have trouble speaking of them, as my sister was one."
"You have children?" She asked, slightly shocked. She examined his face more closely and for the first time she noticed hidden flecks of silver in black hair.
"I have eight daughters, all bastards, but I have taken responsibility for all of them and are raising them as my own." Oberyn replied while he stressed led his beard.
"That is very kind of you. I know my uncle King Robert never cared about his bastard children. You should tell me more about them the next time I see you."
The prince stopped for a second. "I was hoping the next time we meet we could talk more business." His tone was strict and very regal. The way his expression became stony made her almost worried about what this business would entail.
"Business?" Leana felt her brow raise in curiosity. Prince Oberyn hadn't come off as serious, other than the mention of his sister, but princes were often entitled to be more carefree than Kings or Lords.
"I came to King's Landing for a larger reason than attending the King's wedding. Maybe we could speak about it the next time?" He asked as he let her hand go. "I do have to get back other matters..."
Leana nodded with reluctance. "Of course, Prince Oberyn," she replied with grace as she curtsied.
"Lady Leana, a pleasure as always," Prince Oberyn kissed her hand again with such passion that it caused her skin to prickle wildly. By the gods, he needed to some tormenting her with such passionate masquerades.
Just like their last meeting he left her wistfully waiting for their next meeting.
[A/N]: Hey guys, literally thank you for the amazing feedback from last chapter! I really wanted to send each one of you my personal gratitiude, but FanFiction seems to be having some trouble loading comments. Anyways I wanted to give a special thank you to SaiyukiLover232, Slytherin Studios, Gilyflower, ZabuzasGirl, QueenDisney, musicluver226 LuCkY-StAr69, Her-fury , Vhn, Sparky She-Demon and TheRealTayler13. The feedback you guys have given me so far has been wonderfully helpful!
Next chapter will be from Prince Oberyn's perspective and I hope everyone will enjoy it, and it will require me to bump the rating up to M. Again if you could give me some feedback on my dialog of Prince Oberyn or the pacing of the story thus far it would be so helpful. Thank you for taking the time to read, you guys are the best followers an author could ask for! :)